Roseborn | Hwang Hyunjin

❃ Chapter 22

It was the dead of the night. He shouldn't have been there. Yet, by all the forces of fate, you saw the Sōrsānt standing outside that wretched room, blanching with naive shock.

It angered you to an unfathomable degree. How could he dare to wear such an expression of disappointment? He had no right to be betrayed by what unfolded in that room, so why did he stare at you like he was?

You halted at the double doors of his training court, taking a deep breath to steady your emotions before pushing the lacquered wood open. Whatever you had to do and whatever you saw the previous night didn't matter now. "Good morning, Sōrsānt."

Hyunjin was standing in the middle of the square, his back given to you as you walked in. As usual, your greeting went unanswered.

Though, what made you furrow your brows was his complete indifference to your arrival. Were you supposed to ask him to turn around and take his position?

"I didn't know you were an executioner."

You paused, one step into the square of sand, and snapped your head up in surprise. What?

The Sōrsānt whirled around. That was when you noticed the fists he made at his sides. His eyes seemed haunted when he croaked out, "Why?"

"Oh, no, no, no," you scowled, your earlier attempt at pacifying your anger going in vain. "You can't pretend to be hurt by what you saw last night, Sōrsānt."

"Pretend? You—" his expression fell, and he gazed at you as if he were searching for an answer in your countenance. "You killed him..."

"So?" you pressed, not bothering to hide your annoyance. He really was a fool. And like a fool, he had no response to give you.

"Unlike you," you jabbed a finger his way, "I don't have the freedom to deny orders."

At that, his expression shattered further. "You were...ordered to kill him?"

"Nilfyn don't dirty their hands with such grim deeds." you nearly laughed. Was he acting oblivious for the fun of it?

"But I thought—"

"What did you think, Sōrsānt?" you reached for your Kizāri instinctively, the challenge clear in your tone. Hyunjin didn't miss the action. His towering figure stiffened as his eyes followed your hand warily.

Again, he gave you no response, and the coiled fury in your heart snapped. Sand rose with the movement as you wrenched out your Kizāri and swung it at him, a pale uproar.

The Sōrsānt parried your blow, his Kizāri drawn impossibly fast. You bit back a snarl as you arced your weapon back then at him repeatedly, blood running hot with anger and grief and so many muddled emotions you couldn't place. How did you always find yourself in this situation? Was fighting the only way either of you knew how to deal with frustration?

You leaped out of Hyunjin's reach, pointing your Kizāri downwards to catch your breath and clear the fuzz in your mind. You couldn't fight that way unless you wanted to do something you'd regret later.

Hyunjin didn't make a move to attack, simply choosing to watch you from his side of the sand square, poised for defense if need be.

"Do you think I wanted to kill him?" you asked through gasps of breath, not anticipating an answer. "I don't have a choice, Sōrsānt. This is what I have to do to remain the so-called best human Azārāhi."

You pointed your Kizāri at him. "Surely you know that it is a way to test my loyalty. Having me execute other humans—it's a warning. What would become of me were I to betray the House."