Kitsune Travel Record's

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Korea, Seoul, Hotel De Luna: Lobby

The lights plunged into darkness, plunging the opulent lobby into a sudden, unsettling silence. A collective gasp rippled through the guests the Cullens apprehension palpable.

Edward's ominous words, a chilling premonition of the danger they now faced, hung heavy in the air.

Then, a flicker, a surge, and the lights turn back to life, the damage miraculously repaired. All eyes, filled with a mixture of relief and suspicion turned to the young man, Lucian.

He stood in the center of the room,

his expression a mask of defiance yet his heart pounded with a mixture of fear and adrenaline.

Jang Man Wol stood before him, her left hand firmly gripping his right arm, the other hand still clutching the smoke bomb.

Her gaze, sharp and unyielding, met his, her power emanating from her like a tangible force.

Lucian attempted to pull his arm free, but her grip was like iron. "Ain't she a bit too strong?" he thought, a sliver of doubt creeping into his expression.

Noh Joon Suk approached, bowing slightly.

"Ms. Man Wol, please remain calm. We still don't know if he ordered the other man's death."

Edward rose, his voice sharp with barely contained anger.

"He did. And that smoke bomb—it was full of—"

"Enough." Jang Man Wol interrupted, her voice a chillingly calm command that silenced the room.

she smelled The scent of poison, faint but unmistakable, lingered in the air, that's about to come out of the smoke bomb. confirming her suspicions. Her eyes, devoid of emotion, fixed on Lucian.

"You're coming with me."

She pulled him toward the grand staircase, her grip unwavering. With a wave of her hand, the lobby floor dissolved beneath them, swallowing the corpse and its blood in a horrifying display of supernatural power.

The guests, stunned into silence, watched as the scene vanished, leaving only the faint scent of poison and a chilling reminder of the power Jang Man Wol wielded.

Noh Joon Suk sighed, his face etched with weariness, and followed them, his gaze flitting between Jang Man Wol's icy demeanor and Lucian's bewildered expression.

Lucian allowed himself to be led, recognizing this as his only chance to escape and survive. But before disappearing into the shadows of the upper floors, he shot Edward a defiant middle finger and mouthed.

"F*ck you."

Upstairs, Jang Man Wol's office door swung open, revealing a room as opulent and unsettling as the hotel itself.

She dragged Lucian inside, sending him sprawling onto the plush couch.

A shotgun, seemingly conjured from thin air, materialized in her hand, its gleaming barrel pointing directly at him. The air crackled with tension, the silence heavy with unspoken threats.

She sat opposite him, her fingers caressing the weapon with a chilling nonchalance, a predator sizing up her prey.

Lucian looked at her, then at the gun, his heart pounding against his ribs. 'She won't shoot me with that, right?' he thought, feeling a wave of panic wash over him.

He knew, with a grim certainty, that even his enhanced healing wouldn't be able to mend the damage a bullet from that gun would inflict.

"Probably not." Cortana replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Her not killing you now is a good sign."

Lucian's eyes darted to the open balcony, a daring escape plan already forming in his mind.

"Don't even think about it." Jang Man Wol sneered, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

"These walls have defenses for wall-climbing types and flying types like you."

Noh Joon Suk entered, his face softening into a kind smile, a touch of warmth in the tense atmosphere in the room.

"I'll make tea." He moved towards a tea cart in the corner, his movements graceful and reassuring.

Jang Man Wol leveled the shotgun at Lucian, her gaze unwavering.

"Let's try this again. Answer honestly, or you'll feel the consequences."

Lucian flinched as the gun followed his every move, its cold metal glinting in the soft light.

Jang Man Wol clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Tsk, stop moving! It'll only hurt more than a real shotgun." She squinted, taking aim with a deadly precision.

Lucian rolled his eyes, trying to mask his fear with a forced nonchalance. 'So comforting. But no thanks,' he thought, continuing to dodge the shotgun relentless pursuit.

A shot ripped through the air, narrowly missing his head.

The wall behind him shattered, a testament to the weapon's power. 'Jesus.' he thought, staring at the destroyed wall, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin.

Jang Man Wol smirked, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Let's try this again. I ask, you answer truthfully. You're from the Ozunu clan, aren't you?"

Lucian's brow furrowed, the weight of his teammates' deaths pressing down on him. Their silence likely concealed information about Ozunu.

"How did you know?"

Jang Man Wol tossed him the smoke bomb, her fingers playing with the weapon as if it were a mere toy.

"Look at your clothes, and this. It's poison that kills supernatural creatures. Only ninjas of your clan, crazy enough to hunt supernatural beings, would use it. You're the only ones."

Lucian frowned, his gaze fixed on the smoke bomb in his hands, a tangible reminder of his past.

"Why? Other supernatural creatures aren't that strong." He wondered if there was some kind of protective law, a secret agreement between the supernatural world and humanity.

Jang Man Wol shook her head, a hint of weariness in her eyes.

