"Wow, your room is so spacious, sis!" Eila exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she eagerly bounced up and down on the large bed.
Karina, watching her antics, simply ignored Eila and walked toward her wardrobe. After rummaging through clothes dominated by black and white, Karina frowned, unable to find anything suitable, and turned toward Eila.
"Ei, pick out an outfit for me" she said.
Eila froze momentarily before a small smile spread across her lips. "Oooh, going on a date, huh?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Shut up, Just pick something already" Karina retorted, turning her face away.
"Wow, still playing shy" Eila teased casually as she walked over to the wardrobe.
Eila turned and scrutinized Karina from head to toe. "None of these clothes are suitable, sis," she said bluntly.
Karina shot her a sharp glare, but Eila ignored it and grabbed Karina's hand, dragging her out of the room, not forgetting to instruct her to bring her crystal core.
After being pulled along for some time, they arrived at a bustling market. The noise of people offering their wares filled the air, mingling with the chaotic sounds of the crowd.
"This way, sis" Eila said, holding up a hanger and sizing it up in front of Karina, her expression thoughtful.
"Hmm" Karina hummed, resigned, and moments later found herself shoved into a changing booth.
"Skip."
"Skip."
"Skip."
Karina growled in frustration, her eyes ready to glare daggers at Eila. How many outfits had she tried on already? And why hadn't this ended yet, especially since all the outfits seemed perfectly fine?
Feeling Karina's sharp gaze, Eila could only offer a sheepish grin. "You need to look perfect for your first date. I promise, this is the last one," Eila said sweetly, handing Karina a white dress. Reluctantly, Karina stepped back into the fitting room.
While waiting for Karina, Eila busied herself looking for clothes. However, boredom soon caught up with her. Her eyes wandered around the room and landed on a black cardigan hanging on a rack. Drawn to its elegant look, her hand unconsciously reached for it.
When Karina emerged from the fitting room, Eila quickly draped the cardigan over her pale shoulders.
"Perfect" Eila said with a satisfied smile.
"Thanks, sir" Eila joked, grinning as she paid for everything—of course, with Karina's crystal core.
Eila cheerfully carried several paper bags after Karina finished shopping. Karina looked at her remaining crystal core with a hint of sadness before tucking it into her pocket. She pondered the inconvenience of carrying the crystals and wished a credit card could make things easier in situations like this.
"Haha! Did you see that bald seller with the red bump on his head?" Eila teased.
"Yeah" Karina replied with a nod.
Hearing Karina's flat response, Eila pouted, feeling disappointed. It seemed this person wasn't one to share a joke, even though it was funny.
Bang!
Eila flinched as someone bumped into her, causing all the bags she was holding to fall to the ground.
"Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?" the person said hurriedly, attempting to apologize.
"Okay? Are you blind? Look at this mess!" Eila snapped reflexively, rubbing her sore hip.
"I'm really sorry! I'm in a rush. Bye!" the man said quickly before running off.
Karina, who had been observing, grew suspicious of the man's hurried behavior. She reached into her pocket, and her suspicions were confirmed—her crystal core was gone. Handing the shopping bags to Eila, she darted off in pursuit.
"Sis, Karina, where are you going?" Eila shouted, pouting at being left behind. Unfortunately, Karina was already too far to hear her.
Unbeknownst to Karina, from the moment she stepped into the crowded market, a man had been watching her from a restaurant on the second floor. A crooked smile stretched across Yuta's face, adding a sinister edge to his expression.
Adjusting his demeanor, Yuta stepped out of his hiding spot and approached a girl who was brushing off her reddened knees. He extended a hand toward her.
However, Eila ignored his gesture. Maintaining his polite smile, Yuta withdrew his hand.
After brushing off the dust, Eila stood up, ready to report the theft. As she turned, she didn't notice a hand reaching for the back of her neck. Darkness quickly consumed her vision.
Yuta bent down, placing a finger under the girl's nose to ensure she was unconscious. After confirming no reaction, he realized the girl was entirely out cold.
"If this leaks, I'll finish you all!" he shouted arrogantly at the crowd witnessing the scene.
After issuing his warning, Yuta left with the unconscious girl slung over his shoulder, signaling his men to collect the shopping bags left behind.
Meanwhile, Karina was still chasing the thief until she found herself in a rundown area filled with narrow alleys and heaps of garbage. The thief was fast, moving like someone properly trained. When she finally stopped, she sensed someone behind her.
A blow landed on her neck. But it wasn't Karina who fell unconscious—it was the attacker, shocked when Karina swiftly restrained him with her crystal core energy.
Seething with anger, Karina gripped the man's neck tightly with the glowing energy of her crystal core.
Gasping for air, the man stammered, "If you want your friend to survive, let me go."
Hearing this, Karina loosened her grip slightly, causing the man to collapse to the ground.
The fall was hard, leaving Jeno's backside numb. Grimacing in pain, he stood with an arrogant posture, arms crossed.
"Haha! If you want your friend alive, you'd better come with me!" he shouted again, his cocky attitude unshaken.
Moments later, Jeno's arrogant laughter abruptly stopped as he was overwhelmed by an excruciating pain coursing through his body. It felt like thousands of sharp needles piercing his flesh.
Panicked, Jeno glanced at Karina, who was slowly approaching him. "Stop! I said stop!" he shouted desperately. But Karina continued to advance, her face expressionless, making Jeno break out in a cold sweat.
Karina stepped closer to Jeno, who was clutching his head in agony.
Her right foot lifted and stomped onto Jeno's shoulder with a hard military boot, forcing him to bow to the dirty ground.
"You want your friend to die, huh?" she asked coldly, pulling a knife from her boot.
Panting heavily, Jeno shut his eyes in fear. If this scientist was a psychopath, he had no intention of volunteering to be bait.
He silently prayed for safety, but what happened next was unexpected. Instead of killing him, he felt his clothes being ripped apart. Slowly opening his eyes, Jeno was left wondering—what was this scientist planning to do to him?