#triller

TO CATCH A THIEF (1955)

I thought to myself: why not draw Pomni and Jax in the Truman Show universe? And here's the result.

AU: Where Gihun has a personality disorder: his second personality, Ray the Butcher

Everything happened too fast when he finally decided to start the uprising. Maybe the death of Jung-bae had been the breaking point, but the true wound was Young-il’s loss. That man had rooted himself too deeply in his heart. Young-il had been his anchor, quiet, steady, simply there. With him, even the darkness felt softer.

“Gi-hun-ssi, I’m sorry.”

Young-il

Gi-hun tried to hold on. He tried. But it was over. Everything was over.

He stared into the void. The air refused to fill his lungs. He wanted to scream, but his throat was frozen. Everything drifted away — people, cries, walls, the pink soldiers, the Front Man. He could see them, but he couldn’t feel them.

…

…

Then something clicked inside him. The world shifted color. The air grew thicker, warmer. In his chest, no pain, only a deep, steady pulse.

The tears dried, leaving a smile behind.

Calm. Cold.

…

…

He raised his head. Power filled every movement now. Detachment filled every breath. Everything that once hurt melted away, as if it had never existed.

They love games.

Games without rules.

But he knows better.

And he will teach them.

Games come in many forms.

This one will be the last.

Bloody.

Without mercy.

Ray’s hunt had begun.

So I want to show you my concept art of characters from the short!

So here is short synopsis:

The Both is a short film about two orphaned children, a girl and a boy. While fleeing from a monster, the boy hides in a garage, where he meets a girl who does not trust him. In a dagerous ruined winter city where monsters wearing uniforms are hunting in them, they must learn to rely on each other to survive.

Genre: thriller and drama

Will you lie down with me?

Tags: angst, thriller, psychological thriller, chase, horror elements, sacrifice, despair/hope, flashbacks, character death, open ending

POV: Gunshots echo in the night. Friendship and the instinct of survival lead them to the light, which hides the main trap.

Character: Isagi Yoichi × reader

The sound of the gunshot made your body tremble. Your arms and legs ached, but you kept running. "How long have you been running? And most importantly, where?" neither you nor Yoichi knew. Perhaps that was for the best. Your pursuer didn't let up, showering you with the sounds of gunfire and bullets flying in your direction. This man was a true madman—a minion of Satan, wanting to kill two birds with one stone: make a sacrifice and get rid of the hater.

Twilight was approaching, the full moon had risen, casting its light on everything: from the paths to the pits and ravines. The dark shadows of the trees began to grow at an insane rate, becoming increasingly terrifying. The adrenaline pumping through your blood left you completely unfazed, and only one thing loomed in your mind: escape. Branches whipped your face and tree roots, refusing to let you go, forcing you to fall. The ravines were slippery and muddy from the recent rain... But did it matter? Probably not. You'd long since stopped caring about your appearance, so falling into the mud wasn't scary; falling into the clutches of a madman was far more frightening.

He'd hated Isagi for a long time. Hatred consumed him to such an extent that he'd decided to commit a horrific murder. He'd initially lured you in as a test subject, but after thinking it over, he decided not to waste time searching for victims for his ritual and to use you since you'd already caught his eye.

The only thing that prevented the man from catching you was the trap that had trapped your supporting leg. Before the moon had risen, you and Isagi escaped the den of evil. Yoichi's luck was a blessing from above, and you remained unharmed. But the killer, in the darkness, hadn't noticed his trap, stepping carelessly into a bear trap that stood abandoned near a building he considered his territory. He couldn't remove it; apparently, the trap was too tight; he dragged his foot, leaving a trail of blood. But now the sound of clanking iron accompanied his steps.

Another blow. You fell to your knees, tripping over the thick root of an old oak tree. Cursing softly, you tried to rise to your feet, as you had several times before, but it didn't work. Your knees refused to rise; they trembled with fatigue. Apparently, the adrenaline had worn off, replaced by natural energy. Glancing at your dirty hands, you noticed untreated cuts and wounds; they were bleeding, throbbing, and throbbing. But the pain was intertwined with the rhythmic beating of your heart. Hunched over, you tried to rise again, the sounds of gunfire drawing ever closer: if not now, then not anytime soon, and death would follow...

"Damn it, get up already! Come on, damn legs!" Panic gripped you, but your legs wouldn't obey. Your body was exhausted, ignoring your mind's commands.

At that moment, a blue head flashed past you—Isagi. He'd overtaken you a couple of minutes ago, but apparently, noticing your absence, he'd returned.

"Why did he come back? To become the second victim?" you thought, frowning, but ignored the displeasure of the revelation—it only made the already dire situation worse.

But seeing the respect on your friend's face, you realized he would never abandon you, even in the face of such danger. Ever since childhood, Yoichi had been a loyal friend, always helping you and supporting your wildest childish pranks. And now... now he's helping you too.

