Please do read the author's notes at the bottom of the chapter first! :)

     "Markie dear! Get up get up! There sees to be a fire going on somewhere in the castle! Some assassin might have slipped in! Although it is highly impossible." Mark was jolted awake by Matilda gently tapping and shaking his shoulders. He winced as he got out of bed, pulling on a long-sleeved nightgown and slipping his sandals on. Matilda threw a wet blanket around Mark as she ushered him out of the turret. To say the least, Mark was confused, he was not awake enough to process informations thrown to him. 'What? What's on fire? Wait fire? Fire?! Jinyoung! Where is he? Is he safe?' Questions bombarded his brain as he stopped running. Matilda tried to tug him along down the turret, but even she could not pull Mark along when he froze (no pun intended). He wanted to go back, to go back and see if Jinyoung was safe or not. He couldn't leave without knowing if Jinyoung is safe or not. He tore himself away from Matilda's grip as he ran in the opposite way as Matilda was trying to lead them to, ignoring Matilda's pleas for him to come back. 

       He into the main part of the castle, where Mark knew Jinyoung would be at. Although he had never been in the main castle, he knew that the smell of smoke and the intensity of the fire would lead him to his destination. "Jinyoung! Jinyoung! Are you there? Jjinyounggie!" Mark shouted as he ran further into the smoke-filled castle. The smoke got thicker, and he couldn't breathe. When he tried looking for his blanket, he realised that it had disappeared. It had probably fell off while he was running. He didn't mind, all he cared for now was finding Jinyoung and get him out safely. He wouldn't know what to do if he were to lose Jinyoung. Mark stopped short to slap himself on the face, 'No no no, i cannot think like that! Jinyoung is safe! Jjinyounggie is DEFINITELY safe!'

       That was when Mark realised that there was a wall of fire in front of him. He had been so focused on looking for any trail of his half-brother that he hadn't noticed his surroundings. His eyes widened to the size of saucers, as he stared at the scene in front of him. Whatever bad thought that had just been thrown away, came back instantly. Whatever worries that he had for his brother's safety, came back ten-folds, making him shiver in fright. To Mark, Jinyoung might had already been burnt to death, so all he could do now was try to find the body. Just then, a thought came crashing into his mind. He had a way on how to find Jinyoung — using his atrocious power to quench the fire. He blamed himself for the fact that he should have thought of that earlier. Mark concentrated all his feelings, all his fears and all his anger, into summoning up a ball of snow. His hands tingled as it was slowly becoming colder, frost forming on his palms. When both hands were both filled, he sweeped his hands in front of him, causing an unlimited supply of snow to shoot out from his palms and fingers.

     Right as he was about to quench the last bit of fire, Mark saw something that caused something that he should not have seen, something that not a mere child should have seen. What he saw were two bodies, two very badly charred dead bodies, with what little resemblence they had left to whom they would be when they were alive. They were the King and Queen, Jinyoung's parents, but most importantly, Mark's father and step-mother.

     The snow stopped. His arms fell to his side, while his eyes glazed over, unable to take his gaze off the horrific sight. He staggered, as he collapsed against the nearby wall, sliding down. Mark's eyes were dry, tears unable to fall. He had not yet processed what had just happened. He could not process it. He did not want to accept it. Although he may not have liked his step-mother, neither did he have a strong sense of kinship towards his father, he had not wanted them dead. He merely wanted them to accept him, and to be allowed to play outside like Jinyoung, like any other children of his age. It was not as if he wanted to be born different, to be born with an inhumane power. So unconsciously, he had built a wall of un-meltable ice around the two dead bodies and himself, encasing them within.

     "Mark! Markie! Are you there?" Voices were chanting, with Jinyoung and Matilda's voice leading them. Mark had probably heard the voices, but he was too out of it to process and comprehend them. "Mar—" Jinyoung stopped short, causing Matilda and everyone behind him to stop as well. Gasps were heard, and murmurs were gradually starting. He saw a translucent ice globe surrounding Mark and the two badly burnt bodies. Then he realised, that was Mark's secret. He was in total awe. Even though the surroundings were hot and humid, the ice has not even melted a single bit. He found it very cool, and very special, feeling an incredible urge to touch it, to feel how it is like.

     "Silence!" Jinyoung ordered, bringing his palms up. The group of servants and maids went quiet immediately. He walked towards the ice globe, as his gaze travelled from it to Mark. Just as he was about to put his hands on the ice to knock, he faltered. He was surprised, no shocked, at Mark's expression. Mark's once clear, soft eyes were now like shattered glass, with a quiet stream flowing down his right eye. He looked so broken that it scared Jinyoung. So for a moment, he regretted what