Prologue

Jessica loved a man once and now as she flew on her cloud-pine, she was thinking of him and of all the errors she had made. She was flying low, away from her bickering sisters and sought temporary refuge in the wide span of the night sky. There was only the sound of the wind and the moon bathed her in its gleam light.

"Where am I going?" She asked herself, suddenly aware of what she had done and what she was supposed to do. She imagined what her sisters must have thought of her sudden departure from the council. She could already hear her oldest sister say: "That wasn't very polite, Jessica."

Jessica was three hundred years old and not once did she disobey tradition. But tonight, Jessica, third-in-line to the Divine Throne of the Soshi Empire, would do it twice.

--

Kwon Yuri was running. She was running for her life. The man had a gun and like everyone else, Yuri knew that one shot was all it would take to end someone's life. The adrenaline rush went steady for her. She was now sure she was almost flying as she jumped up the fence and landed easily.

Bang!

Yuri fell forward, her hands automatically shielding her face against the impact. She rolled on the hard cement for a good two meters before lying flat on her back and panting hard. She didn't feel anything, couldn't feel anything other than how it was difficult to breathe after the fall. The man in pursuit slowly walked towards her. He seemed almost afraid to get near his victim. He slightly raised his hand that held the gun towards the now unusually quiet girl. His aim was steady and most certainly precise.

A swift and flawless death -

his superior had ordered. The hitman took forty-three seconds before he finally pulled the trigger. Yuri closed her eyes and felt the bullet hit her or rather, felt a searing pain enter through her heart that travelled swiftly across her body. Amidst the ordeal, Kwon Yuri had the time to ask herself:

Am I even supposed to feel any pain with this kind of death?

Then she opened her eyes and for forty-three seconds, saw Jessica's world

and it was dying.

--

Jessica witnessed the sudden flash up ahead. It looked like someone drew a straight yellow line across the sky. She didn't have time to shield her eyes as she saw the brilliant glow from where the light struck. It was in the mountains, the strike destroyed a mile's worth of trees. Under the moonlight, the damage looked ominous. Jessica cautiously descended towards the center point of the impact.

Keeping a firm hand on her cloud-pine in case of unexpected situations, she hovered above the mist and saw a form. It was human, that much she could tell. Jumping off her cloud-pine, she walked towards the lying figure. She quickly summoned a light with her right hand, circling her index finger as the soft light grew bigger above them. The girl's face came into view and Jessica decided right there and then that she was harmless. She bent down low, taking in more of the other person's features.

"What are you?" came from the girl. So low was her voice that it was almost a whisper. It was enough indication for Jessica to know that she was in pain and it was only later, in the comfort of her own home, that Jessica had the time to reflect on the girl's peculiar question.

Suddenly feeling impatient, Jessica abruptly pushed the light she created a while ago higher above them.

"Illuminate."

As soon as Jessica finished the last syllable, the small ball of light burst into the sky and effectively lit the entire forest. She looked down and noticed for the first time that the girl's clothes were soaked with blood and so was the ground beneath her. The girl weakly raised one of her hands to cover her eyes from the blinding light. At the slight movement, more blood slowly trailed away from the girl. The grass underneath her was turning into crimson, intent on erasing any traces of green at all.

Jessica felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. She was afraid. Jessica who never once felt 'real' fear in her life was now trying to stay calm and focused.

"What have you done to end up in such a state?" For two seconds, Jessica could have sworn she felt irritation towards the girl. The feeling quickly vanished and the overwhelming fear took over again. The girl was losing too much blood. Jessica had no choice. She had to take the girl back home.

And it was forbidden.

Chapter 1  

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Seohyun was not in the mood. In fact, as she strolled down the palace garden, she was sure that everyone within the walls, servants included was not in the mood. After Jessica's dramatic exit from the evening council, she was positive things are about to get...

She looked around and noticed instantly that all the flowers are wilting, turning into browns and blacks. Letting out a sigh, she knelt down and picked up a fallen flower. It was dying rapidly and Seohyun smiled sadly. I'm sorry, she thought, my mood got the better of me.

...exciting. That was the word. It was about time something happened for a change in this awfully boring empire. She looked down on her hand.

"Live, little thing..." She whispered softly. And the garden brightened up, yellow and red and blue and white under the moonlight. Seohyun's smile widened and for a moment she felt inexplicably lonely having no one to share the view with.

"Sometimes I think you do that intentionally."

Seohyun didn't even turn around to acknowledge the owner of the voice. She stood up and continued walking albeit slowly this time, waiting for the newcomer to join her.

"How is everyone?"

The other girl shrugged. "You were there too. Everyone's upset."

"Are you?" Seohyun idly sat down near the pond. The girl followed suit and sat down in the opposite manner as Seohyun's: ungracefully. Seohyun gave out a small laugh as the girl gave her a small frown.

"I'm not sure."

"Why?"

"You really want to know?" the girl asked. Seohyun knew her well enough to know that she wasn't playing around anymore. That she was serious and that Seohyun had to listen because this girl says the most insightful things in all the land and she wouldn't want to miss that.

"Yes." Seohyun said. "I want to know."

"Because I think she's not ready. I don't think she'll be ready anytime soon. I don't think the ascension will do her any good."

Before Seohyun could answer, a gust of wind suddenly came; leaves suddenly flew all around in random motions. Seohyun didn't have time to shield her eyes as it was gone as soon as it arrived. There was a loud thud nearby and both of them were equally surprised to discover what the loud noise was.

It was Jessica covered in blood.

"Yoona, Seohyun. I need your help."

--

Yoona didn't even notice the other girl. As soon as Jessica flew down from her cloud-pine, she was filled with a unique sense of relief. A feeling reserved for her closest friends and Jessica wasn't one of them. It was trivial and Yoona didn't like trivial things.

"Help her." Jessica's voice stirred Yoona out of her thoughts. It was really more of a command than a request. Yoona instinctively bowed low, years of protocol drilled into her did not fail to remind her of Jessica's status; in her family, in their empire, in their world.

"What happened to her?" Seohyun knelt down touching the girl's face, apparently recovering faster from the situation compared to her. Yoona stood rooted on the ground as the things became clearer.

"I don't know. Can you fix her?"

Jessica was referring to the other girl, the one whose head Seohyun was now cradling on her lap. She was unconscious and obviously the reason for Jessica's stained clothes. The next thing Yoona noticed was not the girl's odd clothes or the fact that she was human. No. The most important thing Yoona noticed was that Jessica was sweating. Some of her blonde streaks clung to her forehead and sweat was dripping down the sides of her eyes. Yoona couldn't recall ever seeing Jessica in such state - even on the training field.

Just then Jessica looked up at her. Yoona blinked in surprise. She was caught staring. She was staring and a girl was dying. Expecting an icy glare, Jessica simply looked down again without so much as saying something arrogant like: 'Why are you standing there with your mouth hanging open while someone's bleeding to death?'

Odd, Yoona thought. Odd indeed.

"So?"

"I can heal her. But unnie are you sure?" Seohyun said. They all knew what the question meant.

Jessica nodded. "Just fix her."

Seohyun bent down and whispered softly to the girl.

There is no darkness without light 

There is no life without death 

I call upon the forces that bind you, come to the light 

Come to the light, your time is not yet done 

Come to the light

Yoona held her breath. It wasn't everyday that one can see Seohyun saving someone's life. In fact, this was only the third time she has witnessed the ritual and she suddenly felt grateful having done so. There was beauty in power and Seohyun was known to wield one of the most beautiful chants throughout the empire.

A soft light emitted from within the girl and colour came to her once pale cheeks. Yoona wrinkled her nose. It was ironic that magic can bring back someone to life but not take away the awful pungent smell of blood.

Unlike the last two rituals Yoona had seen, this one was the strangest. The girl did not open her eyes in a graceful way like the others have done. No. In fact as soon as the girl took her first breath, she bolted up missing Seohyun by an inch. The girl let out an ear-piercing scream before eventually stopping to catch her breath.

"Done?" Was all Jessica said, Yoona noted irritation in her voice. The Ice Princess was back.

The girl just sat there, breathing hard while clutching her heart.

"Do you have a name?" Seohyun gently touched her shoulders. The girl looked up at the inquiry, still confused. She was clearly afraid. However, it did not escape Yoona that the girl's face softened when her gaze turned towards Jessica. The girl seemed to recognize her.

"Yuri." She finally said. "My name is Kwon Yuri."

--

Chapter 2 

The Stranger

Taeyeon found herself woken up very early in the morning and for a good reason: News of Jessica bringing a human girl into the palace was spreading throughout the capital even now as she rubbed her eyes from sleep. The servant who came to tell her of Jessica's latest antic was trembling in fear, obviously more afraid of how she would react to the news rather than disturbing her sleep.

Astounding, she thought, Jessica wouldn't be so careless. She stood up and waved to dismiss the girl.

"Send for Jessica. I'll see her in the garden. Now."

Taeyeon sighed as she changed into more presentable attire. For this day, she chose a simple white silk dress. Today was tribute day, she remembered, no need to wear her official color. That and she wouldn't want to deal with Jessica according to their positions. No, not on tribute day.

Taeyeon walked out of her room and down the marbled hallway. Dawn was already fighting the night sky as she walked down the steps leading towards the garden. Taeyeon smiled fondly when she realized that the last time she was out this early was also with Jessica. It was ages ago, back when they were young, barely a hundred years old. They raced all over the empire the night before, trying to settle who can fly the fastest and gotten so far out that they had to travel using chants they learned from school just so they can get back before sunrise. And trying to bribe young Seohyun to not tell a soul - ultimately bullying her into silence when ceremonial gems wouldn't work.

Time flies so fast.

Taeyeon barely had time to recover from the change. Their schooldays were suddenly over; replaced with endless hours of observing and decision-making and giving out harsh and sometimes pointless orders. Taeyeon grew up, albeit close friends telling her otherwise, into her character. The eldest daughter of the ruling god, she was by default, the better daughter. The one who stayed awake while the tutors made Jessica run five miles, four on lucky days, as punishment for sleeping shamelessly in class. The one who probably won't have the chance of being with the person she loves because there are more important things to worry about. Like the empire and hundreds of worlds tasked for safekeeping.

So Taeyeon grew up, Seohyun started her own lessons and Jessica fell in love. It was the way things were bound to be. Taeyeon just wasn't expecting the change to happen sooner than she wanted it to be. The next thing she knew, Jessica was keeping secrets and sneaking out into the night and coming back flushed and excited with roses tucked behind the belt of her dress. Seohyun would ask her questions about their sister's unexpected behavior and she would be tired from meetings and would simply instruct her to leave Jessica alone.

Taeyeon stopped her thoughts when she finally spotted Jessica. With the dawn finally winning over the night sky, Jessica looked ethereal standing there. With flowers on her feet and the soft glow she had - secured by her birthright, she looked like someone who has just ascended.

"Jessica." She called out. Jessica turned around to face her and the magic suddenly disappeared. Taeyeon saw the tiredness in her sister's eyes and felt suddenly guilty for having to snatch her out of her warm bed.

"I take full responsibility for the girl. As soon as she's well enough, I'll escort her out of the capital myself." Jessica said, not even giving Taeyeon the chance to sit down.

Taeyeon sighed, her sister proved to be getting more and more diplomatic and straight to the point as the years went by. And she used to be such a nice person, she thought.

"I already know that. The question I want you to answer, dear sister, is why is she here?"

"That is what I'm about to find out. Now if you're done I'd like to see her now. Seeing it's already morning anyway. The sooner she gives me answer, the sooner she leaves."

"You're not going to give me a long explanation, are you?" Taeyeon said. So much hostility Jessica, what have I done for you to be this untoward?

"After my departure last night, I flew around and saw her up in the mountains, near the Eastern gate."

Taeyeon raised an eyebrow. "You saw her?" She folded her arms. "While flying?"

Check mate. Jessica looked irritated. "There was an explosion, like lighting of some sort and I went to examine the area. That's where I saw her."

"You didn't have to bring her here."

"She was bleeding."

Taeyeon nodded.

"I will see her later today."

Jessica gave her a quick nod, looking as unbending as ever. Taeyeon shivered and knew well enough that it was Jessica who caused the temperature to drop.

"And the rumor?"

"I sent for a servant to change the girl's clothes last night. No one else saw her."

"Just as I thought. Have you spoken to this servant?"

"She is already dismissed." Jessica said icily.

Taeyeon breathed out loud, her face showing a strange reaction. Jessica was never fond of her sister's facial exercises but she knew her well enough to know that she was being dismissed.

"Thank you." Jessica turned to leave but Taeyeon gently grabbed Jessica's arm, effectively stopping the blonde.

"Don't get too distracted. You have to decide on your ascension soon. I can't protect you forever little sister."

Jessica hated it when Taeyeon called her that but she simply nodded. "I know." And continued to walk away.

"Jessica!" Taeyeon called out as Jessica was about to leave her sight. Her sister stopped and looked at her.

"Three days." Taeyeon knew she was being unfair but Jessica strived in pressure and competition. That was how her younger sister worked. She knew her best of all.

Jessica merely raised an eyebrow.

"You have three days to find out and she's out of here."

"Done."

Taeyeon smiled. Some things never change.

With Jessica gone, Taeyeon felt a sudden wave of nostalgia. She closed her eyes and saw Jessica and Seohyun and unplanned picnics and days of wandering outside the palace walls. They were the worst of the worst and their parents had to be creative each and every time with their punishments.

She opened her eyes and looked to where Jessica had walked out and felt the overwhelming sadness of the wonder years. Taeyeon gazed up at the sky and wasn't surprised that darks clouds started to gather.

Come back Jessica. I miss you. We miss you.

And then it started to rain.

--

"So this came from me?" Yuri said, holding out what looked to be a bullet fragment. Opposite her were Seohyun and Yoona. They were in Yoona's room and Yuri was propped up by the headboard, her body still weak from her healed injuries.

"Yes and there was another one but the pieces were too small." Yoona said. She was already starting to like the girl. Unlike most people in the palace, Seohyun and Yoona were probably the only ones who were actually excited to have Yuri around.

"Amazing!" Yuri said. "I thought I was dead when that man shot me. But I'm alive right? I can still eat right?"

Seohyun and Yoona looked at each other and laughed. What a strange girl to be worrying over food and admiring the weapon that almost took her life.

"You most certainly are. So do you remember why you're here?" Yoona said, offering a piece of fruit to Yuri. The girl accepted and brought it to her mouth without even inspecting it. Yuri's eyes disappeared, the fruit was inexplicably sour.

"What is this thing?" she said, swallowing down hard.

"It's called an Iba." Seohyun said, taking away the fruit from Yuri's hand. "I guess it's too strong for humans."

Yuri turned silent. She has been hearing this 'human' talk in reference to her since she woke up and she was hoping she wouldn't have to deal with the fact that she was in a strange land with strange people who coincidentally and conveniently talked in her own language.

"It's okay," Yoona smiled, taking in her abrupt silence, "you're in shock. We understand. You don't have to force yourself today."

"I don't remember much." Yuri wanted to tell them, explain to them how she got there but couldn't because she knew that telling them about the man who held a gun to her face wasn't important. It wasn't the point. Yuri knew, at the back of her mind, right after she opened her eyes and saw the blonde girl in the forest that she was supposed to remember something entirely different. Something so vital that she was supposed to tell them - these people who were kind enough to change her into fresh clothes and offer her sour fruits in the morning.

Yoona watched the emotions play out on Yuri's face. The girl seemed to get lost easily in her own world as she finally settled into a small frown. Yoona decided, right there and then, that the stranger was prettier when she was smiling.

"I remember pine trees." Yuri said, suddenly feeling tired.

"You were found outside the capital, in the mountains." Seohyun said. "That would explain it. Is there anything else you remember?"

"I remember..." Yuri paused as Jessica entered the room.

Yuri smiled.

"...her."

Chapter 3  

The Way Things Are

The news also reached Tiffany, naturally. Perhaps the only difference was how it reached her: Taeyeon herself sent a palace messenger to inform her personally. The lithe person clad in the jet black uniform, Tiffany couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, was already perched on top of her porch baluster when she woke up. The palace messenger bowed and disappeared in the blink of an eye after handing Tiffany the scroll with Taeyeon's seal stamped on it. Tiffany smiled; higher-beings surely knew how to deliver a message.

Forgive me for the tacky news-relaying. News of Jessica bringing a human girl into the capital is not worth entering your thoughts in such an ungodly hour. That and I know how much you despise it. She will probably come to you for help. Please don't hold back and help her as best as you can.

Also, since it is tribute day, it would please me very much if you can come to the palace tonight. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon are racing today. They are always entertaining.

Tiffany rolled the scroll back up and finally noticed the lingering traces of rain around the marble terrace. Everyone in the Soshi Empire, even those who lived far south, knew that there was only one reason for an unscheduled rain: Taeyeon, the eldest princess, was distressed.

Tiffany's father had always reprimanded his daughter for worrying too much. On the dinner table, he would say to her: "I am afraid that one of these days you'll simply fall over and never wake up due to your constant worrying over the simplest of things. I am the head of the Imperial Guard and I don't even worry as much as you do." At which point, Tiffany would throw her hands up and admit that she does worry a lot.

But today, as she moved inside to change her clothes, it was alright to be worried.

--

There is always a first time to everything - first human encounter included. Jessica walked into the room not knowing what to expect from the girl who made her feel, for the lack of a better word, uneasy. Years ago, Jessica would have immediately taken the girl to Taeyeon and let the crown princess handle the entire mess by herself; because Taeyeon, her parents and even Seohyun spoiled her shamelessly like that. Perhaps they knew that being sociable was never one of her strong points. But now as Yuri's face brightened upon her arrival, Jessica suddenly found herself trying.

"Hello! Thank you for saving me!" Yuri said, cheerfully. She tried bowing but to no avail. Her position didn't give room for the formality. Yoona and Seohyun stood up and gave her a short bow before returning to their seats. The three of them were eating assorted fruits that were scattered on the bed.

Jessica found herself smiling, albeit a small one, the kind of smile she usually has while watching the elders dance on tribute day. The one that meant she was thinking of something else or as a close friend explained: the one that meant she was spacing out.

Jessica sat down the end of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, surprising the higher-beings in the room, including herself with how gentle the question was.

Yoona choked on a piece of fruit and coughed like her life depended on it. Seohyun opened her mouth and gave out an inaudible 'oh'. Yuri continued to smile, oblivious of the significance of what just took place.

The question was soft and thoughtful. And if anyone asked Yoona or Seohyun, it was far too gentle. Jessica never asked gentle questions - at least not anymore.

"Better," Yuri answered, "I thought I was going to die back there."

The girl, Yuri, was obviously recovering fast from the almost-fatal wounds and wasn't scared out of her wits anymore. In addition, she was no longer covered in blood. Scrubbed clean and dressed in Soshi clothes, Yuri's darker skin tone did not hide her undeniably human descent.

Not luminous and white like us, but tanned and inexplicably attractive.

"Uhm..." Yuri started, fidgeting under Jessica's gaze. The princess blinked, and was embarrassed to be caught staring. The embarrassment turned into annoyance as she could make out Yonna's smirk within her peripheral vision.

"She doesn't remember how she got here." Seohyun said, saving Jessica from the awkward situation. "What do you think unnie?"

Jessica expected as much, but a human girl who suddenly appears out of nowhere is not to be taken lightly. There is a reason for everything. Either someone had purposely sent the girl to the empire or someone was travelling through worlds but failed and somehow the girl simply got caught up. Whatever the reason was, she had to know. She will not lose to Taeyeon.

"I'll consult with the elders." And by elders I mean my friends, Jessica thought. No need to bring the old grumpy higher-beings in the situation. They were giving her a hard time on her ascension as it is.

"It's tribute day unnie. They're probably busy."

"I'll take care of it. Taeyeon will see her later today. Can you keep an eye on her?" Jessica finally said, wondering why she suddenly couldn't bring herself to address Yuri directly. The girl in question was still looking at her; the hearty smile now gone and replaced with an expectant look.

"Yes, of course. Yoona and I will show her around the palace." Seohyun said excitedly like a young girl who was just given a puppy for her birthday. Even Yoona, the mischievous cousin, became extra giddy at the suggestion. Jessica sighed; at least these two were oddly supportive and abnormally naive to the real and possible danger of the situation.

"Try to not make any scenes while I'm gone. I'll come back later." Purposely not acknowledging Yuri, Jessica left the room.

The door closed and silence descended.

"What was that?" Yuri finally said.

Seohyun and Yoona had no idea.

--

Just like what Taeyeon expected, Jessica came flying into Tiffany's house an hour later. She was sipping her tea, enjoying the morning sun in their garden when a servant announced Jessica's arrival. Jessica sat down impatiently on the empty chair she had prepared.

"I'm surprised you didn't just fly and landed in front of me like you always do. I thought you hated formalities." Tiffany said, offering a cup of tea to her friend. Jessica looked frustrated and it amused Tiffany. The princess took the cup and breathed into the jasmine scent, smiling as she did.

"Well I have to start sooner or later, do I not?"

Tiffany chuckled. "My, my, what a relief."

"So I'm sure my dear sister has told you about the girl." Jessica started, shielding her eyes when the clouds finally parted to bathe them in the morning sunlight.

"She did." Tiffany admitted, motioning the waiting servant to lower the curtains. "So care to elaborate on this issue? It's been a while since you made the capital talking and I do love a good gossip."

"Gossip? More like accident."

"Be that as it may, do tell..."

Jessica wrinkled her nose at Tiffany's playful use of formal language. She never found it cute or funny and she has told Tiffany plenty of times to not use it on her but to no avail.

"Well I saw her last night, up in the mountains near the Eastern gate. She was bleeding and I had to take her home."

"And Seohyun healed her?"

"Naturally. You know I can't heal even if my life depended on it."

"Because you weren't paying attention when they taught us healing in class..." Tiffany recalled.

"That's not the point," Jessica interjected, "There's something about this girl Tiffany. I don't know what it is yet but there's something unsettling about her like..."

"Like what?"

"I'm fairly certain," Jessica shifted in her seat, "that she's here for a reason."

"And by fairly certain, you mean...?"

It was Tiffany's turn to finally be serious.

"I mean no one suddenly appears in the middle of nowhere, not in this world."

"But this has happened before. Humans entering our realm is indeed rare but not abnormal."

"Not this way Tiffany. Accidents are bound to happen, yes, but they always end up with the humans dying and no amount of divine power can save them. This girl was almost dead when I found her and yet she's back in the palace eating strawberries as we speak."

Tiffany turned silent. Jessica was right. There was a dozen of reasons why humans are not allowed in the Soshi Empire and one of them was that they can't handle too much power. Humans are incapable of breathing the same air the higher-beings need to fully function on a daily basis. The longest human visit to date lasted only five days and it was thousands of years ago; a failed attempt to establish communication with the Earthly realm.

"So what are you suggesting?" Tiffany asked, worry written all over her face as she pushed her teacup away, no longer interested in the tea.

Jessica shook her head. "I don't really know. We might have to consult the elders."

"Pardon me? Did you just say 'we'?" Tiffany was terrified at the idea of having to stand in the vast circular room where the elders held their council.

"Are you my friend or not?" Jessica snapped.

"You know I'll help you Jessica but I will not go in that room with you." Tiffany was firm. The elders were ascended beings, maybe not as strong as the imperial family but powerful enough nonetheless, and one look would give away her secret - their secret - and she wasn't about to let that happen.

Jessica sighed. "Fine. Let's start with the prophecy."'

Tiffany's eyes widened at the mention of the prophecy. It was definitely time to worry and not fall over like her father always predicted.

--

The bed gave out a loud noise as Yuri shifted. She was exhausted physically and mentally. Seohyun and Yoona dragged her all over the palace - and it was a huge one, with annexes and extensions and rooms that made no sense. The garden itself seemed to have been created to lose people, not please them.

Yuri breathed into the pillow. She couldn't, at the moment, even remember the name of this place even if her life depended on it. It was already late in the afternoon and the wide window gave Yuri an idea of how nice the sunset would be. Groggily, she stood up and walked outside the terrace. Finding no chairs nearby, she slumped into the railing, chin resting on her arms.

Jessica didn't mean to sneak up on the younger girl. She simply wanted to see Yuri before heading towards her own room to take a rest. Having found no one by the bed, she decided to check on the terrace and there she saw Yuri. The girl was staring out in the sky with a sad smile on her face. Jessica felt the sadness and wondered briefly what it must feel like to wake up alone in a strange world. She was instantly sorry for being harsh to the girl earlier.

"Hey." She said, announcing her presence and walking towards Yuri.

"Hey." Yuri smiled and Jessica found herself smiling as well. Perhaps it was infectious, this whole smiling thing.

"Is it the same in your world?" Jessica tried. Small talk was never her strong point. Jessica would rather sleep than engage in mundane conversations such as exploring the benefits of flying.

"Pretty much. I've never actually paid attention to it before and now I'm almost sorry I didn't." Yuri straightened up and turned to look at her.

"Well you'll have your chance when you get back." Jessica said. Just then a soft gentle wind passed by and the princess stared, like in the novels, as Yuri tried to keep her black hair from being dishevelled. In the fading light, with her mouth slightly open, Jessica felt her heart skip a beat as Yuri's hand suddenly reached out to push back a lock of blonde hair that was lingering on her cheek.

Jessica flinched at the contact. Yuri quickly withdrew her hand and even with the growing dark, Jessica could tell she was blushing as well.

"I'm sorry." Yuri managed despite the blush on her face. She really was and Jessica could tell. It seemed like they were both new to the situation.

"I didn't mean to..." Yuri struggled.

"It's alright." Jessica said, effectively stopping the girl from further embarrassment but at the same time killing the atmosphere.

Yuri swallowed dryly, returned her gaze into the sky and tried to find something interesting in the incoming sunset - failing miserably when all she can think about was what she just did and how embarrassing it was. Something about Jessica screamed of privacy. They could be across each other in room filled with people and Yuri knew she had a big chance of finding the princess in one glimpse. That was how Jessica felt like; a secluded ice princess and Yuri thought it was simply beautiful.

They stood there, unmoving until dusk finally settled and Yuri shivered from a passing breeze.

"We should go in. The tribute will begin soon." Jessica suggested. Her plan of resting was suddenly thrown out the window. She didn't know exactly why but she wanted to keep Yuri close, even if it meant attending the tribute with her.

"The race? Yoona told me about it." Yuri said, rubbing her shoulders to warm herself.

Jessica gave out a small laugh. Trust her cousin to explain things and one would get an elementary definition of everything.

"That and other things as well." Jessica led Yuri into the room. "You'll need a cloak; there must be one somewhere around here."

Yuri sat down on the bed and watched as Jessica inspected the unusual closet at the far end of the room.

"Hey Jessica..." she called out nonchalantly; the princess seemed to be enjoying herself rummaging through the clothes.

"Yes?" Jessica answered without stopping her search for a decent cloak.

"Thank you."

Jessica smiled despite of herself. Yuri has just called a princess of the Soshi Empire by her first name without honorific.

Kwon Yuri, you're going to turn this world upside down and I'm glad it is I who found you.

--

Chapter 4  

Black and White

Yuri was thankful of the cloak Jessica had found earlier. Nights in the empire were cold, Seohyun had told her, and now it proved to be true as they walked down the marbled hallway. She unconsciously reached out to make sure it was strapped properly, the white cloth was held in place by a silver brooch. She stole a glance at her silent companion, Jessica, and couldn't help but notice their difference, both in clothing and bearing. The princess had a simple black cloak on and yet she managed to look regal walking down the hall that Yuri felt like she was wearing old throwaways instead of a fairly decent white gown underneath the robe.

Yuri felt uneasy; she never did liked silence. "Hey Sica, when Seohyun said you're a princess, did she really mean that?"

Jessica blinked and didn't know how to react at her new nickname. It took her a minute, much to Yuri's impatience, to finally decide to let it pass but reminded herself to sit down and talk to Yuri about the protocols and formalities of her empire after attending the tribute.

"Yes, you can say that." She finally answered. " Seohyun too, and our oldest sister, Taeyeon. You'll meet her soon enough. She'll be attending the tribute as well."

"So does that mean I have to address you as 'your highness'?" Yuri asked, suddenly feeling mortified at the notion of Jessica finding her disrespectful for not knowing beforehand.

"Only if you want to." Jessica smiled at Yuri, deciding there and then that she liked her new nickname better. "Though I would suggest for you to address Taeyeon properly. I doubt the anyone would want to hear you call her 'Taetae'."

Yuri nodded in understanding, suddenly feeling nervous. She regretted not asking questions when she had the chance earlier.

"Is everyone in this world a higher-being?"

"No." Jessica answered, "there are divinities and higher-beings and..." And as if to prove her point, two servants who were lighting the massive torches along the hallway bent down on their knees as they passed by.

"...lower beings." Jessica finished, avoiding Yuri's face as she did. She didn't approve of the social order but it has been the way things are for millions of years and there's nothing she can do about it. They finally reached a tall wooden door guarded by two unusually attractive men. Their sharp features remained blank however as they bowed to Jessica. Faint voices were already coming from the inside. Yuri felt her hands sweat and almost by instinct tried to grab the nearest hand available. Yuri stopped midway when she realized that the person was Jessica and wiped her hands with the side of her cloak instead.

Jessica, for her part, signalled for the guards to open the door. The heavy door creaked open and Yuri's eyes widened as the entire room came into view. Calling it room would be an understatement, to Yuri who was used to smaller rooms back in Earth; it was more of a theatre made purely of white marble.

Yuri hesitated for a moment but felt Jessica's hand gently grab one of hers.

"Come." Jessica whispered, "The sooner we go in the sooner you'd feel less awkward."

"I'm not very fond of this too." Jessica added and gave her an encouraging smile. "Just so you know."

Yuri weakly nodded as she let Jessica guide her towards the centre of the room. Yuri's eyes wandered to the ceiling, or the lack of it, and saw the evening sky. The circular room glistened under the full moon and the soft glow of hundreds of lit torches around. Everyone seemed to be clad in white, giving the room an enchanting ambience.

Beautiful, Yuri thought. Simply beautiful.

"Her Imperial Highness, Princess Jessica approaches!" The guard announced and Yuri felt goose bumps all over her body as the crowd hushed into a deafening silence.

"Her Imperial Highness, Princess Jessica approaches!" The guard repeated. As if waking up from a trance, there was a chorus of the sound of people kneeling and parting to give way and Yuri saw a single, solitary figure standing at the other side of the room.

Jessica smirked because she knew, even ten metres away, that Taeyeon had nothing but a look of surprise on her face. She was actually looking forward to her sister's reaction on her attending the tribute and bringing the human girl quite, as the elders would say, shamelessly.

Yuri easily spotted Seohyun and Yoona with their black robes on similar to what Jessica and the other person in the room was wearing. They waved at her as she passed by and Yuri felt a little calmer.

"Had I known it would only take a human girl to make you attend the tribute again, I would have opened the gate myself Jessica." Taeyeon said, as her sister stopped in front of her. The ice princess decided to ignore the implications in Taeyeon's words as she studied the heir apparent: she was already dressed in her ceremonial gown: a simple white dress but with her black cloak sharply strapped in with the golden seal of the Soshi Imperial Family.

Letting go of Yuri's hand, Jessica gave Taeyeon a small bow. "This is Yuri. The girl."

"Uhm, hello Your Highness." Yuri offered. Not quite used to being referred to as 'the girl' for introductions. Yuri waited expectantly for Taeyeon's response but silence greeted her.

Taeyeon and Jessica stood there, facing each other. Not even giving an indication that they heard Yuri speak. Yuri, who was oblivious most of the time, felt the tension and wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole - and it wouldn't hurt if Jessica came falling down with her too.

"Yuri, this is my sister." Yuri heard Jessica say and almost out of instinct, knelt down mimicking the servants. Forgetting that she was still recovering, her knees gave up and buckled, instinctively grabbing the nearest object for support. That object turned out to be an unprepared Jessica and they both easily stumbled into the white floor.

Oh god, Yuri panicked. Their positions couldn't get any more embarrassing. She was lying with her back on the ground staring up the night stars with Jessica partly on top of her. In the future, Yuri would always remember two things for this incident: that Jessica smelled of Jasmine and that Taeyeon's laugh sounded like an old sleazy man.

Jessica quickly stood up and offered her a hand. "I'm sorry." Yuri apologized but was surprised when Jessica reached out and rearranged her cloak for her.

"Be careful next time." The princess said in a reproaching tone. "I don't appreciate half of the nobility staring at my behind."

Taeyeon who now recovered from laughing, coughed to gain her sister's attention. Jessica and Yuri looked at her at the same time.

"Welcome to Soshi, Kwon Yuri."

Taeyeon was smiling.

--

Tiffany, like everyone else in the tribute room, saw and heard the episode. The gossip girls will have a field day tomorrow, she thought. And I'm not sure that it's going to be about this girl at all.

"Good evening Tiffany."

Tiffany smiled at the familiar voice. "Good evening Your Highness." Tiffany bowed.

"Hara," The girl said, waving her index finger as if to stop Tiffany from objecting. "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?"

"Nobody cares for formalities anymore." Tiffany gave out a small laugh, watching the human girl talking animatedly with Yoona and Seohyun like they were old schoolmates and dreaded what the purists would say if they found out that their princesses were conversing with non-higher-beings.

"Enjoying the dramatics are we?" The younger girl asked with mirth in her eyes.

"Your cousins are very... interesting as of late." She agreed. Hara, in the customary black cloak of the Imperial family, gave out a very inelegant laugh. I guess it runs in the family, Tiffany concluded.

"Indeed they are." Hara said, "I was about to introduce myself to our little human visitor over there, do you want to come?"

Tiffany wanted to - very much.

"Hello!" Hara said and, ever the good-natured lady that she was who sometimes bordered to being flirtatious, smiled sweetly at Yuri. Even Tiffany had to agree that Hara's charms could melt the coldest of hearts - except maybe Jessica's.

"Hello!" Yuri bowed. Hara's eyes were kept on Yuri during the introduction and Tiffany could tell that Hara was going to be around Yuri these coming days. Tiffany studied the surprisingly tall girl. She was undeniably pretty, no, beautiful. Still, she couldn't see what Jessica saw in her and it frustrated Tiffany to no end.

Perhaps I'm getting dull, she thought. Or I'm missing something.

"Yuri, tell us more about your world." Hara inquired. "Human visitors are quite rare here."

"Well it's very different. For one, we hardly use fire for lighting anymore..." Yuri said excitedly; not even feeling uncomfortable under Hara's penetrating stare. Tiffany, though unsure, could see that Yuri was actually enjoying the attention.

Tiffany looked around, hoping to find Jessica and she did. Her friend was standing near the dais besides Taeyeon, looking at their direction. Tiffany waved but Jessica's lack of response seemed to be an indication that the princess was spacing out again. Tiffany sighed as she brought her attention back to the conversation.

"And we can't fly on cloud-pines." Yuri finished.

"And they don't heal like we do." Seohyun said and Yoona nodded in agreement. The cousins, with their long black hairs, looked like twins in their matching black robes.

"Well maybe I can teach you how to fly." Hara suggested.

"That's what we wanted to do this afternoon!" Yoona exclaimed, "But we weren't sure if we were allowed."

"I'm sure it'll be alright." Hara said. "As long as Yuri wants to."

Yuri, Seohyun and Yoona smiled and nodded like ten year olds at the suggestion. Hara laughed and just as Tiffany expected, did her famous hair flip. Tiffany had to suppress her laughter at the whole exchange because it never gets old.

Hara, you were never a subtle one. Let's see you charm your way into this.

Tiffany shivered and noticed that it became colder than usual. Like the rain when Taeyeon was upset, everyone in the empire knew what a sudden drop of temperature meant.

Slowly, Tiffany looked at Jessica from across the room and realized that her earlier conclusion was wrong. The princess wasn't spacing out. Jessica had been listening to the conversation all the while and was obviously not pleased.

And Tiffany knew best of all, that a jealous Jessica was never a good thing.

Chapter 5 

The Tribute

It has been a while, Jessica admitted to herself, that she had eavesdropped on anyone - imperial style. Which simply means: the ability of tuning into a conversation, unannounced and unnoticed, despite the considerable distance. Being a princess does have its advantages.

"Jessica stop being so morose."

Taeyeon's voice instantly disconnected her from the discussion - which annoyed her at the very least. Hara had been waxing poetic with her hair-flipping and eye-smiling and Yuri seemed to be quite impressed.

In response to Taeyeon, the ice princess gave her a look that, in Yuri's own world, would basically translate as: Bite me. Taeyeon sighed, feeling her energy quickly drain when it came to dealing with Jessica. She glanced over to where Tiffany was and watched as the girl slowly shake her head to indicate her own displeasure of Jessica's sudden change of air - quite literally. At least their feelings are mutual, Taeyeon smiled at the thought, most of the time that is.

"Congratulations yet again on showing everyone that you're more interested in your afternoon nap than," Taeyeon shrugged her shoulders for emphasis, "I don't know, a very important tradition perhaps?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Just be content that I am here."

"I am pleased that you are here but I am also serious, Jessica. If you want to turn everything into ice, I suggest you fly south and maybe finally help me run this empire for a change."

"I was under the impression that you are enjoying doing things on your own." Jessica turned around and walked up the dais to take her seat. Taeyeon followed closely behind and sat down besides her sister.

"I will pretend you didn't say that." She said. Years of dealing with a sullen Jessica made her immune, at least, to her sarcastic remarks. Now, sitting side by side, Taeyeon realized that above everything else, she had missed her sister. It has been a while since the seat to her left wasn't empty.

Still, Taeyeon felt a little unappreciated.

"How about a 'Thank you Taeyeon for not losing your head when I brought a human girl to witness a tribute because it will quite possibly bring you yet another headache once the elders and everyone else find out.'?"

"As if they can actually do anything about it." Jessica dismissed with a very uncaring expression that made Taeyeon want to smack her sister for a second.

"Don't be too proud, Jessica." Taeyeon said.

Her sister was zoning out again and Taeyeon followed Jessica's line of sight and wasn't surprised when it happened to be of Yuri and Hara immersed in a seemingly animated conversation. Taeyeon finally realized what the sudden drop of temperature meant a while ago. Her dear sister was undoubtedly not pleased with Hara's interactions with Yuri.

"I'm assuming you haven't figured out why the girl is here?"

"Not yet." Jessica admitted. "And she has a name."

"Yes of course, Yuri." Taeyeon said, "She's very pretty." She added as an afterthought, earning her a side glance from Jessica, much to the former's delight.

"It seems that our cousin has taken interest in her." She pointed out. Hara had her hand on Yuri's shoulder now and seemed to whispering something to her. Jessica didn't say anything but kept her eyes on the two girls, and if Taeyeon wasn't mistaken, had a jealous look about her.

"I guess the same goes for you." Taeyeon whispered, more to herself. Jessica remained silent and Taeyeon knew eavesdropping when she sees one.

It was obvious that Jessica cared for the girl, very much like someone who just found a wounded puppy and brought it home. Here comes someone who has no idea about Jessica's past, she thought. A blank slate. Someone who couldn't care less of Jessica's past because her time in the empire is but in passing. And Jessica had been lonely, far too lonely.

"Humans are very fascinating, no?" Taeyeon said.

"You make it sound like she's a freak of nature."

"Well, she is...they all are. Earth is, after all, a result of a broken union between two gods."

"History lessons do wonders on you." Jessica said sarcastically.

"Oh don't misunderstand me sister, I am not looking down on them. Quite the opposite actually. It simply amazes me, no matter how many times I see one, that they look exactly like us - minus the glow of course."

"Hara seems to think so too." Jessica said, failing to hide her displeasure.

Oh this is rich! Taeyeon thought to herself. Jessica since when did you become so possessive?

"I think I've read this somewhere." Taeyeon finally said. She couldn't, for all the pine trees in their world, stop herself from laughing and clutching her chair to keep herself from falling.

"What?" Jessica said irritably.

"This." Taeyeon said breathlessly, pointing to Yuri for emphasis. "Divine beings fighting for -"

"I am not yet a divine being." Jessica interrupted her, obviously not entertained. Taeyeon ceased laughing at once. Perhaps it was too early to be teasing her sister again. Perhaps she became a little too overexcited at Jessica's sudden change that she forgot that some things are not meant for laughter- at least not at the moment.

"Seohyun will ascend in a week's time." Taeyeon turned serious. "You know that. That's what the elders were trying to tell you before you left the evening council."

"I have no intention of ascending anytime soon." Jessica firmly said, "Seohyun can go ahead. I don't really mind."

"The elders mind."

"Since when do you care for what the elders think?"

"Since father and mother left us in their care."

"Father and mother are not here."

Taeyeon decided that it was about time to ask her sister the one question she'd been holding back for so long.

"What is it about immortality that you find so unappealing, little sister?"

And Jessica couldn't answer.

--

To Yuri, who had quite a vivid memory of being shot before waking up in a strange albeit beautiful world, everything was simply overwhelming. Specifically, a certain blonde princess sitting across the room who managed to look very attractive even by just staring out into space. Yuri felt her chest tighten as Jessica looked her way and smiled. Yuri waved, grinned and forgot to stop herself from smiling like an idiot and pay attention to Hara.

"Yuri?" Tiffany woke her out of her trance.

"So-sorry, you were saying...?" She said, embarrassed of being caught staring. Hara was still talking to Seohyun and Yoona.

"The tribute is about to start. It's best if you stay with me."

"Oh?" Yuri said, a little disappointed to not be sitting near Jessica. "Okay." She finally smiled.

A bell sounded -a soft, trance-like sound to be exact. Hara, Seohyun and Yoona excused themselves and headed towards the dais where Jessica, Taeyeon and a few more black-cloaked figures were already sitting.

"Yuri, this way." Tiffany instructed. They walked towards two of the numerous empty marble seats that surrounded the area. The Imperial family's dais was positioned near the middle of the room and from her point of view; Yuri can see Jessica's profile and felt strangely content.

When everyone was settled, the torches suddenly went out. Yuri had to blink several times to register the darkness of the room in her eyes with only the help of the evening sky for illumination.

"What's happening?" She whispered to Tiffany.

"It's about to start." Tiffany answered. "Have you forgotten Hara's explanation too soon?" Tiffany sounded reproachful. Yuri shook her head even in the dark to disagree.

"No but I don't remember this one."

"Hush." Tiffany said and it meant the end of the conversation. Yuri decided to keep her eyes focused on Jessica, who oddly enough, was faintly visible. Perhaps it was the moon playing with her mind or something else, but Yuri could swear that Jessica and the rest of her family were fairly visible amidst the dark.

A soft chanting started and Yuri knew, at least that much, that the tribute has began.

The tribute, Yuri learned earlier from Hara, is exactly what it is: a tribute to the Sun-God. It is merely a re-enactment of how the world came to be and is traditionally performed every fortnight with different actors or as Yoona called them - racers.

The lights came back slowly and Yuri immediately saw ten hooded figures in the middle of the circular room. There was something eerie about their scarlet robes and their foreign chanting and dancing. Yuri shivered as the chanting grew louder and louder, the figures swaying their bodies violently as if caught in a trance.

"They're the elders." Tiffany supplied. "A bit scary aren't they?"

Yuri nodded, she squinted her eyes and tried to make out their faces but to no avail. The hood was covering them - perhaps a little too effectively.

After the last verse, the chant came to a dramatic stop - echoing within the vast room until silence descended once again. Yuri let go of the breath that she didn't know she was holding. Everything was still until a figure clad in a golden robe, came flying into the room from the open ceiling above. The actor, obviously a woman, wore a crown styled with sun beams. She flew around in great speed and Yuri found herself blocking her eyes from the wind it brought.

The actor finally flew down, let go of her cloud-pine and fell to the ground imitating someone who was sleeping. Just then another figure, this one clad in pure black, flew in. Unlike the Sun-God's arrival, this one was quiet, almost thief-like. The masked actor slowly crept towards the sleeping god. The actor moved in wide, exaggerated movements similar to Greek plays Yuri had seen back in her own world. When the actor finally reached the Sun-god, he took off the crown slowly and made a shushing gesture to the crowd. Yuri was watching the scene intently and was taken aback when the masked actor directly looked at her during the gesture.

As soon as the crown was off the Sun-God's head, the torchlight dimmed. The dark figure slid the crown inside his robe, mounted his cloud-pine and flew off. The Sun-God woke up, touched his head and found that his crown had been stolen. The actor stumbled towards her cloud-pine mimicking someone who was working through the dark. When she finally reached for it, she mounted it and flew blindly around to look for the thief. The dark figure who had been watching the Sun-God fly in the darkness from above seemed to be laughing.

Just then the crown fell off from the happy thief, landing coincidentally in front of Yuri. The room immediately lit up, and the Sun-God appeared before her. The actor smiled at Yuri before picking up the crown and resuming the play. Having found his light, the Sun-God chased the masked figure across the room. The elders started to chant, this time in an exhilarated tone. Yuri noted the change of atmosphere among the audience, even Jessica now had an interested look on her face. The chase itself seemed to be the highlight of the tribute as it was more of a dance than an actual race. Yuri stared in awe as the actors flew gracefully in synchronized movements - they seemed to be drawing patterns in the night sky.

As all good things must come to an end, the Sun-God finally caught the thief and made a gesture of slaying him with his light. The actor covered his eyes and flew down, landing softly on the marbled floor near the dais. The Sun-God followed closely and stood near the fallen figure.

The crowd erupted into cheers. And Yuri found herself clapping her hands with so much enthusiasm that it hurt. The actors bowed to the Imperial family and the audience. Yuri was mildly surprised that the actor who played the thief was also a woman - and a lot smaller than the one who played the Sun-God.

The elders bowed as well and without words, turned around to leave the room. The crowd, now scattered, was busy whispering and chatting again.

"Where are they going?" Yuri asked Tiffany.

"Back to their own happy little world." Tiffany answered and had to laugh at Yuri's expression. "I am teasing you, Kwon Yuri."

"I didn't know you guys have a sense of humour too." Yuri wrinkled her nose.

"The elders are a very secluded group of people. The western annex of the palace is where they reside and mostly stay." Tiffany explained.

"And also a very picky bunch."

Tiffany and Yuri turned to look up at the owner of the voice.

"Sica!" Yuri stood up. "That was amazing!"

"Sica?" Tiffany mimicked, lifting an eyebrow as she stood up. Jessica warned her with a look that said: Don't even think about it.

"It gets old when you have to see it a thousand times." Jessica said, quite literally she had wanted to add. "I see you have met Tiffany."

"Yes we did." Tiffany answered for Yuri. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to someone."

Tiffany walked away from Yuri and Jessica, leaving them in yet another awkward situation.

"I heard Hara's going to teach you how to fly." Jessica started, trying her best not to sound displeased.

"Yeah! She can do that, can't she? I mean... teach me how to fly."

"I would have suggested Sooyoung or Hyoyeon but since Hara volunteered..." Jessica shrugged.

"Uhm, who are they?" Yuri asked, not quite getting what the ice princess was hinting at. "I don't think I've met them yet."

"But you have seen them." Jessica smiled as she turned around to look for the famous duo. She scanned the room and having found them, beckoned the two over and Yuri's eyes widened as she recognized them as the actors who were just flying moments before.

"Your highness." They bowed to Jessica. The two of them were now wearing similar white cloaks like most of the crowd.

"Sooyoung, Hyoyeon this is Yuri." Jessica introduced. "Yuri here was about to let Hara teach her how to fly."

"Psh! Her Highness can't teach anyone to fly properly even if her life depended on it." Sooyoung, the taller one, said.

"We taught her how to fly." Hyoyeon, the smaller one, reminded Sooyoung.

"Exactly! Hara still owes me ten new and rare cloud-pines." Sooyoung countered and Yuri could tell that they were probably close friends with the Imperial family.

"Anyway, we'll do it. It's the only way for you to leave this place still in one piece." Hyoyeon winked at Yuri.

Jessica smiled.

Sica: 1, Hara: 0

Chapter 6 

The Prophecy

The Imperial Library used to be one of Jessica's favourite places. She has spent one too many lazy afternoons reclined on its couches flipping books that smelled of dead leaves and had always thought that it was ironic that the centre of the universe used paper for written records. Admittedly, they were no ordinary paper but of paper they looked and of paper they smelled nonetheless.

The princess entered the library, knowing that she was about to face one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Jessica couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the overly familiar smell of the books and scrolls that were stacked around the circular room.

"You Highness?" A voice called out from behind and Jessica was afraid, for a second, to turn around. But she did anyway because some things deserved closures and she was about to have one.

"Donghae." Jessica acknowledged. Donghae bowed and had a mild look of surprise - one that Jessica expected at least. It wasn't everyday that she would go to the one place that reminded her, them, of their past.

"What brings you here?" Donghae smiled and Jessica realized that despite the avoiding and the sulking through the years, she had missed him.

"I need a book." Jessica managed, her throat unusually dry.

"What book?" Donghae inquired and sounded like he was more than willing to help her.

"The Prophecy." Jessica answered casually, like she didn't care or know that the book was forbidden.

"The Prophecy?"

"Yes and before you ask me again, I need 'The Prophecy'." Jessica said impatiently. She was reminded of how Donghae was always repeating things and how much she hated it.

Donghae shook his head. "You know it's forbidden - even to you."

"But you are not. I'll just have a look and go."

"Is this about the girl?" He asked suspiciously. Jessica, by herself, wouldn't go around asking for an ancient book written by the darkness himself that was kept away from the world for heresy and dismissed by the elders as blasphemy.

Donghae waited for Jessica's reply but the princess simply looked away. So it is about the girl. Tiffany and Taeyeon weren't the only ones who can tell a jealous Jessica and Donghae attended last night's tribute as well.

Jessica crossed her arms and he knew that she was going to get her way. She always did.

"Please." Jessica finally said with a look that clearly showed that she meant it. Donghae never once did hear Jessica beg - she was too proud for that. Princesses aren't made for begging but here was Jessica, asking him sincerely to let her read a book that would probably determine where things stood between them.

Donghae nodded and started walking to one of the many doors around the circular room with Jessica trailing silently behind him. Once they reached an empty hall, he tapped the blue light that was burning in the middle of the room. The light scattered slowly with his touch and settled around his right hand.

"The Head of the Imperial Library wishes to access The Prophecy." He called out, clear and loud. The blue light immediately danced around his hand and disappeared leaving a small book in its wake. Donghae clutched the leather-bound prophecy and handed it to the waiting princess.

"An hour." He firmly said. Jessica smiled and Donghae felt his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you." Jessica said and turned to leave.

"Jessica!" Donghae called out, making sure she was at least four metres away from him, because that was always the safest distance for him to be asking questions. He knew her that much at least.

Have you missed me? "Be careful."

I've missed you, he also wanted to add but felt that it wasn't the right time to say so or rather; that there was no longer a right time to say so and he was alright with that. Jessica gave him a small sad smile and to his surprise started walking back towards him. For the next moment, Donghae's mind could only register the soft smell of jasmine as the princess tiptoed and gave him a small, chaste kiss.

"I'm sorry." Jessica whispered and Donghae understood because they were never a talkative couple to begin with and it proved true even to the very end.

Some things, after all, are better left unsaid and they both learned that falling out of love is just as heartbreaking.

"Thank you." Was all he could say, and was willing to say. The situation didn't merit anything more than that. Alone in an empty hall, Donghae found himself crying as he watched Jessica, for the second time, walk away from him like she did many years ago - only this time with relief.

Donghae smiled despite the tears. The world suddenly seemed brighter and himself, a little bit older.

Everything's going to be alright.

--

Much like in a romantic relationship; a good friendship is made up of years of emotional investment with the mandatory ups and lows. Yuri felt this investment with Sooyoung and Hyoyeon the moment they showed up in her room, unannounced and annoyingly loud very early in the morning. Felt like she had known them all her life with their comedic banters and antics. Felt like they would have been good friends, close friends even, had they lived in her world. But nevertheless here they were, sitting on her bed, giving her a lecture about cloud-pines.

"And that's how you choose one." Sooyoung finished.

"Alright. I hope I got all of that though." Yuri said, shielding her eyes from the morning sun as Hyoyeon pulled the window curtains apart.

"What do you mean you 'hope'?" Sooyoung said while munching something unfamiliar. "I just spent five minutes explaining to you how a cloud-pine works!"

"Get ready! Get ready!" Hyoyeon pulled Yuri up. "We need some fresh air."

"Yes hurry up." Sooyoung urged, who has ironically laid down the bed as soon as Yuri got up.

"Yes, yes." Yuri sighed.

She spotted her own clothes neatly piled on the table near the bed. She was sure the shirt would be unusable from the incident but as she unfolded it, there was no trace of a bullet hole. Excusing herself to the bathroom - which wasn't really a bathroom but more of a mini pool filled with enough steaming water for little kids to swim about. Yuri relaxed into the water and closed her eyes. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were laughing again and this time, it didn't annoy her.

Not at all.

--

"You might want to read it aloud." Jessica watched as Tiffany browse through the book with her lips moving but no sound coming out. Tiffany ignored her as she was finally in the middle of an interesting paragraph. Jessica tapped her fingers on the table impatiently, her thoughts drifting to a certain black-haired girl who was probably flying up in the sky at the very moment. Without a thought, she looked up, and laughed in her mind at the ridiculous idea of her hoping to catch a glance of Yuri flying above.

"I doubt you'll be smiling once you've read this." Tiffany said, as she handed the book to Jessica.

"Here." She pointed out and Jessica started to read.

"Aloud, if you please." Tiffany said and she wasn't even teasing the blonde. Jessica resumed reading.

"The sky shall open up and bring forth the destruction to this world and thus, ending all save the unpure and the cursed. The light of his most divine highness, the Sun-God, to whom all life comes from shall be extinguished and removed from its pedestal. Darkness shall reign in all the worlds, in all the realms. Immortality shall be void and the stars will die."

Jessica stopped and looked at Tiffany.

"No wonder we aren't allowed to read this." Jessica finally said, swallowing hard.

"And I'm blaming you for making me." Tiffany agreed.

--

Yuri was finally flying with Sooyoung and Hyoyeon behind her. Her hands were sweaty as she gripped her cloud-pine like her life depended on it - which it did. Yuri looked at Sooyoung who somehow still managed to chew on something hundreds of feet above the ground.

"Do you ever stop eating?" She shouted as she willed her cloud-pine to stop, the wind was making it hard for her to hear them. Sooyoung grinned and pulled out a green fruit that looked like an apple from the folds of her riding robe.

"Here!" she said as she casually threw the fruit towards her. Yuri was too afraid to let go of one hand and the apple hit her shoulder instead before finally slipping down.

"Hey!" Sooyoung exclaimed as she quickly dived to retrieve the apple. "Don't waste food!"

"Sorry! I'm not hungry!" Yuri managed. They were still hovering and the wind was getting more and more furious.

"Sooyoung stop eating and let's go!Come on Yuri!" Hyoyeon said and sped off.

Yuri grinned and immediately followed her with Sooyoung easily trailing behind. They were flying farther away from the palace and Yuri could see a vast lake ahead, glistening under the morning sun. As they flew nearer the lake, a tall white pillar stood out in the middle of the water, reaching the clouds.

"What is that?!" Yuri yelled at Hyoyeon. The smaller girl was flying ahead and didn't hear her as they neared the lake. Yuri tore her eyes away from the pillar and the lake to look behind her, hoping to get an answer from Sooyoung instead.

"What is that?!" She repeated, this time to Sooyoung.

"That's the Pillar of Light! The official symbol of the Soshi Empire!" The taller girl explained. Yuri nodded and brought her attention back to the lake...

...and it was burning. Angry flames all around, burning everything, the trees, the water, the pillar - leaving darkness on its trail. The sky was black and orange and unforgiving. Yuri was almost knocked off from her cloud-pine as hundreds of higher-beings flew past her, towards the burning pillar. They were fighting the fire, the darkness... Yuri saw Jessica among them and her light was dying.

"Sica!" Yuri called out. The vision now gone and the sky back to blue but she panicked nonetheless.

"I have to go back to Sica!" she called out to Sooyung.

"What?" Sooyoung yelled, the wind flapping furiously against her hood. She manoeuvred her way towards Yuri who now looked alarmed for no apparent reason.

