Part 1
The Grand Palace was adorned in the most opulent and luxurious manner. Guests had gathered for the festivities and servants continuously presented an array of food, all to celebrate the birthday of the Lee family's son Lee Felix
Despite the grandeur, Felix found no joy in the occasion. However being from a prestigious family, he accepted the celebrations with resigned duty
Felix's mother had passed away when he was ten. His father later married the woman with whom he had been having an affair even before his mother's death. This woman was already pregnant at the time and had given birth to a daughter who was now ten years old
Felix was a quiet young boy. Although he could never bring himself to like his father's new wife, he didn't hate her either for she was genuinely a good woman
"My son, come on! The cake has arrived" Mr. Lee announced with a beam, opening the door to Felix's room
Offering a faint smile, Felix nodded and adjusted his tie
As he descended the grand staircase, all the guests turned to look at him and began to applaud as if he were a groom at a wedding
"Happy birthday, my son" said Felix's uncle, Lee Jun-ho
"Thank you very much, Uncle" Felix replied with a polite smile
On the large cake stood two large candles, forming the number 18
"Make a wish" urged his younger stepsister, Hee-ju
Felix closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, made a silent wish and blew out the candles. The room erupted in applause once more.
The party continued until nearly 11 PM with guests gradually taking their leave. Despite now being 18, Felix had refused all alcohol and later politely asked his father for permission to retire to his room
By midnight, the palace was empty of servants and guards; Mr. Lee had granted everyone the night off at the suggestion of his brother, Lee Jun-ho.
Just after Felix stepped out of the bathroom, he was frozen by a piercing scream from his sister, followed immediately by a gunshot. He immediately rushed downstairs.
His eyes widened in horror at the scene before him: his father and stepmother lay on the floor, bleeding.
"Father!! You... Who are you?" Felix screamed, staring in terror at the masked men standing over them.
Suddenly, a powerful punch struck him from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. Before he completely lost consciousness, he heard another gunshot and saw his little sister fall. He tried desperately to reach for her, but the darkness swallowed him.
When Felix regained consciousness, the palace was swarming with police and investigators, who were lifting the three bodies into ambulances
"F-Father!?" Felix stammered
Before he could process the scene, two police officers handcuffed his hands.
"You... what are you doing? Why... are you arresting me?" Felix asked, utterly shocked.
"You're still asking why?" one of the policemen retorted sarcastically.
They shoved Felix into the back of a police car. He kept pleading, asking about his father and begging them to take him to him.
"Your father is dead. Didn't you kill him yourself?" the policeman stated coldly
"What? Me? I..." Felix's eyes widened in disbelief.
The car soon stopped and the police forcefully dragged him out. A crowd of media had gathered, their cameras flashing continuously as they took pictures and videos
"Mr. Lee Felix, why did you kill your family?" one reporter shouted
"Was it because of your stepmother?" yelled another.
"Why did you do it?"
Tears began to stream down Felix's face as he struggled to comprehend their accusations
"Don't worry, my son, I'm here!" Lee Jun-ho called out desperately, hoping Felix would hear him over the din
Felix looked at his uncle, his eyes filled with tears, and remained silent
Three days later, Felix's trial began. Despite his uncle's efforts to reveal the truth, the evidence was overwhelmingly scarce. Felix's eyes were sunken, his skin pale, his lips chapped, and he looked profoundly weak.
"The court is now in session" the bailiff announced.
Everyone stood, and Felix rose with great difficulty. Members of the media were also present, watching his every move.
"Lee Felix, eldest son of Mr. Lee Dae-hyun, you are accused of murdering your father, your stepmother and your stepsister. How do you plead?" the judge intoned.
Felix slowly looked toward his uncle, his expression one of utter hopelessness. The lawyer his uncle had hired gently placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the speaking spot. Felix stood up and walked over
"I... I didn't do anything" was all Felix could say
"All criminals say that. Do you have anything new to add?" the judge replied dismissively
"Your Honor, please" Felix's lawyer interjected.
"Proceed" the judge allowed
"My client is innocent. We have reviewed the evidence extensively. He was not present when his parents were killed. He himself stated that he was upstairs and only ran down after he heard the gunshot, finding his sister had just been murdered" the lawyer explained
"Do you have any evidence to support that claim?" the judge asked
"Unfortunately all the security cameras were either broken or not functioning that night, so..." the lawyer trailed off.
"Your Honor?" the prosecutor spoke up.
The judge signaled for him to proceed.
"I must ask ... why did all the cameras suddenly fail on this specific night? The evidence that has emerged, along with the medical examiner's report, all point conclusively to the defendant. His fingerprints were found on the murder weapon" the prosecutor stated
Felix's eyes widened in shock and he looked at his uncle, who appeared equally stunned
"And that is not all. Evidence suggests he also assaulted his young sister" the prosecutor added.
