Nature Soothes the Beast

Mythos: Cries of the Kreo

There was another victorious celebration from Jieun's team. The second they arrived at the Academy, everyone was transported to the Academy's hospital to recover. While Jungkook and Seokmin were out in a month, Yuna had to stay for an extra month to recover. The second Cotillion was to be delayed until Jieun woke up, but after three months, Jieun was still stuck in coma. After a long and passionate discussion about what to do with the Second Cotillion, the Ministry gave the final word to host the Cotillion without Jieun's presence tonight.

Seokmin entered the special private floor at the Academy's hospital. Only the Instructors and Mythos Hunters were allowed to use the area to recover from their wounds. Although the room looked like any other room in the hospital, it was significantly larger and gave the individual more privacy to recover in leisure.

A nurse working on the floor took notice of his presence.

"Oh, Seokmin! You're here to visit again?" one of the nurse asked him. "If you're asking about her health, she's recovering well. In fact, she's recovering a lot faster than we anticipated." She glanced at his hands. "Flowers for her again?"

"Yep! The flowers I gave her last time was withering," Seokmin said. "No signs of her waking up?"

"I'm afraid not," she said. "Feel free to go in and check up on her if you'd like. At this rate, we're all just waiting for her to wake up."

"Got it. Thank you!"

Seokmin walked down the hallways a bit more, then stopped briefly in front of the room Jieun was resting. He opened the door and let out a small sigh when he saw Jieun's state.

Jieun was laying down on the bed, unconscious. Fluids dripped slowly from a thin tube attached to her body. Her eyes were shut closed and her chest would rise slowly and calmly as if she was in a deep and peaceful slumber. 

Seokmin replaced the flowers, then looked back at Jieun. He slipped his hands in his pockets and stared at her for a few minutes.

"You're still not waking up?" Seokmin asked casually.

There was no response.

"…Well, please wake up soon," he murmured awkwardly. "I gave you new flowers. They're not as pretty as the flowers that the Keeper of the Corolla had, but I still think it's pretty. Jungkook, Yuna and I are diligently training and preparing for the second Cotillion. It would be nice if you woke up so that I wouldn't need to go to the dance without a partner."

He laughed at his own joke.

There was a long pause.

He sighed, then looked at her expression. 

"I wonder what's going on in your head," he mumbled. He turned away and walked out to meet with Jungkook and Yuna.

 

 * * *

 

Seventeen-year-old Jieun wolfed down a moldy bread that she found from the dumpster of a bakery. Her stomach ached for a few minutes, but she forced herself to it up. She then felt her lungs burn. She hacked and coughed, forcing herself to vomit what she had just ingested.

The baker's wife came out and laughed mockingly at Jieun, who fell to the ground.

"That's what you get!" she cried out proudly. "We put rat poison in all of these breads. This will teach you to stop eating from our dumpster. Now scram!"

Jieun gritted her teeth. She glared cruelly at the woman, but she was in no condition to fight. She dragged herself back up and used the walls to support herself as she limped away, holding onto her stomach while trying to covering full of vomit.

She eventually found herself back in the woods. She threw up even more, feeling her chest burn as if holes were starting to form in her lungs. Her coughs echoed in the woods. A few people passed by her, but seeing her ragged clothes and dirty hair, no one seemed to have wanted to help the poor teenager.

Then, she found two odd flowers bloom in front of her feet. Jieun furrowed her eyebrows, but she averted her gaze from the flowers when she needed to throw up again. As she made one last cough, she ended up collapsing and falling to the ground. She could feel the cold liquid rising back up .

As she continued to throw up while laying on her side, she saw the trees move and separate, opening some kind of path. Her visions blurred and she wasn't sure what to make up anymore. Spots of white light decorated her vision, but the white colors came together as someone dressed in white approached her.

Jieun growled, but she was too weak to make a sound. The blurry white figure touched her sweaty pale cheeks.Before she knew it, she felt the figure place a cup to her lips. She subconsciously gulped down the cold drink.

"Close your eyes and rest," the stranger told her. Her voice was strangely soothing, like a mother's voice. "You should feel better when you wake up again."

Jieun wheezed and felt the woman's hand gently rest over her eyes. Jieun panted heavily, trying to control her breathing.

For the first time since she was kicked out the Academy, Jieun was able to rest peacefully under the delicate hands of a kind stranger.

