Waking Of A World Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Investigation Began.

Read chapter 3 of Waking Of A World by Victor_WIlliam on NovelPedia.

Marie and Seo Jun walked up the short stone path to the front door of the large house. Bringing her hand up, Marie pressed the doorbell. A soft chime echoed inside, and with that, the investigation began. After a few moments, from the inside, footsteps can be heard approaching the front door quickly and unevenly. The door soon opened to reveal a man in his mid-thirties. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his shirt was wrinkled, and his shoulders were hunched like someone carrying an invisible weight. He looked tense, tired, and deeply stressed. “You people are?” he asked immediately, voice clipped and impatient. But there was no real anger in it, instead it felt tired and heavy. Marie offered a calm, warm smile. “Good morning, sir. My name is Marie, and this is Seo Jun, my partner.” Seo Jun gave a respectful, shallow bow, hands neatly at his front. Marie continued smoothly, “We’re from the White Crane Office. We’ve accepted your request through the Nexus Association to help find your son.” The man’s shoulders sagged visibly. A long, shaky breath escaped him. “Oh, thank God… I’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in.” He stepped aside. Marie nodded in thanks and entered first, Seo Jun following close behind. The interior was immaculate, with high ceilings, wide hallways, and expensive furniture arranged with precision. Yet despite the obvious wealth and open space, the house felt strangely hollow as though it had lost its warmth. Marie’s gaze quickly settled on the living room ahead. A woman sat on the edge of a cream colored sofa, shoulders trembling. She clutched a crumpled napkin to her face, wiping at fresh tears even as more fell. Her hair was pulled back haphazardly, and her eyes were red and swollen. The man hurried over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Honey… They're here. Someone finally picked up our request.” The woman lifted her head slowly, blinking through tears. “W… what?” A tiny spark of hope flickered in her expression, fragile, almost afraid to believe it. Marie walked toward the couple, her voice soft but steady. “Good morning, ma’am. We’re from the White Crane Office. Please be assured, we will do everything in our power to bring your son back safely.” The woman’s gaze darted between Marie and Seo Jun. Then, suddenly, without warning, she surged to her feet and grabbed Marie’s shoulders with both hands. The sudden movement caught Marie off guard, her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Seo Jun tensed instantly, muscles coiling, one hand already shifting toward his side in reflex. But Marie lifted a subtle hand behind her back, signaling him to stand down. Seo Jun exhaled quietly and relaxed his stance, though his eyes never left the woman. The mother’s fingers dug into Marie’s shoulders, trembling. “Please… can you really bring him back?” Marie didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, she gently placed her own hands over the woman’s, enveloping them in a steady, reassuring grip. “Ma’am, please calm down,” she said softly, voice warm yet firm. “I understand your worry. This is an incredibly difficult situation for both you and your husband. But the investigation has already begun, and we need your help to find Riley.” Marie carefully guided the woman’s hands down from her shoulders, then turned her gently by the arm and placed a comforting palm on her back, rubbing slow, soothing circles. “Let’s take a seat first and discuss what happened to Riley, okay? With your help, we can do everything possible to guarantee his safety. So please work with us.” The woman’s sobs quieted to shaky breaths. She nodded weakly, the raw panic in her eyes dulling just enough to let a sliver of resolve through. “Y… yes, you’re right…” The husband guided his wife back to the sofa, sitting close beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders for support. Marie settled into the chair opposite them, crossing one leg over the other with quiet poise. Seo Jun took a position standing just behind her right shoulder. M