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Chapter Text

Then: Seoul

Wonpil grimaces as he glances over his shoulder. He grips onto his gun and fires it behind him even if it's a rather useless and futile attempt. He huffs when his gun makes a clicking sound, knowing that he's run out of rounds. He tosses his weapon to the floor before starting to run. He weaves in and out of the trees, hoping that his erratic movement will shake the person tailing him. He comes to a stop in front of a large lake and curses, his eyes darting back and forth. He breathes heavily and a streak of sweat trails down his cheek. "Really? Running? You had to know that there was no getting away from me," A voice says.

"Doesn't hurt to try," Wonpil says with a forced smile.

"I'll make this quick," The voice states.

Wonpil lets out a breath of air between gritted teeth, "Thanks..." With that said, there's a bright flash of light and the spot where the young man once stood is now empty.

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Now: Australia

"Chris!!!" Felix shouts as he is slammed onto the ground by a vampire. His eyes widen as he quickly moves his head to the side as the vamp starts to try to have a go at his neck. He looks around for his machete which is currently lying on the floor by the wall, having fallen out of his hand when he was knocked off his feet. "Close your mouth!" Chan exclaims. Felix heeds his cousin's warning as the young hunter comes up behind the vampire and slices its head right off. The vampire's head falls to the ground and his body accompanies it with a loud thud. Felix sighs and scrunches up his nose when he sees the blood splattered over his shirt. "This is why I can't have nice things," Felix huffs, having just bought the shirt earlier today.

"I told you that wearing it would be a bad idea," Chan says with a smile, offering his hand to Felix. The young man takes it and grunts as he gets back onto his feet. He looks around at the other dead bodies around them and shakes his head, "In my defense, I wasn't planning on taking on a vamp's nest today."

"Yeah, well, remember what grandpa always said," Chan state, wiping his machete against one of the dead vamp's shirts.

"A hunter doesn't plan on fighting monsters, but they do cause no one else will," Felix sighs.

"Yup," Chan says, "C'mon, let's get this all cleaned up. I'm hungry." The blonde haired man grabs onto the shoulders of one of the dead vamps and starts to drag him towards the back of the house. "You're always hungry," Felix deadpans, but moves to help his cousin. He makes a disgusted face as he kicks a decapitated head, rolling it towards the door.

──────●◎●──────

"Ah," Chan says, holding up a fry covered in gravy up to his cousin. Felix opens his mouth, keeping his head facing forwards as he drives down the road. Chan pops the fried potato into Felix's mouth and proceeds to grab another fry for himself. "Oh, can we stop by the post office before heading home?" Chan asks, "I wanna check my mailbox."

"I still can't believe you keep a mailbox," Felix says.

Chan shrugs, "Hey, gotta keep in contact somehow."

"Yeah, it's called a cellphone," Felix says, "We live in the 21st century."

"Hey, don't shame my mailbox," Chan huffs.

"I would never," Felix says, before making a right towards the post office. He pulls into the parking lot and unlocks the door. Chan gets out of the car, his hands filled with an empty bag of drive-thru food, "I'll be back in a sec..." Felix nods and sighs as he waits for his cousin to return. He taps his fingers against the steering wheel, letting his mind wander. He thinks back to their hunt today and nods, satisfied with how smooth it went. No major injuries and the entire vamp's nest dealt with swiftly. A successful hunt like this is expected of the two hunters. After all, they've been hunting almost before they could walk. The cousins come from a family of hunters. One of the most known ones in Australia. Notorious for their hunting skills and prowess. But even the greatest mess up, so it's a good thing that tonight went as well as it did. They're family would be proud of their work. They raised Chris and Felix side by side, becoming more like brothers than cousins. The family always believed in hunting with another person, finding it safer. When Chris and Felix came into the family, there was no doubt about it. Those two would train together and become hunter partners. And that's exactly what happened. When they were old enough, they began to work together like a perfectly oiled machine. They began to build a name for themselves outside of the family, other hunters falling in love with the stories of their training, building them up and their experiences making them into what they are today. The part that most people don't often remember is that gap year where Chris and Felix went their separate ways. It came after an argument went wrong, and it was so bad that Chris chose to leave for Korea. The cousins didn't speak for a couple of years, but they reconciled following the death of their grandma. Since then, the two have been hunting in Australia, neither talking at all about what happened to either of them during their time apart. Felix wanted to ask, but always stopped himself, not wanting to intrude. His cousin was a little different following his return to Australia, a bit nicer to the monsters that they were supposed to brutally hunt. It wasn't that big of an issue though, cause Chris's sudden soft spot for the creatures didn't stop him from doing his job. So, Felix let his cousin be, not bothering to dig into his escapades in Korea. "Unlock the door," Chan says, knocking on the window. Felix turns to look at his cousin, who stands at the passenger side with a folder thing in his hand. He unlocks the car door and Chris opens it. He plops down onto the seat and starts to rip open the folder. "Someone sent you something?" Felix asks.

Chan nods, "It's from a friend in Korea." Felix nods and watches as Chan pulls out a folded sheet of paper and a black leather journal from inside the package. He unfurls the paper and his eyes dart back and forth as he reads it. Chan stiffens suddenly and shifts a bit in his seat. His right hand drops to grasp the journal and his grip on the paper tightens, crumpling it a bit. Felix watches him with concern, wondering if something is wrong. Chan frowns before slowly lowering the paper and letting out a breath. "Everything okay?" Felix asks.

Chan shakes his head, "A hunter died."

"Oh," Felix murmurs, "Were you close?"

"Yeah, I was," Chan says, his voice cracking a bit, "He was actually the first hunter friend I made in Korea. He's the one that I would hunt with while I was there."

"I'm so sorry, Chris," Felix says, knowing how his cousin must feel. Chan nods, but doesn't say anything else. He runs his hand along the binding of the journal and slowly opens it. He sighs when he sees the familiar scrawl of one of his old friends. "Is that what he left you?" Felix asks tentatively.

"His journal," Chan says, "He never used to keep one when we hunted, but I guess he decided to pick it up..."

"Do you know how he died?" Felix questions.

Chan sighs, "Not really. This letter is from Wonpil's younger brother. He was talking to him when he...you know. Apparently, he was on a hunt and then just cut out communications wise entirely. Seungmin went to go check out his last location and he was just gone. They searched for a bit, but couldn't find him. They declared him dead." Felix purses his lips and looks to his cousin, whose eyes are shining with unshed tears. Wonpil must've meant a lot to Chris for him to get all emotional like this. Chan lets out a shaky breath and chuckles a bit, "But, hey, I guess he went out the best way possible. Hunting something..." He looks down at the journal and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to push back the tears that have yet to fall. Felix reaches a hand up and pats his cousin's shoulder. The two sit in the car in complete silence for a couple of minutes. Neither speaking nor making a single noise. Felix, out of respect for his cousin's recent loss and Chan, who is broken up at the fact that his friend is dead. "Are you okay?" Felix asks after a bit more time has passed.

Chan nods, "I will be." He looks down at the page of the journal and reads what is written on the first page. As he does, his eyes slowly widen, something that Felix notices. "What is it?" Felix questions.

"This journal...Wonpil started keeping it cause he was afraid something may happen to him before he could finish his plan," Chan says.

"Plan?" Felix repeats in a confused tone.

"I have no idea what it is, but it says here that when something happens to him that someone needs to pick up where he left off," Chan states, "He wanted me to continue his journey..." Felix looks at his cousin, who is getting an expression on his face that makes him uneasy. "Don't tell me you're thinking of going to Korea," Felix huffs.

"Wonpil would have wanted me to continue his work," Chan says.

"Yeah, the very work that got him killed!" Felix exclaims.

"It's fine," Chan says, "I'm a hunter. Every day could be my last..."

Felix rolls his eyes, "That's beside the point. You don't even know what his plan was. You can't just continue it! What if Wonpil was trying to do something bad?!"

"There's no way," Chan says, "Not Wonpil. If he was planning something, it would be for the better of humanity. That's the type of person he is."

Felix sighs, "I'm glad you have this much faith in your friend, Chris, but this is nuts."

"What would you do?" Chan asks, "If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

"I wouldn't just go rushing to Korea cause my now dead friend apparently wants me to finish his life mission!" Felix exclaims, "It doesn't matter how close we were, there's too many variables in this situation. You have zero idea what Wonpil's plan was or what got him killed! What if what killed him was because of his mission? Huh? What then?!" Chan sighs and slowly closes the journal, knowing that his cousin is right. He can't just run into this without thinking. He doesn't know anything and when you don't know things, it gets you killed. It's hard though, the emotions running through him cause of Wonpil's death. Sadness and anger and curiosity and a billion questions swarming his mind. Why did he have to die? What was he doing? What was Wonpil's plan? "I can't just let this journal collect dust," Chan states.

"Chris..." Felix says in a warning tone.

"I won't continue on his journey," Chan says, "I just want to figure out what he was doing and what actually happened that night...I owe Wonpil at least that..."

Felix takes a deep breath before slowly nodding his head, "Okay...you know I just don't want to see you get hurt...right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Chan says, "It's okay...I needed you to yell at me like that. I was running off of emotions for a second there..."

"Understandable, you just lost a friend," Felix says. Chan nods and sighs, letting his head fall back on the headrest. "Will you come with me?" Chan asks.

"Come with you where?" Felix questions.

"Korea," Chan states, "I can't figure out what happened to Wonpil all the way here in Australia. I need to go back there to piece it all together."

"And you want me to come with you?" Felix asks.

Chan nods, "I don't know how long I'll be gone and I don't want us to split up again. I'm a better hunter with you by my side."

"I don't know, Chris," Felix murmurs, "I've never hunted outside of home before."

"Don't worry, I'll guide you," Chan says, "It's not that different from here. Hunting is hunting after all. What do you say? C'mon, Lixie, I need my partner for this..." Felix purses his lips in thought, trying to decide what to do. Going to Korea was scary for him, believe it or not. He's never left the country before except for a vacation. And this trip isn't for a vacation, it's for work. There are monsters in Korea that he's never faced in Australia. Sure, he'll be with Chris, but it's still a crazy thing. To fight what you've never fought before. But, at the same time, he can't just stay behind. If Chris is going to be retracing Wonpil's steps, he could be in danger. Felix would never forgive himself if something happened to his cousin. Not to mention, he isn't too fond of splitting up with his partner for a second time. "Fine," Felix says, "I'll go."

"Great," Chan says with a grin, "I'll buy plane tickets for tomorrow. Oh and you should sharpen up your Korean, Yongbok-ssi...."

Felix groans, "No, just no..."

Chapter Text

Then: Australia Airport

"Are you okay?" Jennie asks with a concerned expression on her face. Rose nods her head, walking out of one of the bathroom stalls with a hand over her stomach and a hand hovering over her mouth. She walks over to the sink and turns the water on. She runs her hands under it and wipes her mouth at the same time. Jennie watches her with the same look on her face and passes her a napkin that sits in a basket off to the side. Rose takes it from her friend and dries her mouth and hands. "I guess it's just first flight nerves," Rose chuckles, a bit embarrassed about not being able to keep her lunch down.

"Don't worry about it," Jennie says, "I was the same way during my first flight. Trust me when I say that when you actually get up in the air, it's no big deal at all. You've trained for this and you'll kill it today."

"Thanks," Rose says with a soft smile on her face. She takes a deep breath and looks into the mirror. "I can do this," She states, her voice shaking a bit.

"Yes, you can, Rosie," Jennie says, squeezing her friend's shoulders, "C'mon, we should get ready. We have a couple minutes before we need to get on the plane." Rose nods and starts to make her way towards the door. She swings it open and exits the bathroom. Jennie follows behind her, but before she can walk through the doorway, the wooden door slams shut with a loud boom. The young woman's eyes widen in surprise and she grabs onto the doorknob. She twists it and frowns when it doesn't budge. "Rosie! The door is stuck!" Jennie exclaims, "I can't get out!"

"Oh, crap! Jennie!" Rose calls out, banging on the door and twisting the knob. Jennie lets out a sigh, as she does her breath comes from her mouth in a small wisp of smoke. She frowns and lets out another breath. How come she can see her breath? There's no way that its cold enough for that, but as this thought crosses her mind the temperature within the bathroom seems to drop. Jennie crosses her arms over her chest and shivers a bit. She slowly turns around and gasps when she sees frost building over the bathroom mirrors. "What is going on?" She murmurs. Suddenly, a figure with a tattered jacket on and hollow cheeks appears in front of her. Jennie screams as the figure reaches its arms out to her.

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Now

"For the record, I am calling you Chris," Felix says as the cousins enter the airport side by side.

"For the record, being stubborn about using my Korean name isn't going to make speaking Korean any easier," Chan retorts. Felix huffs and walks a bit faster, heading towards the luggage checks. The cousins make it through security without any issues and they make their way to the waiting area while they wait for their plane to arrive. "Since we're going to Korea, I think it's time you tell me what happened during that time you spent there," Felix says.

Chan nods, "Nothing much honestly....I was wandering around and hunting on my own for a bit. I ran into Wonpil on a hunt by accident. We bonded really well and he took me under his wing. Hunting is basically the same no matter where you go, but in Korea the way things work with monsters are a bit different."

"Is that why when you came back you started to treat the monsters nicer during our hunts?" Felix asks.

Chris looks to his cousin with surprise, "You noticed that?"

"Of course, I did," Felix says, "How could I miss you trying to talk a werewolf out of ripping out a civilian's heart? I thought you were nuts for trying, but the mutt actually dropped the human..."

"Most monsters aren't evil deep down," Chan says, "They're just trying their best to live in the circumstances we force them into."

"You learned that in Korea?" Felix questions.

Chan nods, "There...the monsters live amongst the humans. Not as killers but as living beings that are just trying to get by. Korean hunters leave those be. The ones that haven't harmed anyone and just live their lives."

"But a monster is a monster," Felix says, "Eventually...they'll mess up."

"And if they do, there's a hunter right at their doorstep to end it," Chan states, "Hunters still kill in Korea, but they only go after those that truly deserve it."

Felix sighs, "That's a real different way of thinking than how we were taught."

"I know," Chan says, "It took me a while to get used to it, but once I did...it just opened my eyes, Lixie. We hunt things without thought here...but in Korea we can stop and choose a better way. Save not only human lives, but monsters as well."

Felix shakes his head, "The whole idea of treating a monster as anything less than a monster is still not sticking with me..."

"I wouldn't expect it to," Chan says, "But, give it time. Soon enough, you'll see that not all monsters have ill intentions." Felix sighs and leans against his seat, not knowing if his mindset really will change or not. He knew that things would be different in Korea, but accepting monsters. That's a difference that Felix doesn't know if he'll ever get used to. Suddenly, an announcement is made over the loudspeaker, "Flight 325 will be delayed due to an issue with staff, please wait patiently until we can give you more news." The cousins exchange a look and frown, identifying the flight as their own. They weren't looking forward to waiting around for an unforeseen amount of time, but what could they do. Just then, men and women wearing police uniforms rush into the airport. Felix and Chan can't help but stare as they run by. "That doesn't look good," Felix comments.

"No, it does not," Chan murmurs. He slowly gets up and starts to walk, but before he can Felix tugs him back. "Where are you going?" Felix asks.

"To find out what's going on," Chan says, "I have a feeling it has to do with why our flight's been cancelled..."

"Okay, but still, we really shouldn't be digging our noses into things like this," Felix states.

Chan sighs, "Even if it's to deal with the supernatural?"

"You think this was some weird death caused by a monster?" Felix questions.

"One way to find out," Chan says. Felix sighs and gestures for his cousin to start walking. The two head in the same direction as the cops, knowing that they will lead them to the source of the issue

──────●◎●──────

"You can't be here," A cop says, blocking the doorway from the two. Chan and Felix followed the cops to what appears like a crime scene in the private area where the pilots and stewardesses stay. There's a bunch of those very people gathered around, whispering and staring as the police enter a bathroom. The bathroom doorway is covered with yellow caution tape and flashes come from inside as forensics take pictures from inside. "You need to leave," The cop states again. Felix and Chan exchange a look before digging into their pockets and taking out badges. "We're NIS," Chan states, "We were supposed to be taking Flight 325 back to Korea, but our flight got delayed. We noticed this commotion and thought it may have something to do with that." The cop sighs and slowly steps to the side. Felix and Chan peek into the bathroom where a woman lies dead on the floor. She is sitting in a pool of her own blood and her eyes are wide open. "What happened?" Felix asks the cop.

The man sighs, "She slammed her head into the sink..."

"What?" Chan questions.

The cop nods, "That's what forensics say at least. They'll do a full evaluation later, but there's blood covering the sink and a pretty nasty wound on the back of her head."

"Is this some sort of accident or did she try to..." Felix murmurs.

"Trying to figure that out now. They're talking to a witness about it," The cop says, gesturing to a woman who has tears in her eyes being asked questions by a female police officer, "You guys can go see for yourselves if you would like."

"Thanks," Chan says, "You wanna go talk to the witness while I check for EMF?"

"Yeah," Felix says before patting his cousin on the shoulder and heading over towards the witness. The police woman looks at him as he approaches and Felix flashes her a soft smile. "Hello," Felix says, "Do you mind if I speak with her for a second? I'm with the NIS." The cop narrows her eyes for a second, but slowly nods. She squeezes the witness's shoulder and stands up. She walks away and Felix sits down beside her. "Hi, my name is Agent Lee," Felix says as he sits down.

"Hello," The woman murmurs, "I'm Rose Park..."

"Nice to meet you, Rose," Felix says, "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Rose sniffles a bit and slowly nods her head, "M-my friend...Jennie...sh-she...."

"It's okay," Felix says, "Take your time..."

Rose takes a shaky breath, "Jennie was comforting me cause I w-was nervous about my f-first flight...we were leaving the bathroom and then the d-door just s-slammed shut...I-I tried to get it open, but it wouldn't budge...the next thing I know Jennie screamed and then...t-this..." The woman whimpers a bit as she glances at the bathroom where her now dead friend lies. She reaches for her wrist and twists a black leather cord bracelet anxiously. Felix purses his lips together and sighs, only imagining how the woman sitting next to him must be feeling. "Was there anything else weird you noticed?" Felix asks, "Cold spots...weird smells..."

Rose shakes her head, "The weirdest thing was the door slamming shut. I just walked out and less than a second later, Jennie was locked inside."

"Okay," Felix says, "Thank you for your time and I'm so sorry for your loss." Rose nods her head and wipes at her tear stricken face. Felix flashes her a comforting smile before standing and walking over to his cousin, who is exiting the bathroom. "So?" Felix questions, wondering if Chan was able to find anything ghostly within the bathroom. His short talk with Rose made him suspect that it's a vengeful spirit that is behind this incident, but one can't be sure unless an EMF has been read. Chan sighs, slipping the EMF reader back in his pocket, "We definitely got a ghost on our hands..."

──────●◎●──────

"Okay, okay, I think I got something," Felix says, "A former pilot died of a heart attack before his flight at this very airport. His plane happened to be 325..." He turns his laptop around to show his cousin, who is scrolling through his iPad researching himself. Chan looks at the screen and nods his head, "So, Greg Mathers died but stuck around and became a ghost cause he's bitter and doesn't want anyone else to fly his plane since he never got the chance to."

"Exactly," Felix says.

"Great, this was easy," Chan says, "Where's he buried?"

"A couple of miles from here," Felix says, "I think we should have time to go burn his bones before our flight."

"Yup," Chan says, grabbing his bag where he keeps some supplies, "Let's get going." The cousins head to the cemetery where Greg Mathers was buried and do their hunter thing. They dig up his coffin and crack it open. They douse the corpse with salt and burn it. Once reduced to ashes, the cousins bury it under the dirt before heading back to the airport. "Another job well done," Chan says as the cousins enter the airport again. Felix opens his mouth to say something, but frowns when he sees another group of cops rushing towards the back area where the previous incident was. "They've probably just found the culprit and called for backup, right?" Felix questions, "There's no way they're here cause there's been another death...right?"

Chan grimaces, the feeling that something is wrong creeping up on him, "C'mon..." The cousins start running again towards the area and are shocked to see a pilot lying slumped against a table with a knife sticking in his neck.

──────●◎●──────

"Okay, so it wasn't Greg Mathers," Felix says.

"No, it most definitely was not," Chan says.

Felix sighs, "What now?"

"Well, we clearly missed something," Chan states, "Are there any other deaths that took place here?"

Felix shrugs, "None that I noticed."

"Then, where the hell is this ghost coming from?" Chan huffs. Felix massages his temples and purses his lips, trying to think of anything that he may have missed. His eyes flit around the room in search of something behind this until they land on Rose, who is sitting curled up in the corner crying. Felix starts to walk over to her and Chan eyes him with curiosity before following. The freckled young man bends down to sit beside Rose and glances at her, "Are you okay?"

Rose slowly lifts her head up and shakes her head, "This is the worst first day ever. First, it was Jennie and now it's Captain Ed. I must be cursed or something..." Felix glances up at Chan, who shrugs, not knowing if the woman's words carry any weight to them or not. "You're not cursed," Felix states.

"I was with Jennie before she died," Rose says in a shaky tone, "I was talking to Captain Ed before he died....whatever is happening...these deaths...they have to be my fault."

"Please don't say that," Chan says, "Whatever is going on, isn't cause of you."

"My partner is right," Felix says, "We'll find out what's really behind this, Rose. I promise you."

"And if it is cause of me?" Rose asks, "What then?"

"It isn't," Chan states, "It isn't your fault." Rose looks up at the blonde haired man, who has a firm expression on his face. She blinks a couple of times before tugging a bit on her cord bracelet nervously. "If you say so," She murmurs. Felix and Chan look to one another, the same thought crossing both of their minds. If Rose was near both of the victims, the ghost must be someone connected to her or a spirit that for some reason has decided to link onto her. "Rose, can I ask you a question?" Felix asks. The woman looks at him and nods her head. "This is kind of personal, but have you lost anyone close to you in your family..." Felix questions.

Rose slowly nods, "My older brother...he died in a plane accident...he was training to be a professional pilot..."

"And you're a flight attendant," Chan states.

Rose nods, "The two of us used to dream about flying in the sky together when we were younger. Even after what happened to my brother, I couldn't just let our dream die. I don't think that he would have been happy about that."

"I beg to differ," Felix mutters under his breath.

"What was that?" Rose questions.

Felix coughs, "Oh, uh, nothing. Jennie and Captain Ed...they were a part of the staff for Flight 325...right?"

"Yeah," Rose says, "Just like me." Felix and Chan look at one another and slowly nod their heads. Everything starting to make a bit more sense now. If Rose's brother died on a plane crash then he definitely would not want his sister to go down the same way. He stuck around to make sure she wouldn't get in any danger and when her first flight was about to start, he struck. He reached out and killed the staff of the flight in an attempt to prevent his little sister from boarding. "Rose? Where is your brother buried?" Chan asks.

Rose blinks in surprise and shakes her head, "He wasn't buried. He was cremated."

"Okay then...how about an item or a lock of hair that belonged to him that you keep with you?" Chan questions, "Do you have something like that?" Rose nods, lifting her wrist up and showing them the black cord bracelet. "This was his," Rose says, "I got it for him to wish him luck on his first test while getting his pilot license..."

"Could we have it?" Felix asks. Rose pulls her wrist back quickly and shakes her head. She fingers the bracelet and lets out a sigh. "This is the last thing of his I have," Rose states, "It's like a good-luck charm to me..."

Chan purses his lips together and slowly nods, "I understand, Rose, but we really need that bracelet. We think that it may be behind these deaths..."

"What?" Rose questions, "That makes no sense."

"Chris...are you sure about this?" Felix asks, looking to his cousin.

Chan nods, "It's the only way she'll part with it." Felix sighs, but slowly nods his head, knowing that his cousin is right about this. "Rose...we know who's behind these incidents," Chan says.

Rose's eyes widen in surprise, "Do you really?"

"It's your brother," Chan states. Rose stares at him for a second before scoffing and getting to her feet. She starts to walk away and the cousins exchange a glance before quickly following her. "Please," Rose huffs, "I'm already having a bad day. I don't need you to be a jerk and say stupid things like that."

"Rose! Please! I wasn't trying to-," Chan exclaims, reaching a hand out to grab her. Rose turns around before he can with an annoyed expression on her face. "What? Accuse my dead brother of killing my best friend and boss!?" Rose huffs, "Don't give me that crap. My brother is gone."

Felix sighs and pushes back his hair, "He is, but his spirit is still here." Rose stares at him and laughs, finding the notion absolutely ridiculous. "Like what...a ghost?" Rose questions, "You expect me to believe that!"

"You've seen it," Chan says, "The door suddenly locking shut...that wasn't some weird coincidence...that was a ghost." Rose purses her lips together and crosses her arms over her chest. She starts to think back to what happened earlier today and how almost all the cops she spoke to couldn't figure out how it happened. But, just cause they couldn't piece what actually happened doesn't mean that a ghost is to blame. "It's impossible," Rose states, "Ghosts don't exist."

"They do," Felix says, "My cousin and I have seen and fought ghosts first hand..."

"I thought you were NIS," Rose says.

"We're more like the Ghostbusters," Chan says with a small smile.

Rose shakes her head, "I don't know what to say...I still don't entirely understand...much less believe you..."

"That's fine," Felix says, "The less you know is probably for the better. We just had to tell you this to convince you to give us that bracelet. Your brother's spirit is linked to it and the only way for him to move on is if we burn it." Rose grasps the bracelet again, absentmindedly. She looks down at it, appearing still a bit hesitant to give it up. "I understand that it's important to you. We both do, but if you want these deaths around you to stop, we need you to give us that bracelet," Chan says. Rose doesn't say anything for a second, but after a minute has passed she slowly slips the bracelet off her wrist. She places it on Felix's open palm and looks him in the eye, "As long as no one else gets hurt, I can part with it."

"We'll make sure no one else does," Felix states, "We promise you that." Rose nods and the cousins exchange a look before heading towards a back exit. Once outside, Chan digs into his pocket and takes out a lighter. Felix puts the bracelet down onto the ground and reaches for the salt stuck in his jacket pocket. "Quickly," Chan says, "Before Rose's brother notices what's up and starts attacking." Felix nods and quickly douses the cord bracelet with salt and gestures for Chan to burn it. Chan brings the lighter to the bracelet and waits for it to catch before taking a step back. The two cousins watch as the bracelet burns and Rose's brother appears in front of them. They stare at the spirit with solemn expressions on their face as the man garbed in a trainee pilot uniform is enveloped in flames.

──────●◎●──────

"Can I get you anything to drink or eat?" Rose asks the two cousins, who are now sitting on the plane heading towards Korea.

"Water," Felix says.

"Peanuts," Chan says with a smile. Rose nods and quickly gets them their requests. "Did you?" Rose questions as she places a water bottle in front of Felix.

The freckled hunter nods his head, "Your brother is finally at rest."

"Thank you," Rose says, flashing the two a small smile. She still doesn't know what exactly happened. She still doesn't entirely believe in the whole ghost thing either, but if these two were able to put a stop to any more deaths than that is good enough for her. She places Chan's bag of peanuts in front of him before waving and moving down the aisle to assist the next passengers. Felix sighs and leans against the airplane seat, sipping on his water, "Hey...Chan hyung..."

Chan looks over at his cousin with surprise and smiles, "You called me hyung..."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to Korea...it's time I started speaking the language," Felix says, "I probably sound like a complete foreigner, but at least I'm trying..."

"That's all I ask," Chan says, "Yongbok-ssi..."

Felix scowls, "I said I will speak Korean...I never said I'm using my Korean name."

Chapter Text

Then: Incheon

"Have a nice day, professor," A tall student with a handsome face says as he exits the classroom with his friend.

"You too, Eunwoo," Professor Yeon says with a smile. He is a much put together man. He wears a button down white shirt with a dark green striped tie. A nice watch sits on his wrist and his graying hair is combed neatly with gel. The man starts to gather up the assignments that his students worked on so that he can grade them later. He slips the stack of papers into a folder before sticking it into his bag which sits on his chair. He slowly gathers up the rest of his belongings and slips it into his backpack before zipping it up. He throws it over his shoulder before turning to face the whiteboard and wipe it clean. The sound of the classroom door opening makes the man turn. The professor frowns when he doesn't recognize the student standing in front of him, "Can I help you, student?"

"Yes, professor, I'm actually kinda lost," The young woman says. She's wearing a black tee-shirt that is tucked partially into her dark blue jeans. She has a stack of books in her arms and a light pink backpack thrown over her shoulder. She wears a matching pink headband and she has a sweet smile on her face. "Did you just transfer here?" The professor asks. The woman nods her head and the middle-aged man gestures for her to come closer. "Where are you trying to go?" Professor Yeon questions. The woman doesn't say anything. She places her books down on the front desk and slips her bag off her shoulder. The professor eyes her weirdly as she takes a confident step closer to him. He tenses as she continues to move closer and closer to him. Professor Yeon moves back without even thinking, "What are you doing?"

"Word around campus is that you're one of smartest teachers here," The woman says with a wide grin.

"My image precedes me," Professor Yeon coughs out. The woman hums and slowly lifts her left hand palm up. A long spike extends from her wrist and she smirks as the professor squirms in fear. "I'll be the judge of that," She says before piercing the man in the neck using her spike.

──────●◎●──────

"I don't like this car," Felix huffs as he looks around at the cheap rental car they picked up.

Chan sighs as he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road, "It's not like we can afford to be picky. I have another car in Seoul, but until we get there we're stuck with this." It isn't a terrible vehicle, but it's fairly small for both of the hunter's liking. They were barely able to hold most of their hunting equipment and they had tried to only bring the bare essentials with them to Korea. They planned on restocking at a men of letters chapterhouse in Seoul, which Chan says have some impressive toys that would make any hunter giggle with glee. "Yeah, yeah," Felix sighs, "Are we going straight to Seoul?"

