Mortal Masks

Chapter Thirty Eight

The rattling of the portal door slamming shut echoes throughout the stone corridor. The sound so loud and contrasting the usual silence of their surroundings, that Yuta tightens his grip on his sword handle. Missions always used to excite him, he was known to go in search of adventures, to never be one to back down from a fight... and although that last part was still true, he would put up a fight to save his son and his friends, for the first time, he feels oddly nervous about what's to come.

Footsteps can be heard approaching, and at the thought of facing his father again, Yuta tries to steady his breathing, he tries to focus.

"You know, it's funny" Doyoung mumbles, his twin blades raised at the sound of two individuals getting closer, "Out of all of the years we've spent here, this is probably the first time that I've been in the institute and wanted to be a messenger"

To have a messenger on their side now would give them a good advantage, but they just had to hold off until Doyoung's father could join them.

They could both hold their own in physical combat, as both were trained with weaponry... But it had been a while since they had trained properly, and even though neither spoke such a fact out-loud, they were both aware that whoever was racing towards them, were probably a lot more prepared than they were.

"And so here we are, making our final stand together..." Yuta glances over to Doyoung, who is already looking at his old fighting partner, "Are you ready for one last battle?"

"There's no one I'd rather do this with" Doyoung responds, lifting his blade up to Yuta's, "For old times' sake?"

And Yuta knocks their blades together in cheers, sending a smile to his best friend that silently conveyed everything he needed to say-- and then the footsteps stopped.

"Never did I think I'd see that face again"

Now alert, Yuta's attention slid from his friend and landed on his father, the words spoken not soft and breathless like you'd expect from a reunion, but harsh and spiteful. It was clear that his father was still incredibly angry with him.

"I wasn't planning on ever seeing yours again either, but I suppose fate had other plans"

His father snarls at him, "That is what you get for breaking the rules, boy, now you've been delivered here to face justice"

And perhaps he was right.

He doesn't regret his actions, and if he were to go back in time and the opportunity presented itself again, he wouldn't change a thing. How could he regret anything that led him to Sooyoung and his kids? His life is vibrant and full of meaning because of his past actions.

But yes... He did break the rules, sacred ones he was taught to live by, and so if the universe was really demanding a trial for him through this interaction then, of course, he would comply.

But then another voice cuts through the tension, new and unfamiliar.

"What I want to know is why you're standing guard of the portal room"

Both Yuta and Doyoung glance over at the man stood by Master Nakamoto's side, from his sword alone, they knew he was the head of the Seoul institute. There was an air of importance around him- of entitlement.

"We're just helping save the world, yet again" Doyoung answers, angling his blades slightly so that they catch the orange lights lining the stone tunnel, letting the two men know that they were ready, "We heard about what you're planning to do with the portal, you know that tearing it down would be a big mistake"

"You expect us to believe that you've crawled out of your hiding place after all these years for the good of the institute?" Master Nakamoto just shakes his head, his stubbornness causing his next words to sound so forceful, "Sometimes things must be done for the greater good"