- Problems -

Bam didn't expect that soon enough, he'll meet one of his father's friends who had returned the souls right to where they belonged to.

Poe Bidau Gustang reminded Urek again that his place was the same as him and the other family heads. The Wolhaiksong organization that he formed, for the Ten Great Leaders and his friends, they were nothing but a game.

And aside from Urek, there was someone else who could stand in the same position with them. While saying that to Urek, he looked at both Bam and Charlotte.

"Shall we talk about something important? Son of Arlene" Gustang asked to Bam.

Urek who has finished his business there left to find Hell Joe and to check on him.

Ban was floundered when he knew that one of the Family Heads was asking for his favor. He was so mighty and powerful while he was still a D- rank regular. What does the Head of the Poe Bidau Family want from him?

And the irregular with glasses replied, "Well, actually, I want to test you."

".....test me?"

"That's right. I want to test whether you are the one destined to take the thorn, climb the tower and change this tower, whether you are truly worth waiting for, and whether you are the savior that Arlene spoke of" he said.

"You know about my mother...!!"

"Of course....! I'm one of the 10 Leaders! I even went on a journey with Arlene once" he said. "We really suit with each other. Because I was unfriendly but she got along well with everyone."

"Then.....what about my father....?!"

Gustang's expression turned dark for a moment.

"I won't talk about your father" he coldly said to Bam who was confused at his response. "He was the absolute worst person that I've ever met."

"...t....the worst person?! What do you mean....?!"

"Well- you'll find out eventually. Anyway- before I tell you about my favor, if there is anything that you want from me, say it" said Gustang. "I'm an expert in science and medicine of this tower. I will grant any favor that you have."

"W....whatever I want?"

Bam pondered what he wanted and looked back at Charlotte who was sleeping. He came up with an idea.

"Then can you please tell me about my sister's condition right now?"

"You mean the fake in your hands?"

"She isn't fake!"

Gustang observed the woman for a moment before he gave his answer to Bam. His brown eyes were locked at the strange forehead mark on her forehead that has just formed.

"...she's fine. But it's just that she had just spent lots of energy and she is currently resting" Gustang answered.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Bam let out a sigh of relief.

"Now....shall we talk about my favor?" He asked.

Knowing that he had to go somewhere else, Bam was wondering whether he should leave Charlotte behind or not. He wondered to whom should he hand Charlotte before at the end, a bit reluctant, he handed Charlotte to Khun.

"Don't worry" he said. "I'll make sure that she's fine."

"Thank you, Khun."

Charlotte was resting rather comfortably. She was smiling when she was sleeping as if she had a good dream. Khun thought that it would have been better if she could keep smiling like this.....even though that would be hard for her since now her identity has been revealed.

Now, they could no longer pretend that they know nothing. He was sure that based Charlotte's personality, once her identity has been discovered, she will no longer treat them in the same way she used to treat them. She will distance herself from them and behaved courteously and politely to them as if they were strangers.

Thinking about Charlotte made him remember of her real older brother, the one who will most likely kill them after knowing what happened to Charlotte. As things were getting more and more complicated, he should find a way to keep them in order and return things like how it used to be.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

By the time they returned to the others, they were surprised to see Charlotte's condition right now, especially her forehead mark.

"What the heck is this?" Estrella asked, thinking that it was a make up and tried to brush it off which caused the owner of the forehead mark frowned and so as Khun who stepped backward from Estrella.

"Get away! Don't touch her!"

"Why so protective for? I just want to erase the ridiculous thing on her forehead!"

"Just how are you going to erase a forehead mark?"

"So that forehead mark is real? It isn't fake?"

"Of course not!"

Altaira knew that there was something wrong but he didn't expect that by the time they returned, Charlotte would be knocked out unconscious with a strange forehead mark and Celeste who walked away and distanced herself from him. Noah even refused to talk to him and Altaira was sure that Noah looked like as if he has done something guilty towards him.

"Khun...." he looked at his younger half- brother. "What....actually happened?"

Khun didn't look better than Noah. In fact, he also looked like had done something wrong to him.

".......I think we should talk somewhere else, huh?" Altaira asked as he noticed that something serious must have happened and Khun didn't mind about it.

In fact, it would be better to talk about this somewhere else.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Altaira was shocked to know what happened to Charlotte. Khun told him everything that has happened before and how Charlotte ended up in this state.

"I see....."

He reached out his hand and touched her new forehead mark.

"So this....brat....she encounters another danger again" said Altaira.

Khun lowered his head and looked away in guilt while Altaira sighed.

"....sorry."

"Not at all. To be honest.....I know already that this place doesn't belong to her" said Altaira. "But it's not like we can get out from this place right? Once we enter this place, the only direction we could go is heading upwards, even when it means that we have to step on the others. The strong devour the weak....and that Christ is an irregular. It's not surprising that you and Bam couldn't help her."

Khun, "..........."

"Bam....he is with that one of the Family Leaders right? What's his name again? Ah, yes, Poe Bidau Gustang" said Altaira.

"He said that he had a favor to ask from Bam."

"It's not surprising, considering that Bam has his own value and power."

"He isn't a thing."