"That's the plan," Chan says, "But, if you want we can go grab a bit before getting into the main road."

"When you say bite, you don't mean ramyeon, do you?" Felix questions, "I don't want my first meal in Korea to be instant noodles..."

"I wasn't going to suggest we have ramyeon," Chan huffs.

Felix sighs, "Yes, you were. You've always been more of the watch our expenses person then I have."

"It's not like we can just splurge!" Chan tuts, "We're not rich you know."

"We're not poor either," Felix says, "Credit card fraud gives you enough to afford a decent meal once and awhile."

"Fine!" Chan exclaims, "What do you want to eat? Meat? Let's go have meat. Bulgogi, samgyeopsal, galbi, the whole shabang!"

"Sounds good to me," Felix says with a smirk. Chan sighs and makes a right turn, heading towards the nearest barbecue place.

──────●◎●──────

"Thank you," Felix says as he takes the small tray of kimchi from the waitress, their fingers brushing against one another ever so slightly. The brunette woman nods her head before turning around and walking back towards the kitchen. "Hey, look at this," Chan says, sliding his phone across the table to show Felix. His freckled cousin places the tray down and glances at the device. "Murder of Loved College Professor has Students in Shock," Felix reads, "What? You think it's a case?"

"Maybe," Chan says, popping a piece of meat into his mouth with his chopsticks.

"It doesn't sound very supernatural," Felix says.

"Except for the part where it says they found his brains are shriveled and dried..." Chan comments as he picks a piece of meat from the grill and pops it into his mouth. The blonde eyes widen from the temperature of what he just ate. He reaches for his glass of water and quickly gulps it down. Felix's eyebrows raise, "You okay?"

"Fine," Chan lets out a breath, "So...what do you think? Worth checking out?"

"Yeah," Felix says, "But, I thought we were heading straight to Seoul."

"We are," Chan says, "I just think that it may do you some good to hunt a bit in Korea. You know...test the waters a bit before we really get going on this journey..."

"Right, cause things are different here," Felix states through gritted teeth, "You know if this case is actually a monster kill...I won't hesitate to end its life...a man is dead."

"I know," Chan says.

──────●◎●──────

The two walk into the police station wearing suits. They approach one of the officers, who sits at a desk typing away at a computer. "Hello," Chan says, "We're with the NIS. I'm Agent Kang and this is my partner Agent Do. We were wondering if you could tell us more about the Hankook University case."

"NIS?" The cop questions, "This incident just happened yesterday...since when have you guys gotten here so quickly."

"Yes, well, we're rookies and they needed something to do with us," Felix says.

"Right," The cop says, "You should go talk to the team leader. He's in the morgue. It's down the hall and to your left."

"Thanks," Chan says. The two fake agents make their way towards the morgue. They spot a man with his arms crossed over his chest as well as a woman garbed in protective clothing. Felix knocks on the door before entering the room with his cousin. The two already occupying it, look at them with curiosity. "Can I help you?" The man asks.

"Yes, are you the one in charge of the Hankook University case?" Chan questions.

"Who's asking?" The man questions with narrowed eyes.

"NIS," Felix states as he holds up his badge. The man's eyes widen and he slowly nods. "Sorry about that. My name is Kim Myungjun. I'm the team leader of the violent crimes division," The man sighs, "I've been up all night trying to figure this one out and I haven't had any coffee."

"Don't worry about it," Chan says, "Can you tell us more about the victim?"

"He's right here," Myungjun says, gesturing to the corpse lying on a metal table. The cousins take a step closer to look at the dead body of the middle-aged man. The medical examiner steps towards the side so the two can get a better look. She hands the two gloves which they slip on before going to deeper examine the corpse. Chan tilts the man's head to the side and his eyebrows furrow when he notices a circular wound that he wouldn't doubt goes all the way towards the former professor's brain. "You said that his brain was completely dry" Felix says, "Any idea what could've caused that?"

"Not a clue," Myungjun huffs, "You two are welcome to take a look and tell me if you have any idea what caused something like this. I'm stumped."

"What about this wound?" Chan asks, gesturing to the hole in the man's neck.

"Another unknown that we're trying to fill in," Myungjun says, "We have a few hypotheses, but they are rather ridiculous." The cousins look to the team leader and nod their heads, waiting for him to tell them more. The man shifts around a bit and sighs, "We think that the hole in his neck may be due to some sort of suction device being jabbed into him to drain all the fluids of his brain."

"Wow," Felix says.

Myungjun nods, "It's a stretch, but it's the only way to explain what the autopsy found. If you have any idea what actually happened here, please let me know."

"We will," Chan says, "Thank you, officer." Myungjun nods before turning around and walking out of the morgue. The cousins peel the gloves off their hands and toss them into the trash. They wave to the medical examiner before following suit and exiting the room. "So, what do you think?" Felix asks.

"If you ask me, they aren't so far off with their whole suction idea," Chan says.

"Good to know we're on the same page then," Felix states.

Chan nods, "It's a wraith. No doubt about it."

──────●◎●──────

"Why didn't we bring silver!?" Felix exclaims as he digs through their bags that lay on the seats in the back of the car.

"We did," Chan states from where he sits behind the wheel of the car, "It's somewhere in the trunk."

"Help me look for it," Felix says.

"Don't you think you're being a bit hasty?" Chan questions, "We don't even know where the wraith is. Remember...wraiths can appear like any normal human."

"I know, I know," Felix says, "Wraiths suck up human brain fluid using their gross spike things. They appear human except for in reflective surfaces...then you can truly see their ugly ass appearances..."

"Right and since they can look like humans...that means they can be anyone," Chan says, "Hence, we need to be searching Hankook University and finding who has been in contact with the professor recently." Felix huffs and slowly steps back. He slams the back door of the car shut and makes his way to the passenger seat. He plops down on it and crosses his arms. "We should just bring silver and touch each person in the school with it," Felix says, "Or maybe bring a mirror so we can check their reflections...that would be a lot easier...."

"I don't think any of the students or teachers would appreciate that," Chan says, "What's up with you anyway? Why are you being so gung-ho and stuff?"

"Guess I'm just nervous," Felix mutters.

Chan eyes him, "Nervous?"

"Yes! Okay! It's my first hunt in Korea and I'm a bit worried that it could go wrong," Felix exclaims.

"Hey, hey, I didn't mean to-," Chan starts.

Felix cuts him off with a hand, "It's fine. I'm fine. Let's just go to the school and find the wraith before it hurts anyone else." Chan stares at his cousin for a minute, but Felix shifts so that his body is turned towards the window. Chan sighs and shakes his head, knowing his cousin doesn't want to talk about it. He should, but he won't. He sticks the keys into the ignition and starts up the car before driving towards the university.

──────●◎●──────

"Sorry to interrupt," Chan says as he enters one of the classrooms with Felix by his side. The students all turn to look at him with wide eyes before quietly whispering to one another, wondering who these two could be. "Not at all," The teacher says, "How can I help you?"

"We were wondering if we could speak with Cha Eunwoo, Moon Bin, and Yoon Sanha," Felix says. The students in question lift their heads up in surprise, they eye the two suited individuals with confused expressions. "Of course," The professor says, "Boys...if you would..." The two hunters have been in the school for a bit now, tracking down each person that had some form of communication with Professor Kim in the day of the accident. They've spoken to teachers and students, all who have identified as nothing more than human. They've been going down the list and so far no luck. These three are apparently the students that spoke to the professor before his untimely death. They have to either be behind the incident or know something behind it. The three students stand up from their seats and make their way towards the door. The teacher draws the rest of the students' attention back to the lesson as the cousins lead their possible suspects out of the room. "Is something wrong?" Eunwoo asks with a curious expression on his face.

"That's something you'll have to tell us," Chan states, flashing his NIS badge to the three college students. Their eyes all widen simultaneously and they nudge each other as discreetly as possible. "What did you do, Binnie hyung!" Sanha whisper-shouts.

"Me!" Moon Bin huffs, "I didn't do anything."

"Hey, hey, don't go pointing fingers at each other when you don't even know what we're accusing you of," Felix says. The three students slam their mouths shut and nod their heads. "We've spoken to your fellow classmates regarding the recent death of your professor," Chan says, "One of them said that you three where the last out of the classroom the day he died." The boys all fall silent at Chan's words. They all really liked the man that was their teacher. He was good at his job and would always offer words of encouragement to his students. The professor was just an overall good guy. He was kind even when he didn't have to be and always thought of others before himself. The death had hit everyone in the school hard. He was a good man that didn't deserve such a gruesome death. "We would never hurt him," Eunwoo states, "He's the best teacher I've ever had." The other two nod their heads urgently. The cousins exchange a glance with one another before looking back at the three students. Their expressions seem genuine. They truly cared about their late teacher. There's no way they could be behind this. "Don't worry," Felix says, "We're not accusing you. We simply wish to know if you saw anything or anyone enter the classroom after you left."

Sanha shakes his head, "We didn't stick around after class..." The cousins frown, another dead end. What are they supposed to do now? They've spoken to all the people that may have come in contact with the professor. They can't go with Felix's plan of waving a mirror around and hoping to catch the wraith. "I saw someone," Moon Bin murmurs, "I don't know if she was going towards the classroom or not, but she passed by us when we were walking down the hall."

"Did you recognize her?" Chan asks.

Moon Bin shakes his head, "I know most of the people in our school, but I've never seen her around."

"Do you mind telling us what she looks like?" Felix questions.

"About your height," Moon Bin says, "Brown highlights...that's all I remember..."

Chan nods his head, "Thank you. You guys can go back to class." The three nod before heading back towards the classroom. "What now?" Felix asks after the students are out of earshot.

"We look for the girl," Chan says, "She's our only lead at the moment."

Felix sighs, "That's like looking for a needle in a haystack. The information Moon Bin gave us isn't all that specific. There's a lot of girls in Korea with brown highlights around my height. I think I passed by eight in the past hour."

"Okay, you really need to get out of this mood of yours," Chan huffs before walking down the hall.

"I'm not in a mood," Felix states.

Chan scoffs, "Sure. I get it that you're stressed about this mission, but you don't need to be an absolute pig-headed jerk."

"Do you understand though?" Felix questions, "This isn't your first time here! You've hunted in Korea before."

"That doesn't mean I don't get what you're going through!" Chan scowls, "I was in your shoes before too you know. It took me a while to get assimilated. I'm sure you'll get used to it, Lix. We just got here after all."

"I don't think I'll be able to ever get over it!" Felix exclaims, "Hunting, being here, it's all too much for me!!!"

"Hunting? Why are you worried about hunting? Hunting is hunting," Chan says, "It doesn't matter where we are. We still go through the same motions."

Felix rolls his eyes, "You know that sounds like you're saying my reaction is stupid."

"What?" Chan says with a confused expression, "I'm not trying to offend you." The two exit the school and make their way down the sidewalk. There aren't many people nearby, so thankfully no one seems to notice the cousins' kind of argument. "Yeah, well, you kinda are," Felix rants rapidly, "I mean...the last time I was in Korea was for vacation. And now I need to speak the damn language fluently or risk getting exposed...do you understand the constant stress I am under every time someone speaks to me? I feel like I have a billion eyes on me that are all judging me and waiting for me to freaking slip up! Don't even get me started on monsters. I swear...they're everywhere I look! When you said that monsters live amongst you civilly in Korea, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it! Every person we walk by or talk to is a freaking ghoul or a vamp or something else supernatural!!!" Chan stares at his cousin with a mixture of concern and confusion. Felix isn't acting like himself. If he's under a lot of pressure, he would confide in Chan. They've always been the type to do that, not hiding anything from one another. And he would most definitely not explode suddenly from said pressure. Felix continues to ramble on and on until his eyes slowly start to roll backwards. "Felix!" Chan shouts as his cousin's knees buckle and he starts to fall. The blonde-haired hunter acts quickly and grabs onto his cousin before he can hit the ground. "Lix! Felix!" Chan exclaims worriedly as he shakes his cousin's limp body.

Chapter Text

Felix groans as he slowly wakes up. His head is spinning, but he forces himself to slowly sit up. He looks around, taking in his surroundings, quickly realizing that he's in a motel. "Hey, dude, are you okay?" Chan asks from where he sits behind a table with a laptop open.

"I feel hungover," Felix huffs, "But, I didn't drink anything..."

"No, you didn't," Chan says, "You did though get touched by our wraith."

"What?" Felix questions. Chan nods and stands up. He grabs the laptop and takes a seat at the edge of the bed, so that Felix can see the screen. "Wraiths have the ability to increase your dopamine levels with just a touch. If you have any inner issues that you're keeping bottled up, they would arise and become realistic hallucinations making you psychologically unstable," Chan says, "Which I think is what happened to you..."

Felix sighs and lets his head fall, "I guess that would explain why I kept seeing monsters at every turn...they probably were just normal people...gosh I'm so stupid. How did I let myself get touched by a freaking monster and not even notice?"

"It happens to all of us," Chan says, "Lix...what the wraith did...it didn't create something out of nothing..."

"I know what you're trying to say," Felix says, "Yes, I've been a little stressed and stuff. I mean I'm in a whole different country, who wouldn't be? But, it's nothing you should worry about."

"Are you sure?" Chan asks.

Felix nods, "Yes, if I truly couldn't handle this...I would tell you. All that other stuff was the wraith's influence talking..."

"Okay," Chan says, trusting that his cousin is telling the truth.

"What now?" Felix questions.

Chan purses his lips together, "Well, you should stay here and rest..."

"What? Why?" Felix says, "The wraith is still out there."

"Yes and you are still whammied," Chan says.

Felix scoffs, "I'm fine."

"Until the wraith is dead, you're not," Chan states.

Felix stares at his cousin with a serious expression, "You can't go out there alone. You don't even know who the wraith is!"

"I have the description Moon Bin gave and I have an idea of where to look," Chan says, "If you got touched by the wraith, we must have passed it sometime today..."

"Chris, that's all the more reason to have me come with you!" Felix urges, "If you run into the wraith, you'll need my help."

"It's just one monster," Chan states.

"Yeah, one monster that can make you lose it and suck your brain fluids out!" Felix huffs, "We agreed never to split up again. Remember." Chan falls silent for a second before eyeing his cousin with concern. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Chan asks.

"Yes," Felix states in a firm tone.

Chan sighs, "Alright, then, let's go."

──────●◎●──────

"Really? The barbecue place?" Felix says as they pull into the parking lot of the restaurant they ate at yesterday.

"We need to retrace all your steps," Chan says as he parks the car, "We can't skip any spot we went to." Felix shrugs as he opens the car door. He walks towards the entrance with Chan following behind him. The cousins enter the establishment and are greeted by a waiter with a name tag that says Park Jinwoo on his shirt. "Welcome," Jinwoo calls out from where he's wiping down a table near the front of the restaurant, "You can sit wherever you want."

"That's not the same part-timer as the other day," Chan murmurs, "It was a girl if I remember correctly..."

Felix nods, "It was...do you think she was our wraith?"

"Did you touch her?" Chan asks.

Felix stares at his cousin with an annoyed expression, "I don't remember. Our fingers may have brushed against each other, but I'm pretty sure the same thing happened when we were greeting the medical examiner at the police yesterday too."

"Okay, okay," Chan sighs, "Let's go talk to the staff. Maybe they know something." The two walk over to Jinwoo, who is refilling someone's glass with water. He smiles and turns to walk away. He jumps a bit when he is faced by the cousins, who stand right in front of him. "Did you need something?" Jinwoo asks.

Felix nods, "We were here the other day and we're looking for one of the waitresses."

"Brown highlights about my height?" Chan questions.

"Oh, you mean Doyeon," Jinwoo says, "She's not in today."

"Do you mind telling us where she lives?" Felix asks. Jinwoo frowns at the request and tenses up a bit. "We're NIS," Chan says quickly.

Jinwoo's eyes widen, "Is Doyeon in trouble?"

"Uh, we're looking into it, but we really can't tell you much," Chan says.

"Right," Jinwoo says, "I'll get you her address then." The waiter bows before heading towards the back room.

──────●◎●──────

"Think she's our monster?" Felix asks as they park in front of an apartment complex.

"Maybe," Chan says, "So pack accordingly."

"Silver blades," Felix says, patting his side pocket. Chan nods and the two get out of the car. They head towards the entrance and make their way down the hall to the apartment Jinwoo told them belongs to Doyeon. The cousins both slip out identical medium length blades that glint a bit. They grip tightly to the weapons as they approach the door. "Should I knock?" Chan asks.

"Yeah," Felix answers, "We don't know if she really is our culprit or not. This whole situation would be a lot messier if Doyeon is to call the cops on us." Chan nods and lifts his free hand up to rapt on the door a couple of times. "Coming!" A voice calls from inside. The two hunters exchange a glance before readying their weapons and waiting for whoever is inside to open the door. The doorknob turns before the door is pulled open revealing a young woman that perfectly fits the description that Moon Bin gave to them. Doyeon's eyes immediately flit to the silver weapons in the two guys' hands. She teases before stepping backwards quickly and growling, "Hunters..."

"That's our cue," Chan says. He charges into the room and Felix follows behind him. Felix slams the door shut after entering the apartment so that no one else can see what's going on. It's a normal apartment. The floor plan is fairly simple. A small living room that is connected to a small kitchen with a couple of appliances. There's a tiny hallway that most likely leads towards a bathroom and bedroom. The place is decorated pretty simply. Favoring bright hues of blue and muted grays. There's an intriguing octagonal shaped carpet on the floor underneath a medium gray plush chair with a blue cushion on it. There's a small gray shelf stacked with a bunch of books and beside that a small window that shows the world outside. The wraith backs towards the window, glaring at the hunters who have found her home. "How did you find me?" Doyeon says, raising her hand up and letting her spike extend from her hand.

"We wouldn't have if you didn't accidentally touch my partner here," Chan says.

Doyeon's eyebrows raise and she nods as it begins to dawn on her, "Ah, right, I made contact with you when I was serving you your food yesterday...oops..."

Felix scowls, "Yeah...oops..."

"Wow, you're angry," Doyeon says.

"Hallucinate a bit to the point where your borderline crazy and you would be pretty angry too," Felix spats, "You're dead, wraith." He charges at the girl with a malicious look in his face. Doyeon steps towards the side and slams her elbow onto Felix's head. The freckled boy staggers a bit and shakes his head back and forth as the world spins. Chan grimaces before swiping his dagger at Doyeon's chest, which misses her by just a tiny centimeter. The wraith grabs a book which lies on the countertop and tries to use it to hit Chan. The hunter moves quicker than her though, knocking the book from her hand and slicing her wrist with his blade. She hisses from the contact of the blade and swipes at Chan with her spike. The blonde grits his teeth before slamming the ball of his hand against the spike. Doyeon shrieks in pain as her spike breaks off. She gasps as she clutches her wrist in pain, "I'm going to kill you for that...."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from a wraith," Felix mutters, coming to stand beside his cousin.

Doyeon chuckles, "Hunters just don't get it...I do this to live..." Felix looks over at Chan, wondering what he makes of this situation considering Korea is apparently more monster friendly. Chan shakes his head. Although things are different here, if you're a monster and you kill, that's the end of the story. "Yeah, well, I get by hunting things like you," Felix says before rushing at the wraith again. Doyeon, once more, maneuvers out of the way. She delivers a kick to Felix's back which makes the freckled hunter stagger into the couch chair. She pounces on top of him, using one hand to pin his arms. She lifts up her other hand where her spike is and smirks as she brings it to his head. "Thanks for dinner," Doyeon says as her spike begins to regenerate. Felix's eyes widen as the hard tip of her spike presses against his skin. He struggles a bit to get out of the wraith's hold, but she's unnaturally strong and Felix can't move. Doyeon smirks as she watches him squirm. Felix winces awaiting for the spike to be driven into his brain. Before it can though, Chan rushes forward and jams his silver blade right into her heart. Doyeon gapes and looks down at her wound before collapsing to the ground dead. Felix lets out a shaky breath and glances at the now dead wraith before making eye contact with his cousin, who clutches the bloodied knife in his hand.

──────●◎●──────

"How are you feeling?" Chan asks. The two stand outside of their car, cleaning off their weapons and themselves after hiding the wraith's dead body. "Better," Felix says as he tosses his silver blade into a bag.

"You sure?" Chan questions, eyeing his cousin.

Felix nods and closes the trunk, "Most of what I was going through was cause of the wraith's influence...now that she's dead...I feel a lot better. My nerves about being in Korea and hunting here are still there, but they're not blown to a tenfold..."

"That's good," Chan says, "You know if you ever need help with your Korean...I'm here..."

"I know," Felix says, "Thanks." Chan nods and makes his way towards the driver's seat of the car. He sits down and sticks his key into the ignition. He closes the door and waits for Felix to get into the vehicle before driving out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

Chapter Text

Then: Seonyudo

"Be careful," Chaeyeon calls out to her little sister as she walks along the edge of the riverbed. The girl with a light pink shirt with butterflies on it flashes her a wide smile and she nods. She skips as she walks, her pig-tails bouncing as she does. Chaeyeon shakes her head as she watches Chaemin, who giggle as a dragonfly flits around her head. Chaeyeon lets out a breath and looks around, spotting a bench. She walks over to it and sits down, making sure to keep a close eye on her sister. The wind blows through her black hair and she reaches for a red hair tie that sits on her wrist. She twists her hair into a messy bun before lowering her hands to her sides. "Unnie! Unnie!" Chaemin calls out.

"What is it?" Chaeyeon says.

"There's little fishies in the water!" Chaemin exclaims, "Can I go play with them?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chaeyeon says, "You're a lot bigger than those fishies. You don't want to scare them away."

"But, I'm not scary," Chaemin pouts.

Chaeyeon sighs, "Of course you aren't, but the fishes may not like it if you bother them. Why don't you just leave them be?"

"Okay," Chaemin says in a quiet voice, "Can I still talk to them from here?"

"Yes," Chaeyeon says. Chaemin beams at this and turns around to start chatting it up with the fish. Chaeyeon smiles as she watches her sister babble to the fish as if they're normal humans. Suddenly, loud music starts to play, making Chayeon jump in surprise. She calms down when she realizes it's just her phone. She yanks it from her pocket and sighs when she sees that her other younger sister is calling her, "What's up?"

"Unnie," Chaeryeong says over the phone, "A bunch of my friends are going on a road trip and I wanna go with them."

"Why are you telling me?" Chaeyeon asks.

"Well, it wouldn't be good if I just went without letting anyone know," Chaeryeong says.

"I'm your older sister," Chaeyeon says, "You should be telling all of this to eomma, not me."

"I can't cause if I did she wouldn't let me go," Chaeryeong says.

Chaeyeon sighs, "That's your problem, sis. I gotta go."

"Unnie!" Chaeryeong exclaims as her older sister ends the call. Chaeyeon shakes her head and slips her phone back into her pocket. She looks up to check on Chaemin and her eyes bug out of her head when she sees her sister creeping into the water. "Chaemin-ah!" Chaeyeon shouts. The young girl turns at the call of her name and smiles when she sees it's her older sister. She smiles in an innocent way, "Hi, unnie!"

"Chaemin, come back here! You're not supposed to go into the water!" Chaeyeon exclaims.

"But, unnie!" Chaemin calls out, "My friend says I need to go in if I want to play with her!"

"What friend?" Chaeyeon asks, but before she can get an answer the water begins to move like it is alive. It latches onto Chaemin's ankles and pulls. The young girl shrieks on the top of her lungs as the water drags her under. Chaeyeon eyes widen and she dashes forward, "Chaemin! Chaemin!!!"

"U-Unnie!!!" Chaemin cries before her entire head is submerged into the river.

──────●◎●──────

Now

"What the heck?" Felix mutters as they slowly crawl down the street. It's only a small road near the river. There's yellow caution tape blocking off the river, but it doesn't seem to do much to deter the people from gathering. There's ambulances and police cars parked around the area. The medics are dragging a stretcher with an obviously wet sheet covering what Felix assumes is a dead body. The cops are trying their best to keep back a crowd of nosy people and bothersome reporters trying to get through to see what the commotion is about. Another officer seems to be speaking to what Felix thinks are witnesses on a bench near the river. It's a young woman around his age. She has long black hair and a body fit for a dancer. She is garbed in black skinny jeans and a white shirt with the words Love written on it in curly text. Her face is devoid of emotion, but it's clear that she is in a lot of pain. Her eyes are red and there are dried tear streaks on her cheeks. There are two other girls standing beside her, who seem to be offering the girl support. "Chris..." Felix says, turning to his cousin.

"I'm stopping," Chan says, knowing exactly what Felix was going to say to him. He turns the car through the grass towards an empty spot. "You know this may not be anything supernatural, right?" Chan says as he stops the car.

Felix nods, "You know it too, but you still stopped either way."

"Yeah, well, I can't just drive away and ignore this," Chan says as he gets out of the car. He's garbed in a black tank top and doesn't look in the slightest like an NIS, but he has his badge tucked into his pant pocket so it doesn't really matter. Felix gets out of the vehicle as well, also dressed fairly casually with this NIS badge hanging around his neck. The two walk closer to the crime scene only to be met by a tall officer. They quickly flash their badges to the man and he immediately steps to the side. They walk over to a man standing near the river, who is wearing a leather jacket with a police badge of his own hanging from his neck. "Officer," Chan says as he approaches him, "What's going on?" The man eyes the two and scans them up and down, taking notice of the NIS badge that Felix wears. "A girl drowned," The officer answers after finishing his little evaluation of the two newcomers. .

"She didn't drown," The black-haired girl exclaims, "She was dragged in." Her glassy eyes burn with this anger as she stomps over to the officer. "Chaeyeon-ssi, there was no one else here except for you and your sister," The officer says.

"I know what I saw," Chaeyeon states, "It was like the water came to life!" The cousin's eyebrows raise at her words and they exchange a glance. Maybe, this case did have something to do with the supernatural. "Chaeyeon-ssi, I'm sure you're just running off of emotions right now," The officer says, "The victim was your little sister after all..."

"Yes and that's exactly why you need to find out who is behind this!" Chaeyeon exclaims.

"There is no one who is behind this, Chaeyeon-ssi," The officer states, "What happened was a tragedy, but it was no murder case. Please don't go blowing this out of proportions." Chaeyeon glares at the man before turning around and stomping off. Her friends try to go after her, but Chaeyeon holds a hand up to stop them. She walks towards the parking lot where her car probably is, ignoring the reporters and police who try to trail after her. The officer sighs and looks to the cousins, "Sorry about that. Sometimes the victim's family doesn't take the death well."

Felix scoffs, "Why would they? They just lost someone they loved."

The officer coughs and nods, "Uh...right...anyway...can I help you two with anything?"

"We were just driving by and noticed the commotion," Chan says, "Just wanted to check it out for ourselves. Come, Agent Park, we have to report back." Felix nods and lets Chan lead them away from the officer. Felix scowls and shakes his head, "That guy is a jerk."

"That guy also has no clue what really is out there," Chan says.

Felix looks to his cousin, "You think this could be a case?"

"Maybe," Chan says, "Why don't you go check for EMF? I'm going to go talk to Chaeyeon-ssi's friends."

"You sure about taking on another case?" Felix asks, "We could be in Seoul in less than a day..."

"I can't just walk away, Lix," Chan states. Felix nods and digs his hands into his pocket to take out a box shaped EMF reader before walking towards the river. Chan walks in the other direction towards the bench where Chaeyeon's two friends are. One has a small handbag thrown over her shoulder and is garbed in a flowing blue shirt with a matching colored headband that sits on top of bleached blonde hair.. The other is garbed in ripped shorts and a grayish shirt tucked into it with a silver chain hanging loosely around her neck. "Hello," Chan says with a warm smile, "Do you mind me asking what your names are?"

"I'm Eunbi," The girl with black hair says, "This is Yuri."

"Nice to meet you both," Chan says, "I'm Agent Seol with the NIS. Were you two here during the incident?"

Yuri shakes her head, "Our friend was...she called us cause she needed someone after what happened to Chaemin..."

"It's awful," Eunbi murmurs, "Chaeyeon was watching her and the next thing you know..."

"Your friend said that the water grabbed her sister," Chan says.

Yuri frowns, "She said the same thing to us...but that's not possible...I mean...it's probably just guilt over not being able to save her..."

"Possibly," Chan sighs, "Do you think you could give me Chaeyeon's number? It's rather clear she doesn't want to see anybody at the moment."

Eunbi nods, "Give me a minute." She digs into her pocket and takes out her phone. She taps at the screen before tilting it to Chan. The hunter takes out his own device and snaps a picture of the number before nodding his head. "Thank you," Chan says before walking back towards the car. Felix is already leaning against the vehicle, scrolling through his phone. "Hey," Chan says, "The only witness was Chaeyeon, so I got her number to see if she could tell us anything about this living water."

Felix nods, "I got a lot of activity from the EMF, but it's possible that it's just lost spirits. I mean...it's a river...it's a common place for suicides and accidents..."

"Yeah," Chan says, "Did you do any research to see if an accident like this happened before?"

"There were a couple of drownings, but none included anything about water dragging in its victims," Felix says.

Chan sighs, "Let's call Chaeyeon and see what actually happened. We can confirm if this is a ghost or a witch or some weird water bender..."

"I didn't know you watch Avatar," Felix muses.

"This isn't the time, Lix," Chan says as he unlocks the car doors and sits in the seat.

"Okay, okay, but who's your favorite character?" Felix asks.

Chan sighs, "Aang."

"Knew it," Felix states as Chan shakes his head and takes out his phone to dial the number.

