"Thought I'd find you here."

A cold can touched the back of SinB's head, making her jump in surprise. She hadn't even heard Yerin come in.

"What are you doing here?" SinB grabbed the can from Yerin's outstretched hand and popped the tab, taking a gulp of the ice cold beer.

Don't ask how they got refrigerated beverages without a fridge, as far as SinB knew magic was involved, with Yuju 'borrowing' Eunha for a few hours the other day when they were trying to figure out how to make ice. SinB wasn't sure how a fire mage was of any use in making ice, but since the end result of that had been cold drinks, she wasn't going to complain.

"You've been here for almost two days, Umji wanted me to check if her baby was still alive."

Yerin tapped the metal plating of the van SinB had been working on. The damage sustained from the results of SinB's reckless driving had mostly been repaired. As Umji had said, you fix what you break. Yerin was just glad she had the option to not be in the van when they had been evacuating their team from the city. Even Eunha had looked a little green after that particular ride, as the only conscious passenger on board at the time.

"I didn't touch the stuff inside," SinB protested a little defensively, waving a wrench around. She'd replaced the damage fending and figured out how to cannibalize a wrecked siding into re-armoring the cracked plates. Not having a blowtorch wasn't an obstacle when your best friend had literal fire at her fingertips. Eunha hadn't been too amused at being pressed into welding duties, but that had been a fun afternoon for the two childhood friends regardless.

"Didn't think you would," Yerin took a swig from her own can of beer, leaning against the nearest wall. They were in the garage of an abandoned house in the suburbs. The hideout was only a ten minute walk away, heavily warded and disguised against local squatters, as well as anyone else who might be searching for them.

It had been a week since their last major jaunt, and Yerin knew there was a bounty out for them since. She had been keeping a ear to the ground and slipping back into the city whenever she could, just to keep an eye on things and pick up whatever supplies they couldn't forage from their surroundings. The motorcycle she had stolen the other time had come in handy for that.

"Pretty sure the van doesn't need any more touching up though, unless you're planning on giving it a new coat of paint or something."

"Great idea, how about black?" SinB tightened another screw distractedly.

"If you mess with Yuju's runes without telling her I'm not saving you." Yerin scoffed. The stealth specialist eyed SinB speculatively.

“You’ve been avoiding dear leader for the past couple of days.”

“I can’t imagine what you’re talking about,” SinB muttered as she inspected a tire. Yerin snorted derisively.

“So she’s old, big deal. Ya gotta problem with that?” Yerin flicked a speck of imaginary dust off her shoulder. “As far as I’m concerned, she knows her stuff and she hasn’t led us wrong yet. That’s good enough for me.”

“It’s not...I just…” SinB growled, frustrated. One end of the wrench she was wielding thumped against the peeling concrete of the floor.

“I can’t believe she never told us before.”

“And why would she? All of us have a few secrets.” Yerin didn’t seem impressed by SinB’s little tantrum. She kicked a wayward screw out of the way, waving her can around idly.

“Don’t tell me that’s putting you off your little crush, kiddo.”

“I do not have a crush on her!” SinB almost threw the wrench at Yerin, who just laughed, loudly and obnoxiously.

“I kissed my first girl when I was five. I know a crush when I see one. You’ve got it bad for her,” Yerin drawled as SinB turned an interesting shade of maroon.

“You’re gonna let a little thing like age put you off?” Yerin took another swig of her beer. “Hell, if only I could look that good when I get to that age. You’re honestly not losing out, she’s hot. ”

“I’m going to tell Yuju you said that,” SinB threatened. Yerin snickered.

“I already said Sowon was hot within five seconds of meeting her. Yuju was there too, big deal.” The stealth specialist shrugged.

“Take it easy, kid. Life is too short to get hung up over small details. Seize the day and all that, I’m not good with the motivational crap.”

SinB glared. “Says the one who’s still chickening out on making a move.”

Yerin clutched at her chest, lifting her beer-holding hand to shade her eyes with dramatic flair. “Not cool with the personal attacks wow. I’m just trying to help here. Besides,” and here Yerin winked roguishly, “just imagine how much experience she probably has. You could be having so much fun.”

“Oh my god get out !” This time SinB did throw the wrench, and Yerin laughed long and loud as she ducked the projectile and skipped out of the garage.

“Think about it and stop sulking already! You’ll get wrinkles before she does at this rate!”

SinB might have said very unflattering things about Yerin’s ancestors and probable descendants up to the 18th generation before the other woman finally got out of earshot. The gunslinger huffed as she got up to retrieve the wrench she had thrown earlier before stomping back to the rest of her tools.

