Roori
On the screen, we see Ava in a dark room, in front of an old aquarium. She appears to be talking to someone. Then, we see her steal the keys from Attorney Jung.
"Everyone's watching us," Min-Jun mutters, realizing the extent of the trap. "This escape room isn't about deciding who will inherit. It's about seeing if we're smart enough to figure out how they tricked us."
"We need to contact her," I say, frantically searching the console for a way. "If Uncle knows we're here, he'll try to close the vault. Min, we need to communicate with her in secret. Grandpa is watching us, but this system may be the only one he doesn't fully control. It's my father's system."
Min-Jun fiddles with the controls, using her technical knowledge.
"I can bypass the aquarium room's audio feed. But we only have seconds before the mansion's firewalls detect it."
"Do it."
The signal crackles. On the screen, we see Ava flinch. She looks around, confused.
"Ava! Can you hear me?" My voice trembles, but it's full of urgency. From the screen, I see her freeze.
"Roori? Where are you?"
"Listen carefully and don't look at the camera," Min-Jun intervenes, his voice low and authoritative. "We're in the vault at the old headquarters. We have evidence. Dad didn't die in an accident. They eliminated him because he wanted to protect us. Ava... the enemy is not among us. The enemy is upstairs."
I see Ava clench her fists, a flash of understanding and pure fury crossing her face.
"I suspected Jung's kiss was too easy. He gave me the key to bring me here. He wanted me to see it too."
"We have to pretend," I say, taking the lead. "Ava, keep playing your part. He hates Min-Jun, he yells at the lawyer. We'll do the same. But we'll find a way to meet at the 'Source.' At midnight. Don't trust anyone, not even the walls."
"Roger, little one," Ava replies, and I see a half-smile—the real one, the one from our childhood—return to her lips. "Let's show him what happens when you try to destroy a family."
The monitor goes off abruptly. The system has detected the intrusion. "We have to go," Min-Jun says, taking my hand. "Seo-Yun will be almost there."
We exit the vault as the floor closes silently behind us.
When we return to the surface, I see Seo-Yun running toward us, furious.
I fix my hair and put on my mask of fragility.
But inside, I feel the fire. The trio is united again.
And this time, the Kims don't know what awaits them.