Footsteps echoed through the abandoned building, hollow, lonely sounds swallowed by the empty corridors. No lights remained, the windows were shattered leaving jagged teeth of glass clinging to rusted frames. Broken bottles littered the floor, crunching under the careless steps, while cut wires hung from the ceiling's lifeless veins. The place carried the smell of dust, metal, and old rainwater... remnants of whatever it once used to be.
Kiyonari walked through the dim hallway with clenched fists.
The orange light of the setting sun spilled through the cracked windows, cutting across his figure in long shadows as he moved forward, straight toward the staircase at the far end.
Every steps was controlled and breath measured.
His shoulders remained tight, sense sharpened prepared for anything. His eyes scanned every corner, doorways, gaps and blind spots, searching for any movement.
When he reached the second floor, he suddenly heard voices.
Kiyonari immediately slowed. Carefully stepped forward and placing his feet between debris to avoid sound. He moved along the wall until he reached a corner, then leaned slightly and hid behind it—close enough to hear what they were saying.
A man leaned against the wall, taking a long puffs from his cigarette before speaking.
"Man... why did Dongchan even agree to do this?"
Another man squatting nearby chuckled.
"C'mon, hyungnim... the dude's desperate for cash." He shrugged. "You know how he is. When he's in trouble, it doesn't matter what job it is anymore."
Smoke escaped into the air before he dip once more to his cigarette.
"Yeah... I guess."
A third man approached from the other side.
"So what exactly are we doing here?"
The smoker straightened up. "We were told to get rid of the car."
"The car?" The newcomer frowned.
"I heard Dongchan say it might be tracked," the squatting man added. "If he's right, cops might already be on the move."
The other man snickered.
"Yeah... like they'd ever find that Omega anywhere around here."
[!!]
Laughter followed. But behind the wall Kiyonari's pupils shrank.
Director Je...!
He already had a hunch that they were talking about Soo-hyun. His breathing almost stopped. Then, he leaned closer.
Crk
A tiny shard of glass shifted under his shoe.
[!!]
The laughter died instantly, and panic surged the atmosphere.
"Who's there?!" The smoker barked, spinning toward the noise.
Kiyonari froze in place. Shit...!
His pulse slammed violently against his ribs. But he didn't make any noise.
The man's expression darkened.
"You better come out. Or we'll drag you out ourselves, bastard!"
The men straightened, tension replacing their earlier laziness. Hands flexed, shoulders squared, and eyes sharpened.
Kiyonari exhaled slowly, having no other choice. He stepped out from the shadows.
The sunset light fell across his face as he revealed himself, walking toward them... unafraid by how dangerous the men were. He stayed calm and compose.
Their eyes widened. "You! Who are you?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Kiyonari kept his silence.
One man stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Not talking, huh?"
Yet, Kiyonari didn't say anything and kept his lips sealed.
The man's face twisted. "Hey, we're asking nicely. The least you could do is answer us."
A grim smirk formed. "Or maybe you want me to open that mouth for you."
His fist flew and begun his attack. Kiyonari tilted his head.
[!!]
Kiyonari's left hand caught the attacker's wrist mid-return, redirecting it downward while his right palm pushed the man's elbow upward. The sudden joint extension broke the man's posture and lifted his shoulder.
The attacker staggered, surprised as the punch cut through the air. He blinked.
"What the hell?" He muttered, "you're quick to dodge that."
Let's see if you can avoid this...!
Another punch, then another flurry hits. But all missed. He threw two fast punches again in panic. Kiyonari pivoted on his heel in a minimal movement.
"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue in irritation and suddenly swung his leg toward Kiyonari's ribs. He dropped his elbow down onto the thigh before it could extend, blocking it with his forearms. The impact killed the man's kick force instantly.
[!!]
What the—?!
"It's my turn now, right?" Kiyonari finally spoke quietly. "Oh, I should warn you..."
His opponent frowned.
"... My punches can be sloppy."
"—Huh?"
THWACK.
Kiyonari rotated his hips. His fist drove upward from below that man's jaw in a clean uppercut. Not in a wild way but was compact. The man's teeth snapped together as his head jerked back. His feet left the ground briefly before he stumbled three steps backward and collapsed to one knee.
"Newbie! You okay?!"
"Hyungnim! This guy's beaten the new kid!"
"What are you idiots doing?!" The superior shouted, "he might be with the police! Take him down now!"
"He's alone anyway. We can get rid of him easy."
They all rushed at once. First attacker grabbed Kiyonari's shoulder from behind. The boy stepped sideways instead of pulling away. The grip slid off as he hooked the man's arm under his own and twisted his torso.
