Chapter 10

Masquerade’s Base

District Ortensia

The atmosphere inside the conference room is tense as the Masquerade members awaits for Nickhun to relay what he had gathered after his three day stay at Capitol.

"Juniel was indeed detained inside the palace. The Knights of Rounds were in charge of guarding her. I wasn't given the chance to talk to her but as to what I've gathered, they separated her from Xiumin.

"Why?"

Heechul and Hongki both looked at each other before the latter sighed.

"We really like to keep this information confidential as we've never saw the need to reveal this." This earned confused expressions on some of the members gathered around the table.

"Chen, you probably knew about this right?"

The lightning mage gave him an exasperated look. "I don't know. You knew I don't know hyung."

"But?" Hongki urged the younger to speak more.

"I started to suspect him after the happenings these past weeks."

"What is this exactly about Xiumin hyung?" Minhyuk asked.

Heechul clasped both of his hands in front of his face. "Xiumin is of noble descent.

"What?!"

Chen already suspected this but to hear Heechul confirms it in front of him, something in him breaks.

“What the hell? All this time we had a Capitol puppet here with us?” Kikwang hissed before turning to Chen. “Are you sure you knew nothing of this?”

Chen flinched at the hard gaze the tamer is giving him.

“Calm down Kikwang. This is not what I wanted when I reveal this information to everyone.”

Kikwang huffed in his seat while Heechul continued.

“I reveal this information because I wanted everyone to protect Xiumin.”

“This is where I draw the line.” L stands up, upset. “We’re forgetting something here. Xiumin is from Capitol. We are currently waging war against them and yet you want us to protect him. Don’t toy with us. Even if you are our leader, I won’t do something as stupid as this.”

Hongki sounded impatient with his next words. “He’s a Capitol drop out, if you won’t forget.”

“Or it could be just his acting!” Kikwang was already off his seat. “What would you do if all this time Capitol had already knew our actions because Xiumin is actually a spy.”

“You had no evidence to prove that.” Chen shouted from his seat. How could everyone just assume Xiumin works for the Capitol? They don’t know anything about them.

“Then explain the Romaq’s failed mission. Who tipped the Capitol of their current mission that made them captive right now?”

“Everyone shut up or I will make you.” That smooth velvety yet firm voice of Geunseuk had everyone seating back down on their seats. He’s a member that rarely speaks but if he did, he is always on point.

“So what does Xiumin’s nobility got to do with Juniel detained separately?”

“Juniel is to be executed within the next week. Seeing that Xiumin was separated from him, Capitol must have another plan for him. It actually made sense if he was nobility.” Nickhun answered.

Minhyuk nodded. “We cannot simply forget what Xiumin hyung had contributed to the organization. He was a member since he was nine years old or so Heechul hyung said. If he was a spy, I don’t think Capitol needs 18 years of preparation just for our downfall.”

Everyone became silent upon Minhyuk’s statement and Chen used this as an opportunity to finally erase the doubts of s.

“Xiumin and I are both experiments. We.. for these past years are running away from Capitol.”

Everyone stared at the lightning mage.

“So don’t assume just because he is nobility, he’s already the spy.” Chen, even if he doesn’t want to admit would need all the help he could get from Masquerade to save Xiumin.

“So what do you suggest we do?” L asked after a moment of silence.

Hongki bring out a scroll. “Chen, Minhyuk and Kikwang will go to Capitol and bring back Juniel. The others will have to go to every laboratory in Alexandria to find Xiumin. My guess is that Capitol would use Xiumin against us considering he is an old member and he knew so much about what we do and what we are still planning to do.”

Even though with doubtful looks, Kikwang accepted the scroll mission. “I’m doing this because I’m saving our member and not for any Capitol puppet.”

“Do as you please.”

--

“Why do you to hide the fact that Xiumin is royalty not just simple nobility?” Hongki asked their leader once everyone was dismissed.

Heechul raise a delicate brow and smiled. “It's not needed. They won't even understand. What we have to do now is to ensure that Capitol won't do anything to Xiumin.”

Hongki twirled in his seat like a child playing. “You mean, we need to ensure that Capitol won't know that he came from Lady Jihyo's lineage.”

Heechul smirked.

“I'm actually kind of excited to see their reaction. Who would think that there would remain one from the bloodline they got rid years ago.”

