After Jeffrey’s arrival, he had ordered everyone to get in Doojoon’s van to drive to the headquarters. Dongwoon had taken over Paro from Jeffrey and even in the car, had the smaller girl on his lap. Paro hadn’t moved, spoken nor reacted to anything they said or did. She occasionally twitched and shook lightly when a loud sound was heard or her body was made to do abrupt movements. Her eyes were gazing in the distance, without any focus and her hands clutched together weakly into one linked fist. Her breath was so light that at times they thought it had completely stopped. The panic in the girl’s eyes never faded on the way to Baeri and Chaima’s apartment.

Once in front of the complex, Gikwang left the car to fetch the girls. Baeri had just come out of the shower and was ushered by Gikwang to hurry up. In a hurry she pulled on some clothes and a beanie over her head, remembering the cold of the other day. Chaima was forced to leave her beloved ramyun on the kitchen table when she was dragged out of the house. Once inside the van, the two were slightly shocked and scared of the outcome of the turn of events. Though they didn’t ask what had happened, both of them had a hunch. Despite Chaima’s words at the first meeting with Paro, when they had rescued her, she showed slight reluctance and hesitation in her determination to exterminate this girl.

Not long after the group entered the headquarters and followed Jeffrey to the laboratory where Jeffrey had promised to meet with Carlo and Hongjung. He didn’t speak much, knowing that the others wouldn’t appreciate much of what he had to say, nor needed the speech they already were aware of. With a sigh, the man glanced back at them and the immobile girl in Dongwoon’s embrace. The little kudakitsune was still curled around the girl’s neck like a scarf, huddling close to her warmth. Jeffrey turned back without a word and entered the double doors to the laboratory. As expected Carlo was seated at the desk with folders spread all over, while Hongjung was standing beside him also with a folder in her hands, reading in full concentration.

“We’re here, Carlo.” Jeffrey announced to catch the man’s attention.

Carlo’s eyes shot up at the group and landed on the girl’s miserable form, narrowing slightly. Seeing this gesture, Hyunseung protectively blocked the girl from Carlo’s view, even though he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to protect her. The thought pained not only him, but the other 5 men, Baeri, Chaima and Hongjung as well. He could see their wavering determination clearly, but they couldn’t be allowed to be soft and naive. It was too risky, he knew that as one of the best. Even then, he still wanted to try. To try protecting Paro. The rest of the world didn’t matter at that moment to him, even though it was supposed to. Somehow Hyunseung was sure of himself that the others of the group felt the same way. They had seen the girl live for the past days and realised how innocent she actually was. This fate that awaited her was just too cruel.

“Good.” Carlo’s voice snapped all of their attentions to him. “Place her on the bed.”

Dongwoon eyed their boss for a moment, reluctant of making any movements. It would be the first time not to obey Carlo’s action without second thought. He noticed the annoyance the male gave off in the way his eyes squinted even more and the way he harshly dropped the pen onto the table making a sound louder than it probably was supposed to. Carlo’s eyes were on the chocolate haired, while he stared back, quite intimidated and his determination to disobey crumbled bit by bit at a fast pace. Doojoon eventually nudged him and Dongwoon knew that he shouldn’t annoy Carlo even more, knowing that the outcome of this meeting was probably inevitable but there was a chance of survival and angering  Carlo would take that chance away. Without further words, the tallest among them laid Paro softly on the bed and watched the girl curl up with her hands against her chest and her knees pulled up as well. It was the first movement she made in a while.

“What will happen to her?” Yoseob finally asked from his seat beside Paro on the bed.

Carlo eyed Hongjung, who felt his gaze eventually and met eyes with the boss. She nodded silently before closing the file in her hand and placing it on the pile. She made her way to the bed and took a chair, placing it beside the bed and eventually sitting in it herself. She gazed at the girl for a moment and moved her hand slowly towards her. Paro was completely oblivious to the clairvoyant beside her as her mind was still drifted in a place unknown to them. Hongjung’s hand gently brushed the stray strands of hair out of the girl’s face and tucked it behind her ear. She let out a small puff of air through her lips before glancing up at the anxious group that was staring intensely at Hongjung.

