Summer was nearing its end, and Yna thought she would only be left with warm memories—afternoons filled with ughter alongside Aky and her new friend, Lyn. But the image of the bloodied woman by the riverbank still lingered in her mind. No matter how much she tried to push it away, the memory haunted her, along with Mr. Jang’s peculiar smile as he invited her into the old shack.

  The morning was cool, with a soft breeze drifting through the vilge. The sky was a perfect blue, scattered with a few wisps of white clouds. Sunlight streamed through the windows of Aky’s house, where Yna lived with her grandmother. She woke up te, missing her grandmother, who had left early for the Choi mansion. Aky was out helping his father with an errand, and Aky’s mother was at the market. Yna found herself alone, the silence of the house unsettling.

  Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since st night. She wondered if Mr. Jang was at his snack bar. Maybe she could grab breakfast there. Stepping outside, she walked through the familiar streets, watching the vilgers go about their morning routines. Vendors set up their stalls, chatting with their customers. Children ran past her, pying with paper kites. The scent of freshly baked bread and brewing coffee wafted through the air.

  As she approached the snack bar, Mr. Jang was already standing by the counter, wiping a pte with a cloth. He greeted her with his usual smile.

  “Ah, Yna! You're up te today. Where are your friends?”

  “Aky is running errands with his dad, and Lyn... well, she’s stuck in the mansion since her grandfather is still there,” Yna expined.

  “I see,” Mr. Jang said, nodding. “Well, are you hungry? Let me prepare something warm for you.”

  Yna nodded eagerly, her thoughts drifting from the haunting memories of the riverbank. Soon, Mr. Jang pced a steaming bowl of rice porridge with slices of boiled egg and a side of sweet pickled radish in front of her. A cup of warm tea accompanied the meal.

  “Wow! This looks delicious. Thank you, Mr. Jang!” she said cheerfully before digging in.

  As she ate, Mr. Jang watched her, then spoke casually, “You know, about my secret toy store... why don’t you and your friends visit together? I think you’d love it.”

  Yna’s eyes lit up. “Really? I’ll tell Aky and Lyn then!”

  Later that afternoon, Yna rushed back home and found Aky.

  “Mr. Jang invited us to see his secret toy store!” she told him excitedly.

  Aky raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s interesting. But how do we get Lyn out of the mansion? Her grandfather is still there.”

  “We’ll make an alibi,” Yna said confidently.

  Arriving at the grand Choi mansion, the two of them carefully made their way toward the side entrance, where Lyn’s maid usually let them in. After a few whispers and secret hand signals, Lyn appeared at the door.

  “Are you both crazy? If my grandfather finds out, I’m dead!” Lyn whispered harshly.

  “It’s just for a little while” Aky reassured her. “We’ll be quick.”

  Lyn sighed. “Fine, but this better be worth it.”

  The Mystery Within the Shack

  The sun cast golden hues over the river as they walked toward the forest. The water shimmered under the afternoon light, dragonflies hovering above its surface. The rustling trees swayed gently as a light breeze passed through.

  As they neared the forest’s edge, Lyn suddenly stopped.

  “Wait,” she said hesitantly. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

  Aky smirked. ”You’re just scared. It’s bright out—nothing to be afraid of.”

  “I’ve been here before,” Yna added. “It’s not as creepy as it looks.”

  With some reluctance, Lyn followed them into the woods, where Mr. Jang was waiting outside the old shack. He welcomed them with a warm smile, but Lyn’s expression remained uncertain. The shack looked even more worn out up close, with its faded wooden pnks and rusty hinges.

  “This pce looks... filthy,” Lyn muttered under her breath.

  Mr. Jang chuckled and pulled open the door. “Come in and see for yourself.”

  As they stepped inside, their eyes widened in amazement. The contrast between the shack’s crumbling, moss-covered exterior and the warmth of the toy store within was almost surreal. It was as if they had entered an entirely different world—one untouched by time, hidden behind the illusion of decay.

  The small space was packed with charm and color. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, rich and inviting, and golden nterns hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, flickering glow that made the entire room feel almost magical. Shelves lined every inch of the store, each carefully stocked with beautiful, handcrafted toys. Wooden soldiers stood in perfect rows, their painted uniforms vibrant and detailed. Delicate porcein dolls, dressed in elegant ce gowns, sat atop a velvet-draped dispy case, their gssy eyes reflecting the warm light. A collection of spinning tops, each painted with intricate swirling patterns, gleamed under the golden nterns.

