Police Captain Park almost didn’t believe it when he got the call. Three years had passed, since he had found the corpse of a serial killer and a copious amounts of blood staining the warehouse floor. In his mind, everything was over that night. That was the end.

But the call said otherwise. A call from Hyukjae, his voice tense and hoarse over the office phone. Three simple words that demolished the walls Jungsoo had built against the guilt of the past. “They found Heechul.” No more words were necessary. 

Jungsoo hung up the call, his gaze staring blankly at the walls of the office he should have retired from long ago. For a brief moment, he didn’t move at all, thoughts whirling in his head. Then he stood and strode out of his office, slamming the door fiercely behind him.

— — —

It was almost unbelievable. Through the grainy lens of the camera in the cell stood Kim Heechul, looking like he had barely aged a day. Jungsoo felt an irrational urge to smash the screen in front of him, as if he could banish the man as easily as the image. Taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his rage, Jungsoo turned to Hyukjae. “Where did they find him?”

Hyukjae tapped a finger gently on his desk, the only display of fear passing through his icy facade. “Jeju. Where else? He was caught in the middle of a murder. A woman recognised him in passing and called the police, who found him in a nearby alley.” His tone was bitter.

“So, dumb luck?” Jungsoo scoffed, and Hyukjae gave him a grim nod in response. Tension stretched throughout the room; a question ading both of their minds. Finally, Jungsoo gave word to the thought. “Was there any sign of Jongwoon?” 

Hyukjae flinched, but he shook his head. “Not that we are aware of. The only way to know what happened to him is to ask Heechul.” Hyukjae spat out the name like it was poison on his tongue. Jungsoo had to restrain a growl.

“I’m going to talk to him,” he said. Hyukjae didn’t even try to protest, simply stepping aside to allow him to exit his office. Jungsoo brushed past him, making the unfortunately familiar journey to Heechul’s cell. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the sight of Kim Heechul lounging on the cot of the cell, looking for all the world like he hadn’t disappeared three years earlier with Jungsoo’s best detective.

“Jungsoo-yah. Looking as handsome as ever. Tell me, have you found a new hobby? Perhaps one that doesn’t leave broken bodies and minds in your wake?” Heechul greeted, giving him a small smirk and not even bothering to stand up from the cot.

Jungsoo ignored the blushing threatening to crawl up his face from his neck. “Tough words coming from you. Your trail of bodies practically led us to you,” Jungsoo spat in return, seething at the ease and contentment that seemed to ooze from Heechul. How could he seem at home in a prison cell, Jungsoo didn’t even want to know.

Heechul laughed, and it was a surprisingly light sound, not at all like Jungsoo remembered. “Now, I know that isn’t true. I have been especially careful recently. I needed to be. We couldn’t have you interrupting the ceremony, after all.”

Jungsoo’s entire body tightened like it had been struck. Surely, Heechul couldn’t have moved onto another marriage so soon after theirs ended, admittedly four years ago but Jungsoo still felt it was too soon. “Ceremony? We?”

Heechul’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “Wait, you can’t be jealous, can you? Our marriage ended years ago, and our relationship even before that.” Jungsoo looked away.

“Ah, I am afraid I have already said too much. He won’t be pleased to know what I have revealed. Or maybe he would. I still find him delightfully difficult to predict,” Heechul mused, an unsettling adoration coating his voice.

Jungsoo’s fists clenched as he stared down Heechul. “Are you talking about Kim Jongwoon?” He finally managed to ground out from between his clenched teeth. 

Heechul’s smirk widened. He finally stood from the cot, stalking his way forward until he stood opposite to Jungsoo. “Why, Jungsoo, do you still see my dear Jongwoon as your little detective? So eager to go up in the world, so enthusiastic about his work, until it broke him. He has long since gathered himself up and he is spectacular. I do wish you could see him in his element, finally becoming what he was always meant to be. Then again, I may have to rip out your eyes if you do. You are nowhere near worthy enough to witness Jongwoon in all his elegance.”

Heechul’s eyes were alight with emotions Jungsoo couldn’t even begin to name, even if they had been married for over ten years before their divorce and Jungsoo had never seen Heechul’s eyes like this, perhaps he had restrained himself as to not let the cat out of the bag.

Despite this, Jungsoo scoffed and shook his head. “I don’t believe you. You’re being unusually open with me, Heechul. I think you’re taunting me, trying to cloud my vision with rage. Jongwoon sacrificed his life to kill you. It’s only a shame it didn’t work.”

