Breathe.

Those 7 letters were squeezed through her brain while she was chanting them mentally like a mantra, begging herself to relax. She bit her lower lip, eyes dancing to every corner. It soon became too much, she started pacing, her breathing and heart beat beginning to accelerate and filling her ears with white noise. Hyemi found herself chewing her nails, but forced herself to keep her hand down from . It didn't quite work, as she found herself chewing again a bare minute later, and she sighed in frustration. As she eyed the clock that dangled on the wall, she muttered in dismay. "She said she would come back in 5 minutes, and it have been 30 minutes and 26 seconds. What's taking her so long..."

*flashback*

7 minutes and 13 seconds passed by. Hyemi knew, since she counted while the sharp eyes of the ulzzang girl scrutinized her expressionless look. The quiteness was honestly deafening. A resonant embodiment of organic peace, allowed to proliferate on its own. The stifling heat smothered the atmosphere. Only a creaking,  floorboard under a passing teacher's heel invaded the still present silence. The girl infront of her shook her head as she rose up, muttering either to herself or to the said student that she'll come back in 5 minutes.

*End of Flashback*

"I'm sorry if I made you wait longer than expected, but are you ready?"

Directing her eyes to the body that was supporting itself by the doorway, Hyemi slowly bobbed her head, unsure of herself to speak or not. As they trotted down the hall, outside the building, towards the forest, she walked behind the shorter one who was certain of her footsteps.

"I thought you'll explain to me about everything." Hyemi chewed her lower lip nervously.

The principal calmly responded. "I'll show you first."

The girl halted in her tracks. "Show me what?"

"...The answers." She walked along the path in the dark, the gravel crunching under her feet.

They trudged through a natural avenue of trees, shady, dark, and almost cold. As the pair came to the heart of the woods, it opened up into a lake. The air is warmer, the sound of insects is too loud. The pond seemed like a black void, moon bouncing off its surface. A 'plopping' sound as a fish breaks through the surface and ripples widening out. Midnight blue water reflected by the sky, as the clouds pass by. The vibrant green grass sits along the border occupied by daisies with moonlight-pale petals and a speckles of yellow in the middle. The whole surface a gentle, waving notion as a breeze progressed by.

Her fingers dug through her pockets as she stood by the edge, retrieving an impressive dagger with a wicked shape. She cautiously curled her slender fingers around it, lifting it towards her neck. Hyemi gazed at the other girl, bewildered and confused. Her other hand held the copper lock of her hair between her fingers, and with a flash, she connected the sharp point with the lock and the skin of her finger. Her sleek, glossy strings fell to the ground, smudged with the scarlet liquid. She quietly rubbed her bloody fingertips away, and advanced towards the horrified girl.

Standing inches away from her face, she threaded her bony fingers through the other girl's hair, searching for a long curl. Without a word, she snipped it out with the dagger, and they tumbled to the base. The child bent down, gathering the two and clutching them firmly. Her graceful steps approached the extreme edge, and she flinged the hairs that were coated with her blood to the centre of the pool.

"You may want to step back, darling." The child glanced at the baffled girl.

Just as she took 2 steps back, an ivory fish and an other with opposite color swam to the floating strands, wrestling and exchanging biting blows as they fought. Hyemi watched in horror, as the pond began getting filled with fish blood. It soon began glowing deep crimson, and the lifeless bodies floated on the top. The principal's bare foot sauntered to the middle, not sinking at all down.

"The blood which was not to be done, with a lock of hers and a lock of mine, Gives us power to see it undone, And turn back time to whence it was begun." Her melodic voice chanted the spell over and over, making the water glow more and more. She delayed, and her mossy pupils turned to the startled girl. "Come here, Hyemi."

Peeling her boots off, Hyemi's toes innocently peeked at the water, testing if she would sink down the water or not, but the surface was as firm as a marble ground, and she slowly approached her leader. She stood beside her, and the youngster smiled kindly.

"Hold my hands, Hyemi." Her outstretched palms were infront of her, and Hyemi gulped as her fingers hugged hers. Singing the magic formula again and again, Hyemi was suddenly aware that they were sinking through the ground that was once cool water. Trying to swallow her panic, she closed her eyes shut, and the dull atmosphere engulfed them. Atmosphere's bare arms wrapped them tightly, shielding her in a glass ball of emptiness. She was drowning in a sea of silence, bleak and empty. Her body was numb, powerless. The thick, hazy fog around them smothered her, leaving her breathless and weak. Around the edges of her field of vision started to turn black, like a dark smoke circling her eyes. Almost light-headed, Hyemi leaned towards the other girl.

...

As he scurried towards the hall that led to his destination, he could already feel the force of the authority and power that emanates from the throne lingering in the air. He was their last hope. His beloved aunt was frantic to send him to her stubborn son who just couldn't listen. He didn't bother knocking or banging, since he already knew it was unlocked and his target was inside. Recklessly shoving his way through the door, his distraught eyes darted through the room. The throne in the centre of the attention in the room, adorned with moonstone, opal, topaz and cardinal velvet cushions. High windows, tapestries clinging from the walls as well as a crackling fire to warm the room.

His eyes finally settled on a figure that was drinking the moonlight from the sharpest corner. Soaked in the pale light, his ashen skin was particularly glowing more than usual with a wise aura for such a young age. Promptly, he exhaled with relief, and ectasy rushed through his body like a wave, since it has been a long time when he saw the latter. He scampered towards the young fellow, and enveloped him in a bone-crushing embrace. "Hyun Ki!"

The other, clearly shocked, felt his eyes widen in alarm. A soothing fragrance of Aloe and Amberwood straight away welcomed his nose, and a radiant smile was created on his face. "Chung Ho?"

"It has been an eternity! My dear Hyun Ki!" His lips tugged into a breath-taking grin that showed off his pearly, straight row of teeth. "How have you been?"

"Don't exaggerate, my dear cousin Chung Ho. It has only been 2 months and a half!" A chuckle escaped his mouth while there was a distinct glow on his features. "What brings you here, brother?"

Instantly, his bright composure flapped into a nervous state. He replied with a weak smile. "What, I can't meet my treasured cousin?"

"It's my mother, right?" A frown quickly built up on Hyun Ki's lips. "Am I right?"

The lass sighed, and the other straight away knew his intentions. "Hyun Ki...Your mother is in a terrible state-"

"So I'm right." The frown deepened, showing his faint lines of not sleeping and stress.

"You can't marry that witch! She's his granddaughter for god's sake! Hyun Ki, please listen to your mother!" The young man begged, his fears consuming him with worry.

The latter sighed, before giving off a small smile to his anxious relative. "Chung Ho, dear boy. This was my father's last wish. War is between our two lands, and this is only way. Even I believe that maybe I can change her-"

"She'll use you!" The fellow thundered with a dark look. "Did you possibly forget that it runs in the damned family?! She just wants the Everlasting Jasper!"

His dull eyes went back to the lunar, and he murmured wisely. "We can always change things to better, dear boy. I would rather finish my life than put out Kingdom into another war that'll doom us all, both lands. Rmember who am I doing this for, my dear brother."

The male's olive eyes softened, and he shook his head at the stubborn latter. "I hope you know what are you doing, dear cousin. But please, be careful." He whispered, before storming out the throne room.

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