“You are not allowed to leave,” Taeyong bluntly – a little bit too bluntly for her liking – spoke. He had no guilt whatsoever; just a very stern, no-nonsense kind of expression. Luhan yawned tiredly by her side, seemingly nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Joonmyun sat by his chair, accompanied only by Sungcheol while Jongdae and the rest of his Elites went to the battlefield. The last man sitting on the left-hand corner was Lee Sungyeol. This was the basement of Seiryuu headquarter, with all its advanced technology and laboratory.

                  “How could you order me like that?” It sounded more like a whine than a demand, more like a cute groan from a puppy than a bark. Sena threw him a glare, clutching tightly onto the phone on her hand. She was so ready then – ready to fight for her clan and her beloved. But at this moment, even Joonmyun seemed a little unnerved with her antiques. He approached her and grabbed a hold of her left wrist, mildly speaking with a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Stop it, Sena. Don’t be such a child. The fight has started. It is not wise for you to go in there when everyone from your clan is fighting for your sake.”

                  At the mention of her being a child, Sena’s protests were swallowed back into . She did not want to throw tantrum when everyone seemed to be emotionally distracted. She slumped back on the chair and folded her hands in defeat, “How could you stay so calm when your Elites go to the battlefield?”

                  The difference between them – perhaps the greatest and the only one that would set them apart – was Joonmyun cared more for the mass, even for the people he never met. He was the kind of leader that embraced and protected all his clan members and beyond, while Sena generally took care of the people around her. One had a wider perspective while the other was more simple-minded. She grew up in the circle of selfish people that cared for their individual self, so even as a clan leader, she felt more of a responsibility for the people around her than the public as a whole. Joonmyun glanced at her, unable to explain his point of view because Sena would only understand half of it. It was pointless.

                  “They’ll be fine,” Luhan unexpectedly cut in when he saw the tense atmosphere. He was specifically told by Sehun not to upset her further, knowing that her impulsiveness would ultimately win over her rationality and led her to the battlefield. He walked over to the corner where Sungyeol was working; typing furiously on his keyboard and multitasking. “See? Squad 47 just landed on the ground…” Luhan wanted to continue, but he saw Jongin at the front line, armoured by a sharp, thin blade. It was so easy to recognise that despicable man even with his mask on. He couldn’t continue because Sena didn’t have to know, so instead, Luhan casually shielded her view away and motioned Sungyeol to drag his picture backward – away from Kim Jongin.

                  “How long until the second squad comes in?” Sena asked, setting her curious gaze on Luhan’s back.

                  Sungyeol made a soft ‘tsk’ sound and glared at Luhan. He didn’t like to be disturbed doing his work. The latter shot him a chilling smile that seemed more threatening than it was calming, and moved away. All Sena could see was a blur of people moving so quickly to attack the ruins of Byakko’s headquarter. Hundreds others were waiting beyond the walls to fight back. “Approximately thirty minutes. They would observe the situation from above to see what fits best. It shouldn’t be long before the marines detect the odd movement in the sea.”

                  “I have told the Indonesian government to back off this case,” Joonmyun lazily explained, almost as if talking about it took away most of the energy he preserved for weeks. “There is no need to worry. Just get on with the plan and we’ll do our best to shut off the government and media. Byakko holds no control over ASEAN. He won’t have the government backing him up when they are risking my wrath. We should worry about this headquarter instead. Who knows what Byun Baekhyun’s been planning if he is aware of our plan in the early stage?”

                  “He won’t get in, will he?” Sena turned her head towards Sungyeol.

                  “Maybe not the headquarter, but we have to worry about Seoul. Goodness, what do I do with you, Sena, Love?” Joonmyun sighed exasperatedly. He was obviously anxious – one could tell from his expression. He had had too many glasses of green tea instead of his usual alcohol, claiming that it calmed his nerves and helped him think. Sena doubted that very much, “Don’t worry about my territory, Sweetheart,” she said with mockery, “I have my army guarding it. You should worry over yours right now.”

                  “Can you two, grown-up adults stop fighting like children? We are in the middle of a war, for God’s sake!” Luhan took a deep breathe and shot both of them a very pointed look. He felt like he was taking care of two ten-years olds fighting for toys instead of guarding the leaders of distinguished clans. He could understand Joonmyun’s anxiety since it was the first war he took over after he was crowned. And he also knew that this war was equally important to Sena as a mean of revenge against Byun Baekhyun for ruining her clan. “I’ve never seen you argued so intensely before.”

                  Sena was stubborn, but she was meek to those she loved. So with a regretful sigh, she sat beside Joonmyun and pat his lower thigh and said, “Sorry. I was speaking out of line.”

                  He laughed. The knot in his chest loosened as he brushed away the chocolate locks away from her fair face. She looked lovely as she always was, only with a trace of frown and sadness. It wasn’t his duty now, he reminded himself, to reach out and whisked away the agony on her face. She had grown so much, but there was that childlike innocence and cluelessness that made her adorable when she wanted to be. She looked vulnerable and small beside him, “Have you ever had to apologise for anything in your life, Sena? I… I was wrong, too. Now is not the time for petty argument. We should focus on the task at hand.”

