She woke up on something soft and fluffy which was a good thing cause it was almost three days that she just slept on the cold ground.

But for some reason, it was a really hard task for her to open her eyes, even though it seemed she was well-rested. Out of reflex, she opened her eye, just a thin crack so the sudden light wouldn’t blind her.

“You’re awake.”

It wasn’t the voice she expected to hear, but at least it was better than having Baekhyun standing over her. Still felt a little lightheaded, she tried to seat, but Kyungsoo stopped her midway.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea since you didn't eat and drink for eight hours,” he said it like it was just eight minutes.

“Eight hours? It’d never taken that long before.” she closed her eyes again, hoping that the pounding in her head might go away.

“I’d suspected it wasn’t your first time.” he said and sat on the only chair beside the bed, “you were really confident.”

Was she? It had been a long time ago since she last used her power.

“I wasn’t.”

“Healer, Right? Why do you hide it?” Kyungsoo finally asked the question she hoped no one ask her, at least it wasn’t Luhan who asked.

Healer? That sounded a little too simple for what she’d capable of.

“Can you help me get up? I don’t feel like sleeping anymore.”

Kyungsoo’s hands moved to get hold of her and placed behind her back gently, helping her to sit.

“Thirsty?” she wished it was her ears who played a trick on her when her head snapped at the direction of the voice.

“Is she awake?” Kai asked, now standing on the door frame behind Luhan, “we were getting worried, right?” Kai asked like he wasn’t sure if they were really worried or not.

She wouldn’t guess if Luhan was angry or simply serious but although she didn’t look at his eyes, she knew he was looking at her and she flicked under his gaze.

“Are you thirsty?” he asked again.

“Of course she is. What do you think hyung? She was unconscious for eight hours.” Kai said with an annoying tone before passed him to get to her bed, “noona are you feeling better?”

“Noona? Who said I’m older than you?” she said trying to smile although she could imagine it was probably like she winced.

“Aren’t you as old as Byun Baekbom?” Kai asked confusedly but dragged back by his collar before he could get his answer.

“She’s tired Jongin.” Kyungsoo stood up from his seat still having Jongin’s collar in his hand.

“Hyung you’re going to choke me to death cause you’re shorter than Me,” he said, pretending that he's going to be chocked.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo said before threw him out and followed him himself, casting a glance at her direction before closing the door.

Luhan was standing near the closed door frame, glass of water still in his hand. The silence in the room was awfully heavy for her weak body and it was wrong. Everything seem so wrong even breaking the silence.

“water.” she didn’t notice that he was standing near her bed, sitting on the chair that Kyungsoo used to sit.

She accepted the water without any word. Drinking it, she tried to calm her nerve before putting the now empty glass on the desk beside her bed, “thanks.”

“I think we should talk.” he finally said, shifting a little uncomfortable.

“About my power?” she gulped noticeably.

“That too, but about many other things first,” he said seriously and for some reason it was odd. If it was their first meeting it would be really normal for her, but after getting to know him better he wasn’t serious most of the time and it was odd to see him really serious for the first time.

“You said you don’t have any power and now obviously that was a lie, but- the problem is I READ your mind and you weren’t lying for God’s sake.” his voice was loud, but wasn’t angry, “how?”

“Maybe it’s part of my power?” she suggested.

“It isn’t.” he said, looking straight at her eyes, “you said your damn precious to your father- why?”

For some unknown reason now it seemed really hard to keep the eye contact, “I’m her daughter, why else?”

“It isn’t. Jieun, why is it really hard to tell me?”

“Tell you what? There isn’t anything to tell.” she almost yelled.

There were so many things to tell, but she couldn’t. Even if she wanted to tell anyone, she couldn’t. It was a law.

“What is your father’s power?” he asked quietly.

“Ah, that’s why you’re here, I get what you want-“

“Jieun, we can’t defeat him if we don’t know what he’s capable of. Who do you think send Xiumin to kill me? You’re father.”

‘My father?’

“That’s not true. He already has Hyukjea, why would he send Xiumin after you?” she asked confusedly.

“So Chanyeol wouldn’t feel him around.” Luhan reasoned, “Kyungsoo said, he saw Xiumin had been walking toward our tent so he followed him but he disappeared suddenly, he probably came to find me. Chanyeol can’t feel his body heat because of his power.”

