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Oh, honeybee,
Monsters are real,
And they look like people.
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Just as she closed the door shut behind her, her eyes caught a shadow on the window side. It was night, and the shadow was moving under the light of the palace. Yn knew that Jungkook had increased the guards around her father's room, but she didn't know the reason why.
She glimpsed at the man patrolling the room and slowly walked close to the window. When she was close enough, she again saw a shadow. It seemed like a figure outside was hanging on the window and trying to get inside, as the continuous bang of trying to open the window was heard from the other side.
In a burst of adrenaline, she swung the door open with lightning speed, and a resounding cry pierced the air. Yn peered down from the palace, her heart pounding, to see a man who had been attempting to breach the palace grounds now writhing in pain on the floor. A mix of shock and guilt coursed through her as she realized the force of her actions had propelled him over the edge.
Yet, to her surprise, the other guards remained unfazed, their attention fixed on breaching the palace. A collective determination emanated from them, leaving her both amazed and unnerved. In their midst, a sea of guards clad in unfamiliar blue attire, adorned with a peculiar royal emblem, surged forward. Yn, accustomed to the traditional black garb of Hellen Kingdom guards, wondered if Jungkook had implemented a drastic change in their uniform. The uncertainty sent shivers down her spine.
As Yn entered the kitchen, the guard Luke's gaze subtly lingered on her graceful silhouette. A peculiar silence hung in the air, intensified by the absence of any maids in the usually bustling kitchen. Yn, unaware of the anomaly, proceeded to the sink after her meal, ready to wash her plate.
The unexpected splash of water on her face caused her to flinch, but as the liquid met her skin again, a playful giggle escaped her lips. With a swift motion, she used the back of her hand to wipe away the droplets from her cheek, only to find a shocking revelation. The once-clear water in the sink now bore a crimson hue, and as Yn turned her hand to inspect it, the realization hit her - red stains of drawn blood tainted the white water.
A sudden heaviness pressed onto Yn's back, forcing her to retreat a couple of steps into the unknown. A gasp escaped her lips as she beheld the horrifying scene around her - the lifeless body of a maid sprawled on the ground, drenched in blood.
Panic surged through Yn's body, and her eyes darted forward, only to be met by the alarming sight of Luke holding a gun, its silencer emitting a faint trail of smoke. A whimper escaped her lips as she faced the ominous presence of the armed guard.
"W-what are you doing, Luke?" Yn's voice quivered as she cautiously stepped backward. Luke's eyes tracked her every move, and with a sigh, he threw his head back before swiftly advancing, pinning her against the counter with the cold barrel of the gun pointed at her forehead.
"Now, if you don't want me to blow your skull with this gun, just do as I say. Ok?" Yn swallowed hard and nodded. "Answer me!" she stammered, "Y-y-yes." Following Luke's instructions, she moved under the ominous threat of the gun pressed against her back.
Silently navigating the corridor and passing through various rooms, Yn suddenly halted. Luke, impatient, pushed her with the gun, but she remained rooted to the spot. "What the heck are you doing? Move!" Luke's confusion and anger grew as he tried to force her forward.
"But Luke, why should I listen to you?" Yn whispered defiantly. Luke looked up at her, his expression puzzled. "What?"
"How much is the other kingdom paying you for this?" she questioned, a sense of betrayal and disbelief in her voice. He remained silent for a moment before admitting, "A big amount. A very big."
"But we were friends, Luke, and you were a good person," she continued, a mix of intensity and disbelief in her words. Luke almost laughed at the unexpected turn of events, both amazed and terrified by her unwavering determination to confront him.
"So what if I did this, Haan?" Luke remarked. "This kingdom is illegal, Yn. The people living here in the palace are all demons. Why do you think His Highness is taking the gold from other kingdoms? No, he is snatching it, Yn. He is killing many people who come his way." Yn remained stuck in her niche.
"He is taking the gold to make himself stronger, his kingdom, his royalty. He will do illegal things with this gold, Yn! Do you know how many families he is killing in one day!?" Luke yelled, frustration evident in his voice.
He clenched his hair and frowned at her. "I was in one of those families, Yn, when my father was killed while working in the milestone, and guess what? No one helped him, and we still haven't even got his dead body yet!"
"And you think working for those people will sanctify you?" Yn looked up into his eyes and spoke up.
"No." He gritted his teeth. "But they have said they will find my father's body." He looked down and said in almost a whisper, "Sorry, Yn, but I had to do this," which evoked a sense of sympathy in her.
"Did they promise you?" Yn asked. "Hun?" Luke hesitantly nodded.
"Then let's go," said Yn. He looked up at her, and she followed his instructions quietly. They kept walking beneath the palace, and Yn was certain he was leading her to a corner where the royal rooms began.
A thought came into her mind as she continued walking by his side. "The guards outside are your men?" she asked, glancing to her side.
"No!" He answered, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
"Then who were they?" Yn inquired. When Luke didn't answer, she stopped in her tracks, finding it difficult to digest the current situation. She needed some explanation.
"Who were they, Luke?" she pressed again. "Kim's."
"Kim's?" Yn's eyes widened at his words. They were going to-
"Hmm," he nodded, confirming her fears. "They are all part of the army of the Honeyville kingdom." They were planning to attack the Honeyville kingdom with their private mission. The worst part was that no one was there-no Mal, no Leo, not even Jungkook.
