Suzy kicked a pile of dead leaves. She groaned and threw her head back as she walked forward like a zombie. She stopped abruptly and turned around.

"I am so bored!" Suzy exclaimed. "When are they coming?"

"Be patient, Suzy," Yongguk said sharply. Suzy pouted as he gazed down at her. "The more impatient you become, the more you will grow less focused."

"I am patient. I'm just bored," Suzy said. "The plan is stupid. Why do we need all of us here?"

Suzy looked at the other members of THE ARC. Taeyeon stood near the darker parts of the forest, standing motionlessly and in daze. Sunmi had her back leaned against the tree with her arms crossed, checking the monitor on their communication device. Yongguk glanced at Sunmi.

"How far are they?" Yongguk asked Sunmi, completely ignoring Suzy's rant.

"If Leo's prediction is correct, they should arrive in three days," Sunmi said.

Yongguk glanced behind him. "I trust Leo. Out of all of us, he knows more about the Mythos the most. After all, you studied about it during your spare time at the Academy, right, Leo?"

Leo, who had his back turned against everyone, briefly looked over his shoulder. He then turned back and looked at the darkness ahead of him. He didn't say anything.

Suzy sighed. "I think Leo and I can take them down. What, it's those same three people and the Keeper of the Kreo, right? Those three are weak. I've fought with them before.  The only real threat is the Keeper of the Kreo, but I can handle her!"

"You can't handle her alone," Sunmi said to Suzy. "She has two Kreo creatures in her hands."

"But if we can get the wild one to come out, that Mythos of Kreo is ours!" Suzy exclaimed.

"We don't even know where the Mythos of Kreo is located. We can't risk having the Bulgasari come out and hurt others just because we're searching her for the Mythos of Kreo when she's weak," Taeyeon said calmly. "Besides, not all of us are here. You are free to leave and swap out with another THE ARC member if you please."

Suzy puffed her cheeks. "No way. I'm staying with Leo."

"Good. I want you to stay close to Leo," Yongguk said. He walked over to Leo's side. "If this doesn't work out, we're going to have to use my plan."

Leo's hand twitched a little, but he remained silent.

* * *

It had been two nights since the four had been under Jiyeon's hospitality. Their bedding was surprisingly comfortable, although their meals only consisted of fruits, vegetables and nuts. 

During their stay, one thing that the three students noticed was how Jiyeon hardly moved at all. 

"She's quite lazy in my eyes," Jungkook murmured. "She makes the plants deliver everything and clean up anything."

Jieun flicked his forehead, causing him to wince. "It's not that she's lazy. It's just that she's paralyzed from her waist down."

Jungkook remained silent. Seokmin and Yuna blinked.

"So how old is she?" Seokmin asked. "She seems quite mature, but she looks young."

"She's the same age as me, but technically, she's around a hundred years old, I think," Jieun said casually.

"Oh, right. A hundred… A hundred?" Seokmin blinked his eyes rapidly. "Like, one-zero-zero? One hundred?"

"Around there," Jieun corrected him.

"How?" Yuna inquired.

"The Mythos of the Corolla allows her to live for a very long time. Unfortunately, she's quite ill, so she's been living for a long time in a sickly state," Jieun said casually. "I've known her since I was a kid. She's really nice."

Jieun finished pouring the tea. Seokmin exchanged looks with Jungkook, who still kept quiet.

"So are you going to have a tea party with her again tonight?" Yuna asked sarcastically.

"Yes, and we're going to have the best tea party ever," Jieun responded teasingly. "Now, you three should rest here."

"Why don't you let us talk to Jiyeon?" Seokmin asked. "I've always wanted to talk to the Keeper of the Corolla!"

"Too much talking tires her out, and I know that you like to talk a lot," Jieun said. "I'll answer any question once we get out of here. You three stay here, okay?"

The three nodded. Jieun smiled at them proudly before walking away to head to the garden.

The second they were sure that she was gone, Yuna turned around.

"Let's spy on them," Yuna whispered.

"Pretty sure that's what we were all thinking," Seokmin said with a snort.

"There's a really big tree close enough to where Jiyeon drinks tea. We can hide there," Jungkook added.

They started to make their way towards the main garden. They snuck around a few minutes before arriving at the tree Jungkook had mentioned. As they hid behind the tree, they noticed Jieun walking in with a cup of tea and chopped fruits.

"I made us a snack!" Jieun exclaimed, settling down.

Jiyeon kept a serious expression. "You didn't have to do all this. I could've had the plants do this for us."

"Nonsense! I've always wanted to make tea as good as you. Try it!"

"You already know how to make my tea. You do it even better than me, I think," Jiyeon said, grinning a little.

"I know right? But I still like to drink your tea." Jieun inhaled the scent of her tea. "I wish to drink your tea forever and ever."

Jiyeon's smile faded. "Now that you mention 'forever,' we need to talk."

"What? Why so serious at our tea party?"

