Trials of a God

by Admiral T. DeVanto

How was it that the sight of Mr. Khun filled him with such terror? As the Hand of Arlene explodes, Bam makes a split-second decision that alters his fate.

7. Steps of a God Part II

He never thought he would see a child of Khun cry.

Sitting by Aguero's bedside, he watched as the small form was nearly swallowed up by the blankets. He clung to the pillow beside him like he was holding on to a small person, seeking comfort in the soft covers. The tears had long since dried out, but Aguero's fast-paced breathing and furrowed brow betrayed his troubles.

Bam could count on one hand the moments when he saw a Khun child. Rankers were rare, moreso were the princesses. But even from a distance, they seemed to be carved from ice, incapable of portraying anything but cold amusement, coyness, and sadism. There was a calm storm brewing within their pale porcelain skin, and no one knew when it was going to strike or what hid behind the stormy clouds in their eyes. They were beautiful, a well crafted sword that hung on a wall, but feasted on the blood of those foolish enough to handle their ornate hilt.

Bam had only ever seen Khun Mascheny a handful of times, usually across ballrooms or gatherings. He had always been surprised at her grace, elegance, and her control over everything around her, even her emotions.

But here, lying in the bed and as vulnerable as ever, was another Khun child. There was no denying now that Aguero was a child of Khun, but Bam was reminded of the reality that Aguero was young. And really small.

A soft knock on the bedroom door drew Bam's attention. With one last glance at the sleeping Aguero, Bam checked to see who was outside. The stiffness in his shoulders loosened ever so slightly, and he opened the door further, offering a faint smile. "Endorsi."

The princess peered over his shoulder, her eyes landing on the bed that Aguero was sleeping in. "Huh, so he's still out of it." She cocked her head. "It's been...what? Twenty-four hours?"

He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Look, if you are here to collect on your favor-"

"Oh my God Bam, really?" The princess scoffed. "I'm waiting to collect my favor on a special day." Her eyes twinkled with barely suppressed glee. "I just wanted to check in on the little blue-head."

The stiffness in his shoulders were back. "Endorsi-"

"He's a Khun, right?" Endorsi's gaze penetrated his. "He won't be permitted to leave the Floor of Tests."

"I know." Bam's voice was soft and strained.

"Yet you stay by his bedside."

"He's a kid."

"A lot of kids have entered the Tower with ambitions to climb," Endorsi commented. "And a lot more kids are buried here on the Floor of Tests. He's no different." Something else that was not amusement, glee, or pity reflected in her now soft eyes. "Why mix yourself with him?"

"Because he has so much stacked up against him, yet he keeps going forward." Bam glanced over his shoulder and noticed that the small body had ceased trembling. Finally, maybe he was having a peaceful sleep. "The entire Tower is his enemy, yet who is his ally?"

The silence between them reigned for only a few moments before Bam looked back at Endorsi. "By the way, can you watch him for me?"

Endorsi looked startled. "What? Why?"

"He needs a change of clothes," Bam answered, already stepping out of the room. "But I don't want to leave him alone." He glanced back with a smile. "Just sit by his bedside. You'll do fine."

Endorsi stared at Bam's retreating back, fuming that she was saddled with this inconvenient responsibility. Perhaps she should demand that this be another one of his favors that he owed her.

Stepping into the room, she sat in the chair that was beside the bed. Crossing her arms, her gaze flickered around the room, looking for the Yellow May and Green April. It had been rather interesting to see Bam, haggard and ill-tempered, take the Green April from an angered green lizard. Bam must have hidden the weapons somewhere, considering that she could not sense them. Already Endorsi was making plans to track down Anaak Jahad and demand answers from her, which would serve to be rather interesting.

"Has Bam really been sitting here, staring at you?" She huffed, glancing around with disinterest. Leaning forward, she observed the boy's pale face, listening to the small and steady breathing. With his hair framed around his face, he almost looked like a girl.

Banging on the door caused her to look up with surprise. Was Bam back already? She huffed. Finally, now she could leave and carry on with her business. But upon opening the door, she was met with the hulking form of a large reptile.

Rak stared down at her, his nostrils flaring. "What are you doing here in my territory, Ghost-eye Turtle?"

Endorsi raised an indignant eyebrow. There was so much wrong with that one statement that she wanted to pick apart. "What are you doing here?"

Rak brushed past her. "Checking in on my prey," he grunted. He towered over the bed where Aguero lay. "Sneaky turtle just needs to wake up so we can fight."

Endorsi sat back in the chair with disinterest, examining her nails. She observed the gator's fretful pacing around the bed with bored interest. If, at the very least, his noise woke the boy up and she could leave, then that would be preferable, or Bam was quick with his shopping and didn't take too long.

xXx

Bam frowned as he examined the two different shirts before him. Rubbing the fabric between his fingers and feeling the inside of each shirt, he couldn't decide which was of a softer quality. Sighing, he took both off of the shelf before wandering around and looking at other options.

His footsteps slowed as his eyes narrowed. The lingering presence followed after him, and his wariness grew. "So, what did you say to him?"

A figure emerged from behind a shelf of shoes. Crimson red eyes stared up at him, unabashed at being caught. Delighted, even, that she was noticed.

Hwaryun tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Bam's grip on the shirts tightened, the fabric wrinkling from the stress that mangled their seams. "You said something to Aguero, something that caused him to react that way."

"Merely doing as I was told," she replied, indifferent. "I had no way of knowing what would happen after."

"I know what terror does, Hwaryun. It blinds you, makes you reckless. Whatever you did to Aguero, you did it intentionally knowing full well what was to happen."

She grinned, as if pleased that her child had cleverly figured out the clues to a simple puzzle game. "I didn't say anything. He only heard a voice, courtesy of the chip in my mask. He heard a voice, and he freaked out."

Bam frowned. "A voice?"

"If you are going to ask who gave me the recording, you probably already know. As for how the recording came into being, that I have no idea."

"And what was the purpose?"

She fiddled with the lace of a bootstrap on the shoe-shelf, gaze listless. "To find some sort of leverage."

Bam's jaw tightened. "What could-"

"Oh Viole," Hwaryun's soft voice caused him to blink. She stared at him with a smile. "Do not rush into this based on emotions alone. You can't win this one. What if word of your meddling reached your father?"

"My father cannot do anything," Bam replied, his tone sharp, a low rumble that crackled with thunder. "And don't ever mention my father again, unless you're trying to get me killed." He stepped closer. "Who sent you here? Was it my mother?"

"You left her in tears, Viole," Hwaryun stated. "Weeping over your loss. Try to understand from her perspective that she is merely looking out for the only child she has. A child who is unfavored by the king."

Bam grinned, sharp and poised. "You jump to conclusions, Hwaryun. I still hold some favor with the king."

Hwaryun merely stared. Her silence used to unnerve Bam, but now, he found comfort in it. Here, he could analyze. He was surprised she did not mention Aguero, or warn him to stay away from the Khun child.

Finally, she smiled. "Know that I am always here for you to set you on the right path." With that, she walked away.

Her words followed Bam all throughout the checkout and back to Aguero's room. Worry filled him as he tried to put the pieces together. The recording that Aguero had heard...he wondered if it had anything to do with this Kisea person. He supposed that was the person Aguero was searching for. Was she another Khun? Bam didn't know of any Khun by that name, but then again, he hadn't known of Aguero.

His thoughts were brought to a halt when he heard a ruckus. Staring at the open door with a growing dread, Bam ran forward with hasty steps.

What he saw caused him to stare in open-mouth shock. He saw Endorsi, balancing on a chair as she strangled a screaming Rak with a spare blanket. The gator waved around a broken leg of a table, stabbing at anything that moved.

"What in the-" Bam staggered in. "What is all this?"

"This imbecile," Endorsi grunted, her face red from exertion, "tried to bite blue-head!"

"Lies creepy ghost-eye turtle!" Rak exclaimed. "I was checking on my prey!"

"Bam, he's crazy! He's going to try and eat you all, you know that?"

Bam felt a major headache coming on. "Enough! Endorsi, release Rak. Rak, pick up the broken furniture and take it out." He let out a deep breath. "Now both of you, get out! Out, out!"

"But I need to check on my prey!"

