Chapter 21
Han's Sister
“They can’t see the CORE.” Said Sulli
“I know.” Said Minho “But we need to hurry. You are losing too much blood.”
“Help me.” Sulli tried to lift her clothes to her stomach but winced in pain.
Minho immediately helped Sulli. For some weird reason, Minho felt like his heart is beating hard and fast like it’s going out of his ribs.
Minho lifted Sulli’s clothes all the way up trying to just focus on her stomach.
Minho tried to remember the doctor’s instructions. He took a gel like substance from the plate. The doctor said it should make Sulli feel numb so that she doesn’t feel the stitches.
Minho put the substance on Sulli’s stomach. He put a lot of them just to make sure. Sulli’s skin looks so fragile like it will tear on his slightest tug.
“That…feels…cold…” said Sulli
“This should lessen the pain.” Said Minho.
Minho then took a needle and put it on fire to disinfect it. And then he took thread.
Sulli looked away…she can’t look…she’ll think of the pain if she does.
Minho doesn’t want to cause Sulli pain…but he needs to do it to close the wound.
Minho pierced Sulli’s skin with the needle. Sulli felt it and closed her eyes.
“It hurts you.” Said Minho. Minho almost stood up. He can’t do this.
Why isn’t the gel working?
“Don’t. I’m fine. Just continue.” Said Sulli
Minho needs to finish this soon…he felt like his own flesh shaking with each time the needle penetrates Sulli’s skin.
It was a moment of silence. And Sulli could feel her skin burning with the needle.
“So Fearies…do not heal fast?” asked Minho
Slowly Sulli felt the pain disappearing..it seems the gel is now working.
“No…not as fast as you…a bit faster than humans though.” Said Sulli
“If I got wounded on my human form…it will take a long time.” Said Sulli. Sulli slowly felt like her vision is fading. “Good thing I was able to get to this form before the sword hit me.”
Sulli took a deep breath. “But I shouldn’t have…I might have exposed myself…”
“You were trying to save the white dragon. If you didn’t transform, you wouldn’t reach him on time.” Said Minho
“I hope TOP is all right.” Said Sulli
“He was still able to carry you here…I’m sure it’s just a few wounds here and there.” Said Minho
Sulli looked at Minho
He’s been answering everything she says.
“I hope Master Cha and Kris is all right. I hope they convince the head of the clan.” Said Sulli
“They are both very knowledgeable people who has done palace work for a long time. They would surely be able to handle it.” Said Minho
Sulli smiled despite the weakness in her body.
“You…”
Minho finished the last stitch and looked up at Sulli.
“Hmm?” asked Minho
“You talk more now.” Said Sulli
“Is that bad?” asked Minho
Sulli shook her head a little. “No…I…I like it when I know what you are thinking.” Said Sulli
Sulli closed her eyes.
“Go and rest.” Said Minho. Minho cleaned the blood on Sulli’s skin. And then he pulled a blanket over Sulli.
Minho can feel Sulli’s even breathing…she’s asleep.
Minho wiped Sulli’s hair from her face. He stared at Sulli’s face.
This woman…has the habit of putting herself in danger…she has the habit of saying “Yes”
to a fight though she’s weak. And she can sacrifice her life…for others…
Minho’s chest is swelling…His heart longing for the woman just beside him. A woman who values others before herself…Minho wishes she would think of herself sometimes…then he would have his mind at ease…
Minho touched Sulli’s forehead with his lips.
“Han.”
Minho heard a voice calling him.
“Come to me…Han.” It’s a voice of a woman.
Minho shook his head as he walked out of the room.
“How’s Sulli?” asked Sunny
“I followed everything the healer said.” Said Minho “She’s sleeping now.”
Chanyeol walked away as soon as he heard Sulli is now resting.
“Where’s TOP?” asked Minho
“The healer has just done putting medicine on his wounds. But he was asked to rest.” Said Sunny
“You should rest too.” Said Minho
Sunny nodded.
And the blinked.
Did Minho just tell her to rest?
Was the battle too much for him that it shook his head?
Or is it…that the Dark warrior’s heart of ice…is now melting….
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“I am speechless…The bloodline has ended…the core losing its energy…the world we know is falling apart… But you know what you came here for is not easy to seek.” Said the head. “Do you realize how many people there are in this village?”
“We do…and that is why we wanted to seek your help.” Said Master Cha
“The prophesy is vague…but has left some clues. It said the circle member is a water shifter.” Said Kris
The head of the clan stopped and think…
“Recently, we have very few water shifters…many can use water as weapons…can control water…but there is shortage of water shifter…It’s been a long time since I last saw a transformation.” Said the head.
