Jessica paced around her room with a grim expression.

She was definitely sure Irene mentioned her mother. But why would that be the case? Did Jessica's mom meet Yoona or anyone in their family before?

She wanted to ask more. Perhaps Irene was mistaken and if she was, Jessica wanted to hear the reassurance because right now she couldn't think straight.

Once Seohyun snapped her fingers Jessica found herself in front of their mansion. The same thing probably happened to Tiffany and Sunny.

Slumping on her soft bed, Jessica inhaled the scent of her sheets. It was newly changed and the fruity scent eased her nerves.

Tok tok.

Jessica sat up and turned to the door. "Come in."

A woman dressed in a white dress appeared. Her wrists were surrounded by different branded accessories including a gold watch and silver bracelet. A golden band sat on her left right finger but it isn't her wedding ring. It's probably one of her jewelries.

Jessica shot up, surprised to see her seldom home mother. "M-Mom. You're home. I thought you had some things to do in Europe."

"Oh, yes I did. I finished some work in Poland then went to Lithuania for a stop-over before rushing back to Russia. Everything's taken care of so I'll probably be staying here for a while." Mrs. Jung walked around Jessica's room, studying the surroundings.

"That's great. Krystal wanted you to come watch her next game." Jessica didn't feel odd the way her mother was looking around her room. It's her typically routine to look for any thing that's changed. She'll bring it up so they can have a matter to talk about.

"I see. I'll check my schedule." Mrs. Jung stopped in front of Jessica's vanity mirror to check herself.

Jessica would give it to her mom though when it comes to maintaining herself. Her mom's about to reach fifty soon and yet her face and body looked young and radiant. Knowing how wealthy her mother is she probably undergo lots of skin treatment. If Jessica stand next to her mother a stranger might mistaken them as sisters. Jessica wondered if she got those youthful genes. Maybe she can be with Yoona without getting sired. She just have to maintain her face and body.

"By the way Jessica, are you seeing anyone?"

Jessica froze. Is she? She and Yoona aren't officially back together yet. She wanted to say yes but it's not the truth. With a heavy heart she shakes her head.

"No one, mom. I mean I'm confused with our status but last time I checked we weren't official." Jessica admitted truthfully.

At that remark, Mrs. Jung faced Jessica with a prickled expression. "You got youself a suitor? Why don't you introduce him to me?"

"It's nothing, mom. I told you it's not official."

"Great. There will be no problem then."

"Problem with what?" Jessica has a bad feeling about this.

"I want you to have dinner with Mr. Kim's son. His name is Nam Joon." Mrs. Jung stated as if it was an ordered.

"Mr. Kim? The president of Kim Builders?" Jessica asked.

"Yes, that's right. His son Nam Joon seems to be a good guy. If the meeting goes well that means you and Nam Joon might wed."

"What?!" Jessica scoffed. She glared at her mother who doesn't seem bothered or concerned by Jessica's anxiousness. "Arranged marriage? Is this what it is?"

"Lower the tone of your voice, young lady." Mrs. Jung said in a monotonous tone.

"No! I like someone else, mom."

"You said it's not official. That means he doesn't feel the same way."

Jessica shook her head. "Unbelievable. You're home after a long while and the first thing you tell me, instead of asking how I've been, is that I meet this guy who I haven't seen yet and marry him if the meeting goes well? What kind of mother are you?"

Mrs. Jung raised her chin, the poise still present. She was unfaze by the sudden outburst of Jessica. "I'm the kind of mother you will obey, Jessica."

"No! I refuse to do this!"

Walking in slow but authoritative manner, Mrs. Jung stood in front of Jessica dignantly. "You will do this, Jessica. You'll meet him tomorrow night." Her words were laced with firmness Jessica is used too.

Her mother is still that authoritative who doesn't care about her daughters. "I won't go."

"Oh, you will." Mrs. Jung walked away, ending the discussion.

Jessica scoffed sharply. She can't believe her mother. Why is Sooyeon Jung such a ? Jessica mentally swore she wouldn't go to that meeting.

Marry someone else? That's absurd. Unless it's not Yoona, Jessica won't be dating anyone else.

"There's no way I'll go." She declared through gritted teeth. And yet somehow why does it feel like her subconscious is considering her mother's order?

****

As the sun revealed itself behind the mountain's shadow, Yoona awoken from her rest. Looking around she noticed four dead animals around her. One giant bear, one wild boar and two deers. She has reached one of the conservation forest heading to Gyeonggi-do. It will definitely be a scene if the forest rangers discovered these dead animals. Pointing her hand at each dead animal, Yoona disintegrated them into thin air the moment her palm closed.

