Third Person POV

Ping swallows at the spoken name when she tries to remember the last time she's heard this name before today. "A-are you from BTS?" She blurts out the unclear memory once it pops out in her mind, earning the elf's bigger eyes in mild surprise.

But the expression is then covered by a mischievous smirk. "What makes you think so, Pinky?" The newly created pet name eventually sends goosebumps all over her body.

"Don't call me that," she demands monotonously. Her poker face tells everything. But it stays unnoticed because Jimin is busy munching and chewing on the sweet plum rested in his grasp.

"Then what should I call you?" The name which she has heard in the bad dream sings in her mind. Elaria. "I'm waiting, you know." His reminder shuts down her stream of thoughts and eventually draws her attention back to the reality.

Her eyes roll in annoyance and frustration. "Whatever, there's nothing other than Ping or Pinky that I can think of anymore..." Ping trails off gloomily when she finishes the last bit of the fruit, lying with her memory on nicknames. The fruit is incredibly tasty that she has forgotten how many of them are eaten by her. The last plum rests silently in the basket. But in order to grab it, both of their hands are touched.

As a result, her muscle reflexes and she pulls her hand away, looking at the floor when the elf sends her a doubtful look. After getting the idea of what she feels a while ago, he chuckles lightly before handing the sweet fruit to her. "Here, just have it."

Ping stares at the little fruit held in Jimin's palm and couldn't stop examining how big it is when her hands embrace it. Furthermore, she can't even believe that she has taken so many of them throughout the talk. "Kamsa hamnida (Thank you)," she thanks, trying to use the elf's mother language.

The fruits give her so much energy that she can feel her body regaining strength. Moving with a groan, her hands prop to the ground to support her while standing up. Her wounds are no longer painful and this leads out her satisfied smile. But unlike how lively she looks right now, the elf's answer is cold as a stone. "Don't mention it."

Nevertheless, this girl tends to tolerate everything. Even her ex-murderer. She shrugs the awkward feeling off before wandering out of the shell. The greenness of the jungle shines brightly towards her eyes as if the place is made of diamonds or crystals, attracting her to explore more.

Firstly, she pokes her finger at a balloon-sized, white fluffy ball. And tonnes of big dandelions scatter around with mere squeaks mixed with the feeling of fright. "Dandles," says Jimin when he stands a few metres away from Ping, watching the Dandles flee. "These little pixies would cry like babies if you scare them."

"Oh," she responds, reaching out to touch a straying pixie with her knuckles. Due to the sudden sensation, the pixie sprints away with a high-pitched shriek before it disappears completely with its kind. "They are indeed timid."

"Yeah," Jimin breaths with his arms crossed, his curly black hair wavers with the gentle wind, his bangs covering half of his face when his muscles relax. "Some of the Faeries will eat them, so they are quite sensitive to touch."

"Very," she highlights with mild disagreement. But soon, the idea of being not on top of the food chain begins to make her wonder, to make her thinking non-stop about her position in the food chain if she is an efret. If she finds her own Faerie ability and becomes stronger, she will survive both in the human realm and the FaeWorld. Her father's claim rings in her head making her heart drop for a little while. "I need to go back."

"Your wounds are healing like a human, no," Jimin denies as he grabs hold on her bandaged forearm. A shock of pain signals her brain until she hisses. So does Jimin. He groans when trying to bear the stinging sensation by his neck. "And if you're hurt," he points at the shimmering red cross on his neck and says, "Jeodo geuraetda (so do I)." His expression dark and grim and serious.

"My sister is still at home, she has no one but me now, I can't leave her alone," Ping insists before prying Jimin's hand away and proceeds on walking towards the direction which leads her to nowhere. "Lead me out of this forest, please, elf."

The elf takes a deep breath in annoyance as he narrows his eyes at her. He takes a look at the brightening sky and then at the girl. Her face shows persistence and determination. "Your essence leaks because of your injuries, I suggest you stay here first or the other Faeries will find you." His explanation earns her frown.

Ping knows there is a way to cover her essence. To wipe her tracks away. But she's too afraid to ask. Deep in her heart, there is still some part of her denying the fact that she's been saved by this particular elf. "But they will come to you because of my smell."

