Listen to MAMA by EXO-K : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukAcoXVhLCc

Joon stared at the body of the man who had been one-half responsible for his creation.

“Your good looks certainly came from your mother.”

Joon turned around and bowed, remaining in that position for a few seconds. But before he could straighten up, a hand placed itself on his back.

“If you care even slightly about your future,” the General whispered. “You will do as I tell you.”

Joon blinked and nodded. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

“Now,” the General said, pulling him with the tug of his arm, giving him a stiff one-arm embrace. “Go to your mother and remind her of the city laws, she has already broken a few. It’s not like your father was even around for her to mourn so much.”

Joon nodded and his heel, rushing to the fort.

“Mother,” Joon called out, knocking on the door. A soft sniffle was heard, followed by the opening of the door. He gave Jiyeon a curt nod, recognizing her tall figure and fair hands.

“Ms. Lee,” Jiyeon whispered. A woman was sitting under the canopy, glancing down at the funeral ceremony that was preparing itself before commencement.

“Did he make the offer yet?” the woman murmured. Joon sighed and switched his gaze to the third company.

“I’ll leave now,” Jiyeon said, smirking slightly at Joon’s stiff stance. Upon her departure, Joon loosened up.

“What laws did you break now?” he asked, irritation seething in his tone.

The woman scoffed. “Mourning for my husband is a crime?”

Joon widened his eyes and spun to check his surroundings. “Mother!” he exclaimed. “Be aware please. You have no idea how powerful these people are…”

“I know EXACTLY how powerful they are,” she hissed. She moved away from the window and faced her son. Tears welled up in her eyes as she noticed the loss of fat on his face, the sharp cut of his hair, the heavily trained muscles on his arms and the helpless look in his eyes. He had officially become a Paragon puppet.

“Before you were even born,” the woman said in a hushed tone, “your father was one of the most hardworking agents of the government. He was well-known in the political circle and he was also aware of the impending confirmation of Paragon. But when a group of people stood up against the proposal, your father saw the possibilities awaiting them. So he joined Paragon, he vowed to serve the General. For that, he had to give us up.”

“It’s a law Mother,” Joon hissed. “The law says that—”

“ 'Familial relations would be supervised,” she completed, “ and in case of interference with the arcology of Paragon, would be fined a civil penalty.’ I’m well aware son.”

The woman looked at the man infront of her, hoping for a moment of epiphany to pass his mind.

Joon curtly nodded. “That also includes overflow of emotions during social ceremonies like weddings and funerals. So please, don’t mourn too much. It’s embarrassing and unnecessary.”

Jiyeon had heard everything. She slid behind the door, waiting for Joon to leave. The man stopped in his steps, then faced his mother again.

“And please,” he said, in a tired tone. “I’m one step away from becoming a district official, please don’t ruin the moment with anything stupid. Like suicide. That’s also against the law, incase you forgot.”

Joon left, marching down the staircases as the trumpet went off. Jiyeon clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth while the woman inside the room collapsed on the floor, muffling the sound of her cry with her scarf.

“Unnie….”

Seungyeon patted her sister’s head, locking the door. Jiyeon stood outside the room, waiting for her father and her elder sister to finish their conversation. She bit her lower lip and leaned in closer. Eavesdropping won’t hurt, she thinks and smiles to herself.

“Don’t Seungyeon.”

“I’m tied Appa,” Jiyeon heard her sister say. “I’m tied, bound, suffocated by this system.”

“Appa will save you,” the old man begged. Jiyeon furrowed her eyebrows. What on earth was going on? She racked her twelve year old brain for an answer, only to be interrupted by a loud gasp.

“Seungyeon, please…”

“You can’t save me. The General has you wrapped around his finger. My only saviour… he’s somewhere else. And for him, I can’t leave without a payback.”

“Seungyeon, if you do this…”

“… then you’ll be executed too?”

“Yes yes… so don’t… it’s against the law daughter! Don’t offend them.”

A moment of silence passed. Jiyeon found a keyhole and acting upon her discovery, peeked through it. Her insides tangled up as she saw her sister with a gun in her hand…pointing to her own head.

“ the law.”

A shot went off and Seungyeon fell to the floor.

“Women aren’t allowed to be outside.”

Jiyeon awoke from her thoughts and quickly pulled down the veil. She saw the officer looking at her in a disapproving manner.

“Even if you work for the General,” the man warned. “Please follow the law.”

Once the man left, Jiyeon sneered. She glanced at the woman inside, shifting her gaze to a proud Joon being felicitated while his father’s dead body was taken away from the sight of the audience. As Joon grinned widely, waving at the cheering crowd, Jiyeon removed her veil and walked away from the scene.

“ the law,” she hissed, disappearing from the celebrations.