 

* * *

 

Seokmin was walking around, trying to find Jungkook. He caught sight of him sitting at the fountains. A couple of girls surrounded him, grinning and blushing, trying to impress him. However, he seemed annoyed at their present. He scowled and looked away frequently, but it was clear that he didn't want to get up from the fountain and move himself. Seokmin smirked and watched for couple of minutes until Jungkook caught sight of him.

"Seokmin! Over here!" Jungkook shouted.

Seokmin smiled and skipped over to Jungkook's side. The girls squealed while Seokmin casually hung his arm over Jungkook's shoulder.

"Ladies, how are you?" Seokmin asked. They squealed and giggled. "What's going on here?"

"We were wondering if Jungkook has someone to the dance!" one of them exclaimed.

Jungkook rolled his eyes. "For the last time, I—"

"Jungkook's partner is Yuna, I'm afraid," Seokmin interrupted him. "I'm sorry to say this, but I need to take our handsome prince away from here. Would that be okay with you ladies?"

They laughed happily and nodded. 

Jungkook let out a long sigh. "Oh my god, thank you. They were annoying me."

"Why didn't you just tell them to leave you alone?"

"I did. They wouldn't," Jungkook grumbled. 

"Well, I just went to visit Jieun today. Didn't do a thorough check-up or anything. I just went to visit her to replace the flowers," Seokmin reported to him.

"When did you last check up on Jieun?" Jungkook asked Seokmin. The two were walking down the halls, heading towards the training grounds.

"Not too long ago. Maybe three days ago?" Seokmin answered. "She hasn't been awake and her condition remains the same."

"What about the Kreo?"

"Like I said, I checked her clothes and bag. Multiple times, actually. I found nothing. Yuna even checked her body, and there was nothing," Seokmin reported to him. "Yuna and the doctor pointed out how Jieun has an unusual amount of scars all over her body and stitches. She even has one running straight across her chest. The doctor said that he thinks that it's taking Jieun a bit longer to wake up because of all her previous wounds. Her body might be in some kind of traumatic state that's preventing her from waking up or something."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jungkook murmured, thinking about the Kreo. "She should have the Kreo on her in order to summon the Kreo creatures. Where would she keep it?"

"Maybe she really did eat it," Seokmin said. 

"Would that work?"

"Who knows."

Jungkook grimaced. There was a short pause before he asked another question:

"How is she…looking?" 

"What do you mean?" Seokmin asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "I just told you everythng about her."

"Like, her condition. Does she seem like she's getting any better?"

"Honestly, I feel like if she was a normal person, she would've been dead by now," Seokmin said. "I don't know if that answers your question, but I don't think she's doing better or worse."

"Right, right," Jungkook muttered. "Well, let's go to training. I heard that Yuna is giving a demonstration."

"Yeah. I love it when she beats them up," Seokmin said in a small voice.

 

* * *

 

Jieun opened her eyes. She found herself resting on a soft pile of grass and hay. As she slowly got up, she realized that she no longer felt the burning sensation in her body. Her clothes were replaced with a white long-sleeved dress made with silky bamboo fabric. She looked around and saw a girl dressed in a fancy white Lolita dress. The girl was sitting on a chair with her back against Jieun.

Jieun shifted her gaze to her bag. Slowly, she reached out for a knife. Normally, Hanna would make her appearance, but she was nowhere to be seen. Jieun assumed that the Kreo wasn't responding because of her poisoned condition. She didn't think too much about the Kreo—that wasn't important. 

She silently climbed out of the plant-based bed and snuck around. She lowered her body and positioned herself in stealth mode. The breathability of the dress made it easy for Jieun to move around in silence. When she was only a feet away from the girl, Jieun brought her knife closer to her chest. 

"I would not do that if I were you," the stranger said.

Jieun jolted, but she didn't hesitate. She quickly lunged her knife and tried to strike the girl, but the ground swallowed her, causing her to disappear. Jieun widened her eyes and looked around, only to see the ground split open on another area. The girl was still sitting in her rocking hair and she seemed unfazed by the fact that the earth had split open to make her fall.

What the hell? Jieun's gaze hardened. She repositioned herself and glared at the girl. Once again, she tried to stab her, but this time, a plant grabbed ahold of the girl and dragged her away. Jieun tried to follow and hit the girl, but nothing worked. She even tried throwing her knife at her, but the woman avoided her with ease. Jieun panted relentlessly and clenched her jaws.

