Deep End | Hyunlix

9

Chan's exhaustion was starting to take its toll. It had been a week since Felix was taken, and despite their tireless efforts, they hadn't made any progress. His mind felt clouded, and his body was beginning to shut down from lack of sleep. He paced back and forth, running through every possible lead they had, but nothing was coming together. How could they be so close, and yet so far away from finding Felix?

His thoughts were interrupted when Seungmin walked into the room. "Chan hyung, you need to get some rest. You..."

"Rest?!" Chan practically shouted, his voice breaking. "How can I get any rest when Felix has been missing for a week? We don't know anything. He could be..."

His throat closed around the word, the heavy weight of it choking him. He couldn't finish the sentence—he couldn't even think it. The thought of Felix being lost, possibly hurt, was unbearable. His chest tightened painfully.

"We just need to find him," Chan said, his voice shaking. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

He collapsed into the chair, his head in his hands, shoulders slumped in defeat. His body felt like it was breaking under the pressure of the sleepless nights, but he couldn't stop. They couldn't stop. Not until they had answers. Not until they knew whether Felix was dead or alive.

Seungmin stood there for a moment before sitting beside him, his hand gently resting on Chan's shoulder. "It's okay, hyung. I know you're tired. We all are. We will find him."

Chan barely nodded, the exhaustion weighing heavily on him. He closed his eyes, trying to find a shred of strength within himself, but it was hard. They had to find him.

"Let's do a canvas of the warehouse again," Chan muttered, the words almost automatic, as if he didn't know what else to say. "Maybe there was something we missed."

Seungmin nodded, squeezing his shoulder before standing up. "I'll let Han know, and we can get ready to leave."

Chan nodded again, his gaze distant as Seungmin left the room. For a moment, the room felt unbearably quiet. Chan was lost in his own thoughts, but deep down, he knew what they needed. They couldn't stop looking. They couldn't give up, not now. His hand clenched into a fist, determination fighting through the fatigue. They would find Felix. They had to.

Seungmin walked into the next room to find the rest of the team. His chest felt heavy with the weight of the situation, but he knew he had to be strong, especially for Chan. He took a deep breath before speaking up.

"Guys, suit up. We're leaving in ten. We're headed back to canvas the warehouse," he announced, looking around at the tired faces of his teammates. The exhaustion in the room was palpable. They hadn't slept well since Felix had gone missing, each of them trying to keep their focus while fighting the pull of exhaustion.

Han looked up, his expression hesitant. "We've already looked there several times. If we haven't found anything by now, I don't think we will find something this time."

Seungmin sighed, the same doubt echoing in his mind. But they couldn't afford to stop now—not when they were so close to finding Felix. They had to keep looking.

"It doesn't hurt to look one more time," Seungmin said firmly.

Han just nodded and got up to put his gear on. Seungmin left the room to give the others some space, but Han couldn't help but glance over at I.N. The youngest member had been silent the whole time, staring off into space as if lost in his own thoughts.

Han walked back over and gently placed a hand on I.N's shoulder, startling him slightly. "You okay?"

I.N blinked up at him, his face red as if he was about to cry. He didn't say anything, but just nodded, looking away quickly.

Han stepped closer, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. "Do you wanna stay here and look through the surveillance tapes again?"

I.N's eyes dropped to the floor, his silent nod the only answer. He wasn't one to usually let his emotions get the better of him, but the tension and lack of sleep were getting to all of them. They were all on edge.

"It's okay," Han said softly, patting I.N on the shoulder. "I'll let the others know."

Han turned and walked out of the room, the weight of Felix's disappearance sitting heavily on his chest. He let out a long breath as he thought about their leader. Felix, where are you? Han thought. We'll find you. We won't stop looking for you.

——-
785 words