Season two, chapter seventy-nine

"Revenge"

THE PASSAGE OF TIME felt sluggish to Thea, who yearned for its swift passage but found it frustratingly slow. The uncertainty of Mun's potential awakening heightened her stress levels beyond reason. Time appeared interminable, as if the world had ground to a halt, leaving her drained. The revelations from Jae-youl only served to compound their growing apprehension about the future.

Despite reservations about the explanations provided by Jae-youl, Thea remained cautious because of his associations with criminals, causing her to suspect that he might have manipulated the information to evade responsibility. Consequently, Thea concluded that he was not to be trusted, regardless of his past friendship with Jun-seo. It was clear that they could not depend on him in any way.

"If we lose Lee Chung-jae, we'll never be able to catch him" Ms. Chu emphasized with a grave tone, she leaned forward with her elbows resting on the table, hands tightly clenched in front of her face "Then, we can't predict how Ma Ju-seok will react" Her eyes moved from a stationary point to the individuals gathered around the table, who seemed to be unsure about the situation

"If all goes well, we'll catch Lee Chung-jae, retrieve the 120 billion won, and even summon Gelly" Hana confidently stated. Ms. Chu acknowledged Hana's declaration with a grave expression, signifying her understanding of the gravity of the situation

"But like the Yung people said, we shouldn't be so rash when Mun is still unconscious" Jeok-bong, his brow furrowed in concern, tried to persuade the team to proceed thoughtfully "Or else, we might..." causing him to bite his lower lip and shiver with apprehension at the possible consequences

"I agree with him. I think it's best to lie low for now" suggested Jangmul in accordance with Jeok-bong's point "Plus, how can we believe Jae-youl? He could've said anything just to flee"

Jun-seo, experiencing turmoil, gnawed on his inner cheek while contemplating the transformation of his once-close friend into a fugitive, caught up in the machinations of Lee Chung-jae, thereby derailing his promising future in youth. His behavior also put Ms. Chu in jeopardy - leading to doubts about his reliability and integrity.

Upon observing Jun-seo's bewildered, disillusioned, and melancholic countenance, Thea reached out and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, gently soothing it, as he responded with a thankful smile. He then shifted his attention from his sibling to Hana, who was similarly comforting him by patting his back, aware of his previous bond with Jae-youl.

Following a moment of tense quietude, Mo-tak uttered with gravitas, his hands positioned calmly on the table, asserting, "I can do it. That's what Mun always said. We can do it. We need to prove it to him. We need to show him that he doesn't need to protect us and that we can protect him" With a firm nod, he gazed determinedly at each individual within the team, endeavoring to inspire them "I can do it"

"We can do it" Thea reaffirmed, reflecting on Mun's knack for inspiring them to persist and remain resolute. Each time she heard those words, countless memories flooded back, with various aspects of her surroundings triggering thoughts of him incessantly

With a resolute expression, Jun-seo lifted his fist in the air and confidently declared "We can do it"

"I can do it!"

In complete harmony, each individual voiced their collective determination with the declaration, "We can do it!" Observing Jun-seo closely as he circled the table, offering gestures of support to each of his teammates, provided inspiration

"I can do it!"

"We can do it!"

"I can do it!"

"We can do it!"

Jun-seo seamlessly integrated into the family in a short amount of time, particularly upon discovery of his relation to Thea, who held a cherished position as the group's youngest and most beloved member. The revelation of their sibling bond endeared Jun-seo to the rest of the family, who quickly formed an affinity for him due to their striking resemblance both in appearance and personality.

The chilly and somber evening evoked distressing recollections for Thea. Such a night claimed the lives of her loved ones and left Mun in a comatose state. It was on this day that she finally unraveled the mysteries surrounding her parents' demise. And now, at long last, she was prepared to seek retribution, marking the culmination of seven years of harboring a thirst for vengeance.

"Jeok-bong, Jun-seo and I will get Gelly" Thea confidently announced, demonstrating a strong sense of resolve in her speech. She remained focused on the path ahead, with only the illumination from the street lamps offering light in the vehicle

"What, me?"Jeok-bong questioned with befuddlement, gesturing towards himself and swiftly pivoting his seated form towards her in astonishment, while Jun-seo nodded without any hint of disapproval

"You need to keep us in a confined space" Thea acknowledged with approval, imparting the essential information regarding the tasks at hand. She had spent considerable time strategizing a plan aimed at achieving a decisive victory over Gelly

"Still, don't you think it'll be dangerous alone?" Ms. Chu, seated in the co-pilot position, she then shifted her gaze towards the rear seats, displaying apprehension and uncertainty towards Thea's proposed plan

"I can do it. I'll take care of her" Thea asserted confidently and resolutely "I'll get her, Ms. Chu" she affirmed with a single nod upon gaining her brother's approval, which served as the necessary inspiration for her to carry out the task 

Soon after arriving at their intended location, the headlights of the vehicle revealed a woman with a cropped hairstyle positioned in the distance, her hand raised in the air in preparation to drive the spikes of her glove into the visage of Lee Chung-jae, who was left with no option but to cry out in fear and urgency.

