Haseul reached their fire pit and her legs nearly gave out. She flopped onto the ground, fighting the urge to sigh in relief. 

Her patrol had taken up two days. They hadn’t been going out far enough and the aggression of the spirits had led to humans getting hurt as well. 

Haseul had ‘cured’ at least six vampires, three witches, an entire wandering family of fae, and maybe even ten humans. Seven people had died before she could reach them. 

She tried not to think about the grieving families. She tried not to think about how it could’ve all been avoided if they’d have kept people on patrol. She tried not to think about the fact that those deaths were because they’d been distracted. She should’ve been more adamant that the patrols should continue, be just as frequent as hunts. 

She made herself think about the good. Jungeun was alright. Hyunjin was okay again. Hyejoo was back. 

She was here. 

Haseul decided then and there that she’d have dinner with her and not in camp. Maybe then Hyejoo would feel comfortable having them around again. 

But for now, she just needed to take her mind off of the last days. Off of the rest too. She didn’t want to think about Alluin for at least another few hours. 

Yoona had already stopped her to tell her about the meeting tomorrow afternoon, when most were asleep. They needed to think about their next steps. 

And that’d almost definitely involve Hyejoo. Haseul didn’t want to discuss that, but she knew someone would raise the question. Could Hyejoo tell them anything about the threat they were facing? 

But would Hyejoo tell them? There was the chance she wouldn’t want to betray Alluin, which Haseul could understand. The others probably wouldn’t, even though they could be so immensely loyal to the Astra, as well as others they trusted. 

“Hungry?” A voice tugged her from her thoughts. “Or thinking?” 

Haseul looked up to see Vivi by the pot. “I think there’s still soup.” The fire caught in her hair. More than usual. 

“You changed your hair.” 

Vivi smiled. “I had pink for the longest time. I was getting tired of it.” And now it was orange. 

“It looked good,” she said. “Really good.” 

She glanced away. “You’re really keeping up with those compliments.” A stone bowl flew into her hand. It began to glow. “Soup?” 

“Yes please.” 

She watched as Vivi took out a serving, before a spoon of moonlight appeared. 

The sight of that made Haseul smile. Vivi had learned how to use the light so quickly. She’d managed to find a place here. Whether or not she felt that way as well, Haseul wasn’t sure yet. 

“Am I ready for patrol yet?” Vivi asked. She passed her the bowl before sitting down beside her. Warmth seemed to seep away from her. Haseul found herself leaning closer. 

“You want to go?” 

A nod. “The best I’ve been doing is guard, but Sooyoung said I shouldn’t risk being out too often.” 

That was surprising. Sooyoung was trying to protect her, at least to an extent. 

“You’re going to say she only means well,” Vivi muttered. 

Haseul grinned. “Maybe.”

Vivi sighed. “I know.” Then she looked at her. “So, are you going to be like her and tell me it isn’t a good idea?” 

“Yeah,” Haseul admitted. “It’s not as easy as it used to be.” 

“But you were out for days,” Vivi countered. “Alone?” Before she could open , the other girl continued, “that’s different” She raised a brow. “You told me Jungeun was one of the strongest people in this camp.” 

She shrugged. “I’ve got a lot of experience.” At least that was true. She could avoid tricky routes and gaze how much light she still needed or was missing. 

Vivi just hummed. Her brow was lightly furrowed. “When’s your next one?” 

“Next week.” 

Her frown deepened. 

Haseul also frowned. “What’s wrong with that? We need those patrols.”

“But that increases the risk,” Vivi replied. “And if it wasn’t already clear, safety isn’t always a guarantee. Especially not now.”

The comment brought Jungeun’s limp form to mind. She saw the spirit mauling Hyunjin again. 

“Don’t start that,” Vivi muttered. 

“What?” 

“Everyone thought Jungeun would never get to the brink of death. They always thought she’d back long before she reached that. And then she nearly overstepped it.” 

“These patrols aren’t for our safety,” Haseul said. “They’re for that of the people who’ve no defence against our ‘risks’.” Flashes of the tearful faces came to her, then those who’d been left drained by their grief. “

Vivi reached over, putting a hand on her arm. “I’m not telling you to stop,” she said slowly. “I’m asking if I can go with you.” 

The frustration that’d been building suddenly dissipated. Haseul just nodded. 

Vivi’s thumb brushed over her skin. She felt a gentle rush of warmth. It made her nervous. She counted herself lucky that it was the good kind. 

