Tonight was like any other.
Prowling thestreets of Seoul in the early hours was a habit that Aera had grown accustomed to. Years of experience had taught her that people were at their most vulnerable, and as the bars emptied and the streets filled with intoxicated punters, she slipped into the shadows to select her next victim.
From a young age, she didn’t fit in with society’s rules. Those with a privileged upbringing would follow the typical role expected from an attractive, intelligent young woman. University. A wealthy man. A family. Instead, Aera resided in a run-down apartment with three guys.
Whilst her life was not what some considered decent, she was content. It was the life she’d chosen for herself. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Aera checked the time and sighed. She’d been crouched in the same alley now for nearly an hour and her legs were beginning to cramp. Still, she eyed each bag, looking for the brands that would bring the most money. Alas, there were more men out tonight than women.
Fuck this shit. She was almost ready to call it quits, but when she felt an unexpected presence behind her, her instincts kicked in and her head whipped around to scan the darkness. A shoe scraped the floor behind a dumpster, allowing her to locate their position just as her eyes adjusted to the dark and an imposing figure started to form.
Someone was watching her.
‘If that’s you, Ji Goon, I swear I'm going to-’ Aera turned again and came face-to-face with another young man dressed in black, his face obscured by the peak of a baseball cap.
It wasn’t Ji Goon. He wouldn’t dare piss her off like that. Her ally had seen the mess she left behind after an attack.
Knowing that she needed to strike before her opponent did, Aera pulled the knife from the back of her jeans and closed in on the creepy man with a cunning smile. She hadn’t let off steam in a while. Perhaps tonight would work out better than expected.
‘Wanna play, asshole,’ she taunted. Unlucky for him, she was just in the mood to spill blood. She could already feel the rush as the knife sank into his flesh, and whatever was in his pockets, would be a bonus.
Closing the gap, the man took another step towards her. ‘Let’s play then, pretty girl.’
‘Exciting,’ she said as she playfully edged closer to him.
‘How about a game of cat and mouse? If you make it to Danbam bar, I’ll let you live. If I catch you. Well, I suppose it’s up to me what I do with you.’
The low chuckle that came from him only ignited her temper.
With a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins, Aera got ready to strike, anticipating the moment he would take his last breath. It wouldn't be the first time she’d taken on two men. Just as she was about to make her move, however, she was interrupted by a deep rasp.
‘Well, aren’t you a little spitfire? You’ll need that where you’re going.’
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What did he mean by that? she thought whilst trying to keep her eye on the second man lurking behind the dumpster.
Her opponents may have trumped her in size, but Aera was confident she had agility and speed on her side. She knew she must strike first, so with a strategic lunge, she slashed the knife through the air. When he stumbled trying to dodge the sweeping blade, which missed him by only inches, Aera knew she had caught him off guard.
The guy immediately composed himself, snarling, 'Play time’s over,’ as he took a couple of steps back, not taking his eyes off her.
Aera had a feeling that something wasn’t right. She looked between the two men, planning her next move, whilst trying to determine theirs.
‘Take her.’
Who was he talking to? The man nearest the dumpster still hadn't moved.
Instead of waiting to find out, she decided to get the upper hand. With a powerful jump, she kicked her leg high and, in one clean blow, knocked the leader to the floor.
It was only seconds after his body hit the concrete that she heard footsteps closing in, and so she assessed her escape route out of the narrow alleyway. With one areshole down, and the other now approaching, Aera was confident she could wrap things up and walk away unscathed.
Stepping over the stunned brute, she advanced towards her next target, but when three more men appeared from the shadows and surrounded her, she stopped.
‘Surely you don’t need all this muscle for a helpless woman like me.’ Aera disapprovingly shook her head, using her sweetest voice whilst putting her hands to her chest.
The stocky man was recovering from the kick to his face, picking himself up off the ground with a stream of thick blood oozing from his nose and onto his chin.
Man, he looked pissed.
‘Take the bitch. Now.’
Still armed with her knife, Aera held it at arm's length, turning on the spot and pointing it at each of her foes. She didn’t like to shy away from a fight, but she knew when she was outnumbered.
Aera wasn’t surprised when one of the men came up behind her, restraining her arms behind her back. She fought to resist, but she couldn’t match his brawn as he twisted her arm and crushed her wrist, forcing her to drop the weapon.
With blood still smeared across his face, she could see the anger in the wounded man's eyes. The small defeat he had just suffered had damaged his ego. Smugly, Aera said, ‘If you’re waiting for me to beg and ask you to spare me, it’s not going to happen.’
They were nose to nose now, but his next choice of words puzzled her. ‘It’s not me you’ll be begging.’
Swinging her leg back, she booted him as hard as she could in the groin, and she couldn’t help but giggle as he grimaced and, once again, hit the floor.
Aera watched him squirm, holding the delicate spot where she delivered the blow, when everything suddenly went dark.
It wasn’t plastic as she could still breathe, but the material concealed her view. A rope swiftly secured her hands and feet before she was thrown onto a cold metal floor. From the drone of the engine beneath her, she knew she was in a vehicle. She lay still, though, knowing struggling would not benefit her in the closed space.
Even at this moment, Aera didn’t fear death. Everyone had their time, and today may very well be hers.
They had been driving for what felt like thirty minutes when the engine shut off. She could hear rustling as the men left the vehicle. They spoke between themselves, but she was only able to distinguish the odd word.
Suddenly, the cool night air brushed her face when the fabric hood was removed and she was propped to a sitting position.
‘Hi,’ Aera greeted her attackers with a smile whilst taking in her surroundings to figure out where she was. This wasn’t a place she had been to before.
What are they doing now? she thought when they pointed a camera in her face. This night had been full of unexpected turns.
Whatever.
Tilting her head, Aera stared into the lens and grinned as the bright light flashed in her face.
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