The End of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 4) (5 page)

All the synapses in Soo Jin’s brain sparked up as the taste of this blissful tea graced her tongue and swam down her throat. Her eyes illumed as the most delicious thing she had ever tasted lit up every part of her body. She eagerly gazed up and saw that the hunky one had the same reaction. Staring dumbfounded at the teacup, he smiled incredulously at her. Their smiles confirmed it all: this mutant tea was the most delicious thing they had ever tasted.
It tasted like heaven.

Already getting over their nonsensical bickering, the two children were now lost in a peaceful state as they quietly drank from their teacups and stared out into the beautiful, panoramic view. There was a companionable silence that surrounded them in the hushed ambiance. Although Soo Jin hadn’t known this boy for that long, she couldn’t deny the connection she had with him. They knew when to be serious with one another, they knew when to honestly share their feelings with one another, and they knew how to distract one another from the dark possibilities of their scary futures.

“If you had a choice and you could go anywhere,” the boy suddenly prompted, still gazing at the majestic garden and the twinkling city behind it, “where would you go?”

Soo Jin shrugged, her eyes roaming over their pretty surroundings. She truly didn’t know the answer to that question.

“I don’t know.” She took a sip from her teacup, transferred her eyes from the rain-drenched world, and focused her sole attention on him. “How about you?”

The coffee brown eyes she loved so much held her prisoner for a brief moment. “I don’t know either.” Another breath of silence suspended above them before he thoughtfully added, “My parents just came back from Paris though.”

Soo Jin canted her head in interest. She had never heard of “Paris” before. “Where’s that?”

“In France.”

“Why did they go to Paris?” she asked, knowing deep in her heart there was a reason why he brought Paris up. “What’s so special about it?”

The boy smiled, taking note of the interest in her eyes. Quenching her curiosity, he took it upon himself to enlighten her about the significance of Paris.

“My dad says that Paris is the city of love. If you want to win a woman’s heart, then you have to take her to Paris—you have to
show
her Paris.” His smile grew slightly wider as he thought about the future when he might be able to travel there. “I might go there when I’m older, when I have a girl I want to take.”

“That sounds nice,” Soo Jin commented whimsically, locking her gaze with his.

She didn’t know what Paris was or what it looked like, but she imagined it must be nice if it could help a guy steal a girl’s heart. She also imagined it must be nice if the simple conversation about it warmed her insides and lifted her spirits. She wanted to go.
She wanted to see Paris
.

“Yeah, it would be nice,” he responded, finding it hard to take his eyes off of her just as she found it hard to take hers off of him.

Although the insistent tapping of rain had decreased in volume, the residual water continued to drip from all four corners of the table. The remnants of water on the marble floor were threatening to pile up and move towards the area in which the children were sitting. Despite the fact that Soo Jin knew all too well that the world was trying to divert them from their stolen moment together, she couldn’t help but tempt the fates and sit there a little while longer with this fascinating boy. She could get her dress a little wet. This nice, safe feeling was too special. She had never felt this way before. She wanted it to last for as long as possible.

A gust of cold air moved between them before he parted his lips and asked the question he should’ve asked her when they first met. “So, what’s your name—?”

Before he could finish his question, the melodic chiming of midnight emitted from Ju Won’s clock. The sound drifted from inside the mansion and coursed into their ears, effectively snapping the children out of their dream world. It was soft in sound, but powerful enough in decibels to indicate to Soo Jin and the boy that it was time to part ways.
Their borrowed time with one another was over.

“I have to go,” he told her, a tinge of regret touching his eyes that he couldn’t hang out longer. While it was evident that he’d rather spend more time with her, the young boy didn’t appear to be the type who would neglect his responsibilities to his family—or to his father’s plans for him. He allowed himself to be distracted momentarily, but never entirely.

Soo Jin nodded, already sliding out from beneath the table. “Yeah, I should go too.”

Her dad always took her and her brother home early during any Underworld events. Midnight was typically the time when he would begin to look for them. She imagined that since the big day that she was to move in with her Uncle Ju Won had arrived, her dad must have been looking for her to take her home. Much like the boy beside her, Soo Jin wasn’t the type of child who neglected her responsibilities, especially ones pertaining to her future.

Straightening up beside the table while still holding their respective teacups, Soo Jin and the boy could feel the soft sprinkles of rain dust over them, embellishing their heads and clothes. It was raining, but it was not raining hard enough that they felt that they had to find shelter right away. If anything, Soo Jin enjoyed standing out in the rain with him. It felt nice.

