In a time when darkness rules day and night... In a place where fear eats the souls of the weak...  People live in confusion– Who to trust? Who to point our fingers at? What to do? Where else to go?

This is what our country has become.

I used to believe in heroes... Almost all kids do. But as I grow up, I have seen the bitter part of reality. I lived without a mom for she died giving birth to me. Even my dad, my greatest hero, died and left me. And right now, I am paying respect to them... And idiotically celebrating my 25th birthday with them. 

"You two might be so mad at me," I chuckle as I sit on the grassy earth and fold my legs. I stare at the names on their tomb. "But I am finally fulfilling my dreams."

I reach out for the gold chain of my necklace and my fingers slide down to its round pendant, brushing my thumb against the detail I know so well. 

It is a dragon surrounded by tongues of fire as if it is burning inside its own lair. Dad, he gave it to me before he went on the mission that took him away from me forever. He said I should wear it always, but to allow people to see it, I need to know the real enemies for it could save or kill me so I always keep it hidden inside my shirt.  Not because I'm afraid to die, but because I am too curious to know what dad meant by that.

"If only I know..." I take a deep breath. 

I sipped another spoonful of the seaweed soup I prepared for myself this morning and wipe my lips with the back of my hand.

"Someday, I'll find out...  Yes, someday..."

*******

I run my way back to the headquarters and into our department but Chief Choi's deep baritone voice make me wish I could just fly the distance. I'm late for the briefing!

"Officer Park,"  he faces me as I open the door and I am startled. How does he know I'm coming? I form a salute and stand up straight as I wait for him to acknowledge me. In my peripheral view are my fellow officers, all standing tall, and I bet, all attentions on me while here I am, all apologetic and sorry.

"Where have you been?" he asks after he responds to my salute, but man.Choi Seunghyun's voice is serious. Well, he's always serious. But right now he looks grim and impassive... And scary.

"I... Just visited my parents' tomb... S-s-ir..."

"Inside my office, now," he eyes me squarely before turning to the others.

"You're all dismissed." he says briefly before passing by me. "Park, inside my office."

I bite my lip as I see the others throw me their looks of sympathy.  And as I expect, my best friend is here to try to comfort me.

"Hey... You'll be fine," CL nudges me.

"Hope so... I think I missed the important part for tonight's mission."

"Go ahead," she angles her head towards Chief Choi's office and I sigh helplessly, turning to my heels and quickly knocked on the door. 

"S-ir..."

"Come in,"

I hesitate for a moment and tuck my hair behind my ears. Jesus, why do I feel so scared?

Is it because I have just been transferred here for two months? Is it because of the fact that tonight is going to be my first assignment to a major mission? Well, it's not just me. Most of us new additions to the unit were called for the mission which made me wonder if we are going to be used as pawns or sacrificial lambs or some sort of stuff.

I enter the room nonetheless and find the youngest subunit chief in SKNP-CIU, the hot and gorgeous man that he is, a former friend and senior back at the police academy, Choi Seunghyun. Yeah, he used to be a nice guy back then I just don't know what went wrong.

He is facing the window, and as soon as he heard the door knob click to a lock, he turns around and tosses a file to me which I catch with ease.

"I don't want to waste my energy explaining things all over again. Read it,"

I look down at the folded sheet in my hands and rolled my eyes. Jeez, can this man be more overbearing?

"Read the details carefully. We don't want you losing any of it." he says as he saunters to his desk. 

I curiously unfolded the file. Is this a map or something? I shrug. But something catches my eyes and I clamp my mouth when I finally get to see it as a whole. 

"Happy... B-b-irthday..." I mumble and I felt like my heart has leaped up to my throat. I can't utter any word other than that.

"Silly," I grimace at the sudden flick on my forehead and when I look up, Choi Seunghyun's ever serious face is stretched to a smile. A wide and real goofy smile. Very unbelievable.

"Happy birthday," he must be really enjoying the gobsmacked expression on my face. He shakes his head and directs himself to the door and pulls it and as soon as he opens it, CL shrieks in with a cake on her hands while Daesung pops a bottle of champagne, the others cheering behind them.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"

*********

"Happy birthday, Darong..." CL grins as we press ourselves firmer against the cold rough grounds of this prefabricated warehouse inside the Southern port. Damn it. We are in our first ever mission and we just heard some gun shots and that is why we are trying to hide like this. How could she take our situation lightly?

"Just a random thought... What if your birthday suddenly becomes your death day?"

