The End of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 4) (38 page)

Sorrow tormented Tae Hyun’s face while he listened to her words. With his hand still intertwined with hers, he held on even tighter.

“I thought that if An Soo Jin ever made her return, then I’d be able to kill her with ease because the Yoori I love—the Yoori who stole my heart—wouldn’t be here anymore. I thought I would be able to kill you without a second thought, but when I looked into your eyes that night after Ju Won’s party, when I held the sword against your throat, I didn’t see the heartless Queen who ruined everything. All I saw was Choi Yoori staring back up at me, all I saw was Choi Yoori wearing my hoodie, and all I saw was the girl I fell in love with. All I saw was the dream girl I fell in love with.”

He stared down at her with such love that it pained her to keep eye contact.

“I’m sorry,” he professed softly. “I’m sorry for saying that I’ll never love Soo Jin. I didn’t realize then that no matter what name you go by, no matter what memories you have, you will always be the Brat who stole my heart. I’m sorry for leaving you when I should’ve held on tighter. I’m sorry for saying that it wasn’t worth it when it’s clear now that you’re worth everything to me.”

She shook her head, refusing to accept his words as truth. “You’re just replacing her with me.”

His next words caused her to freeze where she sat. It was spoken with so much heartache, so much conviction that she could no longer deny it as the truth.

“Do you think I can’t see the love of my life when I look into her eyes?” he challenged, staring into her eyes as if he was gazing into her soul.

His shaking fingers stroked her face, and from that, she could feel his pain.

Her heart tightened in agony as he went on, shedding the remainder of her denial and her shield.

“
Nemo
,” he called quietly, breaking through the exterior she once held with a simple pet name that had always belonged to her—the pet name that touched what was left of her soul. “Stop giving me the silent treatment. You know I hate that. Please come back to me. I know you’re in there; I know that you never left. Others may see An Soo Jin and Choi Yoori as two different people, but I know that the two of you are the same. An Soo Jin has always been Choi Yoori, and Choi Yoori has always been An Soo Jin. There has never been a difference, and there will never be a difference. No matter what name you go by, my love for you will never change.”

He bit his lips, stroking her face as he revealed his heart and soul to her. It easily shined through the love in his eyes, through the touch that promised her his unconditional love.

“Please come back to me, Brat. I’ve been looking for you, but I can’t find you if you don’t come out. Please stop hiding, stop being in denial, and come back to me.”

“ . . . You said to make it easier for us and leave,” she finally whispered, tears clouding her eyes. “So I made it easier, and I left.”

“Yoori,” Tae Hyun breathed out, tears misting his own eyes after finally hearing her voice—after finally hearing Yoori’s voice.

Yoori’s lips quivered while snow tumbled all around them. The despondency she felt was becoming unbearable.

“I made it easier, and I left, and I tried not to come back, just like you told me.” The tears veiled over her eyes as she stared into his saddened ones. “I made it easier for us, so why are you making this harder?”

“Because I love you,” he said simply, sending ripples of anguish through her at the sincerity of his beautiful words. She believed every single word he said. She knew he meant it with all his heart, which was why it was so difficult for her to listen to it.

She shook from where she sat, realizing now that Tae Hyun had always known that she was there. Even when she herself was in denial, he knew that even though An Soo Jin had regained her memories, Choi Yoori never left. She was just lost—lost in a world of pain, denial, and misery of her own.

“I know that the only reason why you allowed your memories to come back was because you wanted to give me a chance to get my revenge. The only reason why you were in denial, why you fought so hard for me to hate you is because going to war in this world is the only way for both of us to live—at least for the time being.”

“We’re not meant to be,” she told him agonizingly, finding it hard to breathe. No one said coming to terms with your reality would be easy, but she just wished it wasn’t so excruciating. “The Yoori you love died that night. Her innocence died that night. I wish she hadn’t because I was content as that Yoori. Even with amnesia, a part of me knew what was happening, but I was stubborn. I was in denial because I didn’t want to remember anything. Even when the shadows of my past started coming back, I still didn’t want to accept the truth because I wanted to keep you—I wanted to be with you. I knew that the heartless Soo Jin would never deserve Kwon Tae Hyun, but Yoori did. She deserved you. You belong to her and only her.”

