Es wandered through the streets, her steps slow and deliberate as her head spun slightly. It wasn’t dizziness from exhaustion, but rather the sharp contrast between darkness and light. She had spent too long in the shadows, her eyes shut away from the world. Now, the sun bore down on her, unforgiving and bright.
Still, her body was holding up well—better than expected. There was weakness, yes, but not the kind that would bring her to her knees. She had endured worse.
She lifted her gaze and took in the city around her.
Three years.
Three years was not enough for a city to transform beyond recognition, but small things had changed—new roads, fresh paint on old buildings, unfamiliar signboards. And then, sothing caught her eye.
A sign.
Not just any sign.
Valhale and Aron Group.
Her company.
Es’s lips curled into a fleeting smile as she took in the banners, the new stores, the thriving business. It was still standing. No—more than that, it was flourishing.
Ray and the others... they didn’t let it fall.
She had known they wouldn’t. Ray, her most trusted partner, would never allow the company to crumble. Seeing the proof of their success ward sothing in her chest—pride, maybe, or relief.
But her happiness was short-lived.
She had nothing. No money, no identification, no proof of who she was. In another ti, she could have walked into one of these stores, declared her identity, and they would have handed her anything she needed.
But now?
The world thought she was dead.
She couldn’t just march in and claim her place. No one would believe her. They might even think she was an imposter trying to stir up trouble.
Her fingers instinctively brushed against the ring on her hand.
Her beast ring.
Once silver, now golden.
She stared at it, mories flashing through her mind—the last struggle, the mont she fell from the cliff, the choice she had made.
She had split Beom in two, sending half of him away—to her child. A desperate act of protection.
And yet, even after all these years, the ring had not weakened. If anything, it had grown stronger.
Es closed her eyes, drawing in a slow breath as she reached out to feel the energy within it.
It was different now.
Not just intact—but thriving.
As though he had been growing all this ti, just as she had.
Es exhaled slowly, steadying herself as she took the first step toward her company’s towering building.
Her first instinct had been to go ho—to see the place she had left behind, to make sure her child was safe. But her house was farther away, and she was already weak from exhaustion. She had no money, no transportation, and no ti to waste. The company was closer, and it held the answers she needed.
The walk took her two grueling hours.
Two hours of her head spinning, nausea rolling through her stomach, and a deep, pulsing ache spreading through her trembling hands. Her body protested with every step, but she bit down her pain and pressed forward.
Yet, instead of entering the building directly, she changed her path.
She made her way to another rooftop nearby, her instincts prickling as she reached the top. And the mont she stood there, her gaze sweeping over the cityscape, she saw them.
Pests.
The very sa organization that had always been after her.
Now, they were inside her company’s building.
Es narrowed her eyes, her sharpened vision locking onto them like a predator watching its prey. As she focused, her sight extended beyond the walls, as though she were peering through a microscope.
At first glance, they blended in. Smiling, laughing, pretending to be employees, moving like regular workers.
But Es was no ordinary observer.
She was a beast owner.
And not just any beast owner—one who had unlocked most of her powers.
She could feel their presence, their distinct aura that set them apart from ordinary humans. It was like they had been soaked in dicinal herbs, their energy tainted with sothing unnatural.
Then there were the tattoos.
A small dragon.
So bore it on their neck, others on their wrists, their hands. So marks were visible, others hidden beneath fabric, but Es didn’t need to see them all.
She knew exactly what they were.
And she knew exactly how many had infiltrated her company.
Her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.
They think they own this place now?
Most people, upon escaping death, would hide in the shadows, desperate to keep themselves safe.
But Es?
She was no prey.
Before anything else, she needed the world to know she was alive.
Because once her enemies realized she had returned, they would co running for her.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
If they were chasing after a re ghost, they might uncover things she couldn’t afford to lose.
But if they were focused on her?
Her family, her people—they would be safe.
And besides...
Three years had been stolen from her.
Three years of her life, gone.
Soone had to pay.
Es closed her eyes, and her pupils shimred with an otherworldly golden glow. Slowly, she raised her hand towards the building, her movents deliberate, almost ritualistic. With a flick of her wrist, she turned her palm towards the air, towards the sky—an unspoken command in the stillness.
In an instant, Beom erged from the shadows, his growl a low, resonant sound that seed to vibrate the very air around them. It was a growl that no ordinary ear could hear, but those within the organization could feel it—a pulse of raw power that left their breath caught in their throats.
The pressure hit like a wave, so sudden and heavy that it stole the strength from their limbs. They gasped, coughing violently, so struggling to stay upright as their hands grasped the nearest surfaces for support. Their eyes flicked nervously, darting from one corner of the room to another, as if searching for answers.
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