Detective Jeon (2) : He, Never Left | JJK

Ch17. 1-9-9-5

“You know what happened to my grandmother during the fourth final chess match?” said Adrien.

Jeon looked at him through his piercing eyes, “She died because of a heart attack.”

tik…tik…tik…tik… the timer began to move.

Adrien was surprised though he tried to hide it with a smile. He was flabbergasted to hear it. “And that is the correct answer. Now listen to me carefully. Exact twenty seconds from this moment the timer will explode and the whole place will collapse. Take your friend and walk away.”

tik…tik…tik…tik…

Jeon rushed downstairs. He was screaming Taehyung's name. Taehyung was miserably caught between the bald man and a woman who appeared to be the young actress, Suzy Won. Jeon quickly grabbed his hand and ran towards the main entrance. In that very instant, they heard a voice from the far balcony of the second floor and turned around.

“1-9-9-5” said Adrien loudly.

“What?” Taehyung had no idea what was going on.

“Well played mate! Goodluck!” cried Adrien and turning his back disappeared in thin air.

In the grandeur of the Villa Les Musique's dining hall, an eerie silence hung heavy in the air after Adrien's cryptic revelation. Time seemed to stand still, broken only by the steady ‘tik...tik...tik...’ of the mysterious timer counting down.

Then, suddenly, chaos erupted as if the very foundations of the villa had revolted. The colossal pillars, which had stood as silent sentinels for centuries, groaned and surrendered to an unseen force. With a deafening crash, they crumbled down like ancient giants brought to their knees. Heavy drapes, once regal and opulent, now descended in a cacophonous cascade, obscuring the terrified guests in a shroud of velvet and silk. Windows, unable to withstand the unleashed fury, shattered into a thousand glittering shards, letting in gusts of cool night air.

The marble floor fractured with spiderweb-like cracks, snaking across its surface. The long, majestic dining table, where moments ago laughter and clinking glasses had reigned, broke from the center with a deafening crack, splitting into two parts as if severed by an invisible blade. Amidst this maelstrom, the guests were no longer sophisticated socialites but frantic souls caught in a surreal nightmare. Their composed façades crumbled like the pillars, and screams of terror pierced the air as they moved in a frenzy, struggling to save their lives.

Jeon and Taehyung, driven by instinct and a sense of urgency, navigated the chaos. They rushed towards the entrance, their voices strained as they implored the disoriented guests to follow them to safety. But panic had ensnared the minds of the revelers, and their ears were deaf to reason. Then, in a final crescendo of calamity, the magnificent chandelier, once the centerpiece of this opulent dining hall, succumbed to the tumult. Crystals crashed to the ground with a shuddering roar and initiated a series of blackout.

The once-elegant dining hall had become a nightmarish battleground. Jeon and Taehyung fought through the abyss, determined to guide as many souls as possible but no one was ready to listen. Taehyung pulled Jeon by his jacket in the dark. “It's time to go, Jungkook! We can't save them.” Jeon looked at the whole mess and finally decided to follow Taehyung out.

“Ouch! Jungkook! You stepped on my foot again. Back off!” said Taehyung in agonizing pain.

Next moment, they found themselves entangled in heavy drapes, stumbling and falling in their frantic escape. It was as if fate had conspired to keep them within the chaos.

With a final, desperate effort, they managed to extricate themselves from the tangle of fabric and stumbled out into the blinding daylight of the Villa Les Musique. Gasping for breath and disoriented, they were met by the imposing figure of Mr. Laurent, who stood with arms crossed and a stern expression. Beside him was a tall, impeccably dressed man, who exudes an air of authority.