The rain had not stopped since the attack.
It clung to the streets in sheets, rattled against the car windows, and blurred the world into a trembling watercolor of lights and shadows.
Inside the black SUV, Ryu's knuckles were pale against the steering wheel. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror every few seconds, scanning the darkness for the phantom that had just tried to kill his employer.
Yuna sat in the back seat, her coat soaked, hair damp and sticking to her cheek. She didn't speak. She didn't even look at him her gaze stayed fixed on the shifting shadows beyond the window, as if the answers to what happened might be hiding in them.
When they reached the mansion gates, the heavy iron doors groaned open like the jaws of something ancient.
The SUV rolled in, tires splashing through puddles, and came to a stop under the awning.
"Madam," Ryu said softly as he opened her door, "we should get you inside immediately. You're still shaking."
Yuna stepped out without a word. The cold air bit at her wet clothes, but she ignored it. She walked straight to the drawing room, the fire inside throwing golden light across the polished wood.
Ryu followed, closing the doors firmly behind them. He removed his wet coat, but his eyes stayed on her studying her every movement like she might vanish again if he blinked.
Once she had settled into the armchair near the fire, he crouched slightly to meet her eyes.
"Madam… I need details. This isn't random. That attacker—he was precise, trained. I need to know exactly who's after you."
Her lips tightened. She leaned back, staring into the flames.
"It's not who, Ryu… it's what."
The way she said it made his skin prickle.
"Explain," he said, voice low.
Yuna's eyes flickered, the firelight making them look like twin shards of amber. She drew in a slow breath.
"Years ago… before I came to Chicago… I lived in Baiheng."
The room seemed to shrink around her words.
"It was a small mountain village," she continued, her tone almost trance-like. "Mist clung to the trees year-round. The locals had stories… about something in the forest. They called it Yaoguai Zhi Yan — The Eye of the Demon."
Ryu's brow furrowed. "A myth?"
"That's what I thought. Until the disappearances began."
The fire crackled, loud in the silence.
Yuna's voice dropped. "One night… I saw it. Not clearly only its silhouette in the mist. Its limbs were too long… its head tilted at an impossible angle. And its eyes God, its eyes they glowed like molten gold, even in the dark."
Ryu straightened, his jaw tightening.
"And you believe… the thing in Baiheng is here?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, crumpled scrap of black cloth. It was wet, torn and streaked with something dark red.
"I tore this off its cloak tonight," she said. "It wasn't human, Ryu."
The security guard stared at the fabric, his mind racing. Rain battered the windows, as if echoing the pounding in his chest.
"Madam," he said finally, "if this thing followed you from Baiheng… we need to prepare. The mansion isn't safe enough."
But Yuna only smiled faintly a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"It won't matter. Once it finds you… walls, locks, guards they mean nothing."
And outside, somewhere beyond the fog-drenched gates, two golden eyes blinked in the darkness.
The hallway seemed quieter than usual, as if the shadows themselves were listening.
Yuna's voice was soft, almost too soft for the dim light spilling from the wall lamps.
"Ryu… I'm okay. We should go to sleep."
For a moment, he didn't move — his broad frame still blocking the faint glow from the study behind them. His eyes searched hers, the concern in them unshaken. But when he finally gave a short, respectful bow, his voice was low and steady.
"As you wish, Madam."
They walked together down the long corridor. The marble beneath their feet reflected their passing her light, measured steps beside his solid, watchful ones. Somewhere beyond the windows, the wind stirred the garden trees, and the faint scent of damp earth seeped in.
At her bedroom door, Yuna paused. Her fingers lingered on the doorknob, not yet turning it. Ryu noticed he always noticed but said nothing.
Instead, he stood like a silent wall at her side until she finally glanced at him.
"Good night, Ryu."
He gave the faintest nod. "Good night, Madam. Rest well."
When she entered, the soft click of the door behind her felt almost too loud. Inside, the room was warm, lit only by the moon spilling silver onto the carpet. She moved to the window, letting her hand press against the cold glass. Somewhere far away, Baiheng's name echoed in her mind — a place she had left, yet which had never left her.
Behind her, the security light outside flickered once. Just once.
In the hallway, Ryu still stood at his post, listening to the quiet.