Yongsun opened her eyes, but instead of being in her burning village like she usually is in her nightmare, she’s atop a mountain. Her body in pain from whatever wound she had taken and as she looked ahead, she could see Byulyi being grabbed by the collar of her shirt. Struggling to let her attacker let go as they had a firm grip on her.

 

“Byul,” Yongsun whispered. Her voice seemed to have vanished. Slowly getting up despite her body screaming in pain, she finally stood up. She winced. “Let her go.”

 

The attacker looked just like her and, as she stood; she noticed her and smirked. “If you insist.” Her heart sank as everything went in slow motion. The doppelganger threw the vampire off the cliff.

 

“BYULYI!” she cried out as she awoke. Her sudden outburst startling everyone around her as they all jumped.

 

“Got a nightmare?” Byulyi had asked. She tried to comfort the ex-guard. The older woman only nodded, causing the vampire to smile as she wrapped an arm around Yongsun. The intimate action made the ex-guard blush. “Want to talk about it?”

 

The older woman thought about it as she rested her head against Byulyi and decided it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it. “I didn’t know where I was, but I saw someone grab you by the collar and threw you off… I got scared that I was about to lose you.”

 

The ex-guard assumed the vampire didn’t hear her by how silent she was, but was proven wrong when she finally spoke. “Well, that can surely happen, but I promise you, a throw like that won’t stop me from finding my way back to you.”

 

Yongsun rolled her eyes, trying to be annoyed, but couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t say impossible things. You may be a vampire, but surely being thrown out of a high place could kill you.”

 

“Maybe, but there’s really only one way to find out, huh?”

 

“You better not be suggesting what I think you are?”

 

“What? Of course not. I’m not dumb. I was just saying if it happens, there’s only one way to find out.”

 

The older woman sighed. “I hope we never have to find out.”

 

As the two chatted amongst each other, Hyejin, who was not too far behind, was keeping an eye on them. It had been two days since the incident in the town and she still couldn’t wrap her head around the story the vampire made up. What made her even more suspicious of the woman was when they all went to go to sleep two days ago.

 

The witch stayed awake to see what Byulyi would do if they were sleeping and was surprised when she left. She was gone for such a long time that if she hadn’t cast an awake spell on herself, she for sure would have slept before the vampire returned. As she came back, Hyejin thought for sure she saw Byulyi’s eyes turn from red to brown in a split second.

 

Wheein noticed her best friend eyeing the two and sighed as she leaned her body against the woman. “Are you jealous of them or something?”

 

“Jealous? Of what?”

 

“I don’t know. Why else would you be staring at them?”

 

“I’m trying to see if this is actually Byulyi or an imposter.”

 

That seemed to have confused the werewolf. “Why? Had she been acting weird these past two days?”

 

“Besides the night she came back? No.”

 

“The night she came back? What did she do that was weird?” Wheein asked. Hyejin told her what she had witnessed when they were asleep, but her friend didn’t look bothered by it in the slightest. “Maybe she went to drink some blood?”

 

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

 

The werewolf shrugged. “Doesn’t Byulyi’s eyes turn red when she drinks blood? So, if it came back to its original color, maybe she finished feeding?”

 

The witch tried to argue against it, but couldn’t. “That could be the case, but there are so many different pieces that don’t add up one bit. Like her story. It just doesn’t sound like her to leave Solar if she could get caught by those king’s men. Especially after saying that they weren’t on our side. OR how her cloak has holes in it, but she never told us how she got those.”

 

“Maybe the holes aren't important. However, you have a point about leaving Solar behind, since she does care about her safety a lot. Maybe she figured out that they weren’t bad after all and went back. I mean, if it wasn’t her, how would she know where we were?”

 

“That… I guess you’re right. We were pretty hidden.” Hyejin huffed out her frustration and pouted. “Okay, I guess you’re right, but I want you to know you let people off too easy.”

 

“It’s only so they do the same for me.” Wheein smiled with a wink, making the witch laugh. “But I do want to say, even if the Byulyi over there isn’t the real one, I doubt she’d do anything bad when we’re all together.”

 

Hyejin glanced one last time at Byulyi and Solar, to see them relaxing as they leaned against each other and sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”

 

Darkness was the only thing that filled the void surrounding Byulyi as she walked aimlessly, hoping to find an escape. It had been some time now, and she was on the verge of giving up when she heard a faint voice. Looking around in search of the voice, she was beginning to think it was in her head when it called out again, but this time, much more clearly.

