The room was drenched in darkness. Bare concrete walls closed in on all sides, stained with old watermarks and peeling paint that hinted at years of abandonment. The air was thick and stale, carrying the faint scent of rust and dust. There were no windows, no cracks to let the outside world in. Just emptiness and silence.
Above, a single light bulb hung from the ceiling, swaying ever so slightly. Its dull glow barely cut through the shadows, casting long and warped silhouettes across the floor. The light hummed faintly, unstable as if it could give out at any moment.
Then, Soo-hyun snapped open his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, lashes fluttering as the blur slowly cleared. His vision sharpened just enough for him to realize he wasn't home.
The lone light glared down at him, its harsh beam illuminating only his upper body while the rest of the room remained swallowed by darkness. His head throbbed dully, and his throat felt dry.
What the...!
He tried to move. But nothing happened. His brows furrowed as he looked down, only to find himself seated in a rigid wooden chair. His arms were twisted behind him, wrists bound tightly with coarse rope that bit into his skin the more he shifted.
Shit. The word echoed in his mind like a scream.
Soo-hyun forced himself to scan the room again, sharper this time. His eyes traced the dull concrete walls, the corners drowned in shadows, and the floor bare. He searched for anything that could hint a clue: a door, a window, a sound, a smell—something that told him where he was or how long he'd been here.
But concentrating felt nearly impossible.
His thoughts were scattered, slipping through his grasp the moment he tried to hold on to them. A dull ache pulsed behind his temples, and his head felt heavy as if it were stuffed with cotton. No matter how hard Soo-hyun tried, there was a blank stretch in his memory.
He swallowed. How did I get here?...
Soo-hyun closed his eyes briefly, willing himself to remember. Fragments surfaced slowly, jagged and out of order. His breath caught as the memory sharpened.
The driver had turned just enough for Soo-hyun to see him reach into the glove compartment. At that time, he hadn't questioned it. He'd been too distracted and panicking inside.
The image slammed into him clearly: the man pulling out a cloth, spraying something onto it. The sharp, chemical scent had hit his nose even before he could react.
"Wait—!" He had tried to say. But it was already too late.
The cloth had been pressed hard against his mouth and nose, rough fingers holding him in place. He remembered the panic—his hands clawing weakly, his lungs burning as he struggled to breathe. Then the world had tilted. Sounds had blurred, and his vision had darkened at the edges.
And everything after that... nothing.
Soo-hyun's chest tightened as he reopened his eyes, breath coming out shallow. His heart pounded violently against his ribs as the realization fully settled in.
He had been kidnapped.
Every second he's been unconscious was time stolen from him, where anything could've happened. His fingers curled instinctively against the ropes behind his back, nails digging into his palms.
I let my guard down. The thought stung worse than the restraints. Why am I tied up?
He tugged at the restraints, testing them once and twice—then harder, his muscles were straining. The rope didn't loosen nor did it even shift.
His breathing grew shallow.
Anxiety curled tightly in his stomach, twisting into something sharp and nauseating. His eyes darted around the room, scanning every dark corner, and every inch of shadow. There was nothing, no furniture in sight. Just empty space and that merciless light.
He considered shouting. But he stopped himself before doing it. No, drawing attention wouldn't help. Nor panicking at his current situation.
Grinding his teeth, Soo-hyun shifted his weight and began rocking the chair, inch by inch. Trying to tilt it enough to reach the standing lamp beside him. The wood scraped softly against the floor. His shoulder burned with effort.
Just a little more...!
Suddenly, a hand slammed down on the back of the chair.
The impact jolted him still.
Every muscle in Soo-hyun's body locked up as the weight pressed firmly against the wood. He could feel it—someone standing right behind him closely.
His pulse quickened.
The air around him felt colder, heavier. His senses screamed at him to move and fight, but his body refused to obey.
Slowly, he turned his head. And froze in place. A familiar face emerged from the shadows, half-lit by the overhead bulb. Recognition struck him like a punch to the chest.
"You...?!" Soo-hyun gasped, disbelief and fury tangling in his voice.
The man's lips curled into a crooked sneer.
"Well, hello there, Director Je." The voice was unmistakable, smoothly mocking and soaked in bitterness.
Soo-hyun's breath hitched.
"... Or should I say—Je Soo-hyun."
