𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝟘𝟛𝟚

    Dalia knew something was off.

From the very moment she had stepped into Suk-Jin's office two weeks ago, she realized that something was not right about the man. He seemed too stiff, too unaffected, and far too relaxed considering the circumstances—(Y/N)'s disappearance and two deaths at the hands of her obsessed stalker.

It made her think.

She realized it was far-fetched and just a hunch, but something itched at the corner of her mind that she couldn't just brush it off.

The gifts...

All were left with a note...

And all were signed with the letter 'S...'

Glancing at herself in the mirror that was presented on the back wall of her kitchen, Dalia stared at her reflection. Her ebony skin looked a bit sallow from many sleepless nights tossing and turning, dark bags highlighted under her eyes no matter how hard she tried to touch them up. To be ripped so suddenly from the two friends that she had been close with since middle school was bound to take a toll on her, and it was clearly showing.

She exhaled softly.

I can't leave this alone.

I hope what I'm thinking is wrong, but on the off chance that I'm not...

Her jaw tightened.

She didn't want to think of such a possibility.

If she did, it meant taking into account what Suk-Jin could have done: stalking (Y/N), watching her interact with her friends and boyfriend, spying on her through cameras, sneaking into her home, terrorizing her mentally, lying to her face whilst not revealing anything, tampering with evidence, murdering without a shred of remorse, manipulating her and others to his whims, and worst of all, acting as if he could help her.

Dalia shivered.

If Suk-Jin really were behind everything, she knew she'd have to acknowledge that his mentality had deteriorated far more than initially thought, and that life meant absolutely nothing to him.

Rubbing her eyelids, Dalia shook her head swiftly as she tried to rid herself of the nerves that suddenly crept up on her. Grabbing her purse and keys, she locked the door behind her before descending the steps towards her car, buckling herself in and then beginning the drive towards the police station. She let out a steady and slow breath, her dark eyes focused on the road ahead as the sun slowly began to sink below the earth.

I have to be quick.

His shift ends soon, and from what I observed these last three days, he leaves at the same time everyday and disappears into the woods...

I haven't followed him that far.

But, now...

Now I have no choice.

Steeling herself, Dalia parked in a spot outside of the range where Suk-Jin would have been able to see her, waiting patiently until she saw his car turn out of the parking lot.

Slowly, she began to follow him.

She didn't make it obvious, keeping her headlights off despite the dangers and staying about two cars behind him when capable, her eyes however not once leaving his vehicle. She had memorized this route days ago, and all she needed was something—anything—to clear her of the suspicions that had been wracking her mind and wrecking her life.

Dalia's expression crumpled.

She just wanted her friends back.

So she grasped onto any straw—desperately so—to be able to get them back.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Suk-Jin exited the winding road of the forest onto a more concealed and hidden path that even the most observant would miss. Dalia swallowed thickly, waiting several minutes more before following him, her eyes widening when the roof of a house soon came into view. Glancing around, she backed the car up off of the path, allowing darkness to conceal it before traveling the rest of the way by foot.

She was startled by how grandiose it was, especially for a cop.

But then again, she didn't know much about Suk-Jin—from his interests to his past—so she couldn't say for sure how he had been able to obtain such luxury. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to know, slowly creeping up to the window to peek in and see what she could find.

    She almost fell backwards.

    For there, sitting at the table, was (Y/N).

    She looked clean for someone who had been missing for almost two months, yet her eyes looked dull, vacant, and devoid of any life. What was more, a leather collar was fastened around her neck, a metal chain extending down to the floor which locked her into place.

    She wasn't there willingly.

    She was a prisoner.

    And sitting across from her with a smile on his face, was Suk-Jin.

    Dalia had been right.