35: Incheon (10)
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The alleyway was colder than it looked. The kind of chill that wasn't just the weather, but something stale that had settled into the bricks and asphalt over the years. Trash cans leaned against the shop's back wall, dented from years of kicks and drunks stumbling through Chinatown's quieter streets. The air was heavy, gray clouds rolling above them, dimming the afternoon into something that felt like dusk.
Three figures stood there, blocking out what little light the sky offered.
Zack Lee's voice broke the silence first, casual but edged with impatience.
"Hmm, this is the destined place, right, Vasco?" His black hair was neatly parted, strands falling sharp against his forehead, his jawline tight as his eyes scanned the alley. He stood with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, posture upright, shoulders squared — the kind of stance that showed he wasn't tense, but he wasn't relaxed either.
"This is the location Daniel sent." Vasco's reply was steady, almost mechanical, but it carried the confidence of someone who never second-guessed himself. His phone screen glowed in the shadows, reflecting against the scars that cut across his face. His hair was tied back into a bun, and the rough facial hair along his jawline made him look older than he was. He didn't look up from the map. "I'm sure this is correct."
Jay Hong stood silently beside them, his presence quieter but sharper. His blond hair fell in messy strands that covered his eyes, the black earrings glinting faintly under the dim light. He didn't say a word, only tilting his head slightly as he listened, his attention fixed on every sound in the alley — the creak of a loose metal sign, the drip of water down a cracked pipe. His silence was its own language.
Before them stretched a dead end, nothing more than the backside of a shop. A plain brick wall, dirty and lifeless, like it hadn't been touched in decades.
Zack narrowed his eyes at it, the edge of skepticism pressing into his voice.
"You sure we're supposed to be here?"
Vasco didn't flinch. He kept staring at the map like it was gospel. "This is my area of expertise. Google Maps doesn't lie." His tone was firm, almost too firm, as if by saying it that way he could override reality itself.
Jay stepped forward, his movements calm, precise. He reached out and placed his hand flat against the wall, sliding his palm across the rough brick like he was feeling for something invisible. His fingertips brushed the cracks and ridges, slow, searching.
Zack let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head.
"Let's go. If anyone sees us standing here like this, they might start getting suspicious. I'll call Daniel while we move."
He glanced over at Vasco, who handed him the phone without hesitation. Zack started to turn, motioning for the others to follow. Their boots scraped against the ground as they began to move away from the wall.
That was when a figure appeared at the mouth of the alley.
"Are you Jaegyeon's friends?"
The voice was dry, carrying both age and weight, and it froze them where they stood.
Zack reacted instantly, his body stiffening, eyes narrowing as he took half a step back. His casual posture vanished, replaced with the reflexive caution of a fighter who'd been caught off guard.
Vasco turned his head slowly, steady and unmoving, his scarred face hard as he studied the newcomer.
Jay finally shifted from the wall, his blond hair parting slightly as he looked over. His gaze, though hidden, felt sharp.
Standing in the dim light was an old woman. Her hair was curly and gray, tangled in places, and deep scars carved across her face like the remnants of old wars. She leaned on nothing, her body straight despite her years, her eyes half-closed as if she didn't need to see clearly to know exactly who stood before her.
Zack's voice cut through the tension, wary and edged.
"What do you want, ma'am?"
The woman's lips curled, and then she laughed. It wasn't a cruel laugh, nor a kind one — just something unsettlingly casual.
"Haha, I don't want anything. I'm just here to take you."
Her tone was light, but the words sank heavy in the air.
Zack's fists curled slightly in his pockets. His instincts screamed that nothing about this was normal.
The woman chuckled again, waving a hand dismissively.
"Hah, I'm just a small shopkeeper. What would I want?"
Vasco's eyes narrowed, his voice steady but piercing.
"So, you're saying you're here to take us to Daniel?"
The old woman nodded, her smile never fading.
Vasco turned slightly to Zack, his tone unwavering, almost childlike in its trust.
"Don't worry. She looks believable. Let's go."
Zack hesitated for a moment, jaw tight, but eventually gave a small nod. Jay, however, didn't move. His body stayed angled toward the wall, his silence saying more than words.
Vasco and Zack started walking toward where the woman had come from. Their footsteps echoed in the narrow alley. Jay's lack of movement forced them all to stop.
The woman tilted her head, her eyes still half-closed but her smile widening.
"Where are you all going?"
They turned back toward her. Zack raised his hand, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.
"We're going to your place."
The woman's laugh was softer this time, but the way she spoke made the air grow colder.
"Why? You won't be able to find them there, because they won't be there."
The smile stayed on her face as she spoke, hands folded behind her back, posture straight. Her words carried no malice, but they dripped with certainty.
"So, from where—?" Zack started to ask, but his words stopped mid-air as the woman lifted her hand and pointed. Not at him. Not at Vasco.
At Jay.
He was still standing by the wall, his palm hovering just above the surface, like he'd known the answer all along.
"We need to break the wall?" Vasco's voice was blunt, practical, but not reckless.
The woman's eyes opened just a fraction more, a hint of amusement glimmering there as she exclaimed, "No! Why would you break my shop? You're going through there."
She moved her hand slowly, deliberately, until it pointed downward — at the asphalt beneath Jay's feet.
Jay lowered his head, his blond hair spilling forward as he looked down. A round iron cover was set into the ground beneath him. A manhole.
His gaze flicked up, hidden beneath his hair, and locked on the woman. She was smiling.
Vasco's scarred face stayed unreadable, but his eyes shifted between Jay and the woman.
Zack finally looked too, his jaw clenching as he realized what she meant.
"You mean through there?" His voice carried disgust, his words heavy with the thought of crawling beneath the city.
The old woman tilted her head, smiling wider, her eyes still closed like she didn't need them to read the expressions on their faces.
"Yes. What's wrong?"
Her smile deepened, the kind that didn't ask questions but already knew the answers.
Zack muttered under his breath, voice dripping with frustration.
"I don't wanna go there."
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[A/N: By next Chapter, we will be halfway through Incheon Arc.]