The bottle clattered uselessly to the floor, rolling away. Clear liquid hissed faintly where it splashed against her skin, smoke curling upward as her flesh blistered and melted.
Madam Nafplion's cries turned into inhuman wails as she collapsed to the ground, rolling and screaming, hands flailing uselessly as the acid continued to eat into her.
No one moved to help her.
Yeri didn't see it, but Nina did: Madam Nafplion pouring the sulfuric acid onto herself, her face a picture of horror and confusion, as though her mind and hand were two separate entities.
Meanwhile, dark mist surged from Shin instinctively, thick and swirling, wrapping around Yeri's fragile form like living shadow.
The power was gentle despite its terrifying nature, seeping into her wounds, knitting torn flesh, dulling pain, stabilizing her shaking body.
The worst of her injuries began to heal before anyone could blink.
Shin dropped to one knee beside her, his hands already undoing the restraints binding her wrists and ankles as he pulled her into his arms without hesitation, holding her carefully, as though she might shatter if he breathed too hard.
Yeri's body convulsed.
Tears burst free as the terror she had been holding back finally overwhelmed her. She clutched at Shin's clothes desperately, sobbing brokenly, her voice cracking.
This was the first time in her life she had never been more relieved to see him.
"Carpet…" she cried hoarsely, her fingers trembling as they fisted against his chest. "Carpet, you have to save Carpet. Please. Hurry. Please save him."
Shin stiffened.
His gaze flicked instantly toward the small, unmoving body lying not far away, blood staining the floor beneath soft fur.
"Don't worry. I will," he said, his voice low and absolute.
He shifted to lift her properly, intending to carry her out immediately, but Yeri suddenly resisted, weakly pushing against him.
"No," she sobbed, shaking her head. "I'm fine. Go check on Carpet first."
For a split second, Shin hesitated.
He carefully eased her down, making sure she was stable, before rising slowly to his feet. The mist around him thickened, coiling like a living entity, his presence turning terrifyingly oppressive.
Around them, Hexion members moved efficiently. Nina was freed. Madam Nafplion's screams were silenced as men dragged her away, her fate sealed long before this night.
Shin walked toward Carpet.
He was panting heavily. Recognizing him, he struggled to wag his tail, but his body remained limp against the cold floor. Judging from his condition, a moment later, and he would truly be gone.
Even if they rushed him to the veterinary hospital, he might not survive.
Shin used his ability, restoring the dog's vital organs while leaving the rest to the veterinarians later.
Only after returning to Yeri and assuring her that Carpet would be fine did her rigid tension finally ease. Relief washed over her and then her consciousness slipped away.
Shin carried her out immediately, his expression unreadable.
Since meeting her, this was the first time he had seen her in such a wretched state, so broken, so overwhelmed with emotion that it pained him deeply.
Only he and Tristan knew the lengths he had gone to ensure she would live a comfortable, happy life after bringing her into that realm to live as a human. He had wanted her to walk in sunshine, never to experience the rain.
Yet this had happened, an unforgivable transgression that had crossed his bottom line.
"That person couldn't have done this alone," Shin said coldly as he passed Tristan, Yeri cradled in his arms. "Find whoever's behind this within a day."
Tristan nodded subtly.
In truth, Shin didn't need to give the order. By the time they arrived, the area had already been cleared, and until now, no one else had appeared, no one except Madam Nafplion.
"As expected of the boss," Junho muttered in admiration. "When it comes to tracking, I'm still a mile behind."
Tristan merely smiled and did not refute him. Shin hadn't become CEO through business acumen alone. He was also a computer prodigy, the very reason Keir Global Group dominated the technology sector, so it wasn't surprising that Junho assumed as much.
---
When Yeri regained consciousness, an entire day had already passed.
As she opened her eyes, she saw Nina sitting by her bedside, both cheeks covered in white sheet masks as she scrolled through her phone.
"You're awake!" Nina exclaimed brightly. "Do you want some water?" She quickly poured a glass and handed it over.
Yeri looked around the room. Before she could say anything, Nina continued, "Your parents were here earlier but had to leave for something urgent. Your mom should be back soon."
"Carpet- how's Carpet?" Yeri blurted out, grabbing Nina's arm as memories came rushing back.
Nina sighed, then smiled in relief. "Don't worry. He's recuperating too. I don't know the details, but your mom said he'll be fine. Even the vets were amazed by how tough he is."
Hearing that, Yeri finally felt the tightness in her chest loosen. Only then did she notice Nina's face.
"What's on your face?" she asked.