Sighing heavily, Yoona got to her feet. She exhaled forming smoke due to the chilly morning air. She looked into the horizon, keeping her eyes at the rising sun. Somehow it felt like the inevitable is about to start.

She balled her hands into fists. Her teeth clenched tightly as she swallowed roughly. The war she didn't want to face is unfortunately coming.

With slow steps Yoona begin to move. Once her legs moved in a blur, Yoona was passing through the forest without any difficulty. She climbed a tree, the highest she saw. Slowly she jumped from one tree to another until she almost reached the town where a KTX train station is. She couldn't risk running all the way back to Seoul when the sun is already up. The visibility rate is higher at day than night.

Yoona's ride took less than an hour. Throughout the journey she couldn't take her mind off Jessica. The longing, the desire to see Jessica overwhelms her. It's not like she didn't see Jessica last night.

There is a saying that as time goes by the stronger the pull is. It's one of the reason why mates become inseparable. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung are starting to be inseparable while Wendy and Seulgi are now a hopeless case.

It's not a good thing. The longer Yoona is away from Jessica, the stronger is her misery. She can't undergo that same agony again. Yoona had to deal with that when she broke-up with Jessica. With the pull getting stronger, the duration and impact of Yoona's suffering increased as well. Time will come Yoona will feel the pain that rivals that pain during siring.

Yoona stood in front of her house. She could hear the voices of everyone inside the house. As she listened, she closed her eyes when the things she didn't want to happen finally become a reality.

With a heavy sigh she went inside the house.

"You're here." Seohyun greeted Yoona without her usual smile. "We have a problem."

"They've made their move?" Yoona guessed.

Irene nodded. "Yes. They've already got some victims Yoona." She showed Yoona the dead worker elf.

Yoona slumped on a chair. She was still in disbelief. The war she tried to avoid is now starting. "Any more leads?"

Seulgi stepped forward with her arms crossed. "When we investigated the five kilometer radius around the area where we found the dead worker elf we picked up dog stench."

"There were dead dogs?" Yoona asked.

"No. There were werewolves, Yoona. They've joined the cause." Seulgi stated with a tinge of rage. She still hasn’t forgotten the reason their former coven was destroyed. Werewolves worked with cursers.

Yoona shook her head. "So now they've got werewolves and cursers. What else?"

"The possibility of them getting a vampire ally is plausible-"

Yoona cut Wendy off. "That's impossible. Sooyeon hate vampires."

"But if it's gonna make her army strong then adding a vampire would-" Irene wasn't able to finish her sentence because once again Yoona interrupted.

"She won't! She abhors us. She won't work with the kind she swore to destroy."

Seohyun emerged from the corner she stood to glare down at Yoona. "You are making this personal, Yoona."

"I'm not!" Yoona denied. "Once Sooyeon gets rid of us, she'll come after you. She'll need you, the eight key, to open the Passage, Seohyun. When the gate to the world of non-humans is opened, non-humans from the other dimension can freely enter this world. There will be bloodshed. It will be the consequence of their desire to return to the Pit."

"Jessica's a key too." Seohyun added.

The remark made Yoona quiet. Her eyes shook while her shoulders trembled. "That's a lie."

"It's not." Seohyun defended. "Taeyeon saw it. Tell her, Taeyeon!"

Taeyeon stepped in and gave Yoona a nod to confirm Seohyun's statement. "I saw it Yoona. Jessica's a key. Sooyeon will use her just like Seohyun. And Jessica's a witch too. I'm still not sure whether she's a caster or a curser though."

Yoona gritted her teeth. "This can't be happening. Jay said that there is almost no probability of his children getting magic genes."

"He was probably just saying that to appease himself. He is a wizard and Sooyeon is a witch. Their off-springs have high possibilities of being the same." Irene explained clearly. "And since both Jay and Sooyeon came from the Jung ancestry, magic will definitely be present within Jessica."

"Wait. How did you know that Jay and Sooyeon are related?" Taeyeon inquired Irene while looking so confused.

Irene raised an eyebrow at Yoona. "You didn't tell them?"

Yoona sighed whilst shaking her head. "I didn't want to believe it that's why I couldn't tell them."

"What is it, Yoona?" Sooyoung questioned. She looks pissed. At this moment she hated the fact Yoona blocked Sooyoung from listening to her thoughts.

