
Anna pulled away from Jimin's arms when she heard a knock at the door. "Kevin's back," she said.
Jimin nodded.
Anna opened the door, and Kevin pushed past her, breathing hard. He dropped onto the couch, his face tense.
Jimin watched him silently, reading his emotions. David confessed everything—of course, he had nothing left to lose anymore. His family knew his dark secrets, Jimin, his utmost enemy, made his daughter fell for him and outsiders somewhere in the Riverfalls town, Professor Ben was brewing his another move against him. Despite all the harsh things happening in his family, David failed to give any hint related to Professor Ben or how Serena died. He was completely clueless because David had abandoned Professor long ago, the day Jimin escaped and made home realized what trouble he actual created for himself.
Anna too observed exhaustion on Kevin's face, she sat beside him and asked curiously. "What happened? Did Dad say anything?"
Kevin clenched his teeth. "Don't call him Dad," he said in a rough voice, his eyes wet with unshed tears.
Anna's chest tightened. She was agreed with her brother, Kevin doesn't deserved to be a father. She glanced at Jimin, silently asking for help.
Jimin sat across from them. "What did the police say?"
Kevin's hands shook. "We could've saved Serena." His voice cracked. "If David had told them about Professor Ben's call sooner, she might still be alive." He slammed his fist on the couch. "But he was too scared of losing everything. He chose himself over his own daughter."
The room fell silent. Anna's throat burned. She couldn't believed her own father was a demon hidden under a human mask.
Jimin's gaze darkened. "So he knew the danger and did nothing?" He added fuel through his words.
Kevin let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah. And now Serena's gone."
Anna reached for Kevin's hand but failed to find words to comfort her brother. Observing the situation, Jimin sat on the other couch. "We'll have to be careful," he said in a serious tone, gaining Anna's and Kevin's attention. "I don't know what happened with Serena, but I can tell Professor Ben is doing something horrible."
"What do you mean?" Kevin asked.
"Serena's body was pale, meaning someone fed on her blood. A creature, maybe." Jimin explained. He knew Serena's murder case could reveal his own secrets, but Jimin prepared himself to face any consequences.
"What creature?" Anna asked curiously. It sounded ridiculous to her, but after witnessing everything last night and hearing about the brutality of her father and Professor Ben, she could believe there might be a blood-sucking creature who killed Serena.
"I told you—the secret organization wanted to create a new creature using multiple DNAs, so I'm sure Professor Ben did something." He explained.
Anna frowned. "And what are we gonna do?"
Jimin sighed heavily. "I'm going to find Professor Ben, since it's not something the police can do easily," he replied in a subtle tone.
Kevin stared at Jimin for a moment. "It's weird that you know everything about my dad and Professor Ben," he expressed his doubts.
Jimin locked eyes with Kevin, and the air grew tense. Before either could speak, Anna jabbed her elbow into Kevin's arm, making him wince.
Jimin carved a little smirk, his gaze sharpening. "Didn't you hear me last night?" he said in a low, threatening tone. "They captured someone I know and tortured him." His voice trembled.
"Then you're here for revenge," Kevin assumed. "You revealed David's secret to destroy him."
Anna saw the pain in Jimin's eyes. His fingers twitched, and his breath hitched for just a second before he forced his expression blank. She didn't miss the way his shoulders tensed, as if bracing himself against something dark.
Jimin's smirk twisted into something darker. He shrugged his right shoulder, his fingers flexing slow and deliberate, as if imagining wrapping them around Kevin's throat.
"Revenge?" His voice dripped with mocking amusement. "You think this is just about revenge?" Jimin leaned forward, eyes glinting like a blade in the morning light. "David destroyed himself. I just handed him the rope." He looked insane as he refused to show any remorse, "As you said, Serena died because of him, so instead of digging into me, we should think about Professor Ben—since he's now our enemy."
Anna's breath caught. A chill ran down her spine as she shivered at the way Jimin glared at Kevin. "You're right. We should work together. We can't sit and wait for the police to find Professor Ben," she added.
Kevin, too, felt petrified but tried to conceal his fear, unaware that Jimin could read his every thought.
"I should leave now," Jimin said, standing up from the couch. "Someone doesn't like my presence at all." He glanced at Anna, "I'll see you later, take care of yourself and don't go outside alone." He greeted, making his way out of the house.
Anna felt embarrassed. "You were rude," she muttered, staring at Kevin as she rose from the bed and followed Jimin outside.
"Jimin, please, I'm sorry. Kevin is so upset," Anna apologized, feeling as if she had used Jimin for her sake and abandoned him.
Jimin inhaled sharply through his teeth. "It was insulting, but it's alright," he said, patting Anna's shoulder.
Just as Jimin turned to leave, Anna stopped him. "That person—the one my dad captured," she said hesitantly.
Jimin froze for a moment. This time, he couldn't dare to read her thoughts. He felt afraid of his past and Anna's opinion.
"I'd like to apologize to that person, if it's possible," Anna said. "I know it won't change anything, but I'd like to tell him that he didn't deserve that pain—nobody does." She added, "And whatever my dad and Professor Ben did to him was wrong. They both should be punished for they did with that person and with Serena."
Jimin froze, surprised at Anna's words. His chest tightened, and for a second, he couldn't breathe. Memories of pain—of chains, needles, and cold laughter—flashed in his mind. His fingers twitched at his sides, itching to claw at the wound on his chest.
He forced himself to stay still, his face blank. But his voice came out rough, raw. "You don't need to apologize."
Anna frowned. "But I—"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Jimin cut her off, sharper than he meant to. His own words burned his throat. Because he was the one who had suffered. He was the one David and Ben had strapped to that table. And now Anna was standing here, pity in her eyes, not knowing the truth.
His nails dug deeper into his palms. "She can never know." He thought.
"Just… forget it," he muttered, turning away before she could see the storm in his eyes. "Some things can't be fixed."
He walked off fast, his heart pounding. Every step felt like running—from her, from the past, from the truth he could never tell.
Anna watched him go until he disappeared from sight. Her own pain faded for a moment as she observed the tears Jimin struggled to hide—an unexplainable pain he failed to conceal. Anna realized that perhaps the person her father and Professor Ben had captured was someone Jimin cherished the most.
But she didn't know that it was Jimin—destroyed by humans.