Beneath the moonlight, in the footsteps of pain, a tormented soul was born—one destined for vengeance.
First Man: "Catch him! Don't let him escape!"
A child ran through the darkness and chill of the forest, gasping for breath. His body was marked with scars and bound in chains, while hounds barked wildly behind him, eager to tear him apart.
Reaching the edge of a cliff, cornered by the beasts, the boy whispered a single word—"Traitors."
Then, with a voice trembling with both fury and anguish, he cried out that he would find him.
Without hesitation, the child leapt into the depths of the forest below.
First Man (shouting): "Did you catch him?"
Second Man (fearfully): "He… he threw himself from the cliff."
First Man (roaring): "Then go after him! Search everywhere—even in the depths of hell! Don't let him escape!"
Second Man: "Yes, sir! Men, begin the search!"
Yet when the night's darkness finally lifted, no trace of the boy's body was ever found
Five years later — Rojo City
The night of the city was never silent. Reflections of neon lights shimmered on the wet sidewalks, drunken laughter clashed with the cries echoing from alleys ruled by gangs.
Amid the chaos, three boys walked quickly, their footsteps echoing in the night.
— "Hahaha! The night air is so refreshing… I love walking in the dark."
— "Get used to it. You're now a member of the Midnight Circle."
— "Enough chatter. Our target is ahead."
At the corner of a narrow street, one of them pointed toward a crowded bar.
— "Look… those two are from our school. And they're drunk."
Another replied with a sly grin:
— "Camera ready?"
— "Camera?!"
— "The Midnight Circle wasn't created just to hang out. It's for keeping an eye on suspicious students and reporting to the principal. These shots will earn us plenty of praise."
The hesitant boy asked:
— "And what will happen to them?"
— "They'll be expelled immediately. The police will be notified of their behavior."
His voice trembled:
— "But… isn't that interfering in people's lives outside of school? It feels wrong."
The other smiled, patting him on the shoulder:
— "Look at it another way. The principal has influence. Thanks to his club, we protect the school's reputation… and we benefit as well."
The hesitant one sighed:
— "I don't know… maybe you're right. Let's go to the arcade. Maybe that'll clear my head."
— "Exactly. Fun takes away the worries."
Arcade
— "Hasn't Alex been in the bathroom too long?"
— "He rushed out five minutes ago… and stole the photos too."
— "Damn it! This happens every time… Kiri, call the usual number. Don't let him ruin our plans. I won't tolerate another failure because of some foolish rookie."
— "With pleasure."
Transition – Alex in the alleys
Alex dashed through the dark alleys, panting hard, clutching the photos hidden under his coat.
Suddenly, a girl's voice called out:
— "Oi! Hey, kid, give me a hand… I twisted my ankle."
— "Sorry… I'm in a hurry."
The girl smiled strangely, moving with deliberate seduction as she revealed something in her hand.
— "What about… a little fun first?"
Alex staggered back, uneasy. Then a massive shadow fell across the ground. He turned—only to find a large-built man looming behind him! With a sudden shove, Alex was thrown to the ground beside the girl.
The girl shrieked:
— "Oh my God!! What are you doing?!"
Alex, bewildered:
— "What…?!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag—drugs.
— "No… I didn't put this here!"
The girl screamed louder:
— "He tried to harass me! He's on drugs!!"
[A policeman enters]
— "What's going on here?"
— "Officer! Thank God you're here!"
The policeman stared coldly at Alex, then pulled out his baton and struck him across the face.
— "Well, well… a boy under eighteen, using drugs and trying to assault a girl? That's enough to keep you locked up in juvenile detention for years."
[Click — camera shutter sound]
Suddenly, members of the Midnight Circle appeared, smirking wickedly.
— "Oh, poor Alex… why did you betray us? We treated you so well."
Another burst into laughter:
— "This photo will be hanging at the school gate tomorrow. You'll be a laughingstock, a lesson for everyone. A reminder: don't mess with people… or with the system! Hahahahaha!"
Laughter echoed through the alley.
Alex, sprawled on the ground, covered his trembling face with his hands. Tears mingled with blood as he whispered:
— "God… please, get me out of this hell… please.
Suddenly, a strange metallic sound echoed from the end of the alley: Clang… Clang…
A man stepped out of the shadows. His face was hidden, his build unremarkable, but in his hands were two iron rods, striking against each other.
Everyone froze. The Midnight Circle's leader shouted nervously:
— "What are you waiting for? Deal with him!"
The brute smirked, stepping forward:
— "No hard feelings, alright?"
