Chap OST- Slump by Stray Kids
"Sir Asensio, here is the report about the victims from the training ground incident from the other day."
Asensio sighed, not glancing up from the work he had from cleaning up the recent incident. "How many deaths?"
"That-"
Only then did Asensio glance up at the hesitation. "Just say it, I'm ready to hear it." Asensio figured that maybe this subordinate of his was being considerate since he knew the Spear Master Asensio personally knew Amelina, the main perpetrator of the incident.
"There is zero death, sir."
"What?" Asensio widened his eyes in disbelief.
"There were those with broken arms or legs, but there was no death among the children. If I were to say, it was as if she purposely chose to get rid of either an arm or a leg, although I shouldn't be saying this, I'm deeply impressed how she can do it without taking any life. But, it's not a lie that there were grave injuries and some losing a lot of bloods-"
"Ame…" Asensio slumped into his seat. "I see…"
"...sir?"
"It's nothing," Asensio hid his breath of relief as he stood up, not before taking his coat. "Get ready for the meeting."
His subordinate made a hesitant expression. "Can we really call it a meeting? A family meeting, no less- in this Khun family."
Asensio's irises glowered at the door before him, blue eyes sneering at even the thought of it. "What can we do? It was what those motley bunches claimed."
'I will not let anyone touch her.'
In a large hall- more specifically a throne hall, two sides faced each other menacingly. In the middle was a large audience, a neutral side separated from the two, perhaps waiting for the right moment before intervening or choosing to side with the better force.
It was extremely rare to see a lot of important figures within the Khun family gathered in one place, so the hall was packed with people, almost every person from the family participating in the 'emergency family meeting'. Since the family head was not present, the tallest and grandest seat remained empty but the people below didn't seem to care about that.
The first side were the people who urged that the child who brought catastrophe to the family- namely Khun Amelina- to be exiled, some already proposing the Name Hunt Station as her exile location. There were mothers who wailed in agreement, reasoning that this child will pose a threat to future generations.
On the other side, there stood a man leading his own group who strongly oppose to Khun Amelina's exile. Khun Marco Asensio, dubbed the Spear Master, had his own undeterred reputation and power that could even suppress the other side. Although the man kept quiet when questions probing about Amelina and his reasons in opposing her exile arose, his bone-chilling glare was enough to shake his enemies' determination.
This discussion had been going on for as long as two hours that no one knew what will be concluded in the end, but before anyone could sigh out of boredom of waiting, the large door to the hall burst open as a whole new group of people barged into it.
Black uniform, red emblem, the discipline resembling soldiers trained to the point of death. No, it doesn't just resemble it.
It was the Jahad's Army.
Every person in the hall was either astonished or offended- or both at the rude interruption in their family meeting.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Asensio stepped up, seeing everyone was too shocked to utter a word, even the opposition party. "Even if you're the famed Jahad's Army, that's no way to barge into one of the 10 Great Families territory! Who even let you lots inside?"
The man leading the army, assumingly the commander, only scoffed in response as he tapped his needle into the floor. "I am here on an official order to bring Princess Khun Amelina Jahad to the Royal Palace." Asensio flinched. "We also prefer to settle this quickly, so bring the princess here and we will leave quietly."
Every Khun was shocked at the unexpected turning point as Asensio gritted and fought back. They really had forgotten Amelina was the princess chosen along with Maria.
"All of you has no rights to take Khun Amelina away as long as she does not hold the blood of King Jahad. As of now, Amelina is still a rightful member of the Khun Family!"
Unlike the earlier situation where there were lots of voices refuting Asensio, now there were none and some even supported the Spear Master's exclamation.
If the former opposition side were to think clearly, this could be the perfect chance to get rid of Amelina from the family, but no one wanted the horrible nightmare of a child to become a princess of Jahad, one who could actually hold an amount of authority. They had to strip her from this reputable role, they thought.
"Yes, that's right!"
"Whoever allowed you to take away a child of Khun as you please?!"
