After being summoned to a battle, Sinb was guided by the guards to the field. When they got there, the guards left her to the ground. It was a silent night, contrary to what she expected — lively crowd, wild torches, magic. There were no people inside the dome which kinda creeped her out. Adding to the eerie atmosphere is the brightness of the full moon and the cold breeze seeping through her skin. 

“Okay, this is not fun”, she snickered to herself. 

Sinb was still alone, in the middle of this large dome, not knowing what might happen. God knows how much pressure is building up inside her. 

The night was getting deeper and she was well aware of the fact that she should be resting now. Circumstances, however, lead her to this puzzling situation, which made her dive into her memories — just to relieve her tension. 

She remembered the funny moments she had with her family, her friends, with her Gfriend unnies and Yewon. 

“I wonder what is happening to them? Are they stuck in places as well?”, she spoke to herself only to hear someone answer. Shocked, she looked up and witnessed the center stage light up. It was so blinding she had to cover her eyes. 

When the lights went normal, she could finally see the figure who might have replied to her. It was a woman wearing a black cloak with a black mask, walking her way towards Sinb. 

“Welcome”, the woman’s face couldn’t be seen but Sinb guesses she’s smirking while doing so. 

“What’s so welcoming with this place?”, Sinb sarcastically responded. “You know, screw your prolly long speech of who you are or whatever… where’s the battle I heard of?”, she added immediately, hinting that she wanted the battle (even though she was legit scared). 

“Oh”, the woman pauses. 

Sinb glared at the black figure. She could sense beneath the mask how annoying her face was. 

“The battle?”, the woman laughs. “You were probably sent the wrong signal… it’s not your time yet”, she continued. 

“This is total crap. Give me that battle, so that I can go home”, Sinb fiercely stared. She badly wanted everything to end. She could no longer stand the atmosphere of the place, be this a dream or nightmare or a real place — she just wanted to leave. 

“Young lady, how naive of you”, the woman in black circled around Sinb. 

“Why are you going around me? Are you casting a magic circle?”, Sinb who was a Harry Potter fan loved the concept of magic and sorcery, but the fact that this could be used against her made her heart feel insecure. 

“No… but I decide whether you leave or live here”, the woman threatens which led Sinb to have goosebumps. 

“I don’t know who among all the pawns told you about this whole thing, but I don’t care either way. One battle does not guarantee me joy… not to mention, from you? A main dancer not really recognized? You’ve got to be joking me”, she stopped and stepped closer to Sinb’s face, caressing her hair, gradually etching her sharp nails onto Sinb’s neck. They were somehow painful.

The young girl could actually feel her sweat being excreted at an unbelievable rate. The woman’s words were one thing, but her aura and voice made it worse for Sinb. If she hadn’t control herself at the moment, she would’ve pissed her shorts. 

“Listen, Hwang Eunbi, the reason you received that signal is to come with me… inside the palace”, her words softened, contrary to what she was doing — scratching and sinking her nails unto her skin. 

“Wha- what do you mean?”

“I know I told you earlier you couldn’t make me happy, but let me change my words. You could…”, she slowly removed her mask up until her cheekbones, revealing her dark eyes. They stared at Sinb’s, making the second maknae tremble even more. 

She fixed her mask once again and pushed the pale Sinb to the ground. She turned her back and walked back to the center stage. With one snap, the guards appeared, forcing Sinb to go where the lady wants her to go. They connected chains to her arms, pulling her with strength just enough to make the shaking maknae move. 

“Just go light on her”, the woman advised to which the guards did. 

Sinb could not quite paint the picture of her situation. She wasn’t too sure whether the woman was her ally or enemy, probably an enemy but there was something in her scent that Sinb found so sweet. 

Upon entering the palace, Sinb was dumbfounded at how glamorous the interior design was. Every detail was carved with much precision, and the gold and other gem stones — too much shimmer! 

They walked further until they reached a room. Sure it was sketchy. The lady entered the room as the guards guided Sinb to enter as well. Soon they were both locked and isolated inside this cream-colored room. The chains were then removed from her body.

“Why did you bring me here?”, Sinb tried stretching her arm as she felt the numbness from being constrained earlier.

The woman didn’t respond, instead she touched Sinb’s forehead. The latter could’ve avoided it, or even broke off from the touch but she couldn’t. There was something at the tip of the woman’s fingers or the act of her touching Sinb’s forehead that made the main dancer feel so light and refreshed. 

Few seconds later, the woman removed her fingers. She sat on the couch and crossed her legs. Sinb, who was still stuck at the feeling, could feel her heart beat gradually becoming faster. It was becoming painful, like hammers pounding onto her heart, she could feel her chest constricting — making it harder for the young girl to breathe. Soon, her joints started tingling, her skin became more sore and sensitive. The bruises she had were darkening and her wounds were becoming more prominent. 

As her body was in excruciating pain, her mind also in disarray. Images of her being criticized of her dancing were being flashed repetitively on her head. Sinb wanted to collapse, but she couldn’t. Sinb wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. The warm feeling she felt from the touch of the woman was replaced with physical and mental torture. 

“This is why I brought you here”, the woman said, sitting still on her couch. 

The woman touched Sinb once again, and the exhausted girl fell onto the floor. Her body was burning, prolly just a little more temp to evaporate her tears. 

“You could bring me joy through torture, young lady”

Her cold voice was just sinking into Sinb’s ears, who was just lying there, catching air. 

“Anyway, I won’t be just torturing you for fun… I will help you gain that main dancer factor”, the woman stood up to go near Sinb’s body. She squatted and raised the seemingly mushy upper body of Sinb. She embraced her as she whispered onto her ear, “And you will thank me for this later”. 

The woman carried her body and laid it on the couch. She opened the door, and before she went out, she removed her mask. Sinb whose vision was faint at that moment could barely recognize her features, but somehow she felt like she knows her. 

“Get well, Hwang Eunbi”, the woman told her gently, as she left and locked the room, leaving Sinb alone and drained. 

Inside the young lady’s mind were needles and thorns growing inside her, puncturing her soul. She grew up conditioning herself to be strong, along with her originally sassy and blunt personality, but with one snap from that woman —- her walls just crumbled. She was in much pain, but she couldn’t express it through voice. She just cried, and with every tear falling from her eyes, she’s reminded of the bitterness and helplessness that she felt earlier and as a human being. 

‘Unnie… I don’t want this anymore’, her plea for help was circulating around her mind, but could they hear her? 

‘Damn! Damn! Damn! Why do I have to be so pathetic, both in dancing and this?’, she was mentally cursing herself for not being able to become someone better. 

She may be too hard on herself, but she had to be, that’s what she thought. Experiencing misery and torture brought by that woman, or perhaps, any other critique in the world, ignited a flame inside her — it was to prove to everybody that she’s the best.