 

"Byulyi~ " the voice called out. It sounded distinctly familiar. A voice she thought she would no longer be able to hear. "Byulyi." It called out again and before she knew how to react, the darkness surrounding her lit up in a bright, blinding light.

 

Then, out of nowhere, a hand reached out to her. At first, she was hesitant to take it, but it gave off a comforting auratowards that she could no longer resist. Holding onto the hand, she could feel nothing but could sense some kind of familiarity to it which she could never forget.

 

This hand, that voice, they were what Byulyi missed so much. What she used to take comfort in long ago until it was taken from her. She wondered if she could see the person’s face as well, but found it difficult by how bright the light was.

 

“Byul.” She heard her name be called out again, but this time, the voice was different. She looked around as it called out for her. Letting go of the old comfort of the hand, she ran towards the direction she heard the voice.

 

“Yong?” she yelled out.

 

“Byul?” the voice yelled back.

 

“Yongsun!” she yelled out again. Suddenly, the light surrounding her became shrouded in black once more and she fell into the darkness. She then plunged into some kind of liquid and drowned in what tasted like iron. The once comforting hand now covered as it sank her lower.

 

"Minji let me go!" She yelled out as she awoke in a cold sweat, but then quickly regretted the action as she felt a very sharp pain all over her torso and soon her whole body began to ache. She groaned as the pain was too much and laid back down. She then closed her eyes in hopes to try and sleep the pain away, but as she did, she heard someone speak.

 

"Jesus Christ, she scared the out of me." Byulyi heard and tilted her head up, to see the one person she didn’t want to see. The two made eye contact, and the guy stood up in surprise. "Oh shoot, you're actually awake." He spoke as he made his way to her. The vampire rolled her eyes and closed them, which only made him upset. "Hey! Don't fall back asleep on me!"

 

She sighed. This guy was really getting on her nerves. "Of all the people I see, why did it have to be you?"

 

“Well, I’m not happy to be on sleeping beauty duty, but I’m doing it. You can at least be thankful. I made sure no one tried to kill you again or loot your body.”

 

“How about you tell me where I am and where my friends are before I go back asleep?”

 

"Okay, okay. Jeez, who knew dying makes vampires s." Eric walked back into his chair. "You’re still in the town, resting in a hotel room."

 

"And my friends?"

 

Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “I can't really answer that, since we don't know where they are."

 

Byulyi got herself up, despite both her body and Eric’s protest. She leaned her torso against the headboard and looked at her arms. They were covered in bandages. She then lifted her shirt up a bit and saw the top part of her body also covered in the cloth. "How long was I out for?"

 

"You had been out for about two days. I thought you'd be out a lot longer since you left a pretty big stain all over the ground and walls. Must be a vampire thing.”

 

"… Maybe." It had been a while since Byul fed, so she should definitely still be asleep after experiencing death. It was as if something or someone was trying to get her to wake up. She just hoped she didn’t wake up too fast, so she can at least heal up the scars she received.

 

Except that didn’t matter when her friends were in danger from someone pretending to be her. She swung the blanket over and tried to get up, ignoring the stinging pain throughout her entire body. As she stood up, she heard something fall off the bed and looked over to see a bright, glowing gem.

 

As she went to pick up the item, Eric rushed to her side, thinking that she was about to fall. "What are you doing? You should be resting." The knight said but stood beside her when she got up, holding a bright red gem.

 

"I can't rest until I find them. That shifter is probably with them, posing as me, so I have to stop them before it’s too late.”

 

“But you should at least rest.”

 

“Not possible. What happened in the town was supposed to kill me, but I was lucky that I was a vampire. The other three are in danger now, so I have to stop them before anyone else gets hurt or worse." The thought of her friends getting hurt by the shifter angered her, especially when she thinks she’s the reason why they’re after them in the first place. She looked at the gem and sighed. "I think I know the real reason they’re after us."

 

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Isn't it because you guys know who they are?"

 

"If that was the case, they would've let us be executed. It doesn’t explain why they were there when Namjoon freed us?" She showed the gem to Eric. "I think they're after this."

 

"A bright red gem? I mean, it looks pretty, but I don't think they need to kill you guys for it. And how do they even know you guys have it? I didn't even know you had it."

