"Sir...

"Yes, Mr. Byeon, just wrapping up," Deputy Commissioner General Min Hoseok replied, closing the file with a smile. The relief on his face offered a sliver of hope to the inspector standing before him.

"Sir, there's some bad news," Inspector Byeon Woo-Seok said, sliding his mobile into his pocket as he stepped into Hoseok's office at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA).

Hoseok's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

"Sir, we need to get to Lee Do-kyun quickly. He lied to us. He said there was no way out of his house except the main and back doors, but in reality..." Woo-Seok trailed off, nervously licking his lips as Hoseok's confusion morphed into a furious glare.

"What in reality?!" Hoseok roared, leaping from his chair. "Why are you talking in bits and pieces? Tell me everything clearly! How did you not know this earlier, and how did you find out now? Speak!"

"Sir, he's not in his room. The truth is, there's a third exit in Do-kyun's bedroom, behind the dressing mirror," Woo-Seok explained, watching Hoseok's face turn crimson. "He mentioned the empty house next door casually, just to mislead us. And... his wife claims the lights suddenly went out in the room. Before she could comprehend anything, they came back on, but Do-kyun was gone. The dressing mirror was moved away from the wall like a door, indicating a way out..."

"Sir, it's not our fault! Lee Do-kyun didn't trust us. If he had told us, would this have happened?" Woo-Seok tried to defend himself, but Hoseok's glare silenced him.

"What do you mean he didn't trust us?! Nonsense! It's our fault we couldn't figure it out, even while inside the house, and he still managed to escape!" Hoseok roared, slamming his hand on the table. "Now why are you standing there staring at me? Get lost!"

"Sir, won't you go there?" Woo-Seok asked hesitantly as he turned to leave. Hoseok felt like smashing everything.

"Should I go there now for what to kill mosquitoes? We couldn't save a person's life should we go console his wife, you stupid fool?" he snarled, his eyes red with anger.

"He seems to have lost his mind," Woo-Seok muttered under his breath, observing Hoseok's frantic state as he exited the office.

Hoseok collapsed into his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Ahh, beast... Your time has come. Do your worst," he muttered. His phone suddenly rang. He took a deep breath, straightened, and seeing his brother Yoongi, he answered.

"What is it, Yoongi?"

"Brother, do you remember what time is it now? It's eleven o'clock, and only an hour left until midnight!" Yoongi exclaimed.

"Oh man, my brain is fried," Hoseok said, running his fingers through his hair and closing his eyes.

"Oh, so it's like every other time?" Yoongi laughed.

"Yes, just like every other time. And by the way, are you asking or making fun of me?"

"Haha... hyung, why would I make fun of you? Just asking, that's all."

"Okay, tell me, how's the weather over there?" Hoseok asked with a smile, his mind lost in the thought of a beloved face.

"The weather's the same as always," Yoongi said, reclining against the back of the sofa. Hoseok bit his lip and stood up from his chair.

"Okay, try waking up Jimin. I'll go buy something special in the meantime."

"Hyung, you'll waste a lot of time on that tiny marvel. Let's do it tomorrow," Yoongi tried to delay, scratching his head, but Hoseok was not to be deterred.

"Yoongi..." Hoseok's authoritative voice warned as he exited his office.

"I'm on it. In fact, I'm at the door, no need to call again," Yoongi muttered, heading toward Jimin's room.

"Good job, gummy," Hoseok laughed, hanging up and instructing his driver to head to the shopping mall. As they placed the shopping bags in the car outside the mall, Hoseok's phone rang again. He already knew who it was. As expected, Commissioner General (CG) of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Hyun Bin's name flashed on the screen.

"Go check if any flower shops are open, and be quick."

"Okay, sir," the driver replied and drove off, while Hoseok answered the call.

"Annyeonghasimnikka, Sir."

"DCG Min Hoseok, I want Lee Do-kyun alive. You understand? Not a scratch on him. You have ten hours to do this," the CG ordered. "A rising politician was kidnapped despite tight police security. It's a shameful situation."

Listening to the CG, Hoseok felt like smashing his phone against the wall. "Sir, but Lee Do-kyun..."

"No excuses, Deputy Commissioner Min Hoseok. We have to answer to our superiors too. The media doesn't know yet, but if they find out, they will tarnish the reputation of the police department," the CG angrily hung up, leaving Hoseok fuming.

"Sorry, sir, but there's no flower shop open. There's one, but it closes after eight," the driver said respectfully.

"Take me to that shop," Hoseok instructed. Half an hour had already passed, and he had missed thirty calls from Dad.

