Minsu's breath caught in her throat as the voice echoed through the shrine. The figure stepped forward, the dim candlelight revealing sharp features and a piercing gaze. The stranger's presence sent a ripple of unease through the room.
Hyowon tensed beside her, his grip tightening on her wrist before he let go, subtly positioning himself between her and the intruder. Yi Sungho, however, remained unnervingly calm.
"You're late," he said, as if he had been expecting them.
The figure's lips curled slightly. "And you're reckless." Their eyes flickered toward Minsu. "Bringing her here… Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Minsu's pulse pounded. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt.
The stranger ignored her. Instead, they took a slow step toward Yi Sungho, their gaze cold. "You should've destroyed it."
Yi Sungho didn't move. "She deserves to know the truth."
"The truth will get her killed," the stranger snapped.
Hyowon shifted, his injured arm still bleeding, but his stance remained strong. "If you have something to say, say it."
The stranger exhaled sharply, then turned back to Minsu. "Your aunt… She was warned too. She didn't listen." Their voice lowered. "And she vanished without a trace."
Minsu's fingers curled into fists. "Did you know her?"
The stranger hesitated. "I knew of her. And I know what she was after."
Yi Sungho finally spoke. "And now, so does her niece."
The stranger's expression darkened. "Then she's in more danger than she realizes."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Outside, the sound of footsteps crunched against the gravel path leading to the shrine. More people were coming.
Yi Sungho exhaled. "It seems we're out of time."
Hyowon's jaw tightened. "Then we leave. Now."
Minsu's heart pounded. The pieces of the mystery were falling into place, but so was the danger.
And as the footsteps drew closer, she realized—this was only the beginning.
The tension in the shrine was suffocating. Minsu's pulse hammered in her ears as the approaching footsteps grew louder, deliberate, and unhurried. Whoever was coming wasn't in a rush—because they knew there was no escape.
Hyowon's fingers twitched near his waist, but Minsu doubted he had a weapon. Yi Sungho, still unnervingly calm, glanced at the stranger. "Is this your doing?"
The stranger's expression was unreadable. "If it were, I wouldn't still be standing here."
Minsu barely had time to process that before the doors creaked open.
Two figures stepped inside.
The first was a man, older, with a weathered face and sharp eyes that flickered with recognition when they landed on Yi Sungho. He wore a long, dark robe embroidered with patterns Minsu didn't recognize. His presence alone made her skin prickle.
The second was a younger woman, dressed in simpler clothing, but her eyes carried the same sharpness. Her gaze swept over Minsu and Hyowon before settling on the rolled-up scroll in Yi Sungho's hands.
"You should not have kept that," the older man said, his voice smooth but heavy with authority.
Yi Sungho didn't flinch. "And yet, here we are."
The woman stepped forward. "The girl should leave."
Minsu's fists clenched. "I'm not going anywhere."
The woman studied her, then glanced at the older man, who sighed. "She really is her niece."
Minsu's breath caught. He knows my aunt?
Yi Sungho shifted. "She deserves to know the truth."
The older man's expression darkened. "The truth is what got her aunt killed."
Minsu's blood ran cold. The room spun for a second, her mind catching on those words. Killed?
"She didn't just vanish?" her voice came out barely above a whisper.
The older man regarded her for a moment, then nodded. "No."
Minsu's stomach twisted. The mystery she had chased for years wasn't just about a disappearance.
It was about murder.
Hyowon's voice was low. "Then tell us who did it."
The woman answered instead.
"We don't know."
Minsu's hands trembled. She had come here for answers, but all she had found was more uncertainty—and a dangerous truth.
The older man's gaze was piercing. "If you continue down this path, you will share her fate."
Minsu swallowed hard, but she didn't look away.
"I'm not leaving until I know everything."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, the older man finally said, "Then you must be prepared. Because you're already being watched."
The candlelight flickered, and a cold shiver ran down Minsu's spine.
Someone, somewhere, was already aware of her search. And now, they wouldn't stop until she was silenced too.