The commander remained unbothered by the united voices of refusal, only coughing twice before loudly challenged, "Even if it's under the direct order of the king himself?"
The atmosphere immediately turned tense at the clear threat.
"And do not forget, this was also the order of Princess Maschenny Jahad, the very princess hailing from your family."
Asensio bit his lips and his veins bulged almost to the point of popping. 'Sister… are you really going this far to control Amelina?' His fists clenched at his side. He already knew it was always Maschenny's wish to raise Amelina as high as she could, but Asensio somehow had a feeling. A feeling that Amelina couldn't have wanted to be a Jahad princess. 'If Ame becomes a princess, there's no doubt she will only become a marionette played by sister…!' Asensio lowered his face.
One by one began to relent in hesitated voice, the despair beginning to clutch onto Asensio.
'No, don't.' His fists clenched at his side.
"If it's Princess Maschenny…"
'Don't make Ame suffer more-!' Asensio remembered the tears Amelina shed that day.
"…and it's the king's order…"
'No-!'
"I won't allow it."
A low, deep voice quipped. It was but one short sentence, yet it was enough to send shivers to the people inside the hall as an unexpected person appeared in the doorway. Recognizing the person slowly walking into the silent hall, Asensio released a breath of relief, unclenching his bleeding hands.
"Father…" It was the first time he felt so glad that Eduan appeared.
The Khun family head gallantly walked on the red carpet leading to his throne, every person making way for him- even the Jahad's Army, and he didn't forget to glower down the commander who shook at the unspoken threat. It was a contrasting sight from his formerly confident demeanour.
Once Khun Eduan sat on the throne, one by one, every Khun in the hall bowed down to him. No one can tell whether it was from fear, respect or simply instinct.
Too different. His appearance from the last time he had appeared in public was too different from the womanizer, wine-loving family head they knew. This time, he exuded such an electrifying and cold aura that no one even thought about pleasing him. Not even his wives who would've reeled in the opportunity to rise in power tried to approach him on the throne, when they would've done so few years ago.
"So?"
It felt like a long time before Eduan's voice boomed again, showing his impatience and it was at that point that they realized the remark was directed to the Jahad's Army.
"That… as I am under the order of the King, I cannot simply-"
Eduan only scoffed, a mocking smirk on his face as his cold blue eyes scanned the people donning Jahad's symbol. "He already has so much 'daughters' under him, and he still wish to take what's rightfully mine?"
The army shivered under the scrutiny of his glare.
"Tell him to come in person if he still wishes to take Amelina. Then I'll face him myself."
No one said a word.
Eduan's words that lit the possibility of a war set the tension as high as the sky until a voice interrupted from the doorway, seemingly out of breath.
"Vice-commander! The commander, he- he-!"
The person representing Jahad's Army turned in alarm as Asensio realized, 'He wasn't the commander? Then where is the-'
Amelina.
No one reacted as fast as Asensio as he ran out of the hall towards the rain in search for his dear little sister.
'Please be safe, Ame!'
While the hall was hushed in frantic whispers, one man carefully approached Khun Eduan despite the slightly shaking hand and the sweats pouring down his face.
"Sir, about what you said earlier…"
"…what?"
"That, shall I take it that you don't approve of dear Maria becoming a Jahad princess too?" the person who was actually of Maria's branch tried to confirm, hiding his joy in perhaps further elevating Khun Maria's position within the family.
'Not becoming a Jahad princess is a shame, but it sounds better being called Khun Eduan's favourite child-'
"Who's that?"
A goosebump ran over the man's body.
"That- she too was chosen as a Jahad princess along with Khun Amelina-"
"Oh, is that so?" Eduan only briefly glanced at the man before looking down the hall with a bored expression. "Then send her away. Perhaps Jahad will forget about Amelina with one person already sent over."
Only then did the Khun family members realized just how deep Eduan's adoration for this child Amelina was.
Before all the fuss in the throne hall happened, a little figure sneaked around the area of the main gate leading to the outside world, unnoticed with the loose security as most of the Khun family were gathered to discuss about her.
