Witches. They’re witches, and Seungwan doesn’t even have time to ask, because Taeyong runs out of the arena right after, screaming about a name, and the others share panicked looks before leaving her there, Johnny beside her and on guard.

“Witches,” she says under her breath. She isn’t sure she buys their claim of being witches, but that would explain… a few. But witches don’t even exist, do they?

“They told you, huh?” Johnny muses amusedly, still standing tall and looking around warily. He extends a hand. “I’m a Vampire.”

Her head whips and she sends Johnny an unbelieving glare. “Yeah, okay. What an elaborate prank.”

Johnny chuckles, putting down his hand sheepishly. “I am. That ‘hunt’ I was talking about with Joohyun? They were hunting for animals we can dry. Junmyeon’s gang eats the meat. Leeteuk’s gang just likes to eat.”

Okay then, she nods. “What are Junmyeon’s and Leeteuk’s gangs?”

Johnny looks at her, then smiles. “Leeteuk’s gang are Demons. Devil’s Mart, not so… subtle. Junmyeon’s are Werewolves, and they were going to name their diner The Full Moon, but they settled for a less obvious name and called it Monster Diner instead.” He gestures extravagantly. “Something about being the best.”

Seungwan sighs, head aching. She peeks in the arena and finds bright lights zooming from one side to the other. “What’s happening inside?”

“Stuff you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about,” Johnny says with a wink, poking Seungwan’s head.

She dodges but his finger still hits her, and she scowls, slapping his gloved hand away. Gloves, of course. “What’s your real name, then? I’m guessing you have a real name?”

“It’s Youngho. But I don’t use Johnny as a fake name, it’s actually my real name. I’d prefer it if you called me Johnny, it’s the little hint of home I’ve got.” He smiles at Seungwan, then takes his phone out of his pocket to glance at a text before facing her. “Come on, then, let’s get you to The All Nighter.”

“What?” She peeks in once more and finds bolts of bright lights thrown around the arena. “What about them?”

“You’re not safe here, Seungwan.” Johnny grins, then bows. Soon enough, Seungwan finds herself on Johnny’s shoulder, his bone poking against her stomach. “They’re immortal, you’re not. One hit gets them a oo and you… uh, death.”

Seungwan looks up and finds three boys taking their place, Jisung in the middle and grinning up at Seungwan proudly. He shrugs at her arrogantly, what seems to be a sword on his back. “Is that Jisung?”

“Yeah, fine boy.” Johnny grunts, pushes Seungwan up as they enter the covered parking lot. He drops her in the truck Seungwan knows Taeyong drives, locks the door on her side, then sends her another lopsided smile. “They’re gon’ be fine, Seungwan. There’s eight of ‘em and one of that threat. Let’s get you something to drink, ‘kay?”

She’d love to, really, but she hears screams inside the arena, notices the bolts of bright lights stumble out through windows and the back door, and the fear pulsates in her veins, her vision blurs, and she’s not so sure her heart can handle too many of this fear.

-

“Son Seungwan, you’re back,” Yuri greets as soon as they enter The All Nighter, Johnny leading them both with a tight grip on Seungwan’s wrist. He makes her sit in front of the counter before taking a seat beside her.

Seungwan frowns at Yuri. “I never told you my real name.”

“Everyone knows who you are around here, Seungwan.” Yuri winks, gracefully taking two glasses from under the table. Then chuckles. “But, actually, Seohyun dropped some truth serum on your fifth drink—was it the Howl?—and you confessed to a few things.”

“What things?”

Yuri shrugs, taking some newly cooked fries from the stove that Seungwan and Johnny can eat while she mixes their drinks. “Just a few stuff. It’s proper procedure, babe.” She carelessly pours rum in Johnny’s drink, and Seungwan winces at the mess. “To make sure you’re not the threat.”

“Am I?”

Yuri stares at her, absentmindedly shaking Johnny’s drink in one hand as she leans on the other. “You surprisingly don’t know a lot… but there is a reason why you’re here, Seungwan.”

