The End of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 4) (52 page)

“She’s not coming, do you hear me?” Tae Hyun’s voice was ice cold. He turned away from Yoori and spoke into the phone himself. “This is about you and me, and we’ll keep it that way. You’re not pulling her into this.”

“Again, Tae Hyun, you do not seem to understand your place in this conversation.” Ji Hoon paused before he used an anchor that thrashed any further arguments that Tae Hyun could give out. “Your sister is pregnant, isn’t she?”

“Ji Hoon!” Tae Hyun snarled at the thought of Ji Hoon even knowing that his sister was carrying a child. “Don’t you dare hurt her or the baby!”

“Then I take it that the King of Serpents and the Queen of the Underworld will come and save them?” There was a smile in Ji Hoon’s voice while he lightheartedly added, “2:00 A.M. at
The Stadium
. Both of you, be there, or I’m cutting Kang Min and Hae Jin into a million pieces, and I’ll send you their body parts as souvenirs.”

When it appeared as though Ji Hoon was ready to end the call, Tae Hyun’s cryptic voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Ji Hoon,” Tae Hyun warned dangerously, rage emitting from every inch of his powerful body. “If you truly insist on doing this, then know that tonight will be your final night on earth. If you don’t let them go right now, then I will show you no mercy and I
will
kill you. I
will
make you pay for everything, and you will
never
see the light of day again.”

There was a suspended moment of silence before Ji Hoon’s fearless voice came on.

“We’ll see if you can hold up that promise. See you soon.”

Click.

The phone call disconnected, and all that was left after the destructive earthquake they experienced were its heart-wrenching aftershocks.

“God damn it,” Tae Hyun cursed, the bones in his knuckles cracking as he delivered an unrestrained punch to the glass. The otherwise enormous and powerful sky-high window trembled in weakness at the impact.

Tae Hyun closed his eyes and when he opened them, a quiet Yoori could see his focus land on the plane in front of them, the plane that was their ticket to Paris—a world that was their beacon of heaven when compared to their vicious Underworld. Yoori could see the pain immerse his eyes as he stared quietly at the innocuous plane.

With a heavy heart, she allowed her eyes to rest on it as well. She felt the breath leave her when she drank in the sight before her. The plane couldn’t have looked more majestic, its body promising them a world filled with dreams as it sat in the darkness of the night, beckoning them to board it. As she stood in the tunnel between heaven and hell, Yoori had never sought heaven more as she felt the fires of hell chase after her, just waiting . . . just waiting to consume her.

“Get on the flight.”

Yoori averted her eyes from the plane and gaped at him in disbelief. “What?”

“You’re not coming,” he said sternly, turning away from the plane and settling his eyes on her. From within those brown eyes, she could only see remorse and pain. “I’m going alone.”

Yoori’s blood boiled. “You expect me to be a coward and run off when Ji Hoon has your sister and Kang Min?”

“Young Jae and Ji Hoon are working together,” Tae Hyun reminded her, concern plaguing his now dim eyes. “Are you naïve enough to believe that Young Jae won’t be there, waiting for you? Are you naïve enough to think that he won’t be waiting to kill you after what happened to his wife?” His tortured eyes went over the bruises on her face and landed on the arm that had been shot—the arm that was still healing and no way near healed. “I can’t let you go, Yoori. You’re in no condition to fight anyone right now, much less Ji Hoon or Young Jae.”

“And you’re in the condition to fight?” she countered, stepping closer to him. She knew that Young Jae would be there. She wasn’t a fool to think otherwise. Regardless of her knowledge, she didn’t care.

Her eyes traced the healing bruises on his face. The mental picture of all the scars and bruises on his body came into her mind. He didn’t show it too often, but Yoori knew that Tae Hyun, like herself, was severely injured from their battle. He, just like her, was in no condition to fight anyone, especially Ji Hoon and Young Jae.

“I will manage,” he stated inflexibly, his mind still set on going alone.

