Chapter 25

Kade decided to take a walk through the city, a habit he had developed to clear his mind and observe the city that will be his base, real soon. 

The city was alive with the usual hustle and bustle, people going about their daily lives, unaware of the silent war for power happening around them.

As he walked, Kade's eyes scanned the crowd, always alert for anything unusual. It was then that he noticed a group of young people walking together, their laughter and chatter a stark contrast to his own solitary existence. Among them, a girl caught his attention. She seemed familiar, but it wasn't her appearance that intrigued him—it was her shadow.

The girl's shadow flickered slightly, much like what he had seen with Chairman Go. His curiosity piqued and Kade decided to follow her discreetly. He blended into the crowd effortlessly, his abilities allowing him to move unnoticed.

The girl and her friends continued their walk, heading towards a popular shopping district. Kade kept his distance, observing closely. The flickering of her shadow was intermittent but undeniable. It was as if another presence was lurking within it, just like with Chairman Go.

As they stopped at a café, Kade took the opportunity to gather more information. He approached a nearby table, pretending to be engrossed in his phone while listening in on their conversation.

"Jinha, are you coming to the study group tomorrow?" one of the girls asked.

Jinha. The name struck a chord. Kade's mind raced as he recalled the names he had encountered. Sung Jinha, the little sister of Jinwoo that Joohee mentioned?

He decided to dig deeper. Using his phone, he discreetly accessed public records and social media profiles. It didn't take long to confirm his suspicions. Sung Jinha was indeed Sung Jinwoo's younger sister.

A slow smile spread across Kade's face. This was an unexpected but valuable discovery. He watched Jinha closely, his mind already formulating plans.

As Jinha and her friends left the café, Kade followed at a safe distance.

When Jinha finally parted ways with her friends and headed home, Kade decided to take a more proactive approach. He waited until she was alone, then stepped out of the shadows, making his presence known without appearing threatening.

"Excuse me, miss," he called out, his voice calm and friendly.

Jinha turned, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Yes?"

Kade smiled, his demeanor disarming. "I couldn't help but notice you seemed familiar. Are you by any chance related to Jinwoo?"

Her eyes widened slightly, confirming his suspicion. "Yes, Jinwoo is my brother. How do you know him?"

Kade's smile widened. "We've crossed paths a few times. He's quite impressive. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jinha."

Jinha seemed to relax slightly. "Nice to meet you too, Mr…?" Jinha did not recognise Kade, not because she didn't know him but because he  shape-shifted into someone else

"Kade," he replied smoothly. "I'm a hunter like your brother. I was actually hoping to have a word with him soon. Perhaps you could help me arrange that?"

Jinha hesitated, but then nodded. "I can let him know. What's it about?"

"Oh, just some business matters," Kade said casually. "I appreciate your help."

As they parted ways, Kade's mind was already working on the next steps. He needed to understand the nature of the shadow within Jinha's shadow, If it was connected to Jinwoo.

Later that night, Kade accessed his private network of informants and researchers. He tasked them with investigating any unusual phenomena related to shadows, specifically looking for connections to the Sung family.

His team worked quickly, compiling data and cross-referencing reports. It didn't take long for them to find something intriguing. There were whispers of a power that allowed one to control or hide within shadows. It was a rare ability, one that could explain what Kade had seen.

Kade leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. This new development could provide him with leverage over Jinwoo, or at the very least, give him a deeper understanding of his capabilities.

Although he wasn't certain that this was the actual ability Jinwoo possessed, it should be somewhat close.

Meanwhile in Sung's residence

It was late in the evening when Sung Jinha returned home, her thoughts still lingering on her unexpected encounter with Kade. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her stomach, a nagging sense of something being off. She decided to tell her brother, Sung Jinwoo about it, hoping he could provide some clarity.

Jinwoo was in the living room, watching some drama while having some soju. He looked up as Jinha entered, a smile forming on his face.

"Hey, Jinha. How was your day?" he asked, his tone warm.

Jinha hesitated for a moment before responding. "It was good, but… something strange happened."

Jinwoo's smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of concern. "What do you mean?"

Jinha took a deep breath, then recounted her encounter with Kade. She described how he had approached her, mentioned knowing Jinwoo, and asked for a meeting.

Jinwoo's expression darkened with each word. By the time Jinha finished, his fists were clenched, and a muscle in his jaw twitched with barely suppressed anger.

"Kade approached you?" Jinwoo said, his voice low and dangerous. "What exactly did he say?"

"He just asked if I could help arrange a meeting with you," Jinha replied, her worry growing. "He seemed… nice, but there was something off about him."

Jinwoo stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "You're not to go near him again, Jinha. Do you understand? If you see him, you walk away. No, you run."

Jinha nodded, taken aback by the intensity in her brother's voice. "Okay, Jinwoo. But why? Who is he?"

Jinwoo ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "Don't worry about it Jinha, I'll take care of it, just do as I say okay?"

Jinwoo paced the room, his thoughts a whirlwind of paranoia and anger. Kade's actions were becoming bolder, and now he was involving Jinwoo's family. The thought of Jinha being used as a pawn in Kade's game made his blood boil.

"He could've just contacted me directly if he wanted to see me, why approach my family?" Jinwoo muttered, more to himself than to Jinha. 

Jinha watched her brother with wide eyes. She had never seen him this agitated since he started getting stronger. "Jinwoo, what are you going to do?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her, his eyes is as cold as death. "What I should've done sooner."

Jinwoo quickly recalled all his important shadows with him, instructing them to  spread out and gather every piece of information they could find on Kade. He needed to know what he was dealing with.

The following days saw a marked increase in security measures around the Sung residence. Jinwoo was taking no chances. He arranged for additional protection for Jinha, ensuring she was never alone and always had a means of contacting him or Chairman Go if ever he's not available .

Jinwoo's paranoia grew, each passing moment without new information on Kade only adding to his anxiety. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that Kade was always one step ahead.

What Jinha forgot to mention is that, the Kade she was referring is completely different in appearance of the Kade they all know, a one very crucial information, if Jinwoo knew he'd be able to know of his ability to shapeshift, but too bad.