The Fox’s Whisper - Episode 14: Secrets in the Shadows

The moonlight streamed through the curtains, casting an ethereal glow across the apartment as Yena paced back and forth. Her mind raced with thoughts of the ritual and what it would mean for her future. The words “sacrifice” echoed in her mind, filling her with a growing sense of dread. She couldn’t let anyone give up their life for her. But she also knew that Sung Hwan wouldn’t stop until he had her—body, soul, and power.

Jun-ho was at her side, watching her with concern, but he didn’t say anything. He knew this was something Yena had to work through on her own. She was torn between two worlds—her human side and the fox spirit that threatened to overtake her.

"I don’t know what to do," Yena muttered, stopping in front of the window. "Every choice feels like it’ll cost me something. If I give in to the fox side, I’ll lose myself, but if I fight Sung Hwan... someone will have to die."

Jun-ho took a step closer, his voice gentle but firm. "You don’t have to do it alone, Yena. We’ll figure this out together."

Yena turned to him, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. "But what if we don’t? What if we fail?"

Before Jun-ho could respond, there was a loud knock at the door. Both of them tensed, and Yena instinctively reached for the dagger she kept hidden in her sleeve. But when Jun-ho opened the door, they were both surprised to see Officer Kim standing there, her face grim.

"I have news," she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "About Sung Hwan."

Yena’s heart skipped a beat. "What about him?"

Officer Kim closed the door behind her, her expression tense. "I’ve learned something from my sources. Sung Hwan isn’t working alone. There’s someone else, a powerful figure from his past, helping him gather the artifacts."

Jun-ho frowned. "Who is it?"

Officer Kim hesitated before speaking, her voice low. "It’s someone close to you, Yena."

Yena’s breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"

Kim took a deep breath before answering. "It’s your mother."

Yena’s world tilted on its axis. Her mother? The woman who had vanished from her life when she was young, leaving her with only fragmented memories? It didn’t make sense. She couldn’t believe it.

"No," Yena whispered, shaking her head. "My mother is gone. She’s not involved in this."

Officer Kim’s gaze softened, but there was no denying the truth in her words. "I’m sorry, but the truth is, she’s alive, and she’s been working with Sung Hwan all along. She’s been helping him gather the power he needs."

Yena stumbled back, her mind spinning. "How is that possible?" Her voice was barely a whisper, a mix of disbelief and hurt.

Kim looked at Yena with pity in her eyes. "Your mother... she’s also a gumiho. A powerful one. And she’s been using her abilities to help Sung Hwan achieve his goal of immortality."

Yena felt the world around her crumble. The one person she had hoped to find, the one person who could help her understand her own powers, was on the side of the enemy. How could she have missed this? How could her mother have betrayed her like this?

"No," Yena whispered again, her voice trembling. "This can’t be true."

Jun-ho moved to her side, his hand gently touching her shoulder. "Yena, we don’t know everything yet. But we’ll get to the bottom of it. We’ll find out what’s really going on."

Yena looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain. "How do I fight someone like that? Someone I’ve been searching for my whole life... and now I find out she’s on the other side?"

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