A/N: Another update before my day is done...*sigh* This feels good!

-Shinhye’s POV-

Tense. There wasn’t another word that would describe the whole time we were walking up to the Lumerian manor where Baekhyun’s family would be waiting. No one spoke, not even the ever bubbly Byun Baekhyun. It was crazy. After all the reassurance that Suho oppa and the rest wouldn’t know about that little episode, they still chose to sulk. After Kai teleported back to Lumina from who-knows-where, he looked distraught. I didn’t know what was wrong with them. I didn’t have any prior experience killing creatures, not even people, but when I came to Elyxo, I became a cold-blooded killer. I doubt it if Jinhae had any experience like that, too, since I controlled her thoughts with the Earth Wolf. She didn’t do it. The blood was still in my hands, but sure enough, the nobles and everyone else had that kind of experience considering what a dangerous world it was despite of its deceiving beauty.

I didn’t understand why Kai and the rest had to be so shocked with my actions and decisions on matters that involved our enemies. They were after our lives, too. Wouldn’t it be just fair if I went after theirs, too? I was supposed to be one of the good people, but as it turns out, it’s as if I was the villain trying to smear their clean reputations with my bloodlust and utter ruthlessness. I would admit that sometimes, I do scare myself, too. I didn’t know what I was capable of before and now that I know, I don’t see any reason why I should restrain myself from seeing to it that the potentials are honed. I don’t see why I should hold back.

I glanced to my right where Baekhyun was. He seemed preoccupied about something with the frown that lingered about his face since he burst out at the clearing. He knew what I can do. I wondered why he was acting just as surprised as Kai and Sehun were. The silence was annoying me so I decided to scan their thoughts. I didn’t care if it was intruding, but I had to know what they thought of me. My supposed best friend was thinking about how I’ve nearly beaten that purist to a pulp. I saw his fear for my soul of all matters. I rolled my eyes, but the guilt that I was burdening him with such heavy and dark feelings didn’t ebb away either.

I checked Sehun’s next. Well, he was walking by my other side and he kept sighing and just like Baekhyun, his thoughts lingered on the past things I’ve done, how I’ve slaughtered a whole fleet of purist soldiers with mere intent while dragging D.O. into it, how I’ve acted just now and how I have persuaded another individual to kill, this time, Kai. I was nothing but a bad influence to both people, but I wasn’t just about to wait until one of them dies. I wouldn’t take that. I’d rather show them what a devil-incarnate I was than let them get hurt. To Kai, I was that precise image.

It was hard to keep my mind in his thoughts. It was too intense. I’ve known of what he did to the purist before he even came back and to confirm matters, yes, he had thrown the damned scoundrel into a pool of Lava somewhere in Pyria, the home of the Flame Nobles. I felt the agony of seeing the death he had witnessed through his point of view. I might not know the extent of what I’ve really done for having to urge him to finish the person who had wronged him. It was fair if I wouldn’t consider how the three of them felt about it, but if I will, it was just wrong.

I frowned, staring at the ground as we walked. Suddenly, I felt tired. Though they were being careful with their thoughts around me, what I saw would forever change things, I guess. It wasn’t just my safety they were worried about for refusing to let me fight, but they were subconsciously considering the effect of what I do to their emotions as well as their mental states. I must be really driving them to the edge. It wasn’t my fault that they weren’t used to women who knew how to fight and defend herself, but I guess I had to let them do their jobs. Maybe I was making them look inferior for their duty to Elyxo, not to mention the fact that I broke the promise I made with Chan Yeol not hours ago.

“We’re here,” Baekhyun said, his mood erratically changing as he smiled. The mood was suddenly better and lighter, but I couldn’t relate to it at all.

I looked up at the imposing effigy in front of me. The manor was huge. Just when I thought nothing could compare to the beautiful manor in the capital, there I was, staring at the palatial home of the light nobles. It was like a mansion sculpted out of an enormous slab of Italian marble with the huge windows, open loggias and glass accentuations. I’ve never seen a better palace. It was like a gas lamp in the middle of a dark forest. It was beautiful. I just stared up, unable to absorb it in since I was too preoccupied with their thoughts.

The owner and soon to be lord of the manor beamed at me. “What do you think?” he asked me.

I blinked slowly without looking at him. I can’t. “You have a beautiful home,” I whispered.