"Right this way, sir."

__________________________________________

Yoongi quietly approached his parents' room. "Oh God, what kind of trouble have you sent to us poor souls?" he muttered, moving hesitantly toward Jimin’s room while complaining.

The biggest problem now was that the room shouldn't be locked. If he knocked, he'd get thirty slaps from his father, and if he didn't, he'd get them from his older brother. Being the youngest, everyone treated him like a tool to use as they pleased.

"Shorty... shorty..." he called softly, hiding his face in the wall, too afraid someone might hear him.

"Hyy shorty..." he whispered again, looking around nervously.

"Ugh, how will this work, Min Yoongi?" He swallowed and stiffened his neck.

"Oh God, this moochi, he's still sleeping like a queen," he muttered, staring at the closed door and gently banging his head against the wall.

"I told you to wake up Jimin, not to talk with the wall like an idiot!" Hoseok's heavy voice startled him from behind. Yoongi almost screamed, but Hoseok quickly covered his mouth.

"Why are you screaming like this?" Hoseok scolded as he removed his hand.

"Bro, I've been shouting for the past half hour my throat is completely dry," Yoongi said breathlessly.

"If you had used that energy to open the door, your throat wouldn't be dry," Hoseok said, slowly opening the door while giving him a reproachful look. Yoongi just scratched his head and muttered, "I was trying."

"I'm going to change. In the meantime, try to win the third world war," Hoseok said, pushing him toward the door and heading to his own room.

"Ahhhhh, my life is a mess, Min Yoongi. You can't even open a room door," he muttered, grinding his teeth as he looked at the pink-colored bed with a pink blanket-wrapped figure on it.

"Anyway, it's not my fault it's called manners. You don't just barge into someone's room, stupid people," he muttered to himself.

"Hey, shorty, wake up, you cursed one! You've made my life hell," he grumbled, noticing light-brown hair peeking out from under the pillow.

"Jimin, wake up," he said, shaking the corner of the blanket, but there was no response.

"Moochi, I'm calling you for the last time. Don't blame me in the morning," he said, looking around before pulling at Jimin's hair strands.

"What is it? Let me sleep, Yoongi," Jimin murmured as he stirred from the pull on his hair.

"Jimin, please wake up. Hoseok is here," Yoongi said softly, his voice tender as he checked his watch. "If you don't wake up in five minutes, you'll miss it. We only have fifteen minutes until midnight." He smiled gently as he left the room, taking something that would definitely shock his moochi, casting one last, affectionate glance at the sleeping figure, a playful grin spreading across his face.

"You think I'm a fool, Mr. Yoongi?" Jimin muttered as Yoongi left the room. He pushed the blanket off his face and brushed a stray lock of brown hair from his rosy cheek.

"I had my sleep, and everything is ready. Good job, Kim Jimin," he murmured. He moved to pick up his dress from the table, but the empty table only mocked him.

"Are you coming or are you going to keep sleeping? As usual, you're late for everything. Even Yoongi is ready on time, but you..." Seeing him standing there, Hoseok said angrily in a subdued voice, causing Jimin to lower his gaze.

"Now just stand here like a statue. I absolutely despise lazy people like you." Hoseok shut the door behind him, and sadness settled over the heart of the person left inside.

"You only seem to like me when I'm perfect, Hoseok hyung. Everything for you starts and ends with your fairy." Jimin mumbled, wiping the pearls of tears from his rosy cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Hey, is our little one crying?" Peeking through the door, Yoongi asked innocently upon seeing him cry.

Jimin quickly raised his eyes at the sound and found two dark, mischievous eyes fixed on him. "Get lost, you bastard. This is all your fault!"

He took off his slipper and aimed it at the door. He had thought so much about going there, despite not wanting to his mood was already spoiled. But he got ready quickly, hoping to appear better in Hoseok's eyes. But...

"Huh, what have I done? Looks like I made the shorty cry." Yoongi came back into the room with a slipper in one hand and a bubble in his mouth, looking at Jimin's tear-streaked cheeks.

"Fool, who cries over such a small thing? Here, take your slipper, and your dress is under the bed. Hurry up." He threw the slipper back and chided him.

"And here, take this bubblegum. Good boy, now come quickly, my little one." As he left, Jimin threw the bubblegum he had in his mouth in Yoongi's direction, closing the bedroom door.

"Damn you, Yoongi. I wish you die miserably." He cursed, but his anger wasn't directed at Yoongi. He was angry at himself, his soul mourning how his heart had betrayed him.

