Silent Cry ㅡ 2min ✓

Chapter Twenty Nine ㅡ I'll Get Them Justice.

''Hyung... I don't recognise you anymore. ''

With that, Seungmin turned on his heels, walking away.

Minho's heart pounded in his chest as Seungmin's footsteps echoed down the hallway, each step a reminder that he was walking away. When the door finally slammed shut, the sound echoed through the empty halls, leaving Minho in a suffocating silence.

He staggered back, leaning against the cold wall of the company's corridor. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a harsh, unsteady light that only made his racing thoughts spin faster. His breaths came in quick, shallow gasps.

"Seungmin," he whispered, but the word felt hollow in the empty space. He looked around frantically, as if hoping Seungmin might still be there, that this might all be a nightmare he could wake up from.

His vision blurred as tears welled up. He slid down the wall, collapsing onto the hard floor. His hands shook so badly he clenched them into fists, nails digging into his palms, but the pain didn't help. It only made everything feel more real.

"No, no, no," he muttered to himself, trying to ward off the rising panic. His breath came faster, his chest tightening like a vice. The hallway seemed to close in, the walls pressing down on him.

In a desperate attempt to escape the crushing anxiety, Minho's hand found its way to his mouth. Without thinking, he bit down hard on the skin of his thumb. The sharp, metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, but he didn't stop. He bit down harder, hoping the pain would cut through the chaos in his mind.

He chewed on his own skin, tearing into it until blood dripped down his hand. He didn't care about the mess. All he could think about was the pain, the only thing that seemed real, the only thing that grounded him in the moment.

Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood on his lips. "Seungmin," he choked out, voice breaking. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

There was no answer, only the oppressive silence and the weight of what he'd done. He had lost everything-his love, his sanity-and all that was left was the hollow echo of his own despair.

Minho curled into himself, shaking with sobs, his teeth still gnawing at his torn skin. He was a man falling apart, consumed by the consequences of his actions. As the darkness closed in around him, he wondered if he would ever find a way out.

The sobs gradually subsided, leaving him in heavy silence. The pain in his thumb slowly brought him back, grounding him. He let go of his hand, staring at the torn skin and the blood smeared across his fingers. The sight, grotesque as it was, helped clear his mind a bit.

His breathing began to steady, each breath deepening. The harsh fluorescent lights and the stillness of the hallway felt less jarring. Minho wiped his tears with the back of his hand, smearing blood across his face.

For a moment, he just sat there, leaning against the cold wall, feeling the world settle around him. The oppressive weight in his chest started to lift, replaced by a chilling clarity. The panic that had gripped him loosened its hold, replaced by a steely determination.

I can't let this be the end.

Minho's lips curled into a faint, grim smile. The thought of Seungmin leaving him was unbearable, but the idea of doing nothing was even worse. He would make things right, no matter the cost.

His eyes then turned to the ground before him, the spilt blood, chewed skin, the tears. His eyes then turned to his own hand and his breath faltered.

The realisation came dawning on him, hitting him like a ton of bricks and scurried away from his own hand, keeping it a distance away; it needs medical attention.

What have I done

Minho's eyes began to shake, another sense of dread seeping up to his throat and crushing his rib cage. A sickening knot formed in the pit of his gut, twisting and churning with nauseating intensity. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to contain the rising tide of bile that threatened to spill forth from his lips.

You're a mess you're a killer you killed innocent people you deserve to die kill yourself what have you done now he hates you you're worthless why did you do this turn yourself in give them justice seungmin will leave you he hates you you're a murderer-

''I-I'm not-''

His breathing intensified, his stomach churned and he ran to the public bathroom, emptying the contents of his stomach into the commode. But even as he emptied himself of the physical manifestation of his guilt, the weight of his sins remained heavy upon his shoulders. He collapsed to his knees, tears mingling with the bile that stained his cheeks as he writhed in agony and self-loathing.

You can't let this be the end

You can't let him walk away

The atmosphere tensed up as Minho's inner darkness began to surface, like a snake ready to pounce. With every second that passed, Minho's humanity slipped further away, consumed by the insatiable hunger of his evil alter ego.

He got up, flushing down the toilet and made his way over to the sink.

As he glanced up at his reflection in the mirror, a flicker of recognition sparked in his eyes. The twisted grin on his face faltered, replaced by a look of confusion and uncertainty.

The predatory gleam in his eyes softened, replaced by a glimmer of remorse and self-awareness. His features softened, the tension in his shoulders easing as he took a shaky breath.

In that moment, Minho was no longer consumed by the darkness that had threatened to consume him. Instead, he was just...

Human.

His hands began to shake, stinging as the water washed the depth of the cuts. His breathing never normalised. Minho splashed water on his face. Once. Twice. Thrice. Five times now but he still felt empty, what was happening?

He shakily closed the tap with his wounded hand and looked at himself again.

You need to turn yourself in.

Minho tore his eyes away from the mirror and ran to the janitor's closet within the bathroom, frantically searching for something to conceal his wounds with.

I'll get them justice with the last bit of humanity left within me.

His hands shook as he rummaged through the cluttered shelves, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Panic clawed at the edges of his mind, threatening to overwhelm him as he struggled to find what he needed.

Finally, his fingers closed on a pack of tissues and duck tape, he let out a shaky sigh of relief and with trembling hands, he rolled the tissue around his entire hand, sticking it into place with a roll of duck tape.

With his wounds bandaged as best as he could manage, Minho took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. It was time to face the truth.

Minho then stormed out of the bathroom, covering his face with a mask as he left the company premises, running to his destiny before his dark side takes over him again.

It wasn't going to be easy, but deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do.