She smirked to herself as the snow fell heavily around them.

“This is why I hate it every time you say her name because the Choi Yoori you met was merely a dream.
This
Choi Yoori is the one who killed countless people,
this
Choi Yoori is the one people kneel before in fear,
this
is the Choi Yoori who is the nightmare of the dream. I can’t compete with the Yoori you fell in love with, Tae Hyun. I’m too tainted. I am far from the innocent girl you met at the diner.”

“I love you,” Tae Hyun repeated, agony throbbing in every corner of his voice. “I don’t care about your past, I don’t care about your demons, and I don’t care what anyone says. My life before you was a nightmare, but you had always been the dream. You were the dream when I first met you at the diner, you were the dream when I took you to the lake house, and you’re a dream right now. I don’t care about anything else. You have and will always be the only one who matters to me.”

Tears dripped from Yoori’s eyes while she shook her head. She felt every mind-numbing torture from his sweet and genuine words.

“I’m not that naïve girl anymore. I know that a relationship like ours will never last in this world. Nothing but misery and pain awaits us if we continue to go down this road.” She inhaled sharply before finally adding, “I don’t want to be like your mother.”

She pressed her hands into her stomach to mitigate the ache coursing through her. While doing so, she despondently recalled her last encounter with Tae Hyun’s mother.

“When I found her that night, I was ready to kill her. Yet, when I saw her in the state she was in, not only did I not kill her, I actually found myself feeling sorry for her. It astounded me as to how she ended up in that state. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t move on after her husband’s death, why she allowed herself to fall in love with someone in this world, and why someone else’s life—someone who wasn’t even related to her by blood—meant so much to her.” She laughed bitterly, nearly choking on her own tears. “She told me that one day, if I choose to accept the gift and the curse, then I would understand it. I would understand why she couldn’t live anymore and why she wanted to kill herself. She said I would understand what it meant to love someone more than life itself.”

Yoori’s eyes grew resolute. Innocence no longer teemed in her gaze.

“I don’t want to be like your mother. I don’t want to die like her, and I don’t want to fall in love with someone to such a degree where if they died, I’d kill myself too. I don’t want that. I don’t want any of that. I can’t handle that much pain. I don’t want to be human anymore.”

“Yoori, don’t do this,” Tae Hyun pleaded again, his chest rising and falling with dread. He knew what she was getting ready to do.

“I’m sorry that you haven’t realized it by now . . . how hopeless it is,” she began, staring into his eyes now as a numb Choi Yoori, “but I pray that you will soon because in twenty-four hours’ time, I’m killing you and eradicating any trace of my human side. After that, I’ll finally be a God. I will never be tempted with the desire to feel alive again because you’ll be gone, and I will be an immortal in this world.”

“So this is what you want?” Tae Hyun asked, staring at her with tears glistening in his eyes. “For us to fight each other for the throne? For us to fight each other to the death?”

“Would that not be better than falling in love completely, than giving our hearts to each other completely, and risking someone else take one of us away from the other? You and I both know that we’re held to a different standard in this world. The only reason why people supported my relationship with Ji Hoon was because his ruthlessness made me a God. But you and I, our love would only make each other humans.” Her eyes grew firm. “You know what they do to fallen Gods in this world.”

Yoori pressed a pained hand on his chest, allowing the last of her tears to dry. Her eyes implored his to see reason.

“If you love me, then you’ll fight me with everything that you have tomorrow. Give me the war I’ve been waiting for, give me the battle that will immortalize my name in this world, and just fight me as the Gods we were always meant to be.
This
is our destiny. We were never meant to be humans together. The pain that awaits us is too great, and I’m not strong enough to be human with you. You told me it wasn’t going to be easy, and to be frank, I don’t think it’s worth it anymore.”