Nina rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You're one to talk. You have one too. They said it's the fastest and most effective treatment to reduce swelling."
"Ah…" Yeri's eyes flickered with guilt. "Nina, I'm really sorry."
Nina also came from a wealthy family, a pampered young lady who had likely never experienced being slapped before, let alone multiple times.
Nina rolled her eyes again and laughed softly. "You weren't the one who hit me. What are you apologizing for?" Her expression softened. "Besides, you had it worse. What matters is that we're both okay."
In fact, Nina's parents had indeed been worried. She hadn't returned home, nor had she sent any message saying she'd gone back to her dorm. Just as they were about to contact Yeri, knowing the two had been together, they instead received a call from the hospital.
When they arrived and saw Nina's disheveled state, especially her face, swollen like a pig her mother was so terrified she nearly fainted on the spot.
"Do you need to take any medicine or undergo further treatment? I'll ask my mom to cover all of your hospital expenses," Yeri said softly, then hesitated before asking, "And… what about the driver?"
Nina paused for a moment before answering. "I heard he lost too much blood. He's still in a coma."
Yeri let out a deep sigh. They had been on the same side when the car was slammed, it made sense that he would have suffered the worst injuries.
After that, Nina told her everything that had happened while she was unconscious, eagerly shoving her phone in front of Yeri.
Within just twenty-four hours, the Nafplion family had declared bankruptcy.
The eldest young master of the Nafplion family, once groomed to inherit his father's position hadn't even had the chance to sit on that empty throne. Instead, he found himself behind bars, expected to remain in prison for life as more and more crimes committed by the Nafplion family were uncovered.
It was as if someone had uprooted the entire household, digging deep and exposing countless skeletons buried beneath the surface.
Unfortunately, solidarity was a foreign concept to the Nafplion family.
Once it became clear there was nothing to gain and that association might only drag them into an abyss of crimes, everyone scattered.
Rivals descended like vultures, fighting over scraps, carving up whatever little remained.
The meteoric downfall of a once-tyrannical second-tier family swept through the media. No one knew the exact reason, but within the upper class, those who knew and those who didn't, all shared at least one understanding.
They had angered Shin Keir.
Families once tied to the Nafplions were quick to distance themselves. Those who stood to lose the most had initially wanted to intervene, but upon learning of Shin Keir's involvement, they could only reluctantly cut their losses. Not even the Song family extended a hand.
Amidst all of this, there wasn't a single mention of Yeri, nor anything linking her to the Nafplion affair or Madam Nafplion's abduction of her and the others, sparing her of the controversy.
As for Madam Nafplion, it went without saying that what she had done would be returned to her tenfold. She was currently being treated for the burns she had sustained and would later be transferred to a mental institution.
"You know… it was really strange," Nina said quietly. "That mad woman looked shocked, almost unwilling when she poured the sulfuric acid on herself."
"She must have been hallucinating," Yeri replied, unable to think of any other explanation.
In the end, neither of them dwelled on it. Madam Nafplion was clearly unhinged already far gone into madness.
---
That night, Madam Nafplion lay restrained on the hospital bed, her wrists handcuffed to either side of the metal frame.
She muttered curses without end, her voice rasping and broken. At times she erupted into hysterical screams, thrashing until the restraints bit into her skin.
Then, she would collapse into sobs, crying out for her precious son, her beloved husband, begging them to come back to her.
Moments later, her grief twisted into rage.
Her single uninjured eye would dart wildly around the room as she screamed Yeri's name, hurling venomous threats and filthy insults into the empty air.
Then she heard it.
The distant howl of a dog.
Because of the sulfuric acid, more than half of her face had been burned away. Her right eye was gone, the ruined socket hidden beneath thick, blood-stained bandages that wrapped around her head and chest.
Only her left eye remained, bloodshot, bulging, and manic as it rolled frantically.
"Why the hell is there a dog here?" she muttered hoarsely. "I knew it… it must be that little bitch's dog!"
The lights in the room flickered.
The temperature dropped without warning, cold seeping into her bones.
Apart from her own ragged breathing, the dog's howl grew closer, lower, deeper... until it twisted into a guttural growl that vibrated through the walls.
Fear seized Madam Nafplion, her body went rigid and she could not move, could not scream. Only her remaining eye was free, forced to witness what came next.
At the foot of her bed, the air distorted.
A massive black gate materialized out of the darkness, its surface ancient and scorched, shrouded in rolling fog.
With a thunderous groan, the doors began to open, spewing unbearable heat into the sterile hospital room.
Beyond it was nothing but a raging mountain of fire.
From the inferno, two figures slowly emerged.