A bowl of green grapes was set in front of him, a table set to have diner, white golden plates over a black table cloth. He had been playing with his fork, moving the grapes around the plate. He was far from feeling hungry, exhaustion was all that he could think of. An excruciating exhaustion that forced his eyelids to close, to make his body stay still, not moving an inch or his muscles might fall out. He was holding onto the fork with his left hand, his right hand under his cheek as he looked to the front, at the crowd of people eating and chatting happily, completely unaware that their leader was too exhausted to even be there, enjoying his meal with them.

“Jiyong,” Taemin said as he sat next to him. Jiyong looked at him with tired eyes, and Taemin frowned. “You look dead, how are you?”

“Dead. What is it?” Jiyong said, not making any effort in sounding convincing, nor strict.

“It’s about the summoning. I was talking to my brother and we both decided you’re not yet ready to summon such powers.” Taemin said as he grabbed a grape and threw it to his mouth. Jiyong let out a sigh and nodded, his right hand feeling numb, the sensation of needles running through it as the blood flowed with difficulty.

“Well, I agree with that.” Jiyong said. Taemin nodded. Jiyong looked to the front, and Jonghyun walked in, his face as stern and serious. That made Jiyong frown and straighten himself. Jonghyun sat next to Taemin, not muttering any word at all.

“And my brother illuminates us with his presence.” Taemin said, patting Jonghyun’s shoulder. Jonghyun shoved his hand away and held his plate, serving himself a bit of food. Jiyong frowned as he looked at Jonghyun, who, he could tell, was avoiding his gaze.

“Jonghyun.” Jiyong muttered, almost out of breath. He looked at his hands, his skin was turning pale. Taemin noticed the tone of his voice and looked at him with narrow eyes. Jonghyun looked at him quizzically, then looked back at his plate. “Jonghyun, look at me.”

“What do you want?” Jonghyun snapped. Jiyong gulped and nodded.

“Are you alright?” He said, making an inhuman effort as a strange pain was running through his veins. Jonghyun scoffed and set his fork down, looking at his hands.

“What would you care, Magna Veneficus?” Jonghyun hissed. Jiyong tried to stand up, but his body wasn’t cooperating. He cleared his throat and nodded.

“I do care, I’m not your Magna Veneficus, but your friend. Is something the matter?” He said with clear difficulty. Jonghyun finally look at him, the intensity of his eyes lessened as he saw Jiyong. Jiyong tried to smile, but his lips trembled. He felt his whole body trembling, his face was starting to get sweaty as his body heated up.

“Jiyong…” Jonghyun muttered. Jiyong coughed, at first, it was just soft coughs that could be easily ignored, but then increased, making everyone stare at him as he put a hand over his mouth, covering it.

“Master?” A servant said. Jiyong tried to look up, and when he put his hand away, he saw blood on it. Taemin stood up abruptly, holding his shoulders. He looked up, and the pain worsened, making him pant while he held onto the tablecloth, closing his eyes until the gush of pain subsided.

But it didn’t, and he panted heavily, almost screaming as his limbs felt like falling off. “Traven!” Taemin said, shaking his shoulder slightly. Jiyong shook his head, coughing out more blood.

“Where is she?” Jiyong said between pants. Taemin looked at him with narrow eyes, but Jonghyun widened his.

“Last time I saw her she was in the woods.” Jonghyun said. Jiyong let out another scream, his head collapsing over the table. Taemin pushed him back, holding his face steady. Jiyong was starting to feel distant, his mind going on around as his eyes looked to the ceiling, then back at Taemin.

“Jacek…” Jiyong muttered, “Find her. Bring her back…” Jonghyun nodded and stormed out of the dining room. Everyone was slowly standing up, rushing towards Jiyong. Taemin put a hand forward, stopping them all.

“I am sorry, but our Magna Veneficus isn’t feeling well, he will have to retreat early tonight. My apologies.” Taemin said as he lifted Jiyong’s limp body from his chair.

“There’s no need to apologize, I have noticed our leader has been quite sick lately. He needs the rest.” A woman, who was standing close to the table, said. Taemin nodded and carried Jiyong out of the dining room. Jiyong panted as Taemin walked him back towards his room.

As they entered, Jiyong collapse on Taemin’s arms, almost knocking him out of his feet. Jiyong gasped as the pain finally took the best of him, and he could only scream. Taemin put him on the floor, shaking him as Jiyong flinched and panted. “Traven, look to me.” Taemin muttered, but Jiyong could only scream in response.

Jiyong’s screams alerted the house, and through his wide open door, Dara stormed in, her face white as paper as her hands, already blue, started to rub each other. “Tristan, allow me please.” She said as she knelt down next to Jiyong. Jiyong looked at her and tried to smile, but another gush of blood escaped his mouth. Dara shrieked as tears fell from her eyes, her hands firmly held on top of his chest.