He raised his massive fist, but the stranger blocked it with one rod and drove the other into the brute's mouth with brutal force. The giant collapsed to the ground, disoriented.
The leader yelled and pointed at the officer:
— "Shoot him! Now!"
— "What? But—"
— "I'll double your pay! Just shoot!"
The stranger struck his rods together. A piercing resonance shattered every streetlamp, plunging the alley into suffocating darkness.
Terrified, the officer fired wildly. Each shot briefly lit up the alley, and with every flash, the stranger was closer… closer… until, with the last shot, he appeared right in front of the officer and struck him down with his rod.
The leader staggered back:
— "W-What are you?!"
The stranger gave no answer. He lunged, seizing the man by the throat.
The leader gasped, choking:
— "I… can't… breathe…"
The stranger screamed madly:
— "Who am I? Will you tell me who I am?!"
A stone struck the stranger's shoulder. He turned.
Alex stood weakly, his body battered, his face streaked with blood—yet his eyes burned with fire.
The stranger laughed:
— "Hahaha… you want to save him? After everything he's done to you?"
Alex panted:
— "I won't… let you… kill him!"
He lunged with a high kick. The stranger blocked it with ease and countered with a crushing punch. Alex dodged, but the stranger flipped him over and slammed him into the ground.
Looking down with disdain, the stranger sneered:
— "Pathetic…"
But Alex, grimacing through pain, smirked:
— "You're… left-handed… aren't you?"
The stranger froze for a moment, then straddled him, choking him again.
— "Say it… Tell me who I am!"
With trembling hands, Alex grabbed the officer's radio.
— "Now, Zeke!"
The leader snatched the radio desperately, calling for backup.
Alex shouted defiantly:
— "The police are coming… If you want to kill me, then hurry up!"
The stranger went silent, then chuckled darkly:
— "Hah… You made yourself bait… with such a cheap plan. Good… very good. I suppose tonight has been… satisfying."
He released Alex and stood.
Alex, gasping:
— "He… he left us…"
The stranger gave no reply. Instead, he drew a knife and hurled it at the girl—piercing her head. Another knife flew at the brute as he tried to crawl away, striking him down. The stranger then descended upon him, stabbing his head again and again until the screams faded and death claimed him.
Coldly, he muttered:
— "I never said anything about the others."
Grabbing the wounded officer by the leg, he dragged him into the depths of the darkness. His voice drifted like a broken echo:
— "There's a voice in my head… it keeps repeating: sin… sin… All I want is to stop the pain… to atone for what I've done. But it seems I've become… someone else."
He paused, his eyes glinting as he glanced at Alex:
— "Even you, boy… you're not ordinary. Your eyes are too dark. You're lying. I wonder… what's your sin?"
And then he vanished into the abyss of the alley.
The wail of police sirens grew louder.
Alex, trembling and exhausted, sat on the ground, a bitter laugh escaping his bloodied lips:
— "My first night in the club… more thrilling than I ever expected."
The Next Morning
The morning felt heavy. Sunlight seeped through the curtains, but the echoes of the police from the night before still lingered in their minds.
One of the club members sat restlessly, slamming his hand on the table in frustration:
— "Damn it… the police are a nuisance. Why all these damn questions?"
Another replied flatly:
— "Yeah."
The leader hesitated for a moment, then muttered:
— "I'm sorry… about last night. I was a cold-hearted bastard."
Alex smirked slyly:
— "Yeah… you really were a cold-hearted bastard. Now, hand me the memory card."
The first member tossed the card onto the table, biting his lip hard.
— "There. We're even now."
But the second leaned forward, voice serious:
— "One more thing… I want to be the club's president."
The first man's eyes widened in shock:
— "What the hell are you talking about?! I started this club!"
The other chuckled calmly:
— "I know someone who can edit that video and spread it online… What do you think the headline would be?"
The first froze, picturing the disaster, until he heard the mocking reply:
— "Scandal: Students Conspire Under Higher Authority."
The first slammed the table furiously:
— "You bastard… so this was your plan all along!"
The other shook his head slowly:
— "On the contrary… I never expected things to turn out this way. But you and your crew? You're trash."
In Front of the Midnight Circle
The new boy stood confidently at the door. Before the stunned eyes of the others, he declared in a firm voice:
— "From now on… you're all expelled."
One of them shouted:
— "What did you just say?!"
Another snapped:
— "Oi! What the hell is this bastard talking about?!"
He answered with a cold smile:
— "It's an order from the new president of the club. Now, get out. And remember… I don't care much for rumors."
With that, he shut the door in their faces.
The expelled members exchanged desperate looks.
— "What do we do? The principal will have us expelled!"
