"Sir! Kind sir!" I ran towards the form of the man who symbolizes our light, our hope. He looks down at me and smiles.

 

"How are you, Jiyong? Oh, here," he inserts his hand in his pocket and when he takes it out, he is already holding a tiny bag of the cherry bubblegums he never fail to give me each time he arrives.

 

 

I bow and thank him. But this time I just couldn't give him the same smile I used to pay him back each time he hands me these sweet treats.

 

 

"Aigoo, look at that dirty face of yours. Come here," he takes the towel on his shoulder as he kneels down and pulls me closer. "Your mom has already left. You have to take care of yourself from now on,"

 

 

Tears start to brim my eyes. My mother. My poor mother, she died because she got sick and we've got no doctors, no medicines here to save her.

 

 

"You should be strong, Jiyong. Your father needs you now more than ever,"

 

 

"Sir... Can you just take me with you? Please? Teach me to be like you. To be a strong man everyone can depend on. I don't want to live here anymore. Please, take me with you, sir!"

 

"Jiyong... Area 1 needs you,"

 

"Area 1 needs a man like you, sir. But I am still a boy. Teach me to be a man like you. Take me with you. And when I come back home I will be the man that this place needs."

            Black and darkness surrounded the entire Central Square in Area 1. Each clan leaders have made sure to bring their members to the gathering as requested by the head who is now seated in the center facing the platform where a man was restrained, his back facing the crowd.       "Eleven!" The man beside the Lair's head counted and the sound of whip pierced through the night as it pierced through the skin of the young man who was almost breathless, but still trying to accept the blows, his punishment for breaking the rules his own father have made.     "Twelve!"     "Jiyong!" A shrill cry of agony echoed in silence. She was being held up by two men, her hands tied behind her back and she almost fainted just by watching him take it all for her.     "Ten whip lashes for that woman! And ten for my own son!" She clearly recalled the old man's order but Jiyong made way to his father, begging to allow him to take it all and just keep her away from the punishment.     "Be thankful, he is being considerate tonight," the young man who was holding her told her but Sandara could just shake her head.     Be thankful? Be thankful that Jiyong is being humiliated and punished with powerful lashes before these aids?     But then Seungri's words few months ago echoed in her head.      The Lair is very particular with their rules. Treason is equivalent to decapitation and each offense is punishable by whips.        She bit her lip as she struggled to stand up on her feet. She just gained consciousness a few moments ago and now she felt her soul is starting to leave her body again.     Seunghyun got shot and she has no idea what happened to the man. And now Jiyong is getting punished.   How heartless could this people get more?     "Twenty! Enough!"     The crowd was still silent. No sound of shock or gasps were heard as if everything is normal. The man on the wheel chair presses a button on the armchair and faces the people.     "LET THIS SERVE AS A WARNING! NO ONE OUTSIDE AREA 1 WILL ACCEPT YOU! THE LAIR IS YOUR ONLY HOME! AND SO YOUR LOYALTY MUST BE FOR AND ONLY FOR THE LAIR!"       The crowed bowed at him and soon the old man's eyes were directed to her.     "Take her back to her room,"     "NOOOO! JIYONG! JIYONG!" Dara could only scream until Jiyong's face was slightly turned to her. He nods for a while and forces a tight-lipped smile, still wanting to assure her he's fine. She bit her lip as tears continued to stream down her face. The two aids continued to drag her away and soon she was being taken into a different building this time.     The crowd in the square started to get thin. Two men, one from the Southern clan, the other from the East ran their way from their post through the crowd and to the platform but the man named Tablo stopped them.     "Dong Youngbae! Lee Seungri! Go back to your clans!"     The guards in blue blocked their way and the two immediately stopped on their tracks.     "But, Sir!" Seungri was about to protest but Tablo shook his head at them and Youngbae pulled Seungri by his arm. The man on the wheelchair waved his hand dismissively.     "Let these two young men go to him." He said and the guards quickly stepped aside.     "Take my son to the infirmary but make sure not to accept any orders from him. Are we clear?"     Youngbae and Seungri didn't waste any second and bowed quickly. They ran towards the limping form of the man being carried down the platform by two guards.     "The head has ordered us to take him to the infirmary. We'll take charge," Youngbae told the guards which quickly made way as soon as they recognized them.     "Hyung!" Seungri quickly wrapped Jiyong's arm around his shoulders, careful not to make any contact with his raw wounds.     "Where is she?" Jiyong weakly asked. "I need to see her. Where is she?"     "Hyung, please! Enough! Let's get your wounds treated first. Please,"     "Seungri... Please. I need to get to her. She must be so terrified right now," Jiyong said in between his breath but Seungri shook his head.     "Don't worry, hyung. She was taken to  the great hall. See? She isn't being treated as a captive. She was not taken into the dungeons,"     "You don't understand—"     "Damn it, Jiyong!" Youngbae didn't allow Jiyong to finish his words and swiftly carried the man on his mighty shoulder. "Get yourself treated so you can see her for yourself! Seungri, let's go!"             "Eat, Sandara. You look like you are going to collapse," a woman in her early forties sat beside Dara and offered her a spoonful of soup. She sighed in defeat when the girl she was talking to just shook her head and scooted away.   How does she eat? Dara asked herself. How could she when Jiyong is somewhere else hurting?   She looked around at the room she was in. When earlier she woke up somewhere that looked like a hospital, now she was transferred to a room on the third floor of a huge house she overheard was called the great hall.     She was helped to change to some shirt and loose pants, and being fed by a delicate looking woman but she couldn't make a word. She was in shock.   "Jiyong wouldn't be so glad if he knows