Yoona walked over to the window overlooking the green leaves of the tall trees surrounding their place.

"When we moved to Atlanta, I became friends with Jay. I felt his magic and he knew what I am. As we talked I found out he knew Sooyeon. That's the start of our friendship." Yoona began. "For sixty years he has been avoiding Sooyeon. He was trying to find a way to save his daughters."

"Wait." Seohyun put a hand up looking distressed. "He was trying to save his daughters? And that was sixty years ago? Are you saying Jessica is more than sixty years old?"

"She is." Yoona confirmed with a nod earning gasps from everyone in the room except Irene.

"How is that even possible?" Yuri expressed her doubt. "Jessica's a human. I don't feel any magic power from her."

"That's because it hasn't awaken yet." Yoona replied. Taking a huge deep breath, she faced her friends. "The Jung clan is one of the eight magic families who opened the passage. To open it again, the same eight magical families who put up the seal needs to remove it."

"And that's what the keys are for?" Seohyun asked. "That's why Sooyeon wanted me to come with her?"

"Yes. But like I said before, you can't do that, Seohyun." Yoona sounded firm.

Seohyun scoffed in disbelief. "I listened to you before. I didn't help Sooyeon and look at where it got us. War is imminent, Yoona. If I can help her maybe the war won't happen-"

"You can't!" Yoona bursts, swiping her hand in the air to emphasize her refusal. "And you shouldn't!"

Seohyun jerked in surprise at the unexpected outburst. "Y-Yoona..."

Irene, observing the scene, stepped forward and looked at Seohyun calmly. "What Yoona said is right, Seohyun. The seals of the Passage were sealed for a reason. The eight magical families made sure to put a difficult and powerful seal that will prevent any one who plans to open it. Lifting the seals is difficult."

Yoona looked at Seohyun with soft and worried eyes. "The seals are so powerful that magic alone isn't enough to lift it. You need to offer more- a life force."

Seohyun felt her insides churn. Her knees gave away causing her to slump on the floor. Her eyebrows knitted and her breath hasten. "You mean-"

"Whoever opens the Passage will die, Seohyun." Yoona finished, looking so forlorn. "And that's why I stopped you then and now. I can't lose you, we can't lose you."

Seohyun couldn't close as her breathing quickened at an alarming rate. "What about Jessica then, Yoona? She's a key too!"

"As long as the eight keys aren't complete, the ritual to lift the seal can't be performed. That's why we have no choice but to win this war."

"What if we talk to Sooyeon? Maybe we can convince her that opening the Passage wouldn't do anything good. We can avert this war." Seohyun reasoned. As much as possible, she wanted to solve this issue without any bloodshed.

"She is determined to do this, Seohyun." Yoona argued and her tone sounded very resolute. "Why do you think she decided to have children?"

Seohyun staggered backwards. She looked very crestfallen, understanding finally what Yoona meant. "What I'm thinking isn't true, right?"

Unfortunately Yoona shook her head. "Sooyeon was the last descendant of Jung magical clan. If she didn't bear any child, she would be the key. She had to sacrifice her life force. But she didn't want to die hence she decided to pass the task to her next kin."

Sooyoung balled her hands into fists. Her jaw shook in suppressed rage. "Sooyeon can do that? Or rather did that? If she planned that sixty years ago that means-"

"She made up her mind already." Irene finished. "Sixty years ago Sooyeon, after we turned her away, set her plans into motion. She asked a wizard relative within the Jung clan to help her bear a child. Despite the wizard's objection, their family ordered him to help Sooyeon, to help the cause."

"When Jessica was born however, her body was fragile. She was weak. And so Sooyeon had to bear another child just to make sure in case Jessica couldn't pull through." Yoona said in a slow manner so that they can follow her. "Instead of raising the kids normally, however, they were put in a magical container."

Seohyun gasped in disgust. "A magical container? You mean they were sealed?"

"Wait. What is a magical container?" Taeyeon asked, looking so lost.

"A magical container is a sealed shelter in which the inhabitant doesn't eat, age or grow. It's a shelter that has time frozen until the caster ends it." Seohyun explained carefully. "It's one of the forbidden magic. It was deemed unethical since it robs someone of the time they are suppose to live. The most years I've heard that had someone inside the magical container was twenty four years. How many years did Jessica-"

"Forty one." Yoona replied. "Nineteen years ago, Jessica was released and started maturing."

