This world was a game of chess.
The seven important pieces on the board were led by a single King. And the word of the King was an absolute order we must obey.
I was one of the two Kings in this country.
"Yolan, the white faction is still chasing us."
"How about the goods? Is it safe?"
"Yes. But-"
Hesitation was clear in my subordinate voice.
Staying in this line of work — where violence and death were our life and soul — hesitation was the one thing I despised.
I motioned him with my eyes, clearly annoyed at his behavior.
He darted his eyes around, his mouth quivered as he was intimidated by my stare. But he still spoke his mind, "Aren't we just heading to our own destruction, sir?"
I inhaled the lit cigarette in my hand, taking the smoke full of nicotine into my lungs. With my mind now relaxed, I gazed into the distance. A golden holographic screen was flickering in the middle of the dark sky – displaying rows of names, including mine.
"Ex aequo et bono, I'm going to judge whether things are right or wrong." I continued my words without turning my gaze. "So trust me and follow my orders."
How long had this been going? 12? 13 years? This was a plan I crafted for so long I almost couldn't remember when it started.
If I weren't born in this country or in this world, I might not be living my life as a murderer but find love somewhere else. Somewhere I could break free from the tangle of that man.
But alas, fate stated otherwise.
"Yolan, we need to get out of here, quick. At least you should run away."
"Cassius."
My most trusted aide and friend, Cassius. He was the black faction's Queen — someone who oversaw every movement in our faction.
Someone who didn't deserve to die over my mistake.
A chuckle escaped my mouth. Cassius was one of the many I raised on my own. To stand tall in a job where most men die young, you had to have the grit to survive. This was what I told him when we first met. But it seemed like my teachings went over his head.
I raised my fingers, flicking his head.
"Ouch! What are you doing-"
"Be a little more selfish. Why are you thinking about my safety when your own isn't guaranteed?"
At my words, Cassius grabbed the corner of his suit, beads of sweat started forming on his head. I knew what that gesture meant, he was nervous.
I almost frown at his behavior. As an alpha, Cassius was way more of a scaredy-cat than his peers. If I didn't take him under my wings, he might never reach this level of authority.
But today, somehow this scaredy-cat alpha finally bared his fangs. He yanked my hand, making the cigarette in my fingers slip to the ground.
"Be more serious about this Yolan! You will die! Our faction can't hold on much longer! Just abandon this plan and run away! Please!"
I frowned, "Are you doubting me as the bearer of the King's mark?"
The King's mark.
A blessing from the god in the form of a crest— A winged dragon with its tail wrapped around a crown.
This was the symbol of authority in this game of chess and it could be obtained by others by killing the holder of the mark.
Everyone who had a King's mark had a hidden desire they wanted to fulfill. Once you bring the opposite faction to destruction, your wish and the wishes of all the pieces under you would be granted by gods.
It's not a bluff, it was a fact.
Wealth, power, love — everything you could think of.
As long as you could pay the price, any wish would be fulfilled.
I took on the responsibility of the King because I had one selfish desire I wanted to fulfill. And I certainly wouldn't abandon it just like that. I held the control in this throne, and I would definitely bring our faction to victory.
Gazing at the man in front of me, I lightly tapped his cheek with my other hand, giving him an apologetic look as I smiled.
That was all he needed to understand my intention. As long as these markings were still engraved on our hands, my will would be their will too.
That's the rule set by the gods.
Pulling back my hand, I picked another cigarette from my pocket and lit it up. Tasting its bitterness, I slowly opened my mouth.
"You're the best 'Queen' I could ever hope for. In our next life, I hope you won't meet a 'King' like me again."
"Please don't say that, don't act like you're going to die."
Cassius' shoulder trembled as tears started to form at the corner of his eyes. Seeing his expression made me feel guilty, but even then, I couldn't back down.
Out of 8 of us, only four remained. Two with the Bishop crests, one with the Queen and one with the King.
Abandoning this plan and running away meant giving up my faction's sacrifice and giving the enemy the free pass to fulfill their wish. That was something I wouldn't allow.
"Yolan... What if I told you I love you? Would you run away with me?"
"You- Do you even know what the hell you are talking about?"
"I'm not joking, run away with me Yolan. We could live a normal life, away from this city — from our past. We could live in seclusion, away from the responsibilities related to God's War of Throne."
I scoffed at his words.
Run away?
What a naive thinking.
I had been dedicating a third of my life living to chase my desire. What could one person's love confession do to change this deep-rooted feeling inside me?
Even if we ran away, how long would that peace last?
There's nothing that I could live for if I ran. Abandoning this desire meant forsaking my whole purpose in life.
I would rather die than live like an aimless corpse.
"Are you defying my orders now?"
I raised my hand, the black crest on the back of my hand glowed. The higher the ladder of authority you were in, the more control you had over your subordinate.
This was always an unfair game for the people below the 'King' because each of the pawns lived to be a slave to fulfill their King's words.
Cassius once again lowered his head, but this time his hesitation didn't last long.
"You might always think I'm a naive love-struck man, but I genuinely love you with all my heart."
Cassius held my hand and kissed my crest.
