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Chapter 17

"How could you?" Hoshi spoke. He was looking at her in disappointment. He stepped back, "How could you do that?"

She looked at the ground. "I-I was sent here for a mission. . ." Her voice shakes, "I followed the plan without hesitations but. . .I fell inlove." Jaemhye looked at Hoshi who was looking at her too.

Hoshi started to tear up. "I regret everything I did, Hoshi. Except for one thing," She paused. "Is that when I loved you." Jaemhye wiped her tears away. "After they knew about it, they were angry. They felt betrayed. That one of the witches they had, betrayed them for love."

The prince looked at him. "W-What will they do to you?" He asks.

Jaemhye chuckled bitterly. "I don't know. That's why I'm doing my best now to help you." She said. "We don't know how powerful the witches are, even though I'm one of them. And worst, they might kill me."

"I'm not letting them do that." Hoshi spoke but Jaemhye shook her head.

"I betrayed you, my prince. I am not worthy of it." She said while a dark smoke was forming on her palms.

"W-What are you doing?"

"This won't hurt you." She said while tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I'm taking you to the ship. I'll handle the mess I made." She slowly pointed her palms into his direction until Hoshi disappeared.

In a blink of an eye, the prince was inside the ship, lying on the bed. "Jaemhye. . ." He whispered and felt pain on his waist. He forgot he was stabbed.

"Your highness!" A man spoke. "You're here!" His eyes went down to Hoshi's waist. "You're hurt. I'll call the doctors."

"No." He said that made the man stop.

"Your highness?"

"Where is Jaemhye? Where is she?" Hoshi held both of the man's arms.

"The servant?" He asked. Hoshi nodded in response. "I thought she was with you, Your highness? Didn't she took you here?"

Hoshi groaned while his fingers ran to his hair. "Bring her to me." He said and the man gave him a nod. He left Hoshi alone in the room.

Hoshi went out and ran back to the forest. He was shouting Jaemhye's name. He didn't care about being lost in the forest. The trees were all the same, the sky was dark and filled with smoke.

He stopped when he saw a woman wearing a black ripped dress. His eyes sensed it was Jaemhye.

"Jaemhye." He called that made the woman look at him.

"W-Why are y-you here?!" She yelled. Hoshi can see how she was hurting. She was holding her chest tight, while a dark smoke was surrounding her. "Run away, Hoshi. Don't look back at me. P-Please!"

"What's happening?" He took a step but Jaemhye shouted.

"Don't-" She stopped. She yelled in pain. Hoshi was panicking. He didn't know what to do.

"Jaemhye!" Hoshi ran to her but he was thrown away. He groaned in pain. He opened his eyes and saw Jaemhye who had a different aura.

"You killed my sister." She spoke and she sounded like a different person. Hoshi crawled back but the woman grabbed his shoulder, "A murderer like you must be punished." He held Hoshi's forehead using her index finger and Hoshi shouted in pain. "You imprisoned her, you used your crown to kill servants who disobeyed your orders!"

"I-I didn't-"

"Hush." She smirked. "You'll experience suffering. You'll experience being imprisoned for your whole life, just like what you did to her."

And in a snap, a dark smoke consumed the both of them, disappearing into thin air. The forest turned quiet. It was filled with silence and the only sound anyone can hear was leaves of the trees dancing.

The kingdom fell into the enemies' hands. The people suffered under the witches who seized the city. And Jaemhye was not remembered. She was forgotten.

But the prince who lead his kingdom was being searched for. His people was looking for him but in the end, he was abandoned. They gave up looking for him and die in the hands of the enemy.

-

The sun has risen. Another day has started and everything dark had ended. It was a beautiful morning to start with.

Hoshi found himself inside a narrow closet. He was confused why he can't open it. He can't remember why he was inside the closet.

Slowly, it opened. A woman was wearing her shocked face looking at the man who was peacefully sleeping inside.

Hoshi slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the woman in confusion. "Who are you?" He started as the woman shouted and ran away from her room.

A woman appeared on her sight. "Hoshi," She spoke and he looked at her. "Welcome to your world."

"And who are you?"

"Sheila," She smiled. "A goddess who guides the cursed ones through its journey." She said.

"Was the woman who shouted cursed?" Hoshi asked, pointing the door.

Sheila shook her head. "No. I was talking about you, Hoshi." She said. Hoshi froze in his spot. "Greet your first owner, Hyunjin."

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