The last thing Bae Aeri remembered was entering the Mirage Forest along with the other 19 contestants. She remembered the view of the trees blocking her path, and having to struggle her way in before she saw a white array of bright light.   Yet, she found herself in the familiar setting of the elven palace—her birthplace she could never call home. The walls and pillars upholding the elegant interior was all pristine white in color, and it only reminded her of the grim memories that came with it.   She was still holding unto her long bow, the same weapon she entered the forest with, and scanned her surrounding. There was one room where the doors were left open. Lights and voices came from it: the king and queen’s bedroom. She tiptoed her way, hearing a familiar voice.   “Why can’t I throw this child away?” A manly voice roared, showing uncontainable displease. It was her father, the ruler of all elves who had once been king of Ephemerus when the elf won years ago.   “You are the leader everyone looks up to. It won’t be good for your image to throw her away.” Came another voice which she recognized as Jeon Jungkook’s, the royal advisor at the palace.   “I have no use for this wretched child. The priest even foresaw she’d possess dark magic. We do not need a defective child like that in the family!” The ruler spoke.   “But your majesty—”   Aeri jumped up when the door opened completely. She had no time to hide, and attached herself closely against the wall. She was holding her breath to remain hidden as the ruler stormed out of the room, but he didn’t even spare her a look. It had always been like that. She had always remained the invisible taboo child to her father.   Watching him leave and seeing that all too familiar broad backside made her want to crumble in tears. She remembered it all too well. Her entire royal family always made her an outcast and always called her names. She was the princess no one knew about, because they always kept her locked inside the palace. No one was allowed to know about her existence.   “Hey, Aeri, right?”   The princess turned around, surprised someone acknowledged her presence within the palace. Her warm tears were still embedded in her eyes, and she was surprised to see that girl named Chiyeon. What was she doing here?   “Uuhm… Are you okay?” Chiyeon said worriedly, fiddling her fingers together awkwardly. “But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to though.”   Aeri frowned, wondering what she should say. She couldn’t possibly open up about her dark past, or the elf female would take a distance. Like her fellow brothers and sisters, Chiyeon would see her as the unwanted child she was.   “I tried using a spell to read their minds and find out where we are, but somehow their thoughts are blocked. I didn’t get anything,” Chiyeon continued.   Aeri hesitated whether she should say something, anything. The other elf seemed to be waiting for a response.   “We’re at the royal castle,” Aeri then said.   Chiyeon’s eyes widened in amazement. “How do you know?”   The truth almost slipped out of , but she remembered Yoongi’s words, telling her to keep her identity a secret. So she lied.   “I read about this place.”     The loud chime of the huge gong echoed throughout the entire temple. It was loud enough to shake an entire mountain, which it probably did. When Myungsoo woke up, he found himself back at the monastery where he worked and lived at. He wasn’t alone. Hoseok, Taemin, and Jihye were all there.   Jihye got up from the floor she was crouched at and looked around her. But when she spotted Myungsoo, her usual bright expression faded. She seemed like she had so much to say, but was holding back.   “Oh man, this is soooo awkward,” Hoseok said out loud, stretching his body as he lazily flung an arm around Taemin’s shoulder.   “Why? What’s going on?” Taemin was completely lost, following Hoseok’s trail towards the other two.   “These two people had a past. But it didn’t end well. So they kinda separated on a bad note,” Hoseok said, pointing his fingers at the people.   “Oh. Were they dating?” Taemin asked with surprise.   “No. Myungsoo confessed, but Jihye never answered Then she left with Sungjong the next day.”   “Ouch.”   “And extremely awkwaaaard.”   Myungsoo took a random flower pot and threw it towards Hoseok’s head. He would’ve have hit the target if he wasn’t such a bad aimer, and if he had enough power to throw further than a half meter distance.   “Stop gossiping about me in front of me!” He yelled to his friend.   “I was gossiping behind your back. See? You were facing that way,” Hoseok said, which earned him another failed flower pot throw.   “I think we should leave them for now to talk things out. We shall explore the place in the meantime and find out why we’re here,” Taemin said, taking Hoseok away. He was pretty sure he was helping, but he only intensified the awkwardness between the other two.   Jihye and Myungsoo just stood still, not even looking at each other. Both had a million thoughts roaming in their head.   “It’s not that I didn’t answer you,” Jihye softly began, eyes still fixed on the nostalgic temple ground. It was just the way she remembered it to be—the colorful rocks laid out messily to form a stable pathway that would lead to the entrance of the prayer temple. They had followed that path countless times together, chatting and laughing like the friends they used to be.   “You just walked away with Sungjong,” Myungsoo responded, and there was clear annoyance in his tone now.   “Indeed. Because you have to understand that I am a werewolf!” Jihye was unconsciously shouting. He always made things harder than it was.   “It doesn’t change the fact that you were found and raised here at the temple by the elves! You learned how to breath and live using the elf’s way. Why did you have to leave everything and go back to your roots?” Myungsoo also raised his voice.   “I am embracing who I am. What’s wrong with that?”   Myungsoo stayed quiet, letting his shoulder huff to breath out his frustrations. “Who you are and who you’re set out to be is not defined by your race. You were meant for more, if only you didn’t conform to that shallow mindset."   His tone was unbelievably calm, though judging on their many years growing up together at the monastery, Jihye could perfectly tell he had reached the limit of his anger. Kim Myungsoo did not yell or shout when he was enraged, he’d stay silent. And then, he’d walk away.     At another place, Sungjong’s entire body jerked upwards when he regained his consciousness. He expected to end up at some bloody warfield, but instead, he was resting on soft tall grass. On his side, there was a lake that sparkled magnificently along to the forest’ serenity.   He got up on his feet and noticed something else. He was stuck with Min Yoongi and Shin Nari. He and Nari were both werewolves, but who was to say everyone had to like their fellow race?   “Where are we?”   Yoongi continued standing at the edge of the river, whereas Nari was facing the opposite direction, smoking a cigarette that was sure to pollute the forest. Sungjong knew they heard him, yet chose to ignore him.   Knowing Nari would not hold back on slicing his head off if he tried to interrupt her smoking ritual, Sungjong had no choice but to approach Yoongi.   The guy turned around to prevent Sungjong from laying his filthy werewolf paw on his majestic shoulders before he could even raise an arm. Yoongi looked down as the sharp edged halberd was shoved against his neck. The slightest movement would cause Sungjong’s Adam’s apple to touch the razor blades.   “I should finish you off right now while I have a chance,” Yoongi spoke. The gaze in his eyes was completely cold blooded, and even Sunjong could tell this would not become the prince’s first kill.   “And then I will kill you afterwards,” Nari suddenly chimed in. She was blowing a smoke before calmly fixing her eyes on the fight that was about to ensue. She wasn’t even trying to defend Sungjong; she simply wanted to be the last werewolf standing.   Yoongi looked disinterested, but moved his halberd away from the wolf boy. He took on a fighting stance with his weapon and charged towards the girl instead.   She seemed to be caught offguard. But the moment he was about to swing his blade towards her, Nari stretched out her arm towards his face in a quick motion. She pressed the lit up cigarette bud against Yoongi’s right cheek. It nearly burned up a hole inside his skin that penetrated all the way to his flesh. She casually dropped the bud to the grass and stepped on it, watching as Yoongi entered the lake to put some cold pressure against the fresh wound.   Sungjong was worried Yoongi would direct his anger at them, but Nari seemed to be enjoying the sight of someone else’s suffering. The more pathetic Yoongi was, the more victorious Nari felt.   “Hey! It’s changing!” Sungjong suddenly remarked as he pointed noisily at the lake.   The water, which shun a clear and transparent color before, was now filled with black inky like swirls that stemmed off from Yoongi. The blackness began to spread over the water until the entire area was entirely clothed in black. There was no weird scent that came with it.   Yoongi fro