In the Kim's Mansion

Namjoon attentively observed Y/n walking towards his room. On finally finding him and his older brother alone, he decided to complete their incomplete conversation.

He frowned his brows together, and tilted his head to the side while adding, "I just couldn't get one thing right."

"What?" Jin responded.

"When I met her earlier, I couldn't sense her human scent, even nobody could because then it would've been a complete chaos."

"I cast a spell on her to avoid any chaos."

"Oh, I see. You're gaining more strength with each passing second that even I failed to recognize it!" Namjoon sarcastically replied, and a half chuckle mixed with a scoff escaped from his mouth.

Jin frowned at his brother's impolite reaction, as his eyes tried telling Namjoon something that he didn't want to know.

"Now that father is favouring you, you're ought to become more powerful, future minister Kim," Namjoon tauntingly added as envy coursed through his veins.

"He's favouring none of us! Why don't you understand that?" Jin aggressively yet in a calm voice, spoke.

The air between them thickened and Namjoon removed his gaze away from his brother. Realising the purposeful look on Namjoon's face, Jin continued, but in a softer tone, "Namjoon-ah! Why are you doing this? Let's just-"

The door swung open and Y/n entered in maid's clothes. Namjoon held back his laughter while Jin shifted his attention to Y/n and decided to show her around the house.

Rolling his eyes, Namjoon impatiently stepped towards his room.

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In the Castle of Kim's clan

A little boy ran through the woods, the once familiar trails that wound through the towering trees now seemed cloaked in darkness, whispering secrets he did not wish to know.

Shadows danced and swayed, their sinister shapes playing tricks on his trembling mind. His small hands scraped by the bristles of the leaves of the plants shedding their gnarled branches everywhere.

The moon peeked through the canopy, casting a pale glow upon the forest floor. It illuminated twisted roots, creating a treacherous obstacle, that threatened him to trip again at every turn he took. With his bruised knee, his lungs burned, straining for oxygen, he pushed himself further, his eyes brimmed with tears of loss and sorrow.

Soon, he reached closer to the human habitats that marked the end of the forest. He ran forward, with determination to survive and to carry on the responsibility laid on his little shoulders by his mother and father. His breathing turned to gasps as his heart, became a suffocating well. More tears fell from his eyes when his mind reminisced about his parents.

He stepped onto the gravelly path and allowed his exhausted trance to fall on the hard road. To cope with the sudden and unexpected exhaustion, his body started transforming into its animal form, as he closed his eyes. A kind human approached near his laying form; surprised by the feral, the human carefully approached it while at the same time examining it. The baby animal was too tired to defend itself when the human took it in his embrace.

"You look so wounded, baby fox! Let's treat you."

.

.

.

Kim Jeong Ho opened his eyes from the sudden flashback, his eyes frantically trailing the intricate details of his room as he shifted on his enormous four-poster bed, its canopy billowing with sheer white silk curtains.

Royal indigo drapes cascaded from the high ceilings, their deep royal blue colour adding a sense of sovereignty to the room. The golden chandeliers hanging from above emitted a warm, soft glow, casting a radiant light on the surroundings.

A set of plush armchairs and a couch sat in front of the bed near the entrance. Accompanied by a small sophisticated table, inviting him to read the paperwork that rested on it peacefully.

He finally heaved a sigh and got up from his bed. Wearing slippers sitting on the velvety carpet, and decorating the floor underneath his bed.

*Knock Knock*

On hearing the knock on the door, his eyes pierced forward as he calmly spoke, "Come on in."

The doors creaked open, and the most dedicated man of the palace walked in, with a soft smile plastered on his old features.

"Your Majesty, your evening tea is ready. May I bring it here, or you would like to have it in the royal garden, just like every day?"

"Butler Kwon, why do you ask me the same question every day?" The king of the Kim clan said, with a faint smile.

"It is my duty, Your Majesty."

"Okay then, in the royal garden."

"We will be waiting for your presence," Butler Kwon bowed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind.

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In the campus

Kyla approached the boy's dormitory, a wave of energy enveloped her; its faded white walls looked like they were weathered by the countless stories of friendship that forged within them.

