Veloura

Chapter I - The Return of the Past

A heavy silence had taken over the house, surrounding two strangers who seemed to share nothing except the years they had spent staring at each other from a distance, too afraid to break the separation that had grown between them. The ringing of the phone suddenly cut through the quiet, sharp enough to wound the walls of the room.

Byung, lost in his own chaotic thoughts, slowly turned his gaze toward the screen.

An unknown number.

For a few seconds, he hesitated, as if answering that call could change the course of his life forever. But in the next moment, he accepted it.

"Hello?" Byung answered quietly, holding the phone against his ear.

For several seconds, a suffocating silence filled the line. Then a man's voice finally came through, filled with anxiety and urgency.

"Is this... Byung?"

A slight frown formed between Byung's brows. A stranger who somehow knew his name.

"Who is this?" he asked, his voice cautious as he tried to understand what was happening.

The man took a shaky breath, his voice carrying a carefully hidden fear, as if he was struggling to say the next words.

"Get here... Jung is in danger."

Byung immediately stood up, his expression changing in an instant.

"What?"

The man's breathing became more hurried, as if there was no time left to waste.

"They're going to kill him."

For a moment, everything stopped.

Byung forgot how to breathe, and his heart slammed against his chest so violently that it felt like it was trying to break free.

"Who are you? What are you talking about? Why aren't you calling the police? Where is he?"

Questions rushed out of Byung's mouth, his voice trembling with a panic he could no longer hide.

The man took several broken breaths before lowering his voice.

"Don't ask anything..."

A brief pause followed.

"They set a trap for him. Just get here."

Byung tightened his grip around the phone, as if holding onto it could somehow protect the person on the other side.

"Where is he?" he asked desperately.

But the answer that followed sent a cold shiver through his entire body.

"Maybe..."

The single word felt heavier than anything else.

"Maybe this will be the last time you'll ever get the chance to see him."

The call ended.

The continuous beeping sound echoed in Byung's ear, growing heavier with every second.

He remained frozen, still holding the phone against his ear.

The last time...
Those two words repeated endlessly inside his mind, creating a storm he couldn't escape.

"Byung?"

Mina's voice pulled him back to reality as she hurried toward him, worry covering her face.

"Who was that? Why are you so pale? Where are you going?"

Byung slowly lowered the phone, his eyes moving restlessly between the floor and the wall. His face had lost all color, and although he tried to appear calm, even he couldn't believe the decision he was about to make.