I was sitting at the edge of the cliff, cleaning the weapon in my hand with a white handkerchief.
Avoid complications or there will be no payment.
I scoffed at his words. The old man who hired me had no idea about my relationship with the job.
"You should finish it," said the man in the brown coat as he approached me. "What are you waiting for?"
I put the weapon away and stood up. A gust of wind blew through my hair, tangling it in my face.
He was close. I could feel it.
"Didn't you hear the news? Rain's forecasted for today. I'm waiting for it to start."
They say rain always adds drama in the movies.
"And you don't think he'll be looking for her? What are we going to do when he finds us? Jae-ri won't be able to suppress her powers for much longer."
He seemed afraid. And he was right. When Jinwoo found us, chaos would break loose.
But I wanted to enjoy the view a little longer. Wait for my guest to arrive and watch firsthand what I was about to do.
"You," I ordered the man in the black jacket. "Take the gag off her mouth."
In an instant, he approached the blonde and removed the piece of fabric that had kept her from speaking. She was tied up and strapped to an old metal chair.
"How long are you going to keep this up?!" the blonde stammered as soon as she was free. "Let me go!"
I removed my black cloth gloves and walked toward her.
"Come on, Hae-in. It's an incredible view. How long has it been since you enjoyed something beautiful? Don't be so bitter," I said with a smile, looking straight into her eyes.
How I hated those gray eyes.
"You're insane!" she spat angrily, struggling again to break free, but failed thanks to the magic of the guy in the blue cap. Hiring him had been an excellent idea.
"Let me go, you crazy bitch!"
I wouldn't allow insults in my presence.
I swung my hand toward her cheek and slapped her with all my strength.
I shook my hand in the air from the pain. It had been weeks since I'd hit anyone.
The two men beside me just lowered their heads, afraid of my sudden reaction.
Cowards.
"Jinwoo will find me."
"You think so? Probably. But that just makes things more exciting, doesn't it? That's why I haven't killed you yet."
"What happened to you?" she asked, frightened.
"Oh, look at that. The great S-rank hunter Cha Hae-in is afraid! That's pathetic. I don't even have powers."
I leaned over her as she lay on the ground after the blow, caressing her blonde hair with false gentleness.
"I pity you," she muttered, turning her head to the side.
Do you really?
"But if this is what I became, you and Jinwoo were the cause." I stood up and turned around, stepping forward to the very edge of the cliff. "But there's something you need to know. I'm not killing you because I want to—oh, how I wish that were the case. I'm working for someone powerful, you know? Someone you really pissed off. Tell me, Hae-in, what the hell were you involved in? I can't imagine you as some dirty criminal with that innocent face of yours."
Suddenly, it started to rain.
This was exactly what I wanted! To add drama to Cha's end. Worthy of a movie ending. Maybe even my own ending.
"Hello, Jinwoo," I greeted in a sweet voice.
I turned around and faced him.
Those eyes I once liked were now blazing with fury.
The rain poured harder, forming puddles on parts of the worn concrete.
"Will we be okay?" whispered the guy keeping the blonde suppressed.
"Of course."
In truth, we probably wouldn't be. But who cares? A job's a job.
"Hye-ran, what are you doing?" he asked, confused. I saw him shift his right leg.
"Take another step and your girlfriend dies," I threatened, narrowing my eyes. Jinwoo froze mid-step. "Put your soldiers back in their box or I'll blow her brains out right now."
I aimed the gun at Cha Hae-in's neck.
"Let her go," he demanded coldly.
"That's no way to ask."
"What do you want? Who are these thugs? Hye-ran, have you gone crazy?"
"Jinwoo, you always had the answer but chose to ignore it. Though that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that your dear girlfriend is going to die."
I wouldn't wait for him to make a move. He was too clever.
A gunshot echoed through the air. Smoke rose from the barrel of the weapon, and Hae-in's body dropped to the ground, staining the concrete with her dirty blood.
This is the path you chose.
The men with me were killed instantly by Jinwoo's rage—he was fast. I saw him run to the blonde's body in desperation. If only you had done the same the day I was kidnapped. If only you had answered the call.
But as they say, "what ifs" don't exist.
"I told you, didn't I? Your heart belongs to me. And if I can't have it, no one will. I'll kill every woman you get involved with… That wasn't a request back then. It was a warning, darling," I whispered, masking the growing pain in my chest.
He was crying for her. Something he wouldn't do for me in my death.
"Why? What did she do to you?!" he shouted through tears, holding her body close to his chest, his face buried in her neck.
I couldn't watch anymore.
"She got involved where she shouldn't have," I answered, turning away and then throwing myself off the cliff.
Where the hell is it? Where the hell is the truck with the inflatable? I had planned to use it for a dramatic exit. But it seemed someone hadn't followed the plan. Someone had betrayed me. I was risking everything, and I still did it. Why? Why did I go through with it? Of course—hatred had been my fuel. And now I was going to die. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact.
The fall seemed to stretch on endlessly. Then, arms wrapped around my body. I opened my eyes, stunned. One of his shadows had saved me.
I didn't waste time—I started running as fast as I could. Escaping was my priority. But I was just a powerless human. How far could I get in a few minutes?
The chill of the cold began to set in. I was completely soaked. I have to keep going!
The area was poor, and if I could hide in an abandoned house, I might lose him.
Jinwoo landed seconds later, blocking my path. A powerful and murderous aura surrounded him. I realized he would kill me—with the same sword he used in the dungeons. Was I just an animal to him? Is that what I'd become in his eyes? I guess so. I had murdered someone.
A sad smile formed on my lips. It was too late for regrets.
"Was it my fault? Giving up on finding you—I never did that. I did everything I could to search for you. You have no idea how hard I tried..."
"Not hard enough!" I cried, tears falling. "Not enough. They did horrible things to me. They mutilated my body over and over again. You... I made a promise to myself that you would pay."
"And you had to kill her?!"
I could barely breathe. I was freezing, and the pressure in my chest grew heavier.
"To make someone suffer, you take away what they love, right? That's the rule. I can see in your eyes—you've already decided to kill me. But her death will haunt you. You won't sleep at night. You'll lose your appetite constantly. You'll cry sometimes and then just keep living—like a zombie. Just like me."
Then everything became blurry. I collapsed to the ground after being stabbed with the sword he wielded. I couldn't defend myself and started bleeding out quickly, drowning in a sea of regrets.
I opened my eyes to a sharp pain in my chest.
A screen appeared in front of me.
[Congratulations, all requirements have been completed]
[Welcome, Player 104]
[Transferring memory to punishment zone]
[Rewinding time × 10 years]
What the hell is this? Where am I? Why... why am I in my old room?I shot up in panic and ran to the vanity mirror. My hair was brown again. What's going on? I remember dying… I was killed by—
[Transfer complete]
[Skills successfully stored]
What is this? Is this… my awakening?
[You have two seconds to get back in bed][3... 2...]
I dove into bed on instinct.
[1... Restarting system]
And then… everything went blurry again.