>_____<;;

When Chanyeol awoke, the spot beside him was empty. He turned to see Namjoo sitting on the edge of the bed with the blanket wrapped around her. She was staring at the moon through the window.

She looked lonely and lost.

Sitting up he moved over to wrap his arms around her and leaned his chin on her shoulder.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked. “Are you thinking about him?”

Namjoo turned to look at him, “No.”

“Then what is it?”

“Just…about my father,” Namjoo replied. “I saw how he left my mother.”

“I’m sorry.” Chanyeol sympathized. “Do you still want to see him?”

“No,” Namjoo lowered her gaze onto the ground. “He doesn’t deserve my sisters and me in his life.”

He smiled and turned to kiss her cheek, “No one who leaves you does.”

Smiling she gave him a quick peck on the side of his head.

“Come here,” Chanyeol turned her toward him. “If you’re ever sad, talk to me about it, and we’ll be sad together.”

“I know.”

“Good girl,” he ran his thumb over her cheek before he stared into her starlit eyes. A smile grew on his lips and they locked into a long soothing kiss.

Withdrawing, he smiled at her and tapped a finger against the tip of her nose. “You’re so pretty. What am I going to do with you?”

Namjoo shrugged then smiled. Chanyeol felt all his worries fly loose when they looked at each other and laughed.

>_____<;;

Chorong rocked back and forth on the front porch of the straw house. A young couple that had just gotten married offered them a place to stay when she and Suho were seen wandering around. Assuming that their house had been destroyed the couple had sympathized. That wasn’t exactly the story, but Chorong needed to find out what was going on.

There were dried corn hanging down from the ceiling to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. A lot of fruits had been dried to eat as snacks and the woman who went by Sunha offered some to her and Suho. It was sweet and dry, but there was a lot of juice that had been captivated inside.

The house was really fragile and looked like it could crumble easily. It would especially catch flame really easily because it was so dry. How did they deal with it when it rained? Was the roof even sturdy enough not to leak?

All these worries slurred through Chorong’s mind before the delicate woman with pink cheeks sat down after tending to their horse. Her husband, Il Kyung, also sat down with them. They were a really young couple. They looked even younger than her and Suho, but she couldn’t ask for their age. People in this dynasty probably didn’t keep track of when they were born or how old they were.

It would be so difficult to get along if they knew the truth as well as she about everything.

“The Baekje army raided a small village down south,” Il Kyung spoke, “they may be coming here next. There’s news from the King that his royal army will be coming down to protect us, but we don’t know when they will arrive.”

“A raid?” Chorong repeated with her eyes wide. “Doesn’t that mean you’re all in danger?”

The couple looked at her confused before Il Kyung said, “You two too.”

“Ah…” Chorong pressed the dried fruit to her lips realizing she’d sounded foolish.

“Why are we running? Is it even safe to stay here?” Suho questioned.

“Where can we go?” Il Kyung asked. “Our only home is here. This is the only place we know. The next village will take at least five days to reach.”

“Five days!?” Chorong repeated shocked by the amount of time. If they had a car it would only take a few hours.

Again, she bit down on the dried fruit and laughed awkwardly. The people in this time were too reserved to her. How was she supposed to survive this ordeal?

On the other hand, it wasn’t like she’d see these people again unless she somehow ran into these actors and actresses outside of the movie. That would be real awkward them, but this wasn’t a part of the script in the movie. She’d just ended up in there. They wouldn’t even know in the first place.

Unless…these people didn’t really exist…

Chorong ran her eyes over the couple utterly disturbed by the thought. She swallowed the fruit in and grabbed another one. Her eyes nervously swerved toward the opened front gate. A path to the forest was the first thing in sight when one stepped out. The looming trees in the distance were all one could see.

Where was there to hide if they were attacked, but the forest? The gaps between the trees were so huge it’d be easy to sight an escapee. Plus, if the Baekje army rode horses; it’d be like a cat chasing a mouse in a room with no hole.

The sound of a war was even scarier than it seemed in the movies now. Chorong swallowed.