“Is that so?” Heechul hummed. “Well, I suppose you always were blinded by stubbornness. Tell me, Jungsoo, have you ever read the tale of the Iliad? Achilles and Patroclus were such a fierce team it took divine intervention to bring them down. And you are no God.” Heechul’s eyes ran over Jungsoo. “If anything, you are Agamemnon. So driven by your own desires that you lost your valuable solider.” Heechul’s eyes narrowed. “Though I must admit, your lack of foresight has greatly benefitted me.”

Jungsoo took another deep breath, trying and failing to calm himself down. He had forgotten how skilled Heechul was at riling him up. “Well, we’ll see how you feel after a few years of wasting away in your cell.” He his heel and began to stride away, fury caught tight in his chest. He couldn’t bear to stare at Heechul’s self-assured smirk for another second.

The sound of Heechul's laughter followed him out of the room. Despite the fact that Heechul was the one imprisoned, Jungsoo had the feeling that, somehow, the killer had come out of their conversation with the upper hand. His tightly wound fury snapped, and he launched a fist into the concrete wall, ignoring the sharp pain that flashed up the nerves in his arm. Heechul was lying. Kim Jongwoon was dead. He would be stuck in that cell for the rest of his life and Jungsoo would have the satisfaction of having finally caught Kim Heechul once and for all. He had to be.

— — —

It was only five days later when Jungsoo got another call. He brashly picked up the phone, so assured of his own belief that he didn’t even stop to consider if it could be related to the newly caught Kim Heechul. He almost dropped the phone in shock when Hyukjae’s voice, harsh and sharp, declared Heechul’s escape.

“How?” Jungsoo demanded, to which Hyukjae sighed in return.

“You’re going to want to see this for yourself,” Hyukjae replied. Jungsoo gave a stiff acknowledgment, and then slammed the phone down. Kim Heechul had escaped. In five days. He got into his car and drove faster than what was legal to the Seoul State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Hyukjae greeted him at the front door, his face tight with rage, and perhaps a tinge of fear.

Hyukjae began to lead him into the command centre, as he explained, “there was a brief power outrage at around eleven last night. By the time the power returned, Heechul was gone from his cell and by the time he was noted missing, he had presumably left the hospital. One guard has been discovered dead; his uniform stripped. The security footage from before the power outrage, well—“ Hyukjae cut himself off, gesturing for Jungsoo to watch the footage on the monitor.

Jungsoo turned his attention to the footage, which was currently paused on the hallway outside of Heechul’s cell. As Hyukjae began to play the footage, a guard appeared on screen, casually striding down the corridor. A standard hat was placed on his head but peeking out were some curled strands of dyed grey hair.

Despite the change of colour, Jungsoo recognised the styling, even under the hat. Though the face of the guard was shadowed by the angle of the hat, Jungsoo could see a small scar curling down the side of his neck. Jungsoo could barely believe his eyes. It was Jongwoon. Jongwoon was alive.

The scar curling down his neck originated from the day Jongwoon disappeared, although Jungsoo wasn’t aware of the full story behind said scar.

Jungsoo watched in horrified fascination, as Jongwoon entered the room of Heechul’s cell, the footage switching to the camera inside the room. Heechul gazed at Jongwoon as he entered, an unbelievingly fond smile stretching his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jongwoon cut him off.

“If you say a word about my hair, I’m leaving you in here,” Jongwoon spoke, and there was no denying it was Jongwoon’s deep voice.

“I would not dare, my dear. Your hair suits you, surprisingly. Although, aren’t you a little young to have grey hair?” Heechul practically purred at the detective. Jungsoo was astonished at Jongwoon’s reaction, a blush visible even through the grainy camera lens. Heechul sniffed the air lightly, “are you wearing my aftershave? You smell like me.”

“I…may have been wearing some of your clothes. For convenience only, and people do say not to wear your own aftershave during a crime.” Jongwoon admitted, crossing his arms defensively. 

“Now, my dear Jongwoon, I believe we have a promise not to lie to each other?” Jungsoo couldn’t comprehend Heechul’s tone. Was Kim Heechul, prolific serial killer, teasing Kim Jongwoon?

“I thought we also had a promise not to get captured on our honeymoon?” Jungsoo choked on his own spit, frantically searching for Jongwoon’s hand, and he had a golden ring on his finger.

Before he could fully comprehend this news, Jongwoon continued on, “I was able to retrie