~JIYONG’S POV~
“WAAH!” Dara’s terrified scream entered my ears. I kicked the door open, prepared for any attacks thrown at me.
“Dara!” I called alertly the moment I entered the room. I paused in the doorway as I saw that they were all gathered by the fireplace, looking. . . . fine.
“Jiyong! You’re back!” Dara cheerfully greeted and bounced to me. I welcomed her in my arms in relief. “Jae was telling us some scary stories about shadows”
I cupped her face and kissed her, ignoring CL’s scoff. I can tell Dara’s surprised with the way she was holding herself and the way she gasped. But knowing her, it would only take a few seconds for her to be immerse with the kiss. To prove me right, I felt her arms around my neck as she started kissing me back.
“Chaerin! Are you al-?!” Seungri’s voice burst in. I pulled away from Dara and looked behind me. I stopped him as I saw that he was about to have a go for Jaejoong.
“Can you turn into a crow for a second?” I turned to Jae.
“Why?” he asked.
“Just do it” I said.
“What’s going on?” I heard Dara asked. I just planted a soft kiss in her hair in response.
With a shrug, Jaejoong transformed in front of us. I sighed as I saw his black eyes. I gave a wave, signalling him to turn back to his previous state.
“What’s going on?” Jaejoong asked.
“Youngbae’s not the masked shadow” I sighed. “He was put under some kind of. . . spell”
“But how’s that possible?” CL joined in. “I thought shadows can’t be possessed by another shadow?”
“It wasn’t possession” Jaejoong answered matter-of-factly. “It was manipulation or what the elders call, mind poisoning”
“How does that work?” Dara asked.
“When a shadow got some unmet needs or unfulfilled desires, he can be vulnerable to whispers. Another shadow can plant stuff in his mind, like poison. The vulnerable shadow will lose sense of what’s right or wrong and what’s true and what’s false. But of course, most shadows don’t really recognize what’s right, do they? It’s like having a dark attack only, the victim is like a puppet. And of course, you don’t really lose control to the point that you want to have a killing spree”
“Oh” Dara mumbled.
“So, it’s Bom’s fault” Seungri said. “I mean, we all know how Youngbae feels for her but since she don’t feel the same, it made him vulnerable”
“How could you be so tactless?” CL snapped. “It’s nobody’s fault”
“I’m hearing ghosts again” Seungri puffed and left the room.
“What’s the matter with him?” CL asked darkly.
“So, the masked shadow’s still out there?”
“Yes” I sighed then looked down at Dara. She was looking up at me while her arms were around my waist. I have to put an end to this. But how? Where am I going to start? And who am I going against for?
I’ve never felt this helpless before. But only one thing’s for sure, I have to keep this child-woman in my arms ALIVE.
o=o=o
“I just realized” Dara started. “We haven’t went out for a REAL date, yet”
“So?” I asked with raised brows.
