Aera had no idea what she expected to see when she walked into the mental hospital, but it certainly wasn't the calm tranquility she was met with. There was no screaming, no running, no people strapped down to electric chairs. The doors had handles. The walls were painted a pleasant baby blue instead of the depressing white hue she imagined. The only difference between doctors and patients was that the latter didn't have white coats. Everyone was calm and there was a sense of serenity filling the air.

When she asked Dr. Choi about it, he offered her a genuine laugh.

"You expected to see something horrifying, didn't you?" he asked, biting back another chuckle.

She nodded, feeling stupid as ever.

"Most people have that image in their head, yeah. It's what most movies suggest psychiatric hospitals look like, but the reality is very different. Restriction by bedrail and belts is very rare now and it's reserved to those patients who the drugs still haven't started working on. Constraint clothing is very old-school. It was used mainly in the 50s and 60s where most of the drugs we have now weren't discovered yet. Electroshock therapy is outdated and many countries don't practice it anymore. Now we know most disorders come from a biochemical dysfunction in the brain's neurotransmitters and we have all this medication we can use to prevent violent outbursts smoothly. Things aren't as barbaric as movies show them to be."

"But doctor, aren't most psychiatric patients violent?" Aera continued to interrogate. "It's really weird seeing them walk around among the staff here. Aren't you afraid they might hurt you?"

Dr. Choi sighed, writing something down in a file. "That's one of the biggest myths about mental illnesses ever. People who have mental illnesses aren't violent; they are much more prone to becoming victims of violence."

"I'm learning so much," she gawked, fascinated.

"The important thing is to be understanding and patient. It can get overwhelming here real quick. These people's illnesses aren't visible but still, they're illnesses like any other." Dr. Choi explained.

"I see." Aera nodded. Observing the faces that passed her by in the corridors, she tried not to stare too openly. Many of them were smiling, chatting and patting each other on the back. She realized that if she were to spot them talking in the street for example, she'd never suspect them to be mentally ill.

"We'll take the stairs and in a couple of minutes we're going to reach the garden," Dr. Choi announced. Aera appreciated how soothing his aura was and despite the danger of them getting caught, she still felt calm. In this sense he reminded her of Namjoon. It was like he was the combination of her closest friends mixed in one person.

"This is where I leave you," Dr. Choi said once they were out in the sun. "But rest assured, I'll be right here paying close attention to everything, so if you need me just look at me and give a single nod."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Jimin said. Even though he rarely showed his emotions in front of other people, Aera still detected the gratefulness blooming through him now.

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Choi shrugged. "Go, and meet me here when you're done, I'll escort you back outside."

Throwing one last look of appreciation at the tall man, Aera followed Jimin as they started making their way through the people. The garden was beautifully decorated, with small fountains where water lilies swam and benches scattered around. Clearly every effort had been put into making people feel at ease in this peaceful place, and make them forget that they were in fact in committed in a mental health institution.

Now that Dr. Choi's gentle calming presence was gone, she started feeling unsettled. Her stomach turned upside down as her eyes began scanning the faces around them for her grandmother. She felt she was going to pass out when she'd see her.

"You know, maybe she hasn't gone out today and is resting in her room because of the bad weather," Jimin took her hand once he noticed she was about to start hyperventilating, worried eyes darting at her. "We can come another day if this is too overwhelming for you."

"N-no," stammering, Aera shook her head.

"Aera, you don't look so good," he whispered wide-eyed.

"No, I have to see her," she let out a small yelp, whipping around in confusion. "She's somewhere around here, she has to be!"

"Relax," he hushed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, we'll look for her and find her, I promise you." he reassured her. It was impossible for her not to appreciate how gentle and supportive Jimin was being. Had he not been there with her, she would crumble.

The next second, her gaze fell over someone's long jet black hair swaying with the wind, a single grey strand standing out. Grandma. Aera gasped sharply. Was this a dream? Was this really her grandmother sitting on that bench?

Stumbling, she shot forward like a bullet. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jimin followed her silently but she was too overwhelmed to say something to him. With each step she took her anticipation grew and so did her fear. Fear that in her grandmother's mind, she'd be forgotten. Gone. Erased by those nasty drugs they were injecting in her every single day.

