Yun Ha-jin stood a few paces away from Seo Mirae, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her uneasy. The dark, desolate platform of the ruins of the supermarket was their battlefield, the flickering lights cast long shadows, and for a moment, Seo Mirae wondered if she had made a mistake in trusting this man.
She had survived the apocalypse so far by reading people, sensing their intentions. But Ha-jin? He was a mystery, a void she couldn't decipher.
"Attack me," he said suddenly, his voice calm but commanding. The words hung in the air between them, and Mirae's heart skipped a beat.
She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "What?"
"You heard me," Ha-jin said, stepping forward slightly. His fists clenched, his muscles tensing as he prepared for combat. "If you're going to be my ally, I need to know if you're worth keeping around. Fight me like you mean it. Attack me with the intent to kill."
Mirae froze, her breath catching in her throat. Was he serious? He couldn't really expect her to
"Don't hold back," he continued, his voice growing colder. "If you do, you'll die. I'll kill you if you hesitate. So, pick a weapon." He motioned to a scattered pile of debris and broken objects on the ground near them.
Her mind raced. This wasn't what she had expected. She thought he wanted to test her strength, but this… This was something else. Something darker. Was this how he judged people? By forcing them to fight for their lives?
"I don't want to fight you," she stammered, taking a step back. "We're supposed to be allies."
Ha-jin's gaze never wavered, his expression unreadable. "Allies need to trust each other. But more than that, allies need to know how far the other is willing to go to survive."
His words stung, and for the first time since she had met him, Seo Mirae began to doubt her decision to follow him. But then, her survival instincts kicked in. He was right, in a way. In this world, trust was fragile, and only the strongest could make it through the scenarios. If she couldn't fight if she couldn't prove herself then she was as good as dead.
With trembling hands, she bent down and picked up a long, broken metal pipe from the debris. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. She felt the cold metal in her grip, her heartbeat steadying as she prepared herself for what was to come.
Ha-jin shifted slightly, lowering his stance into a fighting position, his fists raised. He wasn't going to use a weapon. He was going to fight her with his bare hands.
"Come at me," he said, his voice low. "And don't hold back. I won't."
Seo Mirae hesitated for a moment longer, but then something inside her clicked. This was her chance. She couldn't afford to be afraid, not now. If she didn't give it her all, she knew he would kill her without a second thought.
Taking a deep breath, she lunged forward, swinging the metal pipe with all her strength.
Ha-jin's body moved with frightening speed. He sidestepped her attack effortlessly, dodging the swing with a fluid grace that made her stomach drop. Before she could react, he was already behind her, his fist flying toward her back.
Instinct took over, and Mirae barely managed to roll out of the way. The force of Ha-jin's strike sent a gust of wind past her, and she could feel the raw power behind it. He wasn't holding back.
He's serious.
She scrambled to her feet, gripping the pipe tighter, her mind racing as she tried to think of her next move. Ha-jin was too fast, too skilled. She couldn't fight him head-on. If she wanted to survive this, she had to use her wits.
Her power reading intentions had always been her strength. It wasn't perfect, but it gave her an edge in understanding what people would do next. She closed her eyes for a split second, reaching out with her mind to try and sense Ha-jin's next move.
Nothing.
It was like staring into an endless abyss. His intentions were unreadable.
Of course,_ she thought bitterly. He's not like anyone else.
But then, she felt something shift. It wasn't clear, but there was a flicker of something an emotion, a thought just beneath the surface. She couldn't fully understand it, but it was enough. She could sense where he would strike next.
Ha-jin moved again, closing the distance between them in an instant. His fist came crashing down toward her, but this time, she was ready. Seo Mirae ducked under his blow, pivoting to the side, and brought the pipe around in a wide arc, aiming for his ribs.
The impact was solid, and Ha-jin staggered back, his eyes widening in surprise for a brief moment.
"Good," he muttered, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "You're learning."
Before she could respond, Ha-jin was on her again. His movements were sharper, more precise. He wasn't holding back anymore. Every punch, every kick, came with the intent to kill, just like he had promised.
Seo Mirae struggled to keep up, her body aching from the strain of dodging and blocking. Her grip on the metal pipe was slipping, and she knew she couldn't last much longer. But she had to. She couldn't afford to lose.
"You're stronger than you think," Ha-jin said between attacks, his voice cold. "But strength alone isn't enough."
He lunged forward, faster than she could react, and knocked the pipe from her hands with a swift kick. The metal clattered to the ground, leaving her defenseless.
Seo Mirae stumbled back, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Ha-jin stood before her, his dark eyes unyielding.
"Now," he said softly, almost a whisper. "Are you ready to kill?"
Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. The question echoed in her head, but before she could answer, a low, chilling voice drifted through her thoughts.
"So… what will it be?" The demon inside Ha-jin stirred, its presence cold and malicious. "Break her and use her, or is this ally really genuine?"
Seo Mirae stared into Ha-jin's eyes, searching for any trace of humanity. All she saw was blood and an endless abyss.