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ynlife · 2 years

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"WHISPERS BEHIND THE WALL": V X MC +DANGER RAY CHAPTER ONE

"MC plays house with Ray, whilst V works undercover, whispering to her in snatched moments behind the castle walls. "

TW: Obsessive creepy behavior, toxic relationship.

I can never get enough of writing about this dynamic between V, MC and Ray apparently. Likes, reblogs and comments are appreciated! The Tipping option is also now available if you want to support me financially xx

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MC'S POV

I arrange everything carefully in the picnic basket. Cookies, cakes and sandwiches, cooled drinks and napkins, oranges and strawberries...

The warmth of the sun is intense and beating down through the windows behind me. Summer has arrived at the Mint Eye Castle, but even the beauty of the season cannot disguise the truth.

A light, but precise knock at the door makes me freeze.

I straighten up and smooth down my clothes.

"Come in."

The doorknob twists and Ray enters my room.

"______" He says, his eyes glowing in their sockets.

He bows with immaculate posture, one hand against his chest, and the other fist against his back.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Of course."

He nods, rising back to his full height, regarding me with an eerily soft expression.

"You look so beautiful"

I'm wearing a strap top and denim shorts, with a silk headband and white sandals.

"Thank you."

"Allow me." He takes the picnic basket from me and we walk together out of the room and down the hall.

"did you bake the cookies yourself?"

He knows full well that the maid made all of this; I have no access to anywhere else in the castle besides my own rooms, and the gardens ( and only with his permission.) But he's playing house and I am in no position to try and disrupt that delusion, so I smile for him:

"Of course."

"They look wonderful."

The corridors are empty, but every security camera gradually turns and follows our movement like magnets as we pass underneath them. I wonder where the usual sentries are...if they've been told to watch from a distance.

Ray hums a tune as we approach the end of the floor, swiping his key card at the door.

"After you, my beloved."

I go ahead of him just like he asks.

I know better than to try and run, he's confident of that.

We make our way through more corridors and endless security doors, Ray swiping and flipping his card for what feels like forever until we come to the top of the grand staircase.

This room is easily one of the most magnificent in the castle, with mint blue carpets trailing down the stairs, white pillars supporting hallowed walls and chandeliers glittering in the celling.

There are Believers moving all around the hall below us, heads low; some with purpose and confidence, others with slurring steps, eyes glazed over.

I avert my eyes, trying not to visibly react.

Ray shuts the door behind us with a bang and everyone jumps, staring at us.

There is complete silence.

Ray offers me his other gloved hand and I take it at once, pressing my lips together into a thin line.

As we make our descent down the stairs, the Believers part like the red sea, allowing us full passage through the hall.

I glance at Ray as we reach the bottom of the stairs, unsurprised to see him jutting his chin forward like a peacock, almost strutting.

"For eternal paradise," He says to the watching crowd, almost sneering.

"For eternal paradise," They mumble back.

The guards open the French doors to the gardens, bowing in respect and I lower my heart shaped sunglasses as the white sunshine hits us with full force.

Birds twitter gently in the manicured trees, fountains play nearby, flowers blossom and bloom, attracting butterflies and bees to their nectar. In many areas the grass has yellowed and dried out from the heat, but I can distinctly see Believers in the distance fixing the sprinkles, sweating in their robes.

I imagine that Ray's savior wouldn't have it any other way...

"I've already picked out the perfect picnic spot for us." Ray gives my hand a squeeze and leads me down the stone steps onto the gravel path.

"How nice." I answer monosyllabically.

We wind around the flowers and the shrubbery, in and out the orchard until we arrive on the lawn.

Ray releases my hand briefly to point at a cherry blossom tree ahead.

"I spent two hours yesterday selecting this spot. No other area of the gardens is more perfect than this."

He strides ahead confidently, still taking care with the picnic basket whilst I follow quietly in his wake, still being pulled by his hand.

Ray is like a string, stretching to it's limit across a vacuum.

One day he will snap and I am terrified of what will happen when he does.

Ray lays the basket down on the ground, then spreads a pink picnic blanket over the grass with a flourish.

"Is that good?" He asks me, eyes bright.

"Yes, that's fine."

I carefully kneel down onto the blanket and remove my sunglasses, breathing a sigh of relief from the cool of the tree's shade. Ray follows suit, reclining on his side in front of me, beaming:

"I knew it was perfect. I calculated the optimal position of the sun today and the tree with the most amount of shade."

