Chapter 205 - Sanctuary’s Edge

The night air was cool and quiet as Jin led Yujin, Joon, Hanuel, Areum, Jisoo, Echo, and Seul toward the school grounds, the familiar walls emerging through the darkness. Trees burst through cracked pavement, vines weaving over shattered buildings, a living forest swallowing the city's ruins. The school, their sanctuary, stood nestled in this urban wilderness, its silhouette a promise of rest after a grueling day training at Ryu's police station base. Securing Ryu as an ally for the crown quest had eased a quiet doubt in Jin's chest—Ryu's loyalty was solid, but confirming it felt like a victory. Still, the system's new bounty feature gnawed at him, a reminder that danger lurked in every shadow. The whisper of leaves in the breeze was their only companion, but the silence held a razor's edge, sharpened by the chaos they'd survived.