The crowded streets funneled into a narrow alley, shadows swallowing the chase. "I said stop!" So Hyung shouted, closing in. The man in the black shirt shoved pedestrians aside, sending So Hyung sprawling. Yoona rushed to help him up, her breath ragged.
The thief brandished a crackling stun baton. "Out of my way, you worthless rats!" He bolted deeper into the alley, but soon found himself cornered.
"Give it back! That bag means everything to her," Yoona pleaded.
He sneered, rifling through the contents. "Cosmetics, a stupid phone ball… all worth plenty." A pink crystal rolled free, landing at Yoona's foot. She bent quickly, hiding it in her palm.
"Pay me then, I'll return it," he demanded.
"Or I'll drag you to the police!" So Hyung growled, seizing his collar. The thief's bravado crumbled. "I-I was joking! Here, take it!" He shoved the bag back.
Relief was short‑lived. From the shadows, two more figures emerged, one hulking, one wiry, tattoos glowing across his face. The alley sealed shut with menace.
"Hand it over, girl," the tall one rumbled.
The wiry man lunged, pressing a knife to Yoona's throat. Her muffled cry was smothered by his hand. "Shh. Just money. That's all."
The first thief taunted, "Leave her with us. You've got five minutes to fetch the cops."
So Hyung's fists clenched. "Never." His punch landed squarely, staggering the man with the baton.
"Ha! Nice hit. Do it again!" the thug laughed, retaliating with a crushing blow that dropped So Hyung to his knees.
Yoona's heart broke. "Please, stop-" Her words were silenced. The knife pressed harder.
"Workers replaced by machines, scavengers like us left behind. You rich kids don't understand," the tattooed man spat.
Yoona's hidden crystal flared. She smashed it against her captor's face. The shard burst into powder, burning his eyes. "My eyes! You witch!" He released her.
She stumbled to So Hyung's side, but the giant thug seized her, lifting her off the ground. "Where do you think you're going, little dove?" His grip crushed her waist.
"Yoona!" So Hyung crawled forward, only to be jolted by the baton's electric surge. His body convulsed, pinned by pain.
"I surrender! Just let her go!" he gasped.
"Say you wet yourself, and maybe I'll spare you," the thug mocked, counting down.
"T‑t‑myself… I… wet my pants…" So Hyung stammered, humiliated.
The thug laughed cruelly, shocking him again. Yoona's vision blurred, her strength fading.
Out of the darkness, a pale hand shot forth, dragging the baton‑wielder into the void. Emerald light blazed, swallowing him whole. His screams echoed, then vanished.
The giant dropped Yoona in terror. She collapsed, gasping for air. So Hyung crawled to her, clutching her trembling body.
"I'm here. I've got you," he whispered, holding her tight as the alley fell silent, haunted by the green glow.
The alley fell silent after the chaos. The battered leader was hurled back into the light, his arm grotesquely twisted. His men froze, staring at the emerald glow that pulsed from the shadows. And then she stepped forward, no longer just a cloaked figure, but a pale, fractured woman with mechanical seams across her face.
Her voice was a strange digital resonance. "You enjoy playing predator, don't you? Then let me be the predator instead."
The hulking thug lunged, but her head turned at an impossible angle, dodging. Claws tore into his thigh, dropping him instantly. She whispered, "Do you want a happy life?" His plea for mercy was answered with a brutal kick that cracked the wall behind him.
The last thief trembled, knife shaking. He stabbed, but the blade sank into her cloak without effect. She revealed her face fully, green hair, emerald eyes glowing, plastic skin fractured. "Do you want to be lifeless like me?" His stammered promise to change was met with a scar carved across his cheek before she let him crawl away.
Then she turned to Yoona and So Hyung. He clutched his girlfriend, trembling. "Take whatever you want… just don't hurt us."
Instead, the cyborg crouched, touched his wrist, and transferred money into his account. "You fear me. But I only shielded you. Your wounds will heal in seven days."
Yoona, tear‑streaked but unafraid, whispered, "Thank you. No one else would have done this."
The machine paused, confused by gratitude. "I am only a shell. No soul inside."
"Then why save us?" she pressed.
It faltered, unable to answer, until black drones swooped overhead, weapons primed.
"They've found me," it warned.
"Who?" Yoona asked.
Suddenly, Bullets tore through its body as it shielded the couple, then it leapt, destroying the drone with a feral kick. "Get down, now!" Landing hard, it turned back, emerald eyes dimming.
