Some grievances never die. And some grudges survive death itself.
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Cho was up in the early hours of the morning. It was barely six am when she began her walk around the forest surrounding the Saja home. Hyun-jae was still curled up in their bed as he had had a late night going over new sketches for the Saja fashion line that were debuting in autumn.
The air was cool yet held just a touch of balm as mist rose from the still surface of the lake sitting just five hundred yards from the house. And, sitting on opposite sides of the lake, sat two houses, one belonging to Jewel and her two adopted kumiho pups, and the other belonging to the newlyweds Surien and Jun-hee. From what Cho could tell, both households' residents were still visiting the land of dreams.
As Cho wandered closer, intending to just stride past the houses to continue her walk, a flash of black caught her eyes. A flash of black that caught the first rays of morning light in an iridescent sheen. Upon narrowing her gaze, she saw that it was a crow. And, sneaking up closer to get a better look, she saw it was no ordinary crow; it was a demon world crow.
Cho didn't yell, she didn't make a sound, she hastily slunk over to the gathering of trees next to Surien's house because currently the demon crow was perched on the railing of the deck, peering intensely with its three hellish red eyes into the upper floor bedroom window at the sleeping couple inside.
Cho didn't know for sure but she had a feeling deep down the bird was just some random passerby, especially if it was in the mortal world. One thing she knew very well about karasu (demon crows) was that they made excellent spies and messengers for others.
Suddenly, the demon crow spread its wide, inky black wings and lifted off to fly away. Quick as a flash, Cho soundlessly leapt from the tree she was crouched in a flying leap, grabbed the bird by its neck, and snapped it's beak shut with her other hand to keep it from crying out.
It thrashed wildly in her grip in a futile effort to escape but it was no match for Cho's strength. Of course, Cho knew questioning it would do no good, nor could she risk letting it go to follow it back to whomever had commanded it to come here. But, she could do the next best thing.
Without warning, she sank her fangs deep into its feathery neck, the thing suddenly going limp in her hold, paralyzed, out of sheer pain and survival. Warm blood filled Cho's mouth, bitter and sharp. As it did, she used her magic to siphon memories from the bird's life force inside the blood, recalling in her own mind who it had seen, where it had been and the sounds it had heard.
In her mind's eye, she viewed three shadowy figures talking with one another, words low and garbled as the bird must not have been close enough to hear everything. But, one name could be heard, clear as crystal: Delilah.
Cho gasped silently, ripping her mouth away from the bird's now punctured neck. That name! She knew that name well! Surien had once explained to her her past, painful as it was, but she never imagined it would resurface like this.
She looked down at the still crow in her hand. In her shock, she had accidentally- although it's highly debatable- snapped the bird's neck, killing it instantly. It hung there, suspended in her grip, limp and lifeless, it's eyes wide open in absolute horror.
Without even thinking, she tossed the corpse on the ground, setting it alight with her fox fire. Within seconds, the bird had been reduced to a pile of ashes.
She turned her worried gaze back to the serene blue lakehouse, the snoozing occupants blissfully unaware of what just happened. She needed to tell Surien. She would tell her, but first, she needed everyone here. Everyone needed to know about what they could be dealing with.
She checked the position of the sun; she knew Mariposa and Lilly were usually up at this time for a morning pool swim, as we're Huntrix.
Teleporting quietly back to her and Hyun-jae's room, she quietly retrieved her phone and stepped out to text the group chat with Las Reinas and Huntrix, hoping Surien wouldn't wake up yet.
"Emergency! Code Red! Emergency! Meet up here at the Saja House! Lilly and Mariposa use your pool to teleport to the lake, and Rumi teleport you and the girls here now!"
