The soft buzz of Daeyoung’s phone cut through the chaos, the sound almost jarring against the backdrop of sirens and shouts. He glanced at the screen, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the names flashing: Yamamoto and Sato. The new detectives. They had been working tirelessly since their arrival, and if they were calling him now, it could mean they had uncovered something significant.
“Hana!” he shouted, catching her attention as they continued to fend off their attackers. “I need to take this!”
She nodded, throwing a powerful punch that sent one of their assailants stumbling back. “Be quick!”
He stepped back, pulling his phone to his ear as he dodged a swing from an incoming attacker. “Yamamoto, Sato—what’s going on?”
“Daeyoung, we think we have a lead on the Soul Ledger,” Yamamoto’s voice crackled through the line, urgency lacing his words.
Daeyoung’s heart raced, adrenaline coursing through him. “What do you mean? Who?”
“Listen carefully,” Sato chimed in, her tone grave. “We’ve been analyzing the patterns of the killings. There’s a thread that connects them all—a name that keeps coming up.”
“What name?” he pressed, glancing back at Hana, who was now engaged in a fierce struggle with another attacker.
“It's someone you know—someone close to you,” Yamamoto said, his voice lowering. “Hana.”
Daeyoung felt the breath catch in his throat. “Hana? No, it can’t be. She’s working with us!”
“Exactly,” Sato replied, her voice steady. “But think about it. The killings started escalating after she got involved. We’re not saying she’s behind it, but her connection to the Ledger makes her a primary suspect.”
Daeyoung’s mind raced as he considered their words. “Are you sure? She’s been fighting against the darkness—she wouldn’t resort to that!”
“We get it, but you need to look at the evidence objectively,” Yamamoto insisted. “We have timestamps, locations—everything points to her being the common denominator.”
Daeyoung’s stomach knotted. “What do you want me to do?”
“Find a way to confront her without alarming her,” Sato said. “We need to understand her involvement before we make any moves. If she’s in over her head, she might be the key to stopping this once and for all.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Daeyoung promised, though doubt gnawed at him. “But if she’s in danger…”
“Then you need to protect her,” Yamamoto cut in. “Just keep your guard up. We’ll provide backup from here, but we can’t act without more information.”
“I understand,” Daeyoung said, his voice firm. “I’ll keep you posted.”
As he hung up, the weight of their revelation settled over him like a heavy cloak. He turned back to Hana, who had just taken down another assailant, her movements fluid and powerful. But now, a sense of dread washed over him. He needed to confront her, to find out what she truly knew about the Soul Ledger.
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“Hana!” he shouted, forcing his way toward her amidst the fray. “We need to talk!”
She barely had a moment to catch her breath before another opponent lunged at her. With a swift kick, she sent him crashing to the ground, turning to face Daeyoung with fierce determination in her eyes. “What is it?”
He took a breath, trying to mask the turmoil inside him. “It’s about the Soul Ledger. The detectives… they think they know who’s behind the recent killings.”
Her expression shifted, confusion mingling with concern. “What do you mean? Who?”
“It’s… it’s you, Hana,” he said carefully, watching her reaction closely. “They think you might be connected to all of this.”
Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. “Me? That’s ridiculous! I’m trying to stop this!”
“I know that,” he rushed to say, stepping closer. “But the evidence suggests otherwise. They’re convinced your involvement with the Ledger puts you at the center of this chaos.”
Hana shook her head vehemently, her fists clenching. “That’s insane! I’ve done everything I can to fight against it!”
“I believe you, but we need to be smart about this,” Daeyoung urged, his voice lowering. “We need to find out what’s really going on before it spirals out of control. Can you tell me everything you know?”
She hesitated, the tension crackling between them. “I…I don’t know if I can. I’ve been wrestling with so much. I feel the power of the Ledger, and it scares me.”
“Then let’s face it together,” he said earnestly, reaching out to touch her arm. “You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”
Hana’s gaze flickered, her defenses softening. “I just… I don’t want to be the person who causes more pain.”
“You’re not,” he insisted. “But if we don’t get to the bottom of this, you could become the very thing you’re fighting against. We can’t let that happen.”
She drew in a shaky breath, her resolve wavering. “Okay. I’ll tell you everything, but we need to move. We can’t stay here.”
Daeyoung nodded, glancing at the remaining attackers who were regrouping. “Right. We can’t afford to be cornered. Let’s find somewhere safe.”
They fought their way through the last few opponents, adrenaline pushing them forward as they worked in tandem. Each punch and kick brought them closer to a fragile sense of safety.
Once they broke free from the chaos, Hana led Daeyoung to an abandoned warehouse nearby. The air was thick with dust and tension as they stepped inside, the dim light casting long shadows.
“Okay, now tell me,” Daeyoung urged, his heart pounding. “What do you know about the Soul Ledger? Why do you think they suspect you?”
Hana took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly. “It all started when I first discovered the Ledger. I thought it was a tool for justice, a way to bring balance to a world that felt so unfair. But then…” She paused, her expression clouding with regret. “I realized it could corrupt you. The more I used it, the more I felt the darkness creeping in.”
“And Kaito?” he asked gently. “What happened between you two?”
She swallowed hard. “Kaito was trying to help me. He believed in my cause, but I got too consumed by the power. I pushed him away, and in the end, I had to make a choice. I killed him to protect what I thought was right, but now… now I’m terrified of what I’ve become.”
Daeyoung’s heart ached for her. “You didn’t choose this path, Hana. But we can stop this. Together.”
“But if they suspect me,” she replied, her voice shaky, “I could end up in a position where I’m hunted like a criminal. I can’t let that happen. I can’t become the monster they think I am.”
“You won’t,” he said firmly. “But we need to outsmart them first. We can gather evidence to prove your innocence. We’ll confront Yamamoto and Sato together.”
Hana looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and gratitude. “You really believe we can do this?”
“I do,” he assured her. “But we have to act fast. Let’s come up with a plan.”
As they huddled together, mapping out their next moves, the weight of their shared burden became a source of strength. In that moment, Daeyoung knew they would fight against the darkness—not just for themselves, but for each other. They would unravel the truth behind the Soul Ledger, and whatever the cost, they would face it together.