Yvon exhaled, leaning back in his seat. A smug expression plastered on his face, his eyes sharp and amused.

  “We’ve laid it all down,” He said as he tapped his fingers on the desk and extended a hand towards Eugen, “The next move is yours.”

  Eugen swallowed hard, his hands clenched into fists. He felt panicky, his breathing unsteady. His whole world just fell apart in a matter of minutes.

  “My entire life, I’ve been guided by one thing—truth. I relied on it. I lived by it. But now? I’m not even sure what’s real anymore,” Eugen said, his voice filled with raw emotion. “You woke me up from my world surrounded by fabrications and lies. Now I have nothing solid to stand on. You didn’t just show me cracks, you busted down the wall of everything I thought I knew, and now… all that’s left is a void. And that’s dangerous. If anything, I’m in a more dangerous position than ever.

  His throat was dry but he forced himself to continue.

  “I was loyal to her—completely, blindly! My entire career, my connections, and even my reputation, all of it is tied to her! I’m realizing this now as I’m talking that she’s made me completely dependent on her, she made it that way didn’t she? She intended for me to never be out of her grasp…”

  He exhaled sharply, sounding moments away from breaking down, “Even if I wanted to, I can’t just walk back into my old life as though nothing had changed. The things I know now will affect how I interact with her, with them! The moment she finds out that I know about her and even considered defecting or getting away from her, what do you think is going to happen to me?! Based on that report, she doesn’t take betrayal lightly!

  “If my mistake was trusting her without question, how do I know I won’t make the same mistake again if I take your hand? You two, are very different from what I have known you to be and since all I know about you came from Yvonne, I’m almost certain those are just another set of lies. So tell me, how can I work for you and your twin when I don’t even know who you are?”

  Then, Yvon smirked, rubbing his nose.

  “Fair enough,” he murmured. “You’re right about that.”

  There was no indignation, no offense taken. That made Eugen unsure of how to react.

  Yvon thought for a moment, then took the folder Yvette was handing him. When he did, Eugen caught a glimpse of something—the infamous scar.

  It ran jaggedly from his left wrist to his forearm. An injury he got as a child during an event hosted by the imperial family.

  “So,” he said, flipping the folder open“What do you want to know?”

  Eugen replies, his eyes lingering on the scar before shifting to Yvon’s face.

  “Like I said, I want to know who you are, and why did you—a young nobleman whose career would’ve been smooth sailing had you taken the easy path set in front of you. You could've worked under your brother, Yves, in the Imperial Valorian Army and you’re set to inherit your family’s restaurant in a year. So why build this guild? Why risk it on a business—an industry—so dangerous?

  Yvon chuckled, tossing the folder onto the desk.

  “Okay then. Get comfortable, Doc. Because I’m about to tell you a story.”

  “Yvie and I were born into the prestigious House of Oryx, a family many looked up to and aspired to be. And let me tell you, if I could tell those people this life isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be I doubt they’d listen.”

  Yvon continued, his voice was even but Eugen could sense the weight behind his words. “We felt more like respected guests rather than family. Respected, yes. Loved? Maybe. Our parents—whether they meant to or not—were always focused on Yves and Yvonne. The prodigies, the perfect kids. No matter what we did, no matter how much we tried, we couldn’t measure up. And how much we tried.”

  Yvette let out a soft chuckle. “We begged for attention, even just for scraps of it. We did everything we could just to please them. But even scraps were scarce.”

  “Then, we turned twelve,” Yvon cut in, “And we realized the truth—nothing we did would ever be enough. No academic achievement, no act of kindness, nothing we ever and will ever do can measure up or come close to the military genius of Yves or the sheer brilliance of Yvonne. So we just stopped trying.

  A bitter smile played on Yvon’s lips.

  “You’ve been staring at my scar,” He titled his head, “Curious about it?”

  Eugen hesitated, then nodded.

  “I think it was 2491. Yvie and I were eight and the entire family was up in the north for the annual ‘Capture the Flag’ hosted by the imperial family,” Yvon chuckled darkly. “It was… memorable. But not because of the games. It wasn’t the food. I wasn’t even the competition itself. It was memorable for me because… it was the first time I realized Yvonne could kill me if I went against her wishes.”

