the red ace

CHAPTER 16. ELITES

❝ Deal with the devil 見透かして
あたしのものにする❞

xvi. elites: behind masks

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A calm storm was brewing outside, the curtains were flowing like an ocean when the juvenile breeze hit the silk sheets delicately. The flowers that bloomed in the darkness were seated on the luxurious chair that costs a fortune, saturated in their own inaudible thoughts and taking small sips of the exquisite wine from Louis Roederer. Most of the 10 tried to manage a neutral look in their face to avoid letting the other elites see through them. Their bondage was unexplainable: it was just a mere relationship of falling into the same hell palace with cold blood running through their veins yet, they were invisible as glass for each other. To simply put the bond they share, you can say it is a two-sided dagger with no hilt.

Jeongguk groaned in exhaustion, his eyes were flashing red tint explaining that he pulled an all-nighter. "Till when are we gonna maintain this sickening silence?" Jeongguk rested his elbows on the desk and rested his face on his palm with a boring look. "The whole situation is overwhelming to be held up in a money-based container, does anyone understand the consequence we have been pulled into?" Hoseok raised his voice abruptly suffocated with the thoughts of losing the empire they build by shedding blood and taking lives.

"Calm down dear brother. We will have it all under control," Yoongi assured as if he controls this specific ill-fated domain. Hoseok didn't seem like he bought his brother's words and barked, "how can you be so calm? this was the fifth murder for this week. We have a killing psychopath on loose and you act like you are going on vacation to Miami." Jimin intervened in the conversation with a disowned look wrapping his face and words, "We rule over this damned school because of our wealth and political power. The only connection we have with each other is a trifling alliance due to our blood, we don't even share mutual trust. Do you think these muddleheads would care if someone dies?"

Chaeyoung twisted her chapped lips and threw a vexed glare at Jimin, "That's the trademark of being a member of the Atsuda. We don't care about casualties, we care about money and power! get that inside your head, Jimin." The latter gritted his teeth in anger with his sister's ideologies and life ideals. Jimin never asked for the ugly world he is living in, to loath his own blood and caged inside his own mind. All he ever wanted was to unlock all the hidden feelings he had under the surface with a pen and paper and fate never helped him.

"The blood that runs inside us disgusts me, Chaeyoung. You're too merciless," Jimin heaved a large sigh getting used to being the rebel who always wanted a normal life. "And you are too naive, Jimin," Chaeyoung licked her dry lips and let the back of her head hit the chair. "You live in a reality you created with blocks of blood and lives of innocent. I never asked for this!" Jimin cried out being snowed under the ideals of their clan, Atsuda. 

"Jimin, you are seeing this all from the wrong perspective. All we did was create our own world with living and breathing humans who committed sins. No one who walks here is pure by flesh and soul, they are filthy animals. We made a hierarchy to let the strongest survive and the weaker suffer. It doesn't mean we give cold shoulder to the weak, we let them build their morals and become stronger with the pain. You know pain teaches a better lesson than anyone, don't you?" Jin spoke trying to convince Jimin into becoming true cold blood but, the desire for ink and sheets would never leave him.

"Being kind in this cursed domain would only trigger death," Namjoon sighed scratching his nails on the fabric covering the long and lengthy table with immense width. "Comming back to the point, Blaze is becoming a much more serious problem," Hoseok disclosed going through some papers in his hand. "I don't want to announce the people who made the situation worse by losing their own game to Blaze, you made yourself the lamb to the slaughter. The only solution to this problem is to either kick her out of the school or suppress her screams. The first option would create a big fuss saying the elites are just weaklings and I would do anything to avoid those accusations, so we have to go with option two."

Jisoo gulped a slab down her throat going back to the memory where she lost to Blaze because of her dear backstabber Emily. "How about killing Blaze and make it look like the psychopath on loose did that?" Jisoo tried to solve this problem by creating a storm. "Lay a finger on Blaze and I won't hesitate to kill you," Taehyung glowered at Jisoo, his intense aura was inordinate that made her legs shiver and send a chill down her spine. If looks could kill.

"What is your tie with Blaze, Tae? you seem overprotective," Jeongguk questioned and received a "tsk," from the black-haired man. "Perhaps, is it love?" Jeongguk snickered in the most mocking way possible only to stir up Taehyung's anger. His legs and hands moved as if it was his instinct and grabbed Jeongguk's collars and bored his dark eyes into Jeongguk's. The scornful younger only chuckled making fun of his elder and Taehyung's grip tightened. "That's enough for the both of you," Chaeyoung howled breaking the contact between the north and south poles. Jeongguk chuckled again and Taehyung fumed more.

"Shut up, Jeon," Namjoon being a proper gentleman tried to settle the conflict between them. "I take silence for a yes, my dear Taehyung," Jeongguk being his derisive self only managed to make this worse. Taehyung clenched his teeth and made a fist about to throw his hands. "Namjoon, That's enough! give us the details about the murder and stop throwing a tantrum like a child," Namjoon roared. The youngest man just rolled his eyes and threw a file towards Namjoon. 

"All the suspects were just a cover-up. They only tried to clean the blood and dispose of the body. We are afraid that the real murderer is an old friend," Jeongguk sighed. "What do you mean?" Emily rendered her confused state with furrowed eyebrows.

"It means that she is back, the missus of the crowned prince."

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❝ Deal with the devil, I'll see right through you
And make you all mine❞

+ for some reasons, personally this is my fav chapter so far :)