Minsu's grip on the journal tightened. The weight of those words settled heavily in her chest. She glanced at Hyowon, who was just as tense beside her.
She turned the page, scanning through hurried notes and fragmented thoughts. Some words were underlined multiple times—"ritual", "hidden place", "the elders know".
Baek Ilho's voice broke the silence. "She wrote in there every day before she disappeared. I never had the courage to read it until now."
Minsu traced a finger over the ink. "Did she ever mention my aunt by name?"
Baek Ilho nodded. "There's a section towards the end where she wrote about meeting Yoon Hayeon. She believed your aunt had discovered something. Something dangerous."
Minsu quickly flipped through the pages, her heart racing. Then, near the final entries, she found it.
"Hayeon came to me again today. She's certain now. The disappearances aren't random. They are chosen. Selected. We need to find proof before they realize we know."
Minsu swallowed hard. They? Who were they talking about?
Hyowon exhaled. "This means your aunt didn't just vanish. She was onto something."
Baek Ilho lowered his voice. "That's why you need to be careful. If they find out you're asking questions—"
A sudden creak from outside made them all freeze. The sound of footsteps on the wooden porch.
Baek Ilho's eyes widened. "Someone's here."
Minsu's pulse pounded. She shut the journal quickly, her breath caught in her throat.
A sharp knock echoed through the house.
"Baek Ilho," a deep voice called from outside. "We need to talk."
Baek Ilho stiffened. His eyes darted to Minsu and Hyowon before he slowly rose to his feet. "Stay here," he whispered.
Minsu and Hyowon exchanged wary glances as he approached the door. The wooden floor creaked under his steps. When he finally slid the door open, a tall man stood outside, his silhouette dark against the dimming sky.
"Headman sent me," the man said, his tone unreadable. "He wants to see you."
Baek Ilho didn't respond immediately. "Why?"
The man's gaze flickered toward the interior of the house. "Not here. Come with me."
Minsu's fingers curled into her sleeves. This timing… was it just a coincidence?
Baek Ilho glanced back at them, hesitation flashing in his eyes. Then, with a slow nod, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Hyowon exhaled. "Something isn't right."
Minsu agreed. Her mind raced with possibilities. The journal's warning, the strange disappearances—was the village already aware of their suspicions?
She turned her gaze toward the door, unease settling deep in her bones.
"We can't just sit here," she whispered. "We need to find out what's going on."
Hyowon nodded, his expression tense. "If the headman really called him, that means they're watching us."
Minsu took a deep breath, gripping the journal tightly. "Then we have to be careful. But we also need to know what's happening."
She moved toward the window, carefully peeking outside. The man who had come for Baek Ilho was leading him down the narrow village path, disappearing into the distance. The air felt heavier than before.
Hyowon stood beside her. "Should we follow him?"
Minsu hesitated. "No… not yet. If we get caught, it'll only make things worse." She glanced down at the journal. "For now, we should focus on what's written here. There might be something we're missing."
They sat down again, and Minsu flipped through the pages, reading more carefully. Then, she found an entry near the end that made her blood run cold.
"Someone is watching us. I can feel it. Hayeon says we're getting too close. But we can't stop now."
She turned to Hyowon, her voice barely above a whisper. "She knew they were in danger. And yet, they kept searching."
Hyowon's brow furrowed. "And then… they disappeared."
Minsu clenched her fists. This wasn't just a mystery. It was a warning.
A sudden gust of wind rattled the wooden walls. The dim lantern flickered.
Then—footsteps.
Slow, deliberate steps outside the house.
Hyowon's breath hitched. He mouthed, "Someone's here."
Minsu carefully closed the journal, her pulse pounding. Had they already been found out?