The voice was unmistakable.

……It was Ilay.

Jeong Taeui tried to swallow his shaky breath, thinking that if his hands weren’t tied, he would have clutched his chest to calm his pounding heart.

His ears had grown so accustomed to Ilay’s deep voice that hearing it now felt utterly terrifying….., if he felt this way, he wondered how those others might react to it.

However, before Jeong Taeui could feel any sympathy for them, a horrified scream pierced the air. But it was swiftly silenced in an instant.

“Alright, I’ve quieted down the noisiest one. Now listen carefully. Where are you keeping the person you captured? Upstairs? I’ve dealt with a few people on the second floor, and I just checked the third, but Jeong Jay isn’t there either… Aha… How strange. There’s a messy, empty room with some charred skin fragments and an abandoned lighter. It seems he escaped from there.”

“He’s certainly lucky.” – Ilay chuckled softly, his voice deep and menacing.

Jeong Taeui stood there, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, his eyes darting back and forth in the darkness.

Ilay was searching for Jeong Jay as well.

A brief silence passed.

When the silence ended, a quiet laugh echoed. It was more terrifying than any sound that could come from the depths of hell.

“A ha… My sense of smell is sharp, and my other senses are no less keen… especially when it comes to prey, I’ve never been wrong.”

“……!”

“It’s been a while, Jeong Jay. Too dark for a handshake, isn’t it?”

The shadow of a long knife twirled playfully in the figure’s hand.

At that moment, almost instinctively, Taeui shot up and dashed straight up the stairs. A chill ran down his spine. He felt as if every hair on his body stood on end.

‘SENSES? WHAT A LUNATIC!!’

If his mouth could still work, if he could still speak, Taeui was certain he would have screamed exactly that.

Well, that made sense. If that were the case, perhaps there was no reason to keep running like this. Taeui thought to himself as he dashed up to the third floor, and instead of continuing upward, he veered into the hallway on the third floor.

As Jeong Taeui burst through the emergency exit door on the third-floor stairs, an incredibly deep laugh echoed from the steps below. It sent chills all over his skin.

The hallway was engulfed in silence and pitch-black darkness. Not a single light. Not a sound.

Taeui took only a few steps before realizing that running away was impossible. Nothing was in his favor at this moment.

Even if he were in his best condition, he doubted he could outrun that man. And now, with his upper body bound, his running speed was clearly slower.

On top of that, during his escape, he’d crashed into several things in the darkness, and his already dislocated shoulder now throbbed as if it were about to give him serious trouble. His lightly sprained ankle was also stabbing with pain. The gag in his mouth made it hard to breathe. If he kept going like this, he’d suffocate to death before the man could even kill him.

In this situation, simply trying to run from him was a suicidal act.

Taeui hurried as quietly and swiftly as he could, opening every door he came across. But with his hands bound, it wasn’t an easy task.

He managed to open about three or four doors when a voice echoed from the stairwell.

“Jeong Jay. There’s no need to exhaust yourself running like that. With your luck, no matter what I do, you always seem to end up just fine, don’t you?”

A relaxed and casual voice resounded in the thick, black silence. Meanwhile, from somewhere below, the sound of fierce gunfire erupted.

The gunfire was much closer now than before.

It seemed they had started storming the building and were firing heavily, as the sounds of shots rang out from somewhere below.

Yet, this place remained quiet – despite the gunfire echoing in the distance, this area felt somehow detached – as if this place belonged to another world. A strange sensation came over him.

“Back then, when I shot at you, the gun was working fine, but suddenly it misfired and exploded, injuring me. Truly, your luck is something strange.”

‘That happened?! So he’s been after my brother’s life all along, this bastard?!’

“But hey, aren’t you curious? What if it’s not a gun but a knife this time? You’re human too—do you think your stomach can stop a blade, or will the knife just melt away? I’m really curious. That’s why, instead of a gun, I brought a knife this time.”

He could almost see the sinister smile curling on Ilay’s face. That voice was slowly but surely drawing closer.

Jeong Taeui held his breath, pressing himself against the wall next to a hallway pillar.

Meanwhile, Ilay’s slow and leisurely voice kept getting closer, continuing to taunt him.