The man stepped forward, fully into the light. It was Jisung.
The sight of him made Soo-hyun's eyes widen, his jaw tightening instantly. Rage surged through him.
"You bastard," Soo-hyun growled, venom dripping from every syllable of his words.
Jisung laughed softly, raising his hands in a mock surrender as he moved to stand in front of him. "Whoa, whoa... easy there. No need to get so worked up."
He crouched down the eye level, his gaze sharp and unreadable. "It's been a while. You must be enjoying every bit of your victory, huh?"
Soo-hyun let out a bitter, humorless scoff.
"You got to walk away and live your perfect little life," Jisung continued, his tone darkening. "While I was left rotting in hell every single day, cleaning up the mess you caused."
Soo-hyun lifted his chin, eyes blazing despite the restraints. "Correction—your own mess." He added, "and now you're blaming me for your downfall?"
Jisung chuckled, straightening up and slipping both hands into his pockets. "No, not really. On the contrary," he tilted his head, feigning almost a fake admiration. "I applaud you. Digging up all that dirt on me... you did such a thorough job."
Soo-hyun's lips curled into a grim, defiant smile.
The tension between them thickened, heavy and volatile—like a fuse already lit waiting to explode.
"What do you want? Why am I here?!" Soo-hyun demanded.
Jisung didn't answer immediately. Instead, he dragged another chair across the concrete floor. The harsh scrape echoing loudly in the empty room and flopped down in front of him. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees as if they were merely having a casual conversation.
His eyes sharpened.
"I think you already know why you're here, Soo-hyun." His voice dropped, flat and heavy.
Soo-hyun pressed his lips together. "So that driver was working for you," he said coldly. "What, couldn't clean up your own mess, so you decided to stage some pathetic revenge on me?"
A mocking breath escaped him. "I can't believe you, Kwon Jisung."
Jisung's expression twitched into a faint grimace.
"You can say it like that," he muttered, tilting his head, "but there's one thing you're mistaken."
Soo-hyun stilled.
"That guy isn't working for me."
"... What?"
Jisung leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs lazily. "I had an acquaintance hire him. I just paid extra to make sure you were the pickup." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "After this? He's already off doing another job."
Soo-hyun's brows knitted. "What are you talking about?"
Jisung chuckled quietly, savoring the confusion flickering across Soo-hyun's face. He stood up and began pacing slowly around him, footsteps echoing softly.
"You see... while you were up there enjoying public praise for exposing a bastard like me..." He said, voice almost conversational, "... I made sure someone kept a very close eye on you."
Soo-hyun's eyes widened. "What the hell are you saying?"
Jisung stopped behind him.
"I thought you'd stay quiet," he continued. "Just live your luxurious life, pretend to be obedient, or play house with another rich asshole your family approves of." His tone hardened. "Then you just had to fell into my trap."
Soo-hyun frowned slightly.
Jisung exhaled through his nose. "I almost had you that night, remember?" His lips curved faintly. "The drink."
Soo-hyun's pupils trembled.
"I paid someone to spike it. Everything was lined up perfectly." His voice darkened. "But that damned secretary of yours interfered again."
"That was you?!" Soo-hyun snapped.
Jisung sighed as if recalling an annoyance. "That Beta is incredibly troublesome."
He stepped closer, crouching in front of Soo-hyun so their eyes met again.
"So naturally... I tried again." His smile widened, deliberately slow and dangerous. "And now you're here."
The man straightened, slipping both hands into his pockets as if the situation before him were nothing more than an ordinary meeting.
"Anyways," Jisung said lightly, "I'm glad you're finally here."
"Now what?!" Soo-hyun barked, the chair legs scraping harshly against the concrete as he struggled. "What are you planning to do to me? Beat me? Break a few bones so you feel better?!"
[...]
".... Assault me to make you feel like you have the upper hand?!"
His breathing turned uneven, anger pushing past restraint. "Is that why you went this far?!"
Jisung frowned, genuinely puzzled for a moment. "What?" He let out a short scoff. "Don't flatter yourself. Only an idiot with a small brain would think otherwise."
A second light overhead buzzed alive, revealing metal table behind him unsettingly prepared.
"And since you're valuable..." Jisung continued, "I figured you deserved a more refined arrangement."
