Broken Paths || Wen JunHui

Chapter 24: Missing

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Da-Rae stared at the new message on her phone, her heart racing wildly. "He doesn't understand you like I do." The words burned into her mind, a chilling reminder of Jun's obsession. She felt her world tilt, as if the ground beneath her was shifting.

Hyun-Woo took a step closer, frowning as he tried to peer at the phone screen. "Who's texting you, Da-Rae? What's going on?"

She snapped the phone to her chest, hiding the message from him. "It's nothing," she said quickly, her voice trembling. "I... I need to call the hospital."

"The hospital? Why?" Hyun-Woo's confusion deepened. "It's the middle of the night."

Ignoring him, Da-Rae quickly dialed the hospital's number. She paced nervously as the phone rang, each passing second making her dread grow. The sensation of being watched weighed heavily on her, as though eyes were on her even now. She couldn't shake it.

Finally, a voice answered on the other end. "Seoul General Hospital, how may I help you?"

"This is Dr. Kim Da-Rae," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need to speak to someone about a patient in the psychiatric ward. Wen Junhui."

There was a brief pause. "Hold, please."

Da-Rae's grip tightened on the phone. She could feel Hyun-Woo's gaze burning into her, but she didn't have the energy to explain. Something was wrong. She knew it.

After what felt like an eternity, another voice came on the line. "This is Nurse Han. Dr. Kim, I'm afraid there's a problem."

Her stomach twisted. "What kind of problem?"

"Jun... Mr. Wen, he's gone."

Da-Rae's blood ran cold. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"We... we noticed this evening during our rounds that he was missing from his room. The security footage shows that he left the building late last night. We've alerted the authorities, but there's been no sign of him."

Da-Rae's hand tightened on the phone. Her mind was spinning, fear clawing its way up her throat. "How could this happen? He's... he's a high-risk patient! Why wasn't he being monitored?"

The nurse's voice was strained with guilt. "We don't know how he slipped past security. It's... it's like he vanished."

Da-Rae felt as if she were floating outside of her body. The room spun, and the ominous messages on her phone suddenly made a terrifying kind of sense. He was here. Watching.

"Have you called the police?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yes, but we haven't received any updates yet. We're doing everything we can to locate him, Dr. Kim."

Da-Rae's hand dropped to her side, the phone still clutched in her grip as the nurse's words faded into the background. Jun was out there. And if the texts were any indication, he wasn't far.

Hyun-Woo stepped forward, concern etched into his features. "What's going on, Da-Rae? You're pale. Talk to me.

"For a moment, Da-Rae couldn't find the words. How could she explain to Hyun-Woo that one of her patients—a patient with an unhealthy obsession with her—was missing, possibly stalking her, and sending her cryptic messages? The weight of the situation pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Hyun-Woo reached out to touch her arm, his brow furrowed. "Da-Rae, tell me what's happening." She swallowed, her voice coming out hoarse. "Jun... my patient. He's gone. He's missing." 

Hyun-Woo frowned. "Jun? The guy you've been treating? What do you mean, missing?"

"They don't know where he is," Da-Rae said, her voice shaking now. "He left the hospital last night, and they can't find him."

Hyun-Woo's expression shifted from confusion to alarm. "Wait—are you saying this guy is dangerous? Shouldn't the hospital have done more to keep him there?" "He's not just dangerous," Da-Rae whispered, her heart pounding in her ears. "I think... I think he's watching me."

Hyun-Woo's face darkened. "What are you talking about? How do you know that?" She hesitated, then showed him the text messages on her phone. The colour drained from his face as he read them, his grip tightening on her wrist. "This... this is insane. We need to call the police right now. You can't stay here."

 "I know," Da-Rae said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But what if... what if he's already watching me? What if he's closer than we think?" 

Hyun-Woo pulled out his phone. "We're leaving, Da-Rae. I'm not letting you stay here for one more second. You'll come with me, and we'll figure this out." As Hyun-Woo dialled the police, Da-Rae couldn't shake the feeling that the walls were closing in on her. 

Her apartment, once her safe haven, now felt like a trap. Every shadow, every corner seemed to hold something sinister. And in the back of her mind, one thought echoed louder than the rest: Jun was out there, somewhere. And he wasn't going to stop. 

As Hyun-Woo spoke urgently into the phone, Da-Rae's eyes darted toward the window. She swore, just for a split second, she saw a figure standing in the shadows outside. 

And then it was gone.

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