No matter how many times he relived it, the shock never dulled.
Insomnia clung to him like a curse. Even when he slept, it was shallow and broken, torn apart by memories that refused to loosen their grip. In the daylight, her shadow followed him just as closely—her smile, her voice, the way she had forced herself to act normal before everything collapsed.
'I failed you.'
Six months.
Six months, and he still hadn't taken revenge.
The thought was like a blade twisting deeper into his chest every single day.
Incompetent. Useless.
Those words were harsher than any accusation spoken aloud. He had failed to protect her. Failed to punish the one who destroyed her. The guilt weighed so heavily that sometimes he wondered if he even deserved to keep breathing.
The officers turned a corner.
Gu Xuan's steps slowed slightly.
Then today happened.
