BOM’s POV

 

Two days have passed since we found Dara and from that day on, she suddenly fell ill. We are still staying at the inn and cannot go on our journey because she suddenly collapsed that day. She has high fever and didn’t wake up until now which made us all worried, especially the two Princes namely Kim Jaejoong and Lee Donghae. They always stay by her side, taking good care of her. Miraculously, they seldom fight and agreed to change places to watch over her.

 

“Bom” I turned to face the man who called me. “She’s still asleep?” Changmin asked me and I just nodded. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I tried to heal her using my power but it’s useless. Her body is not accepting it, it seems like she don’t want to wake up after collapsing that day. I wonder what’s wrong with her?” Changmin ponder and I just kept quiet, still thinking of that possibility.

 

I turned my head towards the door when I heard the door opened. “What’s wrong, Jaejoong?” I asked when I saw his serious face.

 

“I’ll go to Fria, I can’t just stand here while Dara is like that” he said while packing his things.

 

“You’ll go to him?” Changmin and I chorused, surprised when he said that he’ll go to Fria where his half-brother lives.

 

“I don’t have a choice but to ask him. I know that he’ll gladly help knowing that we’re talking about Dara here.”

 

“Let me come with you, Prince!” Chagmin said but Jaejoong shook his head. “Waeyo?”

 

“You need to look after Dara. I’ll ask Yunho and Minzy to accompany me.” He stood up and walked towards the door. “Take care of her, okay?” Jaejoong said. “We’ll be back in two days.”

 

“Understood. You take care okay?” I said. We both followed him outside and we saw Yunho and Minzy already standing there with their horse. “You two, be safe okay?”

 

“We’ll be fine, Bom unnie. I’ll give you something when we get back!” Minzy said her farewell and ride on her horse. Yunho and Jaejoong also ride their respective horses and bid us goodbye. In a few seconds, they already disappeared from our sight.

 

“What’s wrong, Bom?” Changmin asked when he heard me sigh.

 

I shook my head. “Don’t mind me, Changmin.”

 

DARA’s POV

 

I found myself in a familiar place, the floating Island of Tulahlah. I looked around and keep on walking when I heard someone crying. I followed the direction where the sound is coming and I hide behind the tree when I saw a little girl.

 

“Ow!” I was startled when the little girl suddenly stopped crying and held her head. “Who’s there?!” She shouted, wiping her tears off her face.

 

“You’re noisy!” I heard a boy said. I search for him and I saw a little boy jumped off from the tree while holding a stone.

 

“What’s wrong with you?!” the little girl yelled at him but the boy didn’t answer and the next thing I knew, the little girl is now hanging in the air. “Y-yah! Let me down!” the little girl demanded but the little boy just laugh at her. “Yah! I said let me down!”

 

BLAG!

 

“Why did you do that?!” said the little girl who suddenly fell on the ground.

 

“You told me to let you down so I just did.” A sly grin was spreading across his face which annoyed the little girl. I don’t even know why but I really want to hit the little boy’s head now.

 

Psh! Such a rude little boy!

 

I decided to show myself to the two kids but as soon as I step forward, I found myself in a different place.

 

“Princess! Princess!” I heard someone shouted at the hall. I turned to face her but I was shocked when she passed through me.

 

W-what the hell is happening?

 

“Why are you running, Yumi?” I heard someone said. “Mother will scold you if she sees you running in the hall” said the girl she called Princess. I think the girl is already ten years old and she seems somewhat familiar to me.

 

“I apologized, Princess.” she curtsied. “I just wanted to inform you that the Prince visited you and he’s currently at the greenhouse waiting for you” the servant said looking dreamily. I saw the girl’s face lit up and she almost gave me a heart attack when she dashed towards my direction and pierced through me.

 

Aigoo, she just said that her mother would scold that servant but she also did the same, tsk tsk.

 

I was about to follow her but I found myself on another place. I felt a sudden chill so I embraced myself.

 

“Who’s there?!” someone asked. I searched where the voice came from and I saw the same girl a while ago. “Show yourself!” she demanded.

 

“You must die, Princess” I heard someone said and I saw a silhouette hiding behind the tree. That person is not alone because I can also feel that there are other people here too, aside from the two of them.

 

“W-what do you mean?!” the girl stuttered, feeling the ill intent towards her.

 

“Your existence is a threat to us, so you must die!”

 

Omo! He’ll shoot her with that arrow!

 

“Princess Dara!” I heard someone called me and I felt a cold breeze passed by me. I turned my attention again to the girl and I saw a young boy lunged for her. “Are you okay, Angel?” the young boy asked worriedly and the young girl smiled gently.

 

D-don’t tell me it’s J-Jae and M-me?

 

I continued to watch and I saw how Jaejoong easily defeated the people who tried to kill me but I saw that one of them managed to escape.

 

“Hush... Don’t cry, Angel. I’ll protect you no matter what happens.” He embraced the younger version of me.

 

“W-why... why are they trying to kill me, Jaejoongie...” she cried while Jae is comforting her. I turned my back at them and found myself in another place.

 

“Angel!” I saw Jaejoong waving at the younger version of me and he’s not alone. He’s with another young boy. I saw the younger version of me ran towards him, giving him a hug.

 

“Who is he, Jae?” asked the younger version of me. Jaejoong smiled and he put his arms on the young boy’s shoulder.

 

“This is Lee Donghae, Angel. He’s the bestfriend I am talking about!” Jae said proudly. The younger version of me smiled at the little Donghae which made him blush.

 

Omo! Such a shy kid kekeke.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Donghae of the Kingdom of Sidgar.” She curtsied. The three walked with each other and I followed them but instead of following them I was brought to another scene.

