The Fugitive’s Pact
Pyongyang, North Korea | POV: Choi Ju-yeon
What are the whistling flute sound and ? Are they related? I am completely dazed, my mind in a state of chaotic confusion. The fear of legal power consumes me, and I know all too well that my life is now falling into the clutches of death.
I have checked everything but found no traces of evidence at all. If this was a setup, the perpetrator must know this place extremely well—and who is their target? Only a fool would dare to attack world leaders in this territory. But if it was an accident... then it is simply our misfortune.
No matter the cause, this small mistake has created a ripple effect in the hearts of the entire nation, and someone must receive a fitting punishment. And one of them is... me.
“Captain! May I join you?” Sergeant Sawn-jae and Private Sang-ah, my two teammates, walked straight toward me with solemn expressions. Stress was clearly visible on both of their faces, and it seemed they had already been drinking.
“I’ve checked all the CCTV cameras; I didn't see anyone.” Kang Sang-ah clenched his jaw tightly, his face filled with misery.
I shook my head in utter helplessness... “I’ve checked the entire security system as well, but there were no errors. It must have been an accident—a short circuit.”
When no point of failure could be found, the only thought circling in my head now was how to find a way out of this problem. A mistake involving the nation's reputation carries only one form of punishment.
Sawn-jae raised his beer and downed it in one go before slamming the glass onto the table... “What are we going to do next? The interrogation starts tomorrow.”
“You already know what the penalty is, don’t you, comrade?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer in my heart.
“Execution by firing squad! For the crime of causing embarrassment to the Supreme Leader,” Sergeant Lee Sawn-jae said in a weak voice. The dim light from the bar flickered across his pale face and anxious eyes. His lanky frame in the black suit appeared restless and agitated, betraying his ultimate fear.
Private Kang Sang-ah let out a heavy sigh and looked up to speak... “Last year! A soldier at the 16th Battalion camp in Yongnam was executed by firing squad just for playing the wrong song. I’m worried about you, Comrade Captain Choi. Why are you unluckier than the others? Our families have been facing storms of misfortune all along.”
I felt a pang in my chest, understanding exactly what he meant. The young man looked at me with sorrowful eyes. He is the youngest in the group, having been a soldier for two years, and is the little brother of the team at just 19 years old. My father brought him from the countryside near the Baekdu Mountains because he was an orphan. He has followed me since my time with Team Lazarus. We are the closest to each other, and I love him like my own biological younger brother.
“Let’s just drink to the limit today, the three of us. Tomorrow, we’ll be receiving the highest honor of our lives,” I said, mocking our misfortune with a sarcastic tone before slamming my glass down to order more drinks like a madwoman.
“Cheers!...”
I reached out and clinked my glass against the two soldiers' glasses with a faint amidst an atmosphere as heavy as a funeral. The taste of the beer in my mouth was bitter and dry, making it almost impossible to swallow. It wasn't the bitterness of malt, but the taste of nausea from having to drink to celebrate death... a death forced upon us and branded as ‘loyalty.’
“Embarrassment equals death...” Sang-ah said in a somber voice, his bloodshot eyes staring at the beer bubbles slowly bursting. “Comrade Captain! Is this fair? We work our heads off for the Supreme Leader; unexpected incidents can happen at any time... I believe it was an accident. Why is the reward for our dedication a bullet?” My young boy asked with a trembling voice, his innocent eyes stained with tears of confusion.
Suddenly... “Shut your mouth right now!”
Sawn-jae barked, his body reacting with the predatory instinct of a trained beast. He lunged forward, grabbing Sang-ah’s collar and jerking him face-to-face, staring him down with eyes so full of rage that his veins bulged.
“Speaking like that! Do you want your entire lineage to die, Comrade? To embarrass the Supreme Leader, it must be paid for with a life... That is the law!”
“...........”
But then, that aggressiveness crumbled.
“Sigh!...” Sawn-jae released his grip on the younger man's collar, exhausted. He slumped back into his seat like a man without a spine. His reaction just now was merely the automated system of people here... a system that commands one to be enraged on behalf of the Supreme Leader, even if, deep down, the heart is screaming in terror.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Sang-ah took a deep breath, trying to stifle his sobs. “Death is justice... what’s the difference between dying today or tomorrow? People have to die anyway.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “But I think it’s not right! It’s so suffocating that I’m going to go insane!!”
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so hard his body trembled, his nails digging into his flesh to vent the resentment he could not fully speak aloud.
“Our breath is still our own... at least for tonight.” I reached out and patted his shoulder to comfort him, feeling the tremors radiating from his small frame. I understood the hearts of those sharing this fate better than anyone.
“To death for the Supreme Leader!” Sawn-jae raised his beer glass above his head, his eyes vacant before downing the bitter liquid in a single gulp.
“If I could cross the Punggye-seon to trade my life against those southern puppets, I wouldn't regret it for a second.” Sang-ah buried his face on the table, his slumped shoulders shaking with sobs…
“But to die because of a single lightbulb like this... it’s worthless. It’s like dying like a stray dog... I don’t feel any honor in it at all, Comrade Captain... ... ...” The sobs from within the chest of the young man, who had only recently finished his conscription, escaped with suppressed agony. It was the sound of oppression, crushed to pieces by the system.