 

"I pickpocketed the swordsman guy when we fought near the vault. It was very shiny, so I kept it, thinking I could sell it for a lot, but I guess I forgot about it. This has to be the real reason they’re after us. There’s no other explanation. I think this red gem is more than just a shiny rock for a ton of coins. Which is more of a reason to go to the other three as fast as possible."

 

"Look, I know you want to go to your friends as fast as possible, but you should really take it easy. They might be far, but we can ride our horses to catch up to them."

 

"No, you don't understand. We were planning to go to the docks on the next town to go to Rainbow Island."

 

That seemed to have convinced the knight. "Well, . Why didn't you say so earlier?" Eric then picked up the vampire, ignoring her protest, and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He rushed out of the room, to the stables, where the other three knights said they would be. "We don't have any time to lose."

 

"I thought you wanted me to rest?"

 

"That was before you said boat."

 

"I never even said boat!"

 

It was the evening when Mamamoo finally reached town. The last town was quite busy, but it doesn’t compare to how busy this town was. The locals and tourists weren’t identifiable as they walked amongst each other. Yongsun looked around, amazed by the sight she saw. It was just a town, but it felt like a city. The liveliness of the place reminded her of home, and it made her realize how much she missed it.

 

Yongsun then heard music from afar and glanced over to where the sound was coming from. Not too far away, a party was being held, and she watched as the crowd danced to the rhythm. She noticed the many pairs dancing and took a quick glance at the vampire, who didn’t seem to notice, as she was busy trying not to hit anyone with the horse. She wondered if Byulyi was a good dancer.

 

They soon reached the docks and scouted the boat they would take in the morning. Because it was dark, the crew were the only ones present as they unloaded some of the cargo from the ship. Solar noticed an opening in the cargo area and took a mental note of it as it was going to be their way in.

 

For now, they needed to rest and went to rent a room closest to the docks. Walking up the stairs and entering the place, the room had two queen-sized beds, a table along with a chair in the corner across from their door, and a drawer right beside it.

 

Hyejin and Wheein were snuggled up close to each other as they laid in their shared bed. Yongsun looked out the window, where she had a good view of where the dancers were. Remembering the time when the vampire tried to get her to dance, but she declined. Now she’s the one who can’t stop wondering if she would dance with her. Byulyi had exited the bathroom and looked over to where the older woman sat. Making her way over to see the ex-guard watching the dancers finish the last song and walking away to return to their homes for the night.

 

An idea came to mind. “Hey, Solar want to go dance?”

 

The question confused Yongsun. “But they just finished their dancing?”

 

“Doesn’t mean we can’t dance.”

 

The ex-guard thought about it. She looked over at the younger two to see Wheein nodding her head, while Hyejin shook her head. She looked over at Byul with a smile. “Sure.”

 

The vampire smiled and reached out her arm for the older woman to take, which she gladly did. Hyejin watched as the two walked out of the room and once the door closed shut, she groaned in frustration.

 

“Why are you groaning? Aren’t you happy those two are getting along and not arguing?”

 

“I would, but I still have this feeling that this isn’t Byulyi.”

 

“If you don’t believe it’s Byulyi, why are you doing nothing about it?”

 

The comment made Hyejin jolt up from the bed. “You’re right! I have to stop them!” She walked over and grabbed her cloak.

 

Wheein sighed at getting her friend riled up and got up. “I’m coming too.”

 

“Of course you are. I need my partner in crime for this job.” The witch said as she made her way to the door and went to open it. However, she was surprised when the door didn’t seem to budge. She tried again, but it was of no use. She slammed her body against it, kicked it, anything to get it open, but it never moved once.

 

“Is everything alright?” Wheein asked as she made her way over to see Hyejin struggling to open the door.

 

“The door won’t move! I think she somehow locked us in.”

 

“Let me try.” The werewolf then pushed the door, but it didn’t move. Wheein then pulled on the door, but nothing happened. “Huh? I guess we are stuck in here.”

 

“I told you!” Hyejin looked at the table where her book should be at but found it missing. “My book is missing. Which means I was right about Byulyi being a fake.”

 

“Hyejin, I know you’re happy about being right, but that also means Solar’s in danger, and we're locked in here for god knows how long.”

 

“Oh, yeah. You’re right.”

 

“Don’t you remember any spells to unlock it?”

 

“Of course not. When would I ever need to know a spell on how to unlock doors when we’re outside most of the time?”