As they sat in silence a quick, but warm wind brushed by Chorong’s ear and she felt her heartbeat pick up its pace. As it flew by her long hair her cheek and with a turn of her head stared toward the gates. A message had just been given to her by the wind…

When the long branches of the trees around the house swayed in the direction of the wind Chorong immediately stood. They seemed to be making hushing noises as they moved. A split second later she watched the water in the cups offered to them slowly vibrate; tiny ripples moving throughout them. The piercing cry of men and women suddenly filtered the air. Chorong’s jaw dropped.

“What’s going on?” Sunha cried in fear.

Il Kyung quickly clutched her to his chest. “They’re here.”

Chorong turned to glance at him then turned to run toward the gate.

“Chorong!” Suho called out and followed.

Breaths of worry made her chest spasm when she stared down the road to the many huts beside each other. There were men on horses and men on feet; each armed with a kind of sword or arrow. Chaos was breaking out and the villagers were all over the place; each bracing their own lives and making a run for it. The cries of children ripped her ears and her heart shook in utmost fear.

Dirt swirled up from the ground upon the horses’ footsteps and houses were easily invaded. Young girls were dragged to the ground, boys were shoved and held under control, and their parents pleaded for mercy. Anger surged through Chorong, but she didn’t know what she needed to do.

“Run! We have to run!” Il Kyung called starting toward the forest and turned to them. “Lets run together!”

“Chorong!” Suho grabbed her hand and cried.

Her eyes searched the area still in debate. A few adults ran by, but she still hadn’t made a move.

“Over there! Don’t let anyone escape!” an armored soldier screamed.

Chorong watched a soldier steer his horse their way and allowed Suho to pull her after the couple. She could hear panting from those around her and the cries that were fading far behind her. A huge guilt about how she’d left the helpless when she could have been the one to do something seered through her.

This was a movie, she had to remind herself. She hadn’t gone back in the past. This wasn’t the past, but full of actors and actresses and whichever part of the movie she’d dropped into…this was all a stage.

But it felt so real and that was the nightmare of it.

Chorong…was scared.

She barely tripped over her own feet. The villagers ahead of her each scurried in their own direction.

“Help! Someone help!” the voice of a woman screamed out from behind her.

Her feet picked up one after another before she suddenly stopped and twisted around. Suho hadn’t let go of her hand though.

Chorong searched the area they’d covered to see a young woman running desperately with her crying baby in her arms. They were the last ones behind her and the soldiers on horseback behind her would catch up in less than 15 seconds on her estimation.

“I have to go help them,” Chorong turned back to look at Suho.

Pulling away she raced toward the young woman just as the first soldier that would reach her drew out his sharp silver sword. Her heart raced so hard against her chest she thought she would start hyperventilating.

This was so scary. Everything that was happening was the life out of her. Unable to cry for her sisters’ help she searched the area for anything. Then as if it’d been there for her all along she saw a branch three inches thick in diameter.

The young woman was very quickly reaching her, so hurrying up her pace she bent toward the side and reached for the branch. As she swung back over the young woman bent down onto her knees; her scream deafening the air. The leaves still attached to the branch wer cut off neatly from the branch just in time as the swoard clashed down.

A shaky breath released itself from Chorong’s breath. The young woman turned back to look at her before getting up to her feet with a cry and ran off.   

“What’s this!?” the soldier questioned in his thick, heavy accent. The gold helmet on his head shone dully underneath the shine of the sun and Chorong took note of the bird carving on his armor.

He drew back his sword and Chorong jumped back; her body suddenly flexible as if she’d been practicing martial arts her whole life. She moved the branch into the ground zig-zagged style before forcing the leaves she’d loosened up into the horse’s eye with her power. The horse jumped back on its hind leg forcing the soldier off.

Gathering himself to his feet skillfully he shouted, “After her!”

Chorong lifted herself up into the air a few feet back from them before landing on the ground again and spun the uneven branch between her fingers. Clenching it between her thumbs and fingers she ended up standing in a pose with a foot behind her; her other leg with knee bent out ready for action.

She suddenly shook her head and blinked her eyes wondering what’d gotten into her before letting out a surprised shout when a sword came down slashing at her.

