The news rushed through the camp. No one needed to be gathered for it. They just knew. 

A mortal was dead. His eyes had turned black. Veins of darkness now protruded out to his limbs.

His guards had been cut down as well, their bodies partially burned. Their eyes hadn’t changed colour. 

No one had gone to the house since then. No bodies had been cleared away. It was just standing there, alone. 

And immediately, the speculations rose. All of them centered around one person: Olivia. 

Jinsoul wanted to deny that suspicion. She wanted to say that it hadn’t been Hyejoo, that she wouldn’t target a mortal like that, that she wouldn’t create a massacre. 

Hyejoo wasn’t the only one with the magic to control darkness. There were enough rumours and stories to prove that. But Jinsoul couldn’t say with confidence that the man whose body was wracked with darkness hadn’t been killed by Hyejoo. 

Then came other accusations, ones that were absurd. And they’d stirred the anger already sitting in her. 

“The one with fire is still out there,” someone muttered. Jinsoul hardly knew her. Was her name Lorain or Lierin?

Jinsoul gritted her teeth. “Our seers would’ve seen that path long before it came.” Saying anything in ‘blind faith’ here would weaken her words. She always needed to redirect it on the people they wholly trusted, despite always holding said people at arm’s length. For her, the idea of seers had been terrifying from the moment she'd heard about them. Now she knew them to be arrogant and disconnected from reality. 

Still, if she had to pretend she respected them to defend Jungeunm, she would. 

Lierin or Lorain just shrugged. 

Jinsoul was close to socking her in the face. So she turned away. Maybe she wouldn’t give the elf numbing when she next got hurt. 

She pushed that thought down. Even among her old clan, she’d never denied someone aid even if she hated them. As a healer, you had to make the difference between need and want. It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to help someone. It was just important who needed help.

She looked at who else was discussing what had happened. 

“When it all happened, you said she’d never find people who’d tolerate her being there,” Heejin was saying, “so now you say she’s working with someone?” 

Kolina fixed her with a hard gaze. “Someone with as dark a heart as hers.”

Jinsoul watched as the rage surged in Heejin’s eyes. With her, there was a real risk of her actually punching someone.

“You don’t have to be evil to kill, Kol.” Jinsoul slipped her hand around Heejin’s arm. "But we do have to start thinking about what we’ll do next.”And she hoped Jungeun would be back then. She might’ve been impulsive and stubborn, but Jungeun had instincts as good as any elder here. Jinsoul definitely trusted her judgement more than any elder. 

Heejin pulled her arm away as they walked. She still wore a scowl. Jinsoul didn’t look, but she knew that if she did, she'd have seen Heejin's light darken. It was that darkness that usually drew on malevolent spirits. If you went on a hunt with inner turmoil, the spirits almost always came to you. Especially if you were alone.

“It’s starting again,” Heejin muttered. “We know she’s not the only one out there like this. Why can’t they even consider them?” 

Hyunjin had been hanging back, but she was still there nonetheless. She went to Jinsoul’s side, but not Heejin’s. 

Jinsoul saw the hurt flicker in Heejin’s eyes when it happened. She didn’t fully understand it. The lunar bonds and the still tumultuous Astran politics were all too messy for her, but she did know how the two felt for one another. That was obvious to anyone with a brain. 

“Having one threat is better than having more,” Hyunjin said. “And don’t want to consider that an unknown threat is out there. She’s one they know.”

“One they trapped, hurt, and abandoned,” Heejin shot back. 

“Calm down.” Jinsoul didn’t reach for her this time. “They won’t let you go on any search if you don’t.”

The pink-eyed girl didn’t respond. 

Beside her, Hyunjin brushed a hand against Jinsoul's. She knew that meant ‘thanks’, but was still glad that Heejin hadn't caught it. 

Haseul was talking to her mother, Lisa, Nuala, and a few others. She was discussing the search parties. 

“We don’t need more than five,” she said. “If we’re expecting witches and vampires and they still haven’t come, then they will soon. What better time than now?” 

“If she’s on a killing spree, we’ll need ten,” one elf said. Jinsoul didn’t know this one’s name. 

Haseul’s eyes shot to that elf, her gaze hard. “The seers have seen nothing in other towns. They've seen other threats to us. I’d rather take those seriously.” Then she turned back to Lisa. “People can volunteer for it, but they need to have enough light.”

Jinsoul found herself nodding along. The town would be a beacon to malevolent spirits, both light and dark. That’d been the trend each time a mortal had been found with darkness in their body. Spirits also came when there were killings between mundanes. If there was ever a battle, there was a risk of disruption in the form of dark spirits attacking both sides. They almost always fell into the war stories and folklore. 

