Journey Into the Knight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

**TW for scenes of violence and torture**

YongSun's head hurt as if she was spinning around. It was almost painful for her to try and open her eyes. Her brain exploded with pain as the dim light touched her eyes but she still forced them open. The memories of what had occurred before her backout was starting to come back to her and she needed to know what happened. Cold grey stone met her when she finally got her eyes open. Her body ached as she tried to move from where she was laying. With the movement of her hand came the jingle of the chains she was strapped into. She shakily managed to push herself up from the ground, everything spinning as she did. She pressed her back against the stone and waited for everything to stop moving before she tried to open her eyes again. She was chained in a large room, all of it made of the same grey stone like the castle, something told her she was still there...just lower. TaeOh and Byul were both in the room with her, chained to opposite walls, a good twenty feet between them. In the very centre of the room was a chair bolted into the floor, straps on the arms and legs, meant to hold someone. TaeOh groaned from where he was slumped against the wall, in the same sitting position YongSun was in now. Byul was laying on the ground, her face was turned away from YongSun, she was facing the steel door, the only exit. Something about this was familiar to YongSun, but her head was still swimming. TaeOh opened his eyes and cursed. YongSun watched as he adjusted to the surroundings, looking at his chains, at Byul, then finally at YongSun herself. "Any idea where we are?" YongSun's voice sounded rough. TaeOh blinked a few more times, clearly confused. "Somewhere in the depths of the castle." His voice also sounded rough. "Probably so deep that the devil can reach out and take us from Henry once he is done with us." There was a snarky way in which he said it as if he knew what was in store for them. It dawned on YongSun that this is the type of place people get tortured, a deep basement where there were no windows, only one door, somewhere no one would hear you scream. A place where TaeOh and Byul most likely visited in their past. Speaking of Byul, she started to stir when TaeOh started barking her name. She too took a moment to realize what had become of them, the situation they were in. Her new outfit looked like it had been to war and back and when she finally sat up, YongSun saw a line of blood on the side of her face. A cold shock rushed through YongSun as she remembered why this place looked so familiar. It was her vision, the one she had when she was kissing Byul. The same trail of blood, the same faint bruise. YongSun wanted to cry. She had tried so hard to avoid this happening to Byul, and yet they still ended up here. There was no running from the visions she saw in her head. Byul's eyes locked with her's, her face going slightly soft like she was glad to see YongSun alive but YongSun could also see the fear there like she was sure it was in her own eyes. Byul knew what happened in rooms like this, and YongSun didn't need their experience to know there was no way they were walking out of this room alive. "I guess that plan was a fail." She said as if trying to make light of the situation. TaeOh gave her a look. "Party isn't over yet sister, there is still time to fix this." A look passed between them, one YongSun read as Byul thinking he was stupid for having hope and TaeOh getting mad for her giving up. TaeOh looked over at YongSun. "I hate to ask but is there any way your powers can bust us out of here?" It dawned on YongSun that she hadn't really felt the presence of her powers since waking up. She closed her eyes, trying to search for them. They were there, but they were faint, something just out of her reach. "I am going to need more time, I don't have enough energy." She said reluctantly. "Don't worry," Byul said with a small smile. "We will be here a while, we just need one spark and we can do the rest." Again, YongSun got the feeling she was lying to make YongSun feel better. YongSun nodded. "I will try to regain my strength." She looked at Byul again, because she hadn't seen her since that night in her bed chambers. "Having a power that comes from love, it shouldn't be hard to conjure more." Byul smiled at that, but YongSun knew even if she had all the love in the world, she needed the energy to use it and she was in a deep lack of it. Byul gave her chains a hard pull like she was trying to pull them from the wall. "When I lay eyes on JongKook again I am going to kill that bastard." TaeOh laughed. "You and me both. I've had enough of him." Again YongSun caught the half-heartedness in their voices like they didn't believe they were going to get out of here. "How screwed are we?" She asked in a whisper, they both looked at