Chapter Nine: Falling Into Shadows

The night was eerily quiet as the trio navigated through the dense woods surrounding the villa. Every snapping twig and rustling leaf made Lisa’s pulse quicken. Taehyung led the way, his movements deliberate, his gun drawn. Behind him, Raven carried a satchel of stolen data they’d barely managed to extract from Aegis’ servers before their location was compromised.

Lisa brought up the rear, her eyes scanning the darkness, fingers tight around the grip of her weapon.

“Keep up, Lisa,” Taehyung murmured over his shoulder, his voice low but firm.

“I’m fine,” she replied, though the weight of exhaustion and fear pressed heavily on her chest.

The woods seemed endless, their shadows stretching like claws. The oppressive silence felt unnatural, and Lisa couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

“They’re too quiet,” Raven muttered, her knife flashing briefly in the moonlight as she tightened her grip on its hilt. “Aegis doesn’t just let their prey slip away.”

“They’re waiting for us to make a mistake,” Taehyung said, his tone grim.

As if on cue, a sharp crack echoed through the trees. Taehyung froze, his hand shooting up to signal them to stop.

“What was that?” Lisa whispered, her breath visible in the cold night air.

Before anyone could answer, the forest exploded into chaos. Flashbangs detonated, filling the air with blinding light and deafening noise. Lisa cried out, her ears ringing as she stumbled backward, momentarily disoriented.

“Lisa!” Taehyung’s voice cut through the cacophony, but she couldn’t see him through the smoke and blinding light.

Figures emerged from the shadows—Aegis operatives in tactical gear, their faces obscured by masks. Lisa raised her gun and fired, the recoil jolting her arms as she took down one of them.

“Fall back!” Taehyung shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

Raven appeared beside Lisa, grabbing her arm. “Come on!”

They ran, dodging between trees as gunfire erupted around them. Taehyung stayed ahead, his movements swift and calculated as he laid down cover fire.

But the operatives were relentless, closing the distance with military precision. Lisa’s heart pounded as she struggled to keep up, her legs burning with every step.

“We’re not going to outrun them!” Raven shouted, her breath ragged.

“We have to try,” Taehyung barked, his gaze darting between their pursuers and the dense forest ahead.

Suddenly, a net shot out from the shadows, tangling around Lisa’s legs. She screamed as she fell, her gun skittering out of reach.

“Lisa!” Taehyung spun around, his eyes wide with panic as he saw her struggling to free herself.

“I’m stuck!” she cried, clawing at the thick cords.

Taehyung moved to help her, but more operatives emerged, cutting him off. He fired at them, his movements desperate, but there were too many.

“Go!” Lisa shouted, her voice breaking. “You have to go!”

“Not without you!” Taehyung roared, his gaze locked on hers.

Raven grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “We don’t have a choice! If we stay, we’re all dead!”

“Let me go!” Taehyung snarled, his eyes blazing with fury as he tried to shake her off.

“You’ll get her killed if you don’t leave now!” Raven snapped, her voice sharp with urgency.

Lisa’s vision blurred with tears as she saw Taehyung hesitate, his hands clenched into fists.

“I’ll come back for you!” he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Go!” she screamed again, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and determination.

Raven dragged Taehyung away, and Lisa watched them disappear into the darkness, her heart breaking with every step they took.

The operatives closed in, their masked faces emotionless as they hauled her to her feet. She struggled, kicking and screaming, but their grip was unyielding.

“Let me go!” she yelled, her voice echoing through the forest.

One of them jabbed a syringe into her arm, and a cold numbness spread through her veins. The world tilted, the trees blurring into dark smudges as her strength faded.

The last thing she saw before unconsciousness claimed her was the cold, expressionless mask of her captor.

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Lisa woke to the harsh light of a sterile room. The restraints on her wrists and ankles dug into her skin, and the faint hum of machinery filled the air. She was alone, but the weight of unseen eyes pressed down on her, a reminder that her captors were watching.

Aegis had her now.

And as she sat there, her heart aching with the memory of Taehyung’s desperate gaze, she made a silent vow: she wouldn’t break.

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