“You can,” Haseul replied. “Just as long as you’re alright with being away for a few days. There’s a lot.” 

She smiled. It was a softer one. Sweeter. “I can handle it.”

Haseul felt an overwhelming urge to close whatever distance was between them. What held her back was if this was too sudden. Weren’t they friends? Were they friends? Or was Haseul still supposed to just be a quasi-mentor to her? 

“You still have to eat your soup,” Vivi said. She was still looking at her. Then she let go of her arm. 

Haseul almost wished she hadn’t. 

Vivi told her a bit about what she’d missed. Certain spirits had been spotted coming closer, but Hyejoo had turned them. People weren’t quite so pleased with it, but they couldn’t say much when exactly that transformation could be saving their lives. 

“It was always a matter of beliefs, wasn’t it?” Vivi asked then. 

“The spirits?” 

She shook her head. “Hyejoo.” Her light pink eyes were on the fire. “It wasn’t because she was an outsider, but rather everyone being convinced she was dangerous.” A pause. “Because darkness had always been a danger before. Or seen as one.” 

“As far as we know, she and Alluin are the only ones who got that magic.” 

“And he’d become dangerous,” Vivi murmured. “But until then, had she been treated poorly because of her lack of magic?”

“Not by most,” Haseul replied. “Some thought she was weaker for it. She devoted her time to getting better at other things.” 

That’d included patrols and guard duty. Almost always, Gowon had gone with her, making up for the moonlight she didn’t have. It’d never mattered to Gowon if she’d put herself at a disadvantage. It’d only been important to her that Hyejoo could protect herself. They’d been the perfect team. 

Vivi nodded. 

“What brought this on?” Haseul asked. 

“I just wanted to understand,” she hesitated before continuing, “when I came here, I’d expected to be treated the way Hyejoo is now. I see the difference between outsiders and what she is much more clearly now.” She looked away from the fire to her. “And it’s a bit of a relief that this was based on the prejudice against the magic, not the person she was.”

Was. Because even Vivi saw that Hyejoo had been changed by the years since her banishment. 

Vivi sighed. “It doesn’t excuse anything, mind you, but I can understand it better.” The corner of her lips tugged up. “Makes the Astra a bit less cruel and more stupidly ignorant.” 

Haseul could only nod along. The entire situation could be boiled down to simpler terms, explained in a way that made a proper overview possible. Vivi was able to do that effortlessly, partly because she was a bit more detached from the situation itself, but also because it was the way she approached things. 

It was something Haseul always tried to do, but had a lot of trouble maintaining that perspective. 

“You know I don’t mean you, right?” Vivi knocked her shoulder with Haseul’s. “I haven’t seen you treat the ‘other’ any different to your own people.” 

Haseul smiled. “That’s also because you’re one of us,” she said. “At least,” she faltered, “I see you as that. Doesn’t mean you have to feel at home here.” 

She patted her hand. “I don’t yet, but I am starting to feel a sense of belonging.” Her hand lingered on Haseul’s. “And Jungeun told me that’s what you do best.” 

“Jinsoul didn’t really trust me at the start,” Haseul replied. “Neither did Yerim. For good reasons, but them starting to belong was much more because of Jungeun.”

“And me?” Vivi raised a brow. “Those three were a bit preoccupied.” She grimaced. “To no fault of their own.” 

She started piecing it together then. “I didn’t do much.” Not enough, she added. 

“Not true,” she chuckled, “you made it feel normal to be here, even when everything was at its strangest.” Her smile softened. “And you managed to make me feel welcome here, something a fair amount of people from my old home couldn’t do.”

That was another thing. Haseul still didn’t know from where exactly Vivi had come from. She knew which clan and where they were, but she didn’t know what they were like, at least not in comparison to other fae. 

It’d be for another time. She’d ask her then. 

Haseul shifted her hand so she was holding Vivi’s. 

“And at the same time, you spoke to me in fae, gave me some damn good training,” her eyes were bright, “and you trusted me.” 

She didn’t have to say it. Haseul knew very well how important someone’s trust was. With your own people, there was an intrinsic trust, one strengthened through centuries. When someone new came or, in Haseul’s case, she needed to go to others, trust was a tricky thing to establish. Sometimes it went smoothly, other times there were several challenges, ones that could either shatter the trust or build it up. Immortality made trust invaluable, but the price of getting it could sometimes be high. Saving a person wasn’t enough, sometimes you needed years of deeds, favours, and words being exchanged. 

