Do-hyun's sleep was heavy, populated by chaotic fragments. Kael's red eyes turned into her mother's benevolent eyes in old photographs. The Blade of Light was breaking like glass as he tried to strike an elusive shadow that resembled his father. He woke up with a start, his heart beating, his cold soot on his forehead. The light filtering from the daytime simulatory neon lights told him that he had slept well into the morning.
[FULLLY OPERATIONAL SYSTEM]
[PV: 80/80]
Blood Energy: 92/100
[STATUS: Residual fatigue, 95% RESTABILITY]
[DIAGNOSTIC: "ENERGY WOOD LOOD LOOD LOOD" - TERMINAL PHASE. Full combat capacity estimated in 6 hours.
He got up, stretched, and felt a marked improvement. The sensation of thick mental haze had dissipated, replaced by a newfound clarity. His body responded again, even though a background of fatigue persisted, like a distant echo of superhuman effort.
He found a note of Soo-ah on the coffee table, scribbled on a notepad.
"Food in the fridge. Min-ho reported data. Nothing new with Kael. He shuts himself in silence. R-V 21h here for the final briefing. - S. "
The fridge was indeed full, with healthy prepared meals, far from its usual ramens. As he was having lunch, he asked the System to show him Min-ho's reports.
[ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA - AGENT MIN-HO]
[SUBJECT: RECOGNIZATION OF SEONGSU-DONG SECTOR (PIERRE GARDEN CEMETERY " AND HANOKS) ]
[Duration: 4 hours (04h00 - 08h00) ]
[Results:]
[1. Vampire activity: CONFIRMED PRESENCE. 3 IDENTIFIED PATROWS (2-3 levels). ROTATION SCHEMA every 90 minutes. No appearance of a major clan (BEAD POWER). DISCLAIVERED TERRITORY BETWEEN TWO MINOR CLANS: "BLACK GRIFFES" AND "PAL BLOOD."
[2. "PIERRE GARDEN" CEMETERY: ACCESS BY A RED FERRED gate. Pregnant wall in poor condition. NEGLEGATED INNER, DENSE VEGETATION. Detection of low energy abnormality in the centre of the site. Nature: Unknown. DO NOT emanate from a vampire signature.
HANOK Target: Located 450 meters from the cemetery. PRIVATE PROPERTY, belonging to a CULTURAL FOUNDATION. No night activity detected. STANDARD ALARM SYSTEM. No energy abnormality detected in perimeter.
MIN-HO AGENT CONCLUSION: Moderate risk. The anomaly of the cemetery deserves investigation. RECOMMENDED APPROACH: INFILTRATION BY THE CEMETERY, THEN ACCESS TO HANOK IF NECESSARY.
Do-hyun studied the maps and thermal photos that Min-ho had attached. The energy anomaly in the center of the cemetery perfectly matched the "meditative" mindset described by her mother. It was a solid starting point.
He spent the rest of the day getting ready. He underwent a light physical training session to get back on his feet, then locked himself in combat simulations to test his abilities. The Blade of Light had almost returned to its full power, and its control of the aura was again precise.
[COMPETENCE: LIGHT LAME - Efficiency: 98%]
[COMPETENCE: AURA control - EFFECTIVENESS: 96%]
As he finished his last simulation, a new notification appeared, different from the previous ones.
[Behavioural Analysis: IM-HO AGENT DATA]
[Evaluation: TACTIC PROWENCE - HIGH.] Reliability - estimated at 88%. PRIMARY MOBILATION: PERSONAL JUSTICE and restoration of order. GROUP INTEGRATION: CURRENT. RECOMMENDATION: Maintain collaboration.]
The system was evolving. He was no longer just analyzing vampires, but also his allies. It was both impressive and slightly disturbing.
Soo-ah and Min-ho arrived at the same time, shortly after 9 p.m. Soo-ah looked tired, his features drawn. Min-ho was as impassive and alert as the day before.
"Nothing to get out of Kael," Soo-ah announced, dropping on the couch. "He chose silence. He spends his time staring at the wall. The loss of his powers has broken him in a way that even the threat can no longer reach."
"It doesn't matter," says Min-ho, deploying a tablet with updated maps. "We have enough information to act. The sector is changing. The Black Claws and the Pale Blood skirted this afternoon. Confusion works in our favor."
