The masked one

Chapter 4. (Home)

As time passed, we finally reached home. The guard opened the gate, and I drove into the property. Parking the car in the garage, we all stepped out and made our way inside. As we entered, every staff member bowed as a sign of respect. We proceeded towards the main hall, where everyone was gathered. As expected, Aunt Dearest was already present. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and smiled at everyone. We greeted the elders, and I embraced my mother. After informing her that I needed to change, she gave me her confirmation. I made my way upstairs to my room, heading straight for the bathroom. I took a refreshing shower and then changed into fresh clothes.

As I descended the stairs, I could hear the strained and distressed voice of my father coming from the main hall. As I entered the room, I saw my dad and aunt dearest locked in a heated argument. My attention was then drawn toward SEO-Jin, a close family friend, who was gesturing for me to come to his side. Confused and concerned, I made my way towards him and asked for an explanation. His response left me in a state of shock and panic as he uttered, "I think we need to go back to Korea." Without giving it a second thought, anger rushed through my veins and I couldn't help but yell out, "What do you mean we have to go back?" The thought of leaving everything behind and going back to our home country filled me with a mix of emotions.

Hearing my voice, everyone stopped noticing me. I was no longer the center of attention, and I could feel the fire burning within me. How could they even think about going back to Korea after everything that had happened? The memories of pain and suffering flooded my mind as I looked at my grandfather, who seemed lost in his thoughts. "Harabeoji!" I called out, my voice trembling with panic. "What's happening? What is Seo-jin Orabeoni saying? How can we go back to Korea after all that we've been through?" My emotions were running high, and I couldn't understand how anyone could even consider returning to the place where we had experienced so much pain. I kept questioning myself, my heart racing with fear. But then, I heard my grandfather's voice, and I looked up to see my second eldest brother approaching me with open arms. "Hanyeol, calm down," he said, enveloping me in a hug. "Nothing is going to happen." His words brought a sense of comfort and reassurance, and for a moment, I believed him. But deep down, the uncertainty and fear still lingered - how could we possibly go back to a place that held so much pain and trauma for our family?

After a few minutes of silence, I mustered up the courage to speak up again. My voice trembled as I asked, "Why are we going back?" My father Appa let out a heavy sigh before answering, "The destruction falls upon the pack in Korea." Confusion and fear washed over me as I looked at him, waiting for an explanation. "Lan Hwan-soo turned out to be a betrayer," he continued. My eyes widened in shock. How could Lan, the most trusted person in our pack, betray us? My second eldest brother, Choi, clenched his fists in anger as he muttered, "I still can't understand why he would betray us." The news of Lan's betrayal left us all reeling, and we were left with so many questions and emotions.

The atmosphere in the room was tense and heavy as my brother Yeon broke the silence with his words, "I don't understand how can this happen." My family and I sat in silence, all lost in our thoughts. But I refused to let negative thoughts consume me and instead, I decided to take charge of the situation. I asked for everyone's attention and posed the question, "So! What's the last decision?" It was then that our grandfather, Harabeoji, made the final decision - we were going back to Korea. The news hit me like a ton of bricks, but deep down, I knew it was the right decision. We were going back home, to our roots, where we belonged. The thought of returning to Korea was overwhelming, filled with a mix of emotions and memories that flooded my mind. But at that moment, I knew it was the best thing for my family. We were going back to where it all began, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held for us.

To. Be. Continued