TAKING CONTROL

The Angelic realm is an ethereal and beautiful place, where peace seems to envelope you as soon as you arrive, as if harmony is woven into the very fabric of existence. Here, everyone possesses a unique beauty, yet beneath the surface, not all are as pure as they appear. 

Even angels, with their divine presence, grapple with their own inner demons of greed and insecurities.

“Are you being fair right now? You used Cherubim to attack Irene's daughter and that isn't just an assault; you're also attempting to take her life, Seraphine.” Michael's tone grew serious, edged with anger.

He struggled to comprehend the workings of the queen's mind at this moment.

“Do you realize the power that Cherubim wield?” Michael's voice held a note of urgency as he addressed Seraphine. “If my son hadn't intervened, Irene's daughter might already be gone now. And if Irene were to find out this, chaos would erupt once more. You know how fiercely protective she is of her loved ones, especially her daughter, the very one you're targeting.”

Since Irene's awakening, Seraphine had become increasingly paranoid. Sleep eluded her, and food lost its taste. She felt her sanity slipping away, unsure of what to do next..

“Irene will come after me, so I have to take her daughter, that is Irene's weakness... I have to take her daughter, Michael.” Seraphine blurted out, her words tinged with desperation as if she were on the brink of losing her mind.

“Irene will retaliate if you provoke her by taking her daughter, Seraphine. You're playing with dangerous fire again,” Michael stated firmly, his gaze piercing through the queen's frantic demeanor. 

As Seraphine continued to babble, seemingly on the brink of losing her mind, Michael felt a twinge of pity mixed with frustration. Irene's awakening had doubled Seraphine's paranoia, and the situation was spiraling out of control.

“This is your final warning, Seraphine. If you don't order your angels to retreat from hell immediately, the consequences will be on your shoulders alone. I won't assist you any further.” Michael declared with unwavering resolve.

Michael had exhausted every effort to calm Seraphine's troubled mind, reassuring her that there was no need for such drastic measures. In their realm, peace prevailed, untouched by the chaos and aggression of the outside world. Yet, Seraphine's fear had clouded her judgment, driving her to contemplate the unthinkable - taking Irene's daughter as a shield against potential retaliation.

However, Michael knew all too well the vast chasm of power that separated Seraphine from Irene, particularly now that Irene had fully awakened. Her dormant powers were staggering in their magnitude, capable of unleashing devastation upon those who dared to challenge her. Any confrontation between them would undoubtedly result in catastrophic consequences, not only for Seraphine but for their entire realm.

Despite his best efforts to dissuade her, Seraphine's fear and desperation blinded her to reason, plunging them all into a perilous game of brinkmanship with Irene, a foe whose power knew no bounds.

With the weight of responsibility heavy upon his shoulders, Michael made a resolute decision to take matters into his own hands. He understood that time was running short, and the fragile peace he had fought so hard to maintain was on the brink of collapse. Irene's unwavering determination and the impending threat of conflict loomed ominously on the horizon.

Prioritizing the safety of his son, who had formed a bond with Irene's daughter and was determined to protect her at all costs, Michael steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation. He knew that facing Irene would not be easy, but he was prepared to do whatever it took to prevent further bloodshed and preserve the delicate balance of their realm.

————

Seulgi had been plagued by the same recurring dream since her last encounter with the queen. Each night, she found herself trapped in her own room, with the queen's chilling presence looming over her as she slept.

In her dreams, the queen's gaze was sharp and cold, filled with a silent threat that sent shivers down Seulgi's spine. She felt an overwhelming sense of fear, unable to shake off the feeling of impending danger.

As the queen slowly advanced towards her, Seulgi's heart raced with panic. Paralyzed with fear, she could neither move nor speak, her gaze locked onto the queen's piercing eyes.

As the queen drew closer, Seulgi's breath hitched in . She could feel the weight of the queen's presence bearing down on her, suffocating her with its intensity. And then, she felt it - the gentle graze of fingers against her neck, as if teasing the boundaries between life and death. It was a touch that held both the promise of danger and an inexplicable tenderness, leaving Seulgi trembling in the grip of conflicting emotions even in the confines of her own subconscious.

The queen's face loomed close to Seulgi's, her features strikingly beautiful yet twisted with an underlying menace that sent a chill down Seulgi's spine. Despite her fear, Seulgi found herself mesmerized by queen's unearthly beauty, a stark contrast to the fear that gripped her heart. 

How could someone so stunning be so terrifying? Seulgi couldn't comprehend it.

“I want to kill you,” the queen whispered, her voice dripping with danger.

