Nimsa Thapa
Shin Ryujin is the boss of Eclipse Syndicates, symbolising freedom and mystery. Eclipse Syndicates are infamous in the country of South Korea for their high-stakes smuggling. Ryujin was in the abandoned warehouse waiting for her henchmen to bring in one more of the people who must have caused problems for one of their high-stakes operations, causing a huge loss in the company. She was sitting, legs manspread feeling bored, until she heard the sound of the iron door opening and saw her henchmen push a person who was hooded with a bag over her head, throwing her to the ground. Ryujin looks down at the girl on the floor and then at her henchmen. “Are you sure she’s a suspect? She's so petite and…scrawny.” Ryujin says in a serious but taunting voice. “Yes, she is boss, one of our main suspects.” The henchmen say. “Alright, take off that bag and let me see her face,” Ryujin says and props her head on her arm, her expression cool but intrigued. As the mask slips away, she finds herself staring at the girl revealed beneath it-a face framed by long, Coffee- Colored hair, undeniably pretty, making Ryujin pause. The girl slowly looks up with a cocky grin on her face. She tilts her head innocently and says, “Why am I here?”. Ryujin rolls her eyes, “What's your name.” she says not wasting any time. “Lia, Choi Lia,” Lia says and smiles cockily. “Alright Lia, you are here cause you ruined one of our operations, we lost hundreds of thousands of 169Echoes of the Wonderful Mind dollars,” Ryujin says with a hint of anger in her voice. “Hmm I don't remember ruining an operation, let me think,” Lia says and pretends to think. After a few moments, she finally remembers.
flashback
Lia was practising parkour, the cool breeze of the early morning air rushing past her as she leapt from one rooftop to another, her body flowing with the rhythm of the city’s skyline. She was focused, the adrenaline of the jump pushing her forward, but she didn’t see the flash of movement below her-men in black suits, whispering urgently as they gathered around their leader, preparing for the next part of the operation.
Her foot slipped slightly as she made a quick, unexpected landing, sending her crashing into a stack of crates near the edge of the building. The loud noise echoed through the alleyway, catching the attention of the men below. In that split second, the carefully planned covert operation was thrown into disarray. They'd been so close to sealing the deal, but now their presence was compromised.
Lia scrambled to regain her balance, but by the time she looked down, one of the men had spotted her and shouted to his comrades. The tension was palpable as she realized her mistake. Lia quickly ran away, managing to get away, but she ended up getting caught a few days later.
end of flashback
Lia shakes her head with a soft, almost amused chuckle as the memory plays in her mind. "I didn’t exactly make a clean getaway, did I?" she murmurs. Ryujin scoffs at Lia’s attitude, “Damn well you didn't.”
As time passes and Ryujin asks more questions, she gets fed up with Lia’s attitude and decides to lock her up in her dungeon. “Lock this brat up,” Ryujin tells her henchmen, massaging her temple.
A week or so passes and Ryujin decides to check on Lia. Ryujin walks down the spiral staircase and walks over to Lia's jail cell. Surprisingly, she sees Lia using the small crevices on the wall, climbing it and jumping around crazy high, seemingly happy. Lia doesn't notice Ryujin. Lia decides to practise her chi blocking. She closes her eyes and focuses on her breathing, feeling the flow of energy through her body. With each deep breath, she practices controlling her chi, mentally blocking it in different parts of her body. Her hands move slowly through the air, mimicking the pressure point strikes she would normally use. Though confined, she sharpens her focus and control, using the stillness of her surroundings to perfect her technique. Ryujin claps which immediately gets Lia up on her feet. “Impressive, didn't know a brat like you could do that?” Ryujin says impressed. “Why just cause I seem petite doesn't mean anything,” Lia says and crosses her arms. Ryujin smiles at Lia’s attitude and thinks. Suddenly she has a great idea. “Hey Lia, how about we make a deal?” Lia tilts her head encouraging Ryujin to go on. “So, if you want to get out of this cell, how about you work for me? Your talent would be a great asset for our group.” Lia pretends to ponder for a moment and says, “Sure, I'm down.”
