Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 21: Shattered Echoes

Ryujin's POV

A few days ago:

I was deep into planning, my fingers flying over the keys as I traced the routes for our next mission. Everything had to be perfect-no room for error. The silence in the room was only broken by the occasional click of the mouse and the faint hum of the laptop.

Then, suddenly, my phone rang, cutting through the silence. The screen showed Hyunjin's name, and without thinking, I picked up. But instead of his familiar voice, a woman's voice filled my ear.

"Hey, do you know Hyunjin?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes?" I answered, my confusion clear.

"He's admitted into the hospital. Please come," she continued. "I called you because you were in his emergency contacts." There was a tremor in her voice, a hint of fear that immediately set me on edge.

I closed the laptop with a snap, my mind racing Questions swirled, but there was no time to dwell on them. I had to get to the hospital, and I had to get there fast.

I grabbed my jacket and keys, barely pausing to lock the door behind me as I rushed out. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each more troubling than the last. What had happened to Hyunjin? Why would someone else be using his phone? And why did she sound so afraid?

The drive to the hospital felt like it took an eternity, though it was probably just minutes. Every red light, every slow car in front of me, only made my anxiety grow. I couldn't lose him he's my bestfriend no way I'm losing him.

As I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I barely registered the sound of my tires screeching to a halt. I jumped out of the car and ran inside, my eyes scanning the signs until I found the emergency room.

Inside, the sterile smell of antiseptic hit me first, followed by the sight of people milling about-some in pain, others in distress. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached the front desk.

"Hyunjin. Hwang Hyunjin. Where is he?" I blurted out, my voice sharper than I intended.

The nurse behind the desk looked up, startled, but quickly composed herself. She typed something into her computer, then nodded. "He's in room 307, on the third floor."

Without another word, I turned and headed for the elevators. The doors took forever to close, and I tapped my foot impatiently, each second feeling like an hour.

When I finally reached the third floor, I spotted the room number and pushed the door open, my heart in my throat. There he was, lying in the hospital bed, pale and motionless. The sight of him like that sent a wave of cold fear crashing over me.

The woman who had called me was standing by his side, her face pale and her eyes wide. She looked up as I entered, and I could see the worry etched on her features.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I stepped closer to Hyunjin, my eyes not leaving his face.

"He collapsed in the market," she explained, her voice shaky. "He was in so much pain, and then he just... he just went unconscious. The doctors are running tests, but they don't know what's wrong yet."

I reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Hyunjin's face. He looked so vulnerable, so unlike the strong, confident person I knew. My heart twisted painfully in my chest.

"Thank you for calling me," I murmured to the woman, forcing myself to stay composed.

She nodded, her expression still filled with concern. "He was showing me his necklace before he fainted".