// Chapter 21 \\

Spitting, chaotic, waves were the only reminder that this eternal ocean was still wild and untamable. Crashing waves that could wash away clarity so blinding, it could reveal the truth, or hide it from the world.

They washed over Como. When he caved in on himself, when he had let go of the hold he had on those blue thick waters, when he gave into the harsh waves of eternal waters that engulfed him cruelly in the blink of an eye. Except I couldn't blink and I saw it all play out. The way Como disappeared and the mad dash of San as he ran straight towards me, laps and lashes of the unforgiving sea in his wake. He was desperate— that was a vivid glimmer of desperation in his eyes.

I quickly acted to yank myself back. I loved, but I also hated those eyes with their intent. What he wanted was not the same as what I wanted. So I moved as fast as shaken legs of terror could take me and I hoped my movements were as impulsive as they'd been when I left that pink mark across San's face. But they weren't.

I was too slow as San moved upon me, drawing his weapon back as he reached his other hand out to me. Not an attack, an offering.

My eyes widened in a clarity of perfect detail from him, but I was so blind. Those vivid folds of those irises that hid the clock, the light, and the chills. It was empty of something else. The mind which had painted itself of innocence before when I looked into them was now reckless and ruined, shrouded in darkness.

Then the echo of words in that mind which were so close to coming off broken.

I'm failing me. I'm failing you. I'm failing everyone. I am failing everything.

San's maddening voice— his thoughts— tumbled into my eyes as I looked into his eyes. And somehow he knew— I could feel the brush of his true mind welcoming my presence. It wasn't welcome though; it was a desperate last grasp.

Please, M—

There was a scream, a bellow of a light, lustrous voice I'd trusted, sounding more broken than the words that continued to echo in my mind before my eyes quickly crumbled them away.

And that's when I snapped out of the picture of his mind to the state in reality of what he was in. My eyes widened as I looked to San.

Fire engulfed his black robes, lashing for his face and skin with destructive intent. Such destructive intent San even recognized it as he gazed to the blaze upon him. His eyes concealed nothing of what he felt. They were wide, shocked in panic, and afraid. But all of this was only a glimpse as the waters of Eastern Court had finally caught up to him. And the glimpse of this I had of him was merely a glimpse as the waves crashed and washed over him and carried him into the blue and shredding white abyss.

I choked on a gasp as I watched him disappear. I knew there was only one person in the room who could send such a blaze upon him and knock San off his course of hurtling straight towards me: Hongjoong.

I tossed my head over to see Hongjoong looking at me, fire ablaze in his hands and his eyes wide in pale grey fear, tears streaking down his face. His face then contorted in pain as he screamed above the waves, "Star! Look out!"

I heard the unmistakable crashing of waves that almost blurred out Hongjoong's words. I turned back to what laid in front of me and that caused me to stumble back. I realized how close San had come to me, but forgot about the crashing wild waves of the ocean that had been lapping at his feet as he ran, and what was upon me now.

Those deep darkening blues and shredding whites that promised a shattering plunge. It was mere inches away from me, the mist and splatters of the cool wild waves already spitting on me, just like those spikes the day I'd sailed into the storm.

I brought my hands in front of me, as if they would stop the waves from their course. But that did nothing, my stumbling backwards pace did nothing, and no one could do anything. Nothing as the waves came over me in a crashing thrust against the floor— I slammed with a cry as I took in the waves, choking as the water found its way within me and the eerie sounds of the sea filled my ears. I reached my hands out. Something. Anything.

My eyes shattered and scrambled as it fought my mind for what it knew. What did I know? What was right? What was wrong? What was love and hate, bravery and fear, take or be taken? What did it all mean? What was wrong?

I gurgled and gasped on the salt and deadly truth of waters that forced its way down my throat. The bubbling sounds of the ocean turned to incessant ringing in my ears.

Everything was blurry, but I did know one thing; I needed something.

As if it was a pleading call, I felt something silkenly cool then. It was chilling at first but that was before the warm fire sparked and flared. Those wild waters couldn't hold back such a passionate flame as my hand grasped for it and latched on.

