"HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE RUNNING?!"
The shout rang out loudly in Chinese, breaking the noise of the city filled with neon lights and the sound of engines. The voice was full of anger and menace, like an arrow released straight at its target.
A young man was gasping for breath, his breathing heavy and uneven. Every step felt like carrying the weight of his life. He slammed through a tide of people who ignored him, his face panicked, his eyes wildly searching for a way out of the chaos. Sweat poured down his forehead, his heart pounding like a war drum.
"DON'T RUN! GET OVER HERE!"
A second shout followed, closer now, echoing between the gaps of the tall buildings. The chase now entered a narrow, dark alley, a space that seemed forgotten by the city, where even light refused to visit. Shadows on the walls shook, dancing with the steps of fear.
Four figures emerged from the darkness, cruel silhouettes with machetes in their hands. The blades of the machetes shone sharply in the gloom, seemingly beckoning death. They were like unsated predators, their steps filled with vengeance and hatred.
The man being chased looked young, but his face was heavy with fear and exhaustion. Every second was a gamble between life and death. The alley was now a silent battlefield, where courage and terror collided without a sound.
His breathing grew heavier and more irregular. Every inhalation felt like a slowly slicing dagger in his lungs. His energy was almost gone. With the last of his remaining strength, he leaped behind a pile of old boxes, pressing himself against the cold, damp wall. His heart pounded violently, hammering against his chest without mercy, as if wanting to burst through his ribs. In the dreary darkness of the alley, he could only hope that the night was dark enough to save him.
A few minutes passed like an agonizing eternity. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed, breaking the suffocating silence. Step by step, they approached, bringing with them a terrifying threat. Soon, the four black shadows appeared at the end of the alley, their machetes still glowing in the reflection of the faint light from the main road, like a deadly sheen waiting for its moment.
"Dead end? Damn it... he vanished!" One of them snorted roughly, his eyes darting around every corner. Disappointment was clearly etched on his face. They swept the area with their cell phones, but only darkness answered.
Another, who was more muscular, slammed his machete against the ground. "If I find him, I'm going to chop his head clean off!" His voice was full of vengeance, echoing in the quiet alley, promising a worse fate should the young man be caught.
"WE FOUND YOU!" They lunged towards the man, dragging him out of his hiding place and throwing him to the ground. One of them straddled the man's body, his knee pressing down on the victim's chest to prevent him from moving. The assailant produced a small knife, his eyes glinting as he looked at the young man's terrified face. The tip of the knife was placed on his cheek, leaving a stinging red mark.
"Where do you think you're going to run, huh?" The voice was cynical, full of mockery.
The pinned man could only remain silent, tears streaming down his cheeks. Fear overwhelmed him, stripping him of any courage he might have possessed.
"He's crying, guys! HAHAHA!" They burst into laughter, mocking the man's weakness. To them, the fear was entertainment, proof of the power they wielded.
"You know what, you ruined our party! You ran off with the girl we were going to kill. And then you thought you could defeat us? Pretentious! You disgust me, you know that?!" The voice rose, every word spoken with intense anger and contempt.
The man holding the small knife slowly began to slice the other man's cheek. An immediate burning pain spread across his face. Tears flowed even faster, soaking the dusty ground. He pleaded for help, but his voice only echoed in the silent alley, ignored by everyone except the five people present.
"Please, don't do this to me! What you're doing is wrong! You're trying to kill an innocent young girl! I can't let something like that happen right before my eyes!" The man screamed with all his might, his voice reverberating in the alley, heavy with courage and despair.
"UGH!" A solid punch slammed into his stomach, making him cough violently. The man holding the knife continued to punch him repeatedly, each blow sending waves of intense pain. One of the four men smeared the blood flowing from the victim's cheek with his finger.
He licked the blood ravenously, his eyes closed in enjoyment of every drop. "Ahh... your blood tastes good. I feel like drinking more," he whispered hoarsely, making the pinned man's hair stand on end.
The knife was pressed deeper into his cheek, tearing skin and flesh. The unbearable pain made him scream with all his might. "NO! DON'T!!!"
