Big snowflakes were falling from the sky, covering everything around with innocence and pain. They were also falling over DooSan, who was stopped in the middle of the street, staring at that giant screen that was on one of the buildings. He stopped because of that screen. It’s better to say that he stopped because of the news seen on that screen, something that made him stare over there with so much fear. Those were news about Ian SolHi, the one who terrified the entire world seven years ago when she killed the Prosecutor of a case she was involved in, and who did the same thing seven years later when she took another life. For all this, she was eventually sentenced to death.

Yes, it was so: the Supreme Court of Justice, which decided to give that case as an example to the rest of the world, accepted San DuSik’s request. The reason mentioned by San DuSik in Court to get that result was that it was necessary to give an example to everyone through the punishment received by Ian SolHi for her crime, someone who actually worked for the police. Thus instead of bringing justice to others as she swore in the Academy, she did everything she wanted, killing someone in cold blood - no one other than a simple high-school teacher, who couldn’t protect himself from her that night.

Thus, sentencing her to death, they wanted to make everybody fear. Especially, they wanted to make those, whoever intended to play with the law or considered it a joke, fear. Something that they were sure would make it eventually because Ian SolHi’s case was a strong one, which brought Korean Justice into the spotlight again, which was considered fair and feared by everyone.

SolHi’s case was undoubtedly a total success, not only because her victims were avenged but also because those who followed that case right from the beginning received what they wanted - satisfaction. These people had been the most interested in SolHi being sentenced to death, asking the Court for this through numerous petitions. Yes, they wanted her dead, no matter the consequences.

Yet, not everybody thought like that, especially DooSan, who shuddered when he found out the news. „SolHi, this can’t be,” he murmured, eyes bathed with tears. He felt lost and that he lost everything. Yes, he felt no satisfaction with SolHi’s sentence, even if others thought that YuSan was avenged. No, he considered all this a personal failure, something that killed him inside… slowly-slowly along with her.

Actually, in all those four months since SolHi was arrested, DooSan lived in hell. He tried so many times to see her and talk to her because he wanted to see what made her do that and what made her say all she said, but SolHi refused to see him. He didn’t see her even at the trial, where he couldn’t be for an unknown reason even to him. Yes, DooSan did everything to be at that trial, motivating that one of the victims was his brother. A request that hadn’t been accepted by the judge, and this happened because SolHi asked for him not to be there, something that seemed strange to DooSan.

Not only did this seem strange to DooSan but also the fact that Lee refused to see him. This happened on several occasions when DooSan went to see him at the office or his home. Yet, each time he asked to see Lee, he was told that the Captain was abroad or that was unavailable for the moment, and asked him to leave a message. Messages that DooSan left each time he went to see Lee. Nevertheless, none of his messages had been answered. This hurt him a lot because DooSan considered Lee a second father, a good mentor, and a friend. Lee seemed to think differently though if he betrayed DooSan so easily, right from the moment he took SolHi from the Kanam Police Station when he refused to talk to DooSan, giving him no reason for this.

Eventually, DooSan winced when he heard to his right, „Well deserved! God punished her as she deserved.” Looking over there, DooSan saw the young woman who said that, a young woman whose eyes were weirdly sparkling while enjoying others’pain, although SolHi hadn’t ever done anything wrong to her.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

This broke DooSan’s heart even more. He felt pain because of the hatred and contempt felt in the voices of those who talked about SolHi, judging and blaming her even if they knew her only because of what others said in the news. Yes, many of those who blamed and judged her hadn’t ever met her in person but had seen her only on TV. Even so, they all were happy that the assassin Ian SolHi received what she deserved. They didn’t have a reason not to be happy with the result, once they expected that, watching the news every single day to make sure she received what she deserved. Thus, they turned themselves from „victims” to „butchers,” incessantly asking the Court to make them justice by forcing Ian SolHi to pay with her life for their „pain.”

Disgusted by them, DooSan turned his back to them and went away. He still heard whispers behind him, the whispers of the people who passed by him, who judged SolHi. Yet, he couldn’t do anything against this. He was sure that if he had said something, it would have meant to fight in vain. At the same time, he was sure that if he had said something to someone, this would have made him be against SolHi even more.

And, while walking on the street, with his head bowed, with his hands in his pockets, and hunched, DooSan finally understood the real meaning of what Mina said once, „Do you think that jail will bring your brother back, Prosecutor Han? You are so wrong if you think so! If you want to have that revenge you’ve been dreaming of, just let her live in this world and this life she lives now: I assure you she’ll pay a bigger price than the one you want her to pay for what it’s supposed she’s done… a painful price, by the way.” God, how right Mina has been in saying those words… so right she was!

***

„Pain… when all this will ever end? When will I ever stop being the shadow everybody is trampling? Probably never, although I did what I did for love. Yes, I loved someone with all my heart and soul. Yet, this life is so cruel and… so damn,” murmured SolHi, laying on the cold floor of the prison’s bathroom, completely naked and wet while she was brutally kicked and punched and hit with wet towels by the other prisoners.

What made her want to die eventually was a kick received in her stomach from one of the prisoners. This brought the nightmare seven years ago to her mind again. A nightmare she tried to run away from so many times before… and of the one who destroyed her life that night - Han YuSan.

Yes, he hurt her that night and abused her. SolHi clearly remembered this. She remembered his face, his sick smile after having her. And… she remembered his eyes: his demon eyes, something SolHi ran away from for an entire life.

Such memories made SolHi close her eyes eventually. By doing this, she allowed Death and its madness to do whatever they wanted to her. Even so, this didn’t mean that SolHi didn’t want justice for her. She wanted so much to have been stronger that night seven years ago, to have kept tighter the hammer in her hand, the same hammer she used to hit Han YuSan’s head, leaving him unconscious eventually.

SolHi wanted all this so much but she didn’t have time to turn back time. She just allowed herself to relax when total silence was all over her. She missed that silence so much, all that time, even if she knew her nightmare wasn’t over yet because the prisoners kept brutally kicking her, hurting her body more and more. Something that was over so suddenly, the moment she saw herself advancing through a tunnel. She wasn’t alone but with a little boy, whose hand she was holding. „The Angel Un,” who came after her as SolHi thought, the one who led her toward that weak light seen at the end of the tunnel. Yes, SolHi clearly saw the light, but she felt sorrow for her life and all she left behind. Sorrows that bathed her cheeks in tears… maybe for the last time…

***

Dark… then light again… After that, darkness was seen again… and bloody bodies lying on the floor of the prison bathroom. Then, in a corner of the bathroom, there was sitting a monster… He was naked, crouched, and bloody, after taking revenge on all those that made her suffer in life.

Who was that monster? Nobody… the one whom the entire world trampled, wanting to see him surrounded by more darkness… forever. A monster, which many often called Mad Desire for Life… A monster that wanted to live surrounded by light and make himself justice with his hands… Something he did that night when he saved himself from death and allowed himself a new chance at life…

TO BE CONTINUED…