Archive of Our Own

Being the king’s personal assassin had never really been on Dahyun’s list of aspirations growing up. But here she was, 25 years old and creeping on the edges of rooftops, illuminated only by the bright full moon above the city. The hilt of a sword hanging at her waist just barely shone in the moonlight as she moved, and the dark clothes she wore made her look like little more than a passing shadow.

Chou Tzuyu was the assignment tonight. She was the daughter of a member of the Royal court–a man who’d spoken out against the king’s proposals. 

The king sent Dahyun to leave a reminder of the man’s true place in his court.

Dahyun grit her teeth against the cold, perched on the roof opposite the townhouse where she knew both Chou Tzuyu and her father lived. 

She itched the back of her neck, ignoring the familiar burning sensation emitting from the scar. A scowl overtook her face, and she gripped the handle of her sword tighter.

Just another assignment.

It hadn’t always been like this. In fact, Dahyun would say that she had a pretty good life before everything went to shit. She’d been an orphan, sure, but lots of people her age were. During the takeover, so many had perished, and the kingdom had to have some way of dealing with all the children left behind. 

The new king’s brilliant idea was to indoctrinate them into the army. 

So, Dahyun, as well as dozens of other orphans, were recruited and trained, forced to serve and fight for the new sovereign at all costs. 

And Dahyun was fine with it. She didn’t really like the king–after all, he was the reason her parents had been killed. But considering her low ranking and the lack of conflict throughout the kingdom, she lived a relatively peaceful life. She loved her fellow soldiers, having been with some of them since she was a small child. She found a family of sorts in the army, and she might even say that she was happy. 

Keyword being was. 

Ever since she was young, she’d shown an aptitude for combat, overtaking all of her class and becoming the best fighter in her troop. She’d been the leader of her personal unit, helping with training and leading her fellow soldiers through combat simulations and scrimmages with other units.

She didn’t know it at the time, but her abilities were gaining attention from higher ranked officials. 

A couple months after she turned nineteen, it all went wrong. 

Her troop had been sent on a scouting mission to question the citizens of a neighboring trading town about its loss of contact with the city.

At least, that’s what she thought it was. 

Except, as soon as they arrived, the other units began attacking the town, hunting and killing the villagers and setting buildings aflame. 

She was at a loss for words, only able to watch the destruction unfold in front of her. Her unit, a group of seven girls she’d come to consider her family, looked to her for guidance. She should’ve known what to do, what to say to them, but she was frozen. 

“Soldier!” called her leading officer from behind them. “These people are enemies of the crown. Detain them for questioning.”

Detain them? These people were being murdered, ran through by palace-issue swords in the name of a tyrant king. 

“Soldier!” the officer repeated, stepping closer to her and screaming in her ear. She flinched, jerking her head to face him. His face was red with anger, brows scrunched and forehead creases more pronounced than ever. 

“But, sir…” she managed. “What–why? I thought they only lost contact with the city.”

The man’s face got even redder, if that was possible, and Dahyun could feel the fear and tension radiating from her unit behind her. “Kim, if you keep questioning orders, I’ll be forced to take action!”

Dahyun paled. She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it was nothing good considering the reputation her leading officer held amongst the soldiers.

“Understood, sir,” Dahyun nodded, straightening her armor and unsheathing her sword. “Unit!”

Her unit followed behind her instantly, accustomed to following her orders. She led them down the main street towards the more undamaged part of the town, away from the chaos of the other units and away from the prying eyes of her leading officer. 

As soon as she was positive they were out of eyeline, turning into an alleyway, Dahyun turned to face her unit, sheathing her sword. “I can’t do this.” she admitted to them, swallowing her nerves. 

“What?” Sana asked, her brows creasing. 

“Dahyun, if he sees us–” Jihyo started, glancing nervously behind them. 

“Do any of you want to do this?” she asked incredulously. “These people are innocent! They’ve done nothing to harm us or the kingdom, and yet they’re being killed and captured by the dozens.”

  Silence settled in the alleyway, and Dahyun sighed, removing her helmet and throwing it to the ground. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m done.” she said, a note of finality in her voice. “I can’t serve him anymore, and I can’t kill innocents in the name of a tyrant.”

Similar looks flashed across her unit, and she knew them well enough by now to know they all felt the same way. After all, one way or another, the king was responsible for the death of their parents. They’d been forced into this life, and now they’d be forced to do terrible things if they continued. 

“But Dahyun…” Mina said quietly, shaking her head. “You know what they do to deserters here.”

A new sort of tension settled across the group. They’d be killed–a public execution at the very least. 

And at the worst?

“We have to try.” Dahyun said. “You guys can do what you want, but…I’m not staying.”

They decided to leave, and they were careful to only travel through back alleys of the town as they attempted their escape, shedding their armor and weapons in an attempt to better blend in. 

This backfired when they reached the edge of town, the treeline of the forest only a couple meters ahead of them. 

“Hey!” a soldier called from behind them. Dahyun didn’t recognize the voice, but she did recognize the air of authority that soldiers seemed to adapt as soon as they gained a fraction of power. “Where do you think you’re going, huh? The king wants everyone in this town detained.”

He thinks we’re townspeople.

Dahyun swallowed, a plan formulating in her mind. They still hadn’t turned to face the soldier, but he was getting antsy, calling out to them and approaching fast. Dahyun exchanged a look with her unit members, and after years of training with each other, it only took a glance to communicate her intentions. 

She jerked her head to the forest, motioning for them to make a break for it before turning to face the soldier. 

Thankfully, her unit didn’t give her trouble, trusting her enough to begin sprinting right away, not looking back. The only one who lingered was Mina, who quickly realized that Dahyun wasn’t running. 

Dahyun paid it no mind, her eyes trained on the shocked soldier. He recognized her, if his wide eyes and furrowed brows were anything to go on.

“Dahyun.” Mina said, sounding pained. 

Dahyun didn’t look at her, her hands clenching into fists as she began walking towards the soldier. The rest of his unit was approaching. Soon, Dahyun would stand no chance of getting out of this. 

She didn’t care. She had to give her friends time to escape.

“Mina, go.” she said forcefully. “Take care of the others for me.”

She didn’t spare the girl another glance before launching herself at the soldier, preparing to go down fighting. As long as she kept them distracted, she’d give her unit enough time to get away without being pursued. She lost herself in a haze of battle, and the next time she glanced back, Mina was gone. 

Hopefully safe and with the others.

Dahyun was scarcely aware of anything when they dragged her before the king, beaten half to death and barely hanging on to consciousness. 

“Deserter?” she heard the thunderous voice of the king. “Execute her. I won’t have traitors in my army.”

Good, she thought bitterly. I’d rather be dead than continue fighting for you.

“Your majesty,” came her commanding officer’s voice. It was distant, as if underwater. “She was the top of her class, one of my most promising recruits.”

“And?” the king questioned skeptically. 

Dahyun almost laughed, but even breathing hurt. Her vision was blurring, the pattern of the fancy rug beneath her fading in and out. 

“Perhaps something more… beneficial to the Kingdom can be arranged.”

Dahyun promptly fell unconscious, unable to hold onto reality any longer.

What followed were some of the worst years of her life. Months and months of torture, imprisonment, and brutal training. Her worst days of training in her last troop had been pleasant compared to what they forced her to do after she’d been captured. 

The king needed an assassin, and Dahyun was the perfect candidate, aside from her desertion and rebellion. It didn’t take long for a solution to be found. 

First, he took her voice. She hadn’t even known it was possible until it happened, until the foreign magic began ripping at her throat and stealing something Dahyun hadn’t realized could be taken away from her. 

Then came the blood lock. 

She’d always known her king to be cruel and immoral, but blood magic was so forbidden, so taboo, most people had forgotten it even existed. Dahyun herself only knew because of the personal research she’d done in her off time. She honestly didn’t even believe it was real. 

But then a blood lock was being carved into the base of her neck, and suddenly, she started to believe. 

The blood lock controlled its bearer, forcing them to follow the orders of the one who’d given it to them. 

So just like that, Dahyun lost her freedom, her voice, and her future.

She’d been the king’s assassin ever since, growing a reputation across the kingdom as the bearer of a swift and quiet death. Political enemies, protestors, investigators? They disappeared almost as soon as they made themselves known, killed in the night by a mysterious ghost. 

Everyone knew it was the king’s doing, but no one could prove it or stop him. 

And Dahyun was in hell. 

She was going to kill Chou Tzuyu. Not just because she was standing over her bed, sword drawn and poised to strike, but because the burning on the back of her neck compelled her to do so. 

The blood lock took control, just as it always did whenever she reached her target. Even if Dahyun tried to fight it, it would be in vain. The blade came crashing towards Chou Tzuyu’s exposed neck, and Dahyun was helpless to stop it. 

Except, suddenly, she wasn’t. All at once, the blood lock seemed to weaken, and Dahyun regained control of her arm just in time to stop the path of her blade, tossing it to the side of the bed and stumbling back in shock.

Chou Tzuyu awoke at the sudden crash, staring up at her with wide, scared eyes, but Dahyun could barely pay attention. 

All she knew was that she didn’t have to obey her command. Somehow, she was resisting the blood lock. 

Chou Tzuyu didn’t need to die after all.

Except, now she was opening her mouth to cry for help, to scream in fear, and that would ruin everything.

“Wait!” Dahyun hissed before she could think of a better idea–after all, she had no voice.

Except, now she did. 

She could speak again. 

“Who are you?” Tzuyu cried, scrambling back from her and stumbling from the bed. 

Dahyun let out a disbelieving laugh–a laugh she could hear. “I…I can speak,” she breathed, reaching up a hand to cup her throat. She hadn’t spoken in years, not since she’d been captured. She had forgotten what it sounded like, what it felt like.

“ Who are you!?” Tzuyu cried again, a shrill sound that was sure to echo through the house. Dahyun winced at the sound. 

“Wait, please!” Dahyun begged, internally marveling at the sound of her own voice echoing in her ears. “I can explain.”

“Can you explain why you were standing over me in the middle of the night with a sword? ” Tzuyu asked incredulously, backed up against the wall.

