"THE REASONS WHY THE STAR IN THE SKY SHINES IS MAYBE BECAUSE THE NIGHT IS BLACK"

***

This is weird. Things isn’t supposed to turn out like this.

A certain voice whispered as it is pacing around the space. An unexpected event just taking place, shaking the whole realm non-stop. The empty throne for sea deity position shifting the balance of Wizland, which make the situation quite hectic to be handled. Not to mention, everything that happened so far exceeded the confused lady.

How can this be? It’s so peculiar. Really weird. Did I miscalculate anywhere?

The befuddled lady is busy fiddling with the floating records around her. She just couldn’t comprehend on what just happening in the world where she send those 12 girls. Sounds of her typing echoes throughout the White Realm as Sier is trying her best to sort out the unexpected twist occurring where Eunbi offered herself to the Executor to save her beloved babies.

My Perdue.You are all really interesting fellow.

***

“Sakura, it’s time to eat.”

Triple knock is heard from the oaken door, accompanied with a worried voice. As there’s no reply from the current inhabitant of the room, a click sound can be heard before the door creaked opened. Minjoo showed up, carrying a tray of breakfast to Sakura who is just sitting silently beside the window. The second oldest member looks aloof while staring outside, didn’t bother to utter even a single sound.

“Hey, I always remind you to open the window a bit. It’s not nice to coop up in a dusty room without any proper ventilation, okay?”

Minjoo gently pushed aside Sakura while opening the window widely. Sakura just squinted her eyes while furrowing her eyebrows, still didn’t move from her place.

“It’s been a week already, Sakura. You need to eat something.”

The younger girl tried scooping something and help Sakura to eat but the cherry blossom didn’t seems to respond. The bags under the older girl’s puffy eyes just making Minjoo grows even worried. Sakura had been like this ever since Eunbi disappeared after their final battle with Poseidon. The girls grew hysteric  when she regains her full consciousness and directly diving into the sea, searching for Eunbi like crazy.

One time, Sakura even went berserk with her familiar, Ava the Pegasus in the middle of the sea, causing disturbance in within the sea surrounding Agua. The people even thought that Leviathan is attacking the town. It took five of them to carry the girl who suddenly possess tremendous strength. Things turned sour when they need to sedate Sakura so that she wouldn’t do the next reckless thing which is crashing directly into Modos to interrogate the old Merfolk about Eunbi whereabout. They didn’t want things to grew even harder than it already is. Only Hyewon is able to talk some reasons with Sakura before the girl finally giving up. However, the girl locked herself inside their mansion just beside the beach in Agua, staring blankly into spaces.

“Minjoo, I already handled Hyewon.”

A soft, deep voice greeted Minjoo as she entered Sakura’s room, carrying an empty tray. The girl heave a deep sigh as she see the current Sakura whose detaching herself from the reality. It seems like Eunbi’s sudden disappearance really giving the girl a huge blow.

“Thank you, Yujin-ah.”

The exhausted girl thanked her younger sister for being so helpful. The giant puppy suddenly turned matured when the unnie line lost their strength. She didn’t pick any fight with Nako anymore nor teasing the members. Instead, she diligently offering hands to Minjoo in handling the house chores as everyone acting weird after Eunbi is gone. As Minjoo is about to persuade Sakura to eat for one last time, some ruckus is heard from the room across Sakura’s making Yujin looks distressed. Both of them hurriedly running to the next room where Hyewon resides and find Wonyoung is shaking the older girl vigorously.

“Please tell me, Hyewon. What does Eunbi said to you and Sakura? I know both of you defitnitely can hear her last words. Please, tell me.”

Wonyoung trembles as her tears making her face wet while she slowly slides onto the floor. She didn’t release her tight clutch that is latching on Hyewon’s sweater. The youngest girls wails like someone had snatched away her most precious things which attracted the whole household, excluding Sakura.

“Wonyoung, stop!”

