Although Mark felt sick, he tried his best not to show it. He couldn’t allow himself to show it. Slipping out of the leash that usually kept his control in check had not been in his plans. But then, holding an Initiation for Bora and going up against her hadn’t been in his plans twenty-four hours ago either.

The crowd broke into an excited applause as Jackson gave Mark a long look before climbing on the ring and dragging Bora away.

Bambam, who stood on the sidelines, joined Mark on the ring and gave him a strong pat to the back. He said something that didn’t register with Mark whose gaze had strayed to the crowd.

The mass of people was like a blur; shades of beige and white smeared by a broad-brush . He couldn’t concentrate on one face, except one. She stood on her own, apart from the first row, right in his line of sight.

Nairin’s eyes were wide at the bloodbath that had unfolded before everyone. Because that’s what it was: a bloodbath.

Mark looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. The substance soaked his clothes and smeared the ring. A long trail of it had formed in Bora’s wake.

Blood, blood and more blood.

Mark’s eyes snapped back to Nairin. Her face had morphed from horror to wrath. But the latter wasn’t directed at him. No, she was looking for someone in the crowd. Her eyes swept over the bodies that were leaving the Pit and set on someone in particular. Mark followed her gaze.

It was Solar.

It was commonly agreed among the men (and women) of Division that Solar was a ravenous beauty. Long bleached hair, sensuous lips and all. Her looks could kill but not as much as her blades.

Solar was an eskrima champion, a martial art she’d mastered in the streets before becoming one of Division’s most brilliant recruit and agent to date.

Coincidentally, she happened to have a lot of bad blood with Nairin.

Nairin walked over to the girl, swiping past the ring without sparing if only a look in Mark’s direction. Solar narrowed her eyes at her approach.

She opened to talk but Nairin beat her to it with a fist square in her nose. Solar fell backwards under the unexpected violence of the impact and Mark’s eyes widened. Instantly, onlookers swarmed over the two girls to watch the commotion, hiding them from his view.

Mark cursed under his breath and kicked his legs into motion. He jumped over the ropes of the ring and pushed through the throng of people gathering around the girls.

The people who were filing out of the Pit stopped in their tracks, intrigued by the noise. The crowd around the two girls parted in his wake as they realized who was among them, his presence giving off a powerful aura.

Mark emerged on the edge of the circle that had formed, Bambam on his feet. On the ground, Nairin straddled Solar as her hands encircled her milky white throat. Alarm bells rang in Mark’s head when he saw Nairin’s hand reach back to her boot and slide a blade out of its sheath.

“Wanna play with knives?” She flattened the blade against Solar’s cheek who wisely kept still. “How about I shove this one up your––”

Nairin didn’t get the chance to name the few places she had in mind. Strong hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her off of Solar. She yelped and struggled against Mark’s hold. She whipped around, knife still in hand, ready to attack whoever had dared intervene.

“You’re coming with me.”

She didn’t try to stop him when he tucked her knife in his empty thigh holster after disarming her with unsurprising ease.

“Crazy ,” Solar hissed behind her, rubbing her neck and wiping her bloody nose as she clambered back to her feet. “No wonder they keep you caged in here.”

Nairin made a strangled noise and reached back towards Solar, breaking out of Mark’s hold. He grunted as he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up. She let out a high-pitched scream and clawed at his arm, “Let me go, Mark!”

Instead of complying, he threw her above one shoulder. Her feather light weight usually wouldn’t request so much effort from him, but Bora really did manage to up his arm that time.

He secured her thighs together, encircling them with one arm before turning to the crowd. “What are you all looking at? Get back to your quarters!”

Nairin let out a frustrated cry and he received a blow in the back from her kicking.

“NOW!” His voice boomed, a headache forming in the back of his skull.

He didn’t linger to see if they would follow his orders––he knew they would. He turned around and headed for the elevators lining the wall, opposing the flow of people. He set her back on her feet once he stepped inside the elevator.

She flipped her head back and launched herself towards the metallic doors, but Mark had already punched a button, shutting the doors to her face.

“Dammit, Mark!” She exclaimed, spinning around to face him her long hair whipping his face.

“Are you going to beat Solar up every time you’re in a disagreement with her?”

Nairin wasn’t on her first try.

She gritted her teeth, “I can try.”

“What ever did she do to you? No, save it,” he cut her when she opened .  “I don’t want to know. But you’re going to lose this attitude, Nairin.”

A cold smile shaped her lips. “You’re right I shouldn’t have hit her. I should save up that energy for the Trials.”

Mark paused and studied her. “You really do want to out me.”

He let out a small laugh and focused his gaze on something else than her. They’d grown up like siblings and she was used to never sugarcoat her words, especially not with him.

“You’re completely missing the point,” Nairin carried on, not picking up on his emotions. “If you weren’t so caught up with getting your father’s approval, maybe you would see that.”