The man holding the small knife finally lifted his weapon from the prone man's cheek. His face was savage, his eyes staring intently at his victim. He signaled his friend who was holding the machete. It was time to end the man's life.
The man lying on the ground was helpless. His body felt paralyzed; the pain he was experiencing was too agonizing to bear. He could only squeeze his eyes shut, resignedly awaiting his final moments.
Suddenly... BANG!
The deafening sound of a gunshot broke the silence of the alley. Everyone there froze, immobilized in their positions. They tried to process what had just happened, their brains scrambling for answers.
A moment later, one of the four men collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Huh? Han?" His friends were stunned. One of them approached Han's fallen body, shaking him roughly. "Oi! Han Ruo! Wake up!"
But Han Ruo did not move. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the sky. Blood began to flow from his body, forming a growing red puddle.
"Wei Qian..." He called the man who had been holding the small knife. Wei Qian turned, his face deathly pale. "What... what happened to him, Xu Ren?!"
"He... he's dead... Wei Qian."
Wei Qian's face turned ashen. His eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard. Han Ruo's gushing blood began to soak his shoes. Wei Qian looked down, staring at the blood with an empty gaze.
"You two..." While Wei Qian and Xu Ren were still shocked by Han Ruo's death in front of them, Yi Han, who was standing next to Xu Ren, did not look at the corpse.
Instead... he looked up, staring ahead. "There are other people here... They have firearms..." Yi Han said, his voice trembling with fear.
Wei Qian tried to shift his gaze, following the direction Yi Han pointed. He saw them... a group of people standing on the rooftop of a small building not far away. Their faces were unclear, hidden in the darkness. They were dressed entirely in black and holding guns.
Eight people stood on the rooftop, watching them with unreadable expressions. Wei Qian could clearly see, though slightly blurry in the darkness, one of them reloading a bullet, ready to fire again.
The atmosphere became deathly silent... The man lying on the ground had passed out, unconscious. Only the sound of a gentle breeze and the rumble of distant city traffic could be heard.
"Who... are they? Wei Qian..." Yi Han asked quietly, his voice shaking with fear.
"They... They are the Vigilantes!!!!!!" Wei Qian screamed with all his might, "RUN!!!"
"Vigila—?" Yi Han couldn't finish his word.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!!
A rapid succession of shots was fired at them, shattering the night's silence. The bullets rained down on them mercilessly, transforming the dark alley into a brightly lit battlefield.
Yi Han slumped to the ground, his body drenched in blood. The bullets pierced his body repeatedly, taking his life in the blink of an eye.
Wei Qian tried to flee, but behind him was only a dead end. He was forced to seek shelter behind a rusty dumpster at the side of the alley. However, before he could fully hide, several shots hit his leg and back. He collapsed to the ground, forced to crawl to reach the dumpster.
Next to him, Xu Ren fell to the ground, his body soaked in blood from being repeatedly shot. Xu Ren's blood splattered onto Wei Qian's face, startling him and making him scream in terror.
"STOP! STOP SHOOTING!!" Wei Qian screamed with all his might, his voice heavy with fear and pain. He didn't want to die; he couldn't bear to watch his friends die so brutally in front of his eyes.
The shooting stopped instantly. The atmosphere returned to a chilling silence. Wei Qian slowly crawled towards Xu Ren's body, hugging him tightly while crying and screaming.
"WAKE UP, XU REN!" He tried to wake Xu Ren, even though he knew his friend would never wake up again.
"WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT! WAKE UP!" His voice echoed in the alley, breaking the night's silence. Xu Ren's blood soaked both his hands.
"WAKE UP! I HAVE NO ONE LEFT, DAMN IT!!" He sobbed uncontrollably, loss and grief overwhelming him.
Thud... thud... thud... thud...
Far down the alley, Wei Qian heard the sound of footsteps echoing loudly. He couldn't clearly see who was approaching because of the thick smoke shrouding the alley.
