🌼a/n: Quick sharing, I just noticed that my writing style changed over time... 😅😂 THAT'S not what I wanted to share though... But this- I've recently started to listen to some playlists with the theme dark academia and there are a few playlists that remind me of VA. So I made my own playlist of all the dark academia playlists that would remind y'all of VA. If you want the link, I'll share it at the end of the chapter or maybe in Chapter 24 since I'm still adding more playlists to it... hehe. I hope y'all will enjoy this chapter!

Bora's POV

"You look tired," Jaehyuck spoke up as he walked inside the room.

I sat up on the chair and away from the desk. 

Then I looked at him and sighed. 

"I'm just worried since Keni and Soobin left without a notice," I explained with a small smile.

The 20-year-old guardian walked over to me and sat on the edge of the desk by my right side.

"Keni texted you. Did she tell you where she and Soobin ran off to?"

I nodded my head and answered, "They both went to Keni's place to ask Jisung for a favor. Then they asked me to find out where Professor Nam's office is at."

"Professor Nam?" Jaehyuck asked but a few seconds later before I could explain who she is, he stood up and looked at me with a horrified look. "That lady cannot be trusted."

"What are you talking about, sunbae?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Jaehyuck bit his bottom lip before answering me, "She was the one who almost got Keni killed with the Fear Simulator."

My eyes went wide as I remembered that day in the academy. 

My mother was called in by Doyoung who ran into her office, telling her that a professor from the Daegu branch had done something bad during the Guardians' Psychology Science Class. I remembered hearing from Kiera that Keni was one of the victims of the Fear Simulator. But I had no idea that she had almost died from it.

Then I stood up from my chair and spoke up, "Shouldn't we tell the others about this? Maybe Keni and Soobin might need our help if Professor Nam acts up."

But Jaehyuck shook his head, something in him was telling him not to do anything yet. 

"This has nothing to do with us. This is up to Keni and Soobin," he answered gently.

I furrowed my eyebrows and asked what he meant by that.

Then Jaehyuck softly mentioned a name and added, "She wants them to found out on their own."

Keni's POV

"Is the address correct?" Soobin asked as he parked the car on the side of the street.

I looked down at my phone to check the address that Bora sent 10 minutes ago and nodded my head. "Yeah, it's correct," I replied back before we both got out of the car.

Memories of Soobin and I passed through my mind as I tried to focus on Ruth's memory of the night Yeji was killed. 

But something was blocking me from seeing it clearly. 

I sighed in annoyance and wondered why I couldn't see it properly.

"Are you okay?" I looked at Soobin and saw how worried he look. 

I bit my bottom lip and shook my head. 

Then he pulled me into a hug and whispered, "Whatever you're thinking about. I want you to know that you can always share it with me. I'll always be here for you, Keni. Always."

"Sometimes I wonder why this is happening to me and other times I feel like I know the answer. I feel scared of knowing everything, Soobin. I'm also scared of what Professor Nam will do once we see her," I whispered slowly as I hugged him back and shut my eyes closed.

Soobin gently pushes me and I opened my eyes as I heard him tell me, "Once we get to see Professor Nam, we might be able to get the answers that we have been looking for, or maybe not. But whatever happens in her office, I will make sure that she won't harm you. We've got this, Keni."

I smiled at his words of comfort and took a deep breath in. 

"You ready?" Soobin asked to which I nodded my head as my answer.

Then we both walked to the entrance of the building.

3rd POV

"This is not mango flavored!" Maya exclaimed as Haruto and Dakyung ducked from the flying ice cream.

"M! Calm down, will you!" Dakyung replied as he signaled to Haruto to move to the right while he goes to the left.

"Ugh! Why are you even my Guardian in the first place?" Maya continued as she looked through the fridge for the mango-flavored ice cream. "Where is Keni when I need her?!"

Both Dakyung and Haruto then started their plan. They both moved to their positions and were about to leave the kitchen but Maya saw them and threw a spoon at Haruto and a bottle of pepper at Dakyung.

"OW! MAYA, WATCH IT!" Dakyung shouted as he rubbed the back of his head and picked the bottle of pepper from the floor.

"Noona, why can't you just eat the vanilla ice cream instead?" Haruto asked as he placed the spoon on top of the kitchen island.

Maya groaned in irritation and started to explain how her banana splits are not made like the normal banana splits. Dakyung who is used to Maya's long explanations decided to just get to work and by the time Maya finished, all of the ingredients for her banana split are found on the kitchen counter behind her. Haruto learned a few things here and there about Maya's recipe but was already falling asleep from listening to the older guardian. 

Once Dakyung brought Haruto to the living room where the younger vampire can sleep, he returned to the kitchen where Maya had already started to make her versions of the famous banana split.

