Getting away from her parents after telling their story wasn’t half as difficult as the pair expected.  Once the tea was finished and cleared away, Sang-Kyu pleaded business he had to attend to and Myung Hee begged that she was tired just from hearing about their adventures.  Neither Summer nor Eunhyuk were inclined to argue as her parents hastily departed, followed by Soon Bok as they retreated to their room.  It was clear they did not want to discuss anything further regarding Summer and Eunhyuk’s presence here.

                Amber eyed them for a moment longer after her parents left.  She couldn’t quite hide the curl to her lip as she realized how uncouth her older sister was and the man who came with her was practically barbaric in comparison to those she usually associated with.  When they noticed her scrutiny, she simply sniffed once and then headed for the doorway on the left before the kitchen area, clearly focused on something else.

                While Summer and Eunhyuk were trying to think of some way to get Autumn on her own, the young woman regarded Sage with a practiced gaze and suggested, “Don’t you have practice or lessons you need to attend to?”

                “Autumn!” he retorted, disgruntled.

                “You know Olren was looking for you earlier to work on your abysmal riding skills,” she chided, a slightly superior air about her as she addressed her younger brother.  At least she could ride without falling off, even if they did make her sit side saddle.

                “What about you?” he demanded instead, annoyed.

                Autumn covered a bored yawn with her hand politely and looked at him out of one speculative eye.  “I have plans in the garden,” she told him, perfectly sensible.

                Sage made a face and grumbled some more as he stood up and made his way out the front door.  The riding gear he could find in the stables and what he was wearing now was perfectly acceptable for getting ready to ride in.  Olren would scold him for heading out without shoes, but that was about it as riding boots were among the many pieces of equipment in the stables.

                Summer and Eunhyuk were alternately amused and concerned about Autumn’s handling of her younger brother.  They waited until the youngest departed and then jumped in surprise when the young woman addressed them directly, coming off as older than the fifteen years she really was.  “I don’t suppose you would care to see the gardens, would you?” she offered politely, every bit the genial hostess.

                The pair exchanged looks and nodded slightly.  “We would,” Summer smiled, rising to her feet quickly and pausing to wait for a slightly slower Eunhyuk to follow suit.  Sitting for a prolonged period of time had made them both stiff, but it showed most prominently in the wind elementalist.

                “Thank you,” he bowed politely towards Autumn, unsure how to act otherwise.

                “This way, please,” she stood up and curtsied before gracefully gesturing for them to follow her.  Quietly, she led them back the way they had come from, down the hall with the guest rooms and through the door at the end which led to a smaller hallway off to their left.  In an offhand manner, she noted that the door directly in front of them led to the training hall but their destination at the other end of the hall.  Easily, they walked down the smooth, hardwood floor until they reached another set of doors.  Autumn guided them through the door on their right.

                It opened up into a vast and beautifully manicured garden, filled with all manner of flowering vines and plants.  There was a very elaborate fountain in the middle of the enclosure, illuminated perfectly by the sun which filtered through the large glass dome above.  The ceiling was full of such windows so that everywhere they looked, rays of light touched upon the menagerie of plant life beneath, neatly trimmed back from the various walkways threading across to either side.

                While the pair was dumbstruck by the beauty of this place, Autumn confidently led them directly to the fountain where four benches were stationed around the stone structure.  At the top of the cascading waterfall was the symbol of the Neutralizer, a mirror image to the one that Summer wore around her neck.  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered breathlessly, feeling Eunhyuk pause at her side with a similar expression on his face.

                “Yes it is,” Autumn smiled, a genuine expression now and not the carefully maintained façade she had been wearing up until a moment ago.  “Please.  Have a seat,” she gestured at the first bench before she settled herself at the furthest part, much more relaxed in this place where the sound of running water could help hide casual conversations.

                Eunhyuk placed a guiding hand against Summer’s elbow and maneuvered her to the bench where they both sat down together.  “You changed,” he remarked curiously as he looked at Autumn carefully.  The mask had come down and it was easy enough for even him to see.

