POWER: A Tale of Greatness

Chapter 25: Archie and his Plot

On a broad, dark room, in a mansion in the middle of Parasolla, a quite known entity lurks. This man—the governor of the province Parasolla is situated in—is the most influential and powerful person in the whole of Estuaria. No one ever dared to assault him, wrong him, or even badmouth him behind his back. Even a mere conversation with him would make you feel like one of your feet is half buried under the ground. Many believed that he was not the one people should be afraid of, but the bigger, more powerful personality behind his wide, fake smile. However, this does not make him less of a man anyone should fear.

"Is this the night that I have been waiting?"

A tall, shadowy figure appears from the dark corner of the room, radiating a dark smoke from the end of its cloak, face hidden underneath a tattered hood. The smell of a stinking, rotten flesh mixed into the air. It lashes out its teeth and speaks, "You must wait for a sign, my minion."

"Yes, I must."

And here, in this particular—somewhat dim—room, he stayed hours to stay hidden from everyone, only conversinv in this mysterious being. He keeps himself encapsulated in his fancy chocolate brown suit and slacks, white sleeve beneath them and his faded, green pen on his left hand, often mistaken as a cigar, he keeps it in his hand but if not, it is inserted in the upper-left inner pocket of his suit. Here, he sits on a throne on the middle back side of the room, a room shimmering with gold everywhere, from the throne, the furniture, the bed, and even the simplest coffee table surrounding the sofa with a golden dragon armrest. All shimers even in this dark room. The man keeps his head down, murmuring, conversing with himself, and the shadow perfectly hides his face.

Another tremor shook, followed by a thunder.

"I believe that is the sign, old man."

The light in his room turned off—he lights up a candle. With every shake, it becomes stronger. He feels it, a strong person in his city.

"You shall be wary, a powerful 'Contender' have set its foot on your city." The mysterious being vanished into the shadow.

Rushing footsteps tap over the granite tiles of the hallway of his mansion. The door to his room opens.

"Boss!" A man wearing the same coat as his opened it. Sweat drips from his forehead down to his chin, breathing heavily.

"What is happening in my city?" Asked the man, echoing his voice. He moves his back to slant, resting on the back of the throne, his right hand lays on the side, and the other playing with his pen.

"Boss, t - the downtown is being demolished by a very powerful man! Our subordinates are being thrown into the air like they are nothing!"

"Where is Archie?" The man stands from his throne, facing the messenger. "Isn't he my mayor?"

"Boss, he is at his hotel. That's the last thing we heard about him."

"Make a call, tell him to move, or I'll strip the skin out of him!" He roars before he cups his face with his bandaged right hand and starts to laugh sarcastically. "First, my problem with this monstrous Atlantians, now this piece of trash?!"

"W - We can do nothing... a - anything... h - he's very powerful."

"Inform my subordinates, mobilize the troops that lurk behind our city's shadows." The Boss gazed after the pen on his left hand.

"Should I also inform our Rainforest troops?" The messenger asked.

"If I did not say a word about it, do not suggest!" The Boss roars. "Call the local media, film everything that will happen."

"B - But Boss, the media is getting suspicious of our activities. One of them even made a report about your business in our mines involving a farmer." The messenger scratches his head nervously. "The farmer we kidnapped, the one that the female reporter interviewed."