Irene folded her arms in front of her chest, looking composed as always. Her research and Jay's story that Yoona told her about has let her come to a conclusion. She faced Yoona to debunk her earlier claim. "I don't think Jay was a hundred percent sure about how Jessica's magical abilities will turn out. That's one of the effects of being inside the magical container for a long time. It affected Jessica's sense of time. That included her maturity not only as a human but also as a witch. But there's no doubt about it, given the fact her lineage is one of the eight magical families, Jessica will one day awaken her powers."

Yoona gritted her teeth. Jay told her that using one of the forbidden magic such as magical container can have dire consequences. He thought that consequence would be permanent inactivity of Jessica's magic abilities. Even until right now, Yoona doesn't sense any magical presence within Jessica. So if Jessica's powers will awaken one day like Irene said, then indeed Jessica will be used as a key.

However, if what Jay said happens instead, Sooyeon has an alternative plan and that's her other daughter Krystal. So that's why Sooyeon decided to make two off-springs. She needed to have a contingency plan.

Yoona balled her fist, unbelievably pissed at what Sooyeon is doing. Just to make her century long dream become a reality, Sooyeon didn't hesitate sacrificing her kids.

"We need help. We need to gather our own army." Yoona said.

"We've already done that." Wendy said. "We asked our friends in the Pacific and Bulgarian covens and they agreed to fight. Irene talked to the worker elves and they said they are sending their soldiers to fight with us. We still need to talk to other non-humans out there who haven't allied themselves with Sooyeon."

"Indeed. We need every force we can get." Seulgi agreed.

Yoona was in deep thought. She was planning lots of things in her head. After her brain quickly made a conclusion, she faced Sooyoung. "Sooyoung! Go to the Arctic coven. Tell them what we feared is coming."

Nodding Sooyoung took her leave accompanied by Hyoyeon.

"Seohyun, I want you to find more wizards and witches. You're the only witch in our family and you can't shield us from every jinxes and hexes the Cursers will throw at us. You need help."

"I know who to call." Seohyun grinned and with a twirl of her finger vanished into thin air.

Yoona walked over to the couch, slumping down with her legs crossed. "Irene. Sooyeon probably got the help of the Werewolves. I remember her taking a liking to them back in the days. She asked me what our natural enemy was and I told her we don't get along well with werewolves."

Irene nodded. "The fact that Sooyeon hate vampires herself and if she indeed got the help of the Werewolves, I don't think she'll have any vampire in her army, Yoona."

"But we don't know that yet." Yoona said in a sharp tone. "We need the T'Mali tribe."

"The tribe of shape shifters?" Irene asked again in case she heard it wrong.

"Yes. The werewolves don't only have a strained relationship with vampires. They don't get along well with shape shifters too." Yoona briefly explained. "The T'Mali tribe would be glad to be given a chance to annihilate the entire werewolves."

"But Yoona. That's merely a speculation. We aren't sure there are werewolves involved with Sooyeon."

"This will be war, Irene. Sooyeon will want every non-human on her side. Speculation or not, what we are sure is that we lack the numbers. The T'Mali tribe, if remember, are guardians of one key."

"A key is supposed to have magical abilities. Why will the T'Mali tribe, a clan of shape shifters, have a key in their protection-"

Yoona cuts her off. "The T'Mali tribe resided in North Dakota a long time ago, Irene."

Irene paused, finally grasping the situation. Gasping in realization, her eyes sought Yoona. "The Walters! They're one of the eight magical families and they settled in North Dakota before!"

"Now you get it? It wasn't just the Seos who migrated to the west. There were at least two more magical families who did and one of them was the Walters."

Irene nodded. Now she remembers. Her study about the magical families led her to the west. Aside from the Seos and the Walters, the Penegrieves, decided to settle down to the west as well. The Walters in particular decided to settle down near the T'Mali tribe, who by then can only shape shift to one animal: a big wolf. With the Walters' magic, the T'Mali gained knowledge and capability to shift into other animals.

Since then, the T'Mali tribe and the Walters shared a bond. If Sooyeon is collecting the keys, she wouldn't be able to take it from the protection of the T'Mali and the Walters. But if she brought an army with her, then attacked them, she probably would be successful taking the key.

Sooyeon herself is a very powerful witch already, not as powerful as Seohyun yet, but given a few more years, she'll probably be on the same level of Seohyun if not surpass her. After all, the Jung bloodline runs within her. She was born from one of the eight magical families.

"I'll go then." Irene declared. "I know a friend who's from the T'Mali clan."