"I can't believe he fell asleep!" Maya exclaimed as she grabbed the bottle of sprinkles.

Dakyung chuckled and helped in cutting the bananas. "He's still 16, M. That's the age when teens are always sleepy. You were like that once."

The 18-year-old guardian faced her vampire and was about to hit him with the sprinkles but decided not to since it would be a waste.

Then she spoke up with a teasing voice, "At least, I didn't fall asleep and landed falling into the swimming pool at the Oh's."

"Har har. Very funny." The vampire shook his head at his guardian before he moved on cutting the strawberries.

Then he smiled and asked, "Do you still remember the first time we made banana splits?"

"Mhm, how could I forget that?" Maya answered after laughing softly. "You were terrible at cooking dinner and eventually we had to eat the ice cream since it was the only thing left that was edible."

"But you wanted to have other ingredients in your ice cream," Dakyung added, remembering how he had to use his vampire speed just to go to the supermarket since it was already late at night.

"So you bought whatever you could with the money you had," Maya exclaimed as she placed some peanuts on top of the mango ice cream.

"We got bananas, peanuts, sprinkles, strawberries, Oreo cookies, and the leftover mango ice cream that your grandfather didn't like."

"How old were we at the time?"

"I think we were 13."

"Ah, the good old days."

"That was also the time when we got to meet Keni and Jisung, right?"

Maya nodded her head as she hummed a 'yes'. Then Jaehyuck added in, "Jisung has always been protective of Keni. Shouldn't it be the other way around though?"

"Well, I guess so. But remember Jisung just cares a lot for Keni. Those two have known each other since they were 3. Why do you think his parents decided to have Keni as his guardian?" Maya explained after placing the sliced bananas on the side of the mango.

"Wait, but wasn't Keni supposed to be Jikyung's guardian?" Dakyung asked, making Maya stopped with what she was doing and turned to look at him.

"Please, don't say that name in front of Keni."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Keni still thinks that Jikyung died because of her."

"Wait... Is that why she decided to re-investigate Yeji's death? To feel better?"

Maya sighed and shook her head. 

"Keni is Keni, Dakyung. I may be her closest friend from our group but I sometimes do not understand why she does what she does. Maybe by figuring out who killed Yeji will give her peace of mind for what had happened to Jikyung."

Keni's POV

"This should be her office right here," Soobin pointed out as he came to a stop.

I stared at the door and found a name tag on the left side. Professor Nam's full name was written on it and she took a deep breath in.

"So, how should we do it?" I asked the vampire beside me. "Should we barge in and tie her up? Or knock on the door and ask politely?"

Soobin softly chuckled. "Is coming up with small jokes your way of lessening the tension?" He asked as he knocked on the door.

"And is that how you make everyone nervous?" I whispered as we both heard the footsteps that may belong to Professor Nam. "I can't believe that you just knocked."

"At least you weren't the one who threw a fireball at her."

"Hmm...  Touche."

Then we both stopped talking when the door opened and saw Professor Nam standing with her arms crossed over her chest. "Took you two a week to get here," she spoke up, surprising me and Soobin.

"Wait- you were waiting for us?" I asked her as Soobin and I watched her walk over to her desk.

"Well, come on in," Professor Nam called out with an intense glare.

Soobin went in first and I followed after. The door closed behind us gently by itself and then the woman in her mid-30's spoke up again.

 "So, Ms. Lee, were you able to see who killed Yeji that day through Ruth's memory?"

The two teens looked at each other in shock and before looking back at the female professor.

Then Soobin asked, ignoring the question, "You... Did you know? This whole time? That Ruth was not the killer?"

"Wait... First of all, how did you even get Ruth's memory?" Keni added in with a raised eyebrow.

Professor Nam sighed and answered both questions with just one answer.

"I'm her therapist."

Soobin and I sat down on a couch opposite from where Professor Nam was sitting and listened to her story of how she got to meet the twins and their younger sister, Ruby.

"After the fire, the cousin of Ruth's mother had personally asked me to watch over the girls who were staying over at St. Luke's. I didn't ask why or suspected anything at first, but when I met Ruth and Rosie... I noticed how they both were traumatized after the fire accident and losing their parents."

I bit my bottom lip and glanced over at Soobin who was looking down at the teacup that he is holding, then Professor Nam continued on.

"I listened to their stories every day and Rosie was getting better but Ruth was-"

"Ruth was stuck in the past," Soobin said, cutting her off. "I remember how her eyes looked like when someone reminds her of that tragic night. It's like she's recalling the events."

"That's right..." Professor Nam exclaimed slowly as she looked at him. "Mr. Park, may I ask you... How did you meet Ruth and her younger sister, Ruby?"

Soobin looked a little taken back while I was in a small state of confusion.