──────●◎●──────

"You wouldn't believe me," Chaeyeon says over the phone.

"You would be surprised in what we believe in," Felix says. The boys sit inside their car with Chan's phone placed on speaker. It sits on the dashboard so that the two can easily talk to Chaeyeon. Chayeon lets out a breath, "Okay...Chaemin wandered into the water while I was talking on the phone with my other sister. When I noticed she went into the river, I told her to get out, but before she could even move the water came to life. It wasn't like the way the waves move in and out and can sometimes become so strong that it grabs you as well. It was like they had hands and they latched onto the Chaemin's ankles and started to pull her. The water continued to grab at her and drag her deeper into the water. It was...like it was swallowing her whole. I tried to go and help, but it was too late..."

"I'm so sorry, Chaeyeon," Chan says, "I can only imagine how you must be feeling."

"We're going to do our best to find what's behind this," Felix says, "The cops may not believe you, but we do."

"Thank you," Chaeyeon murmurs, "I appreciate it."

"Chaeyeon, did you notice anything weird before the water came to life?" Chan asks, "Cold spots...weird smells...flickering lights?"

"No," Chaeyeon answers, "The only thing that was a bit off is what Chaemin said to me..."

"What did she say?" Felix asks.

Chaeyeon sighs, "She said that a friend told her to come into the water." Felix and Chan exchange a glance with each other, this fact confirming both of their suspicions. It seems like they have another ghost on their hands.

──────●◎●──────

"That was definitely a ghost that spoke to Chaeyeon's little sister," Felix says.

Chan nods his head as he slips his phone into his pocket, "We just need to find out who the spirit belongs to and burn their bones."

"I have a list of all the deaths at this river," Felix says, passing Chan his phone, "One of them must be our ghost."

"We just need to figure out each one," Chan says.

Felix nods, "Well, let's think about it...the ghost lured in Chaemin on the pretense of playing with them. Doesn't that sound like it could be a child?"

"Possibly," Chan says, "There's only two victims that match with that. Ahn Yujin and Kim Minju."

"How did they die?" Felix questions.

"Both drowned when they were young," Chan says, "Both accidents. Ahn Yujin was playing by herself when she tripped and fell in. Kim Minju went to the river with her workaholic father, who was on the phone when she strayed into the water."

Felix sighs, "Both could be our ghost."

"We could just burn both their bones," Chan says, "They're buried in the same place."

Felix groans, "Do we have any other options? Digging one grave is tiring enough..."

"We could just try to narrow it down, but I'm afraid the ghost may strike again," Chan says.

"Okay, okay," Felix says, "Let's go to the cemetery. We'll dig both the graves..."

──────●◎●──────

"I am so tired," Felix huffs, leaning against the car after finishing burning both the bones of their possible suspect. Chan nods and holds his hand out to take the shovel from Felix's hand. He opens the truck and dumps their stuff inside. "Well, the good news is that we've stopped the ghost and can continue to Seoul without making any other stops," Chan says.

Felix nods and wipes at his forehead, "Sounds good to me." The cousins walk over to their respective seats in the car, but stop when Chan's phone begins to ring. "Hello?" Chan says, "Chaeyeon? What? Say that again." He pulls the phone from his ear and tilts it towards Felix so that they can both hear. "There's been another death at the river," Chaeyeon says, "My neighbor's younger brother just died....and he said that Dohyon said the exact same thing that Chaemin did." The cousins stare at each other as they realize that what they had just done was useless and the ghost is definitely still out there. Another child has died and they weren't able to stop it.

Chapter Text

"What did we miss!?" Felix exclaims.

"Maybe, it was never a kid to begin with," Chan mutters.

Felix groans, "What now? Burn all the bodies on that list?"

"Some of them were cremated," Chan says.

Felix lets out a fake laugh, "Even better...what do we do hyung!" Chan sighs and starts to massage his temples. He sits back into his seat and stares out the window for a second, completely silent. Felix watches him and waits for him to decide on what they should do next. Chan nods after a second and sticks the key into the ignition. He starts the car up and begins to drive down the road. "Where are we going?" Felix asks.

"Back to the river," Chan says, "We clearly missed something, so back to the scene of the incident."

──────●◎●──────

The cousins walk along the riverbed with emotionless faces. They don't often make mistakes like this. They can't or else someone else will get hurt. This situation is a perfect example of that. The guilt of another life is weighing heavy on both the boys, but they both try their best to push it aside. They need to focus or else there will be another death and that is something both of them refuse to let happen. The hunters scan the area in an attempt to spot anything that they may have missed the day of Chaemin's death. The area is fairly empty now that the excitement of the two incidents have both died down. The caution tape is still surrounding the river, but there aren't any cops or a crowd of people gathered around. The entire area is essentially empty besides for the cousins and an older woman, who stands a small bridge that wasn't blocked off. "There's nothing here, Chris," Felix says, looking at his cousin. The blonde hunter doesn't say anything, he doesn't even seem to notice Felix looking at him. His head is turned towards the bridge where the woman is standing. "Let's go talk to that lady," Chan states, his eyes still locked on her

"Why?" Felix asks.

"After all that's happened here, would you make a walk around the river a priority?" Chan questions, "There's a reason she's here." He starts walking towards the bridge and Felix trails after him, not knowing if his cousin is onto something or not. "Excuse me, halmeoni," Chan says. The old woman turns to look at the two with a sweet smile on her face. She is garbed in a flowery top with long black pants underneath it. She has a bag slung over her shoulder and her hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail. "Hello, boys, how may I help you?" She says.

"I don't mean to intrude, but is there a reason that you're here?" Chan asks, "After the incidents that took place...I don't know why anyone would want to be here..."

The woman sighs, "I had to come...it's the anniversary of my granddaughter's passing."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Felix says.

She flashes Felix a thankful nod, "The fact that these recent events are similar to the accident that she was in...makes it...hurt a bit more this year..."

"Your granddaughter drowned?" Chan questions.

The woman nods, "She was bullied...I had no idea and by the time I found out it was too late...those kids were joking about dropping her into the river...they hung her over the bridge when no one was watching...but they messed up...they dropped her in and she plummeted..." Chan and Felix look to one another with solemn expressions on their faces. The older woman sniffles a bit, getting a bit emotional as she retells her granddaughter's accident. "She was a good girl...my Wonyoungie..." She murmurs.

"Halmeoni?" Chan says, "Do you mind me asking where is Wonyoung buried?"

The woman sighs at that, "She wasn't. When the accident occurred, her bullies didn't say anything. My Wonyoung didn't come home that night and I got worried. I reported her as missing to the police. They searched but were unable to find anything. It wasn't until a couple of years later that one of her former bullies came and confessed. They searched the river, but by then her body was long lost...."

"Thank you for telling us about your granddaughter," Felix says, "I'm sure it's hard for you to talk about her..."

The woman nods, "It is, but I would much rather people know what happened then let it float away in the river like she did...." Chan and Felix bow to the older woman before walking back to their car. They speak quietly to each other on their way there. "So, Wonyoung is our ghost," Felix says.

"Definitely," Chan says, "She's upset over her death and is lashing out. The issue is that we don't have her body to burn...and there's no way she's just attached to the river..."

"Maybe, she's attached to something in the river," Felix suggests.

"You think it would still be down there?" Chan questions.

"One way to find out," Felix says.

Chan sighs, "It's a good thing I'm a great swimmer."

──────●◎●──────

"Swim down there and get whatever may be keeping Wonyoung's spirit here," Felix says, "Toss it to me and then I'll burn it." The cousins are set up near the riverbed. Felix has salt and gasoline sitting by his feet. His silver lighter is in his hand. Chan has stripped down to just his shorts and he has goggles strapped over his eyes. "Got it," Chan states. He bends down to get underneath the caution tape and slowly walks into the water. "Be quick," Felix says, "I don't want Wonyoung trying to drag you down."

"Don't worry about me," Chan says, "Just focus on burning whatever it is that is tying her to this river." Felix nods his head and Chan takes a deep breath before diving into the water. He starts to search the second he is underwater. He looks around for anything that may have belonged to their ghost. It's hard for him to determine what may belong to Wonyoung. There's a lot of random items at the bottom of the river. From lost toys to spare change, it all has sank to the bottom of the river. Chan swims straight, keeping his eye open for a hairpin or a piece of jewelry of sorts. "Did you come to play?" A voice says in a murky tone. Chan stiffens and quickly whirls around. His eyes widen when he sees a girl with pale-greenish skin floating in front of him. Her hair is pinned back near her ears, but tangled within the strands are what appears to be algae. She is garbed in a school outfit that has dirt smudges all over it. Her skirt is mucky and ripped in two spots. Her name pin is partially bent, but Chan already knows who she is. "Wonyoung," Chan says quickly, not wanting to waste any breath on speaking to the spirit.

"You know who I am," Wonyoung says. Chan nods his head and lets his eyes dart back and forth, continuing to search for the item belonging to the ghost. He does his best to make his search discreet. He knows full well that ghosts don't enjoy hunters trying to force them into rest. Wonyoung may not be attacking him now, but that can change in a second. "What are you doing?" Wonyoung questions, taking notice of Chan's darting eyes. The hunter doesn't say anything as he notices how the ghost stands almost protectively in front of a gate filter. That must be where the item is. "You didn't come to play, did you?" Wonyoung growls. Chan doesn't hesitate as he quickly swims towards the side, trying to circle Wonyoung and reach the gate. The ghost, finally catching on to what is happening, charges after him. She swipes at Chan's legs, missing him by just a centimeter. Chan grits his teeth and he pushes himself forward, making his way over to the gate. His eyes widen when he sees a rusted metal necklace wrapped tightly around one of the metal bars. He reaches a hand up and starts to untangle the necklace, which proves to be a tad bit more difficult than he thought. Eventually, he gets a good rhythm going and is able to unravel most of the necklace. He stops when he tugs at the chain and it remains stuck around the metal gate. He scowls when he sees a small knot in the necklace that is keeping it attached to the pole. He moves a bit closer to the gate to try to undo the knot, but before he can even start working at it, Wonyoung appears in front of him. She slams him backwards and Chan goes shooting to the other side of the lake. He gasps in pain and begins to choke on the water. He kicks himself up above the surface and takes in gulps of air. "Chris!" Felix calls out. Chan looks to his cousin and shakes his head before preparing to go back under. What he doesn't expect is for the water to tug at his legs and drag him under. He quickly holds his breath and tries to get out of the water's hold, but it feels as if he is wrapped up in chains. Chan knows that he can only stay under for so long and there's no way he's getting out unless he can get Wonyoung's necklace. The ghost in question suddenly appears in front of him with her hand clenched in a tight fist. Chan glares at her, but the ghost doesn't seem even a bit phased. She swipes her hand down and Chan's eyes bulge out of his head as he is tossed to the bottom of the river. He can't do anything as his body goes flying towards a massive rock. He winces as his back slams against the rock. He contorts in pain and he is almost positive that something cracked. His entire body aches, but he does his best to continue to swim. The invisible chains are now gone from his body and he swims as fast as he can towards the metal grate. He grabs onto one of the other poles to steady himself as he loops the necklace into his hand. He yanks with all his might and hisses as pain racks through his body. The water starts to swirl around him like a tsunami is about to start, but he does his best to remain still. He gives it one more tug and the necklace snaps from around the metal. Wonyoung, taking notice of the hunter who is now in possession of her necklace, starts to make the river move even more violently. Chan grits his teeth together as he tries to push towards the surface, the necklace clutched tightly in his hand. Every time he makes some distance, he is pushed back down by a powerful underwater current. The water begins to swirl around him, but Chan continues to fight against it. He kicks his legs with all his might, urging himself to reach the surface just once. He pushes himself up and up until he reaches the surface. He tosses the necklace towards the ground before he can feel the water curling around his ankle and yanking him down once again.

──────●◎●──────

Felix's eyes widen as he sees Chan toss something into the grass before going underneath the water again. His heart clenches in his chest. Wonyoung must have his cousin. If that is true, then he needs to act quickly. He grabs the salt and the gas before rushing over towards what Chan threw to him. Felix notices the necklace quickly and unscrews the gas. He douses the necklace with the liquid before uncapping the salt and pouring it over the jewelry. He tosses the canisters to the side and reaches for his lighter. He fumbles with the igniter, his eyes locked on the river which has started to move like a violent ocean right before a storm. "Come on, come on!" Felix grumbles as he continues to switch on the lighter which refuses to catch. His mind is spinning as he thinks of his cousin, who could be drowning at the moment if he doesn't get this freaking lighter to work. Suddenly, a flame ignites and Felix is quick to toss it onto the necklace. It catches almost immediately and the metal slowly begins to burn. Felix takes a step back as the fire grows and glances towards the river, trying to spot his cousin. Now that the necklace is burning, Wonyoung's spirit should be free. Chan shouldn't have any trouble getting back to land unless he was already dead. Felix shakes his head, refusing to believe it. His cousin has been through a whole lot more. Drowning by ghost attack wasn't going to be the way he goes out. Almost as if on cue, Chan bursts out of the river. He breathes heavily and slowly swims towards shore. Felix rushes to help pull him from the water. Chan allows him to drag him up towards land, too exhausted and injured to care. Once he's on land, he lies on the ground and sucks in deep breaths of air. "Are you okay?" Felix asks.

Chan nods his head, "Other than a cracked rib...I think I'm fine..."

"Thank goodness," Felix says, "I was afraid Wonyoung really hurt you..."

"She's a vicious ghost, but I had it handled," Chan says, "Come on...I need to get dried off and probably go see a doctor..."

"Not to mention, we still have a couple of hours to go before we reach Seoul," Felix says, "Not including the frequent stops we seem to keep making..."

"No more stops," Chan says, "I can't handle a hunt for a bit and it's high time we actually start figuring out what Wonpil was up to." Felix nods his head and helps his cousin to his feet. The two walk side by side back to their car.

Chapter Text

Then: Men of Letters Chapterhouse

"Hyung!" Seungmin exclaims as Wonpil marches towards the exit of the chapterhouse with two duffel bags thrown over his shoulder. Wonpil doesn't answer his younger brother, continuing to walk on as if he never spoke. Seungmin huffs and reaches out to grab onto his brother's shoulder. "Hyung!" Seungmin states, yanking him around to face him, "What the heck is going on?!"

"Nothing," Wonpil says.

Seungmin scoffs, "Do you expect me to believe that? You haven't been back here since-,"

"Don't say her name," Wonpil mutters.

Seungmin sighs, "Fine....you haven't been back in months and now you come over asking for my help on this hunt that you won't tell me anything about!"

"You just need to trust me," Wonpil states.

"How do you expect me to do that when I don't even know what we're hunting?" Seungmin retorts.

"For the record, it's what I'm hunting..." Wonpil says, "I just want you on the comms when something goes wrong..."

"When?" Seungmin questions, "You make it sound like you expect things to go haywire." Wonpil looks his brother in the eyes for a second before shrugging off his hand and heading towards the door again. Seungmin's eyes narrow, "Hyung."

"What?" Wonpil says, turning his head back.

"What are you doing?" Seungmin asks, "What is this hunt and why is it so dangerous that you expect for things to go south?"

"The less you know the better," Wonpil states.

"How am I supposed to do my job if I don't know anything?!" Seungmin exclaims. Wonpil falls silent for a second and his gaze flits towards the floor. "Hyung," Seungmin states, staring at his older brother.

Wonpil slowly looks back and sighs, "I got myself into something that I don't want you anywhere near...I won't let you get hurt because of me...not you too...."

"And what about you?" Seungmin questions, "What if you get hurt?"

"Then, I get hurt," Wonpil states before exiting the chapterhouse before Seungmin can say another word.

──────●◎●──────

"Why don't we have a Men of Letters in Australia?" Felix asks, "I feel like they would make hunting so much easier."

Chan shrugs, "I think there was a proposed branch, but they shot it down..."

"Of course, they did," Felix murmurs. Chan turns the wheel as he pulls the car into the garage of the chapterhouse. Felix looks out the window with intrigue at the huge area where a variety of other vehicles are parked. If the rest of the chapterhouse is anything like the garage, it was sure to be impressive. Chan pulls into an empty spot before pulling the key from the ignition and exiting the car. Felix gets out as well and whistles under his breath, "This is pretty cool."

Chan nods and points to the other side of the garage, "My car is over there, so we can finally ditch this crappy rental." Felix looks over and chuckles when he sees the black Impala. "Really?" Felix questions.

"I heard that it's a pretty good car for hunting," Chan says.

"Someone else drives this thing?" Felix asks.

"Yeah, some hunters from America," Chan says.

Felix sighs, "Okay then...at least it's better than the rental..." Chan opens the back door of the rental car and grabs the bag from inside. Felix follows suit, unloading the trunk of their hunting gear. The two lug their stuff towards a set off stairs that lead to a large metal door. Chan drops one of the bags to the floor and slams his fist against the door. The cousins wait for a second before the sound of metal grating echoes and the door is pulled open. "Hyung!" A young man with a puppy-like smile says. He wears a short sleeved black dress shirt over form fitting black pants. Wire framed glasses sit low on his nose and his brown shaded hair falls over his forehead neatly. "Hey, Seungminnie," Chan says with a smile of his own.

"Come on in," Seungmin says, reaching for one of the bags in Chan's hands before stepping to the side to allow the hunters in. Chan and Felix enter the chapterhouse one after the other. They walk onto a balcony that gives them a good view of the entire area. Felix looks around with awe as he takes in the high ceiling of the chapterhouse and the vintage, but modern feel of the area. He can see high-tech technology and shelves stuffed with an abundance of books. There's a bunch of tables in the space near the bookshelves and chairs situated at each one. "Welcome to Seoul's Men of Letters Chapterhouse," Seungmin says as he leads the two down a set of curling stairs, "Led by yours truly..."

"You're in charge?" Felix questions.

"My family is," Seungmin says, "But, yeah, this is pretty much my domain."

"Cool," Felix says as he comes up to a table. He places his bags on top of it before wandering off to explore the rest of the chapterhouse. Chan frowns and opens his mouth to call out to his cousin, but Seungmin stops him. "Don't worry about it," The man of letters says, "Let him look around."

"If you say so," Chan says, "How have you been?"

Seungmin sighs, "I've been okay..."

"How are you taking...?" Chan questions.

Seungmin shrugs, "As well as I can...I mean...he was a hunter...it was bound to happen eventually..."

"It doesn't make it any easier," Chan says, "He was your older brother."

"Yeah," Seungmin says with a sigh before changing the topic, "What are you doing back here anyway? Not that I mind having you back in Korea, but I never expected for you to come back anytime soon..."

Chan scratches the back of his head, "I wasn't planning on it...but after what happened to Wonpil hyung...I couldn't just stay away..."

"Whatever the reason is, it's good to see you again," Seungmin says.

"Did you show him the journal?" Felix questions, returning to the main room. Seungmin flashes Chan a confused look and the Aussie holds a finger up to signal he needs a moment. He grabs one of the bags from the table and unzips it. He digs through it for a bit before pulling out the leather-bound journal. "This is what I got from Wonpil hyung," Chan says.

Seungmin nods, "My brother never kept a journal before...imagine my surprise when I read his will and it said that is supposed to go to you..."

"Did you read it?" Chan asks, flipping the journal open. Seungmin shakes his head as Chan passes the open journal to him. The man of letters takes it and begins to read the first page. His eyes slowly widen, "I...don't know what to say..."

"We didn't just come back to pay our respects to Wonpil," Chan says, "We're going to try and find out exactly what happened to him leading up to his death..."

Seungmin looks at the two with intrigue, "You're planning on retracing his steps."

"Exactly," Felix says, "Chris wanted to continue Wonpil's journey, but I convinced him that it would be best if we found out exactly what his plan was in the first place before jumping into anything else."

"That is unless you already know what Wonpil hyung was up to," Chan says, looking to Seungmin.

The brown-haired boy chuckles and shakes his head, "I have no clue. I'm as curious as you are. hyung...he started hiding things from me..."

"What?" Chan questions, "Since when? You two have always been so close."

Seungmin signs, "A lot has changed since you left, Chan hyung."

──────●◎●──────

"He left this life!" Chan exclaims with wide eyes. Felix has a similar surprised expression on his face, although not as extreme as Chan's. Hunters don't get to leave this life. The only break they get is when they bite the bullet. They die on the job. That's just the way it is. The fact that Wonpil left and actually stayed out of hunting for a bit of time is impressive. "For a time," Seungmin says, "He fell in love. They were going to have a kid...they were going to get married..."

"She was expecting?" Chan questions.

Seungmin nods, "My brother was happy. The happiest that I've ever seen him. He had a future with Areum noona."

"But, it didn't end well," Felix states.

Seungmin sighs, "No...it didn't...a demon came after them one night. It killed Areum and their unborn child....hyung was devastated...." Chan pursues his lips together as pity floods through him for his fallen friend. He can imagine it now. His friend with a wife and a child. Living a normal, happy life. It's a beautiful image. He wouldn't doubt if Wonpil saw the same thing before leaving the life. "After that...he came back different," Seungmin says, "He would hunt endlessly, but refuse assistance from anyone whether it be a fellow hunter or any of the Men of Letters."

"He didn't even ask you for help?" Chan asks, "You two would always work together on hunts...you researching and him killing the monsters..."

Seungmin shakes his head, "That's the way it was before, but after Areum he didn't even talk to me. I had no idea where he even was half the time. I had to find out from friends, if they ever happened to pass by him, if he was alive."

"Why would he do that?" Chan questions, "You two are brothers...."

"I know," Seungmin says, "But, as I said before, he was different. Harder, more driven..."

"I mean...I would be the same way," Felix says, "I did just lose a future..."

"I know...that's why my family and I just let him be," Seungmin says, "But, he was up to something...I knew he was keeping something from me when we last spoke...."

"You talked to him before the incident, right?" Chan questions.

Seungmin nods, "It had been months since I last saw him face to face...I was so surprised when he came to the chapterhouse asking for help...not that I really gave him any..."

"What do you mean?" Felix asks.

Seungmin huffs, "He wouldn't tell me anything about what we were hunting. He was being all secretive and he said he didn't want me too involved. He just needed me to be listening in when something went wrong."

"What?" Chan says with a confused look on his face.

"As in like a witness?" Felix says, "Did he know he was going to die?"

"Maybe. I don't know," Seungmin says, "I'm not stupid...I know he was up to something, but I don't have a clue what it was. That journal you have...I'm sure that it has something to do with what he was doing...."

"We'll figure it out," Chan says, "I promise you that."

Seungmin nods, "I don't doubt you will. You've never been one to let me down, hyung. If you guys need anything, I'm just a phone call away. I want to help you get to the bottom of this."

"Thanks," Felix says, "For starters, we could use some weapons. We only brought the bare minimum with us to Korea. Chris says that you've got some cool toys."

"Definitely," Seungmin says, "Follow me." He starts to head towards a separate hallway, but before he even gets very far the sound of loud grating echoes throughout the chapterhouse. The three stop and turn to look at the source of the noise. "Shut up and get inside!" A voice bellows.

"Just kill me!" Another hisses.

"Why didn't we knock him out?" A different voice questions. Three figures enter the chapterhouse from another entrance. Two are garbed in similar leather jackets and combed back hair giving them the look of bikers. In between them, they hold someone with a brown sack over his head and cuffs over their wrists. "Jaebum hyung? Jinyoung hyung?" Chan says, staring at the two leather-garbed figures.

Jinyoung looks at the blonde hunter with surprise, "Channie? I didn't know you were back in Korea. Look, hyung, it's Bang Chan."

"Hey," Jaebum says as he yanks their captive into the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Seungmin questions.

"Sorry to stop in unannounced," Jinyoung says, "We were on a hunt that proved to a bit more of an issue than we thought."

"No problem," Seungmin says, "What do you need help with?"

"Demon," Jaebum states, "We need to know how to kill it."

Chapter Text

"Have you guys never dealt with demons in Korea before?" Felix asks. The group all stand near the doorway of one of the warded cell rooms. They dumped the demon inside and chained him up, so that they could talk and figure out their plan of action. "We have," Jinyoung says.

"Then, why can't you kill it or exorcise it?" Felix questions.

"We've tried," Jaebum says, "The exorcism spell didn't do crap."

"Same with the angel blade," Jinyoung sighs.

Felix frowns, "That's weird."

"Tell me about it," Jaebum huffs, "That's why we're here. Seungmin, do you have a spell that can kill a demon?" The man of letters nods his head and gestures for the group to follow him. He leads them back to the main area and heads towards one of the bookshelves. Seungmin lets his fingers run along the bindings of the books as he searches for a specific one. "Found it," Seungmin says coming to a stop at a beaten up brown book. It appears to be more of a handwritten journal then textual lore, but no one really cares as long as it has what they need to do the job. He slips it from the shelf and brings it to one of the tables. He begins to flip through the pages until he lands on one that details a demon killing spell. "Okay, this may or may not work," Seungmin says.

"What?" Chan questions.

"I thought you said you had something," Jinyoung states.

"I do," Seungmin says, "But, it's never been tested before."

"Are you kidding me?" Jaebum shakes his head.

Seungmin sighs, "It's some firsthand account from a Korean man of letters that visited America. Apparently, he spoke to the prophet of the lord, who told them about this demon tablet that talks about this bomb that is supposed to kill demons."

"I've never heard of a demon tablet before..." Felix says, "Or a prophet of the lord..."

"That's why I said it may not work," Seungmin says, "Not to mention, the ingredients for this thing are freaking ridiculous."

"Do you have them in the chapterhouse?" Chan asks.

Seungmin shrugs, "Maybe..."

"Show us what we need," Jinyoung says, "If it has a chance of killing the demon, we should give it a shot." Seungmin nods and turns the journal around to show them all the list of things they need to make this demon bomb.

──────●◎●──────

"What if it doesn't work?" Felix asks.

"We'll cross that road when we get to it," Jaebum states.

"If we get to it," Seungmin says, "The hope is that the bomb does the trick." He holds a bowl with a bunch of crushed up items inside. He sprinkles some weird looking root thing into it before stirring it a bit. "Okay, I just need to light it on fire and it should go boom," Seungmin says.

"It won't do anything to us, will it?" Jinyoung questions.

Seungmin opens his mouth for a second before closing it and pursing his lips together, "We'll just run out of there as soon as we can." The group sigh and nod their heads, not exactly happy that they're testing out a spell that hasn't been used before. They want the demon to be gone, but they also don't want this spell to backfire and kill them. "I'll do it," Chan says, holding his hand out for the bowl.

"You sure?" Seungmin questions.

Chan nods, "I'm a faster runner than you." The brown haired young man passes the bowl to the Australian hunter, who leads the way back towards the cells where their resident demon is tied up. They stay silent as Chan opens the door and enters the room. The demon sits on a crappy wooden chair with chains engraved with multiple sigils wrapped around his entire body. The chains are attached to the floor where there's a large demon trap drawn that expands the entire cell. The walls have other sigils on them in faded white. The burlap sack still sits on the demon's head, making it impossible for him to see, yet he still takes notice of when Chan entered the room. "Hello," The demon says. Chan doesn't answer and places the bowl on the floor. He digs into his pocket and grabs his lighter. "It's rude not to answer," The demon says.

"I'm not talking to any low-life demon..." Chan mutters.

The demon chuckles at this, "You think I'm a low-life! I'll have you know-"

"I don't care," Chan cuts him off, "It doesn't matter if you're some lackey or freaking Satan. It's my job to kill you and that's what I'm going to do."

"It's not going to work," The demon says, "I'm not one that can easily be dealt with."

"We'll see about that," Chan states as his lighter ignites. He tosses it into the bowl before quickly dashing out of the room and kicking the door shut. He rushes over to join the others who are crowded in the hallway. They look at him with questioning glances and Chan shrugs. Suddenly, a loud scream comes from the cell making all of them turn to look towards the room with curiosity. They share a look with one another before slowly creeping back towards the room. Chan reaches the door first and twists the doorknob. He pulls it open and his eyes widen when he sees the demon in the same position as he was before. The bowl they used to make the bomb is smoking, but other than that nothing happened. "How?" Seungmin questions, "We heard you scream."

The demon chuckles, "Oh...that was just a bit of acting on my part. Ahhhhhh! I had you guys convinced, didn't I? Ha!"

"But, the smoke, doesn't that mean the bomb worked?" Felix says, "Why didn't it kill him?"

"It hasn't been tested, remember?" Jinyoung says through gritted teeth.

"It worked," The demon says, "I felt it. The surge of energy that came from whatever you stupid hunters tossed together."

"Then, why are you still alive?" Jaebum questions.

"I told your friend...I'm not your run of the mill demon," He says, "I may not be Lucifer, but my name means something in hell...it's going to take a lot more than a bomb to get rid of me." He starts to guffaw loudly, much to the annoyance of the entire group, who still have to find a way to deal with the monster.

──────●◎●──────

Following their failed attempt at killing the demon, the group gather in the library area. Jaebum and Jinyoung pace around impatiently, trying to think of something. Seungmin is going through his books with the help of the Australian hunters in hopes of finding something in the lore about a way to kill demons. "There's got to be some way to kill him," Jaebum states, "Everything has a weakness. We just need to find it."

"That's the hard part," Seungmin says, "Usually, an exorcism or an angel blade will do the trick. We even tried something unorthodox, but that didn't work."

"What about locking him up?" Chan suggests, "We did something similar with a demon back in Australia." He looks towards Felix, who nods his head as he recalls their hunt. "We couldn't kill that demon either," Felix says, "We locked him in a puzzle box with enochian sigils on them."

"That may work," Jinyoung says, "He may be a stronger demon, but traps work on those suckers no matter how powerful they may be."

"I don't think we have any of those on hand though," Seungmin says, "They aren't exactly mass produced..."

