May 27
Dae woke up really early, she couldn't sleep well since it was the day of the duel. It was really warm in her cell, she could already smell summer.
Yunho is probably enjoying the weather today since he likes when sun shines firmly.
"Good morning, breakfast" policeman said quickly and rushed to other cells
Some garbage, bitter coffee in a bottle and next to it a dry roll with a stick of butter on it. She ate all of it first time since she was in prison, she tried to take a nap until dinner like always, but this time she just couldn't.
At the same time, the dueling ground was being prepared. Hundreds of people had been waiting outside it since the morning. Whole building looked like a coliseum, but instead of round, the columns were rectangular.
-
"Dae it's time" Yeosang said to Dae who zoomed out "Dae you're here?" he said and this words made her come to reality
"Now? I thought it'll happen after the dinner tho" she said like if she was sleepy
"Let's go" Yeosang said softly
He opened her cell and led her through the prison by himself, without any other guards. The Colosseum was located directly next to the prison. Yeosang didn't show any of the policemen his badge as they usually did, probably because everyone knew perfectly well who he was.
They entered through a side door secured on both sides by policemen. The officer led her to the preparation room, it had a direct door to the arena. There was no one inside, just them. The doors to the arena were gigantic, approximately 5 meters high. In the room, there were bandages, armor, swords, knives, and even guns. Walls were made of stone, similar to those in the prison but lighter. In the room, apart from the fighting equipment, there were several chairs and a bed, as well as a punching bag for the fighters to warm up before fighting.
"You need to get ready, put on clothes, they are on the chair" he pointed to the chair with his hand "And um, ... never mind I'll talk to you when you change, I'll be back in ten minutes so be ready" Yeosang said in tone she never heard him talk, cold one
I guess that's how he talks to his coworkers
Yeosang left, she went to the chair and started changing, the clothes he gave her looked new. She wore a tight-fitting black T-shirt and something like a vest but made of stripes. Her pants were wide black and had many pockets on the sides.
She sat down and waited for Yeosang to come back. The chair was old, Dae noticed a lot of dust on the floor, it looked like no one had cleaned it, but the armor gleamed as if it had been polished yesterday.
The girl couldn't hide stress, her knee was bouncing slowly, her hands sweated so she wiped them. She felt like it's getting harder to think, she tried but couldn't remember anything from training.
She stood up only to punch the punching bag once helplessly. She watched the bag swing while standing like a pillar of salt.
Yunho...it's now or never. Please... I'm asking you one last time... When I get out of this, I will... I will pay you back, I will always help you, no matter what happens. I'll be by your side but I'm begging you... come and save me today...
She stood there and before she knew it Yeosang was back. He knocked on the door twice.
„Dae you changed right? Can I come now?" Yeosang said while leaning towards the door so he could hear her better
„Yeah come in!"she said loudly so he opened and entered the room
„Okay, so a quick introduction" he said while composing his hands and looking at her. Dae was looking like somebody took soul out of her „They say your name loudly - you enter. They say the fight begins - you start. They start the countdown - you get up or pray for San to lie down for a while."
„Yeosang..." she interrupted silently
„Typical fighting, no weapons, only dental protection allowed" he said since he couldn't hear her saying his name
„Yeosang" she said now with a normal tone while looking at him
She didn't cry, tears stood in her eyes but didn't come out, she raised her eyebrows and relaxed her mouth. Seeing her, Yeosang realized that he might see her up close for the last time. He knew that if his friend San won, he would have to impose the death penalty by himself.
„Dae..." Yeosang with caring tone. The girl bowed her head and he slowly and gently embraced her. He pulled her head to his chest and then put his hand in her hair. Dae hugged him back, she actually felt better. She felt that she was not alone and that she had to be strong all the time.
„I'm better now, thank you.." she said stopping the current moment
„I hope so" officer sat on the chair „And, uhh... I just wanna apologize for San because I know he can't control himself during duels" she sat in opposite of him
„I know, I know... And... I'm afraid of that..."
-
„Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you our favorite warrior. The best of the best, the strongest of the strong. He doesn't know what losing is like, he only knows the taste of winning. Our only and irreplaceable champion. CHOI SAAAAN!" a loud voice behind big door said
„Dae it will be your time now. I'm going to the King's osier as an honored guest, but I'll be cheering for you" he said, keeping his hands on her shoulders in a sign of support
„Okey, but why aren't you cheering San?" she asked
„No matter how many blows you give him, he will surely recover from them" he smiled and hugged her for last time before leaving „Good luck"
„Thank you" she said quickly as she heard a voice from behind the doors
„And now, on the other side, sentenced to death, she can still come out of it. We don't know her and we don't know anything about her except one thing. Her name, please welcome her warmly. DAEEEE!" the door suddenly moved, it opened by itself, automatically
The sunlight slowly filled the room that was previously dark. The girl slowly started to leave the room. The crowd in the stands stood unmoved, some even shouting 'boo' to humiliate Dae. The arena was bigger than she had previously thought. She kept looking around as she walked slowly forward.
