This story began when I welcomed my father home after he had kidnapped a young man. “Father, that human” I said. “It’s different from the other toys you’ve brought before.” “It’s the son of an arrogant bastard,” he said, as if the word “human” was not an accurate description of the person. The prisoner might as well have been a different species than us. “I brought him here to…re-educate him.” From one look, I recognized this man. His presence: he had the domineering aura of a lead character in this world. “May I play with this toy?” I said. “I will teach it well.” “Me too, me too!” two voices cried out. My younger siblings, who had both inherited my father’s sadistic personality, appeared. They grinned avidly at the newcomer, as if they were baby birds knowing that there was prey in front of their eyes. “Keep it in the dungeons until it learns some manners,” my father said. At his command, the guards grabbed the man by the hair. The prisoner lurched back. He was gagged and his hands were tied with coarse rope, but his eyes showed that he was not defeated. Pride seemed to emanate from his body as he refused to flinch any further. He didn’t seem shaken by the blood flowing down his arms and legs. He stared at me and my family fiercely until he was out of sight. I felt inclined to shiver from the defiance in his eyes. “Oh, this toy is going to be fun,” one of my siblings said. “I want to play with it soon,” the other said. Yes, the prisoner. He was Cassis Pedelian, the older brother of the female lead in this novel. While my younger siblings were excited at the prisoner’s appearance, there was only one thought in my head. …We were screwed. By bringing this man, my father had raised a dead flag; a flag that symbolized the deaths of everyone in this family. Show more
