CHAPTER NINETEEN

Learning Magic

“THEY ARE WHAT?!” Yoongi sputtered around his cola, spilling droplets of the sweet liquid on his pants as well as the cushion he’s sitting at. He hastily wiped at his mouth and chin, his small eyes widening almost twice their size as he snapped his head towards his sister sitting beside Jungkook on the settee. 

The Guardians, who appeared at their doorstep right after class, were sitting around the living room as well, either on the floor or on the chairs and cushions. The room was a little too crowded and he felt his brain getting crowded, too, by what they are telling him.

“She’s the lost Princess of Lucere,” Myungsoo repeated. “And Jungkook’s the Prince.”

“And who are you again?” Yoongi asked, cocking an eyebrow at the unfamiliar man and eyeing him like he’s some kind of new specie.

Myungsoo’s eyes twitched the boy’s question. He stared at Yoongi’s pale face and he can’t be mistaken, he’s really Hyunho’s son. Although his features got matured, he still has the same sharp eyes. “You really don’t know who I am, Suga?”

“Whoa!” Chanyeol made a surprised noise, eyes going wide. “This guy is Suga?!” He pointed a finger at him and his brothers mirrored the same shocked expression he had on his face. He slid down the edge of his chair, trying to get a closer look at Yoongi’s face and as if he saw something that verified that he really is Suga he exclaimed, “Holy , it is you! You have grown that’s why I haven’t been able to recognize you!” 

“No way!” Sehun blurted in a disbelieving voice, looking at Yoongi as if it’s the first time he’d seen him. “He’s the same tiny boy that kept on following his father?!”

Yoongi was looking so lost and confused at their reaction. “What the hell are you talking about?” he frowned them. “And why are you calling me Suga?”

“Because you are Suga,” Myungsoo stated as if it’ll explain everything. “I don’t know why you can’t remember us but you are Suga.”

“It makes sense,” Joonmyeon chimed in. “You’re a Gieldan, just like your father, Hyunho.”

“But my father’s name isn’t Hyunho,” Yoongi insisted.

“It’s because they had changed their names when they came here in the human world,” Kris explained. “It’s for your family’s safety as well as the Princess.”

Yoongi took a sip from his can, arranging his jumbled thoughts, before saying, “So, let me just get this straight,” he looked at all of them and started counting off the information they told him. “My real name is Suga, Haeyoon is a—” he glanced at his sister who was awkwardly smiling at him— “Princess, Jungkook is a Prince, and—wait a minute!” His eyebrows pinched together as a thought crossed his mind. “This means that Heayoon’s not my real…sister…” he trailed off as the realization dawned upon him, hitting him full force like a solid brick. He was momentarily frozen, his mind refusing to accept the fact. He turned to look at Haeyoon again but he was greeted by a pillow whacking him on the face.

“Say that I’m not your sister one more time and I’ll use my powers to stitch your mouth close,” Haeyoon threatened him, clutching tight on the pillow that she used to hit Yoongi. 

The boy was stunned as he was caught in a staring contest with Haeyoon. 

“She can really do that,” Luhan muttered in confirmation a few seconds later, interrupting the pregnant silence that had settled on the living room.

“Hey, Luhan, can you tell why Suga can’t remember us or the life he had in Lucere?” Jongin asked, catching the others’ attentions. “I mean, you have your way with minds.”

“Maybe it had something to do with our last fight,” Xiumin said, making a wild guess. “We did find him unconscious inside Mago’s lair during the fight between the King and that bastard.”

“Like I knocked my head or something?” Yoongi jumped back into the conversation, setting aside his issue with Haeyoon for a while. “Is that why I lost my memories?”

“It can be,” Xiumin shrugged.

“Oh, just like in soap operas,” Tao commented, earning himself a couple of eye rolls from his brother.

“Maybe we should knock your head again into a wall or something?” Joonmyeon suggested, a sly smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Yoongi shot him a death glare. “Or I could knock your head instead.”

“Uh, guys, can we proceed to the main issue here?” Baekhyun suggested, raising his hand in the air like a student.

Kyungsoo nodded in agreement. “We are here to discuss the Prince and Princess’ safety.”