"You're a violent one, aren't you, Keeper of the Kreo?" the woman said, stirring her tea with a silver spoon.

Jieun stared at her. "What the are you?"

"Now, now," she said. She handed the spoon to an ivy plant, which curled up and took the spoon away. "I'm a human, too."

The girl casually sipped her tea. Jieun scoffed.

"You don't seem afraid of me."

"I know exactly what you are, so why should I be afraid?"

"Do you now?" Jieun let out a sarcastic laugh. "You're not afraid of me?"

"Should I?"

"You think I won't kill you?"

"Oh, I certainly believe you have the intent to kill me, but you will not be able to accomplish such a thing," the girl said. "After all, my life is devoted to serving the plants and the nature. They will tell me when I can rest."

"I'm going to kill you." Jieun took a deep breath. "Hanna!"

There was a moment of silence. Jieun looked around while the girl continued to rock back and forth in her chair. She took another sip.

"Hanna! Kang Hanna, the Gumiho! I summon you!" Jieun announced. 

"Now, no need to call for your Kreo creature," the woman said.

"Whatever. I'll just kill you by myself then," Jieun muttered, running up to her.

"Hold it!" the woman said, this time in a louder voice.

Jieun was about to strike her, but stopped when the woman coughed. She took out a handkerchief and covered with it. She coughed a few more time, then cleared . Her lips were slightly stained with blood. The handkerchief was mixed with blood and phlegm.

"Pardon me," the woman said in a small croaky voice. She cleared again. "I have a weak body so if I raise my voice, it hurts me physically." She took a deep breath. "Well, I'm always hurting physically. Constantly." The woman looked at Jieun, then smiled. "How kind of you to not strike me."

Jieun wasn't sure what to say or do. Suddenly, she felt extremely awkward around the stranger. She lowered her knife as if she wasn't planning to attack her. When the woman coughed again, Jieun dashed towards her with her knife, ready to finally end her. Despite the coughing and hacking, the plants surrounded the woman and relocated her to the other side of the field, avoiding Jieun's attack.

Jieun huffed loudly in annoyance and gave the woman a stern expression. She would try throwing her weapon, but she was afraid that the plants might swallow up her weapon. It was best for her to hold her weapon with and near her at all times.

The woman finally stopped coughing and dabbed a handkerchief around .

"Who are you?" Jieun asked again.

"Ah, introductions, I see." The woman lowered her head and bowed. "Keeper of the Kreo, Lee Jieun, it is a pleasure to meet you after all these years." She lifted her head and placed a hand over her chest in a humble manner. "My name is Park Jiyeon, the Keeper of the Corolla."

 

* * *

 

"…nd the winner is Choi Yuna!"

Yuna lifted her foot from her opponent's chest and folded her fan away from their neck. She breathed through her nose and exhaled to calm herself down. She turned to the row of Academy students who were watching her demonstration.

"Looks like someone already finished before we could watch the entire show," Seokmin chirped.

Yuna was talking to the students for a bit, then turned around when she felt a presence behind her. She waved to the two boys before turning back to the other students. After chatting with them a bit more, she turned away from them and walked over to the boys.

"You're late," Yuna said jokingly.

"And you were lovely out there," Seokmin said flirtatiously.

Yuna grimaced. "Hm." She turned to Jungkook. "Have you eaten yet?"

Seokmin smiled. "No, we haven't—"

"I did," Jungkook blurted. Seokmin rolled his eyes and elbowed Jungkook's rib. Jungkook gave him a strange look while Seokmin returned the gaze with a "read-the-atmosphere" look. Jungkook quietly muttered, "but I did…"

"Well, that's fine. I'll grab a quick snack and we can talk as we walk," Yuna said.

"You should eat," Seokmin urged her.

"I'm fine—"

"We can sit down and eat somewhere," Jungkook said.

"No, I'm not going to waste your time," she insisted.

"It's fine. Might as well eat so that we don't need to stay in the fitting room for another hour," Jungkook said. He sighed. "I swear, those people have nothing better to do except for look through layers of fabric until it's nearly time for the banquet."

Yuna giggled and blushed lightly.

"Look at you two flirting," Seokmin teased.

Yuna glared at him and elbowed his ribs, causing him to wince in pain. Jungkook laughed and the three started to head towards the cafeteria.

 

* * *

 

"!"