"So about that favor-"

"I said out!" Bam ushered them out, kicking at any splintered furniture in his path before shutting the door. Resting his head against the door, he groaned. Feeling the weight of the bag of clothes in his hand, he was reminded why he came.

Turning to look at the bed, he found that a pile of blankets was huddled in a corner against the wall. Carefully approaching the bed, Bam leaned forward. "Aguero? Are you awake?"

Blue eyes poked through the folds of the blanket, blearily blinking. The pile of blankets moved, as if reluctant to leave the cocoon of warmth. Aguero emerged from the blankets, hair messy and expression disgruntled. The rims of his eyes were red, but any traces of tears were long gone. He huffed. "I thought they'd never leave."

Bam smiled softly. "Did they wake you?"

"Who wouldn't wake up to that racket?" Aguero winced, rubbing his stomach where the bandages were. "How long was I out?"

"About a day," Bam answered. He sat down on the only undamaged chair left in the room, the one he had placed beside the bed. "We get two days off to rest before they announce the positions."

Khun leaned against the bedpost. "Oh." He stared up at the ceiling, blinking. "Did we win?"

Bam grinned. "Of course." He made to stand back up. "If you want to see the Green April and-"

"Later." Aguero's quick response caused Bam to pause. He stared at the young boy, noticing how listless his eyes appeared to be.

Bam swallowed. "So, what happened?"

He worried that he would have to elaborate, but Aguero was not going to perform that kind of dance. "I lost control, something I didn't know could happen."

Bam leaned in. "What caused it?" He wished he could take it back when he saw Aguero's eyes shimmer.

Yet for the unshed tears that brimmed in those eyes, his voice came through as clear as if he was commenting on his favorite food. "I heard a voice. It brought back unpleasant memories."

"Just a voice?" Bam was sometimes told he needed a filter on his mouth, and never had he wished for that to be more true than now. He clamped his mouth shut, but the damage had been done.

Aguero mutely nodded. "Yeah, that's all. It's not what was said but...what I heard." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He slumped into the bed, clutching a pillow as he rolled over.

Bam hesitated but in the end placed a hand on Aguero's shoulder. "Listen, whatever that masked woman said to you, whatever she offered, let me help you."

Aguero was silent, his small "okay" muffled by the pillow he still hugged.

Silence hung between them, but Bam was content to wait as long as Aguero needed. In a few moments, Aguero turned over, still holding the pillow. "The masked woman in the black suit...you know her?"

Bam grimaced. "Ah...yeah. I don't know what Hwaryun is doing here, or how she got that recording, but it's best if you avoid her." Though it wouldn't matter much. If Hwaryun wanted to see Aguero, she would find a way despite Bam's best efforts. Bam was quiet, then decided to take a leap into the chasm. "This Kisea person you mentioned...she is the one you are looking for."

Khun still clutched the pillow even tighter. "...I think she's my sister."

Bam was silent even as he felt questions building up in his throat. He waited, hoping for more, but Aguero merely rolled over, eyes clear as if the tears were never there.

Bam shifted in his seat. "A sister?" he prompted. "You heard her voice from Hwaryun?"

Aguero sat up. "It means she's alive. Alive somewhere in this Tower." His eyes danced with something Bam had yet to see in his gaze. Excitement. "I had hoped...and I was right!"

Confusion filled Bam. "But...wait, so she wasn't the one you were initially looking for?"

"No, but she is now." Something new burned in Aguero's eyes, a new and passionate determination.

Bam reached out, his hand resting on Aguero's knee. The action caused the blue-haired boy to blink and look at him, as if the touch was foreign and now drawing him back to the earth.

"What happened for you to think she was dead?" To his dismay, Bam saw how those blue eyes clouded over with a guarded wariness.

"I was never really sure she was dead, but I held no hope that she was still alive." It was not quite a full answer, but it was all Bam was going to get. If he pushed too much, Aguero would retreat somewhere Bam could never reach.

The fact that Hawaryun and Hansung, yes, because he knew that the coffee addict bastard had something to do with this, knew more about Aguero than Bam did, irked him. But having Aguero willingly share with him was more rewarding than anything else.

He was willing to wait.

He smiled, holding out the shopping bag. "I got you some clothes." As Aguero took the bag with careful movements, Bam couldn't but think that, while it was not quite a peace treaty, he hoped that it would be taken as a sign of his willingness to work with Aguero as his teammate.

xXx

The black shirt fit snuggly and the pants were soft, unlike the clothes he was accustomed to wearing. Tugging at the sleeves of the shirt, Khun emerged from the bathroom to see Bam sprawled on his bed, as if he was making himself at home.

Khun frowned at the intrusion but withheld any comment brimming within him. "Thanks for the clothes," he said instead.

Bam blinked, his gaze unfocused as he was hanging upside down. Smiling as he rolled over, he propped his elbows up. "No problem," he said. "Your clothes were really dirty and ragged anyway. Where'd you grow up, a cave?" His tone was teasing, but it was completely lost on Khun.

"Yes," Khun answered, settling to sit down on the floor and leaning against the bed.

Bam blinked. "It...was a joke." His tone was low and soft, tentative.

Khun blinked. "Oh." One more thing he had revealed but couldn't bring himself to care. He traced his finger against the floor in an invisible circle.

Bam shifted closer until he was right over Khun's shoulder. "So...a cave."

Khun smiled softly. "Yeah...that was my home. At least, I thought of it as my home. I have a faint memory of...of something sweet smelling and a warm breeze. The cave smells damp and earthy, and it's always cold there, so I know I came from somewhere before the cave."

Bam was quiet, listening intently.

"But I wasn't alone," Khun started. "I had...well I had sisters."

Bam blinked. "Kisea and...?"

Khun hesitated. "An older sister. She took care of us."

"Are you also looking for her?"

"Don't need to. She's dead." Saying that, even thinking it, brought back memories he wished to have avoided but knew he could not hide from forever. He had been left with a dead body. He had dug into the ground, breaking at the rocks until his hands bled. As his sister's body decomposed, he had dragged her to the hole, but he had not dug deep enough. The animals got to her, digging her back up. They took pieces, but he was determined that his sister be laid to rest, no matter what he was left with.

He forced the memories back. He had dwelled on that moment long enough. Khun stretched, searching for a way to distract himself. "So...the positions test? What do we need to do?"

Bam shifted, though his eyes were still distracted from what he had been told. "Ah, yeah. We just need to study based on whatever position they give us. These will be the positions we take up in battle during upcoming tests." Bam stared at him. "I know the teams have been disbanded, but I would like to climb up the Tower with you, and I'm pretty sure Rak is going to follow after us no matter what. If you'll have us, that is."

Khun glanced up at him. "You might not want to make that offer. My reasons for climbing are very different from yours." He hesitated. "And as you may have noticed, I am not climbing to reach the top."

"That's why I want to climb with you," Bam stated. "I want to help reunite you with your sister. I have seen a lot of desperate families searching for their loved ones on their climb, only for their goals to become warped with a new ambition. A new greed."

Khun frowned. "You're saying you'll climb with me to keep me on the straight and narrow?"

Bam's smile was sad. "I'm just saying that along the way, those missing loved ones are often never found. You don't deserve that to happen to you."

"Climbing with me is dangerous."

"Climbing the Tower is always dangerous."

Khun was silent, his pensive gaze on Bam. He could not discern anything else but open honesty, and that is what left Khun wary. The honesty, the openness, the warm and tempting invitation compelled Khun to let his guard down.

Khun stood up, standing before Bam. "What do you know of me?"

Bam smiled at him, but his eyes had lost that shimmer. "I know that you are a Khun. I know that Khuns are supposed to be annihilated on sight or turned in to the king."

Khun stuffed his hands in his pockets. "And?"

"I have no intention of doing either. But," Bam continued, "I also know that Khun's are easily distinguished by several physical traits, mainly their eyes or hair."

Khun couldn't help but touch a strand of his hair, and he pursed his lips. Perhaps he should consider dying his hair once they left the floor.

"It's why I wanted to team up with you. Initially," Bam confessed. He couldn't bring himself to look at Khun, hands folded together, his knee bouncing with nervous energy. "During the first test, I could see everything from my vantage point. It was easy to spot you in the field. Your blue hair. I instantly knew that...somehow, there was a Khun down there, and I had to find them. When I saw you, you looked so...young."

