~Hyemi~

      

          The guard was still chasing me. I had to keep running. I didn't know where I was anymore, but I just kept running... My destination didn't matter, all I had to do was outrun him.

          

          After what felt like hours of running, I stopped hearing footsteps behind me. He must've given up. I scanned my surroundings, and found myself in a dark forest. No wonder he stopped going after me. This forest was creepy. Dark couldn't even begin to describe the lighting in this place. And the trees! So gnarly and barren they looked like huge claws that were sent from the underworld to drag you back to their depths. And maybe I was exaggerating, but I could've sworn that I just saw something blink. I tried to run, I couldn't keep going. I was too exhausted. Before long, I had fallen unconscious. 

 

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          When I came to, I was in some sort of tree house. I couldn't see it very clearly though, because I had a massive headache. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to get a clearer picture of my surroundings. I was on a small bed, an identical one beside it. There was a small table between the two beds, but that was it for this room. I tried to look beyond the door, but someone came in.

 

          "Hey! She's awake!"  I looked at the speaker, a boy who couldn't have been older than I was. He looked exhausted and beat-up, like he's been running away too. I wondered what his situation was. Another boy strode up to the bed I was lying in and started checking my head, arms and legs for any problems. 

 

          "Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked politely. This guy looked younger than the other one, but he spoke with an air of authority. Clearly, he was the one in charge here.. 

 

          I shook my head, somewhat unable to speak. I didn't know if I could trust anyone, let alone some random dudes in a forest. 

 

          "It's okay, we're runaways too," Authority said, "I'm Luhan, and the guy over there is Sehun. You are...?" He was looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I still didn't think it was completely safe to trust these guys, but what the hell, I mean, if they were with the queen, then I'd already be in the palace... right? 

 

          "Hyemi." I tried to give a friendly smile, but ended up grimacing instead.

 

          "Does it hurt? Well, it probably does, since you made a face as hideous as that. Here, try some of this." Sehun handed me some... uh... jelly on a leaf. 

 

          "Uhm... thanks." I didn't really know what to do with it. So I tried putting some on my cut lip. 

 

          "Seriously? Ugh, let me do it for you." Before I could protest, Sehun grabbed a handful of the stuff (eww) and spread a generous amount on my lip. I was going to say something, but it actually made my lip hurt less. I remembered the times Hyesun used to apply medicine on my wounds and... Hyesun! 

 

           "Do you guys know where the queen's palace is?" How could I have forgotten? Hyesun was probably at the palace being tortured or something! I had to go and save her. 

 

          "The queen's palace? Are you insane?" Sehun threw me a questioning look while at the same time Luhan asked, "Isn't she who you were running from?" 

 

            "Yes, the queen's palace. No, I'm not insane. She has my sister, and I gotta go find her." I answered Sehun. To Luhan I asked, "How did you know that?"

 

            "You just seemed the type. I mean, we were running away from her too." Luhan answered, bashfully looking away. They're just like me. Then maybe they could help me find her. 

 

           "What're your powers?" I asked.

 

 

            "Well the thing is..." Ugh, I really didn't want to have to explain this, "I don't have any powers. I have no idea why the queen is after me." 

 

             They both looked shocked, but they had a reason to be. Everyone knew that the queen was after "witches", those people who had special abilities. Hyesun could control fire. Luhan and Sehun apparently had powers too.

 

             "Are you sure she's after you and not just your sister?" Luhan asked carefully. 

 

         "I'm sure she wants me too. After they captured my sister, one of the guards continued chasing me and even followed me until the edge of the forest." Luhan pondered this for a moment, then agreed to my proposal. 

 

          "Let's go."

 

          "What? No." Sehun protested. "What good would this do to us? Isn't moving around in the open going to be more dangerous? And this trip will take long, won't it?"

 

           "Just think of it as survival training. Now get some rest, both of you." Luhan nodded at Sehun, then at me. "We leave tomorrow, 5AM sharp."

 

            Sehun rolled his eyes, but consented anyway. "Fine, fine. Whatever you say, Lulu." He then left to prepare his own things.

 

             I wondered why they both accepted my request at once. Was there a hidden agenda here? Well, whatever it was, I had to just go with it. My time was almost up, and I had to chase the guys that had my sister.