 

“Well, that spell would be very useful right about now.”

 

The witch released a heavy sigh. “Guess there’s only one way out.”

 

“Cry for help until someone helps us?”

 

“Of course not. We’re gonna use the window.” Hyejin went to the window to open it, but it also didn’t budge. “I guess screaming for help doesn’t sound so bad.”

 

---

 

As the two exited the door. Byulyi gently pulled her arm away from Solar’s hand. Surprising the older woman. “I forgot something, so you can wait for me downstairs while I go get it.”

 

“Sure, but don’t take too long,” Yongsun answered, and walked downstairs.

 

“It’ll be so fast you won’t even know,” Byul replied and watched as she left. When the ex-guard was no longer in her sight, she pulled out the witch’s book she had stolen when she watched out the window. She flipped through the pages and found a spell that would lock the room. Looking around one last time to see if the close is clear, she shifted into Hwasa and cast the spell. She smiled when the door tried to open on the other side, but couldn’t.

 

She knew the witch didn’t trust her, so hopefully, the spell would stop her long enough for her to do what she needed to. She shifted back into Byulyi and walked downstairs, where Yongsun was patiently waiting for her. “Found it. Now we can go.”

 

“Alright. Lead the way.”

 

“Okay, but before we do. You trust me, right?” The older woman nodded. “Great, cause I need you to close your eyes for me.”

 

“Okay?” Yongsun then closed her eyes and felt the vampire wrap a cloth around her eyes.

 

“Just to make sure, you don’t peak.” Byulyi placed both hands on top of Yongsun’s shoulders and led them out to the bar.

 

Yongsun could feel the cool breeze of the night through her cloak. As she kept walking, the once lively sound of the town began to fade. The crunching sound of the gravel below her feet, the only thing she can hear. She was about to ask Byulyi something when a huge gust of wind almost blew her away. “What was that?”

 

“Just some people riding their horses really fast.”

 

“In the town?”

 

“No, outside the entrance.”

 

“Why are we out of the town?” Yongsun wondered why they needed to go outside the town for a dance.

 

“You’ll soon understand. Just be a little bit more patient.”

 

Yongsun sighed and gave in. Allowing herself to be led further and further from the town. Suddenly, they stopped moving, and she was sat down on a log. She then heard some noises and a fire being lit. The cloth blocking her vision was soon removed, and she opened her eyes to immediately close it to block out the fire’s light. Once her eyes were adjusted, she raised an eyebrow at the Byulyi. “Why did you take us here?”

 

The vampire smiled and reached her hand out. “To dance, of course.”

 

The ex-guard hesitated but took the surprisingly warm hand, and soon they were dancing. There was no music, the crackle of the fire and the sound of their feet the only sound. She would have been embarrassed by something like this, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Maybe it was because she was in the younger woman’s presence. Or what she perceived to be Byulyi.

 

She let go, releasing herself from the embrace. “Can I ask you something?”

 

The vampire smiled. “Sure.”

 

“Two days ago, when we talked. Wheein said how you saved her from that small metal arrow. I thought you would have been happy saving her, but you looked upset.”

 

Byulyi chuckled. “Of course, I wasn’t. You were probably looking at me from an angle that looked like I was upset.”

 

“Except it wasn’t your face that told me, it was your hands.” The vampire followed Solar’s hands to see her place them on the hilt of her sword. “It was also your hands that told me your body is a lot warmer than what a vampire should be.”

 

The comment seemed to have been funny as the vampire began to laugh. “I guess I forgot I can’t regulate my body temperature.” The shifter spoke as she pulled out Byulyi’s dagger. “And you are so correct. I'm very pissed knowing that the werewolf survived that silver bullet.”

 

If the shifter had the vampire’s things, that meant something bad must have happened to the younger woman back in the town when they were apart. The thought of it made her stomach sink.

 

The shifter must have noticed and smiled. “Must be wondering how I got this stuff. You see, I made a little visit with your friend and I guess you can say I ‘borrowed’ them.”

 

Yongsun’s grasp tightened. She wanted to do nothing more than wipe that smirk off their face. “You bastard! I’ll kill you!” Pulling out her sword, she ran at the shifter.

 

“We'll see about that.”