"You're right on time"Mo-tak, with a sense of seriousness, expressed satisfaction, firmly pushing down on the car's accelerator to draw the attention of the individuals

Upon recognizing their arrival, Gelly rapidly moved aside, prompting Lee to emit a startled cry. Lee instinctively closed his eyes in response to the glaring car lights, bracing himself for the imminent collision. Yet, Mo-tak skillfully applied the brakes at the last moment, halting just inches away from striking him.

"Excellent parking skills" Jeok-bong praised with a smile, his hands firmly grasping the front seats as he experienced a rush of adrenaline flowing through his body

"Let's go" Ms. Chu firmly commanded, encouraging all of them to exit the vehicle swiftly, while Lee cautiously withdrew a firearm from his pocket. "Lee Chung-jae..." Ms. Chu uttered with contempt, as Mo-tak and Hana stood behind her, fixedly observing the man who looked back at them fearfully as he stepped back

"Come here"

"Don't come near me!" Lee menaced them by brandishing the firearm in their direction, his hands quivering as he did so. Subsequently, he discharged a round into the atmosphere upon realizing that the group persisted in moving towards him, completely unfazed "I told you to back off!" He then fled in a cowardly manner. Nevertheless, Ms. Chu, Mo-tak, and Hana promptly pursued him, determined not to allow him to evade justice so effortlessly

"Don't you have something better to do?" Gelly expressed her annoyance, furrowing her brow while looking at Jeok-bong, Jun-seo, and Thea, the individuals who had remained behind. While her gaze briefly paused on Jun-seo, she failed to identify him as a member of the group "I'm quite busy, so let's finish this in the next ten minutes"

"That's too long" Thea commented seriously, clenching her fists and preparing for the upcoming battle with anxiety. She confidently moved closer to Gelly, who reciprocated by taking a step towards her and attempting to punch Thea, which she skillfully evaded

"Then it'll be quarter to—"Gelly's fist suddenly struck Jeok-bong in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Jun-seo had dodged the attack and watched with amusement as he knelt down and pulled Jeok-bong out of the fight zone

Thea expertly evaded Gelly's strikes while they ventured deeper into the dim area. Eventually, Gelly's sharp glove's spikes cut into Thea's arm, causing her to collapse in pain and grunt in agony as she clutched her wounded arm.

"Come on. I'm getting bored" teased Gelly with a sardonic grin, observing Thea's movements as she stood up. However, Thea was quickly thrown off balance, hitting a metal container due to the impact of the kick to her chest "It won't even take ten minutes"

Thea gritted her teeth and swiftly pivoted, making a run for it while clutching her injured arm, her instincts sharpening as she sensed Gelly trailing her from the containers above. Thea increased her speed and slipped through a small opening between the containers. Meanwhile, Gelly bounded from one container to the next overhead. Thea's heart raced with fear, and all of a sudden Gelly appeared on her left side and forcefully shoved her against a container, gripping her neck tightly as Thea winced in agony, her arm growing numb as she managed to block Gelly's fist just in time before it could make contact with her face.

Jeok-bong and Jun-seo swiftly arrived from the opposite direction, their expressions filled with worry as they observed the situation in which Gelly had gained the advantage in the fight. Jun-seo immediately sprang into action to save his sister without any delay.

"Thea! No, Thea!" Jeok-bong cried out, his breath quickened as he focused intently on the two women tightly grasping each other, with Gelly continuing to exert pressure on Thea's neck with one hand

Jun-seo skillfully directed his head towards Gelly's abdomen while embracing her waist and guiding her to the ground. Thea struggled to breathe as Gelly let go of her, observing the unsettling situation with trepidation, hesitant to leave her brother alone with the frenzied woman.

"Run!" Jun-seo struggled to exclaim as he steadfastly held onto Gelly, unwilling to part with her easily, fully aware of the potential danger posed to Thea if he were to do so. Despite enduring Gelly's painful blows to his back, he remained resolute in his determination "Run, Thea!"

Thea uttered a quiet curse, her grip on her arm wound tightening, her face glistening with sweat. Despite some uncertainty and hesitation about leaving Jun-seo and Jeok-bong alone with the woman, she had no option but to resume running. Delving deeper into the shadowy area, Thea was determined to stick to her plan, letting out a frustrated sigh as she sought sanctuary within one of the deliberately left open containers. With a blend of weariness and caution, she left the metal door slightly ajar for Gelly to discover. Impatiently, she pressed against the dimmest corner of the container, sliding along the metal until she was perched on the ground, her hand firmly clasping the injury on her arm.

