JOURNEY

Wendy's fingers traced delicate lines over Yerim's peaceful, yet unnervingly still, sleeping face, the remnants of exhaustion etched deep into her features after the tumultuous maze game. 

Three days had passed since then, and despite Joy's healing efforts, Yerim remained unresponsive, her slumber unyielding. 

So much had unfolded since the arrival of Seulgi and Yerim in their realm, and Wendy felt wearier than ever.

“When are you going to wake up, Yerim? Perhaps you're lost in a pleasant dream..” Wendy whispered softly, a touch of whimsy in her voice, a fleeting attempt to lighten the somber atmosphere.

“Don't be like your mother, still lost in her dreamland,” Wendy gently chided the slumbering Yerim, her words carrying both a gentle admonishment and a subtle plea for awakening.

In the depths of her heart, Wendy harbored the unwavering conviction that Yerim, this seemingly innocent young devil, was none other than the daughter of their queen.

Wendy quietly left Yerim's room and descended the stairs, finding Joy in the kitchen, immersed in baking.

“Did you just arrive here?” Joy asked, sensing Wendy's presence.

“Yes, I went straight to check on Yerim.” Wendy replied, approaching Joy who was still busy with something.

“She's still sleeping,” Joy informed her.

“Yeah. What are you baking?” Wendy inquired curiously.

“Chocolate cookies. Yerim loves cookies, and I promised her I would bake some. I also prepared some strawberry milk because Seulgi mentioned that Yerim really loves it.” Joy explained with a smile.

Wendy couldn't help but be amused by Joy's thoughtful gestures. She shook her head affectionately, realizing that Joy might have developed a fondness for Yerim.

Wendy asked, “Speaking of Seulgi, where is she?” Joy pointed outside the house towards the garden.

Wendy ventured outside and found Seulgi engrossed in drawing something.

“Seulgi,” Wendy greeted, and Seulgi smiled warmly in return.

“Hi, Wendy.” Seulgi replied, making space for Wendy to sit beside her.

Wendy's gaze fell upon Seulgi's drawing, depicting the queen in a peaceful slumber. A pang of melancholy swept through her as she realized Seulgi's lingering concern for their sleeping monarch.

Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation they had with their superior, Azazel, when they brought Yerim and Seulgi home after departing from the queen's palace. They had made a solemn vow to ensure Seulgi's well-being in their household while Yerim remained unconscious before their departure.

“Why would you not help Yerim when she's heavily wounded, you just left her there.” Joy's voice trembled with a mixture of frustration and blame as she directed her question towards their superior.

Wendy's warning glance cautioned against provoking Azazel's ire, knowing all too well the consequences of angering their superior.

“Yeah, I should have not left.” Azazel whispered, his admission tinged with a hint of regret.

Deep within, Azazel was already aware of the enigmatic circumstances surrounding the sudden appearance of the young devil in the queen's palace, a mystery that continued to unfold with each passing moment.

“Can you tell me about Kang Seulgi... Why she's in the queen's palace too?” Azazel's curiosity about Seulgi's presence in such a significant place was evident.

“We really don't know how she found the queen's palace.” Wendy admitted, her own questions swirling in her mind. Perhaps they would find the answers they sought by speaking with Seulgi later.

“Is that so...” Azazel's response was tinged with a sense of intrigue, pondering the possibility that Kang Seulgi might not be a normal demon after all.

“Seulgi, can I ask you something?” Wendy inquired as she observed Seulgi sketching.

“Sure, what are you going to ask?” Seulgi replied, still engrossed in her task.

“When we search Yerim in the maze, how did you find the palace? How did you end up there?” Wendy's curiosity burned within her.

Seulgi paused her sketching and turned to face Wendy. “I actually don't know, Wendy. When I was in the maze, I just ran wherever my feet would take me, desperate to find Yerim. Then suddenly, I saw a light at the end.”

Wendy's eyes widened in amazement as she listened intently.

“I ran towards the light, thinking I would just find my way out, but instead, I ended up in a beautiful palace. In my gut, I knew Yerim was inside that palace, and it turns out I was right.” Seulgi said, a warm smile spreading across her face.

