𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘 ─ 𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗢𝗡

XX. The Coven has Eyes and Ears Everywhere

"Hoonie, look at that." Jake said as he pulled Sunghoon near him.

The two hidden lovebirds were enjoying their time together, when they saw their fellow eagle friend from a distance.

"Is that Jay? Didn't he say he was busy studying for a quiz?" Jake asked.

"That's what he said. But it looks like he's with some girl." Sunghoon replied.

Both of them took a close look at Jay and the girl and wondered why Jay lied.

"That's the same girl he was with a few days ago. I've noticed he's hanging out with her a lot, and hanging out with us less....I feel kind of sad he's keeping things from us." Sunghoon said with a sigh.

"Well, it's a bit unfair to say that, don't you think? We're hiding something from him too, aren't we?" Jake said, understanding and comforting Sunghoon by holding the younger's hand.

Sunghoon smiled a small smile.

"I guess it is a bit unfair..."

---

"Hello! Welcome! Take a look, I'm sure you'll find something you like!".

The Japanese convention is a haven for all people who like buying numerous merchandise. The old and young alike all share the same excitement an joy in buying goods sold in every inch corner of this building's walls.

This place would remind you of the olden times, where countless people would crowd in the middle of town to buy items from merchants.

"Old textbooks from Japanese scholars! It's worth the read!"

But of course, not every seller has luck on selling out their goods.

A middle-aged man, probably somewhere around his 40s sighed. He hasn't sold one thing and its almost the end of the day.

It's obvious to him why he has no sales though. Who would buy a bunch of stuff from an expedition booth? What kind of person would buy scrolls and paper that was made almost thousands of years ago?

"Excuse me..."

Jungwon entered the tent-like booth of the middle aged man. He seemed eager to enter the place.

Jungwon brought out a small pamphlet - the one he got upon entering the convention. He pointed at one logo on the paper.

"Is this the 'Odyssey Hub'?" he asked.

The man was surprised. Finally, there's someone who took interest in his shop.

"Yes! Yes this is the Odyssey Hub - where you can find anything and everything related to ancient Japanese times!" the man exclaimed in joy.

"Good. I need to know what this is."

Jungwon brought out the scroll he was having trouble with. If there's something that could help him get one step closer to finding out what the symbols mean, this hub would be it.

Upon opening the scroll, the man recognized the symbol present on the upper right corner of the paper.

"Oh- h-how did you get this???" The man asked.

"I found it in a forest. What is this?" Jungwon asked.

Of course he knew what it is. He just has to act like he doesn't know, so that he can eventually ask for more information like translations.

"This symbol...it's a symbol of horror. This is a symbol of a witch cult. A coven."

Jungwon nod his head, pretending that this is the first time he knew about it.

"I don't understand what it says. Apparently it's not a Japanese dialect. I was hoping you could help me translate this."

"Of course, of course! I shall help you. But do note, this kind of service would cost a bit more than you expect." The man spoke.

"Money is not an issue." Jungwon replied.

"Very well." The man spoke before leaving for a while to get something from what seems to be a storage room behind the tent.

Jungwon looked around the tent. As he was doing that, he thought about how the old man must have known about the Black Rose and its symbol. But then again, the Black Rose has been around for centuries. What the man knows is probably knowledge passed down to him by older archaeologists.

Shortly after, the man returned with a leather notebook. He opened it, and after skimming the notebook for a few seconds, he found what he was looking for.

"This is the writing system invented by the cult. This list of symbols I have here was made a few hundred years ago, so it might be out of date. But if we're lucky, they might at least translate into something." The man said.

Jungwon nodded and watched the man do his thing.

Using a separate sheet of paper, the man started writing down the syllables that each symbol corresponded to. Little by little, the man was able to form a sentence.

He read the sentence aloud.

"Lust Demons. Ravenous emotional parasites. Luring people with a promise of love, lust demons are known for causing pain and suffering of their prey through physical and mental torture - feeding off of the screams of agony to sustain the magic in their bodies."

Jungwon's eyes widened, alarmed of the description the man read aloud.

"Shit. I have to save Jay hyung."

Jungwon immediately brought his phone out and texted Niki and Sunoo, letting them know that he has to leave urgently.

Jungwon hurriedly got the scroll from the man, rushing to get out of the tent.

"Hey! You have to pay!" The man shout.

Jungwon threw a pouch filled with money on the table.

"Thank you kind sir. If anyone asks about this whole thing, please don't say a word." Jungwon said and ran.

"Oh little boy, there's no need for me to say a word. The Coven has eyes and ears everywhere. She has eyes and ears everywhere. " The man spoke as his eyes

glowed crystal pink.

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Lmao this book rlly said: Jungwon screentime >>>>> Minji screentime