“Well, thanks for saying hi,” the boy told her, staring briefly at his teacup before returning his gaze to her. It was clear he didn’t enjoy bidding farewell to her. “I was really bored for a while, so I’m glad I kinda had fun with you.”

She laughed, glad that he wasn’t being overly mushy. It allowed her to thank him without becoming a cheesy fangirl. “Thanks for being mean. It gave me a chance to be myself.”

Swallowing tightly, the boy forced a smile to form on his lips while he did something that he obviously didn’t want to do: he began to make the move to leave. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

She nodded, forcing herself to smile as well. Then, Soo Jin did something she didn’t want to do either: she mirrored his efforts and began to distance herself from him.

“Maybe,” she replied as they moved further and further away from one another.

She moved into the direction of the east wing, where she was sure her father would be, and the boy moved into the direction of the west wing, towards the direction of the exit and where she was sure his family awaited him.

“Good luck,” she added as her small feet stepped across the puddle on the marble floor.

She hadn’t forgotten what he was leaving to train for, and she truly wished him luck. She hoped that his wish would come true and that he wouldn’t change too much after being trained.
She also really liked the person he was right now.

“You too,” he replied softly, his pace slow and hesitant.

Sighing to himself, the boy gave her a final wave. With much effort, he then turned on his heels and began to swiftly walk away, his head turning back every now and then to watch Soo Jin depart to the opposite wing.

He did not know then how much his and her life would change after that night. They had no idea then that the memory of briefly meeting each other would fade away in their subconscious as the shadows of the Underworld took over and plagued their reality. They had no idea that the innocence little Soo Jin possessed would be tainted as she became the first revered Queen in the Underworld—that the innocence the boy once possessed would fade away as he became one of the greatest Kings in the Underworld.

Casting one final glance at him as he disappeared into the other entrance of the ballroom, Soo Jin could feel the weight of the teacup tremble in her small hand.

Maybe
, she thought before she disappeared into the ballroom and immersed herself in a crowd of people who would end up kneeling before her in the distant future.
Maybe someday it will all work out,
she reasoned, spending her last night as an innocent ten-year-old girl before she became the most powerful Queen in the Underworld.

Maybe someday, it’ll all work out, and I’ll meet him again.

“You can run . . .”

01: The Lord of the Underworld

Present Day

In every Kingdom, every government entity, and every exclusive society, there are Advisors chosen to uphold the mentorship of great leaders. They are entrusted to help these great leaders adhere to the principles of their world and garner the undisputed respect of the very people these great leaders are meant to govern.

In the Korean Underworld, this revered group of Advisors are known notoriously as Shin Dong Min, Shin Jung Min, and finally, the eldest and most high-ranking Advisor of all—Seo Ju Won.

There were few in the past who had ever held as much influence as Seo Ju Won and few in the future who would ever acquire as much power as the one they called, “The Creator of Legends”. Having once been a revered King in the 3
rd
layer, a formidable business tycoon in the 1
st
, and finally being the most celebrated Advisor the 2
nd
layer had ever known, Ju Won was the epitome of an Underworld legend. In short, because he was the chosen Advisor for the Underworld, his support was considered infallible to any King who wished to swing the pendulum of power in his direction.

Seo Ju Won’s support wasn’t absolute in a society where the powerful stood beside each other in great numbers, but because the majority respected his judgment immensely, his decisions were rarely questioned. They trusted that in the end, the eldest Advisor would always ensure the harmonious wellbeing of the Underworld as a whole.

This
was the reason why, as the King of Serpents and the King of Skulls made their way through the palatial castle that housed the unforgettable 65
th
birthday party for the legend himself, Ju Won’s birthday was the most crucial event of the year. It wasn’t the simple fact that the Underworld was celebrating the marking of another healthy year for this revered legend, but it was because this revered legend, who had been entrusted by the majority of the Underworld to mentor a great leader, was about to anoint the new heir to his empire, and in turn, subtly let the entire Underworld know who would be his pick to be the first true Lord of the Underworld.

And what an epic decision that would be.

The fight between the two Kings, if the Underworld society had anything to say about it, had been one of the most historic battles this world had ever seen. There had never been Kings who were younger, more skilled, or more ruthless than the two reigning Kings. The battle had been long and hard, and no one but the two young Kings could’ve been more relieved that the waiting period was over.

No one could have looked more anxious than Kwon Tae Hyun, who not only appeared as if he was ready to conquer the world, but in certain vantage points, as he swept across the massive room, speaking to his peers, associates, and mentors with his younger sister by his side, it also appeared as if the great King was distracted with something else. Some would even dare say that he was upset and troubled over
someone
.

