EP 02 : MARKED FOR THE HUNT

The alley reeked of blood and burning flesh.

Ji-Hyun stood amid the carnage, her breath steady but her body thrumming with an unnatural energy. Around her, the corpses of two parasites lay disfigured, their twisted forms barely recognizable as once-human.

Red's voice echoed in her mind.

> "More will come."

Ji-Hyun knew that already.

She stared down at her right arm, where the blackened, gleaming blade had begun to shrink, retracting into smooth skin as if it had never been there. She clenched her fingers, flexing them experimentally.

It felt... too natural.

This new power.

This new self.

A shadow moved at the entrance of the alley.

Hye-Rin stepped forward, gun still in hand, her eyes scanning the area with calm efficiency. The streetlights cast a dim glow over her figure, highlighting the sharp determination on her face.

"That was reckless," she said, tucking the gun back into her coat.

Ji-Hyun exhaled, brushing strands of blood-matted hair from her face. "I handled it."

"You were seconds away from getting impaled."

Ji-Hyun smirked. "Still alive, aren't I?"

Hye-Rin rolled her eyes. "That overconfidence is going to get you killed."

Ji-Hyun shrugged. "Then I'll just have to make sure it doesn't."

A pause.

Then—

Hye-Rin reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a small, metallic device.

It was circular, sleek, and pulsing faintly with a blue glow.

Ji-Hyun narrowed her eyes. "What is that?"

Hye-Rin tossed it to her.

"Tracker," she said. "You just officially became a target. Those things? They weren't here by coincidence. They were hunting you. And now, more will come."

Ji-Hyun caught the device, turning it over in her palm. "So what? I run?"

Hye-Rin's expression darkened.

"No," she said.

"You hunt them first."

Seoul, past midnight, was a different world.

Gone was the usual noise of bustling streets, the laughter of late-night drinkers, the hum of endless traffic.

Instead, a heavy silence loomed.

Ji-Hyun walked beside Hye-Rin, blending into the darkness, her senses heightened beyond anything she had ever known. Every flicker of movement, every whisper of the wind—she felt it all.

But most of all—

She felt them.

The parasites.

They were here.

Everywhere.

She could sense them lurking in the alleys, hiding in the shadows, blending seamlessly into the world of humans.

Waiting.

Watching.

Hunting.

Hye-Rin led her to a rooftop, the city stretching out below them. She pulled out a tablet, the screen lighting up with glowing red dots.

Ji-Hyun didn't need to ask.

Each dot was a parasite.

And there were dozens.

Maybe hundreds.

"This is what we're dealing with," Hye-Rin said, her voice calm but firm. "This city is infested. Most people don't even realize it, but parasites have been taking over for a while now. Replacing humans. Growing their numbers."

Ji-Hyun studied the screen, her expression unreadable.

"Then let's kill them."

Hye-Rin turned to her. "That easy, huh?"

"That's what you want, isn't it?" Ji-Hyun crossed her arms. "You didn't just come to 'warn' me. You want me to fight."

Hye-Rin sighed. "I need you to understand something, Ji-Hyun. This isn't just some simple war. The moment you started fighting, you became a piece in this game. These things—they aren't just random monsters. They're organized. They have leaders. They have goals."

Ji-Hyun tensed. "What kind of goals?"

Hye-Rin hesitated.

Then, slowly, she said:

"They're not just replacing humans."

"They're evolving."

For the first time, Ji-Hyun felt a sliver of unease.

She had seen what the parasites could do. The way they transformed. The way they regenerated. The way they learned.

But evolving?

That was something else entirely.

Hye-Rin continued, "At first, we thought they were just mindless creatures. But that changed when we found evidence of something bigger. Something deeper."

She swiped at the tablet, pulling up a blurry image.

Ji-Hyun leaned closer.

It was a figure.

Tall. Unnaturally tall.

Its body was completely inhuman, its face shadowed, but its eyes—

Its eyes burned with something beyond just hunger.

Intelligence.