“I’ve always wondered how far your luck would take you. I’ve been curious about that for a long time. So, why don’t we see which wins—my hunt or your luck? Even if your luck is overwhelming, I’m still curious about how you’ll escape this time…”

The voice had moved a few steps closer.

The hallway was pitch-black. Even if he were Ilay, there was no way he could spot Jeong Taeui with his naked eye. The rest relied on his ears, nose, and, most importantly, his other heightened senses.

Jeong Taeui held his breath. Even though he knew no one could hear his heartbeat from the outside, in his ears, it sounded like a pounding drum, making him even more anxious.

If he stepped out now and approached Ilay, would Ilay realize he wasn’t his prey?

Maybe. After all the time they’d spent together, it was possible Ilay had developed a kind of intuition – a sense that he could recognize Taeui’s presence immediately.

Yes, that could very well be. There had been times when Taeui snuck into Ilay’s room in the dead of night, making no sound, yet Ilay somehow sensed him, pulling him into his arms in an instant, almost eerily.

Taeui had once wondered whether Ilay would do the same to anyone who entered his room at night, so he secretly asked Kyle to sneak in without telling him why—because if Kyle knew, he definitely wouldn’t agree. (Looking back, Taeui felt quite guilty about what he’d made Kyle do.)

That time, instead of pulling Kyle into his embrace, Ilay responded coldly in a detached tone: “What do you need at this hour? If it’s something important, tell me over breakfast.”

Kyle, grumbling, left the room. But just a moment later, when Taeui quietly entered the room, the same way Kyle had, Ilay immediately pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly, as usual.

“……”

Looking at the situation, maybe if he obediently walked over to him now, Ilay would recognize him and possibly lower the knife.

Just as Taeui was quickly weighing his options, the event unfolded.

“Ah, where is it… Around here?”

The sound of Ilay’s voice and all his movements suddenly vanished. The moment Taeui realized this, his heart sank, and in the next instant, Ilay’s voice whispered right next to his ear. Simultaneously, a sharp whoosh sliced through the air, coming straight for him.

In that incredibly brief moment, Taeui instinctively dodged to the side by a hair’s breadth. *SLASH* – a deafening, metallic sound of the blade collided with the wall, embedding itself right next to his bound arm. He could feel the cold, razor-sharp edge grazing perilously close to his skin.

“……!!”

Jeong Taeui’s heart skipped a beat. This bastard is like a ghost!

But there was no time to stand still.

Ilay pulled the knife from the wall, chuckling softly, and swung the blade with deadly precision, as if he could see Taeui, aiming directly for fatal spots.

Every time Taeui tried to step forward and run, Ilay slashed in the exact direction he would move, making Taeui question whether the man could actually see him.

“Ha.” – Ilay suddenly let out a soft, admiring laugh.

“Is this really what they call luck? A man who’s spent his life at a desk, lost in thought, dodging with such skill? …Well then, I suppose it’s time for me to get serious.”

‘You mean you weren’t serious before?! I’m dead for sure!!!’

Jeong Taeui gritted his teeth.

There was no other choice. He didn’t want to do this, but to survive, he had to. Sorry, Ilay.

Taeui no longer bothered hiding his presence; he aimed directly for where Ilay was stepping. Closing his eyes, he launched a powerful kick.

*THUD.*

He felt the solid impact against his shin. The kick had landed perfectly.

And for the first time, Jeong Taeui realized very clearly that Ilay was just human after all.

A short, low groan escaped from Ilay’s mouth. This was the first time Taeui had heard a sound of pain from him. Ilay bent slightly, suppressing his labored breathing.

Taeui hesitated only for a brief moment before turning away, swallowing his stifled sobs, and fleeing. As a man, he never wanted to do this.

Tears welled up, fueled by a sense of guilt. At the same time, the thought that if he were caught, only death awaited him sent him spiraling into despair.

Though his vision was unclear and his speed hindered, he tilted his body, using his shoulder to feel his way forward in place of his bound hands, while desperately trying to run as fast as he could.

According to Taeui’s memory, somewhere ahead there would be a turn, and shortly after taking it, he’d find another staircase. Just get downstairs. If he could make it down and out of the building, the game would be over!

Damn it. Why, at this late hour, was he gambling his life in a survival game? How had he ended up in this situation?

For the first time, Taeui felt a flicker of resentment toward his brother.

