Moonlight showered into Kyungsoo's study room, but he was too busy in his thoughts to notice how it seemed to make his room shine.

  A knock on his door startled him for a second there, but then he sighed and called out, “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Junmyeon walked in. “Hey,” he said with a smile that wasn't as cheery as it usually was.

  “Hey.”

  Junmyeon sat down in the chair across from him, his table being the only barrier between them. He cleared his throat. “About what happened at lunch...”

  Kyungsoo sighed, irritated. Just the mere thought of Keira irritated him, and he didn't know why. Maybe because she was the first person ever other than Junmyeon to be in his manor since the Fire. Maybe because he was afraid the longer she stayed here, the more likely his secret would be exposed. Well, his secret was already exposed to her; the secret himself was even talking to her and walking her to lunch. But it could be only a matter of time before she realized Junmyeon himself was the secret.

  And sometimes, at times like this, Kyungsoo hated the fact that Jumyeon never beat around the bushes.

  “You should apologize to her.”

  “Why?” Anger was rising up in him again. “I wasn't the one who threw a fork at me.”

  Junmyeon frowned. “You accused her of being a spy. That was a serious allegation, especially when you had no proof – “

  “Then why is she here, Junmyeon?” Kyungsoo asked. “Has she told you why she was in the forest or where she is from – “

  “She can't remember.”

  Kyungsoo scoffed. “Of course. That's always the case.”

  “Kyungsoo – “

  He rolled his head. “Why are we even letting her stay – “

  The sudden pound of a fist hitting his desk rang out. “Because you are.”

  It was rare to hear Junmyeon talk in a harsh voice, especially to Kyungsoo. His eyes were blazing with so much determination Kyungsoo was taken aback. "I know I've never asked much from you, Kyungsoo. Come to think of it, I've never really asked for anything at all. But I want to learn more about Keira – “

  Kyungsoo shook his head slowly. “You're just curious – “

  “Of course I'm curious!”

  Junmyeon's outburst literally slapped Kyungsoo back into his chair. “I'm curious about everything! I'm curious about the flowers, about the nature, about the way things work; hell, I'm even curious about the outside world you forbid me from and I've never even pushed you to let me out just once when I know I can, and do you know why I never ask? Because I trust you!”

  Kyungsoo was so shocked he could only sit there and stare at Junmyeon. At his best friend. At his friend he had literally kept locked away in his manor and had always taken his obedience for granted. Suddenly, so suddenly, Kyungsoo felt ashamed of himself.

  “So if you even really care about me just one bit,” Junmyeon said in a softer, lower voice, “you'd grant me this one wish and let Keira stay, until she wants to leave after her injuries are fully healed or regains her memory. Because I think I deserve at least that one wish.”

  They stared at each other for a moment in silence, tension heavy in the air. Then Junmyeon sighed, breaking the tense atmosphere, and without another word walked out of Kyungsoo’s study room.

  “The nature is the best surroundings you can blend in to.”

  “But what if it betrays you?”

  Keira turns to face her friend, her only male friend who is also her partner in training and missions, ever since she can remember.

  “Do you really think it's possible the beautiful, pure nature could betray you?” Keira asks. “Jungkook, just because what happened to you in the past – “

  “Exactly because of my father's betrayal in the past,” Jungkook cuts her off, his right hand balancing his silver dagger as they circle each other, “there is a possibility that everything can betray you. Everything.”

  Keira sighs, and looks away. She doesn't want him to see the sympathy in her eyes or he'd get pissed off again, but she can't help feeling sorry for him. She would've, for any kid who had experienced their father literally selling them off when they were only three years old to the Commander, just for the privilege of never having to be ordered to fight in battle again, if needed in the future.

  And now his father was nothing but a drunk man every single day, because he was so happy that he would never have to risk his life in a fight anymore. Because he had his son doing all that for him.

