Bound to shadows

Back at the sanctuary, Jin stood up from his chair, a sense of unease gnawing at him. Something was wrong. He had been trying to focus on their next move, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Mei and Kai. It had been too long since they had heard anything from them.

"Have you heard from Mei or Kai?" Jin asked, his voice laced with concern as he glanced around at the others.

Ryu, who had been sitting near the hearth, looked up, his brows furrowed. "No, sir. There's been nothing. It's been too quiet." He exchanged a worried glance with the others, sensing the same troubling unease.

Jin frowned deeply, his fingers tapping against the wooden table in rhythm with his thoughts. "This isn't like them. If something had gone wrong, we'd have heard by now."

"We should go check," Ryu suggested, already standing. His eyes were hard with determination. "It's too dangerous to wait. We need to find them."

Jin hesitated for a moment before nodding. He knew Ryu was right. Mei and Kai couldn't be left to fend for themselves. "Be careful," he warned, his voice low, filled with the weight of responsibility. "If they've run into trouble, we need to be prepared."

Ryu gave a sharp nod, and the others gathered their things swiftly. Jin watched them leave with a sense of helplessness gnawing at him. He wished he could go with them, but someone had to stay behind, ready to act if things went wrong.

---

Back at the abandoned building, James stood over Mei, his smile widening as he took in her fear and defiance. Mei sat in the chair, her mind racing with ways to escape, but she knew deep down that her options were limited. Her powers were nearly nonexistent, and with Kai unconscious, she had no strength to fight back. Her thoughts whirled in confusion, trying to make sense of what was happening.

James, sensing her uncertainty, leaned in slightly closer. "I'm not going to hurt you… yet. But you need to understand something. This is bigger than you. Than your friends."

Mei's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"

James' eyes darkened, the casualness fading from his tone. "The shadows are a problem. But they aren't the only ones. You and your friends have made a lot of enemies, Mei. And I've been sent here to make sure you understand that."

His words sent a chill through Mei's veins. "You've been sent?" she whispered, her heart sinking.

"Yes," he replied, his voice low, filled with an ominous calm. "But the thing is, you're not just any pawn in this game. You're something much more valuable."

Mei's heart pounded. She was already too deep in this mess. She had to find a way out, but she had no idea where to start.

Suddenly, one of the men from the back approached with a syringe in his hand, his expression cold and distant. Mei's eyes widened in terror. "What are you doing?" she demanded, struggling against the restraints that held her to the chair. "No! Don't—"

But before she could react, the needle plunged into her neck, sending a sharp pain through her skin. She screamed, the sudden agony blurring her vision. "What—what are you doing to me?!" she gasped, struggling to fight the encroaching fog in her mind.

James stood back, watching with a strange amusement in his eyes. "Just a little something to help you rest. It'll be a long journey," he said, his voice almost soothing, as though he was giving her some sort of comfort.

Mei's eyes blurred, and she could feel herself slipping. The darkness was overwhelming, her body no longer able to fight against the effects of whatever was coursing through her veins. Her head fell to the side, her body no longer able to hold itself upright. She could barely keep her eyes open as the world around her seemed to fade away.

"Where... where are you taking me?" Mei muttered, her voice weak and desperate.

James's gaze softened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. "You'll find out soon enough," he said cryptically. "Don't worry. Everything will be clearer once you arrive."

One of the men moved toward Mei, lifting her limp body from the chair as though she weighed nothing. The dizziness in her head was overwhelming, but she still managed to keep her eyes open just long enough to see them dragging Kai to his feet, his limp form dangling like a ragdoll.

"No… Kai…" Mei whispered, her heart breaking at the sight of her unconscious friend. She wanted to scream, to run, but her body refused to cooperate. The drug was taking hold of her, and she could feel herself losing control.

They carried her to a car waiting outside, its engine idling quietly in the dark. Mei felt the cold night air against her skin as they pushed her into the backseat. The door slammed shut, and one of the men climbed in next to her, holding her arms firmly against her sides, ensuring she couldn't escape.

Mei barely had the strength to lift her head, but she looked over at Kai. He was slumped against the side of the car, still unconscious. Tears blurred her vision as she tapped him weakly. "Kai… wake up… please," she whispered, but her voice was too soft, too feeble for him to hear.

The man beside her glared at her, shushing her with a sharp gesture. "Quiet," he hissed. "You're causing enough trouble already."

Mei's chest tightened with fear. The car's engine rumbled to life, and they started moving, the lights of the city fading in the distance as they headed deeper into the night. Mei had no idea where they were going, but her mind screamed with panic. What was James planning? What did they want with her? With Kai?

She had to find a way to get out of this, to warn Jin and the others, but with the drug coursing through her, she was barely able to think. Every time she tried to gather her thoughts, the darkness threatened to pull her under.

---

Back at the sanctuary, Jin sat nervously at the table, his fingers tapping anxiously. "Where are they?" he muttered under his breath, his thoughts still on Mei and Kai. Ryu had gone with the others to find them, but even Jin knew it might already be too late.

Ryu had insisted they leave immediately, but Jin couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The sense of urgency was growing, but so was his fear.

They needed to find Mei and Kai, and they needed to find them fast.

---

Inside the car, Mei closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but the fear gnawing at her gut. But her thoughts were blurry, slipping further and further away. As the car drove deeper into the night, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being drawn into something far darker than she could possibly imagine.

And there was nothing she could do to stop it.