Solflare: The Painter's Secret

The streets of Agatha rose to life as the first morning light touched the sky. Countless vehicles roamed on the street. Some drove quietly, while others moved as if the world was coming to an end.

Two young students of Agatha International College stopped opposite the La Crusa Hotel.

"Bright," a young lady with white hair and silver eyes called on her colleague, then smiled. "I wish I also owned a building like this someday."

Bright watched Catherine point toward the building, then laughed. "Don’t worry, in the next fifteen years, I will probably become the CEO of the No. 1 tech industry. You will be my wife and wouldn’t have to worry about owning a building."

Catherine blushed. "Aww, Bright, that’s why I will always love you."

She kissed the chocolate-skinned boy on the cheek, then hugged him tightly.

Nora stood by the window of the third floor, watching the kids chop love on the street.

"Kids of these days don’t even have shame." She sneered, folding her arms on her chest.

She shifted her gaze from the street and watched the birds flying peacefully in the sky. ’It’s morning. When will Demon come?’

With every movement she saw the birds make, Demon’s face shimmered behind her eyes.

While Nora stood by the window, Demon also stood at a very far distance. He watched Nora through a ten-kilometer range telescope, then smiled.

"Did she think I came here because of that fucking relationship of ours?" Demon whispered as he pulled down the telescope.

Behind him were two other Agathan Special force soldiers, holding their rifles.

"Should we do the kill?"

Demon turned to him with a straight face. He didn’t say a word; he simply gestured and walked out of the soldiers’ building at the edge of the Eastgate.

A tiny bullet shot through the air. Birds burst from their nests as the bullet blasted them and kept on moving. With every kilometer it passed, its body became smaller as the metal peeled off one after another.

When it reached the shimmering window of La Crusa, only a tiny piece was left. A scream echoed once, followed by the spray of blood.

A phone vibrated in Demon’s pocket as he stepped out of the building, wearing an Agathan military uniform. "Green or red?"

The caller on the other end hesitated, as if assessing something before he spoke. "Green."

Demon didn’t smile; he simply cut the call, then placed the phone back in his pocket. He looked right, left, then chose the way in front of him, joining the masked soldiers who were always selected for deadly missions.

MRAPs were under test when Hei Yung stopped at the front of the workshop.

Five of the masked soldiers stopped fixing their gear and ran toward him.

"Sir," they slammed their boots on the ground and threw their hands to their heads, saluting Hei Yung.

Hei Yung saluted back, then counted them with his eyes. "Where are the rest?"

The soldiers looked at each other, their masks creaking as their faces shifted into confusion.

Five other soldiers appeared from a distance. They jogged and stopped. "Sir, sorry we are late."

Hei Yung scanned their postures. When he looked at the fourth person, he held his eyes there for a moment before moving to the last person.

"Sir, you called us." The leader of the ghost group, who was Longwei’s nephew, murmured.

"There is a mission for you." Hei Yung focused on them, then finally stopped at the leader. "Seo-jun, come with me."

All the other ghost soldiers stood there, wondering what the mission might be. Among them, one person hiding behind the mask laughed in his head.

...

Hei Yung and the ghost leader stopped the moment they entered the workshop.

"Seo-jun," Hei Yung whispered the name while lifting his head toward Longwei’s wall image.

"Sir," Seo-jun’s voice cracked as he also lifted his head toward the wall.

Hei Yung exhaled twice before turning to the soldier. He placed a hand on Seo-jun’s shoulder. "For this mission, I need the brave and relentless part of you to manage your group."

Seo-jun tried to speak but calmed himself as he listened.

"I know I shouldn’t have to be part of this." Hei Yung’s eyes closed for a second when Longwei’s smiling face flashed in his mind. "But you’re the one I trust to get it done."

Seo-jun’s jaw tightened as he strengthened his mind. For him, hearing those words meant a life-or-death mission. So he needed to be ready to face it all with all he had.

...

A gust of wind flew as the workshop’s entrance door opened.

Seo-jun exited first, followed by Hei Yung.

The nine ghost soldiers stood at attention when the two stopped before them.

Hei Yung gave the fourth person of the second group another look before leaving them under Seo-jun’s command.

Seo-jun glanced at his colleagues one after another, then began mentioning names. "Eun-woo."

A broad-shouldered young man with trimmed brown hair stepped forward.

"Kim."

A short, masculine lady stepped forward. She laughed, pulling Eun-woo’s sleeve. "I told you I’m stronger than most of you men." She teased, then watched as Seo-jun mentioned the rest.

After two other members were called, Seo-jun scanned through the remaining four, then pointed at the only tall young man with a red tag on his chest. "Joon."

Demon hesitated, but as soon as he noticed all of them were watching him, he stepped forward and stood beside Kim.

"Joon, why do you always behave as if you can’t also hear?" Kim pinched Joon’s left arm, scolding him.

Behind the mask, Demon’s eyes blazed with anger as his skin got pinched under the masculine girl’s fingers.

...

"Are you sure he won’t be caught?" one of the two soldiers Demon had left behind asked, feeling a bit nervous.

Ji-ho turned to Ha-rin, placed a hand on his shoulder, then grinned. "No one did when he joined us in the war against the children of the fallen gods. And no one will."