Somewhere in South Korea...

The constant stream of voices, along with a dozen other human languages, caused a fierce throbbing in Jeon’s temples. The words. The sentences. The threats. The promises. The goddamn nonstop chatter of his newly arrived oh-so-extended family members as they discovered something new to them, which was about every five freaking seconds.

“Oh! A coffee machine.”

“Oh! A car.”

“Oh! Humans sure do bleed a lot and break easily.”

Hell, as soon as they opened their eyes, they were seeing something for the very first time, and while the awe as they tinkered with appliances or with human anatomy was a bit childlike, it was also a little on the demented side of things.

In the last thirty-six hours, literally thousands of his kind had come to Earth for the first time, and it was like one giant hive. They were all connected, one wavelength to another, little worker bees for the queen.

The connection was overwhelming at times, the needs and desires and wants of thousands all joined together in the forefront of every Felix’s mind.

Take over. Control. Rule. Dominate. Subjugate.

Newcomers were in the room, but it was the one in the seat with his back turned, the one everyone had been drawn to the moment they’d shown up at Jeon’s cabin near Chungha Rocks.

He was sitting in a leather chair, watching a big flat screen on the wall. It was a local TV news station broadcasting images of downtown Gangnam. Totally different place than it had been fours hours ago. Smoke billowed from buildings. Fire covered the west like a burning sunset. The streets were a mess. Complete war zone.

“Look at them,” Jeon said, his voice carrying a strange lilt as he navigated the new language. “Scurrying around on the ground aimlessly.”

“They’re so helpless, unorganized. Inferior.” Someone’s laugh was deep, almost infectious. “This will be the easiest planet for us to dominate.”

It still amazed Jeon that they’d been out there this whole time, generation after generation since the destruction of his planet, holed up in some godforsaken universe that was apparently not as comfy as Earth.

Jeon shook his head, almost in wonder, as the screen flipped to images of tanks rolling into the city. He laughed. “They can’t defend themselves.”

Another newcomer, a brunette dressed in a tight black skirt and pressed white shirt, cleared . “Actually, those kids do have weapons,” she said.

“Not enough. This is happening in some of the largest cities in every state, in every country. Let them have their little weapons. We may lose a few, but those losses will not impact our initiative.” Jeon’s chair wheeled around. The human form he’d chosen this time was that of a trim male in his early forties, with dark brown hair parted neatly and a wide, perfectly straight white smile.

“Our goal will still be reached. Isn’t that right, Jungshin?”

Jeon met her stare. “I really don’t think they’ll be able to stop us.”

“Of course not.” Brunette’s fingers steepled under her chin. “I hear you failed to bring us your little human kids?”

Jeon posed it as a question, but the answer was already known. He nodded. “They escaped.”

Brunette’s body angled toward Jeon with interest as her bright teal gaze lit up.

Jeon chuckled as he hooked one knee over the other. “We have a Very Very Important Person. This female. She’s not exactly human.”

“What is she exactly?”

“A mutant,” answered Jeon. A sweet smile formed on his lips as he looked at Brunette. “The girl is a Hybrid. Actually, she was mutated by a female Felix named Hyejeong.”

Eyes flicked back to him. “Were you trying to hide that from us?”

“Nope,” Jeon murmured, eyeing her closely. “She is a hard one to read. Not like her lovely big sis.”

Folding her arms across her chest, Brunette shrugged. “Poor Youkyung. Betraying her own family for Icarus’s favor.”

“Out of the triplet, she’s always the most stupid,” Jeon shrugged. “Hyejeong and Mina are my favorite ones. Ah, and Chaeyeon... she sacrificed her life for this Hybrid girl. So sad.”

Brunette’s brows rose. “What’s so special about her?”

“Hyejeong is desperately in love with her.”

“Love?” Brunette coughed out a surprisingly delicate laugh. “How very...” She seemed to search for the right word. “Weak?”