"I think you know very well what I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah, but we can do it later—"

"Jieun, I can't do it later. I need to talk to you now," Jiyeon said.

Jieun gave her a sad smile.

"So what is it that you're trying to tell me this time?" she asked.

Jiyeon settled down her teacup. She removed her bracelet with the green gem and placed it on the table.

"The Mythos of the Corolla has been reacting. The plants have spoken. Nature has given me an important message." Jiyeon kept her eyes on Jieun while she avoided it. "My time is almost up."

Jieun froze. The tea in her cup swayed a little before it stopped moving. She looked at Jiyeon with dead serious eyes.

"You can't die," she said. "The Mythos of the Corolla gives its Keeper the ability to live forever in the state when the Keeper assumed their position. That's why the Mythos of the Corolla can allow its Keeper to live for several years."

"In exchange, the Keeper of the Corolla must faithfully serve the Mythos of the Corolla until it decides to depart with its Keeper," Jiyeon continued. "I have served my time with the Corolla. It is time for me to leave my position and become…plant food."

Jieun threw her cup of tea on the ground. The glass didn't shatter, but the tea spilled all over the ground. She got up from her seat and slammed the table, causing the items on the surface to shake.

Jiyeon, however, continued to sit still.

"Don't give me that bull!" Jieun yelled. "Why? Huh? Why are you choosing this path? You have been doing a wonderful job as the Keeper of the Corolla. You are the least corrupted amongst all of us. Why are you giving up your life to disturb this balance? Who will warn me when danger approaches me?"

"I am the Keeper of the Corolla. Giving you warnings was just a part of my duty. The next Keeper of the Corolla will do the same. If for some reason the next Keeper cannot do it, I know that you are very capable of sensing when danger lurks among you," Jiyeon said nonchalantly. "Someone is coming to take mine or your life, as well as our Mythos. I can delay yours by giving up mine."

Jieun shook her head. "I am perfectly fine with defending myself. If I have to, I will defend yours, too!"

"Two Mythos in one place is too dangerous. Several things can go wrong," Jiyeon warned her. "You remember what happened when you met the previous Keeper of Sleef. Your powers went out of control and you may experience something far worse next time. Even talking to you like this isn't a good idea."

"But ours aren't reacting!"

"It is. I'm just suppressing it." Jiyeon took out the green flower-shaped gem from the palm of her hand. "If I stop suppressing it…"

Jieun felt her heart shake. She hitched her breath and collapsed on her knees. She coughed and felt herself grow less and less sane. The plants reacted widely, becoming almost monstrous. They started to peel away, as if they were trying to expose Jiyeon's whereabouts. Jiyeon, who usually showed no expression, started to grimace.

She hid the Corolla back in her hand. Jieun was able to breathe again. She let out a shaky sigh while Jiyeon stared down at her with a nonchalantly look. Cold sweat poured down from both of them.

"See?" Jiyeon said. "Even now, the Corolla is reacting. You might now see it, but it would be quite easy for an expert traveler to find our location. Your enemies seem to be waiting around the area that we are staying. It's best for you to leave right away and for me to just give in."

"No! You can't give them the Corolla!" Jieun exclaimed.

"I can't give it to you, either."

"Give it to one of my students!"

"They are not fit to take it," Jiyeon said. "The Mythos of the Corolla never cooperates with a healthy body."

"Then let them hold onto the Mythos of the Corolla! As long as they don't directly touch it, the Corolla will not claim any of them as a Keeper!"

"And let them return it to the same place where the Academy is storying the Mythos of the Sleef?" Jiyeon said. "That is far too dangerous. I can't risk having several Mythos in one area."

"I'd rather have it with the Academy rather than with one of my enemies," Jieun declared.

"Are you sure that it's not because you don't want it in the hands of Taekwoon?" Jiyeon asked.

Jieun stiffened. 

Jungkook briefly looked away. Taekwoon. That guy. Again.

His heart throbbed.

"Who's Taekwoon?" Seokmin whispered.

"Not sure," Yuna whispered back. She looked at Jungkook. "Do you know who he is?"

"You two were unconscious when you first met him, but he protected Suzy from getting killed by Hanna when they first invaded the Academy," Jungkook explained.

"You mean that crazy ribbon lady was going to die all the way back then?" Seokmin clicked his tongue. "Wow. Who would've thought."

"He doesn't go by Taekwoon anymore. He's Leo," Jieun said in a shaky voice.

"Ah, I forgot. Leo. Right." Jiyeon sipped her tea. "Well, I'm surprised that you're still thinking about him."

"Why would I forget? How would I forget? After all that he did to me?" Jieun asked.

"…He's not as bad as you think—"

"He left me! He left me in such a horrible place!" Jieun yelled.

"He—"

"He never came back! I waited for him! He never came back for me!" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Her eyes grew awfully cold and dark. "He abandoned me."

Jiyeon didn't say anymore. "Well, I'd still rather have the Mythos of the Corolla in their hands."

"I'll stop you," Jieun croaked.

