Wet.
I am so wet.
I was shivering uncontrollably, barely able to move in my situation.
It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on me, shocking me awake.
I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw was darkness.
Blindfolded.
Cold metal pressed against my wrists—I was chained.
My body ached all over, exhaustion weighing me down. I remembered only fragments: someone grabbing me from behind, covering my nose and mouth. Dizzy. Fading. Then nothing.
And now, here I am—beaten down by whoever did this. My abductor.
Just to be clear, I'm not rich. Actually, I'm an orphan now. My parents died two years ago, right after I graduated college. They were buried alive when our apartment building collapsed.
Everything was taken from me.
My life fell apart after that. I had nothing—back to zero.
Now, I work as an animator at a well-known company here in Korea. I'm not wealthy, but my salary is enough to get by. I've managed to save a little, but nothing worth targeting. So why me? Why am I here? Who are they?
The questions kept swarming in my head: Am I going to die? What did I do to deserve this? I already lost everything before—am I about to lose my life too?
What a pathetic life, right? Just kill me quick already.
Then I heard an angelic voice.
"Do you think she's awake?" A woman spoke, her tone carrying authority.
"Yes, she's moving slowly," a man replied.
"Can you hear me, huh?" I felt a sharp pressure against my foot. A pointed heel digging into me, pressing down hard.
I grunted. "Y-yes," I mumbled weakly.
The woman's voice turned cruel as she laughed obnoxiously.
It sounded familiar—so familiar it sent chills through me.
"I'm glad to see you like this, huh?"
I bit my lower lip.
That voice. I knew it.
"You look wasted, and I couldn't be happier. You pathetic whore," she spat.
Suddenly, someone yanked the blindfold off.
I blinked a few times, my vision slowly adjusting.
There she was, standing over me while I lay slumped on the cold floor.
I couldn't be wrong. I knew her.
"How are you, bitch?"
She was my best friend.