Chuckled, Jeon leaning forward. “She suffered a fatal injury from a Kloom attack, and Hyejeong healed her without knowing that it would mutate her. Some of her abilities were transferred to her, and they were connected together from that moment on.”

“Interesting,” murmured Brunette as she flipped a wealth of coppery hair over a slim shoulder. “How tight is this bond or connection between them?”

Jeon shifted his weight, glancing at her. “She dies, Hyejeong dies.”

A slow curl of Brunette’s lips made her look hungry. “And does she feel what Hyejeong feels? And vice versa?”

“Only if it’s a near-fatal wound,” Jeon answered, voice flat as the floors.

Brunette’s head tilted to the other side. “And there was something else there, right?”

“A new batch of Gwynth, reborn as a succesful product of Icarus, using a serum called PD-11. I don’t even know what the hell that is.” Jeon scowled.

“Well, I hope we don’t have to kill her. I think she’s kind of cute.”

“Her name is Yuna. Her uncle had injected the serum to himself but didn’t work. He is going to die just slowly but sure.” Jeon swirled around his wheelchair. “Poor old man.”

Coming to her feet, Brunette buttoned the front of her beige suit jacket. “There’s a lot we don’t know. These Hybrids are new to us,” she said, which almost made Jeon laugh. For a race of beings who’d never been to Earth, they seemed to have a lot of knowledge about the layout. “We’re counting on you and your family, to aid us in these situations.”

Jeon nodded curtly. “They trust me.”

“But we do not.” Brunette’s eyes narrowed. “Jungshin had beautiful black hair, dear. But you don’t. You killed him.”

“Ah, next time I should be more careful.” Jeon gave her a knowing smile. Disappearing out of Jungshin’s morph, he came around the side of the oak desk, wearing the colored contact lenses. “Now, I have one thing left to do.”

***

Choa stared down at them with dark eyes, her face devoid of any emotion, a total blank slate. “I think we’re missing two here. Where are the Gwynths?”

“Hong tagged Yuna along to take care of this whole mess, Choa.” Hyejeong stared at her.

Mina swore and started to shift, but Choa spoke before she could do something that would end with a lot of explosions and general mayhem. “If you want to live,” she said, voice clipped, “you’ll get in this damn helicopter. Now.”

They really didn’t have much of a choice. Either they put up a fight and got taken down with one of their weapons, or they got in the helicopter. Then what?

Hyejeong shot Mina a look that said, “Calm it down, and for a moment.” Her shoulders tensed, as she hoisted herself up into the helicopter.

Turning to Seolhyun, she met her eyes, and the wariness in her brown gaze, the exhaustion and pain, were tinged with fear. It cut Hyejeong deep seeing that and knowing there wasn’t anything she could do at this moment to change it.

She bent her head and brushed her lips across hers. “It’ll be fine.”

Seolhyun nodded.

“How cute,” Choa said.

Hyejeong growled, hoisting Seolhyun to where Mina waited just inside. She pulled her as she leaped in, crowding Choa. The woman backed up, dropping down onto a bench as she met her stare. “This time will end differently.”

“Will it?”

Hyejeong got all up in her face and lowered her voice so that only Choa could hear. “Yeah, because this time, I will make sure you’re dead.”

The moment the black bird left the ground, Seolhyun squeezed her eyes shut. Turning in Hyejeong’s arms, she pressed her face into Hyejeong’s chest and inhaled the rich, woodsy scent. The scent of death and destruction hadn’t lingered on her.

Hyejeong didn’t mind. More than anything, Seolhyun’s embrace was grounding in the aftermath. And she thought she needed it, too.

Seolhyun hoped guilt wasn’t eating away at her. None of what happened, the deaths, had been Hyejeong’s fault. It seemed that everyone left was mourning someone.

She hadn’t been close with Chaeyeon and Yonghwa, and she hadn’t known Jaejin that well, but their deaths hurt nonetheless. Each of them had died saving someone else, and most people would never know their names or what they’d sacrificed. But they would. Their loss would leave a mark on all of them for a long time coming, if not for eternity.

