❛❛ This is my game. The loser gives away his life, yet believe me when I say, I never lose. ❜❜
When the mirror shows weaknesses, it's time for the Shadow Men to play the Game of Blood.
A game made for no one to defeat it, but that wouldn't stop them...
With a well-aimed kick, the second piece of metal connecting the lid and the chest also broke off. Jongho grabbed the now loose lid and lifted it off the chest, looking eagerly at the others' reactions, only to hear the three sigh in disappointment. Curious, he put the lid away and also looked into the box-shaped container, only to see another, smaller chest. Annoyed, he blew the hair that fell in his face out of the way and rejoined the others.
"You didn't happen to find a key, did you?" he asked, looking at the other two, but Mingi and Seonghwa just shook their heads, eyes fixed on the black box.
But while the three were perplexed, Yeosang kept repeating the word "key" softly to himself, his eyes slightly dilated in the urge to realise. Without really noticing, he reached for the dagger the witch had given him and twisted it in his right hand. The once radiant flower that sat on the blade had withered and drowned in the brown colour of her dying grief. As he twisted the dagger, the rest of the blossom fell to the ground. A cold, painful tug spread through his chest as he remembered that the petals represented his lifetime in this world.
But even though it hurt, he felt a rising pride, because he could finally connect the dots completely. He had finally understood how to win this game. With shaky steps he walked towards the chest, the tugging in his chest became a pain, but that didn't stop him. The thing that made him stop was the gasping of Wooyung and San as the two rushed into the room.
"Don't trust Seonghwa under any circumstances!" shouted Wooyoung as he gasped for breath.
The four who were already in the room turned to them, shocked to see the two who had been declared dead by Mingi alive. They stopped in their tracks, confused by seeing the two alive, but also by what the two were saying. But while Jongho and Yeosang were confused, Seonghwa and Mingi just looked venomously at the two panting shadowmen.
"We found Seonghwa's disfigured body in another corridor," added San, who was as breathless as Wooyoung.
Surprised, Jongho, Yeosang and Mingi looked at what they saw as Seonghwa, who just stared at them with wide eyes. He was aware he could talk his way out of this situation, but now that he had everyone in a small room, why should he? He saw this as his chance to win.
He took a few steps back, the previously surprised expression on his face twisting into a challenging dark smile. He pulled out every second so that his abrupt transformation startled Yeosang and Jongho. The skin, which was only a copy of the real Seonghwa, tore apart as the figure hiding beneath the façade grew much larger, revealing his true form. No blood dripped and no painful screams, just the scene of the creature freeing itself from the copy of Seonghwa's body and the unpleasant sound of the tearing skin. It was hard to see in the dark room, its whole body covered in dark leathery skin didn't make it any better. Only its three glowing eyes stood out. His face was elongated and instead of hands, his arm ended in three long claws. Burn marks all over his body told of Seonghwa's last seconds.
Yeosang cursed, but was ready to defend himself and the others as the creature ran towards them. It threw its large claws wildly, more uncoordinated than purposeful. Yeosang dodged it skilfully, but flinched distraught as the creature pulled a sharp bone from an open wound and threw it at Yeosang. This time it was Mingi who caught the bone and saved Yeosang from getting hurt. But when Yeosang stood up and wanted to finally put an end to the creature, he saw how the creature had already run into Jongho's arms and slowly fell to the ground.
Yeosang did not know how to react, he knew how difficult it would be for Jongho to access his abilities again. Jongho hated it, hated how it was so easy for him to take someone's life. But Yeosang never thought that Jongho would resort to it again. It was a promise he made him, that he would only have to resort to this ability when they were in great danger, this was nowhere too dangerous for the others to handle. Jongho's eyes were still completely white, even seconds after the creature fell lifeless to the ground and the others looked at him silently.
"Is he dead?" asked Jongho, looking at the two standing in the doorway. Wooyoung scratched the back of his head, "Who exactly do you mean?"
"Seonghwa, is he really dead?" he asked, emphasising the older man's name. Wooyoung nodded slowly, and Jongho looked down at the being. Normally he would feel bad, but not in this situation. Seonghwa did not deserve to die, he should have lived longer according to Jongho. One life for the other, that's what he had learned as a small child.
San, who took advantage of this moment, now stood next to Yeosang and whispered something in his ear, whereupon Yeosang looked sceptically at Mingi. Mingi noticed this, of course, because while everyone was concentrating on the creature, Mingi was still focused on the dagger, which had now disappeared back into Yeosang's coat. The two maintained eye contact as Yeosang slowly reached for the object. Yeosang hoped San was wrong, while not really provoking Mingi, more testing.
It was agonisingly quiet, everything seemed to have stopped. Even breathing seemed to be too much of a disturbance. Yeosang raised an eyebrow while resting the dagger on the flat of his hand. Almost provoking, he held out the dagger, waiting for Mingi to make his next move. Even as the taller one drew closer, he did not retreat.
"Remember."
Mingi took the dagger, at which the others stepped forward, slightly shocked, but did not interfere.
"When we started this game, you said you never lose."
Mingi twisted the dagger in his hand, the red colour splintering and becoming blood dripping from the blade.
"If you look at it in the game that was a decade ago, but in real life it's been a year now. A year ago we started this game and chose our teams."
He watched the last drop hit the floor and grabbed Yeosang's wrist with his free hand. Yeosang didn't move.
"You said that in a game you created yourself, no one can beat you, that you yourself would be the strongest since you are the creator."
Yeosang didn't fight back, just looked at him silently as Mingi sliced his palm with one swift movement. Mingi let go of his wrist, and while Yeosang dripped his blood on the dusty floor, Mingi went to the black chest to break it open. As the legends said, his heart, the object of the game was in that chest. Without even hesitating, he rammed the dagger into Yeosang's heart.
"But even the invincible eventually fall."
Yeosang his body fell to the ground, his hand no longer bleeding but his still pumping heart. The shadow men just looked at him disappointed, they thought Mingi was on their side, but they were wrong. The world around them crashed and crackled, collapsing into darkness.
"I was never on your team. It's time to face reality, Kang Yeosang."
Darkness fell around them, only the red writing in front of them telling them what was going on.
Winner : FixOn99
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