Dahyun swallowed, shaking her head. “I…it’s a lot.” she managed. “I was sent here to kill you.”

Tzuyu’s eyes filled with fear, and for a second, Dahyun was sure she would bolt. She was tense as an arrow, her hands clenched into fists and brows furrowed. “What?” she asked, quieter this time. “Why?”

Dahyun held out her hands, trying to communicate that she wasn’t a threat. “I’m not exactly sure.” she replied truthfully. “It has something to do with your father, but, unfortunately, His Highness doesn’t give me a lot of details when he forces me to do these assignments.”

“The king sent you?” Tzuyu asked incredulously. 

Dahyun nodded, glancing back at the door to listen if anyone was approaching. She heard nothing, turning back towards Tzuyu and trying for a smile. She was sure it looked like more of a grimace. 

“S-So…” Tzuyu stuttered, as if scared to ask. “Why haven’t you killed me?”

Dahyun bit her lip, debating on how to go about this. There was a huge chance that Tzuyu wouldn’t believe her if she told her the truth. After all, no one believed in magic anymore. 

But what else could she say?

“I…typically, I have no choice when I carry out these assassinations.” she tried, carefully choosing her words. She raised her hands in surrender, turning around and lifting the hair at the base of her neck to reveal her scar. “The king placed a blood lock on me–I have to obey his commands.”

She turned to find Tzuyu staring at her, eyes wide and disbelieving. 

“I know you probably don’t believe me, but I’m telling the truth.” Dahyun tried. “If I wanted you dead, you would be.”

Tzuyu didn’t exactly look comforted. “Ok,” she challenged. “If you have to obey his commands, why not now? What’s changed?”

Dahyun was at a loss. “I have no idea.” she replied honestly. “I was…well, I was about to do it, but…it suddenly weakened. I was able to fight it.”

She looked up to meet Tzuyu’s eyes. “I think it has something to do with you.”

Tzuyu just stared at her. 

“Listen, I know this is… unbelievable, ” Dahyun tried, wincing as Tzuyu nodded her agreement. “But I’m telling the truth. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Tzuyu didn’t reply, so Dhayun kept going.

“But once the king figures out that you’re not dead, he’ll send someone else.” she promised. “You’re not safe in the city anymore.”

“So what am I supposed to do?” Tzuyu asked, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes. Dahyun’s heart broke for this girl who’d done nothing to deserve this. 

“I…” Dahyun breathed, trying to come up with any solution. “You have to leave. We have to leave.” 

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” Tzuyu said, backing up. “You just tried to kill me!”

“Except I didn’t!” Dahyun said, internally hitting herself. She’d really lost her conversation skills in the past 6 years. “Listen, for some reason, being around you is letting me resist the blood lock–something I haven’t been able to do after six years of trying. And you need my help to safely get out of the city and make sure we aren’t followed. We need each other.”

Tzuyu stared at her, eyes still wide with fear, but Dahyun could tell she was getting through to her.

“I know this is insane.” Dahyun continued. “I don’t like it anymore than you do, believe me. But we have to stick together. Please.”

Dahyun couldn’t exactly put into words the desperation she was feeling. For the first time in what felt like forever, Dahyun was in control. She could feel the blood lock fighting against her, screaming at her to follow her commands, trying to take back control, but it all seemed… muted around this girl. Whoever Chou Tzuyu was…Dahyun needed her close if she wanted to maintain any semblance of freedom.

Something about the way Tzuyu’s expression shifted…she understood. She seemed to pick up on the pure desperation shining in Dahyun’s eyes, the years of torment and pain. She was free for the first time in a long time, and she didn’t want it ripped away so fast. 

“My…my father…” Tzuyu managed, her voice catching in her throat. 

“We can leave him a note if you like,” Dahyun replied quickly. “We can’t say where we're going, but you can assure him that you’re safe.”

“Will he be safe?” Tzuyu asked.

Dahyun paused. “I don’t think his majesty would be so bold as to kill a member of his own court.” she replied with a frown. “If anything, once we’re gone, he’ll have lost his personal assassin.”

Tzuyu stared at her, expression unreadable. 

Then,

“What do I need to bring with me?”

They left under cover of night, packing light and making their way to the forest. Dahyun didn’t have anything with her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. For the first time in a long time, she felt like smiling. 

Tzuyu did not feel as happy while trudging through the streets next to Dahyun. She carried with her a bag of clothes and valuables, everything she deemed important enough to bring with her. She was exhausted, still reeling from her rude awakening and trying to process everything that had happened. 

She barely even knew why she was doing all of this, why she was following a random girl who’d almost killed her. 

But something about this girl…

The moment she’d met her eyes, it was like something clicked. Like some missing part of her had been found. It was stupid, but some part of her instinctually trusted this random girl.

It didn’t help that she was quite beautiful, with big brown eyes and skin as light as snow. Glancing over at her, Tzuyu’s eyes lingered on the curve of her jaw before traveling down to her midsection, where a deadly sword still hung from her waist. 

A sword that could’ve been stabbed through her throat only hours ago. 

“What’s your name?” Tzuyu asked, her voice raspy.

The girl started, clearly not expecting her to speak. “Dahyun.” she replied after a few beats of hesitation. “My name is Dahyun.”

It was a pretty name, one that suited her perfectly. Tzuyu glanced over at Dahyun once more, only to find that she was already looking at Tzuyu. Their eyes met, and Tzuyu was struck by just how deep those brown irises seemed to go. 

“I’m Tzuyu.” Tzuyu said. “But you probably already knew that.”

Dahyun chuckled a little, nodding her head. “I did.”

“How old are you?” Tzuyu asked, curious. Dahyun said she’d been trying to break the lock for six years, but she still looked relatively young. 

“Twenty-five.” Dayun replied, her eyes turning downwards. 

Tzuyu’s eyes widened. They were practically the same age, yet they’d lived vastly different lives. 

“So…how did you end up–” Tzuyu asked, brows furrowed.

“Forget it.” Dahyun interrupted. “I’m free now. That’s all that matters.”

They continued in silence from there. The city was bigger than Tzuyu ever envisioned, having only been allowed in certain areas by her father. They’d been walking for hours, yet Tzuyu could only just see the beginnings of the forest looming in the distance. Dahyun walked with familiarity, as if she knew how to navigate every nook and cranny of the city on instinct. She confidently led them through the winding streets, every so often looking up to see if the trees were in sight. 

“What are we going to do when we reach the forest?” Tzuyu asked after a few minutes of silence. 

Dahyun shrugged. “The neighboring kingdom is past the forest and some miles beyond.” she replied. “For right now, my plan was to travel in that direction, but it will take us a couple days to make it through the woods.”

Tzuyu swallowed and nodded. She’s never been so far from home in her life, and now she was about to travel to a neighboring kingdom, a kingdom that had been in conflict with their own for many years. 

“I heard they were accepting refugees when the takeover first happened.” Dahyun continued with a frown. “Let’s hope they’ll take us, too.”

They made it to the forest by sunrise, and Dahyun refused to let them stop until around midday. “The kingsguard moves fast.” she’d said. “I don’t think we’ve been followed, but I’d rather not take the risk.”

A little after noon, they stopped to make camp. Tzuyu was dead on her feet, barely keeping up with Dahyun even as she slowed her pace to accommodate her. While Tzuyu caught her breath, resting on a nearby log, Dahyun gathered firewood from around the area and got a small fire going. Tzuyu was grateful for the warmth, as the cold of the forest was starting to get to her. She’d never been great with the cold, and since she’d left in the middle of the night, she didn’t remember to get her thicker jacket. 

“I’ll set some traps,” Dahyun said, stepping back from the fire. “Hopefully we’ll catch some game, but if not, we’re probably stuck with berries for the night.”

Tzuyu’s stomach rumbled in protest, but she nodded her agreement. “Do you need any help?” she asked, looking up from the fire as Dahyun made to leave. 

“I’m okay,” Dahyun waved. “Just give a shout if you need anything.”

Dahyun was careful not to stray too far from the campsite. Almost as soon as she left, she started to feel the influence of the lock more and more as she got farther from Tzuyu. She set her traps within twenty or so meters of their camps, refusing to go any further. She didn’t want to risk it. She even tested her voice a few times as she worked, humming to herself while spinning the twine to ensure that she could still speak.

She’d been taught wilderness survival during her time in the army, and while she’d forgotten a fair amount over the years, she never forgot to bring supplies with her on missions–just in case.

It was paying off now, and she internally thanked Jihyo for forcing her to go to those lessons even though she’d wanted to skip at the time. 

Her heart ached at the thought of her former unit, of her time in the army, but she pushed it aside. She and Tzuyu needed to focus on escape, and she couldn’t afford to get distracted. 

  Dahyun could allow herself to be upset only when Tzuyu and she were safe and out of harm's way.

They rested at the campsite for a few hours before Dahyun left to go check the traps. She was satisfied to find that one of them had managed to catch a small squirrel. She killed and skinned it far from the camp, sure that Tzuyu wouldn’t want to see something like that. She seemed sheltered, unfamiliar with the world and its cruelties. Dahyun couldn’t fault her for it–she wished that were the case for her.

Still, something about Tzuyu…Dahyun felt as though they’d known each other for a lot longer than they did. 

“Got us some dinner!” she called out as she approached the camp, waving the bloody squirrel for Tzuyu to see.

As expected, she looked a little distressed at the sight of the skinned animal, but she didn’t say anything about it, offering Dahyun a small nod of thanks. 

The camp was quiet while Dahyun worked on roasting the squirrel, attaching it to a stick and holding it over the fire. 

Eventually, she was satisfied, removing it from the flames and ripping it into two pieces, handing the bigger half to Tzuyu. 

Tzuyu offered quiet thanks, and they both began eating. Dahyun treasured the taste of food–she’d been starving. She wasn’t provided many meals at the palace, and she hadn’t gotten a chance to eat before being ordered on her assignment. At this point, the tiny roasted squirrel tasted like the best thing she’d ever eaten. 

