The woods were silent, and the pleasant smell of rain and moss permeated the air. A light breeze blew through the maze of trees, shaking their branches. Minji slid her hands into her pockets to keep them warm and nervously observed her surroundings, unsure of what she was getting herself into. Hopefully, the encounter with the witch and the demon would go well and help her figure out a solution.

“This is so boring,” Baëkhyun complained as they followed a gravel path winding through the trees. The demon continuously voiced his displeasure about their trip to the woods, and Minji was getting sick of it. “Why should I meet with a demon bonded to a human? What a disgrace!”

He didn’t wear his signature leather outfit today, sporting black jeans and a biker jacket. She wondered where he got his clothes from since he didn’t have a way to earn money. Thus, Minji could only assume he stole them since she doubted he had enough respect for the human shop owners to bother paying.

“Oh, shut up. This might help us,” Minji countered, giving him a sharp look. “And you better not be rude or attack them, demon.”

Baëkhyun clicked his tongue, his lips curling into an evil smirk. “What would you do to stop me, little human?”

She mumbled something under her breath, folding her arms. The pair soon reached the old ruin in the woods where they were supposed to meet the witch. She had proposed to meet here instead of in the city center, where they couldn’t talk without the risk of being overheard. Minji didn’t mind the hike, but Baëkhyun’s opinion differed…

At first, she didn’t see anyone in the vicinity, but when Baëkhyun straightened his back, his eyes more alert, a shiver ran down her spine. Speckles of light surrounded his body, shimmering ominously. “They’re here already,” he muttered, warning Minji.

Two people emerged from behind the ruin only a few seconds later, coming closer but still keeping a respectful distance. A young woman with violet-dyed hair stood next to a tall man. His irises were almost white, startling Minji with their eerie glow. A painful-looking scar covered his right eye and stretched over his cheek, probably a memento of a fight.

“Baëkhyun,” the black-haired man said, his eyes widening in sheer surprise. “I didn’t expect you to appear here.”

“Likewise, Sehůn,” Baëkhyun retorted. His voice held a mix of disbelief and resentment. “So this is why you never showed yourself in hell for the last five years.”

“Indeed.”

“It’s great you’re acquainted already,” the witch cut in. She sounded much kinder than the demons and eyed Minji with curiosity. “My name is Jangmi, and this is Sehůn, a wind demon.”

“I’m Minji. Thanks for meeting up with us. I was relieved when Eunsook called me and told me about you,” she said with a smile, unsure if she could trust the witch, but Jangmi seemed friendly—except for the fact she kept scrutinizing Baëkhyun. Minji didn’t blame her for her wariness of him. He wasn’t known to be particularly fond of humans and didn’t make any attempts to be friendly either. His dark glare spoke volumes…

“She told me you need some advice about the supernatural world. It must be hard when you haven’t grown up knowing its existence. I’ve been able to see supernatural beings since I was born because I’m the descendant of a long line of witches. My mother and grandmother taught me everything I know about demons, magic, and so on,” Jangmi explained.

Minji shuddered, reminded that there were creatures around her that she couldn’t even see. It was a terrifying truth she just couldn’t get used to. Her trepidation wasn’t lost on Jangmi, who gave her a calming smile. “You don’t need to worry about them,” the witch added. “They won’t dare to get near you as long as you’re in the company of a stronger demon. Right now, for example, we’re alone. There are no ghosts or demons around.”

“I see,” Minji said, sighing in relief. Baëkhyun kept quiet but shot the witch distrustful glances now and then. He didn’t bother participating in the conversation, looking bored and annoyed. Sehůn, on the other hand, observed Minji with interest in his piercing eyes. He couldn’t wait to discover how this human had convinced Baëkhyun to bond with her.

“May I ask how you two know each other?” Minji said, her gaze moving back and forth between Jangmi and Sehůn. The latter was relatively calm for a demon, not showing the same temper that Baëkhyun had. He radiated a similar serenity as Yixing but was more intimidating than her friend, his piercing eyes unsettling her.