"You asked about their goals?" Hye-Rin murmured.

Ji-Hyun nodded.

"This one—" Hye-Rin tapped the screen. "This is their leader."

Ji-Hyun's blood ran cold.

"And its goal," Hye-Rin said quietly, "is you."

A heavy silence fell between them.

Ji-Hyun clenched her jaw.

"Why me?" she asked.

Hye-Rin's eyes were unreadable.

"You're not just some ordinary host, Ji-Hyun. Your parasite—Red—" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "It's different. Unlike any other. That means you're special."

Ji-Hyun frowned.

Special?

She didn't feel special.

She felt like prey.

But one thing was clear—

If the parasites had a leader—

If they were evolving—

If they were after her—

Then she had no choice.

She had to hunt them first.

The moment the decision settled in Ji-Hyun's mind, Red stirred.

> "Hunt."

Her eyes locked onto one of the red dots on the tablet.

Close.

Very close.

Hye-Rin followed her gaze. "You sense it, don't you?"

Ji-Hyun didn't answer.

She didn't have to.

She could feel it.

A parasite—stronger than the ones before—lurking nearby.

Watching.

Waiting.

A predator.

Ji-Hyun grinned.

Time to show it that she wasn't prey.

---

Episode 2 (Part 2)

Ji-Hyun didn't hesitate.

She leaped from the rooftop, landing gracefully in the dark alley below. Her senses were sharper than before—heightened by the presence of something nearby.

Something wrong.

The air felt heavy, thick with an invisible pressure that sent shivers down her spine.

She wasn't the only hunter here.

Hye-Rin landed beside her, silent as a shadow, her hand gripping the silver pistol holstered at her hip.

"Where is it?" she whispered.

Ji-Hyun closed her eyes.

Listened.

Felt.

And then—

A heartbeat.

A slow, unnatural rhythm, pounding like a drum in her ears.

She turned sharply to the right, towards a narrow passage between two abandoned buildings. It was pitch black, but she didn't need her eyes to see.

She could feel it.

Something was hiding there.

Watching.

Waiting.

A parasite.

Ji-Hyun took a step forward.

And then—

A figure emerged from the darkness.

At first glance, the parasite looked almost... human.

A tall man, dressed in a dark, tattered coat. His face was obscured by shadows, but something about his presence made Ji-Hyun's skin crawl.

His head tilted slightly, as if studying her.

Then, he took a step forward.

And suddenly—

The smell of rot and iron filled the air.

Ji-Hyun's stomach twisted.

This wasn't like the parasites she had fought before. Those had been mindless, driven purely by hunger.

But this one…

It was different.

It was thinking.

Red stirred inside her.

> "This one is strong."

Ji-Hyun's fingers curled into a fist. "Good," she murmured. "I was hoping for a challenge."

Hye-Rin exhaled sharply beside her. "You really don't know fear, do you?"

Ji-Hyun smirked. "Not when I'm stronger."

The parasite moved.

Not rushed. Not reckless.

It walked forward, slow and deliberate, as if it had all the time in the world.

And then—

It spoke.

"Found you."

A chill ran down Ji-Hyun's spine.

It's voice was inhuman.

A distorted mix of whispers and echoes, layered on top of each other like a broken radio.

It smiled.

And then—

It attacked.

The parasite moved faster than sound.

One second, it was standing still—

The next, it was right in front of her.

Ji-Hyun barely had time to react. She threw herself backward, her instincts screaming as a blade-like appendage shot past her face, missing by mere inches.

The air shredded from the force of the attack.

If she had been a second slower—

She'd be dead.

"Shit," Hye-Rin cursed, yanking out her gun. She fired—three precise shots aimed at the parasite's head.

But—

It morphed.

The bullets barely touched it before its flesh twisted, reshaping itself like liquid metal. The wounds closed instantly.

And then—

It grinned.

Ji-Hyun didn't wait.

She lunged.