“But, w-why does he want to kill you?” she finally asked, her voice cracked.

“I hoped you know why,” Luhan said a little disappointed.

“I don’t.”

“Then tell me his power.”

“I can’t.” she dropped her head, maybe he wouldn’t notice the tears that decided it was the best time to fall.

“Jieun, I can feel you’re broken, what did he do? Let me help you, please let me help you.”

She felt her body been enveloped in a warm embrace.

“I can’t.” she muffled a dry sob on his shoulder, expecting him to let go of her any second. But he didn’t.

Tightening his hands around her he whispered back, “That’s okay. That’s okay.”

“Sorry to interrupt your little cuddling, but Chanyeol draw a bath for her and told me to tell her.” none of them notice when exactly Baekhyun came inside but he was leaning on the door frame looking at their direction with amused eyes and annoying smirk.

“We were not.” she felt herself blushed before pulled herself away from him, suddenly feeling emptier from before.

“Whatever,” he said, rolling his eye like he didn’t care. 

“I guess you’re really disappointed that I’m still alive.”

“I’m glad you saved Kai.” he frowned, “what do you think am I? An ? I’m not your father.”

“Whatever.” she shot back, standing up from the bed and going toward the door, “mind to move?”

It seemed like Baekhyun flinched slightly, he didn’t expect her to be this close. 

He mumbled something along the lines of ‘sure’ and ‘okay’ before moved from the doorway.

“Thanks.” he said before she completely disappeared, “For saving Jongin of course.”

“Of course,” she confirmed to him that she didn’t and wouldn’t get any funny idea.

She realized the bath was something she really needed from a long time ago, and when she finally pulled on the new set of clothing -although they were less fancy than her current clothing- it felt nice having a neat clothing on.

She toweled her wet hair properly and fix them with the hairpin again before head out of the room.

The house was small but it was one of the biggest of EXO’s safe house -according to Chanyeol- which was protected by some magic stuff so Xiumin couldn’t track Luhan. There was a long corridor between the bathroom and the room she slept on which had another room in the middle of it.

“I don’t see why should I trust you, you guys kidnapped us and used her to get to me, you don’t play fair.” Luhan reasoned angrily and his voice made her stopped halfway to her room.

“Look, Mr. King, we don’t trust you either but we give you a chance to use your power willingly, Xiumin is after you and it’s most likely Kim Inguk who sends him, do you think you can go back to your palace just fine? But you can come with us and help us like a brother.” Chanyeol’s voice had been recognized immediately and she moved a bit closer automatically so she could hear them properly.

“I’m not a brother with someone who uses a girl to get to his intention. Kyungsoo can be but I’m not.” Luhan said irritably.

She heard the chair been dragged roughly across the floor before another voice followed, “Look Mr. Lu the playboy, Jieun isn’t even here so there is no point in playing the role of the prince charming in front of us to impress her. Both of us know you just want her so you can defeat his father, damn it, you even asked her his father’s power when she was at the edge. So we are not the one who uses a girl to get to their sick intention here, it most likely YOU.”

Her stomach lurched. It felt like she missed a step on the stairs. Even though there wasn’t any confirmation for it but what if Baekhyun was right, there wasn’t any confirm to prove it was a lie either. 

There was another screeching of the chair and Jieun put her hands on , trying not to scream out of pain and fear, “HOW DEAR YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THIS? I never use her for my own benefit like you di-“

“Oh, so it was for whose benefit? His father? Don’t joke with me, at least I don’t act like prince charming to fool her. Just ing put the act down and help us go to Elyxion don’t you want to know the reason behind our powers? And other stones?”

“They’re just myths.” Luhan’s angry tones faded away and a mix of doubt and disbelief got its place.

“They’re not and you know It.” she could see the smirk in Baekhyun’s voice.

“What about her?” Luhan asked quietly and she barely heard it.

“She can go to her father, nobody’s after her,” Chanyeol said calmly and there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice. 

“No she can’t, If Xiumin finds out that Kai’s still alive then everybody would realize that she’s a healer sooner or later.” Luhan said with a lost voice and sit back on his chair, “she’s not safe.”

