She was the one who’d been bitten, yet the real danger—an unmistakable sense of looming catastrophe—came from Lee Wooshin, who was now closing in fast enough to rip her apart himself.

Maybe he’d pulled out his contacts—his irises reflected the sunlight with a pale, almost translucent sheen, the color of a shark’s spine, chilling her to the marrow.

What «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» made it worse was that he was chasing her with a wide, euphoric grin, as if high on dopamine. Seeing that face—dead serious about the hunt—sent a cold sweat trickling down her spine.

Why did it feel like getting caught would be the end?

Seoryeong ran blindly up the snow-covered mountain path, her thigh muscles threatening to tear from the strain. She had no idea how far she’d come. Her mouth was dry with panic, and her sense of direction had long since collapsed.

“Han Seoryeong—stop! Don’t go any farther!”

The shout exploded just beside her.

Before she even realized how he’d caught up, jagged fingernails scratched across the back of her neck. At the same time, her foot plunged downward—and her entire body tilted off balance.

“――!”

It all happened in an instant.

What she thought was solid ground caved in, revealing a sheer drop beneath.

Before she could even register that she had stepped into a snow-covered pit instead of stable earth, her body was falling, helpless.

Her insides churned, the sensation of nausea swelling fast. No matter how much she flailed her limbs, there was nothing for the soles of her shoes to catch on. Her mouth opened in mute horror, too paralyzed even to scream.

So this is it. I could really die for nothing, just like this—without even seeing him one last time.

Even as she squeezed her eyes shut, the anger rising in her chest made her tremble. And then—suddenly, pain like her shoulder blade being torn in half exploded through her body.

“Ugh...!”

“That’s what you get for running. Think snowy mountains are just a joke?”

“......!”

“Fuck—were you planning to die right in front of me?!”

His shout raked across his vocal cords, raw and violent. A voice she’d grown used to suddenly sounded completely alien.

The first thing she saw was the military camouflage pattern.

Lee Wooshin had caught hold of a branch jutting out from the cliffside and was gripping her wrist with his other hand.

“Instructor...”

Their eyes locked, both wide and unguarded.

Seoryeong stared at the man who had leapt down with her, unable to believe it. His gaze wasn’t on her—it was scanning the open air behind her, calculating something.

She was only alive because of the grip he had on her arm. Both their faces twisted for entirely different reasons.

Then, the hand clinging to her arm began to slip.

“Ah...!”

Her heart dropped like a stone, and a short cry burst from her throat.

“Fuck...!”

Lee Wooshin clenched his teeth and lifted his chin. Thick veins bulged along his crimson neck like roots bursting through skin. The tremble of his hand traveled straight through her body.

But with both of them bundled in winter coats, their combined weight was more than expected.

As his breath faltered, a firm command rang out:

“Bite down and climb up my back.”

“What...?”

“Do what you’re good at. We don’t have time!”

When she hesitated, he forced himself to steady his voice.

“When you climbed rope barehanded, did you ever come in second?”

“.......”

“Then you can do this.”

“I’ve never climbed a person before...!”

“I can hold on. Just shut up and climb...!”

His sharp bark snapped her back to focus.

She bit her lip and straightened her limp, dangling body. The first thing she did was stuff the dagger and wire from her pocket into her mouth, then quickly shrugged off her coat. Anything to lighten the weight.

“Hu... huu... Let go.”

“What?”

“Let go, now!”

She shook the arm he was holding.

Lee Wooshin blinked, then scowled hard. Once he understood what she meant, the muscle in his throat twitched with irritation.

But the moment passed.

He dug his fingernails into her arm like a lifeline, eyes like blades staring into hers—then, without hesitation, began to release his grip.

As his fingers loosened, Seoryeong let the coat drop and kicked off with her legs.

She latched onto his hips. His body, solid as an anchor, swayed briefly like a pendulum.

Her heavy coat vanished into the abyss below.

