[AFYC] Chapter 11

“...”

Thud. 

The sound of the door closing echoed through the room, and as soon as it did, Seo Ah released the breath she had been holding. Her breath rushed out, scraping against her throat, and sounded thunderously loud to her ears. Beyond the thunderous sound of her own breathing, a deep, unsettling silence enveloped the room. 

It was as if no one was there. There were no sounds of conversation, no signs of movement. It felt as though the person who had knocked on the door and the one who had responded were now standing together, right outside, in a silent agreement. 

Why? 

“The moment you reveal that the key is in your possession, your life will become as fragile as a candle in the wind.” 

Those words echoed in her mind, clear and ominous. 

Seo Ah rose slowly, her movements as quiet as the shadow creeping up the wall. She carefully placed the keyholder verification certificate and the key back into the pocket inside her coat. After securing the pocket to ensure nothing would be lost, she grabbed her luggage bag and began to back away silently. 

She reached the door meant for customers without making even the slightest sound. She opened it just a crack, enough to peek outside. There were guards present, their footsteps and the faint rustle of their uniforms giving them away, but their presence was nothing compared to the ominous figures she had felt watching her earlier. 

Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, she slipped through the barely opened door like a snake, moving fluidly and silently. She navigated through the heavily guarded corridors of the Felphe Bank as though she were a ghost, an unseen and intangible shadow passing by. 

She would likely have been caught if the guards had been ordered to capture her. But as long as she wasn’t their target, she was confident in her ability to slip through unnoticed, indistinguishable from a breath of wind. After all, even the most elite soldiers guarding a fortress might fend off armed enemies but would struggle to stop a mouse from sneaking through a crack in the wall. 

Seo Ah managed to exit the bank without anyone challenging her. She hurried away from the building, driven by a single instinct—to get as far away from the bank as possible. 

The streets were deserted, the hour late, and the unfamiliar city felt hostile and oppressive. The streets’ stark emptiness made the town seem almost violent in its alien nature. 

She had no idea where to go or what to do next. Her mind was a blank slate as she stumbled through the dark streets. 

Then, out of the dimly lit alleyway, a dark figure emerged. 

Though she couldn’t see his face clearly, Seo Ah instinctively knew that it was one of the men following her since the train, the one she thought she had shaken off when she boarded the carriage. His lips curled into a sneer; a mocking grin that made her blood run cold. 

A mouse sneaking through the cracks in the wall must tread lightly to escape the fortress unscathed. But if that mouse is cornered, it must run for its life. 

Seo Ah gritted her teeth and broke into a run. The heavy coat and her luggage bag weighed her down like an anchor pulling her into a mire, but she ran with all her strength, her heart pounding in her ears. 

Behind her, she heard a low, malicious laugh. 

“Oh, you’re pretty fast, aren’t you?” 

His laughter, the ragged sound of her breath, and the pounding of her feet on the ground echoed through the cruel, oppressive darkness. 

Isn’t there anyone around? I’d be safe if I could just find a place to hide. Please, someone, anyone… 

When her mind was teetering on the edge of panic, a carriage appeared out of nowhere. 

“Hey! Over here! Please!” 

Desperate to break through the suffocating darkness, Seo Ah shouted with all her might, her voice raw and pleading. 

The coachman, fortunately, heard her frantic cries and pulled the horses to a stop. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly when he saw Seo Ah running towards him in such a state as if scolding her. 

“It’s dangerous for a woman to be out alone at this hour! Get in quickly!” 

Seo Ah had sworn never to take another carriage after her last expensive experience, but at this moment, money was the least of her concerns. She scrambled into the carriage and slammed the door shut behind her. The coachman wasted no time setting off, the horses breaking into a brisk trot. Seeing Seo Ah’s anxious expression as she peered out the window, the coachman called out to her in a loud voice. 

“Where to?” 

Seo Ah pressed herself against the carriage wall, still looking out the window as she whispered back. 

“An inn.” 

The coachman, hearing her whisper, lowered his voice as well. 

“An inn?” 

“Yes. Please take me to the busiest inn, you know.” 

The busiest inn… 

The coachman chuckled, snapping the reins against the horses’ backs. Beneath his deeply pulled hood, his yellowed teeth flashed in the darkness. 

“Don’t worry, miss. I know just the place.”