The planning for the raid was shelved. Dohyun's hatred for Min-ji superseded all tactical logic. After securing Jae-wan and ensuring the fortress was temporarily stable, Dohyun executed his secondary mission: tracking the final, missing piece of the betrayal.
Seo-yeon, desperate for continued protection, had confessed Min-ji's likely move: escaping the city with the last of her emergency cash, heading to a defunct highway motel known for discreet, short-term stays—a place to hide before linking up with Hyuk-jin.
Dohyun found Min-ji on the third day after the apocalypse began. She was alone in a dingy motel room, huddled in fear, completely unprepared for the reality of the end. He took her swiftly, without firing a shot, binding her and bringing her back to the mountain bunker.
The Cage
Min-ji was locked in the darkest, most secure storage room adjacent to the main chamber, a place where the concrete walls absorbed sound and light. She screamed, she pleaded, and she tried to use the manipulative charm that had defined their past relationship.
Dohyun stood before the heavy steel door, listening to her despair.
"Dohyun! Please! It was Hyuk-jin, he forced me! You know I love you! Don't do this!"
Dohyun opened the small, reinforced observation hatch. Min-ji scrambled to the door, her face tear-streaked and desperate.
"Love?" Dohyun's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "You watched me die. You told Hyuk-jin exactly where my sister was hiding before he killed her. You don't love, Min-ji. You consume."
He didn't hit her. He didn't scream. He simply used the only tool he needed: Time and Isolation.
For two days, he gave her water—enough to prevent dehydration—but no food.
He fed his family the nutrient-dense MREs. He gave Jae-wan full rations to maintain the Tank's strength. He ensured Soo-min and Seo-yeon ate properly to sustain their assets. But for Min-ji, there was only the cold, gnawing emptiness of hunger.
The Break
The screams stopped quickly. They were replaced by pathetic whimpers, then begging, and finally, a profound, agonizing silence.
On the third morning, Dohyun went to the observation hatch. Min-ji was huddled in the corner, her face gaunt, her spirit broken. She was no longer the cruel, beautiful woman who had used him; she was a shell of a person, reduced to her most basic biological need.
"Dohyun, please..." she rasped, her lips cracked. "I'll tell you anything. The codes, Hyuk-jin's schedule... just a piece of bread."
Dohyun looked down at her, the chilling realization of his control absolute. This was the vengeance: not a quick death, but the mental collapse of the woman who had used him for years.
"Dying now wouldn't be fun, Min-ji," Dohyun said, a cold smile touching his lips. "You have to be healthy for what I have planned. You have to be strong enough to realize exactly what you've lost, and what you're about to face."
He closed the hatch.
The Necessary Repair
Dohyun walked to the main chamber, where Soo-min was carefully tending to Seo-yeon's shattered hand.
"Soo-min," Dohyun commanded. "I need you to prepare a full IV drip and high-density nutrient pack."
Soo-min looked up, her expression a mix of professionalism and deep concern. "For whom? Jae-wan is stable."
"For Min-ji," Dohyun replied.
Soo-min stared at him, the memory of her own assault and the brutal reality of Min-ji's betrayal making her pause. "You starved her for three days, and now you want her revived? Why? Just to... keep her alive longer?"
"Precisely," Dohyun confirmed, his voice devoid of heat. "She is a key component of my plan to draw out Hyuk-jin. She needs to be mentally intact enough to fear what's coming, but physically well enough to be credible bait. She is an asset I need to repair, just like Seo-yeon's hand."
Soo-min, horrified by the cold, tactical cruelty of his plan, ultimately obeyed. She was a nurse; her programming was to heal the sick and the wounded, regardless of their sins. She prepared the solution and the needle.
Dohyun led her back to the storage room. He unlocked the door, allowing her professional entry.
"You have one hour, Soo-min. Restore her," Dohyun ordered. He tossed a fresh, clean blanket onto the floor. "She stays bound and secured, but she must be medically stable by the end of your shift."
Dohyun closed and locked the door, leaving the medic to confront the psychological damage inflicted by the Revenant. The line between savior and tyrant in the bunker was growing thinner every day. He knew his ruthlessness terrified Soo-min, but he also knew it was the only thing keeping them all alive.
His team was assembled:
The Medic (Soo-min): Essential for healing and repair.
The Scout (Seo-yeon): Essential for intelligence and ingress.
The Tank (Jae-wan): Essential for brute force and eliminating resistance.
The Bait (Min-ji): Essential for drawing out the target.
It was time to hit the Aurora Club.
What is the most immediate logistical challenge Dohyun faces now that he has secured all his assets and is preparing for the highly risky raid on the Aurora Club?