From that day onwards, Lia worked for the Eclipse Syndicates. Her chi blocking was super helpful and in the period of a few months, she became one of the most well-known followers of Shin Ryujin. As time passes, Ryujin and Lia get closer, every mission they do, and every meal they share just tightens their bond even more. So, after 2 years of being just partners, Ryujin decides to change that. One day, she goes up to Lia who is eating lunch. “Can I be your girlfriend?” Ryujin says bluntly which causes Lia to cough out her food. “What?” Lia asked making sure she heard right. “You heard me, I want to be your girlfriend,” Ryujin says again. Lia puts her utensils down and laughs. “It's your first time asking someone out huh?” “H-how do you know?” Ryujin says trying to hide her nervousness. “You can't just ask someone to be your girlfriend like that,” Lia says emphasizing the ask. “Oh well. It's my way anyways.” Ryujin says looking down. Lia holds Ryujin’s chin and makes her look up at her. “Yes, I'll be your girlfriend,” Lia says and smiles softly. Ryujin’s heart melts and she instinctively hugs Lia. “Alright chill out now,” Lia says pulling apart. From then on, they became an inseparable couple.
A few months had passed and they had already started living together. Ryuin was entering their shared bedroom, expecting to see Lia, but it was empty. As she went closer, she saw a note and read it out loud. “I have taken your girlfriend, if you want her back you have to pay 10 billion dollars, come to 23 Hollowbrook Lane, Darkwater District, Sector 12, Noctis City before midnight or else…” Ryujin quickly starts sweating in fear. She immediately grabbed her bike keys and helmet and drove off. After 30 minutes, she reached the place. She enters the abandoned building and sees Lia, sitting on a chair, with a tape on her mouth and chains restraining her. Ryujin quickly runs to Lia but before she can, a bunch of men charge at her. As Ryujin is fighting, she sees her rival, who is in charge of this mess. “Why are you doing this?” Ryujin exclaims while trying to fight off the men restraining her. The man walks up to Ryujin, exhaling the puff of smoke in her face. “It's simple, you took what I love, so I'm taking yours.” “I already told you I didn't kill our mother Zen!” Ryujin exclaims tears falling down her eyes. Zen looks at Ryujin coldly. “Yes you did, you think I wouldn't know you drugged her water just cause I was the favourite child?” “I don't care if you were the favourite child or not, I would never kill our mother!” Ryujin exclaims. Zen looks at her furiously, “Oh be quiet, I wish you were never my sister.” As Ryujin and Zen argue, Lia finds a way to get out of her chains and uses her chi-blocking ability to disable Zen and his bodyguards. “Let’s go Ryujin,” Lia says quickly and they run off.
Ryujin grips the handlebars of the motorcycle, speeding through the quiet streets, the weight of the night pressing down on both her and Lia. The roar of the engine drowns out her racing thoughts, but the fear and guilt linger, Zen’s accusations echoing in her mind. As they approach the gates of their mansion, Ryujin exhales in relief, the towering structure coming into view like a sanctuary amidst the chaos. She drives through the gates, and the security system opens them with a soft whir. Stopping in front of the grand door, Ryujin kills the engine, and the world falls eerily silent. They make their way inside, the familiar sights of the mansion bringing a strange mix of comfort and unease.
Lia looks at her quietly, offering reassurance, but Ryujin can’t shake the feeling that everything has changed. “I don’t know how much longer I can run from him, Lia,” Ryujin says, her voice tight. “He won’t stop until he destroys everything.” Lia steps closer, her presence steadying her. “We’ll face it together,” she replies softly, and for the first time, Ryujin allows herself to believe it. They enter the mansion, the heavy door closing behind them, and though the fight with Zen is far from over, for tonight, they’re safe, and they have each other.
