*Hergh..... Hergh..... Hergh..... Hergh.....*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3LPVg1D6V
Hanabi gasped desperately for air as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes flew open, but the only thing she could see was pitch blackness dotted with small, static pixel lights. Her face was completely covered with a rough sackcloth. She could hear the muffled voices of a few men talking nearby. Realizing she was bound tightly to a chair, she wriggled her wrists, only to feel the heavy, restrictive metal of a chain locked behind her back. She turned her head slightly to the back left.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHL4kBKbWQ
*Damn it... not again,* she said in her subconscious, turning her head back forward into the darkness.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvm0C6NDmrR
"Boss, I think she's woken up," a man's voice called out.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDBWYk6WuM
"Oh, she's woken up? Let me go see my angel," a disturbingly familiar voice replied.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQDGaBdH1O
*STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YKcu4Ybia
Hanabi couldn’t see, but her ears locked onto the rhythmic footsteps actively making their way toward her.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZh5HkY98Cg
*STEP. STEP....... STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Dg7yfNs55
The sackcloth was violently yanked off Hanabi's head. She immediately squinted her eyes and whipped her head to the right, blinded by the harsh light shining directly into her face. As her vision slowly blinked back into focus, she turned her head forward, only to find Jinho standing right before her, bending his body down with his hands resting on his knees.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajz8HG0GsW
"Wakey, wakey. Did you sleep well? I hope the gas wasn't too uncomfortable," Jinho said with a grinning, malicious smile.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMDg8IgMkb
Hanabi’s vision fully cleared, allowing her to take in the room. There were five guards present. Two were guarding the exit door at her front left, two stood several meters behind Jinho, and one was positioned not too far to her front right. They were all holding AK-47 assault rifles. She glared straight up at him, her expression hardening.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOMG6LV5Nn
"What's this?" Hanabi asked in a menacing tone.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHHuiaarTr
"What's this...?" Jinho repeated, looking completely baffled. He straightened his body, regaining his tall posture. Hanabi immediately noticed a pistol gripped tightly in his left hand. "You should already know that you've been kidnapped..... By me." He gestured with both hands toward his chest. "Of course," Jinho added, dropping his hands to his sides.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ib7ofhzQZ
He slowly walked away from Hanabi toward a table set against the wall to her left. A display of fresh fruit sat on the surface. He casually set his pistol down with his left hand, picked up an orange with his right, and grabbed a small knife with his left, slowly and gently peeling the rind.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMtkP9XtP2
"Why......... Why are you doing this?" Hanabi demanded.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGIUv3qvpC
Jinho stopped peeling the orange. He turned his head over his left shoulder to look back at Hanabi. He stared at her in silence for a long moment. "When you turned me down, I felt a bit hurt. But that isn't the reason I kidnapped you," he said, slowly walking back toward her with the orange and the knife in his hands.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXQKcmSyom
He bent down, gripping the right side of Hanabi's chair as he leaned his face uncomfortably close to hers. "The reason is explicit." He pulled his upper body back, turned, and walked forward a few paces before twisting on his heel to face her again. He took a bite of the orange. "But I will tell you, since it's going to happen anyway."
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E4HJo0Hmt
Hanabi watched him with intense, wary curiosity.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9TeFtsrAk
"You see, I'm actually a member of a cult. A demonic cult—but it's a good one, I'm telling you. We love money, power, influence, fame, and we can grant any other desire you can possibly mention," Jinho said gallantly. He began walking slowly toward her again, keeping a deliberate distance. "But we don't play around," he added, stretching out his right hand and waving his index finger along with the blade.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBcduLXlRE
"Two months ago, our cult held a meeting in the U.S. What some people call a ritual. In our meetings, we have a rule that we must strictly abide by if we want to keep our money and fame—things we obtained through Death itself. In order for us to attain our desires, the rule dictates that every two months, Death will find each of us a human target who possesses a good, massive, and pure soul with immense potential. A perfect soul. The kind of souls you usually find in religion, or those that carry great potential and weight from childhood."
