Ara had zero anticipations, and yet getting shoved by the witches into a random room of the house was something she definitely did not expect. 

They shoved—or more precisely—escourted her down the halls, through a trapdoor that led them underground, to where the witches apparently dwelled most of the time, the visible part of the house from the outside had merely been a guise. As for Jongho, despite no longer being in a life-threatening situation, they still had him bound by the wrists; his sword had been confiscated and Ara hoped he hadn't been attached to it already. 

And without another word, they had left them in that room for god knew how long.

The room, was not to mention, dreadful as well. There was a bed in the centre of the room, surrounded by candles and scarlet sheets: It looked more like a sacrificial shrine than a place someone was supposed to sleep on. Still Ara could care less, she sighed and slumped onto it. 

"Are you honestly not concerned that this entire room could be cursed?" Jongho glared. 

"Oh really? I didn't seem to notice," she sniped back, her eyes closed while she waited for her headache to go away.

"I think the pentagram on the floor is a dead giveaway," he eyed the star-shaped sketch on the ground. "That's dried blood on the boards!"

"Or it could be paint,"

"Why are you so calm?"

"Why are you so skittish?" she finalled snapped her eyes open, the headache wasn't as painful as it had been before. She realised her friend was pacing around the entire room, wrists still bound, and he was out of his normal calm demeanor. He looked anxious, agitated even. Ara's brows furrowed, "You seem...antsy,"

Jongho twitched and leaned against the wall, a good distance away from the bed where Ara laid. "I told you, that's blood—faerie blood." He pointed at the floor again, his face pale. 

It was Ara's turn to be horrified. Hastily she brought up her legs so that they weren't touching the ground, she still didn't have the energy to walk to the other side and had been forcing her feet to move the entire time. Whatever unrested spirits that infested the place had retreated back into the shadows, the stench of haunting still apparent.

"Why?" she squeaked. "Why do they hate faeries so much?"

"It's not just hate, or so I've heard," Jongho said with distaste. "Some evil warlocks, or witches, black magic people—they believe faerie blood is enchanted, it enhances the strength of their spells than normal human blood," he looked up. "Auraline already told you. The fey are hard to kill,"

"B-But you're not a full-blooded one, they won't..." she trailed off nervously.

Thankfully, Jongho shook his head. "No, not unless they're desperate. And they already know you'll go berserk if they try. Speaking about it, what happened just now?" he regarded Ara intensely. "That never happened before."

Ara could personally feel the lingering shivers on her skin, "I didn't know either. But I felt them you know?" she gestured with her hands in the air. "I never felt that kind of...anger and despair, the moment I let them in..." she shuddered. "They almost didn't want to let go, until you snapped some sense into me," she sighed. Usually she wasn't one to think about it. "There's a lot I don't know about myself huh? I don't even know what I am, Jongho,"

Jongho pursed his lips, "I know that feeling," and he got up to his feet. "But one thing I do know is that I can't communicate with ghosts, well, minus Yunho,"

The mention of that made her heart ache. Jongho probably could see it on her face either way. "But really, Ara, is this all worth being in love with a ghost?"

She a breath and she stared at him as he continued. "I mean I don't think he's a ghost now from all the rumours we heard today," 

"I'm not just doing it for him, I want to know the truth of myself too. My mom, all that I can do...I need answers. And if this is what will give me that, then be it,"

"Well your mom made the right choice for leaving this goddamn hellhole," he remarked. 

"But you saw their faces when I told them who I was, for some reason they feared it, but at the same time, the Witch Mother looked...delighted," the image of her sliced-open mouth and sharp teeth engrained in Ara's head. "You heard Serafia's creepy butler, these witches somehow need her help, and they're doing things for her too,"

"People in the Grimm Market do shady business all the time," Jongho rebuffed.

"This is different, I don't think it's about money. They need something from her, and if I can give them that-"

"And what if you can't?" Jongho cut her off. "What if you'd have to kill or sacrifice yourself?"

Ara rolled her eyes, "If they need me, they won't ask me to sacrifice myself-"

"You know what I mean, Ara. There are worse things than death," Jongho warned her, with that tone that he always had when it was something he wasn't playing games about. "What if they told you you'd have to spill faerie blood?"

Ara rolled her eyes, "Jjong you're being ridiculous, why would they-"

"What if they told you to kill me?" he said quietly. "I don't like those witches, Ara. I saw the look they gave you too, they looked...hungry. You know, like a pack of starved wolves being left with a fresh slice of meat kind of hungry. I'm scared for you, Ara,"

There was only one thing left to do; sighing in resignation, Ara slid off the bed and walked over to where Jongho stood, she took him by the arm and pulled him into a tight hug, she knew he didn't usually like physical affection, but he didn't push her away this time. Ara realised for a fleeting moment, that she felt a twinge in her chest too—the feeling whenever it concerned Hongjoong. She didn't expect it to be the same for Jongho as well. 

Allowing herself some kind of solace, she buried her face into his shoulder; This was the most vulnerable she had been in a while, she didn't want to regret to doing so in the future. "Look I know I already got us into some real deep these past few weeks. Jjong listen to me, if it does come down to a choice, I'll listen to you okay? You were always the more sensible one, I know that too."