“There is no secret that will remain unrevealed forever. They should have not taken that saying lightly." This made Heechul chuckled.

“Capitol will have to repay all of what they did. No matter how many worlds they will create I will just destroy it. Altaca was the first one, Alexandria would be the next.”

“Sometimes you make me scared of what runs inside your head.” Hongki’s gaze flitted towards the older mage. “When you suspected Xiumin was starting to regain his memories, you sent him to Uruha where there, he would likely meet the Commissioner and you knew he was his former teacher and you had to make him retrieve that book that he knows so well.”

Heechul’s smile got wider.

“And then when you’re already sure he was remembering some of his past, you just had to send him to his former home, Romaq, set a trap for him to be captured by Capitol. Now, you want Masquerade to retrieve him. I don’t know if I will applaud you or not.”

“Capitol would be the one to help him remember all his past. We’ve already did our part – to make sure that his hatred towards Capitol would never wane – now it’s time for him to do his work. We need him at his best condition.”

“If we gather enough yin, we could engulf this pathetic excuse for a world in darkness and we will create a new one.”

Hongki smiled. He had already dreamed of this day for so many times. “And as long as I have with me Lady Jihyo’s sarcophagus and Xiumin’s bloodline it’s only a matter of time before we could taste our sweet victory.”

Hongki only hoped that Xiumin would remember his past very soon. After all he was a legitimate descendant.

--

South Central

Capitol

Luhan had relayed the events that took place inside the Svein Manor the next morning upon Zitao’s insistent demand. Despite that, they had all agreed not to tell Junmyeon and the others of what they knew just to be safe.

Upon learning the truth about Svein Manor, Yixing had gone back to the map and yes indeed, behind the Capitol palace, there is supposed to be an estate 1200 to 1800 acres in size. It was not labelled as to what name that is why it was easily skipped when they scanned the map for a few times. So Capitol really intended to erase the trace of Svein Manor in their history.

“We need to document this ge. I’m not really good at remembering things.”

Jongin snorted at Yixing’s statement but still proceed to get his most trusted notebook that Kyungsoo had given him.

“Okay. I’ll start up.” Yixing volunteered. “The artificial plants here inside Capitol really bother me a lot.”

“This again?”

“Yes, ge. Plus the artificial sun, too. Where did they get the feriel needed to power up those things? Everything here seemed alive when in fact they are just molded feriel.”

“Okay. Okay, no need to explain.” Luhan jots down the information.

“While you’re at that ge, how about those orange badge holders that I told you?”

“I don’t think it was proven enough Zitao.” Jongin argues.

“It’s because they are missing!”

“And where will Capitol even hide those quote and quote missing persons? You didn’t even know if what you saw is an orange badge.”

“Ge, tell him that it was an orange badge.” Zitao turned to the healer but the latter was in deep thoughts.

“I have to agree with Jongin though. It could be a red badge just badly reflected by light, Tao.” Luhan supplied.

The younger had this ‘I-can’t-believe-you look’ but after a moment of staring contest, Zitao finally relents and huffed in his seat. “Fine.”

“Then next would be the Svein Manor and Lady Jihyo’s bloodline which is probably the most important clue we have at the moment.” Luhan jots down once again.

“Do you think the killing of Lady Jihyo’s family had to do with the war?”

All eyes turned to Yixing.

“What?”

“Well, who actually knew what or who started the war? All we know is that three years ago, Masquerade had attacked the Capitol and killed a duke’s son. But ge, Masquerade is already existing at that time. Three years ago was just their first move.”

“Hyung has a point. And with the conclusion we got from your story. About those who killed Lady Jihyo’s family. They are wearing red rose as badges. Red rose is the official emblem of Masquerade.”

“That doesn’t make sense, Jongin. Why are they now against the Capitol if they had killed the lineage that Capitol itself want to get rid off?”

“Maybe they didn’t want to get rid of them actually?” Zitao intervenes.

“What?” Luhan looked at Tao.

“It could be. We don’t know whose side is right and whose isn’t. And we need to remember that this story came from Monsieur Seho’s point of view who favoured Lady Jihyo. Don’t you think his story is a bit biased?” Jongin seconded.

“It could be also that Lady Jihyo was actually the one that did something wrong.”

