Chapter 55

The sky that had only been overcast finally began to spill raindrops. Even the wind, usually mute, hissed and whipped the falling rain apart.

“This vibe is way too creepy. Are you sure there’s actually a passage here?”

Risa gave a little shiver like she was watching a horror movie. Even so, she hurried to keep up, trailing right behind Beomjin and Seoyul.

Beomjin opened the flank of the stone pagoda where the hidden passage lay. With a clunk, damp air rolled out.

“Whoa. This feels like a lie. There’s really a staircase in a place like this.”

Seoyul breathed out in awe at the exposed way down. Their three shadows melted into the dark stairwell without a trace.

“Let’s go down.”

Beomjin went first. They descended into the underground through a narrow passage that only allowed a single person at a time. Each time they passed a mold-blotched stretch of wall, the years that had seeped in and a deep, fishy tang pressed at their senses.

The three moved forward in silence.

They passed an open stone door carved with a dragon and stopped before a door that had yet to open.

It was a round, thick slab of black stone with a deep, palm-shaped recess at its center. The stone door seemed to tremble, ever so slightly.

Facing the palm-shaped hollow brought back the imugi’s last moments.

“He wanted to become a dragon.”

The line pierced Beomjin’s chest with a bitter sting.

Now Beomjin stood here with the Dragon.

“Is the Flute of Ten Thousand Waves… beyond this door?”

Risa swallowed and asked.

“Probably.”

Beomjin stepped closer to the door.

“From here, we need you, Seoyul.”

Seoyul moved up. As if by prior agreement, Beomjin and Risa split to either side and held their breath.

Seoyul closed her eyes. After calming her heart, she opened them slowly. She raised her hand, very slowly, and set her palm into the recess.

Her face pinched, just a little. A bead of blood slid from her finger, traced the groove, and fell into the hole below.

A moment later, a clunk sounded. Then another, and another—as if breath were seeping into lifeless stone—until the door quivered, faintly, all over.

“I think the stone just opened its eyes.”

With Seoyul’s words, a millstone-grinding rasp rose, and the door creaked open.

How long had it been sealed?

Air steeped in time brushed over the three as it passed.

The chamber revealed beyond was heavy and still.

Like a sanctuary that had slept for ages, only a single object lay in the center.

Upon a pedestal hewn with exquisite care from stone, a flute rested as if a sleeping dragon.

Its deep moss-green surface, dark as ink, ran sleek and smooth.

The Flute of Ten Thousand Waves.

A shiver of rapture slammed through Beomjin’s whole body.

“…Is this… real?”

Risa’s voice shook, and instead of answering, Beomjin took a step back.

Seoyul reached out as if entranced.

The flute’s surface gave a faint tremor, as though answering her energy.

The moment her fingertips cupped the flute, a low resonance spread through the quiet.

It was like hearing a distant song—the melody that had crossed war and peace long ago brushed through her.

Slowly turning her back, she spoke with tears in her eyes.

“I… brought it out.”

The vibration still lingered at her fingertips.

As if it had been waiting for her all along, the flute felt like it had replied to her.

By the time they surfaced, the raindrops had grown heavier. The sucking mud grabbed at their shoes, making a nuisance of itself.

Hurrying back to the car, the three soaked a little warmth into their chilled bodies and let themselves sink into a short rest.

The gloomy sky and deep night should have dragged the mood down, yet the three of them were buoyant, almost giddy.

Wrapped in the cloth they had prepared and laid into a wooden case, the Flute of Ten Thousand Waves was cradled in Seoyul’s arms like something precious.

Seoyul’s confidence surged to the limit—partly because she had helped Beomjin, partly because, as one of the Dragon’s bloodline, she felt recognized at last.

“We’re heading back to Seoul now, right? I’ll keep the flute safe, so don’t worry!”

Singing from the back seat, Seoyul called out. Risa at the wheel and Beomjin in the passenger seat both answered with satisfied smiles.

“Isn’t it too tiring to drive up right now?”

“I agree.”

Beomjin answered Risa’s question.

