For a few moments, such a heavy silence settled over the graveyard that Woo Bin could hear the sound of his own breathing—loud and labored in the still air. The cold wind had stilled, and everywhere lay a frozen calm that was not peace, but a suffocating weight.
"Seo Joon's vision blurred slightly as a gentle dizziness overtook him." The graveyard's negative energy pressed down on him, making the uneasiness and weakness inside him grow heavier with each breath. He tried to step back, but in the darkness his foot struck a stone on the ground. As he stumbled, the silence was broken by a faint, sharp sound.
Creeping thorny vines sprawled beneath him. By luck his body did not fall directly onto them, but his hand struck hard against the thorn-covered branches. The thick thorns pierced deep into his flesh. Pain surged through him, and blood trickled from his hand, dripping onto the soil of the grave. The earth seemed to drink his blood greedily, swallowing it as if it had never existed at all.
The moment Woo Bin saw Seo Joon fall, he rushed to him, dropping to his knees beside him in alarm.
"Sir… are you alright?" His voice was thick with worry.
Seo Joon's voice, usually soft and steady, now sounded weak and unsteady."I'm fine… it's just—my foot hit a stone in the dark… I couldn't see." His words carried a faint bitterness along with his fatigue.
Woo Bin's eyes immediately fell on Seo Joon's hand, still caught among the thorns. He carefully freed it, but the wounds were deep, blood flowing freely. Woo Bin's chest tightened with concern.
"Sir, these wounds… they're deep. I'll take the thorns out, but if it hurts too much, please tell me right away," he said gently.
Seo Joon stayed quiet, simply watching Woo Bin's face. Woo Bin held his hand with surprising tenderness, removing the thorns one by one with utmost care.
The moment Woo Bin's hand touched his wounded one, strange ripples surged through Seo Joon's body. Stronger and more intense than ever before. He felt something awaken inside him—a force that until now had only lingered like a faint shadow.
It was as if his soul was reaching toward Woo Bin's, both of them drawn together by a hidden power, an invisible thread binding them. This was no longer just a strange feeling—it was deeper, undeniable.
Woo Bin continued slowly, pulling out the last of the thorns. Then he took a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the blood.
And then something happened—something that left both of them stunned.Wherever the blood had been, the wounds began to close. Slowly, impossibly, the gashes sealed themselves, vanishing as if time itself had turned backward. In mere moments, Seo Joon's hand was perfectly healed, unscarred, as though nothing had ever happened.
Seo Joon blinked, pushing away the haze clouding his vision."What… what is this?" he whispered, disbelief in his voice. "There were deep cuts just a moment ago."
Lost in thought, he added quietly,"Maybe… this is because of my Alpha powers. I still don't know how many abilities I have or how they work… but this must be one of them."
Woo Bin listened silently, his gaze fixed on him.
When Seo Joon looked at Woo Bin, a memory struck him—the black shadows had gone toward Woo Bin too. His eyes narrowed with worry as he spoke softly,"Woo Bin… are you alright? Those dark shadows… they didn't hurt you, did they?"
Woo Bin gave a small, reassuring smile."Yes, sir. I'm perfectly fine. They didn't harm me at all. I just… don't understand how they vanished so suddenly."
Their eyes drifted across the graveyard again. All that remained now was the suffocating silence, the choking darkness, and the cold, damp smell of earth. Seo Joon drew in a long breath and pushed himself to his feet.
"It's good they disappeared… otherwise another disaster might have fallen upon us. We should leave this place."
He gripped Woo Bin's hand firmly."The darkness is too thick… and this place is full of stones and pits. Don't let go of my hand, otherwise you won't be able to see the path in this darkness. Okay?"
Woo Bin nodded, his hand steady in Seo Joon's."Okay."
The two of them gathered their belongings in haste. Picking up the fallen torch and their scattered things, they began moving quickly toward the edge of the graveyard. Dawn was only moments away—soon it would be five o'clock.
But as they reached the far side of the graveyard, they were met by thick bushes sprawling across their path. The way forward was blocked. On all sides stretched the suffocating darkness, the chill wind, and beyond those tangled shrubs—the village homes.