Her right arm transformed in an instant—Red's power surging through her veins. Blackened steel, sharp and gleaming, extended from her fingertips like razor-sharp claws.

She slashed—

Aimed straight for its throat.

But the parasite dodged.

It twisted unnaturally, its body bending like a snake as it avoided her attack with inhuman precision.

Then, its own arm morphed—

Becoming a spiked spear.

And it thrust forward.

Ji-Hyun barely managed to block, raising her transformed arm just in time to deflect the attack.

The impact sent shockwaves through her bones.

This thing was strong.

Stronger than the others.

And worst of all—

It was learning.

The battle turned into a blur.

Ji-Hyun struck—fast, deadly, her movements a storm of blades.

The parasite countered—its body shifting, morphing, adapting to every attack.

They clashed—again and again—blades against blades, speed against speed.

Hye-Rin kept her distance, eyes sharp, waiting for an opening.

But the longer the fight went on—

The more Ji-Hyun realized something terrifying.

This parasite…

It wasn't just fighting her.

It was studying her.

Every move she made—every technique she used—it was memorizing.

Adapting.

Evolving.

And if she didn't end this fight fast—

It would become even stronger.

Red's voice echoed in her mind.

> "Kill it now."

Ji-Hyun grit her teeth.

No more games.

Time to finish this.

She let out a sharp breath—

And vanished.

The parasite hesitated.

For the first time since the fight started—

It couldn't see her.

It turned sharply, scanning the shadows—its twisted, inhuman eyes darting left and right.

Nothing.

Ji-Hyun was gone.

A flicker of confusion—

Then—

A whisper.

From above.

Before it could react, Ji-Hyun dropped from the sky like a meteor.

Her entire arm had shifted—

No longer just a blade—

Now a massive, jagged weapon, radiating with deadly energy.

She swung down.

The parasite looked up—

And screamed.

Ji-Hyun's blade sliced through its skull.

A clean, perfect cut—

Splitting its entire body in half.

For a moment, silence.

Then—

The parasite's corpse collapsed, dissolving into a pool of dark, steaming liquid.

Gone.

Ji-Hyun landed softly, exhaling.

Red pulsed inside her.

> "Stronger."

She ignored it.

Hye-Rin holstered her gun, stepping forward. "That was messy."

Ji-Hyun wiped blood from her cheek. "But effective."

Hye-Rin sighed. "You do realize that wasn't just some random parasite, right?"

Ji-Hyun's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Hye-Rin glanced at the melting remains of their enemy.

"That thing was sent to test you," she said. "To see if you were a threat."

Ji-Hyun frowned. "And?"

Hye-Rin looked at her, eyes grim.

"Now they know you are."

Ji-Hyun clenched her fists.

The hunt had only just beguns.

----

The parasite's corpse had disintegrated completely, leaving only a foul, black residue on the pavement. The stench of decay and something far worse—something unnatural—clung to the air.

Ji-Hyun stood in the middle of the alley, her breathing steady but her senses still sharp, waiting for any sign of another attack.

Nothing.

Only silence.

Hye-Rin nudged the remains with her boot. "This was different from the others," she muttered. "More advanced. More... calculated."

Ji-Hyun wiped a stray drop of black blood from her cheek. "It was watching me," she said. "Learning from my movements."

Hye-Rin nodded grimly. "That's what worries me the most."

Ji-Hyun turned her gaze toward the sky, the moon hanging blood-red above them.

Something was coming.

She could feel it.

And this parasite?

It was just the beginning.

The streets were eerily quiet as they walked back toward the safehouse.

Ji-Hyun kept her senses open, listening for any trace of movement in the shadows. She had been hunted before—but this was different.

This time, she wasn't just being targeted.

She was being tested.

Inside her, Red stirred, its presence coiling like a living thing within her bloodstream.

> "This was no ordinary parasite," it whispered.

Ji-Hyun didn't respond.

But she agreed.

Something was wrong.

And she had the sinking feeling that whatever force had sent that parasite—

It was still watching.

They reached the safehouse just as dawn began to break.