  On one shelf, an assortment of wind-up toys caught Yna’s attention—tiny metal birds that fpped their wings, little drumming monkeys, and a set of tin trains with miniature tracks. Aky’s eyes darted toward a beautifully carved rocking horse in the corner, its wooden frame polished to a shine. The mane and tail were made of real horsehair, and the saddle was stitched with detailed embroidery.

  But it was the paper dolls that truly mesmerized Yna. They were the same as the ones Mr. Jang had gifted them—the same delicate folds, the same striking colors. Some had intricate, hand-drawn faces, each one different, as if they had their own personalities. Others came with tiny outfits, carefully cut and painted to resemble traditional dresses. She ran her fingers lightly along the edges, feeling the fine paper beneath her fingertips.

  Aky was the first to break the silence, his face lighting up with pure excitement. “This is incredible!” he excimed, his voice filled with wonder. “How is this even possible? From the outside, this pce looks like it’s about to fall apart.”

  “I can’t believe this was inside that old shack,” Yna murmured, her gaze sweeping over the store in awe. She picked up a small, carved wooden owl, its eyes made of polished amber-colored gss. “Lyn, come see this!”

  Lyn, though visibly impressed, remained hesitant. Her eyes wandered around the store, taking in the strange beauty of it all. “It’s definitely... unexpected,” she admitted, her voice cautious. Unlike Aky and Yna, who were caught up in their excitement, she couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling creeping up her spine. The store was beautiful, but something about it felt too perfect—too carefully arranged, as if it were all meant to lure them in.

  Mr. Jang, who had been watching them intently, stepped forward with a small smile. “Feel free to look around,” he said, his voice as smooth as ever.

  Aky turned to him, grinning. “This really is a mystery. No one would ever expect a toy store like this inside that old shack.”

  “And the toys…” Yna added, her voice filled with admiration. “They’re beautiful.”

  She reached for a small marionette on the counter—a tiny puppet dressed in a velvet coat, its wooden limbs connected by thin, delicate strings. She gave it a gentle pull, and its arms and legs moved in a smooth, fluid motion. She couldn’t help but smile.

  Lyn, however, remained at a distance. Her fingers brushed lightly against the polished surface of a music box, but she made no move to open it. Her unease had only grown stronger.

  After a while, she gnced at the ornate clock hanging on the wall. “We should go,” she said, her tone firmer this time. “My grandfather will notice if I’m gone for too long.”

  Mr. Jang’s expression shifted—just slightly. It was barely noticeable, but Lyn caught the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. “The chairman is in the mansion?” he asked casually, though his tone carried a strange weight.

  Lyn nodded. “Yeah, he’s still there.”

  Mr. Jang held her gaze for a moment before giving a small nod. “Then you should go,” he said simply. Then, with a friendly yet knowing smile, he added, “But remember, this pce is our little secret.”

  The three of them exchanged gnces before nodding in agreement.

  Just as they were about to step out, Yna hesitated. Turning back to Mr. Jang, she bit her lip before asking, “Mr. Jang… can I come back sometime? If I ever need a gift for a friend, this seems like the perfect pce.”

  The old man’s smile returned, slow and measured. “Of course. Anytime.”

  With that, they stepped back into the real world—the air outside suddenly feeling different, heavier, as if the warmth of the toy store had been an illusion. The golden glow of the nterns faded as Mr. Jang closed the door behind them.

  As they walked down the path leading away from the shack, the afternoon sun was beginning to sink lower, casting long shadows over the road. The streets bustled with life, filled with the usual routines of the town. Vendors called out to passersby, advertising their fresh produce, and children pyed on the sidewalks. It was a familiar, comforting scene—but for the three of them, the world somehow felt altered.

  Yna walked in thoughtful silence, the weight of something unspoken pressing against her chest. Then, without thinking, she suddenly muttered, “Did you smell something weird in there?”

  Aky blinked. “Huh?”

  “In the toy store,” she crified, frowning. “There was a scent… I can’t describe it. It wasn’t like wood, or paint, or even dust. It was weird.”

