I finished pushing the snow out of the way and went inside to start a painting, feeling inspired. I was doing the shading when I heard a voice behind me.

“Black Hawk. We need to talk.”

“Gimme a second, Taehyung.”

I put the paint away, cleaned my brushes and put the unfinished work on the dresser, close to my blades. Once I was done, I sat, looking at Taehyung, raising a brow.

“Tell me what’s up.”

“A new prey. Confidential again.”

“Who?”

“Someone who used to work with that Kibum guy. He knows of the man’s research.”

“All right.”

He gave me the paper and left. I won’t tell you about the hunt in details. The prey died and ended up as food. Before the guy died, however, he had time to talk.

Time to tell me about the prophecy.

**

It happened several times after that. Every time, Taehyung would bring me a letter. Always a prey who had worked with this Kibum guy. It kept on going until I was done with all the scientists who had worked on that project. After every night, I would meet Youngjae. He was always there on the roofs, smiling at me, illuminating my world. I was worried, after hearing the same thing again and again. But Youngjae was there for me. He would smile, he would lean against me, he would sometimes close his eyes and sing.

It became obvious really quickly that I was in love with him. I had always known I didn’t have preferences when it came to man or woman, but for me to fall in love with a mere human, to begin with… I wasn’t too sure what to do about it.

Still, I loved watching him move, listening to him talk. When he would sing, it was as if my sins could be forgiven. But it wasn’t true. Those sins of mine were not the kind that could be erased by a song, even if Youngjae’s voice could make anything lighter and more beautiful. I learned my lesson on New Year’s Eve.

Taehyung had come over to give me the last prey. The last of Kibum’s fellow scientists. The hunt was easy, the guy was too much of a nerd to spend time with his family. He was all alone and he died all alone, as well, after telling me the same thing as all the others before him. As usual, after the hunt, Youngjae came to see me. I was in a bad mood, but he sat next to me, smiling.

“Hey. How are you?”

“So-so, I guess. You?”

“Doing great! Eager for the New Year?”

“Why would I be?”

“I see!”

He kept silent for a moment, just smiling. I lowered my head, the hood of my hunting outfit hiding my face in the shadow. I had never let Youngjae see me. But a new year would begin. A new year…

“What’s your resolution this year, Jaebum?” he asked.

“I don’t have any.”

Maybe I had one. But it was so tiny… I wouldn’t risk it. Or would I? I kept silent for a few minutes. Maybe.

“… I like you.”

Youngjae looked at me with surprised eyes before he smiled, offering me light and forgiveness. He took my hand, squeezing softly. I looked away.

“Do you… want me to… to show you… who I am?”

It would be a gift. I hadn’t given him anything on Christmas, so… maybe? Every night he offered me this beautiful smile of his. Every night he made me feel peaceful…

“Only if you want to,” he said, and I looked up at him, eyes glowing in a hopeful light. I touched my hood, hesitated for a split second before I lowered it slowly. Once it was down, Youngjae took some time to observe me.

A flash in his eyes, one I didn’t understand before it was too late. A stabbing pain in my left shoulder, it made me look down. A knife was there, cold and red. A Redblade. Painful. But, more painful even, was how Youngjae let go of the knife he had stabbed me with, getting up.

He jumped far from me, silent, suddenly cold and indifferent, and a dozen of people came out from behind him, flashes – real ones, this time – bursting in my face, cameras immortalizing who I was. I only stared at Youngjae in disbelief.

I invoked a dark vortex, unable to say anything. I reappeared at home, the pain in my shoulder strong, burning, but not more than the horrible feeling that I had been betrayed. I looked around. Looked at my house.

I couldn’t stay here. Couldn’t stay in this country. I had to… I had to leave.

Leave, and never ever come back.