"We could create one," Jaebum says.

"I don't know how," Seungmin states.

"It can't be that hard," Felix says, "It's just a box."

"Yeah...with a dead language keeping it enclosed," Seungmin says, "The magic holding it together is just as old...I don't even have a single clue on where to even begin building it."

"There goes that idea," Chan huffs.

Seungmin sighs, "It was a good one, but we're just going to have to look for something else." The group all go back to what they were doing before, knowing that they need to keep searching for a solution no matter how long it takes. "Hey," Felix says, breaking the silence, "What did he mean when he said my name means something in hell?"

"I assume that he's some hotshot," Jaebum says, "I mean...we all know the biggies...Lucifer, Asmodeus, Lilith..."

"You think he's one of those?" Felix asks.

Jinyoung shakes his head, "He's not that high up on the totem pole. High enough, but if he was one of those, we never would have caught him. He put up a pretty good fight, but we got lucky and were able to take him down. If we were against one of those, we would never get chances like that."

"So, who is he then?" Chan questions.

"Does it matter?" Jaebum asks.

Seungmin nods, "Some lore goes into specifics...there's over a billion traps just for Satan across every single culture possible." The younger three look to the older hunters, who exchange a glance of their own. "Ramiel," Jinyoung states, "At least that's what the demon we tortured said his name was..."

"Ramiel..." Seungmin murmurs to himself, "Where have I heard that name?" Chan's eyebrows furrow as he starts to flip through the book he's been reading through at a quick pace. "Here!" Chan exclaims, "Ramiel, prince of hell. One of the very first demons that Lucifer created." He pushes the book forward so that the others can all see the page. The name Ramiel is written at the top in fancy font and on the next page is a very rough drawing of what the demon looks like outside of his meat suit. "Great," Jinyoung says, "Just great."

"No wonder nothing worked," Felix murmurs, "A prince of hell must be freaking strong."

"What now?" Jaebum asks, "Do the men of letters know how to kill a prince of hell?"

Seungmin sighs, "As far as I know...no. That's basically like trying to kill Lucifer. It's impossible."

"It can't be impossible," Chan states, "There needs to be something." Seungmin runs a hand through his hair and leans back in his seat. He falls silent for a moment before his eyes slowly widen. He turns to look at the others, "What if we don't kill him?"

"Huh?" Jinyoung questions.

"We have no idea how to stop him, much less if it's even possible to do such a thing," Seungmin says, "What if instead of killing him, we turn him into a human?"

"Turn him into a human?" Felix says, "Is that even possible?"

"It was an experiment run by a man of letters from America a century ago," Seungmin says, "The actual results of the test were lost, but recently we've heard a buzzing about legacies using it in America and it working."

"Let's give it a shot," Chan says, "We tried out the bomb...why not this?"

"Fine," Jinyoung says, "What do we need?"

"Blood," Seungmin states, "A lot of it."

──────●◎●──────

"Are we sure about this?" Jaebum asks.

"I didn't just go through a whole hour of confession and drain about ten vials of blood just to change our minds about this," Jinyoung seethes, glaring at his partner. Jaebum holds a hand up in defense and reaches for the burlap bag around the demon's head. They are all gathering in the cell this time as they try this supposed demon cure. "Ah," Ramiel says as the bag is removed revealing his vessel's face. His hair is black with a couple random strands of gray and in a messy mop atop his head. He has this wise-cracking grin across his face and a massive scar that trails down from his eye to his nose. "Wow," Seungmin breathes.

"I can finally put a face to all your voices...," Ramiel says as he turns to look at each person in the room, "The freckled one is pretty...I'm sure you'll be prettier when you have blood speckled across your face." Chan growls at this and pulls on his cousin's wrist, bringing Felix behind him.

"You're protective," Ramiel says, "Let's see...who else? Oh one of the ones who caught me...you look good in leather....hm...it holds your figure nicely...I'll have to borrow it after I snap your head off. Then again, that may get the jacket dirty...is it real leather or fake?" Jaebum slams his elbow against Ramiel's head, not happy with the way he's speaking about Jinyoung. "Shut up," Jaebum hisses. The demon chuckles and slowly rises his head up. He sighs as he tilts his head a bit to crack it. "You're all here to try to kill me again I assume," Ramiel says, "Go ahead...it won't work..."

"We're not here to kill you," Seungmin says.

"Really?" Ramiel questions.

"We're going to do a lot worse," Jinyoung says, "I'm sure like all the other demons...you find us humans weak..."

"Of course," Ramiel scoffs, "The only thing that makes humans special is the way their bones sound when they shatter..."

"Well, then, I can assume you wouldn't want to become one," Jaebum says, "Would you, Ramiel?"

"What?" Ramiel says in confusion as Jaebum takes a syringe filled with dark red blood and injects it into the prince of hell's neck.

──────●◎●──────

"What dosage is this?" Chan asks as he and Seungmin walk towards Ramiel's cell.

Seungmin hums, "Seven...one more after this and then the incantation and he should be human through and through."

"I'm actually surprised it's working," Chan says, "I mean the first dose didn't seem to do anything, but as we gave him more he actually started to sound nicer."

"I know," Seungmin says, "It's a good thing though. We can save more people this way." Chan nods, knowing full well what becomes of most demon vessels after a possession. The two come to a stop in front of the door. Seungmin opens it up and gestures for Chan to walk in. He does and makes his way over to the table where they are keeping the blood. "How's it going, Ramiel?" Chan asks.

"Great," Ramiel says, his eyes black.

"You ready for your next dosage?" Chan questions.

"Sure," Ramiel sighs, "But, could you loosen these chains a bit first."

Chan scoffs, "Not gonna happen."

"Come on," Ramiel huffs, "Whatever you've been injecting in me has been making me weaker...I can feel it...and you know it. It's not like I can break out of chains when I'm turned into a human." Chan looks over at Seungmin, who shrugs, not knowing what they should do. The blonde hunter sighs and moves into the demon trap. He bends down and yanks a key from his pocket. He unlocks the large padlock to adjust the chains that are wrapped around Ramiel. Seungmin leans against the wall keeping a close eye on their captee in case he decides to try anything funny. Ramiel notices the man of letters staring at him and flashes him a toothy smile. Seungmin scrunches up his nose in disgust and shifts so that he is looking to the side instead. He glances every so often at Ramiel even in this position, but just as he's not looking the demon acts. He slams his head backwards and it collides with Chan. The hunter groans as he falls onto his bottom and grips his head. Seungmin's eyes widen and he takes a step to help him, but Ramiel acts quickly. The demon stands from the chair and shrugs the chains off of him. He grabs the furniture he's been stuck on and tosses it at Seungmin. The young man's eyes widen as the chair collides with him and slams him against the table. He winces in pain as it blossoms on his back. "I'd love to play with you all more, but I'm not a hundred percent at the moment," Ramiel says, "I have to save up my energy for your friends." The prince of hell darts out of the cell room and makes his way down the hall. Chan and Seungmin exchange a glance before pushing themselves to their feet and darting after him. The rush to the main room to find the three hunters all surrounding Ramiel. The demon smirks and tuts, "You know this isn't really fair..."

"How did you get out?" Felix growls.

"Well, you know, that thing you were injecting in me was turning me human," Ramiel says, "Thus, demon traps don't work on me."

Jinyoung huffs, "Thus, you're that much easier to kill." The hunter pounces at him with a knife clenched tightly in his hand. Ramiel sighs and dodges the blow before kicking Jinyoung in the tailbone. Jinyoung stumbles forward in pain and turns to attack the demon again. Jaebum rushes forward as well with twin blades in his hands. He slices at Ramiel which doesn't do anything since the demon dodges it with ease. "I may be turning into a human," Ramiel says, "But, I'm not there yet. Once that stuff you put in my system is gone...I'll be back to normal..."

"We won't let it get to that point," Felix states, "We'll kill you long before you get a chance to recharge."

"You can surely try," Ramiel says, "Come at me, hunters." With that said, the three all go at the demon at the same time. They make some cuts on him and he surprisingly bleeds, but the demon doesn't seem very phased. He keeps fighting as if it's the only thing he can. "Stay here, Seungmin," Chan says, "I'm going to go help them." He looks towards the side table and spots something silver sticking from one of his bags. He grabs it and clenches the angel blade in his fist before joining the fight. The man of letters clenches his teeth and takes a step back, knowing that he isn't a fighter and couldn't be of any help to those four. "Die already!" Jaebum hisses as he slices at Ramiel's face, but misses by just a couple centimeters and ends up snipping off some of his hair.

Ramiel grins, "I could say the same to you." He grabs onto Felix's wrist as he swings his knife at him. He clenches his hand tightly and twists. Felix lets out a grunt as he drops his weapon in pain. Ramiel tosses Felix across a table and into a lamp which both slide to the floor. At the same time, he catches the hunter's knife midair and swipes at the next person that comes at him. Jinyoung yelps as his arm gets sliced, distracting Jaebum, who looks towards his partner in concern. Ramiel slams the knife right into Jaebum's thigh as he is distracted making the hunter let out a yell as blood spurts from his leg. "Bastard!" Chan shouts as he swipes at Ramiel's chest. The demon chuckles as the blade cuts through his shirt and makes a straight line on his skin. "That tickles," Ramiel says. He brings a hand up and Chan's eyes widen as he goes flying back and slams into one of the bookshelves. Chan groans as he crumples to the floor. One of the levels of the shelf cracks from the impact and books fall and scatter around the blonde hunter. "Hm..." Ramiel hums, "I guess I'm done here. You should all be lucky I'm feeling a tad bit less bloodthirsty then usual...must be you're demon cure. Anyway...I shall be off..." With that said, the demon makes his way for the door leaving the hunters behind.

──────●◎●──────

The group cleans up the chapterhouse in silence after patching up their injuries. Today wasn't a win. And another demon is out in the world that could cause destruction at any second. That's on them. Guilt weighs heavy on each person, but they all do their best to push past it. Their plan didn't work out, but it isn't going to do anyone any good to move around about it. There are still plenty of monsters in the world and people that need to be saved from them. A depressed, moping hunter isn't going to be able to get that job done. Little by little, they finish tidying the place up. There's still bullet marks in the walls and there's no repairing that bookshelf, but those are things that the Men of Letters can fix on a later date. "I need to take this," Seungmin announces as his phone starts to ring. The others nod and watch as he scampers off to take the call. The others gather together in the main hallway. "What are you two going to do?" Chan asks.

"Hunt him down," Jaebum states, "He's a bit weaker cause of the curing ritual. I'm sure we'll be able to find him."

"What about you two?" Jinyoung asks, "With all this craziness going on, we never got to talk. Why are you back in Korea?"

"We're trying to find out what happened to Wonpil hyung," Chan states. The two older hunters' eyes widen in surprise, not having expected for him to say that. "That doesn't sound like an easy task," Jinyoung says.

Felix sighs, "It won't be, but my cousin is driven. He isn't going to let this go."

"Well, I wish you luck," Jaebum says, "If you ever need something, we're just a call away." Chan smiles and nods his head, thankful for the supportive words from his hyungs. "Thanks," Chan says, "Same goes for us. Don't hesitate to reach out." The two older hunters nod their heads. They grab their belongings which sit on the floor before waving at them and heading towards the exit. "Did they leave?" Seungmin questions, returning to the room with two large bags over his shoulders.

"Yeah, you just missed them," Chan says.

"Who called you?" Felix asks.

"Just a colleague," Seungmin answers, "He was telling me about this weird power surge that occurred in the same area hyung was in the night he died."

"Power surge?" Chan questions.

Seungmin nods, "Stronger than any monster, demon, or angel..."

"That's weird," Felix comments.

"Yeah," Seungmin says, "It's probably nothing though. It could just be our system. I mean it's happened before and it turned out to be a stray cat messing with the wiring..."

"Ah," Chan says, "Well, I guess it's no big deal then."

"Most likely," Seungmin says, "You two going to head out too?"

"Probably," Felix says, "Got to start retracing Wonpil's steps." Seungmin nods his head and slips the bags off his shoulders. He places them on the table and pushes them towards the hunters. "Here's all the tools you could possibly need," Seungmin says, "With a few extra special men of letters toys..."

"Thanks," Chan says as he grabs the bag, "You're the best."

"I try," Seungmin shrugs, "Now go find out what happened to my hyung."

Chapter Text

Then: Gwanak-gu

A woman with pitch black hair sits on a brown plush couch flipping through a photo album. She is garbed in a form-fitting neon green spaghetti strap tank and gray sweats. She lets her finger run over a picture of a blonde haired man standing beside her with his arm placed lightly around her waist. A shaky smile blooms onto her face as she lets out a quiet sigh. She moves her hand to flip the page, but before she can her doorbell rings. The woman frowns and glances up at the time, wondering who it could be at this hour. She pushes herself off the couch and makes her way over to the front door. She undoes the lock and opens the door. "Hello?" She says as she opens it up completely. Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open as she sees who stands outside. "D-dawn," She stutters.

"Hyuna," Dawn says in an even tone.

"H-how is this p-possible?" Hyuna stutters, taking a step back. Dawn doesn't say anything as he enters the woman's apartment. His blonde hair is matted and coarse. He is garbed in an unzipped red puffer jacket on top of an oversized white shirt and oversized black vinyl pants. Dawn approaches Hyuna at a steady pace, one step after another. "Hyuna," Dawn states again.

"Dawn..." Hyuna says in a breathy tone filled with a mixture of fear and longing.

"Hyuna," Dawn says. He reaches a hand out to grasp the woman's shoulder. Hyuna tenses a bit as his cold hand touches her skin. "Who are you?" Hyuna questions, eyeing Dawn warily.

"Hyuna," Dawn says robotically as he grabs tighter onto the girl. Hyuna winces and tries to shake him off of her, but his grip holds true. She stares at Dawn, who has an unnerving smile slowly appearing on his face. Dawn uses all his strength as he pushes Hyuna back. The woman shrieks as she goes flying and hits the back of the couch. She groans in pain and looks up at Dawn, who is creeping towards her. "Stay away, Dawn. Stay aw-ahhhhhhhh!" Hyuna yells as the odd man looms over her with his arm raised and his hand clenched into a fist.

──────●◎●──────

Now

"Okay, we really can't be making stops like these every time," Felix huffs as Chan parks the car in front of a graveyard, "We're never going to find what Wonpil is up to if we keep doing this."

"I can't just walk away from that," Chan says, "It's like driving past someone flashing vampire teeth." Felix sighs as Chan pulls his keys out of the car and exits the vehicle. He follows his cousin and shakes his head, not happy with their ever so frequent stops. The cousins make their way over to a headstone that sits in front of a completely dead tree in a perfect circle of dead grass. "Unholy land," Chan murmurs.

"So, what do we have here?" Felix questions.

Chan shrugs, "Whatever it is...it's something unnatural...or this never would have happened." The blonde hunter walks around the gravestone to look at the other side. He frowns when he notices weird markings drawn faintly on the back. He reaches for his phone and opens up his camera. He takes a picture before slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Can I help you boys?" A voice asks. The cousins turn around to see a man garbed in a black suit. There is a small nametag on his lapel that says grave director. "Ah, well, we just were paying our respects," Felix says.

The man nods, "Was he a friend of yours?"

"Yeah," Chan says.

The man sighs, "It's such a shame that he killed himself. He was so young." Felix and Chan exchange a look at this, not having expected for that to be the cause of this person's death. "What about this circle?" Felix asks.

The man sighs, "It just popped up the other day. No idea what caused it, but we're looking into it."

"That's good," Chan says, eyeing the gravestone, "Hyojong hyung deserves the best."

"I couldn't agree more," The man says, "It's very unfortunate that his girlfriend took it so terribly."

"Girlfriend?" Felix questions, "I didn't know that hyung was dating."

"He kept it under wraps, but it came out following his death," The grave director says, "Hyuna was devastated, but no one expected her to follow suit with what Hyojong did."

"She killed herself too?" Chan asks in surprise.

"That's the rumor going around, but it just happened the other day," The man answers, "The cops are investigating. I must go now. Take all the time you need to pay your respects." The two cousins flash the man thankful smiles as he walks away. Felix looks to Chan, "So, what do you think? Think it may be a case?"

"I don't know," Chan says, "Considering the unholy ground, I would say yes...but I don't want to go barking up the wrong tree about something that is really nothing."

"Let's check it out then to confirm," Felix states, "Speak to the town."

"Are you sure?" Chan questions, "I mean I'm the one that's dragging you around Korea to find out what happened to Wonpil. We should just get back to what we came this way for."

"As much as I would prefer that, it isn't going to happen," Felix says, "You would never feel right about just leaving without at least checking things out first. And...I'm the same way. If something is actually wrong here, I would never forgive myself for being selfish and walking away."

Chan nods, "Okay then. Let's go see if we can find Kim Hyojong's family."

──────●◎●──────

"What is going on there?" Felix questions as they pull to a stop in front of Hyojong's mother's home. Standing in the driveway of the simple house is a man and a woman outfitted in clothing that you would expect of middle-aged adults. Both of their faces are flushed red and their arms fly in the air as they shout at one another. "Lover's quarrel?" Chan suggests.

"You think those two are his parents?" Felix asks.

"Possibly," Chan says, "It says here that the two divorced a couple years back when Hyojong was still in high school..."

"Can't mean a good thing if the two are here arguing like this," Felix says.

Chan sighs, "Definitely not, but hey maybe they can give us a hint as to what is really going on here." Felix nods and exits the vehicle. He waits for his cousin to come to his side before slowly approaching the bickering former couple. "You are the very reason why our son chose to do what he did!!!" Mr. Kim shrieks.

Miss. Kim scoffs, "Please...I gave him nothing except for unconditional love."

"Except when it came to his girlfriend!" Mr. Kim growls.

"Oh, so this is what this is all about!" Miss. Kim says, "You decided to come to my house to yell at me now that the bitch is dead."

"I swear, Miran!" Mr. Kim shakes his head, "The girl is dead! That is on you!"

"On me!" The woman shrieks, "If she decides to end her worthless life, how is that my fault!"

"She loved our son!" Mr. Kim bellows, "Yet, you pushed her away during the funeral! You told her that she is the reason behind all of this!"

"That is cause she is!" Miss Kim huffs, "She has always been nothing more than a greedy, self-centered-!"

"Do not finish that sentence," Mr. Kim states in a firm tone, "You are absolutely ridiculous. You haven't changed at all you despicable, delusional woman!"

"I never!" Miss Kim huffs and crosses her arms. Chan and Felix exchange a glance with one another, not really knowing what to do in this situation. Felix judges his cousin and makes a face that says do something. Chan sighs and clears his throat in an attempt to catch the attention of the bickering ex-couple. The two adults fall silent and turn slowly to look at the cousins. They shift uncomfortably as they realize that they have been watched during their entire argument. "Can we help you boys?" Mr. Kim asks.

Chan offers the two a tight-lipped smile before speaking calmly, "Hyojong hyung was our senior in school...we came to pay or respects..."

"Oh," Mr. Kim says, "Well, thank you for coming, but do you mind coming back later. My ex-wife and I are in the middle of something." Felix and Chan nod their heads. They turn to leave, but Miss. Kim stops them. "Please don't go," Miss. Kim says, "I would love to talk to you two. Would you like to come in for something to eat or drink?"

"We don't want to intrude," Felix says, "If you're busy..."

"I am not," Miss. Kim states, "I have nothing more to say to this man." Mr. Kim shakes his head at this, but doesn't even bother arguing, appearing just as done with his wife as the woman is with her husband. He walks away without saying anything to his wife. He flashes the cousins soft smiles, but offers little words as he makes his way to his car which is parked in the driveway. "Now, how about getting you two something to eat?" Miss. Kim says with a wide smile. The two aussies exchange a look before looking towards the grieving woman and nodding their heads.

──────●◎●──────

The two look around the woman's home for anything that may make her a suspect. Specifically, any dead plants similar to the ones in the graveyard. Neither can seem to find anything though as they are led into the living room. It's small and quaint. There's a wide window with sheer curtains with little stars on them. The walls are painted a light grey making the two couches that sit across from one another stand out in the room. There's a medium sized wooden table in between the couches that has a gray placemat on top of it. "I'll be right back with snacks," Miss. Kim says with a soft smile. She exits the room, leaving the cousins sitting side by side on the bright yellow couch. "You know she's rather chipper considering her son just died," Felix murmurs.

"Yeah," Chan says, "Could just be a mask she's putting up though?"

"Maybe," Felix says in a wary tone. Miss. Kim returns to the living with a tray in her hands. She places it on the table before removing the contents in the tray from it. She plays small cups in front of the two hunters and fills them using a large jar of water. The woman places a small plate with snacks on it on the table before sliding the tray underneath it. "So, how was my Hyojong in school?" The woman asks, taking a seat on the couch across from them, "Was he a good senior?"

"The best," Felix states, "He would always look out for us."

"Ah, yes, he's always been a kind-hearted person," Miss. Kim muses.

"I never thought that he would do such a thing," Chan murmurs, "I never knew he was unhappy."

"He was happy," Miss. Kim says, "Before...well that doesn't matter much now..."

"Are you talking about Hyuna noona?" Chan asks. Miss. Kim stiffens at the name and her eyes narrow. She scans the boys up and down, making them both feel uncomfortable. "How do you know her?" Miss. Kim asks with venom in her voice.

"She was dating hyung," Felix says, "I always thought they were a nice couple. They loved each other."

"Get out," Miss. Kim states, getting to her feet.

"Um, why?" Chan questions, slowly standing. He tugs on Felix's sleeve, who gets the message and rises from the couch. "I will not have anyone say that bitch's name in my house," Miss. Kim growls, "Get out before I call the cops."

──────●◎●──────

"You know that woman has no flowers in her house, which is weird when her son just died," Felix says. The two are eating instant noodles inside a store. After being kicked out, the two made their way to a local convenience shop for some cheap food for lunch. Chan sighs as he bites his food, "I find it weirder how much she hates Hyuna."

"I know," Felix says as he slurps up some noodles.

Chan shakes his head, "I don't get it. Hyojong-ssi dies and then there's unholy ground surrounding his grave...but how does Hyuna-ssi play into this."

"Well, Hyojong's mom hates the woman," Felix says, "Maybe, Hyuna's death wasn't a suicide."

"Are you trying to say that Miss. Kim killed her?" Chan questions.

Felix shrugs, "It's a possibility...no?"

"Doesn't explain the unholy ground though," Chan says, "Oh and those markings on Hyojong's grave." He reaches for his phone and taps on the screen to bring up the picture. He turns his phone to show Felix, who looks at the phone with intrigue. "I've seen those before," Felix says, "Was it a case with my dad? Hm...yeah...that one in Sydney with the undead person. They used necromancy to bring back their dead best friend or something like that..."

"Zombies?" Chan questions, "That's not common at all."

"Well, it would explain the unholy ground," Felix says.

"But, who cast the spell?" Chan questions.

"Hyojong's parents?" Felix says, "There's something going on there."

"Excuse me...are you two talking about Mr. and Miss Kim? The divorced couple?" A voice says. The cousins turn to look at one of the workers who is wearing a bright blue vest that signifies he's staff on top of a white shirt. There's a tan bucket hat tucked tightly over his head and bits of his light blue-purplish hair peeks from underneath it. A silver name tag sits on his vest that reads Hoetaek. "Um...yeah," Chan says, "Do you know them?"

"Everyone knows them," Hoetaek says, "They're the messiest couple in town. People always wonder why they got married in the first place."

"Have they always been at each other's throats?" Felix asks, "We saw them going at it in Miss. Kim's driveway earlier."

Hoetaek nods, "Just another day for those two. Usually they're arguing about Hyojong. He was a buddy of mine, so I know all about his parent's craziness."

"Were they that bad?" Chan questions.

Hoetaek sighs, "Miss. Kim is a bit of a helicopter parent. She treated Hyojong like her little prince. She would always think that there wasn't anything good enough for him. Mr. Kim found it ridiculous. He would tell his wife that Hyojong is going to become a spoiled brat if she keeps treating him the way she did. Miss. Kim, of course, disliked that Mr. Kim wouldn't give their son the love he clearly deserved and their whole argument began. It just got worse and worse as time went on..."

"Jeez," Felix murmurs, "If I were him...I would get out of the house as soon as I could."

"Oh, he did," Hoetaek says, "Hyojong loved both of his parents, but he found his mother stifling and he hated when they argued. He went to a school out of town and that's where he met Kim Hyuna."

"Let me guess...Miss. Kim hated her with a passion?" Chan says.

Hoetaek nods, "Hyuna lived in the other town and since Hyojong didn't want to be far from her...he moved there."

"Leaving behind mommy," Felix says.

"Exactly," Hoetaek sighs, "When Hyojong introduced his girlfriend to his parents, Miss. Kim hated her. There was no reason for it. Hyuna was a wonderful person, but Miss. Kim would always make up these rumors about how she was cheating or using Hyojong. None of it was true, but it bothered both Hyojong and Hyuna. Miss. Kim would constantly put pressure on Hyojong to break up with her until he couldn't take it anymore and killed himself...he was already in a bad place with his parent's constant arguments and with his mother's blatant hatred for his choices...it was too much..."

"That's horrible," Chan says.

"Yup," Hoetaek says, "Mr. Kim blames Miss. Kim for what happened, but of course the woman pushes Hyojong's suicide on Hyuna. That girl didn't do anything except provide a little light in Hyojong's life. Miss. Kim couldn't have been more wrong." Just then, a woman enters the store. Hoetaek flashes the two a smile before turning to go help the customer. "Wow," Felix murmurs.

"Yeah," Chan says with a shake of his head, "It's messed up."

"So, the parents?" Felix asks.

"Maybe," Chan says, "I don't know which one."

"Well, we have two suspects," Felix says, "Mr. Kim is clearly upset that his ex-wife ruined Hyojong's life and wants to give him a second chance. And Miss. Kim, she loves her son in some very overprotective way. She would do anything to have her baby back."

"In that case, we should split up and see if either may be behind our zombie," Chan says.

"I don't think Miss. Kim will let either of us in considering how we spoke Hyuna's name," Felix says.

Chan sighs, "Well, that's a you problem."

"Hey! Why do I have to go back to crazy's place?" Felix questions, "I say we rock, paper, scissors it."

"Fine," Chan says, holding out his hand.

──────●◎●──────

"Stupid," Felix grumbles as he walks up the driveway of Miss. Kim's lawn, "Why did I do paper!? I always do paper...Chris knows this already..." The freckled hunter makes his way to the front door and clicks the doorbell. He shuffles awkwardly as he waits for Miss. Kim. He still has no idea what he is going to say to her. He can only hope that he's convincing enough so that he can find out if she's behind the unholy ground and possibly Hyojong coming back to life. The sound of the door unlocking echoes as the door is pulled open by Miss. Kim. She looks at who stands outside and her eyes widen. She moves to slam the door on Felix, but the hunter stops her by placing a firm hand on the door. "Please...I just want to talk," Felix says.

"I don't want to talk to you," The woman spats. She is garbed in a simple black t-shirt and pants that reach to her lower thighs. In her hand is a bouquet of wilted dead flowers. Felix's gaze shifts to those dead plants and his mind begins to churn. Just like in the graveyard. "Those flowers....they're dead," Felix comments.

"Yes, I was going to throw them out," Miss. Kim sighs, "Will you please leave, so that I can toss out my garbage?"

Felix ignores her words and continues to speak, "They're dead cause something unnatural has been in your house."

"What?" Miss. Kim scoffs, "That is ridiculous."

"Is it?" Felix questions, "Cause I think you know exactly what unnatural thing is in your home. It's been killing every single flower sent to you in regard to your son. Who you don't seem to be that broken up about? Is it cause you've raised him from the dead?"

"I will not have you speak about my son in this manner!" Miss. Kim shrieks, "Leave!"

"No," Felix states in a firm tone, "Unless, you can give me a good reason as to why you have a dead bouquet in your hands. I don't recall seeing any flowers when I entered your home...so where did those come from?" Miss. Kim falls silent after that. Her gaze shifts to the floor and she purses her lips together. She takes a deep breath and looks up at the freckled Aussie, "How did you know?"

"It's my job too," Felix says, "How did you raise him?"

"A book I found at the library," Miss. Kim murmurs, "I didn't think it would work, but it did and I...I got my child back..."

"Well, you know that he can't stick around, right?" Felix says.

Miss. Kim frowns, "Of course, he can."

"No...he cannot. He's unnatural. The dead plants show that," Felix says.

Miss. Kim shakes her head, "I refuse. I will not let you take my son from me. I went through a lot to get him back. I will not have my baby be shoved into a wooden box. He should stay at home with his loving mother. I will take care of him. I will make sure nothing happens to him. He is my child and I will give him all he could ever need."

"Your son is dead! You're taking care of a freaking corpse!" Felix exclaims, "That thing that you've brought back isn't him! He may have the same memories, but he is messed up. He is going to hurt someone eventually." Miss. Kim falls silent again and she shifts a bit uncomfortably. She refuses to look at the freckled hunter. Felix eyes her warily as it slowly begins to dawn on him. "He's already hurt someone," Felix says, "Didn't he?"

"It doesn't matter," Miss. Kim murmurs.

"Doesn't matter?" Felix scoffs, "It does. Now tell me who did your son hurt."

"That bitch!" Miss. Kim hisses, "Kim Hyuna."

Felix's eyes widen and he stiffens, "Hyojong killed his girlfriend..."

"Yes, okay! It's not a big deal," Miss. Kim huffs, "She deserved it. She has been nothing but a leach, sucking off the livelihood of my beloved Hyojong."

"She died cause you brought your son back to life!" Felix growls, "Don't you have any remorse!"

