The Villianess's Redemption (HYUNJIN ff) ✓

13. Shattered Clues

Chapter 13: Shattered Clues
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JEONGIN X SEUNGMIN 'S GROUP

Seungmin’s POV

The cool evening air carried with it as the sun was slowly starting to set , I felt a foreboding sense of unease as Jeongin and I navigated the labyrinthine streets of the village. The few villagers who dared to remain outside at such a late hour eyed us warily, their suspicions heightened by the tense atmosphere that had settled over the area since the attack on Eliza. Our footsteps echoed against the cobblestones, the silence between us growing heavier with each passing minute.

Jeongin was quieter than usual, his face set in a troubled frown as he focused on the path ahead. I knew that Eliza’s condition weighed heavily on his mind; after all, she was more than just his sister—she was his closest family. His silence was filled with unspoken fears, and it mirrored the doubts I had been battling since the ambush. But I couldn’t let those doubts control me. We had to stay strong, for Eliza’s sake.

“We’ll find him,” I said, my voice breaking the silence that had settled between us like an unwanted guest. “The magician. We have to. He’s the only lead we’ve got.”

Jeongin nodded, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil he was feeling. “I know,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of our footsteps. “But what if it’s too late? What if he’s already gone, and we’re just running in circles?”

The worry in his voice was infectious, and I felt a pang of uncertainty twist in my gut. He had a point. The longer we searched, the more the possibility grew that our lead was slipping through our fingers, like sand in an hourglass. But I couldn’t afford to think like that, not now. We had to push forward, even if it meant clinging to the hope that we were on the right path.

“We can’t think that way, Jeongin,” I said, my tone firm. “We have to keep moving. Eliza needs us. We can’t let her down.”

Jeongin sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he nodded again. I knew he was trying to stay positive, but the strain of the situation was starting to show. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, something caught my eye—a shadow flickering at the edge of my vision, moving swiftly in the darkness.

“Wait,” I said, grabbing Jeongin’s arm and pulling him to a halt. My eyes narrowed as I tried to make out the figure hidden in the shadows. “Did you see that?”

Jeongin followed my gaze, his body tensing as he scanned the area. “I think… someone’s there,” he whispered, his voice tinged with a mixture of caution and hope.

We moved toward the shadow cautiously, our hands instinctively resting on the hilts of our weapons. The figure came into focus as we neared, revealing a man dressed in a bright, colorful suit that seemed out of place in the darkened streets. His face was partially obscured by the brim of his hat, but the aura of confidence and calm that surrounded him was unmistakable.

“The magician,” Jeongin whispered, a note of disbelief in his voice. Relief flickered across his features, though it was tempered by the tension that still gripped him.

The magician made no attempt to flee as we closed the distance, his calm demeanor unsettling in its own way. It was as if he had been expecting us all along, as if he knew this confrontation was inevitable.

“You’ve caused us a lot of trouble,” I said, my voice steady as I approached him. “You’re coming with us.”

The magician remained still, offering no resistance as we took hold of him. There was a strange, almost eerie calmness about him that sent a shiver down my spine. He wasn’t afraid of us—he wasn’t afraid of anything, it seemed. We needed to get him back to the estate, where we could question him properly and find out what he knew.