Morals

"We'll hold it to you," they told him with piercing eyes. Jaehwan wasn't necessarily scared, more so, he was excited. He was ready to finally be sworn into the gang for once and for all. Despite that, he also wanted to be the first one to join the group in over five years. You see, this gang wasn't any type of gang. While they weren't the type of people you would introduce your daughters to, they did make a "difference." 

Long story short, they killed. They killed those they thought were unworthy or had done bad to even the extend of Lucifer's. It's sort of ironic how their group formed: they kill to show that doing bad is wrong. 

Every mission every requestor was given was something related to what their group's purpose was. So, yes, in order to obtain position in the group, they were sentenced to kill; it was the perfect way to show their capability. Jaehwan's mission: he was to gain information on the village peasant, Han Sanghyuk, and determine whether or not the multiple accounts of him stealing was true.

If there was one thing you didn't do in the village, it was steal. Stealing was the last thing the Starlights tolerated because food was scarce in their village and stealing was just being greedy. And of course, with Jaehwan's entry, a background check was ran on him. There were some things the Starlights did not approve of but all in all, everything was up to par. 

"We shall give you two weeks to complete your initiation. If you fail to do so, we will not hesitate to perform such acts even Lucifer himself would deem hellish. Understood?" Jaehwan swallowed and his sudden excitement was gone. This is it, he thought. I'm really doing this.

"I understand. You will not regret your decision in choosing me." Jaehwan bowed.

"We sure do hope not since you will be making history if you happen to be successful with carrying out your task." With that, they were gone, leaving Jaehwan feeling like he just had a kid because even though he was to carry out an unavoidable task, he was going to be responsible for everything he did; good or bad.

***

It's the day, the day they come to fetch his status of success. The thing is, Jaehwan has completely forgotten the fact that he's supposed to be proving Sanghyuk's innocence and instead, he's casually drinking herbal tea with the peasant as they snack on freshly baked bread he had stolen not too long ago.

"I don't like stealing," he whispers. "But I'm so poor and... I have nothing. I hate having to steal. I hate it." He takes a bite of bread but winces as he swallows it. "The Starlights will kill me if they find out." And then it hits him; today's the day they're coming for him. He freezes and his cup falls to the gravel, breaking to pieces. 

"We need to go, Sanghyuk, now!" Jaehwan stands, grabs Sanghyuk's forearm, and runs. To where, he doesn't know, but anywhere that's not the village. That's the first place they will check, then it's his house, then they'll search the forest.

"Jaehwan? What's going on?" Sanghyuk sounds scared and he most likely is since it's eleven at night and the sun is no where to be found. He goes to look back but suddenly stops as he's hit hard across the chest. "You should really watch where you're going. You ran into a tree branch." Sanghyuk helps him up but stops as a bonfire miraculously appears in the middle of the area they're standing in.

"The Starlights," he gasps and he starts to back away but he's pushed forward with both of his arms stilled.

"Jaehwan, your conclusion please," the leader demands.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Two of the guards force him to his knees and the leader comes close and brings a finger under his chin.

"Do not lie to us, Jaehwan. Lying is also another we do not tolerate."

"Jaehwan!" Sanghyuk screams and suddenly he regrets ever applying to join their gang. "What is he talking about?" He can't stand to look at him because he knows that once he knows, he will never talk to him again.

"I-I don't know," he says again, his voice softer and less audible. A hand comes down and smacks across the face, hard. The sound is sickening and Sanghyuk falls to his knees with tears in his eyes.

"No," he cries and it starts to make sense to him. "No, please Jaehwan, don't tell me you did what I think you did."

He looks at Sanghyuk once more before staring the leader in the eyes. "He's innocent. He's never done any of those things they accuse him of. He's innocent. He's ing innocent!" 

The leader tsks and moves back to the empty space left for his position in their formation. He motions to a man younger than him towards Sanghyuk and he seems to be carrying something large and sharp.

"Jaehwan, we do not promote lying and therefore you have failed your initiation."

"No, please don't. Don't do it! He has nothing!" Jaehwan begs and he attempts to run over to him to stop what he knows is coming but the two guards at his arms don't allow it.

The leader gives the younger a man a cue and in one swift motion, Sanghyuk's head is on the ground and his eyes are open, looking right at him. The guards release his body and it falls to the ground as blood spews from the wound. Jaehwan is released and he stays there, crouched and grabbing fistfuls of grass and dirt to stop himself from crying. When he looks back up, the blood is still going and the tears fall just as fast as the blood flows from Sanghyuk's slain body.

"We are quite disappointed, Jaehwan. We had such high hopes for you but like everyone before you, you have failed and you have paid the consequences for your actions. Your friend here was killed. He has nothing, you say? Well now he really has nothing. May his parents raise their future children with more morals." With that, they leave and Jaehwan wishes they would come back and finish him off also because he too, would rather have nothing if it means being with Sanghyuk again.

Prompt: Imagine Person A of your OTP being executed in front of Person B. Person B is held back so they can’t run over to Person A as the axe is swung down and can only watch in horror as Person A shouts out that they love Person B right before they’re beheaded. Person B burst into tears at the sight of all the blood that’s coming out.