"I didn't tell him to kill her, okay!" Miss. Kim states, "Stop making it seem like it was my fault!"

"Then, why did Hyojong kill Hyuna!? He loved her!" Felix says.

Miss. Kim frowns and crosses her arms, "I was just complaining...I was saying that the reason Hyojong had left and didn't have me was because of Hyuna. I told him that Hyuna is a bad influence and she must be considered dead to him." Felix shakes his head in disbelief and runs a hand through his hair. "It is your fault," Felix says, "Zombies can't think straight. What you said to your son made him go after Hyuna and literally make sure she was dead!"

"I didn't think he would go after her!" Miss. Kim shouts, "I was just speaking..."

"Well, your words hold a lot more power in them then you seem to think," Felix says, "Where is Hyojong? We need to end this before you start to blather about anyone else and sick your pet zombie on the person that stepped on your front lawn by accident."

Miss Kim scowls at his words and shakes her head, "I told you that my son is staying with me. Oh, and don't even try bothering to push past me to search my house. Hyojong isn't here."

"Where is he?" Felix questions.

"I can't keep him inside all day," Miss. Kim hums, "Night is the only time he has to go walk around a bit and be somewhat normal..." Felix rolls his eyes at the woman's words and massages his temples. "You let the freaking undead walk around for some air!" Felix huffs, "He could be hurting someone at the moment."

Miss. Kim sighs, "Don't be so over-dramatic."

"Really? Considering the last time you let him out, he killed his girlfriend, I think I'm reacting in the way that's expected," Felix states. Just then, his phone starts to ring loudly. The hunter sighs and sticks his hand into his pocket. He takes out his phone and answers the call without even looking at the screen. "Chris?" Felix questions.

"Hey," Chan says in a breathy tone, "We got an issue over here."

"Yeah, same," Felix tuts, "This woman is being a complete pain in the ass."

"I got bigger problems," Chan says, "I ran into Hyojong."

Felix's eyes widen, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chan says, "But, Mr. Kim is not. I don't know why but it seemed like Hyojong was purposefully targeting the man."

Felix curses under his breath and eyes the woman standing by her doorway, "I have an idea why. Get Mr. Kim to a hospital. I'll be there with Miss. Kim soon."

"Okay," Chan states before ending the call. Felix shakes his head and slips his phone back into his pocket. He looks at Miss Kim, "Seems like you just can't keep your mouth shut, lady. That lovely son of yours just paid a visit to his father..."

Chapter Text

"Where is Hyojong now?" Felix asks.

Chan runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head, "No idea...I shot him with a silver bullet, but it didn't do much except stun him a bit."

"Great, so it's one of those zombies," Felix sighs.

"Most likely," Chan says, "We got to nail his corpse back into his grave."

"That is a lot harder than it sounds," Felix says, "The zombie isn't going to just come waltzing in and I doubt that Miss. Kim is going to be on board to help lead her son back into the ground."

"I don't know about that," Chan says, pointing towards the hospital room that the two stand outside. Mr. Kim lays on the bed with a heart monitor and bandages wrapped around his head. His pulse is steady, but his skin pale from the amount of blood loss following his undead son's attack. His ex-wife sits beside him with a solemn expression on her face. As much as she hates the man, she doesn't wish for him to die. She can't help, but feel a bit worried for her former partner. "Still," Felix says, "She was really set on leaving her son be."

"Let's go talk to her," Chan says, "I'm sure we can convince her if she hasn't already changed her mind already." Felix shrugs and enters the room with his cousin following close behind him. Miss. Kim doesn't turn to look at them as they come inside, but it's clear she notices they're there. She speaks in a quiet tone to them, "I don't regret what I did."

"Hm?" Felix questions.

Miss. Kim sighs, "I know it's wrong, but I don't regret bringing him back to life. I got to spend more time with my precious son...time that I desperately needed..."

"But, he's hurt people," Chan states, "You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Miss. Kim says, "That's why I'm going to let you do whatever it is you two do with unnatural beings....after all...what's dead should stay dead." The cousins look at one another, impressed that the overprotective mother is willing to let go of her son. Maybe it was the guilt of seeing her ex laying in a hospital bed with bandages all over him. Or maybe it was just that deep down the woman knew that it was the right thing to do. Her son would turn into a monster if she let him roam in earth for any longer. That is something even worse than death in her eyes. "I'm glad you see that now," Felix says, "We promise to do all we can to ensure your son gets back to where he should be."

Miss. Kim nods, "Thank you."

"Don't thank us yet," Chan says, "We may need your help." The woman turns to look at the two in the eyes with confusion. "Me?" She questions, "What can I do?"

"Do what you do best," Felix states, "Complain about us."

"What?" Miss. Kim asks.

"We need to lure Hyojong back to his grave and nail him inside his coffin. The only way that's happening is if you can convince him to come after us," Chan says.

Miss. Kim frowns, "Isn't that dangerous? What if you can't do it?"

"Don't worry about that," Felix says, "We'll get the job done, so will you give us a hand?" The woman purses her lips together for a moment before slowly nodding her head, wanting to do as much as she can considering this is her son and she is the reason behind his rebirth. "Good," Chan says, "Let's get to work."

──────●◎●──────

Felix and Chan sit side by side in front of Hyojong's tombstone. Their clothes are covered in dirt and they have sweat gathered on their foreheads. There are shovels on the ground beside them that they used to get to the coffin and crack it open. The cousins wait for their zombie to arrive, their hands hovering over their pockets where they each sport a pistol loaded with silver bullets. "Do you think he's coming?" Felix asks, glancing at his cousin.

Chan nods, "If Miss. Kim did as we said, he should be here any moment now." Almost as if on cue, a shadowy figure begins to creep up behind them. Neither cousin seems to notice as Hyojong gets closer and closer. Felix sighs and leans back a bit. He turns his head back and forth, keeping an eye out for their monster. Suddenly, the sound of a branch breaking echoes through the silent night. Felix stiffens and turns his head around. His eyes widen and he shoots to his feet. He grabs his gun and fires at Hyojong, who is a couple of inches away from him. The bullet lodges itself into the zombie's cheek, making an indent and weird black colorings bloom onto his skin. His head tilts back a bit and he slows down for a second, giving Chan time to get to his feet and take out his own weapon. Hyojong recovers quickly though as his eyes filled with a murderous intent lock onto the two Australian hunters. He charges at them and barrels right into Felix. The freckled boy groans as he collides with the floor. The zombie pounces on top of him and pins his shoulders to the floor. "Lix!" Chan exclaims as he points his gun and fires two consecutive shots. The bullets hit the zombie's chest and make him go tumbling off of his cousin. Felix lets out a breath before quickly getting to his feet. He points his gun and fires again and again. His barrage pushes Hyojong back at a steady pace. The zombie staggers back until he reaches the hole that the hunters dug. He drops into it with a thug. Chan jumps in and pushes Hyojong into the coffin. "No!" Hyojong growls as he tries to get up. Chan grits his teeth as he pins him down. He reaches for a silver dagger from his back pocket. He slams it into Hyojong's shoulder. Felix drops down beside him and slams his own weapon into the zombie's other side. Hyojong flails a bit in a mix of terror and pain, but he can't do anything as his body is pinned to his coffin. His body slowly stills and his eyes fall shut, becoming nothing more than a corpse once again. Chan and Felix both stare down at him with emotionless expressions. "You can rest now, Kim Hyojong," Chan murmurs.

──────●◎●──────

"How is she?" Chan asks as Felix gets into the car. They are parked outside of Miss. Kim's house, having stopped by to tell her they had done it before taking off again. "Hurt," Felix answers, "But, she'll be okay."

Chan nods and sighs, "It's sad...she had good intentions when bringing him back..."

"Well, that's just the way it is when you mess with monsters and magic," Felix says, "It never ends up good."

Chan nods as he starts the car up, "Let's get going. No more stops from now on."

"We both know that's a lie," Felix says, "As much as our main goal is to find out what happened to Wonpil, we're still hunters. If there's a hunt and we can save lives, we're definitely stopping. And I'm okay with it...Bang Chan and Lee Felix are in Korea and we're here for who knows how long. So, monsters better watch out, cause we're coming for them." Chan looks at his cousin, who has a soft smile on his face and a determined glint in his eye. The blonde smiles as well, glad that his younger cousin seems to be adjusting to hunting here in Korea. "Okay then," Chan says as he pulls out onto the street and hits the gas pedal.

Chapter Text

Then: Anyang

"Yah, Kim Yonghee!" A boy with black hair huffs as Yonghee swipes a piece of popcorn from her bowl. Yonghee, a boy with dark brown hair that hangs over his forehead, smiles happily and tosses the kernel into his mouth. He hums as he chews, much to the annoyance of his brother. "Thanks, Seunghun hyung," He says in a sing-song tone. He is garbed in an oversized shirt and shorts. There are polka-dot socks on his feet that tap happily. "I didn't offer you anything. Why do you have to steal my food?" Seunghun questions, "You can make your own popcorn." He is garbed in a tank top and pajama pants. His feet remain bare unlike his brother's. "It's too much work," Yonghee answers, "It's easier to just take." He reaches for another piece, but Seunghun slaps his hand away. He whirls around with his bowl and clutches it protectively, "No."

"Ow!" Yonghee exclaims, "Why did you hit me?"

"Cause you're a thief!" Seunghun exclaims. Yonghee scowls at this and crosses his arms over his chest. "Boys, don't fight," Their mother calls out as she enters the room garbed in her own striped pajamas. The siblings whirl around to face their mother and let out similar exasperated sighs. They begin to talk over one another, making their mother shake her head. The woman can't make out what either of her children are saying, but it didn't really matter to her. Their argument was most definitely about something stupid. "Your appa and I sent you two into the kitchen to deal with the snacks for movie night, not to start bickering," The woman says loudly with a raised eyebrow. The boys fall silent at their mother's words and slowly lower their heads in shame. "Sorry," Seunghun murmurs.

"Yeah, sorry," Yonghee mutters.

"It's fine," Their mother says, "Just try to finish up here so we can start the movie. I'm sure your appa has already started watching, he's so impatient." They both nod their heads and start to shuffle around the kitchen, grabbing more bags of popcorn and bowls to place the popped kernels inside. Seunghun slips one of the bags into the microwave and presses the button. He sighs as the soft popping of the corn echoes as the microwave tray spins. After a couple of seconds, the microwave dings and Seunghun takes out the steaming bag. He tugs it open and Yonghee holds a bowl near him so that he can pour the popcorn in it. They repeat this process again with their mother watching them with a small smile on their faces. The microwave dings again, but at the same time as this noise echoes so does the sound of a gun being fired. The three all tense and look at one another with fear in their eyes. "A-appa..." Yonghee stutters. The boys look over to their mother, who holds up a finger to her lips. She creeps out of the kitchen and towards the source of the sound. Their house is fairly big, some may even call it a mansion, so the sound of the gun echoed, but they've lived in this house for a long time and they can tell where the noise came from. Seunghun and Yonghee creep behind their mother as they all make their way to the living room. As they enter, they are greeted by a shadowy figure garbed in all black and a face mask snug over his face. The figure is sitting on the couch beside a man dressed in a red shirt and sports shorts. His body is slumped to the side and partially covers a part of the couch that has this weird black-red stain that looks fairly new."Appa..." Seunghun whispers, his face turning white. Yonghee leans close to his brother, grabbing onto his arm for support as his eyes become watery. Their mom stares at her husband with a blank expression. The woman takes a deep breath before staring down at the figure sitting comfortably on the couch. "Hunter," She says with venom.

"Hello, Kim family," The hunter says as he turns to look at them, "I have a gift for you. Silver bullets." He lifts his hand up and fires three shots at each of them. They each drop to the floor as they get hit. The hunter stares at them for a second to make sure they don't get back up before slowly standing from the couch and walking towards the kitchen. He enters the room and makes his way over to the microwave. He opens it up and grabs the bag of popcorn. He rips the bag open as he walks out of the house, leaving the family that he just killed behind.

──────●◎●──────

Now

"I found a case in Anyang about the dead coming back," Chan reads from Wonpil's journal. The two are sitting across from one another at a cafe. They both have iced drinks in front of them and Felix is enjoying a very large chocolate chip cookie. "Another zombie?" Felix questions, "Are those common in Korea?"

Chan shakes his head, "No, it's not. And he definitely didn't deal with any zombies here." Felix tilts his head to the side as he takes a sip of his drink. "Then what?" Felix asks, taking another bite of his cookie.

"It says here that the case spoke of lost loved ones coming into homes only to take jewelry, TVs, anything of value and never return," Chan says, "The victims are so taken aback by the return of their dead families that they don't realize what's happening until it's too late."

"So...shifters?" Felix suggests.

Chan flips the page in his old friend's journal and nods, "Yup. A whole family of them. Apparently, they go back generations in this town. The Kim family. They're filthy rich, but no one knows exactly how or why..."

"Well, if I was stealing everyday then I would be bathing in cash," Felix states.

"It says here that Wonpil dealt with them with no issues and then went on his merry way," Chan says.

"Hm," Felix hums, "I say we check out the Kims' house just to be sure things went down like he said they did." Chan nods and takes his phone out. He taps on the screen before showing it to his cousin, "It's about a couple of miles from here."

──────●◎●──────

The two pull in past the open gates to a large old mansion made of brick. There are a variety of other cars parked around and people garbed in black milling about. The front doors are wide open and beside them are portraits of four individuals standing on easels. "Okay..." Felix says as he looks around the place, "Considering the family were shifters, why does it look like they're holding a funeral for them? Since when do monsters have funerals?" Chan doesn't say anything as he pulls to a stop in an empty spot. The cousins get out of their vehicle and head towards the door, not really knowing what to expect. When they enter the house, the two are blown away at the size of it. The inside is huge with a high ceiling and spacious layout. There's a grand staircase that leads to a second floor and a hallway with beautiful tiling. The sound of voices come from a back area which the two slowly gravitate towards. It's a large porch area that opens into a wide backyard garden. There are four caskets propped up amongst the flowers and groups of people gathered around with their heads tilted down. The cousin awkwardly shifts to the side, knowing that they stand out like a sore thumb amongst the mourning. "So, what the hell is going on?" Felix whispers, "Are all these people part of the Kim family? Does that mean their shifters too?"

"I don't know," Chan murmurs, "But, they can't be a part of the Kim family. Wonpil says he dealt with all of them."

"Dude, our grandma lives somewhere in the Bahamas," Felix states, "Wonpil may have gone after this household, but I doubt he got every single living relative of the Kim family."

"Wonpil?" A voice says, "It was Wonpil hyung that did this?" Felix stiffens and whirls around. His hands are clenched into fists and his eyes narrow at the person standing in front of him. He has brown hair with bright red highlights at the top. He is garbed in a black button down with matching pants and shoes. "Han Jisung," Chan says as he stares at the person that overheard his conversation with his cousin.

Jisung looks at Chan with surprise, "Hyung? You're back?"

"Yeah," Chan says, "What are you doing here?"

"I could say the same thing to you," Jisung says.

Felix frowns as he looks back and forth between the two, "Uh, Chris, who is this?"

"I'm Jisung," The boy answers, flashing Felix a tight-lipped smile, "Why don't we go somewhere else to talk so we don't bother them?" He beckons for the hunters to follow him. The group makes their way around the side of the house and towards the front. Jisung leads them through the house and into a large room with a huge master bed in the center and a desk near a window. Felix shuts the door behind them and leans against it. Chan grabs the seat sitting near the desk and plops onto it while Jisung makes himself comfortable on the bed. "Okay," Jisung says, "What are you doing here? And what did you mean that Wonpil hyung went after the Kim family?"

"I have questions too," Felix says, "Why do you know my cousin? And why are all these people here mourning monsters?" Jisung eyes Felix weirdly for his use of the word monsters. Felix looks back at him with a judging glance of his own. Chan looks back and forth between his friend and his cousin before letting out a loud sigh. "Okay, let's take this one thing at a time," Chan says, "I'm back cause my cousin and I are trying to find what Wonpil was doing before he died. This was the first place that Wonpil stopped at. According to his journal, he handled this shifter family cause they were stealing from the entire town by pretending to be their dead loved ones. As for Jisung, he is a friend that I met through Wonpil. He's a shapeshifter and if my assumption is correct...so is everyone else in this place." Jisung purses his lips together and his forehead creases as if he's trying to process Chan's words. There's clearly a lot going on in his head as he tries to make sense of this all. Felix, on the other hand, doesn't keep his reactions to himself. His hands clench into fists and his eyes start to shine with a murderous glint. "He's a what?" Felix hisses, taking a step towards Jisung. The shifter is snapped out of his thoughts at the angry tone of the freckled hunter's voice. His eyes widen and he takes a tentative step back. Chan quickly places a hand on Felix's shoulder, "Hey, don't."

"What do you mean don't?" Felix says, "We're freaking surrounded by monsters. We have to act quickly since we're outnumbered."

"I wouldn't say monsters," Jisung cuts in, "Shifters are probably the least monstery of all the creepy crawly thing you two hunt. We're actually a lot more like humans..."

Felix glares at him, "You are nothing like us."

"Felix Lee," Chan states in a firm tone, "Remember that things are different here in Korea. Not all things that aren't human are evil, Jisung is a perfect example of that." Felix huffs and shrugs Chan's hand from off his shoulder. He steps closer to Jisung and looks at him with narrowed eyes, "I still don't trust you. I have no idea why my cousin does."

Jisung sighs, "You're one of those hunters...aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felix questions in a harsh tone.

"Just that you don't believe anything that isn't fully human can live normal lives," Jisung says.

Felix nods, "Yeah and it isn't a bad thing. All monsters go bad eventually."

"They don't," Jisung says, "And I know you don't believe me, but I'll do what I can to maybe convince you otherwise..."

Felix scoffs, "Don't bother wasting your breath." Chan massages his temples, knowing that his cousin will be stubborn about this. On the bright side, at least Felix hasn't attacked Jisung. Yet. "Chan hyung," Jisung says, "You said that Wonpil killed this family...are you sure he did it?"

Chan shrugs, "He wrote it down...I don't see why he would lie about it."

"But, why?" Jisung asks, "This family never did anything wrong."

"I highly doubt that," Felix states.

Jisung shakes his head and says in a firm tone, "They haven't. I can promise you that. Seunghun and Yonghee were friends of mine. They've never done anything wrong and Wonpil hyung knew this."

"Well, maybe they changed their ways," Felix says, "I mean look at this place...there's no way shifters could live in a place like this."

"Why not?" Jisung questions, "Their parents own a major company. They made good money living a respectable life." Felix frowns at this, still not used to or willing yet to believe than any monster would just try to live like they were a human. "If that's true, why would Wonpil go after them?" Chan murmurs.

"That's exactly what I'm asking," Jisung says, "Then again...he was being a bit weird the last time we met...."

"You met with him?" Chan asks.

Jisung nods, "A while ago...honestly around the same time that this incident happened...we met up at this old bar and just chatted. He wanted to know about all the shifters that I know about."

"Why would he ask you that?" Chan questions.

"I don't know. I chalked it up to curiosity then," Jisung says, "I was a bit tipsy at the time, so I didn't think much of it by telling him, but now that I think about it...I told him about the Kim family. What if he found out about them and went after them because of me? Oh gosh...that would mean this entire thing is my fault." The shifter face contorts with distress and he wrings his hands together nervously. Felix watches him with a look of confusion, finding his apparent guilt odd to him. Jisung is still a monster, he tells himself. Just cause he appears to feel bad, doesn't mean he actually experiences emotions. Monsters don't feel. They're just terrible, horrible beings that do just as bad things to undeserving people. "There's no way," Chan states, "I know Wonpil. He would never in his life go after innocents. There has to be an explanation to this."

"Maybe, this family did do something bad that warranted their deaths," Felix says, "You can't know what they're doing all the time. If they slipped up, Wonpil had every right to go after them."

"Shifters aren't like werewolves or vamps," Jisung says, "We don't kill or steal or do bad things cause we need to. If a shifter does something wrong, it's cause of human desires."

"Are you saying that shifters have a moral compass?" Felix questions.

Jisung nods, "Just like humans. I told you that we're similar. A human can choose to kill and so can a shifter, unlike a werewolf who is forced to if they wish to survive. But, most shifters know what's wrong and right in this world. They understand laws and they follow them. They choose more often than not to live a normal life. Like me...this is the face I was born with. I don't need to change it and I don't have an urge to either. The most I use my powers for is to play with hair colors." Felix falls silent at this as he thinks Jisung's words through. There's some truth to it. Some lore depicts shifters as people that start as humans only to realize their powers later in life. Once they have their powers, it's up to the shifter to decide what to do with themselves. But, does that mean that Jisung is a good guy? No. He can't be. Cause in the end, he's still a monster and nothing can change that. "Felix is right though," Chan states, "They had to have done something. You know Wonpil hyung. He would never have gone after a family of shifters that haven't done anything wrong."

"I've known this family for years," Jisung says, "They have movie nights every Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Kim stops by this little cafe every morning for Americanos. Seunghun and Yonghee argue about stupid stuff like who gets to use the TV first. They're the most normal family in town. You can asks any of the townspeople and they would tell you the same thing. These people would never do anything wrong. They're the model family." Chan shakes his head, not wanting to believe that his old friend went after a group of monsters that didn't deserve it. Wonpil was the one to teach him that not all monsters were bad guys. He was the one that taught him to be more empathetic and understand that they were also living beings. There's no way that he went against his own moral code. "I'm sure we're just missing something here," Felix says, taking notice of his cousin's silence, "We don't know what happened the night this family died. We weren't there. We're taking a firsthand account from a hunter, and you know that when hunters do a job they rarely share every little detail."

"Felix is probably right," Jisung pipes up, "I mean we both know Wonpil hyung. There's no way that he would do such a thing. It's just a coincidence that he asked about shifters and I told him about this family and then a bit later they ended up...you know. I'm probably just overreacting...this family was like my own, so their death hit me pretty hard. I wouldn't worry about it too much, hyung."

"Yeah..." Chan murmurs. Jisung looks over to Felix, who looks back at him with an expression that says why are you looking at me, I don't like you. The shifter rolls his eyes at the hunter's expression and discreetly points to the blonde. "Is he going to be okay?" Jisung mouths and says as quiet as he can. Felix shrugs, not sure if his cousin will be or not. Chan is strong, there's no doubt about it, but he's always treasured his friendships. He's always believed strongly in his bond and relationships with others. It's what makes him a better person, but if he were to be betrayed by someone he cared a lot about, Felix wouldn't doubt that it may break the Aussie. Just then, there's a knock on the door. Felix moves from his position and goes to stand next to his cousin, who is being fairly silent. "Jisung? You in there?" A voice asks.

"Come in, Byounggon hyung," Jisung calls out. The door opens and a guy with short black hair and dark clothes enters the room. He greets the hunters with a courteous smile even though he doesn't recognize them. He turns to face Jisung with a distressed look upon his face. "Is something wrong, hyung?" Jisung asks.

"I'm your friend, so I know that you're close with hunters and you take up the job yourself every once and awhile too," Byounggon says, "So, I need you to help me out with something..."

"What is it?" Jisung questions.

Byounggon frowns, "There's been an incident in town."

"What do you mean by incident?" Jisung says with a frown slowly forming on his face.

"Hyunsuk just died," Byounggon states. Jisung stiffens and his eyes slowly widen. He glances at Chan and Felix, who have similar shocked expressions on their faces, not having expected for a death to happen so suddenly and randomly in this town.

Chapter Text

"Okay," Felix says, "Should we really be checking this out?"

"Hyunsuk is a shifter," Chan states, "This is up our alley."

"So, what?" Felix says, "A hunter probably killed him. There's really no point in us running around to find what caused a monster to die." The cousins are in their car headed to the police station where Hyunsuk's body is. Jisung has tagged along, something that Felix isn't happy about at all. He is seated in the back of the car and remains pretty silent considering another one of his friends just bit the bullet. "He was a kid," Jisung mutters.

"What?" Felix questions.

"He was just a kid," Jisung says again, "And that probably means nothing to you cause in the end he was just a shapeshifter, but he didn't deserve this. He had a happy life. You two don't need to get involved in this case if you don't want to, but I am. First, it was Seunghun hyung and Yonghee hyung...now Hyunsuk...I won't let any more of my friends die." The hunters fall silent at this as the car drives into the parking lot of the station. Chan stops the car and turns to look at his friend, "We're not leaving you to deal with this on your own."

"We aren't?" Felix questions. Chan frowns and discreetly slaps his cousin on the leg. Felix flinches and glares at the blonde before sighing loudly. "No...we aren't," He mutters, not even sparing the shifter a glance. Jisung looks up at the two with a grateful expression on his face. He nods his head before stepping out of the car and heading towards the front door. Chan is about to follow him, but Felix stops him. "What are we doing?" Felix asks.

"Helping out a friend," Chan says.

"Yeah, your friend, not mine," Felix states, "Who just so happens to be a shifter! I'm sorry, Chris, but this isn't what I signed up for when I came to Korea."

Chan sighs, "You knew that things are different here."

"I did," Felix says, "But, I thought you were just over-exaggerating or something...I mean we did other hunts here and they weren't any different from back home and then we come here and...imagine my surprise when I learn that you're besties with a shifter!"

"I get that this is going to be weird for you," Chan says, "I was the same way, but I need you to just go along with me on this. This case...it has something to do with Wonpil and what happened that night. I'm sure of it." The blonde has this look in his eye that makes his younger cousin worry a bit. It's almost like desperation. Felix lets out a breath, "Fine, but only cause I trust you." He wants to ask his cousin about Wonpil, but thinks better of it. His cousin will tell him if he wants, there's no use pushing it. "Thank you," Chan says before exiting the vehicle. Felix follows behind him. The hunters enter the police station which is bustling considering the recent death in the town. Chan looks around until he spots Jisung through a large window standing in a room talking to someone with blue hair and a small face. The blonde heads over and enters the room which appears to be the morgue. There is a large metal table in the center where something shaped like a body is underneath a white sheet. Jisung takes notice of the two and beckons for them to come over. The blue-haired boy looks at them, his face is pale and his eyes red-rimmed. He bows to them, but doesn't say anything. "This is Bae Jinyoung," Jisung says, "He was texting Hyunsuk right before he got attacked..."

"So, this was definitely a murder?" Chan questions. Jisung nods his head and gestures to the table. The hunters walk over to it and Felix draws the sheet back. Jinyoung turns his head away as the others stare at the dead body. Hyunsuk is a young man with longer brown hair that touches the upper part of his nose and is completely matted on his forehead with dried up blood. There's a trail of the blackish-red liquid going down his face as well. There are bruises that circle his wrists and long cuts along his clothes that barely scratched his skin. He is garbed in all black, just like most of the people have been today. "Head trauma was the cause of death," Jisung says, "The cops think that someone grabbed him and slammed him into that statue in the park."

"I thought he's a shifter," Felix says, "There's no way something like that could kill him."

"Silver statues," Jinyoung murmurs, "They were silver..." He looks at the two hunters with watery eyes and shaky hands. The aussies look back at him with soft expressions, even Felix, who can't help but feel a tad bit of pity for the other shifter. "Jinyoung was telling me about what he was talking to Hyunsuk about when you guys came in," Jisung says. Chan and Felix both look to the broken up boy, who slowly begins to reiterate the story. "He left the funeral to go get some air," Jinyoung says, "It was too much for him to handle. Seunghun hyung and Yonghee were like siblings to him. I was texting him to ask him when he was coming back and he just said that he saw Seunghun in the park. I told him that was impossible, but he never answered and that's when it happened." Chan and Felix exchange a glance with one another, trying to figure out what exactly went down. There's no way that Hyunsuk saw Seunghun. The boy died alongside his family when Wonpil or some other hunter came after them. Then, who did the boy see and why did he kill him? Jinyoung lets out a breath as he cradles what appears to be a face mask in his hands. There's also blood on it, something that tags it as a belonging to the dead child lying in the morgue. "Please find who did this," Jinyoung murmurs, "I...I can't lose anyone else..." Jisung nods his head and offers a comforting pat to his friend's shoulder. He looks over to the two hunters with a grim look on his face. Clearly, not having any idea what they're up against. Just then, a group of cops goes rushing by the room. The four all watch with confusion. Chan goes to the doorway and looks around. He spots a cop about to leave and calls out to him, "Hey! What's going on?"

"Someone just reported another attack at the park," The cop answers before jogging towards the exit. Chan's eyes widen at this news and he turns to look at the others with a concerned expression on his face. Their culprit may have just struck again.

──────●◎●──────

Chan, Felix, and Jisung step out of the car as they pull into the parking lot of the local park. They are all garbed in suits to maintain the whole NIS facade, so that they can easily find out more about this situation. Even though the report was made fast, the cops were unable to arrive in time and another death occurred in the town. Since then, the mayor chose to shut down the park until further notice. The police have done a pretty good job over blocking off the area and keeping people away. "How can we be sure this is the same person that went after Hyunsuk?" Felix questions.

"Well, there was a witness," Jisung says, "I'm sure that she saw something and maybe we can relate that to what happened with the previous incident." Felix frowns, but decides not to pick a fight with the shifter as of yet, knowing it would look unprofessional and now isn't the time for that. The three make their way towards a gazebo where there's a group of cops gathered around chatting with each other. The three approach them and quickly flash their badges. "We're here to speak with the witness," Chan says, "If you could just point us in the right direction, we'll be out of your hair." One of the cops points to the gazebo where a woman sits on a wooden bench. "Thanks," Chan says before turning to walk up the steps and towards the lady. The woman has her head lowered and her hands are tensely gripped onto the bench. Her breath is shaky and she sniffles a bit. "Excuse me," Jisung says. The woman slowly looks up and blinks as she takes in each of the boys. "C-can I help you?" She asks. Jisung nods and slowly takes a seat beside her. Felix stares at the shifter as he does this. Alarms blaring in his head as the shifter gets close to the lady, but his feelings about this seem to be one-sided. Chan lets Jisung be and take charge in the situation and the woman doesn't even think twice about the monster sitting by her side. "We're with the NIS," Jisung says, "We were told that you saw what happened here and were the one to phone in the incident."

