Darker Blood

Chapter fifty-eight

Flashback~

Jin pov~

I knocked only once on the thick wood before the door opened, the grungy unshaven face flashing me a bitter smile before letting me in.

"Haven't seen you in ages!" He exclaimed, welcoming me into the dank room, only furnished with a leather chair, a small desk, and a low-hanging broken chandelier. "How you been keepin?"

I ground my fangs together, staying calm. "Okay, I guess. You?"

"Fine, fine..," he trailed off, pulling a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, before stuffing one in his mouth already. He dropped down into the leather chair, raising his feet up to rest on the desk.

"You're not fit to be a father, let alone to a girl." I taunted, leaning with my arms crossed against the wall.

He laughed, and passed me a cigarette, which I gratefully snatched from his hold. "You know, just because we don't share the same opinion, does not mean I am your enemy."

"But you are my enemy," I gripped onto the dull unlit cigarette I was holding, praying his ignorance would end. "Killing for the sake of killing is not a human thing to do."

Ryo chuckled. "Right, because you know all about what it's like to be human, ey?"

I stayed silent, watching his frozen face, the only indication he was still alive was his irregular blinking.

He smiled humorlessly. "You've been very patient with me. It's almost like you're waiting for me to change my mind. When are you going to accept that I won't?"

"People change."

He laughed. "People only change when they want to change." 

"Then I guess there's hope for you," I muttered, lighting the cigarette and holding it between my lips, letting the smoke curl into my lungs, relaxing my shoulders. He never responded, and it was a long time before I spoke again.

"How's the girl doing?"

He smirked at me. "Which girl?"

"You know which one!" I heaved a long drag from the cigarette in desperation to cool the fire in my veins.

He tutted, flicking the ash from his cigarette onto the armrest of his chair. "She's doing just fine. It was wise of you, not to try to steal her again."

My jaw went rigid, and with a sickening feeling in my stomach, I could only guess where he was going with this.

"What's the matter?" He quirked an eyebrow up, "You finally decided it wasn't worth losing anyone else? Oh, Yixing would be proud.."

"Shut up!" I bellowed, throwing the cigarette into his chest, pacing in a small circle with brimming tears. I knew he'd bring him up.

He moved his feet from resting on the desk, sitting upright in his chair, mouth dressed in taunt. "Oops, I think I nudged a sour spot.."

"How could you do that to me!?" I screeched, still pacing. "You knew! You knew everything, Ryo, and you still-"

"You're blind, you idiot. You never look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made."

"You never had to kill him."

"Yes, I did." He extinguished his cigarette on the same armrest, a horrible smell filling the air of tarnished leather. "And I will have to, one day, kill this girl, too. She's just another sacrifice, the world will move on."

"This is why I hate you," I seethed, clenching and un-clenching my fists over and over in hopes it would be a good enough distraction from the urge to kill him that was bubbling over every thought in my mind. "There is always another way, another path, and you still chose this one."