V

Seoul, South Korea (June 2019)

"Han? Is that you?" Tina could not believe her eyes. It's been years since she last saw Haneul, but it seemed like time hadn't touched him at all. He still looked as dreamy as she remembered, only his smooth dark was longer. He was still well-dressed too. Tina was pretty sure he's wearing the latest of Burberry's spring collection for men's wear. Even as a child, she noticed and appreciated that about him.  

Haneul stared at her in disbelief, and Tina almost laughed. She knew she looked nothing like the little girl who used to follow him around before. Their unexpected meeting must be a shock to him, too. "Tina?" Haneul murmured.

"I know. I grew up!" Tina exclaimed cheerfully. She couldn't help herself. It was great bumping into him unexpectedly. Ever since she started coming to South Korea for business, she secretly wanted to see him again. But luck didn't grant her that wish until now. 

"You did," Haneul replied. His eyes crinkled at the corners, though his tone was a bit somber. 

Tina's brows furrowed, "You don't seem happy to see me." she joked, suddenly feeling nervous. 

"What? No, I am. I--uh..." Haneul trailed off. He looked like he had something to say but couldn't. Tina didn't remember him being this unsure before. Haneul was always deliberate in words and actions. Something is bothering him. 

"Is everything okay?" Tina asked. 

Haneul blinked at the question, "Yes. Everything's fine." he answered, adjusting the cuffs of his coat.

Tina frowned. She couldn't help but feel disappointed at Haneul's reaction upon seeing her. It wasn't how she imagined their meeting would be. "My friend and I are on our way to lunch. She's just taking a call. Come join us." Tina offered, hoping to bridge the distance between them.

"Oh, I shouldn't," Haneul replied almost as quickly as the invite came. "I actually have something--."

"Come on," Tina insisted, smiling at him. "We haven't seen each other in so long." She tried not to sound desperate in saying that last statement, but it probably did not escape him. This was Haneul, who almost always knew exactly how she was feeling even without her saying a thing.

As expected, his face took on an apologetic form. "Sorry, Tina." he softly said. 

The lines between Tina's brow deepened further. Why did it seem like he was apologizing for something more grave than refusing to eat brunch with her? It was making her more nervous. She shook herself. Right in front of her eyes, Haneul was about to leave. Again. She couldn't let that happen. 

"Wait!" Tina shouted, loud enough to have caught the attention of those around her. She felt a bit embarrassed, but it wasn't for nothing. Haneul stopped in his tracks, his attention turning back to her. 

"Can I at least have your number?" Tina asked.

Silence ensued between them. The uncomfortable look on Haneul's face was gone. Instead, he gazed at her in curiosity, and perhaps, amusement. Tina felt a little bit of victory from that, so she endeavored to tease him, "Don't tell me you still don't have a phone?" 

Haneul let out a gasp of laughter, "Tina--" he stared to say, but Tina cut him off. 

"I still have that handkerchief you lent me. I just want to return it."

"A handkerchief?" Haneul asked her, his eyes crinkling in the corners. He looked like he might start laughing at her. Tina didn't blame him. She knew it was the poorest excuse anyone could think of in the heat of a moment. But it was no secret between them that she didn't want him to go yet. 

"Yes. Remember when I--" Tina started to explain. 

"When you fell on your bike, hurt your knee, and started crying like a baby. I gave you a handkerchief to get the dirt off of you." Haneul supplied, beaming at her. 

Tina laughed, remembering how she loved it when he smiled, "Well, technically, I was a baby. I mean, I was just six." 

"Tina," Haneul said, "I told you to keep it. It's yours now." 

Haneul's voice was gentle, a little bit teasing, and Tina looked up at him, reveling in the fondness in his tone. For a second, they stared at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Tina didn't know why he was in a rush. Whatever it was, it must be so important for him to insist on it at a time like this—their very first meeting after what seemed like forever.

"I know. Sorry, I just---we might not see each other again. I feel like this is a rare gift," Tina said, sheepishly filling in the silence.

She cringed at her unplanned honesty, especially regretting it when Haneul's eyes darkened. "Yes. I'm beginning to think so, too."

There was that feeling again. Like Haneul knew something horrible was about to happen and was hesitant to tell Tina. 

Her hands moved out of their own accord, reaching out towards him. She felt like her thirteen-year-old self again, suddenly aching to touch the friend who was bidding her goodbye. More than that, she also felt a fit of inexplicable anger at him. If he was going to cut this meeting short, the least he could do was tell her why he was in a hurry.  

"Take care, Tina," Haneul said, his eyes flitting towards Tina's hands, which she had managed to pull back at the last second.

Tina could not bring herself to speak, so she only smiled. It seemed like in such a brief reunion, Haneul had managed to hurt her pride. She didn't even think something like that was possible. 

Nodding at him, she turned away, hoping to calm the beating of her heart. It was taking all of her to keep from lashing at Haneul. Why did he have to show himself? If he was just going to say goodbye again, he should've just walked past her or pretended he didn't know her. Schooling calmness to her features, Tina walked away from him before he could do the same, all over again. 

______________

"So, do you regret talking to her yet? On a scale of one to getting amputated by a demon blade, how horrible do you feel right now?" Haneul didn't have to look to see who asked the question. LJ joined him in his spot just in front of the restaurant that Tina had entered. 

