Jimin lightly grazed the marble banisters as he walked back and forth through the hallway. He couldn’t help but feel thankful that the large manor was alive with scurrying and hustling air spirits and servants. If not for them, the large manor would’ve felt suffocating, despite the airiness of the place. Despite its beauty, Jimin didn’t have the best memories in the Air Realm. There were memories he knew were better being buried deep down but he couldn’t help but remember them as he stared at the vastness of the manor.

He quickly turned to the door he had been standing in front of for a while. He knew that it was Joohyun’s common room, based on the way the servants kept looking at it in a way to make sure she didn’t need anything. He couldn’t bring himself to open the door and face her. He knew that she had already put the past behind her but he couldn’t help but feel apologetic and guilty whenever he knew she was near.

Still, it was proper protocol to greet the lady of the house.

He sighed as he mustered enough courage to knock and turn the doorknob to enter. But as he put his hand near the door, he lost all the courage he had worked so hard to muster and quickly pulled back his hand. He let out a frustrated breath.

As he stepped back and tried to reclaim his lost courage, he heard a soft melody come from around the house. It was hauntingly beautiful, in the kind of way that hurt your heart. He couldn’t help but walk slowly to the origin. He soon found himself standing in front of a half-open door. It didn’t take much for him to realize who was singing.

“What are you doing here?” a voice asked. He turned to see Yerim, who looked up at him with her large inquisitive eyes.

“I–,” Jimin started nervously as he tried to think of possible excuses.

“Let me guess, she was singing again,” she interrupted and he let out a breath of gratefulness.

“Yeah, she was.”

“She sings well, doesn’t she?”

“She does.”

The two of them stayed in front of the door for a while. It seemed too intimate a moment for them to disturb her singing. They satisfied themselves by basking in the sadness of her song. It was too easy to lose yourself while listening to her, Jimin realized. He also realized that it was the first time he had listened to her sing properly after all this time. He couldn’t help but remember why he chose her as the songbird in the first place.

His peace was soon disturbed by ragged breaths. He turned to see Yerim breathing heavily, tears running down her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he walked towards her frantically.

“I...can't breath,” she muttered between breaths as he set her down.

Although Jimin knew he shouldn’t use his magic because his identity might be exposed, he put his hand on her forehead and began to cast a spell. Before he could fully complete it however, he felt a presence beside him. He turned to see Seulgi. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it as soon as he saw her eyes glowing a magnificent purple. She laid her hand on top of his hand that was on Yerim’s forehead and closed her eyes. She didn’t even need to begin singing for Jimin to feel the power that she emitted.

But when she opened to sing, it was the first time that he felt truly at ease after so long.

——

“And she was completely fine, right after?” Taehyung asked as he stared hard at his friend.

Jimin nodded. “A little pale but completely fine. The only weird thing is that she seems to have no recollection. One second she was unpacking and the next, she was sitting beside Yeri and me.”

“She’s quite the peculiar one, isn’t she?” Joohyun added. The two turned to look at her. “Definitely different than any of the previous ones.”

“She’s powerful,” Taehyung agreed. “I haven’t seen power like this since the first songbird.”

Memories of a different lifetime flashed through their heads at the mention of her. The memories were fuzzy and hazy, something Jimin wasn’t expecting but her face was as clear as day.

In the midst of their reminiscing, they hadn’t realized the thoughtful look on Joohyun’s face that indicated she was coming up with a plan. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent a soft breeze that rang a bell near the door. Almost immediately, Tzuyu came in.

“You called, milady?”

“Prepare the zither in the dining hall. We’ll be expecting some music tonight.”

——

Seulgi stared hard at the face of her friend. She couldn’t help but remember the sight of Yerim’s face, as pale as snow and completely void of any color. She was a little better now; her cheeks and lips had regained some of their rosiness back. But Seulgi still couldn’t help feeling concerned.

The sound of footsteps promoted Seulgi to turn and see Lalisa enter the room with a tray in her hands. Wordlessly, Lalisa sat down beside her and placed a cold towel on Yerim’s forehead. It was the routine that Seulgi herself had become too familiar with when she had first arrived at the heavens.

“Is she going to be ok?” Seulgi asked.

“She will,” Lalisa replied with a sigh. She stopped fixing the medicine she had prepared to look at her sick friend. “Yerim has… recurring headaches. Sometimes she finds herself unable to breathe too. It isn’t the first time this had happened. We’ve dealt with worse.”

Seulgi was a little dumbfounded by this revelation. “It’s recurring? Why? Is she sick?”

“I guess you could put it that way,” Lalisa said quietly. “But it’s better if Yerim herself explained it to you.” After she placed the medicinal balm on Yerim’s temples and neck, she turned to Seulgi. “I heard about what happened from that Jimin fellow. Are you sure you’re okay? You feel fine?”

“A little weak but not anything serious,” Seulgi swiftly assured. “Don’t worry about me. Yerim’s the one who needs your care.”

Lalisa looked at the younger girl before letting out a breath. She turned to Seulgi with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry we won’t be able to help you get ready. I set out your outfit in your room. Don’t worry about Yerim. I’ll handle it.”

It took a while (and a lot of more pestering and nagging from Lalisa) for Seulgi to finally leave the servant quarters and set off back to her room. She couldn’t help but replay the memory over an