After a long beat of silence, Hongjoong exhaled. He trembled with fear. Was terrified for his life to a refreshing clarity.

Seonghwa was so tempting, so gorgeous in his offer. But so sinister.

If Hongjoong refused, he would be dead.

"I can't..." 

"You can, darling. It's just a little stab. A small cut. All of which is mine can be yours. This body. Any amount of cash." The coo was so soothing, so deceptive. Telling Hongjoong there was more to life than just the law. That this beautiful person could be his, with all his malevolent depths.

Seonghwa placed a hand on his chest. Long lashes fluttered before gorgeous black curls.

"Become my heart. The powerful ruler by my side."

Hongjoong wanted to fall to his knees. Wanted to beg for anything else, any other chance to survive this. Perhaps hope for Seonghwa's forgiveness.

But he already knew how to gain it.

And horrible as it was, Hongjoong wasn't ready to die. He was a coward, trapped in the web of the poisonous spider.

"I'll do it," he whimpered. When he stumbled in Seonghwa's direction, the widow's lips curled into a triumphant smile.

"I knew from the beginning you were more." The sickening slithering of his voice seemed to crawl up Hongjoong's arms to leave shivers in its wake when he touched the shiv. He gripped it so hard his knuckles turned white and whirled around to the terrified Elizabeth May. Her youth intensified the horror in her gaze. The plea not to do this.

Hongjoong gritted his teeth.

Seonghwa came up behind him, pressing his lean body to Hongjoong's back. He guided him forward, steadying the tremble of his arms. His heat, his frame, his scent, everything about him was addictive.

"Stab her wherever you want. The eye if you want her to suffer. The stomach if you want to be gracious. If you prefer to slash her throat, do it like this." White fingers trailed down Hongjoong's arm, showing him the motion from his elbow. He shuddered in Seonghwa's embrace.

Elizabeth wound herself on the ground, still forced to her knees.

"No, please. Please don't do this-" she whimpered through her broken voice.

Hongjoong exhaled. He steeled himself and tried to distance his body from his soul.

The warmth in his back grounded him. Nothing would happen. Seonghwa was on his side. If Hongjoong did this, the law would never find him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he opened his eyes. 

Seonghwa kissed his neck.

"Don't be. She's a floozy."

Guided by Seonghwa's arms, Hongjoong lurched forward. A slice, to make it cleaner. Swift and so awfully easy. No resistance met the blade. But Elizabeth's eyes rolled back and a bloody smile bloomed across her throat.

A scream got stuck in Hongjoong's throat. He dropped the blade and the goons let the body fall. Blood seeped over the floor and through its old boards, colouring them a dark red to drip into the cellar below.

Hongjoong trembled. His hands felt slippery with blood, though none had touched him. He wanted to wipe them on his pants, but Seonghwa caught them, making skin contact. His touch was grounding. As Hongjoong quivered through his fear, a warm embrace accompanied by small kisses on his neck supported him.

"You did so well, darling. The first is always the most difficult. It gets easier from here."

While Hongjoong shuddered through his shock, Seonghwa purred to him and praised him as if he had done something great. As if Hongjoong hadn't just turned into a murderer.

But, deceptively, his body accepted it. Yearned for that touch. Heated when Seonghwa put a hand on his waist to lead him away. 

Elizabeth May, yet another victim, choked on her blood all alone in her last minutes. 

Seonghwa spun Hongjoong around by the door and descended his red lips upon his. Hongjoong swore they tasted of blood. His hands clutched to that red dress, hating everything about this. But Seonghwa's kiss was warm. Not lonely. Praised him for something he never should have done.

Hongjoong hated himself.

"We can always be together now," Seonghwa whispered, pecking him once more with those plush lips. So soft, so dangerous.

Hongjoong trembled. He felt faint. Haunted eyes kept twitching back to the dead jane on the ground. He had done this.

 "Where will we go?" His voice was so dry. He needed to get out of here. The scent of blood filled his lungs. Choked him up. The second his mind cleared, self-hatred would crash into him like a flood.

Seonghwa caressed through his hair. His steps brought the peeper down the corridor while his lugs got rid of the body.

"First, we must leave the country. Our bags are packed for Russia. And once we return home, London belongs to us." Another kiss. So much affection. For what? He had done something awful.

Hongjoong didn't know anymore. Did he want London? He supposed he did. Seonghwa was everything he had now. Every other place would hunt and prosecute him, as he should have done with Seonghwa.

The dark promise in Seonghwa's eyes knew.

Half an hour later, Hongjoong was seated in the swanky car. The two briefcases were in the back, so they could catch a train south. He held Seonghwa's gloved hand in his. The widow was finally his, with all his praises and sweet kisses. That gorgeous beauty which brought many to their demise.

Hongjoong bleakly looked out of the window.

"We should get married," Seonghwa suggested.

The landscape flew past.

Ending 7/7