Viole stepped out of the throne room.
He stepped out of the throne room and into the courtyard. Surrounded on all sides by greenery, the leaves gently swaying in the breeze, the grass pressed underfoot with each step he took, this slice of nature seemed so different, so starkly different than –
He cut the thoughts off, hands curling into fists, shoulders shaking.
The images flashed through his mind, one after another. Body after body.
When the door behind him opened once more Viole burst into motion.
"Wait." He heard Hwa Ryun call out, not a true shout really, but already her voice faded as he sprinted to the stairway on the right and bounded up it. It was the other set of stairs compared to the ones he took before but they were closer, and all Viole cared about at the moment was getting back to the wall.
Getting back to that scarred-face bandit that he froze.
He reached the top of the stairs then stopped.
Devastation lay about him.
Red against white. Blood coated the stone, it coated every inch of it, as if pasted on. Bits of flesh and skin lay scattered about. The scent of blood – that tinge of iron wafted all about him, stabbing into his head, making Viole's insides squirm. They knotted tighter and tighter as he looked on the scene. Then his gaze turned to the steel railing on the edge of the wall, the one that separated the compound from the world outside.
A piece of intestines hung on it – looped over it like a belt on a hanger.
Viole bent over and hurled.
For a moment he just stood there, bent over and panting, but then he straightened up – staring out into the sky. The scene of the throne room once again rose in his mind's eye, melding with this scene, Viole felt a scream bubble up in his chest – just waiting to be released, but instead he sighed.
"Ha Jinsung did all of this," he said.
It was not a question, but she answered it anyway, "He did." Viole turned around to see Hwa Ryun at the top of the stairs. "In the time it took us to clear a single wall and that tower he killed them while on his way to the Ranker. As quick as thought."
"The rest is like this too, isn't it? The other three walls, the guard towers," Viole said, gesturing to the other end, "It's like what he said about Eurasia Blossom – he just rose up the shinsoo in them and made them … pop." He practically snarled out the word. "And you," he said, pointing at her, "You knew about this. It's the reason why you said we didn't need to clear the rest of the compound."
"And?"
Viole opened his mouth, the anger once again bubbling up, he wanted to blame her, be angry at her, but the fire began to die out. Hwa Ryun did not kill those men, did not splatter the walls and floors with that blood, the fire snuffed out as he sighed.
Viole spun on his heel and walked, leaving footprints through the red.
Silence descended as they walked on – to the guard tower in the corner then through the door on the other end. He had to go through it all. He just … had to see it. See the blood pools as they stained the ground, see the now empty watchtower, see the stretch of stone on the other side – that contrast between red and white.
"He could be gone, you know."
Until she spoke up Viole hadn't realized that Hwa Ryun walked behind him every step of the way.
Until she spoke up Viole had forgotten that he still looked for that last bandit – the one he froze with Fast Skip.
A beat, then an answer, "…I thought I didn't need to physically be there for the Fast Skip technique – that it continues to manipulate the target even after you leave."
"Ah, yes, but the technique could have just ended on its own. It is the first time you'll be using that technique over a prolonged period of time, after all."
They had reached the other side of the room, where the door stood ajar, but Viole did not cross it to exit the room, but just looked at the redheaded Guide.
For her part, Hwa Ryun just walked up, that smirksmile in place.
"Wouldn't that be something?"
He ran.
…..
She was right.
Of course she was.
He made it back to the original wall they entered on, pass more seas of blood, past the guard tower with its injured combatants, the table in the middle still smoldering, and to where the scarred bandit should stand frozen.
Should.
But instead he just found the space empty, the wall itself barren of any sign of life.
. Viole walked towards railing, leaving bloody footprints on the stone, then wrapped his hands around the metal as he stared out at the rocky crags around him.
"No matter how long you look you won't spot the man. He's long gone by now."
"You knew, didn't you? That he would break free. Why did you let me do it?"
"How would you feel if you could not even save one life?"
Viole didn't know, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about the other walls or that throne room, he just closed his eyes and felt the wind.
"Where did he go?"