her. "Well, you two know better than anyone how many people made it out of rooms like this." When their expressions fell, she got her answer. "So definitely not good." "Hey," Byul said softly. "If anyone can get out of here it is going to be us." She nodded towards TaeOh. "And the others know that if they don't hear from us soon enough, they will have to send people to get us." "But who would come?" YongSun hated asking. "You got the kids back right? Doesn't that mean the mission is over, won't everyone go home?" YongSun felt like she was losing hope. "I know WheeIn and HyeJin wouldn't leave us behind but they have their own to protect and it isn't like the two on them can take the whole castle, let alone find us.""Luna will help," TaeOh said more to himself. "Mina is safe now, she won't leave us either." YongSun felt bad for not believing him, since the day she met Luna, she didn't seem interested in anyone but herself and her sister. It wasn't a bad thing but it wasn't going to help them. "If Eric knew where we were, he would help." She got looks for that one. "I've seen his whole mind, he hates the way his father rules, he doesn't even know a fraction of what Henry does.""Sounds like you two are close." Byul sounded jealous. It hurt YongSun to shrug. "It was part of the mission to get to know him."TaeOh sighed loudly. "I guess there is nothing to do but wait, conserve our energy." Byul nodded. "At some point, that door is going to open and we need to be ready for whatever comes." YongSun wanted to reach for Byul, for TaeOh, to be next to them, being chained this far from them was more painful than she could express. "Let's try to rest," Byul said. TaeOh closed his eyes but YongSun met Byul's eyes, she couldn't close them because she was afraid Byul wouldn't be there once she opened them again. The door slammed open, making Byul jump as far as her chains allowed her to, away from it. JongKook strolled in the room as if he was the king himself. Byul's heart was racing, her mind a bit groggy, it must have been hours since they first woke in this room, she had fallen asleep again, they all had. He stood in the middle of the room, near the chair, and clapped his hands to get their attention, even though they were already watching him. He looked at all of them individually, those same dead eyes looking at them as if he lost some part of him. "Listen up kiddies." He leaned against the chair. "The king has given me special permission to talk to all of you before he gets here." By the tone of his voice, he meant anything but talk. "So any volunteers?" He looked at them greedily. "I will." Byul's heart dropped at YongSun's voice, she even shot her a look.JongKook laughed. "Sorry princess, the king has a special plan for you, this is between old friends." He turned back to Byul. "I would say men but clearly that has changed." Byul tried to sit still as he walked closer to her. "I always wondered why you were so scrawny, always hiding behind TaeOh." He reached out and stroked a line down Byul's face, she suppressed a shiver. "If I'd known sooner, you and I could have had a lot of fun together, but as per usual TaeOh only keeps the best for himself.""Go to hell," Byul said through clenched teeth. A sharp laugh. "Still as bold as ever, even in such a situation." "I'll volunteer," TaeOh said, drawing JongKook's attention. "Let's talk." His voice sounded as sharp as a blade. JongKook smiled but did not look away from Byul. "Nah, I think I've made my choice." He looked at Byul like she was a piece of meat. "I think Yul and I need to catch up." He reached out for a set of keys, as he reached to unlock Byul's cuffs he whispered in her ear. "Try anything and the princess will be next, I bet you wouldn't like that much." Byul didn't object as he pulled her to her feet and threw her at the chair. She heard a sound escape YongSun, something between anger and sadness. Byul didn't dare look over at her, even though the chair faced her direction, she didn't look at TaeOh either. She allowed JongKook to strap her into the chair. He stood in front of her with the same smile on his face. "Now, why don't you tell me your real name." He had his hand on one of his daggers, and from Byul's experience, he liked using them. Byul sat up as straight as the chair would allow, shaking her hair from her face. "My name is Byul." She said evenly, she would have to play his game, she knew he would probably still hurt TaeOh but he wouldn't touch YongSun if the king told him not to. "Moon ByulYi.""Such a pretty name for a pretty girl." That made her skin crawl. "What is your relationship with Oh TaeOh?" Byul looked him in his eyes. "You already know the answer to that." It was never a secret that they came from the same village and that they thought of each other as siblings. "And what village is that?" That caused Byul to pause, they had always lied about what village they were from, they didn't