Her heart was beating rapidly as she was dragged down the hall. Kikwang held her arm tight as he led her to the front door. Chaerin looked around, everyone was on high alert, people preparing their guns and putting their bulletproof vests. “Stop!” She screamed, pushing Kikwang. He stopped, glaring at her.

“We need to move.” He hissed. She shook her head, freeing her arm from his grip.

“Tell me what’s happening.” She hissed. Kikwang rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm again.

“I don’t have time for this.” He spat, trying to pull her, but she resisted, again, freeing her arm from his grip.

“Since when you became like this? Since where you become such a cruel man?” She said, tears forming at the rim of her eyes. “Since when you started to hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you, Chaerin.” He said, his voice desperate, angered. “I need to make sure you’re safe.”

“Safe from what? What’s going on?”

“We’re at war.” Kikwang hissed. She shook her head, still holding her arm.

“What did Jonghyun do? What was his job?” She said, now pleading, not even bothering in holding her tears. “Please, I beg of you, tell me.” Kikwang nodded, holding her arm more softly and pushing her into a room.

“Just be calm, ok.” Kikwang whispered. He checked no one was following them, then closed the door.

“I promise.” She said. Kikwang looked at her, biting his lip before talking.

“Jonghyun’s job was to weaken our enemy.” Kikwang said. Chaerin widened her eyes. “He’s target was open to an attack, so he went for it.”

“W-Who–”

“Kwon Jiyong was his target.” Kikwang said. Chaerin lost the strength on her knees, falling down on them as she held , holding in a scream.

“What did he do?!” She screamed on her hand, but Kikwang didn’t answered.

“Chaerin, you’re part of this family. Jiyong is our enemy. He swore to kill us all, and that includes you.”

“HE THINKS I’M DEAD!” She screamed.

“And we want it that way. He’s weak, he’s vulnerable.” Kikwang said. Chaerin shook her head, still sobbing on her hand. Her pain grew, almost making it impossible for her to breathe. She wanted to scream, to punch, to hurt, but nothing could be made, she was frozen. “Chaerin, you must understand something. We are going to protect our family, no matter what, and right now, that means killing him. I’m sorry.”

“No.” She sobbed, slowly lifting her trembling head. “No.” Kikwang raised an eyebrow at her as she slowly stood up, trembling all over. “No.”

“Chaerin, don’t keep this up. Uncle’s going to lock you up if you interfere in his plans. Please, just,” Kikwang begged. “Just let me save you.”

“No, Kikwang, I’ve had enough.” She said, rushing towards the door. Kikwang held her arm, and she pushed him aside, holding his arm with her right hand, her left hand holding his neck. “You’re not stopping me anymore.” She hissed, pushing him aside and running towards the door.

“CHAERIN!” Kikwang yelled, but she ignored him. She ran towards the main entrance. Jonghyun was standing at the door, loading a gun, his face into a frown. She fastened her pace, running towards him. Jonghyun looked to the side, and as he did, she jumped on him, pushing him to the ground.

“What the ?!” Jonghyun said, but she continued her assault, holding his neck tight.

“What did you do?!” She screamed. Jonghyun tried stop her, but she continued.

“Let me go!” He whimpered. Chaerin continued to choke him, her eyes blank in rage as she saw his face slowly turning red. “Chaerin!” He yelled, and with his leg, kicked her back. She screamed, falling to the front. Jonghyun held her back, holding her tight as he rolled them around, pinning her down.

“Let go of me!” She screamed, but Jonghyun kept holding her in place.

“What the is wrong with you?!”

“WHAT THE DID YOU DO TO HIM?!” She spat. Jonghyun stopped, still holding her in place. She stopped fighting, her eyes betraying her. She started crying on Jonghyun’s arms, slightly punching his chest. “What did you do to him?”

“So that is what this is all about.” Jonghyun said, not showing any signs of letting her go. “I did my job, Chaerin. I did what I was told.” He said. She sobbed harder, now the punches stopped, and all she did was hold onto his shirt as he slowly loosened his grip on her, now hugging her.

