The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, its damp walls whispering of secrets long buried. Seojin's team trudged forward, their steps heavy with exhaustion and the weight of Donghae's revelations. The faint glow of Dojin's laptop cast eerie shadows, giving the space a haunting quality.
Seojin walked at the front, her mind racing. Her father, Inferno, the Phoenix—all these connections felt like pieces of a puzzle she hadn't even known existed. And now, her team was caught in the crossfire.
Kyungmin broke the silence, his voice low but firm. "We need to talk about the plan. If we're really going after their headquarters, we can't go in blind."
Seojin nodded, her jaw set. "Agreed. But we're not rushing into this. First, we regroup, gather intel, and prepare for every possible scenario. We won't get a second chance."
"I still don't trust him," Jiwon muttered, jerking his head toward Donghae.
Donghae smirked faintly. "The feeling's mutual."
"Enough," Seojin snapped, shooting both of them a sharp look. "We're all in this together now, whether we like it or not. Save the personal grudges for later."
The tunnel finally opened into an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. It was small and dilapidated, but it provided much-needed shelter. Kyungmin and Jiwon quickly secured the perimeter while Dojin set up his laptop on a rickety table, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
Donghae stood near the window, peering out at the darkened streets. Seojin approached him cautiously, her arms crossed.
"Why did you come back?" she asked quietly.
Donghae didn't look at her. "I owed you. After what happened in Seoul, I knew I had to make things right. Even if it cost me everything."
"Is that all?" she pressed.
He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "Let's just say I'm tired of running. And tired of watching the Phoenix destroy everything in its path."
Seojin searched his face for any hint of deception but found none. Still, she couldn't let her guard down—not yet.
Once everyone was settled, Seojin gathered the team in the center of the room. A map of the city was spread across the floor, and Dojin had pulled up a crude layout of the Phoenix's headquarters on his laptop.
"Their main server is located here," Dojin said, pointing to a heavily guarded area in the building's basement. "It's surrounded by multiple layers of security—keycard access, biometric scans, the works."
Kyungmin frowned. "Even if we get past all that, how do we extract the data without alerting them?"
"I can handle that," Donghae said. "I know their systems inside out. But we'll need a distraction to buy us time."
Jiwon leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "And what's stopping them from killing us the moment we step foot inside?"
"Nothing," Donghae admitted. "But that's where careful planning comes in. We'll need to split into two teams—one to infiltrate the server room, the other to create a diversion."
Seojin studied the map, her mind already forming a plan. "Kyungmin, you and Jiwon will handle the diversion. Dojin, Donghae, and I will head for the server room. Once we have the data, we regroup and get out as fast as possible."
"That's a lot of 'ifs,'" Jiwon muttered.
"It's all we've got," Seojin replied firmly. "And if anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears."
Silence fell over the group.
Later that night, as the others rested, Seojin found herself alone with Donghae once again. He was sitting by the window, his posture tense as he stared out into the night.
"You should get some sleep," she said, leaning against the wall.
He didn't respond for a moment, then said softly, "Do you remember the case we worked on together? The one with the missing girl?"
Seojin blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in topic. "Of course I do. We found her just in time."
Donghae's lips curved into a faint smile. "You were so determined, even when everyone else had given up. That's what I admired about you, Seojin. Your refusal to quit, no matter how impossible things seemed."
Her chest tightened at the unexpected compliment. "That was a long time ago. Things are different now."
"Not that different," he said, meeting her gaze. "You're still the same person. And that's why I know you can do this."
For a brief moment, Seojin allowed herself to believe him. But the walls she'd built around her heart were quick to rise again.
"We'll see," she said simply, turning away.
End of Chapter 33