“Come on, I bet her ing father can protect her better than anyone else,” Baekhyun said, deeply offended.

“She is a healer for God’s sake and her father hides it, do you know why? Because he probably can’t protect her when the rumors spread that she is the healer and-“

“Luhan, cut the crap,” Kyungsoo said quietly, “what’s your real reason?”

“Her father is a monster Kyungsoo, and however I try to think it’s her father I can’t let her back to him cause-” he stopped midway, like he was trying to remember the answer of the question without missing anything.

“I don’t want to go back.” she complete the hanging in the air sentences, “I want to come with you.”

The other room was almost as big as the one she was in an hour ago, but this one had a large desk in it with so many chairs around, all occupied.

“You can’t Jieun.”

“Why?” she looked at Luhan who just a second ago had been insisting on keeping her with him.

“It’s really dangerous and you can’t-“

“I can fight. I know how to use a sword, and you can use me as a healer.”

She was certain she didn’t want to go back, even if it meant she had to stick with Baekhyun. Just if her father realized she used her power on someone but not him, he would imprison her forever.

“I can’t go back. Please, I can’t.” her voice broke, “I need to stay, at least for a short time.”

Could she run away from her father forever? There was a voice at the back of her head, screaming ‘no’ that she didn’t want to believe.

“We can brought her to Jaeseok hyung, he can hide her, can’t he?” Jongin suggested suddenly, taking everybody by surprise.

“Jaeseok? But no one knows where he’s-“

“Baekhyun hyung knows, he can control the light.” , Jongin cut Chanyeol off, turning around to look at his other brother, “don’t you hyung?”

“I-“

“He can bring her there,” Jongin suggested proudly, like he deserved an award for it.

“Wait, don’t go too fast. It means we have to send her with Baekhyun? Alone?” he asked, ready to protest in any second.

“Kyungsoo hyung can go with them too.” Jongin gulped and looked at Kyungsoo hopefully.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” she said at the same time with Jongin.

Jieun finally founded her voice, if it meant her last chance, it worth the effort.

“I really don’t want you to do something you don’t like but first of all, I don’t think it’s a good idea to run away from your father judge by how powerful he is everywhere. Second I’m Luhan’s bodyguard and I swear to protect him with all my power.” Kyungsoo reasoned, strangely calmly.

“You can’t go, Jieun, you sho-“

“YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER. YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO OR NOT.” ironically he wasn’t her father, nor did he want to be.

Luhan eyed her a little hurt and for second Jieun tried so hard to resist an urge to apologize, but even if Luhan would accept to let her go there was still Baekhyun who could hijack the whole plan.

“Don’t you think you should ask my opinion too, Lady Kim?” Baekhyun asked after a long break with a huge grin on his face and her heart fell to her stomach by the sight of his grin.

“And what’s your opinion, Mr. Byun?”

She didn’t know if it was physically possible for him to smile even wider but somehow he did, “I’m actually okay with that just if you want, but it would be a really dangerous game to play.”

“I’m game if you are, Mr. Byun.” she tried so hard to hide her nerves.

“Jieun, he is Byun Baekhyun, he doesn’t play fair.” Luhan looked at her, worry in his eyes.

“In this world, who does?”

Even the prospect of the bed was good enough to make Jieun fast asleep. But not everyone got a chance to sleep properly on the bed. So when she wake up Luhan was already awake, laying on the ground.

“You’re awake.” she mumbled with her morning voice, “Morning.”

“Morning. Do you sleep well?” he said, smiling at her morning face.

“Yes.”

“Are you really ready for the trip with Byun Baekhyun? I don’t really like the idea.” Luhan said quietly. The night before, he didn’t expect her to blow on him because he was acting possessive so now he didn’t want her to be mad.

She recalled the incident of the last night -which she was taking a nap during- just to remember that Chanyeol said something along the line of, ‘you two are going to move a day faster-which means tomorrow.’ And something about that ‘so Baekhyun can join us on Satrana.’

“You know, something is fishy about him, he just agreed to bring you there willingly and a day before he was willing to kill you.”

“I chose the lesser of two evils.”

Or at least she thought.

