Seulgi dropped to her hands and knees. The smell of salt in her nostrils and the grit of the sand against her palms told her that they’d arrived at Newport Beach. Though Joohyun had healed the wounds Seungwan had inflicted, Seulgi could still feel the phantom of a blade crawling across her skin. A sinister tingling at her back and thigh, cold and disturbing like the lingering pain after an electric shock.

    “How are you feeling now?” Joohyun’s voice said from above as a hand massaged Seulgi’s back.

    “Better than before,” Seulgi said, rolling over so that she sat properly in the sand. It was late enough at night that the boardwalk was shut down, and the uneven stretch of beach was vacant aside from the two of them. “The places where Seungwan cut me still hurt, though.”

    Joohyun sat beside Seulgi and began wiping the sweat from her cheeks and forehead. The Representation’s brow was wrinkled, eyebrows knitted together with consternation.

    “Cuts made with Cosmic Energy are difficult to repair, especially for mortals” Joohyun said, running her hand over the fabric of Seulgi’s pants, right at the spot where Seungwan’s blade had sliced the thigh. A warped crimson scar was visible through the tattered material. “They tend to take longer to heal.”

    Seulgi nodded, drew her knees to her body, and tried to relinquish the memories of Seungwan’s relentless onslaught from her mind. In between those fragments of recollection, Stardust lurked, seething with anger. She was subdued for now, but Seulgi knew that her alter ego wouldn’t soon forget what had happened tonight.

    “Why did she attack me?” Seulgi asked, turning to the calming view of waves crashing against the shore. The tides were riled tonight, and a skirt of clouds spread over the horizon, signaling a coming storm.

    “I have a few theories,” Joohyun said, sighing. “The most prevalent of which being that she was trying to protect the Earth.”

    “Protect the Earth?” Seulgi said incredulously, “By killing me?”

    “My husband has taken note of our relationship,” Joohyun said, lifting a handful of sand. “At least in some capacity. He wouldn’t be bringing his eternal night to this planet if he didn’t think I was actively opposing him.”

“But he doesn’t know it’s because of me,” Seulgi said slowly. “He just knows that you’re up to something.”

Joohyun let out a fond, exasperated laugh. “I would not use that exact verbiage, but yes. Seungwan likely suspected that you presented a threat to Eodum by being involved with me. Regardless of whether he was aware of you or not, to her you were the root of the problem. And so, in order to save the planet, she tried to… solve that problem.”

Seulg’s throat constricted and became dry. Joohyun could be frigidly calculating. Moments such as these served as reminders of the Representation’s cryptic nature, developed through centuries of exposure to grand, cosmological happenings. With those in mind, it wasn’t hard to see why Seungwan would conclude that killing Seulgi was the best way to protect the planet. An exchange of one life for billions was an obvious choice. Especially a mortal.

Joohyun allowed the sand to fall from her palm, carried away by the sea breeze. She watched the grains as they dispersed, then turned to Seulgi with heavy, emotional eyes.

“I will not let that happen, my dear,” Joohyun said, taking Seulgi’s hand.

She’s right, Stardust hissed through metaphysical teeth. Next time, Seungwan won’t be so lucky.

Seulgi frowned. Was Stardust really that furious to the point of delusion? Seungwan had been throwing her around like a rag doll. If it weren’t for Joohyun, both she and her host would have been dead.

Mistaking Seulgi’s confounded expression for fear, Joohyun held her close and gave her a kiss on the temple.

    “I promise,” she whispered.

    Seulgi forced a smile, tried to ignore the pulsing novae of Stardust’s rage in the back of her brain. She sat with Joohyun, resting her head against the Representation’s shoulder, listening to the waves as they continued their infinite, eroding roll across the land…

    Seulgi jumped, eyes springing open just as she approached the precipice of sleep.

    “My brother,” Seulgi said, groping at her pockets. “He doesn’t know where I am.”

    Seulgi’s heart leapt into as she pulled out the bent remains of her phone. The screen was shattered, bits of wire jutting from its front and along its surface. Cursing to herself, she stood.

