Cheon Sa opened and closed his eyes, blinking against the overwhelming emptiness that coursed through him. A storm of emotions swirled within his chest, rage, grief, bitterness, and a numbing that threatened to consume him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he stared down at the disturbed earth before him.
Min Ho stood beside him, his face pale and drawn. They were right where Cheon Sa had buried his box and weapon, and just as he had feared, the ground had been tampered with. His carefully wrapped weapon gone. The box gone.
The sight sent a fresh wave of fury through him, but beneath it all was a sickening certainty that tightened in his gut. They had yet to find Dong Ha, and something in Cheon Sa's blood told him it was no mere coincidence. There was no evidence on site to point out it was Dong Ha that dug up the ground, no footprints, no fabric caught on a stray branch, he simply knew. The weight in his chest screamed that it was Dong Ha who had taken them probably when he and Min Ho was sleeping even though it was Min Ho that convinced him about leaving them to be in charge of the night watch.
Cheon Sa had buried the box carefully, ensuring that not even the sharpest eye would suspect anything hidden beneath the soil. He had chosen a spot where no one would think to look, right next to a gnarled old tree. He had taken extra precautions, scattering dried leaves over the disturbed earth and erasing any trace of his footsteps leading to the site. It should have been impossible for anyone to find it unless… they had been watching him.
Dong Ha had been the one watching him.
Cheon Sa's jaw tightened. He had not wanted to believe it, but there was no other explanation.
Since their group had made a pact not to leave without each other, Cheon Sa had taken every precaution before slipping away that night. He had ripped a piece of his attire, scrawled a message in charcoal, and left it behind so they would know he would return soon. Before leaving, he had scouted the area, ensuring there were no threats, no bandits lurking, no wild beasts prowling the shadows. Only then had he ventured far into the woods, exhausted but determined to finish what he started.
Even as he worked under the cover of night, burying the box deep, he had felt eyes on him. At the time, he had dismissed it, too drained to be concerned with some unseen watcher. He had never imagined it could be one of their own. When he got back, Min Ho and Dong Ha were still alseep, his note undisturbed and he met it how he left it so he just folded the note up, kept it inside is lapel with a thought of buring it when the night falls and they make a fire and it was until later Min Ho and Dong Ha woke up.
Now, staring at the disrupted ground, the truth settled in his bones.
"...You buried it here?"
Min Ho's voice cut through the silence, thin and strained. It was not the first time he had asked, and Cheon Sa knew it would not be the last.
"Yes," Cheon Sa murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a step back, ready to turn and leave, his mind already racing with thoughts of how to find Dong Ha.
Min Ho followed him, his steps uncertain. "It might've been an animal," he suggested weakly. "Or treasure hunters… bandits… a passerby, maybe. But not Dong Ha. It could never be him."
Cheon Sa's gaze flicked to Min Ho. His words wavered, unsteady. Earlier, Min Ho had been so sure that Dong Ha would be here. Now, he was grasping at anything, any excuse to deny what they both knew. His face was blotched, his eyes bloodshot and swollen, yet no more tears came as his tears were dried up and it was painful to look at so Cheon Sa looked away.
"Cheon Sa."
Cheon Sa halted, glancing over his shoulder. "What?"
Min Ho hesitated. "Maybe… maybe check for blood? Or animal tracks? A boar, or… something…"
Cheon Sa turned back with two swift strides and grabbed Min Ho by the shoulders, just as Min Ho did earlier. Though Min Ho was not short, Cheon Sa was taller, forcing him to look down into his friend's exhausted face.
"Listen to me," he said firmly, giving Min Ho a small shake. "We will find Dong Ha. Do not lose hope. Stay with me."
Min Ho swallowed, his throat bobbing as he nodded. "Okay."
Then, without warning...
"DONG HA!" Min Ho's voice shattered the stillness.
Cheon Sa winced. "Min Ho..."
"DONG HA!!!"
"Wait,stop shouting.."
"No! Dong Ha is missing, and we need to find him! Calling his name is the best way!" Min Ho's voice cracked, and he cupped his hands around his mouth, preparing to shout again.
Cheon Sa reacted instantly. He lunged forward, slapping a hand over Min Ho's mouth before another cry could escape. Min Ho struggled, muffled protests vibrating against Cheon Sa's palm.
"Listen to me," Cheon Sa hissed, his grip tightening. "If we want to find Dong Ha, we must not be reckless. You're calling for trouble. Bandits could hear you instead of him."
Min Ho's struggles slowed, his breathing ragged against Cheon Sa's hand. After a moment, Cheon Sa let him go when Min Ho wasn't struggling anymore.
"But we have to call him," Min Ho argued, his voice hoarse but still defiant. "He could be in danger. Shouldn't we be more worried about him than about bandits?"
Cheon Sa exhaled sharply. "And if we die searching for him, how do we help him then?"
Min Ho crossed his arms, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. "But you can fight them off, can't you? You're strong. If they come, you can just beat them up and protect me."
Cheon Sa stared at him, momentarily at a loss. Min Ho spoke as if fighting was the simplest solution in the world, as if it was effortless. If it were that easy, then why didn't Min Ho fight instead?
"One more shout, and I will leave you here," Cheon Sa said quietly. There was no anger in his voice, only a calm finality.
Min Ho blinked at him, caught off guard. "Is that why?" he muttered after a long pause. "Is it because you think Dong Ha took your box? Is that why you don't care about finding him?"
Cheon Sa frowned. "I never said that."
"You didn't have to. You're acting like he's not worth searching for. You discarded that box, didn't you? That means you didn't want it anymore. The capital is still far away, so you were never coming back for it. So why does it even matter if Dong Ha took it?"
Cheon Sa took a step back. His brows knitted together as he studied Min Ho's face, trying to decipher what had changed. Earlier, Min Ho had denied that Dong Ha took the box. Now, he had admitted it outright.
"Look at you," Min Ho continued, his voice shaking. "You say you're looking for him, but you don't want to call out to him. Let bygones be bygones."
Cheon Sa exhaled. "I am looking for him," he said, his voice measured. "And I am worried about him. That's why I won't let you shout and attract unnecessary trouble. We can't afford delays."
Min Ho scoffed. "A delay you can easily solve. If someone shows up, you fight them. And maybe they'll even have Dong Ha. Maybe they forced him to dig up your box. Maybe they took him."
Cheon Sa raised a brow. Min Ho had seen the ground just as clearly as he had, there had been no signs of struggle, no evidence of an ambush. And yet, Min Ho was now grasping at the possibility of Dong Ha being taken rather than admitting the truth.
"It's better to assume he's trying to open the box somewhere than to assume he's been kidnapped," Cheon Sa said.
Min Ho's expression wavered. He shifted on his feet, rubbing his arm. "I… I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I went too far. Just… please don't leave me behind."
Cheon Sa's eyes softened slightly. "I'm not leaving you," he assured him. Then, after a pause, he gestured ahead. "Let's keep looking we still have much ground to cover." He looked around knowing they were all surrounded with trees and now they had no clue anymore of where Dong Ha might be which means they were left to their resources in looking for and now had to find another clue.
The clue which include inpection of leaves, trees, looking for any piece of fabric or anything at all that might help them and they also had to consider all possibilities. Cheon Sa had known Dong Ha for five years and he doesn't see him as a person that would run off and leave them behind, he might he embarrassed and hiding from them so they had to look for any caves too.
It was still morning and they had alot of time to look so Cheon Sa stepped forward as he turned, his hands akimbo, he took a deep breath and crouched ready to inspect the leaves around the sight hoping to find some clues.