chapter 27

My heart raced with a sense of urgency as I navigated towards the hidden address provided by the enigmatic Gemini twins, my only focus on reaching there swiftly without a second thought. Every beat echoed loudly in my chest, a constant reminder of the gravity of the situation. I whispered prayers under my breath, hoping against hope that Takeru was safe, that he hadn't lost faith in me. The weight of responsibility pressed down on me, a heavy burden as I sped through the labyrinthine streets.

A sudden wail of sirens shattered the tense silence, jolting me out of my thoughts. Panic shot through me, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. I willed myself to remain calm, knowing that any wrong move could jeopardize everything. Bruising my hand in my haste, I pulled over, my eyes flickering nervously to the rearview mirror. The last thing I could afford was to blow my cover, to draw unnecessary attention that could put Risha in harm's way before Sebastian could reach her.

Impatience gnawed at me as I waited for the approaching police officer to reach my window. The seconds stretched into eternity, each moment filled with the dread of the unknown. Despite the officer's professional demeanor, my mind was consumed by the fear that Takeru was in imminent danger. It was a precarious balance between following the law to protect Risha and the urgent need to ensure Takeru's safety. The stakes were high, and every decision carried the weight of a life hanging in the balance.

"Good evening, sir. Do you know why I pulled you over?" The officer asked calmly as I kept my eyes forward.

"I'm sorry, officer. I must have lost track of my speed. Was I speeding?" I said gripping the steering wheel.

"Yes, you were going well over the speed limit. Can I see your license and registration, please?" The officer said getting a closer look at me. I quickly turned and opened my glove department and handed over the documents without looking back at the officer.

"Here they are." I said through gritted teeth trying to hurry this up so I could make it to Takeru.

 "Thank you. Is there a reason for your hurry tonight?" he asked sounding suspicious of me as he looked over my documents.

"I'm just trying to get home as quickly as possible. I have a family emergency I need to attend to." I responded, mustering a strained smile in an attempt to alleviate any doubts the officer might harbor. With a nod, the officer accepted my explanation and retreated to his cruiser, likely to relay the information through his radio. As I anxiously drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, my mind raced with scenarios of what could transpire next. The sudden reappearance of the officer at my window only added to my unease.

 "Could you kindly step out of the vehicle, sir?" The officer's voice carried an authoritative edge, his hand subtly hovering near his holster. I complied and exited the car and faced the officer who on edge and seemed trigger happy.

"What's this about officer?" I asked annoyed.

"Do you know a Risha Nakamura? She's about 5 Years old, She's missing and hasn't been to school lately." The officer replied hand firmly on his gun and glaring at me as if I was a monster ready to strike.

"No, I don't know her. I'm a college student and I don't have children." I replied gritted my teeth hoping he just accepts my explanation.

"Then why are you registered as her guardian?" The officer demanded, drawing his gun from his holster pointing it at me. I threw my hands in the air and glared at the officer trying to deescalate the situation. I didn't have time for this. I need to make it to Takeru and Now, Im going to have to get away from this cop and run.

"I apologize," I murmured under my breath, the weight of the gun heavy in my hand as I swiftly twisted the officer's arm and delivered a swift blow to his head. With a sense of urgency gripping me, I witnessed him crumple to the ground and without a moment's hesitation, I leaped into my car, the engine roaring to life as I pushed the pedal to the metal, speeding recklessly through the city streets in a frantic attempt to reach Takeru as quickly as humanly possible.

Upon arriving at the designated address, a tall two-story house loomed before me, its facade adorned with a glass sliding door on the upper level and a passcode-protected front entrance. My first task was to devise a strategy to ascertain the presence of both Kwan and Takeru within those walls. The safety of Takeru was paramount, and I needed to ensure that any confrontation with Kwan would not jeopardize that. It was imperative that I navigated this delicate situation with both precision and caution, for the stakes were high and every move had to be calculated.

I examined each window and entrance of the house, my senses heightened, searching for the faintest hint of movement or sound. The silence within the walls was deafening, adding an eerie layer to the mystery shrouding the abandoned structure. The surroundings were enveloped in a thick blanket of stillness, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. The overgrown garden surrounding the house whispered secrets of neglect and abandonment, with weeds entwining themselves around the decaying porch steps.

A nearby tree caught my eye, its gnarled branches extending towards the second floor like beckoning fingers. Its twisted limbs seemed to reach out in a haunting embrace, casting eerie shadows on the weathered facade of the house. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and musty decay, heightening the sense of foreboding that hung over the deserted property.