Two mere days after that incident. Amelina couldn't understand why Aguero chose this day right after the day he was kicked out, but she can only believe in him.
'I have to do this well.'
Unknowing of the chaotic tension in the hall, Amelina scanned the area and found only two guards stationed and currently lounging around, both seemingly from the family, evident from their blue hair. Behind them was the giant looming gate which was both her greatest hope and nightmare, and today was the very day she would cross over it to escape.
No, perhaps escape was too strong of a word.
She would leave and return with Aguero, and perhaps even with Ran, Miru and Eira when the time comes after she climbed the Tower.
Amelina quietly tiptoed to the control room near the gate, one where the switch to raise the gate was located. The room was similar to a small abode for the guards, filled with mundane things for everyday life with lockers and cabinets provided. The main control panel was facing towards gate which can be seen through a tinted glass window.
'Just like Aguero predicted, they won't care about the control room as long as nothing major happened. Now… should I pull the lever and break through the window? But that would alarm the guards… and I'd prefer to avoid a confrontation if possible.'
Besides, she only had the sword she'd taken from the warehouse and the necklace on her, so she would definitely at a disadvantage if anything happened.
'But I could run as fast as I can once the gate is up.'
The girl was about probe around the panel when she felt immense bloodlust from behind her and Amelina immediately swished aside, barely dodging as the knife aimed at her clanged against the iron panel.
Clang!
With her heart pounding loudly, Amelina backed away from the perpetrator.
'A boy…? Who-?'
The boy, perhaps no older than herself glared at her fiercely as he pointed the knife back to Amelina, bloodshot eyes sending chills down her spine. "Where… where do you think you're going?!"
"Who-" Amelina didn't manage to finish her question as he lunged forward once more, intent on spilling blood from her. Tripping the boy, Amelina's panic level elevated even more as sounds of footsteps approached. In heat of the moment, Amelina used her shinsoo-coated hand to break the window and escape outside.
Only to realize she forgot to pull the lever.
But it was already too late when Amelina turned around as two figures- the guards already pointing their spear towards her.
"Halt!"
The boy she tripped earlier also managed to catch up as he pointed his weapon. "You… how dare you try to run away after all you've done… because of you, my brother-!"
The two guards, finally realizing Amelina's identity hesitated as their expression contorted from vigilant to confusion.
"Is that the girl…?"
"…from the incident…"
Amelina faced the boy, guessing his brother was also there in the training ground that day.
As if there were only the two of them in the world, the boy shouted again while slowly approaching her with his knife steady in his hand, "Do you know how much my mother cried?! You- You killed my brother who could've become someone in the future! You ruined my family!" he swished once as if to pour out his frustrations. "How dare you try to run away! I've been searching for you all over these past two days so that I can avenge my brother whom you've killed-!"
"I didn't kill him!" Amelina shouted back. "I didn't kill anyone," her voice lowered but her gaze steeled into the vengeful eyes of the boy in front of her. "I only freed him."
She has to face her karma.
The boy processed her words before broking into a contorted grin. "Are you being delusional? He- his bloodied body-"
"Then I ask of you… would your brother have lived if he participated in that competition? Would his life be guaranteed the longer he stays in this family?" Amelina's voice trembled, but her words continued on, "If he's out of the competition due to an injury-"
"It's having that injury is the worst! You should know that in this family- being useless is the same as being disowned! Without an arm, he can't-!"
"I know."
The hysteric voice went silent for a while at Amelina's statement.
"I know that the children I've hurt would most likely being disowned for their injuries. And that's exactly what I was aiming for."
The boy, even the guards, gaped at Amelina's answer. Her answer for her actions that day.
"Because that way, those children won't be used anymore in any of the family's selfish desire. How many died just to please their branch? How many perished for the sake of power? I know what I've done was wrong, but if time was reversed, I would've done it again and again, if it means even one child of the family can be free."
