TW: mentions of suicidal thoughts and attempts

N/A: a little delayed but here it is. It helps that I did an outline

before starting this new story, so expect constant updates. 

Seungwan

Seungwan discovers that the cornfield is just one small part of the farm. Since Waterland’s soil is very aquos, planting cornfields is of no use, so she soon learns that’s what Yeji calls her research and development lab. The rest of the farm is composed of lettuce, lotus roots (which she also learns was what the soup was made of), some fruits (especially strawberries), and a lot of seasoning herbs. At the back of the ranch, she finds multiple ponds, most of them for fish and other variety of aquatic animals, including ducks (she also learns they eat them and that the lotus soup wasn’t made as usual with ribs but with duck meat). 

Lucas explains to her that they can’t raise cattle in Waterland, so they mostly import it from Sproutland, but now with the conflict and with the border closed, they have no cattle, and the next logical option is to use duck in their dishes. 

“To be honest, Yeji doesn’t really like beef, or any other type of meat or animal for that matter, so we mostly sell it or I eat it. She’s crazy for those disgusting seeds.” 

That makes her laugh, watching Yeji in the distance drying the sweat on her neck with her t-shirt. The mention of her not liking meat brings a flash to the back of her brain like she remembers something, but not really. A Deja Vu. 

“Doesn’t she like me?” She asks, still watching the pink-haired girl as she plows the soil. 

Lucas is still showing her the torus crops and how to plant them along with lotus seeds and wasabi when she asks the question, taking him by surprise. He takes her hand, opening it for her and putting the seeds there before answering. 

“It’s not personal.” He mutters, showing her how to do it so she can mimic him along. “Your death was a violent one, so she’s just being cautious. We don’t know what kind of trouble did you get into to get you killed.” 

“I suppose that’s fair.” She murmurs, imitating what Lucas does. She gets into it easily, like she’s done it before. 

“You’re good with this,” he observes. 

“Thanks.” 

They continue like that for another hour, moving between the crops and the ponds. Lucas shows her how to feed the ducks and the turtles, and she cries in horror thinking they eat the turtles. Lucas laughs, shaking his head. 

“Have you thought about a name?” 

“No, not really. I just… don’t want to get attached to any name in case I recover my memory. I know it’s a long shot, but…”

Lucas sticks the shovel into the ground, shaking the dirt off from her hands. 

“No, I get it. A name is how we are remembered. I know not knowing who you are or not knowing if someone is waiting for you somewhere is scary and confusing, but because of how you died and how they let you there, a new beginning could be good for you.” He manages to say, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I’m being too harsh.”

She lands the shovel with more force than required, finally realizing how she feels and leaving the shovel there. 

“I’m sorry, I just… I want to understand what did I do to deserve that kind of death like I was just a thing and not someone important.” She murmurs, cleaning her hands on her dirty clothes. “Didn’t you see something when you found me? Anything that can help me understand?” 

Lucas starts shaking her head but stops halfway. 

“I’m not sure if I should tell you, but there was something.”

“Please tell me.” 

“You have to promise not to mention it in front of my sister,” 

“Promise.” 

Lucas runs her fingers through his brown hair and Seungwan notices he has blue dye in some parts of his hair. He’s very handsome now that she thinks of it. 

“You were… you had another face. I think you must be able to change your physical appearance at will. That power is uncommon here so I’m not sure if my assessment is right. After saving you, it started to morph into your actual face, but before that…” 

“Before that what? Just tell, please.” 

“Well… I think I recognized your face. You looked very similar to the deceased princess of Sproutland, Bae Irene. Does the name ring a bell for you, maybe?”

She repeats the name in her mind, going over each syllable slowly. She feels like she should know it, but the truth is that she doesn’t. 

“No, not at all.” She murmurs, sadly. “But I understand now why your sister is being cautious. Whether I had been just playing around and got mistaken by her or I was in fact doing something bad, it’s better to be safe.” 

“Yes, for now, it’s better if you stay here. Don’t show your face to the town if possible. Someone may know you. We can help you investigate in a few months when it’s less likely that the person who did this to you will still be lurking.”