  He was a bastard and a coward, sure, and so was Keira's father. Her father hadn't literally sold her off to years of intense training ever since she could walk, but still. She and Jungkook both had serious daddy issues. They both despised their fathers. It was one of the reasons they had become friends in the first place, then practically surviving on each other because she had no one else to turn to who could understand the pain and hardship the training provided, and nor had he.

  They had grown up together, trained together, tended to the wounds of each other, did every mission together. They had been through life and death situations together. They were inseparable.

  But Keira just thought of him as her little brother who she had to always look out for, because he was two years younger, and his mom was one of the people who served the Chief and whenever she went to visit Sooyoung, the Chief's daughter and her other best friend, she always reassured his mom that she would be looking after Jungkook. Because he needed it. He may be one of the best fighters amongst the Spellbinders, but he was still a kid.

  “Maybe you're right,” Keira says. “But I still believe that thinking optimistically can make a difference.”

  Without warning, Jungkook slashes at her. But she sees it just in time and dodges the blow. “We don't have the luxury of thinking on the bright side, Keira.”

  Training with Jungkook is a daily routine, and she loves it when they’re especially in the small clearing behind the small shack they, and eight other Spellbinders of the Elite Squad, sleep in.

  In a swift movement she rolls to his left side and swings out, her own dagger swinging at the place where his ankles are. "Jungkook – “

  He jumps before metal hits flesh, and when Keira has just turned around and stood up to face him, he hits her shoulder with the back hilt of his weapon. It hits her hard, but then she swivels to her left to attack again only to find him faster than her and in a flash, they are on the ground, Keira's back on the soft green grass and Jungkook's dagger at the tip of .

  “You will never see it coming when someone you trust stabs you in the back if you keep thinking like that,” he says, his voice low and deep. “And when that happens, even the nature won't be able to help you.”

  “What is your family like?”

  The next day after the fork-throwing incident (Keira was part guilty, but also part smug remembering the shock on Kyungsoo's face), Junmyeon had invited her into his study room, where she had been wandering around and eventually found. He had looked surprised to find her knocking on his door, but happy to have company, so he instantly welcomed her in and sat her down on a chair that was as soft as the bed she had been sleeping on for two nights.

  They had been chatting randomly at first, starting off with him apologizing for Kyungsoo's rudeness yesterday at lunch (which she saw no reason as to why it was Junmyeon, who was of no fault, was apologizing), until Junmyeon asked her about her family. She couldn't blame him, though; she had been here for three days now and she still hadn't told them who or what she was, or even where she was from.

  “My family...” she searched for words. She wasn't going to answer him by saying “M-my family? You mean what my family is like?” Those were called 'dumb questions', as she and Jungkook had once nicknamed during a training session of tactically answering questions (and interrogating). They were useless and unnecessary questions, only for desperate people trying to buy themselves some time. “Well, uhm, I'm the only child.”

  “Then you must be loved dearly by your parents.”

  Keira mentally scoffed. Maybe in another universe. “My father definitely doesn't,” she replied, then lowered her voice. “But my mother did.”

  “Did?”

  A familiar ache in her chest throbbed again, dull but still present. “She passed away years ago.”

  Shock, sympathy then embarrassment flashed across Junmyeon's face. “I-I am terribly sorry, I didn't know...”

  “It's alright,” Keira replied with a smile. “It happened a long time ago, and her favorite garden is still there, so it doesn't seem like she's completely... gone.”

  Junmyeon smiled back, but cautiously, probably because he didn't want to be pouring salt on her wound again. “Her favorite garden?”

  At the thought of her mother's favorite place again, she couldn't help but feel a little less stressed, a little more relaxed. It was one of the places that really let her feel at ease, and suddenly she missed it a bit. “Yes, right behind the house she used to live in. Whenever I visited her she would always be there, tending to her flowers, bathing in the sunlight...” her smile grew wider. “You should really see it, Junmyeon, it's so beautiful and – “

  She stopped when she realized what she was saying, but it was too late. Junmyeon had that sad look on his face again, as if saying I wish I could go there, too, but I can't leave this place.

