Chapter 2
Thunder rolled as Yeh Shuhua woke up in a room that’s not hers, and the first thing she does is to check if she’s still wearing clothes, and her eyes widen as she sees her body wear a soft, silk nightgown and her clothes gone without a trace.
She found herself standing up, her long hair cascading beautifully across her back as she wandered across the room, finding the door open as she let herself go out of the room, not knowing what she was trying to find, as she wandered across the palace, not having a sense of where she was supposed to go.
“Don’t get lost around here.” A voice said, Shuhua looking back to see a girl wearing the clothes of a warrior, her fangs appearing when she speaks, and she offers a hand to Shuhua, who only looks at the hand that is supposed to guide her.
“Quickly, come with me. We don’t want the Mistress waiting, don’t we?” the girl said, smiling as Shuhua nodded, taking the girl’s hand as she found herself getting carried up, and within a blink of an eye she was in a different room already, but she found herself getting a little dizzy as she shook her head, the girl supporting her as she stood up.
Warm hands cupped her cheek as she opened her eyes again and looked up, a red blush appearing across her face as she saw the Mistress before her, cupping her cheeks with a worried look on her face.
“What did I tell you, Min? She’s a full mortal—”
“I don’t sense her as a mortal, Soo. If she is mortal, then she would have died when I tried to bring her in here with my shadow. I suspect that she’s half something.” The girl said, as the Mistress sighed, carrying her into a seat beside hers, then sitting beside her.
“Eat, you’ll need it.” The Mistress said, as Shuhua nodded obediently like a child, eating the food laid out for her as she did it carefully, afraid to spill anything or dirty herself as she finished the food, looking down the ground as she finished, silent as she didn’t dare look at the Mistress, who stared at her and watched her while eating.
“You sure you’re human, fool?” the Mistress said, Shuhua sighing at that.
“I have a name, not fool. My name is Yeh Shuhua, Mistress.” Shuhua said, but her voice faltered as she saw Soojin’s red irises staring at her, as if staring straight through her soul.
“Yeh Shuhua.” The Mistress said, as if trying out how her name rolls onto her tongue, clicking as she uttered the name over and over, her brows arching upwards as Shuhua waited for a reply.
“Get out of this palace before I even kill you, Yeh Shuhua.” The Mistress said, Shuhua widening her eyes at that as she shook her head, getting up from the chair and onto her knees, begging for the girl’s mercy.
“Please… I… I can’t go back to my village, please.” Shuhua said, as the Mistress only laughed at that, her eyes full of hate and void of mercy, as she took the girl by the throat, Shuhua struggling as she gripped the girl’s wrists, trying hard to free herself from the deadly grip.
Her vision swam with black spots as she stayed in and out of unconsciousness, trying hard to be awake as she saw that the Mistress was bringing her towards the balcony, read to toss her towards the treacherous sea, and into her death.
“N-No—” She begged, but the Mistress’ decision was certain, and Shuhua could not fight anymore.
She felt her body getting tossed to the sea, feeling her muscles relax as she sighed, accepting her fate—
Fight for me, if you really like me that much, Yeh Shuhua.
Her eyes opened as she put her hands out on instinct, her eyes lighting up as if she wasn’t in control of her body anymore. She felt her body fall slowly, diving into the sea as a storm bellowed in the distance.
Lightning flashed all over as light came up from the sea, rising up and going towards the balcony, settling down as immense light formed into a figure, carrying Shuhua who was already unconscious, setting her down the ground as the Mistress just watched.
“How many people are you going to throw away until you realize that you are already alone because of your own doing?” the figure’s voice boomed, the figure’s features shifting, changing shape—
Resigning to a face and a figure that the Mistress knew the best.
“I do not need you reappearing here, Jeon Soyeon.” The Mistress said, as Soyeon scoffed, pointing at Shuhua who had fallen asleep down the ground, still wet from the dive onto the sea.
“You almost lost the very person who could help you end all of this by tossing her to the sea like what you did to me, like what you did to everyone who had tried to help you or tried loving you. Why are you doing this, Seo Soojin?” Soyeon said, Soojin looking away as Soyeon knelt down and stared at Shuhua, who slept peacefully.
“She wouldn’t hate you even if you did that. Even if you try to kill her over and over, I will reappear and save her over and over again, bringing her back to you. You know why?” Soyeon said, her tone full of anger as Soojin stared at Shuhua, her anger melting away.
“Because it’s either you who kills the one you love the most, or you will die by her hand. It’s what the gods had decided as a fitting punishment for you.” Soyeon said, Soojin widening her eyes at that.
“You said that she wouldn’t hate me. Why would she be the one who would kill me?” Soojin said, Soyeon sighing at that, looking at Soojin straight in the eye.
“Because the gods decided so, Soojin. It’s your choice, or her choice, when the time comes. And I assure you, it would be a very difficult decision.” Soyeon said, walking towards the balcony, slowly turning back to her true form; light.
“I will be watching you, through her eyes. Do not even try to change your fate; you cannot do so.” Soyeon said, diving back to the sea, the storm receding and disappearing, leaving a peaceful sky and the tides crashing towards the shore.
Soojin stared at Shuhua, the one who could cause her death, the one who she would kill in the future.
The girl only sighed, carrying the unconscious girl into her bed, and walking back into the balcony, staring at the horizon.
“Do not be afraid.”