The room was eerily quiet as Tales, Michael, Claren, Raoul, and Jake groggily regained consciousness. Their movements were sluggish, their heads pounding from the lingering effects of the sleeping gas. Michael was the first to sit up, rubbing his temples and wincing.“Ugh… what the hell happened?” he muttered, his voice still thick and hoarse as he scanned the whole room, waiting for answers.Jake groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, glancing around the room. “You got played. That much is obvious,” he said bitterly.“But how? How did they know where we were at the moment?” Raoul muttered in confusion, yet no one answered.Tales was the last to rise, shaking his head as if trying to clear the fog. His eyes darted around the room. The place felt so familiar that his mind came to the conclusion they were back at their headquarters. He also noticed the absence of Raja. “Where’s Raja?” he asked, his tone sharp despite his disorientation.Michael shrugged, his expression gr
The next morning, Tales woke up to a light knock on his door. He groaned, rolling over on the floor where he’d fallen asleep the night before. He rubbed his eyes as he ruffled his hair. His back protested as he pushed himself up, the golden envelope still lying unopened on the bed.The knock came again, firmer and louder this time.“Who is it?” Tales grumbled, rubbing his face. His voice was still hoarse, indicating it hadn’t been long since he woke up.“It’s me,” Raja’s voice replied, calm and measured.Tales froze for a moment, his irritation replaced by confusion. Raja never came to his room unless it was absolutely necessary. What’s this man’s deal now? After their confrontation last night, the last person he wanted to see was Raja.“Come in,” he said hesitantly.The door opened, and Raja stepped inside, carrying a neatly folded suit hanging over his arm. His expression was stoic, but there was a strange lightness in his demeanor. Tales couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in suspici
“Do you like me?”The words that came out of Tales' mouth froze the atmosphere. He felt it turn even more awkward, but he needed to see and hear Raja's reaction and answer.Raja stared at him for a moment, as if debating whether to answer or not. He then sighed, tried to open his mouth, but shut it again."Answer me," Tales demanded, pressing Raja to respond to the question.Raja stared back at him and answered, "Yes."Tales was, of course, surprised. Was it really that easy to admit feelings for someone? He had expected Raja to deny everything and revert to the way things were—without any emotions brewing between them—making it easier for Tales to leave the group. But now, he didn’t know how to react.He couldn’t speak, his grip tightening on the fork.For Raja, admitting his feelings was a desperate attempt to make them disappear, hoping that once out in the open, they’d vanish into thin air. But now that he had confessed, the pain of seeing Tales’ reaction—an emotionless face stari
The house was quiet, the kind of stillness that made every sound seem to escalate. Tales stood in front of the mirror in his room, adjusting the cufflinks on his crisp black suit. Raja had left it for him, and even if he didn’t want to wear it, he had no choice. He didn’t want to go to the party either, but if he didn’t, hell awaited him. He knew that much. And he didn’t want to complicate his already complicated life further. He didn’t want to deal with Raja and Oliver all at once. He glanced at himself in the mirror, his reflection staring back with dead eyes. The events of the past days weighed heavily on him, but he couldn’t afford to look weak. Raja’s words still echoed in his mind, and his body still remembered the pain he endured just to let Raja seal whatever feelings were growing inside him and to reduce his debt. His body still remembered the shame he felt, and Tales would not forget about it even if he died. Tales straightened his tie, forcing himself to focus. He knew the
Tales was struggling as he was dragged. He didn't even know what path they were taking because he was horrified by Oliver's statement. What? Auction?! Is he kidding?"Let go of me!" Tales struggled and kicked the guards, but since they were more experienced than him, they were not moved by the kick. They were like a boulder. He wriggled and bit the guard's hand when it attempted to handcuff him."You! Do you want to die?!" the man said furiously when he bit him like a rabid dog. Yet, as furious as he was, Tales just spit on the floor in disgust. But along with it, Tales was hit on the side of his neck with the palm of a hand, and immediately lost consciousness."Sleep! You're infuriating!"When he regained consciousness, he could clearly hear the voices of the people as if he were really near. But before Tales could comprehend, the spotlight immediately lit up on him, and he realized he was placed on stage.Fuck!He looked at the people who were staring at him like he was on display.