Despite everything, the banter with Yerin did make her feel a little better. The older woman was right; what did it matter? Life expectancy wasn’t particularly generous in this day and age, and especially not in their particular profession. Most runners didn’t make it to 50 unless they retired early and stayed away from any enemies they might have made in the process. And enemies were never in short supply in their line of work. You picked those up just by doing your job. Some people just took things way too personally.

SinB had been sulking for a while since the reveal. She had liked to think that short of Umji, she kinda got Sowon, understood the way she thought through the way she fought. They had a common language articulated through their training bouts, and SinB couldn’t shake the feeling that Sowon had a soft spot for her too. Again, excluding Umji who was practically Sowon’s daughter in all respects.

She thought she had a handle on the mystery that was Sowon, but that assumption had been rudely dismantled two days ago with the surprise revelation that Sowon was a lot older than any of them had assumed. Her first thought hadn’t been shock even; it was just a lightbulb moment that allowed everything she had noticed about Sowon before to finally click into place.

The textbook fighting, the military style command, the little things and habits that seemed out of step for anyone born well after the Awakening. Itmade sense that Sowon was from before, it just hadn’t occurred to her that it could even be possible. It just wasn’t something you ran into every day, obviously.

It might have been a little childish to feel this way, but SinB had thought that Sowon trusted them, and as she blurted to Yerin earlier, she had felt oddly betrayed that Sowon hadn’t told them before. But Yerin was right: who didn’t have a few secrets? Besides, it wasn’t like this could come up in regular conversation. What was Sowon going to do, tell them she was a relic from before the Awakening? What good would that do even?

Deep down, SinB had already forgiven Sowon for the deception. She was just being a brat about it at this point, as Yerin had not so subtly implied earlier. Her feelings were a little shaken, but when forced to face it, it honestly hadn’t changed a whit. She already knew Sowon was older, did it matter how much older? It even felt a little reassuring, if she was being honest with herself.

Maybe Eunha was right, she did have a mommy complex. SinB groaned aloud, thudding her forehead against the restored van.

She was never going to live it down, was she?

A ray of sunshine caught the blackened surface of the much tarnished metal, and Eunha angled it to catch her own reflection in its rusty depths.

Sowon had handed it to her yesterday, after seeing Eunha climb out of Yuju’s bed. The ex-soldier only sighed, patting her on the shoulder and slipping the medal into Eunha’s hand.

“You deserve to have it more than I do.”

Eunha had almost forgotten that Sowon had it. Now that she had Jung Eunbi’s memories, she knew what it was of course. She remembered watching Yuna earn it and then come running to her to show off with the brightest smile you could imagine. It must have fallen off back in Gyeongju, if Sowon had picked it up then. A single tear fell on the tarnished medal, further distorting her own image in it. This was all she had left of that past.

A rustling sound made her whip around, clutching the medal close to her heart while her other hand instantly burst into flame, ready to fight. Yuju rounded a tree with an innocent look on her face, making Eunha relax almost immediately, her flames fading.

“You were sad again.” Yuju frowned, joining Eunha under the shade of the oak tree. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Eunha lied, discreetly dabbing at her eyes. Yuju leaned in, bending slightly to look into her eyes. The shaman looked genuinely concerned, puzzled even.

“I don’t like it when you’re sad.” Yuju gestured vaguely around them. “Even the trees are crying with you.” A hand over her heart. “It hurts to see you like this.”

Eunha impulsively dove into a startled Yuju’s arms, the shaman instinctively wrapping both arms around the smaller girl and bracing herself to keep from falling over. She backed up into the tree trunk, leaning against it as she rubbed Eunha’s back comfortingly.

“Take all the time you need, I’m here.”

The fire mage inhaled Yuju’s scent almost greedily, burying her face into the taller girl’s neck as she felt Yuju’s steady pulse against her nose. It was so good to see and feel how alive Yuju was, here in this moment.

“Can I stay like this, just for a while?” Eunha murmured, her breath tickling Yuju’s throat. The dog shaman hummed her assent, resting her chin on the top of Eunha’s head.

The afternoon was silent and peaceful, the only sound being the whistling of the wind and the chirping of birds in the distance. Eunha wished it could have lasted forever, but then she felt Yuju shift under her, magic flowing out from the shaman as her eyes started to glow. Eunha raised her head, watching Yuju in the magical plane as the shaman radiated energy in her natural element, power filtering into a network of wards she hadn’t noticed until now.

