“The sickly are pouring in.”

“Good. The Sun Child can do her work, and then we can solve this.”

Jimin leaned against the wall, listening to the conversation – Hyomin, and some stranger she was presumably friends with. It was no surprise that they didn’t talk to him.

He couldn’t get Dahyun out of his mind. It had been the case since he met her, but even more now, stronger and more palpable. He didn’t know what to do. What to let himself think.

If he let himself get away with his thoughts, he was afraid of how strong they’d be. He liked her too much – so much that it was almost a different word that occurred to him. And that was bad, in every way conceivable, but somehow he could convince himself that it was good.

But that was just another problem. He was an idiot, and he wasn’t thinking straight, but he wasn’t going to, either. This was it now. He was a slave to his own feelings, and he didn’t want to be anything but pathetic – weak.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he flinched when the door to the common area was thrown open, and everyone inside looked over as Seunghyun entered, followed by a boy and a girl.

“Be more careful next time,” Seunghyun said, turning to them. “This place is dangerous. And don’t even get me started on if you’d set off those traps closer to the Sun’s lodgings.”

“Sorry,” Tzuyu said, so blankly that a monkey could tell that she didn’t mean it. Seunghyun only sighed, walking out of the room, and the moment he was gone Tzuyu grinned at the boy beside her – Jungkook, whom he’d met earlier.

“What did you do?” Jimin asked, and Tzuyu noticed him then, approaching.

“Explored. There are some deep dungeons in this temple, Jimin.”

Apparently Jimin wasn’t the only one doing away with tradition and rules. But it was no surprise that Tzuyu was, as well.

“With traps?”

Tzuyu nodded, lifting her arm – covered in something black. “It really hurts,” she said with slightly too much excitement.

“She tried to open a chest,” Jungkook said, stepping closer.

“I did open it,” Tzuyu corrected. “It was empty. I think I did it wrong.”

“How does that matter? Why would it change whatever’s inside?”

Tzuyu shrugged. “Hunch?” She lowered her voice suddenly. “We’re going back during the next council meeting. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Doesn’t seem particularly smart,” Jimin said blankly, and Tzuyu just smiled at that.

“Jungkook and I are being fools together,” she answered, and there was a light in her eyes that Jimin wasn’t sure he’d ever seen.

“Don’t get me tied into it,” Jimin grumbled as he moved past her.

He was making enough mistakes on his own.

***

They met in the garden again that night. Dahyun had arrived first, waiting, keeping her mind distracted from the busy day. Healing people felt wonderful – the warmth of sunlight spreading through her, the beautiful smiles of the relieved sickly, the things to learn. But hearing their stories weighed her down, seeing so much suffering, on top of everything else in the world.

When he arrived, it had been awkward, just like always. But then somehow, they ended up here: sitting side by side, leaning against a large statue pedestal that Dahyun would never properly see without better lighting. They looked up, at the starry sky, the only source of light the world could afford them.

“What happened to your mother?” Dahyun had asked, after the conversation grew quiet. It had gnawed at her, the way he’d spoken of her and of himself. And with what she’d learned…

“I killed her.”

Perhaps she just wanted to confirm the obvious. She sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

She felt like he was looking at her, but she didn’t dare check, keeping her eyes locked on the sky.

“I was about three or four at the time,” he carried on, unprompted. “I… hardly remember her.”

“What do you remember?”

“She was beautiful,” he said quickly. “Kind. My father had been a soldier at the time, and he lived far away, at the barracks. It was just my mother and me, living in a small house together. She never left. She probably wanted to – father always said what a burden I was on her happiness.”

Dahyun turned, looking over at him, and he was looking away by now.

“No child should hear that,” she said, and he laughed – for some reason – then looked down.

“What about your parents? What happened to them?”

Dahyun didn't talk about it often. But Jimin had opened up – she owed him the same.

“I was seven. It’s – it’s a simple story. Roaming thieves wanted their money, but they didn’t have it.”

We don’t have it. She still remembered their screams as the strangers held cold steel against . She used to wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, with that memory fresh in her mind. She gulped.