Seulgi's heart pounded in her chest, bracing herself for the imminent threat of death. But to her surprise, the queen did not strike. Instead, her touch turned tender as she caressed Seulgi's face, eliciting a yearning within her that she couldn't comprehend. Seulgi longed for more of that touch, craving the intimacy even amidst the fear that gripped her.

But just as Seulgi dared to reach out, the queen vanished into thin air, leaving Seulgi alone in her bed, gasping for breath as she jolted awake from the haunting dream.

Night after night, the same scene replayed in Seulgi's dreams, leaving her bewildered and unsettled, unable to decipher the cryptic message behind the queen's actions.

“Hey, you awake already,” Seulgi's eyes snapped open at the sound of Joy's voice, and she found herself surrounded by her two friends, their concerned faces peering down at her.

As she rose from the bed, confusion clouded her mind, taking in the sight of the luxurious room they were in. She glanced at Joy and Wendy, realizing they were all sprawled on the bed as if they had just woken up too.

“Where are we?” Seulgi asked, her mind racing back to the moment when the devil intruders had stormed their house, causing them to pass out, only to awaken in this unfamiliar place.

“Maybe we're in the queen's palace,” Wendy suggested, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

“We tried to open the door earlier, but we're locked in. Wendy's teleportation didn't work either, as if this room is specially designed to keep us contained,” Joy explained, her frustration evident as she shot a glare at Wendy before launching into a tirade.

“I hate Jinyoung for this, he kidnapped us!” Joy exclaimed angrily, while Wendy sighed in response.

“Joy, it's not Jinyoung's fault. He was just following the queen's orders.” Wendy defended the man, but Joy remained stubborn in her resentment.

“But still, I hate Jinyoung," Joy grumbled defiantly.

Seulgi stood up and made her way to the imposing door, attempting to open it without success as it remained firmly locked.

“Give it up, Seulgi. We've already tried it,” Joy advised, but Seulgi couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

“Why would they lock us in here?” Seulgi wondered aloud as she approached the large window, only to find it sealed shut as well. 

Peering outside, all she could see was a vast expanse of lush greenery, with no indication of where they were or how they had ended up there.

“Of course, it's because of Yerim,” Joy replied with a resigned tone. “I don't know what the queen is planning to us.” she continued, shaking her head in frustration.

“The Queen is truly terrifying,” Wendy added, her voice tinged with a mixture of fear and awe. Her expression turned grim as she contemplated the daunting prospect of facing the queen herself. The memory of their first encounter with the queen when she is already awake sent shivers down her spine, reminding her of the immense power and authority that the queen wielded.

Seulgi nodded in agreement with Wendy. The queen was indeed a formidable and intimidating figure. The first time she laid eyes on her, Seulgi's entire body had trembled with fear, overwhelmed by the queen's sheer power and presence.

“I think Yerim rebelled against her mother, that's why we're here,” Wendy suddenly said, prompting Seulgi's curiosity.

“What do you mean, Wendy?” Seulgi asked, joining her friends back on the bed and sitting beside them.

“Seulgi, you know your sister. She's incredibly stubborn and wouldn't tolerate being imprisoned or restricted by her mother. And Yerim wouldn't last a day without seeing you, so maybe that's the reason why we've all ended up here.” Wendy explained. Her reasoning making sense to Seulgi.

Seulgi mulled over Wendy's words, finding them increasingly plausible. Yerim's unwavering independence and deep affection for her friends could have indeed driven her to rebel against her mother's strict control, ultimately leading to their current situation.

“It's not just about keeping Yerim away from us,” Seulgi realized, a sense of understanding dawning upon her. “It's about the queen's possessiveness and her reluctance to share Yerim with anyone else. Yerim is deeply attached to the three of us, and her mother sees that as a threat.”

The realization settled heavily in the room, casting a shadow of apprehension over their already uncertain circumstances. The queen's possessive nature and her determination to keep Yerim under her control seemed to loom larger than ever before, leaving Seulgi and her friends to wonder what lengths the queen would go to in order to maintain her hold over her daughter.

“Then I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what happens next,” Joy sighed, her voice tinged with defeat. “Our powers are no match for the queen's, and there's not much we can do about it now.”

Seulgi and Wendy nodded in agreement, their hearts heavy with uncertainty. They could only hope for the best, but with the queen's unpredictable nature, they couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension about what lay ahead.

As she contemplated the queen's motives for locking them away, Seulgi couldn't shake the fear that lingered in the back of her mind. Did the queen truly want to kill them, or did she have something far more sinister in mind?

“But you know, I'm really hungry right now,” Joy suddenly pouted, her stomach grumbling loudly in agreement.