“Erlina…” Jiyong muttered. Dara shook her head as she tried to heal him. He put a hand over hers and held it, his weak muscles only could slightly touch her, but it was enough to make her cry.

“You’re dying on me!” She said as she slapped his chest softly. Jiyong coughed again, more blood came out of his mouth.

“Maybe… it’s my time…” He muttered. Dara shook her head.

“Tristan’s not prepared, neither am I so please! Please don't die now.” She sobbed. Taemin jerked his head back, and Jiyong looked at him.

“I can hear something.” He said as he slowly stood up. Jiyong coughed again, the pain growing agonizingly stronger. He screamed one more time, and everything turned dark, the voices were muted; the pain had stopped.

The darkness was all that reign over the place, but fortunately, the pain had stopped. She could hear distant murmurs, sounds of voices so familiar to her, but her body was completely still, completely limb. She tried to scream for help, but after all the efforts she had made to stay awake, darkness had finally took over her.

“Over here!”

“I think I found her.”

“It’s her.”

“Is she dead?”

She shook her head, trying to talk, to let them know she was there, but nothing came out. In the distance, she could feel hands over her, moving her, carrying her. She had never felt more happy and relieved than that exact moment. She felt her head moving sideways, and as the person who was carrying her walked, she felt her heart beating again, one beat at a time, strong and powerful, like screaming to her, telling her it was there.

She tried to smile, but her body wasn’t cooperating, only her heart, beating every time faster, more loudly, stronger. She couldn’t tell how long, it could have been hours, maybe minutes, but as her heart started to beat faster, her breathing got back, and with a loud gasp, she sat up, her eyes snapping open as her head starting to throb with an agonizing pain. She put her hands on her head, panting as the pain drove her crazy. She opened her eyes, light hurting her as she did. It was morning, or maybe afternoon, she wasn’t sure. She noticed her body was covered in brown satin sheets, it wasn’t her room. The vanity was made of mahogany wood, the walls painted in beige, the curtains were white, and the windows were widely opened, showing blue sky with white clouds, a clear, sunny day. She panted again as the light hurt her eyes and her head throbbed furiously.

“I will most kindly ask of you to never try to kill our Magna Veneficus again, Insegnante.” She heard the voice of a man saying. Her eyes quickly searched for the source of the voice, and they landed at a sofa next to a beige wall. In there was a man, skinny, his hair dark red, his eyes dark in the shadows of the corner. But even in the shadows, she could easily identify him. Taemin, a mysterious, handsome man, one she could never decipher what he was thinking or what he was going to do, to her eyes at least.

“W-What?” She said out of breath, the pain on her head was starting to get unbearable.

“You heard me. I like you, you’re an interesting person, but I am seriously overprotective over my family, so please, abstain yourself from killing Jiyong again.” He said as he stood up. She noticed he was dressed in a black suite, a white buttoned shirt slightly ed, showing his chest, where faint black marks hinted a tattoo on his chest.

“I… I didn’t wanted to do that.” She said. Taemin scoffed and handed her a pair of pills. She looked at them with narrow eyes.

“For that headache.” He said. She nodded and grabbed the pills, shoving them down . He handed her then a glass of water, and she drank it eagerly. It has been too long since she had drink some, and her body needed it like crazy.

“Thanks.” She said as she gave him back the glass, now empty. “Where’s Jiyong? Is he alright?” Chaerin said. Taemin let out a sigh and nodded.

“Almost alright, let us say.” He said as he sat back on the same couch. Chaerin nodded and extended her hands, touching the point of her fingers as she looked at the sheets.

“I don’t understand–”

“How this works? Well, it’s pretty easy.” Taemin said. Chaerin looked at him, her eyes wide. “Your powers are bound together, and the stronger the bond, the stronger the power. And as it grows strong, you can’t be apart, not in hopes of never coming back. Was that what you were thinking?” Taemin said. Chaerin felt caught red handed, and her face flushed as she looked down, nodding slightly.

“Yes…” She admitted. Taemin let out a sigh and nodded.

“Our powers are fifty percent body, fifty percent mind. Think about leaving, your body won’t resist.” He said.

“Why? Why can’t I go back to my old life?” She said, almost pleading, she realized.

“Because that life was a hoax, a lie. This is your normal, real life Chaerin.” Taemin explained. Chaerin shook her head.

“I don’t want this.”

“And every time you try to leave thinking like that, it’s another chance for you to die miserably out there, killing Jiyong along with you.” Taemin said, his eyes boring into hers. She gulped and nodded. She had never felt so threatened before, but something about him, about his stare, his eyes, made her shiver, sent a cold through her body, stiffening her completely.

