Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 27: Falling Apart

Yeji's POV:

I got discharged from the hospital a few hours later-or rather, I forced them to discharge me. I couldn't just sit there when a murder had taken place. The doctors insisted I stay for observation, but I couldn't waste any more time. There's a killer out there, and every second I wasn't on the case felt like a second lost.

My team was already at the crime scene, waiting for me to show up. The pressure in my chest tightened, knowing that another life had been taken while I was lying in that hospital bed. I needed to be there, needed to see the scene with my own eyes.

There was no time for rest. This murder wouldn't solve itself, and I wasn't about to let another one slip through our fingers.

As I walked out of the hospital doors, the cool evening air brushed against my skin, offering a momentary sense of clarity amidst the chaos swirling in my mind. Despite the urgency of the new case, my thoughts kept drifting back to earlier today, to that brief but comforting moment when my eyes met Ryujin's.

It was just a fleeting glance, but somehow it managed to wash away the stress and exhaustion, if only for a second. Her gaze was steady, filled with unspoken understanding and a warmth that I hadn't realized I needed so desperately until that very moment. We were on the verge of actually talking, of sharing more than just silent acknowledgments, when the doctor barged in, shattering the fragile bubble we had found ourselves in.

I remember the way Ryujin's expression shifted when her phone rang, the hint of frustration quickly masked by professionalism as she answered the call. Before I could even process what was happening, she had given me a small, apologetic smile and hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with a thousand words left unsaid.

Now, as I headed towards the crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what she wanted to say, what conversation we might have had if we weren't constantly pulled apart by our duties. It's ironic how in a world filled with so much noise and chaos, the quiet moments between us spoke the loudest.

Shaking off the lingering thoughts, I focused my mind back on the task at hand. There was work to be done, a case to solve, and lives depending on it. But deep down, I knew that once this was over, I would seek out that moment again. Maybe next time, we wouldn't let interruptions steal our chance to truly connect.

For now, though, the city needed me more than ever, and I was determined not to let anything distract me from finding justice for the victim. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and escalated the car, ready to face whatever awaited me at the scene.

The scene was already swarming with officers by the time I arrived. Red and blue lights cast eerie shadows over the dark alley, illuminating the grim reality of what had happened here. The familiar scent of blood and damp concrete filled the air, mingling with the distant hum of the city that never seemed to sleep.

I stepped under the yellow tape, nodding to the officers as I made my way toward the body. Felix was already there, crouched beside it, his face set in that focused expression I knew all too well. He looked up when he saw me, his eyes briefly searching mine as if to gauge how I was holding up.

"It's bad, Yeji," he said quietly as I knelt beside him.

The victim, a middle-aged man, lay sprawled on the cold ground, his clothes soaked with blood. His face was twisted in terror, a sight that had become disturbingly familiar in the last few months. Another politician, another life snuffed out in a manner that was brutal, deliberate, and undoubtedly connected to the string of murders we've been chasing.

I forced myself to push down the sick feeling in my stomach and focus on the details. Every cut, every angle had a purpose. The killer's precision was undeniable, as was the message they were sending. This wasn't just about power or revenge. It was personal, calculated.