The world didn't collapse with a bang; it collapsed with the vibrating ring of a phone in my pocket.
I had rushed back home, my fingers fumbling with the buttons of my formal work clothes. Every second felt like a tick-tock of a time bomb. When I reached the mall, the air felt different—thicker, colder. Akane and I ignored each other with a practiced coldness, a silence that felt like a fragile glass about to shatter. But then, I saw them.
Ming.
He wasn't alone. He was flanked by his constant shadows, Do-ki and Ji-cheol. They approached the store with a casual grace that used to bring me comfort, but now, it made my skin crawl. My limbs began to tremble, a primal instinct screaming at me to run. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird desperate to escape its cage. Then, the phone vibrated again. Not now, Taifun. Not here.
"Mika, take care of them. I have an urgent call," I managed to choke out, my voice sounding like it belonged to someone else.
I didn't walk; I fled. I locked myself in the narrow, dimly lit restroom, the scent of antiseptic cleaner stinging my nose. My breath was so loud, so ragged, that for a moment, I couldn't even hear the voice on the other end of the line.
"Miss S," Typhon's voice was a jagged whisper, stripped of its usual composure. "Withdraw immediately. Escape. Ming is not who he says he is. He isn't some idol looking for a quiet life. He is an operative for the National Intelligence, a man known in the underworld as 'The Hunter'."
The words hit me like a physical blow. The Hunter. "His sole purpose is to dismantle the Chinese syndicates," Typhon continued, his voice growing more urgent. "He has brought down the biggest families in Shanghai and Macau. And now... I believe it is our turn. He is closing in."
I let out a sharp, hysterical laugh that echoed off the cold tiles. It was a sound of pure, bitter realization. I didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be true. I had seen him at his work last week; I had seen the sweat on his brow, the tiredness in his eyes.
"This has to be a joke, Typhon," I whispered, my voice cracking. "It's impossible. I saw him... he's just an idol."
"It is the truth, Miss S. You are in the sights of a predator. You must vanish before the trap snaps shut."
I felt the blood in my veins turn to slush. A bone-chilling cold washed over me, despite the humid air of the mall. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. I had walked into the trap with my eyes wide open, lured in by a false sense of security. I had looked into those eyes and seen safety. How could eyes that held so much warmth be so deceitful? How could a hunter wear such a perfect mask of kindness?
I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing my racing heart to slow down. I couldn't be a victim. Not today. I straightened my uniform, wiped the sweat from my brow, and walked out of that restroom with the poise of a queen walking to her execution—or her victory.
Ming was there, standing by the racks of silk shirts. He was humming a soft, melodic tune, a song that felt like a lullaby for a doomed soul. Ji-cheol was watching me with a gaze he thought was subtle, but to me, it felt like a spotlight. Do-ki was busy with his phone, likely coordinating their next move.
If they are here to hunt me, I thought, a spark of my father's fire lighting up in my chest, then I shall give them the chase of their lives.
I pulled out my phone, my movements exaggerated and clumsy. I began to sob, a forced, ragged sound that filled the quiet corner of the store. I leaned against a pillar, making sure Ming was within earshot.
"Typhon!" I cried into the phone, my voice trembling with theatrical terror. "I have to get to the pier! I think Father and I are in danger! I saw the police near my house this morning... they're following me! The shipment... it will be ready tonight! Pier 9, 2:00 AM sharp! Tell him to leave with the shipment, I'll meet him there tomorrow! Just tell him to go!"
I watched them out of the corner of my eye. Ming stopped humming. His entire body went rigid, like a wolf catching the scent of blood in the wind. He didn't look at me, but I saw his jaw tighten. Do-ki and Ji-cheol exchanged a lightning-fast glance—a silent communication that confirmed everything Typhon had said.
Ming's eyes ignited with a predatory glint. The 'Hunter' had seen his prey. He quickly faked interest in a black blazer, his fingers trembling slightly with the adrenaline of the find.
Without a word, I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the store, running as if my life depended on it. Because in a way, it did.
Ming's Perspective:
I didn't breathe until she was out of sight. The moment she vanished through the mall exit, the mask fell. I didn't see a clumsy girl anymore; I saw the key to the Dragon's lair.
"To the station. Now!" I barked at Do-ki and Ji-cheol.
I drove through the streets of Seoul like a madman. My mind was a whirlwind of images: S, the Pier, the clock ticking toward 2:00 AM. This was it. The culmination of months of undercover work. I was going to catch the Great Dragon, Tian Long, and I was going to use his own daughter to do it.
I burst into Chief Kim's office, breathless. "Sir! I've found them! I know where the meeting is. Pier 9, tonight. I need an arrest warrant and a tactical team immediately!"
Chief Kim looked up, skeptical. "The Dragon is a ghost, Ming. We've chased shadows for years. How can you be sure?"
"Trust me, sir," I said, my voice cold and determined. "This time, the prey told me herself. We have them trapped."
By 1:30 AM, the pier was a graveyard of rusted metal and thick, suffocating fog. We moved in total silence, a fleet of black tactical gear blending into the darkness. My finger was light on the trigger of my sidearm, my eyes scanning the mist for any sign of movement.
The clock struck two. The silence was deafening. No trucks. No guards. No Dragon.
I led the team toward a massive steel container at the end of the pier. My heart was a drum in my ears. I kicked the heavy doors open, prepared for a firefight.
But there was no fire. Only the hollow echo of a recording.
In the center of the empty, cavernous container sat a small, battery-operated radio. It was playing the exact same song I had been humming in the store that morning. My own melody was mocking me, bouncing off the cold steel walls.
Taped to the radio was a single piece of paper, marked with the crimson seal of the Dragon.
"What a sweet voice, Detective Ming... but you're on the wrong stage."
I crumpled the paper in my fist, a roar of frustration building in my throat. I hadn't caught the prey. The prey had led the Hunter into a cage of his own making.