                Autumn laughed lightly and nodded.  “The first thing you learn about life at court is to never let them know anything is wrong.”  Her sigh was heartfelt as she lamented that necessity.

                “Why?” Summer asked as she peered up at the symbol she wore.  Duplicity was not something they had been overly exposed to in the monastery and the concept was strange to them.

                Unsure how to explain it to one that had grown up entirely ignorant of court politics, Autumn struggled to come up with a fair analogy.  “Imagine court as being the same world you faced on your way here, but filled with more traps,” she suggested with a small shudder.  “Amber is better at that game than I am,” she admitted, looking around to make sure they were still alone.  “You should see her at a ball.”  A vaguely envious expression crossed her face as she recalled her sister’s skill in entertaining so many persons at once, usually handsome men.

                Summer frowned and Eunhyuk looked uncertain.  “So is court life why mother and father avoid the subject of Enrhyll?”  the neutralizer asked carefully, her eyes narrowed as she politely ignored the semi-sappy expression her sister wore.

                “Shhh,” Autumn gestured frantically as she snapped to attention at the sound of that name.  “I don’t know all the details but we don’t speak his name here if we can avoid it.”  The admission seemed to frustrate her as she wrestled with something in her thoughts.

                “Why not?” Eunhyuk pressed as he leaned forward slightly.  They had both noticed the tension that had appeared automatically when they had asked about the situation in Lornhaldt.  Sang Kyu had definitely wanted to avoid it.

                “I’m not sure.  Things changed so much when he rose to power.  We didn’t go to court anymore and we avoided the capitol.  I have not been back since he took over,” she shook her head sadly, remembering the sights and events they had been able to participate in before this foul time.  Intently, she counted the years and chirped in surprise.  “We haven’t really left the manor in two years now.  I hadn’t realized,” she murmured, her eyes turning thoughtful.

                “Did he threaten them?” Summer asked carefully, trying to pull the pieces together.  The Silverbergs were a well-known family and they made no attempts to keep it secret that Sinrielle and the Neutralizers came from their line.  If Enrhyll had felt even remotely threatened by the possibility of another Neutralizer coming from their line, he might well have had something to say about it.

                “I think so,” Autumn admitted after a pause.  “Mother and father won’t say it outright.  They keep the masks on all the time, but I’ve heard mother crying sometimes; when she thinks no one can hear her.”  Uncertainly, she played with her hands in her lap, eyes glued to them so she wouldn’t have to meet their gazes.

                Eunhyuk frowned at the explanation and he took a deep breath.  “Even so, they do nothing against him?”  His displeasure was clear in his tone and Summer and Autumn both looked at him in surprise.

                “They are trying to keep us safe,” Autumn defended them immediately, her tone becoming upset at the unwelcome prod.

                “Safe,” Eunhyuk laughed bitterly as his eyes turned sad.  Like them, he had wanted to keep his family safe too, but that had not worked out anything like he had thought it would.  “If he did threaten your family, safety is an illusion he lets you cling to.  You will never be safe from him until he’s gone,” the wind elementalist murmured fiercely, his good hand clenched tightly into a fist on his lap.

                “But he’s left us alone,” she plaintively explained, even as the wheels turned swiftly in her head and her gaze turned pensive.

                “Maybe he has left our family alone, but he’s taken away your freedom all the same,” Summer added slowly as she looked at Eunhyuk.  She looked around at the garden with new eyes and shook her head.  “Just because it is gilded and comfortable does not make it any less a cage.”

                Autumn felt tears prick her eyes and she stood up in front of them, distressed.  “And what would you have us do?  If we fight him, we will die,” she argued heatedly.

                The elementalist and the neutralizer regarded her calmly and then looked at each other, eyes lingering on the hurts they had already suffered and acknowledging the ones that were unseen as well.  “And yet that is the risk we were expected to face when we inherited the power of the elements,” Eunhyuk stated bluntly, his eyes meeting hers, steady and intense.