“Then what is your problem?” He threw his hands in the air, ignoring the sensitive spot she’d just hit. “What point are you trying to make? State it clearly.” He was tired of her cryptic messages and childish behavior.

“Didn’t you hear Solar?” she said, her voice getting on edge. “You keep me caged inside Division.”

Tears brimmed her eyes, tugging on his protective instincts despite his best wishes. “Are the recruits giving you a hard time?”

She sighed and passed a hand through her hair, not denying nor confirming anything.

His eyes darkened, searching for her shifty ones. He insisted, “Is that it? Do you want me to talk to them?” His voice got deeper and Nairin noticed.

“No!” she yelled, her eyes filling with alarm furiously snapping back to his. She blew out a frustrated breath. “You don’t understand. The only thing I could possibly want from you is a, to stop treating me like a child, and b, to get me involved in missions. I know you’re sending a team to retrieve an arms shipment in Japan next week. I want to go with them.”

Her eyes held firm determination. He almost felt bad when he told her, “You know your family is against it.”

“You always say that but I’m not more at risk than anyone. You can convince them of that. They trust you with their lives. I promise I’ll be good.” She joined her hands together in supplication. “Please, Mark.” She knitted her brows together and mustered up a pout. She was the one searching to catch his eyes now. “Please.”

“Puppy eyes work for ice cream, Nairin, not getting an arms shipment from Japan.”

She tried to keep her face emotionless even though fury made her blood boil inside her veins. She leaned back against the wall of the cabin, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sometimes I wonder why you do this,” she said, not looking at him. “You want people to see you as the leader but you’re really not. Jackson is the real mastermind, isn’t he?”

Forgetting any pain he might’ve had, he squared up to her and pushed her against the wall. Nairin didn’t flinch. She definitely knew how to get to him.

A small smile drew up to the corner of her lips as she dragged her gaze from the door to Mark’s enraged face. Setting Mark off was always easy and way too enjoyable. It’d become her favorite pastime.

“Jackson said this, Jackson said that, Jackson is against it,” she chanted. “You think Bora will give a what my family wants if I can show myself useful to her?”

The elevator halted and emitted a soft sound, indicating they’d arrived to the ground floor of the villa atop Division. The doors opened to the hall of the house, daylight pouring inside the cabin.

Mark let out a small laugh. “I can see your loyalties run deep.”

Nairin’s only response was to extend her hand. “My knife.”

Slowly, he slid the knife out of his holster and put it hilt first onto her palm. He held firmly onto it when she tried to take it until she looked at him. She raised one eyebrow impatiently.

“You’re pulling double kitchen duty tomorrow.”

She snickered with an eye roll. “Yes, sir.”

He let go of the knife and she drew it to her before pushing herself off the wall and disappearing in the corridors of the house.

***

If that was what death felt like, she wanted out.

The head-pounding headache felt like someone trying to screw a nail on both sides of her head. Unbearable pain was spread throughout her body in all the sensible spots like thousands of tiny needles prickling her skin.

Death was supposed to be peaceful.

Bora managed to open her eyes and blinked at the bright lighting of the room. She squinted her eyes and raised a hand to her forehead.

“You look so much like her.”

The voice startled Bora mid-movement. She tried to whip her head to the side when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. “No sudden move.”

Bora obeyed, the sharp sting of pain paralyzing her body. The person who’d spoken, a woman, came into view. She had nice brown hair and wrinkles creased the corners of her eyes as she smiled down at Bora.

“Like who?” Bora asked.

“Your mother.”

Bora’s heartbeat picked up. She swallowed hard and her dry lips, “You knew my mom?”

“Hm,” the woman nodded. “We were both nurses serving in the army. I’m Fan Wang.”

“You’re... Jackson’s mother?” Bora was still trying to ground herself.

Mrs. Wang nodded. “I had him three years before your mom had you. You two were always at each other’s neck.”

“I don’t remember,” she said truthfully.

“You would always steal his toys. You two really put us through hell.”

Bora chuckled, and pain surged in her ribs. She hissed, and her smile faded away.

“Don’t worry, the pain will pass.” Mrs. Wang said, meeting Bora’s eyes.

Bora couldn't shake feeling like there was a deeper meaning to her words.

She bit her lip, then straightforwardly asked, “How was she like?”

Something twisted in her. The only other person who knew her mother was her father and she'd never dared ask a question like that to him.

“I never got to really know her,” she mumbled like she owed an explanation.

She never got to have real-life conversations with her mother about the things that truly mattered.

Mrs. Wang mustered a sad smile as she sat on the bed. She passed a hand through Bora’s hair and didn’t seem upset by her question.

“Everything Ji Hye did, she did out of love. Her parents didn’t approve her relationship with your father,” she disclosed. “Her mother especially. Your mother’s family was very poor, but they invested in Ji’s educatio