BGM: Remember by Gavy NJ from 숙명 OST [click here]

People started whispering. Their whispers encased her surroundings. Hanseul froze and just stared blankly at her hands. Everyone seemed to be inching away from her. She had just saved their lives. But she had no idea how she did. Even the child she had just saved had been dragged away by his mother.  

Just then, the twelve princes entered; relief and joy spread out through the crowd. 

"Your majesties!"

"Your highnesses!" 

"Sire!" 

All twelve of the princes greeted the people briefly before they went to Hanseul. Hanseul looked absolutely lost and petrified. Her frame was slightly shaking in fear and confusion. She looked fragile, and worn out by the realities of life. What had happened here? 

Leo walked over to her and waved his hand in front of her face. "Hanseul-ah, you okay?" He ask worriedly.

Hanseul didn't reply. She stared blankly ahead. Is this why they wanted her gone? Perhaps it was because she was cursed. 

She felt her frame of vision faltering when Leo gave her a hug; she realized she was trembling heavily. 

"Leo...?" She called out. 

"Yeah. Are you okay?" He repeated himself, anxious for her answer. 

There was a scream, followed by a yelp and a commotion where the vampires were being held captive. 

That shook everyone out of their stupor. Everyone turned their heads to the scene, and the princes walked over to the noise along with Hanseul and Leo, although everyone seemed to be avoiding Hanseul, making a wide girth for her in the crowd. Leo saw that they were treating his princess as if she had the plague and he hissed in warning as his eyes narrowed, searching for signs of danger. 

"What's wrong?" Suho asked the woman who had screamed. 

"They were vampires! I swear they were leeches, sire!" She started crying and sobbing frantically. 

"What... is she saying?" Lay questioned. "Are you hurt?" He asked. 

The woman shook her head as she tried to stop hyperventilating.

Kris nodded. "Chanyeol..." he trailed off. 

Chanyeol got the hint as he used his mind crawling ability to see what the woman had just seen. 

Chanyeol paled. That couldn't be right. Well, actually it could be. It all made sense if it was right.

His lips were parched as he barely let the words escape through his lips. "The vampires... they're no longer immortals. They've somehow... been turned back into humans." 

An even bigger commotion broke out through the crowd. 

Lay squatted down next to the tied up vampires and felt their wrists for a pulse. His eyes widened. "They're... human..." He said with caution. 

Kris frowned. He couldn't have this break out into a scandal. "By the our decree, you are all to keep quiet about this incident. Chief Raeun, please send these people as captives back to the capitol to be interrogated." 

The betas nodded at Kris' orders. 

Hanseul began trembling even more. Her whole body shook in trepidation and apprehension. What just happened? That wasn't her doing? Was it? This couldn't be reality. 

Suho looked to Kai. "We're gonna need you to teleport us home." 

Kai nodded. Usually, he wouldn't, but they needed to get home for security purposes.

And within a snap, all fourteen of them were back in the palace. Hanseul looked so vulnerable. She was locked into her sights. She had done something unthinkable, but yet she was so frightened by what she had just done. 

It was strange, but the princes wanted