The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

29: Moment of Silence

Soonyoung was buzzing with excitement as he boarded the train back to the city where Jihoon was waiting for him. The past few days visiting his parents had been nice, but all he could think about was getting back to Jihoon. He had barely been able to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of their time together—the warmth of Jihoon's arms, the quiet conversations they shared late into the night, the feeling of being completely at peace with someone who understood him.

He could already imagine Jihoon's shy smile when they reunited. Soonyoung had even bought a little gift for him, something small but thoughtful, knowing how much Jihoon appreciated those gestures. He stared out the train window, his fingers absently tracing the outline of the wrapped box in his lap. Just a few more hours, and he'd be back with him.

But as the train rattled along the tracks, Soonyoung started to feel uneasy. The excitement that had been bubbling inside him slowly began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of dread that he couldn't quite shake. He brushed it off at first—maybe it was just the long journey getting to him. Maybe it was nerves, even though he and Jihoon were beyond that awkward stage.

Still, the feeling gnawed at him. Something was off.

When the train finally pulled into the station, Soonyoung grabbed his bag and made his way toward the exit, glancing around for Jihoon. They hadn't planned for him to pick Soonyoung up, but Jihoon always had a way of surprising him. As Soonyoung moved through the crowd, that uneasy feeling grew stronger. His steps faltered, his eyes scanning the sea of faces around him. He couldn't shake the sensation of being watched, of someone lurking just out of sight.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him from behind, yanking him into the shadows of a nearby alley. Soonyoung's eyes widened in shock, his body tensing as he struggled against the grip. His heart raced, panic surging through him as he tried to call for help, but a cloth was shoved over his mouth, muffling his voice. He could taste something bitter, and within seconds, his vision blurred, his body growing heavy.

The last thing he saw before darkness overtook him was a pair of cold, calculating eyes staring down at him.

---

Jihoon had been pacing his apartment, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. Something didn't feel right. Soonyoung had promised to text him when he arrived, but there had been nothing. No message. No call. He knew Soonyoung was always forgetful, but this felt different. He could feel it deep in his bones, an unsettling weight in his chest that wouldn't go away.

An hour passed. Then two.

His fingers trembled as he dialed Soonyoung's number again, but it went straight to voicemail, just like the last five times. Jihoon's mind raced with possibilities—maybe Soonyoung's phone died, maybe he got caught up with something, maybe—

But the more Jihoon tried to rationalize it, the more his heart screamed that something was terribly, horribly wrong.

His phone buzzed, breaking him out of his thoughts. It wasn't Soonyoung's number, but he answered it without thinking.

"Hello?" Jihoon's voice was tense, his stomach twisting in knots.

"Jihoon?" The voice on the other end was shaky, panicked. It was Nari, one of Soonyoung's closest friends from university. "Something's happened. Soonyoung—he's gone."

Jihoon's blood ran cold. "What do you mean he's gone?"

"He didn't come home," Nari's voice cracked, and Jihoon could hear the fear in her words. "We were supposed to meet him, but no one's heard from him since this morning. Jihoon, I think someone took him."