The meeting didn't end there.
Once the question of the Dawn Church had been settled, or at least set aside for the moment, the room seemed to breathe out. Seul refilled everyone's tea. Echo stole two rice cakes when he thought nobody was looking. And the talk drifted, the way talk does when people who don't see each other often finally sit down at the same table.
"How's the prison?" Jin asked Ryu.
Ryu snorted. "Loud," he said. "But standing. Jisoo's got it running like a barracks. Bora's half convinced she's in charge, which is fine, because she's half right. Min keeps the peace. Kang Hyun keeps an eye on all three of them, like you asked." He took a sip of tea. "Gun-woo turned the north yard into a sand pit for training. People hate it. It's working."
"And Chul?"
Something softened in Ryu's face. Seul, across the table, sat up a little straighter.
