Kyung-ho blinked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What... what do you mean by that?"
The Old Master leaned in, his smile widening. "Her shattered soul, each piece, must choose to return with you. You can't force her. You can't bind her. She must come willingly."
Joon su's face paled, and his legs nearly gave out. "How… how are we supposed to convince her?"
The Old Master's cold, piercing gaze met his. "That's the real question, isn't it? After everything you've done, after all the suffering you caused her... do you think any part of her would *want* to come back to you?"
Kyung-ho 's breath hitched, his mind racing with panic. "We can—there must be a way to make her see… to make her understand…"
The Old Master laughed softly, his voice full of malice. "Go ahead. Try. But know this—you might chase her fragments to the ends of the earth, and even if you find them, even if you beg and plead, it may all be for nothing. She may never choose you."
