• A U T H O R ' S  P. O. V •

"Seulgi-unnie? Your brother said you looked for us?" Nayeon asked the girl as soon as she and the rest entered the main hall but she only received silence. Seulgi currently had her back turned against them so they didn't know what was causing her to delay her response. Three pairs of eyes were fixated on her, while the rest had theirs roaming around the interior of the palace as it was the first time they saw it.

Seulgi's lips pursed into a thin line before facing them and answering, "The queen suggested that I take you girls on a tour, how does that sound? Ever since the princesses arrived here months ago, it seemed that I suddenly became a tour guide of some sort." The girl laughed, showing her eyesmile as the other girls squealed in delight, also making them forget about the weird incident earlier. As soon as they digested the information that was given to them a few minutes prior, their skepticism and fear was pushed aside and was replaced by the excitement of exploring things that are very much new to them.

Sure there was still fear there, but they decided to worry about that later on as they were informed that as much as possible, the nine of them will be hidden from everybody's knowledge, and most especially from their father.

"Really? But how about that training unnie mentioned earlier? Shouldn't we at least learn to defend ourselves a little?" Dahyun asked with furrowed brows once they settled down and controlled their excitement.

"You guys always lag behind P.E. you should know that by now." Chaeyoung deadpanned.

That silenced the guilty looking girls, who all had sheepish smiles plastered onto their faces.

Seulgi shook her head in amusement and clapped her hands, gathering all their attention "So, shall we?"

The rest nodded eagerly in excitement before following the girl in suit in exiting the premises.

Meanwhile, as they left the palace grounds, Yeri just happened to pass by as they did. With curiosity getting the best of her and knitted brows, she asked herself, "Where are they going?"

She knew that she should be heading back to the academy already, but she couldn't pass out on the opportunity of following her unnie and the daughters of the dark. Between the five of them, it was mostly Seulgi and Irene who were entrusted with solo expeditions and missions.

Yeri bit her lip as she considered the situation.

After a few seconds of contemplation, she shook her head and turned around, deciding to be decent for once this day, but as she took the first step she immediately halted. Yeri mentally cursed her own stubbornness because she thinks that that certain mentality was stronger at influencing her today.

She sighed, but smirked a few seconds later as she quietly and stealthily started to follow the group ahead, making sure that nobody will notice her.

The young dorthorian can already hear Irene's unending naggings in her head, but she'll think about how to get away with that later.

° ° °

"Unnie? Why is it dark so suddenly?" Momo asked out loudly, but Seulgi remained weirdly unfazed.

Chaeyoung internally agreed with what Momo just said, she didn't know what it is, but as they walked further inside the forest the more she felt something brewing inside of her.

Fear? With a hint of familiarity? As unusual as that may sound.

They realized that the more they walked, the more they started to get this creepy and uncomfortable feeling settling inside their guts. It was really unusual how it was already nighttime before they even knew it. They knew that it was supposed to take a few more hours before the sun settles, but it felt like it only had been minutes.

Despite their numerous questions and speculations, they all shrugged that thought off as they figured that it was practically a land filled with magic and stuff, so they should really start to expect the unexpected.

Because truly, they were really about to encounter something really unexpected soon, and by soon maybe as in a few sentences or so. They're not supposed to know that yet though.

"Seulgi-unnie?"

After voicing out their numerous calls of attention, they still garnered no reaction from the aforementioned girl whatsoever.

Or at least not until now, because then, Seulgi stopped and turned around to face them with a rather serious look on her face. A look which baffled them as they were used to seeing her just all smiles, and not like, well this.

Her eyes were different, it didn't emit the usual warmth they always did, and they didn't contain its happy and optimistic glint either. Now, it was just cold. Cold to the point that it even sent unexpected shivers down their spines.

They all halted once Seulgi faced them, the naughty smirk on her face was only adding to the reasons why they should be nervous right now.

The nine girls inched closer to each other unconsciously as it was already normal for them to do so when they were stared at by peculiar situations like this. It was practically their instincts as sisters taking over. At any other time they wouldn't have been afraid as it was just their Seulgi-unnie after all. The sweet and kind unnie that they came to know back at the other world.

But now, something told them that this wasn't right even in the slightest bit.

They watched the older girl with mono eyes in silent confusion as she glanced at something behind them.

They all looked at each other in question, but before they had the chance to glance at what the woman was staring at, their whole body suddenly froze.

And it was definitely not their doing.

"If you want everything to end well just listen to what I say." Seulgi's words came out cold, and that was the last straw because the one they knew definitely wouldn't talk to them like this.

They tried and tried, again and again to move their own bodies but it really just won't cooperate.

Seulgi huffed lightly as her words fell unto deaf ears. She figured that they weren't listening to a word she said so she had no choice but to glance at her companion from behind the girls again.

The nine stopped trying as they observed that their surroundings suddenly became foggy and hazy, but it took them a second later too late for them to realize that it must be the reason why everything around them started to spin.

"W-What is. . .unnie. . ." Dahyun slurred as her eyelids drooped low.

With dizzy and light heads, one by one the daughters of the dark fell to the ground into an unconscious state.

Seulgi sighed, before looking at the cloaked figure standing a few feet away from her, "Nice job, Byul. Now, let's take them, we can't waste any more time."

° ° °

Yeri covered her lips and widened her eyes as she gasped in shock, upon witnessesing the surprising scene that just unfolded before her. Slowly but surely, she saw the unconscious bodies starting to float in mid-air, which Yeri figured she had to give the courtesy to the cloaked figure.

When her Seulgi-unnie and her accomplice glanced around, Yeri ducked further under the big rock that was hiding her entire frame the whole time. When she confirmed that it was clear and that they already had a head start, she quietly started to follow them again.

Her mind was in total chaos.

Was that really Seulgi-unnie? Our Seulgi?

It can't be.

The girl she just saw, was a completely different person from the Seulgi who stays up at night just to make sure that they were all sleeping soundly already, the one who gives them her food even though she's still hungry and will shrug it off with an eye smile, the one who would embarass herself just to make them laugh. The Seulgi one who's willing to sacrifice herself just for their sake.

But that person just now, was cold and emotionless, with unpredictable intents hidden behind her mischievous eyes.

And to make things even more worse, it wasn't the only problem she was about to face. As she continues to walk, she scolded herself for not realizing that certain fact earlier.

The fact that the grounds they were currently standing in, were leading to the kingdom of the dark realm.

° ° °

Please don't attack me or Seulgi :) it's just fictional and I have nothing against RV's main dancer, in fact she's even my bias which I love so much, prolly my second ultimate bias in ggs.

But here's another update for you guys because we're nearing 200K reads, 7K votes, and 500 followers! I've said this many times already, but you guys are the best!

Anyways, as always excuse the errors, vote, comment, and never forget to keep safe guys! Health always come first especially at a time like this.

Luv y'all

Author-nim outtt