The Lost Blood | P.J

✧ Act IV

How pitiful for a young lady like me will reach its end so early and couldn't get a chance to be free of forced labor from my abusive foster mother, to grow up, find love and have my own family. If only I could shed my tears but only to be mixed with the cold water. With the rope wrapped tightly around my waist and wrists, there was nothing for me to do but to gently close my eyes and let my consciousness slip away inviting the death to come. However, my mourning ceased when a glowing orb-like making its way towards to the rope around my waist. I narrowed my eyes in bewilderment; the orb was actually the winged-glassed butterfly from before.

Wait, how can a butterfly swim under the water? But then, the rope around my waist severed itself miraculously. I looked back noticing a few more glowing orbs heading to my wrists behind my back severing it too. Finally freed myself, the glowing orbs swam away leaving me behind, yet, my hand promptly reached them in pursuit. I propelled my legs to move forward as I eventually crossed the lake. Without warning, the glowing orbs suddenly vanished from my sight. That's when I felt like my lungs are going to explode in need of oxygen. I instinctively swam upwards and went to the nearest land beside the lake.

I noticed a hand appeared in front of me. Looking up, the owner of the hand is none other than the orange witch boy helping me to get off the lake with a smug smile on his face. I heaved a sigh knowing the fact that after all those boasting and putting my pride on the line; he really did get my favor to help him retrieve the ring in the end. I placed my hand on his when a loud shriek was heard coming from the other side of the lake.

"My God she's a witch!" A woman villager exclaimed in horror, alarming the others as they turn their attention to us with sequence of gasps and appalled faces.

"It can't be!" A man from my village said. No wonder they're terrified is because I'm well and breathing with the same oxygen as them.

"She has an accomplice. Kill them now!" One of the knights commanded causing them in action. They quickly steered in group of boats leading them to the other side of the lake as they carry with various weapons from swords to bows.

Jimin immediately pulled me from the lake as we ran swiftly into the forest. The knights surprisingly caught up fast behind us when an arrow shot past beside me.

"Can't you just teleport us away from here?" I asked with a hint of panic and annoyance.

"Where's the fun if we escape now?" He replied with a chuckle, seemingly enjoying our current predicament.

"Are you crazy?" I yelled in frustration. With a sigh of defeat, he grabbed my wrist in impulse and pulled me to his chest. My body stiffen for a moment because of his sudden action and noticed an intoxicating smell from him. Blueberry?

"Enjoying my presence miss?" My thoughts were interrupted by his voice and noticed how close we are. Our eyes met for a while, but then, I abruptly broke apart from him and felt my cheeks burning while he laughed at my reaction. Feeling annoyed and humiliated, I crossed my arms and purposely stomped his right foot with much force without even a slight of remorse. He ceased from laughing; replacing a groan of pain and curses instead. I scrutinized our surroundings where only sleeping trees can be seen, no bloodthirsty knights chasing us anymore but a deafening of silence enveloped around us. The sun was already hiding behind the mountains as the stars starting to appear in the endless denim blue across the celestial dome.

"We need to stop and rest here for the night." He said catching my attention to him.

"What about them?"

"It's alright they're too far away from us and already giving up of us with their stressful faces." He replied in assurance which I completely understood that he did teleported us.

"How did you know?" I turned around facing him while embracing myself from the cold wind.

"Butterflies." Jimin answered flatly.

I quirked my eyebrows in confusion and repeated, "Butterflies?"

"You wait here I'll gather some woods to make fire." I nodded as he vanished from my sight. Moments have passed; he went back and made a fire from the collected woods he gathered in the center between us. I leaned my back to a log behind me while Jimin took a seat on it across from me instead.

"So tell me, what do you mean of butterflies?" I asked again thinking back to the time when some glowing orbs helped me escaped under the water and could be the ones he mentioned.

"These little creatures with glass wings," He shifted his eyes from the fire to me. "They're like my eyes I can see through and control them anywhere I want. That's why I can make them swim under the water if I have to." He explained giving me a sly smile.

I lowered my head and began to feel depressed as I rubbed my temples in frustration. "What should I do, everyone in the village and even the authorities falsely knows that I'm a witch and they will do anything to hunt and kill me. I'm innocent!"

Jimin shrugged and shook his head. "That won't happen if you didn't steal the ring in the first place."

With no energy left to protest, I let him slip past just this once and only narrowed my eyes to him. "So what's with the ring anyway?"

"It's a powerful and special kind of ring. It can destroy or grants anything." He said impassively yet with a grim expression.

"Sorry for selling that ring. I didn't know it's not an ordinary ring as you said." I may be stubborn at times but I sincerely feel sorry for what I did when I realized it could destroy everything around me and even the lives of people would be endangered because of me.

"Well, it has already happened and we can't do anything about it," He looked up to the void skies and inhaled deeply. "I bet someone with immense power bought that ring."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Might be another witch too but, whoever that might be seems like our against with will not be that easy. Anyways, whatever may happen the ring must be returned to its true owner," I noticed his clasped hands tighten and endearing determination on his eyes, which I ask myself, is this really a typical witch I know?

"So Lisa, tell me about you." Breaking my preoccupied mind, his expression changed suddenly to being cheery and seeing that infamous eye-smile of his. Moreover, lifting the heavy atmosphere around us so fast gave me quite a shock.

"Don't switch the topic!" I exclaimed having enough of him.

"If you tell me, I will answer anything you ask." Jimin made a triumph smirk, intentionally playing with me. Well, there's no harm in telling him anyways so I agreed.

"Okay as you can see I'm adopted. My foster mother said that my real mother gave me to her when I was a baby. I don't know why but she did. As I grew up, my foster mother made me work already by doing errands like going to some shops that needed help just to earn gold for her," I paused and averted my eyes to the firewood. "By that time, I thought earning gold was so slow by doing simple jobs so I learned to steal and I'm very skillful at it that's why no one caught me in action yet." I smiled proudly as I raised my fist.

"Don't you feel lonely sometimes?" He questioned, tilting his head a bit.

"Not really, I have a childhood friend, her name's Hyeri and I think she liked you when you were at the tavern. She also works there like me." Just the thought of her made me smile and at ease somehow. How I miss her already and the scolding I get whenever I steal something, but what will be her reaction when the news of me a witch reached her? Will she hate me?

"Really? How come you didn't like me too?" Jimin asked trying to look innocent.

I coughed hardly and the burning of my cheeks has returned again. "Why would I?"

He didn't respond but only showed me his mischievous grin. I composed myself and cleared my throat. "So, I told you everything about me and you're going to answer my questions," Jimin complied in a nod.

"Who is the true owner of the ring then and what kind of witch are you?"

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