// Chapter 34 \\

I was falling through air of a sunny bright white shaft— a large square-shaped tunnel. It felt all too familiar to me when I saw blue shadows beneath me, signifying a hallway entrance down below. It also signified a bottom, a floor. I seemed to fall faster then, plummeting to a piercing perfect white beneath me. I was going to shatter against that surface.

A sort of panic flowed through me then, but as soon as that panic came it was diminished. I calmed myself because I knew what I had to do.

My wings sprouted from my back, silver gleaming the bright light, causing it to glow and reflect on the white surface. I took in the fine bright reflections of light before I tucked in my wings and allowed myself to plummet to that ground beneath me. Only when I was close did I truly sprout my wings and stop my fall, gliding my armored feet to the ground. The clack of metal tapping against white concrete echoed in the hall beyond from my feet and that was when I gazed upward to it.

The blue shadows became darker as the hall dissolved into darkness, but whatever was within that darkness was what I came here for.

I gave a look skyward to my entry point. There was an end to the white tunnel if just plummeted through. Beyond the entry was a blue sky with a few white puffs lazily gliding through it. I heard the howls of wind from above and a gentle breeze brushed up against me. It was peaceful, but something in me told me that was deceiving.

I didn't waste another second as I then began to run into the tunnel. It became dark quick, and it was surprising that my vision had to adjust to the darkness— usually, my impeccable eyes could register anything despite a change in light. Once my vision adjusted, I could take in what I saw.

Cellars made of dark cruel metal bars lined the walls of this path. Some were empty while others had crouching figures within them. I ignored my thoughts of registering what they were possibly here for— the only thing I didn't ignore from that was the disgust and betrayal I felt.

I could now see the end of the hallway. There laid the largest cell of the complex. This is what I came here for.

My pace hastened as I approached that cell. I looked to the custom lock with a disgusted anger and broke it with a flash of a white glow. The cell door creaked open right after and I didn't hesitate to step into the cell. That's when I finally saw him.

His hair was longer now, black curls dangling in his face while the other strands were tucked back behind his ears. His cheeks were a bit hollow, but his complexion remained strong, and I couldn't be more certain of that when I saw those silver eyes. The glowing, glimmer silver and very alive eyes.

I couldn't stop the shuttering gasp and cry that escaped me as I saw Jeong Yunho standing before me.

A smile found its way onto my face as I stretched my arms out to embrace him.

Then I felt a sharp twinge against my stomach before pain bloomed inside me there, stretching all the way to a stinging sensation at my back. I yelped a surprised grunt looking down to my dark shadowed body to find a sword in my stomach. Barely any blade was left out of it, and blood smeared the silver that wasn't inside me. There was no mistake that the hands on the blade's hilt were that of the man that stood before me.

I gaped in disbelieve at what I saw. My hands that had been out at either side of me spread wide for an embrace now crumpled and held air, trying to grasp the image I took in. I inhaled a shuttering breath, my heart beating furiously and yet somehow slowing. I felt so much pain, so much regret, but I felt betrayal and the sorrow it carried with it the most.

I looked back up to Yunho then, no doubt my agape expression must have been that of betrayal and sorrow.

All I received in return was a cold, composed look of a soldier. The only breaks in it was a tremble of his lower lip and a single tear streaming down from his eye.

I jolted with a gasp as I awoke and took in the red and blue light that shone its way through the glass window of the room. That was about all I wished to register with the thoughts flowing through my mind with what I'd just saw. My stomach still felt numb from the pain I'd felt there. Did I fall asleep? Was that a dream? It felt too real. Where did it come from? What had I been doing before then?

I stirred and that's when I felt a strong comforting embrace of warmth circled around me. I paused, looking down to find a golden tan arm wrapped around me. I carefully traced the arm up to a shoulder before I looked to find Seonghwa's sleeping face a breath away from my own.

What I just woke from wasn't a dream, this was. But my mind's recollection of the events from last night returned and I knew what I was experiencing now was no such dream.

A sensation went through me at remembering it all. The wall, the tub, the belts, the cushions. But I'd done it all with Seonghwa.

I cursed myself as I immediately bolted off of the bed. I tried to pry my eyes away from the mess all over the room but my mind couldn't avoid it. Covers and pillows were ripped from seems and strewn across the floor. Towels had been flung and burnt out candles were everywhere, some even crumpling from their waxen figures. All those candles had burned that incense I'd been inhaling all night. The scent of it still coated my tongue. When I breathed in, I still got a sudden sigh of relief, which was odd to mix with the soreness I felt. I gritted my teeth. I can't believe I'd done this.

I flung my fingers in the air, replacing the laced garments I'd received last night with a dusty blue light dress, which frilled and fitted loosely around me. I needed to get out of here.

Then there was a groan from the bed and a rustle of sheets.

I froze, my heart pattering madly in my chest.

"Star?" Seonghwa's silken and groggy voice came.

