As soon as N lowered the phone he was met with a harsh slap to the cheek.

“What the were you thinking?!” Ken cried angrily.

N didn’t bother to answer. He knew there was no answer that Ken would deem reasonable.

“Why would you do something like that? Do you have any idea of what you just done?” Ken screamed as he pushed N back by his shoulder, tears of fury streaming down his cheeks.

N caught him by the wrist before he was able to hit him again, “Ken, calm down.”

“Calm down?! You expect me to calm down after what you did?”

“I did what was necessary. Things are over now. We sacrificed him so that we could live in peace for once, together,” N spoke gently as he pulled Ken into his chest, his hair comfortingly.

Ken began to choke on his tears as he buried his face into N’s chest, “But he did nothing wrong.”

“We all did wrong.”

“W..Why did you do it? Why h..him?” Ken managed to say between sobs.

“I did it to protect you. I know you’re upset but try to think of this from my perspective. Someone was going to get caught eventually. Isn’t it better than it was only one of us, other than all three? It’s not like he’s going to die. Prison can’t be all that bad,” N reasoned as he rested his chin atop Ken’s head.

“I suppose…” Ken mumbled in reply. He was certainly upset and infuriated by N’s actions but he did have a point. Nothing could be done now anyhow and it was certain that Leo wasn’t going to be released anytime soon. Murder wasn’t anything to be taken lightly.

Leo’s POV

I sat in the corner of my cell, awaiting my upcoming trial. I knew what was going to happen but oddly enough, I wasn’t afraid. I knew something like this would happen eventually, I only hoped that N was put into this position instead of myself. My mind was filled with the constant worries of Ken. I was scared of what N would do to him. I wasn’t around to protect Ken anymore and the thought of him being left alone, defenceless to whatever N had planned for him make me feel stricken with unimaginable guilt. N had said that he loved him but his words were not ones that a person could trust.

In the soft silence of my solitude I tried to understand what N did what he did. In no way could I comprehend how he could do such horrific things to his friends and loved ones, claiming to be ‘protecting Ken’.

But, inevitably, my fate is sealed. I will spend the rest of my life in prison, with the crippling guilt of what I had done. Even if these deaths had in some ways been a team effort, I couldn’t help but feel as if it were all my fault. I should have tried to stop it earlier, maybe if I had just stop the game of Russian Roulette before it had begun we would still being enjoying the free, simple life we had. Instead of 3 dead, one in police custody, one in immediate danger and the other stuck in his own sick little mind. Unfortunately, what’s done is done and there’s nothing more I can do. I just hope that N wouldn’t lay a hand on Ken.

Ken’s POV

I smiled softly as I walked along the pavement, hand in hand with beloved boyfriend. N and I had been dating steadily for 8 years now. At first it was difficult to heal from the events all those years ago but he helped pull me though all the doubt and tears. I depended on him, he was my everything and I knew it was the same for him.

The sun was beginning to set and the horizon was painted bright colours of pinks, reds and oranges. It was rather cold but the warmth radiating from N’s hand, which I had a firm grip of, was enough to keep me warm.

“Let’s go walk across the Banpo Bridge,” N suggested softly as he smiled up at the sky.

I nodded gently as we walked, “That sounds nice.”

By the time we made it to the bridge, the sun had set and the city lights illuminated the night sky. The coloured lights of the bridge reflected onto the water of the Han river, creating a coloured rippling pattern that made me regret leaving my camera back at the apartment that N and I shared.

I spoke as we approached the edge of the bridge, leaning over the water, “Isn’t it pretty?”

N stepped closer to me and cupped my cheeks, “Not anywhere near as pretty as you are.”

A light blush painted my cheeks. Even after all these years, a small comment like that was enough to make me act like a shy schoolgirl.

“I wonder how Leo is…” I sighed softly as I looked over at the water.

“Why would you bring that up now and ruin such a special moment?” N replied, his voice suddenly becoming very stern.

“We haven’t seen him since the day he was arrested.”

“He deserved what he got.”

I looked over at him in disbelief, “Do you really think that? We all played an equal part in those events. In fact you did more than the rest of us.”

That one sentence was enough for N to snap. He turned to me, a scowl across his face, “Are you calling me a murder?”

I paused for a moment in thought before looking over at him, “Yes, I am.”

“How could you say that?”

“You are, aren’t you?” I crossed my arms across my chest, staring at him blankly.

N suddenly shot forward, his slender hands wrapping around my throat. I tried to cry out but it was cut off by the lack of oxygen and I only managed to release a small groan.

“I did these things to protect you! Why don’t you understand me? After all I did for you, you simply turn your back on me and claim that I’m a murderer. Is this the thanks I get for putting up with all your ing constant tears and anxiety attacks? “

I struggled against his hold, using all the strength I could muster to try and pull his hands away. I began to feel somewhat lightheaded, losing track of the various insults N was throwing at me. Just as I felt myself drift out of consciousness, he released me and I fell to the ground while panting and wheezing.

“I should have just killed you then when I had the chance,” He snarled as he stared down at me.

“I-I thought you loved me…” I managed to cough out.

“I do, this is just my sick way of conveying it,” he smiled bitterly.

I pushed myself up onto my feet with the help of a nearby railing. I climbed onto the ledge of the bridge, only a few centimetres from the edge. Only one small movement and I would plunge to my death.

“What are you doing?” N’s voice sounded behind me.

“Come up here with me, we can reach for freedom together,” I replied with a small smile gracing my lips.

Surprisingly, without complaint he climbed up and stood beside me, staring down at the water.

“So together we die?” He questioned as he glanced over at me.

I nodded.

“How romantic,” he laughed sarcastically.

“On the count of three okay?”

One – I grabbed onto his hand, intertwining our fingers.

Two – I smiled up at him, savouring the sweet look of serenity he wore so well.

Three – I pushed him into the water without a single regret.

I stared down at him as he descended down into the water. The moment almost seemed to play in slow motion as Ravi’s last words echoed through my mind.

Detach the strings of the puppeteer

A/N: I am SO sorry this took me so long....it's really short too T_T I've just been caught up in a whole lot of things in my personal life. Oh and the next chapter will be the last, it will be shorter than this one since there's not really much to say.... I actually nearly cried when Ken pushed N off.... U_U So sad...