The fragile calm that had settled over Neo-Seoul in the days following Min-jun Park's release began to crack, like shadows creeping across a sunlit alley. As captain of the SDF's Recruit Squad, Min-jun balanced his dual life: school days filled with lingering envy and apologies, and evenings at the SDF base honing the team's synergy. Ji-hoon's kinetic bursts complemented Hye-jin Moon's sound waves for devastating combos, while Soo-jin Han's illusions provided cover, her growing confidence bolstered by Hye-jin's matchmaking whispers. "Just talk to him about something real," Hye-jin advised during a break, her voice echoing playfully. "Like, 'Hey, Min-jun, your shadows are cool, but have you tried not brooding all the time?'" Soo-jin laughed, her crush evolving into a tentative bond, though Min-jun's thoughtful reserve kept things at arm's length.
But international tensions boiled over, casting a darker shadow. The treaty between Korea and Japan, already strained by Aiko Tanaka's Eclipse Collective leaks exposing the government's hand in Min-jun's setup, reached a breaking point. Diplomatic cables flew, accusations of espionage and mana talent poaching escalating into formal protests. In Tokyo, officials demanded Aiko's immediate repatriation, citing her involvement as a breach of neutrality. The SDF, bound by protocols, couldn't intervene without risking a full diplomatic rupture.
Aiko received the news in a curt SDF summons, her green eyes hardening as Vice Captain Seung-ho Han delivered the verdict. "Your transfer's ended, Tanaka. Japan's pulling you back—effective immediately. Any further involvement could ignite a border conflict." Her wind powers surged, rustling papers in the room, but she held back. "This isn't fair," she said, voice steady but laced with frustration. "Min-jun needs all the help he can get against Black Lotus and the government."
Seung-ho's illusions flickered sympathetically—his sister Soo-jin had vouched for Aiko—but orders were orders. "We'll keep channels open through backdoor Eclipse contacts, but you're out of Neo-Seoul by dawn." Aiko nodded, her mind racing. Before leaving, she slipped a encrypted drive to Min-jun during a discreet school meet. "More on Black Lotus's ties to the labs," she whispered, her hand lingering on his. "Stay safe. I'll find a way back." Their eyes met, a spark of unspoken romance amid the farewell, but the clash between nations severed her role in the squad, leaving a void in Min-jun's circle.
As Aiko boarded a flight to Tokyo, the SDF pushed forward with their investigation into Black Lotus, the cartel that had targeted Min-jun's family and forced Black Heart awakenings. Second Division Captain Ji-yeon Kim led the probe, her earth manipulation powers grounding the team as they raided a hidden Black Lotus safehouse in Neo-Seoul's underbelly. The squad—Min-jun, Ji-hoon, Soo-jin, and Hye-jin—joined as a field test, shadows, bursts, illusions, and sound waves turning the assault into a symphony of chaos.
The safehouse was a labyrinth of dim corridors, reeking of mana residue and blood. Black Lotus thugs ambushed them, fire and telekinesis clashing against the recruits. Min-jun's shadows lashed out, slicing a thug's arm clean off, blood spraying in a crimson arc as the man screamed, collapsing in a gory heap. Ji-hoon charged, kinetic punch shattering another's ribs with a wet crunch, entrails spilling as the body crumpled. Soo-jin's illusions disoriented a group, leading them into Hye-jin's sonic blast that ruptured eardrums, blood trickling from ears amid agonized howls.
In the heart of the lair, they uncovered encrypted files—ledgers of payments, mana crystal shipments, and directives. Ji-yeon decrypted them, her face paling. "This can't be," she muttered. The data revealed a puppet master within the SDF itself: coded messages traced back to Third Division Captain Soo-jin Lee (no relation to recruit Soo-jin), the water manipulator who'd voiced doubts during the Recruit Squad meeting. She'd been funneling intel to Black Lotus, orchestrating attacks to trigger Black Heart users for government handover, all for a cut of the experimental profits.
Min-jun's Black Heart stirred at the betrayal, shadows flickering as rage built. "An insider? In the SDF?" he said, voice low but thunderous. Ji-hoon clenched his fists, kinetic energy crackling. "That explains the leaks—how Black Lotus always knew where to hit." The revelation shattered trust; Soo-jin Lee had access to squad details, making the recruits vulnerable.
Ji-yeon sealed the files, her earth powers fortifying the room. "We take this to Commander Hyeon-soo discreetly. No one else—not even Lukas—until we root out accomplices." But as they extracted, a Black Lotus enforcer lunged from the shadows, acid dripping from his hands. Min-jun intercepted, shadows piercing his gut, gore erupting in a visceral spray as the man gurgled his last. The team escaped, but the insider's shadow loomed larger than ever.
Back at base, Min-jun reflected on Aiko's departure, the treaty clash a personal loss amid the SDF's internal rot. The government's scapegoat had bought them time, but with a traitor in their ranks, the next attack could come from within. Ji-hoon, sensing his friend's turmoil, clapped his shoulder. "We got this, man. Squad's got your back—Black Heart or not."
Yet, as protests simmered and alliances frayed, Min-jun's heart pulsed, ready for the blood that would inevitably flow.