Takeda Seiji's compound was a sharp contrast to Iwao's regal estate. His building stood smaller, compact and angular, almost fortress-like, its frame forged from obsidian steel and dark woods. Traditional Japanese tiles rested atop reinforced concrete walls, but the air here was heavier. There was no elegance in its lines, only power cloaked in paranoia.
The perimeter crawled with sentries in black uniforms, their eyes sharp, weapons hidden but ready. Motion-sensitive lamps flickered quietly on the rooftops, their pale glow slicing the shadows. Surveillance cameras glided in slow, silent rotations.
This was not a place built to welcome guests. It was a place built to keep enemies out.
The rooftop of Takeda's compound lay under a pale wash of moonlight, two shadows crouched low against the slanted tiles. Seri and Taehyun balanced like seasoned phantoms, their breathing steady, eyes locked on the ground below.
A guard lit a cigarette beneath them. Without a word, Seri flicked her wrist. A wire-whip shot down, snap…yanking the man backward into the dark.
Taehyun slid down the edge in silence. One swift elbow strike sent another guard collapsing, unconscious before he even exhaled.
One by one, the outer ring of guards fell. Quiet. Swift. Precise.
They reached a rooftop vent. Seri's eyes swept the corridor below. "Split up. They might separate Hanna from Junho. We need to act fast."
Taehyun's jaw tightened. "What if things go wrong…?"
Her gaze flicked to him, firm. "I'll handle it. You get Hanna out of here and take her to Iwao's. That's the only place they wouldn't dare break into."
He held her gaze, a flicker of worry breaking through. "…Please be safe."
She gave the faintest nod, then vanished into the shadows.
Two ghosts. One mission. Time slipping away. Junho's life hanging in the balance.
A faint creak of a window hinge echoed in the dark. From the outside ledge, Seri swung in silently, landing in a low crouch on the wooden floor. Black combat gear hugged her frame, every movement deliberate and soundless.
Her eyes scanned the dim room and froze.
Junho was strapped to a cold metal chair, leather restraints biting into his wrists, forcing his arms behind his back. A steel band gripped his ankles, bolting him to the chair's legs, the unyielding weight pinning him in place. Near his feet lay a crumpled strip of cloth, the gag they had ripped from his mouth. A silent reminder that his voice had already been taken once tonight.
Seri's jaw tightened, her fingers curling around the handle of her nunchaku. She took a slow, silent step forward, eyes locked on Junho.
Then it came a soft metallic click from behind.
Her breath stilled.
In one motion, she shifted her weight, turning just enough to catch the glint of steel in the dim light. A figure stood at the edge of the shadows, the barrel of a suppressed pistol aimed squarely at her back.
The air between them tightened, sharp as a drawn blade.
The narrow window near the ceiling slid open just enough for a slim figure to slip inside. Seri landed soundlessly, crouching behind a metal storage cabinet, her breathing steady. Her eyes locked with Junho's. His eyes widened in shock.
She raised a finger to her lips. "Don't say a word."
Junho gave the slightest nod, his gaze shifting toward the door. Footsteps echoed from outside. For a fleeting second, his mind refused to believe she was here …that Seri had come, slipping through shadows to reach him. Yet there she was. Flattened against the cold metal cabinet, silent and unshakable, like she had been part of the room all along.
The door clicked open.
Yamada Renji stepped in, Takeda Seiji's strategist, fluent in Japanese, Korean, and English. His expression was calm, but his eyes were razor-sharp. Two men in suits followed him inside.
"You could end this discomfort now, Kang Junho," Yamada said, circling slowly. One of the men stepped forward and removed the gag from his mouth.
Junho stayed silent, his jaw clenched. Yamada's polished shoes tapped against the cold floor as he moved around him, a predator taking his time.
Yamada's voice was steady, almost persuasive. "Leave Kang Corporation. Join us. We'll give you power. Freedom. No more chains. No more secrets. Just loyalty… and results."
Junho looked down, not giving in. Behind the cabinet, Seri gripped the edge, eyes narrowed and focused.
Yamada circled him, voice cold. "There is one man who wants you dead. The one who's been chasing you like the wind." He leaned in. "Iwao."
Junho's expression hardened, but he stayed silent. Behind the cabinet, Seri's breath caught. Her eyes widened. She wasn't ready to hear that.
Yamada's grin turned dark. "He wants to destroy you. Erase you completely."
He stepped even closer. "And guess what? Im Seri is a part of it."
