Standing alone on the street, I waved down a cab. The driver slowed, looked me over through the mirror, and nodded for me to get in. As soon as I settled into the back seat, my phone vibrated.
A message from Raven.
Raven: I'll be waiting. I just sent the location.
My heart tightened, but my fingers moved on their own as I typed a brief response. The car pulled into traffic, the city lights blurring past the window as my thoughts tangled themselves into knots. I didn't know why I was going. I only knew I couldn't stay still anymore.
When we arrived, I stepped out and looked up.
The building was tall—its glass surface reflecting the dull glow of the streetlights. Before I could hesitate, another message appeared on my screen.
Take the back staircase.
The front exit is locked.
I'll meet you on the rooftop.
I swallowed and lifted my eyes again, tracing the height of the building until my neck hurt. Strangely, fear didn't fully settle in my chest. Something else had replaced it—an uneasy calm, like my body had already made a decision before my mind could argue.
I entered the building and found the elevator. The doors slid shut with a hollow sound, and the ride up felt longer than it should have been. The numbers blinked past slowly until, finally, the elevator chimed and opened onto the rooftop level.
The moment I stepped out, my phone buzzed again.
A voice note.
I pressed play.
A voice filled my ears—calm, measured, familiar in a way that made my skin prickle, yet I couldn't place it.
"I studied you for months," the voice said softly. "Your fear. Your emotions. Your need to be needed."
Before I could process the words, the lights on the rooftop snapped on.
I flinched.
One floor below, separated by a thick glass barrier, Raven stood calmly behind it. He looked untouched, unbothered, his posture relaxed as though this were a casual meeting. But there was something different about his face. Something colder. Sharper.
I took a few hesitant steps forward, trying to see him more clearly.
Raven stepped back, just out of reach, and spoke through the intercom, his voice carrying effortlessly through the space.
"I didn't lie," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I just knew exactly which words would make you come."
The wind howled across the rooftop, rattling the metal railing. The concrete beneath my feet felt colder than before.
Then Raven pressed a button.
Without warning, the sprinklers activated. Water sprayed violently across the rooftop, soaking the ground in seconds. My shoes slipped slightly as the concrete turned slick beneath me.
"Don't worry," Raven added softly, almost kindly. "If you fall… everyone will believe it was an accident."
My breath caught. I stumbled back, heart slamming against my ribs.
And in that moment, it struck me.
This wasn't about betrayal.
This wasn't about anger or revenge.
This was about planning.
Perfect, calculated planning.
The realization burned through me—
And suddenly, I woke up.
I gasped, sitting bolt upright in bed, my skin burning as though I'd been dragged through fire. My chest rose and fell rapidly, breath coming too fast, too shallow.
A dream.
Another dream.
About Raven.
My room was dark, but the curtains fluttered violently. The window shook, as if something—or someone—had just left through it.
I forced myself to stand and moved toward the window, my legs trembling. As I reached out to close it, I froze.
There.
On the tree outside my window.
Raven.
His eyes were fixed on me. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I didn't need to. I knew it was him. Who else would be there?
And then I saw it.
His teeth.
They grew slowly, unnaturally, catching the faint light. He lifted a hand, and I watched in horror as his fingers lengthened, sharpening into something inhuman. He pulled a face cap lower, hiding most of his features.
Panic surged through me.
He jumped down from the tree.
I didn't wait to see more.
I ran.
I burst out of my room, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor as I raced down the hallway. My hands shook violently as I knocked—no, banged—on Jan's door.
"Jan! Jan!"
The door flew open, and she pulled me into her arms without a second thought.
"Jina," she said urgently, holding my shoulders. "Are you okay? Why are you sweating like this?"
I could barely breathe.
"Jan… Raven," I gasped. "Raven came to attack me."
Jan's eyes widened, and she quickly looked around, scanning my body.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice tight. "Did he touch you?"
I shook my head, trembling.
"No… no," I said, my voice breaking. "But I saw him. I know I did."
My knees felt weak, and Jan guided me inside, closing the door behind us. I sank onto her bed, my hands clutching the fabric of my clothes.
"Should I call Minho?" Jan asked carefully.
At the sound of his name, tears finally spilled over.
"Please don't," I whispered, shaking my head. "Not now."
Jan sat beside me, rubbing my back as I cried. The fear wasn't just fear anymore—it was confusion, exhaustion, and something dangerously close to despair.
After a long moment, I wiped my face and looked at her.
"Jan," I said softly, my voice steadier than I felt. "I think… I think I need to travel tomorrow. Early."
She stiffened slightly. "Travel?"
"Yes," I nodded. "I need to start my training. I can't stay like this anymore."
Jan stood up suddenly, as if remembering something important.
"Jina," she said slowly, "I forgot to tell you something."
I looked up at her, my heart pounding again.
"I know someone," she continued, "someone who can train you perfectly."
My breath caught.
"You do?" I asked.
She nodded firmly. "Yes. And trust me, Jina—the person is the best."
She paused, letting the words sink in.
"It will only take three weeks," Jan added. "Three weeks, and you'll be… perfect."
I stared at her, torn between fear and hope.
"Okay," I said quietly. "When would I meet this person?"
Jan looked at me then—really looked at me.
And she smiled.