Inside the restaurant, Anna looked around desperately. The place was empty, just as she had expected. She approached the owner, who was wiping down the counter. "Have you seen Serena?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The owner recognized Serena immediately. "She's a regular here, but I haven't seen her in a few days," he said, his tone apologetic.
Anna's heart sank. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again. Just then, Jimin walked into the restaurant. He saw Anna standing there, her face pale and her hands shaking. "She's not here, Jimin," Anna said, her voice breaking. "I don't know where she is. What if something bad happened to her?"
Jimin stepped closer, his expression calm but concerned. "Maybe she's at another hangout spot. We'll check other places. Don't lose hope yet."
Anna nodded, though her panic rose. She followed Jimin out of the restaurant, and they spent the rest of the night searching for Serena. They checked every place they could think of—parks, cafes, even the library. But there was no sign of her.
"I think you should go home for now," Jimin said, sitting in the driver's seat. He looked at Anna.
Anna burst into tears again. "I can't... I can't go home, not until I find Serena," she said in panic.
Jimin looked at Anna, her face streaked with tears and her body trembling. He felt a pang of sympathy but knew he had to stay calm for her sake. He gently pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and wiped her tears.
"Anna, you need to rest. You've been searching all night. Let's go home, and we'll start again in the morning."
Anna shook her head violently, her voice breaking as she spoke. "No, I can't go home! Not without Serena. What if she's hurt? What if she's waiting for me? I need to find her!"
Jimin hesitated, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to upset her further, but he also knew how dangerous it could be to wander around at night.
Anna grabbed his arm, her grip tight. "Please, Jimin. Take me to the forest. I feel like she's there. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't just sit and do nothing. Please!"
Jimin sighed, realizing she wouldn't back down. He nodded reluctantly. "Okay, we'll go. But stay close to me, and if anything feels wrong, we leave immediately. Understand?"
Anna nodded quickly, relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Jimin. Thank you so much for helping me."
"It's alright; we're friends anyway," Jimin answered.
Jimin started the car and drove toward the forest. The roads were quiet, and the sky was still dark. Anna stared out the window, her mind racing with worry. Jimin glanced at her occasionally, his own thoughts troubled. He didn't like the idea of going into the forest, but he couldn't leave Anna alone in this state.
After an hour, Jimin arrived at the forest, their car speeding through the highway. Suddenly, Anna's phone buzzed again. She looked at the screen; Kevin had sent her a message.
"What happened? Find anything?"
—Kevin.
"No, not yet. But I'm going to find her in the forest."
—Anna.
"No, don't go there; it's dangerous. Come back home."
—Kevin.
"I can't sit and wait, and don't worry about me; Jimin is with me."
—Anna.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
—Kevin.
"Yeah. Anyway, where are you now? Any updates?"
—Anna.
"I just returned home. Dad is searching for Serena with Ryan and some other officers."
—Kevin.
"We're gonna find her, right?"
—Anna.
"Of course, we will. Just return home; I don't know why I'm scared."
—Kevin.
Anna sobbed in silence, feeling the pain in her heart.
"What happened?" Jimin asked curiously.
Anna shook her head. "Nothing. Dad is searching for Serena with some officers," she said.
"Don't worry; we'll find her," Jimin comforted.
After a long drive, Anna and Jimin finally reached the edge of the forest. Jimin parked the car and turned to Anna. "We'll search for a little while, but if we don't find anything, we're leaving. Deal?"
Anna nodded again, her determination clear. "Deal."
They stepped out of the car and walked into the forest. The trees loomed tall and dark, and the air felt heavy. Anna called out Serena's name, her voice echoing through the trees. Jimin stayed close, his eyes scanning the shadows.
As they walked deeper, Anna's hope began to fade. The forest felt endless, and there was no sign of Serena. Jimin gently touched her arm. "Anna, we should go. It's not safe here."
Anna hesitated, her eyes filling with tears again. "Just a little longer, please. I can't give up on her."
Jimin nodded, though he felt uneasy. "Okay, a little longer. But stay close."
They continued their search, the forest growing darker and quieter around them. Jimin kept his guard up, ready to protect Anna if anything happened. He just hoped they would find Serena soon—or at least find some answers. But a part of him knew that something was wrong. He couldn't predict the future, but as an Aquanis, he could sense that something worse was about to happen.
"I think we should leave now," Jimin suggested.
Anna nodded reluctantly, her energy drained and she lots her hope. Her body began to feel weak and her mind fogged, suddenly she lost her vision, but before Anna would stumble on the leafy floor, Jimin stepped closer to her and took her in his embrace, while Anna lots her consciousness completely, her head dangling on Jimin's shoulder.
"Anna, wake up." Jimin muttered. "What happened with he's suddenly?"
"She won't wake up for a while." Jungkook appeared from the back of the tree. "I cast a sleeping spell on her."
Jimin widened his eyes, "But why?"
Jungkook stepped closer to Jimin. "You're being dumb while living among the humans." He said sarcastically, "Remember we're Aquanis, we can use magic to find her sister and for that we need Anna's blood."
"Oh, right," Jimin said, his voice calm but slightly annoyed with himself. "I forgot we could do that. We're Aquanis. We don't need to wander around like humans."
Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Finally, you remember. You've been acting too human lately. It's annoying."
Jimin ignored the jab and adjusted Anna in his arms, making sure she was comfortable. "Alright, let's get her to the mansion. We can use her blood to track Serena there."
Jungkook nodded. "About time you started thinking like an Aquanis again."