Knowing fully well that my life—and the lives of the people close to me—were dangerously close to being destroyed, I knew I had to do something. At least, I needed to summon my power, even if I hadn't fully awakened it yet. Even if it was just for a few seconds.
I thought about this as I sat on my bed after Jan left my room and went back to hers.
locked my door and decided not to attend classes this day.
First of all, needed to remember how the powers were summoned the last time—when I tried to save my mother.
At least, the power to invoke fire was inside me. I had seen it myself. But the power to see those hopping corpses—that terrifying sight—was still dead. Completely dead.
Both powers felt dormant.
But before I could even think about training these powers, I needed something to sustain myself. What if the masked man hadn't appeared at that moment? What if no one came next time?
I thought aloud, pacing around the room, trying desperately to remember what triggered the power back then.
Was it fear disappearing?
Or was it seeing someone I loved in danger?
Or was it summoned because of something else entirely?
"Oh," I muttered, knocking my knuckles lightly against my forehead in frustration.
I kept pacing.
Just then, a knock came on the door.
"Jina, it's Yoon."
Yoon again.
I sighed inwardly as the door opened.
"Jina," Yoon said urgently, "Eunwoo has been kidnapped. I just heard about it."
I turned slowly and looked at her serious face. Did she really think I was a fool? I thought bitterly as I stared at her.
"Who are you?" I asked coldly. "And why do you want to destroy me so badly? Okay, you've won. You have me. Do whatever you want—but please, stop playing with my mind."
Yoon stepped closer, holding my arms gently.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked. "Eunwoo has been kidnapped, and all you can say is that someone is playing with your mind? When will you ever trust me? When will you understand that I truly want you safe?"
"Because you have been lying, Yoon," I said firmly. "You said the woman who was killed was Eunwoo's mother. But I met Eunwoo's mother days ago. I saw her clearly. I even saw pictures she took with Eunwoo."
Yoon stared at my face for a moment, her expression darkening.
"Jina," she said slowly, "you are exhausting me. Sometimes I feel like giving up. Why would someone with such enormous power still act like a weakling?"
She stepped closer, her eyes burning into mine.
"If not for those innocent children who will be slaughtered in a few months, do you think I would be here? Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I enjoy being bound to you as your guide? Or training you? How can my master be this weak?"
"What are you even saying?" I asked, completely confused.
"Yoon, have you lost your mind?" I snapped. "Which master? Hello?" I waved my fingers in front of her face.
She took a deep breath.
"Jina, those children need you. Stop acting like a weakling."
Then she said something that froze my blood.
"Yen was slaughtered because she knew too much. She was killed simply because she tried to save Eunwoo."
"Wait," I whispered. "What did you just say? Yen is… what?"
"Dead," Yoon replied calmly. "Apart from Yen, many innocent people are dead. Those creatures love sucking the blood of young people."
I staggered back slightly.
"Hold on, Yoon," I said, still in shock. "If what you're saying is true… how did Yen die?"
Yoon went silent for a few seconds.
"Yen was kidnapped while trying to help Eunwoo. She had gathered information—about those people, about the students involved. She knew some of them personally."
She continued, her voice low.
"They forced her to write letters saying she went on sick leave. They didn't want her to die here. They wanted her gone quietly."
My heart tightened.
"They slaughtered her in a lonely place and buried her there. As for her relatives… I don't even know what to say."
I covered my mouth.
"The only family Yen had was her brother. He also had information about those people. Somehow, he was killed too. They said he committed suicide because of exams."
I felt sick.
"How long will you continue to be weak, Jina?" Yoon demanded. "How long will you watch people use you?"
She looked around the room.
"Half of the people you see in this school are not human. They are hopping corpses, waiting patiently for their day."
My eyes widened.
"So… Yen is really dead?" I whispered.
"They all know," Yoon said. "But no one wants to say it."
She paused, then continued more gently.
"Jina, I am not what you think. Eunwoo was kidnapped from the place his late mother hid him for recovery. No one knows how that place was revealed."
"My guardian?" I asked weakly.
"Yes," Yoon nodded. "They can't touch you easily. Your coming to this school wasn't just your father's decision."
She grabbed my hands.
"Please wake up. Police are involved. Going to them now would put your life in danger."
I clenched my fists.
"You think I'm not trying?" I cried. "I've been attacked so many times. I don't even know how to do this. If I start training, how long will it take?"
"I don't know," Yoon admitted. "But if we don't act now, Eunwoo will die. He has evidence. We need him alive."
"Where is he?" I asked urgently.
"We don't know yet," she replied. "But I can trace energy trails. We start from the last place he was seen."
"What if he's already dead?" I whispered.
Suddenly, I remembered something.
I pulled out my phone and showed her the picture I secretly took of the woman who claimed to be Eunwoo's mother.
"This woman said she was Eunwoo's mother. She said he went on vacation."
Yoon studied the image carefully.
"That boy is Eunwoo," she said. "But this woman—I don't know her."
She frowned.
"This picture is recent. Eunwoo looks unhappy."
My heart dropped.
"She said he went on vacation with his father," I said slowly.
Yoon's eyes widened.
"This woman knows where Eunwoo is. Who took you there?"
"Jan," I replied. "She said someone told her."
"Jina," Yoon said seriously, "Eunwoo's mother is dead. This woman is part of the kidnapping."
I took a deep breath.
"Yoon," I said, "I will trust you this time. Please don't betray me."
She nodded.
"We start by finding that woman."
I swallowed hard.
"Okay," I said. "So how do we start?"