The sound of footsteps drew closer, while the smoke slowly dissipated. Finally, a man stood upright behind the smoke. He was dressed entirely in black, walking calmly towards Wei Qian. His face was indistinct, hidden in the darkness. In his right hand, he held a small pistol.
He looked down slightly as he walked, not meeting Wei Qian's eyes. He was also calmly reloading his pistol, showing no sign of surprise or panic.
"W-WHO... WHO ARE YOU?!" Wei Qian, in pain and terror, shouted, demanding the man's identity.
The man lifted his head and looked at Wei Qian. Without warning, he immediately shot Wei Qian in the shoulder.
Wei Qian slumped backward, his shoulder pierced by the bullet. A scream of pain tore through the alley's silence, blood gushed profusely from the wound, soaking the ground. Yet, the mysterious man completely ignored Wei Qian's agony, his face remaining expressionless.
Wei Qian tried to glance around. The eight black-clad figures who had been on the rooftop were now descending one by one, moving silently like shadows, approaching them with measured steps.
When the mysterious man arrived in front of him, he pointed his pistol directly at Wei Qian's forehead.
"Where is Liang Zhenwu?" The question slipped out, cold and devoid of emotion. Wei Qian was stunned, his head dizzy from the pain and blood loss. "Who is...Liang Zhenwu?" he asked again, his voice hoarse and unclear.
"Shot so many times and still won't answer?" A woman's voice replied from the rooftop, a thick Mandarin accent clearly audible. She smiled faintly, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Aww, don't be too harsh, Zhuan Liangfen, hahaha. You look too rough," she said, stepping down from the rooftop with a calm demeanor, as if taking a stroll in a park. The smile was still on her lips, but her cold aura felt piercing.
"Do you think I'm an idiot, huh?" Zhuan Liangfen retorted to Wei Qian's words, his tone full of cynicism.
"What are you...talking about, huh?" Wei Qian still tried to understand, confusion clearly visible on his blood-soaked face.
"Wei Qianlong, thirty-four years old... Your criminal record is full of rape, murder, and kidnapping cases. But one thing I find strange is how a person like you can still walk freely in the outside world, as if the law doesn't exist for you?" Zhuan Liangfen's voice pierced sharply, every word was an undeniable accusation.
Wei Qian fell silent. The words stabbed at him, silencing all his excuses and denials. He could only groan in pain, his body trembling from the agony of the wound.
"If you tell us, we won't kill you."
Hearing that promise, a spark of hope ignited in his dark heart. "Really?! Is...that true?!" he asked, his voice trembling, pleading for certainty.
"Yes, it's true," Zhuan Liangfen replied, his voice flat and emotionless. "Just tell us, and you won't be killed like your friends were killed."
"Alright! Alright! I'll...tell you!" Wei Qian agreed, without hesitation. His life was too precious to risk.
"Liang Zhenwu has fled to....Korea with the rest of his gang. But...he didn't tell me which...district he's going to," Wei Qian finally opened up, sharing what he knew.
However, suddenly, Zhuan Liangfen pointed the pistol at his forehead. Wei Qian was shocked, his eyes wide, disbelieving what was happening.
"Don't! I already....confessed! Don't kill me!" Wei Qian screamed, pleading wholeheartedly. He was helpless, his body paralyzed by the gunshot wound and blood loss.
"True, you confessed. I appreciate that. But your criminal record cannot be overlooked," Zhuan Liangfen replied, his voice cold and merciless.
BANG!
A single shot was fired, ending Wei Qian's life. Zhuan Liangfen stood upright, looking down at Wei Qian's still body. He then shifted his gaze towards the man whose cheek had been cut, who was still unconscious. The alley floor was covered in blood, evidence of the brutality that had just taken place.
"Take this kid to the hospital, let him get treatment," Zhuan Liangfen instructed his eight subordinates. They immediately complied, carefully lifting the unconscious man.
Zhuan Liangfen then looked at the woman standing next to Wei Qian's corpse. "As for you, Yung Meilin tell Joo Hyun that Liang Zhenwu has fled to Korea. Tell him in Korean."
"Alright," Yung Meilin replied calmly, nodding in agreement.