  Aky shrugged. “Maybe the watercolors? Or the glue from the paper dolls?”

  Yna shook her head. “No… it was something else.” She tried to recall where she might have smelled it before, but the memory stayed just out of reach. It was familiar in a way that unsettled her, as if it was connected to something buried deep in her mind. Lyn, walking beside her, didn’t say a word. But she had noticed it too. That faint, underlying scent—something metallic, something… off.

  As they neared the mansion, the towering iron gates loomed ahead. Lyn’s pace slowed, and her eyes flickered toward the grand estate. “Alright,” she whispered. “We need to be careful.”

  Yna nodded. “Your grandfather’s still around?”

  “Yes.” Lyn gnced toward the mansion’s balcony. “And if he catches us sneaking in, we’re in trouble.”

  Aky sighed. “Then we better act normal.”

  They slipped through the side gate, treading lightly over the gravel path. The garden stretched before them, eerily silent, the only movement coming from a few workers trimming hedges in the distance.

  Just as they reached the side entrance, a voice rang out.

  “Lyn!”

  Lyn froze, her heart pounding.

  Turning slowly, she came face to face with her grandfather. His sharp eyes scanned her, his expression unreadable. “Where have you been?” he asked, his voice calm yet heavy with authority.

  Lyn steadied herself and forced a pleasant smile. “Just in the garden, getting some fresh air.”

  A long pause.

  Then, with a small nod, the chairman turned away, heading back inside.

  The three of them exhaled at the same time, exchanging relieved gnces before slipping through the door. Their hearts were still racing.

  As they walked down the hall, Yna let out a nervous ugh. “That was way too close.”

  Aky grinned. “We should get a medal for sneaking.”

  But Lyn wasn’t ughing. She was still thinking about the toy store. About Mr. Jang’s expression when she mentioned her grandfather. About that strange, lingering scent.

  And somehow, she knew this wasn’t the st time they’d step inside that shack.

  The Nightmare Chase

  The night was restless. The air was thick with humidity, making the leaves outside stick together as the trees barely swayed. The sky was a vast, empty bckness, no stars to be seen, only the dim glow of the moon casting eerie shadows across the ndscape. Crickets chirped in the distance, their monotonous tune filling the silence.

  Yna tossed and turned in her sleep, her face twitching as the nightmare took hold of her mind.

  She was back in the forest, the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves filling her lungs. She could hear the faint rustling of the wind through the trees, but something was off—something in the air, something thick and metallic. Then, she saw her.

  The bloodied woman.

  She was on the ground, just like that day, her body sprawled unnaturally, her face hidden beneath her tangled, matted hair. But as Yna took a step back, the woman suddenly moved. Her fingers twitched, then her head snapped up, revealing hollow, pleading eyes.

  “Help me,” the woman rasped, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Yna’s breath hitched. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn’t move.

  “Help me,” the woman repeated, this time louder. She reached out, her fingers curling around Yna’s wrist like iron shackles. Yna struggled, but the woman’s grip was unnaturally strong.

  “Let go!” Yna cried, yanking herself free. She stumbled backward, her feet slipping on something wet—blood. It was everywhere, seeping into the earth, staining her hands.

  She turned and ran, her breath ragged as she fled blindly through the trees. The woods twisted around her, the trees blurring into shadowy figures that reached for her. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she spotted the old shack ahead.

  She burst inside, smming the door behind her. But the toy store was gone.

  The inside was truly old this time—dust-coated shelves, cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, the scent of rot clinging to the wooden walls. The air was heavy with something else, something darker.

  In the center of the room stood a single wooden chair, thick ropes coiled around its legs and arms. Someone had been tied here. Someone had struggled. The ropes were frayed, loose, as if whoever had been bound to it had managed to escape.

  And then, Yna saw the blood.

  It stained the floor beneath the chair, fresh enough to glisten under the dim light filtering through the cracks in the walls. But it didn’t end there. The blood led toward a corner, dripping through the wooden pnks into what seemed to be a hidden basement.

  A chain hung from a metal loop, a heavy padlock securing the entrance. The lock was rusted but still intact. Someone had been trapped down there.

  Yna’s breath came in shallow gasps as she turned, her eyes nding on something familiar—a small notebook with a lock. The same one she had seen before. It rested on a dusty shelf, untouched, waiting.