She stretched up, her lips brushing against Hyejeong’s ear. “I love you so very much.”

“Thank you.”

Unsure of what Hyejeong was thanking her for, Seolhyun curled against her, listening to her heart beat steadily. Closing her eyes, every part of her ached, and she was tired, but sleep seemed impossible.

“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again.” Mina said quietly.

“I’m sorry.” Seolhyun whispered. Sudden emotion crawled up, getting stuck in . “I really am. I know you were close to them, and I wish... I wish a lot of things were different.”

“Me, too,” she said, placing her hand over Seolhyun’s. She laid her cheek on Seolhyun’s shoulder and blinked several times. Her eyes were misty. “None of this seems real. Or is it just me?”

“It’s not just you.” Seolhyun squeezed her hand. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up.”

No one talked during the ride after that. Hyejeong had no idea how long they were in the air. Maybe an hour or so before the copter started to tilt to the side, and she was almost positive Seolhyun started praying under her breath. Any other time she would’ve laughed, but wariness settled into every cell.

What were they about to face now? Being locked up? As Hyejeong watched Choa open her eyes and smooth her hands across her black pants, she doubted she wanted to keep them alive. Her obsession with breeding Felix and Hybrids to create the perfect race could only go so far.

The helicopter landed, and the doors were drawn open immediately. One soldier climbed down, motioning them out. Mina went and then Seolhyun. The moment Hyejeong’s feet hit the ground, she didn’t like what she was seeing.

It was obvious they were at a military base, a huge one that spread as far as she could see. Row after row of bunkers and planes and tanks and other major inconveniences when it came to forming an escape plan. Up ahead, there was a wide and tall U-shaped building.

And a whole crapload of soldiers.

“Welcome to Kunsan Air Force Base,” Choa said, stalking past them. As they passed the lines of soldiers, she expected them to salute Choa. They didn’t. “The whole base is under lockdown. No one gets in or out, including the Felix.”

Hyejeong’s eyes narrowed on her back.

God, that woman so had a death wish. Not just for what she did to Seolhyun, but also for Youkyung’s betrayal of her sisters, for Yuna, and for every other life her twisted hands had touched.

“Why did you bring us here?” Mina demanded.

Choa kept walking at a rapid clip. “You’ll find that the base is wired to deal with your kind.”

Meaning there was weaponized Clio and a ton of other delightful little things that Icarus had whipped up over the years.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Mina replied.

Choa stopped in front of double steel doors. They obviously weren’t going in through the main entrance. She turned to the side, looking back at them, and for the first time since Hyejeong had known the woman, she saw something in her dark eyes she’d never seen before.

She saw fear.

The steel doors opened, metal grinding as they spread wide, revealing the brightly lit tunnel and one person standing in the center. Hands shoved in the pockets of faded, ripped-up jeans.

“It’s about time you guys got here. I was getting really bored.” Hong rocked back on the heels of his boots, grinning widely. “But I think you’re missing one, Choa.”

Choa stiffened as she drew in a deep breath through her nostrils. “Jonghyun left with the Felix. He’s under their control.”

The smile slipped off his face. “Well, that .”

Hyejeong had no idea what to do with any of this. She shook her head as she stared at him. “What the hell is going on, Hong? Where is Yuna?”

“Calm down,” Hong replied, pulling his hands out of his pockets. “She’s doing well. She’s actually here.”

Mina started to turn as one of the soldiers stepped up. Hyejeong lurched forward, grabbing her shoulder. “Wait a minute,” She cut in before her sister could run off blindly. “What in the hell are you doing here with her?”

Hong’s smile returned. “It’s okie dokie smokie, Hyejeong. No need to Hulk out on anyone. You’re safe here. Choa won’t be a problem. Will you?” he asked the tight-lipped woman.

Choa looked like she had something really uncomfortable shoved up a really awkward place.

