Daniel hadn't slept properly in over a week.
Every night was the same.
The tunnel.The smell of damp concrete.The sound of fists tearing through air.The crunch of bone splitting under Seong Min's calm hands.
And that look. That detached, violet flicker in his eyes. Like Seong Min wasn't fighting, wasn't surviving—he was dissecting.
Daniel would jolt awake with his shirt clinging to sweat, heart hammering like it wanted to escape his chest. No amount of water or deep breaths would wash it away. Even when morning came, the shadow followed him into class.
Now, in daylight, the fear didn't leave—it just wore a different mask.
He sat at his desk, pencil trembling between his fingers. The teacher's voice bled into static. Students murmured in low tones, but their laughter didn't sound the same. Nothing at J High sounded the same anymore.
Across the room, Seong Min leaned back casually, tapping his pen against his notebook. He looked bored. Almost asleep.
But every so often, those violet eyes swept the room with surgical calm.
A hawk, circling above prey.
Daniel's chest tightened, his body shrinking under a pressure Seong Min hadn't even aimed at him.
How do you fight someone like that?How do you even breathe in the same room?
At lunch, the unease only thickened.
The courtyard hummed with restless noise—laughter too loud, whispers too sharp, trays clattering like cymbals. Students glanced over shoulders, eyes quick, waiting. Nobody spoke his name out loud. They didn't need to.
Seong Min sat at his usual table, calm, untouched, watching everything with folded hands.
Daniel forced himself to look away.
His eyes caught Zack instead, laughing louder than normal, grin wide enough to split his face. Mira sat beside him, arms folded, watching the crowd like she was expecting thunder. Even Jay, who usually melted into silence, seemed more alert, his gaze flickering between Seong Min and the courtyard's corners.
Everyone was bracing.
For what, Daniel didn't know. But he did know who.
His throat burned. His fists clenched under the table. If no one moved soon, if no one stood up, Seong Min wouldn't just haunt him. He would swallow everyone.
Mira. Jay. Even Zack.
But what could Daniel do?
What could anyone do?
"Man, you're all acting like babies."
The noise cracked as Vin Jin's voice cut across the courtyard.
He leaned against a wall with his usual swagger, sunglasses tilted, smirk wide. His voice carried, sharp enough to make sure everyone heard.
"Dog Pound? Please. They were weak. Got stomped because they were losers. If I'd been there—tch—would've ended in one kick. Easy."
His crew laughed, thin and nervous. Most students ignored him.
Vin Jin's grin twitched. He raised his voice louder.
"What, you don't believe me? You idiots should be thanking me for keeping this school safe. Without guys like me—"
"Vin Jin."
The single name landed like a blade.
The courtyard hushed. Heads turned.
Mary Kim.
She stood at the far end, jacket loose around her shoulders, hair tied back, gaze flat and sharp. She didn't posture. She didn't shout. She didn't need to.
Every step she took pressed the air heavier. Students parted without thinking, as though her presence alone cleared the path.
Vin Jin stammered. "M-Mary, I was just—"
Her fist connected with his jaw before he finished.
The crack rang out, bouncing between walls. Vin Jin spun sideways, crashing into a bench, sunglasses flying. His crew scrambled but didn't dare interfere.
Mary shook her hand once, not even looking at him.
"You're embarrassing yourself again," she said, voice calm and cold.
Vin Jin groaned, clutching his jaw. No one laughed. Not this time.
Because Mary Kim wasn't a joke.
She was real.
Daniel watched her turn away, his chest tightening.
Strong. Calm. Beautiful. Terrifying.
Different from Seong Min's monstrous aura, but no less undeniable. Seong Min dissected people like test subjects. Mary simply ended things.
And for the first time in days, Daniel felt it.
A flicker of something he'd almost forgotten.
Hope.
If anyone could stand against Seong Min… it was her.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Teachers lectured, chalk squeaked against boards, but Daniel's mind was elsewhere.
Every time he looked at Seong Min, half-drowsing in his seat, that hope burned hotter.
Every time he thought of Mira, scanning the halls with sharp eyes, that hope solidified.
By the final bell, Daniel had made his choice.
He wasn't going to sit still anymore.
The gates buzzed with noise as students spilled out. Groups clustered, laughter breaking loose after a tense day. Vin Jin ranted to anyone who'd listen, sunglasses crooked, face swelling red.
And there she was.
Mary Kim.
Leaning against the wall by the exit, scrolling her phone, jacket hanging loose.
Daniel's pulse thundered in his ears. His palms were slick. His legs were lead, but they carried him forward anyway.
He stopped in front of her, throat dry.
"Mary."
She didn't look up. "What?"
"I…" He forced his breath steady. "I need your help."
Her eyes lifted then, sharp and unreadable, pinning him in place.
"Help?"
"With Seong Min."
The name cracked out, but once spoken, it couldn't be contained. The words tumbled, desperate.
"You've seen him. You've heard the rumors. He's dangerous. If we don't do something—if nobody stops him—he'll take everything. He'll swallow all of us."
Mary's gaze didn't soften. She slid her phone away, standing straighter.
"You think I care about your rumors?" she asked, voice calm, clipped. "If he's strong, he's strong. That doesn't mean I'm going to play sidekick in your little revenge story."
Daniel flinched. "It's not revenge. It's survival. People are scared—"
"They should be."
The words hit like stones.
Vin Jin burst into laughter nearby, high and ugly. "This loser? Asking you? Ha! Pathetic."
"Shut up," Daniel snapped, surprising even himself with the heat in his voice. His eyes burned as he turned back to Mary. "I'm serious. I can't fight him alone. Nobody can. But you—you're different. I saw it. You're strong enough—"
Mary stepped forward, suddenly close enough that Daniel could see the sharpness in her eyes.
"You want me to fight your battles," she said softly. "But you can't even stand on your own."
The words sliced deeper than fists ever could.
Daniel froze, shame burning his face.
Mary brushed past him, her shoulder bumping lightly against his.
"Get stronger first."
Daniel stood frozen, trembling. Vin Jin's laughter scratched his ears like nails on glass, but it didn't matter.
All he could hear was her voice.
Get stronger first.
The shame burned hotter than the fear ever had.
And for the first time, Daniel realized even desperation wasn't enough.
End of Chapter 20 – Desperation's Reach