"We have to go back! I have to see Sica!" Yuri said, squinting as the wind was hurting her eyes. Sooyoung grabbed her cloud-pine to steady her.

"Remember the first rule of flying Yuri!" Sooyung reminded her.

"We have to go back! Now!"

Sooyoung understood the desperation in Yuri's voice and knew that it wasn't the right time to inquire whatever sent the girl into a panic. She let go of Yuri's cloud-pine and simply nodded.

"Alright!" She shouted. "But don't -"

And Yuri was gone, almost knocking Sooyoung off her cloud-pine with the gust of wind she left behind.

"- grip it too hard." Sooyoung absent-mindedly finished, as she watched Yuri, almost in a suspended animation, plummet mid-air in an alarming speed. Sooyoung blinked before quickly following the girl, flying insanely fast even by her standards. She felt her hand sweat as she gripped her cloud-pine tighter, willing it to go even faster. She was not going to let Yuri splat her pretty little head against the solid ground. But most of all, she did not wish to anger a member of the imperial family and a direct descendant of the Sun-God.

Yuri finally changed direction, much to Sooyoung's dismay; the girl somehow managed to stop her descent but was now flying blindly in an unknown direction.

"Let go!" Sooyoung shouted as she finally reached Yuri. The girl had her eyes tightly shut which explained her insane speed.

"Let go Yuri!" Sooyoung screamed on top of her lungs. "Let go of your cloud-pine now!" Yuri, still with eyes closed, trusted Sooyoung and screamed as she let go of the branch.

"Suspend!" Sooyoung shouted and Yuri instantly felt her headlong descent come to a painful stop. The harsh wind disappeared but so did the unsettling noise of the wind. She was floating midair and as she finally opened her eyes, saw Sooyoung hovering above her with an arm outstretched. Yuri reached out and as soon as their hands met, they were both falling down again.

Without her cloud-pine, Yuri could only think of one thing: I remember it now Sica! That and she was positive that Sooyoung will bruise come night time from her death grip.

"Hurry up and save me!" Yuri managed to yell.

"Hey! I'm trying!" Sooyoung snapped. Fifty meters above the ground, Sooyoung managed to pull Yuri up on her cloud-pine before landing in the most ungraceful way possible: with the two of them rolling several metres on the grassy plain.

Sooyoung spat a handful of grass as she sat up. "And thank god Hyoyeon's not here."

"You fail at saving people you know that?" Came from the girl and Sooyoung almost snapped but stopped herself when she saw that Yuri was still lying down the grass with her gaze in the sky, breathing heavily. The girl was crying.

"Why are you suddenly being pensive?" Sooyoung looked away. Yuri wiped the tears and smiled at her saviour.

"Thanks." Was all she heard from the girl and Sooyoung could tell that Yuri's gratitude ran deep and would probably be remembered for the rest of her human life.

"Alright. Now get up." Sooyoung was never good with emotions, including hers, and avoided awkward moments for as long as she can. With Yuri's sincere apology, Sooyoung wasn't sure what to do with it and didn't want to dwell on the thought either. Instead, she stood up and dusted herself off of the rotten grass that clung to her during the fall.

She looked around for her cloud-pine and saw it nearby - or rather saw half of it nearby. Sooyoung knelt down, a little too dramatically, and clutched her broken cloud-pine. Yuri came up behind her.

"Tch. It's broken?"

"What do you mean it's broken?! It's completely obliterated!" Sooyoung barked. "You can't even fix this anymore!"

Yuri threw her hands up in defence to the now raging Sooyoung. "Alright calm down."

"I didn't tell you to calm down when you were suddenly panicking midair, did I?!" Sooyoung gathered up the branches. "My poor baby. Poor poor baby."

"Okay that's just weird." Yuri observed. "Come on Sooyoung we have to go!" She grabbed Sooyoung's arm and helped her up on her feet.

Yuri snapped her fingers to bring Sooyoung back to reality. "Soshi to Sooyoung! Soshi to Sooyoung!"

Sooyoung slapped Yuri's hand away. "Stop that."

"Now what?" Yuri crossed her arms. "How are we going back?"

Sooyoung looked around and to her dismay so no pine trees nearby. Flying was out of the options. She concluded that they were near the southern gate and shivered involuntarily at the thought. Her only hope was for Hyoyeon to find them before Jessica does. Because only the Sun-God knows what Jessica will do to her once she finds out that Yuri almost died under Sooyoung's watch.

"Hyoyeon will be looking for us. Let's just stay put." She suggested.

"Can't we fly? I thought you just needed branches for flying!" Yuri protested.

"Look around you fool! Do you see any pine trees nearby?"

Yuri did look around and realized for the first time that they were in the middle of a very open field that stretched out so far in all directions that Yuri had to give up in trying her luck to spot any greens.

"That's right." Sooyoung said cockily, "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"What about chants? Like what you did earlier!"

"Lesser-beings have limited chanting abilities." Sooyoung silently said. "I can't bring us back to the palace even if I wanted to."

Yuri fell silent. She had touched a delicate matter.

"So I guess we'll wait?" she offered.

Sooyoung nodded. "We'll -"

Yuri and Sooyoung noticed the menacing shadow that was crawling towards them and looked up at the same time.

"Yuri..."

"Sooyoung..."

"RUN!"

--

"Tiffany..."

"Hm?"

"Would you return the book for me?"

"What? Jessica I thought you said you were alright with -"

"It's Yuri." Jessica stood up, looking up the sky.

"Yuri?" Tiffany asked, not quite liking the look her friend was having.

"She's in trouble."

And Tiffany had no idea how Jessica knew.

Chapter 7 

Resilience

Kwon Yuri was a deep believer of the fact that she was not special. Truth be told, the only interesting trivia about her was that her mother slipped into a coma on her fourteenth birthday and died, three years later, on her seventeenth birthday. But no one will ever be impressed with that, be it in a party, therapy session or a poetry reading. When teenagers get shiny, expensive gadgets on their birthdays paid for by most parents on a monthly basis; Yuri received a phone call from the hospital, informing her of the untimely passing.

And Yuri had never felt more alone than she did on that day.

Life was a downward trajectory after that - it didn't even reach an agreeable peak to begin with. But down it went anyway and Yuri took everything with a grain of salt, wishing and hoping that one day her life will take an abrupt turn for the better and the greener and everything pop culture sold through the second-hand television she had in her apartment.

But now as Yuri ran for her dear life, the second time around, she was partly sure she wanted her old life back. Near death experiences, in plural form, were not in her wish list. Hearing her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she ran forward not looking back. The winged creature, with its large claws and teeth was enough for Yuri to know that this time around, Seohyun won't be able to heal her. Not when she's torn into pieces and in all possibility, eaten.

So Kwon Yuri ran and hoped for another miracle.

--

Taeyeon was lost in thought. She was looking out, the throne room was surrounded more by wide windows than actual walls and she couldn't help but admire the beautiful day. That and she was currently thinking of something that had been bothering her ever since Yuri came into Soshi.

"Your highness?" A voice called out breaking Taeyeon out of her reverie. She turned to her right and found the minister looking at her with a curious look.

"Send him in." She said. A tall man, dressed in the official color of an envoy - dark blue robe, came in. The sound of his boots echoed in the hollow hall. He stopped before the steps that lead towards the throne and knelt with his head down.

"The Kingdom of Messier greets Her Imperial and Divine Highness, Taeyeon of Soshi."

The praise was flawless.

Taeyeon sighed, leaning into her high chair. Another day, another world to fix. Playing keeper to the universe was harder than she thought.

"What's wrong with Messier now?"

--

Tiffany exited the Imperial Library feeling no less than worried than she did when she entered it. Jessica had meddled into something dangerous and Tiffany thought that it was high time she sought help. Finding a relatively hidden and empty corridor that overlooked the garden, she closed her eyes and breathed the magic that lingered in the air.

Taeyeon? We need to talk.

The air grew still. Tiffany tried harder.

Taeyeon come here! Now or I'll...

And Taeyeon appeared, out of nowhere, bringing forth a great wind that seemed a little too majestic even for her. The princess was wearing her receiving robe and Tiffany felt a little guilty for distracting her from her duties.

"You finally used our connection." Taeyeon noted, a little too excited and Tiffany had to laugh despite the seriousness of things. She could only imagine the look on the faces of the higher-beings Taeyeon left just to see her.

"Yes. Useful, indeed." She answered. "Did you at least excuse yourself this time before disappearing into thin air?"

"Maybe. So what it is you wanted from me?" Taeyeon smiled playfully. "Perhaps a kiss?" She advanced and Tiffany gladly complied, giving the smaller girl a peck on the lips before withdrawing.

"No." She gently pushed Taeyeon by the shoulders when it became apparent that the princess wanted more than butterfly kisses.

"Taeyeon stop." She firmly said holding out her index finger up when the princess still had a sly look about her.

"You make it sound like I was going to rape you." Taeyeon sighed as she gave up, pulling away. Tiffany breathed in.

"We've read The Prophecy and Jes -"

"I know."

Tiffany's eyes widened at Taeyeon's casual interruption.

"You know?"

The princess grinned at her. "You have too little faith on me, you know that?"

"Taeyeon..." Tiffany started, not quite knowing how to react. Most of the time, Taeyeon didn't even look like she was in charge of Soshi. With her funny expressions and small physique, it was easy to forget that Taeyeon was actually the most powerful divinity in the empire at the moment.

"Jessica will find her." Taeyeon said, her smile was now gone. She reached out to hold Tiffany's hand, linking them together.

"Ho-how do you know that?" Tiffany looked deep into Taeyeon's eyes and was overwhelmed by the idea of the unforgiving, unfiltered power that was probably kept hidden inside her.

"Because we're all connected," Taeyeon paused and looked out the window, frowning.

"...and she's here."

--

Jessica flew furiously, unknowingly frosting everything that was on her path. She could feel Yuri, but couldn't pinpoint her exact position. She wasn't even sure if she was heading in the right direction and it frustrated her beyond a manageable level.

She stopped and breathed in. Her frustration was getting the better of her as she willed herself to calm down. She closed her eyes and concentrated, her brows coming together as she felt a small tug in her magic. Gathering her power, she searched for that slight pull and faintly saw Yuri running with a screaming Sooyoung in tow. The connection was weak and it wasn't enough for Jessica to know their location but enough for her to know that they were far south. Using a chant now was risky; she can end up in a different place. There was no other choice.

Jessica released the vision, turned around and sped off like there's no tomorrow.

--

Yuri had to wonder why they weren't dead yet. Sooyoung to her right was panting and screaming but nevertheless continued running. Surely the creature was faster than them so why hasn't it attacked yet? Yuri felt her breath shorten, her body finally on the verge of giving up. She finally slowed down as the creature's furious flapping became louder. Sooyoung looked back and yelled for her to hurry up.

I can't. Yuri thought. I can't stop now because...

But she couldn't even finish the thought because her lungs gave up and she stumbled onto the grass. Deep down inside, she was hoping for a dues-ex-machina, perhaps an awakening of a hidden power that she had all this time. But as her body rolled down the ground, Yuri thought of her mother and her seventeenth birthday and

Jessica

and realized that she no longer felt lonely. But she was weak and it angered her. She couldn't even stay alive long enough to tell the princess of what she had remembered. At that moment, Yuri wanted nothing more than to see Jessica again.

And damn it, she was going to survive no matter what.

Yuri pulled herself up, crying painfully as she felt a broken bone somewhere in her body. Filling her lungs with air, she started running again. This time, Yuri felt a strange sensation wash over her. Her chest tightened at the unknown feeling and her legs shivered as she felt someone lift her up into the sky. The hand was cold, icy even. There was no cloud-pine to hold on to as Yuri's feet dangled in the air while she looked down. They were simply flying with the creature chasing after them. Yuri closed her eyes in fear as the creature neared them.

"Freeze." Yuri felt more than heard. She saw the creature stop, midair with its mouth hanging open, ice rapidly covering it. The creature fell and scattered below in millions of shining pieces.

Yuri finally looked up and found out that her savior looked very, very familiar.

--

Jessica spotted Sooyoung first; the tall girl was running away but the creature wasn't chasing her, it was flying upwards. Barely a minute later, the creature fell down and crashed into the ground.

Jessica then saw two figures descend from the sky. One of which, she wasn't sure she wanted to see.

--

"Sooyoung! Sica!" Yuri cried happily as they landed. She limped towards them and without a second thought launched herself for a hug, breathing in Jessica's scent quite shamelessly and loudly in the process. Jessica found herself wrapping her arms in response to the human girl's tight embrace.

Sooyoung, who was at Jessica's side, had now a better look at the mysterious savior. Her guess had been right. The frozen creature earlier was a giveaway. There were only two people in the entire empire that had the ability to wield that kind of power and Jessica was one of them. Sooyoung bowed low as the woman came closer.

"Your Highness."

--

"Who's here?" Tiffany asked. Referring someone as 'her' was very broad and Tiffany had no time for riddles. But higher-beings are too fond of riddles and Taeyeon happened to be one.

"Who's here?" Tiffany repeated, she tugged their linked hands. Forcing Taeyeon to look at her and the princess did.

"Hyomin."

Tiffany felt her heart stop as she took in what Taeyeon has just said.

"Hyomin?"

Taeyeon nodded.

"As in Jessica's twin sister?"

Chapter 8 

The Fourth Princess

Sunny had officially failed her mistress twice.

One - when the second bullet hit Kwon Yuri, effectively ending her life. Sunny's task was simple: to freeze time long enough for her mistress to open a gate to Soshi. To Sunny, it was a failure due to a mere fraction of a second: when she lost her concentration when the lights appeared and the glowing symbols illuminated the dark alley, giving the man enough time to finally pull the trigger.

Then, in a blinding flash, they were back in Soshi, burnt pine trees all around. Not exactly their desired location but they were home and that was enough. Desperate measures, it seemed, had been and will be taken by her mistress. Not only did she force a gate-opening but Sunny watched in awe as her mistress lean down and kiss the girl, invoking one of the oldest magic known to the empire.

"The second-in-line to the Divine Throne of the Soshi Empire, Princess Hyomin call upon the forces of the highest power, of the Sun-God himself. Listen to me now. I hereby claim, by birthright, the power to share my divinity with this girl. I command the light to come forth and do my bidding."

Sunny forgot to breathe. Sharing one's life force was indeed, of the deepest and most beautiful magic.

White light danced, engulfing her mistress and the girl. Glowing symbols, bright green against the darkness, of an ancient language Sunny did not know circled themselves beneath them. She was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle and just when Sunny finally felt the need to blink her eyes, which she did, the green light suddenly winked out. Her mistress had lifted her head and looked to the evening sky.

"Someone is coming." She turned to Sunny. She heard Kwon Yuri groan in the dark. She had been given her life back, this time with a touch of divinity and she had better be thankful for it.

"Let's go." Her mistress commanded. The panic laced in the voice was enough for Sunny to remember that they were supposed to work incognito.

"What about her?" Surely they wouldn't leave the girl? After all her mistress went through to save her and not when the ritual was interrupted and unfinished. Taeyeon was bound to see it, sooner and not later. There was no way a life-sharing will go unnoticed especially to the heir apparent.

"She will find her." Hyomin quickly grabbed Sunny's hand and they were back, in a flash, to the Eastern Palace where they belonged.

Two - when she lowered her own gun, and let the hitman walk inside his home and back to his family. He even had two hyperactive kids that were showing exceptional skills in Math. It wasn't fair, she thought. He was a puppet, a piece of the bigger puzzle. She doubted that he actually knew the ultimate motive of what he was paid to do. Money, it seemed, was a big deal in Earth.

Sunny zipped up her open sweater and walked away. She had been barking up the wrong tree and now it was time to look for the bigger fish. She already had an address and a name. Passing through the park, she disassembled her Beretta in one fluid movement and dropped it in the nearest bin. Guns, after all, are useless in dealing with fellow higher-beings.

Sunny shivered. She forgot that winter was a natural phenomenon in this world. Automatically, she looked up the sky and wondered how her mistress was fairing.

--

"What are you doing here?"

"You're welcome." Hyomin answered back, exasperated. She didn't even bother to look up as she continued healing Yuri's injury. They were minor cuts and bruises but Jessica had insisted.

"You're not supposed to be here." Jessica tried again, this time failing to sound more hostile as she softened when she felt Yuri squeeze their linked hands.

"Ugh." Yuri groaned softly, she was in a daze. The strange sensation she felt earlier was back as the healing light cloaked her body. Jessica squeezed back and regretted sounding like a bully. She turned around and looked for the one person she can at least take out her frustration at.

"And you! Don't think - are you eating?" Jessica asked incredulously, as Sooyoung swallowed something in surprise. The tall girl choked, one hand leaning on the ground for support, giving Jessica a positive answer.

"We're going to have long discussion later." Jessica said icily, her eyes deadly.

Sooyoung swallowed. She had expected this and had planned everything in advance, which means she'll stick with Yuri until Jessica's anger subsided. That or leave Soshi forever.

Hyomin finished the healing and grabbed Yuri's free hand. She stood and helped her up, bringing Jessica up as well.

"There." She smiled at Yuri. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks." Yuri mumbled, immediately unclasping their linked hands but not the one holding Jessica's hand, Hyomin noted.

"Shall we go to the palace?" She suggested. It was high time she had a talk with Taeyeon.

"Alright." Jessica said. "Take Sooyoung with you."

"How about I take Yuri with me? Sooyoung can fly, can she not?"

"No, she'll fly with me." Jessica said, stepping between Yuri and Hyomin. "Do you honestly think Taeyeon will be less disappointed if you arrive in the palace with Yuri?"

Hyomin laughed and raised her hands in defeat. "I was merely suggesting it for convenience. But fly together off the sunset, I don't really care."

Jessica turned around. "Let's go Yuri."

"Although flying on cloud-pines gets really tiring, no?" Hyomin's voice sounded smug.

"I see your ascension has done nothing with your attitude." Jessica retorted.

Hyomin merely smirked. She walked towards Sooyoung.

"Come; hold my hand and we'll be at the Palace before you can even say 'cucumber'."

And two were gone, leaving Jessica with an unsaid comeback and a very flushed face. She felt Yuri tug her hand to catch her attention. The girl was smiling, white teeth showing.

"Sica, will you let me fly?"

Yuri didn't even wait for her permission as she mounted and straddled her cloud-pine. Jessica went over and sat, like how she always flew: sidesaddle, behind her. She snaked her arms around Yuri's waist as the cloud-pine gave a violent jolt before ungracefully taking off.

"Yuri!" She screamed as they flew up. Yuri was unfamiliar with the additional weight and was having trouble with the balance. They zigzagged in the air for a good while with Jessica clung to Yuri.

"Sica..." Yuri called out, they finally gained stability and were flying steadily.

"Hm?"

"Why was Hyomin banished?"

"She wasn't banished. Here in Soshi, twins are advised not to stay in the same place, for the fear that they would cancel each other out."

"Where was she then?" Yuri asked again, not quite recovering from the idea of Jessica having a twin sister. They even looked very similar if not for their contrasting hair colors.

"She grew up in the Eastern Palace with our aunt." Jessica leaned on Yuri's back. Things are changing too fast but now as they flew, she felt unusually secure behind this girl.

Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

"The elders chose me over her." Yuri heard Jessica whisper but said nothing and focused instead on the sensation of having Jessica's arm around her waist; the wind not quite helping to cool down her blush.

"Sica..." Yuri said after a long silence, she had remembered something.

"Hm?"

"You scream like a dolphin."

"A what?"

And Yuri grinned because she had always loved dolphins.

--

Hyomin entered Taeyeon's room and found her sister on the veranda. She had always thought, during her few visits to the capital that Taeyeon's room had the best view of Soshi and it was true. The marbled houses of the capital shone brightly in contrast to the blue background of the sky.

"Good afternoon sister." Hyomin announced, though it was unnecessary as Taeyeon probably even knew of her presence the moment she crossed the Eastern gate to look for Yuri.

The crown princess looked at her and then back to the view. It was enough for Hyomin to know that Taeyeon was not in the mood to be exchanging pleasantries.

"How much divinity did you give her?" Taeyeon asked quietly.

"I'm not sure myself. I was interrupted." Hyomin answered, settling herself besides Taeyeon and gazed out as well. What a shame, it's a beautiful day to be discussing such depressing topics.

"You can't finish it now. It's too dangerous."

"I know." Hyomin agreed. She had made a big mistake but it was never too late to come clean.

"You should have finished the ritual when you had the chance." Taeyeon looked at her.

"I only meant to revive her, nothing more."

"Well you failed and bound her to you instead." Taeyeon said and Hyomin can feel anger repressed in every syllable in that sentence.

"Not only did you perform a forbidden ritual but you also endangered yourself in the process."

Hyomin couldn't say anything. Taeyeon was right. She could have ended her own existence had the ritual went wrong but the girl was dead. Kwon Yuri wasn't even breathing, she had to do something.

"You meddled with the natural order of things, sister." Taeyeon continued. "You will stay here until Seohyun's ascension. Father and mother are bound to be back by then. They are the only ones who can help you, us this time around."

"I'm sorry." Hyomin managed. Taeyeon when angry was a force to reckon with and she didn't want that. Nobody wanted that.

"Don't apologize to me." Taeyeon turned around, ready to leave.

"Apologize to Jessica."

Chapter 9 

The Remains of the Day

Now isn't that romantic? Hyoyeon thought, as she watched Yuri and Jessica descend from the sky. She didn't need a telescope to know that the princess probably had a small smile playing on her lips and Yuri a wild blush on her cheeks.

Hyoyeon, who prided herself with her secretly perceptive nature, couldn't help but feel the warmth of the ongoing courtship and wondered for a brief moment if she'll ever share that kind of intimacy with someone in the future. To be locked in a moment, leaning on someone's back while the world below wasn't looking. That was the kind of romance she and Sooyoung would talk and dream about while lying down on hills with yellow flowers on cloudless afternoons.

"...so now Jessica's out to get me. I swear Hyoyeon how can you not have sensed that we were gone?"

Hyoyeon blinked her thoughts away. Maybe it was a hundred years too soon to be contemplating on such notions. Sooyoung to her right was busy explaining, or rather worrying, about what the Ice Princess will do to her and Hyoyeon could not resist.

"She'll probably hang you upside down and feed you to the goblins."

"Wha- Oh my god..." Sooyoung looked up and just noticed the object of her fear nearing the palace.

"They're here!" She started pacing back and forth. Hiding behind the pillar and peeking at the sky from time to time. Hyoyeon laughed because Sooyoung always had the flair for the dramatic and could not remember a time when she wasn't exaggerating everything.

"You know Jessica. She'll probably just tell you to never do it again."

"Easy for you to say! You weren't there when that animated creature almost ate us!"

Without hesitation, Hyoyeon flicked Sooyoung's forehead. Her drama has gone long enough and it was getting irritating. The tall girl immediately fell silent and rubbed the sore spot.

"Let's eat." Hyoyeon suggested, and watched as Sooyoung's face transformed into a happy one.

Most beings, in all the worlds out there, spend their entire existence looking for their other half. For their cloud-pine moments. Hyoyeon had Sooyoung in her life; a loyal friend who cleans up her unfinished meals with her stomach.

And that, at the moment, was more than enough.

--

"Bound to me?"

Yuri was tired and hungry. She had suffered from a horrifying vision and had two near-death experiences - all in a day, and yet she couldn't help but feel the weight of all these things until now, when Taeyeon had mentioned the fact that Hyomin, Jessica's twin sister, was bound to her.

"Yes." Taeyeon affirmed without offering her any more than the monosyllabic reply. A servant entered the throne room and was about to light the torches when Taeyeon stopped her from doing so. The sunset had seeped its way in the hollow hall and Yuri's body was starting to remind her that she needed to lie down soon.

"You will stay here until we find out who tried to kill you and what your vision meant." Taeyeon continued. "You don't have to worry about your life anymore. Hyomin shared with you a part of her divinity thus rendering the Soshi air breathable for you. And as long as you don't fly outside the capital..." Taeyeon paused to look disapprovingly at Jessica. "...no animated creatures will ever harm you again."

Taeyeon finished but her face softened when she added, "I am sorry for keeping you in our world, Yuri."

Yuri nodded because she was too tired to say anything at all.

"Where is Hyomin now?" Jessica who was silent all throughout finally spoke.

"She's here, she'll stay until Seohyun's ascension." Taeyeon clarified. "As long as you don't loiter in the same room for too long and bicker like the children that you are, you're both going to be fine."

"I have no intention in doing so."

"Of course." Taeyeon said sarcastically and slumped into her chair, rubbing her temple. "Go now."

Jessica turned around but Yuri lingered her gaze on Taeyeon. It seemed that even the princess was tired from a day's work and Yuri suddenly felt guilty for not taking half of the things she talked about seriously earlier.

"Yuri?" Jessica called out, she was near the door.

"Sorry." Yuri said as she turned to follow the Ice Princess.

There was the sound of a strong breeze and the next time Yuri looked back, Taeyeon was gone.

--

Tiffany knew that the sudden violent swaying of the garden flowers was not a natural occurrence. She climbed the marble stairs leading towards her bedroom. The twilight enveloped the room in darkness.

"Illuminate." Tiffany spoke out loud. The intricately carved torch-lights sitting at the four corners of the room were suddenly lit with a mix of faint pink and blue glow.

And there she found Taeyeon standing in the middle of her room.

Any other day, she would have berated the princess for being so bold and reckless to appear in her house but not today. Taeyeon's light-hearted aura was now gone and she looked like she had seen better days.

"Are you alright?" she asked, walking towards the waiting princess. Tiffany knew that the enquiry was as pointless as asking Jessica if she hated cucumbers but she asked nonetheless because sometimes it felt better that way. To have someone ask the crown princess if she was alright rather than assume that she was satisfied in dealing with the fact that the sovereign emperor and empress were not in Soshi at the moment.

"No." Came the quiet and unnecessary reply. Tiffany sighed and led the smaller girl to the bed. Taeyeon, almost on auto-pilot, laid down her head on Tiffany's lap and closed her eyes.

"I wish mother and father are here."Taeyeon said. "They'd know what to do with Jessica and Hyomin and the prophecy..."

Tiffany bent down and caught Taeyeon's lips with her own, preventing the princess from babbling any longer. The crown princess must have been really tired when it was Taeyeon who pulled away from the kiss first.

"Thank you." She said. Tiffany simply smiled because only in moments like this, can she truly feel useful to her loved one.

"Rest." Tiffany said and Taeyeon was asleep in no time.

--

Jessica insisted on taking Yuri back to her own room and the latter was more than willing to comply. They had walked down the darkening corridor in silence - both content in seeing each other again to think of anything else.

Yuri pushed the tall wooden door open, walked towards the bed and dropped herself unceremoniously face down. Jessica followed behind and sat at the end of the bed, near Yuri's head.

"Are you hungry?" Jessica asked, gently touching the younger girl's shoulder. It was early too early in the evening to be sleeping but Yuri shook her head against the white sheet.

"Just tired."

"Alright. I'll leave you to rest then." Jessica said, she stood up and was ready to leave when she felt Yuri's hand tugging her skirt.

"Don't go." Came the muffled request, Yuri purposely kept her face buried on the bed. She wasn't sure of what she had just asked the princess but she was certain she didn't want to part with her...not yet. Never mind that she was fighting for her eyes to stay open and that her body was screaming of fatigue. She didn't want to let go.

And Jessica thought that it was simply adorable. That despite the fact that her connection with Yuri was a ripple compared to what she currently shared with Hyomin, Yuri wanted her and not her twin sister, by her side. It was reassuring in a way and Jessica felt inexplicably happy.

"Not if you're going to stay like that." She playfully said.

Jessica had to smile when Yuri instantly looked up at her with a big smile plastered on her dirt-smudged face.

"Stay here." Yuri said and Jessica believed that it was her first time seeing Yuri being aggressive - and she liked it. She felt herself blush when the girl gently took her hand and pulled her down the bed. Yuri sat up, and realized that she was dangerously close to the princess.

"So what do we do now, Kwon Yuri?" Jessica demanded albeit the flustered face betrayed her tone.

Yuri grinned feeling proud that she had made the princess blush for a change.

"We sleep."

--

Hyomin was never really bothered by the fact that she grew up away from her real family. Perhaps it was because her aunt had showered her with enough love for her to even want to be with her real family. Who wants to squeeze themselves in a family of five when she can bask in the centre of an equally warm family in the eastern palace with her aunt anyway?

No. Hyomin was fairly content.

Except on nights like this, in the silence of an unfamiliar place, that Hyomin couldn't help but feel the injustice of it all. Of what Jessica had that she lacked or vice versa, for her to be chosen by immortal beings hiding in their scarlet robes.

She was the older one, was she not?

Hyomin stopped herself from delving further. Jealousy, she reminded herself, is never a good thing. She stood up from the anonymous bed and walked towards the veranda. The view wasn't bad, she thought. She was about to close her eyes and relax into the night when she felt an undeniably strong feeling wash over her.

Hyomin closed her eyes and searched for the unfamiliar feeling and wasn't surprised when it traced back to Yuri. The bond it seemed was stronger than she thought. Hyomin knew well enough that she shouldn't be taking advantage of their linked lives but curiosity got the better of her as she entered Kwon Yuri's consciousness.

She opened her eyes and saw her sister's sleeping face and Hyomin felt the strong feeling multiply. Apparently, Kwon Yuri was watching her sister sleep with an abnormally fast heartbeat. Feeling like she was disturbing an intimate moment, Hyomin immediately let go of the vision and she was instantly back in the veranda.

She was alone again and for the first time in her life, hated it.

Chapter 10 

The Man with the Dagger

The Kingdom of Messier was a hot, desert-like world. Its towns and cities tend to be near the rivers giving the population easy access to the water their world lacked. A relatively small world, Messier inhabitants were peaceful, hospitable and religious. Stone temples were ubiquitous and were crowded on tribute days with devotees wishing for free clean water which were sold for unreasonable prices on market days.

Days like today.

The man scanned the market-area; he was looking for a girl. He had been standing on the same spot for half an hour but still no sign of what he was looking for. The sun was burning his pale white skin. He took out the dagger and it was glowing. There was no mistake. The girl was definitely here.

"I'll trade you twenty pots of water for that nice little sword you have."

The man looked down and saw an old lady with green gems hanging down her ears.

"It is not for sale." The man answered and went back to observing the market.

"Fifty pots and I'll throw in a horse too!" The old lady wasn't about to let him go so soon. It was expected of hagglers and traders when you come to a Messierian market day.

"No." The man said without looking down, his eyes never stopped scanning the noisy, dusty area. A sudden movement caught his attention. There to the left, near the man screaming for tomatoes was a girl with a slightly nervous smile. She was accepting a wrapped package from the meat seller. The man gripped the ivory hilt of the dagger and felt an unseen force wrap itself to his hand. And that only meant one thing: he had found what he was looking for.

"Hey are you listeni -" The old lady was about to pull the man's cloak to get his attention but stopped when the man looked down on her first. His eyes were deadly and something about him suddenly screamed of danger. The man bent down to meet her eye level and spoke silently.

"Not even your kingdom is worth this dagger."

And the man was gone, leaving the frightened jeweler. She turned around and saw him approach a girl. She shivered and walked away. Maybe it wasn't a good day to trade.

--

The man simply slit the girl's throat; very much like how one would slice butter on normal occasions. The girl automatically reached for her neck to stop the bleeding. After a couple of wordless spasms, she finally stopped moving. She was dead, swimming in her own pool of grey blood. Killing her had been the easiest by far, the man admitted to himself. The other ones, all nine-hundred and ninety eight of them, had better reflexes than this clumsy, mousy girl.

He wiped the dagger free of the Messierian blood and revealed a very fine metal carved with the ancient language of the gods that only the imperial family can speak. He gripped the handle as a sudden bolt of anger washed over him at the thought.

The dagger was still glowing, angry yellow light radiating from the carved language. The man knew what it meant. He stood up and threw the dagger into the air. Instead of falling down, the blade was suspended in the air, the carved symbols grew bigger and bigger until the man can finally read the symbols.

EARTH

The man raised an eyebrow before lifting up his arm to catch the dagger in his hand. Earth was the last stop it seemed. It made perfect sense. A buzzing sound caught his attention and he looked down, he had almost forgotten the dead body lying in front of him. The flies, apparently, were feasting on the piece of meat near the girl. The cloth somehow came lose during the struggle, exposing it in the humid weather. The girl was on her way back home, no doubt from an errand, when the man pulled her into the deserted alley.

In a sudden twist of emotion, the man knelt down and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said out loud. "Have you been born a second later, you didn't have to die."

He waited for a moment before opening a gateway. He was now Earth-bound. He can almost smell another death coming his way and he marveled at the feeling of finally going after his last target.

--

Kwon Yuri worked in a restaurant that offered authentic Italian food. The chef himself wasn't Italian and the menu was in Korean but nonetheless it was named 'Mongibello' and boasted of having the best cannelloni in town. Its owner, a slightly chubby middle-aged woman named Shinyoung, was said to have fallen in love with an Italian tourist back when she was a teenager. Most probably because of cultural differences, the man had left her and since then had felt the need to remind her entire life of him. No one knew for certain if this was true or not. Nonetheless, Kwon Yuri served and washed the dishes in this little restaurant and got paid enough to afford an apartment that wasn't even big enough to accommodate a washing machine.

Yuri had worked in this restaurant for four years and not once had she suspected that the owner wasn't even from her own world. No. Yuri would sometimes share her tiramisu with this friendly lady after a day's work and fail to notice that her skin was partly luminous inside the under lighted cafe. Not even when she would only see Shinyoung once every three months after spending her long 'holidays' in far obscure sounding beaches all around the world.

Yuri even failed to notice that every single room in her apartment floor was unoccupied. The higher-beings who watched over her were too cautious. That and it was easier to monitor her when no other humans were present within a considerable area. Despite all of these, Yuri only noticed that she always had a good night sleep and brushed it off as a stroke of luck for moving in a quiet neighborhood devoid of noisy housewives and crying babies.

Kwon Yuri didn't notice a lot of things and that was how the way things should be.

--

The man with the dagger was of noble blood; he was a higher-being back in Soshi. A proud descendant of the second children of the Sun-God, he was entitled to a long life and an inborn ability to wield magic. He was powerful in his own right but the moment the man entered Earth, he knew he wouldn't come near his target. The girl was protected in every possible way. There were barriers and traps, ten-fold. To come near the girl meant death, not for her, but for him. He had sent fifteen hitmen to carry out the task for him.

Fifteen men, fifteen dead bodies.

The sixteenth man, for some reason, had been lucky. Not only was he alive but he had managed to land two bullets on the girl. To the hitman, she was as good as dead except the man knew she wasn't. She was in Soshi; the last place he, they, wanted her to be.

The man took out his dagger. It has been a while since he used it. He was not going to fail this time.

It was time to go home and pay Kwon Yuri a visit.

Chapter 11  

Preparation

Excerpts from the Diary of Prince Minjae; from the Imperial Library, Writings of Divinities Archive

Soshi is the ideal world. It is the prototype, the first of them all. Its streams are of clear waters that run deep into mountain caves and gorges. Its air is made with the essence of the most potent magic that sustains the delicate balance between life and death.

The Sun-God himself created and lived in Soshi where he gave life to his first children - the divinities, his direct descendants. They were born in pairs and their unions created worlds. They were proud, powerful immortal beings that will soon play keepers in their father's stead.

The Sun-God lived with them for a brief time until he decided to return to the stars, where he belonged. Before he left, he entrusted Soshi and government to all the known worlds to his eldest son, the first Crown Prince of Soshi. He then built a great pillar that contained the light that will sustain life to Soshi and all the worlds.

Seeing that his children were lonely with the news of his incoming leave, he made for them his second children. They were called the higher-beings and they had no difference in appearance to the divinities save their lackluster glow. He granted them long lives and the ability to wield magic almost at par with his first children.

But the higher-beings were jealous of their siblings and refused to serve them so the Sun-God created his last children, the lesser-beings....

Jessica rolled the scroll up, not quite sure if she wanted to finish the last paragraph. Yuri who had been listening all the while gave out a yawn. The girl was sprawled on the couch and was obviously enjoying the weather more than the history lesson.

"Were you even listening?" Jessica tested. It was almost midday; they have been in the library for a couple of hours. Yuri had insisted to know more about Soshi and so Jessica had no choice but to take her to the library.

Yuri grinned and quickly diverted the conversation. "Seohyun and Yoona promised me a tour of the capital today. Do you think that's alright?"

"I suppose. Do you want me to come with you?" Offered the princess, after the flying incident she wasn't going to let Yuri out of her sight again.

Before Yuri could answer, a tall figure approached them. He had the bearing of a noble man and Yuri felt threatened for an unknown reason.

"Your Highness." The man bowed.

Jessica pursed her lips and looked like she was contemplating on introducing them or not. Yuri wasn't very bright but when it came to the people she cared for, she could be very perceptive. So when Jessica suddenly became edgy, she knew that this man wasn't any other man.

"Yuri this is Donghae, the Head of the Imperial Library." The princess said as she inclined her head.

Donghae smiled and Yuri stood up and bowed. She suddenly felt incredibly small in contrast to him - partly because she was never a bookworm. For a moment, she was afraid Donghae would ask her what her favorite book was and she was sure she'd make a fool of herself and answer: "100 Ways to Get Rich Quick!" which was more pathetic than impressive.

"May I take her away for a moment?" Donghae interrupted her thoughts. He was referring to Jessica and Yuri's face darkened at his lack of honorifics and sense of familiarity with the princess.

"I'll be back." Jessica said and stood up.

Yuri followed them with her eyes. They both looked regal and Yuri felt a pang of jealousy when a sudden realization hit her. Of course Jessica was attractive and of course everyone was going to notice. Even her plain-looking friends back on Earth attracted successful businessmen, what more a princess who was, in an underrated use of hyperbole, radiant in every possible way?

Yuri felt her heart drop. Jessica and Donghae were still talking and it didn't help that they had flowers and the blue sky for their backdrop. Yuri felt her hands sweat and was reminded of her rough calluses - a result from the years of hard work in the restaurant. Jessica had none, she recalled. Her hands were soft and Yuri suddenly felt very, very embarrassed for even touching them.

Sooner or later, she thought, I would have to go back, to Earth

where princesses don't wash the dishes.

--

Jessica noticed the sudden gloom in Yuri when she came back and couldn't help but take pleasure in the younger girl's dark mood. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one who was capable of being jealous after all.

--

With the ascension of the youngest princess in two days, Soshi was officially in a buzz. Blinding flashes were of daily occurrences as gateways were opened, closed and reopened in designated areas outside the capital. Envoys were pouring in the palace from their own worlds with the most exotic gifts they could find in their own kingdoms. The Head of the Imperial Guard found himself busy checking winged horses, enchanted ceramics, fine silk gowns and more odd items for possible impurities before allowing the gifts to be stored in the palace hall. Envoys usually try and outshine each other by overdoing their gifts, unknowingly making his task more difficult.

With the palace being readied for the ascension, the chamberlain had already designated rooms in the eastern annex for noblemen and distant cousins of the imperial family. They were expected to arrive a day before the ascension and the headcount must be precise. Palace servants were preparing thrice the number of meals and the number was bound to increase further as the days come.

The only school in the capital, the Imperial Academy, had already suspended classes to make way for dance rehearsals and synchronized chants practices. All temples in the empire, even the ones in the south, were being readied for the event. Rare incense kept hidden since the last ascension was now carefully placed in ivory holders carved with the symbol of the Sun-God.

In two days, Soshi was to gain another divinity and everyone, either willing or unwilling, will witness it.

Yoona watched as the center of this event, Seohyun, inspected a small crystal ball with Yuri and a rather unwilling Jessica behind them. Her cousin had a genuine smile on her face; oblivious of the stress she was currently giving Soshi.

And Yoona couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous because she will never have an ascension. Only members of the main branch of the imperial family were privileged to become divinities. To ascend and take their places among the gods of the universe. Her own mortality was finally sinking in. Seohyun, with the power of the stars, will live forever as long as she wishes it. Yoona will not. She will live a very, very long life never knowing when her time will be up. There was always the threat of death in every waking day and it scared her.

Jessica had the audacity to turn away from such gift, she thought. She was silently berating herself for thinking such things when a sudden shriek caught her attention. The Ice Princess was hiding behind a laughing Seohyun. Yuri was waving a cucumber with a grin plastered on her face. Yoona blinked in amazement and suddenly remembered where they were.

They had walked their way out of the palace walls and into the vicinity meant for higher-beings. Like a circle within a circle, the palace was situated at the center of the capital enclosed by the massive marbled houses and establishments of the higher-beings. Yoona herself had spent plenty of times here and treated the enclosure almost like an extension of the palace. There was, after all, a thin line between the first and second children of the Sun-God.

The higher-beings bowed as they walked the marbled pathway and headed towards the high street. It was the best market place in Soshi and Yuri simply told them, in passing, that it was overwhelming. The girl had mentioned something about a different version of a market back in Earth but Yoona failed to imagine the moving stairs and automatic doors Yuri had described. Who needed moving stairs when once can easily fly?

"Throw that away! Right now!" Jessica shouted again, bringing Yoona back to the current situation.

Conspicuous stares were now being thrown at them. After all, it wasn't everyday that the high street of the capital was graced by princesses. Still, within the enclosure, where everyone walked in slow sure steps, the sight was more likely to raise an eyebrow than cause a stir.

"Why? What's wrong with cucumbers in this place?" She heard Yuri ask, the girl inched closer to Jessica. The princess gave out another high-pitched scream and slapped Yuri's hand, making the cucumber slip from her hand.

"Ouch!" Yuri said and rubbed her hand, obviously feigning pain.

"That's what you get for picking up that thing!" Jessica said, crossing her arms. Seohyun was now trying to console her irritated sister while Yuri had already turned around to inspect more of the vegetables that were laid out by the vendor - unaware that she had just missed an icy glare from the Ice Princess.

A week ago, Yoona would have widened her eyes in disbelief at the situation but now it was becoming more and more of a daily occurrence and Yoona, at the moment, wanted nothing more than to scream 'Welcome back Jessica!" on top of her lungs.

--

Looking for Princess Hyomin was easy, Yuri discovered. All she had to do was close her eyes and search for a certain pull in her emotions. It was like an invisible cord that was tied to hear entire body and Yuri could feel it tugging from time to time.

The princess was in her quarters and if Yuri wasn't mistaken, was isolating herself. She had not seen her after the flying incident. Excusing herself from her companions, she went to look for Hyomin and had little difficulty navigating through the massive hallways this time around. She now stood in front of a door and suddenly felt very nervous. She was still practicing her introduction when the door opened from inside revealing Hyomin with a questioning look.

"He-hello!" Yuri stammered as she bowed low.

"Your heart is racing again." Hyomin quietly said as she beckoned Yuri to enter the room.

"Sorry." Yuri offered at the bizarre statement.

Once inside the room, Yuri took out a green necklace she received earlier from the market. The shop owner had been a little too excited to have her first human visitor that she secretly slipped the necklace into Yuri's hand when they were leaving. Before Yuri could protest, the shop owner winked at her and shooed her out of the shop and into the waiting princesses.

"Here..." She said, "...for you." She added as a response to Hyomin's puzzled look.

The princess hesitated before finally taking the hanging gemstone in her hand.

"I wasn't able to thank you properly for saving my life." Yuri continued. "If we were back on Earth I would have probably taken you to dinner..."

Yuri blushed at her own suggestion, "...or something."

"You're welcome." Hyomin simply said with an unreadable expression.

Silence descended. Yuri, at this point, wasn't even sure if Hyomin wanted her to elaborate on her gratitude. At least the princess had accepted the small gift.

"Uhm, well maybe I should be going now." Yuri said. Hyomin nodded. Yuri turned to leave and gave Hyomin another awkward bow.

"I hope to see you at supper tonight!" Yuri smiled before disappearing behind the tall door.

--

Hyomin looked down at the small gem in her hand. It hanged loosely on a silver lace and Hyomin wondered how the girl could have possibly acquired such an expensive item. But most of all, she wondered if Yuri knew what the necklace meant. Hyomin smiled to herself.

Probably not.

--

Sunny had missed the man. She had dallied too much and now as she inspected the empty room, it was too late. She looked around for clues on the assailant's true identity but the room itself looked like it wasn't occupied for a long time. The man had been cautious it seemed except for fresh mark of a closed gateway in the middle of the room. Sunny had travelled through many worlds to know where the gate led.

She was hoping to kill him in Earth to save her mistress from more trouble but now it was already too late.

He was already in the capital.

Chapter 12  

On the Street Where You Live

Today I hunted a deer. My sister, Sumi, animated it to be of the vicious and poisonous kind. I told her to make it as hard to catch as she could. Its eyes were round and its teeth were large but I managed to kill it in one arrow. I then offered it to Canaria and we had supper in her garden.

I finally asked her to sing with me and she had said yes. Father will be pleased. I shall call our union, Earth.

-excerpts from The Diary of Prince Daehyun (The Imperial Library Archives)

--

Yuri decided that she did not like Donghae over dinner.

He was a handsome man with enough charm and wit to have Sooyoung and Hyoyeon laughing over a simple anecdote about the color yellow. Five meters away and she could hear them giggling like Donghae's story was the funniest in Soshi, the world, the universe. Even Tiffany, who was sitting with them, let out a small chuckle. But most of all, it irritated her that he was sitting opposite them and that Jessica had been unusually quiet ever since he showed up.

Unlike a normal long table, higher-beings sat on plush carpets and leaned on the abundance of soft velvet pillows while waiting for food to be served. One would think that it was more of a slumber party than an actual dinner. It reminded Yuri that life in the empire was too idle and slow almost bordering to languid. Yuri herself had been too comfortable with a large pillow behind her that she closed her eyes and relaxed into the softness. Perhaps if she closed them long enough, Donghae would disappear into thin air.

"Yuri." A voice called out. Yuri did not want to open her eyes; she hoped that the voice would eventually go away.

"Yuri..." The familiar voice called again and Yuri's unresponsiveness became more deliberate. She was about to completely drift to sleep when she felt pain on her right cheek.

"Ow!" Yuri's eyes shot wide open. She automatically reached for the sore spot and turned to look at the perpetrator. Jessica had a hand on her mouth, covering a small laugh. Yuri frowned at the princess.

"What was that for?"

"Forgive me." Jessica said, "It is impolite to sleep during dinner, you know?"

Yuri blushed. "Sorry. I blame these pillows. They're too comfortable." She punched a pillow to prove her point, earning another small laugh from the princess.

"Dinners usually last for a long time here." Jessica explained, "Chairs can get really uncomfortable if you're sitting for hours, no?"

Before Yuri could answer, the servants came in with silver trays of delicacies Yuri have not seen in her life. No monkey brains at least. She looked over to Sooyoung and saw that the tall girl was already emptying an entire tray by herself.

"Have you tried the akmin, Yuri?" Hara, to her left, asked.

"No is it good?" Yuri tore her eyes from Sooyoung and faced Hara. The princess already had a piece of what looked like a piece of chicken meat in her hand.

"Here, try it!" Hara smiled and Yuri took the offer. She opened her mouth and chewed on the meat.

"Just like chicken." She finished and took another one from the tray in front of her.

"Sica this is good!" Yuri said as she turned to look at the other princess - and missed another icy glare that was directed at Hara.

"Yes it is." Jessica simply answered. She willed herself to calm down. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to know that she was itching to smack Hara with the silver goblet she was holding.

"Here..." Yuri said, mimicking Hara's earlier action. She held a piece of meat in front of the princess with a slightly open mouth. "...open up!"

Jessica knew that Taeyeon and basically everyone else were now looking at them. The silence was deafening. Still, Jessica opened her mouth and to everyone's surprise, accepted the meat. To complete the shock, Jessica swallowed and returned Yuri's wide smile.

"Thank you." Jessica said before surprising her eavesdroppers with a sudden glance. The action caused several coughing and a unanimous scramble to do something else, rather than be caught red-handed by the Ice Princess. Taeyeon in particular, had become so interested with her wine that she was staring at it instead of actually drinking it. Sooyoung, Hyoyeon and Tiffany had looked at each other, feigning a conversation. Even Seohyun and Yoona to her right were also suddenly talking gibberish.

Only one person did not flinch.

Donghae sat there, unmoving, opposite Jessica with a smile on his face.

And Jessica smiled back.

--

Contrary to famous beliefs or rumors, Jessica did not leave Donghae or vice versa. There was no other party involved, no love triangle - though Jessica sometimes wished it had been that. There was no running away in tears or something overly melodramatic.

The reason was simple.

They fell out of love, tried a little harder and realized that the spark was no longer present. At first they hoped that it was the result of being together most of the time, so they started spending less and less time with each other hoping the distance would revive the strong feeling they most certainly felt before. This experiment only led to estrangement and the end results were that they drifted farther apart and to Jessica, an important epiphany.

Jessica, who was quite certain that she would sing with Donghae on a midsummer day, felt very afraid of the idea that nothing was definite in the universe - even for her. If what she felt for Donghae could disappear in less than a hundred years, what has eternity to offer her? It was then that Jessica decided that she will not ascend.

She did not want to be alone for eternity.

--

"Have you ever been in love Yuri?" Hara asked, surprising the younger girl.

"I'm sorry?" Yuri tried again; she felt a blush coming soon.

Hara's smile widened. "I asked you if you've been in love before. Surely even humans fall in love, yes?"

Yuri looked at Hara for the longest time. Not only was it an odd enquiry to be asking over dinner, but Jessica's image immediately popped into her mind when Hara had asked her the question. Unconsciously, Yuri turned to catch a glimpse of Jessica and was relieved when the princess was talking to Seohyun and Yoona.

Yuri returned her gaze to Hara.

"I don't know."

--

Yuri's first crush lasted for two months.

It was the boy who lived across the street with the faded leather bag. Every day for two years, Yuri would smile at this boy and only on the day when he forgot his eyeglasses that Yuri took notice of him. He was tall and lanky and he never smiled. Nonetheless Yuri thought he was cute and imagined kissing him under the moonlight. Her face would be hot even in winter when he would walk with her to school. Technically, it was just Yuri following him but she referred to it as walking together all the same.

For two months Yuri tossed and turned at night, listening to love songs that she believed were made for them. She would scribble hearts around his name during Math and tried to find the perfect equation with both their names as the answer - replacing letter variables with their initials. Her heart would race when he would smile at her at the grocery or the park or near the garbage bin when she'd throw the rubbish at night.

Jessica wasn't tall and lanky but she made Yuri's heart race ten times faster than it did with the boy who lived across the street.

-- 

Chapter 13 

Closer

The western annex was the least visited part of the palace. Everyone stayed away from its dark hallways not because it was forbidden but because it was where the elders stayed. With its eerie disfigured statues leading towards the main council room, it was safe to say that only ten ascended beings could live there for such a long time.

Taeyeon walked down this carpeted hallway and stopped in front of a tall door. No matter how many times she had stood there, the intricate carving of the Sun-God always made her mouth open in admiration. She had always wanted to commission a similar carving for the throne room but there were other important things to attend to - all the time.

Taeyeon sighed.

The door opened up and Taeyeon saw the elders standing up to acknowledge her arrival. She walked into the middle of the room and returned the bow they gave her. She sat down in her seat, opposite them.

"May the Sun-God bestow upon Your Highness the power to rule all when Your Highness's time has come."

"May the Sun-God bestow upon Your Highness the light to maintain the balance of all under heaven as your father and mother have."

"May the Sun-God bestow upon Your Highness the clarity of being the fulcrum of the universe."

May the Sun-God make this counseling short, Taeyeon mentally snorted.

The elders continued their usual lines, taking turns on kneeling in front of her because it was protocol and Taeyeon could only sit there and let her mind wander to thoughts of mushrooms and picnics and sunny days.

"... eternal life." The last one finally finished. Taeyeon waited until the last elder was already seated. Unlike Jessica, she valued what the elders think because she knew that these beings were older and she believed them to be ten times wiser.

Still, that didn't warrant a good relationship with them.

"I come to seek your counsel." Taeyeon opened with ease, a thing she learned from years and years of practice.

"Of what matter Your Highness?" The one in the middle said, simply known to Taeyeon as The Oldest One. It wasn't her official name and the princess doubted if she even knew of it. But Jessica had given her that nickname and Taeyeon had since then referred to her as that - in her mind at least.

The Oldest One had the beauty of a princess because she used to be one, hundreds of thousands of years ago. The elders may no longer have names, shredding the remains of mortality in their ascension, but The Oldest One was undeniably and obviously of the imperial bloodline.

"The ascension is tomorrow when the sun reaches its highest elevation in the sky. I want to know if the preparations are complete."

"It is complete." The Oldest One nodded. "But Your Highness shall have to take over on behalf of the Emperor."

"Why? They are bound to return tonight, are they not?" Taeyeon asked, suddenly dreading the answers that were to come.

"The emperor and empress will not be able to return on Seohyun's ascension."

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Your Highness did not seek for it."

"You're telling me that I have to stop everything I'm doing and come here to know the news of my father and mother not coming back and - "

"We are here to council you, should you seek it, Your Highness. We are not the enemy."

"Perhaps if Your Highness would spend less energy concealing secrets, Your Highness would have a better chance sensing these things?" The elder to The Oldest One's left added.

"The emperor has been trying to communicate with Your Highness but it seemed that Your Highness has closed your consciousness to outside forces."

Taeyeon clenched her teeth at the words. Tiffany was right; they were trying to read her mind all these time. The last time Taeyeon checked, she did not have an open invitation for ten ascended beings to probe her consciousness.

"That is none of your concern." She managed to say, trying so hard to stop herself from physically showing her displeasure.

"Of course, your highness."

"Forgive our forwardness."

Taeyeon kept silent and reminded herself to behave in the utmost politeness taught to her by their parents.

"May we see the girl?"

Taeyeon looked at them cautiously before waving a hand. A palace-messenger came in a flash, kneeling down before the princess.

"Send for Yuri." Taeyeon commanded, never leaving her eyes on them and added, "Alone."

The messenger bowed and was gone in an instant.

"This girl had been in the empire for six days now." The Oldest One started, "The longer she stays here, the harder it is for her to go back."

"I wasn't aware of that." Taeyeon admitted. "I was hoping to let the Emperor break the bond between her and Hyomin."

"Bond?"

Taeyeon stopped and stared at them for a good long minute -partly to make sure they weren't mocking her. Unbelievable, Taeyeon thought, they knew she was hiding secrets but they failed to sense the bond. Sometimes the elders could pass for gossip girls instead of revered ascended beings with the foresight brought by millions of years of existence.

"Hyomin is bound to Yuri." She enunciated ever word in that sentence, gloating at the idea of being one step ahead for once.

There was an amusing exchange of facial expressions between the elders. Taeyeon, for the first time, felt at ease for some reason. It was refreshing to see these beings in a state of shock for the first time.

"When did this happen?" The Oldest One asked.

"When Yuri entered Soshi, just before Jessica found her. The ritual is unfinished. Hyomin stopped - "

"Stopped?"

Taeyeon bit her lip in annoyance. That was the second time she was interrupted today.

"Yes." She answered.

"Why?"

"She sensed Jessica coming."

The Oldest One leaned back into her chair with a grim expression. She folded her hands together and looked like she was going to fall asleep anytime. She still had her eyes closed when she spoke.

"The Princess Hyomin performed a ritual punishable by death, even for a member of the imperial - "

"Hyomin has already ascended." Taeyeon interrupted, measuring her own words well.

"Then banishment in place of death." The elder to the right suggested. The others nodded in agreement including The Oldest One.

"You will not harm my sister." Taeyeon said dangerously, she leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. There was a strong gust of wind that blew on the curtains and the sky darkened in an instant.

"The emperor will decide on the matter." Taeyeon continued, making sure to sound as arrogant as she could. Even The Oldest One avoided Taeyeon's gaze.

Before the tension could escalate, the door opened up and in came Yuri. Taeyeon beckoned her to walk towards her. The girl had her human clothes on and Taeyeon thought it probably wasn't the best day to be wearing them. Yuri reached her and smiled nervously before bowing to her and the elders.

"Hello." The girl said; looking like a deer caught in the headlights with every passing second.

