A decision made out of fear and anger
Is the worst decision ever.

Sri had spent the whole day in Seokjin's apartment. The older doctor, Commissioner Hoseok, and she had been busy tracking down leads for the third consecutive day. She remembered the excitement that had coursed through the room when a sudden red dot appeared on the large navigation screen, only to vanish almost instantly as if it had been a mere illusion. But Sri knew she wasn't hallucinating. The police had begun tracing the dots, but they couldn't find anything after that, leaving them all frustrated and anxious.

As evening fell, Sri switched on her phone after plopping down on the couch, exhausted. The apartment was eerily silent, indicating that Tae wasn't back from the hospital yet. Notifications chimed on her cell phone, drawing her attention.

She lazily unlocked the phone and scrolled through the message box when a strange number caught her eye.

Enough of hiding and seeking. Let's meet and talk about business. I will be waiting at the given address at 7 PM.

-Eclipse

An address was attached to the message. Sri clenched the phone in anger. This was an opportunity for her to negotiate terms, and if things went south, she could take down the Eclipse boss once and for all.

Determined, she tied her hair into a rough ponytail and splashed her face with cold water. A dark reflection stared back at her in the mirror. The villainess, the merciless queen of the underworld—S. The reflection's void eyes beckoned her to take charge. Sri inhaled sharply and turned off the tap, steeling herself for what was to come.

She walked over to the closet to retrieve her gun but found it missing. Confusion erupted in her mind as she recalled placing it there just the other day. She searched in all the probable spots, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe Taehyung had moved it somewhere," she mumbled to herself, but then a horrifying thought clicked in her brain. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back, panic surging within her. "No way he went there."

All her confidence crumbled under the weight of that single thought. What was he thinking?! He couldn't stand a chance against those gangsters. They would slaughter him like an animal. She screamed internally, her heart racing.

Taehyung was an amateur in the brutal world of the mafias. She quickly took out her phone and dialed his number, her hands shaking with anxiety. As expected, it went straight to voicemail. No one picked up.

Reflecting on his behavior over the past few days, Sri realized he had been acting unusually. His words hadn't sounded sincere, and his actions had been suspicious. She had failed to recognize what was going on in his mind. Was he planning to face the gangsters without letting her know?

"Stupid! Stupid!!" she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over as she punched the table with a loud thud. She had to think of something. Should she call the police? But that would only make matters worse. With no other option, she called Seokjin.

The doctor picked up after a few rings, and displeasure was evident in his tone. "Hmm?"

"Seokjin, I need your help!" she exclaimed, her voice urgent and strained.

Seokjin was experiencing a rollercoaster ride on the road. Sri, the former gangster, drove the car like a madwoman. For a moment, he was stunned by her impressive control over the vehicle.

"That's a red signal!" he screamed, clutching the seatbelt for dear life. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw a huge truck approaching from the left, but Sri had no intention of stopping or slowing down. "Do you have a death wish??!!"

The truck missed them by mere seconds as she zoomed through the intersection. "You're safe as long as you keep your mouth shut," she replied irritably.

"You're crazy," Jin gasped, struggling to maintain his composure.

"Then get a degree in psychology and treat me," she snarled, eyes fixed on the road. Seokjin opened his mouth to retort when she suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. He barely managed to stop himself from hitting his head against the window, thanks to the seatbelt.

[Note to the readers: Seat belts are important while riding in a car.]

"Get down," Sri ordered, already rushing out of the car.

They found themselves in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and engulfed in darkness. Sri switched on the flashlight on her phone and scanned the area. A dim white light flickered in the distance, catching her attention. She glanced back at Seokjin before cautiously heading toward it.

As she approached, she discovered a tin shelter that resembled an abandoned garage. The door was burst open, and it looked like a violent struggle had taken place. With anxious steps, she examined the interior, her heart sinking as she noticed the floor was smeared with dried blood.

"Taehyung?" a deep voice echoed in the silence. Sri momentarily forgot that Seokjin was with her. "Are you in here? Answer us!"

She ignored his futile calls. If Taehyung was free to respond, he would have come to them by now. Suddenly, something glinted in the low light. Curiously, she picked up a familiar shiny bracelet from the ground. It was the one she had lost when the old Titan mansion had exploded, but Taehyung had given it back to her later. She checked her wrists to confirm that her original bracelet was still there.

This one was a replica of her bracelet. The only other person who possessed the same one was Jungkook. They had bought it as a token of their brother-sister relationship when she was seventeen and had worn it ever since.

Her breath hitched as the realization dawned on her: the Titans were involved in this too. There was no way Eclipse would try to attack her without involving the Titans. Everything clicked into place. She had been heading in the wrong direction all along; she had made a grave mistake.

"Titans were here," she informed Jin, who immediately stiffened.

"H-how do you know?" he asked, scanning the area with newfound caution.

"I can tell," she replied, her voice steady but her mind racing.

"Does that mean they were the ones... you know..."

"No, the culprits are Eclipse. But the Titans may or may not be involved in this," she concluded, stepping out of the garage and into the backyard.

"Kim Taehyung!!" she shouted, her voice ringing through the stillness. She needed to vent her anxiety and frustration.

Suddenly, her eyes caught a glimpse of familiar Nike shoes. Her heart raced as she approached, praying it wasn't her husband. But her heart dropped when she saw the very man lying on the grass, unconscious. She froze, staring at his forehead, which was matted with dark red blood. Her trance was broken when Seokjin screamed Taehyung's name and rushed to his younger brother's side.

Sri knelt beside her husband and pulled his limp body into her arms, hugging him tightly. "T-Tae, p-please open your eyes. I am sorry. I was late." Her façade threatened to shatter like glass, but she remained strong. She had to; she was a pro at hiding her emotions. Sri was known for her calm demeanor, even in the most emergency situations.

"We need to take him to the hospital as soon as possible. His vitals are stable for now, but he's lost consciousness due to blood loss," Jin stated after examining him.

Sri swallowed back her sobs and nodded, but her eyes caught sight of a pair of shiny black boots peeking out from the bushes. "Jin, how long can he hold on?" Her demeanor shifted, her gaze never leaving the boots.

"M-maybe a few hours if we can stop the bleeding," Seokjin stammered, sensing her sudden change in mood. He didn't know why she sounded so cautious, but he could tell something was wrong. She nodded and tore one of the sleeves from her shirt, handing it to him. "Here. This should work."

"Okay, but—" The older doctor was interrupted when a group of men suddenly emerged from the bushes, each wielding sharp weapons and threatening the trio with menacing grins.

"What a surprise," one of the men sneered, stepping forward.

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Waiting for the bus to arrive in 2025.
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