_______________________________________

"Minni? You're not ready?" Yoongi said softly, looking at the tear-streaked, red eyes of Jimin, who was dressed in a simple white suit. "In university, you kept talking about your birthday all the things you would do."

"When a person has a frenemy like you in this house, only mourning is possible, birthday or not," Jimin replied loudly. The words were exactly what Yoongi expected, making it nearly impossible for him to hide his teasing smile.

"I don't understand, Jimin. What kind of language are you using with your hyung? You don't show a bit of decency while speaking," Hoseok said, his displeasure evident as he looked at Jimin's lowered eyelids.

"Let it be, hyung. He is still young," Yoongi felt it necessary to add some spice to the situation.

"You both go I'll bring him," Hoseok said. Jimin's gaze followed him to the lounge, but before he left, Jimin didn't forget to glance at the shopping bag in Hoseok's hand.

Seeing Min Ha-Jeong and Min Eun-je in the lounge, Jimin and Yoongi stopped.

"Appa, eomma, you're here?" Yoongi called out. Mr. and Mrs. Min smiled.

"We thought we'd join this beautiful gathering and surprise you all. How about that?" Min Eun-je said with a smile.

"But instead, we got surprised here," she said joyfully, looking at Jimin.

"Aunty," Jimin said, approaching to hug her.

"Oh, why are there tears in our Angel's eyes on such a happy occasion?" Min Eun-je asked, stroking his head.

"Aunty, why do you think this is a happy occasion?" Jimin asked.

"Why should we celebrate the happiness of those who do not understand joy?" Yoongi's face grew displeased with Jimin's words, and Min Ha-Jeong and Min Eun-je also remained silent.

"Why should we try to make those who devour our happiness happy, Uncle?" he sobbed into his chest.

"Stop it, Jimin. If you can't be happy, at least don't create a dispute," Yoongi said, and Jimin glared at him.

"I'm not here to celebrate. I've come to see how well others can enjoy themselves by consuming someone else's happiness," he said, wiping his tears and sitting on a chair. Yoongi watched him with regret.

"The decoration is very nice for such a short time," Min Eun-je said, looking around the lounge to change the topic.

"Yes, indeed. I can't help but praise this work," Min Ha-Jeong agreed.

"Well, appa, my skills demand praise even from the best," Yoongi said, puffing out his chest. His words made everyone smile except Jimin, who missed Hoseok's presence.

"And what's the point of this decoration?" Jimin asked sarcastically, looking at Yoongi with a raised eyebrow.

"Enough, Jimin," Min Eun-je scolded, clearly displeased by the outburst.

"Please, sit down, appa and eomma," Yoongi said, and they both sat on the sofa.

"I don't know what's so special about that blind. Why is there such a celebration for him?" he muttered with clenched lips. "If I had my way, I would've throw this witch into a deep ravine, far from all of us especially from Hoseok hyung and me," jimin thought with hatred, looking in the mirror.

Hoseok knocked on the door and called out, "Taehyung?" but there was no response. He tried again.

Taehyung, with his face buried in a pillow, held his lips tightly and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing why his hyung had come.

"Taehyung, I need to talk to you about Jimin," Hoseok said with a smile. At the mention of Jimin's name, Taehyung's heart raced.

"Jimin... Come here, hyung," his heart filled with hope.

He sat up, adjusted his clothes, and wiped his wet face. With his permission, Hoseok opened the door and stepped inside. His eyes fell on the young figure on the bed, who had been listening with bated breath.

Kim Taehyung and Kim Jimin were fraternal twin brothers. Like all twins, their faces shared some resemblance, but due to being fraternal, they had their own distinct features.

For instance, Jimin had long, shoulder-length, light brown hair, while Taehyung should-length hairs were platinum blond in color. Jimin had dark, shiny orbs as the color of a moonless night. Meanwhile, Taehyung's blue eyes were the color of a clear sky, a perfect raindrop on a blue aster, the color of a river rushing to join the great ocean. Both brothers had pink complexions.

The other major difference which Yoongi used to tease Jimin, much to his fury was that at eighteen, Taehyung was taller and Jimin was shorter. Despite their differences, their hearts were worlds apart.

"Hyung, you wanted to say something about Jimin," Taehyung said with a smile, blinking his eyes to sense his presence.

Seeing his tearful smile, Hoseok also began to smile.

"Yes, there is great news, but before that, you need to do something," Hoseok said as he took out a black outfit from a shopping bag.

