Witches are said to be the most powerful and dangerous entity to all humans. 

Written in the books of history, these hooded figures were said to watch in silence as wars unfolded through these decades, only stepping in for their own selfish reasons and making things complicated.

But no one can touch them. Though a brave few tried and obviously failed, everyone fears them - even the royal family. Witches are the only ones that even the greatest rulers of the world will humbly bow down to. Thus, it is no exception that Princess Chorong does the same.

After agreeing to meet the other witches residing at Devil’s Peak, Chorong, Eunji and Bomi follow Dami and Siyeon up the dark, windy hill. Passing through the dead trees, walking over giant trunks and underneath observing bats, Bomi feels a chill climbing down her spine. 

It’s a long climb on foot and worse, not a single conversation. Pure, dead silence.

Eunji sticks close to Chorong, often giving hand gestures if she needs to be carried - only to be shot back with a glare that fully says no. Although the bodyguard does not quite understand why carrying the princess would upset her but regardless, she switches her attention to the witch who seemed very capable of fighting her.

Siyeon.

For the first time, the reigning champion is uncertain of winning a battle if she were to be her opponent. Eunji has to be wary of them as they are no playing matter. Magic is one thing but to be skilled in the arts of swordplay is another.

They aren’t puny bandits or trained soldiers. They are witches.

“I must say, I am impressed.” Dami starts a conversation with her back facing the others. “The only time a mere human has come seeking for help was several hundred years ago.”

“Did my father not come in person back then?” Chorong asks carefully with her eyebrow raised.

Dami shakes her head slowly with a disappointed sigh.

“I do not mean to hurt your feelings dear princess, but your father which he greatly proclaims himself as King of Muhwa is a coward. He only sent a few of his good, brave men for a request. I have never seen him in person.”

“...Oh.” Chorong lowers her head.

Dami smirks while looking back. “But I acknowledge his efforts. The previous kings were much worse because they tried to hunt us down. That’s why we accepted his request of letting the Queen bear a child.” There is a slight smirk on her face. “Who would’ve thought I’d be meeting this child again today?”

“I believe this is the work of fate.” Chorong optimistically says. Dami scoffs while Eunji catches a stare from Siyeon. This causes the bodyguard to tighten the grip on her sword. 

“...Then let’s see if this is truly the work of fate.” Dami smiles as she halts her steps. “We have arrived at Devil’s Peak.” 

Bomi looks around dumbfoundedly. There’s nothing. No tower. No house. Not a single structure around. Just a bunch of dead trees cuddled together. 

Dami snaps her fingers and suddenly, everything begins to make sense now. 

At the witch’s command, a bright orange hue lights up in front and reveals a large mansion surrounded by a massive, spacious garden full of plants, flowers and actual life. At the entrance is a prominent wolf statue made out of iron guarding the doors, decorated with wings and horns. With sharp spikes at the gates tip, a heavy weight hangs in the air. 

A thunder sparks into the gray sky, frightening Bomi but not Chorong and Eunji who remained calm. 

“Why have you brought a human to our place? That is extremely rare of you, Dami.” 

A voice echoes in the air. 

The three humans look around, trying to find the source of sound. But all it took was a sudden gulf of air whooshing in front of their eyes, revealing a woman in a long, black gothic gown. She has a demure posture - elegance yet deadly. Bright purple hair flowing down her shoulders as she takes a long stare at Chorong. 

“You.” She says, slowly approaching the princess and gently holding her chin with a thumb. Eunji almost sheathes her sword in reaction but stops at Chorong’s hand holding her back. 

The princess looks straight into her eyes. She isn’t scared at all and the witch notices that.

“No wonder Dami brought you in.” The purple haired witch hums. “You may be human but your birth origins were not natural. How interesting.” 

“She’s here to request something from us. Of course, it’s another human problem again.” Dami rolls her eyes. “What’s your call, JiU?”

JiU turns to look at Eunji. She stops for one second to analyse her features. Then, the witch ignores Bomi and returns to Dami after making her decision.

“Let’s bring these humans inside. It’s been awhile since we had visitors.” 

--

Devil’s Peak is unlike anything one would’ve imagined. People described it as a desolate land full of death, blood and gore. While on the outside, it does look like a haunted mansion that was left abandoned for centuries. But inside, it is a completely different world. 

Luxury, bright and elegant. Large chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, strange yet polished marble statues of disfigured creatures ranging from werewolves, birds and tigers lined along the smooth corridors and shiny marble flooring, this is the witches’ definition of royalty. 

“Oh my! Am I dreaming? Is this a human that I see in this house? Amazing!” 

Another witch chimes through the hallway as she looks over from the second floor. Donning the same black gothic gown as JiU, she has long blonde hair and appears to be much taller than the average human. 

