Game 3 began, and the warehouse seemed to hold its breath. Every eye, every camera, every monitor was fixed on the battlefield. These games weren't like the others played earlier tonight, they were different. Heavier. Sharper. Personal.
The crowd roared with excitement, but Ha-Eun's gaze scanned the chaos. Something or someone that didn't belong.
Soo-Yeon.
She moved silently among the Red Pulse members, whispering with urgency. Her posture was tense, her eyes darting. Ha-Eun followed, careful not to be noticed.
A muffled conversation drifted through the noise.
"What are we going to do?" one member asked nervously.
"I'm thinking!" another snapped.
"Shut up! The plan isn't working anymore. Ever since that other girl came into the picture," Soo-Yeon's voice cut through the whispers.
"Oh, so you're jealous!" a teasing voice replied.
"I'm not! This is about the mission. She's making it harder."
"Yeah… because you can't wrap him around your fingers anymore," came the mocking reply.
"You lost your chance, missy!" another chimed in.
"Now it's our turn!" someone added.
Soo-Yeon's face hardened. "What's the plan then, genius?"
"We think Min is going to win. When he does, we jump him before he leaves his chair," a member said quietly.
Ha-Eun gasped softly, pressing herself against the wall, straining to hear without being noticed.
"I don't think the boss will go for that," another member muttered.
"Don't worry about him," a cold, commanding voice cut in.
It was Han-Ryeong. And behind him stood Donghae, Min's former best friend.
"Do-Gyun's time is near," Donghae continued, eyes glinting with ambition. "And it's my time to take over."
"But Hyung! That's mutiny!" one member protested.
"If you don't like it, leave. Anyone else can too," Donghae said, his tone final.
A Red Pulse member got up to leave. The crowd in the warehouse barely noticed the tension, but the camera lenses caught everything. As soon as he took a step, Han-Ryeong flicked his fingers. Two other Red Pulse members lunged, beating the man severely.
"Now, who else wants to leave?" Han-Ryeong asked. No one answered.
"Okay. Let's begin the plan," Donghae said, voice low but sharp. "Regardless of the result, we grab Min fast enough that he wishes he'd never return. Just before the rest of his crew intervenes."
Soo-Yeon's brow furrowed. "You think this plan will work? What about everyone else here?"
"We control this place. The boss likes a fair game, but we don't and so do a lot of folks. Let's move. Keep it silent. Keep it clean. No one can know."
Ha-Eun's heart pounded. She ducked back toward the Warlocks' area. Chan-Sik was heading to the bathroom.
"Hey! Hey!" she called quietly, careful not to draw attention. He didn't hear her.
But she caught MC ORCA. Pulling him aside, she explained what she'd overheard.
"No way. Are you for real?" Orca whispered, eyes widening.
Ha-Eun nodded. "We need to warn the others. Now."
Orca's jaw tightened. "I'll find Chan-Sik. We'll figure this out."
As Ha-Eun slipped back to her spot, she almost collided with Soo-Yeon.
"It's you. What do you want?" Soo-Yeon asked sharply.
Ha-Eun squared her shoulders. "What's your endgame here?"
"What do you mean?" Soo-Yeon replied, eyes flashing.
"Do you really not care about Min at all?" Ha-Eun pressed.
"I only care about me. Min was..." She paused. "Is an after-thought" she continued.
"So you'll do whatever it takes to get what you want?"
"Yes. And stay out of my way… or there'll be a problem."
A few Red Pulse members flanked her. Ha-Eun retreated, heart hammering, but before she reached her seat, the scoreboard caught her eye. Min had won. The match was tied again: 2–2.
The crowd's cheers shook the warehouse. Game 5 was loading. The tension wasn't just on the screen, it was everywhere.
Ha-Eun scanned for allies. Sung-Woo was the only familiar face. Hye-Jin returned from the restrooms, oblivious to the danger.
"Why do you look so worried?" Hye-Jin asked.
"We should be worried," Ha-Eun replied.
The countdown for Game 5 began. The arena lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the remaining Red Pulse members took their positions.
The game started.
And with it, the darkness began to move.
Min's hands hovered over the keyboard, calm but electric. Every movement is precise. Do-Gyun's fingers flew with predator-like focus.
From the Warlocks' side, tension rippled:
Hye-Jin clutched her chair. "He's… he's actually smiling," she whispered.Sung-Woo leaned forward, sweating. "Do-Gyun… he's going for a double feint. Look at the expansions…"
The first minute passed in a blur. Units clashed at the center of the map, sparks of micro brilliance and brutal counterattacks. Min's army flowed like water, dodging, weaving, retaliating. The crowd could sense it; even without knowing StarCraft's language, everyone knew a master was at work.
Ha-Eun's heart thumped. Red Pulse members were slipping into positions, hidden exits, darkened corners, ready to strike. Soo-Yeon's eyes followed Min like a hawk. She can't seem to see Chan-Sik or MC ORCA.
Then came the first feint.
Do-Gyun sent empty dropships across the map as bait. Min's mutalisks intercepted and destroyed them, but that opened a window. Do-Gyun's main force surged elsewhere, attacking the front expansion.
"Not again…" Hye-Jin gasped.
Min split his army instantly. Every unit microed with near-superhuman precision. But the pressure was heavier than just the game, but the knowledge that Red Pulse was closing in around him.
The battlefield erupted.
Hydralisks darted in to harass siege tanks.Do-Gyun countered with precise drops.Min's mutas swarmed the enemy's mineral lines, crippling production.Red Pulse's enforcers shifted in the real world, preparing the ambush.
Every strike, retreat, and advance felt like a heartbeat, a breath, a heartbeat again.
Min's army faltered, not from lack of skill, but strategic exhaustion. Each lost unit was a piece of the puzzle. Every second, a tightening noose.
Hye-Jin whispered to herself, "Min is not looking so good!"
A tap on her shoulder. MC ORCA's eyes were hard, laser-focused. "He's still in it. So are we."
Min feinted, leaving his expansion seemingly exposed. Do-Gyun took the bait, pouring in everything. Min's hidden army erupted from the shadows—a perfect flank, surgical and merciless.
The scoreboard froze. The crowd held its breath.
Then… a message flashed on-screen:
"You're fast, but are you fast enough?"
The scoreboard glowed: 3–2. Min was ahead.
The warehouse throbbed with excitement, but Ha-Eun's stomach twisted. Victory in the game meant nothing if Red Pulse made their move now. Chan-Sik and MC ORCA were nowhere in sight. Every shadow felt heavier, every movement in the crowd sharper. Soo-Yeon's gaze lingered, unreadable, and dangerous.
Min's fingers hovered over the keyboard, the calm before the storm. He didn't know the ambush waiting in the dark corners. He didn't know that the next match wasn't just about StarCraft, it was about survival.
The countdown for Game 6 began. The digital clock ticked. Lights dimmed. The crowd quieted, anticipation slicing through the air like a knife.