The ticks of harmony and light filled the ringing in my ears until it was only those two sounds of radiance and ticks— and that became all I knew. All I knew because it was mine. It was always mine to take. Yes, this was mine to take.

My choking even seemed to pause as I hung onto the thought in my mind, my eyes betraying me as I thought my next course of action. And I decided.

I decided to take it.

The first pulse of it entered me and the rush of euphoria— of the sheer completeness I felt— had me gasping once more, not caring how much water flowed into my throat. It was like drinking the finest of wines; the elixir of life. I should be labeled a fool for making myself believe for a single sip that this is what I was looking for. I'd never attain what my hidden desire wanted. But that didn't stop me from this action that would take me down that path to that fate. It was too amazing— too glorious.

It felt...

So...

So destined.

Gulp after gulp I took of that sweet drink until I downed it whole. This true tranquility— this euphoria in my soul— I wanted it to last forever. But, the moment my lips removed from that rim, that feeling of contentment shattered into an empty hollow loneliness. And I was once more dreadly without the one thing I wanted the most.

However, there was no time to dread as I felt the coolness of air take over my senses as I gasped for breath. But I couldn't breath. The water was deep in my throat and it let nothing in. I heaved for air and the water blocked and that was what caused me to recoil and roll to my side as I coughed the water out on the burnt ashen floor.

"Get away from her!" Then there was a flash of light from above me accompanied by snarls. Metal collided with metal and I barely had time to catch a breath to lose it once more to the scene above me.

Hongjoong and San were glaring at each other, their faces so close. Black scythe and bronze blade of etched embers collided in scraping shivers as Hongjoong angled his sword to curve up San's scythe edge. Behind them, the waves and ever blues and slicing whites froze menacingly in place. The crashing waves had somehow stopped.

Then there was a grunt from an all too familiar voice. That's when I turned to the image of a friend in the cascading blue light from above. He was on his knees, hands held up and eyes straining as they trained on the wild waters. Those cyan that were meeting deep blues as a few petals of blossoms weeped from his antlers. Yeosang was holding back the waves with his powers, and it seemed he could barely outmatch the rumbling mind of the Eastern Court's waters.

More clashes brought my attention back to what was in front of me. Hongjoong and San were locked in a battle of the blades. San's swift and smooth movements in his dance with his scythe was impeccable. On the contrary, Hongjoong was slightly reckless with his lashes and blocks. He was clumsy in noting his opponent's movements and controlling his own and his eyes seemed to know it as much as mine and San's.

Hongjoong was never the best with a sword and I couldn't believe his courage in using it, but I could see the glimmer of the truth in his eyes. He'd depleted his magic— low.

He wasn't the only one, however, as I heard a gasp back over from Yeosang as he strained to keep a grip on the waves.

"You guys need to go," Yeosang barely got out as his hands shook slightly.

However, Hongjoong didn't show any signs of letting up as he clashed his blade once more with San's. He was getting lost in his emotions towards the man in black. I'd never seen such a fire in Hongjoong's eyes as I did now. He wouldn't let up.

But San didn't seem bothered by this. In fact, he gave a wicked smirk— a mocking commend to Hongjoong's effort.

Hongjoong let out a snarl to this as his eyes turned feline, a threat to San's playful tone.

"You know, the cervus is right." San commented nonchalantly before snapping back and away from Hongjoong within a second.

Hongjoong didn't have time to react— couldn't react in his tired, magic depleted state— and fell forward at the lack of his opposing force. The clatter of Hongjoong's sword sounded with his yelp as he crashed on the floor. His eyes were shut from the pain he felt before he squinted them open, over to San.

San was practically glaring from him several paces away, gritting his teeth, "As much as I hate you and I'd like to see you torn to pieces, I'd rather keep my life than be a fool and fight."

Hongjoong coughed before he spoke in pants, "Oh really now? If you weren't a fool, you would've killed me by now."