"Awww, shut up!" I hiss against her ears and she giggles a soundless one while chewing on her gum. A static sound from the earplugs startles us. And by that we know what to expect. Chief Choi's voice is up next.

"Park! Lee! Kang is wounded. He needs backup!"

CL and I both gasp at the news. How the hell did Daesung get himself shot? We know his capabilities. He's a sharp shooter and he just got wounded. What chance do we rookies have to get out of here alive? Suddenly fear creeps through me and Chaerin has known me all her life not to notice.

"We'll be fine," she presses her lips tightly and I nod. I gently whisper through the communicator strapped around my wrist.

"We're at 2nd level, east from Daesung's last location. We'll be there, chief,"

"Stay safe, girls. Remember, we need to get all the evidence we need."

"Yes, chief,"

I take a deep breath and reach out for CL's hand, squeezing it tight in mine before letting go.

"Quit being so dramatic, aisht," she rolls her eyes at me and I shake my head. "I'll go to the stairways first, back me up okay?"

"1, 2..." I count breathlessly and we both fill our lungs with a sharp intake of breath at three. I rolled to the other side, keeping my gun ready just in case someone shows up while CL runs ahead of me to the staircase. She tips her head, urging me to join her after taking some few steps up.

Dashing to her side, she quickly run up the stairs while I keep my eyes up and behind us, making sure the area is clear.

"We need to go left," I tell CL when we both reached the third floor and she swiftly walks through the door to the left and I follow her, both our guns ready as always but as soon we reach halfway through the vast storage room, a series of gunshots filled the air once more.

"!" CL ducks down just the same time as I do and a deluge of bullet hit the pile of boxes behind us. I whip my head towards the culprits but they are already gone before I even point my gun at them.

Daesung! Where is Daesung?

I turn back to CL and she nods as if she can read my mind. We need to go separate ways. On the second thought, where are the others?

In one cue,  both CL and I  roll to our sides and I start to make my way behind a tall stack of boxes but Chief Choi's voice interrupts me along with the loud boom that shook the floor, the ceilings raining debris on me.

"Park, Lee! Leave that area!!!"

Leave? I hang my mouth. Am I hearing some sort of joke or something? CL's voice emerges through the line and by the way she talks I know she's mad. 

"You told us that Daesung is wounded and that he needs back up! How could you tell us to leave?" CL hisses and I can imagine her gritting her teeth.

"He is... But..." Choi Seunghyun sighs I think in exasperation. "Just get the hell out of there! Our aids are coming!"

"Aids? What aids? No! We will find Daesung!" CL retorts.

"Lee!"

"How could you leave one of us behind?"

"That's an order! Lee!"

"Dara, let's go. Let's find Daesung,"

"Lee!!!"

And before I could even process my thoughts, I find myself  scanning the area, trying to get a glimpse of CL. Between the two of us she's the type who does most of the crazy stuff and yes, disobeying your senior is really crazy but this time, she's right.  We won't leave Daesung behind. We're all going home alive.

I quickly pulled my earplugs off and and followed where the next series of gunshots were heard. Damn it Lee Chaerin. Calm the down will you!

"Darong! Find Dae!" she shouts somewhere from ahead while firing her gun and my head throbs in confusion on what to do next.

Damn it. Back in Ulsan, we were only used to catching local gangsters and robbers and thieves and traffic violators, not big time smugglers and drug dealers like what we have encountered just now. The moment we were promoted to the unit, Choi Seunghyun never showed any interest of assigning us to other missions.

Until now.

I shake my head. I need to think of a way to get a good view of the area. My eyes immediately zoom in to the pile of boxes and creates and I kick one to test how durable it is to bear my weight. I smirk as I find hope and pride for myself for being this thin.

Stepping back a few before finally launching myself forward and then up to one of the wooden crate, there's only one thing in my mind. We need to survive. I push myself up and then jump up to a higher stack of boxes until I get a good view of the wide room. At the far end are two desks and a few chairs, two laptops, and several open boxes and crates of those which I think are firearms. Firearms! Explosives! We have just made it to the area where these smugglers are hiding  their most prized  possession.

I recall the explosion upstairs and I swallow hard at my own realization. I tear a part of the box I'm on and I want to whack my head for being so careless. 

"Oh !" I slap my forehead but immediately remind myself that I am currently perched on a box of grenades. I gently press myself down once more and ignore the loud beating of my heart, focusing once more on the enemies... And in finding the rest of my team.

I see Chaerin and Sengyoon, Daesung's brother, exchanging bullets with ten... No... Fifteen more men. Seungyoon! Our maknae is safe! Where the hell is Daesung? I need to f