Dahyun was sure Tzuyu was used to finer foods, having grown up as the daughter of a prominent member of the king’s court, but she didn’t say anything, eagerly biting into the squirrel as soon as she got her hands on it. 

After they finished eating, they put out the fire and began walking once again, committed to travel as far as they could through the woods until nightfall.

“Earlier, when I found you in my room…” Tzuyu asked, breaking the relative silence of their walk. “You said something.”

Dahyun swallowed, glancing over at her companion. “What?” she asked.

“You said ‘I can speak,’” Tzuyu replied, her eyes darting between Dahyun and the path ahead. “What did that mean?”

Dahyun didn’t reply for a few beats, trying to gather her thoughts. She hadn’t intended on telling Tzuyu about her voice at all, but she supposed it would’ve come up one way or another.

“One of the first things the king did when he captured me was take my voice.” Dahyun finally admitted. “He said it was so I wouldn’t tell anyone about the blood lock or his plans, but…”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly burning. 

“But?” Tzuyu pushed, leaning closer as they walked. 

Dahyun refused to look at her, keeping her gaze pointed ahead. “I think he did it to be cruel,” she said. “It was like he stole some of my humanity along with my freedom. A voice is what separates a person from an animal, right?”

There was only silence for a few beats, and Dahyun clenched her jaw, already regretting her words. Telling Chou Tzuyu a sob story wasn’t going to change anything, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything but make both of them uncomfortable. 

And then Tzuyu was reaching out and intertwining their fingers. Dahyun nearly jumped out of her own skin when their hands met, but then Tzuyu gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, as if offering support in all the ways she couldn’t voice.

“I’m sorry.” Tzuyu said quietly. “No one deserves that.”

Dahyun swallowed back the burning in her throat. “It’s okay.” she replied after a few beats. “Now I’m speaking to you.”

She finally turned to face Tzuyu, and found that her companion was already looking at her, her eyes filled with some mixture of empathy and…

Dahyun couldn’t read her expression. There was something there, some undefinable emotion clear in the glint of her eyes, but Dahyun couldn’t place what it was. 

Still, as their eyes met, Dahyun couldn’t remember feeling as free as she did at that moment. They’d only known each other for a day, but something about Chou Tzuyu was different…special. And she could see that Tzuyu–for some reason–felt the same. 

“What’s going on?” Tzuyu murmured, shaking her head and pulling back her hand from Dahyun’s. “Why… why can you speak? Why didn’t you kill me in the first place? Why do I feel…”

Dahyun breathed a sigh, already missing the contact of Tzuyu’s hand in her own, though not understanding exactly why. “I don’t know,” Dahyun replied after a few beats of silence.

They were quiet when they made camp that night. The flames of their small fire crackled and interrupted the relative silence of the camp, and Dahyun couldn’t tear her thoughts from the girl laying next to her. Dahyun had volunteered to take the first watch, allowing Tzuyu to get some much-needed rest, but she could tell that Tzuyu was struggling to actually fall asleep. 

She held her sword across her lap, her eyes peering out into the treeline. She was exhausted, having been awake for much of the last two days, but she refused to lose focus. It’d already been a day since she was supposed to carry out her assignment. The king had likely noticed her absence, and it wouldn’t be long before he called her back to the castle or sent out his king’s guard to track her down.  

Around Tzuyu, though, she should be able to resist the call. 

Keyword being “should.”

She couldn’t shake her fear that this would all be for nothing. That whatever magic that allowed her to resist her blood lock would soon fade. She would be forced to return to that awful castle, forced to once again serve the king. She would be forced to kill Tzuyu…

The thought sent a chill down her spine and a new sort of fear began to grip her heart. 

She’d only known Tzuyu for a little more than a day, but the idea of her dying? Let alone by her own hand?

She gripped the handle of her sword hard enough that her knuckles turned white. 

Dahyun wouldn’t let that happen.

Tzuyu was finally able to fall asleep moments later, her quiet snores filling that air. Dahyun’s lips quirked into an involuntary smile at the sound. 

She let her sleep. Dahyun wouldn’t let anything happen to her. 

Not tonight. Not ever. 

They were on the road again first thing in the morning

Sun filtered through the canopy of trees in spotty rays. If it weren’t for the years of training Dahyun went through to master her exhaustion, she might’ve been tripping over her own feet. She’d barely slept last night, only waking up Tzuyu towards the tail end of the early morning to take watch. 

The path ahead was clear enough, but Dahyun couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her freedom was almost in her grasp, yet…

“Something wrong?” Tzuyu asked, almost immediately picking up on her unease. 

Dahyun sighed, shaking her head. She blinked the weariness from her eyes and focused her gaze on the path ahead. “I’m fine, Tzuyu.” she said. “Just…”

“I get it.” Tzuyu says. “Even though this has been anything but simple, it feels far too easy.”

“Exactly.” Dahyun agreed. “We’re only a couple days' journey from the next kingdom, but I find it hard to believe that the king would let us both go that easily.”

The words lingered in the air for far longer than Dahyun would’ve preferred. Even as she ignored her exhaustion, she couldn’t escape the paranoia and jumpiness that resulted from lack of sleep. Every crack of a branch beneath her feet set her on edge.

Tzuyu reached out to grab her arm and give it a reassuring squeeze. Had it been anyone else, they would’ve already been flat on their face, gasping for breath. 

But it wasn’t anyone. It was Tzuyu. 

“It’s okay.” Tzuyu assured her. “We’ll be out of this forest soon, and once we’re gone, it’ll be smooth sailing–”

Tzuyu was promptly interrupted by the whizzing of an arrow flying just past her face. She yelped as the tip just barely skimmed her cheek, cutting skin and leaving a red, bloody line in its absence. 

Dahyun grit her teeth at the sight, barely controlling her anger. “Run.” 

Tzuyu was already bolting further down the path, her panicked breaths echoing loudly in Dahyun’s ears as she followed. She recklessly unsheathed her sword, preparing to protect them both if necessary. She couldn’t see any attackers in her sightline, but that was to be expected. Bandits were known to hide themselves among the thick trees and shrubbery, setting traps for any possible victims. 

The thought occurred to her right as Tzuyu let out a shrill scream. Dahyun whipped her head around to find that her companion was suddenly flying into the air, a thick rope wrapped around both her ankles. 

A trap. 

“Tzuyu!” she called, already moving to find where the rope was tied. She could cut it with her rope, free Tzuyu, and then–

“Don’t move.” came a deep, feminine voice from beyond the trees. She turned to face it, only to find a shrouded figure just outside of the forest trail. Despite the shadows that covered her face, Dahyun recognized the bow she held, as well as the tip of an arrow pointed directly at her heart. 

“Enough.” Dahyun forced out, jaw clenched. She didn’t move, but she didn’t relax the grip on her sword either. “We mean no trouble, we’re just passing through.”

The woman didn’t say anything, but Dahyun could see her head nodding in different directions. There were more of them, Dahyun quickly realized, which meant that she was greatly out of her depth. She may have typically been able to take three or four common bandits, but with Tzuyu trapped and her exhaustion weighing heavily on her chest, she stood no chance. 

“Please listen,” Dahyun urged, fighting back her frustration when the woman simply stood there, bow unmoving. “We don’t have any valuables to give you–”

“Who are you?” the woman finally asked. “You look…”

Dahyun furrowed her brows. “Why do you care?” she bit out. She opened her mouth to continue, but at the sound of a twig cracking, the words caught in her throat.

“Dahyun!” Tzuyu screamed a warning from high above her, and Dahyun jolted out of the way just as a large club came barrelling towards her head. 

“Wait–” came the woman’s voice from the woods, but Dahyun was already moving. She launched herself at the masked bandit, ignoring the look of shock in their eyes. Without wasting another beat, she pummeled her shoulder into the bandit’s chest, pushing them back before slashing at their legs. They leapt back just in time, and Dahyun was forced to step back as an arrow suddenly landed at her feet. “Stop!” said the archer, but Dahyun had already noticed another enemy creeping through brush to the left. 

As fast as she could manage, she rolled onto the ground and picked up the arrow from where it had buried itself in the dirt. She shot to her feet, sprinting towards the treeline and throwing the arrow as hard as she could at the bandit in the brush. 

A short cry of pain told Dahyun she’d hit her mark, but she had no time to celebrate before the bandit with the club was running at her once again, weapon raised. Dahyun rolled out of the way just in time, slashing her sword at the bandit once again. 

This time, her blade managed to skim the bandit’s arm, and they jumped back, hissing in pain. 

Another arrow flew through the air as Dahyun moved to further attack the club-wielding bandit, and it landed dangerously close to Dahyun’s head, burying itself into the bark of a tree next to her. 

She grit her teeth, turning towards the archer with a glare, but then more and more bandits were emerging from the trees, running towards her with knives and swords and clubs. 

Dahyun gripped her sword. She was outnumbered, exhausted, and unprepared, but she would go down fighting. 

Just as she meant to launch herself at the first bandit, a call echoed through the clearing. “Dahyun!”

Dahyun froze. Who…?

“...Dahyun?” murmured one of the bandits, their eyes betraying their shock despite the mask covering much of their face. Dahyun swallowed, her grip on her sword failing. She knew that voice. 

Slowly, the bandits began to unmask themselves, looking at Dahyun with varying degrees of surprise. 

Dahyun could only watch in some mixture of shock and relief as her unit revealed themselves. It had been years, but…they looked exactly how she’d remembered. Momo promptly dropped her club, tears brimming in her eyes, and Sana, just next to her, sheathed her knives. There was an arrow shallowly buried in her upper arm. “Sana…” she murmured, eyes trained on the injury. “I…”

“Don’t worry about it, Dahyunnie.” Sana whispered, her voice cracking. 

“Dahyun.” echoed someone’s voice from behind them. Jihyo emerged from the trees, bow and arrow still tightly held in her grasp. Looking at her now, Dahyun had no clue how she hadn’t recognized her in the first place. That same hard stare, the slope of her jaw, the confidence with which she carried herself…

Jihyo smiled at her, dropping her bow. “It’s good to see you, old friend.”

