It’s just 15 minutes before the set curfew period, 6:45pm. Ryeowook sat on the rooftop of the palace, which was the tallest building of the city to oversee the place. She watched as the streets start to empty, people are running to shelter and stores are rolling down their shutters to prepare for the night.

“Boo!” A voice came from behind.

Ryeowook turned around calmly to see the mischievous light master.

“Why aren’t you shocked?” Kyuhyun asked.

“Would I be a dark queen if I get frightened so easily?” Ryeowook asked sarcastically. Kyuhyun thought for awhile and nodded. “True… It seems that you are not completely kind afterall.” He joked.

Ryeowook scoffed and continued observing the city.

*Dong…Dong…*

The bell to signal the curfew sounded and by now, the streets are completely empty and indoors are brightly lit.

Kyuhyun sighed at the sight as he sat beside Ryeowook on the rooftop.

“This has been the situation since 2 months ago. I am so useless to be unable to convince them that you will not harm them.”

Ryeowook leaned her head on his shoulder and said “It’s my fault that all these happened too.”

Kyuhyun caressed his lover’s chin and kissed her to comfort her.

“It’s all fate, I guess, for loving you, for hating me, for all these to happen.” The light master explained.

The couple enjoyed their time together with hugs and kisses while waiting for the ministers to appear.

Just as Ryeowook was playing with Kyuhyun’s fingers, they heard sounds of cars. Immediately, the couple became serious and flew towards the source of the sound.

They hid behind the pillar of the same warehouse which Ryeowook saw.

As expected, one by one, the ministers alighted from the limousines. The prime minister and Haejin alight from the last vehicle at the back. They walked into the warehouse and closed the door with bodyguards standing outside the door.

“What would they have to do to meet at this time in this place?” Kyuhyun whispered.

“Let’s go check it out.” Ryeowook pointed at the rooftop of the warehouse.

Kyuhyun peered at the bodyguards and was afraid that they may see them if they were to move away from the pillar. Ryeowook understood his worries and smiled at him.

She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. She used her lips to open his mouth a little, at the same time blowing some air into him. Slowly, Kyuhyun realize himself being engulfed by darkness and he became part of a shadow.

“I gave you some of my dark powers for you to be able to fuse with shadows at will.” Ryeowook explained.

Kyuhyun nodded and together, they fused into the shadow nearby to glide up to the rooftop of the warehouse at ease. They transform back to normal once they reach the rooftop.

They nodded at each other before peeking into the tiles of the rooftop to see what is happening downstairs.

***

“It will be tomorrow, is team A ready?” Somebody asked.

“Yes, they are ready.” Haejin answered.

“We will strike tomorrow, it’s only that 15 minutes we can use. We must not waste that chance.” The prime minister said.

“Yes, or else it will be trouble for us.” Haejin replied.

“What do you think that they were discussing about?” Ryeowook asked her lover as he walked her to the back gate of the city.

“I don’t know. But it does sound like they found a way to catch you or something.”

Ryeowook laughed proudly. “Catch me? Don’t they know who are they dealing with? I’m the dark queen!”

Kyuhyun squeezed Ryeowook’s hands and said “Don’t go back.”

“Mwo?”

“I have a bad feeling about it. Don’t go back. Stay with me, let me protect you. Let me go catch the ministers now and make sure they don’t do anything tomorrow.”

“Why would you be worried about something that hasn’t happened?” Ryeowook said.

“I don’t want to lose you, I can’t afford to separate from you again.” Kyuhyun looked into the eyes of his lover as he spoke, still unwilling to release Ryeowook back to the woods.

“I will be fine! Don’t worry. I will come back tomorrow night.” Ryeowook gave Kyuhyun a peck on the cheek and ran into the woods.

The morning sunray shone on the dark queen’s face. She stretched herself and woke up.

“Sehun ah, good morning!” She greeted.

“Good morning, Noona.” The little tree spirit bowed politely and hurriedly ran out of the cave.

‘Why is he rushing?’ Ryeowook asked herself.

She brushed her hair before leaving the cave too to follow sehun.

“Sehun ah…” She called but the boy was too rushed to respond.

Just then, she saw the other jungle spirits being busy running around the forest too. “What is wrong?” She asked a mushroom spirit.

It shook its head and said “Your highness, please don’t bother me. I need to rush.” It ran away immediately.

Bewildered, Ryeowook chased after Sehun whom she finally got hold of.

“Yah, Sehun ah. What are you and the other spirits rushing off to?”

“Omma is waiting for me, noona, come with me.”

“What’s wrong?” Ryeowook grabbed his arms to prevent him from moving.

“It’s the total solar eclipse. It’s coming.”

“Mwo?”

“The total solar eclipse is coming so we, the spirits are preparing for the time we can absorb all the dark energy from the eclipse. It can save us 100 years of training.” Sehun said cheerfully.

“There would be an eclipse?”

“Yes, it should happen in an hour. So omma has gone to get a good seat at the mountains to receive the best dark energies.”

Ryeowook giggled at the cuteness of these spirits. The total solar eclipse occur once every 400 years and during those days she was trapped in the tower, Ryeowook would absorb all the dark energies like these spirits. During the total eclipse is when the light master is the weakest because of the moon blocking all natural light from the sun. Ryeowook would use the opportunity to escape from the tower but since the eclipse lasted only a few minutes, she was always caught again shortly after the eclipse.

Ryeowook smiled at how she used to be like the spirits.

Just then, her expression froze. She recalled the night before, how the ministers talked in the warehouse.

An attack today?

15 minutes?

A total solar eclipse would make Ryeowook stronger so the ministers shouldn’t be targeting at her. Kyuhyun would be in his weakest point….

No…

Their target is Kyuhyun?

My computer died again last night when i was about to update and it revived today. Haha... Anyway, last chapter is the next!

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