┊ʏᴇᴊɪ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

Two days have passed, the third around the corner. It's getting a bit too lonely.

"Ugh."

My head hurts, as does my back— but all I can think is, "will I ever go home?" The answer is uncertain, the odds declining with every passing second. I squirm, yank at the ropes, thrash it against the floor; but they won't budge, as if signed with my fated doom. After all, I've committed sins myself, maybe this is my retribution.

However, I don't give up. I try and try again until my wrists are stretching to their limits, feeling like they will tear apart from the ropes' equal determination. A stream of tears flows down the side of my head as I stare up at the glowing ceiling of red. The pain isn't even present in front of my will to escape. 

Tick. Tick.

Almost suddenly, a muffled clang resounds in the room, making me freeze. My head is reeling, my heart beating in my ears with a brooding fear rising up my chest. 'Is he back?'

But no other sound comes. It's all too still, to the point that even my breathing sounds unnerving. I let out a sigh, letting my eyes fall shut and slump against the wall behind. Something nudges my leg, making me open my eyes once again. I nudge it again, a sonorous, metallic sound resonating between the four walls. My gaze falls on the item, my eyes widening slightly.

It's a knife. A fucking knife.

A surge of relief courses through my veins, my head feeling light with glee. Now I just need it in my hands it will be a piece of cake for me to throw these ropes open. With this renewed hope, I stretch my leg far enough to push the knife to myself. Just a little bit...

And the knife does come a lot closer, yet not close enough for me to grasp it. Thus, I try again.

Tick. Tick.

I pick it up as soon as it comes in the range of my tied hands, and are put to work. The ropes fall off, the air hitting the part that was isolated before, a twinge of a burn rising from it but I don't really care and start working on my legs. It doesn't take me much time before I am standing again. Finally— after two days— I feel free, actually free.

OBSESSIONS

Ravenwood Diaries

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Chapter TEN: Crossroads

┊ʏᴜᴊɪɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

"It's over. All the efforts, all the planning... It's over."

I should've known they'd do something as heartless as targetting a kid. They won't think twice to do something as simple as murder if it is for their goal to be set clear of any obstacles. Yet, I am a bit too late with the uptake.

Minho sits in front of me, his worry-filled eyes upon me. "It's okay, Yujin-ssi. We can do something else. I am pretty sure the culprit hasn't left our range. Jisung and his accomplices are working very hard to find any other footage of the teenager, and also with the digitals. We will find them in no time."

"But this is the closest we were with the teen! And we lost them all because of my mistake."

"I am pretty sure we haven't lost anything, mam," says Dami, her arms folded over her chest. 

Officer Dami and Jongho were on a mission to go to the Seoul railway station in disguise with several others. After the Chief Justice had announced the existence of a suspect, we were pretty sure that the culprit would try to flee. But we had called off the mission immediately after I received the mail in the evening yesterday. I cannot risk my son over this, however severe this case might be. And thus, we might not know if the teen ever left our range or not.

"I doubt we were even—"

A knock on the office's door interrupts Dami in the midst, grasping upon all our attention. "Come in," I announce, seeing a head poke through the gap of the door.

Han Jisung stands there, his bright eyes falling on the gathering. "I have found something," he chirps with enthusiasm as he steps in. My gaze shifts to Minho— who stares at the new arrival with an unreadable expression imbuing on his handsome face. I look back at Jisung as he sets his laptop down on my desk. Everyone circles around him in curiosity.

"Y'all gonna love me after seeing this." 

Jongho glares at him. "You are wasting our time."

"Don't jump to conclusions honey." Jisung winks before turning back to the laptop. "Let me some background of my findings. This is the footage I found from a hostel's security cams that is located a few buildings ahead of the crime scene. The timing is 4:43 am, an hour after the arson took place."

"A whole hour after it? It may be someone else?"