That got Yoongi’s attention. “What do you mean?”

“The reason we all left Lucere was because of the evil sorcerers who are after the remaining Royal Bloods,” Myungsoo started explaining. “And now that the seal hiding the Princess’ magic started wearing off, she will attract the enemies unless she learned to control her spirit and keep it inside her.”

“You mean they will know where I am?” Haeyoon asked and she suddenly felt a pang of fear as the images of the cloaked man that attacked her at the alley and at the hospital surfaced in her mind. Jungkook tensed when he felt her fear and he reached for the prone hand on her lap, clasping it inside his.

“Yes,” Joonmyeon glanced at the girl and he can sense her anxiety. He knew his brothers can feel it, too. “We need to keep you both safe until you’re ready to fulfill your mission.”

With her caramel orbs shaking in fear, she asked, “What mission?”

“To end Magos for good.”

“But I don’t even know how to control whatever magic I have,” Haeyoon pointed out.

“That’s why we are going to train you,” Chanyeol told her.

“You wanted my sister to defeat a powerful evil sorcerer?!” Yoongi exclaimed, sudden anger and dread coursing through his veins. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

“It’s her fate,” Myungsoo argued. “It’s their fate. It’s what the Prince and Princess got to do to save their kingdom.”

“But they’re just…” Yoongi trailed off, glancing at Haeyoon and Jungkook. “…kids.” He ran a hand through his hair, pinning Myungsoo with his sharp stare. “How do you expect them to do it?”

“That’s why we’re all here—including you—to help them,” he insisted. “They won’t be alone on this fight.”

“We, Guardians, are created to protect them,” Joonmyeon said.

“And I know that you are trained by your father for the same reason,” Kris added.

“And it wasn’t just Lucere we are trying to protect from those evil sorcerers,” Luhan said, “Also the human world.”

NOT A STAR CAN be seen that night. Even the moon was hidden behind the thick clouds, making the sky dull and gloomy.

Haeyoon was sitting on the steps of their front porch, staring up at the dark heavens. It was a perfect representation of her mind, utterly cloudy and uncertain. 

Then she wondered, was it just her or the weather was mirroring her emotions?

“Can’t sleep, Your Highness?”

Haeyoon turned her head to the side and saw Yoongi sitting beside her, looking comfortable in his white v-neck and cotton pants. She punched him playfully on the shoulder before shaking her head no.

“I know the feeling,” he sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I can’t believe that you’re a royalty from the world where we apparently came from and I can’t believe that I lost my memories and my real name is Suga and—I mean, it’s all too much to take in at once.”

Haeyoon snuggled up to him, her head resting at the crook of his neck. “But it won’t change the fact that I’m still Haeyoon and you’re my brother.”

“Jungkook’s your brother,” he said and there was the tiniest hint of sadness in his voice.

Haeyoon pulled away and faced him. “You’re both my brother.”

“Haeyoonie…”

“Nothing’s gonna change, okay?” she touched his face, her beautiful earnest caramel eyes reaching into the depths of his heart, warming and reassuring him. “We are a family. Jungkook is our family and nothing will break us apart.”

Yoongi broke into a sincere loving smile. “I know.” He cupped her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. “And I also know you’re scared but don’t be.” He looked her in the eyes and said, “’Coz I’ll be here to protect you and Jungkook.”

She returned her smile with equal affection. “Maybe you should know how to use your powers first?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, remind me to ask Joonmyeon about that.”

Bright twinkling stars started peppering the sky one by one, chasing some of the darkness away like how Yoongi chased some of Haeyoon’s uncertainties away. 

“Uhm, hey…”

A soft voice interrupted them and they turned to see Jungkook standing awkwardly by the door, his tall stature blocking the light coming from inside the house.

“Hey, kiddo,” Yoongi smiled and motioned at him to join them.

Jungkook sat at Haeyoon’s other side.

“What’s up, Prince?” a crooked grin made its way on Yoongi’s lips. “Can’t sleep, too?”

“Shut up with that Prince and Princess honorifics, Yoongi,” Haeyoon rolled her eyes at her brother. Then she turned at her…younger brother. Looking at him made her realize that the attachment she felt towards him got even stronger. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He looked at her and she saw how vulnerable he was. He looked so lost and she can’t help but pull him into a tight hug.

