The clearing glowed with the dying light of twilight, shadows stretching long and thin across the mossy ground. Noona stepped forward cautiously, scanning the forest edge. She wasn't alone—someone else had arrived.
"Is that… Alice?" Lisa whispered, stepping beside Noona. Her voice trembled, a mix of relief and disbelief.
Alice emerged from the treeline, hooded and cloaked, yet her presence radiated calm determination. Behind her, Sky—Akin—stood alert, eyes darting between every shadow.
Noona exhaled. "It's… been too long. Are you alright?"
Alice nodded, her gaze sharp. "I've been tracking the residual curse. It's stronger than ever, and the blood moon… it's not finished yet."
Sky clenched his fists. "We mended the seal, fought the sentinel… how can it still be alive?"
Lisa stepped closer, touching the pulse of energy lingering in the clearing. "The seal was repaired, yes… but only a fragment of the curse remains. The source is still out there. And now, it knows we're coming."
Noona's eyes hardened. "Then we prepare. Together. We've faced shadows, faced pain, and survived. This time… we face the origin, all of it."
Alice glanced at each of them, the weight of centuries in her expression. "Tonight, everything changes. The blood moon rises, and whatever lurks in the darkness will awaken fully. We must be ready… for what's coming."
As the wind whispered through the trees, carrying the faint hum of residual magic, the four of them stood united. Noona, Alice, Lisa, and Sky. Light against shadow, courage against fear, their journey was far from over.