Jisung acknowledges Dami's words, nodding slightly. "I thought that too, at first. But when I saw this face and did some research about it, it just blew my mind. Now, look at this." He turns the screen for me to see the zoomed-in picture of a young boy who looks no more than seventeen, eighteen at best. He has dark hair that is in a mess, his attire somewhat similar to the teen who was captured in the cameras. "Are y'all aware of who he is?"

I shake my head, looking questioningly at the man. "Who is he?"

He smiles in pride, standing straighter. "He is the boy who went missing almost two years ago and his mere finger was left of him. Lee Heeseung, case 0553. Rings any bells?"

"This is him?!" Jongho exclaims, staring at the screen with wide eyes. "This is that boy?!"

"Absolutely."

Dami interjects, her eyebrows knitting in a frown, "but wasn't his kidnapper his own father? The one who committed suicide in jail? He had claimed to the court that he killed his son and threw his body away in River Han."

"Yes, but maybe that's not the whole truth. Maybe his father lied? Because the case has been opened once again by the team working on the Ravenwood murders. I heard there was another murder only yesterday done in a somewhat similar manner as with case 0553. Not to mention, Heeseung was also a Ravenwood student."

Minho finally speaks up, not looking away from the picture of the boy. "So... What you are trying to imply is that the Ravenwood murders are somewhat connected to the blast and all?"

Jisung moves his gaze to the elder, suddenly turning solemn.

"Yes."

'js1319: checked it, nothing here.

ryu22: system 42, it says

js1319: on it

ryu22: okay

ryu22: nope

js1319: no pass here either

js1319: 1011319912

ryu22: the code?

js1319: yes

ryu22: when to start?

js1319: don't

js1319: not safe

js1319: and do not trust'

...do not trust...

┊ʏᴇᴊɪ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

This Kai seems like an idiot. Who kidnaps someone and leaves the door open with a knife in reach of the victim? And for a person like me who has seen crimes in front of her eyes back in the middle school itself? So absurd.

I might have some time before the younger boy comes back home. From what I know, it is a Thursday, he must be at school right now if I am not wrong-- will be there for at least another three hours. I can explore around to get to know him better.

Who are you really, Kai Kamal Huening?

He was the most silent of all, heard him barely talk to anyone other than that round-glassed nerd and Choi Beomgyu, sometimes with Ryujin as well, but that was rare. But I had expected something like this could be a reason. Never once did this cross my mind, but maybe the world has more in store than what I already know.

My gaze lingers over every single freshly developed photograph that hangs in the darkened room. There are more photos of Beomgyu than what is considered healthy; almost like Kai has been following him around everywhere all around the clock. There is even a picture of him somewhere outside-- like a terrace or a ground-- and it looks pretty new to me, at least.

I halt when a familiar face comes into my vision, my stomach giving a painful lurch.

That's me. In front of... Ryujin's house.

'30th May' is written at the bottom right corner with a black marker. My eyes go further and I barely contain myself from letting out a scream.

It's a rather old photo of me, almost five years ago. I wear a pink dress with ruffles, a silk bow in the middle. My hand holds a single flower of orange calla. I smile at the camera, my cheek smudged with something dark.

No one has this photo of mine. No one except me.

"This can't be..." A foreboding feeling rises in my chest. My knees feel weak and my thoughts are haywire. This is a bad omen.

I turn around to the door. There is still enough time for me to escape. The house is unprotected so it will be easy. I trudge down the long vestibule that had all too many doors. I bet on the one at the very end to be for the exit and, without any further adieu, rush to it. When my palm falls on the knob, I close my eyes and let out a sigh-- a silent for it to be the right one.

Maybe it is.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

A/N ¡! ❝Yeji, honey you can be dumb sometimes *sighs*

Anyways, I am very sorry for disappearing and not responding to your comments. My exams were going and I was too focused on it.

I am back now, so don't worry~

Hope you liked the chapter, it was hard to write this one with declining motivation hehe

Stay hydrated, happy and healthy!❞