His grin widened. “It’s your home, too.”

I looked at him this time. I can’t stain such a beautiful place with my brutality, Baekhyun. I just smiled though I felt like cringing inside at the thought that I’ve conjured. His home was as fragile as a snow globe if it would be caught between me and the purists. He seemed proud and happy about it. I wouldn’t dare let a single piece of it chip off. Not for Baekhyun’s sake.

‘Are you feeling fine?’ I heard Sehun’s voice in my head.

I just looked at him blankly before facing Baekhyun once more as he led us deeper into the mansion grounds when suddenly, a flash of black and white leapt in front of us. I stopped dead on my tracks, tensing as I prevented myself from springing at whatever threat we were about face again.

 “It’s good to finally have you. I was beginning to get worried,” a woman’s rather airy voice said in front of us, but I was too busy darting my gaze around to see.

I looked up at the source of the voice and I saw a woman, probably in her early thirties or so, standing in front of us. Unlike every other woman I’ve encountered, she was wearing breeches under a knee-length white robe which was folded halfway up her arms. She had long, hair that was tied in a neat, high ponytail. She must be Baekhyun’s older sister or cousin. She was one beautiful person and her smile reminded me so much of Baekhyun, bright and sunny. I bowed and remained that way, not expecting what I discovered next.

“Mother,” Baekhyun said quietly.

I fought the urge to look at him with my eyes about to fall down and roll off. The young woman in front of us was his mother? How ridiculous was that? How old was she exactly? She’d pass as a supermodel for Pete’s sake.

“Baekhyun. I’ve missed you, son. I’m glad you’re back.” I saw her shoe-clad feet from where I fixed my line of vision in and I could only guess that she was giving her son a hug.

“I’ve missed you, too, mother. How have you been?”

‘You weren’t expecting her to be Lady Jinhyun, were you?’ It was Sehun again.

Seriously, he’s got to stop projecting his thoughts to me. He’s always right and I didn’t like it. I ignored him and sighed inwardly when I saw the same shoes in front of me. In my momentary distraction, I didn’t have any way of knowing how long she had been there. Lady Jinhyun was looking at me from under her sooty lashes. She smiled widely just like how Baekhyun would smile at me and I knew in the instant that I would like her.

I bowed again and straightened up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jinhyun.”

“It’s an honor to meet the maiden of the prophecy, too. Shinhye, am I right?” Her eyes widened as she stood closer to me. I was a bit taller than her and that only added to how she looked like a little girl looking at something amazing or maybe odd. She seemed distracted so all I did was nod. “You’ve such curious eyes…” She pulled back and smiled again. “But they are very beautiful.”

“T-thank you,” I murmured.

She clasped her hands together after she greeted the other two people with us and smiled widely at me. “So…”

I swallowed waiting for what she would say.

“When are you and Baekhyun to marry?” she asked, turning every cell in my body to stone.

I blinked slowly, confused. I heard right, but…“EH?”

***

As it turned out, Mrs. Byun, known to everyone as the famous youthful mother of Baekhyun, was just messing with me and her son, but she also succeeded on making Sehun and Kai’s eyes bug out of their sockets and yes, she succeeded on embarrassing his son. They were an adorable mother-and-son duo. Upon closer look, Lady Jinhyun was one of the misunderstood sorts in Elyxo, a curiosity just as I was. If she was in the human world, she would belong to the group of women who had pioneered the feminist movement in its earliest stages in the eighteen forties. She was cool and I liked how very childlike she was. She didn’t even mind that I was wearing odd stuff.

Her curiosity was endless. She’d do as Suho oppa’s mother, too, if it weren’t for the uncanny resemblance she had to Baekhyun. I knew he got it all from his smiles to his silly ways, not to mention the inquisitive nature. She was like someone our age. She had been very interested when I told her that I was raised in the human world then eventually telling me about her opinion to open the portals to the different realms. It was quite chaotic if I were to be asked, but I had to admit that it had its greatness, too. Her wide eyes held too much and I saw her hunger for adventure. She should’ve been my mother.

We had tea then Baekhyun took me on a tour. After the tour I had in the mansion with the heir to the light, I’ve discovered that their home was even more beautiful on the inside than it was outside with the open spaces, applied ergonomics and the outdoor corridors along wit