Chapter 30: Bad Omen

  The streets of Seoul were a kaleidoscope of neon and normalcy. People walked by, ughing and glowing under the city lights, completely unaware of the rot beneath the surface.

  Ash, a man with long, flowing hair and a sharp business suit, cut through the crowd with the weariness of a man who had lived a thousand years in a single week.

  He stepped into a luxury hotel. The air smelled of expensive lilies and polished marble. The cashier behind the desk greeted him with a smile that was just a bit too perfect—a "familiar" look shared by those who serve the shadows.

  "6206036," Ash said, his voice a low drone.

  The cashier slid a gold-embossed card across the counter. "Just press the '6' three times in the elevator, sir."

  Ash took the card and let out a heavy sigh. "Alright."

  He stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut on the "happy" world outside. Alone in the mirrored box, he rubbed his eyes. "I am already so tired," he muttered before pressing the 6 button in a rhythmic triple-tap.

  The lift didn't go up. It dropped with a stomach-churning velocity, yet Ash remained unfazed, even letting out a long yawn. When the doors opened, they didn't lead to a hallway. The elevator opened directly into Suite 6206036.

  The room was a mastercss in suffocating luxury. Yellow damask covered the walls, and the furniture was heavy, dark wood inid with intricate gold and red filigree.

  A woman, stunning and radiating a dangerous, luscious energy, sat on the velvet couch. Ash didn't look impressed. He just sighed again. "Hey, Fei."

  "It’s been a while, Ash. How are you?" Fei asked, her smile teasing and sharp as a needle.

  "Tired." He slumped into the chair opposite her.

  "Hahahaha! You are always tired," she chirped. She reached out and pced a sleek tablet on the coffee table between them. "Let’s not waste time, then."

  "Really? No coffee or wine?" Ash gnced at the screen.

  "How’s that for wine?" Fei countered.

  On the tablet was a slideshow of gore. Businessmen in expensive suits, high-level demons, and guards—all cerated, charred, but not dead, their bodies twisted into gruesome, unrecognizable shapes. Something hit them and though, not in the heart, they did not regenerate.

  "So someone is hunting us. Big deal," Ash said, yawning again. "Xin is back. Nothing else matters."

  "Not just someone, look at these pictures." Fei said, her voice dropping an octave. "This is the Covenant. Jaejin."

  The boredom vanished instantly. Ash’s entire posture changed—he shriveled back into the chair, his face pale with genuine terror. "What? He’s back too? I swear to God—"

  "God?" Fei smirked.

  "Sorry, habit. I got used to the customs," Ash stammered. "I’m just saying... every time Xin comes back, the worst ones come along with him."

  Fei leaned forward, the pyfulness gone. "We have a mission. Have you heard of the relic called the Lotus Eye?"

  Ash’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What? That is a dangerous relic, Fei. Our souls would be burning in hell just by talking about it."

  "Our mission is to find it," Fei stated coldly. "And channel its core."

  "That’s not a very good idea. Why not just... have the Warlock do it?" Ash was visibly shaking now.

  "Listen, Ash. Do you want to be useful or not? Xin is busy healing himself and summoning Azazel, his pet. This is the least we can do while he does the heavy lifting."

  "He’s summoning Azazel?" Ash whispered. "Has the situation gone that bad?"

  Fei only smirked, her eyes locked on his. "Is that a yes or a no?"

  Ash stood up, adjusting his suit jacket with trembling hands. "Fine. But if things go sideways... I am ripping out my own heart before that thing touches me."

  ***

  The yard of the Resistance HQ felt like it had been plunged into a deep freeze the moment she stepped through the gate.

  Wonjung didn't arrive in her battle-worn red; instead, she wore bck cargo pants that made her long legs look like twin shadows, heavy grey boots, and a tight white shirt—a look that was eerily, painfully simir to Yaejin.

  She gripped her spear, stopped before the welcoming committee: Rin, Ren, and Leeseo.

  Wonjung shifted her gaze to the right, her eyes nding on a face she hadn't expected to see again. Across the room, Doyun froze. The tablet slipped from his numb fingers, cttering loudly against the floor as his face went pale.

  "Oh..." Wonjung let out a long, weary sigh, her voice dropping an octave. "You survived..."

  Doyun didn't answer; he couldn't. His breath came in shallow hitches as he looked from Wonjung to the others. "Why is she here?" he rasped, his frown trembling with suppressed terror.

  "Long story," Leeseo interjected, her tone suggesting she didn't want to recount the trauma just yet.

  Doyun’s gaze snapped to Leeseo, his voice rising in a mix of anger and disbelief. "She erased my powers! She nearly killed me!"

  "Get back to work, Doyun," Rin commanded. Her voice was ft and final, leaving no room for a breakdown.

