The van tore through the empty highway, headlights slicing through the darkness. Seojin clutched the hard drive in her hands like it was her last lifeline. Inside it was the truth—the Council's secret project, the mass compliance protocol—evidence of the Council of Nine's real plan to turn the world into their obedient army.
But now, they weren't just fugitives.
They were targets.
Minji, seated beside Seojin, turned in her seat, her face pale. "We have the evidence. But how the hell do we get it out without getting killed?"
Kade kept his eyes on the road, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. "We can't just upload this. The moment we try, the Council will shut it down. They control the media, the government, everything."
Seojin exhaled sharply. "We need someone with power. Someone who can make this public before the Council can stop it."
Minji scoffed. "And who do we know that fits that bill?"
Silence filled the van.
Then, Kade hesitated before speaking. "There's one person. But you're not going to like it."
Seojin's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Kade sighed. "Your father."
A cold wave crashed over her.
"No," she said immediately. "Absolutely not."
Kade's voice was calm but firm. "Listen to me. He's a member of the Council. That means he has direct access to their systems. If we can force him to expose this, the Council won't be able to contain it."
Minji shook her head. "You want us to trust the man who's been working with them this entire time?"
Seojin's fingers dug into the hard drive case. The thought of going to her father—after everything—was unbearable.
But Kade wasn't wrong.
If there was one person who could bring the Council to its knees from the inside, it was him.
Seojin closed her eyes, breathing heavily. Could she do this? Could she face him again, knowing everything he had done?
"I need time to think," she muttered.
Kade didn't push further.
But time wasn't something they had.
They were barely an hour out of the city when Seojin's instincts screamed at her.
"Something's wrong," she murmured, glancing at the side mirrors.
Kade frowned, checking the rearview mirror. "What?"
Then—
The first bullet shattered the back window.
"Shit!" Minji shouted, ducking as another bullet tore through the van's interior.
Kade swerved, trying to stabilize the vehicle. "We've got company!"
Seojin turned to look—and her blood ran cold.
A black SUV was tailing them.
And driving it—
Director Choi.
Minji cursed. "That son of a—"
A second SUV appeared, cutting them off from the side. The Phoenix wasn't playing games anymore. They weren't sending foot soldiers.
They had sent their best.
"Hold on!" Kade yelled as he yanked the wheel, veering off the main road onto a dirt path leading into the forest.
The van bounced violently as they sped through the uneven terrain. The SUVs followed, headlights flashing like predatory eyes in the darkness.
Seojin gritted her teeth. "They won't stop until we're dead."
Minji reloaded her gun. "Then let's give them a fight."
Seojin nodded. "Kade, keep driving. Minji and I will handle this."
Minji smirked. "Thought you'd never ask."
Seojin and Minji climbed into the back of the van, kicking open the doors. The cold night wind rushed against them as the SUVs closed in.
"Take the tires!" Seojin ordered, raising her gun.
Minji fired first, her bullet tearing through the front tire of the closest SUV. The vehicle skidded, but the driver managed to regain control.
Seojin aimed at the second SUV—Choi's vehicle.
She fired.
The bullet slammed into the windshield, but Choi barely flinched. His eyes met Seojin's through the shattered glass, and a smirk tugged at his lips.
Seojin's stomach twisted. He's enjoying this.
Then—
The first SUV rammed into them.
The van lurched, nearly flipping over. Minji lost her balance, barely grabbing onto the frame in time.
"Damn it!" Kade shouted from the driver's seat. "I can't keep this up!"
Seojin turned back to Choi's SUV. He was gaining on them, fast.
They needed a way out.
Then she saw it.
A narrow bridge up ahead, leading over a steep ravine. If they could time it right—
"Kade!" Seojin shouted. "Get us onto that bridge!"
Kade's eyes flickered to the rearview mirror. He didn't hesitate.
"Hold on tight!"
The bridge loomed ahead, a metal structure barely wide enough for one vehicle. If they could make it across—**and cut the cables behind them—**they could trap Choi and his men on the wrong side.
But Choi had figured it out too.
His SUV accelerated, coming up beside them. His window rolled down, and for the first time, Seojin saw his gun.
Time slowed.
Choi fired.
Seojin ducked.
The bullet grazed her shoulder, searing pain through her body. But she didn't stop.
She turned—
And fired back.
The bullet shattered Choi's side mirror, forcing him to swerve.
"Almost there!" Kade shouted.
The bridge was seconds away.
Seojin grabbed Minji's arm. "We have to cut the cables as soon as we're across!"
Minji nodded, reloading her last magazine.
The van hit the bridge at full speed. The metal groaned beneath them, but Kade didn't slow down. The Phoenix SUVs were right behind them.
Then—
They made it.
Kade slammed the brakes, skidding the van to a stop on the other side.
"Minji! Now!" Seojin yelled.
Minji threw a grenade.
The explosion tore through the base of the bridge, collapsing it.
The SUVs had no time to stop.
The first one skidded—and plunged into the ravine below.
Choi's vehicle barely stopped in time. His SUV teetered on the broken edge, its front wheels hanging over the abyss.
Seojin stood at the edge, breathing hard.
Choi looked at her through the windshield, his face calm.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
"You think this is over?" he called, his voice carrying over the wind. "The Council won't let you win, Seojin. You can run, but we own this world."
Seojin leveled her gun at him. "Then I'll burn it down."
Before she could fire—
Choi's SUV tipped forward.
And then—
He was gone.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there was quiet.
Seojin lowered her gun, chest rising and falling heavily.
Minji let out a shaky breath. "Tell me that bastard is finally dead."
Seojin didn't answer. She wasn't sure.
Kade sighed, rubbing his face. "We need to keep moving. The Council isn't going to let this slide."
Seojin turned back to the van, gripping the hard drive in her hands.
They had won this battle.
But the war was far from over.
And the Council of Nine?
They were still out there.
Watching.
Waiting.
End of Chapter 75
Thoughts for Readers:
Do you think Choi is really dead, or is he still out there?
Should Seojin trust her father, or is it another trap?
Sneak Peek for Chapter 76:
With Choi gone (or is he?), Seojin must decide—does she risk trusting her father to bring down the Council, or is he the final enemy she must destroy?