BEYOND THE LOVE

CHAPTER 33:

After the tumultuous night, the following days seemed to blur into one another. The base was quieter than usual. The energy had shifted, and everyone was treading carefully, as if the slightest sound might shatter the fragile peace that had settled.

Juan had made several attempts to approach me, but each time I brushed him off. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to talk about the Eviscerators, to process and understand. But I wasn't ready. The weight of their betrayal still hung heavily on me, and I wasn't willing to delve into it just yet.

JUAN'S POV:

Observing Nara's actions, Kyoto inquired, "Why is she reviewing the documents we've already handled?"

Suha turned towards Kyoto, glancing at Nara, and responded, "Well, we can't do anything; she's not in her right state of mind."

Ji Woon added, "Yeah, she hasn't even inquired about the drive Zaerim gave her."

Hearing this, I shifted my gaze from the laptop to Nara, saying, "I hope she'll be ready soon."

Jiwoon questioned the drive, to which I replied, "Well, it's encoded; I need to decode it."

END OF JUAN'S POV:

Suddenly my phone buzzed, interrupting the silence that had settled in the room. I glanced at the caller ID. Taking a deep breath, I answered the call, trying to compose myself.

"Nara , I need a detailed report on the latest encounter. The Eviscerators are becoming more active, and we can't afford to let any information slip through," Chief's voice was stern, cutting through the tension.

I hesitated for a moment, my mind still grappling with the recent revelations. "Chief, there's a lot to unpack. It's not a straightforward situation," l began, choosing words carefully.

The chief , sensing the gravity in my  tone, replied, "what happened, nara? Anything serious?"and letting a breath out and added -"Take your time, but I need a comprehensive report as soon as possible. We need to know who we can trust and what we're up against."

I nodded, even though the chief couldn't see me. "I'll get you the report, Chief. But I need some time to gather everything."

As he hung up, the weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders. The world outside the base was still in chaos, and my duty as an officer couldn't be set aside, even with the personal turmoil I was experiencing.

I turned to Juan, who had been watching me closely. "We have to decode Zaerim's drive, Juan. The chief needs answers, and we need to figure out the Eviscerators' next move."

Surprised , everyone glanced at me, and juan inquired, "How did you realize the drive required decoding?"

I replied, "By observing the attempts, it became evident that it held crucial information." Kyoto  pressed, "Why didn't you mention it earlier? What were you doing for the past three days?"

I clarified, "I was investigating, gathering more information before bringing it to your attention."

Ji Woon then remarked, "Oh... we thought you were zoned out and simply checking files."

I questioned, "Why should I?"

Suha dismissed, "Come on, Nara, that question is lame."

I chuckled and asked, "What did you guys expect from me, tears?"

I was about to continue, but Juan intervened, saying, "Come, we will handle the work."

Juan and I huddled over the decoding process, the air thick with unspoken tension. As lines of code scrolled across the screen, I couldn't shake off the weight of the recent revelations. Juan glanced at me, his eyes filled with understanding.