                “Because you have the power to face him,” Autumn muttered.  “What do we have?  Nothing!” she stated abruptly, turning her back on them as she struggled with her emotions.

                With a heavy sigh, Summer stood up and turned to face the fountain as she spoke, her eyes locked on the symbol at the top as she gripped the amulet in her hand tightly.  “No power…no freedom.  Don’t tell me you’ve lost your pride too.”

                “What?” Autumn sniffed as she scrubbed at her eyes hastily before she turned to look at her sister in confusion.

                Summer released the amulet and reached out to Eunhyuk, smiling when he grabbed her hand as she hoped.  “For generations, our families have maintained the pact to always have a descendent ready to pick up where the first Elementalists left off.  That is a heavy responsibility, no?” she asked softly, looking at Eunhyuk who nodded in agreement.

                “And what does that have to do with pride?” Autumn asked weakly, unsure what her sister was getting at.

                “Everything,” Summer and Eunhyuk said at the same time.

                “Right now, I’m not proud to be a Silverberg,” Summer stated simply, taking heart from Eunhyuk’s quiet support.  “And I dare say Sinrielle wouldn’t be either.”

                “You might be surprised,” Myung Hee spoke up as she approached from the left side of the garden, her voice filled with a variety of emotions just then.  Behind her, Mi Cha followed demurely, hands clasped politely in front of her as she followed habitually.  It had not been her intention to eavesdrop but they were difficult to miss.

                “Mother!” the sisters exclaimed at once while Eunhyuk bowed awkwardly, embarrassed to be caught in such a debate.

                Myung Hee stepped up to Summer as she watched her daughter with sad eyes.  Both her daughters exuded nervousness and she couldn’t blame them.  It did not take her more than a moment to realize what Autumn might have been discussing with them and while she knew that Sang Kyu and herself had done the best they could to keep them in the dark, their children were neither stupid nor blind.  “Summer,” she murmured softly before she tentatively reached out to trace the hair back behind her ears and looked at her face in wonderment.  Time had shaped the features of the little girl she remembered into a grown woman who had experienced more than she would ever know.  Almost awkwardly, she trailed her hand down to her shoulder and then carefully enfolded the younger woman in her arms, pressing her close and simply allowing herself to feel the daughter she had given up so long ago.

                Summer froze in her mother’s embrace, confused by the reaction and the different woman she had just been presented with.  “Mother?” she asked softly, feeling the muscles loosen slowly as her body responded to what she had never had growing up but always wanted.  Tentatively, she let her free hand drift up to rest against her mother’s back as she felt a further degree of tension uncoil inside her.

                “Oh my little girl,” she breathed, remembering the young woman as she had been years ago when they had taken her to the monastery so long ago.  “I never imagined I would see you again,” she whispered into the red hair softly, so that only Summer would hear.  Finally, Myung Hee stepped back and looked at the neutralizer intently before she spoke in a low, restrained voice, “The Silverbergs have not lost their pride, but…  Come,” she beckoned as she released Summer and waited for them to follow.  “There is something I think you should see.”

                Their curiosity piqued, the tantalizing mystery was too powerful to resist and as one, the trio followed in the wake of Myung Hee.  She guided them back out the way she had come, Mi Cha quietly in tow, and led them into a similar hallway from the one on the other side of the garden.  She opened the first door directly in front of them and escorted them into a large room with various stations in several degrees of completion.

                It seemed to be predominantly a women’s room with the standing loom, a needlework table and some smaller hand instruments favored by the ladies at court.  There was also a standing easel with a blank canvas ready to be attended to and a large shelf of books along the farthest wall with several plush chairs and loveseats spaced around the room for lounging.  There was another smaller room directly to their right as they stepped through and it was to that door she led them.