The elders did not answer nor did they smile at all. All ten of them were now scanning the girl and Taeyeon felt suddenly protective of Yuri. The girl looked like she was about to faint from the probing - which was not unlikely to happen if the elders consumed too much magic in the air. Having a part of divinity doesn't mean the girl was immune to power.

She was, after all, still irrefutably human.

"Come forward." The Oldest One commanded.

Yuri looked at Taeyeon, seeking permission with her eyes. The princess nodded and Yuri slowly walked forward. Once she stood before the unusually beautiful elder, she was motioned to kneel and she did without hesitation. The elder placed both of her hands on top of Yuri's head and a soft purple light emitted from the touch that surrounded Yuri slowly. Yuri automatically closed her eyes in response to the odd sensation it brought her. She could feel her blood flowing in every vein in her body and it faintly tickled her. The ritual lasted for a long time until Yuri was sure she had just woken up from a relatively long nap when the elder finally nodded her head and Yuri took it as a sign to return to Taeyeon.

"Interesting..." The Oldest One said before leaning back to the padded chair and looking away.

Taeyeon waited and waited some more. She was waiting for The Oldest One to continue. Instead, the elder simply sat there staring outside the window and Taeyeon thought she was simply spacing out. The princess fought the strong urge to cough the silence away that enveloped the room. She turned to Yuri instead and saw that the girl was now pale and was taking short breaths. She was holding on to the side of Taeyeon's chair for support. The elders have used too much power just as she had expected.

Instinctively, Taeyeon reached out and gently rubbed the younger girl's back.

"It will be over soon." She consoled. Yuri gave her a small smile and looked like the action was helping to calm her nerves at least.

"She is empty." The Oldest One finally spoke. Taeyeon and Yuri both looked at her at the same time.

"She is empty. Her mind..." The elder emphasized by pointing a finger to her own head "...is empty save the connection she has with Princess Hyomin and her obvious attraction to Princess Jessica."

Yuri, despite the weakness, managed to let out a small 'oh' and Taeyeon watched as the girl blushed automatically.

"What does that mean?" Taeyeon finally asked, saving Yuri further from embarrassment.

The Oldest One shook her head.

"I do not know Your Highness."

Taeyeon nodded.

"Thank you. We shall leave now."

Taeyeon stood up and so did the elders. They bowed to her.

"Come Yuri, let us go." Taeyeon turned around and headed towards the door with a still flustered Yuri in tow.

--

The man with the dagger had entered the capital with ease. He knew about the ascension and a gateway from Earth was bound to be unnoticeable if one was cautions enough. And cautious he was, except maybe today with his choice of a meeting place. He was sitting outside the first and second enclosures, casually sipping his tea like it's the most normal thing to do for a man of his status - which it was, many moons ago. How he had missed good tea. Nine-hundred and ninety nine worlds and not a decent cup - a thousand if one was to count Earth in. The envoys were as useless as he remembered them to be. They couldn't even introduce the pinnacle of existence in Soshi to their own kingdoms.

The man took the last sip of his drink, savoring every last drop of it before setting it down. He leaned into the padded couch and breathed in the sight of lesser-beings walking past him. He wrinkled his nose; he had always hated them not because they were below him in status but because they were resolved with the idea of serving.

How can one race accept such fate so readily? Where is the resistance? Such unfortunate beings.

"Good morning."

A cloaked and obviously out of the place higher-being sat down in front of him. The hood did its best to hide her features but one could see them enough, if one was to scrutinize.

"Good morning Sunhwa." The man beamed. "That hood is hiding your unmatched beauty on such a beautiful morning."

"Shut it." Sunhwa replied. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" The man revealed the sheathed dagger and placed it on the table. "I am here to kill the girl."

Sunhwa shoved the dagger back to the man. "It's too late. She's protected."

"I expected as much. But I will still kill her." The man shrugged. Sunhwa stared at him, wondering if he was bluffing. The man stared back and Sunhwa eventually sighed.

"You are stubborn as ever." She said while holding the edge of her hood to keep a sudden gust of wind from revealing her face.

"That I am." The man agreed, "All you need to do is get me in the palace."

"I will see what I can do." Sunhwa stood up, forcefully ending the short conversation. The man did not stop her as she turned around, ready to leave.

Sunhwa was already two meters away when she looked back at the man. Her eyes narrowed and the man stopped smiling.

"And this time I will personally kill you if you fail."

The man knew that the threat wasn't empty.

--

Jessica was reading. She was in her own room with the curtains pulled up letting the morning light in. The servants earlier had fumbled through the task probably because it has been a while since their mistress had asked for it. Jessica was lying down the padded couch with one hand propping her head up. Yuri was taken away by a palace messenger an hour ago and the girl wasn't back yet. Not that it had anything to do with why Jessica wasn't able to digest an entire page ever since the girl left.

Who am I fooling?

Jessica scanned the page again. The current chapter was dealing with gateways and artifacts and Jessica wasn't sure why Donghae wanted her to read this book. Still she took up the advice but without Yuri, reading the book was reduced to a painstaking task. The princess stood up and stepped into the veranda. Jessica took another look at the open page and wrinkled her nose.

Perhaps she'll wait for Yuri after all.

--

Taeyeon walked ahead of Yuri, lost in deep thoughts, and failed to notice that the younger girl was silently limping her way out of the western annex. Yuri watched as Taeyeon walked further away but was too weak to call out her name. Yuri finally sat down the marbled floor waiting for Taeyeon to notice her disappearance when she felt arms lifting her up on her feet.

Jessica? No. Jessica smelled of jasmine. This one smelled of pine trees.

"Princess Hyomin?"

The princess did not utter a word. There was a violent jolt, it felt like the ground suddenly disappeared and Yuri found herself clutching Hyomin's shoulder for balance. The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on a soft bed with a blanket covering her for warmth. She looked around; she was not in her own room. Hyomin was standing in front of her, looking at her.

"Princess Taeyeon..." Yuri said weakly, her eyes were already closing.

"Sleep." Hyomin simply said before disappearing once more.

It was best to inform Taeyeon where Yuri was before she noticed that Yuri was gone at all.

--

Sunhwa threw the cloak away once she was inside the first enclosure. He was right; it was too beautiful a day to be hiding in cloaks meant for lesser-beings. She chose to walk all the way to the outer enclosure and now she was contemplating on flying back to the palace. Still, she chose to take a stroll because it gave her more time to think.

More time to plan. More time to...

"Unnie!" A voice called out to her, instantly releasing her from her thoughts. She looked around and saw a familiar figure running towards her. She was waving her hand and smiling and Sunwha recognized her sister as one would recognize the back of their own hand.

"Yoona, what are you doing here?"

Chapter 14 

The Dance of the Butterflies

Yuri was dreaming. She was dreaming of high school and falling in line and Math assignments. In this particular dream she was sixteen and sitting on the rooftop with Leesha - a transfer student who believed that all life was dictated by the alignments of the planets and the stars.

So you like him?

Leesha asked before taking a bite of her big sloppy sandwich. The ketchup squeezed out and Yuri watched in amazement as Leesha licked the side of her mouth like it was nothing.

I think so. But he doesn't even know me.

Yuri pulled out her handkerchief and offered it to her friend. Leesha shook her head and waved her tissue in rejection.

What is his favorite color?

There was the sound of the soda can hissing open and Leesha taking a long big gulp.

What does that have to do with anything? Yuri asked incredulously, eyes still fixed on her friends eating habit.

Everything!

Leesha then took out a magazine from her bag and handed it to Yuri. It was thick and dog-eared and Yuri was sure that Leesha stole it from her parent's bathroom readings.

Page twenty-three...

Yuri complied and opened up the glossy mass produced page and read 'Is it love? How to know if you're head over heels in love with your man!' out loud failing to keep a straight face with the last three words.

Yuri laughed and laughed some more.

You have to read it, it actually makes sense. Leesha defended.

Yuri did but it didn't make sense. Still, the conversation including the magazine, the sandwich, the ketchup, and the color was somehow the most vivid of memories Yuri had with this particular friend. It was etched in her memory and would from time to time, pop in her dreams just like this one.

Leesha continued eating her sandwich and Yuri squinted to look up at the cloudless sky with the magazine in her lap. It was one of those lazy summer afternoons when happiness meant the final school bell or leaning on the side of the car that was on the way to the beach.

It will make sense someday.

The voice was too low even for a dream; as if someone had turned the volume down. Yuri turned to catch a glimpse of her friend but it was too late. She was already waking up.

Yuri opened her eyes and stared up at the bland ceiling and thought of her friend. Yuri loved Leesha in all her struggling albeit endearing Korean. She loved sitting there on the roof with her on summer days and listening to her talk about seagulls, cabinets, train stations and Venus.

It was a shame she had to move.

Yuri frowned. For a moment there she felt like she was back in her own small apartment and that the past days have been a dream. But now as she looked around and noticed the marble whiteness of the room, Yuri was somehow relieved that she was still in Soshi.

In Soshi where Jessica was.

Blinking at the thought, she imagined being with Jessica back in her own world. She imagined checking her phone in between orders for a message that says 'Don't forget to pick up the laundry on your way home. Love you' or secretly going to the mall, looking for a decently-priced gift for an anniversary. She imagined running through the rain with Chinese food in hand because she's too tired to cook dinner for the both of them. But most of all Yuri imagined waking up to Jessica's sleeping face every day for the rest of her life. Yuri smiled at the simplicity of her own imagination because she had always believed that it in life; it's the little things that matter.

Yuri's vision blurred at the in passing thoughts because they were that - thoughts.

"Why are you crying?"

Yuri followed the voice and found Hyomin standing by the doorway. She knew that the question was more rhetorical than an actual one. Still, she wiped her eyes free of the tears and answered the princess.

"I was just thinking..." she hesitated.

"Of my sister." Hyomin finished as she made her way towards Yuri.

Yuri gauged Hyomin's expression, she wanted to see what the princess thought of it but Hyomin had her ever present poker face on.

"Yes." Yuri said silently and sat up.

"Jessica seems to be flooding your mind lately." Hyomin said, "It's getting harder to ignore your feelings these days."

"Am I that obvious?" Yuri asked, embarrassed but at the same time relieved that Hyomin was finally opening up to her. In the morning light, Hyomin looked and felt just as ethereal as Jessica.

"Yes." The princess answered, she was smiling. "Even a fool cannot turn a blind eye."

"Too bad I can't help it." Yuri mumbled as she slumped back to the bed.

"No," Hyomin agreed, "no you can't. It's too strong even for me."

"Strong? My attraction to Sica?" Yuri asked and couldn't help but stammer at her own admission.

"Yes."

Yuri buried her face in her folded arms and let out a small grunt. She sometimes hated her ability to be so transparent.

"Is it because of our bond?" Yuri started, wondering why she was even considering the possibility of Jessica liking her too.

"No. Otherwise you'd feel the attraction for me and not for her." Hyomin answered a-matter-of-factly; looking like she was surprised Yuri even had to ask.

"Oh right." Yuri blushed "Do you think she..."

"Likes you too?" Hyomin, for the second time, finished for her. Yuri nodded and stared into Hyomin's eyes, wishing so hard for a positive reply. The princess simply stared at her for a couple of seconds then looked away with a small smile on her lips that Yuri had missed.

"Jessica is here. She's looking for you." Hyomin inclined her head towards the door.

Yuri straightened up at the mention of Jessica's name and just as the princess had said, there was a loud knock at the door. Hyomin watched as Yuri excitedly kicked off the blanket and dashed towards the door like her life depended on it.

Yuri is obvious and oblivious and undeniably adorable.

--

Jessica was upset and she didn't care if servants were scrambling away from her like rats as she passed them by the hallway. She didn't even care if the whole Soshi froze before she reached her destination. She turned left and in no time stood before her twin sister's room. She knocked and waited for Hyomin to stick out her self-righteous little head out the door.

The door opened up but instead of Hyomin, Yuri's flushed face greeted her.

"Sica!"

Sica almost forgot she was angry but then she saw Hyomin through the open door and her face turned sour once more.

"Good morning Jessica." Hyomin greeted.

"Good morning Hyomin." Jessica said evenly.

Silence. Hyomin and Jessica kept staring at each other and only when Yuri involuntarily shivered, that Jessica remembered why she was there in the first place.

"Let's go Yuri."

Jessica turned around and Yuri gave Hyomin a bow before following the Ice Princess.

--

Hyomin watched as Yuri and Jessica walked away. Watched as her sister casually reached for Yuri's hand and the girl immediately catching it with childlike permission. Watched as Yuri shyly looked back at her with and Hyomin instantly regretted not answering the girl's question before.

She likes you too. She wanted to tell Yuri. And all you need is a little push.

Hyomin placed a hand to her chest and wondered if her heart would ever race the same way Kwon Yuri's heart was beating just now.

--

"... righteous, haughty -"

"What's that Sica?" Yuri said, not quite catching Jessica's sentence. The princess only looked at her and huffed away as a reply.

"Are you alright?" Yuri tugged their linked hands to catch Jessica's attention.

"Peachy." Jessica answered without even looking at Yuri. The latter was busy wondering the sudden change in Jessica.

"You don't like Hyomin very much, do you?" Yuri mumbled as they continued walking. Jessica heard the statement nonetheless and realized, of all the places, that she didn't hate her sister. She only disliked the fact that she was getting near Yuri - a little too close if one should ask.

"No but I don't hate her." Jessica managed.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you always agitated when you're near her?"

"Because..." Jessica trailed off as Yuri kept her eyes fixed on her.

...you're mine.

--

The flowers were outside the palace walls and near the lake. Seohyun and Yoona had invited Yuri and Jessica to pick flowers with them and they agreed. By picking flowers, it meant Seohyun cutting the yellow daisies with a sleepy Jessica sitting behind her and Yoona and Yuri chasing butterflies in the open field.

"A ball?" Yuri asked Yoona, hand shielding her eyes from the sun as she walked and searched for the little creatures.

"Yes. Think of it as a pre-departure celebration for Seohyun before she ascends." Yoona answered, walking closely behind her.

"How old is Seohyun anyway?"

"Tomorrow? One hundred years old." Yoona jumped as two butterflies passed by. Yuri stopped her strides and looked at Yoona with her mouth slightly hanging open.

"What? Did we forget to tell you?"

"Yes!"

Yoona laughed. "I'm sorry. But I'm sure now, knowing our age is a little less surprising yes?"

"How old is Sica?" Yuri asked and Yoona couldn't help but frown. Yuri didn't even bother asking her for her age and went straight to inquiring the Ice Princess's age.

"She's three-hundred years old."

Yuri's knees buckled intentionally as she knelt down the field, mouth still slightly open in disbelief.

"Wow." Yoona heard her say and she sounded almost defeated. Before Yoona could say anything, a small butterfly flew and perched on top of Yuri's head.

"Yuri..." Yoona said excitedly, "...there's a butterfly on your head. Don't move."

Yuri's face immediately brightened and cautiously met Yoona's eyes without moving her head.

"Catch it." She said, keeping her voice low. Yoona slowly reached for the butterfly, trapping the small creature in between her two hands. As soon as Yoona caught the butterfly, Yuri stood up to take a look at it.

"Can I show it to Sica?" Yuri grinned at Yoona. The princess nodded and transferred the small butterfly to Yuri's hands.

"Sica look at this!" Yuri called out, running towards the princess with both of her hands clasped loosely together. Yuri held out her hand to the princess and Jessica saw a small green butterfly perched on the girl's palm.

"It's beautiful." Jessica smiled.

"It is." Yuri nodded.

"I believe in Earth butterflies come in different colors, no?"

"Yes, they don't come in different colors here?"

Jessica shook her head.

"Not in a single butterfly." Jessica reached out and the small creature finally flew away to join the flutter of the butterflies above. Both of them looked up at the same time, hands clasped, and watched the dance of the butterflies - a swirling green among the field of gold.

Sica, one day I'll show you the butterflies of my world.

Chapter 15 

And by the Light of the Fireflies

Taeyeon rarely flew. She preferred travelling from one place to another like most ascended beings - in the blink of an eye. Not only was it easier but was more convenient and practical. Still though, sometimes there is a certain therapeutic beauty in flying.

So Taeyeon flew.

Higher and high, away from the ground until she felt her magic protect her from the wind and the height and the speed. Tiffany had once said that Taeyeon belonged in the heavens and she was right. Only in the vastness of the sky, looking down at the small dot that was the capital, could Taeyeon feel at ease the most and free, like she did now. Taeyeon spread her arms and basked in the warm glow of the sun with eyes closed and hair loose.

I am the light. An indestructible force that will last forever and nothing, not even darkness will destroy me.

Taeyeon never did believe in those words - a ceremonial invocation taught solely to the heir, but now as she found herself struggling with multiple distractions, maybe it was high time she did.

Father, show me the light.

It has been a while since she last prayed. Taeyeon took one long breath before she plummeted, headlong back into Soshi.

The clearest visions, after all, happen on the long way down.

--

For someone who believed that laughter is the best medicine, Shinyoung now stood in the field of yellow daisies like an old woman waiting for enlightenment - which in all possibility could be true. Her eyes were closed and her hands clasped behind her. To the trained eye however, they could tell that she was anything but calm. Composed maybe but not calm. Calm must never be used in her current situation.

"Seventy-nine teashops in the capital and this is our rendezvous?"

Shinyoung finally grinned at the familiar voice that came from behind. "And I thought you hated tea."

"True."

"You're late."

"There have been delays." The answer was less haughty and more on the guilty side. Shinyoung finally turned around to acknowledge the owner of the voice.

"He is here, Sunny-bunny."

"I will kill him." Cold. Absolute. Unbending. Shinyoung shivered at the thought of a vengeful Sunny - a far cry from the smiling, energetic persona she had when she was younger.

"No you won't." Sunny looked up from her kneeling position at the strange statement. Surely it was a jest but then Shinyoung's face was anything but jesting.

"Your task now," Shinyoung carefully said, "is to help him get near Yuri."

And Sunny couldn't even speak.

--

The delegation from the South was composed of Prince Siwon, Prince Kyuhyun and Princess Narsha. They arrived in the receiving hall in one swift majestic blue light. Unlike newly ascended divinities that can travel in such a way, Prince Siwon's magic brought no wind but only the lingering light in the wake of their travel.

The chamberlain bowed and signaled the waiting servants to offer them their cloaks.

"Where is the crown princess?" Prince Siwon asked while he stood still as a servant draped him his cloak.

"Princess Taeyeon is at another engagement Your Highness." The chamberlain answered with a deep bow. In dealing with the south, one must always be polite and cautious because there is a very brittle relationship between the ruling family and this particular branch of the imperial family. A silent rivalry that spanned for thousands of years and one must never provoke it further.

"And the Princess Jessica and Princess Seohyun?"

"The princesses are picking flowers for tonight's ball."

There was a loud snicker from the only princess in the room. "Picking flowers? That I have to see."

"When can I see Taeyeon?" Prince Siwon said. With his cloak securely fastened, he looked tall and dangerous.

The chamberlain silently clenched his teeth at the lack of honorifics for his mistress. He remembered why everyone hated this particular family - because they were rude, arrogant and treated everyone below them.

"Apologies Your Highness, the crown princess wishes to tell you that she'll be seeing all of you later tonight at the ball."

"Very well."

--

Sunhwa learned from a very young age that the only way to remain anonymous was to sit quietly behind. Sunhwa didn't laugh out loud on gatherings and tributes like her cousin Hara nor did she gobble out fruits like her sister Yoona. No. Sunhwa stood and held her smile like the good daughter that she was and eavesdropped and learned a good deal of secrets.

Secrets like Taeyeon and Tiffany's relationship. How they would intentionally holds hands for more than a second while pretending to talk casually on dinners.

Secrets like how a considerable amount of higher-beings are displeased with Jessica casually taking in a human girl into the capital but was too weak and afraid to show disagreement.

Secrets like a few members of her own family knowing about The Prophecy and fearing its connection with the girl.

Secrets like there are two copies of The Prophecy. One was in the Imperial archives and two, was in the hands of the southern imperial family.

Secrets like Kwon Yuri had to die to give way to a new and a more powerful Soshi empire.

--

The ball was held in the imperial garden, among the bloom of the flowers and Yuri wondered why they had to pick yellow daisies outside at all. The marbled pathway that led to the courtyard was lit with numerous torch lights like proud men in their canes.

Yoona had told Yuri earlier that the ball wasn't a formal one; it is a mere celebration of Seohyun's ascension. But now as Yuri entered the courtyard, sandwiched between Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, she felt like Yoona had missed something again. Everyone looked tall and proud and elegant.

"Stop fidgeting." Sooyoung whispered, picking up a goblet of wine from a servant.

"I thought this was supposed to be an informal ball?"

"It is." Hyoyeon answered for Sooyung.

"Then why is everyone dressed up?" Yuri asked to which Sooyoung and Hyoyeon laughed.

"Were you expecting us to wear rags?"

"Wait until you see everyone tomorrow, then." Sooyoung grinned.

"Where is Sica?"

"The princess," Sooyoung looked cautiously at Yuri, "along with the imperial family will arrive last."

"Speaking of which..." Hyoyeon said, looking at the entrance.

The imperial family finally came in, clad in gowns and robes of different shades of green with gold linings. Yuri felt a hand on her head, forcing her to look at the ground.

"Bow." Sooyoung whispered. "And stop staring at your princess."

Yuri blushed because never before had she felt giddy with the use of a simple possessive adjective in her life.

--

Jessica had been to this ball before and felt it unnecessary to waste so much wine, two nights in a row. Or rather, she felt it unnecessary to be up and socializing when everyone could just retire in their chambers and rest. The ball itself wasn't named - another oddity she thought, for an empire obsessed with titles and proper names. Her sister Seohyun seemed to be enjoying it well enough, laughing and smiling with Yoona as per usual.

Still, she had to admit, it wasn't that bad. Especially when her line of sight ended with Yuri in her human clothes hidden in the folds of a green cloak, no doubt feeling intimidated yet again by the sheer grandness of everything. The girl was sandwiched between Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, obviously enjoying the wine and strawberries.

"How is Yuri?" Taeyeon slumped in her chair and already looked exhausted. The goblet that was loosely hanging from her hand was already empty.

"Fine." Jessica took a sip of her own wine. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine." Taeyeon's lips played a small smile at Jessica's genuine concern. Perhaps Kwon Yuri did change her sister like what everyone was saying.

"She is human Jessica." Taeyeon finally said and wondered why she had said that, knowing well that the subject was delicate in nature.

"I know." Through the haze of fatigue and the effects of the wine, Taeyeon detected the sadness that came with the answer. It was pungent and real and it scared Taeyeon - so very much.

"Jessica..." Taeyeon straightened.

"I know." Jessica repeated; melancholic eyes still locked with Yuri's from across the courtyard. Divided by distance and a gathering crowd of higher-beings, they managed to focus on each other and Taeyeon regretted reminding her sister of reality and the sadness it brought.

"If you are happy..." Taeyeon wasn't sure what she was about to say but Jessica looked more real than all the times she had been with her and that at least, she was thankful of.

"I am."

--

Hyomin decided to grace the ball with her presence - just because she can. Taeyeon had invited her, maybe more out of politeness than actual sincerity; still an invitation is an invitation. But most of all, fiddling the necklace she was wearing, she had intended to do something. Hyomin was laconic at best when dealing with Jessica but now she found herself wanting to see a happy ending for once.

After several odd looks and forced bows from the higher-beings and cousins all around, Hyomin finally spotted the one person she had wanted to see. Wasting no time, Hyomin walked towards the girl.

"Princess Hyomin!" Yuri had seen her approach.

"Good evening." Hyomin greeted. She looked around and saw what she expected: Jessica staring at them.

"Excuse me; may I steal her for a moment?"

With Sooyoung and Hyoyeon gone, Hyomin smiled at Yuri. It was time to play matchmaker.

"I forgot to thank you for this." The princess took out the necklace, looking across at Jessica as she held the small gem for Yuri to gaze at.

"You're welcome." Yuri smiled, unknowingly digging herself a deeper grave. "It looks good in you."

"Did you know," Hyomin let the gem fall down on her chest, intentionally not hiding it. "That it turns red in time?"

"It turns red? I didn't know that." Yuri said now with a curious look. Hyomin smirked and took another glance at Jessica sitting from across.

Jessica I hope you really are eavesdropping.

"How?" Yuri asked again. "How does it turn red?"

"It turns red," Hyomin saw Jessica slowly stand up in anticipation, her sister was definitely eavesdropping. "...when you sleep with me."

There was the sound of the wind and the yellow flowers at the foot of the imperial dais flew all around. The dance stopped, the music died and Taeyeon had a palm on her forehead. Hyomin involuntarily swallowed as Jessica pierced her with the iciest glare so far. No one dared to move, no one dared to even breathe out loud. Something had clearly displeased the Ice Princess.

"Sica..." Hyomin heard Yuri whisper; no doubt the girl was confused.

There was an anonymous cough and the silence was finally broken. The music resumed as Jessica descended the dais and walked past them. Hyomin turned to Yuri who was following Jessica with her gaze, worry written all over her face. Hyomin had expected for Yuri to run after her sister as soon as she walked past them but Yuri seemed afraid to follow her.

You need a bigger push after all, Yuri.

"Yuri," Hyomin took the goblet Yuri was holding, "I think it's time you go after her?"

Yuri looked like she had no idea what just happened much less what to do but Hyomin knew better. The princess took a gulp from Yuri's drink.

May you bring my sister happiness, Yuri of Mongibello.

--

"Hey." Yuri greeted. Jessica was standing near the pond. It wasn't hard to find the princess, as no one else wanted to take a stroll in the unreasonably large garden. Jessica didn't move, she was staring into space again and Yuri found it incredibly endearing. In the moonlight, Jessica looked every bit of the Ice Princess everyone assumed her to be.

"Hey." Yuri repeated, touching Jessica's shoulder to catch her attention. Jessica blinked and finally turned to her.

"Why are you here?" Jessica almost failed to hide the bitterness in her question as it sounded more of an accusation than an inquiry.

"What happened back there?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. " Jessica turned to face the pond again and Yuri could see a small hint of a pout. Yuri scooted closer to the princess.

"Sica..." Yuri said, heart beating rapidly against her chest, "...what is your favorite color?"

It was in the sincere way of asking and Jessica couldn't help but to look at Yuri in confusion. Still, the girl was asking a question and Jessica answered.

"Yellow."

Yuri had been uncertain all her life, she couldn't even remember a time when she was sure enough to make a decision without asking someone for an opinion. But now as Jessica said 'yellow', Yuri knew that this, standing on a foreign ground with a princess named Jessica, was certain and powerful.

Her favorite color is yellow and it makes sense.

Yuri took a deep breath before leaning down, ever so slowly, so that their lips touched.

First kisses, even with higher-beings, happen only once. It is an awkward, heart-stopping experience - with unsure hand placements on some occasions. But ultimately, first kisses are eternal; it is one of the few things worth remembering in anyone's life. Jessica had that kind of kiss, years ago in a dark corridor, and it was nothing like this. Yuri's lips were soft and shy and obviously inexperienced. With closed eyes Jessica smiled into the kiss, Yuri tasted like the strawberries she was wolfing down minutes ago.

Jessica had always imagined and wanted, once upon a time, her first kiss to be of the sparks-flying, colors-bursting variety. The kind her friends would talk about while waiting for princes and lords to pass by on tribute day. She pictured herself, and her partner, floating slowly above the garden pond with the tip of her white dress a centimeter above surface, faintly making ripples on the still water. The moon would be full and the soft light would softly caress her partner's features and Jessica's magic would give life to a myriad of fireflies that would be dancing and blinking around them.

Kwon Yuri kissed her exactly like that.

Chapter 16 

Ascension

Dawn was finally breaking and the Soshi Empire would probably never feel this alive again for another hundred years or more.

Everyone was waiting for this day.

The elders, with their legs folded in meditative positions, opened their closed eyes to greet the morning sun that seeped through the screens of their lonely stone hall. Breathing in the calmness the dawn brought, breathing out the uncertainty the darkness left. With all the power and restraint the years have given them, the elders - every single one of them felt the heightened awareness this day brought.

It was time for the youngest princess to ascend.

--

Shinyoung too, greeted the morning sun in her terrace with a cup of tea to her right. The bluest sky, after all, was in Soshi. Shinyoung pitied the humans who boasted the same claim. How she would love to bring a poet from Earth in the same exact spot she was now standing on and see him weep at the sight.

Sunny to her left, was lost in thought and Shinyoung didn't blame her for that. She too would have questioned if not rebelled to the idea of helping the man who was tasked to eliminate Kwon Yuri. Especially when the reason for doing so was withheld from her. Still, things have a way of rearranging themselves and Shinyoung was not the one in control of the decisions.

"It is important," Shinyoung finally said out loud, "for you to not fail this time."

"How can I fail when all I have to do is stand there and do nothing."

"Observing and doing nothing are two different things Sunny-bunny."

"I hate it when you wax philosophical. Speak plainly."

The silent rage was still there but Shinyoung knew that Sunny was as loyal as she was stubborn.

"Your Highness, the bath is ready."

Behind her, two servants were readying her gown. Shinyoung wrinkled her nose - she never did like wearing gowns.

"Good luck Sunny." Shinyoung said to her silent companion before going in to take her bath.

--

Yuri had simply wanted to see Jessica before getting ready but the guards that stood outside her room had been stoic and unbending. She wasn't even sure why there were guards posted in the first place.

"So I really can't go in?" Yuri tried for the fifth time. In frustration, she had entertained the idea of suddenly barging through the wooden door and yelling 'Sica help!' once inside. But by now, Yuri knew exactly how hard the door was and the marble floor, in case she stumbled.

"No." The guard to the left said in the most uncaring voice Yuri has heard in a long while. Yuri pouted at him. Whatever the reason was, she was sure Jessica would tell her anyway.

"Okay. I'm leaving now." Nothing. Yuri slumped her back and finally gave up. Just then, in the most possible cliché known to her, she heard the door creak open.

"Yuri?" Jessica appeared, obviously getting ready for a bath, "It's alright." She had said to the guards, who were kneeling in respect to their princess. Yuri wasted no time and entered the room, throwing a triumphant smile at the guard in the process.

Only when the door closed and Jessica stood in front of her that Yuri realized she had no idea what to do. She had wanted to see Jessica - and hadn't thought of what to do next.

Jessica laughed and swept the awkward air away. "You're so red."

Yuri automatically covered her face, both palms pressed on her cheeks to hide the blush.

Say something! Say something! Say something!

"I'm here..." Jessica offered, "... to see you before I get dressed?"

Yuri nodded. The princess took a step forward, "Good.", and pulled Yuri down for a second kiss.

Once again, Jessica felt her own magic explode - tenfold, oozing out of every pore in her body, creating incalculable energy all around. It was scary and exhilarating all at once. Jessica had kissed Donghae one too many times but had never felt even less than ten percent of what Yuri made her feel now.

"I should go..." Yuri smiled in daze when the kiss ended, "Sooyoung's waiting for me."

"Alright." Jessica let go of her hand and Yuri gave her another awkward smile before turning around. In a sudden burst of emotion, possibly an afterglow of the magic, Jessica pulled Yuri back - perhaps a little too rough, for a tight hug. She felt Yuri's hand at the back of her head, fingers digging into her hair.

"Sica."

Jessica looked up and caught Yuri's lips. The kiss was heated and more passionate than the last one. Only when Jessica felt Yuri's hesitance did she realize that maybe she was going too fast. Seven hours ago, Yuri did not even know what kissing someone felt like. Jessica pulled back and knew that she was blushing.

"Sorry." She managed and looked down in embarrassment.

"Sica, what's wrong?

"Nothing." She lied but Yuri probably knew that. The girl, this time, was the one who initiated a hug. Jessica instinctively wrapped her arms around Yuri's waist. Jessica felt Yuri breathe in her scent again - which was becoming a habit.

"Do you like my scent that much?"

"Yes." Yuri answered, still breathing in. "Jasmine."

The princess laughed because this was the first time someone noticed her scent. Donghae knew it was because of the tea but had never guessed it right. Jessica finally pulled away from the embrace.

"Go." She said. "I'll see you later."

"Okay! See you later."

Yuri gave her a peck on the cheek before turning around and running away. Jessica touched the spot where Yuri had kissed her and involuntarily smiled.

--

Taeyeon stood in front of the mirror, right arm slightly raised as two servants draped the final layer of her ceremonial robe, a patterned gold and green of the most exquisite silk there was. How strange and unsettling, she thought, to be wearing the Ruling God's robe a little too soon. Taeyeon watched in anxiety, from the mirror's reflection, as The Oldest One opened a small chest to reveal the crown - a simple sun crown forged in gold and divine light and millions of years of heritage.

There was no turning back, Taeyeon knelt down - probably for the last time, and accepted the crown and her fate.

--

The imperial procession was ready.

Noblemen, envoys, cousins and higher-beings were lined up in rank and in twos. The palace hall was a mass of vivid colors, of fine silks and family crests and soft curls. Everyone appeared tall in flowing robes with a pinch of exquisite arrogance. Even the Imperial Guard, Yuri noted, looked inexplicably beautiful in their uniforms of blue and silver and deep black sandals.

Yuri was with Tiffany, inspecting everyone left and right, up and down, and most importantly - a small somewhat displaced figure amidst the imperial family. The princesses and princes towered over this slightly plump figure and Yuri wished that her or his face wasn't covered with hood. Yuri saw Hyomin approach this figure with a smile on her face.

Maybe that was her aunt?

"Yuri wear this." Tiffany handed her a thin, gray robe. The older girl helped her fasten the silver brooch and gave it a satisfied pat when she was done.

"There." She nodded in approval. "You look complete."

Yuri traced the pattern of the brooch, it was the same as the one Tiffany had; an intricate engraving of a hibiscus. It was probably her family insignia, no doubt handed for generations just like everyone else in the empire.

Yuri's family didn't even exist anymore.

"Now what?" Yuri cleared her thoughts free of the unhappiness a simple piece of metal had suddenly brought her.

"Now we walk." Tiffany said. "All the way to the lake."

--

The walk wasn't tiring at all - it had been slow and almost leisurely. The gates to the first and second enclosures were wide open and everyone else were gathered to the side, in painstaking order, to see the procession off. Even small kids were unmoving and stood solemnly as the procession passed them by. The road was scattered with white petals that danced as sandaled feet walked upon them. How odd, Yuri thought, that the guard to her left did not appear to be intimidating at all, as if he wasn't even a guard at all but a higher-being who was also enjoying the walk.

When the lake was finally in sight, Yuri had wondered what kind of mechanism was built to allow the procession to walk all the way to the middle of the lake. She squinted to look far ahead; the head of the procession was already in the blue water and only when they neared the lake did Yuri realized that there wasn't anything at all. Everyone was simply walking on water.

"Stop breaking the line." Tiffany pulled Yuri's robe to keep her from peeking out.

"There..." Yuri's eyes were wide as she turned to Tiffany. "There is nothing in the water!"

"Hush." Tiffany said, "The water is enchanted."

"Oh." Yuri managed.

"Why do you think Jessica insisted you stay with me instead of those two blabbering fools?"

"I wouldn't call them fools." Yuri defended as she looked ahead to Sooyoung and Hyoyeon who were unusually behaved and suddenly wished she was with them instead of the glum atmosphere within the higher beings. Everyone was so serious and silent in this part of the procession. Nearing the lake, Yuri watched in awe as the higher-beings in front of them did not even pause walking before taking another step into the blue water. Flying she had seen and flying had been logical - a cloud-pine, which was something tangible, with somewhat unusual flying properties. But this, walking on water, screamed of magic and the kiss and Yuri blushed at the memory.

"You'll be fine." Tiffany finally smiled at her and Yuri thought that it was probably the most beautiful smile she had seen in her life - if she had not met Jessica that is.

As soon as Yuri stepped into the water, the water somehow pushed her back. It was almost the same as walking on concrete except the fact that she could feel the coolness of the water beneath her.

"Wow." Yuri said, exhilarated. "I love this place."

Tiffany chuckled. "I'm sure you do."

Yuri knew she was referring to Jessica and blushed even harder. "Umm, yeah I guess..."

At the end of the procession, the crowd parted, one to the left and one to the right, encircling the pillar. The parting was graceful and flawless that Yuri wondered how she could possibly float without Tiffany by her side.

"Do I come with you instead?" she whispered. Tiffany shook her head.

"You'll float." Tiffany waved and they parted, Yuri following the higher-being before her as they took their place around the Pillar of Light. Yuri felt a presence behind her and saw that the second layer behind them was lined up of the Imperial Guard. The man behind her was tall and Yuri flinched when he met her gaze. Unlike the guard before, this one was definitely intimidating.

Through the gap of the massive circle formed, the imperial family finally entered - a uniform presence made up of silver crowns, green and gold silk, and the ever present luminosity. Together, the imperial family was immaculate and breathtakingly divine. Taeyeon, in particular, made Yuri believe that she was in the presence of gods. Suddenly, it was no longer hard for Yuri to separate the god from the girl.

They took their place in front of the pillar and Yuri felt her heart skip a beat as she saw Jessica scan the crowd and held her breathe as the princess finally found her. Yuri automatically smiled and waved. The princess smiled back and finally turned around to face the pillar once more.

Jessica, in her imperial regalia, was so heart-achingly beautiful that Yuri was lost in a feeling once more.

--

The ascension was the most sacred ritual in Soshi because it reminded everyone that their empire was the one that ruled the universe. Their rulers are and will become part of the stars in the wake of their reigns.

Seohyun, the only one in pure white regalia, knelt down in front of the crown princess. The wind died. The water stilled. The elders in their scarlet robes chanted a soft melodious soothing chant. The Pillar of Light glowed softly into the rhythm, dancing and swaying with the ancient words.

Yuri watched as Taeyeon raised her arms into the heavens and white light fell down directly unto her. The waters rippled and the wind moved again. The Pillar of Light was transferring its glow to Taeyeon. She was becoming the physical embodiment of the light itself. A mass of blinding glow that was powerful and deadly and omniscient.

She was becoming God.

Yuri watched the transformation and forgot to breathe.

Then two things happened: One, Yuri felt a powerful force hit her back, almost knocking the air out of her. She felt a hand grab her neck to keep her from falling down. The hold was painful, nails digging into her skin. Two, a blinding flash swallowed her whole. The moment the hand let go of her, she fell down the ground. Temporarily blinded by the flash, Yuri felt the rocks and the solid ground and knew that she was no longer in Soshi.

--

The man with the dagger miscalculated two things - though he himself wasn't aware of it yet. The first one was out of arrogance and the second one was out of ignorance.

Sunhwa's instructions were clear -

When Seohyun ascends, the crown princess will become the light. The moment in between is your only chance to go for the girl. You cannot kill her in this world because that's impossible. She shares her life with Hyomin and their bond is strongest in this realm. Create a gateway and as soon as you've pulled the girl in, seal it at once and kill her swiftly. Do not play your games.

But now, as Kwon Yuri struggled before him, he thought:

Why not play a game?

He smirked and just when he was about to grab the girl, he sensed and dodged - by the slightest second, a fatal attack. The ice crystals exploded behind him instead, hitting the trees and effectively piercing through it in a deadly splatter.

The man recovered quickly and went into a defensive stance. He was trained for this, he was trained to search and destroy. He was trained to kill - be it human, Messieran or in this case, a higher-being.

And oh what fun will this be.

"This is a pleasant surprise, Princess Jessica."

Chapter 17 

Destiny Awaits

The beauty of the empire lies not in its perfection but in its imperfection. The flaws that make us, children of the Sun-God, more dimensional and visceral. With these flaws we are more real and more alive than all the stars combined. This is not a curse but a gift from our Father, the Sun-God. - Empress Hyoshin

--

"This is a pleasant surprise, Princess Jessica."

Jessica didn't even hesitate as she raised her right arm and summoned another wordless strike, the air surrounding her blazed and gathered. The man dodged the predictable ice crystals with ease. Jessica was too clever to attack him when he was aware and ready so it meant only one thing: she was not going to entertain him. The look in her eyes was enough for him to know that she thought of him unworthy of her time. They were all like that, haughty and arrogant with their proud bloodline and imperial claims. The man gritted his teeth, how he wanted to rip the silver crown from her pretty little head.

The attacks did not slow down nor did they stop. The same white blasts over and over again and the man ran in circles, jumped up and down - making a mess of the forest in the wake of the attacks. The man panted as he landed on a tall boulder, gearing himself for another attack. Needless to say, the small and numerous attacks were wearing him out. Jessica did not even move from her spot. The man was now kneeling in one of the nearby boulder, slightly to the left of the princess. The man found himself gripping the dagger - a little too soon than he wanted.

Come then princess, let's start the real battle.

"Sica?"

The man almost forgot about the girl and he did not miss the reaction on the Princess's face when Kwon Yuri called her by the nickname. Finally, he thought, a reaction from the cold, statue-like princess. Yuri was behind her, slightly covered in view by her robe.

"Stay still, Yuri." The princess commanded. The girl did so and stayed on the ground. She was still momentarily blinded; her palms were feeling the ground beneath her.

The man smiled because he just won the game. Weakness in all its forms is always an advantage - to the enemy.

"Do you know," He couldn't help himself, "what happens to human beings when they die, Your Highness?"

The princess did not answer - she was too refined to be answering insults, but instead raised her palms facing downward, her mouth opening and closing as she spoke of ancient words the man did not know. The ground beneath him glowed, an intricate circle with symbols that looked ominous and familiar - all too familiar.

The princess was gate opening and sending him back to Soshi. The man felt the pull of invisible chains as he tried to jump off the circle.

No choice then.

The man quickly felt the blade of the tip of his dagger and pierced his thumb with it. Blood flowed in the blade and the carvings glowed, an angry red in steel. The dagger had heard his call. The man screamed as he felt his hand burn with the heat of a thousand suns. He rolled and screamed in pain as the red glow slithered deep into him - into his life force, leaving his skin red and burnt.

The trick is to keep breathing.

--

Jessica was nine words away from opening the gate when the man started screaming. He was clearly in so much pain, writhing and twisting as the red light shrouded him. The gateway was erased under him and Jessica finally let go, the white light winked out leaving only the ominous red light that was consuming the man.

"Sica," Yuri called out from behind and Jessica finally broke her fixed eyes from the man to look at Yuri. She knelt down and caught Yuri's wandering hands.

"I'm here." She said; anger suddenly rising within her again as Yuri blinked blindly to acknowledge her voice. The man screamed again and Jessica felt Yuri's hands gripped hers in panic.

"Something is wrong." Yuri cried, her breathing became short and labored. "We have to get away from him, Sica."

"Hush." Jessica wasn't sure what was happening but she can fight and she will fight - that she was certain of. Yuri let go of their linked hands and dropped to the ground, two arms digging into dirt for support. She was gasping for air and the man screamed again behind them.

"Hold on." Jessica summoned another gate opening. As much as she wanted to defeat the man who threatened Yuri and maybe get some answers from him, Yuri's life was more important. White light appeared again, this time beneath them.

"Si-sica hurry." Yuri tugged the edge of her gown and Jessica looked helplessly as Yuri's face contorted in pain. Jessica gave her an understanding look but did not break the chant.

Hold on Yuri. Be strong for me.

Jessica continued the chant but the white light turned red and disappeared - in the most anti-climactic way possible. Beneath her, Yuri laid still with eyes closed - looking a lot like when Jessica had first found her.

No blood this time.

--

"Do you know where you are?" The man asked, jumping down the boulder in renewed confidence.

"You ask too many questions." Jessica answered in annoyance, finally standing up and facing her opponent.

The man lunged forward in great speed, dagger directed to her face. A shield, made up of thin transparent light, appeared before her and the man was suspended with the dagger a few inches from her face. Jessica locked eyes with the man and for the longest time they stared at each other through the surge of energy protecting her. Jessica was searching the man, for anything that would give her a clue to what was happening. The man simply stared back, true intention hidden in his dark brown eyes.

Jessica waited for his next move, calculating the amount of magic he will use and the best counter-attack for it. But the man withdrew the dagger and her shield faded instantly. The man smirked and attacked again but the white light appeared once more, completely shielding Jessica from the attack. Seven times, the man stabbed and swung the crimson dagger to no avail.

The man finally stopped and laughed, a deep laugh born from darkness itself.

"You are in Earth." He said and pointed to the sky, "And your sister has just become God."

--

Jessica felt the eclipse.

She felt the ominous, dreadful feeling suddenly wash over her. She was so accustomed to the protective shield Soshi offered her that suddenly she felt small and insignificant in this part of the world. The man wasn't bluffing, she really was in Earth. That was why the gate opening wouldn't continue even if she willed it so - she was in Earth and the sun was at its highest elevation. All the powers of the universe were now currently focused and harnessed in Soshi while the rest of the worlds are experiencing eclipses - including this one.

And her magic was weakest without the Sun.

--

Yuri was dreaming again. She was dreaming of her mother and their small shabby apartment. Her mother was preparing dinner and Yuri had a pencil to her mouth, working on a Science assignment. One year from this day, her mother would be in a coma and would never wake up again. But in this dream, thankfully, she was alive and in one of the clearest memories Yuri has with her. Thirteen years old Yuri, puberty just right around the river-bend, was happy and content. Today was her birthday and dinner would be spaghetti - a non-traditional meal for a special occasion.

"What are you doing?" Her mother asked, one hand mixing the spaghetti sauce. She was wearing the apron Yuri made for a class - a crudely designed pink and blue that only mothers can wear out of love if nothing else.

"Science." She answered, carefully writing 'Danaus plexippus' on her notebook.

"I once went to university, have I told you about that?" Her mother asked while closing the faucet; the pasta was firm and ready. Yuri nodded because she has heard the story a hundred times - her mother had once gone to university but her family had fallen on hard times so she had stopped and met her father.

"I hope you can go to university..." Her mother said, more to herself than to Yuri. Her mother was one of those people who believed that they fell one step short of living their dreams. She was one of the nostalgic types with an endless barrage of stories the past, her past, had to offer. And Yuri enjoyed these stories because her mother looked radiant and ageless when storytelling.

Yuri sat opposite her mother on the table and they ate in silence. In this dream, only in this particular dream, her mother stood up and gave her a tight hug. Yuri closed her eyes and tried to remember the smell that clung to her, a mix of tomato sauce and sweat. Yuri, for the longest time, felt protected and safe around this scent. Her mother whispered

I love you. Be strong.

and Yuri cried.

--

Yuri finally stirred. The moment her eyes opened she remembered exactly where she was. To her right, bright lights - white against red, were clashing towards each other in a violent dance. Yuri squinted and could barely see Jessica's form as the ongoing fight continued. They were jumping mid-air and hurling down the ground and jumping again, both agile and obviously trained. Yuri was used to seeing magic in Soshi but today, as she watched Jessica dodge the more powerful attacks, she wished that it didn't exist at all. Like in her vision, Jessica's light was fading and Yuri could only watch as the fight progressed.

There was an explosion, a slightly different attack and it wrecked the entire forest. Yuri saw all of these through the barrier Jessica had no doubt given her. The trees fell down; the rocks turned into dust and blurred everything around them. When the dust settled, Yuri saw Jessica on her knees, panting hard. The immaculate robe she wore now showed signs of the fight, the edges of her cloak were soiled and one of her sleeves was ripped. Her hair was in slight disarray but the crown was still intact. Not the best time to be wearing her imperial regalia, after all.

Then without so much as a visible movement, red light flared beneath Jessica and swallowed her whole. Jessica screamed and Yuri's eyes widened as she saw, almost in suspended animation, the red electric light surge towards Jessica and brought her down to the ground - silver crown finally rolling away from her head.

"Sica!" Yuri choked, dread taking over her as the princess laid down unconscious upon the dirty Earth. Without any thought, Yuri lunged forward to the fallen princess; of what to do she did not know. All she wanted at the moment was to be at Jessica's side, the next move can wait.

But the man, it seemed, had other plans. Five steps away from Jessica, Yuri was yanked back by chains made of the same malicious light that emitted throughout the man. The chains brought her down in a kneeling position, facing Jessica - as if taunting her of what she cannot do.

Oh my god. This is not the end, is it?

--

The man was tired. He was not very fond of playing games after all. The princess had proven to be a formidable enemy and he knew that without the eclipse, she could have eliminated him in a single thought without breaking into a sweat - even in Earth. But today was of his advantage and the heavens for once, are with him. The man looked around and wrinkled his nose at the wreck. The forest was transformed into beautiful wasteland covered in white ice that shimmered against the faint light.

Time to follow Sunhwa's instructions but first...

Killing the princess was not part of his task but he wouldn't pass up a chance to kill a direct descendant of the Sun-God. The man walked past the frantic Yuri and knelt down to inspect the princess. She was still undeniably alive; her glow was still untainted and pure. But she was unconscious and vulnerable; the man leaned down and breathed in. He had done this before, in his head, over and over again. In between travelling worlds and killing those girls, he would imagine breathing in the divine scent of his victim before slitting their throats and watching them die.

"Stop! Please stop!" The girl was crying. Her face was wet with tears and dirt. She was trying to free her arms from the chains, yanking it violently. The man gave her a toothy grin and breathed in again. This time dipping low, closer to the princess's face.

"Please don't hurt her!" Again came the plea. Her voice, this time, had been choked with her sobs.

Pathetic, he thought.

"She will die." He watched in delight as the girl's eyes widened in panic. The girl started to move again, pushing harder than before to no avail. His superiors had been correct, this girl wasn't very bright. She didn't know when to give up. Then as if she heard his thought, the girl finally stopped moving. She was exhausted and it showed in her uneven breathing. She was finally staring down the ground in defeat and the man took that as a sign to proceed.

The man returned her gaze to the princess. She was indeed beautiful, no wonder the girl had begged for her life. The man suddenly felt the urge to touch her face, to sink his hands into her golden hair, to feel her before slitting her throat. He roamed his eyes all over her body and almost by instinct, licked his dry lips. There was still time. Maybe...

"Do not touch her."

It was clear and dangerous and it clearly read his intention. The man felt the hairs on his neck stand up as he slowly realized that the air was now devoid of crying or any noise at all. There was the profound absence of sound and it scared him.

"Do not touch her."

The girl repeated. He finally willed himself to meet the girl's eyes - and his heart stopped.

The girl's eyes were lifeless, focused and feral. The emotions, even pained emotions that made her vibrant earlier were gone. The man found no trace of the Kwon Yuri he had studied so meticulously for months. The only thing that remained in this girl was the body.

She was becoming what her birth had dictated upon her.

Amber light, made of the same ominous light his dagger had clothed him, oozed out of the girl like smoke dancing out of a flame. Fire. The girl, with her parted legs in a kneeling position looked like she was on fire and the man felt his sweat roll from his brow. In the closeness of their distance, he saw the crawling marks of an unfamiliar design on the girl's face. It was also on her hands, black ink shaped like butterflies of the dangerous kind. No colours. Just pure black on skin illuminated by amber glow.

The man did not even have the time to defend himself as the girl leaned forward and in a single move, took the life-force out of him.

The man was now paralyzed from waist down; Kwon Yuri held his life-force in her hand. The green glowing thread that was a sign of his heritage was rolled up in her hands like it was an ordinary rope. The girl smirked and gave it a tug. The man winced in pain; the thread was connected to his heart and the girl was playing with it. Even the noblest soldier of the Imperial Guard wouldn't do that to a fallen enemy. Life, in any part of the universe, was sacred. But the girl gave it another tug and the man finally cried out, tears forming in his eyes.

The dagger laid there, a meter away from him, like a traitor - watching him suffer and not protecting its master. The man realized his mistake a little too late. He thought that the girl was normal, dull even. He had thought that killing the girl was going to be just like any of the other one thousand vessels that met the edge of his knife.

He had studied her, the last vessel, back in earth. Had watched her scrub the same floor five sometimes six days a week. Had watched her go to the movies alone and sleep through it. She was not special. She had nothing to lose

... until now.

"Kill me," He begged, "kill me now."

And the girl responded, she gave his life-force a hard pull and he fell to the ground. With higher-beings, dying was something else entirely different and the man, despite the path he chose, will not be denied of his own birthright. The sun finally appeared and he felt its warmth wash all over him. Death was in less than a minute; he was suspended in between and still had the consciousness to turn his head and see Kwon Yuri was no longer enveloped in the ominous light but has resumed crying and cradling the princess in her arms.

There were gateways opening behind the girl. He saw the imperial family step out of the light. He saw them form a protective circle around the girl. The crown princess looked particularly deadly with her light on. He blinked rapidly, feeling his sight weaken. Death was in less than ten seconds. Before it came though, the assassin had locked eyes with the girl through the gap their bodies made and he remembered what she had just done to him. The assassin realized something the rest of the people around him hadn't.

Kwon Yuri wasn't protected because she was weak. Kwon Yuri was protected because she was a monster.

Chapter 18 

The Last Vessel

The Oldest One had a name once - she was called Lena by family and friends. Princess Lena. She had two sisters and a brother, the crown prince. All of them gone, all of them were but memories now. Lena would sometimes forget what they looked like, which rooms of the palace they occupied or where they would play tag the most. Before her brother finally ascended to the heavens, Lena stood with his family in front of the Pillar of Light. Her brother had kissed each and every one of his sons and daughters and when he stopped in front of her, she looked down. Her brother did not say a word but had simply wrapped her in his arms and whispered 'Goodbye'. And he was gone, the last of her family. Even now, two hundred thousand years later, Lena regretted the fact that she did not lift her head when his brother left this world.

"Do you regret it?" She would ask one of the elders and she would get a lonely smile behind philosophical words. They were too old, even for chitchats.

As the first and oldest one, Lena had the gift of foresight. Through the years, she had seen both past and the future and they were no different from each other. Not much at least. She looked into it and saw growth, life. But just as the future is changeable, she had always kept it to herself unless by command of the Emperor himself. Sixty seven Ruling Gods and not one bothered to ask her so she stopped looking into it and focused on the present. There were years, for one as old as Lena, that she would forget about this gift just as there were years that she would remember it almost every day. In time, Lena had learned that death was a gift. Especially to her, an elder, who was obliged to stay by the Emperor but was barred from ascending to the heavens - forever bound to the fate of Soshi.

So when she looked into the future again, one lazy afternoon by the palace courtyard, and saw death, her heart skipped a beat again

for the first time in two hundred thousand years.

--

Secret meetings for divine-beings were one of a kind. And it was a shame that no one except the divinities themselves would ever see it firsthand. It wasn't the meeting itself but the whole process of finding a truly secluded place to talk in. Shinyoung is nine hundred twenty years old and yet here she was, five minutes too early with a cup of lukewarm tea in hand, waiting patiently for the others to arrive.

"Why must you bring that here, I do not know." Her niece grumbled. She smiled in return, never leaving her eyes on the green liquid. The wind flapped against her robe but she did not bother shielding herself. It was this feeling, after all, that made her feel alive and thankful.

"It helps me calm my nerves." Shinyoung simply offered her irate niece.

"You're floating midair and you want to calm your nerves?"

"Good view, good tea." Shinyoung blew in her cup and raised it in emphasis. After a sip, she looked down and squinted. The palace was directly below them and near enough for Shinyoung to hear the music from the ball. Wooden instruments played by gifted university students with graceful dancers swirling and jumping into its rhythm. From above, the torch lights from the garden formed like a giant beacon in the dark. It was a shame to be missing the event when she was actually looking forward to seeing Kwon Yuri again. Shinyoung lingered her gaze for a while in the scene until something caught her attention: the pond near the ball was reflecting something- a blinking mass of tiny lights, flying randomly in all directions.

"There are fireflies in the garden." She pointed out. "Looks like your plan worked, Hyomin."

"Indeed." Her niece sounded apathetic, uncaring. Shinyoung however knew that it was the opposite and smiled proudly to herself. She had raised her niece with a heart after all.

"Why are we even here? This is ridiculous." And also with a temper.

Taeyeon appeared with Siwon as if in retaliation to Hyomin's statement. Both looked serious and judging from their heavy cloaks, both were obviously ready to discuss important matters for as long as it takes. Taeyeon spared a small albeit heartfelt "Good evening auntie" before turning to look at Siwon for further instructions.

"Good evening Taengoo." Shinyoung replied, "Where to now?"

"Follow me." Siwon said before disappearing in a flash, leaving the faint bluish light in his wake for the rest to follow. Taeyeon and Hyomin took no time and both were gone in an instant. Shinyoung sighed. Such impatient kids, no one told them to stop and smell the roses apparently. She finished her tea in one gulp, crushed the cup into fine dusts and was gone in a majestic white light.

