“I’m going to start smelling like you if you keep bringing me here,” Daehyun grumpily points out while following after me into the greenhouse. His actions really don’t match his words.

“Smelling like roses isn’t a bad thing, Daehyun.” I chuckled while going about with the pot of water.

“Don’t you get tired of it?” Daehyun asks me from his seat on the bench.

“Of what?”

“Doing the same thing and seeing the same thing over and over again,” Daehyun answers.

“Not particularly.” I set the empty watering pot aside and take a seat next to Daehyun. Unlike the other time, it seems the Werewolf didn’t mind how close we were sitting beside one another now. “How was your life before, Daehyun?” Even though I asked, I didn’t expect too much of an answer. I’ve gotten to know that he didn’t like sharing things about himself.

“I moved here and there. I didn’t like being in the same spot for too long,” Daehyun surprisingly answers. “So, I’ve never had things like this.” 

“A greenhouse?” I blurted from beside him.

A bright chuckle left his lips. “No, a place to stay.” His voice softens as he continues, “a nice bed to sleep in or food to keep my stomach full.”

My smile slowly disappears. That’s right. I always make a mistake and tend to forget that people didn’t live like me, they didn’t grow up like me, or go through the same things as me.

“I’ve never actually had anyone –“ Daehyun stopped abruptly and I turned to look at him. 

“What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t respond or look at me and I observed him curiously.

“Nothing,” he answers curtly. “I’m going back.” He suddenly gets up on his feet and heads to the door. 

Did I say something?

***

First thing in the morning, Yongguk and Hero made their way to the prison tower. Upon meeting the two guards, Yongguk didn’t forget to leave an order.

“If the Princess comes here, turn her away,” Yongguk says and the guards nod in return. 

Yongguk and Hero had to check some things and couldn’t risk the Princess getting involved. In his mind, it was still best to keep certain things away from her for now.

The two Knights made their way up the stone steps and arrived on the floor. Walking through the final gate, they stopped in front of the black Werewolf – but of course, he was currently in the form of a young boy.

Yongguk also knew what that smell was. Blood.

The kid was still injured. He didn’t heal at all during the night. There was something else Yongguk noticed. Those injuries didn’t come from the Knights, so who did they come from?

“He’s a lot younger than I thought,” Hero comments. This boy was the thing they had feared? “He’s strong for someone his age.”

“Do you know why you’re here?” Yongguk steps forward and questions the boy.

In response, he receives silence. 

“Did you hear me?”

Again, no response. 

The young boy only stared back at him and that’s when Yongguk remembered what Princess Haewon said to him last night. “He really doesn’t speak.” 

The entire time, Hero was observing the young boy. “Doesn’t he seem strange to you?” 

They looked at the boy’s mannerisms. He would walk with his arms and legs and he would look up into the air and sniff. It was as if he was oblivious to everything that was going on around him.

There’s no way. Yongguk walked forward and stood before the bars. Seeing that, the Werewolf moved back into his corner. “Talk.”

“Red, I don’t think it’s possible.” 

“No, we’re going to get answers.” Yongguk doesn’t back down. “Open your mouth and speak.” He turns his attention back on the Werewolf. 

This can’t be happening. Yongguk thought that they finally could get some answers but the one person that could finally open up that door, doesn’t speak. Was this another dead end? If he doesn’t solve this soon, there’s a possibility something worse will happen.

Yongguk smacks his hand against the bar in frustration and the force causes the metal bars to vibrate violently. Resulting of the action, the young boy grows unsettled. 

“Just like an animal,” Hero mumbled. “He’s going to –“

Before Hero could warn Yongguk, the Werewolf moved forward to fight off what he found as threatening. And at that moment, the threat was Yongguk. The young boy’s arms reached out through the bars at the Knight and Yongguk grabbed ahold of them in both of his own hands in response. 

Yongguk turns his arms over to scan the underside while the boy continues to snarl and growl. “He has the mark.” The same mark that Daehyun also shared. 

Hero moved forward and took a look before Yongguk could let go of the struggling Werewolf. “Let’s go check the blood tests. Maybe something is there.” 

Yongguk loosens his grips and the Werewolf’s snarls slowly dies down as he falls to the ground. The Knights stay for a moment to see what he's going to do and the next thing they see surprises them. 

“Jong…Up…Jong…Up…,” the Werewolf continued to mutter. He seemed so lost as he wandered around the cell. He kept constantly mumbling the same words over and over again. “Jong…Up…not bad…”

“Jongup?” Yongguk repeated out loud. Well, at least they found out he could speak…it’s just that, it didn’t make any sense.

***

After leaving the prison tower, the two Knights make their way towards Hero’s office. 

“How do we question someone like that?” Yongguk wonders aloud. It didn’t seem like the Werewolf even understood them. 

“You won’t be able to,” Hero interjects and Yongguk looks over at the Knight. “You didn’t notice it?” 

“Well, he was acting strange like he was –“

“An animal?” Hero finishes. “He isn’t like one. He’s a true Werewolf.” Hero didn’t want to admit it but that’s how the situation has turned out. “He felt thr