It was an old, abandoned warehouse, reinforced with steel plating and hidden deep within the city's industrial district.

Inside, a handful of survivors—researchers, ex-military, and rogue agents—were gathered around a table, whispering urgently.

As Ji-Hyun entered, all eyes turned to her.

A man with graying hair and sharp eyes—Commander Kwon—stepped forward. "You're late," he said, arms crossed.

Ji-Hyun shrugged. "Got interrupted."

Kwon frowned. "By what?"

Ji-Hyun threw a blood-stained cloth onto the table. "Something new."

The room went silent.

Hye-Rin stepped forward. "She's not exaggerating," she said. "This parasite—it spoke. It thought. And it was adapting to Ji-Hyun's attacks mid-battle."

Murmurs broke out among the group.

Kwon's expression darkened. "That's impossible. They don't evolve like that."

Ji-Hyun locked eyes with him. "They do now."

A tense silence filled the air.

Then—

BANG.

The metal doors of the warehouse slammed shut.

The lights flickered.

Ji-Hyun tensed.

And then—

A whisper.

Low.

Distorted.

And inhuman.

> "We see you."

The air shifted.

Ji-Hyun spun instantly, claws forming from her right arm as she crouched into a defensive stance.

The others drew their weapons—guns, knives, anything they could use—but none of it would matter.

Not against this.

A dark figure emerged from the shadows, standing just beyond the dim light of the warehouse.

At first glance, it looked human.

But Ji-Hyun knew better.

She could smell it.

The rot. The hunger.

Another parasite.

No—

Something worse.

It stepped forward.

Slow. Controlled.

And then—

It smiled.

Not mindless. Not animalistic.

But knowing.

Ji-Hyun clenched her fists.

> This one is different.

The parasite tilted its head, observing her like a predator analyzing prey.

Then, in a voice twisted and layered, it spoke:

> "You're not like the others."

Ji-Hyun narrowed her eyes. "Neither are you."

The parasite chuckled. "Correct."

Then—

It moved.

One moment, it was standing still.

The next—

It was in front of her.

Ji-Hyun barely had time to react.

Something slashed through the air, faster than sound—a blur of black tendrils.

She twisted, dodging at the last second.

But the force behind it sent her crashing into a steel crate.

Hye-Rin fired.

Three perfect shots—right at its head.

The bullets never hit.

The parasite's skin shifted, absorbing the impact like liquid metal.

Then—

It laughed.

Hye-Rin cursed. "What the hell?!"

Kwon barked, "Everyone, fall back—NOW!"

The team scattered, but Ji-Hyun wasn't running.

She pushed herself up, her entire right arm morphing into a massive, jagged blade.

Red whispered inside her.

> "Kill it before it learns more."

Ji-Hyun launched forward.

Her blade sliced through the air.

The parasite moved—too fast.

It dodged with inhuman precision, twisting its body at an impossible angle.

Then—

It struck back.

Ji-Hyun felt something cold pierce her side.

She gasped.

Looked down.

A tendril had pierced straight through her abdomen.

Blood dripped onto the warehouse floor.

The parasite leaned in, whispering against her ear:

> "You are not the apex predator."

Pain.

A deep, burning sensation that spread through her veins like wildfire.

Ji-Hyun's vision blurred.

Her body trembled.

For the first time—

She felt weak.

The parasite pulled its tendril out of her body.

She collapsed to one knee.

Hye-Rin screamed her name.

Kwon fired another round.

The parasite ignored them.

It was focused on Ji-Hyun.

> "You are strong," it mused. "But you are not enough."

Ji-Hyun's fingers twitched.

Inside her—

Something stirred.

A deep, ancient power that had remained dormant until now.

Red.

> "I will not let you die."

A pulse erupted from her body.

The air cracked.

The parasite staggered back.

Ji-Hyun's eyes—

Glowed.

Her wounds sealed instantly.

Her right arm morphed further, shifting into something monstrous—a fusion of Red's power and something entirely new.

