The number one political power on Earth is the world government. There are many mystic factions who hold considerable power in their own right but none compared to the government.
After all, how can one match an organization which has the power to influence the world on the cultural, religious and economic level?
The longevity of any organization, whether it is government or corporate, depends on the image it shows to the world.
While strength can destroy all rivals it couldn’t destroy the hate in the hearts of people.
Slowly the hate would turn into a volcano and erupt ruining the organization. It might take decades or even century but the end is destined.
The fall of dynasties and the religious powers before the nineteenth centuries are the proof of it.
To counter this, the world government spent countless resources on image control. Propaganda and censorship were the chief tools used by the government to make sure the world would always think of it in a positive light.
This subtle brainwashing of an individual begins from the time when one is in an educational institute. Lessons on the dark past of humanity, the deaths of the glorious freedom fighters and the noble sacrifices of the nine sovereigns are mandatory in every institution.
Every year there would be holidays and celebrations to ’remember’ these noble events of the past. Slowly the general populace starts taking the history to its face value and would go to any cost to defend it.
The masses would defend the government for it is the result of ’blood and sweat of their ancestors’. They might hate the individuals running the government but never the structure of government itself. Never realizing this was what the forefathers of government wanted.
The ignorant masses believe the government was democratic but that’s just a smoke screen. The true power has always lied in the hands of the world council.
In the last few decades, the council has expanded with new members joining in from Atlantis, Eden, and few others.
The power structure has been greatly modified with the new additions, but the main power still remained with the original founding members of the council.
The Nine Sovereigns!
Some believe the sovereigns are dead thanks to old age and injuries of the past while others believe they are in suspended animation. The truth of the claims is hard to verify.
Currently, their powers were enjoyed by the families they established.
Nine Aristocratic Families!
The families enjoy benefits the masses can never imagine. The taxes and resources have always been used to serve the needs of these families first rather than the world.
Close to ninety years the aristocratic families have survived in the ever-changing world of mutants and technology.
The power enjoyed by the families varies given their own individual standing, but from the inception of the government, the strongest family has always been the same.
Hestia.
The strongest of the nine sovereigns was a woman named Hestia. To honor her, the entire family took her name as their surname.
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Valley of Fire.
Located in the state of Avalon, it is a restricted area for it is owned by Hestia Family.
When the age of evolution started, one of the meteorites created this valley spanning thousands of kilometers.
Some twenty thousand miles from the valley is a large estate where the main branch of Hestia Family took their residence. Thanks to the high fertility rate of mutants, the size of the Hestia Family was enormous.
Only those of the main bloodline were allowed to take a residence in the estate and as for the rest, there were other luxurious locations. The estate spanned for approx. 200 sq, miles with the state of art facilities.
In a large hall somewhere in the estate, an elderly bald man with an emaciated appearance was sitting on a chair. His dry skin and deformed face made him resemble a mummy.
He was none other than Lord Harley - a councilman among the world council. (Chapter 54)
In front of him was a virtual projection of a man in a kneeling position.
"Any progress?" Lord Harley asked.
"Slight progress, my lord," the man in projection answered in a polite tone, "We have reasons to believe a scientist named Lisa Rey was involved."
"Lisa Rey?" Lord Harley thought for a moment before continuing, "Is she someone important?"
"No," The man answered, "She is just a Level III scientist."
"Then how can a lowly scientist be involved in a matter related to Cosmic Spark?" Lord Harley asked.
"We don’t know, my lord," the man said answered, "It is just that she disappeared the day the incident took place along with her team and ability-nullifying device."
"Oh?" Lord Harley was taken aback, "How could she have access to such a weapon given her low rank?"
"She had an affair with a level VIII officer so..." the man stopped in between as Lord Harley waved his hand.
"I understood how she got the weapon," Lord Harley said,"I want to know why she was in the city and if her superior was involved."
"Her superior said she wanted to gain something in the city," the man said, "We don’t know what but it wasn’t Cosmic Spark."
"I see," Lord Harley was disappointed, "Any clues on her activities in the city?"
"That is the problematic part, my lord," the man answered, "We only know about her activities in parties and public gatherings but otherwise we are clueless. The place where she was staying was cleared out and all her communications were wiped out."
"So it is a repeat of Castor Damon’s situation?" Lord Harley said in an annoyed tone, "Just like him we don’t know if this Lisa is alive or not?"