They were travelling through worlds and more worlds, appearing midair only to disappear again. Siwon, as always, took the utmost care in dealing with these secret places. It was necessary, even for the most powerful ones, to hide and lose the tracks of their own travel. Twenty, thirty worlds apart ensured enough time to talk about ancient prophecies without anyone finding about it. Even the darkness used this method and vice versa. It was their common ground - the speed was their sole advantage.

The chase ended in the middle of a vast lake in an eerily quiet world. Shinyoung breathed in the beauty of the moon's reflection on the water. One would think her overly sentimental but moments like these, are worth living forever for. Her three relatives were already standing on water as Shinyoung descended - unmoving and quiet under the moonlight.

"Where are we Siwon?"

"We are in Mayall, auntie."

"No chairs for this old lady then." Shinyoung stretched, hoping at least to alleviate the dark mood around them. Taeyeon looked grim in particular, no doubt from all the secrets kept from her. Hyomin had her eyes down, waiting for the meeting to start.

"Kwon Yuri is in danger." Siwon who was always on point started. A rather dramatic opening, Shinyoung silently smirked - and a little too obvious to top it all.

"The plan is to trigger the vessel from within." He turned to Taeyeon. "Forgive us cousin for not informing you sooner. It was under direct order from the Emperor."

Taeyeon simply nodded and for someone who was left out in the dark, she had a dozen of questions in mind.

"Tell me cousin," Taeyeon equally said, "why is Kwon Yuri so important?"

"She is the last vessel."

"I do not follow," Taeyeon admitted, growing weary at every passing second.

"She is a vessel - a hollow container capable of letting in both light and darkness flow within her." Shinyoung explained.

"You're talking about The Prophecy." Taeyeon's eyes widened in disbelief. She looked each and every one of them hoping for someone to prove her wrong but none came. Even Shinyoung couldn't help but let her dark mood show on her face at the mention of the ancient document.

"Our copy of The Prophecy." Siwon who probably lacked empathy the most, corrected nonchalantly. "Your copy is incomplete and thankfully, it was the one accessed by the enemies."

"Enemies?"

"Sunhwa." Hyomin calmly uttered. "She had help though."

Taeyeon rubbed her temples. "Sunhwa? Our cousin? Yoona's sister?"

"Sunhwa created the animation that tried to kill Yuri and Sooyoung." Hyomin continued. "I felt her when I killed the creature but I wasn't sure of it yet so I did not tell you. Forgive me."

The water beneath Taeyeon moved and transformed into a chair that she promptly sat on. Shinyoung found it a bit amusing and relieving at the same time that Taeyeon's recreation of a chair was a complete replica of the divine throne itself. The crown princess slumped into the chair and Shinyoung, who was the closest to her, patted her head and ruffled it a bit like she did when Taeyeon was younger.

"Aren't there supposed to be vessels for every world according to the Prophecy?"

"Yes." Shinyoung answered. "By the time we found Yuri, all the other vessels were killed. The man they sent works fast."

"Then why protect her? Why not eliminate her altogether and get rid of this problem?"

"Because when darkness comes, and it will, she will bring forth the light from within." Siwon answered. "Saving Soshi and all the worlds without having the emperor to restart everything."

"A messiah if you must."

"Hardly a messiah, auntie." Siwon snorted. "She's but a very unlucky girl."

Shinyoung's face finally showed displeasure. Kwon Yuri was a friend above anything else and to dismiss her as a piece of sacrifice was unacceptable. Her nephew with his sharp tongue had crossed the line and Shinyoung looked at him with distaste.

"I understand your apathy Siwon but do not," Shinyoung straightened up, "do not talk about her that way again."

There was silence. Siwon did not react. Under the moonlight, the four of them stood still as the wind gently moved the surface of the lake.

"Where are father and mother then?"

"They are in the heavens. The vessel and the Emperor cannot stay in the same realm."

"Why?" Hyomin finally asked.

"Because the Emperor cannot undo the universe when he himself is destroyed in Soshi in his physical form."

Siwon lifted a hand and a mass of water in the shape of a globe floated in between the space they formed. Inside the mass glowed clear and transparent water - it glowed with life.

"If the Pillar of Light is destroyed," Siwon flicked his index finger and darkness spread throughout the floating globe - rendering the whole mass almost invisible in the night, "all life will cease."

"But the emperor," A new light from the heart of the darkness glowed and floated out the dark sphere, "is also the embodiment of the Pillar of Light."

"As long as he is outside Soshi, in the place where time and space is insignificant, he can undo all damages."

The white light pierced the sphere and the darkness instantly vanished, the water was clear again.

"If he can undo all damages, why bother stopping them in the first place?" Taeyeon asked, not leaving her eyes on the sphere.

"He can only restore the Pillar of Light. All life will begin anew; even the imperial bloodline will restart. And you or I might not exist in this new world."

"Now, now Siwon." Shinyoung clapped her hands. "That's why we're here, to stop this from happening."

"Yes auntie." Siwon bowed.

Taeyeon had one last question: "Then why is mother with him?"

"Because dear cousin," Siwon finally smiled, a small unknown smile. "Nobody wants to be lonely."

--

The plan was simple: to let the assassin near Yuri and everything will fall into place. The assassin will be disguised as an Imperial Guard and must be allowed to do so. Sunny's task was to help Sunhwa achieve this by eliminating all suspicions, which had been easy. Sunhwa managed to charm her way into an imperial guard and before soon, the guard was frozen - and probably sent to a very desolate world.

Sunny gritted her teeth as she saw the assassin take his place behind the girl. She herself did not believe in the plan but she had orders and it was best to not fail them this time. Kwon Yuri was smiling and only paying attention to Jessica with a smile that made her look no less like a fool. She had turned around and Sunny had partly hoped that she finally caught on. Instead, Yuri brought her gaze back to Jessica, where it belonged. The princess smiled back and Sunny felt like she was intruding.

Sunny blinked.

Kwon Yuri was finally smiling for someone. They have watched this girl for twenty two years and have brushed off her feelings as a secondary concern. The death of her mother, an act of the enemy, could have been prevented but she was not their priority. As long as Kwon Yuri is alive - their hidden motto- then everything was okay. They had to be indifferent and only serve to protect - nothing else. What she ate for dinner or the fact that she had so much sadness in her was not their affair.

That was why her mistress had played the matchmaker - she wanted this girl to be happy for a change. All this time, Sunny had looked at Kwon Yuri as a task - a burden, a means to measure her own ability. She had forgotten that humans were short-lived and the girl did not have the privilege of a thousand years to look for happiness and Hyomin saw that and acted on it.

There was flash of light and through the ascension, Sunny felt the tears form in her eyes.

Forgive me Kwon Yuri.

And Yuri was gone, along with Jessica.

Chapter 19 

The Coming of the Rain

Sunhwa had little time left, she knew that much. Anytime now they were going to send someone after her, if they hadn't already. The girl had survived and Sunhwa knew that her fate was sealed. Her role was about to end just like him. Now as she prepared herself, she relied on her master's words for the strength and resolve she would definitely need.

Do not beg for mercy.

Sunhwa placed the scroll addressed to her mother and father by the bed. That way, the servants would not miss it when they came in. Sunhwa walked towards the adjoining room where her clothes hung and picked a simple riding robe. She knelt down and touched the floor. A part of the marble floor parted and retrieved the dagger that it hid.

Her room was bland and she had been told that several times before. The marble was white and the curtain colors were what came before she occupied it. The stack of books wasn't hers, save three or four, all required readings at class. Nonetheless, it was her room and she let her eyes wander around it and felt inexplicably sad to be seeing it for the last time.

Never beg for mercy.

Sunhwa fastened the clasp of her robe and closed the door.

--

Yoona, who was never a morning person, woke up to the loud creak of her bedroom door. She sat up and squinted at her visitor, finding it hard to do so as it was raining outside.

"Unnie?"

"Yoona I'm going away." Her sister said; her riding hood already secured on her head. She had that distant look Yoona always associated her with.

"Where to?" Yoona rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. The bed dipped a little when Sunhwa had sat down and embraced her. Yoona returned the hug and they stayed like that for the longest time.

"I love you Yoona. Remember that."

"Unnie you're scaring me."

Sunhwa gave out a small hollow laugh and finally let go. "I'm sorry."

Her sister kissed her on her forehead like she always did.

"Goodbye."

Sunhwa quickly stood up and left without looking back and Yoona could have sworn her sister was crying.

--

The scheduled rain was falling hard and would have hit Sunhwa like needles if not for her own magic protecting her. She kept a firm hold on her cloud-pine, willing it to go faster just a little bit more. Under the lush foliage of the pine trees, Sunhwa ducked and evaded branches with practiced ease. A few minutes more and the Western Plains were finally in sight. Once she was out in the open field with only dark green grass beneath her, Sunhwa finally looked behind.

Sunny to her left was picking up her pace - barely ten meters away. To her right was Hyomin, flying slightly further, no doubt allowing Sunny her own glory by letting Sunny catch her. Sunhwa knew all too well why Hyomin was there. Shinyoung had sent her there herself. She was the fallback plan, in case Sunny failed. Just like in Earth.

Because Shinyoung was wise like that - always a step ahead.

Sunhwa felt the rough bark of her cloud-pine through her sweaty palms. The silence of the chase scared her even more. No threats were shouted. No attacks. They were just flying at an insane speed into the stormy sky - a refined, eerie chase.

Two against one was hardly a fair match.

Sunhwa stopped in the middle of the Western Plains, waiting for her pursuers to do so as well. A circular wall made of ice rose from the ground with a heavy sound, reaching high into the sky, encircling the three of them. Hyomin had a faint smirk playing on her face and Sunhwa knew that they wanted her to fight.

"Alright," Sunhwa said and landed below. Sunny followed suit, her expression grim as ever. "I will fight your servant."

Hyomin stayed away and stood on the edge of her ice wall looking down at them.

"Know that I bear you no ill-feelings." Sunhwa said before letting go of her shield, the rain soaking her instantaneously.

"It doesn't matter." Sunny charged, the air around her formed into blades and Sunhwa didn't even bother to avoid them. The blades struck and she had cuts all over her. Sunhwa frowned at the stinging feeling she had on her forehead.

"You didn't have to hit me in the face." Blood from the wound mixed with water and Sunhwa felt her vision blur at the mixture. There was another movement and Sunny had her pinned down on the wet grass, rain hitting her face in merciless drops.

"Who do you work for?"

Sunhwa merely smiled as Sunny lifted her to her feet in anger.

"Who do I work for?" Sunhwa laughed a weary laugh. She raised her palms towards Sunny's chest and in one quick movement blasted her way out of the grip; the force of the attack sent her flying above. Sunny recovered swiftly and quickly jumped onto her cloud-pine. Sunhwa stopped her ascent and met Sunny headlong. She dodged her attacks and her hands found their way to Sunny's soaked cloak. The collision sent them circling in the air but Sunhwa kept her hands locked on Sunny's robe.

"Let go and fight me." Sunny met her eyes with cold fury. In the closeness of their distance, Sunhwa could feel Sunny's hot breath against her face. And it was a shame because Sunhwa would have given her a good fight, had her fate been a little different.

"Tell my cousin..."Sunhwa said, face inches away, wet from the cold rain. "...that there is another traitor amongst you."

Sunhwa finally released her hold and took out the dagger from her robe,

May the Sun-God forgive me for what I'm about to do.

and plunged it into her own heart. Through the rain she saw Sunny diving after her, arms outstretched no doubt in the hopes of saving her. She was shedding her life-force in the wake of her fall and it lit the dark sky with its green light.

How beautiful, she thought.

Sunhwa cried and finally closed her eyes.

--

Yoona felt Sunhwa's death. It came uninvited into her senses, rudely intruding her otherwise pleasant breakfast. It came in a wash, like someone had poured hot water on her.

Yoona looked down on her plate and decided that she wasn't hungry anymore. It will be a while, she thought bitterly, before her appetite returns.

The servant, young and new, was still piling up fruits on her table like any ordinary day. The freshly picked strawberries were still wet from the rain.

"What is your name?" Yoona asked but her voice was unusually low. The servant looked at her in bewilderment, surprised at the sudden inquiry.

"Minah, Your Highness."

"Minah, do you have a sister?"

"No, Your Highness."

Yoona did not say anything else but looked out her window for the longest time, trying to remember what her sister looked like earlier when she had bid her farewell. The sky was dark and the wind was cold. Rain poured down on Soshi and Yoona hoped that her sister was lying somewhere untouched by it at least.

"The rain won't be stopping anytime soon."

Minah nodded meekly and continued her task. The princess stood up and walked out of her terrace - her white gown was wet in no time.  

There was a strong wind and her mistress was gone.

--

In the throne room, Taeyeon cried.

Chapter 20 

Farewell

Jessica was not dreaming.

She was at her balcony and it was almost noon. The curtains shielding her from the sun moved slowly, carefully with the passing breeze. The palace was quiet as if taking a break from the morning rush. To her left, lazing on a padded couch was Taeyeon with a book in hand. Her sister was wearing her university uniform underneath the black imperial cloak. She looked younger and ten times happier.

"What are you doing here?"

Here was in Jessica's mind or rather, a small part of it. Here was the place where Jessica allowed close friends and family to enter and connect with her. And right now, here was her own room two hundred years ago.

The mind sees what the mind wants.

Taeyeon closed the book and finally looked up. Jessica was certain she wasn't reading it at all because Taeyeon hated reading. Still, her sister was courteous enough to wait for her to gather her senses before starting the incoming conversation.

"Good morning Jessica." Taeyeon shifted and was no longer slouching. "Forgive me for entering your mind."

Taeyeon looked around and Jessica saw nostalgia on her face. There was no doubt Taeyeon wished for things to go back the way they used to. Her sister had always expressed her feelings more openly than Jessica ever did and she admired her for that.

"It has been a while since we last talked this way but I see your place did not change at all."

"I have not used it since." Jessica shrugged.

"It is quite unnecessary except when stealing father's cloud-pine."Taeyeon corrected, grinning like an idiot.

Jessica snorted. "I stole it and you got caught."

Taeyeon raised two hands in defense. "You broke it."

Jessica smiled thinly at the memory because once again, they weren't talking of things that matter. Of things that were important. Growing up in the imperial court, both of them were now expert with playing with words. Of carefully hidden messages in verbose paragraphs and Jessica was getting weary of it.

But with Yuri everything was transparent and Jessica liked it better - so much better.

"Where is Yuri?"

"Currently at your side," Taeyeon smiled, "and if I recall correctly, she's holding your hand."

Jessica returned the smile, suddenly wanting to wake up.

"You know why I'm here, don't you?" Taeyeon stood up and joined her.

"To remind me that she's human?" Jessica couldn't even lace her words with sarcasm anymore because they both knew that it wasn't the point. It never was. There were things bigger than them and it would be an insult to underestimate Taeyeon. Jessica knew that much.

"She is the last vessel, Jessica."

Jessica heard the words and almost wished that she did not understand the implications behind them. She almost wished that Donghae had not given her permission to read the book. But she did and for the first time in a while, she wanted a good cry.

"Siwon has a plan..." Taeyeon offered.

"Plan?"

"To stop the darkness."

Jessica listened and Taeyeon explained. When the plan was fully disclosed, Jessica had an unreadable look about her. Taeyeon swallowed hard, knowing full well that without Jessica's consent, the plan would not come into motion.

"Alright."

"Are you sure?" Taeyeon had to make sure.

Jessica nodded and finally cried in her sister's arms.

--

Sunny and Hyomin grew up together. Both were of the same age but of the opposite temperament. Sunny used to be the lively one and Hyomin the dark and brooding one, although lately both of them were becoming increasingly similar and Hyomin couldn't help but miss the old Sunny.

"It was not your fault, you know." Hyomin said over the dinner table no less. Now that Sunny was also in the palace, dinners were more appealing and a little less lonely.

"It was my fault; don't try to convince me otherwise." Sunny answered, not even looking at her as she continued to eat. Hyomin watched her chew her food in such a lifeless way. Sunhwa's death had affected them more than they expected it to and Sunny had been quiet ever since they returned from the mission.

"When this is over," Hyomin reached out for Sunny's free hand. "I hope you come back."

Sunny did not flinch from the contact nor did she return it. They just sat there, Hyomin holding Sunny's hand, and it was comfortable.

"Sunhwa..." Sunny finally spoke, "said something before she took her own life."

--

Jessica woke up to Yuri's voice. The girl had a worried look and was looming over her.

"Yuri?"

"It's me," Yuri finally sat down again, "bad dream?"

Yuri's grip on her hand loosened and relaxed but Jessica did not dare to let it go.

"You were crying." Yuri explained. "Must be a nightmare, huh?"

Jessica could only manage a small nod. They were back in her room just as Taeyeon described. Yuri was sitting on a stool near her bed and Jessica remembered Taeyeon's words again and almost instantly, the tears were back.

"Sica? Are you hurting?" Yuri was alerted again. She stood up. "I'm going to call Taeyeon."

"No Yuri." Jessica tightened her grip on Yuri's hand to keep the girl from moving away. "I'm alright."

Yuri looked at her cautiously and it pained Jessica that she didn't have the courage to tell her the truth.

"Okay but if you're hurting don't lie to me..."

Jessica forced a smile. "Of course. Right now, I want to sleep."

Jessica sat up and moved to make space for Yuri. She patted the empty space when Yuri did not seem to get the hint.

"You haven't slept, have you?"

Yuri shook her head. Jessica pulled the girl down.

"Stupid." Jessica whispered, burying her face under Yuri's neck. "Go to sleep."

Jessica took the silence as compliance and so she herself was about to drift back into sleep when a sudden loud intake of breath woke her up.

"Yuri?"

"Sorry."

"What are you doing?"

Yuri did not answer and Jessica did not need one. Silence found its way into the room again. Just when Jessica thought that Yuri was finally asleep, she felt the arms around her tighten. Yuri was breathing in her scent again but this time, she was tensing up.

"I remember everything, Sica."

Yuri sounded almost like she regretted it. Jessica felt the arms around her tighten in a protective hug - no doubt remembering what happened to her and that man. She felt a hand lift her chin up and she closed her eyes. Their fourth kiss and this time it was Yuri who was more aggressive. Jessica reached out to pull Yuri's head closer to deepen the kiss and the girl complied.

When they finally broke up, Yuri wasn't the one blushing.

--

There was a knock on the door and Yuri quickly rushed towards it, trying not wake Jessica up in the process.

"Good evening Yuri."

"Shinyoung unnie?" Yuri blinked in surprise. The smaller woman grinned, losing her eyes in the process and Yuri couldn't help but feel the rush of familiarity towards her.

"No one else."

Yuri hugged the smaller girl tightly. She was not alone after all. Shinyoung returned the embrace.

"Come," She said when they parted, "walk with me and we'll talk."

Yuri looked back at the sleeping princess, torn between staying with her and taking Shinyoung's offer. In the end she nodded and closed the door quietly, following Shinyoung down the marbled hallway.

--

The next morning, Taeyeon appeared in Jessica's dream for the second time, still wearing her university robe; still holding the same book. This time she did not wait until Jessica was settled in.

"It's time." Taeyeon grimly said. "Wake up."

--

Yuri looked down and felt the cool marble floor with her bare feet. Shinyoung said she didn't need her sandals but that was the least of her worries now. She was in the middle of the training field and up above was everyone staring at her like some kind of experiment. Jessica herself accompanied her to this place without giving any explanations at all. The princess had merely kissed her before joining Taeyeon and everyone else up in the dais.

What now? More surprises?

A small girl who looked serious landed in front of Yuri and without so much as a warning threw something at her. Yuri raised her arm by instinct and felt a searing pain in her right arm. She screamed in pain and blood was now coming out of the wound.

What the hell?

Yuri looked up at the dais in confusion but she was too far to see their faces.

"Focus Kwon Yuri." The girl said and Yuri finally saw what hit her. It was a blade made of light and the girl held it like it was deadly and stable.

"Look I don't know what the hell is going on so please -" The girl attacked again and Yuri ducked, her face hitting the cold marble. Another lash found its way to Yuri's back. The pain was the same and Yuri writhed on the cold floor in agony.

"I saw you take that man's life." Another hit. "Show me the darkness from within."

Yuri was now afraid. Even Jessica wasn't doing anything. The girl raised her arm for another attack and Yuri finally evaded it. She stood up and did what she did best:

She ran.

In circles and with great speed. The girl was after her and Yuri barely had time to look back. Her wounds were gushing out blood in the wake of her strides, red against the white floor. How pathetic she must look in the eyes of everyone in the dais - how pathetic she must look in front of Jessica.

Yuri felt like crying.

"Stop running!" The girl screamed and soon enough Yuri fell to the ground once again. Breathing hard and panting, Yuri felt the new injury on her left thigh. The girl's nearing footsteps echoed loudly against her ear that was pressed on the floor.

"Get up." The girl commanded.

Yuri did not move. The girl gave her a kick and Yuri tried hard not to scream. Maybe if she played dead the girl would leave her alone.

"Is she dead?" Someone asked from the dais and it wasn't Jessica.

"No." A familiar voice answered back. "Hurry up Sunny."

The girl knelt down and looked Yuri in the eyes.

"It doesn't work that way." Yuri pleaded. "I don't know how to do it."

"Forgive me then." She replied. Before Yuri realized what the apology was for, Sunny was running towards the dais and all too soon, the girl attacked. It was ten times more powerful and was directed towards Jessica. Yuri watched in slow motion as the dagger flew towards the princess and felt anger and

the darkness again.

She moved like she did before and caught the dagger with her hand. The white light winked out at her touch and Yuri felt the unstoppable presence within her.

Yuri leapt and pinned the girl onto the cold floor.

"How dare you" Her hands gripping her throat, "touch my princess."

--

Taeyeon's mouth hung open. They weren't lying: before her eyes, the prophecy was in motion. And right now Yuri was seconds away from ending Sunny's life.

"Siwon!" Shinyoung shouted and Taeyeon watched almost in suspended animation as Siwon appeared behind Yuri, with his light on. Siwon grabbed the girl away from Sunny before she could do anything they would all regret. Yuri gave out a loud hollow cry as the darkness that surrounded her was slowly nullified by Siwon's light.

Taeyeon felt Jessica's hand grab one of her own. She turned to her sister and knew that something was wrong. Jessica did not even look at her but kept her eyes on the scene below them, tears freely flowing. Taeyeon returned her gaze below and saw what was wrong. There was no resistance from Yuri at all. She was simply leaning into Siwon, eyes still distant. The butterfly markings kept appearing with a malicious steady rhythm.

Then, as if growing tired of what was happening - or the lack thereof, Yuri grabbed one of Siwon's arms that held her.

"Let go, fool."

Siwon did and all in good time. Dismissing Sunny completely, Yuri turned around to face her new target. Taeyeon now had a clear look of Yuri's face and felt cold, genuine fear for the first time in her life. The butterfly markings were pure black on her skin and amber light oozed and floated around her as she walked slowly towards Siwon. The white floor cracked in the wake of her movements. Siwon stood his ground with an unsure stance and Taeyeon feared for him.

Then Yuri moved.

--

"Yuri!" Jessica finally cried. Shinyoung held her arms tightly, keeping her from jumping off the dais.

"Hush." Shinyoung silenced Jessica with an angry tone. She glanced at Hyomin and Taeyeon and nodded. "Now."

All three of them moved at the command; Taeyeon to the North, Hyomin to the East, Shinyoung to the West and Siwon to the South. Taeyeon felt the clarity that was brought by her own light. She moved and everything was in blues and whites and reds - the girl was the only red light in her vision now. Everything else was irrelevant - the floor, her sister, the sky; her vision only allowed her to see Kwon Yuri and her relatives who were also moving.

I call upon the Northern Lights, brightest and most radiant of all...

From her direction, the northern lights appeared - an explosion of vivid colors, swiftly moving in one motion. Taeyeon held it tightly and when she saw that everyone else was ready, finally let go...

Let the Sun-God protect us from all directions.

Her light collided with everyone else's as they met with a violent explosion where Yuri was. Taeyeon heard Jessica's scream in the distance. The lights settled and disappeared and Yuri was lying down on the hard floor - silent and unmoving.

Jessica was by her side in no time. Taeyeon approached and was not surprised when she saw that Jessica was crying in anger.

"Next time you think of a plan. Make sure it works."

It was quiet and deadly and Taeyeon realized that Siwon was not telling everything.

--

With Jessica and Yuri gone, Taeyeon faced Shinyoung who had remained with her in the training field. Hyomin had left with the injured Sunny and Siwon had also excused himself and retired to his own room.

"I'm starting to think that Sunhwa's words are true, auntie."

"I would not be surprised if they were."

Taeyeon knelt down and took a handful of the marble that had turned into dust. She stood up and let the sand fall back down.

"The floor of this room is no ordinary marble. I, myself, have tried several times to at least create a dent but to no avail."

"Perhaps you should try again now..." Shinyoung said, "... I'm sure you will succeed in making a crack instead of a mere dent."

"What was that auntie?"

"That was Kwon Yuri."

"Siwon knew we were going to fail, did he not?"

"Yes he did."

"And you didn't?"

"No, but I had a feeling it would."

"If we're going to stop this together, I need the whole truth, auntie."

"You deserve the truth." Shinyoung gave Taeyeon an encouraging smile, "Demand for the truth."

--

Taeyeon stormed Siwon's personal quarters, sending the servants cowering away from the room. Siwon turned away from the mirror and faced her, wearing an unreadable expression.

"No more secrets, cousin."

"If there are secrets," Siwon said nonchalantly, "they are not for me to tell."

"You will tell your Empress or face punishment."

"Empress?" Siwon snorted. "You are not yet the Empress, little cousin."

"No. But at the moment I am Soshi and you owe me your allegiance."

Siwon remained silent, measuring Taeyeon's words.

"Tell me everything." Taeyeon repeated. Something flickered and Siwon saw for the first time the crown of the ruling god. On Taeyeon's head rested an almost invisible crown save when light reflected upon it. It was the mark of the ruling god and Seohyun's ascension had given her that final right.

"Taeyeon..."

"You will address me by my proper title. Again," Taeyeon took a step forward, "tell me everything."

Siwon felt his own magic succumb to Taeyeon. His cousin had finally used her rank for the very first time and he almost regretted provoking it. An invisible force made him kneel in front of her and Siwon felt heavy and weak. His next words came out automatically. It was him but was not at the same time.

"Yes Your Highness."

--

Innocence is the most potent and dangerous of all triggers and Yuri was exactly that. Add in the fact that she was in love for the very first time and it is simply a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Take away her innocence and test her, over and over again, to see her weakness and use it against her.

Break her resolve and by then when darkness comes, she'll be weaker - or at least her will is weaker.

--

For the first time in her life, Taeyeon knew she was doing the right thing. No second guessing, no need to ask for opinions - not even Tiffany's. Jessica gave out a surprised scream at her sudden appearance in her room.

"What are you -"

"Is she awake?" Taeyeon did not give Jessica time to revert to her cold self.

"Why?"

"Just answer me!"

"Ye-yes." Yuri said from the bed. Taeyeon sent the servants out of the room with a wave of her hand. When the door finally closed, she walked towards Jessica.

"Listen carefully Jessica," Taeyeon grabbed her sister's wrist, allowing her to level with her. "You have to leave Soshi with Yuri now."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Jessica looked at her, gauging her words.

"Siwon has other plans for Yuri." Taeyeon said, "And I cannot stop it...yet."

Jessica nodded. "Alright."

"Take two or three friends with you. Leave Seohyun here."

Jessica walked towards the adjoining room and disappeared. Yuri, who was still in a daze, finally sat up. "We're leaving, Sica?"

"Yes Yuri." Taeyeon answered for her. Jessica reappeared with two cloaks in hand. Taeyeon helped Yuri up and Jessica fastened the cloak securely on the girl.

"You'll need another cloud-pine." Taeyeon eyed Jessica's cloud-pine that was resting on its holder by the wall.

"I know exactly where to get one."

"Then go and stay out of the more progressive worlds."

Jessica nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. I will come find you when it's safe."

Yuri was already at the balcony, riding the cloud-pine when Jessica walked back towards Taeyeon and surprised the older princess with a warm embrace.

"This isn't goodbye Jessica." Taeyeon whispered; her sister was tearing up.

"I know."

And they were gone.

--

Jessica had been pampered all her life - in fact it was probably safe to say that she was the most pampered being in the universe bar none. So when Sooyoung had brought them to a sleazy looking tavern aptly named 'The Sleazy Willow' in the first poor kingdom they could travel to, she looked at the tall, burly looking building and asked:

"What is this?"

Yuri knew that she was referring to everything in front of her.

Chapter 21  

Simple and Clean

Canaria is being distant lately. She spends more time in Earth than in Soshi these days. She tells me she has plans of re-creating our world in Earth. I dare not tell father or my sister about it. I, myself, cannot decide whether it is mere folly or perhaps something more serious.

I fear for Canaria as much as I love her.

- Excerpts from The Diary of Prince Daehyun (The Imperial Library Archives)

--

"It's an inn, Sica." Yuri answered, adjusting the heavy leather bag she was carrying over her shoulders. How was it possible that Sooyoung and Hyoyeon showed no physical signs of exhaustion carrying their own bags, despite the fact that they were bigger and possibly heavier?

"Inn?"

"It's where we are going to sleep for the night," Sooyoung piped in.

"How is it possible that you've been here before?" Hyoyeon looked more amused than surprised.

"Well not exactly here. I've been to the capital; the king is a relative."

Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow. "Relative?"

"Sister's husband's cousin."

"Are you saying that there are beds in there?"

There was silence after the abrupt statement. Jessica looked at them innocently, obviously not joking about her question.

Sooyoung, Yuri and Hyoyeon had to hold in their laughter when they said, "Yes" in unison.

"Come on." Sooyoung led them inside where a few drunken men were already passed out at the bar. The smell of alcohol and something else filled their noses. Yuri knew all too well what the other smell was but refrained from saying it out loud. The bar, which doubled up as the reception, was manned by a tall old man who looked like he had seen better days.

"Welcome to the Sleazy Willow, what can I do for you?"

"Greetings. We require three rooms for the night and two servants for the princess." Sooyoung finished haughtily.

Yuri rolled her eyes and shoved Sooyoung out of the away. "Move, let me take care of this."

"Hello good sir. We would like to rent rooms for the night, if there are any available?"

There was no answer. The old bearded man looked at them with an expression that clearly said: "Who are you people?" Yuri tapped the wooden bar top to get his attention.

"Sir?"

The old man blinked. "Oh yes yes yes yes! Four rooms you say?"

"Yes, please."

The old man turned around and took the only two keys left hanging from the wall. "I fear I've only got two rooms available. It's travelling season right now."

"That's alright."

"Rooms are upstairs; twenty copper coins a night each. Bathrooms are communal."

Two out of those three pieces of information posed as problems. "Sica, do we have any money?"

"Money?" Hyoyeon, who was examining the keys, looked up at Yuri.

"Communal bathrooms?!" Sooyoung added, genuine shock on her face.

"Pay?" Jessica, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Yuri looked at each of them incredulously and then breathed out loud.

This is going to be a long night.

--

Indeed it was a long night. Yuri had to endure Sooyoung's endless complaints and Hyoyeon's touching and examining everything that was new to her - which was basically everything. Sooyoung had complained about the small rooms and shrieked at the sight of the bathrooms. Hyoyeon took pleasure in poking the ashes in the fireplace, causing the dust to scatter all around their room.

Jessica on the other hand, had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. She was the only one capable of gate-opening after all and the task must have worn her out.

The bed was small but Jessica looked oddly comfortable in it. The cream colored bed sheets were almost an insult to the princess and Yuri shuddered at the thought of them not being washed properly.

Yuri spread the extra bedroll she had asked for and promptly laid it down on the floor next to the bed. It was cold but she didn't have any extra blanket. Yuri gritted her teeth and reached for her cloak. She curled into its warmth and soon, she was also asleep.

Yuri woke up not long after to the feeling of her cloak being pulled away in favor of a more comfortable, heavy blanket. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep as the familiar scent of jasmine engulfed her. Yuri closed her arms around Jessica as the princess snuggled against her, falling asleep just as quickly as she had changed position from the bed.

Yuri on the other hand, had trouble sleeping again.

--

"Fany..."

"Stop bothering me." Tiffany didn't even look at her as she continued tending to the roses. Taeyeon pouted at the blatant rejection.

"Fany..." Taeyeon tried again, this time playfully crawling her fingers up Tiffany's arm that held the gardening shears. The other girl swatted her hand away in annoyance.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Tiffany finally looked up at the princess. Bad move. The princess automatically brightened up at the unintended attention.

"And yet I am here." Taeyeon slyly smiled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming lazy." Tiffany rolled her eyes and went back to cutting the weeds. She heard Taeyeon grunt and the weeds were gone, the young roses suddenly in full bloom.

"There." The princess said, admiring her own handiwork as she looked around. "Now there's no point in what you're doing."

Indeed there wasn't. Still, Tiffany had to teach Taeyeon a lesson. They weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other but Tiffany had to find out that her best friend was gone and Yuri was the prophecy, two days later. There would be punishment and Tiffany knew that Taeyeon hated it the most when she was ignored.

"Maybe. Now go away and attend to your duties." Tiffany laid down the gardening shears, stood up and walked towards the couches - ignoring Taeyeon throughout.

But Taeyeon, it seemed, had other plans. Tiffany didn't make it to the couch before she felt arms around her waist. There was a violent jolt and Tiffany found herself in her own bedroom with a grinning Taeyeon pinning her down the bed.

"What are you doing?"

Taeyeon merely grinned.

"One of my duties."

--

"This place is a dump." Sooyoung whined as she played with the potato peelings on the table.

"You recommended it." Yuri answered as she handled the knife expertly.

"How can they live like this?"

"Live like what?"

"You know... no magic."

Yuri laughed. "We don't have magic in Earth but we're doing just fine."

Sooyoung shrugged and yawned. "Where is Jessica?"

"Still asleep."

"I wonder if they have temples dedicated for her in this world."

"Temples?"

Yuri knew that Jessica was of divine birth but she didn't expect her to be that kind of god.

"You still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"That Jessica is not just any ordinary princess. She is a Soshi princess."

Yuri continued peeling the potato that was meant for breakfast. "I know that."

"No you don't." Sooyoung gave out a condescending laugh.

"Hyoyeon here..." She continued, waving an unused kitchen knife towards Hyoyeon, "I can place a crown over her head and she can be a princess. I can be a princess too. Dare I say I can actually be a Queen someday of a more progressive world than this, if I will it to be so."

Yuri silently listened, her stomach slowly turning at Sooyoung's unsolicited explanation.

"But Jessica," Sooyoung breathed out loud, "will have statues all over the universe celebrating her."

"I get that." Yuri finally found her voice albeit it was shaky.

"I get that." She repeated and Sooyoung saw what she thought for the first time, an angry Yuri.

"I'm going to prepare Sica's bath." And with that, Yuri left the room.

"You should apologize." Hyoyeon finally said.

"Why? We all know their relationship is doomed in the first place."

"How do you know that?"

Sooyoung gave Hyoyeon a dry look.

"How do you know that, Sooyoung?"

"Well, I -"

"You don't." Hyoyeon finished for her and that usually meant the end of the conversation. Sooyoung looked at the closed door. Maybe she did owe the girl an apology.

--

There were three things in life that Yuri wanted: a good husband, a nice apartment and a stable job. Two weeks ago, she was working her way towards the second and third goals with more than enough effort required. The husband part remained to be seen as no one had caught her attention yet.

But now as she furiously scrubbed the walls of the wooden bath tub, she wasn't sure of that list anymore. The torches flickered and idly, she thought of Mongibello and what happened to it after she disappeared. Were they looking for her? Her landlord probably was. Rent was every week so she was two weeks due. But other than that, who else?

"No one." Yuri said out loud, wondering why she didn't feel as lonely at the thought as she had expected.

Yuri was so lost in thought that she did not hear Jessica come in. She gave out a very unladylike yelp when the princess had touched her by the shoulder to catch her attention.

"I didn't mean to scare you..." Jessica softly laughed.

"It's okay." Yuri wiped off the sweat that had gathered on her forehead with the back of her hand.

"What are you doing here?" The princess frowned. "I've been looking for you."

"I'm preparing your bath." Yuri took the bucket and splashed water on to the area she had been scrubbing; the last bit of grime swirled its way down the drain.

"See?" She smiled triumphantly, admiring her own handiwork. "I've cleaned it for you. I'll put on the water and heat it."

Yuri bent down to retrieve the two wooden buckets from the floor and grimaced at the weight. Either they were heavier than she had expected or she was tired, dead tired from flying and looking for an anonymous world.

Jessica took one bucket from her hand, their hands slightly touching at the transfer.

"Sica you shouldn't -"

"I should and I shall." Jessica quickly said, eyes silencing the younger girl.

"But you're -"

"Yuri," Jessica said, softly this time, "I need to do this."

Jessica wasn't just talking about preparing her own bath and she hoped that Yuri had somehow caught on to that. They stood there for what seemed to be an eternity for the both of them. Jessica was waiting for Yuri to smile and kiss her again. Yuri was waiting for Jessica...just waiting for her.

Shinyoung had told her about her destiny, however strange it sounded, of changing all the worlds. It was both cryptic and concrete but at some point she found the concept easy to grasp. Somehow it made sense because all her life she had felt insignificant in lieu of the magnitude of the things that were to happen. And Jessica...

Sooyoung was right about her. She had touched the point with a needle, bursting every last bubble in Yuri's fantasy.

Yuri bent down and gently pried the bucket from Jessica's hand. The hand loosened and she didn't have the heart to look at the princess.

"Yuri..."

"I'll get you your water." Yuri cut in, her heart breaking at the forlorn quality of Jessica's voice. She walked out the bathroom before Jessica could stop her.

Outside as Yuri pulled the rope of the well; she tried to remember if she had left her laundry outside her apartment. They must smell by now. With the drastic weather changes lately, they must have seen both rain and sun over the span of two weeks. What of it? There was a big chance she wasn't going back to Earth - at all. She could feel it more now than ever before. Jessica had distracted her from that ominous feeling she had when she first entered Soshi but now as she rejected Jessica's effort, it became clearer.

So terrifyingly clear.

There was a soft rustle; someone had draped a heavy cloak over her. Yuri turned around to see a smiling Hyoyeon behind her.

"It's cold out here."

Yuri nodded and turned around to continue fetching the water. Hyoyeon circled the well, a curious expression on her face, no doubt seeing it for the first time in her life.

"It's a well," Yuri said, "water from the ground is contained in it."

Hyoyeon was still looking down at the dark water, barely illuminated by the solitary torch that was burning beside the well. Yuri watched as Hyoyeon produced a small bluish light with her index finger and softly blew it down the well.

"Interesting." Hyoyeon said, "Very interesting."

"Back in Earth, we don't use wells anymore. We can have water from within our homes."

Hyoyeon did not seem to hear her as she kept on staring downwards. The light she had produced had illuminated her face and Yuri finally saw the strange quality of her beauty. Not heart stopping like Jessica but beautiful nonetheless.

They were all beautiful. Children of the Sun-God indeed.

"I have read somewhere that in Earth people dance differently?"

"Yes we do. We have all kinds of dances you could ever imagine."

"I would like to see them someday." Hyoyeon looked at her and she was smiling. Yuri wasn't sure why the statement made her heart heavier instead of the opposite. Hyoyeon looked so earnest, like she actually meant and believed her own words.

"I hope you see it someday too."

Yuri heaved the full bucket back to the ground.

One more to go and then...then what? Go apologize to Sica for being a coldhearted -

Hyoyeon's light suddenly winked out and Yuri staggered at the sudden darkness, her thoughts interrupted. Hyoyeon circled the well again and lifted the full bucket, water spilling on her sandals, before Yuri could stop her.

"I'll take this." Hyoyeon's voice offered no other option. Yuri could only nod as the other girl gave her a satisfied smile.

Yuri turned around, ready to pull the last bucket out, until she heard Hyoyeon speak again.

"Oh and Yuri," Hyoyeon casually said, "we're here to help you."

You are not alone.

Chapter 22 

The Red Thread of Fate

The Song of the Earth  

(as recovered after the Breaking of the Union) 

HIDH Prince Daehyun and HIDH Princess Canaria 

12th Hour of Midsummer Y. 12

We shall walk the garden of our world 

As the yellow flowers bloom, for me 

and you, until our sons and daughters 

move the mountains to their will

So let me stay in the darkest of night 

Let me fight for you without my sword 

Let me find your hand without my light 

Let me love you without ... (fragment missing)

When the time has come for me to shed  

these clothes and return to the stars 

I pray the heavens shine down on Earth 

(fragment missing)... between life and death

So let me lay down with you 

And offer you my... (fragment missing)

(the rest is missing)

The Restricted Archive of Sacred Songs (The Imperial Library)

--

The Kingdom of Vega was in love with love. Never mind that their world suffered from extreme weather conditions. Never mind that they got dozens of storms and hurricanes come the rainy seasons. For Vegans, love conquered all, natural disasters included. There was no reason to not build their houses with heart shaped windows and paint them in various hues of red. Staying three days in the capital guaranteed the feeling of loneliness or gratitude - depending on one's current romantic status.

Yuri sighed as she leaned over the window ledge, breathing in the cool summer wind. Below her, heart-shaped streamers were gently moving along with the night breeze. Vega was not as backward as the first world they had travelled into but Yuri couldn't help but wish they were somewhere else. The cobblestones reflected the soft light from the streetlamps - there were flute-players everywhere, ready to pounce on the nearest couple with serenades for a gold coin or two.

"Yuri let's go out tonight." Yuri turned around and saw Hyoyeon and Sooyoung reading something, some sort of flyer, by the bed. "There's a festival by the river!"

Before Yuri could respond, the bathroom door opened and Jessica walked out. Yuri did not realize how natural the Soshi gowns looked on Jessica until she wasn't wearing them anymore. Now that the princess had on a simple linen robe secured by a sash around the waist, she fitted the crowd like a diamond amongst emeralds. It was the hair, Yuri believed -the soft blonde curls that would always give away her identity at one glance. Perhaps she should...

"...dye it." Yuri said out loud, staring absentmindedly at Jessica. The princess, who was currently sitting in front of the small dresser brushing her hair, gave her an odd look through the mirror's reflection.

"Dye what?"

It was Hyoyeon, not Jessica, who asked the question.

"Nothing."

Yuri shook her head and looked out the window again. Jessica had been ignoring her lately and she knew exactly why. At one point Yuri was thankful for it because it gave her time to think but then, there was the more irrational part of her, the part that missed Jessica terribly and she knew that sooner and not later, that part would eventually win.

What are you so afraid of? What more do you want?

Yuri shook her head free of her own confusing thoughts.

She turned her attention to Sooyoung and Hyoyeon and finally smiled. She liked the fact that there was no real plan at least. They were simply travelling, evading whoever it was to evade - she was never sure who the enemy was and who was not in the first place. The optimist in Yuri viewed the situation as a thinly veiled holiday.

What would Shinyoung-unnie do? Oh right...

"Okay let's go out."

Stop and smell the roses.

--

The festival was crowded.

Yuri pushed and shoved through a mass of anonymous Vegans, all of them exasperatingly paired and dressed up for the night. There were all sorts of couples and Yuri envied them somehow. Tall and short, slim and stout, rich and poor, noble and...

She glanced back at Jessica to make sure she wasn't squished by the crowd. A soft blush spread throughout the princess's cheeks as she was caught staring. Yuri gave her a small smile but Jessica quickly averted her gaze and ignored her as she clutched on to Sooyoung's arm for support.

Yuri's heart dropped.

"Sica - "

"Yuri let's try this!" Hyoyeon was pointing at something being roasted - heart-shaped meat no less.

"Yes let us!" Sooyoung shoved in between them and grabbed one off the grill. The girl fanning the charcoals gave them a reproaching look.

"You have to pay for that."

Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were not even listening as they chewed the skewered meat. Yuri sighed and pulled out their money pouch - a heavy leather bag filled with the coins Sooyoung had miraculously produced on their first day.

"Sica do you want one too?"

Jessica folded her arms and gave her an adorable pout. "No."

"Oh okay." Yuri shrugged, trying hard to look unaffected. They continued looking through booths and every single one of them was dedicated to love.

"You!"

Yuri turned to find the obnoxiously loud voice.

"Yes you!" Yuri turned to the left. "Yes you! Over here!" Yuri turned to the right.

"Finally! Yes you young lady! Step over here!"

The source of the voice was a surprisingly tall man. He was holding a long wooden bow.

"You look like you can shoot down the target."

Before Yuri could ignore the man, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were already at his side, inspecting the bow.

"It's almost similar to what we have in - ouch! " Hyoyeon stepped on Sooyoung's foot just in time. After a deadly glare, Sooyoung gulped and weakly nodded.

"He-hey Yuri try it!"

Yuri waved a hand in refusal. "No thanks."

"Go on try it." Jessica said and Yuri quickly turned to face her. That was the first time in four days that Jessica had said something to her that wasn't 'No' or 'Yes'.

"Okay!" Yuri quickly said and immediately felt foolish for looking too eager to please Jessica. The man grinned and held out one of his palms. Yuri gave him two copper coins in exchange for the bow and an arrow.

"Just hit the target and you are a winner!"

The apple was sitting there, ten meters away, somewhat faintly lit by the many lanterns above. Yuri pulled the string back in full draw and aimed.

Isn't it normal for lovers to impress each other? So why are you trembling?

Failure was a lot of things and right now, failure was hitting the straws behind the target. The tall man gave out a loud 'tsk' as Yuri ignored the stinging pain in her arm from the bow string.

"Do I get another shot?"

Yuri shot a deadly glare at Sooyoung and Hyoyeon who were obviously trying not to laugh.

"I'm afraid not."

Well that was impressive, Kwon Yuri.

"Let me try it." Jessica stepped forward and took the bow from Yuri's hand. "Yuri pay him."

Yuri almost automatically fished out two more coins from their purse and gave it to the man.

"Hand me the arrow." She said haughtily but the man didn't seem to mind as he gave her a new one. Jessica smiled briefly at Yuri before taking her position. Jessica pulled the string back and released it in one graceful motion. The apple gave out a loud thud as it landed on the ground - in two pieces.

"Well what do you know; your girlfriend's aim is better than yours."

Before Yuri could react, the man opened a large box and fished out two odd looking ragdolls. They were sewn together by a red thread through their hands: a faint blue color for the boy and a deep red for the girl. He dusted and handed them to Jessica.

"May you find true love, princess."

He winked and Yuri wanted to slap him.

--

They sat by the riverbank and watched lovers row their boats, gently avoiding the lanterns that floated on the almost-still water.

"I wonder if Altair is having the same festival right this very moment." Hyoyeon said out loud, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Probably." Sooyoung who had finished three skewered meats and a tall wooden cup of wine said. "It's sad isn't it?"

"You always catch the sadder things in life, Sooyoung." Hyoyeon said, almost in a sorry voice "This world says otherwise."

Yuri, to the far left, listened to the conversation with mild interest. She wondered briefly why she was sitting opposite Jessica when her place should've been beside her, especially on a night like this.

Altair and Vega were divided by the Milky Way. An entire galaxy apart....

But they weren't apart, at least not yet. Right now, only Sooyoung and Hyoyeon stood in between them. Yuri pushed herself up and walked to the other side where Jessica was. The princess expectantly looked up, almost as if accusing her of blocking the view.

"Let's take a walk, Sica." Yuri held out her hand, wondering where she got the sudden audacity to close the distance. Jessica didn't take the hand but she stood up nonetheless and dusted herself off of the dirt from the soil. Somehow the image seemed wrong but still, Yuri took pleasure in seeing the princess arrange her non-Soshi clothing in order. There was something inexplicably endearing with a normal Jessica - though Yuri was certain she would never reach the true state of normalcy.

Yuri dropped her hand and started to walk. Jessica was silent throughout as they aimlessly walked away from Sooyoung and Hyoyeon. Yuri breathed out loudly in frustration. She wasn't used to leading; she was more of a follower. There was a loud burst of laughter, from somewhere on the river and Yuri was thankful for the small distraction.

Just apologize.

At some point, they stopped walking. The river stretched far and looked the same as it did from a hundred paces ago. Jessica picked a comfortable spot and silently sat down; waiting for Yuri to notice that she was no longer walking behind her. It took the girl three minutes to realize that and Jessica watched as Yuri jogged her way back to her. Afraid of giving the girl way more attention than she had planned, she returned her gaze to the river. Yuri sat down beside her and for a while, they shared another awkward silence.

"Why did you ask me my favorite color?" Jessica said, "The day you first kissed me, you asked me my favorite color."

Yuri pursed her lips and looked like she had forgotten about it.

"It's nothing." Yuri was lying and Jessica was not angry. Whatever it was that held her back, Yuri would tell her someday because that was her nature. Kwon Yuri was unknowingly teaching her patience and Jessica would have to wait - for a lot of things, to be with her.

"Do you know what I did back in Earth, Sica?" Yuri's eyes were dark with an unforgiving seriousness about them. "I worked in a restaurant..."

Relationships were built not just with meaningful glances and mind-blowing kisses. Somehow they had skipped the first step and went directly to the second one. It was ironic that it was Yuri who was trying to keep a firm hold on reality. A feat somehow, given that she was so far away from home.

So Jessica listened to Yuri while she talked with her obscure Earth jargon, their mood lifting as Yuri finally smiled when Jessica reached out for the hand that was offered before.

For the coming dark, Jessica would engulf them both with her light.

--

Donghae was going through the new books from several kingdoms, sorting them with his assistants when a servant announced that Taeyeon was approaching. When she appeared by the doorway, the crown princess looked like she wasn't in the mood for a good romance novel.

They all bowed. "Good morning Your Highness."

Taeyeon motioned for his assistants to leave.

"Donghae, I need for you to go to the South and confiscate a book for me."

"As you wish."

It was about time.

Chapter 23 

Tag

I shall love my husband as if it were true and shall bear him sons and daughters worthy of his name. But what of my heart? It beats not for him but for someone else.

- Empress Taeyeon VIII

--

Donghae had only been in the Southern Library once: when he was inaugurated into his current office. The trip was strictly official, merely an acknowledgement of his status. He had been invited to stay for a day and was more than willing to leave as soon as the formalities were over. The Southern Palace wasn't hostile but it certainly wasn't friendly enough to invite another day of stay.

That and he already missed Jessica during that time.

Donghae whisked the unpleasant memory away. The sky darkened and Donghae watched as a flock of birds flew past him. He slightly cringed at the fact that he was sitting in an open palanquin currently floating in midair - with twenty Imperial Guards navigating and guarding their flight.

"My family can never escape fanfare, it is almost tradition," Jessica had once told him after he complained of yet another unnecessary show of grandeur.

Opposite him, Yoona and Seohyun were taking turns playing with an odd device, giggling every now and then. They held the rectangular object in both hands and were busy tapping at it with their fingers.

Must be one of those peculiar gifts she got.

Knowing Taeyeon, he knew there was more purpose in bringing them along other than babysitting them as things crumbled in the capital. Yoona in particular needed the distraction. Sunhwa's death didn't go unnoticed as the entire palace was now clothed in black to acknowledge the untimely passing. The princesses themselves were draped in customary black mourning robes worn by family members.

Sunhwa may have been a traitor but she was still family.

The Imperial Palanquin finally came to a stop. Donghae promptly exited the veiled carriage and the welcoming delegation came into view. The Head of the Southern Library, a man he remembered from his last visit, bowed swiftly.

"The Southern Palace greets the Head of the Imperial Library."

There was a collective gasp when Seohyun and Yoona stepped out of the palanquin. The Southern Palace, it seemed, had not been informed of Taeyeon's last minute decision. Donghae watched in amusement as the head composed himself and cleared his throat.

"The Southern Palace greets Her Imperial and Divine Highness, Princess Seohyun and Her Imperial Highness, Princess Yoona!"

When the formalities were over, Donghae took out the golden seal that guaranteed him obedience without question.

"I come in the name of the Crown Princess."

"And the Southern Library shall comply."

Wasting no time, they were led to the main archives - an almost empty wooden hall save eleven blue flames, five on each side and one at the far end of the hall. The Southern Library utilized access points instead of keeping the physical nature of the books themselves in stacks. It was neater, Donghae admitted, but nowhere near as large as the Imperial Library.

"What is that?" Seohyun pointed out an odd sculpture of a crown that was above the main door of the library.

"That is the Meridian Crown, the official symbol of the South."

"And what is it made of?"

"It is made from the leaves of the Meridian Tree."

Seohyun touched her own chin with her thumb as if trying to figure out something.

"We shall retire now." She said in a voice that didn't sound tired at all.

As soon as the princesses were led away, Donghae motioned to the library head to pick up from where they left off.

"You have a book Her Highness wants." Donghae started as they continued walking down the wooden floors.

"Every book we have, you already have a copy in your library."

Donghae turned to him, just to see if he believed his own lie. The man looked honest enough but then again, looks were always deceiving. When they reached the solitary blue light by the end of the hall, Donghae reached for the flame.

"The Head of the Imperial Library wishes to access The Prophecy."

Donghae did not miss the sharp intake of breath from the man. The blue light did not flicker. There was no response.

"As you can see there is no -"

"Do not insult my intelligence." Donghae said quietly, he brought his hand down and took the seal out of his robe.

"In the name of the Crown Princess, I hereby confiscate The Prophecy."

The carved sun crown on the seal glowed and behind them the blue flames burst and scattered, revealing the hidden books that were stacked all around in the wake of their seemingly random movements. He waited several moments for the light to finish scanning the entire area until it finally died out in his hand again - bringing no book in its wake.

Donghae pursed his lips in annoyance.

"Perhaps Her Highness was mistaken?"

"Do you dare question your princess?"

It was too tempting to not say it and it effectively shut him up. Donghae turned around and headed towards the door, leaving the head running after him.

"The trip has worn me down somehow. I would like to rest now."

"Of course."

In his room, Donghae slipped into a more comfortable outfit. Taeyeon's order was clear: confiscate the book at all costs, but the book could be anywhere; it could have been destroyed or transferred to another location for all he knew. When Taeyeon had given him the seal, he thought it would do the trick.

There was a knock on the door and to his surprise, it was Yoona and Seohyun.

"You did not find it, did you?"

Donghae shook his head.

"It is alright. We know where it is."

Indeed they knew. Donghae followed them into the courtyard and soon he was standing in front of a black tree.

"The book is hidden somewhere here." Seohyun said as she started to circle the area.

"How do you know?"

"Simple," Yoona answered, "this is the Meridian tree."

Donghae gave them a blank look, not quite following their reasoning.

"Do you not remember the Meridian crown?"

"I do."

"This is the only Meridian tree that lives today. The Meridian crown was used for victory or a triumph back in the days."

"Meaning they would hide a book in here?" Donghae asked ridiculously - because hiding a book beneath an ancient symbolic tree was.

"Yes they would."

"Why?"

"Because maybe having something we don't have is considered a victory?"

--

When Seohyun wished for things to get exciting that night Jessica appeared in the garden with an unconscious Yuri, she meant every word of it. Deep down inside her, past the grief over Sunhwa's death and fear of the suddenly uncertain future of Soshi, she welcomed the change with open arms.

Every cloud had a silver lining and Seohyun's vision was clear. She closed her eyes and breathed in the magic that lingered in the air, like Taeyeon had done countless of times. Her energy gathered and swirled and transformed into colors. Seohyun opened her eyes and saw the world in two colors: gray and gold. And right now, the faint glow of the book beneath the tree was the only thing that mattered.

Seohyun nodded to herself, taking note of the exact location of the book before she released the vision. The world was back to normal and Donghae stood still, mouth slightly open, in front of her.

Seohyun walked a few paces to the right, clearing some of the small rocks with her sandals. "The book is here. You may confiscate it now."

Donghae, unnerved by the sudden display of power, nodded and clumsily took out the seal. "In the name of the Crown Princess, I hereby confiscate The Prophecy."

