chapter 22-A Message Written in Blood

  The heavy thud echoed through the house.

  A moment later—

  their baby began to cry.

  For one split second, Takiro froze.

  His mind hadn’t even begun to process what was happening, but his body had already moved. His legs reacted before thought could catch up.

  He lunged toward the ladder.

  In a blur of motion, Takiro climbed upward. When he reached the opening of the box, he didn’t slow down.

  He jumped.

  Using a burst of compressed air, he propelled himself forward through the narrow opening. The force of the movement shattered the mirror beneath him as he burst out of the hidden chamber.

  Glass scattered across the floor.

  But Takiro barely noticed.

  His heart was pounding violently in his chest as he sprinted toward the baby’s room.

  Behind him, his wife stood stunned.

  The sudden noise, the crying child, Takiro’s frantic escape from the box—nothing made sense to her. But instinct took over, and she hurried up the ladder after him.

  By the time she reached the floor above, Takiro had already rushed into the child’s room.

  The baby was crying.

  But nothing else seemed wrong.

  Takiro grabbed the child immediately, checking every corner of the crib, lifting the blankets, searching frantically.

  No one.

  No one was there.

  The window was open.

  Takiro stared at it.

  Impossible.

  No one could have entered through that window. The height alone made it nearly impossible.

  Yet something felt wrong.

  Then he heard it.

  Footsteps.

  Someone was running down the stairs.

  Takiro’s head snapped toward the hallway.

  At the same moment, his wife appeared behind him, rushing out from his father’s room.

  The footsteps continued—rapid and heavy—descending toward the ground floor.

  Takiro took off immediately.

  He raced toward the staircase, his heart hammering even faster. His feet pounded against the steps as he chased the unseen intruder.

  Then—

  his foot slipped.

  Takiro lost balance and tumbled down several steps, crashing hard against the staircase. His hands scraped against the floor, leaving thin lines of blood across his palms.

  But he didn’t care.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Ignoring the pain, he forced himself up and continued running.

  His eyes darted wildly across every corner of the house.

  Here.

  There.

  Behind the furniture.

  Every shadow looked suspicious.

  But no one appeared.

  Then Takiro noticed something that made his heart jump into his throat.

  The front door was open.

  His breathing became heavier.

  Was it open when we came in?

  He tried to remember, but his mind refused to cooperate.

  He was still staring at the doorway when suddenly—

  a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.

  Takiro reacted instantly.

  He spun around and seized the person by the throat, ready to crush the attacker’s windpipe.

  Then he saw her face.

  His wife.

  Takiro released her immediately.

  “I—I'm sorry… I’m sorry…”

  He stepped back, horrified at what he had almost done.

  His entire body was drenched in sweat. To his wife, he looked like someone who had just stepped out of the shower.

  She stared at him, confused and worried.

  “Takiro… what happened? Why are you so scared? Tell me. Is something wrong?”

  For a moment, Takiro didn’t know what to say.

  But he understood something clearly now.

  He could no longer hide the truth.

  He quietly closed the door behind them and led his wife back toward the baby’s room.

  Each step up the stairs filled his mind with terrifying thoughts.

  What if I had been a second late?

  Images of their child disappearing flashed through his mind, sending chills through his entire body.

  Inside the room, he gently sat his wife down.

  But when he tried to speak, his breathing was still ragged.

  His wife could hear every breath scraping through his lungs.

  Takiro realized something.

  Before he could explain anything, he needed to calm himself.

  “Can you bring me some water?” he asked softly.

  She nodded and went downstairs.

  When she returned, Takiro slowly drank the water, forcing his breathing to steady itself.

  Finally, he began to speak.

  “I think… I’ve made an enemy,” he said quietly.

  “A dangerous one.”

  His wife’s eyes widened.

  “I believe someone is trying to find me. When I heard the baby cry… I thought something had happened to him. That’s why I ran upstairs without thinking.”

  He paused.

  “When I got there, no one was inside. But I heard someone running down the stairs.”

  He looked down at his hands.

  “When you touched me from behind… I thought it was him.”

  Pain flashed across his face.

  “I didn’t even realize it was you.”

  His wife gently shook her head.

  “It’s alright,” she said softly. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

  Then she looked at him carefully.

  “I’ve never seen you this scared before.”

  Takiro stayed silent.

  Finally he spoke again.

  “I received information two days ago. Someone is trying to breach a database containing records of nearly two hundred low-rank heroes.”

  He clenched his fists.

  “If someone is collecting that information… it means they’re hunting us.”

  Silence filled the room.

  Heavy.

  Oppressive.

  Neither of them spoke for a long time.

  Finally, his wife broke the silence.

  “Then let’s think about what to do next,” she said. “There’s no point thinking about what already happened.”

  Takiro nodded slowly.

  But she continued.

  “Why are you so determined to stay in this hero job?” she asked.

  “Let’s leave it. We can go somewhere no one knows us. We have enough savings to survive for a month. You can find another job later.”

  Takiro listened quietly.

  But his mind drifted elsewhere.

  He remembered the cries of people he had failed to save before. The sound of grieving parents echoed in his memory.

  If his own child was threatened, he had almost lost his mind.

  What about all the other children?

  Who would protect them?

  Takiro finally spoke.

  “Don’t worry,” he said firmly.

  “I will protect you. And I will protect our child.”

  His voice hardened.

  “If anything ever happens to her… it will only happen after I’m dead.”

  His wife looked at him in silence.

  Takiro took a breath.

  “I have an idea. we can move to the Hero Headquarters.”

  He explained that a Rank-2 hero he worked with held an important position there.

  After hearing everything, his wife tried one last time to convince him to stay with them at the headquarters permanently.

  But Takiro had already made his decision.

  He called the Rank-2 hero.

  After hearing the situation, the hero immediately responded.

  “I’ll arrange everything,” he said. “Bring your family to headquarters right now. Staying there even one more minute could be dangerous.”

  Takiro declined the offer of an escort squad and ended the call.

  Within minutes, they packed the essentials—clothes, medicines for the baby, and a few necessities.

  Takiro locked every door carefully before leaving.

  But one thought continued to bother him.

  What about my grandfather’s hidden room?

  He pushed the thought aside for now.

  First, he had to make sure his family was safe.

  At the Hero Headquarters, they were greeted by an unexpected sight.

  Many families were already there.

  Low-rank heroes and their loved ones had gathered in large numbers.

  The Rank-2 hero explained that rumors of spies targeting hero records had spread. Many heroes had brought their families to headquarters for safety.

  Temporary rooms had been arranged for everyone.

  After Takiro’s family was escorted to their assigned room, he spoke quietly to his wife.

  “This is only temporary. I’ll go home and bring a few more things.”

  She nodded reluctantly.

  Takiro returned to the house alone.

  When he arrived, something immediately caught his eye.

  A knife was embedded in his front door.

  Pinned beneath it was a piece of paper.

  Takiro slowly stepped closer.

  Dark liquid trickled down the blade.

  Blood.