After three days, Raja had just returned to his estate, his white long sleeves soaked with blood. He was as pale as a ghost and bruised from the "lesson" Oliver had given him. His thoughts were a tangled mess, rage and frustration clouding every corner of his mind. The memory of Tales’ broken expression haunted him, and the fire within him burned hotter with every step he took.The way he walked looked like he had no direction.As he entered the living room, he found Jake seated comfortably in his chair, legs crossed, sipping from a crystal glass as if he owned the place.“Raja,” Jake greeted, his voice smooth and mocking. “Back so soon? You look awful. Guess Father’s discipline wasn’t just a bedtime story after all.”Raja froze in the doorway, his eyes narrowing to slits. His fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He had no time to argue with him and so he walked to the stairs without even looking at Jake, but the next word Jake spouted made him freeze in plac
It was such a hurdle for Tales. Tales didn’t know what to feel upon seeing that Raja didn’t do anything when Dimitri took him. He just stood there, staring blankly at him.And Tales of course didn't expect Raja to save him although his body trembled unbeknownst to him. They exited the party and went to where Dimitri's vehicle are."Let go of me." He hissed as he bumped his head to the head of one of Dimitri's men named Roose and even flap his legs, kicking the people that surrounded him.Tales eyebrows twitch in fear when Roose narrowed his mind while looking at him. He looks deadly dangerous. Yet Tales frown when the man snickered. "You're feisty. I like that." He raised his hand and attempted to touch Tales but Dmitri immediately slap his hand away. "You dare?""Boss—""Me first." Dmitri stated with emphasis with slightly widening of eyes to say that he should not touch his possession.He was dragged against his will and no matter how much he struggled, it was all in vain. When t
"Get changed."The cold walls of Raja’s headquarters made the room feel lifeless. Brightlight chandelier flickered above, casting shadows on the floor. Tales sat on a couch, his body slumped forward, the weight of the past days are too much to bear. He was wrapped in Raja’s large coat, his own clothes gone—torn and useless. The coat was warm but heavy, a reminder of everything that had happened.His body ached with every breath. Cuts and bruises covered him, and the marks from the whip still burned. But all of this seems to be buried with the suffocating silence and tension in the room. Raja was walking away from the living room now carrying a silence. He walked towards the staircase in order to went to his study, his hands gripping the railings tightly. His white shirt was stained with blood—Dimitri’s blood. The katana he’d used to cut down Dimitri’s men lay was on his hand beside him, still dirty with the fight.The silence between them stretched. Tales couldn’t take it anymore.He
'The first time I saw him, I thought he was invincible.'Raja stood among the other children in that cold, dimly lit training room. His small fists were clenched at his sides, shaking with fear and exhaustion. The trainer’s voice barked commands, and the crack of a whip punctuated every failure. Raja had already been struck once that day, the pain still radiating across his back.He wanted to give up.But then he saw him—Tales, standing tall and defiant in the line of children. There was something different about him. While the others avoided the trainer’s gaze, shrinking under his scrutiny, Tales stared back with fire in his eyes.'He didn’t just survive; he fought. He was everything I wasn’t—strong, fearless, unbreakable. I wanted to be like him. And I was even more mesmerized how well he takes care of me. I'm not his brother by blood but upon consuming the poison, he was there to help me when I woke up. He was attentive to me and treated me like a family.'The memory blurred, shift
The infirmary was covered in silence, save for the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the faint hum of the IV pump. Tales sat drooped in his chair, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Raja’s still form. The moonlight filtered through the small window, casting pale shadows across the room.'His face is pale...'Raja hadn’t open his eyes since they’d brought him in. His face was ashen, his breathing shallow, the rise and fall of his chest barely noticeable. One could mistaken him for being dead if they didn't see the apparatuses.Tales leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he studied the man. “You’re a tough bastard, aren’t you?” he muttered, his voice low. “But even you can’t take this much.”He ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. The stillness was unnerving, the lack of response gnawing at him.“Hey,” Tales said, louder this time, as if sheer force could will Raja to wake. “You gonna make us carry your dead weight forever, or what?”No
The forest was eerily quiet as Unit 1 run away at the back of the mansion towards the woods, surprisingly no one stopped their leaving that fuel their tension as their breaths coming fast and shallow. The moonlight filtered through the canopy above, casting long shadows across the ground. Claren immediately put Raja against a tree, the moon make his battered body crystal clear, while the rest of the team caught their breath, weapons still in hand. Tales crouched nearby, knife glinting in his hand, as he tried to caught his breath.They now only have 10 members left from the unfortunate event. Raoul who has now finally caught his breath, managed to speak. "We can't let our guard down. We should run again before they can catch up.""They will not." Raja intervened even though he's so weak right now.Tales raised his eyebrows. He almost died back there. He'll not do it again. He'd rather wait for an announcement that Raja was dead before moving. He just risked his life for nothing. "Wha
