The Hidden Card || NCT MAFIA

Chapter fifty-eight: The dark part in us

To fight the growing sleepiness that made her eyelids feel heavy, Iseul tried to stimulate her brain. She forced herself to recite every single recipe she knew in her head, repeated every single word of her favorite songs, and even counted to a hundred backwards.

Iseul didn't know when Park would be back, so she had to stay alert. If she saw the chance, she promised herself she would seize the opportunity and stab him.

But Iseul wasn't stupid. She was acutely aware of her disadvantage. She had absolutely no information regarding her situation. Whether it was her location, or the number of men Park had with him, she had not enough data to possibly succeed her escaping.

All those unknowns put her in a position of inferiority. Even is she did manage to stab Park, where would she go? She had nowhere to run and had no way of reaching out to NCT.

Heck, I don't even know where Chae is, Iseul grimly thought.

"What are you scheming in that pretty head of yours?"

The voice startled her, and Iseul glared at the man standing in front of her, his eternal smirk on his face.

"Your murder."

Park let out a genuine laugh. The sound sent chills down her spine.

"Charming."

He sat down in front of her, and only then did Iseul realize what he was holding. A tablet.

"Oh, is this movie night?" Iseul said with irony. "How nice, your guest service is immaculate. That is, I'd be more comfortable without handcuffs, though."

"Something like it," Park replied on the same tone. "However, I'm afraid your chains are gonna have to stay on, feisty."

Iseul rolled her eyes at the nickname, but her curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't help but glance at the device in Park's hands with apprehension.

Noticing her sudden interest, he grinned.

"I'm sorry I couldn't find any romance for you," he said with a sneer, "so I hope you like horror."

At his words, Iseul frowned. Before she could ask what he meant, the video started.

It didn't even take her a second to recognize Taeyong. The video must not have been very old, as Iseul also identified Jeno. He had told her it hadn't been long since he had started going on missions, once.

Her heart was beating hard in her chest, her eyes focused on the small screen.
Park, however, was staring at her.

Jeno left and now it was only Taeyong on the screen. To say that he seemed angry was an understatement. Iseul recognized the way his shoulders tensed, the way a wrinkle appeared between his furrowed brows, and the way he was clenching his fists.

She knew that attitude all too well. She had hated this Taeyong.

She had not noticed, but she was frowning too, mirroring Taeyong's expression in the video. Then the angle changed, and she realized that he wasn't alone in the room. Yuta was right beside him, a man chained to a chair facing them.

Iseul couldn't help but notice the similarity between the way he was chained and her own manacles. She couldn't see the man's face, but she didn't feel like it mattered.

After what seemed like minutes of just the three men staring at each other, Iseul saw their lips moving. Park must have muted the video, because she couldn't hear anything.

"For personal reasons you won't hear what they're saying, but the sound will be on in a few seconds, don't worry," he explained, as if reading her mind.

He was telling the truth, because a few seconds later, Taeyong's angry voice filled the small cell.

"You're right, I won't kill you. At least not for now," he spat, anger imprinted on his face. "Instead I'm going to hurt you so bad you're going to beg me to end your miserable life."

Iseul had witnessed Taeyong being mad before, sometimes his anger had even been directed to her, but she had never seen him so... ruthless.

The next bit of the video made her stomach turn, and she almost threw up the food she had for dinner.

Taeyong had put a small knife though the man's left eye, and his screams soon echoed in the room. Blood was pouring down his face like tears, but Taeyong didn't even blink.
He had a straight face, as if nothing he was doing seemed to matter. As if it was... normal.

Park didn't say a word, but Iseul could feel his amusement. His eyes were not on the video, but focused on her.

No matter how sick these images made her feel, it was as if Iseul couldn't detach her eyes from the screen.

Yuta wasn't moving, simply observing as his leader tortured the man in cold blood.

After poking the man's eyes out, Taeyong ran his knife along his throat, making the man shiver in his seat.

"P-Please-" he choked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

Iseul felt sick, her heart clenching. She didn't know the man, and she was sure he must have been a terrible person if Taeyong went after him in the first place, but witnessing him being tortured was simply too much for her.

What troubled her the most wasn't even the torture in itself, but rather the horrific calm with which Taeyong proceeded.

His face was expressionless, his hands steady on the bloody knife. He didn't blink, didn't wince.

"You're starting to understand," Park noted, a satisfied smile on his lips. "Knowing that your boyfriend is a gang leader is one thing, but seeing him in action is another."

Iseul hated that he could read her so easily.
She hated the idea of him knowing what she was thinking. She couldn't help but feel as if he was inside her head, which wasn't pleasant at all.

"This," he said as he pointed at the screen, "is nothing compared to how cruel he really is."

"Right," Iseul spat, "I forgot you were a saint yourself."

Park laughed.

"Oh, I never pretended I was nice, Iseul.
Unlike my little brother, I've always embraced the darkness in me. He's tried for years to hide that part of him. Such a waste, really.
No one can deny he has skills. He's talented and could do so much more if he didn't try to bury that part of him."

Iseul was disgusted by the sincerity in Park's voice. It was as though he genuinely believed what he was saying. As though he genuinely thought that being heartless was a talent.

Park turned to look at her face and noticed her troubled state.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he cooed. "Was that too much for your little heart?"

Iseul didn't reply, not trusting her voice. But the glare she shot him was -she hoped- a clear enough message.

His lips curled into a smirk, "I know you hate me," he said. "But you should thank me. I'm only showing you the truth, Iseul. You're the one who's been lying to yourself, hoping you could convince your foolish heart that your boyfriend only had the title and not the guts to do what must be done in our world. I'm simply opening your eyes, nothing more. Believe it or not, I didn't temper with the video. What you just saw was real, and deep down, you know it."

Iseul frowned. It almost sound like Park was trying to justify himself. But why?

Before she could ask him, he turned on his heel and disappeared through the door.

Letting out a sigh, Iseul put her chained hands in her pockets, almost jumping at the feeling of the sharp bones in them. She had been too distracted to try anything, but next time, she wouldn't let him get to her head.

Next time, she thought, I'll hurt you so bad you'll beg me to end your life.