The room was dark.

A distinct, heavy smell overwhelmed Abrial. It was something like lavender, only thicker and sweeter. Sickeningly sweet.

She remained standing near the door, still as a statue. Every muscle in her body was tensed and ready to lash out. The only sound was her heartbeat throbbing in her ears as she scanned the room.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, moonlit shapes began to appear: a long, rectangular couch, small tables for tea, tall lamps. Everything seemed very normal and unsinister.

Would they really have my memory altered? Abrial thought, faltering suddenly. The idea seemed extreme now, for some reason; her parents had always been strictly against magic of any kind. Maybe she’d just been so convinced they’d do something like that because she was half-asleep before…

“Hello, Lady Han Abrial Chae-young. It is a pleasure to finally speak to you.”

Abrial stumbled at the soft voice. That was…weird. She normally wasn’t so clumsy.

A woman seemed to have materialized out of thin air in front of her. She wore flowing robes that were completely white, like she was attending a funeral. Her milky skin seemed to almost glow slightly in the moonlight. A slight smile traced her face beneath two large, dark and glittering eyes.

Basically…she looked like a ghost.

Abrial tried to form words in response, but her mind was all foggy, like it’d been filled with cotton. The woman’s smile stretched wider, and she continued softly:

“I am your mother’s favored acupuncturist. Under Lady Lee Geum-song’s instruction, I have practiced acupuncture on all of your tutors, to grant them increased mental calmness after their visits. Your mother instructs me to do so out of gratitude for your instructors. In fact, I performed acupuncture on your tutor Wei Guang earlier today. I assure you…he left with a great sense of tranquility.”

Wei Guang…Instructor Wei, thought Abrial slowly. I hope…he’s doing well? Heh. He’s probably out fighting bad people somewhere. They wouldn’t stand a chance against him. He’s so cool.

“Now,” said the woman, taking Abrial’s forearm gently with small, slender hands pale as the moon. They were very firm, despite looking delicate. Abrial found herself being led to the couch. “I understand that several events today have caused your mind to become chaotic and disturbed. I shall perform needlework on you to help reduce such…agitation.”

Agitation…Abrial’s forehead creased. I do feel that. I feel…not great. Angry? Disturbed…

Abrial was sitting on the couch now. The woman was slowly helping her lie down.

As she shifted to lie straight, something pressed against her hip, and she remembered vaguely the dagger that Finley had hidden in her robes.

Why was it there? Why…was Dohyun in her robes?

Frowning, she resisted the woman’s touch. Words weren’t forming properly in her mouth, but she murmured anyways with a deep frown and a slight scowl:

“I…want…no needles. No acupuncture. I don’t…”

“Shhhh.” The woman put a thin, sharp-nailed pale finger to Abrial’s mouth, quieting her. She made a gesture towards something by the window — a plate of burning incense. The heavy lavender scent deepened further, reaching an intensely intoxicating thickness.

“I will perform a beneficial procedure. It will be pleasant, and not harmful. There is no need for you to worry. It will not hurt.”

Abrial nodded, her forehead smoothing. She allowed the woman to recline her onto the couch and lift her legs onto it, so that she lay flat and limp as a rag.

The woman’s face appeared over her, pale and smiling. Between two of her slender fingers glinted a long, thin silver needle. Abrial blinked blearily at it, her eyes shifting in and out of focus. Everything smelled like lavender. Her limbs were heavy as iron. The needle looked funny, like a shiny silver piece of hair sticking straight up.

Abrial laughed groggily. That was silly. Why was a pretty ghost woman holding a stiff piece of hair over her face? Heh.

“It will not hurt,” repeated the woman, smiling widely.

The needle made its way towards Abrial’s face, towards the spot between her eyes, like a hawk diving for its prey.

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Slam.

The door to the room burst open with the force of a hurricane. The room’s windows followed suit, exploding open as their locks burst.

Finley stood in the doorway, her neatly plaited hair disheveled. She was breathing heavily. Behind her in the hall, Friedrick and the other guards sat slumped against the wall like three gigantic sacks, breathing evenly in deep sleep.

The lavender incense flushed out of the room through the windows and into the night, like an evil spirit flying away.

Abrial blinked dazedly. The room was clear, all of a sudden.

What the heck? What was she doing on a couch, lying down? She pushed herself up slightly — just in time to see the ghostly acupuncturist cough, ruby blood spurting from her mouth onto her snow white chin.