“Intruders. I sent them away.” Yuju looked back down after a moment, eyes soft again. Eunha laid her head back against Yuju’s chest, tracing idly on her shoulder with a finger. Yuju grasped the finger, booping it with her nose.

“Are you feeling better now?”

The shaman could see the fluctuations in Eunha’s aura, which acted as a mood indicator more effectively than her trying to read the mage’s expressions. Eunha was more relaxed in her presence, and Yuju was happy to be there for her. The instinct to help was so strong it overrode any awkwardness she might have felt.

It had made Yuju sad when she first glimpsed Eunha under the tree earlier, as if someone had wrenched at her heart. Eunha was her friend first and foremost, and she had not been kidding when she said her sadness infected her surroundings. No, it wasn’t mere sadness; it was grief, as if the fire mage had been in mourning.

Something had changed when Eunha came back, and Yuju couldn’t shake the feeling that she had messed up more than just with the orb. Bad enough that Eunha now had to live with a fused draconic soul -- who knew the long-term implications behind that? -- but something else had clearly happened that Eunha wasn’t telling them about.

Guilt nibbled away at Yuju like a beaver gnawing away at a log. She had only wanted to help, and being helpless was an emotion she never wanted to deal with again. A flash of blood and fire winked in front of her eyes, and the shaman shuddered, digging the fingers of one hand into the tree trunk behind her.

Sensitive to Yuju’s moods as Yuju was to hers, Eunha tilted her head upwards questioningly, raising a hand to cup at the distressed shaman’s cheek.

“Puppy?” Eunha murmured without thinking, leaning up to nuzzle at Yuju’s chin. “What’s wrong?”

“You never call me that.” Yuju snapped back into the present, eyes wide and puzzled at Eunha’s overly affectionate gesture. Eunha flinched back, as if burnt. Yuju grabbed her hand before the mage could pull away, eyes questioning.

“Eunha?”

Eunha turned away, closing her eyes to prevent the hurt from showing. She had forgotten, again. It didn’t help that Yuju made it so easy to forget. It was just too easy to drown in her kindness.

“Eunha, talk to me. Let me help you,” Yuju coaxed gently, rubbing her thumb over Eunha’s hand. She still had her other arm around Eunha’s waist, preventing the other girl from literally running away. Yuju could feel Eunha trembling, her aura spiking in agitation before sinking back into muted blues and purples. Yuju sighed, hugging Eunha close.

“It’s okay, I’ll be here when you need me.”

“Why are you always like this?” Eunha’s voice was low, almost inaudible. Yuju looked confused. Eunha’s eyes were rimmed with red when she looked back up.

“Stop being so nice all the time, a girl can get the wrong idea, you know.”

Yuju blinked. “I...what?”

Eunha hit Yuju lightly on the chest with a fist, then seemed to regret it almost instantly, opening her hand to grip Yuju’s shoulder almost painfully.

“You don’t even know what you’re doing to me…”

“I’m...sorry?” Yuju looked baffled, flustered even. Eunha sighed, looping her arms around Yuju’s neck until she was basically hanging off the taller girl.

“I can’t keep myself away from you at all, can I?”

The question was purely rhetorical, and Yuju barely had time to react when soft lips covered her own, the shaman’s eyes widening in surprise at Eunha’s bold move.

She would have pulled away, but then Eunha relaxed her mental walls, tripping Yuju up since the shaman was almost always halfway in that realm. The wave of emotion was almost overwhelming, and Yuju could barely process it.

I love you.

It all boiled down to that, that tidal wave of feeling that crashed into everything, taking Yuju’s breath with it. She stood still, frozen, paralyzed by the foreign emotion. She tried, she really did, but something echoed back empty, a void ringing in the silence.

Eunha stopped, pulling back with a concerned look. She had expected shock, yes. She knew she was being impulsive, and had been caught up in the moment earlier. She already sort of regretted it the moment she did it, but there was no taking back what was already done.

What she hadn’t expected was Yuju looking absolutely terrified.

“Yuju?” Eunha shoved away the dull pain of being ignored. Yuju was shaking, her aura on the astral plane flickering wildly and dimming noticeably. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

The irony of their reversed situations didn’t escape Eunha. The dog shaman was looking into the middle distance, the thousand yard stare of someone in shock, and Eunha didn’t think it was all from just that kiss. Yuju seemed to have been triggered by something , but the fire mage couldn’t figure out what exactly. Surely a simple kiss wouldn’t have elicited such a reaction, Eunha thought darkly. That would be rather insulting actually.

