The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2)

by Con Template

  “You’re the reason for all of this!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “You’re the reason why my life is being put through hell! You’re the reason why the Advisors are after me again!”

  She continued to push him because he allowed her too, because even then, she saw in his eyes that he knew he deserved every abuse she wanted to give him. Yoori continuously shoved Tae Hyun against the shelf, all the contents above it crashing down in a million pieces. Their bare feet bled profusely at the millions of glass eating at their skins.

  “You’re the reason why Chae Young was raped – because people like Jin Ae are after me now! You’re the reason why I’m here right now! EVERYTHING THAT HAS FUCKED UP IN MY LIFE WAS THE RESULT OF YOU! THE RESULT OF YOU AND YOUR GREED!”

  She was falling apart, exploding. Her last shred of sanity was Tae Hyun. Her last shred of sanity was the one who stole her heart and now…having realized he was only using her…like an object all along…it pushed her...completely pushed her over the edge.

  “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?” Her was voice heavy with shrill as she stared at his pale face.

  He was speechless, his expression completely broken while he stared at her in misery.

  Her vision blurred, not because she was ready to faint but because it was tears that were blurring her vision. She was crying. She was fucking crying again. She didn’t even realize she was crying until she tasted the saltiness of her tears. She didn’t realize she was crying until she saw the unfathomable pain in Tae Hyun’s eyes, his distress that she had been pushed beyond all boundaries of emotions.

  “Me? Of all people you did this to me!” The sobs spilled out of her chest and into her broken voice. “After all we’ve been through, how could you do this to me?”

  “You don’t think all of this kills me right now?” Tae Hyun finally shouted back, his expression torn apart from agony. “You don’t think I know that every time you’re in pain or every time you’re crying now…it’s because of that fucking decision I made in the beginning?”

  He tried to reach out to her again, yet she escaped from his hold, causing him to breathe in pain while he stared at her longingly.

  “I would do anything for you,” he went on agonizingly. “And the sole fact that I can’t stop you from hurting right now is killing me more than you’ll ever know.”

  “Stop…just stop…” The tears wouldn’t stop when she finally backed away from him. It wouldn’t stop echoing from her chest as she pressed her fists against her stomach. It wouldn’t stop. The pain…the betrayal…the anger…none of it stopped.

  “It rips me apart every time I think back to the moment I brought you into this world.” His soothing words were like knives to her. It tore at her soul. “It rips me apart every time to know that I’m the reason why your life is being put through hell right now. If I could go back in time and prevent that moment from happening, I would! If I knew what I know now, then I would’ve never placed you through all this pain because you’re worth more to me than this world.”

  “Stop lying to me!” Yoori screamed, suddenly tossing the teapot in his direction. She didn’t even realize that she had held onto it for leverage.

  It scarcely missed and barreled into the wall behind him, spilling out water and broken glass that nipped the side of his neck before falling to the floor. He didn’t even try to move out of the way. The surface wound on his neck started to bleed. He paid no mind to it and desperately tried to reach out to her.

  “Stop it! JUST STOP IT!” Having enough, Yoori dodged out of his reach and was out of the bedroom before Tae Hyun could get a hold of her.

  It didn’t matter that they didn’t know each other in the beginning. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know her. None of that mattered because for Yoori, his lies since the beginning tainted everything she had with him. All the wonderful memories…all the laughter…all the hope…everything was tainted now.

  How was she supposed to look at him when he didn’t have the decency to tell her all of this when she bared her soul to him the other night? There were so many chances for him to confess to her, plenty of chances for him to be honest with her. Yet he waited…waited until fate grew impatient and had her confront him instead.

  She ran past the living room where unlit candles and icicle lights continued to adorn not only the room but the balcony outside. Yoori recalled the cakes they both forgot on the balcony, the Red Velvet cake she made him and the Oreo Cookies & Cream ice cream cake he bought her. The memory pained her and was her catalyst for wanting to leave as soon as possible. She couldn’t be with him anymore. She couldn’t even look at him without feeling her chest tighten in anguish. It felt like it had been a lifetime ago since they promised each other that they’d find Paris together.

  What a joke all that had been.

  Yoori ran into the hall and made it onto the first landing of stairs when she felt Tae Hyun wrap his hand around her wrist, jerking her back into his arms.

  “Yoori, please don’t be like this.”

  She heard the desperation in his voice and felt the desperation in his hold. He was worried about her safety and he was worried about losing her. It was agonizing just to hear the care in his voice. It was a double-edged sword. It reminded her of the happiness she felt with him and reminded her of the fact that none of it was real. She had been the fool all along.

  “Get away!” She fought against his grasp. “Get the fuck away from me!”

  Yoori missed a step off the stairs and nearly lost her balance. She was able to catch herself with the railing before she tumbled out of sight and before Tae Hyun could reach down to grab her. Breathing heavily, she narrowed her eyes up to Tae Hyun. He was now standing five steps above hers, staring down at her helplessly.

  “Get away from me,” she ordered, backing down the stairs without looking back.

  She kept her eyes on him. Even through her relentless anger, she saw the concern in his eyes. She knew he was worried about her, the state she was in, and how careless she was being with herself. They were still high up. If she fell, then it was likely she would break something.