The ground slightly shook as the blue flames from the seal travelled their way down and buried themselves into the black soil. The ancient tome floated in front of Donghae and he excitedly reached for it, not even trying to hide his smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As Donghae opened the book, Yoona looked around, eyeing several shadows dancing in the distance. Near the terrace and behind the bushes - two menacing shadows ready to attack.

"Seohyun." Yoona patted her cousin. "We should leave now before trouble finds us."

She pointed in a certain direction with her eyes and Seohyun silently nodded in agreement. The shadows moved as if hearing the silent exchange between the two princesses.

Yoona was in motion, already wielding a sword made of light as she pushed herself towards the shadows. The air around Seohyun manifested into green light that immediately served as a shield for Donghae.

"Illuminate!"

Yoona reached the terrace at the same time Seohyun's light blinded the entire palace, making it seem as though it was daylight. She was prepared, no; wishing for her sword to finally hit something - anything that she thought mildly resembled her sister's cause of death.

But there was no one there. The space was empty. The wooden walls hid nothing and Yoona released the sword with an angry sigh.

--

Jessica and Yuri left Soshi, specifically Taeyeon, in a mess. There was Sunhwa's funeral and elaborate lies for the public and some family members to take care of. There was Siwon being disagreeable as usual, trying to demand for an explanation day after day. And lastly, there was Shinyoung who sat beside her in the throne room with her feet slightly raised and a steaming cup of tea beside her.

Today Taeyeon finally sent for Siwon. There was no use evading her cousin, not when the book was already confiscated. Siwon came in or rather, appeared within minutes, before them. There must be no doors in heaven, Taeyeon thought.

"Where are they? Where are Yuri and Jessica?"

"I have not the faintest idea." Taeyeon merely shrugged in reaction because she couldn't stick her tongue out and make faces in front her cousin no matter how much she wanted to.

"Do you know what you have done?" Siwon was strangely calm and composed. Taeyeon took a moment to answer his question, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What have I done, cousin?"

"You have released the last vessel out of our protection and worse, with Jessica."

"My sister can protect her or do you doubt her abilities as well?"

"You're letting the last vessel wander through worlds with the one person that can trigger the darkness in her." Shinyoung answered for Siwon. "That is not very wise."

Taeyeon let out a small jaded laugh as she watched her calmly take the teabag out of her cup. Her aunt was drinking her tea in the throne room and Taeyeon was tempted to crack that porcelain cup just for the sake of getting some sort of angry response from her. Because if anybody knew Shinyoung at all, it was her tea that mattered the most to her and nothing else - she looked to it with an almost disturbing reverence.

"What would you have me do, Auntie?"

"Stop ignoring him, for one." Shinyoung raised a warning finger at Siwon, motioning him to stay silent. "He's not the enemy. He's just very... impulsive. Your father gave him an order and he feels as if he is failing him by letting you ruin the plans."

Siwon raised an eyebrow, obviously not pleased with being talked about while he was still in the same room.

"My father wouldn't hurt an innocent human being."

"That depends on your definition of 'hurt', Taengoo."

The princess looked at Shinyoung pensively, decoding the message somehow. It scared her that maybe her father approved of what Siwon had confessed to her. And it scared her even more that she may have made a bad decision by letting Yuri go.

"I don't exactly get why it's a good idea to provoke the last vessel over and over again. We all saw what she was capable of."

"Would you rather be caught unprepared when the time has come?"

"Do we even know when that time will come?"

"Perhaps it is wise to be optimistic about this?"

Taeyeon shrugged again. "Donghae will be back soon."

"Excellent." Shinyoung finally smiled, whether it was because of the tea or the news, Taeyeon wasn't sure. Siwon folded his arms across his chest and finally spoke.

"What now, cousin?"

Why we wait for the world to end of course, thank you very much.

--

The end of the world was actually seventy-two days away. Donghae traced the words with his fingers, his heart racing and his voice stuck in his throat. For the first time he noticed the leisurely pace of the palanquin and he fought the urge to stick his head out and pester the navigator to hurry up.

"Seventy-two days." He said out loud, hoping for a reaction from Seohyun or Yoona at least. The two princesses were silent, a great contrast from their normal cheery selves.

"Seventy-two days." Donghae repeated, more to himself.

The palanquin flew steadily through the night sky and Donghae leaned out a little to watch Soshi from above. On his lap sat the Prophecy and he unconsciously tightened his grip on it, wishing fervently for a different translation back in Soshi.

--

"What are you doing, Taetae?"

The princess in question was pulling an ensemble of food out of the lunch basket in front of her: bread, meat and some lettuce. Tiffany watched as Taeyeon continued to prepare the sandwiches like it was an idle afternoon where there was nothing else to do. Like she was merely a hundred years old and not three hundred and fifty.

"I'm making us sandwiches."

Tiffany sighed as she stretched her legs onto the picnic blanket. The obvious question was: "Why are we here?" but she knew better than to say it out loud. The clouds moved and Tiffany squinted in the heat of the midday sun.

"Well you could have at least picked a better spot. We're right under the sun."

Taeyeon looked up at her and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry about that."

The clouds moved again and casted shadows over them.

"Ah, better." Tiffany smiled contently, "And some breeze would be nice too."

Taeyeon complied and the grass around them moved with the gentle wind. Tiffany sighed contentedly as she laid down on the blanket, one arm propping her head up, her eyes lingering lazily on Taeyeon. What would the Elders say when they found out that their heir apparent was busy slicing meat on a regular day instead of receiving envoys and fixing worlds? Tiffany smiled fondly.

The most powerful beings in the universe had their own personal lives and they weren't beyond happiness...

...or love.

"Taetae..."

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you suddenly not afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Of us being seen."

Taeyeon stopped cutting the bread and blinked several times as if deciding whether or not to ignore the statement.

"You're engaged, Taetae."

Taeyeon gave out a wry laugh and looked at her with an odd smile playing on her lips.

"Fany, there is an impending danger of the universe being undone and you worry about the most useless of things."

"You're the one making a sandwich."

The sky darkened even more, past the comfortable shadow Tiffany had enjoyed earlier. This time it was betraying the princess's emotions.

"Taetae, you're going to make it rain."

Taeyeon let out a small, bitter laugh. "No, I won't."

"Is this about that?" Tiffany sat up. "Is this about the Prophecy? Are you afraid that there's no -"

"Don't say that." Taeyeon silently said. "This is about me and you."

"Taeyeon..."

"I will fight for you when the right time comes."

The statement sounded final and non-negotiable. Taeyeon rarely made such declarations and it scared her. Tiffany nodded; she brushed away her own tears as she felt the first drop of water from the sky.

Taeyeon made it rain after all.

--

Sooyoung scanned the area with competitive eyes. The tall trees, somehow linked together with their veins protruding and branches interweaving, appeared to be sleeping. No sound, no movement - not even an anonymous noise from the nocturnal creatures that surely inhabited the dense foliage.

She stared at the trees and the trees stared back at her.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sooyoung's grip on her cloud-pine tightened as she finally sensed something - or someone, moving near her spot. The full moon casted a shadow that finally caught Sooyoung's keen eyesight. There to the left, there was movement and the leaves were swaying in reaction to -

"Kwon Yuri I see you!"

The hooded figure reacted swiftly and sped away from Sooyoung.

"You're dead." Sooyoung smiled to herself as she accelerated, dodging thick veins and missing the branches by inches. They entered deeper into the woods with Yuri flying low, her robe almost touching the dark surface of the swamps.

"Illuminate!"

There was a burst of light and Sooyoung grinned as she spotted Yuri from a distance. Her dark robe flapped against the wind of her own speed. Sooyoung willed her cloud-pine to fly even faster and in no time, she was just two maybe three, meters away from her target. She reached out her arms, ready to grab when someone flew past her.

It was Hyoyeon with a serious look on her face, obviously trying to win the game as well. "Hurry up Sooyoung! Why are you so slow these days?!"

"Shut up!" Sooyoung gritted her teeth and finally reached Yuri. With a final push, Sooyoung yanked the girl's hood off only to reveal a laughing Jessica. The princess removed the cloak, letting it fall below as she decreased her speed to match Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's pace.

"What the - " Sooyoung slowed down and came to a stop. So if it was Jessica all along, where was -

"Ouch!" Something hit her, Sooyoung turned around and there Yuri was, hovering above her.

"You guys lose!" Yuri stuck out a tongue and Jessica flew past the enraged Sooyoung to join Yuri above.

"She's right you know." Jessica piped in, her smile never leaving her face.

"You cheated!" Hyoyeon huffed.

"It's called tactics!" The princess answered back.

"Yeah!" Yuri nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah that's what it is!"

"Shut up, do you even know what tactics mean?"

Yuri whispered something to Jessica, the princess nodding once in a while. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon waited in anticipation.

"Alright," Jessica said, "We'll give you another chance."

"Continue..." Hyoyeon moved closer towards them. Jessica and Yuri grinned at the same time.

"Race you to camp!"

And then they were gone, leaving Sooyoung and Hyoyeon with their wounded egos - or rather, the dread of having to wash, cook and basically do all the chores for the next three days.

"Hyoyeon..."

"Sooyoung?"

"Let's beat them so that they may never rise from the ashes of their shame."

Hyoyeon grinned.

"Done."

--

The two figures hovered above the forest.

"Are you sure they're here?"

"Yes."

"I don't see them."

"They're..." A look to the left, "...moving fast."

There was a sudden flash of light from about a mile away. It glowed like a beacon in the dark forest, defeating the purpose of travelling incognito. The two figures exchanged knowing looks - it was no doubt created with Soshi light. They nodded to each other: they had found what they were looking for.

Flying cautiously, they made their way towards the source of the light. It was deep in the woods, it seemed and just as they were about to dive into the forest, two figures emerged from it - surfacing into the clear night sky. They could hear the faint giggles as the two figures flew further away from them, barely even noticing their presence. The light below winked out as two more figures appeared, and flew in the same direction that the former pair headed towards.

"What are they doing?"

"I think..." The figure smiled, "...they're playing tag, Sunny."

--

"Sunhwa is dead."

"And the sky is blue."

There was an odd look casted at the casual remark, as if the one who spoke it had no right to play with humor at all. There was a soft chuckle from the latter...

"You make it sound like she was a great loss."

"Wasn't she?"

"Not at all. She has served her purpose."

"And I suppose you're not going to tell me her 'purpose' just like you won't tell me mine."

"Good. You're finally catching up."

"Am I... going to die too?"

Silence. Then a smile.

"In time."

Chapter 24 

New Translation

The little boy was on his way home. The firewood was soiling his shirt as he hugged them despite the roughness it brought against his chest. Evenings in his world were short; they lasted only four hours every day. The sun was still up when he decided to head back, he could feel its heat against his dark skin. Wiping the sweat off his forehead he wished for a breeze, a strong breeze to cool him down. And it came, a little too good to be true even for a young boy such as him. The moment the cold air blew against his clothes, he knew something was wrong. There was a shadow - a passing cloud maybe - but when the boy looked up, he saw that there was a hole in their sky.

Like a drop of black ink on an otherwise flawless blue sheet, the hole grew bigger and bigger and he wondered if their gods could fix it somehow. The little boy dropped the firewood and ran home, wishing nothing more than to see his mother because she'd know what to do. She always did. When their cottage was in sight, the boy saw his mother by the door, arms opening up to accommodate him. He pressed his face into her chest. "Mother," he cried, "what is happening?" Above them, the darkness slowly spilled down into the land like a black fall from the sky, and then there was a pause - the universe was holding its breath.

The boy shut his eyes and the darkness finally moved - swift and independent. It had mass, a decisive weight that could and would suck the light out of the air, the ground - everything in its path, leaving nothing behind. It moved hungrily across the land and in less than a minute,

Taeyeon woke up screaming.

Her heart was caving in and it felt like something was crushing her lungs - repeatedly. Storm clouds and thunder swallowed the entire capital in an instant as their Crown princess rolled around in bed, crying and twisting in pain. More thunder. More lightning. Soshi was yanked from its sleep in the middle of the night. Tiffany looked out her window and watched helplessly as the rain swallowed the land.

Shinyoung and Seohyun came a little too late. When they reached Taeyeon's room, the storm had weakened and the princess was reduced to sitting in a corner, knees folded looking so painfully vulnerable. Taeyeon had lost some of her glow and that was when Shinyoung knew that what they feared the most had set things in motion.

A world had just been annihilated.

--

It took seven hours - five with Tiffany, for Taeyeon to return to her normal state. At this point, no one could really say anything about it because they all knew that they needed Taeyeon with her mind at ease. In the study, freshly bathed - Taeyeon was writing furiously, the sound of the quill scraping the parchment somehow resonated throughout the empty hall. When she was done, she signaled for the minister to stamp it with her seal. The red wax quickly molded into a replica of the Sun Crown. The minister rolled it up and handed it to the waiting messenger before her.

"Send this message to all envoys."

The messenger bowed and was ready to leave.

"And captain," Taeyeon added, "make sure they get the message within an hour."

"By your will." The man disappeared.

"You know I could actually mistake them for ascended beings, the way they appear and disappear like that."

"They're just fast, auntie. Nothing more." Taeyeon stood up and stretched. "I have ordered for the envoys to scan their respective worlds for anomalies and results should be here in less than an hour."

Shinyoung nodded in approval. Siwon to the left grunted but Taeyeon wasn't in the mood to entertain her cousin's usual behavior. She returned to her seat and faced the minister.

"Where is Donghae?"

The minister gave a signal to the guard and soon enough, the door opened up revealing the man in question. The Head of the Imperial Library looked calm enough as he strode into the room but his gait failed to hide his anxiety.

"Your Highnesses."

Taeyeon motioned her hand and the minister handed Donghae the Prophecy.

"I want you to replicate that for distribution to all worlds."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "That is blasphemy!"

Siwon. A day was never complete without opposition. Taeyeon leaned back on her seat, completely ignoring her cousin.

"Better to be blasphemous than annihilated, wouldn't you agree cousin?"

"What exactly will this achieve? Are you creating a widespread panic?"

"No, cousin. I am creating a widespread understanding if you will. I want all high priests and priestesses to interpret the text themselves and send us back their translations."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Taeyeon," Shinyoung added. Though her face was neutral, her voice was more agreeable. Taeyeon smiled in appreciation for the unconditional support.

"I want the copies ready in an hour, is that possible?"

Donghae cleared his throat, recovering from the shock the order gave him. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Good. Do you have questions?"

"No, none, Your Highness."

"Then you're dismissed. I shall expect the copies here in an hour."

"As you wish." Donghae bowed and left the room.

After Donghae left, a disheveled, obviously tired envoy came bearing a letter. The minister took the scroll from the man's trembling hands and dismissed him immediately. Taeyeon unrolled the scroll and read:

Private and Confidential

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Taeyeon 

Princess Regent and Heir Apparent to the Divine Throne of the Soshi Empire

Your Imperial and Divine Highness,

The Kingdom of Agatha, union of HIDH Prince Henry and HIDH Princess Lilith, has been removed early this morning from our cluster. All forms of communications or travelling to and forth have failed. All pillars of all remaining worlds in our cluster - Okami, Liria, Leque, Parpenia and Vega, are exhibiting odd qualities after the removal of Agatha. Attached to this letter is a replica of the current state of the pillars.

Your most loyal subject,

Yunho V, Kingdom of Okami by the union of HM Empress Sakura II and HIDH Princess Ai 

Head of the 29th Cluster of Worlds

Taeyeon's expression was grim as she crumpled the parchment.

"What is it?" Siwon asked, elbows propped on the table as he leaned forward in curiosity.

"We shall all see," said Taeyeon as she threw the parchment midair. It dissolved instantly and transformed into a small diorama that floated in the study. It was currently replicating the pillar of light of Okami. Unlike the main Pillar of Light in Soshi, the one in Okami was smaller and was located atop their sacred mountain.

"What is that?" Siwon raised his hand and made a motion with his index finger, instantly zooming into the pillar.

"It is a crack." Shinyoung answered, finally setting her teacup down and standing up. "The pillar is cracked."

She touched the diorama and it expanded, showing all five pillars of the 29th cluster. She zoomed all of them and true enough, all of them were exhibiting large cracks. Shinyoung's face wore a grim expression when she turned to face her niece and nephew.

"Taeyeon," she calmly said, "order for evacuation as soon as possible."

--

Sunny understood their unease towards Hyomin and herself perfectly. There was Yuri whom she attacked, effectively drawing blood from her, not to mention the darkness itself. There was Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, loyal friends to Jessica for years. And then there was Jessica, overprotective of and possibly in love with Yuri. Sunny was surprised the princess hadn't threatened her and tried to freeze her on the spot the moment they showed up in their camp.

And yet here they were, sitting around the fire - sharing the aroma of freshly roasted chicken early in the evening.

"Why would Sunhwa even betray us?" Sooyoung asked. She breathed into her palms and brought them impatiently down the fire, instantly making it bigger.

"We don't know," Hyomin answered. Too many unanswered questions and shady characters.

"And you actually let that man get close to Yuri." Jessica was looking at her and she sounded more like she was stating the truth.

"It was an order," Sunny replied. "Believe me."

Jessica was still cautious. "So why are you here? Are you going to bring us back?"

"No. We are here to protect Yuri."

"Like we always did," Sunny added. It was odd but she wanted the group's approval somehow. She wasn't the bad guy and in the greater scheme of things, she was actually quite the opposite. Jessica merely raised an eyebrow, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon exchanged glances. But Yuri was clutching her heart somehow as she intently watched the flames.

"Back in Earth when that man shot me," Yuri's eyes widened as if remembering something for the first time, "you were there!"

"That was my fault." Sunny fidgeted under their gaze. It penetrated her, passing judgments that she had expected. "I failed to hold the shield."

"The shield prevented the first bullet. He fired two shots." Hyomin interrupted.

"He was there in time for the gate opening. We had to remove all barriers to allow you to travel through worlds." Hyomin continued for her. "It was pure luck. Nothing more."

"Luck." Jessica echoed, watching the fire. She was holding on to Yuri's hand when she finally gave a little smile to the newcomers.

Silence descended upon them and for a while the only sound was that of the firewood cracking as the flames consumed them. Hyoyeon finally took out the skewered chicken and handed a piece to Sunny.

"Thank you." She blew onto the meat and excitedly took a bite. It burned her tongue but it was alright. She had expected that. In Soshi one would and should only share dinner with friends. Sunny swallowed and finally smiled at their expectant faces.

Now we are friends.

--

Yuri learned as she stood in front of a smaller replica of the Pillar of Light that every world was sustained by Soshi somehow. They were standing at the base of the white marble, Jessica standing slightly behind Yuri.

"This world," Jessica guided Yuri's hand to feel the engravings, "is the result of a union between a prince and a princess."

The names were new and the words were foreign. "Do you know them?" Jessica's lips were too dangerously close to her neck for Yuri's mind to function properly. The morning wind was freezing but she felt hot all over somehow.

"No but they are my ancestors. Do you see it now, Yuri?" said Jessica, her lips now mercilessly close to her ears.

"Not quite."

"A union is when you sing with someone and the song creates a world just like this one."

"Like marriage in Earth."

"To a lesser degree, yes."

"Are you going to sing with someone?"

Jessica raised an eyebrow, gauging if Yuri was teasing her. Her lips turned upwards in a smile when she realized that Yuri looked earnest, probably waiting for her answer in all seriousness. Jessica couldn't help herself. "With whom?"

"Donghae?"

The answer caught Jessica off-guard. Her teasing smile turned instantly sour at the mention of the name.

"What about him?"

Yuri shrugged. "Well I don't know..."

"Do you want me to?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to sing with him?"

"What? No! I mean I was just asking because well maybe he likes you or something."

"I don't." Jessica answered quickly. "Not anymore."

Yuri's eyes widened for a second at the confession and Jessica wondered what was going on in Yuri's mind.

"Yuri," Jessica finally wrapped her arms around the younger girl's neck, "that was a long time ago. Believe me."

Yuri returned the embrace and Jessica felt herself relax. Whatever worried her seemed suddenly irrelevant and silly.

"I believe you Sica."

"And I'm not going to sing with him." Jessica pulled away from the embrace and leaned in for a kiss.

I want to sing with you.

--

"We need food." Hyoyeon said, with arms crossed in a stern stance.

"So what's the problem? We have enough coins to last another week!" Sooyoung countered, hugging the thick blanket against her body. She rolled in her bed so that her back was now facing her friend. "Be gone Hyo, it's too early in the morning."

Hyoyeon yanked the blanket off Sooyoung and the girl let out a yelp. "It's half past noon already and it's your turn to go to the market place and I am not flying in this weather."

"What?" Sooyoung countered, trying to tug the blanket away from Hyoyeon's grip. After a while she finally gave up. "Alright."

"Good." Hyoyeon said. "And take Yuri with you."

"Why?"

"Because you still owe her an apology."

Sooyoung looked up at Hyoyeon and knew that she didn't have a choice. Her friend could be very persuasive at times.

"Alright," she sighed in defeat. "I'll go to her."

"She's with Jessica." Hyoyeon pointed out the window and Sooyoung followed her fingers with her eyes. Near the inn, the pillar of light of the current world they were staying in could be seen in the distance.

"What are they doing out?"

Sooyoung stood up and washed her face with the water in the basin near the door.

"Taking a tour, I suppose."

"It's too cold outside; no one in their right mind would take a tour in this weather." Sooyoung was now wiping her face clean.

"Exactly. Or have you forgotten we're supposed to be travelling incognito?"

"I suppose." Sooyoung shrugged as she collected her cloud-pine and robe from the closet. As she was about to go, Hyoyeon stopped her for one last order:

"Don't even think about getting drunk without me."

--

Taking Yuri meant taking Sunny and Hyomin as well. Hyoyeon at least had convinced Jessica to stay and the princess was actually glad to sleep in rather than add to the 'market companions'. Before they left though, Jessica had pierced Sooyoung with her deadly glare while saying, "No funny business or you're dead."

But what was a market trip without alcohol?

"Just one cup!" Sooyoung begged her companions. "This world is in the top three for the best drink category!"

"Where did you even get that statistic?" Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"Does it matter? Come on. You don't have to drink. This is the last chance I'll get because we're moving again tomorrow."

"It sounds fun." Yuri shifted the bags she held. "Let's go!"

And because the last vessel agreed, Sooyoung roped all of them into drinking at the nearest pub they could find.

"Don't worry," she hopped happily, "this isn't a bad idea at all."

--

It was a bad idea. Hyomin was still wondering how in the world she could have just sat there for three hours watching her three companions attempt to drain all the barrels of mead the pub had to offer.

"...and so I ran without looking back!" Sunny, silent and brooding Sunny, finished her sentence with a very giddy laugh. Yuri and Sooyoung giggled, their faces were red and Hyomin considered lowering the temperature for them.

Hyomin cleared her throat. "I think it's time to head back?"

"Pffft! It's too early to be heading back." Sooyoung waved a hand of disapproval.

"Sunny, we have to go." Hyomin turned only to see Sunny passed out on the table. The princess let out a very unladylike curse under her breath. She could only take two people with her if she wanted to travel like most ascended beings did - that meant she had to leave one before eventually going back to fetch her. It was too dangerous to leave anyone at this point - anything could happen in the blink of an eye. That bullet in Earth hit Kwon Yuri in the same time and Hyomin would not risk it.

"Sooyoung," Hyomin lightly tapped her face, "can you fly?"

" 'course I can fly!" Sooyoung shouted and Hyomin sighed in annoyance. She held out her hand to Sooyoung's head and mumbled an "I'm sorry" before sending the girl a freezing bolt of energy.

"What in the name of the Sun-God have you done?!" Sooyoung screamed as she recovered from it. Yuri giggled as she watched Sooyoung rub her own arms from the cold.

"Momentarily making you sober." Hyomin stood up and helped Yuri to her feet. "Now let's go before I need to give you another shot."

That effectively had Sooyoung standing up as well.

"We're going home?" Yuri whined.

"Why didn't you give her the shot?" Sooyoung inclined her head to Sunny who was leaning against her.

"Because the faces you make are more amusing." Hyomin grinned and flew off with Yuri before she could retaliate. Sooyoung frowned as she mounted her cloud-pine and followed the princess with her snoring bodyguard behind her.

--

The door opened, letting the light from the corridor flood into the dark room. Jessica breathed silently in relief as Yuri's familiar form appeared by the doorway. Sooyoung's loud 'goodnight' probably woke up the entire floor and Jessica heard Yuri giggle as she carefully closed the door.

"Sica?" Jessica watched as Yuri waited for her vision to adjust to the darkness.

Jessica decided not to speak. Yuri was now peering at her, their faces inches apart. "Sica? Are you asleep?"

And then there was the kiss. The girl was sneaky in her own way after all as Jessica almost instantaneously returned it. Yuri giggled as she deepened the kiss.

"Yuri," Jessica said in between the kiss, "why do you taste funny?"

There was no answer as Yuri kissed her again and Jessica moved to accommodate Yuri on the bed. At the back of her mind, something was definitely wrong. Yuri would never be this aggressive and Oh my god! Jessica let out a rather loud moan as she felt the girl's hand move inside her night gown and brush against her thigh.

"Yuri..." The girl stopped her wandering hand at the mention of her name. Jessica waited for their kiss to resume but a minute had passed and Yuri was simply on top of her - crushing her. "Yuri?"

There was no response and Jessica's eyes widened in disbelief. Kwon Yuri was already asleep - slightly drooling on her shoulder.

--

Hyomin let out a loud grunt as she sat up on the bed. Her face was flushed against her will.

"What is it?" Sunny somehow managed to stand up with a small light by her hand. Hyomin rolled her eyes and dropped back into bed.

"You don't want to know."

Chapter 25 

Limits

My love, please forgive me but I can no longer sing our song. I can no longer sustain life into Earth knowing that I have done the unthinkable. The gods will surely punish me for re-creating Soshi in our world. I did not think it was possible and it still is not.

But I have created something else by accident. Forgive me my love, I should not have played with the stars.

- Canaria

--

The palace, with its grand chandeliers and high painted ceilings, was empty - save for two people in its throne room. One of them was kneeling, while the other was sitting and looking out the wide window with mild interest.

"Your highness, you're the only one left."

There was a soft chuckle from the seated figure. "I am not going anywhere."

"Your highness..."

"Go now and live, or stay and die."

The choice was simple and so the messenger bowed and left his king on the throne. Outside the palace grounds, above the green grass that was trampled upon by hundreds of palace servants earlier, the last gateway was open. He stepped into it immediately, not even sparing a last glance at his land.

When the gateway closed, the king removed his crown and dropped the heavy robe that was encrusted with stones down on the carpeted floor. He moved towards the window and watched as the darkness swallowed his land.

May the Sun-God help us all.

--

Jessica sat up. There was a cough somewhere and when she looked around, Taeyeon was standing behind her, slightly smiling.

"Good morning." Her sister said. " I take it that you're enjoying your travel?"

Perhaps it was out of habit or the dread of the conversation topics to come that Jessica couldn't return the unusually chirpy greeting.

"I've been wondering when you'd show up," Jessica answered and walked up towards Taeyeon. Her room looked the same, not a single detail altered.

"It's moving. The darkness is already moving." Taeyeon's eyes were far, looking out towards the capital. "A kingdom has already fallen. Gone into oblivion."

"What are you doing to stop it?"

"Nothing... yet." Taeyeon turned to Jessica. "I have sent for new translations of the prophecy. I don't know what else to do."

They both knew that the last sentence was a lie. Jessica pursed her lips. "You want Yuri."

"I want the light, Jessica. Not the darkness."

"Provoking her by hurting me will only bring out the darkness within her, you know that. You've seen it yourself."

"Yes."

"Then how?"

"I don't know. There is too much darkness and too little life in the book."

Jessica eyed Taeyeon warily. "There is something else you're not telling me."

Taeyeon breathed out loud and nodded.

"The world is about to end in seventy days," Taeyeon answered, "and we need Yuri."

"And what happens if she doesn't give you your precious light?"

"We all cease to exist." Taeyeon answered evenly.

Jessica laughed a bitter laugh. "Not you."

"What do you mean by that?" Taeyeon narrowed her eyes at Jessica's implication.

"You will not cease to exist, Taeyeon. You will simply ascend to the final stage and the heavens will welcome you in their arms."

"What makes you think I will leave Soshi and the empire to the darkness?"

Jessica shrugged, suddenly aware that she had stepped out of line. Taeyeon had always been patient with her but she knew there were limits to everything and right now, she had reached her sister's.

"What do you mean by that, Jessica?" Taeyeon looked more distressed than angered.

"I'm sorry." Jessica finally said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said."

Taeyeon didn't say anything but Jessica would always remember her sad eyes. Like Taeyeon knew that her apology wasn't heartfelt at all. Her sister had gazed out the balcony for eternal seconds until her body started to disintegrate into soft white lights.

You're not the only one with someone to lose.

--

The world was spinning. Around her, the universe was expanding and stars were coming to life. Below her was the darkness just as the Sun was above, and she was in the middle of it all.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

The voice belonged to Leesha. Her classmate was still smiling, still in their school uniform - blue and white and painfully young.

"What..." Yuri's voice cracked. Somehow Leesha in this particular dream was an oddity.

"Don't ask me why I'm here." Leesha shrugged and paced around Yuri with her hand behind her back looking up and down and left and right. She looked just as amazed as Yuri was with the sight.

"Tell me," Leesha continued, "about the princess."

"Well..." Yuri decided to play along. " She's kind and pretty and her favorite color is yellow."

"Yellow?"

"Yes."

"That answers a lot, does it not?"

"It does." Yuri nodded and fell silent. "I like her very much."

Then Leesha laughed - hard and loud. Yuri could only stand and stare at her best friend wondering what was so funny to have her doubled up in giggles.

"You were always a bit gullible." Leesha said in between breaths. "That magazine was never meant to be taken seriously."

Leesha laughed again and Yuri sadly smiled in understanding. At length, she shook her head. "It's not the magazine. It never was."

Leesha's grin disappeared instantly. Yuri's stare was now steady with a hint of anger in it.

"And you're not Leesha. Whoever you are, I suggest you leave right now."

"What are you talking - "

"Leave." Yuri silently said. "Please leave right now."

There was no answer for a brief time and they stood there staring at each other. Giving up, Leesha finally straightened up. The happy Leesha moments ago disappeared but Yuri knew that it wasn't her all along. It was someone else, someone powerful enough to intrude in her dreams.

"Well then," Leesha calmly said. "You're not as dumb as I thought you were."

"Please leave." Yuri tried again. Leesha smirked as her body started to dissolve, blending into the background.

"Look after your princess."

Yuri closed her fists as her chest tightened at the threat.

--

Yuri and Jessica woke up at the same time. They lied there, staring at each other, relief flooding the both of them. Jessica was the first one to smile.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." Yuri returned the smile.

Jessica closed her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened. She buried her nose into Yuri's neck, carefully hiding her sudden sadness from the girl.

"Yuri," Jessica whispered ever so softly, "don't ever drink again."

--

The next market trip guaranteed Sooyoung out of the picture by the fierce insistence of both princesses.

Yuri transferred all the bags she held to one hand and rubbed her neck with the freed one. Getting supplies for six proved to be extra tedious and tiring as the normal weight of the bags were practically doubled. Still, Yuri was far from complaining because market trips meant spending time alone with Jessica.

There was an easily discernable gasp of delight as the princess to her right was busy going through the rare jewels that were laid out on the wooden table. Unlike the first few days of blending in, Jessica was now looking more normal than before. The princess had tied her hair into a loose ponytail and the cream linen robe she wore blended in with the busy crowd.

"Yuri, look at these!" Jessica held up two identical bracelets, the early morning sun reflecting their smooth yellow surfaces.

"They're pretty," Yuri chirped in, a little bit worried at what the gems might mean. She certainly didn't want another confusion like what happened with Hyomin before.

"Let's buy them."

When Yuri didn't reply at once, Jessica knew all too well that something was bothering her.

"You don't like them?"

"I do! I mean they're pretty and all but..."

"But?"

Yuri looked at the bracelets nervously. "They're not... I mean they don't have any special meanings in them?"

Jessica raised an eyebrow.

"Like the one I gave Hyomin?"

"No," Jessica tested. "But what if they do?"

"What? No of course I don't want to!"

"You don't want to sleep with me?" Jessica crossed her arms dangerously.

"I do! I do want to sleep with you it's just that I thought we should take things slow and I really do want to... aargh forget it!" Yuri dropped the bags completely and rubbed her face furiously to get rid of the blush she was suddenly showing.

The girl was failing so hard that Jessica couldn't keep her laughter in anymore.

"I'm sorry Yuri. I was merely teasing you." Jessica reached out and pried Yuri's hand from her own face but the girl refused to budge.

Jessica gave up after several tries and paid the merchant for the bracelets. The man had a bewildered look on his face when Jessica handed him the gold coins.

"Is she going to be alright?" He inclined his head towards Yuri who was still covering her face with her own hands.

"I hope so."

--

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Close your eyes."

Yuri followed her princess with much trepidation. Her palms were sweating and if it was possible to completely forget breathing, she was sure she would have.

"Do you see me?"

Yuri shook her head. There was nothing, save darkness, in her vision. There was a soft rustle from the princess and Yuri felt arms around her neck. Almost instinctively she reached out to hold Jessica by the waist. With their distance closed, Yuri fought the urge to open her eyes.

"Will it work this way?"

There was no reply but Yuri could tell Jessica was smiling - smirking even.

"No." Jessica said. "But this will help you relax."

True enough, Yuri felt the warmth radiating from Jessica's body. Her nerves calmed down and Jessica finally let go. Yuri frowned.

No kiss?

"Later Yuri." Jessica finally laughed. "I don't think kissing will help you relax at all."

Yuri's blush appeared instantaneously. "Would you like to test that?"

Jessica's eyes widened at the sudden forwardness. The princess found herself equally blushing as memories of the night before flooded her mind.

There was a cough - obviously forced. Jessica turned to glare at Hyomin and Sunny. The other princess was clearly not amused while Sunny looked like she was more confused than revolted at the display of affection.

"Alright." Jessica stepped away from Yuri, a good meter's length. "Try again Yuri."

Yuri nodded and as soon as she forced her 'inner eyes' open, she was back in Soshi. Jessica stood before her, clothed in her Soshi gown.

"It worked." Jessica smiled and took her hand, pulling her into the veranda.

"We're in your room?" Yuri asked as she looked around and found the room similar, if not the same, to the princess'.

"Yes. Two hundred years ago."

Yuri looked out and saw that Soshi didn't look younger at all. Everything looked just how she left it. Even Jessica looked no younger than she did a while ago, back in the real world.

"It doesn't look any different." Yuri commented as she sat down on the padded couch with Jessica.

"I guess when you're going to live for a very long time, things change slowly."

Immortality. Yuri quickly set aside the depressing thought, lest she upset Jessica again.

"Where is Taeyeon?"

"She'll be here in a moment."

Jessica leaned comfortably against Yuri as they watched the Soshi sky. The curtains moved slowly and Jessica felt a little drowsy from the cool air and Yuri's reassuring presence.

"Good morning Yuri."

The voice set them both in motion; they both straightened up like children who were caught doing something bad. Despite the ample opportunity to tease, Taeyeon seemed like she wasn't in the mood to do so. Behind her Shinyoung appeared as well, teacup and all.

"Ah," Shinyoung smiled contentedly, "it seems that even in your memory you cannot separate me from my tea."

"Good morning Auntie."

Shinyoung nodded as she took a sip. "Not as good though."

"Shall we start?" Jessica suggested.

"Yes of course." Shinyoung said, setting down the cup on the bedside table. " Come Yuri, let this old lady take a look at you."

Yuri knelt down in front of Shinyoung and closed her eyes as the latter gently touched her on the forehead. The ritual was familiar and Yuri felt drowsy again. Shinyoung's magic enveloped her as it probed deep within her, searching every nook and cranny of her being for something - anything that could possibly help save the world.

Yuri wobbled as she stood up after the ritual. Jessica and Taeyeon, albeit obviously avoiding each other's eyes, helped her steady her feet.

"Auntie?" Taeyeon found Shinyoung still sitting by the bed with her eyes half-closed, as if she didn't know that the ritual was over.

"Auntie?" Taeyeon tried a little louder and Shinyoung finally blinked her eyes.

"Well then that's done." Shinyoung smiled. "We best get going now. Keep safe Jessica, Yuri."

And just like that, Shinyoung left Jessica's mind with a confused Taeyeon following close behind.

--

Back in Soshi, Taeyeon opened her eyes and was greeted by Shinyoung's serious face.

"Taeyeon," her aunt said, "the elders were lying."

--

Someone had to explain to Yuri the current state of things and the default choice was of course, Jessica. After Taeyeon and Shinyoung's odd exit earlier, Jessica knew it was up to her to tell Yuri what was happening with the worlds. What seemed like a normal late afternoon stroll for Yuri turned out to be an opportunity for Jessica to talk to her.

"Yuri," Jessica squeezed the younger girl's hand, signaling her to stop walking. "I need to tell you something."

Yuri nodded in understanding and they both sat down on the grass. "Okay Sica."

"Do you remember your vision?"

Yuri looked down and played with a stray stone underneath her foot for a while. "It's happening now, isn't it?"

"Taeyeon and everyone else are trying to find a way to stop it."

Jessica wanted to seek comfort in her own words too. It was true, everyone was trying to stop it, but somehow it didn't do anything about the fear. But there was something else Yuri had to know...

"Do you remember when you fought that man?"

A nod. "Yes."

"What did you feel back then?"

Yuri looked down and released their linked hands. "I felt like he was going to take you away and then I couldn't breathe because of it. And then I felt stronger, like I was capable of destroying everything that threatened to harm you."

Yuri stopped and shook her head. "I don't like it."

"It's the darkness, Yuri." Jessica shivered uncharacteristically at a passing breeze, instinctively hugging Yuri's arm. "No one likes it."

"No."

Jessica brought her head up and looked at Yuri in question. "No?"

"I don't like it when someone else touches you."

Jessica's heart skipped a beat and she could only wish it wasn't because of fear. Yuri broke their gaze and through her profile, Jessica could see a faint butterfly mark crawling on Yuri's neck.

"Yuri, look at me." Jessica quickly cupped the girl's face, forcing her to look at her. "Yuri."

When Yuri had transformed back in the training field, Jessica was ten meters away from the girl. Everything she remembered from that day was based on a memory from watching her in the distance. So now as Yuri complied with her request and looked her in the eyes, Jessica forgot to breathe.

Yuri's eyes were almost lifeless, her irises had turned into a frightening shade of amber and the butterfly markings on both her cheeks were becoming more prominent. They were more like patterns, shadows of dark butterflies that grew in size and in depth.

"Yuri." Jessica calmly said. "No one is hurting me."

The darkness within looked like it was still deciding whether or not Jessica was telling the truth. It reeked of primal hostility towards a nonexistent enemy and Jessica felt her own magic shield her protectively from it. Through the thin white light that now separated them, Yuri's steady gaze unnerved the princess. They stood there, a deep contrast of light and dark, for what seemed like eternity.

Until Yuri blinked and then blinked again. Jessica breathed in as the butterflies disappeared and Yuri's eyes returned to their normal color.

"Welcome back." Jessica finally smiled and embraced the taller girl, almost collapsing with relief.

"I'm sorry." Something wet dropped on Jessica's shoulder and she didn't dare to lift her head. Yuri was crying, holding on to her like a child. "I'm sorry." She repeated in between sobs.

Jessica cried too and made snowflakes fall from the sky.

--

Sunny slipped quietly out of the room. Gripping her cloud-pine, she made her way down the stairs and out the inn's entrance. She was about to take flight when Yuri and Sooyoung showed up in front of her holding their own respective cloud-pines.

"Sunny," Yuri said in a determined voice, "please help me stop the darkness."

Chapter 26 

The Ice Princesses

The elders lied about everything.

Or at least the Oldest One did. She planted the darkness inside Yuri herself. That was why the plan didn't work. Yuri was supposed to trigger the light that time when Jessica fought the man with the dagger - not the darkness.

The Oldest One had some explaining to do.

Taeyeon and Shinyoung didn't even bother to use the hallways as they appeared in the dark, empty hall where the elders held their council. Taeyeon waved an angry hand and the thick curtains all went down in one violent tug, sunlight instantly flooding the cool marble floor.

"Where are they?" She growled to Shinyoung. Her aunt shook her head, knowing well that they were too late.

"Captain!" Taeyeon, perhaps for the first time in a while, raised her voice. The loyal messenger appeared instantly in front of her, wondering if he was finally going to see his mistress lose it.

"Summon the Imperial Guard."

"By your will." The captain disappeared and if he was disappointed, it went unnoticed by the two divinities in the room.

"Auntie," Taeyeon quietly said, "please look after Yuri from now on. Take the Imperial Guard with you."

"As you wish, Taengoo."

Taeyeon didn't respond and continued to stare at the floor. The last time Shinyoung had seen her niece this quiet was when she found out about her engagement. Even the emperor, as powerful as he was, couldn't help but fidget under the awkward silence. It wasn't until the crown princess finally raised her head and said "By your will, father" that everyone in the room was finally able to breathe again.

"Well," Shinyoung cleared her throat, "I should prepare for my departure."

Unlike her arrival, Shinyoung walked her way out of the annex. The eerie statues stood silently as she passed. There was no trace of life at all - not even a faint lingering light from one of the elders. A servant came through the massive door that separated the annex from the main palace.

"Not today, dear." Shinyoung shook her head as she beckoned the servant to follow her out. With Shinyoung's command, the guards that stood outside closed the massive door with one strong push - the ivory lock clicking together in place.

"You might want to step away from the door." The guards knew better than to question their princess. Shinyoung then smiled a sad smile and silently bid farewell to the ancient hall.

Now completely alone in the hall, Taeyeon raised her head, clenched her fists,

and the Western Annex crumbled into pieces.

--

The loud noises were distracting. It came from a bush nearby - thick and moving. Sunny, Yuri and Sooyoung looked at each other and immediately fell silent.

"What now?" Sooyung mouthed wordlessly to Sunny, who gave her a sign to stay quiet.  

They waited a few minutes more and the movement did not cease at all - in fact it became more obvious.

"Is it a wild animal?" Yuri whispered to Sooyung. Sunny merely waited and stared at the moving bush.

Thwack! There was a snap, something snapped and Yuri found herself shoved behind Sooyoung and Sunny instantly.

"Who's there?!" Sooyoung shouted, right hand ready to blast the foliage into pieces any given time. Sunny to her left had already shielded Yuri with a thick mass of energy that made Sooyoung feel a little intimidated. Sunny was a higher-being after all and obviously superior when it came to magic.

"Show yourself or we charge!" Sooyoung barked again. The movements became more visible and out came -

"Hyoyeon?" Sunny and Sooyoung lowered their hands as they watched the newcomer struggle from the branches.

"Yes! Now help me!" Hyoyeon spat a few leaves as Yuri immediately rushed to help her.

Sunny watched the scene: Hyoyeon clearly irritated out of her wits and Yuri prying the branches off of her. "What in the world..."

"...are you doing?" Sooyoung finished, laughing at her friend's predicament.

"Sneaking on you three, what else?" Hyoyeon huffed as she finally straightened out.

"Why would you do that?"

"Well it's not like you three are doing an excellent job hiding this, whatever this you're doing, from us." Hyoyeon rolled her eyes.

"So you followed us and got yourself stuck in a bush?"

"It's an animation, a mild animation!" Hyoyeon said irritably. "I thought you created it?"

"No..." Sooyoung and Sunny chorused.

"Well who did?"

Not too far, Hyomin smirked a little at the bickering group.

--

Hyomin didn't put much stock in happy endings simply because to her, there would be no end - at least before the Prophecy came and started proving otherwise. Sometimes it scared her, the idea of eternity, because she knew Sunny wouldn't be there with her. What scared her even more was that she didn't fear the darkness as much as everyone else probably did.

Did Jessica feel like that?

Hyomin paused her thoughts as she finished checking the Eastern barrier - a routine she had done countless times back in Earth. Kwon Yuri had to be protected in all directions and Hyomin was going to shield the entire world just to be safe. With a few more chants, she then looked up and there was a slight flicker of light within the atmosphere, it scanned the entire sky and within seconds the light was gone. Satisfied with the barrier, she jumped off the tree branch and was gone.

--

Ever since Hyomin could remember, and that wasn't much, Jessica had never liked her. On her few trips to the capital to see their parents, Jessica was always the one who would excuse herself early from the dinner table, faking elaborate excuses that ranged from "I am tired" to "I have thought of a story that I must write quickly else it will be gone". And all those times, Hyomin bit back her tongue from saying "Do as you please. I don't care." Because someone always had to be the bigger person.

But family ties are strange; Hyomin thought so as she walked her way up the stairs to Jessica and Yuri's shared room. Having a twin sister was not as bad as the elders warned it to be. Had they lived together, Hyomin knew Jessica would be less hostile and perhaps a little friendlier.

Knocking several times, Hyomin waited for her sister to open the door. She was fiddling with the boxes she held when Jessica's face finally came into view - bright face instantly transforming into her Ice Princess glare. Hyomin smiled despite that.

"Good evening."

She held up the two small rectangular boxes in front of Jessica as if they were peace offerings. They stood there for a while like children - Jessica staring at the boxes and Hyomin's arms getting sore from holding it up.

"Would you like to test them with me?"

It took Jessica three seconds to answer, "Yes!" before she clearly regretted sounding too enthusiastic. Hyomin smiled as she watched her sister scurry to reach for her cloak on the wall.

"You won't be needing that." Hyomin reminded, when she was about to grab her cloud-pine. Jessica nodded in complete understanding and secured her cloak before following her. Once outside, Hyomin walked slower waiting for Jessica to catch up.

"Where did you get them?"

"I found them yesterday, in the market."

"Market?" Jessica said in disbelief.

"Extraordinary isn't it?" Hyomin agreed. "They had no idea they were in possession of such rare items. And two of them, no less!"

"How much did you pay for them?"

Hyomin looked at her sister in amusement. Jessica no doubt, had surely changed a lot to be asking about 'paying' and understanding the concept itself. The amusement turned into fondness as she realized that she preferred this Jessica than the spoiled princess back in Soshi.

"Not much."

"How is she doing?" Jessica said after a while, she was referring to Yuri of course. "How are they doing?"

"They're improving." Hyomin lied because there were no improvements at all. Sunny couldn't even trigger the darkness out of Yuri to begin with. They still needed Jessica for that. Their sessions burned nothing but time and energy but there was nothing else to do.

Jessica nodded and smiled a small smile. "I believe in her."

"We've watched her for years and I promise you that she doesn't give up."

"What's it like? Her world?"

At this point, Hyomin didn't know how to react. Whatever she was about to say, whatever she could say would only give hope to her sister. Thankfully, the conversation came to a stop because they finally reached the lake, vast and perfect for what they were about set free. Hyomin took out the boxes and handed one to Jessica. The water underneath turned into solid ice as the two princesses walked towards the center of lake.

"On my third count." She instructed and Jessica nodded, no longer hiding her excitement. Hyomin too felt her own hands sweat in anticipation.

"One." The lake glowed, its water turning into a luminous blue. The fishes and creatures below swam into view - transparent and gentle.

"Two." The water began to swirl beneath them. Jessica fiddled with the small rope that was attached to the lid of the box.

"Three." They both opened the boxes and all the water floated instantaneously, swallowing them both with one loud sound. Hyomin surfaced, wet and laughing, and flew towards one of the two masses of water that floated in the air. Her freed water spirit from the box was quickly taking its shape and soon enough, Hyomin stood on top of the head of a gigantic swan, dwarfed by its size.

"Wait." She said to the impatient creature. She knelt down to touch its smooth watery surface and smiled. "We wait for my sister."

Not too far, another glowing mass of water moved and heaved into midair. Hyomin smiled wider as its shape finally came into view - an elegant swan almost identical to hers. When Jessica was settled, her creature gave out a loud sound that echoed within the mountains and off they went, away from Hyomin.

"Go!" Hyomin's water swan was more than ready and waiting for her signal, speeding off and catching up to the other pair before them. Through the moonlit land, their water creatures flew and accelerated, constantly trying to beat each other.

"Hyomin!" Jessica shouted when they were within hearing range. "On three!"

Hyomin laughed; giddy and exhilarated all at once. "Alright!"

"One!"

Jessica's creature ascended higher into the night sky with Hyomin's following closely behind. Their swans circled each other as they went higher.

"Two!"

Hyomin whispered words to her water creature and it screeched, aware of what his mistress wanted him to do. They were now closer to the moon than to land.

"Three!"

Their ascent came to an abrupt stop, the birds stopped flapping their wings and almost in suspended animation, they descended into free fall - wings parted wide, leaving faint traces of luminous blue water in the wake of their fall.

Below them, the world stared. Never before had they been graced with the sight of divine beings falling from the night sky.

"Beautiful." Yuri said. Sunny, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung couldn't agree more.

--

The black queen stood three paces away from the white King.

"What now?"

Lena looked at the anxious princess with mild amusement.

"Your cousin is very predictable." She answered as she moved a black pawn, one space forward, into the white square.

"She will summon her Imperial Guard and have them watch over Yuri. She will send Shinyoung or Siwon to make sure the girl is extra guarded."

The pawn went down in one quick movement and the rook stood proudly on its space.

"But the guards are incompetent." The rook went down, eaten by a knight.

"Excellent observation, my dear."

"Taeyeon will not leave Soshi."

"She knows she can't leave Soshi," Lena agreed as she pushed a knight, "she knows that much."

"Then how do we destroy the Pillar of Light?"

"Taeyeon can't but that doesn't mean she won't." Lena took the knight with a bishop. "She will leave this place for one purpose and one purpose only."

"And what would that be?"

Lena moved the forgotten Queen.

"To eliminate me."

Checkmate.

Chapter 27 

Delirium

The Ruling God, Emperor Tate, came down from the heavens to break the Union of the Earth. Princess Canaria stood in between the Emperor and the Pillar of Light until her husband, the Prince Daehyun, held her against her will.

Invoking his supreme power over all, His Majesty raised his right hand and the ground shook. When the pillar finally cracked and the sky let the darkness in, Princess Canaria turned into light and met the darkness, colliding with it midair. There was a blinding flash, a result from the meeting of two incalculable energy forces. When color returned to normal and the darkness was gone, the princess was nowhere in sight.

Prince Daehyun then cried, in front of his father, begging him to spare Earth. The Emperor took pity and he waved a hand to clear the sky of the darkness. But the pillar is cracked, he said, and it shall remain that way.

And so the Children of the Earth suffered their Mother's sin. Their blood turned to red, to remind them who they were and who they would never be. Their life shortened into the blink of an eye. Their lungs weakened and their sight diminished. The perfection that made the gods angry was gone, as they became the weakest of all the creations.

- The Cursed Earth (An essay about The Breaking of the Union)

--

Earth was a bit like a puzzle or a stinking puddle of dung that no one dared to touch, Taeyeon concluded. She flipped the essay on the table carelessly. If one should enter the room, one would almost the miss the Crown Princess partly hidden behind the tall stacks of newly translated scrolls lying unrolled on the table.

"You didn't expect us to sit around and wait for the world to end, did you?"

Taeyeon looked up at the familiar voice and finally chuckled for the first time in a week. She suddenly felt silly for burrowing herself inside the throne room for days.

"I wonder," Taeyeon pushed the towers of documents apart to gain a better view of her visitor, "how our world will look with you obsessing over pink so much."

"I am open to the idea of a pink sky," Tiffany mused as she continued to move towards Taeyeon. The princess gave her an odd look and even more so when she unceremoniously sat on the princess' lap. Taeyeon, who was always the forward one, gave out a yelp before her eyes widened at the pleasant surprise.

"Well," Taeyeon cleared her throat, "I certainly have other plans for you than just 'sitting around'."

Tiffany seemed unfazed by the innuendo as she leaned in towards Taeyeon and whispered, "Then let's get out of here."

Taeyeon held Tiffany's waist and grinned in answer.

Thirty seconds later, Siwon entered the empty throne room and wondered why the soldiers looked uneasy and flushed.

--

As Crown Princess, oftentimes Taeyeon would find herself in situations she'd rather not be in. These included meetings, world inspections and cunning plans formulated by Tiffany. Taeyeon shook her head as she watched Tiffany crawl away from her on the bed. What seemed to be a pleasant distraction would soon turn into something entirely different, Taeyeon knew that much.

Tiffany took out a parchment from her bedside table and handed it to Taeyeon.

"What's this?"

"That," Tiffany said as she returned to join Taeyeon, "is my own translation of the Prophecy."

"You invited me to your room to talk about the Prophecy?" Taeyeon felt cheated, a little touched that Tiffany was trying to help her, but cheated nonetheless.

"First, I did not invite you. You brought us here and this just happens to be your favorite place."

Tiffany ignored Taeyeon's dirty smirk and took the parchment off the princess' hands and unrolled it.

"Second, I think I may have deciphered something that can help you."

Taeyeon leaned to share the parchment.

"It was here all along, from day one."

"The sky shall open up and bring forth the destruction to this world, thus ending all - save the unpure and the cursed. The light of his most divine highness, the Sun-God whom all life comes from, shall be extinguished and removed from its pedestal. Darkness shall reign in all the worlds, in all the realms. Immortality shall be void and the stars will die."

"Taetae I think this is the most important part of the book."

"Continue..." Taeyeon then turned serious.

"The cursed or unpure could refer to Earth. Human beings aren't supposed to exist at all." Tiffany then looked at Taeyeon. "At the same time, it could also refer to the Elders. They are forbidden to enter the heavens, are they not? Because they're bound to the fate of Soshi."

"But destroying the pillar of light means destroying all."

"No, Taetae. Not if I'm right. The Elders and the Earth will not be affected."

Taeyeon looked pensive; she took the parchment and read the passage again.

"Then when father restarts the universe..."

"He can't. Not when the stars are dead."

"Father still needs light in order to do so." Taeyeon nodded, not even thinking about what would happen to the heavens should Lena succeed.

"So the Elders will rule in Earth?"

"Yes."

"But why Earth? Why seek to destroy Soshi?"

Tiffany finally shrugged. "That I do not know."

Taeyeon looked flabbergasted, to say the least.

"How was it possible for us to have missed this?"

"Well," Tiffany said, "maybe the question is 'is it even possible to miss this'?"

"You think the Elders are also in on this?"

"Think about it Taetae. Who condemned the book?"

"The Elders..."

"They made sure the book was out of limits. We don't even know who wrote this."

Taeyeon slumped onto the bed, mind reeling with the sudden overload of information.

"Fany..."

"Yes?"

"Come here and give me a kiss."

--

Yuri stood on the smooth stone, freezing in her soaked clothes. The cloud-pine she was riding on had broken and she would have broken her neck too, if not for her landing in the lake. She looked up and shivered again. It had been more than five minutes and no one was looking for her. Yuri huffed a little, feeling abandoned. You'd think they'd do a better job watching over her.

Yuri turned her attention to the lake; it had the clearest water she had ever seen. Even the lake in Soshi paled in comparison to this one. She could see everything: the fallen logs, the rocks, and the unusually familiar fishes. Beautiful. She suddenly wished that Jessica was with her at the moment. Thinking of the princess only made Yuri impatient with her so-called rescuers.

Yuri gave up waiting and jumped into the lake after much deliberation. The crystal clear water was just as cold as she remembered and she laughed a bit, feeling giddy to be in the water again. There were a few things Yuri was good at and swimming was one of them.

"Sica! Look at this, this is the butterfly stroke," she said to her imaginary princess. After a while she changed styles. "And this is the freestyle."

"Yeah I know I'm good." Yuri wiggled her eyebrows at an imaginary impressed Jessica. She was currently treading water and at length, laughed at herself. She was partly thankful that no one was around to witness her embarrassing delusions.

Something flew past her, blocking the sunlight for an instant. Yuri looked up, expecting Sooyoung, Sunny and Hyoyeon but to her surprise, found no one hovering above her. Yuri's heartbeat quickened. There was the ominous feeling again and wasting no time, she started to swim towards the nearest rock. But something pulled her down; the roughness snaked onto her right foot and pulled her down. Yuri struggled and through the clear water, saw what was holding her down. It was an animated mass of weeds. Weeds would be an understatement because they moved and pulled and were of a considerable size.