Luhan ran his hand through his messy hair. “ this. I feel like I’m a first class detective with all these stupid theories up my head. Xing, what do you think about it?”

“I don’t know too. What I’m more invested about is about the artificial sun. Do you think someone or maybe an organization supplies feriel to all these things?”

Now Luhan looked exasperated.

“I don’t think that really is it. A person would die if he was forced to give out his feriel. Xing, you know it better than we do. And if that is the case, considering that only the royalty had the ability to power up the artificial sun, I would personally offer my life to Capitol for this noble sacrifice of them.”

“But they could be really the noble one.” Jongin said softly.

“No. I doubt it.” The time controller immediately disagrees.

“Why are we even hell bent on revealing Capitol’s dark secrets? Everyone had dark secrets Luhan, hyung. I think we should just really focus on the war. In less than two weeks, we are going on the frontal.”

Honestly Luhan doesn’t know either. But deep inside him, he knew, he was hoping that Capitol was the one who did something wrong and so that Xiumin actions – betrayal – could be justified. Anything really, Luhan would accept anything as long as there is a tiny ray of hope, that probably Xiumin was right all this time. And in the end of all of this, Xiumin would be smiling at him uttering words like, ‘I told you so’ or even, ‘You should have trusted me more, Han’.

He knew it was pathetic, to still cling to his past. Sehun had called him once a coward for not even giving any effort to move forward. But for him, this is his way of moving forward. Xiumin is part of his past now but he still wanted him to be part of his present and yes, future as well. He can’t let go of him no matter how hard he tried.

He’s cut off from his train of thought when Jongin’s chair scraped the floor. There was a man on the door handling something that look like a scroll to Jongin and the said man was wearing a red badge. He was of the upper rank.

“What was it?” Zitao inquires after Jongin returned to his seat. Jongin looked up, looking troubled for a moment before opening his lips.

“There will be an execution happening in the next few days and everyone was told to witness it.”

A public viewing? But things like that only happened when the person to be killed was convicted of treachery. But then Jongin’s next words had answered his question.

“The one to be executed was a Masquerade member.”

“What?” The first thing that came to Luhan’s mind was ‘it can’t be Xiumin right?’ Xiumin’s isn’t still up on the wanted list together with Chen.

“Who is it?”

“There is no description of who is that member. It only states here that he is a member of Masquerade.”

His worry must have been portrayed by his expression because Yixing asked him if he was okay or not.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Do you think other Masquerade members will come here and save whoever this person to be executed?”

It could be.  Or it could also be not. Capitol is their enemy’s territory. Luhan doubts Masquerade will send in more of its members just to save one. It’s too risky. But if it is the opposite, then Masquerade will surely send in members that are not yet on the wanted list.

And there is a big possibility that Xiumin would be sent here. Maybe together with Chen. It would be the right time to confront Xiumin. Luhan wanted to understand Xiumin and the only way he could do it is to ask the older himself. The ice mage had already thrown an invitation back there in Uruha. This time, he would be the one doing the acceptance.

“We need to go there.”

--

Official Library

Capitol Palace

Knight of One Junsu stared at the vast courtyard from the windows of his office. Tomorrow, the female member of Masquerade would be executed at the said courtyard and the King wanted everyone, not just from the Capitol but from Districts outside the Capitol to witness such event. This is the perfect time to mark a new era in Capitol history. Those rebels will know what the consequence will be if they will go against Capitol.

Many had betrayed Capitol and he wanted them to know that betraying Capitol is like digging their own graves. And the day after tomorrow, the king will erase all of Xiumin’s memories – before he could finally regain it – and turn him into their kind. Him against Masquerade and this would be the best gift Capitol could give to them. He can’t actually wait.

“Junsu.”

The Capitol Knight turns around and saw Knight of Two, Kim Him Chan.

“How is the preparation for tomorrow going on?”

“Smooth as what you wanted.”

“How about the girl?”

“She still refused to talk about the whereabouts of Masquerade and who is their current leader. She’s an illusionist by the way – a really great illusionist so we had to move her to the red cell.”

“Good. out all of her feriel before the day of her execution. We don’t want anything to go wrong, do we?”

“Of course.”

He returned to his window gazing. “Anything else?”

“Ah yes about this. Knight of Ten has found a trail of feriel lingering outside Svein Manor yesterday. He doesn’t know when it happened but he’s sure someone had stepped inside the Manor.”

