A/N: IN ORDER NOT TO CONFUSE YOU GUYS ABOUT THE TELEPATHIC CONVERSATIONS OF THE TWINS, I MARKED JINHAE'S RED AND SHINHYE'S BLUE. OTHER THOUGHTS FROM OTHER CHARACTERS WOULD BE COLOR-CODED AS WELL AS THE STORY DEVELOPS. HAVE FUN READING!

LU HAN

Extraordinary. There were no other words to explain how the lady in front of me carried herself. I smiled inwardly as Jinhae fell short of a step and nearly lost her balance. Once again, she was dancing on her toes, ballet, she called it. It was one of the things she had learned from her childhood back in the human world where she was raised by the Lake Guardian. She admitted herself that she wasn’t the best in class and she just often danced in the background or performed certain minor roles when they had performances. She even pointed out once that their mentor almost always scolded her for her clumsiness. The humans were indeed silly creatures. They didn’t see beyond what the eyes meet. It’s all sensing without making real sense.

To me, seeing her dance, no matter how much I didn’t understand about it, was the most beautiful thing I have seen in my entire life apart from her sunshine smiles. Humans never saw what I did, but her lithe movements, though she’d fall off once too many, showed all the grace she had inside and out. They never saw that the important thing was that she rises above it all in flying colors. I remembered what she told me before about a certain man not finding her attractive the way a man should. That’s pure foolishness.

I wasn’t one to be moved easily, but from the moment I first laid eyes on her, I felt something tug at my chest. I guess I couldn’t blame Yi Xing either. If I was insensitive, he was plain cold, but Jinhae managed to warm him enough to thaw the wall of ice he had built around himself. He let her in, just like I did. She went right through me without my noticing. It was an enigmatic thing and I don’t think I would want to know how that happened. I was content with it. It felt good. I was in love and I couldn’t be more certain

It was an invigorating feeling to know that the thing that was holding me where I was at the moment was someone like her, beautiful and kind-hearted. I loved her and it pained me to know that I still couldn’t muster the courage to tell her. I envied Yi Xing. At least Jinhae knew how he felt about her, but until I had the solid resolve in me, I wouldn’t tell her how I felt. I was content with just being able to watch over her…to be able to comfort her through the ordeal of battling against the Guardians. Like I’ve told her that night at the garden, I will tell her once I was sure from every angle.

My feelings for her grew stronger when I saw how she looked after everyone. She made sure she spent time with everyone, even Yi Fan whom she honestly saw as someone who was intimidating. She was patient. She went out of her way just to make us all understand how much gladness she felt that she had crossed paths with us in her life. She taught us how to understand things that we were almost certain we wouldn’t no matter what. It was magic how she made us all see deeper and realize that what we were doing were more than just a meager duty for Elyxo. Her concern for us transcended explanations.

I saw everything she had to offer and more when she practically knelt on her knees in front of the Oracle Minister to help her find a solution to Yi Xing’s problem. It had been a long time since he left to tend to his homeland and still, she hasn’t gotten over his absence. She would always mention him, wondering how he was fairing, if he had eaten his dinner. They were simple things, but it always meant differently when it came to her. Following that was Tao’s short departure to Orodia as it had been affected as well. That caused her more depression and we were lacking two people too many to protect her by all means.

The moment she heard of the news that she will be travelling to each of our hometowns for the traditional visit and that she was forbidden to go to Hailesia, she practically sent the minister packing there to help the Healing Noble just so she would rest easy. ‘I want my new family to be complete soon,’ were her words before the minister parted with the assurance that he would help everyone get through it. Tao came back after a few days, bearing good news. The only problem now was Hailesia.

“Lu Hannie,” I heard her gentle voice caress my name out of the blue, stealing me from my reverie. Apparently, she was already standing in front of me.

I blinked slowly. “Yes, Jinhae?”

“You’re spacing out.”

I’ve come to understand some of the terms she used to speak to us so it was now easier for me to talk to her, not that I’ve acquired her speech pattern like Tao. I smiled awkwardly. “Am I?”

“You have to ask?” She chuckled and turned away, gazing out at the edge of the forest. “What is Elatus like?” she asked me out of the blue.

“It’s very much like the capital except for the vast mountains and since the western border is the Elyxian River, you would be able to see it every day and you wouldn’t see the sun setting. It just suddenly grows dark during nightfall, but it’s a beautiful place nonetheless.”

“Do you miss Elatus?”

“Sometimes.”

She slightly turned her head sideways to glance at me. “What do you miss about it?” She bent down and picked up a pebble, randomly flinging it as far as she could.

“My parents, the scenery, everything.” I pursed my lips and breathed out. “Before, I was the one who spends the least time here in the capital. As much as possible, I didn’t want to part from home.”

I saw her grimace. “So how long have you been here?”

“I arrived on the day that the prophecy was read to us. That’s two weeks before you appeared in Elyxo.”

“I see.” She raised her left hand where the cuff and the ring were. “I’m sorry that the circumstances had to take you all away from your homes.”

I stood up and walked towards her, halting on the spot directly behind her. “Jinhae, look at me.”

She didn’t turn around.

“Ahn Jinhae…” I placed a hand on her shoulder, gently veering her around. Her sorrowful eyes met mine as she gazed upon me. “What’s the matter?”

She shook her head. “I just feel bad about it.”

“Don’t. You were taken away from the world you’ve known, so we’re all the same. In truth, it is unfair for you because you couldn’t go back. We can all travel back into our homes, but you can’t.”

“Maybe Yi Xing would have prevented the plague earlier if he was there.”

“It destroyed everything as fast as it appeared, so he couldn’t have done anything about it even if he was there. Do not think about it.” I was trying to comfort her, but she wasn’t taking any of it at the moment. I suddenly remembered how she had reacted to the sight of the destruction in one of the villages in Hailesia when we summoned Yi Xing. It pained me to see her like that.

“I can’t.”

“You must have faith in him. It helps him keep going.”

“Why can’t we be there for him?”

“We can’t risk –”

“I know,” she shrugged. She didn’t want to hear any of our explanations, although she tried to understand as much as she could. “I’m sorry.”

“I understand you.”

Suddenly, I thought of something. I hope it would make her feel better. “You will be visiting the noble lands starting the following week. It must push through no matter what.”

“What about it? Will you be coming?” she asked. She didn’t seem interested.

“Of course. You’re supposed to visit Glacia first, but I think I could arrange something with the others.”

She frowned. “Like what?”

“I’d volunteer Elatus to be visited last then we can all go to Hailesia before Glacia.”

At that, she smiled. “You’d do that for me?”

I nodded at her with a smile. I loved seeing her happy. “Anything as long as you’ll keep smiling for me.”

To my utter surprise, she threw her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. “Thank you so much! You’re such a great person