Recap on previous Chapter

Alexia runs away from Jun. K after realizing he can mind read. She over hears Chansung, Taecyeon and Junho talk about the night when a 'malum' attacked and Alexia fainted. Alexia hid away for a while but when she came out of hinding, found herself in a dark forest. Something tried to kill her in the forest but suddenly she returned back to the castle. There she tried to stay away from the sons who were approaching her only to find that whatever beast was in her daydream, had clawed her side.

However, my mind was convinced this was the end of my life. I began to feel the pain from the wound. I felt my blood pulsing through my body. I was crying earlier but surprisingly, through the pain, I couldn't cry. I felt so tired and dead that I was unable to cry. I heard a few things but the darkness took me over.

"It's too dangerous to carry her back."

"She's going to die!"

"Nichkhun, hurry!"

The last voice I heard I recognized was Jun. K. I wasn't sure when he had arrived, but he was there anyway.

"It's alright," he told me, pushing back my hair from my face, with a sweet smile on his face. "It's alright."

I had that dream again. I was in a meadow, standing all alone. The sun was setting and a light breeze blew the fringe away from my face. Instead of a wolf watching me, I was completely alone, at peace. Is this what death feels like? Because if so, I like being dead.

But faith wasn't that kind to me. I was not, in fact, dead. I was pretty much alive, and just waking up at that moment in fact.

"You're awake, Alexia?" a familiar voice spoke. 

"Dad?" was I home? Was I finally in my cozy bed where I belong in North Gate castle?

I heard a chuckle, which forced my eyes open. No I wasn't back in North Gate castle, I still remained in Serotinus. Almost in a split second, I was sitting upright, scanning my bedroom. There was a boy sitting on a stool beside me, and another man who I realized was Wooyoung.

"Don't move so quickly, princess," Wooyoung jumped from his seat, startled. I looked down to find myself in a night gown. Embarrassed, I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over my chest. I looked under to see that I was wrapped in bandages, with small stains of blood in places. As I took in a few breaths to calm myself down, I began to remember everything that happened yesterday.

"You!" I pointed my finger at Wooyoung with glaring eyes. 

"No," he simply replied with a small smile on his face, as if he had foreseen my response.

"You did this to me, didn't you?"

"And again I say, no," he said, easing back down in his seat. "Something did happen to you Alexia, something out of the ordinary, but I promise you I had nothing to do with it. Nor did my brothers," he explained to me.

"I don't believe you," I almost spoke in a whisper.

"My name is Nichkhun," suddenly the boy beside me spoke. His face was pure and gentle, with big brown eyes and curly light brown hair. He was one of the six sons for sure.

"Brothers?" I looked at Nichkhun, Wooyoung and then Nichkhun again. They nodded in response.

"What do you remember from yesterday?" Nichkhun asked me. I didn't trust him, I wasn't going to tell them a word.

"Alright, lets even up with you," Wooyoung cleared his throat. "We are the six sons of the High King, and we have these... gifts... given to us from birth," he began explaining. "At the ball, you saw Taecyeon turn into a wolf and Chansung turn into a beast, correct?" Wooyoung asked me. I nodded my head, unable to say a word.

"They only did that to protect you," Nichkhun added in.

"From the malum..." I mumbled. Wooyoung cringed and Nichkhun leaned back at the sound of that word. "What is it?" I asked them.

"It's... there's a legend that speaks of a dark witch from the Green Swamp Forest," he explained. "Well, some of that is pretty true, and the witch sends some of her beasts in attempt to assassinate the High King," Wooyoung stated. "Those are malums. They are crooked monsters that know nothing but of evil and pain," he said with terror in his voice.

"Usually they never get so close to the castle, but the witch has been using some certain powers to make them invisible and other improvements," Nichkhun added. They stayed silent for a moment, waiting for me to digest all of this information.

"So... Jun. K can read minds?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Wooyoung nodded.

"Oh," was the only sound I could make from my mouth.

"Now please tell us, what happened to you?" Nichkhun asked, leaning in, his eyes filled with genuine care.

"Well... I was hiding away from Chansung and Taecyeon because I overheard their conversion in the park," I began slowly explaining. "Then, I think, I got lost, and suddenly I was in the woods. Something chased after me... that's when I ran into you," I said, looking at Wooyoung. "That's all I really remember," I shrugged.

"A real illusion?" Nichkhun looked at Wooyoung. Wooyoung looked at the ground, thinking to himself.

Was I seriously believing everything word for word these guys were telling me? It was easy to trust them for some reason, and they seemed to nice... Seriously Alexia what is wrong with you? Trusting these guys 'cause they seem nice?!

"I'll talk to our siblings," Wooyoung said, standing upright. "It sounds like perhaps the witch herself has begun to attack the castle," he said before leaving my bedroom. Nichkhun and I watched as he walked out the door and closed it shut behind him.

"Sorry to meet you under these circumstances," Nichkhun said suddenly. I smiled, looking down embarrassingly.

"I'm sorry for causing all of this," I sighed.

"What do you mean?" he asked in concern.

"Well... I've only been here for three days, and I've fainted twice already," I mumbled quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear. He just smiled at me, looking at my face.

"What?" I asked him after a long time of staring.

"You," he stated. "You're so beautiful now that you've all grown up," he explained. I blushed a bright red.

"All of ye didn't turn out half bad either," I muttered. Nichkhun chuckled as he stood up from his stool.

"I'll be heading now. You need a lot of bed rest. You almost died from that wound and lost a lot of blood," he told me. I watched as he walked towards the door. He opened it but before leaving, he turned around to look at me.

"I'll be back to check up on you," he gave me a promise before shutting the door tight. I stayed in my bed, unable to move or do something for a long time, allowing all the information to digest. Was this really happening? But how else could I explain everything that has been happening to me? The mind-reading? That weird forest illusion? This was the explanation. A little bit of a bizarre explanation... but there are many things in our world that are unknown and still yet to be discovered. Mystical things always happen and legends of various monsters have always existed in North Gate Castle, perhaps they were all true? Or some at least?

I was about to get out of bed and reach for a book from my suitcase, which I still had not unpacked. The moment I made the first motion, I felt agonizing pain, starting from my side, reaching all the way to my toes and to my finger tips. I cursed under my breath, adjusting myself carefully back in the bed. So what? I'm supposed to just lie here and do nothing? 

I waited for a while, twiddling my thumbs. About five minutes in, my door opened and Lucinda walked in, carrying a large basket.

"Lucinda!" I called out her name in delight.

"My princess," she bowed to me after setting down the basket on the ground. "I'm here to change your bandages," she explained. I nodded my head, watching as she unpacked some medical equipment from the basket. As she changed the dressing, I felt her hands were cold but gentle. I loved the touch of her fingertips. They were so cold and it felt so nice to be placed upon my heating wound. After awkward wrapping, she finally completed the difficult task.

"Thank you Lucinda, for taking care of me so well," I told her, looking down into her eyes. I took hold of her hand. "Genuinely, thank you."

She looked up at me with her big brown eyes, as if they were about to tear up.

"Oh princess..." she sighed, looking down, her knees bending to the ground.

"What is it Lucinda?" I asked her.

"If I was taking care of you, I would have told you this a long time ago," she stated.

"What is it?" I begged of her, needing to know what she was keeping from me.

"My princess... you have to leave," she stated.

"Leave? Why?" I asked in a perplexed tone.

"Someone is trying to kill you."