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Yoongi cooed from the side. “I’m jealous.”

“Don’t make me shut you up with my powers,” Haeyoon threatened playfully.

“As if you know how to use them,” the older boy snorted.

“I’m scared,” Jungkook spoke in a quiet voice and Haeyoon pulled away to look at his face.

“I know,” she said, gently brushing his fringe back. “But you have me, your…sister.”

Jungkook’s lips spread into that special smile that he seemed to reserve only for Haeyoon. And they both felt a weight being lifted off their hearts. The affection he felt for the girl grew ten-fold.

“And me, your brother,” Yoongi reached out a hand over Haeyoon’s shoulder to ruffle the younger boy’s hair.

“Aww, Suga bear is soo sweet,” Haeyoon teased, pinching her brother’s cheeks.

Yoongi cringed at the nickname and the three of them burst into laughter.

“Look,” Jungkook suddenly pointed at the sky.

Haeyoon’s eyes widened when she saw how clear the sky was. The clouds had rolled away, revealing billions of shining stars. The moon was no longer hidden and it was glowing beautifully, its soft radiance casted over the earth.

“It’s so pretty,” Haeyoon breathed.

“Yeah,” Jungkook and Yoongi agreed in unison.

She glanced at them and she realized that as long as she have the people she loves around her, everything will be fine.

“I’M WORRIED FOR them,” Joonmyeon said to Myungsoo as they both stood at the latter’s balcony. The Guardians decided to crash at Myungsoo’s house for that night. “Especially for Haeyoon, I felt her fear earlier.”

“Look at the sky, Suho,” Myungsoo quietly said. “It’s clear and full of stars.”

Joonmyeon looked up and the stars are, indeed, shining brightly.

“It means that she’s okay,” Myungsoo told him. “Her uncontrolled power usually manifests on her emotions and what ever she’s feeling can affect the weather.”

“We should teach her how to use her powers soon,” Joonmyeon said.

“You’re right but I think we should teach your brothers first how to not destroy my house,” Myungsoo said.

At that statement, they both looked back at the glass door and saw how the Guardians are causing ruckus inside the living room. Kyungsoo had his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, choking him for stealing the last slice of pizza. Luhan and Sehun was having a pillow fight and spreading feathers everywhere. Baekhyun and Kai were seated in front of the television, having a heated Tekken fight. Tao was jumping hysterically on the couch and pointing at a tiny spider on the floor while Kris had a broom raised in the air. On a lone arm chair sat Xiumin, and he looked like he’s in a daze, completely tuning out his chaotic surroundings.

“They better not start using their magic inside my house or there will be hell to pay,” Myungsoo muttered, shaking his head.

THE BELL FOR LUNCH BREAK resounded through the halls and soon after, students came pouring out of their rooms.

“Are you really okay, Shinhye?” Gaeun asked on their way to their lockers.

“Do you want me to kick that jerk’s ?” Taehyung offered.

“Yeah, we can do that,” Haeyoon agreed.

“No need,” answered Shinhye. “I already broke up with him last night.” She gave Haeyoon a small tight smile. “Thanks for telling me what kind of an he really is.”

Sighing, Haeyoon opened her locker and put her English book inside. “You don’t deserve someone like him, Shin.”

“I know,” the girl closed her own locker and leaned on it. “Don’t worry about me, ‘mkay?”

“There are so many good guys out there, like me,” Taehyung puffed out his chest and straightened his blazer.

“Like you?” Shinhye snorted.

“What?” the orange-haired raised an eyebrow. “I’m a perfect boyfriend material.”

“Says who?” Gaeun teased.

“My mom and I know it’s true,” Taehyung crossed his arms. “Too bad I don’t date friends.”

A sly smile made its way on Shinhye’s lips as she exchanged glances with Gaeun. “Oh really?”

“You don’t want to date a friend?” Gaeun taunted playfully as she trailed her gaze towards the unknowing Haeyoon who was busy with her locker. Taehyung naturally followed her gaze and blushed when he realized what they are implying.