"You're getting too emotional. You're not thinking properly," Jiyeon said.

"No. I am. I'll stop you for giving up the Mythos of the Corolla. If you do, I'll take it for myself."

"Jieun…"

"You can't stop me. You know you can't stop me."

"Jieun, you need to…"

"I'm going to keep the Corolla before it gets into that bastard's hand—"

"Keeper of the Kreo, please listen!" Jiyeon roared. 

The second her voice raised, she began to cough severely. Jieun hitched her breath and paled as Jiyeon continued to cough in pain. She turned blue for a few minutes, then her skin restored her color after choking out blood. She used her finger to clear and mouth before a plant handed her a tissue to wipe herself. Her white dress was stained with smudges of blood.

"I-I'm sorry," Jieun stuttered. She slowly sat back down in her seat.

"It's fine," Jiyeon said. "I forgot how bad it gets when I yell." She cleared , then took a deep breath. "Keeper of the Kreo, I have lived for several years in suffering. Nature is allowing me to finally rest, and I intend to rest in peace. I don't think you understand how it feels to live being paralyzed from the waist down and your own body repeatedly poisoning you for almost a hundred years."

"I don't want to lose you, either," Jieun said softly. "I don't have anyone else anymore."

"You don't have anyone else you trust. Slowly, but surely, you will open up to others around you," Jiyeon said. When Jieun kept quiet, Jiyeon looked at her. "Have you told your students about Leo yet? Or any part of your past?"

Jieun scoffed. "You should know the answer to that."

Jiyeon giggled. "Well, I think you should tell them one day. They're awfully curious about you."

"Pft. They just want to know the whereabouts of the Mythos of the Kreo. Once they take the Kreo, they'll leave me," Jieun said. Her eyes softened. "Then I'll really have no one."

"You know, your weakness won't be able to rely on anyone in a time of a crisis," Jiyeon said. "As long as you possess the Mythos of Kreo, you will always walk into danger. They say that the Corolla is the most vulnerable Mythos because it has no offense or defense mechanism except for hiding, but in my eyes, the Kreo is the most vulnerable one."

"Why?"

"You'll find out once you undergo how weak you are without anyone supporting you," Jiyeon said. "Now, I suggest that you get some sleep and start heading out tomorrow. I, too, must make some preparations."

Jieun's expression sank. "…I will miss you."

"I, too, will miss you," Jiyeon said. 

Without giving Jiyeon a final hug, Jieun returned back to the resting place. Once the plants covered up the path behind her, Jiyeon glanced over at the large tree.

"You three must watch over Jieun. She may seem very strong, but she is very fragile," Jiyeon said. Seokmin, Yuna and Jungkook jolted when they realized that they were exposed. Jiyeon closed her eyes. "I am asking you this favor not as a Keeper, but as her only friend."

Jiyeon snapped her fingers. The three looked down and noticed that they were being swallowed by the large floral plant again. They hitched their breath, felt themselves moving through the burrows in the ground, then found themselves back at the resting place. 

Moments later, Jieun appeared from the tall grasses. She gave them an awfully calm look as if she had just had a normal chat with Jiyeon. 

Feeling awkward, Seokmin decided to speak first, "S-So, were you talking with the Keeper of the Corolla?"

Jieun stared, then smiled. "Start packing. We're leaving tomorrow in the morning."

She brushed pass them and began to pack her own belongings. Seokmin exchanged looks with Yuna and Jungkook before looking back at Jieun.

"What, uh, did you two talk about?" Seokmin asked.

"Oh, not much. We just said our goodbyes, that's all," Jieun stated. 

"Was there anything importa—"

"Seokmin, I'm really sorry, but I'm a bit tired," Jieun said with a fake laugh at the end. "We can finish up this conversation in the morning, okay? I just want to get some sleep tonight."

"Y-Yeah. Sorry," Seokmin murmured. Jieun nodded and walked away. Seokmin turned back to his teammates. "Did I do a bad job?"

"She must be going through a lot right now," Jungkook said. "Let's leave her for the time being. Get some rest."

The two nodded. As Seokmin went to wash up, Yuna grabbed Jungkook's sleeve and pulled Jungkook to the side.

"What is it?" Jungkook asked.

"We found a weakness," Yuna said.

"What do you mean?"

"That Leo guy. We should find out more about him," she said.

Jungkook felt his stomach churn. He jerked away from Yuna's grip. "Why? He's our enemy."

"Exactly. He's our enemy and Jieun's weakness. The more we dig up about him, the more we can figure out how to use him against Jieun and to find more information about our enemy. It's a win-win situation for us," Yuna pointed out.

"That's…unnecessary."

"You don't want to find out more about him?" Yuna inquired, frowning.

No, I don't. Jungkook shrugged. "He doesn't seem that significant."

"What are you talking about? You saw how riled up Jieun got over there! If you ask me, he seems way too significant."

"Yuna, let's drop this topic, okay? I'm…I'm tired."

