Chapter 19

Everyone had gathered in Minho's workspace in the mansion to examine the letter. Chris had gone to collect the mail, and as he scanned through it, one particular envelope bore the signature "Sky." This was it. The moment when Seungmin would reveal the next part of his plan. We had been waiting for so long. And maybe...after all of this is over, I can finally meet Seungmin casually without any circumstances.

"It's been a while. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. As I write this, I find myself in a different city, constantly on the move to avoid detection. My father's intentions are dire, and we must act swiftly to prevent his plans. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Your mission is to return to where it all began. My father has been developing a device with the capability to manipulate society. This project has been underway for two years now. I know this because I unwittingly assisted him in its creation. As he neared completion, I realized the gravity of the situation and took action by alerting you. However, our timing was cut short. I didn't know what to do. All I could do last minute was pull an alarm and open the gates to freedom. I gathered you all because I believe that with each of your unique strengths, we can destroy this device once and for all. Keeping Seven safe is priority, as she holds the final key necessary for my father's project to succeed. A chip implanted in her left ear when she was just born by her late mother contains crucial government data, making her a target. My father's ambitions towards Seven were fueled by this chip, and its destruction is paramount. Ensure Seven's safety and dismantle the machine. I'll be waiting nearby. We have three days to complete this mission.

Love, Sky"

My heart started racing as Chris read this aloud. Unconsciously, I reached for my ear, attempting to feel the chip.

... I have a chip inside my left ear?! I was valued and favored because of a chip...? a chip that's so critical to his plan...is inside my left ear?!The thought makes me so uncomfortable. I want to throw up just thinking of it.

Whatever my mother was involved in must have led her down a dark path to resort to that. But why implant a chip containing special data into a baby? What were my mother's intentions with that?

Chris looks at me with sympathy for a second longer as if he's hiding something else but I choose to ignore it. I step back, my mind racing with so many unwanted thoughts. I feel almost dizzy at the realization. How could I not have known I had a chip inside my ear this entire time?!

"So she has a chip?" Changbin asks, curiosity and disbelief apparent in his voice. "And Seungmin knew this the entire time?"

"I'm still hung up on the device." Minho interjects, equally bewildered. "I mean, just how evil is this man?" He scans the room, his expression filled with concern and a little bit of anger.

I always knew Master was a formidable man...but I never imagined he'd resort to something like this. A whole device just to control society? What is he truly hoping to achieve with this?

"I saw his father only once in my life." Felix adds, his voice low as he recalls the moment. "It was the last day of summer camp. His father came to pick him up..." Felix's gaze sweeps across the group. "His father seemed lifeless, pale. It's as though he had no emotions. I wasn't even near him, and I was already shivering in my shoes."

Having practically grown up seeing Master almost every single day, I guess he didn't scare me as much. I knew I was going to die someday, yet I wasn't that frightened. I obeyed just enough to stay out of trouble. He must be quite terrifying when seen by others who weren't trapped inside that mansion. Reflecting on everything now, I can't help but feel so sorry for Seungmin, having a horrible father like that.

"Let's focus on the main task at hand first." Han suggests, stepping over to the desk and placing his hands on it as he eyes the letter once more. "All we have to do is prepare in three days' time."

"Destroying that device will be a piece of cake." Hyunjin adds, leaning against the wall with a smirk as he crosses his arms, his confidence clear.

Their confidence in this task makes me feel a little bit more at ease. Getting to that device must pose a significant challenge, especially since Seungmin helped build it, and even he struggled to get close enough to destroy it.

"Then..." I.N speaks up in a low tone. "We'll finally get to see Seungmin..." He sounds as if he's saddened, but it's probably just the shock sinking in as he realizes the gravity of the situation.

"That's right..." Minho smiles brightly as he comes to the realization as well. "We will finally be able to reunite with him..."

They all glance in each direction, small smiles forming on their lips.

"Then let's waste no time to prepare." Felix says, excitement evident in his voice.

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Afterward, I took a moment to myself on the porch to process everything. There wasn't much time to react, especially Seungmin mentioning how his escape plan had to happen earlier than expected. Why was that? Master was going to use me for a final task and then dispose of me anyway... but after my former friend framed me, he accelerated the plan. Did Seungmin know something I didn't? Was the early escape intentional because of that? Or...

