Jiwon: keugh... aghh... what the... where am I... aghh...
Jiwon's body jolted awake with a sharp gasp, his breath ragged and uneven. His head pounded, a dull ache settling deep into his skull. His mouth was dry, and his throat burned with the effort of forcing his mind to focus. The first thing he noticed was the overwhelming darkness, a thick, oppressive silence that surrounded him. He tried to move, but something cold and unforgiving held him in place.
His wrists were bound tightly, the rough ropes cutting into his skin. Panic rose in his chest as he struggled against the restraints, but the more he fought, the more the ropes seemed to tighten, biting into his flesh. His legs were bound too, his body completely immobilized. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he couldn't free himself. His breath caught in his throat.
Where am I? The thought hammered against his skull as his eyes tried to adjust to the dim surroundings. The faintest light filtered in from above, casting weak shadows across a cold, concrete floor. He blinked hard, trying to make sense of it all. This isn't my apartment.
The panic surged again as the realization sank in. Kidnapped.
His head swam with confusion. Who would do this? Why?
His mind raced as memories flickered—his last moments of freedom, his normal life... and then, a face—a shadowed figure who had come out of nowhere. Jiwon tried to grasp the memory, but it slipped through his fingers like sand. Was it a dream? A nightmare?
But this... this was real.
Suddenly, he heard it—slow, deliberate footsteps echoing in the distance. Jiwon's heart leapt into his throat, his breath catching. Every muscle tensed in anticipation. The footsteps were growing closer, the sound of boots scraping against cold concrete. Each step was like a countdown to something worse.
Jiwon squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the rising terror. Stay calm. Focus. But it was hard. The air was thick, and the uncertainty that gnawed at him made it impossible to hold onto his sanity.
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and his heart skipped. He turned his head, his neck aching, to catch a glimpse of the approaching figure.
A shadow, large and imposing, stepped into his peripheral vision. The silhouette was distorted by the low light, but there was no mistaking the presence. The air around Jiwon seemed to thicken, becoming heavier as the figure grew closer.
The footsteps stopped.
Jiwon could feel the presence standing just out of reach, the figure looming above him. His breathing was shallow, barely above a whisper, as the cold chill of fear set in.
Who is this person? The question burned in his mind, but no answer came. His mind was clouded with panic, trying to make sense of the situation. Was this a stranger? Or had Jiwon known him once? The more he thought, the more it seemed like there was something hauntingly familiar about the figure—but the memory was too distant, too buried beneath layers of confusion.
Jiwon swallowed hard, forcing the words past his dry lips. "Who... who are you?"
The figure didn't respond immediately. The silence between them was thick, suffocating, pressing against Jiwon's chest. He tugged at his restraints again, the ropes biting deeper into his flesh, but it was useless. He was trapped. Helpless.
Another beat of silence.
Finally, the figure spoke, his voice low, controlled, and filled with something Jiwon couldn't quite decipher. "You don't recognize me."
Jiwon blinked, his mind racing, but the words wouldn't form. He had no idea who this person was, but the voice... it was familiar. Had I heard it before? The more he tried to focus, the more his mind slipped away from the answers he needed.
"I don't..." Jiwon's voice faltered as he pulled at the ropes once more. "... why am I here? What do you want from me?"
The figure didn't answer, but Jiwon could feel him drawing closer, the air around them growing colder. He could hear the sound of the man's breath, slow and controlled, like he was studying Jiwon, watching his every move. It felt as though the figure could sense Jiwon's every flicker of panic, every crack in his facade.
"Do you know why you're here?" The voice was almost a whisper, yet it felt as though it reverberated within Jiwon's bones. It sent a shiver down his spine, making his pulse race.
Jiwon shook his head, his heart pounding in his ears. Why am I here? The question echoed in his mind, but the answer remained elusive.
The figure finally moved, stepping into the dim light enough for Jiwon to catch a glimpse of his face, though it was still obscured by shadows. There was something unsettling about the way he moved—calm, almost too calm for someone who was holding him captive.
And then, just when Jiwon thought he might break under the weight of the tension, the figure spoke again.
"Let me make this clear," the voice rasped. "You're here because of the choices you made. You have a debt to pay."
tightening with fear. A debt? What does that mean? He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were stuck. He could only manage a weak, strangled, "I don't... understand."
The figure stepped back slightly, observing Jiwon with an unreadable expression. The silence stretched between them again, thick and suffocating. Jiwon's heart hammered against his ribcage as his mind tried to piece together the fragments of the situation. Why can't I remember? His memories were clouded, fragments of his past too hazy to grasp. All he could do was focus on the present, on the fear that was crawling up his spine.
A cold hand touched his chin, lifting his face slightly. Jiwon flinched at the contact, but the hand was steady, firm.
"Remember," the figure murmured, his voice almost soft, "because you will remember everything soon enough."
Jiwon's heart lurched in his chest, his body going cold with the realization that this wasn't just some random abduction. There was history here. And it was history he couldn't escape.
The figure's eyes narrowed as if reading Jiwon's mind, sensing the fear that pulsed through him. "You won't remember at first. But you will."
Jiwon's breath hitched as he tried to piece the words together. The figure's face remained shadowed, his features obscured enough to make Jiwon feel as though he were staring at a ghost from the past.
"You'll regret this," Jiwon whispered, his voice barely audible, but the figure heard it.
A small, cold smile curled on the man's lips.
Jiwon swallowed hard, the weight of the moment crashing over him. The fear, the confusion, the overwhelming sense of dread... it was all too much.
The figure turned, his movements deliberate and quiet. But before he disappeared into the darkness, he left Jiwon with one final, chilling phrase.
"Your past is coming for you, Jiwon. And it's not finished with you yet."
And with that, Jiwon was left alone in the darkness once more, his heart racing, the weight of his past pressing down on him.