Selene Steelheart stood by the tall window of her office. The night sky stretched out like a dark canvas speckled with cold stars. The view was an illusion, but it was the only thing softening the weight pressing on her chest.
The parchment in her other hand was getting more wrinkled by the second. She'd been squeezing it without realizing.
"My lady," her butler's voice came from behind. "The heroes from another world have just left."
She didn't turn around to face him. If she looked at him right now, he'd see her face and know something was wrong.
"…Is that so?" Her voice was steady, but brittle.
"Did you find anything in this letter?" Selene's gaze dropped to the crumpled parchment in her hands.
"Not yet, Lady Selene," he replied carefully. "But..."
The butler hesitated, stayed a moment in silence, unsure if he should say more.
"…We discovered that the count has connections to the dark apostates."
Selene stiffened at what she heard, forcing her voice to remain steady, betraying no emotion.
'Father… what have you done?' Her fist tightened against her chest, closed her eyes.
For a moment, the butler looked at his lady. He knew her better than anyone, he had been the only one to care for her since the day her parents died.
Even now, he could see she was trying to bear the entire weight of her family's fall, a burden that sat in her gut like stone.
"You may go now, Albert," she said quietly, enough for her butler to hear.
He bowed slightly, then slowly walked to the door. As he reached for the handle, he glanced back at her. She was still staring aimlessly at the stars. With a soft sigh, he left her alone, with the fragile stars above and the storm raging beneath her calm.
"Heroes from another world," she said to herself. "What are you really here for?"
***
outside of the black market....
The faint clang of the elevator doors closing echoed in the alley as Ilwoo's group stepped out into the damp night. Rain dripped softly from the eaves above, mixing with the cold mist curling through the narrow streets.
"Finally," Hayeon muttered, rolling her stiff shoulders. "My ass was numb from that chair."
"At least you didn't have a sword at your throat the whole time," Jinhyuk said. He kept rubbing his neck, as if the blade was still there.
Minji pulled her hood tight, eyes flicking to the shadows that clung to the walls. "I don't like that woman."
"Thankfully, we're still breathing," Ilwoo said, scanning the distance for any potential dangers. He glanced up at the sky, heavy with darkened clouds, a clear sign that rain was coming soon.
"So, what's that letter anyway?" Jinhyuk asked Ilwoo, still gazing up at the sky.
Ilwoo met Jinhyuk's gaze, fully aware of what would happen if he revealed the secrets contained in the letter he had given to Selene. He also knew the consequences of handing over that information to her. Yet, he remained silent, choosing not to speak a word.
"You don't need to know," he finally said, voice low and edged with warning.
He pulled back his hood briefly, then covered his head again as the first drops of rain threatened.
"Fine," Jinhyuk said quietly. "If you don't want to talk, then I won't ask anymore."
He didn't answer anymore. Instead, he took the first step forward with the rest of his team silently. But before he could move any further, a movement in the distance caught his eye, and his steps abruptly stopped.
A figure emerged from the darkness, a silhouette cloaked in black. The moment Ilwoo saw the figure step out of the shadows, he knew it was the person who had been chasing them ever since they escaped the castle.
"Seriously?" Hayeon hissed, instantly recognizing the figure aiming a spear at the distant silhouettes. "Why is that bastard chasing us here ,too?"
"Don't get reckless," Ilwoo warned, his gaze flicking between them. His grip tightened on the hilt. "We don't know who they are."
The stranger stepped closer. Although Ilwoo couldn't see his full face, he could feel the cruelty burning in his eyes; it was enough for Ilwoo to understand the danger.
The man was waiting for the perfect opportunity to trap and kill them. Ilwoo's party had kept moving constantly, leaving no space for an ambush—but now they were trapped between three walls, and the only way out was blocked by this man.
The only option Ilwoo has is to fight them. But can they really do it?
"That's impressive, the leaders of the heroes," the man sneered while stepping into the weak lamplight.
"I never thought I'd have to go this far to catch you," he said, drawing his blade, which glinted wickedly in the dim light.
"We're not looking for trouble," Ilwoo said, though he already knew what the man would say next.
"Good," the man replied, raising his sword. "Because trouble has already found you."
