The War of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 3) (9 page)

“The three o
f us were close growing up, but oppa and our eldest brother were extremely close. Although the Underworld tried to pit them against one another, they never fell for the bait because they loved each other the way brothers should. Regardless, the poison of this world spreads far and wide. My brothers may not have battled each other for power, but they fought nonetheless because this world corrupted my eldest brother. It tainted all of us.”

She
looked at Yoori. Her eyes teemed with conviction. “What Kwon Ho Young did to me was unforgivable. I’ll hate him for the rest of my life for it. But that hatred doesn’t quell the guilt of knowing that it resulted in him getting killed by oppa. The hate didn’t prevent our souls from deteriorating as we watched our eldest brother take his last breath.”

Hae Jin’s eyes rippled with tears that she refused to
let out.

“My soul
was broken after that. It was broken until Kang Min came into my life, until he lifted the demons away and showed me how I could trust another man aside from oppa. I was saved when I was fifteen, when I had Kang Min to lean on. But my brother suffered the most because he never once let out what really happened that night. He didn’t want me to suffer any further. He took all the blame and allowed people to think he was a monster, that he would murder his own brother for a throne. The worst part was when he started to believe he was ruthless, heartless, and truly fit for this world. It became his survival technique. His weapon in this society was to be ruthless and heartless because it was the only way to survive as a King in this world. It was the only way he could survive the guilt of murdering his own brother.” Hae Jin expelled a weary breath. “If you ask him if he regretted killing our brother, then he’ll tell you that he’d kill him again with no hesitation whatsoever. He’ll tell you that he has no regrets, that he hated our brother. But what he’ll never tell you is how much it hurts him, how it haunts him every day, and how it tears at his very soul. He’ll never tell you that he could have all the best cars in the world, but he chose to keep his Mercedes because it was the last gift our eldest brother gave to him. It was a gift that reminded him of the happier, more carefree times in his life. It was a gift that reminded him of how human he used to be before the shadows of this world enveloped him.”

Yoori’s breathing stilled at this revelation.

His car—the car he loved so much
. . .

If it meant so much to him, why would he give it to her?

It didn’t make sense.

Yoori
struggled through the undercurrent of emotions swaying within her. It was always much more difficult to hate someone when you learned about their broken past. Unfortunately for her, Kwon Tae Hyun was the only human alive who could evoke emotions that she tried so hard to keep controlled.

Hae Jin smiled.
She reached over and placed a hand over Yoori’s. “If you’re wondering why I liked you so much when I first met you, it was because I started to see my brother again. I started to see him come to life once more. I spoke to him on the phone and heard a bit more life to his voice, like when we grew up together
. . .
before the incident took place. I knew something had changed.
That
was why I went over to his place to see what was up.” Hae Jin’s smile grew wider at the recollection. “I couldn’t stop smiling when I met you. Even then, I knew you were going to save him from the poison of this world. Just like Kang Min did for me, I knew you were going to be the one who changed everything for my brother.”

She gazed at Yoori, her eyes
rippling with a mixture of hope and apprehension. “How he used you in the beginning was inexcusable, and it’s entirely up to you in terms of where you want to go from here. But he misses you, even if he doesn’t show it. He doesn’t show that he misses our eldest brother, and he won’t show that he misses you, but I know that he’s hurting because he probably misses you more than he’s ever missed anyone. He cares about you a lot—you’re not worthless to him. I just came here for him because I wanted you to know that. His feelings for you are genuine. There are few people he lets into his heart, but when you’re there, you’re there for life. ”

Fragmented with
nothing but perplexity, Yoori found herself standing abruptly. This was all too much for her; she had to be alone to absorb all of this.

“
I really should get going,” Yoori announced. She grabbed her black trench coat from the chair where she sat. She hastily pulled it over her white blouse so that the only clothing visible was her coat and remnants of her khaki pants that were tucked into dark, knee-high boots. Tying the belt of her satin coat into a knot and stacking her books together, she distractedly said, “It was good to see you tonight, Hae Jin. Regardless of what happens between your brother and I
. . .
I hope we’ll keep in touch.”

“I’d like that,” Hae Jin replied, running over to hug Yoori. “Just think about it, okay?” she said before gently pulling away and leaving Yoori’s side. Though it appeared like she wanted to hang out with Yoori for a bit longer, Hae Jin knew it was best to leave Yoori alone with her thoughts.

Yoori wasted no time and fled out of the library. She ran into the car that
Kwon Ho Young gifted his younger brother, the car Tae Hyun treasured so much. Snow sprinkled all around her as she settled inside the car. A tsunami of emotions thrashed in her already disjointed mind. Yoori took a moment to press her forehead against the steering wheel. The residual snow fell off her hair and melted on the leather seat while she breathed in silence.

The beating of her
heart slowed to its normal pace. The world tilted back into place. The silence acted as her companion, and her once inundated mind was cleared of fogginess.

Breathe in
. . .

Breathe out
. . .

Breathe in
. . .

Calmed by
the world around her, Yoori’s mind ventured on to a recollection that marked itself in her heart. Her mind replayed a memory that pained her soul to relive, but lifted her heart to reminisce
. . .

“I know the right thing to do would be to let you go right now because there’s no future for us. I wish I could be less selfish and just let you go because you deserve better than me.
You deserve better than this life. I wish the little soul I have within me would stop yearning for you so I could just let you walk out of my life
. . .
so I could just go back to being happy with the life I led. That way, things would be easier and I wouldn’t have to stand here
. . .
never in my life feeling weaker or feeling guiltier for all the things that I’ve done
. . .
”

He continued to caress her hair, his eyes holding hers with nothing but desperation.
 

