Feathers and Carnations

Chapter Eight

*knives and other things in this chapter, small warning*

If a giant boulder fell on Jisung's head, he would thank it for ending his misery.

Six days passed at a harrowingly slow pace. Minho visited twice in that time, but he only dropped off some food before leaving again. Those visits happened on the first two days.

A day later, when Jisung tried to break the anklet off, it'd zapped him so hard his arm was numb for several hours. He tried guessing the code to unlock it and got zapped again, so he gave up for the day. The following day, he tried mixing the chemicals he found under the sink to melt the anklet off. That only resulted in a harsh burn on his leg. He tried bashing it against the wall. Once again, the only thing he got was some bruising.

Seungmin showed up on the fifth day and they played a few card games and a game of chess. They had a pleasant chat over lunch about how Seungmin had come to work for Minho.

Seungmin was a thief, but not just any thief. He was known nationally for stealing rare works of art and gems worth more than a city. Ultimately, it was his fame that got him caught, but it also caught Minho's attention. Only a few months into his sentence, Minho broke him out and made a deal with him. From there, they grew closer as they balanced each other's work, and he was eventually promoted to underboss.

Through the conversation, Jisung couldn't help thinking of his own experience as he entered Nightfield. He was a lowly, no good thief, but thanks to Chan's generosity, he was able to sharpen his skills to a fine point and rise through the ranks. He was now the top spy, known for finding information in impossible places and extracting it from sealed mouths. Some mafia dons had tried hiring him while others tried having him killed out of fear. But now he was nothing more than a useless prisoner.

Thankfully, his mind was taken away from his situation during Seungmin's visit. The underboss was surprisingly relaxed and down to earth. Jisung would even go so far as to say he had a good time, and he could almost see himself becoming friends with him.

As for the dreams, there was no progress. Two of the dreams he had before repeated, waking him up in the dead of night. He was unable to fall back asleep both times.

Jisung slept throughout day six, and now, on the seventh day, he found it impossible to relax enough to sleep. He paced the house, made several cups of tea. His feet were locked into motion, but his mind was covered in a gray sheet, silent and dusty. The sun set an hour earlier, and he forced himself to fall onto the couch as he let a random movie play.

His eyes were burning with exhaustion as he stared at the screen of the TV blankly. He was contemplating going to bed when he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

A stiff chill snaked through Jisung's limbs as he pushed himself upright, scanning the dark area of the house behind him. Aside from the low volume of the TV, the room was quiet and still. Nothing seemed to be amiss. His mind itched, as if saying, but something is amiss.

Slowly, calmly, Jisung rose to his feet and turned the TV off. His footsteps were loud to his ears as he made for the stairs. Tension coiled in his muscles. His breathing grew heavier.

A shadow moved in the corner of his eye.

Jisung ducked, and plaster rained down on him as something slammed into the wall. A black knife. Another movement. He dove to the floor as another knife embedded itself in the wall.

A tall figure dressed in complete black lunged at him from the shadowed door of the kitchen, weapon flashing. Hands braced on the floor, Jisung swept his leg under the attacker, sending them stumbling back. He had just enough time to grab one of the knives from the wall before a leg slammed into his side.