It’d been easy to trust Vivi. Not only had it been the way she’d carried herself, but also in the way she’d handled the entire situation. 

“You thanked me before,” Vivi muttered. “It’s my turn.” She leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. 

Haseul couldn’t help but smile. “You should thank me more often.” 

“Really?” A smile started to form on her lips. 

She winked. “Really.” 

______

Choerry knew she was probably supposed to give Jinsoul and Jungeun several moments to themselves, but she didn’t want to leave either of them until she knew both were alright. 

She didn’t let go of Jungeun’s hand unless she was getting them food, a potion, or more light. 

Jinsoul’s scream still drifted into her mind now. That had been the instant Jinsoul had thought she’d lose Jungeun completely. Choerry hoped Jungeun wouldn’t know what the moment had been like. It would be another burden she’d take on. 

And then there was Jinsoul herself. The look in her eyes was torn between pure elation and fragile exhaustion. Choerry didn’t know what was going on in her head, but she was sure that the past days would leave a lasting scar. She wished they wouldn’t, but they already had. 

There’d been two instances where the light had left Jungeun’s path. Two instances where Choerry had been terrified of losing one of the most important people in her life. 

And if Jungeun had left them, Choerry herself would’ve been completely lost, but Jinsoul would’ve been left broken. It wasn’t just because of the bond they shared—that didn’t lead to the way Jungeun and Jinsoul were connected. Heejin and Priad were the perfect example of that. Heejin would never wish any harm on him, no matter what else happened, but she wouldn’t lose a piece of herself if something would happen. 

“How’s Hyejoo now?” Jungeun asked. It was almost weird to see her with bright eyes. Before, the lack of light had added a fragility to her. Now she looked as she always had: someone who could withstand any blow. 

Choerry now knew that wasn’t true. They’d painfully been shown that no matter how constant a person seemed—how secure in their life they were—they could be ripped from it at any time. 

That truth scared her. It also made her pull both of them closer. 

Jinsoul had made Choerry sit in between them, something she’d tried—and failed—to protest. It hadn’t been a surprise, but it made it even more obvious how much Jinsoul cared. Choerry knew full well just how desperate, and terrified, Jinsoul had been. She knew how much Jinsoul needed to know that Jungeun was alright. 

“She came a few times to help the other,” Choerry said. “But she’s been keeping away from camp.”

Jungeun nodded, a frown evident in her face. 

She was worried that Hyejoo was pulling away even more from them. Doing what Choerry had at first. The situation was very different, but Choerry knew Jungeun was still worried. 

“We can go to her soon,” Jinsoul said. “When you’re better.” 

“You mean when we’re all better,” Choerry countered. 

She nodded. “Sorry,” she winked, “all of us.” 

Choerry tried to check on the light then. It gave her a headache to try, but she was starting to see things again. She still didn’t know why she’d gotten the sight first. And then there was the fact that the shadows and darkness were more visible too. 

Even though Hyejoo had taken the darkness from both Jinsoul and Jungeun, there were the inevitable shadows and shadows of grey around both of them. Choerry saw that so much better than she saw Jungeun’s relief of being free of the darkness, more than Jinsoul’s relief that Jungeun was alright again. 

Instead she could feel the doubt and fear that still clung to Jinsoul, as well as her dread of something going wrong again. She could feel the way the nightmares followed Jungeun, not even leaving her when everything else was comfortable. 

“Yerim.” It was Jinsoul. She took her hand next. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” she said. “I think.” 

Her brow formed that typical arch of hers. “You think.” 

Jungeun leaned forward then, concern also entering her expression. Choerry felt of rush of emotion at being here. Every now and then, the two had almost become her parents. She preferred to think of them as her sisters, but much of the time, they went above even that. 

“It’s coming back—my magic, I mean,” she said. “But it’s still weird.” At their continued frowns, she added, “but the main thing is, I’m getting it back.” 

Jungeun nodded. “We’ll have to see if Hyunjin’s got it back as well.” 

Choerry could only nod. Hyunjin’s path was better. So much better, but she had more shadows than most, even though she shouldn’t have had that much. It was bizarre. A bit worrying too, but her path was safe. Bright. 

So we’re all of theirs. That had to count for something. It did. For the time being, they were all alright. 

What happened next, however, without looming dangers, was something Choerry couldn’t see. 

And that included the unspoken conversation between the two girls beside her. 

______

Some immortals were able to have their family all their life. Others lost them after spending a good amount of time, one of several centuries, to even a millennia. 