Raja’s words hung in the air, their bitter tone left tension through the room’s silence. Tales took another hesitant step forward, his gaze locked on the bruised and bloodied figure before him."Raja's here, 2nd floor." Raoul informed others through the ear piece.While Tales wince because of emotion he felt. He thought he would be disappointed if he'll find Raja alive but instead, relief wash over him. “Of course, we came,” Tales said, his voice unsteady. He cannot control the emotions that is swirling inside him. “We’re here to get you out.”Raja chuckled weakly, the sound more like a cough. “Out?” he repeated, his words has no hope at all, like he had no hope with his teammates capabilities to get him out of the hellhole, shaking his head. “You’re not getting anyone out of here. Least of all me. You should just wait in the headquarters. You've ruined everything!" He hissed although that's barely a whisper.Raoul narrowed his eyes, his gun still raised. “What the hell are you talki
The white mansion is just ahead, its tall windows glowing with the lights inside and can be seen in the area where the Unit 1 and Tales was hiding. They're hiding behind the tall and big trees. Some were on the bushes. There were no guards. The place was took quite as if inviting them to get inside. But they couldn't care less. "So what is the plan?" Tales asked. Claren could either divide them by group in order to search for Raja faster but Tales' jaw almost dropped when he heard Claren's words."No plan.""W-what?" He asked unbelievably. "How about the lay out of this mansion? You have that at least, right?"Claren looked at him for a long time before shaking his head. "Got none. The plan is to save Raja. Nothing else."Tales was speechless. So it's really a suicide huh? How can they be so brainless? Well, he's no better but he don't want to die. Nevermind... He'll just run if things got really messy."Let's get moving."Tales followed close behind Claren and Raoul, his knife and g
The silence in the living room was deafening, broken only by the faint tik-tak of Tales' feet. It was already a week since Raja's disappearance. Claren and half of the crew already recovered. Though their eyes screams icy stares towards him. He was walking towards the kitchen to eat. Claren who's really quiet, has his earlier anger controlled but simmering just beneath the surface. Michael was also glaring at him like there's no tomorrow. Tales poured himself a water. His mind raced, trying to redirect his thoughts but every thought looped back to Raja.The image of him being dragged away wouldn’t leave.And also the crew seems so busy cleaning with their guns, knives and weapons. Tales even furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity. What are they even doing or planning?Michael who's also eyeing him, finally broke the silence, his voice low and rough. “You are really collected huh? When it's your fault that Raja is like this. But what can I expect ? Even if you'll use your pea brain, your
The morning light filtered through the curtains, weak and gray. Tales hadn’t moved from the floor at all, his body stiff and his mind clouded. The events of the night felt like a blur, but the image of Raja being dragged away remained sharp and vivid.Don't get him wrong. He stayed with Claren and others all because he wanted to acquire some information. He needs to know if Raja will be back alive or in a form of corpse. A loud groan startled Tales and immediately look at Claren who was struggling to sit on the bed. Claren's expression was guarded, but his sharp eyes scanned Tales carefully.Tales sat stiffly on the floor, his fingers twitching against his knees. The morning light streaming through the window did nothing to ease the tension in the air. His mind raced with questions, but no one had come to explain anything. He had to ask.But before he could even speak, Claren opened his mouth to ask, his eyes narrowing at him and his gaze is cold and unwelcoming.“Tales,” Claren ca
"Get changed."The cold walls of Raja’s headquarters made the room feel lifeless. Brightlight chandelier flickered above, casting shadows on the floor. Tales sat on a couch, his body slumped forward, the weight of the past days are too much to bear. He was wrapped in Raja’s large coat, his own clothes gone—torn and useless. The coat was warm but heavy, a reminder of everything that had happened.His body ached with every breath. Cuts and bruises covered him, and the marks from the whip still burned. But all of this seems to be buried with the suffocating silence and tension in the room. Raja was walking away from the living room now carrying a silence. He walked towards the staircase in order to went to his study, his hands gripping the railings tightly. His white shirt was stained with blood—Dimitri’s blood. The katana he’d used to cut down Dimitri’s men lay was on his hand beside him, still dirty with the fight.The silence between them stretched. Tales couldn’t take it anymore.He
It was such a hurdle for Tales. Tales didn’t know what to feel upon seeing that Raja didn’t do anything when Dimitri took him. He just stood there, staring blankly at him.And Tales of course didn't expect Raja to save him although his body trembled unbeknownst to him. They exited the party and went to where Dimitri's vehicle are."Let go of me." He hissed as he bumped his head to the head of one of Dimitri's men named Roose and even flap his legs, kicking the people that surrounded him.Tales eyebrows twitch in fear when Roose narrowed his mind while looking at him. He looks deadly dangerous. Yet Tales frown when the man snickered. "You're feisty. I like that." He raised his hand and attempted to touch Tales but Dmitri immediately slap his hand away. "You dare?""Boss—""Me first." Dmitri stated with emphasis with slightly widening of eyes to say that he should not touch his possession.He was dragged against his will and no matter how much he struggled, it was all in vain. When t