“Moon, watch that guy. He's our lead.” Yerim pointed to a man with brown hair in a blue jacket.

“Are you sure that's him?” Moon Byul inquired. Her eyes followed the man who walked towards the middle of the club.

“Certain.” Yerim grabbed a glass of alcohol from the table before them and gave Moon Byul a nod.

Moon Byul understood. She stood up and eyed Yerim. The noise in the bar began to annoy her now. The sooner they get what they came for, the quicker they can leave this place.

Yerim took Moon Byul's hand and placed it on her waist. She noticed how the gumiho's eyes narrowed with irritation. Well, she didn't like it either. But for the job, she was willing to act with a spirit centuries older than her.

Moon Byul inched closer towards the target. She picked up a voice that directed towards the man. A conversation that mingled with many other voices in the crowd. It must be important, she speculated. If only this ridiculous music would come to a halt.

Left with no other choice, Moon Byul shoved the guy. Yerim's eyes widened as he turned around at Moon Byul's provocation.

“Hey, what the fu—”

Moon Byul threw her fist at the guy before he could finish talking.

“You touched my girlfriend!” She landed another punch, knocking the guy down. The other guy tried to throw his fist, but Moon Byul dodged.

“Alright, that's enough!”

The club's bouncers broke up the fight. They drove the three outside the place, the two men dragged by their shirt. Moon Byul grinned with satisfaction as the wide bodied men showed her out. One annoyed Yerim followed, avoiding the curious, judging gazes of the people inside.

“Moon, what are you doing? Chief said subtle and careful!” Yerim blurted out as they reached the empty street side, yards away from the club.

“This is quicker,” Moon Byul replied. She had to go back to Yongsun and apologize for being missing the entire week. And these two humans were stopping her from doing so.

'Hold him down,' she ordered the other human, her eyes speaking for her.

The guy in the black shirt did as Moon Byul's golden eyes commanded.

“Hey! You punk! What the hell—!” The one in blue resisted to no avail. His acquaintance had big arms and enough strength to hold him still.

“This! You could have done this, Moon!” Yerim pointed out as she watched the hypnotized man bring the other down to his knees.

“It's not as easy as you think, human,” Moon Byul retorted. She crouched down and glared at the man on his knees. To break into the mind of a hostile creature on his guard would be hitting her head against a wall of spikes.

The human's brows knitted, his jaw clenched as he trembled with much anger. Then he eased into a wicked grin while he gave Moon Byul a hard stare. “I know you..”

“Where is it?”

“You're the one..” the man chuckled, “the fox who lives with a bat.”

The remark earned a growl and a tight grip on the shoulder from Moon Byul. The human cried out from the excruciating pain that followed the cracking of his bone.

Yerim looked on. She kept her eyes open, until Moon Byul finally succeeded in breaking the guy's mind and extract an answer.

“The base is in Busan, disguised as a factory.”

At the fulfillment of her wish, Moon Byul stood up. She let go of the two men's minds and knocked them unconscious. “Take me to Yongsun,” she turned to Yerim.

Yerim, still in awe of Moon Byul's capabilities, could only nod her head.

“Move it, 53,” Moon Byul uttered.

How could the same creature fall prey to a normal human? Yerim pondered. She stood by the doorway, a couple of feet away from Moon Byul, both arms on her side. Like how an O.P.I.U.M. agent should stand when at duty. She hoped and waited for Moon Byul to come through and get up.

It was a red morning. The sun and the skies burned a sharp red, shadows ruling the land. The howling of wolves was present, and beyond the mountains echoed cries of a rebellious fox. What a strange day.

Moon Byul glanced down and caught her reflection. As far as she could see, the waters of the Han River was murky as it was still. Tainted with crimson, the river soaked Moon Byul's feet. The water threatened to swallow her with every second that passed. But the gumiho did not resist. Rather, she could not. In a sudden second, chains bound her wrists together, as cold hands covered her eyes.

“Wake up..”

The owner of the hands whispered from behind. The haunting voice blossomed amidst the fragile silence.

Moon Byul opened her eyes and welcomed the sight of Hyejin and Wheein's faces. The mixed smell of everything that comprised the city reached her nose. Sounds and noises, from both inside and outside the building pestered her ears. Like a giant bee, they flew and buzzed around her head.

The floor glimmered as rays of sunlight and streaks of artificial light swept the white tiles.

“Where's Yongsun?”

Unbelievable. After nine hours of being unconscious, this was the first thing that came out of . Hyejin shook her head in disbelief.

“Byul. Do you hear yourself right now?”

Wheein, who sat to Hyejin's left, gave her girlfriend a sharp glance and a nudge.

“Byul, you were out for a while. Are you alright?”

The fairy asked with a gentle tone, a contrast to Hyejin's observant stare and rough brows.

Moon Byul sat up and tried to recall things. It then dawned on her, that she indeed got shot. She felt her chest and shoulder. Nothing. No pain or blood. Those injuries couldn't have been real.

“Where's Yongsun, Wheein?” She repeated the question.

Wheein uttered a sigh. “Byul, come on. Last night you were bleeding, and if it weren't for Yerim taking you here, you would have.. You never get hurt, Byul.”

Moon Byul looked under her clothing. She had a clean shirt on, and she figured that someone had come to dress her while she was unconscious. There was a scar on her chest, and another on her shoulder. So those wounds did happen. But how?

“I'm as baffled as you are,” Hyejin spoke. “You were losing a lot of blood last night.”

Moon Byul remembered coughing blood out. But it didn't matter to her now. As for the mystery, she could solve it later. “Where's my phone, Hyejin? I need to call Yongsun.”

Hyejin pinched the bridge of her nose. Water from a nearby glass rose and formed spikes.

Wheein rubbed Hyejin's back to ease the mermaid. “Byul, please. This has never happened before. You feel half my pain yet I only feel a quarter of yours. Last night, you were in enough pain to almost cripple me—”

“I'm fine now,” Moon Byul dismissed the concerns. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed water trembling in a glass. Seconds later, the sound of glass shattering filled the room and won over the quiet.