Ok. A few words before you go on reading this chapter.

There will be a lot of fighting and since that's not everyone's cup of tea, I will highlight the sections that are not important for the story. Of course, it makes more sense if you read it all, but I just want to antcipate and kinda warn you in advance.

Enjoy reading!

Perplexed I looked at the odd fellow, who held his hand open in front of me. I took it and straightened myself up, when a sudden dismay marked his face and he grabbed my arm sweeping me along out of the room to the corridor.

Since I had never been allowed to look around when I was in force of the guards, I scrutinized the environment as fast as I could before I might leave it behind forever.

In fact, after the months I’ve spent there I wasn’t quite convinced that the nightmare would find it’s end by now, but there had never been another opportunity for me to ever escape that place, so I ran along these sordid hallways like a dog that had been kept on a rope for all his life.

I felt the blood being pumped through my veins, my head was shaking and I hardly could catch any breath, but for the first time in forever I felt alive.

Suddenly Woohyun stopped pushing me to the wall, indicating me to stay quiet. He peered around the corner, but put his head back again right after.

“Okay” He whispered. “This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Do you know how to fight?”

I unbelievingly responded to his gaze, but before I could even try to form a sentence, a man in a black coat and hat appeared from around the corner, positioning himself behind Woohyun.

Panic-stricken I pointed at the dark individual, whereupon Woohyun immediately reacted by turning around with an outstretched fist hitting him in the face. Just right after, he pulled up a knee and kicked him right in the stomach.

I stood by the wall, petrified by the happenings, but watching the intense scenario. Woohyun was strong, but the guard was fast and punched him back in the stomach several times, making him back. But he always got back up right away and became more aggressive with his blows.

Just when Woohyun reached back for a final hit, the sturdy man suddenly turned into smoke, leaving Woohyun punching nothing but dusty air.

He slowly turned around starring into my direction, as I noticed a dark shadow building up behind me.

I knew what would follow, and I knew what had to do, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t prepared for such a situation and I already started replaying important life memoirs in my head when I held up by the event of my abduction. Back then, when Sungyeol watched after me, while I was dragged out of my house. When he watched after me, without batting an eye.

I felt my heart being soaked with sorrow and anger and my stomach being tied in knots.

Why would you have done that?

Why didn't you do anything when you could?

Why would you expose me to such torment and humiliation?

He knew they were coming for me. He prepeared me for them. He made my last years before hell the most wonderful years of my life. And then made it all crash down on me like it was nothing.

All the anger and despair rose in the period of seconds and at last opened my eyes which I’ve been trying to press together so hard.

Discerning a wooden pole leaning by the opposite wall, I turned around with my head in front, shoving the man back with all my strength. He fell back, but lifted himself up just right after, looking for me to repay what I did.

I quickly rushed over to the pole and brandished it without watching what I hit. And again, that certain feeling of wildness ran through my body, making my moves correspondingly unpredictable.

Woohyun started attacking the fellow from the back making it impossible for the aggressor to dodge my strikes. But the efficiency of that position didn't last as long as we wanted it to. Soon the man reached both of his hands out for our heads and pulled them by our hair, pinning us to a pile of broken crates. He immediatly grabbed our throats, impeding us to move since we struggled trying to free ourselves from his tight grip.

All of the sudden, Woohyun lifted his leg, kicking the guard into his undefended abdomen and making him let loose of our necks. I panted, while he jumped up right away to face the shadow-like creature. I collapsed on the stack and watched Woohyun being beat to the ground again. He screamed out in pain.

The man pulled his face closer to his to give it one more blow, as I quickly put myself together and picked up the pale again.

I hurried to the fight, hitting him right on his back with all my strengh. Fortunately, fell ahead and instantly let go of Woohyun's chin. I wanted to help Woohyun, but then it gripped me again.

The fear.

The fury.

The danger.

One more strike at his back.

One more kick in his head.

When did I become so harsh and brutal?

Woohyun crawled over and punched the twitching body too, crouching next to it.

Right after the wretch dissolved into smoke again, I suddenly became blank.

It felt like floating.

It felt like lying in deep thick nothing.

I turned around.

Clouds?

I tried touching them, but my arms wouldn't move. They wouldn't obey.

My breath got heavier, but my chest didn't even move.

Should I scream?

Should I try kicking around?

Before I could intend on doing anything, I noticed the clouds slowly dissolving.

And then

I fell.

I came back realizing I was beating Woohyun with my bare fists. I assumed it was the heat of the moment, but of course, he didn’t react that nicely to it. He had already straightened himself up and punched back without hesitation.

The outlet of the situation was a total disaster as we went on hitting and kicking each other forth. Abruptly Woohyun managed to strike a clear hit in my face, making me fall back. I took the brief moment to catch my breath, as I realized a shadow sitting on a tube under the ceiling, observing the happenings.

Just before Woohyun intended on beating me again, I held my hand in between. He stopped as I started pointing at the ceiling and turned around to see what I was pointing at. I laboriously lifted myself up again and locked eyes with him.

We both knew we’d have to work together to get out of there and without apologizing or even making a big deal about the previous happenings, we jumped up – synchronous – hitting the tube plus the creature crouching on it with both of our fists.

The dark coated man fell off it right after and landed on the bare floor. Without any hesitation we kicked, punched and beat up the defenseless body. Minutes passed, without us stopping even once. Not even the drooling of the black liquid from the stealth made me break off letting all the pent-up frustration out.

I didn’t notice Woohyun putting his hand on my shoulder, or his attempt to draw me with him to get away from the motionless body. I was out of my senses and at last I broke down falling into Woohyun’s arms. He starred down at me, his sweat dripped off his chin onto my forehead.

“Let’s get out of here” He said.

I just nodded and let him put my arm around his neck. Arduously we moved forward together along the shabby corridor, until we reached an old rusty elevator. Woohyun taered the grating gate open and we almost fell inside in relief. He quickly pulled the lever causing the old rusty rack to release aching squeaky noises, but eventually it moved upward.

Woohyun dropped back and rested next to me. We both breathed heavily. At last I kind of ordered my thoughts and asked myslelf, if the mysterious black coated man was the only enemy we had to face and if I would have to prepear for another fight. I turned my sight at Woohyun.

'Who is he? How did he find me? How does he know me?'

So many questions to be answered. But for now, I was glad I wasn't all alone. I was tired from the fight, but I was even more tired of being alone all the time, and that was all I had to know at that moment.