Dragon Major General

Mendel stood there in front of the abandoned house. The building looked old and forgotten, the paint peeling off, the windows broken, and the silence around it made it even worse, but to him it wasn’t just an empty house, it was something much more than that. It was where everything ended. His eyes didn’t move as memories slowly forced their way back into his mind, dragging him into something he had tried so hard to forget. Five years ago. It was Thanksgiving night, and for once, everything felt normal. The entire family had gathered in the backyard, something that hadn’t happened in a long time, and everyone was there, his parents, his uncles, his aunts, cousins, even the little kids were running around happily without a care in the world. There was food everywhere, music playing, laughter filling the air, and people dancing. It was supposed to be a happy memory. Mendel wasn’t outside with them. Instead, he was in his room, standing by the window and watching everything from a distance. Even though he could hear the laughter and see the smiles. Then everything changed. Gunshots suddenly rang out, loud and sharp, cutting through the night and in that moment the laughter disappeared completely, replaced by screams that were so loud and full of fear. Men he had never seen before rushed into the backyard, their faces hidden, their movements were fast and merciless, and without hesitation they started shooting at everyone. There was no warning. No mercy. Nothing. Mendel’s body froze instantly, his mind going blank as he watched the scene unfold right in front of him. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest, but he couldn’t move, he couldn’t even scream, he could only stand there and watch as everything he knew was taken away from him. His mother fell. Then his father. Then everyone else. The ground was quickly covered in blood, and the people who had been laughing just moments ago were now lying lifeless with their voices gone forever. Tears streamed down Mendel’s face as he covered his mouth tightly, trying to stop himself from making any sound because he knew that if they heard him, he would be next. He didn’t know how long it lasted. It felt like forever. But eventually, the gunmen stopped. After making sure there was no one left alive, they left just as suddenly as they had come. Even then, Mendel didn’t move. He stayed hidden, trembling, his entire body shaking as he tried to understand what had just happened, but nothing made sense. It took him almost an hour before he finally forced himself to go outside. The moment he stepped into the backyard, the smell hit him, strong and unbearable, making his stomach turn, but he didn’t stop. His legs felt weak, but he kept walking, slowly moving from one body to another. “Please… wake up…” he whispered, his voice breaking as he shook them one by one. But no one responded. No one moved. Even the little children were gone. That was the moment something inside him completely broke. Without thinking, Mendel turned and started running. He didn’t know where he was going or what he was doing, his mind was filled with nothing but panic and fear, and all he could think about was getting as far away as possible from that place. He ran into the woods, branches scratching against his skin, his feet stumbling over roots and rocks, but he didn’t stop, he couldn’t stop. He kept running until his body couldn’t take it anymore, and when he finally collapsed, he hid himself as best as he could among the trees and bushes, his body shaking uncontrollably as he waited for the night to pass. He stayed there until morning. Alone. Cold and terrified. And then, when the first light of dawn appeared, he saw her. She came out of nowhere, walking slowly like she wasn’t afraid of anything, and when she saw him, covered in blood and dirt, looking like someone who had just crawled out of hell, she didn’t scream or run away. Instead, she walked closer. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft but clear. Mendel couldn’t answer. He just stared at her. She didn’t push him to speak. Instead, she placed some bread and water in front of him, and after that, she even gave him some money like she already knew he had nothing. “You need this,” she said simply. Mendel didn’t understand why she was helping him. Anyone else would have run away. But she didn’t. Before he could say anything, a voice suddenly called out from a distance. “Jasmine!” She turned quickly, looking a bit surprised. “That’s my dad,” she said, then looked back at Mendel for a moment. “You should go.” And just like that, she left. That moment stayed with him. It never left him. Back to the present. Mendel’s phone rang again, pulling him out of his thoughts. He answered immediately. “I have found the girl from six years ago,” the man on the other end said, his tone serious, but then he hesitated. “But there is bad news.” Mendel’s expression darkened instantly. “What bad news?” he asked, his voice lower than before. “Her legs… they are badly injured.” For a brief moment, Mendel didn’t say anything, but the silence itself felt heavy. “Tell me everything you know about her,” he finally said. The man took a breath before continuing. “Her name is Jasmine Kent. She is now in her late twenties, and her family owns an auto repair shop, mostly dealing with machinery. There isn’t much information about her personal life, but there is one thing that stands out.” Mendel’s eyes narrowed slightly. “How did she get crippled?” he asked. “It was reported as an accident,” the man replied, “but after looking into it more closely, I don’t think it was.” Mendel’s grip on his phone tightened. “Explain.” “Jasmine is known to have strong morals,” the man said. “A few years ago, her boss tried to force her into his bed, but she refused and even slapped him.” Mendel said nothing, but his silence was enough. “A few days later,” the man continued, “while she was leaving work, her car suddenly lost control and crashed.” “And?” Mendel pressed. “The brakes had been tampered with,” the man said. There was a pause. A dangerous one. “Who did it?” Mendel asked slowly. “Mr. Macron Jones. He wanted his revenge for what she did, and since then… he hasn’t stopped tearing into her life like it belongs to him,” the voice said from the other end. Mendel didn’t say anything immediately, but his hand slowly tightened into a fist, the veins on it becoming visible as his expression turned colder than before. “What do you know about this Macron?” he asked, his voice calm but heavy, the kind of calm that didn’t feel safe at all. The man on the phone let out a quiet breath before continuing, “Macron Jones is not just any man, General… he is what they call a first-class citizen. He’s one of the Great Five in the country, and that alone should tell you everything about the kind of power he holds. He owns multiple firms, big