The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

44: Seungcheol's Threat

Soonyoung's eyes fluttered open, but all he could see was darkness. His head throbbed, a dull, pulsing pain spreading from his temples. His throat was dry, and the air around him felt thick, suffocating. He tried to move, but something was wrong—his arms wouldn't budge. Panic surged through him as he struggled, but the more he fought, the clearer it became: his wrists were bound.

He glanced down, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but the room was pitch black, save for a sliver of light filtering through a small crack in the far corner. The faint glow barely illuminated the contours of the room, but it was enough for him to realize that he wasn't just tied up—his legs were bound too, the coarse rope digging into his skin.

His heart raced, and his breathing quickened as the weight of the situation sank in. Where was he? How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was the explosion at the mansion—the heat, the fire, and then nothing. The rest was a blur.

Jihoon.

His mind immediately latched onto that name. The explosion, the chaos, Jihoon had been there. But then...nothing. No memory of how he ended up in this strange, cold room.

Soonyoung strained his ears, trying to catch any sound—footsteps, voices, anything that might tell him where he was. But the room was silent, eerily so, save for the faint ticking of what sounded like an old clock somewhere beyond the walls. The stillness made his skin crawl.

He pulled at his restraints again, more forcefully this time, wincing as the rope cut into his wrists. Whoever had tied him up had done a thorough job, ensuring there was no way for him to slip free. His arms ached from the tension, but the fear coursing through him drowned out any physical pain.

His mind raced with possibilities—was he still in the hands of the CBI? Had Taeyong or Sungmin captured him after the chaos? But something felt off. This wasn't a CBI holding cell. This room had a sense of abandonment, of something darker, more personal.

Soonyoung closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Think, Soonyoung. Stay focused. He couldn't afford to panic. There had to be a way out of this, some clue that could lead him to safety. But the silence was oppressive, pressing down on him like a weight he couldn't shake.

Suddenly, the faint creak of a door echoed through the room, followed by the sound of footsteps. Soonyoung's body tensed, and his pulse quickened. The footsteps were slow, deliberate, each one a sharp reminder of how trapped he was.

The light flickered on with a click, and Soonyoung squinted against the sudden brightness. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he felt a chill run down his spine. The figure standing in the doorway was familiar. Too familiar.

Jihoon.

Soonyoung's breath caught in his throat as their eyes met. Jihoon stood there, his face impassive, though his eyes flickered with something Soonyoung couldn't quite place. Guilt? Regret? Or something darker?

"Jihoon," Soonyoung croaked, his voice raspy from disuse. "What—what's going on? Why am I—"

Jihoon didn't respond immediately. He stepped closer, the dim overhead light casting shadows across his sharp features. His gaze remained fixed on Soonyoung, cold and unreadable.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved," Jihoon finally said, his voice low and measured.

Soonyoung's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? I—"

"You were never supposed to be a part of this, Soonyoung," Jihoon interrupted, his tone carrying an edge of bitterness. He approached the bed, his steps slow but deliberate, as though he was weighing every word before he spoke. "You're a cop. You're supposed to be hunting us, right? Not...not like this."