P.S= #3: The Beginning Of Our Journey Part #3

The man leaned against the cell's bars, gazing down at her with a sneer of amusement and contempt. "Oh, I know exactly who you are, you're Kiyomizu, the daughter of Asahi Kimzoku." he hissed.

"Why am I here then? I'm not a criminal," Kiyomizu protested, her voice quivering with a mixture of confusion and fear.

A wicked grin crept across the face of the man who had her captive. His eyes glinted with malice as he leaned in, his words dripping with malevolence. "No, you're not a criminal, my dear," he hissed, enjoying the tension in the air. "But your father, he's the one who's pulled the strings. He asked us to snatch you away and do as we please, even to the point of killing you but you're far too precious for that, though."

Kiyomizu's heart raced as the realization sank in. "What do you mean?" she stammered, her mind racing. This was a nightmare she never could have imagined.

The man's sinister chuckle sent shivers down her spine. "Instead," he continued, "I'm going to sell you."

"When I think about it ever since mom died you see, darling, your father is obsess with your powers and it has driven him to desperation. And since I don't possess any, he treated me like I were invisible, like I was no one." kiyomizu thinks to herself.

As she pondered her grim fate, Kiyomizu couldn't help but drift back to a memory from three years ago, a time when the emotional wounds of her father's neglect had first begun to fester.

The memory resurfaced vividly in Kiyomizu's mind. She stood before her father, Asahi, trembling as he loomed over her, his anger palpable. The room was shrouded in a heavy silence, broken only by the occasional hushed breath and the faint sounds of the outside world

"I can't believe I have such a useless daughter," Asahi sneered, his disappointment etched across his face like a jagged scar. His voice was a blade, cutting deep into her fragile heart. Kiyomizu felt the weight of his words pressing down on her, threatening to crush her spirit.

"Why the hell are you like this? Can't you be more like your brothers and sisters?" Asahi's words were like a whip, lashing at her self-esteem.

Kiyomizu's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she refused to yield. She lifted her chin with a newfound defiance, her spirit undeterred by the venom in her father's words. Her voice, though quivering, was filled with longing for acceptance, for love, for any sign that she mattered.

"I don't want to be like them, Daddy," she said, her words a whisper of her own desires. Her voice trembled with the weight of her emotions.

Asahi's face contorted with a mixture of anger and frustration, his features casting shadows in the dimly lit room. He leaned closer to Kiyomizu, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You don't get it, do you? Your brothers and sisters are strong, talented. They're everything I ever wanted in a child. And you... you're a disappointment."

Kiyomizu's heart ached at her father's words, but she wouldn't let herself break. "I may not have their abilities, but I have my own strengths, Dad. I want to be me, not a copy of them."

The air in the room grew heavy with the tension between father and daughter, and it seemed as if the very walls were bearing witness to a pivotal moment in their relationship. Asahi's expression softened for a brief moment, a flicker of regret in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by stubborn pride.

"You'll never understand," he muttered, his gaze averted, as if unable to face the daughter who refused to fit his mold.

Kiyomizu's determination only solidified in that instant. She understood that she might never earn her father's approval, but she was determined to find her own path, one where she could be herself and discover her worth beyond the confines of his expectations.

The memory of that day remained etched in Kiyomizu's mind, a reminder of the moment when she had chosen to stand up for her individuality and her right to be different from her siblings, even if it meant defying her father's desires.

 [present 5:00PM]

In the dimly lit, damp corner of their grim prison, Kiyomizu's sharp ears caught the sound of crying. It was a pitiful, heart-wrenching wail that seemed out of place in the cold, unforgiving surroundings.

"Huh," Kiyomizu mused, her curiosity piqued. "What's that? A little girl?"

The crying continued, growing louder and more desperate with each passing moment.

"Uwaaah! I wanna go home," the child's voice trembled with fear and longing.

The man known as King, who had been an imposing presence in their cell, couldn't tolerate the incessant sobbing any longer. His temper flared, and he barked, "Quit your bawling, you little brat!"

But the cries persisted, as if defiance were the only response the child knew. She clung to her despair, a small but stubborn flicker of resistance.