“Maybe he wanted to date a bestfriend,” Shinhye whispered conspirationally at Gaeun but made it loud enough for Taehyung to hear.

“S-shut up!” Taehyung hissed at them, blushing harder.

The two girls burst laughing.

Haeyoon closed her locker and looked at Taehyung with furrowed eyebrows. “You’re not that bad, Tae.” She nodded. “I think you can be a good boyfriend.”

With that said, she started walking towards the cafeteria, leaving a dumbfounded Taehyung and quietly squealing Gaeun and Shinhye.

“Sooner or later my ship will sail!” Gaeun giggled as she playfully bumped the boy on the shoulder. “I will call it, TaeYoon.”

“Haeyoonie, wait up!” Shinhye slung an arm around the girl as they walked down the hall. “It’s your eighteenth birthday this coming weekend right?”

“How are you planning to celebrate?” Taehyung asked her as they made their way towards the cafeteria.

‘Maybe training on how to use my powers,’ Haeyoon thought but of course she can’t tell them that.

“Uh, just a simple celebration,” she shrugged, “Just us and the other guys, I guess.”

Her three friends exchanged glances and they sensed something wrong with her. “Is there a problem, Yoonie?”

Haeyoon stopped walking and her friends did, too. “It’s just that…” she sighed. “My parents won’t be there to celebrate with me.”

‘We don’t even know where exactly they are and what happened to them and everything is so out of place,’ she added in her thoughts.

They may not be her real parents but they are the ones she grew up with. They are the ones who took care of her and they meant a lot to her because they are her…family.

“Don’t be sad,” Gaeun said as she put an arm around her. “We are still here.”

“Yeah,” Shinhye hugged her arm. “We’ll celebrate it together.”

 “Thanks, guys,” Haeyoon smiled gratefully at them.

“Besides, it’s not like they’re not coming back,” Taehyung said. “You can still have a post celebration when they return.”

“Hope you’re right,” Haeyoon mumbled.

They came to the cafeteria’s entrance and saw Jungkook standing there.

“Hey, Jungkookie!” Gaeun greeted giddily, ruffling the freshman’s hair.

“You’re such a cutie,” Shinhye smiled and pinched his cheeks.

“You waiting for Haeyoon?” Gaeun asked with a cheeky smile. Jungkook nodded meekly as a response. “Aww, you’re so sweet and adorable, what should I do with you?”

“Maybe stop attacking his cheeks?” Haeyoon chuckled at her friends’ fondness at the young boy.

“I see, you really like Haeyoonie, huh?” Shinhye nudge the boy’s side and he blushed. “You have many competitions, though, but I’m a solid JungYoon shipper,” she winked at him. “I got your back, Kookie.”

Taehyung scoffed at the background and Gaeun didn’t miss that.

“Green-eyed monster alert,” Gaeun whispered at Shinhye and they both giggled as they chanced a glance at Taehyung’s way.

Haeyoon rolled her eyes. Her friends don’t know her real relationship with Jungkook and it’s not like she can just tell them that he is her younger brother or she’ll have to explain the whole sorcerer part, too. 

She felt a sudden tug of guilt at her heart because she had to hide the truth about her identity once again from her friends.

“Come on,” Taehyung started for the door. “I’m hungry.”

They followed him inside and immediately spotted Yoongi and the others on their usual table.

“Catch you later, Yoonie!” Gaeun and Shinhye split from them. They went towards another table where a group of girls are waiting from them.

“Hi, Cupcake,” Jimin greeted as soon as he saw the three.

“Hi, guys,” Haeyoon smiled at the boys.

She sat between Yoongi and Namjoon while Jungkook occupied the seat beside Jin. Taehyung sat across Haeyoon, between Hoseok and Jimin.

“Hey, Princess,” Namjoon greeted, planting a kiss on the top of her hair.

Yoongi snickered at what the tall blonde called her and she elbowed him.

“Here,” Jin held out a circular container filled with chocolate chip cookies towards Haeyoon. She took out one and nibbled on it. “How’s it?”

“This is good!” she said in delight. “Did you bake this?”

Jin nodded with a proud expression. He put the container in the middle of their table and the boys dug in.

“Yeah, it’s delicious,” Taehyung put his thumb up.