Though he swore he never wanted his brother to be in this situation in his place, thinking about how much of this was caused by his brother sparked a small, unavoidable sense of bitterness, like the metaphorical tears of an ant*. At the same time, he realized once again how incredibly lucky his brother was.

(Tears of an ant*: A metaphorical expression referring to something so small and insignificant that it’s hardly noticeable.)

“…―.”

His breath came in gasps, each one growing shorter. It felt like he was truly on the verge of death.

Taeui wondered if he was still even conscious. The gunfire, which had rung out a while ago, was now much closer… The sound was approaching.

Suddenly, he snapped awake. The gunfire was near, but it definitely wasn’t coming from this floor. If he ran in that direction and made it downstairs…

Though he might encounter whoever was holding the gun, at least he might escape the terrifying man chasing him.

Taeui made the decision to follow the gunfire.

In the pitch-black darkness with nothing to cling to, the only thing he could rely on was the chaotic, desolate sound of gunshots.

Following the structure of the building as he remembered it, Taeui repeatedly crashed into walls while trying to run toward the sound of gunfire. Then, at some point, he felt the edge of a door brush against his foot.

The stairs.

A fleeting sense of elation surged through Jeong Taeui’s mind.

Just get down. Just get out of here and out of this building.

With that single thought in mind, as he carefully felt his way down the steps and his foot touched the first one…

“Planning to leave on your own?”

A voice whispered directly behind him, right by his ear.

How had he gotten so close? Taeui hadn’t even noticed.

At that moment, Taeui felt his heart freeze.

He realized that this was the man’s hunt. It had given him the illusion that he could escape, but the truth was, there was no way out!

“……!!”

A sharp pain shot up his spine.

Even though Taeui immediately tried to dodge the moment he felt the man’s breath, the knife still managed to tear through his shirt and scrape across his back, leaving a stinging wound.

It wasn’t too deep, but he could faintly smell blood.

From behind him, the voice spoke again, this time genuinely surprised.

“Avoided it? Impressive. Jeong Jay, maybe you’re better suited for this than for being a researcher.”

But just as Ilay finished speaking, a sharp gust of wind cut straight toward Taeui’s face.

Thrown off balance from tripping over the edge of the stairs, Taeui tumbled backward, crashing into the wall and collapsing to the floor.

The blade slashed across his neck, landing just beneath his ear. The thin blade sliced through his skin before embedding itself deep into the wall.

It was just a thin layer of skin, but the knife had dug in deep enough.

Ilay’s grip on the knife hilt remained firm. If he simply pushed his hand slightly to the side, that large, sharp blade would come down like a guillotine and sever Taeui’s neck.

…The game was over.

“Impressive.”

Right in front of him, Taeui heard Ilay’s teeth grit. His voice, still deep and lightly growling, was likely due to the pain still gnawing at him.

(Guess what Ilay got kicked so hard it hurt? 🤣)

“It’s been a long time since I felt pain like this. You’ve got quite the kick. For a moment, I thought I might not be able to use this ‘leg’ for the rest of my life.”

The knife pressed against Jeong Taeui’s neck trembled slightly as if it had just moved. The hand gripping the hilt tightened.

Taeui felt like he was on the verge of suffocating, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Was he really going to die like this? Just like this? …At Ilay’s hands?

That couldn’t be. He hated the thought of dying, but dying by Ilay’s hands was even more unbearable.

Wait, there had to be a way out. Even if you’re caught by a tiger, if you stay calm, just stay calm, calm…

“No use, Jeong Jay. If I can’t use this ‘leg’ anymore, your little brother will cry.”

‘NEVER! NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!!’

Suddenly, Jeong Taeui snapped awake. If he died from suffocation now, it wouldn’t be because of his physical condition.

Panting, Jeong Taeui glared at Ilay, though he couldn’t see him clearly.

Ilay didn’t even acknowledge the look. Instead, he chuckled softly.

“Alright then……. Let’s see. Can someone as lucky as Jeong Jay escape a blade pressed so close to his throat without having it sliced open?”

“…….!!”

Taeui could feel the pressure from the hand gripping the hilt, traveling down the length of the blade.

For a brief moment, Jeong Taeui’s heart seemed to stop.

And at that instant.