“I don’t want to do it anymore,” she said, tightening her grip around the saddles, her hands began to get hurt.

“Do you think I want?” he said with a disgust expression, “if we go with one horse it would be less suspicion.”

She didn’t want to argue with him any further in case he changed his mind so she just nodded.

“Baekhyun?” she said in a low voice.

“Hmm,” he mumbled broadly.

“Why did you agree to bring me there?” she asked quietly, swallowing the real question she’d planned to ask.

“I don’t want to owe you something.” it didn’t take him second to answer as she expected.

“And what do you owe me?”

“Jongin’s life of course.” although she didn’t saw his face she imagined that he rolled his eyes.

“Look we are going to Vinumia and it’s known as alcohol city so I’m warning you, don’t accept any drink, you get it?” Baekhyun said, changing the topic smoothly.

“Is it really that bad?” she asked, trying to get a glimpse of his face.

“It’s worst, you better not eat anything with a strange smell either.” there was a hint of a smile in his voice.

“You traveled a lot, didn’t you?” she asked with a bitter voice. 

It sounds fun to go to other cities. Get to knowing their culture and tasting their most famous food and drink. Wandering in their street and buying famous stuff in their bazaar. It sounded like a dream.

“Actually, I ran away a lot.” he stopped, “I went to many cities just so nobody can find me.”

There was a huge difference.

The city name wasn’t actually giving too much to her to imagine the city. But although that, she imagined a city with so many people swaying around in the street, which wasn’t the case when they got there. There weren’t many people in the street actually.

“You better keep up your guard there are so many thieves in the city.”

“I don’t have anything worth-“

“You’re hairpin,” he said, and for some reason, he seemed uncomfortable at the mention of it.

It reminded her of their first meeting she completely forgot about and the hairpin Baekhyun bought for her when he still didn’t know how she was.

Baekhyun banged on the front door of the old building which supposed to be motel, it was a mystery how the building was still standing. Finally, after a minute of trying, a man’s head appeared at a window near the door.

“There are still hours till night,” he said with a sleepy face and hoarse voice.

“We need a room.”

“two.”, she added quickly, and before Baekhyun could protest the man’s head disappeared again.

“We don’t need two,” Baekhyun said, harshly.

“Then should we stay in the same room?” she asked, finding the courage to protest.

“It would be harder for me to protect you then.”

“And you really care about my wellbeing?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Fine stay with your stubbornness alone and asked it to protect you.” He said angrily and turned in time to face the sleepy owner that opened the front door.

“Came inside.” he said swayed toward the counter in the hall room, “I take the money first, any problem?”

“No.” Baekhyun said before put a purse on the counter, “ten Thalas for two rooms,” he then turned to look at her, “five each room.”

“Sorry but what’s going here at night?” she asked ignoring the Baekhyun’s glare.

“Don’t you know? It’s a bar right there.” He said pointing at the other end of the hall, “the real fun is at night.”

“That we can’t join.”

Baekhyun made his point very clear by glaring at her all the way to their rooms. The man excused himself afterward and disappeared down the corridor, yawning.

“I’m going to the bazaar.” Baekhyun declared before turning his face away from her.

“Can I com-“

“No, don’t you really get it?” he said suddenly his voice, very serious and annoyed, Jieun flinched, “I do this just because you saved Kai, but it already feels like a sin helping you.”

“I-“

“You don’t need to talk always, do you?”

It was the politest way to shut someone up, Jieun thought. But she couldn’t help feeling so miserable. Just in the time, she thought that by some miracle Baekhyun would accept that she wasn’t the reason of his misfortunes, he left her at the doorway to her room to make her think why he hated her so much.

The hours passed and when the night came Baekhyun didn’t even come to check on her once but made her wonder if by the time he was busy drinking something to make himself less guilty about helping his enemy’s daughter.

The sounds of the music downstairs was getting more and more lost in the voice of so many men, shouting for more drinks and made her imagine Baekhyun sitting at the counter of the bar, completely wasted but asking for more drinks.

Her room was really small. I had enough space just for a bed and some to walk two or three steps. But despite that, it took a long time for her to open the door.

The sound of music get ten times louder when she opened the door and till then she didn’t realize that a cheap door like that could make so much difference.

