Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 28: Shattered Bonds

Ryujin's pov:

I sit in the dimly lit room, my mind swirling with the weight of the decision l've made. The plan to eliminate Felix is necessary, yet it feels like a stone pressing against my chest. I know this will devastate Hyunjin-he's already been through so much, and I can see how deeply he cares for Felix. But we can't afford to be sentimental. Felix saw Niki and Chaeryeong's faces. He's a threat, a loose end that must be tied up before he connects the dots back to us.

I know what must be done, but the thought of hurting Hyunjin gnaws at me. He's already sacrificed so much for this mission, and now I'm asking him to lose someone he loves. But there's no turning back. Our survival, our mission everything depends on eliminating the risks. And Felix... Felix is too dangerous to let go.

I clench my fists, steeling myself for what's to come. We have no choice. Felix has to be silenced, no matter the cost.

As I sit there, lost in the gravity of the decision, the door creaks open, and Hyunjin steps inside. His presence pulls me out of my thoughts, and I know I can’t delay this any longer. I need to tell him. He deserves to know.

“Hyunjin,” I start, my voice steady but heavy with the burden of what I’m about to say, “we have to eliminate Felix.”

His eyes widen, and I see the shock ripple through him. “No, Ryujin. You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” I reply, my gaze unwavering. “Felix saw Niki and Chaeryeong. If he connects the dots, it’s over for all of us.”

Hyunjin shakes his head, taking a step back as if trying to distance himself from the reality of the situation. “I won’t let you do this. Felix… He’s important to me. There has to be another way.”

I expected his refusal, but it still cuts deep. “Hyunjin, I know this is hard for you, but there isn’t another way. He’s a liability, and if we don’t act, everything we’ve worked for will be destroyed.”

His hands ball into fists, trembling with barely contained emotion. “You’re asking me to stand by while you take away the one person who… who matters to me. I can’t do that, Ryujin. I won’t.”

“I’m not asking you to like it,” I say, my voice softening, though my resolve remains firm. “I’m asking you to understand. This is about survival. If Felix talks, it’s over for all of us—including you.”

Hyunjin’s eyes meet mine, filled with pain and defiance. “If you go through with this, Ryujin, you’ll lose me too. I won’t be a part of it.”

His words hang in the air like a cold blade, slicing through the bond we’ve shared for so long. For the first time, I feel the true weight of the choice before me—not just Felix’s life, but my friendship with Hyunjin.

But no matter how much it hurts, I can’t waver. I just hope he’ll understand, even if it breaks him in the process.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This isn’t how I wanted it to go, but I can’t back down now. I need to make him see reason, no matter how much it hurts both of us.

“Hyunjin, please,” I say, my voice edging on desperation. “I’m doing this for us, for our safety. You know what’s at stake here. Felix could expose everything—we’d be done. We’d lose everything.”

But he’s not listening. He shakes his head again, his jaw clenched tightly. “You don’t get it, Ryujin. You’re not just asking me to sacrifice someone I care about; you’re asking me to lose a part of myself. I can’t do that. I won’t let you take him from me.”

His words strike a nerve, and I feel my own frustration rising, boiling over. “And what about me, Hyunjin? Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I want to do this? I’m trying to protect you, to protect all of us!”