THE STREET KING

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1. A Ghost in the Flames

Jinwoo stood at the edge of the rooftop, staring down at the wreckage of the helicopter. The flames consumed the metal husk, thick smoke rising into the night sky.

"She's dead," Hye-jin muttered, wiping sweat from her brow. "No way she survived that."

Jinwoo didn't answer. His gut told him otherwise. Mirae wasn't the kind of woman who died easily.

He turned to Hye-jin. "We need to move before more of her people arrive."

Hye-jin nodded, holstering her gun. Together, they disappeared into the shadows of the city, leaving the burning battlefield behind.

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2. A Familiar Shadow

They found refuge in an abandoned warehouse near the Han River. Jinwoo stitched up a wound on his arm while Hye-jin checked their ammo.

As she loaded a fresh clip into her pistol, she glanced at him. "What now? We take out the rest of her people?"

Jinwoo shook his head. "No. We end this properly. We find her."

Hye-jin frowned. "You really think she's alive?"

Jinwoo met her gaze. "She's alive."

Hye-jin sighed. "Then where do we start?"

Before Jinwoo could answer, a noise echoed through the warehouse.

Footsteps.

Jinwoo grabbed his gun, signaling for silence. He pressed his back against the wall, peering around the corner.

A figure stepped into the dim light.

Mirae.

She was alive, but barely. Her face was smeared with blood, her once-flawless suit now tattered and stained with smoke.

But her eyes… they still burned with fury.

Jinwoo raised his gun. "You should be dead."

Mirae smirked. "You should know by now, Jinwoo. I don't die easily."

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3. The Final Battle

Mirae moved first.

She drew her pistol and fired, forcing Jinwoo to dive behind cover. Hye-jin returned fire, but Mirae was fast—too fast.

Jinwoo rolled out from behind a crate, firing two shots. One grazed Mirae's arm, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she kicked over a stack of metal barrels, creating a temporary barricade.

"This is how it ends, Jinwoo!" Mirae shouted. "You betrayed me. You left me to rot. And now, I'm taking everything from you!"

Jinwoo clenched his jaw. "You made your choice, Mirae. You wanted power more than us."

Mirae laughed, her voice filled with bitterness. "No, Jinwoo. I wanted power for us. But you ran. You were a coward!"

Jinwoo's grip on his gun tightened. "Maybe I was. But I'm not running anymore."

They lunged at each other.

Mirae swung first, her fist connecting with Jinwoo's jaw. He staggered but recovered quickly, delivering a sharp knee to her ribs. She grunted in pain but didn't stop.

She tackled him to the ground, straddling him as she pressed her gun against his forehead.

Hye-jin shouted, "Jinwoo!"

But before Mirae could pull the trigger, Jinwoo grabbed her wrist, twisting it violently. The gun fell from her grasp, sliding across the floor.

They wrestled for control, each strike filled with years of betrayal and fury.

Mirae grabbed a knife from her belt, slashing wildly. Jinwoo barely dodged the blade, but the tip nicked his cheek.

He caught her wrist again, forcing the knife downward. The blade hovered inches from his throat.

For a moment, they locked eyes.

Old lovers. Old enemies.

Then Jinwoo made his decision.

With one final surge of strength, he twisted the knife—straight into Mirae's stomach.

She gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

Jinwoo held her as she slumped forward, blood staining his hands.

Mirae let out a weak chuckle. "You… finally did it."

Jinwoo's voice was barely a whisper. "I never wanted this."

Mirae coughed, blood dripping from her lips. "Liar."

She tried to speak again, but no words came. Her body went limp in his arms.

Jinwoo closed his eyes.

It was over.

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4. The Price of Power

Hye-jin approached cautiously. "Is she…?"

Jinwoo nodded. He gently lowered Mirae's body to the ground before standing.

For the first time in years, he felt… nothing. No victory. No relief.

Just emptiness.

Hye-jin placed a hand on his shoulder. "What now?"

Jinwoo looked out toward the city skyline. The empire Mirae built would crumble without her. The war was finally over.

But peace?

Peace was something Jinwoo would never know.

He turned to Hye-jin. "We disappear."

She nodded.

Together, they walked away, leaving the past behind.

Or at least, they tried to.

Because in a city like Seoul, the past never stays buried for long.

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End of Chapter 52

(Next Chapter: Ghosts of the Past.)