PROLOGUE

20 YEARS AGO

The banging footsteps became louder and louder as it echoed down the empty warehouse and suddenly, it stopped. She clutched the bundle closer to her, hoping that this nightmare would soon be over. The sleeping baby began to coo and stir in her arms. Please don't wake up, she silently pleaded and cradled the baby in an attempt to silence the child.

A loud gunshot was suddenly heard and her fear began to triple. They wouldn't stop until they get what they want. They had already attacked her sisters but now, they also wanted to kill her and the baby. Her eyes started to roam around the area, looking for some means of escape. There was a back door a few steps ahead of her. If she made a move for it, she will be visible for a moment but if she stayed, it would be a dead end for her and her baby.

"I know you're here. It would be a lot easier if you hand over the baby. I promise we'll let you go," a man's voice shouted. She still couldn't pinpoint exactly where she heard that voice but she knew that these goons took orders from the palace. "Come on. Show yourself in the count of three. One... Two... Th-"

With adrenaling pumping through her veins, she used her body to push the steel bars that obscured her from the men's sights and quickly threw the remaining daggers she'd hidden in her coat one by one. Two of them successfully hit their target spot- just above the area where the heart is located- while the rest just scratched their skin. The men had been stunned with her sudden move, allowing her to escape the warehouse. She could have finished all of them with her throwing skills in a normal situation but she acted on instinct instead because her other hand was holding the baby.

"Get her!" she heard the leader's shout even if she was already a block away from the warehouse. The men might have not expected her to create a ruckus. She ran faster and harder, choosing the road that had a lot of houses. These men can't make a move without waking up the common people. 

A searing pain spread through her body as a bullet grazed her shoulders, fortunately missing her head. Her pace slowed down as blood dripped from her skin and her vision began to blur. You can't give up now. Think of your baby. Her safety is your priority, she reminded herself. 

She took a sharp turn to the left and hid in the backyard of the nearest house. The goons will be here soon and she was definitely leaving them a trail of her blood so she needed to something quickly. She removed the first layer of blanket from the baby and pressed them to her wounds so the bleeding would stop for the mean time. Holding the baby in one hand, she tried picklocking the back door, a technique that always came in handy for her. It was a simple knob, making the work easier for her and in a swift motion, she was inside the house. As much as she wanted to stay here, she can't risk the safety of her baby. She needed to create another diversion despite the fact that within a minute, those goons would be writhing in pain because the poison from her daggers would take action. Stealthily, she moved around and placed her baby in the sofa.

I'm sorry Areum. Eomma needs to go away for now. You'll be safe here in your new family. I promise I'll find you when this is over. Always remember that whatever happens, eomma loves you. 

With a heavy heart, she gently kissed her baby for the last time. She returned to the back door in a hurry- her footsteps lightly touching the wooden floor- and locked it again. Her tears fell with each step away. With a strong determination, she left her bundle of joy in a stranger's house and stepped into the dark night full of uncertainty. 

Title: Black Swan

Date Published: Nov. 30, 2015

Date Ended: -

CAST

What will you do when everything that you believed in turned out to be mere lies?

-BLACK SWAN

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