Khun bit back a scoff.

"You were interesting," Bam continued. "And...I wanted to satisfy my curiosity and gain some answers. But...I really wanted to be your teammate." He looked up with a hopeful expression. "I still want to be your teammate."

Khun stared at him. "What changed?"

Bam seemed frozen, as if he was caught with something precious. "Ah...you are...you're vulnerable."

"Vulnerable?" Khun repeated, incredulous.

"Ah...actually…" Bam's gaze flickered downwards. "C-can I keep my reasonings to myself?"

Alarmed at Bam's flustered state, Khun hastily nodded. "Sure. Okay."

The silence bore down on him with an intense awkwardness. Bam shuffled from where he sat, while Khun suddenly felt like he wanted to be anywhere else but here in this room.

"So how about it?" Bam's voice cut through like a smooth knife. "Will you be my teammate?" He held out his hand, an invitation once more.

Khun stared up at him, then smiled. "Very well. I'll climb up the Tower with you." And he shook Bam's hand.

There was no reason for Bam to linger anymore. Receiving the answer he had hoped for, he had left, and Khun was alone in the suddenly too large room.

When the door shut behind Bam, Khun fell to the floor, legs trembling, hands shaking, and breath hitching.

He held his head in his hands, trying to calm his breathing, squeezing his eyes shut. Everything was suddenly too bright, too tight, and too loud. The moments in the arena continuously played in his head, when the woman came forward. He had raised his dagger, ready to slide it in between her ribs.

Then he heard it, her voice.

"I'm alive, Aguero."

He had been filled with such shock and horror when he heard her voice.

They have her. They took her.

And he didn't know where she was.

Confiding to Bam was questionable, but the older boy seemed to have an ulterior motive. At the moment, he was not hostile towards Khun and was willing to work with him. Pushing him away would be...foolish.

He felt the folds of the shirt, the new clothes Bam had purchased. He hadn't had to go out of his way to buy new clothes, and several of them in fact, but he had. Khun was reluctant to see it as a trick, and he felt himself seeing Bam in a new and positive light. His heart already ached to reach out to someone, to connect and trust.

But he had trusted before...and where had that gotten him?

A body, floating in dark water, bloated and lifeless.

A sister, missing and presumed dead, taken by the ones who had left him behind.

Alone, in a cave, wandering in the dark and crying for the ones who had left him behind.

"I'll never forgive you." He had vehemently hissed those words in the darkness, a silent promise pointed at the ceiling that was sealed off.

"Maria, I'll never forget, and I'll never forgive you."

But now, he was here, in the Tower. Initially, revenge had been an ultimatum, a delicious thought that had fueled him. But now, all he wanted was to find his sister.

xXx

Outside of Aguero's room, Bam hesitated for a small moment. He could not tell Aguero in that moment, that precious moment when the small boy had clung to the blankets, brows furrowed and desperate mutterings emerging in his sleep, that Bam heard and saw a child, heard the names of those Aguero must have been close to. He saw those desperate blue eyes flash open with such fear and pain that Bam had to dig his nails into the chair to prevent himself from breaking the personal barriers and hold Aguero close to chase the demons away. People who just met simply did not act out of compassion as if they were old friends.

He saw, in that moment, Aguero's desperation to climb the Tower, an almost childlike fondness that Bam wanted to preserve for as long as he could.

Here and now, sitting in the large auditorium, listening to the positions being given, Bam could not help but glance at Hansung. But the blond did nothing that warranted suspicion. He then focused on the young blue haired child at his side. Aguero seemed focused on what was being said, his eyes narrowing before softening when he analyzed and understood a new piece of information.

Their positions were given, and lessons were taught. Initially, he was worried about how Aguero would do, but his fears were for nothing.

He took to visiting Aguero often. So far, his visits had not been unwelcomed.

"So how's the position of Lightbearer fitting you?" Bam asked, plopping down on the bed.

Aguero merely blinked, glancing up at him briefly before going back to his reading. "Tricky. But I think I figured it out. It's like a puzzle piece."

Bam chuckled. "I'm not too surprised that you got the Lightbearer position, but I was kind of wondering if you were going to get the spear bearer's position."

Aguero did not even bother looking up. "I haven't wielded a spear in a long time. My time with Yellow May was the first time in, maybe a few years, when I picked up another spear."

Bam hummed, then leaning forward carefully, testing the waters, he started, "who taught you how to wield a spear?"

Aguero's eyes ceased moving across the book, though he did not look up. It had been this constant game, almost like a dance, between them. Nothing more was said about their last conversation. No mentions of Kisea, the cave, or his heritage. Though it was always there, brimming at the surface, neither one acknowledged it, happy to ignore it for as long as they could.

But Bam was never really patient.

At this point, Aguero was no doubt weighing his options, trying to decide what he should or could reveal.

"My brother taught me."

Bam raised an eyebrow, unable to contain his surprise. "You have a brother?"

"I think he was my brother. We had the same hair, but he was able to leave the cave. My sisters and I were left behind."

"That's…" Bam trailed off. "Unusual."

"It is." Now Aguero was setting the book down and turning to face him with an inquisitive stare. "How is it that my brother could leave if our family is hunted down on sight?"

"If he was a Ranker, he would have been permitted to live," Bam mused. "A Ranker of old times. What did he look like?"

"Like me," Aguero stated simply. "But with shorter hair. And he was tall." He grimaced. "Obnoxious as well."

"Could you be a little bit more specific?" Bam asked, snorting. "You're describing your entire family."

Aguero shook his head. "Sorry. What do you know of Princess Mascheny?"

"She's everything you would expect a princess of Jahad to be." Bam hesitated. "I'm guessing you don't know much about her?"

Aguero shook his head. "As long as I can remember, it has always been me and my sisters. If I were to tell you my life started when I woke up one day, I woke up beside them." He looked up at the ceiling. "But they did everything for me. They clothed me, did my hair, taught me to fight. They fed me. I did the same for them, and I could do all those things myself, but I enjoyed their presence. I needed them with me. Being alone in that dark cave but knowing they were somewhere close by gave me comfort."

Bam hesitated, finding himself with more questions than answers. Was this all Mascheny's grand scheme? Where did Aguero fit into it?

"What can you tell me about Irregulars?"

Aguero's sudden question caught Bam off-guard. "Irregulars?" He paused, trying to gather his thought process. "The popular story is that they bring chaos and destruction to the Tower because they were able to open the doors of the Tower themselves."

Aguero furrowed his brow. "What does it mean to open the door of the Tower?"

"It means you weren't chosen by the Tower," Bam explained. "An Irregular is not planned or expected." He hesitated. "Or wanted."

Aguero nodded thoughtfully. "I see." He looked back up. "Are they bad?"

Bam paused, considering his words carefully. "Not necessarily. But Irregulars so far have always created upheaval with their presence. To everyone else, that makes them bad."

After Aguero was quiet for several moments, Bam decided to continue speaking. "Why did you want to know about the Irregulars?"

"I literally grew up in a cave," Aguero stated with a snort. "I was not allowed to leave. As a result, my knowledge is limited. Besides, I want to see if the facts match with what my siblings told me."

Bam cocked his head. "And?"

Aguero pulled his knees up, resting his chin in his hand. "The vagueness is filling up."

Bam found himself dwelling once more on the circumstances that Aguero grew up in. Aguero suddenly sighed. "What about you? Do you have family?"

Bam blinked blearily, as if coming out of a trance. His smile did not reach his eyes. "I have a wonderful mother." He shrugged. "I'm an only child, but I have a lot of...I guess you could say cousins in my life."

Aguero looked thoughtful. "Is Endorsi a cousin?"

Bam grimaced. "Ah...she's more of an-" Whatever he had tried to say was cut off by a persistent knock. Bam did not miss how Aguero looked at the door with suspicion before his gaze relaxed and he slowly stood up.

Bam watched as Aguero frowned when he saw who was at the door. "Gah, what do you guys want?"

A muffled voice seeped through the door. "Um, can you be our friend?"

The following few minutes left Bam in near stitches. He was rolling on the bed, trying to muffle his laughter, as Aguero and Hatz stared each other down while Shibisu tried to control the situation.

Aguero stared at Hatz, clearly annoyed. "Is this how you go about making friends? You have to sign a legal waiver?"