    “I need to get home. I bet he’s worried sick.” Seulgi said.

    Or he’s telling your parents about how you have ing superpowers now.

    “How do you intend to do that?” Joohyun asked, cocking an eyebrow.

    “I know there aren’t any Touchpoints near my house, so we can’t use the Astral Plane. I can try flying, like Stardust was doing before…” Seulgi paused, thinking, reaching into her mind to contact Stardust.

The Representation rebuked her without a word. Seulgi wasn’t surprised; it wasn’t exactly in Stardust’s personality to come when she was beckoned, and her current mood was less than ideal for cooperation between the two. It was possible to access her powers without Stardust’s help, but Seulgi’s surface-level knowledge of their workings wouldn’t be enough for a timely (or safe) flight home.

“Wait, um... actually, can you fly me there somehow?” Seulgi asked Joohyun, who was watching her intently, as if reading the internal struggle that her partner was working through.

    Joohyun smiled warmly and stood, dusting off her clothes with deft .

    “Flying isn’t necessarily the proper word for it,” she said, holding her hands up, cupping wisps of luminescence in each palm. “But I can take you there, yes.”

***

    From the skies, the landscape of Southern California was a tableau of curves and wedges, marked here and there by swaths of flat, open land. The sheer population of the area was reflected in the abundance of lights; entire communities represented by seemingly endless stretches of yellow and blue clusters, cars and trucks flashing in and out of existence between them. The night sky was a cloud-dusted, purple-black portrait. Here and there, the brightest stars were visible despite the collective orange glow of the cities below.

    Joohyun’s method of flight was far more comfortable, and consistent, than Stardust’s. The Representation released streams of flaring Astral energy from the soles of her feet, propelling them forward in neat, subtle arcs. They soared up, the world below them shrinking, zooming out as being viewed through a passing lens. At the apex of each arc, Seulgi could feel the chill that came with high altitudes, along with a notable thinning of the air. It never grew too uncomfortable, though; she kept herself warm and sufficiently oxygenated using the Charm on her finger. As they dipped back down toward the Earth, Joohyun let out smaller, spurting bursts of light that served to control their descent until they were ready to rise again.

    Though Joohyun did the majority of the work, she instructed Seulgi on how to keep herself lying parallel to the ground while they flew. It involved releasing a kind of aura of Astral Energy - blooming around Seulgi from her ring and forming a pearly, translucent sheen - that Joohyun was able to bind herself to. According to Joohyun, no physical contact was required to keep them together so long as they remained close enough for the fields of their energy to interact. 

As they went, the Representation gave Seulgi a basic explanation of the mechanics of her flight, though many of the descriptions were abstract, difficult for Seulgi to grasp. With Stardust’s help she might have understood better, but her alter ego continued to brood and sulk.

    The trip didn’t take long; Seulgi estimated that fifteen minutes had passed by the time they touched down on Bird’s Eye Lane. She requested that Joohyun drop her off in an empty lot further up the hill in order to prevent either of them from being seen. It was a sloped plot of grass that overlooked some of the other neighborhoods. In the distance, the San Gabriel Mountains were darkened peaks against a purple sky.

    “I will stay close for the night,” Joohyun said as they touched down. “In case… something else happens.”

    Though the Representation was reluctant to say it aloud, Seulgi understood that Joohyun would be watching out in case Seungwan returned.

    “Thank you, Joohyun,” Seulgi said sincerely, wrapping her arms around her partner. “You saved my life. For what feels like the millionth time now.”

    Joohyun giggled and kissed Seulgi’s lips. It was still a wonder that each kiss felt as magnificent, new, and arousing as their first. Even the small, chaste pecks carried a sensual vibrance that made Seulgi crave more.

    After a few moments of kissing in the dark, Joohyun pulled back.

    “You should get going. Otherwise, I might have to steal you from your family for the night.” she said mischievously.

