[CONTENTID1]Cornflower[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Thirty-One[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The underground prison was a somber place. There was no daylight and the only fresh air they received originated from ducts in the ceiling. The walls weren’t plastered or painted, entirely bare and gray. This place brought back memories of her experiences in Aeri’s home, but this was even worse. At least in Aeri’s mansion, Yoonhee’s room had a window—but now she was fully isolated from the outside world, she couldn’t even sense the peaceful presence of nature from behind the thick concrete walls.  

At around eight in the morning, just after Yoonhee had woken up and dressed herself with the spare clothes that had been provided, the door to their prison was unlocked. The witches and wizards were tense as they watched four vampires enter. Each of them brought a box with food and carelessly dropped them on the kitchen tiles. Yoonhee was relieved that Haeil hadn’t accompanied them since she couldn’t stand being in his presence.

When the four vampires passed her on the way out, one of them stopped and snickered. “Do you like your new home, ? It’s the last thing you’ll ever see.”

The color drained out of her face and she gnashed her teeth, holding back a snarky retort. The vampire scoffed when she didn’t receive the kind of reaction she had hoped for and followed her companions to the exit. The door shut with a bang and the lock clicked. Then, their footsteps faded as they ascended the stairs.

“I hate them,” Donghyuck scowled. Yoonhee caught the flicker of a flame from the corner of her eyes, but when she looked at him, it was gone.

“What did they bring this time?” Jimin padded to the kitchen, Minjeong following her. Yoonhee studied them, figuring that they were both barely adults and too young to be caught up in this mess. She, Jaemin, and Donghyuck also entered the kitchen where they inspected the supplies they had received. This would have to last for a whole week—it was very little. The vampires intended to keep them hungry and weak so that their magic remained weak as well.

Yoonhee stared at the chipped paint of the kitchen table, unease taking hold of her. “We have to get out of here,” she stated, prompting the others to stare at her. “Someone has to help us, we can’t stay here.”

Their gazes conveyed what they thought of this, showing pity for her since she was unable to accept her predicament and continued to struggle. In their eyes, it was pointless—their lives were already forfeit.

“We don’t have anyone outside who’s able to save us,” Minjeong whispered. “None of us does. We’ve been kept in here for months, in some cases years, and nobody has ever come looking for us. Nobody dares to go up against a century-old vampire clan. We only have each other, that’s how it has been.”

“For years?” Yoonhee repeated in horror. This kept getting worse; the more she learned about Taeseon’s schemes, the more she feared for her and Baekhyun’s future. If they didn’t reunite within a week, he would slowly starve. She doubted he could last any longer without her blood. The more she thought about it, the more restless she became. Without a doubt, Baekhyun was already searching for her. Her sudden disappearance hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Listen, you might not know anyone who can help us, but I do! I belong to a vampire clan.”

Her revelation earned her open hostility from Minjeong and a scoff from Jimin. “You’re living with vampires?!” Jimin hissed.

“I know it’s hard to fathom, but they’re kind to me. My soulmate is a vampire.”

“You have a soulmate and he’s a bloodsucker, that’s ing insane,” Donghyuck said and laughed. It was a mirthless laugh, dripping with disbelief and bitterness.

“Baekhyun is a kind person, I promise. He’s been nothing but good to me,” she insisted, not wanting to hear anyone talking badly about him. “And I know he will do anything to find me. If he reaches this place, you will all be free!”

“So you’re saying that this random vampire is supposed to save us from Taeseon’s clan?” Jaemin asked, still with disbelief. Swallowing his hatred for bloodsuckers was not easy, but seeing how willingly she trusted her soulmate, he assumed that this vampire wasn’t like Haeil at all.

“Yes! I’m afraid Baekhyun won’t find me in time if I don’t reach out to him, but my magic is useless in here. The walls are too thick; I can’t sense any plants in the vicinity, so I can’t establish a connection to the outside world.”

Donghyuck and Jaemin exchanged a glance. “You need to convey a message to him,” Donghyuck mumbled. “My fire magic isn’t suited for this, but water magic on the other hand would be perfect…”

Yoonhee’s ears perked up. “Jaemin, would you be willing to help me?”

