The leaves screeched softly beneath their feet as they entered the forest.
The sound felt louder than it should have been, as if the forest itself was aware of their presence. Behind them, the cab that had dropped them off disappeared down the narrow road, its headlights fading into the distance until there was nothing left but darkness and silence.
Raven walked ahead without hesitation, his steps firm and deliberate, as though this path was already familiar to him. Yoon followed closely behind, gripping a small torchlight in her hand. The beam shook slightly, not because she was afraid, but because the air itself felt heavy—thick with ancient power.
The forest grew denser the deeper they went. Branches twisted unnaturally above them, their shadows stretching like long fingers across the ground. The smell of damp earth and old leaves filled the air.
They stopped when they reached the edge of the shadow barrier that bound the ancient home.
It wasn't something visible to the ordinary eye. No wall. No fence. Just a thick, unnatural darkness hanging in the air, like a wound in reality. The space beyond it felt colder, heavier, and alive.
Raven slowed his steps and raised his hand slightly, signaling Yoon to stop.
"We shouldn't enter now," he said quietly.
Yoon turned to him. "Why?"
"It's not safe," Raven replied, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "Not yet."
He exhaled slowly. "We wait for sunset."
Yoon nodded slowly, already understanding. "Because vampires don't like sunset."
"Yes," Raven said. "That moment between day and night weakens them. If we're going to capture her without killing her… that's our only chance."
Yoon swallowed hard and took a step closer to him.
"I hope we won't hurt her," she said softly.
Raven glanced at her, then looked away again.
"Don't worry about that," he said, though his voice carried a quiet weight that betrayed how much he cared.
They moved a little farther and stopped beside a cluster of thick, closed branches that formed a natural shelter. Raven lowered himself to the ground and sat down, his back resting against a tree trunk.
Yoon hesitated for a moment, then reached into her bag.
She brought out a mask.
Raven looked at it when she handed it to him.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"You know even if I hide my face," he said, "she'll still perceive me."
"I know," Yoon replied calmly. "But at least do this again."
Raven's gaze remained on the mask.
"Let her think—just for a few seconds—that you're Minho," Yoon continued. "Even if it's only for a moment, before her mind resets… those seconds might be all we need."
She looked at him earnestly. "We could do something within that time."
Raven studied her face, then slowly took the mask from her hand.
"And where did you find this?" he asked quietly. "I thought I threw it away."
"I saw it," Yoon said. "And I decided to keep it."
Raven didn't respond. He leaned back, lying fully on the grass now, the mask resting loosely in his hand. His eyes stayed fixed on the sky above them, where faint stars were beginning to appear through the branches.
The forest hummed softly around them—crickets, distant birds, the rustle of unseen creatures moving deeper within the trees.
Yoon sat down beside him, then slowly lay back as well, staring upward.
"I don't know our fate tomorrow," she said quietly.
Raven didn't answer.
His eyes remained on the sky, unreadable, as if he were already preparing himself for whatever awaited them beyond the shadows.
The forest grew quieter.
And somewhere beyond the darkness ahead, something ancient waited.