    Seulgi was tempted to take her up on that offer - she felt that Joohyun deserved to be repaid for her valiant efforts tonight - but there were pressing matters at hand indeed.

    “Maybe later,” Seulgi whispered, caressing Joohyun’s face, “If I can, I’ll sneak out. We can, uh… do it right here in the grass. How does that sound?”

    Joohyun’s grin became salacious, heavy-lidded eyes filled with burgeoning starlight. She was, as usual, unbothered by Seulgi’s awkwardness.

    “That sounds wonderful.”

    Seulgi began to walk away, heading in the direction of the street. Though they were out of view of their home, it was less than a five minute walk up the road. Before she did, however, she turned. Joohyun wasn’t looking at her. The Representation appeared to be admiring the mountains, black hair whipping in the soft wind, pale clothing blending and blurring around her skin, bathed in bars of cloud-obscured moonlight. To anyone else she might have appeared unsettling. Perhaps they would think her a witch or spectre, a supernatural horror haunting the streets of Diamond Bar. To Seulgi, though, she was perfect. A spectral saint, a heroine of the night, willing to fight her own sister in order to keep her partner safe.

    “Joohyun,” Seulgi said, just loud enough for her to hear.

    The Representation turned, wearing a quizzical look. Seulgi’s heart swelled with ardor as she took in Joohyun’s perfectly innocent expression.

    “I… uh…” Seulgi coughed, tried to ignore Stardust’s spiritual sigh of resignation as it sounded out from within her soul. The Representation offered Seulgi a tiny sliver of assistance, just enough to clear the imagined lump in . “I love you.”

    Puzzlement turned to joy as Joohyun’s face brightened. Like the rising sun over a churning sea, her smile broke the night with its luster. From Seulgi’s ring came a warm, fluttering buzz that filled her with glee. She was tired, she was sore, and she was worried, but neither her emotional nor physical aches could mar the thrill of her lover’s infectious exultation.

Joohyun ran forward with inhuman speed, took Seulgi in her arms, and kissed her hard.

    “I love you too, my dear,” Joohyun murmured, their lips still touching.

    Several short, sweaty, heavenly minutes passed before she allowed Seulgi to leave.

***

    Seulgi’s home was fully lit when she returned, Bogum’s Cadillac parked sloppily in the driveway. She entered through the open front door and was immediately met with a bone-crushing hug from her father.

    “Hey, Dad,” Seulgi said, wondering whether she should use her ring’s powers to prevent herself from suffocating.

    “Seul…” he said, pulling back, his kindly face lined with worry. “We were so scared.”

    Seulgi was unable to reply, as she was taken by another hug, this time from her mother, who had come scurrying out of the kitchen. This one had less force in it, though she was surprised by the sentiment it conveyed.

    “What happened? Are you hurt?” Seulgi’s mother asked, voice trembling as she rocked her daughter back and forth, “We thought… I thought…”

    “It-it’s okay mom,” Seulgi said awkwardly. She thought of the wounds on her thigh and back, of the burn that continued to pulse from them. “I’m fine.”

    Finally, Seulgi’s mother released her. The tracks of tear marks ran down the older woman’s cheeks, and Seulgi felt a spike of shame as she recalled the tense interactions they’d had earlier.

On that subject, Stardust had no comment.

    Bogum stepped forward and clasped Seulgi on the shoulder. With his suit jacket ed and dress shirt untucked, topped by a pair of bloodshot eyes, he looked like a caricature of a drunken Korean businessman.

    “I’ll spare you the theatrics. Unlike our dear parents, I had complete faith that you’d come back.” Despite his casual tone, his face was pale. Even as he spoke, Seulgi’s mother began ushering them into the living room. Through the kitchen window, the first light of dawn was beginning to trickle over the jagged skyline.

    “What happened back there?” Seulgi asked before Bogum could speak again. She hadn’t seen her brother during the battle, but that didn’t mean someone else hadn’t recognized her as Stardust. “I ran away pretty much as soon as everything started going down.”

