Jihyo encounters a bad headwind---a Koul'in, with a hostile goal.
Jihyo and Seojun ventured on the other side of the barren grove as Zeke and Hangyeol took off to the building near the entrance of the park. Slowly, the grey skies started to turn darker and darker, so they have to make haste trying to find the survivors scattered in the area.
But it was a difficult scenario for the two. The Manifest's self-producing light can only illuminate a few feet around them, which means their movements and vision are limited. They have to remain vigilant and careful of anything that may come from the shadows beyond the Seraphim's reach---be it snowman or Scraper, as well as be on the alert for the survivors that just might be hiding nearby.
Fortunately, there aren't any threats around the place since they started walking. A good sign--- this would mean the rescue would be a lot faster--- but it seemed very unusual, considering Hangyeol warned them about the large amount of the creatures that were around the whole park.
"Strange.." Jihyo said. "None of those ugly snowmen or Scrapers around these parts... No survivors either.."
Immediately after she said that, she hears a few growls in the area, and one by one, snowmen started appearing in front of them.
"O...kay... maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that..." Jihyo facepalmed as she readied the Seraphim. The cane flaked away, and as it glowed, it turns into a katana.
"Hoho." Seojun chuckled. "Now, let's handle this. I'll be right behind."
Jihyo nods as she runs toward the creatures. Her hand glistened in prismatic light.
"Prismatic Burst!"
She unleashes a palm strike that bursts an incoming snowman's head off. She follows up with graceful slashes that take out the remaining snowmen. Soon enough, Jihyo was able to fend off the ambush.
"Great job, Jihyo," Seojun said.
"Thanks, Seojun-nim," Jihyo replied, wiping the sweat off her face. "But I'm kinda worried now. We haven't seen any survivors around. Is Hangyeol sure that they're here..?"
"That, I cannot provide an answer for," Seojun replied. "But we must keep going in hopes that it'll turn out well."
Jihyo nodded as they continued walking around what seems to be nothing but an endless path of barren trees and broken pavements, all shrouded in darkness.
Jihyo started feeling hopeless. She felt that they didn't make it and that they were a little too late in saving everyone. After all, they left Minhyuk's settlement fifteen minutes after he received the distress call. A lot of things might've happened in the park at that time.
Jihyo was overthinking, and she had to calm down to keep going. But the more she tried to ignore it, the more she felt hopeless.
For a moment, she was finally getting why Zeke felt the same thing earlier.
She suddenly stopped walking as she turns to Seojun.
"Seojun-nim.." She said, looking at him with an even more worried look on her face. "I have a question.."
"Yes, Jihyo? What is it?" Seojun replied.
"Don't you feel.. scared when you're presented with uncertain times like these?" Jihyo said as she gave a small sigh.
"What do you mean?" Seojun replied.
"I mean... This whole thing. It's uncertain. I'm not sure where the people truly are, if they survived, or what danger truly awaits us here." Jihyo said.
"Jihyo.." Seojun replied. "I've always prepared for the uncertain all my life, so I do not feel scared when it happens. I've always tried to see things positively, and it is no different in this one. I'm hoping that this mission will have a positive outcome."
"Well... I.. I'm just.." Jihyo hesitated.
"You can say it," Seojun replied.
Jihyo took a deep breath. "Earlier before we left, Zeke and I.. we talked about his fear about this mission. He was scared that we wouldn't be able to save the people here. I think I gave him a piece of pretty solid advice that made him feel better about all of these, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to feel what he felt. It's truly different when you're actually here, right, Seojun-nim..?"
Seojun just nodded as he continued listening to Jihyo.
"But I shouldn't feel this.." She said as she shook her head. "I know I shouldn't feel this way because I have your Manifest, which means I'm supposed to be stronger, both mind and body. I've trained for a good while, too, and... it's I know it's not right." Jihyo said as she looks away.
"Jihyo.." Seojun said. "It's okay to feel that way. You don't have to force yourself to believe you shouldn't feel negative things just because you became supernaturally stronger. You're still human. Believe it or not, I've also had those moments, and it really took me a lifetime to manage them."
Jihyo looks at Seojun as he takes a deep breath.
"Really, Seojun-nim..?" Jihyo said.
"Of course! In fact, if it wasn't for those fears in my life, I wouldn't probably be here." Seojun smiled. "It's in those fears that we realize what we should do and what we want to be, you know."
Jihyo gasped at what he said.
"That's... The same thing I've told Zeke earlier.." Jihyo said.
"Oh, really? Then, if that's the case, you probably already know what to do, don't you think? Maybe you just needed to hear it from someone else." Seojun said as he gave Jihyo a pat on the shoulder.
"I guess so.." Jihyo said as she smiled. "It does sound nice coming from someone else, especially from a wise person like you, Seojun-nim."
"Ah, no need to praise me for it. Encouraging others... It's what we're supposed to do, after all. At this point, is there any reason that we should let each other down? I don't think there is."
Jihyo felt relieved. She felt a little more hopeful this time about rescuing the survivors, making it out alive... even finding her members. She takes another deep breath, and as she exhales, she notices that the Seraphim shined a bit brighter than it did before, now illuminating more area than it used to cover. Seojun notices this as well.
"I guess it responded to how you feel right now," Seojun said.
"Wait.. it can do that?" Jihyo replied.
"The Seraphim is known to resonate with its owner's feelings. Other Manifests can do that too." Seojun replied.
"So this thing is really a one of a kind item.." Jihyo said, looking at the bright Manifest.
"Mhm. Now, with Seraphim's light becoming brighter, we should be able to see more of the area. Let's keep going." Seojun said.
A few minutes of walking had passed when they started seeing pieces of ripped clothing everywhere, along with some blood that stained the snowy ground red.
Jihyo looks around. A couple of trees were uprooted, and some had deep faintly glowing slash marks on them.
"Seojun-nim.." Jihyo said. "This isn't a good sign.."
Suddenly, they heard a chilly, booming voice echo from the shadows.
"But it is, for me." It said.
The trees around Jihyo and Seojun started swaying. Jihyo immediately brandishes the Seraphim as the winds grew stronger, and soon, a figure appears from the shadows at least ten feet away from them, the cold winds seemingly revolving around him.