“I was in the human world for a while because I was sick of being stuck in hell all the time. It gets dull,” Sehůn said and shrugged. “The constant wails of the tortured souls are annoying.”

Minji gulped, trying not to think about this too much. She didn’t even want to imagine what hell was like. It scared her. Feeling Baëkhyun’s gaze on her, she looked up to see him watching her with a strange expression in his blue eyes, but he didn’t say anything and eventually redirected his attention somewhere else.

“I traveled aimlessly through South Korea, and shortly after I reached Seoul, I met Jangmi. She was working at a café, and I kept visiting since I was curious about her,” Sehůn went on to explain.

Jangmi giggled, nudging him in the side. “He’s such a coffee addict! At first, I was surprised when he came by every day, always ordering the same thing. I knew he was a demon from the start, but since he was friendly, I didn’t mind his company. We grew closer over time until we eventually became a couple.”

Baëkhyun glared at her like she had committed the worst sin ever, his mouth forming a condescending smile. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking.

“After around four years, we agreed to stay together and formed a bond. We never regretted it,” she said, sharing a smile with Sehůn, the kind expression on his face shocking Minji.

“That’s great; I’m happy for you,” Minji said, though her joyful smile didn’t last long, and her shoulders sank in defeat. She didn’t have this kind of luck.

“What about you?” Sehůn asked, noticing Baëkhyun’s glower.

“Uh… it was an accident, as weird as it sounds,” Minji began, looking at the ground. “To this day, I don’t understand how it was possible.”

“Only a human would be foolish enough to do something like this,” Baëkhyun snarled as his temper got the best of him. He was seething in anger, his eyes deep red while they stared at her, the color of his iris reminding her of scarlet blood. She flinched.

“Hey, leave her be,” Sehůn intervened. “It wasn’t her fault. You can’t blame her for an accident, especially since she didn’t even know about the existence of demons before.”

“Even so, it doesn’t change that I’m stuck with her,” he hissed hatefully. “And I wouldn’t have expected you to agree to something so foolish, Sehůn. You know what happened to Lůhan. You know how fast this could end in disaster.”

“Lůhan’s death was a tragedy, no doubt,” Sehůn said bitterly, creasing his forehead. “I took this decision after thinking about it for a long time. Besides, Lůhan wouldn’t have wanted us to hate humans because he died due to his bond. He always wished for you to be more open towards mortals, but here you are, filled with so much hate.” Sadness flashed through his gaze before it darkened with resentment.

“I don’t see a reason to change,” Baëkhyun growled, particles of light appearing around him. “Humans are beneath me.”

Jangmi looked sad, sending Minji a pitying look, while Sehůn got angrier by the second. “Lůhan’s death wasn’t the human’s fault, damn it! Instead, you should hate the demon who killed him!” Sehůn hissed.

“Do you even know who it was?” Baëkhyun retorted, but Sehůn only shook his head.

“No. I talked to Suhø and Chën, but they don’t know either,” he answered. “I would feel better if we found the bastard soon.” He gazed at Jangmi with a worried frown, and a gust of wind swept past them, ruffling Minji’s long hair.

“Well, I’ve always suspected Youngjäe, but I don’t know for sure,” Baëkhyun said. He still sounded angry, and the red that had overtaken his gaze didn’t fade. “He often made weird remarks about Lůhan.”

“I honestly don’t think it was him. He was never the kind of demon that would meddle in someone’s affairs. I’m sure it was someone else… the thing is, I don’t know who.” Sehůn gritted his teeth, another gust of wind shaking the leaves in the trees. Silence fell, and the atmosphere became heavy with tension.

Minji was horrified at the idea of being murdered in cold blood by some deranged demon, knowing it would be stronger than her. She was human; what could she ever do to defend herself? This was terrible, and it could only end in disaster for her. Pain bloomed in her heart, her desperation rising.

“You’re doing it again,” she heard Baëkhyun mumble and looked at him, furrowing her brow.

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