Shadows of Truth

The footsteps grew louder, steady and deliberate, echoing through the storage facility. Seojin motioned for Jiwon to stay silent as she pressed herself against the wall, her gun gripped tightly in her hand. Her eyes flicked toward the entrance of the unit, every muscle in her body tense.

"How many?" Jiwon whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Three, maybe four," Seojin replied, her tone clipped. "Armed. Stay out of the way."

Jiwon nodded, crouching behind one of the file boxes. Seojin could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as the first shadow appeared in the doorway.

---

The man stepped into the unit, his gun raised, his sharp eyes scanning the space. Seojin didn't hesitate. With practiced precision, she struck, her movements swift and calculated. Her elbow connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling backward. Before he could recover, she disarmed him and delivered a knockout blow.

The commotion alerted the others. Seojin ducked as a bullet whizzed past her, hitting the metal wall behind her with a deafening clang. Jiwon flinched, but to his credit, he didn't make a sound.

"Stay low!" Seojin ordered as she returned fire, her shots forcing the assailants to take cover.

"This wasn't part of the plan!" Jiwon hissed, crawling toward the back of the unit.

"The plan changed," Seojin snapped, reloading her weapon. "Can you fight?"

Jiwon shook his head. "Not like this. But I can distract them."

"Be my guest," Seojin muttered, peeking around the corner to assess the situation.

Jiwon grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and hurled it toward the entrance. The clattering noise drew the gunmen's attention, giving Seojin the opening she needed. She moved swiftly, her shots precise, taking down another assailant.

But the remaining two weren't amateurs. They regrouped quickly, their gunfire relentless. Seojin and Jiwon were pinned down, their escape route blocked.

"We're running out of time!" Jiwon said, his voice edged with panic.

"Then make yourself useful," Seojin replied, pulling a smoke grenade from her pocket. She tossed it toward the entrance, the room quickly filling with thick, choking smoke.

"Move!" she commanded, grabbing Jiwon by the arm and pulling him toward the back of the unit.

---

The two of them slipped out through a small emergency exit, the cool night air hitting their faces. Seojin led the way, her eyes scanning the area for potential threats. The sound of shouting and footsteps followed them, the gunmen hot on their trail.

"This way!" Jiwon said, pointing toward a row of parked trucks. "We can lose them in the lot."

Seojin didn't argue, her focus on keeping them both alive. They weaved through the maze of vehicles, the shouts growing fainter as the smoke grenade did its job.

Finally, they reached Seojin's car. She unlocked it with a click, and they both slid inside. She started the engine, the tires screeching as they sped away.

---

They drove in silence for several minutes, the tension between them palpable. Seojin's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white. Jiwon sat in the passenger seat, his breathing heavy, his usually calm demeanor shaken.

"That was reckless," he said finally, breaking the silence.

Seojin shot him a glare. "Reckless? We just recovered the most incriminating files in this case. I'd call that a win."

"At what cost?" Jiwon countered. "They know we were there. They'll come after us."

"They were already after us," Seojin replied coldly. "Now we have leverage. We just need to figure out how to use it."

Jiwon fell silent, his gaze fixed on the city lights ahead. For the first time, Seojin saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, a crack in his composed façade. She wasn't sure if it made her trust him more—or less.

---

They returned to Seojin's apartment, the files safely tucked away in her bag. She locked the door behind them, double-checking the deadbolt before turning to Jiwon.

"Start talking," she said, dropping the bag onto the table. "Why are these files so important to you?"

Jiwon hesitated, his jaw tightening. "Because they're not just about the Lees. They're about everyone the syndicate has ever worked with. Politicians, CEOs, law enforcement—it's all in there."

"And you're worried your name might be on the list," Seojin guessed.

Jiwon's silence was answer enough.

Seojin exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "You really are in deep, aren't you?"

"You have no idea," Jiwon said quietly. "But if we play this right, we can bring them down. All of them."

Seojin studied him for a long moment, weighing her options. She didn't trust him—not entirely—but she couldn't deny the importance of what they had uncovered.

"Then we'd better get to work," she said finally.

---

**End of Chapter 6**