The Queen looked through her magic mirror and she knew that Taekwoon and Hongbin were already outside her castle. They ran and hid behind those big pillars. She smiled wickedly and waiting for them to come inside.

Taekwoon led Hongbin to go inside the castle without the guards noticing. Taekwoon knew where the Queen had arrested Hakyeon, of course it would be in the castle prison, in the basement, because he once had seen the guards took someone to their basement when he was still a child. It was such a horrible memory and he shook it off from his thoughts. He had to focus now to help Hongbin. And he had to make sure Hongbin, Hakyeon and Jaehwan were safe when they stepped out from the castle later.

Taekwoon pulled Hongbin to run faster to the basement. He knew the way to the basement without entering the castle. He took the long route to the basement because he thought that there will be less guards there. They could hear their harsh breath and their heart beat crazily in their chest. They arrived in the basement, Taekwoon knew that because the air was different, it was more tense and more damp there. Taekwoon pulled Hongbin to the wall beside them and told him to be quiet. Hongbin nodded and they walked slowly and carefully to not making any sound. They could see a dim green light ahead of them and they hid behind those sticky green walls. Hongbin tried not to gag as Taekwoon pushed his body against the walls. Taekwoon covered Hongbin’s mouth tightly and they stared one another. Taekwoon kept looking into his eyes as they heard a small conversation between the guards behind their walls.

“How about that blonde guy?”

“Oh! They are already taking care of him! and the guy seems unconscious after he got some punishment!”

“Hmm great! And don’t forget to tie him up”

Taekwoon peeked out carefully and watched the guards went somewhere. Taekwoon’s eyes scanned the hall and he saw a small metal bar in the corner of the hall. He tapped Hongbin’s shoulder and pointed him the metal bar. They stared and nodded and then they carefully ran towards it. They saw Hakyeon was sleeping in the metal bar with his hands laying limply on his side. Hongbin wanted to cry but he held it back. he grasped the cold bars and whispering Hakyeon’s name.

“Hakyeon hyung! Hakyeon hyung! Hyung! wake up!”

Taekwoon also called his name until finally Hakyeon stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes.

Hakyeon blinked a few times and he saw Hongbin and Taekwoon in front of his cell. He smiled weakly to Hongbin, he thought that he was dreaming.

“H-hongbin” he smiled and his voice sounded hoarse and small. He reached out his hands towards Hongbin and hoping he could touch Hongbin’s hand.

Hongbin put his hand inside the cell, trying desperately to reach Hakyeon’s hands. He grunted and glared at Taekwoon.

“Do something please!! We need to get him out! Now!”

Taekwoon started to looking for the key while Hongbin shaking the cell. Taekwoon found the key on the side of the cell and he was confused. But Hongbin urged him to unlock the cell and moved faster. Taekwoon opened the cell and Hongbin burst in and hugged Hakyeon tightly.

“Hyung..” Hongbin cried in his arms and Hakyeon smiled and calmed him saying that he was alright.

“Let’s go! We can’t be lingering here or the guards see us!”

Hongbin agreed and he helped Hakyeon to stand up, Hakyeon rested his head on Hongbin’s shoulder. Taekwoon went to Hakyeon’s other side and he put Hakyeon’s arm to his shoulder and they walked towards the exit.

“Jaehwan hyung! H-how about him!” asked Hongbin suddenly.

Taekwoon grunted, and he looked around. There was no one in basement and he knew that his mother must had hid Jaehwan in somewhere. He looked at Hongbin apologetically.

“Can you make it to the exit? I will go to my mo- I mean the Queen and I will ask her where she hide your brother! Okay? I’ll be right back and please.. be save Hongbin.” Hongbin wanted to stop him but Taekwoon already ran to the other side of the hall.

Hongbin watched Taekwoon’s back and sighed. He turned to see Hakyeon and saw how weak Hakyeon looked.