Thea exhaled wearily, tilting her head down on purpose while Gelly peered into the shadowy enclosure, briefly letting in a beam of light as she swung open the metallic door to step inside. Gelly's gaze reflected a sense of malevolence, and a sly grin danced across her features as she surveyed Thea's condition.

You found me...

"Judging from the fact that you're all here..." Gelly, with a satisfied smile on her face, began to address Thea as she advanced menacingly, tightening her spiked glove with a clear intention of causing harm "I guess that bastard Mun is dead"

Despite Thea being triggered by the situation, she showed a strong resolve to maintain control over her emotions in order to achieve success. Even as her nails unintentionally caused further harm to her wounded arm, she did not perceive any sensation of pain.

"Shut up" Thea cautioned softly, her lengthy ebony hair cascading over her countenance, obscuring her vision with her fringe as she lowered her head. Gelly amusedly chuckled while making her way towards Thea, who was tucked away in the shadows of the corner

"I pitied him. It must've been a hassle.." Gelly remarked, lowering herself in front of Thea and making a tsking sound in amusement "...to drag you losers around" she giggled, her mirth resonating within the compact yet roomy container briefly before knitting her brow in puzzlement. Her grin waned as Thea let out a soft chuckle, then she rose from the floor without acknowledging the previous events, appearing uninjured, as if she had been putting on a performance

"Dont you get it?" Thea gestured to her own head, gazing at Gelly earnestly, observing with amusement as she rose perplexedly from the ground. Shortly thereafter, the door of the container closed with a loud bang, enveloping them in total darkness "You're not going anywhere, you idiot" Thea extracted the earbud from her ear to better discern her surroundings, acknowledging the lessons imparted by her significant other. A grin of contentment illuminated her features

Thea instinctively assumed a defensive stance, deftly dodging Gelly's unexpected assault while also being able to anticipate it and reacting swiftly by delivering a calculated kick to the woman's feet, resulting in her falling heavily to the ground. She proceeded to vault across the container to evade another attack, executing a skilled landing before launching another forceful kick that sent Gelly crashing against the metal surface. Thea proceeded to seize Gelly's arm, twisting it backwards before propelling her against the metal once more, ultimately flipping her over her shoulder onto the ground. As she leaned against the metal surface upon hearing no further movements in the dark, Thea delivered a series of light punches to the metal surface behind her, before cautiously stepping aside and hearing as Gelly's foot made contact with the metal.

Thea fell silent, poised in the midst of darkness, anticipating Gelly's next action. She cautiously tapped a section of the metal, but quickly withdrew as she heard Gelly approaching hurriedly and striking the metal with her fists, creating an opening for light to enter the dark enclosure as the spikes on her gloves punctured the metal. Nevertheless, when Gelly turned back around, Thea delivered a powerful punch to her face, sending her tumbling to the ground and crying out in anger. Gelly found herself on the losing side of the altercation and could not afford to continue in this manner.

How does it feel to be attacked in the dark? You thought darkness was your friend?

Thea, with her brown eyes catching the light seeping in through a small aperture, strode past Gelly. As soon as Gelly's gloves made contact with the metal surface, they began to emit sparks. Consequently, she utilized her gloves to puncture numerous holes in the container, aiming to permit more light to enter, all the while displaying her growing exasperation

"Come out"Gelly exclaimed breathlessly, shouting out in frustration, her loud cries echoing throughout the container

No. You guys belong to neither light nor darkness.

Thea skillfully approached Gelly, skillfully dodging her strikes and then decisively and suddenly pinning her against the metallic surface. Following this move, Gelly swiftly threw Thea over her shoulder, causing Thea to wince in agony due to the sharp pain in her back. Despite this discomfort, she rose to her feet with strained breathing, as both women locked gazes intently. The only illumination present came from the faint light filtering in through the minuscule apertures scattered across the container.

"Do you still not get it? You're the one who can't escape"Gelly declared solemnly before advancing towards Thea with a raised fist, which stopped just inches away from Thea's face, seemingly blocked by an unseen energy field

Thea intercepted Gelly's attack by utilizing her telekinetic abilities to deflect her punches. She skillfully disarmed Gelly by discreetly extracting the pointed spikes from her gloves, causing her to feel perplexed and off-balance. Capitalizing on the opening, Thea swiftly executed a kick that propelled Gelly with great force into the solid metallic door of the container.

Thea advanced towards Gelly, who lay in agony, emitting groans but refrained from rising to resume the fight. Thea intensified her resolve, swiftly mounting Gelly and placing her hand on her chest.

"When mother and father passed away... Uncle Ye-jun hired Mr. Hwang and his team to eliminate the entire family."