Jieun collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted from trying to kill Jiyeon all day and night. Jiyeon casually sipped a new batch of fresh tea she had been making throughout the entire battle. She looked down at Jieun, who could only manage a growl.

"You know, you need to learn how to appreciate people who come and help you," Jiyeon said. "Not everyone wants to use you for your body."

" you!" Jieun roared. Even though she was furious, she didn't have the strength to attack Jiyeon at all.

"If you haven't noticed, I haven't tried to hit you," Jiyeon said.

"You're going to attack me now that I'm down on the ground, aren't you?" Jieun asked. She let out a hateful laugh. "Do it! I dare you! Do it!"

Jiyeon hung her head over head, casting a shadow on Jieun's face. Then, she gave her a soft smile.

"I must say, I am impressed over how much you insist over killing me when you haven't touched me," Jiyeon said.

"Oh, just kill me already!" Jieun shouted.

"You look fairly young. Considering your immature behavior, you must be a teen."

"I'm the same age as you," Jieun retorted.

"I look like the same as you," Jiyeon said. "I'm over a hundred years old."

"You? A hundred? With your health?" Jieun rolled her eyes.

"The Mythos of the Corolla allows the Keeper to live for a long time, but not with a healthy body," Jiyeon said. "I depend on all sorts of herbs to mediate my health."

"Live to suffer forever? Sounds like hell," Jieun mumbled.

"Indeed, it is. No Keeper of the Corolla thinks think that this is a gift," Jiyeon said. "Yet, we can't give up the Corolla because of our duty."

"Duty?"

"To keep the other Keepers safe," she said.

"And you think I'm in danger?"

"I think you're about to be in danger," Jiyeon said. "I only allow Keepers in this room when they are about to face imminent danger."

"You think I'm about to be in danger? Just think?" Jieun chuckled. "I've been through even more dangerous things. I can handle anything."

"But you can't handle another Keeper's attack," Jiyeon pointed out. "You weren't able to defend yourself against me."

"I wasn't trying to defend myself. I was trying to kill you," Jieun replied. She closed her eyes, realizing how pathetic she sounded when she said that she was "trying" to kill Jiyeon. "Whatever. Go ahead. Kill me."

"My job isn't to kill. It is to defend," Jiyeon repeated. "I only get into contact with Keepers if I feel like they are in trouble."

"Then where the hell were you when I was suffering after getting kicked out of the Academy?" Jieun asked her coldly.

"I was observing."

"Observing?" Jieun rolled her eyes. "Merely 'observing' me as I got tortured over and over and over again?"

"Please don't get emotional. If it helps, I understand the feeling of being tormented over and over again. I'm in a crippled state and the Mythos of the Corolla is preventing me from living for a long time without pain," Jiyeon said lightly. 

"Then why don't you get rid of it? I got rid of my pain."

"Have you, really?" Jiyeon inquired. Jieun glared at her. "Besides, getting rid of the Corolla is not so simple. The previous Keepers of the Corolla have inscribed and written down the legends and secrets of the Mythos. After reading it, there is no way that the Keeper of the Corolla would give up the Corolla so easily. If our body has to suffer for hundreds of years in order to keep peace, then we will do that."

"That sounds pathetic," Jieun murmured.

"Which brings me back to our original topic!" Jiyeon clasped her hands together. "You are in danger and I am here to warn you of it."

"And not to prevent it?"

"I can't prevent anything from happening. Again, my job is to defend and stay as neutral as possible." Jiyeon looked at Jieun. "You will be hunted. Out of all the Keepers, people seemed to have heard about yours the most, and I'm afraid that it's because of your…irrational behavior."

"You mean because I keep killing people?" Jieun clarified. "They deserve those deaths."

"Some of them do."

"All of them."

Jiyeon gave her a tight smile. "Not everyone is wicked from birth, Keeper of the Kreo. Some fear death and will do anything to survive."

"They should fear me more," Jieun declared.

"Do not think too highly of yourself. After all, if we strip your power away, you are merely a human being like the rest of them," Jiyeon pointed out. "Now, please get up and have dinner with me. I made fruit salad while we were fighting."

Jieun scoffed. "Oh, you poisoned it? I see. This is how you'll kill me. Clever!"

Jiyeon looked at her with a sad expression. "Even animals understand a friendly gesture. Why don't you?"

Jieun sealed her lips. Jiyeon went over to the only table in the field. The plants started to set up the table. The thick vines neatly placed the cloth over the table and small flowers walked on its delicate roots, setting the fork and the large bowl of fruit salads.