"Get up quick... Come on! We can't die like this... not here, Y/N..." Isagi hissed, frantically raising and lowering his head. Fear was a vivid reflection on his face. His eyes darted from the trees to your tired body. His hands trembled from the adrenaline rush. "Okay... I'll lift you myself... just don't get in the way of me carrying you... otherwise we'll both die!" Yoichi hissed, his old demeanor looking calm, even though his insides clenched at the mere thought of the danger that could overtake them in a second or two.

Before you could say a word, Yoichi grabbed you and began dragging you along. The complexity of your body and his own fatigue prevented him from moving quickly, forcing him to trudge, hoping to hide behind the trees.

A second. Two. The forest had grown quieter; there were no sounds of metal, no rustling grass—nothing. It sent shivers down your spine, as the article sensibly considered all the possibilities.

"Silence isn't good. Leave me alone, Isagi. I think I've sprained my leg," you whispered, looking at your leg. The adrenaline rush and fear hadn't quite made you notice that you'd injured something in the fall. The realization only came when you tried not to be a burden to Yoichi and walked on your own. Your leg couldn't bear any weight at all; it dangled like a foreign body part.

Isagi, too, was apparently in too much of a hurry to notice such a small detail. After all, his rational mind was now meticulously devising a plan to save you, not paying close attention to the surroundings. In this way, the guy tried to calm his own nerves, which were so taut they could have been strummed like guitar strings.

"What should we do... if we stop now, I'm sure he'll shoot us on the spot!" footballer thought, grabbing your wrist and pulling you toward the old man.

You hide behind it. You squeeze your eyes shut, immediately hearing a gunshot not far from your shelter, your heart stopping for a second.

"They've definitely found us, they've found us, and they're going to kill us now!" your mind told you, pushing thoughts ever more terrifying than the last.

Meanwhile, a light appeared in Yeiichi's eyes. He'd pieced it all together, he'd done it! Hope gleamed in the football player's blue eyes as he pointed to a dim, barely noticeable glow. You could easily tell from his face that he was silently saying, "There's the exit! We'll be saved!"

Your eyes shifted to the source of the light and lit up with hope just as brightly. Your legs seemed to become much more obedient, possessed by the thought of salvation. You practically ran towards it, stumbling, stopping, cursing...

Just a little bit—and you'd be safe, living a normal life without the risk of death.

You didn't notice any imperfections, not the trees, not the paths—nothing remained in your mind. Your thoughts revolved around one goal: light and survival. Only light. Only that. Everything else—the darkness, the pain, the ringing in your ears—faded into the background.

The man hurried after you, his legs moving with renewed intensity. He desired death, a sacrifice, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He no longer fired casually; he aimed deliberately at the trembling bushes. His leg, caught in the trap, ached, but he no longer cared; killing you was far more important.

Isagi stopped abruptly and froze. You had run toward that ray of hope your feet had brought you to... but was it real?

Yoichi froze abruptly, the light of an old lantern visible about a couple of steps away. The old barn from which the two of you had escaped a few hours ago... you had returned. You had circled around and reached the starting point. The fire in the boy's eyes faded, as did the grip on your hand—he'd completely given up.

You couldn't understand how this was possible. Weren't you sure you'd escape? Why had your common sense failed you? How was this possible? Questions swirled in your head, unanswerable.

A sharp gunshot. Isagi's legs could no longer support his body, and he fell to the ground with a crash. Barely visible red drops appeared from his chest, then grew into a small puddle. Your eyes widened in fear. Your lips barely stifled a scream, but you clamped your hand over your mouth, preventing the terror from making you scream. Your body began to tremble, and goosebumps of fear ran across your skin. Was it all over? Yoichi coughed, trying to do anything at all under the impact of that shot, but you both knew it was futile; he would die one way or another.

"How... how is this possible?" "You asked in a muffled sob, your eyes filling with tears. Fear had turned to despair.

A memory suddenly flashed through your mind: rain, mud, your foot stuck in a sewer grate. You're seven years old, and you're ready to cry out for help. And Isagi, soaking wet, knee-deep in mud, is reaching for you and screaming at the top of his lungs, "Hold on! I'm not leaving! I'll save you from this monster!!" You collapse onto the grass, both covered in mud and soaking wet, and he laughs, "Now we're like two little pigs!! You're Nif, and I'm Naf!!"

He didn't abandon you then. And he didn't abandon you now. Even when he had to run alone. Even when his choice causes him to die before your eyes...

The boy's blue eyes stare straight at you, slightly unfocused, as if he sees only a blurred silhouette, not a complete image. His lips part as he tries to offer words of hope or encouragement, but the attempt is interrupted by another gunshot and the loud sound of clanking iron behind him.

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!!English is not my native language!!