The bouncer unlocks the door of our cell, trailing eight guards behind him, and everything in me sinks. This can't be happening right now. I need more time. I need . . . Then it occurs to me: Sejeong's not here. She didn't break us out of the dungeon, she didn't even give us a sign that she was going to try. I swallow, the blood draining from my cheeks. What if I was wrong about her being the one who killed those guards, or worse, what if she's been captured, too?

Two guards approach each of us, and as they lower my arms out of the shackles, I realize how sore I am from holding them above my head. All my struggling produced a couple of angry red welts on my wrists. But I don't get time to inspect them because the guards yank my arms behind my back with force and tie a wrists with a knot of rope.

They us out of the cell in a line with me at the very back, Sehun at the front, and Lisa and Rosé in between. A guard holds each of my arms with a steel grip that I'm certain is going to leave bruises.

"I guess it takes eight Tiger guards and one giant to handle four Academy kids," Rosé says flippantly in front of me, and the guards next to her stiffens. "I'm also guessing you want to smash me into something right now?"  she continues when they don't respond. "Go ahead, I'll wait."

I tense, waiting for them to throw her into the bars on the cells we're passing. But the guards don't respond.

"Ahh, I see," Rosé continues. "Taecyeon doesn't let you think for yourselves. That's probably a good thing, though. And that big one, aish," she says loudly enough for the bouncer to hear her in the front of the procession. "Good thing brute strength is an asset."

In a way, I understands Rosé; she's getting in her punches where she can, even if they're verbal. The guards lead us out of the dungeon and up the stairs we snuck down last night. The wide hallway with the looming portraits is now populated with Stragetia, who stare at us uncomfortably. And it gives me hope to know that while Taecyeon may be willing to torture Academy kids in his dungeon, other Strategia don't find it as acceptable.

The guards lead us into the great hall. It's a huge rectangular room with vaulted ceilings. At the far end there is an elevated platform, upon which Taecyeon sits in a throne-like chair that's trimmed in gold, with a red velvet seat. Taeyeon stands next to him with a stony expression and next to her is Taemin, who doesn't look victorious the way I thought he would, but ghostly pale and uncertain.

A large crowd is gathered, speaking in hushed voices that hum with anticipation. Heavy wooden doors close behind us, and the crowd parts as the bouncer approaches, creating a pathway for us to be brought to Taecyeon.

And that's when I see him. Appa. His hands and chest are bound with rope and he's on his knees in front of Taecyeon, surrounded by four guards. There is blood on his face and I see cuts on his arms. He makes eye contact with me, and despite his banged-up appearance, his eyes still have the same steady look they always do. A sob rises in my throat.

Taecyeon leans back in his throne, exuding self-assurance as the guards line us up in a neat row. He's the picture of poise, transformed from his unassuming private persona to his showy public one. I look around the room, searching for some sign of Sejeong is safe, but find none. There are twelve guards standing with us, thirteen if you count the bouncer. Plus two Taecyeon and two more at the entrance we came through, which is the only way in or out of this room. There is no place to hide, nowhere Sejeong could be.

Taecyeon clears his throat and the room falls eerily silent. "Welcome, Family and friends," he says, and his tone is easy and imbued with his usual charisma.

I scan the crowd, wondering how many different Families are here, but it's impossible to tell based on appearance alone.

"Today we meet under unusual circumstances." Taeceyon takes his time getting up from his throne and moving between us and the crowd. "As I told you all last night, the Ferryman apprehended the man who not only killed our former Regent but made mockery of our Family. A worthy capture, one that is a testament to our Family's strength and dominance, and one that will be remembered for decades to come. This is the man who appears before you." Taecyeon gestures toward appa. "While I knew the criminal would be cunning, and I knew he would be resourceful, what I did not imagine, could not imagine, was that he would also be someone I once knew better than my own self. This man, who has committed unspeakable acts of betrayal, of cold-blooded cruelty, this man ... is my son, Ok Namjoon." Taecyeon pauses, letting the information sink in.