As they exchanged glances, a shared understanding passed between them, and they burst into laughter, the tension momentarily lifted by the simple act of acknowledging their hunger amidst their predicament. Despite the uncertainty of their situation, the bond between them remained strong, bringing a brief moment of levity to their otherwise grim circumstances.

As they continued to tease Joy, the grand door suddenly swung open, prompting the three of them to stand at attention, ready to confront whoever was entering. With thoughts racing that it might be Jinyoung and his cohorts, they gasped in surprise as a figure strode into the room. Their eyes widened in shock as they beheld the imposing presence before them, and they instinctively dropped to their knees in reverence.

————

Yerim's heart raced with excitement as she hopped off her bike and hurriedly ran inside their house. The anticipation of reuniting with her friends and her unnie filled her with overwhelming joy, and she could feel tears of happiness threatening to spill from her eyes. It had been days since she last saw them, and the longing to be with them again had only grown stronger with each passing moment. As she pushed open the door, her smile widened, eager to embrace the warmth and camaraderie that awaited her inside.

“Seulgi unnie I'm back!” Yerim's hopeful shout pierced the stillness of the house as she called out for her unnie, her voice tinged with anticipation. However, the only response was the echo of her own words bouncing off the walls.

“Wendy?! Joy?..” Yerim's voice wavered.

As Yerim called out for her unnie and her friends, her excitement slowly turned to confusion as she realized the house was eerily empty. She searched every corner, from the dining area to the kitchen, but there was no sign of them anywhere.

“Unnie, where are you? I'm home now!” Yerim's voice echoed through the silent halls as she made her way upstairs, her heart sinking with each empty room she encountered.

Frustration gnawed at her as she paced back and forth in her unnie's room, her mind racing with worry. But despite the unease creeping in, Yerim refused to entertain the thought of anything bad happening to her friends. She convinced herself that Wendy and Joy must be with Seulgi, keeping her company in her absence.

With determination fueling her, Yerim decided to head to Wendy and Joy's workplace, hoping to find them there. She mounted her bike, her eyes lingering on their silent house before she set off.

“Stratus, do you know where Wendy and Joy's workplace is?” Yerim asked her bike, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of her missing friends.

To her surprise, her bike seemed to move of its own accord, guiding her effortlessly to a grand building that exuded an air of elegance and mystery. As she approached, Yerim noticed the steady stream of demons coming and going, confirming her suspicion that this was indeed Wendy and Joy's workplace.

With a deep breath to steady her nerves, Yerim pedaled up to the entrance, where guards stood watch. She hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to ask the guards for directions or simply enter the building on her own. 

“Where are you going?” one of the guards asked, blocking her way with an unreadable, serious expression etched on his face.

“Hmm, I was looking for Wendy and Joy, are they here inside?” Yerim asked gently, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and concern.

The guards exchanged glances, their thoughts seemingly swirling with suspicion. Do they not recognize Wendy and Joy? Yerim wondered to herself.

“Are you referring to Miss Son and Miss Park?” one of the guards inquired, prompting a nod from Yerim.

After her confirmation, the guard who had initially questioned her widened his eyes in realization and swiftly bowed, dropping to one knee before her. His sudden display of reverence caught his companion off guard, who was pulled aside and whispered to hurriedly.

“She's the queen's daughter,” the guard explained in a panicked whisper, his head bowed as if seeking forgiveness for his ignorance.

While Yerim was taken aback by their sudden change in demeanor, she could hear what they were whispering about. As other demons within the building caught sight of the kneeling guards, a wave of realization washed over them, prompting gasps and a collective genuflection. They too fell to their knees in deference. Yerim felt a pang of awkwardness at their actions, realizing that word of the queen's awakening and her identity as the daughter had evidently spread throughout the realm. It was a reminder of the weight of her lineage and the expectations that came with it.

“You don't have to bow, please get up, I was just looking for my friends–” Yerim attempted to interject, but was cut off by one of the guards.

“They are not here, your Royal Highness,” the guard asserted confidently, as if preempting her disappointment. It was as though they had anticipated her arrival and knew she would seek out this particular building.

“Are you sure?” Yerim asked, her doubt evident in her tone.

“Yes, your Royal Highness. We are sure,” the guard answered, still keeping his head bowed, not daring to meet her gaze.

“Okay, if you are lying to me right now, I will tell my mother about this,” Yerim grinned, using her mother's name jokingly to threaten them. However, the guards cowered in fear at her words.

“We are really sure, Your Highness. They are truly not here,” the guards blurted out in panic. Yerim felt a pang of regret at having threatened them.

“Okay, okay. Just tell me if you see them, okay?” Yerim said, trying to reassure them. The guards nodded vigorously and bowed to her.

Yerim glanced at the demons inside the building, still bowing to her, and decided to leave the place for a while. She turned her bike around, pondering where her friends might be.

