The masked girl stepped out of the bar.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Cold wind swept through the street.
Her cloak fluttered as she walked.
Anger burned beneath her calm expression.
That idiot...
Where could he have gone?
Thirty minutes passed.
She searched half the town.
No sign of him.
No clue.
Nothing.
Then—
Her eyes stopped.
Across the street stood a small food shop.
The glass walls reflected the busy road.
And there he was.
Standing casually in line.
Buying food.
As if nobody was looking for him.
Inside the reflection, the young man noticed her.
His eyes widened.
"Oh no."
He immediately lowered his head.
Trying to hide his face.
Trying to disappear.
Trying to pretend he wasn't there.
A terrible plan.
Because a second later—
A hand landed on his shoulder.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
He turned around.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
Standing behind him was the masked girl.
His face instantly turned pale.
Brown hair.
Brown eyes.
Tall.
Wearing cargo pants, ankle boots, and a simple white T-shirt.
A sword hung at his waist.
Before he could speak—
THUD!
A fist crashed directly into his face.
He stumbled backward.
Holding his nose.
"Sister!"
His voice echoed through the street.
People immediately looked away.
Nobody wanted to get involved.
The masked girl folded her arms.
"I told you to stay in the laboratory."
Her voice was cold.
Dangerously cold.
The young man rubbed his face.
"You say that every day."
Emily's eyes narrowed.
"And every day you ignore me."
The young man sighed.
Then lowered his voice.
"Why does her waking up have anything to do with me?"
Emily stepped closer.
"Because you're her mother's student."
He blinked.
"So?"
"Because her mother trusted you."
"So?"
"Because she awakened the same power."
The young man stared.
Still confused.
Emily felt a headache forming.
Then she grabbed his collar.
"Because you are the closest thing she has to a teacher."
The young man pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
He groaned dramatically.
"I've never taught anyone before."
"Then start."
"I don't know how."
"Learn."
"What if she doesn't listen?"
Emily smiled.
A terrifying smile.
"Then you'll know exactly how I feel."
The young man took a careful step backward.
Bad idea.
Emily immediately stepped forward.
He stopped.
She pointed toward the forest.
"Fifteen minutes."
"Huh?"
"You have fifteen minutes to reach the laboratory."
The young man looked at the sky.
Then at her.
Then at the forest.
Then back at her.
"I think you're being unreasonable."
Emily's eye twitched.
The ground beneath her feet cracked slightly.
The young man instantly straightened his posture.
"...Fifteen minutes sounds reasonable."
Emily leaned closer.
Her voice became almost a whisper.
"If I have to come back here and find you again..."
The air suddenly felt colder.
"...you won't like what happens next."
The young man's smile disappeared.
For the first time since she found him—
He looked serious.
"Okay."
Emily released his collar.
"Good."
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Her cloak disappeared into the crowd.
The young man stood there for several seconds.
Silent.
Thinking.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"Why am I always the one doing difficult jobs?"
He bought the food he came for.
Picked up the bag.
And started walking toward the forest.
Toward the hidden laboratory.
Toward the girl who had just awakened a power she couldn't control.
A girl whose arrival was already beginning to change the fate of the Kryzheon Clan.
Meanwhile, far away from the hidden laboratory, Hazel parked her car across the street from Darven's house.
Rainwater dripped from the trees.
She sat silently for a few seconds, staring at the large house through the windshield.
Then she stepped out.
The street was almost empty.
Only a gardener stood near the front yard, watering the plants.
Hazel didn't use the main entrance.
She walked around the property, climbed the back wall, and quietly landed inside.
The gardener suddenly turned the corner.
Their eyes met.
For a split second, both froze.
Then Hazel moved.
Her hand shot forward.
The gardener never had a chance to scream.
A dull thud echoed through the yard.
Moments later, his body lay motionless among the flowers.
Hazel wiped her hand and rushed toward the house.
Inside, several maids were cleaning.
None of them noticed her.
Darven had no family.
Only workers remained to maintain the empty mansion.
Hazel slipped upstairs and entered Darven's room.
Click.
The door closed behind her.
Immediately she began searching.
Drawers.
Cabinets.
Shelves.
Every corner.
Nothing.
Then she opened the wardrobe.
Her eyes narrowed.
Behind several coats was a hidden locker.
Finally.
She hurried over.
But her expression darkened.
Password protected.
"Tch..."
She didn't know the code.
Before she could try anything—
The door opened.
Hazel instantly hid behind the curtains.
Jack stepped inside.
The lawyer looked around.
The room was a complete mess.
"What happened here..."
