The forest swallowed Suyeon like a lover's embrace, its shadows folding around her as she fled the clearing. Her heart thundered, not from the battle with the demon, but from Jinwoo's words—his reckless oath, his unflinching gaze. A mortal swearing to protect a Kumiho was absurd, a spark in a dry field that could ignite everything she'd fought to keep hidden. Her cloaking spell held firm now, her nine tails tucked away, but the strain of her foxfire lingered, a dull ache in her bones. She moved swiftly, her steps silent on the moss, the distant glow of Haeryong's flames fading behind her. The village's cries had softened to mournful wails, but she didn't dare look back. Jinwoo knew her name, her truth. That alone was a blade at her throat.
She reached a stream, its surface a mirror of moonlight, and knelt to splash water on her face. The cold stung, grounding her, but it couldn't wash away the memory of his amber-flecked eyes or the weight of his promise. "Fool," she muttered, her reflection rippling into a fox's face for a fleeting moment—golden eyes, sharp fangs, a single tail curling like smoke. She forced the image away, her human guise snapping back. She was Suyeon, not Yuna, not anymore. The healer's life was dead, burned in the same flames that consumed Haeryong. She'd have to move on, find another village, another lie. But the thought felt hollow, heavy with a fatigue she hadn't felt in centuries.
A twig snapped behind her. Suyeon froze, her senses flaring. The air carried a new scent—incense, sharp and sacred, mingled with iron and sweat. Not Jinwoo. Not a villager. Her claws extended, hidden beneath her sleeves, as she rose and turned. A figure stood at the forest's edge, cloaked in black, a talisman glinting at their waist. The moonlight caught their face—a woman, her eyes cold as winter, her hair bound in a tight knot. She held a staff carved with runes that pulsed faintly, their light a warning to creatures like Suyeon.
"Exorcist," Suyeon said, her voice low, a growl edging her words. She'd faced their kind before—zealots who saw only monsters, never the cursed souls beneath. This one was young, no older than thirty, but her stance spoke of experience, her grip on the staff steady.
"You're the one who killed the demon," the exorcist said, her voice sharp, cutting through the night. "I felt your magic from a mile away. Kumiho."
Suyeon's lips curled, a half-smile masking her tension. "And you're late to the fight. The beast's ash now. You're welcome." She took a step back, her eyes flicking to the stream, calculating an escape. Exorcists didn't talk—they struck, their talismans burning with divine fire that could bind a spirit's soul. She'd seen Kumihos reduced to cinders, their tails severed, their essence trapped in jade prisons.
The exorcist didn't move, but her staff tilted, its runes glowing brighter. "Don't run," she said. "I'm not here to kill you. Yet." Her eyes narrowed, scanning Suyeon's cloaked form. "You saved a mortal. Why?"
Suyeon's laugh was sharp, bitter. "You're mistaken. I don't save anyone." But her mind flashed to Jinwoo, his bloodied form, his stubborn refusal to flee. She pushed the image away. "If you're not here to fight, what do you want?"
"Answers," the exorcist said, stepping closer. The air grew heavy, the runes' light casting eerie patterns on the ground. "Demons don't attack villages like Haeryong without reason. And a Kumiho doesn't intervene unless it serves her. What's your game, fox?"
Suyeon's claws twitched, itching to strike. "No game," she said, her voice steady despite the curse pulsing in her chest. "I was passing through. The demon was a nuisance. That's all."
"Liar," the exorcist snapped, her staff slamming into the earth. The runes flared, and a wave of pressure hit Suyeon, forcing her to her knees. The spell was subtle but strong, a divine binding that pinned her like a butterfly to a board. "Your kind doesn't act on whim. You're bound by a curse, aren't you? A pact with a god."
Suyeon's breath hitched, her eyes narrowing. This exorcist knew too much. Most saw only the monster, not the chains that held it. She fought the binding, her foxfire flickering beneath her skin, but the runes held firm. "You're well-read for a mortal," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "But you're fishing in waters too deep for you."
