Chapter 2 Awaken

• “Rebecca, has this simp gone crazy? He's actually fantasizing that you once saved his life?” Samuel mocked, laughing loudly.
• “I would rather save a dog than save him!” Immediately, Rebecca chimed in agreement.
• Listening to Rebecca's harsh, ruthless words, Franklin knew he had made a mistake.
• He had gotten it all wrong.
• For these past five years, he had mistaken Rebecca for someone else, repaying the wrong person.
• Rebecca, who had cheated on him, was not the hero who saved his life.
• He finally woke up from this five-year long dream.
• “Rebecca, today marks the end of our ties! From now on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other!” Franklin declared decisively.
• With that, he turned around without any hesitation and left.
• The evil laughter of Rebecca and Samuel echoed behind him. However, Franklin was unfazed.
• After leaving the Leaven residence, Franklin immediately pulled out his phone to call Desmond. “Find out who was the girl who saved me from the fire six years ago! Find out where she is right now! Also, find the culprit who committed the arson! Mobilize all the Empyrean's resources!”
• Desmond was one of the five elderly gentlemen dressed in traditional attire earlier. He also served as Franklin's personal butler.
• Over the past five years, Franklin had been in a probationary period. He had voluntarily sealed away all the knowledge he had acquired from Empyrean, unable to utilize any of its power. Only now was he able to employ the power of the Empyrean for investigation.
• The Empyrean's power operated at full strength.
• The Empyrean originated from the ancient schools of thought, introducing a sole dominant ideology. All the other schools, including medical, legal, literature, geomancy, fortune-telling, agricultural, diplomatic, military, and so on, were all merged together, collectively referred to as the “Empyrean.”
• For over a thousand years, the power of the Empyrean had grown so immense, it was beyond comprehension.
• The Seraphs, the Providence Order, the Apocalypse Society, and the Horizon, among other world-class organizations, were merely the Empyrean's vassals.
• One could even say that the Empyrean dominated the entire world.
• Over time, the Empyrean shifted its operations from being open to working discreetly behind the scenes.
• Hence, in the current society, people who didn't attain a certain level of status and position wouldn't even have heard of the name “Empyrean.”
• Soon, the investigation yielded results.
• “Mr. Callier, we've found her! The girl who saved you from the fire years ago is also from the Leaven family. Her name is Winona, and she's Rebecca's cousin.” Desmond called Franklin, relaying the investigation results.
• “I see. So the girl who saved my life was someone else. Where is Winona now? I must repay her!” Franklin's eyes suddenly lit up.
• “Mr. Callier, Winona's in bad shape...” said Desmond, hesitating to reveal the truth.
• “Tell me!” ordered Franklin.
• Desmond reported in a somber tone, “Mr. Callier, after saving you from the fire years ago, she suffered burns covering more than eighty percent of her body, and her face was completely disfigured. Back then, to treat her injuries and save her life, her family had to sell their properties. They spent all their money and even had to borrow from others. In the end, before your arrival in Jacaster, she was despised and driven out of the Leaven family. She's living a hard life now...”
• “It was my fault,” said Franklin gravely after a prolonged silence.
• “Furthermore, about that fire, current investigations point toward the head of the Callier family in Druobridge, who is also your uncle. It seems to be related to the position of the Callier family's head back then, but we haven't found any concrete evidence yet. Further investigation is needed,” Desmond added.
• “The position of the Callier family's head? My uncle? Hah! What a great uncle he is.” Franklin sneered, ordering, “Keep investigating!”
• “Yes, Mr. Callier. But Mr. Callier, about Winona, should I—”
• “No need. Just look into what needs to be investigated. I'll settle everything else myself.” Franklin said in a deep voice.
• “As you wish, Lord Empyrean.”
• In an aged residential building on the outskirts of Jacaster, where urban and rural areas intertwined, Franklin knocked on one of the doors.
• Knock! Knock!
• Creak!
• The door swung open, and a woman appeared in the doorway.
• The woman was completely covered from head to toe, her face concealed behind a wide mask, and her hands encased in gloves. Only her two eyes were visible.
• “Can I help you?” she asked.
• “I'm looking for Winona.” Franklin gazed into the woman's eyes and spoke.
• Yes. Those are the eyes! The woman who had saved me six years ago had the same eyes! They were so pure and clear, unlike Rebecca's! D*mn it! Why did I fail to see it? Why hadn't I come to my senses sooner?
• Franklin's expression contorted, his heart brimming with guilt.
• “I'm Winona,” said the woman, instinctively shrinking back a bit.
• “My name is Franklin. I'm the one... you saved from the fire six years ago!” Franklin's voice was deep, as if he was expressing remorse.
• “What?”
• The air seemed to freeze at that very moment.
• Winona froze in shock upon hearing the news.
• A multitude of emotions danced across her face—shock, excitement, sadness, and pain, all intermingling in a complex display.
• Her gaze was vacant as her thoughts drifted back to six years ago.
• She was having fun near Evermist Lake when she passed by a mansion that suddenly caught fire. The flames rapidly engulfed the entire mansion, and she was so terrified and wanted to escape. However, she could vaguely make out the silhouette of a young man at the edge of the flames.
• The man was covered in flames, desperately trying to escape, only to collapse in exhaustion when he was so close to getting out.
• Winona, summoning inexplicable courage, rushed toward the fire, dragged the man to the lakeside, and pushed him into the water.
• The man, fortunately, was not burned to death, but she, on the other hand, was swallowed by the raging fire.
• Later on, she was fortunate enough to narrowly escape death. However, eighty percent of her skin was horrifically burned, transforming her into an ugly freak.
• Her family had gone to great lengths to save her life, exhausting their entire wealth and even incurring a substantial amount of debt.
• The Leaven family, repulsed by her appearance, drove her out of their home.
• Her parents, as a result, ended up getting divorced.
• Her father remarried and returned to the Leaven family, while her mother had chosen to live with her in this rundown house they had rented on the outskirts of the city.
• The mother and daughter relied on each other for survival, making a living by sweeping the streets and scavenging through trash.
• Originally, Winona had come to terms with her fate and had grown accustomed to living this way.
• But now, unbelievably, a man had come forward, claiming to be the very same man she had sacrificed herself to save years ago.
• Winona's eyes reddened, and her shoulders began trembling as she sobbed, her cries growing louder by the second.
• Her tears fell one after another as she wept inconsolably.