The shaman turned to her slowly, as if moving under a great weight. Fear and confusion were writ large in her eyes, her lips trembling. Eunha’s heart wrenched. She hadn’t meant to hurt her puppy, but she still couldn’t figure out what went wrong.

Yuju closed her eyes, feeling the absence even more strongly now that she had been forced to confront it. She had always known, perhaps, deep down. It was why she never dared to look Yerin too long in the eyes. Something was missing, an essential connection, and Yuju couldn’t remember how or why. Flashes of images, dark, bloody, painful, echoed through her mind. She let go of Eunha, sliding down to fall on her bottom, burying her face in her knees. She was scared, and she couldn’t remember why.

Eunha knelt by her, face painted with worry. Yuju had gone dim, barely noticeable on the astral spectrum, as if the shaman had subconsciously hidden herself. Eunha hadn’t even known that was quite possible. She had heard of masking one’s magical signature from magical means of tracking, but she had never quite seen anyone capable of totally erasing their presence. If she hadn’t been able to see Yuju with her own two eyes in the physical realm, her magical sight would barely notice a ripple against the backdrop of nature.

It almost gave Eunha pause. How much did she know about Yuju in this lifetime? Not as much as she would have liked, certainly. They had met first in this lifetime barely more than a year ago. Before seeing the past, she had already been drawn to Yuju, but it was, if she were to be honest to herself, still rather superficial a crush. Yuju was attractive, capable, and kind. It was easy to fall for any one of those characteristics, not that crushes needed much of a justification to begin with.

Yuju’s past was unknown to her. She only knew that Yerin and Yuju had known each other for a few years before joining up with them. She envied Yerin for that extra time. It was time she would never get to experience, but she refused to regret it. They had time enough to make new memories from here on out. Love wasn’t a horse race; starting earlier guaranteed nothing.

But Eunha was starting to wonder what else she had missed. Something important, it seemed. She was starting to accept that she could never fully separate the memories of the past from her memories in the present. She had seen it, lived it, and it couldn’t be undone. But she had to be fair to Yuju. She was not Yuna, it was starting to be painfully clear. But she wanted to get to know her all over again. That, Eunha thought, would be fair to all of them involved.

If, of course, she could snap Yuju out of whatever funk the younger girl had fallen into. Eunha bit her lip, settling down next to Yuju to hug her from the side, hoping that she wouldn’t make things worse somehow. Yuju twitched at first from the contact, but didn’t react further than that.

They stayed like that for a while, not speaking, until SinB came running in, obviously looking for them. Yerin was right behind her, and the stealth specialist frowned when she saw Yuju practically balled up into herself. Shoving past SinB, Yerin knelt by Yuju’s other side, rubbing the small of Yuju’s back comfortingly as she inquired what was wrong.

Yuju seemed to unball slightly at Yerin’s familiar presence, but her guard was still up. Yerin shot Eunha a dirty look as if to ask what the mage did. Eunha glared back fiercely, but didn’t let go of Yuju either. SinB coughed loudly to interrupt, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Guys, Sowon’s gone. Umji’s worried she went off to fight on her own. We’re going after her.”

Yuju seemed to stir at the sound of a purpose. Eunha looked up, frowning. Suddenly Sowon giving her that medal didn’t seem so innocent anymore. It was as if the woman had been entrusting it to her. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Do we know where she went?”

SinB nodded. “Umji’s tracking her now. We leave as soon as we’re all ready.”

Yerin helped Yuju up. The shaman still looked pale, but giving her purpose had done a world of good. It gave her something to focus on, and her grip on Yerin’s hand was almost painfully tight, as if clinging on to a lifeline. Eunha’s eyes flashed when she saw it, but she said nothing.

They had more important things to deal with right now. Everything else could wait.

Sowon wandered around the ruined blocks, trying to remember where the entrance had been. She hadn’t been here in more than twenty years, since she woke from her coma.

It wasn’t a coincidence that she had chosen to come back here. She had been watching the video and reading the files that Umji had decrypted over and over for clues, even inspiration, for how to deal with a dragon. The information her baby hacker had dug up regarding Bo-geun had been sparse, to say the least.

The official records said that he had been discharged from the military a little more than a year after the time stamp of Operation Snakehunt. After that, nothing. It was as if he had vanished off the grid. Sowon had attempted to track Ji-won as well, as an alternative to finding out what happened to the two Kim siblings. She had no doubt that Bo-geun would tell his sister about the dragon. If anyone was going to figure out how to take out a dragon, a professor like Ji-won would be the right person to start with.

