♠︎

HIS FRIENDS TOLD HIM not to, but Max was insistent. Earlier at lunch, Hedeon Stallion announced that Max should meet him at Saints Haven at exactly 6:00 PM. So when the Angelus began and as the prayer echoed throughout the campus, Max was already on his way to their meet-up as planned.

     "I can feel everyone staring at me," Max whispers under his breath, looking back to see a bunch of white uniforms peeking through their window, curious to see what might happen to him.

     Hedeon openly declared war on the five brotherhoods in this house. Then he practically told everyone that Max is his accomplice, which means he is now a potential target; something that Hedeon obviously wanted to happen.

     Max looked around cautiously, holding onto something in his pocket that Xander had given him before he left earlier. Max only had two outcomes in mind as he walked his way to the saint's dormitory. One was that he was going to be ambushed by angry brotherhoods, or two, he was going to be left alone since no one really cared about Hedeon's warning.

     Max was hoping for the second outcome, but of course that was instantly forgotten when an arrow came rushing towards him in full speed. Max didn't even notice it. He only realized what had happened when he turned around and saw the arrow stuck in a tree truck. If he moved just an inch to the left he would have been the one to be pierced.

     "Shit..."

     Before Max could even make a move, someone tackled him to the floor, his face on the gravel, knocking the air out of him for a quick second.

     "Looks like the king gave us a pretty good sacrifice," someone says, standing in between Max while someone ties his hands in his back.

     "L-Let me guess...Red Tigers?" Max asks as the unknown attacker tightens the rope on Max's arm. "You're really treating me like an animal, huh?" Max sarcastically asks as the attacker puts a sack on his head next, blocking his vision.

     "No hard feelings, Sinclaire."

     Max could see people's silhouettes through the sack as a bigger man grabbed him from the floor and carried him up like an actual sack of potatoes. He could tell that people were talking in a distance, but Max couldn't listen to them properly. It was all muffled. The only thing that Max heard was the words "waste of time" and "he's become boastful." Max wasn't sure if they were talking about him, or if they were talking about Hedeon.

     The man carrying Max was walking straight, but then they started descending. It took at least five more minutes for them to finally stop moving.

     The place they were in was pitch black, Max could at least tell that much, but when he was forced to take a seat, a soft light finally shone on top of him like a spotlight. Eventually, the sack over his head was removed, making Max squint his eyes. He couldn't scratch his eyes since his hands were still tied behind his back, but after a while, he finally adjusted to the light.

     Max was in a circular room with statues of who knows what. Max could feel the eeriness in the air, and the angel-looking stone figures weren't helping. But as Max was trying to remove the rope around his wrists, Max saw movement. After looking hard enough, he realized that five living figures were sitting in front of him. They were no longer statues like he first thought.

     "Good evening, Sinclaire," a voice says, and five more spotlights turn on, finally revealing the people who kidnapped the young heir.

     The leaders of the brotherhoods Checkmate, Scarlet Letter, Red Tigers, Archers, and even the Gallants were sitting on thrones that represented their title. There were also two empty seats with the words Gluttony and Lust engraved on them, and Max could only assume that these belonged to PHD and the Clan.

     "Welcome to the Ninth Circle," Uchdryd says. "Also known as the deepest area of Dante's Inferno, a place where the sinner is judged by all seven lords."

     "We don't usually use this because we rarely gather together but since things have become quite troublesome we had no choice," Ruby Rose then adds.

     "What do you want from me?" Max asks, and like they were waiting for him to ask that specific question, a black uniform arrives and drops something in front of him. Max looked down and realized that they were the burnt banners from the dining hall.

     "You're foolish if you think I had anything to do with all that," Max exclaims, which the others don't seem to be bothered by.

     "We know," the Gallants Chandler Heptinstall admits. "It's clear you had nothing to do with it, but it was also clear to us what Stallion was trying to say. I usually don't involve myself with these barbaric methods, but burning our banner is a big sign of disrespect. You should know that we don't take that lightly," Chandler explains next, and Max couldn't even say anything against it. When the banners in J.S High were vandalized, the brotherhoods were disheartened too. He knows what they feel.

     Their flags, banners, logos, and even brooches are a part of who they are. No one can simply burn it just because they want to.

     "I apologize. I don't know what the purpose was, but I'm sure the king only wanted to make a point."

     Ruby Rose was about to say something regarding Max's thoughts on the situation, but then Elijah Memphis of Red Tigers interrupted them. "Sorry, but I'm getting a little distracted by those brooches on your collar. You shouldn't be wearing that in this house, Sinclaire. It's like you're rubbing them in our faces."

     "Shall we remove it?" The Archers' leader, Yun Donghyun, then suggests.

     "Maybe we should," Elijah replied, and two black uniforms appeared and started approaching Max, reaching out to his collar so they could pull the brooches off him.

     "Don't you dare!" the young heir quickly shouted, instantly making the brotherhood members stop. "Lay a hand on my brooches and I will bite your fingers off. Don't even try me, black uniforms," Max seriously warns.

