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Morning soon arrived, and Taeyeon found herself waking up early even though she stayed up the previous night to accompany Jessica. Cracking her neck, she stretched a bit before she made her way towards the room where Jessica was in almost automatically. Very gently, she turned the doorknob and took a peek inside. Jessica’s peaceful sleeping face made her smile without knowing it.

“Taeyeon.”

“Oh my gosh!” Taeyeon jumped when she was about to close the door and someone’s voice sounded from behind her. It was Tiffany. “You gave me a shock Miyoung ah!” However, when the serious expression on Tiffany’s face stayed, Taeyeon soon found herself frowning. “Is…something up?” She asked cautiously after she closed the door.

“I kinda need to…talk to you about something.” Something about Tiffany’s tone was scary to Taeyeon.

“Oh… Okay, let’s go to the pool or something then?”

“Yeah.”

Taeyeon realised that she was sitting back at the same spot after merely a few hours, but what Tiffany had to say was bothering her too much to feel the same feeling of relaxation like the previous time she was here. “So…what’s up?” Taeyeon dared to ask.

“Do you like someone?” Tiffany’s question almost caught Taeyeon offguard.

“W-what?”

“You like someone, and you know it, right?”

“I… W-why?”

“Can you not like…her…?”

“What? Why…? Because…she’s a girl…?”

“What no. You can date a girl for all you want. Just…not her.”

Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean just not her? What’s wrong with her?”

Tiffany bit her lower lip as she pondered over her reply. Hesitantly, she muttered, “It’s not you, nor her. You just…shouldn’t date her.”

“What? Fany ah you’re not making sense. Why can’t I date her?”

“Well because—”

“Tiffany.” A voice at the entrance startled the both of them as they snapped their necks towards the voice.

“S-Sunny ah…” Tiffany stuttered.

“Didn’t we agree not to tell Taeyeon our personal opinions?” Sunny dropped Tiffany a blank stare, but Tiffany could see the warning in those eyes. Rolling her eyes, Sunny turned to Taeyeon next. “It’s nothing Taeyeon ah. She was just worried that Jessica may harm you since…you know, we’re Rebels and she’s a Guardian.”

“Huh? Didn’t you guys explain enough the other day?” Taeyeon asked, confused.

“Yeah. I mean, she might not believe us. She might even think that we’re on the side of those Rebels you see. But I told Fany that her concerns were uncalled for. I didn’t think that she’d still come looking for you.”

“I…” Tiffany finally spoke up again, but when her eyes met Sunny’s cold ones, she only sighed. “Yeah. Sunny’s right.”

***

The Royal Army, together with Taeyeon, was having breakfast at the long table. Exhaustion was obvious in everyone’s eyes. Even so, fire was burning in those exact same eyes. The respect each and every one of them held for the royal family. Jessica was quietly eating when her phone rang. It was Krystal, her phone said. Absentmindedly, she picked it up.

“Mm hello?” It wasn’t completely silent at the other end, but there was no response. “Hello?” She waited for another second or two. “Soojung ah?” Frowning, Jessica pulled her phone away as she eyed the screen. The call was still connected. Putting it back to her ear once more, she spoke in a louder voice, “Jung Soojung.” By this time, all eyes were already on her. Jessica didn’t know why but fear was creeping up inside of her. “Soojung ah say something.” Her heart was thumping wildly each second she didn’t hear Krystal’s voice. “Soo—”

“Un-unnie…” Shivering. Krystal was shivering.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?” Jessica asked worriedly.

“J-Jaesuk ahjussi and h-his family are all d-dead…”

It was the family that had given both the Jung sisters shelter all those years, and the fact that they were all dead also meant one thing – Krystal would be next.

“S-Soojung ah find somewhere to hide. I’ll go get you right now!” Jessica stood up before she even completed her sentence.

“Jessica what’s wrong?” Sunny asked.

“My sister… My sister’s gonna get killed. I need to get her!”

“I’ll go with you!” Taeyeon, too, stood up.

“Fany, you go with them. Keep me updated,” Sunny directed her words to Tiffany, who nodded back immediately.

Tears were welling up in Jessica’s eyes while Tiffany drove. Taeyeon took Jessica’s hands and she patted those hands gently, hoping to give her just a bit of comfort. They reached the apartment in no time, and the three of them rushed out of the car. In almost perfect synchronization, all of their eyes turned silver.

Jessica hesitated for a moment before she turned the doorknob as she swallowed her saliva. The house was in a complete wreck. It wasn’t long before they caught sight of three bodies – Jaesuk, his wife and their son. Jessica closed her eyes as she tried to swallow her tears down, but when Krystal popped up in her mind again, the anxiety attacked her once more.

“Soojung ah…?” Jessica gently called out, but there was no response.

“I don’t sense any Guardian here Jessica…” Tiffany spoke up abruptly.

“My sister isn’t one of us… Only my dad was a Guardian and it didn’t happen to Soojung…”

“H-help…” Taeyeon’s heightened sense of hearing picked up a voice in the kitchen.

“There!” She pointed towards that direction and all of them rushed over. However, it wasn’t a welcoming sight.

“Krystal!” Jessica was about to scoop Krystal up when the girl stopped her.

“Unnie don’t… My bones are all…shattered… I can’t… I… Don’t…” Krystal could only mumble weakly as tears flow down her cheeks. She was in pain, and Jessica was fighting hard to suppress her emotions.

Her hand trembling, Jessica gently placed her palm over one of Krystal’s, and that was when she noticed the pool of blood near her sister. Fearfully, she quickly scanned Krystal’s body with her eyes until she caught sight of the blood oozing out from a deep wound in Krystal’s stomach.

“Unnie… Who are…those…people…? Why d-did they want to f-find you…? But I… I didn’t tell them h-how…to find…y-you…”

Jessica only shook her head. “Soojung ah…” Her voice trembled. “It hurts a lot, isn’t it?” Krystal could barely hum to the question, indicating how much pain she was in. Jessica bit her lip, not knowing how to tell the next words to her sister. Then, she brought herself to do it. “Baby sis close your eyes.”

“I can’t… I…I won’t wake up a-anymore if I-I do…”

Krystal’s words only caused more tears to flow down Jessica’s cheeks. “Just close your eyes,” Jessica said yet again. “Come on. Listen to your sister Jung Soojung.”

“Unnie…” Krystal’s tears kept falling. Jessica only smiled as she gently nodded, and then Krystal complied.

Jessica cleared all of a sudden, and then she started singing.

Will you think that you’re all alone
When no one’s there to hold your hand
When all you know seems so far away
And everything is temporary, rest your head
I’m permanent

Taeyeon and Tiffany only stared at the girl as their tears fell silently.

“Sleep, Soojung ah,” Jessica pained herself to say as Krystal slipped into permanent unconsciousness.

Slowly, Jessica stood up. She clenched her fist as her Pulse flashed a threatening silver. “Lee Chaerin you ing .” She mumbled under her breath, her eyes darting towards the entrance of the house.

“Jessica wait!” Before Taeyeon and Tiffany could react, Jessica had already dashed past them, right out of the house.

[A/N] 3/12/2014

First of all, I'm...sorry that Krystal had to die in this story because I don't usually deal with character deaths in ongoing stories but...I had to do it for this. Sorry to JungSis supporters.

On the other hand though, Krystal's death is paving the way towards the last fight and the ending of this story so...look forward to it! I'll be back soon, I hope.

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