As Jiyeon prepared herself to eat, she heard a bit or rustling at the side. She turned and saw Jieun dragging herself up from the ground. Then, she trudged her way towards the table and sat across from Jiyeon. Jiyeon gave her a small smile.

"So there's a little bit of hope in your after all," Jiyeon whispered. "Tea?"

"…Yes," Jieun murmured.

 

* * *

 

Jaejoong calmly walked into the hospital with the two other Ministry members by his side. They followed behind him in a sluggish manner, as if they had been forced to wake up from a deep slumber. People moved to the side and bowed until the three arrived at the special private floor. A nurse was casually walking in the hallway until she caught sight of Jaejoong's eyes. She quickly bowed at him.

"Head Master, welcome," the nurse said in a calm manner. She lifted her head. "What brings you here?"

"I'm just checking up on my Instructor," Jaejoong said, smiling. He kept his eyes on the nurse. "Tell me. How is Jieun doing?"

"She's doing fine," the nurse said. "She's still in coma, but her body has fully recovered. It's only a matter of time until she wakes up."

"Can I go in and see her?" Jaejoong asked.

The nurse pursed her lips. "I'm afraid that we're only allowed to let her students in and other medical officials…"

"But you can tell me," Jaejoong said, staring into her eyes with a smile. "I'm the Head Master of the Academy. I should know anything that's on record about my Instructors, right? Also, I'm the Ministry member. People need to trust the Ministry or else we would collapse, no?"

The nurse frowned for a moment, then let out a light laugh. "Yes, well, I suppose you're right! It wouldn't hurt to let you in there."

"That's right," Jaejoong said. He glanced behind him. "Gain? Yesung? What do you think? Do you want to wait out here or come in with me?"

"…We'll stay out," Yesung slurred.

"Still tired?"

"…Always," Yesung murmured.

"Okay. I'll be quick, then."

Jaejoong stepped inside and saw Jieun laying down in bed. He approached her and observed her state. He tried to peel her eyes open, but there wasn't much that he could do with her. He made a small nod, then looked to the bedside table.

"Oh, flowers!" Jaejoong exclaimed.

The nurse smiled. "Yes. Her student—"

"Seokmin, right? He's the third place student, right?"

"Correct!" The nurse beamed. "I'm very impressed that you knew that he came and visited."

"Yes, well, he's known to be the kinder one," Jaejoong said, walking over to the flowers. He smiled widely at the plants. "They're lovely, aren't they?" He turned to her. "Do you think he's in love with her?"

The nurse furrowed her eyebrows, but still kept her smile. "In love? No, I think he just delivered flowers."

"But the flowers, the constant visits—Don't you think it looks like he loves her?" he asked her, looking into his eyes with a sparkly look. 

The nurse let out a small laugh. "I…I guess?"

"The thought's enough to start a funny little rumor, isn't it?" Jaejoong joked. "I'm sure several people are thinking the same." He stared at the flowers a bit longer. "Who else was here?" 

"No one else came by," she said, shaking her head.

"Hm. Really?" Jaejoong looked at Jieun, then look at the window. A breeze came in and out of the window. "Nurse, please keep that window closed."

The nurse looked at the window. "But the weather is nice?"

"I don't want anyone to just come in and out of here," Jaejoong said.

The nurse laughed. "Sir, this is the sixth floor. I don't think anyone would come up from the window."

Jaejoong raised both of eyebrows. "Well, you never know."

He turned and walked out, leaving the nurse confused.

 

* * *

 

It had been a few weeks since Jieun and Jiyeon had met. For the first few days, Jieun had tried to kill her, but after repeatedly failing to even land her knife on her, she finally gave up and decided to open up bit by bit. Over time, Jieun finally grew close enough to trust Jiyeon and Jiyeon decided that it was time for her to teach her a bit more about the Corolla's power.

"…and a rhododendron to signal that danger is approaching you," Jiyeon said. She extended out her hand, letting a patch of rhododendrons grow on the palm of her hand. She plucked it out and gently rested it on the the table with several other flowers.

Jieun stared at the flower with amazement like a little puppy. "That's amazing! Is it real?"

"Yes, it is real. All I did was relocate the flower, adjusted the mineral and soil befit the plant, and applied a bit of the Corolla's power to speed up the blooming process," Jiyeon explained.