"To us, he is a human. But for most people, we are nothing but tools and things for them to use and throw away when we have no more value" said Altaira. Aware that the topic that he was talking was getting more and more depressing, he changed the topic and said, "But after hearing your story, I could understand why Celeste and Noah couldn't look at me. I mean, I don't mind having Noah avoiding his gaze whenever we meet but I don't enjoy Celeste being this distant to me."

"After all, their father has hurt your sister. They are probably too guilty to see you."

"Celeste doesn't have to, actually. After all, it isn't like she asked her father to hurt Charlie. She is also in a hard position now that both her father and her brother are trying to kill each other. I'll talk to her later" Altaira replied with a smile.

"Then....what about Charlotte? Now that her identity has been revealed, it will be hard for her to stay around."

"About this....well, this time, she needs to face it by herself."

"You are going to let her face it by herself?!"

"What's so surprising? Rest assured, Charlotte is stronger than what you think. Even though the situation might be unfavorable for her but I believe that she'll find the way to solve this problem."

'After all, an Everest doesn't run away from his problems, right, Charlotte?'

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

"Celeste, what are you thinking about?"

Noah approached Celeste who was looking at the view all alone by herself. The white haired man sat next to his younger sister.

"....I was just thinking.....about what happened before" said Celeste. She glanced at Noah and asked, "Brother....is Bam's younger sister....really someone else? The soul in that body isn't the real Charlotte...?"

Noah paused for a moment before he closed his eyes, enjoying the wind and answered, "....no."

"And you never told me once about it..."

"Because I thought that it wouldn't be necessary" said Noah. "It will be better for us to pretend like to not know anything rather than having an awkward relationship right?"

"......I thought that it would have been better.....if Charlotte admits her identity from the beginning" said Celeste. "Maybe in that way....things wouldn't be this awkward."

"It's easier to say than to done. Charlotte's position isn't that simple. She was afraid that if others discovered her identity, she couldn't blend in with them anymore" said Noah. "But what has to come will come one day."

He sighed and relaxed himself and added, "Perhaps this is another test that she should face."

Celeste just hummed.

".........."

There was a moment of silence between the siblings before Celeste asked him something.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, it's our father who hurt Charlotte so badly. Do you really think that the others will let us go that easily after what father has done?"

Noah pondered about it for awhile.

"Celeste....I'm afraid that you aren't really worried about the others....but you are more worried of Charlotte and Altaira right?"

Her cheeks reddened slightly when she thought of Altaira.

Noah was annoyed right now but he wasn't in the mood to start another chaos like the usual. He just snorted.

"Though I hate to admit it, but I'm sure that he won't blame you" said Noah.

"Really.....?"

"Yeah. Even though he is stupid, he doesn't seem like a narrow- minded person" Noah explained. "You've been together with him for seven years or more right? His personality...I'm sure that you know it well."

"But....I'm still afraid."

"Afraid for what? It's not like he is going to eat you or something" he tapped her shoulder and added, "Believe in your older brother. If Altaira will hate and despise you for what that old man did, if he is truly that kind of person......that red old man would have stabbed him to death from the beginning. You know that red old man is a good judge of character. He doesn't live long for nothing."

Hearing these words, Celeste calmed down for a bit. But that didn't stop her from worrying about what will happen next.

The future was indeed hard to predict. Who would have guessed that when they were almost finish with their business here in the Floor of Death....their father will come and tormented them as well as revealing such a huge secret? Who would have guessed that few minutes ago she and Charlotte and Altaira were just fine but now, it was starting to get harder for her to talk to them. She was really afraid that Altaira and Charlotte would blame it on them.

And Noah who looked calm and composed, he knew that they won't blame him but he was still guilty.

'Maybe it would be better if I send her back.'

Noah stood up from his seat and then said again, "If I am not wrong, that man will look for you soon. Just wait for him here and talk things with him. I'm going first."

"You aren't going to talk to him as well?"

"Do you want to see us killing and cursing each other?"

".....no" Celeste denied. "But you can't keep hating him forever right.....?"

"........"

Noah snorted before he walked away and left Celeste alone.

"Anyway, we are leaving soon. So after you have your own time, you should also return to the others."

Celeste hummed, "I understand."

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

From Poe Bidau Gustang, Bam had received his test.

His test was to get something from the Hidden Floor, the floor that you could reach after you arrived at the last floor in the Hell Train.

The Hidden Floor had a few rules. First, you couldn't bring things from the Hidden Floor outside or update your data that has been there since the first time you left the Hidden Floor. Second, anyone who speaks of the Hidden Floor will have his memories erased since it was meant to be hidden. Third, ranker couldn't enter the Hidden Floor anymore.

Poe Bidau Gustang was one of the Family Heads so naturally, some rules didn't work of him. He could tell Bam about the existence of the Hidden Floor without worrying that his memories will be erased.

The Hidden Floor was just like a virtual world. They could enter that place and left their data there. But to reach the Hidden Floor will take some time so Poe Bidau Gustang gave them something that will allow them to reach that floor faster, the Master Key.

The Hidden Floor wasn't only the place that he should go. His younger sister Charlotte should head there as well. Christ knew that their destination would be on the Hidden Floor and it will be a good place for the two of them, Charlotte and Charlotte, to fight with each other.

Once Bam agreed to find something for Poe Bidau Gustang in the Hidden Floor by meeting the data of the younger Zahard, he left and returned to the others to go back to the train.

'The Floor of Death....I'm going to come here again one day.'