Lay POV

I watched in shock as Chanyeol lifted Areum out of the auditorium. 

“Areum?” Jaehyun gasps from beside me.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. Appa said she would come back in 3 days, not two. She wasn’t supposed to know...yet.

What will she think of us now?

    My body moved on its own, exiting the auditorium as quietly as I could. A door swung shut the second I entered the hall. In the room I see Areum staring blankly, her eyes unfocused, zoned out. Chanyeol had his hands on her arms, his lips moved but I couoldn't hear a word. Areum didn't respond, she continued to stare off into the distance. The only movement came from her trembling hands. Jaeyoung and Jaehyun walked into the room eomma and appa behind them.

At the sight of appa, Areum’s eyes teared and filled with undeniable, unstoppable rage.

“I trusted you.” Areum’s whisper echoed dripping with lethal rage.

“Areum let me explain-“

“I accepted you. I left my real family.”

“We had no idea-“

“I should’ve stayed with my real family. They don’t lie to me. They don’t sentence my best friend to death” Her voice trembled, not in fear, but in absolute anger. The look in her eyes scared me. I never knew she could look so scary. 

“Areum listen.”

“No you listen. I want to see proof that you are my blood family. I want to see how you can legally take me away from my family. I want solid proof of Adela’s involvement of whatever mass murder you accused her of.”

“There are photos of her. Photos I know you don’t want to see.”

“Don’t act like you know me. You don’t.”

Pain stabbed my heart. What made Areum’s words worse was how emotionless they were. She said them like they were cold hard facts.

And they were.

We don’t know her-I don’t know her. As much as I like to delude myself that I know Areum well I don’t. Hell, Chanyeol probably knows her better than I do. 

“Fine, I will show you.” Appa conceded, something he rarely does. Eomma ushered us out, tears brimmed her ice blue eyes. 

The last glimpse I get of Areum was a blank expression void of all emotion. Her eyes hollow.

What have we done to her?

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          Muffled shouts and screams came from the room. The twins sat side by side, covering their ears with pained expressions. Eomma ran off the minute we exited. She was probably in as much pain as Areum.

No.

Areum was in much more pain. Like me eomma barely knows Areum. Adela knew-knows Areum better than all of us. Areum loved Adela more than all of us. It hurts to admit this but it is the truth.

Three things cannot be hidden long: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

      That’s a saying D.O always used. D.O and I, we used to be friends back when we were young, back when no one shunned us for befriending another dynasty because we were innocent kids. But we grew up, like every one does, and we came to realize that our dynasties are the place for us. It made my heart swell when Areum befriended Kai and D.O, my childhood friends.

  They too new her better than I did.

   They spent more time with her than I did. Yes, Areum lived with us but most of the time the twins are preparing for the choosing ceremony. Especially the past few weeks, it had gotten moved up several months. Appa and eomma always worked, the recent rebel attacks have made appa and eomma busier than normal, and I help out the hospital as much as I can. I am training to became a healer. My trainer says that if the more rebel attacks happen healers will be in higher demand. Meaning I would get a job. Actually, I would get a job either way. Believe it or not there are very few pureblood healers that work in hospitals. Most are private healers that only heal when paid. Others heal on the front lines, the dead zone. Unknown to humans, royals are fighting a war with Yomi, the closest nation to Ametria. Though we are not connected by land we fight over sea and the islands in between us, the Isles Of Death. Happy names I know.

“NO!”

Another muffled shout came from the door, disrupting the comfortless silence. The people inside the auditorium probably had no idea of what was going on just behind the doors.

Lucky them.

“This door.”

Two burly men, both from the sea dynasty flanked my eomma. I looked up at them. Eomma locked eyes with me, guilt. Guilt filled her eyes. I knew what she planned to do.

“You can’t. Eomma no. You are going to make things worse.”

    Ignoring my protests she barged into the room, not sparing me another glance. More screams came from the room. They were louder and more aggressive than before. I heard Chanyeol’s distinct voice shout words that were lost in the wall. The twins jumped to their feet, worried.

“What are they going to do to her?”

“Sedate her.”

    At the hospitals any patient or visitor that caused a ruckus got sedated. They’re doing the same to her. They are treating her like a patient, a crazy patient. Jaeyoung and Jaehyun fell silent. Unlike other times, I disagreed with my parents. They shouldn’t sedate her, not when she’s mad at them. Not when she regrets ever staying with us. Appa exited the room, Adela in his arms. She looked peaceful, happy even, but frail. She was still scarily skinny.