Nuala also nodded. “And the healing process takes too long. If there’s an attack, we’ll have cut our own legs off.” 

Haseul didn’t show it, but Jinsoul knew she was relieved. In her experience, Nuala was one of the most understanding of the older Astrans. Due to her position as the main healer, her words were also valued. And Nuala actually listened to Jinsoul. Others didn't much, but at least Jinsoul'd gotten someone's ear in the Astra. It'd only taken her about a century to get. 

“Then five,” Lisa said. “Of maximum five as well.” Then she was off. 

The others who’d clearly been against it turned away as well, a few curses under their breath. 

“You’re staying,” Nuala looked at Jinsoul then, “the seers worry more than I’d care to say.” Her brow furrowed. “When the other two return, Choerry will need to help with the elixirs.” With that, she walked straight for the elders. They were somewhere in the centre. Lisa was already talking to Freya and Yuol. 

“Where’s Yeojin?” Haseul’s eyes scoured over the rest. 

“I’ll look for her,” Hyunjin said. “She might’ve heard the first part.”

Haseul grimaced. “And went looking?” 

She shrugged. “We’ll see.” She jogged off. 

Jinsoul caught Heejin watching the yellow-eyed girl. Her expression was both concerned and longing. Because, of course, Heejin wasn’t going to be in a search party either. She’d be with the people getting the mental fae involved. Again. 

“And the newcomer?” Jinsoul asked. She hadn’t seen Viian’s pink hair once. She still didn't know why it was pink. A magical choice? Or born with it? 

Haseul’s calm expression was starting to waver. This was getting too much for her. “She was here until the rest came along.”

“First real look at our society,” Heejin scoffed, “I can barely fault her for not wanting to see the rest of it.” 

Jinsoul knew that well. She was also surprised that Heejin wasn't talking dismissively of Viian. Maybe she'd read the girl's hostility wrong. 

“Since I’m staying, I can go to her,” Jinsoul told Haseul. “And when Jungeun and Yerim are back, we’ll figure the rest out.” 

Haseul finally smiled. Her eyes shone with gratitude. She nodded. 

Jinsoul was glad to turn away from the chaos that was the Astra. They were all scared and confused. The younger ones were either eavesdropping or been told to stay in tents to avoid said eavesdropping. Jinsoul pitied the people who’d be responsible for answering their questions later. 

Would she also be explaining a few things now? She didn’t know if she was the right person to even talk about Hyejoo. Haseul and Heejin were better for that. Even Hyunjin was the better choice. 

Except for the fact that they were busy, half-overwhelmed, and Heejin would get too angry to talk about it. 

Jinsoul looked for the fainter light that was Viian. It’d started out dull for everyone who hadn’t been born Astran. As they’d drawn on more light and used it more, that light had gotten to the same levels of a normal Astra. 

She found her within earshot of the camp, but pretty well hidden between the trees. 

The girl was sitting cross-legged. In front of her was a complicated looking rock with carvings. Jinsoul recognised some as sigils, while others were in the fairy language. It was filled with more circular symbols than anything. 

“A mess, isn’t it?” Jinsoul said. “It wasn’t that bad when I came.” 

Viian started. There was a thud as the rock fell. She caught it with her hand. Her arm barely sank. 

So she’s strong too, Jinsoul thought. She felt guilty then for having barely spoken to her. Jungeun had gone out of her way to help Jinsoul start her life with the Astra. Having been the first non-Astra to be brought here, Jungeun had made sure that Jinsoul hadn’t felt as alone as she had then. She’d done the same with Choerry. Jinsoul had tried her best to help, but Jungeun had always had a way with getting people to open up. 

Now Jungeun wasn’t here. They’d all been preoccupied with the new spirits, now even more so with the deaths of those mortals. And Viian was far from feeling at home here. 

Viian nodded. “Our discussions were often a lot cleaner when there were people reading our minds.” 

Jinsoul sat down beside her. “Wasn’t that too invasive?”

She shrugged. “Not if you grew up with it.” A small smile. “And befriended a mental fae yourself.” The rock her hand melted. It became a set of bands. They each wrapped around her arms. Was it to always have a weapon with her? Had she always had those? “But I understand why the elves hate the fae." Viian met her eyes. "Our ways are foreign and a lot of our magic is invasive. As you said." 

Another burst of guilt, even though she knew the other girl wasn’t making some sort of attack. She just spoke as if it was a completely normal thing. 

“They’re not all bad,” Jinsoul replied. “I might like elementals more than mentals, and them way more than the emotional fae, but they've all got their exceptions.” She nudged her. “Just like we’ve got our own.”

“You’re also more divided than we are,” Viian said. “But I suppose that’s because of your numbers being greater.” She frowned. “Witches and vampires fight among one another because they’re so varied as well. We don’t, because there’re too few of us.”

