RED STRING || 1

✔️ Chapter twenty.

The dim light of the room barely illuminated the chaos that was unfolding. The air was thick with tension as Irene’s heart raced in her chest, pounding like a drum in the silence that encased the two of them. He had found the opportunity to strike when Seulgi had turned her gaze away, caught in a moment of vulnerability that would cost her dearly. The cruel impact of his fist connecting with her head echoed in Irene's mind, like a haunting refrain that played on repeat. Seulgi’s head met the unforgiving concrete floor with a sickening thud, and the crimson warmth of her blood began to seep out, creating a stark contrast against the cold, gray surface.

Seulgi’s mother, Mama Kang, was limping towards them, her face twisted in concern and fear, but before she could reach her daughter, Irene screamed out, “Run! I can handle myself!” Her voice was laced with a mixture of desperation and resolve, a plea wrapped in the urgency of the moment. She knew that the situation was dire and that every second counted.

As if on cue, Seulgi’s pistol slipped from her pocket, clattering to the ground with a sound that felt like a death knell.

“Just go,” Irene insisted, her heart aching at the sight of Seulgi's mother’s struggle to move. “I’ll handle him.” It was a brave facade, but deep down, Irene felt the churning dread of uncertainty. She hesitated, torn between the instinct to protect her mother and the need to save her wife.

But then, with a fierce determination fueled by adrenaline, she grabbed Yeri, her baby, close to her chest. She was to hold Seulgi too, but the man had latched onto Seulgi’s leg, refusing to let go, a twisted expression of triumph on his face. “Just go! I’ll handle him!” she shouted again, her voice breaking slightly as she fought against the fear that threatened to consume her.

Irene’s heart raced as she felt the weight of Yeri in her arms. She promised herself she would return; she would secure her mother and Yeri first, and then she would come back for Seulgi.

With a rush of air that felt like liberation, Irene burst through the door and raced towards the car. Her heart sank as she saw Mama Kang, heavily wounded and barely clinging to life, struggling to stay awake. “Irene!” Seulgi's mother gasped, her voice weak but filled with urgency. Irene placed Yeri in the car seat, her hands shaking uncontrollably as panic gripped her. She fumbled with the straps, the world around her blurring as fear took hold.

“Mama, please!” she urged, her voice trembling. “You need to get out of here!”

Mama Kang, understanding the gravity of the situation, offered to help buckle Yeri in. “You need to run back inside, Irene. The cops will be here any minute!”

But the instinct to protect Seulgi was overwhelming. Without a second thought, she dashed back inside, her heart pounding in her chest like a wild beast trying to break free.

The scene that awaited her was a nightmare come to life. The man loomed over Seulgi, menacing and terrifying, a pistol pressed against her head. His foot pressed down on Seulgi’s head, forcing it to the ground, the sheer cruelty of it all causing Irene to gasp in horror. Seulgi’s hands were bound, her chest pressed against the cold floor, vulnerable and helpless.

“I-Irene. I l-love you…” Seulgi’s voice was barely a whisper, trailing off as the life seemed to drain from her. Blood pooled around her, a crimson halo that made Irene’s heart shatter into a million pieces. Just as she was about to run towards Seulgi, a horrifying realization struck her. The liquid on the floor that separated them ignited in flames, the man having thrown his lighter onto it.

Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted between them, flames licking hungrily at the air, casting eerie shadows that danced around the room. The heat pressed against Irene’s skin, forcing her to recoil. She was trapped, both physically and emotionally, the flames serving as a cruel barrier that kept her from reaching Seulgi.