Part 27
Felix and Jae-bum had settled into the quiet room on the second floor. Exhaustion had claimed Felix almost the moment his head hit the pillow but peace was far beyond his reach
As soon as he drifted off, the shadows of his past surged forward. In his dream, he saw his family his father, his step-mother and his sister standing in a field of flowers but their faces were blurred and weeping. Suddenly, the sky turned a bruised purple, and his uncle, Lee Jun Ho appeared behind them with a sickening, cold smirk, holding a knife that dripped with dark ink
The scene shifted violently. Felix was back in the suffocating darkness of the prison. The cold iron bars felt like they were shrinking around him. Then he felt a pair of strong, familiar hands pin his wrists to the wall. Hyunjin leaned into his space, his eyes dark with a terrifying obsession. He felt Hyunjin's lips forcing themselves onto his, a kiss that felt more like a violation, a desperate attempt to claim his soul. He could feel the weight of Hyunjin's body crushing him, the memory of the rape flaring up like fire in his spine
"No! Get off me! Stop it!" Felix screamed in the dream but no sound came out until he finally tore himself back to reality
"NO! STOP IT!"
Felix bolted upright in bed, his voice hoarse and raw from the scream. His body was drenched in a cold sweat and he was shaking so violently that the bedframe rattled
Jae-bum was at his side in a heartbeat, having jumped out of the other bed at the sound of the scream. He reached out, hesitating for a second before gently placing his hands on Felix's trembling shoulders to ground him
"Felix! Felix, look at me!" Jae-bum's voice was calm but laced with deep worry "You're safe. You're not there anymore. It was just a dream"
Felix's eyes were wide and glazed with terror, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. It took several long seconds before his vision cleared and he recognized Jae-bum's face in the dim light of the early morning
"Are you okay? Do you want some water?" Jae-bum asked softly, his heart breaking at the sight of the younger boy so utterly shattered
Felix let out a shaky, broken sob and covered his face with his hands. "I... I'm fine, just... It felt like I was still in that cell"
Jae-bum sat on the edge of the bed, refusing to let go "I know how you feel right now. Just be strong enough, please. We are going to get through this"
As the sun began to fully rise, the reality of his physical condition set in. Felix tried to shift his legs to get out of bed but he let out a sharp, muffled gasp. His spine and legs throbbed with a punishing, rhythmic ache the brutal internal damage from the rape the night before
He bit his lip hard, trying to keep his expression neutral. Jae-bum didn't know. He had no idea what Hyunjin had forced Felix to endure in that cell. Felix felt a wave of nausea and shame, he couldn't bring himself to tell his only ally the disgusting truth of what had happened
"You're moving very stiffly, Felix," Jae-bum noted, watching him carefully. "Did you hurt yourself?"
Felix kept his head down, gripping the edge of the blanket until his knuckles turned white "Ohh! Just tired...nothing ...has happened"
Jae-bum frowned, not entirely convinced but he didn't want to push the traumatized boy too hard "If you're tired then you should rest more"
"No" Felix said, his voice cracking but firm "I have to move. I can't stay still"
He forced himself to stand, every inch of his lower body screaming in agony. To Jae-bum, it looked like simple exhaustion or a minor injury from the flight. To Felix, it was a burning, constant reminder of the man he was still trying to escape.
The morning roll call was a hollow formality. The prison felt like a graveyard. When the gates to the yard finally groaned open, Hyunjin walked out alone. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a pale, weak orange glow over the concrete, but there was no warmth in it. The air was biting and sharp, a bitter winter wind that cut through the thin fabric of the prison uniform
Hyunjin stood in the center of the yard, his breath hitching in the frozen air, forming small white clouds that vanished as quickly as they appeared. He didn't pace, he stood like a statue, staring at the high, electrified fences topped with coils of razor wire
Yesterday, Felix had been within these walls. Yesterday, Felix had been in his bed, broken and marked by him. Now, the space beside him was just empty, freezing air.
He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his knuckles still bruised and aching. His mind was a chaotic loop of the night before. He could still feel the way Felix's body had yielded under his weight, the sound of his ragged gasps and the way he had finally gone limp during the rape
The cold weather usually numbed the senses but for Hyunjin, it only made his obsession sharper. Every gust of wind felt like it was mocking him, carrying the freedom that Felix was currently breathing. The thought of Felix out there cold, hurting, but away from him was a physical weight in his chest
"Felix..." Hyunjin muttered, his voice barely a whisper against the wind.