She nods, but inside she thinks some months are too long to stay like that. Or maybe she should let it go and start her new life at the farm, try to at least discover what things she used to like, try to see if she remembers something that way. It doesn’t sound so bad after all, the weather is nice there, a little cold at night, there’s a lot of work to do at the farm and she can take some time to assimilate what’s going on. 

“Are you hungry?” Lucas continues, hearing her stomach roar. Just a few rays of sun are still around, mostly disappearing at the horizon. It’s late. 

“Yes, sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize for that.” He says, taking her by her hand and dragging her towards the ranch. “Let’s see what Yeji has prepared today.”

The ranch is not that far from the ponds, but the terrain is unstable due to the amount of water the soil has. All waterland is very aqueous and the forecast is that it will get worse that time of the year. Bad for animal raising but perfect for lotus and other plants Yeji likes. 

“If you get tired of Yeji forcing us to eat her experiments, just let me know and I’ll get some beef in the black market.” He speaks in a hushed tone, cautious enough to not be heard by his sister. 

She admires their relationship, and although she’s only seen a little of it, it looks like they love each other. She wonders if she has siblings somewhere waiting for her. She hopes not, because it seems unlikely she will ever go back. 

“What’s the menu today, sis?” Lucas pushes Yeji with more force than he should since she’s holding three plates. 

“Duck burger with strawberry salsa for you,” she says, putting both plates on the table where they are already seated. “Mine is a mushroom burger.” 

Both look amazing accompanied with french fries. Seungwan takes a tentative deep in the salsa with one of the fries, taking her time tasting it. 

“I wasn’t sure if you liked vegetables or not, the salsa only has some onion just in case.” 

She kept to herself that she didn’t even know if she liked vegetables or not. 

She practically devours it. She didn’t realize she was that hungry, but the farm work kept her busy and focused. She felt useful on her first day there, and it seemed fair to give back the help they had given her. 

“It’s delicious,” Seungwan says to Yeji, earning a brief smile from her. 

“It’s my specialty,” Yeji decides to say after some pondering for the right words.

“Show off,” Lucas scoffs, stealing some french fries from her sister, and getting slapped instead by her. She feels like she’s having a Deja Vu again. 

“Have you decided on a name?” Yeji asks after some time eating silently. She doesn’t look at her directly. 

“No, I’m still thinking about it. I don’t want to incorrectly select it.” 

“You’re lucky, not many people have this opportunity. We are all just stuck with the names we were given.” She stands up, grabbing all the plates and glasses from the tables and putting them in the sink. “You look like a hamster, should we call you that?”

“Yeji!” Lucas reprimands, but Yeji just shrugs. 

“I’m just giving some ideas as you requested. Have you come up with anything better?”

The silence answers for him. 

“For now, Hamster is it. Keep thinking of a name, when you have one we can change it.” 

She nods, rising from the table to help her wash the dishes. 

“No problem, I can do it. You’ve helped enough on the farm today. Get some rest.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Thank him, he’s the reason you’re here.” 

Seungwan tries not to take it personally as Lucas said, but it’s hard with Yeji’s attitude. Still, she decides ignoring it would be better for her sake. She’s only a guest after all. If she wasn’t there, she wouldn’t know where to be. 

➼➼➼

Joohyun

The room is better than what Joohyun expected. It has two beds, which is more than they can afford right now, but she appreciates it. They’ve had to sleep in dark forests and dangerous swamps before, so a bed all for herself is an upgrade. 

There’s just a day and a half at most to the border, and then they will be able to get proper transport in Dimland. The only problem is they still haven’t figured out how to cross The Front. The war there must be ruthless, and worse now that Winter’s army is supporting it along with the things Jimin created. One encounter with those had been enough, she didn’t want to face them again. 

She takes her time in the bathtub, pouring cold water to the top. It’s been really hot days and cold water makes her think with more clarity. She locks the door, strips off her clothes, and gets into the bathtub. She remembers what it felt like to almost die in the swamp. It was awful, but at the same time, it felt like peace. She chases that feeling, submerging in the bathtub. She runs out of oxygen sooner than she expected but keeps her head underwater. Maybe that’s her out, right there. It would certainly make things easier for Seulgi when crossing the border. She had always felt like a burden, even before her brother's death, but now knowing they weren't really her parents it all made sense. 

