Rule #39: Never let distress cloud your observation skills, it will hold your answers

Mark laid in bed that night and couldn't find it in his body to shut down and fall asleep.   

There was no one else in the apartment, not Saera, not Youngjae and it was driving him insane. The loneliness was driving him insane.

He spent all of his adult career living alone and after a short time with Youngjae and Saera, he found himself adjusted in the luxury of living with someone.

With Saera it was the luxury of having someone sleep next to him, curled against him, while holding onto him for dear life. It was the benefit of rolling over in the morning and grabbing onto her before he dozed off in her warmth again.

With Youngjae it was the luxury of having a little brother. Someone who brought a sense of youth and excitement into his apartment when he would babble on about his day or convince Mark to play another round of a video game.

He didn't know how he managed to live so much of his life alone.

Youngjae was dragged into the precinct late in the evening and was shown the Saera's video.  When they explained everything to him, including his father's past, The Collector and Saera's new status as a runaway serial killer, he was screaming, hyperventilating and sobbing before he passed out and was taken to the hospital.

The doctors said that he experienced an extreme panic attack and Mark could barely do anything to shield him from it the interrogation.

Why?

Because he was officially on suspension.

Oddly enough, he wasn't as heartbroken as he thought he would be.  His job was everything to him and a few months ago he would've be livid about getting suspended.

It would've been his worst nightmare.

But things changed.

He didn't want to work at the precinct that was about to send a witch hunt after Saera. He reached over and picked up his cell phone and stared at Saera's contact.

He wanted to call her so badly, but he knew that there was nothing he could say to her now. Emotions were running high and she needed to focus on her task at hand.

He would just wait.

He would just wait until she was safe, sound and back with him.

-----

Mark dragged his feet up the stairs to the precinct, feeling like a criminal in his own precinct.

One day he was going to be the head detective but here he was, coming to collect his things before starting on his suspension.

He was about to open the door when his phone rang. He glanced at Jackson's name before answering the call.

"Is the Chief riding you about my stuff? I'm like 2 minutes away." Mark grumbled.

"No." Jackson gasped out, "No. Get in here. NOW!"

Mark frowned as he pulled the door open, "Why? What's going on?"

"Something happened."

-----

Have you ever entered a room and thought to yourself, something horrible has happened?

That pit in the center of your stomach that is just screaming in warning as the bad omen starts to pulse in alarm?

Mark felt that feeling the minute he walked into the office and saw a crowd of officers circling his desk.

He picked up his pace and shoved his way through the crowd until he reached Jackson. He pushed his friend aside to see what everyone was looking at.

It was déjà vu in the worst sense.

Mark stared at the silver box that was set on his table and felt his throat close up. His eyes landed on the corner of the box where blood was dripping out, creating a puddle on his table and dripping off the corner.

The box never bled before.

He shook his head, "Wha--what."

Then he saw it.

Set perfectly on the center of the lid.

Saera's jade ring.

 "No, no, no, NO!" Mark screamed as he ran to the box. Jackson grabbed his friend around the waist and pinned him to the ground.

"Let me go! I swear to ing god, let me go!" He yelled as he fought against Jackson.

"Everyone. LEAVE!" Jackson boomed as he struggled against Mark, "Jaebum get Hwasa here now!"

Mark growled and wrapped his arm around Jackson's neck before flipping him off of him. His partner groaned on impact and shot his eyes over to Mark.

"Don't touch it. It's evidence." He threatened.

Mark walked over to the box and felt the colour drain from his face and a cold sweat start on his skin. "I…It can't be. It's…it's not her."

"Mark…"

Tears filled his eyes as his body started to tremble, "IT'S NOT HER!"

"Hwasa should be here any minu--"

"I don't have time to wait." Mark used the sleeve of his shirt to moved the ring before pushing the box open.

"MARK!" Jackson yelled, trying to protect his friend from the pain.

Mark stared at the contents of the box before collapsing onto his knees and hanging his head. Jackson watched as his friend dropped the lid before  shifting so that his back rested against the table. He tilted his head back against the table and closed his eyes to hide the tears that were building.

"M-Mar--"

"Look inside." Mark rasped out.