“Yoori,” he whispered, his heart breaking at the resolution in her words.

“You’re not worth it, Tae Hyun,” Yoori told him with finality. She stood up, never allowing her cold eyes to leave his aggrieved ones. Her tears had dried up and her decision was set. “You were never worth it, and you will never be worth it. And come tomorrow, I’ll show you exactly how worthless you are to me.”

With that said, she left him, knowing that she had not only ripped out the heart of the love of her life, but also that in twenty-four hours’ time, she would be in the battle of her life.

“There will be no more temptation,” she whispered to herself as she prepared for the end. “It is no longer worth it, and it will never be worth it.”

“Thank you for staying despite all the hardships I’ve caused you.”

20: The Battle of Gods

In the Underworld, there were few events that would unite the leaders of the powerful and enigmatic society together. The Royals of the Underworld, as busy and powerful as they were, rarely took a day off with the exception of those few special events that required their attendance. They would only come out for three things: to congregate with other powerful associates, to celebrate a revered crime lord’s birthday, or to witness a historical event that was about to take place.

It was a rare occasion for the elites of the Underworld to spare time from their busy schedules, but it was an even rarer occasion for the
entire
Underworld populace—the elite of elites and their soldiers—to assemble in one venue. There was always the matter of confidentiality to protect everyone involved. The last thing the secretive society wanted to do was attract the attention of the police. Albeit they did not harbor fear for the authorities (why should they when they had the power to sway the flow of the media and bend the law as they wished?), any damage control took time and effort, and these were two things the Underworld Royals rarely enjoyed giving away.

Indeed, the Underworld society rarely took the day off, but in the case of the historic battle between a celebrated King and a revered Queen, no one in the Korean Underworld—as well as those from the Western and neighboring Eastern Underworlds—wanted to miss this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Confidentiality no longer mattered to them as they took their seats inside the various high-rise buildings of Seoul. They filled every office in the business district with murmurs of excitement and anticipation. Every floor possessed a 130-inch theater screen TV of its own. Similar to a security footage, there were approximately twenty live streams at once. The stage for this epic battle was big, risky for everyone in attendance, and very expensive. Regardless, it was all worth it because this was
the
fight to remember: two Gods, two former lovers, two contenders for the throne, and one legend to officially rule over as the first true Lord of the Underworld.

No one was missing this momentous occasion.

Standing in the epicenter of the business district, right on the snow-covered roof of one of the more prominent skyscrapers in the city, the eyes of the Underworld populace were on two individuals as they stood frozen on the roof.

All around the two contenders, the city night speckled with life, illuminating in beauty and grandeur as if bowing down to their presence. Whereas the buildings surrounding them hummed with an air of excitement, the atmosphere on the roof was grim, ominous.

An unforgiving chill moved through the air, swimming over the guns behind their backs and coursing over the swords in each of their hands. As the Underworld populace convened around them, watching like spectators before a sporting event, the King and Queen remained stoic and unmoving. Had it not been for the warm breath that escaped from their lips, no one would know that they were alive.

Dressed in a sleeveless black blouse, jeans, and boots, Yoori’s watchful eyes were buried on Tae Hyun. Her gaze roamed over his black dress shirt and dark pants. He had his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his watch and bringing attention to the sword in his hand. Like Yoori, his eyes were blank and undecipherable of emotion.

He wasn’t permitting her to read his thoughts, just as she wasn’t allowing him to read hers.

Yoori let out a preparatory breath. It was clear to her that they were both ready to have the fight of their lives.

After she left him at the park, Yoori spent the next twenty-four hours awake, playing out the possible scenarios of what would transpire tonight while concurrently assuring herself that she was doing the right thing.