This small disturbance in the otherwise perfect demeanor of the great King was only completely extricated when he latched on to his baby sister’s arm and pulled her away from the influential crowd in annoyance.

Kwon Hae Jin’s face was cloaked with the utmost rage.

Since his arrival at the party, Hae Jin had been following him like a condemning shadow, whispering curses of revulsion towards him and finally garnering his undisputed (and aggravated) attention when she threatened to make a scene in front of everyone if he didn’t cease ignoring her.

Never one to risk compromising his coveted throne—
especially
when he was so close to acquiring it—Tae Hyun, with an artificial smile plastered on his face, bid goodbye to his high-ranking mentors and heeded his sister’s verbal threat. He didn’t look happy to do it, but he heeded it nonetheless.

“How could you do this?” Hae Jin chastised, fighting against his strong grip. Her white pumps shuffled onto the gold tiles while she walked with him. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

The rotunda shaped room they stood in, along with more than a thousand of the Underworld’s most revered elites, was the grandest and largest room in Ju Won’s extravagant estate. Everything that graced the interior of the room was first-rate and top of the line.

The room was adorned with gold-toned marble tiles that had intricate, crème-toned patterns running through the ground floor. Gold plated pillars supported the six-story-high ballroom and hugged across the majestic space. A decadent, diamond-like chandelier hung from the high ceilings, illuminating the world below. Behind the chandelier, the glass ceiling held the beauty of the dark skies and the peaceful night stars in its hands. The celebratory music from the grand piano filtered in and out of the six-story-high windows that wrapped around the rounded ballroom, showcasing the vibrant city surrounding it.

Power and prestige rippled amongst the ocean of professionally dressed men and women gathered on the ground floor. Whether it was on the grand gold staircase or the various balconies that surrounded the rotunda ball, everywhere guests turned, they would be greeted with the sight of the most powerful figures in the country.

It was truly an event fit for royalty, especially with the three sets of thrones residing in the already decadent ballroom. The thrones were there to follow the old traditions of the Underworld, a respectful seating arrangement for the eldest Advisor and the Kings of the 3
rd
layer.

Placed purposely on a red, carpeted platform with five steps of stairs leading up to it, a magnificent gold throne for the eldest Advisor claimed one side of the rotunda room while the King of Skulls’ seat sat in another section of the room. This grand seating arrangement was finished off with the King of Serpents’ seat being placed in the further section of the room, adjacent to the King of Skulls’ and parallel to Ju Won’s seat. In the final corner of the room laid a large podium that had the backdrop of the city behind it. It was the stage where Ju Won would make the speech everyone had waited years to hear.

At the moment, all the seats, which resonated supremacy and prestige, were empty as the Advisors and Lee Ji Hoon were busy conversing with the rest of the Underworld populace in attendance, and Kwon Tae Hyun was preoccupied with speaking to his little sister.

With his hand still on her arm, he continued to steer her with him until they reached a large pillar. They stood behind it, hidden under the shadows and veiled by the music that waltzed around the busy ballroom.

“Hae Jin, stop it,” Tae Hyun reprimanded firmly, pulling her closer to the red and gold drapes that hung down from the high windows like a waterfall.

He averted his eyes from her and took a moment to scan their surroundings to make sure that no one was staring in their direction. When he concluded that the coast was clear with the ground floor, he gazed up at the dark ceilings where the balconies sat above them. He assessed the darker, canvassed areas where he knew Ju Won’s many snipers were hidden in the shadowy corners of the ceiling. When it was palpable on his expression that, at the moment, no one could eavesdrop on them, he turned back to his sister.

“Keep your voice down.”

Fuming, Hae Jin, dressed in a black knee-length, formal business dress that had a white suit jacket layering over it, ripped her arm out of his grasp.

“I went to her for you,” she continued to say, disregarding his command to keep her voice down. “When she should’ve never forgiven you for the crap you pulled because she resembled An Soo Jin!”

A muscle tightened in Tae Hyun’s jaw, but Hae Jin paid no mind to it, for she didn’t realize she was never privy to the truth that her brother’s ex-girlfriend, Choi Yoori, was actually the revered Queen of the Underworld, who somehow acquired amnesia three years ago. She did not simply resemble An Soo Jin; she
was
An Soo Jin.

Oblivious to this and blinded by rage, she went on. “I went to find her at the library. I told her how much you cared about her and how much she meant to you. I went to her for you and pleaded with her to forgive you because you were hurting. She came back to you under the belief that she meant something to you, and you do this? You kicked her out of the country? Are you
fucking
serious?”

