*Authors' Note*
Hey guys! Been a while since our last chapter :) Here are a few changes that you should note before reading this chapter:
1. Matthias is the Co-leader of the Righteous.
2. Graeme is the Co-leader of the Dark.
3. ENJOY!! 😃
(P. S. : Sorry for the confusion/ inconvenience caused.)

Matthias POV

"No way, man. I'm a co-leader! I do better things than just spying, and we're talking about a Righteous member, not like some Dark kid. It's your sister we're talking about, man. Eli, Eli!" I look back down and place my hand on my forehead in disappointment.

I peer back up, to scan for any signs of... Just something. Yes, I know, I need to show my due respect to my leader. But he needs to know we must do things purposefully, not for no apparent reason at all.

He seems unperturbed at my remark - he probably dismissed my comment, thinking it was stupid.

"Urm... I really don't think there's a..."

"Shut up, you idiot who doesn't know where you stand in this world! I hold leader position, and you don't try your luck and test my patience. Do you want me to kick you out, and you become a nobody? Not just a nobody, but someone who will get laughed at and called a Loser everywhere you go ? You listen to me, if not vice versa!"

So this is what you would get if you disrespected him.

Spontaneously, I bowed down and muttered a half-hearted apology.

"Mmm... At least you have some respect. Now get lost and complete you mission, rascal!"

I really feel like punching Hoseung in his face. In the gut. In the... where the sun don't shine! Basically, I just want to rain punches on his face until he can take it no more.

I bowed down once again, then scurried for the exit. I gently closed the door, though the other half of me wanted to slam the door shut.

Hoseung, get this in that tiny, microscopic brain of yours - I am meant for greater things!

Yes, according to the other Righteous members, I have the stealth comparable to a Ninja in the ancient times, but I am a co-leader! I am supposed to be part of the attacking mission, not just a little spy - on my own team member!

Eli, oh Eli, must you fall in love with Kai Jun before the Choice?

Still, I must obey my leader and complete the mission. I have to, if not, my head is his to chop.

And no, I would never want this. The Righteous shall win this war, we shall reign, and I'll get the second highest position.

Yay - note the sarcasm.

How pathetic.

Focus, focus.

I roughly predicted the way Kaijun was going to take, and advanced in front of him.

There, I see Elicia tapping the wall in anxiety, eyes looking blankly into space.

No way, Elicia. Stop daydreaming!

I was about to run over and warn her when I see Kaijun coming. He wears his usual Dark's training outfit and his slippers flip flop as he jogs towards Elicia.

They chat with each other for a while and Kaijun hugs Elicia.

Then kisses. For a very very long time.

This is it, Eli! You must do it. If not, I'm dead meat.

"Sorry, Kaijun. I have to go now." Eli whispers. With that, she runs off. No, Elicia! You can't do this!

I must get to the headquarters faster than Elicia!

I run at break neck's speed but came to a halt when I realised this: If Hoseung finds out I have failed the mission, I will be chopped!
Suddenly, the gate opens. Hoseung, led by Yin Herng and Graeme, exits the gate. I break into a sprint. I hear Hoseung shout, "Get that idiot!" I rush up to level three of the headquarters and barge into a room. I see Claire and Ashlyn happily chatting away.

"Help!"is all I say before I open the window and jump off. Thinking it was an emergency, I overhear Claire and Ashlyn's conversation:

"I think Matthias was trying to tell us that there is some sort of emergency! Quick. Let's follow him down!"

"Yes!"Squealed Ashlyn.

I look look over my shoulder just in time to see Claire and Ashlyn jumping down the window and following after me.

I cuss silently in my head. Why did they have to follow?

I have no time to think.

Chasing right behind us are two men dressed in black and wearing masks that covered their entire face.

Hoseung's henchmen.

There's no time to waste.

I'll just find a safe place to hide myself and then tell the girls to go back.

They don't know a thing and therefore will not be punished by Hoseung. Maybe there's still a bit of humanity left in that tiny, microscopic brain of his.

They have also been nice to me so I'm quite confident they won't spill the beans and tell my whereabouts to Hoseung.

I hope.

They might, though...

I'll just make them stay with me,then.

With Claire and Ashlyn beside me, we dashed to the main gate. I throw open the door and flee as fast as I can.

Something flies into my eye. I let a muffled cry and shut it close. Still, I didn't dare to stop.

I hear the wind whooshing past me as I ran at break neck speed.

Hoseung's headquarters is very close to the division line of hope though... I just hope I don't cross it accidentally and go over to the dark' territory. I shudder at the thought.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp, excruciating pain.

I faint.

Click. Click. Click. Click. I wake up.

Someone is coming closer, I hear it, I feel it.

From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of polished black.

A chill shoots down from my brain, coursing down my spine, down to my very toes.

I hear a shuffle of feet.