There are low murmurs from the crowd and people look at one another, unsure. I hear appa's name being whispered.

"Like you, I was led to believe that Namjoon was murdered as a young man," Taecyeon says. "Like you, I trusted my son, believed that he was unshakably loyal to this Family."

I look at appa, but he just stares forward at the crowd, unflinching. And it becomes clear why Taecyeon invited all these people-this public display is meant to show his Family and all of Strategia what happens if you challenge him. He's spinning fear behind the façade of justice.

"Under markedly different circumstances, this would be a happy occasion," Taecyeon continues, momentarily lowering his head as though the whole ordeal has taken a toll on him. "But unfortunately, that is not this day. Instead of the bright, capable boy who was meant to lead this Family, the man who has returned to me is a traitor." His expression is somber. "Not only was he captured after making an attempt on my life, but he passed his twisted ways on to his daughter, who admits without remorse to recruiting fellow Strategia to move against me. She killed our very own Minho." There are uncomfortable whispers in the crowd and people lean over each other to get a look at me.

"Unfortunately, there is no hope for my son and his daughter," Taecyeon says as though this is a difficult decision for him. "They have been thoroughly corrupted ..." -he pauses, making sure he has everyone's attention- "by the Eagle Family."

My eyes widen, and I'm not the only one who's shocked. The room hums with tension. 

Taecyeon sweeps his eyes across the crowd. "Our sources show that these two have been working with the Eagles for many years now in an attempt to destroy this Family. They have gone against everything we Strategia stand for, undermining our value system and threatening our way of life with their flippant disregard for our rules."

I glance nervously at the crowd. I remember Sehun telling me that leaving Strategia was forbidden, that it was punishable by death. And from the nodding among the onlookers, it's obvious they think we're guilty of that and much, much more.

Taecyeon clasps his hands behind his back. "It's a sad day when a father has to pass sentence on his own son and granddaughter. I can see that you agree I would remiss not to. But the nurden that is weighing heavily on me this day is not restricted to these treacherous Family members. It extends to the Eagles who supported them-the head family that hides in Incheon as we speak and the apothecary who provided these traitors with poison intend to kill me, to name just a few transgressions." Taecyeon's knowing gaze falls on me for the briefest of seconds, a look of victory in his eyes; my stomach does a fast unnerving flip. "I fear the time has come for me to right this wrong. The Eagles have been taking liberties for years now, and if the Council of Families won't move to correct their offenses, it leaves me no choice but to take action myself."

I dart my eyes to Sehun, but he's watching Taecyeon, his expression laced with worry. Suddenly this public display makes sense. This was never about us; he could have killed me and appa in his dungeon and no one would have been the wiser. Taecyeon is using us to start a war with the Eagles. And if he succeeds, Taecyeon will go uncontested, free to abuse his power and dominate the rest of Strategia. This is what Sehun meant when he said he wanted to know what Taecyeon was up to, that he thought Taecyeon had an ulterior motive.

Without warning I hear appa laugh, and I'm so surprised that I flinch. "Bravo," appa says to Taecyeon in a big booming voice. "Wonderful performance. You should take a bow."

Taecyeon frowns at the sound of his voice and gives appa a warning look before returning his attention to the crowd. "I will make no exceptions for my son and granddaughter; they will receive the same treatment I would afford any traitor who abandoned Strategia, compromised our secrecy, and attacked their own Family: execution."

Taecyeon snaps his fingers and one of the guards opens the door, letting through a man dressed entirely in black and holding a double-sided axe. His tunic has a wide hood that comes down over his face in a blackout mask. Sweat drips down my temple and I try to get appa's attention.

But appa isn't looking at me; he's still looking at Taecyeon. "Do you honestly imagine anyone believes that you're starting a war with the Eagles because of me?" he says in a clear voice. "Certainly not. For years you've been looking for a reason to make the Eagles bow to your depraved rule; I am merely an excuse."

