Nervous sweat trickled down Chaeyoung's temple. Her eyes had been fixed on Jungkook the whole time his grandfather began to treat him. The man used the water from the herbs to clean the wounds that still looked fresh, still shiny under the lights. She slightly winced each time the droplets of water fell into his opened flesh. Each and every time, she wished for Jungkook to suddenly stir, but his body only stilled the whole time, limp even and his eyes remained close. Her fingers around the bowl in her hands tightened. She wanted to heal him.

The elder Jeon slowly motioned her to come closer. Chaeyoung carefully walked over, standing just beside the bunk and her hand was itchy to caress Jungkook's face. The color of his face had gone. He was deathly pale.

"I need you to put the herb into each of his open wound. Very gently. Is that all right with you?"

Chaeyoung looked at the herbs in the bowl she was holding and gave the man a nod. She sat beside Jungkook, swallowed nervously as she eyed him from head to toe and took the chance to hold his arm. She blinked away her tears after lightly squeezing his cold arm. Carefully, she let go of him and began her task.

She took a pinch of the soggy herb, pressed it into the wound in his arm until it was completely covered. She then did the same thing for the one on his chest, her heart was racing wildly at the thought of how close the wound was to his heart. It was also deep that she had to use a lot more than the previous wound.

Lifting her gaze to the old man, she asked, "What does this do?"

"It helps to heal his wound fast and help his body gain the lost energy."

Her breath came out heavily when she shifted to the wound on his stomach. The deepest and largest of all. She felt her own stomach twisted seeing the hole, the destroyed flesh inside.

"Take a deep breath," the old man said gently.

Chaeyoung nodded, held her breath and tears as she carefully resumed her task. She didn't realize that her hands were trembling until a warm hand placed on her shoulder. She turned to look at the old man, already standing on her side.

"If you can't, do not force yourself and let me handle it from here onward."

Chaeyoung shook her head gently. "I want to do it." She took another deep breath and determinedly finished her task. When Jungkook's grandfather was about to begin dressing Jungkook's wound, Chaeyoung hesitantly stopped him.

"I may not be as skilled, but will you please allow me to heal him?" she pleaded. Hesitation surfaced in the old man's eyes. A certain memory seemed to flash in his face. "I need to heal him. I can't ever rest if I don't at least try," she said.

The man's eyes downcast for a few moments before he gave her a light nod. Quietly, he withdrew himself from the room and shut the door close gently, leaving only her with Jungkook.

Chaeyoung gazed down at the wounds scattered around his body and closed her eyes for a second. She drew in her breath and released a long and heavy one. Her brother's soft voice appeared in her head, reminding her to calm herself down and put all her thoughts of her failures at bay.

Confidence must live, hesitance must die, she chanted in her head.

Chaeyoung gently stroked Jungkook's face. She leaned down and placed the softest kiss on his cold lips, resting her forehead momentarily on his before she sat down again.

Her gaze fixated on his abdomen. She placed her palms over the wounds. It was larger than her hands could cover. Little by little, she told herself. Her eyes fluttered shut as soon as calmness began to encase her heart. She listened to her own gentle voice in her head, singing the song of healing. Blue lights began to glow from her hands before it glowed around her whole body. The healing began.

*

"No," Taehyung muttered, disbelief crossing his features. He shook his head and looked into Jimin's eyes. "No, Jimin. That cannot be possible."

Jimin chewed his own lip, feeling his heart shook. "What other explanation is there?" he sighed dejectedly. He lowered his voice as he spoke, "How do you explain his behavior toward Chaeyoung?"

"Well..." Taehyung hesitated, scratching his head and grumbled. "Well... of course it would be of how Chaeyoung can't -"

"A ridiculous reason, is it not?"

Taehyung stared at him intently with brows furrowed. "Well, yes," Taehyung shrugged. "Perhaps, yes, that is a ridiculous reason. But we mustn't jump into conclusion."

Everything had its connection to one another, that he believed. Village Leader Seokjin sent him the flower, the symbol of betrayal, because he had dreamed of Jimin and the flower. He'd warn Jimin of the upcoming danger, told Jimin to protect the one he loved from the dangers around. Why else would his sister's face appeared in his head every time he let himself drown in the thoughts of Red Dahlia?

"Jimin," Taehyung's deep voice was firm, immediately stopping Jimin in his track. "Are you even listening to me?"

Jimin sighed, giving his attention to his friend.

"Look, I trust the stories you told me. But what I do not trust is your assumption. We need to sit down and -"

"But Taehyung," he almost whined after sighing aggravatedly. "There is no time. We can't waste time. We must find Chaeyoung. We must -"

"Jimin. Listen," Taehyung put his large palm up, facing Jimin and only began to speak when Jimin stopped himself from parting his lips to counter his friend. "You are not thinking this through. As your friend, I don't want you to regret your decision. Are you even ready to face the consequences?"

He felt his heart tugged painfully. If he were to let honesty speak for him, the answer was a no. He was not ready. He was scared. He was beyond scared, in fact. He wasn't ready to lose. He was not ready to accept what could possibly be the biggest loss in his life.

Yet, the truth would eventually find its way to be unleashed.

"What if your assumption is wrong?" Taehyung asked. His deep voice was laced with the thickness of worry.

Jimin pressed his lips together. He wished it would be wrong.

"For now, Taehyung... let us find Chaeyoung," he said quietly as he began to walk, ignoring his friend's question. "The truth is with her."

