My mission is to keep my family safe.
I, the daughter of the chief, have to be responsible and brave to fight for justice and freedom.
And, that’s what I do.

    “Unnie...”
    My eyes shift to the cute girl who is standing beside me, rubbing her eye with a teddy bear held in one of her hands.
    “Julie, darling, why are you not in bad, yet?”
    I carry her by my arms then shift my gaze back to the men.
    “Let’s call it a day, soldiers. We’ll continue this meeting tomorrow morning, 0900, sharp, at here, understood me?” I say with my eyes eyeing on each of them sharply.
    “Understood, miss,” they reply in unison.
    “Good, discussion dismiss,”
    All of them give their salute before leaving the discussion room.
    After all of them have left, I then step away from the room and amble to Julie’s bedroom. The only room decorated with light colours of wall, paintings, lights and furnitures. With full of gentle, I lay her on the bed then tuck her into her pink fluffy polka dot blanket. Her eyes are on me since the moment I carried her in the discussion room till now, focusing on the words and actions that I am doing.
    “You know you should start sleeping by yourself without me tucking you in your bed every night right?” both of my hands are on my hips.
    She shakes her head gently.
    Cute.
    “Julie, you’re going to be eight this year,”
    Her round eyes blink numerously. I sneer, looking at her cute action. I bend over and give her a kiss on her forehead. My hand then runs through her thin-layered, naturally hazel-coloured hair softly and ruffles it. I straighten my back and wish her a good night then leave her room. Slowly, I close the door without making any creaking sound so she will not get distracted.
    I throw myself on the cushioned chair, then let out a heavy sigh. My hands wipe my puffy face, trying to make me feel fresher so my eyes can stay open for the next few hours. Twisting my chair to face the table, I lift my back from leaning against the seat and start to focus myself on the job. My fingers push my laptop open and press the ‘on’ button. I take a few of sips while waiting my laptop to fully turn on.
    My eyes catch the view of a picture of my family, smiling widely and joyfully, on the desktop background. Even though they were smiling, I know, I can’t do the same. At least, not now. And, I don’t know when my lips can curve that way again. I let my fingers to lay on the screen, trying to touch their faces, as if I can feel and really touch them.
    But, deep inside of my heart, knowing the pain truth, I know I can’t do that. Again.
    For forever again.
    Because they’re gone.
    Forever.
    They sacrificed themselves just to keep me safe from the Archs, the great number of armies that aligned the evil, selfish and cruel Government. I was just a girl, that time, maybe like 14, or 15, I don’t want even to remember back how old I was. They kept telling me to just stay in the house and wait for them to come back. I did wait, I really did wait, until that point, after five hours, I couldn’t bear staying still, sitting at the corner silently, doing nothing, I brave myself to go out of the house and search for my family, since they did not seem to appear at any moment.
    And then, I saw all of the houses were burning…
    And then, I saw smokes everywhere…
    And then, I saw people aiming and shooting their guns to each other…
    And then, there I saw my family getting shot right on their bodies, right in front of me…
    And then...
    And then…
    “Miss Lee?”
    A voice snaps me back from the flashback, making my eyes that were on the screen shifting right to the voice’s owner’s eyes. I blink for a few times, before realizing that my eyes are pouring heavily with tears by my cheeks. Awkwardly, and quickly, I wipe my tears off with both of my palms right away. Clearing my throat, I start to voice out.
    “What’s the matter, Mr. Jung?”
    “May I come in? Or… I’m here at the wrong timing, miss?” he looks hesitated.
    “Oh, no no. Of course, you may. Please, come in,” I allow him.
    His black boots tap into my office and stop stepping further right in front of my table.
    “I’m here to report that today’s practice just ended, Miss Lee,”
    My eyes then travel down to his boots.
    “Your boots look… clean?”
    He then drops his chin to his chest to take a look on his boots.
    “You practiced indoor today, perhaps?”
    “Oh, no, miss. I… I cleaned them before entering into your office, Miss,”
    I nod gently.