  He wouldn’t allow that.

  “Okay,” Tae Hyun compromised, standing frozen on the stairs with his hands raised up in surrender. “I won’t come any closer. Just walk down the stairs safely and I won’t come any closer.”

  She knew he was lying to her – that he was just trying to make sure she was safe on solid ground before he chased after her again. She knew but she didn’t care. Without uttering another word, she turned around and sprinted off the stairs, running around every curve on the landing. She pushed the doors out into the lobby. As soon as her bloody feet touched the lobby tiles, she heard his descending footsteps and she knew he would catch up to her if she didn’t pick up her pace.

  So she ran, pushing people out of her way as she flew through the revolving door. Nothing mattered anymore. Her heart, her body, her soul…it didn’t matter that all aspects of her essence were begging to be returned to Tae Hyun. The pain vibrating to the depths of her soul…the sobs threatening to escape from her chest…nothing mattered but getting away from him.

  The weather was unforgiving when she ran out. Her bare feet instantly punctured holes into the snow beneath her heels. Her own bloody footprints followed her as the ice ate at her wounds.

  Snow was raining down on the world beneath it, disturbing the hectic traffic on the street and blinding pedestrians who were walking around frantically, trying to get from point A to point B while holding onto their umbrellas. The wind was heavy, causing Yoori to tumble in her stance a couple of times.

  Wearing nothing but a thin gray sweater and black pajama pants, Yoori felt all the cold but it was bearable to her. Nothing could be as unforgiving as the betrayal and humiliation she felt.

  “AHHH!” A group of people cried when she barreled past them, nearly knocking a couple of them off the curb and into oncoming traffic.

  Desperate with nothing but the desire to escape, Yoori
jumped off the sidewalk and into the hectic traffic. Taxi, taxi, taxi…She needed a taxi. There weren’t a lot of cars due to the threatening weather but there was enough driving through.

  “Yoori!” Tae Hyun’s voice suddenly called out from behind her.

  At once, his strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her toward him just as a red truck squealed to a stop before her. It stood inches from running her over if Tae Hyun hadn’t pulled her out of the way.

  “You stupid bitch!” A chubby man with a green trucker hat honked and shouted at Yoori. “Get the fuck out of the way or I’ll kick you out myself!”

  He looked like he was actually ready to get out of his truck and do it.

  Unfortunately for him, Tae Hyun would have none of it.

  “If you even touch a single strand of her hair, I’ll skin you alive, you piece of shit!” Tae Hyun roared at him, his eyes breeding nothing but fire.

  Tae Hyun weighed less than the man but because his shirt more than showed his muscles, it was clear that he could rip the man apart in an instant if he wanted to.

  Flinching at the growl in Tae Hyun’s intimidating stature, the man fearfully jerked his car to the right, nearly crashing into another car as he drove away from them.

  “Get off me!” Yoori shouted after the truck drove away.

  “Yoori, stop it!” he yelled, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her body tightly against him. Cars, bicyclists, and violent snow continued to whiz past them. “You’re going to get hit by a car if you keep doing this!”

  “Good!” Yoori cried impulsively. In vain, she tried to pull out of his hold. His strength was unyielding. “Isn’t that how people get their memories back? By getting hit by cars?”

  She was hysterical and she knew it, but fuck being rational! Why did she even care anymore? She had been played for a fool. She couldn’t give a fuck about trying to act sane for the people around her. She wanted nothing more than to get hit by a car.

  Maybe if everything worked out her way, she would get hit by a car and forget everything. She would be able to forget Soo Jin and Tae Hyun—the two people she hated the most. She would be able to forget about all the pain they both caused her. Or worse yet, she would get her memories back as Soo Jin. With the incalculable pain she felt, recalling her memories again wouldn’t be such a bad idea if she could just forget about Tae Hyun. At the moment, Kwon Tae Hyun was the one person she hated the most.

  “Fucking hell, Yoori!” Tae Hyun growled in frustration. “I’m not going to let you get hit by a car!”

  “Yet you cared enough to use me like a fucking puppet, you power hungry bastard!”

  He had enough.

  “Yoori, look at me! Look at me!” he commanded, cupping his hands over her cheeks.

  They panted together and much to her own horror, she felt her nerves calm as their eyes held one another’s.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his genuine remorse enhancing those simple yet heartfelt words.

  For the first time since the eruption of her emotions, she saw his pain.

  It mirrored hers.

  Yoori shook her head again. “Did you know what I thought of when I woke up this morning?” she finally asked, her heart still racing with rage and pain. She may have felt his pain, but she felt her pain even more.

  He was quiet, awaiting her answer.

  Her torn eyes held his. Her lips quivered uncontrollably while she spoke, the words spilling out of her like it were pieces of her heart.

  “I didn’t think about the fact that I was An Soo Jin, I didn’t think about Chae Young being raped because of me, I didn’t think about the horror I felt after murdering eleven men...I didn’t think about any of that when I woke up.”

  Tears choked her throat, breaking her voice apart.