As he raised his sword, more silhouettes emerged from the shadows, closing in to form a complete circle around them.
Ilwoo heard Hayeon curse under her breath, but he didn't want to hear any of it. Instead, he focused entirely on the man before him.
The fight erupted in bursts of motion, like lightning in a night storm. The black-clad attackers moved fast, two from the front, one dropping from a ledge above.
Minji's curved sword flashed as she intercepted a blade aimed for her ribs, the clang of steel ringing sharply in the narrow alley.
Hayeon ducked low, sweeping a leg under an attacker and sending him sprawling on the wet stones.
Jinhyuk stepped beside Ilwoo, blocking a slash aimed at his head. The blow jolted his arm, and he clenched his teeth against the sharp pain shooting through his left arm.
"Kugh! Damn it!"
Kim Donghyun's axe sliced through the air, knocking another blade aside before following with a quick thrust that sent the attacker stumbling back.
Ilwoo moved with precision, every step measured. He parried a strike, caught the attacker's wrist, and twisted until the man dropped his weapon. Before he could strike again, a sudden motion flashed before his eyes.
He raised his sword, forcing the enemy's blade away, but the impact made his shoulder tremble. The force hurled him across the ground, and he slammed hard onto the stones.
His vision blurred for a moment, making his head throb, but his eyes remained locked on the man who had attacked him. The leader smiled mockingly, standing before him with a cold, killer's gleam in his gaze.
"So, you blocked my sword…" the man steadied his blade for the next strike.
"But kid, you won't get another chance."
"You rotten old goat." Ilwoo grinned, tightening his grip on his sword. "Tell your pathetic sword skills to your dead mother."
"HOW DARE YOU!"
The leader's face twisted with rage from what he heard.
*'Ah, I think I've done it now,'* Ilwoo thought, realizing he might have just insulted the man. Before regret could hit, the attacker lunged like a feral beast, sword raised and slicing through the air.
Ilwoo sidestepped in a blur and countered with a swift slash mid-arc toward his opponent.
But the attacker evaded skillfully, his blade flashing as pain flared across his chest.
Gritting his teeth, Ilwoo twisted away from the next strike, sidestepped once more before driving his own slash in a tight mid-arc.
'Focus.'
Trying to ignore the wet sting spreading across his skin, he stole a brief glance at his friends, each locked in their own fight.
'I have to save myself before I end up in that bastard's hands.'
He drew a deep breath, steadying his posture, eyes locked on his opponent.
"Hey, your sword skills are sloppy! Were you trying to cut weeds with that thing?" he shouted at him.
"You piece of ..." The man's face twisted even further with fury.
"Shit?" Ilwoo grinned, cutting off the other's words as he dodged an incoming attack. "You're the shit, your whole family's a bunch of shit."
As they fought, Ilwoo's provocations pushed the man past his limit. Overwhelmed by anger, he lost all patience and began swinging his sword wildly.
He parried most of the fatal attacks, but he wasn't successful in avoiding them all until his vision began to blur, and he knew he had lost a massive amount of blood.
He heard Minji scream, her urgent cry cutting through the chaos, warning that dragging out this fight would only make things worse.
'If I keep dragging this out, I'll either bleed to death or be cut down by that man's sword.'
He took a deep breath, eyes locked on the man. This was his only chance. Without a second thought, he unleashed all his strength, lunging forward with his sword aimed straight at the man's chest.
Before the man could react, the blade pierced through him, blood spraying across his face.
The man collapsed silently, no scream escaping his lips.
When Ilwoo regained focus, he saw the leader fall to the ground, a gaping hole in his chest. In that instant, Ilwoo knew he had killed him.
The remaining attackers saw their leader fall and backed away. The black figure raised a hand, and the shadows slipped into side passages, their boots slapping wet stone.
"This isn't over," the figure warned, voice fading into darkness.
Ilwoo didn't move until the echoes faded. He collapsed beside the corpse, his heartbeat frantic from the sudden turn of events. He knew he was no match for that opponent, yet somehow, he had killed him. Whether a blessing or a curse, he couldn't say.
With what little strength remained, he pushed himself up, pain flaring sharply across his chest. Gritting his teeth, he turned to his friends.
"We're leaving." His eyes were clear now, steady and resolute.
"Now."