People in the audience shift, looking from Taecyeon to appa and back again.

Taecyeon's expression remains unfazed, but he looks at the crowd as if gauging their reaction to appa's words. "It is impossible to argue with the facts," he replies, and straightens his tunic, an easy, unconcerned getsure.

"If you were relaying facts, you wouldn't be hosting a private execution. Careful now," appa says. "Or people might think you're doing this for personal reasons."

In any other situation, I would be cheering on appa for getting under Taecyeon's skin, but not with an execution in the room.

Then I see it: Taecyeon's eyes twitches. "You might find it judicious to spend the last minutes of your life more wisely, like saying your goodbyes. But no matter, it's easy enough to gag you. Guards," he says, and once again scans the room, like he's looking for some unseen threat.

One of appa's guards shoves a cloth in his mouth, stopping him before he can reply.

"Now bring him up here," Taecyeon says, his voice perfectly controlled.

The bouncer places a large wooden block on the ground in front of us. It's covered in dark marks that I can only assume are bloodstains. I feel the color drain from my face, my heartbeat pulsing furiously in my temples. And as the guards drag appa forward, I struggle.

"Are you all really going to let this happen?" I say angrily to the crowd, in a last ditch effort to buy time, for Sejeong to show up, something. "Are you really going to let him kill his son and granddaughter without question? Maybe you will, maybe you'll stand there, justifying our execution as punishment for breaking some archaic rule. Maybe you'll ignore your misgivings about why the firstborn son of the Tiger Family suddenly disappeared as a teenager, and the fact he left because his own father put a hit on him. And even if you can make peace with all the things that don't add up, how will you possibly explain away my friends? Is it right that Taecyeon murder a group of Academy students without their Families, without the permission of the Council? A Jackal, a Fox, and the head Wolf's son?"

Once again shock rolls through the crowd in the form of hushed conversations and worried looks.

"Enough!" Taecyeon says, only it's not the quiet tone he used to silence Rosé last night; it's forceful, signalling a small crack in his composure.

But I keep talking, Lisa's words about defiance ringing in my head.  "Ask yourselves this: Are you comfortable letting someone who murder children rise to be the head of all Strategia? Strategia have rules; we have order. Taecyeon breaks all those rules and yet he still runs this Family. How can this be? How can he be allowed to kill off the most talented students at the Academy, of all places, a time-honored institution where the child of every Family is an equal?" When I stop speaking, appa is staring at me, proud.

There are couple of gasps in the crowd. I can tell Taecyeon wants to muzzle me, too, but is too prideful to let it look like the only way he can control the situation is by gagging everyone.

"The ramblings of a guilty child," Taceyeon says like it's all very sad that I'm so desperate, but his eyes are angry.

"If you don't believe me, ask them." I nod at my friends, speaking as fast as I can, hoping my words are connecting. "Ask Taemin. He's not good enough liar to hide it. And then ask yourselves: What if your children, cousins, brothers, sisters are next because they disagree with Taecyeon? Because the Tigers are not the problem here. I refuse to believe it's the Tigers. Appa's a Tiger. I'm a Tiger. The person who is abusing his rule, the person who is killing other Strategia with cause, is Taecyeon."

Taecyeon's face tightens, but instead of addressing me, he gestures at the block, redirecting everyone's attention to appa and the execution.

Appa's guards force his head down onto the blood-stained wood.

"No!" I scream, and the sound is guttural, ripped straight out of my heart. I struggle against my guards with wild movements, but however I thrash, I can't break their hold on my arms.

Taecyeon's eyes twinkle as he walks up to me on his way back to his throne. He leans in, speaking just loud enough for me to hear. "You will die last, watching your father and every one of your friends go before you."

For a heart-stopping moment, I remember the coded message Sehun was reluctant to give me-Minho's dead and their will be retaliation-Taecyeon's setting a trap for us in his dungeon, hurting my friends, this. After soaking in the expression of horror on my face, Taecyeon calmly walks back to his throne, confident once more.

