The soft crackle of the fireplace filled the room, but Joon Su's thoughts were elsewhere, distant and troubled. His hand instinctively moved over his belly, the faint stirrings of the child within, a reminder of the calm, the hope he was clinging to. Yet, the unease from the capital gnawed at him, something felt wrong.
Without warning, his eyes sharpened, and he sat up straighter, the warmth in his expression replaced by a cold, authoritative edge. His gaze flickered toward the ceiling, where the faintest movement could be seen—a shadow lurking just beyond sight.
"Come down," Joon Su's voice cut through the room with unexpected command, firm and resolute.
The others looked at him in surprise, but before they could react, a figure dropped from the rafters, landing gracefully in a crouch. A man dressed in all black, face half-hidden by a mask, knelt before Joon Su. The shadow guard—one of their most trusted—had been watching, waiting. Now, summoned.
