"Where am I?"
I murmured quietly, but only an echo bounced back to me as if it had hit a wall.
How long had I been walking like this?
I noticed some children walking ahead of me.
Those children are...
"Su-a! Ho-jin!"
When I called their names, the two turned around to look at me.
They smiled weakly, then turned back and continued walking.
"Hey! Where are you going? Wait! I still, I still have something to say...!"
"Ye-a."
When I turned around at the sound of someone calling me, Hui-hyeon was standing there.
"Hui-hyeon."
"There's nothing that can threaten you anymore."
"What? What are you suddenly talking about?"
Despite my question, Hui-hyeon remained silent for a while, just smiling, then suddenly turned around and began walking toward a darker, deeper place.
"Hui-hyeon, wait! Hui-hyeon!"
I called his name and ran urgently after him, but the more I chased, the further away he got.
"Hui-hyeon...!"
I sat up to find myself lying in bed.
It was a dream. Thankfully.
"Phew."
After letting out a shallow sigh, I was about to lie back down when I noticed someone clinging to me as they slept.
That person was, of course, Yu Ji-a.
Seeing her, I let out a light sigh.
No wonder I had a nightmare with her sticking to me like this.
Damn it.
"Yu Ji-a, get off. What are you doing in my bed?"
I shook her, but Yu Ji-a just groaned and mumbled.
"Mmm... guys... don't go..."
"......"
Hearing those words, I removed my hand from shaking her and lay back down.
Right, you must be having a hard time too.
She's always smiling like an idiot, so I thought she might be okay already, but Yu Ji-a had her own struggles to bear.
After that, I somehow couldn't fall asleep.
<>
At that hour, Lee Hui-hyeon was drinking tea at Huye Ji-hyeon's house.
Huye Ji-hyeon sat looking as if she had aged ten years since they last met.
In the strange situation where no one was speaking, Huye Ji-hyeon was the first to break the silence.
"Do you know how things are going these days?"
Lee Hui-hyeon quietly placed his teacup on the table and looked at Huye Ji-hyeon before answering.
"Of course I do."
At his brief response, Huye Ji-hyeon rubbed her eyes with her hand and said.
"Things have become very difficult. I confidently claimed we had a way to stand against Honwon and put you forward, but the result was the catastrophic massacre of the Yegak Academy students. Anyway, I have to step down from my position. After that, I'll be cut to pieces under the blade of the law for failing to predict this situation. Just like Si Jeong-hyeok."
Huye Ji-hyeon's words were quite direct and blunt for a Councilor, so Lee Hui-hyeon asked her.
"So why did you call me here?"
"What you took in exchange for fighting Honwon this time could cause big problems in the future."
Lee Hui-hyeon silently tilted his teacup.
Lee Hui-hyeon had fought really well.
None of the Demon-Slaying Army members with him had died.
Because before the high-ranking yokai could even give orders to advance, Lee Hui-hyeon had cut off all their heads.
"From what I hear, it sounds like you're planning to throw me and Ye-a away as political sacrifices. Is that right?"
Hearing Lee Hui-hyeon's words, Huye Ji-hyeon sighed lightly and said.
"Don't misunderstand. The effort I've made to exonerate Baek Ye-a exceeds all the political maneuvering I've done to reach this position. If 'The Calling' hadn't ended that way, even I would have been powerless. I borrowed the strength of many people in the process."
At Huye Ji-hyeon's words, Lee Hui-hyeon narrowed his eyes and said.
"So you're saying it's not necessarily you who will sell us out."
"Yes, even if I keep my mouth shut, someone will eventually speak up."
"So you called me here to ask permission to sell me out?"
At Lee Hui-hyeon's sharp tone, Huye Ji-hyeon shook her head and said.
"No, that's not it. Anyway, you're a descendant of the Annihilator and a powerful Exorcist who made quite an impression in this war. You're valuable enough to take down with me if I fall."
Lee Hui-hyeon, who had somewhat expected such words from Huye Ji-hyeon's mouth, traced the rim of his teacup with his finger.
"The reason I called you is to tell you that I'm going to fall from power and to warn you to be careful of those who will try to use you to survive. If necessary, I can help you escape to the Outlands. From what I can see, the Human World will soon face a very big crisis."
