The atmosphere in the safe house felt electric. Every keystroke, every flicker on the monitors seemed charged with the weight of what was coming. Euihyun's heart pounded, his pulse in sync with the quiet hum of their equipment. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to go down.
For hours, Blue Rider had been silent. No more taunts, no more attacks—just eerie quiet. And that scared Euihyun more than anything. Blue Rider didn't strike him as the type to retreat quietly. He had to be planning something.
Across the room, Taejoo sat calmly, his focus locked on the screens in front of him. If he was feeling the pressure, he didn't show it. In fact, he seemed almost... excited.
Euihyun shifted in his seat, stealing a glance at Taejoo. "Why's he gone quiet? You think we scared him off?"
Taejoo didn't look away from the screen as he spoke, his voice steady. "He's not gone. He's regrouping. Waiting for the right moment."
Euihyun chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling the weight of Taejoo's words. He knew Blue Rider was dangerous, but he couldn't shake the curiosity building inside him about the other hacker—the one Taejoo was clearly keeping under wraps.
"You know," Euihyun began, hesitating slightly, "if there's something you're not telling me, now would be a good time."
Taejoo finally turned to look at him, a small smile playing at his lips. "I've told you everything you need to know, Euihyun. The rest... you'll figure out soon enough."
Euihyun stared back at him, his frustration rising. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Taejoo."
Taejoo chuckled softly, his teasing nature slipping through once more. "I'm not keeping you in the dark. I'm just saving the best part for last."
Before Euihyun could respond, a loud alert blared from the monitors. Both of them turned their attention to the screens, where a flurry of new code was racing across their systems. It was fast—too fast to be random.
Euihyun's heart leapt into his throat. "He's back."
But something was different this time. Blue Rider's signature coding was there, but it was... scattered, disjointed, like he was trying to force his way in with brute strength. It didn't have the calculated precision of his earlier attacks.
Taejoo's eyes narrowed, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "He's panicking."
Euihyun blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Taejoo leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Blue Rider doesn't like competition. Our friend—the one that's been messing with him—has him on the ropes."
Sure enough, within seconds, another wave of code appeared on the screen, this one slick and precise. It moved like a predator stalking its prey, systematically dismantling Blue Rider's attempts to breach their defenses. The mysterious hacker was back—and this time, it seemed personal.
Euihyun could hardly believe his eyes. "Who is this guy?"
Taejoo's smirk widened, but he didn't answer. Instead, he watched the digital battle unfold, his gaze sharp and focused.
The monitors lit up with a flurry of activity as the unknown hacker drove Blue Rider further into a corner, cutting off his escape routes one by one. Euihyun couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of awe and fear. Whoever this hacker was, they were leagues beyond anything he'd ever seen before—even beyond Blue Rider.
Blue Rider's last line of defense crumbled, and then, just like that, the screen went black.
For a moment, the silence was deafening. Euihyun held his breath, waiting for something—anything—to happen. But the only sound in the room was the soft tapping of Taejoo's fingers on the keys as he ran a scan, searching for any lingering traces of Blue Rider's presence.
"He's gone," Taejoo said finally, his voice calm and collected. "For now."
Euihyun exhaled, slumping back in his chair. "Gone? Just like that?"
Taejoo's smirk returned. "He'll be back. But next time, we'll be ready."
Euihyun wasn't so sure. As impressive as their mysterious ally had been, something about this felt... off. Too easy. Too clean. He glanced over at Taejoo, who was still watching the screens with an almost amused expression on his face.
"You seem awfully relaxed for someone who just watched one of the most dangerous hackers in the world get taken down," Euihyun said, narrowing his eyes.
Taejoo shrugged. "Like I said, this isn't over."
Before Euihyun could press him further, another message appeared on the screen, this time from the unknown hacker. The words were simple, direct, and chilling.
Dark Jaguar: See you soon, Blue Rider.
Euihyun froze. "Dark... Jaguar?"
Taejoo's smirk grew into a full-blown grin as he turned to face Euihyun. "You like it? I came up with it years ago."
Euihyun stared at him, the pieces finally clicking into place. "You... you're Dark Jaguar?"
Taejoo's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he leaned back in his chair, stretching his long limbs casually. "Took you long enough."
Euihyun's mind raced, his heart hammering in his chest. All this time—through every attack, every countermeasure—Taejoo had been holding back, pretending to struggle while secretly leading the charge as Dark Jaguar. The realization hit him like a freight train. Taejoo hadn't been outmatched by Blue Rider at all. He'd been toying with him, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"You—" Euihyun started, but his words faltered as he tried to process everything. "You knew?"
Taejoo's grin softened into something more genuine, his teasing demeanor fading slightly as he regarded Euihyun with a mixture of pride and affection. "I told you. You didn't need to worry. I had it under control."
Euihyun shook his head, still in disbelief. "But... why didn't you tell me?"
Taejoo leaned forward, his expression serious now. "Because I needed to be sure. I needed Blue Rider to think we were on the ropes, that he was in control. If he had any idea who he was really up against, he would've never made a move."
Euihyun stared at him, a strange sense of admiration swelling inside him. Taejoo had played everyone—Blue Rider, their mysterious allies, even him. And he'd done it all without breaking a sweat.
"So what now?" Euihyun asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Taejoo's smile returned, but this time it carried a dangerous edge. "Now? Now we finish this."
To Be Continued ...
Hope you really like this chapter....❤️❤️❤️