    “Back to the topic. So, any problems occurred? Did someone die?”
    “No, miss. Everyone is just fine. Except for some of the cadets, they got thin and deep cuts at the face and the leg, which had been treated by the medics,” he explains, thoroughly and smoothly.
    “Cuts, meh. Small matter,”
    He smiles a bit.
    “That’s all?”
    “Yes, miss,”
    “Okay, then. You may be dismissed,”
    He salutes and starts to walk away. I shift my gaze back to the laptop screen when suddenly…
    “Miss?”
    My eyes go back to him. One of my eyebrows rises.
    “If… you need… some help, personally or whatever kind of help, I’m… always there for you,” he stutters awkwardly. His lips draw a sweet yet awkward smile before bowing and leaves her alone in the office.
    I let out a sneer.
    Jung Hoseok. I know him. Of course, I know him. Everyone knows him. Friends? No, we’re not. I have no friends, back then or even now. But, how do I know him?
    At first, he was one of in their side. I saw him once at the tv, as young as me, looking so innocent with both of his hands were held by his parents who were the Crowns. Proudly, his name was announced by the Government to be the next Crown for the next generation, to lead the world and continue their empire. I hated him, even though I knew he was too young to understand everything that time.
    But, he made me realize that being born in a cruel, inhumanity society does not make you like them. He made me realize to judge people by their hearts and personalities and not by their backgrounds. He made me realize that hiding and living in fear are useless. He made me to gather all the bits of my courage and stand for the sake of me, my family, my people and humanity. The word, ‘surrender’ has been thrown out from my vocabulary.
    I remember that time, when he came to us, with a determined face plastered on and not even a drop of water was brought by him. We were 14, or maybe 15, the same year where the war occurred. We were shocked, too surprised by his sudden confession to join in the Insurgent. He was too brave to smuggle out from the Government area and secretly went here just to join us, fight his own family, fight his own blood, fight his origin. He also confessed that at first, he thought of betraying us, but he said, his heart told not to do it.
    “Sometimes, listening to my heart is more important than listening to what my family says,” once he said to me, when I asked him about his family.
    I, secretly, admired him because of his bravery and his willing to leave his family, since I am a person who treasure my family the most. He was also the one who saved me from being shot at that war that time. He pulled me into the corner when he saw me standing outside my house, watching my family just got shot in front of my own eyes.
    “I’m sorry about your family,” he gave me his condolence. I was still crying my heart out. He patted my back gently and pulled me into his warm embrace. My fingers clutched his uniform firmly, while I let my head to lean on his shoulder and my tears to keep rolling down.
    “I… I… I got… I got no one,” I mumbled through my sobs.
    “Y… You got me, Jieun-ah. You got me,”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    “Miss Lee,”
    “Who the hell interrupts me when I’m speaking here? Are you blind?” I exclaim with dissatisfaction. I turn to my right and see a guy is carrying Julie, who is pouting and tears rolling down out of sudden. My eyes are wide open and my fingers are on my lips. My ears catch a few low and slow chuckles from the soldiers in front of me. My eyes glare on them right away, deathly and sharply.
    “Everyone! 800! Down, now!”
    They get on their knuckles down right away and start bumping up and down while counting in unison with their deep husky voice.
    “RESPECT YOUR LEADER. PUT THAT FUC…” I stop yelling and catch the sight of Julie who is still sobbing silently by my side at the corner of my eye. I clear my throat.
    “P… Put that in your mind, understood me?”
    “YES, MISS!”
    The guy then hands me Julie and walks away. I saunter to somewhere further from the soldiers.
    “Julie, darling, why are you crying?” my thumb brushes off her tears.
    “You… You… You looked scary, just now,” she sobs.
    “Aww… I’m sorry to scare you. I won’t be that scary with you. I only will be that scary at those naughty boys only,” me trying to calm her down.
    “But, I’m naughty, too,” her sobs is getting calmer.
