"YES!" Nari shouted, leaping from her seat, her voice breaking through the silence like a scream of victory.

Minho, however, had already started reading over her shoulder, his expression shifting from cautious curiosity to something darker, heavier. "This could be a trap," he murmured, his voice tight with unease. The knot in his stomach twisted painfully, warning him of the danger that lay ahead.

Nari's excitement faltered for a moment, the reality of their situation creeping back into her mind. But she shook it off, her resolve firming. "We've come this far, Minho. Whatever happens, we're going."

Back in Lab, the mood in the sterile lab was anything but calm. The team of researchers combed through every inch of Nari's house, their eyes scanning for anything that could lead them to her, but her personal laptop—the one containing all the critical information—remained elusive.

The head of the lab stood before a large monitor, frustration boiling over as he scrolled through the reports. His voice was low but seething with rage.

"If she doesn't show up soon, I'll kill her," he growled, slamming his fist onto the desk. The sound echoed in the silent room, his anger palpable.

The team exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared challenge the man's authority. The clock was ticking, and time was running out.

Nari and Minho arrived at the address in the letter, the hairs on the back of their necks prickling with an unsettling tension. The street was eerily quiet, the silence pressing down on them as they approached a decrepit building tucked away in the shadows.

They exchanged a look, both of them feeling the weight of the unknown pressing closer. Every instinct screamed at them to turn back, but Nari couldn't stop now. Not when she was so close.

They knocked, their hearts thumping in their chests, but the silence that followed was suffocating. A bead of sweat trickled down Nari's temple as she waited for any sign of movement.

After several moments, the door creaked open, revealing an elderly woman standing in the threshold. Her eyes were sunken, her face weary, but there was something about her posture—stiff, guarded—that sent a chill down Nari's spine.

The woman wiped the sweat from her brow, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get the words out, a sudden crack of a gunshot split the air.

The woman collapsed without a sound, her blood staining the floor. Nari froze, her body paralyzed with shock.

A cold, merciless voice echoed from behind them. "You should've stayed away."

A knife pressed against Minho's throat, and his breath hitched as the blade bit into his skin. Nari felt her pulse spike, her thoughts racing. In the blink of an eye, they were both subdued, their wrists bound tightly by thick rope. The tension in the room was suffocating, and the sight of the old woman's lifeless body only deepened the horror.

A shadow loomed over Nari as the figure behind them stepped forward, his presence suffocating. He bent down, his eyes locking with hers, cold and calculating. The smile that spread across his face was far from comforting.

"You've made a mistake," the man whispered, his voice low and laced with malice. "Now, you'll pay for it."