"Please enjoy," a feminine-sounding voice whispers.

I expected, like how in cliché movies, the devil in a red and black mask comes and tortures me.

I wouldn't mind if they do that - my parents did that to me just to train me for these kind of days. They loved torturing me - I would catch that smirk on their faces when they took out their whips and belts. When they tied me to a branch to set me on top of a campfire. When they told me,"I hope your cute little face doesn't get hurt, oh sweetie," then start whacking. I grew up in isolation, you can say. I had parents, but I think those are the only things I really had a few years ago. No love. No peace. No mercy. No nothing. At their funeral I kicked up a whole fuss and cursed at my dead parents.

It was when I got dragged out by the Police, then I realised my parents were of high authority before they passed away. I wanted to just spit,"Now they are not here, idiot" but saved it.

They are the Police, after all.

I wriggle my neck, telling him to bring it on.

I ready myself.

But no, and what happens was nothing like what I expected.

"So, you are Matthias, Claire and Ashlyn, is that?" He brandishes a knife. Despite the darkness, it gleams brighter than the stars in the dark night sky.

He steps closer towards me. The shadows covering him only allow me to catch glimpses of the guy. Despite that, I know from one look. Aidan. His name sends another chill shooting down my spine.

Everyone knows about him. He is the Great.He is great at torturing ,too. Shoot.For the past three weeks, he has already gotten a few spies here and there from the Dark to force the some useful information out of them and slaughtered the useless ones, and I fit into that former category. Well, at least that's what he would think since I'm supposedly the righteous co-leader. He is wrong. Dead wrong.

Hoseung has some major trust issues and has never told anyone about his plan and darkest secrets. He don't trust anyone. Except his precious little sister, Eli.

Seriously, I have no idea why Hoseung chose me as his co-leader. Because I'm timid as a mouse and would never dare to disobey him?

I'll prove you wrong!

Just then, Aidan coughs and I focus back on him. Can't blame me for having ADHD.

He is exactly how I thought him to be. In those movies where you'd have vampires or devils, how they dressed, he dresses.

My eyes widen as the knife reveals its true size. As he steps closer, and closer, I realise it was more of a Katana than anything else.

The blade, delicately lined with intricate designs of dragons, was razor-sharp.

I hear breathing, getting heavier and heavier by the second as footsteps near me.

I close my eyes, crossing my fingers that nothing happens. That's foolish, because something definitely would happen.

An eerie silence blankets the room. Five seconds. Ten seconds. A minute. Three minutes. Nothing happens to me, just pure silence, my world surrounded by pitch darkness. Had they just left the room like that?

The room, though really stuffy from the high humidity, seemed to get colder by the minute. The seconds ticked slower, an hour felt like eternity.

I couldn't take it any longer. And when I least expected, they launched their attack.

Slowly, I opened my eyes to scan the vicinity. If they were gone, we could escape them. Then, head back to righteous' base. Oh no, I can't. Hoseung will kill me.

I seriously don't know what to do. It's a hopeless situation already.

Before I even had time to look around, excruciating pain can be felt from my eyelids. With deadly accuracy, Aidan had cut two lacerations on my very eyelids.

I let out an unearthly roar and shriek and growl and scream and shout, except it was all at one go.

The pain was beyond words to describe.

Crimson goo oozed out from my wounds, that forces me to close my eyes.

Until I knew closing my eyes was all just part of the plan.

I opened my eyes again despite my upper eyelids weighing a thousand pounds and threatening to close anytime.

My vision is cloudy. Everything is in the form of blur silhouettes, the world is black and white. There is only a distinct line of black and white between the surroundings and the people. Their outline, I can quite make out. But the rest, no. Like how I took up a rope thinking it was a knife and tried to slash it at someone then realising it did no harm.

I can hold no longer. My eyes were stinging already. Tears streamed down my eyes (don't judge - it's a natural human reaction, according to Mrs. Noro, she teaches us everything under the Sun, the moon, the stars and the whole galaxy).

"Aww.. Cute little baby, don't cry." Aidan taunts.

I know he's trying to provoke me on the inside, so I keep quiet. This has worked before in my earlier days when I was being bullied, and this will work again.

"Do you want some baby milk?" he challenges again. I still zip my lips.

Flustered, he took a chair and flung it at my right leg.

Frankly, he's pretty weak. Compared to my parents, his hit feels like an ant bite.

But, I need to make myself look like I'm in pain, so I cringe and roll up into a ball.

"I knew you were a baby when I first saw you from across the room," he spat.

"Oh, and here's some baby milk I got for you. Top quality baby formula, by the way. Mixed with ground plastic and other special liquids in which you certainly would like," he sarcastically explains.

"Bring in the milk!" His booming voice reverberates around the room.

Whatever, it's just milk.

Or little did I know...