"What can I do, hyung?" Taehyung asked sarcastically, revealing his pain. At his words, Hoseok looked at him, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Don't cry, Tae. I've tried very hard to heal the old wounds. Don't reopen them," he pleaded, wiping Taehyung's tears with a tissue. Taehyung turned his face away and gave a faint smile.

"Hyung, why do you want me to forget?" His face turned red with restraint.

"Because I want to forget too," he said, and his words, for some reason, sounded unpleasant, making Taehyung give a faint smile.

"Now, go quickly and change into this suit," he said, handing him the black suit he had brought.

"W-what... does Jimin also want to forget?" he asked hesitantly, waiting for a "yes."

At Taehyung's words, Hoseok bit his lips and looked at his innocent face. He had no fault in any of this, yet he was suffering so much.

"Because of your constant insistence, I'm telling you that the surprise is ruined," Hoseok said, causing fireflies to flicker in Taehyung's heart.

"I don't know about forgetting, but hopefully, he will forget as well," he said.

"Then what could be a bigger surprise, hyung?" His beautiful eyes started shedding tears with the collapse of hope.

"Tae, please," Hoseok said, collecting a tear on his fingers. "Just listen."

"Jimin wants to celebrate his birthday with you. Isn't that a big reason for your happiness?" he asked. "Or for your hope to be rekindled?"

Taehyung could hardly believe Hoseok's words. "Is this true, hyung?" He asked, twisting his fingers in happiness.

"Yes, my heart, it is true. Now quickly get ready before his mood changes," Hoseok said, and Taehyung laughed and went into the bathroom.

As soon as he left, Hoseok closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's not that I hate you, Jimin," he thought, hatred filling his expression as he looked in the mirror. "But you are the sole enemy of taehyung's happiness."

_________________________________

Lee Do-kyun sagged against the chair, his arms bound so tightly the ropes chewed into bone. Every breath rattled in his chest, shallow and broken. His body was nothing but bruises and swelling he had been beaten into pulp.

Blood crusted at the corners of his lips, copper filling his mouth. He no longer knew when the blows had stopped, only that faceless men had worked him over until he no longer felt human.

He had been under police protection. Officers had sworn he was safe. Yet somehow, in the dead of night, unseen hands had ripped him from his house and dragged him into the shadows. Now he sat in a windowless room that stank of sweat, rust, and old blood.

Then, the door groaned open.

A figure stepped through. Tall. Broad. A white shirt and black trousers, every step echoing slow, deliberate, merciless. He did not rush. He did not need to. Darkness clung to him like a veil, yet his presence pressed heavier than the ropes biting into Do-kyun's wrists.

"I must say, Lee Do-kyun..." The voice rolled calm and low, almost conversational. "Your confidence is... admirable, though misplaced. Hiding behind police protection of all things."

The man chuckled, his laughter sharp, cruel, cutting through the silence.

"I heard once," he continued, tilting his head slightly, "that when a man learns of his death, he claws, bites, begs—anything to survive. But you... you only tremble. You don't even fight."

"P-please, B...Beast..." Do-kyun's throat cracked, desperation seeping through his words. "I don't know anything. Please let me go."

A lilting voice came from behind him, playful yet dripping with venom. "Oh, baby... just wait. In a few minutes, you'll understand everything. I promise you'll be free."

Ji-eun stepped into view, her lips curled into a chilling smile. Her fingers, sharpened into cruel blades, raked across his scalp. Thin rivulets of blood trickled down his forehead. Then, with a sudden, merciless strike, she drove her nails deep into his flesh, dragging them down as if tearing paper. Do-kyun shrieked as skin split and blood poured in dark streams down his face.

The Beast watched with patient amusement. Producing a cutter, he took Do-kyun's hand and, with dreadful slowness, began severing the tips of each finger. One by one, they dropped to the floor with wet, sickening thuds. He studied them as though crafting ornaments, not mutilating flesh. Blood splattered his pristine shirt, blooming red across the white fabric.

"Ahhhhhh! Please! Please, God…ahhhhhh!" Do-kyun's voice cracked into raw, animal howls.

The Beast laughed, low and humorless, before fisting Do-kyun's hair and yanking his head back until their eyes met. In that instant, Do-kyun knew death was already written into his bones. Those golden-brown eyes endless, merciless were not human.

"Y-yes..." his sobs spilled. "This... this is... the Beast."

Everyone in the underworld had heard of the monster. None who saw him lived to tell the tale.

The shadows shifted, unveiling his face in its entirety. His hair, dark as midnight and damp with sweat, clung to his temples. Cold onyx eyes fixed on him, devoid of even a flicker of emotion. A faint stubble traced the sharp line of his jaw, while tattoos coiled like serpents across his arms and throat. Yet it was the scars deep dagger gashes one cutting from eye to cheek, another crossing his lips carved into once-handsome features that stole the breath from the room.