  And when she saw his eyes widen at something behind her and felt the presence of someone else, she couldn't help but silently curse at being caught at the worst time ever.

  Of course, Kyungsoo just had to be standing in the open doorway. He just had to be there just when she was telling Junmyeon how beautiful somewhere outside was, looking like she was encouraging him to get out.

  “Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon greeted, surprise etched in his voice. “I thought you were going out.”

  Keira didn't dare turn around to look at him. She could feel him staring daggers at her back already. Nevertheless, she could already picture him standing with his arms crossed, wearing his signature frown.

  “I need to talk to our guest,” Kyungsoo finally said after a moment of silence. Then before she knew it, he was grabbing her by the wrist and (gently) yanking her out of the chair. “I'll give her right back to you, Junmyeon; you don’t have to move.” Then he stormed out of his room with Keira behind him.

  Keira could've tackled him to the ground in mere seconds, but she let Kyungsoo drag her downstairs and out to the front garden instead.

  When she was certain they were out of hearing distance – especially of Junmyeon's – she asked with frustration, “Can you at least tell me why?”

  She'd been expecting it, but Kyungsoo's abrupt stop still caught her off a bit. His moves were so naturally fluid that she knew without doubt he'd become a very great fighter, if trained.

  “Why what?” Kyungsoo asked through clenched teeth as he spun toward her.

  “Why you're hiding him,” she replied with an unwavering gaze. “From the outside world.”

  He scowled, but it was more a frustrated one than an angry one. He knew it would've been a matter of time before she found out, but he hadn't expected her to find out in just two days.

  “I know there's a reason,” Keira continued. “And I won't condemn you because you seem to care for him, and he doesn't seem anywhere unhappy about it. On the contrary, he seems quite with peace with the fact that you don't let him go out, which is earthly weird, but I just want to know why. And there's no point in denying, Kyungsoo. I know everything now.”

  “No, you don't,” Kyungsoo snapped. “You don't know anything about us.” He felt a red hot emotion boiling inside of him, and suddenly, it felt like a string stretched so tight inside of him had just snapped.

  ”You don't know anything about how everyone out there,” he waved his hand toward the direction of the palace, "thinks that Junmyeon's dead. You don't know anything about how hard it has been to keep the fact that he's alive for all these years, to feel the words always begging to be released, and how painful these years had been because I just couldn't tell them – “

  “Why can't you tell them – “

  “Because he had died!” Kyungsoo was shouting, which was something he hadn't done in years. But he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. “I had seen him die right in front of me with my own eyes, and then seen him brought back to life by some golden light from a stranger's fingertips! I couldn't just go up to Baekhyun or Jongin and say, ‘Hey, our friend Junmyeon is actually alive after he was brought back from the dead by some magical light from Mr. Golden Fingertips!’ Okay?!”

  He was panting hard, but as he stared into Kiera's widened eyes he started to calm down, his voice lowering itself. “It's too unexplainable. They'd be drilling him with questions, and Junmyeon himself doesn't even know what happened.” Kyungsoo took in the surprise that appeared on Keira's face, looked away, and sighed. “I was the only one who saw everything. I was the only one who knew exactly what happened to him, and the only one who saw the stranger who brought Junmyeon back to life. Junmyeon also lost his memories; how could I just let him go back to his life like nothing had ever happened? He didn't even have anywhere to go anymore; his parents were victims of the Fire.”

  “They could've helped Junmyeon find a way to get his memories back,” Keira softly suggested, although her mind was racing at something Kyungsoo had mentioned.

  Golden light from a stranger's fingertips.

  Kyungsoo shook his head, his eyes closed. “At that time, Kang Dae had taken over the throne, over control of the Southern Commonwealth. Maybe you've never heard of him, but he had a ban on Stargazers - just when I realized what we who had magic abilities were called - and any caught would've been thrown to the dungeon, or worse, executed. And in Junmyeon's case, if Kang Dae knew he was brought back to life – “

  “He would've been locked away and experimented on,” Keira finished for him. “For his Dark Magic.”