Breathing heavily, she came to a halt a couple of feet away from the bench. The woman was sitting calmly, dark rich eyes staring somewhere in the distance. So still, she could pass for a wax figure. A rose-patterned scarf hung from her neck and her long dark purple skirt spilled all the way down to the ground. Her wrinkled hands placed in her lap, the same rings Aera remembered vividly resting on each of her fingers. She never really took them off. Despite her advanced age, she sat straight and proud with her chin up and a firm expression, assuming the serious air of a real-life ruler.

"Grandma?" Aera's voice came out small and hoarse, like it wasn't even her own. She was so afraid of Adara pushing her away. Her only family left. So many years had passed, time they had lost and couldn't retrieve. Grandmother and granddaughter finally reunited, but Aera was scared to death. That maybe, just maybe... there was nothing left of the woman who her grandmother used to be.

Slowly, Adara turned her head to her granddaughter while the rest of her body remained unmoving. Finally she looked at the trembling girl, seconds passed as her brain took her in. Quietly, her eyes filled with tears. Her face buckled, breaking into a mixture of joy, pain and disbelief.

Arms slowly spread wide open as a choked gasp escaped the old woman and suddenly something inside Aera snapped like brittle glass. How the ground between them was erased she had no idea, but the next second she found herself in her grandmother's embrace, her body shaking and crying of joy and for the missed time they'd never get back. The sobs released the tension she had been holding, all of her pain and woes came pouring out. No words needed to be said as she felt Adara's arms secure around her back and stroke her hair. She was real. She was here. And she recognized her.

Tears dripped from Aera's eyes relentlessly, washing a path to her chin. Adara pulled back, her own eyes red and teary. She wiped Aera's tears away with a calloused hand, caressing her cheek.

"Ari, my baby," she whimpered, lips stretched into a soft smile.

"I-" Aera tried to speak but her voice faltered into unintelligible croaks. She wanted to tell her grandmother so many things. Misplaced guilt for all those lost years took over her. Maybe she was disappointed in her. Would she hate her,? She craved her affection so much it was killing her. How she wished she could turn back time. She'd fight fiercely for her grandmother to not be taken away from her. She'd destroy and punish those who kept them apart. She-

Adara raised a hand to silence her gently, touching her hair. "It's alright, my sweet girl," she cooed, watching lovingly as her granddaughter broke down in front of her. "I'm just happy you came."

"I... I am so sorry," Aera gave a muffled sob, filled with regret and gripping on her grandmother's hands. "I should have come sooner, grandma. I am, just- so, so sorry." She sobbed like a blubbering child, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"No, my baby," Adara smiled warmly. "No, you came right on time."

Slipping a hand down Aera's shoulder, she took her tiny palms in hers. Her gaze drifted somewhere in the distance and her eyes lit up. "Is that Jiminie?"

Aera whirled around only for her gaze to cast over her bodyguard whose presence she had forgotten for a second. He stood there, face tense and fighting back tears as he started rubbing his eyes once his gaze locked with hers. Shaken, he let out a sniffle, clearly moved by the emotional reunion that had taken place in front of him. All of a sudden, he let this vulnerable boy Aera knew he had always been come out. Only for a split second.

She motioned for him to join them. He shuffled over to them wordlessly, gaze still pinned at the ground.

Adara stood up and spread her arms wide again. Jimin hesitated for a while before walking straight into her open embrace. She wrapped her arms around him silently, no words, no questions asked, so natural like he was her own grandson. Aera noticed how his body visibly relaxed and he hugged the old woman back feebly.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter." Adara said. He looked away to hide his tears, face tight and jaw clenched.

"Of course."

The three of them sat down on the bench, with Aera in the middle.

"My sweet, precious granddaughter," Adara muttered, still not letting go of Aera's hand. "You are so beautiful. Look at the woman you've become. Elegant and graceful. You look so much like your mother now."

A small laugh bubbled through Aera. "But everyone used to say that I was a copy of my father when I was younger."

"Yes, but that was back when you were a child," Adara smiled brightly. "Now, you are a woman, as formidable as your mother."

