Haunted | Bbangsaz

2 days before the beginning

Minjoo opened her eyes and found herself in a white space. She felt a sharp ache pain her chest and head.

"Minjoo, you're awake." Hanni's voice echoed. "You've been asleep for like 2 weeks." Hanni explained.

"Really?"

"What happened? Chaewon found you lying on the ground on the cliff near the village." Hanni said.

"I met her. She really expected that I would come to face her." Minjoo responded, clenching her fists. The memory of what she's been through in an illusion created by Minji made her mad as hell.

Suddenly, she heard some noise that made her glance at Hanni. She saw her getting ready.

"You going somewhere, Pham?" Minjoo asked. "Yeah, Danielle and I have a mission to accomplish." Hanni responded with a smile.

Hanni was about to leave that room while Minjoo's eyes were boring at the back of her head.

"Hanni, I have a request." Minjoo called out the younger, causing Hanni to look back at her.

"What is it?" Hanni asked, willing to listen on Minjoo's request.

"If you ever encountered my sister, Kim Minji." Minjoo began speaking out her request, closing her eyes. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she felt the burden in her chest.

"Please..."

"Kill Minji."

Minjoo's words hung heavily in the air, and Hanni's reaction revealed the weight of Minjoo's request.

The idea of ending Minji's life is suffocating Hanni with overwhelming pain. Her breath becomes shallow, and her body is about to fall down due to the words she had heard.

Struggling to find words, Hanni's voice trembled as she asked Minjoo, "Can't... I– is... is there n–no other way?" Hanni's shaking body couldn't keep up and fall kneeling on the ground.

Minjoo's response carried a sad tone, "There's no other way, Hanni." She felt that she had burdened Hanni even more just by saying those words.
___________________________________________

Minji is inside the village, but no one knows. She's together with her comrades, who also sought destruction.

"Minji, what are we doing here?" Yujin asked the girl who's walking in front of her.

"Lee Hyein."

As soon as that name came out from Minji's mouth, Yujin understood what it meant right away.

They looked around the village, no one knew them, no one could feel their presence. They managed to successfully conceal their auras and abilities.

"That girl, Lee Hyein. Are there any updates about her?" Minji asked Yujin. "Currently, we've gathered intel indicating Lee Hyein is a formidable threat. She has the potential to surpass and pose a challenge to you." Yujin said as it made Minji's lips form a smirk.

"Lee Hyein's strength exceeds expectations. Engaging her in battle will be difficult. We need a strategy to persuade her to join us." Yujin advised, causing Minji to stop her track.

"Look at Hyein's background, her family, her past." Minji said.

"Noted." Yujin replied. "Yujin, 2 days before the operation takes place, whoever stands in our way must be eliminated." Minji declared with a stern expression.

"What if it's Pham Hanni who stands our way."

That question lingered in Minji's mind. If Hanni meddled in their plan, what would Minji do? Would she stand with Hanni and stop their destructive mission, or would she let the events unfold according to the original plan?

Amidst that commotion inside Minji's head, she had one thing she's sure about.

If it came to it, Pham Hanni should be the one to kill her, not the other way around.

"No, don't do anything to her. Inform the others about this."

"Understood, I'll inform the others." Yujin said before disappearing into thin air.

Minji wandered through the village, colliding with someone unexpectedly.

The encounter felt eerily familiar.

It was Hanni, the one she used to love.

Swiftly, Minji crafted an illusion, altering her face in Hanni's vision to conceal her identity and ensure the girl remained unaware of her presence.

Hanni offered an apology, and Minji stood there, silently watching as the girl continued to walk through the village, her figure gradually fading into the distance.

Minji continued her stroll through the lively village, feeling a wave of nostalgia washing over her.

Observing every person within the village, she knew that soon she would commence her version of justice—a revenge that would unfold in her hometown, reclaiming what she believed was rightfully hers.

___________________________________________

"Danielle!" Hanni called out the younger who will be her partner throughout the whole mission. "We're going to look for that legendary artifact that was used by the Hero King during the 17th century." Hanni said.

"Oh yeah, I heard there's a lot of clues from that Relic Cave." Danielle said with a curious expression.

"And that was outside the village. It will take us two days to arrive." Hanni said as Danielle nodded her head in agreement.