The air hung heavy with dampness, a shroud of darkness enveloping Diana as she slowly blinked awake, her senses dulled by disorientation.
"...Where... Where am I...?" Her voice, muffled by the gag that bound her mouth, echoed weakly in the oppressive silence. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realized with a jolt that she was bound to an old chair, her limbs restrained and her movements confined.
Her mind raced as she struggled to piece together the fragments of her memory—a blur of chaos and confusion, an attack at Madam Lee's mansion, and then nothing but darkness.
"You need to get your act together, Diana... Let's calm down." The words, spoken with a mixture of desperation and resolve, echoed in the recesses of her mind, a silent mantra in the face of uncertainty.
As she scanned her surroundings, her heart sank at the sight of armed soldiers lurking in the shadows, their presence casting a sinister pall over the foggy mountain landscape.
"No way..." The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, sending a chill down her spine as she pieced together the identity of her captor.
And then, as if conjured from the depths of her darkest fears, a familiar voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"Long time no see, Lady Diana." The words, spoken with chilling familiarity, sent a shiver down her spine as Bonhak emerged from the shadows, his smile a cruel mockery of the situation at hand.
Diana's breath caught in her throat as she met his gaze, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of defiance and fear. "Bonhak."
With slow, deliberate movements, he approached her, his smile never faltering as he reached out to remove the gag from her mouth. And in that moment, as the silence stretched between them, Diana knew that her ordeal was far from over.
"Isn't the air really nice?" Bonhak's voice, dripping with sinister amusement, cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife.
Diana's heart pounded in her chest, her fear fueling a desperate plea for release. "Let go of me now! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" Despite the constriction of her throat, she shouted with wide-eyed urgency, her gaze locked on Bonhak's form with unyielding intensity.
"If you're not crazy, let go of me now!" Her words, though strained, carried the weight of her desperation, a silent prayer for deliverance from the nightmare that had consumed her.
But Bonhak's response was a chilling scoff, his distance maintained with a mocking smirk. "Ha."
With a sudden, swift movement, he seized her cheek in a vice-like grip, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. "You think I'm crazy? Do you really want to see me go crazy?"
Dread coiled in the pit of her stomach at his words, her worst fears realized in the madness that flickered in his eyes.
"Will you be able to go down this mountain alone if I let you go?" His voice, tinged with a perverse excitement, sent a chill down her spine, his gaze piercing through her with a predatory intensity.
"How can you spit out such pretty words as soon as you open your mouth? Let's play hide-and-seek together if you want." The calm facade he had once worn had vanished, replaced by a menacing glare that made her blood run cold.
In the depths of her terror, Diana knew that she could not show weakness, could not let him see the fear that threatened to consume her. With every fiber of her being, she fought to maintain her composure, to withstand the storm of madness that raged around her.
But beneath the veneer of defiance, a nagging question gnawed at her mind—how far was Bonhak willing to go to achieve his twisted goals? And in the darkness of the mountain, with no one to hear her cries, Diana could only pray for salvation from the horrors that awaited her.
"Why did you kidnap me?" Diana's voice, though tinged with fear, held a thread of defiance as she confronted her captor.
Bonhak's response was a twisted mixture of amusement and malice, his words dripping with mockery. "Well... Why did I bring you here...? Because the more I know, the more I like you?"
Diana's brow furrowed in confusion, her mind struggling to comprehend the madness that surrounded her. "What...?"
But Bonhak's smile widened, his gaze lingering on her with a predatory gleam. "You're full of useless curiosity, you don't get intimidated. And you have a knack for seducing someone..."
As he counted off his reasons on his fingers, Diana felt a chill run down her spine at the implication of his words.
"It seems like you have naturally become their weakness." His whisper, laced with malice, sent a shiver down her spine as the full weight of his intentions became clear.
"Their... Weakness?" Diana's voice faltered, her mind reeling with the implications of his words.
"Not one, not two, but three... Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know who's going to rush over here frantically to save you?" Bonhak's words, though delivered with a sickening smile, filled her with a sense of dread.
"Alas, who knows if they all insist on your rescue? Of course, whoever it is, I will welcome him with open arms." His laughter echoed in the darkness, a cruel reminder of the perilous game that lay ahead.
But Diana's resolve remained unbroken, her voice steady as she faced her captor head-on. "...Stop."
The chill in the air seemed to deepen as she spoke, a silent reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond their grasp.
"Cut the crap." Her words, though tinged with fear, carried a note of defiance as she refused to succumb to his twisted game.
Why hadn't she thought this far? The realization hit her like a blow to the gut, leaving her breathless with the weight of her own naivety.
"They'll never come here." Her voice, though tinged with uncertainty, held a glimmer of hope as she clung to the fragile threads of her resolve.
"I can't have them get harmed because of me."