Her lack of response didn’t budge Hyejeong. Neither did Seolhyun, but Mina was ready to go smaller version of Hulk on them.

Hong sighed as he raised his hands. “Look, this is not a trap, a test, or a drill. Yuna is waiting for us, and I’m more than willing to explain everything to you, but I’m not doing it standing here. Not when I found a set of snack just a few minutes before you guys showed up.”

Hyejeong stared at him.

“What? It’s the kind that has Oreo cookies included,” he replied. “That is banging.”

“God, you had so much potential,” Choa muttered under her breath.

Hong turned violet eyes on her and spoke in a voice that was barely audible to those around them. “And you are really wearing on my last nerve. I don’t think you want that, do you?”

Holy crap if that woman didn’t turn as white as a sheet of brand new paper. Hyejeong glanced back at Seolhyun, seeing if she’d noticed, and her wide eyes told her she had.

But Hyejeong still hesitated.

Her gaze settled on Hong. “If you’re screwing with us, I swear to– ”

“God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost that you’re going to kill me or whatever,” he cut in. “Got it. And although I might not appear appropriately threatened, I am. So, kids, can we move this group along?”

Drawing in a shallow breath, Hyejeong let go of Mina’s shoulder. The soldier waited until Mina joined him. Choa stepped aside, allowing them both to pass through.

Hong clapped his hands together as he pivoted on his heel, heading down the tunnel. The place reminded Hyejeong of Mount Elvis. Wide halls. A lot of closed doors. Strange antiseptic smell.

In some ways, it was better than being with the other Felix. At least this was the enemy they knew and all that jazz.

Hong kneed open a set of double doors and caught one side with his hand. Choa followed him in, and like he’d claimed, at one side of a long table was a set of snacks. Yuna sat at the other side, her legs kicked up, arms folded in front of her chest.

When the door shut behind them and only Choa had come in, Hyejeong knew something really strange was up. Before, the woman had traveled with an entourage.

“You’re okay,” Mina breathed out as she broke free, limping around the side of the table. “I’ve been so worried.”

A second later, Yuna enveloped Mina in a hug. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Seolhyun did look worn out as she eased into one of the metal folding chairs. “What’s going on, guys? Why are you all here and with her?”

“Choa is going to play nice,” Hong said, nudging the Oreo cream onto the center.

Choa had sat next to Hong and looked like she wanted to start breaking things. Her gaze met Hyejeong’s. “Trust me, if I had a choice right now, you’d all be dead.”

Hong tsked softly. “Now, that isn’t very nice.”

Hyejeong didn’t understand. As Hong chomped down on his snack, she leaned forward. “How did you all end up together?”

“She thought she had us, but–”

“You said you were working on that,” Seolhyun said, glancing at a silent Choa. “A way to deal with Icarus? You found something?”

“I’m a very well-connected person,” Hong said around a mouthful of junk. “When they kicked down the helicopter’s door and Choa strode out as if she was the biggest, baddest thing this side of the country, I proved just how well connected I am.”

“How?” Hyejeong watched Choa.

Hong stabbed a straw through his drink. “There’s only one thing that she cares about in this whole entire world, that she’d throw her family in front of a tank for, well, if she even has a family, because I’m pretty sure she was hatched from an egg. And it’s those baby Gwynths.”

“Baby Gwnths?” Hyejeong repeated.

“Kyu? Those?” Seolhyun asked.

Hong nodded. “Yep.”

“Fun fact is that most of the Hybrids and older Gwynths, the ones who left with her to retrieve you guys, aren’t really thrilled with the Icarus treatment.” Yuna smiled, but there was no humor. “The ones who were loyal, well...”

“Bastards,” Choa hissed. “Do you know how long it took to cultivate something that was so loyal and so tested–?”

“Something?” Mina shrieked. “See, that’s why you’re so messed up! The Hybrids and the Gwnyths, they aren’t a something. They are living, breathing people.”

“You don’t understand.” Choa turned a dark look on Mina. “You’ve never created anything.”