She walked forward, with lingering thoughts. The forest surrounded the whole campus and it was not uncommon to witness snakes basking in the sunlight falling in the small gardens located in the middle.

The sun was already below the horizon, and the darkness was just a few more light rays away. She stepped forward on the wild grass, towards her last chance.

The entrance beckoned her forward as if, if she entered the dorm she'd encounter Hoseok playing video games with his roommate.

Kyla stood beside a sycamore, its heavy branches, almost reaching the ground. The wind travelling from the forest reached as an unearthly feeling and brushed her face making her locks swing softly.

She nervously played with her shoulder-length locks, and soon, a leaned muscular figure approached in her direction. His tousled hairs adorned his forehead and his features showed a look of distress and agitation as he hurriedly moved forward.

He walked past Kyla, unaware of her presence, waiting in the shadows of the sycamore.

"Hoseok."

Kyla called out his name, which made Hoseok turn around hesitantly, a pretentious facade of surprise masked his features.

"Kyla? What you're doing here, at this hour?"

He stared right into her soul with his calm yet anxious orbs, but an image of his fierce form, which she witnessed yesterday, flashed in front of her eyes.

"A-Actually, I am here to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Taking a long breath, Kyla added, "I've seen everything."

"What everything?" Hoseok asked as his brows got frowned in focus.

"When you and Y/n were heading towards the forest I was secretly following you two. I also witnessed how Y/n fell into that strange hole and disappeared, and how y-you transformed into-"

Kyla was cut off from speaking any further when she felt a tug on her collar. A strong force pushed her behind, into the bushes. Hoseok pulled her closer by her shirt's collar and Kyla felt her heart hammering inside her chest.

"Listen, Kyla! I am warning you, if you dare to open your mouth in front of anyone," his grip on the cloth curling around her neck tightened as he spoke again, "Bout whatever you've seen I swear I am gonna rip that throat of yours!" Hoseok snarled as he gritted his teeth.

Kyla struggled in his grip and started feeling dizzy from the lack of air, and stuttered, "L-Let m-me s-speak."

With a jerk, Hoseok finally let go of her shirt's collar; Kyla stumbled a few steps backwards and exhaled and inhaled long breaths before she collected her composure to speak further.

"Do you think I'll do that? Only to lose you? Why do you think of me so bad, Hoseok?" Kyla said as her voice shook and her eyes became glossy from the overwhelming emotions.

"I'm here to offer you help," she further added making Hoseok scoff as a response.

"You're of no use to me. I'll manage on my own," Hoseok said as he folded his hands and crinkled his brows; making his features appear as a scowl.

Kyla curled his fingers into tight fists when, for a few seconds, she glared at Hoseok before she forced the muscles around her lips to flash a fake smile at him to gain this last chance to win over his friendship back.

"Think it over again, what you're gonna say when people ask about Y/n? It's already been a day and she was last seen with you."

Hoseok listened to her words carefully, a part of his mind agreed with Kyla, but her negative image made him not appreciate her genuine concern for him. So he spoke, "Are you threatening me, Kyla?" In a rather threatening tone.

"No, never! I'm just trying to say that leave that part on me, I'll handle the situation here, and you should focus on bringing Y/n back as soon as possible."

Hoseok thought for a minute before he further added, "I am not able to comprehend the fact that a person like you is offering help without asking for something in return?"

On hearing those words from Hoseok, Kyla reminisced on the memories of him and Y/n laughing and having their time together, which were stuck inside her mind. And how, after their friend circle got divided, she just witnessed him hanging around with Y/n, but it was never her.

She stared at Hoseok lovingly, the shadow cast by the tree brushed his face, but his skin was still sparkling with a healthy glow.

"Huh?"

"Think whatever you want to, but I'm solely here to help you."

Hoseok paused for a moment before examining her expressions, to see any traces of lingering lies and treachery. But Kyla's firm take on her words and features helped him slightly feel at ease.

"Let's meet tomorrow in the library, I'll decide. But until then if you dared to--"

"I will not, I swear."

✧