Chapter Three_Another Trail

The following night, Taeyung returned to the abandoned church.

He hadn't planned to come back so soon, but the thought of Jungkook disappearing into the darkness without leaving a trace had bothered him throughout the entire day. The Hunter Order had given him a simple explanation: Jungkook was a dangerous vampire responsible for the recent killings.

Taeyung had accepted simple explanations before.

He wasn't going to make that mistake again.

The church looked even more lifeless under the moonlight. Taeyung pushed the doors open and entered, his hand resting near the silver blade beneath his coat. The room was exactly as he had left it. Broken benches, shattered windows, dust-covered floors.

Except for one thing.

The blood trail was gone.

Taeyung crouched near the floor where he had seen it the previous night. There wasn't even a stain left behind.

He frowned.

Someone had cleaned the place.

A vampire wouldn't bother doing that after a hunt.

Unless they had something to hide.

Taeyung stood and slowly walked toward the staircase. He climbed to the upper floor and entered the room where he had fought Jungkook.

The broken table was still there.

His eyes moved toward the window.

Nothing.

He turned around.

A sound came from behind him.

Taeyung spun instantly, his blade in his hand.

A figure stood at the other end of the hallway.

For one second, Taeyung thought it was Jungkook.

It wasn't.

The man was dressed in black, with his face partially hidden beneath a hood. He stared at Taeyung without speaking.

“Who are you?”

The stranger didn't answer.

Taeyung took one step forward.

The man immediately moved backward.

Taeyung followed.

They reached the staircase.

The stranger suddenly jumped over the railing and disappeared into the darkness below.

Taeyung rushed after him.

By the time he reached the ground floor, the doors were swinging open.

He ran outside.

Nothing.

Only the cold night air.

Taeyung stopped.

He looked down.

A small piece of black fabric lay near his feet.

He picked it up.

There was a symbol stitched into it.

A crescent moon surrounded by three thin lines.

The same symbol from the reports.

Taeyung stared at it.

So someone else had been here.

And whoever it was didn't want to be found.

He slipped the fabric into his pocket and returned to the Order.

This time, he didn't report everything.

Not yet.

Across the city, Jungkook sat on the edge of a rooftop, watching the lights below.

He had known Taeyung would return.

Hunters were predictable that way.

Give them a mystery and they would chase it until they found an answer, even if the answer killed them.

Jungkook wasn't worried about Taeyung.

At least, that was what he told himself.

He had watched the hunter enter the church from a distance. He had seen him follow the stranger and return empty-handed.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed.

The stranger had been there before Taeyung arrived.

That meant someone was searching the church too.

Someone who knew about the symbol.

Jungkook reached into his coat and touched the black envelope from the previous night.

The Hunter has found you.

He still hadn't figured out who had sent it.

That bothered him.

Jungkook hated not knowing who was watching him.

A voice came from behind him.

“You shouldn't have gone back there.”

Jungkook didn't turn.

“I didn't ask for your opinion.”

The voice belonged to a man standing several feet away.

“You were seen.”

“By whom?”

“Someone from the Order.”

Jungkook finally looked over his shoulder.

“Taeyung?”

The man nodded.

Jungkook looked back at the city.

“Interesting.”

“You're taking this too lightly.”

“No.” Jungkook's expression became colder. “I'm simply not afraid.”

The man said nothing.

Jungkook stood.

“Find out who was inside that church.”

“And if it's the Order?”

“Then we'll know how much they actually know.”

He walked toward the edge of the rooftop.

Before leaving, he paused.

“And stay away from the hunter.”

The man looked surprised.

“You're worried about him?”

Jungkook gave him a cold glance.

“No.”

He disappeared into the darkness.

The next morning, Taeyung stood inside the commander's office with the piece of black fabric on the desk between them.

The commander looked at it without touching it.

“Where did you find this?”

“The church.”

“When?”

“Last night.”

The commander's eyes lifted.

“You went back?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to confirm something.”

The commander leaned back.

“And did you?”

Taeyung stared at him.

“Yes.”

“What?”

Taeyung paused.

He wasn't sure whether the commander was hiding something.

But he was certain of one thing.

The Order knew more about the symbol than they had told him.

“I found evidence that someone else was at the church.”

The commander didn't react.

Too quickly.

Taeyung noticed.

“Who?”

“I don't know.”

“Then find out.”

Taeyung picked up the fabric.

As he walked out of the office, one thought remained in his head "the orders are not giving him all the information.

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