The woman nods, "My name is Kang Sunhee. The v-victim was my boyfriend..."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Jisung says with an empathetic expression that makes Felix stare at him with even more intent.

Sunhee nods her head and lets out a sigh, "What do you need to know?"

"Were you with him at the time of the attack?" Jisung asks.

Sunhee nods, "We were just walking through the park and we came across this drunk guy hanging out near these bushes. We walked by him, but he called out to Woobin..."

"Called out?" Jisung questions.

"Yeah," Sunhee says, "We had no idea who he was, but he acted like Woobin was someone that wronged him or something. He was drunk, but I've never seen anyone that angry...or that strong...he went after Woobin and threw him into the air like he was nothing. It was unreal...if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it." Jisung frowns at this and glances at the two hunters, who both shake their heads, not knowing what they're dealing with at all. "I rushed over to Woobin cause I was worried, but the second I arrived in front of him he told me to run and call for help," Sunhee says, "I protested, but the drunk man came back and I fled. I thought he would come after me, but he was so focused on Woobin. He kept muttering hunter...hunter...I could hear him beating him to a pulp, but I just kept running..."

"Hunter?" Chan says in surprise, "Does that mean something to you?"

Sunhee shakes her head, "Nothing. He must've been completely hammered and hallucinating or something...."

"Is there anything else that stood out to you?" Jisung says, "Anything about your boyfriend that was different?"

Sunhee sighs, "He was feeling a bit sick, so he had a face mask on, but other than that everything was normal until the drunkie came at us." Jisung nods his head and flashes the woman a smile. He reaches a hand out and gently squeezes her shoulder. "Thank you. We're going to do all we can to find who did this." Sunhee nods her head and Jisung slowly stands up. He walks to stand by the others and sighs, "Well, I have zero idea who our baddie is. How about some food? I always seem to work better on a full stomach."

"I am totally up for that," Chan states. Felix sighs as the two make their way off the gazebo and towards the car, finding their need for food at a time like this very silly.

──────●◎●──────

"So, the drunk person isn't just a drunk person," Jisung says, "If he threw Woobin in the air and is behind Hyunsuk's death, he definitely isn't human."

"That rules out your whole hunter angle," Chan says to his cousin.

Felix shakes his head, "We don't even know for sure if who killed Hyunsuk is the same as the one that went after Woobin." The group all enter a small restaurant that is popular for their noodle dishes. They are greeted by an older woman with her graying hair tied in a messy bun, "Have a seat anywhere boys!"

"Thank you!" Jisung chirps as he heads over to an empty seat at a table where no one else is around. Felix stares at the shifter as he sits in his chair, finding him intriguing for some reason. The hunters take a seat across from him and lower their heads so they can continue their conversation discreetly. "The accidents happened at the same place," Jisung says, "I still think it's related."

"That could've been a coincidence," Felix says, "There's no pattern. Hyunsuk was a shifter and Woobin was a human..."

"What about what the drunkie was saying?" Chan says, "Hunter?"

"That confirms that whoever is behind this isn't a hunter," Jisung says, "No hunter would go around drunk mumbling about their occupation. You may have loose lips when hammered, but most hunters can keep that part of their lives to themselves."

Felix sighs, realizing that maybe their culprit isn't one of his people, "You're right about that."

"Oh my gosh, he didn't shoot me down," Jisung says in awe as a smile starts to bloom on his face. Felix eyes him weirdly and shakes his head. "What can I get you boys?" The woman says as she slides up to their table. The boys quickly order their food and wait until the lady is out of earshot before talking again. "Okay, I just thought of something," Chan says, "It's a bit of a stretch..."

"Well, it's not like we really have anything else to go off on," Felix says.

Chan nods, "Their outfits. Both Hyunsuk and Woobin were wearing face masks when they were attacked..."

"You think that has something to do with why the drunk went after them?" Jisung questions.

Chan shrugs, "Maybe...as I said....it's a stretch."

"But, it's not a bad idea," Jisung says, "I say we test our theory."

"By going to the park with a face mask on?" Felix questions.

Jisung nods, "Why not? If that's not what's setting off our culprit then we can go back to the drawing board, but the stupidest of ideas could be the ones that do the trick."

"Sounds good to me," Chan says, "I think I have some face masks in the trunk. We can head back to the park after lunch."

"Sure," Felix says as he leans back into his seat. Just then, the woman returns with a large tray in her hands. She smiles at the boys as she places large bowls in front of them and some utensils. "Thank you, ajumma," Jisung says with a smile, picking up his chopsticks.

"You are most welcome, young man," The woman says, "Let me know if you need anything." The three boys nod and the woman walks back towards the kitchens. Chan slides off of his seat and points to the bathroom, "I'll be back. You two start eating."

"Okay, hyung," Jisung says as he begins to dig into his food. Chan nods before walking away, leaving Felix and Jisung alone. The shifter shovels noodles into his mouth rapidly, sticking more and more until his cheeks puff out like a squirrel. Felix stares at him as he eats. Jisung, if he notices, doesn't pay it much mind and continues to enjoy his noodles. He hums a bit as the flavor hits his tongue. "This is great, ajumma!" Jisung calls out, turning so that the lady can hear.

"I'm glad you like it!" The woman calls back. Jisung smiles and turns back around. He glances up at Felix, who is still staring at him. The hunter stiffens when their eyes lock on one another and quickly diverts his gaze elsewhere. "You've been looking at me since we headed to the park," Jisung says, "Is something wrong?"

"N-no," Felix says, a bit embarrassed that he was caught, "It's just that I've never spent so much time with a monster before..."

"Oh," Jisung says with a nod.

Felix coughs and shifts a bit in his seat, "That and the fact that I find it interesting how...normal you are..." Jisung raises an eyebrow, not understanding what the freckled hunter means by those words. Felix sighs, "It's just that you don't act like any of the things that my cousin and I have always hunted...you're just like any other human being. You're nice to those who need a little happiness, you're polite, and a hard worker....the only thing about you that's different from me or Chris is that you eat like you're a human squirrel."

Jisung chuckles a bit as he gulps down his noodles, "I told you before...not all monsters are monsters."

"I guess," Felix says, "It's still going to take a lot of getting used to..."

Jisung nods, "I know. You grew up thinking the way you do, but you can always change as you're open for it."

"I'm a stubborn person," Felix admits, "It may be a hard task."

"Well, I'm a persistent person," Jisung says, "I said I would change your mind and I've never been one to step down from a challenge."

Felix shakes his head as a small smile blooms onto his face, "Okay then. I look forward to whatever you have in store for me, Mr. Shapeshifter."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Hunter," Jisung says.

"Uh, what is going on here?" Chan questions as he appears almost out of nowhere. The two look at Chan's bewildered face for a second and then at each other before slowly grinning.

──────●◎●──────

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Felix asks as the three walk along the area of the park where the previous two accidents were before. The entire area is completely empty cause of the mayor's order, but their NIS badges allowed them into the area without any issues. Jisung nods his head, a black face mask strapped across his mouth, "This could be a monster and I'm a lot more durable then you two. It's safer this way."

"Still," Felix says, "This person has already killed one of your kind."

"I'll be fine, Lix," Jisung says, "Plus, I have both of you to back me up if anything goes wrong." Felix sighs, but doesn't bother to argue anymore. Chan eyes the two, still not really understanding what happened to their dynamic. They aren't close, but they're definitely friendly with one another then they were before. Must've been one hell of a heart to heart, Chan thinks in his head. "How long do you think we're going to have to keep walking back and forth like this?" Jisung asks as they turn back around to prance around the same area once again in search of their culprit.

Chan sighs, "Until, we run into a drunk person, I guess. I don't even know if the drunk is even hanging out here considering the order that the mayor put out."

"Let's be honest, Chris, if he's as drunk as Sunhee says he was then he won't be giving two craps about the mayor's order," Felix says.

"That's true," Chan says, "Well, I guess we should just wait and see what happens." The three continue to walk around the same area in the park for a while. They keep silent and try to look as natural as they can and as if this isn't their hundredth time walking down this sidewalk. As the hours go by and the sun starts to set, they still haven't even caught much of a glimpse of their drunk. "Maybe, we should call it quits," Jisung says, "I haven't spotted anyone in this park much less someone that is drunk off his rocker." The aussie hunters nod their head in agreement, exhausted after having walked back and forth for such a long time. "Let's try again tomorrow," Chan says, "I think that the drunk may have gotten stopped by a patrolling police."

"Probably," Felix says as he stretches his back a bit, "C'mon...I need food and a comfortable place to sit...my feet are killing me." The three turn around and start to make their way towards the exit of the park. They don't get very far when the rustling of a bush makes them all turn around. They stare at the shrubbery trying to pinpoint what made the sound. A dark form stands in the shadow of the tree that most would miss if they weren't looking closely. "Show yourself," Jisung calls out, taking a step closer to the bushes. The cousins reach for weapons from within their coat pockets and keep them low. The three creep closer to the figure. "Hunter..." The figure says in a whispery-scratchy voice. Jisung's eyes narrow and he glances back at the hunters. They both nod their heads, whoever it is, this is their guy. "I said come out!" Jisung says in a louder tone. The figure doesn't move for a second, but then he starts to stagger forward. The sun is already setting, but there's still enough light out that the three can kind of see the person. He is wearing a baggy dark blue sweatshirt over a wrinkled, overstretched white undershirt. There's a black cap sitting tightly over his head and clutched in his hand is a half-empty bottle of alcohol. His head is tilted down so that they can't see the person's face, but he can sort of see theirs. "Hunter..." The person says again. Jisung eyes narrow and he reaches up to fidget with the face mask, wondering if it actually is what is setting the drunk off. "Who are you?" Jisung asks, "Why have you been killing people?"

"Hunter..." The person says, ignoring Jisung's question. The shifter scowls and takes a tentative step closer to the culprit. "Yeah, yeah, hunter, hunter," Jisung says, "Do you know how much trouble you're in buddy? You killed my friend. You killed an innocent man."

"Hunter," The person says, almost as if nothing else is registering in his mind. Jisung shakes his head and stomps forward, unable to remain calm any longer. He grips onto the person's shirt and yanks them close. "Hey!" Jisung growls, "I'm talking to you!" He shakes the person, who flops around in his hold. The scent of alcohol reeks from the man and even Jisung can smell it through his face mask. Jisung glares at him and shakes him a bit harder, making his hat shift and revealing his face. Jisung's eyes widen and he blanches, "N-no...h-how..."

"Hunter..." The person says again. He grabs onto Jisung's throat and begins to squeeze. The shifter's eyes bug out of his head and he coughs. Chan and Felix's eyes both widen and they rush forward. They point their weapon at the figure, but can't get a clear shot. Jisung struggles, reaching his arms out to pound at the chest of the person holding onto him. "Hunter," The person states before tossing Jisung to the ground hard. Jisung chokes and gasps as pain blossoms in his back. He sucks in gulps of air and turns to look at the figure, who is approaching him again. Before he can get any closer, Felix fires his gun. A bullet hits the figure in the arm and he howls in pain. He staggers back and grabs onto his wound as blood starts to flow from it. Chan points his weapon at the figure as well and prepares to fire, but before he can Jisung jumps in front of him. "Don't," Jisung states. Chan and Felix flash the shifter confused looks. He doesn't say anything as he glances around the floor and spots a large gray rock. He picks it up and hurls it at the figure. The person, so focused on his wound, doesn't notice the projectile as it collides with his head and makes him fall to the ground. Jisung lets out a breath and jogs over to the passed out culprit. "Why did you do that, Sung?" Chan asks, "That was our killer."

Jisung shakes his head as he stares at the black-haired young man on the ground, "That was Kim Seunghun."

──────●◎●──────

"How is this possible?" Felix asks, "He's dead."

"Clearly, he isn't," Jisung says, glancing at his friend who is tied up against one of the poles of the gazebo. It's almost completely dark now and the park is thankfully even emptier than before as most of the cops around the perimeter have turned in for the night. "How can we be sure this is actually, Kim Seunghun?" Chan says, "Maybe, it's just some other shapeshifter wearing his face."

"Trust me," Jisung says, "This is really Seunghun hyung."

Felix sighs and shakes his head, "Then, who the hell is in that coffin back at the Kim house?"

"That is a question that he has to answer," Jisung says, looking down at his snoozing friend. The bullet that Felix shot at him is still embedded into his arm, but it won't do much except cause him a lot of pain. "He knows who the hunter that killed his family is," Chan murmurs, thinking about Wonpil and his supposed unwarranted attack on this group of shifters. Felix and Jisung look towards the blonde hunter with similar expressions of concern. Since they took on this case, Chan hasn't said much about Wonpil or what the hunt that he detailed in his journal. The two had thought that maybe Chan had made peace with it, but it is clear he hasn't. He's been thinking about it this entire time. "Yeah," Jisung murmurs, "We'll find out what happened that night." The shifter nudges his passed out friend with his foot. When Seunghun doesn't respond, Jisung continues to poke at him until he begins to stir. "Ugh," Seunghun groans as his eyes slowly open. He raises his head up and Jisung looks down at him with a blank expression. Seunghun blinks a couple of times in surprise, "Jisung?"

"Hey, hyung," Jisung says. Seunghun grunts and tries to move, but isn't able to due to his bindings. He frowns in confusion, still too hammered to really process what is happening. He looks around a bit and his eyes widen when he notices the cousins. He coughs a bit and lets his head fall against the pole, "What happened?"

"We could ask you the same question," Chan says, "How are you alive?"

Seunghun chuckles, "Trust me...I'd rather be dead..."

"Everyone thinks you are," Jisung says.

"That was the goal," Seunghun murmurs, "It was an accident...you know...I was just really broken up and Mr. Park was just there...it was an accident."

"Mr. Park?" Felix questions.

"The body that you guys probably buried," Seunghun says as if it's no big deal.

"Mr. Park was a shifter that you killed to take your place," Chan states. The other two look at Seunghun with shock. The drunk shifter nods his head, "I didn't intend for it to happen, but it worked out."

Jisung shakes his head, "Why did you have to fake your death?"

"I don't know," Seunghun murmurs, "I wasn't thinking straight...I mean my entire family got slaughtered, Sung."

"I know, hyung," Jisung says, "That still doesn't explain what happened that night or how you're still alive or what you've been doing."

"The hunter came and he shot us all," Seunghun explains, "My appa, eomma, and Yonghee all got hit in the heart, but the shot for me missed. It hit me, but it didn't kill me. Yonghee made sure of that. He didn't even think of trying to save himself. He just pushed me a bit so that I could still survive...that idiot...why did he have to be a freaking hero..." Tears start to build up in the shifter's eyes and his hands clench into tight fists. He lets out a shaky breath. "He should have just let me die with them," Seunghun murmurs, "It's better than this...wandering around without the people I need. Without my family....so I drank...cause when I drank the pain wasn't that bad. I could fall into a world where the events of that night never happened. And that was better than this hellhole of my life..."

"Hyung..." Jisung whispers with a small frown.

"The hunter," Chan states, "Did you see his face that night?"

Seunghun shakes his head and begins to ramble, "He had a face mask on...I have no idea what he really looked like." Chan frowns at this, once again nothing has been confirmed on what Wonpil was doing here that night. There's no way of confirming it was him who killed the Kim family, but there's nothing denying it either. Was he that hunter or was he not? "But, he came back!" Seunghun exclaims as he begins to ramble, "I'm sure it was him...I felt it in my gut. He was the one that k-killed me entire family. He sought me out cause he knew that I was still alive! He tried to come after me, but I wasn't just going to let him shoot me again! No! I was going to get my revenge. I was going to make him pay for what he did to my family!!! I went after him and I threw him into this statue...I don't remember what happened next but I thought that I had killed him. But, he came back the next day! I don't understand how, but I attacked him again. Something must've gone wrong cause he came back just before this and somehow I ended up here? I don't remember...did I get the hunter? Is he dead?" He looks up at the three with a questioning look on his face. Chan, Felix, and Jisung exchange solemn expressions before turning to look at the tied up shifter. "It wasn't the hunter," Jisung says, "The people you attacked wasn't the man who killed you're family."

"W-what?" Seunghun questions, "It had to be...if it wasn't him...who was it?"

"The first person was Yoon Hyunsuk," Jisung says, "He recognized you and approached you. He was so broken up about your death and the possibility that you were still alive...he didn't expect for you to lash out on him."

"N-no," Seunghun stutters. His eyes widen and his face pales, trying to remember his actions. There's no way that it was him. His dongseong. The annoying, but endearing Yoon Hyunsuk. "The next was a man named Woobin, who was on a date with his girlfriend," Jisung says, "He only had a cold, but since he was wearing a face mask...you attacked him. And...last, but not least. Me. I came here to find who my friends' killer was. Imagine my surprise when I discover it's you." Seunghun shakes his head and lowers his gaze to the floor. "I-I never wanted this to happen," Seunghun mutters.

"I know, hyung," Jisung says, "You messed up."

Seunghun sighs, "Sungie, your friends...they're hunters. Aren't they?" Jisung glances back at Felix and Chan for a second before turning to look his friend in the eye and nods. "They're here to kill me," Seunghun whispers.

"I'm sorry, hyung," Jisung states.

Seunghun lets out a humorless laugh, "I deserve it. For what I did....I feel horrible about it...I would never hurt someone...Sungie...I would never..." Jisung nods his head, knowing his friend would never harm a soul. "Do it," Seunghun states, looking at Chan and Felix, "I don't want to hurt anyone else. Even if I didn't mean to. Just kill me. I should've died that night with my family...it's time I've joined them..." Chan and Felix both turn to look at Jisung, who lets out a breath and nods his head. "Goodbye, hyung," Jisung says, looking at his friend with a pained expression.

Seunghun, on the other hand, flashes the younger a smile, "Bye, Sungie. Take care of yourself." Jisung turns around and bites his lower lip. He walks away from the gazebo, not able to watch what he knows is about to happen.

──────●◎●──────

"Are you going to be okay?" Felix asks.

Jisung nods, "It's better this way. He's where he wants to be." The two stand outside the park, near the cousin's car where Chan is packing up. Seunghun's body is still at the gazebo, something that Jisung has already said that he would handle. The sky is pitch black and the moon is shining in its fullest phase. "You know...that's the first time I ever felt bad before killing a monster," Felix comments.

"Yeah?" Jisung questions, "Look at you...becoming a monster lover already..." Felix snorts and Jisung flashes him a small grin. Chan slams the trunk of the car closed before joining the other two. Jisung looks at the blonde as he comes to stand beside him, "Thanks for handling that for me."

Chan nods, "It's no big deal. I know it would be hard for you."

"Yeah, well, all part of the job. Right?" Jisung sighs, "Anyway...where are you two off to?"

"I don't know," Chan says, "We didn't even really find out what Wonpil was doing here. We don't know if what he said in his journal is the truth or not. If it is, we don't know why he did it. If it isn't, we don't know why he would make up this story."

"You know what, Chan hyung, it may be better to just let this stay a mystery," Jisung says, "There's no more witnesses alive from the event as far as we know. This is one of those things that just never really get solved."

Chan frowns, "I'm not sure I can just forget this, Sung."

"It'll probably be better if you do," Jisung says, "You've driven yourself a little crazy about this, but it may just be better to let it go."

"I agree, Chris," Felix says, "There's still a lot more digging we have to do. Let's not just ring ourselves up on this one journal entry. Yeah?" Chan doesn't answer for a second as he thinks it through. He is still torn inside about this. He feels betrayed, but at the same time in denial. He is confused, but maybe it's better to just keep it that way. What happened that night is something that may have just died alongside the shifter family. Not knowing, maybe be better than the truth. "Okay," Chan says, "I'll try to just put this behind me for now."

"Good," Jisung says, "You guys should get going. I already called the cops and they should be here to deal with all of this."

"You sure you don't want us to stick around?" Felix asks.

Jisung shakes his head, "He's my friend. A fellow shifter. We look out for our own. Go. You two have places to go." The cousins nod and walk towards their car. They wave to Jisung, who returns the gesture. The two enter the vehicle at the same time. Felix sighs and shakes his head, "Never thought I would say this, but I actually like Jisung."

"Wow," Chan says with a smile, "I'm impressed. Jisung really did change your mind on monsters."

Felix shrugs, "It's still a process, but I think I can get used to you being friends with a shapeshifter."

"That's good, hopefully you'll feel the same when you meet my other friends," Chan says.

Felix frowns and his eyes narrow, "Other friends? You have other friends that are monsters?"

"Never mind," Chan says, "Imagine I didn't say anything."

Felix scoffs, "Who else are you friends with? Vampires? Ghosts? Demons?"

"No!" Chan says, a bit too quickly. Felix stares at his cousin and slowly gapes. "You're friends with a demon!?" Felix shrieks.

Chapter Text

Then: Gunpo

"Are you sure that you're okay to close up for tonight?" Taeyong asks as he stands near the exit of the small movie rental store, looking back at his business partner. Johnny nods his head as he shoves a box onto a shelf, "Don't worry. It's not like it's my first time locking up."

"I know, but last time you left the back door open and Mark and Haechan decided to use the place for a party," Taeyong says, "There were chip bits in all the DVDs."

Johnny laughs a bit at that, "I don't even understand how they manage to get food inside the casing..."

"Johnny," Taeyong huffs.

"I got it," Johnny says, "Just go home. Stop stressing." Taeyong sighs before nodding his head and exiting the store. Johnny bends down to pick up a small stack of returned movies. He reads the label on the side and heads towards the aisle to place them back for the next person to rent. The movie rental store is small, but filled with loads of shelves that have a bunch of movies stacked inside. They take up most of the space in the store, leaving just enough for people to walk by on the dark blue carpeting. The AC blows loudly in the quiet store, the only other sound coming from Johnny as he hums under his breath while shelving the movies. The man walks back to the counter after finishing up and bends to pick up more movies. As he does, a bell rings as the front door is opened. "I'm sorry, we're closed!" Johnny calls out. He stands back up and looks at the young man with bleached blonde-white hair that has entered the store. He's garbed in baggy faded blue pants and a black leather jacket. His long hair falls into his eyes a bit and touches his lower neck. He has a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips and his eyes glint as he looks at Johnny. "Hey? Did you hear me?" Johnny questions as he gives the weird man a look. The man doesn't say anything and only proceeds to walk towards the countertop. Johnny shifts a bit uncomfortably, finding the white-haired man more than weird. The man stops in front of the counter and leans against it nonchalantly. He looks up at Johnny before slowly opening his mouth and revealing razor sharp teeth. Johnny's eyes become wide saucers and he stumbles back. His hands fly across the back desk as he searches for his phone or something that he can use as a weapon. His hand clenches around a pair of scissors that they use to open up packages. He wraps his hand around the handle and purses his lips together as he swings it towards the man's face. The blades of the scissor jab into the man's cheek. Johnny quickly releases the weapon and staggers back, shocked that he just did such a thing. He looks towards the man, who doesn't seem very phased by the scissor sticking from his face. He calmly takes the handle and yanks it out. He drops it to the floor and sighs as a little bit of blood drips onto his shirt. He rubs at it and scowls when he only makes the stain worse. He shakes his head and looks back up at Johnny, who has gone completely pale. "I don't like to play with my food," The man says, "But, you ruined my shirt, I can't just let you die painfully." Johnny opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He just gapes like a fish out of water as the man leaps over the counter and comes at him with his teeth bared.

──────●◎●──────

Now

"Let me guess," Felix says as Chan sits across from him with his tablet in his hand, "You have a case?" The two are sitting inside a motel room where they are taking a break before hitting the road again to Wonpil's next documented location. It's a small room decorated with cartoony flowers and swirls wallpaper. There are two twin sized beds with similar designed sheets and a small table which Felix sits at eating a burger. Chan nods his head and places his device on the table, "I was just searching about town stuff and came across this." Felix reaches out for the device, but Chan pulls his tablet away from him. The freckled boy flashes his cousin a confused look and Chan eyes his greasy hands. Felix sighs and grabs a brown napkin. He runs it over his hands before reaching out again. This time Chan passes it to him. "Murders in Gunpo," Felix reads as scrolls through the article, "A young man in his twenties named Johnny Seo was killed in his store just last night adding to the recent killings within the town. Seo is the fifth death in the past month." Felix sighs and places the tablet down. He leans back in his seat and shrugs, "Might not be anything supernatural."

"It's not just some random human serial killer," Chan says, "By their definition, serial killers do not kill back to back like this. They space out their kills, sometimes not sticking again until years later."

"Should I be worried that you know so much about serial killers?" Felix questions.

Chan shakes his head, "C'mon, Lix, the case."

"I don't know, Chris," Felix says, "It doesn't seem like much."

"Did you read the part where it says he was mauled to death?" Chan questions.

"No, I did not," Felix says picking back up the device and tapping at the screen.

"Just like all the other victims," Chan says, "The bodies are found in shreds in places where wild animals could never have gotten in. The police think it's a serial killer that kills their victims before destroying the body by using some sort of grinder, but I think it's a monster."

"That is disgusting," Felix scrunches up his nose as he sees a picture of the bloody remains of one Johnny Seo, "So, maybe this is up our alley."

"Maybe," Chan says, "Considering all that's left behind from all our victims is little bits, I would say we don't have a werewolf on our hands. They usually just go for the heart and leave the rest behind."

Felix nods, "Maybe a Rugaru or a Wendigo?"

"A wendigo? Out of the forest?" Chan questions.

"I'm just saying. There's a lot of monsters it could be," Felix says.

"Let's get to work then," Chan says.

──────●◎●──────

"This place is too chaotic," Felix says as the two make their way down the hallway of the police station. When they first entered, it took them a good couple of minutes to even get an answer in regards to where the team heading the serial murders is from the policeman at the front desk since the phone kept ringing. From there, they've walked past officers rushing by with paper in their hands or some speaking with some very concerned townsperson. "They're trying to catch a murderer," Chan says, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Well, it's a good thing we're here to help out," Felix states as the two enter a room that is pretty empty except for two young men who sit at a desk. Chan and Felix approach the two, who both wear solemn expressions on their faces. "Excuse me," Chan says, "We're with the NIS and we're here to investigate the murders going on in this town. Do you happen to know where the team in charge of the case is?" One of the boys who has longish brownish-blond hair turns to look at the Aussie. He wears a jean jacket on top of a black shirt and matching black jogger pants. He nods his head and speaks in an even tone, "They went to update the system about the possible suspect and start searching for him."

"They have a suspect already?" Felix questions.

The man nods, "Our...my store's CCTV caught the man who killed Johnny..." The boy beside him stiffens a bit at the mention of the dead man. His hair is unnaturally bright pink and a lot shorter. He is garbed in a white shirt and baggy pants. "You were business partners with Johnny Seo?" Chan questions.

"Yeah, we owned the store together. I'm Lee Taeyong," He says, "This is my half-brother, Mark. You'll have to excuse him...he is having a hard time coping with what happened to Johnny...they were really close." He nudges his brother, who slightly bows at the two fake NIS agents. Chan and Felix exchange a look, feeling bad for the pink haired boy. "Taeyong-ssi," Chan says, "Do you have the CCTV footage with you still? We don't really have time to wait for the cops to return and we need to report this new information to our superiors as fast as we can." Taeyong nods his head and reaches into his jacket pocket. He pulls out his phone and taps on the screen before handing it to the blonde hunter. Chan takes the device and tilts it so that Felix can see as well. The two watch as a tall white-blonde haired figure enters the store. Chan taps at the screen to change the cameras and is brought to another one from within the store. They watch as a young man makes his way over to the front counter and Johnny's failed attempt at defending himself. They both wince as the person tackles Johnny and starts to rip his body apart. Chan lowers the phone and passes it back to Taeyong, "Thank you."

"No problem," Taeyong says.

"Taeyong-ssi, what did the cops say about what that man did?" Felix says.

"The same thing that they've all been saying," Mark has in a quiet voice, "That it was just a man with some fancy machine, but you saw the video. No man could do such a thing. Johnny was ripped to pieces by that guy's teeth..." Taeyong purses his lips together and pats Mark on the shoulder. He looks at the two and sighs, "I don't know what really happened. The cops keep playing it off as a serial attack, but that footage made it seem like that person was rabid..."

Chan nods, "We're going to do what we can to find the culprit, Taeyong-ssi and Mark-ssi, so please don't worry." Taeyong nods his head as the two turn around and make their way out of the room. They murmur to each other under their breaths as they make their way down the hallway. "So, definitely not a rugaru," Felix says, "They don't start wanting to feast on flesh until their thirty and that man was in his twenties."

"He isn't a rakshasa either," Chan says, "He entered the store with no problem and we know that the only way for that monster to get their dose of flesh is if they are invited inside..."

Felix shakes his head, "I would say maybe a witch, but we both saw those teeth marks. Whatever this is, it ate Johnny. No magic involved."

"It looked like werewolf teeth," Chan says, "But, we already know that it isn't a werewolf."

"I say we find the sucker," Felix says, "As great as video footage is, I think if we come face to face with the guy we can definitely put together what he is."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Chan says, "There's a lot of people in this town and I doubt our monster is just going to be hanging around considering all the people he's killed."

──────●◎●──────

"There's a pattern," Felix says. The cousins are back in their motel room with a bunch of books and papers scattered around the desk, floor, and beds. They're trying to find exactly what they're dealing with in their own messy, disorganized way. "Of the killings?" Chan questions.

