Shadow Dancing | K.TH

Prize Pupil

The clockwork in my mind click and shift into life as I nudge the door open— just a tiny, unnoticeable crack. Enough for me to see an open view of what was going on, but not enough for them to see me hidden amongst the shadows.

Time to play.

Those mere three words makes electricity spark through my body,
bringing such anticipation and excitement that I can't help but think something was truly wrong with me.

Through the small opening, I hear a door open and close— and a rush of piercing laughter. The horrifying noise makes my heart beat heavier, my mind turn faster.

When I look through the contents in the closet, I find several pairs of discarded shoes— a pantry of food cans. I'd been hoping for any type of weapon, but of course luck was never on my side.

Distract their attention.

"Saw our sign, didn't you?" A man smirks, and I peer out to see Jungkook and Jimin stare at him flatly. There are three men— the speaker in the middle, flanked by two that seemed to be bodyguards of some sort.

Both wielding guns and weapons, both looking like they were comfortable with fighting and battle.

And the middle one had the glint of a strategist. A planner— and therefore the most dangerous one.

My head spinning, I grasp my fingers around a small metal can. It's too dark in here to glimpse the label, but that hardly mattered— what mattered was the outer covering. Something that could be used as a distraction.

I had my move figured out.

I just didn't know what the other had in store for me.

The kitchen counter— enough to conceal me. A knife on the top, a weapon I could use for defense and attack. I just required time for me to get there— which I hoped that the can would be enough to do.

Nudging the door open just a tiny bit more, I'm thankful to see Jungkook and Jimin keep their eyes flat. Just the tiniest flicker in my direction would give everything away.

Time to act.

Aiming for the corridor opposite to the closet, I hurl the can as hard as I can. I don't stay to watch where it lands as I dart out of the closet, skidding behind the counter and grabbing the knife in the process.

In the corridor, I hear the can make a loud thunk that I know that the planner wouldn't ignore. It was too suggestive. Too risky to pass it by as coincidence.

And I knew.

I watch the planner flick his hand, signaling one of the men to check out the source of the noise. A deep breath travels down my body as I try to focus on the man's back.

Most people would aim for the big, burly man first.

But they didn't see what really mattered.

Praying that my aim won't stray, I lean on my instincts to guide me. V had taught me the basics of combat, after mine and Jungkook's abduction. And bless him, knife throwing was one of those basics.

The kitchen knife buries into the slender man's back, and everything erupts into chaos.

A shrill scream fills the air as Jungkook and Jimin immediately lunge for the other man. By the time the guard that had gone to investigate the noise returns, the two of them are left dead.

He soon follows their fate.

Jungkook lets out an excited shout as he hurries over to where I am, his hands lifting me up and spinning me in happiness. The panic and bloodthirst is nowhere to be found on his face as he pats my head joyfully.

"I can't believe you pulled that off, Noona. You're so smart!"

Jimin's eyes flicker around for a second before relaxing as well. He smiles at me, his dark slits curving to crescents.

"Good work, Tzuyu."

The moment he says that, I see something silver and black flash in the right corner of my eye. Panic nearly tears me in half as I realize that whatever the projectile was, it was heading for Jimin's head.

"WATCH OUT!"

My voice comes out in a desperate scream, and Jimin drops to the ground just before the silver flash can skewer him. When the entire house vibrates with its strength, I realize that there's more.

That was too easy— too good to be true.

The entire blade of the knife is buried into the wall, only the sleek, dark handle visible from the weapon. Our eyes immediately turn to the direction where it had come from, minds urgent and body ready for action.

It'd been a distraction.

All of it.

Someone grabs me from the back, their arm squeezing against my windpipe and something sharp prickling the spot just under my chin. A panicked scream rips from my throat when I glimpse both Jungkook and Jimin struggling with the same issue.

But these men were different.

They were skilled and unnaturally adept— not to mention they'd gotten the element of surprise. With direct confrontation, we might've stood a chance.

But we'd been too distracted to notice.

The man holding me pushes me down on my knees, forcing my head up with a blade. I can feel the sharp, cold tip just touching the thin, breakable skin of my neck. It wouldn't even take my attacker a second to cut through the flesh, dig the blade into my windpipe.

My entire body trembles as I see a shadow slowly reveal itself from the corridor, the silhouette bleeding such an aura of authority and violence that I flinch instinctively. An empty chill tingles up my spine as I glimpse his neat tuxedo, the murderous, ruthless glare in his eyes.

It seems familiar.

And then I remember.

That was the same look V had when he was interrogating my father's man. The one that had caused Yoongi to flinch, me to take a step back in horror.

It was exactly the same.

"Any moment now." He whispers, his cold voice sending violent shivers twisting up my body. Even his tone was perfectly flat, like he was robot instead of human. Emotionless— devoid of what made human human.

Then true to his warning, the door crashes open— revealing V. His eyes are wild and has the look of an untamed beast— a look that I'd never seen him make before.

But when he sees the man, something in his eyes shatter.

"Hello, V." The man says, his thin lips curling into a pursed smile. It reminds me of a snake, fangs bared and dripping with deadly venom.

How come he knew...

V curses when he sees the three of us immobilized, held hostage with a knife. I wonder where the rest of the group were— Yoongi, Jin, Hoseok, and Namjoon.

Horror prickles at the back of my mind as I try not to think the worse.

"Why are you here?"

V's eyes match the man's, in a icy mass of death and threat. His voice is flattened of emotion— but I can catch the slight tremble in his curled hand before he stills it completely.

"You know why I'm here. You've always known."

The man says, his eyes glittering malice as he meets V's gaze.

"I'm here to take my prize pupil back."