CHAPTER 30- SAFE TO SAY IT’S NOT ANY SAFER OUT HERE

2026. PRESENT. SEOUL.

HELL MORGATHOR PRISON.

☠️SORA ☠️

Jane and I sit on the ground, outside the open sky, none of us finding the energy to stand.

“I’m telling you,” I say, whispering into Jane’s ear as I lean in to rest on her shoulder. “When I woke up, my wound was cleaned, and the wrapping was changed.”

Jane pushes me away with one arm before wiping her ear, as if wiping the sound away, “And you didn’t wake up to catch whoever was medically experimenting with your wound?” she asks.

“I didn’t feel any discomfort,” I blurt out truthfully. “It was like the person was so careful and was blowing on it. I remember moaning, though, but since it wasn’t uncomfortable, I didn’t bother opening my eyes until this morning. To tell you the truth, it was more pleasurable than hurting.”

“Gross… you glutton for punishment,” Jane scuffs. “So in summary… A-Jun was cleaning your wound, and you were moaning? I wonder what his expression would be like… watching you moan in pain. I bet he was gravely offended on behalf of common sense.”

“I never said A-Jun!” I whisper-scream so no one would overhear us, especially A-Jun. “I said I felt something pleasing, and I moaned. I never knew it was my wound getting cleaned. And it wasn’t A-jun!” I snap back at her.

“Respectfully, Don’s daughter…” Jane mutters, shaking her head before stretching her index finger at my face. “Did you ever stop to thank your face? Because if you look the way you think, society would have locked you in a cellar years ago. Who else shares the same cell with you? If A-Jun didn’t do it, then who did? Your subconscious self?”

A male correctional officer walks towards us. On seeing him, we stop talking. “It’s time for general cleaning. You should be getting a bucket and a mob,” he says.

Jane and I roll our eyes at the same time.

Arse hole.

We wait for the correctional officer to leave before we continue talking, “How are you going to look A-Jun in the eyes now? Knowing that you were moaning when the devil was finally trying to do something good.”

“The same way you are going to look at King Kaito in the eyes knowing that there’s probably more chance you’ll be sleeping in the same bed tonight, same way you did last night,” I fire back.

Jane tilts her head back and snaps her gaze towards me, “Excuse you? He knocked me out! When I woke up, I was in my bed, the lower bed that is originally mine… ALONE!!!”

I giggle in mockery, “Respectfully, J, I envy the people who have never met you. Imagine possessing the blissful ignorance of not knowing a human being could be this beautifully vacant. Last time I checked, King Kaito was using your bed and your blanket. If you found yourself on that same bed, it means you shared it with him, tragically compromised by comfort and buried deep in his sweater. When you woke up? Does it look like anyone used the upper bed?”

Jane pauses for a while as if thinking before responding, “It doesn’t even have a bedsheet since my last roommate left.”

I shake my head pitifully, clicking my tongue with the roof of my mouth, “So where did you think the king of prison slept? Strapped to the structural support pillar like a depressed kaola?”

“Wait, we slept on the same bed!” Jane yells, and everyone gawks at us. By now, King Kaito, who is just a few miles away, already knows we are talking about him.

“Worse! Since the bed is small and barely enough for him, you were either on him, or under him,” I correct before getting up and dusting my pants.

I walk away to pick up a hoe to use for general cleaning.

“We don’t need a hoe for the cleaning we would be doing today,” Jane supplies.

“Well…” I mutter. “You’ll be glad to know that is precisely why I’m taking it. I don’t plan on doing anything.”

We walk back outside, and everyone has already begun cleaning, and I make sure to stay close to A-jun, who is seated just a few feet away from me, with a book.

Jane has a mob in her right hand, but as useful as it looks, it’s useless in her hand because all she is doing is waving it in the open air as if to show the correctional officers that she has something.

“I can feel someone staring at the back of my brain,” Jane suddenly blurts. She turns around and locks eyes with King Kaito.