Felix nods, "The victims are all young, single males."

"Great, so that includes us," Chan says.

"Yeah, it does, but the monster is going after people in town, so I don't think we have to worry," Felix says, "As for the killings, I've been trying to map it out and I think I may have found our next target." He turns his phone around to show his cousin. There's a map on screen with red dots at all the previous locations of the incidents. It isn't very noticeable close up, but when zoomed out the dots connect to form what appears like a language symbol. "I don't recognize that character," Chan says.

"If you don't, I definitely have no clue," Felix says, "But, if our monster is going after his prey like this...then maybe he's a foreigner."

"You think that he's like a Baku or something?" Chan asks, "Those aren't common. I mean I know the names of Japanese or Chinese monsters, but I've never dealt with one before."

"I know, but we've crossed out a lot of the more common monsters it could be," Felix says, "It could be something way out of our wheelhouse."

"Well, let's see if we can figure out who the next victim is," Chan says. He passes Felix's phone back and reaches for his laptop. His fingers fly across the keys as he searches through the town registry to see who fits their monster's MO. "I got two possible victims," Chan says, "Kim Dongyoung and Jung Jaehyun."

"Where are they located?" Felix asks. Chan reaches for the phone and taps the screen at the two locations. He zooms out the screen and lets his finger hover over it. He starts to connect the dots between the murder locations, trying to pinpoint what the symbol is, so they know for sure which house their monster will be going to next. Chan murmurs, "Jaehyun's apartment location. It connects with the other death locations to make a word...I think I recognize..."

"Do you?" Felix asks.

Chan nods, "I saw it in some book or something...it's...Japanese...I think...meaning...wolf..."

"Okami," Felix states, "Wolf in Japanese. Okami." Chan looks at his cousin with wide eyes. "It can't be," Chan says, "I've never heard of one outside of Japan before."

"Well, if we're dealing with an Okami we should figure out how to kill it," Felix says, "Do you have any idea how?"

Chan shakes his head, "I don't even know where to begin." Felix sighs as he goes to grab one of the books filled with lore. As he does, the sound of crackling goes off and the two turn to look towards the counter where they've set up a system for them to listen in to police radio. "There's been a report of a break in at Gunpo-ro 601beon-gil," a voice says, "There were sounds of pain and we have reason to believe the victim is under attack. All units to that location."

"That's where Jaehyun lives," Chan says.

Felix's eyes widen, "Crap, what do we do? We don't know how to kill an okami."

"It doesn't matter," Chan says, "We have to go and save him regardless. Grab as many weapons as you can possibly think of. We'll try it all."

──────●◎●──────

Chan and Felix rush out of their car as they arrive in front of the flat where Jung Jaehyun lives. The streets are quiet and the cops have yet to arrive. The cousins exchange a look with one another before slowly creeping towards the front door. They are both loaded with multiple different weapons from machetes to guns loaded with silver bullets. They have no idea what will work, if it even does, but they can't just let Jaehyun or any of the cops die trying to handle something they can't. The two stand at the front door. Chan taps at it with his foot and it swings open with no problems. The two keep their heads lowered as they quietly enter the house. The area is fairly quiet except for the sounds of a constant, steady crunching. Chan grimaces, already knowing by that noise that they are too late and Jaehyun is dead. Nonetheless, they need to kill the monster. He nudges his cousin, who starts to follow the sounds of eating coming from the living room. They enter the room as silently as they can and gape when they see Jaehyun's limp, lifeless body being snacked on. The tall figure with white-blonde hair from the CCTV footage stands over him, ripping at his stomach and internal organs. "I think I'm gonna be sick," Felix mumbles as the okami tears a chunk of meat off, splattering blood onto the carpet. The okami eyes shift towards Felix and the freckled hunter stiffens. He lifts his gun up and fires it without any hesitation. The bullet hits the okami in the shoulder, but doesn't do much except make the monster flinch. "Cross off silver bullets!" Felix exclaims as he tosses the weapon to the floor and reaches towards his pants for his machete. He takes it out of his sheath and charges at the okami. Chan shakes his head and grabs his angel blade from inside his jacket. He rushes to join his cousin, who is having a bit of difficulty making contact with the monster. The white-haired okami won't sit still. His agility much greater than a normal werewolf. He leaps over Felix as he swings his blade at him, landing on the small couch. He uses it as a springboard to launch himself to the ceiling which he clings to. He glares down at the hunters and hisses at them, baring his bloodied teeth. Chan tuts as he looks up at the okami, "You're a pretty far away from home. What are you doing all the way here? Didn't get your fill in Japan?"

"What I'm doing here is none of your business!" The okami growls.

"I beg to differ," Felix says as he tosses his blade towards the monster's head. The okami quickly darts out of the way and pounces onto the freckled hunter. He snaps at his neck as Felix grits his teeth. Chan creeps up behind him and stabs the angel blade straight through the monster's chest. The okami shrieks in pain and staggers back. He looks down at the silver colored weapon in his chest and frowns. Chan bends down to help Felix up and the two turn to look at the monster. The okami is still standing even with the blade shoved into him, albeit he leans against the wall and breathes a bit heavily. He reaches for the hilt of the blade and winces as he rips the blade out. He lets out a noise as he removes the weapon and drops it to the floor. Chan and Felix gape as the okami shakes his head and darts towards the door. "I didn't come to deal with hunters," The okami calls out. Chan makes a move to chase after him, but the sounds of sirens echoing makes him stop. Felix and Chan exchange a look before glancing down at the shredded remains of Jaehyun. This is going to be fun to explain to the cops.

Chapter Text

"We're NIS," Chan says, "We didn't have to tell you anything."

"This is our case," The team leader states.

"It doesn't matter," Felix says, "Once again, we're NIS."

"Just uncuff them, team leader," One of the other cops says, "They're stories check out and they are NIS..." The man sighs before digging into his pocket and taking out a pair of keys. He tosses it to Chan, who catches it and proceeds to unlock his handcuffs. The two sit on the front steps of the late Jaehyun's apartment. When the cops arrived at the scene, they cuffed the hunters, finding their presence suspicious. Thankfully, the cousins are prepared for situations like this and were able to convince the cops that they had nothing to do with this. "Where do you think the okami went?" Felix asks under his breath as he undoes his cuffs and tosses them to the side.

"No idea," Chan says, getting to his feet and helping his cousin onto his own. The two start to walk away from the house and towards their car across the street, but they are stopped by the team leader. "Where are you two going?" The team leader asks as he approaches them. The cousins exchange an exasperated look before turning to look at the man. "We have reports to fill out and higher-ups to answer to," Chan says.

"But, what about the culprit?" The man asks, "You two were the last to see him. You have to help us track him down. He couldn't have gotten that far."

"Trust me, he isn't anywhere near by," Felix murmurs, knowing that the okami is quick and that he is miles away from here. The cops can search all night, but they won't have any luck in finding him. "C'mon, you want this guy caught as much as we do," The team leader says, "And we need as much help as possible."

"You're the police," Felix says, "You should have this under wraps..."

"Yeah and you're the NIS," The cop states, "We're struggling here guys. Can't you see that?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't stick around. Don't you already have his face in the database?" Chan asks, "The CCTV footage from Johnny Seo's store? That should make your job easier." The team leader frowns and crosses his arms over his chest, not happy that the two fake NIS won't help them out with this case. "Have a good day, sir," Felix says. The cousins turn around and walk towards their car, leaving the team leader with a distressed expression on his face.

──────●◎●──────

"I just thought of something," Felix says, "Why haven't we hacked into the police database already? They've identified our okami. It would help us find him and maybe figure out exactly what he's doing here." The two are back within their motel room. Chan is digging through the lore, trying to find a way to kill their lovely monster friend. Felix is on his computer and phone, checking local CCTV's for any sign of where their monster is. "That's not a bad idea," Chan says, "Police database would find him quicker than us anyway. Can you get in?"

"I can try," Felix says. He starts l type rapidly on the keys of the computer, his eyes darting back and forth as he does. Chan watches him silently as he works, wondering if his cousin is able to hack in or not. "Hm, got it!" Felix announces, "Let's see...I think I found our okami." He clicks on something before turning his computer to face Chan. The blonde hunter nods his head at the profile picture of a man with longish brown hair. "That's him," Chan says, "Different hair color, but I recognize him."

"His name is Nakamoto Yuta," Felix says, "He's 26. An only child. Born in Osaka, Japan. He came to Korea from Japan about a month ago.

"Still don't know why he's here, but at least we have a name to a face," Chan says.

Felix nods, "I was going to see if I can find a credit card to trace and see if he's purchased a rental apartment or something."

"You do that," Chan says, "I think I may give a call to Seungmin. I can't find anything in the books we brought with us. He may know more than we do." Felix nods his head, his attention focused on his computer screen as he tries to find a trace or lead on Yuta. Chan reaches for his phone from the side table and unlocks it. He taps on the screen, bringing up Seungmin's number. He hits the call button and then the speaker. He waits as his phone dials up his friend. "Hi, hyung" Seungmin says as he answers the call.

"Seungminnie, hey, we could use your help," Chan says.

"What's up?" Seungmin questions.

"Felix and I are in a hunt in Gunpo," Chan says, "We ran into a monster that you won't believe..."

"What is it?" Seungmin asks.

"An okami," Chan says,

"Out of Japan?" Seungmin says in surprise.

"We reacted the same way," Chan says, "But, we saw it face to face. It's definitely an okami."

"That is insane," Seungmin says, "I've never heard of an okami in Korea before."

"That's why we need your help," Chan says.

"You want to know how to kill it," Seungmin says.

"Bingo," Chan says, "Do you know how?"

"Yes, I do," Seungmin says, "You'll need a bamboo blade blessed by a Shintō priest. And you have to stab the monster seven times. You said you've encountered it before, so you can see that it's a highly durable creature. It has to be seven times or else it will just regenerate in a couple hours."

"That doesn't sound easy," Chan says, "And...the bamboo blade...where am I supposed to get that?"

"Lucky for you, I have one," Seungmin says.

"You do?" Chan questions.

"A gift from a man of letters from Japan just in case the situation ever arose where we would need such a weapon," Seungmin says.

"Can you get it to us quickly?" Felix asks, turning away from his computer screen, "I think I have a possible location on our okami." Chan looks to his cousin, who nods his head. He turns his computer around to show a traced digital money purchase for a small rental roof room. "I can send it over using some magic," Seungmin says, "It should only take about a couple minutes."

"That would be great," Chan says, "Thanks, Seungmin."

"No problem," Seungmin says as Chan ends the call and places his phone down.

"So, you think he's actually there?" Chan asks.

Felix shrugs, "You did stab him and even if he's an okami...he needs time to heal. What a better place than at home?"

──────●◎●──────

Chan looks to Felix as he joins him on the staircase leading up to Yuta's rooftop home. "I think they're on vacation or something," Felix says, "There's no one else here."

"That's good for us," Chan says, "C'mon, let's go." Felix nods and the two make their way up the steps towards the roof of the building. It's a large area and the small housing unit up here only takes about a fourth of the space. In the empty area is a large table that sits close to the floor and a variety of green foliage. The lights within the rooftop house are on and there's a shadow moving around inside. "You go on the other side," Chan whispers. Felix nods, following his cousin's words and going towards the other side of the home to flank the okami. Chan creeps towards the door with the bamboo blade in his hand. He grips it tightly as he quickly knocks on the door before pressing his back to the side wall. He can hear Yuta moving towards the front and waits for him to come outside. The okami unlocks the door, unsuspecting of the two hunters waiting for him outside. He pushes it open and peeks outside. He frowns when he sees no one is there. He turns to go back around, but before he can Chan stabs the blade right into his chest. The okami hisses in pain and tries to rush back into the house, but the Aussie is faster. He yanks the blade out and slams it into Yuta once again. "Two down," Chan says as he grabs onto the hilt of the blade that still sticks in Yuta. He uses it to drag the monster back outside before yanking the blade out. The okami hisses in pain and pushes Chan to the floor. The blonde grits his teeth as he collides with the ground, dropping the blade in the process. Thankfully, it slides close enough to Felix, who grabs the weapon. He creeps up behind Yuta and delivers his own blows at the monster. He slams the blade into him three more times before being hit and thrown against the brick tiling of the housing unit. Felix groans as Yuta charges at him. The okami slams his body against the hunter's and proceeds to bite into his shoulder. Felix howls as skin is ripped from his arm and blood spurts onto Yuta's shirt. "Damn hunter!" Yuta growls as he munches on Felix's flesh.

"Damn monster!" Chan shouts as he charges towards the okami. Felix slides the blade towards his cousin, who grabs it before continuing to run at the monster. The okami is quick though and has learned his lesson after being stabbed a couple times. He dodges the blade by sidestepping Chan's blows and leaping over him with ease. Yuta grabs onto Chan's collar and tosses him onto the table which cracks upon impact. Chan grunts at the impact, but keeps his grip tight on the blade. Yuta charges at him and just as he pounces, Chan slides the blade through his chest again. The okami gasps and quickly retreats back. He darts towards the other side of the roof with the blade still in his chest. Chan slowly sits up and looks towards Felix, whose chest is rising up and down rapidly. "I got him," Felix states.

"Just one more and he'll be down," Chan calls out as his cousin rushes off after their monster. Felix moves around the rooftop house to find Yuta trying to climb down the wall. He hisses when he sees the freckled hunter and begins to move faster. "No, you don't!" Felix exclaims. He runs towards the edge of the roof and grips onto Yuta's wrists. He tugs at the monster, who he knows is already weaker from the amount of times he's been stabbed by the bamboo blade. He tightens his hold and yanks at the monster forcing him back onto the roof. He grits his teeth and sweat starts to appear on his brow as he slowly, but surely brings the monster back. The okami is a tricky one though and acts quickly. He flips over Felix and delivers a strong blow to his back. Felix's eyes widen as he flies over the ledge of the roof. He grips onto the ledge and winces as he tries to hold on. "I told you before I didn't come here to have to put up with you," Yuta states. He turns around, leaving Felix to hang along the side of the roof, but before he can get very far Chan comes at him. He yanks at the okami's long hair and slams him into the housing unit. Yuta grimaces and tries to move, but Chan presses the point of the blade above his heart. "I wouldn't," Chan says. Yuta frowns, but stills, knowing when he has been beat. "You okay, Lix?" Chan calls out, his eyes not moving from the okami.

"Yeah," Felix grunts as he pushes himself back up onto the roof. He falls to the ground and lets out heavy breaths, exhausted after lifting himself up. Chan nods and starts to shove the blade into Yuta's chest. "Stop!" Yuta says in a desperate tone. Chan tenses, but does as the okami pleads. He eyes the monster, wondering what he is going to say. "I have a family," Yuta says, "Back home...They need me...that's why I came here in the first place."

"Should have thought of that before you killed six people," Felix says from where he sits on the floor, "Just off him already, Chris..."

Yuta's eyes widen and he shakes his head, "Please! My little brother!"

"You don't have a little brother," Chan says, "We read your file." The hunter starts to stab the okami once more. "He's not actually my brother, but I see him as such! Please, just wait!" Yuta cries. Chan sighs as he stops once again. Felix watches him with a blank expression on his face, only Chris would be so willing to hear out a monster's story. "He's sick, okay! He's very, very sick," Yuta exclaims, "I came here cause there have been rumors about items that hold immense power! They are said to be able to do anything! Revive the dead, cure the incurable! I came to Korea so I could save him!"

"You should have been focused on that then and not going on an all you can eat dinner buffet," Chan says.

"I had to eat!" Yuta says with begging eyes, "I needed to survive and be strong if I wanted to get my hands on one of those items! Everyone wants one!"

"That doesn't justify killing innocents," Chan says.

"It's how I live!" Yuta says, "You can't blame me for that." Chan sighs and shakes his head. He brings the blade back a bit before slamming it quickly into Yuta's chest. The okami's eyes widen before slowly dying out of life. Chan pulls the blade out as the okami slides to the ground, "And this is how I live..."

──────●◎●──────

"Yeah, it worked like a charm," Chan says with his phone close to his ear, "Thanks, Seungmin. Yeah, you too, bye." Felix and Chan are packing up their stuff from their motel room. Felix places their weapons and the bamboo blade into the trunk of the car before slamming it shut. Chan slips his phone into his pocket before tossing a bag of clothes into the back seat where a bunch of their lore books are stacked on the floor. "I think we got everything," Chan says, "Ready to get back on the road?"

"Yeah," Felix nods, heading toward the front seat, "Hey, Chris?"

"Hm?" Chan says, looking at his cousin.

"That powerful item that Yuta was talking about," Felix says, "The one that apparently can do anything. Do you think it actually exists?"

"No," Chan shakes his head, "There are strong things in this world, but something with the power to do literally everything. That's just too unbelievable. It was probably just a crafty rumor drafted up by someone..."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Felix says as he slides into the car, "But, it would be pretty cool though to have an item like that. You have to admit..."

Chan sits down as well and digs his keys from his pocket, "Yeah, I guess, I mean we could have an never-ending source of bacon."

"Unlimited power at your fingertips and you would use it for greasy strips of meat," Felix says.

Chan nods and shrugs, "Don't hate on bacon. It's a godsend." Felix shakes his head as his cousin starts up the car and pulls out of the parking spot.

Chapter Text

Then: Suwon

"Eomma," A girl with messy hair and a fuzzy stuffed bunny tucked under her armpit whines from where she stands at the doorway of her parent's room. It's nighttime and the entire house is quiet except for the child's quiet sniffles. There are two forms lying down on the bed inside the room. One stirs at the noise of her child and slowly rises. "What's wrong, Seowoo-ah?" The woman murmurs as she gets out of bed. She rubs at her eyes as she walks over to her daughter. The little girl clings to her mother the second that she is close and buries her face into her stomach. "I had a nightmare," Sewoo says, her voice a tad bit muffled.

The woman hums and rubs her hand against her daughter's back, "It's alright. Do you want me to stay in bed with you until you fall asleep again?" Seowoo nods her head and her mother reaches for her hand. She leads her daughter back into her room with it's light pink shaded walls and huge butterfly shaped night light. The two gravitate towards the small twin-sized bed in the center of the room. The mother draws back the bed sheet and gestures for Seowoo to get in, which she does. Her mom joins her after and Seowoo clings to the woman like her life depends on it. "You have to stay with me, eomma," Seowoo says," Always..."

"I will," Her mom murmurs, "Rest now, Seowoo-ah...." The woman sighs as she lets her eyes fall shut. Seowoo stares at her mother as she sleeps with wide eyes. She reaches up a hand to stroke through her mother's hair. "I love you, eomma," Seowoo says, "I love you so, so much." She starts to hum under her breath as a creepy satisfied smile crawls over her face. The girl continues to play with her mom's hair, curling it around her finger. "Eommaaaaa," Seowoo sings as she shifts a bit so that she's facing the other side of her room. She looks straight into a mirror which hangs over her closet and stares at her reflection which depicts discolored skin that appears to be molting, hollow eyes, and a circular mouth filled with sharp teeth,

──────●◎●──────

"Here," Chan says as he passes a steaming hot sweet potato to his cousin, who is leaning against the hood of their car. The two stand in a small park in the middle of the day. The two have stopped by to grab a quick bite to eat on their way to Wonpil's next journaled location. Felix sighs as he takes the tin-foiled potato, "You know this is a pathetic lunch."

Chan shrugs and unwraps his potato, "This is what happens when we eat good food."

"Hey, the chicken was worth it," Felix says as he bites the potato.

"If you say so," Chan says, "I hope you enjoy that cause it's all you're getting."

"I should be saying that to you and your endless pit of a stomach," Felix says, poking at his cousin's middle.

Chan pouts, "I don't eat that much."

"Sure," Felix says as he takes another bite. He sighs and lets his gaze wander around the small park. There are a few people walking around or biking, but the biggest group of people are mothers watching their children on a small playground with a blue and gray color scheme. Felix watches as the kids chase each other around the slides. He smiles, thinking back to a time where he did those sorts of things. He nudges Chan and points towards the kids. Chan chuckles as he spots one them squeal as they come flying down a slide. "Play with me, eomma!" A girl in a knitted pink shirt whines loudly. The girl's mother is trying to sit beside two other women, who are friends of hers as they all gesture for her to join them. "Why don't you play with Hyunsoo?" The mother says, "Eomma wants to go talk with her friends."

"You can't leave me!" The girl shrieks.

"I'm not leaving you, Seowoo-ah," The mom says, "I'll be right here."

"Eomma!!!" The girl cries, clearly not happy with that answer. The woman sighs as Seowoo latches onto her, gripping onto her clothes in fisted hands. "Cho Seowoo," The woman states, "Why are you acting like this? Do you want to go home and not play at all?"

"Eomma," Seowoo huffs.

"Fine," The woman says, "Be that way. Let's go." She starts walking towards the parking lot, dragging away the fuming child. They walk past the hunters, who watch discreetly as they make their way by. As they pass a car, the reflection of the two appears. Chan eyes it and his eyes widen when he sees Seowoo's disfigured face. He stiffens and nudges his cousin. Felix brow furrows as he looks at his cousin. Chan gestured to the reflection which Felix turns to look at for just a second before it disappears as the mother and daughter walk away. "Am I seeing things?" Chan questions, "Or is that little girl a monster?"

Felix shakes his head, "I saw it too...what the heck...even when we're not looking for a hunt a monster finds its way to us..."

"You think this could be a job?" Chan questions.

Felix glances at the retreating forms of Seowoo and her mother, "Yeah."

"Fun," Chan says, "Any idea what it is?"

"I have a theory," Felix says, "There aren't many things that appear human except for when you see their reflection. On that list we have wraiths, changelings, and sirens. The way that mouth looked...I would say we have a changeling on our hands."

"That makes sense," Chan says, "The child is definitely acting a bit off and overprotective of the mother which means that it's been replaced by it's changeling counterpart."

"Yup," Felix says, "The mother changeling kidnaps the child to feed on its synovial fluid and replaces them with her own children that are mirror images of kidnapped kids except their evil as hell. The kid changelings then feed on the actual kids' moms until they're completely dead before moving on to the next town."

"I haven't dealt with one of these for years," Chan says.

"Same," Felix states, "The good thing is that we won't be having to off any kids. We just have to find the mother changeling, burn her to a crisp, and then the rest of her evil spawn go poof."

"We better get to work on finding mommy then," Chan says, "I doubt that Seowoo was the only child kidnapped. Let's see if the other parents know anything." Felix nods and the cousins walk towards the two moms, who still sit on the bench. One is garbed in a simple t-shirt underneath a jacket and jeans. The other has tights on underneath a long sleeved sweater. They look up at Felix and Chan as they approach with questioning expressions. "Hi," Chan says, "We're with the NIS and we were hoping if we could ask you some questions."

One of the woman's eyes widens, "Is there something wrong?"

"We don't want to worry you," Felix says, "But, we've been tracking down a kidnapper and we have suspicions that she has entered this town."

"A kidnapper!" The other whispers shouts in a worried tone.

"It's okay," Chan says, "My partner and I won't let anything happen to your children, but we need you to answer our questions so that everyone can stay safe." The two woman nod their heads and look at the two hunters, willing to help in any way they can. "Thank you," Felix says, "Now, have any of the children in this town been acting weird lately?"

The woman in the sweater nods, "I don't know if you were here or saw, but Minjung's child Seowoo just threw a temper tantrum."

"It was so unlike her. Seowoo is the sweetest child and usually she's very quiet," The other says, "I never would have expected her to snap like that." The cousins exchange a discreet look. The women's story matches up with their suspicions of Seowoo being a changeling replacement. "Are there any other kids that have been acting out of character?" Chan asks.

"Yes," The woman in the t-shirt answers, "All the children that live down that street have been acting a bit different than usual. We didn't think much of it. Kids have mood swings after all, but if this is all caused by a strange kidnapper scaring them....oh my..."

Felix shakes his head, "We don't know for sure if she is here or not, so please remain calm." The mothers nod their heads. "You said that this was all happening with kids that lived on the same street, correct?" Felix questions.

"Yes," The mother says, "The community is just around the corner. It's the first street there."

"What about the parents of these children?" Chan says, "Is there anything that stands out to you about them?"

"They've been a bit more tired lately," The woman in the sweater says, "They don't come out to the park as often."

"I think it has something to do with that weird circular rash on the back of their necks," The other woman murmurs.

"Right...I can't believe they all got that," The sweater woman says, "Do you remember what the doctors said it was?"

"Rash?" Felix cuts in with a questioning look.

The woman nods, "Some sort of skin infection. Each of the mothers have one."

"Does it look like this?" Chan asks as he taps at his phone bringing up a photo from one of his hunts in Australia. He turns the screen to show the women, who nod their heads. "Exactly like that," The woman says, "Is it bad?"

"No," Felix says, "Nothing you need to worry about. Thank you for your time, ladies. Have a great rest of your day." The two nod their heads as the cousins turn to walk away. "So, definitely a changeling," Chan says.

Felix nods, "Without a doubt. Those marks confirm it. Teeth marks left from where the changeling children suck on their mom's synovial fluid. Now we just have to find the mother, which I have reason to believe is in this community."

──────●◎●──────

The cousins walk along the sidewalk, making their way down the street where all the changeling kids should be. There isn't anyone outside and nothing that really stands out that shows that a monster has even been here. "Maybe, we've just been overworking," Felix says as he looks around the quiet area, "To the point we hallucinated that a little girl is a changeling replacement."

Chan shakes his head, "There's no way. I know what I saw."

"There's no one here, Chris," Felix sighs.

"So, we knock on doors," Chan says, "We can't just give up cause there's nothing that is screaming monster in our face. You go to that house and I got this one." Felix nods his head as he heads towards the home that his cousin pointed out. Chris goes in the other direction towards a house with a red door. Chan rings the doorbell without any hesitation and waits as footsteps echo from inside. The door is pulled open to reveal a woman with brown hair and a soft smile. "Hello? How can I help you?" The woman asks.

"I'm with the NIS," Chan says, "I'm heading a case here and we just wanted to check in with all the residents. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

"Oh, of course," The woman says.

"In-na noona!" A voice calls from inside, "Who is it?"

"Just some agents with questions!" In-ah says, turning to answer, "Just continue the movie, Jieun-ah!"

"Are you sure?" Jieun calls.

"Yes!" In-na says. The woman turns to face the two hunters again and takes a step outside. She closes the door behind her and nods, "Ask away."

"Do you happen to have a child?" Chan asks.

In-na nods, "Kangsan is inside with my best friend watching a movie."

"Has he been acting weirdly?" Chan questions.

In-na shakes her head, "No, he's been pretty normal which I'm thankful for. He doesn't take moves like this well."

"Moves?" Chan asks.

In-na nods, "We just moved here about a month ago."

"Hm," Chan hums, "Did you?"

"Yes," In-na says.

"Is this a frequent thing? Moving?" Chan asks.

In-na nods, "Fairly, my job requires me to make moves often."

"Ah," Chan says, "That probably means you don't have this marking that the other mothers seem to have."

"Oh, you mean the rash?" In-na questions, "No, thankfully, but the neighbors do. They told me that the doctors don't know how to explain it. They fear it's life threatening especially after a couple of weeks of having it you apparently get very weak. It set a lot of the community on edge."

"I would assume so," Chan says, "Well, thank you for your time. I'll let you get back to your movie." In-ah nods her head and goes back into her home. Chan sighs as he walks down the steps and down the driveway. He spots Felix tapping on his phone near a bush. "Hey!" Chan calls out, "You get anything."

Felix nods, "Community gossip lives in that house. Almost every single person down this sidewalk has that circle mark on them."

"You're kidding," Chan says.

Felix shakes his head, "It's insane. They're all freaking out cause the first mom that had it has been feeling extremely weak and sickly."

"That isn't good," Chan says.

"I know," Felix says, "Her time is running out. Anyway...other than that the biggest news around town is the new woman and her kid that moved in."

"I just talked to her. Her name is Yoo In-na," Chan says, "No mark, but that's cause she just arrived here."

Felix nods, "Everyone finds her weird."

"Why?" Chan says.

"It's partially cause she's the only single mom here," Felix says, "And the fact that she has this woman over almost every single week. Rumor has it that the other woman has been following In-ah for years cause she's in love with her."

"That's stupid," Chan says.

Felix nods in agreement, "I got info from a gossip. What do you expect?"

"True," Chan sighs, "I still have no idea who our changeling mom is."

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" Felix asks, "We always do our best thinking over food."

"We just ate a while ago," Chan says.

"Don't give me that," Felix says, "You're as hungry as I am."

Chan scrunches up his nose and sighs, "Fine. Let's go eat."

──────●◎●──────

"You know we spend more money on food than anything else," Chan says as he looks at the bill.

"Why are you complaining when we get money through credit card fraud?" Felix asks.

"I'm not, I'm just saying," Chan says as he places a couple bills down on the table, "Other than filling our stomach...this was kind of a waste of a trip. We still have no idea who our monster is."

"Actually, I have a hunch," Felix says as he sips his soda.

"Do you really?" Chan says.

Felix nods, "In-na."

"No," Chan states.

"Yes," Felix says, "C'mon, it adds up."

"It doesn't," Chan says, "She has a kid."

"Did you see the kid?" Felix asks.

"No, but the neighbors have," Chan says.

Felix sighs, "Fine, well, the kid could be a fake."

"Since when do changelings keep one of their spawn next to them?" Chan questions.

Felix shrugs, "It's a good cover. Hunters wouldn't suspect a mother to be a monster."

"Okay, but still, In-ah can't be the mother changeling," Chan says, "She's too nice."