"Yoonahhhh!!" So Hyung cried out
The gunfire left the alley echoing with panic. One stray round had pierced Yoona's chest, deflected by the cyborg's plating, but still deep enough to bleed her out if nothing was done. So Hyung's arms trembled as he held her, his voice breaking.
"Stay with me, please… someone call an ambulance!"
Her words came in gasps, blood staining her lips. "I… I'm dying, aren't I…"
The cyborg froze, emerald eyes widening as if déjà vu struck. He tore back his cloak, revealing the hard seams of his synthetic body. From his abdomen he drew a thin cable, his voice sharp and clinical. "The bullet grazed her artery. We have two minutes before she loses consciousness."
So Hyung sobbed, clutching her hand. "Please, do whatever it takes!"
The machine's claws sliced delicately, disinfectant mist spraying from its tongue‑like tube. Yoona screamed as the slug was extracted, her body convulsing. "Hold her steady," the cyborg ordered. He connected his own power conduit into her wound, bridging torn vessels with glowing circuitry.
"She has a fifty‑fifty chance," he said flatly.
"And what should i do now?!" So Hyung asked.
"Pray." he replied.
So Hyung whispered frantically, "You'll live, babe. Apa and Eomma are waiting at home. Stay strong with me!" His blood was transfused into her arm, buying precious seconds.
Yoona's eyes fluttered, her voice faint. "Tae So Hyu..… I love you… alwa…ys" Then her vision dimmed, the world fading to black.
The cyborg pressed harder, his systems sparking as he sacrificed energy to stabilize her heart. And just as silence threatened to consume them, a voice rang out from the crowd:
"Make way for the medics!"
Red lights flashed at the alley's mouth. Paramedics rushed in, their equipment ready. So Hyung clung to Yoona's hand, refusing to let go, while the cyborg stepped back into the shadows.
With her eyes shut tight, all light vanished. Voices faded into silence, and Yoona could no longer sense the world around her. Yet within the darkness, a pink flame ignited. She found herself standing in a black chamber, its floor a pool of water reflecting her own face. Turning toward you, she whispered:
"Do you think I'm dead?"
At her words, the flame dissolved into a swarm of tiny butterflies, glowing like fireflies in the night—delicate, radiant, like a garland of pink blossoms.
"Pink butterflies…" she murmured, watching them flutter ahead. They guided her to a place where an old woman stood, a puppet clutched in her hand. The woman's back was turned, unaware of Yoona's approach, until she spoke aloud.
"Halmeoni! Can you tell me if this is the underworld? Is there a cerberus? i wanted to see one."
"Yoon Eun Hwa, You're an atheist!" the elder shot back.
"Oh.... right.~"
The faceless elder turned, laughter spilling from her unseen lips. "It's like looking at myself…."
"Eww! i'm not that old." Yoona's skin prickled with unease. "Maybe you should borrow my skincare inventory."
"Answer me, do you want to keep living girl?" the mysterious elder asked.
"No crap! I got shot in the chest! Come on now,"
"I only asked. Your fate hasn't reached its end yet."
"What?!" Yoona touched her arms, her body still solid. "Wait… I'm still alive?"
The elder spoke in riddles: A young woman, no matter the trials, weaves her destiny like vines. No one may break her spirit. Fight on, as I once did.
Yoona rubbed her face, bewildered. "Seriously? You think I'm good at philosophy cuz these glasses?"
The elder chuckled. "You love writing stories and diaries, don't you? Why struggle with something so little?"
Yoona rolled her eyes. "Fine. You want me to interpret that right? Here goes: this stubborn girl lived through hardship, trusted her strong heart, kept fighting, and remembered the past… huh?" She paused. "The..... past."
She turned back to where she had begun. A white door stood tall, and beyond it she saw the faces of So Hyung and her family.
"Is this… a trick?" she muttered.
The elder sighed. "So, will you come with me, or walk back? The choice is yours."
Yoona hesitated, turning back and forth, then finally stepped backward toward the beginning.
"Yeah, i'll just find my way out, Granny"
"Do what you must. Yield, or fight and claim your fate," the elder said in farewell, leaning close with her faceless visage. "And STOP ASKING QUESTIONs!"
The black chamber dissolved into a white square room, heavy with the scent of medicine.
Couple days after the alley incident, sunlight streamed through the emergency room window. Yoona's eyes fluttered open from her long sleep. Lying on the hospital bed, she glanced around and whispered the first word that came to her lips:
"So hungry…"
On the sofa nearby, So Hyung stirred awake, leaping to his feet. "Yoona!" He rushed to her side.