She knows it's wrong, it's disgusting, it's twisted. But perhaps that was what Maschenny aiming for, the girl sighed deeply. 'In the end, I can't even deny my own twisted bloodline…'
"You-" the boy clenched his knife. "Just- just mind your own damn business…!" Tears began to drop down his face. Amelina looked at him in astonishment, not expecting this kind of reaction.
'What does those tears mean…?' Amelina's breath hitched. Maybe… maybe she wasn't the only one…
"That's our price for being born here, in this family, the 10 Great Families- No matter how much mother pushed us to train to death, or kill our siblings… I-" the knife pointed at her began to shake. "I too, want to be free-"
Splat.
Amelina widened her eyes as the figures in front of her disappeared under something large- splatters of blood dirtying the ground and her face.
'What…'
Red.
'-just happened…'
Red blood.
'He-'
Like the one in her nightmare.
'Did he die…?'
"Princess, were you fighting against them? Glad that I arrived in time."
Amelina's shaking irises raised up from the pool of blood towards the unknown man. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded static that she couldn't even make out what came after it.
'No.'
"I too, want to be free."
"No!!!" Amelina wailed, as her breath hitched. The sword she had on her seemed to rattle along with her unstable emotions. Glaring at the outsider who just killed a child of Khun family, who only wanted to be free like her.
The girl, ignorant of the real identity of the man glowering down at her, drew her sword as a whisper resounded in her head. "Cygnus, ignite!"
"Haa… haa…"
'It hurts…'
The fight ended with several carcasses of beasts, a body of a man gradually turning colder around a pool of blood, and a lone girl standing under the rumbling sky.
'It hurts so much…'
Remnants of electricity still ran through her hand until she sheathed back her bloodstained sword. Amelina, with tear-stained face and ragged body, held her bleeding arm and dragged herself towards the smashed window of the control room.
It was a surprise the room itself remained intact amidst the whole fight she'd had with the man, but the girl only chuckled sadly. "Why didn't the gate just get blown away from the fight? It would've saved me from the trouble…"
Ignoring the glass bits clawing into her hand, Amelina pushed the lever from outside, the clanking of the iron gate resounded along with a rumble before drops of rain fell from the sky, as if celebrating her meaningless victory. A victory that she was sure couldn't be won without the sword in her hand, the body Maschenny had trained like hell, and the underestimating attitude of the person died by her own hands.
A fought-hard battle won only by mere luck, Amelina thought bitterly.
Before she stepped out, Amelina approached a dark puddle of blood- the remains of three Khuns killed because of her. The knife the boy had was shattered in pieces, and Amelina took one piece of the blade and held it in her hand.
'As I am free now, I'll bring you along… so please rest in peace…' A tear slid down her already wet cheek, camouflaged by the pouring rain.
Wearing the necklace Aguero gave her, Amelina left by the gate with the rain washing away the blood on her, as she took her first step towards freedom.
That day was the first day she took a life with her own hands.
When Asensio arrived at the main gate, Amelina had long been gone, leaving only the mess of corpses and bloods. There were trails of blood leading to outside but stopped at a certain distance, as if the rain fortunately helping out the girl.
Asensio breathed heavily from all the running he had all around, searching for his little sister. The surveillance from his subordinate's Lighthouse indicated Amelina really was headed here before showing a young Khun following her, and soon after a man with Jahad's Army uniform heading to this very location too.
'The real commander is dead… that means-'
"She's… left…" A grateful smile was formed on Asensio's face. 'Now, she can't be forced to become a princess as long as father is here.'
"Please remain safe," Asensio could only pray, before mentally preparing for another verbal fight- or maybe even a physical one.
The vice-commander who arrived later was enraged to see their commander killed in cold blood, demanding for the killer to be handed over.
But his wish nor his order was fulfilled as the Khun family retaliated, threatening to go to war if the Jahad Army tries to touch even a single hair on Khun Amelina. The troops had no choice but to retreat back to the Royal Palace, as it was Khun Eduan who directly moved.
The incident which caused an uproar soon drew the attention of all kind of people towards the girl who hadn't even climbed up the Tower yet.