Jongho's face lit up a bit, somewhat relieved. "You mean you'll stop this madness, even if it's gonna cost you a step from saving Yunho? Or just learning about your mom?" He didn't look convinced, of course. He knew her all too well.

Still, Ara nodded solemnly. "I'm a rebel, Jjong, but I'm not an idiot. As much as I want to continue searching, I don't think Hongjoong would want that," she pursed her lips. "He needs me, and I'm not going to leave him behind like that,"

Jongho raised a brow, "Well it's good to know there's some sense in you after all," he peered at the door. "So, any plans on how we get the hell out of here? It's a lair of witches, even though I bet half of them have some knee ailment, I don't have my sword with me so it's going to be tricky escaping," he was already thinking of the hundred ways to break themselves out, the strategist mind of his wokring its wonders.

Ara smirked, "We do what we do best when we're weaponless, we bargain."

It was around an hour later, the only door to the room swung open again.

This time Ara and Jongho were prepared, standing should-to-shoulder with tense expression, expecting the crowd of witches to once again appear. But it was only the Witch Mother accompanied by a few of her subjugates from behind, entering the room. Ara could count there were ten of them, looking menacing with their animalistic eyes and menacing grins, like they were on tour of observing exotic animals.

Instinctively, she stood in front of Jongho just a bit. The Witch Mother noticed and flashed an amused smile. "I've banished Bathilda off the grounds for now, if that's what you're concerned about," she said, her voice just as raspy as before.

"What did you do to her?" it was Jongho, surprisingly, who asked.

"Oh she doesn't have impulse control, so we turned her into a toad and threw her into the sewers, lest she learns her lesson," the Witch Mother simply answered, like it was nothing. "She will be lucky if she makes her way back here."

"Good to know," Ara said, with lack of remorse. 

And the Witch Mother laughed, "We're glad that arrangement is to your liking,"

"Alright, now tell us the reason you're here after locking us up for god knows how long?" to her own surprise, she sounded more annoyed than scared. Her mind always behaved in the oddest ways, Hongjoong had once told her. 

"Ahh, but you came to us, poppet," the Witch Mother careened. "We have much to discuss, but..." she trailed off, her eyes gaze going to Jongho. "Outsiders are not welcomed in this conversation, much less fey outsiders,"

Jongho blazed, "Then there's nothing to discuss, either you allow us to—"

"Or we could knock you unconscious and skin your slimy faerie friend alive?" another witch cackled. 

The Witch Mother didn't seem to appreciate that taunt, "Do not run your mouth like that, Jamari," she said icily. 

"What if we could arrange a parley?" Ara immediately said. "And we both benefit from it?"

"And what would be your offer? You are trapped here, weaponless, you can't possibly think of walking out of here alive—"

Ara considered carefully, she only had one shot at this. "If we do so, you must swear that you fulfill your end of the bargain,"

The Witch Mother regarded her with contempt, "Bold request, but it can be done. Well poppet, state your terms," she rested her wrinkled hands on her staff of old wood. Was it wych elm? 

She locked eyes with Jongho and he nodded for her to do what they had agreed on. 

"You let him walk away from here, unharmed—and I remain here. You have my word."

Jongho stared, horrified. "Ara, what the hell—"

"Now that certainly can be arranged," she chuckled.

"No, swear on it. On your life, or I will not agree." Ara said firmly.

Jongho glared. "No, I never agreed to this—"

"Very well, I swear," the Witch Mother talked over him and with a wave of her hand, two witches advanced towards him and grabbed Jongho by the shoulders. 

"Then we have a deal."

Begrudingly, he was dragged out the room, his head turned around to look at his friend. "Ara! Listen to me, don't do this!"

"I'll be fine," she tried telling him, but it was only herself who heard what she said. 

After all, it was the choice she had made.

Once Jongho's protests were no longer audible, Ara forced herself to steel up again. She couldn't afford to look scared, not with the Witch Mother grinning at her with her god-awful face.

Ara cleared , "Where are they taking him?"

"Out our house, unharmed just as you asked," she said. "Now poppet, what did you say your name was again?"

She could survive this, she had always been streetsmart. This time was no different. 

Nonchalantly, she scoffed while she folded her arms. "Really? You need a Corpsewitch's help and you can't be bothered to remember my name?"

The Witch Mother stood there for a second, baffled. 

Now the angry whispers started up again, circling her ears: Kill the witch, let us kill her and we may rest. Let us kill her, face our wrath.

Instead Ara yawned, "You all must've done some very bad things, because the ghosts in this room have been pestering me to murder you. It's very annoying, murderous ghosts,"

"Are you playing us as fools now?" one witch demanded. 

I command you to scare them.

Almost immediately, the only light to the room went out and sparks flew dramatically. A few of the witches jumped.

Taking it with stride, Ara shrugged and walked, until the witches had parted a way for her and she was out the door, more due to uncertainty of what she might do (or not do). She frowned when the Witch Mother didn't move. "Well? I thought you said we have things to discuss, lead the way then," 

If the Witch Mother had been offended, it did not show on her face. Instead rather humanly, she rolled her eyes. 

"Puerile and imprudent, just like her mother," she muttered before moving out the room.

Ara continued her indifferent display, but inside she was fighting down the effect those words had on her.

Just like her mother.