"For the last time," Hatz growled. "It's not a legal waiver. It's an assignment!"

"So you only want my friendship to pass a test?" Aguero huffed. "That's cheap. Probably the only way you'd ever make friends."

Hatz looked like he was about ready to run Aguero through with his sword while Shibisu was on the ground, wailing.

"I thought we connected!" Shibisu wailed, latching on to Aguero.

"Get off of me!" Aguero tried to shake the Regular away. "Simply saying 'hi' does not form a connection!"

Shibisu turned his imploring gaze on Bam. "Please convince him to help us!"

Deciding to throw Shibisu a bone, Bam slipped off of the bed and settled beside Aguero. "It wouldn't do us any harm to help them out and accept their friendship."

Aguero hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty to Bam before focusing on the paper before him. Bam realized with a start that it was not just the signing and gaining of friendship that left him hesitant, it was the vulnerability. Opening himself up to people, putting his name to another person that formed an alliance; it was a new level of trust he had yet to understand or experience.

Just as he was with Bam, he realized. In all their times together, Aguero was still open to him and thoughtful, but was selective with his trust.

Well, baby steps then.

Bam reached for the paper and wrote his name. "There. Would that suffice, Shibisu?"

Shibisu was in tears. "Yes! Oh thank you!"

Aguero was still hesitant before he too reached for the paper and signed his name below Bam's. Wordlessly, he handed the paper back to Shibisu before reluctantly signing Hatz's paper. It was interesting, Bam noted, how Aguero had a slight tremble to his hands as the papers slipped from his grasp.

Bam allowed a small smile on his lips to emerge. Finally. It seemed as if they were getting somewhere.

xXx

Khun hesitated in the cafeteria line. Even though this wasn't his first time in the cafeteria, he was still uncertain on what to get. The options were almost overwhelming.

"I'd recommend the Evankhell special." Shibisu came up right beside Khun.

Khun raised an eyebrow, but he placed in his order. "Are you hanging out with me because you need me for another assignment?"

Shibisu scoffed. "Man, do you take everything so literally?" He shook his head. "Just being friends with you would be nice."

Khun took his tray. "I don't think the swordsman would welcome my friendship."

"Ah, who cares? Hatz is a real softie. Besides," Shibisu slung an arm around Khun's shoulders, somehow still balancing the tray of food. "I can still be friends with you even if another friend of mine doesn't like another."

Khun sat at the table, observing those around him. It was not his first time sitting with the group, but he noticed that a few people were missing, mainly the princess and Bam.

"Yeesh," Shibisu commented, sitting back. "Anaak still won't come to eat with us? She must still be sore over the Green April."

"If she wants, she can always try to win it back," Khun stated, poking at his food.

"You really want that?" Shibisu asked, incredulous.

"Of course not. But it's to be expected." Khun chewed on his food thoughtfully. "If she wants it enough, she could just attempt to overpower me."

"I wouldn't let that happen." A teasing voice stated behind him. Bam quickly sat beside him. "Besides, I don't think she'll be a problem."

Khun cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"Anaak and Endorsi got into a fight during one of their tests," Bam explained. "Both got injured. It'll be a miracle if they can pass."

Shibisu sighed. "That's unfortunate. Getting an injury during a test will decrease your chances of ever passing. Though, they are princesses of Jahad. It would be interesting if they can pull through."

"Is being a princess of Jahad such a big deal?" Khun leaned closer to Bam, keeping his voice low. While Bam was aware of his limited knowledge of the Tower, he was not ready to reveal his ignorance to others.

Bam gave a slight nod. "To be a princess is to receive the blood of the king, which grants you new abilities that put you on another level. You saw some of Anaak's abilities, and a little bit of Endorsi's. If they are allowed to grow, they could become just like Mascheny."

Khun frowned, thoughtful. "Do you trust Endorsi?"

"I trust that she will always put herself first." Bam poked at his food. "And I trust in her strength. As long as she gets what she wants, she can be very helpful."

Khun nodded in understanding. "And you are able to provide what she wants?"

"I am what she wants." Bam grinned, eyes twinkling with a hidden mischief. For a moment, Khun was confused, detecting a hidden implication behind Bam's words.

Then, he came to a logical reason. Endorsi must want Bam because of his fighting prowess. It made sense. Having Bam as a strong teammate was helpful.

Whatever Bam saw on Khun's face caused him a great deal of amusement. Chortling, Bam covered his mouth with his hand. Khun blinked. "What's so funny?"

"You're really smart," Bam said, smiling. "But it's endearing to see how some things just go over your head."

Khun would have asked for more information, but Shibisu was hedging in on their conversation. "Hey, do you guys know of anyone else we can get to sign off on our papers? The assignment is due soon, and we haven't gotten enough names."

Khun smirked. "What? Did the swordsman drive them all away?" Based on Hatz's glare, he reckoned that was it.

But Khun's mind was racing. His conversation with Bam left him with new opportunities. If he wanted to successfully climb the Tower to find Kisea, then he would need to build a strong support system. He saw what teamwork could do, and he also saw what happened when one attempted to work alone.

Khun was thoughtful. "About the two injured princesses, wouldn't it be a shame to lose potential allies?" He glanced at Shibisu. "And you need to complete your assignment."

He had everyone's attention. Bam tilted his head. "What do you have in mind?"

But Khun was standing up, mind racing and forming a plan. Bam followed him, but Khun quickly ran to his room. He searched through his room where he had safely hidden Green April and Yellow May. His hands brushed over the hilt of the spear. Glancing back at Bam, he grinned. "Are you up for expanding our team?"

Bam stood in the doorway, a look of confusion on his face. "Sure, but what are you planning?"

Khun straightened up. "I'll tell you when Hatz and Shibisu join us." He scribbled down a note before handing it to Bam. "I'll trade you the points for your trouble, but I'll need these items."

Bam's confusion only grew. "Are you thinking of approaching Anaak?"

"She is a princess of Jahad," Khun stated. "Like you had said, they are very powerful."

Bam hesitated. "Yes. But the thing is," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I met Anaak Jahad. She's been dead for over five-hundred years."

Khun stilled, thoughts screeching to a halt. "Dead?"

Bam nodded. "It was a big deal. Everyone in the Tower knew of it."

"Who killed her?"

"The army of Jahad." Bam's gaze was dark. "She was killed for bearing a child. A princess of Jahad is forbidden to have sexual relationships. The existence of her child marked her for death."

Khun's heart raced. The new information he had gained morphed in an attempt to fit in with his hastily made plans.

"Never rush into things."

Khun sat down, hand to his chin as he mulled over what he had been given. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he glanced over at the Green April.

Everything, yet nothing, had changed.

"Do you still want me to collect these things?" Bam held up the list.

Khun's nod was small, lost in thought. "If you don't mind."

Bam's curious and concerned gaze did not elevate, even as he left the room to retrieve the items. Now that he was alone in his room, Khun glanced back at the Yellow May. Kneeling down, he whispered, "You still there?"

A voice whispered through the air. "Of course."

Khun swallowed before letting out a deep breath. "Can I see you?"

A pause. Then, "the others will be aware of my presence."

Khun hesitated, closing his eyes and trying to remember what Yellow May had looked like. He recalled her form with clarity, her golden aura warm yet blinding, beautiful yet unattainable. Slowly, his mind changed her golden form to a darkened, different color, her hair now a silver blue, eyes a piercing sapphire.

"I wondered why you seemed so familiar to me," Khun started, opening his eyes, the vision fading. The image was gone, replaced with a dormant weapon. "But now I know. You remind me of someone."

Yellow May hummed in his hands. "And who do I remind you of?"

The name passed through his lips, a dead soul tethered to the name. A precious sister. "Utau."

Yellow May was silent, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Only when his lighthouse 'pinged' with an odd message from an unknown sender did Khun turn away from the weapon. Staring at the message, Khun's eyes widened in surprise. "Interesting. Seven years of silence and you decide to show up now?"

Once again, his plans were changing with an unexpected arrival. But perhaps it was for the best.

xXx

"Perhaps you should call in my favor?" Bam asked from where he sat, smirking at Endorsi.

The princess looked less than pleased. Her foot was propped up on a pillow, bandaged, and she could not conceal the rumbling of her stomach. "I was holding out for a special occasion."