Yet, Hongjoong was the one shaking as he tried to stand from the ground, shakily reaching for his sword, while San stood as if he was in perfect complexion— as if Hongjoong hadn't almost burned him before the waves took him.

San laughed at this, spinning his scythe as the cranking of gears had it retracting, before he placed the folded form within his cloak. His humorous face was gone then, staring at Hongjoong as he took one step forward, his words low and crisp and definitely clear, "I was trained my entire life to kill High Monarchs. If I didn't find you valuable, you'd be dead by now."

His words seemed to chill the entire room or it chilled me, at least. Something in me seemed to pulse: a freezing shutter of my heart. This too was accompanied by the pounding of a headache. I was sure the one before me— San— was the one that caused this headache.

He never seemed more foreign to me than he did now with his words. I thought I used to know him. He used to help me. Back in Dawn Court when I helplessly loved him. Why did I love him? I sensed such a deep connection with him and— He always seemed to know what to do to help me.

Eastern Court, your answers lay in the palace of Venelia.

Wooyoung had known San would be here. San would have the answers.

But my realization came too late, as did my recovery as I got up from the ground with a gasp. I only had a glimpse of a look as I saw San running for the exit.

No. This was the only chance they had to have.

I quickly stood before my world spun and I clutched my head as the throbbing headache worsened from my sudden movements. I couldn't focus on my movements, but my stumble must've turned me to Hongjoong because the next thing I knew was that I started to him as he had a glowing hand pressed to his chest, his breathing slightly hasteful.

He was healing himself.

Hongjoong glanced up to me with a hurried expression, "Don't worry about me. Get him!"

I immediately understood, nodding before I lashed my silver wings out. I tried my best to ignore my world-turning headache as I took off and didn't bother monitoring my speed as I flashed like a stream of silver through the entryway and spotted San down the large wide hallway.

It wouldn't take much to catch up to him. Wouldn't if my head wasn't already pulsing and threatening to let my blood bloom out of my ears to release the pressure caught in my head. It caused my entire world to spin, it distorted the halls in shattered cracks and my peripherals almost didn't spot San rounding a corner.

Now I was clumsily flapping along, trying to find the enemy in our midst as I barreled down the hall with my suddenly terrible vision to accompany my pounding head and thoughts. That headache was growing louder.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

In sync with the flap of wings I couldn't hear over the thumps, but I was sure to count the thumps as I barely got a glance of the black figure running down the hall he'd turned into. San looked so far away in my vision. I thought I could catch up to him, but it didn't seem like I could.

I couldn't. I couldn't even try to get one single answer.

This somehow pumped rage through my veins. I now seemed colder than my usual self as I glared to the one I used to love. He was so desperate to get to me and, right when I needed answers, he was running away. Running away just like he did after I figured out he was a Taker on The Black Day. My rage flared in a cold spike.

I flapped my wings once and that was all it took. All it took to unleash my cold rage as time seemed to slow for the figure in front of me, as the gold leaked from my hands as I slashed straight for San. The dizziness of my mind was never like it was before— the swirling pictures of my vision as certain cracks became blurry and others dulled— as tears began to run down my eyes. I was losing so much of myself then, but I didn't care. I just wanted answers.

I didn't know I'd tackled San to the ground until my vision cleared enough for me to acknowledge the cool feel underneath my body was his. And when my vision cleared, I had to admit I wasn't expecting the expression I saw in his eyes. There was something like true sorrow and pity in the way he looked at me. The way he looked for a moment before he covered it in shock. Or perhaps that was supposed to be discerning to me as a trick. I didn't allow it.

He was completely under my grasp. His legs were crushed down by mine and his arms were crashed down by mine. He wouldn't dare to fight back because my cold gold strings of magic twisted around both my arms and legs and were mere inches from his delicate uncovered skin. He would get hurt more before he could do something, but who knew if I could truly hurt him. My heart still panged at the thought, but San didn't seem to know this.

