GOLDEN HEADLINES

12: No Answers

"UNVEILING THE TRUTH"

Alessia lay beneath the bed, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to steady her breath.

The sounds from the outside were almost deafening—the distant thud of footsteps, the muffled voices. She clenched her fists, trying to ignore the cold sweat that clung to her skin, her thoughts racing.

Please, let this end.

She had no idea what was happening outside—if Jungkook was okay, if they were coming for her, or if it was all over.

She strained her ears, listening for any clue as to what was happening. And then, the sound that nearly made her heart stop—footsteps.

Someone was coming.

Her breath caught in her throat as the footsteps grew louder, closer. Had they found her? She bit her lip hard, trying to suppress the panic rising in her chest. The door was still shut, and the world outside felt like a distant nightmare, but it was so close. So real.

But then, as if by fate, a voice she recognized broke through the chaos.

"Come fast. We have to run. We have to go from this place."

Alessia's heart leapt in her chest. It was Jungkook.

Without hesitation, she scrambled from under the bed, her pulse racing as she heard his quick, determined steps.

He was still alive. He was still there. She grabbed his outstretched hand, feeling the heat of his palm against hers, grounding her in the midst of the storm.

"Jungkook, w-what happened?" she whispered, but he didn't answer. His grip on her hand tightened, his eyes dark and focused.

"We don't have time," he muttered, pulling her forward with urgency. "We need to get out. Now."

As Jungkook pulled Alessia his hand firmly clasped around hers, he guided her out of the room. His grip was strong, assuring her that everything was under control.

But as they stepped into the hallway, Alessia froze, her eyes wide in shock.

There, sprawled on the floor, were the three men—wincing in pain, groaning, and barely able to move. The sounds of their suffering filled the air, but they didn't seem to faze Jungkook in the slightest.

Alessia glanced at him, her voice trembling as she whispered, "Are they...?"

"Yeah, they're fine," Jungkook said, his tone casual as he glanced at them like they were nothing more than an afterthought. "They just need a little rest."

With a smug smirk playing at his lips, he casually stepped over one of them, as if stepping over a puddle, and kept walking toward the exit.

The man beneath him groaned but didn't have the strength to move, and Jungkook didn't even bat an eye.

"Let's go," he said to Alessia, his voice smooth and confident, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

The night air hit Alessia's face like a slap, cold and biting, but she barely noticed. They were running. Running away from danger, away from whatever nightmare they had just barely survived.

With swift, purposeful strides, Jungkook led her through an alley, his grip on her hand never loosening.

Alessia's eyes widened as she spotted the sleek, Red car parked in the shadows. It was like a lifeline, a promise of escape.

They hurried inside, and as soon as the door shut, the weight of the danger outside seemed to lift, if only for a moment.

Alessia slumped against the seat, trying to calm her breath, but something caught her eye—Jungkook's jacket was torn.