Haunted | Bbangsaz

First Kill

(This chapter mostly contains flashbacks of Minji's life)

"Hanni, I can accompany you up until here only, I still need to do something at the empire." Minji informed Hanni. Her face shows a smile on her face.

"Sure. You should go now, Min. I don't want the elder Kims to scold you if you didn't arrive on time." Hanni remarked.

Minji smiled warmly at Hanni, reaching out for the latter's hand. "I'll be back, just gotta finish this 'Empire heir' stuffs." She assured.

"One day, I'll just wake up and see that you've become the Kims' leader."

"That would make me even busier."

Hanni chuckled on Minji's words.

"Go home now, Minjoo unnie's probably looking for you."

As soon as Hanni said that, Minji bid her goodbyes with a radiant smile evident on her face. "Don't miss me so much."

After that, Minji made her way back to the empire as soon as possible. As the future leader of their empire, she's been doing tasks and things relevant to the future proclamation.

But as she entered the empire, she overheard a conversation between two individuals, Daewoo and his nephew Yesung.

"Uncle Daewoo, what should we do with her?" A guy asked his uncle about something unsettling.

"Don't worry, Yesung. We will be able to kill her before she goes on a rampage." Daewoo replied on what his nephew asked him. "We have to prevent casualties."

"How about the kid on the basement? What are we going to do about her?"

With those words, Minji wondered about the reason why there's a kid in the basement.

"That kid, we need to perform the ritual as soon as possible. The same way we did the ritual for Minji's power." Daewoo reveals

Minji's hands trembled as she learned the shocking information about her past and the dark plans they've been planning to do.

"We need a new powerful heir, someone we can control. Minji's getting out of hand. She's been suspicious of us. She might betray the empire." He added.

Daewoo, with frustration, pulled his hair. "Dabeom shouldn't use that kid as his successor. He will end up dead by that girl's hand." He said.

"Minji, she has that power to cause havoc. Once Dabeom's power is also passed down on that girl, she would be unstoppable. So, as early as now, we should do the ritual, Gayeon is pregnant right now. We need to do the ritual so her child would bear a power that is unstoppable and become a tool that we can use." Daewoo said.

"Now, get everything ready, Yesung."

"Yes, uncle."

Minji's breathing becomes heavy because of the information that she heard. The weight of the sinister intentions of those in people overwhelmed her.

"I was.... meant... to be a tool." She whispered, struggling with the process of the betrayal and secret that their family harbored.

With trembling hands, Minji hurried to the secret basement under the huge Kim family empire. She was being guided by the unpleasant scent of decaying blood.

"What's this?" Minji asked. The stairs she used were marked with eerie letterings, leading her to a disturbing discovery.

As soon as she reached the basement floor, Minji was met by the sight of a blindfolded child, chained to a chair.

"Is someone here?" The kid asked. Minji felt that the frustration and anger surged inside her.

"Help me, please." The kid pleaded for help. Her voice is filled with desperation. Minji attempted to remove the chains, but her efforts were useless.

"Help me end my m-misery." The kid said, voice cracking with distress.. "In what way?" Minji asked the kid.

Minji, overwhelmed with pity for the helpless child, understood the reality that the ritual was an unstoppable force. The feeling of her own powerlessness killed her inside because she knew any attempt to intervene with the rituals could lead to dire consequences. It could even take her own life.

"What can I do for you?" Minji questioned. Her heart felt heavy as she kept on gazing at the child.

In that moment, the child's final plea pierced the air, "Could you please... please... kill me?"

Minji's gripped on the chains loosened. If only she could summon weapons, if only she's strong enough to break the chains, she would be able to save the child.

"You're just a kid. You should be enjoying life not being stuck in here." Minji said, her breathing becomes heavy with every breath she takes.

"I-I don't want to be used by them for their own selfishness. I don't want to be a bridge between evil and an unborn child. I don't want to be a sacrifice for a new heir. I just want... I-I just w-want p-peace." The kid mumbled with a soft cry.

Minji, filled with a heavy heart, glanced around the basement and spotted a dagger. She took it as she gently held the child's hand

"Open your eyes." Minji uttered.

The kid felt relieved upon seeing the beautiful scenery of peace, where the other kids like her were playing around with their families, laughing and giggling together.

While the kid is under Minji's beautiful illusion, Minji seizes that chance to stab the dagger on the kid's chest.

The kid never felt the pain. She only feels the happiness of being free from rusted chains.

Minji, confronted with the weight of her actions, crumbled to the ground. The act of freeing the child came at the cost of chaining Minji to a darkness that sealed her soul, tying her to a sole goal, and it is seeking justice by eliminating everyone responsible for the kid's misery and death.