Johnny catches the glass Yuri slides to him with a scowl right before it falls off the counter. “What she’s saying is, well, we’re all Supernatural here, Seungwan.”

“Like, not just the locals?” She looks around The All Nighter, at the drinks in the menu and the murals on the wall. She turns to Yuri. “What are you?”

“A Mermaid.”

She peeks down at Yuri’s tanned legs, then raises an eyebrow. “No tail.”

Yuri scoffs, sliding Seungwan’s drink to her. “I’m not in water, am I? I don’t turn when I’m not in water, or when I don’t will myself to.” Yuri sits, digging her chin on her palm as she smiles at them. Johnny looks away. “Everyone who owns this bar’s either a Siren or a Mermaid, and don’t ask me the difference between the two because I will claw your eyes out.”

Seungwan shrinks, smiling uneasily. “This is a joke, isn’t it?”

“You want facts, Son?” Yuri asks, challenging. Johnny groans beside her. “Come out back, Hyoyeon and Yoona are guarding the sea. They have their tails on.”

“On?”

Yuri waves a hand. “You know what I mean. Tell them to talk to the escapees. Kangta’s orders.” She gestures gracefully towards the stairs, winking at Seungwan as Johnny slips off his seat. “Careful of the Taniwha! They hate it when they’re bathing and someone enters.”

Seungwan sends Johnny a look, receiving a shrug as they duck under the stairs and out what Seungwan remembers as the door to the beach behind.

And as expected, sand greets them, and the sun hits her full on as Johnny cowers behind her, tightening his gloves and shielding himself using an umbrella. “Merpeople and Vampires do not mix at all. Sirens, too. They live for the sun. We just want to live.”

“You come here to drink a lot, though,” Seungwan reminds him, taking a step forward and taking in her surroundings—a typical beach with a counter against the back of The All Nighter, a few tables and chairs, and the sea sparkling in front of them.

“They have the best drinks.” Johnny shrugs, then yelps, almost pulling Seungwan back with him as a crocodile crawls up to them. “Happy!”

The crocodile, which doesn’t seem ‘Happy’, growls at him

That must be a Taniwha peering up at them with a glare as Johnny, regaining his composure, steps in front of Seungwan, hand protectively up. “We’re here to see Hyoyeon and Yoona.”

The creature does a half-nod before crawling away. It looks like a slightly thinner crocodile, but as soon as it dives in the sea through the high rocks, it transforms into a—something that has a fish tail, but bigger. Much bigger.

“What do they do?” Seungwan whispers to Johnny.

Johnny leans down, raising an eyebrow, and whispers back, “Taniwha? They help the Sirens and Mermaids guard the sea, and they can swallow anyone whole so don’t piss them off. Ten once did, and it was horrible trying to get him out.” He shoots her a smile then stands taller, waving a hand excessively. “Yoona! Hyoyeon!”

Two heads pop up from under the water. When they spot Johnny and Seungwan, they share a look, then dive in—majestic tails making an appearance and taking Seungwan’s breath away.

It’s possible she hasn’t seen more than three things prettier than that.

Johnny pulls her hand and drags her to the edge of the shore, smiling at the two women swimming up to them with smiles. “She’s not the threat. We’re here to take care of her while the others take care of the threat.”

“Who’s the threat, then?”

Johnny gets a faraway look in his eyes, glaring at the horizon. “We’re not… entirely sure he’s actually a threat.”

“A survivor?” the girl with the blonde hair up in a messy bun asks, standing up and tail now slightly short legs.

The other girl, the one with the longer legs, squeezes her shirt. “Is it that guy from Park Town?”

“We think. We saw him in the arena. Joohyun and our team are trying to get him to talk, but he—well, he threw a knife at Doyoung—”

“What?”

The three merely glance at her, then go back to speaking with each other. “They’re trying to catch him. But man’s experienced, one of the best after the two we’ve saved.”

The taller nods, then turns to Seungwan. She extends a hand and smiles brightly. “I’m Yoona, this is Hyoyeon. It’s still—” she glances up somewhere, “—2 pm. We need to talk to someone.”

