Jungkook’s hands trembled as he clutched the phone.

His father stood beside him, dark eyes narrowed.

Minho lounged near the monitors, his wicked smile never fading.

"Make it real," Minho said.

"Convince her. Break her. Kill her spirit before the blade."

“One wrong word…” his father added, “and Annie dies. Your entire team dies.”

Jungkook swallowed the lump in his throat, fingers tightening around the phone. His heart pounded against his ribs, almost loud enough to hear.

But when the call connected, he forced his voice steady.

And then he heard it—her voice.

"Hello? Jungkook? Where are you? I’ve been calling for hours. I’m freaking out—where the hell are you all?"

He closed his eyes.

He didn’t deserve to hear her voice right now.

“YN…” he whispered, voice coated with guilt and something darker.

“We’ve been captured. There’s no time. I managed to escape just long enough to send you our location.”

Her breath hitched on the other end.

“I’m coming. Don’t move. I’ll be there soon.”

“Come alone,” he added quickly.

“If they see the others, they’ll kill us.”

“I promise.”

The call ended.

Jungkook stared at the black screen in his hand. His jaw clenched as Minho let out a low laugh.

“She’ll come straight into your hands,” he said, amused. “And you… you’ll be the knife.”

“This is the only way,” his father said quietly beside him. “Kill her. End the bloodline. And we’ll give you back the girl.”

Location: Outside the Wolf Syndicate Facility – Later That Night

The air was unnaturally still as YN approached the abandoned warehouse alone.

Her steps were calculated but fast. Her gun strapped tight at her hip. Her mind alert, her pulse racing.

Something didn’t feel right—but it was him.

He called her. He needed her.

That was enough.

Hang on, Jungkook,” she muttered under her breath, “I’m coming.

The metal door creaked open and there he stood.

Jeon Jungkook.

Bruised. Bleeding. Shadowed under a single flickering light.

But his stance was cold—foreign.

His gun hung loosely in one hand.

His expression unreadable.

“Jungkook?” YN stepped closer, her eyes darting around. “Where are the others? What—what’s going on?”

He didn’t move.

Didn’t blink.

Didn’t even breathe.

“Jungkook,” she said again, softer now, reaching for him. “Say something, dammit.”

And then he raised the gun.

Pointed it at her.

Her body froze.

Her heart cracked.

“It’s you…” he whispered. “You’re the problem, YN. You brought this chaos. You dragged us into your mess.”

“What?” her voice shook.

He stepped closer, the barrel never lowering.

“I should’ve killed you the day we met.”

Her hands clenched at her sides. “You don’t mean that…”

But he didn’t flinch.

Didn’t answer.

She took a shaky breath, swallowing her panic. “Where’s Annie?”

Something flickered in his eyes. A crack. A ghost of the man she knew.

“You tell me, YN. Where’s Annie?”

“She’s safe.”

Silence.

Then a whisper from him:

“I hope so. Because if she dies… I’ll never forgive myself.”

And still—his gun never lowered.

The barrel of Jungkook’s gun was pointed straight at her chest.

And then—a click.

Her hand moved like lightning.

Her own gun was raised, pointed directly between his eyes.

Their eyes locked.

Heartbeats thundered in the silence.

“So that’s it?” YN said quietly, voice dripping with betrayal masked under steel. “After everything, this is how it ends?”

Jungkook didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

Only stared—his jaw tight, his finger trembling near the trigger.

“Fine,” she hissed. “If I’m the goddamn problem… then let’s solve it right here.”

“Let’s see who dies first, Jeon Jungkook.”

The shock in his eyes flickered for just a second—barely visible. But it was there.

She saw it.

Felt it.

And her instincts, honed by pain and war and betrayal, whispered:

This is not real.

Something’s wrong.

Something is off.

This isn’t him. Her voice was louder now, cutting through the room like a knife. “Shoot me then! What are you waiting for?”

He didn’t answer.

Just stared at her.

Eyes screaming something he couldn’t say aloud.

“DO IT!” she shouted again, taking a step forward, her finger twitching on the trigger.

And that’s when she saw it.

The flick of his finger near the safety.

Still on.

He hadn’t turned it off.

He wasn’t going to shoot her.

But someone was watching.

Someone was listening.

She inhaled slowly. Her mind racing.

Play along. Or we both die. Annie dies.

So, she smiled.

A slow, dangerous, deadly smile.

