Chapter 19: Fractured Trust

Days blurred together after the confrontation with the factions, the uneasy peace within Lotus stretched thin, as if it might snap at the slightest touch.

Seo-jin felt the tension every morning when he woke, coiled like wire around his ribs, tight and restless.

It was almost midday when Min-ji burst into his room without knocking, eyes bright, jacket half-unzipped, hair tangled and wild.

"Up," she demanded, grabbing his wrist and tugging sharply. "We've got company."

Seo-jin stumbled upright, heart jolting into his throat.

"Who?"

Min-ji flashed him a crooked smile, but there was something sharp behind it.

"Our shadowy friend. Valkyrie girl."

Seo-jin's stomach tightened.

"Sun-hee?"

"That's the one," Min-ji said, dragging him into the hallway. "Came alone, no backup. Wants to talk privately."

They moved quickly to the meeting hall, tension humming along the cracked walls. Sun-hee waited calmly at the battered table, fingers laced loosely together, eyes steady and unreadable.

"Seo-jin," she greeted him softly, nodding. "Min-ji."

Seo-jin slid into a seat opposite her, studying her carefully.

"You said you'd support us quietly," he reminded her cautiously. "Not sure this counts."

Sun-hee's mouth twitched slightly.

"It doesn't," she admitted calmly. "Things have changed."

Min-ji dropped into a chair, legs kicked up casually onto the table, feigning ease despite her narrowed eyes.

"Already? That was fast."

Sun-hee glanced briefly at Min-ji, a flicker of amusement crossing her features.

"Crimson Shield decided Lotus is an unacceptable threat. Black Sun is waiting to see how things unfold. But they won't wait forever."

Seo-jin's fists clenched beneath the table.

"What do you mean 'threat'? We're barely surviving."

Sun-hee's eyes softened slightly, something almost sympathetic behind the steel.

"Seo-jin, you and Min-ji represent something dangerous. Unpredictable. Powerful."

Min-ji leaned forward, teeth bared in a sharp smile.

"Dangerous? That sounds like a compliment."

Sun-hee studied her evenly.

"Maybe it is. But compliments don't stop bullets."

Silence settled heavily.

Seo-jin felt a cold, familiar dread creeping into his chest. He knew what she was about to say before the words left her lips.

"They're planning an attack," Sun-hee said bluntly. "Soon. If you don't join Valkyrie, Lotus might not survive."

Seo-jin's jaw tightened painfully.

"We're not joining anyone."

Sun-hee nodded once, accepting without surprise.

"Then let me help you another way," she offered quietly.

Min-ji raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Sun-hee reached slowly into her jacket, pulling out a small, glowing shard—a fragment core, vibrant with energy.

Seo-jin tensed instinctively.

"What is that?"

"Information," Sun-hee said softly. "A location. A hidden fragment vault controlled by Crimson Shield. Take it, destroy it, destabilize them before they strike you."

Seo-jin stared at the shard warily, uncertainty clawing at his throat.

"Why risk yourself like this?"

Sun-hee smiled faintly, sadness at the edges.

"Because I know what it's like," she said. "To fight alone, without options."

Seo-jin hesitated a moment longer, then reached out and took the shard.

Sun-hee stood smoothly.

"Good luck," she said simply, already turning away. "You'll need it."

She left silently, door clicking shut like the lid on a coffin.

**

The debate afterward was furious.

Ko growled threats, Ha-eun pleaded caution, Min-ji argued recklessness.

Seo-jin sat quietly through it all, the shard glowing faintly in his palm.

Finally, silence descended again.

Min-ji looked at him, eyes hard but questioning.

"It's your call," she said quietly.

Seo-jin met her gaze.

"We strike first."

**

Nightfall found them moving swiftly through Sector Seven, toward the coordinates Sun-hee had given them.

Buildings leaned over them, jagged and broken, watching silently as they passed.

Min-ji stayed close, quieter than usual, eyes sharp and alert.

"You think this is a trap?" she asked suddenly, breaking their long silence.

Seo-jin shook his head slowly.

"I trust her."

Min-ji shot him a look, faintly amused.

"Soft heart."

Seo-jin smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

The vault was hidden beneath an abandoned warehouse, sealed behind rusted doors and layers of fragment-shielding.

Min-ji pressed her palm against the door, feeling it hum beneath her touch.

"Ready?" she whispered.

Seo-jin nodded.

Together, they surged forward.

**

The fight was brutal and swift.

Guards appeared from shadows, weapons drawn, fragments crackling like lightning.

Seo-jin reacted instinctively, space cracking and bending around him, bullets ricocheting uselessly into walls.

Min-ji fought beside him, fierce and relentless, wind slicing through enemies, scattering them like leaves.

Their movements were synchronized, perfectly balanced.

Yet the deeper they pushed, the harder resistance became.

They reached the vault door—massive, shielded, pulsing with power.

Min-ji glanced at him, breathless, smiling faintly through blood smears.

"On three?"

Seo-jin smiled grimly.

"One."

She braced, fragment energy building around her fists.

"Two."

Seo-jin closed his eyes briefly, focusing all his power.

"Three."

**

The explosion tore through the vault, blinding and deafening.

Fragment cores shattered like glass, scattering energy wildly in every direction.

Seo-jin staggered, pain lancing through his body. He felt Min-ji grab his arm, dragging him toward the exit as debris rained around them.

They burst into open air, coughing, choking, stumbling.

They collapsed against a broken wall, gasping for breath.

When the dust settled, Min-ji started laughing, soft at first, then louder, wilder.

Seo-jin stared at her incredulously.

"What's funny?"

She turned, eyes bright, hair wild, cheeks streaked with dirt.

"We're insane," she said simply, grinning.

He laughed too, despite everything.

**

Back at Lotus, they collapsed into battered chairs, exhausted beyond words.

Ko eyed them warily.

"Success?"

Seo-jin nodded weakly.

Min-ji gave a tired thumbs-up.

Ko shook his head, mouth twitching slightly.

"You two are trouble."

"True," Min-ji muttered, eyes half-lidded, "but you love us."

Ko snorted, but something softer flickered briefly in his expression before he turned away.

**

Later, Seo-jin found Min-ji on the rooftop again, staring out at the fractured city.

He sat beside her quietly.

For a while, they simply watched the lights flicker and fade, listening to distant sirens and fragment storms.

Finally, Min-ji spoke, voice low and rough with exhaustion.

"You think it'll ever stop?"

Seo-jin looked at her.

The fierce gleam was gone from her eyes, replaced by something fragile, uncertain.

He reached out, fingertips brushing her knuckles.

"I don't know," he admitted softly. "Maybe not."

She turned her hand slowly, interlacing their fingers loosely.

"But at least," she said quietly, eyes locked with his, "we won't face it alone."

Seo-jin felt warmth bloom gently in his chest.

He squeezed her hand once.

"No," he murmured softly. "Never alone."