Chapter 5: Close at 8

  The door creaked open, and Grant shuffled into the room.

  He looked less like a high-ranking official and more like a college student who hadn't slept in three days. He was young, almost cute, with his long hair pulled back into a messy tie and glasses sliding down his nose—but his expression was one of pure, unfiltered annoyance.

  "This is exhausting," he muttered into his phone, dropping into the chair behind the desk with a heavy thud.

  Leeseo sat across from him, her posture stiff, watching him with a mix of confusion and genuine curiosity.

  "Yeah... a lot of work indeed," Grant continued to the person on the other end, ignoring Leeseo for a moment. "Imagine how many trainees getting rescued lately. Everyone is complaining. 'Oh, why isn’t the Council giving them attention?' Please. This one guy over here can make stone walls now, this other guy lost his powers entirely, then this girl has telekinesis—"

  Leeseo gasped, her eyes widening.

  Grant finally looked at her, blinking behind his lenses. "See? Everyone has problems." He looked back at his phone, sighing. "The Council cares more about taking down ANTI right now. Pests come first, power comes later."

  Leeseo tried to look like she hadn't heard, but the worry in her eyes gave her away.

  "Okay, well. I gotta go. I have a job to do," Grant said, finally clicking his phone shut. He turned his full attention to Leeseo, tapping a pen on the desk. "Okay, girl. I am actually a very busy man, so let’s get this over quickly."

  Leeseo cleared her throat and sat up straighter, trying her best to look like a well-behaved student.

  Grant chuckled at her sudden formality. "Listen. Ever since the Ven War and now these ANTI bastards, Flux is running low on numbers. Fewer doctors, fewer soldiers... fewer therapists. Fewer everything. So, you probably understand why Seonho is almost shouldering everyone’s weight alone right now, yeah?"

  Leeseo nodded softly. "It’s no problem."

  "The Council members have a lot on their plates too," Grant said, leaning back. "I’m sure you’re curious and want to understand this new power of yours, but right now, the best we can do is just let you recover. It’s safer if you’re with people you trust. Agree?"

  "Agree," Leeseo said, her voice small.

  "Besides," Grant added with a sudden, mischievous giggle, "I think he might have a crush on you."

  Leeseo felt the heat rush to her face, her cheeks turning a bright, betraying pink.

  "Still, he and Rin have helped a lot of trainees. They’re good people," Grant said, his tone softening for a brief second. Then, his expression sharpened. "I have one question to ask, though, Leeseo."

  Leeseo tilted her head, waiting.

  "You said... you don't remember anything? Nothing at all?" Grant’s eyes searched hers. "The Council is spread thin. They need—I mean, they want—anything that can help them identify the lady in the gold mask and her plans. She’s killed a lot of people."

  Leeseo’s gaze dropped to the floor. "Sorry... I know... nothing."

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Okay. That’s alright. Thank you, though." Grant reached out and picked up a medical swab stick from the desk. "Now, open your mouth."

  Leeseo’s eyes immediately began to water, her shoulders tensing up.

  Grant stopped, looking at her teary face. He let out a long, weary sigh and tossed the stick back onto the tray. "You’ve had enough exams for one day, haven't you?" He waved a hand dismissively. "Thank you, Leeseo. You can go—"

  Before he could even finish the sentence, Leeseo was out of her chair and out the door, her footsteps echoing down the hallway as she ran.

  Grant watched the empty doorway for a moment, shaking his head. "There she goes."

  ***

  Yaejin walked down the quiet, cobblestone street with the rhythmic confidence of a ticking time bomb. She wore a tactical sleeveless vest bristling with pockets and fingerless gloves that felt like a second skin. Her hair was pulled back into tight, practical braids.

  She pushed open the door of a small, nondescript coffee joint. The bell chimed—a lonely, high-pitched sound. Inside, the air smelled of roasted beans and stale secrets. There were two men: one behind the counter and one sitting at a corner table, his face obscured by a low-hanging cap.

  Yaejin leaned against the counter. "Black coffee. For me."

  The barista didn't look up. "Here on a mission, Flux?"

  "My mission already has coordinates, and it ain’t here," Yaejin replied, her voice smooth as silk but sharp as a razor. "But... I wanna make sure I won’t get ambushed on my way there."

  The man poured the steaming liquid into a ceramic mug. "That makes sense to me."

  Yaejin took the mug but didn't drink yet. She sighed, her eyes drifting toward the man in the cap. "Coffee guy, do you know a Flux named Jian?"

  The barista shrugged.