Milk mixed with tons and tons of vinegar wasabi. One word to describe it.

Inconspicuous.

What had started out to be subtle in intensity grew to be flames that licked every corner of my mouth. Even my teeth stung.

Foolish me marched on like a lemming to drink the wasabi-milk-in-the-ratio-of-ten-to-one mix.

The whole episode consisted of hammer knocks on knees and fingers, whips from crocodile skin and whatnot.

Yes, I'm very casual about it.

Until when a heated iron rod was positioned to hit my head. I would die. We would all die.

"I surrender!" I finally shout. I cannot take it anymore. I will not want to lose my life. I will never want to die with so many regrets.

"Did I just hear wrongly?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"No... Master," I hesitate for a while.

"What do you want from us?" I summon up all of my courage and asked.
"Your loyalty and their betrayal. Betray the Righteous and join the Dark" Aidan's henchman, Graeme gives his irritating evil laugh.
I have no choice. I have to join them. If not, I... have nowhere else to go. I nod my head..
"Good. Now, first mission. Go and get healed at our ' First Aid Centre'. After that, go and get changed. Meet me at the Special room in 2 hours' time! Matthias, You will come back here in 1 hour!" Hoseung stormed.
"Yes, Master!" I ask.
After getting healed, I quickly got changed and hurried into the Special room. I wonder what they will do?
"Hello. I am Yin Herng. As betrayers for the Dark and the loyals for the Righteous, your back will be carved with our Oath."
Hesitantly, we take off our shirts and three carvers come out with sharp, pointy knives. Withstanding the excruciating pain, the carve was finally over. I peer at Claire's back and read the words: " STATE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE. I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Righteous against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Righteous.
I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter."
After that, I head to the torture room.
"I...am...back..Master." I stuttered.
"We need a person to take responsibility of the mission failure. It will be one of you three. Do you volunteer?" Hoseung raged.
I do not want to put my peers down. I was the one who brought them to the torture room. It was my fault I got them almost killed. I will sacrifice myself for them.
"Yes Sir!" I declared.
"Then, go and get dressed. Stay away from the girls. Come back here in ten minutes' time." Graeme takes over. Hoseung exits the pungent torture room.

*Ten Minutes Later*
I changed into my suit and dash into the torture room. Adrenaline courses through my veins. Cold sweat trickle down my face. I... am.... ready.
"I'm ....back, Graeme." I hesitate." I am ready."
"Follow me." Graeme smirks and leads me through a hidden backdoor. There, I see a limousine. Wow, that will be so cool! Graeme leads me to a Police Prison car behind the limo. Sigh, I got my expectations too high.
Hoseung comes from the main door shortly after and gets on the limo. Graeme follows after. Soon, we are off.
"Bzzzz.... Bzzzz.... This is Hoseung speaking. You are now going to the neutral headquarters and you will be executed from there."

*At Qian Hui's headquarters*

I shudder from the cold and anxiety. I have never feared death. Torture, though,was something I can stand, for a short while.

Although I don't believe in Gods, I pray silently in my heart to whoever Gods out there who's willing to help me that Qian Hui is nice enough to give me a peaceful death.

The Qian Hui walks out gracefully. I stare at her,mouth agape. She's dazzling. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

A breeze blows and her fine, angelic hair swishes around flawlessly with it. I just cannot help but stare at her beautiful face, hair, everything. How every single strand seamlessly connects to one another, totally undescribable with words.
She smiles at me, and I just can't help but blush.

Everyone bows, 'All hail the Queen!'

She nods.

They stand and everyone besides me leaves.

I'm not too afraid, though. I know I'm going to die, but I'm sure I'll die a nice death with this nice lady.

Little did I know.

She led me into this room. It has bad lighting and smelt of literally, just blood.

I start having some bad gut feelings...

Qian Hui takes a whip out.

Sweat drips down my brow.

Somehow the whips shine under the dim light.

I squint. Wow. It even has spikes on it. Just wow.

Qian Hui lost her smile. She smirks menacingly.

I close my eyes and waits for the hits.

Whoosh!whoosh!

This continued for twenty times.

By then I was bleeding so bad my skin is covered in blood.

I open my eyes. Was that a hint of regret I see in her eyes? Split second, it's gone. I must have mistaken.

Maniacs don't regret.

After that, she put me into a nail cage.

She sprinkles salt all over my wounds as one of her henchmen rocks the whole nail cage.

All the nails hit me at once. I scream out in agony. To put it lightly, the pain was EXCRUCIATING.

Just when I thought this is ending, they threw me into freezing water.

I have written the many chapters of my life, and I guess this one would be the last.

My life story would end any time here, any time now.

Goodbye, my pals. Good bye, to all those loved or hated.

Good bye. My heart stops beating by the drowning.. I see, feel, smell, taste or hear nothing. My life has finally ended by this maniac.