The sky blushed in shades of orange and pink as Bitna and Aera stepped out of the hospital. Bitna moved briskly, her coat flapping in the evening breeze, while Aera ambled beside her, her hands stuffed into her pockets. She shot Bitna a mischievous grin.

"You could slow down, you know," Aera teased.

"Not like Someone is waiting to catch you at the villa."

"I'm fine," Bitna retorted. "No point wasting time."

Aera smirked. "Hospital's barely cleared you, and you're already marching like a soldier. Classic Justitia."

Bitna ignored her, quickening her pace toward the villa. But their banter faded the moment the front door swung open with a dramatic flourish. Standing in the doorway, Jang Myungsook, the owner of the villa, raised her arms as though summoning divine intervention.

"Oh, my sweet Judge Bitna!" Myungsook exclaimed, her voice teeming with overwrought emotion.

"Praise the heavens you're safe! Truly, the Lord has smiled upon us today."

Bitna froze mid-step, her expression carefully blank. Beside her, Aera struggled to suppress her laughter, biting down on her lip.

Myungsook bustled down the steps, hands clasped as though preparing for prayer.

"Judge Bitna, my dear child, you must tell me everything. Did you pray before the accident? Did you feel His divine presence guiding you?"

Bitna's lips twitched. "I... felt something, yes. Mostly my head hitting the pavement."

"Oh, hallelujah!" Myungsook cried, ignoring the sarcasm.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways! You must come inside; I'll prepare tea for us to thank Him together."

Aera snickered, leaning closer to Bitna.

"I'm starting to think she might actually try to baptize you."

Bitna sighed. "If I disappear, check the bathtub."

That evening, Bitna sat at her desk, flipping through notes about her human life. Blending in with humans required precision and understanding, and she wasn't about to risk her cover by making careless mistakes. Across the hallway, Daon's door was slightly ajar, and she could hear faint shuffling as he unpacked.

She didn't need to look to know he was watching her. He had been doing so ever since they crossed paths at the hospital.

She smirked to herself. Curiosity is fine, as long as it doesn't become a problem.

Grabbing her phone, she dialed Mando. The line clicked almost immediately.

"Yes, Your Grace?" Mando's voice carried its usual nervousness.

"I need information—everything about human life here. School systems, etiquette, hobbies, routines. And I mean everything," Bitna instructed firmly.

Mando hesitated. "By 'everything,' you mean—"

"By any means necessary," Bitna cut him off.

"Start with the local school. Go undercover if you have to."

"Understood," Mando muttered, though his tone betrayed his reluctance.

The next morning, Mando grumbled under his breath as he approached the school gates. His glasses sat crooked on his nose, and he clutched a notebook tightly. Around him, teenagers moved in clusters, laughing and chatting.

Mando adjusted his disguise, muttering, "Blend in. Just blend in."

Inside the villa, Bitna's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen.

A message from Arong: Urgent. Meet me now.

Bitna grabbed her coat and slipped out unnoticed—or so she thought. A few steps down the street, she heard footsteps behind her. She stopped, turning to find Daon a few paces back, feigning nonchalance.

"You're terrible at this," Bitna said flatly.

"Why are you following me?"

Daon grinned sheepishly. "I'm just... curious where you're going."

"Go home, Ppoppi," she replied, brushing past him.

"Ppoppi?" he repeated, laughing.

"What kind of nickname is that?"

"An appropriate one," she muttered, disappearing into the shadows.

The meeting place was a dimly lit alley, its shadows thick with tension. Arong leaned against the wall, her expression unusually grim.

"We've got trouble," she began.

"There's talk of a group hunting Satan. He escaped from Hell with the Kylum, and now demons are gathering to track him down."

"The Kylum?" Aera asked, frowning.

Arong nodded. "It's an artifact said to grant eternal life. If Satan uses it, we're all in deep trouble. And the reward for bringing him back? Huge. Enough to tempt even loyal demons."

Bitna's gaze hardened. "Who's leading this hunt?"

"No one knows yet. But they're organized. If we're not careful, this could spiral out of control."

Before they could continue, Aera's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, her expression tightening.

"I've been summoned back. Something urgent in Hell."

Bitna nodded. "Handle it. Quickly."

As Aera prepared to leave, she paused to smirk at Daon, who had finally caught up to the group.

"You're like a lost puppy. Don't you have anything better to do?"

Daon shrugged. "Not really."

"Typical human," Aera muttered, shaking her head before vanishing.

Later, Mando joined Bitna and Arong at the meeting spot, looking flustered but triumphant.

"I've got intel," he announced.

"On you, Kang Bitna. I've learned—"

He stopped mid-sentence as Daon appeared, having followed them once again. This time, he didn't hesitate to step into the circle.

"What is this?" Daon demanded.

Bitna groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ppoppi, you're unbelievable."

The demons in the room stiffened, their gazes narrowing on Daon. Bitna acted quickly, looping an arm around Daon's shoulders.

"Relax," she said smoothly. "He's with me."

"Who's he?" one of the demons asked suspiciously.

"This is... Ppoppi," Bitna replied with a straight face. "my driver."

The tension eased, though not entirely. The demons returned to their task: cooking. The room filled with the rich aroma of spices and sizzling meat, an odd contrast to the gravity of their conversation.

Daon, meanwhile, couldn't help but notice one of the demons slipping outside. Curious, he followed and found the demon crying with an old man. The sight caught him off guard.

"What's a human doing here?"

Daon's eyes widened. "Wait, how did you—"

The demon sneered. "We can smell it. You reek of mortality."

Daon gulped. The demon leaned closer, his voice low and menacing.

"You saw what happened outside, didn't you? The crying?"

Daon hesitated before nodding.

"If you mention that to anyone," the demon warned, "I'll make sure the others find out what you really are. Understood?"

Daon nodded again, his voice barely a whisper. "Understood."

"Good." The demon smirked.

"Then we'll keep each other's secrets."

As they walked back to the villa, Bitna kept her distance, her silence heavy. Daon tried to make small talk, but her responses were curt and uninterested.

Meanwhile, Mando, tasked with attending church for reconnaissance, found himself squirming uncomfortably in a pew. The pastor's sermon on banishing Satan made his skin crawl, and he clutched his gloves tightly to keep from bolting.

Back at the villa, Bitna stood by her window, staring out at the glowing cityscape. The threads of danger and deception were tightening around them, and she knew the peace she had been clinging to wouldn't last. But for now, her biggest concern was -the human across the hall who seemed far too curious for his own good.