Hyoyeon sighs. She sends Seungwan an adorable smile. “You know someone named Jackson?”

-

Mark Tuan’s limp, lifeless body is on a stretcher, bloodied and bruised.

Jinyoung swallows a gag beside Seungwan, hand shaking as they circle Wendy’s forearm. Hyoyeon, Yoona, and Johnny had left her as soon as Jinyoung arrived, panicked. “He… he threw himself down the stairs. Just—just threw himself.”

“Why would he?” Seungwan asks softly, looking away from the body and eyeing Jinyoung’s horrified eyes. “Are you okay? Did you know him personally?”

“No!”

She steps back, surprised. A few students turn to look, but after seeing that Mark Tuan’s much more interesting to watch, they look away. “Are you okay, Jinyoung?”

“I don’t know him… I don’t know him, Wendy. I’m from here.”

“I’m not saying you’re not,” she mutters, rubbing circles on Jinyoung’s wrist.

The ambulance drives away, shrieking. Jinyoung takes a deep breath. “But… Jackson. Jackson can’t see him.”

“Does Jackson know him?”

Jinyoung looks up, and his eyes look a whole new level of horrified, reddish with huge pupils. “Uh, lab partner. Jackson has a weak stomach, on top of that, so he can’t—he gets nightmares, Wendy—” his voice quivers and something tells Wendy that’s the only truth he said, “—he gets nightmares and I need him to not see that.”

“Go find him and make sure he doesn’t see, then.”

Jinyoung nods, still frantic, fingers still shaking. “I will, okay. Sure.”

“I don’t think he’s dead, Jinyoung,” she whispers. She heard the medics say he still has a heartbeat, and Mark Tuan did thrash around for a few moments, screaming about something incoherent, and the medics had to give him something.

Jinyoung looks at her like he’s tired. He shakes his head. “I’m going to go look for Jackson.” He walks away, not looking back.

“Take a breath, Jinyoung!” she calls out, he just waves his hand and continues walking.

Seungwan looks over to where the ambulance was, and finds Joohyun speaking with one of the medics, except now he’s not wearing his uniform. Seungwan remembers him as the one who pushed the needle to Mark Tuan’s neck.

Calm and relief wash over her heart seeing Joohyun rattled and out of breath, but unscathed. Now all she has to think about are the other three, but Seungwan doubts Joohyun would let them get a single hit.

“You’re losing your focus, Joo,” he yells, annoyed. Not minding all the other students still hanging around and looking over.

Joohyun rolls her eyes and mutters something in reply.

He looks even more annoyed because of that. “Let them all hear! Sooman’s out there trying to forge an alliance between us and them, and here you are putting them in danger?”

“Ugh, he needs to learn how to manage his anger a bit more,” says Sooyoung, who’s suddenly beside Seungwan. Why do they always pop up everywhere? “Is it just me or did Kangta grow twelve more white hairs? Ew.”

Yerim hums from Seungwan’s other side. “Besides, that guy brings more bad news than good. Did you see Jinyoung’s breakdown?”

“Ah, poor Jinyoung. Being an escapee does that, I hear.”

“It’s all Jennie talks about,” Yerim agrees. She crosses her arms, eyes still on the arguing pair. “She still cries during phone calls because of the other two they left.”

“I’ll ask the committee to improve their support groups. I don’t think it’s helping them all that much.” Sooyoung sighs, lips pulling down. “I can’t imagine the nightmares.”

“Jackson, too, then?” Seungwan speaks up, having enough of the talking like she’s not right there.

Sooyoung tilts her head and smiles a little wistfully at her. “Yeah, Jackson. There’s also the trio: Nayeon, Jihyo, Jeongyeon. They left six. We welcome them all with open arms as those they leave behind are brainwashed.”

“I wouldn’t say brainwashed,” Yerim intervenes as she crosses her arms. “Some of them would love to have the power.” She turns to Seungwan. “How are you holding up about this whole Witches thing?”

