Time passed even more quickly for Yeong gi. It was difficult to discern between night and day in the underground facility, and days effectively blurred together as he dedicated his waking hours to a series of rigorous and gruesome training sessions.. Although, the skills he had learnt under the Royal tutors made him a quick learner, he was mildly surprised by the amount of things he still doesn't know. The art of assassination was a craft that took years to master. Not only was he supposed to be quick and silent on his feet, like a ninja, but he was also required to have an indepth knowledge of poisons, and traps and the very art of disguise.
Every night, he collapsed on the bed, completely exhausted to fitful bursts of restless sleep but he still woke up every morning with a fresh new resolve, ready to conquer the challenges the new day presents. Inside him, there was also a brewing sense of urgency, an impatience that was clawing him from inside. He dreamed of his revenge. Yui Hirahara didn't wait long to extract hers, capable and incisive in her techniques, her bold was move.. And reckless.. But she had miscalculated. Underestimated the burn of his fury. And that will ultimately lead to her downfall.
He threw his all into his training. Every step brought him closer to his goals. There weren't many candidates who committed to a life of taking lives and most of them had an ulterior motive just like him. He preferred to maintain a strict distance from them though, cause he had learned soon enough that life was rather short and unpredictable in this particular field of his choice. That made him all the more determined to last, last till he tastes the sweet flavour of revenge.
He did end up making one friend though. Soushi, the guy Dieter had introduced him to, was rather sharp with words and sharper with nunchakus. His monkey like techniques made him rather quick on foot and lethal with knives. Whereas Yeong gi was all pulsating power and corded muscles, Soushi's lean build was built for agility and speed which easily made him an excellent sparring partner.
"It's not just blades, you know. You need a solid plan in place too, otherwise you're," he mimicked a blade slicing across his throat, "Got it?"
"Naturally. Do I look that clueless?"
"I don't know man," Soushi shrugged, "You look rather impatient."
"Good. That will get me keep me from getting complacent."
He bid him farewell for the night. Another day gone, but he's more adept at wielding a blade than he was yesterday, he mused, taking consolation in his small victory as he walked through the stone corridor.
He was growing to like his new blade.. The dagger suited him far better than those heavy swords ever did. He tossed the knife in the air before expertly catching it mid flip. Perhaps, he was never meant to be a Knight. But a rogue assassin instead.
A musical humming sound brought him to a halt. His ears strained to catch the melody, it seemed so out of place in this dark coven that at first he wondered if he was hallucinating. The note carried a touch of longing and nostalgia, it was a beautiful sound and he found his feet being drawn to the source. He rounded a corner, curious, only to emerge through a narrow upsloped opening to a breathtaking view of the mountains and valleys. The land jutted out some distance before falling into a steep cliff and at the edge of the very cliff, was a girl with long blonde hair, humming softly to the wind.
He walked slowly upto her but she didn't seem to take any notice of his feather light footsteps behind her.
"That's a lovely song."
The girl gasped aloud with surprise as she spun around while simultaneously recoiling back from shock. Unfortunately, she seemed to lose her sense of balance and her eyes filled with fear as she tilted towards the deep end, her flailing hand frantically, desperately seeking a secure hold. .
"Look out!" Yeong gi flung himself into a half dive, barely managing to lock his fingers around her wrist. Just in time to stabilise her. Heart in his throat, he gritted his teeth and then slowly pulled her upright, breathing hard.
She was breathing hard herself as her chest heaved in an attempt to drawn in more air, her bangs covering her eyes as the rush of adrenaline slowed down in their veins.
"I didn't mean to startle you. I hope you can forgive me.. Alyssa, right?" He had learnt her name in due time during his brief stay at this fortress.
She nodded. "It's alright." She casted a wild look around her, confused and uncertain, "What are you doing here? No one ever comes here."
"I heard your voice, it was a beautiful voice, very captivating so I followed it up till here and you were sitting here all alone, at this strange hour, in this strange place, and there was no one around you or any-"
Her eyes widened.
"I was just curious, it's not like I wanted to creep you out or anything!" he hastily explained as her expression grew even more alarmed by the second and she scrambled back an inch. "I swear! And I should have announced my arrival first, maybe even cleared my throat. Tapped my foot. But you were just so immersed, not that it was your fault! I didn't really expect to be so quiet on my feet too.." he trailed off as the girl in front of him burst into a sudden laugh that rocked her entire frame. A half confused grin curved his lips in reflex, as her laugh rang out freely, contagiously through the air.
"I get it," she reassured him, once she had calmed down enough to wipe away her tears, "You don't have to try this hard! It happens! Since you caught me in time, I'll say you made it up to me quite spectacularly," she smiled.
He chuckled lightly, gently scratching the back of his head.
A cool wind swept across his hair, making the leaves rustle. The atmosphere was imbued with a bone seeping chill, signaling the rapid approach of winter. A gentle husk cloaked the land, enveloping them both in its sharp embrace and the clear night sky stretched overhead in a dazzling display of stars and galaxies. He breathed in the fresh, crisp air, feeling it filling up his lungs to their limit.
It dawned on Yeong gi that it had really been a while since he had been outside like this. A person who loved the sun and sky had been holed up inside a tunnel for weeks now. How much had he missed? Days he'll never get back.
"It's been a while, right?" his reverie was cut short by Alyssa's words. He looked around to see Alyssa studying him. "Makes you wonder if the sacrifices is even worth it in the end."
"Worth what if there's nothing left," he solemnly replied.
Her gaze continued to study him for a second longer, and it seemed like there was something more she wanted to add but she finally chose to simply look away.
He frowned. "If you don't mind me asking you this.., Why are you here? What keeps you bound to this place?" She didn't fit, he wasn't sure how but she just didn't feel right.