"Yes," the man nodded his head.
"The main investigators should arrive in the city soon so there should be progress sooner or later," Lord Harley contemplated in his heart, "But there are chances they would fail to find something useful."
Lord Harley waved his hand and the projection of the man disappeared.
"I don’t have much time though," Lord Harley looked at his reflection in the mirror, "My only hope is Life Retrieval Fruits from Desolate Blood Forest."
Lord Harley sighed and wrote a message on a tablet nearby.
"Hmm?" Lord Harley turned his face towards the window," Rebecca?"
Far away from the estate, a ten meters bird of fire was closing in. The invisible force field surrounding the estate opened up to welcome the bird inside.
As the bird of fire closed to the ground, it started transforming into a humanoid shape. A moment later, there was a fair-skin tone woman in white clothes.
She appeared to be in the early twenties from her appearance but she carried an extraordinary grace and bearing which only a mature person can have.
She has dark black hairs reaching her shoulders and her eye pupils were dark as the night sky. If Felicity was here then she would be shocked by her appearance.
Her facial features resembled Zed! Her eyes were different from Zed but there were many facial similarities with him.
"Lady Rebecca!" Hundreds of guards kneeled down to greet her. She ignored their existence and entered the estate in a cold manner.
A minute later, she was inside the hall with Lord Harley.
"How was your trip?" Lord Harley asked as he offered her a seat.
"Better than expected," Rebecca replied in a detached manner.
"I’m glad," Lord Harley said with a smile which didn’t suit his mummy-like face.
"I have got something for you," Rebecca snapped her fingers and a bracelet on her right wrist radiated a blue light.
The light flew towards the table in between them, and suddenly a fruit resembling an apple appeared on the table. The fruit was deep red like blood with its aroma like that of honey.
Lord Harley’s eyes turned wide open in disbelief. He touched the fruit to make sure it was real and moments later, he started laughing loudly.
"Wonderful," Lord Harley was pleased as he smelled the aroma, "It is a genuine Life Retrieval Fruit. I was just thinking about it moments ago."
Lord Harley controlled his emotions and pointed his index finger towards the fruit. The next moment, the fruit disappeared into a twinkle of light.
"You have made great contributions to our family," Lord Harley wasn’t stingy in his praises, "As per the rules of the sovereign, you are entitled to a request as long as it within the scope of our family and doesn’t exceed the limits of your contribution."
"I would use the request in the future," Rebecca said without any emotion in the voice.
"As you wish," Lord Harley nodded his head, "Honestly, I am surprised you aren’t using the request right away."
"I have my reasons," Rebecca stood up from the seat and said, "I have to leave."
"Are you still searching for him?" Lord Harley asked as Rebeca reached the door.
"Yes, and always will till I find him," Rebecca stopped and answered.
"We all are sorry for what happened back then," Lord Harley said with a deep sigh," but I’m glad you never held a grudge against the family."
"All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall," Rebecca said in a cold tone,"The words of the sovereign are the supreme."
"...."
"I’m bound by the ties of blood and honor even if others are not," Rebecca left the hall without waiting for his reply.
----
A few minutes later, Rebecca entered another part of the estate.
"Lady Rebeca," A raven-haired woman in her thirties gave a deep bow.
"Leyla, how is she?" Rebecca asked as she arrived in front of a room.
"Same," Leyla respectfully answered.
Rebecca slowly opened the door of the room and entered. The room was a large bedroom modified into suiting the needs of a hospital.
At the corner of the room, a girl in her teens was sitting in an advanced wheelchair looking at the window.
Next to her was a man in his forties and a man in his mid-twenties.
"Mom," the girl and the man in mid-twenties said together after the door opened.
"Kirstie," Rebecca muttered with a hint of sadness as she saw her wheel-chair bound daughter.
The age of evolution has not always been a blessing to everyone. As the diseases of the past were cured into oblivion, new innate diseases and defects started appearing. Illnesses which not even advanced genetic labs could cure without severe side effects.
"How was your trip, mom?" The man in mid-twenties asked. He has blond hairs just like the man in forties next to him.
"Good, Steve," Rebecca answered.
"You took a year," the man in forties said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Kurtis, I’m in no mood for an argument," Rebecca coldly glanced at him.