Diana's voice, though tinged with desperation, carried a note of urgency as she pleaded with her captor. "So let go of me. Besides, I'm sure... It's not gonna end up as a simple damage... Don't think stupid and let go of me right now!"
But Bonhak's response was a chilling reminder of the danger that loomed on the horizon. "...You think I'm a fool? They're not coming? When I have you tied up here like this in a pathetic state?"
As his words sank in, Diana felt a surge of panic rising within her, a desperate realization of the perilous situation she found herself in.
At that moment, one person suddenly came to her mind—the one who was most likely to appear here. Lord Sung. The thought of his arrival sent a shiver down her spine, his presence a looming threat that hung heavy in the air.
"Do you think everything will go your way? Do you really think you're such a big deal?! Do you have to be that greedy and try to get what's not yours?" Diana's voice, though strained, carried a note of defiance as she challenged her captor's arrogance.
But Bonhak's response was swift and merciless, his actions speaking louder than words as he forced the gag back into her mouth, silencing her protests with a cruel twist of fate.
"Why... Why would you call it greed? It's a place where the son of a criminal can sit, so why can't I? Huh? Beside a have this great bait here. That's too bad, we could have more interesting relationship." His words, though laced with bitterness, held a bitter truth that sent a chill down Diana's spine.
And as he gazed into her eyes with a cold smile, Diana felt a surge of fear grip her heart, a silent plea for deliverance from the horrors that awaited her.
"No...!" Her voice, though muffled by the gag, carried a note of desperation as she struggled against the bonds that held her captive, a silent prayer for salvation from the darkness that threatened to consume her.
As Bonhak's figure faded into the distance, Diana's thoughts turned to a single color—a vivid shade of red that flooded her hazy mind. Tears welled in her eyes at the memory it evoked, a bittersweet reminder of the one she had left behind.
"...I miss you. But I don't want you to come now." Her words, whispered into the stillness of the night, carried a weight of longing and regret, a silent plea for safety in the face of danger.
Meanwhile, in the palace bathed in the ethereal glow of the full moon, a scene of chaos unfolded beneath the watchful gaze of the heavens.
"Move straight to where you are ordered." The command, spoken with chilling authority, sent a shiver down the spines of the assassins who lurked in the shadows, their movements swift and precise as they prepared to strike.
But before they could carry out their nefarious plans, a group of royal soldiers emerged from the darkness, their blades gleaming in the moonlight as they surrounded the would-be rebels.
"They're the ones who tried to rebel!" The cry, echoed through the night, served as a rallying cry for the defenders of the palace, their determination unwavering in the face of danger.
"Don't leave a single man behind, take everyone in!" Danro's voice, filled with steely resolve, echoed through the courtyard as he led his comrades into battle, his eyes ablaze with determination.
A fierce skirmish ensued, the clash of steel ringing out like a symphony of chaos as the two sides clashed in a desperate struggle for supremacy.
But amidst the chaos, one figure remained elusive—a shadow in the night whose presence lingered like a specter in the darkness.
"I can't see him." Young's voice, tinged with frustration, echoed through the courtyard as he scanned the battlefield, his eyes searching for a glimpse of the elusive figure who had orchestrated the night's chaos.
Sung's voice, filled with urgency, cut through the chaos of the courtyard like a clarion call, drawing Young's attention as he rode into view on his white horse, his sword gleaming in the moonlight.
"Your Highness...!" Young's voice, tinged with relief, echoed through the yard as Sung approached his side, his brow furrowed with concern.
"He's not here either?" Sung's words, spoken with a note of frustration, hung heavy in the air as Young shook his head in dismay.
"No...! I'm sure I've searched everywhere that he could lead the attack... But Bonhak is nowhere to be seen." Young's voice, though strained, carried a note of determination as he recounted his fruitless search.
Sung's expression darkened at the news, his mind racing with the possibilities that lay ahead. "...He must be in the best location to go after me. Best location... No way."
With a resolute nod, Sung made his decision. "Bukchon... Let's go to Master Danro's mansion."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Young's response was swift, his determination matching Sung's as they prepared to face whatever dangers awaited them.
The yard lay in disarray, the signs of a struggle evident in the scattered debris that littered the ground.
"They've been here already...!" Young's voice, filled with dismay, echoed through the courtyard as he surveyed the damage.
But despite the chaos, Sung's resolve remained unshaken, his determination driving him forward as he ordered his men to search the premises.
And then, amidst the rubble, Sung's eyes fell upon a familiar sight—a silk shoe, abandoned under the porch.
"Lady... It's Diana's." Sung' s words hung heavy in the air, a grim reminder of the danger that lurked in the shadows.
"It must be... Bonhak's doing." Sung's voice, though low, carried a note of grim certainty as he surveyed the scene before him.
"Release the remaining soldiers and have them scour Bukchon." His orders, spoken with a steely resolve, left no room for doubt as Sung prepared to confront the darkness that threatened to consume them.