The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 128: Until the End

Her nails raked down her throat, drawing thin lines of blood in its wake as she suppressed the urge to vomit. The toxic air made her nose wrinkle in disgust and she dry heaved when she realized where it was coming from. She hadn't moved since her last fight and she was getting antsy since they hadn't called her for the final round yet.

The finale.

At the end, all the fighters who were still alive were required to present themselves and this was also the time where she would take on more opponents than anyone else to satisfy the blood claims placed on the triplets.

Needless to say, she was nervous. Not just because of the upcoming round but also because she had yet to find Tae-yeon and she would need all the energy she could get for the search after.

That is, if he hadn't already been sent out of the country.

If he's not here then I have to widen the search. I'll start going South and work my way North, ruling out places as I go, and then...

Wait.

Should I tell the others?

Fidgeting in place so that she didn't accidentally hurt herself further with endless thoughts racing through her head, she avoided looking down the hall where someone had dumped a dead body earlier. She had been doing a good job averting her eyes but once the smell of the decomposing remains got to her, her stomach had been churning uneasily.

Tae-yeon is Hak's brother too, it affects the both of us. And if I don't tell them then they'll get worried. But if I do, they'll most likely insist on coming with and that'll be bad since the extraction will most likely be a rescue operation that requires stealth and—

She jumped when the barred door of her cell suddenly flew open with a bang.

The menacing shadow of an Enforcer loomed over her with no regard to the flash of fear on her face. "Get up."

Her gaze followed his as he walked in and she stood up, waiting for him to unlock her chains. He did so after a prolonged pause and she languidly stretched her legs, taking this opportunity to casually peer outside.

Two more outside... It'll be difficult to escape under these conditions.

She had no desire to fight any longer. The only reason she wouldn't run was because she had to pay the price for the triplets' blood protection or else he would go after them. But she wasn't really sure she would be able to survive.

For all the past years, she had been able to keep the triplets under her wing so that she would only fight when confronted. It wasn't possible this year. Since they weren't with her, she couldn't ensure that no harm would come to them so she had no other option than to stand her ground.

No matter what would happen.

She wasn't going to lie, she didn't have high hopes of making it out alive. Of course, she didn't let the others know, not wanting to worry them. They would try to stop her for sure.

Rubbing her ankles, Calista discreetly ensured she still had the sliver of metal hidden away in her boot before moving it up to lay flat against her ankle. She chuckled slightly to herself, remembering that day in the market that seemed so long ago.

Recalling the faded warmth of what it felt like to be surrounded by the people who cared about her, she vowed to give one last effort. Scrounging up whatever energy she could, she stored it away, keeping the image of her friends in her head.

She grimaced as the shard slightly cut into her ankle once she hobbled towards the door, making her hiss but she played it off as a cough before the man could suspect anything.