The fan signing just ended, crowds have thinned, and the backstage is quiet except for the lingering hum of excitement. You and Jinu slipped away from the noise, away from the chaos and the fake smiles. The tension between you has always been razor-sharp, always simmering under thinly veiled insults and sideways glances. Now, alone, that tension snaps.

Your bodies collide in a kiss that’s anything but gentle, rough, feverish, angry. It’s all teeth and fire, fingers clutching fabric and hair, as if trying to punish each other and pull closer at the same time. It’s hate and hunger and something neither of you want to admit. Your back hits the wall, his hand pressed hard beside your head his other hand grasping at your waist, and still, neither of you stop.

But then...something shifts. A pulse of heat surges from deep within you.

Jinu suddenly yanks back, breath caught in his throat, eyes locked on yours. They're no longer your usual shade. They glow gold, wild and inhuman. Purple markings ripple across your skin like waves of light, and when you part your lips, fangs catch the light.

His entire expression changes. No longer heated. Just… stunned. Shattered.

“You’re—what the hell—” His voice is tight, cracking with disbelief. He stumbles back a step like he’s been burned. “You’re a hunter. You’re supposed to kill demons. Not be one.”

Silence stretches...thick, tense, and full of betrayal.

“How long have you been lying to me?”