As Adrian moved forward while dragging Evangeline by her hand, her feet came to a sudden pause, causing him to stop in his tracks as well.
They were near one of the strange cylindrical factories. Stacks of massive stone bricks were neatly arranged around them.
Adrian glanced at Evangeline, trying to figure out why she had suddenly paused. He had initially thought that she had stopped because she was trying to act rebellious, but when he looked at her, the young girl's gaze was fixed in a certain direction. There was a clear frown on her face.
Adrian followed her line of sight, trying to see what she was looking at, and his gaze fell on a commotion happening only a few meters away from them.
A middle-aged man wearing a high-collar coat—seemingly a cheap knock-off of the typical aristocratic attire—was holding a young boy by his hair with one hand. In his other hand, the man held a small metal rod that was glowing fiery orange at its free end.