“But why is that?” asked Kris
“That was also the case for the Lion tribe where Chanyeol came from. For decades, there has not been someone born that can transform into a whole lion. Some of them can transform some parts of their body. But no matter how many trainings were given, no one was gifted being a shifter. They thought that a Lion shifter from their clan would just become a legend…Until Chanyeol was born.” Said Master Cha
“Maybe it was a sign all along that the bloodline is ending…that’s why there has been less and less shifters. The Core might have been weakening even when the last King was still alive.” Said the head of the clan
“The prophesy has not failed us. It has come true for all of us. That is why I have reason to believe that we will find what we seek.” said Kris “I believe as head of this village..nothing goes by that you are not aware of…especially if it’s concerning a shifter.”
Master Cha looked at Kris…Kris has a great potential being a Head Knight in the future…Cha just hoped there is a future waiting.
“I do think that if there is someone who has transformed in your clan…you would have wanted to know.” Said Kris
“There are only a few that I can count with my hands that I am aware who can shift.” Said the head of the clan. “I am one of them…but I do think I am too old for the journey…if I present all the shifters I know, how do you know which one is the right one?”
“We’ll know.” Said Master Cha “But first we need to make sure our friends in the circle are fine.”
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Minho stood outside the room Sulli is sleeping. As usual, Minho can’t sleep. Master Cha and Kris went to check on Sulli earlier. The Healer also went a few times inside to check on Sulli. She had a fever a few hours ago but has not normalized. Minho can’t go far though…he needs to make sure Sulli is going to get better.
“Han…”
Minho heard the voice again. A voice of a woman like a whisper.
“Come with me…”
This time…the voice is louder…It’s not longer just an imagination.
“Han…come with me…”
Minho closed his eyes trying to block out the voice.
“Han…”
Something about that name is familiar…
Minho walked the hallways.
“Follow me.”
He turned right…following the voice.
Minho was led out into a garden. He kept following the voice…until he saw a woman standing in the garden. She slowly turned to look at him. Her hair is pale white not like the silvery white that TOP has. But her skin is nowhere old. She is a beautiful woman.
“Han.” Said the woman
“I am not who you seek.” Said Minho
“You know you are…when I called, you know it was you.” Said the woman
The woman is familiar. It seems he has seen her somewhere before.
“You are the woman..in that village. The woman who offered her house for the circle to stay?” said Minho
“You did not forget.” asked the woman
“Who are you? And what do you want?” asked Minho
“You do not remember who I really am…and it pains me how this happened.” Said the woman “I am Muklan…and you are Han…You are…my little brother.” Said Muklan
“I do not have family.” Said Minho
“You do. And that’s me…they distorted your mind, Han. They blocked your memory and changed it. They tore us apart to weaken us.” Said Muklan. “I will never forgive them for doing that. For taking you away from me.”
Muklan walked a few step until they reached a fountain. Inside that fountain, Minho saw an image. It is of a young boy holding the hand of a grown up lady. It is Muklan…Her hair was still gold then.
“Sister…why do you have to leave? Why was father angry?” asked the little boy.
“Han” Muklan knelt down so that she’s eye to eye with Han. “It is because I have found my Master. Remember that we are black dragons. We are cursed to always seek that one person whom we would dedicate our life to. It is not something we can control. Fate has its way of letting us meet that person…and once we meet that person…we can’t leave their side anymore.”
“But sister…can’t he just stay with us here?” asked Han
“No Han…he can’t survive with the black dragon clan. He is…a human.” Said Muklan
“But Sister…Humans are weak…why will you stay with a weak creature like him?” asked Han
“Because my heart always longs for him, Han. It’s like my heart would yearn for him…You will not understand it yet, brother… but in time…you would.”
And then the image was gone.
“I am not lying, Han. You are my brother. I don’t know exactly how it happened…but you fell into the Kings hand…and they did something to your mind…to your memory. I am your sister…and we are family. We should be together...We should be on the same side. Come with me.” Said Muklan
“I am Minho. I am not Han. I am not your brother. I remember no such thing from my past. I am a Knight from the palace. I swore my allegiance with the princess. This is the truth I know.” Said Minho
Muklan looked at Minho intensely.
“Do you not wonder what happened before that? I know you have a black veil covering your past. I know you have always asked what happened before everything you can remember. I hold the answer to that…”Muklan took a few steps away from Minho
“I’ll give you time to think. Once you realize you want to know what happened in the past, seek me and you’ll find me. I will be around Han. I will watch over you… but I won’t hold back any of my plans. So make sure you don’t get in the way.” Said Muklan
And then Muklan disappeared.
Minho is left confused.
It is true that beyond the time he swore allegiance to the Princess Dhara…he can remember nothing…But he has never been curious about his past…Being with Princess Dhara has always been enough for him…but now…there is a part of him that wants to know more…is it because of the vision…is it because he had a glimpse of his past?