Ji-won was easier to look for, at least to begin with. She was affiliated to a couple of research institutes after all, but further data post-2025 was spotty at best. The best Sowon could determine was that Ji-won went into the private industry shortly after quitting her position in government research, which sort of coincided with the social upheavals of the time. Hacking corp databases for Ji-won was not something to be undertaken lightly, and Sowon didn’t ask Umji for it.

By then, Sowon had figured out something from the first set of data. It hadn’t been obvious at first, since data analysis was never her strength; that had been Yewon’s, she thought bitterly. She knew the call and response codes the Kim siblings had though, it was a sign of trust that they had given her. It came in handy when she noticed the things Bo-geun had buried in some of his written reports, and matched back to what she remembered.

It was a set of coordinates. It wasn’t far off, and Sowon was determined to investigate. She hadn’t told the rest, didn’t want them involved. She didn’t want them in danger, and this was her past, not theirs. They had a chance to start over anew, and she wasn’t going to spoil it for them.

That the coordinates brought her back to the area where she had woken up was a rude shock, and yet, not too surprising if she thought about it. Someone had to have picked her up from Gyeongju, and if Bo-geun had been working on the case the entire time, it wasn’t such a big surprise that she would have been found. Better to be discovered by an ally rather than the government, or worse.

It took a while, but Sowon eventually found the hidden entrance in a basement. The electronic lock was active, which somehow didn’t surprise her. She had been able to leave without obstruction twenty years ago, but she was beginning to suspect she had been allowed to leave to begin with.

She could break the door down since she was no lock cracker like Yerin, but the biometric sensor was there anyway and she figured she might as well give it a shot before resorting to more direct means. When access was granted, Sowon exhaled slowly before stepping in. Nothing was going to surprise her anymore, at this rate.

The hallway was a little dusty, but the ventilation was still working fine. Lights winked on at her passage, motion activated no doubt. Her footsteps were loud in the silence, but she was making no attempts at stealth to begin with. Almost idly, Sowon was retracing her steps from twenty years ago, just inwards instead of out this time.

She stopped outside the chamber she had broken out of before. The door was unmarked, but she remembered it all the same. She hesitated for a moment, then opened it.

It was empty. All white as she remembered, with the operating table right in the middle of the room as before. The instruments that had been monitoring her back then had all been removed though. Sowon stood at the entrance, unsure what to do. She didn’t have much to work on from here.

Not wanting her team involved meant she didn’t have as many of their skills to fall back on. Did she regret it? Not in the least. Even before remembering who she was, Sowon had always been protective of her charges. Regaining her memories only meant she had more of a reason to protect them.

A nearby click alerted her into motion, immediately reaching for her guns and readying herself for a fight. She had mostly healed from her wounds from a week ago, though some light scarring remained on her arms. It wouldn’t stop her from defending herself though.

She need not have bothered. A seemingly solid wall on the other side of the room slid open to reveal a narrow entryway, and someone stepped through it. Sowon’s eyes widened.

“Sojung. I knew you’d come back eventually.”

“Bo-geun…” Sowon mumbled numbly, lowering her rifle. She knew how much time had passed, intellectually speaking, but it still came as a shock to see the evidence for herself.

He had gotten old. His hair was more white than grey, though his features were still chiseled and his posture ramrod straight, the very picture of a career soldier, albeit in a suit rather than a uniform. Lines ran across his weathered face, but it was still recognizably him, even wrinkled and aged half a century. Sowon placed a hand to her own face, bitterly remembering that she had stayed frozen in time while her peers had moved on.

Kim Bo-geun nodded, acknowledging her. He was not as buff as he was in his prime, but still fit for his age. His gait was just slightly off balance, something Sowon would peg as the sign of an old injury, but he moved smoothly enough, meeting her halfway in the middle of the room. He clapped a hand to her shoulder.

“It’s good to see you again.”

“You don’t look surprised.” Sowon noted. Bo-geun smiled briefly.

“I’ve kept an eye on you ever since you left. And, before you ask, I was busy when you left here the last time.” Bo-geun’s eyes hardened. “Damn dragon and his minions never giving us a rest.”

“Us?” Sowon caught on quickly, following behind Bo-geun as he led her back to the hidden room he had emerged from earlier.

“Can’t fight a dragon alone.” Bo-geun nodded, inviting her to take a seat. It was a tiny office in that room, with monitors and maps over half the space. A war room, Sowon concluded. Bo-geun might have retired from the military, but he never retired from battle.

