A few heartbeats later, I was closing in on the fortress’s towering iron gates.
A glance over my shoulder made my stomach drop.
The officer had stopped.
His piercing gaze cut through the eerie darkness and locked onto mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
He clicked his tongue.
Then…
Crackle- A faint peal of thunder echoed through the night as he exploded forward with supernatural speed.
I threw myself through the gates and sprinted toward the grand staircase leading into the fortress.
But before I could even reach the first step…
The bastard was already through the gates.
“…Shit!” I whipped around just in time to see him falter.
Only for a split second.
His brow furrowed as though something had tugged at his instincts, but the hesitation vanished just as quickly.
He resumed the chase without a second thought.
So…
The strange pressure.
The hex.
Whatever that thing was…
It was affecting him.
Me?
I didn’t feel a damn thing.
Leaping up the alloy stairs, I darted for the entrance, the darkness still nowhere to be seen.
But as I took the first lunge…
BSH- The bastard’s fist connected with my back, sending me flying through it instead, straight into a fallen chunk of metallic stone.
With a low grunt, I deflected the impact with my right arm just before the jagged edges dug into my jaw and managed to bounce back to my feet.
That…
might’ve not been such a smart decision.
“Argh!” I yelped.
Goddammit…
it hurts like hell.
Persevering through the pain, I quickly attempted to take a stance, but all that met me was a brutal punch to abdomen.
“Ah!” Just like that, I was sent tumbling across the cracked pavement, eventually crashing into one of the colossal pillars.
“Haaaa…..
haaaa…..
oh f*ck…” Hurts…
Everything hurts….
Shit…
goddammit.
A dastardly grin met my gaze as I slowly looked up, meeting the bastard’s gaze once again.
His crimson eye pierced me with a razor-sharp gaze, a look of pure amusement written on his face.
“Come on, get up,” the man’s voice was calm.
“Your glorious act…
or whatever you call it, is not going to fool me.” “So, just be a good rat and let me beat you to death.” “You son o-” A mouthful of blood burst from my lips, splattering across the floor.
The officer’s grin stretched even wider before, rather unexpectedly, it faltered into a faint frown.
“Damn…” He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I actually feel bad.” That…
might’ve been the most convincing piece of sarcasm I’d ever heard.
He sighed theatrically, his voice dripping with counterfeit sympathy.
“You know, it’s almost tragic.
You’re going to die here, inside this nightmarish goliath.
Alone.
Afraid.
And the cruelest thing of all, no one will ever find your body.” He glanced back toward the gates and smiled again.
“Well…
not that there’ll be anyone left to find it…
that is.” As he finished speaking, my eyes darted frantically across the floor, searching for something.
Anything.
Then…
I saw them.
Chains.
Pristine silver chains lay scattered across the cracked floor, their surfaces gleaming as though untouched by time.
Back then, my attention had been completely stolen by the artifact.
The colossal iron cage had been so overwhelming that I hadn’t spared a glance for the rest of the hall.
And considering the pristine nature of the chains, it wasn’t hard to figure out that they were once connected to the cage.
Which meant…
These chains were an artifact aswell.
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the bastard’s dramatic voice rang out again.
Sure enough, that insufferable grin had found its way back onto his face.
Leaning forward slightly, he smiled and said, “Seeing how utterly miserable your fate is about to be, why don’t we introduce ourselves?
I’d say you’ve earned that much.” He tilted his head and shrugged.
“So…
do you want to go first, or should I?” When I remained silent, he let out an exaggerated sigh before placing a hand against his chest.
“Very well.
I’ll go first.” He cleared his throat theatrically.
“Ahem…
My name is Han Song-Lee.
But you can just call me great officer Lee…
or don’t.
Still, it’s better than dying without even knowing my name.
That’s just plain disrespectful, don’t you think?” Clearing his throat, he looked at me expectantly.
“Now then…
your turn.
Come on, don’t be shy.
Tell me your name.” A low growl escaped my throat.
Can this asshole just shut the fuck up already?
I swear, his voice hurt more than his punches.
After a brief moment of silence, a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
“…Kuon.” I met his gaze.
“Kuon Walker.” The bastard chuckled, then shook his head with an almost sympathetic smile.
“Ah…
Kuon.” He let out a dramatic sigh.
“I’m sorry.
Forgive me for what I’m about to do.” I didn’t answer.
I simply smiled back…
And lunged.
The bastard’s boot slammed into my ribs with enough force to send me skidding across the ruined floor.
It didn’t matter.
The chains were already in my hands.
As I rolled to a stop, clutching the pristine silver chains, I looked up just in time to see him charging at me again.
I forced myself upright and whipped the chains in front of me, barely managing to block his next strike.
Even so, the impact rattled my entire body and drove me back onto one knee.
Ignoring the pain, I threw the chains around his arm and yanked with everything I had.
For a split second…
It worked.
Then the bastard did something I never expected.
Instead of pulling away, he stepped into me and wrapped me in a crushing embrace.
“…Huh?” Tshk- A searing pain exploded through the left side of my chest.
“Ak!” My eyes widened.
A knife.
That bastard had buried a knife deep into my back.
His grip loosened, and I collapsed to my knees.
A mouthful of blood spilled from my lips, followed by another…
and another, until all that escaped my throat was a wet, ragged gurgle.
That…
That fucking asshole…
He hadn’t been aiming for my back.
He’d tried to drive the blade straight through my heart.
At the sight of my pathetic state, he laughed.
The bastard laughed as though it was the funniest thing in the world.
The sound drilled into my ears.
No…
It was as though his laughter had become the only thing I could hear.
This feeling…
I’ve felt it before.
Back before the Grey Market existed.
Back when the Ruins were nothing but a living hell.
When there was nothing but blood, murder and despair.
It wasn’t fear.
It was powerlessness.
I felt…
Weak.
Feeble.
Powerless.
*** Left in this pitiful state, I ask myself.
Am I…
going to die?
Well…
That’s hardly even a question.
Yes.
I am going to die.
That is simply the truth.
I fall silent.
Then…
Something dark.
Something buried so deep within me that I’d forgotten it even existed…
Wraps itself around my soul.
I ask myself again.
Am I going to die?
No.
If I die…
If I fail to stop him…
Everyone dies.
No…
No…
Not like this…
Not Stephanie…
Not Lev…
Not the Elders…
Not…
Anyone.
THIS SON OF A BITCH WILL NOT KILL ANYONE I AM GOING TO TEAR OUT HIS GODDAMNED SPINE *** My arms moved.
The sharp edge of marble stone glinted and flashed through the air…
And stabbed straight…
Into Lee’s penis.
I heard him shreak…
violently.
He had planned to kill me by stabbing me through the heart.
Little did he know…
My heart was never on the left side.