  “I thought about you. I thought about how lucky I am to have met you. How blessed I am to have you in my life.” She laughed self-mockingly, tears streaming her face and mixing with the snow frosting over her. “I’ve been such a fool. I actually believed that we’ve fallen for each other…that everything between us was real. All this time, I thought the emotions I felt from Soo Jin was her hatred for you. All this time, I thought I was hesitant to be with you because she despised you. Yet I know now that I was only hesitant because I knew you were going to do this to me one day. I knew I was going to end up like this one day – betrayed and humiliated by you.”

  She bit her lips, looking away. She couldn’t even look at him now without wanting to hit him and cry for him.

  “Yoori…” Tae Hyun whispered, his voice full of anguish.

  Even in anger, Yoori felt herself soothed by his voice. Even in anger, she continued to adore him. This fact alone killed her.

  He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes pleading for her understanding. “What happened the other night between us was real. Everything that we spoke about, everything that we promised each other…it was all real.”

  Yoori wanted to believe him, but she had no more hope left inside her. All she had was the strength of her anger. She had to leave him and she knew just how to make him let go of her.

  “This is why you’re Dong Min and Ju Won’s favorite, aren’t you?” Yoori accused.

  Her voice was cruel and taunting in a way that only An Soo Jin could drawl out. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to hurt him so he could never have the strength to break her again.

  “Because you’re just as manipulative as they are...because you would give up anything for your precious Underworld.”

  Just as she had anticipated, ache splashed over his face as her words stabbed into him. She went on, knowing well that she had to keep hurting him until he couldn’t breathe anymore.

  “This is why Ji Hoon isn’t the favorite,” she persisted, noting that he had grown tenser. It was as if he knew where she was heading with all of this. “Because he sacrificed himself for Soo Jin – because he loved her unconditionally. I should’ve thought about it better when he offered himself to me…when he promised me the world. But I know better now. I know that he loved her and he placed her above his position of power. He loved her…more than you could ever hope to love me.”

  A bitter, knowing smile appeared on her lips. Yet secretly, her heart ached at her cruel words.

  “Your soul had long deteriorated before you promised me the world. It had long deteriorated when you decided to use me like I was worth nothing and play me like I was a stupid twit.”

  She allowed no emotions to cross her gaze once she saw the immense pain take over his eyes. She went on, further drilling the malicious words into him.

  “You could try to be human all you want Tae Hyun, but you’re nothing but a scarred demon—a heartless monster. And if I could do it over again…”

  And then, she whispered words she didn’t mean and words she knew would kill Tae Hyun. It was the only way he would let her go. It was the only way she could move on without him chasing after her and breaking her heart further.

  “…I would’ve chosen Ji Hoon over you.”

  She knew it worked.

  She knew it worked when she saw the misery devour his eyes. She knew it worked when she saw the wretchedness cascade over his pale face. She knew it worked when she felt her heart wrenched as he gazed at her, his pained eyes looking for emotions within her to detect if she was lying.

  She kept her expression cool, icy.

  And that was enough for him to assume that everything she said was the truth of how she felt. It was enough for him to realize that they were done.

  His hold on her slackened and Yoori used the opportunity to pull out of his hold. When she retreated further into the street, she saw a woman walk out of a silver taxicab. She moved toward it and gave Tae Hyun one last cold stare.

  It was a stare that hid the tears she was ready to shed and the yearning she continued to foster for him. How was it possible that she loved and hated someone so much?

  “Stay out of my life.”

  And with that, Yoori g
ot into the cab and rode off. She rode off, never looking back as she finally shed her cool exterior and sobbed her broken heart into her hands. She never looked back to see Tae Hyun standing there, blood drained from his somber face as he watched her drive away from him – as he watched her drive out of his life.

  With nothing but tears blurring her vision, Yoori pulled a hand away from her mouth and quietly pinched herself. The pain of the pinch was nothing compared to the agonizing ache of her heart, yet she felt it nonetheless.

  It wasn’t a dream.

  None of this was a dream.

  It was all real.

  The scars that Tae Hyun left on her…the scars on what was once their blossoming relationship…the scars of his lies…the scars she left on him…all these scars…

  It all existed and it was all painfully and heart-wrenchingly real.

  Their end, as she knew it, was undeniably real.

  “Our society isn’t a world where love conquers all.”

  30: The Return of Gods

  Unknown City, Japan

  Huff...

  Huff…

  Huff…

  “I need to see him!” a blonde, Asian man in his late twenties shouted, stopping in front of the secluded white mansion.

  There were guards all over surveying the perimeters of the two-story mansion and two guards at the door, both of whom blocked the path of the man who was now panting for air.

  “He just got back,” one of them answered, staring at him strangely.

  “No, this is urgent. I have to see boss, now,” the man said vehemently, pushing past the two guards.

  He didn’t wait for their agreement. Whatever it was, it was important enough that he didn’t care to go through the procedure of visiting his own boss.

  “Wait! He said he didn’t want to be disturbed!”

  The other bulky guard tried to pull him back but the blonde man was able to charge into the mansion like a bull. He veered to the left of the mansion, knowing exactly where his boss would reside after coming home from a trip.