Her mind started racing. What was going on!? What’d just gotten into her!?

“Chorong!” Suho called out as he ran toward her.

“Stay away!” Chorong tried turning around to look at him, but the sword came down onto the branch again; this time getting stuck into it.

Suho slid to a halt behind her.

“Get him!” the soldier who’d attacked Chorong ordered.

Her heart raced and she felt the branch split into two before quickly jumping back to avoid the cut of the sword. Swinging out her hand she slammed half of the branch across the soldier’s shoulder and kicked him. When he flew to the ground she spun around to hurry after the other soldiers chasing Suho.

Her feet skillfully skidded through the forest eyeing each soldier she could see.

One…two…three…eight of them…there were eight of them.

When she caught up with one she swung her arm out. A quick gust of wind flew out from her hand cutting the soldier’s arm in surprise and with a squint of her eye forced a tree branch down onto him. Quickening up her pace she jumped into the air, adjusted the branch in her hold so that the sharper part was at the bottom, and as she lunged down stabbed it into the soldier’s back.

Flinging her arm out she swung her feet out into a soldier’s just as he lifted his feet up and hurled him to the ground. Spinning the broken branch within her hand she swung it out; hit and slammed forcing each soldier one by one down.

By the time all eight of them were down she ran four steps forward before falling onto her knees and finally started panting. The two halves of the branch slipped to the ground. Her hands shook and her lips parted when she slowly glanced back at the job she’d done.

What…just happened?

What’d gotten into her?

Was this real?

Was this even the movie anymore?

“Chorong!” Suho ran out from behind a tree and grabbed her shoulders into his hands. “Are you ok?”

His warm hands ran affectionately over her face as if to check for nonexistent injuries there. Her heart trembled in fear of the absolute absurdity that had just taken place and hugged him.

Had Suho…seen her do it?

>_____<;;

Namjoo dried her soaked face against Chanyeol’s fluffy towel before walking out of the bathroom. She could hear him moving around in the kitchen and peeked down the hallway until he saw her.

“Are you done?” he asked setting down a spatula and walked toward her. Running a hand through her hair he said, “Do you want breakfast? You should eat before you go.”

“I’m going to go home,” Namjoo smiled up at him.

“Ok.”

Her eyes swayed toward his arm before she reached for his hand pulling it down from her face.

Pulling his sleeve up to see the burn she’d left on him that was only starting to get better she wondered, “Does it hurt?”

“It’s already better,” he told and grabbed his sleeve from her to slide it back down, but Namjoo kept her hold on it.

“Let me…” she said. It’d gotten a lot better and most of the skin had repaired, but it was only more than halfway there. Since it wasn’t fully healed yet, there was still a chance she could fix it.  

Lifting her hand over it she watched her hand glow over the injury. When she pulled her hand back a second later, his arm was as good as new.

“I’m going now,” she tiptoed up to give him a kiss and turned toward the door.

When she arrived home a few minutes later Victoria just drove into their driveway. Namjoo paused to stare at her sister and recognized that Victoria was still in yesterday’s clothes; very much as she. Now why was that?

Narrowing her eyes she asked, “Where’ve you been?”

Victoria looked almost flustered before returning the question, “And where’ve you been?”

“Oh there’s only one place I’d go,” Namjoo lifted her shoulders and smile. “The real question is you. Only returning now?”

Turning away Victoria hurried up the steps to avoid her.

“Was this some business you were conducting overnight?” Namjoo questioned from behind.

Pushing the door open Victoria stepped into the house.

“I’m going to take a shower, so see if Chorong made anything for breakfast.”

“A shower, huh?” Namjoo cooed behind Victoria as she headed up the stairs.

Chuckling to herself she walked down the hallway into the dining room before walking into the kitchen. There was a pot of soup on the stove, but it was cold. Namjoo glanced around the kitchen wondering why it would be cold if Chorong might have eaten it for breakfast. It was still early in the morning.

“Or did she eat something else? But usually leftovers come first,” Namjoo wondered to herself and walked out.

Staring down the hallway she wondered why the house seemed so dead. Chorong wasn’t one to sleep in. Something was poking her from the back of her head.