Aera found herself choking back sobs just when she had stopped crying. She shook it off, taking a hold of herself. As wonderful as it was to sit there and relish in each other's presence, they couldn't forget the reason they had come there, and they didn't exactly have all the time in the world. Dr. Choi could come any minute to tell them their cover had been blown.

"Grandma," she started, setting free an exasperated sigh as she struggled to squeeze all of her perplexed thoughts into one brief question.

"I know why you're here," Adara cut her off. "Your Powers have awakened. You've found the book, and you're seeking answers."

"Yes," Aera gasped. "How did you know?"

"You're not the only one with abilities, sweetheart," her grandmother squeezed her hand and pointed a finger at her own forehead. "I see everything. In here. I am a clairvoyant."

"Then tell me, grandma," Aera breathed out. "Tell me why all of this is happening to us. I've been going crazy. My friends have acquired these strange Powers we can't seem to find an explanation to. They appeared so suddenly. Weird things are happening to us every day. Why?"

"You're confused. You need to take a step back and breathe." Adara advised.

"How could I? This is so overwhelming I feel like my world has turned on its head. Grandma, there's something else I need to know. All of the other's powers seem to be so distinct. Like for example, Jimin has superhuman strength and speed. One of our friends can turn invisible, and another one can manipulate time. There's more, but I'm the only one whose Power is still unclear. Why is that?"

Eyebrows dipped slightly in a sympathetic expression, Adara inhaled deeply. "Sweetie, all of this is not an accident. It's because you're special."

"How so?" Aera was astonished, letting out a shaky breath.

"For centuries, the Lee family has kept a secret deeply buried. You weren't born in an ordinary home, Aera. For the longest time, our family used to look after those Powers, to keep them so that they wouldn't be used for evil. That's our sole purpose, to keep them locked away from the clutches of darkness. They've been passed on from generation to generation, concentrated in a single tiny object, from fathers to their sons and daughters. Each of them was a Keeper, or a Guardian if that's what you want to call it.

"That's what your father used to be. Then your uncle took his place after his demise. Now, it's you."

Aera's heart ricocheted against her rib cage. Suddenly she had trouble breathing, clutching on her chest. She gasped when she recollected what Jungkook told them he had overheard Yoongi and Hyukjae talk about in the restroom. "It's supposed to be me" her brother had said. "I'm the older one." Was he by any chance talking about this?

"Grandma, what would happen if someone apart from me obtained the right to keep those Powers?" she asked.

"They wouldn't be able to control them, and if they were to use it for evil, the Powers would turn against them."

"Why me?" Aera croaked. "I'm... not my father's only child."

"The heir is supposed to be someone who was born out of pure love, and not out of wedlock and adultery. The latter is tainted, going against the principles of life. Its fruit is rotten and hideous, much like the soul of the one who is the result of an act against true love. Those are the rules of the Powers." Adara said.

"So," Aera's voice wavered. "It's me because my mother and father used to love each other deeply?"

"Yes." her grandmother confirmed, long black hair swaying in the wind.

"But these Powers, why are they appearing now?"

"Because apparently someone tried to violate their rules and use them for their own personal gain. That's why this... how do I put this? Imagine it as a sphere with circulating Powers inside of it. Predicting misuse, it exploded in order to avoid catastrophic consequences. The concentrated Powers were unleashed and scattered, finding place in people's souls instead of being used by someone vicious. Kind of like running away, if that's more understandable. That's another rule. The Powers will resist if they sense they would be abused.

"But beware, Ari – not all Powers are good. Most of them are, but there are also dark and sinister ones who seek to corrupt the people who have obtained them. Whoever is affected by them will gradually become more and more evil."

"You mentioned an object where the Powers were being kept," Aera mumbled. "What was it? Is it the book we found?"

"No, but you're going to need it in order to unlock the content of the book. This book contains everything you need to know about your Powers, how to use them right and what's the reason behind them."

"There's a reason?"

"More often than not, the Power chooses its owner. Like with Jimin."

"Me?' Jimin aspirated, placing his hands over his knees.

