A/N: Before reading, it's advised you read the Foreword to see the character profiles and get an idea on their backgrounds. More characters will gradually be added in with each chapter, which explains the absence of Dahyun as of now from the profiles.

Also, spelling and grammatical errors will appear but at the time of posting, I'm too lazy to proofread so I'll get back to that this weekend.

Please enjoy this long, overdue update!

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Mina was standing alone in darkness.

 

No matter what direction she looked, no matter how far she ran, she was stranded in a pitch-black void. She screamed with all her might but no sound came out. No words were formed. She felt the strain in and the burn in her lungs yet her efforts produced no results. It was a deafening, suffocating silence.

 

Out of nowhere, violent flames burst from the ground and surrounded Mina. Though there was no wind to fan the flames, the fire grew larger and towered over her. Mina began to panic and sought an opening to escape the ring of fire but whenever she found a weak spot, the fire rose higher in response.

 

The roar of the flames was all Mina could hear. The closer she looked, the flames began to take shape to what Mina discerned was a head of a dragon. What shocked Mina even more was that it began to speak. The voice that came from the flames seemed female, omnipresent and filled with powerful authority that bellowed throughout the space that Mina occupied that made her knees tremble.

 

 

"The hour of awakening is upon you.

 

Your destiny will soon be sealed, young one."

 

 

Mina wanted to shout what the dragon meant but nothing came out. Her attempts in communicating were all in vain. Her lungs burned hotter than the fire surrounding her. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. She tried to run towards the flamed embodiment of a dragon but her body felt heavy, as if she was weighed down with kilograms of cinderblocks, and the closer she got, the further away the dragon withdrew. The last words it said sent a cold shiver down her spine.

 

 

"You have been chosen."

 

 

~~~

 

Mina jolted awake in sheer panic.

 

Her sister, Sana, immediately slid off her bed and rushed to her side, concern dripping from her voice. "Mina? Are you okay? You're sweating like crazy." Sana moved away to search for a handkerchief in her suitcase then returned to Mina's bed, gently patting away the moisture on Mina's forehead.

 

"Thank you, Sana, but I'm okay," Mina reassured the other with a forced smile. She felt her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest and slowed her breathing down.

 

"You completely drenched your shirt…" Sana muttered with worry.

 

Mina looked down at the white tee she was wearing, and sure enough, a large patch of sweat was seen below the neckline. Mina didn't even have to touch her back to know it was completely soaked. Without a word, Sana dug through Mina's suitcase and pulled out one of her favorite shirts that was black and had white accents on the cuffs and the neckline.

 

"Here, you should wash up and change into this. The captain made an announcement that we'll be arriving on Byeongsu Island in less than two hours."

"Thank you, Sana," Mina smiled thankfully at the other and took her shirt.

 

Sana nodded and stood up to walk to the door of their cabin. "I'm going to grab some water and snacks from the dining hall. I'm sure you lost a lot of fluids from sweating like that so I want to make sure you're rehydrated!" She gave Mina a quick peace sign then left the room.

 

Mina exhaled and slipped out of bed. Entering the bathroom, she removed the shirt she was wearing and dropped it to the floor before plucking a small towel off the metal rack. She gingerly dabbed the areas of her upper body that were moist from her profuse sweating, wishing she had more time to shower and really clean herself.

 

As she wiped herself down, Mina recalled her nightmare. She had been having the same nightmare almost every night for the past two weeks. It didn't bother her at first, assuming it was all a coincidence, but the more frequent the nightmare became, the more alarming it was to Mina. Not to mention that the dream gradually became more real and vivid to Mina that every time she awoke from her slumber, she had difficulty separating her dream from reality.

 

In the bathroom mirror, Mina's eyes landed on the strange, circular birthmark with a dot in the middle, just above her left , a centimeter or two below her collarbone, accented with a slight dash. When she was younger, the shape and design was so faint, it was difficult to see without looking very closely. Now, the color has darkened to an orange-reddish color that made it much more pronounce on her skin that Mina felt the need to cover the area up so it wouldn't show.

 

Mina told herself it was nothing to worry about. Her dreams meant nothing and were simply dreams.

 

But deep down, in the very back of her mind, she was trying to convince the part of herself that thought otherwise.

 

~~~

 

Haneul University.

 

One of the most prestigious education institutions in the world, located on a large, secluded island called Byeongsu Island in the middle of the Yellow Sea. Its name was decided on the founder's belief of "the sky is the limit", hence Haneul University, where "haneul" meant sky in Korean.

 

Founded a little over twenty years ago, it was an exclusive university where only the smartest and the richest were accepted. But if you were accepted into Haneul University, you were guaranteed success in your life upon graduation. Graduates became well-known in their fields. Some now political figures with power in government. Others making breaking discoveries in cancer and ASL research. Even taking acting roles in A-List movies or the mastermind behind a Hollywood blockbuster movie's screenplay.

 

However in recent years, the university has opened up more to the public, specifically to the middle class, representatives of the Board of Trustees believing it was beneficial for Haneul University and its reputation to expand its knowledge (and brand) outside of the upper class and even accepting foreign exchange students. When the expansion did not bring in enough applicants they were expecting, the Board made an executive decision to create a scholarship program that would pay for a student's tuition and housing fees. It was a very generous offer and opportunity that many took advantage of, and many news outlets covered the university's vision to promote diversity and opportunities for success to all who were determined to pursue their passions.

 

Chaeyoung didn't buy any of that.

 

Before, the university's acceptance rate was fifty students per semester and they had to spend thousands to even attend. Now, Haneul University's acceptance rate this semester was almost two hundred AND the university was paying for all their fees?

 

Absolute bull.