“I will take you home hyung! you’ll be alright” Hongbin continued walking towards the exit carefully. He was lucky he thought because there was no guard on his way out. He and Hakyeon were almost reached the outside of the castle but suddenly the gate was closed.

Hongbin began to panic and suddenly there were so many guards around them. they were all wearing a mask on their faces. They took Hakyeon from him and captured Hongbin’s arms and pulled them back towards the castle prison. Hongbin kicked his legs and screamed. They threw Hakyeon back to his cell while they threw Hongbin to other cell.

“No! No!! Taekwoon is with me!! No! please!!”

But the guards were ignoring him. they stood in front of Hongbin and Hakyeon’s cells. Hongbin looked at Hakyeon with his teary eyes. He saw Hakyeon was clutching his chest and saw his face contorted in a pain.

“Hakyeon hyung!! are you okay?! Hyung!!”

Hakyeon bent down to the floor and screamed in pain.

And then suddenly a loud and eerie laugh filled the hall. Hongbin looked up and saw the evil Queen entering the hall. She laughed and put a big smile on her face, but she wore a mask on her half face. Hongbin’s body shook so much with anger. He heard Hakyeon grunted in pain and rolled on the floor.

“STOP TORTURING HIM!” he snapped and making the Queen looked at him immediately. Her smile stretched into a thin line and approached his cell.

“Hmm… well.. well.. if this is the most pretty creature named Hongbin, and I am so happy to finally meeting you” she leveling her gaze to him and smiled sweetly. Hongbin felt sick and wanted to erase her smile forever.

“Shut up!! What have you done to my brother! And where is Jaehwan and Taekwoon!”

She laughed and threw her head to the back revealing her long neck. Hongbin noticed that she looked kinda beautiful and looked so young.

She killed people with beautiful face and drank their blood

Hongbin shivered and he took a step back. She sneered.

“Why? They’re DEAD!” and she laughed again. Hongbin shook his head slowly and the tears welled up in his eyes. His heart hurt so much when he heard her saying that.

“No! You’re lying! No!”

“Oh? You don’t believe me? should I prove it to you?” she challenged him with her thin smile and Hongbin kept shaking his head in disbelieve.

The Queen flicked her fingers and there some guards entering the hall. They brought something looked like a wheel cells. Two wheel cells. Hongbin’s heart thumped loudly and he saw Jaehwan and Taekwoon inside the cells. Jaehwan was being tied up while Taekwoon laid on its floor, both were unconscious. Jaehwan’s face were in a bad shape, his nose was bleeding and his eyes blue and red and swollen, there was also a cut on his lips and there were so many bruises in Jaehwan’s limbs. Hongbin was sure that there must be some bruises too on Jaehwan’s body. Then he looked at Taekwoon, unlike Jaehwan, he looked so fine, like he was asleep.

“TAEKWOON!! TAEKWOON WAKE UP!! JAEHWAN HYUNG!! JAEHWAN HYUNG PLEASE.. WAKE UP!!!” Hongbin gripped the cell tightly and his body was shaking so bad. But he got no response from them, the only response he got was the Queen’s evil laugh. Hongbin slumped down to the floor and cried.

“They won’t wake up!” said the Queen simply and then she began pacing in front of his cell.

“You know I’m the greatest witch now! your friends..” she gestured towards Hakyeon, Jaehwan, and Taekwoon.. “and your lover.. Actually I haven’t kill them yet, but soon! I will kill them, if you not obey what I say!” she threatened him.

Hongbin slowly looked up and met her evil eyes. She smiled to him.

“W-what d-do you want?” he asked with a trembling voice.

“Simple. You only have to willingly give your soul to me and I will release them!”

Hongbin shocked. The Queen wanted him to kill himself. She waited for his answer, she knew that he would say yes because Hongbin was such a good and kind hearted person. She lifted her head higher and smiled triumphantly, she closed her eyes and still waiting.

“Y-yes.. I-I w-will k-kill m-myself”

She opened her eyes and smiled. her eyes turned red for a moment and she already felt hungry for his blood.

