Mina had thought herself awake but she can’t be. It was a reality nightmare of sorts, more vicious than most, more lucid. Time to get out of whatever it was, cold water at her feet, cold water in every direction. Every movement was costing more energy than it should, like someone just turned gravity in the lowest force but it pulled you inside, deeper into the core of the water.

There was a chink of light part way up where she swam. No. she saw the light when Jeongyeon jumped from the bridge.

But she thought she saw something jumped into the water.

Not someone. It's a dog. It resembled a dog.

A dog?

No. It’s a wolf. Not Jeongyeon.

Wait. No, it is not.

It's Jeongyeon.

How does Mina wanted to explain herself? The light was a dog but as it was closer to the stream it ‘turned’ into Jeongyeon? It was the most ridiculous answer that Mina ever thought of.

Stop thinking about me. Where’s Jeongyeon?

The panic has Mina’s heart hammering against her ribs.

When she could no longer hold her breath, the cold water rushed in to her pathway. All illusions of surviving was gone. Mina knew she could not hold her breath any much longer. Even though she was a good swimmer, she knew she could not beat the current of the water. Soon the oxygen deprivation took away her thoughts and she knew the only way for her to return to the land was by waiting for the divers to return her to her loved ones.

What am I talking about? What loved one? I don’t have the loved one.

Jeongyeon?

Jeongyeon was sinking again, her legs tired and struggled to bring her back toward the only way to bring back her precious air. But this time she sank faster.

Jeongyeon!

Drowning was quiet, their movements were subtle, and they rarely made any noise at all. Mina’s heart were in pain. Jeongyeon was totally losing her hope. She surrendered herself to the water.

She was counting. She was waiting for her death.

There was no way Mina would let it happened. She knew the little thing about herself. She did not have the loved one. She only have the one she loved dearly. Jeongyeon. There was no one else.

She did not mind even though Jeongyeon did not know her feelings.

Mina moved her legs and clasped Jeongyeon’s wrist. Jeongyeon was unaware, but slowly Mina towed them upward to the surface above.

Little by little, black began to seep in at the edge of her vision. As her vision blurred out and her consciousness faltered, her body became numb and she waited in for the numbing hands of death to away every last piece of life left in her. From her lips comes an explosion of air bubbles, moving away from her at a peculiar angle.

For some reason it did not hurt like she thought it would. She was not scared anymore, it was almost peaceful actually. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Jeongyeon, letting their bodies floated in the current like a doll. Then, ever so slowly, everything faded away.

“Mina.”

Yeah?

Mina opened her eyes. When she was totally awoke, she realized that she was in a meadow. The temperature was an ambient twenty-five degrees or so and the flower-perfumed air was alive with the song of birds. She could hear a gentle tinkle and splash nearby, and when she sat up she could see that she was near a large stream of perfectly clear water running over a rocky bed. On closer inspection she noticed that the river was teaming with plump silver fish and there were signs of otters burrowing in the soft earth banks.

Where am I?

Mina heard voices nearby, murmuring something that sounded like a prayer – or a chant.

It was all she could do not to gasp at the macabre scene before her.

A circle of black-robed figures stood. A glowing light – somehow the colour was changing from aqua to turquoise – roared in the centre. The figures’ arms were rose to the sky, heads bent backward as they chanted words in a language Mina never heard before. Surprisingly, she understood every single word that came out from their mouth.

They were chanting. They were chanting for the revival of the death.

Someone among them was dead.

Who were they praying for?

“They’re chanting for you.”

For me?

Mina surprised. She felt a cold shivering wind blowing toward her but she felt warm. She felt cosy. It was as calm as drinking a coffee while studying in the middle of the night. She was very sensitive to temperature especially during summer and winter, but this time it was totally different. It was a new experience for her.

One of the figures came out from the circle and stood in front of the glowing light. The light began dimly, weakly, but then it shot striking up to the sky that picked up its energy as the chanting grew louder and higher-pitched.

Mina’s heart began to pound. She felt like she was breathing. Then she remembered that she was in the water for the longest period that she ever remembered.

Where is Jeongyeon?

“She’s alive. Thanks to you.”

As the figures make their move away from the light, there was only one man that stood still, waiting the rest of them to leave the place. He was standing behind the light. When there was none black-robed figures left, he walked toward Mina and smiled.

No wonder you sounds similar.

“I am of you, and you are of me.” The man widened his arms and hugged Mina. Without her realize, Mina received the hug and smiled warmly, as if she knew the man for a very long time. Could it be because she finally see him in her dream for four years? Could it be because she finally meet him face to face and talked to him?

