Mina strolled casually at the old hallway of the Kingdom’s castle; with her intriguing beauty she caught the attention of the other Twice guardians as they whispered about her. But not all things about her can be all good, gossips about her coming from the thrice dimension flew across the castle but she couldn’t give a damn as she was just here to guard another once.

To be honest, she doesn’t even remember much about Thrice dimension. All she remembers is that it wasn’t as bad as everyone thinks of. Everyone that was sent there from this dimension will forget all their memories from the Twice dimension and will only regain it if they’re sent back home.

Memories shall be erased from the guardian of the east

Because of the punishment from the terrible beast

Fate was a monster that sets the players in the Game

Even if the players was only playing inside a tiny frame

She stopped at a huge oak door, before knocking stiffly. She was greeted by JYP who sat at the in his throne at the very middle of the grand hall. The lights were dim as it was late afternoon, soon to evening. Mina blinked her eyes lightly from the lack of light to adjust her vision.

“Oh, Mina. I’m glad you’re here. I thought I should’ve sent someone for you.” The supreme leader smiled at Mina coldly and the latter shivered as she made eye contact with the man. Yet, she kept mum. Her lips formed a thin line as her eyes twitched a bit as she noticed the young man beside the supreme leader.

“Mina.” The handsome young man gave a smile as he tried to get close to the lass. However, he was stopped by JYP who gave him a stern glare.

“It is fine your majesty. I came as soon as I’ve been told to come. I apologize if I took so long.” The young lass bowed before getting on one of her knees.

“And it’s an honor to see you here too, Prince Mark of the Seventh kingdom.” Mark pursed his lips before looking at Mina longingly and apologetically. It was useless though, as Mina’s heart was already into pieces the moment she fell for him. What done is done, Mina thought.

Time shall be left with a broken heart,

To be able to love another beating heart

But fate was cruel as she made Time a player,

And made it so the Time will also be a loser.

She flinched when she felt a stinging pain on her wrist and quietly hissed as she glared at the witch who casted a bonding spell on her.

“That’s your mark. Go and study that girl. Information about her is implanted on your memories now and I want you to guard her starting tomorrow at dawn. She’ll be at the court tomorrow, practicing her abilities.” She glanced at the new mark on her wrist, a snowflake, before nodding and bowing at the Leader.

What’s with the mark you ask? It’s a mark of who they’re guarding. Each Once has different marks, but this, a snowflake? The girl must have powers to this mark.

“If I may ask, is she a royalty your highness? And forgive my curiousity, why is her mark different from mine?” As she had seen from the bond, Kwon Jieun had a different style of snowflake from her own. Aren’t they supposed to be the same? Mina asked herself.

A mark on the wrist will determine the prize

Of the game fate had laid with some hidden lies

The marks shall be different to make the Game interesting

Fate considered no one’s emotion and heart in to bearing

“She’s the Princess of the winter. Guard her at your best. And about the marks, it’s different because she already has a soulmate. But the problem lies here, she’s a cursed one. She’s not to be marked the same with someone unless it is sealed with a kiss under the first snow between her and one of her mark holders is to happen.” Mina nodded stiffly as she felt her face heating up but she maintained a stern expression as she realized that she may be the soulmate of the Princess of the winter season.

The kiss and the girl were the most precious prize

That time and rain had ask for to rise

But it was destined for time to fall

As the rain and the winter seal a kiss as the first snow falls.

“Who’s her last guardian?” Everyone froze as they eyed Mina who barely showed any emotion as she asked the question. She was just wondering, if those who guarded her before could’ve been her soulmate now, but no.

“Tzuyu.” JYP answered monotonously which made Mina confused.

“Tzuyu? But she only left our quarter 2 years ago? It couldn’t be that the girl died early.” The young lass questioned without any emotion as she thinks she’s only asking the obvious questions.

“We had to erase the Once’s existence due to the sudden breaking of rules by Tzuyu-ssi. She had to be taken to the Thrice Dimension for her punishment. The same with the Princess’ former guardians. Enough questions. Thank you for cooperating with us. Do your job well and prove yourself once again.”

