8-year-old Park Chanyeol shouldn’t be sneaking away from the meeting his father brought him to.

  He couldn’t help it though; the urge was too strong. His father being the King and ruler of the Southern Commonwealth, he would often pay other cities visits – he called them essential for the safety of the Southern Commonwealth – and this time his father had taken him with him to this particular city up north, a small village called ‘Magus.’ His mother is off to a meeting as well but in another city, and he could’ve stayed home with his sister – MinSae, whose existence no one else but his family and a handful of other people knew – but his father thought that it's time he started getting more hands-on experience, since he were to be king in the future. ‘Do not run off,’ his father tells him in a serious voice, before they enter a wide-open, indoor hall with an enormous oak wood table in the middle. ‘Stay close and pay attention.’

  Chanyeol never was the obedient type, and would not be until a few years later.

  When his father starts leaning forward onto the table, a sign that he’s fully engrossed in the topic he and a dozen other officers from around the world are discussing, Chanyeol slips out the hall. He wanders around the strange building, smaller than the castle he lives in, until he notices he’s gone in a circle and has almost walked back to the hall.

  But then he discovers a board on the wall outside of the hall, and wind is whoosing out of it. As if it were actually a secret door to a hidden room.

  And it turns out it really is.

  Carefully, he pries the wooden board off and steps into a hole small enough for him to barely squeeze in. He silently tumbles into the all-white room – being silent was one of the best things he was good at during training back at home, with Father – and takes a moment to survey the room he is in.

  It’s not as small as he thought – rather, it seems to be as big as the hall next door. And with a jolt, he realizes he can hear voices from behind the wall. Voices in the hall. Voices that belong to his father, to the Lead Commander and Chief of Magus, and other high-ranking generals.

  Then a smell hits him. It’s a smell he would never forget, because it reminds him of his sister. Of his sister’s hidden room.

  It reminds him of books. And around him, everywhere in this secret room, are bookshelves and bookshelves of books.

  Suddenly, a movement in the bookshelves, deep in this secret room, catches his eye, and on instinct he ducks behind the nearest bookshelf, peeking through the space between two books.

  And is greeted on the other side by a pair of black leather boots.

  He crouches lower to look up, and realizes with a jolt that it’s a girl, maybe only 7 or 8 years old. She’s wearing khaki pants with her boots, a grey shirt, and an odd-looking vest; held together by a ponytail is her black hair that somehow glistens auburn in the faint sunlight streaming from a crack in the ceiling above. Slowly, he stands up on the other side of the shelf of her, realizing that she’s on a ladder and reaching for a book on the top row, a book that’s still out of her reach despite her efforts. The girl is straining on her tiptoes on the ladder continuously, her posture rigid with frustration, and without thinking, Chanyeol uses his tall height as advantage and grabs the book he assumes she’s trying to reach for from his end.

  “What – “ The girl cries out in a whisper, startle written all over her face when Chanyeol steps out and around the shelf to face her in person.

The girl’s eyes stun him right on the spot for a moment. They are silver. They’re not white as snow or grey as a storm, but clear, bright silver.

  But before Chanyeol can ask her to come down or hand her the book, the girl jumps off the ladder with shocking agility and runs.

  Without thinking, Chanyeol reacts by running after her and reaching the small door before she does. Fear reflects in the girl’s eyes as she realizes her escape is blocked, and she tries to dodge by his body, but Chanyeol grabs her by the wrist.

  “Wait – “

  “Sshh!” The girl whispers harshly at him, but her eyes dart around, eyeing the door and the wall between this room and the hall. “They’ll hear you – “

  “You’re spying on them,” Chanyeol cuts her off. “Weren’t you? And I assume grabbing a book along the way?”

  She stops struggling against him and stares up at him, finally studying him. Something flashes in her eyes, and she tries to take a step back. “You’re not from here.”

  Somehow, her statement makes him flinch. “I won’t tell them you were listening to their conversation,” he says, registering the shock on her face. She probably thought he was going to grab her and drag her out. But no, that’s not what Chanyeol wants to do. He's curious, and he just wants to know. “It is quite a sight, a girl like you eavesdropping on such a serious meeting. Aren’t you supposed to be playing with dolls with your friends over tea or something of that sort?”

