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She had already made fifteen calls and not once he picked up. “Answer it, GD.” For the sixteenth time, she dialed again and as expected, she was then again ignored by her loving boyfriend.

“Can we get to our business first?” Daesung finally said with a very exasperating voice. “I’m on the verge here. Can’t you see?” He pointed at his huge, dark eyebags and raised his fourth cup of black coffee. “Seriously, Kiko. He will pick the damn call when he wants it.”

“I need to talk to him!” Kiko slumped on the chair in the huge conference room in the 2nd floor of The Lair. This is not a problem we could just decide on.” She was about to make a call again when the door opened.

Daesung emptied his coffee quickly and stood. “What did Grandfather say?” His voice was full of concern.

Another woman in a long, black coat with gray shirt and jeans sat beside Daesung. “He will meet him on the day of The Bartering itself.”

“Oh thank God.” Daesung braced his hands together dramatically. “Phew! We still have time.”

“We don’t have time.” Kiko made a sharp look at him. “One month and three weeks.” Daesung grew quiet knowing this for a fact. “We’ve only got a month and three weeks before the Bartering and look at him!” Her voice grew louder as their silence met. “Locked in a room, wanting to go back in that ty zoo, and has been praying on his knees every damn night!”

“He needs time.” Daesung turned serious now. “He’s different. He lived in a world different from ours. Why can’t you understand that?”

“Why can’t you understand that locking him there and talking him this whole thing calmly will never work?” Kiko slammed a fist on the glass table. “It’s been five days since he got here and he’s not a bit interested to learn about Lost Anima. If we are going to wait for him to be ready, we might as well start digging our own graves.”

“Arasso.” Daesung told her hotly. “And what do you wanna do? Force him to change his personality and beliefs in just a night. You are a doctor, Kiko. You know that just won’t happen.”

Kiko smirked a dangerous one. “I am a Blackblood.” She took a remote control and pressed it when the white screen in front of them showed pictures.

“Who are these?” Daesung leaned to the front with confused look.

A picture of a guy holding a pail of water and some cloth was shown. “Lee Seunghoon. He’s the bestfriend of him. They’ve been friends since he was 12. He was also working in Mokpo Zoo.” Kiko made another click. “This is the grandmother of Seunghoon. She’s mute and Donghae treasured her like he was a grandson of her too.” Click. “This is their manager in the Mokpo Zoo. Her name is CL. It is said-”

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Daesung was open-mouthed, standing up while waving his hands. “Hold it. Just hold your ing horses.” He was looking at her in disbelief. “Are you trying to say to use these people to blackmail Lee Donghae?”

“This is our only way.” Kiko insisted.

“It is not! Have you lost your mind?”

“This is the kind of a world he has to live in!” Kiko was now standing too, in heat to make a point. “Blackmail! Betrayal! Sins! Blood!” Her voice echoing in every corner of the room. “Why act like a saint?”

“I’m not acting like saint!”

“Stop it!”

Silence ensued inside the heated room as the two finally cooled their heads. Daesung sat on his chair again, pouring his fifth cup of coffee while Kiko was staring at the woman beside him, waiting.

“I agree,” Dara began to say. “that we don’t have time at all. He shouldn’t be locked in his room anymore because on the day of the Bartering, he couldn’t face everyone with zero knowledge on how things work in his world.” Kiko raised her chin proudly as Daesung rolled his eyes on her. “But . . .” Dara impassively took the bread knife near the slices of bread on Daesung’s side. “I think you’re forgetting something, Kiko.”

The latter creased her forehead. “Mwo?”

Without tearing her eyes on her, Dara made a swift throw of the bread knife across the conference room. A sound of glass breaking was heard along with the disappearance of the picture on the white screen. She just struck the lens of projector hanging 10 feet away. “You don’t get to threaten a Zenith.” Her voice was low and dangerous. “Whether he acts like one or not, he is our leader. Killing these people will only ignite his fear and hatred on us.” Daesung smirked on the side. “Lost Anima needs a leader, not some battered pet.”

A longer silence ensued as the projector fell and crashed on the floor.

Kiko fixed her things, preparing to leave. “He’s not a battered pet. He’s a fish. A blue, tiny fish that ate the bait and was out of nowhere forced to lead a pack of wolves.” She said with a sly smile. “Leave him more out of the water and let’s all watch him die in our own land.”

With that, she left the room.

“Did she just insult a Zenith?” Daesung asked Dara in disbelief.

“She just stated out loud what we think of Lee Donghae. He really is different among any other Zenith. They all grew up bearing the title, glory, and sins while he-”

“He started from the very bottom and lived in hope to find contentment and peace somewhere along the journey.” Daesung took a sip from his coffee.

Dara laid back on the chair with her face facing the ceiling. “And that’s the problem.” Her left violet eye got even more mysterious as the bright light reflected it. “Zeniths know no word contentment and peace.”

Silence.

“Hey. I just thought about it.” Daesung chuckled.

“What about?”

“Does Kiko know that you pointed a gun on Lee Donghae’s head?”

She glanced at him. “No. I only told you that. Why?”

“