    Her cute statement makes me chuckle.
    “No, you’re not. You’re a good girl!” our tips of nose touch with each other.
    She giggles cutely and then suddenly stares me into my eyes deeply with a cute smile still on her chubby face, making her rosy cheeks more obvious.
    “What? Is there something on my face?” I ask.
    “Why can’t I call you ‘mom’?”
    Her sudden question makes my heart moved. She had once, I mean twice asked me before, but I’m still will answer the same.
    “Because I’m not your mother, sweetheart,” my finger touches her tip of nose.
    “But you act like one,”
    I smile, and it gets wider.
    “Because, I believe, you need one, since you don’t have one,”
    I let her tiny, small palms to rest on my cheeks.
    “Then, don’t you think I need a ‘dad’, too?”
    Truthfully, I am taken aback by that question. She never uttered that even once in my life, and this is probably the first time.
    “Y… You… You need a father, too?”
    She nods gently.
    “Julie!”
    She turns to her back and waves her hand excitedly to the Hoseok, who is ambling his way to our spot.
    “You left your teddy bear at my place, just now. Here,” Hoseok hands her the teddy bear.
    “Just now? She went to your place? By herself?” I ask, in disbelief because Julie is not a girl who is easily being close to.
    “Yes! This oppa here is really nice, like you, unnie,” she beams sweetly.
    “Oh, maybe, oppa can be my ‘dad’!”
    Hoseok blinks in confusion. I gulp, then chuckle lifelessly.
    “Ouh… J… Julie-ah… Your friends are calling you! G… Go play with them, shall you?” I let her go and play with her friends. Then, I sigh, feeling relieved.
    “Is that… your daughter?”
    My face shaprly turns to him. I sneer and shake my head gently.
    “No. But I treasure her like one,”
    My eyes are on Julie who are busy playing with her friends in the field.
    “That’s why she’s an important person in my life. One and only. Because, she’s my family,”
    Hoseok nods, then smiles sincerely.
    “She was like you. A daughter of the Government. I knew that because I found her holding the picture of her family in her hands when I found her lost at the first moment,”
    “Ouh… You already throw the picture away?”
    I shake my head.
    “W… Why?” Hoseok seems quite surprised.
    “Because that’s her family. Her important persons in her life. Why would I make her forget about them?”
    A pain strikes into his heart to hear that words by me. I realise that suddenly, he becomes quiet and his gaze is aiming low on the ground.
    “Did… I said something wrong?”
    “Oh, no, no. You’re right,”
    Suddenly, a loud explosion echoes and makes everyone panic and screams. My eyes catch a sight of big pile of reddish smoke floating in the air. Right away, I cover my nose and mouth with my palm and then shift my gaze back to Hoseok, who also has covered his face with his palm.
    “Take Julie to me! Now!”
    He nods and runs away.
    “Everyone cover your mouth and nose! Put your mask on fast! Don’t breath into the air much or the your antibodi get weaken, and it can’t fight the poison you in. Keep the children and women safe in your houses! All soldiers, armors up! Alphas, lead your teams diligently and wisely. Soldiers, listen to your Alpha! Muscle up! Remember the ones you love! Fight for them! Understood me, soldiers?”
    “YES, MISS!”
    “Everyone, now! Move! Move! MOVE!”
    “Miss Lee!”
    I turn to my back and see Hoseok is carrying unconscious Julie in his hands. Her face is already covered by bandanna, probably Hoseok’s.
    “Quick! I have to take her to the asylum!”
    We get into the quarters back. We arrive at my office and I drop one of the paintings in my office. There is a hole and a slide that will lead us into the asylum, that I have built at the underground, just to be prepared for this moment to come, to hide my Julie.
    “Come on! Jump in!”
    At the bottom of the slide, we arrive at somewhere like a mine. We get into the mine trolleys and start to move to the asylum.
    “You seem… to be prepared for this moment…” Hoseok breaks the silence.
    Our eyes meet each other.
