Chapter 17: Blood and Ashes
The warehouse loomed on the city's edge, with rusted metal siding, broken windows, and the lingering scent of oil and old blood. Once a shipping depot, it had become a graveyard of secrets. Now, it was home to the last remnants of Jack's empire: Park Ilho.
Yunjun tightened the strap of his shoulder holster and faced his team. "No mistakes. No mercy."
Yeri stood next to him, dressed all in black. Her hands were steady, but her heart was racing. She wasn't a soldier and made no pretense of being one. Yet she couldn't stay behind while the man who had helped torture her remained free.
Yunjun placed a hand over hers. "If things go bad—"
"I stay with you," she said firmly. "Don't ask me to run. Not again."
He nodded, feeling pride and fear mix in his chest. "Then we end this. Together."
They moved in like shadows—Yunjun, Yeri, Soojin, and a few selected guards. The plan was straightforward: surround the area, block any escape routes, and capture Ilho alive if possible. But deep down, no one expected Ilho to surrender quietly.
Inside, the warehouse was darker than outside. The skylights were covered in layers of grime, and the flickering overhead bulbs buzzed with neglect. Dust floated in the air, disturbed only by their careful steps.
"Split up," Yunjun whispered. "Yeri, stay with me."
She briefly brushed her fingers against his in acknowledgment. She didn't need to say anything.
Then the silence broke.
Gunfire erupted from the east wing.
Soojin's voice came through the comms. "He's trying to run—north stairs!"
Yunjun took Yeri's hand and ran.
They caught up just as Ilho opened a metal door at the end of a second-floor hallway. He turned, saw them, and fired. Yunjun shoved Yeri behind a crate and ducked.
Bullets hit metal. Sparks flew.
"Coward," Yunjun shouted. "You think you can escape like a rat?"
Ilho's voice came back, filled with venom. "You should've died with Jack!"
Yeri flinched at the name.
Yunjun peeked and fired. One bullet grazed Ilho's arm. He screamed and ducked into another room.
Yunjun turned to Yeri. "Stay here."
"No," she said immediately.
"I need to finish this," he said gently. "He's not just Jack's man. He's the one who tied you to that chair. Who laughed while you begged."
Her breath caught.
"I need you safe," he whispered.
"I need you alive," she whispered back.
A moment passed.
Then he pulled her into a kiss—urgent, raw, and real. "Come if you must. But don't hesitate. Not this time."
She nodded.
They entered the room together.
Ilho was bleeding, crouched behind a desk, his pistol still smoking. A trail of blood marked his escape—he wouldn't get far now.
Yunjun stepped forward. "No more hiding."
Ilho laughed. "You think you've won, Yunjun? You killed Jack, and now what? Do you think the past just disappears?"
"No," Yunjun said. "But you do."
He raised his gun—
and Ilho lunged.
Not at Yunjun.
At Yeri.
It happened quickly—too quickly.
Yeri stumbled back as Ilho grabbed a metal pipe and swung. Yunjun fired—once, twice—but Ilho didn't go down.
Yeri ducked, barely avoiding the blow, and pulled the pistol Yunjun had given her. Her hands shook.
Ilho turned on her. "You think you're something special now?" he snarled.
Yeri froze.
Memories of the warehouse flooded back.
The chair. The blood. The ropes.
Yunjun screamed her name.
She squeezed the trigger.
The shot rang out like thunder.
Ilho fell.
Silence.
Yeri stood still, gun trembling in her hand. She gasped for breath. Yunjun rushed to her, took the weapon from her fingers, and gently pulled her into his arms.
"You did it," he whispered. "You saved yourself."
"I didn't want to kill him," she said, voice breaking. "I just… I didn't want to feel powerless again."
"You weren't," he said. "You were brave."
She held on to him, allowing herself to break down in the safety of his embrace.
The ride back was quiet.
Yeri stared out the window, the city's lights blurring with unshed tears.
Soojin glanced back from the front seat. "It doesn't feel good, does it? Even when they deserve it."
Yeri stayed silent.
Soojin continued, softer now. "You'll learn to live with it. Not because you wanted it—but because you had to."
Back at the mansion, Yunjun poured her a glass of water and sat across from her in the garden. The full moon shone bright. The night was finally calm.
"You should rest," he said.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
He waited.
She finally looked up. "I thought revenge would fix something. I thought… maybe if he was gone, the fear would vanish too."
"And did it?"
She was quiet. Then, "Not yet."
Yunjun reached across the table and took her hand. "It will. Not all at once. But day by day. Night by night. You'll find yourself again."
"I'm afraid of forgetting who I was before all this."
"You won't," he said gently. "Because the girl you were is still here. And the woman you're becoming—she's stronger than either of us ever imagined."
Hours later, Yeri stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection. She barely recognized the person looking back.
There were scars now—some visible, some hidden.
But there was something else, too.
Resolve.
She picked up the bracelet Yunjun had given her and slipped it back onto her wrist. The little silver leaf glinted under the soft light.
For luck.
She closed her eyes.
For survival.
In the basement, Soojin stood alone in front of a wall covered with old family photos.
She lit a cigarette.
"You were a fool, Jack," she murmured. "You underestimated love."
She exhaled the smoke slowly, almost sadly.
"Your mistake."
Back upstairs, Yunjun lay beside Yeri, watching her sleep.
He still remembered the moment he met her—bruised, defiant, and silent.
Now, she was filled with fire, softness, and scars. And she was his.
Not as a matter of ownership.
But as a matter of purpose.
He kissed her shoulder gently, then lay back, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.
He didn't know what would come next.
But he knew one thing.
He would never, ever let anyone hurt her again.
To be continued.....
Hey 🦋.....
Please share your views on this story so that I can improve myself more and will give you more interesting stuff.....
To be continued...