one blood ✓

f o r t y • e i g h t

All that everyone could hear was white noise; the air being filled by heavy breathing. No one took their eyes off the four sisters who just blankly stared at back at them.

They refused to look at the light slowly descending down because of its bright features. As it goes down, the ground shook once again and large walls rose up surrounding all of them. No possible exits or even a sign of hope that could save them was seen around. It surely spread anxiety for the group but most of them tried to not get threatened or intimidated. One sign of being fearful can easily give an advantage for the enemy.

But out of all of them, one failed in hiding her real emotion. Gahyeon's legs were shaking, fear and anxiety building up immensely inside of her, giving the young girl goosebumps; she kept her eyes shut, silently wishing that everything was over. Gahyeon embraced the darkness that she saw than looking at the blinding light. It was the only way she could do to make herself calm.

It was peculiar for her to be scared at this rate because ever since she was known and characterized as a confident and fearless girl. The young girl was surprised that she was feeling like that as well but there was just something in the situation felt off. And it was clearly evident that she didn't like it one bit.

The only thing that broke that temporary calmness and forcibly opened her eyes was a voice.

"Our little girl..." The deep female voice whispered.

It was a familiar one for the young girl's ears. And it suddenly all made sense for her when she heard it again. It was the voice of a woman that kept appearing in her nightmares that always kept her up at night since she was younger, but the woman refused to show her face. Everytime Gahyeon tries to interact with her; she wakes up out of the blue.

Fluttering her eyes open, a flustered expression was seen on her face. She saw that everyone beside her was completely frozen, all eyes closed as well. And the moment she looks in front of her, deep inside the anxiety blew up.

That memory, that year, that night, that horrific experience came back to her in a second.

She swallowed, trying to calm herself again.

"Eomm-ma..." The girl murmured.

A faint laugh was heard which as if the cue for the bright light to disappear. And there revealed a figure of a woman. She looked sane enough to be intimidating, especially when she smiled so sweetly to her youngest daughter.

"Come back home, Gahyeon..." She said, the sweetness of her voice filling the air. "You don't know how long we were waiting for you," The woman didn't fail to resume her eye contact with the young girl. The woman's eyes were so eye catching that it might as well hypnotize Gahyeon but there was Yooyheon who decided to interfere.

"No!" The girl hugged the younger which woke up Gahyeon from the hypnotization. "Gahyeon, just let your anger out if you have," The sister whispered which flustered Gahyeon.

"Unnie, what do you mea-"

Before Gahyeon could even finish, a force pulled Yoohyeon up. "Tch-," Yoohyeon fought as she held her own neck, catching air.

"Yoohyeon... How many times do I have to tell you and Minji to stop interfering with my plans!?" The woman screeched, enough to be heard by everyone. The soft features she had a while ago disappeared immediately. Her irises both becoming pure red.

"I-I'm just correcting the m-mistakes I did in the past," Yoohyeon answered, still fighting for air but somehow the grip on her neck got tighter.

"Enough of this... I don't even know how you got yourself unpetrified but I won't let it happen again," The woman said, raising her hand and finally cutting the source of Yoohyeon's breathing. The girl fainted as she floated on the air.