"Uwaahh!" Chloe's cries pierced the stagnant air, echoing their hopelessness.

King's impatience reached its breaking point. Frustration etched across his face as he violently yanked open the cell door.

"Are you deaf?" he snapped, his voice dripping with menace.

Chloe's wails continued, oblivious to King's anger. It was clear that she was a helpless child, lost and frightened.

"It looks like I have to shut you up," King muttered darkly, his hand inching toward the hilt of his sword.

Kiyomizu, however, could not stand by in silence. In a swift, protective motion, she intervened, positioning herself between the trembling child and the enraged captor.

"Stop it," Kiyomizu's voice held a firmness that defied her precarious situation. "She's just a kid."

King's eyes narrowed with seething anger. "Tsk, what did you say?"

"I said that's enough. Leave her alone," Kiyomizu asserted, unyielding in her resolve.

King's temper flared hotter at the audacity of a captive telling him what to do. He was beyond furious, and in a fit of rage, he reached out and grabbed Kiyomizu by the throat.

"Tsk," he hissed. "Say that again."

Kiyomizu remained defiantly silent, refusing to let fear show in her eyes.

"I thought so," King growled, tightening his grip. "Don't forget that your father abandoned you, and I can do anything I want with you."'

His fingers tightened like a vice around Kiyomizu's delicate neck, squeezing the air from her, rendering her powerless to do anything but gasp and choke. Her face contorted in agony as she struggled for breath.

"Gagah, Gagah!" Kiyomizu's voice was a strangled cry, her eyes wide with terror, pleading for mercy in the dimly lit cell.

With a sinister satisfaction, King dropped her to the cold, unforgiving ground and slammed the cell gate shut. His cruel laughter echoed in the dank, oppressive atmosphere.

"Make yourself comfortable, we will be leaving in the next 30 minutes and don't even think about using your Magic Drive," King sneered, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "This cell is anti-Magic Drive. Resistance is futile."

Kiyomizu, while still on the ground, managed to summon a small measure of strength. Her voice, although shaky, held a defiant edge. "You don't need to worry about that because I don't have any." She spoke the truth while clutching her bruised neck, her eyes locked on King.

"Eheheheh," King's laughter was like nails on a chalkboard. "I forgot you don't got any you are worthless, just like your father said." With that parting insult, he strolled away, his amusement lingering in the cold, damp air.

Kiyomizu slowly got up and sat on the unforgiving floor, gathering her thoughts and nursing her wounds. The cell's harsh reality pressed down on her, but she couldn't afford to break, not in front of Chloe.

Chloe, the young girl who had borne witness to Kiyomizu's torment, approached with tear-filled eyes.

"Miss, I'm sorry it's my fault you got hurt," Chloe sobbed.

Kiyomizu extended a gentle hand to stroke Chloe's head, her smile a glimmer of hope in the bleak cell. "No, it's not your fault, sweetie."

Chloe found solace in Kiyomizu's embrace, their hearts connecting in the midst of adversity.

"Don't worry," Kiyomizu reassured Chloe, "someone will come to save us. I promise."

Meanwhile, in a distant city, Cory rode upon a magnificent tiger, his figure silhouetted against the setting sun. The Tiger was Ava she had white fur and blue stripes

Ava's voice carried a note of determination as she relayed crucial information. "If the information we got is true, then we will reach the border by 6:00 PM."

Cory nodded in agreement, his focus resolute. "Right."

[30 minutes has pass]

Back at the cell, King returned and swung the gate open, his orders stern and unforgiving. "Line up, you two."

Kiyomizu couldn't suppress her mounting fear. "Where are you taking us?"

His temper flared, and he struck her hard, leaving her reeling in pain. "Shut the hell up, You're getting on my nerves."

Chloe's eyes welled with tears as she watched Kiyomizu endure more brutality. Unable to bear it any longer, Kiyomizu rushed to Chloe, offering solace and protection.

"Hey, don't cry. I'm fine, see?" Kiyomizu comforted Chloe, her eyes filled with resilience. "Come on, let's go." Together, they faced the unknown with courage, a promise of salvation echoing in their hearts.