 

After finishing his drink. Hyukwoo decided to call it a day, as he needed to wake up early for work. Getting up and paying for the one bottle, he made his way upstairs. He was lucky his door was the first one, as he wouldn’t have to walk too far to get to his room. He was about to open his door when he heard a loud bang from a few doors down. He tried to ignore it in case that was something he shouldn’t really be disturbing, but then heard someone scream for help.

 

He let go of the handle and made his way to the door, where another banging was heard. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” He tried to open the door, but couldn’t even turn the handle. He wondered how else to open the door when he remembered his weapon. Reaching over his back, he pulled out his battle-ax. “I think I found a way to get you out, but I need you to stand back.” He gave the person a minute to react and struck at the door, which stood no chance to stop the blade from piercing into it.

 

A small hole was created, but it wasn't big enough to let those citizens free, so he swung again and again until it was finally big enough for someone to squeeze through. “Alright, try getting through now.”

 

“Thank you so much, mister!” Hyejin said as she finally left the room.

 

Wheein followed after. “Yeah, thanks for the help.”

 

“No problem.” He said as he put the ax back on his back. “May I ask why you two were trapped in that room?”

 

“Someone pretending to be our friend trapped us in there.” Hyejin huffed out. Her eyes widened when she remembered why they were trying to get out in the first place. “Shoot! That reminds me, we have to go after her and save our friend.”

 

“Maybe you can use some help?” The two looked at each other. An extra hand would be nice, but it wouldn’t be fair to bring this guy to his certain death. “Don’t worry guys, I’m not completely useless and I promise to keep quiet no matter how illegal it is.” The last few words he whispered, so the two only heard him.

 

Hyejin sighed. “That’s not why we’re worried. We… just don’t know who you are or if you’re on our side.“

 

The man reached his hand out. “The name’s Hyukwoo, but you can just call me Loco.” The two looked at each other, and the werewolf cautiously shook his hand.

 

“Wheein. My friend's name is Hwasa.”

 

“Great. We now know each other name-wise. I also want to say that if I wasn’t on your side, I wouldn’t have saved you.”

 

“He does have a point,” Wheein whispered.

 

Hyejin rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. I can’t stay here any longer to stop you, so just follow us.”

 

“Sure. Lead the way.”

 

The two nodded at each other, and Loco watched as the smaller one of the two sniffed the air and jogged past him. “I got her scent.”

 

Loco and Hyejin followed Wheein down the stairs. They didn’t get very far when the werewolf stood in her tracks and pointed at the entrance. “Hwasa, it’s them.” The witch looked over and was equally shocked to see the king’s men.

 

“I see that. Do you think they know what happened to Byulyi? I saw one of them at the end of the vision. Wait, but what if it was actually the shifter?”

 

“Only one way to find out. Hey, knights!” Wheein yelled out. Grabbing all the knights' attention.

 

Someone moved past the men. “Hwasa? Wheein? Is that you?”

 

The person asking was covered in a cloak, but their voice sounded familiar to the two. “Byul?”

 

“Oh, gosh, it really is you guys.” The vampire ran as fast as her injuries would let her and hugged the two. “I missed you guys so much.”

 

“We can say the same,” Hyejin said as she, along with Wheein, returned the hug.

 

The warm reunion was quickly cut short after Wheein remembered why they were down in the tavern. “Byul, we have to go save Solar before it’s too late.” The young woman said before running out the door.

 

“I knew she was a fake the moment she showed her face,” Hyejin added, and followed her friend.

 

Loco and Byulyi looked at each other. The guy waved shyly. “Hi, I’m Hyukwoo, but you can call me Loco.”

 

“Interesting name. Mine's Moonbyul.”

 

“Cool name.” He complimented before rushing out the door to follow the younger two.

 

Byul looked at the knights staring at her. “Go after them if you want to save Solar.”

 

That made them quickly leave as well. However, Eric stayed back. “Are you sure you'll be able to come with?”

 

“I can’t rest when Solar is endangered.”

 

Eric sighed, knowing there was no convincing the woman to change her mind. “I knew you might say that.” He then ran up to the vampire and picked her up like he did last time and ran out the door.

 

“Stop doing this, I’m not a sack of potatoes.”

 

“Sure, feels like it. Just chattier.”

 

“I swear I’m gonna kill you once I get down!”

 

Yongsun went to block another attack from the shifter. After shoving them off, she went to pierce at their side.

 

“Solar stop!” Byulyi spoke, making the woman hesitate place for a split second. The shifter smirked and swung at her head.

