The Untold Truth \ Ateez

Chapter 24: Shadows of the Past

The forest was a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, the kind of place where time seemed to stand still. The group moved cautiously, every step a quiet affirmation of their resolve. Hongjoong led the way, his eyes scanning the underbrush for signs of life, for any clue that might lead them to Tate and Mirae. Behind him, Wooyoung and Seonghwa followed closely, their expressions a mix of determination and dread. Lisa trailed slightly, her thoughts a storm of worry and fear, while her eyes never stopped darting from shadow to shadow.

The air was thick with tension, every rustle of leaves making them jump, every creak of a branch setting their nerves on edge. They had been chasing after leads for what felt like an eternity, each one ending in disappointment or, worse, in a trap laid by their enemy. Yet, something about this time felt different. There was a palpable sense of dread as if they were closing in on something dark and terrible.

It wasn't long before they found the survivor. A lone figure hunched against a tree, their body thin and worn from years of hardship. The survivor's clothes were tattered, their face gaunt, eyes hollow with memories too painful to bear. Hongjoong approached cautiously, his heart pounding with a mix of hope and fear. Could this person hold the key to finding Tate and Mirae? Or would they only confirm the group's worst fears?

"Are you okay?" Hongjoong asked softly, crouching down to meet the survivor's gaze.

The survivor looked up slowly, their eyes flickering with a mix of recognition and fear. "You're... looking for them, aren't you?" The voice was raspy as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

"Yes," Seonghwa replied, his voice steady but edged with desperation. "Please, anything you can tell us... anything at all..."

The survivor sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of countless horrors. "They're playing with you," they said finally, their tone one of bitter resignation. "Just like they played with me... before they finally let me go."

"Let you go?" Wooyoung echoed, disbelief coloring his words. "Why would they let you go?"

"Because they wanted me to spread the word," the survivor replied, their voice shaking slightly. "To tell others what they're capable of... to make sure you know just how hopeless it is to fight them."

Hongjoong's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his mind racing. "What did they do to you?"

The survivor hesitated, as if reliving the memories was almost too much to bear. "They... toyed with me. Made me think I was going to escape, only to pull me back at the last second. They get into your head, make you question everything until you don't even know what's real anymore."

Lisa, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, her face pale. "And Tate? Mirae? What are they doing to them?"

The survivor's eyes flickered with a deep, haunting sadness. "The same thing they did to me... only worse. They're using them as bait, leaving clues for you to find, just so they can snatch them away again. They want you to suffer... to feel the hopelessness I felt."

A heavy silence fell over the group, the gravity of the situation sinking in. The enemy wasn't just trying to hurt them physically—they were attacking their minds, their very souls. The thought was almost too much to bear.

Wooyoung was the first to break the silence, his voice filled with a quiet, simmering rage. "We can't let them win. We have to find them... before it's too late."

"But how?" Lisa asked, her voice trembling with fear. "If they're playing with us... if they're just going to keep pulling them away..."

"We'll outsmart them," Hongjoong said, his voice firm despite the fear gnawing at his insides. "We have to."