 

Chaeyoung pushed aside those frustrations as she disembarked from the ship. She was part of the group of transfers that joined in the middle of school year. Beside her was her much taller companion she met a week prior to the ship's departure to Byeongsu. She was a beautiful, long haired Taiwanese foreign exchange student that spoke decent enough Korean to make a conversation, much to Chaeyoung's surprise. Tzuyu was her name and although she had a soft-spoken voice, Chaeyoung could see the determination in her eyes. Both had their own reasons for being on the island but both had the same destination.

 

While the rest of the students were waiting and searching for their luggage the crew was pulling from the ship's hold, Chaeyoung motioned to Tzuyu to follow her. They slipped in between two cargo buildings and found a girl waiting for them, a face familiar to Chaeyoung.

 

"Hey, Yerim," Chaeyoung greeted with a smile and walked over to embrace her friend.

 

"Hey, Chae. You look well," Yerim grinned and returned the hug more tightly. Pulling away, she looked over to Tzuyu. "This is your new and unexpected partner you requested me to enroll her into the university like you?"

 

"Yeah. Thanks a lot for that. I know it was incredibly last minute. This is Chou Tzuyu."

 

Tzuyu politely bowed to Yerim. "Nice to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to join Chaeyoung."

 

With the formalities out of the way, Chaeyoung turned her attention back to Yerim. "So what have you found out?"

 

Yerim clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "A decent amount of information but with the numerous walls of military-grade encryptions that seemed endless surrounding their files, I have a strong feeling there is so much more to be dug up."

 

"Did you say military-grade encryptions?" Chaeyoung's eyes widened. "Why would a university established twenty years ago need that high level of security?"

 

"From what I've already discovered, I'm guessing the Board of Trustees do not want any information on Haneul University's beginnings to be leaked to the public." Yerim let out a sigh and rubbed her left temple. "I can break through the encryption's algorithms but it's been taking a lot of time. I also have to be careful not to leave any traces that I've breached their walls so I can't hack through so much at once."

 

Chaeyoung nodded in understanding. "That's fine. Good to know my suspicions of this place holds merit now. What did you find out?"

 

"We'll discuss this another time, Chae," Yerim answered and held out two laminated cards to Chaeyoung and Tzuyu with their photographs on the front. "You two have orientation to attend. I'll text you a rendezvous point once you both are settled in at the dorms. I tried to get you guys a two person bedroom but unfortunately you will have a third person staying with you. Keep in mind you two are going to have to attend class and receive no grades below an 80% by the end of the term if you want to remain at the university to snoop around. It still has a reputation to uphold, you know."

 

Tzuyu frowned heavily at the new piece of information as she took her student ID while Chaeyoung let out a groan. "Can't you just hack the system and change the grades for us?"

 

"I could, but I can't change what your professors know when they see students with zero attendance and zero work turned in suddenly passing with flying colors. You two shouldn't have a problem with your classes. I enrolled you both in easy general education classes," Yerim reassured.

 

"Fine…" Chaeyoung grumbled and slipped her ID into her jacket. "Thanks again. I know this was a lot to request.”

 

“You’re lucky you’re my best friend,” Yerim remarked and gave Chaeyoung’s hip a playful bump with her own. “Otherwise, I would have charged you a hefty fee.”

 

Chaeyoung chuckled and bumped her back. Then she gave Yerim a hardened look. “Be careful though, okay? If the Board is that determined to hide information, I can only imagine they also have strict security on the outside too.”

 

Yerim waved a nonchalant hand and leaned coolly against the wall. “I’ll be okay. I’m behind a computer screen most of the time. Worry about yourself because something tells me you’ll have more physical encounters than I will.”

 

Chaeyoung pressed her lips tightly together and said nothing.

 

“Now shoo, you two. You still have to pick up your luggage and join the others on the bus to campus for the orientation ceremony,” Yerim instructed and gently pushed them back into the open.

 

Once out of the narrow gap, Tzuyu gave Yerim another bow. “I also want to express my gratitude again. I am a stranger to you after all and you were still willing to help me.”

 

“It’s no trouble at all. If Chaeyoung trusts you then so will I.” Yerim’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Besides, Chaeyoung said you’re the same as her and you also wanted to investigate Haneul University. It can’t be a coincidence.”

 

Yerim’s ominous words made the air around them feel heavy. Chaeyoung felt Tzuyu tense up beside and reached to place a hand on the Taiwanese girl’s shoulder. “We’ll be going now. I’ll see you later.”

 

“Bye. I might as well do some grocery shopping while I’m down here.” Yeri waved goodbye to Chaeyoung and Tzuyu then called out.

 

“By the way, I go by Kwon Yeri on campus. Don’t forget that.”