                  He was right. But then again, Kim Joonmyun was rarely ever wrong. Taeyong rolled his eyes, and the small gesture did not miss Sena’s keen eyes, who shook his head in amusement and chuckled. It seemed so coincidental that two of the strongest Elites were here to accompany her, and not to mention, they were the closest companions of the eleven she had. Sehun and Jongin each commanded a different battalion, though she never specifically asked which, neither did they ever bother to tell her. As Joonmyun was better in the battle strategy, he took over the squads while she took care of the invasion department and supply for weapon.

                  “Speaking of which, Luhan-ge, do you know which squads Sehun and Jongin are in?”

                  As far as she knew, there were ten squads, each specialised in different attack, but knowing both her protectors, they could be assigned anywhere. A confused glance was shared between Joonmyun and Luhan, because they only knew so much about the plan, and yet even the smallest detail could possibly send her on a rampage. They didn’t want that when the war had only started for a while. Little did they know, the small gesture of lies would ultimately lead her to something more.

                  Regret, as people often thought of, was not something that could be healed over the course of time. Regret could swallow us alive, and they never truly thought of the consequences until the very last moment, when everything else failed and there was nothing they could do to turn back time. What she had, what they had, and what it used to be, were preserved only in history, reminding people why sometimes, wars were not the best solution to everything, but it was necessary. And lives lost in the battle were immortally engraved as a scar of the people they had left behind and lost in time.

A week later

31 May 2018

Byakko headquarter

111 km away from land

Southern Indonesia, Southeast Asia

                  What human would continue to persevere after fighting for one week with minimum supply of food and drink? Sehun would have never thought it possible but his mentality was stronger than his body, and it was what motivated him to continue. His body was smeared with different shades of brown and red; dusts, blood and sweat. As he watched the once-proud leader fell down on the floor with a loud thump, his own knees gave up on him. Sehun’s squad was the last and the only team to make it that far into the center of the laboratory, where Byun Baekhyun was waiting.

                  Dead bodies everywhere. The smell of corpses was thick in the air.

                  He should have fallen asleep then and there. His eyelids were threatening to close themselves without permission. But Sehun told himself he needed to go back. He needed to do that one favour for Kim Jongin before he fell unconscious. He pictured Sena, and a small but tired smile made its way to his face. He promised her he would come back home. And he emerged victorious from the battlefield unscathed. It was a miracle when they had so many casualties from both sides.

                  Sena must be waiting for him. Waiting in the headquarter with a heavy frown and dark eye bags from lack of sleep. She was waiting for him in the warmth of home, restless and breathless. He needed to get back to her quickly. The sound of gunshot had finally came to a halt when everyone came to a realisation that the winner was not Byakko. They had lost. They couldn’t fight without a leader anymore. The sunset from the beach, Sehun thought, had never been more vibrant – the colour red almost a shade brighter than blood.

                  He forced himself up. Tomorrow would be Sena’s birthday. He ought to go back and kiss her happy birthday. He ought to be strong until he finally fell onto her embrace, then he could let go. He pushed himself through the piles of ashes and bodies and floor of blood. His voice when he commanded what was left alive of the war was sorrowfully low, and there was a cold, unmistakable pain that resounded through the silence, “Go back. We do not need to fight anymore.”

                  What should he feel when he finally met her?

                  Regret? Apologetic? Sad? Guilty?

                  Perhaps he would feel all of them at once, because after this, he knew there would be no second chance. They couldn’t go back to what they used to be.

31 May 2018

Seiryuu headquarter

Seoul, South Korea

11:59 pm

                  The moment the news of their victory reached the Seiryuu headquarter, Sena fell back on the chair in relief. She had forgotten all about the fatigue and nausea and rushed over to hug Luhan. A burst of happiness exploded in her chest when she heard from the messenger that Byun Baekhyun was killed, and regrettably, the killer was then, murdered by the Shadow fighters. Those monstrous creatures had been finished off by Sehun’s squad, and what was left of Byakko was the former glory of what was once a great clan.

                  Technically, it was a taboo to kill another clan leader, no matter how insufferable he was, but this time, all three other clans agreed that Byun Baekhyun must be killed for breaching the territorial rules set by their ancestors. Needless to say, someone else would take over the position. Possibly Baekhyun’s younger brother, but that was another thing to think about after the small celebration that erupted in the dining room of Seiryuu’s headquarter.

                  Joonmyun was grinning ear-to-ear, his smile stretching so wide it was borderline frightening. He didn’t bother concealing his joy as he pulled Sena into a tight embrace and refused to let go for a minute or so. The girl was equally ecstatic, squealing a little when the Genbu leader picked her up and buried his face onto her shoulder. Luhan sat on the chair, massaging the growing headache from his lack of sleep. Taeyong, being his usual self, smiled a little and disappeared down the hallway to the bathroom. He needed to freshen up after being held back for so long.

                  The messenger of Suzakku clan, a bulky man called Hyunwoo, waited until everyone calmed down. There was a solemn expression on his face, neither too sad or happy. It was rather grim, if one observed closely. His black clothes was stained from head to toe by dried blood, and he looked ready to pass out, judging by how pale he was. He raised his head at Sena’s questioning gaze, and fell his knees almost gave out by the news he was about to give. Everyone knew how quickly Sena’s mood could change, and no one could predict what her reaction would be if she saw them.

                  “We brought back the bodies of Byun Baekhyun’s killer and one other victim… We need Lady Sena to identify them as quickly as possible.”

                  At that, her smile dropped.

                  … Identify?