The parasite's expression shifted.

From amusement—

To fear.

Ji-Hyun slowly stood up.

Her entire body radiated power.

She grinned.

> "Not enough?"

> "Let's test that theory."

----

The air was electric, charged with an unseen force that made even the hardened warriors in the warehouse step back in fear. Ji-Hyun stood at the center of it all, her presence shifting into something utterly inhuman.

Her right arm—no, her entire right side—had transformed. The flesh was no longer flesh. It pulsed, twisted, and shifted like living armor, an unholy fusion of her body and Red's will.

The parasite, the one that had nearly killed her just moments ago, now stood still. Not attacking. Not speaking. Just watching.

It was learning.

Calculating.

Waiting.

Ji-Hyun took a step forward, the floor beneath her cracking under the weight of her raw power.

> "You said I wasn't the apex predator."

She tilted her head, her voice eerily calm.

> "Let's fix that mistake."

The parasite moved first.

A blur.

Faster than sight.

The parasite's tendrils lashed through the air, a dozen of them moving like razor-sharp whips aimed at every vital part of Ji-Hyun's body.

But this time—

She was faster.

She didn't dodge.

She didn't retreat.

She met them head-on.

Her newly formed arm reacted on its own, morphing mid-strike into a massive, jagged blade, black as the void and alive with energy.

One swing.

A deafening shockwave erupted through the warehouse as the force of her strike split the air itself.

Tendrils were severed.

The parasite shrieked—a sound that was neither human nor beast, something primal and terrified.

Ji-Hyun didn't stop.

She moved.

Her speed was no longer bound by human limitations.

In an instant, she was behind the parasite.

Then—

Her claws dug into its back.

It screamed again, black ichor spilling from the wound as Ji-Hyun ripped into its flesh.

But even as it bled—

It adapted.

The severed tendrils regrew.

Its body twisted unnaturally, turning to face her even when it shouldn't have been possible.

Then—

A spike.

A spear-like appendage burst from its torso—straight for Ji-Hyun's head.

She had one second.

But she didn't move.

Instead, her left hand—still human—rose up to catch the attack.

The spear pierced through her palm.

Blood spilled.

Pain flashed through her nerves.

But Ji-Hyun smiled.

And then—

Her right arm, now a living weapon, coiled around the parasite's entire body.

It struggled.

It thrashed.

But Ji-Hyun only tightened her grip.

And whispered—

> "Let's see how fast you can regenerate."

Then—

She crushed it.

A wet, sickening snap echoed as bones, tendons, and something far worse were torn apart.

The parasite's body collapsed inward, folding under its own weight like crumpled metal.

It convulsed.

Twitched.

Then—

It stopped moving.

The room fell silent.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Nobody breathed.

And then—

Ji-Hyun dropped the corpse.

The warehouse was eerily still. The surviving operatives and researchers stared at Ji-Hyun like she wasn't human.

Because she wasn't.

Not anymore.

Hye-Rin approached cautiously, gun still in her hand. "Ji-Hyun…"

Ji-Hyun turned to her.

Hye-Rin froze.

Ji-Hyun's eyes were still glowing.

The same burning red as the parasite's blood.

And for just a second—

Hye-Rin felt an instinctive, primal fear crawl up her spine.

Ji-Hyun blinked.

And the glow faded.

She exhaled slowly, flexing her fingers. "It's dead."

Kwon stepped forward. "For now," he muttered. "But this wasn't the last one."

Ji-Hyun nodded.

She knew.

She could feel it.

More were coming.

And something far, far worse—

Was watching from above.

That night.

Ji-Hyun stood alone on the rooftop of the warehouse, staring up at the darkened sky.

The city was quiet.

Too quiet.

She could still feel Red, shifting within her, stronger than ever.

But something felt off.

A pressure.

A presence.

She wasn't alone.

Ji-Hyun's hands tensed.

Then—

A whisper.

No.

Not Red's.

Something else.

Something older.

Something above.

