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⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Days passed and Haewon never showed up. Sunghoon waited, every hour feeling like an eternity. He tried calling Haewon, but her phone was off. The silence was suffocating, each unanswered call intensifying his fear. Doubt began to creep in. What if she never made it out of Bloodmae's lair? He tried to convince himself otherwise, but the uncertainty gnawed at him.
"She's strong," he told himself, pacing the cabin. "She's smart. She'll find a way." But as days turned into a week, his resolve weakened. "What if... what if she's trapped? Or worse..."
On the seventh day, as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the cabin, Sunghoon made a decision. He couldn't just sit and wait any longer. He had to find her, to know for sure. His heart pounded with determination as he grabbed his gear, heading for the door.
As he opened the door, something on the ground caught his eye. An envelope, stark white against the dirt, lay at the threshold. He picked it up, his name written in Haewon's familiar handwriting. His hands trembled as he tore it open, unfolding the note inside.
"Sunghoon,
I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for everything. If I had known Jinwoo's true motive, I would never have involved you. This burden should have been mine alone to bear. I never meant to drag you into this mess.
You have to stay hidden. Bloodmae will stop at nothing to find us, especially now. Please, do not look for me. Stay hidden at Mount Onju, keep yourself safe. I promise I'll find a way to end this, but for now, you need to stay put.
With all my love,
Haewon"
Sunghoon sank to the ground, the note crumpled in his hands. "Haewon..." he whispered.
He slammed his fist against the wooden floor, frustration and sorrow mingling in his chest. "She's trying to protect me... but I should be protecting her."
He reread the note, her words echoing in his mind. "Stay hidden... do not look for me..." He knew she was right, that Bloodmae would use any means to draw him out, to capture them both. But the thought of her facing all this alone was unbearable.
Sunghoon spent the next few days in a state of restless turmoil. He couldn't shake the feeling that he should be doing something, anything, to help her. The cabin felt like a prison, each creak of the wood and rustle of the leaves outside a reminder of his helplessness.
He tried to focus on recovering, tending to his wounds and regaining his strength. But every moment of stillness brought with it a flood of memories: Haewon's laughter, her determination, the fierce light in her eyes when she fought. He missed her presence, the comfort of knowing she was nearby.
