The car glided through the tunnel smoothly, like on butter. Inside, there was a dry silence, broken only by the even breathing of the people.
Ryu Sungyeon sat in the back seat, bound, with a sack over his head. The smell of paper and dust tickled his nostrils.
Every movement was answered by a muffled rustling of fabric.
Next to him—Kang Jihan.
His breathing was heavy, as if he hadn't cooled down from his anger yet.
By the sound of the ventilation, Sungyeon realized: the driver was also one of his people.
An ordinary taxi driver wouldn't silently drive a restrained passenger.
"How did he find me?... I checked the cameras, changed my clothes, erased all traces…"
— You're thinking too loudly, — Jihan said calmly.
— ...I didn't say anything.
— But your head is humming like an empty can. Stop shuffling your thoughts before I change my mind and throw you out onto the street.
Sungyeon clenched his lips, but couldn't help himself:
— Do you read minds?
The answer came back even and cold:
— I said—be quiet.
He obeyed.
The car slid through the black arches of the lower ring, holograms reflecting on the windows like phantoms.
The tunnels led deeper—to where the city ceased to make noise.
"Where is he taking me? To a lab basement? To be executed?"
About ten minutes later, Jihan's breathing became steadier.
Sungyeon carefully asked:
— You said I should... replace the fiancée. What does that mean?
— Bring a ticket, — the other replied lazily.
— What ticket?
— Shh. I'm sleeping.
After that, words froze in the air, like ashes.
Sungyeon just blinked beneath the sack.
"Where did this man get the habit of speaking in riddles?…"
When the car stopped, he felt a sudden change in pressure—they were likely underground.
The door flew open, and he was roughly pulled out. The air was still, without wind.
Jihan's footsteps echoed off the concrete walls.
— Sit.
Sungyeon was seated on a hard chair.
A moment later—and the sack was snatched away.
He squeezed his eyes shut against the white light.
Before his eyes—a spacious room with a low ceiling. Monitors hanging directly on the walls, blinking panels, dangling wires. Old mattresses and equipment boxes on the floor. Empty coffee cans in the corners.
"Not a lab. A base. A hideout."
Four people stood nearby.
Kang Jihan—first, hands in his pockets.
Next to him—a girl in a cardigan, short-cropped hair, calm eyes.
Behind her—two men: one stocky, with short curls, the other tall and lean, with a face carved from steel.
— Here, — Jihan said tiredly. — Our 'vampire.' Ryu Sungyeon. He will get the ticket.
— The ticket? — one of the men repeated.
The woman answered instead:
— Ku Lo.
— I Hun, — the second man nodded.
The lean man briefly added:
— So Raon.
Their names sounded like commands.
Sungyeon quietly exhaled, feeling his internal tension mount.
"A squad. They even have defined roles."
The door behind him clicked. Another person entered—a tall guy with a straight posture, a familiar voice:
— Sorry I'm late. Parking at Delta-09 is hell. Oh Rian. Have we met?
Sungyeon recognized him.
The very "hotel staffer" he had hit in the back of the head.
— You?!
Jihan smiled predatorily.
— You helped us find you yourself. You hit him, changed clothes—and the clothes had a tracker. I didn't think you'd take the bait so literally.
Sungyeon only exhaled.
— You planned everything?
— Obviously. Without a phone, you wouldn't call the police. Only room service. And he—is our guy.
Lo shrugged:
— You are surprisingly predictable, vampire.
— Go to hell, — Sungyeon mumbled, but the chains clanked, preventing him from even standing.
Kang Jihan snapped his fingers:
— Now listen carefully. The goal is an invitation to the West Medical company reception.
— Is that the corporation that owns half of Lyran's pharma market? — Sungyeon clarified.
— That's the one. A tournament is held at the reception. Officially—a charity auction, in reality—a high-stakes game. Entry is by personalized ticket only.
Lo added:
— The chairman's granddaughter is Im So Lin. She had a fiancé, but the wedding was called off. You will take his place.
Sungyeon froze.
— I'm sorry… what?
Jihan answered without blinking:
— You will become her 'fiancé.' We will pass under this cover and gain access to the company's archive. We don't need to win—we need entry.
Sungyeon blinked, feeling a chill run down his spine.
— So you kidnapped me so I could… play the role of a fiancé?
— Not just play. Convince everyone, — Rian corrected.
— And all for a party?!
— For information, — Raon added quietly. — The upper rings are hiding data about people who disappeared after the West Medical experiments.
The room fell silent for a second. Even the light on the screens seemed to dim.
Sungyeon clenched his fists.
— You are lunatics.
— Perhaps, — Jihan replied calmly. — But you—are our pass.
Silence stretched again.
Only a drop of water somewhere in the pipes counted the time.
"From missing bodies to underground tournaments, from clubs to corporations…"
The world of Lyran was relentlessly closing in on him, like a cage made of light and steel.
Sungyeon looked up.
— If I agree, will you let me go?
— Afterwards, — Jihan replied.
— And if not?
— I will burn the ticket. And you along with it.
He said it evenly, without threat—as a fact.
Sungyeon exhaled.
"Looks like there's no choice."
He averted his eyes, letting his head drop tiredly:
— Fine. Where's my suit?
For a moment, everyone exchanged surprised glances.
And then Lo laughed quietly:
— Now that's a response. Welcome to the team, fiancé.
In the neon shadow of Lyran, a new game had begun.
The stake was not just the ticket—it was life itself.