  "He’s popular. Very powerful. He has the ability to conjure fire," Yaejin explained, a scary, predatory grin spreading across her face. "But something crazy happened. One night, he was ambushed by the ANTI. Kidnapped and tortured. We saved him eventually—me, Gaeul-unnie, and Jiwon. But when we got him back... he had lost his powers."

  The barista swallowed hard, his hand trembling slightly on the counter.

  "And then one day," Yaejin continued, taking a slow sip, "we discovered someone from the ANTI was suddenly shooting fire."

  The man at the table didn't wait for her to finish. He stood up, pulling a pair of cybernetic pistols from his coat. Pew! Pew! Pew! Energy beams hissed through the air, punching glowing holes straight through Yaejin’s chest and stomach.

  Yaejin collapsed, her coffee mug shattering on the floor. Her eyes rolled back as she lay still in a pool of blood and caffeine.

  "That was... easy," the shooter muttered, holstering his glowing guns.

  "What now?" the coffee guy asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

  Then, a sickening sound filled the room. Squelch. Pop.

  The cauterized holes in Yaejin’s vest began to close. Beneath the fabric, her muscle and skin stitched themselves back together with supernatural speed. Yaejin’s eyes snapped open, glowing a fierce, pulsating blue.

  She stood up, dusting off her vest, her smile widening into something demonic. "My turn."

  She moved faster than the eye could track. With a flick of her wrist, she wove the gun right out of the shooter's hand. She landed a flurry of punches that sounded like gunshots—crack, crack, crack—before delivering a roundhouse kick to his neck that sent him crashing into the wall, unconscious.

  The coffee guy fumbled for a hidden gun under the counter, but Yaejin was already reaching for her belt. She drew a short metallic pole, clicked a button, and it extended into a gleaming spear. With a single, brutal thrust, she impaled the barista against the back shelf.

  Yaejin looked up, staring directly into the security camera in the corner. "I’m coming for you! You hear me? Traitor, I’m coming for you!"

  In a dark room miles away, the woman in the gold mask watched the monitor. Yaejin’s glowing blue eyes seemed to stare right through the screen at her. The shrouded woman let out a long, weary sigh and turned the screen off.

  ***

  The next day, the atmosphere was entirely different. The sun was out, and the city felt alive. Seonho and Leeseo walked down the sidewalk, dressed in casual hoodies and jeans to blend in.

  Seonho reached the door of a trendy cafe, pulled it open, and stood there, holding it with a polite nod.

  Leeseo stopped and stared at him. "Uhm, why are you just standing there with the door open?"

  Seonho smiled, his eyes crinkling. "I’m holding it for you. Go in."

  Leeseo looked at the door, then at him, finding the chivalry utterly confusing. "Is there a trap behind the door? Do I need to use my 'Jedi' powers?"

  "No trap, Leeseo. Just go in," he chuckled.

  A few minutes later, they were seated at a small wooden table. In front of Leeseo sat a decadent slice of triple-chocolate cake and a latte with heart-shaped foam. Seonho was already halfway through a massive pastry, eating vigorously.

  "Seonho-ssi... I want burgers," Leeseo said, poking the cake suspiciously with her fork.

  Seonho laughed and took a swig of his coffee. "Try it first. Trust me."

  Leeseo took a tiny, hesitant bite. Her eyes instantly went wide. She froze, her expression melting into pure bliss. Tears actually started to prick at her eyes. "Oh... oh, that's... oh."

  "Wow," Seonho laughed, leaning back. "Imagine tasting chocolate cake for the first time. I actually envy you."

  Leeseo savored the sweetness, but her expression soon turned serious. "Seonho... are they going to send you to fight the ANTIs soon?"

  Seonho’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a determined nod. "Of course. We have to avenge your friends. We have to stop them from doing to others what they did to you."

  "But... can't we just stay here?" Leeseo asked, looking around the cozy cafe. "It’s safe here. There’s cake here."

  He took a jagged breath, watching in silent horror as blue streaks—like glowing, electric nerves—mapped themselves beneath the skin of his arms. The air grew heavy with the rhythmic, guttural drone of demonic chants vibrating in his ears. The darkness was winning, right until Leeseo leaned in. She tilted her head, her eyes wide and bulging with playful curiosity, her sudden proximity snapping the tether of the takeover. The whispers died instantly, leaving only the silence of the room and her expectant gaze.

  Seonho let out a soft, bittersweet laugh. "No, I’m afraid they close at 8 PM."

  He leaned his chin on his hand, his gaze softening as he looked at her. He couldn't stop staring at the way the sunlight hit her hair, or how she still had a tiny bit of chocolate frosting on her lip. For a moment, the war and the traitors felt a world away.

  Fear.