“I’m going to read her memories. It might take a while.” She informed them.

The girl didn’t wait for approval from the group, knowing it wouldn’t make any difference anyway. She just wished they trusted her, but even if they didn’t she wouldn’t stop. Hongjung’s hands cupped the barely conscious girl’s face and turned it softly to face her. The girl, despite her miserable state, moved her panic struck eyes, locking them with Hongjung’s deep brown orbs automatically, while the latter drew a deep, but slow breath. The moment the two pairs of eyes locked, Hongjung’s time seemed to have stopped as her mind was completely filled with the memories in the girl’s mind. They were disorganised and not in a chronological order she could find logic in, making it hard for her to find her way through and grab the right memories.

It took the clairvoyant a while, but she managed to find the fragment of memory that represented that day, the day of the event. It started in the morning, where the girl woke up happily and found the group in a merry mood in the kitchen. The day progressed until the memories brought them to the park, where the owner of the memories played with Junhyung and Yoseob and the children. Hongjung’s hands started to slip from the girl’s face as the memory of the trigger to her mental turmoil passed and she found herself lost in Paro’s emotional distress. Her breathing had stopped, while she witnessed and felt the same things as the bedridden girl and slowly she lost her balance from the chair she was sitting in. A pair of hands covered Paro’s eyes, while another pair held a firm grip onto Hongjung’s shoulders, preventing her fall from the chair.

Hongjung exhaled all the air she had kept in her lungs in the time she was lost in the girl’s memories. Her mind was finally released from the vicious claws, while a cold sweat ran down her forehead. The girl’s body shivered involuntarily as her whole body felt immensely cold. She needed a moment of slow and deep breathing to calm herself down, but the trembling never stopped. Hongjung was surprised at the pureness of Paro’s emotions. The innocence in which she treasured and felt about everyone present in the room and most importantly, the fear she gained from this experience. The fear of hurting them. The pureness of Paro’s emotions intensified the sensation far more than how a normal person would experience them. The happiness was multiplied, while the sadness and fear were as well. It pained Hongjung, now that she herself experienced it but she also had respect for the girl’s ability to control them.

“You okay?” A male voice asked her.

Hongjung glanced up, to see the owner of the hands that balanced her, while she couldn’t and was met with Dongwoon’s concerned eyes. Hongjung hesitantly nodded, before shifting her gaze back to the girl, careful not to meet her eyes, since she could be taken in by them again without a warning. When that happens, she wouldn’t be lucky enough to escape the memories anymore. A cold shudder ran down her spine at the thought as she swallowed the lump in . A few more breaths did it take, for Hongjung to find the ability to speak again. Although she was sure her voice would be shaky and probably crack in mid sentence, she had to rely Paro’s experience and misery to them.

“I-I fo-found out…” Hongjung started and stopped when her voice cracked. She inhaled deeply and exhaled the excessive air in her lungs seconds later.

“I fo-found out Paro’s ability.” She tried again, this time in a stronger, but still soft voice. “She has the ability to manipulate souls. Much like the necromancers, but she can’t communicate with the Afterlife, I think.”

The group who listened was silent, waiting for Hongjung to continue or anyone to make a comment. When Hongjung didn’t say more, obviously trying to calm herself down from the effects of reliving Paro’s memories, the cold and rather hostile silence was kept, until their boss spoke up.

“Now I understand.” Carlo muttered and Jeffrey who was beside him, nodded knowingly, while the others threw questioning and doubtful gazes at the two.

“Understand what?” Junhyung asked.

“Paro’s ability and the reason she was created.” Jeffrey responded instead of Carlo. “To create more artificial life forms, they need a container, a vessel who can manipulate them. Necromancers are rare, so they recreated an ability based on necromancy. Only this one works with living souls, whereas necromancers work with… well… dead ones.”