“I’ve made mistakes in the past, Yoori,” he shared, going back to the first concern she brought up. It seemed that this issue had been plaguing him for quite some time. “Mistakes that I was raised to believe were necessary to get me the ultimate power and keep me alive in this world. Mistakes that are irreparable
. . .
mistakes that will probably disgust you to a degree where you won’t be able to look at me again
. . .
”

“Tae Hyun,” Yoori started, her voice trembling. She struggled to understand why he was so worried. “
What have you done?”

“I would understand if you couldn’t look at me afterwards
. . .
if you hated me after you found out everything.”

Yoori had never seen such fear embalm his eyes. It was like he was afraid of losing her.
 

“
Just tell me,” Yoori whispered, wanting to cry for him more than for herself. 

“But please know that I’ve fallen for you,” he pleaded, still so apprehensive with telling her everything. It broke Yoori’s heart to see him so afraid. “I wish I didn’t care for you this much
. . .
that I need you this much, but you have everything of mine. My heart and what’s left of my soul. Everything is yours, all yours, and only yours.”

Before a
llowing the pain of that night to trickle back inside her, Yoori started the car. The engine roared to life. She had to go home. She couldn’t allow herself to think about Tae Hyun any longer. As soon as her walls went down, they all came flying back up again.

It didn’t matter how much her heart softened after seeing
Tae Hyun’s sister. It didn’t matter how much her heart lifted after recalling that life-changing night. None of that mattered to her but getting home safely, showering, and forgetting about Tae Hyun. She didn’t want to think about him anymore; she didn’t want her trembling heart to miss him anymore.

She was done.

Dear God, she just wanted to be done with him.

■
■
■

Kwon Tae Hyun was silent, morose while he sat in his Jaguar, his eyes set on the view ahead. The world around him was peaceful. There was no one else on the street. The only thing that kept him company was the beautiful snow dancing serenely around him. Albeit the city nightlife was breathtaking, it offered no consolation to the storms reveling in his coffee brown eyes. He had just finished a “business negotiation” with one of the most powerful drug dealers in the country, and he was exhausted—not from the meeting, but from something else that had been weighing on his mind.

W
earing a black coat over his white dress shirt and black pants, a weary Tae Hyun closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He reclined his head against his seat. His windows were open, allowing the fresh winter snow to trickle in. The cascading snowflakes fluttered to one side of his face, kissing the skin of his cheek before crumbling into the interior of his car.

“Quite a fine speech you made at dinner the other night.”

Tae Hyun opened his eyes.

Surprise entered his gaze once his eyes landed on his Underworld Advisor, Shin Dong Min.

Dong Min, who was almost the exact replica of his older brother, Jung Min—give or take three to four years younger with no mustache—stood beside the passenger side of the car. He wore a long brown jacket and a black hat. Snow dusted him as he opened the passenger door and helped himself into Tae Hyun’s car.

Tae Hyun looked in the rearview mirror. Down the quiet street, he could see a black town car waiting in the distance. It was evident that it was Dong Min’s car.

He settled his eyes on his Advisor. Dong Min had just taken off his hat, revealing his dark black hair.

“What are you doing here, uncle?” asked Tae Hyun.

“Considering how far you’ve strayed, I should make it my mission to arrange surprise visits every day.”

“Then that wouldn’t be a surprise anymore,” Tae Hyun said lightheartedly, though there was no humor in his voice.

Dong Min turned to Tae Hyun with severity. He came with a purpose. He did not have time for games. “You must stop this.”

Tae Hyun permitted himself a bitter smile. “I told you what you and Ju Won wanted to hear last night. What more do you want from me?”

“You may have fooled my brother and Ju Won, but you do not fool me. I know when you’re lying and when you’re not yourself. You haven’t been yourself for a very long time.” Dong Min exhaled and stared ahead. There was frustration in his eyes when he continued to speak. “How did you stray so far from the path you were on? You were supposed to use her to heighten your power in this world. You were not supposed to fall for her and fall from your throne in the process.”

“I am done with her.”

“
She
is done with you,” Dong Min corrected, and Tae Hyun fell silent. Dong Min forged on, disappointment becoming more noticeable in his voice. “If she so much as calls for you, then you will run to her.” He shook his head reprovingly. “If I didn’t promise your father that I’d watch over you, then I would rip your head off to end your misery. You are not a God right now; you are barely a King. You are pathetic.”

Tae Hyun’s silence persevered. He took several seconds to absorb his Advisor’s words. When a puff of cold wind carried more snowflakes into the car, he quietly said, “Have you ever fallen, uncle?”

Silence claimed Dong Min’s mouth. He continued to stare ahead, his eyes moving over the snowflakes that were still dancing around the car. A few seconds passed before he finally said, “Yes.”

Tae Hyun kept his eyes on the road ahead as well. He was not surprised by his Advisor’s admission; he had already expected this answer.

“How?” he continued to ask.

“A woman,” Dong Min said simply.

“Did Jung Min fall for the same woman?”

Dong Min turned to Tae Hyun in surprise. He did not expect this follow up question.

Tae Hyun’s eyes redirected to his Advisor. He gave Dong Min a smile that did not reach his eyes. “There are few things in this world that would make an Underworld King fall from his throne and fewer things that would tear brothers apart. The only thing powerful enough is a woman.”