Soah forced herself free from Raven's grip, her eyes hard and cold as she stepped back from him. Without another word, she turned and walked away, her steps steady despite the pain she was hiding.
Raven stood still for a moment, then brushed the dust from his clothes. His chest rose and fell slowly as he tried to calm the storm inside him.
Minho's voice called softly as I opened the door.
"Are you okay?" Minho asked, studying my face closely.
"I've been down with a fever for a few days," I replied quietly, stepping aside to let him in.
He entered the room, his expression serious.
"Jina, I need to tell you something," Minho said. "It's about Raven."
I looked at him for a moment. "What about him?"
"Do you still want him gone?" Minho asked carefully. "After everything he's done… Jina, there are only four months left. Your powers aren't fully awakened yet.
I turned to face him fully. "I don't think Raven is the main issue," I said calmly. "Yes, he's dangerous, but there are many like him in this school—ones we don't even know about. And about my powers… I think they're awakening, little by little."
Minho's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I can hear things," I said slowly. "And sometimes… I can see things too. Not everything, but enough."
Minho shifted uneasily in his seat.
"And about the four months," I continued, "I'm already preparing for it. You don't need to worry."
"Jina," Minho said, lowering his voice, "Raven could stop your mission."
I frowned. "How?"
"Because I heard him," Minho replied. "Talking to someone. Planning what comes next."
My heart skipped. "And?"
"We need to remove Raven first before we can do anything else," Minho said firmly. "But I can see you won't be able to do it yourself. That's why I found someone who desperately wants him dead."
I stared at him, unsure whether what I felt was shock or fear.
"Who?" I asked quietly.
Minho studied my face for a long moment. "Do you want to meet her?"
"Yes," I said quickly. "Maybe we can plan together."
He nodded. "I told her to meet me at the back of the class. She should be there."
I stood up immediately. "Let's go."
"Are you sure, Jina?" Minho asked.
"Yes," I replied.
We left the room together.
At the back of the class, a girl was sitting with her back turned to us. For a moment, my mind went to Jan.
"Jan?" I called as I walked closer.
The girl turned slowly.
"Soah."
My breath caught in my throat.
"Soah?" I gasped.
Minho tightened his grip on my hand. "What's wrong, Jina?"
"I… I thought you were friends with him," I said, my voice shaking.
Soah smiled calmly and stood up. "He was never my friend," she said. "And I don't have friends. Don't misunderstand. Now, let's talk about why we're here."
Minho brought a chair for me, and I sat down, still staring at Soah in disbelief.
"So," Soah began, her eyes sharp, "I have very important things to say about Raven."
She crossed her arms lightly. "I tricked him into a fight. I pretended to be weak—not because I wanted to lose, but because I needed to see his strength."
She smiled faintly. "Now I know his power. And his limits."
I felt a chill run down my spine.
"In the weeks I've spent around Raven," Soah continued, "I've learned his weakness."
Minho nodded slightly, urging her to go on.
"Raven is strong," she said. "Very strong. But even the strongest fall when their emotions are touched."
She looked directly at me.
"He's afraid of his emotions. He guards them like fragile glass. But he's already trapped by them."
I swallowed.
"To bring Raven down," Soah went on, "I can do it slowly. But there's one way to make it easy."
She paused, letting the silence sink in.
"We trap his emotions."
"And how do we do that?" Minho asked.
Soah turned fully toward me. "Jina."
My heart dropped. "Me?"
"Yes," she said calmly. "You are the trap."
"How?" I asked, shaking my head.
"Raven only truly cares about two people," Soah said. "His sister… and you."
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"I read his mind during our fights," she added casually. "That's how I know."
I stared at her, unable to speak.
"So here's the plan," Soah said. "We stage a fake kidnapping."
Minho remained silent, listening closely.
"We take you deep into the forest," Soah continued. "Somewhere far. You'll have visible wounds—nothing fatal, but enough to break him."
My hands trembled.
"When Raven comes to save you," she said, "his mind will be on you. Your pain. Your fear. For three seconds, his powers will weaken."
She smiled coldly. "Three seconds is all I need."
Minho finally spoke. "And during those seconds…?"
"I kill him," Soah replied without hesitation.
The words echoed in my head.
I looked at Minho. "Is he really that much of a threat?"
Minho didn't answer. He only looked away and stood up.
"Let me take you back to your room," he said quietly.
As he walked me away, my thoughts spiraled.
Everything felt wrong.
And yet… I said nothing.
Inside my heart, fear and doubt tangled together.
The question followed me into the silence of my room, unanswered.