"I'm sorry, Luke," Yn uttered as she swiftly retrieved a gun from her sock and pulled the trigger, his body collapsing to the floor in an instant. Without wasting any time, she raced downstairs toward her mother and father, her heart pounding with worry.
Passing numerous bodies, her steps slowed as she reached the stairs leading downward. In the vicinity, a group of guards stood a little distance from the room. Quietly pushing herself, Yn made an effort not to create any noise as she descended toward the room.
Unbeknownst to her, a man stood beside the stairs, and upon spotting her, he shouted, "Hey! There's another one!" Yet, she swiftly silenced his words by pulling the trigger, the shot hitting right between his eyes.
Sticking her body close to the wall, Yn attempted to pass by them quietly, aware that there were only two bullets left in her gun. After taking four long steps, she clutched the handle of the door around her fingers. However, her movements came to an abrupt halt when she felt a cold metal object touching the back of her head. Simultaneously, her gun was snatched away from her hands.
"Don't move!" a stern voice commanded, freezing her in place.
●●●●●●●
One hour before.... the Honeyville kingdom attack...
The sound of horses galloping echoed through the quiet forest as the king and the commander urgently pulled on the reins, racing towards the kingdom with their men following closely behind.
In a sudden turn of events, a white smoke enveloped the forest, catching Jungkook's attention. As a shadow emerged and rushed towards them, Jungkook swiftly drew his sword, prepared to defend. However, as the figure fell from the horse next to him, he halted his own horse, turning to examine the fallen man closely.
The man was bleeding profusely from his wounds, and Jungkook saw him struggling to carry his agony in the aftermath of the battle. The man let out more cries of pain as Leo got off his horse and stomped on his chest. Leo immediately started pulling him away so that nothing would stand in their way as they crossed the street. The harsh reality of the war they were caught up in was reflected in the scene's brutality.
On his knees beside the wounded man, Jungkook recognized him-the same father he had saved on that fateful night in Honeyville kingdom when he had been there as a spy. The air was heavy with the weight of the man's pain and sorrow as he struggled to share the brutal story of his family's fate. The echoes of that night returned, haunting Jungkook with the unintended consequences of his actions.
The wounded man's cries echoed through the forest, each word laden with the pain of loss. "S-sir, they killed both my daughter and my wife when they came to know about this!" he gasped between sobs.
Jungkook, drenched in sticky blood and witnessing the heart-wrenching aftermath of his unintended actions, felt a surge of helplessness and anger. He knelt beside the man, holding his shoulders in an attempt to calm his uncontrollable sobs.
"S-sir, don't go there," the wounded man pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation. Jungkook frowned at the plea and questioned, "Why? Don't you want to be free from these dirty rules in life which feel like shackles?" The heavy silence that followed hung in the air, burdened by the weight of suffering and the harsh reality of the choices made.
The man's desperate plea filled the forest air with a chilling urgency. "He h-he is attacking your kingdom, sir. Tonight," he stammered, the words heavy with the weight of impending doom. The very night they had meticulously planned now hung in the balance of unforeseen chaos. "I tried so hard to stop them, but... I am sorry, sir."
Leo's gaze shifted to Jungkook, who stood in a shocked stupor. "Your Highness?" Leo called, his urgency growing. "Your Highness!" It was as if Jungkook had momentarily lost touch with reality, his focus solely fixed on the man's trembling figure.
The man, gripping Jungkook's hand, pleaded one last time, "Thank you so much, sir, for saving my daughter that day," his words fading into the night as his life slipped away.
Jungkook, the weight of responsibility pressing upon him, released his hand, rose from his crouched position, and turned his horse in the opposite direction. Determination etched on his face, he rode off into the shadows, driven by the hope that, amidst the impending chaos, his people would find safety and that the one he saved that fateful day would endure unscathed.
Now...
The air crackled with tension as the last assailant crumpled to the forest floor, Jungkook's sword firmly embedded in his chest. The metallic scent of blood lingered, creating an eerie atmosphere around the fallen bodies.
Mal, his admiration evident, cast a glance from Jungkook to Fox, his fingers tightening around his sword as he took measured steps forward. An impending clash seemed inevitable, but Jungkook intervened with a swift motion. Retrieving his sword from the lifeless chest in a splatter of crimson, he shifted his attention to the stillness that enveloped the scene.
"Your Highness!" Fox's sudden attack pierced through the quiet, but Jungkook, lost in his thoughts, deftly sidestepped the assault. With a fluid movement, he maneuvered his body, evading Fox's blade and maintaining control of the situation. The forest stood witness to the dance of blades and the echoes of a battle that had come to a hauntingly silent conclusion.
Jungkook winced, his left hand instinctively clutching his right shoulder, pain coursing through him as blood stained his fingers. In a silent exchange with Mal, nods spoke volumes, and the seasoned warrior seamlessly took Jungkook's place.
Urgency fueled Jungkook and Leo as they ascended the staircase, racing against time. The once vibrant palace now echoed with the haunting emptiness of abandoned rooms. Finally, at the last door, Jungkook swung it open to find yn, kneeling with Alice cradled in her arms, tears streaming down her face.
Their eyes locked in a charged moment, her gaze meeting his dark intensity. Despite the tension, his expression softened as he observed her distress.
A revolver pressed against her neck stole their attention. His eyes trailed from the threatening hand to the face of the perpetrator. The name dripped from his lips like venom. "Kim Taehyung." Jungkook's roar reverberated through the room, a clash of kingdoms echoing in the stark silence.
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