With light steps, Moonbyul and Whee-in hurried towards the town’s gate. It was still dawn and not many people have started their day. Whee-in made sure to bring the paper written by the demented writer for the doubtful sisters so that they will believe what was happening.

She quietly followed behind Moonbyul. She wondered if the sisters would be scared or concerned. If it was so, then Hye-jin might refuse to come to the town again. Maybe they might also laugh it off since they were powerful beings than mere humans.

As she walked broodingly, she bumped on Moonbyul’s back. “Why did you suddenly stop?”, she whispered.

“Shh.” Moonbyul carefully scanned the place and turned to Whee-in. “Follow me.”

“Why are we whispering?”

Moonbyul dragged Whee-in away from the place and headed for the path Hye-jin had shown her before. On the way, she told Whee-in what was happening.

“It’s so weird. Why was the gate closed all of a sudden? Since there were more security guards, I think something must be going on.” Whee-in added, “The last time this happened was when that culprit escaped from the prison seven years ago. Do you think another one escaped again?”

“I don’t know but I have a bad feeling about this.” Moonbyul quickly picked up her pace. “We should hurry.”

Moonbyul had no answer as to why they were trying to avoid the guards and why she was so concerned about the sisters over a piece of paper written by some unknown people. Was she worried that the existence of the sisters will be uncovered and could it potentially put them in danger? Or that they could never come to the town again? Either of them, the thought of not seeing Yong-sun again and the gap that had already developed between their relationship could grow bigger scared her a little.

As they near the interface of the town and the Witchery Forest, Moonbyul and Whee-in slowed down. Straight ahead in their path, there were royal guards deployed. They could not turn back as they have come so far and might as well face it to see if they have the luck to leave the town.

The guards stopped and ordered them to show their identity tags. Moonbyul and Whee-in took out the wooden slabs engraved with their names. Moon Byul-yi. Jung Whee-in.

“Is something going on?”, Whee-in asked the guards.

“It’s just a patrol. Where are you headed to?” Moonbyul could tell the guards were hiding something. No patrol would be so strict and the town’s gate would not be closed.

“I said where are you going?”, the guard raised his voice. “Can’t you hear?”

Moonbyul and Whee-in glanced at each other. Whee-in laughed out loud and replied, “Sorry, we didn’t hear you. Umm…yes…we were…”

Before Whee-in could give her answer, a horse galloped towards them and halted right behind the girls. The guards immediately bowed. A well-built man with board shoulders climbed down from the horse and stood next to Whee-in. From the uniform and the energy radiating from his presence, one could easily tell he might be someone of high rank.

Whee-in looked up to the man towering over her. Moonbyul had always for her short height but to stand next to the man, she had never felt so tiny in her life.

The guards updated the man of the situation and that there was no unusual movement. The man noted it and turned to the girls.

“We meet again.” The man spoke. Whee-in followed the man’s gaze to Moonbyul. She was caught off guard and nudged Moonbyul whispering, “You know each other?”

“May I know what you are doing here? It’s quite odd to find you here.” The man asked Moonbyul.

“My friend here and I were wandering around and we ended up here. It’s also quite odd to find royal guards in a remote place like this.”

The man chuckled. “Let me introduce myself since we will be meeting a lot from now on at your workplace. I am Kim Seok-jin, Captain of the east unit of the Royal Army.”

“And I am Moonbyul. She’s Whee-in.” Whee-in bowed at Seok-jin.

“It seems to me you were heading that way. I would recommend you not to. You know where that road leads to?”, Seok-jin stood in front of them, blocking their path.

Moonbyul grabbed Whee-in’s arm, “Well, we should get going. I think we have wandered around far enough.” She bowed and dragged Whee-in back to their house.

Whee-in was confused about what was going on. She thought they were supposed to go to the Witchery Forest. Once they reached their house, Whee-in sat down next to Moonbyul waiting for her to explain the matter.

Moonbyul thought for a while. She turned to Whee-in and advise her to be aware of Seok-jin. Moonbyul believed he knew something.

Moonbyul suggested that they lay low till everything goes back to normal. If others found out that they could enter the forest with a protection talisman from the creepy creatures, it could put the sisters in danger. With the guards around, the sisters would not dare to come to the town for they were not that stupid. Moreover, they should not worry about the piece of paper. Who would believe a fairytale still exists.

Meanwhile, Hoseok entered the reading room where Namjoon was drabbling as his other character, the demented writer. Hoseok stood before him and reports. “The two women tried to leave the town today. Fortunately, they didn’t. Also, the town’s gate is closed. I think the Queen is trying to catch up on us.”

“We should start our preparation too. This is the right time we have been waiting for.”

>>>

Yong-sun has been avoiding Hye-jin’s proposal to visit the town. She was initially curious when Hye-jin describe the town. But when Hye-jin got to the part where someone was sneaking behind her, Yong-sun dropped all the plans of going to the town. She couldn’t take her own sister and walk into the place where they were once stoned and criticized decades ago. Maybe the people have changed and the town might accept them again but how could the sisters just forgive those who had burnt their families and loved ones to death.

Yong-sun was under the willow, feeling the soft breeze and watch the water flow in the stream. She knows she had promised her mother to trust Hye-jin but she had also promised to protect her. To see Hye-jin sulking and begging her constantly to visit the town together ignoring the fact that someone almost mugged her, Yong-sun was stuck between trusting her sister and their safety.

‘What can I tell her to change her mind? Mother, what should I do?’ Yong-sun curled up and rest her chin on her knees. The clear water was steadily flowing along the curve of the brook. The same water that flows now would not flow back ever again but would travel further till the end at their destination.