Her gaze lifted toward the stars.

And for the first time—

She saw it.

A rift in the sky, stretching wide like an open wound.

And beyond it—

A shadow.

Not one parasite.

Not a hundred.

Not even a thousand.

But an entire swarm.

Ji-Hyun's breath caught in her throat.

And then—

The first one descended.

A being unlike any she had faced before.

Taller than any human.

Limbs elongated, shifting in and out of existence.

And its eyes.

Deep, endless voids.

Then—

It spoke.

Not in words.

Not in thoughts.

But in something far worse—

Pure intent.

> "We have found you, Red."

> "The hunt begins."

Ji-Hyun took a slow step back.

And for the first time—

She realized that she was prey.

---

The night sky hung heavy with an unnatural stillness. The city below was unaware of the rift that had opened—an abyss in the heavens, stretching wide like a festering wound.

Ji-Hyun's breath was steady, but her body was tense. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run.

To fight.

To survive.

She stood alone on the rooftop, staring at the figure that had descended.

It was not like the others.

Not a mere parasite.

Not an enemy that could be crushed, ripped apart, or torn limb from limb.

This thing was different.

It had no solid form, shifting between states of existence, flickering like a mirage. Limbs stretched unnaturally, extending beyond the laws of physics.

And its eyes.

Twin black voids that seemed to consume the light around them.

Then—

It spoke.

Not in a voice.

Not in words.

But in something far older.

Something that resonated deep in Ji-Hyun's bones.

> "We have found you, Red."

A chill ran through her spine.

It didn't speak to her.

It spoke to Red.

The parasite within her.

And for the first time since their bond was formed, Ji-Hyun felt something unusual within her own mind.

Not hunger.

Not power.

Not control.

But fear.

Red was afraid.

That was all Ji-Hyun needed to know.

She clenched her fists, her body shifting instinctively into a battle stance. Her right arm, still partially transformed, pulsed as if reacting to the unseen threat.

> "What are you?" Ji-Hyun demanded, her voice steady.

The creature's head tilted unnaturally.

Then, it moved.

Faster than anything Ji-Hyun had ever faced—

Faster than the parasite she had crushed just hours ago—

Faster than her own eyes could track.

It was on her in an instant.

A blur of shadows.

A flicker of movement—

And then—

Impact.

Ji-Hyun barely had time to react before an invisible force slammed into her chest.

The world tilted.

Pain exploded in her ribs as she was launched backward—crashing through concrete and metal, tearing through the rooftop railing before hitting the adjacent building.

CRASH!

Dust and debris filled the air as she struggled to stand.

Her vision blurred.

Her breath hitched.

She could taste blood.

But she was alive.

That meant she could still fight.

Ji-Hyun's body healed instantly, the broken bones resetting, the torn muscles mending in seconds.

She wiped the blood from her lips and grinned.

> "That all you got?"

The creature didn't answer.

It was already attacking again.

No time to think.

No time to hesitate.

Ji-Hyun moved.

Her speed had already surpassed human limitations—but the thing she faced now was beyond anything she had encountered.

It was toying with her.

Testing her.

Hunting her.

And she knew it.

The next attack came without sound.

No footsteps.

No warning.

Just death approaching.

Her instincts screamed.

She dodged.

Barely.

A claw-like appendage sliced through the space where her throat had been just moments ago.

The very air trembled from the sheer force of it.

Had she been even a second slower—

She would be dead.

No regeneration.

No second chances.

Just gone.

Ji-Hyun exhaled.

This thing wasn't just here to fight.

It was here to kill.

And worse—

It wasn't alone

From the shadows of the rift above—

More descended.

Not one.

Not two.

Dozens.

Figures flickering in and out of existence.

All watching her.

Observing.

Waiting.

Ji-Hyun's heartbeat remained steady, but deep inside, she knew—

This wasn't a battle she could win.

Not alone.

And not like this.

> "Red."

For the first time, she reached out to the entity within her.

For the first time, she truly spoke to it—not as an invader.

