There shouldn't be anyone here this late at night.

  That much, Jaemin was sure of.

  Only the foremen of the mining and conversion teams were still around—if they hadn't already left. Everyone else had clocked out hours ago.

  So when a hand appeared beside him, extending a clean handkerchief and a cold bottle of water—with ice—his brows twitched in surprise.

  He could've pulled water from his inventory. But that would've been room temperature, the kind that sticks to your throat and makes the heat worse. This… this felt different.

  "Uhh, thanks…"

  He said, taking both from the hand.

  As he grabbed them, he turned his head—something in his gut telling him who it might be.

  He was right.

  It was her.

  Ha Yura.

  Standing right there in front of him, calm as moonlight. Her violet-black braid hung still behind her, and the red hibiscus sat unwavering at the back of her head.

  "Huh? I thought the strike team left…"

  "I thought the mining team and conversion team left."

  She said, her voice soft but devoid of any real tone—like a lake without ripples.

  "Yeah, they did. I'm in both teams, so I'm finishing both my duties; it took time in mining, hence why I'm here till this hour."

  He replied, keeping it simple.

  Ha Yura hummed.

  The silence that followed was brief—but not awkward.

  "Please finish your work and get home safely. It's good to rest your body after such labour work…"

  She said, her gaze steady.

  "I understand."

  But something about her felt… hesitant. Not physically. She stood straight. She was composed. But her vibe—there was a flicker of uncertainty. Like she was trying to figure something out.

  She stepped forward and moved toward the edge of the table beside him.

  Jaemin, noticing, took a few steps back without really thinking about it. She walked slowly, deliberately—every step silent. Her feet, covered in light cloth, didn't make a sound.

  She stopped just in front of the spot where he had been standing.

  Then, she pressed her soles to the floor and closed her eyes.

  For a moment, it felt like the room itself paused.

  Then her eyes opened again, calm and still, yet sharper now.

  "Are you a Precision Core?"

  She asked.

  Jaemin blinked.

  "H-how did she guess it?"

  He thought, the question snapping through his head like a whip.

  "Yes, I am."

  He answered calmly, pulling out his ID and handing it to her.

  No movement wasted. No shift in her eyes.

  She took the ID, her fingers brushing slightly against his as she did.

  She checked the ID, her gaze flicking from the card to Jaemin's face once, twice. Then, without a word, she extended it back.

  "Here."

  He took it.

  She turned around, taking a few steps away.

  "Wait!"

  She stopped.

  As she turned back, Jaemin was already a step closer than before, his hand half-raised. She flinched slightly, almost taking a step back.

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  "Y-yes?"

  She asked, voice low.

  He lifted his left hand—held delicately between his fingers was a red hibiscus flower.

  "Your flower fell."

  Jaemin said, offering it with a faint smile, honest and open.

  She didn't answer. Didn't even look directly at it. She turned her eyes away and stood still.

  So did Jaemin, now unsure.

  "Did I say something dumb…? Do I stink or something?"

  Thoughts spun through his head like a wheel coming off a cliff.

  Then she turned slightly—just her head, over her shoulder.

  "Are you not going to put my flower in my braids? I can't reach them once it's done."

  "Oh—right. Yes."

  Jaemin stepped forward again.

  He gently moved his hand upward, placing the flower back where it belonged. His fingertips brushed against the long braid, soft as silk, the scent of the flower faint and natural.

  Technically, he didn't know where to place it exactly—but she didn't stop him. So he followed where the previous one had been pinned.

  She stood still, almost frozen, her back to him.

  Meanwhile, Ha Yura's mind stirred quietly.

  "He's a Precision Core, so why suppress his aura? He masked it too well... But it's still there."

  She didn't ask.

  She didn't confirm.

  "There."

  Jaemin took a step back, hands to his sides.

  She turned fully and gave a small, respectful bow.

  "Thank you."

  Then, without a pause, she turned again and walked away. As she walked, her hand reached up—flawlessly adjusting the flower in her braid.

  Jaemin blinked.

  "…Eh? Didn't she say she couldn't reach it??!"

  He stood there, scratching his head, stuck in confusion.

  Jaemin took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, folding it neatly and placing it in the pocket of his normal coat. He opened the bottle of water she'd given him—cold, with visible condensation—and took a few slow gulps. The chilled water rushed down his throat, cooling his body from the inside out.

