>_____<;;

Chorong stormed into the police department nearly soaked from the heavy rain. She could still hear the thunder crying throughout the sky from inside, but all she was conscious of was her racing mind.

“Where’s Officer Park!? I need to speak with Officer Park!” Chorong shouted the second she stepped into the office.

“Who are you? Do you have an appointment with him?”

“I just need to see Office Park! It’s an emergency,” Chorong spoke through her calmness.

There was water dripping from her hair and her shirt and she was well aware of the puddle she was creating in the police station, but she couldn’t be mindful of it as of right now.

“Let me call him first,” the officer in front of her promised and picked up his phone.

Chorong quickly nodded with her slightly heavy breathing. She was worried. Something, anything could have happened to Victoria and Namjoo was in no state of help. The spy was at their back and her father would be on their tail soon.

Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

“Chorong?”

She quickly spun around to see Changmin walking in with a binder in hand. Chorong couldn’t help, but tense up at his entrance.

“Oh…hey,” Chorong awkwardly greeted.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Your sister stopped by earlier.”

“Did she?” Chorong tried not to show surprise.

“Are you here to see Officer Park?”

“Not really.”

“Officer Park is in his office,” the officer said while placing the receiver back down.

Chorong turned to look at him with a smile and turned around to look at Changmin with a slight laugh.

“So I have an appointment,” Chorong nodded her head and worked to hold back embarrassment. “See you some other day.”

Shuffling her feet she quickly exited the office and made her way down the hall.

>_____<;;

Namjoo could remember the day she’d fought with Victoria and had run out. She still recalled thinking of jumping off the bridge and how alone she thought she was. And she remembered how much it had stung her before Luhan suddenly appeared. Namjoo couldn’t be sure if her life had gone down after his appearance or if it had gotten any better. All she knew now was how hurt she was and had always been.

It hadn’t been any better for her in the Joseon Dynasty. And thinking back to how she’d relived the worst possible moments tore her up inside over and over again till she was literally nothing. Namjoo didn’t know how she was faring through these.

She twirled her hands and felt the warmth from his hand flow through her skin, but it didn’t ease her any more than the fact that he could be gone in a minute, an hour, a second.

“Namjoo, don’t cry,” she heard him as he wiped those oncoming tears, but her heart ached so heavily she couldn’t stop it. “Not for me.”

“It’s not fair,” Namjoo cried, “why do I have to lose you. You love me, don’t you?”

She raised her eyes up to look at him only to feel more tears run down and Luhan uselessly wipe them away again.

“Then why can’t you be with me?” she sobbed.

She could feel her chest shaking as her sobs peaked. Namjoo knew she looked pathetic, but she couldn’t convey her pain in any other way. How…what could she do to make him stay with her? She heard herself sob and clutch onto his hand even tighter even if she was aware that his fingers were hurting because of her. Namjoo didn’t want to let him go. Not since her life had spanned after losing him in the Joseon Dynasty. It had been such a horrendously long time.

And he was leaving her all alone again…

“Luhan, don’t go,” Namjoo pleaded and tried to sniff back her runny nose. “Don’t leave me.”

Luhan gently placed his hand on the back of her head, “You’re capable. You’ve always been strong. You can keep moving forward and fight with your sisters. My Namjoo is that kind of person.”

“No…” Namjoo shook her head in denial. “I don’t want to.”

“You will because you want to, and I want you to,” he spoke. “You’re an amazing person and you will become an even better one.”

“Not without you,” Namjoo looked up at him again. “Why can’t I have you? What have I done wrong?” Then her voice cracked and she cried again, “What did I do wrong?”

Luhan felt his heart ache even more and the crack inside become even deeper. He was so sorry for having put her through this and he was even more apologetic that he couldn’t say it through words. Watching her cry like this made him want to stay even more, but he was unable to do anything.

For a second his hand became cold and he turned to see it slowly dissolving from sight before hiding it behind his back. Namjoo turned when the ghost from earlier popped back into sight.

“Time is up, Luhan,” he then waved his hand and a loop appeared. A blueness of the sky appeared with a shiny gold aura and a large white cloud slowly passed by.

The deep fear residing in Namjoo’s heart suddenly lurched through and she felt reality become even more real. She was losing him. She was really losing him and it made her even more scared. Her heart shook and her emotions became even more painful.  

“No,” Namjoo cried harder and pulled at the hand she was holding.

When Luhan looked at her she was shaking her head so hard that he felt tears finally light up in his eyes at how hard she was trying to hold on.

“You can’t, you can’t,” Namjoo begged, “please don’t leave me, Luhan. I’ll do anything…just…can’t you be with me?”