  Doyun’s eyes welled with frustrated tears. He didn't say another word, turning sharply and disappearing into the hallway. Wonjung watched him go, a frown deepening on her face as the weight of her past sins flickered in her eyes.

  Wonjung did something none of them expected. She smiled—a soft, polite, terrifyingly normal smile. She bowed her head deeply and looked up. "Thank you for—"

  "Fuck you," Rin spat, the words cutting through the air like a bde.

  Leeseo nudged her sharply, her voice a desperate whisper. "Rin... please."

  "I can't do this. My eyes are literally burning just looking at her." Rin didn't wait for a response. She turned on her heel and stormed away, her one-armed silhouette trembling with pure, unadulterated rage.

  Wonjung watched her go, her expression remaining perfectly calm. She turned her gaze to the butler. "Ren... I am sorry for... attacking you that night."

  Ren met her eyes with a professional, hollow stare. "I was attacking you, too," he said ftly. "We have a common goal now. If this is what it takes, I will be on my best behavior."

  "Thank you," Wonjung whispered, letting out a small, tired sigh.

  "That’s it?" Leeseo’s voice was dangerously low. She tilted her head, "That’s all you’re sorry for? A skirmish with a butler?"

  "Leeseo..." Wonjung bit her lip, her voice softening. "I realize I’ve caused you so much pain—"

  Leeseo exploded forward, closing the gap until they were inches apart. "You tortured me. You messed with my brain. You forced powers into my veins I never even asked for!"

  Wonjung didn't flinch. "And yet, you won the war because of them."

  "So you’re not really going to say it. You’re not going to say sorry for the real things," Leeseo’s eyes began to swirl with a violent, unstable purple glow.

  "I saw a vision. I made a decision," Wonjung said, her voice turning as cold as the Outnds.

  "You killed good people!" Leeseo screamed.

  "The Council were not good people," Wonjung countered instantly.

  "You killed GAEUL!" Leeseo’s voice cracked, the name nding like a physical blow. "And now you’re standing here debating with me like you did nothing wrong?"

  Wonjung didn't look away, but her smile took on a tragic, jagged edge. "I didn’t say I wasn’t wrong, Leeseo... but I have nothing else to apologize for."

  The air around Leeseo shattered. "AAAAAAAA!!!!!"

  She didn't strike Wonjung. Instead, her grief and Chaos erupted outward. A nearby tree was instantly engulfed in a roar of purple-bck fmes, the wood hissing and disintegrating into nothingness.

  The silence that followed was deafening. Ren stepped in, his voice calm but urgent as he pointed toward the barracks. "Wonjung, I think it’s best we go to your room. Now."

  Wonjung nodded slowly, her eyes lingering on the smoldering tree. "I agree."

  Leeseo stomped back toward the compound, her boots crunching on the gravel. Jaejin was already there, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, looking as casual as if he were waiting for a bus.

  "Are you happy?" Leeseo snapped.

  "The machine chose her, Leeseo," Jaejin said, his voice unusually steady. "You have to get along."

  "How do you think I feel, huh?" Leeseo stepped into his space. "Having to look at the face of the woman who made my life hell?"

  Jaejin uncrossed his arms. His pyful smirk didn't reach his eyes this time. "Mansu was my friend. And I... I was in love with Gaeul."

  Leeseo froze. She stared at him, the anger momentarily repced by shock.

  "Correct me if I’m wrong," Jaejin continued, nodding slowly. "I believe she killed them both. Right?"

  Leeseo swallowed hard, her throat feeling tight. She gave a small, jerky nod.

  "You can hate each other all day. I would," Jaejin said, pushing off the tree. "I mean, I don’t even like any of you. Except Ren. But... nothing else matters if Xin gets your eyes and Hyeonseok’s. So before that happens, let’s get along."

  He started to walk away, but Sunbae let out a sharp, rhythmic bark at his heels. Jaejin groaned, "Oh, come on!"

  Leeseo watched him go, then turned to see Seonho in the distance. He looked like a ghost, his shoulders hunched in deep depression. The only man who could comfort her wouldn't even budge.

  The Inner Courtyard

  In total contrast to the chaos outside, Wonjung sat in her own small yard, sipping tea with a terrifyingly calm grace. She took a slow sip, then paused, her eyes shifting to a pilr nearby.

  "Yes?"

  Eunchae was standing there, watching her with wide, curious eyes. "I heard about you... and your stories," Eunchae said.

  "It’s okay, Eunchae," Wonjung said, not turning around. "You can talk to me. Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. You can actually come closer."

  As Wonjung spoke, the Eunchae by the pilr suddenly poofed into smoke. The real Eunchae stepped out from behind a different corner, looking impressed. She walked over and sat beside Wonjung.

  "You really founded ANTI?" Eunchae asked. "Because they tortured me, you know."

  Wonjung sighed, the steam from her tea curling around her face. "I... only used them to distract the Flux so I could get to the Council."

