The Black Swan

Chapter 29: The Crystal Survivor

"How exactly does it work?"

"This seal is inhibiting in nature - it deters any party not conscious to your own from manipulating your powers, or your mind." The Sealing Specialist explained even in the midst of her own sparring session. Her fists struck with ferocity at a wooden target. The timber limbs rotated swiftly with every hit, but Hitomi had been faster to deflect every returning movement - her speed making Yoonie speechless. "Remember that first incident with Chaewon?"

So that's what she means. Yoonie soon found enlightenment in her words: Soyeon had been trying to control her since the beginning. If not for the seal, she would have been successful. That explains why I had lost control in that intense moment.

But something did not link. The entity within her - she swore it was a part of herself. The thing that they sealed away - it was a familiar presence she could not have mistaken for another. Could it really have been her alternate self? The "side that we never really want to show others"?

"Alright.. Thank you," She bowed to Hitomi, too occupied with her own rumination to ask any further questions.

"You seem to be working on something," Hitomi held her back, taking a break from her physical training. "Is this something I should be worried about?"

"Oh, no - I'm not planning on anything dubious, if that's what you're thinking." Yoonie paused, considering whether Hitomi could be trusted to hear the things she had learnt from Ji-hoon. Her advice will be invaluable - and telling her would first gain her trust. Convinced, she summed up in brief her supposed involvement in the Nightmare Monarch, albeit leaving out the parts she should not speak of.

Understanding swelled within Hitomi, as she pondered on Yoonie's words. "I've heard of Beast magic, but never have I encountered any account of how one uses that kind of power."

"Have you heard of the Psionic system?"

Yoonie's eyes lit up. She swore she had come across that exact same term somewhere within her research. She nodded, though admitting that she did not know much of it.

"It's an alternative paradigm of magic intricacies. The reason why they don't teach it in Sotia is because we hardly deal with magic users of that sort. Besides, His Majesty does not want people to learn of it, and use it for evil."

Before Yoonie could raise another question, "I've said enough. You should know what needs to be done from here," Hitomi got up from her seat, then threw her towel across it. She froze, almost contemplating something. Then, she spoke.

"Do you still meet Chaewon often?"

"Hardly. But I do find her for help."

She thought about it for a second, then reached forward towards Yoonie...

Yoonie flinched, surprised. Yet the girl meant no harm, as she pulled out the pen stuck in Yoonie's hair - a makeshift hair tie that held it in a bun. She scribbled down some notes on a piece of paper, before handing it to Yoonie.

"Hand this to her - and my regards."

Yoonie stared at the note - they were writings, alright - symbols and glyphs that made no sense to her. She was convinced it was some kind of code, or some sort of language she couldn't comprehend. The girl's expressions were neutral, telling no sign of what she had written. Thinking not to second-guess her intentions, she thanked Hitomi for her time, before leaving her to resume her workout.

Could be a love letter of some sort; how sweet. Yoonie shrugged to herself as she walked home.

She thought back to her exchange with her other self: the one that had sought her promise to free her again. If this curse meant that Soyeon could control me, then what was that about? Aside from the unknown source manipulating her, there was something so potent, so much stronger, that had been sealed away with Soyeon's ability to control her.