"So… are you going to tell him?" Lornad asked, glancing over at Ming Soo's aunt.
"Do I have a choice?" she replied, folding her arms. "Better now than when things get worse."
"You're right," Lornad said as he moved to the window, gazing at the sprawling city skyline. "But do you really think he'll believe any of it?"
"He has to," she said, her voice firm. "And if he doesn't… then we'll make him."
"You need help?" he asked, brushing his fingers through his hair, eyes still fixed on her.
"No," she replied with a faint smile. "Just stick to your assignment for now."
"Alright." He looked back out the window. "You going to tell me what's really going on? Aside from what I already know?"
She sighed. "Crimson Veil is on the move… and worse, they know about him." Her tone turned sharp. "You can probably guess what that means."
Lornad's expression darkened. "So what's the plan?"
"I don't have one yet," she admitted, clenching her fists. "But we need to act fast. Our manpower has dropped significantly."
He nodded slowly. "Her death was no accident. It was calculated, and they know us better than we thought."
"That's why we can't afford any mistakes moving forward," she said.
"If I'm not wrong, the demon slayer is still in seclusion, recovering from his wounds," he said, turning his gaze. "And the Church can't intervene. The treaty still holds."
"True," she agreed, watching the city. "But they're not the only threat out there."
Suddenly, they both felt it, a sharp pressure in the air. A powerful presence had just arrived.
"Does he have to do that?" Lornad muttered, grimacing. "I really hate him."
"You'll warm up to him one day," she said, heading toward the elevator.
"I doubt it," he muttered, watching her walk away before glancing back out at the city. "Such a beautiful view. It'd be even better in flames… with the sound of screaming." A twisted smile crept onto his face. "One day… it will be."
Meanwhile – Ming Soo and Seo Yeon
"Do you feel that?" Ming Soo asked, his skin prickling as if danger lurked nearby.
"What do you mean?" Seo Yeon asked gently, misreading his discomfort. She reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'm here."
He nodded, grateful but still uneasy.
Outside the Hospital
"You could've just called," Ming Soo's aunt snapped, stepping in front of the man in a sleek black suit whose eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light. It was the same man who had visited Ming Soo's mother the night before her death.
"Good thing no exorcists were nearby," he said with a smirk.
"Tsk. Got anything new, Nightwalker?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't bother showing up," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've got info on Crimson Veil."
She narrowed her eyes, intrigued.
"They're in Korea. Actively searching for you," he continued, his grin widening. "It'll take time before they find you, but staying cautious would be wise."
Her eyes sharpened. "You're saying I need to disappear."
"That'd be smart," he said, tone playful but with a hint of warning. "Or stay and fight them. You're strong, no doubt. But I wonder… would the boy survive that?"
She gritted her teeth.
"They don't call you the Fox Queen for nothing," he stepped closer, whispering. "Or do you prefer… the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
"What I'm called doesn't matter," she said coldly. "No one truly knows what I'm capable of."
"Except maybe… your offspring," he added with a dark grin.
Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into a nearby car, triggering its alarm. Her eyes flared.
"The next time you say that, I'll make sure you really live up to your name. A true nightwalker, never seeing the light again."
He coughed, rubbing his neck with a nervous laugh. "Ay, my queen… let's move somewhere quieter, shall we? I've got more to say about her, and this noise is killing the vibe."
They vanished in a blink.
Hospital Parking Lot
Ming Soo and Seo Yeon stood beside the car she and Lornad had arrived in. Lornad approached, waving casually.
"Where's my aunt?" Ming Soo asked immediately.
"She's handling something," Lornad replied.
Ming Soo looked at him suspiciously.
"She's fine," Lornad assured him, then turned to Seo Yeon. "Hi, Miss Seo. Or should I say… Mrs. Sung?"
Seo Yeon's face flushed crimson. She quickly slipped into the car, hiding her embarrassment.
Ming Soo smirked and glanced at her, clearly amused.
"You look happy," Lornad whispered with a grin as he climbed into the driver's seat. "You coming?"
Ming Soo nodded, slid in beside Seo Yeon, and the car pulled away. The ride was quiet… but the tension beneath it all was impossible to ignore.