At Huye Ji-hyeon's words, Lee Hui-hyeon thought.
Huye Ji-hyeon had risen to her position through her family's power and her own abilities, and sometimes used political tactics to bring down opponents, but ultimately, she was someone who cared about the Human World.
If the person who replaced Huye Ji-hyeon was from the Jeon Clan or the Jin Clan, the grand picture Lee Hui-hyeon was painting might be ruined.
Because that's what positions of power are like—they might seem like nothing to ordinary people, but they matter.
Lee Hui-hyeon slowly opened his mouth and said to Huye Ji-hyeon.
"There is no one in the Human World as valuable as you right now."
"Thank you for the kind words, even if they're empty."
"No, you really would have stopped Honwon if he had invaded as recorded. This tunnel was truly like a natural disaster."
"People like me exist to predict such things."
"How many people in this Human World could predict something like that?"
Not even Baek Ye-a could predict it.
Lee Hui-hyeon swallowed his last thought and said to Huye Ji-hyeon.
"Anyway, thank you for telling me. I'll take my leave now."
As Lee Hui-hyeon stood up, Huye Ji-hyeon weakly nodded in understanding.
"Annihilator."
Hwayun, who had approached Lee Hui-hyeon as he walked down the street, addressed him.
"As you instructed, I've gathered all the information I could."
"Let me see."
When Lee Hui-hyeon flicked his hand, Hwayun handed over the documents with both hands.
Watching Lee Hui-hyeon carefully, Hwayun hesitantly asked.
"Annihilator, if it's not too presumptuous, may I ask you one thing?"
"What is it?"
As Lee Hui-hyeon turned to Hwayun, Hwayun asked.
"Why are you going after Jeon In-hwa this time?"
"You should know."
"Yes, of course I know. But weren't you trying to somehow rehabilitate Jeon In-hwa this time?"
At Hwayun's question, Lee Hui-hyeon silently tucked the documents into his chest.
Sensing that he shouldn't ask further, Hwayun said to Lee Hui-hyeon.
"Anyway, thank you for forgiving me and giving me another chance. I won't have any other thoughts from now on."
"Hwayun."
At Lee Hui-hyeon's words, Hwayun looked up.
"Yes, Annihilator."
"Why are you presuming to judge my intentions?"
"...I apologize, Annihilator."
"I haven't forgiven you. You just don't get punished as long as you do well."
"...Yes."
"You may go now."
As if no one had been there with him, Lee Hui-hyeon was suddenly standing alone.
"...So what's the reason you wanted to see me, Mr. Lee Hui-hyeon?"
The next day at noon.
Jeon In-hwa spoke coldly to Lee Hui-hyeon.
"Or should I take it to mean that you're finally ready to apologize to me?"
Ignoring Jeon In-hwa's provocative words, Lee Hui-hyeon took out documents from inside his coat and placed them down with a thud in front of Jeon In-hwa.
"What is this?"
"Read it."
Faced with the same scene as before but with reversed positions, Jeon In-hwa was slightly puzzled but did as Lee Hui-hyeon said.
And when she put down the documents, her eyes were wide open.
"This looks like our internal documents. How did you get something like this?"
"Is that what's important?"
At Lee Hui-hyeon's words, Jeon In-hwa silently picked up her teacup to wet her throat.
"But what does this mean? Thinking you can do something to me with these fragmentary documents is quite arrogant."
"Yes, perhaps it's arrogance. But would your competitors from other families who want to oust you think the same?"
"You don't know anything. My competitors were already..."
Jeon In-hwa stopped mid-sentence and looked at Lee Hui-hyeon.
"...Did you know?"
"Know what?"
At Lee Hui-hyeon's feigned ignorance, Jeon In-hwa became certain.
Lee Hui-hyeon knew deeply about her and her family situation.
"Jeon In-hwa."
Lee Hui-hyeon, who had suddenly wiped all expression from his face, spoke to Jeon In-hwa expressionlessly.
"I warned you. That I could kill you."
Jeon In-hwa finally realized.
"Die once this time."
That she had messed with someone she shouldn't have.