"Just part of her act," Felix says, "Chris, think about it. The fact that she's the only one in the community without the changeling bite marks. The constant moving around just like a changeling does after killing a bunch of mothers. It's perfect. She has this nice, kind woman aura around her. She can easily lure in kids and then replace them with her changelings."

"One, she just moved here so the changeling just hasn't gotten to her yet," Chan says, "Two, she moves cause of her job. And maybe she's just nice and it isn't any act!"

"She's been here for over a month. It's been a month since these incidents started," Felix says, "And, duh, her job is to feed! We have kids being kidnapped and replaced by monsters and mom's with bite marks that will lead to their deaths! It's definitely an act!

"That is a stretch," Chan states.

Felix shakes his head, "It isn't. You're just being stubborn."

"I'm not!" Chan exclaims, "I just don't want to go after someone who is innocent."

"And what if she isn't?" Felix questions. Chan sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. He leans back in his seat and bites his lower lip. "I don't like this," Chan says, "But, it's the only lead we have."

"So, are we going after Yoo In-na?" Felix asks.

"Yes," Chan states.

──────●◎●──────

"You know blowtorches aren't stealthy," Chan says.

"But, they are efficient for killing changelings," Felix says, gripping the gun of the torch in his hands. Chan shakes his head as the two make their way towards In-ah's home. "If we're wrong about this..." Chan murmurs.

"We're not," Felix says, "We almost always identify the monster right."

"Almost always," Chan says.

"This won't be one of those situations," Felix says, "Stop worrying." Chan shakes his head as they stand at the front door. He reaches a hand up and presses the doorbell. They don't wait long as the door is pulled open and they are greeted with the joyful face of Yoo In-na. "Hi," She chirps. Felix doesn't hesitate to point the end of the blowtorch right at her. The woman's eyes widen and she takes a step back, "W-what's going on?"

"You know what's going on," Felix growls, "Where are the kids?!"

"Kids? What kids?" In-na exclaims. Chan frowns and reaches for Felix's arm. He opens his mouth to say something, but his freckled partner shakes his head. "She's lying," Felix states, "Check the house." Chan sighs, but takes a step into In-na's home. She eyes Chan, who mouths sorry to the woman before beginning to search her house for any places she could've hid the kidnapped children. "What is going on, eomma?" A voice says from the side. Felix steps into the foyer and eyes a child garbed in blue dinosaur pajamas. "Stay there, sweetie," In-na says.

"But, eomma? Who's that? What is he holding?" The child questions, eyeing Felix.

"Just something to fix the fridge," In-ah says, looking at the barrel of the weapon.

"He's pretty realistic," Felix says as he looks at the kid.

"That's cause he is," In-na hisses, "I don't know who you are, but you won't get away with this."

"Yeah, yeah," Felix says, "Why don't you just give up the whole act?"

"What act?" In-na questions, "Please...you have the wrong person...just leave me and my son alone..."

"I can't do that," Felix says, "You're a monster and I kill monsters." He takes a step closer to In-ah and points the flamethrower at her chest area. He lets his finger hover over the trigger before slowly beginning to press it. "Wait!" Chan exclaims as he comes rushing back. Felix glances to his cousin and stops. In-na lets out a breath and her son rushes to her even after being told to stay put, almost as if he knew what is going on. In-na pulls her son close and strokes the back of his head. Her breathing is heavy and she is still wary of the weapon being carried by the hunter. "What?" Felix questions in an annoyed tone.

"It's not her," Chan says.

"You're kidding," Felix states.

Chan shakes his head, "I checked everywhere. The kids aren't here."

"They have to be," Felix exclaims, "Maybe, they're somewhere else."

"The mother always keeps the kids in a place they can easily access in order to feed," Chan says, "Where else would they be?" Felix growls and lowers the weapon. He lets out a breath and shakes his head, "If you're not the monster, then who is?"

Chapter Text

"I....I don't know what to say," In-na says after the cousins explain everything about what really lies out there to her. They are now situated within the living room, Felix's flamethrower remains in the front of the house as per the woman's request. Her son is upstairs, unaware of the conversation going on downstairs. "It's crazy, but true," Chan says, "We're so sorry for suspecting you."

Felix nods, "It was my fault. Chan hyung kept insisting you weren't the changeling, but I thought you were. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," In-na says, "You two were just doing your job. A job that I can't believe exists, but that's besides the point. What are you guys going to do now?"

"Keep looking for the changeling," Chan says, "As long as the mother is still out there, all the kids within this neighborhood are in danger."

In-na nods her head, "If there's anything I could do to help...."

"It's safer for you to stay out of this," Felix says.

"Don't worry," In-na says, "I am in no rush to go killing some monsters. I just thought you may want to know more about the people in this town...help you narrow down your search..."

"That would be a lot of help," Chan says.

"Of course," In-na says, "So, what are some giveaways of changelings?"

"Their children create this mark on the people they feed from," Felix says, "The one that the doctors can't solve...it's a mark made by their teeth of the changeling. Whoever has that mark isn't our monster."

"They also move often," Chan says, "They drain a group and then move on to the next town to do the same thing."

"I see why you thought I was the changeling," In-na says, "I fit those descriptions pretty well."

"You fit all of them," Felix says, "Except for your appearance..."

"Appearance?" In-na asks with a raised eyebrow.

Chan nods, "Changelings appear just like you or me. The only way to see their true appearance is if it is reflected in a mirror or something." In-na nods her head and purses her lips together in thought. "Is there anyone that comes to mind that could be a monster?" Felix asks. In-ah purses her lips together and her face becomes conflicted for a second before shaking her head. The cousins eye her with suspicion and In-na shifts in her seat. "In-na-ssi," Chan says, "If you know who it is, you need to tell us. We need to stop this person..."

"It can't be her..." In-na murmurs, "It just can't..."

"Who is it?" Felix asks.

In-na shakes her head, "No one. It was just a thought. It's nothing. I'm just paranoid after you told me that monsters are real."

"That's not true," Chan says, "You feel that whoever you're thinking of is actually behind this. You feel it in your gut. Cause it's someone close to you that you would never believe could be anyone else except the person you know." In-na frowns and wrings her hands together nervously. She takes a deep breath and slowly nods her head. "Jieun," In-na says, "She's my best friend that moves with us. She's been by my side since my son's father passed away. I never thought much of it, but she would always avoid mirrors. She never told me why, but it must be cause she doesn't want her true face to be shown."

"That makes sense," Felix comments, "You're close to her. She would never switch out your son with one of her own. And the gossip neighbor said that she's here almost every day...that gives her ample time to take the kids from around the street."

In-na frowns, "Are you going to kill her?"

"We have to," Chan says, "She's hurt people."

"I know, but she's my friend," In-na murmurs.

"It's just the way it has to be," Felix says, "She's a monster that has kidnapped and killed children and mothers. I know to you she is your best friend, but to a lot more people she was the one that ended their lives." In-ah slowly nods her head even though she is still upset over the fact that her friend is a monster and would be going to her grave. As much as she knows Jieun deserves what's coming to her, she can't help but feel bad for her closest companion. But, this is the way that things are. Monsters that hurt have to die. No matter if they put on a facade of being your best friend. "I'll give you her address," In-na states as she slowly stands and exits the living room. The two cousins exchange a quick glance, both feeling a bit bad for what they have to do. They can only imagine how In-na must be feeling. Felix looks over at Chan, "Hey, what you said to In-na to convince her to tell us about Jieun...did that have to do with Wonpil?"

Chan sighs, "No."

"Are you sure?" Felix asks.

Chan nods, "I put that behind me, Lix. There's not enough evidence to prove what happened there that night."

"Still..." Felix says, "If this situation is anything like..."

"It isn't," Chan says, "I was close to Wonpil and I know him well, but there's a good amount of evidence saying that he had nothing to do with that family. I'd like to keep it that way." Felix lets out a breath and nods, dropping the subject. In-ah returns to the room with a small piece of paper in her hands. She passes it to Chan, "Please make it quick."

"We will," Chan states, taking the piece of paper from the woman.

──────●◎●──────

"You get the kids," Felix says, "I'll light her up."

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" Chan asks.

Felix nods, "Worry more about the kids. I can handle myself." Chan nods his head as he takes the lead. He moves around the side of the apartment building. Felix, on the other hand, heads straight for the front door. The door is unlocked and Felix walks inside with no issues. Aside from the weird look, the person at the front desk gave to him. Felix heads down the hall and towards the apartment with a gold number sixteen. When he finds it, he stops in front of the door and preps his weapon. He grips it in his hands before charging at the door. His weight makes the door crack and Felix quickly kicks the door down. He rushes into the apartment and is greeted with the wide eyes of one Lee Jieun. She is standing in her small kitchen area with a glass of water in her hand. She stares at Felix and then at the flamethrower in his hands. "How did you find me?" Jieun asks, slowly moving around the countertop.

Felix's eyes narrow, knowing that she's just trying to buy time, "Yoo In-na."

"She would never," Jieun murmurs, "She's my best friend."

Felix sighs, "Well, she did. Considering you've been lying to her for years and that you kidnap children, may or may not have changed her view on you."

"I haven't ever hurt Kangsan or her," Jieun exclaims, a bit upset that In-na would out her even after all the years they've spent as friends, "I wouldn't do that."

"But, you did hurt a lot of others," Felix says, "And that's why I'm here." He presses the trigger of the flamethrower and golden fire floods from the tip. Jieun's eyes widen and she quickly tosses the contents of her cup at the flame. It works for a bit, dousing the fast approaching fire, but Felix doesn't let up for a second. He presses on the trigger again and this time Jieun can't do anything as the fire reaches her and sets her aflame. She lets out an anguished cry as the flames consume her, burning her body to a crisp. Felix watches with an even expression as their monster dies.

──────●◎●──────

"The kids are all back safe and sound," Chan says as he slides into the driver's seat.

"And Jieun has been dealt with," Felix says, "I say another job well done." Chan nods his head and digs the car keys from his pocket. He holds it up and looks to his cousin, "Are you ready to get going? We should arrive in the next few hours or so."

Felix nods, "Let's hit the road."

Chapter Text

Then: Yongin

"He went down that way," Changbin calls out as he runs alongside Wonpil. The brown haired hunter has black frame glasses over his eyes and a silver blade clenched in his hands. Wonpil looks in the direction Changbin pointed and nods his head as he spots a shadowy tail moving past a tree. He charges after the monster. Wonpil jumps above a fallen log and darts around a bush. He comes up into this clearing where there is just grass. There's a large black dog with huge canines circling the area almost like he's about to attack his prey. Wonpil eyes narrow and he tightens his grip on his blade. He bends down a bit and starts to circle as well, waiting for the dog to pounce. The dog bares its teeth and snaps at the air, trying to threaten Wonpil and make him leave. The hunter doesn't even flinch. Instead, he slides closer to the animal. "Come on," Wonpil shouts. The dog growls again before charging forward. He collides with the hunter and they both go tumbling towards the ground. The animal uses its massive paws to scratch at the hunter's shoulder. Wonpil grits his teeth as deep gashes appear on his body and blood drips from the wounds. He pushes back the pain though and repositions his hand so that he can swing the angel blade into the hound's side. He yanks the blade out and the dog yelps in pain. He staggers off of Wonpil and scampers over to the side. The dog begins to whimper in pain and the hunter smirks a bit, finding the monster's apparent fear and pain amusing. "You're nothing more than a little pet...aren't you?" Wonpil murmurs, "I don't know why Changbin was so worried. You're not one of the hotshot hellhounds. You're just a little puppy. It's too bad, if things were different I would have let you go back home with your master, but they're not." With that said, Wonpil throws the angel blade. It hits the hellhound right in the middle of its forehead and the animal falls to the ground. Wonpil lets out a breath and walks over to the creature. He bends down to pull the blade out and slowly stands again. He looks down at the dead creature who has blood dripping from its head. He stares at it for a second more before pursing his lips and looking to his angel blade. He grips the weapon tighter before slamming it into the creature's body. He continues to do this again and again. Blood spurts from the hellhound and splatters all over Wonpil's face and clothes. This doesn't seem to faze the hunter as he proceeds to stab the monster. "You got him!" Changbin says in a pleased tone as he comes into the clearing, "Thank goodness...that is the last time I let Seonghwa hyung take care of the hellhounds. I'll make sure this guy stays locked up. Thanks for helping me catch him again." He has yet to notice what Wonpil is doing, but it doesn't take him long as he sees a spurt of blood shoot into the air. Changbin's eyes widen and he blinks in surprise. Wonpil slowly rises and turns around. He flashes a smile at his friend, blood covering every inch of his body, "Sorry, I know we said we would get him alive, but he wouldn't settle. I did what I had to do." Changbin purses his lips together and nods his head even though the scene before his eyes is very unsettling.

──────●◎●──────

Now

"I read about a wild animal attack in Yongin," Felix reads from Wonpil's journal as Chan pays the man at the front desk of the motel, "It wasn't the first attack either. There had been about two more just that week."

"Thanks," Chan says as the man hands him the key to the room. He starts walking down the hallway and Felix follows, his eyes still on the leather-bound book. "I went into town expecting a werewolf or kitsune or something along those lines," Felix continues, "Instead, it turns out that hell had lost one of its beloved puppies."

"Hellhounds," Chan states.

Felix nods, "Since when do hellhounds get loose? Don't they just follow what their master tells them to do?"

"It's the first time I've ever heard of it," Chan says, "Usually, hellhounds are used to finish off a demon deal. You make a deal with a demon and after ten years you get dragged into hell by a hellhound. Invisible to anyone except to the one who made the deal. Hellhounds are obedient. They go after who they're told to."

"This one didn't," Felix says, looking up from the journal, "Apparently, Wonpil ran into a demon named Changbin, who just so happened to be a close friend of his. Is this the demon that you're friends with?" Chan coughs and shifts uncomfortably. Felix's eyebrows raise and he gives his cousin a judging expression. "Don't look at me like that," Chan states.

Felix shakes his head, "This is the look you give someone when they tell you that you're friends with a demon."

"He's a good guy," Chan says.

Felix frowns, "He's a demon."

"Not all monsters are bad and that includes demons," Chan says.

"C'mon, Chris, even you can't stoop as low to become buddies with dark creatures like that," Felix huffs, "Demons are the literal worst monster out there."

"Changbin is a huge softy," Chan states, "Can we not argue about this? What was Changbin doing here?" They come to a stop in front of a room and Chan uses the key to open it up. The two file into the room, looking around as they do. Felix goes over to the bed and plops onto it. He sighs and looks back down at the book, "Changbin told Wonpil about how one of the other demons took over his job of tending to the hellhounds for a day and in the process lost one of them," Felix says, "He had been tracking him all the way to Yongin."

"So, Changbin and Wonpil worked together on this case?" Chan asks.

Felix nods his head, "The mission was to find the hellhound and capture it so it could be brought back to hell before hurting anyone else."

"What happened?" Chan asks.

"Wonpil ended up killing it," Felix says, "The dog wouldn't settle and he had no choice." Chan nods his head and tosses the bag over his shoulder onto the floor. He lets out a breath and looks at his cousin. He opens his mouth to say something, but closes it a second after. He shakes his head and makes his way into the bathroom. Felix frowns and closes up the journal before placing it to the side. "What?" Felix questions.

"What do you mean what?" Chan asks.

"You looked at me like you were going to say something," Felix says.

"No," Chan says.

Felix shakes his head, "You only do that when you're going to suggest something that I won't like. So? What is it?"

"You know you're not going to like it," Chan says.

"Yeah, but you'll always convince me otherwise," Felix says, "So, let's have it."

Chan sighs, "Fine. I was thinking that we should summon Changbin."

"Your demon friend?" You want us to summon a demon?" Felix questions.

Chan nods, "He was with Wonpil. He'll know first-hand what happened."

"I don't know, Chris," Felix says.

"We've done it before when we needed info. This is no different except we won't be doing any torturing," Chan says, "If it makes you feel better, we can summon him into a demon trap." Felix crosses his arms over his chest and frowns in thought. He doesn't say anything for a minute before slowly nodding his head. "Okay, but only cause we want to find out what Wonpil was doing here. Let's go get the ingredients," Felix says.

──────●◎●──────

"Why does your friend's summoning ritual include both pig's blood and a rabbit's skull?" Felix questions.

"Don't ask," Chan sighs, "Did you get everything?" The two make their way back to the motel with bags full of ingredients they need for the summoning ritual. "I think so," Felix says. Chan nods and the two head inside. As they do, they are met by a group of people huddled by the front desk. They are all watching a TV screen that hangs from the ceiling. "What's going on?" Chan asks as they approach the group.

"There's been an animal attack in town," A woman says, "The person who died was only twenty-one." Chan and Felix exchange a look before gazing up at the TV. Sure enough, there's a reporter standing in front of caution tapes near the local camping site. The new station changed to show b-roll footage of the camper's set up torn to bits by an apparent wild animal. "The next footage you're about to see is graphic," The reporter states, "Please be advised of viewer discretion." The shot changes to show the mauled body of a young man with scratches all along his chests and legs. Chan and Felix both grimace at the image. They shake their heads and exchange glances. "Another hellhound?" Chan whispers.

"Maybe," Felix says, "Think it's something we should be worried about? I mean last time Wonpil was here he dealt with a hellhound too."

"It could've been just a normal deal," Chan says, "And if that's true...there's nothing we could have done to stop what happened."

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to check it out," Felix says.

Chan sighs, "Are you just saying this cause you don't want to summon Changbin?"

"No," Felix shakes his head, "I promise we'll summon him after checking this out."

"Alright," Chan says, "Let's put this stuff back into our room and then we can go to the campsite."

──────●◎●──────

The two flash their fake NIS badges simultaneously as they come to the area of the camp site that has been blocked off. They are let in without any questions after that. The two make their way over to where a man garbed in a park ranger outfit stands surveying the remains of the campground. "Excuse me," Chan calls out. The ranger turns around as the two approach him and nods his head. "We're with the NIS," Felix says, "And we just go where we're told, so can you please let us know more about this, so we can report to the higher ups. I'm sure it's just some random animal attack, but the big bosses think it's a bit weird because it's happened before a couple of months back."

The ranger sticks his hands into his pocket, "It most likely is an animal attack. We're still trying to identify exactly what, but the witness hasn't given us a clear picture on what it was. We are leaning towards a wolf, although they don't usually frequent these parts."

"I didn't know there was a witness," Felix says, "Is he still here?"

"Yes," The ranger says, looking in the direction of a cop car which has its door open. There's a figure garbed in a light blue blanket sitting inside, his head is tilted down but you can still spot the red tips of his dark black hair. The ranger sighs, "He's a bit of a mess at the moment. He says the animal was invisible and it tore his hyung to pieces."

"What's his name?" Chan questions.

"Choi Jongho. He was Choi San's younger cousin. They were like brothers. His death hit him hard," The ranger answers, "You two are more than welcome to go chat with him, but I don't know if you'll get anything more than we did from the kid." The two nod their heads and make their way over to the cop car. Jongho glances up at them for just a second as they near before his gaze shifts back to the floor. "Hello, Jongho-ssi," Chan says. The young man doesn't answer, remaining silent and stoic. The cousins exchange a quick glance, knowing how Jongho must be feeling. If San and his relationship was anything like their own, Jongho must be extremely heartbroken. "Can you tell us what happened here?" Felix asks.

Jongho scoffs and shifts a bit in his seat, "You'll just say I'm mentally traumatized just like the cops."

"We won't," Chan says, "The ranger said that you saw an invisible animal go after your cousin. Well, we've dealt with animal attacks like this before..."

"Really?" Jongho questions.

Felix nods, "You have no idea."

"I went to go gather wood for a fire," Jongho explains, "I heard a howl and San hyung shout. I rushed over and I saw my cousin on the ground being ripped apart. The thing is that there wasn't anything there. There was no animal, no person, nothing. I don't understand how he could've gotten injured when there wasn't anything doing the deed, but he did and he died..."

"I'm sorry," Felix says.

Jongho sighs, "I just don't know what to make of it....I know what I saw...but it was just unbelievable."

"Your cousin, Choi San, did he ever tell you about making a deal to get something?" Chan asks, "Did he suddenly gain something that he hadn't before?"

Jongho shakes his head, "Not that I know of..."

"What about losing someone? Has he ever lost someone and then the next thing you know they're back as if nothing happened?" Felix asks.

"Um...no," Jongho says, his brows furrowing at the rather weird questions. Chan sighs and nods his head. He flashes Jongho a small smile, "Thank you for answering our questions. We'll do our best to help the rangers and the local police locate this animal and ensure that no one else gets hurt." The young man nods his head and the two hunters walk away. They make their way away from the scene of the attack and towards their car. "So, maybe it wasn't a demon deal," Felix says.

"I don't know," Chan says, "I mean...hellhounds don't just attack."

"They did when Wonpil was here," Felix says.

"That was a different situation," Chan says.

Felix shrugs, "Maybe, it happened again."

"Changbin wouldn't let an incident like that repeat," Chan says, "Trust me."

Felix sighs, "I don't know, Chris. Jongho doesn't seem to recall any deal being made. Maybe, San didn't even make one. He was young. If you do the math, it would mean he did the deal when he was eleven."

"Just cause Jongho doesn't remember a deal being made doesn't mean one wasn't," Chan says. The two slip underneath the yellow caution tapes and make their way down a path with trees on both sides. "Choi Jongho doesn't recall the deal being made because it had to do with him," A voice says. A figure garbed in all black steps out from behind a tree. His hair is pitch black and parted to the side. He has a serious look on his face, but appears relaxed as his hands are stuck in his pockets. Felix reaches for his gun within his pocket, but stops when his cousin walks closer to the young man. "Changbin," Chan says as he lifts his arms up to hug the person in front of him, "I haven't seen you in so long."

"Hi, Chan," Changbin says with a soft smile. He pats the hunter on the back and Felix's eyes narrow. "This is Changbin? The demon?" Felix questions.

Chan nods and gestures to his freckled cousin, "This is Seo Changbin. Changbin, this is my cousin, Felix."

"Nice to meet you," Changbin says with a curt nod of his head.

Felix scowls, "You really are friends with a demon." The freckled hunter starts to grumble under his breath about how demons are the darkest and most evil of all creatures. Changbin watches him with intrigue and shakes his head. "He has that monster bias, doesn't he?" Changbin asks as he looks over at Chan.

The blonde nods, "Sorry, Jisungie was changing his mind, but demons are...um..."

"A whole other story?" Changbin questions.

"Yeah," Chan states, "Hey, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, work," Changbin says, "Had to send a hellhound after Choi San. I wanted to do it personally cause he made the deal with me."

"Since when do you strike deals?" Chan questions.

Changbin sighs, "Since I got extremely drunk and took pity on two boys."

"What happened ten years ago?" Chan asks.

Changbin sighs, "They were biking around and they both decided to race down a hill. San made it. Jongho didn't. He fell off his bike and cracked his head on a rock. I came over to San and offered to save his cousin. You know how the rest of it goes..."

"Wow," Chan says, "I guess investigating all of this wasn't necessary. San made a deal after all."

Changbin nods, "What about you? You came all the way here to just check up on a case that was definitely just a hellhound going after someone whose time was up."

"Eh, not exactly," Chan says, "My cousin and I are on a bit of a journey."

"In Korea?" Changbin questions.

"We even went through all that trouble of searching for a rabbit head for nothing," Felix mutters under his breath. Changbin's eyebrows raise in surprise and he looks over to his friend. "You were trying to summon me?" Changbin questions, "Why?"

"Part of the journey," Chan says, "I don't know if you heard, but Wonpil hyung is dead. In his will, he gave me his journal. My cousin and I are retracing his steps in hopes of finding exactly what hyung was doing that led to his death."

Changbin nods in understanding, "And you were summoning me cause I met up with Wonpil here for a hunt."

"Exactly," Chan says.

"You know you could've just called me," Changbin says, "I would have answered. You didn't need to go through all that work of trying to summon me."

"Right," Chan says with a chuckle, "It totally flew my mind to just give you a call."

"You have a phone?" Felix questions.

"Of course, I have a phone," Changbin states, "Just cause I'm a demon doesn't mean that I am out of touch with the world."

Felix shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest, "I don't like you."

"Okay," Changbin says, "Anyway, you want to know more about what happened that time I met up with Wonpil...let's go somewhere we can talk in private."

"We can go back to the motel room," Chan says.

"Great," Changbin says, lifting his hand up, "I can teleport us there."

"Wait!" Felix exclaims, "What about the car?"

"I can bring it," Changbin says, "Don't worry."

"Don't worry!" Felix exclaims, "I'm about to be transported to another place by a freaking demon." Chan sighs and walks over to his cousin. He pats him on the back and offers him a smile. "Don't worry," Chan says, "Changbin has done this many time before. He won't accidentally bring us to hell or something."

"Great," Felix says in a dry tone as Changbin snaps his fingers.

──────●◎●──────

"So, what do you know about what went down during that day?" Changbin asks. The three are sitting inside the hunter's motel room which is decorated with ugly striped wallpaper and a theme that fits that of a middle-aged man. Felix sits on the edge of his bed, glancing occasionally at Changbin almost as if he's waiting for the demon to slip up and try to kill them both. Chan sits on a swivel chair besides the small desk where they have Wonpil's journal and a bunch of other books. The blonde fumbles with the corner of his old friend's journal almost as if it's some nervous tick. His anxiety stemmed from the last time he found out about Wonpil's escapades with Han Jisung. Changbin is the only one that appears calm. He leans against the countertop of the mini kitchen area with his arms crossed over his chest. "Wonpil heard a report about frequent animal attacks here and came to check it out. He found out that it was a hellhound behind it and that it had escaped from hell," Chan answers, "He teamed up with you to capture it alive and bring it back home, but when you had him he was being out of hand and Wonpil had no choice but to kill him."

Changbin slowly nods his head and sighs, "That's basically what happened."

"That's good," Felix says, glancing over at his cousin. Chan looks back at him, knowing exactly what the freckled hunter is alluding to. There's a witness this time. Someone who knows for a fact that Wonpil was here and can give a first-hand account of what happened here tonight. "I guess," Changbin says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chan questions.

Changbin shrugs, "I don't know. I've been thinking about what happened that day for a while. It was weird."

"Weird? How?" Chan asks.

Changbin sighs, "The hellhound that got loose was one of the calmer ones. The only reason he was killing humans was cause he was scared and it was the only thing he knew how to do. Wonpil knew this yet he still killed him."

"Wonpil said that he didn't have a choice," Felix states.

"I know. He said the same thing to me," Changbin murmurs, "But, he ran ahead of me in the woods where we had tracked the hound down to. I didn't actually get to see he was being as fussy as Wonpil said. I know the hellhounds. I take care of them and that dog has never been one to bite back. He had to have smelled me off of Wonpil and would've known to stand down."

"Well, he clearly didn't," Chan states, not liking where Changbin is going with this. The demon was supposed to just confirm that Wonpil was telling the truth and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Changbin shakes his head, "Wonpil was acting different, Chan. I'm only telling you this cause you wanted to find out what he was up to here and I don't want to leave anything out."

"Tell me," Chan huffs, knowing that even if he doesn't like it. He will have to find out what happened here in its entirety. He already missed out on what went down in Anyang, but he won't go through the same thing in this town. "When I found him in the woods over my hellhound's dead body, he was covered in blood," Changbin says, "And I mean covered. His hair soaked, his clothes drenched. There wasn't a spot free of blood. There's no way that he could've gotten that much blood on him unless he butchered my hellhound. If he was acting up, one stab would've done the trick. How do you explain the multiple stab wounds along his body!?"

"I'm sure the mutt deserved it," Felix mutters. Changbin scowls and shakes his head. He looks over to Chan, who has a conflicted look of his own on his face. "Was it really that bad?" Chan asks.

Changbin nods, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"Well, maybe, you saw wrong," Felix states.

Changbin frowns, "If this has something to do with the fact that I'm a demon-,"

"It isn't. Surprisingly," Felix says, "You went after the hellhound at night and you clearly care for the dog. Maybe, you just imagined what you saw. Maybe, you were just being too emotional." He eyes Chan, who takes in his words and starts to appear a bit brighter. Changbin sighs, "Whatever, but that still doesn't explain his endless questions."

"What questions?" Chan asks.

"About hell," Changbin says, "He kept asking about how to get in and if there was a way to close the doors to it. He wanted to know what would happen to the souls and the demons if they were stuck inside. I told him as it is. The locations of the doorways should remain a secret. As far as I know, there's no way of closing the door and it should stay that way. There's a balance to life and there needs to be hell for heaven to exist. There would be disaster if hell would be to be shut. Evil souls would be running rampant on Earth, but that's beside the point. He kept saying that those types of things won't matter soon and how he's found a way to close hell."

"Impressive," Felix says.

Changbin scoffs, "I'm sure it is for you, but not for someone like me. A literal demon."

"I think you're taking it the wrong way," Chan says, "I'm sure that Wonpil wasn't trying to offend you and was just trying to make talk."

Changbin chuckles, "That was not talk. What you and I are doing is making talk. Heck, what Felix and I are doing is talk, but not what Wonpil was saying to me. You don't go around talking about shutting down hell or entering hell for laughs."

"Then, why did he ask those questions?" Felix asks.

Changbin shrugs, "I don't know. That's for you to find out, isn't it?" Chan opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by a loud ringing of his phone. The blonde reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He taps at the screen before pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello?" Chan says. He nods his head as the person on the other line speaks. Felix and Changbin watch as Chan's eyes slowly widen in shock. The hunter nods, "We'll be right there. Okay, thanks, bye." He pulls the phone away and ends the call before sticking the device back into his pocket. "Who was it?" Felix asks.

"The cops," Chan says, "There's been another animal attack. An invisible animal attack. And get this...the animal specifically targeted Jongho."