A tear fell from Felix's right eye "No! I would never do such a thing!" he shouted
"Was it because your father had an affair with your stepmother before your mother's death and it hurt her? Is that why you killed them?" the prosecutor pressed.
"No! It's true that... I didn't like my stepmother very much but she... was a very good woman. I never thought of doing anything like this!" Felix cried out.
"But the evidence contradicts you. Your fingerprints are everywhere. Even the expensive watch you gave your sister for your birthday was found on the floor, stained with her blood" the prosecutor said
"That's impossible! I never even took that watch out of its box. All the gifts were taken to my room. This can't be happening!" Felix argued desperately
The prosecutor proceeded to display all the evidence for the court: photographs of the crime scene, the gun and the forensic report confirming a 99.99% match for Felix's fingerprints on the weapon
"I didn't do it! Someone hit me from behind and knocked me out. When I woke up, the police were already there!" Felix shouted in despair.
"All the evidence is against you. We have your fingerprints on your sister's body, indicating you assaulted her. She was only ten years old. How could you?" the judge said, his voice heavy with condemnation
In a final, desperate act, Felix stumbled toward the judge's bench "I swear to God, I didn't do it. Please believe me .... I didn't do anything!"
The police officers grabbed his arms and Felix struggled against them, his tear-filled eyes locked on his uncle, who could only look on in paralyzed shock
After his conviction, Felix was transferred to a main prison in Korea. Upon his arrival, he was processed alongside other criminals, their hardened faces a stark contrast to his own terrified expression.
His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear. His eyes were red and swollen from days of crying, and his voice was a ragged, hoarse whisper from screaming his innocence to deaf ears
As the guards marched him through the corridors, the other inmates stared at him with predatory interest. Felix kept his head down, trying to shrink away from their penetrating gazes.
"This is you room now" a guard stated flatly, shoving him into a cell.
A man who appeared to be in his thirties was inside; Felix's new cellmate. He had dark black hair , weary face. The man said nothing, merely turning away as Felix entered.
"H...Hello" Felix stammered, his voice thick with fear. He received no reply.
The cell doors were only locked from late night until early morning; the rest of the time, inmates were free to remain in their cells or congregate in the common area. Felix sat on the edge of his bunk, hugging his knees to his chest. At eighteen, he was far too young to be in this place and the crushing weight of his innocence made it all the more suffocating
A short while later a guard rapped on the bars "Mealtime."
Felix slowly got up, tying his long blond hair back into a loose ponytail with trembling hands. He waited in the food line, received his tray and found an empty table just as he was about to take his first bite, a commotion shattered the relative quiet.
"Please... please, don't hurt me!" a man begged, cowering with his arms over his head
"Did I say you could eat?" a voice, cold and taunting, cut through the air
Felix looked over. A tall boy with medium-length black hair stood over the cowering man. He moved with a terrifying grace like a devil in human form.
"Sorry... I was just... so hungry" the man pleaded
Without warning, the black-haired boy unleashed a flurry of kicks and slaps, treating the man like a lifeless puppet. He then sat down, yanked the man's head back by his hair and forced his face up
"You were hungry, is that it?" he sneered. He scooped a handful of rice like it was garbage and shoved it violently into the man's mouth.
Felix's hands began to tremble, his own forgotten meal shaking on the tray. He looked frantically at the guards who watched with passive indifference and then at the other prisoners some looked on in fear while others clapped and cheered
"Eat! You said you were hungry, you bastard!" the black-haired boy yelled.
Finally, two guards ambled over "That's enough"
"Fine whatever" the boy stood up and sauntered to his usual table by the window, a place of clear privilege
Felix was still trembling when boy's path brought him near his table.
"You're new?" Hyunjin's voice was deceptively light.
Felix stared down at his tray, paralyzed and unable to speak.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!!" Hyunjin said, closing the distance. He used a single finger to lift Felix's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. His touch was like ice
"Y...Yes ! I just arrived today" Felix managed to whisper, his body rigid with fear.
"Hmm, You're just my type" Hyunjin murmured, bringing his fingers dangerously close to Felix's ear before trailing them down his jaw "We'll be spending a lot of time together, pretty boy" In a flash his demeanor shifted. He delivered a sharp, stinging slap that snapped Felix's head to the side
Then as casually as he had arrived, Hyunjin walked back to his table where a group of men immediately gathered around him. He began to eat, occasionally throwing his head back with a laugh that sounded utterly unhinged
For no reason other than sheer, overwhelming terror a single tear traced a path down Felix's cheek. With shaking hands, he picked up his spoon and began to eat, forcing the tasteless food down his constricted throat