companies, connections everywhere that matter, and even though there are records of things he has done… bad things… none of it ever reaches the surface.” “Why?” Mendel asked, though deep down he already knew the answer. “Because the police bury it,” the man replied. “His status protects him. No one dares to move against him, and even if they try, it disappears before it becomes anything serious.” There was a short silence after that. “Walk me through what happened to Jasmine after the accident,” Mendel said, his tone slightly lower now, but more controlled, like he was holding something back. “Jasmine worked as a web designer in one of Macron’s companies,” the man began, speaking carefully, making sure every detail was clear. “From what I gathered, Macron had been watching her for a long time. He liked her, but Jasmine wasn’t interested. At that time, she already had a boyfriend, so she kept her distance from him and refused every advance he made.” Mendel’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. “One day, he tricked her,” the man continued. “He told her there was an urgent project and asked her to meet him at a hotel to discuss it. She went, thinking it was work… but it wasn’t.” A brief pause. “When she got there, he tried to force himself on her.” Mendel’s fingers dug deeper into his palm. “But Jasmine didn’t give in,” the man added quickly. “She fought back. She slapped him… hard… and pushed him away. According to the reports I got, she even threatened to expose him.” That was enough. That alone explained everything. “And that’s when he decided to ruin her,” Mendel said quietly, more like a statement than a question. “Yes,” the man replied. “A few days later, while she was leaving work, her car suddenly lost control. It crashed badly, and to everyone else, it looked like a normal accident… but it wasn’t. The brakes had been tampered with beforehand.” Mendel closed his eyes for a brief second, but when he opened them again, there was something darker in them now. “She survived,” the man continued, “but her legs were badly damaged. She’s still recovering, but she hasn’t been able to walk since that day.” Silence. Heavy and suffocating. “She lost everything after that,” the man went on. “Her job… gone. Her boyfriend… he left her not long after the accident. Couldn’t handle it, I guess. Now she stays at her family house. According to the neighbors, she rarely comes out, and even when she does, it’s not for long.” Mendel’s breathing remained steady, but inside him, something was clearly shifting. “But here’s the part that doesn’t sit right,” the man added, lowering his voice slightly. “Macron didn’t stop. Even after everything he did to her… he’s still watching her, still interfering in her life in ways that are not obvious, but they’re there. It’s like he’s not satisfied with just breaking her.” Mendel slowly exhaled. “Of course he’s not,” he muttered under his breath. People like that never were. Then, after a few seconds of silence, Mendel spoke again, his voice colder than it had been at any point before. “What information do you have about my family’s killers?” he asked. This time, the man on the other end didn’t respond immediately. “Now this will amaze you. Your father… he had a very large share in a government property deal. Not something small, not something ordinary… this was the kind of deal that would have made him a billionaire overnight if it had gone through without interference.” “But it didn’t go through,” the man continued, his voice turning heavier. “Because five powerful families got involved. The Tyron family, the Hamilton family, the Harts family, the Graysons… and the Macrons.” Mendel’s head lifted slightly at the last name, his eyes sharpening immediately. “Macrons?” he repeated, sitting up straighter. “As in the same family behind Jasmine’s incident?” “Yes, sir,” the man replied without hesitation. “The very same. They didn’t just interfere with the deal… they planned everything that came after. Your family’s assassination was not random. It was calculated.” Mendel’s fingers slowly curled into a fist again. “They are all responsible,” the man added quietly. For a moment, nothing was said. But the air itself felt different, like something dangerous had just been awakened. “I owe Jasmine,” Mendel finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying weight, “for what she did for me that morning when I had nothing left… and I owe my family something even greater.” He started walking toward his car. A sleek, black machine, its polished body reflecting the fading light. The name engraved subtly on the side read Aurelius Phantom X, a custom-built luxury car reserved only for the highest ranks. The license plate beneath it carried just two words: MAJOR GENERAL “I want every single one of them,” Mendel continued as he opened the door, “to beg for mercy.” He paused briefly. “Whether they are alive… or dead.” He stepped into the car. Grey, who was already in the driver’s seat, started the engine smoothly, the sound low but powerful as the vehicle moved forward. For a few seconds, there was only the quiet hum of the engine. Then Gray spoke again. “Mr. Jones didn’t stop there,” he said, glancing at Mendel through the rearview mirror. Mendel’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What else did he do?” Gray hesitated for a brief moment before answering. “He is planning a wedding for Jasmine.” Mendel’s head snapped slightly to the side. “A wedding?” he repeated, his voice carrying disbelief mixed with something darker. “He wants to marry her?” Gray shook his head. “If that was the case… it would have been less disturbing,” he said. “But that’s not what he’s doing.” Mendel’s gaze hardened. “Then what is it?” Gray tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “He’s hosting a party,” he said slowly, “a gathering filled with slaves, beggars, and homeless men… and he plans to choose a groom for her from among them.” “What? Doesn’t she have a family?” “She does,” Gray replied, “but they are second-class citizens. Powerless. And on top of that, they owe heavy debts to two of the Great Five families. They can’t oppose him… they don’t even dare try.” Mendel’s jaw tightened. “And there’s more,” Gray added. Mendel didn’t speak, but his silence demanded the answer. “Macron has filed a case against her,” Gray said. “He’s claiming that Jasmine tried to assault him that night at the hotel.” Mendel let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “What a beast…” he muttered. His eyes turned cold again. “Where is this party?” Gray answered immediately. “The Nano Villa.” Mendel leaned forward slightly. “Reverse the car,” he said. Gray blinked for a second. “Sir?” “I said reverse the car,” Mendel repeated, his voice leaving no room for hesitation. “We’re not going somewhere else.” There was a pause. Then Mendel’s lips curved slightly. “We are going to that party.”