"Doesn't this count?" Bam crossed his legs, holding out the list. "We will give you food if you sign the paper."

Endorsi crossed her arms, looking away with a huff. "I will not be bribed by some cheap tricks."

"That's not what you said when I found you snooping around in my mother's garden-"

"Would you shut-up!" Endorsi hissed. "You're so immature sometimes! Taking advantage of a wounded woman, and a princess no less! Have you no shame?"

Bam made a show of considering her words. "Not really."

Endorsi frowned, eyeing the plate of food out of her reach, but the list close in hand. "I don't think you came up with this all on your own. Is this some sort of ploy the blue-head came up with?"

Bam shrugged. "I see the wisdom in his words and reasons. Besides, would it be so bad to build trust between us; to have an ally? I know that you are not a favored princess. You are without a family, and my mother's protection ended the moment you entered the Tower."

Endorsi did not look pleased with the uncomfortable truth. Her eyes dimmed, lost in thought and weighing her options.

"Food is all I get out of this?" She raised an eyebrow, searching his face.

Bam grinned. "When you leave this floor, you will not leave alone. You will have a team."

"I don't need a team."

"Fine. Servants to cater to a princess."

Endorsi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She looked at the plate of food before taking the paper. "Well, I can never say no to you." Signing her name with a flourish, she eagerly accepted the paper.

Grinning, Bam made to get up. However, Endorsi's voice stopped him.

"Bam, are you following the blue-haired boy because it's your job?" Endorsi's voice was quiet, hesitant. "I thought you left that behind a long time ago."

Bam's jaw was tight, his hand resting on the doorknob. "Don't speak of that." He forced his tone to become light, non aggressive. "Please." He left before Endorsi could say anything else. Her words should not have bothered him so much, but his past of working with the king was well known, attached to the name his mother had bestowed upon him. Hansung knew about it, which is why the coffee addict appeared so smug. He wouldn't put it past Hansung if the man decided to use Bam's past and name against him.

xXx

Khun sat before Anaak. The air was tense, and he was certain that Anaak had figured out three different ways she could snap his neck the moment he stepped through the door.

He spoke up before she could develop a fourth. "So, the Green April." He stared her down now that he had her attention with the name of her weapon. "Why don't we make another wager?"

Anaak frowned, eyes narrowed with distrust and anger. "A wager?"

"For the Green April." Khun leaned forward. "If you fulfill your end of the deal, you get your Green April back. You and I are not so different."

Her frown deepened. "Oh?"

"We are both marked for death because of the actions of our parents."

Anaak's eyes widened. "Y-you...how do you know about my-"

"I have my sources." He was not going to reveal that his source was an eager golden-eyed boy. "And I am led to believe that you are in no position to deny our help. Did you really think that no one would try to end your life once your existence was revealed?"

Anaak's narrowed eyes were now silts. "Why would you even bother to help me?"

"Because unlike my father, I believe that your mother loved you." He tilted his head, noticing how her eyes widened, blinking. "Am I right?"

At a loss for words, Anaak opened and closed her mouth, a mixture of emotions overlapping. "What makes you think I am in danger now?"

"Not me. An old family friend." Khun gestured to his pocket. "If you comply and listen to my plan, I will share this information with you." He moved forward to display the tray of warm chicken pie. "And serve you a meal."

Anaak eyed the food, gaze still wary, before settling in to the pillows. "Talk."

By the time Khun was finished laying out the groundwork of his plan and ideas, Anaak suddenly looked uncertain, but no less intrigued. Apparently, a few compliments to her late mother and her favorite meal helped ease the somewhat frosty exterior. "This deal demands a lot from me," she started.

Khun remained silent, watching her. Just as he had predicted, she was not done musing over her options. "And what will you be doing during all of this?" She folded her hands. "You will not be participating in the last test. How will you be of help to me? If this threat you are so worried about decides to strike during the test, how will you help me?"

Khun grinned. "Well, in order for the both of us to get what we want, you will have to succeed. I will be doing everything I can to make sure you pass. Besides," he leaned back, crossing his legs. "If you stick around, you can still challenge me for the Yellow May." Which, now that he thought about it, he now had two people hunting him; Anaak and Rak. Not exactly ideal.

Anaak pondered her options, but really, Khun knew her decision had been made. She stuck out her hand. "Deal."

Khun felt a sense of satisfaction that followed him even before he had left Anaak's room. Anticipation filled him, and he was looking forward to the upcoming tests. This was similar to the mock tests his brother would have him run through.

Humming as he sorted through his lighthouse, Khun figured that everything seemed to work out well for him. Still, he was uneasy that his brother had decided to reach out to him. No doubt, the older Khun was expecting something from him in the future.

"Don't pout little brother, it ruins your cute face."

Khun closed his eyes, the tempo in his humming slowing down somewhat at the lost memory. So lost in thought, he didn't notice as Bam carefully entered the room, reluctant to disrupt the moment. "That sounds nice. What song is it?"

Khun blinked, trapped in a sweet memory as he looked up. "I do not know. My sister would sing it to us."

Bam sat on the edge of the bed, watching him carefully. "Your sister...the one who is…"

"Her name was Utau." The name passed through his lips, the memories flashing before his eyes. "Kisea adored her. After she died, Kisea was gone. I woke up, and she was suddenly gone." His voice broke. "It was just me...and my dead sister."

The hum of the lighthouse was all that filled the silence of the room. Then the bed creaked as Bam moved. "What will you do once you find her?"

Khun stilled. "We had a dream to have a little house with a big yard. There would be a large tree in the front yard. When I find her, I will put a swing up for her to play on. We will live there. I will take care of her." He shrugged. "But people change. If she wants to climb, I will continue climbing with her. I will make a path for her."

"Have you given thought as to who might have her?"

"I can think of one, and she granted me the Yellow May."

xXx

Observing the hide-and-seek test was nerve-wracking, and Bam wasn't even taking the test.

In the room with his teammates, Lero-Ro, and Hansung-Yu, Bam stood with his arms crossed and observed the screen. Aguero was leaning forward with a thoughtful frown, gaze drawn and brows pinched as he watched Team A's movements. Rak continued to eat his bananas, oblivious to the test. Rak could care less what happened during the test. As far as he was concerned, he and his turtles were set to pass, and he would be free to hunt them.

"What do you think?" Bam asked, voice low as he now kept a wary gaze on Hansung.

Aguero pursed his lips. "Anaak needs the points to pass, but depending on how Shibisu leads the team, her performance should affect her chances of passing. Hatz is in no danger of failing, unless he miserably screws up, which would be impressive even for him. Again, Endorsi is in danger of failing. But her performance as a princess should do well." He leaned back, hands laced together. "I'm not worried."

Bam nodded in agreement. "By the way, you never mentioned what your deal with Anaak entailed. She seemed to have a change of character."

"She was eating lunch with me because that was part of the deal." Aguero shrugged. "Not so odd."

Bam hummed. "Where's the Yellow May?"

Aguero's cunning smile was now directed towards him, and Bam felt a slight shiver as those blue eyes stared at him, toying. "In good hands." The smile on Aguero's face concealed much and left Bam in suspense.

"Where's Anaak?" Lero-Ro's voice pulled at Bam's attention. He focused once more on the screen, his eyes narrowed.

Hansung hummed, sipping at his coffee, but his gaze watched the monitor with interest. Bam looked back at Aguero, but the bluenette was unreadable. "What do you mean?" Bam asked.

"She disappeared from the monitor," Lero-Ro muttered.

"Perhaps something tragic has befallen her," Hansung murmured. "These things do happen."

"But we would have seen it happen," Lero-Ro argued. "That's how points are given."

Bam found himself searching the screen for the green lizard, an uncharacteristic sense of worry growing within him. His gaze briefly flickered over to Hansung, and he wondered if the coffee addict knew more than what he was letting on.

"There she is," Aguero murmured. Bam soon saw her as well, and the worry lessened considerably. He wondered what could have happened in the two minutes when she was missing from the screen.

No other incidents occurred, and Bam found himself oddly relaxed. When the tests were over, Bam felt his chest loosen with relief. That was it? Was it all over? Now they could leave this floor and truly begin their climb! He glanced at Aguero and smiled softly.