It took awhile to get the situation sorted out. When they released Tzuyu, the girl punched Jihyo in the face and bolted, but Dahyun stopped her just in time. “Wait, Tzuyu,” she said, laughing a little at Tzuyu’s alarmed expression. “It’s okay. They’re my friends.”

“Friends?” she asked skeptically, peering around at the bandits. Seven of them in total, each dressed in black and armed to the teeth with all manner of knives, swords, and clubs. “Right…”

“They were my unit back in the royal army.” Dahyun assured her. “I’ve known them for years.”

“I didn’t know you were in the army,” Tzuyu commented, a surprised lilt in her voice. “When–”

“It was…before.” Dahyun quickly interrupted, unconsciously reaching up to scratch her neck. Her fingers brushed against the raised scar tissue of the blood lock, and she fought off a shiver.

“Well,” Mina interrupted the silence, reaching out to grab Dahyun’s shoulder, an action which surprisingly did not make Dahyun jump–it was far too familiar. “Let’s see if we can’t wrangle up some food and catch up for a little bit?”

Dahyun turned to look back at her friend, offering her a smile. “Sounds perfect.”

Tzuyu wasn’t sure what to think. 

She’d been so certain that she and Dahyun were about to die at the hands of these bandits, but now they were sharing a drink at a secluded pub in the middle of the woods. Dahyun laughed with her unit like old friends, and Tzuyu’s eyes couldn’t help but linger on Mina particularly. She was so… close to Dahyun, always touching her shoulder or leaning into her as they all laughed. 

Some unsettled, petty feeling filled her gut, and it didn’t take long for her to recognize her own jealousy. What she couldn’t figure out, however, was why she was jealous. Mina and Dahyun were obviously close friends, having grown up and trained together for many years. It wasn’t weird that they were touchy. And even if it was a more-than-friendly touch, why did that upset Tzuyu so deeply? 

She sighed, shaking her head and taking another swig of the cup of ale she’d gotten from the bar. 

It was strange…seeing Dahyun so open and happy. She’d barely cracked a smile throughout their time together, much less laughed. While Tzuyu was happy that Dahyun had reunited with her old unit, truly, it was…weird to know that these people were privy to an entirely different Dahyun than the one she’d come to know. 

“Hey there.” came a voice from beside her, and she turned to find a member of the unit taking a seat next to her at the bar. She was blonde, with mid length hair and a mole dotted just under her bottom lip. “How’s it going?”

Tzuyu shrugged, gulping down more ale. “S’okay.” she replied. 

“I’m Chaeyoung.” the girl said, waving down the barman for an ale. “Just in case you didn’t catch it before.”

“Tzuyu.” Tzuyu replied simply. 

Chaeyoung hummed an acknowledgement, taking a long swig of her ale. Tzuyu spared another glance at the girl, tilting her head as she noticed the scars spread across her arms and hands. She was small, Tzuyu noticed with no small amount of surprise, far shorter than Tzuyu herself and as thin as a twig. It was hard to believe she’d been in the army. 

Then again, Dahyun was pretty short herself, and Tzuyu had no doubt she could handle herself. She was an assassin, after all. 

“So, how did you and our Dahyun meet?” Chaeyoung asked. Tzuyu was sure she was trying to be casual, but the edge in her tone gave her away. 

Tzuyu paused, clenching her jaw. “Has she told you?” she asked quietly. 

Chaeyoung turned to look at her. “Told us what?”

“What happened.” Tzuyu replied. “After…after she was caught.”

Chaeyoung leveled her with an unsure gaze, and Tzuyu knew Dahyun still hadn’t admitted what exactly had transpired after her capture, so Tzuyu shook her head. “It’s not my story to tell, then.”

Chaeyoung breathed a sigh, and suddenly, she seemed a lot less casual. When Tzuyu looked at her, the worry and concern were clear in her eyes–her fists clenched and her brows furrowed. Chaeyoung was worried about her friend–worried about what had happened in the years since they’d seen each other.

“I…” Chaeyoung managed, shaking her head. “We thought she was dead.”

She glanced back at the table full of her friends, her unit, their laughter filling the empty bar, their smiles bright enough to light up a room. 

“We would’ve gone back…i-if we’d known.” Chaeyoung bit out. “Six years. ”

Chaeyoung breathed a humorless chuckle, reaching up to rub her eyes. “We left our family alone in that death trap for six years .”

Tzuyu didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t even imagine how she felt, how the unit felt. They’d assumed their friend was dead, killed by a tyrant they’d barely escaped. But now she was alive…and irreversibly changed.

Tzuyu turned to look at her friend, meeting her eyes as Dahyun turned to do the same. Dahyun flashed her a soft smile, giving her a small acknowledging nod before turning back to her friends. 

Tzuyu smiled a little, shaking her head. “You couldn’t have known.” Tzuyu said after a few beats of silence. “And…now you’re together again. Isn’t that all that matters?”

Chaeyoung turned back to her, but Tzuyu’s eyes were locked onto Dahyun, transfixed by the curves of her face, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the familiarity between her and her unit. 

“At least she found you, right?” Chaeyoung laughed, raising her ale and Tzuyu finally tore her gaze from Dahyun. “I’ll cheers to that.”

They spent the next few days with the unit at their hideout. Apparently, they’d made quite a name for themselves as forest bandits–robbing the rich as they traveled between towns and cities. 

“Why us, then?” Dahyun had questioned.

Jeongyeon laughed, pointing a thumb at Tzuyu. “This one here walks like a noble. Very proper.” she said, and Tzuyu was sure her face was tomato red as they all roared with laughter. “We clocked her immediately.”

Dahyun laughed along with them, but quickly reached out to give Tzuyu’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Better to walk like a noble than like you, Jeong!” Dahyun joked. “Was your posture always this bad?”

Laughter echoed throughout the room once again, and Tzuyu took comfort in the warmth of Dahyun’s hand resting on her own. 

It was nice–spending time at the hideout, getting to know the unit, eating meals together and telling stories. Growing up, Tzuyu had always been alone, isolated from her peers. Her father was overprotective, convinced that Tzuyu would be put in danger if she left the house or associated with other children her age. 

In some ways, he was right. Hell, in the last week, she’d almost been killed on two separate occasions. Still, she couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so… free.

However, a few days after they’d met up with the unit, something shifted. 

Jihyo had been teaching her some lessons about the bow and arrow, and Tzuyu was pleasantly surprised to find that she had a bit of a talent for the weapon, landing bullseye after bullseye. She’d blushed when Jihyo had let out an impressed whistle, patting her on the back. “Looks like you’re a natural.” she said with a smile. “You should really–”

“Tzuyu!” came a shrill cry from deep in the forest. They’d gone a pretty good distance from the hideout to practice archery, at Jihyo’s insistence. She didn’t want Tzuyu accidentally skewering one of her friends. 

Tzuyu immediately turned to find Chaeyoung sprinting through the trees, her face looking as scared as Tzuyu had ever seen it. “It’s–it’s Dahyun,” she managed, finally reaching them. “She’s–something’s wrong. ”

Tzuyu felt something like terror gripping her heart. In seconds, she was sprinting back towards the camp, bow and arrow forgotten. Jihyo and Chaeyoung followed behind her, but Tzuyu was scarcely aware of anything but the pure dread pooling in her gut. She should’ve known better–they’d gotten too careless. 

She’d gone way too far from Dahyun–and that couldn’t mean anything good. 

When they arrived at the hideout, Tzuyu looked upon the scene with some mixture of horror and shock. Dahyun was fighting her friends, holding nothing back as she swung her sword at their hearts. 

“Dahyun!” Mina was screaming, but Dahyun wasn’t stopping, her face blank and cold. Sana and Momo attempted to surround Dahyun, but she was too fast, twirling around them and launching her blade at Sana, who just barely managed to block with her own sword and take a few steps back. Dahyun turned and suddenly barreled into Momo, knocking her to the ground and advancing on Mina. Nayeon stood back, gripping her spear with a white-knuckle grip, but clearly apprehensive about hurting her friend.

Tzuyu didn’t hesitate before running towards the battle, uncaring of the blades swinging wildly through the air. “Tzuyu, wait–” Chaeyoung called, but Tzuyu didn’t stop. 

She reached Dahyun just as she leveled her sword at Mina’s neck. The others were too far to stop it, but Tzuyu wasn’t. She grabbed Dahyun’s shoulder just as she meant to swing the sword and kill Mina. 

Dahyun jerked around, pushing Tzuyu to the ground and jabbing at her with the sword. Tzuyu rolled out of the way just in time, stumbling to her feet as Dahyun turned to face her. 

Tzuyu leveled her with an even gaze. “Dahyun.” she said, putting as much force as she could into her words. “Stop.”

Dahyun’s expression didn’t change, but she didn’t immediately move to kill Tzuyu, which she took as a good sign. 

“Dahyun, please, ” Tzuyu pushed, daring to take a step closer as she held out her hands in surrender. “These are your friends. I’m your friend.”

Dahyun still didn’t move, sword still poised for attack. Tzuyu looked into her eyes, startled to see just how conflicted she was. The blood lock had taken control once again, and deep down, Dahyun was desperately struggling to regain her freedom. 

“You’re stronger than this,” Tzuyu said, forcing herself to move forwards despite her fear. She walked past Dahyun’s blade, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Come back to me, Dahyun.”

The quiet words seemed to do the trick, and Dahyun’s face crumpled just as her knees failed her. Tzuyu managed to catch her as she fell, easing her to the ground. 

They embraced for a while, Dahyun’s body trembling in her arms. “Tzuyu, I’m so sorry,” Dahyun sputtered, barely able to voice the words. “I didn’t mean–it happened so fast–”

“It’s okay, Dahyun.” Tzuyu said, hugging her tighter. “It wasn’t you.”

All around them, the unit could only watch as their leader–their friend–broke down. 

“A blood lock?” Momo asked incredulously. “Those are real?”

They were crowded around the large table in the hideout, everyone focusing intently on Dahyun’s words as she told them the truth. She held a cup of tea tightly between both hands, still looking unsettled after the day’s events. 