  Immediate anger lights up in her eyes, and she scoffs. “This isn’t the kind of happily-living village you live in, Your Highness,” she guesses with a step back, eyeing his outfit. “Not everyone gets to live luxuriously and have enough food and clothes to frolic in. I bet you don’t even know that reading is banned here, and I could even lose my head. But you know what? I don’t care of you go out right now and tell the Commander a Fighter is caught eavesdropping and reading a book. I’d rather give up my life than beg a royal like you who thinks everyone lives in the same perfect bubble.”

  With a force harder than Chanyeol expected, the girl pulls her wrist out of his grip, and takes advangate of his moment of shock to escape from the small hole.

  But not before Chanyeol could catch a glimpse of the sign on the inside of her right wrist, the one he was holding and she took back. It was only exposed to him for less than a second, but he still sees it, a symbol he’s never seen before: A butterfly with a crown, a star, a moon and a sun on four of its wings.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  Looking over her shoulder, Keira was about to reply – until she realized the question wasn’t directed to her, but Andrea.

  Andrea smiled at Baekhyun, a smile Keira had imagined in only books, and she dabbed at the cut on her arm. “It’ll heal,” she reassured her lover, standing on her toes to give him a light kiss. But no, Baekhyun didn’t let her stop there. Holding onto her waist he scooped her off the floor and deepened the kiss.

  “Stars, Andrea. I’m always so worried when you’re fighting.”

  “And how many times have I told you all that worrying is nonsense? I have a lot of experience, Baek. Now come on, we have to check on the others.”

  Keira hadn’t realized she was staring. She hadn’t realized the tug in her heart, seeing Baekhyun and Andrea like two stars revolving each other, two binary stars, was making her curious and jealous at the same time. How did it feel like to be in love? To be so determined of one’s feelings for another and never be afraid to show it? How was it like to have someone always there for you, caring for you, who would never, not in a billion lifetimes, betray you?

  Jungkook had done just that.

  Or, in his words, Keira had betrayed the Spellbinders.

  But how? Why? Goddamn it, if only she could remember!

  “You knew that boy, didn’t you?”

  At Kyungsoo’s voice, Keira spun back around. His face was painted with dust and ashes, but underneath those, the dark fire blazing in his eyes was difficult to ignore.

  “Kyungsoo, I – “

  “Have nothing to do with this?” He finished for her. “Was not aware of an attack on my friends during such a grand event? By your people?”

  “Kyungsoo, you have to listen to me – “

  “Are you certain?!”

  Chanyeol’s loud, deep voice rumbled through the whole hall, grabbing everyone’s attention – including Keira’s and Kyungsoo’s – to him and Jongin, who were locked in a heated argument.

  Or rather, a one-sided heated argument. Fire was literally sizzling in the Prince’s eyes as his friend, although with a solemn face, was trying to calm him down.

  “I checked numerous times, Chan – “

  “Then check again. Check five more times. Those intruders wouldn’t have done such an elaborate job disguising themselves into my palace just to knock our friend unconscious, rummage through a random room for nothing, and cause panic and such destruction.”

  “There is nothing missing – “

  “CHECK AGAIN!”

  “CHANYEOL!” Andrea stormed up to her brother and stepped in between him and Jongin. “Jongin said he checked five times, and making him check seven more or ten more times wouldn’t change a thing!”

  The Prince ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “The savages were here for something – “ he started.

  “And maybe they were looking in the wrong room,” Andrea replied. “Or they really have taken it, and it was something so small even Jongin wouldn’t know because no one really goes into that room, not to mention the Head of the Royal Guards who’s so busy patrolling every day himself.” She reassuringly rubbed her hand against Jongin’s back, registering his silent ‘thank you’ face. Chanyeol was so worked up the tension in the whole room was as tight as a fabric about to rip, and no one wanted to get on his nerves at that moment.

  But then Chanyeol’s gaze met Keira’s, and his just-dying-down temper rose again, this time as instant as a strike of a match.

  “You,” he barely seethed.