In desperation, I struggle harder against my guards. "Appa!" I yell as the executioner takes his position.

I throw my shoulders backward and kick my legs up in the air, as though I were doing and backflip. The guards manage to support my body weight, but I lean so far back that I'm practically inverted, giving me enough momentum to kick the guard on my right in the face. There is a crunching sound and blood comes pouring out of his nose. He drops me, causing the other guard to lose his footing, and I hit the ground hard on my side. But before I can right myself, the stumbling guard regains his grip and pulls me to my knees by my hair.

"Raise your blade!" Taecyeon commands the executioner, victory ringing in his voice.

The executioner lifts his axe with both hands, the blade hovering over him for a split second, and the entire room seems to pause with it. Then he drops his arms, the blade whipping through the air so fast and with so much force that no one has time to react as it changes direction-slicing the bouncer's head off.

A scream stops in my throat so abruptly that I choke. Blood sprays outward and the crowd lurches back. It's so quiet that when the bouncer's head and body hit the floor, the noise echoes, like the sound is being broadcast through a loudspeaker.

I stare unblinkingly at appa.

Then everything happens at once. The guards throw open the doors to yell for backup and half the room looks toward the exit, not like they're scared, just like they want no part of this fight. The executioner doesn't waste a moment. He swings his axe again, taking down one of the guards holding appa.

"Kill them!" Taecyeon orders behind me, his usual calm replaced by anger. All I can think is that sees his mistake in inviting members of other Families to watch the execution-people who might need him politically but also have no interest in risking their lives to save his.

The guard whose nose I broke unsheathes his knife while the other one yanks my head back, exposing my throat. 

"Soo!" appa yells, but he and the executioner are outnumbered, fighting four guards.

Sehun, too, calls out for me, but his hands are still bound. He whips his head to the side, smashing it into the face of the guard on his right.

My guard steps toward me, his fingers tightening around his knife handle. I attempt to go backward, but the other guard's grip on my hair makes it impossible to move. I keep my eyes open, looking straight at my oncoming killer.

"Do you think you'll remember this day?" I ask. "The day you killed an innocent seventeen-year-old? Or will it just be another day working for Taecyeon?"

For a split second, he hesitates. Instead of softening, though, his expression hardens and he closes the distance between us. Just as his blade comes toward me, there's a buzzing sound and the guard grunts like the wind was knocked out of him. Then his eyes widen and he steps uncertainly to the side, dropping his blade. A wooden shaft sticks out of his back. An arrow?

My eyes sweep the room, but before I can locate the archer, there's another buzzing sound and I duck reflexively. The guard holding my hair sways, loses his grip on me, and drops to the floor. I look from him to the crowd, where I see Sejeong, bow in hand, which she reloads to take out one of Sehun's guards. I search for Jungkook, but he isn't with her, and I'm not exactly surprised. I was shocked he came to Incheon in the first place. I could hardly expect he would risk coming to the Tiger estate.

"Sejeong?" Sehun says in disbelief. But before Sejeong can get another arrow out of her quiver, one of Taecyeon's men is on her, throwing a kick that splits her bow in half. Sehun jabs his elbows into his remaining guard's throat, and as the man chokes, Sehun breaks free of his restraints and moves toward his sister.

I bend down fast, grabbing a knife from the dead guard's belt and sawing through the rope that's tied around my wrists. I turn toward appa, who's fighting two guards alongside the executioner. But before I can get to him, another Tiger collides with my shoulder, sending me back a step. The moment he makes eye contact with me, he swings, connecting my jaw before I can find my balance. My mouth fills with blood.

I regain my footing and lunge forward, slashing at his torso. He nimbly jumps backward, my blade cutting nothing but the air in front of him. He pulls out two knives from the sheaths on either side of his belt. I readjust my stance, watching his hands and his eyes, hoping he's not as good as knives as I fear he might be. He begins to lift his blades, and I brace for his advance, but it doesn't come. Instead, his eyes widen and his back arches unnaturally. I stare at him in confusion as a wet patch  appears on the front of his black shirt. Blood.