He seemed to focus on the few sobs I somehow got out in my shattered state before I yelled into his face in pure rage, "You have ANSWERS!" I gasped as I saw him shutter back from my words with a few shocked blinks in his eyes. I sobbed a bit as my yell came out weaker this time, "And you're going to give them to me."

It pained me to do this. My headache was bringing pain to me. And I sobbed it all out while I glared into San's cold eyes. Like I cared what pain I was in. I always cared about me when it was too late.

But, for a moment, it seemed San did care. That pity mixed with sorrow and worry flashed in his eyes once more before he blinked it away with a board expression. A glimmer in his eyes seemed rather human and seemed all too knowing of this dilemma.

"Why don't you ask Wooyoung?" San crooned, the humanity in his complexion staying for a moment. It almost made me think the chills underneath me went away. But that was before he tsked and the chills returned with his Taker craze. He spoke roughly, "You went to him anyways. Then you come crying to me."

He wasn't going to answer my questions, but his patronizing words upset me more. It made my rage spike.

"Well Wooyoung sent you here, didn't he?" I questioned roughly as I brought my glaring face closer to his.

His cold breath seemed to hitch for a second— true shock taking over his features. Then, it became rage matching my own or a frustration triggered by my words.

"Wooyoung didn't send me anywhere." San started in the same rough tone as before. His face slightly came up to mine, almost ceiling off our gap as he spoke lowly, "He may be my blood brother, but he doesn't control me. He never controls me." Then he brought his head back down to the floor with a huff of a sigh as he spoke louder in a jesting voice, "This here? This little ambush, Starlight, was my own coalition with that Captain of Eastern Court. He told me of your arrival and we planned accordingly for what I seeked so I could pay him handsomely in return. But, seeing as the sea swallowed him up," San smiled as sweetly as I'd ever seen it, "I guess our little deal is off," he pouted slightly but there was a glint of rage in his eyes even he couldn't hide, "I bet you would've liked the deal as well."

I heard the prancing of feet before I heard the mighty roar of a feline. The roar seemed to call out my name as I heard the running of the auburn lion as he turned the corner from behind, fast approaching to where I was holding down San. Hongjoong.

I was relieved to hear the sound of my friend catching up to me and in his second form, but I must've appeared too relieved. San was quick— as I expected if he'd try to escape— and began to slip from my grasp.

My vision was more put back together then and my tears were drying. I could see his wrists working quickly to undo the grip I had on him. Now was my chance to use my powers on him— to sting his wrists and hands like I'd planned. However, I hesitated.

I still loved San.

The pang in my heart confirmed that excuse and, with a bitter thud, San had slipped his hands out of my grasp and shoved me off of him. I tumbled not too far from him with a gasp. I found my shock a bit out of place; it was almost like he should've thrown me across the room.

I was close to him as he quickly stood— I could reach for him. I reached out for him. I could've easily latched onto him— I could use my powers now on him. I lunged once more but another pang of my heart sent me to a shuttering stop.

San sent another regretful look my way and didn't waste another second as he turned and hurtled down the hall once more. I gapped as I watched him run and continued gaping until, quickly after, a flash of auburn hurtled past me along with the thuds he brought. Hongjoong was in pursuit of San and the quick glimpse of determination and courage in his feline eyes showed me he had no intent of slowing down.

I watched for another moment to see San turn down another hall and Hongjoong following the same trail. Somehow, my headache and vision had cleared enough for me to recognize that path— I knew that path. I paused everything for a moment as I felt a twinge of dread in me. That hallway led to an upper level area of the palace that held docking ports for mergers. San was attempting an escape.

Then there were the faint sounds of crashing waves, like a distant river, sounding from somewhere behind me. That made my heart patter in a hitched pace as I became too aware of where it came from and what that meant:

Yeosang stopped holding back the water.

I stood clutching my head as I willed myself to breath. I was having too many realizations at once. I couldn't handle any more realizations.

San was escaping, Hongjoong was pursuing him, and Yeosang had stopped holding back the water. I knew Como was likely dead, but I was too worried about the fact Hongjoong or Yeosang could already be dead to care about Eastern Court's Captain of the Guard.

