"I lose?" Raja asked asking if he's really thinking that he lose. Raja chuckled incredulously. Tales lips formed into a thin line as he refuse to yield at him. The dagger is pressed firmly against Raja’s neck. Yet, despite the dangerous situation, Raja didn’t flinch. Instead, his amused eyes locked onto Tales’, as if daring him to strike. 'Gosh! What did you do?! Did you just seriously kiss this pervert and lunatic?! Have you gone insane too?!' he shouted on his mind upon realizing what he did. He's just influence by the desire to win and wipe his smirk off. Being desperate really let you do stupid things. But there's no point in crying over spilled milk. “Do it,” Raja murmured, his voice is low and taunting. “Go ahead.” Tales’ brow furrowed, frustration was seen across his face. He tightened his grip on the dagger, so much that his knuckles became white. He's already beyond piss but now that Raja is waging war, he felt like he might explode any second now. "You think I can't?!"
Tales slammed the first aid kit on the table, the sound is sharp and echoed in the quiet room. His lips are pressed together and his brows are slightly furrowed as if he's controlling something. He is indeed controlling his emotions. 'Just why did I do that earlier? My body react so much, I feel disgusted.' He know he shouldn't felt anything from that kind of act, yet there he is, arching his back that seems like he's begging for more. 'Damnit. What a whore.' he cursed in his mind. The last thing he needed was to let Raja see how deeply he was affected. That's why he's doing his best to hide his emotions. Raja who's sitting and leaning leisurely against the wall, didn’t seem discompose in the slightest. His smirk widened as he sluggishly extended his injured hand toward Tales. Blood still dripped from his fingers, the red liquid staining the floor indicating how deep his wounds are. “Taking your time, huh?” Raja drawled, his tone is taunting Tales. “Or are you too busy thinking a
The days leading up to the ambush were slowly approaching and each day were filled with relentless preparation. Raja insisted on keeping the rigorous training, ensuring Tales knew his role to perfection. The two trained in the training room, its walls echoing with the sound of clashing weapons, hurried footsteps, and Raja’s barked orders. Tales, despite his obvious disdain, threw himself into the drills. He absorbed everything Raja taught him about combat training with a sharp focus that even Raja couldn’t mock—much. “Your stance is too rigid,” Raja remarked during a sparring session, deflecting Tales’ blade with his own with ease. Tales scowled, stepping back to reassess. “Maybe if my trainer wasn’t so insufferable, I’d improve faster,” he bit out, his tone is sharp as his strikes. Raja chuckled, parrying another attack. “Oh, I think you’re doing just fine. Anger suits you.” Tales gritted his teeth, attacking again. Despite his irritation, he couldn’t deny that Raja’s instructio
The ambush was supposed to end cleanly. The team had scattered after the granary flooded, regrouping in pairs. Tales and Raja moved through the complex tunnels, the walls are damp and cold. Their path was lit by the faint glow of a single flashlight coming from Raja's watch, they can barely hear their footsteps because of the sounds of rushing water. Tales walked ahead, still gripping his dagger tightly. His thoughts are a mess and tangled. “You should’ve planned better,” he muttered, his voice echoing faintly. “Complaining again, Tales?” Raja’s voice came from behind, still frustratingly calm despite the danger they barely escaped. “You’re welcome, by the way, for saving your ass back there.” “I didn’t need your help,” Tales snapped, though the memory of Dante’s bullet nearly put him to sleep forever was still fresh in his mind. Raja chuckled, a low sound that aggravated Tales. “Sure you didn’t.” Before Tales could retort, a faint sound caught his attention—too faint that even Ra
As the group emerged from the granary, the night air greeted them with an icy chill. Tales let go of Raja the moment they were outside, letting the man stagger. For all he cares. The men who's fine without any injuries immediately positioned themselves in the periphery to guard and observe the surroundings incase an ambush will happen again. “See? Still standing,” Raja said, spitting BS despite the blood seeping through his side. “Barely,” Tales retorted, brushing dirt off his hands. Raja side eyed him for doing that but didn't say anything. “You should’ve dropped back there and saved me the trouble.” “Oh, don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy holding me up,” Raja teased, his smirk widening. "You're worried about me, that's why you came back." Tales stiffened, his eyes narrowing. “Enjoy? You’re lucky I didn’t just leave you to bleed out.” Tales didn’t even turn around. “ And come again? Worried?" He ask as if trying to make it clear that Raja really did say that. " Maybe I am... Worri
Father’s hand cruelly wrapped around Tales’ throat, lifting him without much effort off the ground. Tales gasped, his fingers burrow at Father’s strong grip as his legs kicked frantically in the air. “You should’ve learned your place,” Father hissed, his tone is frighteningly mad and full of monstrosity. “But I suppose fools like you only understand pain.” Without waiting for a response, he slammed Tales against the wall. The thud echoed through the room as Tales let out a strangled cry, his face screams pain, a bead of tear fall from the end of his eyes, and blood trickling down from the fresh wound on his temple. Raja's men closed their eyes as their brows furrowed. They don't like how it is going but they can't do anything. They're afraid of 'father.' Raja stood sternly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His expression remained cold and emotionless, but his eyes and jaw betrayed him. “Nothing to say, Raja?” Father’s voice was taunting, his grip tightened more on Tales’
The chirps of the nocturnal insects and the faint sound of waves were all they could hear from outside. The small room felt like a cage made to trap animals; its walls were cold and bare, the air is stuffy and suffocating. In the corner, a child sat curled up, his shoulders are shaking as tears streamed down his face. His sobs broke the silence—sharp, irregular and the only noise in the cramped room. Near the door, an older boy sat with his brows furrowed and fists clenched tight. His eyes were filled with annoyance, and his patience was running thin as he looked at the boy who was crying. Clearly, the crybaby was from a privileged background. Judging by his clothes, he might be the son of a wealthy businessman. “Stop crying,” he snapped, his voice sending a warning. “It’s not going to help.” He looked out the small window and saw that they were far from urban areas. This place was most likely isolated. Outside, gunmen patrolled, keeping watch for any signs of rebellion. The younge
Tales' heart fastly beats as Jake's words sank in. The room seemed to close in around him and the air became heavy with suffocating tension. He scooted back into the bed, trying to distance himself with the crazy person."Do you have a screw loose?" Tales muttered, his voice filled with disdain.Jake’s grin widened, his eyes sparkle with a strange, unpredictable light. He settle himself casually on the edge of the bed, as if this was just a friendly chat. "Insane? Oh, Tales, what a harsh word. Can’t we just call it... eccentricity? It’s charming, don’t you think?" He leaned closer, lowering his voice creepily . "I mean, who wouldn’t fall for you after that feisty glare you shot at Father? It was mesmerizing, like watching a handsome storm roll in."Tales feel abhorrence towards him, his expression is twisting in disgust. "Don’t you dare—"Jake laughed by Tales reaction, throwing his head back, the sound is sharp and nettle.'How amusing.' "Dare? Oh, Tales, I don’t need to dare. I jus
'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