JONEA“Okay, since you asked, why not? I happen to have a job, too. This afternoon, I met Armand. He has three jobs for me that I must finish simultaneously.”“Armand? The man from the auction?” I asked.“Yeah, the man who brought us together at the auction. He said there were three jobs that they had a hard time handling. That’s why he gave them to me.”“Three? That’s a lot.”“Are you ready, Jonea?” Daran asked as he held out his left hand for me to hold.I nodded at him. Then, the wind rolled around us and enveloped our bodies. Next, we moved. When I landed, a gust of cold wind pierced my entire body.Daran hugged my waist and held me from falling. “Are you okay?”The wind slowly died, and I began adapting to the new environment. I still needed to get used to moving places like this. When I looked around, Daran and I were on a hilltop. There were only a few trees there except for thin grass and bushes.When we were on campus, it was night. Now that we were here, the sky looked brigh
JONEA“Oh, yeah, I… Nothing,” I said to Daran.I started running after him. I asked the cat when standing next to Daran and the black cat. “So where is your king?”“The one next to you,” the black cat replied.I was confused and looked to the side. Apparently, it was a snow-white cat with beautiful, thick fur perched on the fence of a stone house. The cat had odd-eyed eyes, one blue and the other yellow.“Good afternoon, lycan king and his apprentice!”“So you are the king of the cats here?”“Yes, my name is Snowy. I am a female cat, but I am their leader. You must be the red moon girl.”“My name is Jonea Rawling, you can call me Jonea.”“Okay, Jonia. I was just wondering what kind of person this stupid lycan would want to marry.”“Shut up, you ugly cat!” Daran said in annoyance.Watching their argument, I could only grin awkwardly. What did they say? Bride? Had news of me really spread to the corners of the wizarding world?“Thank goodness you’re here,” Snowy said. “I wouldn’t know w
JONEA“Jonea! Jonea!?”Someone called my name several times.“Daran?” I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling beside me.“Sorry, I’m late,” Daran said while hugging me.My body, which had been shivering, slowly started to warm up. I could feel the energy coming from Daran’s body and flowing into mine. Suddenly, I coughed and vomited a lot of water.“Can you breathe?” Daran asked.“Yes,” I answered while holding back the burning sensation in my chest.The cats approached and surrounded us.“What about the person who threw Jonea into the lake?” Daran asked the cats.“She suddenly disappeared after emitting a dazzling light. I don’t know if it was magic or not,” said the black cat.Daran was silent for a moment, then stood up straight. “I feel traces of magic energy all over this place. It seems like someone else wants to disturb us.”Daran reached out and helped me up.“I actually want you to rest, but I have a task for you, Jonea.”“For me?”“We need to do something about that soon,” Dar
DARAN CARVER“No wonder I smelled a familiar scent. It was you, L.”“It’s surprising that you still remember my name. It seems like you take good care of my twin sister.”The silver-haired young man turned to Jonea with a look that I couldn’t understand the meaning of. So he’s the silver moon man? He’s been disguised as a hybrid all this time. I didn’t think he was Jonea’s twin brother. How stupid of me. I didn’t even realize it all this time.“Is it because Jonea is your most valuable experimental material, Lycan king?” L stared at me sharply, and his voice almost trembled as if he was holding back anger.“Miller, what do you mean? Experimental material?” Jonea shouted.“Haven’t I tried to tell you several times, Jonea? To always be careful and alert to the creatures around you, including this wizard who claims to be the king of the lycans!” L, aka Miller, shouted while pointing at me. “I also reminded you that night in the warehouse to get out of there immediately!”Meanwhile, Jonea
JONEA RAWLINGWhen I woke up, I was already in Daran's arms. Daran walked carefully under the moonlight that night. The jeverics jumped around us, and the cats saw us off."Miller?" I asked in a panic."Calm down, Jonea. Don't move or you'll hurt yourself. You need to restore your energy.""But, where is Miller? What happened to him?""He's fine. Like you asked, I didn't even touch him at all. After you managed to neutralize the magic energy in the lake, you fell unconscious. At that time Miller left with the girl who came with him.""Really?" I muttered softly.There were still many things I wanted to ask Miller, but I never had the chance to talk to him. I relaxed the muscles all over my body and leaned back into Daran's chest."Daran?""Yes, Jonea, what's wrong?"“Did you just erase my memory?”Daran’s footsteps immediately stopped. He looked down to look at me from behind his mask. While I could only see Daran’s expressionless mask.“Why do you think that?” Daran asked.“When we j
JONEA RAWLINGI put the ring back in my coat pocket until the car stopped at a cemetery. Daran got out first. While I was still sitting in the car, looking once again at the velvet box containing the ring Daran gave me.A small piece of paper containing a handwritten note was apparently under the ring.[The right index finger is helpful as a pointer. PS. You still need to get ready for the ring on the left!]I smiled, reading it. Eve must have left this note without Daran’s knowledge. My cheeks became hot from holding back the shame. I no longer hesitated and immediately put the ring on my right index finger.How stupid of me! Why did I fall for Daran’s seduction? How could he give me a proposal ring? Even the way he gave this ring didn’t seem romantic at all. Of course, this ring had a different meaning. Why did I get my hopes up like this?“Jonea, get off!” Daran asked while opening the door.I was shocked and quickly got out.“Look, we’re here. That is the cemetery and on the right
