Rain fell like whispered warnings as Taemin led Hana through the dense edges of the Bukhansan forest.
Mist curled low over the earth, clinging to their legs like spirits too tired to rise. Trees stood tall and ancient, their gnarled branches arching overhead like the ribs of a forgotten beast.
"You're sure this is safe?" Hana asked, breath visible in the sudden chill.
"No," Taemin answered flatly. "But she's the only one who might tell us who you really are."
Lightning flashed again, revealing a stone path hidden beneath fallen leaves. Foxfire lanterns—blue, ghostly, hovering—flickered to life as they approached.
The air shimmered.
And suddenly, the forest around them changed.
No longer damp and dark, it became glowing and otherworldly. Crimson leaves floated upward instead of falling. Strange symbols moved across the bark of trees like living ink. A large torii gate of wood and bone loomed ahead.
Taemin stopped.
"She wards her domain," he said. "Only those with a mark may pass."
Hana's pendant glowed faintly again, and the fox-shaped flame spiraled out from her chest. The gate responded with a low hum, then opened silently.
They entered.
A shrine lay beyond—half-temple, half-cave—nestled beneath a cliff where water poured in a gentle curtain. Candles lined the path, each flame forming the shape of a tail.
Then she appeared.
The Shaman.
She was old and young all at once—long silver hair trailing like threads of moonlight, fox ears peeking from beneath her veil. Her blindfold bore the symbol of the twin flames—one blue, one gold.
"You've returned," the Shaman said in a voice that echoed with eternity. "Both flame and fang, bonded once more."
"You remember us?" Hana asked.
"I remember the soul," the Shaman replied. "Though time has stolen your faces, your fire remains unchanged."
She motioned for Hana to step forward. "Let me see your heart."
Hana hesitated, then placed her hand over her chest.
The pendant responded.
Images flickered through her mind—of a burning palace, a weeping fox, a kiss beneath falling stars, and a name screamed in betrayal.
The Shaman nodded solemnly.
"Your true name… was Aran. Flamebound guardian of the Ninefold Pact. And once—his promised."
Hana staggered back. "I—what?"
Taemin's eyes were filled with stunned recognition.
The Shaman looked between them.
"History has pulled you back together for a reason. But whether it ends in love—or ruin again—is a path yet unwritten."
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