Fate Resonance (Aespa x Male Reader)

Chapter 16 - Seoul Sky (Arc Finale)

"You have one hour to get to the Soul Sky Tower, (Y/N). One hour.... or I will kill these girls with my bare hands."

Earlier That Day

The gleaming glass doors of the Seoul Sky Lounge slid open with silent grace, admitting the members of Aespa into the heart of urban luxury. The lounge, a cascade of warm lights and murmuring guests presented a panoramic view of the city's skyline, twinkling like a terrestrial firmament beneath them.

Karina stepped in, her gaze absent and distant, a melancholy tingeing the edges of her usual composure. The others, chattering excitedly about the break from their grueling schedules, didn't immediately notice her quiet mood as they made their way to a reserved section of the lounge.

Giselle nudged her gently, a concerned whisper escaping her lips. "You okay?"

Karina managed a faint smile, nodding half-heartedly. "Yeah, just... thinking about (Y/N)," she confessed, her voice barely rising above the ambient lounge music. Her mind replayed your sad expression, the helpless angle of your shoulders when she left you behind in that hospital, a sight she couldn't shake off.

Winter and Ningning exchanged a glance, their expressions softening. They knew how hard your layoff affected Karina.

"Let's try to enjoy tonight, for us," Ningning suggested, with an encouraging smile, "(Y/N) would want you to be happy, Unnie."

The girls gathered around a table with a breathtaking view. Seoul stretched out beneath them like a galaxy of lights, its beauty attempting to soothe the ache in Karina's heart. They ordered their favorites, and the waiters delivered delicacies and drinks to their table.

As the night unfolded, the laughter and conversation ebbed and flowed around Karina, like waves lapping at the shore of her thoughts. She engaged in the banter, her laughter was genuine but sometimes forced, her attention intermittently captured by the flickering city lights that reminded her of your unpredictable aura.

Just as they raised their glasses in a toast to their hard-earned freedom, Karina's phone buzzed against the table. She picked it up, expecting a message from staff or maybe even you. Instead, it was an unknown number, her thumb hovering over the screen, the buzz of conversation around her fading as she contemplated answering.

The atmosphere in the Seoul Sky Lounge shifted palpably, the joyous clinking of glasses and carefree laughter skidding to a halt as armed men filed in methodically. The air, once filled with the rich aroma of gourmet cuisine and the sweet scent of luxury, was now thick with menace. Aespa's members, suddenly alert to the danger, exchanged alarmed glances.

Karina's phone, still clutched in her hand from the mysterious call earlier, became the least of her concerns as she took in the sight of the rifles. The other guests and the lounge staff revealed themselves as members of the syndicate, their polite masks dropping to show the cold intent beneath. The facade of a leisurely evening out shattered, replaced by the brutal reality of a carefully orchestrated ambush.

Choi Taejoon strode in, the authority in his step unmistakable, his eyes scanning the room until they found the table where Aespa sat frozen. His gaze was like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. There was a pause, a dreadful silence before his voice cut through the tension.

"Where is he? Where is (Y/N)?" Taejoon's voice echoed with a dangerous edge, his anger barely contained.

Karina stood, her courage battling her fear, her voice small but steady, "(Y/N)... he's been fired."

The response seemed to fuel Taejoon's fury, his hand whipping out to strike her across the face with a sound that cracked through the room. Karina stumbled, a cry escaping her lips as she fell to the ground, her cheek reddening from the impact.