"Wonderful." Hansung's smooth voice cut through the air. "Now that this is over with, we can move on to other business." Sipping the rest of his coffee, he smoothly rose from his chair. "Due to the circumstances, it has been decided that you will all be observed during a final test."

Bam narrowed his eyes, outrage filling him. "What? That wasn't stated in the rules of the Crown Game! I thought we automatically passed." He looked at Lero-Ro, but the blond Ranker looked just as confused as Bam felt.

"Well, how else would we be able to analyze your skills?" Hansung folded his arms with a serene smile. "We need to know if you have been paying respectable attention to your teachers."

"It goes against the promise that was given to us during the Crown Game." Bam did not growl. No, he was not that angry. Yet.

"It is a simple pass-fail," Hansung soothed. "All Regulars are required to take it." His gaze flickered to Aguero who was still seated, observing the situation. "All Regulars. Further details will be added." He gestured. "No doubt you will want to see your companions."

Bam didn't like it, but he left the room, making sure that Aguero was the first to leave. The walk down the hallway was only broken by Rak's thundering footsteps.

"What do you make of it?" Bam asked.

"That's a vague question." Aguero counted on his hands. "Do you mean the test? Anaak's brief disappearance, or the test we now have to take?" He folded his arms behind his back and looked at Bam with a knowing grin.

Bam hesitated. "All of it I suppose."

"The test itself was interesting in that we saw how everyone worked as a team. As for Anaak, well, don't worry too much about her." He frowned. "I am a little worried about the upcoming test. That was unexpected."

Bam snorted. "It's Hansung. He'll do anything to screw you over."

"You know him?"

"More than I would like."

"It does not matter!" Rak's thundering roar startled them both. "Whatever challenge that Coffee Turtle gives us, we will overcome it!"

"You don't even know what the test will be about," Aguero grunted as the gator laid a heavy claw on his shoulder.

"That should not concern you," Rak asserted. "I am the Great Leader! I will lead us to victory!"

xXx

The test had ended long ago.

Yet still, Anaak found herself staring up at the meddeler. The hide and seek test itself had been immensely difficult, and she could not help but wonder how things would have played out if Aguero had participated in the game. It was not quite a wish of hers to have the bluenette with her during the test, but it would have been a welcome sight.

She was beginning to wish that such thoughts had never crossed her mind.

Though the blue-haired man in the dark cloak before her was not Aguero, the resemblance was so strong that she wondered if they were brothers. But brothers or not, she was about to use Yellow May to skewer this man into the cave walls. She wondered if this was an ambush, if Aguero had intentionally misled her so that he could keep both Yellow May and Green April. After all, he had told her to meet him in a secluded area. Upon arrival, she had not seen Aguero, but the mysterious figure who had lurked in the shadows during the hide and seek test.

Anaak scowled. "Who are you?"

The blue-haired man did not look up from his online game. "Knowing my name could get you killed. Just pretend that I'm not here. I won't interrupt your meeting."

Anaak bristled, brandishing Yellow May before the sound of quick footfalls caught her attention. Whirling around, she saw Aguero rush forward, blue eyes wide when he saw who she was with.

Well, good, at least he seemed startled at the sight of the blue-haired gamer.

"What are you doing here?" Aguero's tone was sharp, contrasting the lazy confidence she was accustomed to hearing from him.

Finally, the blue-haired man pocketed his game. He looked up with a smile. "I am scouting."

"Scouting? Here of all places?" Aguero stepped forward, standing beside Anaak. Her yellow eyes glanced over to him. She could not detect any real anger from him, only exasperation...and maybe something else that she dared not label. But whatever it was, Aguero's attitude did not tell her that they were in any real danger yet.

"Yes, well, my client is rather odd," the blue-haired man said. "It saves me the headache if I just roll with it rather than question her motives." He clapped his hands. "But don't mind me. You go off and do what you need to do. And clear this floor quickly so that you may pass."

Aguero's jaw was set, and Anaak would have been amused to see that he was letting his smooth mask crack a bit if their circumstances were different. Still, she had no problem with following Aguero out of the damp cave.

"Who was he?" she asked.

"The family friend," came the curt response. "I've found that when you are persistent with questions, he will disappear on you."

She resisted the urge to look back. So, that was the family friend who had contacted Aguero about the threat on her life. She had a grudging sense of gratefulness towards him now.

Aguero sighed. "Anyway, I reckon our deal still stands?"

Anaak raised an eyebrow, observing him. His mask was back in place, smooth and watchful. Sneaky bastard, he belonged in the courts of the king, not down here hiding in caves. "I suppose," she said slowly. "You were right about the threat, though I could have handled them." Though she was still rattled at the close encounters.

"As a show of good faith," Aguero stated, "I will let you hold on to the Yellow May until we clear this floor. Only then will you get the Green April."

Anaak grit her teeth, though she knew that was part of the deal. She will not see Green April until then. Still, having Yellow May was a nice added layer of protection. More reliable than sneaky blue bastards.

xXx

As he watched his brother and the princess run off, Hathculing moved away from his position, falling deeper into the cave. The smell of blood reached his nose, and he glanced down at the fallen body he had recently disposed of.

Hatchuling's earpiece buzzed. "Blueberry! Was that the Khun boy? Did you ask him about the Yellow May?"

Hatchuling smirked. "Well, here's the thing, he doesn't have the Yellow May anymore."

"He lost it?!" The shriek nearly caused him to winch.

"I don't think he lost it. More like, he put it on loan."

There was silence. "To who?"

"Oh, one of your sisters." He nudged the prototype body. "And she must not be highly favored in the family. Assassins are sent for her." Despite what he had said earlier, he could feel a headache coming on.

xXx

Khun was wondering if he should just get an extra bed for Bam since the older boy seemed to be taking up residence in his room. At the moment, Bam was laying down on the bed, gaze focused on the ceiling. "How do you think they did on the test?"

Khun glanced up from his reading before shrugging. "Despite the different variables, I think the odds will end in our favor." He leaned back. "But the new test is slightly worrisome. As I said before, I want to climb the Tower with you. But I can't climb with you if you don't pass."

Bam blinked before laughing. "Don't worry. We're all going up the Tower." His gaze softened. "And I will help you find your sister, wherever that takes."

Khun smiled, soft and small. "Thank you." He settled back down, going back to looking at the various images displayed on his lighthouse screen. He heard the bed creek as Bam inched forward, no doubt looking at whatever Khun was working on. With a sigh, Khun gestured to the screen. "What color do you think would look better?"

Bam leaned over his shoulder, frowning. "You're going to dye your hair?" He sounded horrified.

"It's the most obvious thing to do. My hair easily betrays my lineage." Khun sat back, folding his arms. "So, what do you think?"

Bam hummed and kept glancing between the pictures and Khun. He seemed to be putting in more care and thought than what was necessary. "Black. Your eyes will stand out."

As Khun typed away, Bam settled down next to him. "Are you nervous?"

"About the test? Why would I be?"

But Bam shook his head. "No. I mean about after. Dying your hair is great and a good step to hiding your lineage, but the king's forces are relentless. You will not be safe, even if you become a Ranker."

"I have no plans on becoming a Ranker," Khun stated, voice firm. "I only want to find my sister." He sat back, thoughts slowing down and the reality of the moment weighing down on him. "And the Tower is always dangerous." He thought of Anaak, who was in a similar situation as he. He did not know about Bam's story, or anyone else's, but everyone had a target on their back. Those shooting at him just so happened to be the king and his followers.

But hiding his appearance and identity was a good start. Besides, he did not know what Macheny had planned for him, but he doubted it was to hand him over to the king. She would have done that a long time ago before entrusting him with her weapon.

Bam was strangely quiet for a moment. "There is a chance we could fail."

"Impossible," Khun stated with false bravado. "I've seen to it that our teammates will succeed."

"Why would you go to such lengths?" Bam's tone was soft, eyes searching. For what, Khun did not know.

He paused, hands frozen over the keyboard. "Because everyone is climbing for a reason, and who am I to deny or judge them for their reasons?" He glanced at Bam. "You have a reason for climbing too."

Bam glanced at him before looking away with a thoughtful expression. "My reasons vary and change."