"For every Keeper of the Powers, there's a Protector chosen to watch over them. Jimin's superhuman abilities like strength and speed match his sole purpose which is to protect you. With them, he's capable of doing that more effectively than ever. Even if his life depended on it, he'd never do you harm. It's just the way he's wired; it's against his true nature.

"The connection between you and your Protector is so strong, you may even have the feeling that you can sense what the other is thinking sometimes. Not all the time of course, only if the intensity of the thoughts is high enough." Adara bit her lip for a second as if she was fighting back the urge to say something else.

There was a brief silence that followed as Aera and Jimin struggled to assimilate the new information.

"The object," Aera whispered. "You said it wasn't the book, so what is it?"

Her grandmother cleared her throat. "Do you remember the vintage clock your father gave you? He told you to hold onto it no matter what. The little crystal skull engraved on it is where the Powers are being kept. It's bound by a special spell that keeps them together."

Aera gave a shocked gasp. The clock was a dear present from her father and she clung onto it as a reminder of him. Turned out this was no accident, but the problem was...

She had no idea where it was.

Thinking hard, she realized the last time when she had seen it was the morning when Hyukjae had drunkenly come into her room to spit venom and annoy her after her uncle's funeral, the same morning he had practically threatened her. She remembered very vividly how he took it in his gross sweaty hands and fiddled with it nonchalantly, before putting it back up at the night stand.

This was also the day of the fire in her penthouse, the one Namjoon and the others had rescued her from just in time before she was about to suffocate from the thick smoke. It was hazy, but it could be possible that she had lost conscience for a while there. Could it be that this was no ordinary accident but her brother's attempt at obtaining the crystal skull?

Movement around her drew her back to reality as she noticed how all the patients started slowly lining up to head back inside. Recreation time was over and it was time for them to get back to their rooms.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Dr. Choi making discreet signs behind his back at them that their time was over.

"We need to go," Jimin reminded, placing a hand over Aera's thigh.

"No," she breathed out, panic-struck. "I need more time!" This couldn't be it. She wanted more time with her grandmother. She needed it. After all these years they were finally together. No...

"Ari, it's okay," Adara's soft reassurance did nothing to comfort her. She still felt like she was about to dragged away against her will, like a small child taken away from their mother.

"Aera, we have to go," Jimin insisted, a tinge of urgency in his voice.

"Jimin, please take care of my granddaughter," Adara begged, eyes glistening with sorrow. "Please make sure that the darkness doesn't take her."

"Grandma..."

"Beware of the Manipulator. Don't be deceived, Aera. You'll read all about it in the book. Be careful..."

"Grandma!"

Everything seemingly started moving in slow motion for Aera as she gazed at her grandmother's face through teary eyes. Her eyes flashed towards the entrance. A couple of nurses were eyeing them suspiciously while talking.

"They're onto us," Jimin whispered, glancing at Dr. Choi who was now practically waving his arms in the air over the crowd, desperately trying to get their attention.

Jimin stood up with haste, gripping on Aera's wrist and jerking her forward lightly. She staggered limply, following his direction, eyes still lingering on her grandmother.

"Grandma," she whimpered out, feebly clutching on Adara's hand. "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise you. Whatever it takes-"

"Ari, it's alright, I like it here. I really don't mind-"

"No!" Aera yelped like a wounded kitten, shaking as despair filled her body. "We'll be together again, I swear. I swear on my life I'll make sure to get you out of here. I've missed you so much, I'm sorry for all the time we lost. But I'll make it up to you, I promise you we'll be together again. I love you, grandma. I love you!" hopeless, her whole body trembled as Jimin started dragging her away.

She felt how her grandmother's hand slipped out of her fingers, the old woman choking back sobs as well.

"I love you too, Ari. I love you," Adara whispered in a raspy voice, giving a weak wave. Her silhouette became smaller and smaller as the distance between them increased, Aera's heart breaking with each breath she took.

Looking at her over her shoulder, she whimpered as the tears streamed down her face like water from a broken dam. She felt Jimin's arm wrap around her waist as he pulled her away, diving into the crowd of patients.

author's note:

ngl, i was super emo after writing this chapter T_T