Chapter Text
Prologue
The streaks of light that broke in through the cave were enough for Mingyun to maintain her bearings and avoid any real collisions with large rocks. If she hadn’t been so painstakingly terrified at the time she would have been in awe of the beauty of the place. Parts of the walls were smooth while great dark blue stalagmites and stalactites glistened in the outside light. In other areas the light refracted through the drizzling water into dancing rainbows on the walls. Instead, she focused on the final instructions that should lead her to the end.
The cave led further forwards and broke into two directions, Mingyun knew she needed to go east and so she headed in the direction opposite of the setting sun. She pushed the shorter side of her lopsided hair back and felt the scar that ran along her shoulder and ear. Mingyun moved forward, this was it, she was close, and she could feel it.
Suddenly a figure a few paces in front of her moved from behind the shadows and before she had time to react something swung forward and connected with her stomach – hard. Mingyun doubled over in pain and immediately gasped for the wind that had been knocked out of her.
“Wha-what?” She wheezed, looking up at her attacker, “You!”
“Me.” Her attacker said, holding what looked like a long club in one hand, one side of the club looked jagged while the other side was smooth.
Mingyun slowly returned to her feet, she glanced in the direction of where she wanted to go. What to do now? How would she get past? Her attacker suddenly swung again and forced Mingyun to dodge. While she didn’t get the full blow, the club clipped her arm and tore at her skin.
“Shit.” Mingyun half shouted, clutching her arm as blood immediately started to seep through her fingers. Her attacker wasn’t going to just let her run, and she couldn’t let the boys’ sacrifices go in vain. This was a fight she wasn’t going to be able to get out of. Letting go of her blood arm, she shifted into the familiar fighting stance that Hoseok had taught her so long ago.
“Oh, are you going to fight me?” Her attacker said, “You won’t win. Face it; you’re nothing but a city girl playing at being in the big leagues. You are all alone and the only reason anyone has had any interest in you is because you have been a bargaining chip.”
Her attacker was right; Mingyun was all alone. Ever since the field hockey final, there had been no one to help her. Since that day, everyone who had been dear to her and who had become dear to her had fallen away one by one.
“Maybe so,” Mingyun replied, “but I’ll just have to make my peace with that.” And she charged forwards towards the inevitable onslaught of pain that would lead to her subsequent death.