The Five Crystals

- 1 -

Rumi ran through the empty streets outside the city. The lights of Seoul were far behind, and the air smelled like old stone and dust.

A loud scraping sound came from behind.

The demon.

It was huge. Chains dragged behind it and clanged against the ground. Its red eyes glowed as it grinned.

Rumi gripped her weapon tight.
"Mira? Zoey?" she whispered into her earpiece.

Nothing. Just static.

The demon stepped closer.
"No help... perfect," it growled. "You'll die here."

Rumi's heart pounded. She backed up against the old temple wall. Nowhere to run.

The demon raised its arm to strike—

BANG.

A golden bullet flew through the air. The demon froze. Then its eyes went wide, and it collapsed with a heavy crash.

Rumi stared.
"...what just happened?"

She looked up.

On the rooftop across the temple stood a girl. She had a weird umbrella-shaped sniper and leaned casually on the edge. Golden hair shined in the moonlight.

"Yeah... that was me," the girl said, calm but distant.

Before Rumi could even ask who she was, a CRASH sounded from the temple.

The bullet hadn't stopped at the demon. It smashed through the old temple wall, cracking the stones. Dust flew everywhere.

Behind the broken wall was a small, hidden room.

On a stone pedestal sat a glowing crystal, protected by a weird bubble. Beside it was an old book covered in strange symbols.

Rumi's eyes went wide.
"...okay... what is that?"

The girl didn't move closer. She just watched.
"This... is dangerous," she said quietly.

Just then, Mira and Zoey came running, out of breath.

Mira immediately jumped forward and grabbed the girl's arm.
"Hey! Who are you?!" Mira demanded.

The girl didn't struggle. She just looked at the crystal.
"Don't touch it... you don't know what it can do," she said, calm but serious.

Zoey rolled her eyes.
"Wow, super helpful. We're supposed to not touch a glowing crystal while a giant demon just died?" she muttered. "Thanks for the tip, mystery girl."

The girl shot Zoey a glance, unimpressed.
"Yeah. You're welcome," she said dryly.

Rumi and Mira exchanged worried looks. They stepped carefully into the broken temple room.

The crystal glowed softly, and the old book looked... important.

The girl finally said nothing more. She just watched them, quiet and mysterious.

And then, from somewhere deep inside the temple, a low, rumbling sound echoed...

Rumi froze.
Something else was in there.

Zoey whispered, "Great. Because one demon wasn't enough."

The mysterious girl raised an eyebrow. "You talk too much."

Zoey grinned. "And you shoot too well."

---

Rumi stepped carefully into the hidden room, Mira right behind her. The soft glow from the crystal lit up the stone walls, and the old book on the pedestal seemed to whisper secrets only hunters could understand.

Zoey, of course, couldn't stay quiet. She leaned over the crystal and started pressing things. "OMG, look at this button... and that little circle... ohhh, what does this do?"

Rumi groaned. "Ugh... Zoey... not again..."

Mira scowled. "Stop touching everything! Who knows what'll happen if you press all those buttons?"

Zoey shrugged and pressed a button anyway. Instantly, the crystal glowed brighter, and the bubble around it shimmered violently. Sparks of energy shot out in random directions. The crystal hummed louder, almost alive, like it was protecting itself.

Rumi stumbled back. "Zoey! Seriously?!"

Zoey grinned. "Relax... I'm helping!"

Mira rubbed her face. "Helping? This is exactly why we can't have nice things."

The room shook as the crystal pulsed faster. Symbols floated in the air, spinning and glowing. Dust fell from the ceiling and tiny pebbles rattled across the floor.

Rumi grabbed Mira's arm. "We should check it out... carefully."

Mira muttered, still annoyed. "Carefully. And Zoey, don't touch anything else."

Zoey raised her hands. "I promise... maybe..."

The crystal pulsed violently one more time. Sparks flew higher, the bubble stretched outward, and the hum became a low roar that shook the floor.

Rumi, Mira, Zoey, and Piper froze. Something inside the shadows was moving. The light from the crystal flared, illuminating the walls. Shadows twisted like living things.

Zoey whispered, half-excited, half-scared, "Uh... maybe it wants cookies?"

Piper let out a quiet laugh at Mira's annoyed face. "Yeah... cookies. That's definitely it."

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed from somewhere deep in the temple. The floor trembled and dust rained down. Rumi's hands shook slightly. "Okay... this is way bigger than just a crystal."

The crystal glowed brighter than ever. Symbols spun faster, almost like they were alive, and tiny flashes of energy shot out, bouncing around the room.

Zoey stumbled back, holding her hands up. "Maybe... maybe I shouldn't touch anything else."

Mira rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You think?"

Rumi swallowed hard, listening to the low, deep rumble coming from the shadows. The crystal's energy pulsed in time with the sound, like it was warning them.

Piper floated slightly higher, ready to act, her grenades hidden in her garter. "Stay alert. Don't underestimate it."

The crystal pulsed violently one last time. The hum turned into a roar, and the bubble stretched outward like it was alive, warning them.

Rumi, Mira, Zoey, and Piper froze. The shadows twisted and moved, reacting to the crystal's power.

Rumi whispered, "This... this is just the beginning."

And then, before anyone could react, the crystal flashed so brightly that it filled the entire room with light. The light went out instantly, leaving them in total darkness.

A voice echoed through the room, deep and chilling: "Give me the crystal."

Mira groaned. "Ugh... not again."

Piper floated higher, eyes on the shadows. "Relax... we'll see how this goes."

Zoey gulped. "Uh... maybe it really doesn't want cookies..."

A voice echoed through the room, deep and chilling: "Cookies? BWAHAHA! No... give me the crystal."