Yuri, Taeyeon, and Tiffany slowly stood up from the marble floor.

 “So . . . what do we do now?” Tiffany said shakingly, gathering the folds of her silky dress in her hands.

 “Well, what we should do first is test your magic,” Hyoyeon said. She set down her candle on the floor and plucked the book of spells off the wooden podium, opening it near the first few pages. “There are some basic spells in here that we can try.” Hyoyeon scanned a few pages, reading each spell to see what the royal family can be capable of doing.
 “Something harmless will do.”

 “Hyoyeon, can’t you already do hard spells?” Yuri asked. “You know, since you were witch before.”

 Hyoyeon nodded. “Yes I can. But these spells are for you, of course. I want to see what you each can do.”
 Yuri nodded then looked to her pale-looking sister. Tiffany’s heart was beating at a very fast rate, and she had to take really deep breaths to calm down.

 Taeyeon waved her hand in front of her face. “Let’s sit,” she said flatly.

 The royal family’s hearts pounded, but they held on and stood their ground. Even though that horrific experience had literally knocked the air out of them, it was as if reciting the initiation and imbued them with more strength then they had before. Yuri nodded, Tiffany took another breath, Hyoyeon pursed her lips, and they sat down on the floor, tucking the skirts of their dresses beneath them.

 “All right, let’s see,” Hyoyeon said, running her finger down the list of basic spells. Her gaze fell on something that seemed perfect for one of them. “Here’s one for you, Yuri. To call an object to you.”

 “Really?” Yuri asked, her eyebrows raised.

 “That’s basic? Tiffany said. “Sounds a little moderate don’t you think?”

 “Let her try it,” Taeyeon said forcefully.

 Tiffany took a breath, then exhaled and bowed her head.

 “Okay. Here’s what you have to do, Yuri,” Hyoyeon stood and walked to the other side of the ball room. Yuri stood up as well. Hyoyeon said, “You must snap and say, ‘Venio’. Try and call the spell book from my hands.”

 Yuri glanced at her sister. “Are you sure it’ll work?”

 Hyoyeon looked down at the box of sweets Tiffany carried with her to the room. She stared straight at it with concentrated eyes. Then, she snapped her fingers at it and called, “Venio.” The box came flying towards her and it quickly but gently settled into her free palm. Yuri, Tiffany, and Taeyeon’s jaws dropped and starred from the box to the maid.

 “It is very simple, princess. Now try,” Hyoyeon said, and set the box down next to her feet.

 Yuri glanced at her mother and sister and bit her lip, but did as she was told. Her hand fluttered a bit as she put in front of her. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and snapped. Then she said the spell.

 “Venio.”

 She said the word quietly, opened her eyes, and looked. The book did not come to her.

 Yuri pouted. “Nothing happened. I don’t know what I did wrong.”
 Taeyeon and Tiffany felt a swoop of disappointment.

 “Try it again,” Hyoyeon instructed calmly. “Of course it didn’t work, because the magic doesn’t want you to just say the spell. They want you to command it. Stare at the book and concentrate. Say the spell loudly and clearly. Believe it will work, and the magic will do as you say.”

 Tiffany and Taeyeon eyed the maiden with interest, as if seeing a new person appearing before their eyes. Yuri was impressed as well. Hyoyeon had heard Sarah say similar words to her when she was starting out in being a witch. Good old Sarah was always there to instruct the right way, and now it felt like Hyoyeon was following in her footsteps.

 Yuri nodded, understanding. She held up her hand again and breathed, and closed her eyes again, but then remembered Hyoyeon’s instructions and snapped them back open. She stared at the book of spells and this time snapped, and said the spell loud and proud. An unfamiliar snapping sound filled the room. Tiffany and Yuri flinched even. Yuri’s hand shot out in surprise and caught the flying spell book just in time before in slammed into her body.

 Yuri grinned wildly. “It worked!” she said breathlessly.

 “Very good job, my daughter,” Taeyeon said, standing up and giving a congratulative smile at Yuri.

 “What else is there? What’s next?” Tiffany blurted, clapping her hands.

 Suddenly the room was filled with familiar giggles and twitters. Hyoyeon opened up the box of sweets and pulled out a chocolate to hand it to Yuri. Yuri took it in exchange for the book.  Hyoyeon looked at Yuri, a grin lightened on her face. “You did it.” Yuri blushed.

 “How would you like to go next, my queen?” Hyoyeon asked, looking at more spells for the girls to try.

 “Please, I would much rather my girls try first.” Taeyeon said.

 “Tiffany, how about it? Would like to know how to cast a flame?”

 Tiffany looked at her sister uncertainly. “I don’t know. I won’t be set on fire, will I?”

 Hyoyeon laughed. “Of course not, my child. Come here.” Hyoyeon led her to one of the candelabras that held three tall red candles.

 “To just extinguish or light the candle, just point to it and say ‘Ardenses’.”

 Tiffany nodded, and pointed to the center candle. She remembered Hyoyeon’s instructions to Yuri and focused on her magic and the candle. She said the spell. “Ardenses!” Another snapping sound. Not just the center candles, but all three candles blew out.

 Tiffany frowned. “I was only aiming for one.”

 Hyoyeon shook her head. “No, Tiffany. That was still good. At least you did the spell correctly. Now relight them.”

 Tiffany said the spell again and all of the candles relit at her command.
 “Well that was fairly easy,” Tiffany said.

 Hyoyeon nodded. “Yes, a bit too easy for your taste, huh? Would you like to try another?”