“First of all, you haven’t told me anything. Johnny told me they’re Vampires, and Junmyeon’s group are Werewolves, and Yuri’s group are Sirens—”

“—and Mermaids, they’re different.”

“—and Mermaids. And, uh, Leeteuk’s group are Demons.”

Sooyoung nods thoughtfully. “Qian’s group are Faeries, but Soojung’s also a Werecat, just like her older sister, a Siren but also a Werecat. Sunny—or, Soonkyu—is part Demigod. Her uncle, Sooman, is one of the three gods of this country.”

“Each country has three, so there’s always a winning argument.”

All the terms and names crash full speed against her skull, making her head spin. She sways backwards a little, into an unsuspecting Seulgi’s arms. “All this information’s making me dizzy.”

Yerim tuts. “I guess we should go easy on you. You’re not… you have no idea about this world at all.” She squints at her. “No idea buzzing around there? A memory you’re just not remembering fully?”

Seungwan shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m just dizzy.” She blinks as a new person hops over to them, grinning at her. “Ugh.”

“So, the threat’s been taken care of a week before the actual full moon,” says Yuri, slipping her arms over Yerim’s and Sooyoung’s shoulders. “Did this ever happen before?”

Seulgi shakes her head. “We’re not sure if Mark Tuan actually is the threat.”

“Because he’s from Park Town? Where was Joohyun’s ex from again?” Yuri yelps as Yerim elbows her, glaring at the shorter girl. “You’re growing some nerves because everyone’s fond of you.”

Yerim rolls her eyes. “Joohyun’s ex isn’t from Park Town. She was there for, like, a few years.” She glances at Seungwan, then looks at Seulgi. “And we’re not supposed to talk about exes. We don’t talk about your guy.”

That seems to have hit a nerve, as Yuri immediately dramatically slumps against Sooyoung and Yerim, groaning in disgust. “Worst two weeks of my life. Undercover missions are horrible on their own, but ones where I need to date, ugh, men?”

Sooyoung rolls her eyes as Yuri steers her and Yerim away, leaving Seulgi and Seungwan.

Seulgi faces Seungwan. There’s newfound softness, almost like the suppressed softness finally let itself go, and Seulgi’s on a whole new level of soft. “I heard you kissed,” she says in an almost accusatory tone.

Seungwan tries hard not to gasp. “Did she tell you?”

“No, Joohyun would rather slit her own throat than gloat about kissing her crush. Yerim was watching and caught it all on video.” Seulgi smiles softly, gaze behind Seungwan. “Just—just a, um, reminder. We don’t live in a world where confessing is the hardest part of it all.”

They obviously don’t. They live in a world where the girl she likes is a Witch. Seungwan keeps mum and glares at the students busy between classes.

“And she did just come from a horrible break up.” Seulgi’s breath hitches. “Bad as in one of them almost died, and no one still knows which one it would’ve been if we didn’t stop them.”

Seungwan looks up at Seulgi’s eyes, but Seulgi’s still staring over Seungwan’s shoulder. “She broke away, ran away, and we haven’t heard from her since.” Her gaze flicks and there’s fire behind her irises. “I like you a lot, Seungwan, you’re quite possibly one of my favorite people… but if you hurt Joohyun—” Seulgi’s breath hitches once more and she has to take a deep breath before she can continue, not breaking eye contact. “I will tear you to shreds.”

“I won’t—”

Seulgi grins, ignoring her wide eyes, then hugs Seungwan tightly. “Welcome in, Wan!”

-

As ‘celebration’ that they caught the threat, The All Nighter is treating all locals to a night with freely flowing drinks, amazing music, and dangerous stunts from Leeteuk’s group—two of who, Seungwan realizes, are actually her professors.

They apparently do this all the time and is the reason why the shops close every full moon. Taeyong’s and Joohyun’s groups catch the threat during the afternoon, and a party during the night.

Seungwan had wanted to talk to Joohyun tonight, but Sooyoung and Yerim held her hostage and went around introducing her to everyone instead.

