The Scarlet Hawk and The Black Knights (Mina)✔️

10: To Follow Or Be Followed

Flashback starts
19 years ago

"Unnie, why are we here? Why are we in the small town?" Ji Won asked, holding onto Momo's sleeve as the three sisters along with the handmaiden were going out together in the small town, as the handmaiden was wanting to buy some groceries or so for the kitchen supplies. Momo looked at her youngest sister and only managed to form a smile on her face.

"We haven't gone out in a while. We need some fresh air so I decided to bring you two out together with the maid to the town. Maybe we can see some good-looking stuffs." she shrugged, walking while pulling Ji Won along with her. Mi Na was busy having her eyes wander around, looking at the countless vendors she could see on many sides. "Is there anything you want to buy, Mi Na-ah?" the girl asked upon looking at her who seemed in awe.

"A-ah, n-nothing, nothing." she stuttered after coming back to her senses, shaking her head frantically which earned a small chuckle from her sister. Momo nodded and proceeded to continue walking together with Ji Won. "What's to buy here anyway?" Mi Na breathed out lazily while looking at her surrounding. Out of the blue, she suddenly noticed two birds flying above her, quite different in size and colour. Mi Na looked up, squinting her eyes as she tried to focus clearly on the two flying animals.

Much to her surprise, they were two birds which weren't supposed to be playing together, she felt confused. One was a young small falcon, and the other was a little canary, and the two seemed to be having fun. Odd, how a predator and prey would be doing such thing. Mi Na grew more curious, and even more when the two birds immediately flew away out of her sight, disappearing completely. Mi Na frowned in disappointment, and moved her head here and there, trying to look for where they were going.

She heard chirps coming from her far left and immediately turned to said direction, making her run for it. She didn't know why she was doing what she did at all, she just had this urge that told her to go ahead and follow the birds. She couldn't stop her eagerness. Momo who was holding Ji Won's hand suddenly felt something was wrong, she felt the lack of someone's presence, and when she turned back, her middle sister was nowhere to be found.

She gasped panickedly, immediately telling Ji Won to be quiet first as she looked around for signs of where Mi Na had went to. She looked at their handmaiden who was busy picking some vegetables, and figured out this might be the best timing to find Mi Na herself.

"Ji Won-ah, stay close to our maid, quickly go to her, arasseo? Unnie's going to go find Mi Na first." she sternly instructed, and Ji Won only nodded innocently, having no idea of what's going on. "Good" Momo bobbed her head before beginning her search for the middle girl. She ran and ran as fast as she could, calling for Mi Na's name countless times, but to her misfortune, her effort was to no avail. She didn't give, though, and continued looking for her younger sister nonetheless. She was surely growing concerned about her sister's sudden disappearance, mentally blaming herself for letting this happen. Was she kidnapped? Did she follow a stranger. Momo knew Mi Na wasn't the type to do that, but she still looked for her.

Meanwhile, Mi Na was following the source of the birds' little noises, not realizing that she had stumbled on to the deep woods, only coming into realization when the noises had stopped, and she saw that trees were all around her. She felt like she was sleepwalking, she didn't even know how she got here in the first place. Mi Na widened her eyes, turning her body around while looking at the trees that towered over her, the squirrels running along them, the hares hopping far away from her, the deer that instantly scrammed off upon seeing her.