She took a step outside and checked the corridor before pushed her whole body outside the door and closed it behind.

Nobody was there and when she went to check on Baekhyun. The door was closed and she could just see the darkness through the crack of the door.

‘Maybe he is asleep.’ She thought with herself.

She needed it. A good drink that could make her mind empty from all Baekhyun’s stuff.

“Damn you Byun Baekhyun.”, she muttered under her breath and find herself near the bar a second later.

The grand hallway –that she and Baekhyun used to rent the room in- was now changing to the dance floor, girls and boys dancing in the middle of it without knowing who they were dancing with, all of them completely wasted. And on the other end, there were drunk man slurring and laughing with a girl sitting in their lap, giggling probably to every bull they were talking about.

She didn’t need any though -nor were they her things- she just needed a good drink so she could empty her mind.

There was still an empty chair at the very end of the bar counter, hoping nobody would notice her.

“Any particular drink?” the girl said, sounding much soberer than she expected.

“Something weak.” She smiled at the girl while she raised her eyebrow at her, “why?”

“Not so many people ask for the weak drink at the night like this,” she said poring an orange drink from a glassy bottle, “obviously not from here.” She said pushing a shot in her direction.

“Yes.” She said quietly eyeing a weird orange liquid before drinking it in one breath.

It was bitterer than what she expected of the orange drink.

“Amarum.” Said the girl, smirking widely, “where are you from?”

“Capital.”, she said without thinking, “another shot.”

“They are from capital too.” She said, nodding at the man next to her, “Hey, weren’t you from capital?”

“Yes. Why?” the man asked looking at the bartender.

“She is from the capital too.”

Jieun flicked at the way man took a glance at her face. 

“Is that so?” he said with amused eyes and turned to look at her, “how do you get out of the city? It was really a mess after the rumors about the king spread, they closed all the gates for a day and checked everyone at the gate.”

“Rumors? Which rumors.” Although she wanted to sit there quietly, it aroused her curiosity.

“Are you really from the capital? The rumors about the kings that gone missing.” The man next to him slurred and take a sip of his glass of scarlet wine, “They said he was with her fiancée –Lady Kim- in the forest but suddenly disappeared. And at the same time, General Zhang decided to back.”

“I bet its Kim Inguk’s new trick. That man is a viper. I bet he killed a king and now he is going to put the blame on the poor general.” Other man said, seem much more sober than her other friend.

“That’s not true.” she couldn’t stop herself from protesting, even if her father was a monster that wasn’t fair to judge him like that.

“What do you mean? How do you know?”

“I mean, he is marrying her daughter off to king, why would he?” he bite her lower lips but it seemed like her lie was acceptable enough for the man to nod at it.

“That’s right but, you know her daughter didn’t have a crystal power, she is completely useless, and he probably killed her too to make his lie acceptable.”

“Exactly what he did to Byuns.” Other man agreed, nodded his head drunkenly.

“Byuns? Like Byun Baekhyun-“

“Most likely Byun Baekbom and their father.” The man said, pushed the glass of wine out of his friend’s finger and take a sip, “Baekhyun was a lucky boy, he had a crystal power and-“

“And a chance to live.” His friend slurred again.

“Yeah and that.  He even kick his wife’s maid out.”

Xiujuan?

Where was she?

She suddenly remembered the woman like she was a ghost, and faded away from her memory the second she put her feet out of her life. Her father, she though. He could do anything with his power.

“What happened to Byun Baekbom?” she finally asked.

The question she wanted to ask Baekhyun many days ago and even tried to ask today. But it was just really heavy for her tongue to say it out. 

“He died.” Said the new voice. Soberer and clearer than all of the voices she heard for years.

“he-“her voice broke and she turned to look at his darkened expression.

“You heard enough for today, don’t you think?” he said, hands reached and griped around her wrist, pulling her up to her feet.

“Hey, you can’t just pull a woman away like that.” the man next to her slurred drunkenly, trying to reach for Baekhyun’s hand.

“And what you gonna do about it?” he said with an angry smirk, yanking her hand back. He gazed at the man with eyes full of fire and suddenly it seemed like the man had nothing more to say except cursing under his breath.