Blood pooled beneath Minji as Seojin pressed down on her wound, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The Phoenix operatives stood in a tight formation, their guns locked on her and Kade.
Her father stood calmly, watching them like a predator enjoying the kill. "You always were stubborn, Seojin," he mused, adjusting his cufflinks. "But even you must see that this fight is over."
Seojin's jaw clenched. "If you wanted me dead, you wouldn't have brought us here."
Her father smiled, but his eyes were cold. "You're right. I have an offer."
Seojin didn't move. She was already bracing for the worst.
"I want you to join me," her father said smoothly. "The Council could use someone like you—someone strong, intelligent. You could be powerful, Seojin. No more running. No more hiding. You'd be untouchable."
Kade scoffed. "Oh yeah? And what happens if she says no?"
Her father sighed, as if Kade was an annoying child. "Then she dies."
Seojin exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening around Minji's side to stop the bleeding. The weight of the moment pressed against her chest.
This was what it had come to.
A choice.
Power or death.
Seojin's father watched her carefully, sensing her hesitation. "You don't have to keep fighting, my dear. The war is already decided. The Council always wins."
Seojin's heart pounded. She thought about the mass compliance protocol. The experiments. The people suffering under the Council's rule.
Could she pretend to side with him? Buy herself time? Gain access to their world and destroy them from within?
Or would that just be another trap?
Minji groaned beneath her, her skin cold. She was running out of time.
Seojin forced herself to breathe. She needed an opening—any opening.
And then—
A gunshot.
The room exploded into chaos.
One of the Phoenix operatives collapsed, a bullet between his eyes.
Another shot rang out, taking down a second man.
Shouts erupted as the remaining guards turned toward the new threat—
And that's when Seojin saw him.
Stepping through the smoke, gun in hand—
Director Choi.
Her breath caught.
He was alive.
And he had just saved them.
Her father's expression flickered with something unreadable before settling into a smirk. "I should have known."
Choi tilted his head, casually reloading his gun. "You should have."
Seojin's mind raced. Why was he here? Had he switched sides?
Before she could ask, Choi opened fire, taking down another Phoenix operative.
Seojin didn't hesitate. She grabbed Minji, pulling her behind cover. "Kade, get her out of here!"
Kade hoisted Minji onto his shoulder and made a break for the exit.
Seojin turned back to her father. He hadn't moved, watching her with calm amusement.
Choi, however, had his gun aimed directly at him. "This ends tonight."
Her father chuckled. "Does it?"
Before Choi could fire, reinforcements poured into the room. More Phoenix operatives. More guards.
Seojin grabbed a fallen weapon, taking position beside Choi.
She didn't trust him.
But right now?
He was the only chance she had.
Gunfire erupted from both sides.
Choi and Seojin fought back-to-back, taking down enemy after enemy.
"You have some nerve showing up here," Seojin muttered between shots.
Choi smirked. "What can I say? I don't like being left for dead."
Seojin didn't believe for a second that he was here out of goodwill.
But she didn't have time to question him.
Her father had disappeared into the chaos, slipping away like a ghost.
Seojin growled. Of course.
Choi fired another shot before glancing at her. "We need to move."
Seojin hesitated. "Why are you helping us?"
Choi exhaled, his expression briefly darkening. "Because I hate losing."
It wasn't an answer.
But right now, it would have to do.
By the time they reached the outside courtyard, Kade already had the van running.
Minji was in the back, barely conscious, her face pale from blood loss.
Seojin and Choi sprinted toward the vehicle as gunfire erupted behind them.
Choi turned mid-run and fired a shot—one that hit the estate's gas line.
Seojin's eyes widened. "Are you insane?"
Choi smirked. "Probably."
And then—
The explosion rocked the entire estate.
The blast threw them forward, but they managed to dive into the van just as Kade hit the gas.
Flames engulfed the building behind them, the night sky burning red.
Seojin lay on the van floor, heart hammering. She had barely made it out. Again.
Minji groaned beside her.
Seojin grabbed her hand. "Stay with me. We're almost there."
Minji forced a weak smile. "We… made a mess, huh?"
Seojin let out a breathless chuckle. "Yeah. We did."
She turned her head, locking eyes with Choi.
Their temporary alliance had worked.
But it wouldn't last.
She would deal with him later.
For now?
They had survived.
And the war wasn't over yet.
End of Chapter 78