After finishing breakfast, Felix and Jae-bum headed to the car. Felix had pulled a cap low over his eyes to obscure his face, still wearing the oversized clothes Dong-seok had given him. They hung loosely on his frame, making him look smaller than he already was
"Take this. It's an old phone but it works" Jae-bum said, handing him a device. "I've already saved my number in it so you can reach me if anything happens"
"I understand" Felix nodded, gripping the phone
"First, we're going to get you some clothes that actually fit" Jae-bum said as he started the engine "Then, we'll start the search for the evidence"
"There's no need for that! We don't have enough time!" Felix protested immediately, his voice edged with anxiety. He felt like every second they spent in public was a second closer to being caught
"It's just clothes, don't worry. We'll make time" Jae-bum replied with a reassuring smile, trying to calm Felix's nerves
After an hour of driving through the busy streets of Seoul, they pulled over at a shopping district. Felix kept his head down, staring at his shoes to avoid being recognized. Sensing his fear, Jae-bum pulled Felix close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to shield him from view as they walked
"What kind of style do you like?" Jae-bum asked, looking at the racks
"Whatever is fine, Hyung. It doesn't matter" Felix whispered, his eyes darting nervously around the store
"Alright. Go to the fitting room and stay out of sight until I come back" Jae-bum instructed
Felix retreated to the back. To avoid drawing suspicion from the staff by staying in the fitting room too long, he eventually moved to the restroom area to wait. In less than twenty minutes, Jae-bum finished the shopping
"Let's go" Jae-bum said with a grin, holding up several shopping bags
"Let me help you with those" Felix offered, reaching for a bag
"No, no, I've got it. Don't worry about it" Jae-bum insisted, protective as always
They made their way back to the car quickly, the engine roaring to life as they set off once again this time, heading toward the first real lead in their investigation
Jae-bum parked the car a safe distance from Felix's family estate. From where they sat, they could see the towering gates and the silhouette of the mansion a place that had once been filled with laughter, now a cold monument to a tragedy. Felix stared at it with a longing that bordered on physical pain, that house had been his world for years
"How are we... how are we going to get in?" Felix asked, his voice catching in his throat
"Through the servants' quarters," Jae-bum replied quietly "my friend and I used a path back there once. We'll go in through the rear wall"
They stepped out of the car, forcing themselves to walk with a calm they didn't feel to avoid drawing attention. Jae-bum helped boost Felix over the stone wall of the servants' section before hauling himself over. They moved with silent, practiced steps toward the small cottage used by the staff.
When they entered, their hearts hammered against their ribs. The cottage was dark, dusty, and smelled of abandonment. It was clear no one had lived there for a long time
Suddenly, the door creaked. An older woman, a maid around 45 years old, stood there. At the sight of them, she gasped and the heavy bags she was carrying slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. She looked as though she was about to faint from shock
"Auntie! please ... stay calm" Felix said, stepping forward. His hands were shaking as he reached out to steady her
"Master Felix? What... what are you doing here?" she stammered, her eyes wide
"I... I didn't kill my family" Felix said, lowering his head, his voice thick with emotion "I'm looking for proof. Do you also believe that I..."
"Of course I believe you're innocent!" she interrupted. Felix and Jae-bum looked at each other in shock "You were always such a pure, kind-hearted boy. I was here while you grew up, I know your heart"
She gestured for them to sit at the kitchen table. As they sat, dust billowed from the chairs
"I'm sorry" she sighed "No one has lived here since that night. Everything is filthy. I only came back today to collect some clothes my daughter and I left behind"
She sat down, wiping the dust from her hands
Jae-bum leaned forward, his voice hesitant "So, you really believe he's innocent? Can we... can we trust you?"
The maid nodded firmly "I will do whatever is necessary to help"
"Auntie" Felix began, his voice strained "That night... did you see anything strange? I don't know... it all happened so fast"
The maid's expression turned grim "That night, after we finished our chores, the head servant told all of us to go home early because we were 'tired.' We were shocked, we had worked much harder before without being sent away. My daughter and I stayed back for a bit to clean up, only three of us were left. My daughter was taking photos and videos of the decorations to post online... and then she saw something"
"What? What did she see?" Felix asked breathlessly
"At first, we thought it was normal. We saw your uncle talking to several tall men dressed in black suits. Since he had sent the regular guards away, we thought he had just hired new ones. But after everything happened... I watched those videos again. I realized how strange it was. I didn't know who to tell or what to do so I stayed silent. I'm so sorry, Felix... but why .... did your uncle send us home and then immediately that accident .... happened? Doesn't that seem strange to you too?"
