Prologue

A Chapter by Shevon Lim

Amongst the broken shadows of what was once a brilliant nation, best friends Yuri, Ethan and Hayden made their escape from the jail cells of the palace of the Royal City.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis

✵✵✵✵

Red is a colour that I’m long accustomed to by now.

It is such a pretty colour�"to me at least. Thinking back on it, have I really grown this twisted? And be to be honest, I have no idea how I should feel. I’ve hurt, lied and had even killed countless others in my quest for vengeance, but if I have to choose all over again, I know that I will still make the same decision all over again.

I am just so tired.

I just want everything to end.

Walking through the streets of Adaytren, I now truly see what everything had come to�"and to be honest, I’m not even sure if I like it.

He asked me once why I’m doing this, and I don’t know what to tell him in the beginning. They took everything from me. I just want revenge�"plain and simple. In the end, is that too much to ask for?

I’ve told him my reasons for doing what I did a long time ago. But in the end, is that really the truth, or am I just lying to myself�"just like I did to everyone?

Lies and deceit have almost become a part of me by now, with just how long that I’ve been in this business. I no longer know which is the real me and which is the false me any longer. I don’t even know if I’m living a lie.

Is the me that I see whenever I look into a mirror…even the real me?

I have no idea how many years I’ve seen the same thing happen over and over, and yet, I am unable to stop it. People live. And then they die. All things living die someday. It is the natural cycle of the world.

I’ve never once questioned it.

After all, when you choose to live, you also choose to die. And yet, would you call what you’re doing right now ‘living’? The only way to be alive is to not be dead�"or in other terms�"to deny death. But that’s impossible, isn’t it? You have to one day accept the fact that you are but mortal, and that you will, someday in the future, die. That is the way of all things living.

And yet, this is the only way that we knew to live. We only know how to fight. Fighting is all that we can do.

If things had been different, our roles would have been swapped. It could have easily been Liam that is standing in my shoes right now, and I am standing in his shoes. Is it bad of me to feel relieved that it isn’t that case? He isn’t cut out for this.

He is a good person. He is everything that I’m not.

Even if I have a choice to restart everything, and even if I have to choose all over again, I know that I’ll still make the same decision every single time.

My name is Yuri Michaelis. And this is my story.

✵✵✵✵

Ethan Blake lifted his head slightly even as he heard the sounds of light scuffles, with the occasional sound of metal on metal, and even gunshots. As soon as the sounds begun, they ended just as quickly.

A petite figure soon appeared in front of the jail cell that he shared with Hayden Ashford, and Ethan’s eyes widened a slight fraction when he recognised the slightly battered and bleeding figure of his best friend.

“…Yuri?”

Yuri nodded to him, breathing a tad bit heavily, identical twin blades currently clutched in both her hands having been stained with the crimson red of blood�"droplets of the crimson liquid dripping off the ends.

“I’m getting you out of here.” Yuri explained in between huffs, pulling out a key ring from within her pocket from which various keys of different sizes and colours hung. She then inserted one of the keys into the lock of the cell whilst Ethan tried his utmost best to wake Hayden, but to no avail.

The torture and intensive beating that Hayden had been through for the past two weeks is worse than even what Ethan himself had to undergo, and the guy is barely conscious as it is. Ethan almost feared for the worse when Hayden’s skin felt unusually warm to the touch.

“Hayden’s unconscious.” Ethan told Yuri even as she unlocked the shackles restraining their wrists to the thick stone walls behind them, just leaving enough length for them to lay down. He then placed one of Hayden’s arms around his shoulders, stumbling slightly on his feet with the weight of the taller boy. “Come on, Hade. Don’t die on me now.” Ethan said grimly, tightening his hold around the brunette. Hayden mumbled some incoherent words in response.

“I’m getting you out of here.” Yuri said again even as she supported Hayden’s unconscious body on his other side, a look of worry visible in her silvery blue eyes even as she glanced at Hayden. “There isn’t any time to lose. The Guard will be after us soon. We have to hurry.” Her eyes flickered about in suspicion�"on the watch for any suspicious shadows, her left hand clutching onto one of her blades.

“You’re coming too, right?” Ethan asked Yuri anxiously.

For a long time, Yuri didn’t answer, and Ethan feared the worse. But then finally, she turned to look at him as they walked out of the cell, the flame torches on the stone walls illuminating in her eyes, and she nodded.

"...Yes."