"What do you mean, Professor Nam?" I asked but the older woman did not pay any attention to me.

The next thing that I know her eyes turned the same shade of color as Jisung's whenever he uses his mind ability on someone.

I felt a small splitting headache and looked back at Soobin who was glaring at Professor Nam while saying, "Get. Out. Of. My. Head."

I clenched both of my fists and stood up, getting in front of Professor Nam's view on Soobin.

"Enough," I protectively said as the two teacups and teapot on the coffee table started to rattle in its spot. "Get out of his head before I send you to the Spirit Realm."

Then Professor Nam's original eye color came back and the splitting headache subsided. She was now looking at me and smirked.

"So you figured it out?" She asked with a creepy, gleeful tone. "That you're not a full Guardian."

I slowly unclenched my fists and looked at her in confusion and fear.

"What are you talking about now?" 

"Oh... Keni, you really don't know who you are?"

"Stop beating around the bush!"

"You are not who you think you are. Your real family. Your real name. Your true being. You are not Lee Keni. That name never existed."

Is that why I've never found out who my real parents are... because that identity never existed?

"She's lying," Soobin cuts in as he stood beside me. "Just because you're an orphan with no background about who your parents are does not mean that you won't be able to find them."

Then he turned me around to face him. 

"You are still Lee Keni to me. You're my friend and soulmate. You have a family, too, and just because you don't know who you were before getting adopted by the Oh's does not make you anything less."

I looked at him and softly smiled.

"You're right," I whispered before looking back at Professor Nam. "Soobin's right. I don't need to know who my real parents are just to know who I am. But there is something I have to know..."

Then I added in, "Why did you place Ruth's memory in my head that day in class?"

Professor Nam let out a laugh that sent a chill up my spine.

"You said you don't want to know who your real parents are. So, I can't answer your question." 

I feel anger rise up inside my chest but it was not my emotion. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Soobin shaking and breathing heavily.

"Stop playing games or do you want another fireball to be thrown at you?" He exclaimed with every bit of anger in him. "I don't care if I end up in jail this time around but Keni deserves to know why you almost killed her!"

Professor Nam raised her right eyebrow at us and sighed, "Fine. Do you so badly want to know?" I quickly grabbed Soobin's hand and held it tightly as I was nervous and honestly... scared to finally know the truth.

Then the older woman continued, "Because Keni is Ruth's cousin. She's the long-lost daughter of the Kim Family and... Looks like I don't need to explain anymore. Mr. Park seems to already get it."

I looked away from her and at the tall boy beside me. "Soobin?" I called out softly, noticing the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "What's wrong?"

Then he shook his head and whispered, "You can't... You can't be..."

"Be what?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Bin... You're scaring me."

Soobin bit his bottom lip before looking back at me and slowly answered, "You're Yeji noona's missing sister."

I let go of his hand and took a step back. "I... No... That..." I looked back at Professor Nam to see her sipping her green tea and back at Soobin. "I don't understand how that's possible."

"Keni, it makes sense... How you have a gift and your connection to Yeji noona..."

"And how I was able to see Ruth's memories."

Then Professor Nam joined in with a sweet smile, "A person can only access someone's memory if he or she are connected with that person, like a Guardian, or if they share the same blood. You've always been... what should we call it? Ah, right, the missing puzzle piece of the bigger picture."

"What missing puzzle piece?" I asked with tears forming my eyes. "Why do you keep leaving me in cliffhangers!"

"Because you're the reason why Yeji died that night! You're the reason why Ruth is lost in the past inside her own mind! You're the reason why we are all here in the first place! If you were never born then we all would have been living better lives!"

Cold. That's what I felt right after Professor Nam had stopped shouting at me. I noticed that everything in the room had frozen in time. All except for Soobin and me.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a soft voice. 

"Did you do that?" I asked ignoring his question. 

"Keni-" 

"Don't call me that."

"It's not your fault."

I turned to face him, tears streaming down my cheeks, and said, "How is it not my fault? You heard her! Me being born is a mistake! My own existence killed  Yeji just like with Jikyung! It's happening all over again and it's all because of me-"

Soobin shuts me off by pulling me into a hug. His warm arms wrapped themselves around me tightly as I was no longer thinking straight.

"We don't know if what Professor Nam is saying is even true," he explains gently as he could but I could tell just how shocked he was. 

Then he added in, "...The only person who knows is Yeji."

The coldness disappeared and time continued on but we were already out in the hallway, leaving behind a confused Professor Nam and three teacups of cold green tea.

Once again, Soobin's right. Yeji is the only one who knows the truth. This time I'm not going to hold back anymore. 

Yeji, please, I hope that you'll help us this time...

And maybe tell me the truth of who I really am. Am I really your sister or not?

