The man trembled violently, his shoulders shaking as though the weight of the forest itself rested upon them. His head remained bowed, eyes glued to the ground as if looking up would summon judgment he could not escape.
"You may stand," Raven said calmly.
His voice was firm, controlled, but there was something beneath it—authority that did not need to be raised to be feared.
Slowly, the man straightened, though his gaze never met Raven's. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides, fingers twitching.
"I am still waiting," Raven continued, his eyes fixed on him. "What is her name?"
The man swallowed hard. "I… I do not know her," he said shakily. "I swear it. I never saw her face. I never heard her real name. She contacted me through messages—threats. She kidnapped my son and told me exactly what to do."
Raven stepped closer.
"And because of that," Raven said quietly, "you chose to turn an innocent girl into a monster."
The words landed like a blade.
The man broke instantly. He dropped to his knees, joining his hands together, tears spilling freely as his voice cracked. "My son is all I have," he sobbed. "She said if I refused, she would devour him before my eyes.
Raven studied him in silence, his expression unreadable.
"How do you expect me to save your son," Raven finally asked, "if you cannot tell me who this woman is or where she can be found?"
The man hesitated, then lifted his head slightly, as though a realization had struck him.
"I know," he said slowly. "Your father possessed the power of traces. And I know… you inherited it."
He scrambled to his feet and rushed into the hut, returning moments later with a phone clutched in his shaking hands. He extended it toward Raven.
"This," he said, "may help you trace him. It is all I have."
Raven accepted the phone and closed his eyes.
The forest grew unnaturally quiet.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then Raven opened his eyes and handed the phone back.
"I know where your son is," Raven said.
Relief flooded the man's face—only to freeze as Raven continued.
"But first, whatever you did to her," Raven said coldly, "you will undo it. You will return her to what she was."
The man looked at Raven, fear and hope battling in his eyes.
Then, slowly, he nodded. "I will," he whispered. "I swear it, Master."
"Now," Raven said, his tone leaving no room for delay, "move."
The man hurried inside and returned with several bags filled with unfamiliar items. He nodded again, signaling his readiness.
Raven watched him for a moment longer, then spoke. "Close your eyes."
The man obeyed immediately.
Raven grasped his hand.
The world shifted.
Wind roared past as they moved—branches flashing by, roots cracking beneath unseen force. They leapt from tree to tree, the forest bending around them, until suddenly—
They landed.
In front of me.
I was still asleep when the sound reached me—a disturbance, something wrong. My body stirred before my mind caught up. Pain flared in my arms, a dull ache restrained by something tight.
My eyes snapped open.
The man stood before me.
I tried to speak, tried to move, but my body felt heavy, sluggish, as if my will was fighting something deeper.
"Give us some space," the man said quickly, turning to Raven and Yoon. "By midnight, you may return. By then… she will be fine."
Raven studied him carefully.
"We will give space," Raven replied. "But not distance."
The man bowed deeply. "By midnight."
Raven nodded once, then turned away with Yoon.
They stopped at a clearing not far off.
Raven sat down heavily, staring ahead. Yoon watched him closely.
"How did you bring him here so easily?" she asked.
Raven did not answer at first.
"He was afraid," Raven finally said. "And fear bends even the strongest."
Yoon narrowed her eyes. "You are hiding something."
Raven exhaled slowly. "Nothing that matters now. Our focus is healing her."
He lay back and closed his eyes.
Yoon continued to watch him, unease settling deep in her chest. Slowly, she sat as well, the moonlight filtering through the branches above them.
Time passed.
The forest hushed itself, as though waiting.
Then—
"Master."
Raven's eyes snapped open instantly.
The man stood before them again, bowing deeply.
"She is sleeping," the man said softly. "By the time she wakes, she will be herself again."
Raven rose. "I will find your son."
The man collapsed into tears once more.
"Tomorrow morning," Raven added, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Alive. Unharmed."
Raven turned to Yoon and touched her arm. She stirred awake.
"We need to go," he said.
Yoon nodded, still disoriented, and followed him.
Behind them, the man disappeared into the shadows.
The forest returned to silence—broken only by the soft crack of leaves beneath the moonlight.
And somewhere within that silence, I slept… unaware of how close I had come to losing myself forever.