Emilio had finally reached town after a long day of travelling from home. The unwelcoming sun was setting and so he had to look for the military base before darkness engulfed him. Emilio was an averagely tall young man who was in his late teenage years. His shiny blue eyes overlooked the sky which was hanging low with dark clouds reminding him of a weird city rumour about there being ghosts that roam around during rainy nights. Of course he did not believe them especially since it was a bunch of market women who were spreading this. Nevertheless, he didn't want to be caught in the rain so he quickened his steps. He looked down at his black trousers and his white shirt as he sped of the city streets. He dragged a small suitcase in which he kept all that he needed with him; a few clothes and money. He did not need much, he never did. He adjusted his cap as he crossed a city sewer while reminding himself why he was there. He remembered that with her dying breath his mother made him promise to find his brother and bring him back home. He only had one hint of where to start and that was the military base. Luckily, he had already met with the general so he didn't need to worry about his enrolment to the base. He looked up again and saw the sky having an ugly dark colour. Due to fear of both robbers and the rain, he sped up for he didn't want problems on his first day. He looked for the position of the base on his phone and followed what he believed to be the shortest route.
The base Emilio was headed to was to the normal people a military base for soldiers. What they didn't know was that the soldiers there had a special ability, 'chi' detection, projection and manipulation. 'Chi' is the life force that runs in all things living creatures and is basically the essence of life. There are a certain group of people in the world who are able to sense and utilize this power. Its strength and amount is different in everyone meaning that there those that are able to detect, project and manipulate it freely and those who can only project it and fail to manipulate it and those who can barely detect it and also those who can't detect it at all. Those who can freely use chi are extremely few such that there is only one in a ten thousand people. They are called 'chi-manipulators'. This was mainly hereditary though there were some special exceptions who would unlock there chi without any family ties to them. Emilio himself was a chi manipulator, though he could barely do it. He was also among the special exceptions. This is because he lacked training. Barracks that hosted chi-manipulators were called chi-bases which the public only assumed to be normal barracks. these were independent and only few people were aware of them. In the government, only the minister of defense knew about them with the exception of those within the family ties. Even the president was not aware of this.
Being guided by his phone, Emilio turned a corner into a street, believing it to be a short cut to the base, which his instincts immediately doubted. Ignoring his instincts, he dashed forward and when they persisted, he started walking cautiously. Everything about this street didn't seem right. there were pubs all around and pictures of nude people (especially women). he walked slowly amidst a crowd of drunk men and women who were shamelessly kissing in the public. Emilio couldn't believe his eyes. He was too innocent to understand any of this. At the door of one of this suspicious looking buildings, were too people who were amazingly sober. A man and a woman. The man was was a bit shorter than the woman and had red eyes which felt as if they were burning. His hair was dark red and was well built for his size. He was extremely light clothed despite the heavy weather and the approaching night consisting of only a white vest and a buggy trouser. His voice was deep as if it were a drum beating in his voice box. The woman had rather pink eyes and was considered cute in Emilio's eyes. She had pink hair and was rather curvy and from the way she reacted to the man's questions, Emilio could tell she was sociable. He immediately dropped the thought when she hit a drunk man came to talk to her. 'Siblings' Emilio thought.
She was dressed in a red trouser and a white blouse. Emilio decided to confirm his destination with them cause he didn't like the place at all. As he approached them, he man took notice of him and called;
"Hey sonny, what are you doing in red-light district? You a customer?"
Emilio felt embarrassed on realizing were he was. Unable to control his speech he answered back;
"Right back at you,"
This close he could tell the man was in his early thirties while the woman was in her late twenties. Unlike the others, Emilio couldn't detect any chi from them. This surprised him cause it meant they had to be dead.
"Well I have come here for a certain someone who is a regular in these parts," the man answered.
"Then you didn't have to drag your sister along." Emilio said.
"No she ain't my sister,"
"Then is she your girlfriend?"
"NO," said both the man and the woman though the woman kind of shouted. She turned red on he thought. She couldn't bare to be any of those it seemed.
"Our relationship is that of work colleges and nothing more," the man explained. Emilio nodded.
"So, back to you. Why are you trying to break your virginity at a local brothel?"
"No I ain't."
"So it is not your first time kiddo. My, what surprise."
"I'm not going to answer that."
"Then I'll assume you're here for another business."
"Yes. It is another business from what you are talking about."
"Oh, so you are one of the kidnappers who steal children and come and sell them here for child pornography filming"
"No."
"No. Then what evidence do you have?"
"I have no need of an evidence and this is the first I have heard of child pornography filming."
"That's what they all say. At your age, you are going to be one dangerous mastermind when you grow up."
"I ain't a criminal." Emilio almost shouted. He now did not like the man and embarrassment was weighing heavily on him.
" So what are you? The camera man?"
"No."
"How sure can I be that there is no camera in that suitcase?"
"Cause there isn't. There is only money and some …"
"Oh so you really were going to the brothel." The man interrupted. A small crowd of drunkards' had formed around them. Embarrassment was now weighing down on his shoulders like an ox yoke. He was being embarrassed in public on his first day no more than one hour since his arrival to boot. What made it worse was that this was happening in front of a local city brothel.
"No, I told that's not it." Emilio persisted. The crowd grew bigger.
"Then what is the money for?" asked the man laying down the bait waiting for Emilio to bite. Emilio could not pull himself together. He wished he could go into his room and lock himself up. Due to panicking the only words that came out of Emilio's mouth were;
"SHUT UP! PIPSQUEAK"
He then sped off without another word into the city darkness. The man suppressed his rising anger.
"And you're still headed for the bigger brothel," he said softly but loud enough for the crowd around him to hear. Th woman placed her hand over his shoulder and the man raised his hands in surrender. The crowd dispersed.