Chapter 1

It was snowing heavily that day. The white snow covered the vast area of the rose garden, not a single strand of grass peeked through. The rose wilted, sitting limp on its stem and some fall to decorate the solemn white ground. Enveloping the rose garden were carefully maintained hedges and it hid the body from sight. A knife through the heart caused blood to stain the ice, seeping to the ground beneath. His complexion was alike to that of the snow it rested on. Calm and tranquil, peace without disturbance was reflected in his expression as if he was released from all earthly sufferings. His eyes were closed, his lips blue and his arms rested on his abdomen. It was as though he was in a deep slumber. Indeed, he was in an eternal sleep. 

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A family clad in black.

A casket. White roses.

An offering. Condolences.

The bereaved, grieving.

It was a funeral.

The eldest son, now the head of the family, stood. Eyes red from tears but strong and determined. He faced his family, his relatives, his clan.

He must take over his father's spot, reputation, role. He must bear the responsibilities as his father had done.

A cup of soju was poured. His father's right hand respectfully handed him the shot.

He raised it up above his head, scanned through the room and downed the shot within seconds.

His clan roared. The room shook and he smashed the cup on the ground in front of him.

It was a tradition that he once couldn't comprehend but now fully understood.

A glass shard clenched in his palm. Blood dripped down.

An oath and a vow.

"I, the eldest son of the Red Ox clan, became the 7th master of the clan. Bear witness my fellow friends, for I shall avenge my father's death. My royal blood that was spilled today is my sign of loyalty to protect this clan as my father had done. The head of Red Ox is now ME."

A photo frame. Buried coffin.

Soju were poured. People drank. And drank. And drank.

Still clothed black from head to toe.

A faint smell of rusty iron.

Forgotten red stain on the concrete.

It was an inauguration.

A ceremony.

A new top appointed.

An era ended and another begins.

V E N D E T T A

She never liked it when her job gets messy. She preferred a quick entry and exit with little disturbance and less time wasted. However, it was never that simple and easy in her field of work. One way or another, she will struggle to finish her job in time whether it be a miscalculation on her part - which rarely happens but it sometimes did - or an opposition from the other side. It was always the opposition that messed up her rhythm and often it brought her more troubles when her job was already difficult. Nevertheless, she didn't quit. She stayed even with all her dissatisfaction because it brought her more dough than any other job can offer her. She complained, yes, but anything is possible with her if you'll provide a great business deal.

She started at an early age so by the time she turned 25, she was already at the top of her game. She grew cold as time passed by and remained undeterred even in an unfavorable situation. She learned, she persevered and she kept herself in check. At all times.  The most ideal and perfect example to her juniors. It put a bitter aftertaste in knowing more and more people going into the field but she remained void of emotion. Some would even go as far as heartless to describe her. Not that she cared. She had forgotten how to feel safe to feel. Any kind of weakness will bring her down faster than a lightning can strike when you're on this business.

Emotion equals to weakness.

In her room, on her bed, she endured it all. You can never know who's listening in, who's watching or who's hiding. It was said that she sleeps with an eye open, that she had a gun in hand while she sleeps or that she never sleeps at all.

Of course none of these are true.

Sometimes, she wondered who had been gossiping about her and spreading around false rumors. Yet again, she didn't care because it keeps people away and she's always loved being alone. Aloof.

It's perfect. At this line of work, anyone can turn on you. Anyone can be an enemy. No one could be trusted.

There is no such thing as friendship or lovers.

Those are all a mirage. An illusion.

There's no one to trust.

There is only yourself.

V E N D E T T A

She had just gone back. The back of her eyes burned and her muscles were on fire. Today was slightly tough. She barely managed to escape and drag herself to her apartment. The report will have to wait until tomorrow. She had her dignity as the elite so appearing in the headquarters with sore arms, hair disheveled and a bloodied lip wasn't gonna cut it. Her old shoulder injury was acting up and she did all she could not to alarm her neighbors two blocks away as she put it back to its socket. She was sure that the tendons of her shoulder were worn out and if she didn't let it heal properly, she's not going to survive in her field of work.

She routinely started to inspect herself for injuries and making use of the overly familiar first aid kit, she patched herself up. Nothing too serious that she can't manage. She had had her fair share of broken ribs, broken bones, sprained wrist or ankle so her current injury was like a flick to the forehead. It hurts but it'll heal in no time.

Physical pain was nothing compared to the mental pain.

Wolves came in packs but her, she's a lone wolf.

She worked by herself, getting hurt by herself and got the reward for herself.

By choice or not, she stayed alone. No one to share her concerns with, no one to watch her back and no one to offer her a smile. She's gotten used to it but there are times when she hoped that she had someone to depend on.

She was at the tender age of 17 when she was forced to make a living to survive. Without any education and money, she wandered the streets for weeks before a person approached her with what she viewed as a silver lining. She was completely mistaken but with her life on stake, she had no other choice but to excel in what she do. The person had warned her beforehand that the weak shall be eaten by the powerful and that it was the law of the jungle and that's how the order of nature is.

It is to eat or be eaten.

She trained for a measly 2 months before she was dispatched. No one cared if she was ready or not. To them, she was a disposable pawn - just as how they have treated dozens of people before her. If she succeeded, she would be rewarded - them too - but if she failed, she'll either be captured or killed while they would just search for another vulnerable child to work for them. It was that simple for them. They didn't value the lives of people who worked for them and she learned the hard way why no one dared to leave when she first tried to escape from them when she turned 20. Just at the thought of it made her shiver and she unconsciously touched her nape, gingerly tracing the scar as if it still hurt . Since then, she didn't make any other attempt to escape or go against their words.

Like a puppet, she wouldn't move without her master's commands.