**Chapter 1: Descent into Darkness**

The air was heavy with the stench of blood and sweat as Sang-woo approached her bedside. It was obvious the girl was dying. He'd known since they all trudged out of that room, listening to her footsteps dragging behind, the faint shivers of pain that sneaked into every other breath. Her paling, clammy skin, the sluggishly hidden veil of agony clouding her eyes, the thick and persistent stench of fresh blood. As he drew closer, a list of affirmations ran through his mind, declarations and justifications: He's going to kill her. He's just going to kill her. Not to be cruel, not to enjoy it, but to offer mercy. To end this fast. To win. To live. The sound of her whimpers made him stop. Sang-woo stared at her limp, sweating body, his eyes fixed on her heaving chest, the spreading mass of scarlet just below it, soaking into her suit. Gi-hun's frantic screams filled the background, but he was too preoccupied by his own conflicted emotions. She hasn't noticed him yet, lost to the world, fading faster by the second, bleeding and bleeding. He raised his knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. A stab through the ribs would get rid of her quickly. A blade to the heart, an end to her suffering. Her chest rose and shuddered, and fell again. A tear drop trailed down her cheek like a caress, gracing her jaw, dragging down her neck, and pooling in the soft dip of her throat. He swallowed, his heart racing with anticipation. "Somebody get in here!" Gi-hun screamed. Sang-woo crouched beside her, getting close. Her mussed hair was so soft, her face reaching a tragic, listless calm. Another hiccup left her, roughened and weak. Her chest heaved again, small breasts just barely pressing against the fabric of her shirt. He reached out before he could stop himself, placing a hand over her failing, fluttering heart. The room filled with a banging sound, almost as loud as the roar of his pulse rushing through his ears. His shaking hand traveled down, cupped her breast, squeezed once. A visceral feeling of filth flashed through him, and he pulled away, a soft exhale leaving him. But his hand returned, lowering and pressing slowly into the wound at her side. Her eyes flew open, rolled up, and she choked quietly on the pain of it, too quietly to be heard over Gi-hun's frantic screaming. His fingers searched the area, and within seconds, he found a way under her dress shirt, thumb finding the wound, pressing and pushing, sinking inside of her. Sae-byeok gapes like she was underwater, her body arched in a mixture of pain and desire. A moan left her, and his cock throbbed, wild heat stabbing through him. He knew she was dying, but in this moment, she seemed to crave it, her body welcoming his touch. "Get in here, you assholes! Someone's dying! Hello!?" Gi-hun's voice was distant, a fading concern. Sang-woo's justifications were bleeding from him faster than the life was from her. It wasn't about cruelty or mercy anymore. This was sadism. Pleasure. This was the result of her intense eyes following him through every room, her lithe body brushing past his, her beautiful, plump lips and sharp tongue that licked frustration and unfamiliar desire into him with every foul, irritating word she'd spoken. He leaned in, his mouth meeting hers in a messy, drool-filled kiss. She was weak, but she responded, her tongue tracing the trek of that first dreadful tear, dragging upwards, finding her lips. He kissed her hard, consuming her last few breaths, swallowing down every disoriented whimper of pain. If she was aware of what was happening to her, she barely reacted to it. He didn't know if he preferred that, if he wished she'd struggle, if he wanted her to fight for her life and try to survive. He was too concerned with the slip of her organs around his fingers, the blood burbling under his palm, the careful grip he still held on his weapon as he rushed through a few sloppy thrusts. He palmed himself fast, already close. It was almost pathetic how fast he was approaching the edge, like his own nerves were rebelling against him, fighting to banish the violent desire suddenly housed inside of him. In one quick motion, he slashed her throat through. If she made a sound, he couldn't hear it under the sudden assault to his senses. His own eyes rolled, his whole body shuddered, fire rushing through his veins and blanking every thought. For a long moment, he was god. He was immortal. He was the winner of this stupid fucking game, and he was resurrected, dripping in gold and prosperity, cleansed of his sins and offered another fresh and sparkling chance. Then, warmth soaked into his pants, and he was nothing again. He shivered, let out a soft gasp against her lips, and swallowed the blood that was spurting into his mouth, blinking as it continued to spatter over his face, his collar, his shirt. As the life drained from her body, Sang-woo felt nothing. Gi-hun's sobs filled the background, a stark contrast to his own emptiness. The lights turned on, and the alarms started to blare, but he just stood there, frozen in his moment of triumph, as Sae-byeok's beautiful, grotesque body went limp, and died.