 

~~~

 

It's been a week since Mina transferred to Haneul University. Adjusting to her new life in a new university has been smooth overall but Mina couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness. She wasn't able to share a room with Sana and only had one class together. Her roommates, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, were nice enough but have been difficult to befriend and seemed close enough that they didn't need to get close to Mina, much to her dismay (she kept those feelings hidden of course). It was times like this Mina wished she had some of Sana's social skills to at least be confident to talk to her classmates and maybe even find a new friend. She felt pathetic always trying to stick to Sana when she knew Sana was trying to become accustom to their new lifestyle as well.

 

She was always being a burden to Sana.

 

"Oi. Earth to Mina!" Sana leaned forward across the table and waved a hand in front of her face. The two of them were eating brunch outdoors at one of the university's popular breakfast spots.

 

Mina blinked several times and snapped out of it. "S-Sorry. What were you saying?"

 

"I was suggesting we go to the university's club fair this afternoon. Maybe we can find a club or an organization we can join. What do you think?"

 

"That sounds like a good idea," Mina agreed, taking a bite of her toast. "We weren't part of a club at our last college and it was something I missed being a part of, like when we were in high school."

 

"Right? I miss it too! All the club activities and events and spending time with the members. I think it will be a great way for the both of us to meet new people," Sana said excitedly, wiggling in her seat. After taking a sip of orange juice, she inspected Mina closely, brow furrowed. "Are you okay, Mina? You seem… out of it."

 

Mina did her best to maintain a convincing expression of confusion to express yet feign she had no idea what Sana was talking about. Much to her dismay, her regular nightmare continued to frequent her dreams, disrupting her nights of sleep. She worried about her roommates discovering she was a sweating mess every morning, but if they did notice, they never said anything to Mina. Still, the last thing she wanted was to worry her sister.

 

"I guess I'm just nervous that's all. Adapting to this new environment and all," Mina lied although it wasn't a complete lie. "Attending a prestigious place like this? For free? I'm still taking it all in honestly."

 

Her reasoning was enough to convince Sana, who simply nodded her head in understanding. "I agree. It could be because Haneul is located on a lone, remote island away from the mainland, but this place really feels like an entirely different country. If that makes any sense. But!" Sana reached for and gently grasped one of Mina's hands and gazed at her through her glasses. "Just because we don't have a lot of classes together nor are we rooming together doesn't mean you can't rely on me, okay? I'm still a few doors down the hallway. I'm still your sister after all."

Mina gazed softly at her sister and gingerly squeezed her hand back. Sana was always thought about her, even when she was the one with health problems these days. Yet that never stopped Sana from caring about Mina and her wellbeing, still attempting to be the big sister role model from their childhood years. "And you should know that I will never forget that. Thank you for the reminder though, Sana."

 

After finishing their food, Mina and Sana parted ways to attend their midday class. Once over, Mina texted Sana and the two met in front of the university's main building in the large field of grass where many information booths and food stalls were set up. Banners of every color hung above and around to attract students to join their club. There were even musical performances from the orchestra and quirky improv skits encouraging people watching to join in on the fun. It was a festivity Mina has never witnessed until now. Sana was especially excited to see all the decorations and the cheerful, positive vibe that loomed over the giant, green field.

 

As they walked, Mina could see Sana beginning to wheeze from the corner of her eye and stopped when Sana grasped her chest. "Are you okay?" Mina began to fret. "Where's your inhaler?"

 

"Sorry… I forgot to take… it earlier…" Sana spoke between frantic, short breaths. Sana swiftly ped her Sailor Moon messenger bag and pulled out her inhaler, taking two puffs of medicine. Mina could only watch with worry as she watched the medicine take into effect. Slowly but surely, Sana's breathing returned to normal, then gave Mina an apologetic smile. "I'm alright now. I'm sorry for making you worry."

 

"There's nothing for you to apologize for," Mina reassured her sister. In the back of Mina's mind, she wondered how many times this exact conversation has happened between them. It made her heart tightened but she smiled gently anyway. "Did you want to head back to the dorm? Are you tired?"

 

Sana stubbornly shook her head and put away her inhaler in her bag. "No… not yet. I want to look around more. There are a lot of clubs and organizations we haven't seen yet. And we haven't had our fill of delicious food yet!" Sana could see the concern cast over Mina's eyes and reached out to hold the other girl's hand to squeeze, flashing a reassuring smile. "Mitang, it's okay. I'm okay. I promise," Sana insisted, calling her sister by her childhood nickname, which always held a lot of affection.

 

Mina held her breath but it was impossible not to smile whenever Sana called her "Mitang". She told herself to stop constantly doting and worrying about Sana, they were both adults in their 20's now, and Sana wanted to learn to be more independent. Mina didn't want to be another reason to burdening Sana, so she nodded. "Okay. Let's keep going together, Sattang."

 

Sana beamed happily when Mina used her childhood nickname and laced their fingers together.

 

"HEEEEEEEEY! YOU TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS HOLDING HANDS!!!!"

Mina and Sana looked at each other then turned around to find an ecstatic looking brunette pointing at them and motioning them to come over. A notable feature of this girl was her buck teeth that reminded Mina of a rabbit.

 

"Don't just stand there! Come over here! We have free cookies, cupcakes, tea, and coffee!"

 

Mina wasn't one to be easily bribed. That said, it was the exact opposite for Sana who held an enormous sweet tooth and couldn't deny free sweets and immediately pulled Mina along with her.

 

Coffee and cookies do sound nice…

 

When they walked up to the booth, the brunette grinned at both of them and extended her hand. "Hi there. I'm Nayeon, the president of the campus' Beautification Committee. We're an organization that maintains the greenery and policies about campus littering and recycling." After Mina and Sana introduced themselves, Nayeon looked down to gently jab the side of someone in a black hoodie who had their head down. "Psst. Hey Jeongyeon! Wake up and introduce yourself and offer our guests some treats!"

 

Jeongyeon jerked awake and lifted her head, gently wiping the sleep from her eyes and smiled at Mina and Sana. "Sorry… Long day. I'm Jeongyeon a member of the committee. We ran out of cupcakes but we have some sugar cookies left if you'd like some. Tea or coffee?"

 

