Her Song, His Heart

The Hunt Begins

The sound of Hyunjin's words—"I love her"—echoed in the room, rattling everyone to their core. The weight of his confession hung heavy in the air, but there was no time to process it. Mannon was missing, and that was the only thing that mattered now.

Chan clenched his fists. "We have to move fast. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find her."

Hannah and Amara exchanged a glance, their worry deepening as they realized how dire the situation was. "What are we going to do?" Amara asked, her voice trembling. "We don't even know where she is."

Chan’s expression hardened. "We start by tracing her last movements. I’ll get in touch with the police in Paris, and I’ll call in every favor I can. We’ll find her."

Meanwhile, Hyunjin stood by the window, his gaze far away, his fingers gripping the edge of the glass. The fear, the guilt, the anxiety—it all swirled within him, a mix of emotions he couldn’t escape. He had been so focused on his feelings for Mannon, and now she was gone. Taken. It felt like the world was crumbling around him.

"Hyunjin," Chan said, his voice softer now, but still firm. "You need to focus. We need you to stay sharp. For Mannon."

Hyunjin turned, his eyes hollow with a mix of determination and pain. "I can't lose her, Chan. I won't."

“We’re going to find her,” Chan said again, his voice like a vow. “We will.”

---

Back at the dark, silent room where Mannon was being held, time seemed to drag on. She had tried everything—screaming, crying, banging on the walls—but nothing worked. The man who had taken her was calm, eerily calm, and he watched her struggle with a twisted satisfaction. The longer she resisted, the more it seemed to fuel his obsession.

“You think you can escape?” he sneered, stepping closer to her. “You’re mine now. No one will come for you.”

But Mannon wasn’t listening to him. She was thinking of Hyunjin, of Chan, of everyone she cared about. She had to stay strong. She had to hold on. But her mind was starting to unravel again. The familiar, terrifying voices began to creep in, whispering in her ears, making it hard to focus.

Her head throbbed, her vision blurred, and before she could do anything to stop it, a wave of panic hit her. The voices grew louder, more insistent, and she couldn’t block them out. She clawed at her hair, tugging desperately, trying to escape the whirlwind inside her head.

"Make it stop! Please!" she screamed, her chest heaving with each sob. “Somebody... anybody... help me!”

The man simply watched, enjoying her pain. "You can scream all you want. No one is coming."

---

Back at the hotel, things were chaotic. The team had gathered in the main room, the tension palpable. Everyone was on edge, the uncertainty gnawing at them like an insidious disease. Chan paced back and forth, his mind racing through all the possible ways they could track Mannon down. He had to remain calm, but inside, he was a wreck.

"I can't stand this," Felix muttered, standing at the window. "What if something happens to her?"

"It won't," Chan said, his voice surprisingly steady. "We’re going to get her back. We have to. She’s one of us."

The other members nodded in agreement, their faces a mix of worry and determination. But Hyunjin hadn’t spoken since he broke down earlier. He was still standing by the window, staring out at the Paris skyline with a haunted look in his eyes.

Chan approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hyunjin, we need you with us. We’re in this together."

Hyunjin turned to face him, his eyes red and swollen from tears, but there was a fire in them now—something deeper than just love, something primal. "I’m not going to let him get away with this, Chan. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home."

Chan nodded, his lips pressing into a firm line. "We’ll need to track down every lead, every detail. And when we find him, he’s going to regret ever laying a hand on her."

---

Mannon’s world was spinning out of control. The voices in her head were drowning out everything else, and every time she tried to scream or fight back, it felt like the world was slipping further away from her. Her mind was slipping into chaos, and she couldn’t stop it.

Her thoughts raced—she thought of Chan, of Hyunjin, of the guys. She thought of how they would search for her, how they would find her. The connection she had with them, especially with Hyunjin, kept her anchored. She had to hold on.

She had to believe they were coming.

---

Back in Paris, the search for Mannon was intensifying. Chan had called in every contact he had—friends in high places, connections in law enforcement, anyone who could help. The team was scattered, working on leads, but the hours were ticking by, and there was still no sign of her.

Hyunjin had been the most focused of them all. He wasn’t going to stop until he found her. Every lead, every tip—he followed them, no matter how small, no matter how far they took him. He couldn’t rest, couldn’t relax, couldn’t breathe until Mannon was safe.

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You need to eat. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

Hyunjin shook his head, his jaw clenched. “I’m fine. I have to find her.”

“We’re doing everything we can,” Chan added, his voice firm. “We’re all in this together. But we need you focused.”

Hyunjin didn’t respond. He didn’t need to hear it. What he needed was to find her.

And he would. He had to.