Night. I didn't turn back, moving towards the windows and not hesitating to fling them open with my magic. The cool dusty air of the black plain beyond wasn't the greatest inhale to take, but the air brought me more to my senses than I'd been from the previous evening.

"Star wait—"

I didn't stop. I was so close to being out of this mess. I gritted my teeth at my own soreness before I spread my wings and readied was myself to take flight out the window. That was when the window abruptly closed with a clank.

I stumbled and nearly felt from the momentum I'd set to race out of that window, and almost collided against its glass. But I didn't. However, I would've preferred to hit the glass and be knocked unconscious than face what was behind me.

I stifled my panic at the ruffle of the cushions before I felt footsteps coming towards me. They were hasted at that.

"Wait please." Seonghwa spoke exasperated.

I sighed through my nostrils before I turned around. I kept my head up as I gazed to a rather bare Monarch before me. The look on his face seemed desperate and unsure, a rare look to find him wearing.

"You- we—"

I gave a laugh despite myself, "What?"

"I didn't mean—"

"Didn't mean what?" My tone was harsher now.

Seonghwa paused his words, closing his lips and staring at me for a moment. Those dark golden eyes practically looked into my soul and they couldn't even read minds.

He grimaced then, "You don't want what happened last night."

I couldn't hid my blush, despite the fact of his point, "Correct. I don't."

"Star, I know things never have been great between us."

"Really?" I spoke exasperated but gave the High Monarch a glare.

Seonghwa pressed his lips tightly together. There was that look again.

I glowered, "You can't be serious."

His lip quirked slightly— not a smirk but more of a face of an injured pride.

I clicked my tongue, trying to ease the unsettling feeling I now attained, "You know, it sure is strange to be offered a courtship by a High Monarch who kicked you out of his Court the last time you saw him."

"I was agitated." Seonghwa admitted with a dip of his head.

"Just agitated?" I asked with squinted eyes.

Seonghwa inhaled a sharp breath before closing his eyes. Such a temper.

I shook my head and spoke with a laugh, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"I think it is."

"How?"

"I felt like it was right."

I gawked at him and threw my hands into the air, "I didn't even know who you were half of the time!" I thought he was Yeosang. Night, I thought I was doing it with Yeosang. The drug might've made me lose all logic, but it didn't spare erasing any details of what I'd done.

"I thought you were someone else too!" Seonghwa countered in a defensive tone.

Aurora. A dead woman.

But I knew better than to repeat that second line out loud. Just what did such a man with a temper believe where this courtship would get him?

"You know, I find it hard to see what your motives are."

Seonghwa clenched his jaw as he scowled at me. "My motives are enough."

I lifted my chin and snorted. I didn't believe him. This was the man that first wanted to kill me because he thought I was working with Takers. That reminder sent a shiver to my bones. The pulse in my back thrummed and my wing twitched.

"You don't have to say anything right now."

"My say is no." I flared back at him. My eyes narrowed, "Just why do you want this?"

Seonghwa was silent then, staring at me intently but not saying a word.

I laughed once more, hesitating and then speaking rather sinisterly, "You know, if you don't tell me, I'll just have to read your mind."

He flinched then, his gaze becoming a glare as he etched out, "Don't."

I hummed, "But don'ts are usually do's, don't you think?"

What was I saying? I fire crackling feeling had ignited in me at seeing the slight fear in his glare and it was like nothing I'd ever dared to show to him. I'd looked at him before with fear. Perhaps there was still incense lingering in the air.

Seonghwa backed up a pace but the distance didn't matter. Nothing mattered in prevention of my magic when I was already gazing deep into his gold irises. I dug in until I saw a face, with such distinct features.

Her slightly tan and fair skin with a single freckle dotting her left lower cheek. Her rich chocolate brown depths of eyes that held glimmering gold notches evenly placed around her eyes. Her long and luscious pink hair that tumbled and curved perfectly to frame her face. Her smile was heart-warming on her lips.

And then I say my face, my tan skin and millions of freckles. My piercing golden eyes with white notches in their center. My black hair and silver strands that flowed like the night sky. My own smile that could be said to be twice as heart warming as the one I saw before, but similar in the fact of its effect.

I immediately snapped from Seonghwa's mind and I hid none of my surprise, "You think I'm like Aurora."

Seonghwa had his jaw clenched, his golden eyes on fire with denial as he shook his head, "No. No I don't."

"Yes, you do," I said again, raising my voice.

He went silent, bitting his lip and closing his eyes.

"She was seeking out the same thing I was at Lenuil, wasn't she? You just so happened to think a smile at my own birthday mixed with my own frustration of not entering the dream realm practically made us the same person!"

"That's not what I think—"

"Then why propose a courtship to someone you can get into an argument with every few seconds?"

He said nothing.

I shook my head, "I'm done, Seonghwa."

Then I turned and opened the window and left.

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! \\