 

Yongsun barely dodged that attack. Getting a small cut on her cheek. The ex-guard felt at her cheek and saw a small amount of blood. She tightened her fist around the liquid. “Stop pretending to be her!”

 

“And lose the advantage I have? Hell no.” The shifter rushed at her and went to strike from above but was blocked again. Yongsun then shoved them to create distance. The two were breathing heavily as they had been swinging and blocking each other for a while now. Neither one being able to harm the other, besides the small cut on Yongsun’s cheek.

 

Byulyi chuckled. “You know I was expecting more from the kingdom’s second best. I’m a bit disappointed.”

 

“If you stop pretending to be my friend, maybe you won’t be so disappointed.”

 

They smirked. “Like I said. I don’t think so, but I will say you are lasting a lot longer than your friend.” They noticed Solar’s grip tightened and proceeded to speak. “It was really easy. All I had to do was pretend I was you and she couldn’t hurt a single hair on me. Seems like she really cared about you. A shame she won’t be able to say how much she cared though.”

 

Yongsun grit her teeth. The thought of the shifter pretending to be her to get to Byulyi angered her. She wondered how the vampire felt seeing those twisted eyes of hers. It hurt her to think the last thing Byulyi saw was her, but a more evil, sinister version of her. She never wanted to kill a person so much until now. “I’m gonna kill you.”

 

“Maybe you'll have a better chance than she did.”

 

That seemed to be her breaking point as she rushed at the imposter. Tears streaming down her face. The shifter smiled and went to block the incoming attack, but was caught off guard by the sudden strength behind it that she nearly tripped. She was worried she wouldn’t be able to handle this fight, but with enough blocking and dodging  she found a weak spot. As soon as they blocked another attack from the ex-guard, she shoved her and went to swipe her feet, causing Solar to fall on her back. Releasing her grip on her blade and dropping it.

 

She tried to quickly get back up but wasn’t able to when she was staring at the sharp end of the sword. Looking up, she stared into those twisted chocolate brown eyes, and it hurt to think Byulyi went through the exact same thing as her. She wondered what the vampire thought as she stared at death in what was supposed to be her eyes.

 

“I’ll be honest, you almost had me there for a second. It’s a good thing I got under your skin or else it be a different story.” The shifter smirked. “You know, this sort of feels familiar…. Right. This is starting to look like the same way I killed your friend.” They raised their blade and struck down.

 

Yongsun went to shield herself from her demise, but after a few seconds of nothing, she became surprised and looked up again. The shifter was no longer there, so she looked around and saw a pale blonde werewolf standing above the shifter.

 

"Yong!" A familiar voice called out. A voice she thought she would never hear again. She turned her head, and the tears began to fall again as she looked into soft brown eyes. Those eyes filled with worry as she made her way over to her. Kneeling down and checking if she had sustained any injuries. "Yong are you okay?"

 

Yongsun nodded her head and pulled Byulyi into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

 

Despite her body screaming in agony by how tight the ex-guard was hugging her; she smiled softly and returned the hug. "I can say the same about you too."

 

Hyejin watched the sweet moment and couldn't help but smile as they were reunited. She looked over at Wheein to see the werewolf growling at the shifter. Her smile dropped and her face was full of anger as she made her way to the two. Once she was close enough, she crouched down and felt around the shifter until she found was, she was looking for and went to pull out her magic book. "I'll be taking this back, thank you very much."

 

"Not so tough now without your buddy, huh?" Jungkook asked as he went to take a look around. Making sure the guy wasn't just staying back and preparing to strike. However, he couldn't find the man at all.

 

The shifter laughed. "So what? Are you gonna kill me now?"

 

"Of course not," Yongsun spoke as she stood up with Byulyi's help. "We need you alive if we plan to clear our name."

 

"And what makes you think I won't just escape and never come back?"

 

"Please. You would have never even shown your face to us if that was the case." Byulyi yelled out. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a bright red gem. “Tell me. Is this thing the reason why you’re after us?” Whether the shifter answered truthfully or not, she got the answer she was looking for when the doppelganger’s eyes widened up in surprise.

 

The surprised look then became full of smug. "It may be the reason, but you screwed up showing it to us this early."

