Daniel woke up on the same patch of cold stone. The air in the Dark Crocodile Fort felt heavy and tasted like dust. He sat up slowly and crawled toward the back of the cell.
A small gap sat between the heavy stones of the outer wall. He pressed his eye against the opening to look down at Chinatown. The streets looked like thin ribbons far below.
He counted the windows and measured the distance to the nearest rooftops. He had spent his time in this second body memorizing every corner of the fortress. He knew the map by heart now.
Daniel stood up and walked to the iron bars. He gripped the metal and pulled to test its strength. A quiet voice drifted through the hallway before he could find a weakness.
"Trying to escape?"
Yujae Seon stepped into the flickering orange light of a nearby torch. A sharp smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He looked relaxed.
"Have you decided yet?"
Daniel clenched his teeth. He glanced down the dark corridor to ensure no guards were patrolling nearby. He leaned his head against the bars and lowered his voice to a sharp, urgent whisper.
"Yujae Seon. I know the truth."
Yujae stopped walking and tilted his head to the side. The fox-like smile wavered for a split second before snapping back into place. He leaned against the opposite wall.
"Truth? What truth are you talking about?"
Daniel pressed his face closer to the iron. He kept his voice low enough that it barely carried past the cell door. He prayed that his guess about the past was right.
"I know you did not kill Yugang Ha."
The color drained from Yujae's face instantly. He looked visibly shaken as his hand flew to the hilt of the knife at his belt. He gripped it white-knuckled but did not draw the blade.
"What... what are you talking about?"
Daniel saw the hesitation in the man's eyes and knew he had hit the bullseye. He decided to double down to break Yujae's composure completely. He spoke with a cold, quiet confidence.
"Do not deny it, Yujae. I know everything that happened that night."
Yujae covered his face with one hand and let out a dry, muffled chuckle. He sounded tired and defeated. He slid his back down the stone wall until he was half-crouching.
"The truth I have been hiding all these years... I did not expect an outsider to find it. How did you find out? Who told you?"
Daniel dropped his serious expression and looked at Yujae with a blank face. The tension left his shoulders.
"I did not find out anything. I lied."
Yujae's expression turned deadpan as he stared through the bars. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to be angry or impressed. He let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Lied... You mean to tell me you did not know and just bluffed?"
He gave another self-deprecating laugh and shook his head. He looked down at the floor and mocked his own sudden panic.
"Yujae... you have grown so fickle that you revealed your greatest secret because of a simple lie... Hahaha!"
CRACK!
He punched the stone wall beside him and left a web of fractures in the rock. Dust drifted down from the ceiling. He looked back at Daniel and exhaled.
"Daniel Park... I was wrong when I said you were gullible. It seems I am the one who is gullible."
Daniel ignored the insult and grabbed the bars to lean forward.
"Why did you lie to everyone? Why did you abandon the Speed Circle and join the Dark Crocodile Society?"
Yujae stopped laughing and his eyes grew cold. He stood up and walked until his face was inches from the bars.
"So many questions... Sadly, I cannot answer any of them."
He looked down the hallway to check for guards. He had planned to force Speed out of Incheon another way, but a better option was standing in front of him.
"Daniel Park... I can help in your rescue. I will divert the forces from here. But you have to promise me two things."
Daniel asked. "What?"
Yujae raised his index finger.
"One, you won't tell anyone a single word about what you learnt about me."
Daniel hesitated for a second before nodding.
Yujae raised a second finger.
"Second, once you get out of this place, take away Speed Circle from Incheon at any cost. I mean it."
Daniel nodded again even though he felt confused. Yujae reached into his pocket and slipped a heavy iron key through the bars. It clattered on the floor.
"Once the chaos descends, that is your cue. Don't get caught, Daniel Park. The man who sits on the throne currently isn't someone merciful."
Yujae turned around and started to walk away into the shadows.
"Wasn't it Paecheon Jo?" Daniel called out, his voice a hushed shout.
Yujae replied without turning back.
"He is the past. The present is someone you know quite well. Kitae Kim... Daniel, don't even dream of facing him. I am warning you."
He paused at the edge of the torchlight.
"You will die. Don't let my trust down, Daniel."
Daniel felt a chill run down his spine as the name echoed in the cell.
"Kitae Kim is in Incheon?!"
---
Jaegyeon Na stood before the gathered crowd. Every member of the Speed Circle was present, standing alongside Jake Kim and Lineman. The air felt charged with a restless energy that had been dormant for a decade.
"It has been too long!" Jaegyeon shouted as he paced in front of them. "Over ten years since we waged war against the Dark Crocodile Society! Incheon's internal war went on for far too long! But this is it! It is time to end this war!"
Boknam leaned against a nearby wall and blew a large pink bubble. The gum popped loudly in the silence that followed. He looked at Jaegyeon with a skeptical squint.
"...But will we be enough?"
Jaegyeon stopped pacing and flashed a confident grin. He tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned back on his heels.
"We have people who are going to help us. You would be surprised how many bowls of ramyeon I gave out to scout people. Don't worry, we actually have a strong guy helping us too. Alright. Now let's go. Let's save Daniel Park."
Lineman shifted his weight and leaned toward Jake. He kept his voice low so the Incheon fighters wouldn't overhear his concern.
"Is it alright to leave Daniel Park alone?"
Jake nodded slowly while keeping his eyes on Jaegyeon.
"Don't worry, I left a note."
---
Somewhere in Seoul, a man with deep crimson hair stood on a wide terrace. His tan skin glistened with sweat under the moonlight. He moved with a rhythm that was both violent and graceful.
SHWISH!
His fist cut through the air with enough force to whistle. He snapped a high kick toward an invisible opponent and held his balance perfectly. He only stopped when a sharp chime rang out from his phone.
He walked over to a small table and picked up the device. A single notification lit up the screen.
"Incheon's at war. Time to fulfill your end of the promise."
A wild grin spread across his face and reflected on the dark glass.