With determination, I scaled the rough bark, feeling the texture of the tree's ancient skin beneath my fingertips. The branches creaked softly under my weight, adding a symphony of eerie sounds to the stillness that surrounded me. As I ascended towards the upper level, the view from above revealed a landscape frozen in time, with no signs of life or movement to disrupt the haunting tranquility.

Upon reaching the second floor, my breath caught in my throat as I peered through the windows into a scene frozen in time. A stroke of luck presented itself in the form of an unlocked sliding door, granting me silent entry into the heart of the enigmatic dwelling. Stepping into the room, my eyes scanned the ordinary furnishings that stood in quiet repose. The furniture bore the marks of age, their surfaces covered in a fine layer of dust that shimmered in the dim light coming from the window.

"This room is ordinary enough" I whispered to myself as I cautiously stepped into the room, the first thing that caught my eye was the seemingly ordinary bookcase standing silently in the corner. Its shelves were neatly lined with an array of books, their spines staring back at me in silent invitation. The stairs beckoned from across the room, their wooden steps leading me up to the unknown mysteries of the first floor. Descending the stairs, a chilling emptiness enveloped me as I wandered through the silent halls, the absence of life echoing in the stillness. there were small drops of blood on the floor in the kitchen along with cleaning supplies on the floor as if someone was trying to cover up something. my heart pounded at the thought that Takeru was hurt so I started searching for any clue of Takeru ever being here of him still being alive.

As I shifted my gaze from the well-worn kitchen to the bedroom entrance adjacent to the front door, I approached it cautiously, pushing it ajar. The room lay before me, stark and minimalistic, housing only a makeshift bed crafted from a haphazard pile of blankets and cushions. Just as I was about to move on with the search, a faint noise emanated from within the confines of the closet, halting my movements in their tracks. Drawing closer to the closet, my hand instinctively reached for the handle, my grip tightening as I braced myself for what lay beyond. With a deep inhalation, I yanked the sliding door open, revealing a scene that froze time itself. There, before me, lay a frail Takeru, clad in a faded pink dress, his disheveled hair adorned with a solitary pink hairpin, his body marred by a tapestry of bruises that bore witness to untold suffering from head to toe.

"Are you a friend of Kwan?" Takeru asked, his voice trembling as he tried to force a faint smile. My heart clenched at the sight of Takeru's battered body, aching with the unmistakable signs of neglect. It was evident that he had been deprived of nourishment, his frail form bearing the weight of days without proper sustenance. His ankles, wrapped in bandages, seemed misshapen, as if the wounds had healed in a twisted manner.

"Kwan is not here at the moment," he stated, his gaze fixated on me with a mix of wariness and uncertainty, as if I were an apparition from a nightmare. Kneeling beside him, I lowered my voice, speaking gently in an attempt to soothe his apprehension.

"Do you not remember me, Rose bud? It's Jun-myeon, your old friend," I whispered, hoping to spark a flicker of recognition in his eyes as I reached out a hand in a gesture of reassurance.

"Jun?" Takeru whispered, his eyes reflecting a mix of disbelief and relief, as though uncertain if the figure before him was flesh and blood or a mere figment of his imagination. In that poignant moment, I extended my hand towards him, feeling the tremors of fear and vulnerability that coursed through his veins. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, a silent testament to the emotional turmoil he had been enduring.

"Jun! I thought you had forgotten me" Takeru's voice cracked with raw emotion as he sought solace in my embrace, his body trembling with the weight of unspoken anguish. Enfolding him gently, I feared that even the slightest pressure might shatter him into a million irreparable pieces. My heart ached at the thought of the suffering he had endured during my absence, a pain that gnawed at my soul.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner, my dear Rosebud," I murmured softly, a single tear tracing its path down my cheek, mingling with the unspoken promise of retribution that simmered beneath the surface. Kwan, the orchestrator of Takeru's torment, would soon face the consequences of his heinous actions.

As I embraced Takeru, feeling his trembling form in my arms as tears streamed down his face, the sudden click of the keypad on the front door shattered our fragile moment of solace. Takeru's eyes widened with terror, his gaze fixated on the entrance, his voice barely audible as he pleaded, "Please, hide." His whispered plea echoed in the room as he crawled out, leaving me torn between wanting to shield him and knowing that any move could endanger us both. With a heavy heart, I followed his plea swiftly, seeking refuge behind the bedroom door, straining to catch every sound from beyond.

"Welcome home, Honey," Takeru's voice quivered softly as Kwan's presence filled the space. The air grew tense as Kwan's footsteps drew nearer.

"Why hello my lovely Esmerlda. Did you behave while I was gone?" Kwan asked as he walked pass the bedroom causing me to hold my breath. I have to get Takeru out of here and Now.