Sia’s vision of her dying because of an explosion was already stamped in her mind. And even after trying to not to think about it since Sia told her that the future changes depending on what’s being done in the present, the vision of her death is still burning at the back of her head. It would be a lie if she would tell herself that she’s not scared.

“Hey,” Sia whispered, nudging Mina a bit when she noticed that her friend was spacing out. Knowing that Mina’s thinking about her vision, Sia put her hand on top of Mina’s and gave it a reassuring pat.

After exchanging small smiles, they both looked in front. Professor Seo was in the middle of explaining a project that they need to accomplish. The remaining minutes for their class passed by so quickly as Mina got preoccupied by the same scary thoughts.

Mina actually asked Sia about the details of her vision such as the room number and even the kind of clothes she’s wearing but the latter said that she was not sure about it. Sia apologized for not being that much helpful. Understanding that just like her, Sia’s Alice is unstable, Mina did not push the topic.

Two hours later, Mina found herself gasping for air as she successfully freed herself from Suho’s grip. With Kai still recovering, Suho’s been assigned as her combat partner. He’s not as aggressive as Kai but Mina could say that he’s got skills. Taking in a deep breath, Mina charged once again. Suho blocked her punches effortlessly and he pinned her down.

With all her strength, Mina used her legs to push Suho away from her. The latter resisted but Mina was determined to win this time. When Suho let go of her arms for a second or two, she took that chance to get away from him. He looked surprised at how fast she reacted. A smile crept on his face.

“You’re getting better,” he commented before launching towards her. He tackled her in just a matter of seconds. Mina felt the matted floor against her back. Suho was looking down at her with a teasing smile. “Just so you know, I’m not using my 100% on you so-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Mina pushed him using the technique she learned from Kai. Now, she’s the one looking down at Suho. The latter’s expression showed how much he did not expect that from her. She pinned him down with her knees. Mina was holding his arms on either side.

“Still not thinking of using your 100% on me?” she asked with the same teasing smile.

Suho sighed in defeat as he shut his eyes. A smile was still on his face. He opened his eyes and stared at her long enough for her to be conscious of their proximity. Clearing , she let go and hurriedly sat on the floor. With a grunt, Suho pushed himself up. Side by side, they watched as the other students continue their training.

“Are you not scared?” she suddenly asked, turning to him. Suho’s expression softened.

“I am.” He sighed. “But if I let fear consume me right now, I won’t be able to function. I won’t be able to protect the members-” He looked back at her. “-including you.”

Mina couldn’t read his thoughts. She wondered if what happened with Sehun was just a onetime thing. Hearing him say that he considers her as a member made her feel like she really belongs to their exclusive group.

They stayed quiet for some minutes before Suho clapped his hands and stood. He offered his hand to help her stand and she took it gratefully.

“I need to go. I have some things to do,” he informed and Mina quickly nodded. Before leaving, Suho put a towel on her head. “Good job today,” he commented, patting her head softly. She couldn’t help but mirror the smile on his face. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Mina watched as Suho walked away, wondering if he’s holding up just fine. After all, he’s the King of the Royals and with what happened to Kai, she could just imagine how much it’s bugging him.

When she turned around, she saw Sehun watching behind the large glass window. Before even thinking twice, she ran outside the hall and went straight to where he was standing.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was just watching,” he replied quickly. “I was wondering how you’re doing.”

I can’t read his thoughts. One of the theories she came up with after being able to read and hear Sehun’s thoughts was that he was defenseless at that time. His mental barrier could be pierced when his emotions make him vulnerable. He was clearly affected by what happened to his friends so it was no mystery why his mind was an open book at that moment.

He noticed the newly changed bandages on his arm. She was wondering if there were no new scars on his back this time. She was pondering if it’s the right time to ask Sehun about what really happened to Kai.

“Sehun.”

“Why?”

She pursed her lips into a thin line, thinking if it’s okay to ask such personal questions.

“You said you trust me, right?”

Sehun looked confused but he nodded nonetheless.

“Was Kai really attacked when he was on a raid?” she started. Sehun’s brows furrowed, not sure where Mina was going with her question. “Was he not ambushed when you called him for help?”

Mina observed how his face turned paler than usual. Surprise and fear were painted on his face when he heard that. His expression suddenly softened. “I see. Your Alice worked on me,” he muttered, realizing what happened.

“What really happened?”

Sehun looked down, shutting his eyes before sighing. “It’s better that you don’t know.”

“Why?”

“Because-” he paused as he lifted his head, meeting her gaze. “-you might not look at me just like how you look at me right now.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

He forced a smile on his face.

“Let’s just leave it at that.” He was about to turn around when Mina grabbed his hand. He looked at her in surprise but she did not seem to mind it at all.

“You can trust me. I can keep a secret.” Mina couldn’t even explain why those words came out from . She was just desperate to know the truth. There’s just too much mystery surrounding her and it was suffocating her. Knowing the truth even if it’s just about a single event would be enough for her.

“I know,” Sehun muttered. He held Mina’s hand. “But I can’t trust myself this time.”

Why can’t he trust himself? What really happened? A sigh escaped Mina’s lips as she opened the door of the Manor. When she stepped inside, she noticed how it was deafeningly silent. She almost dropped her heart when she saw Chanyeol sitting on the window sill, looking outside.

As quiet as possible, she started walking to her room.

“Feeling at home?” Chanyeol suddenly asked.

She stopped and turned to him. He lazily looked at her. He’s trying to intimidate her with his gaze. She’s sure of that.

“I can’t believe I’m living in the same place with a half-blood,” he commented as stood. Mina kept shut, knowing that there’s no use of talking with him. He’s the same category as Baekhyun after all. He started walking towards her.

He looked like a tower when he stood in front of her. “Are you enjoying your life here with your new title?” He cocked his head to the side. “A half-blood as the Queen.” He scoffed. “The world’s getting tier by the second.”

“Do you have a problem with me?” she finally asked, meeting his stare.

“Whoa, you’re talking back? Amazing,” he said with a sardonic smile. Then, his expression became serious. He took a step forward before crouching to match her height. “You have a lot of guts. But what do I expect from the daughter of a trai-”

“Park Chanyeol.”

Mina felt her heart stop beating for a second when she heard that familiar voice. Both of them looked up. There, Kai was looking down at them.

“Walk away,” Kai said in a serious tone. “Now.”

Chanyeol stood straight and pocketed his hands. He looked at Mina for the last time with a judging stare before walking away without saying a word.

Mina sighed in relief when Chanyeol got out of the Manor. She just couldn’t figure out why Baekhyun and Chanyeol are acting like she s when she’s not even bothering them. She looked up and saw Kai wincing while leaning on the ledge. She put down her bag right away and quickly ran upstairs. Without saying a word, she stood beside him and helped him back to his room. Kai grunted in pain when he sat on his bed.

“You got back earlier than expected,” he commented while trying to hide the pain that he’s feeling. Mina noticed that he was holding his abdomen the whole time.

“My last class got cancelled,” she replied without thinking twice. He pulled a chair towards his bed. She sat in front of him and pushed his hand away. There was blood seeping through his shirt. “I think your wound’s reopened. You should not have left your bed when you’re not strong enough.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Yes.”