IF I WERE THE DEVIL ; YANG JUNGWON

CARD XV: You won't know until it's too late.

In the remnants of darkness in the council office, Jungwon stared silently into thin air. He couldn't help but think back to that certain mark.

"The touch remains in the form of a birthmark on a human's body. Irreversible."

The words of a certain someone echoed in his mind, giving his heart a twinge of contempt.

What if it wasn't a coincidence?

No, it couldn't and shouldn't be.

His fingernails began to dig into his palm again as the colour of his dark orbs threatened to turn a hellish crimson.

He was convinced that he had overcome this pathetic and useless state of his life, which had only made him what he was now.

A heartless, unfeeling and merciless creature.

Someone whose only reason to exist was to find amusement in torturing people, making their spark, their hope, their reason to live, perish in this despicable and horrible world that would sooner or later turn into a living hell even without him.

Just like what had happened to his own.

His lips curled slightly upwards as he remembered who he was.

The Devil.

A being created out of pure darkness and obscurity. All the evil and dark thoughts of mankind.

How ironic.

"Hyung." The voice of a purple-haired boy drew the President's attention to him, unaware of the younger's presence until now. "How long are you going to play alone this time?" He asked, tilting his head in curiosity. "Can't I join you? It's been so long since you let me play." The younger one pouted.

"Ni-ki-ah," Jungwon smiled amicably, causing the other's jaguar-like orbs to fill with hope.

"Go and draw," he shooed him away, not in the mood to deal with him.

The boy's head fell against the back of his hand again. He massaged his temples to relieve the growing headache. "I don't have the nerve to argue with you right now."

"But Hyung... You can't keep me under arrest forever." The way Ni-ki spoke slowly began to change the longer he didn't get what he wanted.

Jungwon raised an eyebrow at the dark undertone in the younger's voice. "You know why I am doing this to you," the president leaned back in his seat. "It's only for your own good. You should be grateful that I am being so generous with you," he spoke without a hint of emotion. "You know what you have done."

Ni-ki broke eye contact, his hands clenched in anger. "It was an accident."

That's what he always used as an excuse when his games had turned out far different than they should have, deadly different.

"I gave you this place. I can easily take it away from you if you step out of line." It seemed as if Jungwon had to remind the boy to finally shut him up. "My mercy has a limit, little demon. So I advise you to stop this shit."

Behind them, the door to the Concilium was pushed open, revealing the assistant whose eyes were only on the President. Without even acknowledging the presence of the other in the room, Jay went straight to Jungwon.

His normally obedient and passive nature was completely consumed by the flames in his sharp eyes. "I told you I would take care of it," were the first words that left the angry blond's lips.