Nothing matters anymore,
she assured herself as she continued to gaze blankly at him, refusing to let her emotions surface. Her heart galloped fiercely as though preparing to take its last beat. She would do what she had to tonight, and it would all be over before she knew it.
It will all end soon.

“Kwon Tae Hyun,” Ju Won’s voice suddenly materialized in the night, filtering out of the speakers of a red phone lying on the snow-dusted rooftop. “An Soo Jin.”

Yoori could ascertain by the fluctuation of his voice that he was extremely excited. He had trained her for this moment; he had trained her to rival a great King, and there was no greater King than Kwon Tae Hyun.

“We’re typically fans of subtleties. We don’t like to make a scene. However, the centuries can come and go and we’ll likely never hear a story like yours again; we’ll probably never see a fight as grand as this again. For such a momentous event, subtleties and bylaws are simply not suitable. As a society, we have decided to forge this stage for you. There are security cameras situated upon every possible angle of the building, allotting us the opportunity to be there with you as you make history. This entire building—from its roof to the ground floor—is your fighting arena. Use it as you please. Use anything within it as you wish, and do not worry about the damages—your epic battle will hold no bars.”

A sadistic smile was projected into his voice when he added his next words.

“Given that we have such powerful Gods on stage—and because we know you will be able to withstand anything thrown your way—we decided to add a challenge to the battle. In the buildings surrounding you are some of the Underworld’s best snipers. They will join in on your fight and will be firing at both of you without prejudice. If you can figure out a way around it, you are free to utilize their involvement as another form of defense.”

A smirk played on the edge of Yoori’s mouth. Ju Won was suggesting that they could use each other as shields against the snipers. Of course the old bastard would encourage something so callous.

“With that said,” the eldest Advisor concluded, eager to enjoy the show with the rest of the Underworld, “good luck to both of you.” There was a brief pause before he wrapped up the call. “And please remember, if you go easy on one another, we will know. We’re not interested in being ruled over by two Gods in love. We want one ruthless Lord who will lead as a powerful example in our world. Please fight as you would anyone else and for the one who survives, we all look forward to serving you. Thank you and once again, good luck.”

A tense silence presided over the rooftop after Ju Won disconnected the call.

Officially alone, Yoori and Tae Hyun stood like Royals underneath the heavens while towering over the unsuspecting city beneath them.

Once he determined that no one in the Underworld could hear their conversation, Tae Hyun finally parted his lips. “Is this the moment you’ve been waiting for?”

His face maintained an expression of neutrality. Despite his undecipherable demeanor, it was apparent to Yoori that he hadn’t slept since their last encounter. She could not read his face, but she understood his motivations. The only reason why he was here, ready and willing to fight her, was because she wanted him to.

“Yes,” she answered coolly. She secretly hoped the indifference in her tone would encourage him to fight with everything he had. She did not plan to go easy on him. With the Underworld watching their every move, she couldn’t go easy on him even if she wanted to. “Fighting under the heavens, amongst the Gods. This was exactly how I imagined it.”

As a bitter smile bloomed across Tae Hyun’s lips, a male heir from the 1
st
layer stepped onto the rooftop of the building across from theirs. The teenager held a flare gun in his hand, a traditional Underworld tool used to commence historic battles between the Gods.

“We’d better make your dreams come true then,” Tae Hyun whispered softly, stoically.

“Fight me with all you have, King of Serpents,” she reminded him gravely.

At the neighboring building, the heir raised his arm and pointed the flare gun up to the sky.

“As you wish,” Tae Hyun conceded as fresh snow cascaded down from the heavens, “Queen of the Underworld.”

Boom!

The red flare shot up into the canvas of the dark sky like a shooting star and exploded in a sea of fire. The fiery blaze soared through the descending snow, signifying the start of a battle unlike any other.

As the red flare disappeared into the night, a myriad of bittersweet, happy, and heavenly memories were placed aside as the war between the former lovers began.

Yoori did not waste another second.

Just as a sniper bullet flew past her ear, she gripped the hilt of her sword and charged at Tae Hyun.