 “Yes. I’ll just try the one Yuri did.”
 Tiffany looked behind her and focused on her target: Yuri’s chocolate. Tiffany looked at the chocolate she was biting into and focused. She snapped her fingers and announced the spell loudly. “Venio!” To Yuri’s surprise, the chocolate, which she was most enjoying, flew out of her hand and into Tiffany’s. She giggled and took a bite out of it.

 Yuri whined, “Hey that was mine!”

 Tiffany shrugged. “There’s more in the box, Yul.”

 Yuri pouted and crossed her arms. “You know I bit off of that. If you bite it too, we just indirectly kissed.”

 Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Oh please. We’re sisters, that can’t be a problem.”

 Yuri stuck her tongue out of her whilst taking another chocolate from the box. Tiffany stuck her tongue back, making a mocking noise at her. Yuri did the same. They both laughed.

 As Hyoyeon walked with Tiffany back to the group, Taeyeon slowly moved towards her and said, “Maiden Hyoyeon, if you will, I wish to choose a spell for myself.”

 “Oh, you may do so, Queen Taeyeon. It is our spell book after all.” Hyoyeon handed the queen the spell book with a thoughtful smile.
 Taeyeon flipped through the pages, scanning each spell to see what comes to her interest. After flipping one more page, she found just the spell. She walked towards the windows and opened up the pale white curtains. The ladies watched her closely, interested in what the queen was planning on doing.

 Taeyeon held up her hand to the sky, and started reciting the initiation rite on the page.
 “Gracious Lady Moon, mother of love and light, shine down on this land, and make this dark night bright. So be a wish, from this a friendly and fellow witch.”
 Her words were spoken with power and lush, and the magic listened to her on command. The half-moon appeared from behind the cloud and suddenly became a luminous gem shining down on the kingdom. All of the girls eyes widened at the marvelous sight, and Taeyeon smiled rather proudly.

 She turned to her girls. “Looks like it works for me as well.”

 “Queen Taeyeon, do you know what you just did?” Hyoyeon said, pointing out the window.

 “I made the moon shine brighter. Why?” Taeyeon asked. “Is there something wrong?”

 Hyoyeon shook her head, and stared gapingly at the queen. “No. It’s just that . . . that spell was a nature spell. An incantation that can control the elements of space and time at your will. That kind of spell can only be done by a witch with a true connection and power of nature. And yet, it’s only been five minutes since you have turned.”

 “Is that so? Well, what does that mean?” Taeyeon asked, walking slowly towards the rest of the girls.

 “I’m not really sure. I’ve never met a witch with such caliber. Not even powerful Seohyun could do that so easily. It took her two years of training for the element spells.”

 Taeyeon gazed out the window. Moonlight shined through and through upon earth, illuminating off of the glowing castle to give the illusion of large standing crystal on the land. She sighed and shook her head unbelievably. “I guess I’m a lucky one, huh,” she turned back to them. “I didn’t even think about it. I actually thought it was a simple spell.”

 Tiffany grinned and ran up to her mother. “Mother, that is so great. Six minutes have passed, and you’re already all-powerful.”
 Taeyeon hid a smile behind her curtain blonde hair.

 Just like that, Yuri and Tiffany was right beside Taeyeon, gathering around to get a better look at the book of spells.

 “Here’s one that can make a person tell you the truth!” Tiffany exclaimed.

 “This one changes hair color,” Taeyeon said, twirling a blonde lock.

 “Oh! Do you think I would look marvelous with red hair?” Tiffany said, rubbing her hair and dreaming of it being just that color.

 “I’ve always dreamt of what it was like being invisible,” Yuri said, gazing at an invisibility spell on the page.

 Taeyeon reached out a hand to rest on Yuri’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Your mother is witch, and probably will detect you when you are loose around the house.”

 “I can’t even scare the underwear off of the cooks?” Yuri smirked mischievously. “What a sight it would be to see them all screaming about floating pots and pans.”

 “Why not scare father while you’re at it?” Tiffany suggested mockingly and giving a smirk back.

 Yuri rolled her eyes. “Oh don’t give me lip right now, little witch. Don’t forget, I can easily turn you into a toad.”

 “I’d like to see you try!” Tiffany yelled.
 The two started another one of their childish arguments, and Taeyeon moved out of the way from them as they started pointing fingers at each other, attempting to change each other into something like in the books. But of course, that isn’t really how magic works.

 “This is unbelievable,” Taeyeon said to Hyoyeon in awe. “We really are witches.”

 Hyoyeon nodded. “Yes,” she said. “We certainly are.”

 As the two ladies look at the two children bickering and pointing, the moon did not only shine on their kingdom, but another’s kingdom.

 In that kingdom, the four brothers gazed up into the sky, keeping distance from each other so they can think to themselves. All had the same thoughts as they did during the day, as it will always be since their curiosity will never leave their hearts.

 “Why does it have to be so many secrets? Why can’t we all just get along? If only we were all on the same team.”


 “Who is Martha? Why has she suddenly turned up and changed our brother? What seductions did she shell upon him? I will find out.”


 “What is he hiding? What will he not tell me? I shall find out. I will. I will.”


 “I have to protect her. She’s trusting me. I won’t tell anyone about her, even if that means having to deal with my brothers forever.”

                                                                                ____________________________________________

 That night, a tiny thought, as small as a grain of salt, was sent to Minho as his thoughts ran rapid in his head. 
 A few weeks . . .
 Yuri . . .
 The Forest . . .
 You'll know when . . .