A blinding flash of light engulfed the massive living room as the Power Rangers materialized inside Astrax's mansion.
Sophia stepped forward, her eyes wide as she looked around at the towering ceilings, the expensive artwork, and the golden fixtures. "Wow," she breathed, a huge smile spreading across her face. "This is crazy."
Ignis, however, did not look impressed. His brow furrowed into a deep frown, and he turned to Astrax. "You are using our Power Ranger income for this?"
Astrax crossed his arms, looking completely unbothered. "Come on. We save lives. Who doesn't want to enjoy life?" He waved a hand dismissively. "Let's talk about Simon."
"No, no, no," Ignis shook his head, gesturing wildly around the luxurious room. "This is crazy! You had no connections. Nothing! You are just using the money we get from our merchandise and our fame. This is crazy."
"Why are you acting like you didn't know I am a billionaire?" Astrax asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I knew, but I don't support this!" Ignis’s voice rose in frustration. "What are you doing? This is money laundering."
Astrax scoffed, rolling his eyes. "First of all, Simon is more important. And no, it is not. This is our money. I donate sometimes. I give to the poor, but—"
"All our money should go to charity or the poor," Ignis interrupted firmly.
Astrax’s face hardened. "What about me? I don't owe the poor anything, and I risk my life every single day to save the lives of strangers." He took a step closer to Ignis. "Be grateful. I called you here for someone important, and you are worried about my house. What is your problem with my house?"
"The problem is, you are fucking using the money we generate!" Ignis shouted.
"What?" Astrax threw his hands up. "I also use the money for you guys!"
Solara stepped between them, nodding her head. "It's true. He is the one that gives me the money to fund my tech, so I am on his side."
"That is your money," Ignis argued, looking at Solara. "How does he share it?"
Astrax let out a sharp laugh. "Sophia, I paid your rent and bought all your food."
Ignis spun around to look at Astrax. "You didn't pay her! She is a Ranger too, so it is also her money."
Sophia stepped forward, standing right next to Ignis. "Look, Astrax. I am on Ignis's side." She looked up at Ignis and offered him a sweet, supportive smile.
Ignis looked down at her, his anger softening for just a moment. He turned his attention to Tunde. "Which side are you on?"
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Tunde sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at all of them with a calm, gentle expression. "Look, we are not just friends. We are family." Tunde offered a small, sad smile. "We all came from the same orphanage. We are family." The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
At the word orphanage, Ignis’s eyes widened. The golden mansion around him began to blur, and his vision faded into black.
Flashback
A heavy wooden door creaked open. Rose, the caretaker, held a young Ignis gently by the hand.
Inside the small, worn-down room, young Astrax, Tunde, Solara, and Sophia looked up. "Good morning, Ma," they said in unison.
Rose smiled warmly. "Good morning, children. This is your new roommate. Treat him with care and love."
"Okay, Ma," young Sophia chirped.
Ignis walked slowly into the room. Rose closed the door behind him with a soft click. Ignis walked over to a small bed and sat down, his face instantly dropping into a look of deep, crushing sadness.
Sophia tilted her head, watching him closely. "Why are you sad?"
Solara didn't look up from her spot on the floor. "His parents probably abandoned him or something."
Sophia frowned, confused. "What is abandon?"
"Don't worry," Solara said flatly. "You can't understand."
Solara finally looked up, studying Ignis’s blank, empty stare. "He looks like he is in a state of shock. Like his parents just died."
Ignis slowly turned his head to look at her. "Mother?" his voice trembled.
"Your mom is not here," Solara said bluntly. "You are in an orphanage."
"Mother?" Ignis repeated, tears welling in his eyes.
Solara sighed and gestured around the small room. "Look, this orphanage is new. There are only six of us, after all."
Ignis looked around the room, completely lost. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
"Hi, I am Solara," she continued, her tone matter-of-fact. "I am special. You know, like in a good way. I am very intelligent. But my parents died in a car crash. I was at home studying, and they told me the bad news. That is why I am here."
Ignis just stared at her.
Solara pointed a small finger at Sophia. "This is Sophia. Her parents sold her here because of poverty. Her parents abandoned her." She moved her finger to point at Tunde. "He is here because of—"
"Leave me alone," Ignis cried, curling in on himself. "I just want to see my mother."
"What is your story?" Solara asked, ignoring his tears. "Don't worry, I will ask Rose when she comes back."
Solara turned her attention back to the floor, where she was prying the keys off a broken laptop.
Ignis sniffled, looking at what she was doing. "Why are you destroying it?"
"I am not," Solara replied, her face full of concentration. "I am just seeing how it was made, you know?"
Ignis stared at her, his little heart breaking. "Do you want to see your mother?"
Solara looked up, her expression totally unreadable. "They died."
"What is died?" Ignis whispered.
Present Day
Ignis snapped back to reality with a sharp gasp. The bright, luxurious lights of the mansion blinded him for a second.
Sophia stepped closer, a look of deep concern on her face. "What happened?"
Ignis looked at her. Then he looked at Astrax. Then Solara. Then Tunde.
If not for these gems, Ignis thought, a heavy lump forming in his throat, we were just poor, unwanted orphans.
He slowly looked around the massive, golden mansion, the argument about money completely forgotten. The harsh reality of his past settled over him like a cold blanket.
My parents died, Ignis thought numbly, his heart aching just like it did on that very first day. I have no parents.