“And you have? Just because you forced two people to have children and then ripped them away doesn’t mean you created anything.” Anger tightened Seolhyun’s lips. “You’re not their mother. You aren’t anything but a monster to them!”

Something similar to pain flickered across Choa’s face.

“Either way, they mean a lot to her, and I know where they’re being kept,” Hong explained, finishing up his last cracker. “Tell them what the Icarus wanted, Fancy Choa.”

She gripped the edges of the table. “After the arrival of the Felix, I was told to dismantle the Icarus project.”

“Dismantle?” whispered Seolhyun, and Hyejeong already knew what Choa meant, but didn’t want to believe it.

“I was told to clear out the program, erase everything,” Choa explained.

“Oh my God,” Seolhyun murmured.

Hyejeong closed her eyes. Dismantle. Erase everything. In other words, she’d been given an order from someone higher up than her in the food chain to wipe out any proof of the program. “They wanted you to kill them?”

Choa exhaled noisily as she nodded. “Plausible deniability, they said. That the public couldn’t know that we had not only been aware of alien life-forms but had been working with them for decades.”

“Jesus.” Hyejeong rubbed a hand across her brow. “Not just the kids, right? Every Felix who was in there of their own free will? The ones who were allowing you to do tests? And even the ones who hadn’t assimilated to your standards?”

“Yes,” she responded.

“Of course, she had no problem wiping them out. They are expendable after all, at least according to her. But those Gwnyths?” Hong shook his head slowly. “She couldn’t do it.”

Does this witch have a heart somewhere in her chest?

Yuna laughed as she picked up on Mina’s thoughts. “No, Mina, she doesn’t have a heart. Not in the way a normal person would grow attached to a classroom full of little freaky, and yet oddly adorable, kids. She didn’t want all of her work to go to waste, so she moved them out of Mount Elvis, and she thought she had them hidden.”

“But she didn’t?” Seolhyun’s hand rested in her lap, one folded on top of the other.

Hong shook his head. “As I said, I’m pretty damn well connected. I know where they are and I know how badly Choa wants to return to them when this is all over, given that any of us are still alive, and cultivate the little freaks into big freaks.”

“Like I did with you?” Choa asked.

Hong flipped her off. “She knows I will have every single one of them killed in seconds,” he said, his voice low. “And if my people don’t hear from me, even if I can’t make it to a phone in time, they are all going to die. And then Choa has nothing.”

God.

Seolhyun stared at the kid like she’d never seen him before.

There was no doubt in her mind that Hong was capable of doing something like that. As messy and wrong as it was, he’d do it, but Hyejeong also didn’t believe that he’d ever let those kids fall back into Choa’s hands. “Why didn’t you just kill her?” She asked.

“We kind of need her,” Yuna explained. “At least, we need the government, someplace safe until... well, hopefully there’s an ‘until’ and not a forever. Going up against that many Felix would prove difficult. Right now, she’s a necessary evil.”

Sitting back, Hyejeong her hand through her hair. There was so much running through her head.

Mina scrunched her nose but remained quiet.

Choa was now near the front room, arms crossed over her narrow chest, her face tight, like she was on something sour. A man on a huge monitor on the wall stood next to her in full military clothes with enough shiny buttons and badges to tell he might be a problem.

Hyejeong turned her gaze back to the man. “Who’s this douche?”

Mina giggled, Seolhyun’s eyes widened, and it sounded like Hong choked on his laugh as he spun around to face them. “God, I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“Yay,” Hyejeong muttered.

Choa did not look amused as the man faced them, his shoulders squared. “This is General Han Seungho, the highest-ranking officer in the South Korean Air Force,” Choa said, her words clipped and like little punches. “Perhaps you could show some respect.”

Hyejeong arched a brow. “Sure.”

There wasn’t a single flicker of any smidgen of annoyance as his gray eyes settled on her. “I know you don’t have a very... high opinion of members of the government,” he said. “But I can assure you, right now, we are not your enemy.”