The attacker's momentum threw him forward. Kiyonari drove his elbow into the man's ribs as he passed. Air burst from the opponent's lungs as he crumpled.
Another was thrown against the wall. The atmosphere shifted as the air itself tightened, and the men could feel this. Kiyonari's action changed, no hesitation and charged forward brutally.
A second man swung a pipe.
Kiyonari raised his forearm—the pipe struck bone with a dull thud. He didn't block fully; he redirected the angle of the strike and slid off instead of stopping it head-on.
Before the pipe could recoil, Kiyonari grabbed it with his other hand and yanked it. The man lurched forward, then Kiyonari stepped in and slammed his forehead into the man's nose.
CRACK.
The pipe dropped and blood followed. A third man tackled him at the waist. Kiyonari widened his stance instantly to lower his center of gravity. Instead of resisting backward, he moved with the force stepping diagonally and guiding the attacker past him. Then his knee drove into the man's abdomen.
The attacker folded over it. This time Kiyonari hooked his neck and shoved him to the floor.
Next, their boss charged in anger. He punched straight—faster than the others. Kiyonari deflected it outward with his palm and seized the wrist. His other hand pressed the elbow downward while rotating the shoulder. He then rotated his hips and forced the arm behind his back.
The man dropped to his knees. Kiyonari pressed his weight down, increasing pressure on the dislocated shoulder. A loud popping sound echoed.
"AAAAAAGHHH!!"
The man shouted in agony and violently, feeling the horrible pain from his twisted arm. The others hesitated, fear crept into their eyes and they all decided to ran away from the scene...
Kiyonari stared at him coldly.
"Where is the Director?"
"I-I don't know!" The man cried.
Kiyonari tightened his grip. The shoulder joint strained.
"AAAHHHH!! KUGHKK!..."
"Where?" His voice was lower and sharper. "You know something, so tell me."
"Dongchan!" The man screamed in panic. "It was him! This was all his scheme, we're just his lackeys doing the rest of the dirty work!"
Kiyonari frowned. "What?"
"He was the one who stole the car and took the Omega with him!"
"... Where?"
"I don't know! I swear!"
Kiyonari slowly raised his bloodied knuckles.
"WAIT! WAIT!!" The man trembled violently. "I don't know where the Omega is, but I can tell you where to find Dongchan!"
"He's the only one who can tell you where the Omega is right now."
He bowed forward desperately, forehead nearly touching Kiyonari's shoe.
"Please.... spare me..." His voice broke.
"Then talk."
Kiyonari's gaze remained cold. A sharp eyes that could stab through anyone with just one look at them.
*****
[A few minutes later]
Kiyonari pushed the door open and stepped inside. A wave of sound swallowed him immediately, bass heavy enough to vibrate through bone, laughter overlapping with slurred arguments, the constant clinking of glasses striking against the counter. The place was soaked in neon pink and violet light, the colors sliding across polished floors and skin alike until everything looked unreal, like a fever dream trapped in midnight.
The air smelled thick alcohol, perfume, sweat, and cigarette smoke mixed together and clinging stubbornly to fabric.
A row of dancers moved on the elevated stage, hips rolling in rhythm with the music while spotlights swept across them. Some customers cheered loudly, others watched in silence with glazed eyes, finger lazily circling the rims of their glasses and slid drink across the counter.
Kiyonari didn't slow down for the dancers brushing against passing patrons. He didn't react when someone bumped his shoulder. His attention skimmed faces, one after another.... measuring their posture, clothing, and body language.
That guy said he'd be here.
His brows tightened slightly.
The man from earlier, shaking and terrified beneath his grip had spoken between breaths.
"That popular bar downtown he always goes to like he practically lives there. I heard that Dongchan has some connection to the owners, as well as black market owners."
"M-Maybe the Omega is there right now."
Kiyonari moved past the center area. Now he stood near a shadowed corner pillar, the flashing lights barely reaching him. From there he watched the entire floor without being easily noticed.
At the far end of the counter, Kiyonari finally saw him.
A man lounged carelessly on the barstool as if the place belonged to him. One elbow rested on the polished surface as his fingers lazily circling the rim of a glass.
Donchan lifted it and took a slow sip, then tapped the counter twice. "Another."
The bartender didn't even ask, just poured his fourth drink. Kiyonari's suspicion hardened into certainty... without hesitation, he stepped forward one step then another.
His pace was unhurried but deliberate, shoulders squared, every movement controlled. His hand curled slowly into a fist at his side while his gaze locked onto the man's back, unwavering and sharp.
Before he even arrived, Dongchan already sensed a strong presence and felt a heavy weight behind.