OWEN RIVERSI opened my eyes and smelled the smoke from burning agarwood plants. It turned out that I was sleeping with Jonea’s feet as a pillow. I immediately sat up straight. Only then did I realize that my body was still in wolf form? Maybe because I was injured.“Are you awake?” Jonea greeted. “I’ve put up protective runes and burned magic barriers. Those strange creatures won’t come for a while.”“Where are we?” I asked.I still couldn’t return my body to human form, maybe because of the effects of the magic that was still mixed in my body.“In the forest around the cemetery,” Jonea answered, stroking my jaw. “Are you feeling better? I put some medicine on your wound. It might not help much, but it’s not bleeding anymore.”“Why are you alone here? Where’s Uncle?” I immediately became alert.“Ah, he’s on his way.”I growled and showed my annoyance to Jonea. “You shouldn’t have come here. It seems like Uncle was also fooled. Who gave you that task? Auction? I doubt they don’t know
JONEA“As you said, there is a strange man who is threatening us,” Arabel said. “He even took one of L’s hands as collateral.”“No wonder,” Daran muttered.“Please, do something for him!” Arabel pleaded, kneeling at Daran’s feet.“What’s in it for me?”“He already has a chimera running around,” Arabel continued. “The corpse over there and his wounds were all caused by his chimera.”“You mean Owen was injured?” Daran looked at Owen and me alternately. “Is that true?” Then I nodded in agreement.“I got a mission to get the black dog guarding the tomb, but it seems the black dog is your friend.”“He’s my nephew!” Daran said.“Well, you’ve indirectly involved yourself with the guard dog. So, the girl’s life could be in danger.”“Okay, I don’t mind! I’ll help you.”“Huh?” Arabel was shocked and confused.“Why are you so surprised?” Daran asked casually.“Oh, no, I just didn’t expect you to agree so quickly.”“Everything happened before my eyes, even involving my family. If I just let it be
JONEAI sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling the warmth of Daran’s chest that had been my resting place moments ago. Now, I’d put a small distance between us. My heart was full of questions, but I didn’t know where to start.“So all this time, you thought I was afraid of you?” I asked, breaking the silence.Daran turned toward me, his dark eyes filled with doubt. “Isn’t that true?” he replied. “For humans and other creatures—especially werewolves—my kind is terrifying. That’s why they’re always trying to kill or get rid of lycans like me.”I shook my head softly, my heart heavy from his words. There was sadness he didn’t show, but I could feel it. His dark eyes carried a loneliness that made me hesitate to touch him, even though I wanted to.“No,” I said firmly, though my voice wavered slightly. “You’re not scary at all.”Daran raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Oh? Is that so?”I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Actually, you’re… too handsome. It makes it hard to
JONEAI couldn’t answer Aland’s question. My lips felt sealed, every word I wanted to say stuck in my throat. Something heavy weighed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.The room was suffocatingly quiet, the only sound being Aland’s ragged breaths, full of emotion. I couldn’t stay in there a second longer.Quickly, I got up from the bed, grabbing a blanket to cover myself, and stepped out of the treehouse. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I didn’t care.Ahead of me, a small, crystal-clear pond caught my eye. The moonlight shimmered on its surface, creating an almost calming scene. Kneeling by the edge, I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it on my face.That’s when something strange happened.The calm breeze around me suddenly turned wild, swirling fiercely. My hair whipped around my face, and I had to close my eyes against the sudden burst of dust. The soft rustle of leaves grew into a deafening roar, like a storm appearing out of nowhere.“What is this...?” I whisp
JONEAWhen the reindeer sleigh stopped, I froze, staring at the giant tree in front of me. It towered so high the top was barely visible, and its trunk was so wide it looked like it could hold an entire village inside. The tree felt alive, glowing faintly from the cracks in its bark, radiating a magical aura that was both calming and mesmerizing.But the most shocking part wasn’t the tree—it was the scene around it. Dragons of all sizes roamed the area. Some floated gracefully in the air, while others moved on the ground, their massive forms exuding a kind of elegance I never thought possible.As soon as we stepped off the sleigh, every dragon there froze for a moment, then bowed deeply in respect. Their gazes were fixed on Aland, reverent, as if they worshipped him.“Dragon King!” one of the dragons roared, its deep voice echoing in the air.I froze. “Dragon King?” I whispered, staring at Aland in confusion.He gave me a small smile and extended his hand, inviting me into the magnifi
