Caesar let the question hang in the air, savoring the tension as he slid on his sunglasses. Then, with a low chuckle, he finally answered. "Blow it all up. Don't leave any stone unturned. And make sure he doesn't survive."
The man nodded, already reaching for his earpiece to relay the order as Caesar leaned casually against the elevator wall.
Back in Eun-jae's room, the knock on the door snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. He blinked, sitting up and glancing toward the door. "The food must've arrived," he thought, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
He opened the door, letting the hotel staff wheel in a silver tray laden with covered dishes. The lady gave him a polite smile before leaving, and Eun-jae shut the door behind her with a soft click.
He practically bounced back to the tray, lifting the domed lid with the glee of a kid unwrapping a Christmas gift. "Ha! Food! Finally, something to take my mind off—"
His words died in his throat as something unusual caught his eye. A small, folded piece of paper was tucked neatly beside the dish. He frowned, picking it up cautiously.
"A note? Who even leaves notes these days?" he muttered, unfolding it. His eyes scanned the single word scrawled across the paper:
BOOM
Underneath it, a laughing emoji stared back at him mockingly.
Eun-jae's heart plummeted. His stomach clenched as realization slammed into him like a freight train. His eyes widened, and his pulse roared in his ears. "Oh, hell no."
He jolted to his feet, the paper crumpling in his fist. "This can't be real. This has to be some sick joke—"
But his instincts screamed otherwise. The air around him felt charged, like the moment before a thunderstorm. He bolted for the door, throwing it open so hard it banged against the wall.
"Evacuate! Everyone needs to evacuate now!" he shouted, his voice carrying down the hallway as he sprinted. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.
But his warning came too late.
The explosion was deafening. The shockwave hit him like a battering ram, flinging him through the air as the heat and light consumed the hallway. He hit the ground hard, sliding several feet before coming to a painful stop.
Dazed, his ears ringing, Eun-jae struggled to push himself up. His face was scratched, his clothes torn and singed, but adrenaline surged through him, numbing the pain. "No time to stop. Move!"
He staggered to his feet, his legs trembling but determined. Smoke filled the air, choking his lungs as alarms blared around him. The building groaned ominously, debris raining down as chaos erupted.
Eun-jae pushed forward, coughing and shouting for others to get out. His mind raced as he dodged falling beams and flames licking at the walls. "Damn it! "
Anger and fear collided in his chest, fueling his determination. He wasn't going to die here—not today, not like this. His thoughts flickered to the mission, to Bes Ilay, to everything he still needed to accomplish.
Finally, he burst out of the building, stumbling onto the street as fresh air hit his face like a lifeline. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the pavement, coughing violently as he tried to catch his breath.
Through the haze of smoke and chaos, one thought burned bright in his mind: "This isn't over. Whoever did this is going to pay."
The chaos around Eun-jae was deafening—sirens blaring, people shouting, the crackling flames devouring what was left of the hotel. He barely registered the firefighter running toward him, his own thoughts louder than any of the noise.
He actually tried to kill me. That smug bastard didn't just threaten it—he actually went through with it! The thought sent a wave of anger and disbelief coursing through him, his heart pounding as adrenaline surged through his veins.
"Sir, are you okay?" A firefighter jogged up to him, eyes wide with concern. Eun-Jae barely heard him through the haze clouding his mind, his thoughts racing. They really want me dead, he muttered internally, every nerve in his body prickling with urgency and frustration.
"I'm fine," Eun-Jae managed to say, though his voice was strained. He gestured back at the building. "Forget about me—there are people still inside—"
But before he could protest further, the firefighter's firm grip tightened on his arm. "You don't look fine. Medic, get him to the ambulance!"
Eun-Jae shook his head, trying to pull his arm away. "No, really, I'm—" But he didn't finish his sentence; two firefighters firmly guided him to an ambulance despite his protests. He glanced back instinctively, and his heart skipped a beat. Through the crowd, a shadowy figure stood by the edge of the scene, partially hidden but watching with an eerie calmness.
That face... I know that face, he thought, his pulse hammering as the realization struck him. It's Bes Ilay.