“This is Seungwan, Son Seungwan. She’s a—” sketchy eyes, a mischievous grin, then a whisper, “—mortal.”

The guy, a Park Chanyeol, had gasped loudly, hand slapping against his mouth. “No way!”

Seungwan barely made it out to the back, and there’s a full-blown party out too, with the campfire blazing and a dance line around it, Yuri handing out drinks.

And Joohyun in the middle, sitting alone in front of the fire.

She makes her way slowly to her, steps hesitant and hands fidgeting. “Joohyun,” she says when she’s close enough, startling Joohyun. She hides a smile and sits beside her, seeking comfort from the cackling fire. “So. Witch, huh?”

Joohyun laughs. “That I am. I specialize in potions, but I can also do some sorcery, voodoo, and, well, read the fates.”

“Yeah, what’s going to happen to me, then?”

Joohyun sends her a look, then rolls her eyes. “You’ve got this energy around you, it’s… familiar. The last person I got that energy from, they didn’t bring good news.”

Oh. She nods, looking away and settling her gaze on a fire breathing Demon named Eunhyuk. “They’re having fun.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want you here, Wan,” Joohyun says, almost mutters, and when Seungwan turns to meet her eyes again, they’re intensely looking back. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want—like—you.”

“You do?” She tries to slow her heartbeat down, tries not to sound too eager. “That kiss wasn’t a spur of a moment decision?”

For a moment, Joohyun just flushes red, shrinking almost into her sweater. She clears . "That kiss was because I wasn't sure if we were going to survive the threat in the laser tag arena. He was much harder to find this month and seemed stronger and smarter than the past threats.”

Which explains the chaos and Johnny dragging her to The All Nighter.

“I couldn't—I wanted to kiss you, at least. Then ask Seulgi to take you in and not let you sleep alone in your apartment anymore, because the cats are there."

Her heart drops at the insinuation. It was supposed to be some kind of goodbye kiss, and Joohyun didn't know she'd come back alive. But she was sure Seulgi and the others were going to come out alive. "So, what does that kiss mean now?"

"It means I do like you, uh, romantically. But—"

Seungwan nods. But.

"—but there are things much bigger than us, and I need to focus on them. And I need you to be safe, with Sooyoung, Yerim, and Seulgi."

“And you?”

The corner of Joohyun’s mouth lifts as she slides across the log so there’s little space between them. “I’ll be okay.”

"What happens to us, then?"

“I still like you, okay? But we're going to take it slow."

She nods, blinking. "How slow?"

Joohyun pauses. "Do you like me, Wan?"

"I... Well, you're pretty." She sighs. Yuri’s sneer clouding her mind. "And I guess I do fall too easily."

Joohyun nods, taking Seungwan’s hand in her own. "Until you take out that 'guess'. Until you're absolutely sure you want to be tangled in this mess, until we figure out why you're here." She adds, almost as if in wishful thinking, “Until we’re safe.”

She remembers the fear of not seeing Joohyun, Seulgi, Sooyoung, and Yerim again. The fear of the not coming out unscathed—of seeing bruises and blood and looking so hauntingly like Mark Tuan. She swallows a gulp. “What if I can’t deal with the fear?"

"I'd still like you," says Joohyun, with a smile.

"What if I already know the 'guess' is out, because, according to Yuri's words, I'm 'soft’? And that scared me?"

"I still like you," says Joohyun, in an almost whisper that sends Seungwan’s heart fluttering in her ribcage.

"What if... what if I want to be tangled in this mess and risk everything?"

Joohyun takes a deep breath. She smiles warmly at Seungwan, squeezes her hand. "I'd still like you."

Just then, the mic makes a shrieking noise and everyone turns to the stage, at the two girls glaring at each other playfully. Joohyun takes a sharp breath and turns back around to face the fire.

The shorter of the two grins at the crowd. “Sorry, uh, Seohyun doesn’t know anything about technology, and Soonkyu’s out drunk swimming.”

