The moment SolHi entered their hideout, Ha Rin smiled. „Are you back? So soon?” She asked in amazement. „I thought you’d be there all night talking with him because longing and lovers aren’t in a good relationship.”

Seeing herself suddenly thrown to the ground, Ha Rin froze. She couldn’t believe that SolHi attacked her. She didn’t even understand the reason for that hatred seen in SolHi’s eyes, not after everything she had done in the last few days and when she saved her life when they were still in prison. Even so, SolHi attacked her again, this time silently, even if she was slapping and punching Ha Rin, who was just defending herself with her arms without attacking SolHi back. Ha Rin only kept looking at SolHi’s face, which was unshaped because of hatred and pain at that moment. Thus, Ha Rin understood that SolHi’s wound, which hadn’t healed yet, was ripping her inside because of the effort she used in the fight. Even so, SolHi seemed not to care too much about the pain.

Ha Rin cared about this though. She cared about the effort she used to help SolHi survive that night too. An effort that would have been useless if SolHi’s wound had opened again. That’s why she tried to grab SolHi by the arms at one point and stop her mad attack. Instead, she saw herself grabbed by the throat when SolHi pressed on it with both hands, as though she was repeating the scene from the cell when she had attacked Ha Rin after she found out what she had done to her years ago. Then, unexpectedly, SolHi released Ha Rin’s throat and only pressed it with her elbow while staring with hatred into her cellmate’s eyes.

Looking into SolHi’s eyes, somehow through tears because she lacked air at that moment and felt the urge to cough constantly, Ha Rin saw them injected with blood and full of hatred. This amazed her so much because when SolHi left the hideout to give that phone call, they split on good terms. At that moment though, SolHi considered her as if she was her worst enemy. What Ha Rin didn’t understand was „Why?” She wondered this in her head, shuddering after that, even though she didn’t do that because of fear.

„Because you betrayed me again,” replied SolHi, as if reading the woman’s thoughts. „You betrayed me and sold me again,” SolHi yelled this time, shaking with all her body. „Not even try to say that it’s not true, Min Ha Rin. I know already that you said to someone that I was about to give that phone call to DooSan. If not, nobody would have waited next to him when I called him.”

Ha Rin weirdly smiled, taking SolHi by surprise because she thought that her companion would deny the accusations. Instead, Ha Rin smiled. She didn’t do that moved by malice or feeling that she triumphed but because of an unpleasant surprise, something that made SolHi frown again. After that, releasing the grip a little, she asked, „Didn’t you do that?”

„Why should I have done that?” Ha Rin replied through coughing. „I’m not stupid to sentence myself to death. How? By sending someone to Prosecutor Han. This would have meant sentencing myself too. I don’t want that because… I’ve been working so hard to organize my escape to ruin everything for being stupid.”

„To ruin it? What you want to say is that you planned to escape that night?”

„Of course not,” replied Ha Rin confidently, taking SolHi by surprise again. „I mean… I was planning my escape but not that night. Kuk Mi Hi ruined my plans though.”

„The doctor?”

„Herself. Let’s say that we’ve known each other for a while and a lot of things bond us.”

„Things like?” SolHi hissed through her teeth, pressing over Ha Rin’s throat again.

Ha Rin didn’t fight against SolHi. On the contrary, she stretched her arms to the side, seeming to relax. Then, seeing SolHi insistently looking at her, although she loosed the grip, she said, „Things that bond only the two of us. Nothing related to you.”

„Something I don’t believe in though. Do you know why?”

„Because Kuk Mi Hi planned to get rid of you that night?”

„Something like that and something that doesn’t seem random to me but a well-made plan, Ha Rin.”

„And you are right,” replied Ha Rin confidently. Then, forcing a little with SolHi, she managed to push her off her. After that, she coughed for a while to regain her natural breath.

Coming back to her senses, although she still felt something hurting her throat and chest, Ha Rin looked to her right where SolHi was sitting on the ground since she pushed her off her. She seemed overwhelmed by emotions. SolHi even seemed a little powerless at that moment, something that made Ha Rin feel sorry because she agreed to get rid of her at the order of SolHi’s enemies. Sorrows that had no point at that moment, once she couldn’t change anything or heal the wounds of her heart, deep wounds she was sure that were still bleeding.

Eventually, Ha Rin said, „I didn’t want this to happen. Yet, I couldn’t do things differently at the same time.”

„What the hell are you talking about at this time?” SolHi asked, irritated, looking at Ha Rin with hatred and distrust.

„About everything that happened between us all these years. A story that maybe I’ll tell you one day but not now. All you have to know is that we have a common enemy. That’s all.”

„Scar?”

„That’s right.”

„The one who ordered you to get rid of me?”