"Please... Become my omega, Yolan."
I kept my mouth shut as I gauged his sincerity. Cassius was someone who knew everything about me.
My past, my present, my future.
He knew why I was so desperate to obtain the wish granted by the gods, yet he was also the one hindering me from obtaining it. No matter how much he confessed, my answer would still be the same.
"I can't reciprocate your feelings."
I loosened my collar, showing him the nape with a bite mark on it.
"After all, I've become someone else's before I even know you."
A slight guilt could be detected in Cassius eyes. He knew why this mark was there, but he still insisted on claiming me as his.
Truly a naive bastard.
TAP! TAP!
The sounds of heels coming toward us were accompanied by burly men coming out from the shadows.
In a harbor full of cargoes, a lot of things could be used as cover. But I decided to stand in the open, welcoming my enemies.
I swiped my surroundings with my gaze before landing on one person in the group.
Keith Zylvar, the King of white faction.
Someone I once loved, and the one I currently hate the most.
"Would you look at that? Only three of them are left. This is what happened when an omega becomes a King in the War of Throne. A complete annihilation."
One of Keith's Bishops snickered, which prompted the others in their team to laugh. Paying him no mind, I finished calculating the number of people and their positions.
A total of 6 people, 3 in the front and 3 hiding in the shadows.
Cassius was already standing beside me, ready to pull his gun out.
"Yolan Carnel, considering our past relationship, I'm giving you one last chance, kill yourself."
A low-baritone voice rang in my ears. It was a voice I once like to hear, but unfortunately, after years of his indifference attitude, that voice became the catalyst of my first step to madness.
"Haha..."
A mocking laugh came out of my mouth.
Kill myself? Yeah damn right I was going to do that, but not until I reached my goal.
I raised my chin, glaring at him.
"Make me."
CLICK!
BANG!
I pulled my gun and took the first shot. My subordinates immediately followed, firing rapid shots at the enemies in front of us. One of them collapsed from our shots, but two of them in the shadow came out, covering them.
"Damn you!"
Keith's lackeys started chasing us. With them in our trail, I signaled Cassius. Cassius immediately pressed a button of a controller hidden in his pocket.
"What's that gas?!"
"Ugh! I don't feel so good..."
"Is this... Fuck you Yolan! You dare use a pheromone gas on us?!"
A smirk formed on my face. The first step of the plan was already set.
CLICK!
I flicked open my revolver and with one swift motion, I reloaded my gun as I shouted.
"Cassius!"
"Yes!"
Cassius aimed his gun upward, shooting toward the last lackey hiding above the container. As Cassius was covering me, I charged in.
BANG!
THUD!
"Argh!"
"Ugh! Khghk!"
Groans of pain filled the area as I shot and kicked Keith's weakened lackeys. All of them were alphas, so when they smell the omega pheromone gas I released, their instinct would take over — disorientating them. Making killing them a lot easier.
The only one left standing was Keith himself.
His indifferent face was still the same as ever, which made me frown. No matter how great his control over his desire was, he's still a dominant alpha. There's no way he wasn't affected by the gas.
I refocused my gaze, aiming my gun at his heart. If I failed here, I wasn't the only one who would be in danger. Cassius would too.
"That's why you eliminate most of my omega and beta subordinates on the first day."
Keith's voice rang clear in my ear. With only one dash, he closed the distance between us.
"Too slow."
"Tsk!"
My shot missed its target. That created room for Keith to knock my gun up, delivering an upper cut to my chin. From my peripheral vision, I could see his feet flying in an arch.
I knew it. He was too fast for me to take on.
BAM!
The kick sent me flying toward the container, creating a huge crater on its surface.
"Cough! Cough!"
I gritted my teeth as blood started pooling inside my mouth. Even without a medical expert to tell me, I knew my ribs had cracked and punctured my organs. Breathing had become difficult as the only thing that came out of my nose and mouth was blood.
"If you had chosen to kill yourself, you could have died a painless death. You're still as naive as ever Yolan."
Keith's cold gaze landed on me. If I could laugh right now, I definitely would.
A sharp pain stung my heart. Being stared at with such disgust and contempt seemed to hurt me more than my wound.
'Guess all my effort all these years ended in vain.'
My effort to forget him, my effort to reach the end of War of Throne and reclaim my past... All of it was easily shut down by him.
But even at death's door, the smile on my mouth had never once faded. I raised my gaze to the horizon. Up on one of the buildings, a glint could be seen. That was my cue that plan B was ready.
Cassius had finished all of Keith's subordinates. Eliminating the king — as the last one standing — would be the last step for me to win this war.
With my last strength, I jumped up and grabbed Keith's collar.
"You-"
BANG!
A bullet pierced through Keith's chest, making him stare at me with wide eyes. That expression of his made my smile deepen.
I mouthed to him slowly.
[Checkmate.]
Anger flashed in his eyes before he collapsed into me — breathing his last.
Unable to withstand the weight, I fell on my back. With this, my faction had finally won.
My wish should be granted now.
Right?
But there's no hymn of heaven, nor were angels descending from the sky. My world turned pure black as I closed my eyes.