"Why don't you just pluck out a rhododendron that already bloomed? Why do you have to use one that grows in front of my eyes?" Jieun asked.

"As the one who holds the power of nature, I have to be aware of all the aspects of nature. It's safer for me to grow a plant as a seed rather than to use an already-grown plant. Although, you won't be seeing these plants unless you are in grave danger. If I use my powers too much, I can create a natural disaster without intending to," Jiyeon told her.

"…It's pretty," Jieun said softly.

"Now that I have explained my warning signal to you, let me return to this: You are in danger. People know you have the Kreo."

"But they don't know where it is."

"That's right, but they'll figure it out. I will send you the rhododendrons whenever I sense that danger is about to approach you. You must listen to my warnings and run away from the area. Do you understand?" Jiyeon asked her.

"…What if I don't run away?" Jieun asked her slowly.

"Keeper of the Kreo, please be serious. It is incredibly dangerous for the rest of us if you choose to not escape in the moment of danger." Jiyeon sighed. "Why do all the Keepers think that they can handle it?"

"So you've met the others?"

"Only the Keeper of the Sleef. The Keeper of the Luos changes too frequently so I haven't been able to keep in contact with them," Jiyeon explained. She frowned at Jieun. "Please, no matter what, do not run into danger. It is my job to defend you."

Jieun pursed her lips. "If you're the one who defends us, who defends you?"

"I defend myself," Jiyeon said.

"I do that, too."

"Yes, but I need to watch your back while you defend yourself in the front," Jiyeon reasoned.

"Then who has your back?"

"I don't think anyone to watch my back. I just need to keep you all safe," Jiyeon explained.

Jieun slowly nodded. "Then I'll protect you."

Jiyeon giggled. "You will? How?"

"I'll protect the Corolla," Jieun promised. "I won't let anyone take it besides you."

"What if I have to give it up to someone?"

Jieun shook her head. "In my eyes, you are the only one who is worthy of keeping the Corolla. I don't want anyone else to take it."

"There will be a time when someone else might have the Corolla, and that person may not be me. You will have to relearn how to cooperate with the next Keeper," Jiyeon pointed out.

Jieun rested her head against the table and closed her eyes. "Nah. I'd very much prefer you."

"Are you going to sleep?"

"I am a bit tired from running around earlier. Please let me rest," Jieun said. Then, she softly murmured, "I'm definitely going to protect you, Jiyeon. If you have my back, I'll have yours."

Jiyeon gave her a small smile. "And now I see, I have soothed the beast…"

 

* * *

 

A couple of hours later, the Academy started the second Cotillion in the year. Once again, people were wearing luxurious and fancy clothings. Since they were more familiar with what to expect, people were more prepared to look their best. 

From afar, a group dressed in black blended in with the cloudy night sky. They were hanging out at the top of the towering walls that protected the Academy. It would have been difficult for a normal civilian to climb the walls, but for THE ARC members, climbing towers was a breeze.

"…Everything is so…sparkly," Yongguk murmured. He stared at the banquet hall from the walls of the Academy, comfortably sitting down on wall with one arm resting on his knee. Five other figures shadowed behind him as he swung one leg over the ledge. Then, he scrolled open a map of the Academy and observed it. "According to this map, we will have to walk a bit to retrieve the Mythos." Yongguk glanced over his shoulder. "Is this map still useful, Leo? It's over ten years old."

Leo sighed. "The Academy has no reason to change any of its building. I scouted the area a bit, too. It's pretty much the same. This place is pretty much like its own large city and they have better things to do than restructure all the buildings."

"I trust you, Leo," Yongguk said. He paused. "By the way, where were you a few hours ago?"

"No where."

Yongguk frowned and stared at him. 

"He was at the hospital," Taeyeon muttered. Leo stared at her. "I can smell it on you."

"You're more sensitive to the smell of medicine. I wasn't even near anything," Leo protested.

"And sweet, sweet flowers," Suzy added, cupping his hands and smelling his fingertips. "Quite fresh, indeed. Did you take some from the hospital?"

"I just touched a little," Leo said, pulling his hands away. "Focus on our mission."

"So when do we strike?" Suzy asked, carelessly twirling her weapon around.

"Settle down, Suzy. We still have time," Yongguk said.

"Wouldn't it be better for us to go now?" Sunmi asked.

"People will be dancing in the loud music. They won't hear us if we're quiet," Taeyeon pointed out.

