Living Inferno

One

The forest was thick with tension as police officers combed the area, their flashlights sweeping through the undergrowth. Yellow police tape crisscrossed between the towering trees, marking off the section where a local villager had made a grim discovery earlier that day. The evening air was heavy, carrying the scent of pine and decay as detectives Namjoon and Yoongi arrived at the scene.

In the center of the clearing lay the body of Seokjin, a college student. He was sprawled on his side, his face pale and bloodied. The once neat clothing he wore was torn, as if he had been dragged through the forest. His arms bore faint bruises, and his shirt was ripped at the collar, exposing more signs of struggle. His head, however, showed the most damage—a gash just above his temple, where blood had dried in streaks down his face and neck.

Namjoon stood above the body, his brow furrowed as he took in the scene. "It doesn't look like he just collapsed here," he said in a low voice. "Something happened. He was running."

Yoongi crouched next to Seokjin, careful not to disturb the body. His eyes traced the torn fabric of Seokjin's clothes and the bruises marring his arms. "Running, yes. But from who, or what? Look at these wounds... Someone got to him before he ended up here."

He gently lifted Seokjin's arm, revealing deep scratches on his wrist, as though he had tried to free himself from someone's grip. His fingers were bloodied too, dirt caked beneath his nails—perhaps from a desperate attempt to claw his way out of something, or away from someone.

"There's clear signs of abuse," Yoongi said grimly. "His clothes are torn, bruises are fresh. He wasn't just running for his life. He was being chased—hunted."

Namjoon turned to the forest floor, kneeling beside the dirt where faint skid marks were visible. "Looks like he fell here," he said, pointing to where Seokjin's feet had dragged in the dirt, evidence of him stumbling. "Must've hit his head hard when he went down. That explains the bleeding."

Yoongi rose to his feet, looking back towards the forest's edge. "Whoever was after him either wanted him dead or scared out of his mind. The fact that they left him here suggests they weren't worried about being followed."

Namjoon's jaw tightened as he pieced together the grim picture. "We need to find out who he was running from. Something doesn't sit right. Whoever chased him through these woods wasn't just out to scare him—they wanted to make sure he wouldn't get back up."

Yoongi nodded in agreement, his expression dark. "This wasn't random. This was personal."

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Months before Seokjin's tragic death, the cold night air pressed against him as he made his way back to the dorms after a late revision session at the college library. The campus was quiet, the streetlights casting long shadows on the empty paths. Seokjin rubbed his eyes, tired from hours of studying, eager to get some rest before the next day's classes.

As he neared a secluded alleyway that cut through the campus, a strange sound caught his attention. It was faint at first—a dull thud followed by a muffled groan. Seokjin stopped in his tracks, his heart beginning to race as the sound became clearer. Someone was being beaten.

He hesitated for a moment, debating whether to leave or investigate. Against his better judgment, Seokjin took a cautious step toward the source of the noise. As he peered around the corner, his breath caught in his throat.

Three figures loomed over a lone student, kicking and punching him without mercy. Seokjin couldn't recognize their victim, but the aggressors were unmistakable. Though he had never met them personally, he had heard their names whispered throughout the campus—Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung. They were chaebol heirs, all hailing from powerful and untouchable families. Especially Jungkook, whose father was a highly influential politician known for manipulating situations to keep his son out of trouble.