„Yes, he gave that order. Yet, I wasn’t the only one whom he ordered that.”

„Kuk Mi Hi had the same plan.”

„Kam BoRam too.”

„Kam BoRam? Who is she?”

„The guardian who took you out of the cell that night,” said Ha Rin, standing up and taking a few steps up and down to stretch her body. Thus, she felt her bones strangely cracking at one point, especially when she stood up. She said nothing about this though or complained. She just added, „She is someone you shouldn’t worry about anymore because…”

„…they got rid of her after the accident.”

„You are actually right. Don’t ask me the reason because I don’t know it. I just guess that they did that not to leave witnesses behind.”

„Something that surprises me though, you know?”

„What? That… they watched their backs first?”

„Yes. As far as I could understand, Kam BoRam didn’t help them only once by getting rid of people. Also, from what I remember that happened that night, the guardian knew very well what she was doing. I also remember that she said something like „Do it as we have done it last time” at one point.”

„You are actually right. Kam BoRam and Kuk Mi Hi didn’t kill only one soul at Scar’s request and of others. Anyway, as I said, it’s not that important now but to make up a plan to survive.”

„A really difficult thing, Ha Rin. Let’s not forget that Scar is still free, there, somewhere, when we are still fugitives. Plus, everybody knows our face when he’s still a shadow. A ghost, who can lurk on us from everywhere, any time.”

„You forget one thing, SolHi,” said Ha Rin, making SolHi frown because she didn’t understand what her colleague meant. „Even ghosts have a face. Yes, they definitely have one, although we haven’t seen it yet.”

SolHi smiled this time. „Maybe. Yet, there’s one more small and insignificant detail that it’s still there: we don’t know his face.”

„Yet, we’ll find it out.”

„How? By following Kuk Mi Hi?”

„No, by looking elsewhere. There are enough of those involved with Scar. And, even if he’s a ghost, he’s still one who can make mistakes.”

„Like the one that he’s involved with you.”

„No, SolHi! Scar isn’t afraid of me. Even if he should have felt that because when he tried to get rid of both of us, using Kuk Mi Hi, he won me as his enemy. Not that I wasn’t one already.”

„Enemy? His enemy? Why?”

„As I said… a very old story. You’ll find it out but not now. For the moment, I say to plan what to do next. We’ve stood around here for so long already when it’s time to go. If not, we’ll be ghosts forever, SolHi.”

„Something that others would love, right?” SolHi asked, accepting Ha Rin’s help, who stretched her hand toward her to help her stand up.

„That’s right,” whispered Ha Rin this time. Then, turning her back, Ha Rin headed toward the door.

SolHi followed her. „Still, I don’t understand why,” she said.

„What exactly?” Ha Rin asked, looking at her, confused.

„How to get out of this and where to go. I also don’t understand how they knew that I’d call DooSan.”

„Are you sure of that?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

„That they knew that I’d call him?” Ha Rin nodded. „I’m pretty sure of it. Why? Because DooSan and I talked only for a very short time until they appeared there. Not only this is weird but also the fact that they arrested him right after that and they knew that he was talking to me.”

Ha Rin swore to her teeth. „It’s serious then,” she said after a few moments of silence.

„Like the fact that I threatened San DuSik.”

„San DuSik? Who the hell is he?”

„Someone you definitely don’t want as your enemy,” said SolHi. „He’s a dog that always waves his tail in front of people like Scar.”

„This is already something that doesn’t surprise me and… wait, how did you say the name of the prosecutor was?”

„San DuSik. Why? Do you think you know him?”

„Yes, it seems to be like that because someone with this name sent me to jail five years ago.”

SolHi winced. „San DuSik sent you to jail? Why? What does he have against you?”

„He? Nothing. Yet, his boss has something against me. Who exactly? Scar because Scar sent San DuSik to me a few weeks ago, telling me that I’d be transferred to a new jail and wait for further orders.”

„Orders related to my death, it seems to me.”

„You are actually right. Yet, I didn’t know at that moment that the next target was you. I didn’t even know your name at that moment.”

SolHi smiled this time. „You didn’t know it? You are the one who hurt me eight years ago, Ha Rin. Or what: don’t you know the names of those you hurt?”

„Yes,” replied Ha Rin without thinking too much about the answer. This amazed SolHi a lot. „I do that because it’s easier this way. And… less ghosts without a face around me too.”

„Even so, you found out my name. Why?”

„Just a… coincidence. It’s not something I wanted to know though but something that others wanted me to find out. And… at the same time, it’s still something I wanted because… I’d been sent to your cell because I insisted.”

„To have me close to you and kill me in my sleep?”

„Now you are wrong.”

„The reason?”

