Darkness enveloped the city of Lulin. The only sounds were the occasional meows of stray cats. Even the notorious Dalki's brothel was eerily quiet. Recent events had forced many nocturnal businesses to close early, and Dalki's establishment was no exception. Yet, none of this could disturb Dalki's deep sleep.
He lay naked on his large, plush bed, his body contorted in a grotesque pose. In his dream, he was having sex with one of his prostitutes, his pillow serving as a grotesque substitute.
"Ah... ah..." he moaned, his voice growing louder and more intense. He was lost in a sea of pleasure, or perhaps something more sinister. His heavy body, unable to contain itself, released its semen onto the pillow.
"Haha... Aisa! Your body is so soft and sweet. I can't help myself, darling!"
In his dream, he imagined the pillow to be the naked form of Aisa, one of his prostitutes.
Enveloping the pillow, Dalki, with his ugly face and repulsive voice, said, "Oh, Aisa darling, can I eat your lips? They're so sweet, I'm afraid they'll melt in my mouth! But what can I do..."
As he leaned in to lick the pillow, the window to his room burst open. Startled, Dalki turned to see the curtains billowing in the wind.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
Despite the obvious difficulty of tearing himself away from the pillow, he tried to get up and close the window but couldn't even move an inch. "Wh-what's going on?!" Dalki was bewildered when he felt a dark figure in his room. Then he turned and realized his feeling was correct.
"What a pathetic sight, Dalki! So this is why you're cooperating with us, huh?" The voice was clearly that of a woman; a woman dressed in tight, black clothing with a matching cloak to easily navigate the darkness of the night and a mask to conceal her identity. She had burst in abruptly to frighten Dalki and ruin his apparent moment of pleasure.
Realizing who the woman was, Dalki asked eagerly, "So you finally caught them, huh?" Then he got out of bed and tried to approach the black-cloaked woman in his naked state, but suddenly a blow to the back of his neck sent him crashing to the ground.
The black-cloaked woman, disgusted that Dalki would approach her in such a pathetic state, said with disdain, "If you come any closer, I'll break your neck, you worthless piece of shit!" Without hesitation, she stepped on Dalki's face and leaned in.
"The boss said anyone who makes a fool of us will suffer the worst death. You've kept us waiting too long, you good-for-nothing! You deserve to have your throat slit right here!"
Angrily, she pulled out a dagger she had hidden under her cloak and held it near the carotid artery on Dalki's neck.
Dalki, now fully awake, gasped and trembled, "Wh-what did I do?"
The woman moved the dagger closer and replied, "Nothing. You're a traitorous piece of scum that I'm about to kill."
The black-cloaked woman sheathed her dagger and paced around the room. She muttered, "I hate people who betray themselves. Tsk!" Then she spat on Dalki's face, saying, "That carriage changed course before it reached us and escaped. That means you tipped them off."
Dalki, wiping the spittle from his face, was startled. He couldn't believe he had so easily lost his prey. All the plans and possibilities he had considered vanished in an instant.
"H-how is that possible? The only way to the forest was that one!"
The black-cloaked woman looked at him and said, "No, there was another way, a very rough and uneven one. The boss suspects someone betrayed us."
Dalki denied the woman's words with fear and horror. "Impossible! How could I, who reported them to you, betray you myself? I want them dead as much as you do!" Then, after a brief pause, he gave a sickening smile and said, "Believe me!"
The black-cloaked woman, who had been watching Dalki from the beginning, turned and looked out the window.
"You're right, you're the only one who couldn't have betrayed us. If we're caught or something happens to us, you'll be the first one to suffer..."
Dalki interrupted her, saying with a trembling smile, "Y-yeah, of course-"
"But..."
Suddenly, before Dalki could even react, the woman turned and kicked him hard in the chest.
"Ouch!"
The fat Dalki crashed into the bedpost and involuntarily spat. His vision was blurring.
The woman pushed her cloak aside and drew her dagger once more. She approached Dalki and, with eyes filled with a terrifying intensity, said to him, "I'll give you this souvenir so you don't make the same mistake again, you piece of shit!" The sharp tip of the dagger created a thin line on Dalki's left cheek.
Dalki watched in terror, unable to move. He was helpless as this woman inflicted pain upon him. For the first time in his life, Dalki was truly terrified of a woman.
The woman stood up and quickly moved towards the open window. The sky was beginning to lighten. She turned to Dalki, who was still lying on the floor, and said, "You have until this time tomorrow to finish the job. If you don't get us what we want, the dogs will eat your remains tonight."
Dalki raised his head but no longer saw the woman. She had apparently left, leaving Dalki alone and soiling himself.
Dalki trembled as he touched the wound on his face. When he saw the blood on his hand, he muttered angrily, "Damn it..."