Nestled just beyond the city's edge, where the buildings thinned and the roads grew quieter, stood a modest two-story structure called Dalbit House. Its wooden walls, faded by years of sun and rain, gave it the look of something long forgotten, yet stubbornly standing.
A creaky outdoor staircase led to the second floor, splitting the front like a scar, while blue curtains hung stiffly in small square windows like tired eyelids. Above the entrance, a worn sign with peeling paint still clung to its name. Though it called itself a house, only three tenants lived there, and even they seemed more like ghosts passing through than permanent residents. With a low beige wall encircling it and the distant hum of the city barely reaching its door, Dalbit House felt suspended in time — a quiet stage waiting for something, or someone, to stir its stillness.
"This is the place?"
"Yeah, Room 03."
Two masked men stood outside the door, one glancing down the dim hallway, the other checking his phone with gloved hands.
Suddenly,
A door creaked open behind them.
Room 05. A groggy man stepped out, clutching a phone and rubbing his eyes. He froze.
"Hey! What are you—"
From the shadows, a third masked figure rushed him. The blade pierced his back before the scream could leave his throat, and it was covered by the masked man's hand.
Silence!
"Are you dumb? Didn't you say you killed the neighbors?"-1st masked man
"The door was locked. I tried climbing through the back window." The third killer shrugged, panting
Slightly. "Doesn't matter now — he's dead.
The first masked man scoffed.
"Ahh… Kim Soo, it's our first task, you know? I wanna impress the boss."
"It's already midnight. Let's finish this. It's a kid, anyway…" said the second man.
"Yeah, I guess, Jamie," said Do Suk Lee, adjusting his gloves.
The masked man tightened their masks as they also took out their knives. Do Suk opens the door as they slowly step forward, and they see Do Yun's bed, which was empty...
'Why is he not here?"- said Jamie.
"Don't tell me, he left?" said Do Suk Lee
"No way, I was following since evening, after coming here, he never left," said Kim Soo
Suddenly, from behind, a figure lunged. A rope slipped around Kim Soo's neck—tight, fast, silent. He gasped, clawing at his throat, but it was too late. Kim Soo was yanked back into the lightly dim hallways. The others lunged, hands outstretched, trying to catch him. Their fingers brushed his sleeve, but he was already gone, swallowed by the dark. Rushing out, they saw Kim Soo being strangled by Do Yun with his back against the wall.
"Let him go!" Do Suk charged.
Do Yun shoved Kim Soo's body forward. It crashed into Do Suk, knocking him back. His knife sliced down, grazing Do Yun's face, just below the eye. Do Yun stumbled on his feet, seeing it. Jamie lunged forward, Knife raised— sensing the strike, Do Yun ducked as the knife passed above his head, Do Yun thrusting his head towards Jamie as he slammed his forehead into Jamie's jaw, knocking him out as Jamie flopped on the ground. Seeing that Do Suk and Kim Soo stand back up, Do Yun ran back and retreated down the outdoor stairs. Do Suk and Kim Soo followed behind, finding Do Yun in the middle of the stairs.
(The stairs are narrow...!) - Do Suk thought as he grind his teeth (he is trying to single us out), even then Do Suk charged towards Do Yun.
Kim Soo: Wait! Do Suk He is holding a chain.
Do Suk heard that, regardless, he suddenly charged. Do Yun swung the chain like a whip, hitting Do Suk right in the eye, making him wobble back. Though Do Yun didn't waste any time, he kept on swinging relentlessly, hitting Do Suk, who could only grunt in stinging pain.
Thump.
Thump.
Suddenly, just as Do Yun was hitting, just above Do Suk's shoulder, Kim Soo swung a knife directly towards Do Yun. Do Yun dodged it, but his foot slipped, and he fell down the stairs and landed on the ground.
Do Yun: Ahh! Fuck.
Do Yun immediately looked up as he was greeted with a kick directly to his face, knocking him back.
Kim Soo: Die You bastard!
As Kim Soo lunges, knife aiming straight for Do Yun's face—Time slows. A voice echoes from deep within memory:
----
Lee Hyunwoo (childhood voice, sharp and clear): If it's a street fight, anything goes, Do Yun.
----
Do Yun dodged—barely.
The blade grazed the side of his head, blood trailing down his cheek. But he didn't stop.
He lunged—not like a fighter, but like a cornered animal.
Teeth bared. Mouth wide.
He sank his jaws into Kim Soo's neck.
A horrendous scream tore through.
Kim Soo thrashed, but Do Yun didn't let go. He bit diagonally, tearing through flesh like a starving wolf.
The sound wasn't human.
Kim Soo staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief.
He clutched his neck, blood pouring like a river, warm and thick between his fingers.
He tried to speak—only a gurgle escaped.
His knees buckled.
He collapsed hard, crashing face-first before Do Yun, eyes still open, locked in shock.
A twitch.
Then stillness.
Do Yun stood over him, breath ragged, mouth stained red.
No words.
But Do Yun's body was shivering at the sight of Kim Soo's dead body. Suddenly, a bleeding Do Suk came running like a wild boar, picked up Do Yun, and thrust him towards a wall.
Do Yun: Ack!
Do Suk: You BASTARD!
As he then picks Do Yun up in the air planning to throw him down. When Do Yun thrusts his thumbs in Do Suk's eyes.
Do Yun: Anything Goes!
Do Suk lets go of his grip, but Do Yun doesn't fall, wrapping his legs around Do Suk. He thrusts his thumbs deep into Do Suk's eyes.
Do Suk: Ahhhh!
Do Yun: Ek....Waaaahhhh!
Until Do Suk fell down, Do Yun's thumbs were buried in Do Suk's eyes. Taking his thumbs out of the eyes, blood poured drop by drop.
Do Yun stumbled as he looked at the knife beside Kim Soo, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the blood-covered corpse.
As he picked up the knife his body finally gave in—
Vomits.
Do Yun vomits, even just thinking about what he has done, feels like a huge boulder on his back—yet he moved, One more was alive.
Climbing like a drunken, blood smeared on his hand, he saw Jamie stumbling, trying to back up as he bled from his mouth. Seeing Do Yun covered in blood, he lunged, pushing Do Yun to the railings, but it wasn't enough.
Do Yun swung his knife stabbing Jamie's back again and again and again
Stab.
Stab.
Stab.
Stab.
Even after Jamie's body limps, Do Yun doesn't stop he kept on stabbing until his knife gets stuck on Jamie's back—Killing everyone. Finally, Do Yun's legs gave up, as he fell on his butt.
Gulps.
Do Yun(soft, cracking): What... Have I done!
Rubbing his face with his bloody hands Do Yun was terrified.
Do Yun (voice trembling):
"I killed someone."
(beat)
"...I killed them all."