Making a minister seethe with jealousy was a daring feat on it's own, but Dawn managed to do it every time she opened her mouth in Corey's presence. And she relished each moment.

The woman wore a proud smile on her lips as she gleefully added one more point to her infinite winning streak. "Naturally, the reason I assigned Philip Tyndale to Issac's unit was because they were good childhood friends."

As leader of the Cipher Squad, Dawn was well informed about all affairs in North but there were just too many holes in the identity of the young noble that she couldn't just conclude her investigation.

In fact, this was the only clue she had procured in a month and she acquired them through some rather unorthodox means-interrogation included. Nevertheless, she enjoyed rubbing what little information she had in Corey's face. The fact that she had stolen one more abled body into her precious Cipher Squad also made her smile grow.

Corey stood stiffly by the side of his desk, only able to stare dully at Dawn as he sighed at his own stupidity. "Then you know who he is already?"

As the minister asked, he brooded, displeasure evident on his features as he glared at Dawn who sat comfortably in his chair.

"Hm? No." Dawn looked up at him and smiled mischievously. If she noticed his aggrieved expression she didn't show it as she shrugged and stretched her arms above her head, her pink lips pulled into an alluring smile as she spoke. "I thought you knew, Re-Re."

Corey almost fell to the ground in shock, the metallic taste of iron pervading his senses. He coughed out a mouthful of dark blood and stumbled forward, his face pale as pointed a shaky finger at his friend.

"You. . . You are-" But the words could not leave him.

The professor gaped at the speechless man, her eyes wide with amazement as she gazed deeply at the ruler of the north and pointed back at him, her tone laced with curiosity. "Is this what is called 'angering someone to the point of spitting blood'?"

The minister only groaned and wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, well aware of the concern his friend had for him despite her apparent lightheartedness.

"I guess I have been pushing myself past the limit these days." Corey admitted quietly and shook his head as though he was simultaneously denying it.

His eyes dimmed slightly at the thought of the depressing reports that had been coming in this month and as he did the piercing pain in his head flared.

"And as usual, the Order of the Code is causing mischief." he added, his tone unusually weary as he raked his hand through his raven locks in an attempt to alleviate the pulsing ache in his skull.

"Let go for once, Rey." As she spoke, Dawn got up from behind the minister's desk and walked to him, her fingers grazing his as she pulled him close to her.

"When are you going to learn to stop being an idiot?" she scolded playfully as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest.

"And of all the times to do it," the professor mumbled worriedly as she clenched her fists tightly then tugged at the hem of his shirt. "You shouldn't be stressing yourself."

With one arm firmly around her waist, Corey let out a dark laugh. "I am really tired of being a handicap to the north. . . And a burden to you, Dawn."

Dawn froze, her eyes meeting his in silence as she shook her head. "You were never a burden to this nation or to me, Corey. So don't start talking nonsense."

"Nonsense. . . Yes, you're right," He lamented and hugged her tightly, all his energy suddenly exhausted as he leaned the bulk of his weight on her and closed his eyes. "But I have so much to do. . ."

"Well, don't kill yourself," she sighed and held him up, instantly aware of the calming scent of rain he had on him.

"Let me help you, for once." Dawn urged distractedly as his head slipped into the crook of her neck.

"Thank you." Corey mumbled tiredly, his breath tickling her sensitive skin as he laughed, then groaned in distress. "I am so sleepy, but I know I-"

Dawn's eyes widened as her heart struck her ribs painfully and her brain worked overtime to finish his incomplete sentence in her mind.

"You what?" The professor finally asked, a faint blush staining her cheeks as she listened to the steady breathing of her friend, suddenly feeling flustered.

"I. . ." Corey started again, his tone sluggish as he attempted to lift his head only to slump further as he lost the strength to move and passed out in the professor's warm embrace.

"How disappointing." Dawn said, ignoring how her heart pounded against her ribs. She knew that Corey had probably been pushing himself to cover most of her work as well as his. "I guess I wasn't really the one that had you spitting blood all over the place."

