The moon was high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the quiet town. The stillness of the night was broken only by the soft rustle of the trees and the distant hum of city life. But within the walls of Yena’s room, there was a storm brewing—one far darker and more dangerous than anything the world outside could understand.
Jun-ho stood across from her, his hands clenched at his sides, his gaze locked on hers with a mixture of determination and concern. He had heard the words Sung Hwan had spoken—felt the weight of the threat that hung over them both. Yet, despite it all, he refused to back down. He refused to leave her, even if it meant putting himself in harm’s way.
“Yena,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know you’re afraid. I know you think you’re protecting me, but this is not something you have to do alone.”
Yena shook her head, her fox ears twitching with the intensity of her emotions. “You don’t understand,” she replied, her voice trembling. “This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about everyone I love. Everyone I touch. You... you’re already in danger just by being close to me.”
Jun-ho’s heart clenched at the desperation in her voice. He could see it in her eyes—the guilt, the fear, the sense of inevitable loss. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he knew that her burden was far greater than anything he could take away with a simple touch.
“I don’t care about the danger,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering. “I care about you. And I’m not going anywhere.”
But Yena didn’t respond. Instead, her eyes shifted, her expression turning dark. A chill filled the room as her fox spirit began to awaken, the power within her stirring like a dormant beast. It was a side of her that Jun-ho had never seen before—the raw, untamed energy of the gumiho that lived within her.
“Yena,” he whispered, taking a cautious step forward. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, the fox-like pupils narrowing as her transformation began. It was as though the fox within her was no longer content to remain in the shadows. It wanted control. It wanted freedom. And most of all, it wanted revenge on the one who had enslaved it for so long—Sung Hwan.
“This is the part of me I’ve always tried to keep hidden,” Yena murmured, her voice low and dangerous. “The part of me that’s not human. The part of me that craves destruction.”
Jun-ho’s heart pounded in his chest. He had always known there was something different about her, something more than just the girl he had fallen in love with. But now, seeing her power surge so violently, he realized just how much danger he was truly in.
Before he could say anything else, the door to her room slammed open, and in stepped Sung Hwan, his presence dark and suffocating.
“I see the fox is finally waking up,” Sung Hwan sneered, his voice laced with mockery. “But it’s too late, Yena. You’re already mine. Your power belongs to me.”
Yena’s body tensed, her fox spirit responding to his words, thrashing within her. “I will never belong to you,” she spat, her voice a dangerous growl. “You can control the curse, but you’ll never control me.”
Sung Hwan chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. “We’ll see about that.”
With a wave of his hand, the air around them shifted, growing heavy with dark energy. The room seemed to close in on them, as if the walls themselves were pressing against Yena, forcing her to submit to the power he wielded.
Jun-ho stepped forward, standing between them. “If you want her, you’ll have to go through me first.”
Sung Hwan’s gaze shifted to Jun-ho, amusement flickering in his eyes. “You’re brave, boy,” he said, his voice filled with dark humor. “But bravery won’t save you. Not from me.”
Yena’s heart raced as she felt the power inside her swirl uncontrollably, the fox spirit clawing at the edges of her consciousness. She could feel it—Sung Hwan’s influence creeping in, attempting to bind her once again. But she was done being controlled. She was done being a puppet.
With a cry, she let the fox spirit take over, her body surging with energy as her ears lengthened and her eyes turned golden. A tail sprouted from her back, her form becoming more fox-like with every passing second.
Sung Hwan’s smirk faltered, and for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty passed through his eyes.
“This is the real me,” Yena said, her voice now a perfect blend of her human self and the fox spirit. “And you’re not taking me back.”
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