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvBHIJX3Wx
Hanabi cast her eyes downward, going entirely still at the mention of the word *childhood*.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIrpZjx92g
"So, after we are each assigned our respective targets, we go on our own voyages to catch our prey. Then, we gather again after another two months to offer our prey as a sacrifice to Death. In exchange for our renewed desires, we kill them with our own hands and eat their dead bodies," Jinho explained, a sick smile spreading across his face.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6Qhb8ZUhg
Hanabi’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock. She couldn't believe the horrific words she was hearing.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZJIp5t6kp
"The point is, four months ago, *you* were my target. And two months ago, I had located you and prepared everything. But for some strange reason, it was as if Death was incredibly, furiously pissed off—like, it scared the absolute shit out of me. For the first time in our history, our entire circle was assigned to go after a single person. We were told we would have to share you. Since I was already close, I was elected as the one to secure the prey. Which I did." He walked back to the table and casually sat on the edge, picking his gun back up with his right hand.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJItkBFm2E
"Why me?" Hanabi asked, her voice cracking with bafflement.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLpZ3wmBLI
"I don't know. But the thing is, you have been chosen, and it seems the party is about to start very soon," Jinho said.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DQTOFwgif
*The party...* Hanabi repeated in her subconscious. She instantly remembered seeing the "Closed" sign outside the hotel, and how the massive casino floor looked like it was being meticulously arranged for an exclusive event. *No way...* she thought, terror striking her.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoYj9IhWdJ
Jinho started walking toward Hanabi slowly. He gave a nod to the guard on his right, who stepped forward holding a heavy metal branding rod that had been left heating inside a lit griller.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy59YFg59l4
"Well, tonight is going to be a good one. I wonder what I'll be granted since I was the one who actually caught you," Jinho mused aloud.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LdFtAE5gD
Hanabi's heart began to hammer violently against her ribs. Her eyes locked onto the guard approaching from her right, the tip of the metal rod glowing a fierce, molten red. She whipped her head to the left as two other guards lunged forward, pinning her shoulders and holding her tightly so she couldn't move an inch.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nFCSDhMjR
"What are you doing?!" Hanabi cried out, utterly frightened and terrified. She stared at Jinho, then at the glowing hot rod, then back to Jinho. "Jinho, what is th—no!" she screamed, struggling wildly against her restraints.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbF3cxGKd3
"No... stop!" Hanabi pleaded, glaring at the guard with the rod. "No, no, stop!" she shouted, completely terrified.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BwjDzH4An
"Let me go!" she shrieked at the two guards binding her arms. "No....... Jinho, stop! I'll do anything, please, just stop!" Tears finally spilled over her lower eyelids, streaming down her face.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9HVCQUJ6k
"Boss...?" the guard holding the red-hot rod asked, hesitating.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkv5xdOXO1
"Go ahead. Don't hesitate," Jinho ordered coldly.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAj6t9L9us
*Why... why do all these things keep happening to me? I thought everything was finally over because of these last two months. I finally had peace,* Hanabi wept in her subconscious as the searing hot metal crept closer and closer to her forehead. *Then what is this? Why am I back here again? Can't I ever find true peace? Why am I going to suffer and die this time? I'm sorry...*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pdJVw9gzY
Images of her family and friends flashed through her mind, alongside the brief, beautiful memories of the past two peaceful months. *No one can save me. I'm too small in this world. This is it,* she thought, crying loudly and struggling with everything she had left as the steel rod was inches from her skin. Jinho just laughed at the spectacle, finding her utter despair deeply amusing.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ulpyu433e
*Isn't there any hope left for me in this world?* Hanabi despaired. Then, a sudden echo of a man's voice reverberated in her mind:
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc0HOE9x3d
*"If you ever want to survive in the future, you must have hope no matter what."*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF2amCnsrx
She remembered the voice perfectly, even if his face was still a bit blurry in her memory. *Please, hope... I'm counting on you this time. Please, just help me. Please!* Hanabi begged in her subconscious, squeezing her eyes shut as the searing heat of the steel was about to touch her forehead.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aH38HYQcX
*SLAM!*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYHv9bAQte
A frantic guard violently barged through the door, panting heavily, immediately pulling everyone's attention away from the torture. He hurried toward Jinho at a frantic pace. "Boss! A plane i—"
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaJuICjScJ
But the guard never got to finish his sentence.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LmQKaMbEO
Suddenly! Out of nowhere.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv42Rg0Lht6
*FRAHHHH!!!*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vQIs06kxX
*BOOOOM!!!*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAHbMJZi5M
The entire room violently convulsed, exploding into a chaotic storm of debris, shattered concrete, and thick, suffocating grey smoke. A mini private jet had literally crashed directly through the skyscraper's reinforced walls, tearing its way into the luxury room.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZDcWtrWfc
*Ring.................*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeC1iSj1TM
A painful, high-pitched ringing echoed in Hanabi's head as she slowly tried to blink through the blinding dust.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmn3M1lHXD
"Arghhhh..."
