After Honeybee and the family departed, only Matthew, Cha Uijae, and the monsters dying in flames remained in that place. Uijae bit down gently on the inside of his cheek. It would be right to move now. And yet, his feet wouldn’t budge. He didn’t know if it was because of Honeybee’s request—or some unknown intuition.

Matthew stood with his back turned, burning the monsters. With each motion of his hand, flames surged and swept like waves. It was elegant, almost like the conductor of an orchestra, yet every movement was as sharp as a blade.

The rising flames swallowed the monsters’ screams. Though the fire surged as if it would devour the entire world, there was an eerie stillness. Only the crackling of burning remained.

And so it felt… unsettling.

Matthew spoke.

“You’re not leaving.”

“…No.”