WHITE

"Why do you need bandages when you have me?"

At my confused exclamation, V gives me a sharp look. When Jimin bursts into laughter, he turns his narrow gaze onto his sibling before shifting back to me.

"Do you want another Mark when yours faded just yesterday?" He growls, tugging at his crimson-colored shirt. "Can the both of you leave?"

"No, but I think I can take it this time." I assure him, and his pale face scrunch into a wince. Jimin is giving him a surprised look for some reason, his mouth gaping open. "For real, I've been practicing."

"......"

"Fine."

"Okay." I'm walking with a satisfied half-smile on my face when he suddenly pulls his shirt over his head, revealing pale skin and the knife wound, red against the white.

"Wait what?"

When I slap both hands over my eyes, I hear the shrill familiar sound of Jimin's  amused laughter echo in the room. He'd just seated himself in the corner of the room now, with an amused look on his face.

When V growls deep in his throat and begins to reach for the white bandages, I wave my hands.

"Okay, okay, okay! I'm sorry." I say quickly, steeling my gaze and bracing for the familiar pain as I touch his shoulder. But when I do, all I feel is cool, smooth skin and my Blessing.

No pain, just like last time.

My confusion is still apparent on my face even when his wound is gone, keeping my hand on him even when my Blessing dissipates with its limit reached.

Then the pain comes back, and I stumble back rubbing the two of my hands with a agonized wince on my face.

Then I look at him, and the expression he has on his face stuns me to the ground. There's something like a mix of  desperation, bitterness, and lust— all coming together with conflicted realization.

"Jimin, get out." He suddenly says, not even giving a glance to his older brother as he raises himself from the bed. There's almost like an urgency to his movements, and I force down the instinct to simply just run.

"Well—" Jimin drags out, eyes flickering curiously. "What are you going to do?"

Then V points an opened palm towards his direction, his Blessing flaming to life. At that, Jimin rolls his eyes in disappointment and exits the room, his steps quick.

"W-W-Wait!" I exclaim when he suddenly comes close, his steps fleeting. To my surprise, he actually stops, the color of his eyes a deep forest green. "What are you—"

"Hand."

"What?"

"Your hand, demoiselle." He whispers, and I look down confusedly at his outstretched one. "Sometimes I think you really have the intelligence of a child."

"But it'll hurt like heck!"

But when the stare he's giving me turns even more flatter than it already is, I purse my lips and slide my hand into his already-spread ones.

My Blessing's already spent.

But it doesn't hurt. The same feeling of his cold, smooth skin brushing against mine, making a shiver run down the length of my spine.

"Your hands are so cold."

"They're always cold." He says back, crumpling a glove in his hands as he lets go. "I'll assume I don't have to wear this from now on."

"Wait!" I repeat, surprise still showing on my features. "Why— why doesn't it hurt? It should hurt!"

When he gives nothing but a small shrug, I fight the urge to glare at him. He clearly knew— why wasn't he just telling me?

"Fine." I say, before I start guessing. "Is it because of your feelings? Is it your Blessing?"

"Your second Test Trial is tomorrow, demoiselle." He mutters, pointing at the ground and ignoring my disappointed expression. "I suggest we work on your Blessing before mine."

"You have a Test Trial today?!" I exclaim, and his face scrunch when he realizes what he's said. But by now, it's too late and he knows it.

"Can I—"

"No."

"You didn't even hear me out." My lips press, pretending to not see him when he taps his feet on the floor. "Can I watch? What time is it?"

"Sit. Down." V growls, and I follow his instructions before staring at him expectantly for answers. "Concentrate."

"This doesn't do anything." My head already pounding with distractions, I start complaining. "Shouldn't I be working on attacking? This seems pointless."

"Blessings separate into branches." He says sharply, completely ignoring my complaints. "Healing can hurt as well."

"What?"

Like he'd already expected my answer, he doesn't even say his usual remark on how a toddler had more understanding and sense than me.

"My Blessing," Red lines blur into white, surrounding the outline of his lean, slender figure like an aura. "It's pain. I can touch to give it, but you saw back at Rhys. Touch doesn't have to be necessary."

"And I can also do this."

Then without any kind of warning at all, he dips me into a world of blood. In the distance, I can hear someone's screams— except they don't sound human at all.

It's gone as fast as it had come.

The agony draws away in all but a second, but I'd seen death in that moment. My breaths are torn in gasps as I scramble for a hold on the ground, hands trembling violently.

"You're absolutely insane." I huff, my heart slamming multiple times into my chest as he runs his fingers through his dark hair. "You're insane!"

Fury runs through me like fire, unable to take what he'd just done. And he wasn't even doing anything— not even a simple sorry. He was just standing there, his gaze empty when he'd just killed me and brought me back to life.

This damn man.

I leap at him, my body acting by itself. I don't even mind the pain I feel when I shove him in the chest, so small compared to what he'd just put me through.

It made me more angry than anything he'd ever done.

The way he's looking at me— like he was curious to see what I was going to do next, makes my eyes blind with rage. I don't even hesitate next as I push him onto the bed and climb on top.

And then before he can even move a single finger, I tilt his head from his shoulder and press my lips against the skin of his neck.

V gasps, green eyes wide.

I wanted to hurt him so much, the same way he did to me without even blinking an eye. He hadn't even hesitated.

He made me so mad.

"W-White." Emotion is now completely set free in him, and I feel his hands tighten around my waist, another strangled sound ripping from his lips when I move to kiss his jaw. His skin is firm and cool, and I can feel him tremble underneath my grip.

And just as Jimin said, I don't feel his pain.

Then a small whimper escapes him, and I freeze. All of a sudden, the uncontrollable fury I'd felt turns into pure, terrifying shock.

What am I doing?!

I nearly fall off the bed when I jump away from him, almost stumbling over my own feet as I climb down. V looks at me with those still-wide eyes, hand wrapped around his neck.

"I'm so sorry." My Blessing flares into life in the both of my hands, ready to heal the Marks I must've made on him. But when I skim my eyes over his neck and jaw, I don't see anything that I should see.

There aren't any Marks.