“Yoohyeon, call the rest to the room. We have guests seeking our assistance.” JiU says.

“Alright.” Yoohyeon nods and disappears. 

“Are we animals to them?” Bomi whispers to Eunji. The bodyguard doesn’t reply. Bomi asks the same question to Chorong but is also ignored. With a pout, Bomi decides to zip for the rest of the visit. Fear has taken over her soul. Although she’s the one who suggested to go to Devil’s Peak, the woman is slowly regretting her decision. 

The three are led into a hall with a large, round table situated in the middle. Everyone takes their seat as silence follows. There are quiet exchanges of glances among the witches, whispering to one another. Chorong decides to observe, patiently waiting for the witches to start.

“Are they plotting to kill us?” Bomi mumbles with worry.

Eunji simply sighs in response while Chorong turns to look at the girl kindly. “Please do not worry too much. Let me handle this. Thank you for letting me know about Devil’s Peak, Bomi.”

The princess’ smile was enough to at least ease her as Bomi slowly slumped in her seat, obeying her orders. 

Yoohyeon returns with three other witches who do not introduce themselves. Instead, they take the remaining empty seats and JiU begins by clasping her hands together.

“We appreciate your effort in coming all the way here to Devil’s Peak, princess of Muhwa.” 

“No, I should be thanking you for allowing us to enter such a sacred place of yours.” 

JiU smiles with a nod. “I see that you are a person of good nature. Very well. What is it that you seek? Power? Wealth? Do you wish for someone’s death?”

Chorong shakes her head slowly. 

“In the past weeks, my kingdom has been attacked by Tonghwa. They slaughtered my father and mother in cold blood on the night of my coming-age ceremony. I barely managed to make it out alive thanks to my bodyguard, whom I treasure greatly.” The princess turns to Eunji. “We have been doing our best to survive. But things have been looking bleak. Bomi, who comes from Hongsa, told us about Devil’s Peak and the powers that you witches could grant us. But of course...with a great price.” 

The witches exchange glances with each other, listening to the princess’ anecdote. 

“We are sorry for your loss.” JiU says. “Princess, go straight to the point. What do you wish for us to do?” 

At that question, Chorong pauses. She bites her lip and looks into the witches’ eyes. “I want to reclaim back my kingdom and destroy the Tonghwa dynasty.” 

“That is two requests, dear Princess.” Dami says. 

“You can either reclaim back your kingdom or destroy the Tonghwa dynasty.” Yoohyeon adds in. “I’m sorry but it’s complicated.”

“Then…” Chorong exhales slowly, easily making her choice. “I want to reclaim my kingdom as...queen.” 

“Very well.” JiU says. “We can make that happen. But of course, we have our own terms and conditions.” The witch points at Eunji. “In order to reclaim your kingdom back, you will lose someone who you hold dearly. We will be taking her.” 

The princess freezes. It didn’t make sense at all. Why Eunji? Why would they take away her capable and prized champion in order to reclaim back her kingdom? Does Eunji play an essential role in making this happen? 

Although there are a lot of questions booming through the princess’ head, she has learnt to not openly ask them and simply keep them inside. In situations like this, she was trained to control her emotions and keep a steady pace at alarming moments. 

Eunji turns to look at her with widened eyes. She tries to shake her head slightly, openly telling her this is a terrible idea, that the witches are coaxing the princess into a scam, that they are just going to separate the two of them and leave the princess defenseless. 

They should’ve never come here in the first place. 

Just as Eunji is about to stand up, Chorong makes her decision. 

“Very well.” 

“Princess!” Eunji shouts at her. 

“Eunji, sit down.” 

Fuming yet, the bodyguard exhales loudly and returns to her seat. She holds onto her sword tightly, hating where this is going. 

“I will accept that.” Chorong says. “You may take away my champion from me if this is to reclaim what is truly mine.” 

JiU smiles warmly. “Indeed.” The witch snaps her fingers as a contract suddenly burns in revelation. With just two fingers pushing towards the air, the paper floats into Chorong’s direction as an inkwell and quill magically appears, naturally placing themselves into Chorong’s hands. 

“If you agree to these terms and conditions, you may sign and we can begin immediately.” 

“...Immediately?”

“Yes. You are in a desperate situation aren’t you?” 

Chorong looks back at the contract. It reads the situation that she has described, her request of reclaiming her throne and agreeing to sacrifice her prized champion, Eunji as a result. However, it does not read what will happen to Eunji. And that makes the princess concerned. 

“...What will happen to my bodyguard?” 

The witches grow silent as they exchange glances again, as if pointing each other to say it. 

“She will disappear from your life forever.”

“She’s going to die?!” Bomi shouts.