I give him a small smile: "That's really clever, Ray."

His face lights up, and he rests his head on his arms, gazing up at me with a little smile quirking his lips. The sunlight peppers through the leaves, glinting at the shighlights in his hair, pink petals floating around us in the light breeze.

My heart aches at how picturesque it all seems.

If only...

If only we were sat in a park, far away from here.

Maybe somewhere back in Seoul...

Somewhere where Ray was allowed to fully be himself.

No elixir, no Savior, no high castle walls or key carded doors.

A place where we can both be free.

I can't help but suddenly remember those lyrics from the musical 'Wicked':

"Don't wish, don't start

Wishing only wounds the heart."

From a distance I can see three believers slowly trudging towards us through the gardens, coming to stand in a line a few yards away from us.

They must be sweltering in those robes in this heat.

How many more of them are being forced to work outside like this until they drop?

I lower my eyes and open the picnic basket, taking out the fruit, plates, cups and goodies.

"I love strawberries." I say, stupidly.

"Me too! Shall we start with those first?" Ray carefully takes out the cream from it's place by the icepacks and starts dividing the strawberries into bowls for us both, pouring the cream over delicately.

"Thank you."

I replace my sunglasses over my eyes and eat the strawberries and cream, spooning them into my mouth quickly to force back the tears.

*****

An hour later the three Believer guards finish their shift, and three more replace them.

A strand of blue hair flutters out of the dark hood...

Intense, worried eyes capturing mine...

V...

It's him...

My heart pounds so hard, pushing forward in my chest.

That night where he exposed the truth...the moment he had put his body in between me and that elixir...

And then much later...when he had revealed himself to me again on the phone … His vow to rescue me from this place whilst he remained undercover...

For him to be standing this close among the other gaurds … like this... was more than a little risky.

I lower my eyes, praying that no flicker of recognition has appeared on my face, my heart beating painfully.

But as ever, Ray has noticed something.

"What is it?" He looks at me and then at the guards: "Are you bothered by their presence, my angel?"

"Not at all, Ray. I was just surprised to see more of them here."

He looks back at me.

"I understand. But as you know I have had to increase our security, it is unfortunate...but necessary." He clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"But surely I am safe by now. It has been weeks since the incident happened."

Ray gave me a sad smile, resting his chin on his arms.

"You are too kind and too pure to realize how much danger you are in, my beloved. But perhaps that is for the best, I would not want these things to keep you up at night."

He stretches out his gloved hand towards me, as if to caress my face, then pauses.

I felt my breath become a little heavy.

"May I....touch you?"

I blink rapidly.

V is still watching, and listening, only a matter of steps away.

I stay silent, my shoulders tense.

Ray's hand falls back onto the blanket, limp and defeated.

He looks down, his shoulders trembling a little

"_______, do you....hate me?"

"No." I answer immediately.

"You're lying to make me feel better," He mumbles.

"Ray don't be ridiculous," I sigh.

He cringes away from the sharpness in my voice and I close my eyes, gathering patience....and courage.

"Ray...I don't hate you at all. It's just that it's hard for me to be physically intimate with you after.....that night."

That wasn't a lie at least.

I let my words hang in the air, watching him lying there with his face still pressed in the blanket, letting him process what I had said. If he knew I was still secretly in contact with the RFA....if he knew that V and I had stayed up to talk in hushed voices over the phone...

My eyes wander back to V and the other two believers, and was surprised to notice that all of them were looking at me now, with concern.

"You there!" Ray's sharp voice made us all jump.

No...oh god no...

"Yes, Mr Ray?" The one on V's right says, barely concealing his fear.

"Come here."

"Y-yes...Mr Ray."

The believer steps over to us, stooping in a clumsy bow.

"Were you staring at Miss ______?" Ray demands.

"N-No, sir. Not in t-t-that way!"

Ray's entire body jerks as if he has been whipped.

"What do you mean in, that way?"

"Ray, please!" I shuffle close to him on my knees: "The man was just doing his job, leave him be."

Ray pauses, tilting his head a degree in my direction.

"Ray..." I slip my hand into his: "It's a beautiful day, let's not spoil it."

He stares down at our hands:

"Okay..."

I smile for him again, and immediately everything is forgotten. He waves his hand imperiously to the believer to dismiss him, and the poor man shuffles back into place, giving me a grateful look as he went.

V shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

My eyes found his across the grass, and saw that his face was contorted with...was it sadness? Anger? It was difficult to tell.

---------------------------------------------

V'S POV

His violent temper never fails to shock me, despite all the time I've spent being here undercover.

And It only serves to make me more anxious about ______'s safety.

I've taken every shift I can to try and get closer to them, to analyze their routine and figure out an escape route, but every day I can see the window of freedom closing inch by inch.

It wouldn't be long before another elixir was made, and this time..

I clench my jaw, unable to even imagine it.

No.

I would succeed in my mission and rescue this young lady from this terrible place.

I look at her under the blossom tree, a spiraling tug in my chest.

She was no more than an innocent pawn in a chess game, her once normal, peaceful life snatched before her eyes; ruthlessly tricked by Rika and this lost boy.

But I respect her in her abilities to placate him.

I'm certain that the only other person who had this much power over him, is Rika... And if Mint Eye's leader was to discover exactly how much sway ______ had... we'd be in a different kind of trouble.

My eyes flicker to the believer Saeran had just screamed at.

All across Magenta, people were talking about 'The Special Believer' , in hushed whispers; behind locked doors and through holes in the wall, during night shifts in the dark or in the bathrooms away from the cameras.

There were questions of the Savior's intentions for this girl, even inquiries on whether this person was being instructed on becoming the Savior's Heir if something was to go wrong with either her or 'Master Ray.' Why else would she be kept away from all the other Believers and guarded day and night? Why else would she have allegedly been given her own special mission by 'Mr Ray?'

In my time listening to all these conversations, I had discovered that there was no malice or anger targeted towards _____ in these discussions. On the contrary, the Believers genuinely seemed to like her, and after what I had just witnessed with her defending this poor man, I could imagine why.

But this couldn't be more threatening to Rika's power.

One wrong move, and Rika's wrath would consume our innocent party coordinator.

Although....

I gaze at Saeran's hungry expression across the grass, his eyes focused entirely on the girl.

If Rika was provoked in such a way, what would Saeran do? What obsession would win out? Where exactly would his loyalties land? With his Savior, or the girl he loves?

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Ray's POV

I flick my eyes over to the believers, irritated.

I had completely forgotten they were there and their presence was starting to get in my way.

"Leave us." I dismiss them.

They bow, and walk away across the grass back towards the castle.

"Ray I think I've had enough for today." _____ said abruptly.

"Oh."

I feel my insides shrivel with disappointment.

_____ began to put things back into the picnic hamper.

"Don't trouble yourself with it." I say quickly, sitting up straighter: "I can do this for you."

She pauses, chewing her lip.

"_____, you don't have to do anything anymore." I take her hand in mine again, glowing at how soft her skin feels.

"Don't you see? You're in paradise with me now. You are the princess of my kingdom, and you will be treated as such..."

My thumb stroked the back of her palm.

"Forever...."

She does not reply, staring straight through our hands, her eyes clouded over.

"What is it?"

Still silence.

My throat dried up.

"Why aren't you happy, ______?"

"Ray...."

Her eyes seem to sharpen, and she finally looked me straight in the eye.

"There is something I want."

"Name it." I press.

"I want to come to the gardens whenever I want."

"But you already-"

"Without your permission."

I tilt my head.

"Why?"

"I feel...." She swallows.

"I feel..stifled. Trapped..."

My mouth drops: "But you are not trapped! You are protected."

"I will consent to having believers accompany me in the garden. But I want to come here anytime I want." She continues as if she hadn't heard me.

She slides her hand awat and I flex my fingers a little.

"This will not be easy to discuss with the savior."

She watches me, and I recognize that she has caught the lie.

"I will do whatever you ask of me...But I cannot let anything bad happen to you."

"Ray something bad is already happening to me!" She cried out: "I'm so miserable, stuck in my rooms all day unless you give permission for me to go anywhere!"

Then she bursts into tears and my heart shatters into millions of pieces.

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MC'S POV

It wasn't entirely a performance anymore, the tears were real and full of anger, grief, bitterness and frustration.

"No, no, no, no!" He cries panicked, scrabbling in his breast pocket for his magenta handkerchief: "Please, my love....take this and dry your eyes."

I take it and cover my face with it.

"Please don't cry!" He begs: "Oh I can't stand it! What have I done?"

