After several hours of traveling, Hesa and the others took a short break at a restaurant before continuing their journey back to their respective homes.
After finishing their meal, they didn't leave right away. Their bodies still felt sore and tired from sitting in the car for so long.
Hesa glanced at his phone, then at the sky outside the restaurant, which was already growing dark. He spoke up.
"Guys, I think I have to head back first," Hesa said.
"No, let's go together," Jio replied.
"Our destinations are different, Ji. I just remembered I left something in the student council room," Hesa said, making an excuse.
"We can stop by the school first, then drop everyone off one by one," Jio suggested.
"No thanks. Sorry, I already ordered a ride, and it's almost here," Hesa said, quickly leaving the restaurant. He briefly noticed Arkha watching him intently, but he only chuckled in response.
Sure enough, his ride had already arrived outside.
He got on immediately, eager to get home. But once he arrived, he didn't waste any time—he took his car from the parking lot and drove toward a place he had been thinking about the whole time.
When he reached a residential complex, Hesa slowed down, checking his phone to make sure he wasn't lost.
He stopped the car in front of one house.
"The address is right."
With slight hesitation, Hesa stepped toward the house, feeling uneasy at how quiet and dark it was.
"This place feels deserted… and it's really dark."
He knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Fifteen minutes passed with no response.
"Maybe they're not home… There's not even anyone passing by."
Click.
The door opened slightly due to the wind.
"Huh? It's not locked… should I go in?"
After a moment of hesitation, Hesa decided to enter.
The house felt empty, as if no one lived there.
"Where is everyone? Does she live alone?"
The house was indeed empty. Hesa walked around until he stopped in front of a closed bedroom door.
"This must be a bedroom. It's the only door I haven't opened."
He slowly opened it.
Inside, he discovered a lifeless body, confirming that something terrible had happened.
Thud.
Hesa fell backward in shock.
He never imagined he would witness something so horrifying. He rubbed his eyes several times, hoping he was mistaken.
Panicking, Hesa ran out of the house, not knowing what to do. He could only cry as his thoughts spiraled out of control.
Overwhelmed by fear and confusion, he didn't watch his steps and tripped over stones in the garden.
Still gasping for air, he turned back to look at the house.
"Help… I need to get help."
He ran again without paying attention, tripping once more—this time colliding with someone.
Hesa fell in front of the person he had bumped into.
"Hesa? What are you doing here?" he asked, bending down and offering his hand.
"Khan…" Hesa's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't speak properly, his voice trembling. Fortunately, Arkha quickly understood that something serious had happened.
He helped him up and put an arm around him.
"Let's go to the park nearby for a bit. I just came back from the market," Arkha said, showing the grocery bag in his hand.
**********
At the park, they sat on the edge of a concrete divider. Hesa leaned back after drinking bottled water Arkha gave him.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Arkha asked, offering his a snack he had just opened.
"No, thanks, Khan," Hesa said softly. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure? You look really pale," Arkha said.
"I… I saw something I shouldn't have," Hesa replied.
"What do you mean?"
Without saying another word, Hesa pulled Arkha toward Jihan's house. After seeing what had happened, they immediately reported it to the residents and local authorities.
The police and an ambulance arrived shortly after.
Hesa was questioned as a witness. After confirming he had a solid alibi, he was allowed to go home.
He returned to his car, where Arkha was already waiting.
"You didn't smell anything strange? You said earlier there was no smell when you arrived," Arkha teased, referring to Hesa's statement.
"Just shut up. You don't want your friend ending up in prison, do you?" Hesa replied.
"If you really killed Jihan, why not?" Arkha said bluntly.
"If I had killed her, why would I go looking for her to talk?" Hesa replied coldly.
"Then why were you looking for Jihan in the first place? To talk about the terror cases?" Arkha asked.
"That, and I wanted to hear more about her friends who were also being targeted like us. I also wanted to ask why she lied to me," Hesa said.
"Lied?" Arkha frowned.
"Jihan and her friends lived in this complex. Minju told me that about a week ago, she attended a vigil at Jihan's friends' house. According to neighborhood gossip, Jihan and her friends had an accident while camping—and Jihan was the only survivor," Hesa explained.
"Wait… that explanation makes more sense than a motorcycle accident. That's strong enough to label her as 'bad luck,'" Arkha said.
"Exactly. If she had told me this from the start, I would've suspected she was being targeted too. That's why she chose to lie," Hesa said.
"Did she lie so we wouldn't find out?" Arkha asked.
"But why? She even helped me when I was targeted and told me about her deceased friend," Hesa replied.
"She wanted to help us. But there must've been something she couldn't tell," Arkha said.
"A secret," Hesa murmured.
"Something like that. Maybe she was planning something… or maybe the plot twist is that she was one of the ones terrorizing us," Arkha said.
"No, Khan. About the terror—I already know who the traitor is," Hesa said.
"Not Joan… but Setta," Arkha said.
Hesa nodded. "Yes. I told you the clue earlier—fox hunting."
"How do you know Setta's the traitor?" Arkha asked.
"The lavender ghost dragged me into the past. The night I heard running sounds at the villa—it was really Setta being chased by his twin. He got caught and detained by them," Hesa said.
"By them?" Arkha asked.
"I saw Heeseung there too. Based on your story, mine, and Joan's… maybe all of us have counterparts in that other dimension," Hesa said.
"Hm… that makes sense. The person who attacked Jio and Satya was mysterious—probably their doubles," Arkha said.
"By the way, did the demon give you any other clues?" Arkha asked.
"No. He only wrote that he wanted to help me," Hesa said, then paused. "His name is Kyungmin, but Jihan said his name was Asta."
"So which one is correct?" Arkha asked.
"I don't know. In the past, I saw the lavender ghost with Agantha. According to Jihan, Agantha was often with a friend named Asta," Hesa said.
"Hold on… this is starting to feel suspicious. Can they really be trusted?" Arkha said.
"Khan, maybe Jihan just remembered it wrong. Agantha looked like he was with the lavender ghost back then, but it doesn't mean they're always together. Jihan also said she wasn't that close to Melvin's friends," Hesa replied.
"So…?"
"I think there's no harm in trying to trust them—for now."