     The leaders were surprised at the reaction, stunned to hear the term "black uniform," being used as a form of insult. Thankfully Uchdryd gestured them to stop, so the other lords no longer insisted upon it.

     "Alright, let's relax for a little," Uchdryd says, looking back at the leaders before turning to Max again. "Look, Max, we only started experiencing power after all those years where we were considered a joke. Now your king is claiming that he'll take that from us if we don't find his third suspect. I know you won't believe us, but none of us assisted to PHD's demise."

     "Bullshit," Max quickly fired back, which was already a reaction everyone expected from him.

    "It's none of us," Ruby seconds to it. "You can flip this entire school upside-down and you won't find proof that we were involved in any way. We were all busy with our own issues here. We have no reason to defeat the royals by such means. And besides, if we were going to cheat, why do it in a way that would automatically pin the blame on us."

     "The bullet used was manufactured by my father's company. J.S High's final opponent during that game was us. It was clear that we'd be the suspect if shit went down. It's so obvious," Elijah Memphis then points out, and as much as he doesn't want to admit it, Max was somehow agreeing with them. With how the battle ended, these brotherhoods are the perfect suspects. Even the Saints' president, Justice, believes that it might be one of them since they'll benefit from it the most.

    But now that Max thinks about it, blaming them is the easiest escape route. It's too perfectly aligned.

     "We don't want to assume but we think Hedeon realized this too," Chandler points out. "The reason why Hedeon purposely mentioned you earlier is because he wanted us to come to you. He believes that you'll listen to us."

    Max stares at the leaders for a while, and then a question that was once asked to him suddenly repeated in his head.

     "What kind of justice are you seeking here?"

     Are the brotherhoods telling the truth? Is the real suspect only using them as a scapegoat? Should Max trust their words?

     "Before I answer, what can you say about this, Yun Donghyun, right?" Max asks as he turns to the Lord of Sloth. "You've been awfully quiet. Out of everyone here, Archers have the worst relationship with PHD. Seeing him fail will benefit you the most so it's not unlikely that you're the real traitor."

    "You may be right," Donghyun agrees with no fear or panic in his eyes. "But you have forgotten one thing, Max Sinclaire. That bullet was supposed to be for the king. Kim Hee-Joon only lost because he took the bullet on his behalf. If I'm the person you think I am, then why would I want to target Viktor?" he answers a matter-of-factly.

     "Well, maybe you knew Joon would take the bullet for him."

     "Now you're stretching it."

     "We have to think of every possibility now, right?"

     "Oh, so you're going there? Okay. Why aren't you suspecting your own brotherhoods then?" Elijah asks all of a sudden, catching Max off guard. "You're suspecting us but how about the brotherhoods in J.S High? Is it because their crown brooches are pinned on your collar, it automatically makes them innocent?"

    "And if I recall, the lower brotherhoods in your house have a bad relationship with Busters, so with your logic, the possibility that they planned to dethrone the kings is higher," Chandler then joins in.

     "And isn't the new Siren once acquainted with the old one?" Ruby Rose says this time. "What makes you think that the new Siren is completely innocent? Are you sure she's not playing you? Are you certain she and the previous Siren never agreed on something? No, right? Like what you said, we have to think of every possibility," she asks with a chilling grin like she was certain she cornered Max in his own game.

     Max stared at the lords, almost with an impressed look on his face as he realized why these were the lords of the second strongest house. They've been dormant since the rule of the Ministry, but now they've shown their real colors. Max shouldn't underestimate them. They're ranked 7 to 13 for a reason.

     "You got me there," Max says in defeat. "But you're right, there's no point pointing fingers when there's no solid proof. I get what you're saying so don't make me start doubting my own protectors."

     "Then you agree to help prove our innocence?" Uchdryd then asks.

     "Innocent until proven guilty, right?" Max asks back. "But then again, why should I? My only purpose is to find the suspect and bring PHD back. You should prove your innocence yourselves."

     "Your protectors aren't here, Max. You'll need our information, our strength, and our influence. Hedeon won't be enough, and you only have a couple of days left. I know you think we're fucking with you, but why not gamble it now. If in the end we're proven to be guilty, the five of us have agreed..." Uchdryd paused and looked at the other leaders before saying, "We will revoke the Brotherhood Protection Code."

     Max's eyes widened in shock as soon as he heard what the Lord of Pride had to say, but after a while, he started laughing. These guys mean business. Looks like they got bothered by Hedeon's threat after all.

    "Don't betray me now, my lords," Max says, finally pulling his hands away from the ropes that he was able to break free from. As soon as he got up from the chair, a bunch of guns started caulking and reloading. Max turned around and found all the members of each brotherhood standing behind him, most of them now pointing their guns at the heir's direction like he was the most dangerous criminal in the room.

    Max grinned, and then he pulled something from his pocket that almost made the black uniforms shoot. But when they realized that it wasn't a weapon, they finally put their guns down.

