The Tipping Point

The night was thick with tension, the moon hidden behind layers of restless clouds. Within the stronghold of the Black Moon Sect, paranoia was spreading like poison.

Another body had been found.

This time, it was Jang Myung-Ho, one of Wu-Jin's senior officers—a man who had once stood by his side through countless battles. He had been discovered in his chambers, his throat slit so cleanly that there was barely a drop of blood out of place.

It wasn't just an execution. It was a message.

And Wu-Jin had finally taken the bait.

The Crack in the Armor

The grand hall of the sect was in chaos. Wu-Jin stood at the center, his face twisted in a mix of fury and unease. His once-loyal officers lined the walls, their eyes darting between one another, filled with uncertainty.

Jin Tae-Hyun, hidden within the shadows of the rafters, watched the scene unfold. Everything was going according to plan.

Wu-Jin slammed his fist against the table, the sound echoing through the hall. "Who the fuck dares to betray me?" His voice was like thunder, but there was something else beneath it—fear.

One of the officers stepped forward hesitantly. "Sect Leader, we… we need to consider the possibility that someone within our ranks is working against us."

Wu-Jin's glare was sharp enough to cut steel. "Are you saying I'm surrounded by traitors?"

No one dared to answer.

Jin smirked. That silence said everything.

Wu-Jin clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching near the hilt of his sword. He was starting to second-guess everything, unsure of who he could trust. That doubt would be his undoing.

Feeding the Fire

Slipping away from the rafters, Jin moved through the inner halls of the sect, heading toward the lower barracks. He had one more thing to take care of tonight.

His target: Commander Go Hwan.

Go Hwan was a ruthless warrior, one of Wu-Jin's remaining pillars of support. But he was also a man ruled by greed.

Jin had made sure word reached him—a rumor that Wu-Jin no longer trusted his own officers, and that executions would continue until he felt safe again.

And if Go Hwan had half a brain, he'd know that meant his own head was next.

As Jin entered the dimly lit chamber, Go Hwan was already waiting, his knuckles white around the handle of his sword.

"You have a death wish, boy," the commander growled.

Jin chuckled, stepping forward without hesitation. "If that were true, I wouldn't be standing here."

Go Hwan's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

Jin leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "To offer you a way out."

The commander scoffed. "And why the hell would I trust you?"

Jin's smirk deepened. "Because I know something you don't. Wu-Jin already suspects you."

A flicker of doubt crossed Go Hwan's face. He didn't speak, but Jin could see the wheels turning in his mind. He was considering it.

"I'm not telling you to betray him," Jin continued. "I'm telling you to save yourself. You can stay and wait for Wu-Jin to turn on you… or you can act first."

Go Hwan was silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, he exhaled.

"…What do you want from me?"

Jin grinned. Hook, line, and sinker.

The First Major Fracture

By dawn, the Black Moon Sect was in complete turmoil.

Wu-Jin woke to the news that Go Hwan had disappeared.

Gone. Vanished without a trace.

It was the worst possible outcome for him—because it meant that even his strongest subordinates were starting to abandon him.

For the first time in his rule, Wu-Jin felt powerless.

And that was exactly what Jin Tae-Hyun wanted.

The Cliffhanger

In the dead of night, as Jin walked through the silent streets, he felt the shift.

Wu-Jin wasn't just paranoid anymore. He was desperate.

Desperate men made reckless choices.

And reckless choices led to total destruction.

Jin smiled to himself.

The collapse of the Black Moon Sect had already begun.