“YOU BASTARD YOU’RE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM!”

Chanyeol roared at me as he was dragged out the room.

The rest of them…

The Counsel.

  Chanyeol and the counsel don’t have the best history. His father was charged with treason when he was 7. The reasons were vague. They accused him of adultery, fraternizing with humans, and revealing his powers to humans. There was barely any evidence. But revealing your powers to a human is treason.And treason is punishable by death.

  This was another time I disagreed with my parents. Chanyeol’s appa would never cheat or let his powers be known by humans.

      I was 10 at the time.

   Chanyeol was 8…

    The twins followed our parents obediently. They are not me, they never questioned our parents or the counsel. Very few have the will to question the counsel. And even fewer outright say they do not trust the counsel.

   The two men eomma brought with her held Chanyeol who was panting heavily, struggling in their grip.

“You…”

Chanyeol said raggedly.

“I thought you were-I thought…I thought the old Lay was still in there.”

His words sent an arrow through my heart.

He’s right here.

The old Lay is still here.

I want to answer, but I can’t. I am not like Chanyeol. I do not want to be known as the human lover, more so now that humans are rebelling again. What would appa say if he found out I didn't trust the counsel?

What would he do if he found out I didn't fully trust him?

Chanyeol scowlsed at me but I saw hurt in his eyes.

It’s not what you think Chanyeol.

I haven’t changed.

I haven’t changed.

The men dragged him away. He didn't struggle. He had no fight left in him.

And neither did I.

He looked back at me. He didn't say anything. His eyes said it all.

Our last remaining tie of friendship broke. Just like that.

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   I did not recognize the Areum that stood in front of me. Nor did I recognize her voice. It was as emotionless as the wall she stared at. She shuffled lifelessly about the house. She didn’t speak a word. It had been 4 days since Adela and her siblings were sentenced to death. Areum had become thinner again; she doesn’t eat. No one, at least in this household, has heard her utter a word. Areum doesn't look at appa. She barely looks at the rest of us. I hate it. I would rather have her scream and hit me than ignore me. I want her to scream at me at least then she is acknowledging my existence. At least then she is speaking to me.

“Areum come here.”

She ignored abeoji. He hated it when people ignored him. His tolerance was starting to grow thin.

“Areum I said come. Here.”

She continued to walk away. Appa’s hands clenched along with his jaw. He was angry. The room turned tense, everyone held their breath. You could hear a pin drop.

“Why are you ignoring us?”

Silence.

“We did not make Adela kill 98 people. I did not capture her. And I did not sentence her to death.”

In the blink of an eye, Adela whipped around. She glowered up at appa. If looks could kill appa would be dead by now.

“Do NOT lie to me. You are on the counsel and it was a unanimous vote. That means you voted for my best friend to be killed.”

She looked at abeoji in disgust, a snarl tugging at her lips.  Her voice came out raspy and hoarse, but the anger in it was still evident. Appalled abeoji stared wide-eyed at Areum. The twins glanced at appa in shock. Chanyeol must have told her. I didn’t know appa voted for the death of her best friend too. He lied to us all.

“I know people that don’t lie to me.”

“What was I supposed to do? We have solid evidence that she killed 98 of MY PEOPLE”

“It isn’t her. Adela would never kill 98 royals.”

“She must have hated us more than you thought.”

“SHE DIDN’T KILL THEM!”

Appa took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

“There are photos Areum. PHOTOS! You saw them.”

“I don’t CARE. I won’t know for sure unless I talk to her. Let me talk to Adela.”

“I can’t do that.”

The spark of hope in Areum’s eyes goes out, just like that.

“And I can’t be your daughter.”

   With that Areum stormed out the dining room.  Not without giving us one last look of hate and distaste. At this moment I knew. I knew that we just broke the already strained family tie we had with her. Nothing tied us to Areum anymore. All we have left of in this room is broken ties.

What have we done to her?

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   At school both Chanyeol and Areum ignored me. Chanyeol and I barely talked but when I tried talking to Chanyeol, he acted as if I didn’t exist. Like Areum he didn’t even look at me. It hurt.

It hurt so much.

   Chanyeol thinks I am like the twins. I am not. I love the twins dearly but they mindlessly consume everything the counsel tells them, everything our parents tell them. Ever since I was 10 I begun to question the counsel. Ever since they accused Chanyeol’s appa I questioned them.

    Chanyeol was in the same classes as Areum. Although Chanyeol and I aren’t friends anymore, I know he would protect Areum. Not to mention Kai and D.O, they were fiercely protective of their friends. They used to be protective of me.