What if what the woman speak of is true? What if She’s really his sister?
Then he wasn’t alone all along…
Then it’s true that the King did something to his mind to make him forget everything…
Minho clenched his hand into a fist.
What is the truth?
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Sulli opened her eyes and took a while to realize where she is. And then she felt a hand touching her head with what felt like cloth. She looked sideways and was surprised to see a manly hand with a golden ring on.
“You’re awake.”
Sulli looked up and saw TOP.
“Hi TOP…how are your wounds?” asked Sulli
“You almost died but you still ask about my wounds.” Said TOP
“I think I’ll be all right. And you?” asked Sulli
“I am a white dragon..whereas you are a helpless princess. I would be in a better physical health than you, your majesty.” Said TOP
“You really have to say that with ‘a helpless princess’?” asked Sulli
“Umm…that’s a fact. Especially that only one attack and you already fell down.” Said TOP “I do appreciate though…that you tried to save my life.”
Sulli smiled “I know you’d do the same if it were to happen to me.” Said Sulli “Right? TOP?”
TOP looked at Sulli for a few seconds before he answered. “You are assuming that Princess. But because you saved my life once…I would not hesitate when the time comes that I can repay you.”
Sulli nodded. She knows TOP is not the type to admit his feelings to someone else.
Chanyeol entered the room.
“Hmm..it seems my time is up. I’ll leave you with the Lion, your majesty. ” TOP stood up and left the room.
“How do you feel?” asked Chanyeol
“I’m better”…Sulli tried to sit up…the pain is intense…but she was able to force herself.
“You were sleeping for 2 days.” Said Chanyeol
“Has it been 2 days?” Sulli is shocked. “We’ve wasted time again just because I am weak.” Said Sulli
“It is not your fault. We were are weaker under water. If that battle happened on land, we won’t take a minute to finish it off.” Said Chanyeol
Sulli wanted to stand up but Chanyeol stopped her.
“Just stay on bed. You are still in pain. The head of the clan will call out the water shifters later today.” Said Chanyeol
“You won’t find him or her unless I am there.” Said Sulli
“I know…” said Chanyeol “I heard there are only 4 left…water shifters…it reminds me of our tribe.” Said Chanyeol
“Yeah…you were the only remaining Lion shifter….that is why they asked that Master Cha trains you…because you are the future leader of your tribe.” Said Sulli “And then we learned you’re part of the circle.”
“And I have travelled with you since.” Said Chanyeol
“I…after we find the next bloodline…I’m going back to my tribe, Sulli…” said Chanyeol
Sulli nodded.
“They’ve been waiting for my return…but I…couldn’t leave…you.” Said Chanyeol “I…have always stayed in this journey…because I want to watch over you…”
“I know. You and Master Cha always protects me.” Said Sulli
Chanyeol walked towards Sulli.
“You don’t understand Sulli. It’s not just because Master Cha is like our father and you are like my sister. It’s no longer just because of that.” Said Chanyeol
“I have tried to hide it…because I don’t want you to avoid me once you knew…but these past few days…I just can’t hide it anymore.” Said Chanyeol
“I…like you Sulli….more than just a sister…I like you…more than that.” Said Chanyeol tying to pick the right words.
“You…do get..what I mean…right?” asked Chanyeol
Sulli was speechless for a minute. She knows what Chanyeol is saying…she knows it very well for she has also felt the same thing with Minho…
But…she doesn’t want Chanyeol to go through the pain she went through…Chanyeol is too precious for her to hurt like that.
“You don’t have to answer me now. I just…wanted to let you know.” Said Chanyeol
No…making Chanyeol wait will make him suffer more.
“I think that…you need to know my answer now.” Said Sulli
“My time with you and Master are precious to me…like a sanctuary. When I feel burdened by the responsibilities on my shoulder, the memory of the happy times with you and master comforts me, Chanyeol. We were like a family. A father…a brother…we only needed a mother to be called whole…but we never felt lacking of any…because the 3 of us were a complete family…” said Sulli “Until now…until now that we have gotten bigger and we have more people joining us in the Circle…I still look at you and Master the same way…my sanctuary…my comfort and family.” Said Sulli
“You are the dearest brother I have in life Chanyeol. And I am so sorry if that is not enough to show you how much I value you...I know how it feels like to like someone…and not be liked the same way…It hurts so much that it tears up something inside…But I am trying to accept it…And I am sorry if I will ask you to accept it as well…as we continue to search for the net bloodline. ” Said Sulli
Chanyeol felt like his whole body is too heavy as he moved towards the door.
“I know you too well Sulli…how I wish I didn’t…so that I won’t know who you meant when you said you liked someone. So that I won’t feel this hurt knowing that while I was just around, you chose to like someone else.”
Chanyeol then left the room.