His own tears fall thick and fast down his cheeks.

"A-Alright! I'll do it! I'll ask the savior if I can get you authorization. But please, please don't cry any more!"

I take a few staggering, heavy breaths, gazing at him with swimming eyes.

"You promise? This isn't just another empty-"

"Yes, my angel, I promise. Of course!" He rises up onto his knees, gripping my shoulders.

"If this is what will make you happy and love me then I'll do it at once!"

He packs everything back into the basket at lightning speed.

"I will ask the Savior in our meeting tonight."

"....Thank you, Ray."

*****

When I return to my rooms, and the door finally closes behind me; I am at last able to cry and scream into my pillow without restraint or pretense, cursing Mint Eye and everything about it.

I was such an idiot for agreeing to come here.

It's incredible that I was willing to sacrifice so much for the promise of a job and a roof over my head.

So pathetic.

As I roll over, sniffing and wiping away the tears, I hear a notification chime from my phone.

It's from V.

My heart leaps in excitement and I eagerly tap in my password, unlocking my phone to see what the message could be.

"Window." The Text simply reads.

I get out of bed as casually as I can, mindful of the camera still watching me from the corner and look out the window and across the gardens below, painted orange in the twilight.

Another text:

"Wall."

My eyes fall on the ivy covered stone wall, bordering the edges of the garden and my insides scramble.

I tip tap a text back:

"When?"

I see the three dots, showing that he's typing.

"Wait."

I stare, my eyes growing sore in the phone's white light.

How much longer do I have to wait, V? I whisper.

I don't know how much longer I can hold Ray, at bay.

Then I get my answer.

"Three days. 9:30 PM"

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THREE DAYS LATER

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Ray's POV

I watch her from the tower window, wandering through the gardens in her white dress with flowers in her hair.

It's much cooler tonight than it was on the day of our picnic, the sun setting over the castle across a lilac sky. Our home is always beautiful, but in the golden hour it becomes almost too stunning to bear.

And as the orange glow filters down into the gardens, _____ closes her eyes and dances slowly on the spot, swaying in a strange, dream like way.

Like a beautiful ghost.

My Angel.

I lean forward a little, trying to imagine what kind of music must be playing inside her head.

I press my fingers against the glass, my nail tapping slowly.

Under my command, there's a Believer observing her every movement from a distance.

The gardens are secure beyond measure, making my treasure safe from harm.

He will never touch her as long as I can help it.

I look at her dress again.

It was off the shoulders slightly, leaving her collarbones exposed, with lacey sleeves and a puffy skirt.

She looks so....so beautiful...

"You grow too obsessive."

"My savior!" I bowed quickly, after springing from my window seat.

She emerges from the shadows, the last rays of sunlight from the window hitting her golden hair.

"The girl gave a request and I have granted it. She's under the watch of our trusted Believers, Ray. You have nothing to fear."

"But...what if...he..." I can barely stand to think of that person: "... comes back?"

"Our security is second to none."

She surveys me: "Unless of course, you yourself are distracted. "

"Never, my savior! Never!"

The Savior smiles, but it is not a welcoming one.

"Stop watching the girl and start watching your computers."

She steps closer and I balk a little.

"We have a mission to do. Remember. your. place."

I bow again, my fringe falling over my eyes.

"Yes....my Savior."

She glides away, back into the darkness.

As soon as she's out of sight, I push back the curtains; my eyes darting about the garden, looking for my princess...only to find that she has already disappeared into another part of the gardens.

I let the drapes fall.

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MC'S POV

I walk past the hedge maze towards the fringes of the garden, trying to ignore the Believer strolling a few paces behind me, my eyes leaving no nook or cranny unturned.

The walls surrounding Mint Eye were about twenty feet tall and made up of impressive grey stone. But there were areas where the stones were wearing away....crumbling and decaying.

Then...I notice it.

A chalk mark on one of the bricks in the wall, so subtle that only someone who was looking would be able to see it.

This must be the spot.

I turn.

"Would it be alright if you got me a glass of water?" I ask the Believer.

He halts and shifts his feet nervously, too afraid to even make eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry Miss, but I can't leave you on your own."

"There are several security cameras in this area right?"

"Well yes, but-"

"What's your name, Believer?"

His eyes widen.

"I have given it up for Eternal paradise. I am 0078 now."

