After Eunbi announced that she would resume working part-time within a few days, she decided she should talk to Sakura. She has been avoiding the teen for nearly a week after that incident.

Eunbi summons Saku after she went back to her studies. She pumps the milk for Yujin and continues to read some pending papers while waiting. The rain is pouring heavily outside the window. For some reason, the noise is disturbing, making Eunbi have a hard time concentrating. The rain that started last night doesn't seem to be stopping at all.

Sakura still has no sign to show up.

Kkura was never like this! Eunbi begins to feel irritated after nearly an hour has passed.

When Eunbi hears a knock at the door, she almost jumps up but is disappointed to find that it is the butler.

"Where's Saku?"

The butler looks a bit surprised, "I thought he is already here..."

"No, he is not." Sudden fear sparkles in Eunbi's mind, "go look for him. Notify Lady Chaewon, search everywhere, ask everybody, especially the gate guards."

"Yes, Your Highness..." the butler quickly turns back as he prepares to leave, "by the way, the Royal Observatory has announced that the storm will hit the Capital City in an hour."

Eunbi feels really worried now. She can't sit anymore and storms into Yujin's room where Jaeyeon is playing with the baby.

"What happened?" Jaeyeon notices the look on Eunbi's face and senses something wrong.

"Saku go missing." Eunbi's voice is trembling.

"Are you sure?" Jaeyeon quickly kisses Yujin goodbye and hands him to the nanny.

To their surprise, Chaewon is already in the living room of the Princess Compound, in her expedition clothes and the all-purpose cloak in her hand.

Not wasting a second, Chaewon starts to report. "I am asking for any useful detail that can hint where Saku is. I have telepathized him but either he has turned off his MCT (magical communication telepathy system), or it is blocked under some unknown circumstances."

This makes Eunbi worried even more. She can only pace around and wait for reports from the Palace staff.

Chaewon suddenly frowns at something she hears, and she repeats, "Saku left the Palace back gate on Ugly's back a few hours ago...at noon to be exact...he was in his rain gear...doesn't seem to have brought anything with him..." and she comments, "so it might just be a casual ride out of the Palace."

"Why is he going out when there is a storm!" Eunbi almost screams.

"Calm down, Eunbi!" Chaewon says and suddenly turns in another direction, "Anna, you were close to Saku, do you know anything that will lead him to such behavior?"

Anna who is passing by the living room tries to hide but fails. She quickly walks toward Chaewon but trembling so hard that she cannot even utter a word.

"Anna," Eunbi tries to sound calm and gentle (but also fails), "does Saku has some engagement outside, is he having some problem or what?"

Anna just shakes her head vigorously.

"What does that mean?" Chaewon can't hide the sternness in her voice, "does Saku has some engagement outside the Palace?"

Anna shakes her head.

Chaewon continues, "Is he having some problem?"

Anna dares not answer and tears well up in her eyes.

Chills run down Eunbi's spine. Fortunately, Chaewon turns away before she can interrogate anymore.

Chaewon's expression suddenly turns grim and she has to close her eyes with both palms on her ears.

Seems like a century has passed before Chaewon turns back. She looks dreadful and has to breathe in deeply before she speaks.

"Listen, there is a massive landslide that has buried a whole village. Saku is there." Chaewon suddenly looks in another direction when Jaeyeon is running down the stairs in his expedition clothes and rain gears.

"What are you doing?" Eunbi is confused.

"I am going to look for Saku. I will go with Hongki's team. I will go get my telecommunication machine from the storeroom..."

Chaewon cuts him short. "I will telepathize you the geodetic coordinates of Saku's exact location when I'm there."

"You have found him?" Jaeyeon exclaims.

"I have no time to explain. Jaeyeon you stay here and help coordinate the rescue teams with Eunbi. The storm has caused a landslide in the East and Saku is there. I will now go and help. Set up a makeshift command center and depot rescue teams as soon as possible. Nako will be here at any moment. Time is running out."

Before Jaeyeon and Eunbi can ask any questions, Chaewon puts on her cloak and disappears into the thin air.

***

As Sakura gallops on Ugly's back through the storm, raindrops hit her face like needles. However, she feels pleasure from the pain and coldness that seems to be able to numb her confused mind.

She knows she has chosen the wrong time for a ride, but she feels suffocated staying inside the Palace.

She didn't manage to sleep well last night, which was rare. Anna's words keep on looping in her head, making her feel terribly guilty.

Falling for the wrong person is not a crime, but it is a sin. You will eventually hurt everybody...

No, I don't want to be like that! She argues with the voice in her head.

You will hurt Jaeyeon, he treats you so well, how can you do this to him?

I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry! See I've told you I will bring bad luck to everyone?

People will judge you...you will be executed.

So be it! Let me shoulder all the blame. I don't deserve to live. Unnie saving me was a mistake. I should have died long ago, mama shouldn't have adopted me...

Sakura's vision becomes blurry, not very sure if it comes from the heavy rain or from her tears. Nevertheless, the wind is escalating to the point that when she sees lights in a nearby village, she thinks she needs to get some shelter. She hushes Ugly to run faster, but after a few moments, Ugly suddenly slows down and is reluctant to move any closer.