JONEAI froze, staring at the giant figure before me, my eyes wide in disbelief. The blue dragon stood tall and proud, exuding power but not menace. Its shimmering scales gleamed under the moonlight, reminding me of the Dragon’s Tear pendant Aland gave me. Unfortunately, the pendant had lost its radiant blue hue and turned dark.“Who… are you?” I stammered, my voice trembling, a mix of awe and fear.“I am the Mountain Dragon,” it replied, its deep voice rumbling like an earthquake. “I’ve come for you, Jonea. Come with me, and I’ll explain everything.”Before I could respond, Owen had already stepped in front of me, his body tense. His claws glinted sharply in the moonlight. “You’re not laying a finger on her!” he growled, his tone threatening.The dragon snorted, irritated but unfazed. “Hey, little lycan, stay out of this. I’m not going to hurt her. I just need her for something important. I’ll bring her back when it’s done.”“No way!” Owen snapped, his voice rising in anger. “You thi
DARANThat night felt cold, even though the wind barely stirred. I stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the dark forest below, trying to calm my restless mind. The usual soothing sounds of nature now felt foreign, as if they were hiding something.Eve emerged from the shadows, her steps quiet and measured. She always had that presence—soft yet unpredictable. She stopped a few feet from me, studying my face as if looking for answers I wasn’t even aware I was hiding.“You okay?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.I nodded, even though peace was the farthest thing from my heart.Eve sighed, clearly unconvinced. “Daran, I know this is weighing on you. But you can’t keep going like this.”I turned my gaze toward the forest, avoiding her piercing eyes. But she didn’t back down.“I think all this is happening because you’ve lived too long,” she said softly, her tone gentler. “When you’ve been through so much, it gets hard to tell what’s real and what’s just shadows of your fears.”
JONEALate nights in the art gallery always felt weird, like another world was alive among the shadows of the paintings and sculptures around me. But still, I chose to be here. The dim lights reflecting softly on the canvas before me offered a sliver of peace.I was still working on a drawing assignment for class. A few other students were scattered around, busy with their own projects, but the place was growing quiet. Even though I was tired, this was better than dwelling on the strange events from last night—and the mysterious guest who, for some reason, felt oddly familiar.Daran and Owen refused to talk about it. I tried pressing them, but they clammed up, even changing the subject to avoid my questions. Frustrated, I gave up and decided to bury myself in my work at the gallery, hoping it would drown out the unease that kept creeping back.But as I lifted my brush to the canvas, my mind couldn’t stop replaying that night: the words of the man in the dark cloak, the tension radiati
JONEAThe silence in the house that night was suffocating, yet strangely boring at the same time. After watching some random TV show—so dull I couldn’t even remember its name—I gave up and turned it off. Sitting alone in the living room like this made time crawl unbearably slow.Daran still hadn’t come back since leaving without a word. Not unusual for him, but it still ticked me off. At least Owen was around, though he’d been locked in his room for hours, buried in his gaming console. I sighed, long and loud.I tried lying down in bed, hoping sleep would finally take over, but all I felt was restless. This weird feeling, like something was lurking nearby, kept gnawing at me.Dragging myself up lazily, I decided to make some warm milk in the kitchen. Maybe that would help kill this boredom.As I stepped out of my room, though, the air around me suddenly shifted. A gust of wind swept through, even though all the doors and windows were tightly shut. I froze, confused.And that’s when, o
EVANGELISTAThe wind atop this building was fierce, biting my skin like a thousand sharp needles. Yet, I stood firm. In front of me, a handsome man stood tall, his back straight. His silhouette appeared calm, but there was something unsettling in the way he gazed at the city lights below.“I didn’t think you’d find me,” he said, not bothering to turn. His voice was low and heavy, each word carrying an enigmatic echo.I glanced at his shadow on the concrete. In a flash, it shifted—from human form into that of a massive dragon. His body remained human, but his shadow told a different story.I wasn’t reckless. Cautiously, I stepped to his side, my hand ready to reach for my weapon at any moment.“Long time no see, Lycan,” the man greeted, glancing at me. A faint smile touched his lips—not warm, but laced with something darker.“Don’t underestimate me,” I replied coolly. “I came here as a warlord.”The man chuckled, the sound mocking. “Then act like one. Do your duty on the battlefield, i
DARANOn the way back home, my mind kept returning to what Jonea had told me earlier. When she mentioned meeting a strange man in the paint shop, I immediately got a bad feeling. There was something she said that struck a chord: the black mark on the man's forehead."Jonea," I broke the silence. "Can you describe the man you saw at the paint shop?"Jonea looked at me for a moment, probably noticing how serious I was. She paused, as if she was piecing her memory back together.“I don’t know, Daran. It all happened so fast,” she muttered. “He... was right behind me when I accidentally bumped into him. And when I looked at him, I was shocked. I don’t know how to explain it... but he had this strange kind of handsomeness, something out of the ordinary. It was like there was something eternal and timeless in his face. But the most disturbing thing was the black mark on his forehead. It was so dark, different from the ones I’ve seen before.”I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but