                “This is the recreation room,” she murmured in explanation before she reached the room that was her target.  “And this room is solely for the Silverberg women,” she whispered softly, meeting Summer’s and Autumn’s gazes intently.  She regarded Eunhyuk briefly, his nervousness apparent as he looked at the three women but remained silent.  “You will come too,” she stated, nodding at Mi Cha to stand at attention at the door while she removed an ornate key from inside the wrist of her gown.

            “Why are only women allowed here?” Summer asked, clearly mystified.

                “Because Sinrielle requested it to be so.”  The lock slid open with a quiet snick and she pushed the door inward, well-oiled hinges leaving an eerie absence of sound.  Inside, the room was poorly lit and Myung Hee stepped in with the ease of familiarity as she moved to the back and lit a match stick, using the small flame to light a series of covered candles around the room.  “Come in,” she beckoned as the light grew brighter and revealed more of the interior.

                As the three filed in, the door was quietly closed behind them and they looked back nervously, feeling as if this was something forbidden.  “What is this place?” Summer asked, glancing at her sister to see her reaction.  It was clear Autumn had never been inside either by the open curiosity on her face.

                Gently, she touched Autumn’s and Summer’s shoulders as she walked past them from where she had shut the door and moved to stand beside the desk there as she watched their reactions.  “It is where we store the last vestiges of Sinrielle’s personal items.  Items she requested that were not to be discarded upon her passing.”

                The room itself was remarkably sparse, with only a handful of things worth noting.  One set of shelves held the aged but still recognizable sash she had worn in her time that Summer and Eunhyuk had seen in her picture at the monastery.  What appeared to be a swaddling cloth was neatly folded on another shelf nearby.  A wedding gown, so fragile and delicate that it looked as if it might crumble at the slightest touch, was draped over a rack meant for fitting purposes.  At the back of the room the desk had a handful of other items resting on top of it.

                At first, they appeared to be fairly innocuous.  A simple wedding band lay next to an aged and deteriorating journal that was centered on the surface of the desk.  On the other side of the journal lay a delicate hair pin, elaborate and carefully etched with the symbols of the elements along the length of it.  Two names were carved deeply into the top of the desk above the journal.  Kang Dae and Jin Ae.

                “Why did she want to keep such things?” Autumn asked as she stepped towards the hanging gown looking very much as if she wanted to touch the aged garment.  Propriety kept her from doing so but it was clear she was entranced by the stunning piece.

                “You’ll have one too,” Myung Hee laughed lightly as her eyes crinkled in amusement.  Autumn flushed slightly and stepped back, focusing on her mother instead. The older woman sighed as she played over Summer’s question in her head.  She fidgeted with her hands briefly before resting her fingertips on the top of the desk near the journal.  “Sinrielle was not born a Neutralizer.”

                “Oh!” Eunhyuk started as he remembered something.  “She was in an order that worshipped the elements.  Right?” he asked excitedly.

                Summer rolled her eyes but smiled when Myung Hee looked equally amused.  “Yes.  She was a priestess in the Order of the Elements.  Not only that, but she was also married once.”  Blank surprise washed over their faces at the astonishing news.  “Kang Dae,” and she pointed to the first name on the desk, “was only a low level priest in their order.  His family was not of any noble birth and he had no power beyond the order.”

                “But if she was married, why didn’t we know of him?” Autumn asked, having grown up with the heritage of the Silverbergs around her and yet she knew nothing about this man.

                Politics…  Myung Hee kept the thought to herself though and ran her fingers over the names lightly.  “With the honor of becoming the Neutralizer, her status, and that of her family, changed.  Kang Dae was no longer worthy of being her husband, according to her father, and so he had their marriage annulled.”

                “That’s terrible,” Summer murmured, aghast.  Hesitantly, she moved to stand beside her mother and reached down to touch the names, almost apologetically.

