The chains coiled tighter around Dr. Hwan Ji-tae's throat, creaking as their metal scales scraped against one another like a serpent drawing breath. His boots dangled inches off the safehouse floor, knocking weakly against the wall behind him. His face had gone pale, but his eyes—those faintly glowing crimson eyes—remained defiant.
Lin's expression was unreadable. His jaw was locked, eyes burning red with fury and exhaustion. His voice came low, almost mechanical.
"Tell me why I still hear Jin's voice."
The demand hung in the air like a guillotine.
Keller raised his pistol immediately, not at Hwan, but at Lin. His hand didn't waver. "Lin. Stop. You're choking answers out of him—literally—but that doesn't mean he's not telling us what we need. Don't kill him before we even know what he knows."