9 lives shall vow to love only one

 and the one shall not love none

But the person that rules over the sky and the rain,

Even if it causes a endless pain.

Mina pursed her lips before placing her right fist on the left side of her chest, a salute.

“Myoui Mina, you are dismissed.” Leaving without another word, Mina calmly walked away from the grand hall. But as she passed by the room next to the throne room, she caught a glimpse of blonde curly locks recognizing it as the Once that Momo once guarded. Was it her?

“Mina-ssi? You’re here?” A tall girl with an expressionless face stood next to her in front of the room that she was just peeking at.

“Nayoung-ssi? You’re here too? What’s the occasion?” The shorter girl asked as she noticed that most of the ones her friends guarded were here. Heck, Kyulkyung, Sohye and Somi was also here, the three troublemakers that she guarded before. Well, not Sohye. That little penguin was like her sister.

“Yeah, Chungha is fussing over the whole kingdom to make sure that tomorrow will go on smoothly. And As I’ve heard, you’re her future wife’s new guardian?” The taller girl swept her hair and Mina noticed the same mark she used to have.

“I’m sorry, but who’s Chungha’s future wife? And you found your soulmate?” Nayoung felt her cheeks heat up from Mina’s question but nevertheless answered her questions.

“Kwon Jieun, the Dragon’s sister. And yes, I’ve found her. Somi.” Mina smiled, happy for Jungyeon’s former Once. Their conversation was interrupted by Somi popping by her side as she heard her name.

“What about me?” The Korean-Canadian asked as she gave a Nayoung a kiss on the cheek which flustered the older girl.

“Nothing.” The two older girls answered monotonously at the same time which made Somi pout before dragging Mina in to the room and leaving her girlfriend by the door.

“EVERYONE! MINA IS HERE!” Somi announced which made everyone’s attention go to her from what they were doing.

“I am here?” Kang Mina muttered quietly which made Sohye giggle.

“Aigoo, not you. It’s the Japanese Mina unnie.” The Korean Mina’s mouth formed an O as she smiled sheepishly.

“Mina-ah! Annyeong!” Chaeyeon greeted her same age friend as she gave the girl a hug, ignoring Kang Mina and Sohye.

“Annyeonghaseyo.” Japanese Mina bowed politely, not forgetting her duties and their ranks. The ones she was talking to after all was royalties. All of them have found their soulmates that’s why they have no need for Twice guardians.

“Aigoo, no need to be formal Minari!” Kyulkyung pulled her into a hug which made the others smile at the small reunion between the two which was later joined in by Sohye and Somi.

“You guys didn’t even change.” Mina smiled before smiling softly at them. They were friends as Mina guarded them along side Jungyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. But all of them left to guard someone else as their Onces found their soulmates.

Respectively, she learned that Nayoung and Somi were soulmates. Sejeong and Chaeyeon were also soulmates. Yeonjung and Kyulkyung were soulmates which was a surprising pair. Sohye and Mina was also soulmates and it was the same with Doyeon and Yoojung.

She then turned to Chungha, the Princess of the Sky, to see that the latter has a different snowflake mark on her wrist. So Chungha was the supposed soulmate of that Kwon Jieun? They just have to seal it with a kiss, huh?

“Mina-ssi. Do take care of my love, alright? Especially now that she’s coming of age, we have to break the curse before another soul can be sent to either the Thrice Dimension or the Thrice dimension itself.” Chungha placed a hand on Mina’s shoulders as she said those words and everyone can feel the seriousness in her voice.

“So you’ll be claiming her as she comes of age?” Mina questioned her with an eyebrow raised. Fortunately for the 2, the others have returned to what they were doing once they heard Chungha bring up Jieun’s fate. They need not to make Chungha angry. They didn’t want any rainstorms and thunders coming. Plus, the said girl was the scariest of the bunch when mad.