"The fuck I care!" Soo-hyun snapped, twisting his wrists against the ropes until they burned.
"Oh, you would care."
Jisung poured himself a glass of wine from a bottle resting on the table. The faint clink of glass echoed loudly in the empty space. He took a slow sip, savoring it before placing it down.
Then he snapped his fingers. The door creaked open.
Several men dressed in black stepped inside, silent and coordinated. They grabbed Soo-hyun's shoulders, holding him firmly in place.
"What is this?!" Soo-hyun shouted, straining against their grip.
Jisung's smile widened.
"Because you're special," he said calmly, "I prepared an event just for you."
His voice lowered, almost conversational which only made it more chilling.
There's a market famous for such reasons. A place where people with too much money and too little conscience gather. Everything has a price there identities, reputation and people. Unregistered Omegas smuggled are auctioned in the black market, some of them either end up in slavery or experimental lab.
Soo-hyun's stomach tightened. Jisung tilted his head. "Despite all investigations and raids—it survived because the ones funding it are the same ones writing the rules."
The implication settled heavily in the air.
"But don't worry," Jisung added softly, almost kindly. "None of the worst monsters will touch you tonight."
His smile sharpened. "I made sure you'll be handed to nice a master..."
"Take him," he demanded.
The men hauled Soo-hyun to his feet. The chair toppled over with a loud clang as he fought back. "You crazy fucker! Let go of me!" Soo-hyun shouted, fury breaking through the fear. "I swear I'll kill you, lunatic! You fucking bastard!"
Jisung only chuckled, lifting his glass again.
"You can scream all you want," he said lazily. "But no one will hear you, Director Je."
He picked up a phone resting on the table. Soo-hyun's phone. The screen glowed multiple missed calls—all from one name.
Soo Kihyun.
Jisung's smile darkened as he stared at it.
*****
While being dragged forward, Soo-hyun twisted violently in the men's grip, his shoes scraping loudly across the concrete floor. His shoulders burned where their fingers dug into him. The dim light stretched ahead, revealing a narrow corridor; long, suffocating, and lined with identical doors. Every door was shut tight, each one silent as if hiding something that refused to breathe.
"Where are you taking me?!" Soo-hyun shouted, voice trembling despite himself. "Let go...of me! Where are we?!"
They didn't respond. The men didn't even spare him a glance. Their steps remained steady, mechanical as though they were escorting cargo instead of a person.
"Let go!" He jerked his arm, nearly losing his balance. "I said let of me!"
His tone hardened, anger forcing back the fear... still unresponsive. They finally stopped in front of a black door. It swung open with dull creak.
A young man stepped out from inside, adjusting his sleeves. "What took you guys so—"
His words died. His gaze fell on Soo-hyun and froze completely. "... That's him?" He murmured, eyes widening as if stunned by something unusual.
The men gave a brief nod. "Boss said to prepare him."
Without ceremony, they shoved Soo-hyun forward. The young man barely caught him before he stumbled.
"Dress him up nicely," one of them added coldly. "If you fuck up, it's on you, kid."
The door shut behind them, their footsteps fading down the hall.
The boy clicked his tongue softly. "Yeah, yeah... like I'd ruin expensive goods," he muttered. "No need to threaten me like that."
He turned back, posture straightening, then gently pushed Soo-hyun into a chair.
"Well then." He brushed imaginary dust off his hands. "Before anything else, let me introduce myself. I'm Do Wuk—"
Slap!
A sharp motion cut him off.
The sound cracked across the room. Wukyeong staggered half a step, stunned into silence. His cheek stung, heat blooming across the skin as his mind struggled to catch up.
What... just happened?
He slowly turned back. Soo-hyun glared at him, eyes blazing with fury and disdain. His brows were tightly drawn, jaw rigid, breathing controlled only by sheer will. For a moment Wukyeong simply stared.
... That was unexpected, he thought. Yet the intensity of that expression held him frozen longer than he expected. How come he has that look on such a pretty face?
Then realization settled in. His lips curled.
"What are you planning to do with me?" Soo-hyun asked, voice low and restrained, his anger barely contained.
Wukyeong chuckled softly, rubbing his cheek. "Relax," he said, smile turning strange and almost amused. "I'm not here to hurt you."
He leaned slightly closer, eyes glinting in a crooked way. "I'm just here to make you look... presentable."