  He turned casually, eyes scanning.

  Ha Yura was walking back into the rift—alone.

  He watched her silhouette disappear into the glow for a moment before turning the other way. Footsteps approached. The two foremen were making their way toward him.

  "I see you've been busy."

  One of them said with a grin.

  Jaemin glanced at the carts—stacked high with freshly converted Rift Crystals—and smiled faintly.

  "Yeah, a little."

  "No, no. I meant Ms. Ha."

  "…Eh?"

  Jaemin blinked, caught off guard. He looked up at their grinning faces.

  "What are they smiling about…?"

  Jaemin thought to himself.

  "Anyway."

  One of the foremen said, brushing his hands off on his pants.

  "We'll bag these crystals."

  He gestured to the pile.

  "And… well, there's been a switch in your position for tomorrow's raid."

  Jaemin raised an eyebrow slightly.

  "What kind of switch?"

  "You'll be removed from the conversion team."

  The foreman said.

  "Instead, you'll be aiding the second team. Inside the rift."

  "Understood."

  Jaemin replied immediately.

  Both foremen paused for a beat, taken aback.

  Usually, someone would protest. Ask why. Ask if it affected their pay. But Jaemin? No questions. No hesitation.

  Just: Understood.

  The two exchanged a glance, something about his response catching them off guard.

  "…Good man."

  One of them muttered, quietly pleased.

  Jaemin simply nodded and turned back toward the table, eyes briefly glancing toward the rift once again.

  The foreman of the conversion team handed Jaemin a thick envelope—his payment for the job—and left with a satisfied wave. Only the mining team's foreman remained, crouched beside Jaemin as they packed the crates of crystals for transport.

  The quiet clinks of the Rift Crystals echoed in the night air as Jaemin finally broke the silence.

  "Foreman, can I ask you something?"

  The man looked up, still in a good mood from the productive day.

  "Hmm? Sure, sure. Go ahead."

  Jaemin hesitated for a second, then said.

  "I was wondering… why does Ms. Ha Yura wear only footwraps instead of actual shoes?"

  The foreman paused, his hands stilling on the crate. A brief smile tugged at the edge of his lips.

  "Well… It's a little different with her. She didn't train like most Coreborns." He said, placing the last crystal inside the box.

  "Honestly, she was never normal to begin with."

  "Not normal?"

  Jaemin asked.

  The foreman stood and wiped his hands on his trousers.

  "She was born in a mountain village. Raised in the wilds more than in a home. Trained barefoot, learned to sense the world through the ground vibrations, tension, and movement. No tech, no fancy equipment. Just instinct and discipline. Martial arts and swordsmanship, straight from nature."

  Jaemin nodded slowly, visualising it.

  "Then she came into contact with the Core of Revelation."

  The foreman continued.

  "After that, her senses became something else entirely. She can feel aura through earth and air—knows where someone is, what they are, what they're feeling. Even if you shut her eyes and ears, she'll still find you."

  He chuckled, shaking his head in amazement.

  "But yeah, that power got too strong. So she started using footwraps—to dull it a little, I guess. Can't imagine they help much, though."

  "I see."

  Jaemin murmured.

  "Pretty weird, huh?"

  The foreman said.

  "No... just rare."

  Jaemin replied.

  The foreman hummed.

  "And if you're wondering why she didn't leave with the rest of her team… She stayed behind."

  Jaemin glanced toward the rift entrance, his brows drawing together.

  "To finish off the boss and close the rift properly. Volunteered to do it alone."

  The foreman said, flipping the last machine's switch off with a firm click. "The strike team told her to let it go, take a break. But she wouldn't."

  Jaemin was silent.

  "She's determined. Quiet. Doesn't do things for credit. Just gets them done."

  The foreman picked up the last box.

  "She's strong. But more than that... she's grounded. Literally and figuratively."

  As the man walked off into the night with the cart, Jaemin stood in the silence that followed.

  Determined. Caring. Gentle. Yet, so powerful.

  That was Jaemin's first impression of the bearer of the Core of Revelation.

  For some reason, she reminded Jaemin of a soft pink cherry blossom petal floating in the cold air.