A chilling sound echoed near his ear, as if the air itself was being torn apart. The thunderous noise filled Jeong Taeui’s ears completely, and a moment later, the distinct smell of gunpowder reached his nose.

“Get away from him!”

A deep, commanding voice rang out from the darkness.

From the stairwell landing, steady footsteps began to approach, one by one. At the same time, another gunshot echoed.

The shooter aimed directly at the source of Ilay’s voice, firing without hesitation, indifferent to whether the bullet might splatter Ilay’s brains or not.

Jeong Taeui recognized that voice.

It was the voice of someone born into power, accustomed to ruling others from the very start. Arrogant and brimming with confidence—a voice that was hard to forget.

The knife pressing against Taeui’s neck was withdrawn. Perhaps Ilay had moved to avoid the bullet aimed at his head.

Ilay took a step back as well. Remembering who the newcomer was, he let out a quiet chuckle and said:

“So, it’s you—Raumaan Abid Al Saud. I never imagined you’d personally come to such a dark place.”

“Ilay Riegrow. The one you truly want to kill isn’t him, it’s me. Don’t touch him.”

“――Ah, is that so…?”

Ilay’s voice lifted slightly. He seemed to be pondering something, hesitating for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Then he murmured: “Well, no matter.”

“Yes, I figured you’d come. I had a feeling. So, I’ll grant your wish. Besides, I have some unfinished business with you, don’t I?”

With those words, Ilay began to move. He advanced toward the direction of Raumaan’s voice, as if he could see through the darkness and pinpoint the weapon Raumaan held.

Gunfire erupted again, this time in rapid succession, each shot coming from a different angle.

Simultaneously, in response to the gunfire, faint noises like fabric being torn filled the air, interspersed with *Shhk, shhk* – the sound of something being slashed.

Neither spoke. From the beginning, it seemed neither had any intention to talk, nor was it necessary. Neither had come for conversation.

Only the sounds of gunfire and blades clashing filled the air.
Guns and knives. Which held the advantage?

In this pitch-black darkness, it was hard to say which side had the upper hand. A knife could silently tear through anything within its reach, while a gun could pierce any body once it pinpointed its target, unrestricted by distance.

Who wielded their weapon more effectively? Who was more skilled? And, under these conditions – robbed of one of their senses – who was more accustomed to battle?

――The answer was clear.

The smell of blood grew stronger and thicker.

Perhaps Ilay had been shot, or Raumaan had been slashed by the knife. Whoever it was, one thing was certain—they were wounded. And as time passed, the injury was only getting worse.

Those quiet, terrifying sounds made Jeong Taeui tremble, his fingers curling in on themselves. The reason for his freezing fingers wasn’t just because they were tied and immobilized.

Someone had been hurt. The metallic stench of blood was suffocating.

Yet, neither of them made a sound. No groans, no ragged breathing. Occasionally, a faint click of the tongue could be heard, but it wasn’t enough to reveal who made the noise.

Right in front of him, in the darkness, someone – someone who might be close to him – was bleeding.

The horror of not being able to see became painfully clear.

At that moment.

The gunfire from below, which had been sporadically ringing out, drew nearer. It seemed they had tracked the source of the shots to this area. The sound of footsteps followed.

One, two,… even by rough estimation, at least four or five people had reached the bottom of the stairs.

It was impossible to tell whose side they were on. Were they Raumaan’s men or Rashid’s?

But it seemed they had recognized each other in the darkness and started to exchange words. The sound of hurried, anxious voices echoed faintly from where Taeui stood. Their fast-paced conversation rang out, and as they ran up the stairs, someone shouted something toward this direction from below.

Although Taeui couldn’t fully understand, the name ‘Raumaan’ could be heard amidst their words.

Jeong Taeui immediately recognized the voice calling out to Raumaan with such concern. It was Malik’s voice.

In the darkness, Raumaan shouted something short and commanding. Upon hearing his words, the group that had been rushing up the stairs suddenly halted in their tracks.

“…Yes, having others interfere halfway would be troublesome.”

Ilay muttered. His voice, dangerous yet tinged with a soft laugh, echoed faintly. Hearing that sinister sound brought a strange sense of relief to Taeui, as it confirmed that Ilay was still unharmed.

Despite everything, knowing that Ilay was still intact gave Taeui an odd reassurance amidst the chaos.