— "We're dead!"
But their leader silenced them, his eyes wide with rage:
— "Quiet. We won't act now. We need to think… about our second move. To crush that bastard."
Inside, the new president looked around at the chaos that filled the clubroom. Papers scattered, chairs overturned, boxes piled messily. With a weary sigh, he ran a hand through the papers.
— "Looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me."
At Sunset
The last rays of sunlight slipped into the messy room. The boy leaned back in his chair after hours of cleaning, wiping sweat from his brow.
— "Finally… it's done."
In the school corridors, the air was heavy with silence.
Jina stopped in front of Theo, his expression tense, as if trying to open a decisive conversation.
In a low voice, he said:
— "I think this is the end… If you ever need anything, you can call me."
Theo replied coldly, looking away:
— "Yeah… fine."
Jina pressed harder:
— "So you really don't plan to save the club?"
Theo froze in place, then muttered without conviction:
— "I'll think about it."
Jina took a deep breath, as though giving up:
— "Theo… it's been seven months. It's time you decided."
He turned and walked away, leaving behind a short farewell:
— "Goodbye, Theo."
Theo stared at the floor as Jina's voice faded further and further:
— "Take care of yourself…"
Not far away, another student watched silently.
— "Hmmm… what's going on between them?" he asked curiously, scratching his head.
"Hey, what happened to the Photography Club?"
The other replied:
— "Oh… the administration cut its funding. It's being dissolved soon. Shame for its members."
The first shrugged indifferently:
— "Yeah… shame."
As the sun set, the scene shifted.
The sky was painted a deep crimson, clouds melting like blood across the horizon.
On the third-floor balcony, Theo sat in silence, hands resting on the railing, eyes fixed on the last threads of light.
A classmate approached lightly, smiling:
— "Beautiful view, isn't it?"
Theo didn't answer. He remained silent, as if lost elsewhere.
The classmate tried joking:
— "Don't you want to take a picture of it?"
Theo slowly raised his eyes, his voice cold as ice:
— "I… hate sunsets."
The other froze for a moment, then laughed awkwardly:
— "Why? Isn't it something beautiful? The end of a workday for the worker… the end of lessons for the student… a moment of rest for everyone. I hate school, but sunsets give me peace. Look, the red sky… like—"
Theo suddenly cut him off, his voice sharp:
— "Blood."
The classmate's eyes widened:
— "…?!"
Theo turned back to the horizon, as if the sunset whispered secrets only he could hear.
Slowly, he spoke, like words drawn from the heart of darkness:
— "When the sun sets… the beasts awaken. They wait for the night as their cover… to do whatever they please. To hunt freely."
Silence fell, heavy as stone.
The classmate shivered slightly, then forced a nervous smile, looking away:
— "Quite an… interesting thought."
[Schoolyard at Sunset]
The courtyard was nearly empty, the air tinged with the coolness of evening. Theo stood by the fence, staring at the blood-red sky.
Bully (6): — "Hey, scarface! Take a picture of me and my friends."
He strutted toward Theo, hand reaching for his shoulder.
Theo (low, cold voice): — "Don't touch me."
But the bully squeezed harder.
— "What's wrong? We're just being friendly."
A twisted smile curled on Theo's lips.
— "I don't need trash in my life."
Tension snapped. The bully grabbed him in anger, but Theo shoved Alex (the quiet boy) aside, snatched an iron rod from the ground, and in his eyes glimmered a dark spark—like the sunset had ignited something within him.
Bully: — "You bastard…!"
He raised his hand, but froze.
A stern female voice rang out:
— "What's going on here?"
Time itself seemed to freeze. A girl appeared with confident steps, her hair glinting in the red light, her gaze sharp as steel.
A student whispered:
— "Damn… It's Fiora Neo, the Student Council President."
The bully and his friends faltered, then fled quickly.
Theo turned to her, a mocking smile twisting his face.
— "Tch… an ugly sunset, just like your rotten heart."
He turned and walked away, leaving only the echo of his footsteps.
The girl sighed heavily.
Fiora (quietly, with sadness): — "That boy… Theodore Arsh, second year."
Alex, who had been watching silently, clenched his fist.
(It's him… the same one who saved me last night. My instincts weren't wrong.)
Fiora glanced at him with a weary smile:
— "Sorry, kid… but could you help me clean up this mess?"
Alex (hesitant): — "Uh… sure."
(And so… my story with Theodore began. Under the sunlight he looked like any ordinary student. But in the dark of night, he became a scarred beast… devouring other monsters in his search for atonement. He is… like Ja Shin)
[ To be continued ]