“Haa... haa...”

“Haa... This is so fucking ridiculous...”

They both gasped, panting in sync.

Then, like a fish returned to water, Seoryeong scrambled up his back in one fluid motion.

The blizzard was slicing at her skin, but there was no time to feel the cold.

“Good job.”

Wooshin now had both hands gripping the branch—his position looked solid.

“Catch your breath, then step on my shoulder and climb up.”

“What?”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

“......!”

“If you can’t even manage this, you’ve got no business using your body in the field.”

He shut her down coldly before she could object. Her heart clenched as if crushed, leaving her speechless.

But there was no time to argue. She had to climb first—then pull him up.

The moment she placed her weight on his shoulder—

Snap.

A terrible sound rang out at the worst possible moment.

The distinct crack of something breaking.

Her face froze as she looked upward. The branch that had supported them until now was splintering, its pale wood splitting wide.

“Instru—!”

Another crack. Before she could even finish the word, the only anchor they had gave way. It happened too fast to react.

Her back went rigid with panic as her body began to fall again.

Instinct kicked in. Seoryeong yanked the knife from her mouth and scraped it down the frozen cliffside.

Skreeek—! That same sound echoed back—and when she looked, Lee Wooshin was doing the exact same thing.

Their eyes met like it had been rehearsed. And strangely, it felt like they could read each other’s minds. A bizarre, unspoken unity surged through her—something she’d never felt before.

But the blade barely dug in, only scratching the surface.

They were plummeting, fast—but their momentum was gradually slowing.

“Urgh...!”

Her fingers felt like they were being ripped open. Then, behind her trembling hand, a second, broader hand pressed down over hers.

He clung to her like a turtle shell—his low voice reverberated through her spine.

“Don’t let go...!”

“Ugh...!”

She summoned every ounce of strength—but just as hope flickered—

Crack! The blade snapped.

“――!”

The recoil sent her crashing backwards—but a powerful arm suddenly wrapped around her.

Thud! Just before they hit the jagged floor, their bodies spun midair and landed with a violent jolt.

Her vision went black for a moment. Her insides lurched and slammed inside her like a crashing wave.

“Urgh...”

Slowly, the darkness receded.

Blinking, she tried to make sense of her surroundings, but the snowstorm still howled too thickly to open her eyes fully.

Where... am I?

“Ah...!”

The instructor. Seoryeong jerked upright.

“Ugh...!”

Her entire body throbbed, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to sit up.

“Instructor...! Wake up! Please—!”

That scent—his scent—lingered faintly beside her. It was a smell she had come to recognize.

Seoryeong’s hands trembled slightly. She’d felt it—right before they landed, their bodies had twisted.

Lee Wooshin had landed underneath her, cushioning the fall.

They had come to rest at a rocky ledge halfway down the cliff—a barely-wide-enough outcrop, just enough for a person to sit.

Thanks to the jagged rock’s shape, they’d survived. Miraculously.

“Urgh...!”

A groan rose from below. She snapped her head down and pulled him closer to the wall. His eyes were still closed, but the lids fluttered faintly, as if he was beginning to wake.

Seoryeong leaned over and looked down.

Below them was nothing but a forest of thorny branches.

Climb back up? Or down? She didn’t know. She’d never been in a situation like this.

The sharp, sterile scent of limestone made her chest tight. Just that unfamiliar smell told her this was a dangerous place.

The rocky floor was bitterly cold, her hair already stiff with frost. Pebbles or chunks of ice occasionally tumbled from above, and the wind here was fiercer than in the mountains. Her vision wavered in the darkness.

Still shaking from the cold, she fumbled for the snare wire between her teeth.

Muttering under her breath with each glance downward, she started wrapping the wire carefully around Lee Wooshin’s wrist.

“Okay... I’ve got you...”

That was when her eyes met his.

His brow was deeply furrowed, and he was wide awake.