Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"She's really a human… look."
Dozens of eyes turned toward Yurim — wide, disbelieving.
The cat-like creature snarled and lunged, its sharp teeth flashing. Yurim panicked, trying to stand, but her legs gave out beneath her.
Before she could scream—
Thud!
A shoe slammed into the creature's head, sending it stumbling back with a sharp hiss.
Yurim turned, startled.
"Yunho…"
He was running toward her, panting, one shoe missing.
Before she could say anything, someone grabbed her wrist.
"Run — now!" Rian shouted.
He yanked her to her feet, and the three of them bolted down the narrow street.
"Look! They're taking her away!" "Get them! Catch the human!"
Human-looking creatures roared and gave chase, their footsteps pounding behind them.
"Running with one shoe is annoying," Yunho muttered under his breath — then ripped off the other and flung both at the nearest pursuers.
"Here — keep them!"
The streets twisted and split. They darted between stalls, slipped through narrow alleys, barely staying ahead of the mob.
"I can't… run anymore…" Yurim gasped, her voice breaking. Her legs trembled. "I can't—"
"Just a little more, Yurim!" Yunho shouted, breathless.
But her body was already giving up.
Rian caught her just in time, wrapping an arm around her before she collapsed. Her eyes fluttered weakly, her weight heavy against him.
Yunho glanced back. They were still coming — faster now.
"Damn it… they're not stopping!"
They burst into a crowded market. Stalls rattled, carts overturned, voices rose in panic.
Then Rian saw it — an open truck idling at the far end of the street, engine rumbling, about to move.
He met Yunho's eyes and tightened his grip on Yurim.
Yunho understood instantly.
"Go!"
He swung his bag at the crowd, forcing a break in their path and blocking them with his own body.
Rian ran.
He hauled Yurim onto the truck bed just as it began to roll forward. She passed out as soon as she was pushed onto the truck bed.
Rian turned back, his hand outstretched toward Yunho—
who was forcing the pursuing monsters back with his own body,
a fierce, challenging grin still on his face.
"Don't worry about me!" he shouted. "Just take her away!"
Rian nodded once, jaw clenched, as the distance between them grew. Yunho's voice and the chaos faded into the noise of the engine.
For a while, only the rattling of the truck filled the air.
Rian finally sat down opposite Yurim, breathing hard, coughing from exhaustion. Sweat clung to his skin as the city slowly disappeared behind them.
When he looked at her, she was already asleep.
Her legs were pulled close to her chest, her head resting against her knees. The truck jolted, making her small body sway gently with every bump.
She looked almost funny like that — her cheek pressed against her knees, head bobbing softly — yet peaceful.
Golden light washed over her, softer than anything he'd seen in days.
Rian watched quietly, a faint, tired smile forming on his lips.
He remembered the first time she had saved him — back when he'd thought she was just another lost girl.
Without thinking further, he looked ahead.
The road had turned to dirt. Long grass swayed on both sides, golden fields stretching endlessly beneath the open sky. The sun dipped low, painting everything in dusk.
For the first time in days, the world was silent.
Then—
The engine sputtered.
The truck jerked violently.
Both Yurim and Rian jolted awake.
They looked toward the front.
The truck door creaked open.
Someone was climbing out.