Thea was jolted awake by a sudden epiphany, noticing that some memories were unclear and the identities of her parents' murderers had always escaped her memory. Nonetheless, at that instant, the picture became vividly clear, almost as if a simple stimulus had sparked her recollection.

"At that time, they were not yet evil spirits, allowing for our parents to directly reach Yung"

Gelly's sinister gaze, characterized by its darkness and malice, was fixed on her, accompanied by a smirk, while she forcefully grasped Thea's mother's hair and threateningly held a knife at her throat.

Gradually, small remnants of the forgotten recollections started to resurface. Thea found herself immobilized on the ground, her hands restrained at the back, while Mr. Hwang gripped her hair, compelling her to witness the torment inflicted upon her loved ones.

Thea exhaled deeply, her trembling breath and resentful gaze focused on Gelly's calm composure under her grip. It seemed as if Gelly had lost all sense of concern, much to Thea's chagrin. She yearned to witness Gelly display vulnerability, agony, and desperation similar to her parents' desperate pleas for mercy, yet Gelly remained apathetic.

With a flush of anger and frustration, Thea exclaimed, "Now, go... to hell!" Her face glistened with sweat as she finally released the pent-up emotions she had been holding onto for years

"Fine. I'll see you in hell" Gelly replied meekly under Thea's scrutinizing eyes, evoking a feeling of contentment in Thea. Following this, Gelly's head started to sway quickly from left to right as she voiced her grievances, her feet frantically thrashing against the ground while Thea firmly grasped her hand. As Gelly continued to writhe against Thea, it grew more challenging for her to stay still

Thea emitted a loud scream as Gelly struggled vigorously underneath her, eventually seizing her arms and standing upright after a brief moment, emitting a loud shriek before ultimately collapsing into unconsciousness on the ground. Thea exhaled heavily, feeling a mixture of tiredness and contentment. A feeling of satisfaction enveloped her as the chilly ambiance transformed into a welcoming warmth, dispelling any lingering fear.

Thea slowly stood up from the floor, gently moving Gelly out of her way as though she were insignificant. Despite her trembling hands and weak legs, she was overwhelmed with joy, tears filling her eyes as she waited in anticipation for her brother and Jeok-bong to unlock the metal door of the container.

"Thea" Jeok-bong expressed astonishment when he opened the container door and found her standing there, calmly waiting for it to open "What?" His gaze fell upon the inert form of Gelly on the ground, prompting a delighted and exhilarated smile to appear on his face "Thea! We did it!" he exclaimed exultantly, shaking Thea's shoulders before enveloping her in a tight embrace

"Yes, we did" Thea responded as she returned the hug, softly patting Jeok-bong's back, while glancing at Jun-seo with pure joy, witnessing his smile and tears of joy that evoked a sense of pride within her

"Well done! Oh, my gosh. Are you okay?" inquired Jeok-bong with a sense of concern, gently grasping her shoulders and carefully assessing her body for any signs of harm

"Jeez" Thea raised her hand in a threatening manner, causing Jeok-bong to instinctively protect himself "Well done" She then praised him, smiling as she tousled his hair, eliciting laughter of joy from him

When Thea emerged from the enclosure, she was met with the gentle embrace of the morning sunlight, which heightened her already joyful demeanor. Jun-seo eagerly approached her, lifting her with care, twirling her around, and tenderly placing a kiss on her forehead before gently returning her to the ground. Overcome with happiness, they both wept tears of joy, their emotions intertwining to create a profound sense of elation.

Now, there is only one final obstacle left to overcome in order to bring everything to a successful conclusion.

Author's note:

Given the unexpected turn of events, I had already carefully planned the trajectory of this book since its inception. I hope that my readers will appreciate what I have in store for the concluding chapters. Additionally, I am feeling a sense of melancholy as we draw closer to the end 😭 I apologize for the delay in updating on Wednesday, as I was preoccupied with other commitments. Furthermore, with state exams approaching this week, my schedule will be even busier, but I will endeavor to continue updating regularly.

However, what I have observed is a significant number of individuals who read the chapters but do not cast their vote. Consequently, the number of votes has once again decreased, with struggles and chapters reaching only 20 votes compared to the previous 36 votes. What is happening, people? Where has the support gone?

I typically do not express this sentiment, and it is not due to dissatisfaction with the limited support received by the chapters, but rather a desire for increased engagement and interaction in the chapters. Such engagement is what motivates the writer to continue with the storyline and not consign it to drafts. Readers, particularly those who are passive observers, are encouraged to interact more actively!

Also, since Wattpad will be soon removing direct messages it will be harder to communicate, so I created a community on WhatsApp, so if you'd like to join I'll leave the link here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GjY3PvHiBsVD5kAfgQxCq8

Question of the day: Long hair or short hair? 💇‍♀️

I like both, but I prefer having long hair over short hair 😅 See you in the next chapter!