“Mmm-mmm,” Jimin made a satisfied noise around a mouthful of cookies.

“How’s the cookie, Kookie?” Hoseok asked then burst out laughing at his own pun.

“Really funny, Hoseok,” Yoongi said with a flat look. “Ha-ha.”

“I like it,” Jungkook commented, his eyes twinkling. “It’s really good.”

AFTER CLASS, HAEYOON, Jungkook and Yoongi went to Myungsoo’s house together with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Joonmyeon. The other Guardians are also there to help with their “training”.

“Here,” Myungsoo gave an old looking book to Yoongi. “That’s an old Gieldan book. It contains the different kinds of weapons you can create with your spirit.”

“Can this also teach me how?” Yoongi asked as he flipped through the pages.

“Yeah,” Myungsoo nodded. “But don’t worry; the skill will naturally come to you. You just have to learn how to focus on your magic.”

“Oh, let me try this,” he took a few steps away from Myungsoo and stood in the middle of the latter’s backyard. He took a deep breath and shifted his feet to a more comfortable position, the soles of his sneakers digging the soft fine grass.

With the book on his left hand, he used his right hand to try and create a spirit knife like the one drawn across the page. He closed his eyes and tried to focus his spirit on his hand. At first, nothing was happening but then he began to feel something warm travelling from his heart towards his arm before it settled on his palm. His fingers started tingling, as if small sparks were dancing on its tips, and then there was a sudden weight on his hand, his fingers instinctively curling around the elongated object.

“You’re a natural, Suga,” Myungsoo remarked.

Yoongi opened his eyes and he stared in awe at the glowing knife on top of his hands. The hilt of the weapon felt consistently warm on his hands and he was amazed.

“Whoa, I did it,” he breathed as he raised the spirit knife in front of his face, examining it. It looked like Zeus’ lightning but in a shape of knife or like a beam of light molded into a shape of knife. He did an experimental slash across the air.

“Be careful,” Myungsoo warned. “That spirit knife is sharper than you thought.”

“Suga!” Chanyeol suddenly called, tossing a smooth oval rock towards the Gieldan. Out of instinct, Yoongi slashed his knife and it easily sliced the stone in half. “Nice.”

Yoongi stared in awe at the weapon in his hand. “Cool.”

“You can do more awesome weapon than that before,” Chanyeol told him. “But you can learn them again through that book.”

“So how can I, you know, make this thing disappear?” he asked, turning the knife around curiously.

“Like how you summoned it,” Myungsoo answered. “Focus on soothing your spirit, calm it down.”

Yoongi closed his eyes and took deep calming breaths. He allowed his muscles to relax and slowly, the warmth on his palm started dissipating. He opened his eyes and saw the glowing knife fading into the thin air.  

“Okay,” he exhaled loudly, still feeling overwhelmed at his own magic. “That was…wow.”

“That was even more wow,” Sehun appeared beside Myungsoo and pointed at the other side of the backyard where Haeyoon was being taught by Luhan how to use her mind power.

The girl was sitting on the grass and there were floating hard bound books in front of her. They were stacking themselves on top of the other, like an invisible hand was arranging them but it was Haeyoon who was controlling them with the use of her magic through telepathy. Jungkook was standing beside Luhan, observing with keen interest.

“That’s great, Haeyoon,” Luhan commented. “Just keep your focus, you’re almost done.”

Right after she finished stacking the last three books, she suddenly swayed but she managed to catch herself just before she face-planted on the grass. Luhan and Jungkook were on her side in an instant.

“Are you okay?” he asked, draping a supportive arm around her shoulder.

“Haeyoon, are you hurt?” Jungkook asked in concern as he held her hands in his.

“Just…dizzy,” she murmured.

“What happened?” Yoongi rushed to her side as well with Myungsoo, Sehun and Chanyeol.

“She’s just exhausted,” Myungsoo said. “After all, her powers are just beginning to return.”

“Maybe that’s enough training for today,” Chanyeol suggested, worry etched on his face.

“Yeah I think so, too,” Luhan gently hoisted her up to her feet and they brought her inside the house.

THE NEXT DAY AFTER class, Sehun brought Haeyoon to the school he’s attending.