  Kyungsoo nodded, then opened his eyes as alert flooded into them. “How do you know all this? You're not from the Southern Commonwealth, you're not a Stargazer and you most definitely did not join the Battle. How do you know so much about us?”

  Unwelcome panic surged through Keira's body. “I – “

  “Why am I even telling you all this?” With a guarded look, Kyungsoo let go of her wrist he hadn't realized he was still holding. “I've never told anyone anything about all this. I don't even know who you are, what you are, where you're from, what your intentions are or even how you managed to steal Junmyeon's trust – “

  “I didn't steal it,” Keira shot back, then sighed impatiently. She didn't really want them to know, especially Kyungsoo whose temper was oh-so-bad, but she also felt somewhat... grateful. For him being honest with her and telling (more like yelling at) her the truth about him hiding Junmyeon. “He probably got the sense that I came here in peace, and to save you Stargazers.”

  Kyungsoo's eyebrows creased together. “Save us?”

  There was no stopping now. She might as well tell him now so she could ask for help. “I'm a Spellbinder,” she said, as if that explained everything. “Me and my people, we live north of here, and like you guys, we have special abilities. But I'll explain that later, because all I can remember before waking up here, is that I had to warn you that – “

  A horse's neigh cut through the air, interrupting Keira's sentence. Before she could have time to digest the fact that a rider had been riding towards them and she hadn't noticed – the second time ever she hadn't paid complete attention to her surroundings - the horse and its rider approached them.

  “Kyungsoo!”

  The rider's voice was full of excitement and curiosity, and when he dismounted his coal-black horse, Keira couldn't help it. Her jaw dropped.

  Holy mother of earth, he is so beautiful.

  “Jongin,” Kyungsoo greeted, and Keira's eyes widened even more as she took in that name and his clothing.

  Kim Jongin, also known as Kai. Head of the Royal Guards, friend of former and present Crown Prince, Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol.

  She had heard of him - scratch that, everyone back at home had heard of him. All the Spellbinders back at home had heard of what had happened in the Southern Commonwealth last year, how the missing princess people didn't even knew existed had appeared and stood up against the evil Stargazer-oppressing ruler Byun Kang Dae and destroyed him; how she and Kang Dae's nephew, the former prince Byun Baekhyun, had fallen in love with each other while Princess Sabrina hid the secret of her true identity, and how the Stargazers had come out of hiding and fought the dark forces and won the Great Battle. Kai was one of the assisting forces along with other Stargazaers such as Gillian and Oh Sehun, but Kai was, by rumor, the most attractive one. They had all destroyed the tyranny of Byun Kang Dae –

  Her breath caught. The moment her brain had registered the name Byun Kang Dae, a whisper of something, something she thought she had imagined, flashed through her mind.

  And then suddenly, so suddenly, an image of a letter written to the Commander appeared in her head, and on the envelope was the signature of Byun Kang Dae.

  Was that memory really hers? Was it a piece of her memory that had been sealed away by the Spell, something she was very certain that had happened to her? Did that mean... did that mean that the Commander and the previous evil king of the Southern Commonwealth had actually known each other and were in contact?

  How does Kyungsoo even know Kim Jongin? Is it possible that he's also... also of royalty? It would explain his mood swings and rudeness...

  Keira wasn't given the time to process all the new shocking information thrown into her mind because Kai, the boy even more handsome and beautiful than she had heard of (and girls back home had imagined of), had walked up to her with a smile, cautious but sweet.

  He bowed, a perfect gentleman. “Hello,” he greeted her, and his voice made Keira's legs slightly wobble. “I don’t seem to recall Kyungsoo mentioning having a lady friend.”