    "You guys aren't the only ones who can pull such dangerous stunts. I guess I really am a student of J.S High," Max says, confusing everyone. He then turned back around to look at the leaders while waving the pen-like item in his hand. They didn't exactly know what it was, but then their bodies froze when they realized that the item Max was holding was actually a microphone that Xander had specifically given him for this very moment.

     "You can't back out now. Especially when the entire student body heard of your brave promise," Max says, finally turning the microphone off and hiding it back inside his pocket.

     "You cunning fucker," Uchdryd says with a grin.

     "Sorry, my dear friend. I'm tired of hiding and being secretive. I'm not from here, so it's a bit dangerous to make deals with you all like this. But as promised, I'll find who the real suspect is. Don't you worry about it," Max confidently says.

     "Now, if you excuse me, I still have a meeting with a terrifying king. I'm already late so I hope you stop wasting my time now..."

...

Max took a deep breath as soon as he got to the exit of Dante's Inferno, also known as the brotherhood's dormitory. He was acting all tough back there, but he was still a little tense, especially when he heard the guns. It seems like Max developed some sort of trauma after what happened to Klyde.

     "Maximillian," a voice called out as soon as Max opened the door. He lifted his head and saw three members of the Clan waiting for him.

     "You gonna put a sack on my head too?" Max sarcastically asks, but instead of answering him, the three start walking their way to Saints' Haven where Max is supposed to meet Hedeon Stallion.

     Myro, the Clans' leader, gestured at the entrance as soon as they arrived. Max was confused as to why they were even escorting him when everyone already knew that he was meeting Hedeon, but when Max got inside, he finally realized why.

     "Kim Hee-joon," Max says, his eyes wide as he stares at PHD's leader standing right in front of him, looking at him with an almost empty expression. Max was about to bow to him, but he stopped when he remembered that he was no longer the prince. "My apologies. Force of habit."

    "It was quite interesting to...listen...to your private meeting with the leaders," Joon says instead as he walks up to the heir.

     "I didn't want the others to think they had favorites," Max then replies as Joon gets closer to him. "But it's good to see you again, Kim Hee-joon. The last time we talked was during the Lemieux anniversary party. That felt like a long time ago."

     When the ex-prince finally stops in front of Max, he stares into his eyes and tells him, "I did what you asked, Sinclaire. I sent an order and declared the full implementation of the brotherhood customs. I brought chaos to this house as you desired, but it seems like you have not returned the favor yet."

     "As you can see, I'm working on it."

     "You only have a couple of days though."

     "I am aware."

     "The brotherhoods here are now desperate. They want to assist you to save their asses but it's obvious that they will only slow you down. Do you think you'll be able to accomplish this in four days?" Joon continues to ask.

     Max stares down at Joon, unable to answer him. But after a while, Joon finally shows a smirk that makes the hair on Max's skin stand. "Hedeon wanted your opinion, which is why he did that stunt at the dining hall," Joon then reveals, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.

     "What are you talking about?"

     "You've faced the brotherhood leaders and heard their plea. Maximillian Sinclaire, based on your judgment in that short timeframe, who do you think is the suspect?" the leader then asks, leaving Max speechless. He wasn't expecting him to ask such a thing at all.

     "Who? You expect me to—"

     "A president should have a keen observation of people, just like Grey and Ian. One look and you should know that something is off. If you don't have that kind of ability, you'll be stabbed in the back by the people who you think are closest to you. You'll be dead before you can lead anyone," Joon points out, and Max instantly tried to remember everyone's gestures and faces when he was in the ninth circle.

     Uchdryd was confident as usual, and he led the lords with ease. Ruby Rose was reserved but was also straightforward, the same as Chandler Heptinstall. Elijah was the most aggressive, but Max didn't feel anything wrong about that. And then Yun Donghyun, the leader who might actually have a motive to defeat Joon...

     Max felt nothing when he spoke to him. He didn't sense any lie or hesitation. He was sure of what to say, and that's not because he was trying his best to not sound guilty.

     All five leaders had the same look in their eyes. The same desperation to prove their innocence. And Max believes that if the leaders have nothing to do with it, their members wouldn't work on their own either.

     Now he's certain...

     "It's not any of them," Max finally admits. "The leaders, they had nothing to do with that bullet or Payton Wolfe. At some point, I agreed that they might be, but I think this is the right answer. Of course, I may be wrong, and I may get stabbed in the back like you said, but for now, with everything I've seen and experienced, the brotherhoods in this house are innocent. It's not them at all."

    Joon becomes quiet as soon as he hears Max's answer. Max was afraid that Joon would laugh at him and tell him that he was a fool, but instead, the leader nodded his head and finally turned away from the young heir.

     "Then it's settled," Joon says.

     "What is?"

     "In the remaining days you have left as an exchange student, there's no need for you to investigate," Joon revealed, catching Max off guard.

     "Wait, what are you talking about?"

     "Let's stop wasting our time and resources here," Joon seriously states. "Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire, with or without me, return to J.S High once the Exchange Program has been concluded. Your purpose in this school is over. You've discovered enough of its secrets, and now you have to let it go. Remember, there is a house that will need you more. Do this, and consider our previous deals paid in full." 

- END -