Beauty that had been butchered into monstrosity.

"I-I don't know much!" Do-kyun stammered, his voice shaking. "Six young girls... and four o-older ones..."

At the mention, Ji-eun's nails pierced deeper into his scalp, blood dripping from his hairline. Her voice was cold steel. "What happened to them? What did you do?"

Do-kyun sobbed harder. "Th-the younger ones... s-sold to politicians. What they did...I don't know. And the two... the two older ones, I…I kept them for…."

His cowardice silenced him, but it was enough.

The Beast's lips curved into a venomous smile. The dagger gleamed as he set to work.

The room filled with shrieks as steel carved flesh. Fingers, strips of skin, and finally his manhood sliced, severed, discarded like refuse. Ji-eun took her turn, dragging her dagger across his thighs and peeling strips of flesh, one piece at a time. She laughed softly with every slice, eyes glittering with delight as his body convulsed and his throat tore itself raw with screaming. Blood gushed in sheets, spraying the floor and pooling beneath the chair until it looked as if he sat on an altar drowning in red.

At last, silence fell. Do-kyun's broken body slumped lifeless, his blood still dripping in steady rivulets.

The Beast stood still for a moment, as though admiring a finished masterpiece. Then, with effortless grace, he dropped the dagger onto the table. Peeling off his bloodied gloves, he let them fall beside the blade. Without a backward glance, he turned and walked out, calm and unhurried, as if he had completed nothing more than a mundane chore.

Ji-eun's smile widened. She crouched by the corpse, dragging her dagger across the man's shirt to clean it. Then she turn around and look at the subordinates standing at the side. "Tell Hawk to deliver the parcel to DCG Min Hoseok," she said, her tone cold. "And remind him no amount of ink can blot out the Beast's gaze in politics."

He nodded and moved toward the phone while Ji-eun slid black gloves onto her hands. The other subordinates began dismembering him, packing the remains into a heavy bag. Each wet thud of flesh against plastic echoed like a funeral bell.

"Let's prepare the parcel," Ji-eun murmured, her voice a silken threat.

"Mr. Hoseok will understand the message."

_________________________________

That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

How are you finding the characters so far?

Which one has caught your attention the most, and what are you thinking about them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!🌸🌸🌸🌸

— AeraVale-tk

Lets get introduced to our main characters

______________________________________

...JEON JUNGKOOK aka BEAST...

• 30 years old

• CEO / Mafia

• Mid-night black hair

• Dark onyx eyes

• Deep scars etched across his face — one cutting from eye to cheek, another crossing his lips

• known as BEAST in the underworld

• Savior or destructor...no one truely knows

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...KIM TAEHYUNG...

• 19 years old

• Platinum-blond hair (often discribed as sliver)

• Light Blue eyes

• A blind boy

• Has a faternal twin

• Carries a past so dark it still whispers to him in the silence.

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...KIM JIMIN...

• 19 years old

• Light-brown hair

• Light brown eyes

• Have a faternal twin

• University student

• Holds a grudge against his brother

• His heart beats for a man he knows will never be his

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...MIN HOSEOK...

• 29 years old

• Deputy Commissioner General (DCG) of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA)

• His sole purpose is to eliminate the Beast.

• An officer who strictly abides by the rules and despises anyone who breaks the law.

• Loves kim Taehyung

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...MIN YOONGI...

• 24 years old

• Younger brother of Min Hoseok

• Last year university student

• A caring and loving guy with a carefree nature.

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...KIM NAMJOON...

• 27 years old

• Right hand to Beast

• A tech genius who can find anyone dead or alive

• A simple hearted boy

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...KIM JI-EUN...

• 23 years old

• Blond hair

• Kim Namjoon's sister

• A precision blade at Beast's side

• A lost soul, a beautiful maniac, ready to destroy or die for the one she loves.

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...SEOKJIN...

• 32 years old

• A fraction of a person he once was

...(Looks same as shown in pic)...

...HAWK...

• The Beast left hand

• His form is but an echo of the Beasts will.

• A wild card that can be only controlled by BEAST

...(A mystery)...

———————————————————

This is all you need to know about the characters for NOW . As the story unfolds, so will their personalities and backgrounds.

As for the side characters, there are many and you’ll be introduced to them gradually throughout the chapters.

Thank you for reading! Please support my work by voting, commenting, and subscribing.

Happy Reading you all✨