  “She's not a friend,” Kyungsoo denied quickly. His jaw was tight and figure was rigid. “She's a... guest.”

  His answer seemed to surprise Kai even more. “A guest?” His smile grew wider, the caution in them vanishing. “I thought I'd never live to see the day our Kyungsoo had a guest!” He patted Kyungsoo's shoulder, who looked like he wanted to just die then and there. “He barely even lets us come pay him a visit.”

  “I-I, um, I was merely passing by when my horse needed some rest,” Keira lied, ignoring the flash of surprise on Kyungsoo's face. “Kyungsoo was nice enough to provide shelter and food.”

  At that moment she was very grateful for having spent all those nights up sneakily reading books and learning some knowledge on How To Not Talk Like A Barbarian In Front Of Royalty, because she was, well, she grew up in a rather barbaric place, compared to where Kai must've grown up. And this was actually the first time she had ever had contact with a real, noble person.

  Not counting Kyungsoo, because she hadn't asked and still didn't know what position Kyungsoo was, she realized.

  “I see.” Kai's eyes were twinkling. “And I assume nice enough for you to be addressing him by his first name.” He bowed again, slightly. “Thank you for giving my friend wonderful company, Miss...”

  She could feel her face burning up. “Keira. J-just Keira,” she replied, dipping in an awkward curtsy, or tried to. She'd never truly done one before. Especially not with trousers. “From – “

  “Why are you here, Jongin?” Kyungsoo cut in, sounding exasperated. But Keira thought she had heard something else underneath, something like urgency. “Is there something so important that required you to come in person?”

  Turning his attention back to his friend, Kai sighed as if he was used to Kyungsoo being harsh but had no way to help it. Taking something out of his bag, he handed it to Kyungsoo. “I'm here to give you this.”

  The piece of paper Kyungsoo took from him literally screamed 'INVITATION.’ It wasn't as decorative and flimsy as Keira imagined invitations would be like, but then she guessed Park Chanyeol, the present Crown Prince, just liked keeping things basic. Not too extravagant.

  “The Spring Ball is tomorrow night,” Kai explained as Kyungsoo opened the card and read it. “It's a new event, as we were not able to hold the Autumn Ball last year, and the nobles have been more insistent than ever for Chan to host a ball since his coronation is coming up, and this ball can serve as a great opportunity for him to, I quote, ‘find him a future queen.’”

  Keira widened her eyes, filter out of order. Again. “They're making him pick a random girl at a ball?" She exclaimed. "Why don't they let him just find someone he really likes, over time? That's just ridiculous.” She had read a few fantasy books that described romamtic love stories found between two people who meet at a ball and fall instantly in love, but that idea always seemed so laughable and ludicrous. How could you fall in love with someone you barely know?

   To her surprise, Kai laughed. “That is what we secretly think, too,” he confessed. “And it's also why Chan would appreciate it very, very much,” he looked at Kyungsoo pointedly, “if you decide to come and aid us in helping him endure such a... torturing, long night.”

  "Jongin - "

  Before Kyungsoo could finish his answer, a noise in the manor caught their attention. The lights of a room on the second floor turned off, and Keira – by the look on his face, Kyungsoo too – knew what it meant.

  Junmyeon had left his study room, and was most likely coming down to look for them.

  It was a split moment of decision for her. She didn't know why, but it'd just felt like the right thing to do at the moment.

  “My sincere apologies,” Keira said to Kai, dipping into another small curtsy. “That must be the maid cleaning our rooms. I must go tell her that there is no need cleaning mine.”

  Kai looked a little confused, but not suspicious. “No worries, it's alright...”

  “It was a pleasure to meet you,” she said. Then after throwing him a smile, and Kyungsoo a knowing glance, she dashed back towards the manor.

  And was just in time to stop Junmyeon from opening the doors to the front garden.

[A/N] College is a pain in the , people. Pain in the .

Hahahaahahahhaha!!! *Gif credit to owner*