“See that guy?” Sehun pointed at someone wearing a baseball cap who was sitting on the bleachers together with some other boys. “That’s Chen but he was sealed and he can’t remember us.”

Haeyoon’s attention was not entirely on Sehun at that time. She was busy looking around them in a panicky manner. She knew this school because this is where Mark and the others go. She could only wish that her friends had already gone home or else it would be hard to explain why she was there with Sehun.

“Haeyoon?” Sehun’s eyebrows pinched at her lack of response. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” she looked at him and remembered why they were there and that is to bring Chen back. “Oh, yeah, Chen, right.” She blinked several times. “So, how are we going to do this?”

“You’re not okay,” Sehun frowned worriedly. “I can feel it, what’s the matter?”

Haeyoon sighed. “I have friends who go here and I don’t know what to tell them if they happened to see me now.”

“Who are our friends here?” Sehun asked with sudden interest.

“They are—crap! They are leaving!” she pointed at the bleachers and, indeed, the group of boys was heading for the exit.

“Darn,” Sehun grabbed her hand and they both ran towards the last guy who left the bleachers, which was Chen. “Kim Jongdae!”

Sehun caught his attention and the boy stopped walking. “It’s you again?”

“Hey, Jongdae, is something wrong?” one of his friends asked.

“No, I can handle this,” he answered. “You, guys, go ahead. I’ll just catch up with you later.”

Once the other boys were gone Chen spoke again, “What is it this time, Oh Sehun?”

“Do it, Princess,” Sehun whispered to Haeyoon.

“How? I don’t even know how I did it!” she whispered back.

“Is that your girlfriend?” Chen interrupted.

“H-hey, hi, Chen,” Haeyoon greeted him with an awkward smile.

Chen’s frowned at them. “My name’s not Chen, I’m Kim Jongdae.”

“Oh, right, I’m sorry, Kim Jongdae,” Haeyoon stuck out a hand, “My name’s Haeyoon.”

The boy reached out to shake her hand and the moment their palms touched, a sharp pain pierced through his skull. It was gone as fast as it came and when he opened his eyes, Haeyoon’s worried face greeted him.

“Are you alright?” she asked as she let go of his hand.

“Y-yeah,” he answered, his hand still tingling from her touch. When his eyes landed on Sehun, they widened in recognition. “Sehun?!”

“Wait, you remember me?” Sehun asked, surprised.

“My memories returned,” he uttered and he looked back at Haeyoon. “She…she took the seal off.”

“Finally!” Sehun exclaimed happily before throwing himself to hug Chen.

“But how…” Chen was still dumbfounded as he continued to stare at Haeyoon, feeling that familiar pull.

“It’s because Haeyoon is Lucere’s Princess,” Sehun informed him.

Chen’s eyes widened and he immediately fell on one knee, his head bowed down in respect. “Your Highness, thank you for bringing me back.”

“It’s okay, please stand up,” Haeyoon told him, quite embarrassed and still not used being addressed as a royalty. “And just call me Haeyoon, okay?”

“Yes, Your High—I mean, Haeyoon,” Chen broke into a smile, the adorable curl of his lips hitching up.

“You’re such a pain in the , you know?” Sehun suddenly gave Chen a noogie. “You made me chase after you!”

“What do you expect?” Chen tried to get away from Sehun’s hold. “I can’t remember you and you kept on following me like a stalker!”

Haeyoon chuckled at the brothers’ bickering and she was glad that they were able to find another Guardian.

Unbeknownst to the three, there were two people who heard their conversation and they were beyond surprised.

“Holy ,” Bambam gasped as he flattened himself against the tree they were hiding at. “Haeyoonie is the Princess of Lucere?!”

“Keep it down!” Yugyeom hissed at him. “They might hear us!”

“But Yoonie’s a Princess—our Princess!” Bambam repeated as if he still can’t believe what they had heard.

“I know!” Yugyeom gripped his hair. “I can’t believe this! She’s our Princess!”

“The others have to know this,” Bambam said.

“Yeah, come on,” Yugyeom nodded and they left to find the others.

Author's Note:

Ugh. Crappy chap, I'm still having a block. It . Please bear with the typos. >…<