  She reached for it, her fingers trembling.

  The moment her hand touched the cover, a voice called her name.

  “Yna!”

  She jolted awake, her chest heaving, drenched in sweat and tears. Her grandmother’s concerned face loomed over her, but Yna couldn’t speak. She couldn’t expin. She just curled into herself and sobbed silently.

  Morning came too quickly. The sun shone brightly, but Yna felt nothing but the lingering weight of her nightmare. She sat on the stairs, staring bnkly ahead, her mind still trapped in that shack, in that moment.

  Aky found her there, frowning as he waved a hand in front of her face. “Yna? You okay?”

  She blinked slowly, then shook her head.

  Aky plopped down beside her. “Bad dream?”

  She nodded.

  “Wanna talk about it?”

  And so she did. She told him everything—the woman, the chair, the blood, the basement. Aky’s usual enthusiasm dimmed as she spoke, his face growing pale.

  They went to Lyn, who listened in silence. Her expression was bnk, unreadable, her eyes distant. She hesitated before finally saying, “If you really think there’s a basement, we should check.”

  Aky frowned. “That’s a terrible idea.”

  Lyn crossed her arms. “If Yna saw something like that in her dream, maybe it means something. And maybe that toy store isn’t as innocent as it seems.”

  Aky sighed. “This feels like a mistake.”

  Still, he followed them.

  The afternoon was cloudy, a humid stillness hanging in the air. The sky was a dull gray, the sun hidden behind thick yers of clouds.

  As they neared the shack, the news spread quickly—Mr. Jang had gone to the supermarket for his monthly restocking. It was the perfect chance.

  The second they stepped inside, Yna stiffened. The smell was there again. That strange, metallic scent. It clung to the air, stronger this time.

  Lyn pushed the door open. The toy store greeted them just as before, warm and inviting, the golden nterns casting their soft glow.

  Aky swallowed hard. “I don’t like this.”

  “Then leave,” Lyn said ftly.

  Aky groaned but stayed.

  They began searching. Lyn ran her hands along the walls, tapping lightly. Yna, however, was drawn to the same shelf where she had seen the notebook in her dream. It was there again. But this time, it was unlocked.

  Her heart pounded as she reached for it. Just as she was about to open it, a strong hand cmped around her arm.

  A cloth was pressed over her mouth. The scent—sweet and chemical—flooded her senses. Her vision blurred.

  A man, dressed entirely in bck, his face hidden beneath a mask, loomed over her. His grip was ironcd. As she struggled, darkness consumed her.

  Aky and Lyn didn’t notice at first. But then—

  A loud noise. A crash.

  They turned just in time to see the masked man carrying Yna out of the shack.

  “Yna!” Aky yelled, sprinting after them.

  The man ran effortlessly, Yna limp in his arms. The forest blurred past them, the air thick with damp earth and the distant scent of rain.

  But Aky and Lyn were just kids, their legs short, their breaths ragged. They struggled to keep up.

  Then, suddenly, the man stopped.

  He stood ahead, still carrying Yna, his masked face staring straight at them.

  Aky and Lyn slowed, fear creeping up their spines. Why wasn’t he running anymore?

  They took a cautious step forward—

  And then the ground beneath them gave way.

  A sharp snap. A sudden pull.

  Before they could react, a heavy net sprang from the ground, yanking them off their feet and trapping them in its tight weave. They struggled, but the more they moved, the more entangled they became.

  Above them, the masked man spared them only a brief gnce before disappearing into the forest with Yna.

  And they were helpless to stop him.

  Trapped in the Forest

  Aky thrashed in the net, his small hands desperately cwing at the thick ropes. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sobbed uncontrolbly. “I don't want to die! I don't want to die!”

  Lyn, though equally terrified, forced herself to stay calm. She reached out, trying to loosen the knots above them, her hands trembling. “Stop crying, Aky! We need to think of a way out!”

  Before they could attempt anything else, the sound of a bde slicing through the rope made them freeze. The net colpsed, and they tumbled to the ground, coughing as dust and leaves swirled around them.

  A familiar voice cut through the night air. “What are you two doing out here?” It was Mr. Jang. His usually calm face was twisted with confusion.

  Aky hiccupped between sobs, grabbing onto Mr. Jang's sleeve. “Yna! A man took Yna! He carried her away! Please, we have to save her!”

