The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

3: Midnight's Victory

The lights flickered on, revealing Jihoon's men emerging from the shadows, weapons at the ready. The team's panic escalated as they realized they were vastly outnumbered, the odds stacked impossibly against them. Jihoon had planned this from the start, leading them to this very moment where he held all the cards.

Soonyoung's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to think of a way out, but his mind was blank. They were surrounded, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. There was no escape, no backup, no hope. "We're not done yet," Soonyoung growled, trying to muster some semblance of defiance, but it sounded hollow even to his own ears.

Jihoon's gaze hardened, his smile fading as he took a step closer. The air seemed to grow colder with each word he spoke. "You're done, Soonyoung. This is my world, and you're just a pawn in it. A pawn that has outlived its usefulness."

The realization hit Soonyoung like a punch to the gut. They had been so focused on catching Jihoon that they hadn't seen the bigger picture, hadn't realized that they were being manipulated from the very start. Jihoon had led them here, step by step, into a trap from which there was no escape.

"Say goodbye, Officer," Jihoon whispered, his voice soft yet laced with malice. He didn't even need to raise his voice to convey the threat; his mere presence was enough to paralyze them with fear.

"Fuck you," Soonyoung spat, his grip tightening on his gun even as he knew it was futile.

Jihoon tilted his head slightly, as if considering Soonyoung's words. And then, without warning, he signaled to his men. A single nod, and all hell broke loose.

Gunfire erupted, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. Soonyoung and his team fired back, but it was chaos, pure and utter chaos. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, the crack of bullets ricocheting off the walls, the shouts of men as they fell. It was a massacre.

Jihoon watched from a safe distance, his eyes cold and detached as he observed the carnage. To him, this was merely another step in his plan, another obstacle removed from his path. He had no qualms, no hesitation in ordering the slaughter of those who stood in his way.

Soonyoung barely had time to react before he felt a searing pain in his side, the force of the bullet knocking him to the ground. He gasped, clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers, the realization hitting him like a freight train. They were going to die here. Jihoon had orchestrated their deaths with the same meticulous care he applied to every part of his empire.

"Soon...young," Jiya's voice was weak, trembling as she crawled towards him, her face pale and streaked with blood. She had been hit too, her shoulder torn open by a bullet. She was barely holding on, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. "I'm sorry... I thought..."

"It's not your fault," Soonyoung whispered, his voice strained as he tried to reach for her, but his strength was fading fast. "It's... Jihoon... He... He played us."

Jiya's eyes were glassy, her grip on his hand weak. She knew they weren't going to make it. They had walked into Jihoon's trap like lambs to the slaughter, and now they were paying the price.

In the end, as the last of his team fell, Soonyoung's vision began to blur. The warehouse, once a symbol of their impending victory, was now their tomb. The sounds of the massacre faded into the background, replaced by the deafening silence of death.

Jihoon approached slowly, his expression calm, almost serene as he stood over Soonyoung's broken body. "You should have stayed out of my business," Jihoon murmured, crouching down to look Soonyoung in the eye one last time. "This was inevitable, Officer. You were never going to win."

Soonyoung's vision darkened, his body growing colder with each passing second. He had failed—failed his team, failed the mission, failed to bring Jihoon to justice. As his final breath left his lips, the last thing he saw was Jihoon's cold, calculating smile, and the knowledge that the Midnight gang would continue to thrive, their reign of terror far from over.