“You don’t know what happened, so stay out of this,” he snapped, furious that she had to remind him of his
ex
-girlfriend.

“Did she get too emotional for you, big brother?” Hae Jin accused. Pain drenched her angry voice as she stared up at her brother with reproachful eyes. “God knows what had happened to her to make her so frail and miserable! You, her, and everyone else seems intent on keeping everything from me and Chae Young. You never tell me about the bruises on her body, you never tell me why her eyes are swollen from tears, and you never tell me why it looked like her soul had been broken.” Sparkles of liquid marred her eyes while reserved pain filled Tae Hyun’s. “But despite not knowing what happened, I know she’s been going through hell. What happened, oppa? What the hell happened that made you force her to leave the country? What did she do to have you treat her so horribly?”

“I’m
not
discussing this with you,” Tae Hyun replied decisively, set on not divulging that the woman his little sister loved so much was the one who killed their mother. “Not now and not ever. How I break up with my girlfriend is none of your concern.”

“And you kicked Kang Min and Jae Won out too?” she asked, her voice breaking apart. If it was possible, there was more agony in her eyes. “How could you?”

“It’s been done.” Although he stated this with finality, there was a trace of regret in his eyes when he was not only reminded of his ex-girlfriend, but also the two gang members whom he had formed close bonds with as well. “The three of them are probably long gone by now. We will never see them again. What happens now doesn’t change anything—”

“Sir?” a voice suddenly interrupted from the side, drawing the siblings out of their private conversation.

Tae Hyun turned and caught sight of an elderly man dressed in a black suit. He was one of Ju Won’s workers. It was evident in the man’s anxious demeanor that he had been searching all around the ball for Tae Hyun.

“Sir,” he repeated respectfully, bowing to Tae Hyun. “The toast is about to begin.”

“I’ll be there soon. Thank you,” Tae Hyun dismissed with a warm smile.

As the man gave a parting bow and left them, Tae Hyun spared one last glance in his sister’s direction.

“You have no one now,” Hae Jin whispered tightly, aware that she had lost the moment she needed with her brother to convince him that not only was he wrong, but that he also had to reconcile the situation and bring everyone back together. It was apparent in her hopeless expression that she knew their moment had passed and that he was desperately latching on to something else to fill the new void in his life.

“I have my throne,” he told her, his face clearing out any evidence of weakness or distraction. With his hands in his pockets and the illumination of the chandelier running over the perfect features of his face, the King of Serpents was as striking as ever. “And soon, I’ll have the world.”

Walking away from her, Tae Hyun glided over the grand staircase that led to the upstairs quarter of the ballroom. When the soles of his leather shoes made contact with the red carpet, he greeted a couple of mentors and approached the rows of balconies that overlooked the entire first floor of the rotunda ball. He stepped onto the center balcony and made himself comfortable there.

His eyes wandered to the ground floor where the happy chattering of the Underworld populace and the clinking of champagne glasses rose up to where he stood. Ju Won stood in a circle, conversing with Jung Min, Dong Min, and various 1
st
layer crime lords. Ju Won was all smiles as his laughter intermixed with the music moving over the room. Tae Hyun involuntarily shifted his attention to the northern corner of the surrounding balconies. He sighted Lee Ji Hoon, dressed in an expensive tuxedo, standing on a private balcony of his own. His face was veiled with supremacy as he took a furtive step forward and held his champagne glass high in the air. It only took a second for Ji Hoon to stand there before a wave of silence claimed the lips of those in the ballroom.

Despite the aversion he harbored for Ji Hoon, Tae Hyun, like the rest of the Underworld surrounding him, was quiet as the music from the piano died down. Soon after, the lights dimmed slightly while a subtle spotlight hung over the King of Skulls.

Ji Hoon began to speak, confidence and pride teeming in his voice. “When asked about the three men I admire most, my answer has always been consistent. It has always been my father, my Advisor, and the eldest Advisor, Seo Ju Won. I have never wavered from those three names, and I’m sure the third name is a name that no one in this room has wavered from either.”

Ji Hoon smiled, looking down at Ju Won and Jung Min, both of whom were beaming up at him.

“Uncle,” Ji Hoon began respectfully to Ju Won, extending his champagne glass in the air, “never in my life have I met a man who has as much experience, virtue, and knowledge as you. You have left such a big footprint in our world, and I doubt any other Advisor coming after you would ever be able to fill your shoes. I am grateful to be one of your advisees and even more grateful that you are considering me as an heir. In forty years, if I could be half the man you are today, then I’d consider that my biggest honor. Happy 65
th
birthday. Here’s to a wonderful year.”