Sungyeol walked down the halls, footsteps echoing in the silent palace. When Myungsoo said few, he meant it literally. Save the four people they'd met, there literally wasn't anyone else around. He was sure that if the halls weren't decorated with different colours, he wouldn't be able to find his way back.

The two fishermen spent a lot of time with the two merfolk, talking about things regarding the fish, the tides and the currents. Meanwhile, Sungyeol chatted with the two elves whenever he could. They were, however, not as easy to find as the water elves.

"If it is the mirrors you seek, all you need to do is ask," Sungjong commented, stepping out of the shadows of one of the columns that lined the hall. He looked at Sungyeol with understanding eyes and said, "There seems to be something you need to see, isn't there?"

Sungyeol didn't reply immediately. He diverted his gaze to the floor before replying, "There is...but I'm not sure if the thing that I need to see is something that I can have."

"That is a difficult question to answer," he replied. "Because someone's dreams and ambitions are difficult to define, attaining them and defining whether the fulfillment of such a goal is good or bad is not something that we can easily tell until we get there.

"You'd think a water elf would know better than to say such things to a man who may or may not be wishing for something with greed in his heart, but I'd like to believe that there are people that know better than to be greedy," he said, shaking his head sadly at himself.

"Then...I don't know if it's a greedy wish," Sungyeol said.

"A wish is just a wish," he told Sungyeol. "It may be greedy, but the kind of greed that destroys is the kind that is brought into the world. There's always a choice for you, if you want that greedy wish to be fulfilled or not. But either way...the choice will be left up to you. It's a gift that you humans have."

Sungyeol watched Sungjong for a few moments, wondering. He'd been hoping to see the mirrors that he'd come so far to find...but now that he was here, his motives were being questioned indirectly.

Sungjong turned around and was about to leave, when he suddenly told Sungyeol, "Remember that there are two mirrors, and in their own ways, they can show you the things that you desire to see. But you know, sometimes, Refrain shows things better than Reality even if they're simply trying to show you the same thing."

Just as Sungjong was about to walk out of sight, Sungyeol called, "Sungjong, wait!" Sungjong turned around to face him, waiting for him to finish. "If it's all right with you...may I see the mirrors?"

"Of course," he replied. "Come with me."

With Sungjong in the lead, Sungyeol followed, trying to memorize the way to the mirrors. Sungjong threw open a large, wooden double-door that led to what would have been an indoor garden. They were greeted by the sight of Myungsoo, sitting on the floor with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and even, as if he were asleep.

"How dare you bring that mortal in here?" he barked without opening his eyes. Sungjong, however, was not flustered.

"For someone who wishes for things to change, you're not very open to the opportunities for change," Sungjong commented dryly.

"Things do not change in the present. They never do," Myungsoo barked.

"But we make our choices in the present," Dongwoo commented, suddenly coming into the indoor garden with the other males. Myungsoo glared at him, but hardly moved afterwards. "One chance, Myungsoo. It couldn't hurt to trust one more time."

Myungsoo grunted. "It's not going to be my fault; don't tell me I didn't warn you."

"It's the only way you can find out about the future," Sungjong assured him before leading the three men deeper into the garden.

~°~

The mirrors had no labels or engravings by which the three could tell which was which, and Sungjong did not even offer to tell them. Simply, he stood at the back and watched as they were left to decide what to do with the mirrors.

It was simple, actually. The mirror that was Reality was not Refrain, and that which is not Refrain is Reality. The difficulty was that the mirrors looked alike. They were, in a very ironic sense, the mirror images of each other.

"Choose a mirror," Myungsoo said, walking up to them, his expression unyielding. "And see what it has in store for you."

Cascading tears of hatred and pain, rivers of blood that dyed the floors red.

Everything he'd done to make sure that this would never be, so that this could never be...! In the end, no matter what he'd done, it was the same. As the mirror continued to show him the things that he needed to see, the more the anger welled up inside him. However, nothing crushed him more than seeing that last image.

Four bloody bodies lay where they had fallen. Their eyes were lifeless, unable to finish the task that had been asked of them, helpless as the unmistakable shadow crept closer to the precious treasure that they had died trying to protect.

The image faded away in a flurry of motion, and the next thing he saw was himself, covered in blood. He was bent over the lifeless body of his beloved sister whose blood had dripped onto the ground.

Even in death, she looked so kind. Even in death, she would be with her knights and not with him simply because they were all dead, and he was not.

This world has no place for the weak. When the strong fight to protect the weak, they become weak as well. Ailee no longer has a place in this world, Sungyeol. And as my heir, you must take the throne and destroy every weak link there is and conquer. In the name of Korea!

Sungyeol's tears streaked down his face as he screamed in agony before the mirror. Hate, anger and sadness filled his cries of loss and terror.

"Which is why I told you it wasn't a good idea," Myungsoo commented softly as he and Sungjong watched from a distance.

"But I want to believe..." Sungjong said. "I want to believe that there are more to people than just that."

"You are too optimistic, Reality."

"You are too pessimistic, Refrain," Sungjong replied sadly.