Hyomin repaired to her room and sat on her bed. It has been a long time since she had taken leave for her bedroom so early. When Jiyeon had asked about the wrist bracelet that she wore, that was when she knew that her thoughts would most definitely be occupied by that special person and sleep would not come easily. She let out a long, wearied sigh as she thought about how she had pivoted on the balls of her feet and left Jiyeon’s room quickly as the short, blonde-haired warrior invaded her mind.

This warrior’s name was Sunny and she had died four years ago. Hyomin had only heard accounts of how Sunny had died from the G7 members.

‘Her small body, when viewed from a height was a pool of red amidst a field of white snow.’ That was the exact quote Yuri gave her.

‘It was a swift, beautiful death.’ Hyoyeon had added.

Yet, those words of comfort that followed did not lessen any of her grief. The pink-haired captain also learnt that before her own death, Sunny had colluded with G7 forces to save the world and Hyomin with the clever use of her communicator, which was the bracelet.

Hyomin remembered what her sister, also the leader of Black Mamba, Jessica, had revealed to her before putting her in the cylinder to gas her with toxic amounts of gas S101.

‘An act of betrayal.’ That was what her sister wanted to convince her of. Sunny had betrayed her to save the world. She had been using her all the time because Hyomin was a person who could never hate another no matter what she did. And so she kept that in mind. Hyomin would not hate another person. She also could not think that the things Sunny did were acts of betrayal. Instead, she viewed them as acts of love. Love for the world and love for her.

Hyomin could not accept that a person who had loved her and the world so much was simply gone but those were stone hard facts. Sunny was gone. Those were the words from the members of the G7 forces, those whom she considered as her family now. Yet, not even her newfound family could replace the void that Sunny had left in her heart.

Four years it had been and Hyomin had never stopped thinking about the warrior with boyish hair. Even though her boyish cut had been her most distinctive feature, Hyomin loved the warrior’s lips above all. The lips that would speak gentle, encouraging words to her but at times speak the truest, harshest words. The lips that would curve into the warmest smile but at times twist into a nasty scowl showing her disapproval. The lips that had kissed her so earnestly and genuinely. Sunny was real, she had been alive and Hyomin would keep all these memories of her.

The warrior decided that she should take another longer, warm bath to help soothe her emotions. She toyed with the bracelet that was still on her wrist. It was such a thin accessory that it was hard to think that it was an actual communication device. Sunny had a similar bracelet on her wrist when she had died. The bracelet that was on her had been a communication device too, one that she had modified herself and was undoubtedly less sophisticated compared to the one Hyomin had on now.

All day and all night, the only thing that Hyomin did was to tinker and clank in her own small bedroom to make an exact replica of the bracelet and with the same functions. When Tiffany and Seohyun had borrowed her communicator-bracelet to modify and make more copies of it, she could not bear to leave it alone in their hands for more than an hour.   

You promised never to take the bracelet off and you really kept the promise until the end. Now, I will too.

Hyomin promised not to let her weakness show, especially since it was asked of her from Sunny.

Be brave and even if you are scared, never let your weakness show. I love you.

That part had been a message that was left for her alongside the message Sunny had sent to the G7 forces to save Hyomin.

But right now she was alone, and she knew there was no one for her to show her weakness to, so the warrior allowed tears to flow from her eyes freely. She was relieved that her tears could come so easily even after having suppressed them for such a long time. I miss you and I still love you so much, Sunny.

**

Back at Black Mamba’s headquarters, several guards prowled the perimeters of their territory. It was one of the gravest period for the Black Mambas. Shortly after they have received news of Thanatos submitting to the G7 forces, their leader, Jessica flew into such a rage never seen before. Usually known as a sadistic yet composed leader, Jessica had failed to reign in her tempers when she learnt that her plans had foiled. She could not accept it. Jessica could simply not accept that her twin sister could spoil her plans.

The leader of Black Mamba had decided to cut down all the men from Thanatos who had taken part in her plans, managed to escape and now had sought refuge in Black Mamba’s quarters. All twenty-three of them who were being trembling in fear in her cells. Twenty-three incompetent fools that were only competent enough to save their own skins and so Jessica would deny their lives.