“Mina, Minari,” the man caressed Mina’s long, curly wine-coloured hair and kissed her head. “Why are you so fearless? Where do you get the courage from? I’m so worry about you.” 

He clasped Mina’s shoulders and made a step back, bend his back to meet Mina’s eyes, his lips ceased with a fatherly smile. “But because this is the very first time you used your speciality, we’ve decided to bring you back to life. I mean you haven’t make a single move yet,” the man laughed before continued. “Okay. Even though you’ve done it lots of time, it’s just that you did it without your realize. It’s a very tough decision to make, Mina, because by doing that it’ll hard to do it once again if you’re in critical situation in the future. Same goes to the rest of the Werewolf Nation if they’re in real danger. Remember that I told you about The Thorn of the Black Rose?

Mina nodded.

“Read it soon after you found the book. Do you still remember who kept the book?”

She nodded her head once again.

“Good. Now then–”

“Mina~” Mina heard the murmuring of someone called up her name. The man and Mina stared upward before their eyes met.

“Please, Mina. I love you, Mina.” It was hard for Mina to ignore the voice as the volume was getting louder.

“She’s waiting for you.” The man smiled, cupping Mina’s cheeks before brought her back to his arms. “I’ve tortured her for a very long time and I shouldn’t do that to her for a very first place. Don’t worry, Jeongyeon. I’ll bring back your Mina to you.”

“But how?” Mina asked.

“By this!” The man suddenly pushed her. Mina could feel that she was falling deep down like there was no end, no bottom of the fall. Frantic, she could no longer able to speak as she was totally shocked. “I’m sorry, Mina but so long. Until next time,” She could see the man looked at her and waved his hand as his figure was getting smaller before every corner of her vision became white once more.

Rush of water from her lungs travelled through her pathway and itched her trachea, forcing Mina to cough the water she swallowed in the stream. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to breath in air, knowing that she swallowed too much water in the stream.

“Mina! Mina!” Jeongyeon landed weakening Mina on the side of her body, patted Mina’s back, letting more water escaped from as Mina coughed more. Loud breathing of gasping was heard between her breathe, vomit and cough before all of the engulfed water escaped from .  

“Jeongyeon. I–”

“Mina!” Jeongyeon hugged Mina closely as the tears travelled through her cheeks. “Mina! I thought I’ve loss you!” She sobbed once more but this time because she was happy. It was hard to believe that Mina was finally came back to life after she saw her absolutely still on the ground, like been invited by the Death Reaper.

“Oh, Jeongyeon…” Mina spoke in between her shiver, embraced the girl, feeling the hot, wet tears that spilled down Jeongyeon’s cheeks against her own skin. Then she realized that her own eyes were tearing, too – for the life that she herself had almost lost and for her crush that she could not imagine won’t be able to see again.

“Jeongyeon! Mina!” Jihyo shouted from behind. Jeongyeon and Mina almost jumped out of their skin, turning their head and looked at Jihyo, landed herself on the streetlamp. With a slight jump from her feet, Jihyo landed in front of the partner and approached them. “You should be grateful, Jeongyeon. Luckily I’ve found you,” Jihyo said, turning her focus to Mina, “and you too.”

“Are you out of your mind, Jihyo? Where do you got your courage from to jump in front of her? You should cover it or something–”

“There’s no point for me to do that, right Mina?” Jihyo looked right at Mina. “I’ve no idea what’s going on between you and Mina up until both you were wet but let’s bring her home first. She’s shivering right now. Whether the skin is pale or she’s the one who extremely cold right now.”

“How?” Jeongyeon questioned. “Did you bring Dahyun with you?”

“Why should I?” Jihyo smirked. “I’ll bring her home. You just go home on foot.” Jihyo pushed Jeongyeon aside – Jeongyeon almost tumbled on the ground – and ducked in front of Mina. Then, Jihyo pulled out her black leather jacket along with her white loose sheep-thread sleeveless shirt, revealing her black sport bra.

Without asking for permission from the person, Jihyo removed Mina’s already wet black long-sleeved plain shirt, exposing her almost build up abs on her pale abdomen and ruby bra with lances.

Not far from the scene, there was Jeongyeon, sat on the river rock, gasped with amazement. The girl that she had keep an eye on ever since she was a toddler grew up into the iest form of a young woman that she ever imagined. Even though Jeongyeon was tailing Mina for a long time, however, it was her very first time she saw Mina’s body and it was right in front of her.

Jeongyeon gulped her saliva, opened with awe, revealing her front upper teeth and her eyes opened widely. She was totally amazed with her Master’s body – or it was better to say how much she enjoyed the show in front of her.