WHITE

"Have you seen V?"

"V hyung?" Jungkook repeats, splayed out on the bed in one of the guest rooms. "I saw him yesterday."

My eyebrow raises, and he shrugs at me. "When did you decide to start calling V that?"

"Ever since Noona threatened me to respect my elders or she was going to hang my head on a tree."

I give him a look, and his poker face crumples into laughter.

"Fine— just joking." He giggles, before straightening his features back again. "Okay, but seriously I don't know where he is."

"You could've just said that from the beginning."

Sticking out my tongue, I slam the door shut before he can do the same to me. We both loved to have the last word, and I smile brightly as I march down to Asher's room.

"Ash!"

"What—" He drones out, before he snaps his head to me. "Have you seen Morning?"

"She's probably avoiding you."

He groans, finally sliding out of his bed. "I'm going to go find her."

"Have you seen V?"

"Go check his room." He mutters back, yawning. "Don't tell me that you haven't and you literally just came here first."

Oh.

Cheeks blushing with embarrassment, I quickly walk back out the way I'd come in.

Was he still asleep?

But when I open the door to his room, I instantly shiver at the cold. The window's wide open, and I hurry to close it shut.

It's freezing in here.

The bed's empty, and my eyes narrow confusedly. V would never leave a window open like that, especially his room. Why would he even do that?

What was going on?

_______________________

V

My heart races.

How did she know?

The floor is made of steel glass— everything is. The walls, even the ceiling is just transparent, unbreakable material.

And if I slit my eyes open just a bit, I can see the ground thousands of feet below me.

Cruel witch.

Fingers tightening on my upper arm, I finally open my eyes and stumble to my feet. I couldn't just sit there until someone came.

I sigh.

White. She would've noticed by now.

Running my hand along the glass, I open my eyes and look down. My head pounds, and I instinctively stumble back at the pouring dizziness.

My shoulder hits the floor, and I find myself looking straight below through the glass.

"......"

Damn this.

Sighing sharply, I run my fingers through my hair as I force up to sitting position.

Click.

My entire body tenses.

Then I hear the slide of glass against glass, and flicker my eyes up behind my locks. Five feet from the right, eight feet from the left. A rectangular door.

There was a damn door?

I'd run my hands all over this place and hadn't touched a single inch-wide gap.

"How do you like your room?"

A shiver runs up my spine as I fix my eyes on the ground in front of me, watching as a pair of amber heels come into view.

Then I feel her fingers brush across my cheek, and turn my head to the side.

"Don't touch me."

"Pretty little thing." She laughs, and I want to make her never speak again in that annoying, high-pitched voice of hers.

I can feel her coming closer.

"Does your fiancé know about this?" I hiss under my breath, and she draws back with a little gasp.

I couldn't let her touch me. At all costs— I'd already been touched once, and the only person I'd keep letting would be White.

And her only.

"My fiancée." She suddenly laughs, and I can finally breathe as she draws back. "Don't you remember? I choose who I marry, V."

My gaze is murderous as I watch her turn around on her heel.

"And you're definitely not an exception to that."

_________________________

WHITE

"Jungkook! Teleport me!"

"No!" He yells back, clearly frustrated. On the side, Morning gives me a firm look and shakes her head.

Asher's left the room, too stressed to keep still. He's probably pacing furiously in the hall outside, ever since we found a torn piece of amber fabric just outside V's window.

Jungkook looks into my glaring eyes.

"Everyone thinks you're dead, White! Including the Empress. Imagine what she'd do to V if she finds out he didn't kill you!"

"Who knows what she's already doing to him."

"Whatever it is, it'll be worse if she finds out." Jungkook says, and he gets a determined look on his face. "I'll go check first."

Before I can protest.

Before anyone can protest, there's a flicker. When I blink, Jungkook's not there anymore.

He's gone.

"We should begin preparing." Morning suddenly says, calling Asher back in. She called him Jin now— everyone did, except I sometimes still confused it. Her ice white eyes sweep around the room.

"Preparing for what?"

"To go to Amber Palace." She replies, looking up at me. "V did not tell you about this?"

Oh. The coup.

Then her eyes glint in realization. "Oh. I understand. This is related to what Jungkook said earlier— about everyone thinking that you're dead."

"Unnie?"

She looks up at me, her fingers still closed around a knife.

"So you think she took him for sure?"

"It's almost sure." She nods, and I sigh heavily. It was obvious— why was I even asking, anyway?

Then she walks to Jin, and tightens the band he'd been struggling to get around his back.

Normally he'd be giving her a surprised, wide smile at her first gesture, but today he just nods with a depressed look on his face.

"We would have to wait for—"

Then I almost scream as an arm wraps around my neck, and someone leans heavily against my back.

"Damn, that's tiring." Jungkook's dazed voice comes from behind me, and I twist around as fast as I can.

"How are you back already?"

"Okay." He blinks tiredly, sitting down on the floor. "So I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"Uh—"

"Good news." Jin pipes up, looking hopeful as he fixes his silver eyes on Jungkook.

"V hyung's not hurt. Well, at least from what I saw. Zero damage."

A relieved breath rushes out of my lips. So this was amazing— that psychotic witch wasn't keeping him somewhere and torturing the heck out of him.

"But the bad news is that he's trapped. In the air."

"In the air?" Jin exclaims, whipping around. "My baby's acrophobic! That amber-colored bitc—"

My eyes widen.

"He's afraid of heights?"

"Since he's been born." He says glumly, wincing as Morning tightens the strap firmly. "Can't—breathe."

"Good." She taps his shoulder, her voice monotone. "That's the way it's supposed to be."

I'm tired." Jungkook whines, and I wrap my fingers around the top of his head. My Blessing flares to life, and I peek at his expression.

"Does this help?"

"Kind of, I guess." Then he grabs my hand and puts it on his cheek, looking thoughtful. That's before Jin slaps it away, his hands somehow already gloved.

"You sneaky little rabbit." He says loudly, and Jungkook grins like he'd expected him to do that.

"Okay— I think I can go now."