Chapter 49

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Levi came running towards Jishin and put the password in the smart lock and opened the door, and they both entered. Joanne had been weeping silently, but seeing them she wiped her face and looked away from them. Levi sat down beside her and clasped her hands in his, "It's alright, you don't have to fight him if you don't want to!". She turned towards him and smiled, "I can't". Jishin walked closer, "What do you mean you can't?". She looked up at him, "It's a do or die situation......(averting her gaze) If I don't fight, I'll have to accept my death from him.....(returning her gaze to Levi) And I'd rather die fighting!". Levi grew worried, "But, what if-". She cut him off by shaking her head, and gently touching his face said softly, "Have faith in me!". She smiled and left for work.
At the HQ.
She trained her trainees in a way to also recall her own trainings long ago. Engaging them, she worked out a bit.

A few weeks passed by. Her master called her once every week to keep track of her recovery from Yujun.

Two days since the day of her exam.
Joanne and Seoyun were working on their laptops in the living room, in the morning. Her master called her and asked for Yujun. So she ran upstairs to Yujun's room. After he was done receiving the report, he said to Joanne, "I hope you have prepared well. Anyways, I have mailed you the date, time and venue. Best of luck!" and hung up. She still upstairs, when Seoyun yelled from downstairs, "Joanne! You've got a mail!". She yelled back, "Coming!" and came galloping down. She opened her master's mail that said- Date: 5th Oct, Time: 7am, Venue: Indoor stadium at Yuoh Complex. BEST OF LUCK!. She said to herself in confusion, "Yuoh Complex?". Seoyun heard it and replied without looking at her, "It's an abandoned residential complex in the outskirts of the city". She turned towards him, "Oh.....(immediately looked away) I think I forgot to take my meds" and she ran back to her toom. 

One day till her exam. 4th October.
It was near the evening, she prepared dinner for all and told all of them to be home by 7.45pm. They were pretty amazed seeing her arrangements but didn't ask her the reason. Before starting the dinner, she exclaimed to everyone, "It's been a while since we sat here to eat all together...so I thought to cook for us all and.... I'm really grateful to you all for being with me without thinking twice. Thank you!". They smiled at her meekly as everything seemed off to them. They started eating. Everyone praised her cooking skills. They chatted and laughed as usual and Joanne enjoyed thsi brief but beautiful moment with them. The men did the dishes in turn and went to bed.

Next day. 5th October. The day of Joanne's final exam.
Levi woke up from a bad dream about Joanne. He rushed over to her room to calm himself but instead, he found her room empty with an envelope and a chain of badges on the bed. Tears started to roll down his cheeks and he grabbed those and ran Jishin. He banged on Jishin's door pretty loudly for others to wake up as well. As soon as Jishin opened the door, Levi pounced him, sobbing, "She's gone brother! She's not in her room!". Jishin was still in a daze, "What are you talking about? She must have gone to the backyard to stretch". "No! She left these on the bed" and showed them to him. Jishin's drowsiness went away in an instant and snatched the envelope and started reading it. A short note on the cover read as follows: "I am sorry to leave so early and without telling anyone of you. Open this envelope only if I fail to return to you. Have faith in me!". He said to himself under his breath, "Where could have she gone?". Meanwhile the rest were already out of their rooms being woken up by Levi's loudness. They even came up to Jishin's room in wonder. And Levi filled them in on everything. Seoyun then remembered something and said, "I think.. I know!". Everyone else turned towards him. "Yuoh Residential Complex!". Just then, Jishin got a message from an unknown number, that said: "Yuoh Complex. As soon as possible!". They all got ready instantly and moved out right away.
They arrived at the main entrance of the Complex, and got stopped there as the place was heavily guarded by some men. But they were let in after the men took their Boss's (Joanne's Master) permission.

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