The smell of smoke and the thumping in my head made me stir, my consciousness slowly coming back. I tried moving my arm, my brain pushing its limits. My body was numb but I could still feel myself moving, propping myself against one of the walls. I blinked a few times, trying to regain my vision. 4 out of 5 of my senses were rendered useless right now. I didn’t know where I was, what happened, or what time is it. The smell of smoke was putrid and burned the back of my throat. That brought back some memories. I remembered Detective Hoya, slumped against the wall. I remembered the explosion. I remembered the note…… The note! Krystal! Everything came rushing back to my head. I tried to stand up, the threat from the note flashing in my mind. The ringing in my ears were slowly fading away and my eyes cleared up, my vision returning.

I tried hoisting myself up, pushing my body off the wall. I grabbed the nearest handhold, trying to pull myself up. The moment my skin touched the metallic hold, the heat pierced through the numbness, scalding my hand. The shock jolted my senses back, my body regaining full control and sense. It also brought a wave of pain, dishing out the pain my body had to endure while I was wiped out. I slipped and dropped to my knees. The acrid smoke was starting to burn my lungs, forcing me to gag and cough. , the place was still on fire. I started feeling the heat all around me now that my sense of touch was coming back. I tried crawling to the front door, or what was left of it anyway.

The sound of groans made me turn back. Despite the horrible vision, I could make out a body trapped underneath a pile of rubble. Hoya’s hand stuck out of the rubble, like a corpse digging its way out. It wasn’t moving but his groans told me he was very much still alive. I wanted to leave him there, more important matter to attend to, but for some reason, I couldn’t abandon him. I turned back and started digging him out, pushing the rubble out of the way. At this point, I was just moving through adrenaline. The fire was getting bigger and my wounds were stinging the hell out of me. I managed to pull him out, just when the sounds of sirens from afar reached my ear drums. His condition was worse than me. Adding his stab wound, the guy was basically a sack of walking wounds. He was burned, scratched and stabbed. I grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him out. It didn’t matter how I did it, I needed to get us both out of here.

The sound of sirens got closer as I limped down the alleyway. I managed to get a few blocks down without anyone seeing us. I dropped too my knees, leaning against the wall trying to catch my breath. The pain from my wounds were just screaming away, my head reeling from the pain. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, my vision blurring again. I looked to my side, watching Hoya slumped against the garbage can. Blood was everywhere, from his head to his boots. I leaned back, looking up to the sky. Grey clouds were gathering as I tried to clear the clouds in my head. I just sat there, unmoving. Then it struck me. I’m still conscious. I’m still L. Or am I? I looked at my hands, my head throbbing again. Am I L? Or am I Myungsoo? I didn’t even know anymore. I stared at my bloody hands. The dirt, the blood staining my hands, they were L’s doing, and yet these same hands are the one that saved Hoya, the ones wanting to save Krystal. I watched as raindrops fell, washing my hands off of the dirt and blood. I felt my face getting wet, as though washing my sins. I looked up to the sky. Raindrops weren’t rolling down my cheeks. They were teardrops. I didn’t understand. What’s happening, who am I? I couldn’t help it. I screamed at the sky, at God. ing joke.

I was pissed. I was confused. I don’t want to remember it all. I just want to forget everything right now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hoya stirring. The man couldn’t move at all, his breathing sharp and short.

“Oi Hoya!”

I pulled myself closer to him. His stirring finally brought me back to my senses. Screw my identity crisis, I need to save Krystal right now. I grabbed him by the collar, making him look at me.

“What happened? Who did this to you? Who planted the bomb? Who kidnapped my girl!” “Dong…… Dongwoo.. That….. That….. bas……tard.”

Dongwoo?! That goofy cop. This guy has got to be kidding me.

“Oi, oi stop messing with me. That idiot can’t be the one.”

All he could say was a mouthful of blood. His coughing got rougher, blood splattering everywhere.

“He’s…… different.”

He tried to speak through a mouthful of blood. I saw his eyes. They were telling the truth. Those eyes of betrayal and pain.

“If what you’re saying is true, then I can handle him myself. You stay here, I’ll call the ambulance to get you.”

“NO! Don’t….. Don’t go alone…. Hes gone…. Crazy. He’s not the…. Same Dongwoo!”

Well that sounds familiar. That was all he say as the pain overcame him. His head slumped forward, finally exhausting himself. I eyed a baseball bat, just beside the trashcan. I picked it up, testing its weight.

“Trust me. This predator is finally ready to bite.”