The Black Syndicate is run by two feared, strategic leaders — Choi San and Jung Wooyoung — both lethal in different ways. Beside them is their silent weapon: Hwang Hyunjin, a cold, quiet, unreadable fighter whose presence alone makes enemies swallow their words.

Their mafia family includes Bambam, Ryujin, and Jihyun — but the rarest member among them is Kim Seungmin, a wolf-hybrid with heightened hearing and soft wolf ears hidden in his hair. He isn’t shy, nor nervous, nor fragile. He’s just constantly irritated by unnecessary noise — especially on missions where his hearing is their greatest advantage.

But their rival mafia discovers Seungmin’s weakness and uses it against him. And on one mission, Seungmin’s ears catch a sound meant to break him.

The Syndicate doesn’t panic. They snap.

Rain dripped off abandoned rooftops as the Black Syndicate moved through the industrial district. It was past midnight, the streets empty except for the hum of street lamps and the distant rumble of passing trucks.

Seungmin walked near the front, wolf ears twitching beneath his hood as he listened for movement. San and Wooyoung walked ahead, whispering strategy. Hyunjin trailed close behind Seungmin — silent, observing, always ready.

“Warehouse is two minutes ahead,” Seungmin said calmly.

Ryujin nodded. “Any heartbeats inside?”

“One.” Seungmin narrowed his eyes. “Slow. Unimportant.”

“So bait,” Wooyoung muttered.

The group continued — until Seungmin suddenly stopped.

Jihyun nearly bumped into him. “What is it?”

Seungmin’s ears twitched sharply. “Something’s… off.”

And then it happened.

A shrill, high-frequency note cut through the air. Not loud — but piercing. It sliced straight into Seungmin’s hearing range and nowhere else.

His body stiffened instantly.

Hyunjin’s eyes snapped toward him. “Seungmin.”

Seungmin clenched his jaw, irritation flashing across his face. “They’re using a frequency whistle. Just for wolf ears.”

Wooyoung snarled. “Cowards.”

But the sound didn’t stop.

It spiked.

And Seungmin flinched as the invisible pressure slammed into him again. His breath hitched — not in fear, but in raw sensory pain. He dropped down to one knee, a hand going up to cover his ear.

San cursed. “Locate it!”

“I can—” Seungmin tried, but the pitch spiked again, stabbing hard behind his eyes.

He winced, the sound vibrating through his skull. The world tilted for a second.

Hyunjin didn’t hesitate.

He stepped in front of Seungmin, grabbing him by the arms to steady him. Then he lowered his voice into a quiet, lethal tone.

“Close your hearing. Focus on my voice.”

Seungmin tried, but the frequency pulsed again, forcing his eyes shut. He exhaled hard through his nose, breath sharp, irritation growing by the second.

Hyunjin moved closer, shielding both sides of Seungmin’s head with his hands, blocking as much sound as he could.

Behind them—

“Found it!” Ryujin shouted.

A rival member crouched behind a stack of crates, holding a small ultrasonic whistle, smirking.

Bambam’s reaction was immediate.

He leaped forward and kicked the whistle out of the man’s hand, sending it spinning across the concrete.

San grabbed the rival by the collar, slamming him against a pillar so hard the metal rang out. “Using frequency weapons on my wolf?” San growled. “You must be tired of living.”

Wooyoung cracked his knuckles. “Hold him still.”

Back near the center, Hyunjin felt Seungmin’s breathing calm. The tension in his shoulders loosened as the frequency stopped.

“Better?” Hyunjin asked quietly.