I will not surrender and allow my life to end worthlessly in this cage. Memories from my childhood flashed back vividly... the scent of fresh air in Switzerland, the taste of freedom I once experienced. I knew all too well how much vaster the world was compared to the shell we were kept under. Out there, there is plenty of room for those with talent.
Especially during my time working undercover for the "Lazarus Group," I traveled through the digital world and saw the governance structures of various nations through my computer screen. I saw the suppressed truths and felt disheartened by the moronic propaganda fed to us daily, claiming that 'the outside world is filled only with deadly diseases, wars, and capitalists waiting to prey on our flesh and blood.'
“I think Comrade Sang-ah is right... there is no difference between dying today or tomorrow.” I set my glass down and leaned toward them… “But would it be different if we died in a week? What if we died in two years, or ten? Wouldn't that be better? At least death is the final possession that truly belongs to us.”
I glanced over at Comrade Sergeant Sawn-jae, who sat silent with his head hanging... He gritted his teeth so hard his sunken cheeks bulged into ridges. The dark veins at his temples throbbed to the rhythm of his frantic heart. The heavy, huffing breaths exhaled through his nose indicated that he was fighting an agonizing internal war within his mind...
The young man's words struck my heart with full force. I myself was at an age where I should have been married and starting a family, but because of my family's history of being purged politically, no household dared to send their son to be wed into mine. I have never known love, never had a lover... my past life has been nothing but serving a nation that gnaws at my soul. I feel regret for every second I’ve wasted breathing, and regret for every mouthful of food I’ve eaten only to grow up and become a tool for them to use... and I certainly will not accept this insane punishment with my life!
“Comrade Captain...” Private Sang-ah moved closer and gripped my hand tightly, his eyes meeting mine as if pleading for a lifeline.
I glanced at the servers chatting near the bar's entrance to ensure no stray ears could overhear before leaning in to whisper words more dangerous than a bullet...
“I’m going to escape.”
“Huh!” Sergeant Sawn-jae flinched back before moving closer. “Can it be done? Can we really escape?”
I finished calculating the risks in my head instantly... Staying here equals 100% death. But if we flee... the death toll might drop to 99%, and at least that 1% is a chance for survival. I swept my gaze around the quiet bar; no other guests remained. There were only two female employees standing straight behind the counter, monitoring every movement like the state's clockwork dolls.
“It’s just as Comrade Sang-ah said... there’s no difference between dying today or tomorrow.” I tightened my grip on his hand in response… “Since loyalty can only be traded for death, I choose to determine my own breath this way.”
Kang Sang-ah grabbed my hand and held it firmly. His hands were trembling and ice-cold... “Comrade Captain, don’t leave me! You’re a good person... this time, you aren’t at fault even in the slightest!”
Those words made me choke on a hard lump in my throat. Cruel memories from old cases in the past flashed back to haunt me.
I looked at my loyal subordinate with deep pity... my young boy had grown up under the shadow of my father (Apa), running and playing in our house since he was small. Even now, wearing an honorable military uniform and carrying a large, strong-looking rifle... at his core, he was still just an innocent young man.
"Sang-ah..." I slowly pried his hands off mine, moving in to look into his innocent eyes... "Alright. Escape with me!"
"Yes, yes!" He nodded vigorously, tears splashing from his eyes.
I turned to stare into Sawn-jae’s eyes, searching for an answer... Even though, deep down, I was still paranoid that he might pull his gun and shoot me for treason at any moment, at this time, I had no other choice. Our lives hung on a single thread called trust.
“What about you, Comrade?”
Sawn-jae took a deep breath, gritting his teeth until his jaw bulged, before nodding slowly but firmly.
“I’m in!”
The answer was short and concise, yet it felt as heavy as a mountain. He had made his choice... he chose to betray a lifetime of ideology to preserve this wretched breath of life, allowing me to let go of one layer of my anxiety.
I made a final, decisive move... If I wanted to keep breathing, I had to flee my birthplace. The home I once thought was warm and safe had now become a deadly cage and a forbidden place for us.
I reached out my hand toward Sawn-jae, my voice turning stern and authoritative like a commanding officer.
“Comrade... give me your radio.”
“Huh!” He hesitated for a moment, looking at the communication device in his hand—the symbol of the authority he was about to abandon—before deciding to place it in my hand.
“Sang-ah! Go with him... get the unit's patrol car and pick me up in front of the hotel right now!” I ordered rapidly, racing against time. “Use the 'Emergency Red Password' to break through the checkpoints. Claim it’s an urgent order from Room 39!”
Comrade Sang-ah stood up, staggering and swaying from the effects of the alcohol. His body leaned unsteadily, but his eyes were filled with trepidation... “W-where... where are we escaping to?”
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs to regain focus and summon my final ounce of courage...
“China.”
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