"Bes Ilay!" Eun-jae's eyes widened, the name slipping from his lips in shock. He had to get to him—now, before he vanished. Panic shot through him as the paramedics pulled him onto the ambulance, one of them inspecting his ribs, while another started to tend to the cuts on his arm.
"No...no, I can't stay here," Eun-jae thought, his chest tight with urgency. I have to go after him—this could be my only chance.
Driven by a sudden surge of adrenaline, he jerked his arm away from the medic and jumped off the stretcher, shoving past the firefighters who tried to hold him back. Before they could react, he swung a desperate punch, enough to catch them off-guard and loosen their hold on him. Ignoring their shocked calls, he broke into a run, pushing through the crowd in the direction he had last seen Bes.
The figure was moving swiftly through the chaos, almost gliding as he slipped between the shadows. Eun-Jae sprinted after him, his injured body protesting with every step, but he ignored the pain, focusing only on the figure ahead.
He finally reached a narrow alleyway, where Bes' silhouette paused, turning slightly to glance over his shoulder. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and a chilling smile curved bes lip—a smile that sent a shiver down Eun-jae's spine. It was as if Bes knew he'd been spotted, that he wanted Eun-jae to follow.
"Stop!" Eun-Jae shouted, his voice raw, but Bes didn't respond. Instead, he stepped further into the darkness, disappearing around the corner with a calm, unhurried stride.
Eun-jae's footsteps echoed as he tore down the alley, every instinct screaming at him to catch up, to end this chase once and for all. His mind raced with questions and fears, with images of everything Bes had done, each act of violence and betrayal that led to this moment.
Turning the corner, Eun-Jae found himself in a dimly lit, empty stretch of the alley. Bes was gone. He scanned the shadows, his heart pounding, feeling the oppressive weight of the silence pressing down on him. It was as if Bes had melted into the shadows, leaving only the faint scent of smoke and a cold sense of dread.
The roar of the motorbike engine reverberated through the narrow alley, a cacophony of sound that signalled imminent danger. Eun-Jae spun around just in time to see the rider, clad in black leather and a helmet that obscured his face, drawing a gun with a swift, practiced motion. The world around him seemed to slow as adrenaline coursed through his veins.
Bang! Bang! The sharp cracks of gunfire echoed like thunder, and Eun-Jae instinctively ducked, barely avoiding the first round that whizzed past his head. His heart raced as he bolted down the alley, the narrow passageways feeling like a claustrophobic labyrinth, each turn an opportunity for escape. But the bike roared behind him, the relentless engine a predator in pursuit.
"Dammit!" Eun-Jae cursed under his breath, the word laced with urgency as he sprinted forward. The air was thick with tension, his pulse thundering in his ears as he pushed himself to run faster. The cold bite of fear gripped him, mingling with the determination that had driven him since the explosion. He couldn't afford to be caught, not now.
As he turned another corner, two burly figures emerged seemingly out of thin air, grabbing him with an unexpected ferocity. "What the hell—!" Eun-Jae snarled, caught off guard. Their hands were like iron shackles on his arms, pinning him in place. He struggled violently, instinctively twisting and turning to free himself from their grip.
With sheer willpower, he managed to elbow one of them hard in the ribs, forcing the air out of the man with a grunt. He swung a punch at the other, connecting with a satisfying thud against the man's jaw, causing him to stagger backward. For a brief moment, Eun-Jae broke free, adrenaline propelling him forward as he realized the motorbike was still a danger.
The rider had revved the engine, his figure a blur of motion as he barrelled toward Eun-Jae with ruthless speed. Time seemed to stretch as the bike closed in, the gleaming metal frame a harbinger of chaos. Eun-jae's mind raced, every survival instinct screaming at him to move. With a burst of energy, he dove to the side just as the bike sped past, narrowly missing him by mere inches. The rush of wind from the bike's passage whipped against his skin, a reminder of how close he had come to disaster.