Beneath the hood, he has stringy blonde hair and a thin, young face with huge blue eyes.

He could easily be the same age as Yoosung...

It makes my chest squeeze painfully.

"Okay." I take a deep breath.

"078...there are two security cameras nearby. I will still be under the protection of faithful brothers and sisters whilst you are helping me..."

"Mr Ray would have me punished for disobeying orders." He shudders.

This poor, poor kid.

"Not if you're just getting me something to drink. That is not worthy of punishment, surely?" I try to give him a reassuring smile: "And I will speak to Mr Ray if he is angered by this in any way."

The boy bows his head, eyes on the ground.

"I am but a lowly soldier, Ma'am. And you are the Special Believer. Please do not trouble yourself."

The sun sinks away across the horizon, gradually pulling it's golden light with her.

"That may be my title but I am no more special than any other person here. Please...don't be afraid of me."

He raises his eyes an inch off the ground.

"I will stay here by the wall, you have nothing to worry about."

He licks his lip.

"Part of my duties is to get you what you need if you ask for it..."

He hesitates.

"And this does count as part of that...."

I nod, trying to conceal my excitement.

"Very well, I will go to one of the others and ask them to get you some refreshment."

"Thank you, 0078."

He bows and retreats slowly from me, giving me one last uncertain look before he disappears around the hedge, out of sight.

As soon as he's gone I let out a deep breath, then walk as casually as I can over to the chalk spot on the wall, my eyes on the two security cameras.

A blind spot! V you're a genius. I think in delight, realizing that they didn't angle far enough over onto this part of the wall.

"_____" there is a whisper through the wall, barely more than a murmur.

"V!" I press myself up against the stone as if it was an oasis in the desert: "Can you hear me??"

"Yes."

A brick slowly slides out place, and moonlight slants over V's face.

Even in those robes there was something so handsome about him.

"_____..." His own eyes scrutinize my face: "Are you well? Is everything alright."

"Yes," I glance over my shoulder quickly: "But I don't have much time."

"Of course."

"Are you well too?"

"Yes. As you've seen I'm now with security. I've managed to time my patrols so we can meet like this."

"Well done."

"It is I who should be congratulating you. You managed to convince the Savior and Sae- I mean... Ray, to let you go to the gardens anytime you want. This gives us much more of a chance in getting you out of here!"

"I just felt so suffocated in there, I had to do something or I was going to go mad!"

"No matter why or how you did it, it's another thing in our favor...and it gave me an idea."

"You have a plan?"

"Perhaps...but I can't currently tell how helpful it is. Is there any way for you to ask Ray for other things?"

"Like what?"

"Would you be able to win his trust enough for you to get your own keycard?"

"He told me that I'd only get that via taking the elixir." I roll my eyes: "It was somewhere in his bs speech that night."

"But if you can persuade him to bend the rules for you..."

"V I..." I swallow.

"I don't know how possible that is. I feel like he'll snap over anything sometimes. I think I'm only safe because he lo-"

I cut myself off.

I can't bring myself to say it out loud.

"Yes, I know." V's tone is cold all of a sudden, almost annoyed.

"V?"

"Apologies, ______. I just worry about his...attachment to you. I don't think it's healthy."

"Well, you're right. Its definitely not." My eyes roam around the garden again.

"Is there anything I can do to protect you from...that?" V asks, but we both know the answer before he's even finished speaking.

"For now I can manage it. But if things..." I pause and start again: "I'll send you and the RFA some kind of signal that I need to get out ASAP."

"Let's hope it never comes to that, and I can get you out of here on the low down as much as possible."

"Wouldn't it be better to just...talk to them all? If you explained that I'm-"

"I don't think that's possible." V cuts me off.

An owl hoots in the distance.

"Why not?" I say as calmly as I can, surprised at how angry I suddenly am.

"You know how much panic this would create in the RFA chat rooms...I want to keep them all safe, just as much as I want to rescue you."

"By keeping them in the dark about the truth?" I retort.

"_____ I've explained to you how complicated this all is." He responds.

"Not really actually. You've dropped excuses and circled around the issue for weeks."

He's quiet for a while, so much so that I wonder if he's left.

"V...?" I ask into the dark warily.

"I'm still here, sorry."

He takes a deep breath:

"I understand how impatient you must feel about all this. And I'm so....so sorry that my terrible choices have put you in this position. But please trust me for a bit longer. And the more you can gain Ray's trust, the more I may be able to do for you. So please keep me updated."

