"Choi Siwon!" A voiced roared angrily, the sound echoing in the empty room.
"You think you're worthy of my charity? I took you in when no one else would, and this is how you repay me? Stealing from the one person who's ever shown you kindness? You're not even worth the dirt beneath my feet, and yet you dare to deceive me? I'll make sure you understand the value of loyalty, even if it has to be taught through pain." The headmaster smiled cruelly as he grabbed the whip around his waist.
A small twisted yet pained smile made its way to Siwon's lips as he thought, Cruel? This isn't cruel. This is almost... gentle. He almost let out a soft snort, his eyes gazing into the distance. The orphanage might be harsh, but it was a far cry from the torment he'd endured before. He'd survived worse, he could survive this. The thought was a cold comfort, but it was enough to keep him going.
The whip sliced through the air, landing with a sickening thud on Siwon's back. Blood welled up, trickling down his spine like a cold finger tracing a path of fire. But Siwon's expression didn't change. His eyes glazed over, his mind dissociating from the pain, turning it into something abstract, something he could endure. The sound of his own ragged breathing was the only sign that he was still tethered to reality. As the whip came down again and again, Siwon's thoughts grew distant, his consciousness slipping into a dark, numb place where the pain was just a distant memory, a muffled echo of something long past.
It hurts.. But if he doesn't endure this, then where else could someone like him go? He isn't even worth saving, after all he's just an orphan whose parents sold for a mere bag of gold. The only thing he's good at is praying for a better day to come as he finally passed from the pain and exhaustion.
"Oh, you poor child.."
Who...
"Tell me, what is it that you desire?"
"Food..." Siwon's voice was barely audible, but his desire was clear. Desperate and worn out, he'd lost all sense of caution, at this point, he'd eat anything. The prospect of sating his hunger after months of starvation consumed him, and he wouldn't even question who or what was in front of him.
"As you wish, my child," the creature whispered, its voice a gentle lullaby. Siwon didn't notice the grin creeping onto its face - and maybe it didn't matter. After a lifetime of being thrown aside and abused, who wouldn't grasp at the promise of help, no matter the cost?
Silence...
A comfortable silence settled around him, a rare and precious thing. Siwon closed his eyes, letting the quiet wrap around him like a fragile shield. No pain, no hunger... just the silence. For a moment, he forgot about the endless struggle, and his heart found a fragile peace.
"Siwon" The voice was like silk, purring his name with sly amusement. He blinked, his gaze snapping back into the reality as he stared at the whiskey glass in front of him. A low sigh escaped his lips before he raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Kim Heo-yong?" he asked.
Siwon had been lost in thought just moments before, so consumed by his own mind that he hadn't even noticed the sly, snake like bastard sneaking up on him with a mischievous grin plastered on his face, a sight that had almost provoked him into throwing a punch. Almost.
"No matter how much I think about it, I've never seen you eat," Heo-yong stared flatly, his eyes locked on Siwon's as he discreetly slipped another mysterious powder into his drink. Siwon's gaze narrowed, his mind racing with the certainty that he wouldn't be touching that drink again.
Kim Heo-yong, the charming bartender who ran the Hope lair like his own kingdom, had a charm that had once amused Siwon enough to keep him coming back. But that charm had long since worn off, replaced by a growing urge to wipe the smirk off Heo-yong's face. For now, Siwon had to content himself with just thinking about it.
It had been exactly 20 years since the portals appeared without warning. At first, people dismissed them as a weird anomaly, but soon, strange occurrences escalated. Mysterious deaths started piling up, with one chilling common thing, every victim had ventured into the portals out of curiosity before dying a week later.
Honestly, Siwon couldn't careless what happens to these people, I mean if he had the power to kill everyone in the world he would've done so, after all humans are the cause of pain they experienced themselves. Perhaps that must be why he never reported the people who entered the portal. Even if he was the lookout.
"Siwon."
"Be quiet before I report you for harrassment."
" Using your authority to bully citizens is against the town's law."
Siwon remained silent. To him, Kim Heo-yong was just an insect. Annoying, insignificant, not even worth a glance. If Siwon wanted him dead, he'd already be buried. But someone as good looking as Kim Heo-yong couldn't vanish without the world noticing.
But perhaps with a few strings pulled here and there,He might be able to kill him but once he does the bar will have to shut down and God forbids such a fine quality of drinks be wasted.
"Choi Siwon!"
Fucking hell.. Who is it now.
"Bastard! You watched her go, my pregnant wife, and you let it happen? Do you hear me? You let her die!"
Siwon studied the man without emotion. A bottle in his hand, torn clothes, blood on his knuckles—every detail painted the same picture. He didn't need to ask what happened; men like this always left destruction behind. His wife's despair was proof enough.
Just as Siwon opened his mouth to speak, Heo-yong cut in smoothly.
"Now, now," he drawled, " I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding. Siwon's a kind if somewhat stupid guy. I'm sure he didn't realize what he was doing when your wife entered the portal."
This fucker..
Siwon sighed and stood, slipping away from the conversation. From where he stood, it was all just childish nonsense that's not even worth his attention.
Siwon stepped out of Hope Lair, the night air biting against his skin as he made his way toward the portal. Curiosity tugged at him — a dangerous, almost reckless kind. He wanted to see for himself why people died a day after stepping through it.
The thought alone stirred something unsettling inside him. His lips curled into a faint, sick grin, and for a fleeting moment, he almost looked amused. Maybe it was madness. Or maybe it was the only thing left that still made him feel alive.
Siwon hummed softly, a calm rhythm against the chaos of the portal. He turned, expression unreadable, and stepped backward into the void before everything went black.