CHAPTER 48: SEPARATED AND WATCHED

Rong Ye awoke with soreness in his wrists and ankles. The ropes binding him weren’t thick, but they held tight enough to restrict his movement to just a few centimeters.

He sat on the floor of a narrow, weathered wooden shed, where the scent of dampness lingered in every corner. Rusty tools hung on the walls or rested on dusty shelves. The air was cold and thick, as if it hadn’t circulated for years.

The gag scraped the corner of his mouth. He breathed through his nose, forcing himself to stay calm, resisting the rising panic. He knew panicking wouldn’t help. He knew too many things, but none of them would help now.

Then the door opened.

A hooded figure stepped inside, carrying a wooden bowl. Though his face was hidden, Rong Ye caught the calm, dark brown eyes, as if this were just another routine.

The stranger crouched down in front of him. Careful not to be rough, he untied the gag and laid it aside. Then, without saying a word, he lifted a steaming spoonful of what looked like a thick stew of meat and root vegetables.

The aroma was warm and inviting, a mix of garlic, onions, and gentle spices. It reminded Rong Ye of homemade food, cooked with care. Still, Rong Ye pressed his lips tightly, refusing the bite. He turned his face away, silent in defiance.

The man insisted. Once more. Another time. Without aggression. But Rong Ye didn’t move.

He understood cooperation was necessary. To survive, he had to keep his head low. Yet he also knew he meant nothing to them. He wasn’t strong, or important, or privy to secrets worth anything. All he had was his face. And he didn’t want to live long enough for them to end up using that, too.

The man sighed in frustration and put the bowl aside. Then, finally, he spoke:

"You don’t need to worry. Your friends are safe."

His deep, masculine voice carried a hint of lightness, never truly threatening.

Rong Ye narrowed his eyes at him.

"I don’t believe you."

The man shrugged.

"This place is secret. We couldn’t bring them here while they were conscious."

Rong Ye gave a dry laugh.

"And their best plan was to ambush us in the middle of the forest?"

The hooded man looked away for a second, then muttered:

"Things would have been easier if you hadn’t been there."

Rong Ye blinked. His body tensed.

"What?"

"I know who you are." The man said it bluntly, as if no further explanation was necessary. "And your presence here... is dangerous. That’s why I separated you from the others. Because if she finds out you’re here, she wouldn’t let them stay."

"’She’?" Rong Ye tilted his head. "You mean the so-called witch everyone’s been whispering about?"

"She’s no witch. She means well, but she’s extremely protective of her own and wary of outsiders. And you... you’re not just anyone. You’re the son of a man who has caused a lot of harm."

Rong Ye clenched his jaw. He wanted to say something hurtful, but exhaustion closed his throat. Instead, he just whispered:

"And how long am I going to stay here?"

"I don’t know," the man replied, standing up. "I just hope you understand that I’m not hurting you."

Rong Ye watched him walk out the door. It closed again with a sharp click.

The shed once again sank into darkness and silence. Only the bowl of food cooling on the floor, the smell of damp soil, and Rong Ye’s breath remained as he wondered whether to believe him.

Or if he was just being set up for something worse.

***

There was no sign of Caelan, Jae, or Rong Ye in the building, but before they went out to look for them, they decided to explore the place.

Eun-woo walked a step ahead, Nebu curled up in his arms. The creature, now the size of a cat, nestled against his chest as if it belonged to him. Rhys kept glancing at them, visibly uncomfortable.

"Are you really going to take it with you everywhere?" he finally asked.

"I don’t want to leave him alone," Eun-woo replied. "Nebu found me. And I think he needs to be with me."

"Does that make him your pet now?"

"He’s not a pet. He’s... a friend."

Rhys didn’t respond. He just clicked his tongue in frustration and looked away.

The hallway they’d reached was decorated with crooked old frames, mostly filled with what looked like photographs taken at social events: well-lit rooms, glasses in hands, smiling faces staring into the camera as if everything were perfect.

