The moment the faint tire marks veered sharply toward the coastal road, the entire team felt their pulse quicken. The morning air was still heavy with the lingering chill, the sea breeze brushing against their faces as Haruto crouched down to inspect the tracks more closely. "It turns this way," he murmured, tracing the faint impression with his fingers. Souta stood behind him, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale. The silence among the group was suffocating, held together only by the weight of fear and desperation. Luna had been missing for hours now—long enough that their imaginations had begun conjuring terrifying images they refused to speak aloud.
Beru stepped forward, her voice trembling but steady. "It leads to the port… doesn't it?" Haruto nodded grimly. "Let's go." Souta didn't wait to hear anything else. He broke into a run, his feet slamming against the pavement as if every second gained could mean the difference between saving Luna or losing her forever. The others followed closely behind, their hearts pounding, breaths sharp and quick in the cold morning air.
As they approached the port, the familiar smell of salt, oil, and rust surrounded them. The enormous shipyard stretched endlessly, filled with towering cranes, stacked shipping containers, rows of parked trucks, and countless warehouses standing like silent, hulking beasts. The place was a labyrinth—a perfect hideout if someone wanted to disappear without a trace.
Haruto scanned the surroundings, eyes sharp. "The tire track ends around here." They followed him to a corner where a sleek, black car was parked behind a cluster of old cargo crates, almost hidden from view. Souta's heart slammed inside his chest. "This is it… the car we saw earlier." He ran forward and touched the hood, which was still faintly warm. "She was here," he whispered, voice cracking. "Luna was here…"
Beru looked around nervously. "But where is she now? This place is huge." The panic slowly seeped into her words despite her best efforts to stay calm.
Haruto straightened. "We'll search. Every warehouse. Every container. Every corner." Souta nodded fiercely, his eyes glowing with determination, almost wild with desperation. "We won't leave until we find her."
Morning bled into noon, and noon bled into the dull orange of evening. They searched relentlessly, moving through warehouse after warehouse—wide metallic spaces filled with dust, broken crates, and shadows that played tricks on their exhausted minds. The clanging of metal echoed through the port as they pried open every door they could access, calling Luna's name, listening desperately for any hint of a muffled voice or a faint cry.
But each time, their voices met only empty air.
The longer they searched, the heavier the hopelessness grew. Souta felt it pressing against his chest, suffocating him, but he refused to stop. His feet throbbed with pain, his arms ached from pulling open heavy steel doors, and sweat soaked through his clothes despite the cold sea breeze. Images of Luna—smiling, scolding him, encouraging him, laughing softly at his jokes—kept flashing in his mind, twisting his heart with guilt. I should have protected you. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen.
Beru wiped her forehead, her breathing ragged. "We've covered almost all of Section B… and still nothing." Haruto leaned against a wall for a moment, exhaustion creeping into his bones. "There are still warehouses near the dockyard's restricted area. But those are bigger… and more guarded."
Souta tightened his fists. "Then we'll get through them too."
Night arrived quietly, wrapping the port in cold shadows and swallowing the distant horizon with its thick darkness. The floodlights around the shipyard flickered unevenly, casting long silhouettes across the ground. The group's movements slowed, not from lack of will, but from their bodies finally reaching their limits. Their voices grew softer, their steps heavier.
Still, they moved.
Warehouse after warehouse. Door after door. Room after room.
Haruto stopped and stared at the sky for a moment. "It's almost dawn," he murmured. Souta didn't even look up. "I don't care if it takes days," he growled. "We keep going." His voice was hoarse, broken by the helplessness he fought so desperately to contain.
As the sky slowly brightened again with the pale blues of early morning, their clothes were smeared with dust and dirt, their hands scratched from metal edges, their bodies screaming for rest. Yet the fear of losing Luna kept them upright, kept their legs moving even as exhaustion threatened to collapse them.
Around 9 a.m., Haruto's phone rang sharply, slicing through the thick tension. He immediately put it on speaker.
"Mr. Hino?" Haruto asked, breathless.
On the other end, Mr. Hino's voice trembled with panic. "The kidnappers… they called." Beru's breath hitched. Souta froze.
Mr. Hino continued, "They asked if the ransom is ready. We only have until 5 p.m. They said if we're late… they won't guarantee her safety."
Souta felt his heart plummet. A cold wave washed over him, leaving him trembling. The exhaustion was replaced by terror—the kind that eats away at your sanity. Haruto clenched his jaw. "Did they say where to bring it?" he asked.
"No. They said they will call again one hour before the deadline." Mr. Hino sounded like he was barely holding himself together. "Please… please find her."
"We will," Haruto said firmly before ending the call.
But as the silence returned, the truth settled heavily upon them. Time was running out. They had less than eight hours.