Yuna scowled. "I'll drop this for now, but I'll let you know that this doesn't sound like you, Jungkook."

She turned away to gather her belongings. Jungkook rubbed the nape of his neck and looked away, trying to figure out a way to stop his heart from throbbing at the thought of Leo's relationship with Jieun.

* * *

In the morning, Sunmi opened her eyes. She noticed how flowers were rapidly blooming and folding its petals around her. She looked around, noticing that the entire forest was reacting strangely. The trees started glowing, mimicking the rhythm of a heartbeat. She turned around and noticed an open path leading her deeper into the forest. She turned to see the others.

Suzy seemed disgusted with how the forest was resonating a strange glow. Taeyeon, despite appearing calm, was clearly more on guard than usual. Leo stared at a path that unfolded before them. He didn't try to step inside. Instead, he gestured Sunmi to walk in instead. Sunmi looked over to Yongguk, who gave her a small nod.

Sunmi cleared and walked in. As she walked along the path, she noticed that the plants were starting to cover up her track behind her. Soon, she could no longer see where the others were standing. She continued to walk until she arrived at an open area. In the middle of the area, Jiyeon sat on her usual chair, drinking her final cup of tea.

"Hello," Jiyeon said.

"Hello," Sunmi said. "Who are you?"

"I am the Keeper of the Corolla, Park Jiyeon," Jiyeon answered.

Sunmi took out her dagger and pointed at Jiyeon. Jiyeon remained unfazed.

“I want your Mythos,” Sunmi said in a calm voice.

Jiyeon stared at her, then nodded. She lifted her hand. A large flower bud appeared from the ground, then bloomed open. A green gem shaped like a jagged leaf appeared at the center of the flower. It sparkled under the sunlight that pierced through the large leaves of the forest.

“It is yours,” Jiyeon said. “Go on and take it.”

“You won’t fight me?” Sunmi asked.

“I see no reason to fight. I let you in here, didn’t I? I wouldn’t have let you in if you posed a threat to me,” Jiyeon said.

Sunmi observed her. It was hard to see Jiyeon’s motives, especially since she carried a monotonous expression. Still, she didn’t see a reason to deceive her or to be deceived by her. Sunmi walked over to the flower, then reached for the Mythos of the Corolla.

Suddenly, she heard a knife flying towards her direction. Sunmi whirled around and deflected the weapon. She stared intently at the plants, trying to figure out where the attack came from. 

"You said you weren't going to fight," Sunmi said.

"I didn't," Jiyeon said. "What happens from here on out has nothing to do with me."

In seconds, Sunmi felt another presence creeping up from behind. Sunmi turned around and defended herself from the twin swords. She glared at Seokmin, who grinned.

“Whoops!” Seokmin exclaimed. He quickly stepped back, then started to run.

Sunmi clicked her tongue at him, then turned back to the flower. 

The Mythos of the Corolla was gone.

Did the boy take it? she wondered.

Jiyeon suddenly collapsed on the table. Sunmi looked at her, then rushed over to the side as Jiyeon fell off her chair and dropped to the ground. Then, she made an expression full of disgust. 

The vines started to surround Jiyeon. Her flesh started to turn green, just like the shade of the plants. The vines squeezed around her body until she turned into a pile of leaves. A cool breeze came to collect the pile of leaves, leaving a glowing flower with golden dust floating around beautiful plant.

Sunmi stared at the flower. She hid her weapon away and closed her eyes. She bowed towards the flowers, paying her respect, then darted her eyes towards where she had last seen Seokmin.

Well, they won't get far, Sunmi thought.

* * *

Jieun guided her students far away from Sunmi. She didn't really care about where she at heading. All she had to do was get far away from Sunmi and to avoid her at all cost.

"...Jungkook!" Seokmin shouted as he caught up with the three.

"I got the Corolla!" Jungkook announced proudly. He extended his arm to show the pouch that contained the Corolla.

"That was so easy!" Seokmin exclaimed, cackling into a laugh.

"Good job, guys!" Yuna exclaimed. The four continued to run through the forest. 

As they continued to run, Jieun grew concerned. She had expected Sunmi to follow them, but it didn't seem like she was coming any time soon. Rather, it was way too easy to steal the Corolla. 

Something felt off.

Nothing is this easy, Jieun told herself. Nothing is ever this easy.

Jungkook looked at her. "Jieun, what's wr—oof!"

Someone kicked Jungkook's stomach. Jungkook hacked and almost dropped the Mythos of the Corolla. Yuna and Seokmin stopped and went to check up on Jungkook. Jieun instinctively stopped running and jumped in to fight, throwing a punch the figure who tried to take the Corolla from Jungkook's grasp. The stranger firmly grabbed onto her wrist. 

In an instant, Jieun was identify the shadowy figure.

Jungkook grunted and kneeled. He hugged his stomach with one arm and clenched the Corolla in his other hand. He had been running so fast to the point that the impact of the kick caught him completely off guard. He glanced up and held his breath. 

