Chapter Twelve: The Cost of Shadows

The safe house was dimly lit, its air heavy with tension. Taehyung paced the room, his jaw clenched and his hands trembling with restrained fury. Maps and surveillance photos littered the table, each one a fragment of a plan to recover Lisa. But no matter how much he analyzed, no matter how many dead ends he pushed through, the crushing reality remained: Lisa was gone.

Raven sat cross-legged on the worn-out couch, sharpening her blade with methodical precision. Her usually sharp tongue had been subdued since the capture, leaving an uncomfortable silence in its place. She glanced up at Taehyung, her dark eyes narrowing.

“You need to stop,” she said flatly.

“Stop what?” Taehyung snapped, not breaking his stride.

“Driving yourself insane,” Raven replied, setting her blade down. “You’re no good to Lisa like this. You’re thinking emotionally, not tactically.”

“Of course I’m emotional!” Taehyung turned to face her, his eyes blazing. “She’s out there, with them. Do you have any idea what Aegis does to people?”

“I know exactly what they do,” Raven said, her voice icy. “Which is why you need to get your head on straight before you get us both killed.”

Taehyung exhaled sharply, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He knew Raven was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. The thought of Lisa—her laughter, her fire, the way she trusted him completely—kept clawing at his mind. And beneath that was the suffocating guilt of knowing he hadn’t been able to protect her.

“I can’t lose her,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Raven’s gaze softened, but only slightly. “Then focus. If we’re going to take on Aegis, we need more than desperation. We need leverage.”

Taehyung nodded, forcing himself to think. He moved to the table, scanning the scattered intel. “Aegis operates like a hydra—cut off one head, and two more take its place. But every hydra has a heart. We just need to find it.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Raven asked, folding her arms.

Taehyung hesitated, the weight of his next words pressing down on him. “I know someone who can help. Someone inside.”

Raven’s eyes widened. “You’re not seriously considering—”

“I don’t have a choice,” Taehyung interrupted. “He’s the only one who can get us close enough to find Lisa.”

“You mean the one you’ve been running from all this time?” Raven’s voice dripped with disbelief. “The one who knows every secret you’ve been keeping from her?”

Taehyung’s stomach twisted. He didn’t need the reminder.

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Later that night, Taehyung stood alone on the balcony, the cold wind biting at his skin. He stared out at the city lights, their distant glow mocking the darkness inside him.

He’d spent years building walls around himself, hiding the truth from Lisa, from Raven, from everyone. And now those secrets threatened to destroy everything he cared about.

Lisa deserves better, he thought bitterly. Better than a man who’s lied to her. Better than someone who dragged her into this nightmare.

But no matter how much he tried to convince himself, he couldn’t let her go.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, weathered photograph. It was of Lisa, taken during one of their rare moments of peace. She was laughing, her eyes bright with mischief as she leaned against him. Taehyung traced the edges of the photo with his thumb, his chest tightening.

“I’ll find you,” he murmured. “No matter what it takes.”

---

The following day, Taehyung and Raven stood outside an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The building loomed like a specter, its windows shattered and its walls scarred with graffiti.

“This is a bad idea,” Raven muttered, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife.

“It’s the only idea we’ve got,” Taehyung replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside him.

They stepped inside, the air thick with dust and decay. A single figure waited in the shadows, his back to them.

“You’ve got guts coming here,” the man said without turning around. His voice was low and gravelly, carrying a hint of amusement.

“Hello, Daehyun,” Taehyung said, his tone devoid of warmth.

Daehyun turned, his face illuminated by the faint light streaming through a broken window. He was tall and lean, with sharp features and a smirk that never seemed to leave his lips.

“I heard you were dead,” Daehyun said, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Guess I shouldn’t believe everything I hear.”

“Save the small talk,” Taehyung said. “I need information on Aegis.”

Daehyun raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you think I’d help you?”

“Because you owe me,” Taehyung said, his voice cold.

Daehyun’s smirk faded, replaced by a wary look. “You’re really going to play that card?”

“If it means finding Lisa, yes,” Taehyung replied.

Raven watched the exchange silently, her hand never leaving her knife. She didn’t trust Daehyun, but she trusted Taehyung’s determination.

Daehyun sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But you’re not going to like what I have to say.”

“Try me,” Taehyung said.

“Aegis doesn’t just take people for no reason,” Daehyun began. “If they have Lisa, it’s because she’s important to them. And if she’s important to them... she might not be the same when you get her back.”

Taehyung’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.

“I don’t care what they’ve done to her,” he said, his voice filled with quiet resolve. “I’m bringing her home.”

Daehyun studied him for a moment, then nodded. “In that case, you’re going to need more than determination. You’re going to need someone on the inside.”

“And who do you suggest?” Raven asked, her voice skeptical.

Daehyun’s smirk returned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

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