Toxic Innocence

TWENTY ONE

Christopher Reed.

When the Man of above mentioned name had introduced himself on late night of Palmerston North, New Zealand , Ji-Hyuns sleep endorsed conscience couldn't believe that the very English looking polite gentleman would lead her back to the memories, some buried pasts and dead hopes. Bringing them Alive in such horrific manner.

Three days later she sat at a couch, with a cup of very British tea and with a man, at whom she glared with no remorse in her eyes, miles away from the place she began to call her home.

Chris on the other side leaned his aching back stiffly, the woman seated in front of him with that lethal stare caused an uneasiness to sweep through him. It became harder to relax as the time lapsed, the lack of conversation was the elephant in the room.

"I think I-"he searched for the liable and relatable talk structure, but when his mind provided sole term of crap. He settled for the cliché gesture "-I understand what you are going through"

The Asian coolly pursed her lips, and closed her eyes with a smile. Not just any smile, it was the one that oozed of disbelief and bottled up anger.

"You do?" she inhales through her mouth, her breathy emotions apparent as she intensely looked at Chris. "Explain me how it feels to realize that your only family who was kidnapped a decade ago by a mad scientist, and to know the he was treated as a lab rat for the years that gone. Is that understandable to you Doctor Reed?"

The burning rage was acidic to Chris's ears. Though he failed his family, even he can't imagine his little brother in such stage. Chadler was all he has. And for Yu Ji-Hyun, the girl who had lost it all. For her Yu JinHyuk was all she had.

Raised in a family of hand to mouth existence, she had been the one to encourage her widowed father to look for a job outside the homeland. A year later the wish she had made for her small family came true, though her father was broken after the death of his beloved wife in labor. He and Ji-Hyun made sure to treasure everything that her infant brother said or did. Migration was a major step and raising a baby when she herself was an eleven year old girl was challenge that she took on without much of a thought.

When Ji-Hyun was a girl who grew up faster than her age, it was her sacrifices that kept her grounded. She was like her Father. Strong willed and brave, while JinHyuk- well, he went after his late Mother. Funny, caring, kind and a smart mouth. A bit naughty but mostly a beautiful angelic soul.

That was until they took him.

He was six years of age. Young and naïve.

But they were cunning, ruthless and plagued of humanity. They took him for their extravagant purpose. Kidnapping him from not only his life, but his originality. Robbing and stripping every ounce of his thoughts and essence of reality.

How more cruel can a person be?

Newspapers, channels and search groups. Ji-Hyun and her father did all they could. With money so low, bankrupt and homeless, they returned to their East Asia a year later.

Two years more- her father died. Wishing he had his son there so he could die peacefully knowing his family still had someone to look after each other. To live for each other.

But wishes were for the One's who lived in an illusion. And Ji-Hyun learnt that lesson multiple times in her life. It was a mantra she lived with.

Alone, cold and a woman of steel. No hope. No Remorse.

That changed an approximate of three nights ago.