Jackson gulped and took timid steps towards the box, retching when the foul smell of death filled his nostrils. He held his breath and leaned over to peek inside the box.

His eyes widened before he ran away to throw up in the bathroom.

"I'm here!" Hwasa said as she ran over to him while carrying her equipment, blowing her greying hair out of her face.

Mark didn't move a muscle as she raced over and just sat frozen. Hwasa frowned and snapped her rubber gloves on as she walked to the box. She looked inside before  pinching her nose.

"Ugh, really Mark? You called me all the way upstairs just to look at a decaying pig's head covered in blood?"

-----

Saera groaned loudly when her eyes slowly started to peel open and light blinded her.  

"O-Owww." She shifted and felt pain ripping through her arm and shooting through her scalp. She rolled to the side, only to be tugged back to her original position.

She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the light before looking at her arms. Her wrists were shackled together and attached to the wall by the long chain, but her ankles were free. It was like she was a dog on a leash.

The entire room was empty with four white walls and a tiled ceiling and floor, it looked familiar, but then again it was just a plain room.

Saera squinted her eyes as her memories came flooding back. Her heart was beating violently in her chest as the last thing she could remember appeared in her mind.

"Oh well, it'll all be okay now."

Sang Min.

She started yanking on her chains, but they were bolted into the wall. She looked down at herself, her eyes taking in the flowing white dress draped over her frame.

He undressed her.

He…he touched her while she was unconscious.

Saera felt her skin crawl and wanted to boil herself alive. She looked under her dress and sighed when she saw her tank top was still on. At least she wasn't that exposed but it didn't make her feel any less disgusted.

His dirty, bloodied hands touching her while she couldn’t fight back.

He brought her here for a reason.

And she needed to get out, or at least let someone know that she was in distress.

She frowned when she noticed something stuck to the hem of the dress.

She moved her wrists together and reached over to pluck the strand of string off of herself. She lifted it up to her face, holding it against the light before her eyes widened.

It was a strand of hair.

Blonde hair.

Saera frantically reached up and felt her hair in a tight bun. She yanked the hair tie out, letting her locks fall over her shoulder and touched her strands.

It was blonde.

She hair was blonde.

She frantically pulled on her hair, thinking it was a wig, but she only felt her scalp burn, "No. No. ." She whimpered.

He must've drugged her long enough to dye her hair to match the rest of his victim.

The foreshadowing of her end wasn't subtle.

Bracing herself against the wall, she pushed herself up and walked as far as the chain would let her before she pulled with every bit of strength she had, but nothing budged.

Her wrists burned in pain as she tried and pulled again, hoping to free herself.

"It's only going to hurt more."

Saera turned to see Sang Min smiling at her from the door. Her lips curled into a smile as she launched towards him with her arms out to attack him  before being yanked back by the chains.

He chuckled and walked further into the room, "What did I tell you? You don't listen very well, do you?"

Saera glared at him, "Let me go. You're not going to win this. Just cut me loose and save your losses."

"I'm okay but thanks for worrying about me." He said dryly.

He walked over to her and knelt down. Saera spat in his face as she tried to kick him. Sang Min scoffed while wiping his cheek.

"You make it really hard to not torture you until you die." He growled.

"If you kill me, you're only going to be screwing yourself over. If your plan was to frame me, then why would you make me a victim? It's only going to make you look more suspicious and it will clear my name." She  muttered.

He tilted his head, his eyes sparkling, "Or we can say that you father killed you."

Saera's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What the hell does that mea--"

"It’s been a while sweetheart. I missed my daughter."

Saera's eyes darted to the door and felt her heart stop as her blood ran cold.

That's not possible.

"F-Father?"

Park Yoo Chang chuckled and walked in, "You still call me that, how impersonal."

"I-I don't understand." She rasped as Sang Min stood up and walked over to him.

Yoo Chang placed an arm around Sang Min and smirked, "Don't understand what, sweetheart?"

Saera couldn't feel her body, it was like her soul had left her. "I-I killed you."

"No, sweetheart…you tried."

------

"Do you see?" Mark whispered deathly silent as he sat across from the Chief, "Do you see