Chapter 37

"Okay. I Akira promised to help my friend Chaengie-"

Their moment was interrupted by the man whom Chaeyoung recognized as Mina's father. She hates the man for taking away her unnie and making her sad.

"Hey Akira go back inside we'll be going in an hour." He said softly. At first glance, you would really see some similar features of Mina on him.

"Yes prof." Akira waved at her before leaving her side and enter the house. Now it was only her and the man.

"Chaeyoung right?" He asked. Chaeyoung didn't answer and just huffs in annoyance before standing and decided to leave the man alone to go to her unnie.

"Wait-" He stopped her by holding her wrist.

"What?" She asked, clearly not please with him.

"Do you really want Mina to stay?" He asked but his face doesn't show any emotions. In the end, Chaeyoung nodded.

"Then are you willing to come? After this you can be with her." He smiled, but with those malicious ones.

"I am but don't you dare trick me ahjussi." She stared at him deeply. For her it might be to intimidate him but for the grown ups it looked like the kid was trying to act though. The man chuckled and nodded to her. He lead the two of them inside the house but they entered his room. In the room is another secret room. Chaeyoung was amazed on that, she was still a kid at the time and easily to be fascinated.

"Well now shall we start?"

...

"nee-sama are you okay?" Akira sat beside the older woman. Mina is like her sister, when Akira was adopted when she was eight, it was Mina who and the professor who accepted her like a family. That was before she knew that the professor is planning something for them.

"I will be. Did Chaeyoung go home?" She smiled but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Ani professor came and told me to go back inside." By what Akira said, Mina froze. The reason why they are going to move was because she discovered her father's agenda. He even said that he was gathering children to be part of his experiment. Mina was the one who insisted to move in fear that Chaeyoung might be caught up from their situation.

"Where are they?!" She asked in hurry.

"W-why are-"

"Aki tell me hurry!" She shook her sister. Akira was confused but she pointed at the window.

"The shore" She answered. Mina rushed to get out of the house but that's when she heard a loud scream. It was Chaeyoung's. The voice is coming from...

"You bastard." She cursed and ran to his father's secret room. There on the corner is a crying girl. She rushed to her side and immediately check on her. Chaeyoung was trembling, she was having cold sweats and her eyes.. it was flickering blue.  Akira who followed her sister saw what happened too.

"Chae!" She rushed to her friend's side. Chaeyoung seems out of it. Her body temperature is dropping every second. The man injected the mutation of cells directly on her neck. It was starting to affect her brain. Not everyone can survive the change.

"I told you not to touch her!" Mina turned to her father who silently watched the scene.

"Mina she said she wanted to be with-"

"Stop saying excuses!" She cut him off. Her eyes is starting to glow in blue. Her father smirked seeing her anger.

"What? gonna kill your father now?" He crossed his arms.

"Turn her back to normal." Mina gritted her teeth. As much as she wanted to beheaded the man in front of her, she can't do it. He is still her father.

"You know that's impossible."

"Then why the hell did you do that?!" She snapped. The air around her screams terror. Akira who was behind her hugged Chaeyoung tighter.

"She wanted to come-"

"I said stop with your excuses!!!" A wave of air hits one of the apparatus causing for it to break. Instead of getting scared, the man widen his smile.

"That was new." He smiled in amazement. Mina snorts to the man in front of her. She already knew that her father is mad but at this degree... she can't believe it.

"You-!"

"I will return her back to normal but you have to take this." The man throws to her a syringe. Mina catched it with ease. She looked at him in confusion.

"I will tell you how to get her back to normal if you'll take all of that." He smiled. Mina doesn't know if he was telling the truth. Her father is mad.

"You said there is no cure." She eyed him carefully, weighing if he is lying or not.

"Well I know one way to do that."

"I'll kill you if you deceive me." She threatens and her father shrugged. Mina looked back at the two girls behind her. Chaeyoung is still in daze and can't seems to know what is happening. Her eyes is going black and blue back and fort.

"nee-sama don't..." Akira looked at her in worry. Mina softly smiled to her little sister.

"It's okay Aki. Everything will be okay. I will protect you two." She smiled and took the syringe. She injected the blue chemical in her body. Suddenly, a rush of pain shot up on her body. Mina drops to the floor while screaming in pain.

"nee-sama!" Akira went to her and gently let Chaeyoung lean on the wall. She is struggling for her life too. While the girl is down, Mina's father took out a gun.

"Good kid stay still okay?" He smiled madly. Akira was scared but she don't want to leave them. He pointed the gun to Chaeyoung.

"I am a man of my words. This is the way to get her out of misery."

"Father don't!"

The professor fired the gun but it wasn't Chaeyoung who got hit. Akira shielded her friend and was the one who received the bullet. The man grunted in annoyance, and shot two more to the child. Mina who watched what happened seems to lost it. She can't move. It was like she was dipped on a freezing water.

"NO!"

An overwhelming amount of killing intent came out from her. The man dropped to the ground instantly. The glasses and everything that is not made of metal or cement got destroyed. Some chemicals with flammability caused a break of fire in the house. Mina was stunned. She can finally move but her sister is in bad shape. She approached the two of them.

"Aki.." She called. The girl is barely alive and coughing in blood.

"nee I'm sorry." The child cried.