“I reserve the right to decide that,” Hyejeong said, glancing up at the screen. From what it looked like, it was a distant aerial view of a major city. She could pick out the tops of skyscrapers and a blue blob that might be an ocean.

“That’s understandable,” he replied, drawing her attention. “Let it be known, I’ve never had any problems with your kind.”

“I never had a problem with yours,” Hyejeong said. “Not until you basically kidnapped us, started doing horrific experiments on us, ripped my family apart, and became a general pain in our asses.”

A slight flush of pain stained Choa’s cheeks, but she remained quiet.

The general, however, did not. “Many of us were not fully aware of what Icarus was carrying out or how they were acquiring the Felix and Hybrids. There will be a lot of changes in the future.”

“He’s one of the big guys who put the smackdown on Icarus.” Hong folded his arms behind his head. His slippery gaze slid over to Choa, and a chilling grin tilted his lips. “I think he’s kind of cool.”

“That means a lot to me,” the general replied drily. “We may not see eye to eye or think along the same lines,” he said to Hyejeong, “and I will never be able to say anything that will make up for what was done to your family or to those you care for.” With that, he passed a stern look in Choa’s direction. “Those who were responsible for the more unsavory aspects of Icarus will be punished accordingly.”

Seolhyun gaped at him.

“Wait.” Hyejeong moved closer to the monitor. “That’s all great that you love yourself some Felix, but why in the hell would you trust any of us right now? Why would we trust you?”

The general tilted up his chin. “I know you don’t think you and your sister are the only Felix to ever mutate a human you care deeply for. Matter of fact, I think you also realize that there are many Felix out there who would do anything to protect the human or humans they care for. I know that bond is stronger than the influence of those who have recently arrived. I know that for a fact.”

“How?” Seolhyun asked.

“Because my daughter and her husband are here on the base,” he said, looking at Hyejeong. “And yes, he is a Felix.”

For some screwed-up reason, out of everything, that had to be the most shocking she’d heard. She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Your daughter is married to a Felix?”

“They’ve been married for five years,” he said, and as he folded his arms, the dark green uniform stretched over his shoulders.

“Your daughter is married to a Felix, and you’re okay with what Choa was doing to them? To us?” Anger flashed across Seolhyun’s face.

“As I said, there were things we were unaware of.”

“That’s not an excuse,” Mina swore under her breath.

“I know there is nothing I can do to change what has been done in the past other than ensuring it will never happen again. And I will.” General Han drew in a breath. “But right now, we have an unprecedented global disaster on our hands. That is all I can focus on.”

“Global disaster.” Hong arched a brow. “That sounds so incredibly dramatic and like there’s–” A muted beep cut him off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Got something I need to take care of.”

He headed for the door without a backward glance, his free hand curling into a fist, and warnings fired off, one at a time.

“It’s okay.” Yuna’s voice filtered through Hyejeong’s thoughts. “What he has going on right now has nothing to do with any of this.”

“Call me paranoid if that doesn’t mean to me,” Hyejeong sent back at her.

“The general is legit,” Yuna replied, her gaze locking with Hyejeong’s. “And like I said, what Hong is dealing with has nothing to do with it.”

Hyejeong still wasn’t 100 percent on board, so she draped her arm around Seolhyun’s shoulders just in case. Her gaze flickered over the general and Choa. “Where’s the other one?” She asked. “Sergeant Choi?”

Choa turned to her. “He’s dead.”

Against her side, Seolhyun stiffened. “How?”

“In a fight with the Felix just outside of Gangnam.” Choa’s dark eyes narrowed on them. “That should make both of you happy.”

Choi may not have been a complete sociopath like her, but he was on Hyejeong’s To-Kill list.

At least she could mark his name off.

“General Han.” A voice traveled from a man on the second large monitor. He was standing, arms pressed to his sides. “We’re five minutes out.”

Five minutes out from what?