“Why is this happening? Why am I in this situation?” She cried. Jonghyun kissed the top of her head, then caressed her face slowly, not saying a word. “Why me?”

“Jonghyun, what’s all of this about?” A voice said. Jonghyun stiffened a bit, letting go of Chaerin and moving to the side.

“Father.” Jonghyun said. Chaerin put a hand over her face, trying to control her sobs. “I can explain.”

“Come, now.” His father said. Jonghyun took one last glance at Chaerin, his face apologetic, and stood up, following his father. She stayed there, looking at the ceiling as Jonghyun walked away. And again, she felt as if the whole world had fallen upon her shoulders, but she didn’t cried anymore.

Slowly, Chaerin stood up, looking at the place one more time. There was no one, there seemed to be no one around her, and she gave her silent thanks for that. Without any second thoughts, she stormed out of the door. In there, the people were leaving, the gates were guarded, but they were distracted by the people leaving the manor. Chaerin took advantage of the situation, and made a run for it.

She ran through the place Jonghyun had showed her. Ran and ran until she reached the side of the gates, where no one was at the moment. She gulped, holding the gates, seizing the height. And again, she took a deep breath and climbed it, not even caring about her wound, or her fatigue, not even about her black leather pants, stiletto boots of loose black blouse. She didn’t cared, the only thing in her mind was her freedom, and she was about to take it.

As she reached the top, she smiled, almost laughing as she saw the streets. She could almost feel the freedom, almost touch it. Without any other thought, she let go, falling on the ground, losing her balance. She fell down, her receiving the greater damage. Chaerin stood up, dusting herself before looking at her sides. The streets, so familiar, yet so unknown to her. The cold wind was blowing, and she embraced herself, trying to keep herself warm. She kept walking, trying to keep her profile low. The people that walked by her bowed their heads, and she did too. Her hair had gotten lose, and she kept moving it out of her face as the wind kept moving it all around.

Almost an hour of walking, she finally reached a familiar street, and she smiled, looking to the front. Her old apartment building. Nothing had changed, it still looked old, still with the same faded color on the walls, and still with the old man by the lobby, looking rather bored, dead. As much as she wanted to walk in, she knew she couldn’t. She was a runaway, and surely, that was the first place they would search for. She kept walking, her heart beating fast as she remember how close his company was from her old apartment.

And she was right, right at the corner, she saw the building, still as bright and luxurious as ever. Expensive cars going in and out of it, the usual young girls screaming at the entrance, and the usual security guard on the post, laughing at the screaming girls. She wanted to walk in, her heart longed for it, but everything was different now. She was dead to the world, she was dead to his world, and no one would recognize her now, and if they did, they would never allow her to walk through those doors ever again.

Biting her lips, she walked closer to the street, lifting a hand and calling for a taxi. There was only one place she could go and wait for answers. There was only one place she could go and wait for people to know she was still alive. “TAXI!” She screamed again, and one white cab pulled to a stop. She ran towards it, opening the door and getting in without a doubt.

“Where to, ma’am?” The man said, and she quickly told him the directions. He nodded, driving away. She rested her back, still embracing herself as she tried to keep her cool. Truth was, she was nervous. Nervous for what she could find inside, nervous for what could be waiting for her in there. Afraid, even. Has he forgotten about her? Could he be there? But then again, he wouldn’t be waiting in that place, and after what Kikwang told her, he could be staying at a hospital right now, for all she knew.

The traffic was light, and the driver pulled to a stop in front of the building. His building. Chaerin handed him the money she had on her pocket and got out, taking deep breaths as she walked into the building. As usual, there was no one in the lobby, only the security guard, who was too busy looking at his phone. She pressed the elevator’s button, and to her fortune, the doors opened fast and she walked in, quickly pressing the P button.