Khun looked away. "Besides, I'm selfish. I only want to use them to find my sister." It was like a reminder to himself, but by the way his gaze did not look so certain, Bam knew he didn't believe his own words.

xXx

Bam could not stop the worry building up in his heart as they all took their seats in the auditorium. He heard the audible gasps of relief as those who passed rejoiced. Bam could not help but smile when he noticed that all their, dare he say friends, passed.

Then, Hansung's voice came through.

"Due to the unusual circumstances," Hansung continued with a grin. "There will be one more test conducted to test your individual strengths. You will be put in teams of three, and you will take the test."

Bam barely contained his worry, a pit of anxiety forming in his gut. Though he was aware of Hansung's test, even plotted and planned with Aguero, he could not deny the worry he always felt whenever he saw Hansung. The sly bastard always looked so smug and confident, another trick hiding beneath his flowing sleeves.

As Hansung explained the tests, Bam watched how Aguero leaned forward. The tests appeared simple; a door test. Just open the right door within a certain amount of time, and you pass.

Bam frowned when he saw that Aguero was not on his team. Rak was a welcome comfort, as was Shibisu, but he would have preferred it if the original three could remain together. It was just like Hansung to intentionally screw with him like this. Sure enough, Hansung was smiling and avoiding looking in Bam's general direction when Bam's team was revealed.

However, Bam's annoyance turned to icey horror when he saw who was to be partnered up with Aguero. Anaak's picture beside the bluenette was no cause for concern. It was the red-head Bam was all too familiar with that filled Bam with panic. Something was up. Hansung was planning something, and it was happening right here and now.

"We will begin the test immediately," Hansung continued, rising up. "You are to be immediately assigned to your rooms."

Amidst the rising nervous exclamations, Bam was rising from his chair in haste. "Wait-"

"Ah, Jue Viole Grace," Hansung said suddenly, plunging the loud room into silence. "You have something you'd like to say?"

Bam stood rooted to the spot, Hansung's words having the desired effect in dismantling him. All eyes were on him. He barely ignored Endorsi's worried gaze, or Shibisu's startled exclamations.

What he saw was Aguero's confused gaze.

"Jue Viole Grace!" Shibisu exclaimed. "Here?! He's been taking the tests with us?"

Bam had yet to tear his gaze away from where Aguero was sitting. The bluenette kept casting him confused and concerned glances, aware that this turn of event was not in Bam's favor. When would that concern melt away and become replaced with true fear?

Right now, apparently.

"Jue Viole Grace?" Aguero questioned, his tone soft yet still reaching Bam's ears.

"He's the one you send to kill those who oppose the king," Hatz explained, and Bam wanted to go up there and shut him up. "He's especially notorious for the death of Marco Khun."

Aguero's gaze was frozen, but his eyes betrayed a sudden confusion and fear. No, a terror.

Bam raised a hand, and Aguero stared at him, completely still, trying to make sense of what was happening behind his blue gaze.

A flicker of yellow caught Bam's gaze, and he saw Hansung vanish around a corner. Rage filled him, and he was leaping over the desks. He did not notice Anaak's frozen fear, or how Aguero's small shoulders slumped. All he saw was red, a pure blood red and desire to destroy like he had in that field. He found the coffee bastard, and he was swinging a punch at him, only for a wall of shinsu to block him.

Bam's hand was bleeding, but he barely cared. He grabbed Hansung by the robes, snarling. "Explain. Now!"

Despite his feet hanging off of the floor, Hansung still had the nerve to smile! "Ah, slip of the tongue. It's hard for me to remember aliases."

Bam shook him, and he noted with small satisfaction how small strands of Hansung's hair escaped from his bun. "Why reveal it now?"

"Because I felt that it would be nice to inform you that Aguero is an Irregular. You would rather I reveal it here in private rather than in front of everyone, right? The poor kid is already a target."

Bam tightened his hold, envisioning his hands around the man's throat. "You lie."

"Now don't you think that you should be saying your goodbyes instead of wasting time with me? Everyone will be sorted out in their rooms, and once those doors close, you will not be able to say goodbye to your precious Khun friend."

Bam's eyes widened. "What?" he choked out.

"The tests will immediately start," Hansung explained. "Everyone should already be in their own rooms right now with their teammates. It's unfortunate, but some contestants will be weeded out-"

Bam had dropped him before he had the chance to finish, his fist connecting with the delicate man's cheek.

"If anything happens to Aguero, or anyone else," Bam snarled. "It will be your head." With that, he was running, eyes searching for a familiar head of blue hair.

But he was too late. Everyone had already been sent to their own rooms. The halls were empty.

Aguero was nowhere to be found.

xXx

Khun felt his breath come up short. The halls were too dark, too small. He fell to his knees, head between his legs. He didn't want to think about Bam...what the implications meant. What did it even mean, his true identity? But it would make sense why Bam was so determined to get close to him.

"Hey," Anaak's short tempered voice whispered through. "Get up. We don't know when the test will start."

Khun tried, he really did, to get his breathing under control, but the anxiety spiked through. Bam was...no, Viole, was he the dangers that Maria had tried to warn them about? Was he the reason they were hidden away in a cave? He never knew Marco, but Maria had shared enough stories about their fallen brother.

But Bam knew who he was. So why was he permitted to live? Was it so that Khun could lead him to Kisea? He had talked about his family so freely, surely Bam could use him to find bigger fish, possibly even frame Mascheny for helping a Khun.

Stiff arms wrapped around him, and he looked up to see Anaak sit beside him, her arms around him. She was thankfully silent, not meeting his gaze, her hand rubbing soothing circles around his back.

"You're like me," she whispered softly. "On the run, like my mom was. Hiding because of who you are."

And in that instant, Khun realized, she knew. But he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Just breathe," Anaak said. "It's alright."

He repeated the sound of his sister's comforting song in his head, feeling the vibrations in his chest sooth him. His shoulders relaxed, but he resisted the temptation to rest his head on Anaak's shoulder.

He would figure out what to do next. Now that Viole's identity was revealed, Khun would just watch how events would unfold. He would plan, but he will remain in the defense.

Finally, he stood up. "I will return your mother's weapon to you once we have passed this test."

Anaak stood up as well. "Same here. But I'll still fight you for the Yellow May."

They joined Hwaryun, and Khun eyed her warily. He did not know about her involvement with his sister, but there was something untrustworthy about her. Somehow, she had gained a recording of his sister's voice, but she had remained elusive whenever they crossed paths. Right now, her red eyes were watching him.

Hansung's voice came through the speakers. "The test is simple. Open the correct door within the allotted time limit, and you pass. Failure to do so will result in an immediate penalty."

Khun heard Anaak let out a shaky breath. He watched how she adjusted her stance, as if anticipating a fight. But there would be no fight, just luck and chance.

He hated leaving everything up to chance.

The clock started ticking, Anaak grew restless, and Khun's mind raced.

"So which door is it?" Anaak asked.

"Not sure." Khun gazed upward, focusing on the clock. Why was there a clock here?

Anaak paced. "There are no other clues here."

Khun clenched his teeth, attempting to block out her chatter. His gaze focused on everything, memorizing and analyzing every single detail. His gaze fell on Hwaryun, who was leaning against the wall.

His eyes narrowed when he saw her. Why was she even here? Based on her scores, she shouldn't be able to pass, yet here she was taking the test with them. Not to mention, what was her connection with his sister? Bam was also acquainted with her and had warned against interacting with her. It could not be a coincidence that she was here with him right now.

The room creaked and groaned, startling all occupants in the room. Khun looked up with wide eyes, focused on the clock which now glowed red.

"The floor!" Anaak shouted.

The floor was opening. Slowly, but surely, the middle of the floor was opening and encroaching on them. Khun felt a sickening dread fill him as he realized that soon, there would be no floor left. But they had barely been here for four minutes! They had six more minutes to go, so why was the floor opening?

Khun peeked over the edge and saw the appearance of a roaring, golden sea. The stench of melted metal reached his nose, and he recoiled back. Whatever was down there, he did not want to fall in.

"What now?" Anaak snapped, standing beside him. Like him, she was also eyeing the floor warily.

"We have six minutes," Khun murmured, eyes glancing around. "The doors are nearby, but which one is the right one? We have no clues!"

"Why not just open one?" A smooth voice cut through, and Khun and Anaak turned to regard Hwaryun. The red-head, for all intents and purposes, seemed bored. "If there are no clues, shouldn't we just open a door?"