"Why are you sorry?" Mina can't still process what is going to happen. Her eyes is blank and cold, like how the sea is when it's winter.

"I made a promise with Chae- can't do it." She cried. She is coughing with blood again.

"Who says I will let you die?" Mina took out the syringe. There is still some in it. "I'm sorry sister have to do this. I can't let you die." Mina smiled sadly. Akira returns the smile.

"It's okay." She said with a hoarse voice. Mina nodded and slowly injected the remaining chemicals to her sister. Akira gasped from the side effect.

"Bare with it. I have to take care of Chaeyoung can you wait?" she asked softly.

Akira raised her thumb to say she's okay. Mina smiled and turned to the silent woman. She has her eyes opened but she looks like a person who has her time stopped.

"Chae." She called. Seeing the girl in front of her, the emotions was late to hit her heart. She holds the girl's face to directly see her. Chaeyoung's flickering orbs stared at her own blue ones.

"Why did you do this?" Mina asked her with sorrow. Chaeyoung seems to understand her and her eyes started to cry itself.

"I don't want to be separated to you."  She wanted to say, but her control to her body seems to locked away.

"I'm sorry if I have to leave you." Mina started to cry. Chaeyoung still has her eyes crying with tears. There's no emotions to it but she was crying inside. She knew what happened but she can't say anything.

"No I don't want you to leave unnie."  She said in her consciousness. Mina took the necklace of the girl. It has a ring pendant. Since the ring won't fit itself on the new owner, Mina decided to make it a necklace and said when the time comes that it'll fit enough she can wear it on.

" Chaeyoung, I am happy that I met my little princess charming." She took the ring out and slowly slipped it on the pinky finger of the girl. It still wont fit but she decided to put it on the girl because she knew there might be no chance to do that anymore.

"Don't leave please."

"But I have to go." She sniffs and tried to brush the tears away in her own eyes.

"Don't cry... I'm sorry it's my fault. Chaeyoung was wrong unnie I'm sorry."

"You will forget that this ever happened." Mina's eyes glows in blue. She stared directly on Chaeyoung's flickering one. For the last time, she smiled genuinely.

"Goodbye Chaeyoung."

...

"Because she protected us! If she wasn't here do you think you will see the two of us still alive?"

Chaeyoung snapped her eyes open, but it wasn't the normal color anymore. She has her eyes in intense blue. Jeongyeon and Nayeon who is beside her was beyond shocked. She sat up as if she didn't collapsed at all. The puzzle is starting to complete itself. The song, the headache and the forgotten memory of her parting with Mina.

"Maldo andwae. Why is her eyes in.." Nayeon trailed. Akira was also surprised for a brief moment.

"Aki." Chaeyoung called. Akira was confused why the girl was suddenly calling for her.

"I remember everything." Chaeyoung blinked. The new regained memory makes her head light.

"What are you talking about?" Akira frowned and squatted in front of her.

"You- you are the Akira that was living with Mina." She explained.

"Ha? Why would I live with Mina? Are you high?" Akira does not know what she was talking about. Chaeyoung understood, she can't remember too. It seems like Mina erased her memories. Mina erased her memories of Akira too. She has a good guess why.

"Before that, Chae why is your eyes in blue?" Nayeon asked her in all seriousness. Chaeyoung frowned.

"It is?" She asked. All three of them nodded. Chaeyoung blinked. She suddenly felt awareness around her. A very ominous feeling on the far end. She looked where the dense air is coming.

"M-Mina and Mina?" She asked in confusion. Why the hell are there two of them?!

"Well the other one seems younger." Akira commented.

"She looks like the Mina before."

Akira turned to her and frown.

"You know the Mina before?" she asked. Chaeyoung nodded.

"How? I don't remember you being in the cage." Akira suspected.

"Because I am not."

"Then why-"

"Hold up!" Jeong stopped the two of them. She can't understand anything.

"What the fuck is going on?! Chae you know about this?" Jeong looked at her in despair. Chaeyoung just realized that the person who don't have any idea at the moment is her cousin. She can't even imagine how confused she is at the moment.

"I- I didn't exactly know but I know about Mina." She answered carefully. Jeong opened her mouth but then closed it again. She don't know what to say anymore.

"Let's not talk about this here please. We need to get you to safety." Nayeon changed the topic and ushered them to leave. Jeong silently followed her. Mad? yes she is who wouldn't?

"You go I'll help the witch." Akira pointed towards Mina's direction. Her arm is now completely healed but her eyes is still in glowing red.

"Then I will stay too." Chaeyoung insisted.

"No!" Akira and Nayeon said in union.

"Why?"

"Did collapsing made you stupid or what?" Akira deadpan. Chaeyoung chuckled hearing her friend. Now that I finally remember, seeing her friend after so many years made Chaeyoung happy and sad at the same time. Akira came to their life three months before that event happened. She was the reason why the girl almost died and the reason why their parting is so fucked up like that. She didn't even say a proper goodbye.

Even with forgotten memories the two of them protected me. How useless of you Son Chaeyoung. She mocked to herself. Faith brings the three of them back together with only Chaeyoung who can remember. Is this my punishment?

"Ani I just remembered I have to do something for you two."

...

Author's Note:

Don't worry I won't be killing anyone yet hahahaha it's a slight angst. Just a little bit :)