„Just… a thing I have: I don’t kill sleeping people.”

„Why?”

„Because… this would mean that I’m a coward?” Ha Rin drily asked. „Anyway, I didn’t ask to be sent to your cell because I wanted to kill you but because I needed more time to act.”

„And plan how to escape from jail, right?”

„Something like that. Why? Because… you’ve always been my ticket to freedom. It happened eight years ago after I sent you the message they wanted to send you. What I didn’t know was that you’d be my curse at the same time.”

„The attack a few days ago.”

„That’s right. Why? Someone wants to get rid of both of us at the same time.”

„Jackal?”

„I don’t think so. At least… I don’t see what reason he can have to do that. Yet, I won’t put my finger on it for him once I don’t know him 100%. Not as long as I can’t understand how they found out about the phone call.”

„Something that bothers you. Why?”

„Because… There is only one pay phone in this area, SolHi. The one you used. A phone only three people knew about: you, me, and Jackal.”

SolHi frowned again. „Yet, you said that he doesn’t have a reason to get rid of you, right? It’s because you have something on him.”

„Well, yes, but… this doesn’t guarantee our safety,” Ha Rin hissed through her teeth, leaning her back against the cold wall and folding her arms over her chest. „He might think that I’m bluffing when I say that I have evidence against him. Or… Scar has something worse on him. So, between two evil things, he chose the smallest one.”

„Death vs jail.”

„No. Jackal isn’t afraid of death. He saw it so many times in his life that he stopped fearing it. At the same time, he isn’t afraid of jail, although, as far as I know, he hasn’t ever seen one from inside.”

„Then?”

„Honestly, I have no idea. At least, I don’t know what could have motivated him to betray me. Anyway, as I said, it’s not the important thing but to find out how they found out about Han DooSan and you.”

„Most likely they listened to his phone. It’s nothing strange or out of the ordinary. Just… something we do when a prisoner escapes from jail.”

„And, once you and Han DooSan had always had a good relationship, a special one better said, they thought you’d call him first.”

„Something like that.”

„Then, Jackal must be someone involved in that too. Yes, he undoubtedly did that because… I talked to him when you left.”

SolHi winced. „You spoke to Jackal? How?”

„Not how matters but why. I did that because I was afraid that Han DooSan would betray you. Eventually, you are still someone accused of his brother’s death, SolHi. And, as you are in love with him, and in-love people are blind sometimes, I wanted to make sure that your call wouldn’t send us to death. What I hadn’t expected was that not Han DooSan would betray us but…”

„…Jackal!” Ha Rin nodded. „And… what else Jackal knows, besides the phone call to DooSan?”

„Where we are?” Ha Rin ironically asked. Her answer made SolHi stare at her, eyes wide open. „What?”

„Are you crazy?” SolHi said through her teeth. „This is equal to death, Ha Rin.”

„Tell me something I don’t know. Anyway, it was a necessary evil because… thanks to him, we escaped jail and had a place to hide. Plus, if we haven’t starved or died because of the cold, it is also thanks to him because Jackal brought here all the things we have.”

SolHi deeply breathed in. She knew that Ha Rin was right eventually: if they survived until that moment, it was undoubtedly thanks to Jackal. Even so, something still bothered her. That’s why she asked Ha Rin eventually, „How well do you know him?” After that, SolHi also leaned against the wall.

„Honestly?” SolHi squinted at her. „Of course, you expect me to be honest now after everything that happened. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but… I don’t know him very well. We have just some businesses together and he owes me both money and his life. Yet, this doesn’t mean that he will betray us or that he won’t do that.”

„Something I think he’ll do very soon, Ha Rin. Why? Because… well, I think Jackal barely waits to stub his fangs into our throat,” SolHi hissed through her teeth. After that, she went and extinguished the pyre that was still smoking at that moment.

SolHi’s decision made Ha Rin wince. Then, quickening her pace, she approached her, hissing through her teeth, „Have you lost your mind? Those were the last dried branches we could use to warm up.”

„No, Ha Rin, they were our death. Why? Because the smoke is a clear clue where we are. So, before losing your mind for useless things, you should better use your brain and make a good plan because… we have to get out of here as soon as possible.”

„I don’t see why, SolHi. We are safe here. We’ve been in the last few days, right?”

„Yes, because it worked for them. If you don’t believe me, you can convince yourself of that.”

„Of what? That they held us on a leash like obedient dogs?”

„You said that, not me. And… Do you know what leash they used? The phone you probably have hidden somewhere. Why? It has a tracker inside for sure.”

„I don’t think so,” said Ha Rin, smiling. „Jackal didn’t have a reason to use a tracker, once he knew where we were.”

