Back Stabber [COMPLETED]

43

May 3rd 2027 / Monday

Tzuyus POV

Outside the apartment / Hallway

The hallway reeked of stale smoke and something sharp and acrid, clinging to the cracked tiles and dingy walls like a warning.

"Hyunjae wasn't lying. This neighbourhood... it's not safe".

Mina nodded silently beside me, the unease clear in her eyes. It felt surreal to imagine Sana somewhere like this a place that breathed neglect and decay. Mina raised her hand to knock. No response. We waited, listening for any sound, but only silence greeted us. Glancing at Mina, I pushed gently against the door. It creaked open, the lock already broken. A familiar, nauseating blend of stale alcohol and despair hit me instantly, making my stomach twist.

The Apartment hallway/livingroom

Empty bottles littered the floor, furniture sat overturned, and the air was thick with neglect. I shook my head, barely able to recognize anything that could have once resembled Sana's presence.

"She must've been drinking a lot... if she's even here".

"I've never known Sana to drink like this".

I nodded, the bitter memories cutting through me.

"Me neither. But... she kept a lot of wine back when we were together", i said.

We moved deeper into the apartment, maneuvering around the chaos, until something caught my attention a muffled cry, a soft whimper cutting through the heavy silence. My heart raced, and I looked at Mina, who had heard it too. Sharing a tense look, we followed the sound, careful with every step, until we reached a narrow hallway at the end of the apartment. We stopped in front of a bedroom door, and the quiet, pitiful cries grew louder. I held my breath, then glanced at Mina before carefully opening the door.

A bedroom

Inside, a little girl, maybe two years old, sat on the floor, tiny hands covering her face as she sobbed, her small body shaking with each tear. Her wide eyes looked up at us, scared and fragile. But the sight that stopped us cold was just a few feet away from her. Sana lay on the floor, her skin pale, her face unrecognisable, drying blood pooling beneath her. The sight hit me like a hammer, and I felt my legs start to buckle. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay focused, to breathe.

"Oh my God", I whispered, rushing toward the little girl.

She clung to me immediately, her face pressing into my shoulder, her cries muffled as I held her close. I could feel her little hands shaking, and it broke something inside me.Mina moved to Sana's side, her expression a mask of shock and dread. I watched as she knelt, reaching out with trembling hands to check for a pulse. I could barely look at the scene, barely breathe, as I tried to comfort the child in my arms, her soft, frightened sobs the only sound in the room.