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“Why is he here?” said Graves, also sounding quite calm. And maybe a little annoyed.

“He’s hunting,” said Jun. “And I’m fairly certain that he is the reason Sai-hee is dead.”

What in the hell?!

“What?” said Graves, a bit less calm now.

“Please, do not provoke him,” said Jun. “Right now, we’re okay. Just don’t move. He can’t sense us.”

What? Why? Because of this blurry fog in the room? Something to do with the Phantom’s power, obviously.

The Man-Eater, however, sauntered over to Zeff, right up to his face. And the true scale of the animal became more apparent than he’d ever wanted to know. That huge snout was sucking in air so loudly that it sounded like a wind tunnel in Zeff’s ear.

“Just stay still,” Jun reassured him. “He doesn’t know you’re there.”

The wolf licked Zeff’s face.

Zeff flinched, blinking repeatedly. Stunned.

“Okay, maybe he knows you’re there.”

What in the world was happening, right now? Zeff couldn’t even process it.

And the wolf licked him a second time.

“Friend of yours?” said Graves.

Zeff had no idea what to say.

Then the Man-Eater moved away from him, heading over towards Jun.

“Ah, uh... Good boy... Oh, you’re such a good boy. Don’t eat mama, now. Please. Please, don’t--” And she flinched, as well, as the wolf sniffed around her.

Zeff could only watch with utter confusion. This creature had killed Sai-hee? What? Seeing Jun’s reaction to it was adding quite a bit of credibility to the claim. Certainly, she seemed to be believe it, at least.

He exchanged looks with Graves, who actually seemed to be enjoying himself now.

The wolf sat down again, right in front of Jun. And he just stared at her. Right into her face.

She gave a nervous laugh. “I suppose you’re... here for me, after all, huh? But you’re not going to attack? Do you want me to pet you?” She raised a hand toward him.

He growled.

She recoiled. “Oh. Okay. Alright. Message received.”

A beat passed, and her eyes moved between the wolf, Zeff, and Graves.

“...So, um. What do you want from me, then?” she asked.

The wolf snorted. Then gave another low growl, showing his teeth this time.

Jun smacked her lips. “Hmm...”

Graves interjected. “You said he was hunting, didn’t you?”

“I did...”

“How do you know that?”

“Um. Call it a hunch.”

“Mm. Then perhaps you should use that hunch to assist him with his hunt. Before his patience runs out.”

The Man-eater bobbed his head up and down, then snorted again.

Jun sighed. “Ah, man... my friend group really sucks...”