Luhan pressed his lips together unable to say anything.

Namjoo cried even harder until she almost couldn’t breathe or speak and it took her a long time to finally mutter the words, “I’ll do anything. I’ll get down on my knees and beg you. I can give up my life. I’ll do anything. Please don’t go. I…I can’t do this. I need you.”

Her head shook from the tenacity of her sobs and Luhan slowly reached his dissolving hand up to touch her again. Namjoo’s heart broke a thousand times at his touch and sobbed even harder.

“Namjoo, don’t,” Luhan told trying to withhold his tears, “I love you, I always will. Wherever you are, I will be too. I am your angel, don’t forget that.”

And when Namjoo couldn’t touch anything else, but her fingers she suddenly freaked out.

“No!” Namjoo shouted. “Luhan! Don’t go!”

Luhan hovered two steps away from her and turned around.

“I love you, Namjoo,” he said quietly. “Goodbye.”

Her chest heaved up and a sob vibrated out of and the tears continued running at such speed that she couldn’t control them. With the ghost’s lead, Luhan followed him through the loophole looking back once before it closed. And when it finally did Namjoo finally replied, “I love you.”

But it was too late. Luhan was gone and she was alone.

>_____<;;

“Where is my sister!?” Chorong demanded slamming the door shut after her.

Officer Park was sitting behind his desk surprisingly looking like any normal citizen. The sight was a bit astonishing and a little offending, Chorong didn’t know why.

“I wonder what the occasion is today,” Officer Park took off his glasses and set them down. “Another visit from another sister. How exciting. It really is an honor to be serving you girls.”

“I asked you a question,” Chorong repeated herself.

Officer Park chuckled slightly amused, “Ah…another one. Kinda feisty like your sister, but you’re not really intimidating.”

Irritated because she was cold, drenched, and just because she pounded her fist onto the desk and shoved off the papers he’d neatly stacked aside. Chorong was partially left feeling guilty from the act, but never minded it. 

“What did she come here for? You said something to her, didn’t you?” Chorong questioned.

“Now why would you think that?” Officer Park asked. “I would need you three alive for some reason. I don’t have any motive as of right now to get rid of any one of you.”

Officer Park lifted his hand and the papers came flying up from the ground onto his desk neatly piling themselves against one another. Chorong was shocked from the sight before turning back to him.

“Your sister first came here demanding for Lee Shin Il’s whereabouts, I told her it’s not easy going after him, but she insisted and wouldn’t leave until I gave her an answer.”

Chorong’s mind blanked. Victoria wasn’t an impulsive person, not that Chorong knew of. Why would her sister come here firsthand when she’d suggested stalking Officer Park?

“You’re not lying?” Chorong asked suddenly calm and contradictive.

Officer Park shrugged, “Beats me if you don’t take my word for it.”

“What did you say to her?”

“I told her to hunt for him by the waters,” Officer Park spoke nonchalantly.

“She told me you three were in danger,” her father told. “And not to go near dangerous waters…”

Chorong felt her heart skip a sick beat before she dashed out of the police station.

“Victoria! Victoria!” Chorong screamed half an hour later when she found Victoria’s car parked in an empty lot near the Han River.

She was soaked from head to toe, it was still raining and thundering, and she was almost shivering to her bones.

“Victoria!” Chorong searched for a long hour until she spotted a familiar umbrella a few yards ahead.

Slowly starting toward it she squinted her eyes and paused nearly shocked before she saw Victoria lying on the ground.

“Victoria!” Chorong screamed again from the top of her lungs before darting forward. “Victoria! Oh my god!”

Victoria was unconscious and who knew for how long. Chorong immediately knelt down and felt for Victoria’s pulse almost panicking when she couldn’t find it. Then Chorong finally realized Victoria was dying when she felt that weak pulse of hers and immediately called for an ambulance. Chorong’s heart was racing and she was scared to death.

By the time she reached the hospital she realized she was numb all over until one of the hospital nurses offered her a blanket. She felt kind of bad for the puddle she’d tracked in after her, but she could care less at the moment. While she sat in the hallway all by herself she couldn’t help, but think about how much alone she’d be without her sisters. And Chorong became more scared.

“Your sister’s awake now,” one of the nurses walked out. “It’s a good thing you found her so quickly. She could be suffering from pneumonia or hypothermia right now.”

“Thank you,” Chorong nodded and walked into the room given to Victoria. Her sister was sitting up in bed freshly dressed in a dry hospital outfit. “For once I really want to trade places with you.”

Chorong adjusted the large blanket around her and sat on the hospital bed.

“You almost died, idiot.”

