Asclepia, Gallia

Monday, October 27th, 2025

“Unnie, what happened to you?” Chaeyeon walked over to the bed where Eunbi sat, staring at her bandaged left arm. Chaeyeon could see the blood seeping from the bandage before Eunbi put her shirt back on.

“As usual, only a small cut.” Eunbi smiled slightly and patted the place next to her, asking Chaeyeon to sit down. But Chaeyeon doesn’t care about that. Her gaze was fixed on Eunbi, looking the older girl up and down. Eunbi could see Chaeyeon’s jaw tensed with clenched fists at her side when she noticed the cotton soaked in Eunbi’s blood in the trash.

“Your wound is bleeding much.” Chaeyeon’s fingers moved to reach Eunbi’s shirt. “How bad is it? Let me see.”

“It’s okay.” Eunbi grabbed Chaeyeon’s wrist and held it.

“How did this happen?” A frown on Chaeyeon’s forehead deepened. “Tell me where it hurts, Unnie.”

“I thought you’d never care, Lee.”

Chaeyeon hissed when Sakura appeared from the healing room. She was looking at Chaeyeon with annoyance, and Chaeyeon knew what made the older girl look like she wants to curse her.

“Where are you huh? Why didn’t you pick up my call?! Do you know what happened in Gallia a few hours ago?! Gallia was under attack and did you see our library was emptied?! Nothing left behind!! Some of the headquarter were engulfed in flames! Someone set the fire that burns our place!” Sakura screeched.

“Sounds cool, Unnie,” Chaeyeon responded calmly without taking her gaze away from Sakura. “Do you know who the attackers are? I bet they must be impressive.”

“You-!” Sakura was at a loss for words. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides. “You know who did the attack, right?”

Chaeyeon shook her head.

“Aren’t you guys very proud of Gallia’s security system? I’m always in awe of anyone who manages to sneak into Gallia, let alone make a mess there. Isn’t this the first time since five years ago?”

Eunbi and Sakura were astonished to hear Chaeyeon’s question.

“This is the third time since five years ago. Gallia was under attack while you were still in London.” Kaeun’s voice took over their attention. “At that time someone sneaked into Asclepia to steal some rare potions and set fire to the laboratory.”

Kaeun put down the tray and grabbed a glass of water and some medicine for Eunbi before turning her body to look at Chaeyeon.

“Someone also snuck into Gallia last week, Chae. Eunbi and I didn’t report this to The Elder because there was no damage or loss. But I hope you can help us find out who lurked in there and what they were looking for.” Their eyes met, and Chaeyeon knew, the leader was looking for lies from her gaze.

“I feel like today’s incident is related to last week. I think they came back today to destroy any evidence of their appearance last week. If so, you’re right, Chae. They’re too brave and obstinate but still impressive. We know they’re a part of us, the gifted. We have to be more careful,” Kaeun smiled slightly when she saw Chaeyeon said nothing. “I hope our movement next month is the right decision. Can you guarantee Chrysalis Village is a safe place for Wonyoung?”

Chaeyeon smirked slightly and shook her head. “There is no safe place as long as you still haven’t discovered the traitor who meant to kill The Earth Line five years ago.”

***

Astrape Palace, Astreaia

Monday, October 27th, 2025

Yujin held back her grin when she saw the expressions on Hyewon’s, Yena’s, and Chaewon’s faces when they entered Wonyoung’s study room. The older girls looked uncomfortable and tense. But Yujin doesn’t have the heart to give her tease because she remembered that the three of them don’t have pleasant memories since the last time they set a foot in Astreaia, which is five years ago.

Neither of them said anything when they met Yujin and Wonyoung a few hours ago. No questions or reluctance. The three of them surprisingly just nodded their heads when Wonyoung said they would return to Astreaia. Even when they arrived at Astrape Palace, they didn’t ask anything. They seemed to be busy themselves scattered around Wonyoung’s study room as if what was in the room was the only thing that caught their attention.

“What are we going to do in Astreaia?” Chaewon’s question broke the silence between them.

“There is nothing to do, Unnie.” Wonyoung answered calmly and made the Pillars frowns deepen.

“Then why did you bring us here?” Yena walked over to the couch and looked at Wonyoung who was enjoying her tea.

“A group of intruders wreaks destruction on Gallia.” Wonyoung’s words made them approach her and sat on the couch. “There were no casualties, but they managed to burn down the library and the left wing of Headquarter. Because of that, Eunbi Unnie and Kaeun Unnie asked me to be in Astreaia with you.”

“Is the situation that dangerous?” Hyewon asked with a frown that did not go away on her forehead.

“I checked everything, and all is well.” Wonyoung still looks calm. “But I guess there’s nothing wrong with staying the night here. There are many things we can talk about.”

“When you had an accident and lost your memory, have you visited Astreaia?” Chaewon asked curiously. She could see Yujin stiffened uncomfortably when she asked.