“You certainly have been busy.” Sowon spotted a familiar looking logo, and did a double-take. She looked up at her old friend’s smiling face, almost in disbelief.

“The Spartans are yours?”

“I was a Spartan, before I left.” Bo-geun corrected mildly, pouring out a glass of whiskey. “Drink?”

Sowon took it. She looked into the dark depths of her glass, thinking.

“The Spartans...that was the elite unit in the ROKMC back then. The Spartans now are seceded from government control if I recall correctly.” Sowon took a sip. “That was you?”

“Couldn’t trust anyone, and the reformed Busan government was in chaos with the Awakening going on.” Bo-geun shook his head, eyes distant as he reminisced. “Dragon had his talons deep into the usual power centers. I had to get out, and recruited whoever who would listen.” He smiled grimly.

“You were lucky to be asleep through most of it. Everything was a mess. Took me almost 5 years just to set up, and I had to keep moving you around in the beginning too.”

“Thanks?” Sowon looked wry. “You found me then, clearly.”

Bo-geun nodded. “Got into a fight extracting you. The dragon was looking too.” Sowon frowned.

“Me?”

“To be exact, the orb we found you with.” A flash of pain in those deep-set eyes. “We didn’t know if the dragon was after you or the orb, until Ji-won…” He took another drink, sighing.

“Ji-won separated you from the orb when they came for it again. They went after her because she was holding it. I buried another sister that day.”

“I’m sorry.” Sowon reached over to grip Bo-geun’s hand, sharing in his grief. It was decades too late for her, but clearly the pain was still fresh for them both. Then Sowon looked up.

“You say ‘another’...that means…”

Bo-geun met her eyes. “My team and I found your squad before we found you. I buried them all.”

Sowon closed her eyes, feeling pain anew. She had expected it, but it still hurt to know for sure that none of them had survived.

“Thank you… and, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep Yewon safe.”

Bo-geun sighed. “No one could fight a dragon back then. Artillery wounded it, but we should have nuked it to be sure. Which wasn’t an option back then, and now that we know more, I doubt even that would have been enough.”

Sowon frowned. “Is there no way to kill that thing then?”

Bo-geun massaged his temples, leaning back in his chair. “There are some references from Europe that I’ve consulted. They killed one in Germany, but had a problem with the spirit for years after that. Our dragons aren’t quite the same, but some things should be universal.”

“We need to do it right the first time then. I’m not sure I can do it all over again if it comes back as a ghost.” Sowon scowled, looking over the case file Bo-geun pushed over to her.

“And I’m not getting any younger either,” Bo-geun agreed. “I don’t have many mages on my side, and none of them are strong enough to face a dragon.” He sighed at the memory.

“The last two times we managed to locate its lair, my best mages were completely overwhelmed. I barely got out alive the last time.” Bo-geun rubbed at his bad leg. “I haven’t sent anyone else since then. Didn’t seem fair to waste lives until we could be sure.”

“How much of a chance do I have?” Sowon asked bluntly. Bo-geun leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he rested his chin on them.

“On your own? Slim to none. With your team, a far better chance.” His eyes glittered dangerously. “Like I said, I’ve been watching you. And everyone you picked up…” He shook his head.

“It must have been fate that you gathered them all together again.”

Sowon gritted her teeth. “I don’t want them to get involved if possible. They’re not...you know what I mean.”

Bo-geun looked at her seriously. “Sojung, you will die if you go alone. I’m not sure what magic kept you the way you were for the last 50 years, but you’re not invincible.” He gestured around the room with its maps and screens.

“I’ve struggled against that creature for more than half my life. I lost both my sisters, and I sent even more of my friends to their deaths fighting it. I’m old, Sojung. When news that you had awoken got to me, I had hope for the first time in thirty years. Whatever magic kept you young and alive when everyone else died was linked to that orb we found you with. It was the only way.”

Sowon stopped moving as she pondered the implications. “You planned all this. What did you do with the orb after it was separated from me?”

Bo-geun’s face was hard. “I did what I had to. Made decoys, hid them all over. Bought time for you, though I didn’t know that at the time.” He shrugged. “You were asleep for thirty years , and I was all out of ideas by the time you woke up. I was too old to fight by then, and the younger ones were tired of my vendetta against the dragon.” He sneered. “Young fools think Mireu is harmless, but they have no idea what would have happened if I hadn’t taken a stand all those years ago.”

Sowon clenched her fists. “I don’t care if you manipulate me into fighting that dragon, because I want my revenge as well, but you can’t drag innocents into this. This is not their fight, Bo-geun.”