Not as a parasite.

But as something else.

Something more.

> "We need to move."

Silence.

Then—

A whisper.

A response.

> "Agreed."

Her body reacted immediately.

Flesh morphed.

Bones shifted.

Muscles adapted.

Her form was no longer just human.

No longer just a parasite-infested host.

She was something new.

Something that had never existed before.

And as the creatures lunged, descending upon her like a swarm of predators—

Ji-Hyun vanished.

She landed in the alleyway three blocks away, breathing heavily, her body still buzzing from the transformation.

Her mind was clear.

But the message was clear.

These things—they weren't random parasites.

They were hunters.

And she—**or rather, Red—**was their prey.

Ji-Hyun exhaled sharply, her hands trembling from the adrenaline.

She had fought monsters.

She had fought parasites.

But this?

This was a war.

One she hadn't chosen—

But one she couldn't escape.

Because the moment she turned the corner—

The first hunter was already waiting.

Eyes locked onto hers.

And this time—

It smiled.

---

Ji-Hyun's breath was slow, controlled—despite the pounding of her heart.

The alley was silent.

Too silent.

The air itself felt wrong, thick with an unnatural weight.

And standing before her was one of them.

Not just a parasite.

Not just a monster.

A hunter.

One of the beings that had come from the rift above.

Unlike the others that flickered in and out of existence, this one was fully formed.

Tall.

Lithe.

Human-like, yet impossibly wrong.

Its skin was pitch black, but not like darkness—more like a void, like the absence of anything real.

And its eyes…

Empty.

Depthless.

A hunger far beyond instinct.

And then—

It smiled.

The moment that grin curved across its face, Ji-Hyun's body moved.

Not by choice.

Not by instinct.

But by Red.

The parasite inside her.

Her body lunged back just as the creature moved, narrowly avoiding an attack that never came.

A test.

A game.

Ji-Hyun landed several meters away, feet skidding across the wet ground.

> "What is that thing?" she demanded internally.

For a second, there was silence.

Then, Red's voice—cold, calculating—spoke in her mind.

> "A Firstborn."

Ji-Hyun's breath hitched.

> "Meaning…?"

> "The first wave. The true parasites. The real reason your world will soon collapse."

She barely had time to process those words before the hunter moved again.

Ji-Hyun had fought fast enemies before.

Parasites that moved faster than the human eye.

Creatures that defied physics, that could shift form, that could kill in an instant.

But this—

This was beyond that.

It was absolute.

One second, the Firstborn was several feet away.

The next—

It was right in front of her.

A claw-like appendage erupted from its hand, swiping at her neck.

Ji-Hyun barely had time to duck.

A shockwave of force exploded behind her as the attack missed, the sheer pressure of its movement tearing apart the brick walls behind her.

Had she been a fraction of a second slower—

She would have been decapitated.

> "It's faster than me."

That was a problem.

Ji-Hyun didn't wait for the next attack.

She countered.

Her right arm morphed in an instant, flesh shifting into crimson tendrils that lashed forward.

A direct strike.

No hesitation.

No wasted movement.

The attack should have impaled the Firstborn through the chest—

But it didn't.

It phased.

The moment her attack connected, the creature's body rippled, turning translucent for the briefest moment.

Ji-Hyun's tendrils passed through it like smoke.

And then—

It became solid again.

A trap.

A trick.

Before she could react, the Firstborn's hand gripped her throat.

Cold.

Like the absence of heat itself.

Ji-Hyun gasped, feeling the force tighten.

Her feet left the ground.

She was lifted effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing.

For the first time—

She felt helpless.

The Firstborn tilted its head.

Its smile widened.

And then—

It spoke.

> "You are not ready."

Ji-Hyun's vision blurred.

The edges of her mind darkened.

And then

Something snapped inside her.

A flood of memories, sensations—

Red's voice roared inside her mind.

Not with words.

Not with logic.

But with something primal.

Something that had been waiting.

Waiting for this exact moment.

