They moved on instinct now, the way they always did when things went wrong.
Team One: Doyoung & Jaehyun
The night air was cold against Doyoung’s skin as he jogged beside Jaehyun toward the medical house. The small building stood slightly apart from the main mansion, its windows dark, its door closed—but not locked.
That alone made Doyoung’s stomach twist.
“This is where Soul was supposed to sleep,” he muttered.
Jaehyun pushed the door open slowly. The familiar scent of antiseptic and dried herbs greeted them, but something felt off. Too still. Too untouched.
The bed.
Empty.
The blanket was folded neatly at the foot, as if someone had stood up calmly rather than being dragged away. No blood. No signs of struggle. Just… absence.
Jaehyun swallowed hard. “She was here. She didn’t panic.”
Doyoung ran a hand through his hair, eyes scanning the room. “Which means Taeyong must’ve been with her.”
That thought should’ve been reassuring.
It wasn’t.
“Let’s check outside,” Jaehyun said, already moving.
They circled the building with flashlights, beams cutting through the dark. Near the side wall, Doyoung stopped suddenly.
Footprints.
Two distinct sets—one heavier, uneven. The other lighter.
“They walked,” he said quietly. “Not fast. Not running.”
Jaehyun crouched, examining the ground. “Toward the garden stairs.”
Doyoung straightened. “They weren’t taken.”
“But they are gone,” Jaehyun replied.
And injured.
Team Two: Sungchan & Jungwoo
Sungchan’s chest felt tight as he followed the stone path through the garden. Every shadow looked wrong. Every sound felt too loud.
Jungwoo stayed close, flashlight steady. “Hyung wouldn’t leave the grounds,” he said, more to reassure himself than Sungchan.
“I know,” Sungchan answered. “But Soul might’ve followed him.”
That thought hurt more than he expected.
They reached the stairs leading down toward the flower garden. The air smelled of wet leaves and crushed petals.
Then Sungchan froze.
“Wait.”
Jungwoo turned. “What?”
“Here.” Sungchan crouched, brushing aside leaves. “Blood. Fresh. Not much.”
Jungwoo’s breath hitched. “Hyung…”
“It’s his,” Sungchan said, voice tight. “He was still bleeding.”
They followed the faint trail toward the deeper part of the garden, where the lights didn’t reach as well. The path curved toward the forest edge—but stopped abruptly.
No footprints beyond that.
Jungwoo frowned. “Why stop here?”
“Because he sat down,” Sungchan answered quietly.