“They – they held me captive, so they were supposed to kill me when they didn’t pay up. But I suppose they didn’t want to kill a child. Instead they threw me aside, killed my parents…”

A sharp intake of breath forced its way through her, cutting off her words. She wiped her eyes.

“And then they looted their bodies,” she added, her voice higher pitched. “And left. It was-”

The tears kept coming, and she wiped her eyes again, trying to catch them with her sleeve. Her nose was getting blocked. She couldn’t keep talking.

She felt his hand, just for a second, on her shoulder, and she flinched away – in an instant he retracted it, turning away.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thick. He felt her pain. He was a better person than he let show. “You don’t deserve that.”

Dahyun sniffled again. “It’s – it was okay, in the end.” Her voice was still choked, but she forced the words out. “Mother Soonkyu – though she was a sister at the time – found me. Took me to the orphanage. She’d visit me every day. At first she was the only person I’d talk to. Her and Yugyeom.”

Jimin was quiet for a moment. “Yugyeom,” he repeated.

“The boy who found me. The first time we met.”

“Right,” Jimin sighed, and Dahyun looked at him, curiously.

“Technically, it’s the reason why I met you.”

Jimin snorted. “Oh. Lucky you.”

“I don’t think I’m so unlucky.”

“You won’t even touch me,” he said back, too fast for him to have thought about it. Dahyun looked away quickly, holding her breath.

Nothing was said. Too long passed. Eventually, Dahyun stood.

“I should… I should sleep.”

Jimin didn’t say anything, and Dahyun stood there, uncertainly, for another moment. And then, without another word, she started walking away.

“Dahyun,” he said suddenly. She turned, hardly able to see him in the darkness. “Goodnight.”

She breathed out her tension. “Goodnight, Jimin.”

“Hey, Dahyun,” Yugyeom said to her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw him

“Yugyeom!”

She nearly hugged him – but for some reason, she stopped herself.

“How have you been?”

“Fine,” Dahyun said quickly. It was getting easier to say it, even when she didn’t believe in it. “I can’t believe it’s been days and I haven’t seen you.”

“They keep us busy,” Yugyeom said. “I’m just glad I caught you now. I guess you need to start healing people now?”

Dahyun nodded, and Yugyeom nodded back, silence hitting as he averted his eyes.

“Say, did you get any word on… on everything happening?”

Dahyun swallowed. “I don’t know. Soon.”

Yugyeom nodded, looking tense. “I – I wish it wasn’t you.”

Dahyun had almost been about to say she wished that, too. But if it wasn’t her, it was someone else.

She just looked down. It made sense, that they chose orphans.

“I… I should go and help the Council prepare. They have another meeting today. I guess you’ll be there.”

“Yeah,” Dahyun said. “I should go, too.”

Yugyeom nodded, and she moved along, feeling heavier.

“Wait,” he said suddenly, and she turned, looking at him.

Yugyeom was more grown-up. Different. Everything and everyone was different.

Maybe that was why she liked Jimin so much. Something – someone new couldn’t startle her with change. His grimness wouldn’t remind her of his joy, because she’d never seen his joy.

Hm. She’d never seen his joy. She wished she could.

“That man you were talking to when I found you, on that day when we first met again,” Yugyeom said, slowly as if he was choosing his words carefully. Dahyun felt the blood rush from her face. “You didn’t ever see him again, did you?”

Dahyun opened , then shut it again quickly. Lying to Miyoung was one thing, but this – could she lie to Yugyeom?

“Wh-why?”

“I saw him on our side of the Temple. I was… worried.”

Dahyun faltered. What should she say?

Would she be able to lie?

“Dahyun,” a voice said from behind her, and she turned, looking at the old lady who’d been guiding her before. “They’re waiting for you.”

“Oh,” Dahyun said. She turned back to Yugyeom fast. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Yugyeom’s face changed. It went cold, all in an instant – he nodded, just slightly, and all it did was sent chills down her spine. She turned, rushing out of the room quickly.

There was nothing more she could do about that situation. Hopefully he wouldn’t be unhappy with her. That was all she could think.