want anyone to know they were survivors of that massacre. Byul thought about lying, but as of now what was the point, if she didn't tell him, he would torture it out of her or hurt YongSun. "Camrac."He tilted his head. "Ah, poor little orphans, I know all about Camrac." He leaned in. "Do you want to know who is responsible?" "Henry is." YongSun spat in their direction.JongKook turned on her and Byul cursed inwardly, she hoped they wouldn't interfere. "That is right princess, and do you know why? Or did your gift not give you that answer." Byul felt her heart stop. "How do you know about that?" YongSun's voice wavered. Byul couldn't see JongKook's face but she figured he was probably still smiling, like a wolf. "There are a lot of things I know about the princess, a lot of things Henry knows, but all in good time." He turned away and Byul locked eyes with YongSun, she looked equally afraid and angry. Byul tried to plead with her through her eyes, asking her to stop talking. YongSun's eyes looked down, and Byul took that hopefully. Byul could feel anger coming from TaeOh like a wall, she only hoped he was biting his tongue as well. "Why did you join the army?" JongKook continued his questions. Byul took a breath, trying to even out her heart rate. "You already know that answer as well, the only thing I ever lied about was my gender and where I am from." Which was mostly true, there were always other things she lied about, but nothing he would care about. "Well then," He was back in front of her, blocking her view of YongSun, but she could still see TaeOh, who was giving JongKook a lethal stare. "How about we make things more interesting. What is your relationship with the princess?" Byul glared at him. "That is none of your business." He backhanded her, she could already feel the blood in the corner of her lip. "You should have seen that coming Yul." He rolled up his sleeves. "You should know what talking back will get you." Byul tried to get away from him but she had nowhere to go as he stroked the blood from her face, he rubbed the drop between his fingers, coating them with her blood. "Answer the question or she is next."Byul clenched her teeth. "She is my partner." "Partner, as in your lover?" Byul hated the way his look made her want to throw up. "I guess I should have seen that coming, no way TaeOh would have a shot with her." He looked back at YongSun. "Guess I missed my chance." Byul caught the end of his wink. She wanted to thrash against her binds, it was taking all her effort to stay still. "What are you even doing here JongKook, do you have anything productive to contribute?" TaeOh sneered at him. JongKook walked back over to Byul and took out his dagger, Byul stopped breathing. With his eyes on TaeOh, he sidestepped, to one of the torches on the wall and held his blade over it until it turned red. He returned to Byul's side and pressed the red hot blade to her exposed wrist, flesh searing, Byul tried to contain her scream. "Is this productive enough for you TaeOh?" He looked unhinged as he continued to press the blade to her wrist. "I am here to get answers, whatever answers I want, however, I want." He pulled the blade off Byul's arm and she choked with relief. "If you have any respect for your sister, you would shut the fuck up or next time it will be worse." He took a step toward TaeOh, making YongSun visible, silent tears were running down her face. Byul took a shaky breath, she needed to be strong. "What else do you want to know?" Her voice sounded hard but she was trying very hard not to make him know he hurt her, but he didn't care if he hurt her because he hurt them, that is what he wanted. He liked making people watch their loved ones suffer. JongKook pointed at her with his dagger. "Now that is the spirit." He didn't like standing still, since the moment he walked in the room he had been pacing between the three of them, the attention seeker he is. "Tell me Yul." He said taking a step towards YongSun. "Why don't you tell me how far you've gone." He was getting uncomfortably close to YongSun for Byul's liking. "Have you seen what lies beneath the dress? Because I've been wanting to find out." He spun back around. "Actually, now I am curious what lies beneath for you to Yul, I bet you're hot together." Byul swallowed vomit. "I don't want to know what is under your clothes." There was a lump in her throat. He caressed Byul's hair. "Come on Yul, I'll show you mine if you show me yours, or even hers." He wiggled his eyebrows. He leaned in towards Byul's shirt, fingers itching to touch her chest. Byul was physically pushing herself into the chair as if it was going to make her get away from him. The door opened once again, making them all jump. "That is enough JongKook." Byul couldn't see the door but she knew that voice. "I'll take it from here." JongKook stepped away as Henry walked into view. The King of Kedoeron had finally arrived.