An unexplainable pressure crawled up his spine, prickling the back of his neck. The laughter around him dulled and the music seemed to sink into the background. Instinct screamed louder than sound.
Dongchan quickly whipped his head behind and froze. Kiyonari stood beside him.
The neon lights washed over Kiyonari's face, but his eyes remained dark, cold, and fixed solely on him. For a brief moment, Dongchan felt as though a suffocating gravity itself pressed down on his shoulders forcing him into the seat.
Then Kiyonari's gaze shifted slightly sharp. The chill that ran through Dongchan's body was immediate.
Run.
His mind shouted it. Every nerve urged him to stand and leave right away, before something irreversible happened. But pride and fear of looking weak glued him in place.
Kiyonari finally spoke. "Are you Dongchan?"
Dongchan inhaled sharply before he realized it. His throat tightened...
For a second, no words came out though he forced himself upright, straightening his posture, masking the tremor crawling under his skin.
"... Yeah." He raised a brow, trying to hide the caution beneath it. "That's me. Did you need something?"
Kiyonari's eyes darkened further. "You tell me." His voice was low and almost calm, but the venom behind it was unmistakable.
He leaned down, closing the distance until Dongchan could feel his presence like a blade at his throat.
"I think you already know why I'm here."
Dongchan's pupils flickered. His jaw tightened.
He knew. Of course he did.
Dongchan swallowed hard.
"... Not here." His voice came quieter this time. "This isn't the right place for this kind of talk."
Kiyonari didn't move.
Dongchan glanced subtly around the bar, the bouncers, and the staff pretending not to stare, but the customers kept glancing on their direction. Then he leaned slightly closer and lowered his tone.
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know." A pause.
"We can go somewhere with less noise."
His eyes narrowed carefully. "There are a lot of eyes watching here. I think they're on you since the moment you walked in, Mr. Secretary."
Kiyonari's brows drew together instantly, a deep scowl forming at his forehead.
The back door of the bar creaked shut behind them. In the dark alley, heavy footsteps echoed as the two men walked further in, the neon lights fading into a dim orange glow from a distant streetlamp. The smell of damp concrete and rusted metal lingered in the air.
Dongchan suddenly stopped and pivoted on his heel to face Kiyonari.
The air around him seemed to shift as he straightened his posture. His shoulders relaxed, chin lifted slightly, no longer the nervous man from earlier. Confidence returned to him like a switch had been flipped.
He opened his mouth. "I know it's quite late to say this now... but I really have no idea why you suddenly approached me."
Kiyonari blinked, slightly surprised by the sudden change in the man's manner of speaking.
"If this is about that thing last time—I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Secretary," Dongchan continued, tone casual and calm. "But I already have my hands full with my new job. I can't really accept anything even if you pay in advance..."
He kept going on blabbering nonsensical words while Kiyonari listened quietly.
What is this guy talking about right now...? He thought, confused, yet he didn't interrupt.
But this was a waste of time. Waiting wouldn't lead him anywhere and it certainly wouldn't bring him to Soo-hyun's location.
Eventually, he spoke. "I really don't have time for this right now." His voice came out low.
Dongchan blinked. "What? Of course I know," he replied with a smug tone. "I'm a busy man myself as—"
BAM!
Kiyonari's hand suddenly shot forward and seized his collar, yanking him forward and then slamming him back against the wall.
[!!]
Air left Dongchan's lungs in a grunt.
"Kkrghh...!"
Kiyonari's eyes burned darkly, restrained fury barely contained beneath the surface.
"... I don't give a shit if you have so many things on your plate," he said, voice terrifyingly quiet.
"I have someone I need to save right now."
His grip tightened.
"And I swear... if anything bad happens to him, you'll never step foot in that bar again with your legs intact. You hear me?"
The atmosphere became suffocating. Kiyonari hadn't released pheromones, yet the pressure alone felt crushing, forcing Dongchan to shrink against the wall.
"W-Wait... what are you doing—" Donchan's voice trembled.
Kiyonari leaned closer, eyes burning.
"I'm only going to ask once, asshole." He emphasized. "Where is Director Je? Where did you take him?!"
Dongchan hesitated and seemed reluctant despite the threat in front of him.
Kiyonari's patience snapped.
"Tell me where he is! Right now!"
Rage surged through his voice, like he might lose control at any second. Before it could escalate—
THWACK.
Kiyonari's pupils shrank. His vision blurred instantly. Something heavy had struck the back of his head.
He didn't even feel pain and only numbness spreading. His grip loosened, fingers slipping from Dongchan's collar as the world tilted sideways.
Thud.
The last thing he registered was the ground rushing up toward him... before everything went blank.