Chapter 370 - Tying Loose Ends-I

Seoyeon stayed calm, almost too calm and he wondered if she had shared the same calmness as Haneul. She didn't see herself through her own reflection and she wondered how people see her currently through their glasses. Was she scary? Powerful? Or stupid?

Whatever it might be, she was certain of her cold calm that she could see daunted the subordinate who stood behind the glass of the room which seemed to be only one way where the ones over the glass could see her but she couldn't see them. 

"I want peace," answered Seoyeon directly. People wondered if she had joked and she could see how those people who stared at her think of her as such. "As you know I am the only vessel of the catalyst who could control the power and I am not sure if anyone after me could control the power. I want to end everything once and for all, giving this world and the dead their resting time."

"Do you mean you have found the method to stop the catalyst from continuing to persist in this world?" Collin asked for her confirmation. The man was as calm as she is though the way he looked at her sometime unnerved her for some reason.

"It is everyone's mistake to ever think we are the enemy. It is not us who had killed the most but the witches. To make it short, what the catalyst want is for the dark witchess to be put to death and it should be myself to kill her."

"I don't see where this will help the catalyst from continuing to exist."

Seoyeon continued, "The catalyst came from the first person who received the power and she could disappear but for that the dark witchess' dead is needed for personal reason. My idea is to tender you one offer, an offer which I will lend you my power to kill the dark witches while you stop the hunting on my head."

"She can kill you all, you know," Jung Hwa said from the side, "But Seoyeon didn't because she wanted to give you a deal where there should be less who die. I don't think there is a better offer than this."

The fortuneteller rolled her eyes when Collin was in a deep thought, "Why do you still have to think? She is offering her help, and you get to kill the rest of the witches that you had been wanting to kill. While Hunters are claimed to be strong how long had it been since you chased for the dark witchess? Have you succeeded?"

Jung Hwa pulled his brows and snapped his finger as if trying to pull something hidden in is memory. "Three centuries, was it?" 

"Don't joke, they had been hunting her for four and a half centuries," the fortuneteller shaded.

Jung Hwa twisted his palm, "Yet, the first catalyst was alone when she killed the entire dark and light witches. I can see how very very strong you are, gentlemen."

"If you are scared about me trapping you, then you don't need to," Seoyeon said. "I only need ten of your best hunters and for you to lift the hunt price off my head. If you are unavailable I don't need the first offer."

"Do you truly think you are capable of controlling your power?" Collin stared deeply into her eyes, there was a fierce gaze he had while holding her gaze.

"Yes." Seoyeon answered with the single word fueled with all determination she needed to say.

Collin contemplated for a good one minute, "You have to understand it is not easy for us to agree to this, Miss Seoyeon. The catalyst and us— we have a lot, so many, histories with them, the histories which is best left as a story. Instead of hating the catalyst who had killed my subordinates, I pity them. I truly do. Believing you is not easy but," the man's lips that were set in a line slowly formed into a smile, "I think I can put all my trust in you."

"You could have just said you agreed," said the fortuneteller with a huffed.

For Collin to agree, Seoyeon could feel her heart that drummed against her heart turned happy, after all, some part of herself had been preparing and mapping on the path to escape from the place. She didn't know Collin would agree with the amount of blood feud between hunters, she expected the Associates would be the easiest to be convinced as they had less hatred to the catalyst compared to the hunters who had been hunting the catalyst who went out of control.

But currently, the Associate was too chaotic for her to take them into consideration. There was someone and possibly someone with a very high position in the Associate who worked with the dark witchess, and this could lead to the plan failing. Knowing the hunter's hatred, it was much more easier to trust them who won't ever mingle with witches.

A hunter then came inside the room taking advantage, Seoyeon rested her back to relax her nerves.

"It doesn't seem like you expected this," whispered Jung Hwa beside her with a raise of an eyebrow.

"I gambled," she answered.

"A very good gambling technique you have there," he commented with a little frown between his eyes brows, "Some reason why I had agreed to go with this plan of yours because I trusted you had a plan. A foolproof one. Not a gamble."

"Well now, it has become a foolproof plan. I learned how to gamble from you." Seoyeon answered with a grin.

Jung Hwa crooked his brows, "I don't remember having you on the casino yet."

"But you did gamble," Seoyeon raised her hand and pointed to herself. "I am the prize, remember?"