Because if I am then the Dark Prophecy must be true, too.

3rd POV

Somewhere in France, a woman in her late 30's woke up all of a sudden, surprising the ladies who were taking care of her these past 15 years.

"She's awake..." one said in a whisper.

"What should we do?" another asked with a panicked tone.

"Should we call for Lady Lane?" a third voice asked from all of the hushed voices in the room.

Then a voice that holds authority spoke up, "I'm already here. Is the traveler awake?"

A woman dressed in a long, beautiful white dress with golden laced designs on its hem and the middle area appears among the group of beautiful young women. 

One of the ladies who spoke up earlier answered Lady Lane who is the leader of the group.

"She is, my lady, but she is..." The woman trailed off as she shows Lady Lane the current situation of their guest. "She is just lying there on the bed with her eyes open."

Lady Lane walked across from the room and sat on the side of the bed. She started to chant a couple of words from an unknown language and the eyes of the traveler started to move. The traveler blinked and just like how someone is saved from drowning, the traveler shot up and was coughing out whatever was in her. Then she stopped and looked around her.

"Where am I?" She asked her once emotionless eyes now carrying a hint of fear but curiosity.

Then Lady Lane smiled at her gently and answered, "You are in the city of Metz. You've traveled a very long way... Guardian."

The woman looked at the beautiful lady and asked, "And you are? Who are you? How do you know what I am?"

"One question at a time, young one," Lady Lane exclaimed with another smile. "We have all day for questions and answers. But before that may we first know who you are?"

"I'm... I'm Min Kaeun. Guardian and wife to Kim Jihyeok."

Once again the group of women started to whisper amongst themselves until Lady Lane told them to be quiet.

"You're the mother of Elyse's reincarnation then?" Lady Lane asked with a hopeful tone.

Kaeun furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"Because... Your daughter now knows the truth."

"You mean... Keni... My babygirl?"

"Looks like we don't have a day if your daughter knows everything."

Then Lady Lane stood up and started to order the other women in the room using another language that Kaeun thought had died many years ago.

"You are witches," She spoke up, making Lady Lane face her.

"White Witches to be exact," Lady Lane corrected with a proud smile. "We were the ones who brought you back from the Bridge of Death. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have woken up."

"But that was... Wait, how long have I been asleep?" Kaeun asked as she got off the bed.

Lady Lane gave her a short painful look before answering, "For about 15 years."

Kaeun couldn't believe how long she was away... Aways from her daughters and duty as a Guardian.

"I have to go back," She exclaimed as she looked around for her belongings.

"I know," Lady Lane replied as her dress changed into modern-day clothes. "I and a couple of my companions will accompany you on your journey back."

Then Kaeun looked at her and smiled. "Thank you for healing me, and for everything else."

Lady Lane shook her head. "It's nothing, young one. If you didn't do what you did 15 years ago, then I would have lost my own family. So, in return, I am in debt to you."

Kaeun was surprised by the other woman's words but memories from that night 15 years ago appeared in her head. 

She remembered a little girl, who looked to be around the age of her eldest daughter, being chased by a couple of drunk men, and how she saved the girl but ended up bleeding to death. 

"You have a daughter, too?" Kaeun asked as she wondered how the little girl is doing now.

Lady Lane nodded and said, "Her name's Catherine, and next month she'll be turning 20."

"And I'm guessing she's a White Witch just like her mother?"

"A very powerful one. But still learning."

Kaeun sighed. "They grow up too fast."

"And that's why it's time for you to see your own."

🌼 a/n:

someone pls get me some tissues 😭😭😭 I'm internally crying back here-

3747 is the word count lmao. 😅

I'm terribly sorry for the long wait !!

I've decided to combine both chapter 23 and 24 so that I can avoid the hassle of the cliffhangers- 😅🤣

so how is everyone?

THAT WAS SOME BIG ASS PLOT TWIST BACK THERE 🤧 I need to know what y'all thought when reading through this chapter lolz... I'm currently feeling sad that PART TWO is now at its end, but happy, excited, and nervous for PART THREE cuz uwu the real bad guys will appear in that area and I just- Ima hold myself back from spoiling hehe.

AYT I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER AND HAVE A GOOD DAY/NIGHT !!

ps. I'm in a good mood right now cuz I just found out from my professors and guidance counselor that I passed my 2nd term in college 🥺🥺🥺💖 "like bruh Ima be a filmmaker one day and I'm just 😭😭😭 I still have a long way to go but still 😭😭😭-" yeah I'm all over the place at the moment lolz.

pps. also LADY LANE is a character from CHARMS & SORCERY- which is a spin-off to VLADIMIR'S ACADEMY. I'll have that book out once VA is at its last chapter. 😊💖

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