The exorcist crouched, her face inches from Suyeon's. Her eyes were gray, like storm clouds, and carried a weight that belied her youth. "I'm Hana," she said. "And I've hunted your kind for years. I know a cursed spirit when I see one. Tell me why you're here, or I'll bind you to this stream for eternity."
Suyeon's lips parted, a retort ready, but a rustle in the trees stopped her. Both women turned, Hana's staff snapping up, its runes blazing. Jinwoo stumbled into the clearing, his sword dragging, his shoulder still leaking blood despite Suyeon's healing. His eyes widened at the scene—Suyeon on her knees, Hana looming over her.
"Let her go," Jinwoo said, his voice hoarse but firm. He raised his sword, though his arm shook with the effort. "She's not your enemy."
Hana's gaze flicked to him, her expression unreadable. "You're the warrior from the village. You saw her power. She's a Kumiho. A deceiver. Why defend her?"
"Because she saved me," Jinwoo said, stepping closer, his boots crunching on leaves. "She fought the demon when no one else could. If she's a monster, she's one who chose to help."
Suyeon's chest tightened, his words a blade she didn't expect. She met his gaze, those amber-flecked eyes burning with a loyalty she didn't deserve. "Don't," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You don't know what you're doing."
Hana's staff wavered, the runes dimming slightly. "You trust her?" she asked Jinwoo, her tone skeptical but curious. "She could've let you die. Or worse, used you."
Jinwoo's jaw tightened. "She didn't. That's enough for me." He stepped between them, his sword still raised, though Suyeon could see the strain in his stance. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me."
Hana's eyes narrowed, assessing him, then Suyeon. The binding spell eased, and Suyeon rose, her legs unsteady but her gaze sharp. She could've run now, vanished into the forest, but Jinwoo's presence anchored her. She hated it—hated him for it—but she stayed.
"You're both fools," Hana said, lowering her staff but not her guard. "But the demon's dead, and the village is safe for now. That buys you a conversation, Kumiho. Not trust." She pulled a talisman from her belt, a slip of paper inscribed with red ink, and tossed it to the ground. It burned without flame, leaving a charred mark—a warning. "I'll be watching you. Step out of line, and I'll bind you myself."
Suyeon's lips curled, a challenge in her eyes. "Try it, exorcist. You'll need more than paper to hold me."
Hana didn't flinch. "We'll see." She turned to Jinwoo. "You've made a dangerous choice, warrior. Pray it doesn't cost you your soul." With that, she vanished into the trees, her footsteps silent, her presence lingering like a storm's aftermath.
Suyeon exhaled, her foxfire dimming, her body heavy with exhaustion. She turned to Jinwoo, who was still standing, though his face was pale, his sword trembling. "You should've stayed in the village," she said, her voice sharp. "You're going to get yourself killed."
"Maybe," he said, meeting her gaze. "But I meant what I said. I owe you, Suyeon. And I keep my oaths."
She laughed, a hollow sound. "Oaths to monsters end in blood, Jinwoo. Walk away while you still can."
He stepped closer, his eyes unwavering. "I don't believe you're a monster. Not after tonight."
Suyeon's breath caught, her curse pulsing like a second heartbeat. She wanted to scream at him, to run, to burn away the warmth his words ignited. Instead, she turned, her cloak swirling. "Stay out of my way," she said, her voice cold. "Or you'll learn how wrong you are."
She slipped into the forest, her form blending with the shadows, but Jinwoo's gaze followed her, a promise and a threat. The exorcist's mark smoldered on the ground, a reminder of the eyes now on her. Haeryong's flames still burned in the distance, and with them, the life she'd known. Suyeon was a Kumiho, cursed and hunted, but for the first time in centuries, she felt the pull of something new—a mortal's trust, an exorcist's scrutiny, and a path that could either free her or destroy her.