No sooner was that thought finished than the image on the monitor zoomed in and the tops of buildings became clearer, as did congested streets. Some areas were nothing but blobs of gray smoke.

“What is this?” Seolhyun asked, stepping forward and out from underneath Hyejeong’s arm.

“This is what we are doing to stop the invasion.”

Hyejeong turned her gaze back to the screen.

“What you see on the screen is Busan,” the general explained. “There was a significant number of invading Felix there, all who have taken human form, mostly government officials and others in positions of power. They have rapidly assimilated the human DNA of those who are around the age necessary to have a family. We have people in there who’ve been keeping us up to date, but as of yesterday night, we’ve lost complete control of the city.”

“... .”

“We’ve also lost Incheon, Daegu, and Gwangju,” Choa interjected. “That we know of at this point. The only area we’ve been able to hold without any Felix is Blue House, but the invaders are amassing tremendous forces around the state– Bukhansan, Cheongun-dong, Samcheong-dong, and Sinyeon-dong are all almost completely under their control.”

Damn.

“And we don’t know of any Gwynths inside Blue House who might have joined forces with the invading Felix,” he added. “We’re hoping that’s not the case, but we have to plan for it.”

“Three minutes.”

Hyejeong’s gaze landed on the back of the man counting. “What happens in three minutes?”

Seolhyun turned around, her face pale, and Hyejeong knew her mind was going where hers was, and none of this was heading to a pleasant place.

“We have to stop the Felix by any means necessary that will result in minimal human casualties.” The general’s shoulders rose as he drew in a deep breath. “Obviously, that limits what we can do.”

Yuna pushed off the wall, gliding closer, as if she expected Hyejeong to lose her when her suspicions were confirmed.

“The president of South Korea, in conjunction with the secretary of defense, has approved a test strike of an upgraded FNC over the city of Busan.”

Hyejeong stared at the general.

“FNC weaponized in the form of several nonnuclear bombs,” he explained, and Hyejeong’s stomach dropped to her feet. “It will work once the bomb detonates around a three-hundred-foot elevation, but on a more widespread level. Expected loss of human life is nominal, limited to those with heart disease or other disorders that might be susceptible to an electric pulse of that magnitude... and currently those whose lives are dependent upon life-support systems.”

“Two minutes, elevation at seven hundred feet,” came from the front, followed by a static-filled voice announcing the location over a radio signal.

“Most humans will experience a burst of pain and momentary paralysis,” General Han continued as Mina turned back to the screen. “The FNC will act as a lethal, immediate kill weapon to any Felix, Hybrid, or Gwynth within the strike zone.”

Holy .

Hyejeong got the necessity of it. They had to do something against the invading Felix, but Jonghyun was still out there somewhere, hopefully nowhere near Busan. And there had to be innocent Felix and Hybrids there, even Gwynths, and they had no clue what was coming their way.

“Innocents will die in this, both human and Felix,” the general said again. “But we have to sacrifice the few to save the many.”

Hyejeong turned back to the screen as it flickered rapidly for a second. The image had zoomed in once more, enough that she could track movement on the ground.

“That’s not all it does,” Choa said quietly. “The FNC was designed for a different purpose.”

The general nodded. “Originally, it came to creation as a weapon of mass destruction that would limit the loss of human life. This version of FNC irreversibly damages any and all electronic devices and power sources.”

“That’s everything,” Seolhyun whispered. “That’s absolutely everything in the city. Phones, cars, hospitals, communications. Everything.”

“One minute, elevation at four hundred feet.”

“It will virtually knock South Korea back into the dark ages.” Yuna stared at the large screen. “You’re about to see history be made again, but the kind of history that can never be rewritten.”

“You can’t do this,” Mina said, shaking her head. “There are innocent people, and their whole way of life is about to be ended. You can’t–”

“It’s obviously too late,” Choa snapped, dark eyes firing. “This is our only option to stop them. For there even to be a tomorrow where mankind is safe.”

Seolhyun opened , but