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrmAH0HYfm
"Hughhhhh..."
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnGzNqGs4y
Painful murmurs echoed through the wreckage. Jinho and a few of the guards were miraculously alive, but the two guards who had been standing by the wall were completely caught underneath the fuselage, brutally squashed flat by the plane. The survivors were slowly crawling out of the rubble, shaking the cobwebs from their heads.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweD7HDpAEG
"Hugh... what the hell? Can't these things just stop happening?!" an unknown man's voice lamented loudly from inside the ruined cockpit of the plane.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsUmSVnZqv
As everyone in the room scrambled back to their senses, Jinho immediately recognized the voice. He frantically signaled the nearest surviving guard, pointing toward the plane's mangled cabin door, gesturing for him to ambush whoever was about to step out.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTTGKO84cC
The voice, however, triggered something profound inside Hanabi’s head. Her eyes widened in absolute shock. *No way... it couldn't be...*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCdb6Zd8vF
The guard quickly moved, stationing himself right next to the jammed plane door, aiming his rifle squarely at the opening.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoi36reWok
"I knew this piece of shit plane wouldn't last since I ordered it from TEMU. I thought it was a billionaire site!" the pissed-off voice snapped from inside.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gI7gtiHHl
"You crazy motherfucker! Get the hell out of there!" Jinho roared angrily at the aircraft.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW0K68AZ71
"Hey! Didn't you hear the boss? Get the fu—" the guard stationed at the door started to bark.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwqjrzbZl0
But before the words could fully leave his mouth, the heavy plane door was forcefully kicked from the inside. It flew off its hinges, crashing straight down and violently slamming the guard hard into the concrete floor beneath it.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYHzrXZ7SU
"Argghhhh!!!" the guard screamed in pure, unadulterated agony, pinned beneath the heavy metal door.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECcWvwzsxn
Every surviving guard immediately whipped their rifles around, aiming their weapons directly at the open cabin. Hanabi’s eyes were completely wide, her breath catching in her throat as she watched.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmbL3QbZJK
*STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqqDEel9sB
"Arghh!" the pinned guard groaned.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK9BlfGNUD
*STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyEIxVazBp
"Argghhhh!" the guard cried again.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVzVdRgh0v
*STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8X2uAvwap
"Argghhhh...!!!" the guard shrieked loudly as a heavy boot pressed down on the door over him, causing a fresh spurt of blood to gush out of his mouth.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFP39OTmTrS
"Shut up. You're making too much damn noise," the man said, casually walking down the makeshift stairs of the door.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡba3CkzRA5G
*STEP. STEP.*
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCWAIpeGv7
The smoke parted, and Hanabi finally saw him clearly. Her heart skipped a beat, her mouth falling slightly open in pure, stunned surprise.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGeYOPXA5t
"Hey! Stop right there! Who—who the hell are you?!" a guard shouted, his hands trembling on his rifle.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVynCZ0kZZ
"I don't know you...!" the man replied, looking genuinely surprised by the question.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWvzT0f2Xg
"Are you completely mad?! Do you have any idea what you've just done?!" Jinho screamed, his face contorting with rage.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlib7i4YAI
But he was immediately cut off.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y3eVUiH3J
"Okay, shut up," the man said dismissively.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjowmudtA3t
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the wreckage until his eyes landed on Hanabi, who was still securely tied to the chair, staring back at him in absolute disbelief.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX2LsvzJyG
The man blinked.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnIX9KwszA
"Hanabi..." P said.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylHtZwMwSD
and then Add to home screen.