  “W-What?” Eugen stuttered.

  Yvon, chuckled darkly then continued, eerily calm.

  “She pulled me aside and told me to pick on the son of a countryside baron. Said I needed to assert dominance. But she didn’t know that I had already befriended the guy and I liked him a lot, he was cool. So, I refused to do it”

  He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp.

  “She smiled at me. Sweetly. I think you’re familiar with that smile of hers, the one that makes her look like she can’t even hurt a fly.”

  He knew what Yvon was talking about. He’s seen it a thousand times.

  “Then, when no one was looking, she led me far away. To a cliffside.”

  Yvon still had a playful expression on his face but in the academy, Eugen was taught to spot small details so he noticed that Yvon was scratching his index finger with his thumb so bad that it started bleeding. It must’ve hurt but it didn’t look like Yvon minded the pain, but it was clear that the story he was telling was hard for him to recall.

  “There, she told me I was being rebellious. That I was making things difficult for her. She said every good story needs minor villains and that I should stick to my role.”

  “That was the first time I raised my voice at her,” Yvon said, smiling emptily, “Told her I wasn’t some character in a play and that she didn’t get to decide how my life goes. That she can’t make me live my life based on the narrative she wants.”

  “Then her expression changed.” Yvon’s voice dropped. “The sweet, image was gone, and in its place was something… twisted. Furious. She was walking up to me but I stood my ground, happy that I finally retaliated and didn’t whimper.”

  “And then she pushed me.”

  Silence.

  After Yvon said that, Eugen’s breath caught in his throat.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Said Eugen. “She pushed an 8-year-old off a cliff?! You were a child! And- so was she… a 12-year-old…”

  “Oh yes, a fun memory that one. And before you rationalize it or chalk it up as an accident, it wasn’t. The look on her face made that clear,” Said Yvon. “She smiled at me and waved goodbye as I fell.”

  Eugen gripped the edge of the table.

  “When I woke up, I was in the river below. Hald-drowned and nearly out of breath. Dad was the one who found me and I tried to tell them what happened,” Yvon scoffed. “But then I saw her. Standing behind Yvette. Smiling. And then she mounted a single threat: If you tell, Yvette’s next.”

  “So, I lied and told them it was an accident, that I was just playing around. I did what she wanted and picked on the kid, I was the arrogant, mischievous brat after all. Yvette had her role too, the jealous, attention-seeking little sister who is prone to tantrums at social events. We had to stick to these roles because in a way… they were our lifeline. It wasn’t who we were but we wanted to survive. To protect each other, we had to portray these roles flawlessly, naturally so that we wouldn’t draw suspicion. And if we failed to do so or someone pointed out something off about us. We paid for it in blood Yvon explained.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  His expression darkened, “When I said I couldn’t blame Toini for how she reacted I meant it. Because it’s absurd just how much love that monster gets.”

  “When I asked myself this over and over again, why don’t I fight back? Why don’t I do something about this? I’ve grown stronger, I can protect Yvette, I have the ability to do that now, but why is it that I can’t? Why do I still tremble in front of her despite towering over her? I wanted answers because for me I couldn’t understand ”

  “When I was 15, I kept on asking myself these questions repeatedly. Desperately coming up with an answer. Why don’t I fight back? I’ve gotten stronger, enough to protect Yvette, I gained the ability to do so years prior but I couldn’t. I hated the fact I still trembled in front of her.” Yvon sighed, “And eventually I realized that I already knew the answer, I just didn’t want to admit to myself that Yvonne had broken me this much.”

  Yvon’s words made Eugen’s stomach churn.

  “You realized that you were traumatized,” Euegn said. “Trauma doesn’t fade just because you have grown stronger. In front of her, you’re still the same helpless children, waiting for the next blow…”

  “Exactly,” Yvon replied.

  Eugen felt sick. His stomach twisted violently, his hands clammy. He spent the last five years attending to Yvonne and never questioned anything. And this… was who she truly was.

