Previously…

Continuing for their second trial, both Chaewon and Minjoo moved towards the place that Sakura told them previously. However, an encounter with extremely powerful old woman unfold a dark secret that Minjoo tried keeping from Chaewon. Terrified by her origins, Chaewon runs away as she didn’t want to inflict any more damage towards Minjoo. Confronting the troubled Chaewon, Minjoo assured her that Chaewon isn’t a monster. Seeking for more power, Chaewon has to conquer the death itself with the help from Minjoo.

***

Dust are scattered around as soon as Minjoo set her foot onto the ground. Turning her head back towards the portal that transported her, Minjoo finds no trace of it; only a silent and gloomy forest greeted her foxy eyes. Heaving a deep sigh, she told herself to not be worried about the portal and reminded about her mission to save Chaewon. Although she appeared all tough in front of Madam Eve earlier, she actually has no idea what she should do to find the magical stone to suppress Dark Magic within Chaewon’s body.

Sudden break of twigs a few meters away from her makes Minjoo activated her eyes while going on full defense mode. Pointing her wand towards the direction of the noise, Minjoo is surprised at the sight of a child with dazzling ruby eyes with platinum blonde hair. Unlike Minjoo, the child’s hair seems lustrous although messy. There’s a majestic presence from the girl’s gaze and Minjoo felt like she had to kneel down upon as their eyes locked together.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come,” the girl approached Minjoo while offering a handshake. Gulping hard, Minjoo stares the kid’s tiny palm before shaking it slowly as she is still baffled by the earlier statement. However, before she even got the chance to ask, the kid quickly introduced herself, “I’m Ai Sarang, the only royal blood alive in this era. I’m expecting your arrival for so long, my descendant.”

Her introduction is cut short when Sarang coughed blood in front of Minjoo as she grabbed her chest tightly. Befuddled by the kid suddenly falling onto the hard ground, Minjoo embrace the kid and use her healing spell to alleviate the pain from Sarang. She noticed that even though Sarang announced herself as a royal, the girl condition is no better than of a beggar. Sarang tousled hair and rag-like clothes are far away from how a royal usually dress. She guessed that maybe there’s more than meets the eye about Sarang considering that the kid emphasizes about being the sole survivor of the royal family.

“Quick! I think that brat run in this direction!”

Deafening yell and rowdy footsteps break the peaceful atmosphere of the forest. Sensing that they might be in a danger, Minjoo wrapped Sarang with her scarf before running away from the scene. She carefully navigates the area using her jewel eyes and find themselves a hidden cave to take refuge. Casting a barrier to the place, Minjoo ensures that their trace already erased before carefully lying Sarang on the ground.

Her heart is still thumping out loud as she covers Sarang on her back while keeping her eyes on the pursuers. All kind of thoughts filled her mind as those loud shouting is inching closer towards the cave with sounds of swords slashing surrounding bushes and shrubs. “Nothing in this direction! I think she went on the different route. Spread over, find that brat and kill her! Move!” chills filled Minjoo’s spine as the enemies seems to not notice the cave that she currently in. She raised her wands and wait for a few more moments, just in case if the enemies able to penetrate her barrier and pull and attack on them but nothing happened.

Slouching her shoulders, Minjoo trotted over towards Sarang who is breathing heavily on the ground with red-flushed face. “Oh no,” Minjoo exclaimed as she lights her wand in Sarang direction before putting the back of her palm onto the kid’s forehead. “You’re burning. You need to rest,” conjuring a ball of water using her wand, Minjoo dampened her small towel and plastered it on Sarang’s forehead. “No, I can’t afford to lie down no,” Sarang shaking voice whispered weakly at Minjoo while she tried waking up from her position. Her whole body scrunched up as the little girl goes on another round of blood coughing. Minjoo patted Sarang back as she used her healing spell again to cure the girl.

“Don’t waste your mana. This is the side effect of me using my eyes,” Sarang squinted her eyes while holding Minjoo’s wrist gently. “You’ve come at the right time. Or maybe I should say it as worse?” Sarang chuckles as she heaved a deep breath. The look in her eyes turned serious as she crossed her fingers while staring directly into Minjoo’s eyes, “The ruler of this place has been massacred. A coup d’etat has taken over with their aim to end the royal families in one big swoop. I’m lucky to be able running away or things can be worse for the citizens.” At every word spouted, the feel to hug Sarang intensifies in the depth of Minjoo’s heart. She sees resemblance of Chaewon in Sarang; the way both of them are a young girl with burning desire to survive makes Minjoo develops soft spot for the girl in front of her.

“You still need to rest or else you’ll break your body,” Minjoo finally uttered her first word while trying to help Sarang lied in a better position. “I can’t. It’s a luxury that I cannot afford now. We need to act quick or else the future of this land is at risk,” Sarang shakes her head while clenching her chest before continuing, “How much information that you have on Dark Magic?”

Noticing that Sarang still didn’t know her name, Minjoo knocks her head softly as she acts rude by not introducing herself earlier. Bowing to Sarang, Minjoo introduced herself before proceeding with the fruit of her past decades of research as to respect Sarang wish. They are currently at war and Minjoo has to brace herself to adapt with the fast-changing world she is currently in. “I almost giving up with my theories about the emergence of Dark Magic a couple of decades ago. No documentation ever tells about survivor of the practitioner but all of sudden, a child appeared before me with immense mana,” recalling back her first meeting with Chaewon, Minjoo admitted that she is taken aback by the girl with sweet smile; contrary to her wild raging mana. The princess sure that her parents might also noticed it but choose to not address it on the spot to not ruin her debut party. She wants to ask the name of Baron Kim daughter but her mother has to mentioned about her strict schedule, making Minjoo missing the chance to know more about the girl.

Fate is strange, Minjoo thought. Just when she is about to forget about the girl, she curious about, they met under an unprecedented event. Minjoo can never forget about the girl’s mana nor those lovely pair of doe-like eyes. However, unlike a few years back, the light that shines inside those eyes are already gone.

Thanks to her brilliant cousin; Sakura, Minjoo able to make a connection with Chaewon and even get the privilege to know more about the girl she infatuated with. Chaewon has this aura that able to attract anyone to get close to her without trying. Before long, Sakura ask Minjoo about Chaewon origins, what kind of environment she was brought up which led them to invest