“Sit down.” Eunji orders, trying to calmly take in the situation. If her death means the rise of her princess, then she will greatly do so. It is for a good cause, then Eunji will accept it. 

JiU shakes her head slowly. “It will be...complicated. But she will not be dead. She will still live. But she will be free. Free from your chains.” 

“Free from my chains…” Chorong mumbles as she looks at the contract again. She ignores the fact that Eunji is literally staring at her, begging her to really think this through. 

The princess looks back on the time where she found Eunji at the Coliseum, fighting for her life everyday in bloody battles. She thought that she gave her freedom by letting Eunji become her bodyguard who has stuck with her for years. But it appears that she was simply repeating the same thing...locking Eunji in her chains. 

Eunji was never free. 

To her, it may not seem that way. But in the eyes of others, Eunji is nothing but her slave. Her dog who listens to her. Her champion who guards her. A woman who has so much potential yet tied down to serving a person of royal blood. 

The witches are giving her a chance. It was meant to be good. Not bad. 

“Princess...please think this through…” Eunji whispers to her. 

But Chorong has already made her decision. She looks at Eunji, seeing her sad eyes. She also notices the little scars all over her skin. She shouldn’t be bearing them. She shouldn’t be living like this. 

She wants to make her free. Truly free.

The princess takes the quill, dips it into the inkwell and signs the contract. 

“Princess…” 

“Eunji.” Chorong says as she cups her cheek. “This is for our sake. It will be better for the two of us. Please. This is my final order. I want you to live freely without any more chains. I do not want you to feel attached and feel the need to protect anyone. Please have your own life.”

“Princess-” 

JiU claps her hands. “And the deed is done. Thank you princess for your wise and excellent decision. We will begin the procession immediately. Please follow us.” 

Chorong and Eunji give each other a glance. There is no time to even talk in private. Everything is just going too fast, that they can’t even say farewell. 

Magic is real. Or at least, that’s what Chorong, Bomi and Eunji have realised about the world they live in. 

As they sit in the center as the witches circle around them, holding their hands together and chanting an unknown language, sparks of yellow and dark blue hiss through their surroundings, almost blurring their view. 

The princess clings tightly onto Eunji, thinking that this might be the last time she can hold her dear champion like this. 

“I’m sorry Eunji.” Chorong whispers with a sad voice. “I’m sorry that I made this decision without even asking you.” 

“...It’s okay princess.” She tightens her grip. “This is for the sake of the kingdom. You will be queen. The kingdom will be yours and most importantly, you will make your father proud.”

Eunji looks up at Chorong with a smile, an honest smile that truly meant her feelings. She notices the princess’ eyes slowly welling up in tears. 

The witches chants get louder as the three are suddenly hypnotised into a sleeping spell. Bomi falls to the ground first. Chorong tries to fight her sleepiness, not wanting to close her eyes. She wants to keep looking at Eunji, remembering her every feature. She holds onto her cheeks, refusing to let go. 

“Eunji…” The princess calls out weakly as she falls asleep in Eunji’s arms. The champion is the last one to go off, managing to hold onto the hypnosis spell until two minutes later. She looks up at the witches circling her, eventually catching eye contact on Siyeon who smirks at her. 

She doesn’t know what this means. 

But she confidently sits upright with Chorong in her arms, and closes her eyes - falling into deep slumber. 

“We will meet again, princess. I’m sure of it. I am your champion after all.” 

---

There are birds chirping. A warm sunlight caressing through the windows. This feeling...is familiar. Chorong opens her eyes slowly and wakes up to her bedroom. Her actual bedroom in Muhwa, the same bed that she has been sleeping since childhood. 

“Princess! You are awake!” 

This voice. It can’t be. 

Chorong looks at the young woman rushing to her side, almost in tears. 

“Thank god! I will inform advisor Ho-Dong and the general immediately!” 

“...Hyojung?” The princess calls out. 

“Yes, princess. It’s me! Please rest! Let me spread the good news!”

“W-Wait…” Chorong holds onto her wrist. “What happened? Wasn’t the kingdom attacked? I thought you were...dead.” 

Hyojung blinks once and steadies her posture. She kneels to have eye-to-eye contact with the princess. 

“A miracle happened princess. Suddenly, all of the Tonghwa soldiers that were occupying the palace collapsed. We don’t know why but General Siwon and his men took over. Under his orders, he sent out a search and rescue for you but you were found unconscious in the palace garden.” 

“...Palace garden?”

Hyojung nods, as if she’s truly seen it with her eyes. “Princess, allow me to inform advisor Ho-Dong and General Siwon of your awakening.” The servant bows and leaves the bedroom. 

Chorong rests against the bedroom board. She can’t believe it. The witches kept their word and did their magic. Her kingdom is back to normal. Her people are alive. 

