Minji had never felt so uncomfortable in her flat, in the place she called home. The demon’s presence pushed her mood down and made it impossible for her to focus. She was on edge constantly and could not calm down. Had he not suppressed the magic within her, it would have been all over the place due to the chaos in her mind.

She was angry, she was anxious, and she felt hurt.

A part of her wanted to cut Baëkhyun out of her life and never deal with this crap again, while another part wanted things to go back to the way they were before. However, that would be difficult after all the harsh words she had screamed at him. I can’t wait to sever the bond. That had been the last straw, the sentence that made everything ten times worse than it already was and she wished she could take it back.

Minji remembered the hurt that had flashed through his blue eyes, remembered how they were dyed deep red just seconds after. He’d hidden the pain her words had caused him behind his rage, but she had felt the sting in her heart. In hindsight, she should have just kept shut instead of making everything worse. She stared at the gleaming star on her wrist and sighed. How complicated her life had become within the past month was hard to fathom. The demonic crest on her skin was proof that she could not just cut him out of her life. They had to depend on each other for this to work out, but how should that go when they couldn’t even speak to each other without arguing?

Heaving another deep sigh, she left her bedroom, walking to the kitchen. She avoided the living room like the plague and went to the fridge, unsure about what she wanted to eat for breakfast. Closing the fridge when she didn’t find anything, she opted to make toast for herself. Usually, she would ask if Baëkhyun wanted breakfast too but today she decided against it. He would only yell at her and she wanted to spare herself from being a target for his anger yet again.

Turning on her heels, she walked back to the counter and readied her breakfast, making coffee and sitting down at the table. She absentmindedly scrolled through the messages on her smartphone, spotting one from Yixing. Apparently, the interview with Jackson had been a big success, sales of the newspaper going up, and their website receiving more clicks than usual. She smiled proudly and typed a quick message in which she thanked him for his praise. At least that part of her life was going smoothly, even when everything else was falling apart…

While she was busy eating, the person she wanted to see least walked in the room, coming to a stop when he saw her. His eyes narrowed and went dry under his harsh scrutiny.

“So, now you don’t even want to eat breakfast with me anymore,” he said bitterly. “Funny how you call me selfish.”

She swallowed and avoided his eyes. “You… you’re a demon, it’s not like you need food,” she said quietly.

“I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses,” he hissed.

“Then do me a favor and go,” she replied, not knowing how to handle his sudden aggressiveness towards her.

“If we broke the bond, I would leave in an instant,” he spat, clenching his fists. “I don’t want to be around you anymore.”

“Why are you mad at me, huh?” she yelled, her appetite gone. Pushing the plate away from her, she glared at him.

“Because you’re acting like an ungrateful ! Why did you run away from me twice yesterday? What’s your problem?” he screamed back, the loudness of his enraged voice making her flinch. Light radiated from his fists and his shoulders trembled as he fought to regain his composure, but the anger had him under its control.

Something in Minji cracked. She couldn’t take it when he was like this. It hurt to see him turn against her because it reminded her too much of someone else. Someone who was now dead.

“Because you’re intimidating, unpredictable, and scary. Of course I wouldn’t want to be around you,” she said, voice shaking. “How can you expect me to trust you after what you did?”

His body stopped trembling as his anger finally vanished and his eyes clouded with heavy emotion. Shoulders sinking, he looked defeated and his bitter expression only added to it. Frustration and pain swirled through his eyes, but he soon cast his gaze towards the ground, hiding his feelings from her. The stinging in her heart was back and this time it was stronger than before. He didn’t speak another word as he left the kitchen. She heard the door to the living room close.

The mood between him and her was tense for the remainder of the morning. Minji stayed far away from him, only leaving her bedroom when there was no other way. She used the time to call Jangmi and asked her for help since Minji still hadn’t figured out what to do about her newly acquired magic. Thankfully, Jangmi agreed to meet up later in the day, Minji being grateful for her support.

After a lot of arguing between her and Baëkhyun, he finally agreed to come with her. They took the car to a secluded part of the forest to meet Jangmi and Sehůn who were already waiting when they arrived.

“Hello you two!” the witch gushed happily, hugging Minji who returned the embrace with less enthusiasm, a deadpan look on her face. Baëkhyun didn’t even glance at her, keeping quiet while glowering at the other three people.

Jangmi and Sehůn soon noticed that something was off. They observed the other two closely, noting how they kept their distance, never talked to each other, and didn’t acknowledge each other either. The tension around them was suffocating, to the point where Sehůn wanted to turn around and walk away. He exchanged a worried glance with Jangmi, deciding to speak to Baëkhyun later on.

“Can we talk in private for a moment, Jangmi?” Minji said, shooting Baëkhyun a harsh glare. His eyes became red instantly.

“Not like I want to listen to you,” he spat and turned away to walk off into the forest. Sehůn went after him, giving the two women some privacy. As soon as they were out of earshot, Jangmi gave Minji a cautious glance.

“What’s up with you two? I thought you needed some advice about magic, but it seems that’s not the only thing you need help with,” she said worriedly. “I have never seen the two of you act so coldly around each other. Not even the first time I met you.”

“It’s a long story,” Minji said evasively, but Jangmi wanted to hear none of her excuses.

“Spill!” she demanded persistently and glared at her friend when she hesitated. “Come on, Minji! I could help you.”

Minji sighed deeply, deciding to tell her everything that happened. She didn’t leave out Dongmin and their shared past, mentioned her visit at Wang Enterprises, and ended her explanation with the murder. Jangmi’s gaze darkened considerably. She could easily see that Minji was suffering under the situation, but she couldn’t deny that both she and Baëkhyun were responsible for it.

“I understand that you’re upset, but you guys really need to make more of an effort to get along. You must work together, especially now that you can use magic.”

“Do you think I could learn how to use it properly?” Minji breathed, her eyes widening.

Jangmi nodded. “Yes, but you need patience and it doesn’t look like you have the nerves for this kind of thing…”

“I want to learn, please teach me!”

“It’s not that easy. I only know how to use wind magic, I couldn’t tell you much about light magic,” Jangmi said, and Minji groaned inwardly.

“I won’t ask him for help. Forget it,” she spat angrily.

“It’s the only way, Minji. You received his magic through the bond and nobody here understands his element better than him. Try to get along with him, talk to him about your issues. I remember that time when we had dinner together; you were so cute together and now I almost don’t recognize you anymore. It’s sad.”

“He has shown his true colors,” Minji grumbled, eyes hardening.

“Listen to me, you stubborn girl,” Jangmi said, raising her voice. “You two need to work together now more than ever. Only last week, a high-class demon broke into our flat and tried to kill me. He was after me because of my bond to Sehůn. There might be many more out there, only waiting for someone like you to run into them. If you and Baëkhyun don’t work as a team now, it might cost your lives!”

Minji’s eyes widened in shock. Worry clouded her thoughts, causing her to frown and take a step closer to her friend. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Jangmi shook her head, much to Minji’s relief. “No, Sehůn and I fought him off, and knowing how to use wind magic definitely was a great help here.” She stared at Minji pointedly who cursed under her breath, knowing that it would be a smart choice to get over her anger and get along with Baëkhyun.

They were interrupted by Sehůn and Baëkhyun who came back at this moment, Sehůn looking agitated while Baëkhyun seemed more annoyed than anything. He ran a hand through his white hair and grumbled something under his breath.

“There you are,” Jangmi smiled, trying to keep the mood up, and to Minji’s annoyance, she got right to the point, not