Jang-Uk stumbled back, breathless, his frustration bubbling over as yet another gold toad slipped from his grasp. His knuckles tightened around his sword, sweat beading his brow. Only two left. At this rate, he would lose them all.

Mu-Deok, leaning casually against the wall, clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"At this rate, you'll be left with nothing but your thick skull."

Jang-Uk shot her an annoyed glance, wiping his face with the sleeve of his robe. "You're supposed to encourage me."

"This is encouragement. I'm teaching you a valuable lesson—don't lose."

Jang-Uk groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Brilliant advice."

She crossed her arms, stepping forward with a smirk. "It's like a game of tug-of-war, Uk. You need to know exactly when to hold back and when to strike. Right now, you're just pulling blindly, and that's why you keep falling on your face."

Jang-Uk sighed but nodded, absorbing her words. She was right, as usual.

Meanwhile, inside Songrim, Dang-Gu burst into the room where Yul and Haerin sat, excitement written all over his face.

"You won't believe what just happened!" he announced dramatically.

Haerin, sitting beside Yul, raised an eyebrow. "Oh no. Did you fall for another pretty girl who turned out to be married?" she teased.

Yul smirked at the comment while Dang-Gu gasped in offense.

"Haerin, have some faith in me!" He straightened his robes and continued, "Master Kang from Daegangtongun has died. They say it was illness, but rumors are spreading that he was actually assassinated."

The air in the room shifted. Haerin's teasing expression faded. "Assassinated?"

Outside, the capital buzzed with hushed whispers. People gathered in clusters, their voices barely above murmurs, a mixture of fear and curiosity on their faces. Was it truly an illness? Or had something more sinister occurred?

Yul's eyes darkened with thought. "If assassins were involved, it means there's a bigger game at play."

Haerin exchanged a glance with Yul. They both knew that whenever powerful families were involved, nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.

As if on cue, Park Jin arrived, his presence silencing them. "We are looking into the matter," he confirmed, his tone heavy with concern.

"Yul, Haerin, you will check the body. If Master Kang was a soul shifter, we must find out before they cremate him."

Yul gave a respectful nod. "Understood, Master Park."

Haerin glanced at him. "You perform Chisu then," she said quickly.

"Since I still can't."

Yul gave her a small smile. "Don't worry, I will. You just focus on watching my back."

Haerin smirked. "I always do."

Yul and Haerin were assigned to check the body before cremation. Under the watchful eyes of Cheonbugwan and Songrim, they approached cautiously.

Using Chisu, Yul placed his hand over the corpse's chest, letting his energy flow. A slow, eerie pulse resonated from within.

Haerin watched, her brows furrowing. "This is—"

Before she could finish, the corpse suddenly convulsed. The young man it had taken over was still alive, but his body was failing. His face contorted as gray veins crept up his skin—the telltale sign of a soul shifter running wild.

The air tensed as guards unsheathed their swords.

"Stop him!" Park Jin commanded.

The soul shifter lunged forward, but Yul was faster. In one swift motion, he slashed through its chest, pinning it to the ground. Haerin, despite not having reached Chisu, managed to hold her ground beside him, her fists clenched.

But before anyone else could react, Jin-Mu stepped forward. With a chilling smirk, he delivered the finishing blow. "It seems Songrim was right," he mused.

"How fortunate that I was here to help."

Park Jin narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He knew what Jin-Mu was doing—letting Songrim take credit while keeping his own secrets buried deeper.

"We'll take the body," Park Jin finally said. "This needs further investigation."

Back at Songrim, the room was eerily silent as Master Yeom examined the deceased soul shifter's body. The energy still pulsed faintly within it, unstable and dangerous.

Yul and Haerin stood nearby, watching intently. Haerin's arms were crossed, her sharp gaze scanning the corpse as if expecting it to move again.

"How do we stop this from happening to others?" she asked.

Master Yeom sighed. "First, we must close his energy gate to prevent further instability."

With precise movements, he pressed his fingers against the deceased's chest. A pulse of golden light spread across the body, sealing the remaining energy within. The air immediately felt less oppressive.

Dang-Gu, who had been watching with uneasy fascination, let out a breath. "That's... creepy."

Haerin shot him a look. "Focus."

Meanwhile, Jang-Uk frowned, glancing at the sealed body. "And then what? What can we even learn from him if he's already dead?"

Master Yeom's expression grew grim. "I will attempt to revive him."

The air in the room shifted. Everyone looked at him in shock.

"Revive him?" Yul repeated. "Is that even possible?"

"His body is too far gone," Haerin pointed out. "He turned to stone before he died."

"Which is precisely why this is dangerous," Master Yeom admitted. "But if we can retrieve even a fragment of his memories before the petrification fully spreads, we may learn something crucial."

Jang-Uk ran a hand through his hair. "Easier said than done."

Haerin exhaled, shaking her head. "At this point, everything is."