Chaeyeon rushed over towards the girl and tried peeled of the maknae from bothering soulless Hyewon. The baby bunny retaliate by scratching Chaeyeon, leaving some blood dripping from the group merchant’s face.

“Wonnie!”

Yujin grabbed Wonyoung’s fragile wrist who seems to be unaware of her actions. Chaeyeon didn’t retorted back but instead, she just wiped away the gushing blood. She turned at Hyewon who is indifferent with all those disturbance, as if the girl already giving up with reality. The wolf’s owner just stole a quick glance at the quiet girl and she feels something is raging in her heart. She don’t know why but those feeling won’t just fade away. As she is about to leave the room, she can hear Wonyoung’s sob while muttering,

“Why wouldn’t Eunbi let me die? It’s my obligation as the Chosen One. Why would she offer herself? Hic…”

“Now, now. Don’t say it like that. She must have her own reasons, alright? Let’s put our trust in Eunbi. She’ll definitely come back sooner than we thought.”

“Hic… I should never be alive, Yujinnie. Why am I the Chosen One? I hate this title so much.”

Yujin carefully wrapped her arms around Wonyoung while carrying the girl away from the room. Her eyes meets with her older sisters and they all just scurried away, avoiding her gaze. Yujin didn’t know why this house lose its warmth. They are all the same people but the atmosphere is just different. She thought that they just need some time to cope with their sudden lost. As she tugged Wonyoung back in her bed, Yujin walked towards the balcony. Her mind is mess right now but she couldn’t afford to delve into her own despair. Not when she see how much Minjoo is struggling alone.

Arf! What are you doing here, master?

Suddenly a big dog jumped onto Yujin, causing the tall girl to fall upon the impact. She felt something ticklish is her face and didn’t have much choice but to laugh.

“Stop, Sol! Hahahaha! You’re killing me!”

Yujin is freely rolling on the floor with her partner, Sol the Cerberus. Somehow, her puppy grows after they beaten Poseidon and now it’s almost as the same size as a Golden Retriever. She patted her familiar as she let the breeze carress her face.

“Hey.”

Yujin lifted her face when she heard someone greeted her. She sees Yena  who seems awkward for some reasons. Yujin give the older ducky her signature dimple smiles as she pat the spot beside her, inviting Yena to sit with her at the balcony. Fortunately, the older girl is docile and just silentlyn taking a seat beside the pair of puppies.

“It feels like an eternity.”

Yena said while crossing her feet, resting her right palm on the floor while her other hand ruffles her head.

“Feels stuffy. I’m not even acting like myself and I hate it.”

Yujin just sit beside Yena, accompanying the duck like girl grumbles about several things. If there are things that she missed, it’s the time she spent goofing around with Hyewon, Yena and Chaeyeon. Nowadays, everyone seems to avoid each other. They prefer to take their meal in their own room.

“I  miss us. I miss IZ*One as a whole, not like this.”

Yena burst into tears which shook Yujin. The girl didn’t know how to respond properly as her eyes also is watery from Yena’s comment.

“I want us back. I want IZ*One as twelve.”

They both are sobbing on the balcony, feeling overwhelmed by Eunbi’s sudden disappearance. Little did they know, someone is eavesdropping to their whole conversation since earlier. The girl just stood beside the door, staring into the empty spaces. She glances at the pair of girl who are in their own world and strides away.

This is not the right time to talk about Eunbi.

Chaewon took a deep breath and decides taking a stroll on the beach. Her heart is shattered into pieces. She is aware that everyone is devastated right now and she want to propose that they continue searching Eunbi in different area. Maybe their leader just being transported somewhere, to some unknown place which is unreachable through normal means like Himmel but then, with their current condition, she don’t think that it is wise to do so.

Her feet can feel the coarse sands touched her delicate skin. Chaewon intentionally didn’t wear her sandal because she want something to stab her. Maybe, all of this is just another nightmare of hers. Just maybe, she is trapped in her own