10. The Place Where the Cold Moon Lingers
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a dense canopy of leaves blocking the sky. Clutching his head, which felt like it was about to split open, Han Jae-hoon slowly sat up, realizing a moment too late that he was deep in a forest.
‘How long have I been here?’
The surrounding darkness made it impossible to gauge the time. As he tried to piece things together, he recalled his last memory—sitting in the study, drinking to soothe his frustration. After that, his mind was completely blank, as if time had been erased.
Had someone drugged his drink? He tried to consider the possibility rationally, but the more he thought about it, the worse the pain in his head became. Regardless of who was responsible, he was alive—that was what mattered. His priority now was returning to the mansion so no one would worry.
He staggered to his feet, attempting to steady himself, but collapsed again before he could take more than a step. He repeated the effort several times before finally managing to drag himself forward, moving sluggishly in the direction of the mansion.
But what awaited Han Jae-hoon upon reaching the mansion’s garden was an utterly horrifying sight.
The mansion was nothing but charred ruins. The lifeless bodies of the servants lay scattered across the blackened lawn. The moment his eyes took in the scene, he felt his sanity slipping away.
“What… is this—”
His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, desperately trying to deny what he was seeing. If this wasn’t just a hallucination from the pain in his head, then it had to be a nightmare. Yet the more he tried to resist it, the sharper the reality became.
“B-butler! Seo-yul!!!”
Frantically, he searched through the corpses, calling for the butler and Seo-yul, but no one answered. The terrifying thought that crossed his mind was immediately rejected. They must have found a safe place before it was too late. He had to believe that.
But the anxiety wouldn’t go away. Unable to suppress his fear, he began overturning bodies that resembled Seo-yul’s build, checking each face one by one. Every time his hand touched another lifeless corpse, he swallowed back a scream.
This place was nothing short of hell.
“Commander!”
Just as despair threatened to consume him, a familiar voice rang out in the distance. The moment he spotted the butler running toward him, the tears he had been holding back spilled over. Overcome with emotion, Han Jae-hoon pulled the approaching butler into a desperate embrace.
“C-Commander?”
“I’m so glad… so glad you’re safe.”
The butler, momentarily startled, flailed his hands awkwardly before finally patting Han Jae-hoon’s trembling back in a gentle, comforting gesture. The warmth of that touch helped him regain some composure. Slowly, he wiped his tears away and schooled his expression.
It wasn’t the first time he had shown weakness in front of the butler, but as the district commander, he couldn’t afford to let his dignity crumble any further. Clearing his throat with a forced cough, he shamelessly declared,
“I wasn’t crying.”
“Of course. I saw nothing at all.”
The butler, struggling to suppress a smile, wiped away the tears Han Jae-hoon hadn’t managed to dry himself. Embarrassed by the gesture, Jae-hoon swatted his hand away and shifted his focus to someone else who should have been there.
“Where’s Seo-yul?”
Since the butler had survived, it was only natural to assume Seo-yul was safe as well. If there was anyone Jae-hoon trusted to prioritize Seo-yul’s safety above all else, it was the butler.
“Butler?”
However, the butler’s eyes wavered with unease. The anxiety that had momentarily subsided surged back to the surface. Jae-hoon pressed again, asking where Seo-yul was, but the butler remained silent, lips tightly sealed.
“Butler, answer me.”
“…Commander, there is somewhere you need to go first.”
Avoiding the question entirely, the butler instead helped Jae-hoon to his feet. Unsteady steps led them to a storage shed deep in the western forest—the same place where they had once kept the Shining, a “gift” they had received.
“Mr. Connor and… Commander?”
A figure peeked out from behind the shed door but quickly retreated upon seeing Jae-hoon arrive with the butler. Murmurs of voices followed, suggesting that survivors were gathered inside.
“Commander!”
“Ah, thank the heavens!”
As soon as Jae-hoon stepped inside, the people within gasped and called out to him, clutching their chests in relief. To them, the commander’s return was a beacon of hope after believing him to be dead.
