Their future is set in stone. Their journey through fate will not be smooth—hardships will face them, testing the strength of their trust. Though their future may be filled with obstacles, they will face them together. And together, they’ll conquer them all. But for now, they’ll rest.

It seemed as if Porles held nothing but misfortune for Daehyun and Youngjae. There was the occasional silver lining but the difficulties still outweighed them. Besides, they had no reason to go to Porles anyway. Taking those into consideration, they decided that it would be best to stay at the manor. That day, they did the things they weren’t able to do because of the recent incidents. And because they promised him, they decided that they would help Junhong with improving his swordsmanship. After all, if something bad happened to Daehyun, he would have to take his place.

A sword is only as strong as the one who wields it. In Daehyun’s case, he would be considered by many to be dangerously skilled with any blade he wielded. Junhong on the other hand had plenty of room for improvement. Youngjae had high hopes for Junhong—and high expectations. With someone like Daehyun training him, he had no doubts that Junhong would one day grow to be just as strong as The Black Butterfly.

Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master

With the grass swaying in the wind and the sunlight gleaming across the fish pond’s surface, the three stood atop a small hill in the garden of Yoo manor.

Junhong gripped his sword tighter as he held it out in front of him. And as Daehyun charged at him with his wooden sword—a bokken; Junhong swung at him. Just as the blade was nearing Daehyun, Junhong pulled back, afraid that he might accidentally hurt his hyung. “Don’t hesitate! Don’t worry about me, just attack!”

And attack, he did. He swung the sword at Daehyun without hesitation, just like he said and sure enough, it was deflected by the bokken.

“Good. You’re learning quickly.”

After many failed attempts against Daehyun, he leaned forward, trying to catch his breath. He was no joke—there was no way to exaggerate his skills.

Just then, Junhong felt someone place their hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw that it was Aya. She was holding her own bokken and her grey curls were tied back.

“Come, Daehyun. Let us teach this young man the ways of a true assassin.”

Her words came as a shock to everyone except Youngjae. She laughed at their reaction. 
“What? Where do you think I got these scars?” She pointed to her cheek. 
“They didn’t call me the Ace of Spades for no reason!”
She made a symbol with her hand that meant nothing to Junhong. The two cards nodded to each other. Daehyun must’ve understood. Was that gesture exclusive to The House Of Cards or was it known by assassins everywhere?

Like a pair of sharks, they circled Junhong, their stares piercing right through him. He stood still in his place. Who do I look at? Where should I run? Who do I attack?
The two were still walking around him and they were gradually getting faster. It almost made him feel dizzy.

“Look at your blade, Junhong!” Aya yelled. 
“See your opponents. Be aware of your surroundings and fight accordingly.”

Junhong drew in a deep breath and held his sword out across him once more. 
See your opponents.
He became aware of every step, every movement they made. The timing had to be perfect.
Whenever Daehyun appeared on his sword, Aya was in front of him—
right where he wanted her.

Running as fast as his feet could take him, he ran towards her. How long could he keep up that façade?
Be aware of your surroundings and fight accordingly.
And that was exactly what he was doing. As he raised his arm to swing at Aya, he caught a glimpse of the view behind him on his sword. Sure enough, Daehyun was running up to him from behind—
right where he wanted him

All the gears are in place.

From a spectator’s view, they would assume that this would end with defeat, just like his previous attempts. Junhong’s sword was about to hit Aya’s and she was already in position to block him. What a shame. At least he tried,right?

Fast was the one word Youngjae thought as he watched Junhong move. It was never his intention to hit Aya’s sword, that sneaky little bastard. She wasn’t his target after all. As he came to a stop, he turned his body so that he was behind Daehyun. It was all a bluff—a clever one, at that.

With Junhong’s arm loosely wrapped around Daehyun’s neck, the world stood motionless—until Daehyun let out a hearty laugh. Junhong quickly released him, apologizing and bowing so low that his torso was parallel to the ground.

“That was amazing!” Daehyun gasped.

"My, my. Daehyun, what have you been teaching this child? Good work, both of you." Aya reached up and patted Junhong's hair.

"Jae, did you see that?" Daehyun beamed at Youngjae. "With both of us defending you, there's no way you'll ever get hurt!"

"Hey, I'm not completely hopeless, you know. I know how to defend myself." Youngjae huffed as he gave them a pout.

"Yeah?" Daehyun smirked. Ah, how much he enjoyed teasing his dear friend.

"Yeah. Aya, please retrieve Art for me."

Art? Is he going to paint people to death?

"Ooh, are you showing off your skills to Daehyun? This is going to be good."

And with that, Aya ran back to the manor. When she returned to them, she carried in her arms a bundle of royal violet cloth. Eager to see what was hidden underneath, Daehyun and Junhong leaned closer to Youngjae, watching him uncover whatever 'Art' was. The violet cloth cascaded down to the grass and in Youngjae's hands was a beautiful bow. The dark wood surface was polished well and had a mirror-like shine. The green accents painted onto it must have needed the precision of a surgeon to create. The green resembled the flora found in Levert forest—it was beautiful. Just like the person it belonged to.

"This," Youngjae held the bow comfortably in his hand.
"This is the Artemis bow. It was originally Aya's but she gave it to me many years ago. I've had plenty of practice," Youngjae said as he aimed an arrow at a tree beside the pond. And as his fingertips released the string, they all watched the arrow fly through the air.
"As you can see." He smiled with pride as his arrow pierced through a branch, causing it to fall off. 