"Okay..."

I hear voices and movement nearby and I see V's back stiffen.

"Our time is up. Take care of yourself, ____."

The brick roughly slides back into place and I step away from the wall, a hollow feeling in my chest.

The same owl hoots again the distance.

I wander back across the grass, coming back into view under those security cameras.

I picture the Believers breathing a sigh of relief behind the screen, watching me return to my rooms through every angle imaginable.

#jihyun x mc #Ray x mc x V #Danger!Ray #ray x reader #ray x mc #mystic messenger #mystic messenger fanfiction #jihyun kim x reader #ray mm #mysme rfa #mm #Yandere ray

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ynlife · 2 years

Text

"WHISPERS BEHIND THE WALL": V X MC +DANGER RAY CHAPTER ONE

"MC plays house with Ray, whilst V works undercover, whispering to her in snatched moments behind the castle walls. "

TW: Obsessive creepy behavior, toxic relationship.

____________________________________________

MC'S POV

I arrange everything carefully in the picnic basket. Cookies, cakes and sandwiches, cooled drinks and napkins, oranges and strawberries...

The warmth of the sun is intense and beating down through the windows behind me. Summer has arrived at the Mint Eye Castle, but even the beauty of the season cannot disguise the truth.

A light, but precise knock at the door makes me freeze.

I straighten up and smooth down my clothes.

"Come in."

The doorknob twists and Ray enters my room.

"______" He says, his eyes glowing in their sockets.

He bows with immaculate posture, one hand against his chest, and the other fist against his back.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Of course."

He nods, rising back to his full height, regarding me with an eerily soft expression.

"You look so beautiful"

I'm wearing a strap top and denim shorts, with a silk headband and white sandals.

"Thank you."

"Allow me." He takes the picnic basket from me and we walk together out of the room and down the hall.

"did you bake the cookies yourself?"

"Of course."

"They look wonderful."

Ray hums a tune as we approach the end of the floor, swiping his key card at the door.

"After you, my beloved."

I go ahead of him just like he asks.

I know better than to try and run, he's confident of that.

We make our way through more corridors and endless security doors, Ray swiping and flipping his card for what feels like forever until we come to the top of the grand staircase.

This room is easily one of the most magnificent in the castle, with mint blue carpets trailing down the stairs, white pillars supporting hallowed walls and chandeliers glittering in the celling.

There are Believers moving all around the hall below us, heads low; some with purpose and confidence, others with slurring steps, eyes glazed over.

I avert my eyes, trying not to visibly react.

Ray shuts the door behind us with a bang and everyone jumps, staring at us.

There is complete silence.

Ray offers me his other gloved hand and I take it at once, pressing my lips together into a thin line.

As we make our descent down the stairs, the Believers part like the red sea, allowing us full passage through the hall.

I glance at Ray as we reach the bottom of the stairs, unsurprised to see him jutting his chin forward like a peacock, almost strutting.

"For eternal paradise," He says to the watching crowd, almost sneering.

"For eternal paradise," They mumble back.

The guards open the French doors to the gardens, bowing in respect and I lower my heart shaped sunglasses as the white sunshine hits us with full force.

I imagine that Ray's savior wouldn't have it any other way...

"I've already picked out the perfect picnic spot for us." Ray gives my hand a squeeze and leads me down the stone steps onto the gravel path.

"How nice." I answer monosyllabically.

We wind around the flowers and the shrubbery, in and out the orchard until we arrive on the lawn.

Ray releases my hand briefly to point at a cherry blossom tree ahead.

"I spent two hours yesterday selecting this spot. No other area of the gardens is more perfect than this."

He strides ahead confidently, still taking care with the picnic basket whilst I follow quietly in his wake, still being pulled by his hand.

Ray is like a string, stretching to it's limit across a vacuum.

One day he will snap and I am terrified of what will happen when he does.

Ray lays the basket down on the ground, then spreads a pink picnic blanket over the grass with a flourish.

"Is that good?" He asks me, eyes bright.

"Yes, that's fine."

I carefully kneel down onto the blanket and remove my sunglasses, breathing a sigh of relief from the cool of the tree's shade. Ray follows suit, reclining on his side in front of me, beaming:

"I knew it was perfect. I calculated the optimal position of the sun today and the tree with the most amount of shade."