Wonyoung nodded. “I got treatment and medication here. Almost every night I dreamed of you, but somehow those memories were blurred. I only saw your faces and The Elder’s voice.”

Wonyoung loosened her shirt sleeve and showed a mark on her wrist. The same mark as the Pillars’. All eyes stared at her wrists with a frown.

“Ahhhh... I forgot you can’t see it. On my 20th birthday, this mark appeared on my wrist, and then my memories of you became clearer. I started remembering that Hyewon Unnie, Yena Unnie, and Chaewon Unnie are my pillars. During my healing time, The Elder told me that the Ruler had four Pillars but they didn’t say who was the last Pillar. They only said one day they will tell me when they have found him or her.”

Hyewon frowned at Wonyoung’s explanation. “How can they find out who Ruler is but didn’t know who the last Pillar?”

But even Wonyoung looked confused too. “To be honest, The Elder never said anything about my role. They only explained that a Ruler had four Pillars. They didn’t even say I was the Ruler. I think at that time, they were still doubting my identity.”

“What do you mean?” One of Yena’s eyebrows lifted at the acknowledgment. “With you able entering the gates of Astreaia, isn’t that enough proof that you are a Ruler?”

“At first, I didn’t understand either. But Eunbi Unnie told me about the existence of The Odd Eye. Legend has it that they are the chosen people, who were born to keep each realm rotating according to its orbit and time. From what I heard, they can penetrate space and time.” Wonyoung smiled faintly as the curious gaze didn’t move from her. “They don’t tell much about the whereabouts of The Odd Eye. It is not impossible if The Odd Eye’s existence is only a legend. However, I found out a lot about their existence from The Silver. Just like the Ruler Line who gets marks on their wrists as they grow up, The Odd Eye also gets marks on their eyes which one of their eyes will change color when they use their power. I think that’s what distinguishes The Ruler and The Odd Eye. The Elders never acknowledged the existence of The Odd Eye, but I think they already knew about it, so they didn’t tell me right away about my role, because there’s possibility that I’m an Odd Eye.”

“The Odd Eye?” Yena mumbled. “It’s my first time hearing about them.” She lied.

From her place, Yujin smiled faintly when she saw Hyewon and Chaewon exchanged glances with meaningful look.

“Apart from what I said earlier, they have many specialties. The Odd Eye is the keeper of all realms. They can go in and out of the realm without the Ruler’s permission. They can also time travel by going back in time, space, and predicting the future.” Wonyoung continued the explanation she got from The Silver. “But, the crazy part is they can destroy and revive a realm.”

“Isn’t Ruler able to do those too?” Hyewon questioned what she had known about Ruler.

“I can’t do a time traveling. I can only see what happened in the past, but my ability to do that is limited. The Ruler can’t enter other ruler realms without permission from the Ruler of that realm or the Odd Eye. Maybe there’s some other way, I don’t know yet. But why should I find out?” Wonyoung laughed in her own words. “If a Ruler sneaks into another Ruler’s realm without permission, it will break a war. I don’t like war. Astreaia is enough to make me happy.”

“Have you ever met The Odd Eye?” Chaewon’s gaze fixed on Yujin while questioning that, trying to see the younger girl’s reaction. But this time, Yujin didn’t give any response. She was still chewing tarte tatin while staring at her mug. Didn’t seem interested in what Chaewon was asking.

Wonyoung shook her head.

“I always get reports about their visit to Astreaia, but I have never met them. Somehow they always came when I wasn’t here. They seem to know when I come and go.”

“You said earlier that you knew of their existence from The Silver? What is that?” Yena asked curiously.

“If you’ve ever seen an ancient book in worn gray cover that I used to carry, that’s The Silver, Unnie.” Wonyoung turned to Yena with one hand grabbing her cup. She smiled when their eyes met. “From what I read, the book keeps repeating about the navy, scarlet, ash, and violet when it comes to The Odd Eye. At first, I thought it was their eye color that represented each element, but The Odd Eye who visited Astreaia had green and gold eyes.”

“Maybe their eye color changes according to the realm they enter.” Yujin wiped her lips with a napkin, looking ready to join the conversation. “You told me about what you found from the books you read. The purple, green, blue, yellow, and red circles as color representatives for Earth, Astreaia, Oneiroia, Ukioia, and Ikigaea. Odd-Eyes may have eye color as a representative which is navy, scarlet, ash, and violet. But, when they enters Astreaia, their eyes turned green. I still don’t have any theory why their eyes turned gold color. Could it be that they found or possessed something? Like an heirloom or some other stone that increases their strength?”

Yujin didn’t sound sure of what she was saying. Even so, part of what she said made some sense.

“Yeah, that’s possible.” Wonyoung nodded. “I’ll try to find out. Maybe some of the books in Astreaia can give me an answer.”

“Is the Odd Eye a part of Pillar? Or they’re on different part but still on the Ruler Line?”

This time, Chaewon’s question made Wonyoung gone silent for a while.