‘Shouldn’t I be living the moment? Why am I so caught up in the past? I have been hiding for almost two centuries now. I had no plans with this life but certainly, I don’t want to waste it. Moreover, I haven’t found out how and why Mother and Whee-in had the same rashes though Whee-in had already told me that she didn’t know how it happened.’

After contemplating for a while, Yong-sun sprang up and marched towards the cottage with the curiosity to find out what exactly happened in the town that caused the rashes. She flung the door open and called out Hye-jin. Putting down the journal in the hands, Hye-jin looked at the door where her sister was being weird and smiling brightly.

Yong-sun came in and stood before Hye-jin. She grinned as she gazed at Hye-jin. “Shouldn’t we be living the moment and enjoying this blessed life? I mean, we have such a long life-span and we have wasted half our lives in this forest.”

“What’s wrong with you?”, Hye-jin gave a dull look at Yong-sun before she turned back to her journal.

Yong-sun snatched the journal and threw it up, “Let’s go to the town!”

“What?”, Hye-jin gaped. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let’s live our life to the fullest.”

Hye-jin could not believe what she was hearing. She immediately stood up and hugged Yong-sun tightly. “Thank you. I promised you won’t regret it.”

>>>

The nighttime has arrived and the Queen had just finished her dinner. She gracefully wiped the corner of her lips as the maids removed the dishes.

The head-maid commented, “Your highness, it seems your appetite has increased. Should I ask the doctor to make more of the new medicine?”

“Yes, please do so. I have strength in my body now.” The Queen smiled and stood up to go for her daily walk after dinner.

With the maids trailing behind her, the Queen walked out from her chamber. She strolled along the path towards the King’s study room.

The lantern to the study room was still lid and the two guards were there on duty. When the Queen walked up to them, they immediately bowed and made way for the Queen in the room.

The Queen ordered the maids to stay behind and she entered the room alone to be in private with the King. The King was focused on a scroll and the table was filled with papers and scrolls. As soon as he saw the Queen, he stood up and lend out his hand with a smile. “My Queen.” He kissed the Queen’s hand and both sat down on the chairs.

“What brings you here at this hour?”, the King asked.

“I was just worried. I hope you are not straining yourself with all those works.”

“Thank you for your concern. I am sorry that I can’t see you in your chamber for days. How are you feeling lately? Tell me if you ever feel lonely.”

The Queen shook her head and took the King’s hands into hers. “Please don’t worry about me. I am getting better with the new medicine. Think about your health too. And why would I feel lonely with all the people around me? Our precious son alone is already quite a handful.”

The King laughed and requested the Queen to take good care of their only child. The Queen accepted and she stood up to kiss the King on the forehead. The kiss has a cool sensation and it was soothing like it made the King drift into a magical dream. “I should not take too much of your time.”

The King shook himself off from the daydream. “Alright. You should have plenty of sleep. I will visit you soon in your chamber.”

The Queen smiled back and both of them exchanged their goodnights. The Queen then quietly left the room. ‘As long as you are mine, no one can go against me.’

The night deepens and the serenity has swallowed the palace but the Queen was still wide awake on her bed.

She would glance at the door in front once in a while. She had deployed her special soldiers to search for the spotted witch. She could not understand why there were no traces of witches in the kingdom when it was obvious as the mysterious man has put an uncurable strange curse on her.

And she couldn’t figure out who the demented writer was, who seemed to know so much about witches. They could not be ordinary people since they had been writing for eight years now and among their drivels, they would put a hint of the existence and facts of witches and wizards.

‘How well you are hiding. But how can I complain when I am doing the same. It’s unfortunate that you found me first.’

The Queen pull out the drawer to take her medicine. The medicine prescribed by the doctor only increased her vitality. It had no effect on the rashes. She had to take it along with the potion she made to slow down the spreading rashes.

The sudden low voice calling from the door alerted the Queen. “Your Highness. This is Captain Kim Seok-jin. I am here to report.”

The Queen let him entered and Seok-jin kneeled in front of the Queen. “We have started the search from the North and East of the Kingdom. There is no peculiar movements or witness for any witches so far. Also, the search for the writer is still undergoing.”

The Queen pursed her lips as she uncomfortably changed her sitting posture. “We will add more men to the group to increase the area of search. And open the gate tomorrow. They must have got it by now that we are tracking them down. That should keep them from doing anything reckless for now.”

Seok-jin took the order. “About adding more men to the group-“

“I will select them and send them to you.” The Queen cut in. “Show me your hand.”

Seok-jin pulled up his sleeve and showed his left arm. The red thread was still around his wrist, the simplest thing that was keeping him bound to the Queen. Three years ago, the Queen approached him and took him in to be one of the Queen’s special soldiers. That was when the Queen tied the red thread herself on his wrist, which he never could bring himself to break it or take it off.

“Kim Seok-jin”, the Queen addressed, “Do you know why I made you the captain for the squad and the East Unit of the Royal Army?”

Seok-jin bowed and answered, “I am thankful to Your Highness for putting your trust me in me.”

“Yes. It is because I trust you. I knew you will do better than the previous captain. So, keep that in mind and put the three years of your special training into use now. If you prove your worth in this first year of being a captain, you will be heavily rewarded. Do your best. Weed out those who don’t belong in this world.”

Seok-jin showed his respect to the Queen and took his exit.

As he walked back home, he stared at the night sky. ‘That’s right. They never should have existed in the first place. They harmed people with their skills when they could have used it for a better cause. If they are still out there, I will end them with my own hand, including those who support them.”