Yoori wanted to cuss him out for being stubborn and stupid. She wanted to beat the hell out of him for even entertaining the idea that she would leave him to fend for himself while their loved ones were in trouble. She wanted to do all of this, but couldn’t bring herself to do any of it. She knew too well how tortured Tae Hyun was. His outward demeanor was strong, but inside, it was clear that he hated this situation more than anyone. Even if it meant something happening to him, he would always put her, his sister, and his loved ones above his own safety, above his own life. This was a trait that Yoori admired and hated about him. This was a trait that they both shared and despised about one another.

Yoori took in a painful breath and placed her hands on Tae Hyun’s chest. She moved closer to him, her soft eyes imploring him to see reason.

“We can help each other,” she told him, her voice soft yet stern. “I’m not leaving you, Tae Hyun, and I’m not leaving the two people who are like my little brother and sister. We’re in this together. I’m not abandoning you. I don’t care about my brother. He can try to kill me for what happened with Anna, but I won’t let him get at me easily.” She held his hand, feeling the necklace she was wearing burn into her skin. “We’re in this together, right? Just like we said to each other this morning when we threw our guns into the lake?”

“You have to leave first,” he told her stubbornly, pain growing exponentially in his eyes. He placed on an artificial smile as a means to assure her that he would be okay. “I will be fine by myself. I’ll go, I’ll get Hae Jin and Kang Min back, and then I’ll meet you in Paris. It’ll all work out, but you have to go first. You can’t be here to distract me. You can’t be here and put yourself in harm’s way.”

“I told you already that I’m not getting on that plane.” Her calm voice grew unyielding. “Did what happened this morning mean nothing to you?”

She could see the hurt in his eyes when she mentioned this. She capitalized on it by stroking her finger over his cheek to further implore him to see where she was coming from and why she wasn’t going to leave him.

“‘
Wherever you go, I’ll follow
.’ That wasn’t just a promise from me, Tae Hyun. That was my
vow
to you. I’m not leaving you behind. Wherever you’re going, I’m coming with you. I will stay by your side until the end.” A hopeful smile lit up her lips. She hoped that he would stop being stubborn and allow her to keep her vow to him. She did not want him to brush her off so that he could protect her. She wanted to stay so she could protect him. “We’re in this together, right?” 

He looked conflicted as he stared down at her, still unable to say anything.

“Tae Hyun?” she voiced again. “We’re in this together,
right
?”

“Yes,” he, at long last, confirmed with the weight of the world anchoring down his voice. His eyes were cloaked with a storm of emotions that she could no longer decipher. “We’re in this together.”

Yoori smiled, nodding approvingly as he kissed the back of her hand.

“We’re in this together,” he said again, this time his voice truly meaning it.

Gazing at one another, they could hear an announcement that the flight to Paris was having their last call for boarding.

Against her better rationale, Yoori’s eyes strayed back onto the airplane before them. Misery overfilled her heavy heart. Doing the same, Tae Hyun turned his attention to the plane, the glow that once shined from him at the prospect of finally taking Yoori to Paris fading under the shadows of the Underworld.

It was like they were mourning a memory that would never be. It was like they were mourning a Paris that they would never see
.

After a long lingering second, as if to prepare their heavy hearts for the reality of what was to come, they reluctantly pulled their eyes away from the plane and intertwined their hands with one another’s.

With much effort, they wheeled around and began to walk out of the airport terminal, their eyes staring straight ahead. They never turned back to stare at the memories they could’ve had, they never turned back to lust after a dream they could’ve lived in, and they never turned back to bid goodbye to the magical and timeless life they could’ve had.

“Are you ready for what’s to come?” Tae Hyun asked as they walked out of the airport and into the parking garage.

Their once troubled faces were replaced with the expression of warriors going into a battle of a lifetime. They had bid goodbye to the lives they could’ve led as ordinary humans and were now, once again, desperate Gods under the mercy of their cruel and sadistic Underworld.