"You really don't know anything, do you? The supernatural and mortal worlds are in delicate balance. Your clan's actions are creating fear and disrupting that balance. Awakened humans or their descendants usually hunt supernatural creatures, but you're just humans. The Ninja Assassins Clan the supernatural world fears you, while the mortal world admires, yet fears Ozunu. Your clan is unwelcome by both sides."

Lucian's expression hardened. 'Then everyone who is part of the Ozunu clan will be rejected by both societies'

he realized, the weight of his clan's legacy settling upon his shoulders.

"Why are you even in the Ozunu clan?" Jang Man Wol asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.

"I was kidnapped." Lucian replied, his gaze shifting towards Noh Joon Suk, who placed a steaming cup of tea on the table.

"Thank you," Lucian said with a genuine smile. 'He's a good guy.' he thought, feeling a sense of warmth in the midst of the chaos.

Noh Joon Suk smiled back, a gentle gesture that momentarily eased the tension in the room.

Cortana, her voice dripping with sarcasm, rolled her eyes.

"You say that to everyone who gives you food or drink, you glutton." she commented, her gaze lingering on Jang Man Wol. 'It seems she doesn't plan to hurt him.'

Jang Man Wol nodded slowly, her gaze unwavering as she sipped her tea.

Not caring about his answer, she was lost in her own thoughts. 'More like, why did Areum let him stay there?' she mused, knowing Areum, his mother, was most likely aware of Lucian's situation.

Her eyes narrowed. 'She wouldn't be that cruel to her son, would she?' she thought as she looked at Lucian, who was enjoying his tea with a quiet contentment.

'How much did this kid suffer?' she wondered, remembering how he absorbed pain as if it were nothing.

"How many people have you killed?" Jang Man Wol asked, her voice calm but her eyes sharp, as if trying to penetrate his soul.

Lucian, his lips smacking with satisfaction as he savored the tea, felt a sudden chill.

He looked at his calloused hands, his scars, reminders of the violence that had become a part of his life.

"Two hundred seventy eight," he stated as if it were a mundane fact, his voice devoid of remorse.

Noh Joon Suk, standing beside them, closed his eyes, a wave of sadness washing over him. 'A child should not have that much blood on his hands.'

Jang Man Wol sighed, taking another sip of her tea, a silent observer of the young man's darkness.

"What's it hard?" she asked, her voice gentle but her gaze intense.

"What is it hard to get that kind of power and to kill so many people?"

Lucian, his eyes focused on the calluses on his palms, felt a rush of memories the pain, the suffering, the constant struggle for survival.

Cortana, as if sensing his need for comfort, materialized beside his hand, gently caressing it.

Jang Man Wol watched him, her heart heavy with a mixture of pity and curiosity.

'Poor child. He must have suffered a lot to get to this point.' Then she saw a smile tug at his lips, a flicker of resilience in his dark eyes.

Lucian, finally answering, his voice a mix of weariness and resolve, said,

"It was hard, no, it was very hard. But it was worth it." He clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the future, on his life with Cortana, a future he was determined to protect, no matter the cost.

Jang Man Wol watched him with surprise, but her expression quickly dissolved into a mask of stoicism. 'Is this the kind of life you want for your kid, unnie?' she thought, her heart aching for the child she had just met.

"Then do you want to stay here?" she asked casually, her voice betraying none of the emotions swirling within her. 'I can't just let him go back there.'

Lucian thought about it, weighing the options. He looked at the plush velvet couch, the rich drapes, the open balcony, a world away from the stark, unforgiving reality of the Ozunu clan.

He thought about the children, the innocent lives that had been lost, the lives that could be saved if he stayed here. the promise he had made to himself and Cortana to not have any regrets in this life.

He shook his head, his gaze meeting Jang Man Wol's.

"Thank you. But I have to go back. I still have things to do."

Jang Man Wol raised an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Why don't you agree? How many people do you think would want my invitation to stay here?" she asked, her voice laced with a subtle irony. 'If not for your mother, I wouldn't invite you.' she thought, her gaze lingering on him.

"Like I said, I still have something to do,"

he replied, his gaze unwavering,

his determination as unwavering as his resolve.

He sensed her surprise,

her curiosity, but he refused to be swayed.

"Do you know what kind of opportunity you are missing out on?" Jang Man Wol asked, her arms crossed, her lips forming a tight line.

Lucian's gaze narrowed, his mind racing, trying to make sense of her unexpected kindness.

"I know." he said, his voice tinged with doubt.

"But what I don't know is why you're being so nice to me. Shouldn't you be angry, considering someone just died at your hotel?"

Jang Man Wol's eyes softened momentarily, a flicker of emotion breaking through her usual stoicism.

"Oh, of course. It's because of your mother."

Lucian's eyes widened in surprise.

"You know my mother?" He leaned forward, his curiosity piqued, the prospect of finally gaining answers about his past, about his mother, suddenly within reach.

"So, that's why she didn't hurt you." Cortana said, finally understanding why Lucian had been allowed to sip tea after what had transpired earlier.