"Joohyun?" Seulgi knocks, but it’s just background noise for her. She’s so close to being free that she can see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. Just a few seconds more. She expects Seulgi to bring down the door, forgetting that she’s a shadow. She barges through the door instead, without having to damage private property (which is good because they don’t have money to pay for that either). A dense, black hand grabs her wrist, pulling her out. She’s dizzy, at the border of unconsciousness. Seulgi puts her on her side so she doesn’t choke on the water.

“Silly girl,” Seulgi says, humming a song that sounds like a darker lullaby. Joohyun feels like a kid all over again. The assassin makes her feel like that most of the time and she hates to feel so vulnerable, but in that moment she welcomes the feeling of protection. “This is never going to be the answer.” 

She hasn’t really let herself mourn all her losses, hanging on to any kind of hope she could grasp, but there lying on the cold, wet tiles she realizes she’s crying, and maybe she can finally let them go and move on. 

➼➼➼

Minjeong

She’s pretty sure she’s never loved someone as much as she loves Jimin. It’s a fact at this point. Just looking at her hurts her, which is why she knows she can’t lose her. She would die first, and she hates herself now because Jimin’s state is the result of her ambition. She chose a piece of land, she chose the power over her lover. But not anymore, not ever. It took her that much to realize it. 

“How’s everything in The Front?” Queen Winter asks the general of her army, who bends down quickly on one knee. 

“Waterland’s army is barely resisting, Your Majesty, but not for long. There are rumors that the shogun has come to their aid.” 

“Well, that’s good. Even with the newly acquired army from the lands they’ve conquered, that won’t be good enough to fight against Jimin’s army. Bringing them into the fight will just put them in one place and weaken their control over the lands overseas.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty, that’s what we anticipated too. We could send the fleets through Dimland’s Blind Docks and they won’t be able to see them until they’re surrounding them.” 

“No, not yet. Too risky. We need them to send all their reserves first, but good thinking.” 

“Thanks, Your Majesty.” 

“Any news about Princess Karina?” 

“Well…” he mutters, following Winter’s signal to stand instead of kneel, which makes him even more nervous, moving his weight from one leg to the other. 

“Speak now, I don’t bite.” 

“She’s… erratic. I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but she’s scaring everyone here in the palace, including the reserves and the intelligence team. I think she’s getting worse.” 

The glass Winter is holding breaks, cutting her in the palm. She doesn’t seem to notice, blood drops falling and getting lost on the crimson carpet.

"What about the witch?" Winter asks, letting the tiny pieces fall to her feet. 

"No luck, Intel said she's around Dimland, but unless we get more information it's impossible to find her in the dark." 

"That's not good enough!" She yells at him, grabbing the first thing she finds which ends up being the fireplace poker. "Haven't I been a good queen to you? Haven't I given you and your family enough privileges to do your job right?" 

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I—" 

"A sorry is not good enough!" She strikes him with the poker on his head, making his blood stain the pearl walls behind. He bends, covering his head from the next attack. 

"What are you doing?" Jimin asks, standing beside the tall doors. Winter didn't hear her get in. "What's going on here?" 

Winter looks at her and then looks at the poker and her subordinate. She's trembling with rage, showing too much emotion, something she's not used to. 

Jimin is quickly by her side, taking the poker from her hands and putting it back into its place. She takes a step towards the man, but he walks back, putting distance from her with a horrified expression. The action doesn't hurt her or enrage her, she simply doesn't care, but it seems like Winter does, because she grabs the poker again, quicker than Jimin can manage, striking him again, this time in the face. More blood oozes from him, staining his white military uniform. 

She raises the poker again, ready to kill him, but Jimin stops her again, grabbing her by her shoulders.

“General, please leave now,” Jimin mutters, blocking Minjeong from reaching him. Minjeong’s breath is uneven and she’s still trembling when Jimin finally takes the poke from her hands again. She makes a mental note to have any object that can be potentially used as a weapon removed from Minjeong’s Throne Room. “Breathe.”

Even after so many months, Jimin is still amazed at how the most ruthless queen of the lands responds to her and does as she says. It’s the most private side of her, and she loves to be the only person capable of bringing it out, knowing she has that kind of power. But also, watching her now, it worries her. 

