Chapter 5: Wind on the Fifth Note

Seoul, March 2nd, 2025, 04:15

Yun Ha-jin sat on the edge of the derelict cafe's roof, legs dangling over the side. He idly twirled the Shadow Key in his hands, the black crystal with crimson veins pulsing faintly in time with his breath. The night air was damp, the rain having subsided to a light drizzle, leaving behind the scent of wet asphalt and smoke. The Sinsa Station lay twenty meters below, its entrance still shrouded in the nest's shadows, but they seemed calmer now—after the Shadow Sovereign's demise, the storm had quieted.

His phone lay beside him, the screen glowing:

✦ Total Coins: 1170 ✦

✦ Level: 2 ✦

✦ Fear Energy: 0 units ✦

✦ Item: "Shadow Key" - Activates hidden properties of controlled objects. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame is disappointed by your inaction. ✦

✦ Dancing in the Shadows remains silent. ✦

Ha-jin snorted, leaning back on his hands. For the first time that night, he felt a semblance of peace. The Hounds were no longer howling, the Guardian lay crushed beneath the Sovereign's final blow, and the nest was quiet, almost subservient. He closed his eyes, breathing in the damp air. Let the world burn somewhere else—he didn't care.

But the peace was short-lived. The whistle of wind cut through the air, and Choi Yeon-a landed on the roof—light as a feather, her ridiculous staff in hand. Her cloak of black feathers was tattered, but she looked as if she'd just stepped out of a salon—not a trace of fatigue in those bright yellow eyes.

—"Well, psycho, feeling relaxed?" Her voice chimed like a bell, but with a distinct edge of mockery. She plopped down beside him, too close for comfort, and poked him in the side with her staff. —"I thought you'd be chasing me with a knife after I stole your victory."

Ha-jin opened one eye, glancing at her lazily. —"Go away. I'm resting."

—"Oh, aren't we delicate," Yeon-a giggled, stretching out her legs and swinging them idly. —"Resting, he says. And who woke up the nest? Who summoned the Sovereign? Wasn't me, by the way."

—"You killed it," Ha-jin shrugged, not moving. —"Congratulations. Now leave."

She leaned closer, her face inches from his. —"I enjoy annoying you. You're so…" she paused, searching for the right word, —"predictable."

Ha-jin turned sharply, their gazes locking. —"I'll slit your throat if you don't shut up."

—"Try it," Yeon-a leaned back, laughing. —"Just remember: I'm faster."

04:30

Despite the threat, Ha-jin didn't move. He had no energy—not for a fight, not for her games. He simply stared at her like an annoying mosquito he couldn't be bothered to swat. Yeon-a seemed to sense this and decided to entertain herself. She jumped up, twirled her staff, and conjured a small whirlwind that caught an empty coffee can lying on the roof. The can spun in the air, and Yeon-a began juggling it, humming a nonsensical tune.

—"Are you always this cheerful?" he asked, dripping with sarcasm.

—"Are you always this boring?" she retorted, tossing the can higher. The whirlwind caught another can, and now she was juggling two, dancing precariously on the edge of the roof.

Ha-jin rolled his eyes, but the corner of his lip twitched. This woman was insufferable, but there was something… mesmerizing about her idiocy. He leaned back on his elbows, watching her antics. Let her do what she wants—he didn't care, as long as she left him alone.

His phone buzzed again:

✦ Fear Energy: +10 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 10 units. ✦

Ha-jin frowned. Where from? He glanced around—below, near the subway, he saw movement. Kim Min-su and the woman were still there, huddled behind the rubble. Their fear seeped upwards, a thin stream feeding him.

—"Look, your fans are still alive," Yeon-a noticed them too, stopping her juggling act. The cans clattered to the roof. —"Maybe we should invite them to the party?"

—"No," Ha-jin said flatly. —"Let them stay there."

—"Spoilsport," she pouted, then brightened. —"Fine, then I'll invite them myself!"

Before he could protest, Yeon-a leaped from the roof, landing near the subway entrance with catlike grace. She waved her staff, and a gust of wind ripped towards the rubble where Min-su and the woman were hiding. A scream echoed, and Kim Min-su burst from cover, brandishing his sword.

—"What are you doing?!" he roared, but Yeon-a just laughed, dodging his clumsy swing.

—"Hello, hero!" she shouted. —"Come here, let's chat!"

Ha-jin watched from above, feeling a throbbing in his temples. This woman was worse than a natural disaster.

04:45

Min-su and the woman—Park So-yeon, he seemed to recall—stood before Yeon-a, both covered in blood and grime. Yeon-a twirled her staff, chattering incessantly:

—"My, you're slow. I thought they would have eaten you by now. And you, with the sword, you're like a drama hero! Just without the charisma."

—"Who are you?" Min-su gritted his teeth, his hand trembling on the hilt of his sword.

—"Choi Yeon-a, the best in this show," she bowed theatrically. —"And you are? The one who almost died to my Sovereign?"

—"That wasn't your Sovereign," Min-su glanced up at the roof where Ha-jin sat. —"It was his doing."

—"Oh, so you know each other?" Yeon-a turned to Ha-jin, grinning. —"Hey, psycho, come down! We have guests!"

Ha-jin didn't respond. He just stared at her, wishing she would disappear. But the fear energy continued to rise:

✦ Fear Energy: +20 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 30 units. ✦

He could rewrite reality, silence her—sew her mouth shut with shadows, perhaps. But instead, he remained seated, enjoying the relative quiet while she prattled on below.

Yeon-a, receiving no response, shrugged and turned back to Min-su. —"Okay, hero, let's play a game. If you beat me, I'll leave. If not, you become my minion."

—"I don't play games," Min-su raised his sword, but Yeon-a was already moving. A whirlwind spun around her, and she darted forward, striking his blade with her staff. The sword flew from Min-su's grasp, clattering to the asphalt a meter away.

—"Oops, clumsy, aren't we?" Yeon-a giggled, pressing her staff against his chest. —"So, minion, are you ready?"

Park So-yeon lunged forward, swinging her metal rod, but Yeon-a simply blew a gentle breath, and a gust of wind sent the woman sprawling.

—"Stay put, children," she said, glancing up at Ha-jin. —"Or your friend up there might get some more ideas."

05:00

Ha-jin watched Yeon-a torment Min-su and So-yeon, and for the first time that night, he felt almost amused. Not because he pitied them—no, he didn't care. It was simply that her chaotic energy was a welcome distraction from the madness of it all. He lay back, staring at the grey sky where the clouds were slowly parting, revealing the stars.

✦ Fear Energy: +15 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 45 units. ✦

Another yell echoed from below—Yeon-a seemed to be making Min-su chase his sword while she juggled it with a whirlwind. Ha-jin closed his eyes, letting the noise fade into the background. Let her do what she wants. He had already subdued the nest, collected his coins—the rest wasn't his concern.

But the quiet didn't last. His phone buzzed, and he reluctantly opened his eyes:

✦ Scenario #3: "Shadow of the Depths." ✦

✦ Objective: Explore the nest or destroy it. ✦

✦ Reward: 700 coins, rare item. ✦

✦ Penalty: Unknown. ✦

✦ Time: 18:00:00. ✦

✦ Whisper of Storms laughs at your repose. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame demands action. ✦

Ha-jin sat up, staring at the subway entrance. The nest stirred again, and a new sound emerged from its depths—not footsteps, but something soft, slithering, like the rustle of fabric against stone. Yeon-a froze below, her staff still.

—"Oh, looks like the party isn't over yet," she said, staring into the darkness of the subway.