Ningning desperately tries to ignore the fact that she let two strangers in to her car, rationalizing that if they turn out to be insane, she will have the emergency contact on speed dial.

She parks in her driveway, nearing two in the morning, she knows they have class the next day but she might as well skip. They all exit the car, with Karina and Ningning helping Gaeul and Sakura to the door. Once inside, Ningning wastes no time in offering snacks and drinks before settling them on the couch.

"I'll go get some snacks and drinks. When I come back, you'll tell me everything you know," Ningning asserts, pointing at Gaeul and Sakura, who nod in agreement.

Karina stands with her arms crossed, ensuring they don't do anything untoward. Ningning returns with refreshments and settles in a chair nearby.

"So, tell us what you know," Karina prompts, standing next to Ningning's chair.

Gaeul and Sakura exchange glances before beginning their story. "Jiwon is Liz's actual name. Her parents were killed by Hunters," Sakura starts, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Ningning's eyebrows shoot up. "I didn't know that. Liz doesn't talk about her past at all, not even to her best friends," she admits.

Gaeul continues, "After her parents died, Liz went to an orphanage where we all met her, along with Mark and Felix. Everything was fine until a man named Cha Eunwoo adopted us all.

We thought it would be fun, but it turned out to be a nightmare. They experimented on us, treating us like lab animals."

Sakura's voice cracks as she recalls the horrors they endured. "They injected us with unknown substances, subjected us to electricity, and tampered with our brains. Liz suffered the most, her light slowly fading away as she endured unimaginable pain."

Gaul's tone is devoid of emotion as she recounts their ordeal. "One day, they brought in something horrifying—a slimy, black creature that attached itself to Liz. We were powerless to help as she screamed in agony."

Sakura's tears flow freely as she pleads, “You

need to do something to help Liz. I can't bear the thought of her enduring that torment again."

Ningning's heart sinks at the revelation, while Karina stands by, overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness and grief.

Ningning absorbs the heavy atmosphere in the room, the weight of the situation sinking in. Karina breaks the silence, seeking clarity on how they can assist.

“No offense... but how do you think we can help?” Karina's voice wavers with uncertainty.

Gaeul addresses their concern, revealing a crucial detail. “The main reason they found Liz is because of Yujin. Whether intentional or not, Yujin needs to distance herself from any cooperation associated with us. Those connections are corrupted by our involvement.”

Ningning and Karina exchange stunned glances. They know almost everyone, but this revelation catches them off guard.

“If they get Liz, you have no idea what trouble we'll be in,” Gaeul warns gravely.

Karina buries her face in her hands, frustration evident. “Okay, so what do you want us to do?” she asks, her voice muffled by her palms.

“You have to find the building where they kept Liz’s files, including the one with the black goop,” Gaeul instructs, her tone matter-of-fact.

Karina scoffs in disbelief. “Do we look like we know where the hell that is?” she retorts, frustration evident in her tone.

Sakura lets out a small giggle, lightening the mood momentarily, but Ningning interjects with an explanation. “Sorry, don’t mind her. Liz got her worked up earlier, and she’s been on edge since.”

Sakura’s smile fades as she raises an eyebrow. “Why?” she inquires.

“Liz hasn’t been herself lately. She's changed almost overnight, and Rei—”

“Oh, damn,” Gaeul interjects, realizing the severity of the situation.

Ningning and Karina are immediately alarmed by the sudden interruption. "We are so ed," Gaeul mutters into her hands.

Sakura picks up where Gaeul left off, her tone urgent. "That black goop has been tampered with. In other words, someone has already found Liz, and they're setting something up. We need to act fast."

Ningning sighs heavily, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Tomorrow, you'll guide us to where we need to go. You can come with us, and I'll provide treatment for your wounds," she offers, pointing to Gaeul and Sakura. Both nod in agreement.

"You guys have to be extremely cautious. They know who you are," Sakura warns, her expression serious. "Please, tell that girl Rei to stick with someone almost every second. They know she's Liz's weakness." Her plea is earnest as she locks eyes with Ningning, who responds with a tight nod.

"Let's get some sleep. We can discuss our plan further in the morning," Ningning suggests, ushering Sakura and Gaeul to her bed. She sets up an airbed for herself and Karina.