 

Out of nowhere a figure dropped down from the treetops and landed right behind the vampire. Wrapping his arm around her arm and neck with a wooden stake “I suggest you all stay where you are if you don’t want me to make the vampire stay dead.” He tightened his grip on the vampire. “And if I were you, I’d give me the gem.”

 

Byulyi internally cursed at herself for getting caught in this situation. She looked over to where Yongsun stood, to see the terror in her eyes and sighed. “Here.” She dropped the gem into Enzo’s hand and was let go.

 

Once he let go of the vampire, Jimin took that opportunity and pulled out his blade and pierced it through the man's chest.

 

Enzo spewed up blood, but only laughed as he grabbed a hold of the blade. Not caring about the amount of blood that covered his hand. "Nice try, but you should have aimed for the head." Everyone then watched in horror as he pulled out the blade. The sword was covered in red, but the wound, not visible at all.

 

"H-how?" Jimin questioned.

 

"With the gem you just handed me." He shoved the knight and with a snap of his fingers, the campfire's light was gone, shrouding everything in darkness. Luckily it didn’t last too long and soon after a while, the fire's light was relit. Everyone except for the enemy accounted for.

 

Jimin let go of his blade as he contemplated on what he just witnessed.

 

Eric walked up to Byulyi. “Why the hell did you show them the gem if you thought they needed it?”

 

“I needed to know if they were really after it?”

 

“Yeah? Well, we know now.”

 

“Shut up. Maybe that they have the gem, they’ll leave us alone.”

 

“Or finish what they started, cause they sure as hell looks like the kind of people to not leave one stone unturned.”

 

“Hey, I never asked for your judgment.”

 

“You actually did the moment you gave them the stupid shiny rock.”

 

“Can you two shut up and stop arguing!” Yongsun yelled, making the two quiet down.

 

The two shut up very quickly and looked down at the ground in shame. “Sorry.” They said in unison.

 

The ex-guard released a heavy sigh. “We cannot sit here and argue with each other or else the enemy just wins. What we just witnessed was impossible, but don’t feel discouraged. We just need to outsmart them with a plan. We can do that tomorrow when we go to our next destination, okay everyone?” Everyone nodded. “Good. Let’s all go back to town. We have to wake up early.” She gestured for everyone to walk, and everyone did.

 

Yongsun waited for Byulyi and walked by her side. The two walked in silence for a couple of steps until the vampire finally broke it. “You know you’re a natural at taking charge.”

 

“Well, I do have some experience since I led an army.”

 

The taller woman rubbed the back of her neck, sheepishly. “Right.” For a second Byulyi forgot that Yongsun used to be the second-in-command of a powerful kingdom.

 

“Are you okay?” Yongsun asked. She noticed the vampire limping and went to point it out.

 

“Yeah.” Was all Byulyi answered with a smile, however, there was no fooling Yongsun.

 

“You know you don’t have to act tough around me. If you’re injured, me, Hyejin, and Wheein can help you.

 

“It’s fine.” Byulyi lied. “Vampire healing should fix it in no time, so you don’t have to worry about me.” She lied again.

 

The older woman was hesitant to accept that but didn’t want to argue with the vampire. “Okay. I trust you, but if you do need help, you can always come to me.”

 

Byulyi smiled. She wanted to say something to reassure the woman but felt if she did, she would only worry her even more, so she dropped the topic. “Sure.” She then wished she could take back everything she had said and been more honest, because seeing the small hurt in Yongsun’s eyes as she smiled back, hurt tens times more than any of the stab wounds she had received. The two kept quiet as they walked. Listening to the other's conversations.

 

“So, who’s that guy with Wheein and Hwasa?”

 

Byulyi shrugged her shoulders. “Heck if I know. I think his name is Lolo or something. I thought he was my replacement.”

 

Yongsun chuckled. “No one can replace your annoying .”

 

Byulyi laughed. She didn’t know if she should be hurt or happy with those words, but she was happy to see the ex-guard smiling brightly. Her smile somehow always being able to warm up her freezing heart.

 

Three-fourths of Mamamoo entered their room. Hyejin stayed back to say goodbye to the gentleman that helped them today.

 

“Next time you should warn people if they have to fight a god.”

 

The witch chuckled. “He's not actually a god. Just someone who likes to play the part, but I'll remember to add that the next time someone asks to help us.”

 

The two laughed until it quieted down. The silence now becoming a bit awkward. Loco then rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I should go back to my room now. Gotta wake up early for work too.”

 

“Right.”

