“H-hey, don’t force yourself.” Dalbi helped Jinki as he struggled to sit. He looked so weak and exhausted so although Dalbi was still startled over the sudden change of his eye color, she still got herself together to take care of him.

“What do you mean that my eyes are black?” He said between heavy breathing. Dalbi thought for a while before taking her phone and opening its front camera for him.

“Here, look at them.” Jinki took her phone and checked himself. She was right. They were black.

“How did this…” He was as clueless as Dalbi as it never happened before. Ever since his eyes turned green, they never changed back to black, until now. So as to what really happened, he had no idea. “Dalbi…” As he looked at her, he realized another strange occurrence.

“Yes? Do you need anything?”

“I… I couldn’t read your thoughts anymore.”

Dalbi’s mouth slightly parted as she heard him say that. Her forehead crumpled and her eyes were shaky. “I- I don’t understand.” She managed to say.

There was a minute of silence, until Dalbi gasped as though she fathomed something so important. “The curse! Is it lifted?!” Jinki also fell into a deep thought, pondering whether it could happen or not.

“I can’t read your thoughts because I have already taken your innocence away.” He spoke after a while. “Remember what I told you? I can only read the thoughts of those who could be my preys.”

She got it well that he was referring to her ity. Since something happened to them already, that took away his power to read her mind. She was out of his possible targets anymore.

“Then… what about your eyes?” She questioned, still holding on to the chance that Jinki had gone back to being a hundred percent human being.

Jinki only shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“Nevermind, let’s figure out when you regain your energy, okay?” Dalbi’s voice was full of concern as she placed a hand on his cheek. “Your fever has gone but you’re still warm. Do you want me to get you some water?” Jinki rubbed his cheek against her palm before nodding. “Okay, for a while.” She smiled warmly at Jinki who looked like a helpless baby at that moment.

On the other hand, Minho went running downstairs, going outside to welcome his mother. She just arrived from their hometown about an hour away from Shiwondu.

“Mom, you’re here.” He said as his mother hopped off of their vehicle. “I’m sorry I had to call you early in the morning.”

“It’s okay, how’s the young master?”

“Before I left him few hours ago, his fever has gone down a bit. I don’t know if he’s awake now.”

“About the girl you told me… was she really able to control the curse?”

“Yes.” Minho affirmed. “The young master could still smell her, hear her thoughts, but he was never aggressive to attack her. More than that, she keeps him calm just by holding him.”

“I need to see him. Minah, come with me.”

“Minah?” The chief was alarmed upon hearing his mother called his younger sister’s name. “What is Minah doing here, mom, you know it’s dangerous!” He yelled. “No- Minah, stay there. Don’t come out.” Minho stopped his sister as