Victoria slightly smiled, “Sorry.”

“Don’t do it again.” Noticing the slight dead and sad gaze in Victoria’s eyes Chorong asked, “Something wrong?”

Victoria was silent for a long time before confessing, “Just…some things Lee Shin Il said to me.”

Chorong quietly waited for her to continue.

“Some stupid things,” Victoria told, “about how mom didn’t want me to be born, and how no one still wants me, and how useless I’ve been to you and Namjoo. Things like that.”

Chorong felt her heart go out to her sister and was a little embarrassed for the affection she showed next, but even if embarrassed she knew she needed to show that she cared.

“You know it’s not like that,” Chorong placed her hand on Victoria’s, “we need you. None of us can do it being alone. You know that.”

“I know,” Victoria nodded. “I really didn’t like sharing the house or the thought of moving back in with you two, but I’m making amends and I’m starting to like us living together.”

“Me too,” Chorong smiled glad to know that she wasn’t the only one who was thinking so. “So why were you looking for Lee Shin Il?”

“To get the minion targeting Namjoo,” Victoria answered, “just to get some things off her back.”

“But what happened?” Chorong asked. “He knock you out cold?”

“Tried drowning me.” Victoria corrected.

“Ooh…no wonder they found water in your system,” Chorong commented. “They thought you swallowed the raindrops. Ha, now that sounds funny.”

Victoria slightly snorted, “I kinda wish I had my secondary power. I might have been able to fight him head on if I did.”

“It’s fine,” Chorong assured. “Namjoo and I have active powers too. We can all fight together next time.” Then she glanced at the time, “I didn’t realize I was out so long. Got soaked from head to toe for you.”

“I see.”

“I need to go back home. Oh yea, my dad stopped by saying mom sent him a warning by coming into his dream; something about staying away from the water.”

Victoria laughed then said, “How ironic.”

“It was a warning, probably still is,” Chorong stated. “And to add onto that, we have a spy on our tail.”

“You confirmed it?”

“I saw it,” Chorong told. “Are you going to stay here overnight? If you are I’m heading home.”

“No,” Victoria immediately replied. “Once they bring me my dry clothes, I can leave.”

“They dried your clothes,” Chorong repeated not amused. “Lucky woman-dog.”

“Hey!”

“Ha! Lucky I didn’t say the b-word,” Chorong told getting off still wrapped in the thick blanket. “I wonder if they’ll let me walk out with this. I could be having a fever right now because of you. Might have one in the morning.”

“Then you can call Suho and get him to warm you up,” Victoria teased with a laugh.

“Then I’d let you see how embarrassing we can be,” Chorong chided along.

“Ooh…look at that.”

“I was just joking. Shut up about it.”

The sky was dark on the drive back home. The sky was suddenly clear of rain and cloud suddenly looking clear of Chorong’s sudden storm earlier. She wondered how many people she had upset during the day with her strong gusts and hard rain, but there was no turning back time now.

“There are a lot of stars out,” Victoria stated looking out the window. “I wonder which one is mom’s and grandma’s.”

“Just summon grandma back,” Chorong joked. “I’m sure she’s still around the house.”

“Don’t say that, that’s creepy.”

Chorong slightly laughed as she pulled into the driveway and stepped out.

“Feels like it’s been one awfully long day,” Victoria yawned and stretched out her hands. As she started toward the stairs she halted and looked toward the lawn, “The heck…is that our chair?”

“Oh,” Chorong also stepped in her steps and turned Victoria’s way to see the broken chair sitting on their lawn. “Ghost did that.”

“Ghost?” Victoria repeated.

“If you wanted a long day you should have been home,” Chorong unlocked the door and paused feeling some kind of huge wave hit her. She’d forgotten all about Namjoo. No wonder there had been an itch inside her to want to return home.

Namjoo was sitting sprawled on the ground crying a heap of tears in the middle of the hallway. Chorong suddenly looked around and realized Namjoo was alone. Her heart suddenly sank in her chest and she hurried forward dropping her keys on the floor.

“Namjoo, Namjoo,” Chorong called putting her arms around her sister.

Namjoo’s eyes were swollen and her face was drenched in her tears.

“He’s gone…” she managed through her sobs, “he’s gone…”

Victoria paused over them and tried to help Namjoo up, “Come on, Namjoo. Get up. Stand up.”

“I can’t,” Namjoo sobbed dropping her head helplessly and refused to stand as if there was no more desire to live. “I don’t want to. I want to stay here till they give him back.”

“Oh Namjoo…” Chorong hugged her, “I’m so sorry.”

And they held her and listened to her cry for the longest portion of the night.