„Maybe! Even so, he wasn’t sure that we’d stay around forever. Thus, using a tracker, which he hid in a perfect place, he made sure he could find us anywhere and any time just to twist our necks while we were sleeping.”

„You are paranoid now.”

„Maybe. Still, I’m sure of that and you can convince yourself that I’m not paranoid.” SolHi said that, taking the phone from one of the backpack’s pockets, where Ha Rin hid it. After that, she threw the phone to Ha Rin and started throwing their things inside that backpack.

Not at all convinced that SolHi said the truth, Ha Rin took the phone’s cover and looked under it, at the red point that was now on and then off. „Damn it!” Ha Rin hissed through her teeth. „Idiot! I swear I’ll kill him!”

„If you find him, of course. Or… you can wait for him here because I’m sure that sooner or later he’ll be here. Yet, if you do that, you’ll do it alone because I don’t intend to be easy prey.” After that, getting the backpack on, SolHi headed toward the door, intending to get out of there.

She returned soon after this and covered Ha Rin’s mouth with both palms, who kept mumbling unintelligible words at that moment. SolHi even pushed Ha Rin against the wall, making that one stare at her, thunderstruck. Only then did SolHi make her a sign to be silent and point with her head toward the door.

Looking over there and carefully listening to the surroundings, Ha Rin finally felt that something was wrong. What exactly? The silence. Not the silence of nature bothered her because the rustle of the water, heard from the spring that wasn’t that far from the grotto, and of the wind that suddenly started to blow was still heard. What bothered Ha Rin was the silence before the storm. She was already sure that it was that kind of silence, a sure clue that death followed their footsteps that night, a death that took a wrong step eventually while heading toward them because they heard stones rolling down the path, making the surroundings resound after that.

That noise, barely heard at first, made the two women wince. Then, through gestures, they told each other that it was time to approach the door and listened to what was going on outside. Thus, they heard something to the right of the place where they were, the noise of footsteps that was heard somewhere down the stairs unevenly dug by time and nature. It was already a known thing that someone’s footsteps approaching the grotto were heard, steps that weren’t natural, of someone whom they would have expected to come but of someone who sneaked toward there.

„Three,” Ha Rin showed SolHi through gestures. „Three people,” as SolHi understood. Then, at Ha Rin’s urging, they sneaked back inside the grotto.

Arriving next to their stuff, Ha Rin rushed to put the jacket on and the black cap on her head. Finishing this, she glanced at SolHi, whom she saw wearing black clothes too. „Perfect,” she whispered. „The black clothes will hide you in the darkness. The perfect camouflage because I don’t think that they are coming just to say hello to us.”

SolHi smiled, pulling the straps of the backpack closer to her. „If they had been here to say hello, they would have announced this to you while they were still down the mountain, don’t you think so?”

„Maybe. Yet, one thing is clear: they are here after that phone call, and this means only one thing - they intend to get rid of us here because… I don’t think that it has been difficult for them to put everything together and understand where we are.”

„No, Ha Rin. It’s too early. It hadn’t been more than an hour since I gave that phone call. Plus, this place isn’t easy to find by simply checking the satellite images or based on intuition.”

„They knew about it and came here to get rid of us then.”

„Something like that. Who knew about this place? Undoubtedly, Jackal. So, let’s get out of here, now! Still, the question is how: by taking the same path we’ve used to get here?”

Ha Rin shook her head. „They’ll get in our way if we do that. There’s only one path toward this place. And, once we aren’t sure how many they are coming, I say not to take the risk.”

„Shall we head toward the spring then?”

„After that, what: we simply jump off the cliff?”

„No. There’s another grotto not that far from here. I saw it yesterday when I went to bring fresh water.”

„Most probably Jackal also knows about it, just as he probably knows every single place around here. Plus, if there’s a dead end there, we just give them the chance to kill us easily.”

„Maybe. Yet, until we don’t check it, we won’t find out if it’s good for us or not, Ha Rin. And, if it’s true what you think, we’ll still have a chance to decide what to do later.”

Saying this, SolHi intended to go. She stopped the moment Ha Rin grabbed the backpack’s handle. After that, she took the backpack from SolHi’s back, telling her, „No useless breaks, or this will make our run more difficult, SolHi. We leave this place as we have gotten here: empty-handed.” After that, she went and hid everything behind a big rock, taking only her backpack with her.

Getting out of the grotto, the two women stopped and listened to what was going on in the valley. „They must be two hundred meters away from this place,” SolHi whispered.

„I also think that. So, let’s rush,” Ha Rin urged her, being the first one who headed toward the narrow path that led deeply into the heart of the mountain. The final destination? The spring that was heard whispering up the mountain - the path toward freedom or maybe toward death.