Water. The sea. It was washing over her form. The cold feeling of the sudden rush of the clear fluid sent shivers down her spine. Then as soon as the strange touch came, it left. The waters receded into the recesses of the sea leaving her susceptible and bare to the merciless winter breeze. 

When the biting frost overcame her senses, thoughts of a certain chestnut-haired lady began to cloud her mind. A sense of foreboding crept into her being as she felt the wintry embrace over her body. ‘No, it can’t be.’ She thought as her eyes shot open to take in her surroundings.

Eyes registered the blurry image of her usual surroundings. She was on a beach after all. Her horse walked towards her. The gentle beast brushed its muzzle against her smooth yet cold face as the black steed made an attempt to rouse her from her delirious state.

“What happened?” Taeyeon groaned as her hand softly caressed her gentle stallion. Her crimson eyes continued to search the area for signs of her twin, but Jessica was nowhere to be found. The vampire slowly got up and gave her steed a soft pat on the head before she strode, more like stumbled, through the small sand dunes in search of her lost sister.

Nothing.

‘No.’ She thought to herself.

‘Please. Tell me I’m dreaming.’

‘Tell me this is just a nightmare…. Jessica….’

‘Sooyeon… Where are you?’

Her desperate pleas to the unforgiving wind remained in the silence as she scrambled to seek for her lost loved one. Jessica should just be around. She hopes as she staggered through the white grains that littered the shore.

But no. There was nothing.

Then, her sight chanced upon the blade that rested on the sand. It was her half of the Carnelian Treasure and to her surprise the blade had been sheathed in its scabbard.

“Child.” the voice sprang forth from the sword startling the petite young woman who was shuddering from the cold.

“You – You can speak?” Taeyeon managed to say amidst her shivering. She was cold and her extremities were numbed by the waters that washed over her before she regained consciousness.

“Taeyeon, she is gone.”

The voice spoke in an emotionless tone. The fact that the sword had pointed out was the news that Taeyeon had dreaded the most.

“No, it can’t be…” Taeyeon tried to deny the ugly truth that her twin was gone. Taken.

“She needs to be alone. Same thing goes for you.” The sword pointed out; its voice as unnerved as steel.

“W-Why?” Taeyeon fought to push back the sadness that suddenly overwhelmed her.

“To test you, child. We did it to keep you both out of harm’s way as you master us…” The stern voice said.

“B-But—“

“Taeyeon, you should have realized by now that the very reason why your ancestor had sent you both away was to keep you from hurting the people around you as you try to grasp the wild elements that you are both capable of summoning.”

“I-Is that the rea- reason why you took my twin from me?”

“Sooyeon will take on a journey of her own… My twin will guide her…”

“But… You do know that I’m incapable of controlling my flames without her assistance…And Jessica has trouble keeping herself warm…”

“That’s your test as twins…”

Taeyeon shivered when a cold breeze blew by. She sat down before the sword as her hands rubbed her arms in an attempt to cause friction and heat. She coughed out short bursts of flames in an attempt to warm her soaked up