She held onto him closely and shook her head again. Always overdoing it.

"Masochist." After a while a small smile appeared on her lips as she supported her best friend with her shoulder and scanned the room for a place to keep him while she informed an MED or an actual doctor.

He really is an idiot. When all she saw were piles and piles of official documents to be signed, Dawn gave up on finding somewhere to drop him. That didn't help the fact that her her hands were shaking. She tried to stop fear from taking over her logical thinking and sending her into panic but it wasn't easy to do.

She couldn't think of a reason why he would pass out, and she couldn't let worry cloud her thinking either.

Dawn was sure that the vice minister's agents would be watching her and Corey. If they saw her panicking they would send reports that something serious had happened and after Corey woke up he might not remain the minister for much longer.

Stupid politics. She felt tempted to teleport the unconscious minister to her hideaway in East, far away from all the scheming and hatred. But she didn't. Corey wouldn't want that.

His episode came early this year. . . Why did he faint?

The leader of the Cipher Squad couldn't keep her thoughts at bay as she hauled the minister along with her to the wall behind his desk and rested him against it.

Assassination, or coincidence?

As Dawn still brooded over Corey's sudden illness, the section of the wall beside them parted to reveal an elevator.

She quickly went in with Corey in tow.

Her fingers brushed away the stray strands of hair that hid his face, and her hand traced his chiseled features for a moment before she reluctantly pulled away.

Dawn sighed as she propped him against the metal wall of the descending lift and pressed her finger on a shiny button on the panel until an eight flashed in front of her eyes.

Eight floors should be enough.

She didn't want to take too long.

Corey's cheeks were tinged blue and his skin felt cold to touch despite the warmth in the air. She was used to the signs by now but she couldn't help but wince each time she saw them.

Dawn gritted her teeth and looked away, not daring to stare at her friend in such a weak state.

"You just had to push yourself."

With her eyes brimming with coldness, the most powerful woman in the north found herself dragging the minister out of the elevator as she made her way to her own room. All the while, she ignored the strange glances from the occasional officers she passed.

In response to their murmurs Dawn only smiled amicably and patted her unconscious cargo on his backside as she replied the questioning stares calmly.

"Don't mind me, gentlemen." She grinned and hoped they couldn't see through her mask of deceit. "Your minister is in good hands."

All onlookers present had long decided that they could not ignore the woman who they had witnessed disgracing their beloved minister too many times to count in the past. Instead they all returned the smile, some choosing to brief the vice minister on the minister's condition and others concluding that they should call in a team of doctors and MEDs.

Both choices were right courses of action for a situation like this but Dawn herself didn't care to be bothered with them, her mind was only fixed on Corey. She knew better than anyone the state he was in right now and her heart was gripped with undescribable fear as she raced down the underground hallway habitually like she had done so many times before.

"Don't you dare die on me, Corey. I won't let you." she said finally, when there was no one around to see her.

If this wasn't just an anomaly, a simple lapse in his health, then there was something bigger going on, something she couldn't have predicted.

Dawn wasn't prepared to lose her best friend to a mistake.

She carried him all the way to her room.

This was not the first time Corey had almost killed himself with overwork, and only a handful of people knew the true reason why it happened. All the others thought it was a running gag between the two of them-the way the minister seemed to pass out every three months and how she always came to his rescue.

It must seem comedic, Dawn realized. But no one would ever be able to guess the truth behind it because reality was far stranger than the rumors and Corey had all intentions of permanently keeping it as a joke.

In the end it was true what they said, that all heroes died young but no world could advance without one. And Dawn knew that in North's story there were many people who were willing to be forgotten.

Corey Roya was one of them.

†

What a confusing chapter, right? Corey is spitting out blood and Dawn is worried out of her mind. This has happened before but somehow this time is different. How?

Who are the Order of the Code and why are they screwing up our minister?

But most importantly, are Dawn and Corey really 'just friends' or something more?

Wonder, ponder and think bigger.

Thank you for reading and have a good day.