Seri's eyes flew open. Her jaw tightened, fists clenching at her sides. That snake… not only was he twisting the story, now he dared use her name to break Junho. She stayed hidden, controlling her breath, rage simmering beneath her calm.
"Im Seri…?" Junho's voice was quiet, disbelieving.
He looked up slowly, his eyes filled with shock, confusion, hurt.
Yamada smirked. "Surprised? She's been playing you from the start. Why do you think she always shows up just in time?"
Seri's heart pounded. Every word stabbed deeper. Not yet, she told herself. Let him talk. Let him choke on his lies. She held her breath, waiting for Yamada to make his final mistake.
He laughed cruelly. "She's the one sent to kill you. She's known about your power all along. Everything was a setup. She was the trap."
Junho stiffened in his seat. His jaw clenched, but his eyes flickered with disbelief, hurt, and confusion, a silent storm behind them.
"Poor Kang Junho," Yamada mocked. "Did you really think she was on your side?"
A loud bang echoed from the side of the room as a cabinet door swung open sharply. From the shadows behind it, Seri stepped out in black combat gear, her eyes cold and locked on her target.
"Lies," she said, her voice low, cutting through the room.
Yamada spun around, his smugness vanishing.
"One more word from your mouth," Seri warned, "and I'll make sure it's your last."
Junho looked at her, wide-eyed, caught between disbelief and something deeper.
"You…?" Yamada's voice cracked, his breath quickening. He gestured to the guards. Two men stepped forward, preparing to attack.
Seri didn't flinch. She slowly raised a finger, her voice slicing through the tension. "One step forward… and you die instantly."
They froze. No one dared move. Yamada's lips parted, but his voice betrayed him. He was shaking.
Junho sat frozen, his breath caught, eyes darting between Yamada and Seri, the weight of betrayal clouding his face. He didn't speak. He just stared.
"You hear nothing but lies, Junho," Seri said, stepping closer, her voice low but burning with urgency. "They're the ones who want to burn you to ashes. Not me." Her eyes stayed locked with his.
"But… you were in the mission to use him, weren't you, Aira?" Yamada's voice trembled as he backed away slightly, trying to sound smug but clearly shaken.
"I don't follow missions," Seri cut in, never breaking eye contact with Junho. "I protect what matters. And you… you matter."
Her eyes blazed as she stepped forward. "You wanted him to join your team? Really? To do what? Help cover up your crimes? Bury your dirty past under a new title?"
Yamada froze, speechless.
"Why don't we stop dancing around and see the truth now?" Seri grabbed him by the collar, dragging him forward like a broken puppet.
"Pardon me, Mr. Kang," she said grimly to Junho, "but you need to see this yourself."
She reached up, swiftly taking Junho's glasses. Lifting Yamada's face, she added, "Let's take a look at what he's hiding."
Yamada flinched, trying to shut his eyes. "Open them," Seri ordered, pressing her fingers at his jaw, forcing his lids open.
Junho's pupils flared faintly as his power activated. The room grew tense and heavy. In Yamada's mind, a shadowy meeting unfolded. Documents burned. Screams echoed in a dark hallway. Blood-stained gloves. The explosion. And Takeda… giving the final order.
Junho's eyes widened. "…They did it. They killed them all."
"And now you know," Seri said, her grip still firm.
She cast him a brief glance, her expression soft with unspoken urgency. She wished he would say more, anything to ease the weight between them. But the clock was ticking. Time was not on their side.
Yamada raised his hand sharply…a silent signal. Instantly, his guards sprang into action.
Two lunged forward. Seri's eyes flicked to the corner, she saw it coming. With swift precision, she dodged, spun low, grabbed Yamada by the collar, and used him as a shield.
THWACK!
A guard's kick landed square in Yamada's back.
He choked, the breath ripped from his lungs, and flew back, crashing hard against the ground.
Seri straightened, unshaken, eyes burning.
"Wrong move."
She moved behind Junho, untying the restraints with swift, practiced hands.
"We need to move," she said, her voice low and urgent. "More will be coming."
Junho looked at her, his hand gently brushing against hers, eyes searching, voice uncertain.
"Did you come for me… because it was planned? Or was it fate?"
Frustration flickered in his gaze. He couldn't read her. And it was killing him.
Seri met his eyes, calm but fierce.
"I'm here to protect you. That's the only truth you need to hold onto."
She slipped the last knot free, her gaze already flicking toward the door. In one smooth motion, she rose and gripped his arm.
"Just follow me."
Junho didn't have time to ask. The truth pressed hard against his thoughts, the flash he'd seen in Yamada's memory was still burning there. And in it… Seri was there.