Gowon had been alive for twenty years when her family was murdered. She’d really started to see her parents for the people they were, not just the ones who’d raised her. She’d seen their flaws, but also learned to love them even more for that. 

And then they’d been taken away from her. The emotional fae had come. One of them had filled her parents’ minds with anger, making them unable to think, unable to feel anything but that emotion. Anger burned too. It’d gone into their blood and they’d screamed less out of rage, and more out of agony. 

Gowon could still feel the anger that’d been in her own blood. She’d killed the fairy. She remembered stabbing her through the heart, twisting the knife. 

But it hadn’t mattered. Not really. The minds of her parents had already been lost. Killing them would’ve been a mercy. 

And that mercy had been given. Gowon didn’t remember who’d done it. 

She’d pulled away from most. She’d managed that for a good year, avoiding the concerned questions and eyes full of pity. 

Until Sooyoung had started to come over to her when she’d had an early dinner, or just about forced her to come out for patrol and hunts. She’d been adamant, but patient, even when Gowon had just about screamed at her to leave her alone. 

Jiwoo had come into the picture soon after, a lot less insistent. She’d just spent time with her, either talking at length about everything and anything, or just staying quiet to keep her company. Gowon knew they’d planned that. 

They hadn’t ever mentioned her parents, but it’d been painfully obvious that that was why they’d come to her. She’d only seen them occasionally before. With Sooyoung being one of the ones chosen to be an elder (in the distant future) and Jiwoo almost always by her side, they’d essentially been a class above her. 

Several times, she’d told them to drop the charade and that she didn’t need them. 

Several times, Sooyoung had told her to shut up and eat the noodle soup she’d made, while Jiwoo had just given her a warm smile. 

It’d continued that way. Gowon was almost always accompanied by Sooyoung, Jiwoo, or both. She’d asked them once if the people before her had gotten tired of them. 

They’d asked her then if she wanted to meet their friends. 

She’d walked away. 

During that time, the Astra hadn’t been as peace-loving as they were now. Theirs, as well as a few others without a sense for the future, had felt dark magic brewing by the sea. A group of ten had been sent out. They’d come back as four. One had had an injury that’d taken four years to heal. The rest had been left mangled on the beach. 

The dark magic had been blood magic. 

It’d been long since they’d lost anyone, at least it’d felt like that to the rest. 

Immediately, they’d started to plan their revenge. They’d drawn in as many as they could. 

Gowon remembered volunteering. She remembered the surprised expressions, as well as the beginnings of protest. She’d shut them down. 

And that night, she’d avoided Jiwoo and Sooyoung as best she could, knowing they’d probably want her to stay away. 

She’d gone into the forest with her food, prepared to set up a fire and maybe even watch the sun rise. 

She’d heard someone crying. There wasn’t sobbing or actual cries, but something much more subdued. 

Gowon hadn’t meant to be noticed, but the person had heard her. 

That person had been Hyejoo. She’d lost her mother and father to the blood-wielder. 

And of all the people to be around her during the time of grief, Gowon had known she wasn’t the best for that. 

But she’d been the only one there. And she’d wanted to see if Sooyoung and Jiwoo had been right in not leaving her alone. 

She had been. 

Gowon had known Hyejoo, but only really seen her at celebrations and other gatherings. She’d been known all throughout the camp for not having moonlight, even though she’d actually possessed it. 

They hadn’t spoken much at all that night, but it felt like Hyejoo hadn’t needed to talk. 

“You’re going too?” Hyejoo asked, her voice thick and her eyes swollen. “To the sea.”

 She nodded, not yet trusting her voice. Hyejoo had lost the two people closest to her. She’d lost them far too soon. How could Gowon say anything to quell that grief? 

“They don’t want me going,” she said. “They’ll think I’ll lose control.” She shook her head. “Over what, I don’t know.”

“You might,” Gowon replied. She’d torn into the fairy, nearly taking her heart out before someone had wrenched her back. “But you might think back to this moment all your life if you stay here now.” 

Hyejoo frowned. “You sound like—” Then her eyes widened. “Oh,” she breathed. 

She knew that look. It was the shock at the reminder. It came right before the pity. 

“Did you want to kill him yourself?” 

It was a surprising question, to say the least. “No,” she admitted. 

Hyejoo’s brow rose. Then something in her eyes closed off. “You’re not going to tell me to spare them, are you?”

“No,” she repeated. “I,” she trailed off. How many people knew what’d happened? “He wasn’t the one who took them, not really.”

