(A/N): Hello everyone! Long time no update, I will continue the author's note at the end of the chapter, so without further ado! 

~

Yoohyeon opens her eyes slowly. She was expecting to be blinded by the bright sunlight but instead she was greeted with more darkness. Panic stirs Yoohyeon to get up quickly from her laying position only for her to realize she wasn't really laying on something. She was floating. Yoohyeon looks around her surroundings, but the darkness that she was in seemed it went on for miles and miles. The only light she had was this soft glow that illuminated her body. 

"Where am I?," she starts to question, "Am I...." she didn't want to finish that sentence. 

Yoohyeon places her hands on the temples of her head. She tries to focus on what she does remember and how she may of gotten here. Another glow gives off at the side where Yoohyeon was floating. Yoohyeon turns to glow and images start to flood the once dark abyss. As each image appeared, Yoohyeon started to remember it all. 

"We were at the winter solstice ball." she comments, as the image of her and her friends dressed up for the occasion appeared before her. She sess herself laughing among her friends and Minji. The images fades away and then another appears, showing herself and Minji during their alone time in the garden. 

"Minji..." Yoohyeon wonders to herself where was her lover, and prayed that she was safe and sound. 

The images once again disappeared. Yoohyeon look around, trying to find the next memory. A sharp pain starts to come over her, causing Yoohyeon to let out a loud grunt. She looks down toward the area where she felt the pain originate, and sees a sword that had went through her side. Her eyes widen with panic as she gripped the hilt of the sword. 

"Ohhh I wouldn't do that honey if I were you." cautioned a surrounding voice from the darkness.

Yoohyeon immediately releases the sword's hilt from her grasp. She looks around and nothing but darkness still surrounding her. 

"Who's there!?" she yells out. She positions herself in a fighting stance but slightly falters due to the pain at her side.

Her body begins to tense up as she hears slow footsteps getting louder and louder towards her. Yoohyeon finally looks up and is eye to eye with a familiar, but deadly face. 

"Sunmi..." Anger filled Yoohyeon quickly, but just as fast, fear replaced that feeling as Sunmi made her way closer and closer to Yoohyeon. 

Now in font of the wounded princess, Sunmi grabs the sword's hilt and pulls it forward. Yoohyeon eyes widen with panic once more as she follows the motion Sunmi cause in fear of the consequences if the sword was removed. Yoohyeon's breath becomes quick and shallow. She couldn't anticipate Sunmi's moves nor her intentions. Sensing the tension coming Yoohyeon caused Sunmi to smirk. 

"You know..." whispered Sunmi, "I could kill you right now, but what fun would that be."

"Then-...Then why don't you?" Yoohyeon curses at herself for stuttering but she figured Sunmi already knows that she is fearful right now, "like you did to my father." 

Sunmi lets out a big laugh that echoes, "Like I said it wouldn't be fun!" 

"What do you want!?" snapped Yoohyeon, she was getting tired. Sure she was sacred but the more she stayed with Sunmi the more irritated she was becoming since the proclaimed demon was playing with her.

Sunmi's turns dark. With her grip still on the hilt of the blade, Sunmi begins to twist the blade further into Yoohyeon's side causing the princess cry out in pain.

"I want you and your kingdom to suffer." the words were plainly said yet they stuck to Yoohyeon.

"Why!? What does my kingdom or even me have to do with anything!?" Yoohyeon fumed. 

Again Sunmi laughs, "You have much to learn little girl, and I think it's time you learned the truth." 

"The truth?" Yoohyeon thought to herself.

With one swift motion, Sunmi pulls the sword out of Yoohyeon, causing her to fall to the ground instantly. Yoohyeon opens  to ask Sunmi more but her will to question the demon quickly disappeared. Her vision begins to blur as she could feel her body succumbing to whatever was next for her. Yoohyeon fought to keep her opens but she was slowly losing that battle. Sunmi kneels down to Yoohyeon one last time and places a burning kiss on the girl's neck. Yoohyeon yells once more in pain. 

"A parting gift, princess. Make sure you nun girlfriend doesn't get jealous." Sunmi comments as she stood back up, her lips also. 

"What...what did you do?" Yoohyeon struggled to say as she tried to remain conscious. 

"A curse my dear Yoohyeon. Find the truth then find me." Sunmi replied, "Then when you do find me, I will ask you a question and your answer will decide your kingdom's fate." 

Yoohyeon opened to protest, but instead began to cough blood. She looks up again at Sunmi, but the demon was now dissipating into smoke. Yoohyeon lets out one more metal curse as she loses consciousness. 

~ 

Yoohyeon slowly opened her eyes again, but quickly shut it as she was blinded by light. 

"Wait...light!?" Yoohyeon mentally yells, and she forces her eyes open. She takes in her surroundings, blinking several times so that her eyes could adjust. 

"Yoo..." said a quiet voice. Yoohyeon looks down and is met with blood-shot, chocolate-brown eyes. 

"Minji...you're-" Yoohyeon wasn't given a chance to finish her sentence as she was engulfed within Minji's arms, who stood quickly from her position. 