He hit the ground hard but rolled to his feet, adrenaline propelling him forward. Yet, the two men he had fought were regaining their composure, lunging toward him again with renewed aggression. They were relentless, each trying to grab him, their movements a choreographed dance of violence. Eun-jae was ready, though, pivoting on his heels. He ducked under a wild swing and countered with a strike of his own, sending one man sprawling to the ground.
In the chaos, Eun-jae's eyes caught a glimpse of the fallen gun from the first attacker. Without hesitation, he lunged for it, grasping the cold metal in his hands. As he stood, he leveled the gun toward the motorbike rider, heart pounding in his chest, breathing heavily as he aimed directly at the shadowy figure.
"Stop right there!" Eun-jae's voice rang out, raw and commanding, cutting through the noise of the alley. The rider halted, momentarily taken aback, and for a fleeting second, the world froze. The two men behind Eun-Jae paused, uncertainty etched on their faces.
"You want to keep coming?" Eun-Jae spat, his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding him. He could feel the weight of the gun in his hands, a symbol of his defiance against the threats that loomed over him. The rider, helmet gleaming under the dim light, didn't flinch. Instead, he took a deliberate step forward, unphased by the gun aimed at him.
He was poised, ready to pull the trigger, adrenaline coursing through his veins like fire, when everything shattered in an instant. TWHAK! A brutal impact struck the back of Eun-jae's head, a jarring blow that sent him spiralling into a dizzying abyss.
"Ugh!" The sound escaped him involuntarily as the world around him began to blur and fade. He felt himself crumple to the ground, the hard surface colliding with his body like a tidal wave of force. Pain erupted, sharp and searing, radiating through his skull, cascading down to the tips of his fingers and toes. His vision wavered, a swirling storm of colors and shapes, as reality slipped through his grasp like sand through fingers.
Everything went blank. Just the faint sound of a helicopter.
Eun-jae's head throbbed as he blinked open his eyes, groggy and disoriented, the dull ache from the back of his skull pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The first thing he noticed was that he was in the back seat of a car, the low hum of the engine filling the otherwise silent space. He took in his surroundings, the darkened windows, the rough interior, and a growing unease settled in his gut. He instinctively rubbed the back of his head, wincing at the pain, and felt the tension mount within him.
The driver's voice broke through the haze clouding Eun-Jae's mind like a sudden gust of icy wind. "Sir, I see him up ahead," the driver said, his tone tight with urgency. Before Eun-Jae could fully process the words, the car lurched forward, its engine roaring as it sped up.
Eun-Jae squinted through the windshield, his heart dropping into a freefall when his gaze locked onto a helicopter hovering ominously in the distance. The sleek black machine cut through the air like a predator stalking its prey. And there, in the cockpit, was Caesar. His face, usually so composed, was twisted into a grotesque smirk that sent a chill skittering down Eun-Jae's spine. Caesar's hands gripped the handles of an M134 minigun, the barrels already spinning, a mechanical whir that Eun-Jae could almost hear from this distance. The sight was horrifyingly surreal—like something ripped straight out of an action movie, except this was real. Too real.
"Is this really happening? Caesar? With a goddamn minigun? What the hell kind of betrayal plot twist is this? I thought we were partners! Was there a memo I missed? Because this feels personal."
Eun-Jae's thoughts spiraled as he watched Caesar's smirk deepen. The man looked disturbingly amused, as though he were savoring the moment. The juxtaposition of his laughter and the spinning barrels of death made Eun-Jae's stomach churn.
"NO!" Eun-Jae's scream tore from his throat as his gaze darted to Bes, the killer beside him. The man's expression was as calm and calculating as ever, his fingers tightening around the missile launcher perched on his shoulder.
Bes was aiming directly at Caesar.
Eun-Jae lunged, desperate to stop him. His hands clawed at Bes's arm, trying to wrench the weapon away, but it was too late. A deafening whoosh filled the car as the missile erupted from the launcher. It streaked through the air like a comet, leaving behind a trail of smoke and destruction.
Eun-Jae's heart raced, his chest heaving as his mind screamed at him. "What are you doing, Bes? That's Caesar! I don't care how much of a smug asshole he's being right now—he's still my partner! Or, at least he was. Goddamn it, this isn't how this is supposed to go!"