“I failed to claim her in our past lives because all of her Onces fell in love with her before she turned into a legal woman. That’s why JYP sent you a year after Tzuyu was sent to the dungeon. To make sure that Jieun comes of age and the curse will be broken once we do what we must.” Mina kept a straight face as she nodded at Chungha in understanding.

“Then do what you must, I will simply do my job as her guardian. Once you’re bonded, I will leave. But I may have a question in my mind, why is it that Jieun didn’t do what she could’ve with the other marked ones?” Chungha’s face darkens as her eyes squinted in slight anger and sadness. She turned away from Mina before inhaling deeply and closing her eyes, an attempt to calm herself down.

“I feel terribly awful to cause the misery of our friends.” Mina understood what those words meant. It must not make sense to others, but it was clear to Mina and Chungha.

“It was I who Jieun loved and chose, that’s why Nayeon, Jungyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu is now in rehabilitation in the Thrice dimension. It was destined that no matter in what life, in this dimension, it will only be me who Jieun loves.” That’s what Chungha meant.

It had been almost a year since she started to guard Jieun and it had gone well…

Well, no. It was hell. A year ago, Mina was sure she wouldn’t end up at the same hell hole her friends fell into. But here she was, waiting for the same girl she thought she wouldn’t fall for with her heart pounding as a sweet scent enters her nose despite Jieun being on the main court with Chungha, dancing under the rain, 300 meters away from her. It was one of those nights when Chungha would make it rain just to make Jieun happy by dancing with her under the starry sky.

Time stopped, crumbled and broke

As the rain passes by the window dancing with the snow

What else did fate broke?

Other than the hearts of the 9 lives that loved the snow

It’s hard not fall when the symptoms of being her soulmate was here. She can smell Jieun’s scent. Not the perfume or cologne that the younger girl uses, but her real scent. The smell of fresh snow and fresh flowers. She could sense what Jieun feels, she could tell what Jieun thinks, she can hear Jieun’s voice in amidst of a full castle with loud people, she could see Jieun even with hundred of meters distance from the girl and she could even be synchronized with her when doing something, like that one time when she and Jieun did the same gesture without noticing.

 Mina knew that Chungha had the same symptoms, the girl was after all another candidate to be Jieun’s soulmate. And it was damn hard to act like she doesn’t care, when all she sees is Jieun’s eyes full of love and admiration whenever she looks at Chungha. Like damn it, I’m here too! Mina wanted to shout that, but she can’t, she won’t, and she will never.

The scent, the feelings, the thoughts and the voice

All of them always end up in Time’s dreams

And the eyes of Time always moist

With the tears that her misery doesn’t let her scream

“I love you.” Mina felt her heart clenched as she heard her favorite sweet voice said, but the sad thing was it wasn’t for her. It was for Chungha.

Mina felt herself getting weaker and weaker as winter nears. The guardian knew that the closer it is to the first snow, the sealing of the bond between Jieun and Chungha were happening already. And that was the reason why she was getting weaker. The bond was breaking slowly.

“Just one more day. It’ll all be gone. The pain, the memories, and Jieun.” Mina mumbled as she closed her eyes, praying for it all to be gone, wishing she just went to 4Dimention with her friends or even better, she could’ve just stayed at the thrice dimension.

Time let herself lose in the game Fate was playing

Because somewhere in her heart, she knows that she already lost

There was no more sense for her to keep fighting

Because she doesn’t want to fight in a war against an enemy that will never lost.

 And just as Mina predicted, at the last day of the first week of December, the kiss between the princess of the sky and winter is sealed and Mina’s body faded away from the 5^th world she lived in. The first world she lived in was Mark’s world, then Kyulkyung, Sohye and Somi’s world and lastly, Jieun’s world. Just as Chungha’s lips connected with Jieun’s, Mina’s existence faded away from the world they lived in.

But fate’s game doesn’t end in this dimension

As time closes her eyes and her existences fades

Fate made the Loser time a winner in another dimension

Because afterall, Time controls the living things in all dimensions

Including her own.

It’s just that Time chose to lose in this dimension

But that doesn’t mean she’s going to lose again.