by Con Template
“We will, boss,” all nine Cobras assured him, bowing their heads as a sign of their understanding and future adherence of his orders.
“Thank you,” he said to them with genuine appreciation. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, and thank you for everything you will do.”
With that, Tae Hyun, without giving one last glance at his loved ones, regained his composure and walked back towards the arena where the Gods of the Underworld awaited him. He stopped just halfway at the entrance hall, several feet from the light of the arena. He waited for Yoori, who knew it was finally her time to join him.
“Yoori,” Hae Jin called softly, trying to appeal to Yoori when she realized her brother had already made his decision. “Please . . . don’t do this. There has to be another way. Just come with us right now. Just leave and run right now.”
Knowing that the clock was ticking, Yoori pulled Hae Jin into an embrace and kissed her on the forehead. She cupped Hae Jin’s tear-filled face with adoration and forced a smile to come upon her face.
“You will be such a great mother,” she merely whispered, regretful that she would likely never see Hae Jin’s child. Her own conviction set, she finally turned away from them. “Please take care of yourselves.”
Yoori sped away, the commotion behind her triggering her heart to rip into pieces. She could hear Hae Jin clamoring to get to her, crying for her to not go. She could hear Chae Young holding her back, crying tears of her own. With her misery worsening from hearing their hopeless sobs, she continued to walk straight ahead, nodding at the Cobras to take them away now.
Yoori took a moment to regain her bearings and approached Tae Hyun in the darkness. When she stopped in front of him, the very last thing she heard was Hae Jin and Chae Young crying before the big doors slammed closed, officially freeing their loved ones, and officially entrapping Yoori and Tae Hyun at the mercy of the Underworld—officially telling Yoori that the end was near.
It was finally just them.
It was finally just her and Tae Hyun.
Yoori looked up at Tae Hyun while the beckoning mouth of hell awaited their return.
Yoori could feel her fears come into play when their eyes met. Their gazes mirrored each other. They were both scared, both deathly afraid.
“I wish . . . that you hadn’t come,” Tae Hyun told her regrettably, finally giving away the fear that he had been concealing from their loved ones.
“I wish you hadn’t come either,” she whispered, feeling the same regret. An unrivaled fear wrapped through her while they took another minute to bask in each other’s presence. Given the chaos that was about to take place, this stolen moment of reprieve was a gift before their descent back to hell.
No matter how much they embodied it, Yoori knew, just as Tae Hyun knew, that they were no longer Gods. They were merely humans now. Humans who knew that they were facing wrathful Gods, and humans who did not fear for the safety of their own lives, but the safety of the one they loved more than anything in the world.
Yoori was so afraid, but what could she do now?
All she could do was fight past her fears and hope against hope that they could make it through this seemingly impossible night.
God help us. Her desperate mind prayed to a being she had never once prayed to. Please help us.
At long last, with a silent nod to one another, they inhaled deeply and put on their masks of fearlessness. With their hands intertwined, they marched back into the entrance of hell and faced the very society that threatened to rip them apart.
Pushing her fears aside, Yoori used all her strength to summon the Queen from within her—the Queen who would do things that her human counterpart could never do.
Ju Won and the rest of the Underworld watched Tae Hyun and Yoori approach the center of the onyx stage with their heads held high.
“I trust you’re satisfied with how smoothly that farewell went?” Ju Won asked expectantly, sitting comfortably on his chair.
“Cut the political bullshit, and let’s get to the point,” Tae Hyun dismissed, taking the words right out of Yoori’s mouth. Now that his loved ones were no longer hostages, he showed no more inhibitions to his true nature as a King. He looked angry and unforgiving—just as Yoori did.
“What do you intend to put us through tonight?” Yoori asked in the same firm voice.
“You’ve caused quite a ruckus in our world. This is unacceptable for two individuals as influential as the two of you,” started Ju Won.
