Hello, everyone!

This is a new story with a genre completely different to what I've written before, so please bear with me.

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AKD

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As far as he remembered, Jeno never knew a life outside of the gang that his father headed.

Right from when he was only six years old he was taught how to hold a dagger and stab at a person's vital spots, and trained in close combat.

He was seasoned into the gang's ways. He was made to grow up without knowing warmth or having a heart.

He was only fifteen but was already known well to be one of the gang's most skilled assassins. He was a child yet all the others in the establishment were scared of him. Most also hated him for his cold nature.

Jeno didn't have anyone he could call his friends but he couldn't care less.

He liked being alone anyway.

He was nicknamed Death's Shadow because of his coldness and lack of empathy. He was supposed to have no feelings.

And yet, as Jeno stared on in front of himself at the young teenager, bloodied and battered yet standing his ground holding out a gun at them with shaking hands, he felt a spark of something.

He couldn't explain it. Jeno wasn't in tune with emotions but he definitely realized that he felt something.

"Why do you resist, child?" the smooth voice beside him spoke and Jeno felt an unpleasant crawling under his skin. "You can't last against us. So why fight back?"

His father was sadistic. Jeno both feared and hated him.

The boy's hand trembled violently but he cocked the gun and held it in front of himself like he was ready to pull the trigger any moment.

"What have you done to my father?" his voice shook as well and tears slid out of his eyes. "Where is my father? Why are you all here? Why did...why did that man try to choke me when I was sleeping?"

"Do you really want to know, child?" Jeno's father's voice was smooth and silky but undeniably cruel. "If you'll be a good boy and lay your gun down, then we might not kill you. Now be a good boy, yeah?"

The young male sobbed but glared through his tears. He vehemently shook his head. "No!"

Jeno's eyebrows shot up, impressed. This boy had guts and he looked no older than Jeno himself.

Throwing a pensive glance at the body sprawled out in front of them, knocked out cold and then looking back at the teenager still holding the gun, he realized that the boy had more to him than anyone else realized.

"Father," the man beside him immediately turned his cold glance at him and Jeno regarded him back just as coldly. "Don't you think it would be a waste to kill him off? He could be an asset."

"Oh? Is my Jeno interested in him?" the man's thin lips curled up into an amused smirk and Jeno resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm sorry, hun, but he is that dratted man's son. We can't let him live. He would be a nuisance. It's his time to go"

He nodded at the man beside him and the man made a move.

But before any of them could even blink, a deafening shot rang out and the henchman was down on the ground, screaming, writhing, and holding a bleeding leg in his hands.

Jeno noticed the wound and with sickening clarity realized that the bullet had gone right through the man's bone. He looked up carefully at the teenager once more.

His face was drained of all color like he couldn't believe he had just shot someone and he looked close to throwing up. His hands shook violently.

"Impressive, kid! But I'm sure that was just beginner's luck," Jeno father mock clapped. "I'm afraid since you used your gun, we have no choice but to kill you. Now, Jeno."

Jeno sighed.

He may be cold-hearted but he didn't enjoy killing people. Plus, the thought of killing the boy made something in his heart constrict.

But he couldn't disobey his father and he fixed his cold gaze on the young lad who immediately froze in terror. Jeno took the first step and the boy quickly grabbed hold of the slider to pull it but Jeno was faster. He wasn't known as the best assassin at fifteen for nothing.

The gun clattered on the floor in a series of metallic clunks and the lad's petrified yowl rang out as Jeno pinned him to the ground, knee digging on his back.

"Stop struggling if you don't want it to be painful," Jeno hissed as the teenager thrashed about, pulling out his dagger with one hand and pinning the boy's hands behind his back with the other.

But as soon as Jeno grabbed the boy's right wrist the boy let out a pained scream and Jeno realized something was not right.

"Father," Jeno began, not being able to hide the amazement in his voice. His father, on the other hand, tut-tutted impatiently.

"What is it Jeno? Why haven't you killed him yet?"

"Father, his right wrist was broken all this time," Jeno spoke out, trying to sound neutral so as to hide his disdain for the man. "He shot a gun with a broken hand."

"Oh?" this time the man sounded interested and impressed. Jeno rolled his eyes. "That's interesting. He might be an asset after all."

