1945, Gyeonseong.

Kwon Jun-taek had been fighting for Korea’s independence from Japan for years. He believed in what he was doing and was willing to sacrifice everything for this goal. He didn’t fight for revenge—he fought because it was the right thing to do. He had become, in many ways, the symbol of the Korean resistance—a brave and brilliant man who would see his country free.

Though, at the moment, he looked more like a common lab rat.

It had all started when he infiltrated Gyeonseong Hospital with Tae-sang and Chae-ok. It hadn’t been easy, considering that they had now separated and it was a Japanese-only hospital guarded by military personnel. Not to mention the gruesome secret it concealed.

There was a secret underground laboratory where Korean prisoners were subjected to horrific experiments—proof of just how inhumane humans could be. Things had gone well for a while, but in the end, they caught him. Now, he found himself locked in a cell inside the lab.

The damp walls reeked of formalin, the chemical used to preserve human heads in jars on the shelves, making the air thick and heavy—almost toxic. You were there with him, curled up in a corner of the cramped cell, your wrists trembling. He had no idea who you were, but at this point, you were in the same boat.

"Hey, hey..." he called out cautiously, moving closer. He was good at hiding it, but he was terrified. The way your gaze snapped up told him that despite your state, you were ready to fight for your life. "We need to get out of here," he said firmly. "What’s your name?"