Yuri struggled, her lungs on the verge of losing air. She kicked and grabbed the rough weeds to no avail. There was no effect whatsoever and the animation only dragged her deeper into the water. Yuri gave up kicking and looked up. Through the clear water she hoped for another miracle.

Sica!

And it came - in the form of Sunny's magic. Yuri felt her body yanked out of the cold water and thrown into the air like a ragdoll. She gasped for air, breathing in a lung full, not even noticing that she was falling down again towards the same water that had almost killed her. Before she hit the surface, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung swept her away, holding each of her arms.

"What, who - " Yuri managed to say, spitting out more water in the process. The lake was getting smaller and smaller but Sunny was above it doing something that involved glowing symbols again.

"Yuri, stay with us," she heard Hyoyeon say but it was too late. Her head was getting heavy and Yuri finally blacked out.

--

Jessica was furious when they arrived with the unconscious Yuri. Jessica was furious even when Yuri was safely tucked in bed. Jessica was still furious at the dinner table.

"I hope your taste buds die and fail you for eternity." Jessica quietly said, breaking the nervous silence. Sooyoung coughed out, rice almost escaping through her nose. Hyoyeon stifled a laugh, while Hyomin offered a glass of water to the tall girl.

"I said I was sorry. Please don't go that far Jessica!"

"She could have died!"

"We had everything under control. Believe us!"

Jessica didn't answer but kept her deadly glare on, satisfied that she had instilled fear into Sooyoung.

"And you..." the princess turned to a laughing Hyoyeon who ceased immediately when she heard her name. "...stop laughing."

Hyoyeon breathed out loud. That was a fair deal. Silence descended again.

"No more sneaking out and doing things on your own from now on." Jessica said.

"Most importantly, no more stupid ideas that involve near death experiences for Yuri." Jessica continued. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon nodded enthusiastically, hoping to get on Jessica's good side again. "And you will do the chores for three weeks."

"What?!" Sooyoung stopped when she met Jessica's wide eyes again. "I mean yes, of course."

"What about Sunny?" Hyoyeon protested. "She's just as guilty as we are."

"She will do her penance some other way." Jessica said, the sentence final and non-negotiable.

"Lucky for her she's not here." Sooyoung mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I mean Yuri is lucky Sunny's so nice that she's watching over her while we eat dinner."

Hyomin herself gave out a small laugh, hidden poorly with a cough. Jessica looked at all of them before going back to eating. There was something funny about the situation and Hyomin wondered if this was normal before they joined them.

"May I offer an alternative to our so-called training sessions?" Sooyoung cleared her throat to appear serious. Jessica eyed her suspiciously before nodding her head a little as permission.

"Why not do it with Yuri?"

"What?!" The Ice Princesses chorused, two bowls of rice hitting the wooden table at the same time. Hyomin helped herself to a cup of water while Jessica looked mortified at Sooyoung's audacity.

"Think about it, if pain can cause her to release the darkness then pleasure can -"

"We are not having this conversation!" Jessica interrupted, ears red with embarrassment.

"It doesn't work that way." Hyomin helped her sister, already cringing inwardly at the idea.

"As I said, it is merely a suggestion." Sooyoung took another casual bite off her bread, clearly enjoying pushing the two usually reserved princesses to their limits.

"It's not like it would hurt, right?" Hyoyeon added. "In fact it probably -"

"Silence! Or I will cripple the both of you!" If Jessica could turn any redder, she'd match the tomato soup they were currently having.

"Well done, Hyoyeon." Sooyoung laughed and patted her friend's back. "Oh very well done."

Hyomin laughed too. Jessica's very flushed face was certainly a rare sight and she was glad she had the honor to see it.

Well done indeed.

--

Yuri was dreaming. She was dreaming of the exploding universe again, only this time the sun was below her just as the darkness was above. Yuri knelt down and touched the sun only to have it move away from her.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Leesha appeared again - this time without the pretense of being Yuri's quirky best friend.

"Get out!" Yuri stood up and approached the impostor. "Get out of my dream!"

Leesha grinned, backing away from Yuri. She hopped from planet to planet and Yuri chased after her. Leesha then stopped and rested her head on a small moon, right arm propping herself up, cheek resting on her open palm.

"You know what's even more beautiful?"

Yuri was dangling on a crescent moon. She was hanging for her life somehow as Leesha giggled and floated towards her. Leesha traced Yuri's lips with her index finger, her tongue poking out of her mouth as if to tease.

"The light of your princess winking out."

Yuri suddenly let go and grabbed Leesha's arm, dragging her down to the abyss. The planets and the stars floated past them as they descended deeper into nothingness.

"Let go!" Leesha angrily tried to pry her hand off Yuri's grip.

"No." Yuri tightened her grip. "You will not hurt Jessica."

"You're going to end us both, fool!"

"I don't care."

Leesha screamed and Yuri smiled.

Yes. Cry. Touch her and I will make you cry in pain for eternity.

--

Yuri whimpered. Sunny had to use slight force to keep her from rolling around the bed. Jessica sat beside her, holding her hand.

"Sick?" The princess repeated, looking at Hyomin.

"Her body is overworked."

"She's hurt then? Is it because of the animation they made?" There was a dangerous glare directed to the trio again. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon avoided Jessica's eyes in fear.

"No she's not hurt." Hyomin looked at Sunny for help. The latter merely shrugged in retaliation. Hyomin sighed. "Well she is hurting. She's having a fever."

Jessica opened her mouth but Hyomin was too quick for her. "A fever is when their bodies become susceptible to certain infections - usually from overworking. Humans are weaker than us - so much more."

"But can't you heal her? If something is wrong with her then can't you just heal her?" Sooyoung asked. The concern in her voice betrayed her stoic face.

Hyomin paused, all valid points indeed. But Yuri was human and Jessica needed to realize that.

"It doesn't work that way."

On the bed, Yuri groaned and turned, the wet cloth dropping to the side of the mattress. Sunny, who was a bit familiar with how humans work, took a glass of water and offered it to the girl. All of them watched as Yuri automatically opened her mouth to drink the water with eyes still closed.

"Will this go away?" Hyoyeon finally asked, eyes never leaving the sweaty Yuri.

"Yes. They usually take around several days."

"Several days?"

"Humans need more time to recover."

"Is this..." Jessica's eyes were dark, "a normal occurrence in Earth?"

"Yes."

Hyomin didn't dare to say more.

--

Jessica stayed by Yuri, wondering if it was acceptable to cool down the girl's temperature but decided against it. If Yuri was to heal naturally then she all she could do was stay by her side.

"Yuri," she tucked a damp stray hair behind the girl's ear, "please be alright."

The girl gave her hand a light squeeze as if she heard her. Jessica smiled despite herself. When she touched Yuri's forehead again, the girl was burning. It wasn't normal, that much she could tell. Jessica rushed out the door to call Hyomin but when they returned, the bed was already empty.

--

It was raining. Of all the times to have a scheduled rain, it rained when Yuri had gone missing. The terrain was blurred by water and darkness. Jessica looked sideways at Hyomin, flying steadily alongside.

"Hyomin please do something about the rain!" Jessica yelled, impatient and on the verge of turning everything into ice - and not the nice kind.

Hyomin looked up, invoked a chant and the rain turned into snowflakes.

"We need to hurry! This world needs their water too." Sooyoung yelled from behind them.

"This world won't be needing water when Yuri is done with it." Sunny mumbled but Hyoyeon and Sooyoung did not miss the statement. The two lower-beings exchanged worried looks, not quite knowing what to expect from the human girl who was currently missing.

"Where is she? Can you feel her?"

"Yes. She's moving fast. Northeast. Disperse!"

Hyomin inclined her head and the rest of them leaned to the right, changing course instantly. In one fluid motion, all five of them separated, treading considerable amount of distances from each other. Scanning the area would take less time this way and they were all trained in this tactic.

They continued like this, snowflakes swiveling as they flew past them in haste. Their thick shields made of white light - both for illumination and protection - lit them individually, making it easier to see each other in the dark.

"There she is!" Jessica's voice broke the edgy silence that lingered in the air. The princess descended at once towards the lone figure running in the open field. Hyomin wasn't lying because Jessica couldn't remember the last time she flew this fast. The world blurred past her as she reached the rain-soaked girl.

"Yuri!"

Yuri looked up at the familiar voice. Jessica wasn't the least bit surprised to see that she had turned into the darkness again. The amber eyes, the butterflies - they were there again. But the darkness recognized her at least and so the girl slowed down, the green grass dying instantly beneath her.

"Yuri!" Jessica landed, her feet failing her with the momentum, causing her to fall straight into Yuri's arms. The girl was burning; Jessica could feel the heat off Yuri's body as the latter enclosed her in a smothering embrace.

In the distance, Hyomin and Sunny were already dashing towards them before Jessica could warn them about the transformation. Yuri growled and in a split second, Jessica was pushed back with an angry Yuri snarling at the newcomers.

"Hyomin!" Yuri remained unfazed as Jessica warned them. Hyomin quickly caught on and stopped, raising her arm to stop her companion - who was probably the last person they wanted near Yuri.

"We will not harm her." Hyomin appeared to be calm and steady. She raised her hands, empty hands. No weapons or shield - at least not yet. She remembered all too well that the last time required four ascended beings to stop Yuri and they didn't have that privilege at the moment.

"Calm down, Yuri." They heard Jessica say. The princess slowly touched the girl's shoulder. "Please calm down."

"You." Yuri was looking straight at Sunny. "You will not hurt her?"

Sunny swallowed before answering. "No. I will not hurt her."

It was like talking to a child - they had to be careful, really careful about what to say. Choose their words properly or hell would break loose. Above them, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon watched the scene, fear creeping into them as they watched Yuri and the darkness for the very first time. The area that surrounded them was dry, the grass was dead. The snowflakes melted around them even before they were close enough to reach Yuri and Jessica.

It was in this negotiation-like state that Hyomin felt the disturbance in her barrier. It ripped through her shield, almost forcefully, making its presence known without a hint of disguise whatsoever. A gate was opening - a relatively large gate, bearing the seal of the Sun-God.

Hyomin cursed.

The sky opened up. A straight white light shined down to the ground. The Imperial Guard was coming through.

Yuri shielded her eyes against the bright light. There was a loud hiss and the darkness was offended, hurt even, by the rude interruption. Hyomin and Jessica shared a glance, their eyes mirroring each other's fears. Slowly, slowly they watched Yuri straighten up. The air around them grew thick with an unknown, heavy force.

"Yu -"

But Yuri was already gone, flying away from them and towards the light.

Jessica was immediately on her cloud-pine following after her while Hyomin stood rooted to the ground. The older princess was uncharacteristically breathing heavily, eyes fixed on Jessica and Yuri above.

"Hyomin!" Sunny snapped at her. "Why aren't - "

Sunny then stopped and followed Hyomin's gaze. Sunny's heart dropped.

The stars were winking out, one by one, in the wake of Yuri's flight. The gateway opening shone even brighter as the night sky was being slowly swallowed by the darkness.

"We have to leave this world." Hyomin finally said, voice steady again, perhaps a little hint of sadness amidst the stoic tone.

High above the ground, Jessica finally neared Yuri. From below, they looked like two comets hurtling towards each other.

"Yuri stop!" Jessica reached out and without a second thought, jumped, latching herself onto Yuri. "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Yuri slowed down, perhaps distracted by the added weight or maybe because Jessica was clinging to her angrily, yelling even.

"Kwon Yuri you better stop it right now or I swear..."

And oddly it worked. Yuri wrapped her hands around Jessica's waist and collapsed, sending them both into freefall. Jessica couldn't fly, the best she could do was float and that was when her magic was at full. So falling from the sky at an insane speed was a little overwhelming and scary - even for a princess.

But Hyomin was there and so Jessica felt no fear at all as she held on to Yuri protectively. Jessica felt something tug at her hand and soon enough they were on ground, safe and intact.

"Maybe ascending is not so bad after all."

"You're welcome." Hyomin grimly said, eyeing the unconscious Yuri. "We have to leave now."

It took Jessica a few seconds to understand what her twin sister was saying. She almost didn't want to look up but she did anyway and she saw firsthand the lingering darkness that would soon swallow the entire land.

"How did that happen?" Sooyoung asked as she helped Jessica carry Yuri.

"I don't know." Hyomin answered. "But we need to get out of here."

"What about them?" Hyoyeon inclined her head to the light where the Imperial Guard would soon be coming through.

"This world will be gone even before their gate opens."

Just like that, Hyomin proceeded to open a gate and they all stood there watching the night sky as they waited. It was almost surreal. Hyoyeon tried to stop herself from crying but Sooyoung sniffed and soon they were all tearing up.

"It's ready." Hyomin quietly said.

"Look!" Sooyoung pointed at the moon. "It's already happening."

They all followed Sooyoung's finger and watched as the moon slowly disappeared into the darkness. Hyomin wasted no time and spread her arms; the ground beneath them glowed and the light swallowed them whole.

In Soshi, Taeyeon clutched her heart and learned for the seventh time that losing subsequent worlds was as painful as the first. Tiffany hugged the princess, eyes tearing up at her suffering.

"Taetae," she sadly said, "your light is dying."

--

Six hours later Kwon Yuri was awake and despite her pounding head, excused herself to the bathroom. The current world they were in had mirrors at least. Clear new mirrors. Yuri splashed a handful of cold water from the faucet onto her face.

"Yuri?" Jessica knocked. "Yuri are you alright?"

"Just a minute, Sica."

"Do you need help?"

"Just a minute, Sica." Yuri repeated, head pounding again.

Jessica didn't answer but Yuri was certain that the princess was outside the door, all fidgety with worry. Yuri unsashed her robe and stared at the black butterfly on her chest. She rubbed it furiously with her hand but it wouldn't come off.

"Yuri?"

Yuri quickly fastened the ends of her robe together again. She opened the door and was welcomed by a smiling albeit still worried Jessica.

"Is everything alright?"

Yuri leaned down to give the princess a quick peck on the lips.

"Yes."

Chapter 28 

Death

"What happens when we die?"

Sooyoung stopped her assault on the half-cooked noodles. She set the chopsticks down, wiped her mouth and stared back at Yuri for the longest time. The younger girl gave no indication that she was in a hurry to know the answer. Sooyoung breathed.

"When higher-beings and lower-beings die, our life-force..." Sooyoung stopped before deciding to forego explaining what a life-force was and continued. "They simply return to the stars - waiting to be reborn again. No one knows for sure when this happens. We are reborn in a different time, the past or the future, nobody can tell except the Sun-God himself."

"No, I meant, what happens to me?"

"You?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. We don't know what happens to the creations of the children of the Sun-God."

Yuri stayed silent, chin resting on the wooden table, waiting for the pot to boil.

"Why the sudden curiosity?"

Yuri shrugged. "I've always wondered if I will ever see my mother again."

"Why? Where is your mother?"

"She's gone."

"I'm sorry."

"She slept for three years." Yuri raised her hand to give Sooyoung the corresponding number of fingers. "Slept for too long and never woke up." She brought down the hand and continued to stare at the pot across the table.

Three years for Sooyoung was nothing - a mere blink of an eye, a time spent flying across Soshi with Hyoyeon. But to Yuri it seemed it was worth more than that. In that moment, had the Sun-God came down from the heavens and asked Sooyoung to sacrifice a hundred years of her life for Yuri, she would have given it in a heartbeat.

"Maybe that is your gift," Sooyoung finally said, "that is your gift from the Sun-God. He alone knows your fate after death and he is benevolent upon all of his children."

"How old are you, Sooyoung?"

"Three-hundred and twenty."

"You're old." Yuri finally smiled a bit. She stood up to check on the noodles - sniffing and stirring the sauce.

"Yeah I'm old." Sooyoung agreed, handing a large bowl to Yuri's waiting hands. "Now let's finish this before your princess does something drastic again."

Yuri let out a small chuckle - much to Sooyoung's relief. The air had been bad and she wanted nothing but to cheer up the younger girl.

"Yuri," Sooyoung stopped the girl, "how old are you?"

Yuri smiled at her, one foot already out the door.

"I turn twenty-two today."

--

Outside, Hyomin, Jessica and Shinyoung were talking.

"So she sends us the Imperial Guard?" Jessica's eyebrows were raised, indicating that something wasn't of her approval - yet.

"Yes. Quite ostentatious don't you think?" Shinyoung agreed. She was sitting on a rock, cross-legged and draped in layers of clothing. The early morning wind was obviously taking its toll on her because she was gripping a steaming cup of hot tea with both of her hands. Or maybe it was because she was in the presence of not one, but two Ice Princesses.

Shinyoung shivered.

"Are you cold, auntie? Do you want me to adjust the temperature for you?" Hyomin offered.

"No, no it's alright." Shinyoung waved a free hand. "Let's go back to your story."

"As we were saying, your..." Jessica paused as if trying to find the right word, "grand entrance provoked the darkness again. That world could have been saved had you and the Imperial Guard came a little later."

"Forgive me. I should have informed you earlier of our arrival."

"So what happens now?" Jessica eyed the Head of the Imperial guard in the distance; she could hear him give orders to the soldiers.

"Just as Taeyeon ordered. We protect Yuri."

"Until the world ends?"

"Have a little faith in your sister," Shinyoung sipped, "the both of you."

"What about the elders?"

"What about them?"

"Where are they now?" Jessica asked impatiently.

"We do not know and that is why we are here."

The door to the inn opened and out came a sweaty Yuri. The girl waved at the princesses.

"Sica! Hyomin! Shinyoung-unnie! Breakfast is ready!"

Jessica didn't even bother to excuse herself as she turned around immediately at the younger girl's call. Hyomin and Shinyoung watched as the younger princess reached up for a quick kiss - in front of everyone, Imperial Guards included, before going in.

"So the question is," Shinyoung grinned at Hyomin, "how are you coping with her hormones?"

Hyomin ignored the jest. She had been waiting to talk to her aunt alone and the time was right.

"Auntie, she's changing already."

Shinyoung pursed her lips. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I can feel it even now as we speak."

"Then it's a good thing we're here then." Shinyoung looked up at the sky. "The elders will soon break into our shield and penetrate our cover."

"It's ironic that they would kill their own kind."

"It's ironic that we're protecting their kind."

--

Ironically, life in Soshi continued like the world wasn't going to end. Seohyun and Yoona found themselves in a bit of a strange situation - knowing the world was about to end but still worrying over their university exams. Taeyeon had prohibited releasing the knowledge to the public. Even the majority of the extended imperial family wasn't aware of it yet. Taeyeon had restricted everything concerning the prophecy to those personally involved.

"What does uncle say about all of this?" Seohyun asked. They were currently sitting on a bench, near the university library.

"That Taeyeon-unnie has ordered for new translations of the Prophecy." Yoona looked pensive, staring out towards the incoming sunset. "Father's been keeping check of all the pillars of his cluster ever since."

"I feel strange." Seohyun said. "Another day is about to end and we're nowhere near ending this."

"If we ever find a way to stop it you mean."

"Do you really think..." Seohyun seemed afraid to continue but she did anyway, "...that the world will end?"

Yoona felt the sinking feeling again - like something was piercing her lungs. Thinking about the end of the world was hardly an enjoyable activity, even more so talking about it.

"This morning, my flying teacher," Yoona suppressed a sarcastic laugh, "told us that the exams are in two months time."

Seohyun didn't react and silence descended upon them. The sun was about to set and for the first time in a while, the two princesses had the liberty to marvel at its beauty. They continued like that until one of Seohyun's personal guards announced the presence of Taeyeon's messenger.

"Your Highnesses, the Crown Princess demands your presence in the throne room immediately."

Of course Taeyeon would demand and of course they would yield. However, the messenger did not miss the obvious transformation in the princesses' faces and wondered what was so exciting about being abruptly called upon.

--

"Your Highness, Princess Seohyun and Princess Yoona approach."

Taeyeon looked up from the table and nodded to the guard. "Send them in."

"Minister," she turned to the left, "we are done for the day."

That was enough for the minister to know that another private meeting was to happen. He bowed respectfully and left the darkening hall.

"Are you sure about this?" Siwon asked. He was examining the translations, a frown settling on his face and Taeyeon wondered if it was permanent.

"More than you will ever be." They exchanged glances, almost like children glaring at each other. Without Shinyoung, there was no mediator and they could have an all-out battle if they wanted to - at least Taeyeon did - and if they all survived the impending doom, she was definitely going to teach Siwon a thing or two in the training field.

The door closed and the sound echoed within the almost empty room. Taeyeon squinted - it was already evening; the sun had finally set in Soshi.

"Illuminate." The hall brightened again, giving Taeyeon a clearer view of the newcomers.

"Unnie, you sent for us?"

"Yes. Sit down."

Taeyeon took Tiffany's scroll away from Siwon and handed it to Seohyun. The princess read it with Yoona to her right leaning over to read it as well. At length, they looked up, no longer smiling.

"Unnie is this real?"

"We can only hope so." Taeyeon paused, as if having doubts on her next words. "Seohyun how are you with your classes?"

"Classes?" Seohyun asked in disbelief. Surely, her sister's concern at the moment had to be beyond her schooling. "It's good. Why?"

Taeyeon looked down as if she was praying. Her eyebrows met as if she was fighting an internal battle at the moment.

"Unnie..."

"I am sending you to Earth."

"Earth?"

"Yes. You two will aid Siwon in securing Earth."

"When?"

"Right now. Gather your things and you will leave immediately."

Yoona and Seohyun looked as if they were asked to breathe underwater - which in most cases they could find a way to.

Siwon coughed. "We need to leave now."

That brought them back to reality. Yoona and Seohyun looked at each other and then to Taeyeon.

"Now..." Yoona mumbled; the first word she uttered since coming to the room.

"Yes. Now." Siwon said more forcefully this time around. He stood up himself to prove his point. "We need to go now or would you prefer to not bring anything?"

"Siwon..." Taeyeon warned.

"Forgive me cousin but we have waited too long and the elders may have gotten there before us already."

"A-alright." Seohyun finally managed, hands automatically linking with Yoona's.

"You will meet Siwon in the courtyard in an hour's time."

Siwon huffed and walked towards the door, his heavy footsteps echoing within the hollow hall.

"Yoona go and prepare. Seohyun stay. I need to talk to you about something else."

Yoona bowed, obviously still dazed from the chain of events, and left. When they were finally alone, Taeyeon stood up and handed Seohyun a small circular object, similar to a gold coin. It was glowing, like it was a container of the purest light in the universe. Seohyun knew exactly what it was - she had seen it in use several times before.

"Unnie..."

"Seohyun if things should go wrong." Taeyeon said. "If things should go wrong... do not hesitate."

"But -"

"Do not hesitate. Ascend."

And those were Taeyeon's last words to her before she left for Earth.

--

Personally, Lena loved Earth and even more so the creations that inhabited it. Human beings weren't crippled by their lack of magic. In fact, they were actually motivated to move forward without it. Earth had come a long way from stone tools and flint stones. Lena had seen things man made that she would have never believed to exist in the realm of magic. They could fly even without cloud-pines, heal even without chants and sing - without the consequences.

But most of all, they were grateful, always praying to their gods - however misinformed they'd become through the decades, millennia of their existence. No other creation held life more sacred than the creations of Earth. Even when the Soshi empire abandoned and left them in an undesirable place near the edge of the universe without guidance and wiped out their memories, they still managed to raise their arms to the sky and pray.

That, Lena believed, was beautiful.

Their faith was a beautiful thing and she wanted it.

--

Yuri's eyelids were heavy but she knew that her sleep was over. She had that feeling when a pleasant dreamless sleep is disrupted - usually by an alarm clock or in this case a loud movement; awfully loud without the pretense of being subtle at all. Someone was pulling, yanking her arms and they weren't being gentle at all too. Yuri tried to open her eyes but found it hard to do so.

"Do you need to put her in such a deep sleep?" Someone said in a very familiar voice.

"Better safe than sorry."

"This is not even her original body!" They whined. She definitely knew that voice. Yuri's eyebrows met. Original body? Something was definitely wrong. She felt herself being tied to a chair, her head falling forward as the ropes were secured on her body.

"There."

At the sound, Yuri's eyes jolted open. As if the word itself was the command. The room was dark, save for the light coming from a single torch at the end of the wall. Yuri squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark.

"Hello Yuri." It was Hara - all smiling and friendly Princess Hara. The girl pouted at Yuri's lack of response. "You aren't happy to see me?"

Yuri looked away. She wasn't sure what to feel at the moment. There was another person in the room, the one leaning to the wall, and so she focused her attention on them. As if reading her intention, the person walked into the light.

"You..."

"Happy birthday, Kwon Yuri."

Lena took out a dagger and drove it to Yuri's chest.  

The Soothsayer

There is an old saying in Soshi that goes: The only true freedom we have lies in the future. There would be no point in existence if everyone knew what, who, when, where and how they would eventually end up; even in Soshi, beings thrived to live - as free as they could. Even the Emperor was void of the vision of the future - a gift thought to be from the Sun-God himself.

But as with most societies, Soshi was not void of the more reckless, untraditional young beings. It was almost natural to have new generations striving for what was not available, for what was new and radical. And so as the universe grew older, this saying became more of a tradition for the old and a compulsory guideline for the young.

Suddenly, Soshi-beings were interested in the future, including one of its princesses.

--

Jessica walked out of her veranda with her cloud-pine at hand. Taking one last glance behind her, she jumped, slightly giggling to herself and flew into the night sky. The Imperial Palace was already asleep and so getting caught was far from her concerns. Jessica flew past the domineering marble houses of the inner enclosures and into the clusters of the slightly more modest houses of the outer enclosures.

As it was the territory of the lesser-beings, it was relatively more crowded even at night time. Soft warm light illuminated its streets as song and laughter drifted out of the open establishments. To Jessica, the lesser-beings generally had more fun - not bound by their own pride and honor all the time.

The outer enclosure was also home to two of her closest friends. Jessica landed on Sooyoung's terrace; her room was lit with an enticing aroma pouring out of it.

"Isn't that a bit heavy for a midnight snack?"

The girl in question smiled sheepishly at the newcomer. "I figured we could use some sort of snack on the way."

"Roasted bird with olives." Hyoyeon sat up from the bed. "Hardly what you would call a snack."

"We have to get going." Jessica looked out, a small smile forming involuntarily on her lips. "Donghae will be here soon."

"You know you don't have to drag us with you." Hyoyeon said. "You two can go ahead. We won't mind."

"No it's alright." Jessica assured them. "We planned this together."

There was a thud and Jessica turned around excitedly.

"Good evening ladies." Donghae beamed before catching Jessica who threw her arms around him.

"Alright. Cease this display of affection at once." Sooyoung burped before reaching out for the wine goblet nearby, said object almost slipping from all the oil on her hands.

"Sooyoung," Jessica looked at her with distaste. "You are truly a disgusting creature."

"I know."

--

They traveled far to a world called Silkland - where The Soothsayer was said to live. Everything they knew about this elusive being came from classmates who had their friend's brother's sister's cousins personally getting their future read a long time ago. As with most foolish young beings, the four of them soon realized that they had no idea where this Soothsayer could be in a world that was relatively new to them.

"Wow." Sooyoung said as she munched on an apple midair. "This is embarrassing."

"Let's all separate and meet here in an hour." Hyoyeon suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Donghae agreed. "We can ask around. What do you think Jessica?"

Jessica pouted. She had other plans like flying together with Donghae but she remembered that she was the one who was so eager to get her future read.

"Alright." She shrugged. "We might as well do what we set out to."

They separated, each of them heading out in different directions. Jessica looked back at Donghae's retreating figure and smiled involuntarily to herself, her heart racing a bit.

I know my future. I just need someone to confirm it.

Jessica then came to a golden field, dazzling kernels glaring in the sun. Looking down, she spotted the first being since they entered Silkland. That being, an old man, was too busy working in his field to notice her landing.

"You there," Jessica said imperiously, "what is this place?"

The old farmer looked at her indifferently - like she was one of the neighborhood bullies. He gave her no more than three seconds of his attention before he went back to his harvest.

"I'm talking to you and it's in your best interests to answer me."

"In Silkland, where the silks are real and the grains are fake." He answered, almost in a sing-song sarcastic tone. Jessica chose to ignore this hint of rudeness.

"Then do you know where I can find The Soothsayer?"

"No Soothsayers here, young lady. Just old people trying to survive."

Jessica looked up and down at the man. "Why are you so morose?"

"Why are you so foolish?"

"Foolish?"

The man stopped his activity and wiped the sweat on his forehead. He retrieved a canister from the nearby cartwheel and took a swig of water before saying, "Because you're here looking for something that doesn't exist."

"It does exist." Jessica was no longer sure she wanted to be recognized. The old man proved to be wise and not disrespectful. At the back of her mind, she believed that he knew precisely where The Soothsayer was and that he was simply testing her.

"Well then what do you need me for?" He resumed his work, tired arms obviously slowing down but nevertheless he continued to cut the stalks diligently.

Jessica closed her eyes, chanted silently and with a wave of her hand all the barley stalks dropped to the ground. She then made small circular motions with her index finger and the old man watched as the stalks were arranged in order - stacked together in spheres.

"Now tell me where I can find The Soothsayer."

"Why so eager to know the future?

"That is none of your concern."

The old man finally nodded albeit his expression remained stoic and unwelcoming. "There is a swamp over that mountain, she lives at the heart of it."

Jessica smiled triumphantly, pleased with herself. She quickly set her cloud-pine horizontal, ready to mount it when the man's voice stopped her.

"Be wary of what you seek, Your Highness."

Jessica flipped her hair in defiance and went on her way. The swamp from above looked just as uninviting as it did on ground. The Soothsayer's house stood in the middle of it - surprisingly built with intricate wood carvings and imported marble, making it look like a mixture of various cultures. The finished product was a tacky, out of place building. Outside, a sign read "The Soothsayer is IN" written in chalk with a silver hanging beside it. Jessica rang the bell and almost jumped back in surprise as a loud voice echoed from within the house.

"Come in come in!"

The door opened dramatically, creaking as it did. Jessica stepped into the house and was surprised at all the trinkets that seemed to crowd the room. At the middle of the room, an old woman sat, reclined on a couch.

"Come in child!" She sat up.

The Soothsayer was surprisingly eager to welcome unsolicited costumers. Though old in appearance, she had on one of the finest silk gowns Jessica had seen that made her look like she was about to go to a ball.

"Are you The Soothsayer?" Jessica asked doubtfully. She was partly expecting a more aged and composed oracle - the tea-sipping, wrinkled kind of oracle.

"No one else!" The Soothsayer answered as she raised her right hand in a way that looked painful due to the heavy bracelets she wore. "Sit down! Sit down!"

The Soothsayer motioned at the rug that was before the couch.

" I can't -" Jessica bit her lip to stop herself from continuing.

"You can't what dear?"

I can't sit with your head above mine.

Jessica chose to forego this protocol and sat on one of the plush cushions on the floor. The room smelled of incense - the kind of incense used in parties and not on Tribute Days.

"I want to know my future."

"Of course you do. That's why you come to me!"

Jessica winced at the loudness of her voice.

"Yes."

"Alright!" The Soothsayer then rubbed her hands together and brought her palms in front of Jessica. "Let me see your hands."

Jessica reached out hesitantly - few people were allowed to physically touch her, but she followed nonetheless. The Soothsayer grabbed it hungrily, rubbing her thumbs on Jessica's palms, tracing its lines while her tongue was slightly poking out of her mouth. Jessica stared at The Soothsayer's face and did not miss the temporary darkness it conveyed before returning to its airy countenance.

"You will end up with the one you love!"

"You need to be more specific."

"You will have many children with him and the road is not quite smooth but you will sail through it together."

"Are you sure?" Jessica stared deep into The Soothsayer's eyes, somehow telling her silently that she did not like being treated like a fool. The old woman flinched and looked away.

"Ye-yes!" She stood up in haste, gold necklaces and jewel stones clanking together as she moved. "Now really, I have to be somewhere else today and since I'm in a good mood I won't charge you for that!"

Jessica rose from her seat. "Tell me."

"There is nothing else to say, young lady!"

"Tell me." Jessica repeated. "I did not come here to be treated like a fool."

The Soothsayer sighed, her giddy mask suddenly fading away. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

Jessica wasn't even surprised that she was recognized. "What did you see?"

"I saw death," the Soothsayer said almost in a sorry tone. "I saw your death."

Jessica gave out a small short laugh. Maybe this woman was as crazy as she looked after all.

"I am above death," she proclaimed. "You know that."

The Soothsayer's face was blank for a while. She was looking but not looking at Jessica. At length, she grinned and shrugged dramatically. "My vision could be wrong. I have had people throw stones at me for being mistaken. Why do you think I moved here in the first place?"

"What about Donghae?"

"He is not in your future."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He is not in it," the Soothsayer repeated. "No one from Soshi is in your future."

Jessica looked at her in disbelief. "You're a hoax, aren't you?"

"That is what most people say."

"You are." Jessica was more disappointed than angry and without a second glance left The Soothsayer's house.

When they regrouped, Jessica didn't tell them about meeting The Soothsayer.

"What did you find?" Donghae asked when they were back in Soshi.

Jessica shook her head dismissively.

"Just a crazy old crone."

Chapter 29 

The Forgotten Land

Jessica was never a light sleeper. If anyone should ask, she slept like a goblin after feeding - which basically meant it's dead to the world for several hours. But when the warmth she had been accustomed to for the past weeks was suddenly gone replaced by an unfamiliar coldness, no sleep was deep enough for it to go unnoticed to the princess. As soon as Jessica opened her eyes, she knew something was wrong.

"Illuminate!"

Light flooded the shared room, waking three other occupants in the process.

"What's going on?" Hyoyeon asked sleepily, her eyes still half-closed from the glaring light. She elbowed Sooyoung who gave out a small groan obviously still suspended in between sleep and waking.

"It's Yuri." Sunny answered knowingly, too used to being aware of everything that happens to the girl.

Jessica peeled off the heavy blanket they shared and found Yuri flat on her back, toes curling and nails digging mercilessly into the mattress. Her eyes were closed in a way like she was trying to open them but couldn't. The restricted movements from the younger girl were enough indication that she was pinned down by an invisible force. There was no sound coming from the girl, not even a small whimper of discomfort.

Jessica's mind reeled into a panic as she watched Yuri take short breaths instead, like something was crushing her lungs. Stretching her hands above Yuri's body, Jessica closed her eyes - taking in what little clarity the moment gave her and invoked a chant.

By the light of the Sun-God,  

reveal the shadows that bind you!

There was a flash and moving symbols in circular motions moved underneath Yuri. The faded crumpled sheets turned slightly yellow as the ancient symbols traveled through its contours - scanning the girl for what their mistress had commanded them to do. The symbols gathered on Yuri's chest and seeped through the sweat-drenched cloth and disappeared. The yellow light winked out, leaving the room as it was before. There was silence - an eerie humming that penetrated the room.

"Reveal." Jessica impatiently said.

The glowing symbols appeared again, they floated up and out of Yuri's chest, their circling wake revealed a golden dagger that was half-embedded into the girl's heart.

"Gods in heaven." Hyoyeon's voice trailed off, eyes widening at the sight.

Shinyoung and Hyomin appeared just as Jessica was about to touch the knife.

"Stop!" Shinyoung immediately slapped Jessica's hand away from the dagger. "Do not touch it, it will only hasten the process."

"It's her." Hyomin rasped, she had a hand to her chest. Sunny took hold of her mistress' arms and gently guided her down to the empty bed.

"Thank you." She mumbled. Sunny silently nodded, obviously worried about her as well.

Jessica was used to seeing her twin sister being calm and composed. But now, as Hyomin's back hunched, suffering the same pain as Yuri did, Jessica suddenly felt vulnerable. She was so used to someone else's shields, someone else's gate opening and someone else's chants that she realized for the first time in their journey that she needed to start doing things on her own.

"Her?" Sooyoung's inquiry brought Jessica back to the current situation. She winced in pain as Yuri's grip on her hand tightened even more.

"Lena is taking her." Shinyoung cautiously opened Yuri's robe, revealing the point where the dagger was buried in her skin. "Look."

They leaned forward, hovering above Yuri and saw that the skin around the knife had turned pure black. There was no blood, no butterflies this time, only a patch of black that was slowly growing unevenly, leaking away from the silver edge.

Shinyoung looked back at Hyomin as if she was about to ask her niece something. She stopped before she could say anything, realizing for the first time that Hyomin was indisposed. She sighed inwardly at her niece's expectant albeit pale face.

"We need to take her to Meride." She turned to Jessica instead.

"The Forgotten Land? You will send her to the edge of the universe?"

"That dagger was made in Meride." Shinyoung answered evenly. "And right now we've run out of options."

Jessica looked at her aunt; something about the way Shinyoung had said her last sentence made her think that she was given an option. Like she was unconsciously asked to make a decision for the first time. And again it scared her that Shinyoung sounded a little unsure even of herself.

"All right." Jessica finally agreed. She trusted her aunt's judgment at least, better than her own. Shinyoung gave a small nod.

"Hyomin outside. Now."

Shinyoung took hold of Yuri and Jessica's hands and they disappeared. Hyomin stretched out her arms to Sooyoung and Hyoyeon.

"Come." Hyomin said. "Sunny you fly."

Sunny didn't need any more instructions as she followed them in haste, jumping out the window before mounting her cloud-pine midair. Before she left the inn, something inside her knew that it would be the last time she would ever sleep that deep again. The ominous feeling multiplied as she reached down to touch the warm bed Yuri had just left.

Hell is breaking loose and nothing will ever be the same again.

--

They appeared in an open field not too far from the inn. The grass was moist with the evening dew as they laid Yuri carefully down upon it. Shinyoung looked down at the girl and felt her own spirit dampen at her pained face. She was silently crying now, her voice long claimed by Lena's magic. Jessica wiped Yuri's tears with the edge of her robe. The darkness was creeping faster; Yuri's neck was already covered in black.

Shinyoung stood up, resolved and sorry at the same time.

"Imperial Guard!"

There was a scrambling; rather a watery sound and the Imperial Guard stood before them, in line and attention, ready to do Shinyoung's bidding.

"Secure the area now."

The Head of the Imperial Guard bowed and raised his right hand, palm open as his subordinates circled around them. The soldiers unsheathed their swords and held it before them, chest-level with the edge pointing down. The Head of the Imperial Guard looked around and finally closed his palm. At the signal, the soldiers released their swords but they never hit the ground. They were suspended in air before them and the Imperial seal on the hilt glowed golden.

The Head of the Imperial Guard looked at Shinyoung for confirmation before saying his final command:

"Release!"

The swords disappeared and turned into little specs of golden dust, they bumped and moved away from each other until the Head raised both of his hands and made a circling motion that controlled the golden flecks. With one final motion, the golden dusts regrouped and formed into a protective dome around them.

"It is complete."

Shinyoung nodded in gratitude and knelt down to check Yuri's chest. The black growth on her skin stopped but the rest remained, clinging to her skin.

"I'll open the gate." Shinyoung said to no one in particular.

Sooyoung, who was too afraid to look further, stepped back in a trance, and noticed that the evening sky was brighter than it should be. She looked up and felt her throat dry up.

"Your Highness..." Sooyoung wasn't even sure whose attention it was that she wanted to get. Jessica, who was bent over trying to steady Yuri with soothing words. Hyomin who was leaning on Hyoyeon for support or Shinyoung who had her eyes closed, gate opening in haste.

"...we need to hurry!"

"Obviously. Now stay quiet or I'll make you lose your voice for a week." Shinyoung grunted, re-chanting the gate-opening due to Sooyoung's interruption.

"No, I meant before they land." Sooyoung's voice was shaky and Shinyoung stopped her activity altogether.

"What?"

--

Sunny knew a thing or two about the darkness and the magic they use - she was trained to stop them. So when Shinyoung mentioned the Forgotten Land, she knew that something was not right. Sunny slowed down her flight to clear her thoughts.

Something is not right.

Not too far away, she could see the shield of the Imperial Guard - a golden beacon of sorts. Sunny then felt her senses heighten as if a great event was about to unfold. Sunny closed her eyes and focused. Her magic slightly blurred, like it was preparing for...

Sunny opened her eyes.

...a collision.

The evening sky opened up and nine balls of fire rained down the land.

--

Everyone looked up at the same time. The evening sky was suddenly rendered in dark-orange as the fiery balls continued their descent. Nine great flames - all going in their direction.

"Hold the shield!" Shinyoung who recovered quickly, turned to her companions. "It's the elders, Jessica you need to slow them down."

"But -"

"This is not the time to be arguing! You know what to do. Invert the world."

"I need another higher-being for that!" Jessica protested, as if Shinyoung had asked her for the impossible.

"Sunny is within flying distance." Hyomin offered. "Go to her. She already knows what to do."

"I need to bring Yuri to Meride before they reach us." Shinyoung was obviously in haste - a far contrast from the tea-sipping princess that she was. She then turned to Hyoyeon and Sooyoung. "And you two stay within the shield."

There was a slight protest from Sooyoung but Hyoyeon stopped the taller girl from going further. Giving them both warning glances, Shinyoung then restarted her gate opening.

"Jessica go now!"

The princess was jolted out of her initial shock and her face darkened with resolved. Kneeling beside Yuri and giving the girl a quick kiss on the lips, Jessica took her cloud-pine and left the barrier. Looking to the direction where Hyomin had pointed earlier, she saw Sunny accelerating towards her.

Jessica flew towards Sunny, her body already glowing a brilliant white-blue. On her part, Sunny knew exactly what she was supposed to do. As soon as Jessica neared her, she herself released her light. Every vein in her body flowed with light instead of blood and Sunny felt in her a renewed energy to fight.

"Sunny we need to slow them down." Jessica said, her voice in her mind was surprisingly clear despite the rate of motions things were happening at.

Sunny nodded and slightly moved to the side so that when they finally neared each other, it wouldn't be a messy collision. Sunny let go of her right hand and stretched it out for Jessica, the princess did the same and as soon as their hands met, Sunny felt the princess drain her magic away from her - every ounce of her light gone and momentarily possessed by Jessica.

"I'm sorry." Jessica whispered before letting go of her hand and jumping off her own cloud-pine. With her own magic temporarily doubled, Jessica then flew away from Sunny and higher into the burning sky. Sunny felt drained and so she descended, her cloud-pine swirling unsteadily as her grip loosened. Just then she felt two pair of arms hold her still and she turned to see Hyoyeon and Sooyoung assisting her descent.

"We got you." Sooyoung assured her with a smile.

"So much for staying within the shield." Hyoyeon smirked.

Sunny was laid down the grass within the protective barrier, Hyomin instinctively at her side. To her left, she could see Yuri still asleep with the light of the gate-opening illuminating her profile.

"What is she doing?" Sunny turned to the sky at Hyoyeon's voice.

Above she could see Jessica raise her arms to the sky. Fatigue from her drained magic was finally wearing her out but Sunny fought the drowsiness away, she was not going to miss seeing what the princess was about to do.

There was one final flicker of light in the atmosphere, like a surge of current and then it was gone. The nine elders continued their fiery descent almost nearing the Ice Princess.

"It's going for her!" Sooyoung panicked.

"No." Hyomin said. "Watch."

Jessica finally opened her eyes. Her hands - which were kept together like she was praying - were trembling as if an unstoppable force was trying to break free from her grip.

Into that world inverted 

where the heavens are shallow 

as the sea is now deep

At the last word, Jessica parted her hands and the sky disappeared.

--

"What..." Sooyoung's mouth hung wide open.

"... is that?" Hyoyeon finished.

A small smile formed in Sunny's lips as she finally succumbed to fatigue and closed her eyes. "The sea."

The entire ocean, almost in a capricious move, covered the entire world's sky in water. Through the deep dark water, the fire died and disappeared - leaving only Jessica glowing in the sky, serving like a replacement for the moon somehow. The water moved like it normally did, waves crashing with each other from time to time. The sound of the sea echoed within the world.

There was another sound - the gate opening was complete.

"You go ahead auntie." Hyomin said. "I'll stay with Sunny and Jessica."

Shinyoung nodded approvingly. "Come Hyoyeon and Sooyoung. Let's go."

One final burst of light and they were all gone, leaving Hyomin and Sunny on the ground. The golden shield retracted and the guards have their swords again.

When Jessica landed, Hyomin had an idea on what her sister would look like should she ascend. But she knew that the temporary power she had was about to fade and Jessica would suffer the same thing as Sunny did.

"Well done."

Jessica smiled a small smile. Even as she walked towards them, she was already struggling a bit.

"Perhaps you should return the sea now?"

If there was an attempt with humor, Jessica failed to detect it. With one final wave of her hand the water fell down with a scary rumbling sound. It moved with a path, back to the streams and rivers and into the ocean. The evening sky returned to the land.

"Seal the world." Hyomin directed the Head of the Imperial Guard, who gave her a bow before his entire troop disappeared including him.

"We should follow them." Jessica said quietly, eyes already half-closed as she stumbled forward. Hyomin caught her and within two seconds, they were all back in the inn.

"Yes." Hyomin said as she herself laid down beside Sunny. " But it's best if we wait."

--

It was the first time, for Hyoyeon and Sooyoung to be physically in the realm of the Forgotten Land. Everything they knew about Meride, as it was alternatively called, came from boring lectures spent mostly with the teachers projecting visual images of it in class. Never in their wildest dreams would they have guessed that they would be one of the few Soshi beings to ever step into its forsaken ground.

"Step away from the water." Shinyoung quietly said. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon took a step backward and gazed at the murky water - unable to penetrate through it because the only source of light was the moon and dark clouds gathered around it, dimming everything in the silent land.

"Something's here." Hyoyeon's voice, albeit loud and certain, hinted fear. She had been standing on moist ground, water hissing as she stepped further back to higher ground.

"Yes." Shinyoung calmly said. "Now stay quiet and look out for possible danger."

The two lesser-beings didn't need anymore prodding as they automatically faced back to back, their eyes scanning the entire wetland for any form of life, knowing too well that their time to be fooling around was over.

In this forgotten land 

Let the darkness flow  

From within and out 

of you, here in Meride 

in this forgotten land 

let your sleep be  

void and your light 

be kept, by the same 

stars that brought  

you life

Shinyoung's soothing voice, commanding and graceful all at once, was too rare a sight for Sooyoung and Hyoyeon to not watch. They turned, almost at the same time, to see the dagger shining brighter than before.

Come spirit of the  

Forgotten Land 

claim the darkness  

let not others best  

your rightful claim 

let not others 

claim the darkness  

for themselves!

At the end of Shinyoung's chant, the Forgotten Land was awake- it breathed through the mist that came out of nowhere. There were whispers in the air, ancient tongues that sounded angry but at the same time indifferent. The mist gathered around them, a strong wind that had Sooyoung and Hyoyeon shielding their eyes.

The mist gathered and took the form of a man cloaked in a dark robe. "Who dares enter my realm?"

"It is not yours to being with." Shinyoung stood straight, face showing no hint of fear whatsoever. There was an ear-piercing screech from the hooded apparition. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon screamed as well, covering their ears while it lasted.

"You are so far away from your home, Your Highness."

"That is none of your concern. Take the dagger from my friend and we shall leave you in peace."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you created it."

"But you stole it."

"Not me." Shinyoung looked like she was growing impatient.

"I do not work for free, you know that."

"Indeed."

"Then what would you offer me in return, daughter of the Sun-God?"

"Remove the dagger and you shall reign in this land for eternity."

"You speak like you're wearing the Sun-crown itself."

"I have no time for your riddles. Do as I say."

The hooded figure, as rotten as his soul was, looked to them as if he had a heart. At length, he made small circular motions with his right hand and bowed.

"Very well."

He reached out a ghostly hand - filled with crawling maggots and open wounds, and gripped the dagger. With a smile on his face, he gave it a small twist and Yuri finally screamed.

"What are you doing?!" Sooyoung reacted instantaneously. Yuri's face contorted in pain and she squirmed as much as her body allowed her to. "You're hurting her!"

"Hush!" Shinyoung glared at her. The hooded figure twisted the dagger some more and looked like he was pulling something that was thoroughly embedded on a hard surface. He struggled for a bit, his other hand reaching out to assist the pull. With one final movement, the dagger came off and Yuri gave out a deep breath. The darkness on her chest retreated, left with a tiny single butterfly.

"Your work here is done." Shinyoung wasn't going to give him the chance to know things that he wasn't supposed to know.

The hooded figure didn't seem to hear that as he examined his own craft. The ancient symbols glowed with magic as its original owner held it again. It illuminated his curious face, revealing it as devoid of flesh save for a few that was stuck to his cheeks and forehead. Then a ghostly smile appeared on his rotten face at the knowledge.

"This girl is not a Soshi-being."

Shinyoung tensed at the observation. He smiled even further revealing his teeth with crawling maggots.

"This is a vessel."

"Leave now."

The hooded man laughed. "Your empire is crumbling. Even after creating the vessels of light, my wife still left you a very, very bad legacy indeed."

Shinyoung pushed him with a wave of her hand. He floated backwards; slowly making ripples on the black water surface, still laughing.

"I take my leave now, Your Highness. But do not hold me accountable for what enters this world. Because as you said, it is not yet mine to rule."

With that the mist lifted and the same eerie silence covered the land.

"Was that who I think he was?"

Shinyoung nodded. "Yes and no. He used to be the Prince Daehyun but now he's nothing but an empty soul rotting in his banishment."

"Is it gone now?" Hyoyeon knelt down, brushing away a few moist grasses from Yuri's hair.

"Yes but we need to get out of here."

There was a deep rumble - a loud grinding sound. The water in the pools moved in circular motion, reacting to something huge stirring in the land.

"What now?" Hyoyeon sounded like she knew the worst has yet to come.

Another round of gate-opening and Shinyoung didn't bother to get distracted.

"Yuri wake up!" Hyoyeon gently slapped the girl. "Wake up!"

But Yuri didn't even budge.

"Your Highness..." Sooyoung backed a little bit more. "... it's coming closer."

Shinyoung's jaw flexed, irritated at the interruption, and continued chanting.

"Sooyoung just shut up!" Hyoyeon slapped the taller girl's arm to gain her attention.

"But it's nearing!"

Hyoyeon then stood up and looked far, where Sooyoung was pointing at. The Forgotten Land was dark, bathed only with its moon all year round. There was little life here much more light. Through the darkness, something moved, and Hyoyeon finally saw what brought Sooyoung into a panic.

There probably a mile away, a ball of fire was hurling towards them - similar to what Jessica had stopped earlier.

"Why is it coming from that direction?"

"I don't know!"

"We're not going to make it!"

Behind them, Shinyoung was about to utter the last words to a gate opening. The symbols glowed, slowly like it always has, beneath them.

"Come on, come on!"

The ball of fire was getting nearer - barely yards away from them. Sooyoung could feel its heat on her face. Shinyoung breathed out, letting the gate-opening go. The symbols moved back and were gone in an instant. She faced the incoming attack and raised her arms.

"Shield!"

Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's faces were saved by a mere three inches of white light. They slowly opened their eyes and breathed out in relief. Through the thin, protective shield they finally saw what the ball of fire was made of. It wasn't a rock or something unshapely, it had a body and a face - a smiling face.

"Hara?"

The face smiled even more brightly as she heard her own name being called out. Hyoyeon moved beside Sooyoung, mouth open in disbelief as they stared at the princess currently enveloped by fire.

"Hello unnies!"

Behind Hara, one more ball of fire appeared, calm despite the raging flame that enveloped her.

"You can't keep this shield forever, Your Highness."

"Lena." Shinyoung calmly said.

"Always the straightforward one." Lena smiled almost in admiration. "It's a shame I had to send you Hyomin instead. Her sister proved to be the more annoying one. Giving me names and such."

Shinyoung then closed her eyes and looked like she was about to sleep.

"Calling out for help now, are we?" Lena was curious. "And here I thought you'd want a fair fight."

Shinyoung ignored this and didn't flinch. When she opened them again, she turned to Hyoyeon and Sooyoung.

"You two..." Shinyoung whispered. "...Stay within the shield. Should it fail, do not let Hara near Yuri at all costs."

The two nodded nervously in understanding and Shinyoung's face softened. She smiled and reached out to rest her palms on their faces.

"It's alright." She encouraged. "We're going to be alright."

And with that, Shinyoung flew out of the barrier, up above the sky and Lena and Hara followed suit.

"Sooyoung." Hyoyeon said with her eyes fixed at the ongoing fight above.

"Yes?"

"I don't think we'll make it through the night."

Chapter 30  

Yellow Flowers

Yoona had always wanted to visit Earth but under different circumstances - one that didn't require being dragged to appear midair every thirty seconds to scan the exasperatingly large world. She could barely register the colors of Earth much less smell it with the rate they were going at.

"Seohyun." A flash. "What are - " Another flash. "we doing?"

And then as if Siwon finally took pity on them, Yoona's feet finally found something solid to stand on. Releasing her hands from Seohyun's and steadying herself on the unfamiliar concrete, she looked down to the busy world. There were lights everywhere - some of them even moving and yet the darkness was still inherent. Earth was a noisy, fast-paced world - a far cry from Soshi where everything moved slowly with graceful purpose and precision.

Even Siwon paused and joined them in their observation, gazing down below the busy avenue.

"Seohyun, this world is too large." Siwon straightened up. "You take North and I'll take South."

Seohyun nodded, barely attentive as her eyes were still locked down in amazement. Humans, it seemed, busied themselves even late into the night.

"Wait for my signal and then we'll secure it together."

"Alright."

Siwon spared one last glance at his two cousins before floating up and disappearing into the night sky. Had they looked up to him, they would have seen the hint of worry in usually stoic face.

Behind Yoona and Seohyun, the giant billboard said: 2012 - The end of the world.

--

Five minutes into the battle, the sky was already an explosion of bright orange and blue-white light. Shinyoung, Lena and Hara were barely visible amidst the chaos they created in Meride's sky. Bright clouds and rude lightning suddenly raked the dark and silent world.

"Who do you think will win?" Sooyoung mumbled out loud, massaging her neck that hurt from gazing up too long.

"This is not a game." Hyoyeon's answer was biting - like Sooyoung wanted for them to bet on it. The latter chose to ignore that edginess and continued with her observations.

"Her Highness is struggling."

The sky looked more bathed in flame than in light - and if they could smell it, it probably smelled of the world burning. The shield too was weakening - the thinning golden light was a clear indication that Shinyoung's magic was failing.

"Yuri," Hyoyeon knelt down and gave the girl a hesitant slap, "wake up!"

Yuri did not even stir.

The girl looked so deep in her slumber that she did not even flinch even when an extremely loud explosion engulfed the entire world with one surge of light. Hyoyeon automatically ducked, shielding Yuri against the unknown force. Sooyoung dropped to the ground beside them, two hands covering her ears.

When the light disappeared, the world was plunged in total darkness save for three illuminated beings above.

"Sooyoung," Hyoyeon stood up, eerily calm and composed. "Get ready."

Something lit up and Sooyoung squinted from the sudden harsh glow and saw a familiar bow made of light appear in her friend's hand. That was the first time in a while she had seen Hyoyeon's weapon of choice and it looked just as deadly as the last time.

"The shield is gone."

In their academy training field, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were always paired against each other for two main reasons. One, because they were the first lesser-beings to be ever admitted in the academy and two, because everyone knew lesser-beings were ten times weaker than the average higher-being. At some point it seemed like they were being cared for, protected from unintended harm but they knew better. Fighting against a higher-being, their teacher once said in passing, is tantamount to jumping from a cloud-pine midair. No amount of knowledge about chants can ever save you from splattering your heads on the ground.

Sooyoung felt like she was about to jump from a cloud-pine.

--

Meride had stopped breathing. The air stilled. The silence ringed. The darkness lingered.

And Shinyoung and Lena collided again, bringing angry light back to the atmosphere. But where there were three colliding beings before, now only two remained. Hara, the lesser flame, was falling down the sky - away from the battle and into them.

Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's hearts stopped beating

May the Sun-God protect us.

and then restarted - faster than they have ever had in their lifetimes. All the fear, all the anxiety poured into them all at once that Sooyoung felt like crying. There were no more shields to protect them, no Ice Princesses to chant protective spells while they waited in the background, there were only the two of them and they stood between Yuri and the enemy.

With no more words, Sooyoung too released her own magic, an identical bow made of bluish light. Their breath misted as their senses heightened and the temperature dropped to make way for their magic.

