The tavern smelled of stale beer, aged wood, and a faint hint of smoke from a hearth barely keeping its fire alive. Lanternlight pooled on the center tables, while the far corners lay hidden in shadow.
Five hooded figures sat huddled in the darkest corner of the Tavern, their faces hidden beneath drawn hoods and the tavern's perpetual gloom. The flickering candlelight barely reached their table, casting long shadows that seemed to move independently of their bodies.
Steam rose from their untouched ale mugs, creating a barrier of mist that further obscured their features.
Ilwoo leaned back in his chair, hood shadowing his sharp eyes. His fingers drummed against the wooden table in a slow, steady rhythm, the only sign he was listening.
Across from him, Minji sipped at a half-empty tankard, the hood slipping just enough to catch a strand of blonde hair in the light.
"Three days in this city," Hayeon muttered, her voice low and quick, barely audible above the tavern's low buzz of clinking glasses and hushed voices.
"and we've had arrows shot at us, blades aimed for our ribs, and someone trying to drop a roof on our heads. If Valdris isn't desperate, I don't know what is."
"Two days," Kim Donghyun replied, correcting Hayeon from beside him, his voice grim and dark.
"That's all we have left to reach the demon realm before the moon gates close."
He clutched the handle of his cup, his gaze fixed on the thin steam rising.
"Two days to cross enemy territory while they plaster our faces on every wall."
"That's assuming we survive tonight," muttered Jinhyuk, slouched so far back his chair balanced on two legs and somehow managed to make his frame fold into the shadows like a stray cat avoiding notice.
Ilwoo finally spoke, his voice carrying a calm weight that made the others pause.
"Valdris doesn't just want us dead. They want us gone before we reach the demon realm. That's why the attacks have been sloppy."
Jinhyuk snorted. "Sloppy or not, the knife in my coat last night felt real enough." He pulled the garment slightly aside to reveal a neat tear across the leather.
Minji's eyes flicked to it, then to him. "You left your window open."
"It was hot," Jinhyuk shot back.
"Hot?" Minji's lips curved in something sharp. "We were in a rainstorm."
The tavern door creaked open, letting in a gust of cold evening air that made their candle flames dance.
Ilwoo's hand instinctively moved toward his concealed sword hilt, then relaxed as only a merchant and his bodyguard entered, shaking rain from their cloaks.
Hayeon's gaze drifted to the shuttered windows. "They'll have tightened the perimeter after the last attempt. If they've started putting up posters..."
"They have," Ilwoo cut in. "I saw one near the east market before coming here. Our names. Faces. And something else."
Minji tilted her head. "What?"
"They're calling us demon kin." He said it flatly, but the words seemed to press the air heavier between them.
Jinhyuk let out a long, slow whistle. "So they'll give us autographs when they catch us, nice."
"Flattering," Kim Donghyun muttered.
"Though I'm not sure about how they drew my jawline."
Minji's shoulders shook with silent laughter, the first sign of genuine amusement any of them had shown in days. "At least they got your nose right. Poor Jinhyuk looks like an angry goblin in his poster."
"Hey," Jinhyuk whined under his breath,
"I prefer 'diminutive mastermind of darkness,' thank you very much."
Ilwoo's lips curved faintly, though his eyes never stopped moving. The short moment of relief felt precious after the constant tension of the past week.
Ever since they'd been labeled as working with demons, every shadow could hide a killer, every friendly face could hide a bounty hunter.
"Which means fewer safe places," Hayeon added.
Ilwoo nodded once. "Which means we have to move faster."
The table went quiet except for the creak of wood and the distant clink of mugs from the bar. Outside, the sound of boots echoed again, closer this time.
Minji stiffened slightly, her hand curling under the table. Her eyes flicked to the door, and the rest followed her gaze.
Two Valdris guards stepped inside, helmets dripping rainwater, armor catching the lamplight. A third followed, the plume on his helm marking him as the leader. Their presence cut through the tavern's easy chatter like a blade.
Without a word, Minji shifted her chair just enough to hide the side of her face from view. Her knee bumped Ilwoo's under the table, a quiet signal.
He didn't look up. Didn't move. But Jinhyuk's hand slid toward the hilt at his belt, and Hayeon's shoulders tightened.
Kim Donghyun, ever still, tilted his hood forward until nothing of his face showed.
The guards moved toward the bar, heavy boots thudding against the floorboards. The leader pulled a rolled parchment from his belt, snapping it open.
Even from their corner, the inked faces were visible. Ilwoo's jawline, Minji's hair, Jinhyuk's grin caught mid-sneer. All rendered with enough detail to leave no doubt.
The parchment landed on the bar counter. The leader pointed to it, then to the room.
The tavern keeper, a stout man with arms like tree trunks, glanced once toward the corner. Ilwoo felt the man's eyes pass over them, linger for the briefest second. The keeper's head gave the smallest shake.
No words exchanged. Just the whisper of parchment rolling shut.
The guards lingered a moment longer, scanning the dim corners. Then the leader jerked his chin toward the door.
They left. Rain swallowed them again.
The silence that followed was sharp, brittle. Jinhyuk exhaled first, leaning back in his chair. "Well. That was cozy."
Ilwoo stood. "We're leaving."
"Now?" Kim Donghyun's voice was quiet, but he was already pushing his chair back.
"Now," Ilwoo repeated. "Before they double back."
Minji was on her feet before the words finished. She tightened her cloak around her shoulders, eyes flicking once more to the door. "Where?"
"I know a place." Ilwoo's tone left no room for questions.
They slipped out the back, past barrels stacked against the wall, through the narrow alley that stank of wet stone and old ale. The rain was colder here, sliding under collars, dripping into boots.
The street beyond was nearly empty save for a hunched old woman dragging a cart. Lanternlight painted the puddles gold as they crossed, hoods low, steps quick but not hurried.
Ilwoo led without looking back, his stride purposeful.
Hayeon fell in beside him. "You're sure about this place?"
"It's not on any map."
"That's either safe," Jinhyuk murmured from behind, "or another trap."
"We'll find out," Ilwoo said.
The city's noises grew distant as they moved deeper into the warren of side streets. The air thickened with damp.
Minji glanced back once, her gaze skimming the rooftops. "We're being followed."
Ilwoo didn't stop walking.
"I know."
The group tightened instinctively, the sound of their boots and the rain the only rhythm in the night. The alleys bent and narrowed, the stones slick underfoot.
Finally, Ilwoo turned sharply into a gap between two leaning buildings. The passage swallowed them whole, and the city vanished from sight.