The crashing of waves grew louder, along with the thudding that rumbled through the palace halls.

I quickly turned, dismissing my scrambling thoughts as I looked through the glass walls of the hall to a nearby other. I was truly too disturbed by the crashing waves that were hurtling through them. And it was only those waves— no sign of Yeosang— that would be soon upon me.

Without another thought, I turned and changed into the silver being of night. My heart shaped head and deadly silent wings formed in the elegant second body I'd been bestowed. I quickly flew as my lower ear indicated just how close those wild waves were in pursuit of me. I smelled the salty mist in the air. I bellowed the screech of the silver owl as I flapped and blasted through the glass walls of Venelia in silver-streaking silence.

Now, my vision was completely sharp and my head was clear with one target as I allowed no other thoughts to infiltrate my mind. I was going to stop San from escaping.

I was quick to catch up to where Hongjoong and San were. Quick to fly through the lower halls and make fast swoops and turns up the cases of stairs to the higher levels, losing the waves. I was quick to spin through those upper halls and that was when I finally caught up to the black robed man and the lion. I was also quick to realize how close they'd already come to the mergers.

I heard San grunt as he'd gotten his scythe out once more, blocking Hongjoong's lashing claws— Hongjoong who fought with every tooth and nail. His magic must've been too low to risk using fire, but the teeth and claws seemed to work well with combatting San.

San knew this though and maybe he did it more-so as a jab to Hongjoong's comment earlier. He slashed his scythe in one thorough fluid movement and a roar of pain erupted from the lion. A screech of terror followed after from me as I saw what had played out.

And there was so much blood. So much blood as one of those mighty elegant auburn paws thudded on the floor. Blood gushed from the foreleg of Hongjoong's second form and he lost balance as he fell to the floor. I could see the glint of determination, of courage, had been replaced with fear. In understanding of what San was capable of.

I was trained my entire life to kill High Monarchs.

San didn't spare a glimpse of satisfaction in his face as he took off running once more, scythe dragged behind him in a low dip with his run.

I swooped, almost pursuing him once more when I stopped and landed on the floor, remembering who was behind me. I quickly turned me head around to see the terrible image of tainted auburn with crimson. The iron of it tangled the air with it as crimson tainted his usually-glowing mane. Hongjoong's head was down, eyes squinted shut, but when he opened them to look at me, I could've sworn there was water in them. I could've sworn this decision somehow hurt him more than anything else.

Go. His eyes told me.

However, I turned the rest of my body around as I let a silver flap send me closer to my friend.

Hongjoong roared with a fierce baring of his teeth. GO.

I stopped, brushing a gust of wind against the injured lion as I gave those grey-blues a flash of sorrow from within gold. However, that look couldn't last for long if I was meant to catch up with San. So, I hurriedly turned and flew after who I was seeking.

I was almost too late, I flew through a couple corners, rounding them only to end up spotting San once more at the beginning gates of where the mergers were.

No. I needed to act fast.

I flapped my wings in a harsh swoop, sending me plummeting for his figure like once before. But it appeared my clear vision had me slowing down as I saw the brass gold doors that ceiled off one of the mergers open. The entryway San was banking on entering now.

And I had trained my eyes on San. I was only focused on San. I was so close now. The shutters of cold and foreignness thrummed through me with every flap as I got closer to San. He was narrowing the entryway now, but I was so focused on him, I could catch him.

Then, there was a hissing sound through the air before something thudded into the puncture point of my left wing and I shrieked in pain. I immediately nose dived to the floor and crashed into it in abrupt pain before I skidded to a halt.

I didn't need to see him to know he'd made it. I heard the taps of feet as San hurriedly leaped onto the merger. He was about to escape.

I breathed heavily as the pain erupted through my body along with the start of a new headache that threatened to fog my vision. But that didn't stop me from looking and that didn't stop me from taking in every detail I saw.

San was there, his body slightly relaxing as he looked to me that pity returning before he looked to the left of him in disdain. That's where I grew wary in shock.