  Mr. Jang's brows furrowed as he crouched to their level. “What did he look like?”

  “All bck! Suit, gloves, mask—he covered her mouth, and she fainted!” Lyn’s voice was sharp with panic.

  Mr. Jang exhaled heavily and pced a reassuring hand on Aky's shoulder. “I'll look for her. You two go back to the old shack. Stay there and don’t move. Understand?”

  “But—"

  “No buts. Go!” He turned toward the deeper part of the forest, but before leaving, he went into the shack, grabbed a heavy bag, and slung it over his shoulder. Lyn eyed it suspiciously.

  “Stay put, both of you,” he warned one st time before disappearing into the darkness.

  Minutes passed. The eerie silence of the forest was broken only by the rustling of leaves in the wind. Aky’s hands clenched into fists as his breathing turned erratic. Then, a piercing scream echoed through the trees.

  Yna.

  Lyn bolted toward the sound.

  “Lyn! Mr. Jang told us to stay here!” Aky called after her, but his feet moved on their own, chasing after his friend into the forest.

  A Familiar Stranger

  The man carried Yna effortlessly, her unconscious form limp in his arms. His strides were steady as he weaved through the forest, the golden hues of the setting sun filtering through the dense trees, casting long, shifting shadows across his all-bck attire. He reached a clearing by a still, dark ke, where the fading daylight shimmered on the water’s surface. Gently, he set Yna down on the cool, damp grass.

  Slowly, he knelt by the water’s edge, dipping his gloved hands in and watching the ripples expand. He pulled off his mask, revealing sharp, emotionless eyes and a face devoid of warmth. He spshed the cold water over his skin, sighing as if trying to wash away something deeper than just sweat.

  Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a small, locked notebook—the same one Yna had almost opened. His fingers hovered over the cover before a voice rang out behind him.

  “Jang Kiho!”

  The man stiffened. His head turned slightly, his gaze meeting Mr. Jang’s across the clearing. Mr. Jang’s face was a storm of emotions—anger, fear, and something else. Recognition.

  “Leave her alone,” Mr. Jang demanded, stepping forward.

  Jang Kiho smirked, his eyes still locked on the ke. “She was being nosy. But don’t worry, I won’t hurt her. I’ll just… talk. She saw the woman. I need to make sure she doesn’t say anything.”

  “She didn’t see anything,” Mr. Jang said quickly. “Just let her go.”

  Kiho let out a hollow chuckle. “You always were soft, Mr. Jang. That’s why people use you. You’re too easy-going.”

  Mr. Jang’s fists clenched. “You—"

  A weak groan made them pause. Yna stirred, her eyeshes fluttering. Her body felt unbearably heavy, her mind foggy. The voices around her were muffled, unfamiliar. She tried to focus, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate. Where was she? Who were these men?

  “I said leave her alone!” Mr. Jang stepped toward Yna, kneeling beside her to scoop her up, but Kiho’s boot smmed into his back, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

  “Stay out of this!” Kiho snapped.

  Mr. Jang wiped blood from his lip and lunged at him, his fist connecting with Kiho’s jaw. The two men grappled, the sound of fists colliding echoing through the trees.

  Yna, still weak, struggled to move. She blinked blearily at the fighting men, her breath coming in short gasps. She needed to run—she had to get away. With trembling arms, she pushed herself up, only to colpse again.

  Kiho noticed. He smmed his fist into Mr. Jang’s gut and ran toward Yna, grabbing her wrist. Yna let out a hoarse scream as he yanked her up, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

  “Put her down!” Mr. Jang shouted, forcing himself up. He tackled Kiho, sending them both crashing onto the ground. Yna tumbled from his grasp, her shoulder hitting the dirt hard.

  “Run, Yna!” Mr. Jang ordered.

  Dizzy and disoriented, Yna scrambled to her feet, her legs like jelly. She stumbled forward, each step agony. Behind her, the fight raged on. Kiho grabbed Mr. Jang’s bag and yanked it open, pulling out a heavy wrench. Swinging wildly, he caught Yna’s arm, slicing through her skin.

  She screamed, clutching her bleeding arm.

