Chapter 14: 21:13 – A Countdown to First Death [02:47am]

Joon POV

The last thing I remember was the hologram of two teenage boys arguing over something about pirates and enforcers. That feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach grew, churning like a mill and making me feel like I wanted to throw up.

Then the conversation finished.

       “I get it brother, just…be careful okay?”

       And Byunghee was nodding. “I will. I promise. I won’t do anything bad. It’s my…duty…”

And suddenly black waves assuaged me, slamming my body against the velvet walls that were soft to touch but in my mind were hard as concrete. The memories flooded me and I was remembering what I didn’t want to remember the most.

***

Thrown backwards into a white-washed plastered wall. Why?! Why wouldn’t Byunghee listen to him. Changsun had done this all for him. Stopped him. Stolen the virus. How many people it would have killed. Byunghee most of all. The BlackBeards weren’t giving him an initiation job. They were going to frame him and kill him.

And he could not let that happen to his most precious brother.

The brother who was not listening to him.

And suddenly there were flashing lights, garish reds and blues cutting a violent path in his vision. And there were booming voices that hurt his head, harsh hands that shoved him down onto the ground and one image burned into his mind – Byunghee rejecting him. Throwing his arm away. Backing away. Byunghee severing their brother bond.

All of a sudden, an explosion enveloped the harbor and Changsun was thrown backwards. He felt fire scorch his skin, stone draw ragged scars into his exposed arms and from the unbearable hotness, he was plunged into cold.

Changsun gasped with shock at the temperature of the harbor. It was freezing. He had to get out quickly. And he was sinking.

The sky was above. He could see the bright lights – presumably from the explosion – dance on the surface. They taunted him and Changsun struggled to reach for it. He was never a good swimmer – Byunghee always was the faster one – but he could paddle.

But…why…? Why was he only sinking.

The handcuffs.

Heavy as ten-ton weights, they were made to weigh criminals down. Twofold was their purpose. One, to demonstrate to the criminal the weight of their crimes. Two, to hinder escape. It was the latter. It was dragging him down into those dark depths.

NO! Changsun yelled, fearful of the unknown leviathan. Fear was playing tricks on his mind. He clawed for the surface, but it was getting further and further away. Encumbered by the cuffs, he could not move his hands properly and he was running out of air. Of time.

All around him was darkness. Pitch black.

Then a thought came to him. Byunghee! His brother would save him. Changsun looked around , his eyes searching for that tell-tale brown hair. But there was nothing.

And then it hit him.

The hand swinging backwards, the eyes of hatred rejecting him.

Byunghee could swim.

And he could not.

Byunghee was gone. He was alone. Trapped. Unable to swim. Running out of time.

Betrayed.

If he could, Changsun would have cried. Silent tears that would pour down his cheeks. But underwater, he couldn’t. He couldn’t even sob. So cruel this world was. He hated it. Hated it for stealing away his noona to the enforcers, hated it for taking his mother and robbing him of his father. Hated it for finally separating him from his brother. He was alone. So, so alone. And he was scared.

Bubbles flew out of Changsun’s mouth as he continued to sink.

Down, down, down he sank.

And finally Changsun let his eyes close and gave up on this world.

***

“-oon.” it was a voice. Not Byunghee’s. And who’s name was that? “Lee Joon!”

I cracked my eyes open. Such a chore it was. It was as if they had been sewn together, steel wire instead of thread sealing me in my nightmare cascade of memories. Opening them was so difficult, but the voice was insistent and finally I forced them apart.

Soft eyes filled my vision.

Thunder.

“Joon.” His voice was full of relief.

Feeling returned to my body and my fingers twitched. I was lying on the floor. No that wasn’t entirely correct. Thunder was holding my upper body, his arms wrapped around me.

“I was so worried,” he said. “I saw some golden sparks and followed it. Then I found you lying on the floor. You wouldn’t wake up. I feared the worst.”

I shook my head. It was sore and pounded. “I…I’m fine,” I whispered hoarsely. How long had it been since I passed out from-

The memories all came crashing down. The virus. The explosion. The water. Jung Byunghee.

Betrayal.

I sat up so fast I nearly clipped Thunder on the chin.

“Joon?” his innocent eyes were wide with surprise.

“I remember,” I said curtly. Thunder’s mouth fell open in a perfect O shape. “I remember why I’m here. I’m here because he betrayed me. And it became my greatest wish to get revenge. That’s the wish the ringmaster will grant me if I escape.”

Thunder stared at me with the look of a deer in the headlights. “Who is he hyung?”

I got to my feet. “He,” I spat remembering the face of my long-gone brother and then that of my team mate. “Is G.O”

But I didn’t need the ringmaster now. I would kill G.O with my own hands.