ᴏɴᴇɪʀᴀᴛᴀxɪᴀ ✘ ᴛxᴛ ✘ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ x ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ✘ fᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴀᴜ

T W E N T Y - T W O

⌌⊱⇱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰⌍
.. Hanging from these unfateful strings, I weep...
⌎⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⇲⊰⌏

"Your highness, please calm down--"

"Stop calling me that! Stop pretending that you know me!"

The girl felt tears pricking her eyes quickly without a warning, her breathing heavier and ragged. "Why does everyone think I can be their puppet?! Straighten your posture, Areum. Girls should not fight, Areum. Smile, Areum. Do not leave this house, Areum. Fulfill your destiny, Eirlys. Do this, Eirlys. Do that, Eirlys. I've had enough!!"

She lifted her sword, pointing it at the lion with a vicious sneer. "I refuse! I refuse to be a toy for anyone to bark commands at! I create my own destiny!"

The lion was left rather flustered by her actions. She was different - he thought before he stood up. "How foolish of you to point a sword at the spirit animal of your soulmate. Or to even think of changing the prophecies--"

"I have no family, you feline, I've never had a family. I never knew what it felt to have a family. These boys, and magic island, are the closest people I have as family... I cannot afford to lose any of them, nor am I planning on allowing random creatures to tell me what is and what isn't the right thing to do. Me, from the prophecies, probably couldn't save him because she believed your words. That was her story. But what I haven't done has yet to be written in stone. Therefore I create my own destiny,"

The lion fell silent. Though a smile spread on his lips. "Very well, Eirlys... I will refrain myself from stopping you. Now it is time for you to wake up. Your friends... No... Your family has already returned,".

And so, the lion ventured off into the forest, his figure disappearing quickly behind the thick layers of fog.

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A small gasp escaped the girl's parted lips as her eyes squinted open, finding Heuningkai in front of her, holding both of her hands. She could see the magical energy evaporating from him as his effort of purifying her succeeded. ".. Areum... You're awake," He tiredly let out. "Take a break, Ningning. I'll take over from here," Taehyun's voice sounded, setting his bag down. "You guys are back..." The youngest muttered, watching as Yeonjun and Soobin watched over their horses. "Of course we are, now go sleep or something. We need all of the energy for the real challenge... Areum, how are you feeling?" Taehyun asked, pulling out his staff. He flinched, however, as he took notice of the girl's teary eyes.

"W-woah, are you okay?? Why are you crying??" The younger wizard asked, panicked at the girl's tearful state. The others were alarmed by this as well. "Areum, are you okay, are you hurt...?" Yeonjun asked with a frown, crouching down in front of her. ".. I'm sorry..." She let out, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault that Beomgyu is gone..." She muttered out, the boys frowning. "Hey, don't think like that..." Taehyun tilted his head to make eye contact with her, seeing as her head hung low. ".. Hey, Beomgyu wouldn't be happy if he saw you like this..." Soobin tried to reason with her. "Areum, I'm sure it wasn't your fault... Besides, Beomgyu might seem goofy and childish at times but he's strong and reliable, he will pull through this..."

"Areum, look at me," Yeonjun spoke, the girl slowly looking up at him. He swiped the tears on her cheeks away with a soft smile on his face. "He is alive. He will come back,"

"H-how can you be so sure...?"

"I just am,"

"But he-"