As they settle in for the night, Ningning can't shake the feeling of being unprepared for what lies ahead.

—

Giselle returns to their shared dorm with Liz on her back, a sense of déjà vu washing over her as she takes care of Liz instead of the other way around.

It feels odd and eerie at the same time. Winter limps behind her, holding her head. Giselle guides Liz to her room and carefully settles her onto the bed, tucking her in with a blanket before preparing to leave.

However, her attention is briefly drawn to a letter resting on Liz's desk. She feels a tingling sensation in her head as she glances at it, but she quickly shakes it off. It's Liz's personal belongings, and Giselle knows better than to intrude.

With a huff, she leaves Liz's room and finds Winter sitting on the couch, playing with the hem of her suit and clutching her head in pain.

"Not you too. What's going on?" Giselle asks, puzzled by Winter's discomfort.

"I don't know. My head is tingling so badly it hurts," Winter responds, hiding her face in the cushion.

Giselle furrows her brow, wondering why they're experiencing different levels of discomfort despite sharing the same abilities.

"Try to get some rest," she advises, gently smoothing Winter's hair. "I'll be in my room if you need me." Winter nods and begins to drift off to sleep.

Glancing around, Giselle notices Yujin asleep on the other side of the couch. She smirks and quietly makes her way to the front door, intending to step out unnoticed—until the door emits a creak, threatening to betray her escape.

.

She swiftly slips out of the dorm and closes the door behind her, donning a mask and changing into her sleek attire. Making her way to the roof, she lays her clothes down next to the ledge, ensuring they're hidden from casual passersby.

Giselle considers investing in strategically placed backpacks for future outings like this.

With a stretch, she adjusts to the sensation of her suit, marveling at the functionality of the HUD system Yujin provided. It performs exactly as described.

Experimenting with the HUD for a bit, she looks up random animals and locations to swing by. According to the vital statistics displayed, her arms are almost back in shape. Taking one last look over the cityscape, she prepares to take a leap of faith.

As she falls, the cold breeze rushes against her body. Just before she reaches the ground, she shoots a web to a nearby building and swings upward, propelling herself with a surge of energy.

The process becomes a repetitive cycle: attach, swing, pull up, repeat. Despite the repetition, the thrill of it all exhilarates Giselle. The wind rushing past her, the speed she achieves—it all makes her feel alive.

The rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins only adds to her strength, making her feel unstoppable. Despite the strain on her arms from the impact, she pushes through, ignoring any discomfort as she continues to swing through the city.

The exhilaration of swinging through the city comes to an abrupt halt when Giselle accidentally collides with a pole in her path. She groans as she sits up, feeling a small bump forming on her head already. Passersby give her odd glances, some pulling out their phones to record the woman in the oddly designed suit.

Regaining her composure, Giselle stands up, dusting off her suit. She notices people recording her and flushes at the attention. Searching for a way to erase their memories, she instead decides on a different approach.

Locking eyes with a camera held by a young boy, she shoots a finger gun and starts to run. With a swift jump, she attaches a web to the edge of a nearby building and swings up, hearing gasps from the onlookers. Smiling at the spectacle she created, she quickly flees the scene, the adrenaline still coursing through her body.

Just as she's enjoying the rush, a pop-up notification interrupts her thoughts.

[Incoming call from Yuyu😾]

Giselle gulps, knowing she's in trouble. She reluctantly accepts the call, bracing herself.

“Aeri Uchinaga where the are you!” Yujin practically shouts through the phone.

Giselle winces, scrambling for an excuse. “Uhm, getting ice.. cream?”

“Bull. You’re all over Twitter, idiot! Get your home now before I make you,” Yujin grunts.

“Okay…” Giselle responds, defeated, as she changes her direction to head back home. She really didn't want to find out what "before I make you" meant.

How the did they upload that so fast..?

For those on aff n ao3 i usually update my wattpad wall full of random and i’ve explained why i haven’t updated (kinda)

im sorry this chapter took me so long, my spotify premium ran out and music was the only thing that actually got me to write 😭😭 

with that being said, this will unfortunately be the last chapter until i finish testing (the rest of the month) and ill probably get back to writing this story

i know i said i wasn’t gonna take more breaks but uhm u see how that happened!

again i apologize a lot for the inconvenience but i’ll be back i promise!

Title from prey by the nbhd :)