Sooyoung felt the tip of her fingers tingling slightly in pain, as her magic urged her to take a more defensive position. With one fluid moment, Sooyoung aimed her bow to the sky and freed a warning shot to Hara. The arrow made of light scattered, speeding towards the princess but were extinguished with ease by the flame that protected Hara.

"It's not going to work, is it?" Sooyoung was always the pessimist between the two of them and so Hyoyeon gave her friend an exasperated look.

"We have to try." Hyoyeon answered firmly, she raised her own bow and aimed. Similarly, the arrows ended up extinguished.

As Hara neared, Hyoyeon and Sooyoung separated meters away from each other. With synchronized movements, they both raised their bows again to the sky - this time they were three times the size of a normal bow and the arrows were also tripled in size.

"On my command." Hyoyeon shouted.

But Hara's magic was heavy and charged. They felt its heat instantaneously as it seeped through their own defenses. The edges of their robes rotted away as the searing heat inched closer to them. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung, now moved back to back, felt their sandals bury inches into the muddy ground from the sheer force of Hara's descent.

"Sooyoung..." Hyoyeon gritted her teeth. "Now!"

With all the magic bestowed upon them, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's arrows scattered and replicated into a thousand more around them. They floated rapidly, like petals on a windy day. Hara who had only realized that the light she was pushing down were gone, turned her head around

"Release!"

and watched in mild surprise as a thousand arrows came crashing down on her.

The princess automatically curled midair, halting her descent to wait for the arrows to nullify themselves as they hit her flame. The assault lasted longer than she had expected and at length, when the arrows finally disappeared, Hara felt something stung in her left arm.

Her smiling face turned slightly serious as she examined her wound: it ran vertically for about an inch. She frowned. It was trivial; a small cut that wouldn't even need a chant in order to heal but that cut represented something else entirely different: she was undoubtedly wounded by two lesser-beings and that was not a part of the plan. That was not even acceptable.

What would Lena say?

There was another flicker of light from above and Hara remembered what she was supposed to do. Lena was distracting Shinyoung for her to do her job and Hara wasn't going to fail. Below her, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were desperately trying to wake Yuri up. Even twenty meters from the ground, Hara can tell that they were already exhausted - their magic was definitely drained from the all-out attack.

"Unnies," Hara whispered to herself as she breathed deeply, "it's time to go."

With that she finally straightened, flame anew, intent on blowing all three of them at once. Hara smiled unconsciously as Hyoyeon and Sooyoung turned to look up at her. No doubt their eyes were wide and panic-stricken. With this assumption, she closed her eyes and invoked her final chant.

In this forgotten land, 

let the flame of the darkness 

engulf the sky 

and destroy all in its path

Hara heard the dark chant come to life. With her eyes still closed, she felt the flame leave her - almost rendering her own body naked to the Forgotten Land herself. Above her the fire gathered, circling her furiously as its circumference grew larger and larger. Hara lifted her hands and closed her fists.

"Destroy!"

And with that the fire dived into its target, all consuming and unforgiving -

only to be repelled by a blinding white light.

The fire died down twice as fast as it took Hara to create it. When the flames vanished, a large water-swan gave out a loud sound and flew away - leaving Hara with a raised eyebrow.

--

In this dream, Jessica looked just as or maybe even more confused as Yuri did. They were in Earth and Yuri had a familiar magazine in her hand. In front of her, Jessica was wearing a Soshi gown made of fine blue silk that probably did not do anything to protect her from the biting cold. It was the same gown, Yuri remembered, that she wore that time they saw the sunset together for the very first time.

"Sica?" Yuri rolled the magazine and stuffed it inside her down jacket. It was snowing and they were on top of a building - snowflakes were mercilessly falling from the sky.

"Where are we?" The princess looked around, probably more confused by her surrounding than the fact that she was in somebody else's dream.

"I'm not sure." Yuri walked away from the princess and leaned over the railing. She looked down the empty, snow-filled quadrangle to confirm her suspicion. "I think we're in my old school."

"We're in Earth?" Jessica sounded surprised and excited all at once. She stood up from the rough cement seat and joined Yuri by the railing.

Yuri nodded and watched fondly as Jessica gazed down the empty courtyard with curious eyes. Idly, she wiped the snowflakes that settled on top of her blonde hair. Then just as she did during their initial meeting, pushed back a lock of stray hair behind the princess' ear.

"I'm probably dreaming." Yuri said out loud and wondered why her voice sounded so distant, sad even. She watched as Jessica smiled a small smile and slowly shook her head. The princess looked as if a sudden realization came to her - a good one at that.

"Yes and no," Jessica turned to her, "I'm in your mind."

"How is that possible?" Yuri asked nonchalantly as she linked their hands together. "I am not even from Soshi."

Jessica wasn't going to be satisfied just by holding hands it seemed so the princess latched herself for an embrace instead. Yuri giggled softly as Jessica's warm breath tickled her neck.

"Hmmm." Jessica sighed in content as she swayed both of them into the embrace. "I'm not too sure. But I'm glad because this means you're finally free of that awful dagger."

Jessica loosened herself from the hug and placed a warm hand over Yuri's chest.

"It's gone now." She said quietly and Yuri brought her closer again.

"Hmmm." Yuri echoed Jessica's earlier sentiment as they resumed swaying amidst the falling snow. Real life was so far away and Yuri's mind refused to acknowledge Lena, Hara and being painfully stabbed by a dagger for the longest time.

"Yuri." Jessica said after a while. "You have to wake up."

Yuri chose to ignore her princess and breathed in the familiar Jasmine scent instead. How nice, she thought, that Jessica's presence in her mind smelled just as sweet as the real one.

"Yuri..."

Jessica's voice was changing.

"Yuri!"

--

Hyomin had slapped her into consciousness.

Yuri automatically sat up and rubbed the spot where Hyomin's hand had landed. It stung but something told her that it was the least of her worries. Without so much as sparing her a second glance, Hyomin stood up and left Yuri to recover from her daze. Then something wet dropped from above and Yuri gazed up, only to find dark water above them - deep and threatening.

"What the - "

"Hell." Someone finished for her. Yuri turned at the voice and discovered Sooyoung and Hyoyeon, both lying down the wet ocean sand as Hyomin encircled them with her healing light. The green orbs from Hyomin's hand floated gently and scattered into the air, hovering above and underneath them.

"Hara..." Sooyoung groaned and Yuri finally noticed that both of her friends were bleeding. Hyoyeon in particular had her eyes closed, eyes twitching in pain as blood flowed out of her left ear to join the already soaked sand underneath her head.

"What happened?" Yuri finally asked and it sounded like a little girl's voice. She knelt down beside Hyoyeon and carefully removed a patch of wet sand from her cheek.

"Hara." Hyomin answered darkly and Yuri thought that it was the first time that she had seen the princess show such a strong emotion.

"Where are we? Where's Sica?"

"We're in Meride. Deep into its ocean." Hyomin didn't give Yuri time to interrupt her. "Jessica is fine. She's with Sunny. They're still recovering."

"The dagger? It was real... it wasn't a dream."

"No. Lena tried to take you away from us." Hyomin curled her hands free from the stiffness as her magic continued to engulf the two lesser-beings; healing two people at once was going to take twice as long more than the normal. Hyomin continued:

"Had she succeeded, you would be physically in that place where they attacked you."

Yuri shuddered involuntarily, dreading the thought of being in the same room as Lena and Hara. "But why are we here?"

"Water defeats fire in any realm. Fire is the darkness' main source of power."

That didn't answer why they were in yet another world but Yuri's eye mouth hung open nonetheless as she let her eyes wander at the ocean that surrounded them. It was like being in a snow globe, she thought, and that instead of glass a shield of energy kept the water from rushing in on them. Yuri walked to the nearest water and gave out a small 'oh' when her hand touched the ocean itself - wetting her hand instantly.

"The shield itself is invisible." Hyomin said.

"It's scary." Yuri stepped away from the water and back to Hyomin's side.

"No." Hyomin said. "There are things far too scarier than that."

"Why can't we just leave this world now and go to Sica?"

Hyomin pursed her lips at the question and slightly nudged her head at Sooyoung and Hyoyeon. "They won't make it if we travel now."

"Ha!" Sooyoung managed and Yuri saw a faint grin gracing her features amidst the blood and wet sand that clung to her face. "We're built to last."

Ironically, there was loud splash, like something gargantuan dived into the ocean. The protective dome swayed a bit, letting more water in the dry area. Yuri quickly stood up, heart racing in panic. She clutched her chest as she felt the butterfly mark stung her skin like ten thousand needles.

"It's them." Yuri gritted her teeth despite her own fear. "I can feel them."

Hyomin cursed - as unladylike as she could manage.

"Yuri," Hyomin calmly said, "when they come. I need you to stay within the shield at all costs."

There was an emphasis on the last two words and Yuri felt like there was something else she needed to know.

"Is there..." She stammered, "Is there anything else I can do?"

The dark water glowed; blurred lights appeared around them... circling the sphere. Hyomin's healing magic winked out but Sooyoung and Hyoyeon looked just as immobile as before. The princess finally gave her a small smile - one that meant she was being sincere.

"Stay alive."

And with that she transformed into a blinding light. Her skin glowed in the same luminous blue-white light that Yuri had seen several times before. And then she was gone and outside the dome all at once. Yuri watched almost in fascination as Hyomin's light clashed with the flames. Yuri counted six of them against Hyomin's solitary light. They were all crashing all at once and it was hard to see what was happening through the dark water.

"Yuri..." Sooyoung said as she sat up. "...come help me stand."

"Are you sure you're allowed to move?" Yuri reached for Sooyoung's arm and pulled her up.

"We'll see about that."

"Hyo..." Sooyoung gently nudged her silent friend on the ground. "Hyo stand up."

Hyoyeon opened her eyes, blinked it a couple of times and took the hand that was offered.

"That hurts." She said as she stretched - or tried to, before she wobbled again and held onto a nearby coral reef.

"You guys look like a mess." Yuri's voice was cracked but they all a shared a grin nonetheless. The girl threw her arms around them in relief.

"You're welcome." Sooyoung made a choking sound. "Now let me go."

Just then something moved again and the water made a great noise. They all turned to see Hyomin's light fading - like the princess was moving away from them. The flames too died at the distance and silence ringed the water.

Until Hara came into view, no longer enveloped in flame but reeked of danger all the same. The princess grandly wiped the trails of water that trickled down her robe before flipping her hair to face them.

"Found you." The princess' face was no longer smiling. The shield was broken and water pooled on their feet as it trickled from various cracks all over the dome.

"You will have to get to us first before you get to Yuri." Hyoyeon coughed out the last words. Sooyoung too stepped forward in front of Yuri.

Hara's face didn't change. "Doesn't matter unnies, we will all die eventually."

"She doesn't have her flame on." Hyoyeon whispered enough for Yuri and Sooyoung to hear. "Maybe we can beat her this time."

"Step back, Yuri."

Yuri did as she was told and Hara attacked in no time. The sand underneath her moved and formed into deadly swords, aiming for her two friends without any hesitation. Hyoyeon held out her palms and shielded them all against the attack while Sooyoung produced her bow again and shot at Hara. The arrows were weak; the shield was thin- reflecting their conditions.

"Hide Yuri!" Hyoyeon was looking at the coral reef from afar. "Hide behind that!"

Yuri nodded and made a dash towards the black reef. Hara took no interest in running after her as she continued her assault on Hyoyeon's shield. Peering through the reef, Yuri watched as Sooyoung kept on shooting arrows that met Hara's sand sword animations.

Her friends looked bone-weary, like their legs would give up anytime. Hara gave out a loud scream and Hyoyeon and Sooyoung were blasted off, landing a few meters before Yuri. Sooyoung quickly stood up and charged again while Hyoyeon made no sign of movement. Yuri almost instinctively ran to her friend but she remembered Hyomin's last words to her. Gripping the reef with her hand, Yuri watched on helplessly as Sooyoung dodged and ran away from Hara's attacks. Somewhere a familiar voice was telling her:

Don't do anything foolish, Yuri. Please don't do anything foolish.

But Hyoyeon was immobile; she was bleeding - the second time around. To the right Sooyoung was desperately trying to keep Hara from noticing the injury. It became a cat and mouse game with Hara just shooting and Sooyoung just dodging.

Helpless and angry, Yuri gripped the coral reef harder and felt her own skin scratch from it. The butterfly on her chest didn't stop from hurting but as she felt the blood flow from the fresh wound, the pain multiplied.

Come on! Come on!

For the first time, Yuri wanted the darkness to come out - but it wouldn't. Even as her anger intensified when Hara finally let out an explosion of energy that cracked the shield even more. Sooyoung too, was violently pushed back, bouncing off a distant coral reef with her face hitting the wet ocean sand in her fall.

Sooyoung didn't rise.

And Hara was smiling again, smiling like nothing happened, as she walked towards her other fallen mentor. Inching towards Hyoyeon, she took out a small dagger made of gold - one that was not unfamiliar to Yuri.

--

Hyoyeon closed her eyes and waited for her death. If she were to die, best to die saving the empire after all. But how she wished for divine intervention

and it came in the form of Jessica - wet, with her light on and obviously very, very angry.

--

Jessica did not give Hara the privilege of speech. As soon as she appeared, the princess had shot her with deadly ice crystals that clearly meant to destroy. They had missed Hara by an inch, as she quickly let go of Hyoyeon and jumped backwards.

"Well this is - " But the water beneath Hara had already turned into ice, keeping her on the ground and exploded without warning. The younger princess didn't even had time to shield her face as millions of tiny ice crystals devoured her body.

"You talk too much." Jessica finally said as Hara stood there, frozen in ice - a far cry from the deadly enemy she was minutes before. With one final twist of her hand, Jessica obliterated the frozen princess into pieces.

"Yuri?" Jessica called out and Yuri finally dashed out of her hiding place and towards the princess.

"Sica!" Yuri cried but Jessica quickly ended their embrace, a little too soon for Yuri's liking.

"We need to leave now." Jessica's voice was rigid as she walked towards Hyoyeon. She knelt down and felt her friend's pulse - breathing in relief as she found it.

"Sooyoung..." Hyoyeon said as she tried to sit up but was stopped by the princess.

"Stay still. Yuri, move Sooyoung over here. I have to open the gate now."

Jessica chanted immediately. Time was of the essence and Hyomin could only hold six elders back for a short time before it was her own turn to retreat. Yuri nodded wordlessly as she ran towards Sooyoung.

She reached her in no time but then Yuri felt her heart drop as she moved Sooyoung so that she was lying down on her back in the sand. Sooyoung looked ten times worse than Hyoyeon did. Her left eye was swollen along with her entire left face. Her hands were bleeding too, like her own arrows had pierced her instead.

"Sooyoung?" Yuri bent down. "Sooyoung can you hear me?"

Yuri brought an ear close to Sooyoung's face and felt nowhere near relief as her friend's short breathing tickled her. There was a sound coming from her too - a slow, barely audible sound that was probably spoken with all the energy left in her.

"Sorry." Yuri heard and would have missed it if not for her ear pressed so close to Sooyoung's lips.

"Come on." Yuri heaved the almost-lifeless body up - finding it harder than she thought. Sooyoung was uncooperative and relatively weighed heavier. Her head limped and gravity took its toll as they both stumbled into the sand. They were three meters away from the gate-opening and Yuri looked up to find Jessica, still busy with chanting, unwilling to break the chant to help them.

"Come on, Sooyoung." Yuri was already crying. "Come on, wake up."

Yuri stood up and dragged her instead but the blood in Sooyoung's hands made the task difficult.

"Hurry, Yuri!" Hyoyeon called out. The flames were back and this time; they really had to leave.

"Come on!" Yuri grabbed Sooyoung's collar and finally made progress. With one final pull, Yuri managed to bring Sooyoung inside the light just in time for Jessica to finally open the gate. Before the light swallowed them whole though, Yuri caught a glimpse of the flames as they finally pierced through the shield -

a collection of beautiful people engulfed in flame.

--

The sun was shining very hard over the land where Jessica's gate took them.

Hyoyeon was bruised, tired and injured. Her power was drained and she couldn't even feel her right leg. Still, for the next moment, all she felt was her rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears as she sat up. Sooyoung was not moving. Yuri was shaking, shouting, slapping but Sooyoung didn't even budge. Her eyes were closed and Hyoyeon knew somehow that they would no longer open.

And she suddenly couldn't imagine a world without Sooyoung. She has spent all her life with the lifeless body in front of her that all she could think at the moment was: No one's going to finish my dinner from now on. Felt the overwhelming sadness of the idea of picking fruits on a summer day alone.

Death was supposed to come to them when they were a thousand years old, tired of all the flying and laughing and tributes and chasing seagulls. Not like this. Not when there were still plenty of worlds left unexplored. Not when Hyoyeon still hadn't had her first kiss story to share with Sooyoung.

It was all wrong.

Hyoyeon heard Yuri cry. The girl had folded her knees and was shaking and crying like a child. Jessica too was crying as she fumbled through Sooyoung's face, hair, hands - like she was searching for her life-force - something that will bring her life back.

All around them, the yellow flowers danced with the wind and glistened under the sunlight. And Hyoyeon thought that it was a little unfair. This world couldn't even acknowledge her companion's passing.

Or maybe it did.

"Sooyoung," she choked through her gathering tears, "this world is beautiful."

Chapter 31 

Awakening

Taeyeon felt Sooyoung's death.

There was no pain; her heart didn't cave in like it did when worlds were destroyed. There was only a small almost insignificant tug on her heartstrings and she had to slow down her steps to identify the feeling.

"Taetae?" Tiffany had asked worriedly, hand on her shoulder as she leaned against the marble pillar for support.

"No..." Taeyeon furiously shook her head and clenched her fist. "Oh god..."

Sooyoung's life-force was fading ever so slowly and the princess brought a hand to her chest in a desperate act to try and feel it longer. How different, she thought, this feeling from the usual Sooyoung she knew. The faint pull was almost an insult to the life her friend had lived.

"Sooyoung." Taeyeon knelt down in reaction to the overwhelming sadness that washed over her as the life-force finally disappeared.

"What about her?" Tiffany had asked, kneeling down to join her. "What about her, Taetae?"

"She's gone."

--

At the same moment, Lena's mouth had transformed into an eerie smile. Shinyoung eventually had to slow down her attacks as she noticed the change. The elder's face showed signs of gloating, of a certain accomplishment that Shinyoung had yet to know.

"Don't you feel it, Your Highness?"

Shinyoung blinked and then breathed in deep. They stopped fighting altogether. Below them Meride was aflame and the air smelled of a burning world. Lena grinned; her face illuminated by the fire below, she was clearly amused at the unusual state that Shinyoung was currently in. Shinyoung never lagged in her observations - she was always aware of everything that happened around her - until now.

"The lesser-being is dead." Lena supplied. "The tall one."

Shinyoung felt a small trickle of defeat inside her. Lena was telling the truth. There was no point in lying about it.

"We can leave now," the elder offered. "There's no point in fighting. We both know we can't die."

"At least not at the moment..."

And with that Lena was gone leaving a faint echo of her giggle in the air.

--

Yuri wanted to bury Sooyoung beneath the yellow flowers.

She was silent all throughout, doing all the work while Hyoyeon sat facing away from the grave recovering from her wounds and Jessica was busy shielding the world to the best of her ability - which wasn't much because she had used up all her energy again by traveling without a gateway and getting rid of Hara.

Yuri clawed and clawed on the ground. There were no shovels; she had to use her hands to dig through. Jessica had told her it was unnecessary. Soshi-beings didn't need to be buried but Yuri didn't respond to her and continued digging the shallow grave silently.

"Yuri..." Jessica merely repeated her earlier words. "It's not like that for us."

The girl finally gave up and stood up. She quietly walked a couple of meters away and sat down, facing them - waiting for Jessica to finish their ritual for the dead.

The princess knelt down in front of her friend.

"Hyoyeon, shall I free Sooyoung now?"

Hyoyeon nodded but refused to turn around and look at her friend for the last time even as Jessica begged her to do so.

"No," Hyoyeon simply said, "Just let Sooyoung rest now."

Jessica reached out over to Sooyoung's chest and with one gentle pull, the last remaining life-force, a faint almost invisible thread of green light, floated away from her lifeless body.

There was a gust of wind.

Hyoyeon had turned around then, eyes in panic at the sudden thought of never seeing her friend again. She had scrambled up but even as she did that, crawling weakly towards her, Sooyoung's body was slowly turning into green wisps of light, floating up and away from them - back into the stars above.

"Sooyoungie..." Hyoyeon finally cried. "Goodbye Sooyoungie."

Yuri looked up until her eyes could no longer see any hint of Sooyoung's life-force in the sky. She tried to remember what Sooyoung had told her about death but found little consolation in it. Yuri knew all too well that there was no escape from the grief. Not by a long shot.

But there was no time to mourn.

Another gateway ripped open in the very same world, the very same field they were at. It was unfriendly and violent. Jessica closed her eyes, breathed out loud almost in defeat as she felt the ominous feeling of her own weak shield failing instantly - like it never stood a chance in the first place. She felt like everything was crashing down on them. It was too late to do anything now but to fight - with every ounce of remaining magic she had.

Jessica looked at Yuri, somehow praying to see a hint of the darkness in her. But the girl's eyes were lifeless and blank.

"They're here," she said out loud, putting on a brave face. They turned to the west and saw their enemies approach - three balls of fire. Maybe, Jessica hoped, they could take them down: one for Hyoyeon and two her. Maybe fighting them would give Yuri time to escape.

To where? A few miles away? Where was everyone when they needed them the most? Where was her sister? Where was Taeyeon?

"Yuri," Jessica recovered quickly, "Yuri you need to run."

Yuri didn't move.

--

There were ten elders guiding Soshi and the Divine Throne. Ten ascended beings, all bound to the fate of the empire. In a way, they were cursed because they will never be allowed to enter the heavens. They were servants of the empire. They breathe when the empire breathed; they were awake when the empire was awake. But they can never rule, only guide, and sit quietly behind and below the throne, offering words of wisdom that may or may not be honored by the ruling-god emperor at all.

Lena eventually grew tired of that.

There used to be ten elders guiding Soshi and the Divine Throne.

Nine were momentarily frozen by Jessica's inverted sea. Six of them quickly recovered and were summoned by Lena to Meride to try and seal Princess Hyomin inside the forgotten land. They would fight the princess but would eventually come to a stalemate - despite the numbers being to their advantage.

The remaining three, however, would experience first-hand, what it really felt like to play with the darkness itself.

--

"Yuri!" Jessica's patience ran low. "Get up now!"

Hyoyeon was on her feet too, limping as she did. "Get the hell up now!"

But Yuri remained passive even as Jessica had pulled hands up and forced her to stand up. The princess gave her a strong push but Yuri merely moved a few meters before eventually stopping again.

"Go!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hyoyeon was furious. "Sooyoung died protecting you and you're wasting that now!"

Yuri finally blinked, like she had come back from a trance at the sudden mention of her friend's name. But there was no time for her to respond because just as Hyoyeon finished her sentence, the three elders finally attacked and Jessica raised her arms immediately for defense.

There was a collision of lights and when the air cleared - there was a familiar almost painfully boring sight: a weak shield, the enemy outside and an even weaker defense. Around them the yellow flowers flew rapidly and the sky dimmed, or rather, it turned into dark orange as the fire from the elders consumed the protective magic.

"Sica..."

Unlike in the past, the darkness didn't come swiftly to Yuri this time. The butterfly on her chest took its time to grow, move, and multiply all over her skin. Yuri herself felt the change happening. Her past transformations always came to her in dream-like sequences but now it was different.

She could feel another her, another Yuri, slowly surfacing out of her skin.

Who are you? 

I am you. 

Why are you here? 

Foolish girl. 

What? 

I am here to protect our princess.

When the shield finally broke, Jessica closed her eyes, dropped her hands and knew, deep down inside that they, she was never in danger to begin with. Yuri would never let that happen. She was right. The next moment, when she opened her eyes, amber light, brighter than the elders' flame had surrounded them in a protective dome.

Yuri had finally transformed.

All three elders were now focused on fighting her; they tried all kinds of attacks, producing fire, pulling the ground up, but Yuri dodged them easily. Then, as if getting impatient with the whole ordeal, she closed in on one of them and caught the elder by the throat. Without so much as a warning, Yuri slammed her to the ground, sending the other two away at the sheer force of the impact. The flowers scattered and dust rose up and Yuri descended and disappeared from Jessica's view. When she re-appeared, she was walking calmly towards the princess,

carrying the fallen elder like a dog by its neck.

"Is this the one who tried to harm you?"

Jessica opened her mouth wordlessly - too afraid to say anything at all. This Yuri was different from the past. Even as the darkness consumed her, the old one only came out when Jessica was in danger and even then, it only came out to protect.

This one was made of anger and malice.

"No?" Yuri asked again, amber eyes showing the faintest sign of disappointment.

Jessica slowly shook her head, her mouth drying up as she did so. She tried to look for a sign of the Yuri she knew in those eyes but found no trace at all. She inched unconsciously closer to Hyoyeon as Yuri stared back at her, unfazed and somewhat worried.

The elder in Yuri's grip now recovered and made the mistake of moving. She had thought, being inside the shield, that she could effectively harm the princess or her friend in a surprise attack. She got as far as chanting two words before Yuri had covered her mouth with a rough hand.

"Shhh..." Yuri twisted her face and she recoiled in pain, her voice muffled by the hand on her mouth. Her feet dangled off the ground as she tried to break free from the grip.

"No..." Jessica's heart dropped at the scene before her. This was not Yuri. This was something else entirely.

Yuri immediately let go of the elder and she fell down the ground, twisting and choking for air.

The girl walked towards Jessica. Her face was a deep contrast of childlike eagerness and pure danger. Jessica could feel the heat radiating from the very air that surrounded Yuri in this state.

"Yes, Sica?"

"I - I think," Jessica unconsciously stepped backwards, "you've already showed them enough."

Yuri stopped in her tracks, a confused expression gracing her butterfly-marked face. The girl looked like she was trying to absorb the request. Jessica smiled a tiny, tiny smile. The aura that screamed of danger before was slowly receding away from Yuri. The princess could almost feel it slowly flowing back to wherever it came from.

Until someone spoke:

"You can't kill us."

It was the elder, inside the shield, and she had slightly recovered. Ignoring Jessica's clear warning face, she went on and bravely spat out a few more taunting words.

"But we can kill that pretty little princess you lo-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence at all. There was an angry roar from Yuri, a deep guttural cry that made the air stale in its wake. Yuri had swiftly clamped a hand to her mouth again, twisting her face with ease in the process. The elder closed her eyes in pain as every muscle of her face ached at the brute force. Then with one quick motion, Yuri had ripped out her tongue, blood gushing out of her mouth instantaneously. Pain rippling tenfold all throughout her body, making her almost limp with it. But no sound ever came out of her mouth.

Yuri had taken her ability to speak altogether - in the most barbaric way possible. The darkness did not recognize nor practice finesse. But that was temporary, she could grow another tongue back easily but something inside her told her that she wouldn't be given enough time for that.

"Open your eyes." The girl had commanded and the elder felt her own eyes open in their own volition. To the left, the princess and her friend stood in shock, rooted to the ground at the display of brutality.

Yuri then let her go and disappeared out of the shield. When she returned, she was dragging the remaining two elders by their collars.

"Watch." Yuri released them briefly before gripping them by their heads instead.

And then the elders whimpered and screamed and cried as the butterflies from Yuri's hands traveled down to their heads and devoured their skins, slowly almost sadistically. All the while Yuri's nails were like talons that burrowed into their skulls, keeping them in place with nowhere to run. The elders' toes curled and their eyes rolled up and went white with pain.

And then the crying stopped. Silence descended. Thick and suffocating.

"See?" Yuri smiled, her eyes a bright cheerful amber. "Dead."

The mute elder dropped to her knees as she watched her friends turn into black ashes, rotting away as the butterflies took over their light. She brought a hand to her chest and prayed, with all the faith she wasn't aware she had within her, that the world would survive this darkness.

Father, forgive us for what we have unleashed.

The Lord of the White Palace

Hyungdon had picked flowers from the Imperial Garden earlier. He arranged the white daisies with a chant he learned from a novel unabashedly entitled 'How To Win Her Heart'. Satisfied with the outcome of his handiwork, he raised the flower crown against the setting sun and smiled to himself.

"Here," he said as he finally gave it to Canaria. The sun was setting and today was the day he was going to ask her to sing with him. He would never have the chance to ask the question though but for now as Hyungdon laid the soft flower crown on her head, he felt certain he would and she'd say yes.

"Thank you," she had said, "these are lovely."

There was a pause and Hyungdon felt the sudden change in Canaria's aura. Like she flushed at a passing thought that entered her mind. She blushed and covered her face with her hands.

"What is it?" Hyungdon asked with his heart in his mouth and his mouth in his heart.

"Hyungdon," she breathed out, "Daehyun finally asked me to sing with him and I said yes!"

Hyungdon's mouth dried and his heart felt like it was going to stop beating at any given second.

"Then it's all good," he managed to say.

Canaria smiled that lovely smile. Her gentle blonde locks looked almost aflame as the sun set on the empire. The flower crown he had given her earlier still sat on her pretty head. To him, they were more than just white flowers now because everything she wore turned beautiful. That was a fact and no one in the empire would dare argue with it.

"Hyungdon?" Canaria frowned and Hyungdon thought that she shouldn't do that. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," he silently said, "that I will never be good enough for you."

"What?" Canaria turned to him, probably surprised at the sudden outburst.

"Nothing." Hyungdon said. "I have to go."

And with that he left, leaving nothing but a few petals floating slowly away from the princess' head at the wake of his disappearance. Canaria reached out to her flower crown and frowned.

The flowers were dead.

--

The current Ruling God-Emperor was not an easy man. He was strict and rarely showed his emotions - so they say. One would think that having two daughters would soften him somehow. Still, Hyungdon couldn't be bothered with imperial affairs anymore. Having lived a thousand years, most of his friends were now gone, back to the stars. He tried not to be disrespectful and would attend ascensions every now and then but that was the furthest he would ever involve himself with the imperial court again.

He was content, here in his own palace, far north.

So when the Emperor announced his plans of his eldest daughter's marriage to him. It came both as a shock and as an insult somehow. How cruel is it to give him the throne but never actually rule it? Taeyeon would be the Ruling God-Empress but he will be no more than a prince and a consort.

My father would rather die.

And he did, refusing to ascend and passing the ascension gift to Hyungdon - an orphaned higher-being and his adopted son - as the ultimate gift. But even that didn't guarantee acceptance within the Imperial court and he had always felt like an outsider among them.

But here he was, welcoming the Imperial family to his inherited state. He stood outside the courtyard, dressed in his most expensive robe, waiting under the blazing sun. The white palace - his family's residence for thousands of years - was gleaming under the sunlight. Everyone stood still, in line and attention, as they waited for the imperial entourage to appear in the sky.

"The Ruling God-Emperor approaches!" the herald floating on a cloud-pine above them shouted.

To the east, the Ruling God-Emperor's palanquin came into view with a hundred soldiers of the Imperial Guard flying alongside. The sight was still familiar even to Hyungdon who had chosen seclusion for the past thousand years. Two imperial banners, white and gold, held by two guards in front, flapped against the wind. Blotting the sun for a few seconds, the entourage descended, slightly hurting their eyes with the dust the landing brought.

And out came the emperor and his daughters. The eldest one, Taeyeon, was so young that he felt a little sad for her to be engaged to someone as old as him. Beside her, the younger princess looked bored and annoyed. Taeyeon gave her sister a knowing look that was only met with an indifferent shrug.

Hyungdon knelt.

"The White Palace welcomes His Most Divine Majesty, the Ruling God-Emperor, Protector of the Realm of the Sun-God, Keeper of All Worlds Under Heaven, Bearer of The Light."

"Rise." The emperor had what seemed like a semblance of a smile on his face when Hyungdon met his gaze.

"I present to you my daughters," he motioned them forward, "Princess Jessica and your betrothed, the Crown Princess Taeyeon."

"Welcome to the White Palace, your highnesses." Hyungdon produced a small bouquet of flowers and Taeyeon had cheerfully accepted it. To her left, the younger princess gave a small, arrogant snort and Hyungdon was partly thankful that he was not engaged to her.

--

In the throne room, the emperor had offered him wine. Hyungdon felt a little strange, to be offered wine at his very own palace. Then again, this was not his palace. Everything belonged to the God-Emperor, including him.

Hyungdon looked at the man, pouring him wine in a silver goblet. His face was so familiar that he tried not to remember someone who looked like him.

"Forgive me," the emperor gave him his cup, "for all of this."

"There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty."

"Of course, of course." The emperor nodded, fully aware that no one can ever disagree with the crown - at least not in front of a dozen ministers.

"Leave us." The emperor ordered and in no time the throne room was empty save for the both of them. Hyungdon felt uneasy, a sudden heaviness clung to the air, almost choking him. The emperor finished his wine in one go and turned to him.

"Now," he said and Hyungdon felt like he was going to disclose the biggest secret of the universe,

"I will tell you why this union is crucial."

--

Hyungdon was staring at Canaria's portrait when a voice came out of nowhere to address him.

"Weren't you in love with her?"

Hyungdon blinked at the question. For someone so young, Taeyeon was blunt and direct to the point. Her head barely reached his shoulder but he felt small and insignificant beside her despite his own proud lineage.

"I was," he admitted, and then carried on, "but she was never mine to begin with."

"As I am not."

There was no hint of threat at all in the declaration. Taeyeon didn't seem upset or pleased. She still held the flowers he gave her hours ago. She held them loosely like she was letting them breath. Hyungdon gazed at them briefly and wondered why they were still bright and yellow.

"I made a promise to someone that I will sing with her." Taeyeon said, imperious and proud.

"I wonder," Hyungdon cleared his throat as he avoided the drilling stare, "if that were true."

"It is."

"Your father will see us married before he ascends. I am certain of it."

Taeyeon slowly shook her head; her lips were pursed into a wry smile.

"Nothing is ever certain in Soshi." The princess turned to him. "You should know that."

Spoken like a true descendant...

Hyungdon's lips slowly transformed into a smile - if the crown princess was indeed of Daehyun's bloodline then -

- she should thrive in and love competition too.

"Do you hunt your highness?" Hyungdon asked cheerfully.

"Hunt?" Taeyeon repeated, "Yes with my father."

"Then let's make a bet, shall we?"

--

The rule was simple: kill the animated beast without magic.

"Are you sure about this?" Hyungdon turned to his left where the princess stood.

"Yes." Taeyeon was resolved. Anyone could tell by the tightness of her voice. Her riding robe flapped against the harsh wind as they stood on top of the rocky hill. Below them the lush green forest was anything but still. The trees moved, swayed as the animated beast run free in the forest.

"No magic. No flying."

Just pain.

For ascended beings, dying may be out of the question but pain remained. Always. A punch in the face would hurt a divinity just as it would a higher or lesser-being.

"I understand." Taeyeon finished impatiently. She swung her quiver on her back and quickly made her way down the rocky slope. Hyungdon ran after her, much more experienced hunting in his own land.

"Whoever kills the beast first wins." He panted as he ran alongside the princess who was making steady progress down the rocks.

"Yes and when I win, you will honor your words."

"I will."

Taeyeon stopped; they were almost at the bottom. She spared one last look at Hyungdon and the latter was surprised at the faint smile that greeted him.

"You definitely will."

And with that Taeyeon jumped off the rock and disappeared quickly into the forest.

--

The hunt went downhill from then on.

Hyungdon stealthily climbed the larger trees to avoid loitering on lower ground and to gain better vantage point for the beast running amok. He waited patiently for the beast - the hunt was all about the waiting after all. Stealth. For that one moment where everything would be open and defenseless and he - the patient hunter - would release his arrow, kill the beast and win the game.

The princess probably didn't know that.

There were movements. It was not the beast. It was far too light to be one. He peered down cautiously and below him, unaware of his presence, the princess was looking for something on the ground. She was already dirty and she had lost her bow. Her quiver was empty. Hyungdon leaned closer as he watched Taeyeon pick up a very sharp rock. She tested it, slashing the air and nearby plants in two with it.

Hyungdon knew this forest from his childhood; he knew where all the underground cave openings would take him, knew every bend of the river. Nothing could surprise him anymore about this place or the game.

But he was not prepared for what he was about to witness.

The crown princess stopped moving, took three long breaths and with one certain swing,

buried the flint stone in her left arm.

Taeyeon screamed in pain but refused to drop to her knees from it. Instead, she clenched her teeth and limped forward, letting her blood trickle and soak the ground as she moved. Heavy rain suddenly poured down the land. Hyungdon had to raise a hand to shield his eyes from the furious drops.

She's attracting the beast with her own blood.

Foolish girl, Hyungdon thought.

There was a loud primal roar and Hyungdon felt as though someone had poured hot water all over him. Below him, Taeyeon had also heard the cry because she held the flint stone ready and was immediately on alert. The ground shook at the mere force of the speeding beast approaching her.

Foolish girl! Get out of there!

But Taeyeon didn't move. She stood still. Hyungdon had seen a similar stance before, in a distant memory. The princess stood waiting for the incoming beast just as her ancestors did - the proud line of the first children of the Sun-God, of emperors, of Daehyun - fearless and maybe a little self-entitled...

And the beast came running, his golden fur clung to him because of the rain, his teeth bared and Hyungdon didn't have time to release his arrow as the beast took one gigantic leapt towards the crown princess.

The world stopped. Hyungdon felt his heart beat with such ferocity that he didn't know was possible. This was no real threat - this hunting trip. They were ascended beings after all. But for the next few seconds, he forgot about that. All he could see was the crown princess of the Soshi Empire being pinned by a giant, animated beast. Her left hand was caught in its mouth, deep into its teeth.

Taeyeon screamed -

Hyungdon's senses came back rushing to him. He released his arrow. It missed, hitting the tree behind, piercing into the trunk and hurting nothing but a handful of leaves in its path.

- and with one more guttural cry, the princess pierced the beast in the eye with her tiny, insignificant flint stone. The animation, a minute short on pulling her left arm apart from her body, instantly stopped moving. Its eyes had turned brown and then grey and then its entire body had morphed into stone, cracking as it did. It exploded into brown dust that was washed down instantly by the rain. Taeyeon dropped on her back, left arm still bleeding. The rain was pouring lightly now as the crown princess lay there on the wet forest ground, recovering.

In the distance, Hyungdon sat down on the wet ground. How fitting, he thought sadly, that he should lose to someone who shared Daehyun's blood.

--

Later that day, the crown princess had to be put to sleep for an hour to recover from her injuries. The God-Emperor himself saw to the healing of his most precious heir but not without reproachful words - he reminded her of her responsibilities just like any father would do.

Taeyeon didn't say anything about the bet, just like Hyungdon had expected.

The next morning, as preparations for the leaving of the Imperial entourage were being made, Hyungdon had the opportunity of catching the crown princess alone in the throne room. She stood in front of the portraits, her gown immaculate - a far cry from yesterday's game.

"I won." Taeyeon smiled at him as he stepped closer.

"Indeed." Hyungdon gave her a small bouquet of flowers. "For winning."

There was a change in the air. The heavy almost choking gloom that lingered around them before was now gone - and his eyes may or may not be playing tricks with his mind, but the sun shone a little bit brighter now. Taeyeon gave him a small bow - heartfelt and sincere.

"Thank you for these flowers." The princess held it close to her heart. "I pray that the next time we meet it would be of better circumstances."

With that the crown princess walked away.

Here in this hall of paintings, staring at a portrait of the only person he felt something powerful for, Hyungdon finally felt the burden of immortality. Of what it actually meant to live forever.

I have lived far too long.

Chapter 32 

Yuri and Jessica

You will find beauty there 

In the most desolate of places 

And this strange world 

Will know who you are  

By the light of your soul 

By the darkness of your shadow 

Yes you will find beauty 

And you will be unprepared for it

- A Song for Prince Daehyun and Princess Canaria

Jessica believed in two absolute truths: Taeyeon would succeed their father and Yuri would never hurt her, darkness-possessed or otherwise. The stars could fail, the universe could be unmade but Yuri would never, ever touch a single strand of her hair.

Both of which were shaken and tested by recent events but still came out to be true. Even in her most dangerous transformation yet, Yuri still listened to her - body, heart and butterflies.

But that didn't change the fact that Yuri could easily hurt everyone else. There was nothing remotely romantic in watching her rip someone's tongue out in Jessica's name. Unable to tear her eyes away from the scene, she did eventually find her voice but not before the two elders were turned into ashes.

"Yuri," Jessica had interrupted before the remaining elder could see the same fate, "stop."

The girl had looked at her, one brow slightly raised. Yuri looked like she was given a command that she didn't -couldn't- recognize. She looked like she was short on saying: I don't understand.

"Stop." Jessica repeated, trying to sound strong and firm even if she was feeling quite the opposite. She looked down at the elder who gave her an even more confused look.

"Go! Tell your mistress what you have seen today."

The elder was wise enough not to make the same mistake twice and so she summoned the fire that enveloped her body again - uninterrupted - and flew away from them. The sky flickered white at her hasty gate opening.

"You might regret that." Hyoyeon's voice came from behind. She had almost forgotten that she was there to begin with.

"I know," Jessica agreed and turned her attention back to Yuri whose gaze never left her. The girl's expression had completely changed now. She shivered - for the very first time Yuri's stare wasn't innocent at all. Jessica unconsciously brought a hand to her chest; the rough texture of her robe gave her a certain sense of protection from the probing gaze.

But why are you afraid of her?

And perhaps Yuri sensed her fear because the girl had stepped backwards as if trying to give her some space - some sort of time to adjust to this new darkness that was more enduring rather than temporal.

"Yuri," Jessica took the first step forward, "come back."

At her last word, Jessica watched the butterflies recede from Yuri's skin. They fluttered, crawled back and disappeared inside her shirt and with one loud breathe; the world went back to normal. Yuri's eyes closed in drowsiness and she fell forward - into Jessica's arms.

--

This world had communal bathrooms too.

When Hyomin and Shinyoung found them, they had immediately looked for another world to stay in. It took them ten gateways before settling into a small, almost backward world the size of a small country on Earth. Yuri, as always, didn't have a say on what kind of place to stay at or what rooms to get. That was Shinyoung or Hyomin's job. Besides, there was no time to worry on such trivialities. Things like communal bathrooms and how they reminded Yuri of Sooyoung were not important.

And so Yuri emerged from the bathroom with her hair still dripping wet. Prolonged stay would only trigger more memories and nobody wanted that. Clutching her towel, Yuri stopped in her tracks to see the room she supposedly shared with Jessica was closed.

"Sica?" Yuri knocked, pressing her ear on the door.

There was no answer. The lamp inside was lit though - Yuri could tell by the light that escaped through the cracks of the wooden door.

Yuri knocked louder. "Sica?"

Silence. Yuri wasn't sure if she should enter without the princess' permission. But Jessica never closed their door on her before. Maybe the princess wanted to be alone and was sending her a subtle message. There was also the irrational fear of finding out if the door was locked or not.

What if it's locked?

Yuri's heart dropped at the thought. She fought the strong urge to find out and walked away from the room instead. Hyoyeon's room was also closed and Yuri was certain she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment.

Closing the entrance silently, Yuri stepped out of the inn. The night air was warm, even warmer than when she had stood in front of Jessica's room.

--

"You shouldn't be out here. It's not safe."

Yuri didn't answer. She picked up a small pebble and threw it as far as she could into the lake. In the distance, as the stone skipped on the water surface, there were successive flickers of light and the protective shields showed for the briefest of seconds. Blink and you'd miss them.

Hyomin nodded in understanding and wordlessly sat down beside the girl. They shared an awkward silence until Yuri finally spoke - the first thing Hyomin has heard the girl say all day.

"Will I lose her too?"

"You will lose everyone." Hyomin answered truthfully, folding her arms across her chest and keeping an eye on the horizon. "If you fail."

"Why is this even happening?" Yuri's voice cracked and Hyomin felt the pent up anger inside her. It was different from before, right after Sooyoung's death. That time Yuri was almost trying to make her heart stop beating at the overwhelming fury and sadness combined. But this time, there was just utter hopelessness and anger mixed together.

Hyomin turned to Yuri in slight disbelief. All the while she had thought Yuri had been well informed at least, but her curious look said otherwise.

Hyomin unfolded her arms.

"A long time ago, someone wanted to recreate Soshi in Earth - Princess Canaria."

She made a gentle circular motion with her index finger and a part of the water before them froze into white ice. With one more flick, the ice rearranged in a way that it transformed into a small diorama of an unfamiliar Earth - one with a pillar of light standing at the heart of it.

Yuri didn't say anything and Hyomin wasn't going to be interrupted.

"She wasn't content with its near perfection and so she tried to summon all the light from Soshi's very own pillar to Earth."

Yuri squinted the pillar shone brightly. The glow hurt her eyes as it illuminated the frozen ice.

"But Earth is not Soshi. It is like any other worlds," Hyomin continued, "A lesser version. Nothing more and nothing less. So the transfer failed and the pillar cracked."

The diorama suddenly lost its luster and Yuri watched as a small black dot now remained on the otherwise white and smooth surface of the pillar. It stuck to it, like a skin disease.

"But you cannot summon the light without the darkness."

Hyomin brought up both her hands to her mouth and breathed out, she closed her palms as if trying to catch her own breath. Then gently she spread her hands over the frozen world and darkness slowly descended upon it.

Yuri shivered.

"She had awakened the darkness itself and Earth was sentenced to be destroyed - if not for her ultimate sacrifice to save your world."

"Sacrifice?"

"She loved Earth. She gave up her light to save your world from being destroyed. And now without her, the darkness is waiting to wipe everything out."

"Everything?"

"Except for the cursed - those without the blessings of the Sun-God. The darkness only recognizes its enemies as those touched by the Sun-God himself."

"Earth."

"Yes and you."

"Me?"

"You are a vessel."

"He, who summons the darkness, can summon the light. " Hyomin gently raised her right hand and a small ball of light floated above her palm. She curled her fingers and the light disappeared.

"That which creates can destroy and that which destroys can create," Hyomin turned to Yuri, "We cannot create more vessels even if we wanted to. Princess Canaria summoned the darkness; only she can take it away. So she made you, empty containers, should something happen to her before that day comes."

Hyomin smiled sadly at Yuri.

"And you're the last one. That's why Lena wants you dead. That's why Siwon wouldn't let you go. That's why we're here to protect you. "

"But what about the emperor?"

"Father," Hyomin breathed out loud, "can only restart the universe. Even so there's no guarantee that he can do that with all the stars gone. There is no light without darkness. Remember that."

"What am I then? The light or the darkness?"

"You are tired." Hyomin stood up and fetched something from her robe. With one careless motion, she threw a small box in Yuri's direction to which the girl had caught by pure instinct.

"And you shouldn't keep my sister waiting."

--

The room was relatively dim when Yuri returned. On the bed, curled into a small ball, was a sleeping Jessica. Yuri quietly walked to the corner where the lamp hung and waved a hand over it, brightening the bedroom in the process. Her hand didn't burn, neither did the flame move at the wind - the fire was made of magic and the lamp itself was there for aesthetic purposes.

Left motion; brighter light. Right motion; dimmer light.

It should burn.

"Sica?" Yuri knelt down and gently nudged the princess. Jessica stirred awake.

"Hey." Yuri said, resting her forehead against the princess'.

"I'm sorry." Jessica said, looking down to avoid Yuri's eyes.

"I'm sorry too." Yuri breathed. "Are you sleepy?"

"Why?"

"Come with me outside?"

Jessica allowed herself to be pulled away from the warm bed. She said nothing as Yuri draped her with a heavy cloak and led her down the stairs and out of the inn. Outside, Yuri took out a small box from her pocket and gave it to her.

"Show me." Yuri said in a soft eager voice.

Jessica looked down at the box and then at Yuri. It was hardly the time to be playing around but something about the way Yuri had asked her made her think otherwise.

"Alright." Jessica forced a small smile and the lake froze up. The water moved in a luminous blue and Jessica calmly walked towards the lake with a struggling Yuri in tow.

"How did you do that?" Yuri asked, her mouth open as if this was the first time she has seen something extraordinarily happen.

"Magic." Jessica replied and opened the box. The swan appeared and the lake water swallowed the both of them before they surfaced above the ground.

"You take her." Jessica said as she sat behind Yuri. The water swan gave out a loud noise to acknowledge her new mistress.

"It's beautiful." Yuri breathed as the creature accelerated, the world below turning into a blur of dark colors. But even as she said that, that it was beautiful, Jessica remained silent behind her.

She clung to Yuri and felt her eyes tear up. All the fear, all the anxiety and all the sadness over Sooyoung's death came crashing down on her.

Jessica sniffed.

I am drowning.

Yuri shifted at the sound and turned to face her.

"Don't cry," she softly said, "I am here."

And as the swan flew higher, Yuri pulled her in for a deep kiss. Jessica cried into the kiss, and for the briefest of moments, there was a flicker of light that distracted her. She opened her eyes and blinked and thought she saw

white butterflies.

--

Hyungdon walked down the Imperial Palace in calculated pace. Some of the servants recognized him but the rest of them had merely thrown several inquiring faces at his direction. In his right hand was a scroll addressed to him from Taeyeon. There was only one sentence written on it:

"I cannot leave the empire without a ruler."

Hyungdon understood precisely what the crown princess meant: the time to fulfill his promise had finally come. When the guard pushed the door to the throne room open, Taeyeon was already waiting for him. Beside her, stood Lady Tiffany, pensive and oddly underdressed. Hyungdon wondered if she was prepared for what was about to happen.

She probably was.

Because she was leaning against the throne and looked like her heart was about to break anytime in two.

"Your Highness." Hyungdon stopped below the steps leading to the throne and made a grand bow.

"Are you ready?"

"By your will." Hyungdon answered.

Taeyeon beckoned the waiting minister and he came forward, carrying a large, heavy scroll. Its rollers were made of silver and it glinted under the midday light that seeped through the throne room. The minister paused in front of the princess and laid it down before her. With one graceful motion, he unclasped the lock and the scroll unrolled on its own.

It was empty save for two names:

HIDH Princess Taeyeon and Lord Hyungdon

It was their wedding scroll and Hyungdon didn't wait for Taeyeon to tell him what to do next. He knelt down, closed his eyes and spoke:

By the blood of my ancestors, of Prince Hiro and Princess Ai, I hereby sever this engagement, to honor a higher oath. Let the light see through me and deem me worthy of this request.

At the last word, his name on the scroll glowed and slowly faded away, leaving Taeyeon's name all alone on the beige parchment.

"Thank you." Taeyeon said and Hyungdon could feel the gratitude that ran deep in those simple words. Oddly enough, when Hyungdon's eyes wandered to Tiffany, she didn't look anything but confused. Her brows met in question.

A sudden understanding came over him: she had no idea what was about to happen.

"Now," Taeyeon smiled and turned to Tiffany, "let's sing."

Tiffany looked like she was about to faint.

Chapter 33 

All With Good Intentions

Donghae hadn't taken a bath in four days. In fact, he hasn't been home for four days. He was still in his office, stacks of empty papers to his left and an even higher stack of parchments filled with his scribbles to the right. The curtains were pulled halfway - just enough to let the midday sun in but not too harsh to disrupt his concentration.

Someone was calling him.

"My lord?"

Donghae looked up at the sound of the slightly raised voice and saw his servant standing in front of him.

"My lord, shall we serve you your lunch?"

Donghae gave a quick nod and returned his gaze back to the Prophecy. The original book lay open in front of him, encased in a protective invisible chant that prevented anyone but him from touching it. Donghae rubbed his face with his hands, sighing as he did. By now, the words no longer scared him. What terrified him though, was the fact that no matter how many times he had gone through the cryptic paragraphs, he still couldn't decipher most of its meaning. Not like Tiffany had done.

Was he getting dull?

There was a clutter of silverware and two more servants came in holding more dishes and a wine bottle. Donghae barely saw them through his peripheral vision and he didn't really care.

Were they even aware of the universe's impending doom? Probably not.

"My lord," the servant's voice reached him easily this time. Donghae blinked a couple of times before finally letting his thoughts fly away.

"Just leave it there." Donghae answered, putting down his pen.

"Would you be requiring anything else?"

"No, you may go now."

When the servant left, Donghae stood up and felt his leg muscles ache at the movement. He stretched out his arms and closed his eyes when a breeze found its way from the wide windows around him. Reaching up for the wine, he let his gaze wander to his meal: chicken, fish, olives and some potatoes. His stomach grumbled at the sight, prompting him to reach for an olive but the fruit was oily and slipped from his hand then dropped to the floor instead.

Donghae stared at the dark green fruit that lay motionless on the white marble floor for a while. He made no move of retrieving it or that he even plan to. He was remembering Jessica and how she hated olives. Green and black and red olives alike. She would specifically order her meals be prepared without them. But olives are a staple in a Soshi diet; a meal without them would always feel incomplete - like something was missing.

Donghae's eyes widened.

- like something was missing. Missing. There is something missing.

He dropped his goblet in haste, spilling good wine on the otherwise smooth floor. In three quick strides he was back at his desk.

"Illuminate!" a large ball of light appeared above him as he scanned the pages of the Prophecy furiously. The old pages rustled at every flick of his finger. Then he stopped. He found what he was looking for.

A passage, no doubt the most cryptic of all:

"The sky shall open up and bring forth the destruction to this world and thus, ending all save the unpure and the cursed. The light of his most divine highness, the Sun-God, to whom all life comes from shall be extinguished and removed from its pedestal. Darkness shall reign in all the worlds, in all the realms.

Immortality shall be void and the stars will die."

But the last sentence was separated. It was on another page - an odd separation that could have been mended by simply writing down the line at the space at the bottom. Donghae lifted the book and held it by its spine. Then with one intake sharp of breath, his hand lit up and the book was swallowed in blue flame.

"The Head of the Imperial Library demands this book be examined, page by page, word by word, letter by letter!"

And with that the book was freed from its binding and the pages floated, scattered around Donghae. Below every paper, the page number glowed in the same blue light that had engulfed it before.

"Arrange."

The pages lined up in front of him, forming rows of ten and columns of twenty. Donghae checked each and every one of them starting from the bottom row. He scanned higher and higher until his eyes stopped moving.

There was a gap in between the pages - an empty space.

Donghae smiled.

There was a missing page.

--

The nearest world to Earth was Andromeda. It was a large kingdom brimming with large cities and a proud history that dated back before the Breaking of the Union. All buildings in the capital were painted white by order of the current king except for the royal palace that stood in gold and blue marble. Though aware of the impending doom, life went relatively normal in Andromeda. The king chose to not tell anyone about what was happening in the universe.

No one, he believed, was prepared for the overwhelming information.

Lena pushed the door to the throne room with a flick of her wrist. The heavy metal door swung apart easily at the invisible force of her magic. The hall came into a hush as she stepped inside.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

The king, an old man, looked up and knew instantly who just walked in his throne room.

"You are not welcome here."

Lena ignored him and continued her approach. The king's guards were already on alert - their swords unsheathed. They stood before him in three lines, ready to attack without hesitation. Lena turned her head sideways and a very faint frown showed on her face.

"It's too dark in here."

At her last word, the curtains fell and the sunlight seeped into the room. The courtiers were already spread around, casting high shadows that encircled Lena and the empty space between.

"What do you want?" The king barked as Lena reached his guards, unfazed at the hostility of their stance. Not even when the captain of the guards lifted up his sword, leveling the tip to Lena's face.

"Not one step more." He said but Lena ignored him and looked up and straight into the king's eyes.

"Definitely not your kingdom."

Lena gave her signal and one of the elders behind her attacked. Fire and wind engulfed the throne room and in less than a minute, all of guards fell to the floor, lifeless with their eyes hollowed out. Like their souls were sucked out of them - which probably wasn't far from the truth. Silence echoed in the hall. And then a courtier started for the door and there was a great sound as all the other courtiers followed suit and scurried away, leaving their king alone at the mercy of the elders.

"Now." Lena smiled as she bent down to his ears. "Do we have your hospitality?"