“Who is he?” Chaerin said. Taemin looked at her confused, for the first time, she saw vulnerability on his intense eyes.

“Pardon me?” He said, crooking his head. Chaerin took a deep breath and gulped.

“Who is Jiyong?”

“The Magna Veneficus?” Taemin said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Chaerin shook her head and lifted her hand, then dropped it.

“Who is he really? I’ve seen him before, seen his face, it’s not coincidentally that he will have the same face, after so many years, so many lives.” She said. Taemin chuckled and nodded.

“You have the same face as Jocelyn.” He said. Chaerin widened her eyes and pointed at him.

“And how do you know that? Answer me, please someone explain to me what kind of freak show have I got myself into!” She said, throwing her hands to the side. Taemin chuckled, and as he got comfortable on the chair, the door opened. Chaerin looked to the side, her eyes slightly widening as she saw Jiyong standing there, a cane holding his body weight. He looked pale, weak, his eyes had dark half-moons under them, his cheeks were hollow, his hair a golden mess as his hands slightly trembled, looking as delicate as hers.

“I believe I should answer that, so you have a better idea of our ‘freak show’ thing.” He said, walking slowly into the room. Chaerin felt instantly guilty at his delicate state. “And by ‘freak show’ I mean that world you were born into, just hidden from it.”

“I…”

“Now, allow me. You want to know who I am, right.” He said. Chaerin nodded, slightly opened. She hadn’t noticed she had kicked the sheets off and was now sitting at the edge of the bed, facing the sofa. Jiyong slowly sat down on it, looking at her with such fierceness she thought she would melt right there and then.

“Who are you…” She echoed. Jiyong nodded and put the cane aside, his hands over his lap. Taemin moved a bit aside, allowing him to sit more comfortably. For a moment, Chaerin thought he had aged more than a hundred years in one night.

“My name is Traven Salvatore,” He said. Chaerin was eagerly listening to him. “I was born in the spring of 1564.” Chaerin’s eyes widened.

“W-What?” She said out of breath. Jiyong nodded, his hands moving to the arm of the chair.

“Strange number, right?” He said with a chuckled. “Impressive century, everything was peaceful, even if people called it the worst years. I had a great childhood, I can’t complain.” He said. Taemin was chuckling at his side. Chaerin noticed how Jiyong looked at him, full of love, of understanding.

“That’s not possible… you only look–”

“Twenty-six? Of course, I’ve been 26 for more than four hundred years.” He said. Chaerin gulped. “I’m immortal, just like Jonghyun, and Dara, and Taemin here.” He said. Chaerin looked at Taemin with wide eyes.

“I’m exactly 445, Traven’s 450.” Taemin said. Jiyong rolled his eyes and smacked his head.

“Like I was saying, I’m immortal, and have been for, like Tristan most humbly expressed, 450 years.” He said. Chaerin felt nauseated, suddenly she was sweating cold, her hands trembling.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Well, that’s the trick question, isn’t it? It is because of a curse that we are bound to remain alive, to look at death, but not be part of it.” Jiyong explained.

“That eloquent way of speaking… Can’t you talk like a normal person? A bit more New York-ish?” Chaerin said.

“I’m half Roman, can’t talk like that.” Jiyong said. Chaerin let out a sigh.

“Still, that doesn’t explains what does that has to do with me.”

“Well, you already know you’re Jocelyn Caelestis reincarnated, Lee Chaerin, what you don’t know is that you have been her reincarnation for more than four hundred years.” Jiyong said, and now his voice was full of sorrow. “Have been living the same things over and over for more than four centuries, as all of us, salve you have the gift of Death on your hands, we have the curse of watch you die over and over again.”

“I can’t believe this.” She said, holding her head between her hands. “This is just too much.”

“What is too much is what you did to–” Taemin said, but stopped in midsentence. Chaerin looked at them, Jiyong was looking at him with an intense stare, something about it talked to her about menace and threat. She gulped.

“Is there a way to–”

“Break the curse? Yes, there is.” Jiyong said. Chaerin crooked her head.

“And why haven’t you done it?” Chaerin said. Jiyong smiled and looked down, at his trembling hands.

“Because,” his voice was almost a whisper, “I haven’t been strong enough.”

“Strong enough for what?” Chaerin said. Jiyong smiled and looked at her, his eyes deep in sorrow.

“Strong enough to kill you by my own hand.” 

Gily's Notes: So, does this answers a few of your questions? I bet you have a few more, he he he considering all those "little" details out there... >D

Enjoy my dears, I'm off writting next chapter so hopefully it'll be done either tonight (it's 1:19pm here) or tomorrow :D

Happy Reading ~

Gily ♥