  Mr. Jang grabbed the nearest rock and hurled it at Kiho’s head. It struck him hard enough to make him stumble. Yna seized the chance and ran, ignoring the pain.

  “YNA!” Lyn’s voice rang through the trees.

  Yna turned, vision swimming, and saw Lyn and Aky rushing toward her. Relief flooded her, but she barely had the strength to lift her arms.

  “Run!” Mr. Jang shouted again as he tackled Kiho once more, sending them both plunging into the ke.

  Aky grabbed Yna, helping her stay upright. “It’s okay! It’s okay! We’re gonna get out of here!”

  Lyn hesitated, staring at Kiho. Something about him… looked familiar. But there was no time to think.

  They ran, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

  The kids kept running and reached the old shack. Lyn stopped, grabbed Yna’s arm, and tore a part of her dress, wrapping it around Yna’s wounded arm. Yna was still crying, her body trembling from fear and exhaustion.

  “We need to go back to the streets and call the police,” Aky urged, his voice shaky.

  But before they could move, a loud noise erupted from inside the shack. It was a deep, rhythmic banging—like someone was desperately trying to escape. Aky flinched, gripping Lyn’s arm. “Lyn, we have to go! Now!” he begged, his face pale with fear.

  Lyn turned toward the shack, her mind racing. “You two go,” she said, determination hardening her voice. “I have to check.”

  Yna, though still crying, reached out for her. “Lyn, please… be careful.”

  Lyn nodded before slipping inside.

  Secret Beneath the Shack

  The scent in the shack thickened, clinging to the walls and sinking into their skin—a strange mix of old wood, dust, and something else, something metallic and unsettling. Lyn ignored it for now, her focus drawn to the persistent thudding beneath the floor. Aky’s breath came in quick, uneven gasps as he hovered near the doorway, eyes darting to every shadow.

  “Lyn, please—” he whimpered. “We shouldn't be here. Let's just go.”

  But Lyn had already dropped to her knees, fingers brushing over the uneven wooden pnks. Her heart pounded as she traced the outline of a barely visible hatch, the edges hidden beneath yers of dust. She found a small, rusted pin embedded into the wood—an old tch. Without hesitation, she pulled.

  The moment the hatch gave way, Lyn lost her bance and tumbled forward, nding hard against something—someone. The space below was small and suffocating, barely five feet deep, a crude storage pit rather than a proper basement, hidden away beneath the toy store. The air was thick with an acrid, metallic scent that made her stomach churn.

  She scrambled to sit up, her heart hammering against her ribs. In the dim light filtering from above, she saw a woman curled up against the dirt floor, her body covered in dried blood. Her mouth was taped shut, and her arms were bound tightly behind her back with rough rope.

  Aky peered down from above, his face pale as a sheet. “Lyn! Get out of there!” he pleaded, his voice shaking. “We need to go!”

  Lyn ignored him, turning her attention to the woman. Her eyes, though filled with exhaustion and pain, flickered with hope as she met Lyn’s gaze. Lyn quickly peeled the tape from her mouth, and the woman gasped, her lips trembling as she whispered, “Thank you…”

  The sound sent a chill down Lyn’s spine. How long had she been trapped here? How had she even ended up in this pce?

  “Lyn, please!” Aky begged, reaching his arm down. He was visibly trembling, his knuckles white from gripping the edge of the hatch. “We have to get out of here!”

  Lyn nodded, though her mind was spinning with questions. “Come on, we’ll help you up,” she told the woman. Without hesitating, she began untying the ropes, her fingers working quickly despite her shaking hands.

  The woman winced as she tried to move, her limbs weak from prolonged restraint. She had been using her head to bang against the wooden hatch—Lyn realized now that was the source of the desperate knocking sounds.

  “I-I won’t ask anything yet, but we need to get out of here first,” Lyn murmured, looping the woman’s arm over her shoulders. “Aky, help me!”

  Aky hesitated, but then nodded, reaching down and gripping Lyn’s arm tightly, helping to pull her back up. The woman, though weak, was able to stretch her arms upward, and with the combined effort of the children, she managed to haul herself up onto the wooden floor of the shack.

  Just as they caught their breath, Yna came sprinting towards them, her face streaked with tears. “Lyn! Aky! We have to—”

  She skidded to a stop, her eyes widening in horror. The air inside the shack grew thick with that same strange, lingering scent—something musky and metallic, almost like rust.

