In a small, quiet town where nothing remarkable ever happened, a series of gruesome murders began to unfold. No one knew who the killer was, but the media had dubbed them "The Shadow." The killer struck at night, leaving behind only blood and fear.

"Don’t worry." Jungwon said softly. "I’ll always be here with you."

Sunoo nodded. Jungwon was the person who made him feel safe. He never would have imagined that Jungwon could be connected to something so horrifying.

On the surface, Jungwon seemed completely normal. His bright red hair drew attention, but his warm smile and gentle voice always calmed those around him. Only Sunoo sometimes noticed something strange in his eyes.

One night, Sunoo was home alone. Jungwon had left, saying he needed to meet some friends. Soon after, the news reported another murder. This time, the victim was a girl from the neighboring district.

The phone rang, and Sunoo answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, babe." Jungwon's voice came through. It was soft but carried a strange undertone. "How are you?"

"I… I’m okay. Just scared by the news." Sunoo swallowed hard. "Did you hear about it?"

"Yeah." Jungwon replied, pausing for a moment. "Don’t worry. This will all be over soon."

"What do you mean?"

"Just trust me, okay?" his voice grew more confident.

Sunoo nodded, though Jungwon couldn’t see it. Something about his words left Sunoo uneasy.

Jungwon came home late that night. He looked as normal as ever, but Sunoo noticed that his hands were slightly damp.

"Have you been doing something?" Sunoo asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah, I was washing the car." Jungwon said calmly as he stepped closer. He placed his hands on Sunoo’s shoulders and leaned in to kiss him.

Sunoo caught a scent... something metallic, something strange. He wanted wanted to ask but couldn’t. Instead, he hugged Jungwon tighter, hoping his fears were just his imagination.

But deep inside, a question began to haunt him: what if the killer was closer than he thought?