Around him, the majority of the Underworld murmured in agreement. They narrowed their critical eyes onto their former King and Queen, listening as Ju Won elaborated further.
“I had such high hopes.” Ju Won eyed Yoori. “I raised you.” He then turned to Tae Hyun. “And I spoiled you. I gave you every possible chance a King could have because I believed in your greatness.” He smiled bitterly, swaying his agitated head from side to side. “Mistake after mistake, I looked the other way for you. I, along with the ones who supported you, persuaded the Underworld society to forgive you for your momentary lapse in judgment. We assured them that once you had seen the errors of your ways and realized what was at stake, you would use that forty-eight hour period to make the right decision.” He looked at both of them. “I think we can see now that rationality has not returned to either of you. This is something we want to drill into you tonight.”
He faced Yoori again, addressing her and only her.
“Before you came here, you had Chae Young call the authorities, telling them enough of what they needed to hear for them to come here and ‘capture’ us.”
While Tae Hyun’s eyes enlarged at this revelation, Yoori maintained her cool façade. She was aware of how connected the Underworld was to the authorities, but she didn’t anticipate that they would be privy to this information so soon. She took a tremendous risk in involving the legal authorities. Nevertheless, it was the only option she saw left in someone saving them—or at least distracting her world enough so that she and Tae Hyun could make their escape. She saw now how futile everything was. No one would come save them in time. The only ones they could count on were themselves.
“But you should also know that our 1st layer is very close with those who sit in the government chairs. Even if they are coming, it will be slow, and it will be difficult for them to find this exact location. You will be executed before they arrive.” Ju Won’s lips edged up in a grin. “But it doesn’t have to boil down to this.”
The suggestive tone in his voice earned the undivided attention of Yoori and Tae Hyun. Their ears perked up in interest at the possible meaning behind his words.
“If you agree to our next terms, then there is a chance the both of you can walk out of here safely.”
Tae Hyun stepped forward. He did not believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean?”
“You have turned this world upside down with your choices in life, and in turn, I, along with our Underworld and our brothers from several other Underworlds, have grown curious.” An amused chuckle emitted from him. “Does ‘love’ really conquer all? Are the teachings of the Underworld just guidelines that can be ignored? Can Gods who have turned human really win over the wrath of the Gods they betrayed? It’s an interesting philosophical question that we would like to get an answer for.”
“What are the terms?” Yoori asked solemnly, eager to finally learn what they had in store for them tonight.
“You will get rid of all your weapons,” Ju Won instructed, looking from one to the other. A dark, measured stipulation poured from his lips. “Injured or not, when those guns are in your hands, the two of you will always be unstoppable—untouchable. But if you voluntarily give it up and adhere to the rules of combat we have set forth for you tonight, then we will not only give you a chance to be set free, but we’ll also give you the same immunity your loved ones received.” Tae Hyun and Yoori’s eyes grew wide at this, and Ju Won smiled at their expected reactions. He capitalized on the amazement in their gazes. “This is
a once-in-a-lifetime offer. With your guns, you will be able to fight nearly everyone off, but do you think you could endure such a battle with your injuries?”
Yoori felt herself and Tae Hyun stiffen once Ju Won mentioned their injuries. She could see the eyes of the Underworld crowd light up in curiosity too. They hadn’t forgotten that Yoori and Tae Hyun were not the Gods they could be. They had been weakened, severely so. Without their guns in their possession, anything tonight would be fair game.
“At least with this agreement,” Ju Won continued, trying to reason with them, “there would be a chance that you will finally be out of all of this. You could finally be free from the Underworld.”
“What,” Yoori demanded quietly, “are the rules?”
The condition of this deal was a death sentence, but the end reward was too valuable. An immunity from the Underworld—what a great reward that would be. They would finally be free from this affliction. They could finally be happy.