  Yvon’s voice broke through his hazy thoughts.

  “Years have already passed. I’ve built quite a reputation for myself, Yvette too. But in the end, we’re still her puppets, moving how she wants us to.

  He leaned back and continued, “You asked me why I built Yugen? That mystery is easy to solve. It’s what any scared child wants—a haven.”

  “I once dreamed of running away, of finding a place beyond Yvonne’s reach. That dream was shattered when I was eleven, she found my escape plans under my bed. But I never gave up on it,” Yvon exhaled.

  “And that is where Yugen comes in.”

  The door opened, and Toini strolled back in. “What did I miss?”

  Nacht, still busy with his files and folders, replied. “Oh you know, just the chief casually telling an outsider about our plan.”

  Toini nearly dropped the tray. She turned to Yvon and asked, “Are you insane?”

  “Definitely,” Yvette chimed in.

  Toini wanted to protest, but one look at Yvette shut her up. If Yvette had no issue with it, that meant that Eugen was as good as theirs.

  Yvon ignored the remarks about him and focused on his conversation with Eugen.

  “Yugen is just the beginning,” He said. “Tell me, Eugen—where would Yvette and I be safe once Yvonne becomes empress of the most powerful empire in the continent?”

  Eugen was at a loss.

  “The moment she gets crowned the two of us can kiss the dream of a normal life goodbye because she’d be even more powerful now. If most—if not all—the nations of this continent cower before Vreqiseon, where would we go? And that’s when it hit me.”

  Yvon smiled. “If we can’t find a haven, we’ll just create one!”

  Eugen blinked. The drastic change from depressed to energetic took him off guard.

  “I’m sorry… What?”

  “A new empire!” Yvon said excitedly. “One that can stand against Vreqiseon!”

  Eugen turned to Nacht and Toini.

  “Is he for real?”

  “Unfortunately…” Said Toini.

  “People call the leaders of Yugen fearless, but they’re wrong. For a long time, fear was the only thing we felt,” Yvon let out a short humorless laugh. “Yvette and I built Yugen because we’re cowards. We’re deathly afraid of Yvonne and the things she is capable of. All we’re doing is making an elaborate running away plan, but I could care less about what that says about me. If I can live out the rest of my days without being afraid that I—or anyone I love and care about—could die at the hands of my older sister then I’ll let anyone call me a coward. The biggest coward!”

  Yvon smirked, “Look, regarding our job offer, you don’t need to decide right this minute. You can take a week—”

  “I gladly accept your job offer.”

  Yvon blinked. Then, slowly, he clapped.

  Toini stared, “I’m sorry what?”

  “And… another fish was caught…” Nacht mumbled.

  Eugen met Yvon’s gaze.

  “I’ll become Yugen’s resident doctor,” his expression hardened. “But, I want something in return. If I’m going to gamble my life on this, might as well go all in.”

  Yvon replied, amused by the situation.

  “Name it and I’ll see what we can do.”

  “When your empire is built… I want to be the first imperial doctor.”

  Nacht whistled, “Rookie’s bold”

  Yvette smirked and approached him.

  “Well, it looks like we’ve got another ambitious one. But to be honest, even if you didn’t negotiate that, the position of first imperial doctor would be given to you regardless,” She said then handed him a cup of hot chocolate. “Welcome to Yugen.”

  ?

  After the tense discussion, things moved surprisingly fast.

  Nacht immediately handed Eugen a stack of paperwork—his official recruitment documents, confidentiality agreements, as well as other tedious forms.

  “I didn’t expect this to be a legal business,” Eugen muttered as he passed the papers he filled back to Nacht.

  Toini raised an eyebrow at his words, “And not knowing this you agreed to be employed by us regardless?”

  Seeing the map laid out on the table in the room they were now in Eugen felt things got a lot more real.

  “You’re really serious about this.”

  “Of course we are,” said Toini. “It’s not an impossible dream after all.”

  Once the paperwork had been sorted, the four of them led Eugen to the guild’s lounge and officially introduced him to those who were in the headquarters—Zarina, Vandilo, and Haetsal.