"Coffee please!" Sana answered.

 

"I'd like some coffee as well," Mina replied with a smile. Jeongyeon nodded and grabbed two cups of coffee from a large coffee dispenser behind her and Nayeon before handing out the cookies. "So what exactly does this committee do?"

 

"We have a project every week that involves maintaining the campus in some way. It could be something as simple as taking a few hours to go around and picking up trash to planting new plants and flowers," Nayeon explained while wearing a proud expression, clearly passionate about what she does. "What's great is that the university actually pays the members who participate in the weekly projects. It's only a fixed wage of three to five hours per week, but it's nice to have some extra money."

 

"I'm surprised the university actually pays you guys. It sounds great and fun but it all sounds like volunteer work," Sana remarked then took a bite of her cookie.

 

"Most of the staff working here are here for academic reasons. Professors, researchers, advisors… You know. There's only a handful of janitors that work here that you'll know all of them by name or appearance within a month," Jeongyeon clarified while pouring herself a cup of coffee. "No gardeners to help maintain the numerous beds of flowers on this campus so the Board of Trustees approved of giving us a wage because of all the labor-intensive projects we do."

 

"It sounds like fun," Mina said with absolute honestly. "Even without knowing you guys get paid, it must be fulfilling knowing you play a part in keeping the image of the university."

 

"Right?!" Nayeon agreed enthusiastically. "Our projects get acknowledged by staff and peers alike. But we need more members to join since a large handful of them graduated last semester so I hope you two will consider." Nayeon paused and began looking around the booth. "Hey, Jeongyeon. Do we have any more information pamphlets to give them?"

 

Jeongyeon yawned and pulled back her hoodie to ruffle and smooth down her short hair. "Jihyo went to the print center to make more copies. Don't think she's returned yet."

 

"Damn. Oh well. What can you do," Nayeon conceded with a sigh then turned to the sisters, handing out two cards. "Here. You can contact me with the email or number on the card if you have any questions or may think about joining the committee."

 

"And, yes. Nabongs really did make business cards about herself to hand out to people while recruiting," Jeongyeon glanced over at Nayeon with a playful, teasing smirk.

 

Nayeon puffed out her cheeks and lightly punched Jeongyeon's upper arm, to which the latter responded with a tiny yelp. "Shut up, Jeong…" Turning back to Mina and Sana, Nayeon's pout faded away into a smile. "It was great talking to you both."

 

"Likewise," Mina agreed, sipping the last of her coffee and throwing the paper cup into the nearby trash can. "We'll think it over, right Sana?" Sana's mouth was stuffed with a sugar cookie but she eagerly nodded.

 

"See you two around," Jeongyeon said with a wave.

 

Mina began walking away while waving behind her. The moment she faced forward she was faced with immediate and head-on collision, namely with a person, and the sound of several papers fluttering in the air. They must have been the same height as her because in a split second, she felt her nose pressed harshly against another nose, and she felt... her top lip collide with the other girl's own upper lip before the force of the impact pushed them apart and Mina fell on her rear. She groaned loudly and rubbed her nose in an attempt to ease the pain. Hesitantly, Mina lifted her gaze to see who she ran into.

 

It was a very pretty girl with long, jet-black hair, clad in a simple grey pullover and jeans. The moment Mina's eyes landed on the other girl's full pair of lips, Mina gasped to herself and touched her lip, feeling a light tingling sensation accompanied by a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks at the realization. The other girl must have come to the same conclusion because she was pressing two fingers to her lip. The difference was whoever Mina ran into was not happy with what transpired, looking incredibly irritated.

 

"Ughh…" Another girl appeared from behind the girl with the jet-black hair, groaning and struggling to get back to her feet.

 

"Mina! Are you okay?" Sana rushed to her side and gingerly helped Mina help. Her head was still throbbing but she gave a thumbs up.

 

"Yes, I'm fine…" Mina turned to the other two girls who were helping each other up. When they looked at her, Mina quickly bowed several times in shame before kneeling down to help pick up the scattered papers. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going."

 

"It's fine," the raven-haired girl responded flatly, not looking directly at Mina while she spoke. She looked at the other girl who was helping Mina pick up the rest of the papers. "You alright, Jihyo?"

 

A soft grunt that was followed by a radiating smile was her answer. "I'm okay, Momo!" Jihyo tipped her head in thanks when Mina handed over her stack. "Thank you. I really appreciate the help."

 

"It's no problem at all. It was my fault they were all over the ground in the first place," Mina answered sheepishly, her head still slightly bowed. Her eyes flickered automatically to the girl named Momo who refused to even look at her, instead smoothly walking past her and Jihyo to the Beautification Committee booth.

 

"Hey, Jeongyeon!" Momo loudly called out. "Are there any more sugar cookies left?"

 

"No more for you!" Jeongyeon snapped while sticking out her chin in playful defiance. "You already had five earlier!"

 

While Momo and Jeongyeon continued to bicker, Jihyo chuckled lightly at the sight and handed out a flyer to Mina and Sana. "You two were looking at the Beautification Committee, right? Looks like I arrived on time. Here's an information pamphlet for you. I hope you two will consider. We really are in desperate need of members, as I'm sure our president told you. You don't even have to attend every week. You can be a part-time member like myself."

 

"You have other organizations you're a part of?" Sana asked curiously.

 

Jihyo nodded. "I'm part of the university's show choir so naturally I have to make that my priority after my studies. That being said, I love and admire Nayeon's vision with the committee. I want to help her whenever I can."

 

Mina glanced down at the information pamphlet in her hand, noting how past the fact it was photocopied, its contents were handwritten rather typed and printed from a computer. That alone told Mina just how passionate Nayeon was as an individual.

 

"I got to go. Nayeon has joined in on Momo and Jeongyeon's argument and if I don't intervene now, they're going to forget the whole point of this fair," Jihyo laughed as she glanced over at her friends then politely excused herself.

 

