“What?!” MinWoo almost jumps in surprise once he heard DongWan’s news. Eric, who was in his myth form sits in Indian style while hovering, looking from MinWoo and DongWan.

                “Who is this HwaYoung you speak of?” Eric asks in a raspy tone.

                “Lee Hwayoung, our fellow classmate” DongWan informed. “There’s no doubt that she’s the one”

                “How could the muse just hide in front of you?” Andy asks. “I mean, why is she not cover herself?”

                “That I do not know” DongWan said. “Hwayoung transferred to our school by the first term of middle school year, that’s when I got a different feeling”

                “Why would a muse just appear?” Eric asks.

                “Maybe she does not know about it yet” MinWoo said “It makes sense... having to claim her right as the muse here makes everything connect” Eric frowned.

                “Something is off about all of these” Eric said seriously. “I know there is a claim of right for muses... coincidentally... at the time that I am too weak” Andy looks at Eric pensively.

                “Brother... have you felt anything?” Andy asks.

                “Feel what?” Eric asks, looking at his youngest.

                “Our 5^th brother’s natal yesterday” Andy said and Eric seemed surprised and looks at DongWan.

                “Natal?” DongWan frowned. “I am sure that our brother’s natal is in next month”

                “An unlikely event happened, brother... a beast has given birth at some animal preserve yesterday...” Andy said. “An unlikely birth of a cross breed beast when it did not undergo any mating sessions” Eric looks at Andy anxiously. His realm, the space became in the shade of deep purple.

                “Brother... I must look into that beast immediately” Eric said in worry.

                “But brother... you are too weak” MinWoo said. “Allow me to go”

                “No, you must be here by all means and help defeat the muse” Eric said. “We cannot let all those chasers to get to our vulnerable brother”

                “But... the beast’s mother is overprotective of her young, we cannot come close and the young one needs its mother nurture” DongWan said. “We cannot separate them yet”

                “I know... but it’s best to keep watch” Eric said. “We cannot let anything happen to him while he’s in his vulnerable state”

                “But tonight’s the claim of right for the muse” DongWan said, Eric gave him a hard look.

                “I do not give a damn about the claim; our brother could be in danger at this moment.” Eric said harshly. “Be sure to keep an eye on our human and keep her from any harm. And the claim of right—let it be, we have more important matters”

                “What should we do?” MinWoo asks.

                “Keep Hana from all harm by all means” Eric said seriously. “And you mention about the suspicious human named Lee HwaYoung, keep her away from our Human” With that said, Eric, with all strength opens the portal from his realm to Earth.

                “Wait... isn’t he too weak to even do anything?” Andy asks out of concern.

                “It is still a wonder how our eldest brother can muster enough strength when it comes to us” DongWan said seriously.

                “So what are we going to do about HwaYoung?” MinWoo asks.

                “You heard our brother... keep her away from Hana” Andy said.

...

                Hana didn’t move from her place, it’s quite strange that no one even bothered to come in. Her classmates must be really enjoying their time and then here she is... laying on the bed staying ‘safe’ at the moment. It’s not new to her... she’s been alone all her life. Her family is too busy with work, her sister’s in a school dorm same with her younger brother. Only she decided to enter that school because of Dongwan. Solitude is all too familiar to her and all she could do is to sigh.

                *sighs*

                This time, Hana gives a heavy sigh... the room is completely quiet if one ignores the rain outside. Having to put in a similar situation as she was in her house, she felt that there’s really no difference. All she could do right now... is to wait.

                *Knock knock*

                Hana turns her head sideways as the door opens. It was one Hwayoung. She smiled at Hana and Hana just rolls her eyes and just stares at the ceiling. She didn’t budge as Hwayoung enters the room quietly and sat on the bed beside her.

                “Why don’t you come out, Hana?” Hwayoung asks kindly.

                “None of your business” Hana said curtly, not even looking at Hwayoung.

                “Hana, just because DongWan doesn’t want you to come out doesn’t mean you should follow his orders” HwaYoung said.

                “You won’t understand” Hana said quietly. HwaYoung chuckles.

                “I think I do” Hwayoung said and Hana looks at her suspiciously.

                “You and DongWan...” Hana said softly with a soft gaze on her face. “You guys are different, aren’t you?” Hana’s eyes widen but she didn’t speak.

...

                Eric, with all his might went towards the human world. He doesn’t know why but he’s getting weak by the moment he stepped in. He hovers, trying to get the direction to where the wild beast is. He looks towards the east of the region and felt the cry of the young beast, Eric’s heart fastened as he recognize those cries. His brother’s cry...

                Eric grins as he too, was eager to see his younger brother after so long of re-spawning. He made a sharp speed towards the area. He knows that the young beast is still dependent of his mother but he cannot let anything happen to the young one. His current plan right now is to take care of the young one and Hana... the muse can be taken care of later. The reason to why Eric needs to reach out to the wild beast is that the myth chasers can easily kill a new born beast because it has a mortal form and Eric cannot let that happen. Of course the wild beast can be born again, but it takes quite a long time.

                Soon, Eric arrives at some animal reserve. He watches below... as humans come and go and watch all those animals encaged inside. Eric watches in disgust as the humans smiles and points at the animals in delight. To Eric... that reserve do not prolong any animal’s life... the beasts belong to their own habitat or else it will never survive too long. He then hears a soft cry of the young wild beast... Eric flies towards some frozen habitat.

                Stepping inside the habitat, he finds a small cave where he believed that the mother lives. Although there is a mirror where humans can see, they can’t see him walking. As soon as Eric enters the cave, the beast’s mother shots her head up to see who’s there. The moment the beast sees Eric, it growled dangerously and covers something fluffy behind her. Eric smiles at the mother brown-ish white-furred mother. He understood that the wild beast’s natal mother will always be protective in terms of its young, it knows the danger it’s young has.

