So ti later, I left the Association building with the files in hand. Clutching them in a sealed folder, I brought them ho carefully and placed them on my desk.
For hours, I just sat there, tense and silent, lost in thought.
What if the files say nothing? What if I can’t find the answer I’ve been searching for?
Or worse—what if the truth shatters completely?
If I uncover the mystery, will I still want to protect humanity? All I’ve ever wanted was to find out what really happened to my father... and how my mother died.
I’ll kill whoever took her from . But after that... what will be left?
Or... is there soone?
Her image rose in my mind—poised, graceful, and fierce. A woman who had grown close to lately.
Hizumi. She saved from becoming a monster. If not for her, I’d be dead—executed by a single order.
Everything that happened... began because of her.
But why? Why did she lie and tell everyone I was human?
Hizumi’s not the kind of person to do that. Did she see sothing in ? Sothing worth protecting?
Special, chosen, miracle child... I’ve been called it all.
Thanks to her, I beca who I am now.
I wonder where she is now... I just want to hear her voice again.
I didn’t realize how deep in thought I’d fallen until I found myself dressed and outside. I walked through the heart of Seoul on a sumr night, surrounded by neon lights, holograms, and towering billboards.
The future the demons stole from us... we’re crawling our way back to it, step by step.
The night sky bathed everything in a silver glow. And above, countless stars shimred across the vast heavens.
I made up my mind.
Once I finish walking... I’ll read the file.
I took a sip of soda from a can, and just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
"Hello?" I answered. The number was unknown.
"Kihyun..." A familiar voice—soft, feminine. "I’m so glad... to hear your voice."
"H-Hizumi?!"
"Shh, don’t yell. Soone could be listening."
"But why did you call now?" I whispered. "Where are you?"
"I can’t be seen right now. It’s a pitiful way to live..."
"Hizumi... I want to see you."
" too. I miss the old days—sipping coffee, talking nonsense..."
"But now..."
"Now we can’t et. Not yet. As much as I hate to admit it."
In truth, Hizumi was hiding near one of the tall buildings, dressed in a way that concealed her identity.
"I’ve been tracking Osiris. He’s the escaped convict... and he’s a real threat. Once I find him, you’ll take him down. But you’ll need a team. Promise , Kihyun."
"...I promise. Tell sothing, Hizumi... Are you a demon?"
She fell silent for a mont. Unsure whether to lie or tell the truth.
"...Yes. Do you hate ?"
"Not at all. I’m glad I heard it from you."
"Kihyun, I never wanted to—"
I cut her off.
"Let’s et. I know you want to see too."
"B-but... alright. Walk forward."
"Ah, so you can see ."
"Yes. Walk to the traffic light, turn left. Enter the building, follow the wall, and take the stairs to the basent."
I did exactly as she said. The building was shut tight. I made my way down to the underground parking lot, past dim stairwells, and stood before a locked door.
Beside it, a shadow stepped out from the corner.
Hizumi Mikage.
Her gentle, slightly anxious gaze ward . She had such a unique, radiant aura...
Her sporty jacket made her look younger, not like the composed adult I rembered.
"Kihyun..."
Seeing the uncertainty in her warm brown eyes, I wanted to hug her.
"So here I am. A demon against the odds. Your view of demons has changed after seeing , hasn’t it?"
"Even now, you’re teasing , Hizumi."
"Want to know how I tricked everyone?" she said, tapping her nose with a playful smirk. "I’m sneaky! Who knows, maybe I’ll steal your wallet next. Hand it over, hehe."
She was as vibrant as ever, even in monts like this.
"In one week, you’ve turned into a mischievous girl? Should I start calling you troublemaker?"
"That’s not funny!"
She pouted. Then, just like that, we laughed.
"Finally, we et again," she said softly. "I had planned to kidnap you later. Guess that didn’t work out."
"I took my own path again, huh?"
"You promised that day you’d stay put. Now look what you’ve done."
There was no scolding in her voice—just playful affection, disguised as mild complaint.