This has the knight’s attention focusing back to . “And what did Seho said about this?”

“You know how he is with Capitol. He’s an avid follower of the former Lady. I doubt he would cooperate with us. So I had this investigated. Yifan said he knew the feriel’s signature. It turned out that it belonged to a soldier from EXO Division of Camp Akasha.”

The name of the Camp rings a bell. “Camp Akasha.. Is that the Camp that that traitor Soo Man built after he left the Council?”

“Yes. It is indeed.”

Oh. And why would someone from that Camp suddenly research about Svein Manor. Unless.

“Talk about perfect timing~ two traitors had conveniently showed themselves up.”

Knight of Two just smiled. He knew as much as what he had about Capitol ‘activities’ since he was a former member of the Council before being promoted to Knight of Two. He especially knew Lee Soo Man, former Head of Council and Head of the Red Cell Project. The traitor that stole one of the most valuable information Capitol has.

Capitol’s Council had the most powerful members that even royalties never dared to go against them. Their words, their rules became the Capitol Law. Most people don’t know about this but Capitol’s Council is what the whole Capitol is. When Soo Man left, he had brought with him something that must not be revealed.

“I had someone working for the council to investigate this. Anything you want to find out?”

Soo Man was already dead. He died at his very own hands and he doesn’t really regret killing a person like him. It cost him hell to find and kill the man but it would cost Capitol more than hell if what he stole will be revealed. But the intel that Soo Man stole from the Capitol was already passed down. Capitol had tried finding who had that intel now but all of those attempts failed. Soo Man is also one hell of a mad man.

“I guess nothing at this moment. I will call you if there is anything.”

“Okay. Then I have to go. We’ll see each other later.”

If that intel was passed or if Maquerade had stumbled upon that piece of information, Capitol would have no chance of winning this war, ever. The only consolation they had is that the intel itself is a very special intel that it can only be passed – oh yeah right, now that he thought about it.

“Hey, Himchan.” He called out to the knight who was already at the door. “Find out if there is any telekinetic user within that division.”

The latter only raised an eyebrow before nodding his head. No matter who hold that intel now, Capitol can still find it. After all, there will be no secret that will remain unrevealed forever. Right?

--

LEGGIÈRI Town

Capitol Central

Chen glanced upwards, hands shielding the rays of the artificial sun. From where he is, he could see the humungous gate of the Capitol Palace.  A courtyard would be opened to the public tomorrow for everyone to witness the death of Juniel. They had arrived at the Capitol two days ago with the pretense of merchants from the district just outside Wall Niche.

It’s his first time here but he could feel a sense of nostalgia. Or it’s just his imagination. Minhyuk and L had gone on their own way to scout the whole town. Leggieri is the biggest town just outside the Capitol Palace and its wideness could be used to their advantage once they had mapped out every corner of it. Xiumin wasn’t here but he feels that if they could manage to finish this mission, then retrieving Xiumin would be an easy task.

Their plan of attack would come from the air. After two days of continuous scouting, they had gathered that Capitol land defense is very hard to destroy. But they are lacking in air defense. It could be due to the fact that there is Wall Niche surrounding as well as protecting the whole Capitol that is why they were lenient about it. Kikwang would call for an air summon – Chen hoped it’s a dragon or anything close to it, from the moment Juniel would be killed. He knew he can’t brew a lightning storm with the ability he has now but he hoped he could achieve anything close to it.

Minhyuk had the most crucial part to do. Since he’s a non badge holder, he would be in the frontal once he and Kikwang set to work. He was partially glad Minhyuk was an excellent assassin.

And after this he promised himself to confront Xiumin about his past whether the latter like it or not.

--

The young boy could only blink his two almond eyes at the women in front of him.

“I’m sorry Minseok, but we can’t do anything about it.” His mother whispered at him understandingly.

“But what do you mean I could no longer see him?” Tears started to brim on his eyes. “But he promised that we would visit the new bloomed flowers by the garden today.” Minseok tried to reason out, whimpering.

“Shhh. It’s okay to cry, baby. Mother is here.” His mother enveloped him in her comforting arms but the young boy could still not accept the news.

“But.. mom, I want to see him.” He clutched more of her clothes – tears now flowing down his cheeks – not bothering that it got crumpled in the process.

