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A Memory from the Past
The night was thick with tension, the only sound being the distant waves crashing against the cliffs.
Jihu [ jaeahn's brother ] grip on the USB drive tightened as he looked at Hyejin.
"This is enough evidence," he whispered. "Enough to bring all their crimes to light."
Hyejin watched him carefully. "Then let's expose them. Together."
But Jihu shook his head. His eyes, dark with exhaustion, softened with something more painful.
"I can't go back after coming this far," he said. "I've kept Jae Ahn away from this from the beginning. I never wanted him to be involved."
A sharp ringtone cut through the silence.
Jihu picked up, pressing the phone to his ear.
A distorted voice spoke.
"You wanted to keep your brother away from this, right? But guess what? He's already involved. He was on the island today."
Jihu's heart stopped.
"Look, Jihu. Your brother is here too."
Hyejin saw his face drain of color. "Jihu…?"
He gritted his teeth, gripping the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I've come too far," he muttered. "I can't let them find Jae Ahn before I do."
And with that, he ran.
Hyejin called after him, but Jihu had already disappeared into the night.
---
Present Day – The Truth Hurts
Jae Ahn felt like the world had tilted beneath his feet.
Hyejin's voice was distant, like an echo. "By the time I reached Jihu… it was too late. They had already killed him."
Silence filled the air.
"The last thing he told me was—" She hesitated. Then, voice barely above a whisper, she continued.
"I don't want to drag Jae Ahn into this. I don't want him to get hurt because of me."
Jae Ahn's hands trembled.
A single, horrible question formed in his mind.
And then Hyejin said it.
"It might sound cruel, but the main reason Jihu died was because you went to that island that day. If you hadn't won… you wouldn't have had to go looking for him. And he wouldn't have had to die."
Jae Ahn staggered back.
His breathing quickened. His chest felt like it was caving in.
"So… am I the reason my brother died?"
"Jae Ahn—"
Jongsuk grabbed his shoulder, but Jae Ahn shoved him away.
"Did I kill my own brother?"
"Jae Ahn, listen—"
But he wasn't listening anymore. The world blurred, his mind spiraling. Flashes of Jihu's smile. His voice. The warmth of his hand on his head.
Gone.
Because of him?
Do Hwan and Jongsuk forced him to sit down, holding him back before he lost control.
Hyejin clenched her fists. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" She hesitated. "You're not the whole reason. But you… you became a way for them to kill Jihu."
Jae Ahn squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe.
Jongsuk exchanged a look with Do Hwan. "We need to find out the full truth."
Jae Ahn nodded weakly. He had to hold himself together.
For Jihu.
For the truth.
---
The File That Changed Everything
They searched through the clinic for hours, turning over every document, scanning every discarded folder.
And then—
Do Hwan pulled out a thick file from a hidden compartment in a rusted cabinet.
The moment he flipped it open, his breath hitched.
Jongsuk looked over his shoulder.
And froze.
Jae Ahn took it from Do Hwan's hands and read the words printed inside.
"Bone Marrow Experiment – Patient Records"
Underneath it were four names.
Jae Ahn
Jihu
Jongsuk
Do Hwan
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Jongsuk's voice was hoarse. "Why… are our names here?"
Hyejin's expression darkened. "This means…" She hesitated. "There's someone behind all of this who knows you—all of you. Someone who's been watching you for years."
Jae Ahn's grip on the file tightened. They weren't chosen randomly.
They had been marked from the beginning.
Hyejin spoke again, more determined. "We need to find out why. If we don't—" She hesitated before finishing, "Jihu's death will have been for nothing."
Jae Ahn swallowed hard.
His brother's death couldn't be for nothing.
"Help us," he whispered.
Hyejin nodded. "I will."
And with that, they left the clinic—carrying the file that held the secrets of their past.
---
A Night of Blood
Jae Ahn's house was quiet when they arrived. Too quiet.
As soon as he stepped inside—
A shadow moved.
Jae Ahn sensed it too late.
A knife came slashing toward his neck.
He barely dodged. The blade cut through his shoulder instead.
Blood splattered against the floor.
Jae Ahn gasped, stumbling back.
The attacker lunged again, eyes filled with killing intent.
A struggle. A flash of metal. A hand grabbing his wrist.
Jae Ahn barely managed to throw the person off—just as Jongsuk and Do Hwan ran in.
"JAE AHN!"
The attacker turned to run.
But Jongsuk moved faster.
He blocked the way—and then the knife sank into his stomach.
The world slowed.
Jongsuk staggered. His eyes widened in shock.
The attacker yanked the blade out, blood splattering across the floor.
Jongsuk collapsed.
"JONGSUK!!" Do Hwan's scream echoed through the room.
The attacker vanished into the shadows.
But no one chased them.
Because—
Jongsuk was bleeding out.
Do Hwan rushed to his side, pressing against the wound. "Hold on, damn it!"
Jae Ahn dropped to his knees, hands trembling. "Jongsuk…!"
Jongsuk coughed, his lips stained red.
"Damn it," he whispered. "This hurts like hell…"
"Don't talk," Do Hwan choked out. "We'll get you to a hospital—"
Jongsuk laughed weakly.
"After all the shit we've been through… I didn't think a knife would take me down."
Jae Ahn felt his chest tighten.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Jongsuk shook his head.
"This isn't your fault." He winced, blood pooling around him. "We need to… finish this."
Jae Ahn nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.
He didn't notice he was crying until Hyejin placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Jongsuk will be okay," she said. But even she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
Jae Ahn looked down at his friend.
Blood soaked the floor.
The past was hunting them.
And this time—
It had caught up.
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End of Chapter Ten.
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