The guard falls to his knees, dropping his blades, and there standing behind him is Sehun.

"Suzy," Sehun says with relief, immediately scanning me for injury.

Then Sejeong at his side, and with their matching expressions they look unmistakable like twins.

The room is in complete chaos. Everywhere I look people are fighting to the death. Lisa drops one guard with a kick to the throat and punches another. She moves with grace and self-assurance, like a flexible ninja. And her shorn hair doesn't diminished her flair; if anything she looks more badass than ever. Rosé's no slouch, either. She's got two knives and is slashing them through the air with remarkable speed.

Taecyeon is watching them as well, his face twisting into a grimace. He grabs a knife from his belt and pulls his arm back, aiming it at Rosé. Sehun follows my line of sight as I scream. "Rosé!"

Taecyeon's hand is extended, the knife already flying through the air. But Lisa has seen him, too, and dives in front of her friend.

A horror a watches over Rosé's face as she realizes what's happening. "No!" she screams. But it's too late; Taecyeon's knife has lodged in Lisa's chest, a clean shot, a kill shot.

Lisa slams back against Rosé, who wraps her arms around her friend, and together they slump to the ground. Lisa's face contorts with shock and pain.

Rosé rips off the sleeve of her own shirt, pressing the fabric around the knife wound. But there is so much blood that it's soaked in seconds. Rosé stares at her fingers, covered in red, continuing to put pressure on the wound.

"I'm getting you out of here," Rosé says, sliding an arm under Lisa's neck.

"No, Rosie," Lisa responds in a self-assurance voice.

Rosé grips Lisa firmly, lifting her slightly.

 "Stop," Lisa commands, her voice strained, and Rosé does.

For a moment they just stare at each other. Rosé bites back tears, and Lisa places a shaking hand over Rosé's, squeezing her friend's fingers as if to tell her not to worry.

"I . . . th-thank you," Lisa says, but her voice comes out gargled and her eyes struggle to stay focused.

"Don't you dare thank me, Lisa. You're not dying," Rosé says stubbornly.

But Lisa's breathing is getting progressively more labored. "Thank you . . . for being my sister."

Rosé opens to respond, but Lisa's eyes flutter and close, her body going limp in Rosé's arms.

Rosé touches Lisa's face. "Lisa?" she breathes. "Lili?" But Lisa is gone, and by the way Rosé's face crumbles, she knows it. She folds over her friend, squeezing Lisa into her body, her pain so visceral that I feel it in my own chest.

I pull at my shirt, like I can't get air, like it was all out of the room, my breath fast and stilted. But deep down inside, anger is forming, small and tight and hot, like a red coal from a dying fire. My hand clenches around my knife and before I can even form the thought, I'm looking for Taecyeon, ready to avenge my friend, to guarantee he never hurts anyone ever again. But when I look back toward the throne, he's gone, and not only him, but Taeyeon and Taemin as well. I do a fast scan of the room, scared I won't find them and scared of what I be capable of when I do.

"There," Sejeong says, and points. Taecyeon is already halfway across the room, heading for the door.

Appa drops the guard he's fighting with a fast kick and immediately turns to me. He follows my sight line to Taecyeon just as Taecyeon slips out of the great hall.

"Soo-" appa starts, but looks again after Taecyeon. "Stay here. Stay safe." And with a heavy expression, he leaves me to hunt down his father. I know he has to follow him, that he can't Taecyeon slip away, but I can't, either.

"I'm coming with you," Sehun says, his eyes strained with the same conflict of chasing Taecyeon or staying to fight with Sejeong and Rosé.

"No, just me," I say. "We can't leave Rosé by herself."

"Go, Suzy. You'll lose them if you don't," Sejeong insists, and I do.

I shed a tear in this chapter. Love you, Lisa <3

one of my favorite character