She nodded once. 

“Killing her didn’t hurt me,” Gowon told her. “But it didn’t help anything either.” 

A frown started to form again. 

“You still have to go, I know,” she continued. “But if you don’t get your revenge, that doesn’t mean they weren’t avenged.” She wanted to tell her not to risk her life for this. Blood magic was rare. It was also a terror to most. You could barely defend yourself against it. That was why they needed to overwhelm them. That was why they needed to time the attack perfectly. 

It was also why they’d let people like Gowon and Hyejoo go along in the first place. In any other setting, they were too weak. 

Except for this. 

Hyejoo didn’t say anything else. 

Neither did Gowon. 

But neither of them left. 

Gowon had barely seen Hyejoo after that, but she’d known that the girl was training. She now knew that Hyejoo used blades made by mortal blacksmiths. She’d learned that Hyejoo had already known Jiwoo and Sooyoung, as well as their friends, but now she’d pulled away as well. They’d let her. 

So Gowon had as well. 

She didn’t see her until until they’d left for the sea. 

Hyejoo had sent her a small smile. It’d been in that moment that Gowon had been scared for what was coming. She’d been scared that Hyejoo would go straight for the one who’d killed her parents. She’d been scared that her emotions would blind her and she’d not see a blow coming her way. She’d been scared that Hyejoo would succeed and kill the person responsible. She’d been scared that Hyejoo would feel the same emptiness she did when thinking about her revenge. 

They were nearly there. All it took were a few moments of concentration, then you could hear the distant sounds of conversation. 

Hyejoo had already pulled out her sword, her grip on it nearly making the weapon shake. There was a mixture of pain and anger in her eyes. 

“Here,” Gowon said. She made a dagger of light. 

She frowned at it. “I don’t need that.” There was a defensive bite to her voice. She’d been here before. 

“I know,” she held it out to her, “but my light’s one that subdues people. It’ll weaken them.” 

“I don’t want to weaken them,” Hyejoo muttered. 

Gowon pressed it into her hand. “Maybe, but if you need one more blow, this could be the difference between you dying or surviving this.” And for all of the anger that was in her, Gowon also knew that Hyejoo was far from cruel. The light would clear her mind. Hyejoo would maybe see more clearly what she wanted to. If she actually wanted to kill the blood-wielder, then that decision would be cemented even more for her. 

But if she didn’t, maybe she’d hold back from giving into her anger. 

Hyejoo had looked at it for a long moment, before slipping it into the belt at her waist. 

Hyejoo had fought the elf who’d killed her parents. 

She hadn’t killed him. 

And the entire way back, Hyejoo had been nursing the ruined arm that the elf had left her with. Haseul had alternated with Sooyoung to make healing runes. 

Hyejoo had pushed them away when Haseul’s eyes had started to droop. 

Once again, people had let her be. 

Gowon had strayed away from most, but Jiwoo had come to her side. She hadn’t said anything, but she’d squeezed her hand once. 

It hadn’t been overbearing like before. It’d been enough. 

When they’d gotten back to camp, there’d been a slightly sombre mood, but life had gone on. Gowon had let herself be taken on patrols and guard duties with Sooyoung, Jiwoo, and even Hyunjin, someone she’d known a bit more than the rest. She’d let the girls help her move her tent too. She was surprised to see that Heejin and Haseul were near there too. These were people she’d only ever heard be spoken about. They’d been praised for their capabilities and bravery, most eyes following them because they’d eventually be their leaders. 

She’d also met Yeojin, who’d proceeded to drag her into nightly escapes from camp. Gowon had almost appreciated that more than being cooked for every night. Almost. 

And two weeks after that, Hyejoo had started to join them during meals. 

What’d shocked her most was that none of the rest had treated her with caution. They’d steered away from certain subjects if they came up, but they’d never talked to Hyejoo as if she were glass. They’d never looked at her with pity (though Gowon had seen Jiwoo give Hyejoo hugs that lingered, or Sooyoung giving the girl slightly larger portions). 

Months passed with a strange normalcy settling over her life. Gowon had fallen into the habit of teasing Yeojin, bickering with Sooyoung and Hyunjin, and trying to compete with Jiwoo to see who had the highest voice (Jiwoo). With Hyejoo, the only words they spoke to one another were short jokes within the conversation. It was enough to earn a smile from her, but far from what had come later. 

Until they’d both been sent into town to get their weekly supply of foodstuffs. 

“It worked,” Hyejoo said.

