The midnight I met him

the midnight I met him part 28

       As they stood there, united and determined, they heard a faint noise coming from outside. It was a soft scratching sound, like fingernails on wood. Mrs. Lee's eyes narrowed, her grip on Haneul's shoulder tightening.

"What was that?" Yuna whispered, her eyes scanning the room.

Joonoh and Haru exchanged a concerned glance, their faces tense with anticipation.

Haneul's eyes widened, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think it's Vector?"

Mrs. Lee's expression turned grim. "I don't know, but we're not taking any chances. Let's get out of here, now."

The group quickly moved towards the door, their hearts racing with anticipation. As they reached the hallway, the scratching sound grew louder, more insistent.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light...

        The figure stepped closer, its eyes fixed on Haneul with an unnerving intensity. Mrs. Lee positioned herself between Haneul and the stranger, her eyes flashing with warning.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice firm and authoritative.

The figure didn't respond, its gaze still locked on Haneul. Yuna and Joonoh moved closer, forming a protective circle around Haneul.

Haru's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively reaching for his phone. "I'll call for backup," he whispered.

But before he could make the call, the figure spoke, its voice low and raspy. "Haneul... I've been searching for you."

Haneul's eyes widened, his face pale. "Who are you?" he stammered.

The figure took another step closer, its eyes burning with an intense longing. "I'm someone from your past, Haneul. Someone who knows the truth about you."

Mrs. Lee's expression turned wary, her eyes darting between Haneul and the stranger. "What truth?" she asked, her voice cautious.

The figure's gaze never wavered from Haneul. "The truth about your identity, Haneul. The truth about your destiny."

Haneul's eyes sparkled with fear, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"

The figure's smile was enigmatic, its eyes glinting with secrets. "All will be revealed, Haneul. But first, you must come with me."

               Haneul hesitated, his eyes darting between the stranger and his friends. Mrs. Lee's expression was firm, her eyes warning him to stay back.

"I don't think so," she said, her voice firm. "We don't know who you are or what you want."

The stranger's smile grew wider, its eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, but you do know me, Mrs. Lee. You just don't remember."

Joonoh and Haru exchanged a wary glance, their faces tense with anticipation. Yuna's grip on Haneul's arm tightened, her eyes fixed on the stranger.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Lee demanded, her voice sharp.

The stranger chuckled, its eyes sparkling with secrets. "Let's just say I've been around for a long time, watching and waiting. And now, it's time for Haneul to fulfill his destiny."

Haneul's eyes widened, his face pale. "What destiny?" he whispered.

The stranger's gaze locked onto Haneul, its eyes burning with intensity. "Come with me, Haneul. And you'll find out."

Without warning, the stranger reached out and grasped Haneul's arm, its grip like a vice. Haneul tried to shake it off, but the stranger's hold was too strong.

"Let him go!" Mrs. Lee shouted, her eyes blazing with anger.

But the stranger just smiled and pulled Haneul towards the door...
             
     Haneul stumbled backwards, his friends rushing to his aid. But the stranger was too strong, its grip unyielding.

"Let him go!" Yuna shouted, trying to pry the stranger's fingers off Haneul's arm.

But the stranger just laughed, its eyes flashing with power. "You can't stop me," it hissed. "Haneul's destiny is calling."

With a surge of adrenaline, Joonoh launched himself at the stranger, tackling it to the ground. But the stranger was too powerful, tossing Joonoh aside like a rag doll.

Haru rushed to Joonoh's side, helping him up. "We need to get out of here, now!" he shouted.

Mrs. Lee nodded, her eyes fixed on Haneul. "We have to get him away from that thing!"

But it was too late. The stranger had already dragged Haneul out of the room, disappearing into the shadows.

The group gave chase, racing through the corridors in pursuit of the stranger. But it seemed to know the building like the back of its hand, leading them on a wild goose chase.

Finally, they burst through a door and found themselves on the rooftop, the city skyline stretching out before them.

And there, standing at the edge of the roof, was Haneul. The stranger's grip still tight around his arm.

"Welcome, Haneul," the stranger said, its voice dripping with malice. "It's time to take the leap."

Haneul's eyes were wide with fear, his face pale. "What do you want from me?" he whispered.

The stranger's smile grew wider. "I want to show you your true potential, Haneul. Your true destiny."

And with that, it pushed Haneul off the roof...

               
As the stranger vanished, Haneul for some reason transformed into wold the wolf stumbled backward, his fur standing on end. He let out a confused whine, his eyes scanning the rooftop for any sign of the stranger.

Mrs. Lee rushed to his side, concern etched on her face. "Haneul, are you okay?"

Haneul whined again, his tail tucked between his legs. He was still trying to process what had just happened.

Joonoh knelt beside him, scratching behind his ears. "It's okay, boy. We're here for you."

But Haneul's ears perked up, his ears twitching. He sensed something - a faint howl in the distance, calling to him.

Without warning, Haneul took off, racing across the rooftop with incredible speed. His friends gave chase, following him as he leapt from building to building.
             
           Haneul's paws pounded the rooftops, his heart racing with excitement. He had never felt this way before, like he was being drawn to something deep within his soul.

As he ran, the howling grew louder, more insistent. Haneul's friends struggled to keep up, their breathless shouts and footsteps echoing through the night air.

Finally, Haneul reached the edge of a massive skyscraper, the howling emanating from the rooftop below. With a mighty leap, he launched himself off the edge, soaring through the air to land gracefully on the rooftop.

A figure stood before him, a majestic wolf with piercing yellow eyes. Haneul felt an inexplicable connection to this wolf, like they shared a deep bond.

"Welcome, Haneul," the wolf said, its voice low and rumbling. "I have been waiting for you."

Haneul's tail wagged tentatively, unsure what to make of this sudden encounter.

The wolf took a step closer, its eyes burning with intensity. "You have a crucial role to play in the fate of our world, Haneul. Are you ready to embrace your destiny?"

             ○To be continued ○