Location: Korea Hunter Academy – Medical Wing
Rina sat on the edge of a white bed, her uniform jacket draped over her shoulders. A shallow cut had already been healed by academy healers, but the scar in her pride remained.
She hated weakness.
She hated being saved.
Especially when she didn't know who did it.
---
Two Hours Earlier – After the Attack
She'd returned to her dorm silently, the only trace of the masked figure etched into her memory like wildfire.
> "His presence… wasn't normal. It was too precise. Too calm."
He'd moved with the kind of grace even most A-rank veterans didn't possess.
He wasn't just strong—he was experienced.
And Rina only knew one person who gave her that same feeling in recent memory.
> "No. It couldn't be… Jinhyuk."
---
Location: Classroom A-1 – Next Morning
The class buzzed with nervous energy about the upcoming midterm field exam. Whispers of "death rate," "rogue hunters," and "team formations" flooded the room.
Jinhyuk sat in the corner, slouched in his usual spot, hoodie up, chubby cheeks framed by thick glasses.
Unbothered.
Unnoticed.
Unlikely.
> "He doesn't even look like he can run ten steps without wheezing," Rina thought, watching him.
But something was off.
He wasn't fidgeting like usual. No sweat. No awkward shifting.
He was too… still.
Like a predator pretending to be prey.
---
Lunch Break – Rina's Investigation Begins
She skipped her meal and snuck into the academy's restricted spell archives—one of the few students who could breach it undetected thanks to her family name and access codes.
She searched for mana signatures tied to stealth and spectral interference. Cross-referenced those with movement techniques and A-rank combat records.
And she found nothing.
Except…
> [Unauthorized Activity Logged – Perimeter Zone – 23:41 PM]
[Clearance Level: Faculty Only]
[Footprint Analysis: Unregistered Combatant – Identified as "Shadow Node Alpha"]
That wasn't an official rank. It was a code name.
Someone had tagged the masked figure.
Someone was watching him too.
---
Afternoon: Unexpected Visitor
As she left the archives, someone stood waiting outside the door.
A girl in red-tinted tactical gear, long raven hair and crimson eyes narrowed with disinterest.
Nyx.
The newest rumored hunter. Mysterious. Cold. Powerful. And close to the shadows.
"Looking for ghosts?" Nyx asked, voice sharp.
Rina met her gaze. "Maybe. What's it to you?"
Nyx smirked faintly. "Careful. The ones who chase ghosts often become them."
---
Rina clenched her jaw as Nyx walked away.
She didn't know who that girl was—but her instincts screamed one thing:
She was close to whoever saved her.
Too close.
---