                “Calm down, I am not going to hurt you or your offspring... I would like to see my brother” Eric said and the pizzly bear seemed to understand his words.

                The bear gave a small grunt and sneezed a bit before moving a bit to let Eric see her young. On a heap of hay... is not the usual furry little bear that is expected to be seen... but rather, a human covered with fur. The fur was white as snow on his head, body and thighs, but his forehand and leg’s fur were brown. Eric went towards the young one and smiled at the sight.

                “So you’ve done your transformation, Junjin?” Eric asks. He calls him JunJin as the Winter Prince names him. The winter Prince became the 2^nd one to take care of the young wild beast when it is already away from his mother. Eric looks at the mother who was sitting staring at its young one. Eric scratches her ear and it shows delight and comfort. “It’s going to be hard from now on... but I will protect him with all the strengths I have” The mother pizzly bear grunts and lays beside its young one.

                Eric hears the mother’s voice. “Humans are far more cruel creatures than among us... I do not want him to take the life in this habitat”

                “What do you wish me to do?” Eric looks at the mother as she lets a few moans of cries out, it’s eyes were filled with nothing but sadness.

                “Living in this forsaken place is nothing more than a dreadful life” Said the mother pizzly bear while looking at her offspring.  “This young one deserve a free life or else he’ll die, but I want someone to care for him if I am not by his side anymore”

                “if I may... I would like to take the young one under my wing.” The mother pizzly bear grunts at him. “Your off spring is in danger not only to humans but also to our enemies. I need to ensure his protection” The mother bear looks at Eric, staring into his golden eyes and then at her offspring.

                “I understand...” The mother bear said sadly. “But I wish to stay with him a little bit longer before he goes” Eric smiles at the mother bear and scratches her head.

                “Then I will stay here until the time you decide to let me have him” Eric said and sits beside the mother pizzly bear. “I will stay here and protect you both”

                With that said, the mother pizzly bear then lays beside her young and starts to doze off while Eric looks out the cave and mutters a few encantions. He felt that more and more of his strength is leaving him and if he uses more strength, he’d be in the deep slumber in no time. He just wished that he could take JunJin with no obstructions... though he highly doubt it. Somehow... he felt like his time is coming in closer... his chest is hurting more and more yet... he can never blame Hana for it. He understands Hana as human can never control emotions.

                Eric sighs heavily with a shaky breath... wishing that at least the Winter Prince would just forgive him and help him.

...

                “What do you mean?” Hana glares at HwaYoung who just raised her brows.

                “Hana... to tell the truth... I know you have feelings for DongWan and yet... you guys stayed as friends” HwaYoung blurts out. Hana felt a tinge of pain in her heart, but she reminded herself not to get hurt any further, she remembered what andy said about her hurting herself and what will happen to Eric.

                “I don’t need you to tell me this” Hana said coldly. Hwayoung glared at Hana.

                “I know why you’re cold towards me, Hana” HwaYoung said calmly yet dangerously. “I didn’t do anything towards you... you just can’t accept that DongWan’s eyes are on me” Hana felt angry.

                “Then you must know why I dislike you so much” Hana told her. Hwayoung smiled.

                “Actually Hana... although I know I can’t compete with all the years you spent with him, but I... I like DongWan” Hwayoung said seriously and Hana felt like she’s being stepped on.

                “Why are you saying this?” Hana asks coldly. Hwayoung smiles a bit.

                “I talked to our teacher yesterday about pursuing someone... to confess to them and she advised me to just confess my feelings to let him know how I really feel... though she doesn’t know it’s DongWan. But I think you should know about this too...” Hwayoung said with a smile. “I want to go after my happiness... and just because you’re closer to him than I am... it won’t stop me”

                Hana was speechless, deep inside her she wanted to scream and hurt her with all her might, but her mind tells her not to. She was surprised that HwaYoung would say this to her in her face. What is she trying to do? HwaYoung looks at her kindly and smiled.

                “Hana, even if you do not approve but I won’t hurt him” HwaYoung said and with that she left. Hana was ventilating... she cannot understand why. She felt her insides were burning and her body is shaking tremendously. Hana tries to control herself, holding in her anger within her. She tries not to get hurt, but she can’t avoid it.

...

                Eric grunts in pain as his chest gave yet another painful tug. He sensed that Hana must have felt pain... he breathes heavily and a walk slowly towards the cave’s opening. The mother pizzly bear raises her head, looking at Eric. He then leans on the opening and grunts heavily... his innards are shaking and he felt his body is decaying. But that’s not the only problem he has now... before his eyes were a few myth chasers... their mystical bows pointing their arrows to him.

                “No... I will never allow you to touch him...” Eric said with a shaky breath. He mutters a few incantations and spreads his arms sideways. “Not... a single step!” Eric yells out as the myth chasers fire all their arrows towards him.

...

                “Our brother’s in trouble!” Andy suddenly yelped as he stood fast. All of their classmates were just staring at him. MinWoo and DongWan on the other hand gasp in worry. “I have to go” Andy said and walks out of the room.

                “Let’s go” MinWoo and DongWan follows Andy as he enters the underworld through his own portal.

                “DongWan, brother... you should stay here” MinWoo said.

                “What?” DongWan frowned at minWoo.

                “He’s right, brother... you need to take care of Hana’s protection” Andy said seriously as he slowly changes his form into his original form.

                “I see” DongWan nodded and withdraw from entering the portal. MinWoo and Andy disappears inside the portal and the portal closed. DongWan sighs heavily and turns around to walk towards to Hana’s room.

                “DongWan!” Someone called him. He turns around... to see HwaYoung.

                “Yes?” DongWan asks.

                “I need to tell you something” Hwayoung said...