When they stood in front of a door, Jimin exchanged glances with his friend who seemed to hold disagreement in his face. Taehyung gave his nod of assurance, though, knowing well that Jimin would not stop anyway. Jimin knocked on the door. A beat of silence, the door slowly opened.

*

­"If you have any problem with her, sort it out as quickly as possible. We cannot afford to find a quick replacement. A deal is a deal, and it has been made. If she begins to dislike you-"

Junhoe wanted to scoff. Rather, he raked his hair with his fingers and held back a sigh. "Chaeyoung already hates me since the beginning, Father."

"Do not let the hate grow stronger, then." His father's voice was cold. His face, forever grim, did not turn anyway. Attention still on him.

"What's the point of spending the whole day with her for all the time?" he questioned, almost losing his patience. "Eventually, she is to be my wife, isn't she?"

Ever since he knew that Chaeyoung was aware of what he truly was, he had been restless. He'd threatened her. He knew she got his message, that if she dared to reveal it to even anyone at all, he vowed to bleed her whole family. He didn't have to say every single threat for her to understand. It was written on her face, of how frightened she was.

Yet, also hung on her countenance, was defiance. Determination was also present in her mind at the short moment of when he was able to read it before she dashed off. It was making him distracted. Agitation only swelled within him. His parents noticed, of course, of his odd mood. They had not yet known of what Chaeyoung already knew.

His mother was watching him like an eagle eyeing its prey. Her own blue eyes were nothing compared to his father's, but it wouldn't be something that he would take lightly. "Your only job is to make her grow fond of you, Junhoe. It's for your own good."

"I understand," Junhoe calmly said. "But -"

"But..." his mother cut in, "if she marries you without loving you at least a little, do you think you will be safe? Do you think she will never find out? She will find a way for a separation and if she finds out the truth, she will use it on you."

Junhoe wanted to laugh. If only they knew that Chaeyoung had already figured out what he was.

A heavy sigh escaped him. A certain woman's image burst in his mind. Hana.

None of this would happen if Hana hadn't had a slip of tongue. None of this would happen if he never admitted to Hana that he was a Dual when she questioned his sincerity. None of this would happen if he never fell in love.

"Tomorrow morning you will do the usual," his father said sternly.

There was a gentle knock on the door and his mother displayed him a smile that he felt uncomfortable to look at. Junhoe went to the door just as both his parents retreated to their chamber.

When he would open the door, he would rush out of the house and take Chaeyoung away, just like what his parents wanted, he thought. Perhaps, they would stop asking him to do a lot of things if he was going to take Chaeyoung out even during the time the sky was the darkest.

But the figure he saw standing before the door was not Chaeyoung.

It was Jimin. And behind Jimin was a Cultivator man.

With practiced smile, Junhoe lifted his brows at the two men. "Well, if it isn't my soon-to-be brother-in-law."

The Park Jimin that he knew would begin to dismiss his playful remarks with his own form of insult that sometimes would sound so polite and kind in the ears of others. Yet, the Park Jimin who stood still in front of him did not do anything but looked at him with a gravity in his face.

Junhoe shifted uncomfortably but tried not to show it. His forehead began to crease. He tried to read the male's mind, but it was difficult to really make out what he was thinking. Inside his mind was a total mess. The only thing that he was able to get was Chaeyoung. Her brother was constantly thinking of her.

"Where is my sister?" Jimin asked.

Junhoe's brows furrowed. "Why would she be here?" Junhoe stared into Jimin's eyes for a longer period. He still was unable to figure out why Jimin thought he would find his sister there. He let a small smirk to paint his face, a thought passed him. "You couldn't possibly think she stayed the night, could you?"

Jimin's eyes twitched. Anger flaring on his face. "Where is she?"

Junhoe scoffed lightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I do not know where she is. She -" He stiffened when suddenly he saw another image in Jimin's mind after seeing Chaeyoung. The image of Red Dahlia. Junhoe gulped.

"I do not have time, Koo Junhoe," Jimin pressed. "Tell me where my sister is."

Could it be possible that Jimin knew about him? Could it be possible that Chaeyoung had already spilled his secret to her brother? Could it be that Jimin was suspecting him of, perhaps, endangering his sister? Junhoe felt his fingers curled, forming into a fist.

"Why do you think I know where she is?" Junhoe countered, being cautious with his question while trying not to show any difference in his attitude. It could be possible that Jimin still had no idea.

Jimin looked at him in disbelief, then, in confusion. He released a scoff. "She is always with you."

Junhoe let himself smirk before it was wiped off his face completely in a split second. "Well, you see, it is true that I spend a lot of time with her. But I was never always with her. Certainly yes, soon she is to be my fiancée, she is to be my wife. Right at this moment, though, she's no one to me. Her whereabouts is none of my business. She could be with the Defender friend of her, who knows?" he shrugged and chuckled. "He seems very special to her."

Jimin and his friend, the Cultivator traded looks. Jimin began to retreat after his friend nodded. He walked away with the Cultivator but before he progressed farther, he gave Junhoe one last glance with his eyes slightly narrowed, brows deeply furrowed.

Junhoe tried his best to read Jimin's mind one last time, but he couldn't. Everything got dimmer as they went farther. As he pushed the door to a close, Jimin's last look at him stuck in his head. He felt a dangerous chill in his bones.

a/n: i'm sorry for the very slow update T_T i've been busy and writer's block been hitting hard