Elicia POV

"3... 2... 1... Go! Hurry! Proceed as planned!"I hear Brother shout from the control room. From the fourth floor, I see him exit the door of the control room, striding confidently. Aidan is going to die, I tell myself.

"Eli, c'mere," he says more gently but still affirming.

"Yeah, gimme a sec," I dash down the stairs.

I find Hoseung standing on the wooden platform beneath his feet, hands behind his back.

The look on his face is totally different from before the Choice.

Before the Choice, he was a generous donor of both blood and money. On top of it all, he was the best brother. Back in elementary school, he'd guide me through my homework, have fun with me, the perfect brother of everyone's eye.

He was the good guy, capable, affectionate to everyone and very gentle.

But now, he's the exact opposite. This is the result of what the Choice has done to him.

It has moulded him into the exact character the Neutral wants him to become.

Ruthless.

Arrogant.

Materialistic.

Obsessive.

I hate to think that my brother has been completely morphed into another person, but the hard truth is.

He has already.

He would stay this way forever

"Eli, I need to discuss something with you. Let's go to the Hall A."

I raise my head, slightly confused. He had not used this tone to talk to me before. It was a serious tone.

My eyes lit up. Maybe he is finally giving in and letting me join the fight. My heart fluttered with anticipation.

He had not allowed me to before. Not even after days of sweet talks with him. He had not budged a bit.

Maybe he will even give me some secret mission!

There was a spring in my steps as I followed him into the brightly-lit meeting room.

He sat on one of the looking-so-formal chairs and gave me a looking-so-formal look. My excitement died down and a nauseous feeling filled my stomach. He looked so grim... It couldn't be.

Oh no.

Had he discovered my relationship with Kaijun?

I gulp.

My heart pounded so hard for a moment I thought it was going to burst through my ribcage.

I made myself look Brother in the eye. Gingerly.

What I saw is not anger. It was disappointment, indecision and... Guilt. I cocked my head, feeling even more baffled as the clock ticked away.

I know that now is definitely not the time to hold on to love relationships. Especially when the other person is from the other side.

The Dark side.

It can be death penalty once discovered by anyone on your own side. It is considered betrayal and a disgrace to the whole family.

But I couldn't care less. I love Kaijun so much. I will give my life for him. Until now.

Just as I was lost in my own train of thoughts, my brother spoke in a deep voice.

"Eli..." He cleared his throat. His little finger twitched. It was a habit of his when he is nervous.

I nodded slowly. Waited for him to announce my doom. For me to be executed. I will understand him perfectly. He needed to be fair, even towards his own little sister.

Surprisingly, he looked at me in a warm manner. I can see in his eyes he is hiding something.

"I know about you and Kaijun." He began again.

These words were like the knives that cut the last strings of my conscience.

I break down.

Sobbing for what seemed like an eternity, I finally stop.

Gazing up at his indifferent face, my heart crumble to pieces.

He used to be the one wiping my tears away when I cried. And now he is just sitting there, staring at me as if I disgusted him by showing my weakness.

He has really changed. He is not my caring brother anymore.

He has turned into this horrible monster who thirsts for blood. All he wants is to win the stupid war.

I stand up, defiance radiating off me. "So? What do you want? If you want to kill me, just do it!" I scream.

"What are you talking about? Sis, sit down and I will tell you about it." He coos in this sickening tone that is supposed to calm me down.

I cringe and do as told.

Brother smirks and says slyly, "We have more use for this relationship you have here."

I scrunch up my nose in disgust. Whatever he means by that, it certainly does not sound appealing.

Make use of my relationship?

How?

Tell me you are kidding. Tell me you are.

"We're gonna have you build up the relationship to get up close, then kill him. "

What?!

No.

Never.

Kill my lover?

Never in my life.

"W...wh...why?" I said in between sobs despondently.

" You know it Elicia. We are in the Righteous. We may not always be right, but... we are better than the Dark. You may not know about this, but I wish the sides will reunite and form back the Class of Hope. We need to eliminate the worst for the best world. Killing Kaijun, is for the greater good."

I shake my head. "Never." I say, determination ringing in my voice." I don't trust you." I felt a stab in my heart as I said these plain four words.

Who would have imagined me saying these words to my brother? The one who have been my closest family for years, even placing in front of my parents.

I could see hurt clearly written there on his face. For a split second, Hoseung, my Hoseung is still here. Just hidden well behind a façade made up of hatred, anger and his thirst for blood.

His previous ice-cold eyes melted into helplessness." Eli... Please... This will be the last thing I ask you to do for me..."

He looks so vulnerable and hopeful refusing him will be like kicking a puppy.

My expression softens. That fraction of a second alone is enough to convince me.

That the true Hoseung has not vanished.

My, and only my, Hoseung.

I force a slight nod ," Okay. But you gotta promise me one thing, just one thing."

"Yeah?"

"I wanna have that Aidan's head."

"Oh, come on. That's no problem. He's going down for sure." He speaks confidently.