Beru wiped her eyes quickly, trying not to break down. "We need to think. We've searched everywhere… at least the normal warehouses."
Souta slammed his fist against a nearby crate, making Beru jump. "There has to be something we missed!" he shouted, his voice raw. "They're hiding her somewhere. Somewhere we haven't checked."
Haruto closed his eyes, thinking, retracing every step in his mind. Then his eyes slowly opened as a thought surfaced. "Wait." He looked at Souta. "You remember what Mr. Ayame said about his rival company?"
Souta frowned. "Yeah… why?"
Haruto continued, "They have a warehouse here in the port. A huge one. And they've been in multiple disputes with Ayame Corp for years. What if this isn't just a kidnapping for ransom? What if there's someone targeting Ayame Corp directly?"
Beru's eyes widened. "You mean… Luna is being used to hurt Mr. Ayame?"
"Or to weaken him," Haruto said. "Or to force him into something."
Souta's breath quickened. "Then where is this warehouse?"
Haruto pointed toward the far side of the port. "East Sector. It's heavily guarded. We didn't go near it last night because of the security personnel."
Souta didn't waste a second. "Then that's where we're going."
Beru hurried after him. "But Souta—there are guards—"
"I don't care!" he snapped, spinning around to face her. His eyes were glassy, burning with desperation. "If Luna is in there, I'll tear down the whole warehouse if I have to." Haruto placed a hand on Souta's shoulder, grounding him. "We'll be careful. But we'll check it."
The walk to East Sector felt unbearably long. The sun was climbing higher, and the countdown to 5 p.m. echoed loudly in their heads. Every step felt heavier, the shadows of enormous storage structures looming over them like reminders of everything that could go wrong.
As they approached the warehouse complex belonging to Ayame Corp's rival company, they immediately noticed the difference. Security was tighter—far more guards than any other section of the port. Men in dark uniforms patrolled the perimeter with serious expressions, armed and alert. Cameras were placed at every corner. It was odd… too odd for a simple warehouse.
Souta swallowed hard. "This is way more guarded than anything we've seen." Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Which means there's something inside they don't want anyone to see."
Beru shivered as she watched the guards move. "How do we get close enough to look inside? They'll see us."
Souta scanned the structure carefully. His gaze finally locked onto a row of tall crates stacked a few meters away from the warehouse wall. "There," he whispered. "If we climb those crates, we might be able to reach the side window."
Haruto nodded. "Good idea. Let's move."
They waited for the guards to pass, timing their steps between patrol rounds, slipping through shadows like ghosts. The closer they got, the more intense Souta's heartbeat became. Every second felt like a gamble, every movement a risk. His palms were sweating, but he forced himself to stay calm—Luna needed him to be strong.
Haruto boosted Beru up first, then climbed himself. Finally, Souta pulled himself up, hands shaking slightly from adrenaline and fear. The crates gave them enough height to peek through the long narrow warehouse window—dirty, clouded, but still transparent enough to see inside if they pressed close.
Souta moved first, leaning in, trying to clear a patch of glass with his sleeve. His breath quickened as shapes inside began to form—shadows, boxes, dim lighting… and then—
His heart stopped.
There she was.
Luna.
Sitted on a lone metal chair in the center of the warehouse, her hands tied tightly behind her back, her legs bound, a cloth gag over her mouth, and her head slumped forward as though she had lost consciousness. Her pale hair cascaded over her shoulders, hiding part of her face, and even from the distance, Souta could see the bruises on her arms.
Her presence hit him like a punch to the chest.
He froze, his entire body trembling as if the world had tilted beneath him. The relief was so sharp it hurt. His throat tightened, and he pressed his forehead against the window, his breath fogging the glass.
"Luna…" he whispered, voice breaking.
Beru gasped softly beside him. "Oh no… she really is inside."
Haruto swallowed, his expression tightening. "At least she's alive."
Souta didn't blink. He couldn't. Seeing Luna tied up, helpless, unconscious—it shattered him and relieved him at the same time. His chest burned with fury, guilt, grief, and overwhelming protectiveness. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he forced them back.
He wouldn't cry.
Not when she needed him to be strong.
"She's… she's right there," he whispered again, voice trembling so hard he could barely form the words. "We found her…"
His relief was raw, emotional, overwhelming.
But as the reality settled in, the fear returned—sharper than ever.
They had found Luna.
But now, they had to get her out.
And the guards surrounding the warehouse made sure that saving her would not be easy.
The chapter ends with Souta's eyes locked on Luna, filled with determination so fierce it felt like fire burning through his veins. No matter what it took, he would reach her. He would protect her.
He would not lose her.
Not now.
Not ever.
---
To be continued...