Despite the crowd of terrified survivors, Jae-hoon scanned the area for Seo-yul. But once again, he was nowhere to be found. Not here either. Then where? Before his growing unease solidified into full-blown dread, he turned toward the one person who could give him an answer.
“Butler, where the hell is Seo-yul—”
The butler had already stepped away, moving toward the far corner of the shed. Jae-hoon staggered after him, and as he drew closer, his breath hitched.
There, lying motionless on the cold ground, was Se-yul.
A thick, metallic scent filled the air, and his blood-soaked shirt sent a violent tremor through Jae-hoon’s body.
“Han… Se-yul?”
He called out his name, but Se-yul’s pale lips did not move.
Slowly, Jae-hoon crouched down and took Se-yul’s limp hand in his own. The ice-cold touch sent a shiver up his spine.
“He’s… he’s alive, right?”
“…He made it past the worst of it, but they said we need to keep watching him.”
Only after hearing those words did Jae-hoon bring a hand beneath Se-yul’s nose. A faint breath ghosted against his skin.
Thank god. He’s still alive.
Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, Jae-hoon carefully placed Se-yul’s hand back down.
The mansion had been reduced to ashes. Most of the servants were dead. And Se-yul was in this state. Given how the butler had continuously dodged questions about Seo-yul’s whereabouts, it was clear that no one knew where he was.
Assessing the situation in an instant, Jae-hoon gripped the butler’s wrist firmly.
“Butler.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Tell me everything that happened. Leave out a single detail, and you’ll regret it.”
The butler recounted everything in a calm, steady voice—the sudden fire, the hunt that followed, Seo-yul’s disappearance, and Se-yul barely clinging to life.
Han Jae-hoon listened in silence, but as the details unfolded, rage boiled within him. Unable to contain it, he slammed his fist against the warehouse wall. No matter how many times he thought it over, there was only one person in this world who could have orchestrated something like this.
“Shining…”
The damn ruler of District 1 had unleashed his hound upon District 5, bringing it to ruin.
***
Among the many children of District 1’s ruler, one stood out above the rest—Vincent Shining.
He was the first son to ever return after being “disposed of,” and as the so-called hound of District 1, he carried out his father’s every command without hesitation. It was through this ruthless obedience that he surpassed all others, quickly securing his position as the young master of District 1.
The elders, who had long been biding their time, eagerly shoved potential heirs into Vincent’s bedchamber, hoping to win his favor. But he rejected them all without exception. At best, they were ignored—at worst, they barely avoided taking a bullet to the head.
Unlike other members of the Shining family, who indulged in their hedonistic appetites, Vincent showed no interest in sex whatsoever. Rumors began circulating that he was, in fact, incapable of reproduction. And if that were true, then he could hardly be considered a proper successor.
Just as whispers of replacing him began to surface, Vincent was sent to District 5 on his father’s orders. Upon his return, he did something unprecedented—he completely sealed off the area around his chambers, forbidding any access.
Speculation ran rampant. Someone had to be inside, but who? The mansion was soon buzzing with rumors.
Curious and restless, the elders secretly sent spies to investigate. What was Vincent hiding that made him guard his quarters so fiercely, allowing not even an ant to slip through? As speculation grew wilder, someone finally managed to infiltrate his chambers—and the report they brought back was beyond belief.
Panic spread among the elders.
They didn’t know who Vincent had brought back from District 5, but one thing was certain—he had canceled all his plans and locked himself away with this mysterious person. And there was only one logical conclusion.
Fear turned to outrage.
The elders balked at the idea of a Shining siring his firstborn with some nameless wretch from District 5. But Vincent only withdrew further, refusing to emerge from his self-imposed isolation.
An entire week passed without the young master of District 1 showing his face.
Then, one day, he finally stepped out of his chambers.
The frantic elders immediately sent word, demanding to meet with him—but Vincent ignored every summons.
Instead, he went straight to his father. After a long, private audience, he managed to secure the promise he had been after.
The very next day, an announcement shook the district to its core—
The young master of District 1 was getting married.