Hyunseung’s eyes shifted momentarily to Paro, whom was still lying motionless in bed, before he spoke. “What does this mean?”

“This means… that she, Paro, … poses a danger,” Baeri clarified.

The words were expected, but felt like a dagger stabbing them right there, right then. All eyes turned to Baeri, whose expression was distant and cold. Her eyes were dark and focussed on Paro, while her hands curled into a tight fist. Chaima bit her lower lip, seeing her friend like this and glanced at Paro before looking back at Baeri. Was she really the one to say this? She didn’t expect Baeri’s eye contact with her. The lack of mercy in the girl’s eyes terrified the pyrokinetic. She was used to the bubbly friend who always smiled and joked around with her and only saw her like this on their assassination missions. The look in her eyes that had disposed of unnecessary and constricting emotions. In moment their eyes locked, she felt that Baeri reminded her of the pact they had made, the promise they had to keep and Chaima knew, that they had to keep it.

“Isn’t there anoth-”

“There isn’t and you know that.” Baeri interrupted Gikwang.

The Beast Tamer eyed the girl for a moment and was forced to hold back his glare when he as well witnessed the look in her eyes. She looked so… empty.

“I’m not going to stand here, watching you kill Paro.” Hyunseung hissed in a dangerously ominous voice.

His eyes locked with the Healer’s returning her cold and empty expression with a determined and more heated one. He would not stand by, watching an innocent girl get killed, when she didn’t commit a crime and he knew that Baeri cared about her as well. Gikwang was sure that Baeri only took the sin upon her, knowing that the rest wouldn’t be able to do it. But there was more than that. There was more to the merciless attitude she had and he knew that the others had a hunch of it. Maybe he had it more and Chaima and Hongjung were the only ones to know about the truth. They wouldn’t tell him though, without Baeri’s consent.

“You have no choice, Jang Hyunseung. Either you watch, or you leave. The result will not change.” Baeri informed him flatly.

Hyunseung’s eyes narrowed, but before he could retort, he was interrupted.

“Silence.” Carlo ordered the two. “Calm down, you two. For now we will keep her here, examining her. You will not act before I give orders or against the orders. Understand?”

When he was met with no response, Carlo repeated with a firmer voice. “Understand?”

This time murmurs were heard.

“Understand?” He raised his voice.

The response was a firm yes from everybody except Hyunseung, who kept silent. He felt Carlo’s gaze on him and heard the man sigh.

“She wants to die.”

The tentative and soft voice of the clairvoyant turned all eyes to her. They were filled with confusion and questions, while Hongjung locked eyes with Baeri. She was close to tears, the Healer could see, noticing her red nose and cheeks. Baeri arched a questioning eyebrow at her younger friend, ordering her to speak.

“Her emotions. Everything she feels. She treasures it so, so, much. She-... Paro is scared.” She continued and paused to prevent her voice from cracking. “Scared of hurting you, us… anyone. She wants to die, knowing that one day she might hurt someone. She is so scared that her mind just…”

Hongjung didn’t have to continue, she knew. A glance at Paro was enough for everyone to know what she meant. There wasn’t much explaining need. The current Paro, whether she would be eliminated by them or not, was killing herself slowly from the inside out. Mentally she was killing herself with her misery and soon enough she would follow physically. Hongjung knew that it was possible, but not as strong and pure as Paro felt it. Her whole determination, no her whole existence, was questioned by the moments she wandered through Paro’s memories. Was this girl really a curse? She could be so much more.

Paro had the innocent and sincere mind, many, if not everyone in their modern society lacked. Hongjung wasn’t sure whether to envy or pity her for having that mind in their corrupt world. In their harsh world. In their hard reality. But she was sure, that she wanted to protect that innocence, if she had the chance to. And maybe she did.

Author's note:

Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry for this late update. OTL

After Chapter 20 I'll write a longer author's note, reflecting on the first 20 chapters. : ] I planned to do it here, but doing it seperately is better in my opinion. Stay tuned <3

Lots of Love,

Saenan