  Zarina, a quiet but perceptive woman, studied Eugen for a long moment before nodding in approval.

  “Good. We needed a medic.”

  Vandilo grinned. “Welcome aboard. Hope you don’t mind patching up idiots cause you’re gonna be doing that, like A LOT. I mean it, seriously! We get injured all the time that the chiefs doubled medical supplies—”

  “He gets it,” Zarina said, dragging him back.

  Haetsal, the youngest and the most easygoing of the bunch, energetically made a suggestion.

  “Since we now have a doctor, shouldn’t we celebrate?”

  Before anyone could answer, Yvon clapped his hands together.

  “Excellent idea! Why not? I’ll cook. I’ll whip up something special using what we have in the *frostvault.”

  Eugen blinked.

  “You’re cooking?”

  Yvon then teased, “Why, still think I’m going to poison you?”

  Eugen laughed and shook his head, “If so, I’ll complain to my boss.”

  “I am your boss,” Yvon answered.

  “Not my only one though,” Eugen replied looking over at Yvette.

  “Wow look at that,” said Yvette, “It hasn’t even been an hour since he joined us and I’m already his favorite.”

  “Eugen, blink twice if you’re being coerced into this farce,” Said Yvon causing Yvette to walk him on the head.

  “Just cook already,” She said before flipping her hair back and walking away.

  Eugen couldn’t help but laugh. A few hours ago he hated being Yvette’s attendant and couldn’t stand the twins. Now he was helping Yvette set the table for his impromptu welcoming party at the headquarters of their guild.

  He was obviously still awkward about things but something about all this seemed to make him feel like it was okay to take his time. Maybe it was the happy-go-lucky attitude of Haetsal, maybe it was the friendliness and oversharing of Vandilo, or maybe it was Zarina’s constant checking to make sure he was alright.

  For the first time in a long time, Eugen thought that he could enjoy lunch. He didn’t even expect that he would be at ease here because he always found it uncomfortable to be around strangers but he was. The air around him was welcoming and light.

  Yvon took a peek inside the dining hall and saw them all chatting amongst themselves. He locked eyes with Yvette who winked at him then proceeded to continue helping Toini.

  Seeing them all happy, he disappeared back into the kitchen to prepare a scrumptious meal.

  The appetizing aromas filled the base and made everyone’s stomach rumble with anticipation so when the meal finally came they all dug in and left no crumbs. It warmed Yvon’s heart to see the food he prepared to be enjoyed thoroughly.

  “To Eugen, our newest member and resident doctor!” Yvon cheered, “We welcome you once more to the shadows!”

  Everyone cheered on and got to chatting with Eugen. Haetsal—who had just finished a conversation with him—sat down and patted his stomach, full from the delicious lunch they ate.

  “So Chief Nagisa, what brings you here today? Usually, you let Nacht handle recruitment. Well, that and negotiations as well as smacking Zara here back to reality when she gets in over her head—straight up delusional—on stage actors—”

  “One more word and you’re sleeping in the tree tonight,” Zarina said cutting him off.

  “—since all that is part of the Secretariat Division,” Haetsal continued ignoring her.

  Zara complained, “How is smacking me part of the SD?”

  “So why the surprise visit Chief?” Asked Haetsal

  Eugen was curious about why Haetsal called Yvon ‘Chief Nagisa’ but it didn’t seem like the time to ask.

  “Well this recruitment is a special one,” answered Yvon. “Also we have an important announcement for all of you.”

  There was a pause. Then, with a smile far too relaxed for what he was about to say he continued, “Things are about to get crazy. There will be changes to the plan, one that will speed up the process of creating our haven, and the catalyst for this change is… well… shocking to say the least.”

  “See your other chief over there?” Asked Yvon, pointing to Yvette who was still eating. “Yeah, she’s getting married.”

  ACE IN THE HOLE GLOSSARY

  Miscellaneous

  Frostvault - a cutting-edge solar-powered kitchen appliance that uses advanced cooling and atmosphere control technologies to maintain optimal storage conditions for perishables.