Sihyun

Daegu was a large city, yet a small, insignificant place compared to the vastness of the world.

Like a tiger's hunting place was the wilderness, this was mine.

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Grey clouds obscured the moonlight, streets damp and dark from the aftermath of rain. Drops sounded as loud as bells as they spattered onto the cold pavement. My footfalls were quieter.

From a small alleyway on my left I heard sobbing, soft and almost inaudible. Instantly attracted, I drifted to the source of the noise.

As I rounded the corner, my eyes fell upon a figure huddled on the ground. He was looking at his hands, and tremors racked his whole body. He looked no older than I.

I knelt beside him, murmuring comforting whispers of empty sympathy. Slowly, the man raised his head.

The knife slipped from my fingers and clattered to the ground as he struck, slamming his forearm into my throat, holding me in place to the brick wall.

'My, my. Look what we have here,' the man purred. His breath was sickeningly sweet, and his eyes shone with a crazed gleam.

No - not crazed. Not crazy.

Still lucid.

Just a little wilder.

His tongue flicked out to wet his lips which glistened, half-parted and hungry in the night. He tilted his head to the side and snowy white strands of hair fell across his ebony eyes.

Playing as weak and vulnerable.

'𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴,' the man said softly, leaning in to brush his lips over my cheekbone.

Perhaps, once, I would have been frightened by this man. His voice was low and raspy, grating chills down my spine and making my hackles rise.

But I ignored that foreign emotion - fear led to foolish mistakes. Instead, I remained still, focusing on the roughness of his fingers clasped around my neck, and the slight throbbing as the veins in my neck pulsed against his palm.

The man whispered in my ear, 'It's been so long since I last saw such a young, pretty boy like you.'

It didn't look like he was to let me go soon. Raising a hand, eyes never leaving his face, I wrapped my hand around his wrist and pulled.

Though both our arms shook with the strain of holding, neither budged. I dug my nails into his flesh.

He didn't flinch, even when I drew blood.

'I'm trying to figure you out,' the man said, voice even and controlled. 'Why would a boy like you choose the path of a criminal - a killer?'

'Killing brings me... joy. I suppose I have a newfound lust for blood.'

His eyes gleamed sharper for a heartbeat. 'So you're a sadist?'

'If you want to call it that.'

What a pleasant conversation we were having, me on the verge of being choked into oblivion whilst sticky crimson liquid dripped down his own arm.

'You're funny,' the man chuckled. He licked his lips again. 'But I'm afraid I don't want to let you live.'

He punched the bridge of my nose and stars exploded before my eyes as I lashed out with a leg, and the man reeled away. I leapt upon him, securing a choke hold around his neck. He slammed his head back into my temple, causing my grip to loosen and I stumbled back.

He had my knife in my hand now, and was advancing slowly.

That same feeling - apprehension - flashed through me and I flung it away.

I lunged.

The blade missed my face by millimetres, slicing deep into my ear instead. I hissed, and the man sneered. 'Pathetic.'

I struck again.

This time I landed a blow to his jaw, and his head snapped back, a crack echoing off the narrow walls. The man was silent - and then slow chuckles filled the night void between us. 'You land good hits, boy... but not good enough.'

He kicked me in the stomach, and the breath flew from my lungs as I was flung backwards, back colliding with the brick wall.

He waved the knife and pushed it through my hand, through the skin and through the flesh, pinning it to the ground with little hesitation.

I snarled and moved to yank it out - but he pressed a foot into my neck, halting me.

Pain burned, racing like fire down my arm - yet I could only stare in fascination at my twitching fingers. The man watched, too, eyes tracking my running blood keenly.

He looked away eventually and lifted a lighter - my marker. 'I know who you are.'

'Hm?' I wasn't surprised the man had figured it out.

'You're Kim Sihyun.'