WHITE

"No! Jungkook— wait!"

My eyes go wide, and I rush out of my room at the desperate sound of Jimin's agitated voice. Jungkook notices me, his brown eyes filled with tears. Jimin's gripping tightly onto his arm, looking close to crying as well.

"White— did you know?" His words tremble, and I don't know what to say as he touches the outline of Jimin's darkened eye. "That this is my fault?"

I try to control my expression, but Jungkook's known me too long. He sees me through like glass, and he swallows dryly.

"So everyone knew, and they all refused to tell me." He murmurs emptily, something in his eyes broken. "White, I thought at least you—"

His hands are shaking.

"So I made you into a crippled Powerless."

A frustrated sound comes deep from Jimin's throat, and he shakes his head wildly. "Jungkook, I told you it isn't your fault—"

"I'm sorry. I just need to be by myself for a while."

"No—" I shout, but by then he's already gone. The dark wisps of his Blessing is the only thing that's left of him, and Jimin sinks to the ground with his face buried in his sleeves.

"H-He found out. And it's all because of me ." He stutters when I wrap my arms tight around his shoulders, my expression still frozen from shock with what just happened. "I should've listened to you."

"It's not anyone's fault." I say firmly, making my voice as soothing as it would go. "Jimin, don't worry. He'll come back— probably in like a few hours. Jungkook's just not the type to disappear for long, you know that. It'll be fine."

I hug him tight, blinking emptily. I'd seen the look in his eyes, before he'd left.

He blamed himself. So hard— enough to have that broken expression.

"It'll be fine." I repeat softly, listening to Jimin press down his cries to silence.  But I know my words are empty words, and he knows it too.

The both of us don't know when Jungkook's going to come back.

_________________________

"He's gone to Yoongi." V says, voice quiet. He sighs softly, pressing his lips together. "To probably ask to cancel the entire trade you did, hyung. But that's not possible."

"We should go right now then!" Jimin exclaims, getting to his feet. "Maybe he's still there—"

"It's a half day on horseback." Morning murmurs under her breath, her eyes thoughtful. "And he most likely won't be there once we arrive. He can teleport."

"I'm going still." Jimin says, the frustration showing clear on his face. "There's no other lead."

"Then I'll go too." I pipe up, and V fixes a stare at me. He sighs softly, running his hand through his dark hair.

"I'm where White is."

"I can't leave Winter now." Jin says, scrunching his features in dislike. "I need to take care of the papers. Damn, that's going to be so boring."

"This isn't a joke." Morning snaps at him, but crosses her arms, leaning back on the wall. "I'll stay. Rell, too. If something happens and all of you go MIA, then she's the only way we can locate you."

I bite my lip, looking over at Rell's closed door. She must be sleeping right now, but when she wakes up to find is gone, she probably wasn't going to be happy.

"We're going now."

Jimin stresses, his face cloudy. He rushes out to the stable so fast that I have to grab his cloak for him, and V looks deep in thinking as he clasps his around his throat.

________________________

JUNGKOOK

"I don't do returns."

My lips purse in frustration as he taps his chin, features disappointed. "Jimin looked so determined when he first came to fix you, kid. So determined to keep it a secret from you too, because he didn't want this to happen."

He fixes a dark-eyed look at me.

"Go back to him. He's probably worried sick about you."

"It's too unfair." I whisper, my teeth tugging repeatedly at my bottom lip. "You're the Sage. I'll do anything to reset the trade."

"First of all," He says darkly, and I swallow at his sharp, narrowed gaze. "I warned that idiot— and he was still willing to give all that up for you little brat. And if I'd asked for more, he would've done it. He would've still given it all up."

"And second— the trade is irreversible."

My throat goes dry, and I force back the tears stinging at my eyes. I couldn't just go back. I had to do something.

But what can I do?

I hear him sigh. "Go back. I'm not going to tell you again, kid. Or I'm just going to have to kick you out myself."

I'm still staring at the floor as I hear him turn around and walk away. I can still remember with that winter boar— the way he'd looked around confusedly when V hyung had first called his name.

And if it hadn't been for his knife, both of us wouldn't be alive.

Irreversible.

I bury my face into my hands, standing alone in the empty halls of the Palace.

________________________

WHITE

I press my lips together as I swing my legs off the horse, glancing worriedly at the two of them.

Jimin looks absolutely exhausted, his cheeks flushed and his entire body trembling with the fatigue. And V somehow looks even worse than that, his eyes still bright green with anger.

They'd been fighting and arguing the entire way here.

The problem was that because of his halved eyes and ears, Jimin couldn't keep his balance during riding. And after he'd almost fallen off for the third time, V had forced him to ride together.

But siblings were siblings.

I'd offered like five times to ride with Jimin, but V had refused so firmly that I'd stopped trying after the fifth time.

"Do you— um, want to rest or something?" I ask, looking over at their states. They'd literally tired each other out arguing, and honestly killed off my ears making me listen to all that.

"No, it's fine." Jimin sighs, catching his breath as he shoots another look at V. "But you're still riding wrong. Father didn't teach it to us that way!"

"Hyung, shut up. Mother was always the better—"

"Shut up!!"

They both turn to me, eyes wide at my furious scream. I stomp at the ground, my cheeks red with annoyance as I point at the two of them.

"If you say one more word about this, I swear I'm going to kill you two and throw you both off that cliff! You see the cliff?!"

They quiet down after that, looking shocked as I huff out a breath and make my way towards the entrance. And then V pulls me back, a light smile on his face.

"Demoiselle, that's not the right way."

I blush, forcing my head up and walking towards the other direction. It's even worse when I can practically sense him trying not to laugh out loud as I quickly walk in fast steps towards the huge doors.

How had I not seen that?

But then just as I'm about to open the door, Jimin bursts of it. The corners of my eyes soften at the depressed look he has on his face, and I already know that Jungkook has left.

"He isn't here." Jimin mumbles, looking even more tired. He sighs heavily, dragging his feet on the ground. "I'm sorry— I knew that he wasn't going to be here, I guess."

"You didn't hear me out, Jimin."

An icy voice makes me jump, and I whip around to see a pale man. He's shrouded in dark, with black hair nearly covering his night eyes. My eyes go wide.

Sage.