𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 /// ᴋʜᴜɴ ᴇᴅᴜᴀɴ

Prologue

Bam awoke to the faint calling of his name. Slowly, he struggled to open his eyes to meet a pair of familiar red ones.

"Bam! You're awake!" Yuri exclaimed as the rest of the party came to check on him.

"W-What happened?! Weren't we on the hidden floor-

But the boy was immediately cut off by Hockney, reminding him the rule of the hidden floor.

He noticed how everyone was silent, before he realized a certain trio of regulars that always stood by his side were not present.

"Where are the others? Are they all safe...?" he muttered, afraid of the answer.

He couldn't remember the last time he saw Khun.

And Lilia... all he remembered was the sight her struggling against Jahad before blacking out.

"Well..." Boro started, and the worst consumed Bam's mind.

Instead of proceeding his explanation, he led the brunette to the the room where one of his companions is resting.

"Khun?!" Bam exclaimed as he looked up at the unconscious figure resting in the glass case.

"What... what happened to him?!" A mix of worry and anger was evident in his tone as his eyes scanned the room.

"We're not sure... it looks like someone jumped him. And his heart isn't beating-"

"WHAT?!"

"Right now his body is in a frozen state", Evan began. "He has frozen his body and stopped all of its functions. I don't know what exactly happened on the hidden floor, but this case is the only thing keeping him alive right now.

"We found him like this-" Hockney begin to explain but was cut off by Endorsi.

"Bam." All eyes fell on her as she looked at the irregular with a determined gaze. "Come with me for a minute. I'll tell you everything you need to know."

***

The boy's eyes widened to find an injured Beta resting on the opposite end of the room. He explained that since he was residing in Khun's lighthouse the whole time, he witnessed everything that happened.

Bam remained silent as he watch the entire event replay on Khun's lighthouse. The way Rachel laughed as Khun fought for his life against the bomb in his heart. Rak's cries in the recording fell deaf to his ears.

"Bam..." Endorsi started but the boy ignored her and headed towards the door.

"Where's Lilia?"

"Huh?"

"Lilia. Where is she?"

"Lilia? Did you mean Lilith?"

"..."

"... I don't know."

Bam felt his blood run cold as the image of her and Jahad on the hidden floor flashed in his mind.

"I see... I still have to stop Rak," he muttered as he continued his way.

"What?!"

"I can't let him run into Rachel like this."

"What are you talking about?! You won't forgive Rachel again, right?!"

"No..." While his voice sounded quiet, Endorsi could tell he was beyond angry.

"She has White and Yura with her. Rak won't be able to face them alone. I'll be there myself..."

It was as if the entire room grew cold.

"- And make her pay for what she did."

***

"You sure look angry, Viole," Hwaryun commented as the boy halted in his steps.

"Hwaryun..."

"I haven't seen you in a week and you just walk by without even saying hi?"

"I-"

"I saw what happened after the hidden floor from the train. But the current situation is a bit of a mess now. Anyways I can take you to Rachel."

The guide was expecting him to tell her to lead the way, but his silence caught her off guard.

"Viole?" she asked as she noticed him looking down on the floor.

"Hwaryun... do you think you can bring me to Lilith first?"

"Lilith Nevaeh?"

The brunette nodded.

The said girl was silent as she closed her eyes. "I don't know how to say this but... I don't sense her presence on the train."

"Huh?"

"It's as if... Lilith is gone."

"But- That can't be- Jahad-"

"Are you suspecting something, Viole?"

The boy refrained himself from sputtering incoherently. What could he say? That Lilith isn't who she said she is and was one of the Great Warriors that entered the Tower who was reincarnated as a messenger to bring forth his mother's prophecy, deemed a traitor by Jahad and threatened the balance of the Tower?

Yes.

And that is exactly what he did.

"... What?"

"And she's the former lover of Khun Eduan."

"Hold up-"

"And she may or not have beef with Jahad and maybe Arie Hon? I'm still in the dark about the nature of their relationship but based on the epilogue of the last book-"

"VIOLE STOP!" Hwaryun exclaimed as she tried to process everything she was just told.

"So you're saying-"

"Yes."

"And Lilith is-"

"Yes."

"And so you are-"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

"I need another vacation."

***

"If what you said is true then the most probable explanation for her not being here is that Jahad killed her. Best case scenario, he took her and she's still alive."

"So there is hope?"

Hwaryun sighed as she crossed her arms. "Not really. If she really is being held by Jahad, then she's practically good as dead."

"But can't we save her-"

"It's not as easy as you think, Viole..." the girl muttered as she looked Viole directly in the eye.

"A lot happened on the hidden floor that affected the outside."

"Huh?"

"A war is coming. And I'm afraid you're caught right in the middle of it."