“Minseok ah. The young prince is dead.”

“No! You’re lying.” He trashed in his mother’s arms. “He said we would play today, he said we could pick tadpoles at the pond by the bridge this afternoon. He’s not dead!”

“Minseok ah. Look at me.” But he refused to, burrowing his head further into his mother’s chest, soft whimpers escaping his mouth. But his heart ached the most. “Please, Minseok ah. Look at mother.”

The pleading tone at his mother’s voice made him look up and was surprised to see that she’s also crying.

“M-mom..”

“You have to say you don’t know anything, okay? If they question you anything about the prince and that book that you told Mom about, you have to say you don’t know, okay?” She was brushing his tears and hair soothingly but there was also a trace of urgency.

Minseok, nonetheless, was surprised at the panic at her mother’s voice. “B-but he was my best friend! I would stay at his side. I promised him that.” The defiance in his eyes made his mother’s tears fall more, more than his tears.

“No. you don’t understand Minseok. They will take you away. Away from me, from your sister.” Her mother let out a whimper. “If.. if they knew that you had knowledge about the experiments going on inside Capitol, they won’t hesitate to kill you too.”

“But what they’re doing is wrong!”

His mother grabbed him and pressed him to her chest tightly, shoulders trembling from too much crying. “Please, Minseok. Just this once. Listen to mom, okay? You need to preserve the bloodline. You can’t die.”

Minseok was lost for words with how much his mother is hugging her tightly.

Why does he need to preserve their bloodline? How about his best friend. He can’t just simply abandon him.

His mother draw herself back and looked straight into his eyes. “Promise mom, you have to protect this bloodline, okay?”

Xiumin slowly opened his eyes, his mind catching the last skims of his dreams.

“Dongwoo ah..”

He was stunned for a moment upon realizing the name that escapes his lips the moment he regains consciousness. Cut scenes of his past together with the said boy flashes at his head. He wanted to laugh hard at the absurdity of the situation. Sitting up – more of jolting upwards – from his bed, running his hands at his face – only to realize that there were real tears in his cheeks – he ended up laughing maniacally.

. He’s screwed. He feels like a detective of his own murder case. So there is actually a well founded reason for his unwavering and deep hatred from Capitol, not just because of what he and Chen had to suffer from Capitol’s clutches when they were still young.

Dongwoo. He remembered him. The owner of that gummy smile (the reason why he has a soft spot for Yifan smiles) and his very first and last best friend (the reason why he doesn’t want to give all himself to Luhan despite the latter’s openness to him).

“. This is all ed up.”

He knew that the royalty had the ability to power up a badge to light Alexandria’s artificial sun. Hongki told him about that. What he did not know is that selected member of the royalty in every generation is the artificial sun itself. And Dongwoo – who died of feriel exhaustion – was an artificial sun himself.

He stared at nothingness at the dark expanse of the nullified room that serves as his prison cell. With his memories returning, the full blast aftermath emotions contained in it returned to him all at once. He had a sister. He had a ing sister he doesn’t even know if still alive or not. His felt like there was a knife slicing up his heart, a fist squeezing his lungs out. His breathing laboured and tears started welling up his eyes.

“HOW MUCH MORE CAN YOU WRECK ME?!”

He felt like Kim Minseok again. The little boy who cursed his fate but can’t even do a single thing to change it. After 16 years of constricting himself, Xiumin – no, Kim Minseok – let himself cry his heart out, once and for all. For his mother. For his sister whom he doesn’t even have memories with. For Chen. For Sehun whom he just used as a charity case to convince himself he’s not turning into something evil. For wasted chance of friendship he had with Luhan. And especially for Dongwoo whom he can’t even avenge his death.

Someone has to pay the price, of all of it. If only he could leave this place, if only his whole memories would return again – no matter how it pained him. If only he knew that his time is already running out.

A/N: I’m back! ^^ I feel like this is turning into a detective au fic with so many clues scattered everywhere. Everyone is suddenly turning into detective mode. LOL. I also want to know your theories. Comment? But actually all the clues are pretty much given out. Someone could probably already guess three fourth of Xiu’s past. Oh and Chenlay would meet soon.

Rant aside. Thank you for those who commented, subscribed and upvoted. I love you all. I didn’t expect to get more than 50 subs for my first time fic. *cries* I can’t thank you all enough.