She started humming, trying to calm her nerves. The ride on the elevator felt like an eternity, and when it finally reached the final floor, the opening of the doors made her sigh in relief. Chaerin stepped out, and when she turned to the door, her heart froze. The door was open, and a woman was walking out of it. A slim, young and beautiful woman in black clothes, short hair and dangerous eyes. Chaerin halted to a stop, looking at her carefully as she closed the door without locking it. Jiyong never locked his door.

The woman lifted her head and stopped, glaring at Chaerin. “Oh.” Was all the woman said as she stopped, lowering her phone.

“Oh.” Chaerin said. Her mind was filled with dark thoughts. He had forgotten about her, she had been thinking all along he was suffering for her, and there was that woman, walking out of his apartment, as casually as if she lived there.

“I believe we have not met before, have we?” The woman said. Chaerin tried to hide her disgust, and simply shook her head.

“Maybe I am in the wrong place.” She said. The woman grinned, and that alone made Chaerin alert.

“No, you’re not.” She said. “I know who you are.”

“Then I’m on a disadvantage here.” Chaerin said. The woman smirked, getting closer to her.

“Or maybe you’re a ghost.” The woman said. Chaerin closed her fist, not taking her eyes off the woman. She kept looking at her face, and as if a switch has been , she remember something.

“My sister.” He said, sipping his drink. “That’s my sister.”

“You’re the sister.” Chaerin said bluntly. The woman started to laugh in her face.

“That’s what he told you?” She said, still laughing. Chaerin frowned, now glaring at her as the woman continued to laugh. “He lied, dear. He lied. I am the woman he could never forget. I am the woman who made him who he is.”

“I see.” Chaerin said. “You must be the monster that let him rotting.”

“What do you know about monsters?” The woman said, now in a serious tone. “Or are you talking from your own experience? You’re the savior, yes, but also, his own personal killer. How lovely.”

“What do you know?” Chaerin hissed.

“Believe me, Lee Chaerin. I know.” The woman said, walking towards the elevator.

“I am still at a disadvantage, I don’t know your name.” Chaerin said as she turned around. The woman smiled, putting her bag on her shoulder as she pressed the elevator’s button.

“My name’s Mizuhara Kiko.”

“Mizuhara Kiko, where is he?” Chaerin dared to ask. Kiko stopped, looking down at her feet, then at Chaerin.

“Lee Chaerin, consider yourself lucky tonight. I’m not going to kill you, but don’t push your luck. This is no longer your place.” She said and walked into the elevator. Chaerin stood there, looking at the elevator’s doors as they closed.

Anger, a rage almost impossible to bear ran through her veins. Who was she? But most importantly, what was she to him? Scoffing, Chaerin looked at the apartment’s door, and without any further ado, she stormed in, looking around the place. “Hello!” She yelled, but no one answered. Her eyes widened at the sight of Jiyong’s perfect apartment. If something she could remember right about Jiyong was his craziness for tidiness. He loved to smell cleanness, he loved to feel the air fresh and the floor spotless. What she saw was far from his persona.

The place was dirty, glasses without being washed on the counters and floor. The white rugs full of old stains, clothes thrown all over the place. The odor wasn’t that of lavender, but a smell of dirtiness, of decay. Chaerin put a hand over as she tried to hold in her last meal. Rotting, something was rotting in that place. She walked in further towards the rug, where a dark stain caught her attention. She bend down, touching the stain softly. Her eyes widened as she realized what the stain was. Blood, a huge stain of blood on it. She looked to the side, a trail of old blood made its way towards the stairs.

Chaerin gasped as she put a hand over , following the trail. Her horror grew as she realized the trail led towards his room. Trembling, she slowly opened the door to his room. Falling to her knees, she held tighter as she saw the mess of blood on his room and the shattered mirror. “No!” She sobbed, crawling towards his bed, where the biggest stain of old and rotting blood was. “What did you do, Jiyong?” She sobbed, touching the stained sheets.

Was he dead? Had he made it? But they had said he was weak… weakened. Her eyes widened as she recalled the events of the night she was dispatched from the hospital. It was him.