  A figure loomed in the doorway. The man in the bck suit.

  He stood perfectly still, his presence more menacing than ever. The dim light cast eerie shadows over his masked face, obscuring his expression. But his silence was enough to send a shiver down their spines.

  The children froze, their breath hitching. Even the woman, barely able to stand, trembled at the sight of him.

  Then, slowly, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

  The man tilted his head slightly, his posture too calm, too composed. Then, without a word, he took a single step forward.

  And the world held its breath.

  From the shadows, unseen eyes watched as the children made their decision—one they could never take back. A faint rustling in the trees went unnoticed, a presence lingering just beyond the reach of the dim ntern light inside the shack. Something—or someone—was waiting.

  Jang Kiho Vs Mr Jang

  The ke y still, its dark surface rippling only when the wind whispered across it. The towering trees surrounding the clearing cast long, jagged shadows under the dimming afternoon sun. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves clinging to every breath.

  Jang Kiho stood at the edge of the water, his bck suit speckled with dirt, his mask hiding whatever expression he might have worn. Across from him, Mr. Jang stood firm, his weathered face grim and resolute. His muscles tensed beneath his worn-out coat, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.

  “You're persistent,” Kiho murmured, his voice ced with amusement as he rolled his shoulders, loosening the tension from their brief but brutal exchange. “But you're wasting your time. Move aside.”

  Mr. Jang stood his ground, his breaths steady but bored. Blood trickled from a cut on his brow, mixing with the sweat on his weathered face. His stance was firm, unwavering, despite the pain coursing through his body.

  “I can’t do that,” Mr. Jang said, his voice low but resolute. “I won’t let you involve the kids.” He wiped the blood from his temple with the back of his hand, eyes dark with determination. “Those kids have nothing to do with this. Let them go.”

  Kiho let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head as if humored by Mr. Jang’s stubbornness. “Nothing to do with this? That girl—she shouldn't have been so nosy. Kids should stick to pying kids' games, not getting tangled in things they don’t understand.” His lips curled into a smirk. “And now, it's too te.”

  Mr. Jang clenched his fists, stepping forward despite the burning ache in his ribs. “Then I’ll stop you here.”

  Kiho’s amusement faded, his expression hardening. “You can try.”

  Mr. Jang didn't flinch. Mr. Jang stood his ground. “I won’t let you harm those kids. Leave them alone—this ends now.”

  Kiho let out a soft chuckle before unching forward without warning, his movements a blur. Mr. Jang barely had time to brace himself before the first blow came—a swift jab aimed at his ribs. He twisted to the side, absorbing the impact, retaliating with a strike of his own. His fist connected with Kiho’s shoulder, but the younger man barely reacted.

  With an unsettling ease, Kiho dodged the next attack and retaliated with a brutal knee to Mr. Jang’s gut. A sharp gasp tore from his lips as he staggered back, struggling to regain his footing. But Kiho didn’t relent. He advanced again, a precise and merciless force, striking with practiced efficiency. Each blow nded with sickening accuracy—chest, ribs, jaw. Mr. Jang could feel his strength waning with every hit.

  Still, he fought. He reached for Kiho’s colr, yanking him off bance before smming his knee into his opponent’s midsection. Kiho grunted but twisted free, delivering a ruthless backhand that sent Mr. Jang stumbling toward the edge of the ke.

  The water pped at his heels as he tried to recover. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his vision flickering. He was strong, but Kiho was faster. Younger. More ruthless.

  The water pped at his heels as he tried to recover. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his vision flickering. He was strong, but Kiho was faster. Younger. More ruthless.

  Kiho smirked, taking slow, deliberate steps toward him. “Look at you,” he mused, tilting his head. “You’re barely standing.” He wiped the blood from his knuckles, his gaze gleaming with cruel satisfaction. “You really thought you could stop me? You’re weak, old man.”

  Mr. Jang’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.

  Kiho let out a chuckle, voice dripping with mock sympathy. “It’s almost sad. All that effort—for nothing.” He sighed dramatically before stepping even closer. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have unfinished business.”

  With that, Kiho turned on his heel and sprinted toward the old shack, leaving Mr. Jang struggling to rise as the ke water swallowed his reflection.

  END OF CHAPTER 8