Eun-woo studied each one carefully, searching for a familiar expression among the dozens of faces frozen in the joy of the moment, but he didn’t recognize anyone.

Rhys stopped too, scanning the women’s faces one by one for the ones he’d seen in his memory, but they weren’t there either.

"I think this place must have been an esper residence," Eun-woo said, stopping in front of a half-open door. "From the layout of the building and Nebu’s presence... He was someone’s pet."

"I’ve never heard of a place like this," Rhys replied, looking around suspiciously.

"Where did the espers who lived here go?"

"They’re dead."

Eun-woo turned to him, frowning slightly.

"But why? What happened to all of them?"

"They were declared extinct after the War," Rhys explained.

"But how exactly did they die?" Eun-woo persisted. "If they were so powerful... what happened?"

Rhys looked at him for a second, then looked back down the quiet hallway.

"No one knows. That’s all the information Blackwood gave on the matter," Rhys murmured, glancing around the room.

Eun-woo looked down. Something about all this didn’t quite add up. The espers weren’t simple soldiers or expendable weapons. If they were as powerful as he’d been told, their extinction couldn’t have been so silent.

The lack of answers, the way they were referred to as an extinct species without further explanation, made him uneasy.

Rhys frowned. Being there made him feel uneasy.

"There’s nothing useful," he said. "No documents, no weapons, no supplies. Just ruins."

Eun-woo walked over to a low bookshelf and stroked Nebu’s back, who purred softly.

Rhys watched him, and after a brief silence, said quietly:

"When I touched Nebu, I saw something."

Eun-woo looked up.

"What did you see?"

"Two women arguing. It was a memory... but not mine. I felt as if it were. As if that memory belonged to me."

Eun-woo looked at him carefully.

"It was probably one of Nebu’s memories."

Rhys didn’t quite believe it.

That hadn’t been a simple image projected. It wasn’t like seeing someone else’s memory from the outside. What he’d experienced with the blonde woman, the anguish, the fear, even the desperate love, he’d felt firsthand, as if it belonged to him.

As if he had been there himself.

But he wasn’t ready to say it out loud. Not yet.

"Why did it show me that? I don’t get it."

"Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose," Eun-woo replied. "Matter has memory. Places, objects... and creatures like Nebu too. When I first came here, something similar happened to me... I blinked, and the playground equipment stopped being rust and ruins. It lasted only a second, but I saw them.

Rhys crossed his arms.

"But you’re an esper. I shouldn’t see that kind of thing."

Eun-woo looked at him with a mixture of doubt and tenderness.

"Maybe being around Nebu is awakening something in you."

He stretched out his arms, offering the creature to him. Nebu blinked curiously, as if he too expected to be surrendered.

But Rhys took a step back.

"I’m fine like this."

Eun-woo shrugged and moved his arms away without insisting.

Rhys took one last look around the place.

"We didn’t find anything. It’s best to look for the others."

Nebu purred again as if approving of the decision. Eun-woo held him more firmly against his chest as they headed toward the exit together.

"Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"I have a place in mind. But if they’re already there... they’re probably not having a good time."

Eun-woo looked at him worriedly.

"Do you think they were hurt?"

Rhys shook his head.

"They won’t hurt them. At least not Caelan and Jae. The only person I’m worried about is Rong Ye."

"Why?"

"There are a lot of people who hate their family," Rhys replied. "I know one man in particular who would do anything to get revenge on him."

Eun-woo frowned even more.

"But Rong Ye didn’t do anything. Why would I want revenge on him?"

"Because people need a target for their hatred. And since they can’t touch Rong Ye’s father... they’ll take it out on him."

Eun-woo looked down, feeling a chill run down his spine. He hugged Nebu a little closer to his chest, thinking of Rong Ye, how he always seemed unaffected by anything. He hoped Rong Ye was safe, that he’d hold on a bit longer. Just a little longer, until they could find him.