As Wendy listened to Seulgi's words, a sense of confusion clouded her thoughts. She couldn't find any answers to Seulgi's experience, and she wondered if Yerim had encountered something similar.

Seulgi's next words shifted the focus, drawing Wendy's attention to the sketch. 

“She is so beautiful, Wendy. I've never seen beauty like hers.” Seulgi remarked, her admiration evident in her eyes. 

It was true—everyone who laid eyes on the queen was mesmerized by her unparalleled beauty, including them.

Wendy could only offer a gentle smile in response, though her mind remained preoccupied.

Seulgi was already aware of the queen's existence; she and Joy had explained to her about the sleeping woman in the palace, the queen of hell—feared and revered. 

However, they had withheld certain details from Seulgi, particularly regarding Yerim's connection to the queen of hell. It was a secret they chose to keep, for reasons Wendy couldn't quite articulate even to herself.

"Unnie..." a soft voice interrupted their conversation, prompting Wendy and Seulgi to turn towards the source.

It was none other than Yerim, still appearing sleepy with disheveled hair as she rubbed her eyes. A wave of relief washed over Wendy and Seulgi as they realized Yerim was finally awake.

“Yerimie, you're awake!” Seulgi exclaimed with joy.

Yerim walked slowly towards them, her movements resembling that of a drowsy child seeking comfort. Without hesitation, she settled onto Seulgi's lap, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. In that moment, Yerim seemed to resemble a lost child finding solace in her mother's embrace.

“Unnie, I miss you...” Yerim murmured softly to Seulgi.

“I miss you too.” Seulgi replied, her smile tender as she gently Yerim's soft hair.

Wendy couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming sight before her. The bond between these sisters, forged through trials and tribulations, radiated with a sweetness that warmed Wendy's heart.

—————

“Joy, you're really good at baking. These cookies taste amazing!” Yerim exclaimed with a mouthful of cookies, causing Joy to hide her smile at the compliment from the young devil.

The four of them sat in the dining area, watching Yerim eat voraciously after her three-day slumber.

“Just eat slowly. Yerim, you might choke.” Seulgi advised, a hint of amusement in her voice as she observed Yerim's enthusiastic eating.

Wendy and Joy exchanged a knowing glance, their attempts to question Yerim about her experience in the maze put on hold as they waited for her to finish eating.

Yerim savored her favorite strawberry milk and beamed at them like a contented child. 

“Thank you for the food!” she exclaimed with gratitude.

Seulgi couldn't resist pinching Yerim's cheek affectionately, prompting Joy to suppress the urge to do the same. 

“Stop being so cute,” Joy whispered softly, but Wendy overheard and couldn't help but chuckle, feigning a cough to mask her amusement.

“Yerimie...” Wendy began, her tone gentle as she sought to ask her questions. Yerim looked up at Wendy, her eyes twinkling with fondness at the nickname she adored.

“Hmm?” Yerim murmured, her curiosity piqued.

“Can we ask you some questions?” Wendy asked softly.

“Sure, what is it?” Yerim nodded eagerly.

Joy's expression shifted, her demeanor becoming serious as she observed the interaction.

“It's about the maze game...” Wendy started, but before she could continue, Yerim's expression changed as if a memory flashed through her mind.

“How did you end up in that palace, Yerim?” Wendy asked, her voice gentle yet filled with curiosity.

As Yerim began to recount her experience in the maze, she couldn't help but inject a touch of humor into her tale. 

"Well, first of all, there was this terrifying creature that attacked me. I swear, I almost passed out at the sight because it was so ugly and scary!" Yerim exclaimed, a hint of comedic exaggeration in her tone.

The three devils couldn't suppress their laughter at Yerim's description, finding amusement in her animated storytelling.

"But then, the next thing I knew, there was blood coming out of my body, and that scary thing kept attacking me relentlessly. It was incredibly painful, you know," Yerim winced as she recalled the agony she had endured, her hand unconsciously drifting to where her wounds had once been.

Wendy, Joy, and Seulgi listened intently, their amusement fading as they witnessed the genuine pain etched in Yerim's expression. Despite the lightheartedness of her storytelling, it was evident that Yerim had endured a truly terrifying ordeal in the maze.