 Sighing in frustration, he put his hands in his pockets. "Shut up," Haneul replied, "I still can't believe it. Tina's a Mirror. I don't know how I could've missed that." 

"To be fair, they sometimes don't take Lilith's form until they're only a few years near their 18th birthday. It's easy to miss, really." LJ commented, hoping to ease his brother's guilt. But Haneul could not be assured. Due to his inability to realize it earlier, he was now at a crossroads, and both were paths that he wasn't willing to take. 

"I swore to protect her," Haneul murmured. "But I also swore to bring her kind to justice." 

"Yeah...that's the dilemma in a nutshell."

"We have to find her." Haneul suddenly said, his face lighting up. 

It took a while for LJ to get what his brother meant. But as soon as it registered, he was quick to dissuade Haneul, "No. Not a good idea, Han. We can't let her get involved. The Principalities are still suspicious of her until now. You know they're just waiting for an excuse to kick her out." 

"LJ, she was the one who volunteered to help," Haneul argued. "Please, just talk to her. She might know a way out of this." 

LJ's face hardened, which was a rare sight. But Haneul expected this. LJ was generally easygoing, but Alice was challenging to breach around him. "You can protect Tina better if she's in The Pocket, you know," LJ said.

Haneul bristled, and the two angels glared at each other. "You can't really mean that. That would destroy her, being stuck in one place for the rest of her life. You don't know her like I do."

Sighing, LJ ran his fingers through his hair, "Fine. If you really think she can help, I'll talk to her. It's her choice to make, after all." 

"Thank you, LJ. I mean it." Haneul said, visibly relieved. "I'm truly at a loss here." 

"Sure," LJ replied slowly. He looked down at his feet, suddenly embarrassed, "I was a guardian too, so I can relate to how you feel." 

"How long will it take you to locate her?" Haneul gently asked LJ. 

"A day or so," replied LJ. 

Haneul nodded, "I'll continue surveillance on Tina in the meantime. And remember, no one can know about this. Not even our squad, especially Minho. I think he's hiding something about Tina." 

"Really? Any theories on what it is?" LJ queried.

"Nothing, yet. But I have a feeling it might cost Tina her life. That's why we need to be careful." 

Marseille, France (June 2019)

Monique Fournier scoffed at the overlooking view of the glittering ocean in front of her. The Marseille-Fos Port was extra depressing today, and she could no longer bear to look at it. With a flick of her wrist, midnight smoke filled the air, and the window blinds snapped together to cover her suite in darkness. Much better. The sun didn't hurt Monique, but as someone who has been around vampires her entire life, she learned to loathe it.

"I'm just saying...you can afford to be a little discreet with your...activities." Fabienne, her guardian, lounged on the large sofa near Monique's bed. A boy was sleeping soundly on Fabienne's chest, one that Monique hadn't seen before. Despite the darkness, Monique could see the puncture marks on the stranger's neck and exposed collarbone. She cringed in disgust at the distasteful sight before her. 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to feed in my chambers?" Monique growled at Fabienne. The latter just sighed, waking up her enthralled companion and sending him out to the room. The boy followed the unspoken order, stumbling on his feet on his way to the door. 

"Do that again, and I'll open up all the windows of this place." Monique threatened, glaring at Fabienne as soon as they were alone. She crossed the room in quick strides, refilling her glass with wine. 

"Oh, come on, I'm not the one you're mad at," Fabienne said, unaffected by her ward's intimidation. "You're angry at Lilith for forbidding you to visit Paris. I told you you've become insatiable. Did you think your mother would not find out?" 

Just then, a dagger flew just a few inches from my Fabienne's head, burning a hole through the wall behind her. 

"Putain!" Monique screamed. "She's killed more people than me."

Fabienne only blinked at the attack, unruffled. Usually, she would be more concerned for her safety whenever Monique threw a fit. But she was still high from being fed seconds ago, and she couldn't bother. 

"She's Lilith!" Fabienne hissed at Monique. "She can do whatever the hell she likes. And as her descended daughter, you must follow her. If she orders you to be discreet, you do as she says. You don't go around killing people every night, attracting the attention of humans." 

Monique scoffed, "It's that bitch." she said, gripping her wineglass so hard the rings on her fingers dug into her flesh, cutting deep until it bled. 

Fabienne sighed. She knew what Monique was talking about. One of the Mirrors was nearing her birthday, so Lilith made preparations again. Ordinarily, the Archdemoness would just remind their clan to be more subtle in their activities. But they had just lost a Mirror to the angels recently, so they were ordered to shut down all activities entirely for this particular Mirror. And that meant foiling Monique's plans to cause chaos during the Champs-Élysées' Film Festival.

"She's the reason why I'm stuck here," Monique said, still seething in her anger. 

"Drag her down to the demon realms yourself, then. I'm sure your mother would appreciate the help. She might even let you attend the festival as a reward." Fabienne suggested, arranging herself on the sofa again, yawning. "I have a feeling this girl's going to be your mother's favorite."

"Nonsense. Mother would never pick that girl over me." Monique answered, though there was an uncertainty in her tone. 

"What did I tell you? You have no true control over anyone, especially your mother." Fabienne replied, her eyes finally giving in to sleep. Monique stared at her guardian, fighting the urge to fold the vampire in half. There was no way she'd let herself get displaced. Monique didn't serve Lilith for centuries just to get ignored in the end. She had to do something about that girl.