Shin-Joo's words echoed in Ji Ah's mind as she stepped out of the clinic.
"This isn't just a dream... it's a memory?"
A chill ran down her spine.
"But if it really is a memory from my life… then why can I only remember fragments? Why not the whole truth?"
Her phone buzzed — a message from a fellow hunter.
Someone who often worked alongside her.
[Text Message]:
Where are you, Ji Ah? Don't tell me you forgot about the meeting at headquarters. Hurry up!
She quickly replied:
[Reply]:
No, I didn't forget. I just stopped by Dr. Shin-Joo's. I'm on my way.
She put her phone away and took a deep breath.
"I need to focus on my mission. I became a hunter for a reason — to uncover the secrets buried in my past, to find out what happened to my parents… and to discover the truth about the man who haunts my dreams."
---
Later that day, Ji Ah arrived at headquarters.
The air in the meeting room was heavy with tension.
That's when the mission was revealed — one unlike any she'd ever taken.
She was to infiltrate a zone that, though technically part of their world, operated under completely foreign rules. A place ruled by a single, unknown figure. A realm wrapped in mystery and danger.
Ji Ah knew one thing:
If she entered that place… she might never come back.
---
That night.
Hidden in the back of a car, Ji Ah's heart pounded as it approached the N1N Zone's gate.
Suddenly, the driver's eyes narrowed. He sensed something.
Slamming the brakes, he got out to check.
But before Ji Ah could hide, the driver opened the back door — and found her.
He yanked her out, slamming her to the ground.
"Who are you?" he growled. "How long have you been hiding in my car?"
Before Ji Ah could respond, red and black smoke billowed across the area.
Two figures emerged — their presence dark and chilling.
With a wave of their hands, they bound Ji Ah in magical chains.
One struck the driver down.
"Found another intruder," one sneered.
Haa Rin said, "Boss will be pleased — another prey."
Haa Jin chuckled darkly, "Prey? This girl? She's just a little mouse. What can she possibly do?"
Their cruel laughter echoed around her.
---
Ji Ah's vision blurred. She was losing consciousness.
When she finally stirred, she found herself lying on the cold ground at dusk.
The sky above was an eerie crimson, and a massive clock wall towered before her.
Suddenly, a red-and-black flame shot across the sky and crashed into the clock wall.
Ji Ah gasped — her strength fading, her body trapped in some unseen force.
A voice echoed.
"Finally… you've come looking for me."
From within the clock wall, a man emerged.
He walked slowly toward her, dark and powerful.
Ji Ah's breath caught in her throat.
He knelt beside her, gently cupping her face.
"Welcome back, my little kitten."
Her fury rose. "Who are you?! Let me go! What have I done?!"
He didn't answer.
Turning to Haa Rin and Haa Jin, he ordered, "Not a scratch on her. Take her home."
The red and black flames surged around him. And just like tha
t — he vanished.
Leaving Ji Ah bound… and more confused than ever.
---
To be continued.