As Raven drew closer to the school, he stepped down from the car slowly, his chest tightening with a strange, restless rhythm. His heart was not racing because he had finally confirmed the truth about his sister—it was something else, something darker. In his hand was the DNA report, the paper slightly crumpled from how tightly he had been gripping it.
99.9 percent match.
Soah was truly his sister.
Yet instead of relief, unease crawled under his skin. Something felt wrong.
He walked toward the school gate, his steps measured, his thoughts tangled. That was when he saw me.
The moment my eyes met his, I ran toward him without thinking. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the gate, dragging him outside the school premises.
"Raven, come," I said urgently. "I have something important to tell you."
He didn't resist. He only looked at me with concern etched across his face, allowing me to lead him away. We stopped near a small roadside shop, far enough that no one could overhear us. Raven turned fully to face me, holding my hands gently, silently asking me to continue.
"Raven," I said, my voice shaking, "I saw something… when I entered Jan's room. And I also saw something today when I met Minho."
His grip tightened slightly. "What did you see?"
Instead of answering, I placed my hand on his wrist and closed my eyes. I focused, letting my power flow—no longer weak, no longer broken. The truth surged through me like a wave, clear and undeniable.
When I opened my eyes, tears were already falling.
I dropped to my knees and hugged him tightly.
"So it's been you all this while," I whispered. "Raven… it was you."
He froze.
"The masked boy," I continued, pulling back to look at his face. "It was you who saved me. Every time."
Raven didn't deny it. He only looked into my eyes, his silence louder than words.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly, my voice cracking. "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. I'm sorry for planning to kill you… with Minho and Soah."
That made him move.
He gently lifted me up and helped me sit down,
"How did you know?"
"My powers are fully back," I said quietly. "But I don't want anyone to know yet—not until the harvest season."
He stared at me for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
"You said you saw something," he reminded me.
I swallowed. "Jan… Jan is a Harvester."
His eyes darkened instantly.
"And Minho," I added, my hands trembling, "Minho is a Harvester too."
Raven didn't speak. He only pulled me into a tight embrace, as if shielding me from the truth itself.
"I knew," he said softly after a moment. "But if I told you before, you wouldn't have believed me."
He reached into his jacket and brought out the DNA report, holding it between us.
"Soah is my sister," he said. "Ninety-nine point nine percent."
My mouth fell open. "Then… what are you going to do?"
Raven stood and began pacing slowly, his hands running through his hair.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Sae-byeok is using her. She plans to use her during the harvest season."
My heart skipped. "Who is Sae-byeok?"
He stopped and turned to me, his expression hardening.
"She's the mistress of this school," he said. Then his voice dropped. "She's my mother."
I staggered back. "What?"
"She's the one behind all the creatures," Raven continued. "The one behind the harvest. Everything."
I stared at him in shock. "Then… what are you going to do?"
His voice broke for the first time. "Would it be wrong if a forgotten son killed his own mother? Would that memory haunt him forever?"
I stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"No," I said firmly. "It wouldn't be wrong. You're trying to save lives—souls. You're doing the right thing."
He wiped the tears from his eyes slowly.
"I don't understand why she chose to become a devil," he said. "And now… Soah—Siwoo—is another problem."
"Soah?" I asked softly.
"She's dangerous now," he said. "I don't know how to convince her."
"I'll try," I said.
"No," he said immediately, holding my hands. "She could hurt you."
I looked at him steadily. "I'll pretend I don't know anything. I'll play along with Jan and see what she's planning."
I hesitated, then added, "I saw Jan in her creature form this afternoon. She didn't notice me."
Raven inhaled sharply.
"The cup," he said suddenly. "Before the harvest begins. It's hidden in the field. A drop of your blood can end everything."
"I know," I replied. "Since my powers returned, I understand how to stop all of this."
He pulled me into another embrace, holding me like he was afraid to let go.
"I will always protect you," he said.
I smiled faintly. "Protect yourself too, Raven."
I turned and began walking back into the school. He stood there for a moment, watching me, then followed quietly behind.
The harvest season was approaching.
And the war had already begun.