Midnight. Raon's workshop, hidden beneath an abandoned bookstore.
Screens flickered with lines of code. Heart rate graphs. Neural overlays.
Areum's emotional stability was down to 67%.
Raon stared at the numbers in silence.
Then he stood.
And walked to the glass case at the end of the room.
Inside it: a sleek silver suitcase with biometric locks.
Kill switch or countermeasure? You decide, Raon.
He placed a hand on the scanner. The case hissed open—inside, a thin vial glowed blue.
> [PROJECT A.R.: Override Serum]
He smirked.
"They really thought they could take her back from me?"
---
Somewhere in Seoul – A black-cloaked woman stands on a rooftop.
Agent K stood in the dark, eyes narrowed on the apartment across the street.
Inside: Areum, sleeping fitfully, twitching from overload.
Her comm buzzed.
> "You have visual on Subject A.R.?"
"Yes."
> "Proceed with elimination."
She raised her silenced pistol.
But before she could aim—
CRASH!
The wall behind her exploded.
Raon stepped out of the smoke, coat whipping in the wind.
"Touch her, and I'll break every joint in your fingers before I let you pull the trigger."
The agent didn't hesitate.
She fired.
Raon moved like a shadow. He caught her wrist, twisted, and drove a knee into her stomach. She coughed blood.
"You're fast," she hissed, "but not faster than an entire agency."
Raon's eyes were flat. Cold.
"I don't need to be."
He injected the override serum into her neck.
She dropped instantly, body twitching.
---
Back in Areum's room.
She sat up with a gasp, breathing hard.
Sweat ran down her face.
Raon stood by the window, watching her quietly.
"Did you… save me?" she whispered.
"No," he said. "I saved my creation."
Her face paled.
"I'm not yours, Raon."
He turned slightly, eyes distant.
"We'll see."
---
Final Panel:
In a dark boardroom, a dozen figures sat around a long table.
A screen displayed Raon's face.
> "Subject R01 has broken protocol. Target both assets."
"Terminate the vessel."
"And dispose of the creator."
---