Somewhere along a winding road cloaked in dusk, the Death Order advanced.
The air inside their black vehicle was thick with tension. The trees on either side of the road stood like silent sentinels, their leaves rustling in warning as the wind swept through the mountain pass.
Su Chueol sat stiffly in the back seat, his hands clenched. Across from him, Kaito leaned forward, the flickering dashboard lights casting sharp shadows across his face.
"Uncle," Kaito said, breaking the silence, "where exactly did you see that girl?"
Su Chueol paused, searching his memory. "It was… some random temple," he said slowly. "One of our old workers saw her. He described a girl who looked exactly like Tara."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Tara?"
"Yes," Su Chueol replied. "As if she were… Sara and Haneul's daughter. The resemblance was uncanny. It couldn't be a coincidence."
Kaito leaned back, folding his arms, a bitter smile creeping across his lips.
"So she's not just another orphan," he muttered. "She's the one. The girl we've been chasing through blood and shadows."
Outside, the mountains thickened, and the road ahead seemed to disappear into the dark. Somewhere at the end of it, a life was about to be shattered. And the world would feel the consequences.
---
"Let's head toward it—hurry!" Kaito barked, snapping the driver out of his trance.
"But sir… what will the others say if they find out you left the house not even an hour after the funeral?" the driver asked hesitantly.
Kaito's voice was steel. "I don't care what they say. I care about fulfilling my father's last wish."
From the back, Su Chueol leaned forward again. "What if the girl isn't there?"
Kaito's eyes burned with resolve. "Then I'll rip this world apart to find her."
The car flew down the twisting mountain road, headlights slicing through the night. Suddenly, there was a sharp thud. The car jolted violently as they hit something—or someone.
"Watch out!" Kaito snapped. "Do you want to send us all to hell?!"
The driver stopped, stunned. "I-I'm sorry, young master. Let me check—"
"No," Kaito cut him off. "Just keep driving. We're almost there."
But a shrill voice rang out from behind them.
"Hey, are you blind?! You hit a human, you idiot!" a woman in black glasses shouted, storming toward the car. She couldn't see clearly through the broken frames, but her fury was sharp.
Before she could reach them, the car sped off, kicking up dust in its wake.
---
The monastery gleamed ahead, its golden rooftops bathed in lantern light. It was the night of the Grand Festival—drums echoing through the valley, chants rising in reverence, and pilgrims moving like flowing water across the temple grounds.
But the serenity was short-lived.
Kaito stormed through the temple gates, pushing aside stunned monks. His boots echoed against the stone floor as he approached the Grand Monk seated in the inner sanctum.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
The Grand Monk's eyes flickered with confusion. "Who?"
"Haneul's daughter," Kaito growled.
"I'm sorry," the monk replied calmly. "I don't know any Haneul."
Kaito stepped forward, his face darkening. "Don't play games with me, monk. If you won't tell me where she is… your disciples will pay the price."
Without warning, Kaito drew his gun and fired. A monk collapsed, blood staining the sacred floor. Panic spread like wildfire.
"You stubborn old fool!" Kaito shouted. "Is your loyalty worth more than their lives?!"
The Grand Monk trembled but stood his ground. "If I tell you where she is, the lives of thousands will be lost. If I stay silent, maybe only a few die tonight. My choice is clear."
Kaito's eyes turned to fire. "You'll regret this."
He raised his arm. "Put them all on their knees. Burn it down."
Within moments, flames erupted through the temple halls. Sacred scrolls caught fire, their prayers turning to ash. Screams echoed through the mountain as fire devoured everything.
---
Far away, Sita galloped toward the temple, her heart thundering louder than the hooves beneath her. In the distance, she saw it—the monastery, swallowed by smoke.
"No…" she whispered.
As she reached the entrance, her horse collapsed, choking on the thick black air. "Hold on, girl," Sita said, eyes wide with panic. She ran inside on foot, coughing, eyes stinging.
What she saw froze her to the core.
Corpses lay sprawled across the festival grounds. Crimson smeared across white robes. Lanterns floated above a massacre.
The festival had become a funeral.
"Grandpa… Brother Wu…" she cried out, her voice cracking.
"Sita…" came a weak voice from behind her.
She spun around to see Brother Wu, blood trailing down his face.
"Brother!" she screamed, rushing to him. "What happened? Who did this?!"
He clutched her arm. "Come quickly… Grandpa…"
She followed him into the ruined inner chamber, where her grandfather—the Grand Monk—lay on a blood-soaked bed, his chest barely rising.
Sita fell to her knees beside him, her tears flowing freely. "Dadaji… no…"
"My child…" he whispered, lifting a shaking hand to her cheek. "They came for you. The Death Order… they've found you."
She shook her head, guilt crashing over her. "This is all my fault…"
"No," he said, his voice weakening. "We've always known this day would come. We tried to protect you. But now… you must run."
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" she cried. "You always said my father left me here. You never spoke of the Death Order."
"I wanted you to live a life free of fear. But you were never ordinary, Sita. You are not just a girl of this world. You are the last light of something far greater."
He coughed violently. Blood spilled from his lips. "They killed your parents because of what they feared you would become."
Sita gripped his hand tightly. "Please don't leave me."
"Promise me…" he gasped. "Live… awaken… protect the light within you…"
And with that, his hand fell still.
Sita cried out, cradling his body. Around her, the temple burned. Everything she knew, everything she loved, was turning to ash.
But deep inside her, something else began to burn—not sorrow, but fire. The first spark of who she truly was.
The girl they hunted was no longer hiding.
The girl they feared… was about to rise.
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TO BE CONTINUED.....