Chapter 9 - Back to Battle

Even after technically obtaining her arm, Ja Young couldn’t sleep that night. She thought about what happened when the three Argents burst into the chamber. When she turned around, she quickly slipped her right side of her shirt on so they wouldn’t see anything. The only thought swarming in the men’s minds was the weapon’s acceptance. A mere Human-born Argent couldn’t have possibly gained a powerful android arm, could she?

Ja Young restlessly gazed at the ceiling and her thoughts trailed to Se Hun and Hye Young. Why can’t she sleep? If her sister was dead then she would know it. Why did she have this feeling that someone was going to die tonight? Pushing thoughts aside, she shot up from her bed and grabbed a new jacket hanging on the headboard. 

Ja Young was still wearing her white shirt, pants and boots. She left the cardigan back at the estate, replacing it with a leather jacket. She opened the window and looked down below. She spotted some shorter buildings that were high enough to land. Checking for no witnesses, she jumped.

She leapt over roofs heading east. It was easier for her to travel because it was still dark. When she arrived at her destination, Ja Young looked at the society one last time. It was a beautiful sight to behold but she might not see it anymore. She faced the hidden portal and took a step until someone called her name and froze.

“Don’t try to stop me, Kai.” Ja Young warned.

“I’m not trying to stop you. Turn around.” Kai said. Ja Young turned around to see him alone wearing the same outfit. He brought a packet of new daggers with him strapped to his belt.

“I’m going with you.”

“Please don’t come.”

“But you can’t free them alone. Even with that arm, you can't do this on your own!”

“It’s because I’m scared that one of us might die tonight! I don’t want it to be you, Se Hun, and definitely not Hye Young.” She faltered a little. Kai sighed.

“Look, just because you got yourself a cyborg arm doesn’t mean you’ve become someone no Argent can ever dream of being. You’re still an Argent, like me.”

Ja Young clenched her fists. “Why, Kai? Why do you want to free them too?”

Kai paused. “I can’t answer that.”

“Then don’t even bother coming with me.” As soon as she turned her back, Kai firmly grasped her artificial wrist.

“Why do you have to be so independent, Ja Young? What is it about me you want to push away?”

“Nothing, okay‽ I don’t want you to die like I almost did. I don’t know what you did to me but I don’t know why I’m starting to care for you-”

Kai yanked her to his chest in another breath-taking tight embrace. “I don’t know what you did to me, Ja Young but I can’t bear to risk losing you, too. If I come with you now, there is a higher chance that everyone will make it out of there alive.”

They stood there for a few moments until she broke the hug. Ja Young faced the portal and said, “Do what you want, but don’t be a reckless idiot.”

“Hate to break it to you, but I can't promise you that.” They quickly entered the portal before the other Argents could find out.

Kai and Ja Young arrived at the familiar hidden corridor of the Death Camp with the familiar stench of rotten flesh welcoming them back. Argents were still dying. 

Before Ja Young could make a move, Kai stopped her with an idea in mind. “Wait. Let me try something.”

He pressed his left palm on the wall, searching for something. Ja Young did a double take on his hand to see that he had a ring shaped like a triangle with a strange circle in the center. Kai closed his eyes as he was trying to find the point where the pulsing was strongest. With his ring, it enhanced his searching skills just enough to find another. With his navy coloured life force flowing in his mind, he pushed through the boundaries and continued looking for Se Hun's. 

Meanwhile in the same room, Se Hun woke up with pulses emitting from his emblem. Over the course of almost a day, he obtained new bruises and wounds from torture. He hid Hye Young from the Daemens’ area of vision so she wouldn’t be exposed to more pain, seeing that she was already sickly. 

He sat up straight pressed his own palm on the wall. He stood still, trying to figure out who was on the other side and where was it coming from. He suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out to him in his mind, “Se Hun, can you hear me?” He didn't necessarily hear clear cutted words, but he felt Kai's life force somehow. He sent out his green life force into the wall where he felt Kai's.

Kai found him on the other side of the wall saying, “I found Se Hun.”

Ja Young’s eyes widened. “How?” She whispered.

"There's a weak spot in these walls that can let some Argentic life force slip through to communicate. Se Hun and I just connected."

"I'll try, too," she suggested.

"Just put your palm near mine. Se Hun is around there."

Ja Young pressed her mechanic palm on the wall, hoping with all her heart that Hye Young is still safe and still alive in there with Se Hun.

Se Hun sensed Ja Young on the other side as well. Hope blossomed in his chest and he kept his connection to Kai as he gave instructions. He eyed on the frail Hye Young 

“Se Hun, try to find the weakest spot along the wall so you can make your escape.”

The wind user followed the flow of the draining wall searching for the weakest flow. He tried to make it discreet and less obvious to others as he kept an eye on Hye Young. 

Suddenly he felt a small rush of his ability in his hands as he found the weakest link of the wall. He sent out his signal to Kai.

Kai tried to keep up with Se Hun as Ja Young quietly followed his footsteps. When he came to a complete stop, she nearly collided into him. “This is it.” She looked at him.

“Ja Young, this is going to be one thing you can’t make a mistake with.” Kai patted the spot on the wall. “I need you to tear down this wall starting at this spot.” Ja Young’s android arm flinched. 

“Will my ability work from here?” She warily asked. Kai nodded and stood back. Ja Young also took a few steps back and never took her eyes off the spot Kai marked. She counted in her head.

‘One,’ she made a fist, but she was nervous on how strong the arm might be.