Jung Hwa's grin stretched wide at her cocky reply. He pinched one side of her cheeks that were pink in color and Seoyeon felt her whole soul was pulled by his eyes, "You now turn extremely narcissistic. It's not bad."

"And I also learned that from you," Seoyeon winked once.

"We have gotten the answer for earlier attack, Miss Seoyeon," came the voice of Collin again after he had heard the report from his subordinates who then left the place.

Judging from Collin's own attention, Seoyeon could already see how terrible the news was going to be. Jung Hwa also noticed it but he had overheard it with his high hearing sense, being less surprised than Seoyeon.

"That hunters have been found possessed. He is under the control of a dark magic."

"The Queen had made her move," Seoyeon said and while Jung Hwa and the fortuneteller understood, the hunters didn't. "It's the last two dark sorcerers who had put the spell on him. How is he?"

"It will take some time to break the spell. If he is lucky he can leave with his life."

"I can help," offered the fortuneteller, "Healing is one part of my job and the light is the best enemy for the dark."

Collin nodded, giving her a polite bow, "I will remember to repay this favor one day."

"Sir!" Another voice came again before they could leave the room. Collin frowned at his subordinates grim expression and raised his hand to let him continue, "The head of the Associate had been changed. It is now Gun Nam and he came to meet us now."

Collin deeply frowned in response, "Show him to the receiving room. That man's pride is as small as a fragile rock if we deny his entry, he will only do what is not becoming of a person."

Seoyeon tuned to stare back at Jung Hwa. "He moves fast," Jung Hwa said to her. He knew Gun Nam was the traitor but he didn't expect it to be this early. What was the reason for the chance of plan? "I think something had happened to Gwe Jeoknim. Maybe he has died on Gun Nam's hand."

"That would be a reason for his quick ascension." Seoyeon had too little interaction to know what kind of a man Gun Nam was. She only recalled that during her first meeting she didn't feel too good seeing the man. He appeared ambitious to have the position of Associates' Head. "With how quick he had taken the position, there should be many who doesn't agree. I don't understand why he want to come here?"

"It's his plan," Jung Hwa had a faint idea of what Gun Nam would do. "Collin, I will come with you."

Collin was surprised of Jung Hwa offers, "I would not have any reason not to allow you but who we are meeting is Gun Nam." Reminded Collin.

Jung Hwa responded, "I know. He is also the man who is also possibly working with the dark witch. If he sees me, he will know Seoyeon is here and you had agreed to our plan but for now we should lay our friendship low, under the water. The reason I agree because I know how to keep my profile low while being in the same room as you all."

"Okay," Collin agreed.

"I will see you again," Seoyeon squeezed her small fingers to his arm as she spoke. While Jung Hwa can conceal himself, she could not with her immense presence that came from her ability.

"Wait for me," Jung Hwa kissed her forehead and left the place. 

While they left, she decided to go with the fortuneteller and see the person who had been controlled by the black magic. When she came there, she saw the man's skin had turned very pale and green.

"He is dying!" The fortuneteller ran to his side placing her hand to the man's chest. 

"What kind of a curse is this?" Seoyeon questioned from the side.

"A curse that let one's body to be controlled, he is currently similar to a puppet played by the marionette. They act more like a hand that attack only those who had been told as their target. While controlling them is difficult we can summarize easily who had this kind of power."

"The late Queen." Seoyeon stated.

"Will there be a side effect for him?" asked the young hunter beside them who was worried about his friend.

"I would say no for your friend but yes for us." The fortuneteller looked at Seoyeon. "There is a possibility that the Queen would be alarmed and know about us if we break his curse."

"It's fine. She won't be that certain it is us who had break her curse. As his body was kept in the hunter's building until his curse broke, the Queen would only suspect it's the hunters who break the curse and possibly less than a percent that's us," Seoyeon said, "and a person's life is more important now."

"Of course," agreed the fortuneteller.

Seoyeon watched the fortuneteller trying to heal and break the curse, as she wasn't sure of her control, she let her do the work and left the room again.

Seoyeon had just made a step out when Haneul whispered, 'This entire time I have been sensing a presence of someone who is also reincarnated.'

"Min Hyuk? Or Han Anhye?" She questioned her but she didn't answer. 

'It's difficult to tell.'

"I will go and find them," Seoyeon suggested. Her priority was to put everyone into rest.. Knowing that there was someone else still bound by the spell Haneul had casted, Seoyeon needed to find the person and put them to the rest they needed so their soul could be free and reincarnated without remembering their last life that could be a burden for their own body.