 

I saw the young Donghae being made fun of at a party. He’s just quiet while leaning on the wall.

 

“I didn’t know the the Prince of Sidgar is this weak.” Said the boy who looks older than him. I saw Donghae’s fist closed and I think he’s restraining himself to fight those bully.

 

PAK!

 

Omo! That kid just hit his face!

 

I covered my mouth when I saw them beating Donghae but I stood still.

 

“Yah! What do you think you are doing to my friend?!” I heard my younger self shouting while running towards the hall. The bullies looked at her with fear in their eyes. “Who said you can just beat someone at my party, huh?”

 

That’s it little, Dara. Show them what you’ve got! Hwaiting!

 

“W-we are not doing anything!” the leader of the bully said, denying what I’ve just witnessed.

 

“Oh shut up. I saw what you did to him, you pig!” the younger version of me hissed. My eyes went wide when lots of glowing circles started appearing at her side.

 

“We are really sorry, Princess!” said the other young boy and I saw myself raised an eyebrow.

 

“You should be” she said seriously and pointed to them.

 

“RUN!” said the pig. They ran towards my direction while they are being chased by those glowing circles.

 

“Ow! Ow! It hurts! We’re really sorry, Princess!” I heard the pig apologized while running. My eyes darted to the two of them and I saw myself looking worried at Donghae.

 

“Tsk, why didn’t you fight back?” she scolded him.

 

“Fighting with them is useless. They’ll just waste my energy.” The younger Donghae said. She dragged him with her and there, I was lost again to another place.

 

“NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

I heard a voice screamed. I ran towards the direction of it and I saw many dead bodies lying on the floor. I found myself in a room full of blood while I found the younger version of me bathing with blood, trembling from fear.

 

“I... I didn’t... No.... I didn’t do this... I... I didn’t kill them” she said, scared of herself while looking at her hands full of blood. She took a step forward and looked around the place and her eyes went wide. “N-no... No! No! No!” she ran and dropped on her knees in front a not so old beautiful lady. “Q-Queen E-Eun Hee!” she said while crying. A white light suddenly appeared on her hand and point it on the Queen’s forehead. “No... Please... Don’t die, Queen Eun Hee! Please! D-don’t die...” she said while sobbing. The next thing I saw, the younger version of me wound herself and dropped her blood on the Queen’s mouth.

 

W-what am I doing?

 

I asked myself, feeling the sadness too of my younger version. I don’t know why but I’m scared of what’s happening now. I didn’t even know who is that Queen Eun Hee because I am quite sure that it is not my mother.

 

“Please... Wake up, Queen Eun Hee... I’m sorry.... I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to... Please... Wake up... Jae will be sad... Jae won’t accept your death! Queen Eun Hee! I begged you! Please come back!” the younger version of me said, leaving me shocked.

 

I... I killed his mother? No... T-that can’t be true... Please stop this now... I don’t want to see anymore...

 

I took a stepped back and I was brought to another scene again. I was walking again in  Tulahlah shouting Jaejoong’s name. After many hours of looking for him, I found him alone in Dyiera’s lake where the miraculous water can be found. The water that can cure anything as long as you are not dead.

 

H-he brought me here too...

 

I saw Jae kneeling, grasping the grass while crying his hearts out. I saw myself hide behind the tree, not knowing what she’ll do upon seeing him like that. Knowing that she’s the one who killed his mother.

 

“Ahhhhhhh! Omoni!!!! O-omoni!!!!” I heard Jae cried for his mother.

 

J-Jae...

 

“W-why did you leave me, Omoni? Wae!!!!” he shouted in pain. This is the first time I saw him like that.

 

I just watched him, crying too. I was stoned when I saw Jae stood up and walked towards the lake.

 

J-Jaejoong-ah...

 

“P-Prince Jae!” I turned to my younger version. She was running towards Jaejoong. She back hugged him. “J-Jaejoongie...” she cried while hugging him. “I... I’m here... I’m always here for you...” she said, still hugging Jae. “I... I’m sorry... I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save your mother, Jaejoong-ah... I’m sorry... I’m really sorry”

 

Jae didn’t respond to my younger version, he’s just crying.

 

“I’m really sorry, Jaejoong-ah... F-forgive me... Please... I don’t want to see you like this, Jaejoong-ah...” she said. Jae hold my younger version hands who’s currently hugging him from behind and kept on crying. “I know that y-you can’t stop crying now, Jaejoong-ah... but someday... one day... I’ll promise... I won’t make you cry... I won’t let you cry, Jae Jae... I won’t let you get hurt. I’ll protect you too...”

 

She said, leaving me speechless... I tried to contain my feelings but I just can’t. Knowing all of these things pained me. I can’t stop crying too seeing our younger self... seeing myself like that to him...

 

Jaejoong let go of my younger version’s hand and turned to face her. He hugged her tightly, still crying.

 

“A-angel...” he said... I managed to turn my back, not wanting to see the next scene but somehow, I regretted what I did because memories keep on coming back to me.

 

“NO!!!!”

 

“Thank God you’re awake now!” I heard Donghae’s voice and he embraced me tight.

 

“D-Donghae-ah...” I hugged him back, trying to suppress my tears.

 

“You made me worried, Angel... You suddenly collapsed two days ago and you just woke up now” he reached up and cupped my face. “Don’t do that again, Angel. You don’t know how much worried I am when you lost consciousness.”

 

“I... I’m sorry...” I said, feeling uneasy being this close to him.

 

“Just stay there, I’ll call them okay?” I just nodded. As soon as he went out, I let my tears fall.

 

Ottoke...

 

---

 

Here goes nothing... What will Dara do now? She already knew everything... Will she leave Donghae for Jae or will she continue to be with Donghae because he is her present now? What would you do if you are in her shoes?