Chapter 50 - 49 : Former Classmates

Hana Lee. An old classmate. Back then, she ran with my crew. One of the few girls who made Han Ji-a’s life a living hell in high school. She was also one of the girls who cornered Han Ji-a in that warehouse—one of the ones who hurt her. Now she stood here like none of that ever happened. A mother, holding a baby in her arms. The memories I had fought to suppress came rushing back during my battle with the centaur, churning my gut. "Ye-Jun?" she said carefully. She wore a sleeveless black top. Her arms were inked in colorful tattoos, but my eyes locked on the scar on her right bicep. Despite the artwork, I could still make out the faded mark beneath. She noticed where I was looking and spoke, gently, almost rehearsed. "The surgery could’ve erased it, but I chose something more creative instead. The tattoos helped me move forward. What do you think?" I didn’t answer. Because I was the one who gave her that scar. Back when they kidnapped Han Ji-a. "I’m not going to apologize," I said plainly. She quickly shook her head. "No, no. I wasn’t asking for forgiveness. I’ve changed," she added softly, glancing down at the child in her arms. My gaze shifted to the man standing behind her. He stepped forward and offered his hand with a polite smile. "I’m Chang-min. Her husband. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir." He was tall and thin, wearing glasses and the kind of polite energy that made you hesitate before judging him. They weren’t alone. Behind them stood an old man rubbing his hands anxiously, two teenage girls gripping makeshift spears, and a quiet boy who couldn’t have been older than ten. "And these are our neighbors," she added. "Mr. Kang, the retired teacher. Those two girls, Soo-Min and Jin-Ah, were with us since the start. And the boy, Min-Ho—he’s thirteen. We’ve all been sticking together." "Right," I muttered. "Glad you made it." Chang-min continued, "We’ve been hiding in the mall’s north wing—the basement loading dock. Somehow, we managed to survive down there. We had supplies. It wasn’t easy, but... it could’ve been worse." "Thanks for completing those missions and keeping us ali—" His words were cut off by the baby’s sudden cry. Chang-min gently took the baby from Hana’s arms and began rocking him, whispering soft reassurances. The cries slowly faded, and he quietly moved to the corner to prepare formula. "You all should rest," Mother said, her tone calm but commanding. The group began to disperse, leaving only us behind—Seo-yeon, In-ji, Ye-Rin, Hyun-tae, Mother, and me. Ye-Rin stepped up beside me, brushing a bit of leaves off my hoodie. "Were you in a jungle?" Hyun-tae spoke. I ignored him. "You know her? Hana lee, I mean." Ye-Rin "Yeah," I muttered. "From high school. She ran with our crew. And she bullied Han Ji-a." Mother’s brows shot up. "You serious?"she continued, "She used to get bullied in high school and you never told us?" "I will tell you about it later mother." I shifted gears. "Where’s Volt and Junior?" "Volt’s outside," Ye-Rin answered, arms crossed. "He’s holding the line. The ravens and owls won’t come near him. And Junior? That monkey’s living his dream, riding Volt like it’s some fantasy game." "What exactly happened to you while you were gone?" In-Ji asked, stepping forward. I sighed. Then I told them everything—the strange meeting with the two kings, the contracts, the offers. I showed them the exact system-generated messages I received: [RAKAROZ’S OFFER – RAVEN BLOOD PACT]** +5 Immediate Level Boost Exclusive Skill Tree:Shadow Predator Lineage Passive Perk: Urban Camouflage – Move undetected in ruined cities Trait: Predator’s Instinct – Mark nearby enemies through walls (Cooldown: 60 sec) Weapon Drop: Talon Blades x2 – Shadow-drenched daggers that bleed through armor Familiar Unlock: Ravenling Scout – A flying companion that tracks targets and relays tactical vision Special Title: Raven Monarch – Grants authority over low-ranked Raven units [OWL FACTION – ALLIANCE OFFERED] +3 Level Boost *Passive: Horizon Vision – Detects enemy movements in a 50-meter radius Passive: Echo Tap – Senses hidden or invisible enemies Wisdom Bond: Link to Owl Leader with partial foresight of environmental changes Skill Evolution: Focuses on perception, aura reading, foresight, and trap detection "Objectively speaking, the Raven’s offer looks stronger," Hyun-tae said, squinting at the glowing panel like he was solving a riddle. "So... which one did you choose?" Ye-Rin asked, watching me curiously. In answer, I whistled. Roger—the owl who had been perched on my shoulder the entire time—flew up into the air and landed where everyone could see him. He was invisible the whole time. "I guess that answers that," Seo-Yeon said gently. "But still... why choose the owl? The Raven deal has better perks." "You guys remember what that Sailor Moon rip-off told us?" In-Ji interrupted, glancing at Mother. Mother’s eyes gleamed for a second, and she raised her hand. "I want to see something," she murmured, activating her Bloody Eyes. "The Raven King’s contract isn’t just dangerous—it’s manipulative. Mind tampering," she said sharply. "If you accept his pact, he can alter your decisions—subtly. You’ll think you’re making choices, but they’ll be his." Then she waved her hand, inspecting the owl contract again. "No hidden conditions in this one." "What?!" Ye-Rin burst out. "What’s wrong, kiddo?" Boom Boom asked from Hyun-tae’s back, stunned by the sudden outburst. Ye-Rin’s face had gone pale. She swallowed. "The people we just met," she said. "They’ve already sided with the Raven King." My heart dropped. I hated Hana Lee—deeply. But those people... the kids, the old man, even Chang-min... I couldn’t let them die. "Roger, go invisible," I said. The owl nodded and vanished into the air without a sound. "So... should we accept the Owl King’s offer?" Hyun-tae asked. "You’re the dumbest smart person I’ve ever met," Boom Boom muttered from his shoulder. "We’ll talk to them," Mother said calmly, already turning toward the hallway. Just then, Eun-ha—who had been eerily quiet—whispered into Seo-Yeon’s ear. "Noona... do young boys’ hands usually feel cold?" Seo-Yeon blinked. "No... why?" "It’s just that Min-ho oppa’s hands felt really cold yesterday. When we played together."