I was too focused on San.

Next to San was a figure. The figure was wrapped and clothed in the deadly fabrics of nickel, noir, and neat ivory. Black belts and black metals of armor tied together their form in a matter of chills that went far beyond what I ever felt of any other Taker. This being was beyond a Taker. They stood tall— as tall as me if I was in my human form— and their stature and form of body was to convey sharpened edges of something almost like kin. Familiarity and foreignness mixed and it did more-so by the nickel-silver mask made up of layers of gears and notches that covered their entire face. In fact, not a peak of identity could be seen from the cloth, armor, and mask.

The one thing I did know was that they were responsible for the stabbing pain in my wing. A crossbow made of black metal and tiny gears was strapped to one of their hands and it was still held up as I looked at them. They'd shot an arrow into my wing.

There was too much now as I looked at them in fear, shock, and uncertainty. I was completely helpless. I shrieked at them in pain and rage.

San flinched, however, the other Taker— thing— didn't so much as do that. They drew back their hand, causing the tiny crossbow to fold up, and I could've sworn the stature they held was one of a victory against me— I assumed their eyes were on me too like San's was.

Then, without another word, those doors closed. I could only helpless watch as I heard the merger unlatch itself from the palace. I could only watch as I saw the merger's outline start swishing away with the metal fins that thrusted through the water.

If I could shed more tears, I would at the heavy weight of guilt and failure overtook me.

The merger was far by now as I continued to watch silently in the throbbing pain of my second form.

All hope was lost.

Then there was a rumbling that caused my heart to lurch: the waves had caught up once more.

I tensed before I completely jumped as I saw the shadow rip up into view from outside the window. The rumbling was not the water.

The reptilian face that greeted me was narrow in height but its width stretched with the size of its jaw. Dark blue scales that matched the deadly ocean depths graced the creature to match the stature of the wild, untamable waters. Pale green webbing flexed in the three lines that traced from the backside of its head to its back. The nostrils were flared as the serpent saw me, emerald serpentine eyes slithering into slits of maddened rage. Those eyes recognized me and I certainly recognized those eyes.

Leeyon, The Serpent, bared her teeth towards me for a moment before she turned her gaze to the merger that was getting away.Then she moved, her long body truly coming into view as she slashed in zig-zag motion before plummeting straight towards the merger. Her mouth opened wide as she roared.

It may have been underwater and I might've been in the palace, but I heard the rumble it caused and I certainly heard the raging cry from the dragon of the endless ocean. Night, The Serpent. The battle cry had to be heard through the endless vast blue and it was certainly heard by San and the Taker within that merger. But the moment of hope was short-lived.

I felt it just as I knew Hongjoong felt it and Yeosang— wherever he was— felt it. I knew Leeyon felt it most of all as I saw the great power of the serpent before me stiffen. The shutter of magic. A ripple that sent a slight chill and stripped away that second connection granted to those who were so highly.

The shutter had the creature of Eastern Court's sea shriveling away in swooshes of water until a very distant feminine figure was the only remains of that second form.

Just as she had, the breathing of a creature of night that was once a secondary me turned into the panting breaths of a lone woman as I felt that hollow stripping of magic and the pain within me became more apparent. I shook my head as I still helplessly laid on the ground, even my wings were gone from me, but I still felt the pain of the arrow somewhere within.

I could only watch with this pain as that merger continued on the course of its escape. As a shred in the sea opened a gateway of bright sunny light to the merger, which happily swam through, and the rip in worlds ceiled up once more.

There was too much for me to be shocked about as I laid there, but I knew one thing from all of them that shocked me the most. Perhaps it was a bit of a hunch but I solely believed it from the feelings being the same:

The figure that was in the merger was the Takers' weapon that could take away our second forms.

REMEMBER:​​​​​​

1. Smack dat butiful star

2. Leave a comment talkin abt dis tea

3. Share dis tea induced book with yo fwends

WHY? Because I appreciate it 🥺

\\ See u in the next chapter! \\