Daehyun thought back to the time they spent in Levert forest. How Youngjae so willingly fell asleep in his arms—how he trusted him without any hesitation. He never expected Youngjae to be an experienced archer. He just seemed too sweet, too fragile, too pure of heart. Those arrows in the the trees were snow-white—identical to the one Youngjae just shot. Did they come from the same quiver; shot by the same hands? But they were so deep within the forest; could they really have been his?

"Were those your arrows that we saw yesterday?"

Youngjae nodded. "You saw them?"

"Of course. They were everywhere. But why do you go so far from home to practise archery?"

"Because," Youngjae began. "It's the quietest area in Levert forest. It makes me feel relaxed." Though he was being completely honest, that wasn't the only reason he went there to shoot arrows. But it wasn't the right moment to tell Daehyun—not yet. However, should they ever need to flee from everyone else, Youngjae will know exactly where to go.

Not too long after, rain began to fall and everyone retreated back to the manor. And as everyone else walked off to continue their day, Daehyun was pulled back by Youngjae.

"Follow me. There's something we must discuss." 

Daehyun followed Youngjae through the hallways. He was still unfamiliar with the place and since all of the walls were identical, he was unable to determine where they were going. That was until he sighted a line of portraits when he realized they were heading to the library.

The library was a large room with two floors. It wasn't as grand as the rest of the manor—it stood outshined by its neighboring rooms. It was always cold in there too. And yet, Youngjae still favored that very room. What was it about the library that he liked so much? Was it the thin layer of dust that gathered on every surface? Was it because each wall was lined with books as far as the eyes could see? Perhaps it was because it was so homely and rustic. Or maybe he just happened to adore sitting next to a lamp and letting the world fade around him. But one thing was certain—he yearned for someone to read with; someone to enter new worlds with.

"Daehyun," Youngjae began as he sat down on the leather sofa. "I want to help you find your mother."

Daehyun stared at Youngjae with wide eyes. Those words were so unexpected; why was the world being so nice to him?
"I'd like that. But what about your mother? What if she comes home and you aren't here?"

"Nora won't be back home for another week. Besides, Karivia isn't too far. I want to help you."

Nora. That must be his mother. He assumed when suddenly, another unnerving thought came barging in unwelcomed.

Will she remember me?

Youngjae smiled to himself.
"Yongguk's going to be happy."

"You mean happier than he already is? I didn't think it was possible." Daehyun chuckled, brushing away his worries. 

"He's always so much happier when Himchan's around." To tell the truth, Youngjae envied them. They always seemed to be smiling or laughing when they were together. He wondered how it felt.

"Himchan? Who's that?"

"Himchan's our first footman." He replied. "He always accompanies mother whenever she leaves the manor."

Himchan, huh? Daehyun wondered what he was like. Was he nice, just like everyone else? Did he have a friendly smile like Yongguk's? He watched as Youngjae stood up and walked to the window. 

Staring out of it, he sighed. 

"It gets lonely here, Dae." He dragged his finger across the windowsill, drawing a line in the dust.

"And after a while, you get tired of seeing the same things over and over again. That's why I go to such distances with nothing but my bow and arrows."

Youngjae turned back and returned to the sofa.
"You know, I always feel so alone in here. It's always the same everyday. Yongguk will be with Himchan and Junhong's already becoming best friends with Jongup. And I, I only have—"

"Me." Daehyun interrupted. Placing his hand on Youngjae's cheek, he looked into his glassy eyes.

"You have me."

Leaning in closer, Daehyun let his eyes close as he pressed his lips against Youngjae's—gently. They were softer than the petals of a budding rose and were almost too delicate to kiss. Did that rose have any hidden thorns? Who knows?

Daehyun opened his eyes and pulled away as he felt warm tears falling onto his hand. With his thumb, he wiped away Youngjae's tears. 

"That's right...I have you." Youngjae whispered back as they longingly stared at each other's eyes. And at that moment, the library didn't seem so cold anymore. Youngjae cupped Daehyun's cheeks and pulled him closer for another kiss. It was sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted, warmer than anything he'd ever felt. 

Pulling away to breathe, Youngjae pressed his forehead against Daehyun's and smiled. 
"You're beautiful, Dae. Did you know that? Why did you fall for someone like me?"

Daehyun smiled back. 
"Because I saw and angel and I refused to let him go." 

They watched time pass by in the library, never leaving each other's side until sunset. Daehyun understood why Youngjae favored the library. Each book held inside it new adventures, new worlds—it was his way of escaping reality. But with Daehyun by his side, was there any reason for Youngjae to want to escape reality? Perhaps. Life as they knew it was changing right before their eyes and without realizing it, they too will have to change—for better or worse.

At nightfall, the two finally parted and exchanged good-nights. And as Daehyun lay in his bed that night, he struggled to fall asleep. His mind was troubled—what was he feeling? Was it anxiety? Without a doubt, he wanted to see his beloved mother again. But the possibility of rejection—it scared him. Would she welcome him back into her life with open arms? Would she look at him with disdain and tell him that he was a monster? 

Daehyun let his tears fall onto his pillow. The dam that held back his tears for so long had finally broken—and he felt relieved. He felt human. 

Youngjae proved to him that someone can love a monster, a rat, a killer. He was truly grateful of the angel that gave him a chance—the angel that fixed his once broken heart.