    Bogum nodded and sipped the tea their mother was serving. He seemed troubled, but there was no suspicion in his eyes. At least, from what Seulgi could tell.

    “I was...” Bogum paused, glanced over at their parents, who were listening intently. “Hanging out upstairs with a friend. We heard the commotion downstairs, people screaming, glass shattering, pretty much all hell breaking loose. When we ran down, we saw these extremely bright lights, and two women fighting with what looked like swords? It was some out of a movie, seriously. They were back outside by that point, so I looked all over the house for you, called your phone a million times…”

Bogum grimaced and took a sip of tea before continuing. Seulgi waited, unable to speak, silenced by her growing self-contempt. Technically speaking, what had happened at Miles’ house was her fault. The convoluted way in which she reached that conclusion was more of an emotional than a logical route.

“I ended up getting out of there when the cops started questioning people,” Bogum said, “Didn’t wanna deal with that. I called mom and dad on the way back and told them what happened.”

Seulgi pulled out what was left of her phone, placed it on the table.

“That’s why I didn’t pick up,” she said with a grave smile. “I was in the room when the two women crashed through the window and started fighting. You know, or whatever they were doing.”

Stardust gave Seulgi an internal prod out of exasperation.

    “I was gonna call you, but I got pushed around, dropped my phone, and this happened. I ran outside into the backyard, which, as you know, was a terrible idea, and hid in the bushes once I realized they were fighting outside too. I was able to uh… call a cab...”

    Seulgi hesitated, feeling her grasp on the story slipping. All eyes were on her in the room, and she d for a plausible way to explain how she’d escaped without being accosted by the police.

    Luckily, Stardust cut in, planted an idea in Seulgi’s mind, then retreated.

    “Because there were a few other people out there with me, hiding as well. I borrowed someone’s phone, snuck around the side of the house, and met the cab farther up the street.”

    No one protested the validity of her tale. Her parents merely gave her sympathetic looks, while Bogum stared into the depths of his tea, swirling around the dark liquid and giving off the strong impression that he needed a cigarette.

    “It had to be a trick, right?” Bogum said thoughtfully. “I thought at first that it was some kind of avant garde performance, but when I saw Jerry freaking out too, and, you know, the property damage, I realized it wasn’t. The things those two were doing looked like magic. There was light streaming all around them, and the swords they fought with looked like those laser swords you see in movies. It looked like magic.”

    Seulgi’s mother clicked her tongue. “Don’t be ridiculous, child.”

    Bogum shook his head, then glanced over at Seulgi. “Seulgi saw it, too. Didn’t look like special effects to me. It looked like a goddamn Star Wars movie.”

    Seulgi took a swallow of tea in order to give herself a moment to think. She put her cup down, stared contemplatively at the wood grain on the table, as if trying to dig up a buried, difficult memory.

    “I didn’t really get a good look, to be honest,” Seulgi said, grinning awkwardly. “It could’ve been anything. But you’re right, it was crazy. Don’t know if I would call it magic, but it sure as hell wasn’t anything I’ve seen before… Sorry if I’m all over the place, I’m just really tired.”

    Seulgi ended her haphazardly thrown together sentence with another gulp of tea.

    Stars, you are a terrible actor. Stardust said bitterly, though she didn’t intervene.

    Seulgi wished the Representation would just step in and take over. She was rapidly approaching her limit for the evening; between the social burden of Miles’ party and the emotional pressure of fighting for her life, Seulgi was just about ready to collapse. Navigating this harrowing, delicate maze of lies required too much effort for her drained soul.

    But she knew that it was prudent.

    “You must be,” her dad said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “And you, too, Bogum. You should get some rest.”

“Yes,” Seulgi’s mother agreed. “You need to sleep.”

Seulgi exhaled a sigh of relief, allowing herself to fully relax for what felt like the first time in weeks. She checked the oven clock; it was already six-thirty. She knew that living a double life would be tough, but she didn’t realize that it would mean becoming nocturnal.

“I’m gonna have a cigarette before I go to bed,” Bogum said, draining his cup and standing. “, do I need it.”