She saw the king's box separately from the entire crowd, it was a roofed room, it occupied 1/10 of the entire stands. It was too far away to see who was in it.
She was walking on packed sand, she saw San in the middle. He stared at her, his hands were slightly spread and clenched into fists. He wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes, only black wide pants, the same as Dae's.
Finally they stood in front of each other, less than a meter apart, and the drums were beaten. They looked into each other's eyes until San woke up from his frenzy and looked down, remembering in what fight he would be fighting now.
If he wins, the girl will be killed, and if he loses to her, he will lose his honor and the title of indestructible. He didn't want anything bad for her, but his childhood memories were so strong that he couldn't pretend to be weak. He would feel the crowd eating him up, as if he had haters for the first time. He looked back at her and she gave him a smile. It was sincere but full of concern.
„Sorry Dae..." San thought about how he could apologize to her, but all he wanted to tell her was how he felt lately „I-„
The drums beat again and even though San said something, Dae couldn't hear it over the voice from the speakers, saying „Let the duel begin!"
They both hesitated, staring at each other. The crowd was quiet, everyone sat focused. Yeosang wasn't where he was supposed to be, not in the osier.
At some point, San felt a surge of stress mixed with adrenaline, he resisted for too long, he fought with himself in his head. His face turned sour, his pupils became smaller and he felt sweaty. Whereas Dae, saw his internal struggle but was prepared to defend herself.
Suddenly San lunged at her, she was ready for it but not like this. San didn't stick around with her. She defended her face, which San was attacking, the boy had tears in his eyes. He didn't want to do it but he felt forced.
She held her hands in front of her face. At that moment he hit it with his left hand. She sensed an opportunity to attack and struck herself, but the man was too fast and blocked her blow. Finally, he hit her in the stomach, the girl felt great pain, she folded herself, holding her stomach, but after a moment's pause she returned to the standing position.
~*??? pov*~
„Give this information to the King as fast as you can" the officer told me as he ran, I knew what I had to do
„Of course sir" I answered and began to walk faster and faster, I ended up running.
While running up the stairs, I passed every second staircase, there were a lot of them, as usual on the royal route. The information I was supposed to convey was information about death and life.
I passed the royal paintings until I finally reached the door, opened it quickly and, without any warning, ran in front of the king.
„We need to stop the duel!" I told him, not tired but desperate. Unfortunately, he wasn't moved and even though I was blocking his view, he still looked ahead.
„Not now." he said with male annoyed tone
„You don't get it we-„ I said louder so maybe he would finally listen to me
„Enough! I said not now!" he looked at me with angry face, he was always like that so I didn't mind about it, and neither did the invited guests who, despite his feigned kindness, knew what he really was like. However, I remember that somewhere inside there was still that nice and warm person I remember.
„Dad, we have a real killer" I said normally. The king suddenly looked at me and gestured for the host to come to him.
„Stop the duel now!" he shouted and host did the same
„STOP THE DUEL NOW!" It was really loud and everyone froze
I only saw San standing there and not moving, looking at the girl who was trying to defend herself with shaking hands.
The king looked at me and then at Yeosang, who had just come running to inform him about the situation.
„Your Majesty, a witness to the situation appeared at the police station with the guilty man who confessed to-" Yeosang said, but the King interrupted him with a gesture of his hand.
„I understand officer, but next time send me someone more competent and... serious" the king looked down on me. Yeosang and I looked at each other secretly, then bowed and left the room.
„I'm sorry... but the action had to be quick and you were the only one who could enter there without any identification" he looked at me and I just knew he felt bad for me so I wanted to take off some of it
„It's nothing, don't worry too much. Now the girl needs to see the doctor I'll talk to my father to give her some special treatment since I don't think prison nurse could help her much" I told him with some enthusiasm
„Thank you Seonghwa, I'll get going now" he said and smiled quickly before turning around. And after that I went to the king's physician myself.
~*End of pov*~
People were confused, they didn't know whether to shout, stay silent or leave. Dae couldn't feel her right arm, her stomach hurt so badly that she was close to vomiting. She was kneeling but fell, she had no strength or health to defend herself any longer, even though she was no longer in danger. She had her eyes closed and a voice began to come from the speakers.
„Dae innocent! Thank you all for coming today, we apologize to anyone who's been hurt!"
She lay there and dreamed of falling asleep and regenerating. She felt a touch on her knees and back, someone was lifting her. She opened her eyes when she was already floating above the ground in someone's hands.
San...
She didn't have the strength to say anything, so she just thought. She looked weakly at the boy who was leaving the arena and going to the room from which she had left some time ago. Her hand rested on San's chest.
After entering the room, the man placed her on the bed, he tried to be gentle, but each touch caused her pain.
He sat down on the floor and put his hands on the bed and then head on them. There were a few centimeters between his eyes and Dae's. The girl looked at him as she fell asleep.
"Sorry..." she heard San saying before her sudden falling asleep