*** “are you sure this is the place?”
Yoongi ask from where he stood, leaning on his elbow on a big tree as he and the other boys observe the gloomy mansion, HoSeok nods his head and walk to stand beside Jimin who crouched down with opened palm flat on the ground as he tried to detect any other movements beside him and his friends inside the house, the black haired boy pouted when he found nothing,
“quiet, too quiet” he said, deep crease formed on his forehead as he rise to his feet. SeokJin stepped forward slowly, face void of emotion as he heard his friends and brothers following suit and they stopped right in front of the front yard, listening closely if something disturbed by their presence but so far, he felt nothing, nothing but silence. But something about the eerie calm atmosphere poking on his nerve,
The oldest turn to the second oldest of them all and frowned, Yoongi look around at the other boys face once before nodded “if this werewolves are really tied to this whole ordeals, big chance they’re not here anymore, it explained the silence, we all know werewolves are territorial creatures, if they’re still here we wont even be here without being attacked in the dark as soon as we stepped into this woods” dark looks washed over Yoongi’s face as he speak,
“what if they’re still here?, this place still reeked with their scents all over” JungKook stated his discomfort as he scrunch his nose from the overwhelming scents of werewolves, Yoongi grunted and NamJoon quickly took over when he looked at the shorter male expression “then it safe to say they’re allowing us into their territory, I think they have something to tell us, or maybe some business with us,” he paused before looking at his older brother for help but SeokJin doesn’t even look at him but to the dark pathway that headed to the backyard and NamJoon sighed in defeat  before continuing “beside, its faint, but I definitely could smell JooYeon’s scents lingering in this place, we don’t have much choice, boys, I’ll go inside even if you don’t want to” he finished, throwing a pointed looks at Yoongi as his face hardened even more. All of them dislikes the other race too, its in their blood but in Yoongi’s case, its a lot more complicated, they know how much he distrust the werewolf, even more than the others, so NamJoon could understand his bitterness towards this situation. He lost his mother at an accident involving a rouge werewolf years ago after all and the hatred would always be there,
But they have no other choice,
Jimin, who stood quietly at the back while his friends hesitated in front of the door finally stepped forward, bumping on Yoongi’s shoulder in the process “move, if you don’t want to, you shouldn’t have come along in the first place”, the two quickly get into a glaring battle before Yoongi lost it and tear his eyes away to look at the opposite direction with a low growl “whatever”,
“I’m sorry hyung, this might be an important clue” Jimin said but Yoongi hissed “I know, you are not the only one feeling miserable from her disappearance, Jimin”, the said boy smiled widely and nodded, from other people perspective Yoongi might be sounds ungrateful and rude but as his long time friends the boys knew that he just being truthful and a bit ashamed by how Jimin, as one of the youngest members reprimand him. Min Yoongi is a prideful man,
SeokJin listened in silence as he keep his eyes on the lurking shadow behind the bushes, secretly smiled as he heard Yoongi’s stubbornness and shake his head slightly before a sudden movement catch his eyes and he could almost felt his heart jumped out of his ribcage as he rushed quickly to the backyard to chase whatever that makes the bushes moves earlier but he kinda get the idea just what actually he chasing on right now as he catch on the scents, his friends and brothers following suit,
They stopped when they reach the backyard and their eyes wildly scanning over their surrounding, trying to located the threat, except, their inner demon didn’t detect any threat spying on them, not even reacting when a sudden voice called from behind a big willow tree and they whip their heads simultaneously to look at the owner of the voice as he emerged from the shadow into the moonlight and the boys could finally see the tall, tan skinned man peering over them, he looked no older than NamJoon or HoSeok’s but something in his gaze told otherwise. This creature definitely older than the two, or any of the boys combined,
“took you long enough, Princes” the stranger smirked as his eyes glowed blue brightly.

