Her relentless pursuit of knowledge had been fueled by a tragic past. The memories of her parents' ending haunted her, an unquenchable fire that pushed her to delve deeper into the mysteries of the human mind. She yearned for answers, for something that could bring her closure, something that could justify the injustice that had shattered her world.
The more she learned, the more she realized the complexity of the human condition, the fragility of the mind, and the capacity for both good and evil that resided within each person.
She woke, sweat dripping down her forehead as she breathed heavily and brushed the hair off her face. In the depths of her subconscious, fragments of memories danced like shadows, always just out of reach. The dreams that plagued her nights were a reflection of the unresolved questions that lingered within her.
A heavy sigh left her lips before she ran her fingers through her hair and stood up. The past could wait. It was the present that was interesting to her now.
Narae didn't have anything to distract her from her boring routine. Breakfast at seven, work at eight, lunch at one, home at six, dinner at eight... and so it went on. She never wore vibrant colors, always sticking to gray, brown, beige or black. Colors made her sick in the stomach.
Today was no exception. It was cold in the morning and a thin layer of frost coated the ground outside. She wrapped herself in a plain black coat, blending seamlessly into the monotonous surroundings. She preferred to remain inconspicuous, allowing her to observe and absorb the world around her without drawing attention.
Ethan met her in front of the entrance of the high-security facility when he smiled at her. "Morning."
She raised her eyebrows. "You're calmer than usual... morning."
"I mean, you might end up losing your life over this case. I should stop being loud and maybe start thinking more like you." Ethan's attempt at lightening the atmosphere drew a faint smile from Narae. She appreciated his concern, even if it was sometimes masked with humor.
"You don't have to be like me. You're good enough the way you are." She shrugged, but he froze in his place, watching her with wide eyes. "What?"
"Did The Narae just admit I'm good? That's like the highest praise I've ever gotten from you.
She rolled her eyes, but a hint of amusement tugged at the corners of her lips. "Good enough. Don't let it get to your head, Ethan."
The two of them walked side by side towards the entrance of the place, the building looming over them. They flashed their identification badges and were granted access. She stepped inside and towards the room where her cession with Jake would take place, before swinging the door open. It was cold and sterile, making her sigh heavily.
"Being him here." She demanded, walking to her desk in the corner of the room. The room had a closed window and after looking around for a while, she pressed the red button on her desk. "Ethan, I need you for a minute. Be quick."
And he was quick. "What's wrong?" He stepped into the place, only to find her trying to open the window. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to escape, can't you tell?" She scoffed. "Come on, help me open it."
"I'm trying to understand what you're up to, Narae, but I really can't." He sighed. Nevertheless, he helped her open the window, and the cold fresh air rushed into the room, instantly filling the sterile atmosphere with a refreshing chill.
"Better now," She put her hands against her hips and turned to him. "You don't have to understand. You can just trust me."
"Agent Lee is going to be really mad when he hears about this. But I've realized that trusting you is usually the right move. We'll bring Jake now." He said, leaving her there at the window, waiting for Jake to come. And when he did, he looked confused. He was tied again, his hands behind his back while they led him inside.
"Stop right there. All of you leave, I'll take care of it." The agents exchanged glances but complied, giving Narae the space she needed to handle the situation her way. Ethan stayed behind momentarily, watching as she took charge. Once they were alone, Narae approached Jake with a calm demeanor.
He didn't look at her, his gaze glued on the window. Or maybe outside. "You opened the window." His voice trailed off. "Why did you open the window?"
"I'm letting you escape." Her words hung in the air, making him freeze and widen his eyes. He stayed there for a moment, confused, curious, mad. It was a trap. "Go ahead."
He didn't say anything, he simply walked to his place, sat down, and turned to face his familiar corner. Narae's lips formed a knowing smile as she stared at him. He got used to being a prisoner so much that he couldn't wish for freedom. It was interesting how he was afraid of freedom because there should be something outside that was making his body tremble and his fingers clench.
Slowly, she walked over to the window, leaning against the frame. The cool breeze brushed against her face and she took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air that carried some sort of liberation.
"Yesterday I signed a paper that said if you ever want to kill me, no one will come to my rescue. Because I demanded they stop treating you like a monster." She turned to him while he clenched his jaw and looked away. "You don't believe me. I'll make you."
Before he knew it, she was pushing her desk towards the wall before she climbed on top of it, disabling the camera in the room. "What are you doing?" He asked, his voice slightly trembling
Narae paused for a moment, her eyes fixed on the disabled camera. "First condition. No spying. We're not playing their game anymore." He remained silent, his eyes still avoiding her gaze as she made her way to him. Then she crouched down, looking up at him. "Second condition. No ties. No chains."
"I will kill you." He muttered, his fists clenched tightly behind his back.
"You can try," Narae didn't flinch, instead she replied calmly because she knew that his threat came from a place of fear and pain."But you won't."
Jake's breath caught in his throat. No one had ever spoken to him like this, challenging his darkness while still seeing a glimmer of light within him. It was both terrifying and liberating. Then he started laughing, making her smirk. His laughter seemed hollow, a mask to hide the fear that had consumed him for so long.
And everything led to one thing.
"Tell me about the 17 people they made you kill." Her gaze darkened, and Jake's laughter faded into a bitter silence as he met Narae's unwavering stare.
"No..." He started shaking his head, the fear seeping through his veins. "I did it all. I killed them all. I- you don't know-"
"Tell me about the people you worked with. The ones who recruited you, the ones who manipulated you." Her voice made him shiver. His eyes went wide as he looked at her, confused, scared, horrified. His breath became shallow as memories resurfaced, clawing their way to the forefront of his mind.
"They will kill you."