Bo-geun slammed his fist on the desk. “I waited fifty years for this, Kim Sojung! Your connection to the orb that creature wanted meant something,I just didn’t know what. And then when you woke up and started getting used to everything…” He looked her over approvingly.

“You made yourself a weapon. I didn’t do that for you. You chose that, even without your memories. And that was when I knew you were the one who had to face the dragon. Not me, Sojung. You were the one meant to kill it.”

Sowon pressed her lips together tightly. “And I was going to, whether or not you asked. But you just said we can’t kill it earlier.”

“That was fifty years ago. We’ve made some progress since then.” Bo-geun stood up, rounding to one side where he triggered a mechanism. A wall split open, revealing a well stocked armory. Sowon whistled, also standing to inspect the weapons.

“Modified rounds that can penetrate the scales, but it won’t do much more than slow it down before it heals,” Bo-geun reached up, hefting a heavy blade from off the rack.

“This, though, is the pinnacle of our achievement.”

Sowon stared at it. It was similar to the standard secondary weapon of the Spartan paramilitary units, the vibro-blades for which they were so famed. It had seemed oddly archaic for an age with advanced technology, but no one who had faced it in combat would underestimate it. A blade that cut through most armor like a knife through hot butter was nothing to sneeze at. The sword-bearing units of the Spartans were not nicknamed Reapers for nothing.

The blade Bo-geun held up was longer and wider than the ones Sowon had seen before. Not quite large enough to be a claymore, but an average person would require two hands to wield it. Sowon however, was not average. When Bo-geun handed it to her, she held it with both hands to inspect at first, but found out quickly that it was perfectly balanced for her height and strength. She could most definitely swing it with one hand if she had to, and the blade hummed with energy even while she was holding it.

“The dragon heals too quickly even if we could get through the scales. Bullets don’t work that well for that reason,” Bo-geun explained, putting his hands behind his back.

“The blade though, vibrates constantly at a molecular level.” Here, Bo-geun grinned wolfishly. “Stick it in, and it won’t heal because it’s constantly opening a new one. We’ve tested it against the servitors, and it gets right through their scales. I cut off a talon during my last fight, though it got me good on the leg in return.” He patted his left thigh ruefully.

“What about the spirit problem?” Sowon gave the sword a few experimental swings. She wasn’t quite as familiar with the weapon, but there were skill mods these days that one could download straight into your brain. Languages, skills; you name it, someone had probably codified it into a mod. Physical skills required some acclimatization to let the body learn the muscle reflexes involved, but it was possible to download the techniques needed. Umji could probably help her with that, if she ever went back, but if all else failed, Sowon figured Bo-geun probably had his ways.

“You have two mages on your team,” Bo-geun started, and Sowon held up a hand.

“I thought I told you I wasn’t getting them involved.”

Bo-geun looked exasperated. “Sojung, don’t be stubborn. I’ve watched your team’s performance through the last couple of years. Your shaman is the strongest human magic user we have observed in this country for the last fifty years.” He looked at her, trying to make her understand.

“Do you know how much power flowed through the Underground last week when she was performing that ritual? Which, by the way, none of the mages I talked to would have attempted even if they had a full cabal. They don’t even understand some of the patterns she was executing.” He shook his head.

“If anyone stands a chance against the dragon’s magic, it’s her. I lost too many good men just breaking into the lair, and whatever was left didn’t last two minutes in a direct magical confrontation. We used every trick, every advantage we had, and barely did anything.”

He looked directly at her.

“This isn’t just about revenge for you and me, Sojung. You’ve seen what happens when Mireu is in control. You’ve rescued their would-be victims whenever you could ever since you woke up. We are the resistance, the last line of defence in Korea against that cult. No price is too high to pay.”

Sowon closed her eyes, shoulders slumping. She knew the logic behind Bo-geun’s argument, and her pragmatic side was inclined to agree with him. She wanted to protect her team at all costs, but going on a suicide mission that didn’t have a high chance of success would be counterproductive. If she wanted to win, she was going to need all the help she could get.

Bo-geun looked up at one of the screens while Sowon was still struggling inwardly.

“You might not have much of a choice, Sojung.” He laughed suddenly.

“They came looking for you anyway.”

Sowon looked up as well, biting the inside of her cheek. They were all there, even Umji who was still not at her best. She flicked a glance at Bo-geun, and was not surprised at the sudden softening in his eyes as he followed Umji’s figure in the cameras.

“She’s not your sister, Bo-geun.” Sowon reminded him as gently as she could. Bo-geun lowered his head.