She hadn’t asked about Hyejoo yet, or Olivia, as everyone now referred to her as. 

“Do you miss it?” 

Viian didn’t respond immediately. She looked at the ground, almost as if searching it. 

“I was there long enough to learn to love it,” she said. “And hopefully I’ll be here long enough to do the same.”

Again, Jinsoul was reminded of what she’d forgotten about the newcomer. She’d been born between their two worlds. Jinsoul wondered if she’d been treated poorly growing up as well, if she’d been treated like an outsider from the beginning. 

“When I first came here,” Jinsoul leaned back against a tree, “I knew crosesh, but I didn’t really know what sort of culture I was coming into.” Then she remembered that Viian barely knew who she was, let alone where she came from. “I’m Arcsa,” she said. 

“Sea elf?” She raised a brow. “Aren’t many of you blue?” 

Jinsoul laughed. “I could turn blue, but I’m technically one of the landed ones. My mother was a full sea elf, my dad was from the ice.” 

She was proud to see the sparks of interest in Viian’s eyes. 

“What does ‘landed’ mean?” 

“Born like this,” she pointed at herself, “instead of, well, blue and adapted properly to the water.” 

“Did that mean further division?” Viian asked. “If some were on land and the rest were free to explore the sea?”

“Sometimes.” Jinsoul shrugged. “But not that bad.”

“Was it difficult to leave?” 

“I think it’s always hard to leave home,” she replied. “Whether you wanted to or not.” Again, she thought of Hyejoo. However bad her homesickness might’ve been, it was nothing compared to that. She was lucky to still be able to visit the sea now and then, even if it’d become easier to leave them at the end of each visit. 

Viian didn’t respond. She was getting that face again, the one where she was sinking away into her thoughts. 

“You know,” Jinsoul began, “Jungeun was the first one to be chosen by the moon. At least she was the first the Astra had come over here.” 

“And how,” Viian paused, “seers?” 

She nodded. “When she came here, she was just relegated to combat. She told me about how the only constructive thing they'd asked her to do was light the fires all around camp.” 

A pink brow furrowed. “All of them?”

Jinsoul grimaced. “All of them.” Thinking about it, she was reminded about how good she'd had it. She'd had someone there for her, someone who’d known about her homesickness and sense of not belonging. She'd also had someone who’d protected her from being treated like that. Jungeun had made sure to draw Jinsoul in to the small group of friends she'd made there. And they'd quickly become Jinsoul's. 

Viian sat back. “Why’d she stay?” 

“Her people forced her to go.”

Her eyes had flashed with anger. Then it was gone. 

Viian remained silent. 

“Dark spirits almost always go after us if we’re alone or in a small group,” Jinsoul said. “The rest can’t fight them, not really, but if just one Astra is in a group, they're the perfect target.” 

“So they were scared." 

“So were my people,” she replied. “And Yerim’s.” 

Viian just nodded. She looked closed to annoyed. 

They sat in silence then. Jinsoul had needed to get used to that over time. She didn’t naturally like long silences, but she’d gotten patient enough to tolerate them. 

Viian broke the silence first. “Being born as I was, the rest didn’t want me there. It wasn’t that they thought I’d turn on them, only that I was from a union no one had understood or liked.” Her eyes locked on something in the distance. She looked tired. “My magic was just reforming stone at first,” she said. “And since it could be so destructive, the priority was to make it so that I’d mastered it before I’d turned twelve.” 

“Ah,” Jinsoul grinned, “and I thought we were early with sixteen.” 

She chuckled. “But since we needed to delve deeper into our magic, it was always known that I’d find ways to make myself less of a weapon. And I did.” 

Jinsoul was slightly taken aback by how casually Viian spoke of that. She was even a bit enthusiastic. 

Then again, this was the life she’d lived with the fae. A part of Jinsoul had always wanted to carry out the research on her own magic, as well as that of the Astra. 

“What'd you find?” 

Viian smiled. It lit her entire face up. “That there’s near endless amounts of stone beneath our feet. That I can differentiate between the different types and some are more easily controlled than others. I can even find minerals and draw them out!” Then she looked sheepish. “Sorry.”

Jinsoul shook her head. “I’m still interested. Go on.” She was also half-stunned at how different Viian acted when it came to this. It was a good change. 

She looked surprised. “Well, those were the primary pieces of what I can actually do. The rest was what those things taught me.” 

Jinsoul gestured for her to go on. She’d have to tell Haseul to ask Viian about her magic. This was what she’d devoted years to finding out. And getting her to open up like this made Jinsoul feel more than a little accomplished. 