She navigated her bike, whispering her destination to it, determined to find Wendy, Joy and her Seulgi unnie. She searched around their houses, but to no avail—both homes were silent and empty.

Yerim felt a rising panic as she realized she didn't know where else to look. Her mother's warning about her friends' safety echoed in her mind.

“She wouldn't do this to me,” Yerim exclaimed, her voice quivering with anxiety as she contemplated her next move. 

The thought of her mother harming her friends filled her with dread and resentment. She knew she would never forgive her if anything happened to them.

Yerim even ventured to Hogsmead in a desperate attempt to find them, but they were nowhere to be seen. Determined not to give up, she continued her search for hours, relentlessly combing every corner, yet their elusive presence eluded her.

Yerim also went to Eunwoo's house but her heart sank further as she reached Eunwoo's house, only to find it in ruins. The sight of destruction added another layer of worry to her already burdened mind. She searched frantically for any sign of Eunwoo or Totori, but they were nowhere to be found.

Fear gnawed at her insides as she contemplated the fate of her friends. Were they all gone? The thought was too much to bear. Clutching onto a flicker of hope, she refused to give up. 

Exhaustion threatened to consume her, but Yerim refused to relent. With Bloomhaven as her final destination, she pressed on, the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders. She couldn't bear the thought of harm coming to her friends, and the guilt of not finding them weighed heavily on her conscience.

Yerim's eyes blurred with tears as she strained to keep them at bay, her vision distorted as she pedaled relentlessly towards Bloomhaven. Unaware of the looming danger, she failed to notice a large rock obstructing her path until it was too late. With a sudden jolt, her bike collided with the obstacle, sending her tumbling to the ground, her head striking a jagged stone.

A cry of agony escaped Yerim's lips as pain seared through her skull, leaving her disoriented and dizzy. Warm liquid trickled down her face, mingling with her tears as she gingerly touched the wound, her fingers coming away slick with blood.

But despite the throbbing ache and the growing haze clouding her mind, Yerim refused to yield to the pain. With gritted teeth and unwavering resolve, she pushed herself upright, determination burning bright within her. Clutching onto her bicycle with trembling hands, she resumed her journey towards Bloomhaven, each pedal a testament to her unwavering determination to reach her destination, no matter the cost.

Yerim's tears still flowed unchecked, her mind a whirlwind of chaos as she stood before the imposing front door of Bloomhaven. Recalling Wendy's instructions, she mimicked the gestures, her hand trembling as she felt a surge of energy course through her, causing the door to emit a soft light and swing open.

She dashed inside, her heart pounding with hope and fear.

“Seulgi unnie! Wendy! Joy!” Yerim's voice echoed through the serene surroundings, but the only response was the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

“Please, unnie! Where are you?!” Yerim pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation as she scanned the enchanting scenery, her eyes b with unshed tears. But still, no one is here. The rustle of leaves and distant chirping of birds seemed to mock her, intensifying her sense of isolation.

With a heavy heart, she collapsed onto the lush grass, her cries of anguish mingling with the whispers of nature around her. The fragrant scent of flowers only served to amplify her loneliness.

As she lay there, memories flooded her mind like a raging river. Why did her mother want her to suffer like this? All she wanted was to be with her friends. 

The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her mother's gesture of returning her bike, Stratus, as a surprise was not a gesture of kindness but a calculated move. Allowing her to venture outside, her mother knew she would definitely come back to her, because she might be the reason why all of her friends are gone. 

Yerim, with her wound on her head continuing to drip blood down her face, clenched her jaw against the pain. Determination burned fiercely in her eyes as she made the decision to return to the palace and confront her mother, demanding answers for the heartache she had caused..

————

High-ranking devils gathered at the queen's palace, standing in awe before their regal monarch. Their gazes fixed upon the beautiful queen, who sat silently upon her throne. It was the first time they had seen her awake, her presence commanding attention like never before.

Dressed in a resplendent red gown that accentuated her porcelain skin, she exuded an aura of power that left the assembled devils speechless.

As the queen's subjects marveled at her beauty, a mixture of fear and admiration rendered them speechless. Their mouths agape, they struggled to find words worthy of addressing their formidable ruler.

Meanwhile, Irene just staring at the grand window, her gaze lost in the expanse beyond.

Her thoughts consumed by the absence of her daughter. With each passing moment, her longing for Yerim grew more profound, and a pang of worry gnawed at her heart. 

“Your majesty, we found an angel's white feathered wings inside a small cottage house deep in the forest. It seems he may have been residing there for some time,” Azazel reported, his tone serious as he awaited the queen's reaction.

Irene snapped her head in response, her anger boiling bene