Who wants to be the Luna Queen? ( Jangkku ff)

\\26\\

Wonyoung's pov

"Well I guess it is time to unmask the first secret." I said.

The basement was dark and dusty. The jail area had a couple cells. It was hard to make out what was inside of the cells. I could barely make out the outline of the people inside. One of them got up and moved out of the darkness. I brought my face closer to the cell to make out the person's face.

"Wonyoung?" The person asked faintly. The others gasped and turned towards my sister and I. Another one stood up and came over.

"Da-ah?" The other person said.

My sister gulped. The two unknown people started to cry and ran closer to the bars of the cell where we stood. I could make out there face now.

"Oh my god." Da-ah whispered and said,

"Eunji?"

"Yunjin?" I said. The two girls nodded their heads. "What? What are you guys doing here? What happened? What

"Oh stop talking for once." Eunji said. She was happily crying. "It's good to see you both." Yunjin nodded and reached out for my hand to hold it.

They both looked terrible. Their clothes were tattered and filthy. They had also lost weight.

"But really what is going on?" Da-ah asked. The two girls turned the other way. The room was silent. From the back of the cell I saw another person stand up.

"Ugh I guess I have to be the bearer of bad news." The person said and walked closer.

"Seoyeon?" I asked shocked.

"Awe did you miss me?" She asked. And leaned against the cell bar. "But honestly Wonyoung, I didn't think you were going to make it this far. I thought by now you would be one of my cell mates. Wow was I wrong." She laughed. "But hey everybody else thought the same thing."

"Everybody else?" Da-ah said stepping forward.

"Yep." Seoyeon responded and sure enough I started to make out other people in the back of the cage. They were the other girls. "We have everybody here." Seoyeon said sighing. "Wonyoung you more than welcome to join us." She snickered.

Another person stood up and said, "Get to the point Seoyeon !"

"So welcome to our humble jail cell." Seoyeon said sarcastically. She walked closer to da-ah and me. All eyes were on her. "This is what happens when the Prince sends you back 'home. As we thought, but sadly that is false. You leave the room crying, or in my case yelling, and are welcomed to guards.

The guards are meant to take you home, but instead bring you to a door." Seoyeon paused and looked at my sister and I. "The one you two came through so easily, but for the rest of us the door was the beginning of hell. The guards bring you down the stairs laughing at how confused you are. Then, they open the cell door open and shove you in. The door is locked behind you. You are shaking, confused, and nervous." She paused. "And you are left here alone in the dark wondering why you were put here." Seoyeon sighed and walked to the other side of the wall and shook the cell bar. It didn't budge. She then kicked the bar and fell to the around. She put her head between her legs. "Can one of you guys explain the rest?" She asked.

"I can." Said another voice from behind me. I quickly tuned around to face another jail cell. Inside of it was just one person. I walked over to the cell with my sister following behind me.

The person continued to speak, "They said I was too violent to be put with the other girls. I guess punching a guard in the face when they drag you down here makes that happen." The voice laughed and moved closer to me. It was Jiyoon.

"It's scary being here. You expect to go home and see your family, but you don't. You get to see the same girls you have seen for the past weeks. And you want to know why I can't see my family!" Jiyoon cried.

"It's because they don't trust us to leave this damn Palace. They said no other human has left the Palace before. They don't want any human to go around gossiping about the Werewolf kingdom. And here I thought the humans and the werewolves were allies. I guess not." Jiyoon smiled with sad eyes.

"Maybe that's why we weren't allowed any electronics while we were here. They thought we would contact somebody. And the whole time I thought they just wanted us to be focused on enjoying life in the Palace. Now I can't wait to get out." Jiyoon smiled and looked straight into my eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, "Jiyoon

"Do you know how lucky you are Wonyoung? You just walked straight into the Palace with no care in the world. You hated living here and broke rules. None of us did that. But you got to stay in the nicely furnished room with food that comes to you regularly." She paused and cried out. "We barely get a meal a day." She covered her head with her hands and paced the cell. She turned to me and screamed, "It's not fair!"

"Shut up Jiyoon!" Yunjin yelled from her cell on the other side. "We don't want any guards coming down here."

"Who cares?" Jiyoon responded. "Let them get in trouble for being down here. Then it will be down to two girls and we will be closer to freedom." She said.

"What does she mean closer to freedom?" Da-ah asked.

Yunjin sighed, "Once they pick the Luna Queen we will be allowed to work in the Palace as maids or something. The guards didn't give us specifics. They keep us down here so the girls that are still in the running won't be nervous of being eliminated."

The room became silent and I comprehended everything I was just told.

"Are you kidding me?" I whispered under my breath. Da-ah sighed.

Seoyeon shook the cell bars again and said. "Why are you guys still standing here? Leave while you can."

"No I can't." I replied looking down. "I can't leave you all down here."

Da-ah went over to Eunji and held her hand.

Eunji let go of her hand and said, "Go!" And pushed da-ah away.

Da-ah stared at her with her mouth open. She shook her head no.

"Wonyoung bring your sister upstairs." Yunjin said.

I responded, "But

"Go!" All the girls said besides Jiyoon.

I walked over to Ellie and said, "Let's go." Ellie and I walked back over to the stairs we came down. We walked up and kept looking back down at the girls.

"I feel awful." Da-ah said.

"Me too." I whispered reaching for the door knob. Before I could turn it something was pushed under the door. It was a little sheet of paper. Da-ag picked it up and read it. She gasped and gave it to me. The note said:

First one down and more to go. Find the person who proves this phrase: A great talker is a great liar.

I quickly opened the door to see who pushed the note under the door. All I saw was a black shadow turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

1/09/24