“A lot of rocks are made up of layers, but I could hardly tell why. That was when I actually went to the mortal settlements around where we were. There I’d found people who looked at rock the same way I did,” she smiled fondly, “I’d had to sneak into their studies then, as discussing such things with females, let alone foreigners was impossible.”

“And what do the layers tell you?” 

Viian had straightened as she’d spoken. Now she leaned forward slightly, her light pink eyes shining. “The age of stone structures. Some were attempting to find the age of the entire planet.”

Jinsoul suddenly felt very stupid. “What’s a planet?”

Viian hardly batted an eye. “A massive celestial body.” She waved a hand at the ground. “This all is curved. I can feel it, but you can sometimes see it on horizons or in the distance. And if it is always curved, at some point, one does travel so far that you return to the place you were. I’ve done it before.” 

“So it’s all held like this?” Jinsoul opened her animal skin, drew out water, and created a sphere. 

She nodded and rock spouted up from the ground. It formed oddly shaped pieces. They each embedded themselves in the water. 

Viian pointed at a part of it. “A planet. We're here.” She spoke as if it were the simplest thing. Then she pinched two of her fingers together, her brow furrowing as she did. A small ball of moonlight formed. It floated up to the water. “And the moon. Also round.” She met Jinsoul’s eyes. “Likely nothing I should share with other Astrans, or?”

She shook her head. “But Yerim’ll like it.” 

The ground started to tremble then. Viian looked alarmed. 

“That’s her,” Jinsoul said. “She sometimes does that.” Either when she was excited, angry, or scared. The timing was almost scary in how perfect it was. 

She listened for footsteps, only to hear stumbles and pained breaths. A cold pit formed in her stomach. 

In the distance, a pale glow appeared. It only belonged to one person. 

Jinsoul felt a panic begin to settle in. She got to her feet and ran. She heard Viian stumble as she also followed, caught off guard by the sudden change. 

“I’m fine,” someone called. It was the person who wasn’t glowing as she should’ve been. The moon was slowly starting to reveal itself. There should’ve been enough light for her to be glowing. 

Jinsoul reached them. 

Yerim was practically carrying Jungeun, whose skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Her eyes were dull. And when Jinsoul looked to the light she held, she saw that it was still bright. Even so, there was too much darkness, too much of it around her heart, while the rest was spread out across her side and leg. 

“We ran out of water,” Yerim said. “Two pairs got to us on the way back. One of them when we were running from a bright one." 

On the way back from where? Jinsoul wanted to ask. Instead, she went to Jungeun’s other side. She started to walk them to the camp. 

“No,” Jungeun leaned away, “I need to tell you something.”

“I need to heal you first.” 

“We saw her,” Jungeun said. “She didn’t kill him.” 

In front of her, Viian frowned. She looked between each of them. 

Jinsoul looked in the direction of camp. She could barely hear the bustle from the camp. They wouldn’t be able to hear them either. 

“Stay here.” Jinsoul nodded at Yerim. Together, they got Jungeun down to the ground. 

In the light from Yerim, she looked for where the injuries were. There were claw marks along Jungeun’s neck, but they were faint. Even so, the lines themselves were dark and spindles of light extended away from them. 

At her waist was a worser one. It looked like a bite mark. And her left leg looked as if two animals had clawed at it. 

There was no injury where the darkness would’ve gone to her heart. 

Elre had had more in her heart, but her chest had been pierced by something. What did it mean if the darkness had gone straight for Jungeun’s heart? Would it grow or could she keep it at bay? Elre hadn’t been able to. 

How could Jungeun have let it get this bad? Jinsoul wanted to ask Yerim that then and there, but the question died in . 

Yerim looked guilty, scared, and exhausted. If Jinsoul made that any worse, she’d take long to forgive herself. 

“I’ll get what we need,” Jinsoul said. She handed her waterskin to Yerim. “And be back before you know it.” She’d need to talk to her later. Not about potions, ingredients, or spirits, but about what was happening now. Jinsoul needed to actually be there for Yerim, not just the person teaching her to master her magic. 

With that, she hurried off. She knew Jungeun had been an idiot again. She knew Jungeun had stepped in front of Yerim to protect her from a pair of spirits. She knew Jungeun had taken any blow she could’ve. 

It was always the same. 

When Jinsoul was within earshot of the camp again, she heard angry voices. 

______

Yves should’ve expected it. She should’ve held her tongue the moment they asked for search parties. 

But she hadn’t, because she’d just found out that Hyejoo was near. She’d just found out that mortals had died through darkness and something else. If it was Hyejoo’s doing, they couldn’t let the others find her. They’d just do what they’d done to her fifty years ago. Or worse. 

So the moment she’d told Freya that Chaewon, Jiwoo and her would be one of the five search parties, she should’ve known that Heejin would’ve heard it too. She should’ve known that the girl would assume the worst. Much of what Yves had done since that day had been met with Heejin's scrutiny. And anger. 