"But if we open the wrong door, we fail!" Anaak snapped.

"If we take too long, we fail," Hwaryun replied.

Anaak clenched her teeth. "If you're so set on that idea, why don't you open a door?"

Hwaryun shrugged. "Fine." And to their surprise, the red-head strode forward and opened a door. "What do you know?" she deadpanned. "I'm still alive." She stepped through the door, eyeing them with disinterest. "See you on the other side." With that, the door shut firmly behind her.

The sound of the floor rapidly opening was enough to pull them out of their stupor. "We just open a random door?" Anaak exclaimed, stumbling as the floor trembled beneath their feet.

"Seems that way," Khun answered, breathless. It made no sense. There were no clues that would lead them to that conclusion. But if they stayed any longer, they would surely die.

"Open a door!" Khun shouted, spurring Anaak to run ahead of him. He followed, the doors within reach. Anaak reached a door first, flinging it open and stepping through. She turned to him expectantly, a rare smile of relief on her face as she reached for him.

The door slammed shut on him, Anaak's startled expression vanishing from sight. Khun ran into the closed door, eyes wide with disbelief. He tried the door handle, but it would not budge. The doors to his right glowed red, and Khun backed away warily. To his left, the floor was already gone, but the remaining doors were still dormant.

"Dammit," he muttered. His hands trembled and he let out a deep breath. No, he would not die here. He still had to find Kisea. He would fulfill that promise, no matter what it took.

The tips of his fingers grew cold. His breath fogged up as the sudden air chilled. He had not attempted to form ice on such a large scale. In fact, he preferred to avoid using ice as much as he could. But it was now or never.

He ran, the ice forming beneath his feet and stretching across the void. The ice shuddered but held beneath his weight, but he knew that if he lingered any longer, the ice would crumble.

The door was within reach. His hands were about to close over the doorknob when it suddenly sprung open on its own. Khun was brought to a screeching halt, staring at the figure in the doorway with wide eyes.

Kisea stared down at him, her face impassive and so unnaturally cold. She looked at him as if he was another person, someone to despise. But her face shape, her hair, and even her small form brought back so many memories that there was no doubt he was staring at his little sister.

He reached for her. Kisea's small hand touched his chest where his heart was.

And she shoved.

Khun fell back with a cry. His back slammed into the fragile ice, the blue particles shattering. His gaze remained locked on Kisea, his heart torn asunder once more. What should have been a joyous reunion between them was tainted with bitter confusion and growing horror as Khun fell into the unforgiving pit below.

xXx

Waiting in the hall was excruciating. He saw his teammates slowly but surely emerge. Shibisu had cried out joyfully when Hatz and his team exited, and the scout had run to embrace the less than eager swordsman. Endorsi passed Bam by with a concerned glance but otherwise did not say anything. Still, Bam waited with growing worry. He wondered what Aguero would say when he saw him. Aguero did not know the full extent of the despicable acts Jue Viole Grace had committed. But if Aguero was willing to listen, Bam would explain everything.

At least Rak was still reassuring.

"What's a Grace? Can you eat it? And don't worry about Blue Turtle! He will come to us. I am his leader! He will not avoid me." Rak seemed so sure of himself, confidently nodding.

Bam smiled faintly, about to respond, when he grew still, the sound of someone in distress reaching his ears.

Bam heard screaming. He was running toward the sound without a second thought, ignoring Shibisu's startled exclamations. Rak was hot on his heels, but could not keep up with him. Pushing past the observers and standard guards, Bam ran down a darkened hallway.

A small figure was desperately banging on the door with her fists, screaming. At Bam's arrival, she looked at him with horrified eyes.

"It...the door won't open," Anaak croaked out, fists trembling. "He's still in there!"

Bam was running forward, the absence of a certain blue-haired presence searing in his mind. The door was firmly shut, a stone-cold declaration of his failure and weakness.

"Open it," Bam growled to the unwanted presence behind him.

"Those doors will remain forever shut." Hansung's honeyd-smooth voice chilled Bam's spine. "No one is getting in or out."

"Open the door dammit!" Bam shouted, turning on Hansung. Anaak recoiled back as the shinsu trembled.

"If you cause a scene, I might have to report this," Hansung said, unfazed, but his glare was cold and stern. "Word might reach the king. Your companions will be looked at more closely." He gestured pointedly to Anaak who was seething. But Hansung smiled serenely. "Chin up, Viole. You have passed the test. Many others are not as fortunate." He turned his back on Bam and Anaak. "When you are ready, a ceremony congratulating the successful participants will be held."

Bam was left in the halls, trembling. Rak's desperate questions went unanswered as Bam lowered his head in defeat.

The halls were quiet. Bam could not bring himself so say anything as his teammates gathered around him. But were they still a team? With Aguero...gone, what was the purpose?

Bam's eyes hardened. No. He didn't forget Aguero's sole purpose of climbing the Tower.

"Bam," Endorsi's quiet voice filled the room. "What will you do?"

"I'll continue to climb," he answered, looking up. "Aguero had...has, a sister. I mean to find her. It's the least I can do for him."

"By yourself?" Shibisu sounded dubious.

"He won't be alone!" Rak thundered. "I will help hunt down Blue Turtle's sister!"

"Good to know," Shibisu cut in. "But what I meant was, would you be alright with a few others tagging along?"

Bam looked at Shibisu, his gaze traveling to Hatz, Anaak, and Endorsi. His gaze softened, though the ache in his heart still remained. The shock had yet to wear off, but already, his body was feeling cold and nauseous. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Hey, we're climbing with Jue Viole Grace," Shibisu said with a grin. "Climbing the Tower and finding Aguero's sister should be easy."

xXx

The first thing he was aware of were the burns running up and down his arms. Groaning, Khun attempted to get up, arms shaking. He collapsed with a cry, tears welling up in his eyes.

The images came back. The doors. Anaak. His sister...Kisea…

...pushing him away. Before he had a chance to even register that she was there.

A gasp of pain emerged from his mouth, even as he detected the sound of soft footsteps behind him. He did his best to turn his head, but the pain was so great that he could not bring himself to move.

"It must hurt." The soft voice stirred in the air. He detected it as Hwaryun. "Being so vulnerable, and yet being taken advantage of." Her footsteps crunched against the gravel, and she was kneeling before him. "I am sure you have questions, questions I cannot answer. But I know who can help you. Maria."

Khun stirred. Maria? She was such a distant thought that it took him a moment to register how she might be connected in all of this.

Hwaryun stood. "Get up, you have company."

Khun scowled, his face hurting at the extraneous movement, but he complied. Forcing himself to move, he rolled over. On his knees, he sat up, breathing heavily.

"Well, it's nice to know that you have good stamina." The smooth voice cut through the air.

Khun's eyes snapped wide open. "H-Hansung?"

"Hello Khun Aguero Agnis. I don't believe we've had the chance to talk face to face like this, what with Bam always hovering around."

Khun blinked, his throat dry. "B-Bam?" Then his eyes widened. "Kisea! Where is she? What have you-?"

"I'm right here, brother." A voice he thought he would never get a chance to hear again filled him with such heartache.

Kisea stood beside Hansung. Her expression was still cold and unreadable. She observed him with disinterest, and it was the lack of any recognition that stabbed at his heart.

"Kisea…"

"Now that we've been acquainted," Hansung interrupted with an air of dismissal, "I will leave you in Hwaryun's care."

Khun blinked. "Wait-"

"You want to find Maria, correct?" Hansung's eyes were sharp. "Don't you want to know about the cave? Why were you both abandoned? How your beloved sister found her way to us? Finding those answers is simple: you have to climb the Tower under our direction."

"Stop," Khun muttered, thoughts racing. What was going on? Why was this happening?

"If you act up," Hansung continued, "your friends will die."

"And I will be the one to kill them," Kisea stated. "And then, I will kill myself."

Khun blinked. "W-wait…"

"And I will make you watch," she hissed, finally, an emotion other than disinterest flashing in her eyes, a hate and anger he only saw in his nightmares. "Just as you watched our sister kill herself."

Hansung folded his arms, satisfied. "Welcome to FUG, Aguero."

---

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, favoriting, and following! It means a lot to me :)