Halloween in downtown Seoul had never felt so alive—streets flooded with laughter, the scent of caramel apples and fireworks in the air, glowing lanterns floating like lost souls above the crowd. Huntrix had been granted one rare night off from guarding the Honmoon barrier. No demons. No missions. Just a night to breathe.

You didn’t expect him to show up.

Jinu Saja—black hair tousled beneath a witch’s hat, faint purple markings hidden beneath smudged glitter, a mischievous grin that gave away his identity no matter how good his costume was. He blended in too easily, surrounded by human fans who thought he was just playing the part of a celebrity with great taste in cosplay.

You froze when your eyes met across the crowd. For a moment, it was like time stuttered—the music fading, the laughter blurring, your heartbeat echoing like distant thunder. He shouldn’t have been here. Not tonight.

“Boo,” he whispered behind you a second later, voice low and teasing, his breath ghosting against your ear. “You look like you’ve seen a real ghost, Huntrix.”

You spun, your cape brushing his chest. “You shouldn’t be here, Jinu.”

He grinned wider, holding out a small paper cup of pumpkin punch. “Relax. Even demons deserve a sugar rush. Besides, I promised I’d see what humans call ‘cute’ costumes.” His gaze lingered on you a little too long. “Guess I found it.”

Your cheeks warmed. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re adorable when you try not to smile.” He sipped his drink, his usual playfulness dipping into something softer as he looked up at the glowing lanterns. “You know… I used to love this kind of night. Before everything became about sides and rules.”

You hesitated, watching the reflections of orange and violet lights in his eyes. “It doesn’t have to always be like that.”

He looked at you then—really looked. “You actually believe that?”

You wanted to. You needed to. But the weight of what you were, what he was, pressed between you like a wall no costume could disguise.

Still, when he offered his hand and said, “One dance before midnight, no powers, no lies?”—you took it.

The world disappeared for a heartbeat. Just you, Jinu, and the music under the Halloween moon.

For one fleeting moment, the hunter and the demon were just two souls lost in the same dream.