Lia and Sunhi were in the kitchen giving finishing touches to the juicy fried chicken before them. Sunhi cut the salad-material and Lia was busy making warm sauce for the baked-potatoes. It looked delicious and the ones back in the parlor room had to fight their urge to just jump into the kitchen and gobble up the food because the sweet smell of the food had filled the entire room.

“Ah, shoot! - Lia! I cut my finger.” Sunhi called the other. She stepped before the sink to wash her hand.

“Oh, dear,” Lia said as Sunhi showed her her bleeding finger, “I'll go get the bandages.”

Lia rushed out of the kitchen and into the study-room. She came back with a little white box.

“Is the food ready, Lia?” JR used the chance to find out how much longer did they have to let themselves to be tortured with the wait.

“Just a little bit more. It's almost ready.” Lia smiled and disappeared into the kitchen.

Back in the kitchen Sunhi had already sat by the table holding the tissue paper on the wound.

“OK, let's have a look at that.  - It doesn't look that bad.”

“I'm such a clutz, aren't I? I can't even chop lettuce without cutting myself.” the older girl sighed.

Out of the blue Sunhi felt a weird sensation in the back of her head. She felt like one does in an elevator when it stops – a funny pressure. It didn't really hurt it just felt a bit uncomfortable. I hope that my head won't start to ache again because of this... Whatever it was that kind of feeling sent her 'til the evening. It got even a bit worse when Aron came home.

“Don't be so hard on yourself. You're just a bit rusty that's all. - There all done.” Lia smiled. She looked back at Sunhi because the other didn't respond. “Sunhi?” Lia asked. The look in the other's eyes made her worry.

Sunhi blinked a couple of times. “Oh, sorry. I zoned out there. - Thank you.”

“Are you sure you're alright? You made me worry.” Lia wanted to make sure that this was a one time thing. Although... maybe this is a part of how her memories would come back. She just zones out for a while.

“Uhuh. I'm fine. I just had a weird deja vu moment here. It felt like I have cut my finger like this before.” the older girl shrugged.

“What if I tell you that it's true? You actually have cut your finger before.” That's quite fast to be honest... I guess she didn't press the memories down too deep... and it hasn't been very long either.

“I-I have? I have... We- we were making... A surprise f-for Aron. Yes, I remember now! There were cherry-tomatoes. I cut them, but the knife was new and it was really sharp. You told me to be careful and I... I thought I was skilled enough. But I wasn't and then I cut myself. We sat like this back then, too. Just when you had finished patching me up Aron walked in...,” Sunhi blurted out whatever she remembered of that moment.

She wasn't looking at Lia. She was looking at the table and it seemed like she was seeing an imaginary screen there because her eyes followed something as she spoke. “But we weren't finished so we kicked him out of the kitchen.” Sunhi ended and remembering that detail she started laughing. Lia joined her.

Sunhi smelled the air. “Hey...uhh... Is something burning?”

Lia shot up and ran to the stove. “The sauce!”

***

The food must have been delicious or the ones in the parlor room had waited too long for their meal because the bowls and pots were emptied in the speed of light. Time to time it seemed that the eaters took bigger bites than they could chew – they looked like chipmunks with their puffed cheeks full of all the deliciousness.

The youngsters ate in the parlor room by the way. The kitchen would have been too small. There were few words said during the lunch, but it was alright because the happy look on their faces said it all. This moment was perfect. For a moment there they forgot their worries. They were just normal teenagers not renegades. Just teenagers.

But the peace of the moment was over the minute Aron opened the front door and stepped into the house. He wasn't going to do anything. He wasn't thinking of JR and Lia, he wasn't mad. He had decided not to stick his nose into their business. He didn't want break up their happiness. But he was going to test JR a little just to find out what kind of guy is their beloved prince, the one and only, who is loved and wanted by half of the girls in the kingdom.

Whatever it was what Aron was going to do tonight wasn't in his mind right now. He had more serious matters at hand. Aron's mind was occupied with Kris. Will he be OK? Will he wake up today? Tomorrow? Will he be OK... what if he forgets... like Sunhi did? What if he doesn't want to go on with all of this anymore?

Those questions actually were very important and troubling because for a moment there anyone who decided to fight against the Rotten had to ask themselves: will they go 'til the end or give up whenever the tables seem to turn against them? One can say that he'll do whatever it takes, but will he really? Will he be there even if he knows that he'll die for sure if he takes any more steps further? Will he be ready for it?

And these big questions had been on Aron's list for quite some time. He wanted to do the right things but... after he had lost Sunhi he actually considered running away. He had lost his parents before the girl and losing his love really got him that time. He wanted to give up.

He thought he'll run away and never come back that he'll put all ofthis behind him and start afresh... but he had his little sister to take care for. He had someone to live for after all. He had to come through this whether with a smile on his face or with a bleeding heart, but he was determined to put things back the way they should be.

“Aron! You're home.” Lia welcomed her brother. “Where were you? I was so worried.”

Aron was awakened from his thoughts. He looked up. Sunhi. Sunhi was here. He was baffled. He didn't know if he should be happy or mad or what he should say or do. His thoughts got scrambled and he needed a second to pull himself together again. When? How?... This is Kris's... he did this, didn't he?... He just knows what to do and when to keep me going... That guy. I must remember to thank him when this is all over.

Sunhi felt her heart rise up to – it was beating like crazy. She prayed that no one around her heard her fast breathing. Oh-my-gosh! It's that stranger from the castle. I already found him handsome back then, but damn! He's just... hot! In black! Oh my-oh my! And he's my... boyfriend? No wonder I liked him... But not everyone in the room was that excited.

JR held his breath and observed Aron's every move. He wasn't that much afraid anymore, but he still preferred to stay alert because he didn't know Aron yet. He didn't know how the other acted or what he should expect from him. He hadn't seen the good and happy side of the Night Watchman yet, but hopefully he does... before he gets a heart attack.

“You're always worried...,” Aron said trying to smile somehow. “I'm alright.” The boy sighed before he went on: “Kris is... he was almost hanged.”

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing. No one said a word, but Aron could read that they all had the same question in their head at the moment.

“He's alright. We took him to GD and TOP's. And by 'we' I mean me and BEAST – they're here and they are ready to act whenever it's needed.” This said Aron drew in a breath and made his way upstairs. “If anyone needs me I'll be in my room.”

“OK, but do want anything? I canbring it up to you.” Lia suggested.

“That'd be great. You do that.” Aron said already from upstairs.

JR swallowed the lump in his throat and melted away like butter-cream in his seat once Aron was gone. I just got saved!... Though he really wasn't looking at me... He looked at Sunhi. He kind of looked a bit friendlier now... I guess he's not that bad after all. I mean, he's Lia's brother and I'm not letting go of her so I just have to learn how to get a long with Aron... - But Kris? Will he be OK?

HyunAe felt how Ren squeezed her hand What is it, Ren? and when she looked at him... When she looked at him she saw the same boy, whom she had seen on the first day she got here – the one with a face so blank and emotionless that it was impossible to know what he was thinking or feeling. What's going on with you? There wasn't even a shadow of a hint of them. The girl could only guess what was going on in the boy's head next to her but considering the resent news he was probably worried about Kris as well.

Everyone was worried. The imaginary war had just come one step closer to the youngsters and Kris was the first one who got stepped on. This war wasn't something that was far behind the mountains anymore. Now it was here and near. Whether they liked it or not they had to be alert from now on and ready for the moment to come. They had already fled from the castle. There was no turning back now.