She moved into the large room – it was designed for healing. A chair, almost a throne, was there just for her, and people lined up outside. It was a monotonous process, and some wounds and some illnesses simply took a long time to heal. Yesterday an elderly man had died in the process.

Dahyun hoped that didn’t happen today. The doors were opened when she was in position, and she was almost used to the routine after such a long day yesterday. Hours passed, the brightest light coming from her hands as the dark windows tried to dim her power. It was physically exhausting, but energising as well, making her feel stranger inside the longer she stood healing.

It wasn’t until she recognised a face that she was broken out of the monotony. A beautiful woman, holding up a charred arm. She’d seen her before.

Jimin’s betrothed.

“It really hurts,” she said with a feeble smile, and then it faded as she recognised Dahyun. “You’re her.”

Dahyun shook her head quickly, noticing how the two servants at the door took interest.

“You’re… you’re the Sun Bearer.”

“Of course,” Dahyun said, panicking.

“But why did-”

“I need to heal you, yes?” Dahyun interrupted. The girl opened , then closed it again, looking at her arm again.

“Yes. I suppose you do.”

Dahyun stepped closer, holding her hands over the girl’s arm. She just examined Dahyun’s face, wide-eyed, and Dahyun felt so uncomfortable that she ended up speaking.

“I’m sorry about that, it was stupid to ask after him,” she said under her breath.

“Why did you?”

Dahyun looked up at her, then back down at the wound. “W-we met by chance. Neither of us knew who the other was. I- I was curious to know more about him. I didn’t know he was betrothed-”

“That doesn’t matter,” she said quickly. “But now you know who he is.”

Dahyun nodded, and the girl glanced away, her lips.

“I’m Tzuyu. We were arranged as children, so it’s not like he has feelings for me or anything.”

Dahyun paused. “Why are you telling me that?”

Tzuyu shrugged. “It’s about time somebody liked him.”

“Even the most forbidden person in the world?”

At that, Tzuyu only smiled.

“That makes it exciting, Sun Child.”

She stepped back, looking down at her arm.

“Thank you. I might see you around.”

Dahyun was stunned, watching her leave distractedly. Exciting? There was nothing exciting about this.

She only remembered her job remained when the next stranger was practically in her face.

She hadn’t had much to do once her work was done. She tried lazing around in the common room, but boredom struck.

On a whim, she decided to go to the gardens early. She knew the path by now. She knew how to retreat to her room, how to work out when the coast was clear to escape, how to sneak away without getting caught. She was moving with soft footsteps, going down paths she was learning to memorise, when she heard a voice.

She paused, wondering if she was mad, but she could still hear it – and an answering one, feminine. The moment that one stopped talking, another started laughing, loudly. Dahyun moved towards the sound in spite of all her instincts.

Eventually, she saw candlelight crawling out from underneath a doorway, heard the voices louder.

“And he pretended he was going there anyway!”

The whole room laughed, and she had to wonder how many people were in there – just, what, trading anecdotes?

“Taemin, you’re making that up!”

“Well. What an aggressive accusation. Honestly, Jinri, you should be more careful with these things.”

“With what? Calling you out on nonsense? I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“Oh, stop bickering. I’ll start hearing wedding bells.”

Voices groaned loudly, followed by laughter. “You can’t say that, Soojung!”

Dahyun stopped outside the door, still listening.

“Just disgusting. Ignore her. She's trying to provoke us.”

“Oh, you worked it out, did you?”

And Dahyun was definitely mad when she started pushing that door open, peaking through into the room. They all fell silent in an instant, turning to look at her.

Five people. Four of whom sat around a table, faces merry from laughter with drinks between them, and another leaned against the wall with arms crossed – a painfully familiar face.

All had black hair, dressed entirely in the dark shade, had deathly pale skin.

And all had glowing orange eyes.

a/n- life got really crazy really suddenly, so sorry for the delay. It's looking like this story's going to end on roughly 12 or 13 chapers, and I should get there quite soon :) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I am very obsessed with writing cliffhangers lol