Echoes of a Lost Love

Chapter 4: The Final Sacrifice

The sun was setting, casting a blood-red glow over the crowded square as people gathered to witness the spectacle. Word had spread like wildfire—Y/N, the notorious mafia queen, was about to face her final punishment. Some were there to celebrate her downfall, others to mourn it, but all eyes were on the platform in the center of the square where the police had placed her, bound and broken.

Jungkook stood among the crowd, his heart a heavy knot in his chest. He could barely think straight. The world around him was a haze of shouting voices, flashing cameras, and murmurs of anticipation. His head throbbed, and every breath felt like it might shatter him.

He had made a decision, one that he now deeply regretted. Y/N, the woman he once loved with all his heart, was about to be executed in front of the world. And he had let it happen.

Y/N was dragged onto the platform by the police, her wrists bound in chains that rattled with every weak step she tried to take. She was unrecognizable—her face bruised, her body emaciated from weeks of torture. Her once-strong frame now looked fragile, broken by the brutality she had endured. But despite her suffering, her eyes still held a flicker of defiance, of unyielding strength.

The crowd roared, a mixture of hatred and sorrow. Many cheered for her death, convinced she deserved to pay for her crimes, but there were others—those whose lives she had touched in ways no one understood—who begged for mercy. They cried out to Jungkook, pleading with him to stop this madness.

"Please, Jungkook!" a woman sobbed, clutching her child. "She saved my family! She protected us when no one else would! Don't let them kill her!"

"She's not the monster they say she is!" another voice shouted from the back. "She helped us, she helped so many of us! This isn't justice!"

Jungkook's heart twisted painfully at their words. He knew they were right. Despite everything, despite her past, Y/N had done good. She had saved lives, protected the innocent, and in her own way, she had tried to redeem herself. But none of that seemed to matter now. The weight of her mafia ties, the accusation of his mother's death—it was too much for the public, too much for him to bear.

Y/N was forced to her knees, her body trembling from exhaustion. Her vision blurred as she looked out at the crowd, but her gaze was fixed on one person. Jungkook.

He stood there, frozen, his hands clenched into fists, his face pale. The guilt in his eyes was unmistakable, but he didn't move. He couldn't. It was as though an invisible force kept him rooted to the spot, unable to stop what was about to happen.

The police officer in charge stepped forward, gun in hand. His expression was cold, indifferent, as if this was just another day on the job. He raised the weapon, aiming it at Y/N's heart.

"Do you have any last words?" he asked, his voice echoing through the square.

Y/N's lips trembled as she struggled to speak. She felt weak, too weak to even hold her head up, but she managed to turn her gaze towards Jungkook. Despite everything—despite the betrayal, the torture, the inevitable death awaiting her—her eyes softened when they met his. There was no hatred there, no blame. Only love. Love and acceptance.

With shaky, bloodied hands, Y/N reached into her tattered clothing and pulled out a small object—a pendrive. Her fingers quivered as she held it up, struggling to move. The chains around her wrists clinked with every motion as she crawled towards Jungkook, her body dragging along the rough, dirty ground. Every movement was agony, but she forced herself to keep going.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Y/N, barely able to lift her head, crawled inch by inch towards the man she loved.

Jungkook's breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide with horror. He wanted to run to her, to stop this, but he couldn't move. His body was paralyzed with fear and regret. He could hear the pleas of the people around him, but it all sounded distant, like a dream he couldn't wake from.

Y/N finally reached him, collapsing at his feet. She looked up at him, her once-bright eyes now dull with pain. With all the strength she had left, she lifted the pendrive towards him, her hand trembling violently. Tears streaked her dirt-smeared cheeks, but there was a small, fragile smile on her lips.

"Jungkook," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... but... this... this will explain everything..."

Jungkook's hands shook as he reached down to take the pendrive from her. His heart shattered at the sight of her, so broken, so fragile. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. Not like this.

Before he could say anything, before he could beg for forgiveness or tell her how much he still loved her, the officer stepped forward. The cold click of the gun's safety being turned off echoed through the silent square.

Jungkook's eyes widened in horror. "No!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "Stop!"

But it was too late.

The gunshot rang out, piercing the heavy silence. Y/N's body jerked violently as the bullet struck her chest, right where her heart should be. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze in time. The world held its breath.

Y/N's body slumped to the ground, her eyes still locked on Jungkook as the life slowly drained from them. Her fragile smile remained, even as her last breath left her lips.

Jungkook fell to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he reached for her. "Y/N..." he whispered, his voice choked with tears. "No... no, please..."

But she was gone. The woman he had loved, the woman he had betrayed, was dead.

The crowd erupted into chaos—some cheering, others weeping, but Jungkook heard none of it. All he could see was Y/N's lifeless body, the blood pooling around her, staining the ground red. His hands shook as he held the pendrive, the weight of it unbearable.

As the world around him crumbled, Jungkook realized the truth too late. He had lost her, and with her, he had lost everything.