“Hey, baby, breathe,” she repeats, very conscious that her state is her fault. Her black veins are worse than before, reaching her eyes. Her eyes are usually black, but she can feel them clearing every time she sees the love of her life. She wants to be the person Minjeong deserves, but she’s corrupted. 

Minjeong starts hyperventilating, putting her hands on her chest and taking a step back from Jimin. It only gets worse from there. She can’t breathe. 

Desperation takes hold of Minjeong, and she clutches at her chest as if trying to physically restrain the rising panic. The world becomes a distorted painting, colors bleeding into one another, and the air becomes a heavy, suffocating presence.

Amid this internal tempest, Minjeong struggles to ground herself, seeking an anchor in the swirling chaos and she finds it in Jimin, the girl everyone is afraid of because of her, because of her selfishness in wanting to become an even bigger ruler. And the girl that stole her heart, the girl she wants to save. She’s not sure what kind of person she will become if she loses her like Joohyun lost Seungwan. She remembers her face sometimes, out of some respect for the dead.

Gradually, Minjeong's breath steadies, the grip of panic relenting. Her surroundings regain clarity, and the chaotic tempest within subsides. She becomes aware of Jimin's comforting presence. Jimin, understanding without words, takes Minjeong's trembling hand and leads her from the throne room to their bedroom upstairs. In the soft glow of the bedroom, Jimin ensures Minjeong is settled on the bed, arranging cushions for comfort. She lingers until Minjeong's eyes grow heavy, then quietly slips away, sneaking out of the palace in secret, using the darkness of the night as her friend to leave unseen. She has to fix the problem herself. 

➼➼➼

“Breaking news, Jun. Queen Winter has started to proclaim the new rules, ranging from enhanced security protocols to a more centralized control structure focused on a strict curfew. King Bae Baekhyun and Queen Kim Taeyeon statues all over the land have been destroyed, including most of their palaces and castles.” 

“What do you think of this, Yeonjin?” 

“I think it’s a good move, Jun. Queen Winter has always been a very capable ruler, so we can only expect good things from her. The employment rate in Winterland is the best in the Kingdom, with seventy percent. Also, the security is the best, thanks to all the enforcement she does. We can… [...]”

Jisoo paces around the room, her fingers tapping nervously on the worn-out map of the Quadlan Kingdom. 

"She already controls the news media outlets. It's just a matter of time for her to point the finger at us," she says, frustration evident in her voice. With a quick, deliberate motion, she turns off the old TV, its signal barely reaching the underwater palace. The neglect of the network infrastructure is evident. She makes a mental note of addressing that issue later. "The good thing is that no one will see it with this bad signal."

Jennie, seated upside down on the throne, crosses her arms over her chest, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Ha, ha. I'm more concerned about my land right now than what I am about Winter. She's not going to attack us while her lands are in chaos."

Jisoo raises an eyebrow, her concern deepening. "True, but what if that's a facade? She already bought the media outlets, as we heard. What is to say this is not another of her strategies? Will the shogunate army overseas coming to aid us be enough?"

"You say that like we aren't forcing them to do it," Jennie retorts, shifting on the throne to a more comfortable position. "Ningning is far better at this than us."

"She's my daughter. Did you expect anything different?" Jisoo says, her gaze fixed on the Quadlan Kingdom map. "We could attack them first, take advantage of the chaos there, and have the element of surprise."

"But she knows how to kill us, sister. We don't even know that. How are we supposed to counter that? Our best strategy here is to play the defensive."

"The Court won't like that passive strategy, Jennie. They can easily replace you, just like they replaced Yixing."

"I'm aware of that. That's why Ningning is looking for new members of The Court as we speak," Jennie says, her fingers tapping anxiously against the seashell crooked on her head. "We need to know what's in that book. How are you doing with getting a spy inside that palace?"

"You put me up to an impossible task, dear. You can forget about that happening."

"Please, give me something we can use."

As the tension in the room rises, the doors swing open abruptly, revealing a very tired Ningning, soaked from head to toe. Sand clings to her hair, prompting Jennie to wonder if she dived without equipment to get there. "What the—?"

"I lost my portal access. Long story," Ningning mutters, squeezing water from her long-sleeve shirt. "I have something you can use."

"Explain."

"There's a rumor running around that I'm very sure is true. It involves Princess Karina. I think this is what will make us win."