Clang—

  The moment the door opened, a blinding white searchlight flooded the space.

  "Agggh!"

  Seo-yeon recoiled, shielding her eyes. Yun-jae instinctively pulled her behind his back, dropping into a defensive crouch. The heavy, metallic scent of grease and oil from the loading dock stung his nostrils.

  "Welcome, Mr. Han. A long stroll from the 17th floor, wasn't it?"

  A-12’s voice boomed through the overhead speakers. The distorted howling of the feedback made it sound even more sinister. Beyond the glare of the lights, guards with black riot shields moved in. Daeyoung Medical’s private security—closing the distance in a precise semi-circle formation.

  Yun-jae glanced at his watch.

  [Time remaining of the 5 minutes promised by B-07: 3 min 30 sec]

  "Yun-jae, look... the stairs!"

  Seo-yeon pointed past the guards. An iron door led to the Basement 2 mechanical room—the path to the manhole. But three hulking men stood layered in front of it, blocking the way.

  "Mr. Han, hand over the woman and return to us," A-12’s voice offered, silkily seductive. "We will guarantee your father’s surgery and your own safety. But if you refuse..."

  The offer was sweet, laced with the promise of relief.

  But Yun-jae knew the truth. The moment he stepped through that door, Seo-yeon would be processed as an 'accident,' and he would spend the rest of his life as a slave, laundering the blood-stained sentences of monsters.

  "I refuse."

  Yun-jae’s voice rang out, cold and defiant. The guards lunged, activating their stun batons. Crackle— Blue sparks tore through the darkness.

  Just as Yun-jae braced his fists—

  K-Boom—!

  A black SUV tore through the steel shutters, tires screaming as it drifted into the loading dock.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Get down!"

  Yun-jae tackled Seo-yeon to the floor as the SUV skidded to a halt inches from them, scattering the line of guards. The passenger door swung open amidst the smell of burning rubber.

  "Get in! The 99-day clock doesn't stop for anyone!"

  The driver wore a black hood pulled low. But Yun-jae recognized that voice. It made his heart stop.

  "...Jeong Woo-jin?"

  Five years ago. The whistleblower who had waited for Yun-jae in front of the Prosecutor’s Office with evidence of the bribery scandal. The man Yun-jae had promised to protect, only for him to vanish the night Yun-jae was pressured to drop the case. The media had reported it as a 'presumed suicide.'

  "You’re alive? How?"

  "Five years of waiting for revenge," the man hissed. "The moment I handed you that USB, they started hunting me. But I couldn't let it end there. Just get in!"

  The moment Yun-jae and Seo-yeon threw themselves into the car, the SUV surged forward with a violent wheelspin.

  Bang! Bang!

  Bullets hammered against the chassis from behind. But the SUV expertly slid through the sharp curves of the underground parking lot. Yun-jae pulled out his phone.

  [D-99 / 23:54:02]

  The red numbers blinked ominously.

  "Woo-jin, how far to the B2 mechanical room?"

  "One minute. But..."

  Woo-jin’s voice tightened. "They’ve blocked the exit with a heavy trailer. A frontal breakthrough is impossible."

  At the end of the parking ramp, a massive dump truck sat horizontally, sealing the exit. A perfect blockade. They never intended to leave even a mouse hole for escape.

  "Are we trapped?" Seo-yeon’s voice trembled.

  Then, her eyes locked onto the wall passing outside the window. Her journalistic instinct flared. Between the maze of pipes, she saw an old, rusted ventilation grate. Next to it was a faint, faded marking.

  [Emergency Drainage Connection / Built 1987]

  "There! That vent!" Seo-yeon pointed.

  Yun-jae’s eyes sharpened. "Woo-jin, toward that exhaust vent next to the fire hydrant!"

  "That’s a dead end—"

  "No! 1980s buildings have interconnected underground drainage systems. That path leads to the basement of the adjacent building!" Yun-jae shouted, grabbing the dashboard. "Ram it! Now!"

  Behind them, two of A-12’s vehicles turned on their searchlights and began to gain ground. 50 meters, 30 meters...

  Jeong Woo-jin slammed the accelerator. "Hold on!"

  The SUV hurtled toward the vent at full speed. CRASH!

  The iron mesh shattered, opening a narrow tunnel. But in that instant, a strange sound erupted from beneath the back seat.

  Beep— Beep— Beep—

  Seo-yeon leaned down to check. She let out a piercing scream. "Yun-jae... look at this..."

  Under the seat, a black box with a red LED timer was blinking.

  00:01:30 00:01:29 00:01:28

  Yun-jae’s gaze shifted to the back of Jeong Woo-jin’s neck. Beneath the hood, a small communication earpiece was flickering. Woo-jin caught Yun-jae’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

  His gaze was no longer frantic. it was ice-cold.

  "I’m sorry, Prosecutor. My daughter has to live, too."

  The SUV slid deeper into the pitch-black tunnel. Behind them, A-12’s cars were already entering the breach.

  90 seconds until detonation. A narrow tunnel. Blocked in the front, chased from the back.

  Yun-jae’s hand reached for the door handle.

  Question for the readers: Would you have made the same choice as Jeong Woo-jin? Is "saving my family" a valid excuse for murder, or has the system officially turned him into a monster?