Jieun stared into the man's eyes with pure shock. Her lips quivered and her body trembled.

"Leo," she whispered.

The man gazed down into her eyes, breathing ever so softly. He gave her a short squeeze around her wrist before an electrified ribbon whipped towards their way.

He quickly released her and Jieun avoided the ribbon. Suzy appeared behind him with a smirk. She leaned her arm against his shoulder and twirled the ribbon with her other hand.

"Oof. I was so close," Suzy said in a mocking tone.

Leo eyed at her from the corner of his eyes. "Watch where you throw that."

"It wasn't like it was going to hit you in the first place," she muttered.

Jungkook shivered when he saw Suzy's cold eyes gaze at him. He grabbed Jieun's sleeves.

"We need to go," he said.

Jieun didn't say a word. She stared at Leo with a hard gaze. A murderous look covered her expression. Her eyes quickly darted Jungkook's sword on his waist. Leo, too, followed her gaze. 

Suddenly, she turned, stole Jungkook's sword, then lunged herself towards Leo. Leo took out his saber and countered her blow. She gritted her teeth and continued to step forth, attempting to strike him. Leo retreated into the depths of the forest and Jieun blindly followed him.

"Ji—" Jungkook stopped when the whip almost hit his foot. Jungkook grunted and glared at Suzy, who glared at him.

"Please don't bother my babe when he's in the middle of fighting," Suzy said. A quick memory flashed in his head, recalling the first moment he had encountered Suzy. His skin slowly paled and he trembled a little. Suzy noticed and smirked. "You look like a cute bunny who witnessed a lion," she said softly, "but don't worry—lions don't eat something so small and unappetizing like bunnies."

She whipped her lash towards him. Jungkook gasped and dodged the lash. He got on the ground and started to roll away as the electricity started to zap the ground.

Yuna rushed towards him. "Jungk—"

Yuna coughed when she felt something sharp hit her ribs. She spat out blood and grunted as she looked towards Taeyeon, who had her feet raised in the air. Taeyeon lowered her iron shoes and stared at Yuna with dead eyes.

"Stay down," she said softly.

Seokmin rushed up behind Taeyeon. He wielded out his sword and tried to attack, but Yongguk appeared and blocked his attack with his large gauntlet. Then, he grabbed Seokmin's collar and ed him towards a tree, causing the trunk to break and bend. Seokmin nearly choked until Yongguk dropped him.

"Take the Mythos of the Corolla," Yongguk ordered. 

"J-Jungkook, run!" Seokmin shouted.

Jungkook looked at Suzy, Taeyeon and then at Yongguk. He looked down at the Mythos of the Corolla.

Should I wear it? If I wear it, then I might be able to get us out of here. This can actually help—

Suzy attacked first. She slammed the whip towards his direction, attempting to electrocute him. Jungkook gasped, fell on his bottom, then braced himself for the pain until he felt a cold breeze pass his way. He looked up.

Hanna and Junki were standing in front of him. They deflected Suzy's attack, but her electric currents seemed to have an effect on them. They twitched a few times before shaking off the current. A cruel grin appeared on Suzy's lips.

Jungkook quickly scrambled back on his feet. "I can fight! I can fight, so go and help Jieun!"

"You? Fight her? With how you currently are?" Hanna gave him a mocking laugh, then stopped when Suzy continued to smile. "She is not normal."

Junki looked at Yongguk, Taeyeon, and Sunmi as well. "None of them are normal."

"That's so mean," Suzy said. "I'm perfectly sane."

"Jungkook, run!" Yuna screamed.

"Take the Corolla!" Yongguk ordered. 

"Get on!" Junki demanded, transforming into a black winged-horse. 

Jungkook hesitated, but once Sunmi's and Suzy's weapon started flying towards him, he hopped on Junki's back and galloped through the forest. As Jungkook got on the horse, he glanced behind him, noticing that Hanna was doing all she could to defend Yuna and Seokmin.

Yongguk turned. "Suzy, Sunmi! After the Corolla!"

"Sunmi can get it by herself," Suzy said. She spun her ribbon and smirked. "I'm going to go and get the Kreo."

Yongguk glared. "That's not the pl—"

Before he could finish, Suzy was already flipping backwards to avoid Yongguk's nagging. Yongguk sighed.

"Sunmi, go," Yongguk ordered.

Sunmi started running towards where Jungkook and Junki had fled. Hanna growled and was on all four. Her blue eyes shimmered as she bared her fangs. Seokmin stood behind Hanna while Yuna remained on the ground at the mercy of Taeyeon's iron boots.

"You can't catch up with Junki," Hanna said.

"There's no way that the boy will be able to ride on the Chollima for a long period of time," Yongguk declared. "He is not the Keeper of the Kreo. Only the Keeper can tame the creatures. Others are at the mercy of the creature's free will."

Seokmin narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The boy is a normal human being. If he rides on the Chollima for too long, his skin will start to cut and split due to the speed of the wind. Either the Chollima will have to be careful flying and slow down or it will risk shredding the boy until he becomes nothing," Yongguk explained.

