K-pop fans and the world at large are thrown into turmoil when the rising global sensation Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known as BTS, are kidnapped in the dead of night. As the world reels in confusion, the young men of BTS find themselves living a ni...
At 8:30 PM KST it seemed as if the whole of South Korea was holding its breath. The news had spread to international news sites as well as social media and fan sites. All forms of communication were being stretched to the limit of technology as hundreds of thousands of people, both fans and news reporters alike, flooded them seeking information.
The signal started small, somewhere in the dark web. It quickly picked up speed, bypassing this firewall and that security system before finally crashing onto the public web. It had the impact of a small nuclear bomb when it went across the news services, quickly being picked up by international news sites and finally hitting the world with devastating force.
The ransom demand was a video. It started out shakily, the night vision lens picking up the bodies of BTS as they lay in a vehicle. It was clear that all the boys were unconscious, and the camera panned around showing the ties on their hands and feet.
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The screen went dark for 30 seconds and then a shadowy figure stepped into view. There was nothing in the room that gave even the smallest hint as to where it was being filmed. The figure kept itself in the safety of the shadows, giving no details as to whether it was male or female, its size or what it might weigh. When it spoke, some of the people watching wondered if the being was even human. The language being spoken was English but in no way did it sound human. It sounded robotic; translations scrolling across the screen as the figure spoke.
"We are holding the South Korean group, BTS, hostage. At this time they are alive and unharmed, but whether they are to stay that way is entirely up to Big Hit Entertainment. We are asking for 10 million U.S. dollars to be delivered to us in one month's time. We will contact Big Hit Entertainment the day before the deadline with our final instructions for the delivery of the money and the return of BTS."
The figure moved slightly, seeming to grow a little in size. The robotic words, for all their expressionless tone and flat delivery, still managed to convey a deadly intent with the next words.
"We have eyes and ears everywhere, and if at any time we feel the police or any law enforcement agency is close, we will send you pieces of those boys' bodies."
Before the screen went black there was one last sight of the unconscious group, only this time each had a gun pointed at their heads.
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