Chapter 19   Irene POV   "I already told you! I have no idea what you're talking about! You really have to release me or I'll sue you!" A hot headed Yoongi demands. Me and Krystal have been interogating him for an hour now but we're getting nowhere.    Everytime I ask what's his connection with the red cloud, his reply would always be either 'What the are you talking about?!' or 'You have no right to keep me here! This is kidnaping!'. He's starting to get into my nerves but Krystal slyly whispered to my ears 'Mind your blood pressure grandma' and I happily found an excuse to pinch her .    "Calm down Mr. Min and we'll be over soon." Krystal sits over the edge of the steel table at Yoongi's side with her arms and legs crossed. She had this sickingly sweet smile on her face. Yoongi's eyes landed everywhere except Krystal. I'm so giving Krystal some nagging after this. Since when did she start... seducing? I don't know what it's called but I'm so giving her a lecture!    "Well start over again shall we?" Yoongi nods like an obedient puppy. Not that a puppy nods. "What happened before this pretty noona found you on your car?" Her voice is also sickingly sweet. Ughh! And pretty noona? Really Krystal? Yoongi seemed to ponder for a moment.    His forhead creased as if trying to remember what happened. "I don't remember." Me and Krystal looked at each other before she continued. "What do you mean?" Her voice is serious this time. "Now that you mentioned it... I really don't remember." If this is a desperate attempt to get away then I'm not having any of it.    "Stop playing games with us Yoongi. What happened in the port? Who are you working for?" His forhead creased again. "Look," He takes a deep breath. "Maybe you got the wrong guy. I really don't know. I can't even remember a single thing before you found me." this must be a joke.     "Krystal."    "I'm on it." she attached two micro chips on Yoongi's temples. The chips are lie detectors. After connecting the chips to my loptop, we started with the questions again. "Who are you working for?" Yoongi is obviously frustrated at the question that's been asked to him more than once.   "No one." He's telling the truth. "What happened before we found you?" Another sigh. "I don't remember." another truth. Krystal placed a hand on my shoulder. "Unnie, I think that robed guy erased his memories." That's a possibility. But why? "I'm not filing a case against you guys but please let me go. I proved I'm innocent already." Yoongi begs.    "We'll end the interogation here but we're not letting you go. You'll be staying in the agency." "What?!" He raised his voice again. "You're not as innocent as what you think you are." Me and Krystal left the interogating room.    The gaurds dragged Yoongi to one of the rooms for prisoners. I still don't know what to do with his case.    ___   "I'm sorry pops." I placed the broken queen's blade at my father's desk. Grandpa Siwoon came for an update about my progress regarding the mission. I felt tears struggling to break free. Pathetic. It's just a rapier. A rapier that's been with me all these years. A rapier that saved my life for countless of times. A rapier that is a part of me. And I broke it.    Grandpa came over to my side and hugged me. I didn't realize how tense my body was until I let my body relax to his embrace. "It's okay dear. Atleast you're safe." He runs a relaxing hand at my back. "But that rapier was yours. You must be disappointed." He chuckled instead. "Nonsense. I don't feel even the slightest bit of disappointment. In fact, I'm proud of you, sweet heart. You're one heck of a better wielder than me."    He pulled away and cupped my face. He smiled at me. A smile saying 'It's alright.' We sat down after. A few moments later, the door opened revealing my father; or should I say the director. "You came early, sir." They exchange hugs. He then kissed my forhead before going over the other side of his desk. "Just a healthy habit of mine, director."    "Mission accomplished, director Bae. We retrieved the sword after an attempt of an unknown party of stealing it. Probably the red cloud." I placed the iron case on his desk. He opens the case and a content sigh escaped his lips. "What about Yoongi?" He placed the sword back in the case.    "He..." I really don't know how to say it. He got amnesia or something? "Krystal said he can't remember anything." He spoke when I paused for a moment. "Yes sir. We suspect this third party is the one responsible for this, although we still don't know what his intentions are." He nods understandingly.    "Can I ask a question sir?" He nods. "Uncle Soohyun did say once that excalibur blades can cut through anything. How come it didn't budge when I used the sword against the robed guys bow?"   Flashback   I used the wall as a ramp. I jumped to the side and I pushed my body with my right leg causing me to jump higher the air. I the sword directly aiming at him but he surprisingly managed to block it with his bow. I kicked his bow away from gaurding his body and I swiped the sword again, aiming for his right leg this time. He saw it comming so he tried to dodge it but I still managed to atleast leave a scratch on him. He jumps back to create safe distance between us.    End of flashback   The former and the director's forhead creased. "I kinda did some research and I discovered that the only thing that can withstand the excalibur technology is excalibur itself. And as far as I know, there are only 3 excalibur weapons and none of them are arrows or bows."    "You're mostly right, Irene." Director Bae said. "Mostly?" He gave me a white folder with a logo that I recognised that it's from the forensic department. "This is the result of the sample arrow you gave us." I took it and read it's contents and to say I was surprised was an understatement.    "The bow is an excalibur?!" My eyes widen. But how? Who is this robed guy. What does he really want. More questions managed to make it's way to my head. "Yes. It's no doubt made from excalibur technology." Director Bae leaned back on his chair with crossed arms.    "Does the bow have it's own code too?" I felt the need to ask. And boy how releaved I was when the director quickly answered, "No. That I'm sure of. We must know who this robed guy is, what his intentions are, and how on earth did he get his hands on an excalibur that's not one of the 3 blades.The red cloud is already trouble enough and we can't afford more."    "You're team did great Irene but we still need you guys for the scythe." I gave a determined nod. Like I have any other options. "For now, I'll give you guys a 24 hour rest before your next mission. You're dismissed." I gave a half hearted nod this time. I should be used to this side of him. His intimidating, authorative side. I exhaled a long breath.    I stood up from my chair. I gave both of them my farewell bows and start making my way to the door. I only took one step outside before da- the director called for me again. "Irene, wait." It sounds wierd when it comes out from his mouth. I turned around to see them looking at eachother.    The former had this smirk on his face while the director keeps jerking his head to my direction. Probably trying to say something like 'you do it'. The former sighed. Their father and son relationship is so cute. "Sit down for a minute young lady." Still with his smirk.  I complied.    "Is there... something I can do sir?" The former chuckled. "Enough with the formalities, kid. Is this brat too tight on you?" Grandpa jabs a thumb to dad's direction which he scoffed and rolled his eyes at. I chuckled at how adorable they are.    "So I believe the director- ehem! I mean this garlic breath has something to say." Granpa nonchalantly says the takes a sip of his rum. "Dad~" I widen my eyes. Maybe from shock. Maybe from the horror. Did he just whine?! The great Director Bae, the head of SM agency, just whined?!    "I'm not the one saying it and you know that." Grandpa finishes his shot. What are they really talking about? "It's still your idea in the first place." He continued. Dad groans in annoyance. He cleared his throat before speaking.    "So like what the former was talking about-" Grandpa Chuckled. "I'm sorry but you so sound much more like a robot than Jarvis you know." He awkwardly cleared his throat again. "As I was saying...now that there's no bearer of the sword now, I proposed to the board that," He quickly glanced at grandpa then back to me. "you might fill in the vacancy."    Wait. What? Me an excalibur bearer... What?!    "What?" I asked again just to make sure I heard it right the first time. "Well the board seemed okay with it." He says while rubbing his nape. "It's too dangerous. I go out on missions and face the enemy that wants the excalibur. It doesn't make sense don't you think?" I tried to reason out. It's not that I don't want to. I feel overwhelmed that I even deserved to be atleast a candidate of being a bearer. But do I even deserve such thing?   "You're skills are exceptional, child. You're more than capable of protecting and using the sword. You already proved it on your last mission with that robed guy!" Grandpa explained with wide hand gestures. Dad chuckled.    "But why?" This is so sudden. More responsibilities are placed on my plate. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I see it as a burden. I feel more like honored. But just like what I said, it's dangerous. I might compromise the agency or the country or worse... the world. But what dad said next reassured me with my worries.    "Because the president, the board, Your uncle Soohyun, Your grandpa and I trust you and you don't have any rights to decline. That's an order, Hyuna." He ended with a serious tone but with a grin on his face. Even grandpa has this toothy grin on. I'm thankful, flattered, too overwhelmed for the words to leave my mouth. They must have noticed my forzen state that father continued talking.    "This is actually your grandfather's idea." I looked at grandpa and he gave me two thumbs up. "When I knew about what happened to the queens blade, I knew that you'll be devistated so I thought of making you a bearer. What's the black swordsman without it's sword right?" I couldn't stop my smile from showing anymore.    Dad stood up and went to my side with the iron case in hand. "So do you accept the mission of being the next bearer of the excalibur sword? It's not that you have the option to say no." He lifts the case infront of me for me to take it but I hugged him instead.    "Yes, sir. It would be a great honor, sir."    ___   "We meet again black swordsman." The robed guy aimed his bow at me, ready to fire any moment. I activated MY excalibur and charged forward. "I assure you this will be the last!" I deflected the incoming arrows at me with ease. Once I reached point blank distance, I didn't give him chance to catch his breath. I was fast with my attacks. I just know he can't get away this time.    Once I saw an opening, I grabbed my gun and fired at his iron helm. I hit him straight in the head but his helm is way too hard to pierce. But I know it did some damage. I took his disoriented state as a chance and kicked him hard on the chest sending him sliding to the ground.    I deactivated my sword and placed my gun back to my holster. I slowly approached him. His helm started to spark and emit smoke. My breath hitched when he took it off. He still had a black face mask on. His hair is too long for a man. His face was covered with it. It doesn't matter now. I'm still going to kill him whoever he is.    I stood above him. He's between my legs. I sat on his stomach and brought my hands to his neck. Without hesitation, I started to tighten my grip. He groaned. Strange. That didn't sound right. He brought his hands to mine, probably begging to stop. What happened next terrified me.    "Hyunnie..."    I lost my grip after that. The robed guy is a girl? She knows me? I searched in the deepest parts of my brain. Her voice sounds so familiar. Too familiar. Too familiar that it started to really scare me. It can't be...   "J-Joohyun..."    I brought my trembling hand to her face and slowly removed her mask. It can't be her. Right?    "It can't be, Seulgi..."    My world almost crashed. My breathing went uneven. My knees went week. My brain couldn't think straight. I immediately stood up and started walking backwards. My chest ached at the thought of almost killing Seulgi. I brought my hands to my chest to somehow ease my trembling heart but to no avail.    "No... No... No!"     "No!" I abruplty sat up from my bed. Cold sweat trickling down my face to my neck. I lay back down and took a deep breath. I put an arm above my face. It's just a nightmare. One terrifying nightmare. I rolled to my side and checked my alarm clock. 1:09 am.    "Would like a glass of water, Ms. Bae?" Oh man, I missed this AI. "No thanks. I'm fine, Jarvis." I laid on my back and tried to go back to sleep. But then, I could only try.    "Uhmmm Jarvis?"    "Yes, Ms. Bae?"    "Can you make me a glass