Meanwhile, Sakura's "wolf hearing" power can also pick up a faint rumbling sound ahead. She rubs her eyes just in time to catch a horrifying scene. The sound is getting louder and louder while a massive area upon where the village is situated suddenly collapses. Within seconds, all lights were out, and the whole village disappeared.

Almost immediately, Sakura steers Ugly to turn around and run for their lives. But how can one run faster than nature? The rumbling sound gets louder and louder at their back, with the sound of trees cracking and boulders knocking together. The sheer volume of debris and water that has destroyed a village within seconds is now moving towards Sakura and Ugly at full speed.

And Ugly suddenly tumbles. The next thing Sakura knows is that she has been thrown off horseback and was shot into the air like a cannonball.

Without thinking, Sakura reacts with gitteoldo which she has been practicing every day for the past 12 months and manages to grab a tree branch and secure herself upon a big tree.

When she looks down, Ugly is nowhere to be found.

"Ugly!" Sakura shouts in panic, but in her mind, she already knows what had happened to Ugly.

It's all her fault. This ride could have been avoided if it was not because of her stupidity...

But she does not have too much time to feel regret. The landslide soon slows down and stops. Sakura climbs down the tree quickly and runs around to look for Ugly.

The first thing that comes to her mind is to look for the help of the wolf packs. She howls on the way searching for Ugly and tries to use her "wolf sniffing" ability.

It doesn't take long before she smells a faint scent of an animal. With her "wolf sight", she can spot the body of Ugly lying not very far ahead, partly buried by debris.

"Ugly!" She cries again. No response, as usual. But this time it is different...

When she squats down in front of Ugly and touches her cheek, the horse struggles to open her eyes.

"I'm sorry, that's all my fault. Thank you for taking care of me for the past 2 years, I love you..." Sakura manages to say all that she wants before Ugly makes a tiny noise from her nose and breathes out her last breath. A tiny cloud of white light leaves her nostrils and Sakura knows that she's gone.

Then she hears a voice in her head.

"Thank you, Kura. I am sorry for the past but thank you. I love you too."

Sakura stands up and wipes off her tears...the voice doesn't sound familiar, but it is certainly from someone she knows...

But there is no time for personal sentiments.

A wolf pack has already arrived at her service.

"What do you need, my Prince?" The Alpha asks.

Sakura pauses for a moment, and says, "find the humans and save them.

"Real" wolves' noses proved to be extraordinarily strong. The wolves soon found two persons buried under the mud and debris and dug them out with their powerful paws.

More wolf packs arrived and join the rescue mission. However, given the sheer volume of the landslide, even the "wolf gang" started to feel helpless. At this time, Sakura suddenly remembers the mage teams who work in communities – but how do you communicate with mages nearby? Without any better way she can think of, Sakura turns on the MCT in her head that she has deliberately turned off earlier.

Before she begins to telepathize, she hears a message. Someone has been paging her – Kim Chaewon.

My Lady! Sakura feels that she has found a lifesaver and "screams" toward the other side.

Saku-chan, where are you? What happened? Chaewon almost responds immediately.

Sakura pans her head around the landslide site and lets Chaewon "see" through her eyes.

There is a landslide. The whole village was buried under the mud. I am trying to ask mages who work around the area to help. Sakura adds.

Got it. Now don't move an inch. I will be here.

In less than a minute, Chaewon suddenly appears out of nowhere.

"My Lady!" Sakura shouts as the other survivors also run towards Chaewon.

"Holy mage, many people were buried, please help them!" The survivors cry and plead together.

Chaewon nods and stops the people from coming near and commands them to move behind instead. At this time, half a dozen of mages also appear out of nowhere.

"Saku-chan, can your wolf friends find the exact locations of those who are buried?"

"Yes," Sakura nods and howls. The wolf gang immediately runs and searches in different locations.

"Great!" Chaewon makes sure that the survivors stay close together behind her, and she instructs the mages to move into a circle. "Saku-chan, come by my side."

The mages hold their hands and repeatedly chant a spell while Chaewon draws the boundary and dives into deep meditation.

After some time, Chaewon speaks in a voice that sounds like it is from outer space, "Saku-chan, ask your friends to run and get sheltered."

Soon after Sakura commands the wolves to run, an extraordinarily strong wind swipes across the ground. Small swirls are forming at the spots where the wolves used to stand. They "grow" rapidly after ingesting the mud and debris on the ground and develop into tall dark funnels. Soon after any suspected human or an animal can be seen, the mage who controls the funnel will steer it away and let it dissipate at the nearby hillsides.

The first round of operation pauses after the last funnel dissipated. Chaewon withdraws the boundary and immediately, humans and wolves alike, try their best to rescue those who could be found. Many are dead already but more are still alive.

Mages repeat the operation until they collapse to the ground out of exhaustion. Although most of the villagers were saved or their bodies found, the situation is still worrisome. The rain is still pouring hard and some survivors have shown symptoms of hypothermia even though the mages have given them their cloaks. The sky is getting dark but the rescue team is still not to be seen.

