Chapter 47: The Chessboard of Fate: Checkmate - II

Kai's gaze swept over the two girls, then around the room. "An underground chamber, it seems," he thought to himself, his eyes taking in every corner. His attention shifted to his own body when he felt the cold metal of the wrist cuffs. "A tool to suppress magic, I presume." He noticed his wig discarded on the ground and picked it up, dusting it off. "They didn't even bother to restrain me properly."

As he tended to his wig, he felt the girls' eyes on him. He turned to them, offering a warm smile. The older girl met his gaze unflinchingly, while the younger one peeked at him from behind her sister. When Kai's gaze fell on her, she quickly hid again.

Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook. He swiftly wrote a message and showed it to the girls. "Don't worry. I won't bite," it read.

The younger girl looked puzzled, but the older one seemed to understand. "…You can't talk?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Kai responded with a nod, then wrote another message, "Also, can't walk." He looked up to see her reading it, then offered her a reassuring smile. The younger one tugged at her sister's sleeve, "What is going on, sister?" she asked. The older girl was about to reply when the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the room.

Sensing the urgency, Kai quickly put on his wig. He wrote a new note, "Act as if nothing happened," and showed it to the girls. He swiftly resumed his previous position, while the older girl guided her younger sister to a hiding spot.

The room fell silent as the door creaked open. A man, one of the kidnappers, sauntered in. His eyes, cold and devoid of empathy, scanned the room before finally resting on the older girl. A predatory grin spread across his face as he began to close the distance between them.

The older girl took a step back, her voice barely audible, "Stay back." The man paused, his grin widening at her defiance. "D-don't come n-near… me…," her voice breaking, as she retreated further.

The man, seemingly amused by her fear, shrugged nonchalantly and exited the room, leaving behind a chilling silence. She let out a sigh of relief, her body relaxing slightly.

As soon as the door closed, the older girl returned to her previous spot. The younger girl, hiding behind, peeked out, her voice trembling, "Sis…is he gone?" The older girl, her body shaking, nodded, "Yes, he's gone. We're safe…for now."

The younger girl rushed to her, throwing her arms around her sister. They held each other tightly, their bodies shaking from the residual fear.

On the other side of the room, Kai watched the scene unfold. His hand clenched into a tight fist, knuckles turning white. He could feel a surge of anger bubbling within him, but he forced it down, knowing he needed to stay calm.

The room was filled with an uneasy silence. The girls, still huddled together, watched Kai with wide, fearful eyes. Kai, despite his predicament, managed to maintain a calm demeanor. He looked at the girls, his gaze softening.

"Are you two alright?" he asked, showing his note. The girls nodded, their eyes never leaving Kai. "Good," a small smile playing on his lips. Just then, he got a signal from Eva.

"Sir, everything is ready. The action shall be taken on your order."

Hearing the details, Kai smirked. "Good, start the plan."

"Right away, sir."

Kai smiled to himself, as he looked towards the girls and scribbled in his note. "Let me introduce myself," he wrote. "I am Kai." As the older girl read it, she told the younger one about the introduction. "My name is Lala," the older girl spoke up, moving her right arm towards her sister. "And, this is my little sister, Ana."

Ana from behind looked at Kai, as he slowly smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you two, Lala, Ana." He showed his note, as a small smile formed in Ana's face. Kai scribbled again, "What are you two doing here?" His eyes softened as he saw their expressions darken. He was quick to understand the situation and was about to scribble on his note when Lala spoke up.

"They…they brought us here by force," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. Kai paused, his gaze fixed on her, absorbing every word. "We had a happy life once, with our mother and father. We weren't rich, but we were content." As she continued, her eyes welled up with tears. "But then…everything changed."

A painful memory, etched deep into Lala's mind, began to play. It was an ordinary day that had turned into a nightmare, a nightmare that would haunt them forever.

A group of kidnappers had forced their way into their home, their goal to rob them of anything valuable. Their father, a man of honor and courage, had stood up against the gang, trying to protect his family. But he was outnumbered and outmatched. The leader, a cruel man with a heart as cold as ice, murdered him in cold blood, right in front of Lala and Ana.

Their mother, a woman of unparalleled kindness and love, was next. The leader did unspeakable things to her, his cruel laughter echoing in their ears. And then, just as mercilessly as he had killed their father, he took their mother's life too.

With their parents gone, Lala and Ana were left at the mercy of the gang. The leader took them with him, his sinister plan clear - to sell them off as slaves when they were older.

The memory ended there, but the pain and fear it invoked were as real as ever.

Lala started to cry, as she clung tightly to Ana. Kai, despite the turmoil within him, remained outwardly calm. His face was unreadable, but a dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.

Suddenly, the door to the room was flung open, and the leader of the group sauntered in. "Did you enjoy the story?" he taunted, a cruel smile twisting his features.

Lala instinctively shielded Ana with her body as the man strode past them, heading straight for Kai. He roughly grabbed Kai's chin, forcing him to look up. A malicious laugh echoed around the room.

Kai met the leader's gaze, his eyes burning with a silent fury. The room was filled with a tense silence, the only sound being the leader's mocking laughter. His laughter echoed in the room, a chilling reminder of the danger they were in. But Kai, despite the situation, remained unflinching. His gaze never wavered from the leader's, a silent challenge in his eyes.

The leader, taken aback by Kai's defiance, released his grip. He stepped back, his cruel smile replaced by a scowl. "You're a brave one, aren't you?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Huh, but you are trapped. No one can save you from here!" he declared, as he exited the room.

Meanwhile, Lala and Ana watched the exchange, their hearts pounding in their chests. Outside the room, the kidnappers were busy discussing their next move. "Are you not done yet!?" the leader asked, as he came to them. To his arrival, the rest started to explain the planning details to him. Just then, they heard a knock on their door, as everyone in the room looked towards it.

While inside the room, the girls came to Kai. "Are you alright?" Lala asked, to which Kai smiled at her. He wrote in his note that he's fine. Unbeknownst to them, Kai had been formulating a plan of his own, which already took action. He knew he had to get out of there, not just for his sake, but for the girls as well.

He looked at the girls, determination burning in his eyes. "We're getting out of here," he scribbled a note to them. As they read it, the girls heard loud noises coming from the other side, as if a fight had been started.