Swish!

Her sword swung at an unstoppable velocity towards his throat, missing by a mere centimeter when he swiftly snapped his head back. Yoori wielded the sword again, intent on taking another swing at his neck. She was sidetracked when another round of bullets came at them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As they maneuvered their bodies around the flying bullets, Yoori took a swing for the top of Tae Hyun’s head. The sound of metal hitting metal reverberated in the air when Tae Hyun fended off her sword with his own. Undeterred, she continued to charge at Tae Hyun. Bullet after bullet chased them as Tae Hyun and Yoori jumped and ran over the roof, wielding their swords with such strength that sparks flew into the air. Although he was exchanging blows with her, she could feel him holding back. He did not want to hurt her; he did not want to kill her.

An avalanche of rage engulfed her at the realization.

“You can do better than this!” Yoori roared over the next set of bullets that came at them. One nearly submerged itself into her shoulder while another almost went into Tae Hyun’s neck. “You can fight better than this!”

Frustrated that the sword fight did not offer her the results she wanted, Yoori let out a loud grunt and kicked him across the jaw. She followed that attack by jumping with both legs in the air and sinking her boots into his stomach. The wind was knocked out of Tae Hyun, causing him to tumble backwards with a string of bullets chasing after his body.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Get up!” Yoori shouted, reflexively fending off the bullets with her sword. “If you love me like you say you do, then you’ll fight back!” She glared at him with a mixture of hatred and disgust. Her next stream of words thundered over the ice-cold wind. “If you really love me, you’ll give me this battle!”

Her angry words acted as a splash of cold water on Tae Hyun. Struck by the fury in her voice, something snapped within him. Despite his preference to go easy on her, he also knew that he could show her no mercy tonight. The conflicted look faded from his eyes. In its place came stern resolution. If Yoori and the rest of his society wanted a battle of the Gods, then he would give it to them.

“Ugh!”

Yoori was in the process of kneeing Tae Hyun across the face when he suddenly swept his leg on the snow-covered roof. As a flurry of snow flew upward, he stole the ground from under her feet and proceeded to kick her hard in the stomach. Akin to being hit by a semi-truck, Yoori shot across the roof, soaring directly into the door that led to the stairwell.

Bam!

A pained gasp tore from her chest when she slammed against the door, jarring it open with a loud crash.

“That’s more like it,” she approved with an agonized pant.

Her entire body went on full alert once she saw him advance towards the stairwell landing. Satisfied that he was finally playing his part, she gripped her sword. Now that the King of Serpents had joined the battle, it was time for the Queen to play her part as well.

At the same moment Tae Hyun ran towards her, she swung the sword at full force and sliced the blade through his left arm.

“Auugh!”

The razor sharp blade cut through his shirt, grazed his flesh, and claimed his blood.

Tae Hyun clutched his wounded arm and fell back against the wall. Warm blood oozed from his arm, profusely dripping onto the quiet stairwell. He took in a sharp breath and peered up. When he sighted a security camera in the stairwell, a hardened mask encased his face. Pushing himself off the wall, he executed a spin kick on Yoori just as she moved closer to him.

Blindsided from the attack, Yoori staggered back, slamming against the railing before she fell down the flight of stairs. Dark stars exploded in her field of vision as she crashed hard onto the next landing.

“Ugh.”

Blood poured from Yoori’s moaning mouth as she tried to move. She scarcely moved an inch before an inundation of pain coursed through her, nearly knocking her unconscious with its manifestation. Determined to fight through this, Yoori used all her might to lift herself up. While doing so, it felt like every nerve within her was etched with knives. It was excruciating to breathe, let alone move. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yoori barely had time to take another painful breath when the large windows to the stairwell shattered one after another, paving way for an avalanche of bullets. The once quiet stairwell vibrated with the thunderous entrance of the sniper bullets. The bullets stampeded into the stairwell, striking against the railings, puncturing walls, and hammering into the ground.