Seohyun slaps her arm playfully before hugging her tight and leaving the stage. Joohyun stiffens beside Seungwan.

The shorter girl smiles wider, bright and pretty under the moonlight. In another life, Seungwan wouldn’t be surprised if she fell for that smile.

“To start off the karaoke session, I’ll sing.” The crowd cheers, and the girl giggles shyly. “Alright, everyone sing along, and when I get down there I better see a long list of songs!”

Seungwan unconsciously smiles at her, and soon the song starts, and Seungwan’s swaying along to the ballad. “That’s a pretty voice.”

“Yeah,” is Joohyun’s only reply, in the form of a strangled sob. She stands abruptly, making Seungwan flinch back, then runs in the bar, not looking back, not even at the few locals looking at her strangely.

Seungwan looks around and finds Sooyoung staring at the doors with pained eyes. She stumbles over to her. “What was that about?”

“I don’t think she’s ready to open that luggage, Wan,” Sooyoung tells her softly, still staring at the door. Then her eyes shift and she’s smiling sadly to the song. “But she won’t say no to some company.”

Seungwan nods. She watches the singer as she makes her way in the bar, through the party inside, and out to the wolves outside, the singer’s voice lulling her softly.

Joohyun stands outside the bar, about to pop open her can of beer.

“You okay?” Seungwan asks, taking one of the other cans from the floor.

Joohyun glares for a moment, then she sighs. “I just saw something I shouldn’t have.”

“Is it the singer? You were staring at her.”

Joohyun doesn’t jerk back, doesn’t show any kind of emotion aside from pure heartbreak in her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s her.”

“Is she the ex, or something?”

Joohyun laughs. “No.”

Joohyun nods, evening breeze brushing her cheek. “Who is she, then? Just an ex-lover? You looked hurt when she hugged Seohyun.”

“It’s nothing like that,” she whispers. “They’re nothing like that, either.”

She nods again, a prick off her heart. “Do you not want to talk about it?”

Silence flows through them, Joohyun sipping her drink every once in a while, and Seungwan’s own just freezing her fingers. The night breeze the only one whispering between them, enveloping them in more chills than they need.

Seungwan wants, needs, to cover Joohyun’s small body with her own denim jacket, but there’s a weight over her that stops her from doing anything at all.

She thinks it’s the heartbreak in Irene’s eyes.

Then, Joohyun speaks, “She's my sister. Her name’s Taeyeon” She takes a deep breath, rim of can between her lips, then takes a gulp. “Seohyun’s her sister.”

“What?”

“Seohyun’s her Yeri. The youngest one in her group—family—and one that unconsciously demands the most protecting.” She coughs and Seungwan reaches out to pat her back. “What hurts is she found a younger sister in someone else, someone the same age as me, and I have never found another older sister.”

The heartbreak in Joohyun’s voice breaks Seungwan, but as the one who’s supposed to be comforting, she just nods and shows Joohyun she’s listening.

“She’s a Siren,” Joohyun mutters.

Seungwan leans closer, raising her eyebrows. “A Mermaid?”

“A Siren,” Joohyun corrects, expression pained. “She was a Witch, like me. We’re sisters, after all. But she rebelled against our parents.” She pauses and the pain maximizes. “She poisoned their drinks, thought she was only going to keep them asleep until she’s far enough. She killed them.”

Her hand shoots forward, holding Joohyun’s. She stares at her, tries to fix her with her gaze. But that doesn’t work. That can’t work, not even in a world of Witches and Sirens and Vampires.

Joohyun smiles softly, though. “She wanted to roam around the world. Back then, that was just the dream. Travel around the world, see things people can’t even imagine because the internet still didn’t exist back then. She didn’t know she killed our parents, so she kept sending me letters.” She closes her eyes tight, hand tensing under Seungwan’s.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“She said, ‘don’t tell mum and dad where I am, alright, Hyun?’, ‘I wish you could see the sunset ‘round here, Hyun’, ‘why don’t you ever write me back, Hyun? Are you mad at me?’” Joohyun opens her eyes, lets out a shaky breath. “I burned them all. I hated her so much. I didn’t have anyone to help me. I was fourteen during that time, Wan. I was fourteen. I wasn’t immortal because Witches didn’t need to be immortal back then.”

