Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

83. Tearing Us Apart

*･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ ✧.*

Grab your tissues, guys.

"One Bullet"

Minghao parked the car and walked up to the mansion where he discovered Nabi and Jeonghan.

The very place from Nabi's childhood, a source of her nightmares, and the exact location the unknown number had directed him to.

Minghao's heart pounded relentlessly, each beat echoing the rush of disturbing thoughts that gripped his mind.

What if, upon reaching the mansion, he discovered Nabi enduring unspeakable harm? Or even worse, he'll found her lifeless?

The weight of doubt thickened the air, and Minghao couldn't escape the gnawing worry that what awaited him inside would be far worse than he could imagine.

The mere notion sent shivers down his spine. His hands, usually steady, now trembled involuntarily at the haunting images triggered by his imagination.

Minghao steeled himself, taking a deep breath to quell the rising panic.

When he reached the door, he noticed it was open. Minghao furrowed his brows slightly, a sense of trepidation gnawing at him.

With cautious determination, he pushed the door open, revealing the dark expanse of the mansion.

He scanned the surroundings, his hand poised to reach for the concealed gun at his back. However, an unsettling silence enveloped the mansion.

Not even a speck of dust stirred in the air, and everything appeared meticulously arranged—as if frozen in time.

The odd perfection of the scene raised a disconcerting question in Minghao's mind.

Was it too perfect, an attempt to hide the actual truth of what was to come?

He proceeded further into the mansion, his senses on high alert as he meticulously searched the area. Every step was cautious, each footfall measured.

As Minghao approached the living room, his uncertainty and fear manifested in the hesitancy of his steps, providing a haunting echo in the silence that surrounded him.

The unknown awaited him in the dimly lighted room, intensifying the fear that seized his every step.

When he turned his head towards the table in the living room, Minghao froze. Every cell in his body seemed to halt, his heart pausing for a moment, and his mind went blank.

His body went numb, a strange void replacing any sense of movement. He stood there, unable to move, his eyes fixated on her.

"Nabi?" he asked, his voice echoing in the darkness, a scared whisper.

She stood at the end of the table, perched on the chair, gazing at him as if she had been expecting his arrival.

Her face appeared strangely composed, but beneath the table, her nails dug into her palm, a silent struggle to maintain control and prevent herself from collapsing.

The calm exterior masked the storm within, a contradiction that sent a chill down Minghao's spine.

His knees felt like jelly at the sight of her—safe, unbruised.

However, a perplexing silence lingered. Why wasn't she saying anything? Why didn't she rush to him, enveloping him in a tight hug?

The absence of her familiar whisper of his name left Minghao's mind in disarray, a chaotic swirl of unanswered questions that intensified the unsettling situation.