‘Two,’ she arched her feet, ready to charge. 

‘Three!’ Ja Young pushed off from the ground and made a battle cry as she punched the wall down in one go. The impact made the cracks trail off and the cement broke down. Some of the draining energy left the wall and it leaked back into the imprisoned Argents’ bodies. 

Without waiting for the Argents to make their escape, Ja Young dashed through the new entrance searching for her twin sister. She found her in a hidden corner sound asleep even after the explosion. 

Hye Young was getting drastically weaker. Her skin was paler and her face was gaunt. She looked skinnier and more frail than before. She was no more than skin and bones ready to perish.

Ja Young slid across the floor and gently put her arm around her, waking her. “Hye Young. Can you hear me?”

The younger sister managed to crack her eyes open to meet with Ja Young’s refreshed face. “Ja Young? Is that really you?” She lifted her hand to touch Ja Young’s cheek, as if she were still dreaming. She spotted the teardrop necklace hanging around her neck and smiled.

“You came back for us?”

Ja Young fervently nodded as tears of relief came to her eyes. “We’re going to get you out of here. You’re going to be safe again.”

Se Hun came up to the reunited twins and had a look of urgency. They had to leave before the Daemens could kill all of them. Hye Young looked beyond him to see the Argents rushing through the opening Ja Young created. Her face lightened when she saw Kai coming through towards them.

Ja Young and Se Hun helped Hye Young up on her feet. Kai lifted her to Ja Young’s back and said, “Ja Young, get the Argents out of here to the portal outside the camp.”

“What about you? What are you going to do?”

Kai and Se Hun exchanged looks. “We’ll defeat the Daemens to buy you time. We’ll be right behind you.” 

“No, Se Hun. Come with us. You can’t fight them half-alive.”

Se Hun shook his head and pumped his fists in determination. He turned to Hye Young and cupped her face. She tenderly smiled. “I’ll be alright, Se Hun. Just come back safely.”

He bit his lip and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go, Hye Young.” Ja Young said. She followed the trail and ran to the front. “Everyone! Follow me to the portal!” The Argents became desperate for freedom and willingly tailed her. ‘Kai, whatever impulsive actions you’re going to do: don’t die from them.’

When the last of the Argents fled from the room, the Daemens pounded on the doors. Kai and Se Hun walked to the front of the entrance, standing at least twenty feet away. Kai whipped out his daggers while Se Hun gathered his energy to attack.

The pounding was getting stronger and the doors were getting weaker. “Steady, Se Hun. We got this. We got this for Ja Young and Hye Young.”

The doors finally gave in and crashed on the floor as the Daemens barged in with outrage and disbelief as Se Hun unleashed a powerful hurricane upon them while Kai threw an explosive projectile into the hurricane, creating a bomb.

Ja Young ran as fast as she could as Daemens tried to stop the escaping Argents. She shouted, “Hold on to me as tight as you can!” Hye Young’s grip tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut. Ja Young jumped and gave a round of kicks as the rest of the Argents utilized their abilities to fight against them. 

“Don’t pay too much attention to them! We’re almost there!”

The mob stopped as three giants were stomping towards them with dangerous weapons in their claws. Ja Young set her sister down as she rolled up her right sleeve to reveal her artificial arm, making Hye Young have a heart attack. 

“Ja Young! Your arm!”

“I know, but I’m not done.” She charged against the Daemens, gathered strength into the arm and released it all at once on the center giant in one punch. The blow sent the three giants flying into the wall the led the prisoners to freedom. After Ja Young regained her composure, she grabbed Hye Young’s hand, snapping her from her daze.

“We’re here!”

Everyone started running again towards the outdoors. They didn’t stop running until all the Argents met with the cool night air.

As the twins were gasping for air, they heard cheering from behind them. They were cheering for their long awaited freedom due to Ja Young’s help. Hye Young hugged her sister tightly while weakly crying.

“I never doubted you for one second in that prison. You really saved us.” She pulled back. “This isn’t a dream, right? You’re still standing here, smiling and sweating with satisfaction? That your arm has been apparently severed and replaced with this weapon?”

Ja Young felt a pang of guilt flooding her heart.

“Hye Young, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful and focused during that execution. I don’t know what happened but I managed to survive that nightmare, although I wanted to be by your side.”

Hye Young rested her head on Ja Young’s shoulder.

“I don’t care anymore. As long as you’re still alive and still my sister, I’m fine with the way you are.” She blindly grasped her metal arm. “Did it hurt? Attaching this to you?”

Ja Young shook her head. “No. Not a thing.”

She patted her weeping sister’s back. “I found the society where you can be safe with the rest of the Argents. It’s a beautiful realm with tall buildings and golden lights. I know you will love it there.”

Suddenly, there was another explosion coming from inside the camp. ‘Kai!’ Ja Young thought in horror. She pulled away and shouted, “The portal is just beyond the wasteland that will not take you long to cross. You will find safety as soon as you enter it!”

Ja Young watched as the Argents ran away from the camp and started to go towards it. “Wait! You can’t go back there!”

“I made a promise to myself minutes before coming back here,” She turned around, “That I wouldn’t let anyone die except for me.”

“I won’t leave you! I can’t!”

“Your safety is more important than me, Hye Young. If I do come back, I’ll come straight for you with Kai and Se Hun with me.”

As Ja Young ran back, Hye Young shouted, “Hong Ja Young! Please don’t die!”

When she disappeared in the debris, Hye Young whimpered, “Please don’t die just when everything was going to be okay.”