I steadied my mind and crouched near the door. The moment it opened, I would take advantage of their carelessness and escape beyond it. As always, the plan was perfect.
‘No, I can do this.’
Just in case, I clenched the small shard of stone I had found earlier. If things went south, I could use it as a weapon. It was almost laughable, relying on something smaller than a fingertip for my survival, but right now, even this felt like enough.
Holding my breath, I waited for the men to come. I had no idea how much time had passed when I finally heard footsteps approaching.
The firmly locked doorknob turned smoothly, and a narrow gap appeared as the door creaked open. The sound rang louder than ever in my ears, my heartbeat pounding in response.
I had to move before the men noticed I was gone. This was my last chance.
Thud!
“W-What the hell?!”
I threw myself toward the door with all my strength. The men, caught off guard, stumbled back, their legs tangling as they crashed to the floor. I didn’t miss the opportunity—darting through the wide-open doorway.
“Catch that bastard!”
They shouted at the top of their lungs, but I didn’t look back. I could barely walk without assistance, yet in this desperate moment, I summoned every last ounce of strength to run.
‘Where’s the exit?!’
Getting out of the room was one thing, but the corridors were a maze. I couldn’t just sprint blindly—if I hit a dead end, it would be over.
Reaching a fork in the path, I hesitated, uncertain which way to go. The voices of my pursuers grew louder, closing in fast. In the end, I trusted my instincts and ran in the direction that felt right.
‘Please, let this be the right way.’
But miracles never lasted long. I hadn’t even been running that far when exhaustion hit, my legs beginning to falter. Praying this was the correct path, I pushed forward—but as always, reality was merciless.
“What the hell is this?”
A solid wall with no windows stood before me. My last sliver of hope crumbled.
The men chasing me were right behind me, and there was nowhere left to run.
If I got caught this time, I’d never get another chance to escape. They would drag me away and sell me at the “market.” Neither him, nor Choi Yeo-min, nor anyone else would ever find me. I’d suffer in some unknown place until I died.
‘I won’t let that happen.’
I had fought too hard to survive, done unthinkable things just to stay alive. I couldn’t die in a place like this. Snapping back to my senses, I scanned my surroundings. The path ahead was blocked, but to the side, there was a door leading into an unknown room.
‘Here…’
I grabbed the doorknob. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked.
The moment I stepped inside, the first thing that caught my eye was a window. A real window. A glimmer of hope sparked—I had a way out.
Locking the door behind me, I limped toward it. Pushing aside a black cloth that covered the glass, I flung the window open. But what I saw next crushed that hope in an instant.
“…Fuck.”
The ground was at least three stories below. The moment I realized just how high up I was, I couldn’t stop the curse from slipping out. If my body were in perfect condition, I might have tried climbing down, but that was completely out of the question.
This was really the end.
My legs finally gave out. I slumped against the windowsill, peering down at the dizzying drop below. Meanwhile, the men chasing me were already rattling the locked doorknob furiously.
“Open the damn door!”
Bang! Bang!
The door trembled under their relentless pounding. It wouldn’t hold for long.
In the end, I had only two choices: jump or get caught.
‘Maybe… maybe I could survive the fall.’
But that was nothing more than a desperate fantasy. The ground looked unforgivingly solid. Even if I did survive by some miracle, my bones would be shattered—I’d never walk again.
I had fought so hard to escape, only to end up cornered at a dead end. Still, between being sold off in the “market” and taking this risk, I knew which one I would choose.
‘I’d rather die than let that happen.’
I swung my legs over the windowsill. The wind felt sharper against my skin, or maybe I was just that terrified.
As I hesitated, the door finally broke apart, and the men stormed into the room.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Allen’s voice rang out as he rushed in, his gaze locking onto me, half-hanging out the window. I glanced back at him before slowly loosening my grip on the windowsill.
Panic flashed across his face as he shouted, “D-Don’t do it! That’s not a good idea! If you jump, you’ll die. You know that. Let’s talk this out peacefully, okay?”
“Then let me go.”
“If I do, will you come down from there?”
He spoke in a coaxing tone, as if he were actually considering my request. But I wasn’t naïve enough to believe him. His lies were obvious—I wasn’t foolish enough to fall for them.
Noticing my hesitation, Allen subtly shifted his gaze.
The men immediately caught on and began creeping toward me.
“Don’t come any closer!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, and everyone froze in place. There was no other way. The only option left was to jump. Realizing once again that I had reached a dead end, I felt utterly terrified and exhausted.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I slowly released my grip on the windowsill. As my body tilted forward, a gentle breeze swept over me.
‘This scent…’
I opened my eyes wide and saw nothing but the dark, empty field below. It was faint—so faint I almost thought I imagined it—but there was no way I wouldn’t recognize this scent.
There was only one person in this world whose scent resembled a flower longing for the moon in the sky. Someone I hated with every fiber of my being, yet could never forget—he was coming.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
A voice from my dreams called out to me.
Beyond the field, he was approaching, as if he had stepped right out of a dream. I rubbed my tear-filled eyes and looked again—it was really him.
‘It’s really you.’
So it wasn’t a lie when he said he could find me no matter where I went. In the end, he had come all the way here to get me.
With a bright smile, he opened his arms toward me.
“Jump.”
A buried memory surfaced. The night of the farewell party in District 5, when he had snuck under my window and playfully said:
—Why don’t you come down instead of staying up there?
This time, the height was much greater, and fear gripped me. But when I locked eyes with those unwavering red irises, I let go of the windowsill completely.
“No!!!”
Allen lunged forward to grab me, but it was too late—I was already falling.
I braced for the pain and shut my eyes tightly.
But I never hit the ground.
Instead, I was caught in his arms.
The deep breath I took was filled with his scent.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and lifted my head. Curved, red eyes filled my vision, softened by a gentle smile.
“Got you.”
Whether it was from relief or the overwhelming surge of emotions, my vision blurred with tears.
He held me close, his voice tender as he whispered,
“You’re safe now.”
Somewhere, the thick scent of blood lingered in the air.
***
He had turned the entire village upside down searching for Seo-yul. The locals, particularly hostile toward outsiders, were all dragged into the plaza, and their now-abandoned homes were thoroughly searched.
But there was no sign of Seo-yul anywhere.
Time continued to slip away, and no progress had been made.
Had Seo-yul already left this place? The thought made his anxiety grow unbearable.
By the time the sun had disappeared from the sky and the moon shone in the distance, he finally received a report—there was a suspicious building on the outskirts.
The moment he heard the news, he ran. He didn’t even consider taking a car.
‘Please…’
He prayed, not to any god, but to the very moon above him, as he sprinted through the endless fields.
But even now, his failing body betrayed him.
He was forced to stop, gasping for air, his breath burning in his throat. Just then, a breeze rolled in from the distance. It swept through his sweat-dampened red hair, carrying with it a scent—faint, but unmistakable.
‘This scent—’
Despite its subtlety, he knew.
Seo-yul’s scent was coming from that direction.
Sharpening his senses, he focused entirely on it, his flickering flame-colored eyes lighting up with certainty.
Bang!
Just as he was about to dash forward, a sharp gunshot rang through the air.
A moment later, searing pain tore through his side.
He stopped dead in his tracks, lowering his gaze.
His white shirt was quickly soaking with crimson.
