The Last Dawn P1 : The Preceding Twilight. ✨

                                    

                                          

Hyunjin's POV:
Opening the door hadn't been difficult—I'd picked the lock in seconds, a skill I'd never thought I'd need in Minho's mansion. Slipping past the guards had been a different challenge, but somehow, I managed to evade their watchful eyes, my heart pounding with each stealthy step. I didn't look back. I couldn't. Now it was up to me.
The moment I was outside, I broke into a sprint, my breath hitching in my throat as I reached the car. My hands shook as I fumbled with the keys, adrenaline coursing through my veins like fire. When the engine roared to life, I didn't waste a second, flooring the gas pedal and speeding away from the mansion.
The road blurred beneath the tires as I drove, the city lights flickering past in a haze. My thoughts were a chaotic whirl of fear and determination. I didn't know what Mark's plans were, but I knew one thing for certain: he wouldn't let me live after this. He would use my mother as bait, and once he had me where he wanted, he'd finish what he started. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn't let it paralyze me. My mother's life depended on it.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I tightened my grip on the wheel. The fear, the overwhelming sense of dread, was almost too much to bear. But amidst the chaos of my emotions, one thought cut through the noise like a blade: I hadn't even said goodbye to Minho. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, stealing the breath from my lungs.
Would he even care if I never came back? Or would he simply move on, convinced that I was just a fleeting part of his life? The uncertainty gnawed at me, twisting my heart in ways I couldn't fully comprehend. But I couldn't dwell on it. Not now. Not when I was racing against the clock to save the one person who had always been there for me.
I blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back as I sped down the road, my foot pressing harder on the gas. The car's engine roared in response, and the world outside became a blur of lights and shadows. The city stretched out before me, but all I could focus on was the destination—the place where Mark was waiting, where my mother's fate hung in the balance.
My chest tightened with every mile, the fear clawing at me with each passing second. But I pushed it down, steeling myself for what lay ahead. This wasn't the time to break down. This was the time to fight, to do whatever it took to save my mother. Even if it meant confronting Mark alone. Even if it meant saying goodbye to everything I knew, including the life I had built with Minho.
*Please, Minho...* I thought, my heart aching with the unspoken words. *Please remember me.*
With a deep breath, I pushed the car to its limits, the engine roaring as I sped through the streets, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel. Each mile brought me closer to the address Mark had sent, my pulse quickening with every second that ticked by. Fear gnawed at the edges of my resolve, but I shoved it down. This wasn't the time to hesitate. Not when so much was at stake.
Finally, I arrived at the address—a semi-old house that looked like it had been forgotten by time. The place was eerily quiet, no guards in sight, no sign of life. It felt wrong. The unease that had been bubbling under the surface now surged to the forefront, tightening my chest. I parked the car and stepped out, scanning my surroundings for any hint of danger, but everything was still, too still.
My heart pounded in my ears as I approached the door. The wood was weathered, the paint peeling, and as I reached out to open it, I hesitated. Something wasn't right. Just as my fingers brushed the doorknob, I felt the cold, unmistakable press of metal against the back of my head—a gun.
"Move," a voice growled, low and threatening.
My breath caught in my throat, panic surging through me, but I forced myself to stay calm. *Think, Hyunjin, think.* I tried to assess the situation, but the weight of the gun against my skull made it hard to focus. "Where is my mother?" I asked, my voice shaking despite my efforts to keep it steady.