Yoori nodded, feigning composure and fearlessness.

She parted her lips and gave an easy lie that contradicted every trembling and fearful nerve within her body. She didn’t know what to expect and she didn’t know how everything was going to play out. The only thing the deep subconscious part of her knew was that she wasn’t ready.

She would
never
be ready for what was to come.

“Yes . . . I’m ready.”

“How about we both make a pact . . .”

29: The Stadium

The atmosphere surrounding them was quiet, morose.

After they departed from the airport, Yoori and Tae Hyun drove back to Tae Hyun’s apartment to retrieve their backup guns and any other weapons they might need. Under normal circumstances, Yoori and Tae Hyun would not have been too concerned with packing up weapons. But this occasion was different. Their injured bodies were not up to par to fight in a strenuous battle. They would be fools to not acknowledge and correct this disadvantage.

Packing weapons proved to be the easy part as it was the mental battle that Yoori was falling victim to. She would be lying if she said she was not fearful of what Ji Hoon had in store for them. She wasn’t afraid for herself, but afraid for the ones she loved: Hae Jin, Kang Min, and Tae Hyun.

The memory of what happened that morning replayed in her mind, reminding her of the sudden paranoia she experienced when she discovered that Tae Hyun wasn’t by her side. She remembered the unexplainable fear that assailed her when she realized that there was a chance he could be hurt. She understood now why she reacted the way she did.
She had anticipated this moment
.
No matter how far off or improbable it appeared, she foresaw this very moment. The only small mercy of this tragedy was that he was still by her side; she could still protect him every step of the way.

After spending several hours in Tae Hyun’s apartment—basically awaiting judgment day—Tae Hyun and Yoori were anything but conversational with one another. The only thing they spoke about (and agreed upon) was keeping all of this from Jae Won and Chae Young. They wanted their participation in all of this to be kept at a minimum for their own safety.

The rest of the time was spent together, but also apart. While Yoori was sitting outside in the living room, replenishing the bullets into the two black guns that she borrowed from Tae Hyun, Tae Hyun was in their bedroom, speaking on the phone with one of his contacts. He instructed them to delay the funds to Paris, that he and Yoori had postponed the trip because they had some unfinished business to take care of first.

It was a heart wrenching conversation that Yoori wished she hadn’t heard. Regardless, she understood it was something she had to hear. She
had
to hear it to help mentally prepare herself for everything. The vacation she took from the Underworld—no matter how brief—was a detrimental one in terms of bringing her mind back into the mode of things. She needed to discard her mindset as an ordinary human girl and return to being the most feared Queen in the Underworld. With that thought in mind, she got into the car with Tae Hyun and left for
The Stadium
.

The humming of the wind blew against Tae Hyun’s Jaguar as they drove down the quiet road. As silence suspended over them, Yoori and Tae Hyun grew lost in their own worlds, which were intertwined with the same pain and misery. Both were worried about the two people they loved and were concurrently heartbroken with their impending return to the Underworld.

How could one go back to the darkness when they had seen the light? How could one go back into the cave of hell when they had already found their Eden?

Thoughts and regrets like this cycled through Yoori’s mind as she thought about who they were going up against.

When she was An Soo Jin, there was a lot about Ji Hoon that she didn’t understand and a lot about him that he never showed her. From the point they met up until the night of her “suicide”, he had always been the actor—and a most talented actor at that. Lee Ji Hoon, in comparison to herself and Tae Hyun, was always seen as being in third place. Though some people may have underestimated him after what took place at Ju Won’s party, Soo Jin knew that in the Underworld, people like Ji Hoon were the most hazardous and calculating ones. Their jealousy gets the best of them, and in turn, they are willing to do anything to get what they want. These people, in any type of world, are always the most dangerous ones.