"He's probably heading to the nearest city, Ludina, several hundred miles from here." Viole opened his eyes and glanced behind him to see the Guide shrug, "As I said, there's vast distances between each city. If he's lucky he'll rejoin another gang or slaver ring, go on with his life hurting people and try to forget this place."
I wouldn't call that luck. "And if he's unlucky?"
"He'll know others in town and come with a force to try to take the compound back."
…..
The rest of the day past slowly, at least for him. Hwa Ryun showed him the sleeping quarters and he picked out a room. Once inside he promptly closed and locked the door then flopped on the bed. Part of him wanted to sleep, but Viole stared up at the ceiling, not thinking, not doing, just staring.
He didn't even realize hours had passed until he heard the knock on the door.
When he opened the door Viole found Ha Jinsung standing on the other side holding a plastic bag in hand. "Got lunch for ya," he said, "Can I come in?"
Viole looked at the Ranker, took in his slanted eyes and combed back hair, took in everything, but then, after a beat, he stepped aside.
"Thanks 'Ole," he said, then he reached into the bag and pulled out a brown-package sphere. He unwrapped it to reveal a burger – patty, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles with ketchup and mustard and relish. "Got it at a MacRonald in Ludina. Didn't know what you would want on it so I got everything, huh."
Viole just stared at the burger – the condiments dripped onto the Ranker's fingers.
"Um, well," he said as he riffled through the bag, "there's also some fries and a soda, so I'll just put those here." He placed them down on a small oak table in the room, one by the corner. It had some stains. Viole looked at him. "So I'll just head off I guess."
"No," Viole said, "take a seat."
Ha Jinsung gave a small, relieved smile. "I'll like that."
Ha Jinsung pulled out a similar MacPatty, but plain compared to the monstrosity in Viole's hand. The sound of munching filled the room as the two ate in silence. During the course of it, Viole studied his martial arts instructor, eying the man up, then he put the meal away.
"Viole?"
"Is that normal for you guys?"
He put down his food as well.
"It's … necessary," he tried the word, "I haven't felt bad about hurting others for a long time."
"But not anymore?"
"When I first taught you the Flare Wave Explosion I felt it. Remorse. I thought this was not the right path for you."
Path? Oh, he means that Guide thing. To be honest, even after months in the Tower he still got some of the details wrong.
"But I don't think that anymore – you'll go places Baam."
It was the first time he heard Ha Jinsung use his first name, his old name, and the word rang in Vio-in Baam's ears, he had to glance down and away from the man – he couldn't look the Ranker in the eye.
"You'll become strong – I definitely believe that. Strong enough to shake up the Tower."
And his smile vanished.
"I don't want that sort of strength," Viole said, "I want –"
"The strength not to say any more goodbyes. I remember." A beat as he glanced to the side, fries, soda and burger forgotten. "Viole," he said at last, "Do you know how old I am?"
"Uh, no." seonsaeng – he nearly spoke the word. Nearly.
"Me neither. I lost track."
Viole wanted to say something to that, but he didn't have the words. It escaped him, it all escaped him. But he didn't have to say anything – Ha Jinsung leaned back in his chair, fully separating himself from his food, and his eyes fell half lidded as he stared off to the side at a wall. A tension, an expectation, hung in the air then – that the man would say more.
He did.
"When I was climbing the Tower I wanted to become strong too, I pushed myself to excel, I had such passion, I don't even remember the reason why but I remember that, but once I lost that reason I lost the passion as well, and all I had left was the strength – the product of my labors." He chuckled then turned his gaze off the wall and had it latch onto Viole, contemplating and deep. "It'll be the same for you," he decided, "it doesn't matter what your reasons are now – unless you manage to climb the Tower in fifty years like Urek it'll just be lost in time and blood."
"It won't be."
Maybe it was the immediate response or the surety in Viole's tone, but regardless Ha Jinsung straightened up in his chair and looked at Viole. A golden gaze met his, strong and sure. "It won't be lost," Viole repeated as he narrowed his eyes.
"After all, it's the only thing I have."