It was already past 10 p.m.

“Let’s spend the night comfortably at a hotel in town and head up early tomorrow.”

Risa and Seoyul agreed to Beomjin’s plan.

Their SUV rolled along the dark mountain roads of Gyeongju. Seoyul and Risa hummed in harmony, light and easy.

Beomjin stared out the window. The rain ran sideways like tears and vanished into the dark.

A strange energy prickled at Beomjin’s instincts.

It was too quiet.

Their SUV was the only vehicle on the road, yet the sensation of being watched clung to his skin.

“What’s wrong? Are you mad?”

Risa glanced at his tense expression and asked.

“No. Something’s off.”

Beomjin looked back at Seoyul, uneasy. She still seemed bright and carefree, oblivious.

“This is weird. I feel… uneasy.”

The moment he muttered that, the road lit up.

Risa flicked her eyes toward the rearview mirror and spoke as if it were nothing.

“There’s a car coming from behind?”

Before she even said it, Beomjin had already noticed. His gaze stayed locked on the side mirror, unblinking. The car behind them closed in at a terrifying speed, feeding his dread.

“What kind of truck drives that fast? It’s literally riding the lane lines—what a shitty driver.”

Risa muttered, frowning—just as Beomjin grabbed the wheel and jerked it left.

Screeeech! The SUV skidded sharply, the frame shuddering.

“Hey! Are you crazy?!”

Risa shrieked at his sudden move—right as the truck behind them blasted its horn and roared up close to their side.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

“Kyaaah!!”

Seoyul screamed.

“Brake!!”

Risa hit the brake half a second late at Beomjin’s shout.

Kunk! The right headlight shattered as the truck rammed in, the force shoving them sideways. The SUV spun, gravity yanking their bodies violently to one side.

Clutching the wheel, Risa barely managed to regain control—now driving backward down the road. She had flipped direction to escape, but the pursuer refused to fall back.

The truck quickly turned and latched on to their tail again.

Thunk!

Even a light tap sent the SUV lurching left and right. Seoyul’s scream tore through the car. She hugged the wooden case tight and held her breath.

“It’s stuck to us—again!!”

Risa barked, gripping the wheel with white knuckles. Beomjin checked the back. The massive truck loomed with blood-red headlights glowing like eyes, chasing like a reaper. Reflected light painted the inside of the car in a hellish red.

“Don’t slow down! Push the speed and break away!”

Risa gritted her teeth at his command.

The SUV shot across the winding road, bouncing like a pinball.

The tires skidded on rainwater, scraping the ground as they cut another curve. But the truck matched them—engine roaring like a beast set loose.

“Watch o—!”

Before Beomjin finished, the truck slammed into their side.

“Kyaaah!!”

Seoyul shrieked again, and the SUV lost balance, smashing into the guardrail.

Thunk!

The rail bent and ripped like cardboard. With a force it couldn’t withstand, the vehicle lifted into the air.

Gravity turned merciless. All three bodies floated for a heartbeat—then dropped into darkness.

KWA-GWA-GWANG!!

The vehicle tumbled down the cliffside, branches snapping beneath it. Metal twisted, glass exploded, and the engine whined emptily before dying out.

Silence.

The forest didn’t speak. It held its breath, as if mourning those who had fallen.

Drip.

A raindrop struck Beomjin’s eyelid.

He pried his eyes open, relief crashing in—he was alive.

They were in a forest. Dense trees swallowed the sky, not a hint of light getting through.

Beomjin checked Risa and Seoyul first. Risa was slumped against the wheel, unconscious. Thankfully, she was breathing. A gentle shake brought her back.

“Ah… shit. Where the hell are we?”

“Not heaven or hell. So get up.”

Beomjin turned toward the back seat. Seoyul, curled up like a cocoon, was clutching the wooden case tight to her body.

“…Seoyul.”

“…Yes!”

Seoyul jerked her head up and shouted.

“I’m fine! Totally fine!”

The moment she came to, she checked the Flute of Ten Thousand Waves first.

