«Death is a part of Life, they are dancing together the dance of infinity in front of the gates of Time. (...) Time is the Endless Consciousness. »

Grigoris Deoudis

 

 

 

 

Yuju was on her knees. The nomad camp was still burning in front of her and so was probably Umji - in one of those tents. 

 

Yuju isn’t it weird that we don’t hear any suffering voice ? I mean I remember when the village in my kingdom was burning, I could hear horrible agonizing screams. - Sowon explained. 

 

Yuju stood up. Sowon was probably right and deep down she hoped it was true. The royal army was still here and they seem to have noticed that the tents were empty. 

 

It is a trap. - One of the soldier screamed.

 

Yuju and Sowon were confused. How can this be a trap ? Sowon asked one of the guards and his answer was still confusing. 

 

He said that it is a distraction and that the queen was surely in danger. But I still don’t get the link between those people and Yerin. - Sowon told Yuju.

Yuju’s eyes widened: « Revenge ».  That was the only word which could link the nomads to Yerin. She was persecuting them and they certainly wanted to put an end to that. But how did they manage to know and move just before the royal army attack ? It couldn’t be just a coincidence. There was definitively something fishy. 

Without waiting any longer, they decided to join the army and hit the road towards the castle. 

Despite her confusion, Sowon had a premonition of tragedy. And she was right … unfortunately. 

Ugly bloody corpses of lifeless guards - scattered here and there - welcomed them. What an ominous sign. There were also blood on the wall and on the floor. But the macabre scene didn’t end there. Way worse was waiting for them when they eventually reached the royal bedroom. 

 

The army entered the room first but they knew that it was too late when the nomads welcome them with a knife under Yerin’s neck:

 

You come closer … your queen dies ! - A nomad warned and all the royal guards stayed still. 

 

Sowon and Yuju entered the room and it was really shocking: all the nomads were gathered around the queen on her knees and with her hands tied up on her back. But what shocked Sowon the most was the look on Yerin’s face, she had never seen her this vulnerable and fragile. Her brown eyes were shining because of tears. Yerin’s eyes were stuck on something or rather someone … Eunha. She was tied up on a chair and her eyes were screaming fear. Sowon then looked at the nomads: they were really scary with their red eyes and black hoods. In addition, there was something exuding from them making them look inhuman: darkness. And suddenly Sowon wondered if she  looked this scary back then when the dark magic was controlling her mind. She quickly disregard her thought when she spotted SinB among the crowd. She didn’t look well as if she was internally fighting against something. She was holding someone hand and that someone surprised Sowon: 

 

Yewon ! - She cried out maybe a little too loud because not only Umji, everyone turned their heads towards her. 

Yuju and Sowon ran up to Umji: 

 

How are you feeling ? Do you bleed somewhere ? - Yuju asked worried.

 

Fine, I am fine. - Umji repeated then she turned towards her big sister. Glad to see you Sowon but right now is not the moment for the family reunion if you know what I mean.  

 

What is happening ? - Sowon asked. 

 

To make a long story short, the nomads wanted the magic necklace, the one Eunha had. That was the plan. But it turned out that the crystals of the necklace are missing and that for that … - Umji paused as if she felt bad about what she was going to say next. 

 

For that what ? What do we have to do to get the crystals ? 

 

We need the blood and the eyes of … Eunha. 

 

Well taking a little blood sample from her won’t kill her. - Yuju joked. And what exactly does she have to do with her eyes ?

 

Nothing, her eyes are the crystals and we need blood from her heart. 

 

But it is impossible to do such thing without killing her … - Yuju pointed out. 

 

Well … that’s the problem, it is a Cornelian dilemma.

 

Sowon had kept silent but she listened to the whole conversation and now she could clearly understand Yerin’s state. 

 

We can’t let them do that … - Sowon mumbled down. She then approached the nomads leader. 

 

Why are you