  Keira could’ve noticed Kyungsoo’s movement toward her, suspiciously like he was stepping in front to shield her from Chanyeol, but she was too busy drowning in the sudden fear grappling at her as she stared back into the eyes of the Prince.

  Park Chanyeol might’ve been handsome and charismatic, but when he was angry, he terrified her more than her father did.

  Or maybe it was just because she knew she had just blown the trust she had wanted from him to bits.

  “You knew about this attack,” Chanyeol said as he practically stomped toward her. “You let them in – “

  Kyungsoo stepped in front of Keira and put his hand on his friend’s chest. “No, she didn’t,” he said. “I was the one who brought her here, Yeol.”

  “But she knew those people.” Chanyeol’s burning eyes never left hers. “I even heard her say one of the savages’ names – “

  Keira’s anger spiked as well. Jungkook is not a savage - !

  “ – and she knew I was a potential target – “

  “That’s because you are the Crown Prince; naturally everyone would think you’re the intended target.”

  “Soo’s right.” Jongin stepped up to his two friends, his right arm on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “I was the one who invited Keira, and unless she has the ability to manipulate me in inviting her, then letting those people in to cause wreckage, and then put on an act of helping us stop them, she had no part in this incident.” He turned his gaze to Keira. “I do wonder, however; you instantly analyzed the situation and reacted faster than the best guards I’ve ever trained, Keira. And Chanyeol is right on one suspicion: you obviously knew those people. You’re not a Stargazer, yet you’ve obviously received superior training, not to mention your combat skills. You could be a threat to us although you don’t seem like one, and we just want to know. Who are you?”

  “If you don’t tell us, we might have to lock you up in the dungeon,” Baekhyun said from somewhere behind, but Keira couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious. From the solemn looks from everyone standing around her, she wasn’t really willing to bet that he was joking, really. And she understood. She had just been introduced to everyone, and then suddenly there was an explosion and one of the Prince’s best friends was seriously hurt. It was understandable that smart people like them would raise suspicion – and they were right to.

  They weren’t going to like what she was going to say, but she had vowed to help the Stargazers from the danger they didn’t even know. And right now, they were the only ones she could turn to for help, also, because according to her former partner-slash-friend, she wasn’t welcome back home anymore. Even more likely wanted dead. She had been lucky to have been saved by Kyungsoo and Junmyeon and even invited to a ball in a gorgeous gown – but this wasn’t some rosey-pink romance novel she was in, and she should’ve known that the events the past few days had been too good to be true. To be realistic.

  And then Chanyeol threw in the most shocking thing she had ever heard him say that day. “I know you’re a Spellbinder.”

  Nobody moved for ten seconds, as if they were waiting for him to say something more. But he didn’t. He just stood there, still staring at Keira, still fixing her with a hard stare.

  Andrea finally spoke up. “What in the star’s name is a Spellbinder?”

  “How do you know she’s a Spellbinder?” Baekhyun asked at the same time.

  Much to their displeasure, Chanyeol replied to neither of them. “I remember you,” he told Keira. “Eleven years ago, when I went on a trip with Father to the Norths. I don’t remember much, but I remember your eyes, the only pair of silver eyes I've ever seen, when I was invited to this village called Magus, where people who called themselves ‘Spellbinders’ lived. You were hiding behind the bookshelves in the next room listening to the conversation that included my father and your leader, and I caught you, and saw the tattoo on your wrist. However, I didn’t sell you out.” Studying Keira, he asked, “You seem like you do not remember.”

  “I…” Keira was dumbstruck. Not because she had no idea what he was saying, or how he could’ve known so much about what she was, but because she couldn’t remember.

  “Or perhaps you’re a spy here, trying to assess if the Southern Commonwealth really is in a vulnerable state and easy to conquer, and you’re caught so you’re pretending not to have the faintest idea of what I’m saying.”

  There it was. The spy conspiracy again. The suspicion that she was a spy, again, this time seemingly not hurting as much as before when Kyungsoo had accused her of the same thing, maybe because she had been expecting it this time.