“Very.” Dahyun replied after a few beats. She turned away from them, reaching up to move the hair from her neck. Gasps rang around the room as everyone saw the symbol that had indeed been carved into Dahyun’s neck. Even Tzuyu, despite having seen the scar before, winced at the sight.

Jeongyeon swallowed, collecting herself. “So, when you…earlier…”

“The king…he called me back to the castle,” Dahyun replied grimly. She looked up at all of them, shaking her head. “You–you guys tried to stop me.”

“Wait, so, you’re only able to resist it around Tzuyu?” Mina asked, brows furrowed. “Do you know why?”

“We have no clue.” Tzuyu replied, glancing between Dahyun and her friends. 

“I…was supposed to kill Tzuyu.” Dahyun admitted. “Normally, I can’t do anything about the assignments I’m given. The blood lock takes over and forces me to make the kill. But with her…”

“It just…stopped?” Nayeon questioned.

“Kind of,” Dahyun replied unsurely. “It was more like it became…muted. It wasn’t powerful enough to take control and I was able to ignore it.”

Silence settled around the table as everyone processed. 

“Dahyun, when the blood lock started to take control earlier…” Sana said, breaking the silence. She’d been with Dahyun when everything had happened. “You…you couldn’t talk to me. You couldn’t explain what was happening…

Dahyun swallowed. She opened her mouth to explain, but how could she? How could she tell her friends all that had happened to her? She wasn’t blind–the guilt they felt was palpable, and it only got worse once she’d told them about the blood lock. 

How could she put them through this? They had to know it wasn’t their fault, but…

“Dahyun.” came Tzuyu’s voice from across the table. Dahyun turned to meet her eyes, ignoring the burning in her throat. Tzuyu gave her an encouraging nod, and something in her eyes communicated all the support she couldn’t voice. “You can tell them.”

Tzuyu was right. These were her friends.

“My voice.” Dahyun finally said, ignoring the slight crack in her words. “When I was first captured, the king took my voice–it was one of the first things he did.”

“ One of the things ?” Jihyo managed, her voice tangled with emotion. Dahyun looked up at her, and she’d never seen Jihyo so angry–so devastated. 

“Dahyun…” Mina breathed, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. It took everything in her to not instinctually jolt away from the touch. She was on edge, more tense than an arrow.

The table was deadly silent, and Dahyun could barely bring herself to look at her friends. 

“It’s okay.” Dahyun said finally. “It’s over. And I’m talking to you guys now. I made it out.”

“It’s not okay.” Jeongyeon said, her voice cold. “It’s evil.”

Dahyun couldn’t argue with that, but she shook her head. “There’s nothing we can do about it now,” she replied. “Around Tzuyu, for whatever reason, I can resist the blood lock and I can use my voice.”

“But we still don’t know why.” Jihyo said, shaking her head. “We need to find out more, we need to figure out how to get rid of this thing entirely. You can’t live like this, Dahyun.”

Dahyun stared at the table, jaw clenched. “There’s no way out of this,” she said after a few beats. “I’ve read every book I can find, I’ve searched for years.”

“Well, clearly something about Tzuyu is weakening the lock’s influence.” Chaeyoung said, her eyes flicking between Tzuyu and Dahyun. “That has to mean something.”

Dahyun swallowed, standing suddenly. “I’m going to go train.”

She left the hideout without another word, grabbing her sword from where it was propped against the door.

The room was silent. 

“Six years. ” Mina breathed, shaking her head. 

“What did he do to her?” Jihyo said, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. “I knew he was…cruel, but this?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Tzuyu said after a few beats. “What matters is helping her now.”

The unit turned to look at her, grim looks on their faces.

“We have to break this blood lock. Permanently.”

“A witch?” Tzuyu asked incredulously. “Sounds…suspicious.”

“What she said.” Dahyun agreed skeptically, pointing a thumb at Tzuyu. “Sounds not real.”

“I swear she’s the real deal.” Momo pushed. “The stories I’ve heard? She’s one of the last few witches out there.”

“Momo, I don’t know about this.” Jihyo said unsurely. “I mean, if all you’ve heard are stories…”

“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Chaeyoung piped up. “Even if she’s a fraud, we’ve just wasted a bit of time. But if she’s the real deal…”

Jihyo nodded, considering the suggestion. Dahyun watched carefully, noting how the other members of the unit seemed to wait for her opinion. They deferred to her judgment now, it seemed. Dahyun had been the leader of the unit before, but in her absence, Jihyo had stepped up. 

Dahyun smiled slightly. She was perfect–way better than Dahyun ever was. She’d only been chosen because of her high ranking, but she was never a particularly strong leader.

But Jihyo? Jihyo was the picture of a leader.

“Ok, here’s what we’ll do.” Jihyo finally spoke up, glancing around the group. “I think Tzuyu and Dahyun should stay here, along with a few of us. It’s better they don’t leave the camp–if they do, there’s a higher chance of them being separated.”

Dahyun wanted to protest, but she couldn’t find the energy. Jihyo’s reasoning was solid, and if she had to stay at the camp for the next day or so, that was what she would do. 

As if sensing her restlessness, Tzuyu reached over to grab her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Dahyun was adjusting to things like that, she found. Tzuyu’s touch wasn’t aggressive or threatening–it was comforting. Reassuring. 

It helped ground her. 

She turned to glance at Tzuyu, offering her a small smile before squeezing her hand in return. 

“The rest of the group will try and find Momo’s witch,” Jihyo continued. “We’ll ask about the blood lock and explain the situation–if it goes somewhere, great! If not, we head back to the hideout as quickly as possible and plan from there.”

Dahyun didn’t have it in her to hope for the plan to succeed. It was a solid idea, sure, but she’d researched this lock for six years, searching for any way out. She’d come up with nothing from all that searching, and she doubted rumors of a forest witch would change that. 

Still, a chorus of agreement rose from the group, and Dahyun nodded her affirmation. 

They had a plan.

The plan went wrong very quickly. 

Dahyun and Tzuyu stayed at the camp along with Mina and Sana while the others followed Momo to where she last heard the witch was staying. 

For most of the day, they messed around playing games, challenging each other to sparring matches, and talking about nothing. Dahyun found that her friends had changed in her absence. Mina wasn’t nearly as shy as she had been, growing into her personality and embracing her talent. Sana had calmed down and become a reasonable, calculated fighter. When they sparred, Sana certainly gave her a run for her money, knocking her to the ground and almost managing to pin her. 

Dahyun managed to scramble to her feet just before that happened, but it was close. 

Mina taught Tzuyu a few tricks, lending her a sword to practice with. Dahyun watched them spar together, watched Tzuyu slowly gain confidence with the weapon while Mina gave pointers on her footwork and her grip on the hilt. 

It was nice to watch–relaxing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content. She could scarcely tear her eyes from Tzuyu as she dodged Mina’s swings, bouncing on her feet with a surprising amount of grace, considering it was her first time holding a sword. 

“So,” Sana said, taking a seat next to her on the porch of the hideout. “Tzuyu is…nice.”

Dahyun breathed a slight chuckle, glancing over at Sana. “Yeah,” she agreed. “She is nice.”

Sana held her gaze for a second before turning back towards their friends. “I’m glad you two found each other, Dahyunnie.” she said. “You guys are good for each other. And I don’t mean just because of the blood lock and stuff.”

Dahyun sighed. “I can’t even explain it, though,” she admitted. “Something about it feels…strange. As soon as I laid eyes on her, that was it. It’s like I’ve known her forever. And I don’t know how I feel about it.”

Sana tilted her head, raising a brow.

“I obviously like Tzuyu,” she explained. “I just can’t help but feel like it’s artificial–like I feel obligated or something. She saved me, so now I…”

“That doesn’t explain the way she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching,” Sana said, shaking her head. “Hell, you were about to kill her and she still trusted you enough to follow you outside the city.”

Dahyun frowned, running a tired hand through her hair. “But why?” she asked, frustrated. “Why do we feel like this?”

Sana didn’t have an answer. 

“Dahyun–”

“Over here!” a masculine voice echoed from beyond the treeline. It was gruff, stern. 

Threatening. 

“Guys!” Dahyun called out, already drawing her sword and running towards Mina and Tzuyu. Sana quickly followed behind, unsheathing her sword as well.

A herd of men emerged from the tree before they even realized what was happening, dressed in black and wielding all varieties of weapons. There were ten–no, eleven–of them, and in no time, they’d surrounded the four girls. 

Dahyun grit her teeth, gripping the hilt of the sword even tighter. She placed herself in front of Tzuyu as best she could, satisfied to note that the others did the same. The three of them encircled Tzuyu, weapons poised. 

Dahyun waited for the men to attack, but they just stood threateningly, surrounding them on all sides. 

“Who are you?” Sana asked, her voice simmering with barely controlled anger. “What do you want?”

“There she is,” came a voice from behind the wall of enemies. He walked forward, pushing through the line and revealing himself. He was tall, clean-shaven, and relatively well-dressed. He met Dahyun’s eyes, his gaze filled with smug satisfaction. “Kim Dahyun, right?”

Dahyun didn’t answer, turning her sword to face him. The threat was clear enough. 

“Oh please,” he laughed, but he didn’t come any closer.

“Listen,” Dahyun bit. “I don’t know who you are, but if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave me and my friends alone and get the fuck out. ”

The man’s smile didn’t falter. He glanced at the girls next to and behind her, and Dahyun bit back a growl when his eyes lingered on Tzuyu a beat longer. “There’s a bounty on your head–25,000 gold.” the man said bluntly, his eyes shifting back to Dahyun. 

Dahyun’s face didn’t change, but she shifted on her feet. 

“I’m sure you’re aware of just how much money that is.” the man continued. “One of my men here said they saw you at a pub nearby, and it didn’t take long for us to find this little camp of yours.”

Dahyun’s mind was running a mile a minute, running through any possible solution, any way to get her and her friends out of there without getting hurt. But nothing would work–they were outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded on all sides. 

And Tzuyu was vulnerable.

