Author: [writers hub]
Madam Yoon-Hee's grip was shockingly strong, her eyes blazing with an icy fury that mirrored the chaos engulfing the hall. "Going somewhere, Mrs. Botermet?" she repeated, her voice low and dangerous, audible only to Zara over the deafening roar of the crowd. Behind her, two grim-faced Botermet traditional guards formed an impenetrable wall, their gazes fixed on Zara.
"Let me go!" Zara strained against the iron grip, her eyes darting to Ragnar, who was now visibly struggling against the surge of hostile syndicate members and the encroaching mercenaries. Director Ahn and a handful of Shadow Wolves were forming a desperate perimeter, but they were outnumbered, outmaneuvered.
"And allow you to further disgrace this family?" Madam Yoon-Hee scoffed, her disdain cutting. "This farce must end, Zara. Ragnar's foolishness has finally caught up to him. This is the consequence of abandoning our traditions for your illegitimate ventures." Her gaze hardened. "You will stand aside. This is a family matter, and you are merely... a temporary arrangement."
Zara stared at her, a horrifying realization dawning. Madam Yoon-Hee wasn't just protecting family honor; she was tacitly supporting Mae-Yeon's coup. Perhaps she truly believed Ragnar had strayed too far, or perhaps she saw this as an opportunity to reinforce the traditional power structure. Either way, she was a willing participant in Ragnar's downfall.
"He's being framed!" Zara cried, desperation lacing her voice. "This is a deepfake! Mae-Yeon is behind it, and she's trying to steal the Botermet Trust!"
Madam Yoon-Hee's perfect composure didn't even waver. "Nonsense. Ragnar's actions speak for themselves. The evidence is clear." Her grip tightened, digging into Zara's arm. "You will be confined to your suite until this… unpleasantness is resolved. For your own safety, of course."
The patronizing tone, combined with the escalating danger to Ragnar, ignited a spark of pure defiance in Zara. She wasn't just a temporary arrangement. She was Ragnar's reluctant ally, the keeper of Mae-Yeon's secrets, and the only one who truly understood the full scope of the betrayal. She would not be a mere spectator to his demise.
Zara took a desperate, calculated risk. She met Madam Yoon-Hee's gaze, her voice dropping to a low, intense whisper. "And what about Mae-Yeon's deeper plan, Madam? The 'Collector'? The unraveling of secrets not just about Ragnar, but about the entire Botermet family's history? The real, unflattering truths that even you, Madam, might find... inconvenient?"
A flicker of something unreadable, something akin to unease, crossed Madam Yoon-Hee's eyes. It was fleeting, quickly masked, but Zara had seen it. Mae-Yeon's journal contained secrets that went beyond Ragnar, secrets that could implicate other elders, other traditionalists who might believe they were merely supporting a return to "tradition," not a total usurpation led by a fanatic.
"You speak in riddles," Madam Yoon-Hee snapped, but her grip loosened ever so slightly.
It was all Zara needed. With a sudden, explosive burst of strength, she twisted free. The guards reacted instantly, but Zara was already moving. She ducked under Madam Yoon-Hee's arm, a desperate, almost reckless move. The two traditional guards lunged, but Zara, remembering the cramped spaces of the tunnels, darted towards a decorative potted plant, sending it crashing to the marble floor. The shattering ceramic and the startled yelps of nearby guests created a fresh ripple of chaos.
She used the brief distraction to surge forward, pushing through the last few bewildered bystanders, her eyes locked on Ragnar. He was now surrounded on the stage, the mercenaries closing in, his own Shadow Wolves fighting desperately to keep them back. The deepfake still blared, a constant, poisonous hum.
"Ragnar!" Zara screamed again, her voice raw.
He saw her, his eyes widening in surprise, then grim understanding. He knew she had broken through. Just as one of Mae-Yeon's mercenaries lunged at Ragnar, aiming a dark, heavy object at his head, Zara saw Director Ahn, battling fiercely near the stage steps, make a desperate, almost suicidal lunge towards Ragnar. He reached Ragnar, pulling him back just as the mercenary's blow connected with the air where Ragnar's head had been, sending sparks flying as it struck the stage lighting instead.
The mercenary, furious at missing his target, spun, his eyes landing on Zara, who was now just feet from the stage, utterly exposed. His face contorted with a chilling recognition. "The girl from the tunnels!" he snarled, abandoning Ragnar for the moment, and charging directly at Zara, a heavy, silenced pistol already appearing in his hand. Zara stumbled back, her eyes wide with terror, realizing that Mae-Yeon's forces were far more extensive, and far more lethal, than she had imagined, and her presence was no longer a distraction, but a direct, targeted threat, leaving her vulnerable and unarmed as the assassin bore down on her, with Ragnar still trapped in the growing chaos on stage, unable to reach her.