  "Why did you kill them? The Council?"

  "I saw a future where they sided with the demons," Wonjung said, her voice hollow. "Using us as an army against humans."

  Eunchae tilted her head. "You never thought about talking to anyone before actually acting on it?"

  "Everyone—" Wonjung stopped herself, a flicker of pain crossing her face. "Nevermind. You wouldn't get it."

  "Try me," Eunchae challenged. "Everyone has been treating me like a kid and everyone is treating you like a pest, so why don’t we just talk?"

  Wonjung went quiet for a long moment. "Have you ever been in love, Eunchae?"

  Eunchae shrugged, a small smirk pying on her lips. "Uhhh, yeah... to myself. Duh? What do you think? My powers are literally making copies of me."

  Wonjung actually ughed—a genuine, light sound. "I fell in love for the first time with a woman who would stand in front of me and take a bullet for me, even though we only met for a day."

  Eunchae nodded, picturing it. "She sounds like a rockstar."

  "Oh, she is," Wonjung smiled, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. "I couldn't let the demons impurify her. I had to save her from this world."

  "Sounds... hardcore," Eunchae ughed.

  Wonjung joined her. "Listen, I know you hate me. Everyone does. But that’s okay. Since we’re talking, I want to take this chance to tell you: I am here to help. And I would do anything necessary to make sure we win and Leeseo gets that Crest."

  Eunchae looked at her, searching Wonjung's face for a lie. She looked around the yard, then back at the Scarlet Knight. "Okay, Wonjung-unnie. I trust you."

  "Really?" Wonjung asked, surprised.

  "You are evil, but—" Eunchae shrugged. "You’re not fake."

  Wonjung smiled, and for the first time in a while, she looked human.

  ***

  San pushed open the door to his quarters, only to stop short. Rin was already inside, busying herself by straightening the books on his shelf and adjusting the small, dusty decorations.

  "I didn't ask you to do that," San said, his voice weary but not unkind.

  "Is it just me," Rin said, not looking up from a lopsided book, "or does the air feel ten times heavier today?"

  San let out a short, dry ugh. "Actually, did you notice the birds are gone? I haven't heard a single chirp since this morning."

  Rin’s jaw dropped in mock horror. "No, wait, really? And how about the fact that the sky is literally red right now?"

  "What?" San rushed to the window, peeking out at the horizon. "Oh no!"

  "Why is that?" Rin asked, her tone dripping with a dark, funny sarcasm.

  They both leaned toward each other, their foreheads almost touching as they shared a singur, telepathic realization.

  "Ahhh," they said in perfect unison. "Wonjung is here."

  The realization was followed by a sudden, booming burst of ughter. It was the kind of ughter that only comes from people who have seen too much tragedy to take it seriously anymore. In the doorway, Ren appeared, took one look at the two generals losing their minds over a red sky, shook his head, and walked away without a word.

  That only made them ugh harder.

  "I envy Haruka and Rahee," Rin said, finally catching her breath as she leaned against the bookshelf. "They’re with their kid, healing... Just living a normal, boring life."

  "Yeah," San said, the smile lingering on his face but losing its brightness. "I guess we never really had time to process our loss, huh?"

  Rin ughed, though there was a sharp edge to it. "You are just realizing that now, you cobblestone?"

  San chuckled, and for a moment, the room felt lighter. Rin reached out and punched his arm—hard. "I can’t believe I’m on the same team as you again."

  "I can’t believe we’re heading back to the Outnds," San admitted, his gaze drifting to his gear.

  Rin rolled her shoulder, her eyes fshing with a bit of her old fire. "I would have kicked some serious ass if I was in that tournament. I’d show those kids how it’s done."

  "Don’t you feel lucky, though?" San asked, looking at her seriously. "If you were there, stuck in an arena with Wonjung... I don't think you could handle it."

  Rin smirked, her hand instinctively going to where her training stick usually sat. "I would have hit her with my stick and just said, 'Oh no, sorry! I missed. My bad.'"

  They both dissolved into ughter again, the sheer absurdity of their lives providing a brief shield against the reality outside.

  Knock. Knock.

  The door creaked open, and Leeseo stood there. Her face was drawn, her eyes shadowed, and the Silver Mask hung at her hip like a heavy weight.

  "Hey..." she said, her voice cutting through the remnants of their joy. "Meeting now."

  San and Rin looked at each other. The ughter didn't just stop; it faded away like a ghost. The red sky was still out there, and the "Pest" was waiting in the boardroom.

  Jaejin stood at the head of the room, his yellow eyes scanning the fractured group.

  Seonho and Leeseo stood shoulder-to-shoulder, a united front of grief and duty, with Ren hovering like a silent guardian behind them. On the opposite side, Eunchae stood with Jiwon. When Wonjung entered, she didn't skulk; she walked with her head high and took her pce right next to Eunchae. They shared a small, secret smile—a sight that made the room’s temperature drop ten degrees.