Mina watched as Jihyo joined the trio at the booth. Her eyes immediately landed on Momo, and as if she sensed her watching, Momo looked up and met her gaze. It couldn't have been longer than three seconds that they maintained eye contact, but the moment Momo averted her eyes, Mina could see the scowl on the latter's lips, a feeling of shame and embarrassment washing over her. It was only when Sana tugged on her arm that Mina snapped out of it and reluctantly followed behind Sana.

 

They spent another hour looking at other stalls, receiving information, watching performances, and receiving occasionally freebies. Naturally, they avoided any clubs involving demanding physical activity because of Sana's condition, and while Mina could join clubs like those but she'd rather be in one with her sister.

 

When they had seen all they wanted to see, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon. The fair was almost over, some already beginning to disassemble their booths and decorations. Crowds of students gradually dispersed in all directions.

 

Sana looked over at Mina. "I guess this is where we have to part ways for today."

 

Immediately, Mina frowned. "Time for your night class, huh?" She was hoping they had enough time to have dinner or even a quick snack before Sana had to leave.

 

Her sister looked at her apologetically. "Unfortunately. You're lucky you don't have any." Sana sighed, puffing out her cheeks soon after. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

 

"Okay. Text me when you get back to your room," Mina requested gently.

 

"Geez. You sound like mom," Sana huffed, but placed a good-humored smile on her lips. "I promise. And I promise to take my medication before heading back too."

 

Mina inwardly sigh with relief when Sana could read her concerns, but then again, they were siblings after all. Not by blood but there was no denying their connection when they've pretty much spent their entire lives together. Sana could easily get a good reading on what was going inside her head, much like how she can assume what was going on inside of Sana's.

 

"Thank you, and I'm sorry too. I'm sure you don't like me nagging you," Mina admitted meekly, eyes casted downward for a brief moment.

 

Sana shook her head and quickly reached out to give her sister a swift hug. "Not at all. I know you do it because you care about me, Mina. After having a mild attack earlier due to my carelessness, this time it's my fault for making you worry more than usual. I'll be more attentive from now on."

 

After going their separate ways, Mina pondered herself while walking back to the dorms. Things were still awkward with her roommates, seeing how difficult it was to approach them let alone even talk to them outside simple greetings of acknowledgement, but she genuinely wanted to get closer with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. Both were quiet and aloof but they weren't rude or disrespectful in any way. At the very least, those were signs they were good people.

 

Maybe I should stop by the bake shop before going back. I might be able to get there before it closes. I wonder if they give discounts on pastries just before closing like the bakery back home?

 

Her train of thought was interrupted when Mina walked into something, namely another person, and caused them to drop what appeared to be a small book. Her cheeks burned with shame again upon the realization it was the second time today. Mina quickly bent down and picked up the book, handing it back to its owner.

 

"I'm sorry… I wasn't looking where I was going," Mina apologized, profusely bowing to show her sincerity.

 

The young man laughed. "It's alright. It's also my fault because I wasn't looking where I was going either. Too absorbed in my book. Probably shouldn't be reading while walking, huh?"

 

Mina observed and took in his features. He was a tall and lanky young man that contrasted her small stature, hair dyed white like snow and parted slightly to the left that gave a glimpse of his natural roots, clad in a white oxford dress shirt with black slacks. His eyes were an eerie red color amid his gentle gaze but Mina guessed he must enjoy wearing colored contacts.

 

"That's a good idea," Mina agreed chuckling quietly in agreement, relieved he wasn't upset at her for bumping into him. "I truly am sorry though."

 

He waved his hand dismissively at her. "Like I said, it's okay," he assured her with a warm smile. "My name is Kunpimook. I'm majoring in World Literature."

 

"I'm Mina. That's an interesting major. Explains why you must enjoy reading so much that you do it while walking," Mina playfully remarked. Her eyes fell down to the book in his hand, noting its worn-down condition, rips on the spine and the sign of age on the pages. "May I ask what it is you're reading?"

"Oh. This old thing?" Kunpimook lifted the book to show off the cover. "It's called 'The Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. An old classic in the realm of English literature but it's my favorite book of all time."

 

"It must be a really engaging story. I don't know much about books from the west so I've never heard about it. What's it about?"

 

His lips curved into a crooked grin. "To sum up the plot of the book, it's about a group of boys that survive a plane crash and are stranded on an island. Without any adults around to maintain order, the boys gradually become uncivilized and act like savages, even killing their own. But once they're rescued by an adult, they realize how corrupted they've become and cry like the children they are."

 

Mina's eyes widen. "That's quite a dark turn… It does sound interesting though. Why is it your favorite book out of all books in the world? Being a world literature major, I'm sure you're not in any drought of books."

 

Kunpimook chuckled quietly and shook his head, tucking the book beneath his left armpit while coolly resting his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. "It's certainly dark for a book involving children, but that is part of the reason why it's my favorite. The loss of innocence and the fragility of the human condition being central themes of the book, showcasing how far people, even children, can stray without proper guidance."

 

The way he explained the book and his reasoning made Mina examine him more closely, in awe of the way he eloquently phrased his words. "You definitely are a literature major."

 

"Analyzing books and their themes are part of the curriculum," he answered with a shrug then bowed to Mina like a gentleman. "I'd to discuss my favorite book further but I have a meeting to attend to, as much as I don't want to." His face contorted to a grimace that made Mina laugh.

 

"It was an unexpected pleasure talking with you," Mina politely smiled and bowed in return. "Maybe I'll take some time to read a book once I return to my room."

 

"You should. Reading can be a form of entertainment and escape if you allow it to."

 

"Very persuasive. Hope to see you around sometime."

 

"I'm sure our paths will cross again. The university may be big but the total number of students and faculty are still smaller compared to other universities like SNU or Yonsei.

 

Kunpimook dipped his head and began walking. The moment he passed by Mina, his next words came out so quietly, under his breath like a whisper.

 

"Farewell… Princess."

 

Mina spun around and watched him walk off, buried nose-deep into his book, leaving Mina absolutely puzzled.

 