                “She was married to another noble and this has been our home ever since,” Myung Hee sighed.  As one who was familiar with the words within, she traced the outline of the journal with a delicate finger and murmured, “This is the journal of her life, shortly before she became the Neutralizer to where she simply stopped keeping track…”

                Eunhyuk moved closer to look at it over Summer’s shoulder.  “So does that mean she speaks of the Elementalists too?”  They had vague memories they had been given by the respective spirit that had imbued their power to the related vessel, but they were hard to recall and make out clearly.

                Myung Hee nodded, smiling fondly at some of the easier to read segments she had gone over.  The words were faded and some of the pages had started to fall apart, but most of it was still legible, if time consuming to decipher.  “They were an interesting group,” she recalled, a playful smile pulling at her lips as they reminded her vaguely of her children growing up.

                “Does she explain how they were given their power?” Summer inquired as she nudged the wedding band with her finger, her eyes drifting to the hair pin on the other side of the journal thoughtfully.

                “Actually.  I think she does make a mention of that.”  Gingerly, she opened the top cover of the book and thumbed through the pages as she skimmed the words, sparking memory for the parts she didn’t recall as well.  “Perhaps her story might be able to help you in these dark times.  Please,” she turned back to gesture at them to find a place to listen or rest as was their wont.  Carefully, she pulled the chair back and slid into the wooden frame, her gaze intent on the journal as she organized her thoughts.  She listened to them settle behind her before she tried to begin.  Intently, the trio sat on the floor and waited with baited breath for the words to begin.

                Slowly at first, as Myung Hee had to recall what she had read when she as much younger, she pulled together the life of Sinrielle as she lived in the Order of the Elements.  It was fulfilling and she even found love with Kang Dae.  Because of their positions in the order, they were allowed to marry and she gave him a daughter, Jin Ae.  It was not more than two years after that when she was summoned, in a dream from the gods, to a place unfamiliar to her.  Such a vision was not lightly dismissed and so she was divinely guided to what is now known as Moorhall at the foot of the northern mountain range.  There she waited for another sign, which came in the presence of six individuals who were as mystified by their summoning as she was.

                The first to arrive was Sungmin, an herbalist and self-titled healer of the small village of Hawdale in the westernmost part of the continent.  Young and cheerful, he had a sweet face, expressive brown eyes and dark blond hair that didn’t quite want to stay flat.  On that same day, a stocky shepherd by the name of Shindong made his way into the village from the hills near Denmer Lake.  He had forgone the shepherd’s crook in lieu of more travel worthy gear but he had an infectious smile and could make you laugh, no matter your mood.  He was recognizable by perpetually mussed looking hair he was habitually brushing out of his smiling coffee colored eyes.

                The second day, a beautiful man arrived by the name of Heechul.  Most stunning perhaps was his porcelain skin and flowing auburn locks, artfully pulled back out of his face with deceptively mild eyes and a smirk that would stay with you for days.  One would not have thought that he was a blacksmith by any means, but he could produce some of the most delicate and stunning pieces of work I had ever seen and sold them most successfully under his father’s mercantile business based south of Mount Balaron in the village of Almspring.  Donghae, on the other hand, who wandered in later that day, was vastly different with an impish smile, liquid pools of dark chocolate eyes and shorter, wind-blown dark brown hair.  We found that he was a fisherman who had traveled from the ocean village of Wellnor in the southern part of the continent.

                Our third day of waiting brought us Ryeowook, a nimble sailor hailing from the port city of Nanton, and Yesung, a self-proclaimed merchant of information from Lornhaldt.  The former seemed better suited to life at court than among the rough waters and gusty winds of a ship.  Sharp, slightly feminine features dominated his face, but he had a pair of uniquely perceptive eyes and black hair that settled neatly above his eyebrows and ears.  The latter was infinitely harder to read but at first glance, he appeared quite enigmatic with an easy smile, observant eyes and a thick head of equally black hair that he somehow managed to keep under control.