“You’re staying here,” Heejin hissed. Beside her was Haseul, who looked a lot less hostile. Behind them was Hyunjin, who only looked at Heejin with increasing concern. 

“They already said we can go.” Yves tried to keep her voice level. “We’ll go the opposite direction you will.” Or at least, they’d see if Chaewon’s bond would still tell them something about where Hyejoo was. 

“You’re not going at all,” she snapped. “I don’t care if you think you’re helping or not, seeing you will just make it worse.”

Yves had no response to that. She knew they’d be lucky if Hyejoo didn’t lash out at them. She knew that Hyejoo would probably run. 

Then again, if she left the country, or at least got far enough away, that’d still be better for Hyejoo. It she wasn’t already far enough away. 

Instead of responding, she stepped away. 

Chaewon and Jiwoo took that as their cues to start walking as well. 

Heejin grabbed her arm and wrenched her back. It was such a harsh movement that Yves stumbled. 

When she righted herself, she nearly flinched at the fury burning in Heejin’s eyes. 

“If this is some twisted way you think’ll make everything better, you’re wrong." Heejin met each of their eyes. “You’re not joining the people hunting her. She didn't kill anyone.”

“We know she didn’t kill them,” Chaewon said quietly. Her eyes didn’t look away from the trees. "We don't want to hurt her."

Heejin rounded on her. “You of all people shouldn’t be talking,” she spat. 

Chaewon winced. Fresh tears began to form. 

If Heejin noticed, she didn’t acknowledge it. 

Yves saw that Haseul had. Her brow was furrowed. 

“What do you think’ll happen if you did find her?” the green-eyed elf asked. She shot Heejin a sharp look.

Surprisingly, the latter stayed silent, but she was still stewing. Yves saw the light within Heejin start to turn grey. Her anger. It made her the perfect target for dark spirits. 

Yves knew she couldn’t warn her. Heejin would pummel her if she did. 

But she saw that Hyunjin was looking where she was. She knew as well. And Heejin would actually let herself be held back by Hyunjin. 

“I don’t know,” Yves admitted. “But we’re not going to hurt her or try and make her come back.” As difficult as it was, she met Heejin’s eyes. “And I know she won’t talk to us. I know that if the rest of you find her, it’ll be better, but I also know that it’s better if we find her than if one of the others do.” If Teveril found her, he’d try to take her back to the elders. Hyejoo wouldn’t let that happen. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiwoo stiffen. Then she was rushing off. 

Yves looked to where she was going. Jinsoul was holding a large knapsack. The light around her was also turning grey. She was worried sick about something. Yves had a good idea about who that was. 

Yves found herself following. The rest were as well.

“Are they back?” she heard Jiwoo ask. 

She couldn’t help but feel hurt. Another thing Jiwoo had known before telling her. Where had Jungeun been? Who else had been with her? And how had Jiwoo known about it? 

“Yes,” Jinsoul replied. “She’s hurt.” 

“Who is?” Haseul’s voice gave away the tension in her. She’d been getting more and more wound up recently. Too much was being placed on her shoulders. The same for Heejin. 

Jinsoul shook her head, blue eyes flickering back to camp. “Come on.” She met Yves’ eyes once. 

She recognised doubt. 

Then Jiwoo looked back. She nodded. 

It was such a small gesture, but she felt a burst of confidence. Even if Yves was the one becoming an elder, Jiwoo was the one whose word she trusted more than anyone else’s. No one ever saw it, except for a handful. The rest only saw Jiwoo’s smiles and heard her optimistic words, but they never knew how swiftly Jiwoo could act, as if knowing exactly which action would work and which wouldn’t. They didn’t realise how it was Jiwoo who usually led their hunting parties. They didn’t know that it was almost always Jiwoo who knew which dark spirits were benevolent and which weren’t. 

They hurried further away from the camp. Jinsoul and Jiwoo were almost side by side as they broke into a run. 

Yves saw the newcomer, Viian, first. She was already starting to glow. Naturally, Yves hadn’t talked to her yet. She knew Haseul wouldn’t have minded, but Yeojin and Choerry would certainly have. And once she knew the story of Hyejoo, Yves was sure Viian wouldn’t ever want to look at them. 

There was a small fire laced with light. Jungeun’s magic. 

“Can the rest know?” Jinsoul asked. Her tone was gentle. She knelt down beside Jungeun. 

Yves realised then that she was injured. She saw the darkness from different wounds. Choerry had some as well, but enough that she'd heal quickly. 

“Yeah,” Jungeun muttered. 

“What happened?” Heejin sounded less angry and more worried. 