Suddenly, I'm distracted by the sound of panting and groaning. Peering over the wall, I find I.N. training. I narrow my eyes in annoyance. He just doesn't give up. Realizing we didn't finish our conversation from earlier, I immediately rise up from the porch and start stomping over to him, feeling a slight anger building up inside of me all of a sudden. "Hey, I.N.," I call out as I approach him.

He continues swinging the knife in the air, breathing heavily as he doesn't pay enough attention to look over at me. "Princess, I told you-"

Before he can finish, I tackle him to the ground, pinning him beneath me. His expression freezes in confusion as he processes the sudden action. I acted before he could even tell me to leave. I'm feeling so frustrated at his lack of self-worth and this selfish view he has of me.

Silence hangs between us for a brief moment as we lock eyes. I take a deep breath as he begins to speak. "Princess, what are you-"

"I am not the selfish person you perceive me as." I interrupt firmly. "I actually do feel very grateful to Seungmin. Without him, I would be nowhere!"

I see a shift in his expression, his demeanor turning cold and guarded, much like it was yesterday and earlier. But I press on.

"I may not know who he is or why he chose to help me, but I can assure you, I've never taken his protection for granted. Not once have I thought he means nothing to me. I value what he's done for me."

Exhaling deeply, I hold his gaze unwaveringly. "You don't know me well enough to judge whether or not I care for him, even just a little bit."

I try to keep my breath steady as I say all of that. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but I just can't let him keep thinking of me as such a person, especially since Seungmin has a big impact on all of them. And because of that empact, I'm actually excited to meet the man who secretly saved my life.

After another silent moment, during which I.N remains bewildered by everything, he finally speaks up. "Okay, so why are you telling me this, princess?"

I'm taken aback by his response, prompting me to lift up a little in confusion, putting some distance between our faces. However, he still addresses me as "princess" so his demeanor hasn't completely shifted. Perhaps I am making some progress with him.

"I just...don't want you to think of me in a negative light." I say, my eyes briefly dropping before meeting his again. "I'm not sure why I feel that way."

I've never had to worry about being disliked before, so maybe this just feels strange to me. However, I also didn't want to move on from this, knowing that I.N was mostly upset with me because he assumed I didn't appreciate Seungmin's help and just relied on luck.

"I see." is all he manages to say under his breath as we maintain this awkward eye contact. My eyes slightly widen in annoyance. Just 'I see'?! I poured my heart out for a reason, not just for him to respond with two little meaningless words.

He then suddenly grabs my waist, catching me off guard. I gasp, keeping my eyes locked with his until he speaks with a low tone. "Can you get off of me now? The grass is very uncomfortable..."

I stared in astonishment as I realize I'm still on top of him. "Oh—yeah." I immediately lift off him and sit on the grass as he sits back up, his arm resting on his bent knee. "I'm sorry." I awkwardly avoid eye contact with him once more, looking away.

"It's fine." he quietly muttered.

I notice him also looking anywhere but in my direction. He must feel just as awkward as I do right now, even though I was the one on top of him.

A moment later, as I'm staring at the floor, someone walks over, hovering above me. I glance at the boots before raising my eyes in the direction of the sun, squinting my eyes at the bright light. It's Chris, creating a dark shadow in front of the sun.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

His expression appears serious, and there's a hint of sympathy in his eyes despite his stern tone. I nod slowly. "Yeah...sure."

We enter his room, and he gently closes the door behind us. The atmosphere feels secretive, and I can't help but wonder what it could be. Nervousness creeps in as he approaches, his gaze fixed on the ground, seemingly lost in thought. My heart begins to race with sudden possibilities. He finally lifts his gaze to meet mine, taking a deep breath.

"Did you...push someone off a building?"

My eyes instantly widen, and I almost stumble backwards in shock. Horror fills my gaze as Chris speaks those words. My heart races, and my mind is cluttered with thoughts. "How did..." I try to say, but my voice chokes in my throat. I can't seem to form the words.

"Seungmin mentioned it in a secret letter he also sent specifically for me." Chris continues, recognizing my struggle to speak. Despite the sympathetic look on his face, he presses on. "He wanted you to know..."

There's a brief pause as Chris's sympathetic expression shifts into a stern glare. A heavy silence envelops us, broken only by the sound of our light breaths. He then continues to say his final words.

"That she's alive."

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