Yena woke up in a place she didn’t recognize. She was on a stone path flanked by marble columns that went up higher than she could see. At the end of the path was an enormous palace, and being the curious person she was, Yena made her way towards it.

By the time she arrived at the front entrance, Yena heard people conversing.

Is she truly yours? A deep voice asked in a language that Yena was sure wasn’t Korean. For some reason though, she could understand it.

And if she is? Another masculine voice replied.

We made a pact, brother! The first man yells, and the force of it was enough to make Yena shudder from where she was hiding.

One that we’ve already broken in America. The man’s brother countered. The balance of power in the world is shifting here, and that is not for us to decide.

Even if it means encroaching on someone else’s territory? The room silenced at those words. Yena didn’t know what was happening, and in a fit of panic, accidentally made a sound.

We are not alone… The first man whispered, but with his heavy tone, his voice was still audible. The next sound Yena heard was a piece of metal being picked up quickly followed by a loud smash that sent shockwaves so strong that Yena was thrown back into the darkness.

~~~~

“Ugh… what happened?” Yena mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. It looked like she was in the campus infirmary. She figured the events she’d just experienced must’ve been some weird dream.

“We should be asking you the same question,” A familiar voice responded. Yena turned to see Chaewon and Yujin looking at her concernedly.

“There’s already a lot of rumors flying around,” Yujin said.

Yena was still trying to recall what happened before her dream. All she remembered was pushing Minseo and then things went dark. “Rumors? Like what?”

“Like you using a taser on Minseo,” Chaewon whispered in order to not get the nurse’s attention.

Yena’s eyes widened. “A what???”

“I mean, it’s not like you have electrical powers, right?” Yujin replied. “Pretty hard to explain frying someone’s hair and causing a power surge without something like that on you.”

“No… I don’t remember that at all. I just… pushed her. I’m positive,” Yena mumbled to herself, staring at her hands that didn’t look damaged at all.

Yena then looks back at her friends who appeared equally as puzzled as she was. “You were both there. I didn’t have anything on me!”

“Unnie, we agree you didn’t have a weapon on you. At the same time though, we also don’t know what actually happened,” Yujin said as the head nurse finally walked towards them.

“Miss Choi Yena? I checked all your vitals, and nothing seems to be wrong with you.” She announced while reading off a clipboard. “Were you fatigued after dance class? Are you perhaps stressed from classes?”

Yena let those questions sink in. Yes, she had been angry at Minseo, but there was no way she was capable of doing what people are accusing her of. Or was she?

“I’m just going to recommend you some vitamins in case you feel like fainting again. You’re free to go,” The nurse said after Yena’s silence continued. She then handed her a prescription and sent the trio on their way.

~~~~

It appeared that word traveled fast on campus as everywhere the three girls walked, it felt like there were eyes on them. Students would whisper and gossip the second they passed by, which Chaewon in particular didn’t appreciate.

“Yah!” She said in a loud voice to get everyone’s attention. “If you have a problem with Yena-unnie, you have a problem with me, got it?”

This seemed to get its intended effect as everyone quickly quieted down.

“Thanks, Chaewon,” Yena said.

“No problem. No one messes with my best friends,” The short-haired girl replied with a warm smile that completely contrasted the image everyone had of her.

This moment of peace though was short-lived as an announcement began playing over the intercom.

Choi Yena, please go to the dean’s office. Thank you, It said. Yena looked at Chaewon and Yujin whose faces were now covered in worry.

“Don’t worry, girls. I’ll be fine. Since the weather is probably going to cancel our picnic, want to head to a samgyupsal place instead? My treat.”

The aforementioned girls cheered and immediately agreed. “If you’re paying, I’m always down!” Yujin laughed.

“Alright, alright. Meet me at the front gate in about an hour. I’ll see what the principal wants first,” Yena said before turning and walking away.

She didn’t make much progress though as a familiar face stopped Yena in her tracks.

“Professor Lee? What’s up?” Yena asked.

“I heard you were in trouble, so I wanted to find out what was going on.” The old man said, the concern etched on his face seeming to add ten years to his age.

“You probably already heard it from somebody else, sir. I’m still trying to figure it out myself.” Yena replied.

“Very well. Take this though. Maybe it will give you good luck.” Seunggi said before handing Yena what appeared to be a regular ballpen.

