Kai stood under the flickering streetlight, the cold bottle of water in his hand slowly warming as his grip tightened. His mind was racing, every sense heightened, every nerve on edge. The empty street stretched out in front of him, silent and still, but Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. The tension in his chest tightened like a coiled spring, ready to snap.
His eyes darted from shadow to shadow, searching for any sign of movement. He knew whoever had shot him wasn’t far. They hadn’t killed him by chance—it had to be part of some plan, some twisted game. But why? Why leave him alive?
As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. The sound made him flinch, but he quickly fumbled to pull it out, his heart pounding. The screen glowed in the darkness, displaying a single message from an unknown number.
"Not dead yet? Impressive. But you're not safe."
Kai stared at the message, his breath catching in his throat. His fingers trembled as he read the words again, the weight of them settling like a stone in his gut. Whoever had sent the message knew exactly where he was, and they were toying with him. His thoughts immediately jumped to Sato—was this his doing? Or was someone else pulling the strings?
He looked around, trying to spot any cameras or vantage points. The buildings loomed high, their windows dark and lifeless. It felt as though the city itself was conspiring against him, swallowing him in its shadow.
He clenched his jaw and typed out a quick response:
"Who is this?"
For a moment, nothing happened. The seconds dragged on, each one heavier than the last. Then, the phone buzzed again.
"You don’t get to ask the questions, Kai. You should be focusing on staying alive. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be lying in a morgue next to Minseo."
Kai’s chest tightened at the mention of Minseo. The image of her lying lifeless on the ground flashed in his mind, and a surge of rage rushed through him. He hadn’t found her after waking up from the alley, and he wasn’t even sure if she was still alive. The thought gnawed at him, mixing with his fear and anger.
He stared at the phone, his pulse quickening. He was done playing this person’s game. Whoever they were, they had crossed the line. His mind raced with thoughts of revenge, but he had to be smart. Rushing in blind wouldn’t get him anywhere. If anything, it would get him killed.
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He typed another response, his hands shaking.
"Where’s Minseo? What did you do to her?"
The reply came almost instantly, as if they were waiting for him to ask.
"Worry about yourself. Minseo made her choice. Now it's your turn."
Kai’s grip tightened on the phone until his knuckles turned white. His eyes scanned the street again, the paranoia creeping deeper into his bones. Whoever this person was, they had eyes on him, and they were toying with him like a puppet on a string.
He shoved the phone back into his pocket and started walking. He wasn’t going to wait for them to come to him. If they wanted to play games, then fine—but he wasn’t going to be their pawn. He had to move. He had to think ahead. He needed a plan.
His mind flashed to the Ledger. It was still in his bag, untouched since the shooting. Part of him wanted to open it, to write down the name of this shadowy figure, but he couldn’t. He didn’t even know their name. He didn’t know if the Ledger would work without it. It was a power he didn’t fully understand, and that uncertainty made him hesitate.
Instead, he took a deep breath and pressed forward. He had to think like Hana—cold, calculating, always one step ahead. If someone was trying to take him out, they weren’t expecting him to fight back. He could use that to his advantage.
His footsteps echoed against the pavement as he made his way through the empty streets. Every corner he turned felt like a potential ambush, every sound made his muscles tense. His mind was spinning with questions. Who was after him? Why had they gone after Minseo too? And what the hell did they want with the Ledger?
Just as he rounded another corner, his phone buzzed again. He pulled it out, his heart racing as he read the message:
"Stop running, Kai. You can’t hide from this."
Kai’s stomach churned. They knew where he was, they were watching his every move. He slowed his pace and scanned the area, looking for something, anything that could give him an edge. He couldn’t keep walking blindly, waiting for them to strike.
His phone buzzed again, this time with a video attachment. His blood ran cold as he opened it. The footage was grainy, but unmistakable—it was Minseo, bound and gagged in a dark room, her eyes wide with fear. The camera zoomed in on her face, and a muffled scream escaped her lips before the screen went black.
Kai’s breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound deafening in his ears. Minseo was alive—but for how long? Whoever was behind this was playing a sick game, and they were using her as leverage.
Rage surged through him like a tidal wave, and for the first time, Kai felt the full weight of his power. The Ledger wasn’t just a book—it was a weapon. One that could change everything if he used it correctly. He couldn’t let fear cloud his judgment, not now. If this person thought they could control him, they were dead wrong.
Kai looked down at the phone, his vision blurring as he stared at the message. His hands shook as he gripped it, his knuckles turning white.
“No more games,” he muttered under his breath, his voice shaking with fury. “You want me? Come and get me.”
He pocketed the phone and straightened his shoulders, his mind clearing with a sudden, sharp focus. He didn’t know what kind of sick mind was behind all of this, but one thing was certain: they had made a mistake by underestimating him.
As he walked deeper into the night, he felt the weight of the Ledger in his bag like a ticking time bomb. All he needed was one name. One name to end this once and for all.
And he was going to find it.