How To Avoid Doom Flags? : A Guide By Lee Felix

Eleventh Flag - Don't Get Taken As A Hostage

"I- I see..."

Felix never thought much of the Korean name his grandfather picked for him, other than it made him feel like an old man – but he supposed it would hold greater meaning in a past era. Still, Seungmin had been of sound advice so far, so he trusted the scholar to know better.

"Oh, it's about time I returned to escort Hyunjin back," he then remarked, rising to his feet. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"I shall be here."

With a smile and a wave, Felix then left the library.

About a minute after he left, however, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, and Seungmin shot the man a disdainful look.

"I didn't know the great Kim Eunkwang could be surprised," he snarked. "And here you are, almost getting caught."

"It's him," breathed out the man, almost reverently.

"You told me to ask for his name, but you can't possibly believe—"

"I must make haste and report this to our Master at once," cut Eunkwang, pulling a hood over his head. "I shall be gone for a short while, but do not make the mistake of assuming you'll be free to do as you please. We have eyes everywhere, Scholar Kim, so simply keep doing as told, and report any new findings."

Seungmin gritted his teeth, nodding stiffly. "Yes, sir."

.

Felix was heading toward the main palace when he smelled it – a sour scent, one that burned the back of his throat. He paused, glancing around. It was faint, most probably carried by a previous breeze, but there was a heavy feeling lingering in the air – distress.

Without thinking, he took off.

It didn't take long for him to reach the small, stone building where all of the prisoners were held – not so much a prison as it was a torture chamber, if Hyunjin's description of the place was anything to go by. People who were arrested within the walls of the palace were put there, either to await trial or to receive their punishment, and Felix had always hoped he'd never have to see the inside of it with his own eyes.

(All of the dramas he'd watched hadn't exactly painted a pretty picture of such places, and he'd always dreaded ending up in one of those cells.)

Still, the scent was a little more potent now, and he couldn't bring himself to ignore it. Sure, it was a prison, people stuck inside were bound to become distressed, but... there was something about that scent that made him feel restless, as though someone was calling for help.

One look won't hurt, he finally reasoned.

Holding his breath, he quickly made his way inside – and where were the soldiers supposed to guard the entrance? – and almost immediately found the door wide open. What the hell was going on? He could now hear some sort of scuffle going on inside, though, a mix of huffs, snarls, and grunts that didn't announce anything good.

There was a yelp, a curse, and then something that sounded like a slap.

"Fucking bitch! Ought to learn your place already..."

"Ah! You say that, but I know you like 'em with some bite!"

There was another slap, and then... a whimper. Feeble, defiant yet bordering on defeated – exhausted. And every single cell in Felix's body thrummed with familiarity, his instincts immediately recognizing the sound of a fellow Omega in dire need of help. Without hesitating any longer, Felix stepped inside. He briefly took in the sight of the prison – as grimy, humid, and dark as he'd imagined it – and then found all of the cells empty, saved for one, of which the door was left wide open. Inside, three soldiers... and one prisoner.