~~~

 

Mina managed to buy three slices of strawberry shortcake from the bake shop before it closed, discounted no less. However, when she returned to her room, her roommates were nowhere to be found. Mina gently bit down on the inside of her cheek but shrugged it off, coming to the conclusion they must have evening class like Sana or already part of a club and participating in club activities. Whenever they would return, she would greet them with a smile and offer her treats.

 

After putting away the slices of cake in the refrigerator for later, Mina set down her school bag on the chair of her desk then plopped face down on her bed, sighing contently at the softness of her pillow and mattress. The day felt longer than usual, and while she did have a good time overall, there were points in time she was filled with worry and embarrassment. Worrying about Sana was second nature to Mina, although she was trying to change and trust Sana to take care of herself, which was difficult to do after earlier today. Mina concluded that the only reason Sana forgot to take her medication was because she was excited about the club fair.

 

The second was running (literally) into Momo and its outcome. Mina pressed two fingertips to her upper lip where she made contact with the other's lips. She couldn't deny in that half second their lips met, that she realized how soft Momo's lip was. It was ridiculous she was even dwelling on what happened when considering Momo didn't think too fondly of her. Not that Mina could blame the other girl; she carelessly and harshly walked right into Momo.

 

Still, Mina wondered if she will see Momo again. To apologize again, perhaps more properly and sincerely. If Mina was to join the Beautification Committee, it's likely she'll run into Momo again since she's a part of the committee. She wouldn't want to be on bad terms with another member right off the bat. All she could hope was that Momo would be in a better mood to at least look in her direction and give her a chance.

 

After several more minutes of mulling over her thoughts, Mina forced herself to get up to sit at her desk to start her assignments. Her desk was positioned right by the window, which added natural lighting to her desk from the moon and stars in addition to her desk lamp. Her room was located on the second floor of the girl's dormitory, facing the forest that surrounding the school grounds. She twisted her body to the right and bent down to dig through her bag for one of her textbooks, gently dropping it atop of her desk to begin her reading.

 

It took some time for her to focus on the contents of her textbook, having to purge her mind from its current worries and distractions, but Mina finally began to read and absorb the information her eyes were taking in for her brain to process.

 

From the corner of her eye, Mina caught something moving in her peripheral vision and looked out the window. Some figure, appearing to be female due to the long flowing hair, was walking towards the thick forest. Mina squinted her eyes to focus further on whoever was about to entire the forest. There were no rules or regulations about going to the forest (the university assured everyone there were no dangerous wildlife) but it was advised not to go out into the woods at night due to no lighting. So to see someone doing just that made Mina skeptical.

 

Then her eyes landed on the image of Sailor Moon on the female student's bag. Without question or doubt, Mina immediately knew the identity of the girl.

 

Sana?!

 

Mina stood up with such force she knocked over her chair.

 

But she didn't care.

 

She had to go after Sana.

 

Sana! Why are you going into the forest?!