He explained the plan in detail. They would infiltrate through a breach in the perimeter wall of the cemetery that Min-ho had spotted. Once inside, Do-hyun had to focus on the energetic anomaly while Min-ho and Soo-ah would watch and silently neutralize any overly curious patrol.
"The main objective: to identify and, if possible, secure the source of the anomaly," summarized Min-ho. "Secondary objective: to reach Hanok if the anomaly leads us there. Golden rule: silence and discretion. If we are spotted, we immediately retreat to the rallying point B. Understood?"
Do-hyun and Soo-ah nodded. The plan was clear.
An hour later, they were in place. The night was clear and cold, without a moon, which worked in their favor. The "Stone Garden" cemetery was located on a small hill, an island of silence and shade in the middle of the urban hustle and bustle of Seongsu-dong. The air was cooler, loaded with a smell of humus and wet stone.
Min-ho guided them to the breach he had mentioned, a portion of the ancient wall partially collapsed and hidden by a thick rhododendron bush. They sneaked inside without a sound.
The interior of the cemetery was a decaying world. Ancient funerary stelae, some broken, others covered with moss and ivy, stood like broken teeth in the dark. The trees, tall and gnarled, cast disturbing shadows. The silence was almost absolute, only disturbed by the rustling of the leaves and the distant noises of the city.
[VAMPIRE SENSE ACTIVED]
DETECTION: 2 Vampire signatures. Distance: 120 meters. Direction: NORTH-East. Levels: 2, 3.
[Behavior: Slow Patrol.]
"I see them," Min-ho whispered in his micro-earpiece. He pointed his finger at two figures moving slowly between the tombs in the distance. Do-hyun, your target?"
Do-hyun concentrated his meaning. The anomaly was there, weak but distinct. A bluish, peaceful glow, completely different from the scarlet pulsation of vampires.
[ENERGY ANOMALY DETECTED.] Distance: 50 meters. Direction: CEMETER CENTER.]
[NATURE: STABLE ENERGY RESIDUCT.] SIGNATURE: Compatible with the PHENIX system archives.]
"It's over there," he whispered, pointing in a direction. "It's related to the Phoenix."
They moved forward in silence, using the tombs and vegetation as a cover. Min-ho opened the march, his movements with a ghostly fluidity. Soo-ah closed the march, his spear already dismantled and held low, ready to be assembled in an instant.
They reached the center of the cemetery. There, unlike the rest of the site, a small clearing was maintained. In the center stood a single stele, larger and simpler than the others, made of polished black granite. It was not marked with any name, only with an engraved symbol: a stylized bird with spread wings, similar to the emblem that sometimes appeared in the system interface.
The Phoenix.
The energy anomaly emanated from this stone.
"It's... a cenotaph," Soo-ah whispered, his eyes widened. "An empty tomb."
Do-hyun approached, his heart tight. He put a hand on the cold stone. She was smooth, and under his fingers he felt a faint vibration, a familiar echo.
"This is where they came," he understood. "They erected this monument for themselves. Because they knew they wouldn't... there wouldn't be a body."
[ENERGY SCAN IN CURRENT...]
[Detection of a metal component buried under the stele.]
[SIGNATURE: SPECIAL ALLIAGE, compatible with system technology.]
"There's something underneath," Do-hyun announced.
Min-ho nodded and pulled out a small multifunctional tool. With remarkable efficiency, he inspected the edges of the stele. "It is not sealed. It pivots. Help me."
At three, as they got into it, they managed to slowly rotate the heavy stone on an invisible axis. It revealed a shallow cavity, protected from the elements. Inside, sheltered from the earth and time, was a gray metal box, sober and without ornament.
Do-hyun pulled him out with instinctive reverence. The box was cold and heavy. There was no lock visible.
"Try your energy footprint," Soo-ah suggested.
Do-hyun put his hand on the top of the box and channeled a tiny amount of energy, a simple spark from the Blade of Light.
A silent click was heard. The lid lifted slightly.
Inside, on a black velvet bed, lay two objects. An old USB key, of an obsolete model. And a small, smooth, black, pebble-like stone pulsating with a faint bluish glow identical to the anomaly.
[Identified subject: DATA STOPKING key.]
