Chapter 3

At that moment, Shin Hae-Gon’s expression turned icily cold, chilling enough to freeze a heart.

“Such words… are hard to accept…”

Bang!

Wina’s vision flashed. The shock preceded the pain. He had slammed her face into the floor in an instant. She felt the hot sensation of blood trickling down, unmistakably from a nosebleed.
A blade-like voice dropped onto the back of her head.

“Then how do you intend to atone for the sins you’ve committed up until now?”

“…your sister.”

She felt the hand gripping her hair turn rigid.

“Shin So-Yeon…?”

Wina could sense it: a sinking feeling, a heavy descent into a profound abyss.

Shin Hae-Gon pulled her head up and turned her to face him. Contrary to her expectations, his face was as cold as ice. There was no hint of the grief or guilt of someone who had lost a family member.

Only cold hatred flowed from him.

“Yes.”

She had intended to tell him if he asked about any last words or her final moments. But he didn’t ask. Instead, Wina remembered.

“She said.”

Even facing death, So-Yeon’s eyes had sparkled fiercely as she glared at her killer.

“If you don’t want to commit sins, don’t force yourself to do it.”

A brief silence followed. The blood continued to flow. The scent of it permeated the air as their eyes met.

“Lies.”

There was no way to know why he was so certain she was lying.

Wina looked at him again. The pitch-black water rose to her throat.

Her eyes twitched faintly. So-Yeon’s parting words overlapped with his cold, indifferent face.

“My brother… he was always sharp and cold, intimidating to approach. Since childhood. Even as family, it was always hard and uncomfortable to be around him.”

As she blinked, So-Yeon’s pleading face flashed before her.

“Can you save me?”

Bang! The sensation of pulling the trigger was vivid, followed by the feeling of blood splattering across her face. Wina’s eyes suddenly felt dry.

At some point, his hand had moved closer to her face. His gloves, as black as his eyes, seemed ready to steal away her color. Wina barely managed to speak.

“Wi Shi-kyung will die.”

Shin Hae-Gon’s eyebrows twitched at the unexpected words.
Wi Shi-kyung was the leader of the terrorist group Salli, a group dedicated to the corruption of the world. It was both Wina’s birthplace and a reflection of Wina herself.

Looking directly into Shin Hae-Gon’s eyes, Wina continued.

“Salli will soon collapse.

* * *
The year Wina, the child with eyes like red gemstones, turned five, a religion was founded.

It was called Salli.

Named after the Salli principle, which promised that one’s desires would be followed by good fortune, the religion quickly grew.

Led by Jin Chae-jun, who had implanted the gem in his cousin’s body, those involved in Wina’s birth, their families, friends, and anyone who had seen Wina’s eyes became followers.

The fiery red eyes of the young child held absolute value, irrespective of their actual abilities.

People knelt at Wina’s tiny feet, praying.

Their wishes were vile, sinister, and deserving of divine punishment, desires that could not be understood by the world. They clung to, were enchanted by, and revered Wina’s eyes.

The truth of their faith didn’t matter. What mattered was their devotion.

Contrary to popular belief, Wina’s eyes did not possess the power to grant wishes. Instead, they incited the most hideous desires, much like the red gem had done to Jin Chae-jun. They filled people with the courage to commit heinous acts, such as robbery, rape, and murder.

“Desiring beauty is not a sin. Our souls are as vividly red as the gem bestowed upon us. Cast off your worries and torments, and look into this child’s eyes. See this vivid, red light! Reject the rod of hypocrisy and embrace the debauched freedom given to us!”

Even those who hadn’t seen Wina’s eyes were bewitched by the words of those who had, and they revered her. The followers of Salli grew exponentially.

In the year Wina turned fourteen, Jin Chae-jun was killed.

He was murdered by Wi Shi-kyung, one of his most loyal subordinates.

After Wi Shi-kyung assumed leadership, Salli transformed. The group, once bonded by immoral and base desires, evolved into a terrorist organization willing to commit massacres.

As Salli’s influence grew as a cult, followers were recruited, educated, and trained under Wi Shi-kyung’s direction. During this process, hundreds of followers committed mass suicide. They shared the common traits of being ordinary and weak.

“You monstrous witch! You devilish woman!”

“Oh, those blood-red eyes. Enchanted by those filthy eyes, I cut my son’s throat. You dragged my son to hell!”

“It’s all because of you. You are not a god. You are a whore who deserves to die! A curse that should never have been born on this earth!”

These curses were hurled at Wina by those on the brink of death. Their eyes swelled and burst as they died.

When Wina turned twenty-two, a shooting occurred in a subway station.

Twenty people were killed, and at least thirty-two were injured. Surrounded by responding police, the shooter dramatically put the gun in his mouth and killed himself amidst the chaos.

The police removed the mask from the shooter’s face. On the inside of the mask, in letters scrawled as red as the splattered blood, were the words:

<Sally>

It marked the beginning of the terror campaign.

* * *

“Hah! What a load of crap. What? Wi Shi-kyung is going to die? Salli will collapse?”

Bo-Ryeong snorted as she stepped out of the elevator. Ju-Hyung and Do-Hwi followed slowly. They were heading to the cafeteria after being called to Shin Hae-Gon’s office and hearing what Wina had said.

“And we’re supposed to believe that the very woman who is the root of Salli is now betraying the organization?”

“Well, it could be true.”

Ju-Hyung replied half-heartedly, rubbing the back of his neck. His neck felt stiff, probably from an awkward roll during training.

“She was acting strange from the moment she was captured. No resistance, and she kept her eyes closed even before we put the blindfold on her.”

“And you believe her just because of that? Your head must be messed up. You’re bewitched, aren’t you?”

“Think whatever you want.”

Ju-Hyung muttered indifferently, mumbling about how hungry he was.

“Hey! Seok Do-Hwi, why have you been so quiet since earlier?!”

Bo-Ryeong turned sharply to look at Do-Hwi, who had fallen behind as they bickered and walked.

Despite Bo-Ryeong’s loud nagging, Seok Do-Hwi seemed lost in thought. Normally, he would have told her to shut up or at least made a gesture to block out the noise. Ju-Hyung chuckled.

“He’s definitely bewitched.”

The cafeteria was unusually noisy. Everywhere, Wina’s name could be heard. It was no surprise, considering the woman with the bizarre reputation had ended up in their unit.

They said just looking at her eyes could turn your heart to stone, burst your brain, or give you the ultimate pleasure. Having seen her in person, Ju-Hyung knew most of the wild rumors were false.

Well, the last one wasn’t completely wrong.

Ju-Hyung picked up a tray. Acknowledging the staff with a nod, he received his meal and recalled the striking features he had seen up close the previous day.

Her face was beyond beautiful or pretty. It was an entrancing visage that captivated before one could even decide whether to be enchanted.

The first time he saw her, he was shocked; the second time, his instincts screamed to avoid her. Yet, after leaving the interrogation room, Ju-Hyung regretted not looking at her more.

Were her eyelashes red, too?

The regret was so intense it felt almost frightening until someone called his name, snapping him out of it.

“Hey!”

As soon as he found an empty seat and set down his tray, a woman came running towards them. It was Captain Yoo Se-Ra. With curiosity sparkling in her eyes, she sat down next to Do-Hwi, opposite Bo-Ryeong. The three of them frowned.

“You guys saw her face yesterday, right?”

At the inevitable question, Bo-Ryeong’s face scrunched up even more.