"I- I-...I thought..." Minji hiccuped in between her tears. Yoohyeon shushes the black-haired girl and wraps her arms around her tightly. 

Yoohyeon buries her face into Minji's nape. She takes a deep breath, while also taking note of how sweet Minji smells. God, did she miss that smell. Minji slightly releases her hug Yoohyeon and places a hand on princess's cheek. Yoohyeon gives Minji a reassuring smile and closes the gap between their lips. Minji now places the hand that was on Yoohyeon's cheek to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss even more. Yoohyeon had so many things to say, especially to what had happen to her while she was with Sunmi, but right now...right now she just wanted to have this moment with Minji. Minji, the woman that took her worries away, the woman who gave her strength, the woman who she would give up anything for, the woman who she loved the most out of this entire world. One thing was for sure thought...Yoohyeon was determined to stop Sunmi. 

~

"Hyeonie~ I'm so sorry!" apologized Yoohyeon, with an awkward laugh. 

"Yeah Gahyeon, we're really sorry. Nothing was going to happen I swear!" added Minji, who was trying to comfort the youngest among the group. 

Gahyeon shook her head. Her face still red, with embarrassment. The young head maid was making her way to change the dressing of Yoohyeon's room . When had arrived, she was greeting with Minji and Yoohyeon's make-out session, causing her to let a yelp, which alerted the couple that they no longer alone. 

"I even knocked unnie!" pouted Gahyeon, her eyes no longer that innocent. 

As both Minji and Yoohyeon let out more apologies, Siyeon lets out a laugh at the embarrassing situation. 

"My goodness you two, why did you have to scar the poor girl like that?" Bora chimed in, allowing more protests from the couple. 

A few minutes later, both Yubin and Handong arrived at the scene that was unfolding before them. 

"I want to ask but the I don't." Yubin plainly says, noticing Yoohyeon giving her puppy eyes from her bed.

"I will ask later then!" added Handong, causing the couple to once again groan in defeat as both Siyeon and Bora laugh. 

"I'm glad you're back." said Siyeon, who made her way to the foot of the bed, who was then joined by Bora.

"How long was I out?" questioned Yoohyeon. 

"Almost three days..." replied Handong, "With my healing capabilities along with Minji's and Gahyeon's medical expertise, we were able to keep stable for quiet a bit."

Yoohyeon let out a small hum, "Sunmi plans to destroy the kingdom." 

"Yoo we need to find her then!" exclaimed Siyeon, "Let me gather our armies and hunt her down!" 

"But we don't even know where she is!" interjected Yubin. Siyeon lets out a heavy sigh. 

"Yubin is right...but we actually might know." began Yoohyeon. Everyone looks at her with confused eyes. 

"What do mean?" asks Minji. 

Yoohyeon begins to the what had happen while was out, which she can't believe that three days had passed. She couldn't explain everything since she didn't know how to. Everyone was giving Yoohyeon their full attention, while Minji keep her attention at her lover's mannerisms. She sense that Yoohyeon was afraid, but she knew that the younger would never admit that. Minji takes Yoohyeon's hand into her and she immediately saw the tension in Yoohyeon's body subside slightly. She wanted to also be strong for Yoohyeon after everything that she has been through. 

"So we need to find out the truth between the kingdom and Sunmi's demon clan?" questioned Yubin. 

Yoohyeon nods, "I don't even know where to start." 

"I may have an idea." Gahyeon says, breaking the silence. Everyone gives her a questioning look. 

"What do you mean?" asks Yoohyeon.

"Well, you know my family has served under this monarchy for a long time. There were rumors that a long time the monarchy was at war with a near by kingdom. A great war that went on for almost a hundred years because both kingdoms were equally matched in strength," began Gahyeon, "It is said that Yoohyeon's ancestors built a secret room within the castle to protect secrets from the enemy."

"Interesting..." said Handong, with the attention now turning to her, "I had read about those readings when I was researching this kingdom."

"You researched Yoo's kingdom?" inquired Minji. 

"Well yes unnie. I need to make sure you were good hands...obviously." Handong replies coolly. 

"Hmm if what you is true, then we need to find that room." remarked Siyeon, "but where could we start." 

"Why don't we put out a waypoint spell and see where it leads us?" Bora suggested. 

"Unfortunately we can't. They made of had wards in place for protection." informed Handong, "Our best bet would be to try the library. Many of the readings implied that the room was there but was never proven since it was obviously never found." 

"Then we'll start there." Yoohyeon confirms, "to the library it is." 

~

(A/N): Hello everyone! I hope you all are staying safe during this crazy time. Finally an update, whew! I would like to thank my readers who patiently wait for the next chapter, and the readers who stick by me. I appreciate all the support (via upvoting, subscribing, and commenting) that you give me. I won't lie, I've had a writer's block for the longest time. I thought quarantine would motivate me to write more since I had more extra time, but it the opposite for me to the point that I contemplated on whether or not to continue writing this. I am glad I had spur of creativity juice come and I was able to write this whole chapter for you all. I'm not sure on when the next update will be. I realize I rather quality chapters rather than keep posting not so good chapters. So please stay tune for the next one! Thank you again and please stay safe out there! Till next time <3