Seulgi’s mother frowned deeply but said nothing. It was rare that she reserved her opinions on things. Too bad it took her children surviving a supernatural duel between goddesses to make her act slightly less abrasive.

Seulgi said her goodnites, then made her retreat upstairs. She was barely able to brush her teeth without passing out.

As she slipped beneath her covers, finally settling into the evasive, cushioned cradle that was slumber, a voice whispered in her head. Immediately, Seulgi knew that it wasn’t Stardust. This voice came from an external source, slipping over the valleys and hills of her mindscape like a sweet, flowery breeze.

Goodnight, my love.

It sang like a lullaby, taking her by the hand and guiding her into sweet, restful dreams.

***

    Seulgi’s mother had always been a firm believer that food was the best medicine, no matter the ailment. Relationship issues, family squabbles, the common cold; food would fix it. The older woman had never been the best when it came to expressing solidarity, and Seulgi had only recently come to realize that she showed her support through cooking instead. As a result, when Seulgi woke at five in the afternoon, she was met with a wonderful blend of spices that sent her stomach into an enticed grumble. She found it fascinating how simple home cooking could kick her appetite up from nonexistent to gluttonous in just two days.

    Before leaving bed, Seulgi checked on Joohyun, reaching out with her own awareness across the Astral Plane. She was unsurprised when she received no answer. Joohyun was a busy woman, and Seulgi didn’t expect her to wait around in that empty lot for the entire day. Stardust was present, enveloping Seulgi with her shrewd, watchful regard. The Representation couldn’t read her host’s thoughts directly - there was still some kind of vague, undefined line between vessel and passenger - but her mood bled into Seulgi’s much more than it originally had.

    Seulgi felt that a hot shower was overdue. Sweat from the party, its subsequent battle, and the grit of sand from the beach made her body feel grimy and unclean. She inspected herself as she bathed. Her thigh remained scarred, flesh depressed and puckered in comparison to the rest of her skin. She was glad to see that the color was already shifting from a furious scarlet to a healing pink, and the pain had dulled to a mild ache. The sensation in her back was similar, and when she inspected it in the mirror, she discovered much the same result as she found on her thigh. A fleeting swarm of self-consciousness chewed at her. What would Joohyun think of the scars? Would she find them repulsive and refuse to touch them?

    Stardust must have sensed her irrational shame, for the Representation let out a snort.

    Joohyun will find them beautiful, no matter what. She’ll say they make you look better rather than worse.

    Though the sentiment was reassuring, Stardust’s default condescension made it feel insulting.

Seulgi toweled herself dry, dressed, and headed downstairs. Bogum was in the kitchen, munching on chicken and spiced rice, watching the news with their mother.

    “The whole thing with Larry’s house is on the news,” Bogum said, gesturing to the television as Seulgi began fixing herself a plate.

    On the screen was an aerial view of Larry’s house from the night prior. From that particular angle, things seemed almost normal. The damage to the back window was the worst of it, though there was a shattered circle of stone flooring near the pool where Stardust had crash landed. An announcer was describing the events of the night. From what Seulgi heard, it seemed as though the generally held belief was that it had been a terrorist attack of some sort. She was relieved that there were, as of yet, no suspects.

    “Did they interview anyone?” Seulgi asked as the announcer switched over to the weather for the week.

    Bogum nodded. “Larry, and a couple of people who were at the party. Larry didn’t get a chance to see what actually went down, and the others pretty much had the same story as you and me.”

    “How is your manager doing, after all of this?” their mother asked, still staring at the television screen. Seulgi wasn’t sure about other parents, but there was a certain fixation that hers had about giving their undivided attention to news channels. Perhaps it was a habit she’d understand when she was older.

    “He’s doing fine,” Bogum said with a shrug. “The dude is absolutely loaded, and has two other houses in Hollywood.”

    “Do you think he is willing to let me record with him next week?” Seulgi asked, Stardust’s influence yanking the words from her. “He gave me his business card last night.”

