Empire | ATEEZ

PROLOGUE

I shivered as the cold night air made the hairs on my bare arms stand on end, clenching my teeth and wrapping my arms around myself as I made a mental note to myself that the heat of summer only lingered for as long as the sun did, glancing up at the street lights above me as I passed underneath their dim lights.

The street was eerily dark underneath the cloudy skies that were the colour grey like charcoal, ashes, and smoke as I pushed myself to walk faster, wanting to get home before the clouds broke open and washed away the last bit of warmth I was so desperately clinging to.

"I am never going out drinking with Chan again," I grumbled, flinching slightly as the sounds of yelling, an argument, cut through the otherwise heavy silence looming over the narrow street. I instinctively glanced back across my shoulder to check if anyone was there, finding nothing but darkness and flickering street lights. I was alone.

I cleared my throat, "At least not this late. He could at least have walked me home-"

My silent monologue was cut short as I passed by a dark alleyway and heard the sounds of voices grow louder, more furious, halting only for a moment as my eyes widened at the sight of two men, silhouettes against the dim lights, in a heated argument, one of them raising his fist before turning to me.

My breath caught as I quickly hurried on, feeling my heartbeat pick up as I briskly continued up the street, counting the steps until I could turn the corner just a couple of hundred meters ahead, until I could make a run for it onto one of the more well-lit streets.

The sound of fighting made me wrap my arms tighter around myself only to jump slightly and turn back, despite knowing better, as the sound of a yell and then a pained groan echoed up the facades of the old buildings, my eyes widening as a heavy silence followed and one of the silhouettes staggered out from the alleyway.

I bit my lip, quickly turning back around to continue walking, praying to the heavens and everything kind that I looked both unsuspicious and unapproachable as the sounds of footsteps behind me grew louder and louder, forcing myself to move faster as well.

My heart was hammering so furiously against my ribs that I felt almost out of breath by the time I reached the dim cone of light cast by the next street light, on the verge of tears at the thought of the horrible choices that had brought me here tonight, spiraling further and further down into my fears only to flinch and cry out in surprise as someone pushed past me.

I staggered to the side, clutching my chest in an attempt to catch my breath as I stared after the disappearing figure, furrowing my brows in mixed surprise and relief and then horror as my gaze drifted downwards to the knife in his hand as the bloodied blade caught the light of the lamppost overhead.

I said nothing as he came to a halt and glanced back over his shoulder, not fully turning around, not fully showing his face. I quickly turned away, clenching my fists as my hands began to shake, yet still staring at him out of the corner of my eye as he ran a hand through his hair and continued up the street, not acknowledging our silent exchange and not leaving me with any clues regarding his identity other than his shoulder-long hair which had glowed almost golden in the dim light, braided on one side and-

As my thoughts went back to the knife in his hand, the silver blade coloured crimson, I couldn't help but turn back to the alleyway behind me, my common sense telling me to hurry home while my heart told me otherwise.

Only one of them had left that alleyway, I realized, biting my lip as I shook my head and continued up the street as the blond had just done only to stop after a couple of seconds and whip around as I headed back down the slightly sloped road, hidden by the shadows of the old and crumbling facades.