Chapter 35: Siren song
In a dim, candle-lit room, with a table full of fanciness and an air of attraction, two people sat as they barely touched their food, their eyes glued to each other while small giggles and banter played out. There was an air of joy and happiness, the fancy western food barely the subject matter of the dinner date.
"Do you remember our promise?" a female voice began.
"Which one? The one we made as children?"
"Yeah. I want my human-sized castle."
"Of course, Your Royal Highness. One castle for our lovely princess. We can head over to the sea this weekend. I have this exquisite plan for a visit to Busan. You will love it. You better."
Suddenly, a phone glowed as a smooth song started to play through the restaurant, turning Dan Woo’s attention toward it.
He gazed at the screen. It was an alarm reminding him of his sister’s performance.
He then turned to his wife.
"We have to go."
Han Soo Hee looked at him with a certain look, then looked at the food on the table before she began shoving chunks of food into her mouth, not caring for etiquette or propriety. Dan Woo laughed at his wife before he himself stuffed his own face with food.
If anyone saw the two of them, they wouldn’t believe what they were seeing. After all, Han Soo Hee was the go-to figure for elegance and grace, her movies and dramas accruing various fandoms, each agreeing she was a demure woman who exuded grace, elegance, and class.
But now...
Soon enough, the two of them were done with their stuffing session as they sneaked off after paying for the meal.
They now stood outside the restaurant.
Han Soo Hee was covered in all kinds of things—from glasses to a hat to scarves—trying so hard to be inconspicuous, yet only drawing more attention to herself.
They hadn’t taken a car today as they wanted to replay their earlier dating days, and of course, no one wanted to be followed by Lee Hyun Ju.
But now they stood by the roadside waiting for the cab they had requested.
Han Soo Hee was jumpy like a child afraid of getting caught when suddenly the clouds darkened and rain started to pour.
It began as a drizzle.
Until it wasn’t.
The couple quickly looked for a shelter under which to wait for the requested driver, yet the elements weren’t too kind toward them, with the freezing cold hitting both of them.
Dan Woo, seeing his wife shiver in spite of her many layers, decided to add some more by taking off his own coat and warming his hands before wrapping them around hers.
He did this despite feeling the elements himself, but he told himself he could bear it.
That’s what he thought.
But that gesture was going to be the death of him.
Luckily, the driver soon arrived, denying him the pleasure of regretting trying to look cool in front of his wife.
They soon entered the car, ready to head to their next destination.
The drive was awfully quiet, with only the radio playing a track in the background before Han Soo Hee suddenly broke the music-filled silence.
"The moon is beautiful tonight," she said as she gazed toward the sky.
Dan Woo followed her gaze up to the moon, enjoying its brilliant white light shining down upon the earth, even though the image was slightly blurry through the bombardment of water droplets.
"Indeed, it is beautiful... but not as beautiful as you, Princess."
They both let out a short giggle before continuing to gaze at it, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
Han Soo Hee rested her head on Dan Woo’s chest, their bodies spooned together, their hearts pounding as one, their eyes glued to the moon as their tangled warmth chased away the cold.
The rain soon slowed down, allowing them to enjoy it even more in all its full glory.
Just like they usually did.
But then, as the two of them were watching, the moon suddenly turned red, startling Dan Woo.
"What is wrong?" Han Soo Hee asked, suddenly turning her face toward him.
Dan Woo could only try to wipe his eyes again as the window became clearer and clearer.
"The moon..."
"What?"
"It’s red..."
"What are you talking about?" Han Soo Hee suddenly asked.
Dan Woo tried to recompose himself as he stopped gazing out the window and looked at the woman before him.
As he did, he saw faint loops spreading across Han Soo Hee’s skin before disappearing once again.
When he gazed back toward the sky, the moon was white once more, leaving him confused as to what had just happened.
The car soon stopped at their destination, with Dan Woo still mesmerized, causing Han Soo Hee to pay the cab fare before helping him out.
As they walked toward the entrance, they could see so many people making their way into the venue.
"Are you alright?"
The question seemed to bring Dan Woo back as he regained his bearings and led Han Soo Hee to the best seats in the hall.
After all, this was his sister’s performance.
They should enjoy it with all its fullness and authenticity.
The hall quickly filled up before the orchestra took their seats.
Kim Soo Won looked dazzling, wearing a blue dress embroidered with stars, her face polished with light makeup as the conductor took the stage.
They did a small warm-up, just to feel their instruments, before the performance began.
Dan Woo couldn’t help but feel proud.
He looked around, trying to spot his sister’s husband among the crew, but he wasn’t there.
The piece soon began after the conductor announced that it wasn’t a classical piece but one composed by today’s soloist instead.
A round of applause echoed through the hall before the performance began in full swing.
Dan Woo couldn’t help but brag to Han Soo Hee that the composer was his sister when they announced that the piece they were performing had been written by her.
But as soon as the piece began, there was something inexplicable about it.
The sound of the orchestra seemed to be tugging at something deep within everyone’s soul. The piece carried a melancholic feeling of longing that even Dan Woo found stirring within himself.
Dan Woo turned to look at his sister as she continued to play.
Her face remained its usual expression, but there seemed to be something hidden beneath that block of ice.
His mind began to churn, wondering what reason there could be to make his sister feel such sadness and longing.
It couldn’t be because of her husband... could it?
By now, tears had begun forming in the eyes of every audience member, with Han Soo Hee herself feeling the weight of it.
Even Dan Woo could feel it.
Then suddenly, rings of various colors began to form beneath Winter’s—Kim Soo Won’s—feet, waves flowing outward from her toward the other members of the orchestra.
The other musicians soon began forming ripples of their own as the loops spread from one performer to another before flowing toward the audience.
One by one, everyone in the hall began forming those same ripples.
As the intensity of the music grew, so did the ripples until they began climbing over people’s bodies and flowing across their skin.
Yet no one but Dan Woo seemed to notice.
All of them were completely engrossed in the performance.
Dan Woo was confused as to what was going on as nobody reacted. He lowered his gaze toward the dancing ripples crawling across his own arm.
They felt familiar...
Yet foreign at the same time.
Then suddenly, something seemed to crack.
His mind suddenly remembered where he had seen them before.
He blinked once.
Then twice.
Before fully opening his eyes...
Only to find himself in a bizarre world.
Right now, Baek Seri and her group were still performing, their songs entrancing everyone who listened to them as the loops flowed through every single person.
There was a kind of seductiveness within the music that seemed to stir something deep inside whoever listened to it, though he wasn’t entirely sure what.
Dan Woo found himself asking the question.
Who was Baek Seri really?
Was she an anomaly?
He asked himself, yet that couldn’t be right... could it?
After all, the Red Moon hadn’t made its appearance yet.
Anomalies could only appear when the Red Moon began its descent, usually in the earliest hours between five and six.
But right now, it was still two in the afternoon, close to three.
So how?
The only answer was that they were Ascendants.
But which type?
He thought it through before remembering the strange call he had received while speaking with Park Hyun Bin.
Right...
Baek Hari was an anomaly, and she blessed humans with various gifts...
Or was it amplified them?
So was this group Baek Hari’s work?
Yeah...
That thought seemed to solidify.
Then Dan Woo began questioning the purpose of the four women.
Why were they using their abilities during the day?
Why would they go out of their way to do this?
What was their game?
"Was this the gift she mentioned?" he suddenly muttered.
But that couldn’t be the gift.
There had to be a better explanation.
Then suddenly...
Baek Seri walked over to him.
She leaned toward his ear and whispered softly,
"Hope you enjoyed our date."