“We went looking for her,” Jungeun said. “We,” she faltered, “I heard something in one of the towns. Yerim and I followed it.”

Her. 

“Did you find her?” Chaewon asked. 

Heejin didn’t even snap to silence her, but she did say something else. “Should they really be here?” Then she nodded at Viian. “Should she?”

The newcomer looked surprised to be spoken to. Then her brow furrowed and her gaze hardened when she looked at Heejin.

“All of you should,” Jungeun shot back. “We found her. She didn’t kill that man.” Her voice was as sharp as Heejin's had been. 

Heejin didn't respond. She looked surprised. 

“And the rest?” Haseul asked. It looked like the question pained her. 

“What rest?” Choerry asked. 

“His guards were also murdered.”

“How?” Jungeun sat up. Then she groaned. 

Jinsoul pushed her down and kept tending to the wounds. “Charred flesh. They said he didn’t look like he did.” They as in the elves who'd been passing through. Now they were going far away, unsettled by the spirits and the stories. 

“That also wasn’t her,” Choerry said. “It was a fairy. He killed them.” She looked between them, her expression uncharacteristically hard. “His magic was lightning.”

“And the darkness?” Hyunjin asked.

“You can’t think that—“ Heejin turned to her. 

“I don’t,” she said. “But why was it there?”

“It wasn’t hers,” Yerim said. “You can go there yourselves. You’ll all know the difference.” She looked at Chaewon then. Yves couldn’t read her gaze. Was it pity Yves saw or distaste? 

Either way, Chaewon looked away. It hurt to see how the mention of Hyejoo made her crumple. 

“Do you know who Alluin is?” Jungeun asked then. 

Yves shook her head at the same time that Haseul said she didn’t. 

“I do,” Hyunjin muttered. 

They all looked. 

Rarely had Yves seen the girl look small. She knew the vulnerability was there, but she’d never been close enough to her to see it like this. 

“He‘s a secret of the older elves,” she said. “Like Hyejoo.” Then she looked at Viian. 

For a moment, Yves thought she’d do what Heejin would have and send her away. 

Instead, she just said, “Hyejoo is the Olivia they've all been talking about. We don’t say her name anymore, because they cast her out.”

______

The mention of Olivia—or was it Hyejoo—had an immediate effect on the elves. All thoughts of this Alluin were gone. 

The expressions of four collapsed into guilt. This included Haseul, Gowon, Chuu, and Yves. Heejin looked angry again. Jungeun and Jinsoul only exchanged looks, their eyes sad, while Choerry’s eyes were filling with tears. 

“She wasn’t just banished,” a new voice said. Someone was behind her. 

Vivi turned immediately, thinking back to when a fairy had last snuck up on her. She'd tried to kill Vivi. Vivi had gotten her first, encasing her in stone and taking her to the other fae. 

Yeojin had somehow snuck up to be beside her. She looked angry. It didn’t seem to fit her, but it was there nonetheless.

“The people she loved turned their backs on her.” She pointed at three, Chuu, Gowon and Yves. Gowon shrank away, Chuu looked down, while Yves held her head high. 

Heejin was still looking at Vivi with that angry edge to her gaze. If the anger was the culmination of this Olivia’s banishment, then Vivi could understand it. She didn’t know it to the degree that Olivia/Hyejoo had faced, but she'd known enough about what a lack of acceptance meant. 

“We don’t have to go through the whole story,” Heejin said. “Just say what we need now.” 

Hyunjin raised an brow at her, but said nothing. She met Vivi’s eyes, looking apologetic. Vivi wouldn’t judge her silence yet. Except for polite conversation, they hadn’t actually spoken much. Haseul had told her the girl was mostly silent, largely because she felt she didn’t have a voice in most situations. Except for just now, where she'd admitted to knowing a man who worked in the literal shadows—elf who'd order the deaths of mortals. 

“I think we should explain,” Haseul replied. She looked to Vivi. “You might’ve come at a mess of a time, but you’re here.” 

“No one else approves,” Heejin cut in. “The elders don’t even want her here. How can you think your words will count for anything more?” 

Jinsoul raised a hand. “Stop it. You know full well she can hear you.”

Heejin waved her off and looked back to Vivi, meeting her eyes. Although her eyes were a pleasant colour, almost complimenting Vivi’s, they were cold. “The rest of them never thought Hyejoo belonged here. They don’t think you do either. So don’t expect me to soften that blow.”

A part of Vivi understood what she meant. A part of her still understood the anger. Surprisingly, it looked like the people who knew Heejin much better than her didn’t. 

“You won’t even try,” Hyunjin said quietly. “You’ll take the easy route now, because you can live with turning your back on her.” The yellow-eyed girl stepped forward and placed herself next to Vivi. Her eyes weren’t angry, but Vivi saw disappointment. 