"…Are you trying to say that Jungkook will die if he keeps riding Junki?" Seokmin asked.

"More or less," Yongguk said.

"If you want us to spare your friend, we can arrange that," Taeyeon said. She crushed Yuna's ribs, causing her to cry in agony. 

Seokmin panicked. "Yuna!"

Hanna stopped him from moving any further by placing her tails in front of him. She glowered at Yongguk and Taeyeon.

"Spare her? You? How can I trust you?" Hanna mocked. She growled and started to get ready to pounce. 

Taeyeon pressed down. Yuna whimpered uncontrollably. Hanna grew even more tense as she tried to figure out how to move on with the current situation.

"I'll save Yuna," Seokmin whispered to Hanna. "Distract the big guy for me while I get her. I'm sure that these two stayed behind because they're a lot slower than Sunmi. Look. Their weapons are heavier."

"No. They might be slower, but they are strong," Hanna whispered. 

"Why don't we settle this peacefully?" Taeyeon suggested. "Jieun had trusted me once. Unfortunately at that time, we weren't in a good situation to strike a deal. We are now. So, what do you say?" Taeyeon moved her feet towards Yuna's head. Yuna could feel the bloody spikes poke her skin. "Otherwise, I can kill her off right now."

Hanna was ready to attack until Seokmin stepped forth quickly.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Seokmin exclaimed. "What's the deal? Tell us!"

"Seok…min," Yuna whispered.

"Let us run," Taeyeon said.

Seokmin frowned. "What?"

"The two of us will leave," Taeyeon said. "In exchange, we will leave you with her. Alive, of course."

Seokmin stared. "Why do you want to make that kind of deal? I thought you were here for the Mythos of the Corolla?"

"Ideally, it'd be nice for us to take it, but it seems like we're running into other problems," Taeyeon said. "So? What do you say?"

Seokmin looked at Taeyeon. He pursed his lips, then looked at Hanna. Hanna's eyes told him not to trust any of the two, but he didn't feel like he had much of a choice. Even Yuna was telling him to forget about her, but he didn't want to do that.

"Fine. Go," Seokmin said. He put away his weapon. Hanna scowled at him. "Run. Leave Yuna alone."

"Of course," Taeyeon said, nodding her head. She removed her iron boots from Yuna's head. Yuna let out another shaky sigh as Taeyeon gestured Yongguk to leave. Yongguk observed the three enemies, then started to run away from the scene with Taeyeon.

Seokmin quickly rushed over to Yuna and began to nurse. 

"O-O-Ow, it hurts," Yuna hissed.

"Bear with me," Seokmin whispered. He turned around to order Hanna to grab him something, but she was gone. He took another deep breath and decided to clear his thoughts to help Yuna.

I'm sure Jieun and Jungkook will be fine, he thought to himself.

* * *

Jungkook felt his skin start to burn as he continued to ride on Junki in his horse form. His skin started to redden and sizzle. He clearly knew that he had to get off, but he couldn't figure out the right time to tell Junki to let him get off. After all, he could see Sunmi approaching them much faster than he had anticipated. She was using her daggers to give her a boost against the tree, allowing her to sore through the air like a bird.

When Jungkook couldn't handle the pain anymore, he grunted and fell off of Junki. He tumbled around the ground until his back hit a tree, causing him to grown. Junki ran forward a few more before he turned and noticed that Jungkook had fallen off. He saw Sunmi inching closer, readying herself to throw her dagger. Junki switched back into his human form and dashed towards her. She flung a dagger towards Jungkook, but Junki managed to make it in time and deflected the dagger to the side.

"Get up!" Junki shouted. He grabbing Jungkook by the arm and started to run at a normal pace. Jungkook still hissed from his burning skin, but he could see that his skin was getting better after he had gotten off of Junki's back.

"She's so fast!" Jungkook said breathlessly.

"Go! Run!" Junki said.

Jungkook obeyed. With the Corolla still in the pouch, Jungkook started to run. Sunmi tried to chase after him, but Junki blocked her daggers. As the two continued to fight, Jungkook continued to run a straight path.

Eventually, he arrived at an open area next to a bare mountain side with boulders on the ground. He looked around a place to hide, but crouched when he saw Leo and Jieun fighting at a close distance. 

He had never seen such a furious look burning in her eyes. It was clear that the only thing Jieun could see was Leo, and Leo seemed to have no problem dealing with her uncontrollable rage. She still had Jungkook's sword, but at this point, it was badly beaten and chipped. Leo's weapon remained fairly in good shape, although Jungkook could tell that Jieun's strength had dented a few places here and there.

"Die! Die! Die!" Jieun screamed.

Her weapon clashed with Leo's. He remained unfazed over her fury.

"Are you done yet?" Leo asked her.

Jieun let out a hysteric laugh. "Done? Me? Done? Not until I kill you!"

