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Mon 17th Mar 2025 01:49

The Red Room (S2E17)

by Yifeng

I've only really heard of the name "Saib" in passing. Previously as "Syrus's accomplice," but more recently, as "the one who orchestrated Arthom's assassination attempt." Any encounter with him would surely not bode well... And well, this time was no exception.
 
Within the haze of a Zynii hookah bar, thick with scented smoke and aromatic spices, I finally met the elusive Solen. The other Misfits were ready to confront him - none more so than Syrus who stared daggers from his golden eyes, as if burning with quiet fury. Yet Saib’s confidence did not waver. If anything, the twinkle in his beady eyes and the smirk curling on his beak only grew bolder, more pronounced.
 
“Now, now, I know you all must be upset about what happened to Arthom,” he droned, waving his wing flippantly into the air. “But why don’t we let bygones be bygones? I come bearing gifts!”
 
Lounging like a king atop a throne of lush, velvet cushions, Saib presented us with his so-called peace offering - a collection of maps, patrol schedules and other documents detailing the inner workings of a Triad hideout.
 
The... Triad...
 
I've spent years following Foo's teachings - practising inner peace, learning to channel my restless energy and anxieties into Chi. And yet, those mere 5 letters still set me off balance, sending shivers down my body.
 
"There's been whisperings within the Moonlight District that a VIP clan member will be making a visit to this stronghold... Rumours also speak of a "Red Room," a hidden underground chamber that much of the revenue for the Triad’s operations is funnelled from... Nobody knows what's lurking in the Red Room, but if we could weaken them there, we’d deal a serious blow. I know you all are stupidly impulsive so let me be clear, I am not saying you should ambush the Triad - you will lose miserably..."
 
"Then perhaps a Recon mission." Syrus interrupts. "We infiltrate, gather information and leave as soon as we have what we need. This could be the perfect opportunity to find out what the Triad has been planning..."
 
The Misfits nod in agreement and begin discussing tactics immediately. At some point, four more Solen filed into the private room: Bravu, a green-feathered Solen who bore a very uncanny resemblance to Syrus; Shalza, a mesmerising female Solen with an ebony black coat and sleek features; Ahmed, a hulking red-plumed Solen with fists the size of my head; and Torrek, an arsonist and demolitions expert, his fiery orange feathers a perfect match for the explosives he wields. Together, with Saib as their leader, they call themselves the Ghost of Zynii. A scuffle between Ahmed, Ko and Talu occured at some point too (typical Misfits, getting into fights with strangers we've barely even met), but I barely registered the chaos. My mind was elsewhere, my ears ringing with the thundering of my heart.
 
The family I've left behind... The past I thought I could outrun...
 
"I'll need to disguise myself," I said finally, cutting through the noise. I turned to Zyanya, hoping she could work her magic. "The higher-ups visit the main strongholds. Whether they're family, second-in-commands or even the attendants who serve them... They will recognise me."
 
No one argued. And so the plan was set. Zyanya and I would enter disguised as Mokuna guards. Ko and Syrus would take the skylight. Talu and Lucid, the sewage tunnels. We wished each other luck and set off in our separate paths,
 
Zyanya and I, with Zino in tow, approached the entrance. muscle memory within me commanded me to bow. The other two followed suit, though the guards were still not convinced as they eyed us warily, tighening their grip on their staffs.
 
Before I could even think, Zino stepped forward and, with perfect conviction, said, "Hello, my fellow Triad members. We are here to pay our respects to the golden duo and their divine intentions. Praise."
 
I did my best to suppress my utter bewilderment (when the hell could he speak fluent Chinese???) but miraculously it worked - praise Foo! The guards exchanged glances before stepping aside to let us pass through the gilded doors.
 
Familiar stone hallways stretched before me, illuminated by golden lanterns that flickered against the gilded walls. My nose was seized by the familiar scent of incense and candle wax, infused with the metallic tinge of freshly sharpened blades. And suddenly I was a child again, darting through the labiryth of corridors I knew like the back of my hand. I played endless games of hide-and-seek with the attendants, shared meals with other Mokuna trainees just like me, tested my skills in sparring matches that left my arms bruised but my heart full. And all my life, I trained and trained and trained in this place of childhood warmth, as under the watchful eyes of my family I did it with no complaints. It made me happy. It made be worthy - a worthy progeny, a worthy Triad successor, a worthy daughter.
 
A daughter deserving of love.
 
Now, it felt as cold as the stone beneath my feet.
 
I kept my gait controlled, every step deliberate. Each time we passed a guard, I nodded, bowed slightly, the Mokuna customs still embedded within my DNA. Yet, no matter how much I steeled myself, I couldn’t ignore the heavy drum of my heart, each beat growing louder as we neared the conference room.
 