   Every time they saw the twins or me they gave me the death glare. In training, they avoided the twins and me and still gave us heated glares. They reminded me of a wolf pack, the four always stayed close in a tight group. They always surrounded Areum. Areum exceled at training, thouhg she still couldn’t use her powers. She channelled her anger into the fights it made her deadly and her concentration increased. Unlike most people, when Areum gets angry in a fight her moves become sharper and her focus increase, most people’s moves become sloppy and they lose concentration. She’s different.

She will always be different.

“Lay…Earth to Lay.” Suho snaps his fingers in my face.

“You okay? You don’t usually zone out during training.”

“I’m fine.”

Suho didn't believe me.

I glanced at the clock, training was almost over.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

“CLASS DISMISSED!”

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Areum POV

“CLASS DISMISSED!”

  Hee Chul shouted and students stampeded out the room.  Chanyeol, Kai, and I waited untl the last of the students trickled out before leaving. D.O wasn’t at school today, Kai knew why but wouldn’t tell us.

“Mama”

A little girl giggled, right behind me. I snapped my head to the side, peering behind me. No one was there.

“Shh Daiyu. We have guests, you must be on your best behaviour.”

I looked all around me but only Chanyeol and Kai are in sight.

"Areum? Areum?" Kai said.

I closed  my eyes tightly.

When I opened them I saw a woman with silver hair and tan skin smiling down at me, love written all over her beautiful face. She spoke in the strange language I always hear in my dreams. Her eyes were mismatched, one of them was blue and normal looking whilst the other was green and  had a looked like a crocidile eye, the pupil was a pointed oval instead of a circle. Her skin was golden and shiny. She looked like she is in her late 30s. Her hair was silver, almost white, and long and curly like mine it ended at her hip. Moonlight danced on her silky hair. A pastel blue dress hung off her body, the fabric flowing slightly. Silver lines the edged the dress. The sleeves hugged her arms. A ring of silver and turqoise stone was wrapped around her finger.

Pain attacks my head as images flood my mind. I could see Kai and Chanyeol again.

What is happening to me? Am I going crazy?

I ran out of the training roo and down several halls. Leavind Kai and Chanyeol confused.

“Yes, mama.”

  A little girl-Daiyu, with pale skin, that almost glowed, and purple hair that faded to white, grinned at the older woman. Her amber and red edged eyes turned in to bright crescents. The little girl wore a dress similar to that of the older woman. Except the little girl’s dress was white. She looked a lot like me. Daiyu is the name from my dream. The name I am called in my dreams.

This little girl...is me.

It became hard to breathe. My knees buckled and I claw at the wall closest to me. My other hand clutched at my throat.

They walked down tall beautiful halls with murals of wars and gods. I trailed behind them. It was hard to see, the only light came from the large windows. And even then only moonlight lit the way. The halls looked like those of a castle.

“Mama mama! Wolf wolf!”

The little me pointed behind the woman at  window. There was no wolf to my relief.

“Wait until the moon is full darling.”

“But mama I want to see Yuki-“

"AREUM! AREUM!" The familiar white walls of Idris replace the halls I just saw.And Kai's familiar voic called out for me, Chanyeol echoing him.

Crashing sounds echo through the halls. Their voices disappears.

“WHERE IS SHUI?” A male roared. The older woman’s face turned dark. She lifted the younger me up and rushed into a room. I just managed to enter the room behind them. A tall window with no glass covered most of the wall opposite of the door. A dark forest is all that can be seen below. Water surroundedthe castle. The floor was at least on the fifht floor. The room was empty. Murals covered the remaining wall. Mean and women in white, I assume they are sky dynasty, threw spears and arrows at a group of people in brown and green. The people in brown and green, I think are terra dynasty; hurled axes and swords at the sky dynasty. It depicted a war...

“Shh sweetheart. Don’t make a sound.”

“Mama…what’s happening?”

“Bad people are coming to take me.”

The little me began to tear up.

“I don’t want the bad men to take mama.”

“Don’t cry Daiyu. Stay strong. Mama is going with them so they don’t take you.”

The older women-Shui wiped her tears. Shui glided to the window and let out a long sad whistle. It echoed across the forest. Footsteps ran to our room. Panic ran through my veins as they got closer and closer.

“Remember mama loves you.” She gave the little me a hug. She kissed the younger me on the forehead before picking me up. I stood beside Shui. I glanced down at the ground below. White wolves circled at the ground below us.<