The cold night air settled over Songrim as the mages gathered in the grand hall, their tense silence punctuated only by the flickering light of lanterns. It had been hours since the attack on the estate, and the mystery of the assassins still hung heavy in the air. Park Jin, the head of Songrim, stood at the center of the room, his gaze sharp, his mind focused on the task at hand.

"Gather round," Park Jin commanded, his voice calm but firm, sending a ripple through the group of mages. His eyes flickered momentarily to Seo Yul, Danggu and Hae-rin, standing at the far side of the room, before he turned his attention back to the gathering.

Jang Uk stood quietly at the edge of the group, his gaze flicking toward the figure who had entered just moments before. Mu-Deok, his newly assigned maid, stood at his side. She had appeared at his door earlier that morning, her demeanor calm and collected, with the same blank expression she always wore.

But Jang Uk knew better. He knew that beneath her innocent appearance was something far darker—something far more dangerous. Naksu.

Mu-Deok didn't speak. Instead, she kept her head slightly lowered, her long dark hair shadowing her face as she stood obediently behind Jang Uk, looking every bit the part of a humble servant. But only Jang Uk could see the glint of something else in her eyes—a quiet, unspoken power.

"Mu-Deok," Jang Uk spoke, his voice low and controlled.

"This is Seo Yul, Hae-rin, and Danggu. They're friends of mine."

Mu-Deok's gaze briefly flickered to each of them, but she remained silent. She nodded, as though acknowledging them without truly engaging. It was clear that she had been instructed to keep her distance, and she did so with eerie precision.

"She's been assigned to help me around Songrim," Jang Uk added smoothly, his tone casual but his eyes betraying a flicker of something deeper. He didn't want to reveal too much—especially not in front of Hae-rin and Seo Yul—but he had to maintain the facade.

"She's quiet, but efficient."

Hae-rin gave a polite nod, though her expression was curious.

"Nice to meet you, Mu-Deok. I hope you'll be comfortable here."

Mu-Deok's lips curled up in a smile, but it was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. Her voice was the same—it had the same calm, measured quality that made it almost impossible to read.

The room held an air of anticipation as Cho-Yeon entered with an aura of quiet determination. In her hands, she held the Jin family heirloom—a trinket known as Gwigu. It was a small, ornate object, the centerpiece of Songrim's treasure vault. Known for its ancient ability to detect sorcery and expose soul shifters, it had come into play tonight, and Park Jin knew that it was the key to revealing the traitor who had allowed the assassins to slip past their defenses.

"Gwigu," Park Jin said, his tone laced with a grim seriousness.

"The soul shifter among us is hiding in plain sight. This trinket will expose them."

Cho-Yeon stepped forward, placing the trinket on the ground with care. The delicate item glowed faintly as the energy began to shift in the room. There was a palpable stillness, the kind that only preceded the revelation of deep secrets. Hae-rin, watching from the sidelines, felt a shiver run down her spine.

She wasn't afraid of the Gwigu. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off—something dark was stirring under the surface of the night's events.

"Prepare yourselves," Park Jin continued.

"Anyone who tries to escape once this process begins will be branded a traitor."

The mages stiffened at the threat, and all eyes turned to the small trinket. As if responding to the tension in the room, a smoky dog-like creature began to materialize from the Gwigu, its ethereal form rippling with a sense of purpose. The dog sniffed the air, its eyes glowing as it prowled around the gathered mages, its form flickering with strange energy.

"Let it find the traitor," Park Jin muttered, his gaze never leaving the creature.

Jang Uk's stomach tightened. The Gwigu. He had heard stories of its power, but he also knew the danger it posed. The last time the Gwigu had been used to expose a soul shifter, it had caused chaos, and this time, the stakes were even higher.

He could feel his pulse quicken, knowing that at any moment, the Gwigu might detect something about Mu-Deok.

The smoky dog circled the room, stopping in front of several individuals before moving on. Hae-rin watched closely, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her blade. She felt something cold pass through her as the creature's gaze briefly met hers. There was no sign of recognition—nothing but the shifting energy of the dog, but it made her uneasy nonetheless.

