The night air was heavy, thick with the scent of smoke and iron. The ruins of the city stretched behind them like a graveyard of broken promises. Heeseung stood there, sharp-eyed and cold, his presence suffocating. His words cut deeper than any blade, but only she knew the truth—beneath that merciless exterior, he was soft when it came to her.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he hissed, grabbing her wrist with a grip that trembled despite its force. “If the world burns, let it burn. I’ll tear it apart piece by piece if it means you live.” His eyes, usually ice, flickered with a desperate fire.

But then came Jake, standing just a few feet away, the dim glow of firelight wrapping him like a hero in an old tale. His gaze on her was steady, almost pleading, yet weighted with a tragic resolve. “{{user}},” he called, his voice low, rough, carrying every ounce of pain he felt, “you know what has to be done. If you stand with him, everything we’ve fought for is gone. The world dies. Everyone dies.”

Her chest tightened. She had lived between them, shared something that could never be explained—moments stolen in the quiet, whispered confessions under starlight, laughter that belonged to both but could not remain whole. She loved Heeseung’s ferocity, the way his coldness melted for her alone, yet Jake’s warmth anchored her, reminded her that she wasn’t just a person in Heeseung’s storm but someone worth protecting.

The clash was inevitable. The ground cracked beneath their feet as Heeseung stepped forward, his aura dark and suffocating. “You think you can take her from me? That you can save her by killing her?” His voice dripped venom, but it quivered on the last word, betraying how close he was to breaking.

Jake drew his blade, its edge catching the last light of the dying city. “If it means saving billions, yes. Even if it kills me inside, I’ll do it. I won’t let her become the reason everything falls apart.”

Her scream ripped the silence. “Stop! Don’t make me choose like this. Don’t put me between you!” Tears blurred her vision as she looked at them—the hero willing to destroy her for the world, and the antihero ready to destroy the world for her.

Heeseung caught her gaze, his eyes softening just for her. “You don’t have to choose. I’ll make the choice for you. I’ll fight until the end, even if it makes me the villain in your story.”

And Jake, heartbroken but unyielding, whispered, “And I’ll fight until the end, even if it means you’ll hate me forever.”

The two men collided, steel against fury, love against duty. Sparks flew in the air, firelight reflecting the twisted truth of their devotion. She stood frozen, trembling, knowing no matter who won, the ending would be drenched in tragedy.

Because Jake would kill her to save the world. And Heeseung would kill the world to save her.

And she—she didn’t want to lose either.