"Where are we going, Ryx?" Daniel asked, eyes narrowed as he watched the rundown buildings pass by through the car window.
"Got a lead on the gang rape case," Eryx said coldly, hands tightening on the steering wheel as he turned sharply into a narrow, dimly lit alley. His jaw was set. His expression—stone cold.
Daniel’s heart sank.
He had known this boy—no, this man—since they were kids. He had seen that look in his eyes before. And he knew one thing for sure.
When Eryx got that look, nothing could stop him.
"You know we can get into serious trouble for going alone like this, right? Yoon hyung’s going to kill me," Daniel muttered, his voice low but laced with concern. He glanced sideways at his friend. He already knew this was a losing battle.
But who was he kidding?
"That’ll only happen if I don’t catch those bastards," Eryx snapped, parking the car with a hard jerk in front of an old, rusted factory gate.
Without another word, he stepped out of the vehicle. Daniel followed, reluctantly but with resolve, both of them reaching for their Glock 22s tucked beneath their jackets.
Eryx motioned with a hand signal. Daniel nodded. Silence wrapped around them like a thick shroud as they crept towards the back entrance.
"How many did the informant say?" Daniel whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Eight. Maybe more."
They moved slowly, every step calculated. The area around the factory reeked of dust, oil, and something else—something rotten. A faint flicker of light streamed in through cracks and holes in the roof, casting eerie shadows on rusted machinery and broken crates.
The air was heavy. The silence… too silent.
They were walking straight into a nightmare. And they both knew it.
They looked around. The interior was dirty and almost dark, except for the areas lit by the light streaming through the holes in the roof. Old machines stood in the corners, indicating the factory had been closed for a long time. Suddenly, they heard a girl's shout coming from the other hallway.
Both of them ran towards the sound and witnessed five men holding two girls down on a blanket. The girls were in their undergarments, trying to fight off their attackers, who were laughing at their misery. The girls were bleeding from various body parts—their noses, mouths, and one had bad bruises all over her neck and chest.
Three men stood by, watching and recording the scene on their phones. It was clear what was about to happen, and that was enough to make Eryx lose his temper. He pulled out his gun and aimed at the roof, shooting it. The men in the room were alerted and looked towards the sound. Their eyes widened as they saw both Daniel and Eryx pointing guns at them.
"Let them go!" Daniel shouted, his face rigid as he scanned the men. One of the girls managed to escape the hold due to the distraction and ran towards Daniel, who pulled her behind him and handed her his jacket.
All the men pulled out their weapons—some had bats, others had knives—but none had guns. Unfortunately for the police officers, the men still held one girl captive. A man now held her up with a knife at her throat.
"Stay back," one of the men with a metal bat yelled at the police officers. "Listen, it's better you surrender without making it difficult," Daniel said. "Fuck off," another man said and charged at Daniel. Before he could reach him, a bullet to his thigh made him scream in pain.
Daniel looked at Eryx, who still had his gun pointed at the guy on the floor, holding his thigh and screeching in pain. Eryx had managed to hit the bone precisely. He looked at the guy and smirked, though he was visibly pissed.
He then pulled the gun up and, within the next ten seconds, shot almost all of them in their limbs, making them fall one by one. Only two men were left. Eryx turned towards the guy holding the girl with a knife. The man's hand was trembling, making it clear to Eryx that this one would be easy. He smirked at the thought.
"Stay back," the guy said as Eryx moved forward. The knife pressed down on her neck harshly but didn't draw blood. Eryx's grip tightened on his gun. "You realize if you hurt her just a bit more, I'll kill you, right?" Eryx said calmly. The guy was about to panic but tried to act tough. "Y-you can't kill me! Y-you're a police officer," he shouted, moving backward with the girl. The girl showed restraint against his movements, looking at Eryx with pleading eyes. Eryx's eyes, however, were fixed on the guy, who looked scared but still tried to act tough.
"Why not? Who's going to know anyway? Right, Scooby?" Eryx said, smirking, and turned to look at Daniel. Daniel had just cuffed the other remaining man to the floor after tackling him unconscious and looked up. "Of course, Ryx. We can shoot all his limbs first, then bury him alive," he said with a devilish grin, standing up. Eryx turned back to the guy.
"How about we get it over with? I'm bored already," he said, his smirk replaced with an angry glare. "You have 3 seconds of your life. Any last words?" Eryx said, approaching the guy. The guy was shaking, and even the girl was intimidated, whimpering slightly.
"3," Eryx started. "2," he aimed right at the guy's head. "1," and he had just put his finger over the trigger when the guy pushed the girl towards Eryx and ran towards the exit. Eryx immediately caught the girl. "Scooby," he said to Daniel, who took the girl, calming her down as he ran after the guy.
Eryx sprinted out the door, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of the fleeing man. Spotting him at a distance, Eryx charged forward with renewed determination. The man glanced back, cursed his fate, and veered left into a narrow alley in a desperate bid to shake his pursuer. However, Eryx was too fast, and the man’s attempt to lose him proved futile. They maintained a considerable distance, with Eryx closing the gap as he ran with all his might.
As the man crossed a road, Eryx followed suit, only to be halted by a green signal that allowed cars to flood the intersection. He groaned in frustration, watching as the man huffed in relief and picked up speed. Eryx’s gaze was fixed on the signal, his anger growing with each passing second. Just as he thought all hope was lost, fate intervened. The man tripped over someone’s foot and crashed face-first onto the hard concrete. Eryx seized the opportunity, sprinting towards the man as the signal turned red.
He leaped over the man, who was struggling to get up, and pinned him to the ground. The man’s nose was bleeding profusely. Eryx turned to thank the person who had inadvertently tripped the man, but the stranger was already disappearing into the distance.
The man wore a mask, exuding an air of elegance. Eryx caught a glimpse of hazel eyes, though the distance made it hard to be certain. The man was dressed in a long navy blue coat and black jeans, his attire stark against the chaotic surroundings.
He gave Eryx a small salute before turning to leave. Eryx nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his hands slipping into his pockets as he watched the man disappear into the dark.