Ji-Hyun's body reacted.

Her right arm, still morphed into tendrils, coiled around the Firstborn's arm.

And then—

She ripped it apart.

A wet, sickening tear echoed through the alley as the Firstborn's arm was severed at the elbow.

Its black, void-like flesh shuddered, writhed— but there was no blood.

Only darkness.

Ji-Hyun dropped to the ground, coughing as she caught her breath.

But she didn't stop.

She moved.

Her left hand morphed next, claws forming as she slashed upward, aiming for its throat—

But the Firstborn was already gone.

Vanished.

No trace.

Only the severed limb remained.

And even that—

Was melting.

Ji-Hyun stood there, panting.

The adrenaline still surged through her veins, but her mind was racing.

She had injured it.

That meant it could be hurt.

It wasn't untouchable.

It wasn't invincible.

But it was watching her.

Studying her.

Testing her.

This was only the beginning.

Then, Red's voice spoke again.

> "You survived. This time."

Ji-Hyun narrowed her eyes.

> "But?"

> "It was the weakest of them."

Silence.

The realization hit her harder than any attack.

The Firstborn that nearly killed her…

Was the weakest?

Ji-Hyun exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders as her body slowly returned to normal.

> "Then I have a lot of work to do."

Her voice was steady.

Unshaken.

If they wanted to hunt her…

She would become the hunter.

----

The alley was empty now.

No more flickering shadows.

No more whispers of something watching her from the darkness.

Just Ji-Hyun—standing alone, her body still tingling from the fight.

Her hands clenched into fists.

The Firstborn had vanished.

It left nothing behind.

No blood. No body.

Not even a trace of its presence—except for the lingering feeling in Ji-Hyun's gut that she had just been marked.

Hunted.

Tested.

> "That thing wasn't trying to kill me. Not really."

Red remained silent.

That silence confirmed what she already suspected.

This was only the beginning.

She stepped out of the alley, her breathing steady but her mind racing.

The streets of Seoul were alive, bustling with people.

As if nothing had happened.

As if an inhuman entity hadn't just attempted to end her life.

As if monsters weren't lurking just beyond what normal people could see.

It made her stomach twist.

She walked past pedestrians, her eyes scanning every face, every shadow.

Had any of them seen it?

Had any of them noticed?

Of course not.

These creatures existed in a world beneath reality.

And now, so did she.

Ji-Hyun barely made it a few blocks before a sharp pain tore through her chest.

Her breath hitched.

A sudden, burning sensation erupted from her shoulder, right where the Firstborn had grabbed her.

She pulled into a dimly lit side street, pressing her back against the cold concrete.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled down her collar.

And there it was—

A mark.

Not a bruise.

Not a wound.

Something else.

A symbol, inked into her flesh in a deep, unnatural black.

It pulsed.

Not with pain—

But with something alive.

Something watching her.

Something waiting.

Her stomach clenched.

Red's voice finally cut through the silence.

> "This is bad."

That was all she needed to hear.

Ji-Hyun forced herself to breathe.

> "Explain. Now."

For a moment, Red hesitated.

Then—

> "That mark isn't a wound. It's a signal."

> "To what?"

> "To them."

A chill crawled up Ji-Hyun's spine.

She already knew what Red was about to say.

But she needed to hear it.

> "They won't stop now. That Firstborn wasn't the last. It was the scout. It marked you for the others."

Her jaw tightened.

> "And what happens when they find me?"

Red's voice was unreadable.

> "Then the real hunt begins."

Ji-Hyun's heartbeat steadied.

She looked at the mark again—

At the symbol of her death sentence.

And yet—

She wasn't afraid.

Not anymore.

> "Let them come."

She straightened, rolling her shoulders.

The pain in her body didn't matter.

The exhaustion didn't matter.

All that mattered was what came next.

If they wanted her dead—

If they wanted to hunt her down—

Then she would make them regret it.

She wasn't prey.

Not anymore.

[ The end of episode 02 ]