Yongguk pursed his lips, then smirked. "Let them dance a bit. Then we'll start. In the meanwhile…" He glanced at the two shadowy figures behind him. "Jangjun, Sujeong. Why don't you two infiltrate the area a bit?"

The clouds finally exposed the moon. The moonlight gently shined on the two new members. Both looked quite young, but they were the same age as the other ERA 97 students. Jangjun puffed his cheeks and saluted.

"Got it! Is blood allowed?"

Yongguk grimaced. "Dial it down as much as you can, but I won't scold you if you shed a couple of blood here and there."

"You shouldn't shed any blood if possible," Sunmi argued. "You'll expose us faster that way. It's best for you to just knock them out and drag them away somewhere hidden." She looked at Yongguk. "I know you have your thing with the Academy, but don't make others take them out for you."

Yongguk grunted. Even though he wanted to argue, he knew that Sunmi was right. He sighed and looked up. A cold breeze came by, causing the group to shiver a bit.

"Fine. Jangjun, Sujeong. Why don't you two dress up? Disguise yourselves as one of them. See what new information you can get about these people," Yongguk said. "The rest of us are in charge of finding the Mythos. Are we clear?"

Jangjun nodded. He smiled at Sujeong and extended his hand out.

"Let's go!"

Sujeong stared at his hand. "What's that for?"

"To help you down because you'll definitely fall, especially with the way you walk."

Sujeong grimaced and threw a punch. He ducked and she swung her leg, but he swiftly evaded her attack. He a little bit more before he jumped off the ledge. Sujeong composed herself and followed right behind him.

The two safely landed on the ground behind a few bushes. After a few minutes of rustling, they emerged from the bush wearing the similar gowns as the Academy members. The second Jangjun appeared from the bush, the glint of his eyes changed. He concealed his playful personality with a serious and dark personality, embodying the typical attitude of a strict Academy member.

"They get along so well!" Suzy cooed. "I feel like a mother watching the two of them run off like this."

"Well, we did find them together when they were kids. They treat each other like brothers and sisters. I'd be afraid to see what would happen if something happened to one of them," Yongguk said. He looked back at the banquet and saw several little figures dressed formally, walking into the hall for the Cotillion. He folded his hands. "Now, let's wait until we get a signal, shall we?"

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500sunny500
"Mythos: Cries of the Kreo" is also getting translated into Russian by mishaHell, which you can access here (thank you so much for translating!): https://ficbook.net/readfic/11367870 (2/2)

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Squishysoo_12
#1
I want to read this but im scared since its been so long it was updated. Ive been craving for kooku fics after jungkook attended IU concert.anyway i will still read this and let my imagination to whats going to happend next. 💜💜
ejeura_ #2
Chapter 22: I made an account just now to be able to thank you author-nim on updating this! I really love the story so far. I wish you well!
jieunjeon
#3
Chapter 21: Awww thanks for the update, Author-nim! I’ve missed you!
Maedas
#4
Chapter 21: Thank you for your update author nim
kookieu97 #5
Chapter 20: This is ligit
miszapril
#6
Chapter 20: Haaaa author nim please continue this story bcs this is hella good 😭😭🥺
MayeQueen
#7
Chapter 20: I read this chapter as soon as it got out but i never got a chance to comment in it so i’m doing it now! This storyline really interests you in a way where you want to know the pst and what will happen in the future. I really liked the addition of Haetae being a kreo that has his own will but does not act rashly as the bulgasari. I really am in love with this story author. We will support you all the way!
MayeQueen
#8
Chapter 20: I read this chapter as soon as it got out but i never got a chance to comment in it so i’m doing it now! This storyline really interests you in a way where you want to know the pst and what will happen in the future. I really liked the addition of Haetae being a kreo that has his own will but does not act rashly as the bulgasari. I really am in love with this story author. We will support you all the way!
Maedas
#9
Chapter 20: Jungkook is definitely have a feeling for jieun hahaha cute. I wonder if jieun knows about it. Btw thanks for the update
MayeQueen
#10
Chapter 19: I really really really love this!! I’ve been so busy and been starting to get depressed with whatever is happening in my life and reading this just makes me feel better. Thank you so much for this, this story is really good!!! I really like the kreo creatures you choose and their own personalities that you gave them. I am really interested on how jieun will handle the kreo creatures and tame them and what other creatures there are. Thank you again for this!!!