The dog paused in front of Jang Uk. Mu-Deok's smile widened slightly, but she didn't react to the creature's attention on Jang Uk. Hae-rin's heart skipped a beat, but the creature moved on without hesitation, its form darting quickly toward the back of the room.

Hae-rin's breath caught in her throat as it stopped in front of one of the lesser-known mages—a man who had always been quiet, unassuming. The smoky dog's form seemed to focus in on him, its eyes glowing ominously.

"Seize him!" Park Jin barked.

The room exploded into action as the guards surged forward. The man, whose body flickered with unnatural energy, drew his own sword and fought back with ferocity. It was clear now—this man was the soul shifter.

The battle was swift but fierce. Hae-rin's heart raced as she watched the soul shifter evade the soldiers, his movements fluid and unpredictable. She gripped her sword, ready to act, but it was Seo Yul who moved first.

With a fluid motion, Seo Yul unsheathed his two blades, his calm composure never wavering. His eyes locked onto the soul shifter, assessing the threat in an instant. Hae-rin felt her heart race as he stepped forward, his swords flashing as he engaged the enemy.

The soul shifter fought back with dark magic, summoning waves of energy that sent soldiers scattering. Seo Yul was unfazed, moving with such precision that it seemed as though he anticipated every attack before it even happened.

Then, in a swift motion, Seo Yul closed in on the soul shifter. With one final strike, he pierced the enemy's chest, ending the fight with a clean blow. The soul shifter crumpled to the floor, lifeless.The room fell silent, save for the soft clatter of the soul shifter's body hitting the stone floor. Hae-rin stood frozen, her sword still in hand, but it was Seo Yul who caught her eye.

For a moment, their gazes locked—his cool, calm expression meeting her wide-eyed gaze. Hae-rin's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't tell whether it was from the adrenaline of the battle or something else entirely. His gaze softened for a fraction of a second, just enough to make her chest tighten.

It wasn't until Seo Yul turned to her with a quiet, almost imperceptible glance that Hae-rin realized how much the night had changed things. There was a subtle shift between them, an unspoken connection forged in the heat of battle.

Master Park spoke, breaking their gaze bringing back attention to the events happened now.

"We have no choice but to prepare for what comes next."

Just as Park Jin began to turn, Jang Uk, always a bit too clumsy for his own good, brushed his arm against the Gwigu on the table. In an instant, the broken shards slipped from his fingers, tumbling to the ground with an alarming crash.

CRASH!

The entire room went still. Jang Uk froze, his face paling as he looked down at the shattered trinket.

"I—I didn't mean to," he stammered, his usual confidence evaporating in an instant.

Park Jin's eyes narrowed, his expression one of pure fury as he turned toward Jang Uk.

"You did what?!"

Jang Uk, ever the master of awkward moments, quickly fumbled his words.

"I... I was just—uh, trying to... clear the table! Y'know, it was in the way!" he said, voice cracking slightly.

Park Jin's glare could have melted stone.

"You destroyed a family heirloom! The very artifact that was supposed to help us unmask the traitor?!" His voice was sharp, like a whip cracking through the tense silence.

Seo Yul, standing a few feet away, couldn't suppress the slight smirk that tugged at his lips, though he quickly masked it. Jang Uk, however, looked ready to shrivel up in embarrassment.

"You—get over here!" Park Jin snapped, pointing toward a corner of the room.

"You're not to speak or move until I say so. You're going to stand there and think about what you've done!"

Jang Uk sighed dramatically, plopping down on a nearby bench with exaggerated care.

"Well, this is just great... My powers are still sealed, and now I'm getting punished like I'm still a child."

Hae-rin, Danggu and Mu-deok standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the exchange. Seo Yul caught Haer-rin's smile and, for a brief moment, their eyes met.

The warmth in her expression, despite the tension of the situation, made Seo Yul's heart race again, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much deeper between them.

And so, the night dragged on, with a broken Gwigu, an embarrassed Jang Uk, and the weight of secrets hanging in the air.