But meanwhile, there is nothing anyone can do except wait. Mages then start to practice a form of meditation that can keep them warm while regaining their energy.

Realizing the practice is new to Sakura, Chaewon immediately passes on the knowledge. She puts her hand on Sakura's head and transmits the method orally. After that, she can't help but praise the teenager, "Saku-chan, you have really done a good job, and your improvement is impressive. I am proud of you."

Sakura feels very surprised by the compliment. In the past two years, she nearly never heard Chaewon praising anybody – Chaewon appreciates people's efforts, but only a few could earn her praises.

So, life is really full of contradictions! Sakura thinks. She has been foolish and impetuous, but because of that, she saved many people's lives!

Just as Sakura starts to grasp the essence of the practice, the noise of horses clip-clopping can be heard moving closer from afar.

"The rescue team is coming!" Someone shouts and everybody cheers.

Soon after that, a huge figure on horseback arrives before all the rest, and Chaewon isn't surprised to see Lee Jaeyeon.

"Your Highness, haven't I told you to stay in the command center?" Chaewon says in a sarcastic tone, "and excuse me for not standing up."

"No no! Noona, stay, please – Saku-chan, are you alright?" Jaeyeon jumps off the horse and deliberately raises his voice to shout to Saku.

"Yes, hyeong, I am fine," Sakura feels her heart skips a beat when Jaeyeon addresses her, so so also deliberately shouts back to hide her uneasiness.

The rescue team led by Lee Hongki arrives right after. Soldiers are dispatched immediately to set up barriers as well as large tents that can shelter all the villagers They turn on the magical illuminators, distribute blankets and make small campfires with their water-proof matches to keep the villagers warm. They also make instant porridge from the pre-packed dry stock they have brought along (and there is abundant water). At the same time, a couple of military doctors are attending to those who are wounded or shocked.

After everything is in place, Hongki leads a few soldiers to help the mages.

Saku the youngest one is the first to recover and stands up by himself. But not Chaewon.

Hongki tries to pull Chaewon up, but Chaewon soon drops back to the ground.

"Chaewon-ssi, do you mind?" Hongki says while kneeling down on one leg and extending his arms to Chaewon.

Chaewon rolls her eyes and gives Hongki an angry look (maybe she is just angry at herself). Hongki, on the other hand, seems to be very familiar with the situation, just smiles cheekily and lifts Chaewon in a bridal carry to the tent that reserves for mages.

Sakura is startled seeing the mighty lady being carried by a sturdy ajeossi (uncle). Although Chaewon is not smiling, her expression is nonetheless soft – the only thing Sakura doesn't know is that it was just a scene she has missed during the last expedition because she was unconscious.

When Jaeyeon passes the bowl of hot porridge to Saku, he notices that the boy is not looking at him.

"Saku-chan, are you alright?" Jaeyeon asks.

Saku nods but his head is still hanging low. He put down the bowl on the ground and takes off his gloves in silence, and it seems that he has difficulty picking it up again. Jaeyeon quickly pulls out his illuminator and examines Saku's hands. The hands are stiff and swollen. Without a word, Jaeyeon massages Saku's hands until the boy's painful expression loosens up. Jaeyeon then grabs the spoon and prepares to feed Saku, but the boy just shakes his head, "no, please, hyeong, it is embarrassing, I can try myself."

"Fine," Jaeyeon says and puts the spoon in Saku's hand. "Saku-chan, tell me what happened?"

Sakura's heart beats up instantly, but she suddenly thinks of a good reason.

"Ugly is dead."

Jaeyeon is startled a bit, and he exclaims, "thank Heaven you are alive!" Jaeyeon pauses for a moment and stares at Saku before he starts lecturing, "do you know you have chosen the worst time for a ride? It is so lucky that you are still breathing. You should not do this anymore, understand?"

"I think Ugly has saved my life," Sakura finally lifts up her head, somehow she feels more at ease facing Jaeyeon now talking about Ugly. "She fell and thrown me off the saddle onto a tree – I think she did it deliberately."

Jaeyeon frowns, "why? That should be just a coincidence. It almost killed you."

"No, I have been thinking about it for hours," Sakura's eyes suddenly became distant, as she is totally immersed in the playback in her mind. "After her last breath, I heard a voice saying Thank you, Kura. I am sorry for the past but thank you. I love you too – but the most eerie part was that it wasn't Ugly's voice."

Jaeyeon in a quick breath, "Don't overthink, Saku-chan."

Sakura continues, "but the voice sounded familiar, it is certainly from someone I have known."

"W...what are you trying to say?"

Sakura looks deep into Jaeyeon's eyes, "hyeong, do you remember the time when aunt Yena came back from Jigumina? We met in the training ground."

"Yes. We did fist fighting on horseback, and Ugly suddenly stood up and scream as if it has seen a ghost."

Sakura nods, "she really did see a ghost – she saw the sister of her last life."

Jaeyeon feels chills running down his spine.

And their conversation ends there.

Author's note:

I didn't expect that it will end with a ghost story, and I have only finished half of the plot I have planned for this chapter, but I hope you have enjoyed it. Stay tuned. Please leave a comment if you like it. Thank you for reading!