The Villianess's Redemption (HYUNJIN ff) ✓

14.Whispers in the Dark

Chapter 14: Whispers in the Dark

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Y/N’s POV

“Sir… the magician… he…”

The knight’s voice trembled, and he looked like he was on the verge of collapse.

“What is it?” Seungmin demanded, his tone sharp as he stepped forward.

“He bit his tongue… and killed himself,” the knight finally managed to say. “He’s dead.”

The room fell into stunned silence. The words hung in the air, their weight crushing any sense of hope we had felt just moments before. Our one lead, the magician who could have provided us with the information we so desperately needed, was gone. The realization hit us all at once—our only source of information had been lost.

“No…” I whispered, my voice barely audible. My eyes were wide with shock, and I felt a chill run through me. “Why would he do that?”

“To keep us from finding out the truth,” Hyunjin said, his voice heavy with frustration and anger. “Whoever is behind this, they’re willing to go to any lengths to protect their secrets. They knew we were close.”

The gravity of the situation was undeniable. We had been so close, only to have the rug pulled out from under us. The magician’s death felt like a cruel joke, a reminder of just how little control we had over the situation. The silence in the room was deafening, each of us struggling to process what had happened.

“We can’t let this stop us,” Seungmin said finally, his voice filled with determination that seemed to cut through the despair. “We’ll find another way. We have to. We owe it to Eliza and to ourselves.”

But as I looked around the room at the faces of my friends and comrades, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of hopelessness creeping in. The obstacles we were facing seemed insurmountable, and with each step forward, we were met with a new setback. The truth felt like it was slipping further and further away, just out of our reach.

“I’ll go check on the knights,” Bangchan said, breaking the silence. He needed to make sure the other guards were still alert and that the estate was secure. If we couldn’t trust the information we had, at least we could try to keep our defenses up.

As he left the room, the rest of us were left to stew in our frustration and fear. There was no longer any doubt that we were up against a powerful and dangerous enemy—one that wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone in their way.

As Bangchan left to check on the estate’s defenses, I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. The sense of dread that had been growing ever since we found Eliza unconscious was now threatening to consume me entirely. The magician’s death wasn’t just a loss of information; it was a stark reminder of the lengths our enemies would go to keep us in the dark. It felt like we were up against an unseen force, something far more sinister than we could comprehend.

I could see the weight of the situation reflected in the faces of those around me. Hyunjin’s expression was dark, his frustration barely concealed as he ran a hand through his hair. Seungmin’s usual calm demeanor had been replaced with a steely determination that spoke of his resolve to keep going, no matter how difficult it became. And Jeongin… Jeongin seemed lost in his thoughts, his brow furrowed as if he was wrestling with something deep within him.

But the one who concerned me the most was Felix. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since the ambush, his usual lightheartedness replaced by a grim silence. He was sitting off to the side, his head resting in his hands, his fingers rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off a headache.