“You sure?”

Hongbin nodded weakly and closed his eyes tightly to prevent his tears.

She smiled, “You really have a good heart, young boy!”

Hongbin cried and suddenly he heard someone screamed in his head, it was Hakyeon.

Hongbin! no! don’t be stupid!!

Hongbin’s eyes snapped open and he quickly looked in Hakyeon’s cell. But he found that Hakyeon was still closing his eyes. Hongbin called him in his head, he hoped he could communicate with him through his mind.

Hakyeon hyung? is.. is that you.. are you-

Yes! I’m okay Hongbin-ah! She thought that she successes paralyzing my power but no! I finally can release myself from her magic. Look! You need to refuse her offer! NOW!

Hongbin snapped up from his scream and his body jolted. The Queen tilted her head and looked confused.

“NO! I don’t want to give you my soul!!”

The Queen’s smile faltered and she looked angry. With a quick gesture, she lifted Hongbin off of the ground and fisted her knuckles. Hongbin screamed in pain while gripped his chest.

“DON’T HURT HIM!”

The Queen looked shock and she dropped Hongbin immediately. She smiled when she saw Hakyeon stood up and glared at her in his cell.

“Oh hi little brother! Got your power back now, aren’t you? Are you great enough to fight me back?” she sneered

“Let them go! I will fight you!”

She laughed and walked towards his cell.

“Oh yeah, the last time we fought, you lose! Little brother..”

Hakyeon gritted his teeth and he started to chant something and raised his hands towards her. She was thrown backwards and hit the wall across the room. The blood spluttered from but she still smiled. Hakyeon easily out from his cells and the Queen quickly stood in front of him. Hakyeon took a deep breath and attacked the Queen with his magic. The hall turned into a red and white light from their magic and Hakyeon’s body started to shake. He put all of his energy to fight her but she seemed too strong. She smiled knowing she would win the fight until Hakyeon fell to the ground and vomited his blood.

“HAKYEON HYUNG!!” Hongbin screamed and he desperately wanted to run to him.

The Queen laughed and she decided to attack him again as she raised her hand and chanted a mantra.

“NO! NO PLEASE! I-I WILL GIVE MY SOUL TO YOU BUT PLEASE LET THEM GO!!! DON’T KILL HIM! DON’T KILL MY BROTHER!! DON’T KILL TAEKWOON! PLEASE… I BEG YOU MY QUEEN PLEASEEEE…”

The Queen smiled and she put her hand down and walked towards Hongbin’s cell. She looked Hongbin cried harder on the floor and begging her. She crouched down and smiled.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make it hard for you. You will only just eat the apple that I give you later and then you will die…” she said sweetly.

Hongbin refused to look at her, “But p-please.. don’t hurt them. let them go..”

“H-hongbin.. nooo” Hakyeon whispered and trying to get up but failed. He shook his head while looking at Hongbin.

“Please… m-make it quick” said Hongbin with a small voice.

Suddenly his cell opened and the Queen stepped in. Hongbin was so afraid but he closed his eyes and remained there. The Queen knelt in front of him and already held the apple, the poisoned apple.

“Don’t worry my boy. You only have to take one bite, and it will make you heart stop beating and… it will be over soon.”

Hongbin refused to look at her and he whimpered as his body shaking so hard.

“Open your eyes and take a bite from this delicious apple”

Hongbin obeyed. He slowly opened his eyes and reached out to take the apple with trembling hands. She smiled at him and looked at him softly.

DON’T BITE HONGBIN! DON’T!

Hongbin slowly opened his mouth and closed his eyes.

LISTEN TO ME HONGBIN!! DON’T BITE THE APPLE!!

Hongbin brought the apple to his mouth and .. bit it.

HONGBIN NO!!!

Then silence…

Hongbin didn’t feel any hurt and he collapsed to the ground and the apple slipped from his hand.

The Queen laughed and smiled triumphantly.