She tried to throw her sword again, but she felt something pull on her weapon. She turned and noticed Suzy giggling from above the tree. Her ribbon had a good grip around Jieun's blade, preventing her from striking Leo.

Leo sighed. "Suzy…"

"Hi Leo!" Suzy sang. She smirked at Jieun. "Zap!"

A powerful electric current ran through the ribbon, shocking Jieun. Jieun felt her entire body twitch before she fell to the ground. She would've moved, but she felt her body go into a paralyzed state. Suzy hopped down from the tree and twirled her ribbon around.

"I did a good job, didn't I?" Suzy asked him. "She'll remain in this state for a while. Let's search for the Kreo!"

Suzy bent down and reached over to search her pockets. Jieun nearly stopped breathing as she watched Suzy's hand hoover over her. As her hand got closer and closer, Jieun's breathing became more uneven. Cold sweat poured down her face and foam started to come out of . Suzy laughed.

"Eww!" She stopped laughing when she felt Leo grab her hand, preventing her from touching Jieun's body. Her smile died in an instant as she looked at Leo. "Gross."

"We're not searching for the Kreo," Leo said.

She looked at her wrist. "This is the first time you grabbed my hand, you know?" She squirmed her hand so that her fingers could intertwine with his. "This is how you properly hold hands." Then, she let go. "But seriously. The Kreo is right here. She's not going to do anything. We can find it now."

"Stick with the mission," Leo said sternly.

"I am. We're here to take a Mythos."

"Not the Kreo."

Suzy gritted her teeth. "You know, Leo baby, when you're coddling another woman, it makes me real jealous."

"I'm not—"

"So jealous, I just want to do this," Suzy said. She dropped her ribbon on Jieun's chest, then sent a powerful electricity to electrify her heart. Jieun felt her whole body cramp. Her hair was starting to smoke and she could feel several thousand pricks glowing all over her chest. Jieun shouted loudly.

"That's enough!" Leo yelled. "You're going to cause unnecessary prob—"

A glow appeared from Jieun's body. It shot up into the sky, breaking the clouds. Suzy yelped loudly while Leo grabbed her and ran away from the scene. The light fizzed away, leaving Jieun on the ground.

Is she…dead? Jungkook wondered. He ran towards Jieun's side to check up on her. Right before he could physically touch her, Hanna appeared and stared at him.

"What. Did. You. Do." Hanna's icy voice began to growl.

"I-I didn't do anything!" Jungkook stuttered. "Leo and Suzy did this, but they ran—"

"Watch out!" Junki yelled, running towards them. He pushed Jungkook to the side, causing him to fall and drop the pouch. He gasped and tried to grab, but stopped when the ground started to shake. He whirled around and widened his eyes.

Lee Minho the Bulgasari was back.

Minho laughed, but his smile widened when he saw Junki and Hanna again with Jieun on the ground.

"Ah. It feels wonderful to be back," Minho said. 

"Not you again," Hanna grumbled.

"I told you that you can't keep me in there forever," Minho reminded them. 

Sunmi rushed into the scene, but stopped when she saw Minho. She stared at him, shocked to see another Kreo creature summoned. She tried to make sense of the situation, but couldn't quite grasp anything.

"Ah. A new guest," Minho said. Cold breath exhaled from his mouth. "Would you like to see what I am capable of, newcomer?"

Minho ed his sword against the ground. The earth shook furiously. Sunmi managed to remain her place while Hanna and Junki kneeled to better position themselves. Jungkook was still on the ground, frozen stiff at the situation.

"And now this time, I'm really going to kill the Keeper," Minho whispered.

"You will not do such a thing!" Hanna yelled.

Minho laughed. He was about to stab the ground once again with his large sword until an arrow flew in and landed right in front of him. Minho grunted and glared up. On top of the boulder, a figure dressed in a red traditional robe was holding a bow and arrow in his hands. The man had a bandana with two golden lion gems facing each other. His eyes were thin, but he held a strong heroic gaze. Instead of lowering his weapon, he pulled the arrow and pointed at Minho.

Looking at the man's clothes, Jungkook could tell one thing: another Kreo creature.

"Don't get in my way," Minho said in a low threatening voice.

"Yoo Seungho the Hatae, Lion of Justice," the new figure announced. "Don't do this, Bulgasari."

"I'm not doing anything," Minho argued.

"Put away your weapon," Seungho ordered.

Minho cocked his head. "I don't remember you swearing your loyalty to this thing. Why are you defending her?"

"I am not," Seungho said. "I am merely doing what is right."

Minho stared at him. Then, he whirled his body around, spinning the sword until ing it towards him with the blade pointing straight at Seungho. Seungho pulled back his arrow even further and released the flying object. The arrow pierced through the sword, splitting it into two pieces. Both the arrow and the two sword pieces dropped to the ground before it could reach the opponent.

Minho gritted his teeth and glared at Seungho. He pulled another arrow from his quiver and positioned himself to strike again.

"You broke my sword. That was wrong of you," Minho muttered.

