But that wasn't Kibum. No, I would've recognized him immediately in the courtyard. The eyes weren't Kibum's; they were too sharp, too young, even if it was three years ago. I think Kibum's eyes might have always been as old as they are now.

I'm alone. This corner of the gardens isn't the one three years ago, I can't even approach it now, let alone sit on a bench. Do you know traumatizing it is, to see your brother killed in front of you? Do you know what it feels like to learn your brother, the one you always respected, was part of something you couldn't understand, and he died because of it? 

I do.

And then, in the silence of the day, I hear breathing. Easy, steady, a human's. But I'm alone.

Right?

I whirl around, and there he is. Not my brother's killer, not Kibum, not anyone I know by name or know by face. Someone I know by a glance to the eyes, those white-ice glaciers, cold and steady and unnatural. He's leaning against a statue, dressed in black, with silver chains dripping from his neck, and a silverthreaded beanie on his head. And in his hand, a hooked knife, bleached of color, deadly sharp and glittering like stars in the night sky. His strange beauty is still there, and even more striking up close, this close. He's smirking, eyes glittering like his knife, and he has the same stance as any assassin I've met, and I've met too many in this lifetime.

"Hey, Jonghyun," he says, and his voice is smooth and frosted over with sugar, but even that doesn't disguise the steel in his icy voice and his icy eyes. 

"What do you want?" I sound more brave than I feel.

"Oh, nothing. I've just been told to bring you in for a little training. How does that sound?"

"I'm good." 

"But I'm not good if you're good," he says, his eyes widening just the slightest bit. "And isn't the job of a king to make all his people happy?"

"You're not one of my people," I say through gritted teeth. "You're unnatural." 

He smiles, like a snake, but friendlier, which only made me more wary. I wanted to go. I wanted to get out of this. Now. But, as I've had to learn so quickly, I don't always get what I want.

"Oh, now you're just being hurtful, Jonghyun. Now," he stood up fully, and started towards me, spinning the knife between his slender, pale fingers. "Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"The hard way," I spat, already backing up, even though I know I'm nothing next to him. 

"Now, that's not a very good thing to say," the man of ice says, and I try to run but everything cold and white and suddenly

black.

And I'm suddenly

gone.

~~~

"Taemin!" I yelled, the screen door slamming behind me. 

"Hyung?" I hear his voice and spun around, relaxing visibly when I saw him standing in the hallway, brow furrowed. "What happened?" 

"Taemin," I breathed, although he couldn't have known about my crowning yet, but I didn't want to underestimate him. "It's okay. Nothing wrong." It sounded more like I was trying to convince myself more than him, but like always, Taemin nodded and wandered off. 

The world. The world is not in my favor. Zelo's missing, the king's murdered, Jonghyun. Everything that could have fallen apart has, and it's done nothing for me. Nothing at all. 

I sigh, checking the clock. 12:20. Hopefully, my employer wouldn't have heard about everything yet and I'm still not dead. There's always that hope.

It was there. I breathed a gust of relief as I spotted the slip of white peeking out. Carrying it inside, I opened the envolope, hoping it could be a quick mission tonight. But soon as I broke the seal, I knew something was wrong. The letter, written in plain pen, too dark and blocky to be usual.

And I read it. 

And my heart

dropped.

Remember 4 years ago, hyung?

I do.

Remember your boyfriend?

I do.

He's right in front of me.

Catch

me

if

you can