 

“You have a good night then Hwasa.” The man smiled softly.

 

The witch smiled back. “You as well, Loco.” The two then turned back and walked to their respective rooms. Hyejin noticed the werewolf eyeing her, and she did not look happy one bit.

 

“I don’t like him.”

 

“Don’t be jealous. You’ll always be my number one.”

 

“And it's always gonna stay like that.”

 

Hyejin rolled her eyes. “How's your shoulder by the way?”

 

The change of subject brought back her friend’s old cheery self. “It feels a lot better. You could tell by how I was able to pin the shifter in my wolf form.”

 

“Glad to hear that it’s feeling better.” The witch said as she patted the wolf’s shoulder. The two walked inside their room but didn’t move too far as they looked right into two upset faces. They wondered what they had done wrong to get the expressions until Byulyi pulled up a note and read it out loud.

 

“Dear guests of room 619, we have fixed your door, but please refrain from destroying it again. The fifty-coin fee will be added to your bill when you check out. Have a nice night.”

 

"Care to explain this?" Yongsun questioned as she gave a cold hard stare at the two younger women.

 

The two looked at each other. "Evil Byulyi used a spell to lock us in here," Wheein said.

 

The ex-guard raised an eyebrow. "I thought only people who could use magic could do spells."

 

"You are correct,” Hyejin agreed. “But if the shifter was able to turn into me, then she would have the chance.” Now it was Hyejin’s turn to ask the questions. “Did you by chance, leave her, so she was able to use a spell?"

 

"I...did. She told me that she needed to get something really quick and said that it would be better to just wait in the tavern downstairs for her. Why didn’t you keep an eye on your book? I thought you were suspicious of her?"

 

“Wheein told me not to be suspicious of her.”

 

“Don’t bring me into this. I didn’t even tell you that. I just poked holes in your skepticism.”

 

"Same thing."

 

"Guys." Byulyi interrupted. Catching the three's attention, as to stop them from fighting with each other. "We shouldn't be arguing, especially over some petty stuff of who did who.” The three agreed that the vampire was right and apologized amongst themselves. “That’s better. Now how about we all just go to bed and sleep, so we don’t miss the boat tomorrow morning?"

 

The three agreed and prepared for the night. As they crawled into bed. Yongsun noticed the brunette sitting on the chair. “Are you going to sleep too, Byulyi?” She asked. She wondered if the vampire was tired from the amount of healing her body did to recover all her injuries.

 

Byulyi shook her head. “No, I’m all good. You guys can go to sleep, and I’ll just chill here.”

 

“Okay, but there’s enough space right beside me if you do plan on sleeping.” The ex-guard suggested as she laid in her bed and fell into dreamland.

 

Byulyi waited until all her friends were sound asleep and went inside the bathroom.

 

Locking the door, she released a heavy sigh as she leaned against the door. Taking off the cloak she had on, the bandages on her arms and neck already appearing. She walked to look at herself in the mirror and unwrapped the cloth. There were multiple scars from her stab wounds, but luckily they were only scars. However, just to be sure, she pulled out the bandage Eric had handed her and covered up all her wounds.

 

She thought about what Yongsun had said with that sad smile in her eyes. It pained her to know she was the cause of it, but she didn’t want the ex-guard to worry about her any longer and stress out, so she decided to keep it on the down-low for now. Hopefully, she’ll be able to hide them until they fully heal, but knowing her luck, probably not.

 

After finishing the bandages, she put the cloak back on, flushed the toilet, and washed her hands. She then made her way to the door. Releasing one last heavy sigh, she opened it and walked out.

 

 

 

---

 

I haven't abandoned this; I promise. Note to self. Don't say you'll be finished early or else you'll take almost 5 months to finish.

 

Sorry about the long upload. I started a full-time job, so I barely have time to write. I also had writer's block for the longest time because I rewrote the previous chapter. I had to rewrite this one to fit. Usually, I have other chapters ready to edit and send, but after completely rewriting the direction of the story, it's going to take me a while to write finish another one, so bear with me just a little longer.

The chapter is much longer than normal since a lot of things happened that I couldn't really shorten up, but you can take it as a sorry. I hope you guys like it. Also, the red gem seems random to mention in the middle of the story, but I found the baddie's old motive a bit lacking, so I gave them more of a reason now. I hope you all have a good day and let's see how long this next chapter will take :)