Yung Meilin pulled out a cell phone from her pocket and dialed Joo Hyun's number.
***
After a few minutes, the two of them spoke on the phone in Korean.
"Huh? Is that all the information he gave? Too brief," Joo Hyun complained, dissatisfied with Wei Qian's answer.
Joo Hyun got out of his car, the phone still to his ear. He was in a beautiful city in China, brightly lit and bustling with people.
"Don't you want to go back to Korea? Your own country... Besides, Liang Zhenwu is already there," Yung Meilin asked Joo Hyun.
Joo Hyun remained silent, his eyes staring at the busy city while clutching a water bottle in his right hand. His gaze was empty, then fell to the ground. His thoughts drifted far away, leaving the real world. A faint light enveloped him; faces from the past haunted him, Hyun Jin, Hae Rin, his mother, and Tae Rin.
"Joo Hyun! Joo Hyun! JOO HYUN!!!" Yung Meilin call broke his reverie. Joo Hyun flinched, returning to reality. "Yes?" he replied.
"Why were you quiet just now?" Yung Mei An asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"No... nothing's wrong. I'm fine," Joo Hyun replied, hiding what he had just been thinking.
"So... are you going to Korea?" Yung Meilin asked again.
Joo Hyun paused for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright... I'll go back to Korea..." he answered softly.
"Great! If that's the case, I'll hang up now. Bye Joo Hyun, see you at the headquarters!"
Joo Hyun got back into his car and started the engine. After preparing, he sped away from the beautiful city, heading towards the headquarters with mixed feelings.
***
"Hyun Jin... Hyun Jin..."
The voice was deep, echoing as if emerging from the depths of darkness. Every time his name was called, the vibration of the voice pierced straight into his mind, burrowing deep into his consciousness.
The passengers in the train disappeared one by one, like mist being sucked out of reality. But Hyun Jin was still asleep, unaware that the world around him was slowly turning into something alien.
"HYUN JIN!!!"
The scream tore through the silence, shaking the entire train carriage. The rough voice, coming from nowhere, sounded as if it resonated from within his own chest.
Hyun Jin flinched.
"Huh?! What—?! Am I... still on this train?"
His eyes darted around wildly, his face confused.
"THIS ISN'T A DREAM?! THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING?!"
His shout escaped unconsciously, his tone half-frantic, half-amused, a desperate reaction caught between shock and relief.
But only silence answered him.
"Huh? Where are all the passengers...?"
Suddenly, the voice returned. This time calmer, yet biting like a cold knife.
"Hyun Jin... look behind you."
Slowly, he turned. His breath momentarily caught.
A blue screen floated in the air, flickering faintly, casting a blue light onto his frozen face.
[SYSTEM] GAME TWO HAS STARTED.
[SYSTEM] OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE 6 MONSTERS - 0/6
[SYSTEM] THE GAME WILL ONLY END AFTER 6 MONSTERS ARE KILLED.
Hyun Jin swallowed hard.
"Monsters...? Where...?"
Before he could draw a breath—
CRACK... CRACK...!
The sound of glass shattering broke the silence. The ceiling lights began to flicker, then glowed red like blood.
The windows shattered. Wind rushed in, screaming like lost souls.
On the roof, footsteps could be heard, heavy, slow, but growing closer.
Hyun Jin looked up. His heart hammered rapidly.
"What is that thing...?" he whispered.
He clenched his hands, taking a deep breath.
"Alright... this isn't a dream. If this is a game, then I will play until the end."
His eyes cut sharply through the ceiling.
"No matter what... I will still go home."
The train continued to hurtle quickly into the dark tunnel, swallowing light and hope.
***
Joo Hyun was driving on a lonely highway. The night wind gently tousled his long hair, while the sound of the tires blended with the turbulent voice in his heart.
His left hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, his right hand shaking subtly. His face was calm, but his eyes, held an unspeakable sadness.
"Finally... I'm going back there after all."
He took a deep breath.
He gently pressed the gas pedal. The streetlights flickered by, tracing the shadows of an unresolved past.
TO BE CONTINUED