    Seulgi blinked, disturbed by how complete her alter ego’s control had been. It was fleeting but total, and entirely against her will.

    Seulgi’s mother gave her an appalled look, but Bogum merely laughed.

    “I’ll shoot him a text,”  Bogum said, “But I’m sure he’s still down. Trust me, this is just a minor setback for him.”

    Their mother remained silent, but shot Seulgi a narrow-eyed, disapproving stare before turning back to the television.

    Seulgi, feeling that her mother deserved at least some kind of explanation, was about to describe the potential arrangement with Miles. However, the weather forecast ended, and was replaced with a much more interesting news story.

    A female reporter stood in front of a startlingly familiar series of wide, square lawns. In the distance were several blocky academic buildings, the occasional pair or trio of students walking leisurely down the cement paths that separated each. The specific walkway that the camera focused on was usually packed, but it was Spring Break. At that time of year, Caldwell Campus of Bristol University always became a bit of a ghost town.

    “The normally quiet, well-maintained University grounds have been plagued with violence this past week,” the reporter was saying. “A series of seemingly random attacks on students, residents of Piscataway, and even university staff have been occurring since last Thursday. Shockingly, the perpetrators of these crimes have been described as younger students, though there are no suspects thus far. Victims and witnesses describe groups of three to four students pursuing solitary targets, cornering them, and assaulting them with punches, kicks, scratches, and even bites. Though the attacks are brutal, there have been no fatalities yet, and no property has been stolen from any of the victims. Campus police are increasing their presence on campus while urging students to avoid traveling alone at night…”

    Seulgi froze mid-bite, fork dangling in front of her open mouth.

    This couldn’t have been part of the plan.

    “Oh, , that’s your school,” Bogum said in awe, as if that hadn’t been apparent from the beginning.

    “Have you heard anything about this?” her mother asked worriedly.

    Clouds of impending doom hung like storm clouds above Seulgi. Black storm clouds with wicked fingers of lightning jumping between them, fat with hail and driven by a cutting, frigid gale. Both she and Stardust were paralyzed by the sudden sensation. It was more than an inkling; it was a palpable awareness of their impending doom, exploding from the Astral Plane with an earth-shaking thunderclap. It was the coming of Geulim Ja.

    Bogum smacked her on the shoulder, causing her to drop her fork and awaken from her trance.

    “Um, sorry, I was just thinking of Sooyoung,” Seulgi said, shaking her head. “I haven’t heard anything about this, or from Sooyoung. I can’t even text or call her to ask…”

    Bogum, who would have normally made an offhand joke at her statement, nodded seriously. “Do you have her number? You can use my phone.”

    “No, I haven’t memorized it,” Seulgi said. “I can get a new phone tomorrow and text her. I’m sure she’s safe. She’s a smart person.”

    “When you hear from her, let us know,” Seulgi’s mother said. Then, speaking half to herself in a chastising, maternal tone, she muttered, “I knew it would be better for her to go home for Spring Break, even if her aunt lives in Nebraska. She could have come here. At least then she wouldn’t be by herself.”

    “She has her, uh, friends… but I’m worried about them, too,” Seulgi muttered to herself.

    Bogum said something then, and her mother responded, but Seulgi wasn’t listening. She zoned out, pretending to push her now unwanted food around on her plate. Stardust took partial control of her faculties, responding when it was necessary, but otherwise allowing her host to concentrate. Seulgi herself was as deep into the Astral Plane as she would allow herself to go while in a public setting, calling out futilely, just as she’d done the night before.

    Where are you, Joohyun?

  ------------------------------

Seulgi is starting to get a glimpse of how bad the situation back in NJ is, but where are Joohyun and Seungwan? And what are the implications of Stardust's new hatred for Seungwan?

Next chaper will be Joyri-focused, and will mark the end of Act II. Act III is the last act of the story, though it'll probably take up more than 1/3 of the story's content. Hope you're looking forward to it (:

Thanks for reading, and if you like the content, remember to upvote!