𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄 | 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏-𝑯𝒂

𝟔𝟒 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐢

*

SHISEN - (Yumi's Pov:)

In the streets of Shisen, we walk along searching for the very spot where we last found Jae-Ha at last night. Though I felt bad leaving Shin-ah behind on watch duty, after we knocked Jae-Ha out again which wasn't the best solution. With Kija ahead leading us, Hak, Yona, Yun, Kija, Zeno and I follow behind at different paces. Our eyes bracing the entire streets of the bone chilling streets of Shisen.

My eyes kept up and darting around, searching within every crevice and corner of the streets, just for an answer. People closed their wooden doors, their casted eyes judging our every move. 

Tucking my face beneath my hood to cover my face, my eyes slice across cautiously from behind as my hand rests on the hilt of my blade on my hip. Though I wished we didn't come here on terrible terms, or even wanting cause a commotion to this land, that once was once named the most beautiful tribe of all.

"Last night, Jae-Ha fell unconscious around here," Kija announces to us, glancing over his shoulder while keeping his guard up as well. Though it was dark, the streets were recognisable from my observations whilst scouting the place before.

"What's wrong, Yona?" Yun asks, noticing before us all that she had stopped in the middle of the street. Hak seems to notice as well, his eyes meet mine briefly before falling upon Yona's steady calm gaze on a certain area of an alley.

"Something....." her brows pinch together, her breath remains steady making me follow her cautious gaze. Sensing it myself, I still couldn't place it. "It feels like someone's watching us."

Yun raises an eyebrow, with the tilt of his head, "Huh?" 

She glanced around for a moment, "I wonder if it's just my imagination...." she muses softly to herself.

Keeping myself beside her protectively, while feeling this unsettling feeling in the pits of my stomach. Maybe I'm becoming paranoid and I haven't ingested that drug, or maybe something is in the works without Kouka knowing much but only little. Yet, I'm more angered and troubled at the thought of them poisoning one of my own, and surely did not leave a good impression on me. Even the marks I bare on my shoulders from last night, will permanently remind myself who was harmed. Who endured that pain.

"Miss!" Zeno calls out abruptly, causing myself to turn hundred eighty degrees. Only for my eyes to slight widen in horror and surprise. "It looks like there's something over there."

Rushing over my breath hitches in my throat to find a man, face-down floating in the river lifelessly. Hesistant in what to do, the stench was even more putrid feeling it burn my nose. Grimacing slightly, my eyes turn to Yona's horrified expression shadowing her violet eyes. 

"He's dead.....?!"

Standing up more properly my eyes glance all over the area, with people continuing their normal lives as if this was a farce. They all only looked once or even twice, but not cared a single bit or even a sign of remorse. My blood ran cold in response as if it brought me disdain, forgetting how to breathe for a few seconds.

All I felt in that moment was disgust, when two bystander's soon walks up to the body floating in the river.

"He probably lost his footing and slipped because of yesterdays rain...." The middle aged man, with dark hair observed rather nonchalantly. He tries to dismiss us to move out the way, ".....move aside, I need to clean it up."

The two middle aged men hauled the body out from the river, while I kept my eyes looking at something trying to stomach the smell. It wasn't new to me, but clearly it was more appalling to see in the middle of a place filled with careless people.