  San walked in st. He tried to ignore Wonjung, but the sheer gravity of her presence forced his eyes toward her. "Hey... stand there," he commanded, pointing to the far wall. "Stay away from the kid."

  Wonjung gnced at Eunchae, then back at San. "You heard the man," she said simply, walking to the wall.

  Jiwon rubbed her temples. "This is... tough already."

  As Wonjung leaned against the stones, Rin walked past. "Hey, Rin," Wonjung said softly.

  Rin didn't even turn her head. Using her remaining hand, she simply hoisted her middle finger into the air and kept walking. Wonjung rolled her eyes, staring at the ceiling.

  "Okay! Now that we're all here," Jaejin chirped, cnking his hands together. "Let’s go over the pn." He looked at the first group. "Leeseo, Seonho, Eunchae, and Wonjung."

  "Traitor!" Rin yelled, causing San to let out a dark chuckle.

  "Quiet," Jiwon snapped.

  "You four will be Team A," Jaejin continued. "Representing the Mainnd in the Covenant Brawling Contest. No killing—Covenant rules. But don't get cocky. The grunts from the other regions will beat you into the dirt for that Crest. Be ready, Ptinum Mask."

  Eunchae beamed. "Ohhh, he knows my hero name!"

  Rin leaned toward Wonjung, her voice dripping with venom. "Hear that, Wonjung? No killing."

  Wonjung gave a curt nod. "I heard."

  "If any of the four of you wins, we secure the Crest for Leeseo," Jaejin said.

  "Wait—" Seonho interrupted. "What if Wonjung wins?"

  "I will give it to Leeseo," Wonjung said firmly.

  Leeseo turned, her eyes searching Wonjung’s. After a long, heavy silence, Leeseo gave a tiny, hesitant nod. It was the first bridge built over a canyon of blood. Wonjung felt a rare spark of genuine relief.

  "Team B," Jaejin turned to the veterans. "San, Rin, and Jiwon. You three head to the Outnds. There’s a massive dungeon, flooded with demons. Secure the second Crest and bring it back for Leeseo’s heart."

  San nodded. "Got it."

  "Or I can just put it in my heart and become a demigod—eyoo!" Rin joked, sticking her tongue out.

  Seonho actually chuckled.

  "Yeah, right," Leeseo joined in.

  Wonjung watched them, her heart aching at how they could still find humor in the dark.

  "Ren and I will take the third Crest from Kuelim," Jaejin concluded. "I’ll be teleporting between the groups to check in. Any questions?"

  Rin raised her one arm. "Yes? Can I feed San to the demons?"

  San ughed out loud.

  Jaejin joined him. "Good luck!"

  With a fsh of gold light, Jaejin vanished.

  The room fell into a heavy, awkward silence. The reality of their suicide mission began to sink in.

  Suddenly, a funky, high-energy beat started pumping through the room. Everyone turned to Eunchae, who was holding her device.

  "What?" Eunchae asked, looking around.

  "What are you doing?" Leeseo frowned.

  "Pying my favorite song," Eunchae chuckled, bouncing on her heels. "To pump myself up!"

  Rin shook her head, but the beat was infectious. Eunchae jumped into the center of the room just as the pre-chorus hit. She started dancing, pointing at the butler. "Come on, Ren! Dance with me! Woo!"

  Ren looked horrified, quickly stepping aside to hide behind Seonho. "Seonho, help me."

  "Nah, screw that," Seonho said. He suddenly Blinked into the center of the room and started dancing with surprising rhythm.

  Rin burst out ughing. "Woooo! To our deaths!" She joined in, waving her one arm. San followed, though he looked absolutely terrible—stiff and off-beat.

  "San, you suck!" Eunchae yelled over the music. Even Ren began headbanging in the corner.

  They all turned to Leeseo. "Leeseo! Leeseo! Leeseo!"

  "I’d rather not, guys," she ughed, but they wouldn't stop. "Silver Mask! Silver Mask!"

  Finally, Leeseo gave in. She moved to the center, and she was good. She and Seonho began dancing like partners, their movements synchronized for the first time in months.

  In the back, Wonjung stood against the wall, her feet tapping to the beat. Eunchae lunged out and grabbed her hand. "Come here!"

  "Kid, no!" Wonjung protested.

  "Dance! Now!"

  Wonjung chuckled, and for the first time in the history of the Resistance, the Scarlet Knight danced with the heroes. For one minute, they weren't survivors, or traitors, or killers. They were just people.

  ***

  Far Away,

  In a dark, silent chamber, Xin y in a bed of shadows. His lower body was still a mess of regenerating tissue, his skin pale and cold.

  But as the music pyed miles away, his eyes snapped open. The Ashen Ghost was awakened.

  Humanity.