"Let me go!" the teenager cried out squirming vehemently.

Jeno merely hissed and dug in his knee harder, making the male yell in pain again.

"Father, let's make a deal," Jeno stated calmly. "Let me have him. And I'll make sure he behaves and turn him into the biggest asset our gang will ever have."

He didn't know why he was doing this. Never before had he disobeyed his father's orders much less made demands or deals of any sort. But here he was, offering to train a stranger who was supposed to be dead.

For some reason he couldn't understand, Jeno didn't want the boy to die.

"Looks like you have taken quite a liking to him," his father smirked. "Alright then, your birthday is coming up anyway. Consider this my birthday gift to you. Do whatever you want with him, as long as he is useful to the gang."

The teen underneath him began sobbing loudly but Jeno felt the tightness in his chest loosening. He smirked. "I will not disappoint you, Father."

"Let me go," the teen's voice was softer, but no less stricken.

"You heard that?" Jeno leaned down to whisper in the boy's ear, making him flinch. "He is letting you live. You're mine now. I won't let anyone touch you."

--- --- --- ---

The teenager was named Na Jaemin, as Jeno later found out. And was his age too. Fifteen.

He was the son of the secret agent who had been after their gang for some time. He remembered the agent well.

An extremely persistent man.

Even after his father had killed his comrades and then ultimately his wife as a warning, the man hadn't stopped. Until, they went and slit his throat that night.

Jaemin would've been dead too if it wasn't for Jeno.

"Why didn't you just kill him in the very beginning?" Jeno had questioned. "Why let him live and uncover so much of our trail all these years?"

His father had merely smirked. "Killing him so early on? Where would be the fun it that?"

Jeno shook out the thought of his father as he shifted the tray of food in his hands a little, in order to reach out for the key. The moment he pulled down the handle and the door clicked open he heard a yelp and a crash and then walked inside to an upturned chair and Jaemin lying sprawled on the floor, groaning and cradling his arm that was now in a cast. The tiny window that was too high for short fifteen-year-olds like them to reach was somehow wide open.

"Determined, aren't you?" Jeno raised his eyebrows nonchalantly, completely ignoring the glare Jaemin sent his way. "I'm wondering how you thought you would be able to squeeze out of that tiny window."

"I would be able to find a way out," Jaemin's voice was low but defiant. He, however, refused to meet Jeno's eyes, which amused the latter.

"Why don't you say that after you're able to look me in the eye, hmm?" he put the tray down and knelt to meet eye-to-eye with Jaemin, who was now sitting up on the floor. "And besides, I wouldn't recommend trying to escape out of here alone. You wouldn't even make it through the first corridor itself."

Jeno took pleasure at the way Jaemin's face paled. But the boy still surprisingly kept up his defiance. It amused and impressed Jeno to no end.

"What's the difference? Who's to say you won't kill me either?"

Oh? Was that a challenge? Well, shit.

Jeno grinned and held Jaemin's face with his index and thumb, forcing him to look up straight in the eyes.

"I was the one who saved your life," he sneered softly, making the other flinch. "And I'm not going to let you die anytime soon. It's been so long since I last got a plaything. You're mine and mine alone. No one else gets to touch you. But you better keep to my good side because even if I won't kill you, I can still hurt you."

Jeno was aware of his grip getting tighter and Jaemin's soft whimper was a confirmation. A few tears slid out of his eyes but he wisely didn't pull any stupid move, like trying to punch or pushing away Jeno and Jeno nodded his head appreciatively.

Jaemin was smarter than he looked.

"Your training starts straightaway tomorrow so eat up and sleep early," Jeno said shortly before letting go and standing up. "Also, try not to do anything stupid tonight. You're under heavy watch."

"Why?" Jaemin spoke out softly, making Jeno stop on his tracks. There were still tears running down the former's eyes and he looked more broken than defiant now. "Why didn't you kill me? Why did you make that deal? Why did you save me?"

Jeno paused, thought for a valid answer and realized that he didn't have any. He shrugged nonchalantly and walked off. "You just intrigued me, that's all."

He tried to ignore the strange way that his heart squeezed.

Not Edited

Monday, March 16, 2020

Thoughts so far?

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