Mingi felt like his world fell down. When Ji Won's soul was erased he never that you will be too. Then he remembered, you recieved the slash of Ji Won's sword rather than him.
Mingi cried as he ran into your arms, calling out your name. The face of yours with peacefully closed eyes resting. The shine of the moonlight on your sweaty face. The tears and blood around your face.
Meanwhile in you, You see yourself standing along the clouds of heaven with pure blues and greens of aurora swirling through. The breeze of the wind was cold yet calming as you look around your surroundings.
"(Y/N)...." Somebody called you. You looked back and saw a lady in her white wedding robe. A smile graced through her face as she walks to yoy in elegance.
A hint of familiarity was going through you as you saw her face. Then you remembered, it was Princess Eunji. Mingi's first love.
She freached for your face as you both stare at each other's eyes. Her brown orbs was examining you. But, your tears were all going out as ypu ask, "Am I dead?"
"You're nearly." She replied. "However, I'll save you."
You tilted your head as a sign of not getting what she's saying. Eunji held your right shoulders as she grin happily at you.
"I can't let you get hurt. Mingi needs you now, more than he needed me. I have to save you. However.... I need to exchange half of my memories to give you life." She teared up.
"What do you mean?"
"I have to forget some of my memories with Mingi. To save you."
"You can't do that." You cried as you swat her hands away from you. You don't want to be selfish. Yes, you love Mingi and you want to come back in his arms, but having Eunji to sacrifice her memories of Mingi, is more than your description of selflessness.
"I've already done it."
Back to Mingi, the latter fails to notices the silence of people around him. The once flaming eyes of the villagers were changed into blue flames. The fear from his friends, especially from San, was changed into sorrow. The only someone that Mingi loved was gone. Really gone. Everyone were so focused on Mingi that they failed to see the pink cherry blossom petals that were losing it's flowers.
The man cries and cries, until a hand wiped his tears from his cheeks. He looked down and saw you alive. He was so glad that he immediately embraced you; not even noticing the purple hues on your once (e/c) orbs.
'You' embraced Mingi back. The man was caught in surprise. Slowly, his arms were losing its tangle from your body. The feeling was so familiar yet unfamiliar. He thinks it was you that he was embracing. However it wasn't you. Mingi realized that. It wasn't you
that he was embracing. It was from a different person. It was from her.
Mingi let go as look at you. "Who are you?" He muttered angrily before shoving your body away from him. The wounds from your hands were gone. Everything were healed, physically. However, the soul inside you wasn't you. It was Eunji. She saved you, and healed you.
Eunji could see the burning anger of Mingi. From his eyes, that was coral blue. It wasn't shining like the stars before, it was flaming in red. The anger. The grudge. He was still holding it onto Eunji.
Then, your body lost its conciousness once again.
•••••
You opened your eyes and scanned the area around you. It was the bedroom that Mingi prepared for you. You weren't in the afterlife anymore, so you think that Eunji has really saved you.
A pink butterfly came through you. It looks weak and lifeless. You patted its pink wings and smiled at it. "You'll be okay..."
The butterfly looks like it gained energy and flew away from you, to the outside of your window. It looked free yet lost.
Then, you remembered the occurance yesterday. What you don't remember was what happened in the afterlife. You know you came there but you forgot what the purpose of your coming there is.
You thoughts were cut off when a knock was heard from the big golden and white door of your room. "Enter." You simply said.
The door opened and you were met by a smiling servant. It was Nayeon. She has a tray of breakfast as she walk onto your bed.
"Eat up, princess!" She cheerfully said making you smile.
However, as you were eating, you can't help but ask Nayeon what happened. The servant gave you a sad smile and look. "Prince Mingi was furious on someone but he refuse to tell his friends. They think it was you but Mingi denied saying that there was somebody."
'Mingi? Furious?' You thought as you were eating your breakfast. You shook your head and handed Nayeon your tray of dirty dishes. "Thank for the meal." You said as the servant bowed then left your room.
You went to your bathroom and cleansed yourself. You went out with white cotton towel wrapped around you, and another one on your head. You went to the big closet and opened it. It was full of dresses. You sighed then picked up the normal one.
You wore it looked at the mirror. It was a light blue tule dress that reach upon your knees. On its top was tracing a golden tip and its off shoulder was painted with gold designs. You grabbed a light blue ballerina dollshoes and went outside of you room.
Strangely, the halls of the castle was empty. No shouting servants nor even footsteps of helpers. You stalled around until you came into the throne room.