"You never are," Kurtis returned her the cold gaze and said, "but you are always ready to overstep our marriage."
Swooosh~
The temperature inside the room started falling rapidly. Behind Rebecca, wings of fire started appearing.
The entire room was freezing as the flame enveloped around her.
"Mom!" Kirstie shouted in protest.
Rebecca glanced at her and then sighed. The temperature returned to normal and the wings of fire faded.
"Before calling me names remember your own history," Rebecca coldly said, "Otherwise, you are just a hypocrite blaming others without thinking of your faults."
"I never had children outside of our marriage even with all my affairs," Kurtis reminded her in a voice filled with venom,"Can you say the same?"
"Do you really want to die?" Rebecca was incensed, "The rules of sovereign won’t save you if I lost my mind."
"Why don’t you try?" Kurtis stood up from his half-crouching position.
"Dad, stop it please," Kirstie placed a hand on her father’s.
"I’m sorry, sweetie," Kurtis looked at her and said.
"Why do you two have to fight always?" Kirstie asked.
"We won’t fight from now on," Rebecca came next to her and rubbed her head in a loving manner.
"Promise?" Kirstie looked at her mother and father.
"Yes," Both of them nodded their heads.
Inwardly, Kurtis was laughing.
"No need to fight any longer now that my twenty years of preparations are complete," Kurtis thought with a smirk, "The bastard she gave birth to would die in two weeks no matter where he is."
Kurtis smiled at her daughter promising there would be no more fights.
"You should get some rest," Rebecca carried Kirstie from the chair to the bed and said, "We will go outside tomorrow so you need to have enough strength."
"Really?" Kirstie asked with a hopeful gaze.
"Yes," Rebecca nodded her head, "So sleep now."
"Only if you sleep beside me," Kirstie pulled her mother’s hand.
"Of course," Rebecca lied beside her after making sure all the medicinal equipment were working in case of an emergency.
Steve and Kurtis took their leave allowing the mother-daughter duo to catch up.
"Mom?" Kirstie suddenly spoke.
"Hm?" Rebecca looked at her.
"Would I ever get to meet brother?" Kirstie asked.
"...I don’t know but I hope you do," Rebecca covered her daughter with a blanket.
Half an hour later, Rebecca closed her eyes as the memories of the past resurfaced.
=====
*
On a sea surface, a cruise was rapidly sailing at an unbelievably high speed. At the deck, Rebecca was standing beside a black haired man.
The man’s facial features were striking especially his eye pupils which were an icy shade of blue.
They looked at the sea waves and then at each other. The man rubbed his hand over her belly in a loving manner.
"What are you thinking?" Rebecca asked.
"Name of our child," The man answered.
"I’m only a few weeks in pregnancy and you are thinking about a name?" Rebecca looked at him with an amused expression.
"I know what the future holds for me and our child," The man said with a hint of melancholy in his voice, "So I might as well decide on a name when I have the chance."
"The future is not set," Rebecca reasoned, "We can change it."
"Only if it was that easy," The man turned his head towards the twinkling water droplets of the sea and said, "Anyways, we shall name our child as Zed."
"We are having a boy?" Rebecca asked surprised.
"Yes," The man turned his head towards the night sky and said, "I wish this moment would last for a lifetime."
---
In a snowy forest, a blood-stained Rebecca dashed among the trees while carrying a crying infant in her arms. Besides her was a brown-haired man who was similarly drenched with blood.
"They are getting close," the brown-haired man said.
Rebecca gritted her teeth and looked back. She then turned her face towards the man and said, "Red Fox, take Zed with you."
"What?!" Red Fox was startled.
"I would handle the ones behind," Rebecca said wiping the blood from her mouth, "Later on, I would join you at that place."
"You have just given birth and are in no condition---"
"We don’t have time to waste," Rebecca said in a chilling voice, "I would pay you tenfold of our initial agreement. Just get him to safety."
"As you wish," Red Fox took the infant from her hands and dashed ahead.
Rebecca gave a glance to him and then turned her body back. The snowy forest soon turned into ashes of fire...
*
===
"Zed, I hope we get our reunion," Rebecca muttered with a drop of tear in her eyes, "I would make sure our family gets a happily ever after."
In a distant future, for better or worse, her wish of a reunion would be fulfilled. Alas, not a happily-ever-after for the wrath of her son would lead to extermination...