“What did?” Gowon asked, shifting the bag on her shoulder. She could carry it no problem, but it was pinching her skin. 

“The light,” her eyes were on the trees, “it made his magic weaker.” She flexed her hand then. It was still very weak, but it worked again. Within a few years, the internal structures would be back to normal. 

It didn’t take long for her to realise what they were talking about. “Good.”

Hyejoo sighed then. “You were hoping I’d spare him, weren’t you?” 

Gowon looked up. She didn’t feel trapped, but she felt caught. 

“I don’t think I was hoping for anything,” she said. “Both outcomes weren’t ideal.” 

She laughed. “No.” A pause. “He died anyway.” 

“When?” Gowon asked. She didn’t hear any relief in Hyejoo’s voice. 

“Crosa,” Hyejoo said. “We weren’t the only ones who’d wanted our revenge.” 

And that was after she’d been banished to the mountains, her mind half imprisoned by mental fae. 

“I think it was that fire elf,” she muttered. “Maybe someone else, but I think she’s the only one who melts stone.” 

“Where’d you hear that?” Gowon wondered if she’d been actively trying to know what was happening. If she’d not been able to stop thinking about what had become of the elf. 

“I was with Haseul when I heard it,” Hyejoo replied. “When she went to the sea.” 

She nearly stumbled. Hyejoo had gone back there? 

“They knew who I was,” she went on, “and then they told me.”

“Were you,” Gowon started. She didn’t know how to ask that. 

“Honestly,” Hyejoo turned to face her, “I think I was relieved.” She grimaced. “I’ve never hated someone so much. I wanted him to suffer and on that day, I did want him dead.” She was quiet. Her eyes held Gowon’s. “And I could’ve done it. I’d had him.” She fiddled with the handle of the cart she was pushing. 

“But you didn’t,” she said. 

She shook her head. “And I don’t regret it.” The corner of tilted up. The smile was sad, but it was still warm. Somehow. “You helped me see that.” 

“I think that was the light.” Gowon looked away. She wondered if Hyejoo was just saying that, trying to convince herself that how things had played out was better. 

“Part of it was,” Hyejoo said. 

She frowned. “But I did what you didn’t.” She’d lost control and killed them. She’d done it out of a rage driven by grief. 

“I know.” She moved away from the cart, only to come to her side. “I know it doesn’t make that much sense either,” she shrugged, “but when you told me what happened, you,” she trailed off. Then she groaned. “I don’t know how to say this.” 

Gowon elbowed her side. “It’s okay.” 

“No,” she sighed, “I’m trying to thank you.” Her eyes went from Gowon to the ground, then back. “You made it sound simple when it wasn’t, but that stuck with me. It helped me see I could choose.” 

Hadn’t she known that already? 

“Being in that place,” Hyejoo looked at her hands now, “where whatever I do could mean that someone lives or dies, I hate it.” She chewed on her lip. “But you helped me make it.” She glanced up at her. “I don’t think I can explain why, but I just want you to know that you did.” 

Gowon smiled, feeling an odd lump in . “Good,” she said, her voice shaky. 

The girl opposite her pulled her into an odd side hug, lightly patting her shoulder. 

Gowon had to laugh, before she turned it into a proper hug. 

“I’m serious, Chaewon,” Hyejoo said quietly. “Thank you.” 

______

Author's Note 

I wasn't planning on putting in more flashbacks, but that last part is more of a hybrid (and it's cheating, I know). However, I wanted to give you a bit more insight into how yyxy as a group actually developed. There is a certain hierarchy among the Astra, and that had led to certain people having very little to do with another (usually). I know it's a lot of description, but that's also why I put in flashes from the past in the first place to have a bit of dialogue still. Writing their respective pasts was also painful, but I thought it'd be important to show you where Hyejoo and Chaewon actually started. 

As for the rest, it's relatively light-hearted compared to the last part. I know that Viseul are mainly just hyping the other up, but they both genuinely deserve it (both in the story world and the real world, because I can't tell you how much I am hoping that Haseul is doing well, but also how much I'm wishing for the girls to enjoy this comeback and be proud of it). 

When it comes to the external plot of Alluin, this story is slowing down a tad. That being said, I'm focusing on their personal conflicts (+/ plotlines), both with themselves and each other. So I hope you'll look forward to that! 

The different groups having promotions at the moment is nearly overwhelming, but it's incredible, not just with LOONA, but also Twice (and others)

Would really be interested in hearing your thoughts on this chapter. See you in the next one.