"Hungry, dizzy, sleepy… I want to go home. The whole world is spinning. Am I in heaven~~~ yay~" she mumbled. He quickly adjusted the IV drip, the medication easing, and her mind began to clear.
"Where… where is So Hyung?" she asked faintly.
"You're safe now," he said, smiling through tears. Just then, the door burst open. Her parents entered mid‑conversation, only to stop in shock.
"Dear God! She's awake!" her father cried, dropping the bag of food he carried.
"Our daughter is back!" her mother exclaimed, rushing forward. Both parents embraced their groggy child.
"Apa, Eomma… it's my fault. I didn't think carefully, and now I'm hurt," Yoona confessed.
"No," So Hyung interrupted. "It's me. I couldn't protect you."
"Without a miracle that night, she wouldn't have survived," he added quietly.
"What happened that night, love?" her mother pressed.
Yoona hesitated, then spun a story to shield the truth. "The thief had a gun. So Hyung tried to take the bullet for me, but it was too late. I provoked him too… that's why it ended like this."
So Hyung stared, stunned by her words.
"What a brave!" Her father sighed. "This city isn't safe. Next time, don't resist. If they want something, give it. Your life is not replaceable."
"But that bag… it was my whole saving," Yoona whispered.
"Coins or soul, love. Choose wisely. Without your, what use is them money?"
"I'm sorry… but please don't blame him," she pleaded, resting her head against her father's arm.
"We won't. But his may feel differently," her father muttered.
Yoona and So Hyung exchanged a knowing glance. She mouthed silently, "It was him, wasn't it?" He nodded. She clenched his hand, realizing who had truly saved her.
"Where is he now?" she asked softly. He shook his head. "The guy!"
He saved me… truly, she thought, squeezing So Hyung's hand. Then she smiled at everyone, forming a tiny heart with her fingers.
Closing her eyes, she hummed a tune, drifting back into sleep with peace in her heart. Her mother placed a red rose in a vase beside the bed.
"Feel Special~ sesange amurinhal ch… zzzZzzz…" Yoona's voice faded into slumber by the dose effect.
In just a few days, so much can change. We must never underestimate life. Every choice matters. For me and So Hyung, we've learned our lesson about wandering at night. I'll write this in my diary: the night I almost lost my heart… and the one who saved me. Whoever he is, that mystery can wait. For now, I'll rest.
--------------Act 2 Ends------------------
Inside a dim, hollow room, silence pressed against the walls. Suddenly, the ceiling lights flickered on, revealing an old man seated with a worn newspaper in his hands. He startled, realizing someone was watching.
"Oh! You've returned, have you? Heh. How was the movie? That's what I call the younger generation, free‑thinking, unlike us old men. Back in my youth, women crowded around me. But now, kids focus on careers. The world changes, and we must change with it. A simple life doesn't always mean happiness. I have no more stories to tell you… but if you merge the two tales together, a new one will be born, walking the same path as before. Beginnings always carry their own endings. Care to read the this with me? It's getting interesting."
On the newspaper's front page was the towering image of TAOS Corporation. The gray paper tore apart, leaving only the building's picture. Color seeped into it, until the skyscraper seemed to rise out of the page itself.
At the top office of Taos Corporation, a bald, heavyset man in a black suit stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out over the neon city. He was waiting. The door creaked open.
"How is Eva?" he asked, turning to the shadow of a short‑haired woman standing at the threshold.
"Rose… she's fascinating. But Eva failed. What's your plan now?"
"Eva? Hmph. Good. Send the last drone units, then cancel the search for that scrap. Its energy is nearly drained, it won't last long. Besides, I'm about to claim my seat in the council. That AI isn't worth what I'm gaining. Draft my speech immediately. In a few days, I'll meet foreign politicians in South Korea. This summit must outshine them all!" His voice brimmed with confidence.
The woman's tone cut sharp. "From my projections, the company's stock is falling. That AI might decide your future. If you don't act now, more losses will catch us, Xu Wen."
He snarled. "Nonsense! I got enough to erase your bloodline with a flick of my finger. I alone can solve the machine labouring problem. Me!"
She laughed coldly. "Men like you, I've watched them for centuries. None escape their fate. Perhaps you'll be the first, but remember this, Xu Wen: without my help, you wouldn't be standing here. You've never done anything yourself. Half of Taos belongs to me. Numbers never lie."
Xu Wen hurled a vase at her, but the spot was already empty.
"Anyone who interferes shall perish! TAOS is the future, not ARCI. That era is finished, gone forever. Soon history will bear my name, the man who returned prosperity to billions. I will never kneel. Even if I must sacrifice everything, I will."