"Everything!" she answered softly. "A misplaced sense of identity. A sense of belonging. A place where I'm worth something."
"I don't believe that," stated Yeong gi, flatly. "You don't grow up learning to act like a noble's daughter in an underground cult." He met Alyssa's surprised gaze evenly. As if this kind of place will nurture such talents. An elegance, poise "You stand out like sour fruit in this place. With the way you carry yourself. In the manner that you speak," and the kindness that you show.
His eyes dared her to defy his words. Counter his logic. He could literally tell it from the very first day that he's not the only blue blooded bloodline there. What is she doing amidst a bunch of wannabe serial killers anyway?
She seemed tensed, and somewhat nervous, as she absent mindedly fiddled with her fingers, avoiding his gaze and it took her a while before she steeled up her nerves. "I was sent-no, sold.. by my parents when they fell on hard times. You must have heard of them, right? Lord and Lady Cho. The Count and Countess of Cho Manor?" she looked up to assess his reaction.
Yeong gi gulped. Of course, he had heard of them. There were rumours surrounding their mysterious fall from grace, but they had remain unfounded.
"As a last ditch attempt, they tried to strike up an alliance with the Queen herself. A marriage alliance. But Kousuke refused, rejected both me and my sister without a second thought," she cracked a smile, twinged with a shade of sadness, a hint of regret.
"My parents couldn't see any point in keeping me around any longer. "If your beauty is worth nothing, then what good are you?" Years of training, hours spent over etiquette classes, choking under those fancy stifling corsets, enduring, enduring and never complaining, all gone to waste, just like that.." her hands seemed to be shaking, but she plunged on ahead anyway, "Was that a dream or a nightmare, or a nightmare masquerading as a dream? I don't know! But it doesn't matter, this place accepted me. I'm worth something here. And I'll do anything to fit in here!"
A heavy silence followed her declaration. Her level of dedication had definitely caught him by surprise, but his mind couldn't help thinking, this kind of lifestyle doesn't suit her at all. He noticed her shivering profile.
"C'mon, let's head inside. You must be freezing out here."
The days seemed to blur after that but the nights stood out sharp and distinct. Every other night or so, he found himself seeking Alyssa's presence. Perhaps it was the outdoor night view or perhaps it was her easy smile or lilting laugh, but something about that hour he spent on the cliff edge gave him a sense of peace and for a second, he could almost forget a manipulative Queen sitting on a distant throne ..
"So, you hate confrontations?" he raised an eyebrow, when she revealed how she barely ever fought with her sister.
"Mmm.. I avoid confrontations. I'll rather we all can get along well with each other," she was again sitting right at the edge of the cliff, her eyes taking in the breathtaking view. He wished she would back off some distance. He hated to admit it but seeing her at the precarious ledge made his heart pound faster. The least he could do was keep an eyeful watch, hands ready to catch her if she ever required his help.
"That's Orion, the hunter. He was cursed for his hubris, forever stuck with the cause of his fall" she mused.
"But confrontations become inevitable, if you want to stand up for something," he would know this well, he thought bitterly.
"And sometimes you stand to lose a lot more," she murmured, before biting her lip, "Or perhaps.. I'm a bit scared."
"Of what?" he seemed puzzled. "What's there to lose?"
She only flashed him an enigmatic smile, that made him even more confused. "Can you back off from that edge at least?" he asked crossly.
His heart soared as her tinkling laugh rang out in the air.
Shin ae walked through a crowded, narrow road, as the dusk set in the late evening sky. People hurried over to their homes, after a busy day at work, and lamps were beginning to glow from inside some windows. But Shin ae didn't pay any attention to any of that as her thoughts mulled over her talk with Dieter last night. Now, that she thinks of it, he hadn't given away anything of consequence. He had passed her a note, written in Yeong gi's atrocious calligraphy (he always hated those lessons) saying only three lines.
"I'm safe. Don't worry about me. And I'll see you soon enough, once I make everything right again."
Shin ae's eyes had scanned through those lines many times before deciding it has nothing more to offer, there's no code she could decipher. She had looked up to confront Dieter with a plethora of questions that he had circumvented in his own peculiar way. Even Minhyuk, who had read the letter from over her shoulder had looked confounded. But he hadn't succeeded in getting any answers from Dieter either. Should she be worried? She frankly didn't know. What did he even plan to set straight?
She sighed as she took another corner, into a paved, hidden alleyway. Her eyes looked up to see a cloaked figure standing some feet away, arms folded across his chest, back leaning lightly against the wall.
He straightened up as she drew closer. She scanned him from head to toe, before frowning.
"What kind of a ridiculous get up is that?"
Kousuke bristled, "Are you serious? I'm a Prince! What if people recognise me?"
Shin ae rolled her eyes. "Then don't expect any royal treatment from me too. C'mon."
A barely audible muttering brought a smile to her lips.
"Trust me, I don't."
He was called again into that large hollow chamber, although there were fewer members this time. His eyes quickly picked out the familiar faces in one brief glance but they returned back to the head figure whose rather intimidating aura was overshadowing everything else.
His body realised what this was about before his mind could catch up. Excitement rolled through his body. A nervous tingling spread across his fingers.
"Nol "Yeong gi" Hirahara. The Hidden society of Last Breaths is very pleased with your talents.. And efforts." There was a silence and Yeong gi's heart beat faster as he could literally feel the imminent arrival of something life altering. This is it. The time is finally here.
"And as a token of our appreciation, we have a name for you. A name of personal relevance."
He could almost sense Alyssa's stare from the sidelines as a wide grin threatened to split his face in half.
"Just say the word." he could barely keep the eagerness from his voice.
A blood curdling smile finally touched the woman's lips.
"The Queen's Uncle. Yamato Hirahara."