Ironically, she begins to worry about the safety of her own enemy. What is she thinking, Ping shouts in her mind.

"If you are not confident about this, why don't you follow me back home? I might attract some of your preys." Ping regrets everything she says when she sees the elf braces his chin, digesting her suggestion. A lump forms in her throat when she finds it difficult to swallow. That's the worst idea I've ever thought of. She thinks sadly, knowing there's no going back.

"That's a pretty good idea," Jimin mutters before he casts Ping a sideways look, the smirk on his face eventually rises the bad feeling in her like black smoke. "Since the day is still bright, there might be less Faerie roaming around for prey but for fruits. Kapsida (Let's go)."

In short, the Faeries eat fruits in daytime, while they consume essence from humans or their own kinds during the night time. Evil, thinks Ping.

***

Ping

Hopping with excitement about free food, this elf has already stood in front of me. "Ka ja (Let's go)," he waves before walking towards an old tree. The tree trunk is formed by twisted wood elements until it rises sky high, forming a large umbrella-shaped leaves formed on criss-crossing twigs and branches.

"This is amazing," I comment in bewilderment when failing to close my mouth.

"There is more," Jimin states with his eyebrows wiggling. Then, he faces the tree and begins to clap his hands twice. As a result, the twisting trunk begins to unfold and form an oval-shaped entrance.

The image of my house is printed on it. "That's a cool portal." I clap my hand in amazement.

"This tree is one of Jin-hyung's portal to FaeWorld," Jimin introduces proudly. "God bless that warlock, he can go anywhere with his portals built everywhere." As there's no enough time for me to fidget through my memory for this Jin person, I carry on following behind this elf while his body partially disappears through the large gap.

Once we have passed through the portal, the gap is then twisted and the portal shuts, forming a normal looking old tree again. The only difference is that the tree in front of my house is a lot, smaller.

"We're here." Turning back to face the elf, I obey his urge as he begins to usher me back home. The fact that this tree standing silently in front of my own house appears to be the exit of danger is a little bit overwhelming. Moreover, it even explains the reason why Jimin could attack me from behind that night because the distance is extremely short.

As I reach the gate of my house, I finally realise that I don't have the house key with me. Plus, I also just notice my unchanged clothes which is blood-spotted and dirty. Shaking the thought of disgust away, I press the doorbell hoping my sister will answer.

However, no matter how many times I press the bell, I am answered by dead silence. Only the sparrows' random chirp is audible. But those calm sounds don't seem to match my frantically beating heart when I start to feel anxious. I need to get inside.

"Your sister is not in the house," I whirl upon Jimin's note. "Don't worry, she's alive. I'd just scanned through the whole house with my own cognitive ability," he adds with his arms crossed. One of his eyebrows rises in arrogance.

"She must have left a note for me," I mutter while trying to climb the fence.

"There's a Faerie inside your house," says Jimin when I gasp and eventually retreat. "It is eating the scattered eraser dust in your study room."

"That's funny," I judge with a giggle and decide to climb back in again, thinking that the Faerie might not pose to much of a damage towards me. Furthermore, Jimin doesn't seem to put his guard up upon that creature's existence.

"The note is on your desk," reminds Jimin as he flips over the fence and lands perfectly before I do so. "And the Dust Fairy is still eating in your room. Are you sure you wanna get preyed on?"

"I thought it consumes eraser dust instead of essence," I argue with a raised eyebrow, pouting in disagreement.

"Your case is unique, I can't guarantee your safety," he states firmly when I roll my eyes.

"Too late, loser. My house, my rules. Let's go." Then, I turn away with my long hair wavers proudly and never look back to ensure whether or not he follows me. Instead, I open the door which is not properly locked and tiptoe into the living room.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴅɪᴅ ᴘɪɴɢ ʀᴏʟʟ ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇs? 🤣

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴜsᴛ ғᴀɪʀʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ. ᴅᴏ ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴜᴇss ᴡʜᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ɪs 😊😊

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ. ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ sᴛᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏᴏᴛᴘʀɪɴᴛs 👣