                We came to learn that all of us had been called by the same dream I had followed, to the Seat of the Gods.  It was a place only the most devoted followers tended to travel to and here we had found ourselves climbing up the mountain with a small party of villagers to help guide the way.  Myung Hee paused to summarize, “Sinrielle details the trip up the mountain but seeing as you’ve been there, I think we can move forward.”  She nodded briefly to the pair she referenced and continued on.

                The Seat of the Gods was a place of great power, settled in a valley free of the constant snow and wind.  In that place, one could feel the presence of the gods by merit of simply being there.  As we did not know what we were supposed to do, we spent the night and were called during our rest to awaken.  In the middle of the valley, six seals rose from the ground, each bearing the symbol of an element.  A seventh seal rose in the center, the combination of all six.  As if in a dream, we were called to each seal in turn, upon which rested an amulet with a small, glowing stone attached in the middle of each elemental symbol, save mine.

                We donned our amulets as the gods bade us and felt the power infuse our bodies, not from the amulet itself, but from the glowing stone attached to it.  Thus, we came into our power and our journey together began.

                “In the days following their rise to power, Sinrielle was very excited about this change.  The young men, all unmarried and full of life and the desire for adventure, kept her entertained and as their exploits grew, so did their friendship.  She recognized that each had been chosen from a profession that had a great deal of exposure to the element that had been bestowed upon them so Heechul had great respect and knowledge of the fires he wielded; Donghae’s ability to read the waters he used to fish in extended to the very moisture in the air as well, becoming their weather predictor.  Sensitive to the earth, Shindong could tell them of encroaching guests or enemies while Ryeowook could hear whispers on the wind.  Yesung was never afraid of the total darkness the shadows could provide and Sungmin was always quick to light the way in their darkest times.  And Sinrielle, having grown up with the knowledge of the elements all her life, could calm their fury.”

                Myung Hee traced the pages almost reverently as she paused and glanced back, seeing the mixed emotions on their faces.  Eunhyuk and Summer understood most of what she was talking about as they had seen it and experienced it themselves.  “So did she not go back to see her family?” Summer asked, confused.  They knew the stories of how the Elementalists had tamed the surrounding lands and helped to craft such things as the earliest bridges and fortifications in some of the smaller villages.

                “Now that is a good question,” Myung Hee murmured as she regarded the book again.  “Sinrielle did try many times to return home, but the Elementalists found that when she was not with them, their control over the power they wielded became unpredictable.”  Summer and Eunhyuk looked at each other worriedly.  “After Heechul nearly destroyed himself and Shindong almost dropped them all into the earth, Sinrielle found she could not take the chance they would die because of her absence.”

                Summer found Eunhyuk’s hand beside her and gripped it tightly.  Kyuhyun had almost destroyed himself when she was present…  She swallowed her worry and took a deep breath, “So she gave up on them?”

                While Myung Hee didn’t quite snort, being too polite to do so, it was clear the question amused her.  “No, dear.  The Elementalists would go with her to see her family in the early years.  They knew Kang Dae and Jin Ae and would often make excuses to go see them before they became too well known.  Heechul actually crafted the hair pin as Kang Dae requested to give to Sinrielle.”

                “So when did she become unhappy?” Autumn asked, as she fixed her mother with her gaze.

                The older woman shook her head lightly.  “She gets very vague about that part.  I know she didn’t get to watch Jin Ae grow up past her sixth year.  Sinrielle was young when she got married the first time, barely sixteen, and had her daughter the same year.  She did write of missing Jin Ae on her twenty third birth year.”  Carefully, she closed the book and turned back to look at the trio.  “The names of her father and the man she married she left out of her journal.  Her writing changes though, after that point.  It’s shorter and there is not as much warmth anymore.”

                A brief pause settled over the small group as they absorbed what they had been told until Eunhyuk, who had been fiddling with his amulet, glanced down thoughtfully.  “Excuse me, but did she mention what happened to the amulets?” he asked, eyeing a small indented spot with intense interest.  Sinrielle had written that the amulets had a glowing stone attached but his didn’t have one.