"I know you can put it back together with ease," Seungho said. "Return to the Kreo."

"Why? I just got back out! I got us out!" Minho pointed out.

"The Keeper is not ready for us," Seungho said. "Return at once." He looked at Junki and Hanna. "You two as well. Return."

"We have swore our loyalty to the Keeper of the Kreo," Hanna said in a low voice. "How dare you have the audacity to order us around?"

"You two are new. Naive. Revoke your loyalty. Return to the Kreo," Seungho said. He pointed his arrow at Jieun, who was still laying on the ground. "I shall take care of the Keeper and get rid of her at once."

Hanna jumped in front of Jieun and extended her arms across into a "T" shape. Her eyes glowed furiously blue. Seungho's eyes glowed in orange in response.

"Yeah, kill her!" Minho cheered, cackling.

"I will not let you kill my Kreo Creator," Hanna declared.

"And I have a sworn duty to protect her as well," Junki said, slowly approaching besides Hanna.

"…Fine. I will not kill her, but I ask you three to return to the Kreo right now," Seungho said.

"You expect me to trust you?" Hanna scoffed. "I refuse to return under your orders!"

"Return. Now," Seungho ordered. "I will not repeat myself again."

Hanna growled. 

Suddenly, golden chains started to shoot out from the ground. Junki widened his eyes and reacted quickly by trying to avoid it, but the chains caught ahold of his ankle and pulled him down. Another chain pierced through his chest. He cried out in pain fell to the ground. The others were also caught with the chain punctured through their chest. Hanna reacted violent by trying to tear off the chain, but more chains wrapped themselves around her wrist and ankles, preventing herself from moving. The two hissed in pain and watched Jieun cough and drag her body up.

Minho grinned. He raised out his hand. His sword merged back into one large piece and flung back into his hands. He raised the sword to end Jieun, but Seungho's arrow shattered his sword once again. Minho grunted and glared behind him as Seungho started to walk over to him.

"Don't get in my way!" Minho roared.

"I am much stronger than you," Seungho said. "I am serious when I am asking you to return to the Kreo."

Minho gritted his teeth. He raised his hand and his sword returned to its original state. Then, he swung it behind his back and glared at Seungho.

"You are lucky that I am in a better mood to listen today," Minho said as his body began to dissolve. 

Once he was gone, Seungho looked back at Jieun. Jieun was panting heavily, trying to regulate her breathing. Seungho looked at Hanna and Junki, who were screaming in agony.

"You are using your powers for the wrong reason," Seungho said to Jieun.

"…hat do…ou…kn…" Jieun mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"…What do you k-know," Jieun coughed out again. She heaved then waived her hand in the air. Hanna and Junki both dissolved, returning to the Kreo. Jieun coughed and pulled herself up to glare at Seungho. "I can already tell that you and I are incompatible."

"Perhaps so," Seungho said calmly. He examined the situation, then noticed that Jungkook was slowly inching closer to the pouch.

Seungho looked at the pouch before pulling out arrows from his quiver. He launched several arrows in the air. The arrows quickly pierced down Jungkook's clothes, preventing him from moving on further.

Jungkook was about to rip away the arrow, but realize that there was something different about these arrows. They were incredibly heavy, pretty much impossible to move.

"Whose is that?" Seungho asked. He tilted his head. "I can tell that it contains a Mythos."

"It's mi—"

"The Keeper of the Corolla gave it to me to take," Sunmi said, interrupting Jieun. Jieun gritted her teeth.

"Is that so?" Seungho murmured.

"They don't deserve it!" Jieun shouted. She mumbled something under her breath and got up from the ground. With her remaining strength, she slammed her hand against Seungho's ankle.

He hitched his breath and kneeled. As he started to glow, he gave Jieun a hard gaze. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

Jieun's eyes rolled back and she slammed against the ground. The arrows that pierced Jungkook disappeared. As soon as it was gone, he grabbed the pouch and grabbed Jieun. Sunmi was about to step forth until she received a message on the communicator. Reading the message, she pursed her lips and turned back without another word. Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows, but he took the chance to escape.

As he started to run and drag Jieun to safety, he encountered Seokmin and Yuna. 

"Where's the Corolla?" Seokmin asked.

Jungkook showed him the pouch. They checked inside the pouch and sighed in relief when they saw that the Corolla was still inside.

"We should head back to the Academy," Jungkook said. "It's going to be a while until we're able to go on another Mythos Hunt again."

"I'm pretty sure we won't have to do it any time soon," Seokmin said. "I mean, we've gotten two Mythos, Jungkook! Two! That's more than any other Mythos Hunters have gotten since this Academy was created!"

"Yeah…" Jungkook looked at Yuna. "How is she?"

"Her ribs are pretty crushed. I shouldn't be moving her around so much, but it's best for us to depart as soon as possible." Seokmin looked at Jieun. "What about Jieun? She looks even worse compared to before."

Jungkook pressed his lips. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't know."