WheeIn paced around the border of the camp. She got sent away for checking on HyeJin so much, she took up post guarding the camp to take her mind off of it. It had been hours since Jin arrived at the camp with TaeOh’s message, and yet they had not heard from any of them. It was concerning. Arcadia paced next to Wheein matching her steps, probably feeling WheeIn’s anxiety, wondering what happened to her friends.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Luna asked from the top of a rock she was sitting on, she was polishing her sword, her way of dealing with nerves. WheeIn expected Luna to stay with the party delivering the kids back to the Knight, but she stayed behind, most likely because TaeOh had not been accounted for.

WheeIn leveled her with a look. “We can’t just abandon the camp, there are not many of us in good condition.” Like HyeJin, who no longer had a leg.

Luna stood up and jumped down from the rock. “I can’t just sit here wondering what is going on. If we wait any longer they will be dead.” She snapped.

“Do you think I want them to die?” Wheein growled in Luna’s direction. “TaeOh is my brother Luna, Byul and YongSun are my friends. Just because you are sleeping with TaeOh…” She knew it was a mistake as soon as she said it.

Luna’s eyes closed slightly, looking ready to hit WheeIn. “At least the person you love is safe.” She couldn’t say anything, she was right, HyeJin might be hurt but she is safe. WheeIn opened to apologize. 

Arcadia stopped and looked over the deep woods and growled. Wheein and Luna drew their weapons. They could hear someone running. A young man came crashing through the brush, out of breath, almost falling over at the sight of the woman with their blades out.

He threw his hands up. "I was sent by Blue" His face clicked in WheeIn’s mind, he was there during the attack of the camp. "The princess is dead.” He choked out. “A bomb went off at the castle during the wedding, then someone slit the princess’s throat. The news is all over town.” 

WheeIn went cold, that couldn’t be, there was no way YongSun could be dead. “Go back to Blue.” She commanded. “Ask him if he can spare a few men, meet us on the road to the castle in twenty minutes.” She grabbed Luna by the sleeve. “Now you got your action.” 

They ran back to camp to get two of the fastest horses they had available and hooked them up to a wagon. If anything they would bring back the bodies of the fallen in it, she just hoped they wouldn’t be bringing back bodies.

WheeIn and Luna raced towards the castle sure that they were on a suicide mission. She didn’t think about what she was going to do once she got there, she just knew she had to get answers and get them as fast as she could and there was only one place they were going to get them. 

WheeIn wasn’t sure if YongSun’s death was planned by TaeOh and Byul as a way to get her out of the castle or if it had really happened, but since none of them had shown up at camp, it could only mean trouble. 

She wanted to be by HyeJin’s side, making sure she was okay, but she couldn’t just leave the others. TaeOh was her brother after all. According to Blue’s men, it had been almost an hour since YongSun was allegedly killed. She couldn’t waste any more time trying to decipher if YongSun’s death was a plan or not, she just needed to get to the castle. 

As they got closer, the ground started to shake. It was subtle at first, feeling like small rattles as they rode, but once they hit the outer grounds of the castle they got harsher as if the earth was ready to break open and swallow them all. Delivering them to hell. 

There were no more guests at the castle and barely any guards as they approached, though she was sure they probably knew they were coming, they weren’t being stealthy about it. Luna did not steer them to the front gate, she went around, trying to find what was left of the wedding, that is where they would get their clues as to where the others were. 

The wedding ground was overturned. Benches flipped in their heads, decorations broken to bits like shrapnel, the stage looked as if it had been set on fire, and fabric from fancy ribbons had been torn and left in the dirt. The place looked like a disaster.

They parked the wagon outside the gate, hidden by a bunch of trees for a quick getaway, guarded by one of Blue’s men. The second WheeIn’s foot crunched over a piece of broken plate. Someone stepped from the shadows.

WheeIn already had a blade in her hand, a fraction of a second from launching it, hesitant. Luna, however, was not. She yanked her sword from its sheath with such force, it sang. She grabbed the prince by his shirt, the tip of the blade pointed at his throat. “Where are they?” She roared, she looked ready to throw him to the ground, or run him through, Luna only really cared about TaeOh but he would most likely be where the others were so WheeIn didn’t stop her. 