"We have to get their allegiance, Irene. Not just the T'Mali but also the Walters. I feel it- a heavy stench of bloodshed. Whoever blinks first will lose." Yoona reminded carefully to which Irene gave a firm nod.

"I know the stakes, Yoona. You can count on me." Irene sternly promised. She looked at Wendy and Seulgi, gesturing her head to the door, beckoning them to come with her.

Left with Taeyeon, Yuri, Joy and Yeri, Yoona heaved a deeply worried sigh. Yuri walked over to the windows to check outside. She didn't smell or hear anyone. They were alone- at least for now.

"Seohyun put up a barrier before she left." She noted, noticing the gleaming purple lit dome surrounding their land. "Any visitor wouldn't see our house. They'd just think it's a dark forest."

"That's for the better. If they had snitched on us and made an ambush we would be outnumbered." Taeyeon said. Also, even if Joy and Yeri are here, they remain to be newly sired vampires. They haven't adjusted to this new life and their vampire abilities haven't fully manifested.

Turning to Yoona, Taeyeon stood right in front of her. "Irene let it slip to Jessica. She somewhat implied we knew her mother."

Yoona's jaw slackened a bit. "I know. I saw it in Irene's head. It was eating her up as well. I felt her guilt."

"Is that the reason why you said you and Jessica can never be together? Because she's a key?"

"No. I can live her being a key. The problem will be the after effects of war. If we lose the war, Jessica will be used to open the passage and she will die alongside the rest of the keys including Seohyun. I don't know if I can bear to lose the both of them." Yoona sprung to her feet, hands inside her pockets. "If we win, however, will Jessica be able to live with the fact we killed her mother?"

Yoona wiped her face with a hand in a clumsy manner. "Or worst if I kill Sooyeon myself."

Joy, who was sitting in a bar stool, stared at Yoona in confusion. "Yoona unnie. From the stories I heard you had a strong bond with this Sooyeon before. Judging from how you speak of her now it's like all love is lost."

Yoona darted her gaze over to Joy. Her jaw clenched from the immediate fury she felt from hearing Sooyeon's name. "You're right. When I had the chance, I should have killed her. I shouldn't have let her lived. I was weak then and clueless of the danger she possess but now I know. That's why even if Jessica will hate me for the rest of her life, I'll kill Sooyeon especially now when it's the only way to stop her."

Getting up, Yoona headed to the door. She needed to be somewhere- out of here, away from Jessica's scent, heartbeat, and emotion.

"I won't be going to school for now. I've someone to find." She said for the last time before jumping and disappearing from their sight.

Yeri glanced over Taeyeon instead. "From what I've heard from Irene unnie, Yoona was formerly in love with this Sooyeon. Why all of the sudden she hates the woman? Is it a bad break-up?"

Taeyeon shook her head, looking so forlorn. "They were never together like what Yoona and Jessica shared before. What Yoona felt for Sooyeon is exactly the same she feels for you and Joy, a sisterly bond, the urge to protect someone. Sooyeon, however, fell in love with Yoona."

"But Yoona could read Sooyeon's mind, right? She would know that the woman's in love with her." Joy reasoned.

"Sooyeon's a witch and she had a nice control of her mind. Yoona couldn't penetrate that deep into her thoughts but she knew from the empathic link she got from Sooyeon that she's in love with Yoona." Taeyeon explained carefully for the new members of the family to understand. "But Sooyeon wasn't Yoona's mate. And so Yoona couldn't reciprocate the feelings more than a friend or a sister. Ironically speaking though, Yoona found her mate and she happens to be Sooyeon's kid. What an unfortunate turn of events, right?"

"But... The killing intent Yoona unnie has for this Sooyeon is very high." Joy nodded. She felt scared actually. She has never seen the kind, smart and always calm Yoona go this violent and heartless.

"I told you, right? That Sooyeon has a control over her mind. She can block Yoona." Taeyeon reiterated, earning nods from the two newbie vamps. "One day, when Sooyeon discovered that Seohyun has in her possession the Book of Spells, her mind control weakened due excitement. At that moment, Yoona managed to penetrate her mind. And Yoona saw things she didn't think Sooyeon could ever do."

Yuri stared outside the window, eyes glazing as she reminisced. "She felt the greed within Sooyeon and Yoona saw her thoughts including the plan to take Seohyun away."

"Take Seohyun away?" Joy pondered for a while. "So that's when Yoona and Sooyeon fell apart."