And I loved that about her.
"Don’t pout," I said, scratching my head. "The root of this ss, Hizumi Mikage, I’m glad to see you."
I moved to hug her. She froze for a second, then slowly returned the embrace.
She blushed so hard she couldn’t lift her head.
"Don’t be so sudden..."
"Sorry. I just... wanted to."
I gently lifted her chin. Her face was flushed, eyes dreamy.
I kissed her.
In that mont, nothing else mattered. Not the city. Not my enemies. I just wanted that mont to last forever.
Overco with emotion, Hizumi wrapped her delicate arms around my shoulders.
"They’ve gotten broader," she whispered. "Day by day, you’re nothing like the old Kihyun. And each day... I fell for you a little more."
Strange words from her lips—but her shyness vanished with them.
I didn’t want to ruin the mont. I wanted to give her everything.
That mont—it ant more to than anything.
"Even your face..." she said, brushing her hand along my cheekbones. "You’ve changed. You look more like a man now. What happened to you?"
"A lot," I answered, letting go of her hand. "Too much to rember. Feels like I’ve been through hell. Maybe I always lived there—I’m just now realizing it."
My expression grew dark. She let go and lowered her hood.
"Then tell everything."
Ti passed, and we found ourselves pressed against a wall, deep in thought.
"So it’s clear," she said, hand on her chin. "They spared your life on the condition you provide them with everything you know about demon blood."
"It seems so. Tell , Hizumi—why does this blood respond to willpower?"
"I don’t know. Even high-ranking demons don’t understand how consciousness affects demon blood. But the fact that one of them could manifest his fantasies as cartoonish reality... that’s terrifying."
"I grew wings too."
"That’s not a good sign."
"Huh? Why not?"
"When soone relies too much on demon blood, it can eventually consu them. Demon nature is foul. Their evolution is built on the urge to kill and eat humans. That’s how they adapted. Even though you can live without eating humans. Unlike , but I managed to win the starve. The more demons killed, the more human they beca..."
"Until they were unrecognizable?"
"Exactly. We dominate the blood—but it dominates us too, little by little. That’s especially true for those born human. But you, Kihyun... you’re a half-demon. You need to be careful with your will."
"It’s strange... Is that why Minho lost his mind—strapping himself into the Kuroen armor? And what about that beast-demon... or whatever it was?"
"Whatever it was, it wasn’t born naturally. I’m sure of it. Demons haven’t evolved that far—not in just 40 years. That thing is a result of multiple gene chains."
"So demons can evolve into several forms at once... It’s terrifying how freely they manipulate their DNA."
"For now, do as the Association says. At least until I deal with Osiris."
"You’re going after him? He’s insanely strong!"
"Of course not, my dummy."
Her sweet taunt made my face flush.
She continued:
"Fighting Osiris? I wouldn’t even dream of it. He could squash in a second—he’s just that powerful."
Osiris—the renegade demon who’d lived in the Orange Zone among society’s outcasts. He made a na for himself through hundreds of underground fights, earning the title "Northern Tempest."
I’d heard of him before. It was said it took over a hundred soldiers to try and capture him. Back then, they couldn’t risk sending S-rank hunters—humanity needed them alive.
Instead, they deployed C-rank rookies and a handful of A- and B-ranks. Those were truly dark days.
"Only one man ever beat him," Hizumi said quietly. "Your father. The true King of Chaos. Reports say the fight lasted under two minutes."
"My father was that powerful...? It’s embarrassing—I never knew."
"He was the symbol of the nation. But now, that symbol... is you, Kihyun. The heir to his legacy."
"But I’m nowhere near his level. Osiris would crush —I know it."
"The past two nights, I’ve been watching him. And I saw sothing odd. Sotis... he vanishes into the ground. Like a mole. I think Umbra’s base is underground."
She pointed to the floor. Her confidence was enough to make believe it.
"Listen to , my honey... Right now, Osiris is our greatest threat. If he joins Umbra... we won’t stand a chance."
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