“Can’t you at least try going to the company? Why must you go to school?” De Silva had never been away from his family for long, and the thought of going to such a distant place alone was unsettling for him. His earlier comments were made purely for appearances. “Alright, maybe I’ll just take a couple of days to rest first,” he finally replied.
Alena laughed out loud and looked at De Silva and his brother. “You two are the complete opposite of your father, who enjoys wandering around and hasn’t come home in decades, while you both are so homebound.”
De Silva felt a flush of embarrassment on his cheeks and retorted, “I just want to take better care of my family. Don’t twist my words.”
“Are you saying that makes you a good man?” Alena teased with a grin.
“Of course,” both brothers replied in unison. During his downtime at home, De Silva found himself bored and turned to the internet. A shocking image caught his eye—a post from a forum user showing Amandine hanging upside down beneath a statue. There were thousands of comments below, mostly asking for his identity, but it seemed no one could provide an answer. Though De Silva didn’t have a deep emotional connection to Amandine, he couldn’t help but feel a profound sadness at his father’s brutal death. Tears welled in his eyes as he softly murmured, “Father, perhaps this is the outcome you desired—to die in a tragic yet noble manner as a knight. May your soul find peace; you will always be my hero.” With that, he offered a knightly salute to the screen.
He had no intention of sharing this news with his family. During this time, his mindset began to shift; he felt compelled to contribute to the city-state, a cause that his ancestors had dedicated their lives to. As the days passed, he started to pay attention to the city-state's happenings. Upon learning that Corey of the Illuminati had become the president, he was furious. “That thief wants to take everything for himself. I have to kill him.”
Just then, Alena, who had come home from work, overheard and asked, “What’s going on, big brother? Who do you want to kill?”
“Nothing—don’t ask.”
“Someone just gifted me a Luminary Coin, which I heard is freshly issued by the Illuminati.”
De Silva took the coin from her hand. It was a small piece made of pure gold, not much larger than a thumbprint. The front featured an eagle, while the back was inscribed in Latin with the words “Gaze upon the stars, for light is on the horizon.” De Silva muttered to himself, “They’re bold enough to issue currency now? Do they really think this world belongs to them?”
“Big brother, it seems you have a strong opinion about the Illuminati,” Alena replied, her tone curious.
“Opinion? I don’t like them much; they just don’t operate in an open manner. It’s ironic that they call themselves the Illuminati.”
“That’s the irony of it all—democratic nations often aren’t truly democratic, and the Illuminati is certainly a den of corruption.”
“Why haven’t you found a job yet? It’s been over half a month since you came back,” Alena pressed.
De Silva had his own plans. He was secretly looking to join the resistance group fighting against the Illuminati. That day, a man and a woman showed up at the door, and he asked, “How did you find me?”
The girl stepped forward and smiled. “You seem quite alert.” De Silva didn’t respond, wary that the Illuminati might be sending undercover agents posing as resistance members to investigate him. “No need to worry,” she continued. “We’ve done our research on you too. Your name is De Silva; you left the city-state at the age of five, and your father is Amandine, a founding member of the city-state’s Elders Council and a hero.”
Hearing this excited him, but then he hesitated. The city-state was currently under Illuminati control, so accessing such information should have been easy for them. He found himself in a dilemma—how could he prove their authenticity? After a moment of deliberation, he decided to take the risk and said, “I want to meet your leader.”
The girl paused for a moment and replied, “If anyone else made that request, I’d refuse outright, but your background is special, so I’ll agree to take you to see her.” De Silva couldn't help but glance at the girl again, saying, “Thank you!” She appeared to be around twenty-five, with fair skin, a pointed chin, beautiful eyes that sparkled like autumn waters, and a shiny ponytail that made her look vibrant.
They all got into a car, with the man driving while De Silva and the girl sat in the backseat. The girl’s first question made De Silva feel awkward. “According to our records, you should be forty this year. How come you look so young? What’s your secret?”
“Uh… um…” After a long pause, he still couldn’t form a coherent response. The girl smiled and said, “I was just curious; it’s fine if you don’t want to share.”
There was a moment of silence, and the atmosphere grew tense. To break the ice, De Silva asked, “What’s your name, miss?”
“I’m Bashali, and I used to be a teacher in the city-state.”
“You’re a teacher too?” De Silva thought they had finally found some common ground. As they chatted, the time flew by. Before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination. The man approached them and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. De Silva, but I need to blindfold you for a moment. Please cooperate.”
With the man's assistance, De Silva was transferred to another vehicle. They drove a few hundred meters before arriving at another location. When his blindfold was removed, he found himself face-to-face with a woman around sixty years old.
“Hello, I’m Glo,” she began. “You may have heard of me.”
De Silva nodded, saying, “Yes, I saw you when I was very young. You were the first Holy Virgin of the city-state.”
“Indeed. It seems you take after your grandfather, Ronnie, in terms of intelligence.”
“Madam, how can I assist you?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the city-state’s situation. The Illuminati defeated us because some traitors emerged from within. I have very stringent requirements for those wishing to join the resistance—everyone must be a former member of the city-state or have a reference from a core member, and we’ll conduct thorough background checks. Most people don’t even know of my existence. I hope you keep this confidential, including from your family.”
“Rest assured, Madam Glo. I will not speak a word,” De Silva promised.
“The resistance is currently in desperate need of weapons and funding. Since you are Ronnie’s grandson, I’ll entrust the weapons matter to you.”
They then discussed contact information, and De Silva’s direct liaison would be the girl Bashali. He felt a surge of anticipation at the thought of seeing her again. Little did he know, this was all part of Glo’s clever plan. The former Holy Virgin understood human nature well, especially men.
When they left, he was blindfolded again, and four hours later, he returned home.