“Oookay, sir. Thanks, I guess.” Yena said confusedly, stuffing the pen in her pocket and continuing on her way.

~~~~

When Yena opened the door to the dean’s office, she was greeted by two people, the dean himself and Minseo.

“Took you long enough!” Minseo whined, pulling down on her hoodie even harder to hide her singed hair.

“What are you doing here?” Yena asked, her guard immediately up.

“We received a report a couple hours ago from Kim Minseo here about you owning and using a taser on campus. You do realize that’s grounds for expulsion and worse- arrest- right?” The dean replied in a stern tone.

Yena froze. There was no way she could afford to get expelled. This scholarship was her only ticket to a meaningful future.

“I swear I didn’t do anything like that, sir! You can search my bag and everything. She’s the one who threw kimchi at my face for wanting to sit down and eat!” Yena argued.

“That’s not what the tape shows though.” The dean said, turning his laptop to her direction and playing what Yena assumed was security camera footage.

“What…” Yena was speechless as she saw herself, clear as day somehow conjure up a taser in her hand and shock Minseo with it once her back was turned.

“Pretty damning, don’t you think? You took things too far, Choi.” Minseo sneered.

“Yah, that footage has to be doctored in some way. I just pushed you!” Yena said in a panicked tone.

The dean, though, ignored Yena’s pleas. “Miss Kim was graceful enough to give you two options. Withdraw from the school quietly or have this issue raised to the police, which will include an official expulsion that will go on your already colorful permanent record. Now, I don’t want a big mess from this either, so I suggest you take the former option.”

“That’s not fair…” Yena mumbled.

“Maybe you should’ve known your place then. Good riddance.” Minseo taunted.

Yena was angry, but she didn’t want to make a bad situation worse. At least she was given an out. She then slowly turned away and walked towards the exit, each of her heavy steps causing the lights in the room to flicker.

“You should really get your lights fixed, sir,” Minseo said before leaving the room as well.

~~~~

How is that video real? I don’t remember any of that happening… Yena thought to herself as she walked through the halls of her soon to be ex-college. She didn’t know how she was going to break the news to Chaewon and Yujin. Hell, she didn’t know how to break the news to her mother. Yena had worked so hard, practiced so much, for the opportunity to study in this university, and it was all going to be thrown away just like that. She could already predict herself getting wasted on soju during dinner later. What more could she do? It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go.

“Noona, are you okay?” A familiar voice intruded.

“Oh, hey Sunwoo. Life is going just splendidly…” Yena replied sarcastically.

“Is this about the cafeteria? I’m really sorry. I should’ve known there was some tension brewing between you and Minseo.” Sunwoo apologized.

“Nah, it’s fine. You were just trying to do the right thing.” Yena said, slowly falling into step with him.

“Still, it wasn’t fair to you or your friends.” Sunwoo replied.

Hmm, maybe he isn’t so bad after all. Yena thought. The words that came out of were different though. “I’m surprised you’re so forgiving. I did allegedly taser your friend.”

“Is that what they’re saying? Very interesting how the human mind works.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Yena asked, a bit confused by Sunwoo’s choice of words there.

“I mean that people’s eyes process things they don’t understand differently from us.” This didn’t exactly answer Yena’s question, and when she glanced at the younger guy, she could’ve sworn his face looked see-through for a second.

Sunwoo seems to notice this and meets Yena’s gaze. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Huh… I mean, maybe. I don’t know,” Yena replied, suddenly feeling a bit out of breath. Every step suddenly felt heavier for her. They were at the courtyard now though, not too far from the gate where Yujin and Chaewon were waiting for her.

“Well, to be fair, I’d feel a bit haggard too if I was just expelled. Minseo is such a low life, but her actions did finally blow your cover,” he said to himself, which stops Yena dead in her tracks.

“W-what? How did you know?” And what cover are you talking about?” Yena stammered. It definitely felt like the air was leaving her lungs.

When she looked over at Sunwoo this time, she noticed a small whirlwind picking up around him. His bright flashy smile was the only part of him left that appeared solid.

“The cover of a demigod, Yena, and when I kill you, everyone is going to be talking about me,” Sunwoo said before darting towards her.

Out of instinct, Yena tried to throw a punch, but her attack simply went through Sunwoo who quickly countered by landing a very solid kick to Yena’s groin.

“You’re making this too easy, Yena! It won’t do my reputation any good if you just roll over!” Sunwoo taunted before backing off and taking all the wind in the area with him. Yena clawed at her own throat, trying to breathe in the air that was being ripped out of her lungs.

Sunwoo sighed, clearly unamused. “I guess you weren’t the challenge I was expecting. No matter, someone of your pedigree on my kill list will still get me some recognition.”

Sunwoo charges once again, but as he did, time seemed to slow down for Yena. She could feel something in her pocket calling to her, and when she reached in, like a magnet, her hand gripped onto the pen Professor Lee had given her. Did her instincts think this was the right time to form a will or something?

Well, I don’t have any other options. Yena thought before taking the pen out and instinctively uncapping it. A bright shimmering light now engulfed the courtyard. Sunwoo, who was blinded by it, couldn’t stop his momentum, and the only thing Yena could hear was his scream echoing through the air. When the light died down, all that was left were floating gray dust particles, and it was only now that Yena realized that she was holding a long golden sword.

“What in the world?” Yena asked herself aloud as she heard the familiar voices of her friends calling in the distance.

 

A/N: Hii, quick chapter turnaround because I had time! The support I received from the first chapter was amazing, I did not expect it at all. Thank you so much for that, everyone!

So, in this chapter, Yena gets a little gift from Seunggi that ended up saving her life. The fight with Sunwoo as well as the dream she had only raise more questions for her. In the span of a day, her whole life was flipped upside-down.

Next chapter, we'll be seeing things from the perspective of someone else! Still choosing between Yujin and Chaewon.

Anyways, thanks again for reading! Likes, comments, and questions are always appreciated!

Have a great day, and I'll see y'all in the next one!