Jessica was deciding between several ways to take their lives and it boiled down to two final choices, a fight for their survival in a Black Mamba’s snake pit or a hunting game with herself as the hunter. Eventually, she thought a hunting game more thrilling and fitting, for she was the embodiment of Black Mamba.

The men were all stripped as as their name’s day, only fitted with bells around their ankles and armed with absolutely nothing. Skin hung loosely about their bodies and whatever headful of hair they had previously had withered to a sickly shade of grey. Jessica’s would sometimes gave them permit to eat whatever rats they could find in their cells. Time proved that starvation was no men’s friend and rats were no good nourishment.

Her laughter echoed of the cold, slattern walls of the room as the men scattered about in all direction. For a moment, the Black Mamba had wished that she had fed them more and given them more strength to run instead of having them hobble in painful slowness. Even her slowed gait was sufficient to catch up with them.

Yet, each man that she had cut down had only fuelled her lust for killing more. More, more, Jessica saw herself as the deadliest snake, the Black Mamba. All that stood before her would soon turn into nothing more than cadaver before her. She would strike each and every one of them, swiftly and accurately, like how a Black Mamba would do it.

When the number of prey had dwindled and the snake has not had enough thrill from the game, she would conserve her kill. Each of her prey would not be allowed to fall until she had allowed it. The snake was especially fond of the number nine that day and thus nine cuts it shall be. Nine on each man.

Carnage was everywhere as Jessica satiated her bloodlusts. Her sentries stood as still as though they were carved from stone as they watched the slaughter. When she was down to the last kill, the Black Mamba’s reincarnate gave out orders to her men. “Bring S301 out.”

**

The warrior by the given name of S301 opened her unwavering eyes and stood at attention as she awaited commands.

Though born with a smaller built than many females, S301’s physique was compensated with abundance of lean muscles which lent her greater endurance in battle. Also, since she had been fed frequently with, her master’s venom, her strength has also improved greatly. There was not one warrior in their organisation who could withstand a downward swing from S301 without getting themselves injured in some way. One male fighter even had his right arm split right down to its bone by his own sword. The double edged weapon had bit into his flesh as he attempted to defend himself from the blow.

Mistress Black Mamba however, seemed to utterly enjoy watching S301 commit sinful acts. That did not bother S301 as long as she was occupied with things to do. Obey and execute. That was the two words most ingrained into her mind.

That day, S301 was summoned by her master to do the honour of flaying one of the traitors from another organisation. As like all other times, though S301 took no pleasure in flaying the man, neither was repulsed by it. She was void of feelings. No matter how S301 tried, no activities she took part in could make her feel elation nor unhappiness.

From her eyes that seemed to be luminous in the darkness and the sounds of her cackles, S301 knew that she had pleased her mistress. As the last of her prisoner’s breath went out of him, her mistress had walked over to her, a huge lopsided grin plastered on her face as she gave S301 a pat on her shoulder.

“I am most excited for my sister, Hyomin to see you like this.” The Black Mamba her lips eagerly as she said it.

Hyomin. That name seemed to stir a long lost emotion lodged deep within S301 and that should have been impossible, S301 bore no emotions. A slew of images, some too incoherent to decipher, shuffled in her mind. A face like mistress, pink hair. Brown eyes. Who is this said person to invade my mind like this?

Keeping a straight face that betrayed no emotions, S301 made sure to etch that name deep into her memory. Mistress Black Mamba seemed to not have sensed anything amiss as she dismissed S301 for that day.

Hyomin. A name that seemed to be remembered by every particle of her body. S301 tossed and turned in her sleep that night as her frail human mind reacted to the name and conjured up more memories of the pink-haired human. That warrior knew she was flawed, S301 was not supposed to own any memories of her previous life nor should she own any emotions.

**

Clad in black and scarlet, the colours of the god of death, Thanatos, Jiyeon tailed the pink-haired captain as soundlessly as a ghost would. A sly grin crept into her face as she thumbed over her small scythe before returning it to its leather sheath.