With a trembling hand, I grab my handbag, stuffed a knife in between a few compartments and left the meeting room.

"Good girl, go goodie girl," he whispers.

I trudge out of The Righteous' Headquarters. From outside, I could hear Brother shouting commands to drag Aidan alive, not kill him.

The silent rain pattered gently on my cheeks, before flowing down. I look back once again at our campus, telling myself to make sure not to let anyone down.

~°~

My agility was better than I had expected. Sporting a black shirt and a pair of black pants, I blended in nicely with the shadows, eyes always on the lookout for the word Kaijun on top of any room.

Kaijun.

Oh how dearly I missed you, am I really going to kill you? It's really not sarcastic, I really, really miss him.

"Woohoo! Come on, come on, higher!" I squealed.

With Kaijun pushing me, I was standing on the swing, enjoying the breeze, flailing my arms in the air every once in a while when it's safe.

Standing almost two meters tall, Kaijun was the giant amongst most schoolmates. He was no ordinary boy-next-door kind of person. Popular because of his height and muscular build, he has got many girls chasing after him.

But of course, I am his one and only blooming flower. Blessed with a silver tongue, he used all sorts of tactics to get me to be his girlfriend.

I have now succumbed to being with him, not the old disgusted-when-it-comes-to-love girl I used to be.

And now, oh Man, how could I love him more?

He pushed me once again, and I could feel his strength from my back, his gentle yet firm hand, with its comfortable warmth sensible through my clothes and on my back.

I love him.

That's the only way to describe it.

No, never will there be any other way to phrase it.

He is my pillar of support, the one I fall back on in tough times.

My knight in shining armour.

He pushes me again and again, till the point when I'm almost upside down.

Man, the adrenaline.

"Stop, stop!" I shout at the top of my lungs, though half of me wanted to turn three hundred and sixty.

I just go swinging, for on, and on, and on, and on...

Hearing the distinctive sound of boots stomping on the floor, I snap back to reality.

Now, your main aim is to kill Kaijun, not to get back into a relationship, dumb ass.

But you love him, don't you?

Are you going to betray the Righteous?

Or not?

You know clearly it is a critical decision, and you know very well the consequences, don't you?

And you're just going to let him go like that? Brother is giving you an opportunity to love him, don't you realise that?

No! You know it's wrong!

You need to choose love over loyalty, girl, it's your happiness!

Loyalty OVER love!

Frustrated, I shut the voices in my head up. Gotta focus, gotta focus.

You have to focus.

I immediately fell silent, stopped doing the little tapping on the wall that I unintentionally did before.

Focus.

A really bulked-up guy crossed, standing as tall as Kaijun.

I hate this idiotic déjà vu that's coming back to me every single time I see a person that looks like him.

Yes, him.

Till I realised...

It IS him.

I jumped up, already expecting him to move back little.

I started to put my hands around his waist, giving him a big hug.

With little light shining through the little gaps between the both of us, I could see his familiar eyes.

His electric blue eyes.

Everything around me calmed into silence - a deadly one. Even the rhythmic hum I could hear before that was gone. Everything was, except us.

He smells like... Home. Apples and vanilla and cherries and any other pleasant scent one can think of.

The unique smell of him.

My hands reached out for his cheeks I could feel... almost breathe his smooth complexion. We are attached, two chains made of the strongest metals linked together, inseparable.

I close my eyes, tilted my head up a little, leaning forward expecting the incredible moment to come.

We were dangerously close, and I could feel his hot breath on my skin.

Lean a little more, it would come.

Why not?

I pull him closer, hands wrapped behind his head, deepening myself into this perfect kiss. But I stop. My parents had told me this - never to kiss anyone until I am 25. I'm only 21! I will listen to my mother. Or not.

I pull myself back.

As if already knowing it is me, he tugged me closer towards him.

Or maybe he just likes the pleasure.

No, no, it's the former, I convince myself.

His soft, tender lips are just irresistible. I give in.

You know what, heck cares about my mother's rules. 

He tugs me towards himself even more, letting go of my lips for a split-second before giving me a more affirming kiss.

The feeling is crazy yet amazing at the same time, and I just cannot resist falling into this gigantic pot of amazingly sweet -his- honey.

My entire body is just staying there, useless, barely tip-toeing to reach his height.

He slowly pulls me down, as his lips trace my facial features - from my forehead, my nose, brushing across my cheekbones, to my chin, till when he reached my ears and whispered an "I miss you, baby, and I love you, Eli. You are incredible." before sliding down to my cheekbone again to plant another gentle kiss.

"I know, me too, Kai. I love you like a fat loves cake, like a bee loves honey, like a love song, like how fairy tales would end - the happily ever after I wished both of us could have. No, I just..."

"Shhh... Calm down, my girl, shhh..."

Now's the chance.

My hand reaches out for the knife.

Strong in my grip, the gleaming metal shines bright in the darkness.

My eyes peer down once more, and I know I have to make a decision.

There's no third choice.

I love Kai Jun.

I love my Brother.

It's Kaijun or my brother, and I know that.

But who?