Jaemin’s dark eyes darted from one broken tile on the ground to the next. His fists clenched and unclenched as he fought with himself. The kitchen was veiled in silence—Jimin and Minjeong were observing him just like Donghyuck and Yoonhee. Jaemin ruffled his silver hair, buried his fingers in his tresses. Raw desperation flickered over his face, and then he finally looked up to meet Yoonhee’s eyes.

“I… I can try it,” he whispered reluctantly. “But it’s very dangerous. If the vampires find out about this, they might punish us like last time… w-when Jisung died.”

The young wizard reminded Yoonhee of a frightened lamb. Taeseon’s clan must have forced him to the brink of insanity with their abuse. For that, too, they had to pay. Her parents’ lives weren’t the only ones they had destroyed with their greed.

“You’re our hope, Jaemin. We have to try everything we can,” Yoonhee said firmly. “Since we’re meant to die here anyway, we have nothing to lose.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Jimin agreed. The witch stood on Jaemin’s other side and nudged him with her hand. “Yoonhee’s right. We don’t have anything to lose. They’ve already taken everything from us.”

“I don’t know if I’m still strong enough…” The water wizard hung his head and fought the tears in his eyes. He curled his hands into fists, preparing himself for the first use of his magic in a very long time. “Please give me your hand, Yoonhee.”

Yoonhee gently placed her hand in his and observed him, holding her breath in anticipation. Every fiber of her body was tense. He closed his eyes and scrunched his nose as he concentrated on an incantation he had memorized long ago. A ball of water materialized in mid-air and hovered in the middle of the kitchen. It warped and became larger until it appeared like a crystal-clear mirror. Water drops danced over its surface, showing a blurry landscape. The skyline of Seoul became visible, houses, streets, people. Then, the picture blurred again and showed a different view—a dark alleyway in a corner of Seoul that Yoonhee didn’t recognize. Three familiar silhouettes appeared, one of them being her soulmate.

“What the hell is that?” Chanyeol’s voice shouted. “Where did it come from?”

“Be careful,” Jongdae warned. “Don’t touch it!”

The image warped back and forth. Chanyeol’s red hair was easy to recognize, as was Jongdae’s black and curly hair, but what took her breath away was the sight of her soulmate—it suddenly hit her how much she missed him, and she fought the urge to pull her hand away from Jaemin’s to touch Baekhyun through the watery mirror. Not that it would have worked…

“Baekhyun!” she exclaimed and leaned closer to the mirror. Its surface was now smooth, showing her an immaculate picture of her soulmate. The eerie scowl on his face waned as he recognized her, but his irises remained scarlet.

“Yoonhee?” he muttered, creasing his forehead as he gazed at the peculiar water mirror hovering in front of him. “Where are you? I’ve been looking for you!” he shouted, and all the worry he had felt came crashing down on him.

“I wish I knew,” she answered, her eyes burning with tears. Hearing the deep sound of his voice was comforting, but it also made her miss him more. “I was attacked and taken by a vampire called Kang Haeil. He and his clan kidnapped other witches and wizards as well. We’re somewhere underground, and the clan leader’s name is Park Taeseon. That’s all I can tell you. Do you think this will help to figure out where I am?”

“It’s a start,” Chanyeol nodded. “We’ll look into it!”

“Yoonhee, I’m so sorry, I should have prevented this,” Baekhyun frowned. The guilt in his eyes pierced her heart like a thousand tiny needles and made it ache with longing. At any other time, she would have hugged him and assured him that it was okay, but now she could only speak to him.

“It’s not your fault, Baekhyun. More importantly, how are you feeling? Are you thirsty?”

“It’s manageable.”

Yoonhee bit her lip. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but there was no time. Jaemin’s face twisted in exertion—he was struggling to maintain the connection, so she had to hurry. “You have to involve the council in this! These vampires are planning something terrible that could change the foundations of society. They want to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“I already notified the council. They’re working together with us to find you.” Baekhyun paused, thinking about her words before adding, “What’s the Philosopher’s Stone? I’ve never heard of it.”<