"I almost gave up there because I didn't know if I would survive the attack, but then suddenly, when I faced that monster, it backed off like it cowered in fear and stopped attacking me. Then it vanished into the shadows," Yerim recounted, her confusion evident in her voice.

Wendy and Joy exchanged a knowing glance, their thoughts aligned. Yerim's ability to instill fear in the creature mirrored the power they had seen her exhibit before—a power that seemed to emanate from her very essence.

As the realization settled in, a silent acknowledgment passed between them—Yerim's connection to the queen of hell, her mother, was undeniable, and her powers were a testament to her lineage.

“Feels like I'm going to die there, but then there's a light coming to the end of the maze, and I thought I already found my way out. But it turns out I'm in a magical place. It's very beautiful there.” Yerim's eyes sparkled with wonder as she recounted her experience.

Wendy couldn't help but draw parallels between Yerim's story and what had happened to Seulgi. 

“Yeah, that sounds similar to what happened to me when we were searching for you and found you inside the palace.” Seulgi chimed in, her voice tinged with reminiscence.

“You were there too, Unnie?” Yerim's surprise was palpable, her confusion evident as she looked to Seulgi for confirmation, and Seulgi nodded in affirmation, adding to Yerim's puzzlement.

“The palace looked like it was straight out of a fairytale, and I felt like I was finally safe there, like the place was saving me.” Yerim continued, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and uncertainty.

Joy couldn't help but ponder the significance of Yerim's words. Maybe your mother is saving you? She mused silently, her thoughts drifting to the enigmatic queen of hell and the inexplicable connection she seemed to share with Yerim. 

“So, I went inside, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. But then, I saw a beautiful woman who was sleeping..." Yerim paused, struggling to find the right words to describe her emotions.

“Yeah, she is very beautiful.” Seulgi whispered softly, unable to resist chiming in as she remembered the ethereal beauty of the sleeping woman.

Wendy and Joy held their breath, their hearts pounding with anticipation as they waited for Yerim to continue her story, their minds racing with questions and uncertainties.

"It's like she's a beautiful princess who lives in that magnificent palace... I feel like I'm falling in love with her. She's so beautiful, I've never seen beauty like hers." Yerim confessed, her eyes shining with admiration.

Seulgi chuckled softly, recognizing the familiar sentiment of being captivated by the beauty of the sleeping woman.

“She's not a princess, Yerim.” Joy interjected, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she struggled to process Yerim's confession.

“Then who is she, Joy?” Yerim inquired, her curiosity piqued.

“She is the queen, our queen of the entire hell realm. The most feared ruler.” Joy replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

Yerim couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and amazement. That beautiful woman was the queen, the ruler of hell? And yet she had captured Yerim's heart with her ethereal beauty. It was a revelation that left Yerim pondering the true nature of power and beauty in the realm of hell.

“I'm so sorry, Joy, but you're not the number one in my list anymore because the beautiful queen has taken the number one spot in my heart.” Yerim exclaimed with continued admiration for the queen, her words teasing Joy.

Wendy and Seulgi exchanged amused glances at Yerim's playful remark, shaking their heads at her antics. Meanwhile, Joy could only glare at the young devil, her frustration evident.

‘She's your mother, you !’ Joy wanted to say aloud to Yerim, her urge to reprimand the young devil almost overwhelming. But she held back, choosing to suppress her exasperation and refrain from delivering the scolding she felt Yerim deserved.

Wendy couldn't help but feel completely amazed by Yerim's affection for the queen. It was as if Yerim had experienced love at first sight with her own mother—a notion that both astounded and moved Wendy to her core. The depth of Yerim's admiration for the queen was a testament to the enigmatic allure and power that the queen possessed, leaving Wendy in awe of the profound connection between mother and daughter, even in the realm of hell.

“Anyway, while looking at the beautiful sleeping woman, I felt my heart ache suddenly, and I began to cry, and I don't know why..” Yerim recounted, her hand instinctively moving to her chest as if reliving the sensation.

Joy couldn't help but speculate that Yerim might have felt her mother's suffering, causing her to cry without f