Seungwan almost looks away, almost can’t handle the tears welling up in Joohyun’s eyes. But she holds on tight to Joohyun, tries to will Joohyun’s heart to spill, just so it doesn’t feel so heavy anymore. Tries to help her heal.

“One day, her letters stopped coming. I pretended to not care. I managed to find a place that would take a fourteen year old, Kangta’s bookshop, miles away from my home. He’s an Angel, as you know, and he asked his Demon friend, Leeteuk, to help me with my Witching skills. I busied myself with that. They helped me through it. Then Taeyeon arrived at the pier, dragging her group with her.”

“All of them?”

“All nine of them,” Joohyun whispers. “She found a family in them. Said she came here because her group—family, I remember she used the term ‘family’—” Joohyun spits, “—her family needed a safe place to stay in, because God Yang is planning to ruin the balance between humans and non-humans, and he’s planning to kill all those opposed. They were opposed.”

“Kangta let them in?”

“Kangta lets everyone in. It’s what Sooman taught him.” Joohyun sighs, and she seems almost calmer. “I found out she was thrown off board during a trip across the pacific. With Sooyeon.” She closes her eyes again. “That’s the difference between a Mermaid and a Siren.”

Seungwan inches closer, puts an arm around Joohyun. “What? Sirens are thrown off board?”

“Sirens are transformed through violent deaths. Mermaids are so much luckier. They look the same, pretty and all that. They both lure sailors, need to feed on them. Not on them, but on their screams. They drink their voices, and sailors come back without voices. Mermaids are prettier, and Sirens have prettier voices.”

“Does she—” she glances in the bar, “—does she know you’re her sister?”

“I never talked to her.” Joohyun takes a deep breath, puts her arms around Seungwan’s waist and hugs her tight. “I’ve always been scared to do so, and she never reached out either.”

Seungwan nods against Joohyun’s shoulder, arms hooked on Joohyun’s neck. “Sisters tend to do that, I guess. Family doesn’t need to talk, because you should know just by looking. So some families don’t talk at all.”

She feels Joohyun’s breath against the side of her head, her fingers combing through her hair. “It’s been a few centuries. I—” Joohyun laughs sardonically, “I miss her.”

At the heartbreak in Joohyun’s tone, Seungwan immediately sways her around, tightening her hold like if she didn’t, Joohyun might break free. She’s scared Joohyun might break free. “I’m not much, but I’m here.”

Joohyun doesn’t reply, but she fills the spaces between them with her own body, pulls Seungwan to herself, her breathing evens, and she joins Seungwan as she sways around.

And that’s enough of an answer for Seungwan.

-

That night, or if we’re to be technical, the 2 am after, Seungwan drives home on her own, heart light at the memory of Joohyun lacing their fingers together, of Joohyun dancing with her to a slow song, of Joohyun in general, and her smiles, and her laugh, and her eyes.

Of Joohyun.

She trudges up to her apartment, looks out the window and takes her lighter from her kitchen. And just when she’s about to light her cucumber candle, she pushes it off the edge, sending it plummeting down thirteen floors.

When she goes down to clean up the mess she made, the cat is there, looking up at her as it its paws.

And before she can think, there’s a shout of a ‘watch out!’ and an arrow flying to her.

And then everything goes dark.

A/N:

I was very drowsy while writing most of this, so I’ll most probably edit some other time, also the reason nothing much happened here.

I’ll limit my updates to once a week because my new medication makes me really drowsy so I can’t write all that much.

Thank you so much for the support for last chapter! You guys are the best. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, too

 Song from Oh Honey's I Love You Will Still Sound The Same. Also, EXO's Fall is a song I've been listening to while writing this, but I don't use korean songs as titles, so just saying that, lol.

thepurplewan