And finally, there he was... the VIP.
 
At the head of the table, cast under the shadow of a flickering lantern, sat... My uncle.
 
It had been years since I’d last seen him, but time had done little to dull his presence. His skin glowed, smooth-white like Chinese porcelain. And for a moment, I was a child again, sitting at his side during clan meetings, swinging my legs impatiently on seats that were taller than me. He had always been the strategist, the one who saw ten moves ahead of everyone else. And despite his youthful complexion, his domineering authority rivalled no one else... Well besides my mother. But that is beside the point.
 
Despite not knowing the plans he discussed, the operations he lead, I had admired him. Even then, I had wanted - desperately - to make him proud.
 
And now, here he was. And here I was.
 
An intruder in the very home I once called my own.
 
His voice boomed throughout the chamber. "There will be no clans, no wars - the Triad will rule all of Zynii with an iron fist that the Dragons have always intended..."
 
Panic surged through me, my vision narrowing. Zyanya's hands find my shivering body. "Breathe," she whispered, her voice smooth and sweet like honey. She then placed my hand on her... breast(?!!!!), her slender fingers instructing me to squeeze - gently but firmly. I focused on the warmth, the softness of her bosom, letting it anchor me...
 
Absurd as it was, her boobie stressballs were WORKING and were exactly what I needed. I felt my body relax under her touch, my breath slowing into a calm steady rhythm.
 
But such peace was shortlived (as it alway is) when chaos erupted in the opposite side of the conference room. Syrus and Ko (in unfortunately, her Yakuza uniform) had been spotted! My uncle stood from his seat, about to command orders before a WAVE OF SHIT crashed through the wall - you CANNOT make this shit up! Instinctually, I summoned a chi cloud to escape the torrential filth just as Talu and Lucid tumbled in, drenched in sewage, gagging and gasping. A massive frog followed, his belly jiggling as it tapped itself contentedly.
 
"The Alpha provides." He croaked contently, before placing the now-drenched Ko on his stomach.
 
The Misfits and I locked eyes, nodding in agreement. As the Triad members were occupied, flailing in shit water, we seized the opportunity and advanced to the Red Room, descending the spiralling stairs lined with red crystals. The air grew heavy, thick with incense and something else... intoxicating.
 
The crystals were hallucinogenic.
 
"Smash them," Syrus ordered.
 
We each used our own special abilities to destroy the crystals. Summoning my Chi, I generated a storm sphere, a hurricane of energy that shattered them, the fragments like drops of blood littered on the floor. Eventually, our efforts came to fruition as the haze cleared, revealing... Rusted cages lining the wall...
 
Filled with starved prisoners.
 
My heart sunk to the pits of my chest.
 
Gaunt figures, barely clinging to life, stared at us with hollow eyes, rattiling their chains weakly. They were of a variety of eclectic and exotic races: Lupo, Makikuna, Nusaru, to name just a few.
 
Particularly, we noticed a purple Rojikan girl, curled in a cage barely big enough for a dog. Syrus knelt before her, his hands glowing with the light of Ka. Our new Frog companion provided soothing spells. Lucid draped his jacket over her shoulders. Zyanya crouched beside her, murmuring words I couldn’t hear, but ones I knew carried her maternal warmth.
 
As for me? I did not, could not, move towards her and give her comfort. The absolute hypocrisy, knowing that walls of my childhood were built upon her pain and suffering. I knew my family were ruthless, but never did I expect they'd be capable of something so heinously cruel as child-trafficking. My mother always lauded about the strength in honour - what honour?!
 
So I did nothing. I stood still, feeling the world cave in, guilt swallowing me whole.
 
Eventually Zyanya squeezed my hand, waking me from my reverie. We were running out of time. I could atone the only way I knew how - by tearing open these cages and setting these people free.
 
And with that, we made our escape.
 
The Triad was in chaos above us. I could picture my Uncle now, furiously commanding orders, his piercing gaze sweeping the wreckage, seeking death for those stupid enough to challenge and defile his empire.
 
But we had the advantage: confusion, destruction, and one very large, very shitty distraction.
 
We ran back through the hallways of an old home I knew with certainty I could never return to. We burst through the outer gates and into the cold night, the city of Zynii stretching before us - we kept running until we knew we were 100% safe, finally making our way to a familiar (and comforting) bar. As the others rested and rewarded themselves with a drink, I spent this time alone, reflecting.
 
I had spent years running from my past, convincing myself that I could leave it all behind. But tonight had shown me the truth. The ghosts of my family’s sins would never stop haunting me.
 
And I wasn’t sure I deserved to outrun them.