Cain was walking in the floor of a modern bamboo building. Calling the design of the bamboo building 'modern' may be wrong.
Nobody else owns bumboo buildings in the whole region, very few elites bother to use bamboo for the flooring of their houses just to show that they are wealthy.
The bamboo house that Cain was walking in was the biggest among the handful of bamboo houses in the small mountain village of Sikai, 2300 km away from the HQ of EmberWake corporation.
After the hectic war between continental superpowers 70 years ago, Humanity lost many habitable places in this world, while the radiation zones the war left, gave birth to new abominable monstrosities.
The mountain village and the surrounding few hundred square kms of terrace farmlands is owned by the EmberWake corporation. Only a select important members of 'pholz ardst dost' are allowed to be in this village.
This village area was one of the and most favourable leisure palaces of the late Chairman of EmberWake corporation. He was the last Clan head of 'pholz ardst dost', the clan established by the 'dost'-companion of the 'ardst'- bearer of 'pholz' - the brilliant flame .
It was already nine days since the passing of the chairman, all of the immediate family of the chairman, a few of his high ranking illegitimate children, and handful of his trusted aids are present in the ground floor of this bamboo building.
According to the chairman's will, his body is to be cremated with the whole of this bamboo village. The chairman's body now lays atop a bear skin covered by a clean white shroud with golden embroidery.
One by one everyone present in the bamboo building started to pay their respects, in order of the least important person to the most, Cain was the second last person to pay respect, he kowtowed and touched the feet of the chairman with his forehead, stayed like that for a few seconds as if giving a silent prayer, then he stood up, bowed slightly and then looking towards the covered face of the chairman he said with a trembling voice: "thank you for everything."
Cain left the building, leaving only a young man in his teen inside and started moving toward the outer periphery of the small mountain village where the rest of the people were gathered. He then stood In front of the crowd, a servant came before him with a suitcase from which Cain took out a familiar silver mask and put it on.
Looking toward the village which stood a few hundred metres away, Cain saw a fire break out in the bamboo house where the chairman rested, a few moments later a young man came out the village gates and approached the crowd, all the people bowed to the young man, the young man met the gazes of few, from them, some called him 'brother', a few called him 'little john', Cain simply nodded at the young man.
Soon, the a raging fire consumed the whole bamboo village. Seeing that much bamboo being wasted Cain sighed inwardly and thought: 'That much bamboo was enough to satisfy the living cost of a middle class family for years.'
Seeing the bamboo some of the members present utterd words like 'beautiful' and 'magnificent'. In the family of EmberWake, the clansmen were obsessed with fire.
Cain looked at the fire and felt a dread spreading through his body, it was as if the furious pillar of flames made up a wrathful wraith of the chairman, that face looked at Cain with a look of disappointment filled with fury.
Cain was fearful of the fire, but looking at the wraith, Cain laughed mockingly inside his head. Cain knew the wraith was just his imagination, because apart from him nobody else seemed to notice it.
A lot of memories resurfaced in Cain's mind after seeing the furious face of the Chairman in the fire, he only saw that kind of face once in the chairman's face.
***
Cain was 8 when he got the chance to study in the 'Academy of Technological Progress',
It was a institute established by the EmberWake foundation for the purpose of raising the next generation of employees for the EmberWake corporation.
A National level aptitude examination was held every 3 years for the children in the age group of 5-10 years. The aptitude examination had 3 phases.
Reasoning, General Knowledge and Physical resilience. In the year that Cain took the test, nearly 15 million children participated. Out of them only 15000 got chance to study in the 'Academy of Technological Progress' or ATP. Another 75000 got the chance to study from different branches of 'National Defense and Beast Extermination Academy' or NDEBA.
The orphanage that Cain was in could only afford to send one person to the academy if anyone could even qualify the aptitude examination. That year 3 people qualified the examination but Cain had the best prospects so he was the only one sent.
Even if people couldn't afford to attend the ATP but just qualifying the aptitude examination mean that the candidate will get scholarships in many other prestigious institutes .
Cain spent 4 years in the academy, His academics score was Always in the top 50 and his physical resilience was always in top 100 of his batch. On his 5th year however he was adopted by EmberWake foundation.
EmberWake corporation was known to be always welcoming of talent. Many people performing well in the ATP and NDBEA were often adopted by the EmberWake foundation.
Most of the people working for EmberWake corporation had once recieved the patronage of EmberWake foundation. This was done to inspire loyalty from the people working for EmberWake.
EmberWake was the one in control of the nation from behind the scenes, the government was just a front . There were many people from EmberWake in the administrative and other public services of the nation and judiciary.
The southern nation of Dzonal came into existence after the end of the 10 year long depression left behind after the war between super powers 70 years ago, EmberWake was the leading pioneer of Dzonal as they contributed the most for the relief of the people and the security of the border from rivaling nation and wild beasts.
At the age of 14 Cain was of well renown among other elites of the academy, he was someone sure to be of high ranking among EmberWake corporation. He was even friends with many of the Scions of EmberWake .
At that age Cain didn't know that he would be robbed of his freedom and be raised to be a tool for the rest of his life.