Felix remained silent, struggling to hold back his tears
"Do you still have those videos?" Jae-bum asked urgently
"Yes" she said, pulling out her phone.
They huddled around the small screen.
The footage was a bit distant but it clearly showed Felix's uncle speaking with a group of large, imposing men
Felix closed his eyes for a moment, a sharp pain radiating through his chest as the memories flooded back
"What is it, Felix?" Jae-bum asked, placing a hand on his shoulder
"Those... those are the same men," Felix whispered, his voice trembling "When I came downstairs... they were the ones who killed my sister right in front of me. They wore masks but those are the same clothes, the same number of men"
"I'm so sorry, my boy" the maid said, her own eyes filling with tears
"I need to send this video to my phone," Jae-bum said, taking the device to transfer the file "We're going to need this"
The maid stood up and approached Felix. She hesitated, then pulled him into a tight, motherly embrace. Felix clung to her, a broken sob finally escaping him
"Everything will be okay, son. Just stay strong, alright?" she whispered,
As they prepared to leave, they saw trucks arriving at the main mansion. Movers were beginning to carry out the furniture Felix's life was being sold off piece by piece
Felix felt like he was losing his mind, his eyes fixed on the mansion as his memories were literally driven away in crates. Jae-bum had to practically drag him away, holding him firmly to keep him from running toward the mansion
"We have to go, Felix!! Please...." Jae-bum hissed
Felix finally relented, his heart breaking as they retreated to the car. He had the proof but the cost of seeing his mansion stripped bare was a weight he wasn't sure he could carry
The next day, the heavy metal door to the visitation room groaned open.
Hyunjin walked in and immediately spotted the man he had been waiting for. The visitor didn't flinch, didn't smile, and didn't even bother to stand up
"It's been a long time, you ignorant fool" the man said, his voice low and steady
"How are you? I heard you got back a month ago" Hyunjin replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down
"I've been busy cleaning up your father's business messes. I haven't been able to stay in Korea for more than a few days at a time these past few months" the man said flatly
The man was Hwang Taejin, Hyunjin's cousin. He was three months younger than Hyunjin, with sharp, short black hair and eyes the color of bitter coffee. A small, dark tattoo snaked across the left side of his neck, disappearing under his collar
"My father always wished you were his son or that I was more like you" Hyunjin said, a self-deprecating smirk on his lips "But I never was"
Taejin ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, leaning forward with a look of pure boredom "Hey. I know you didn't call me here to cry about your father, You want something. Just say it"
Hyunjin bit his lower back, his eyes darkening with a terrifying intensity "I want you to find someone for me"
Taejin let out an incredulous, sharp exhale "What the hell? Am I your servant or something?!"
"Don't play dumb, Taejin. I need you and you're the only one I can actually trust with this" Hyunjin said, leaning closer to the glass
"Fine. Who is this unlucky person?" Taejin asked
"Lee Felix"
Taejin's expression didn't change. He didn't know the name, and he didn't care "Who is he? Some rival? A witness?"
"Someone I need to find at any cost" Hyunjin hissed, his eyes glowing with a sick, possessive hunger
"So he's someone important, huh?" Taejin mused, tapping his fingers on the table "Alright, I'll do it. But what do I get in return?"
Hyunjin laughed like a madman, the sound echoing off the cold walls "You're unbelievable. What could I possibly give you when you already have everything?"
"Whatever, you pig. I was joking" Taejin said, standing up and smoothing out his jacket "Lee Felix... Hmm. I'll find him soon"
As he started to walk away, Hyunjin called out to him one last time "Taejin?"
Taejin stopped and looked back
"Keep it a secret, Not the police not my father... no one can know"
Taejin let out a cold, knowing smirk "So, Felix was in prison too or he's a criminal uhh I get it" He didn't wait for a response before disappearing through the exit
Hyunjin leaned back in his chair, a deep, demonic smile spreading across his face. He let out a long breath of satisfaction just as the guard arrived to escort him back to his cell. He could almost feel the net closing in on Felix.