“Oh my fucking God!” she says in panic.

I snap my gaze towards her, “What?”

“King Kaito is staring at me!” she yelps.

“Really?” I ask completely relaxed, I mean… It’s not my problem.

“Don’t look!” she warns.

Too late, I’m already looking. I lock eyes with A-Jun, staring at me instead.

“Holy fuck!” I jerk, swallowing hard.

“What?”

“A-Jun is staring right at me. He’s making me feel… very exposed to toxins.”

“So much English just to say you’re scared,” Jane mocks.

Suddenly, a guard walks towards A-Jun and whispers something in his ear. He locks eyes with me briefly before walking out of the field.

As soon as he leaves, prisoners march towards me with weapons they should be using for clean up, only this time, the King of prison is leading them towards me.

I swallow hard, and Jane gets in front of me. It’s like they were already waiting for A-Jun to leave so they could attack.

“One scratch on the person in front, and your life is officially over. Don’t even blink wrong,” King Kaito commands, pointing at Jane.

Then he points at me, “Find a way to kill the one in back without touching the one in front.”

“I think King Kaito is trying to protect you,” I say to Jane, and she frowns.

“If he’s trying to protect me… he wouldn’t kill you! If you die, I die… remember?”

“I’ve got an idea,” I blurt out, holding onto Jane’s arm to try pulling her back.

“Don’t do whatever it is you’re planning,” she retorts, stretching out her mobstick as she stands between the prisoners and me, ready to attack.

I glance at King Kaito from where I stand. He’s behind the prisoners, and he’s only staring at Jane, fueling my suspicion.

“Step back!” I command.

“Sorry?” Jane retorts.

“Step back for a minute and stop fighting!” I retort, and Jane shakes her head.

“They’ll kill you.”

“Probably not. I’m going to threaten King Kaito,” I announce.

Jane turns her head around just enough to see my shadow. “With what?”

I inhale sharply before responding, “You.”

“What the fuck? Hell to the nah to the no, no, no!!!” Jane disagrees coldly.

“Mafia takes risks. Now step back!” I snap.

“Wow, look at you, Sora Hell Morgathor, taking risks! I can't wait to read your obituary, it’s going to be so inspiring… for someone who gets a mild panic attack when the waiter brings her the wrong soup,” Jane snaps back.

I gawk at Jane, who is simply clutching at a mobstick, “Great! You’re hugging a stick. Truly terrifying,” I yell into her ear, close enough to bite it off. “The amateur spy assassin is spooning a stick. Now, put the twig down and give me a better idea if you have one.”

Jane sighs, “I distract them… you run! That’s the most sensible thing to do in this situation.”

“OMG, that is one brilliant, beautiful plan! I’ll give you a thumbs up since I can’t clap right now. So basically, my final reward is running a marathon, breaking a sweat, and then dying tired? If I’m going to get killed anyway, I’d rather do it sitting down… with my eyes fucking closed. Now, move out of my way so I can act like the soon-to-be Don… as I should,” I say angrily.

“Perfect!” Jane says, still not moving. “Just one question for the upcoming Don: when this angry prisoner breaks your kneecaps, do you want me to call your mom first… or should we just text her?”

“Text her! That would be faster; my mom doesn’t pick up calls. Now move! It’s a fucking command, you rat.”

“For the last time… No! This is a terrible idea, and it would get us both killed,” Jane yells.

I don’t wait before I shove her out of the way. “Fuck off!”

“You want me dead?” I yell, facing King Kaito. “I’ll give it to you. Your toys can have my head and gag on my brain.”

“Gross,” Jane says from the side.

“But I’ll let you in on one thing. Your cookie here… Jane.” I stretch my finger dramatically towards Jane.

“Signed a contract with my family. If I die in this prison… she dies too.”

Jane grinds her teeth together, “He doesn’t care about me, you… respectfully, fool.

“We’ll see about that,” I swallow hard.