Embers of Hope// Hyunlix

Chapter - 31

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they pulled up in front of the house. Jisung barely waited for the car to come to a full stop before he jumped out and rushed toward the door. Minho followed closely behind, his heart racing as they pounded on the door, hoping to find Felix and Hyunjin inside, safe and sound.

The door opened, and there stood Felix, a confused look on his face. "What's going on?" he asked, frowning as he took in their panicked expressions.

"We need to talk. Now," Minho said, pushing past Felix and into the house. Jisung followed suit, quickly shutting the door behind them.

Felix closed the door, clearly taken aback by their urgency. "What's wrong? Is something happening?"

Minho turned to face his brother, his expression grim. "It's Mom. She's planning something... against Hyunjin."

Felix's eyes widened in shock. "What? What are you talking about?"

Jisung stepped forward, taking a deep breath before explaining what he had overheard at dinner. "I overheard her on the phone, Felix. She was talking to someone, telling them to kill him. I think she's targeting Hyunjin."

The color drained from Felix's face as the weight of Jisung's words sank in. "Kill him?" he repeated in disbelief, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why would she... why would she want to hurt Hyunjin?"

Jisung's voice was shaky as he spoke. "I don't know, but she said something about you, about Hyunjin being in the way of something. I couldn't hear the whole conversation, but the way she said it, Felix... it was serious."

Felix staggered back a step, the room spinning around him as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard. His own mother—the woman who had raised him—wanted to kill Hyunjin. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut, and all at once, the anger and betrayal boiled over.

"I need to find Hyunjin," Felix muttered, already turning toward the stairs. His heart pounded in his chest, and a sickening feeling of dread settled in his stomach.

"Felix, wait," Minho called after him. "We need to figure out what to do first. We can't just—"

But Felix wasn't listening. He raced upstairs, his mind filled with one thought: protect Hyunjin. He couldn't let anything happen to him, not after everything they'd been through.

Felix burst into the bedroom, his heart still pounding in his chest as he searched the room for Hyunjin. There he was, sitting on the edge of the bed, quietly flipping through papers. Hyunjin looked up, startled by the sudden noise.

"Felix?" Hyunjin asked, frowning in concern. "What's wrong?"

Felix didn't answer. Instead, he crossed the room in a few hurried steps and wrapped his arms around Hyunjin, pulling him into a tight embrace. Hyunjin froze, his hands still holding the papers, confused by Felix's sudden urgency.

"Felix... what happened?" Hyunjin's voice was soft, but Felix couldn't bring himself to respond right away. His heart was racing, and all he could think about was how close he had come to losing Hyunjin without even realizing it.

"I just... I needed this," Felix whispered, his voice strained as he clutched Hyunjin tighter. His emotions were a swirling storm inside him—fear, anger, and a deep, protective instinct all mixed together. He couldn't let Hyunjin go, not now, not after what he had just heard.

Hyunjin slowly set the papers aside, his arms coming up to wrap around Felix in return. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, his voice laced with concern as he rested his chin on Felix's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Felix lied, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew he couldn't tell Hyunjin the truth, not now. It would only add to his fear, make him more vulnerable. Felix promised himself he would keep this burden to himself—for Hyunjin's sake.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Felix holding onto Hyunjin like his life depended on it, while Hyunjin remained silent, still trying to process what was going on. He could sense that something was wrong, but Felix's grip around him was too comforting for him to ask any more questions.

Eventually, Felix loosened his hold, pulling back slightly to look at Hyunjin. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his eyes softening as they met Hyunjin's. "I just... needed to hold you."

Hyunjin offered a small smile, though he was still clearly confused. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here."

Felix nodded, his heart aching as he gazed at the man in front of him—the man he started to love so deeply, the man he was willing to protect at all costs. He couldn't tell him what was really going on, not yet. But he knew, deep down, that no matter what happened next, he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt Hyunjin.

Not while he was there to protect him.

[ Sorry Felix but I have other plans for you two]

[Don't worry, Hyunjin will survive!]

[Cause I can't bear sad endings 😭]