"An invitation to a masquerade party," I laughed at the thought as I read the postcard. 

      Sunggyu looked at me as if I were crazy. He takes this conveyed/descendent stuff much more seriously. Normally people say that the guy is supposed to reassure you, calm you but if that's right I'm the guy in this relationship. But deep down I know I do care. A lot. So much that I don't try to act like I care. 

         I feel a state euphoria whenever I think of Sunggyu, but I feel like I shouldn't. He isn't with me because he loves me. He's here with me because his teeth couldn't control themselves  and bit me.  I could be an overreacting  wanton  but he would still be with me because his fate is tied down to me. Without the word conveyed to my name, I'm a nonentity to him. A nobody. 

  

"You guys should go," I sighed when I heard the voice.

 

"Jaeho, unless you're a customer, you need to leave," Sunggyu gritted his teeth as he glared at Jaeho.

 

"Fine be that way. I wasn't talking to you anyways. I was talking to Minhae," Jaeho smiled to Sunggyu then turned to me and gave me a smile that felt different than Sunggyu's.

 

"Why," I smirked at Jaeho. 

        

          I don't feel as much hatred to Jaeho as I used to. I feel like he's lost his way. It's in my genes to be compassionate. In my opinion, he needs that compassion. But I don't want to act nice to him and end up hurting him more by rejecting him.   

        Everyone wants to be that girl who is  in a love triangle, but it feels fake and forced when their soul belongs to you. I want to believe their mine, not because of some Greek mythology crap, but because they genuinely love me. 

 

"Because my brother wants to meet you. I couldn't help but notice that DBSK poster," my eyes perked up when I heard the words DBSK. I looked at him and nodded my head, wide-eyed.

 

"Well, he has a ticket to their concert, along with a VIP pass. He wants to give it to you since you're my girlfriend," he said, explaining everything, "The catch is you have to go to his masquerade."

 

        I wasn't taking his deal seriously until I heard about DBSK, but I don't want to go. I at socializing and I prefer to stay home alone. I've been  watching Korean dramas like crazy now that I don't have to read subtitles. I should get out of the house, experience Korea without Sunggyu and Minhae. I need to be independent, or least try to. 

 

"What time," I said confidently. Yoonhae kicked me in confusion. I'm going to have a hard time trying to explain this to them.

 

"Okay. You're the only one invited though," Jaeho looked at Sunggyu and then continued, "I'll pick you up tomorrow. It's in New York so we need to fly there and we need to get you a dress and whatnot."

      

     Jaeho left the kitchen as he said the last word and I was left with no protection against Yoonhae and Sunggyu...

                        ***

"I can't focus on this connection when I know your going to New York tomorrow," Sunggyu opened his eyes and laid on the bed

    We've been working on this new method of connection for an hour. This connection takes less physical strength and more mental strength. It's a way to communicate even if we're away from each other. 

 

"This isn't about that. It's about our connection," I whispered, still closing my eyes.

 

"Do you like him," Sunggyu scooted towards me and asked as if he was five years old again.

 

"Of course not.  I feel bad for him," I reassured him. I laughed and said, "But he's attractive, that's definitely a plus."

 

"Why do girls find guys like him attractive," Sunggyu laughed and shook his head at my comment.

 

I giggled at the question, "I don't know. He just is. Why do you guys like girls with big s-no wait the proper way to say it is S-line?"

 

Sunggyu thought about the question seriously and thought out aloud, " I guess it's because the more curvy you are, the less you look like a guy."

 

I rose my eyebrows in his response. He closed his, probably imagining some S-line girl, I laughed and laid on top of him. Sunggyu just opened one of his eyes and grinned.

 

"See I feel your S-line now," Sunggyu erted thoughts have spoken. 

 

"You know that's not how you get laid," I playfully lectured him. I thought Korean men were innocent. Obviously I was wrong.

 

   Sunggyu opened his eyes, lifted his arms under his head, and then looked me in the eyes playfully. He pretended to be curious and asked, "How do you get laid then?"