The only thing that is missing….is her bodyguard by her side. 

Alone, the princess finally cries. She bawls and bawls, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Everything that she’s kept inside her...the gate has finally opened. All of her emotions bursting through. 

Even when Hyojung returns back with Ho-Dong and Siwon who worry over the princess crying, Chorong continues to bawl, as if mourning the loss of someone she truly loved with all of her heart. 

“Eunji. I’m so sorry.” 

The king of Muhwa is dead. But there is still hope. 

The princess lives and today, five days after the mysterious fall of Tonghwa soldiers occupying the territory, Chorong stands proudly at her throne, waiting to be crowned by her long-time advisor, Kang Ho-Dong. 

Dressed in her long, red robe, colourful pins decorated to her bun hair, the Princess maintains a demure posture in front of her audience. She can hear the citizens celebrating loudly from outside, some playing instruments and drums, some chanting and wishing for the longevity of the princess’s health. 

Happiness has returned to Muhwa. 

“Our princess, Park Chorong. You are now, our queen. Queen of Muhwa.” Ho-Dong announces as he carefully places the golden crown on Chorong’s head. 

The advisors, soldiers and servants who are in the audience clap loudly while citizens cheer on at the inauguration. 

Muhwa is restored to its original honour and power. Under Chorong’s ruling, she will now bear the full responsibility of rebuilding her kingdom that was torn by Tonghwa. As she overlooks the tower to see her citizens cheering for her below, there is something missing. An empty space. 

She should’ve here to witness all of this. 

“...Princess?” Hyojung quietly calls out to Chorong, noticing that she’s been lost in her own thoughts, watching over the clear blue skies. “You’re thinking about her, right?”

Chorong gives her a smile. “Perhaps.” She sighs. “But that is not important anymore. Our priority is rebuilding the kingdom. We must prepare ourselves if Tonghwa is to ever attack us again.”

“Are you...declaring war?”

“No.” Chorong shakes her head. “We only will, if Tonghwa decides to attack us once again.”

What motivates the young Queen is the thought of Eunji. She wants to be like her champion, brave, strong and unwavering to the events around her.

Now queen of Muhwa, there is never a day where Chorong does not think about Eunji. She has a favourite spot in the palace garden where she spends at least twenty minutes a day, wondering about her whereabouts. She misses her touch, her voice - everything. 

---

FIVE YEARS LATER

Within the territorial lands of Tonghwa, is a town situated within a barren desert. Under the hot basking sun, the town is a thriving place of merchants. People flock here to get the best deals and sometimes - to indulge in illegal gambling dens and such. 

Ever since Tonghwa’s failure in capturing the Muhwa Kingdom, the general decided to fall back on its forces and remain cautious on their next move. It is still a mystery as to how their armies were murdered in cold blood and because of this, Tonghwa has to tread carefully around the borders of Muhwa, occasionally sending threats and attacking smaller villages.

“You really did it, huh? What are you?” A man bites his cigarette, amazed at the female warrior in front of her, arms all bloody yet returned with a prize. 

She drops the disfigured head on the table. “Money.” That’s all that comes out of .

“Straight-forward to the deal huh? Fine.” The man hands the chuck of cash to the female warrior who quietly grabs it and stuffs into her backpack. She turns around without saying a word and leaves the inn.

“She’s hella scary boss.” One of his minions whispered over.

“Don’t underestimate her. It’s the famous bounty hunter, Jung Eunji. Because of her, the other hunters have been going out of business. She’s the real definition of a monster who kills for the sake of money and kills without a sound." The two watch as the bounty hunter leaves the inn.

“Jung Eunji…” 

“No one has mustered the courage to have a conversation with her yet. She does her jobs alone, never in a team. Those who tried, well they just ended up getting hurt.” The man stares at his minion. “Why? Do you want to try and become the first one, Hayoung?”

Hayoung stumbles in her seat and shakes her head in denial. “N-No, of course not sir!”

The man laughs and gets up from his seat. “Come on little one." He pats Hayoung's shoulder. "Clean up this mess for me. Eunji went and dripped all of his nasty blood on the damn floor!”

“R-Right…” Hayoung shyly lowers her head and goes straight to work. She looks out of the window, cautiously watching the bounty hunter walking about.

--

a/n: hello, its been a looong time since the last update. i've warned you guys on how this chapter is going to change everything. its a lot to take in, the power of these witches to magically bring back Muhwa kingdom to its original state, but at a price... seperating chorong and eunji - boom! five years has passed! the first arc was all about sweet innocent fluff but with the second arc starting, its on a different note now. what has occured in this timelapse? thank you for patiently waiting for the update. i've been busy interning so it's tough to find time & write :)

psst if u think thats the last of the witches, you're wrong~ they'll play an integral role in this story ^^