At least with Young Jae, she could understand how his mind worked because she had the luxury of growing up with him. However, not even that small solace made her feel better. Sadness weighed in her heart at the thought of him, Anna, and their unborn child. As terrible as she felt, she knew Young Jae was a lost cause at this point. They would never reconcile. She knew her brother too well. He would make sure she died the most terrible of deaths before he gave up.

It didn’t make Yoori feel better to think about this as they drove in the dark.

Desperate to distract herself, she turned to Tae Hyun.

The light from the dashboard glowed on Tae Hyun’s face, showing the pensive expression he had on.

Yoori pressed her hands into her stomach to quell the pain curling within her gut. She hated that just the night before, they were having the night of their lives. In a cruel twist of fate, they were now on their way to meet two coldhearted people who would stop at nothing until they were both dead. She once thought that her epic battle with Tae Hyun was a difficult night to bear, but this night was proving to be even grimmer. At least with that battle, she went in thinking that she had everything planned out nicely. It didn’t work out the way she wanted it to, but at least she went into it with some peace of mind. With this new and unexpected battle, she had absolutely no idea what to expect, and this scared every inch of her soul.

Unable to help herself, though she knew it was probably best not to distract Tae Hyun from his concentration, she reached her left hand out. Her face contorted in slight pain when the bullet wound acted up. Releasing a sharp breath, she allowed her trembling fingers to slowly touch his hand while he drove.

Tae Hyun expelled a lungful of air when she did this. Curiously enough, it was as though he had decided on something as soon as she touched him.

“Where is
The Stadium
?” she asked, yearning to hear his voice. No matter how daunting all of this was, all she needed was his voice and she would be brought back to earth. For a short moment, she would at least be fine again.

It was one in the morning and they were the only ones driving on the dark road. There were no other cars or living entities in sight.

“Just up the corner,” he told her quietly, driving a little bit further up before bearing right. At this new turn, she could see the reflection of the sea in the close distance. “It’s a big warehouse seaport. Very secluded and rarely anyone comes around this area.”

Yoori smirked as the road became more gravelly. The thrashing of the wind picked up against the car. “How convenient for gang fights,” she mused to herself.

He laughed, sending a sprout of warmness into Yoori’s heart. “Yeah.”

His laughter wouldn’t mean much to anyone else, but it meant the world to Yoori.

“Remember to stick by my side,” he instructed just as they went over a small speed bump.

“You forget that I can take care of myself now.” Even though she said this in a lighthearted manner, she truly meant it. She did not want him to be distracted with her. She could fend for herself.

He smiled, turning to her. “Queen of the Underworld or not, martial art skills that could rival Gods or not, when you’re with me you’re under my protection. My woman, mine to protect. No one will hurt you if I can help it.”

“I know,” Yoori responded. She knew that it didn’t matter if she was a helpless damsel in distress or a revered Queen who could kill men without blinking an eye. In the eyes of Tae Hyun, she would always be the one who he would give everything to protect. “No one will hurt you if I can help it either.”

Tae Hyun smiled at this. With his eyes back on the road, he sighed and finally announced, “We’re here.”

Yoori released a sharp exhale and nodded. She was ready, at least somewhat mentally, for what was to come.

The car slowed down as they made a right turn into an empty parking lot. The tires moved over the loose gravel before coming to a complete stop at the center of the parking lot. Turning off the engine, Yoori and Tae Hyun stepped out into the cold night. The icy wind from the sea sent chills up their spines while they closed their doors, walked over to one another, held hands, and began towards the area of the seaport where the railings were.

It happened in an instant. As Yoori breathed in the cold sea air, she could feel her gut twist in uneasiness.

Something wasn’t right.

Thinking that she was being too paranoid (and not wanting to prematurely alert Tae Hyun of the uneasiness she was feeling just yet), Yoori allowed the cold breeze to drift through her hair as she surveyed the immediate vicinity. The building beside them seemed vacant, the parking lot was empty, and the area around them was quiet—too quiet.