 

I pretended to be excited to explain," Well, girls love guys who are sweet and down to earth. Any sad story will win any girl over. Or you can be sincere about not wanting and bam. She'll give it to you."

 

Sunggyu nodded his head and pretended to take notes on my arm. I laughed and smiled at him. He's pretty adorable sometimes. I got off of him and rolled to his side. I wrapped my hands around his stomach.

 

"How do guys pick a girl," I asked out of curiosity.

 

"Sometimes it's looks. Dongwoo falls in love with girls just by their looks. Some people, like Myungsoo, fall in love with the aura of the girl. That's probably why he likes Yoonhae. Yoonhae has a smart but cute aura to her. Sometimes guys fall in love with the personality of the girl. Sungyeol doesn't really pay attention to looks, but he pays attention when a girl laughs at his jokes," Sunggyu explained. He looks really loving when he speaks of his family.

 

"Only some fall in love by personality," pretending to show disappointment to the male race.

 

Sunggyu laughed, "Yeah."

 

"How do you fall in love? Aura," I squeezed Sunggyu tighter. I imagined how he felt when he met his love of his life.

 

"I fall in love, like Jaeho, by a girls soul.." 

                       ***

"Why are we shopping at the airport? It's expensive here," I asked out of frustration. We shouldn't spend this much on a dress.

 

"Because we don't have to time. We need to get a dress and then go to the masquerade," Jaeho had more interest in the dresses than the costs of them. He wasn't loaded like Sungyeol parents but he definitely wasn't poor. He was like very high middle class.

 

"I like this one," I pointed to a puffy dress that was royal blue.

 

"Okay. I bet you would look good in this anyways," Jaeho smiled at the dress and looked at me. He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the next stop.

                           ***

       Me and Jaeho were linking arms for "protection" against erted men. I just went along with it since I would probably get lost along the way. We walked to the enormous houses door. It creaked as the stranger that might be Jaehos brother opened the door. 

 

"Come in. I'm glad you could come," he motioned for me and Jaeho to walk in. Jaeho led me into the house that left me speechless. 

 

       As we walked in, I couldn't help but notice an overwhelming amount of pictures of Jaeho and his brother. After seeing his flashback when we connected I didn't expect he would be close to his brother. Jaehos brother, although looked utterly similar, did not have the same cat feel. He was more like a lion, confident and powerful, but the resemblance between the cat could not be forgotten.

        The lion pranced, led us to his den. If we were an ally or enemy would either bring joy or sadness. Slowly we reached a room that was calming in a strange way.

 

"This is where you will be staying for the day. My name is Joonmin by the way," Joonmin stated and gave a bright, full smile. The feel between the brothers was as wide as an ocean.

 

"Just get out," Jaeho said to Joonmin in loving annoyance. I smiled to myself seeing Jaeho like this. 

       Joonmin did a salute and left the room. Jaeho smiled to me and tiredly sighed. Jaeho smoothly walked towards the bed and sat there. Of course he did it with grace.

 

"Why did you come here with me," Jaeho looked at me with no apparent emotion,  behind his eyes you would see flashes of emotion, but only a moment.

 

"I wanted to explore Korea, but it turned out to be America," I told him honesty. 

 

"Did you practice the thing I taught you," Jaeho quickly changed the subject.

 

"Yeah, I practiced the thing," I gently joined Jaeho on the bed. I don't know why he's so different now, our relationship almost feels natural now.

 

"Good. Hold up," Jaeho left the room and picked up his ringing phone. I was left alone with my thoughts. Somehow I missed Jaeho if the only thing I was left with was my thoughts.

 

Jaeho walked back into the room and looked apologetically to me," The party has been postponed till two days from now."

 

"That's fine. I don't mind. But why do I have to be at the party. I just needed to meet your brother right," I asked in honesty.

 

"I'm not sure. He never told me., which makes me very nervous because normally he tells me everything. I think he has some evil plan," Jaeho looked so confused trying to explain his brother, "I think we should talk to my brother about what we should wear."

