The Shadows (Underworld 4) JH

18: Forgetting Minghao

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the mansion. But the usual hustle and bustle that filled the halls was conspicuously absent. There was an unsettling silence, a quiet that seemed to stretch on longer than it should.

Chan had noticed it first. Junhui's door had remained closed all morning, which was unusual for him. Even on his worst days, Junhui would at least make an appearance at breakfast. But today, there was nothing—no sound, no movement. A gnawing feeling of unease began to grow in Chan's chest as he stood outside the door, knocking softly at first, then louder when there was no response.

"Jun-hyung? It's Chan. Are you in there?" His voice wavered slightly, his heart thudding in his chest. He waited, but the silence on the other side of the door only deepened his anxiety.

Chan's brow furrowed, and he knocked again, harder this time. "Hyung! Please, answer me!"

Still nothing.

By now, Hansol had wandered over, curious about the commotion. "What's going on, Chan?" he asked, noticing the worry etched on Chan's face.

"It's Jun-hyung... he's not answering," Chan replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hansol's expression darkened with concern. "Did you check if the door is locked?"

Chan nodded, trying the handle one more time. "It's locked... I don't like this, Hansol. Something feels wrong."

Hansol's eyes flickered with alarm. "We need to get in there. Now."

Without wasting another second, Hansol and Chan braced themselves against the door. With a sharp kick, Hansol broke the lock, and the door flew open. They both rushed inside, their eyes immediately scanning the room.

What they saw made their blood run cold.

Junhui lay sprawled on the bed, his skin pale and clammy, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. His usually sharp, expressive eyes were closed, his face slack. But it was the empty bottle of sleeping pills on the nightstand that sent a jolt of fear through them.

"Jun-hyung!" Chan cried out, rushing to Junhui's side. He shook him gently, then harder when there was no response. "Hyung, wake up! Please, wake up!"

Hansol was already pulling out his phone, his hands shaking as he dialed Jihoon's number. "Jihoon-hyung, it's Hansol. You need to come to Jun's room now. It's bad... he... he took something," Hansol's voice cracked as he struggled to keep his composure.

It wasn't long before Jihoon arrived, his face set in grim determination. He took one look at Junhui and immediately called for an ambulance, his usually calm demeanor shaken.

Seungcheol arrived moments later, his expression darkening when he saw Junhui lying motionless on the bed. Jeonghan was right behind him, his face pale with shock.

"What the hell happened?!" Seungcheol demanded, his voice rough with barely contained panic.

"We found him like this," Hansol explained, his voice trembling. "The door was locked, and he wouldn't answer. We had to break it down."

Jihoon was already checking Junhui's pulse, his fingers moving with practiced precision. "His pulse is weak, but it's there. The ambulance is on the way. We need to keep him stable until they arrive."

Jeonghan knelt beside the bed, his hand trembling as he brushed a stray lock of hair from Junhui's forehead. "Oh, Jun... why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you say anything?" His voice cracked with emotion, tears welling in his eyes.