“I know.” He took a moment to compose himself.

“I can get your team equipped, and send you guys behind enemy lines to reach the dragon’s lair.” A wry look crossed Bo-geun’s face. “Just like old times. I’ll run interference to keep their attention away from the lair, give you the best chance to break in…”

Sowon interrupted him. “I haven’t said yes, Bo-geun.”

The elderly Spartan looked at her. “But I know you will.”

Sowon shut up. He wasn’t wrong. He knew her too well, and all of them wanted to put an end to this. It had been too long for them, longest of all for the one who had been fighting all this time. Sowon tightened her grip around the blade she had been given. They had a chance here, with the best team she has ever had, past and present.

She looked at them again, moving purposefully through the ruins, trying to triangulate on her position. No one left behind, the old motto of their unit. Her kids now were not soldiers and never would be, but somehow, Sowon felt like they remembered that, deep in their souls.

They were the only family she had left, and the only legacy she could give them was a better future. A future with no Mireu, no dragon, nothing to threaten them from doing what they wanted. It could happen, but they would have to dive right back into danger again to make it so.

Bo-geun was right. There was no other choice.

“Damn you, Bo-geun. I’ll do it.” Sowon forced through gritted teeth. Bo-geun smiled.

“I always knew you would.”

“She should be around here…” Umji muttered half to herself, eyes glued to her handheld device. She was flanked by the resident mages, while Yerin and SinB ranged a bit further out to make sure there were no surprises. They couldn’t be more cautious, now that they actually had a bounty on their heads.

Yuju turned her head in one direction even as Sowon suddenly stepped out of seemingly nowhere where she looked, emerging from a hidden stairway with an irritated look.

“Just what do you think you kids are doing out here?”

Umji lit up and ran over to hug her. Eunha and Yuju trailed behind at a slightly more leisurely pace, looking relieved as well.

“You stole my bike!” Yerin accused from another direction, swinging back in at the sound of Sowon’s voice. SinB snorted from the opposite side, also coming back in.

“I’m pretty sure you stole it to begin with.”

“Details,” Yerin waved it off. “It’s mine now.”

Sowon was rubbing Umji’s head comfortingly as the younger girl clung to her, as if afraid the older woman might disappear again. She shot a look at the squabbling pair. Despite their bickering, they too looked happy to see her. SinB in particular was particularly relieved. She would never admit to her own panic when Umji told them Sowon was gone. It didn’t seem fair that she didn’t even get to tell Sowon to her face about how she felt yet.

Not that that was going to happen anytime soon, at least not until she figured out how to go about doing it. Across from her, Yerin shot her an encouraging look, which SinB pointedly ignored. Even if she were going to say something, she certainly wasn’t going to do it in front of everyone else.

“We were worried.” Eunha explained simply, eyeing her with something just short of a glare, but definitely tinged with annoyed exasperation. Yuju nodded as well.

“You’re not alone. We’re here to help.” The shaman stepped up next to Sowon and clapped a hand on her shoulder. Eunha joined her, as did SinB and Yerin, surrounding Sowon and Umji in a supportive circle.

“Don’t run off like that again.” SinB grumbled, shoving her hands into her pockets. Yerin smirked at the younger girl, then looked at Sowon.

“I’m not taking care of your team for you, . Do it yourself.”

Sowon bit her lip, feeling a surge of emotion within her. This was her team, her family. Even now, they would not abandon her. She was wrong to have tried to leave them behind.

“Thanks, guys…” Sowon started, not knowing what to say. Umji looked up, still clinging on like a baby koala.

“Don’t you ever do that again. You said you would never leave…”

Sowon had the decency to look guilty, pulling Umji closer to comfort her. Eunha stepped closer as well, punching Sowon on the arm lightly.

“We’re a team. Past or future, we always will be.” Eunha looked Sowon in the eye, knowing the mercenary would know exactly what she meant.

And Sowon did. She really did. Tears threatened to well up, but she them back mightily, refusing to let them fall. It really was so good to have all of them with her again. Even with all the crap they’ve been put through, she was thankful for the fate that had reunited them.

“Group hug!” Yuju announced cheerfully, breaking the sudden silence and somber atmosphere. Sowon barked out a laugh as she was suddenly swarmed on all sides.

It was good to have family again. She was not alone. They had come for her. She would die for them, but that would not be today, and if she had anything to say about it, it would never become necessary.

They were together now, and all things were possible while they were. Sowon smiled and brought them close. These lovable idiots were hers, and she was theirs as well.

And nothing would ever change that.