“I don’t know. So far, I only stick to the Silver and my conversations with The Elder and Delta Team. We’ll talk about this later when you guys finish the Sapphire Tier promotion.” Wonyoung smiled at Hyewon, Yena, and Chaewon. “It’s late, time to rest, Unnie. Head Court Lady will you to your respective rooms. We will return to Gaia in the morning.”

“How about you? Who will protect you if we are in separate rooms?” Yena asked with a doubtful look. Even though they are at Astreaia, she trusts no one when she remembered what happened five years ago.

Wonyoung turned her gaze to Yujin. “Yujin Unnie will accompany me. She will stay up all night doing her assignments. You don’t need to worry, Unnie.”

Wonyoung tried to hold back her grin when she saw Yujin snort at her words.

Soon the Head Court Lady came and asked Hyewon, Yena, and Chaewon to follow her to the room. Wonyoung walking in the opposite direction, towards her bedroom with Yujin who followed her from behind.

“I’m impressed.” Chaewon stared at the backs of Wonyoung and Yujin, who were walking away before her attention turned back to Yena and Hyewon. “Honestly, there are a lot of things going on in my head right now, Unnie. I think Chaeyeon Unnie is right. The first person we should talk to about the incidents of that night is Yujin. But somehow, at the same time, I felt unsure about it. I don’t seem to know Yujin. I can’t predict anything related to her. I can’t figure out what Yujin is thinking. She is too calm, and not like the Yujin we know all along. We should discuss this with Chaeyeon Unnie before making any move towards her.”

***

Amethyst High School, Seoul

Monday, May 15th, 2017

“You look so good in blonde.” Those fingers slipped between Jungeun’s hair. Playing it like a child who is seeing cotton candy for the first time. The younger girl’s eyes looked excited and full of longing. Under normal circumstances, Jungeun would be smiling and flicked her hair proudly. But, not this afternoon.

For a moment, Jungeun regretted meeting the other girl at their school. She thought she will meet her with a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. She never expected to found the younger girl with many bruises on her body. She didn’t come with this expectation.

“But to be honest, I prefer to see you with dark hair, Jungie. Kim Jungeun with dark brown hair looks even ier to me.” The cheeky grin appeared in front of Jungeun.

This time Jungeun snorted and made the girl laugh.

“Why are you here? Don’t you feel jet-lagged?” She asked with her fingers still playing with the blonde hair.

Wrong move.

She bit her lower lip when she saw Jungeun’s expression change when she heard her question.

“Do you think I can feel jet-lagged seeing you like this?! So this is the reason why you didn’t pick me up at the airport?! I should have known you were busy fighting with everyone who annoyed you.” Jungeun started complaining. Even so, her hands gently tended to the wound on the younger girl’s hand. She tried to ignore the girl who had been smiling broadly with sparkling eyes at her. “You promised me you wouldn’t fight anyone. Who will take care of you if you get hurt like this when I’m not here?”

“Sunmi Unnie.” Without looking, Jungeun could tell that the girl was showing her a victorious smile.

“Did you forget that she’s really busy right now, huh? She’s going to take over Unity Hospital. She doesn’t have time to take care of a brat like you, you know?”

“Look how chatty you are, Grandma.” The girl sneered, still with a mischievous look on her face. “There is also Yeonjung who will accompany me if I need anything. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But your antics keep bothering me.”

“You’re always worried, Jungie.” The girl grinned as Jungeun gave her an annoyed look. “I meant it when I said you didn’t have to worry about me. I have a black belt and I’m not usually like this. I knew you would come, so I no longer hold back. Also, I didn’t fight with anyone. I just slipped into Tunnel Time and happened to come across in a bad time. I had to fight them because otherwise, I can’t be in front of you right now, Jungie. The bruises on my body are my way of surviving.”

Jungeun’s hand movements stopped when she heard that. Her jaw tightened realizing what the younger girl was doing in her absence.

“I told you not to care about anything they say about the Gifted’s existence. I should have known you wouldn’t stand still and keep trying to collect all the heirlooms and silver chains without my knowledge.” Jungeun let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I took the acceleration class and left you here.”

“You didn’t leave me. Didn’t I promise you I will catch up with you next year? I’ve even started packing my things so I can go straight to you after graduation.” The girl reached out her hand to touch Jungeun’s cheek.

Jungeun did not react, she still concentrated on wrapping the bandage on the girl’s hand.

“Do you have a lot of friends there? Did you find a good Korean food restaurant? I found lots of new places. There is a cozy café with live music, Chérie. I’ll take you there.” Question after question left from the younger girl’s lips, and Jungeun had no intention of answering it.

Jungeun felt an index finger poking her cheek, but she still didn’t respond. Her hands kept moving to treat the wound on the girl’s body.

“I haven’t seen you in months, and now you’re ignoring me? Jungie, I miss you every single day. Do not you miss me?” The girl tried to pull her hand away, but Jungeun quickly grabbed the girl’s wrist, holding her back from going anywhere.

“Kim Jungeun...” She started to whine, but Jungeun pa