"Of course, Yoona wouldn't let anyone take Seohyun or anyone in the family away. And so she had to make a decision. It's either the family or Sooyeon. And she chose us. That made Sooyeon angry though so she swore never to mingle with vampires ever again." Yuri continued. From her tone, she sounded proud when she stated that Yoona chose the family.

"That deeply rooted hate Sooyeon has for vampires was something she carried for the upcoming years. No wonder we heard rumors of nomad vampires burned to their end at the places she visited. And that hate, that's what made her stronger and powerful." Taeyeon played all the visions she had of Sooyeon. She felt the deep hate the woman had for them.

Aside from their 'betrayal', especially of the woman Sooyeon loved, the fact they thwarted Sooyeon's plan to take Seohyun away and the Book of Spells made her more desperate. After all, the journey she set off before they found her was to find the Keys and know the proper ritual in lifting the seals of the gate. By now, after travelling the world, Sooyeon probably gathered information about the ritual already. She may no longer need the Book of Spells but the Keys need to be complete.

Closing her eyes, Taeyeon replayed the last time Sooyeon was part of the family.

"Yoona. Listen to me." Sooyeon pleaded in a small voice, staring up into Yoona's darkened orbs. Did it darken in fury or hunger? Sooyeon didn't know but she was sure it was because of her. "I just need to find the ritual in the Book of Spells. I don't need to take it away."

Yoona stood before Sooyeon, tall, mighty, demeaning. She was on guard and it prickled Sooyeon's feelings. All of the sudden, the woman she loved, who treated her gently and lovingly, is now treating her like an enemy. She had her right arm raised on the side, beckoning the rest to stay where they are and not make a move.

"It's not just the book you're after, right?" Yoona stated as if it was a fact. "You, for a moment when you let your guard down due to excitement in finding the book, let me see what was inside your head. What's a key?"

Sooyeon widened her eyes. Yoona saw that? After all the trouble she had in controlling her mind, a split second weakness caused her plans to fall apart.

"It's nothing." She tried to deny. This can't be happening, not when she's this close.

"Then why is Seohyun considered a key? Why do you plan to take her away?" Yoona questioned a heavy tone. Seohyun herself flinched at the change in demeanor of her long time friend.

"Yoona- It's...." For some reason Sooyeon couldn't answer. It's not because she has nothing to say but because her mind couldn't believe Yoona, her Yoona, is treating her this way.

"No." Yoona stated firmly. Sooyeon looked up to her with tearful eyes. Why? Was Yoona always this cold? "You're not taking Seohyun away."

"Y-Yoona... You don't understand-" Sooyeon pleaded.

Yoona gestured everyone to go inside the castle. It was the abandoned castle of the Warrod clan. After moving to Norway to start another new life, they met Wendy and Seulgi who were occupying and protecting the castle. The two vampires are Irene's acquaintances last time she visited Norway. Wendy and Seulgi said their coven can stay in the castle the next time they visit.

Seohyun looked at Yoona in uncertainty. She didn't want to leave. The witch they befriended and treated like family is now the subject of Yoona's wrath although Seohyun herself has no idea why.

"Yoona... We should talk about this." Seohyun suggested softly, watching how Yoona will react.

"No." Yoona replied defiantly. "Please, Seohyun. What I'm doing right now is for our family. You trust me, right?"

Seohyun stared at Yoona's golden brown orbs that reflected her face in sheer clarity. Yoona wouldn't lie to her and Yoona wouldn't do anything to hurt the family. If anything, Yoona would do nothing but protect the family and if that meant turning away a recently added member of the family, no matter how hard, then there may be a reason why Yoona's acting this way.

"About the Book of Spells," Seohyun muttered before she leaves. "You can't have it. It's a memento my parents left me. As for me, I can't leave this family, Sooyeon. And I won't. Not ever. I hope you understand."

Blinking away her tears, Seohyun turned her back and made her way back to the castle. The rest of the vampires gave Sooyeon one final look before following Seohyun's figure.

Alone with Yoona, Sooyeon tried one last time to convince her.

"Look, Yoona. What you saw-"

"It wasn't coincidence, right?" Yoona cut her off. "When you approached us at Rio, when you deliberately made me interested by casting a spell so that I couldn't read your thoughts? You were after Seohyun from the very beginning."

"Okay, I admit that was my intention at Yoona. But I developed feelings for you and that's real." Sooyeon reasoned. "I- I really love you."

Yoona gulped the lump blocking . What's happening right now is tearing her apart but what she saw cannot lie. "I can't return that love, S