“An initiation takes five minutes,” Jung Min answered. “For our former King and Queen, we’ll give you an hour to make your exit from our world. An hour to beat anything and everything thrown your way, and an hour to still keep breathing. If you make it through this hour, then you’ll have all of our words that no one in the Underworld will come after you. You will be able to disappear, and you will be able to live the life you gave up your thrones for.”
“Why such leniency?” Tae Hyun inquired, voicing the question that was circulating in Yoori’s mind.
Considering that the Underworld could easily execute them at the drop of a hat, it was bewildering to be given this once-in-a-lifetime deal.
“The Underworld has become very divided because of the two of you,” Dong Min answered from the other side of the amphitheater. “There are some who are disappointed, but will always have a soft spot for you. There are some who still feel loyalty towards you, there are some who want you to be punished severely, and some so apathetic that they do not care what happens. They simply want to be entertained.”
Ju Won smiled and took over Dong Min’s monologue. “In the interest of perpetuating civility amongst the divided society, we have come up with a more entertaining compromise for everyone involved.”
“You want a show,” Tae Hyun and Yoori said knowledgeably, comprehending now why Ju Won, Ji Hoon, Young Jae, and the majority of the Underworld agreed to this one-hour term.
They wanted to be entertained.
Setting this “compromise” up was a way to appease those who didn’t want to punish Yoori and Tae Hyun. It was also employed as a way for Ji Hoon and the rest of the Underworld to be entertained. As for Ju Won, Yoori was certain he wanted all the younger generations of Underworld Royals to learn from the “mistakes” of Yoori and Tae Hyun. What better way to drill the importance of not falling victim to love than to punish the ones who fell so far from grace? Theoretically, it was a win-win compromise for everyone involved.
“A way to keep the peace, right?” Yoori couldn’t help but state caustically. “And a great way to be entertained while two fallen Gods fight for their lives and fight for the slim chance of making it through the hour.”
Ju Won merely smiled at her words. In lieu of directly responding, he said, “The terms have been set. Do you agree or disagree?”
Sarcasm streamed from Tae Hyun’s dry expression. “Do we really have a choice?”
“Not in so many words.” Ju Won admitted. He grinned pleasantly. “You may not have much of a choice, but you do stand a chance to make it out of this. You may question our intentions for setting this up, but even you have to admit that this offer is something that has never been presented in our world. It is likely that it will never be offered again. An opportunity like this should not be discounted; it should be taken advantage of—it should be seized.”
Yoori agreed with everything he stated. This chance of freedom was an offer that had never been given in their world. They could not allow this moment to pass them by. They had to take the chance. It was the only chance they had left.
Showing no more hesitation, Yoori and Tae Hyun gave a wordless nod to one another. Soon after, they began to toss their guns and knives onto the tiles of the arena. As soon as the weapons touched the ground, two Underworld soldiers immediately swept them up and vacated the arena with the weapons in tow.
Weaponless, Yoori and Tae Hyun stared at the crowd without a shred of fear.
“What will this hour consist of?” they asked simultaneously.
“That,” Ju Won said impassively, returning his attention to the one who would control the remainder of the night, “will be at the will of the King.”
Above them, the two glass ceilings of the amphitheater slowly raised up, mechanically closing out the world above. An ominous rumble reverberated through the arena when the two glass dome ceilings met in the middle, officially starting off the event of the night.
Ice-cold chills pulsed in Yoori’s veins. She understood all too clearly now why Ji Hoon was sitting so comfortably the entire time.
He knew.
This entire time, he knew that their lives would literally be in the palm of his hand. He allowed Ju Won some semblance of control because he knew that the rest of the night would be spent under his governance—under his will.
Yoori glanced at Tae Hyun.
It was clear that he shared the same thought: an hour under the wrath of the Underworld was already considered hell on earth. An hour under the wrath of Lee Ji Hoon was going to be hell of the most apocalyptic proportions.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
It was going to be agonizingly hard and painfully unimaginable.
“You’re sleepy already?”
32: The End of Gods
The atmosphere of the Underworld was an anticipatory one.