  Clenching her hands into fists, Keira parted her lips. “I understand you not being able to trust me right now, given everything that has just happened, and what it all looks like. And… yes, I really don’t remember, Park Chanyeol, because one of my kind had Bound a spell on me and took my memories away. You’re right to be suspicious of me, just like Kyungsoo had at first. But whether you trust me or not, there are some things I really need to tell you. That’s the most foremost reason I came here tonight. It’s a long story, and you guys won’t like it.” She took a deep breath. “But in short, you guys are in danger, and I’m here to help you.”

  There was a silence, and she took it all in – the wrecked damage of the Grand Hall in the background, Jongin’s stunned expression, Chanyeol’s disbelieving one, and most of all, Kyungsoo’s stiff back still facing her. Everything, at that moment, seemed ridiculous. But before Jongin could calmly ask her to repeat what she had said again or Chanyeol could burst in disbelief and accuse her for probably being a spy and spouting lies, Andrea perked up behind her brother’s back and a whirl of emotions passed her face.

  “Yixing requires our presence,” she said, as if she was listening to some faraway voice only she could hear. “It's concerning Sehun."

  “We’ll depart now.” Surprisingly, Chanyeol backed away from Keira, but the darkness on his face never lifted. “But we are bringing her with us.” He looked at the person he was talking about. “You will tell us everything when we arrive at the village and after we make sure Sehun is alright. Then, we will decide whether to believe what you are saying or not.”

  The man was pacing around, his posture a mixture of anxiety and excitement, a rare combination for him to be in.

  He stopped. “And you did not run into any problems other than the slight conflict with a few of the royal guards?

  I doubt the Stargazers would consider it slight, the boy standing before the man’s desk thought smugly, but he just nodded. And two of our Fighters who got seriously injured tonight.

  “No unexpected run in with anyone?” The man asked again, going back to pacing, a hand on his chin, apparently thinking of something. And the boy could guess what – or to be exact, who – he was thinking about.

  Keira.

  And the man’s fear was right. The boy had run into Keira at the ball, something he had both wished would happen and wished would not happen at the same time after he had learned that she had been living in a Stargazer’s – a noble Stargazer with very close ties to royalty – house. He wanted to see her badly, because he missed her, but he would never admit that to anyone. Jeon Jungkook never admitted his emotions to anyone, even when Keira had been able to see right through him and know exactly what he was feeling.

  He just wanted – needed – to confirm that she was alright, that she was not harmed by any of the Stargazers. And she was alright; even more, she was radiant. And in a gown. It was a sight that took him by utter surprise and more time than necessary to comprehend, but it was something he would never be able to forget. She had seemed so beautiful, so different, so… alien. Like someone he knew and didn’t know at the same time.

  He studied the Commander as he kept pacing. If he learned that, yes, Jungkook actually had run into Keira during the ball… he dreaded to even think what the Commander would do. Jungkook would be considered lucky to even leave the office with all his limbs still in place. Lying to the Commander could also lead to even worse consequences… but it was for Keira. He would not let the Commander know.

  Shaking his head, Jungkook looked the man across from him straight in the eyes. “We have… acquired the item you wished us to retrieve. Is there anything else you need of this moment?”

  The Commander waved his hand dismissively, more into his thoughts than before. But then again, he never really paid much attention to Jungkook, other than when giving him orders and when Keira was around. “No more,” he replied. “You are dismissed.”

  As Jungkook walked out of the office, he silently prayed for Keira. He rarely prayed, but he had this feeling in his gut that she needed it. Because with the look of what he and his partners had stolen from the palace and the look on the Commander’s face when he saw it, Jungkook did not like it.

  He had a feeling something bad, something… sinister, was breeding inside the office he had just left. And he had helped it grow.

  Keira, please be safe.

[A/N] Aaaaaaaanndd I'm back!!! Finally!!!!! It took me some time to pick myself up after a major heartbreak, but now I'm okay to come back to writing :) Thank you all so much for waiting all this time, I promise you all I never intended to let this story just sit here and rot and die. I cannot express how sorry I am for making you all wait, and how rusty my writing must've become, but I hope it'll get better as time goes on and I comeback to this magical AFF/Stargazer/EXO-with-magic world! <3 I appreciate each and every one of you, my subscribers, my readers, my supporters. You are my motivations and everything that keeps me going, and I will forever be grateful. Love you all xoxo