Two Kingdoms | Park Sunghoon

29

CHOI JINHO'S ESTATE.
AERI POV.

I entered the room cautiously, seeing blood dripped in a trail all the way towards Jinho's room. My Commander had his sword out in defence in front of me, checking each room's every corner for my safety. He had persistently tried convincing me to stay home and not investigate, however I had enough. Whoever is cowardly hiding behind these deaths, has hell reincarnated waiting at their doorstep.

3RD PERSON POV.

As the two entered his bedroom, Aeri let out a petrifying shriek upon seeing the scene. Jinho's corpse was decapitated and his head sat uncomfortably on a spear right in front of the door. The face portrayed the pure terror of the moment and was pale, black and blue in different areas. His nails were clipped off from his nail beds, scattered in a circle next to his feet and his legs and hands tied together. Whoever was hired for the job was damn good at it.

FLASHBACK.

Choi Jinho entered his room after returning from the Council Court. As he entered the room, he felt a scarf go round his neck. The poor man struggled and tried to scream, clawing away at his own neck, praying this was only a dream.

"Scream and this will be more painful than it needs to be." The dark voice behind him whispered in his ear. He only nodded in fear, and dropped to the ground as the strangling scarf was removed from his neck.

"Who- Who are you?" He stammered in response only for the masked man to laugh loud at his question. With no verbal response, the assassin tied up his hands and legs as Jinho squirmed around, fighting for his life to find a second to run away. As he tied him up, the killer placed his foot on his neck, pressing down whenever he tried to shout or if he moved around too much.

"What do you want from me? I'm a mere old man!" Jinho persisted.

"Tell me. How many guards are stationed at the castle? Where are the secret passages in the castle?" The killer questioned, now pointing his sword at his neck and his other hand dripping pliers on his nails.

"I won't tell you, bastard!" And just with that sentence, five nails were pulled from his hand, Jinho's screams worsened as blood spewed all over his room, splatting on the walls.

"I'm going to ask you once more. Tell me where the goddamn secret passages are, the next thing gone will be your head. Answer wisely."

"I told you, I don't know where they are. Only Queen Aeri knows."

And just like that, his head flew away from his body.

BACK TO PRESENT.

Crouching down, Aeri examined his body closer, observing the foot prints on his collarbones and remains of his neck, looking at the bloody pliers next to his body. Following, she went towards the spear and closed the eyes of his decapitated head, hoping it would give him an eternal rest.

"Your Highness, we should go." Daeho grabbed the Queen by her arm, lightly tugging at it.

"No. I will not leave until I watch you pick up that body and take it to the castle for a proper burial. Whoever did this was definitely looking for the answer to something, and my loyal servant Choi Jinho kept his mouth shut. I will bring the darkest depths of Hell to whoever did this and whoever is behind it. I will massacre the next two generations of these people's families, I will burn the oceans dry and melt the glaciers if I have to do so to find the perpetrators. I swear on my own life. I swear on my kingdom." She spoke only for Daeho to rush and pick his body up, ready to carry it away. They both exited the house, revenge brewing inside them.

Just behind the house, the killer stood with a hooded black figure. This new figure had a fall, lean yet muscular build and wore royal blue clothes underneath his black cloak.

"Excellent job." The hooded figure said as he handed a large pouch of gold to the assassin, who was kneeling on one knee, his head facing down the entire time.

"Thank you, Royal Sire."