“Here’s the deal,” he said, spreading his hands as if surrendering. “We won’t hurt your friends, we won’t trash your camp, and we won’t tell the local authorities who’s behind their little bandit problem, if–”

“Fine,” Dahyun spat, dropping her blade. She knew what the man wanted, and, as far as she could tell, there was no real way out of this without someone getting hurt–or worse. “I get it.”

“Wait, Dahyun–” Tzuyu said, reaching out to grab her shoulder. Dahyun shook off her hand, stepping away from them. 

“Dahyun, stop–” Mina said, moving to grab her arm. She was immediately stopped as one of the men approached and leveled a sword at her neck.

“Get to the next kingdom, Tzuyu.” Dahyun said, passing her a meaningful glance.

Tzuyu knew what she meant, and she could see it in the way her eyes shone with unshed tears at Dahyun’s words. “ Dahyun, please. ”

Dahyun shook her head, holding up her hands in surrender for the bounty hunters. Without a word, two of them approached and jerked her hands behind her back, tying her wrists together with a few cords of rope. 

They grabbed her arm, pulling her away from her friends and towards the trees. 

Dahyun glanced back at her friend, only to find them staring back at her hopelessly. She tried tugging at her bindings, but they held fast. Sana gave her a grim nod, hands clenched into fists. 

“Make sure they don’t follow us,” called the leader, and without another word, Dahyun was led away from the camp and into the forest. 

She knew where she was going–and she knew exactly what would happen. 

Dahyun only hoped Tzuyu got to safety soon. 

Before Dahyun would be forced to come after her once again. 

It took only a few minutes for the blood lock to take hold. The bounty hunters were moving fast, dragging a reluctant Dahyun further and further from Tzuyu. She could feel that familiar tingle on the back of her neck, and she nearly fell to her knees as a voice suddenly echoed in her head. 

Return. RETURN.

Dahyun winced, stumbling on her feet and trying her best to resist the call. The influence of the lock was becoming more and more overwhelming, and it wouldn’t be long before it took over entirely. She’d nearly forgotten the sheer force of the thing–the pain of not obeying and the haze it induced when it fully took over.

“Hey!” called one of the bounty hunters, noticing that she was stationary. “Get moving!”

Dahyun didn’t move, focusing all her energy on resisting the call. It wasn’t working very well, and she fell to her knees, muttering to herself. 

“Hey, didn’t you hear me!” the bounty hunter yelled. “I said get mov–”

Dahyun shot up, smashing her face into his nose with as much strength as she could muster. Return, return, return, she had to return–

“Stop her!” Dahyun distantly registered the voices through the haze, but they were just in the way. Someone grabbed her arm and she launched herself into them, taking them to the ground and fumbling with their blade. After a few beats, she managed to cut away the rope binding her.

She made to stand up, but one of the bounty hunters moved forward and kicked her in the stomach, hard.

She groaned, allowing herself to collapse onto the grass for only a moment–and then her orders came slamming back down, screaming in her head and echoing through her very being. Return, return, return–

She barely even knew she was moving, attacking, through her haze. They were in her way. She had to return. 

Puddles of red stained the grass, and suddenly, she was alone. 

Return. 

RETURN.

“Tzuyu, oh my god, what happened?” Momo’s voice startled Tzuyu out of whatever thought she’d been having. She, Sana, and Mina had been tied to the porch for hours, now. Her hands had grown numb from the tightness of the rope, but she knew her wrists were bleeding from how hard she’d been struggling. She looked up to find the other five members emerging from the forest, varying looks of shock and dread on their faces.

“Bounty hunters.” Mina helpfully answered, rubbing her wrists as Jihyo cut away the ropes binding her. “They came for Dahyun.”

Sana shook her head. “It was the king, I know it.” she said with a scowl. “And now…”

“How long has it been?” Nayeon asked, brows furrowed in concern. 

“Hours.” Tzuyu finally spoke up, wincing as she looked down at her bloody wrists. “She’s gone. I can’t feel her at all.”

It wasn’t something she’d initially noticed, but when Dahyun left, all Tzuyu could feel was her absence. It was as if something, some important part of her, had gone missing. She was gone, and Tzuyu knew the blood lock had taken hold once again. 

“Well, it’s a two-day journey to the castle from here, maybe we can catch up to her–” Chaeyoung suggested, but Tzuyu shook her head. 

“She won’t stop, she won’t rest,” Tzuyu told them. “She has to complete her orders no matter what. I’d be surprised if she wasn’t sprinting the whole way back to the castle.”

Silence consumed the camp. Jihyo turned from the group, throwing her sword to the ground in frustration. “Fuck.” she spat. “ Fuck!”

“Jihyo, it’s okay.” Mina tried, reaching out to grab her shoulder, but Jihyo shook her off. 

“No, it’s not okay!” Jihyo cried. “Mina, she’s gone!”

She swallowed, shaking her head and running an exhausted hand through her hair. “We just got her back.” she whispered. 

Tzuyu’s throat burned. She felt that yawning gap in her soul now more than ever. Dahyun was gone. 

“Well,” Nayeon spoke up, stabbing her spear to the ground. “We’ll just have to get her back, then.”

“What?” Sana asked, rubbing her wrists absentmindedly. “But, she’ll be–”

“If we can get Tzuyu close to her, we can do this.” Jeongyeon agreed. “We can break the curse.”

“I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” Tzuyu asked, brows furrowed. 

The five of them exchanged looks. “We found the witch,” Chaeyoung said. “And she was pretty helpful.”

“Wait, what did she say?” Sana asked eagerly. 

“She said that the blood lock is a curse, an ancient one.” Momo explained. “And it can be broken.”

“How?” Mina asked. 

All five of their gazes turned towards Tzuyu. 

“How is any curse broken?” Nayeon said, a rueful smile twisting her lips. “True love’s kiss. The two of you are soulmates.”

Dahyun was tired. 

As soon as she’d arrived at the castle, she’d been put in chains and led to the dungeon. Dirty, exhausted, and dead on her feet, Dahyun could do nothing but slump in defeat as they led her down the stairs and shoved her into a cell. She’d made a two-day journey in only half a day, entirely consumed by the order and the burning on her neck. 

Before she was taken to see the king, he made sure she was dealt a proper punishment for her desertion. The beating was painful, but nothing she wasn’t used to. It lasted far longer than her usual punishments, though, and by the time she was dragged before the throne, she was covered in her own blood and panting from the effort it took to stand. 

The lock on her neck burned, and she winced at the sensation. She’d followed through on her orders, though–the screaming in her head had faded for now. 

The king looked down at her, eyes narrowed and face twisted into a deep scowl. Dahyun could feel the barely concealed rage through the lock, and it seemed to burn even more intensely in response. 

She promptly fell to her knees, finally dragged down by the weight of the chains binding her wrists behind her back. The chains weighed heavily on her injured arm–the one a guard had brutally stomped on only an hour earlier. Her ribs screamed every time she inhaled, and she wouldn’t be surprised if they were broken. She was dizzy with the effort it took to remain conscious, but she knew she would only be punished more if she allowed herself to show such weakness. 

“Dahyun.” the king boomed. “You have been missing for nearly a week. We were concerned.”

Dahyun nearly laughed, but all she could manage was a slight smile that probably looked more like a grimace.

“Explain.” he ordered, his voice ringing through the empty throne room. 

Dahyun swallowed, and the lock burned harder, compelling her to explain . 

But her voice was gone once again. She couldn’t explain.

The result was a piercing pain through her very being–the pain of not fulfilling an order. She gasped, grasping at her throat and gritting her teeth against the agony. 

The king allowed her to writhe on the ground for a moment longer, as if taking pleasure in her suffering. 

“Enough.” he finally said, and Dahyun breathed a sigh of relief as the pain faded, though it was swiftly replaced by exhaustion and overwhelming dread. She couldn’t believe she was back here, back in this hell. “It seems I’ve forgotten about your…affliction.”

Dahyun wanted to strangle the man with her bare hands.

The king reached into one of her pockets, revealing a familiar locket. It was gold, an ornate necklace that revealed the sheer amount of wealth the king possessed. 

And it also contained her voice. 

Without another word, he opened the clasp on the locket, and Dahyun gasped and choked as her voice suddenly returned to her. 

“Now,” the king said, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. “I need you to explain exactly how you were able to resist the blood lock for so long.”

“Are you sure this is a good plan?” Tzuyu asked hesitantly, following Nayeon through the tunnels beneath the castle. The unit seemed familiar with most of the layout, and they were confident they’d be able to sneak into the castle without getting seen. 

The only problem was finding Dahyun. 

“I’m nearly 90% sure this is a horrible plan.” Jihyo replied from behind the two of them. “But it’s also the only plan we’ve got, so.”

There were two sets of dungeons within the castle–one to the north and one to the south. While the four of them–Tzuyu, Jihyo, Nayeon, and Chaeyoung–checked the south dungeons, the others were making their way towards the north dungeons. 

They could only hope that Dahyun was held in one of them. 

If not…

When they reached a fork in the tunnels, Nayeon turned back towards them, reaching a finger to her lips to signal that they should be quiet. Wordlessly, she reached above her and eased open a hidden trap door, one that the servants used to get around the castle without being seen. 

She hauled herself up and reached down to help the others up one at a time. 

When Tzuyu pulled herself up through the trap door, she found herself faced with a dark, menacing dungeon. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was expecting, but the sight before her was positively medieval. 

The cells were carved into the walls, the rock uneven and sharp. Chains hung from spikes hammered into the walls, and the room was so dim, Tzuyu could scarcely see more than a few feet in front of her. If she listened closely, she could hear the rhythmic dripping of water–the type of thing that could drive someone crazy if they heard it for too long. 

The others crawled their way through the trapdoor, Nayeon grunting with the effort of pulling them up. Tzuyu advanced into the dungeon, quietly scanning the cells for any sight of Dahyun. 

There was no one, though. 

Just that damn dripping. 

The others spread through the dungeon as well, examining the cells and searching for any sign of their friend. 

Tzuyu sighed, worrying her lip between her teeth. They could only hope that Dahyun was in the north dungeon, that she was safe and still alive. 

