Chapter 13

The Sprout Land: The Fall of a Kingdom (Quadlan Series)
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Yoo Jimin is a lot of things, but a good person is not one of them. At this point, she has done so much damage that, understandably, they want her dead. She worked so hard to achieve her goals—she killed, she stole, she even did dark magic to raise the dead, just to realize she didn’t really want it anymore. Darkness started consuming her, consuming her land, and she started losing control. When she tried to fight back, when she tried to do good by helping others, it was too late. Sproutland and Waterland started to take her land piece by piece, and she did the only reasonable thing she always did when she felt pressured: she ran away.

 

That’s why she knows she’s testing her luck by staying with Joohyun and Seungwan. She also knows she has sealed her fate by negotiating with Winter. She’s probably going to die by Winter’s hand once she’s done with whatever she’ll do for her, but nothing can be worse than going back to Dimland.

 

Where she belongs.

 

As their crown princess.

 

But she can’t go back, ever. There’s nothing else she can do for them, besides marrying off to the only available prince in existence: Prince of Waterland Zhang Yixing, the most horrible man on earth. She doesn’t know many people outside of Quadlan, but she’s one-hundred percent sure he’s the worst. But it’s the only way she could try to mitigate the after-effects of the ongoing dispute, to try to give themselves to one land instead of being torn apart by both of them.

 

It’s funny because she’s a forsawer (among other things)—which means she should have seen it coming. Just like she sees a lot of things ahead of its time, just like she knows what’s gonna happen by staying with them (well, what is going to happen even if she leaves), but she will not tell. Not so soon, not when things can still change, because it is not set in stone yet. But it will, it soon will.

 

“Hey, earth to Karina,” Seungwan snaps her fingers in her face. “Winter asked you a question.”

 

She blinks, once, twice, until she regains consciousness again, looking at the queen.

 

“I need you to join me in my visit to the armory. We shouldn’t have much trouble crossing Winterland, but I’ll still give you some weapons for when you go on your own.”

 

Karina wants to send Seungwan instead, but Winter’s gaze is clear: it is an order. She’s just keeping a facade in front of Joohyun, not that she needs to.

 

She follows her through the door into the secret passage without looking at Seungwan or Joohyun. She doesn’t want them to see her expression. When they close the door behind them, Winter puts on a smile that Karina considers wicked, touching her shoulder in reassurance.

 

“Just relax, I’m not planning on calling off our deal anytime soon.”

 

Winter doesn’t know, but that’s exactly what Karina is afraid of.


 

Sproutland, Night Palace, 4:05 pm.

 

“Have we heard about Joohyun?” She asks, looking disapprovingly at the boy’s dirty boots.

 

“You were right, she was with a blonde girl. She even had the audacity of showing her face in plain day.” The boy says, passing his hand through his purple hair.

 

“So why is she not here yet? Did she recognize you?”

 

“I lost their track at Winterland’s border.” He shrugs. “And no, she can barely walk. The blonde girl has been carrying her everywhere.”

 

“They must have crossed it, somehow. Joohyun’s very powerful, she could have found a way.” The girl says. “He won’t like it, though.”

 

“He’s not my problem, though.” The boy smiles at her in a clear sign of disrespect.

 

“You’re insufferable.”

 

“So I’ve heard, my beloved niece.”

 

“You’re not my uncle. “

 

“I’m almost your uncle. Show some respect,” he says, leaning against the wall. “I’m going to try to get inside Winterland, but I can’t promise you anything.”

 

“And what should I tell him?”

 

“You deal with him, he’s your cousin, not mine.”

 

She rolls her eyes, opening in fury.

 

“I’m sorry,” The boy continues, laughing. “Your husband. I forgot about that.”

 

“Just go,” she huffs. “It should be easy if she’s that weak.”

 

He wants to defend his profession, but she doesn’t listen to reasons.

 

“Say hi to your sister.” He says instead, pushing the big door with his shoulder.



 

Winterland Castle, Dungeons, 4.33 pm.

 

“I should thank you,” Winter whispers, low enough to not be heard by their companion. “They’ve been very useful.”

 

Jimin watches in utter horror as one of those things stands up in front of three men and one woman who are chained to the wall. They whimper, almost sounding like a howl, eyes glassed and body contorted in awkward ways.

 

“I’m glad I could use your creations,” she continues. “It is the most strategic partnership I have.”

 

Until then, Jimin had never thought about what her greed did to others. She created them trying to resurrect the dead, but she used to think about them as demons and nothing else. Back in Dimland, she used them to contain the invasion in the borders, but they got out of control and she started locking them up in whole towns, forcing people to move to other places, losing their homes in the process.

 

“I don’t remember—,” Winter raises her hand, stopping her mid-track.

 

“Playing with demons does that to your head,” she turns around, heading back to the main hall. “But it was actually an idea Park Sooyoung came up with. An exclusive exportation deal in exchange for military support.”

 

“Mother went behind my back?” She asks, more to herself. Winter replies anyway.

 

“You left her,” she shrugs, walking down the hall while her guards all bend in respect. “When was the last time you saw her?”

 

She’s ashamed to admit that she doesn’t really know. Six months, a year, how long has it been? Time flies when you run away, and it also goes slower somehow.

 

“Mother would never—,”

 

“You don’t know her anymore, Jimin.” She says her name like a reverence. “She’s not the same person you left behind.”


 

•••

 

Joohyun has yet to know what Minjeong will do to be able to go with them. She could go to Waterland under the excuse of a diplomatic visit to discuss the events in Sproutland, but it wouldn’t be well received. They could think Winter is behind it for all she knows.

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Sosha-kun
A lot of you must hate me right now, but I felt like it was the right ending for the story. I have more ideas that I may or may not develop in a sequel hehe. Please comment everything you think about this story

Comments

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hiyerimie
27 streak #1
Chapter 14: To be honest, I've read the sequel at a glance and I want to jump straight to the end of the story 😭
hiyerimie
27 streak #2
Chapter 4: I can imagine how poor Seungwan is here 😭
hiyerimie
27 streak #3
Chapter 3: aww soo sweet 🥰
winrina__09 #4
❤️❤️❤️
Baeismine03 #5
Chapter 24: So wendy is death?
reveclean
#6
Chapter 12: idk if I can still finish this 🤧
Adele101 #7
Chapter 24: Wow, i really like the story. Even though some of the chapter still confuse me, but i did enjoy it
Thanks and cant wait for the sequel
Qila98
#8
Chapter 24: Wow cant wait for the sequel
qiugui #9
Chapter 24: finish it in two days, cant wait for the sequel
WluvsBaetokki #10
Chapter 24: Whaaaaat wait... WHAT