Sunbeam

37.

December 9,2019

Namjoon put on his coat, but before he could even take a step towards the door, he was rudely turned around, coming face to face with Yoongi. "Where are you going?" he asked and Namjoon looked at him blankly.

"What do you think?" Namjoon asked. Yoongi knew that tone, empty, flat, absolutely devoid of any kind of emotion. That tone that froze your blood and made your heart hope you'd get lucky and die quickly and painlessly.

“Namjoon…” Yoongi stepped back swallowing, it was too late. The devil was awake and had gone hunting. "Think of Izeul, Namjoon, she needs you, she's upstairs crying" he tried anyway.

"If Ari finds out you went looking for her leaving her little girl crying, she'll kill you first and then us" It was a dead shot, but he hoped it would work. Namjoon looked at him, tilting his head to the side as if he had no idea what Yoongi was telling him.

"You didn't find her hyung, it's my turn" Namjoon smirked coldly. "She won't forgive you this time Namjoon. You know her, Izeul comes first to her" Yoongi insisted and Namjoon gave him a long look as if making sure his friend was telling him the truth.

"Think, Namjoon, can you survive if she leaves you one more time?" Yoongi asked again, noticing the faint hints of uncertainty in Namjoon's eyes. So Ari had tamed the devil after all….

Ari screamed and her body tensed and stretched under the pressure of the shock waves. Shivering convulsively, her head slumped forward and her heart tried to catch up.

Water ran down her face and body. Her arms ached from the strain of holding her body upright, tied high above her head and pinned to the wall.

"Well, how is our queen today?" Ari tensed and raised her head. Her eyes scanned the bandage on Lisa's nose and she smirked.

Two days of torture. That's how long it took for Park Lisa to kill sweet Ari and in her place awaken something that even Ari had never known existed.

After the bag suffocation, last night Lisa had decided to play around and after the man, who had suffocated her, tied her to the wall, Lisa had remembered the human anatomy.

Using a razor blade, Lisa had left cuts all over Ari's body, especially her stomach and neck, the places that bled the most. "Let's see how MY Namjoon will like you, when he sees those scars..." she had hissed, making sure the bleeding didn't stop.

Electricity coursed through her body again and she threw her head back, gritting her teeth as she tried to stifle her cries. "Shout, for God's sake, this is no fun!" Lisa pouted and Ari dropped her head again, shivering.

"Make me!" Ari snarled defiantly as her eyes, wide with pain, pierced right through Lisa's soul. "Little bitch!" Lisa shook her head and signaled again.

Ari bit her lip and her body jolted painfully, forming an arc. For a brief moment, she froze like that, and then the electricity stopped and her back hit the wall. "Are we brave yet?" approached Lisa and lifted her chin with a finger.

"You know….why… Namjoon will never….look at you?" Ari asked breathlessly, trying to overcome the trembling convulsions of her body and dry throat.

"Oh, and why?" Lisa asked wryly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are...weak, you make...someone else fight...your battles." Ari sneered at her, hoping to get her to face her directly, untying her.

"You'll never...be...queen...of Bangtan...because you're just a...cowardly weak ...woman and...nothing more!" continued to tease her and challenge Ari, realizing that her body wouldn't be able to handle a few more electric shocks, especially if they were longer.

To Ari's surprise, the man who held the relay and control of the electricity, burst out laughing. She rolled her eyes and blinked at him.

"What is so funny?" Lisa hissed and he shook his head, wiping away a few tears of laughter. "It's funny how right she is!" he groaned and burst out laughing again.

"I don't care…" before Lissa could finish, the two were interrupted by the entry of a panting, clearly angry elderly man. He looked at Lisa, the man across from him, then settled on Ari.

In the filtering, squinting light, Ari met his gaze boldly. He stared at her coldly for a few seconds, then blinked and Ari raised an eyebrow, gritting her teeth.

"Have you lost your mind?!" he suddenly screamed and slapped Lissa so hard that her head snapped back and she took a few steps back. Startled, Lisa grabbed her cheek and stared at him in disbelief.

"You're both out of your mind! This is Kim Namjoon's fucking woman!" he roared at them, pointing a finger at Ari. "Kim Namjoon! The devil running this fucking hell!" he looked at Ari again and this time, she clearly read the fear on his face.

"So what? Are you scared.....daddy?" Lisa recovered and shook her head wryly. "Scared? Yeah, shit! You should be scared too!" he growled and looked at the man who just shrugged nonchalantly still smirking.

Ari narrowed her eyes at the older man. "So this is the head of the Park family?" she thought, realizing that he might actually be her salvation.

"Namjoon is already... looking for me, if not today he... will find me soon!" Ari sneered coldly and Mr. Park looked at her suspiciously. "Let me go before it's too late and he wipes out your family too…" Ari snapped, sure everyone knew Binna's story.

And she was right, Park knew the story as well as the consequences. "Security!" he roared, and Ari watched with delight as Lisa recoiled in horror, falling into the arms of her accomplice.

A few more people entered the catacomb. "Untie her! And you" he turned to Lisa. "I'll make sure you don't see the light of day soon, especially if this…” he pointed at Ari again." There are consequences!" growled Mr. Park.

Two of the men hurried to untie her and supported her as her body slumped helplessly forward. She looked up at Lisa who was gritting her teeth viciously, the man behind her whispering something in her ear as he held her in his arms.

"I want a car…" Ari gritted out and the man turned to her. "My people will drive you, Miss Hyun, but please…" he stood in front of her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I don't want a war with Kim Namjoon." he began. "I…I'll take care of my daughter…" he looked down guiltily and Ari almost felt sorry for him.

She looked at Lisa, who was now meekly, but still glaring at her, standing next to her accomplice. "I don't promise, but if she comes near me again, or my family…" Ari gave him a pointed look and he nodded in understanding.

"I'll take care..." Mr. Park promised and gave his orders to his men, turning to his daughter again. "You're leaving the country, you idiot!" was the last Ari heard from him as the two men helped her out of the catacomb and to the car that would take her back to Namjoon and her family.

Ari leaned against the door, scanning the hall. Her legs were struggling to support her weight. "Namjoon…" her voice came out as a sigh now that she was starting to relax, feeling safe.

Her fingers tightened on the lock and she took a deep breath. Her muscles shuddered from the strain she was putting them through to hold on. Her head was spinning and she was short of air, but she forced herself to keep her balance.

"Namjoon!" her voice trembled, but this time it came out clearly. She stepped forward, trying to reach the table in the middle of the hall. Her body slumped heavily and the vase in the middle of the table shook and fell, shattering into pieces on the floor.

The office door swung open and Namjoon stood in the frame, scanning the foyer. Their eyes met and she smiled tiredly. "I'm home…" Ari sighed, her hands sliding across the surface of the table.

"Ari!" she felt her body tremble and tried to hold on, but she had no strength left. The pain clouded her already blurred vision and she surrendered with a soft sigh, relaxing.