
Ryan sat across the table, gazing at David. He felt anger, sadness, and helplessness. Ryan had always considered David his idol, a man of principles and someone who never shirked his responsibilities.
But now, after learning the truth about David, Ryan believed he had been wearing a mask—a facade of an ordinary, responsible man. The reality was the opposite. David was a coward who had failed as a police officer, as a husband, and as a father.
"You have to tell me everything so we can arrest Professor Ben and prevent any further damage," Ryan finally broke the awkward silence. "You know how important this is." His eyes almost begged for an answer.
David sighed heavily. "I need to go out. My family is in danger. You don't know anything about that... that bastard Jimin," he stammered, trying to convince Ryan to let him go.
Ryan rested both elbows on the table as he leaned closer. Anger pierced him to the core, and he clenched his fists. "Don't you understand? You're a murder suspect, David," he said, refusing to show respect to his once-senior officer. "You're accused of being involved in your daughter's murder. There's no way you're leaving without clearing your name. And I don't think you'll be able to do that."
David clutched his head with his hands. "Why don't you understand? That bastard Jimin will kill my entire family," he shouted. "He's an Aquanis. He'll kill my family. That professor is also after my family. They're in danger!" he cried.
Ryan looked worried. He knew the threat looming over the Kim family. However, he couldn't do anything in David's favor.
"I know Jimin is an Aquanis and that he's killing members of the organization," Ryan said, his voice slightly trembling. "But whatever is happening to your family is because of you." He paused for a moment, giving David time to grieve.
David sobbed in silence. "How do you know about Jimin? Or should I ask, how much do you know about him?" he asked.
"I got some hints, and then I did some research. When I saw the Park brothers, I realized they're Aquanis," Ryan replied in a subdued tone. He exhaled sharply and continued, "I'm curious why Jimin is after the organization's members."
"Because we captured him and tortured him to the point where he begged for mercy," David replied, his face contorted with guilt. He felt regret, wishing he could turn back time and correct his mistakes. "For five years, we conducted brutal experiments on him. Professor Ben was the one who carried them out, and I gave the orders, as I was the leader."
David paused for a moment, gathering the words to confess his past mistakes. Ryan leaned back in his seat, struggling to control his anger.
"My father founded this organization. He was obsessed with underwater creatures, and so was I. He tried to capture an Aquanis but died in the attempt," David said, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. "When I became the leader after my dad died in 1991, we finally captured an Aquanis and conducted all kinds of experiments on him."
Ryan felt a shiver run down his spine. How could humans be so cruel and brutal, hiding their evil acts behind a mask of humanity? In his perspective, humans were the most dangerous creatures of all.
"What kind of experiments did you conduct?" Ryan asked.
David swallowed hard. As he revisited his past and observed his brutality, he realized the old him didn't deserve to be called human. He was a devil who crossed the limits of humanity, insulted nature, and now, twenty years later, he sat in an interrogation room as a criminal—a father implicated in his own daughter's murder. He wanted to end his life, to seek forgiveness, but David didn't know whom he should apologize to: Serena, whom he could have saved but failed, or Jimin, whom he tortured until he begged for mercy.
"Every kind of experiment," David replied after a long pause. "We performed surgeries, inflicted pain on him to test his limits. I was obsessed with power. This is how I grew up. I always heard that we should do something incredible, that we wanted to create a new creature to use for our protection." He stopped, feeling ashamed of himself.
"Did you succeed?" Ryan asked, his fingers constantly typing as David spoke.
"No, not at all," David replied. "Before we could create any new beings, Jimin escaped."
"And what happened next?" Ryan continued his investigation.
"I left that life behind. I got married twice, had kids, and thought perhaps I wouldn't have to face the consequences since I apologized daily. And then... these murders began to happen," David explained, summarizing twenty years of his life in one breath.
"When did you actually get in contact with Professor Ben?" Ryan now steered the investigation toward the point where David could face punishment.
"A few days ago," David said, his voice trembling. "He told me to bring back Jimin since he was killing members of the organization. He threatened me, but I thought I could protect my family. I thought he would never dare to challenge a police officer, but I was wrong." He exhaled deeply, his wrinkled eyes fixed on Ryan's face, which reflected anger and disappointment.
"The day Serena disappeared, I got another call from the professor. He told me that if I didn't bring Jimin to him, he would kill my daughter," David revealed, tears streaming down his face.
Every moment Ryan spent with David felt like an hour. He struggled to control his anger, the urge to punch David in the face. "And what did you do then?"
"I was scared," David replied. "I knew if I did anything, I would lose either my life or my position."
Ryan gazed at him for a long moment. "You could have told the police everything. You could have sought our help. We could have protected Serena, but you chose yourself," he said. "Your selfishness cost your daughter's life. If you had taken the right step and surrendered, we could have caught Professor Ben. How could you be so self-centered when your daughter's life was at stake?" Ryan shouted, losing his patience.
"I was scared of losing everything, so I decided to lose Serena," David shouted back. "I was so afraid. I spent the whole day thinking about what I should do. I forced myself to face that bastard Jimin, but I failed. Everything happened because of him. I could have kept everything secret if that crazy bastard hadn't forced Anna to see Serena's face." His growling voice echoed in the room.
"And you dragged me into your dirty game," Ryan said through gritted teeth as he stood up. "You asked me not to show Serena's face to anyone in your family so you could hide your dirty sins." Ryan raised his voice, feeling a strange mix of gratitude toward Jimin for revealing the truth and immense sympathy for the victims.
"You know, David, I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done," Ryan said, gathering his things. "But before that, tell me about all the members who worked for the organization. I need to stop this."
David gave a mocking smile. He chuckled softly, sounding like a madman. "Do you really think you can stop Jimin?" he said. "Both brothers are psychopaths. I've witnessed their madness. I know they're not going to stop. They're crazy. They'll kill everyone—even your father, Principal Joseph Lee—because he was also part of this organization. You can't stop this." He spoke with teary eyes and a maniacal laugh.
Ryan froze, unable to move. His father, the most religious man he knew, was also involved in this dark game. He had always witnessed his father's abusive behavior and never received any love, yet he had still believed in him. Now, after learning that his father was part of such atrocities, his heart felt utterly broken.