    “Hoseok-ah,”
    His eyes are wide open to hear me calling him informally.
    “Y… Yes, Miss Lee?”
    “Can you take care of her for me?” I point my rifle to Julie, who is still in his hands, laying unconsciously.
    “I… I’m sorry? Why me?”
    “Because you’re the only one I can trust,”
    He goes speechless.
    “Plus, this is my battle with them, the one who took my family away,”
    “Let me go with you,”
    “No, you can’t,”
    “Why? Because you think you are strong enough to take all of them by yourself? Because you want to take revenge on them? Because you think you want to show that you’re capable as a Chief?”
    “No! Because this is not your fight! I know you won’t bear to fight your own family!”
    Once again, he remains silent, because this time, he knows that I am right.

    I get on from my seat and walk to him. He expects nothing, he does not see this coming. I lay my lips, for the first time, on his, on the guy that I like all this time. And somehow, it lasts longer than I thought.
    Our gazes engaged. My palm touches his face gently.
    “Because you saved my life once. And because of that, you are the first that to be the person that I treasure so much, even though you’re not one of my family members,”
    “Do you know why I choose not to betray the Insurgent?”
    I remain in silence and keep gazing in his beautiful pair of eyes.
    “Because, when the first time my eyes laid on you, my heart told me not to do it. Because I have a perfect reason why I should stay in this team. Because of you,”
    We kiss again, but this time shorter. I get on my feet and turn to my back. Numbers of Roboarchs are chasing us from behind. I try to shoot them by my rifle, but it gives no effect to them.
    “! This robots are bulletproof!”
    “Jieun-ah!”
    I turn to Hoseok who are already on his feet with laser guns in his hands. He hide Julie perfectly under the seat. My lips curve into a devilish smirk. My hand grabs my long laser stick and attack the robots with it.
    I hop onto the last mine trolleys. My laser sticks swiftly and smoothly cuts the robots heads and hands, which makes me beam in satisfaction. One of the cut robot hands falls into the second mine trolley, which is the trolley between the trolley that I am in and the trolley Hoseok is in. Hoseok does not realise about that as he is busy targeting and shooting on the robots. My eyes catch the signboard of “NO ENTRY”, which means the gate to the asylum is 100 metres away.
    Fire sparks on the second trolley, which came from the robot’s hands. Hoseok then just noticed that the second trolley is burning when the fire is raging bigger. His eyes gaze into mine.
    “Jieun-ah! Can you jump here?” he shouts.
    I ignore his shout, instead, my mind is figuring out how to get both of us into the asylum with this slowing speed, before the automatic gate fully closed.
    “Or… How about… Just them?” I whisper to myself.
    I hop to the left and hit the ‘CLOSE’ button with my boot. Hoseok turns to his back and watches the gate is closing down.
    “Yes! We make it!” he screams. He turns to the front, maybe to show his wide grin to me, when suddenly it fades away when his eyes lay on me who is literally starting to cry.
    He looks up, at the laser stick that I am lifting right now, then back to my eyes.
    “Jieun… Jieun-ah… Listen to me… We… We can make it, together,”
    I shake my head, choke on my own tears.
    “I’m afraid we just can’t,”
    “Jieun-ah! How about Julie?!”
    “Take care of her for me. Sorry, Hoseok-ah…”
    I cut my words. I breath in deeply and take a look at Julie and his eyes, maybe, for the last time.
    “... I love you,”
    I run my laser to the chains that are connecting our trolleys.
    “JIEUN-AH!”
    They get into the asylum right before the gate is fully closed. My trolley hit the gate hard, my fall on the floor of the trolley hard. I get on my feet back.
    “Daughter of Lee,”
    I know this voice.
    “Just surrender,”
    My lips smirk devilishly. I lift my face up, then stare on the Crown right in his crinkly eyes. My hands, on my back, are ready with laser rifle. I let out a loud snicker.
    “Sorry old man, but I don’t understand that word,”