Heejin recoiled. She couldn’t hide her emotions well, not how Vivi had learned to. She saw pain, but no shame. At least not yet. 

“No,” Vivi said. “She’s right.”

Haseul looked at her, a question in her gaze. Anger still lingered, but it was quickly fading. It seemed she wasn’t the type to get angry very often. 

“I don't belong,” she said. “But I knew I wouldn't no matter where I went.” She chuckled. “You know, the fairies are no better than this, and though they let me grow up among them, all but my immediate family were convinced I did not belong.” 

Vivi took in their expressions. Jinsoul looked like she understood. She did in part, as she’d heard earlier. Haseul looked dejected, as if in disbelief that Vivi would think such a thing. Heejin still stewed below the surface, but her anger wasn’t as explosive as before. Hyunjin’s eyes were on the ground. Instead of disappointment, they now held shame. Jungeun and Yerim were listening, but they looked exhausted. Yeojin was still just angry. 

The rest of the girls, who seemed to be the villains to some, were avoiding the eyes of everyone else. 

“So why shouldn’t I hear this?” Give me a good reason, Vivi thought. “They’ve already started to antagonise her at every mention. Why not ensure I know the truth?” Say something without hatred. 

Heejin just shook her head. She couldn't do that. 

“We failed her,” Haseul said. “And before I hear anything else, you know that’s what happened.” Her green eyes were fierce. As much as she seemed to be the more mature of the rest, she also shared the anger of Heejin and Yeojin. “She didn’t have any control over light growing up. Then she developed control over darkness." Her strength faltered for a moment, revealing her pain. It nearly hurt Vivi to see it. "That was fifty years ago." 

“So you threw her out?” Vivi asked. She fought the urge to clench her fists. She gritted her teeth instead. 

“The seers saw it and the elders decided,” Yves said. “She wouldn’t have had a place here otherwise.” 

It sounded a lot as though that belief had been drilled into her, probably driven in deeper by herself. Guilt seemed to be capable of that. 

Yeojin had the same thought. “That’s a lie you tell yourself,” she retorted. 

Pain flashed in Yves’ eyes. She didn’t even try to defend herself. 

“I think I understand,” Vivi said. 

“Understand what?” Gowon looked up, eyes half hopeful, half filled with the guilt from before. Vivi knew she’d crush the hope there and she knew that there was another side to this tale. That didn’t matter. 

She spat into the flames. The pale haired girl flinched. As did a few of the others. Vivi barely felt guilty. 

“Your people will blindly follow the moon’s judgement to push someone out,” Vivi muttered. “But you’ll question it when you‘re told to accept someone in.” She looked back to Heejin. “And you don’t want me here, because you doubt the moon. Olivia was banished, which you feel was wrong. I’ve been brought here and you think that’s wrong as well.”

Heejin didn’t respond. Vivi knew she was right. 

“What did they tell you?” She looked to Chuu, Gowon, and Yves. “For you to have,” she nodded at Yeojin, “turned your backs on her?” 

Gowon was crying, but when she spoke, her voice was steady. “They said that darkness will always overcome someone’s heart, even if not intended. They said she was a danger to us all.” 

Never had Vivi heard someone speak with less confidence, than she had in that moment. She pitied the girl. 

She felt the tension rise between the girls. She saw the glares some gave Gowon. Fifty years had passed since then, but it was clear that the situation was far from being resolved. Vivi wouldn’t be able to reach any sort of conclusion there. She also didn’t want to. This sort of thing was beyond her. 

And even if they’d been in favour of her staying, Olivia had been cast out, left to deal with her own magic and the other threats out there. These people had the means to find her. And they’d never looked. 

“I suppose that makes me a danger as well.” Vivi called up some rock from the ground. She let it flow through the air, a seemingly useless stream of stone. “But to your beliefs.”

No one replied. Jinsoul still worked on cleaning an ugly wound on Jungeun’s leg. Whatever love she felt for the injured girl, it was on full display now. Vivi almost wished that Yerim and Jungeun could fully explain what had happened with Hyejoo and what they’d learned. The revelation that Hyunjin knew about someone no one else did seemed to have been forgotten. What if they were all missing some important piece to this puzzle?

“I’ll make the rest of this easier,” Vivi said. “And be on my way.” It wasn’t going to be forever. She still needed to learn how to harness her magic. She didn’t have many other places to go either. 

And she didn’t want to live her life alone. She was starting to like some of the people here. She was also starting to realise that there was more depth to them than she’d first suspected. Even Heejin, the most hateful of the ten elves, had her reasons for acting as she had. Amazingly those reasons had barely even considered Vivi’s blood, even if they were the wrong ones. 

