Arc 3: The Rise of the Rival
Chapter 19: Breaking Point
Jae-min sat at his desk, staring at the screen in front of him. The usual energy of the office felt like a distant hum now, too far for him to reach. His mind kept replaying the conversation with Min-jae from earlier. The betrayal, the deceit—it all hit harder than he had anticipated. But beneath the anger and disappointment, a cold, calculating determination began to take root.
The office was quieter than usual. It felt as though the entire team had picked up on his shift in mood, the tension in the air almost palpable. But it was only one thing on his mind: Noah Corp, Min-jae, and the future of AstraLux.
His fingers tapped against the desk. The plans were already in motion. Min-jae had set the stage for a massive take down, but Jae-min wasn't about to let his empire crumble without a fight. He had worked too hard, sacrificed too much. And no amount of betrayal would stop him now.
"Jae-min, are you alright?" Elyra's voice came through his earpiece, her tone filled with concern. She had been silent for hours, respecting his need for space, but now she could sense the change. The storm was coming.
"Yeah," Jae-min said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm fine. Just... trying to figure out the next step. Min-jae's set the wheels in motion. If we don't act fast, AstraLux will be nothing more than a shell of what it used to be."
"We've got eyes on him," Elyra responded. "He's already starting to move pieces. The breach in the system is more severe than we thought. We're running out of time."
Jae-min's jaw tightened. It wasn't just the company that was at risk now—it was everything they had built. The friendships, the connections, the blood, sweat, and tears. All of it could come crashing down with one wrong move.
"I need to go after Min-jae," Jae-min said finally, standing up from his desk. His decision was made.
Elyra hesitated before speaking again. "I'll make the arrangements. But, Jae-min, be careful. Min-jae has more allies than you think. He's not the same person you trusted."
"I know," Jae-min muttered. "But I'm not going to let him win."
Later that night, Jae-min stood outside a high-rise building. The wind whipped through his hair as he gazed up at the structure—Noah Corp's headquarters. Min-jae had been working with them for months, and now the entire weight of their corporate machinery was bearing down on AstraLux. Jae-min knew the situation was dire, but he couldn't afford to hesitate anymore.
With a steady breath, he approached the entrance, his mind running through the plan. He had to confront Min-jae directly, but this time, it wasn't going to be about words. It was about action.
As he entered the building, the security was tight, but Jae-min had prepared for this. Elyra had hacked into their systems, creating a backdoor into their surveillance network, giving him a way to slip past unnoticed. The halls were eerily quiet, and the further he walked, the more the weight of his purpose sank in. This wasn't just business. This was personal.
He reached the top floor—the executive level. It was the heart of Noah Corp's operations, and it was where Min-jae would be. Jae-min pushed open the heavy steel door, his eyes scanning the room. There, sitting behind a large glass desk, was Min-jae, his face illuminated by the glow of multiple screens. He didn't seem surprised to see Jae-min. In fact, he seemed almost resigned.
"Jae-min," Min-jae said quietly, his tone devoid of emotion. "I knew you'd come eventually. But it's too late."
Jae-min stepped forward, the tension in the air almost suffocating. "Why, Min-jae? After everything we've been through, why betray me? Betray AstraLux?"
Min-jae sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You wouldn't understand, Jae-min. You never saw the bigger picture. While you were busy with your dream, I was looking at the reality. I wasn't content just being a side player. I wanted more. And Noah Corp offered that. They understand ambition. They appreciate power."
"And what do you think will happen to you, after all of this?" Jae-min asked, his voice sharp. "You think they'll respect you? You think they'll let you have a piece of the empire you helped destroy?"
Min-jae's eyes flickered, a brief flash of doubt crossing his features before he quickly masked it. "I don't care about that anymore. I've already made my choice."
Jae-min clenched his fists. The betrayal, the lies—they hurt more than he had imagined. But what hurt even more was realizing the man he had once called a friend had become someone completely different. Someone willing to sell out everything for a taste of power.
Suddenly, Min-jae's demeanor shifted. He straightened up, pushing a button on the desk. A hidden door slid open, revealing a team of security guards, all armed. It was clear now—Min-jae had been expecting this confrontation. He wasn't about to let Jae-min leave without a fight.
"Leave now, Jae-min," Min-jae said coldly. "It's not too late for you to back out. Go home. Walk away from all of this, and we can pretend this never happened."
Jae-min's heart pounded, but there was no turning back now. He was already too deep. He knew what he had to do.
"I'm not going anywhere, Min-jae," Jae-min said with fierce determination. "This ends tonight."
In that moment, the guards moved, rushing toward Jae-min with swift precision. But Jae-min wasn't unprepared. He dodged the first strike, using his enhanced reflexes to avoid their grasp. He had grown stronger, sharper, since the beginning. The system had granted him abilities far beyond normal human limits, and tonight, he would use them.
He grabbed the nearest guard by the wrist and twisted, sending him crashing into a table. The others hesitated, momentarily stunned by his strength, giving Jae-min the opening he needed. He moved with precision, disarming the remaining guards in a blur of motion. Within seconds, they were on the ground, incapacitated.
Min-jae stood motionless behind his desk, his expression unreadable. "You've become dangerous, Jae-min. I should have known better than to underestimate you."
Jae-min wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily but not backing down. "It's not too late, Min-jae. You can still turn back. You can still stop this."
Min-jae shook his head. "I've already made my choice. It's too late for regrets."
Jae-min's eyes narrowed, and he moved closer, his voice low and steady. "Then this is where it ends. For both of us."
The tension in the room was thick, each second stretching longer than the last. But Jae-min knew that no matter what happened next, he had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. The battle for AstraLux's future was just beginning.