He shook his head.
"Whatever."
His eyes landed on the wardrobe.
Without hesitation, he walked directly toward it.
Hazel watched silently.
Jack entered the password.
A mechanical voice echoed through the room.
"Password correct."
The locker clicked open.
Hazel's eyes widened.
So he knew.
Jack searched through the files.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then—
He found it.
The contract.
The agreement between Darven and Grace.
The evidence Hazel needed destroyed.
Jack smiled.
Finally.
He placed the remaining files back inside.
But before closing the locker, he quietly grabbed a stack of cash and slipped it into his bag.
Greed flashed across his face.
Then he turned toward the door.
And stopped.
The door was locked.
His smile vanished.
"What?"
He pulled the handle again.
Locked.
Suddenly—
A sharp pain exploded through his stomach.
Jack gasped.
His eyes slowly lowered.
A knife protruded from his abdomen.
Blood dripped onto the floor.
His body trembled.
Slowly he turned around.
Hazel stood behind him.
Calm.
Smiling.
As if this were nothing.
"Bye, Jack."
Her voice was almost cheerful.
"Have a peaceful life in hell."
Jack's eyes widened.
"Why..."
Blood escaped his lips.
"Why kill me...?"
Hazel stepped closer.
"Sorry."
Her smile never disappeared.
"But you walked into my plan."
She pulled the knife free.
Jack screamed.
Before he could fall—
The blade plunged into his chest.
Once.
Twice.
The room became silent.
Jack collapsed.
Dead.
Hazel stared at the body for a moment.
Then picked up the contract.
She took the knife.
No evidence.
No witnesses.
Nothing.
Minutes later she was gone.
Back at home.
Blood stained her clothes.
Before entering, Hazel carefully checked whether her grandmother was nearby.
The house seemed quiet.
Good.
She hurried upstairs.
Changed clothes.
Then locked herself inside her room.
The contract landed on the floor.
Beside it—
Grace's envelope.
The same envelope she had hidden earlier.
Hazel stared at both.
For a long time.
Then she grabbed a bottle of petrol.
Poured it over everything.
The papers.
The clothes.
The evidence.
The secrets.
The lies.
A lighter clicked.
Flames appeared.
Within seconds, fire consumed everything.
Orange light danced across Hazel's face.
Smoke filled the room.
Thick.
Dark.
Dangerous.
Hazel quickly opened the windows.
Then sat on the sofa.
Watching everything burn.
Smiling.
Outside.
A maid noticed smoke escaping from the room.
Her face turned pale.
She immediately ran downstairs.
"Grandma!"
The old woman looked up from her book.
"What happened?"
"Smoke!"
The maid pointed upward.
"Too much smoke is coming from Miss Hazel's room!"
The grandmother immediately stood up.
"Let's go."
The maid supported her as they hurried upstairs.
At the same moment, Eyrx stepped out of his room holding a coffee mug.
He noticed the smoke too.
His heart skipped.
"Hazel?"
He rushed toward her room.
Knock!
Knock!
"Hazel!"
No answer.
"Hazel, open the door!"
His grandmother arrived behind him.
"Eyrx!"
"I'm fine," he said quickly.
"But Hazel is inside."
The grandmother frowned.
"She left this morning."
Eyrx looked confused.
"What?"
Inside the room, Hazel heard every word.
Panic flashed across her face.
The fire had already turned everything into ash.
No evidence remained.
She took a deep breath.
Then opened the door.
The grandmother's eyes widened.
"Hazel?"
"Are you alright?"
Hazel immediately began coughing.
"I'm okay."
"The fire..."
She pointed toward the corner.
"A book fell. Then a candle tipped over."
"I was in the bathroom."
"When I came out, everything was already burning."
Eyrx didn't question it.
He rushed into the bathroom.
Filled a bucket with water.
And threw it over the remaining flames.
"Don't worry."
He looked around.
"It didn't spread too much."
Hazel nodded.
"Thankfully."
Then she turned toward the maid.
"Clean everything."
"Yes, ma'am."
The maid immediately got to work.
Hazel looked at Eyrx.
"How are you feeling now?"
"I'm fine."
"You should take care of yourself too."
Eyrx simply nodded.
"Hmm."
A few minutes later, he returned to his room.
The grandmother returned to hers.
The house slowly became quiet again.
Hazel remained standing in the center of the room.
Looking at the ashes.
The last remains of the contract.
The envelope.
The bloodstained clothes.
Gone.
Completely gone.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Now there was only one place left to go.
The courthouse.
And she would go alone.
Because the less Eyrx knew...
The safer he remained.