A hand took her arm. Its warmth was comforting. “You can’t go out alone. It’s too dangerous.” Haseul’s gaze nearly held her in place. 

“I’m not completely useless,” Vivi replied. She forced the liquid stone to become a sword. She coated the blade with moonlight, but not so much that it would glow too brightly. It’d do as an initial defence. “And I have a very good grip on my other magic.”

“Which can’t always fight what’ll go after you,” Jinsoul added. “Not that easily at least.” Her eyes flicked back to Jungeun then. 

That message was clear: this one can’t even handle it. 

“Before, no,” Vivi said. “But with what little I know now, it might.” 

“Key word,” Haseul stepped forward, turning Vivi around, “little.” Her green eyes were pleading, all anger from before had vanished. “You don’t know what you’ll encounter.” 

“So I should stay here and face this?” she asked, nodding at the still silent Heejin. “What I see and hear is nothing I’d like to experience for the rest of my life. I should at least be able to take breaks from it.” She freed herself from Haseul’s grasp. It wasn’t difficult. “And be on my own while I do it.” 

"Just," Haseul took another step, "if you see a pale spirit and their light feels wrong, or it looks at you with anything other than curiosity, you run. There's no fighting one of those."

Vivi just nodded. Then she walked away. It was a terrible war of beliefs to have stumbled upon. Even in a group where all ten girls seemed to want to help, they were divided. And that wasn’t even counting the people who genuinely wanted to hunt someone down. 

Vivi hardly wanted to think about that. Already, she’d begun to feel pain for someone she didn’t know. 

Some people had been surprised that this Olivia was even alive. They’d lived their lives almost completely normal, believing she was dead after they’d cast her out. 

And now, people thought that she’d massacred a group of mortals. If Vivi had heard right, this wasn’t the first time they’d thought she'd done something terrible. 

Jungeun and Yerim had said she hadn’t killed these ones, but had she done it before? Vivi didn’t know how the darkness worked, but it seemed to swallow people up if they were struck with it. There’d been two deaths since Vivi’s arrival. She’d caught one glimpse of a victim, Elre. Her eyes had been completely black, her skin riddled with lines of the same colour, almost as if her blood had been corrupted as well. 

What happened if you were in control of that same darkness? Then again, hadn’t Heejin also told her about ‘good’ darkness? Could Olivia have both? 

Vivi hoped she was alright. She hoped there was no corruption, nor pain in this girl. Perhaps, if the Astra truly were wrong to believe the moon, the girl could still have a home. And if the moon did indeed have a plan, maybe it wasn’t so dastardly to force another from her home. If that were the case, then it was just the flawed beliefs of the Astra. Or it was just a horrible plan, made from an unfeeling presence in the night sky. 

Vivi wasn’t sure where she fit there. As she walked, she could only think of how much better it would be if the elves behind her could realise they wanted the same thing. Even if what those other three had done was unforgivable, their guilt and shame was obvious enough. They knew they’d done something terrible. 

The thought made her pause. She’d seen how Olivia’s absence affected each of the ten girls, from the glimpses of it she’d caught in Jinsoul and Jungeun, to the waves of emotion coming from Heejin and Yeojin. Haseul had fallen somewhere in the middle. She was far from healing. 

We failed her. 

I failed her, was probably the thought that Haseul was stuck with. The green-eyed elf was probably going to take it upon herself to fix what she could. From organising search parties that’d avoid hurting Olivia, to going out there herself, either to protect the girl or to give her back the family she’d lost. 

Vivi shook her head at that. This was a heavy burden, one Vivi had never needed to bear. It was one she never wanted to have either. The person to solve those problems wouldn’t be her. Whether or not she was ready for it, Haseul was the best option for that. She'd probably be able to handle it alone. 

She kept walking, leaving behind all thoughts of the elves and whatever fate they faced now. Her focus would be on surviving these next nights by herself. Spirits would probably try and attack her, no matter how much she hoped they wouldn’t. 

Even so, she’d rather have that than spend the night with people who’d turned their backs on one of their own. 

______

Author's Note

So now the story-lines are properly beginning to merge. I know there was a lot of setup and we still haven't followed all of them fully, but I'm really hoping it'll have paid off going forward. 

This chapter dealt more with the reaction to what happened last chapter. And we'll still be dealing with the fallout of it in the next ones. Decisions were made with actual consequences, not just regarding what actually happened. 

I say this a lot, but thank you so much for your support of this story. I've been in a slump when it comes to both normal life and my writing one, but this story is something I'm really passionate about. It means a great deal that people even enjoy it! 

If you've any thoughts about what's happened or what could happen (or what you want to happen, though I can't promise I'll deliver), I'd love to read them! 

Hope you're all doing well. See you next chapter.