Afterword
When writing this book, I did not try to create an appealing or easy-to-read story. From the outset, my aim was to capture a dark, raw world in which morality is not black and white, and every decision has consequences. Blood Debt is a story about blood — the blood that connects us, and the blood that becomes currency. It is about debts that cannot be repaid without sacrifice, and inherited guilt.
I consider the atmosphere to be one of the book's strongest features. From the very first chapters, I emphasised distress, helplessness and a sense of inevitability. The world in which the characters live is dirty, cruel and merciless — and that is exactly how it should be. I didn't want to soften or excuse reality. Violence, manipulation and psychological breakdown are depicted without embellishment because they are integral to this story.
The characters and the use of perspective also play an important role. Each of the main characters carries their own pain, motivation and failure. No one here is a pure hero or an unambiguous villain. I deliberately tried to show that even cruel acts can have a human basis, and that weakness is not just a characteristic of victims, but of perpetrators too. Alternating between the characters perspectives allowed me to depict the same world from different angles, giving readers room for their own interpretation.
At the same time, I am aware of the text's weaknesses. In places, I allow myself to become engrossed in internal monologues and introspective passages, which can slow down the pace of the narrative. Emotions are important to me, but there is no need to reiterate them several times using different words.
For me, this book is not just a story, it is also a learning process. It has taught me to work with tempo, abbreviation and the silence between words. Nevertheless, I stand by its tone, themes and uncompromising nature. Blood Debt is not intended to be comfortable reading. It is intended to cause discomfort, provoke disturbance and stimulate thought. If it succeeds in doing so even partially, then it has served its purpose.
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BLOOD DEBT (피의 빚)