Kalyven, Abandoned Building.
Byeol held Rook suspended by the neck.
The air around them felt heavy, crushed by the fury emanating from his body.
At that moment, only one person would be able to stop him.
Haneul appeared with an imposing presence. In a single movement, firm and precise, he grabbed Byeol's forearm near the wrist, stopping him.
The effect was immediate.
The glow in Byeol's eyes faded. The tension in his body dissipated, as if something inside him had been forced to fall asleep.
Even so, he showed no concern for Rook.
He let him go.
And, the instant the body began to fall, Byeol delivered a violent kick to his chest, sending him flying.
Haneul sighed - a heavy sigh from someone who understands there is not much that can be done to fully contain Byeol's animalistic side.
Rook slammed hard against a pillar. The impact was so strong it echoed throughout the entire floor.
Dazed, his vision blurred, he tried to understand what had just happened.
- How…? - he murmured, his voice weak, trembling.
-How are you still standing…?
Byeol cast him a look filled with disdain.
His response came in the form of a whisper, but with devastating impact. Like a power cut.
- Looks like you need to improve your analytical ability. - Rook's strong point, associated with his spiritual vision.
- I think we're done here - Haneul said, in a definitive tone.
- Yeah. Let's go.
Without looking back, Haneul and Byeol moved toward the stairs, climbing up to the top floor of the building.
Rook struggled against unconsciousness.
Weak, he managed to issue a command to one of the drones outside the building. The device quickly approached and injected him with a dose of adrenaline mixed with morphine, forcing him to stay conscious.
He realized that Byeol and Haneul had gone up - not down.
Curiosity overcame the pain.
With difficulty, Rook made his way to the rooftop.
He expected to find answers. He expected to find signs. But what he found was only silence.
The space was clean. Empty. No trace of the two.
He stood there, alone, at the top of the building, his body still trembling.
He thought about the fight. Replayed every movement. Every mistake. Every decision.
He tried to imagine what he could have done differently.
But no matter how much he analyzed it, the result was always the same.
Byeol had been superior.
And worse - he gave the impression that he hadn't used all of his power.
Doubt gnawed at him: "where had they gone?"
Rook clenched his fists.
He wanted to know more about Byeol. About that gaze. About that power.
Byeol was not a Ranker.
But the weight of his gaze surpassed a good portion of the rankers Rook had known.
His power was different. Unique.
Rook wanted to become one of the best Rankers. And that would only be possible if he became stronger. Strong enough to defeat Byeol.
Would the two meet again someday?
...
After crossing the portal, Byeol and Haneul entered a private domain - a fragment of space created by Byeol's ocular power.
A place isolated from the world.
Silent.
Untouchable.
They walked side by side through a corridor wrapped in dimness. The only light came from the slits in the walls, crafted as if that space were a sanctuary. The soft illumination pulsed, following the rhythm of Byeol's heartbeat.
At the end, a door.
As they approached, the light grew more intense.
They crossed it.
On the other side, a wide and luxurious room.
The dark floor, polished like glass, reflected lines of pulsing energy stretching across the walls and ceiling. Dark leather sofas occupied the space, accompanied by a low table stacked with books. A television was embedded into one of the walls. On another, an illusory window simulated a calm night, dotted with stars.
It was a place of rest.
But also of containment.
A refuge shaped by his Cerberus through Illuminence particles.
Accessible only to Byeol.
Only his.
As they entered the room, a golden-toned light turned on directly from the ceiling.
Haneul removed his coat, tossed it onto the sofa, and leaned back, letting out a soft sigh.
- Those wounds won't heal that quickly. - He glanced sideways at Byeol.
- You love being reckless.
Byeol didn't respond immediately.
He walked to the corner of the room, picked up a glass, dropped in some ice cubes, and poured himself an aged whiskey from his collection.
It was his method.
Relax. Recover. His way.
He dropped onto one of the sofas and ran a hand through his hair, still damp with sweat and dust.
- Nothing a good drink can't fix.
Haneul brought a hand to his head and glanced toward another door, still releasing smoke. The marks left behind clearly indicated the impact of the explosion caused by Rook.
- You could have died, you know? - he said in a more serious tone.
- That arrow came very close to going through you.
- Yeah! You're right. - Byeol tilted his head slightly.
- That was close.
- Looks like luck was on my side.
Byeol winked and smiled, almost carefree.
Haneul wanted to be harsher with him. He knew he should. But he ended up giving in.
The two began to laugh.
- Want one? - Byeol asked, raising his glass.
- I'll take it.
Byeol poured him a drink, and both settled in, sharing thoughts about the fight.
- So - Byeol said
- Tell me what I could've done better.
Haneul thought for a moment.
- It's not easy. You had a strong opponent. One on your level. In a short time, he understood your movements and found ways to counter you.
- Even I would have trouble against a power like that.
- From that point on, the only option is the element of surprise. And you used it well.
Byeol nodded slightly.
- I agree. Even so, he managed to react quickly and fire the arrow.
Haneul set his glass down.
- The only negative point was at the end. You lost control. You had already won. There was no need to show more of your power.
He paused briefly before continuing:
- And even if your intention was to kill him… I've told you several times. Avoid drawing attention. Otherwise, we'll have problems.
Byeol sighed.
- I try to avoid it. But it's not easy.- He lowered his gaze slightly.
- You know that when I activate my ocular powers, my personality changes. Sometimes… it feels like I was shaped only to destroy.
Haneul watched him in silence.
- I know. - he finally replied.
- And it's normal. Your Cerberus associates that activation with the moments when your powers awakened involuntarily before.
- That's why we train. - He continued. - And that's why I let you fight that Ranker.
Haneul's gaze became more serious.
- I hope that next time, your response will be better.
Byeol slowly nodded.
Without saying anything else, he took another drink.