 

***
I stand frozen, looking at the layers of barrier  that separating the tower to its surrounding with a thin silk like shadows, an enigmatic thing that looked exactly like a veil flowing into an elegant dance even without the wind, moving as if it have its own consciousness and I took a step back when the veil flown closer to me, as if it calling me, wants to pull me in its embrace. I end up bumping my back to KyungSoo’s chest,
“its okay” he said as he put his hands on my shoulders sensing my discomfort and push me forward, approaching the barrier again, closer this time and I felt the warm tingling feelings caressed my cheeks when the veil touched the skin, my mouth fell agape as I stared at the barrier before looking up to stare at KyungSoo as he grinned down at me,
“see? It wont hurt you” he said cheerfully and I couldn’t help but grinned back as I nod my head,
After cowering from my own insecurities, I finally gathered enough wits and ask KyungSoo to take me to the tower, he agreed quickly when I came to his post earlier after my talk with JoonMyeon oppa tonight, well, I sneaked outside actually as that oldest brother of mind clearly ordered me to rest and I crossed my fingers as I promised him I will. Well, in my defense, first, I never really did listen to anyone and he’s not an exception, second, this is important, so, yeah, I lied to him but I regret nothing,
After a long time prolonging my time, I finally stepped into the barrier and it engulfing me like a mother’s embrace, warm and welcoming. I laughed in relief, all the scary thought that I originally had before blown away like a spark of dusts and I turn around to look at KyungSoo, he grinned widely at me from over the veil and I frowned, “Soo?” I called and he just shake his head sadly,
“I cannot cross, her power didn’t recognize me, she never did” he answered my confused stare mildly as his smile stayed. My frowns deepened at this, not liking this fact and tried to walk back to him but he quickly shake his head “don’t waste your time on me, sis, we don’t have much time, someone could come and found your empty bed any time, so, go before JoonMyeon hyung know you are sneaking outside, I’ll be waiting here” he ushered and I immediately reminded of our condition, KyungSoo will be punished if they knew he left his post to help me get inside the tower, so without further ado I turn to the opposite way to run to the tower but I take a momentarily moment to look at my brother across the barrier “our mom love us, oppa, you are included” I told him and I saw his eyes glistened for a moment before a soft smile reached his eyes as he answered,
“I know, now go”, I nodded before advancing forward quickly,
As soon as I stepped inside the tower, all the warmness left me and the effect from crossing the barrier start to take its toll on me as I begin to shivering from the cold, it as if the tower my body heat and I felt like my organs squeezed inside my body, I choked from the unpleasant feelings before finally getting used to the cold. My mother’s power managed to repel the Empress power from the outside but her power still lingered in the inside because the shadows basically controlling my mother’s body after it destroyed her Soul seeker, keeping the body frozen in time while mother’s power releases not only around the tower but also across the realm as it keep on protecting it’s owner as long as the body endures. In other words, my grandmother uses her own daughter lifeless body to benefit her realm, I felt sick at the disturbing fact,
Shaking my head slightly to get rid of the nausea, I start climbing on the spiraling staircase one by one. The heavy feelings get even stronger every steps and even more unsettling when I finally reach the top, making me fall down on to my knees before I grit my teeth hard as I cant take the pressure anymore, I clawed at the sandy floor and released a wave of shadows to repel them and protecting me from my grandmother’s power, it worked, it still bugging me -as my shadows are not as strong as her power- but not to the point I want to claw my inside out, nothing that I couldn’t handle,
Finally feeling a little bit better, I rise to my feet and look around the room until I spotted a grand looking glass coffin, thorny vines coiled around the smooth surface, its beautiful yet deadly looking flowers bloomed here and there, looked unbothered by the freezing cold temperature of the room. I stand rotted on my feet, didn’t know what to do when finally the realization come crashing in to me like a horde of horse. I could finally meet my mother,
I choked a little as I start to advance forward,
“mom” I let out a disbelief whisper as I look down on the glass coffin and move my hands to touch the surface, it felt cold and I realized that its not a glass at all but an ice, a beautifully carved ice coffin, I watch when the frost covered the tip of my fingers at the first touch. My grandmother sure is making sure that no one could take her daughter away,
I stare at the face that I longed to look at in all my life and let a tear slide on to my cheeks “I have many things to asks and I have many things to talk to you, I thought if ever I meet you, even if it just your tombstone, I could finally pour this feelings out of my heart but now I am here, I don’t know where to start” I rambled, letting my tears drop on to the ice as I watch her flawless face and instantly remembered the times my father said that I was an exact copy of my mom and I chuckled,
“I knew dad was lying, he said that I was a carbon copy of you but no way I could be considered looked like you” I muses, taking in her ethereal looks, her rich vermillion hair flow down like a scarlet river down to her waist, her full lips colored in a reddest  color you could ever imagine like a wild rose bloomed in the midst of winter, she looked fragile yet strong at the same time. My mother and grandmother shared the regal looks, they could easily passed as a twin,
“mom, I meet my grandmother, she’s not what I expected her to be, I read about her in your journal too but long time ago, when I was a little, I have this wishful thinking that my grandmother will be as warm as Nara’s granny, you know Nara, right? My half sister, we shared our birthday, anyway, the point is, I kinda disappointed at how my grandmother turn out to be” I chuckled at my own complain as I keep on talking,
“I meet my brothers too, they’re wonderful, a little bit stressing but still, wonderful, you’ll love them, they love you so much by the way, especially JongIn,” my voice faded at that particular name before continuing “grandmother was mad at him so she kick him out, but he did that for my sake, he didn’t want me to come here, lets pray he’ll be okay, alright?”,
I fell silent after that, my mind trailed then I brought the night before, telling her story and again, I left with no answer, no matter how many time I ask or talk, she wont answer so I just went with my next questions “what is love? Grandmother fell out of love, but what is love exactly, mom? You and dad fell in love, could you teach me what is love?”, my mind jumbled and weirdly enough they filled with the short lived memories I have with the boys that called themselves my mates,
What are they doing?
Did the even realized that I am gone?
Did they missed me?
Did Nara take her place back? Am I being replaced already?
I bit my lip at the thought of Nara replaced my place, because honestly, deep inside I knew that I beginning to accept my heiress tittle already, I don’t dislike the boys company as much as I did back then, I think I loves it even and I definitely hoping that they would be at least missed me even for a bit, because to be honest? I miss them, yeah, I miss those jerks, they disappointed me but my heart cant