“What the fuck?” Abrial spluttered, staring.

But the woman wasn’t looking at her. She was holding her stomach and smiling at Finley, who stood in the doorway, still heaving heavy breaths. The woman’s eyes glittered black.

“You are powerful,” she remarked, her voice hoarse. A drop of blood traced down her pale neck. “Your magic is strong.”

“Yes,” Finley agreed, her voice dark. “It is, unfortunately for you.”

The woman coughed again, blood spurting from her lips in a stream. Slowly, like a petal falling over, she crumpled to the ground, where she lay still, blood oozing from her lips.

Finley stumbled into the room at the same time that Abrial vaulted to her feet.

“Finley! What the heck? What the heck’s going on? Why’re you so pale? You look like a ghost!” Abrial rushed towards her. Up close, Finley was paler than Abrial had ever seen her before. It was as though all of the blood had been sucked from her body. Abrial grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her. “Did you knock all of them out? With magic? But you said you couldn’t do anything except healing!”

Weakly, Finley raised an arm. She placed it with surprising strength on Abrial’s shoulder.

“You must leave.”

Abrial opened her mouth slightly, then closed it. She stared at Finley, blinking blankly.

“Huh? What d’you mean?”

“You need to leave this house. Now. There will be other guards arriving soon because of the commotion. If you do not leave now, your parents will make it impossible for you to escape in the future because of this incident. Or they will surely find a way to send you away in the morning. You must leave.” She nudged Abrial gently away with her fingers. Abrial stumbled backward a step. “First, you must climb out of the window and into the gardens. I will summon a wind to carry you over the wall. When you are outside, follow the largest star in the sky — you know the one. It points north. You will find a magicians’ camp there, where you will be safe. You must go there.” She gently nudged Abrial backwards again, another step, pointing firmly to the window.

Abrial sucked in a breath, snatching Finley’s wrist. Her face was contorted somewhere between infuriated and incredulous.

“Finley! What are you saying? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not leaving without you. Why would I leave without you?”

Finley smiled somewhat forcedly. Her cheeks were pallid.

“Abrial. I will be safe. I will leave soon after you to meet you there, at that camp. It is my promise. But now, you must leave. Immediately.”

Abrial’s brow curved into a frown. Finley tried to pull her wrist away, but Abrial’s grip remained viselike.

“Finley! I’m not leaving without you! And — and, what would happen to you if you stayed here? You used magic. You — you hurt the acupuncturist. You’re helping me run away.” Her eyes glinted with a dark panic, darting up to Finley’s face. “There’s no way you’ll escape punishment. My mother’s always been bad, but I’m starting to think she’s crazy! What would happen to you! No! No way can I leave! I need to stay. Or — or, you need to come with me! Why can’t we just leave together?”

Finley pursed her lips, closing her eyes in exhaustion. Sweat dripped off her brow and down her neck. She was tired.

“Abrial. Listen to me. I have not used a high level of spiritual energy to perform magic in many, many years. I do nt have the capacity right now to send the both of us away from here safely. If you stay, you may never escape again. I do not want you to be trapped here, and I do not want you to be harmed. You must leave. I will follow when I have more strength.”

She moved to pull her wrist away again, but Abrial’s fingers only curled tighter.

“No. You’re family to me.” At that word, family, Finley’s face fell slightly. Abrial continued fiercely, not noticing. “You’re — you’re all I have! Finley, what if something bad happens to you if you stay? And, remember what we said? I can’t survive without you! You — I need to stick with you! I want to stay with — ”

“Abrial. If you do not leave, I have done this for nothing.” Finley’s exhaustion hardened into a stern frown. She tenderly placed her other hand on Abrial’s hand that was holding tight to her wrist. “Goodbye, Abrial — for now.”

“Finley — !”

In one smooth motion as quick as a blink, Finley wrenched her arm away from Abrial and pressed her hand onto Abrial’s bare collarbone.

Suddenly, an enormous wind gusted through the room, howling through the doorway like the roar of a dragon. It lifted Abrial off her feet, pressing her robes against her skin and sending her flying backwards towards the windows, her breath ripped away by the tempest.

Finley gazed after her, hazel eyes glittering in pain. She had gone pale as snow.

That was the last Abrial saw of her before she was swept out the window and out over the paradise gardens, screaming in rage and protest.