“The flute is fine too. I think only the box is a bit cracked.”

“That’s fine. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No! No!”

She answered Risa’s question with forced cheer.

“What were those bastards? Why would they—”

“They’re after the flute, obviously.”

With that answer, Beomjin unfastened his seatbelt and stepped outside. He checked the surroundings, then helped Seoyul climb out.

“Hey, try opening the driver’s door. I think it’s jammed. It won’t open.”

At her request, Beomjin grabbed the driver’s door.

With a grunt and a heave—crack!—the entire door tore off.

Risa climbed out holding her side.

“Ugh, my ribs hurt. I must’ve hit something.”

That wasn’t all. The strong smell of blood made Beomjin and Seoyul instinctively look down.

“Unnie! Blood!!”

Blood spread from where Risa clutched her side.

“…What? When did I get—”

Her knees buckled. Beomjin and Seoyul caught her fast as she collapsed.

Blood dripped between her tightly clenched fingers. Even someone without medical knowledge could tell—this was serious.

“…It hurts.”

Risa gasped thinly.

“Hold still. It’s going to hurt a bit.”

Beomjin tore his shirt and tied it tightly over the wound. The fabric quickly soaked red.

“Is she going to be okay…?”

Seoyul asked, voice trembling.

Beomjin didn’t answer. It was obvious she wouldn’t last long like this.

“We need to get out of here. If they chase us again, we’re dead.”

“Where? Where do we go?”

“Our ph-phones, where are they?”

They scrambled to find them—but in this mess, of course it wasn’t easy.

“My phone’s here, but it’s broken….”

Seoyul held it up. The screen wouldn’t turn on.

“We don’t even know where we are. Let’s get back to the road and find a sign. If a car passes, we can get help.”

Risa and Seoyul followed his plan without argument. Supporting Risa, they carefully pushed through the forest.

After about five minutes, the tree line ended and they reached a road. No cars—but a little farther, a road sign appeared. They could roughly locate themselves now.

“There’s an old Special Beast Investigation Unit housing nearby. We can treat her there and use a phone.”

“How far…?”

“…Ten minutes. No—seven, if I run.”

Beomjin lifted Risa onto his back.

“If it’s not a mountain path, I can run. Seoyul, you can keep up, right?”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

“Do you actually know the way?”

“We’d better hope my memory’s right.”

Beomjin drew a deep breath and sprinted toward the facility.

The paved road shifted to dirt. They followed the winding path until a building emerged in the distance.

The old housing complex stood like a relic abandoned by the world.

Gray cement walls cracked from neglect, moss and vines crawling up like veins.

Most windows had been shattered, graffiti messily scrawled on the walls.

A crooked, rusting antenna stuck from the rooftop, and wild plants sprouted everywhere, proof no human hands had touched this place in ages.

The automatic door at the entrance was frozen and tilted, creaking whenever the wind pressed it.

When they pushed inside, the old hinges screamed unpleasantly.

Stained floorboards, worn doors, nameplates once used in the old Special Beast Investigation Unit office—

Fragments of buried memories surfaced.

“This is it. Let’s go.”

The office inside was larger than expected.

Desks, partitions, old maps on the walls—everything buried under dust and time.

“There was an infirmary over there.”

Supporting Risa, Beomjin headed in.

Thankfully, the infirmary still had an old bed and a medical cabinet.

He gently laid Risa down and rummaged through the cabinet. There were bandages and disinfectant left. He removed the makeshift cloth binding, cleaned the wound, and wrapped it with fresh gauze.

That was when Seoyul, looking out the window, spoke with a trembling voice.

“Mister… I see someone.”

“…What?”

Beomjin’s hands froze.

“They’re over there… staring this way.”

Seoyul shook as she pressed close to him. Finishing the bandage, Beomjin approached the window. Just as she said—two figures were running down the dirt road toward them.

He took a deep breath.

His mind stayed cool, but his instincts already surged.

“Seoyul. I’ll need your help.”

He muttered low as he clenched his fist—blood beading at his fingertips.

The beast inside him had awakened again.