The king opened his mouth but there was a crackling sound and he knew that it was from his own body. It started from his feet and crawled upwards. He felt his limb turn heavy and numb and when he looked down, he opened his mouth and gasped.

His skin was turning into stone and his last vision was that of a beautiful face smiling down on him.

--

Lena sat down the marble steps and crossed her legs. The rest of the elders followed hesitantly, a little bit perturbed by the odd sitting position. Below them the capital of Andromeda was in a buzz, white buildings glimmered under the high sun, seemingly unaware of what just happened.

Lena turned to her right.

"Cat got your tongue?"

The elder being addressed to and who now wore a bandage over half of her face looked at Lena incredulously. To which Lena let out a series of uncharacteristically quiet laughter.

"It's quite funny." Lena added earning dark looks from the rest of the elders.

"Shouldn't we be worrying?" Someone from the left spoke.

In one instant, Lena's eyes returned to its normal darkness.

"At this rate, the girl will destroy all the worlds by herself." The elder continued. "What's to stop her from destroying Earth before the darkness comes?"

"Herself." Lena procured a small parchment from her robe. "Or rather, her other self."

She unfolded the old thick page and it floated gently before them. "Why do you think we're here?"

"To recover?"

"Wrong." Lena hit the point with a firm voice. "We are here to seal this world."

The page was a map of the Soshi Empire - a star for every world that existed in the universe. Earth was to the very far left, almost at the very edge. Then the page disappeared entirely but the stars remained, floating before them. Lena flicked her wrist and a trail of black smoke appeared, snaking from star to star, dimming their glow in the process.

"It's the darkness." Someone finally said out loud.

"It's not random?" Another voice asked.

Lena didn't say anything and flicked her wrist once more. The stars returned to the page and the smoke turned to black ink, blotting out the same stars on the map.

"Nothing is random in the universe."

But while the darkness snaked across the stars, another inkblot could be seen. It was a small almost insignificant dot if not for the fact that it shared the same color as the larger blot, standing out against the yellow page.

"That is Kwon Yuri. All we need now is for her to remain herself and be swallowed by the incoming darkness. Never provoke her again."

Lena gave the tongue-less elder a knowing look. "Or you'll lose more than the ability to speak."

"But they only need to evade it."

"Not if they run out of worlds to open."

Lena's fingertip glowed and she drew a perfect line on the map. It separated Earth from the rest of the other worlds. The line itself ran through several kingdoms - six stars at the very least, Andromeda included.

"We just need to seal these worlds and trap them," Lena changed to a mocking tone, "in their vast empire."

On the parchment, the two inkblots were closing in on each other. The larger one looked ready to swallow the smaller one at any given time. Lena smiled like a child.

"And it's almost time."

--

Yuri walked inside her room and saw the universe sitting before a small bonfire. The universe was reading a book and as she came closer, the book turned out to be a magazine - a very familiar magazine.

"This isn't right," said the universe, frowning and turning her brows into crescent moons, "so what if I know his favorite color? Doesn't make sense."

The universe shook her head for emphasis and her hair that was made of stars swayed back and forth, dropping stardust in the process.

"It's not the color." Yuri pointed to the next page.

"Now imagine this color as his skin color, do you still like him?" The universe read out loud and then paused. Her eyes that were made of two blue planets squinted a bit, making her look as if she was in deep thought.

And then she let out a trail of laughter that sounded like thunders and rainfall. She doubled up and her laughter echoed within the small room.

"I think you need to start reading real books." The universe rolled the magazine and threw it into the fire. The flame turned bright yellow as the paper quickly turned to black ash. "Such a simple creature that you are."

"Why are you here?" Yuri asked.

"Where?"

"In my room."

"You locked me up in here."

"How do I let you out?

The universe shrugged, scratched her chin and yawned. Then she stretched her long arms that were made of asteroids clumped together - cracking like normal bones.

"I don't know but it's not too shabby in here." The universe then arranged her pillow, dusted it off with asteroid debris that fell from her skin. Her blanket fell from her lap and Yuri saw dying stars underneath. It restricted her movements - she was already paralyzed from the waist down. Yuri bent down and helped her rearrange her blanket so that she looked warm and tucked in.

"Thank you dear." The universe gave her blanket a satisfied path.

"You will die here." Yuri sadly said.

"I know." The universe closed her eyes like a tired old woman and slept.

--

The Song of the Butterflies  

Appendix B - Lineage and Notes on Ascension

His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor  

Born Prince Daehyun to the Main Imperial Family 

Name after Final Ascension: Emperor Daehyun V

Her Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Empress 

Born Lady Hyoshin to the Main Noble House of Kim  

Name after Final Ascension: Empress Hyoshin III

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Taeyeon 

Princess Regent and Heir Apparent to the Divine Throne of the Soshi Empire 

Lineage: Eldest daughter of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Ascended: Y. 7021 A.B.U. (Change of Title and Designated Imperial Seal) 

Confirmation as Heir Apparent: Y. 6971 A.B.U

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Hyomin 

Lineage: Second daughter of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Ascended: Y. 7071 A.B.U (Change of Title and Designated Imperial Seal)

Her Imperial Highness Princess Sooyeon (Jessica) 

Lineage: Third daughter of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Change of Name by Request: Approved by His Divine Majesty The Ruling-God Emperor

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Seohyun 

Lineage: Fourth daughter of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Ascended: Y. 7271 A.B.U. (Change of Title and Designated Imperial Seal)

His Imperial and Divine Highness Prince Juro 

Final Ascension Complete 

Lineage: First Brother of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Final Ascension: Y. 6501 A.B.U 

Children: 

His Imperial and Divine Highness Prince Siwon 

His Imperial Highness Prince Khyuhyun 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Narsha

His Imperial and Divine Highness Prince Siwon 

Heir Presumptive of the Divine Throne of the Soshi Empire (prior to the birth of Princess Taeyeon) 

Lineage: Eldest Son of Prince Juro 

Ascended: Y. 6502 (Change of Title and Designated Imperial Seal) 

Heir Presumptive status retracted, divinity kept

His Imperial and Divine Highness Prince Haejin  

Head of the 1st Cluster of Worlds  

Lineage: Second Brother of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Children: 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Sunhwa 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Yoona

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Hyori 

Final Ascension Complete 

Lineage: First Sister of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Final Ascension: Y. 7001 A.B.U 

Children: 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Hara 

Her Imperial Highness Princess Jiyeon

Her Imperial and Divine Highness Princess Shinyoung 

Lineage: Youngest Sister of His Divine Majesty The Ruling God-Emperor 

Ascended: Y. 6421 A.B.U. (Change of Title and Designated Imperial Seal)

Lady Lee Soonkyu (Sunny) 

Lineage: Eldest daughter of Lord Noh of the Eastern Noble House of Lee 

Education: Eastern Imperial Academy

Lady Tiffany Hwang 

Lineage: Eldest daughter of Lord Minhae of the Main Noble House of Hwang 

Education: Imperial Academy

Choi Sooyoung  

Lineage: n/a 

Education: Imperial Academy 

Awarded the Imperial Medal for Exceptional Flying Skills

Kim Hyoyeon 

Lineage: n/a 

Awarded the Imperial Medal for Exceptional Flying Skills

Kwon Yuri 

Lineage: unknown

Notes of sorts:

The current emperor and empress do no have proper names. They are simply referred to as the Ruling-God Emperor or Empress.  

The Divine Throne is restricted to Divinities (Ascended Beings). A marriage between a divinity and higher-being is allowed only with the approval of the Emperor/Empress. In such cases the higher-being shall be granted permission to ascend to allow for the union to take place. However, he/she shall not rule Soshi but will only serve as a consort for the remainder of her/his time in Soshi before Final Ascension. All children of such union shall be granted ascension and divinity status regardless of the impurity of the mother/father. Lesser-beings are prohibited to join hands with divinities. Higher-beings and lesser-beings unions are allowed but shall seek permission from the Minister of Unions (Usually presided by the Crown Prince/Princess).  

Only members of the main branch of the imperial family are allowed to ascend with the exception of heir presumptives (in rare cases).  

The title 'divine' is added to the existing title of the prince or princess immediately after Ascension. Unique and individual seals are also designated after Ascension for personal distinction. 

All un-ascended members of the imperial family are formally referred to as higher-beings - despite being above in rank to them by birth (They still officially belong to the First Children of the Sun-God). Their inability to ascend prohibits them from becoming divinities.  

Ascension is traditionally held during the prince/princess' 100th birthday. Though not mandatory, a prince or princess can delay her or his ascension (first and second) for an unlimited amount of time.

Glossary:

A.B.U - After the Breaking of the Union (of Earth) 

Final Ascension - Second and final stage of Ascension when the divinity sheds his/her physical form to ascend to the heavens.  

Noble Houses - Over a hundred noble houses currently exist in the Soshi Empire. Noble Houses are formed and restricted to higher-beings. Noble houses are typically branched out into four categories: East, West, North and Main. The main house is found in the capital and such, has governance over the other branches.

Chapter 34 

'Tis Grace Hath Brought Me Safe Thus Far

This world had two moons, one to the right and one to the left. It reflected its silent rivers that glistened with their currents. Shinyoung observed its tall trees while perched on a rocky cliff high above its mountains. This particular location gave her ample view of the world below and right now it was in deep sleep.

What a beautiful world.

Shinyoung's eyelids grew heavy at the sudden thought of sleep but she quickly fought the drowsiness away. Keeping watch of an entire world didn't give her quite enough time to rest these days. The one time she did let her guard down, Yuri was almost taken by Lena and her minions.

And Sooyoung.

Shinyoung slowly shook her head to keep Sooyoung's memory at bay. It is too early to grieve. Everything must settle first. There will be time for remembrance later.

Just then the air behind Shinyoung moved and sandaled feet stepped onto the rocks loudly.

"Your highness," the Imperial Guard called behind her, "the ninth seal is in place."

"Thank you." Shinyoung nodded and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

When the guard disappeared, Shinyoung set down her cup of tea and with a languid wave of her hand, the world barriers glistened - nine layers of the most protective magic there was. Eight of which took the entire Imperial Guard three days to finish. Unlike protective barriers they used before, this one guaranteed complete invisibility from outside forces and more time to break into.

But with a price: the inability to create gateways within the world itself. Shinyoung doubted if it would completely keep the elders away, but trusted it enough to give them a fair warning if and when they decide to attack again. Shinyoung closed her eyes in concentration, hoping to find a hint of Lena in the vastness of the universe.

Shinyoung raised an eyebrow at what she found instead.

"What are you up to now, Taengoo?"

--

Seohyun studied with moderate interest the various expressions plastered on her sisters' faces. Jessica, reclined on the couch, had a slightly curious look - a feat somehow because her sister rarely bothered herself when it came to these things. Hyomin, near Jessica, had a darker look about her and she looked like she had a thousand things to say but was resisting the urge to do so. Seohyun then shifted her gaze to her eldest sister by the window and found her staring out - tense and rigid.

Seohyun breathed out loud.

This was her first time in Taeyeon's mind and she wondered why her sister chose something as generic as the imperial reading room for a meeting place. There was an air of weariness in the room despite the fact that all of her sisters were present. A very, very rare occasion.

"Tiffany?" It was Jessica who finally broke the silence.

"Yes." Taeyeon replied instantly with a voice that was perhaps a little too edgy than she had hoped for.

"Why?" Hyomin folded her arms and Taeyeon instantly reacted at the hostile body language by reflecting the same action.

"I cannot leave the empire without a ruler."

"I don't think it's wise for you to leave Soshi at all."

Taeyeon paused thoughtfully, "I trust her."

"It's not about trust. Tiffany will never have your equal power," Hyomin's face softened, "you know that. That's why father chose Hyungdon to begin with."

"She will if I take the throne now."

There was a collective gasp and Hyomin opened her mouth but it was Jessica's voice that was heard. A clear and heavy:

"What?"

Seohyun could tell that it took her sister a lot of effort to not shout. Jessica was on her feet, her body slightly tensing up to Taeyeon's proposal. Hyomin too had unfolded her arms as if trying to prepare herself for an incoming battle.

"I will ascend the throne." Taeyeon's voice faltered a little bit but what she lacked in conviction, she made up with keeping a serious face under Jessica and Hyomin's disbelieving stares.

"You can't be serious!" Jessica finally cried out loud, stepping forward for emphasis.

"You know what will happen if you do," Hyomin added with a face that meant she shouldn't even be explaining to begin with, "you will prevent mother and father from returning to Soshi."

Taeyeon was nowhere near threatened by the twins and looked just as unbending. "I know that but right now there is no - "

"You cannot sing without the elders, unnie."

It was Seohyun and she finally found her voice. It was shaky and a little bit unsure but it came out just in time to prevent the tension from escalating further. Her sisters turned to her all at once, sharing an unified look of mild surprise and maybe even a little bit of condescension.

Taeyeon blinked. "I can. Our union is allowed."

Seohyun shook her head. "If you sing with her now, without the elders to pull you down from re-creating a perfect world, there's a chance that the world you create will just break."

"Earth didn't break." Taeyeon said in a tone that did not encourage a reply. "And it was made without the Elders."

"Look what happened to it." It was Hyomin who took over the conversation. Rational, composed and levelheaded as per usual. "At least talk to Shinyoung-unnie about this."

"No!" Taeyeon finally raised her voice. "Enough talking. I am done with talking!"

The outburst effectively stopped any retaliation Hyomin might have had. Taeyeon was dangerously close to losing her patience and it was best to avoid that from happening. Silence descended again. Seohyun pursed her lips and decided to let the matter go.

At length, Taeyeon looked at each and every one of them in mild disappointment.

I thought you'd understand.

"I will marry her," she finally said in a voice that was calm and ultimately non-negotiable.

"Marry her then." Jessica replied evenly with a hint of weariness in her tone. When they all looked at her, her body was starting to disintegrate - she was leaving the meeting.

"Where are you going?" Taeyeon took a few warning steps towards Jessica. "This meeting is not over yet. Don't you even dare..."

Jessica shrugged, unaffected. "Congratulations."

--

Jessica returned to the real world abruptly, gasping for breath as she opened her eyes. Taeyeon's angry face was still fresh in her mind. Her sister would forgive her though. She always did. Jessica her pushed her head back down the soft pillow and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim light.

The small room, large enough for a double bed, was a deep contrast to the affluence of the imperial reading room she was just at moments ago. Her blanket that was hitched up to her chin smelled clean but lacked the flower scents of her blankets back at home. It would be a lie to say that she did not miss Soshi.

Then something stirred beside her followed by an unintelligent mumbling. Jessica turned to the source of the sound and frowned when she found herself staring at Yuri's hair instead. The girl had her back to Jessica and was in deep sleep, curled up like a ball, taking as little space as the shared blanket allowed her to.

Jessica wrinkled her nose at the distance.

It's been months now and nothing has happened between them. Yuri wasn't even trying. Frowning at the thought, Jessica carefully let her hand travel to Yuri's side, slid her hand under Yuri's arm and without so much as a second thought, twisted the skin underneath the robe.

Yuri woke up instantly, groaning as she did at the pain.

"What the - ?" Yuri turned over to face Jessica, furiously rubbing the spot Jessica had pinched.

"I'm sorry," Jessica started laughing, "I'm sorry."

"Did I do something?"

Unfortunately, Yuri's sensitivity equaled that of a goblin. Jessica's laughter ceased at the question and was replaced by a pout.

"No, Yuri, you didn't do anything."

"What?"

Jessica rolled to her side so that her back was against Yuri now.

"Never mind."

--

Hyoyeon stepped back a little bit in front of the mirror. She inclined her head to the left and felt a little bit relieved that the last of her wounds have finally healed. The scars will still take some time to heal but that was the least of her worries now.

For now.

With a few more splashes to her face, she left the bathroom in fresh clean clothes. Her temporary roommates, Sunny and Hyomin, have already left for the day, most probably making their rounds to keep the current world safe and under the radar.

"Hyo are you ready?" Hyoyeon jumped a little bit at the unusually perky voice. In an instant, Yuri was by her side, like the girl had been waiting for her all this time.

"Ready for what?"

Yuri raised three empty bags in the air. "Market day."

"You can't come," Hyoyeon shook her head, "you have to stay here."

Yuri's smile faltered a little bit. "I already talked to Sunny. She said I could come."

There was something surreal about the argument. On one hand there is the impending doom of the universe rendering market trips a tad bit absurd, and on the other hand there was the plain and simple fact that everyone was still very much alive and in need of food.

"Please?" Yuri stopped smiling altogether but Hyoyen recognized her sincerity nonetheless.

After Sooyoung's death, Yuri had been withdrawn most of the time, only talking to Jessica from time to time. So now as the girl begged to join her on her market trip, Hyoyeon knew that this was Yuri finally reaching out.

"I'm sorry Hyo," Yuri quietly said, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Hyoyeon took the bags off of the girl's hands. "It's not your fault."

Hyoyeon wished she believed her own words.

--

Outside the inn, a small growing crack was making its way across the first barrier - an opposite energy that was equally patient and ultimately powerful. For the very first time, Shinyoung's feet ran cold as she paused with her teacup -almost dramatically- before her face. She realized, with a sickening drop in her stomach, that the malevolent force working its way to the first barrier wasn't just Lena but something else entirely powerful.

The darkness was also here.

Shinyoung looked up and addressed the sky.

It's time.

--

"I'm sorry," Taeyeon said, "this isn't how I pictured our union would be like."

Tiffany let out a strange laugh and looked at her normal Soshi gown. "You're right. I'm not even dressed for the occasion."

"I don't think our guests would mind." Taeyeon shrugged and looked down the dais to where their witnesses stood: Hyungdon and the minister that held their marriage scroll.

"You both look lovely, Your Highnesses." Hyungdon offered with a tiny smile.

Taeyeon reached out for Tiffany's hand.

"Ready?"

Tiffany nodded and the world dimmed. The Pillar of Light shot a vertical light straight up to the sky for a split-second before the same light re-appeared, swallowing the crown princess in its entirety.

Tiffany had no choice but to close her eyes from the blinding light. Taeyeon's grip on their linked hands tightened and Tiffany could feel her own magic multiply at the touch. The unfamiliar feeling built within her, rising, swelling as the light continued to shine down on them. And then she had her eyes open, though she did not recall opening them, and the light no longer blinded her. Before her, Taeyeon was still a mass of pure glowing light, barely even recognizable in this form.

The crown princess arched her back as the light finally succumbed to her will and into her body. Taeyeon opened her eyes; holding her breath as she stared at Tiffany with blank eyes.

Tiffany's brows met. "Taetae?"

Taeyeon breathed out and huffed in a loud "whoo". Then she smirked, unused to moving without the handicap of being restrained and limited.

Below the dais, their marriage scroll floated gently out of the minister's hand and into the space between them. It read:

Her Majesty The Ruling God-Empress and HIDH Princess Tiffany 

12th Hour of the End of Spring Y. 7271

Chapter 35 

And Grace Will Lead Me Home

Yuri wiggled her toes inside her shoes. She was just noticing the fact that the canvas material the pair was made of was already worn out. Not in the cool skater girl faded type but more on the homeless, jobless spectrum. They were cream colored now - a far cry from their bright red former selves.

Time to get a new pair.

A sandaled, more elegant foot stepped on one of them, its owner's weight pushing it down deeper into the ground. And then came the other foot effectively holding Yuri down, not to mention crushing her.

Yuri looked up at the familiar intruder.

"You're stepping on me, Sica."

A small, strange expression was playing on Jessica's face. Yuri couldn't decide between coy and annoyed, but childish would probably best fit the description.

"I know." Jessica grinned. The princess then tiptoed and pushed her feet back on Yuri's, holding onto Yuri's shoulders to maintain her balance. Yuri's hand automatically reached out to her hips and then felt awkward and settled on holding onto Jessica's robe instead.

"Are you hungry?"

Jessica puffed her face and shook her head.

"Are you angry with me?"

Another shake.

"Then why are you still crushing my feet?"

Jessica's shoulders dropped in disappointment and she finally hopped off of Yuri. Then with one graceful motion, turned around and sat on the younger girl's lap. The wool of Jessica's robe pressed against Yuri's own clothes as the princess lazily leaned in. Yuri could smell the jasmine scent that always clung to Jessica regardless of the time of day.

"Well," Yuri finally chuckled, "between you pinching me in the middle of the night and stepping on my feet. I'll take this."

"What's wrong?" Yuri nudged Jessica as she remained passive in her arms. "What's really bothering you, Sica?"

"Hmmm." Jessica made a small grunt. "Taeyeon's singing with Tiffany."

"Tiffany?"

"Of all the time to be singing."

Yuri let out a short laugh. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"No." Jessica quickly countered but Yuri merely laughed again, rocking both their bodies from side to side.

"Yes you are."

"I just think it's not the right time." Jessica quietly said.

"Hmmm." Yuri mimicked and Jessica shifted her weight to the side. The silence stretched longer than it should have. Yuri didn't know when her heart suddenly started to beat furiously but now that she was aware of it she was also aware that Jessica was still in her arms. A distance that was too close and maybe, just maybe, a little bit jarring.

"Sica..." Yuri could already feel the heat gathering on her face. Her throat felt dry and she pushed her lips together to stop herself from saying more.

Jessica waited a few seconds before turning her head to face her. Yuri pulled away, trying to get to the furthest distance possible so that their faces weren't inches apart.

"What?"

"If - if you wanted to sing with someone," Yuri swallowed, " and that someone isn't particularly from Soshi. What, I mean, how would that go?"

It took Jessica a lot of effort to not squeal and then scream at Yuri - in that particular order. Subtlety of a goblin, indeed! A rather cute goblin though. Her frustration at the younger girl dissolving as Yuri struggled to keep the color of her face normal.

Jessica arched her eyebrows and feigned a shocked reaction.

"Kwon Yuri, are you proposing?"

"I, well, I'm - "

--

The first barrier crumbled. Shinyoung and Hyomin stepped back from their viewpoint high above the mountain in surprise as the thin, almost invisible light winked out.

--

Hyoyeon and Sunny looked up from the busy market street as the sky flickered white and then black and then back to normal. Half the crowd still hasn't noticed the change in their atmosphere but Hyoyeon and Sunny were already on their cloud-pines, racing away from the town square. Their bags lay empty and abandoned in front of the fruit stand.

--

Yuri never finished her sentence because a searing pain shot through her chest again. She clutched onto Jessica's arms instinctively before letting go of the princess and pushing her away.

With the feeling of the darkness so close to manifesting again, Yuri clawed her chest for that invisible force, barely registering Jessica's concerned voice in the background. A deep voice rang inside her head, but something was drowning it - like a thick wall, filtering the words so Yuri could barely understand what it was saying.

Nowhere...run now. You... have...to run.

"Yuri," Jessica had wrapped her arms around Yuri to prevent her from physically hurting herself, "Yuri."

"Please let go, Sica." Jessica tightened her arms around the girl as Yuri tried to pry away from her.

"No."

There was a shuffle - Hyomin and Shinyoung finally showed up, dust scattering at the haste of their appearance. Hyomin though just as affected as Yuri was, had more resistance to the pain.

"What's happening?" Jessica asked as Shinyoung and Hyomin helped her with Yuri.

"They've broken the first shield." Hyomin supplied as they held Yuri down, pinning the girl's arms. Shinyoung was already chanting something inaudible, her lips moving rapidly. When the chant ended, a faint semblance of a hand was gripping Yuri's heart. It was barely visible and was only illuminated by Shinyoung's chant.

Yuri stared down at the ghostly hand and instinctively reached out to hold on to it. Her grip only passed through and touched the air and as if in reaction, the hand pulled out and disappeared.

--

Lena's expression remained stoic as her arm slowly returned to its normal state. The bright little specks revolved around her skin before gathering on her wrist, forming a small black butterfly - the same exact butterfly Kwon Yuri had on her chest.

Shinyoung had been too fast for her.

Around her, the throne room had been emptied save the elders that now wore their ceremonial scarlet robes. They were chanting. The floor beneath them was illuminated in bloody red - with lines crossing each other encasing ancient symbols that moved rapidly into the sphere around the area on which they all stood. Eight more circles within circles glowed slightly pink - a deep contrast to the crimson glow that was trying to nullify, if not swallow, them.

Let's see if you're fast enough for this.

--

Shinyoung peeled open Yuri's robe enough to observe the small butterfly on her chest. Jessica's eyes widened, it was her first time seeing the mark. Yuri looked at her guiltily, silently apologizing for keeping it a secret.

"This is the reason why you can only call upon the darkness." Shinyoung gazed up, gauging the progress of the barriers. "Lena planted the darkness in you when Taeyeon had brought you to them."

Shinyoung then inclined her head to Hyomin. The princess nodded and brought a hand to her own chest and something lit up, a white thread made of light, connecting her heart to Yuri's own.

"The only reason why it doesn't swallow you altogether is Hyomin's life-force inside you."

"What are you saying?" Jessica asked, whisking away the irrational jealousy she felt at the bond. Reprimanding herself in her mind to even be thinking such thoughts at moments like these.

"I'm saying," Shinyoung paused pensively and then looked at Yuri with unnerving steadiness, "that only Lena can remove that darkness from you or you have to find a way to overcome it."

The sky flickered again; the second shield was barely holding out.

Yuri's shoulders sagged. Her eyes went down, avoiding everyone's stares. She felt like crying again but that would be embarrassing, among other things. There was no escape. Lena would always find them.

It's hopeless. This is hopeless.

No it's not.

Yuri blinked at the second voice in her mind and wondered briefly if it was her other self that had spoken. But of course it wasn't - it was someone else entirely familiar. It was from the one person that she shared a bond with.

There's always hope.

Yuri looked up wordlessly at Hyomin and the princess offered her a small smile. The thread between them slowly disappeared but Yuri felt its presence nonetheless. It was, she remembered, the reason she was still alive.

The second shield finally gave up.

They all looked up at the same time to witness the entire sky play with colors that were anything but blue. The sky burned black, red, amber and a faint hint of green.

Then the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh barriers crumpled easily.

More than half of the soldiers of the Imperial Guard died within the next minutes. Their swords that contained their life-forces succumbed to the darkness waiting just outside the shields. Yuri realized that it was their life-forces that mostly kept the shield up and now they floated into little specks against the darkness.

Yuri looked down at her shoes and wiggled her toes. For her next pair, she'd pick a nice shade of yellow. Something tougher, more resilient maybe.

Yuri felt the other pull, the darkness, grow stronger within. And then the tears begin to burn at her eyes and almost in a dissonant voice she said:

"We have to start running again."

--

In Andromeda, Lena opened the folded page again and slightly smiled in accomplishment at the fact that the darkness was now surrounding Kwon Yuri. It was an ominous mass of black ink on the paper, growing by the second, deferred only by the fact that the Imperial Shield was still standing.

But Lena knew exactly what Shinyoung had risked when she gave out the order to shield their current world: No gateways will open from within as long as the shield was intact.

Nowhere to run.

All they need to do now was to hasten the process.

Lena looked down at the ancient symbols on the floor, the line that represented the eighth barrier thinned out as the rest of the elders continued chanting. Furious, ancient words spouting out of their mouths.

Lena tapped her finger patiently as she waited for the eighth barrier to completely disappear. For the next moment, she felt alive again, excited even as she felt that everything was finally falling into place.

With one final chorus of words, the barrier cracked and exploded into nothingness and Lena's heart slightly skipped a beat. Then she looked up at the elders and uttered an almost giddy:

"Now."

--

Everything stilled and then slowly the sunlight dimmed and dimmed until Yuri was staring into the darkness itself. To her left, she felt Jessica's hand wrap around hers and Yuri slightly breathed in relief.

"Illuminate!" Yuri wasn't sure who first uttered and created the light but she raised a hand to her eyes nonetheless when everyone around her followed suit. Balls of light floated up and into the sky and scattered, providing enough artificial to the land.

"Auntie?" Hyomin turned to Shinyoung who had been unusually silent throughout.

Shinyoung shook her head. "I shouldn't have...those guards."

There was a defeated tone in her voice that even Yuri noticed. Hyomin and Jessica looked at each other apprehensively before turning back to Shinyoung.

"What have you done?" Jessica asked in such a way that she sounded like she didn't want to know the answer at all. "What have you done, Auntie?"

Shinyoung didn't reply but kept her eyes above, to where the sky above them now had massive circle of symbols, crimson red light against pitch black.

Hyomin took the initiative at Shinyoung's silence and started to open a gateway as quickly as she could. The chant, of course, didn't work. Jessica, upon seeing Hyomin's failed attempt tried one for herself only to yield the same result.

"You can't open a gateway while the shield is still on."

Shinyoung closed her eyes, moved her lips wordlessly and then opened them, finishing her words with a gust of wind. The sky lit a little brighter - eight figures wrapped in familiar flames scattered above. Only this time they weren't falling down in great speed but stayed in place.

"They aren't attacking us?"

"They have other plans..." Shinyoung trailed off and looked Jessica in the eyes. "Stay with Yuri."

And with that Hyomin and Shinyoung were gone, and above the sky all at once.

--

Lena saw the two of them approach - flying towards her. How predictable they were and rather limited. Even Shinyoung had failed her expectations; setting themselves up for such an easy trap.

Outside the last shield, the darkness ebbed and pushed its way through with the help of the elders. Its claws, if it had them, would be scratching the surface of this world now - waiting for that pivotal moment when all bars would melt and the world would be laid in front, ready for the taking.

Shinyoung and Hyomin appeared before her, luminous against the dark, but Lena simply slid away, creating considerable distance between them. They chased her and she accelerated, the world a blur passing by.

And then Lena looked back and saw Hyomin pulling away from the chase, changing directions and heading towards the nearest elder.

Lena breathed and was gone and then she re-appeared inches behind Hyomin. With one angry hand, she gripped the unknowing Princess by the robe and sent her hurtling through the air. Shinyoung to the left, a mile away, almost succeeded touching the second elder but had felt in surprise, Lena's hand gripping her neck. Shinyoung disappeared her way out of the grip - the abruptness of her own actions disorienting her as she appeared right in the sky - several miles below Lena.

And then Hyomin was there again, like a perennial weed to Lena's discontent. The princess shot up large surge of light, attacking the nearest elder to her, effectively stopping the chant on this side of the sky. Below, a small gap could be seen on the massive circle of moving symbols.

Lena's expression, for the first time, turned into rage. She raised her arm that had the butterfly mark on and a human-sized heart made of light manifested in front of her. It was beating, thumping. Without preamble, Lena gripped the heart, crushing it with her hand that was now made of amber light and watched from afar as Hyomin sagged midair, then dived headlong back to the ground, clutching her own chest.

This, Your Highness, is what you get for sharing your life with a human.

--

Yuri's eyes rolled up at the excruciating pain. Jessica watched helplessly at the suffering. The hardest thing for her to wrap her mind around was that there was really nothing she can do but let Yuri grip her hand, even as the nails dug onto her skin, drawing blood in long scratches.

Jessica opened her mouth in hopes of consoling the younger girl but tears prickled and burned her eyes before she could say anything.

Father, please lend us your light.

--

Shinyoung caught Hyomin midway and realized that she had never seen her niece in so much pain before. Hyomin had tears, actual tears in her eyes.

"It's al - "

Another scream. This time Shinyoung could tell that the pain had doubled by the short breaths her niece was taking. Shinyoung felt her own resolve crumble as Hyomin sniffed in her arms.

"It hurts, Auntie."

Hyomin had slumped into her, arms automatically wrapping around her neck. She was sobbing - which she had done many years ago, when she was a child. Shinyoung felt something stung in her eyes and realized almost in bewilderment that she was also close to crying.

--

And then there was a sudden burst of light from the skyline; a visible straight line cutting through the elders' enchantments like a knife. The sky flickered with this new energy, throwing the elders off of their positions and forcing them to land on solid ground. When the surge of energy subsided

Taeyeon

emerged - bringing forth a great light that could have replaced the sun itself. She was barely visible in this new form. Of pure white light that engulfed her, as if trying to break free from her body.

The princess, no, God-Empress flew towards Lena and leveled with her.

"Leave my sister alone."

Lena smiled.

"Come then, Your Majesty, let's make a mess of the universe."

Chapter 36 

The Thief

"Come then, Your Majesty, let's make a mess of the universe."

Taeyeon inclined her head to the left and the last barrier that the elders were desperately trying to remove was gone. The darkness quickly fell like water from a pierced roof but Taeyeon waved an arm and a shield appeared instantaneously. This particular barrier, the divine barrier, allowed gateways to and from any world that it protected.

"Impressive," Lena admitted.

Then Taeyeon attacked and Lena had missed getting hit by a violent surge of fire by a mere inch. The heat passed by her as she twisted her body in deft movements to avoid it. When she straightened up, she smelled something burning; the fire had touched the tip of her hair.

"You can't kill me." Lena said, unfazed. She adjusted her clothes that had been rumpled by the attack. Taeyeon stayed quiet - as if she was waiting for something, and that something was a gateway.

It opened from below, shooting a vertical light across the sky for a split-second. It was from outside and not from within. Lena's head snapped in alert at the newcomer, but couldn't take her attention away from Taeyeon for too long. When she returned her gaze back to her, the God-Empress' face finally showed a hint of smugness - like she had a trick up her sleeves that she couldn't wait to show off.

"No," Taeyeon finally said, voice steady, "but I will hurt you nonetheless and then lock you up in Meride for all eternity."

Lena raised an eyebrow - silently accepting the challenge. Then they both moved again and Lena wasn't quite prepared for how fast the God-Empress could be. For the first time, she found herself exerting actual effort in fighting. Dodging real attacks that could and would disarm her in a heartbeat. This was no Shinyoung or Hyomin, this was no ordinary ascended being - this was the God-Empress, bearer of the most divine light in the universe.

Unprepared, though only for the slightest of seconds, Lena felt her own magic being sucked into this unstoppable force and she suddenly found herself gripped by the collar - a similar predicament she had put Hyomin in just minutes ago.

"But first," Taeyeon's jaw tightened, "you have something that doesn't belong to you."

The fabric of her clothes began to burn as Taeyeon finished her sentence. She looked down to see a blue, forceful light burrowing into the cloth that covered her left chest. Lena followed the source of the unfamiliar light and it ended with someone just as unfamiliar, someone out of place - Donghae.

The Head of the Imperial Library was on his cloud-pine, a hand outstretched as his palms emitted the blue light that went straight through her robe.

"The Head of the Imperial Library confiscates The Prophecy!"

As soon as he finished the last word, a folded page flew out of Lena's robe and into Donghae's waiting hands. No heartbeat was wasted as he quickly turned around, and like a thief, started to descend away from them.

Lena raised her fist, chest-level and the air around it quickly turning into fire, aimed at Donghae but a hand had gripped hers before she could do anything with it.

"No." If Taeyeon could crush the arm, she would have, but Lena quickly slid away from the grip. Floating a few meters away from her.

For the briefest of seconds, Taeyeon saw Lena's eyes flare in anger but it reverted back to the serene, eerie smile all too soon. Carefully, as if in a moment's stalemate, she tucked in a loose hair behind her ear and looked down. Her lips moved silently as if she was praying. When she was done, she looked back up and smiled.

"Alright, let's play."

And with that Lena disappeared from the current world - with Taeyeon following close behind.

--

Donghae backed down as fast as he could, one hand gripping the page. He held it to his chest as he accelerated away, heeding Taeyeon's words before they left Soshi:

Keep the page safe and get away from Lena as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Shinyoung was at his side. Shielding him, though clearly curious by his sudden presence, as they flew down to where the rest of them had gathered. Hyomin and Yuri looked indisposed, sitting on the ground side by side, guarded by Hyoyeon, Sunny and Jessica. The last remaining soldiers of the Imperial guard stood within the distance, forming a loose circle around them.

As soon as he landed, Donghae unfolded the page in a hurry, not even sparing one more glance at them. His hands trembled but the blue flame that represented his office was stable. The page tripled in its size and showed a map of the Soshi Empire. There was black ink scattered, snaking all over it.

Donghae knotted his eyebrows.

What am I looking for? What is it?

A shuffling sound distracted him and he looked down, finding Jessica staring at the same page. The princess' face was in serious concentration. Donghae's mouth suddenly felt dry at the closeness of their distance. This was the first time in a while that he had seen the princess, and she looked different. Not because her clothes were not from Soshi or that her hair was tied into a knot - slightly inelegant compared to the usual flowing curls she had back at home. No. Something else was different from this Jessica.

"That's us." Shinyoung's voice brought him back to reality. Donghae blinked away an embarrassed voice at the back of his mind for spacing out in the middle of chaos. Shinyoung had meant the ink blots on the paper.

"Yes." Donghae agreed. "There must be something here that can help us."

"Is this a page from The Prophecy?" Jessica asked, touching the rough edges of the side of the parchment.

"Taken by Lena," Donghae flipped the page into the air and it scattered, projecting stars around them. Other than showing the darkness' path and Yuri's location, nothing seemed out of place with it.

"I don't see anything." Jessica said in a frustrated voice as she kept on turning her head from side to side, studying the positions of the stars.

Donghae silently agreed. There were no clues. Not even a hint of Lena's plan at all.

A full minute has passed in silence until Shinyoung who had been quiet all the while, snapped her fingers, almost as an after-thought. Her eyes widened, mouth agape. A look, Donghae thought, he would never see on Shinyoung.

"They're separating Earth from the empire."

--

Sunny looked up first. It was her who remembered where they were and that danger still floated around. The barrier that Taeyeon had created was slowly thinning and Sunny's eyes scanned the sky for the rest of the elders who have mysteriously vanished along with Taeyeon and Lena.

Something's not right.

Shinyoung, Jessica and Donghae were still studying the page. Hyoyeon to her left was tending to Yuri, her hand stroking the younger girl's back as Yuri's breathing slowly return back to normal. Still, Sunny couldn't shake off the eerie feeling and just as she reached for her cloud-pine, Hyomin called out to her.

The princess shook her head weakly, reading her intention like an open book. "Don't fly out there. You know it's not safe."

Sunny paused but didn't let go of the cloud-pine that she held. There was a sound from the distance, a faint noise that only she noticed. Everyone else was busy trying to figure out the map.

"Something's not right," she quietly said, "we have to leave - "

Sunny trailed off as her gut feeling intensified. The faint sound she was hearing grew louder and then

the elders appeared.

It was nasty shock. The ascended beings materialized in front of them, crimson robes flapping against the wind. There was a scramble, a mad dash of shields and magic lighting up as they all tried to protect Yuri from the close encounter.

Except for Sunny.

She had been somewhat mentally and physically prepared for the attack. She stood there, oddly composed, and saw almost in suspended animation, as an elder reached out to the page Donghae held. She had struck him with a strong blow to the head, sending him rolling a few meters away. The elder flew up as soon as she acquired the page but Sunny was already on her cloud-pine in pursuit.

Before she left the ground though, she heard Hyomin scream her name - muffled through the chaos - almost as if trying to stop her from flying after the elder.

--

Yuri was instantly on her feet - and she couldn't even remember standing up in the first place. The pain she had suffered a while back now seemed like a distant memory as she felt the butterflies crawl out of her chest. The transformation was almost instinct by now and it came as natural as breathing.

But the elders were gone before the darkness could manifest, - leaving only a fading crimson light in their wake - as if they appeared by mistake, or that they have gotten what they wanted all too soon.

The wind settled around them. Yuri could finally breath freely as the darkness retreated back and they all stepped away from the protective circle they had formed around her.

But then Yuri noticed something a little too late -

Jessica was gone.

--

The edge of the universe, like Meride, was dark and cold. It didn't particularly attract holidays. It was for the most part, a vast expanse of rocky plain that was only mile wide. But what it lacked in width, it made up for length. The edge of the universe spanned eternally, like a bridge with nothing but the abyss from side to side. Its only light was a faint hint of the nearest star a million miles away from it.

Jessica barely had time to acquaint herself with this place when chains made of amber light snaked around her body and her held down. The chains tightened around her and Jessica was brought to a kneeling position as the lock clicked in place.

"You don't want to do this," Jessica gritted her teeth, as the elders' faces came into view, unobscured and without the flames that had shielded them before.

"You are right. We do not want to have to resort to this." One of them agreed as they circled around Jessica, drawing ancient symbols beneath them as they invoked a chant to seal her within a growing sphere.

Jessica felt the amber light crawl up to her face and in no time it formed into a blindfold, blocking her sight entirely.

"With the strength of a hundred swords..." The elders' voices trailed off, echoing ominously, and Jessica knew they were finishing their chant.

"Bind."

With that final word, the amber light that held Jessica down turned red-black and burned. It pierced her skin like what it was meant to do - with a thousand swords. Jessica arched her back, clenched her jaw and pursed her lips - resisting the urge to cry out loudly in pain.

Then something tickled down her brows, past her closed eyes and she knew that it wasn't sweat. It was blood from the edges of the light that had served as blindfold.

"Does it hurt?" The elder's voice barely registered in Jessica's mind. It did hurt and the pain was overwhelming, unbearable. Her entirely body was bleeding and suffering from it.

"You will pay for this." Jessica managed as she finally gave up and cried in pain. Choking and coughing like a child as tears ran free from her closed eyes.

The elder wiped Jessica's tears - that were now mixed with blood - with the edge of her crimson robe.

"No my dear." She leaned in and whispered:

"The entire universe will pay for this."

Chapter 37 

The Eastern Winds

And though our light is weak 

And our vision limited 

We shall conquer empires for you

- Unpublished Letters from the Eastern House of Lee (Imperial Library Archive)

--

Taeyeon surprised herself by her sheer ability to pass through worlds without even having to exert any real effort at all. Before, she needed to concentrate, search the magic around her to materialize her own body to and from a world. Taeyeon wasn't sure what to feel about this newfound power - there was no one left to offer her guidance. It was as if all the knowledge in the universe was suddenly stuffed inside her - bursting, overflowing and always trying to get out.

But then again, she knew that it had always been inside her.

And so Taeyeon chased Lena through worlds, appearing and disappearing through its skies like a solar flare. There was a voice, at the back of her mind, that knew that pursuing Lena wasn't the best of plans, but her anger didn't quite give way for this voice. Taeyeon had let the elder slip for far too long.

Lena would have to be held in place.

Stop, her mind said, stop running Lena.

Taeyeon reached out to the hazy after image Lena left in her wake, and then a curious thing happened - the world stopped moving. Taeyeon's palms brushed against Lena's robe, it's rough material flooding and heightening her senses. She gripped and pulled it back and the world moved again - Taeyeon and Lena spiraling down the sky of an unknown world.

Lena recovered first, pulling back up the sky as Taeyeon continued her descent. She heard the sound first - and then saw the entire ground from below rise up, blocking the sun as it threatened to swallow her whole. Taeyeon formed into a ball as the unbelievably massive block of stones, trees and soil closed in around her. But they never touched Taeyeon; they dissolved into dust a few meters before hitting her.

When the dust settled, the world below had been turned into a barren wasteland.

There was no sign of Lena.

Taeyeon clenched her teeth as she appeared in the next world. They were in a capital with thousands of people below them, going about their business.

Lena was there and she had that smile again, the one that meant she was about to do something drastic and she did - one by one the stone houses below cracked and gave up. Taeyeon's eyes widened as the people screamed as their stone houses crumbled to the ground. She flew down amidst the chaos and touched the ground - it lit up and in a few seconds, the buildings stopped falling. The population looked up and saw a thin bluish shield of energy protecting them like a dome.

Taeyeon flew back up, mind reeling in anger.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Another world, another wreckage. Taeyeon couldn't even keep count of the worlds they have destroyed by playing this game of tag. Lena was evading her on purpose - she knew that much. But why? Taeyeon hoped to find out but regretted giving the elder what she wanted.

When Lena still hasn't disappeared from the world she had just wrecked - which was an oddity - Taeyeon quickly clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

though the hour is dark 

and the light is gone 

I call to you now 

my father, the Sun-God 

let me bear your truth 

show me the way 

to heaven's justice

A hollow sound echoed within the silent world after the chant - like faint voices that screamed in pain. Taeyeon watched in accomplishment as the space behind Lena materialized into a dark portal. It appeared silently and before Lena could move, thick ropes made in a mixture of blue and black light slithered out of the portal and sucked her in.

To Meride with you, you old fool!

Before the gateway closed though, Taeyeon had a clear look of Lena's face and instantly knew that something was wrong -

Lena was still smiling.

--

Sunny was in pursuit.

The elder noticed her all too soon, but rather than accelerating herself, she had stopped her ascent and waited for Sunny to catch up. The paper in her hand burned - she had stolen a property of the Imperial Library. The page was enchanted with a relatively strong magic, but like Lena, she could stand the pain while holding on to it. It wasn't strong enough for an ascended being like her. No Imperial Library enchantment was.

By now, Sunny had closed in on her and the girl was aggressive, sending flames on her way without a moment's hesitation. A child's play. The elder's shield went up and deflected the flames with ease.

"Go back, child." She offered as the air cleared up. Sunny chose to ignore her and she released her own light - a weaker, far more inferior light compared to the blazing glow of the Ruling God-Empress.

But it was light nonetheless.

--

Hyomin, through the chaos around her, had the time to look up to the sky where Sunny had chased the elder despite her warning. In a minute's time, the elders would disappear with her sister, Jessica, but during this full minute, Hyomin had closed her eyes and defied, for the very first time, her duty of protecting Kwon Yuri.

Instead, she searched with all the magic recovering in her, for Sunny's mind, begging her to give up and come back.

But Sunny had already closed her thoughts to her and this meant only one thing; she had released her light.

--

Sunny released more flames and the elder's shield went up again. The fire was not strong, but they came on like a tide; for every fire extinguished by the shield, two more appeared and it multiplied until the elder couldn't see anything beyond the spherical dome that shielded her.

With growing impatience, the elder tried to counter the attack with her own flame but it was too late, the fire had built up to a massive force outside the shield - she couldn't even fly away if she wanted to. It had swallowed the air around her like a vacuum.

Incessant fool!

Then the incessant fool herself, appeared, almost out of nowhere, in between the flames. She had cut through her own attack and into the elder's shield. Sunny's face came a mere inch to hers as she froze in surprise. And then there was a tug - Sunny had successfully taken the page from her. The elder looked down at her empty hand and into the air that had now cleared - a vision of Sunny speeding away from her and back to the ground.

Fool.

The elder let out an impressed smile and took something out of robe before diving towards Sunny - a faint hint of a metal knife glittering in her hand.

--

Donghae recovered though not as fast as the others have. Through the haze of the elders still surrounding them, he reached out for a cloud-pine and flew away from the chaos below. The Imperial Library seal was still burning bright blue - the page was still within the world.

And then in what he thought was his imagination, he saw Sunny rushing towards him. In her hand, he breathed in relief, was the page glowing a brilliant blue.

"Donghae!" Sunny had thrown the page at him and it found its way to his hand - guided by the enchantment of the Imperial Library. Donghae landed quickly back on his feet and though still shaken by his first taste of battle, he had cleared his mind enough to chant the most helpful magic entitled to him by the office he held.

In the name of the Ruling God-Empress 

Let no one else see and read, envision the 

words written in this parchment 

Except for me, the Head of the Imperial Library 

Donghae XIII, Successor of the Main Noble House of Lee 

of the Second Children of Sun-God

The paper dissolved completely, eaten by the blue light in his hand. Donghae's eyes flashed in blue for a second before returning to normal. He had successfully absorbed the page, the only way to retrieve it now was to kill him and take his office.

"Thank you," he said as Sunny jumped down from her own cloud-pine. She looked exhausted, tired even but she smiled at him nonetheless. She was about to take one more step towards him when two things happened:

An elder materialized behind Sunny and Donghae watched, in jarring clarity, as a dagger pierced through

her heart.

--

Hyomin's vision blurred.

--

Sunny fell to the ground knees first, holding on to her cloud-pine in a desperate act to resist gravity. Her nails dug into the wood as her light started to fade - dimming ever so slightly with every pained breath she took. Donghae had screamed her name, and he was moving too, but the voice was so detached, like she was already half-gone from this realm.

You should have followed my advice, child.

The dagger twisted deeper before roughly pulling away from her. Sunny's body went limp as the elder disappeared, finally letting her slide down and fall to the hard ground.

She lay with her face to the side; her vision was obscured by tall grass that smelled nothing like the grass back at home. Soshi. In the last ten seconds before her life-force left her, Sunny saw the Eastern Palace and Shinyoung and Hyomin.

How sad, she thought, to die in a foreign world.

Then she closed her eyes and breathed for the very last time.

Chapter 38 

Power Overwhelming

"Where is Sica?"

Yuri's question was met with silence. Even Shinyoung, the oldest and the wisest, couldn't bring herself to answer her simple inquiry. The silence was a sickening, gut-wrenching experience. Everyone was barely breathing around her as if they knew something she didn't.

Hasn't it always been that way? You've always been kept in the dark.

"Where is Sica?" Yuri whispered again. Her throat was tight, the words barely made it out of her mouth. She was staring at the spot where the princess had been. Trying so hard to remember what Jessica was wearing before she was taken away. Soft wool. Brown sandals. Her hair was also tied in a knot.

The elders took her.

Yuri whipped her head instantly at the voluntary voice inside her mind. Hyomin didn't even meet her eyes, and her voice sounded so sad - she was crying. Like she was also suffering from her own demons.

Why are you crying?

"It's nothing," Hyomin looked up and then smiled unconvincingly, "It's not important. We'll look for Jessica."

Yuri knew she wasn't telling the truth. She could feel her pain. It ran deep inside of her, them. It is almost like drowning and she was not a stranger to this feeling - this feeling of suddenly being alone. Yuri eyes misted though she had no idea why. Tears gathered swiftly, threatening to fall at any second.

"Why am I crying?" Yuri's voice cracked at the unbearable sadness that suddenly came in a wash through Hyomin. Yuri pulled her head back up, taking in a mouthful of air like the sadness had manifested into physical pain. And then the source of this emotion became clear, Hyomin had finally slipped and knowledge ran free, back and forth, between them.

Sunny.

Yuri's body jerked involuntary at the realization. Her chest tightened and her thoughts scattered into fragments.

Sooyoung. And Sunny.

The world shifted into darker shades to accommodate her thoughts.

Sica...

"Yuri," she heard someone speak, gluing the fragments of her mind back together again. It could be Hyomin or Shinyoung or Hyoyeon. But she no longer cared about this fleeting voice that had dared to call out in an attempt to bring her back and subdue her yet again, like the pathetic, weak human being that she was.

I am not weak.

All the frustration, all the sadness and all the rage that had built up inside Yuri gathered, festering her soul like a fresh wound. It's too late to go back. It's too late to bring back her friends.  

Yuri's eyes darkened

It's too late.

and she finally accepted it - the breath of darkness, buoying her up with raw destructive power. Dark butterflies engulfed her entire body in a fluorescent amber trail and Yuri felt her skin tighten as the darkness steamed off of her in golden wisps of light.

Everyone took a step backward, and a second and a third, before scattering away from her as the ground beneath them cracked and the grass died, wilting before turning into ashes. The air had turned into a poisonous fume, blackened by the ashes that lingered around.

Yuri went down on one knee. The wind started to move, a shadow of energy encircling her. This wasn't even the tip of the iceberg; this was only the protective sphere Yuri had created to avoid destroying everyone around her.

It's too damn late.

Then the darkness took over and the sphere vanished. Only one life was sacred to this darkness and it wasn't in this world. In the distance, a hasty gateway barely made it from the darkness that had now almost completely swallowed the world.

Yuri smiled a capricious smile- for the very first time she felt content with what she was and what she can be.

I will turn this universe upside down for you, Sica.

Yuri's eyes blazed in amber and then she bolted up into the sky.

--

The universe woke up in a jolt, yanked from her sleep in the middle of the night. When she opened her eyes, she found Yuri staring down at her. In this angle, Yuri seemed tall, unmoving and a little bit threatening - a far contrast from the Yuri she knew.

The room was silent save for the firewood that crackled with dying flames, barely giving the universe the warmth she needed.

The universe sat up, feeling her whole body ache in the process. She looked down her arms and saw cracks and explosions. Her skin was eroding like sand and something was pricking her neck. And she reached out and felt an open wound the size of twenty worlds, light flowing out of them endlessly, pooling down her feet that had long been immobile.

I'm sorry.

The universe looked up at the voice and gave Yuri a look of complete understanding. Like a mother would to a daughter. She nodded with distant eyes that looked like she wasn't trapped in a room and that she could see past the walls. Could see beyond the restriction that Yuri had brought upon her.

Me too, she said with a billion years of understanding, me too.

The die has been cast.

--

Yuri ran.

Across the universe, skidding through worlds and more worlds, creating a mess far greater than what Lena and Taeyeon had done. Unused and uneducated to the art of opening worlds, there was no other option but to run and with every world she entered, she left a rift, a wound to its atmosphere that let a hint of the darkness into the world.

--

Donghae's heart pounded against his ears as they studied Yuri's path. She was no longer a small dot but an equally large blot that was moving at an unbelievable speed across the universe.

Taeyeon would have to keep up and temporarily seal all the cracks Yuri made.

"We have to leave." Shinyoung said, regaining a bit of the authority she momentarily lost.

"To where?"

"Back to Soshi. It's all up to Yuri now. We have done our best."

"What about Jessica?" Hyoyeon protested. "We need to find her!"

"Yuri will find her."

"Still," Hyoyeon's voice trailed off, "we can't just leave them alone."

"We need to find Jessica." Hyomin agreed, face rigid from trying to stop herself from showing too much grief.

"We have done the best we could." Shinyoung shook her head, this time a little gentler. She glanced at her niece and she suddenly looked older; tired and bone-weary from a journey that hasn't even reached its destination.

There will come softer rains.

"It's time to go home, Hyomin."

--

The rope that had bound Lena barely hurt. But it did serve its purpose: to restrain her movements. Here in Meride, though wrecked beforehand during the fight for Yuri, it was as silent as the Western Annex. Lena had been here once and that was to steal the dagger from the banished prince.

"What have you done?"

Lena blinked and took her time to adjust to the light that Taeyeon brought to the eternal darkness. The Ruling-God Empress' presence in Meride brought hope to the land itself. Lena could almost feel hope rise up in the dead things that inhabited the world. Taeyeon's presence was life itself, pulsing and breathing and the Forbidden Land had been longing for it since forever.

Something struck Lena's face and the elder vaguely felt her nose bleed, bones cracking as she scrunched her face to make sure of what just happened - Taeyeon had punched her.

"What have you done?" came the repeated inquiry.

"Unfortunately, "Lena said, slightly wincing at the unfamiliar pain, "my companions are a little bit more impatient."

Taeyeon draw a circle in the air, white light flowing out of her fingertip as she chanted wordlessly. Meride, for the very first time, glowed golden as Taeyeon finished her chant. When she was done, Lena watched as Taeyeon's presence doubled. Two Ruling God-Empresses now stood before her - no difference whatsoever. Except one had her eyes closed and the one had them open, watching Lena like a prison guard.

"Well Your Majesty," Lena said, "you're a fast learner."

Ignoring Lena, the one who had her eyes closed dissolved, leaving only white light in her wake - praying so hard that she wasn't too late.

--

The sphere had been warded. Anyone who came close to Jessica would have received a nasty shock. But Taeyeon's presence nullified it without her even having to raise an arm. Blood was everywhere - Jessica's white clothes were drenched in it. Taeyeon felt her stomach sink at the sight.

"Jessica..." With a flick of her hand, the blindfold disappeared and Jessica squinted, blinded by her light and obstructed by the blood that flowed from her forehead. With a gentle tug, the magical bindings loosened and slowly disappeared.

Taeyeon knelt down and gathered Jessica in her arms. Her sister still trembled in pain. She didn't trust her own voice so she pressed the sides of their heads together and let their thoughts join as one.

If she finds you like this. It will be the end of us all.

Jessica sniffed and Taeyeon would give up everything to stop her sister from hurting.

I can't, I don't -

You're better than this, Jessica. It's time to be at peace with who you are.

Jessica cried and felt her own heart burst as light from Taeyeon engulfed her entire being. This is heaven's light blazing down on her - an ultimate acceptance of her lineage.

It's time to ascend.

Jessica pulled away from the embrace and Taeyeon saw that something has changed in her. An end to something, a certain something that she will probably never get back. But that's a good thing. Not all endings are bad. Jessica wiped her own tears away and nodded.

"I'm ready."