Even as the city was sleeping, Seoul never submitted entirely to the darkness. It only reduced the volume of its sound, changing the cacophony of the city from the day to the sinister purr of night.
Standing perfectly still on the exposed roof of an old textile factory on the edge of the industry zone of Seongdong-gu, Seo-yeon allowed the chill wind off the Han to bite at her face, cutting through her dark hair. Below her, the streets were tranquil-looking, lit in orange light from the sodium vapor streetlights.
The cars flowed silently in an ordered line, their taillights merging together in the fine rain that was beginning to fall from the sky.
Neon lights blinked on isolated convenience stores operating twenty-four hours into the early morning hours, throwing stark light onto the damp streets. Far away, the sound of drunken laughter floated through the rain from somewhere down an alleyway where office workers were celebrating their release from a hard day of work.