Master Yeom placed both hands over the body and closed his eyes. Slowly, his energy flowed outward, wrapping around the corpse. The golden light flickered, dimming and flaring like a dying candle.

For a moment—just a moment—the body twitched.

Then the room went dark.

The flickering candlelight returned, but Master Yeom's eyes opened in frustration. "No use. His soul has been completely consumed."

Silence followed.

"Then all we have left," Yul murmured, "is the question of who is creating these soul shifters."

They all knew the answer.

Jin-Mu.

And if he was willing to go this far, then it meant whatever he was planning... was far worse than they had imagined.

In the dimly lit halls of Jinyowon, Jin Ho-Gyeong sat rigidly, her piercing gaze fixed on Jin-Mu, who stood across from her. A flickering candle between them cast long shadows, making the moment feel even more foreboding.

"I know where your daughter's body is," Jin-Mu said, his voice smooth, confident. He watched her reaction carefully.

Jin Ho-Gyeong's fingers curled into the armrest of her chair, her composed expression faltering for just a second. "And what proof do you have?"

Jin-Mu smirked. "Would you rather let your enemies get to her first?"

Jin Ho-Gyeong's expression darkened.

Bu-Yeon had been missing for years, and despite all her searching, she had yet to recover her daughter's body. She did not trust Jin-Mu. She despised him. But if there was even a chance that he was telling the truth...

"You will return her body to me," she ordered. "No tricks. No conditions."

Jin-Mu inclined his head, a falsely obedient gesture. "Of course."

Jin Ho-Gyeong's stomach twisted at the sight of his smirk, but she could not afford to let emotions cloud her judgment.

What she did not know, however, was that Jin-Mu had already set his next move in motion.

A mole.

One that would slip into Jinyowon unnoticed.

In the secluded chambers of Cheonbugwan, So-I sat before a polished bronze mirror, tracing her fingers over her own reflection.

She had memorized Bu-Yeon's features.

She had trained herself to respond to the name.

Now, she only needed one thing—entry into Jinyowon.

Her chance would come soon.

So-I straightened her posture and turned to the servant by the door. "Tell Master Jin-Mu that I am ready."

She would become the eldest daughter of Jinyowon. No matter what it took.

Later that night, Jang-Uk accompanied Mu-Deok to deliver sweets to Cheonbugwan, using it as an excuse to snoop around.

They found themselves in a hidden corridor, overhearing voices.

"Master Jin-Mu, please, let me soul shift again," pleaded Eunuch Kim. His voice trembled with desperation.

Jin-Mu's response was cold. "You have outlived your usefulness."

Before Jang-Uk or Mu-Deok could react, Jin-Mu stabbed the eunuch. The air thickened with energy as the eunuch began running wild. His body convulsed, his skin turning grey.

Mu-Deok's grip on Jang-Uk's arm tightened. "We need to leave. Now."

But it was too late.

Jin-Mu's eyes flickered toward their hiding spot. "Come out."

Jang-Uk and Mu-Deok stepped forward, pretending innocence. Jang-Uk held up the sweets. "We were just delivering these," he said with a grin.

Jin-Mu smirked. "Then stay and enjoy them."

A barrier formed, trapping Jang-Uk. Meanwhile, the soul-shifted eunuch turned to Mu-Deok, its greyed-out eyes locking onto her.

"Try to survive," Jin-Mu taunted.

The soul-shifter lunged at Mu-Deok. She barely dodged, her heart pounding. It was too fast. Too strong.

Jang-Uk slammed his fists against the barrier. "Mu-Deok!"

She tried to fight back, but the moment the creature's energy touched her, she felt it seep into her skin. A shudder wracked through her body.

Something inside her awakened.

No—something broke.

Mu-Deok gasped as she felt herself absorbing the energy. It was uncontrollable, an overwhelming force threatening to drown her.

She clenched her teeth, trying to stop, but the pull was too strong. Her limbs shook, her breath hitched—she was losing herself.

"Am I running wild?" she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

Jang-Uk, seeing her distress, threw himself against the barrier. "Let me out!" His voice was raw with desperation.

Jin-Mu only watched, amused.

Then—

CRACK.

The barrier shattered.

Jang-Uk sprinted forward, reaching Mu-Deok just as she collapsed. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms. "I've got you," he murmured.

Mu-Deok's fingers weakly clutched his robe. "Stay away. I might—"

"I don't care."

The moment he held her, the energy in the room shifted.

The water atop the pedestal rippled. Then, suddenly, a breathtaking sight unfolded.

A constellation appeared, its reflection shimmering in the water. The entire chamber was bathed in soft blue light, the stars swirling like a celestial dance. Time seemed to pause.

Jin-Mu took a step back, eyes widening. "Impossible..."

Jang-Uk held Mu-Deok closer, staring up at the stars. "What... is this?"

Mu-Deok, her vision blurring, managed a faint smile.

"Fate"