Shadows: The Black Star

Chapter Twenty Two

Nayeon locked herself in her room the whole night, while Jeongyeon was in the training room, punching bags and training herself beyond her limits.

Mina and Minnie treated the still unconscious Joy and Lisa, their lovers waiting patiently for them to finish.

Chaeyoung and Umji worked all night to track the men who kidnapped the child, not even stopping to eat as they did all their might.

Sinb stared at the window as she began to cry, touching the part where the tattoo was supposed to be placed in if she stayed at the syndicate.

"Yah, why are you crying?" Yerin asked, as Sinb wiped her tears and looked at Yerin.

"I'll... I'll surrender myself to get the child back." Sinb said, as Yerin widened her eyes.

"No. Umji and Chaeyoung are doing everything they can to fix this. We just have to wait--"

"I remember everything perfectly, eonnie. I know that out of pity for me, you pretended to be my wife just for me to be happy in those four years. I can remember everything on the first night that we slept together. I can feel your disgust every time, eonnie. You said you were here to avenge yourself to what the syndicate did to you and your boyfriend. I'll help you by not being a burden to you--"

Yerin kissed her, Sinb's cold facade breaking down completely as she broke down, crying as she pulled away from Yerin.

"Don't do anything foolish, Sinb. I can't lose you again."

Sinb nodded, as she wiped her tears.

"Did you... Did you talk to her, eonnie?"

"Hmm?"

"Moonbyul eonnie. Did you talk to her already?"

In the midst of all the chaos with Hana being missing, Yerin momentarily forgot that the one who shot her Sinb.

"Do you want to come with me?" Yerin said, the anger slowly seeping in her mind as Sinb nodded, putting on a hoodie that Yerin gave her in the four years they were together, her hand touching the place were the gunshot scar was.

The two made their way to the leader room as it was called, where Moonbyul and Seulgi was in.

"Here's the one who wanted to talk to you for a long time, Byul. Good luck." Seulgi said, going out and putting a hand on Yerin's shoulder, then left.

"Moonbyul-ssi." Yerin uttered, trying to suppress their anger.

"Yong Sun called you three years ago by my request to her, to clarify everything. I have nothing more to say." Moonbyul said, as Yerin gritted her teeth, her grip on Sinb tightening but the younger didn't mind.

"But if you insist, I would." Moonbyul said, as Sinb pulled Yerin to sit down in front of the former leader.

"I was tasked to bring down the agency and let the syndicate win against all of you. I instigated the attack on Yerim, the ambush of Heejin and the others, for Seulgi to be found in the agency, for the attack on your new base to happen two days after you moved in, baited Jennie Kim into giving the base's location to the syndicate, to include Seungwan in the attack on the base, shot Sinb to have you all back off from the syndicate and lie low in the four years that the syndicate controlled everything." Moonbyul said, as Yerin widened her eyes at the new information, her anger going up.

"Why... Why did you do that?"

"Because Yong Sun's life was in danger."

[Moonbyul]

["It's just a simple request, Moon Byul Yi."] Eric said, as I grit my teeth and grip the phone hard.

"I can't do that. Stop calling me--"

["What if I told you that I had doctors to put a chip that could control Yong Sun's heart? That with a push of a button, your beautiful Solar would die. Would you want that, Byul?"] Eric said, and I laugh nervously.

"You're just bluffing. There's no way in hell that you would have something like that--"

A scream broke my thoughts as I dropped the phone and ran towards Yong Sun's office, and found her sprawled on the office floor.

With my quick senses I was able to revive her, and made her rest the day as I found myself angry at what he was doing.

["I'm not bluffing, Byul. Follow my orders and your Yong Sun will live."]

[\Moonbyul]

"I became a pawn of the syndicate for those years, and followed every order in fear that Yong Sun will die if I wouldn't. But in the four years that the syndicate took control, I was able to get the chip out of Yong Sun and made her go to the US to lie low for a while, and I thought of ways to bring the syndicate down. " Moonbyul said, as Yerin just stared at her.

"I'm sorry if I shot Sinb to start a war. I never meant to do that, I was just protecting Yong Sun. It's okay if you kill or shoot me now--"

Yerin began to cry, and landed a solid punch on Moonbyul, making the girl stagger backwards, Sinb preventing Yerin from moving towards Moonbyul.

"Hey... I've forgiven her, you should too." Sinb said, as Yerin sighed.

"Alright. I forgive you... But if you do that again I won't hesitate to shoot you on your head."

★

Sojung's hands shook as she remembered the date tomorrow, the date where she would die first before Eunha.

Her death was set; when they were caught, Eric himself came and gave them options.

To say where their friends are or work in four years and die.

Sojung chose the second option, adding a condition that Eunha will not be made to work in the slave system that the syndicate implemented.

B

ut tomorrow she was going to be executed, with Eunha watching her death.

Oh, how she wished someone would rescue her--

"Get out." a feminine voice said, as Sojung widened her eyes at the hooded figure outside her cell.

"No... I can't die today! They said tomorrow, I need to go see Eunha--"

"Get out before I change my mind and leave you here, Kim Sojung." the figure said again, as Sojung widened her eyes and got out quietly, following the figure towards the exit.

"Go to the van and drive towards where the GPS is set. Faster!" the hooded figure said, running away as Sojung followed the order and drove away--

The building where the slaves are imprisoned suddenly blew up, ravaged with fire as Sojung widened her eyes.

" Andwae. Eunha! No, Eunha--"

"You're so noisy, eonnie." Eunha said, behind her, the small girl moving towards the shotgun seat and smiling at Sojung.

"Let's go to the base, shall we?" Eunha said, as she held Sojung's hand tight.