Something was off about this place.

Once they approached the railing in front of the sea, Yoori couldn’t help but vocalize her unsettling nerves to Tae Hyun.

“Tae Hyun, there’s something off about this place,” she whispered, squeezing his hand to get his attention.

Tae Hyun turned to her, his eyes gazing at her with uneasy curiosity. He subtly picked up the pace, bringing them closer to the railing. “What do you mean?”

“There’s no one here,” she said, looking around the abandoned and eerily quiet seaport. “If Ji Hoon had set this up, then there would be at least some activity going on here. This place is just dead. It feels like no one has been here for days—”

Click.

Yoori ceased midway in her sentence when she felt something cold encircle her wrist.

Her insides went cold instantly.
Snapping her head back around, her eyes enlarged in shock when she lowered her gaze and realized that Tae Hyun had just handcuffed her to the railing.

Stunned with confusion, Yoori stared up at Tae Hyun. “Tae Hyun, what are you—?”

“I can’t let you go, Yoori,” he interrupted, his eyes gazing into hers with agonized pain. Anguish cloaked his face when he said this. His jaw clenched tight, he moved his hands behind her back and pulled out her guns and the knives hidden within every pocket of the outfit she wore. “I can’t risk letting you go.” 

“What are you talking about?” she breathed out, trembling where she stood. The weight of the handcuff anchored down her wrist, worsening her bewilderment. Her breathing became shallow and rapid. She watched with horror as he hurled the guns and knives into the far distance of the parking lot. Her mind still reeling, she turned back to him with perplexed and accusing eyes. “But we agreed—”

“I can’t risk you getting hurt,” he told her excruciatingly, bringing a hand up while his palm touched her cheek. Even his touch was filled with confliction; it was like he was wordlessly apologizing for what he was doing to her. “I can’t risk
anything
happening to you.”

Yoori’s throat grew dry. This was his plan all along. He was never going to allow her to meet Ji Hoon. He intentionally took her to the wrong place so that she wouldn’t walk into the lion’s den. He took it upon himself to be the one who gave her protection, to be the one who had the last say in whether or not she could risk her life.

“Tae Hyun,” she called brokenly. The thought of him facing Ji Hoon and Young Jae alone was torment for her mental state. All the fear she felt this morning manifested in her soul again. Only this time, it was a million times worse because it was actually happening. “Tae Hyun . . . why are you doing this?” she went on with a trembling voice. Her eyes begged him to set her free. “I can do this with you. I can help you. I’m no longer the old Yoori. I know how to fight; I know how to take care of myself now. You don’t have to worry.”

“You’re in no condition to fight,” he told her again. His fingers caressed over the bruises that had yet to heal on her face. He then grazed the bandage covering her bullet wound, looking more saddened as he did this.

Yoori glanced at the bruises on his face. “And you are?”

“I have not been recently shot.” His voice was gentle, yet inflexible. After taking a moment to breathe quietly, he finally enlightened her as to why he was so adamant about her staying here and why she was never going to change his mind. “I can’t have you go, Yoori. Not when Ji Hoon is there, not when Young Jae is there, and especially not when the entire Underworld is there.”

Her eyes grew wide at the last statement. “Why would the
entire
Underworld be there?”

The muscles in his jaw clenched. It was clear he did not want to share this information with her. Though he didn’t want to, he shared it regardless.

“After your ‘death’ three years ago, shortly after I was crowned the King of Serpents,
The Stadium
was built to house the entire Underworld for their summits—for their meeting grounds.”

“That was
The Pyramid
,” Yoori voiced, recalling the very meeting ground where the entire Underworld layers convened and where historic Underworld events occurred. They would attend a big gathering outside of the city. This arena was built in a secluded area to give them privacy while they performed monumental ceremonies and events that included, but were not limited to, the appointing of new Advisors, the crowning of new Kings, and the punishments of Gods whom had fallen from grace.