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Tears rolled down Aera's cheeks as she cradled herself back and forth, her face hidden behind her legs which she had brought close to her body.

Moonlight illuminated the room as it entered through the closed transparent sliding door of the balcony.

"What did I do? Why doesn't the king believe me?" She whispered with pain as the salty taste of tears filled her mouth.

She was currently held captive in a small room which did not have much furniture except a small bed and a chair with a glass of water kept on a small stool nearby.

A soft sound of a knocking was heard as Aera looked up, towards the door. Wiping her tears away, she clenched on the white sheet of the bed as she called out with a trembling voice, "Who is it?"

A soft knock was once again heard as Aera turned around, realizing that the knock was not coming from outside the door.  A gasp left her lips as she saw Taehyung standing in the balcony, his hand gesturing her to open its door.

Stumbling out of the bed in a clumsy manner, Aera stood near the sliding door and gestured back, *I can't open it.*

She saw the prince shake his head as he then raised his right hand and to her surprise, created a blue light. He then made it pass through the transparent door as Aera immediately shifted away from it.

Looking ahead once again, Aera tried sliding the door open, and this time to her amazement, the door opened without any difficulty.

Taehyung carefully entered the small, dim lit room as he looked outside to ensure that no one had caught sight of him.

"I thought I heard dad say that the magic put on the room should be strong." He mumbled to himself as he then looked at Aera. 

His eyebrows came close as he walked towards Aera and bent down to her level. "You were crying?" He asked softly as he noticed the tears marks on her cheeks.

Looking away, Aera shook her head. "N-no, I wasn't." She replied, knowing how silly she might have sounded.

Giving a sigh, Taehyung raised his hand once again as the mug of water rose up in the air and flew straight to his hand.

Handing the mug to Aera, he made her sit down on the bed as he himself sat on the small stool. "Drink some water. It will make you feel better."

Holding the mug with her two hands, Aera brought it's rim near her lips as she drank its cool water. She kept it aside as then, with a smile she mumbled "Thank you."

Taehyung's eyes lit up in response as he took the mug and kept it on the ground.

"I am really sorry for my father's harsh behaviour." He mumbled with an apologetic tone in his voice as he looked down on the ground. "I was supposed to ensure that you would recover and would be taken care of but now I have just put you in a huge mess."

Aera looked at the prince who had guilt and sadness clearly written on his face. 

"Its ok." She whispered as Taehyung looked up and his eyes met hers. "Its not your fault anyways. I guess I should have been more careful and self explanatory."

A gentle breeze entered the room from the open sliding door, as the two looked at each other.

Taehyung looked away from Aera as he then fixed his gaze outside the balcony, at the stars shining above in the blue night sky. "Father has not always been like this. Before, he used to be really kind and warm hearted. He used to treat everyone, even strangers whom he might not have known, in a kind and gentle manner."

His voice lowered to which Aera had to come forward and strain her ears to be able to hear what he was saying. "It was after that event that had taken place many years ago, a time when I was just a two year old kid. Whatever might have happened that night seemed to have changed him, his former kind and gentle self turned to a much more strict and firm one. He started hiding his true emotions and personality with people, sometimes, including me and mom. It was as if he became a totally different man."

Aera carefully heard what the prince had to say, her mind processing each word while a small part of her, wondering what might have happened. 

It was as if Taehyung broke away from a trance as he closed his eyes and gave a sigh. Opening them once again, he turned to look at her with his sparkling blue eyes. 

"Aera," He whispered. "Who are you?"

Silence fell as Aera shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know..." She whispered back with a trembling voice. And she was not lying because she truly was confused about her identity. All she wished was to turn back time. To be back to those days when she used to have her grandma and friend by her side.

The time when they were alive, the time when she truly felt peace and happiness in her heart.

Worry took over the prince as he saw tears fill in Aera's eyes. 

He could not understand the feeling that took over him, but seeing her cry caused his heart to ache. So without a second thought, he gently held her hands and rubbed them softly in a comforting manner.

"Its ok, I understand. Sometimes, even I feel as if I don't know myself, even I feel lost." He said to which Aera looked at him with her teary eyes. 

"It was all my fault," She whispered. "It was because of me that grandma and Jimin died. It just wanted me, but grandma and Jimin sacrificed their life just to protect me from it."

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows as he heard the words said by Aera. Who wanted her? And why did it attack her?

"Who was it?" He asked as Aera shook her head. 

"I don't know...it was some black creature with its head covered with a veil. It looked very unearthly and now that I have seen the existence of magic, I think it belonged from your world."

The prince's eyes widened with shock, "Black creature?" He muttered as realization hit him of the possibility of it being a ghoul. 

"But what was a ghoul doing in the muggle's realm?" He thought with confusion as he discovered another information about Aera, that in the past she used to live in the muggle realm before entering the magical one.

Looking at Aera with confusion and with numerous questions forming in his mind, Taehyung could not help but give a distressed look. "How did you do that?"

"What?" Asked Aera.

"The thing you did in the throne room. That golden aura."

Uncertainty filled Aera's heart as she remembered the golden glow that surrounded her grandmother when she had used magic to protect her (Aera) and Jimin. 

"Who am I?"

After minutes passed by without his question getting an answer, Taehyung gave a small sigh as he looked away. "Its ok if you don't want to tell me. But Aera, if you do have any problem troubling you or you discover more about your magic then tell me. We will figure it out, together."

"Together?" She whispered, unsure that this word would truly be worked on.

"Yes, together." He replied with a smile as he finally let go of her hands and got up. "I promise that I will find a way to get you out of this mess. And though I know that we are not close and neither do we know each other, but still, you can take me as a friend of yours who will always be there to protect you and help you."

A soft smile made its way on Aera's face as she gave a nod. Getting up, she bowed with gratitude. "Thank you prince."

"Taehyung, call me Taehyung." He said to which Aera's smile brightened as she gave a nod. "Thank you Taehyung."

With a smile on his face and his heart beating away like crazy, a foreign yet exhilarating feeling made its way in his heart. 

The prince entered the balcony and stood on its railing. Turning his head to his side, he gave a slight smile and bid a goodbye as he then effortlessly jumped down and landed on the ground. Looking around with observant eyes, the prince snapped his fingers and with a blue illuminating light, teleported back to his room.

///

In the endless darkness of the night sky that stretched miles and miles far, a ghoul floated near the balcony of the room in which Aera now had fallen asleep.

"Sleep well..." It whispered as the magical spell that guarded her room, started flashing red. Floating away from the magical layer, a chuckle escaped its lips as it turned around and flew away.

New cover by @CunningKim

Beautiful! Isn't it?