“I should’ve known,” she said with venom. “You were just another snake, hiding behind your damn gang name.”

You pretended to save me. Used me. You made me weak.”

Jungkook’s jaw clenched so tight it might’ve cracked.

“I told you to never trust anyone, didn’t I?” he rasped back.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “And I didn’t.”

Their guns still pointed.

Their hearts—pointed at each other, unseen.

Then she took another step forward.

Dangerous.

Calculated.

Intimate.

“Pull the damn trigger, Jungkook. Or I will.”

The world held its breath.

And in the corner of the dark room, unseen to them both—

A camera light blinked red. Still watching.

Darkness.

Pain.

A deep throbbing behind her skull.

The coppery taste of blood in her mouth.

YN groaned, her lashes fluttering as she fought through the fog. Her head pulsed like it was split in two. Slowly, the world bled into focus—and what she saw made her freeze.

Her wrists were tied, coarse ropes biting into her skin.

Across from her—the boys.

Namjoon. Jin. Hoseok. Jimin. Taehyung. Yoongi.

All tied. Bloody. Beaten. Their faces grim.

But one was different.

Jungkook.

He stood among them.

Unbound.

Expression unreadable.

As if nothing was wrong.

As if he belonged here.

“Finally awake, princess?” a voice sneered.

Two men stood nearby—Wolf Syndicate soldiers, smug.

Only silence filled the steel-clad room… until fists collided.

Jungkook swung first—aimed deliberately off-mark—but YN moved on instinct, dodging and striking back.

A block.

A twist.

A kick to the side.

“Damn it, YN,” Jungkook hissed under his breath, grabbing her wrist, trying to steady her. “You don’t get it—”

“No, you don’t get it!” she snarled back, sweeping his leg. “I know you’re playing a game, but I’m not your puppet!”

They hit the ground hard. Grunts. Pain. Sparks in their eyes.

Both were trained killers.

Both were desperately holding back.

Jungkook caught her punch mid-air. Their faces inches apart.

Eyes screaming don’t make me do this.

But she twisted her arm free and landed a knee into his ribs.

He didn’t dodge.

He took it—because it was hers.

Blood on his lip. Sweat on her brow.

They circled.

Fists clenched.

He swept forward again, throwing a high punch that she blocked and used to pull him closer.

“How far are you going to go with this, huh?” she whispered lowly through clenched teeth.

“As far as I need to—to keep you alive.”

“That’s not your call to make, Jungkook!”

Clang.

A loud metal crash behind her.

And before she could spin—

THWACK.

A heavy steel rod slammed against the back of her skull.

Everything turned black.

Her knees gave in.

Her vision blurred.

Jungkook’s scream cracked the air—

“NO—!”

She collapsed.

The darkness lifted.

A dim light flickered above, swinging slightly.

Her head pounded.

Wrists ached.

Tied. With ropes. Rough. Burnt into her skin.

She blinked.

Vision clearing.

And there, in front of her—two men. Smirking. Cruel. Hungry.

They stood like wolves, circling prey.

Behind them, her world sat in silence:

Namjoon, Jin, Jimin, Hoseok, Taehyung, and Yoongi—

All tied. Bruised. Gagged. Beaten.

But Jungkook—

He wasn’t tied.

He stood just a few feet away.

Breathing heavily.

His jaw clenched so tight it trembled.

A storm in his eyes.

But he didn’t meet hers.

He couldn’t.

“Well, well,” one of the men said, kneeling in front of her. “Look who’s finally awake.”

“The pretty little pawn who thought she was the queen.”

“Should we give her another lesson?” the other man chuckled, reaching for her face.

But before he could touch her—

BANG.

A bullet buried itself beside his foot.

Jungkook had fired—just a warning.

“Touch her again and I’ll end you.”

The room froze.

The man flinched, backing off with his hands raised.

Jungkook finally looked at her.

His face was blank.

But his eyes were bleeding.

“I’m sorry,” he mouthed.

She stared at him, chest rising with fury and confusion.

His father stepped into the light then—Jeon Hyun-soo, cold and composed.

“Ah, she’s awake,” he said calmly. “Good. Time for the final act.”

“Now, Jungkook… show us how loyal you really are.”

And he tossed a gun.

It clattered to the ground.

Jungkook picked it up slowly.

Walked forward.

Stood right in front of YN.

Pointed it.

Right. At. Her.

To be continued...