                   ~Jaeho's POV~

        Her innocence is her strength and her weakness. Every time I look at her I have a striking qualm. My conscious tells me to spill out my heart. Only me. I'm the only who knows. My brother doesn't even sense my feelings. A part of me wishes he would put the puzzle together. Solve me. Save me.

     Today is the day that I can lost Minhae. If all goes right, she'll be mine forever. In my own selfishness, I'm lying to her. Its for her own, for her own good I tell myself. I beg of you to tell me it's for her, not for myself. The masquerade ball today will be normal. It will.  I promise myself.

                        ***

         ~Minhae's POV-

"You look beautiful. Lets go. A lot of people are already here," Jaeho said in irritation, but cute irritation, "Okay I'm leaving you."

    

     With those words Jaeho departed the room with his black suit on. His mask didn't cover much of his face. He told me just in case I need him it would be easy for me to spot him. I looked in the mirror one last time. My mask covered my whole face. My mask  was a Korean, pale mask. Jaeho warned me to never show my face to anyone except for him and his brother. 

     I gave one last, lingering look at the room. With my tiny, one-inch heels my feet found themselves on a long, spiral stairs. Don't focus on them, I told myself. Look on the floor. Don't trip. Leave a good first impression. I reached the end of the spiral stairs when I started hearing frightening words. I need to find Jaeho. My heart leaped out of my body when I heard confusing but simple words.

 

"She's already connected, but where's her descendent."

"Must be somewhere else."

"I don't mind. What's the procedure to steal someone else's conveyed?"

Laughter. "You can't have her. She already reeks of Hermes. You know how much I love the feel of Hermes."

 

         I felt a slimy hand scrap against my arm. Don't look up. I closed my eyes as I felt air around me closing in. People, whatever they were, surrounded me. One the side of my neck. One kissed my head. Steadily I could feel parts of my body getting numb with shock. The one who the side of my neck left a sticky substance. 

 

"Oh no. She's scared."

"When is descendent coming?"

"Oh, don't you feel that. It's coming. The descendent is really close. And tired."

 

"Get away from her," I heard Sunggyu yelled. I heard snickers and mocking laughs from the crowd but they moved away from me. I still couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't pry my eyes open to look at the marks those things left me.

 

        With my eyes closed Sunggyu hugged me. I felt like I could breathe again. I don't know what I'm doing here but with Sunggyu it doesn't matter. Actually it doesn't matter who I'm with, as long as I come out alive. I opened my eyes and found the lions den opening. Except this time it wasn't out of allies, it was out of foes. He catched my eye and started clapping. I watched in amazement and confusement as I watched him close eyes and...

                    ***

     Jaeho's conscious  wasn't as  familiar to me as Sunggyu's . Even though I didn't know the place well I felt safe. Protected. Loved 

 

"Save me," I heard a booming voice echo throughout the whole conscious.

 

    I looked around until I found a tunnel surrounded by soft light. I let my eyes wander trying to find someone to tell me where to go. I trusted my instinct. I went into the tunnel, my sixth sense better be right.

     I fell through the tunnel in a frightening speed. I closed my eyes even though I knew I couldn't die in Jaeho's conscious. Soon the speed abruptly stopped. I was no longer in a world of my own. I was in a world with souls, Greek mythology, and connected souls. I was in a world where after falling through tunnels I floated in air. 

 

"Find my soul," I heard Jaeho's inner soul calling me out.

 

     A million balls that contained millions of people's souls. One of them has to be Jaeho's. The feeling to find the soul was overwhelming, unbarring. It was a burden to think of the consequences even though I don't know them. I closed my eyes and just let my body lead me. 

 

"You will never find his soul," the voice laughed at my effort.

 

"Yeah I will," I was annoyed. The voice continued to laugh.

 

"I doubt it," his voice brought me to another room.

 

"Jaeho's soul no longer belongs to you anymore. It's gone. All I have to do now is break your soul in half. Don't worry about it. There's nothing you can do now."