"Can you tell me about her?" Lucian asked, his voice brimming with eagerness, his heart pounding with anticipation.

Jang Man Wol, ready to reply, was suddenly interrupted by a voice, a voice that resonated directly within her mind.

(Don't you dare tell him anything about me.)

The familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine. Areum, his mother, had infiltrated her thoughts.

'How did you get into my head? Don't you have pity for what your son has been through?'

(Little girl, your mind arts are weak in front of me.)

Jang Man Wol heard Areum's smug voice, a mocking undertone laced with arrogance.

(And he still hasn't grown enough, but he's almost there.)

'So, you're just going to send him back to that hellhole?' Jang Man Wol's voice, filled with a mixture of sadness and anger, echoed in her mind, her frustration getting stronger.

(If I have to. But he's the one who chose to go back himself, didn't he?)

Lucian, seeing Jang Man Wol's face contort in a mixture of confusion and frustration, was about to repeat his question.

But she shook her head, her expression returning to her usual impassive facade.

"I can't tell you much. I only knew her in the past."

"Still, can you tell me about her?" Lucian's eyes pleaded with her, their focus unwavering, his hopes for answers refusing to be extinguished.

Cortana, sensing his eagerness, smiled, her own hope for Lucian reflected in her soul form as she flicker.

Jang Man Wol nodded slightly, her gaze softening momentarily.

"First of all, she's a bi-" she stopped herself mid-sentence, her words catching in her throat. 'Almost slipped up there,' she thought, her heart pounding against her ribs.

She forced a smile, a gentle smile that betrayed the storm brewing within.

"She was beautiful and was a kind woman who had taught me and my friends in the past."

"Is that so?" Lucian smiled, closing his eyes as he tried to recall his mother's face, the memory of her from his infancy, a faint, flickering image in his mind.

'I think I heard her almost call her a bitch right?'

"Yes, you did. I heard it too. She really knew your mother." Cortana confirmed, her voice full of the sarcasm it usually carried.

Lucian opened his eyes, his heart sinking slightly.

'Looks like she's not going to tell me more about my mom,' he thought. 'I really wanted to know more about my mother, but I still need to leave here.'

He sighed as he stood up, knowing she was a friend of his mother's past. 'I need to report back to Ozunu,' he thought, even though this mission had been a disaster from the start. The only good thing was knowing a friend of his mother.

"Thank you for telling me, but I need to leave." he said, his voice tinged with resignation.

Jang Man Wol raised her eyebrows in question, her expression unreadable.

"Do you think it will be that easy to leave here just because I know your mother?"

Lucian sighed, realizing his wishful thinking.

"What do I need to do, so I can leave?" he asked, his voice lacking its usual confidence.

He knew he was in the wrong from the start.

Jang Man Wol just looked at him for a few seconds, her gaze lingering on his face.

"Nothing, just go." she said nonchalantly, her fingers twirling a strand of her hair.

"Are you sure I'll just go?" Lucian said, his doubt evident.

"Can I just walk out the door?" he asked, pointing towards the entrance.

"Of course, that is, if you don't regret declining my invitation." she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Lucian shook his head, his gaze fixed on the door, then back to her. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease, the sense that he was missing something, that he was being manipulated.

He turned to the door, a weight settling in his chest. He wasn't sure why he was so uneasy, but he knew he was not out of the woods yet.

As he moved towards the door, Jang Man Wol's face turned serious. She spoke, her voice low but powerful.

"Do you really want to do this?"

White mist appeared, swirling into a humanoid form, revealing Areum, his mother.

She stood in the room, her gaze fixed on Lucian.

Areum grinned, her eyes glittering with an unsettling mixture of amusement and calculation.

"Of course, I still want to see how much my child has grown this time."

Jang Man Wol looked at her in disbelief, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"And your test is having him killed? Why not just used my butler?"

Areum rolled her eyes, her disdain for the butler apparent.

"The Garuda is not your butler, and he's too weak for him."

"You think your son, who is nine years old, was stronger than a Garuda?" Jang Man Wol's expression was full of disbelief.

"Are you serious?"

Areum smiled, her eyes gleaming with a fierce pride. She walked at the balcony over seeing the streets of Seoul, waiting for the show to start.

"He is my son. He is special than you think, and he can kill your Garuda in more ways than you think." Her face turned around as her lips turned to a smirk.

Knowing Areum was showing off her son, Jang Man Wol rolled her eyes to her.

As she followed to the balcony, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

"And you think your son knowing how to kill in many ways is normal?"

"Yes, if he wanted to survive he would need to get stronger." Areum nodded in confirmation, her voice devoid of any remorse.

Jang Man Wol frowned and sighed as she called out the manager.

"Noh Joon-Suk." she said, her voice ringing out in the room.

"Yes, Ms." Noh Joon-Suk walked up to her, bowing slightly, waiting for her order.

"Tell all the guests he's from the Ozunu clan."

Noh Joon-Suk raised his head in disbelief, his eyes widening as he realized the implications of her request.

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Next Chapter 28: The Chase

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