Gunfire Echoes in the Museum
Black-clad thugs suddenly swarmed into the museum, gunfire erupting. Shattered ceiling lights and windows. Before she could even grasp the situation, Kim Jin-seo's body moved on instinct. It was the "emergency case" Han Dae-ho had warned her about.
She dragged Yeo Min-seo and Kang Dae-man—who still hadn't pieced it together—behind a pillar. Shards of glass slashed deeply across her arm as they rained down, but there was no time to fuss over it now. Kim Jin-seo pressed her palm against the gash to staunch the bleeding as best she could, peeking out from behind the pillar to gauge the black-clad men's movements.
"……."
What the hell do I do?
Kim Jin-seo had a portable spear in her pocket. It was designed for subduing, not killing. But these guys had guns. She fiddled with the necklace Han Dae-ho had given her. It could block a bullet only once. Charging out relying solely on it could turn her into Swiss cheese in seconds.
Worse, she'd never actually used the spear before. Handling an unfamiliar weapon would leave openings in her movements, and these guys wouldn't miss a split-second gap.
"……Is this for real?"
Then Yeo Min-seo blurted out the question from out of nowhere. She looked dazed. The black-clad men were too busy grabbing a staff member and yelling to notice her voice.
Kim Jin-seo confirmed her words wouldn't carry to them and replied. "What else? You think it's a drill?"
"……."
Yeo Min-seo finally seemed to catch on, nodding slowly. She rummaged silently in her pocket and pulled out the trembling wood fragment Han Dae-ho had given her. It emitted a faint glow. From the flickering light came a small but firm voice—Han Dae-ho's.
Han Dae-ho's voice was calm and steady, almost unnaturally so given the chaos. But a faint tremor lingered at the end of each sentence. He was tense too.
Yeo Min-seo brought her mouth to the flickering flame of the trembling wood. "Yeo Min-seo, Kang Dae-man, Kim Jin-seo—hiding behind a pillar on the first floor. The others are on the first floor too. Close enough to see with the naked eye."
She spoke softly to avoid the black-clad men's ears, but her enunciation was clear enough for Han Dae-ho to hear.
Kim Jin-seo pulled out her portable spear, fiddling with it while still watching the men.
"Ah."
Suddenly, Kang Dae-man let out a heavy sigh. Yeo Min-seo and Kim Jin-seo whipped their heads toward him. He was clutching his head, visibly agitated, his massive frame hunched and trembling with cold sweat.
Yeo Min-seo furrowed her brow. "……What the fuck's wrong with this guy?"
"I……."
Kang Dae-man shuddered as he continued. "Am I doomed to lose forever?"
Despair filled his eyes.
*
"Kneel, hands up, stay still."
"……."
The moment Ma Yu-hyeon saw the black-clad men burst in and open fire, he told Seong Ha-yeon and Han Su-ryeon. His usual slightly high-pitched tone was now low and grave.
Han Su-ryeon swallowed hard and obeyed meekly. Seong Ha-yeon sat frozen, lips quivering. Staring at the men rekindled a horrific, familiar terror in her.
Kneeling, she fumbled in her pocket with trembling hands for the trembling wood fragment from Han Dae-ho.
Clack.
"Hey."
But Ma Yu-hyeon stopped her hand. He scanned the men first. They were preoccupied with the hostage staff member, but one glance their way and they'd be spotted.
"……Not now."
Pulling out the wood now was a bad idea. Their striking appearances already drew eyes. Waving around a suspicious object would shift the targets from the staff to them.
Seong Ha-yeon's terrified eyes met his, then she nodded in understanding, raising her hands silently.
"……."
Ma Yu-hyeon watched the men, hands up, lost in thought. He recalled his kidnapping by Do Seon-woo—streetlights and fixtures plunging into darkness, voodoo wielded in the void. Do Seon-woo seemed to manipulate electronics at will. Could he neutralize their guns too?
The problem: Do Seon-woo wasn't here.
"……Ma Yu-hyeon."
Han Su-ryeon whispered his name. He nodded curtly. "Speak."
"Can't we just bolt right now?"
"……."
Ma Yu-hyeon shook his head without answering. Too risky to run. Seong Ha-yeon could blast divine power to blind them temporarily, but…… still dangerous. Panicked men might spray bullets wildly.
"……I'll signal later."
Stability first. He spoke with feigned confidence, as if he had a plan, to reassure Han Su-ryeon and Seong Ha-yeon. She nodded, chewing her lip.
Ma Yu-hyeon watched the men for an opening.
Kaboom—!
Lightning struck. With a crackle, the museum lights died. Sudden darkness threw visitors and thugs alike into chaos. Murmurs swelled. A click of a gun racking.
Bang!
"Aaaah—!"
Gunfire rang out, followed by a scream—from one of the thugs. Wind whistled through shattered windows, heavy rain pattering in.
Seong Ha-yeon and Han Su-ryeon looked confused. But Ma Yu-hyeon knew exactly what was happening—and who caused it.
Do Seon-woo. The lightning, the impossible downpour, the wind, the exploding gun—all his doing. No one else could pull this off.
Can't have him as an enemy. Even as an ally, he needs total submission. If not……
"Run—now!"
Ma Yu-hyeon shook off thoughts of Do Seon-woo and yelled. If his guess was right, the guns were neutralized. Time to flee.
Do Seon-woo could wait.
"Where—which way?!"
"Anywhere—hide! Use the wood for comms!"
"O-okay!"
Han Su-ryeon bolted. Even worried Seong Ha-yeon fled competently. Ma Yu-hyeon ducked behind a massive exhibit, channeling divine power to draw a circle around his eyes. He peered through it.
Even in darkness, he saw the 'flows' within people. He'd use it to locate the group, the thugs, and Han Dae-ho.
Then he spotted an anomalous flow stalking another: a black-clad man with a dagger creeping behind Do Seon-woo.
"Hey, Do Seon—!"
Crackle!
A crack split the circle around Ma Yu-hyeon's eyes. His warning cut off. The circle shattered.
"Ugh……!"
Bloody tears streamed from his eyes. He pressed his palm hard against them, breathing raggedly. His heart pounded. The pain felt like his eyes might burst—not the only reason his mind raced.
Flows close to light were Florence students. Anomalous ones: thugs or Do Seon-woo. But some had no flow at all.
Or rather, flows beyond his perception.
"What……."
He recalled the final glimpse: the thug tailing Do Seon-woo, and behind him, a massive serpent of unknown flow rearing its maw.
*
The black-clad men panicked at the sudden dark and gun malfunctions. Seeing a comrade's wrist blown off deterred them from firing recklessly. They waited for the leader's orders, guns in hand.
The leader holstered his. "───!!"
Stow guns, capture hostages with daggers first—especially the black short-haired woman.
Without question, they complied, drawing daggers and scattering.
Darkness was their ally. Trained daily to survive and kill in it, their black clothes blended seamlessly. It felt cozy.
"……."
One sensed movement behind him—from the stairs. Someone descending fearlessly from the second floor.
He crept closer silently. The oblivious target didn't notice.
Almost within reach. Dagger raised.
Honey-sweet, sticky voice from nowhere. A slimy, cold tongue licked his spine. His body froze rigid.
He felt an immense, horrific presence watching.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
A forked tongue coiled around his neck.
Crunch.
His body slumped limply. No head remained on his neck.
(To be continued in the next chapter)