G7 organisation had been extremely merciful to the ex-leader of Thanatos, even allowing her to carry weapons, and they were a fool for their graciousness. Despite having surrendered information, Jiyeon was still a Thanatos deep down. Jiyeon could not believe how her other members had taken to G7’s leadership. Thanatos were known for their slyness and not meekness. Jiyeon knew the G7 members must have done something to her members, fed them something most like, probably a serum that had weakened their hearts and minds. Even though she knew that Hyomin was no more than a captain of unit in the G7 organisation, she still blamed the pink-haired witch for it.

After a while, Jiyeon did not even bother to conceal herself as she stalked the pink-haired captain. Either the captain was extremely relaxed in her own organisation, which seemed unlikely, or she simply was not bothered about anyone prowling after her. Hyomin had not once stopped to check her surroundings. Perhaps the bracelet she wore made her feel safe enough.

The captain was headed out of the main compounds. That was not surprising to Jiyeon since G7 seemed to have several training quarters in the few surrounding towers of theirs. However, the captain had veered off all the main routes and Jiyeon soon found herself out in an open field when the captain had stopped in her tracks and then Jiyeon saw why she had done so.

Before the female captain was a tree sapling, no taller than Jiyeon herself and as thin as a bamboo shoot. Hyomin then bent herself down and started caring for the tree. Slightly confused at first, the girl from Thanatos then turned slightly bemused. Does the captain have a hobby in gardening or had the caring for the tree meant something significant to her? Jiyeon determined it was the latter after moments of observing the captain.

Jiyeon suddenly wondered how the captain would react if she cut down her precious tree.

“If you are thinking of taking your anger for me out on my tree sapling then I suggest you to do otherwise.” 

Jiyeon almost jumped when the captain echoed her exact thoughts.

“So that thing really means something important to you? All the more I get the urge to cut it down,” Jiyeon spoke, her tone was challenging. “Unless you give me a reason not to.”

“I will try to give you enough reasons. The tree is innocent for one. More importantly as you have guessed, the tree means a lot to me and so if you feel even a least bit grateful for me having released you despite protests from the organisation, do not harm this tree,” Hyomin spoke and when she had turned to face her former captive, her pink hair had caught the rays from the sun and gleamed such a brilliant pink that Jiyeon was momentarily stunned by its beauty. The dark cells and the compounds that were perpetually sheltered from the sun never did Hyomin’s beauty any justice. Out here in the open, the sunlight radiated off her skin, giving her a healthy glow and even the brown orbs of hers seemed to have soaked up the warmth from the sun.

The words that Jiyeon wanted to speak were caught up in as her eyes beheld the handsome warrior before her.

“Are those reasons enough for you to spare my tree?” Hyomin probed when no answer came from the former captive.

Jiyeon then noticed that there were more emotions behind the smile the captain had put on. No doubt there was the usual warmth but there seemed to be a perpetual feeling of longingness possibly with a tinge of sadness in her smile. That struck a chord in Jiyeon’s chest and it was an odd feeling. If this was what the people commonly term as a crush on someone, then Jiyeon was pretty sure this was as close as it would get.

Uncomfortable with her own feelings, and fearing that her cheeks might redden, Jiyeon turned swiftly to stalk away. Away from the tree and away from Hyomin.

“I take it that my tree has been spared!” The captain with the beautiful pink hair called out after her. That made Jiyeon grit her teeth. Just keep quiet! Keep quiet! 

**

A/N:

Ayee... this chapter is by far one of the longest chapter i have ever posted. 

Finally some Sunbyung scenes from both the Sun and the Byung... just thoughts but i hope that will suffice :) It's been a long time~

Yea, in case some of you haven't caught it... there has been a four-year time skip from Love&Betrayal to Dominion of Love... so SunByung hasn't seen each other for four years. 

And in between those SunByung moments we have Lady Black Mamba which is none other than Jessica flaunting her acts of cruelty. meh heh heh. 

Evil Jess ._. only in this series /coughs coughs/

And finally... one of the more lighthearted/cute moments from Jiyeon... :D i solemnly swear that ex-leader of Thanatos is up to no good hahaha

Well... so sorry for the long gap in between the previous update and this ToT i was waiting for my poster ToT which i firmly believe will be done soon :)

Fret not, i will still update later this week :) and TaeNy will make their reappearance. So until then~ 

Thank you for the subscribes, comments and upvotes :) enjoy reading!