His face was set, he looked serious but this could very well be a trap, he could be here to capture them. “Please,” Eric held up his hands as WheeIn approached, parchment in his hand. “You are with YongSun and TaeOh right?” Relief washed over his features when WheeIn gave a firm nod. “I don’t know what happened to them but I might know where they are.” 

WheeIn glared at him, trying to see through him, something odd was going on because no guards came to rescue the prince. “Why should we believe the son of a demon?” She asked evenly. His father was a monster, responsible for so much death, a lot of it directly related to the ones WheeIn loved, her HyeJin laid in pain because of something he created. 

Eric looked angry. “I am nothing like my father, I’ve been working for years to try and find a way to stop him.” WheeIn eyed him like vermin, trying to make him squirm. 

Luna snorted and pressed the blade she was holding deeper into his neck. “Why should we believe anything you say?”

“Because I’ve helped keep YongSun and TaeOh safe and together since they got here, and I am here now trying to help you get them back. And besides, you most likely will not find them without me, you have no idea what the inside of this castle even looks like.” WheeIn cleared and nodded for Luna to take a step back. Eric unfolded the parchment in his hands. “There are tunnels under the castle, they have been there since it was built. I think my father has them somewhere here.” He pointed to an empty space on the paper. 

“I see nothing,” WheeIn said in a warning tone. 

Eric moved his finger over it. “You can feel the indentation on the page.” He held it for her to feel it. “It was erased to hide something, they have to be here.” He seemed desperate but honest.

WheeIn kicked out his knees and watched him drop, she dug her knee into his chest and pressed her blade over his heart. “If you do anything that gets one of my people killed, I will make sure you suffer.” She pressed the blade hard enough to make a small cut. “I will not hesitate to kill you if you make me think you are leading us into a trap.” She watched as Eric swallowed hard. “If you truly are trying to stop your father then keep that word, make this kingdom better, overcome him.” She got off of him and hauled him to his feet. He dusted off his clothes.

 “Well prince,” She stepped back and gestured forward. “Lead the way, one wrong move and you won’t know which one of us killed you.” WheeIn gave Luna a look, one that meant to keep her guard up. Eric sighed but turned around like he was told to. WheeIn fell into step behind Eric as Luna called to the remaining men. “You might want them to wait over there.” Eric pointed. “The closest exit from the tunnels is there.” WheeIn nodded to the men, commanding to follow that order, they would catch up once they relayed the message to the one guarding the horses. The three of them walked further into the castle grounds. The ground shook under her feet, they didn’t have much time.

TaeOh stood poised in front of Byul, holding his breath as the King got to his feet. Every thought in his mind told him to ram the sword in his hand through that bastard's heart and end everything. His heart was racing at the thought. All the pain and suffering they had endured, all the evil he caused, TaeOh could end it right there. The thoughts chanted in his head, he took a step forward, metal glinting. 

“No.” YongSun’s voice commanded. Her hands shot up, magic poured from her palms, flattening TaeOh and Byul against the wall, trapped behind a wall of energy. He could still see-through, it looked like a translucent golden curtain, the same one encased JongKook on the other side of the room, where Byul was once chained. “This is between us.” She said, eyes turning back to Henry. 

Henry’s back was turned to TaeOh and Byul. “YongSun please.” Byul pleaded with such pain in her voice it hurt TaeOh to hear it. “Don’t do this.”

“Don’t worry.” YongSun’s head turned towards them. “Yongsun will be safe.” The unknown voice spoke through her.

Henry gave a deep laugh. “I take it as I am no longer speaking to the spoiled princess of Thaiston.” He stood relaxed, arms at his sides as if he was in a casual meeting.

YongSun smiled eerily. “You have black in your veins, King of Kederon.” She stood taller. “All evil souls must answer to the Solarous.” 

Henry cracked his neck. “I do what is necessary for this kingdom to last.” He raised his hand, black liquid moved through his veins, it came out the palm of his hands and formed a ball of pure black smoke. “I will be unstoppable as soon as I take your powers, then her’s.” He nodded his head backward. 

TaeOh stiffened, he was talking about Byul. Byul moved out from behind TaeOh to stand beside him, eyes fixed on the woman she loved, terror on her face. <