                “Ah, yes,” Myung Hee gestured a confirmation as she combed her memory for that entry.  It had been near the very end of the journal.  “It had to have been years later, but she explained that eventually, the Elementalists did not need the amulets for their power anymore.  It had become a part of them and so they had the Northsage Monastery built in the Seat of the Gods and stored the amulets there for safe keeping.  One of her final entries tells of how she had taken the seemingly lifeless stones of power from the amulets and as a final parting gift, bestowed them to Kang Dae and the Order of the Elements.”

                “Well that explains why there’s an indent here,” Eunhyuk pointed out, showing Summer first and then letting both Autumn and Myung Hee take a look.

                Summer looked at hers with interest before she shrugged.  The Neutralizers in her family had been born with that ability and did not gain it from a stone of power or a spiritual transference.  A deep sigh escaped her as she finally came to a disheartening conclusion.  “So Sinrielle actually resented the Silverbergs.”

                “Some,” Myung Hee agreed reluctantly.  “There are simply times when we must do things we would rather not.” While she did not admit it, she implied she was not happy with the current situation either.

               A quiet knock on the door briefly startled the group as they had forgotten they were not completely alone.  “Milady?” Mi Cha asked softly through the door.

                Myung Hee stood up and carefully made her way to the door, pointedly not opening it yet.  “Yes, Mi Cha?”

                “Master Sang Kyu requests your company in the study, milady,” she answered promptly.

                “Of course,” the Silverberg woman responded with a sigh.  “Kindly let him know that I shall be right there,” she smiled and nodded when she heard the response.  Likely, he had sent Soon Bok to retrieve her and the young lady would relay the message for her.  “Forgive me, children,” she turned and curtsied politely to the trio.  “I must ask that you leave as well.”

                Patiently, she waited for the group to stand before cautiously opening the door and making sure the way was clear before gesturing for the three to head out, locking it behind them and then hiding the key again.  “Thank you, mother,” Summer bowed slightly, uncertainty shifting across her face.

                Uncertainly, Myung Hee reached out as if to place her hand against her daughter’s cheek but stopped halfway there and let her hands come to rest in front of her.  “We shall talk more later.”  She nodded in acknowledgement to Eunhyuk and then suggested to Summer, “And take care of your friend here.”  Amazingly, they watched as the mask slid back into place again as she focused on Autumn.  “Come on, young lady.  Your room is in shambles,” she tsked in amusement as she looped her hand through her other daughter’s arm and guided her out of the room with Mi Cha following along quietly behind.

                “But mother…” Autumn started to say before a single look from Myung Hee halted the words.

                Summer and Eunhyuk exchanged glances uncertainly.  She had certainly not expected anything like this and she doubted very much that he had known what to expect either.  “So my family history is a lie,” she murmured softly, a mixture of disappointment and sadness.

                Seeing how the thought distressed Summer, Eunhyuk wasn’t sure how to respond.  In an attempt at levity, he sent a tendril of wind to blow her hair back and out of her face, prompting an instant grin.  “Better,” he nodded with a smile.  “And no, it’s not a lie,” he told her firmly.  “It’s just not as perfect as you were lead to believe.”  Reassuringly, he placed his good hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

                Summer smiled again and stepped closer to hug him lightly, mindful of his injuries.  “Thank you, Hyuk.”

                Surprised at first, Eunhyuk just glanced at her, seeing she was nearly as tall as him, but then he wrapped his arms around her in turn and breathed, “You’re welcome.”

(a/n:  I know this was a long one but there was a lot to explain.  :S  I hope it's not too confusing and if you have any questions, please ask.  ^_^  I did want to give a special thanks @ Kaicho who absolutely made my day and made me smile with your comment and @ brattygurl who's questions and remarks I very much appreciate.  I hope this chapter helped to answer your questions too.  Thank you to all my readers who continue to follow me and you really make my day just letting me know you're still here (@ inaxina).  As always, I will try to have the next update as soon as possible.  Much <3 and have a great day!)