√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

thirty one.

     Fingers trembling, Nari dialed her brother's number, pulse erratic and hands sweaty. She glanced around the kitchen nervously, expecting a Sicarius member to appear out of the blue.

     The device in her hands beeped, startling her, and she fumbled with the phone before bringing it up to her ear. "H-hello?"

     Her brother's voice answered, sounding confused. "Nari? Why are you calling with Chan's phone?"

     Licking her dry lips, Nari squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on what she was meant to tell him. "There's an emergency. We picked up some Sicarius members on our border patrol and they're... "

     She had to pause, her anxiety catching up with her. Nari inhaled deeply, raking her hair back from her sweaty neck.

     "They're coming."

     Taeyong's line was silent for a moment; Nari could hear him speaking quickly with someone on his end. "Okay Nari, give the phone to Chan. I'll see you soon," he ordered hurriedly.

     Nari nodded, even though he couldn't see her, and darted over to Chan, who was furiously tapping away at a tablet. He glanced up as she approached and wordlessly held a hand out for the phone.

     Breath hitching, Nari offered him the device but dropped it before his fingers could latch onto it. She kneeled to pick it up and attempted to hand it to Chan again, and he calmly plucked it out of her hands. He tilted his head down, forcing a smile as he gazed down at his ward.

     "Nari," he said kindly, tapping a finger under her chin. "Everything is going to be okay."

     The girl nodded, her movements jerky, and clasped her fingers together in anticipation. "What now?"

     Chan mumbled into the phone and tilted it away from his mouth before replying. "Go find Hyunjin and stay with him."

     That was simple enough. She could do that. The easiness of the task didn't bother Nari in the slightest as she concentrated breathing slowly, her body starting to relax.

     With a stiff nod of understanding, Nari went to leave the kitchen, but Chan touched her arm and beckoned for her to stay a moment longer. "Wait," he said, holding the phone between his head and shoulder as he reached for his waist. "Take this."

     The black handgun gleamed dully in the sparse kitchen light as he held it in his palm. Nari didn't want to touch it, didn't want to think about why she would need the weapon. Nevertheless, her hands were steady as she accepted it.

     Without looking at Chan again, Nari pivoted and walked out the door, leaving it open so that she could still hear his voice as she walked away.

     None of the boys were in sight as Nari checked the living room, head darting around in paranoia. Footsteps unsteady, she stumbled through the first floor, peeking into each room cautiously, and still finding no one.

     The sky outside was gradually darkening, shadows yawning across the house like wraiths. Cooling air swept around the edges of the building, as though trying to bend the wood to its will.

     Nari cupped her elbows as she gazed out of one of the many windows in the house. The growing darkness left her extremely uneasy, her hands habitually rubbing against each other.

     "Why can't I find anyone?" she wondered aloud while continuing to search the monstrous place.

     As she wandered, the basement door caught her eye. She hesitated, not wanting to go where a lot of stupid horror movie characters met their bitter end. Still, Nari gathered her courage and grasped the knob leading to the basement. Before she could turn it however, a hand flew down onto her shoulder, fingers clamping down firmly.