Dr. Raven felt a sudden, massive spike of hope in his chest. Lord Voss was a very wealthy, highly corrupt politician. He was a major leader of the secret Anti-Empire faction.
"You need to get me out of here," Dr. Raven demanded in his mind. "The trial is approaching very fast. The Emperor locked me inside this cage. They confiscated all my research documents. They know everything."
"Calm down," Lord Voss instructed coldly. "We have a highly detailed rescue plan. We successfully bribed three guards on the night shift. We dug a small escape tunnel near the eastern sewer line. We will break you out tomorrow night. You will escape to a safe foreign country."
Dr. Raven stood up from his cot. He walked toward the iron bars. He grabbed the cold metal.
"A foreign country?" Dr. Raven thought frantically. "I cannot leave the Belmontia Empire. This is my home. I am a true patriot. I love this country."
Lord Voss let out a very cruel, mocking laugh inside Dr. Raven's mind.
"Your home does not want you anymore," Lord Voss sneered. "The Empire threw you in a cage to rot. We need you to leave immediately. We will cause a massive, violent riot in the streets to distract the royal guards. We will set fire to the outer districts. The public panic will easily cover your escape."
Dr. Raven froze completely. He stared blankly through the iron bars.
"You will set fire to the outer districts?" Dr. Raven asked in pure shock. "You will intentionally hurt the citizens?"
"They are just commoners," Lord Voss stated without a single ounce of mercy. "Their lives do not matter at all. We only care about the larger plan. We want absolute power. We want to rule the entire continent. You have the ultimate weapon blueprints memorized in your head. We desperately need that knowledge. The citizens are a completely acceptable sacrifice."
Dr. Raven felt a sudden, massive wave of pure disgust wash over his body. His stomach churned. His knuckles turned totally white as he gripped the bars.
He had built the devastating Solurious weapon for a very specific reason. He did not build it to hurt his own people. He built it to protect the Belmontia Empire. He wanted to make his country incredibly strong. He wanted to make it totally safe from foreign enemies. He considered himself a true, dedicated hero of the nation. He wanted to end wars.
"I will not let you burn my city," Dr. Raven replied fiercely in his mind. "I will not let you hurt the innocent people of Belmontia."
"You do not have a choice," Lord Voss threatened sharply. "We are your absolute only hope. If you stay in that cell, you will spend the rest of your life staring at a gray wall."
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"I totally refuse your help," Dr. Raven declared with absolute resolve. "I am a patriot. I will not align with greedy traitors who want to burn my home to the ground. Do not contact me again."
Dr. Raven forced his mind completely shut. He aggressively pushed the magical connection away. The telepathic link snapped instantly. The voice vanished entirely from his head. He was alone again.
He walked back to his small bed. He sat down slowly. He buried his face in his dirty hands. He made his final choice. He would face his punishment with his remaining pride.
Miles away from the dark prison, the atmosphere was completely different.
The 13th Unit estate was incredibly bright and cheerful. The morning sun shined through the large glass windows of the living room.
Ken Eliot lay completely flat on the large, soft sofa. He wore his navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung totally untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair pointed in ten different, messy directions.
He held a large bowl of instant ramen noodles on his chest. He used two wooden chopsticks. He lifted a massive pile of steaming noodles. He slouched his shoulders. He slurped the noodles very loudly. Slurp. Slurp.
"This ramen is absolutely flawless," Ken announced lazily to the ceiling. "It has the exact perfect amount of salt. Salt is very good for my brain. It helps me think about taking long naps."
Naomi walked into the living room. She wore a simple gray t-shirt and comfortable dark pants. Her bright red hair rested in a neat ponytail. She carried a cold, sweating can of fruit soda in her hand.
She did not scowl at him. She did not yell at him to sit up straight. She smiled a very bright, incredibly warm smile. She walked over to the sofa. She gently placed the cold soda can on the wooden coffee table right next to Ken.
"You need a drink with those salty noodles, Ken," Naomi said kindly. Her green eyes sparkled with genuine affection. "You are going to completely dehydrate yourself. Please drink something."
Ken popped one sleepy eye open. He looked at the cold soda. He gave her a huge, goofy grin.
"Naomi, you are a total lifesaver," Ken cheered happily. He lowered his chopsticks. "You are the absolute best vanguard leader ever. You always provide the greatest snacks. I will definitely share my noodles with you. But only the broth. The noodles belong entirely to me."
Naomi laughed a soft, musical laugh. She sat down in the armchair across from him. "Keep your noodles, slacker. I already ate breakfast."
Sayma sat at the long wooden dining table. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held a daily newspaper in her hands. She read the front page carefully.
"The news says Dr. Raven is securely locked inside the Imperial prison," Sayma reported politely. She clicked her pen. "The guards are watching his cell around the clock. The Emperor wants to ensure he does not escape before the official trial begins."
Laxmi sat cross-legged on the large, patterned rug. She tossed a tiny orange spark of fire between her fingers. The flame danced in the air. She grinned a wild, highly excited grin.
"I bet he tries to escape," Laxmi stated boldly. She punched her open palm. "Bad guys always try to escape. It is in their nature. If he breaks out, we get to chase him again. I totally want to roast his expensive suit with a massive fireball."
Zinia stood near the large glass window. The strong earth mage stretched her muscular arms high above her head. Her back popped quietly. "The Imperial prison is made of solid stone. The walls are incredibly thick. He cannot punch through them. He does not have earth magic. He is completely trapped."
Ken swallowed a large mouthful of noodles. He grabbed the cold soda and took a long sip. He let out a loud, dramatic sigh.
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