 

~~~

 

"How did your search go today?" Chaeyoung asked, walking side by side with Tzuyu.

 

"Nothing," was Tzuyu's curt reply, although Chaeyoung could see how disappointed and dispirited the taller girl was.

 

"It can't be helped. There's only so much you can go on with what little information you know," Chaeyoung pointed out, to which Tzuyu could only nod defeatedly.

 

Abruptly, Tzuyu perked up, her attention landing on the patch of the forest to their 2 o'clock. Chaeyoung watched as Tzuyu's ears perked and twitched, trying to listen for something. Whatever caught Tzuyu's attention, it meant it wasn't a good sign. Chaeyoung learned that from their brief travels together. It wasn't super hearing by any means, but Tzuyu's sense of hearing was stronger than most.

 

"What is it?" Chaeyoung asked tentatively.

 

The taller girl turned to her. "You really don't hear the sound of skittering?"

 

Chaeyoung fell quiet and did her best to listen for whatever Tzuyu heard. About twenty seconds passed, and although faint, Chaeyoung definitely heard something, crawling and skittering against the earth. But it was off-putting and sounded unnatural, making Chaeyoung feel uneasy.

 

"Let's go check it out. I suddenly have a bad feeling about this," Chaeyoung muttered then pushed herself into a sprint, hearing the loud footsteps of Tzuyu following her from behind.

 

From the campus map displaying the layout of the island overhead, none of the forests or any part of the natural greenery of the island was mapped out. They were going into the darkness of the woods blind, with only the ominous sounds that made her skin crawl acting as their guide. The further they strayed from campus grounds, the further they were away from the light of the numerous lamp posts that illuminated the buildings and stone pathways at night, prompting Chaeyoung to whip out her phone to turn on its flashlight function, Tzuyu following suit. They were going to need all the light they can get if they were going to avoid running into shrubbery and low tree branches that even she would run into.

 

"SANA! SANA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

 

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu halted in their tracks upon hearing the cries of a girl coming from their left. Chaeyoung shined her phone in the voice's direction and heard a squeak. Lowering the beam up light, she inspected further and realized it was Mina, their roommate.

 

"Mina? What the hell are you doing out here?" Chaeyoung questioned.

 

"Chaeyoung! Tzuyu! Have you seen my sister? Her name is Sana and she's wearing a Sailor Moon messenger bag. I saw her wander into the forest and I don't know where she went," Mina cried, voice dripping excessively with worry. "Please! You have to help me find her!"

 

"I don't like the sound of this situation," Tzuyu remarked apprehensively.

 

"Neither do I," Chaeyoung agreed with a grim expression. Turning back to Mina, she said, "Are you sure you saw your sister heading this way?"

 

"Up further north, you will find a large clearing in the forest. You will find your sister there but you better hurry."

 

A voice not coming from either of them, a much manlier voice, pierced the air and caused all three girls to whirl behind them. A young man with white hair and red eyes with a knowing smile emerged from the shadows.

 

"You," Chaeyoung bristled angrily.

 

"Kunpimook!" Mina called out in surprise.

 

Chaeyoung's eyes widened. "The hell? You know him?"

 

Before Mina could answer, Kunpimook stepped forward and interrupted. "Sorry for lying to you, Princess, but the name I gave you was fake. Please call me BamBam. And while I'd like to explain the reasoning behind my name, another matter requires your attention and the utmost sense of urgency."

 

Even in the pale moonlight that managed to glimmer through the trees, Chaeyoung could see the color draining from Mina's face. Mina spun on her heel and immediately dashed forward.

 

"Mina, wait!" Tzuyu yelled at a volume so unnatural for her voice and ran after Mina.

 

Chaeyoung was about to chase after them, but not before looking over her shoulder, eyeing BamBam contemptuously. "You're planning to watch all this happen and do nothing again, aren't you?"

 

Bambam revealed a chesire cat-like grin on his visage. "As I told you back in the city, my role is to observe. Not to intervene," he calmly answered.

 

Chaeyoung growled but said nothing more, opting to chase after her roommates because that was her priority. She felt like Tzuyu and Mina were meters ahead of her but it only took her a couple of minutes to arrive at the clearing BamBam mentioned. In a large circular shape, the land was void of any trees or bushes. She reunited with her roommates and followed Mina's shock-stricken eyes. On the opposite end from where they stood, a girl was wrapped and bound all across her body by some white rope and hanging from a tree branch, unconscious.

 

"SANA!!!" Mina cried out her sister's name and tried to run towards Sana, but Tzuyu quickly grabbed her by the wrist to hold her back.

 

"Wait! Don't go near her!" Tzuyu warned, ears perked again. Chaeyoung didn't need to ask; she heard the sound too, much louder than before. "Something's coming!"

 

Two shadows covered parts of the sky, signaling Chaeyoung, Tzuyu, and Mina to look up. To their absolute horror, two giant spiders were crawling atop of the trees, jumped up and landed into the clearing. They had dozens of tiny eyes that were crimson red like blood, sharp pairs of fangs on each spider, and several spikey protrusions from their legs. The spiders placed themselves as obstacles between them and Sana.

 

"W-What the hell? What the hell are the those?!" Mina stuttered, eyes dilating in horror the longer she stared at the abnormally, large and monstrous arachnids.

 

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu immediately stood protectively in front of Mina. "Get back, Mina!" Chaeyoung commanded. She inwardly cursed herself then cursed at BamBam for leading Mina into this situation. Mina would have never rushed into the clearing on her own first if the bastard kept his mouth shut. Glancing over to Tzuyu, it was evident the taller girl was having a similar train of thought as she was.

 

being subtle and secretive. If nothing is done, Mina and Sana will die.

 

Chaeyoung pulled out a Swiss Army knife and handed it to Mina. "Listen to me. Tzuyu and I will distract those monsters. You need to slip behind them, discreetly as possible, get over to that tree, and free your sister. Then run away as far as you possibly can. Okay?"

 

Mina squeezed the tool in her hand. "What are you talking? There's no way you can fight those things!" she protested.

"This is not up for discussion!" Chaeyoung snapped angrily. "Just do as I said and stay out of our way!"

 

~~~

 

Mina's mind was reeling. The presence of those gigantic spiders and Sana's condition and predicament were overwhelming her. It was difficult to breathe, gasping for air as she could feel the adrenaline surge through her veins

 

What she witnessed next was unbelievable.

 

"Hēiyàoshí!!!" Tzuyu proclaimed loudly and lifted her hand in the air.

 

A tiny red glow radiated from Tzuyu's right upper arm. A moment later, a giant, black claymore descended from the sky and landed right in front of Tzuyu, piercing and cracking the earth upon impact.

 

"Haechi!" Chaeyoung called out right after Tzuyu.

 

A red glow similar to Tzuyu's appeared around Chaeyoung's lower left back. The air around Chaeyoung began to take formation and swirl around her. With hands outstretched, the wind took shape and materialized into two giant red tonfas, one in each hand, accented with gold on its ends. Beside Chaeyoung, the wind swirled until formed a mini tornado. A loud roar erupted from within the tornado and the tornado dispersed to reveal a large yellow tiger-like creature, with orange plates of armor covering its eyes and down it's spine. Three spiked rods protruded from it's back, sparks of electricity occasionally visible between them, and what appeared to be a metal turbine rested at the center of its chest.

 

The entire spectacle rendered Mina speechless.

 

"Go Haechi!!" Chaeyoung beckoned her creature forth and answered her command with another roar.

 

Haechi jumped high into the air and pounced onto one of the giant spiders, clawing at its numerous eyes. The spider hissed loudly in pain and bucked wildly in an attempt to throw Haechi off. Chaeyoung took the opportunity and used her tonfas, pressing switches at their handles to activate them. The tonfas began to rotate rapidly like a saw, summoning the air around her tonfas.

 

"Mina! Don't just stand there!" Chaeyoung snapped Mina out of her stupor. "We'll distract them!" Mina nodded numbly and dashed around the fight to Sana.

 

With a loud battle cry, Chaeyoung swung each tonfa, releasing what appeared to be wind blades at the spider. Haechi leapt off and the blades cut through the spider's legs, the arachnid's main body collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud. Finishing the job, Haechi growled, the turbine in its chest activating. Strong winds came from within, acting like a strong suction to pull the spider's body closer. Without its legs to resist, the spider was into the rotating turbine and was shredded into nothing.