[OBJECT Identified: Energy Memory Stone.]
[FUNCTION: Bio-ENERGY STORAGE SUPPORT.] REQUIRE A PHENIX SIGNATURE TO BE DECHIFFRED.]
Do-hyun took the stone. In contact with his skin, a wave of pure, unfiltered emotions crossed his mind. They were not words, but sensations. A deep serenity. A burning love. Unwavering determination. And a hint of resigned sadness.
These were his mother's emotions. Left here, like a final message.
Tears came to his eyes in spite of himself. It was more intimate, more raw than reading words in a newspaper. It was a piece of his soul.
Suddenly, Min-ho's earpiece crackled.
"Movement. Patrol getting closer. Faster than expected. Two more joined them. Four in total. We retreat. Now."
Do-hyun closed the box and stuffed it into his backpack. They rotated the stele to put it back in place, erasing all traces of their passage.
They began to retreat to the breach, but a voice froze them.
"Well, well. What do we have here? Grave robbers?"
A vampire, taller than the others, stood about twenty meters away, blocking their way. His three companions emerged from the shadows, slowly surrounding them. They wore insignia depicting claws dripping with blood. The Black Claws.
Target analysis: Male Vampire, Level 4, RANG: CAPORAL.
[THEAR: HIGH (due to number and position).]
"You're not looking for trouble," said Min-ho, his voice perfectly calm. His hand was close to his gun, but he hadn't drawn it yet.
"Too late," sneered the patrol leader. "You're on our territory. And you touched our stone. No one touches the stone."
Our stone? Do-hyun exchanged a glance with Soo-ah. The vampires knew about the cenotaph?
"We leave, and we forget that we saw each other," Soo-ah proposed, assembling his spear with a menacing rattling.
The vampire laughs, a hoarse sound. "I don't think so. The Pale Blood would pay dearly to find out what you're making here. Or maybe you'll pay."
He charged.
Time seemed to slow down. Do-hyun saw Min-ho draw a tranquilizer dart gun and shoot a level 2 vampire with surgical precision. Soo-ah engaged the patrol leader, his spear whistling in the night air.
The third vampire, a level 3, rushed to Do-hyun.
Do-hyun had no time to summon his Blade of Light. He used his fighting instinct, dodging the claws that lacerated the air near his face. The System projected trajectories, suggestions for counter-attacks.
[Diving: RIGHT.] AGAINSTACK: COUND ON STERNUM.]
He pivoted and knocked. The shock pushed the vampire back, surprised by the force of the impact.
[Force: 12]
Soo-ah and level 4 were engaged in a fierce duel. The vampire was strong, but Soo-ah was faster, more technical. She made an opening and planted the tip of her spear in the vampire's shoulder. He screamed.
Min-ho had neutralized his second opponent and was now pointing his weapon at wounded level 4.
"Enough!" barked Min-ho. "The next one is deadly."
The vampire, held in respect by Soo-ah and threatened by Min-ho, growled in rage. "You don't know what you're getting involved in, humans! This stone... it's cursed! It attracts trouble!"
"What do you know about this stone?" asked Do-hyun, advancing.
The vampire sneered, a net of black blood flowing from his wound. "Nothing about you, little human. But others will come. The strongest. They feel it, you know. Your little light."
His eyes landed on Do-hyun with concentrated hatred. "You shine like a beacon. They'll find you."
With these words, he threw a small sphere to the ground. It exploded in a blinding flash of light and a foul cloud of smoke.
[ALERT]: LIGHT GRENADE/FUMIGENE. Components: sulphur, silver powder.
[VISION: Obstructed for 10 seconds.]
When the smoke cleared, the vampire disappeared, leaving behind his two unconscious subordinates.
"We're going to leave," Min-ho ordered. "They're going to come back in force."
They left the cemetery as quickly as they had entered, regaining security from the lighted streets of Seongsu-dong and then their base.
Back at HQ, the adrenaline began to fall. They had succeeded. They had recovered a crucial clue. But the vampire's words echoed through Do-hyun's head.
You shine like a beacon. They'll find you.
The Phoenix Heart was not the only one being hunted down. The heir was just as much.
Do-hyun squeezed the memory stone in his hand. The next stage began now. He had to discover the secrets it contained. Before his enemies, old and new, find him.