Justina's POV

"Stay put. I'm coming to get you."

"Arasso."

As soon as I hung up, I opened up a portal from where I am to the abyss.

"Are we really going there?" Myung-Ki asked.

"Yes," I said in a whispered.

The portal then opened up in a small crack. I stepped forward but was held back by Myung-Ki's tiny hand. 

"Noona~ If you go there, I won't be able to protect you."

I turned around and took his hand into mine. "It's okay. I'll be okay. Just stay here."

I then turned back around and looked at the portal that had grown wider. The darkness that seeped from the portal was slowly calling me in that I had to use every part of me to not fully be pulled in there. 

Justina... please hurry. A voice echoed in my mind. It's Minseok, he must be close by. I began searching until I found a teenage boy crouched on the floor. The sad smile that was once on my face had turned into a happy grin.

"Don't worry, I'm right here," I softly said. 

The teenager looked up at me with teary eyes. I lifted my arms up and put on my best smile. The sunlight behind me begun to shine so bright that it seemed almost like the darkness was being overthrown by it.

"Justina," he whispered to which I hummed. "I'm cold. Hold me."

My heart leapt in my chest when he said that. I couldn't help the smile on my face to become wider.

"Come here, Minseok."

He then ran into my arms. I pulled him through the portal away from the darkness and into the light. 

"Justina~," Minseok cried on my shoulder.

"Shh, shh~ It's okay now. I'm here," I calmed him down. "You said you were cold right?" He nodded. I pulled away from him and sat him down on a spot on the grass where the sun was shining on. "Better?"

He shook his head and pulled me down into his lap. Wrapping his arms around me, he whispered "Much better."

My cheeks began to heat up and fiddled with my thumbs to distract myself. We stayed like this but was interrupted moments later by a cough. Crap, I forgot Myung-Ki was here! 

"Of course you did, noona~," a now less tiny voice scoffed.

"Is that Myung-Ki?" Minseok asked.

"How did you know that?"

"You just said that."

I looked over my shoulder at Minseok. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Noona, you did," Myung-Ki intervened. He pointed to his head. "Right here."

"Minseok, can hear my thoughts now? How?"

Myung-Ki shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure but I think because you called him, that type of communication wasn't possible before here in this world so it connected your thoughts together."

"Hmm, so since we indirectly talked to each other— our already connected world— connected our thoughts together," Minseok thought out loud.

"Bingo!" Myung-Ki snapped his fingers. "Wow, you really are smart, hyung!"

Minseok nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Jinjja?"

Myung-Ki nodded and send him a smile. I rolled my eyes and got up from Minseok's lap. Everyone's attention turned to me and watched as I went to sit down on the swing.

"What's wrong?" Minseok asked.

"Don't you realise that we can now read each other's thoughts?"

"Yea, what about it?" he said, casually.

I sighed heavily. "That means that you," I pointed at him. "...can hear every single one of my thoughts and that I," I pointed to my chest. "...can hear every single one of your thoughts."

Realisation finally hit him and his eyes widened at me. "This is bad."

"Tell me about it."

"You do know that you can only read each other's minds if you're nearby, right?" Myung-Ki voiced in a mature voice.

We both snapped our heads to see a much older and taller Myung-Ki. 

"Myung-Ki, what the heck?! How the hell did you grow that fast?" I asked to which he shrugged his shoulders in response.

"So how are old are you now?" Minseok asked.

"10?" Myung-Ki said, unsure.

"I guess time in this world moves faster than in the real world," I said.

Minseok got up and stretched his arms, letting out a yawn. "Yea, and since we're together again, shouldn't we be going somewhere today?"

"Sure. Where to?" I asked as I swung on the swing.

"Can you bring me back home? I think umma and appa must be wondering where I am," Myung-Ki requested. 

"Oh yeah, I forgot about them!" I shouted. "I'll open a portal for you."

I then opened up a portal like I did before but this time to the dark castle. I turned around to look at them before offering my hand to Minseok. He gave me a smile before taking hold of it. He then offered Myung-Ki his hand and he too took hold of his hand. 

"Everyone, hold on tight, we don't want to lose anyone now," I reminded.

At that, Minseok's grip on my hand tightened. 

"I wouldn't want to lose you," he whispered to me without looking at me.

Him saying that had sent my heart but also some thoughts to my head which I hope he didn't hear. I quickly jumped into the portal before he could say anything. 

As we travelled to the dark castle, my heart couldn't stop beating that I was more focused on trying to calm it down to realise that we had lost Myung-Ki.