Chapter 29: I know what you are
"I have something to do," Eun-woo told Rhys as he slipped through the back door. "I’ll meet you later," he added before running off.
"What?" Rhys looked up from the maps he was studying, puzzled by the sudden departure. "Wait! You can’t just go out like that!" he shouted, grabbing his weapon and following after him. "Arthur must be in the woods!"
Eun-woo didn’t stop; on the contrary, he increased his speed. The rain hit his face, soaking his clothes in a matter of seconds. With each step, the soft, slippery ground swallowed his feet or made him skid in the mud. To avoid falling, Eun-woo held onto the trees with trembling hands, bracing himself on the wet bark. The mist wound between the trunks, obscuring the landscape a few meters away.
Since he couldn’t trust his sight, Eun-woo relied on smell instead.
The rain enhanced the smells, somehow making them more potent and identifiable. The scent of wet earth, moss, and wood gathered in his nose. But there was one scent Eun-woo was particularly searching for. Something fresh and metallic, with an electrifying undertone that tickled his nostrils and made him frown to stifle a sneeze.
He felt like he was close.
Then he saw them.
Almost hidden among the damp undergrowth and dark moss, enormous flowers emerged with elongated, pale blue petals that seemed to emit a soft luminescence in the rain. Despite the shadowy, foggy environment, the flowers stood out.
That was what he needed to help Rong Ye.
Eun-woo knelt beside them. His hands trembled as he cut the stems, quickly stuffing the petals into his damp pockets. His breathing was labored, but his movements remained precise; he didn’t want to ruin them.
He stood up, mud staining his knees, and turned, intending to go back. But then he stopped.