Sitting eagerly in their seats, all eyes of the Underworld populace were focused on the King sitting comfortably in his throne. His back was pushed contentedly against the cushion of the chair, his elbow rested on an armrest, and an ankle was propped onto his knee.
Ji Hoon gazed at the two people whose fates were held within the palm of his hand. His lips were curled up into a vindictive smile.
“Isn’t it funny how life works out?” he asked them offhandedly, leaning forward in his seat. “That after all we’ve been through, the moment would come where you would be at my mercy like this?”
“It must be nice,” Yoori launched curtly, unknowingly critiquing Ji Hoon in the same manner Tae Hyun had earlier in the night, “to know that the only reason why you’re sitting there is because Tae Hyun and I threw away that throne. How nice it must feel to know that you’re only a second-tier choice compared to us.”
Yoori reveled in the subtle anger that surfaced on Ji Hoon’s face. She despised the bastard. It infuriated her that their lives were in his hands. She wasn’t afraid of him, and she wasn’t afraid of what he might do. The only thing she feared was the unexpected, the unimaginable, and the inevitability that came with tempting the wrath of anyone in the Underworld. It had been mere days since Tae Hyun and Yoori battled one another. They had done a number on each other. They did not need a doctor to tell them that they were going into battle with an extreme disadvantage.
One minute at a time, Yoori coached herself to further get her mind back in the game. One minute at a time. If they did things right, then they might have a chance of surviving this night.
“I will enjoy every bit of this,” Ji Hoon murmured to them instead. He did not appreciate their assaults earlier in the night, and he most certainly did not appreciate Yoori’s recent insult. If the cruel expression on his face was any indication, then he was ready to make them pay for their offenses with blood.
Eliciting a breathy sigh to prepare himself for the fun he was about to have, he motioned a “down” prompt with his index finger.
In that instant, twenty men and women, all of whom were covered from head to toe in black, propelled down the newly closed ceilings with harnesses
. With their faces covered with ski masks, they jumped out of their harnesses a few inches from the onyx tiles and swiftly landed on their knees. They created a circular formation around Tae Hyun and Yoori, trapping them in while kneeling before Ji Hoon. With their heads hung low, they awaited his further command.
Ji Hoon grinned, dividing his attention between Tae Hyun and Yoori.
“Let’s warm you up, shall we?” He waved an index finger at the two, like one would to trouble-making children. “Remember that you are not allowed guns or swords for this particular battle. It would be an unfair advantage given your . . . skill level.” And then, with a fleeting silence to mark the beginning of what was to come, his eyes darkened. He rested his cruel gaze on his assassins, and with a simple command of “Commence”, the beginnings of hell began.
Twenty glinting swords emerged in their hands. Sparing no more precious time, they stampeded towards Yoori and Tae Hyun without fear.
“You got my back?” Tae Hyun asked lightheartedly, trying to quell any fear that may have risen within Yoori. With that prompt, he was also subtly letting her know that there were snipers all around the arena. The snipers were getting into position to shoot at them as well.
Yoori smiled, grateful for this heads up. With their backs to one another, Yoori kept her eyes on the assassins who were charging towards them.
She let out a small laugh and just as lightheartedly replied, “As long as you got mine.”
Twenty assassins and several unidentified snipers fighting a former King and Queen—even for two people trained to be better than the rest, they knew that without their guns, the next best weapon they had to overcome the odds was to fight together—to fight in synchronization.
Without another wasted second, as she felt herself and Tae Hyun pull away from each other, a string of sniper bullets flew at them, commencing the beginning of their organized defense.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Tae Hyun and Yoori fought in a coordinated motion and ducked at the same time. Each grabbed hold of the kendo stick left adrift on the tiles. With their hands holding the opposite ends of the bamboo stick, they raised it over their heads. In that same moment, multiple swords came down upon them. The blades struck the protective shield of the kendo stick, their sharp tongues hungry for a taste of flesh.