𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 || 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟖 : 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞

LEVI POV

Levi's gaze was transfixed on the windowpane, where the vibrant shades of sunset danced across the sky. His office chair creaked softly as he slumped deeper, his eyes mirroring the fading light. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, Levi's heart sank, weighed down by the crushing despair that had become his constant companion.

He was losing hope, losing the will to keep searching for her. The thought of never laying eyes on her again was a bleak, suffocating reality.

Just as the silence was becoming unbearable, the door to Levi's office burst open, shattering the stillness. Hange rushed in, her face etched with worry, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for a glimpse of the restlessness that had been brewing inside Levi.

Hange's words tumbled out in a desperate whisper: "Ryan... (y/n)... kidnapped." She grasped for air, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Levi's eyes snapped wide with shock, his gaze locking onto Hange's with a fierce intensity. His face darkened with anger, he growled, "What happened?"

Hange's breaths came in ragged gasps as she composed herself. "Blake called me... said Toji had called him, asking questions about Ryan. When Blake asked why Toji was asking all these questions... Toji told him the truth." Hange's voice trembled, the words spilling out like a confession. "Toji said... (y/n) was kidnapped... by Ryan."

Hange's words dropped like a bombshell: "(y/n) was in Nikkou City this entire time." The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Levi's eyes blazed with determination. He sprang into action, snatching the keys from the desk drawer. "We need to leave, now," he growled, his voice low and urgent.

Hange nodded swiftly, already reaching for her comms device. "I'll alert Squad 1 for backup," she said, her fingers flying across the device's interface. "Just in case."

Levi's gaze locked onto Hange's, a fierce glint burning in his eyes. "Let's move," he barked, already striding towards the door. The sound of his boots echoed through the room, a harbinger of the storm that was about to unleash.

3RD POV.

"Stop looking at the CCTV footage, Toji," Gojo's calm voice cut through the tense atmosphere, but Toji's gaze remained glued to the screen. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in a mix of anger and guilt. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was responsible for (y/n)'s disappearance. If only he hadn't stayed late to work out, maybe he would have been there to protect her.

Surugu's firm hand closed the laptop, the sudden movement jolting Toji out of his trance-like state. "That's enough, Toji," Surugu said gently, his voice a soothing balm to Toji's frazzled nerves. "We've seen enough. We know what happened."

The room was heavy with worry, the weight of (y/n)'s disappearance settling like a physical burden on each of their shoulders. It had taken a few precious hours to realize that she was missing, and another two agonizing hours to piece together the events of her disappearance. The delay had been agonizing, each passing minute stretching out like an eternity.

As the truth finally began to sink in, the group's anxiety reached a fever pitch. They were all thinking the same thing: where was (y/n), and was she safe? The not knowing was almost too much to bear, and Toji's futile attempt to relive the events of her disappearance through the CCTV footage had been a desperate attempt to cling to some semblance of control.