Red Pulse flooded the warehouse like a breaking dam. Boots slammed against concrete. Voices overlapped. Weapons drawn. Tension snapped in every direction. At the center, Do-Gyun. Still alive. Barely.
Dong-Hae pushed forward through the crowd, but a hand shot out, stopping him. Han-Ryeong. "What happened here?" he barked. A Red Pulse member pointed toward Min. "Did he try to kill the boss?!" The warehouse fell into a strange silence. No crowd. No outsiders. Just two factions. Waiting.
"…Stop…" Do-Gyun's voice cut through, weak, but commanding. He struggled to stand. Min caught him before he collapsed. Do-Gyun exhaled slowly. "I know what you're doing… Han-Ryeong…" A pause. "…Dong-Hae told me everything."
Han-Ryeong didn't respond. Didn't move.
"I knew something was off," Do-Gyun continued, voice shaking. "So I used him… kept him close to you. Your right hand. Feeding me everything." Dong-Hae's jaw tightened. "I didn't think you'd move this soon… I tried to stop it… but…" His strength faltered. "…guess I was too late."
Han-Ryeong smiled. Cold. Unbothered. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said calmly. "But that wound… looks serious." He stepped forward. "Let me help you."
Min moved. Blocked him. "Move, kid," Han-Ryeong said, voice dropping. "You're just a pawn. You were never supposed to be here."
A shift. Dong-Hae stepped beside Min. "You're done, Han-Ryeong."
The room split. One group rallied behind Dong-Hae. Another behind Han-Ryeong. Lines drawn. No going back.
"You really want this?" Han-Ryeong asked. Dong-Hae didn't hesitate. "Let's end it."
More stepped forward. Soo-Yeon among them. Her eyes didn't leave Min.
The Warlocks moved as one. Stepping up. Standing behind Min. "We got your back," Chan-Sik said. "We're not backing down."
Han-Ryeong let out a short laugh. "There's more of us than you. You really think you can win?"
"Stop it…" Do-Gyun whispered. With Min's help, he forced himself upright. Every movement is painful. Every breath is heavy. He looked at Min. "I saved your life…" Min froze. "…so you better become the best out there." A faint smile. "I was always going to fall… one way or another. But not you." His eyes shifted, toward Han-Ryeong. "They wanted you gone… because they're afraid of you."
"Tch. I never said that," Han-Ryeong muttered. But his hand moved. Gun raised.
Time slowed.
Before the trigger could be pulled, Min lunged. He slammed into Han-Ryeong, forcing the gun downward, BANG! The shot echoed into the ceiling.
"…What the?!"
They hit the ground. Rolled. Got back up and then everything broke.
Fists flew. Bodies crashed. Glass shattered. A full-on brawl erupted across the warehouse. No sides. No order. Just chaos.
Then… sirens.
The doors burst open. Police stormed in. Shouting. Flashlights. Commands. "GET DOWN!" "DROP IT!" No one listened. Some fought. Some ran. Some disappeared into the dark.
Madness.
The Warlocks scattered. Every man for themselves.
Min bolted through the back exit. Cold air hit his lungs as he sprinted into the night, weaving through debris, ducking past fleeing bodies and shadows.
"There's Min!" "Get him!"
He ran. Block after block. Until his legs burned. Until his breath broke.
He stopped at a corner. Lost. Trying to remember where they parked.
"Min!"
He turned.
Soo-Yeon.
"Min…wait!"
He raised his hands instinctively. "What do you want? You here to fight?"
"No… that's not it…" she said, breath shaky. "Let's go."
"…What?"
"Let's leave. Together. Let's get out of here."
Min stared at her. Not surprised. Not convinced. Just searching.
"Why now?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I was manipulated. I didn't have anyone… nowhere to go…"
"That's not an excuse."
"An excuse?" she snapped. "Look at you! You left! Disappeared! And everything fell apart!"
"You don't understand…"
"Do you?" she fired back.
Silence.
Min looked at her. Really looked.
"…I don't know."
Her expression softened. "It's okay… we can start over."
She reached out her hand. "Come with me."
Min didn't move. Didn't speak.
Then "MIN!"
Hye-Jin. Ha-Eun. Running toward him.
Min's decision came instantly.
"I gotta go."
"No…don't!" Soo-Yeon pleaded.
"Don't follow me," Min said firmly. "Just… get out of here."
He turned. Ran. Didn't look back.
He reached the others. They piled into the car, tight, silent, shaken.
No one spoke.
The drive home felt longer than it was.
When they finally got inside, they exhaled. All at once.
Silence filled the room. Heavy. Unprocessed.
Min opened his mouth… Knock. Knock.
Everyone froze.
MC ORCA stepped forward slowly. "Who is it?"
"…It's me."
A voice from the other side.
"Dong-Hae."
MC ORCA looked back. "Dong-Hae?"
"Yeah… open the door."
Chan-Sik stepped in front of it, hand on the handle, but didn't open it. "What is it?"
A pause.
"…It's Do-Gyun."
Silence.
Then…
"He's dead."