 

Meanwhile, Tzuyu pulled her claymore from the ground. Three pairs of glowing red eyes revealed themselves on the blade, fueling Tzuyu with powerful energy. She dashed toward the spider with superhuman speed and sliced two of its legs, toppling it over due to imbalance. It let out a loud cry then spat out a thick stream of web at Tzuyu. Tzuyu narrowed her eyes and wielded Hēiyàoshí upside down to impale the ground. A wall of rock emerged and protected Tzuyu, realizing the web was acidic.

 

From the corner of her eye, Mina watched as Chaeyoung and her beastly companion ran over to assist Tzuyu with her spider, but then faced forward, reminding herself what was her priority: Sana. She sighed in relief when inspecting Sana closer, her sister was still breathing and appeared to be unarmed. But even in the pale moonlight, Sana's complexion looked pale. Mina whipped out the knife and stood on her toes to cut the web that hung Sana from the tree. After carefully setting Sana down on the ground, Mina freed her from the rest of the webs that bound her, then cradled Sana in her arms.

 

"You're okay… You're going to be okay…" Mina whispered, her voice thick and heavy with emotion, holding Sana even tighter. "I'll protect you…"

 

An inhumane cry sounded from behind Mina and she whipped her head to look over her shoulder. Another creature emerged from the shadows, this time a giant, armored mantis-like bug cutting down the trees around with the blades it has for arms. Its large eyes glared down at Mina and Sana like prey, Acidic saliva dripped from its sideways jaw.

 

Mina was paralyzed with fear and could only let out a deafening scream.

 

"MINA!!" Chaeyoung cried and shifted her attention from Tzuyu's spider over to Mina and the mantis. She climbed atop of Haechi and rode the tiger, while throwing wind sawblades at the mantis. However, the saw blades had no effect on the creature, the blades only denting and scratching its armor. "Goddammit!"

 

Tzuyu was too occupied summoning more walls of stone to protect herself from the spider's endless stream of acidic web.

 

Chaeyoung was fighting the mantis, but unlike the spider, was at a disadvantage with its armor protecting itself from Chaeyoung's wind attacks. The mantis screeches down at Chaeyoung and knocks her out cold to the side, Haechi jumping in front of its master to protect her.

 

"CHAEYOUNG!" Tzuyu cried. She knew that despite her speed and strength, there was no opening to attack while the spider continued to spew out its web and could only remain on the defense, feeling utterly helpless.

 

What should I do? As much as I want to save Sana, I can't leave Chaeyoung and Tzuyu to die…

 

 What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!

 

Suddenly, Mina's head began to throb wildly and painfully. She clutched both sides of her head, gritting her teeth. She could feel her body beginning to ride in temperature. The blood in her ears were pumping loudly. Her heart palpitating. Eyes dilating even further.

 

"Minatozaki Mina."

 

While clutching her chest, Mina looked over to her right to find BamBam standing on top of a tree branch with his arms folded, his red eyes gazing intently at her.

 

"Kun… Kunpimook…" she rasped.

 

"Minatozaki Mina," he reiterated. "What will you do? Will you accept your power and awaken as a Princess? Or reject it and allow your sister to die?"

 

"What are you talking about…?"

 

"You feel it don't you? The presence that's been haunting your dreams. She wants to help you, she wants to protect you and everything you hold dear, but she cannot because you have yet to awaken.'

 

Through her pain, Mina was able to recall the voice that always spoke to her in her dreams.

 

 

"The hour of awakening is upon you.

 

Your destiny will soon be sealed, young one."

 

 

Mina felt as if her body was on fire.

 

 

"You have been chosen."

 

 

The mysterious birth mark above her left lit up red.

 

"HOMURA!!"

 

Four golden rings, each with three green magatamas embedded in the loops, hover around her wrists and her ankles. A portal of flame appears behind Mina and a gigantic armored white dragon emerges from within, its wings made up of flames and its lower body reminiscent of a manta ray with a flame on its tail. The dragon had emerald green eyes, three on each side of its head, and a sword pierced through its jaws from the top. However, the sword did not stop the dragon from unhinging its jaw to let out a terrifying roar.

 

With its claws, Homura grabbed the mantis by the head and pushed it down to the ground then released a fiery breath upon the creature, melting through its armor. The mantis screeched in pain from its burns, swiping mindlessly at the dragon to no avail until it became no more than a pile of ashes that faded to nothing.

 

Somehow, Mina knew what to do. She knew what these rings around her were capable of. Mina hovered above the ground and flew towards Tzuyu. The rings spun rapidly as the green magatamas glowed yellow, producing a shield and blocked the webs.

 

"TZUYU! NOW!" Mina cried out.

 

Tzuyu did not delay even a second and pivoted around to the spider while Mina took the heat of the spider's attack. She jumped high into the air to pierce the spider's torso from above. The spider shrieked, it's remaining legs twitching about, until the last bit of life left it's body, becoming absolutely still. Before long, the spider's corpse also faded into nothing.

 

~~~

 

When Chaeyoung awoke, she found herself staring into Tzuyu's worried eyes.

 

"You okay?" The Taiwanese girl asked.

 

"Yeah… My body really aches and I have a headache but other than that, I'm fine," Chaeyoung groaned, sitting up. Haechi nudged its muzzle against her cheek, which made her chuckle and the side of its face. Her eyes snap up from the fiery dragon that hovered not too far from them, watching over Mina who was cradling Sana in her arms. "What the…"

 

"Yes," Tzuyu affirmed gravely, already guessing what Chaeyoung was thinking. "Mina's like us… Mina is also a Princess."

 

---

A/N: Because this kind of fic isn't often seen in the fandom, please do let me know if you'd like me to continue this series. As much as I love writing it and where I want the story to go, it helps a lot knowing if I have people interested in my story.

But regardless of what you choose to do, I'm still thankful for you for reading and hopefully you enjoyed the chapter :)