“Guys,” came Chaeyoung’s voice from a few feet away. Her voice echoed from within a cell, filled with fear and apprehension. 

Tzuyu and the others approached, dread pooling in Tzuyu’s gut. It didn’t sound as though Chaeyoung had found anything good. 

Jihyo, who’d managed to find a torch from the back wall, walked into the cell with her, and through the dim, flickering light, Tzuyu could just make out the red stains decorating the stone floor of the cell. 

“It’s–it’s gotta be her.” Chaeyoung said grimly, leaning down to examine the blood. “It’s fresh.”

Tzuyu felt her heart constrict in her chest. Now that she looked closer, the blood was everywhere, decorating the floor, the wall, and even sprayed against the bar. 

“Is she still…I mean, it’s a lot of blood–” Nayeon managed, looking nauseous at the very thought. 

“No.” Jihyo said, straightening. “The king wouldn’t just kill his… pet. Not when he spent so much time on her.”

The rage that suddenly gripped Tzuyu was indescribable. She’d never felt so angry in her life, not even when she was hanging upside down from a tree, or when Dahyun had been taken from them. 

She was going to kill him. Tzuyu was going to murder the king with her bare hands, and no one was going to stop her. 

“I’m guessing you guys didn’t find her?” Jihyo asked, her face set into a hard frown. 

They’d met up with the others, still hiding beneath the castle deep within the servants’ tunnels. 

“Nothing.” Jeongyeon said with a sigh. “What about you guys?”

The four of them exchanged looks. 

“She wasn’t there,” Tzuyu said. “But there…there was a lot of blood.”

Silence consumed the hallway. 

“Is–I mean, is she–” Mina asked, voice cracking. 

“We don’t think so.” Chaeyoung replied, jaw clenched. “But even if she is alive…”

“She’s with the king.” Tzuyu said grimly. “I’m sure of it.”

Everyone turned to look at her. “Tzuyu, how can you know–” Jihyo asked gently.

“I know.” she said, shaking her head. “It’s like–I can feel her. Somewhere in the castle. I can’t explain it.”

“But how do you know she’s with–”

“She’s angry.” Tzuyu replied, looking up at the others. “Angrier than we’ve ever seen her.”

It was silent for a few beats. 

“They’ll be in the throne room.” Jihyo said, glancing down the hallway. She absentmindedly fiddled with the hilt of her sword, determined but apprehensive. 

The others shifted. “The throne room?” Momo asked unsurely. “How can we–there will be guards everywhere–”

“I don’t think so.” Tzuyu replied, shaking her head. “I think this is personal. The king will have the throne room as empty as possible. Only the required number of guards.”

“How can you be sure?” Mina asked, brows raised. 

Tzuyu turned to look at her. “I’m not.” she said honestly. “But either way, I’m going to try and save Dahyun.”

Any hesitance the group felt faded at her words. 

They’d left Dahyun behind before.  

Jihyo nodded at her friends, leading them forward through the dark tunnels. She grasped her sword with a white-knuckle grip, eyes focused and heart pounding. 

Never again.

“A soulmate, huh?” the king said, laughing slightly at the idea. 

Dahyun grit her teeth, refusing to look up at the man. 

After hearing Dahyun’s story, he’d brought in the castle mage, questioning him about how her resistance was possible, despite the power of the blood lock. Dahyun could barely hold in her surprise at the answer the mage had given. 

Tzuyu? Her soulmate?

“Well,” the king muttered, shaking his head. “This certainly throws a wrench in things, doesn’t it?” 

He turned to the mage, talking to him as if Dahyun wasn’t even present. Dahyun almost couldn’t blame him. He’d long since taken back her voice after her story had been told, and she could barely move without suffering the pain of her beating. She wasn’t exactly a notable presence at the moment. “Is there any way around…all of this?” the king asked, waving dismissively as though it were one big inconvenience.

As if Tzuyu was an inconvenience. 

Dahyun felt a familiar anger bubbling in her gut. 

“Well…I suppose not, your majesty.” the mage answered, shaking his head. Dahyun could’ve cried with relief at his words. At least she would never be completely trapped. “There’s no magic stronger than true love, unfortunately.”

The king scowled, glancing down at Dahyun with disdain. He sighed, reaching up to tap his chin thoughtfully. Dahyun thought about all the ways she could break his hand–as well as just how painful she could make it. “What if I killed the other one?” the king asked, brows raised. He almost seemed disinterested in the whole conversation. “Her… soulmate .”

Dahyun felt the world stop. 

“Well, yes I suppose that would work, your majesty,” the mage answered unsurely. “Though, I don’t know whether or not the girl would be the same after–”

The king waved at him, silencing the mage immediately. 

The anger burning in Dahyun’s gut became something more akin to rage. 

The king stared at her, a sick smile beginning to twist on his face. “Then I guess that’s what we’ll have to do,” he said. “I’ll have to send someone else, though, I suppose. My favorite assassin will certainly be useless–”

Dahyun launched herself from the floor, ignoring the way her body screamed in protest. She didn’t care about the pain, or the shocked looks from the king and the mage, and she certainly didn’t care about the guard’s running towards her, swords drawn. 

She just wanted to kill the man sitting on the throne before her. 

Just as she was about to reach him, only a few feet from the throne, a word echoed through the room. 

“ Stop!” the king bellowed, and Dahyun immediately fell to her knees, frozen on the floor before him. The lock on her neck burned like never before, and Dahyun was lost in the haze of her order. Stop, stop, stop…

“Stand.” came the next order, and Dahyun forced herself to her feet, ignoring the ache in her muscles and the burning of her wounds. 

She looked up at the king, and he stared down at her with only amusement. 

“Let me make something clear.” he said, leaning closer towards her. Dahyun wished she could wrap her hands around his neck, but she could barely move. “You are mine. And if I want to kill your little soulmate , I’ll do just that.”

Dahyun scowled at the man, trying to communicate her hatred with just her gaze. 

If the king noticed, he didn’t care. 

He simply leaned back and laughed. “You can’t do anything about it.”

Dahyun promptly fell to her knees once again, the weight of her situation crashing down on her all at once. 

“Maybe I’ll make you watch,” the king said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Have her executed in the throne room and make you stand by my side the entire time.”

Dahyun felt tears prick her eyes, and the burning in her throat was painful. 

She almost wished she’d never met Tzuyu. She wished she hadn’t given herself that false hope–the hope that she could actually escape this hell. Most of all, she wished she hadn’t gotten Tzuyu involved in any of this. 

And now she was going to die. Just to keep Dahyun in line.

Distantly, Dahyun hoped– prayed to whatever god would listen–that Tzuyu had listened to her, that she’d made her way to the next kingdom and found safety. 

But she knew Tzuyu wouldn’t do that. 

If anything, she felt closer than ever, as if she was only a few rooms away. 

Dahyun turned her gaze downward. 

It was over. 

She was done. 

Whatever resistance she had left, whatever hope remained–it faded. 

Soon, only the blood lock remained. 

The journey to the throne room was short, but filled with anxiety and dread. Tzuyu wasn’t sure what they’d find, but she felt Dahyun get closer and closer as they walked. 

Soon, it felt as though she was only a couple rooms away from her, and she hesitantly let hope bloom in her chest. They were almost there. Dahyun could be saved, they could leave, she could be free–

Tzuyu stumbled on her feet, gasping for breath. 

The others stopped immediately, turning towards her with concern. “Tzuyu!” Chaeyoung hissed, moving forward to grab her shoulder. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”

Tzuyu shook her head, at a loss for words. Dahyun had been so close…

But she just…faded. Tzuyu could just barely feel the wisps of her remaining, but it were fragile, almost nonexistent. The gap in her soul returned with a vengeance, and she raised a hand to her chest, barely able to keep herself from falling. Even when Dahyun had been taken, it hadn’t felt this extreme. 

It was as though Dahyun was…

“Let’s just go.” Tzuyu said, straightening up and looking ahead. She couldn’t let herself think that, couldn’t believe that Dahyun was…gone.

“Tzuyu, are you sure–” Jihyo tried, but Tzuyu waved her off. 

“She’s ahead,” Tzuyu said, already walking forward with a new sort of determination. “I’m sure of it.”

Tzuyu ignored just how loose their connection suddenly seemed, as if…as if Dahyun was…empty. 

Instead of the trap door they used to get into the dungeon, there was a set of stairs leading to a heavy wooden door. Tzuyu examined the door carefully, and it didn’t take long to conclude that they would be unable to enter stealthily. 

She motioned back to the group, giving them a grim look. She exchanged a brief nod with Jihyo, drawing her sword. 

After a tense beat of silence, in which Tzuyu swore the only sound she heard was her own heartbeat, she pushed open the door. 

She had long since lost herself to the haze. 

Distantly, she was aware that she’d been unshackled, forced to kneel before the king, but she barely cared. It didn’t matter now. 

Nothing did. 

There were sounds around her. Shouting, screaming, swords clashing. 

It was all so…separate. 

Even the pain she’d felt had dimmed, lost in the fog of her head.

Attack , came the order, so she attacked. 

Sword drawn, she barreled towards her enemies, striking them with all the fury and commitment the lock commanded. They were yelling, screaming at her, but she didn’t hear. Attack, attack, ATTACK.

It echoed through her head like the chiming of a clock, piercing her very being. 

Nothing could get through the haze. 

She stepped back, twirling away from the stab of a spear and rolling out of range of a heavy club. She launched herself forward, sword bared at the enemy in front of her. Something about it felt strange, wrong, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. The voice was too loud, the pain too much. 

“Dahyun!” someone cried, the voice suddenly piercing through the fog of her mind. She paused for only a moment. Who was Dahyun?  

“Dahyun, stop!” the voice cried again, and she blinked. Suddenly the world seemed a little more clear. 

Attack! Came the order once again, and she swore she felt the command echoing through her bones. Her body moved despite itself, pushing past the physical pain of her injuries. 

Without pause, she launched herself at the enemy in front of her, knocking her to the ground and slashing her sword downward. The woman rolled out of the way just in time, stumbling to her feet with her sword raised threateningly. 

