Kai’s head throbbed like a drum being pounded from the inside. The first thing he noticed was the smell—an acrid, metallic tang that clung to the back of his throat. His entire body ached, a deep, pulsing pain radiating from his skull down to his neck. He blinked, trying to force his eyes open, but his vision blurred, dark shadows swimming in and out of focus.

He was lying on something cold—concrete? He could feel it through his clothes, the chill biting into his skin. Slowly, the sounds around him came into focus: the faint dripping of water, the hum of distant traffic, and the muffled sounds of voices, distant, as if coming through a thick fog.

Kai groaned as he shifted, his hand moving instinctively to his head. His fingers brushed against something wet and sticky, and a sharp pang of panic surged through him. Blood. He was bleeding.

The memories flooded back in a violent rush—the gunshot, the sudden flash of pain, the world spinning out of control as he collapsed. He remembered the shock in Minseo’s eyes just before everything went black. His heart raced as the full weight of it hit him: he had been shot.

But he wasn’t dead.

That realization alone sent a jolt through his system, adrenaline forcing him to push through the haze. He took a deep breath, feeling the sharp sting in his chest, and forced his eyes open again. The world around him was dimly lit—he was in an alleyway, half-hidden in the shadows between two towering buildings. The faint glow of a streetlamp flickered nearby, casting long, jagged shadows across the ground.

Slowly, painfully, Kai managed to prop himself up on his elbows, his vision swimming as the world tilted around him. He pressed his hand to the side of his head where the blood still oozed from the wound. It wasn’t a clean shot. Somehow, the bullet had grazed him, leaving a deep gash, but not penetrating his skull. He wasn’t sure how he had survived, but there wasn’t time to question it.

"Minseo..." he muttered, his voice hoarse and cracked. He glanced around frantically, his heart pounding. Where was she? What had happened to her?

Kai tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him, sending him crashing back down to the ground. He winced as pain shot through his entire body, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself up again. He couldn’t stay here, vulnerable and exposed. He had to find out what had happened. He had to find Minseo.

And whoever had shot him.

The memory of the gunshot flashed in his mind again, sharper this time. He remembered seeing the gunman—a shadowy figure in the distance. It wasn’t clear, just a glimpse before everything went dark, but the memory sent a surge of anger through him. Someone had tried to kill him. Someone had killed Minseo.

Kai’s fists clenched, his breathing becoming more ragged as he fought the waves of dizziness and nausea threatening to overwhelm him. He had to focus. He had to think clearly. Whoever had shot him was still out there, lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting for the chance to finish the job.

He staggered forward, using the wall for support as he moved. His mind raced, searching for answers, for some clue that would lead him to the shooter. It wasn’t random. It couldn’t have been. Someone had been following them, tracking them. But who? And why?

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

His thoughts kept circling back to the Ledger. Was this all connected to the book? Had Hana orchestrated this from beyond the grave, using someone else to finish what she had started? Or was it someone else entirely, someone who had their own reasons for wanting Kai and Minseo dead?

His footsteps echoed loudly in the empty alley as he moved forward, one slow, agonizing step at a time. He could feel the weight of the Ledger in his bag, a constant reminder of the power that had brought him to this point. Part of him wanted to open it right there, to write the name of whoever had done this and make them pay. But he didn’t know who it was. Not yet.

The street ahead was deserted, the only sign of life the distant rumble of traffic on the highway. Kai’s mind raced as he tried to piece together the events leading up to the shooting. He remembered Sato—the man who had taken the Ledger. Sato had been obsessed with controlling it, with understanding its power. Could he have been behind the attack?

But why now? Why shoot Kai and leave him for dead in some back alley?

Kai’s jaw clenched as he pushed the questions aside. It didn’t matter. Not yet. He needed to focus on the present—on surviving. And on finding the person responsible.

As he limped toward the end of the alley, he scanned the shadows, his eyes darting from one dark corner to the next, searching for any sign of movement. Whoever had shot him could still be nearby. He couldn’t let his guard down.

His pulse quickened as he neared the end of the alley, the faint glow of streetlights spilling into view. For a moment, the world seemed to spin around him, the blood loss making it hard to focus, but he forced himself to keep moving. He couldn’t stop now. Not until he had answers.

The street beyond the alley was empty, save for a few parked cars and the distant glow of a convenience store’s neon sign. Kai’s eyes flicked toward the store, a sudden wave of exhaustion threatening to pull him under. He needed to stop. He needed to rest. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

He stumbled toward the store, his vision blurring with every step. His mind was a storm of thoughts—Minseo, the gunman, the Ledger. They all swirled together, an overwhelming cacophony of questions and fear. But beneath it all, one thought burned brighter than the rest: revenge.

Whoever had done this to him, to Minseo, wasn’t going to get away with it. He was going to find them. And when he did, he would make sure they paid for everything.

As he reached the door of the convenience store, Kai hesitated, his hand hovering over the handle. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to go in. But he forced himself to push through, the door swinging open with a soft chime.

The fluorescent lights inside the store were blinding, and for a moment, Kai had to blink against the brightness. The clerk behind the counter glanced up from his magazine, giving Kai a quick, disinterested look before turning back to his reading. The place was empty, save for a few shelves of snacks and drinks, the hum of the refrigerators the only sound.

Kai moved toward the back of the store, his head spinning as he tried to collect his thoughts. He needed water, something to clear his head. As he reached for a bottle from the cooler, his hand trembled, and he nearly dropped it. The pain in his head was getting worse, the dizziness threatening to pull him under.

But he couldn’t stop. Not yet. He still had work to do.

Kai made his way to the counter, slamming the bottle down harder than he intended. The clerk raised an eyebrow but said nothing, ringing up the purchase with the same disinterested expression.

"Rough night?" the clerk asked, his voice bored, as though making conversation out of habit.

Kai didn’t answer, his eyes locked on the door. He could feel it—something was off. He wasn’t alone. Whoever had shot him… they were still watching. He could sense it.

The clerk handed him the bottle and his change, and Kai took it without a word, his mind already racing toward his next move. He stepped out into the night again, the cold air hitting him like a slap to the face. He took a long drink of the water, his mind clearing slightly as he scanned the street.

He wouldn’t find the shooter tonight. He knew that now. But he was getting closer. And when he did find them, he’d be ready.

Kai tightened his grip on the bottle, his jaw set with grim determination.