There, you remembered Mingi's promise of taking the throne to protect you. However, you think, 'Was it really to protect me? or to reign over the kingdom?'
You shook your head from your thoughts and went outside of the palace where you were met by loud shouts and chaos.
"All hail our prince!"
"ALL HAIL OUR PRINCE!"
You looked around and saw Mingi standing at the middle. He looks up with a geniune grin as he look around the people supporting him.
"There you are!" Ypu heard someone say. You looked left and saw Wooyoung in his handsome self. He grinned at you and wrapped an arm along your shoulder.
"Your prince will be crowned as king later! Better watch out! You'll fall in love more." Wooyoung said as he playfully laughed with his dolphin sounds.
"Shut up." You playfully said and glared at him. He let go of you and straightened himself. Ypu were weirded out at his sudden action and looked at him. You faced front and was met with Mingi who looks at you blankly.
"I- uhm - congratulations." You nervously said. Mingi just stares back with nothingness filled from his eyes. He coldly ignored you and walked his own way. You were taken aback for what just happened. Normally he would grin at you, but now was a different Mingi. He seems distant and cold.
Hongjoong stopped by where Mingi once stood. "He wasn't like that before..." He said with concern visible on hsi face.
"Why is he ignoring you?" Yeosang asked you but you just shook your head.
You don't know what you did. Why is he angry? Why is he cold? Those questions were lingering your mind as you cry. Yunho who came near you hugged you in comfort of your sadness.
You kept asking yourself what you have done. But nothing. None came to your mind.
•••••
Mingi stood by the once blooming cherry blossom tree that was now left with its trunk and plain branches. He looked around and saw the single butterfly that has been flying there since the beggining of this world.
The silence was cut off by the footsteps heard from behind. He looked back and saw you standing in your beautiful dress, but with red eyes.
He wants to comfort you but guilt ate him when he ignored you. He can't think of anything he will do if he knew that you were her. He won't stand it if you were her.
"Mingi... what have I done..." You asked as you look at him with pained look.
Mingi wanted to tell you and cry. But he can't. The thought of you being her was still on his mind. The grudge he was holding onto her might be put into you.
"Nothing. Stay away." He coldly said before looking back at the plain tree before him.
"You messed up. High class." Mingi heard a voice beside him. It was the old man. Yes, the old man that grinned at you creepily when you were a kid. The old man that chased you. The old man that brought you to Mingi.
"Stay out of this." Mingi said. However, the old man did not even listen.
"How lonely for this butterfly to fly alone in this dull tree." The old man said as he was looking at the plain pink butterfly flying around. "Being lonely is the worst feeling. That's why people prefer to have friends. This place is called Utopia yet there's still loneliness lingering around."
"Shut up." Mingi muttered angrily at the old man. "I don't get what you're saying but please, shut up."
"See? You're affected. You were lonely as soon as you pushed the girl away. What makes you angry though? That human girl did not do anything to you. You did anything to her."
"What do you mean?" Mingi cocked his head at the side looking at the mysterious old man beside him.
"If you love her. You wouldn't hold your grudge for someone onto her."
Those words sinked on Mingi. There he realized, he really did you wrong. He hurted yoou when you have done nothing on him. His felt his heart stop in guilt and sadness as he teared up sadly feeling guilty.
"She's here. Waiting for you to call her name in a thousand year. But, never once you did."
Mingi knows who the man was talking about. This is the chance he recieved. The chance to reconcile. The chance to forgive. The chance to feel relieved once again.
"Eunji..." He muttered under his breath.
On that cue, the once butterfly turned herself into the beautiful maiden. She was smiling at him with sad eyes.
Mingi felt his world stop. He felt his heart beat once again. No. It wasn't the romantic feeling he has for you. It was the heartbeat of forgiveness. He felt all the grudge leave his body. The once heavy feeling that was pulling him down was now gone and ws replaced by satisfaction and forgiveness.
"This... is the end for us." Mingi's tears were visible as he smile sadly at the person before him. He was more than glad to see her once again. He's glad that he finally let go of their tie that was pulling him.
"This is really the end of us." The girl smiled sadly. Knowing that she still loves him, she has to let go of him. She needs to rest herself, and she will. She's grateful to face Mingi once again and thank him for forgiving her. She was freed from Mingi's anger.
Mingi watch as Eunji's body was slowly being taken by the wind. She smiled at him one last time before leaving him crying by the tree.
He was sad in leaving Eunji but he was glad that he let go. He is now free and not tied from the bricks of sadness and grudge that was tying him in this world where he reigns as king. He can be king once more.
Now, he's on his way, to make you his once more...