The world was fading.
Han Jae-Won sat slumped against a shattered concrete wall, breath trembling, blood spreading beneath the remains of his left leg. The explosion had ripped him apart without mercy. His fingers no longer obeyed him. His lungs pulled in air like they were drowning.
Smoke drifted through the ruined hallway in slow, heavy waves.
It didn't match the agony inside him.
His vision pulsed in and out, the world reduced to red blur, grey dust, and ghostly silence.
But the quiet hurt more than the wounds.
No shouts.
No brothers calling his name.
No pack beside him.
Just emptiness.
Just failure.
A weak whisper slipped past his cracked lips.
"...I didn't want to die like this."
His head leaned back against the cold wall, a single tear tracing down the dried blood on his cheek.
"Not alone…
…not after everything…"
His right hand twitched, reaching for allies who weren't there anymore.
"...I'm... sorry... everyone..."
His eyes slowly closed.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
ONE HOUR AGO
---
THE BLACK WOLF SQUAD
The air smelled different an hour earlier.
Calmer. Lighter. Almost hopeful.
Han Jae-Won adjusted the straps on his vest as he approached the truck. Behind him, Black Wolf Squad walked in formation — disciplined, silent, sharp.
They were feared on every base.
Not because they were superhuman.
But because they moved like a pack of wolves — precise, loyal, lethal.
Jae-Ho, loudmouth and Jae-Won's closest friend.
Kai, the quiet shadow always at his commander's side.
Min Seo-Jin, the newest wolf, eager but nervous.
Jae-Won trusted these people more than he trusted himself.
"After this mission, drinks on me," Jae-Ho declared.
Min Seo-Jin snorted. "You said that two missions ago."
"I meant it two missions ago too!"
Jae-Won shook his head with the hint of a smile.
Before they left, the Chief approached them.
"Black Wolves," he said, "one last mission."
He lowered his voice.
"But listen carefully. Do NOT engage the enemy commander under any circumstances."
Even Jae-Ho went silent.
Jae-Won nodded. "Understood."
The Chief hesitated, then whispered:
"Bring the pack home, Jae-Won."
---
THE PLAN
At exactly 9:00 PM, the compound would have a three-minute gap during guard rotation.
A tiny flaw.
But enough for the Black Wolves.
"Time," Jae-Won said.
---
INFILTRATION
The squad slipped into the outer alley, shadows blending into darkness. Rain-soaked concrete glistened under dim lights.
A lone guard walked ahead.
Jae-Won didn't hesitate.
Two steps.
One precise Systema strike.
The guard dropped silently.
They continued deeper inside, moving like a real pack.
Jae-Won reached the security room. His lockpick was ready — but then he froze.
The door…
was already open.
Just an inch.
A chill crawled up his spine.
Still crouched, he nudged the door with his rifle.
---
THE TRAP
Lights burst on.
"Black Wolves… predictable as ever," a voice echoed.
The enemy commander stepped forward.
Jae-Won's instincts screamed.
"Fall back! NOW!"
The squad spun—
Click.
A thin wire snapped.
BOOM.
The explosion tore through the hallway. Jae-Won flew backward, smashed against a wall, and collapsed. His ears rang. His left leg was gone. His lower body was numb.
He tried to move —
Nothing.
---
BETRAYAL
Through the smoke, three figures appeared.
Dragged.
Beaten.
Tied.
Jae-Ho.
Min Seo-Jin.
The new recruit.
Jae-Won's heart twisted.
Where's Kai?
Then he saw him.
Walking beside the commander.
Uninjured.
Calm.
Expressionless.
"No…" Jae-Won whispered. "Kai… why…?"
The commander folded his arms.
"You want to know how your infiltration route leaked? Your timing? Your entry point?"
He tapped Kai's shoulder.
"Your trusted wolf helped."
Jae-Won shook his head. "You're lying… Kai wouldn't—"
"Han," Kai said softly, "you never understood me."
His eyes were cold.
"Always behind you. Always overlooked. I carried this squad more times than you realized. But the praise? It always went to you. I'm done with it."
Jae-Won choked on air.
"If it was me you hated… why them…?"
Kai shrugged.
"Every new life costs something. Their deaths buy mine."
"YOU—"
"Silence!" the commander snapped.
"Execute them. Leave the leader alive. A wolf should watch his pack die."
Gunshots echoed.
Jae-Ho fell.
Min Seo-Jin next.
Then the rookie.
The pack was dead.
And the alpha was forced to watch.
---
THE END OF HAN JAE-WON
Back in the present—
Blood dripped from his fingers.
His vision dimmed.
His heart slowed.
"...I failed my pack…" he whispered.
His eyes closed.
Everything ended.
---
REBIRTH
A flash.
Warmth.
Weightlessness.
Jae-Won blinked awake not to fire or smoke, but to soft blankets and warm light.
He lay in a cradle.
Two adults stood above him, smiling.
His hands — tiny.
Soft.
Infant hands.
"What…? Didn't I just die…?"
A new life had begun.
---
END OF CHAPTER 1
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