Starting down the hallway she stopped to stare into the sitting room. Empty, but nothing seemed amiss. Then walking further down the hall she stopped to stare into the living room. There were DVDs on the coffee table.

DVDs…

Namjoo walked into the room to look around before turning around to see that the TV was still on. When she saw Chorong and Suho running through the forest on scream she felt her jaw drop.

“Victoria! Victoria!” Namjoo screamed before running out of the living room.

Darting up the stairs she knocked on the bathroom door and waited for Victoria to open the door. The bath water was running, but Namjoo grabbed Victoria’s hand forcing her down the stairs.

“What, what, what!?” Victoria questioned confused.

“You have to see this!” When they got into the living room Namjoo pointed to the screen, “Our sister! In the TV!”

Victoria’s eyes concentrated on the screen before her eyes eventually got wide.

“Chorong?” her jaw dropped. “Chorong!”

They watched Chorong pause through the green forest and turn to look at them. The joy of finally seeing them broke Chorong’s face and they weren’t sure if she was overjoyed or if she was going to cry.

Namjoo slightly backed up when Chorong neared the screen, “Oooh…that’s scary.”     

“Where the hell have you guys been!?” Chorong cried.

“You...” Victoria pointed to the screen then to herself, “you can hear us?”

“Of course I can, you !” Chorong screamed. “I’ve waited almost a whole year for you!”

“A year?” Namjoo repeated. “A year has gone by in there?”

“It’s an expression,” Chorong rolled her eyes. “You need to get us out of here! Quickly!”

“Us?” Victoria’s eyes went big. Swiveling her finger between her and Namjoo she asked, “Who’s us?”

“Suho’s here with me!”

Victoria’s eyes widened even more and she nodded her head back, “Oh…my…”

Chorong frustratingly ran her hand over her face and into her hair.

“But what are you wearing?” Namjoo wondered.

“Forget that,” Victoria nudged her. “How’d you get in there?”

“I don’t know,” Chorong merely broke down from stress. “Hurry before I go crazy.”

Victoria nervously her lips and stared down at the DVD player. “What if I take out the movie?”

“Are you kidding?” Namjoo contradicted. “If you kill the movie; you might as well kill our sister.”

“Ah…right…” Victoria bit her lip anxiously. “What do we do?” She glanced around the room. “Did something funny get into the house?”

“Are you serious?” Namjoo questioned. “Is that possible?”

“That, we don’t need to ask.” Victoria muttered.

“Chorong!” Suho’s voice entered their ears.

When they looked at the screen Chorong had her neck twisted back.

“Hurry,” Chorong begged then ran back toward Suho.

“Oh my god,” Namjoo uttered, “what do we do?”

“Is it here?” Victoria tapped the TV. “Or the DVD player?”

A second later she heard Victoria let out a loud shout.

“What?”

“I got shocked,” Victoria muttered on her hand. “That hurt!”

“Shocked?” Namjoo repeated bending down to the level of the TV.

She slapped the TV once and another time before something blinded her and she fell back.  

“Whoa!” Victoria screamed stepping back when something blue drifted from the TV and quickly escaped out the closed window.

Namjoo drew herself to her feet, repeatedly blinking, and confused. “What was that?”

“I don’t…” Victoria began to reply, but was cut off when two figures were thrown out of the TV and onto the ground.

They heard Chorong cry out as she landed on the ground and Suho land by Victoria’s feet. Suho moaned and craned his neck back before he started to get up. Quickly caught by surprise Chorong crawled forward and grabbed his shoulder zapping him. Victoria and Namjoo watched as a bolt of light blue zip through his seizure body before he collapsed to the ground.

Their jaws dropped when Chorong gazed up at them. Shutting her eyes frustrated they listened to Chorong heave a long sigh and lower her head. 

***So where has Victoria been all night? /chuckles

***Chorong has problems to face now :/ but bwuaha! That was fun moves from her in the movie xD

***While her sisters are in turmoil Namjoo is a happy-go-girl now. What a turn around when Vic and Chorong were happy and Namjoo was depressed ha~