Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 29: Love's Fatal Edge

Ryujin's pov:

"Ryujin, we need to talk," he says, his voice steady but firm.

I nod, swallowing hard. "Okay. Let's talk."

He gestures for me to follow, and we find a quiet spot where we won't be interrupted. The silence between us is thick with unspoken words, and I can feel my nerves fraying. I want to fix this, but I don't know how. I can only hope that whatever he has to say won't push us further apart.

Once we're alone, he turns to face me, his expression unreadable. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said," he begins, his tone carefully measured. "About Felix, about everything."

I brace myself, not sure if I'm ready for what's coming next. "And?"

"And," he continues, taking a deep breath...

"I will eliminate Felix" he says not maintaining eye contact.

My heart skips a beat, and I feel a cold chill run down my spine. The words hang in the air, sharp and final. I search his face, trying to find some hint of doubt, some sign that he doesn't really mean it

"But I'll be the one eliminating him not you not anybody else" he adds firmly.

The words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the breath out of me. I can't believe what I'm hearing. A cold chill runs down my spine, and I search his face, desperately trying to find some sign that he doesn't mean it, that he's just as conflicted as I am. But he won't even look at me.

Before I can say anything, he adds, "But I'll be the one eliminating him, not you."

A wave of relief washes over me, knowing that I won't have to do it myself. But it's quickly followed by a deep, crushing sadness. He's willing to kill the person he loves to protect our mission. He's willing to destroy himself to keep us from falling apart.

"Hyunjin," I whisper, my voice barely audible as I step closer to him, "you don't have to do this."

For a moment, his eyes meet mine, and I see the pain he's trying so hard to hide. But just as quickly, he looks away, his expression hardening again. "I do," he says, his voice quiet but firm. "It's the only way to keep things from spiraling out of control."

I want to reach out, to hold him, to tell him that we can find another way. But I know him too well. Once his mind is made up, there's no changing it. Still, I can't help but try. "This will destroy you," I say, my heart aching for him.

He clenches his jaw, and for the briefest of moments, I see the anguish behind his eyes. "It's already destroyed us," he murmurs, his voice so soft I can barely hear it. "I just have to make sure it doesn't destroy everything else."

The silence between us feels like it's stretching on forever. I want to scream, to beg him to reconsider, but I know it's useless. Instead, I reach out and gently place my hand on his arm, feeling the tension beneath his skin. "Just... promise me one thing," I say, my voice trembling. "Promise me you'll come back."

He finally looks at me, and the darkness in his eyes is like nothing I've ever seen before. "I promise," he says, but the word feels empty, like a promise that neither of us believes.

As we stand there, side by side but more distant than ever, I realize that we're both trapped in this web we've woven, with no way out that doesn't lead to ruin. And all I can do is hope that, somehow, we'll survive it.

"Felix will be on duty at the hospital tomorrow night," Hyunjin begins, his voice calm but laced with an underlying tension. "That's when I'll make my move."