For some reason, the enemy seemed hesitant to attack. 

She kept moving, pushing forward and slashing her blade at the other enemies before her. One of them couldn’t avoid the hit, groaning as the blade managed to tear through the skin of her midsection. 

She moved to make the finishing blow, but another sword intercepted hers just in time to push her back. “Dahyun, please,” the new woman begged. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

She paused for a moment more, regarding her enemy with confusion. Who was Dahyun? Who was this woman before her? Why–

ATTACK.

She moved without hesitation, without reason, striking out at the woman with impossible speed. The blade struck true, cutting a deep gash into the woman’s thigh before she was able to move back. 

She cried out, falling to the floor. 

She made to finish the woman, sword raised above her head, but yet another blade managed to interrupt her path. 

She growled to herself in frustration, and the burning on her neck became more and more intense. She had to complete her order. 

She had to. 

She moved forward, sword raised once again, but the new woman in front of her didn’t move, simply regarding her with a sad expression. The enemy let her sword fall to her side as she approached. 

She paused for a moment, the grip on her sword becoming impossibly tighter. Why–why didn’t she want to strike? Why didn’t she want to complete her order?

“Dahyun.” the woman said softly. It was quiet, barely even audible in the chaos of the fighting around them, but she could hear it ringing clear in her ears. “Please come back to me.”

Dahyun.

She blinked, and the features of the woman’s face suddenly became shockingly clear. She was not only sad, no–

The woman before her was devastated, staring at her with some mixture of pity and pure grief. Despite it all, though…

“You’re…” Dahyun breathed, her grasp on her sword faltering. “You’re beautiful.”

The woman met her eyes, her face breaking into a tearful smile. “ Dahyun.” she whispered, stepping towards her. 

Everything in Dahyun told her to strike, to kill this woman while her guard was down. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to raise a weapon against her. Not her. 

Not Tzuyu. 

Tzuyu approached until she was only a few inches from Dahyun. She was taller than her, and Dahyun had to crane her neck to look into her eyes. Wordlessly, her sword fell to her side as Tzuyu reached out to cradle her face. 

The touch was warm. Familiar. 

Dahyun felt tears prick her eyes. 

ATTACK. KILL HER.

The order made her jolt back, and it was all she could do to keep herself from running Tzuyu through with her blade that very instant. She cradled her head, trying her best to ignore the pain piercing through her very being every second she didn’t fulfill her order. 

Before long, she was on her knees, muttering softly to herself in some broken attempt to keep the lock at bay. 

“Dahyun.” came Tzuyu’s voice once more, ringing over the deafening screaming echoing through her mind. “I’m right here. Look at me.”

Dahyun forced herself to look, meeting Tzuyu’s eyes as she knelt beside her, a soft, tearful smile on her face. “I’m right here, Dahyun.” she repeated, reaching forward and embracing Dahyun in a fierce hug. 

Whatever influence the blood lock still held, it was gone as soon as Tzuyu wrapped her arms around her. The screaming faded into the background, and tears threatened to pour from Dahyun’s eyes as she hugged Tzuyu back, holding her as though she might disappear at any moment. 

“Thank you.” Dahyun breathed into Tzuyu’s neck, hugging her even tighter. “For…coming back.”

“Of course.” Tzuyu said, pulling back and regarding Dahyun with nothing but love shining in her eyes. “I could never leave you.”

Dahyun felt lost to this moment, like everything else was just background noise. 

But the moment ended when the king’s voice echoed through the chamber. “Enough!” he boomed, and at once, movement in the throne room stopped. Dahyun turned to find that many of her friends had been downed by the castle guards in the chaos–the doors had been barricaded, but it wouldn’t be long before more guards arrived. 

Mina and Sana remained standing, though they seemed unsteady, leaning on one side and covered in various cuts and bruises. Beside them, Nayeon ripped the tip of her spear out of a guard’s chest, her eyes shining with disgust as she regarded the king. Jeongyeon and Momo had fallen, both of them clutching bleeding wounds. Chaeyoung was barely standing, leaning on her sword for support, and Jihyo stood next to her, weak but still going. 

Dahyun felt tears prick her eyes. Her friends were here, fighting till their last breath in some desperate attempt to save her. 

She turned to regard the king once more, and suddenly, all the anger that had left her earlier returned with a vengeance. Never had she hated someone more than the man standing before her. He had taken her voice, her freedom. He had nearly taken her friends.

He had threatened Tzuyu. 

“Enough.” the king repeated. His gaze shifted towards Dahyun, his eyes dripping with disdain. “What exactly do you think will come of this?”

He addressed her friends, waving his arms around the throne room. “Even if you somehow manage to kill all the guards in here, there are hundreds more on their way.”

He turned back to Dahyun, waving at her dismissively. “All of this,” he said, laughing humorlessly. “For some useless girl. Are you really prepared to die for her?”

Dahyun noticed the others opening their mouths, ready to protest, but she stepped forward before anything could be said. 

“You took everything from me, just so you could use me to kill your own subjects.” Dahyun bit, walking towards the throne with a scowl. “So, maybe I’m not worth dying for. But I certainly wasn’t useless. Not to you, at least.”

The king laughed slightly, but he stepped back, stumbling slightly on his feet. Surprise shone in his eyes when she spoke, and she noticed him reach in his pocket, where she knew the locket containing her voice still lay. 

She didn’t care. 

“Stop!” he said, stumbling back into her throne as she continued to approach. 

The order was less than a whisper in her mind. She didn’t pause for even a moment. 

“Guards! Stop her!” he cried desperately. 

Dahyun heard movement, glancing behind her to see her friends immediately cut down the remaining guards, striking out fast and hard. She smiled proudly. 

Turning back to regard the king, she couldn’t help but smirk at the terrified look he gave her. 

Dahyun raised her sword, and without another word, she sank the blade into the man’s gut, making sure to push it in as slowly as possible.

The king gasped, desperately looking between his wound and Dahyun. He tried to speak, but he could only gurgle, blood spilling from his lips. 

Dahyun twisted the blade, taking satisfaction in the pained groan the king released. She reached into his pocket as he bled, grasping the horrible locket and crushing it beneath her feet. Never again would her voice be stolen. 

She heard someone approaching from behind, and just from the footsteps, she knew it was Tzuyu. 

She glanced back, raising a brow in question. 

Tzuyu nodded grimly, lifting her own sword. 

And without a word, she slid the blade into his chest. 

Into his heart. 

The king died almost instantly. 

And just like that, it was over.

The escape from the castle was chaotic and desperate. The barricades wouldn’t last much longer, and many of them were injured from the battle. 

Still, they ran through the tunnels as fast as they could, desperately making their way to the outside of the castle. Jeongyeon and Momo were dead on their feet, practically being dragged along by the others. Dahyun wasn’t doing too well herself. Her injuries were catching up to her, and she barely had it in her to not fall over every time she took a step. 

Tzuyu’s arms supporting her helped, but it was a struggle. 

They managed to escape the castle, though, breathing heavily and smarting from their wounds. As fast as they could manage, they made their way towards the treeline. Once they reached the forest, they’d be able to hide themselves–set traps, keep watch, and most importantly, get some rest and treat their injuries. 

It was hours before they made camp, and everyone was exhausted. Mina wasted no time before addressing Momo and Jeongyeon’s wounds, doing more than the improvised bandages they’d given them once they’d escaped the castle. 

Dahyun collapsed almost as soon as they stopped, unable to support her own weight any longer. The others milled around, treating their own wounds and setting up their temporary camp, but Dahyun couldn’t find the energy to help. 

Wordlessly, Tzuyu took a seat next to her, reaching out to weave their hands together. 

Dahyun could’ve cried at the contact. 

“C’mon,” Tzuyu said, helping her sit up and lean against a tree. Dahyun hissed at the movement. She’d mostly been able to ignore the pain from her ribs, but her adrenaline had long since run out. “Let me help.”

Dahyun allowed Tzuyu to dress her wounds, rubbing salve on her cuts and pressing bandages against them. She tried her best to help with Dahyun’s ribs, wrapping bandages around her torso as tight as she could manage. It stung at first, but Dahyun appreciated the support it provided.

The last thing Tzuyu did was rip the fabric of her shirt, offering Dahyun a makeshift sling for her wounded arm. Dahyun was surprised she even noticed that it was injured–she’d been subtle about it, not wanting to worry her friends more than necessary. 

Tzuyu seemed to notice her surprise, and she snorted. “How could I not notice, Dahyun?” she said softly, and it was hard to not get lost in the way she said Dahyun’s name. “We’re soulmates, after all.”

Dahyun laughed a little, wincing as the movement jostled her ribs. “Oh yeah,” she breathed, leaning her head back against the tree and closing her eyes. “I heard.”

Tzuyu settled down next to her, sighing as she leaned her head against Dahyun’s shoulder. Dahyun glanced down at her, noticing the bruise that painted her jaw. The sudden guilt she felt was enormous. The memories of the fight were returning to her, and she knew she’d hurt her friends in the battle, whether she meant to or not. 

She peered around the camp, her eyes catching on the thick bandages encircling Mina’s midsection and the wound on Chaeyoung’s thigh.

She had done that. She had hurt them.

“Hey.” Tzuyu said suddenly, and Dahyun turned to find she was already looking at her, her eyes shining with concern and understanding. “You know it’s not your fault, right? No one blames you.”

Dahyun swallowed, jaw clenched. “I just…I’m so sorry.”

Tzuyu didn’t respond for a moment, and Dahyun turned her gaze downward, tears pricking her eyes. 

“Look at me.” Tzuyu said, her hand reaching out and gently turning Dahyun’s face towards her own. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Dahyun lost herself in those eyes, those deep brown pools that seemed to draw Dahyun in from the very moment they’d met. 

“I love you,” she breathed before she could stop herself. 

Tzuyu smiled, as if Dahyun had just said the most typical thing. She pulled Dahyun closer, her eyes turning towards her lips. “I love you, too.”

Their lips met, and Dahyun felt like she was flying. 

The burning of the lock ceased. 

She was free.