I give him a small smile: "That's really clever, Ray."

My heart aches at how picturesque it all seems.

If only...

If only we were sat in a park, far away from here.

Maybe somewhere back in Seoul...

Somewhere where Ray was allowed to fully be himself.

No elixir, no Savior, no high castle walls or key carded doors.

A place where we can both be free.

I can't help but suddenly remember those lyrics from the musical 'Wicked':

"Don't wish, don't start

Wishing only wounds the heart."

From a distance I can see three believers slowly trudging towards us through the gardens, coming to stand in a line a few yards away from us.

They must be sweltering in those robes in this heat.

How many more of them are being forced to work outside like this until they drop?

I lower my eyes and open the picnic basket, taking out the fruit, plates, cups and goodies.

"I love strawberries." I say, stupidly.

"Thank you."

I replace my sunglasses over my eyes and eat the strawberries and cream, spooning them into my mouth quickly to force back the tears.

*****

An hour later the three Believer guards finish their shift, and three more replace them.

A strand of blue hair flutters out of the dark hood...

Intense, worried eyes capturing mine...

V...

It's him...

My heart pounds so hard, pushing forward in my chest.

That night where he exposed the truth...the moment he had put his body in between me and that elixir...

And then much later...when he had revealed himself to me again on the phone … His vow to rescue me from this place whilst he remained undercover...

For him to be standing this close among the other gaurds … like this... was more than a little risky.

I lower my eyes, praying that no flicker of recognition has appeared on my face, my heart beating painfully.

But as ever, Ray has noticed something.

"What is it?" He looks at me and then at the guards: "Are you bothered by their presence, my angel?"

"Not at all, Ray. I was just surprised to see more of them here."

He looks back at me.

"I understand. But as you know I have had to increase our security, it is unfortunate...but necessary." He clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"But surely I am safe by now. It has been weeks since the incident happened."

Ray gave me a sad smile, resting his chin on his arms.

"You are too kind and too pure to realize how much danger you are in, my beloved. But perhaps that is for the best, I would not want these things to keep you up at night."

He stretches out his gloved hand towards me, as if to caress my face, then pauses.

I felt my breath become a little heavy.

"May I....touch you?"

I blink rapidly.

V is still watching, and listening, only a matter of steps away.

I stay silent, my shoulders tense.

Ray's hand falls back onto the blanket, limp and defeated.

He looks down, his shoulders trembling a little

"_______, do you....hate me?"

"No." I answer immediately.

"You're lying to make me feel better," He mumbles.

"Ray don't be ridiculous," I sigh.

He cringes away from the sharpness in my voice and I close my eyes, gathering patience....and courage.

"Ray...I don't hate you at all. It's just that it's hard for me to be physically intimate with you after.....that night."

That wasn't a lie at least.

My eyes wander back to V and the other two believers, and was surprised to notice that all of them were looking at me now, with concern.

"You there!" Ray's sharp voice made us all jump.

No...oh god no...

"Yes, Mr Ray?" The one on V's right says, barely concealing his fear.

"Come here."

"Y-yes...Mr Ray."

The believer steps over to us, stooping in a clumsy bow.

"Were you staring at Miss ______?" Ray demands.

"N-No, sir. Not in t-t-that way!"

Ray's entire body jerks as if he has been whipped.

"What do you mean in, that way?"

"Ray, please!" I shuffle close to him on my knees: "The man was just doing his job, leave him be."

Ray pauses, tilting his head a degree in my direction.

"Ray..." I slip my hand into his: "It's a beautiful day, let's not spoil it."

He stares down at our hands:

"Okay..."

V shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

My eyes found his across the grass, and saw that his face was contorted with...was it sadness? Anger? It was difficult to tell.

---------------------------------------------

V'S POV

His violent temper never fails to shock me, despite all the time I've spent being here undercover.

And It only serves to make me more anxious about ______'s safety.

I've taken every shift I can to try and get closer to them, to analyze their routine and figure out an escape route, but every day I can see the window of freedom closing inch by inch.

It wouldn't be long before another elixir was made, and this time..

I clench my jaw, unable to even imagine it.

No.

I would succeed in my mission and rescue this young lady from this terrible place.

I look at her under the blossom tree, a spiraling tug in my chest.

She was no more than an innocent pawn in a chess game, her once normal, peaceful life snatched before her eyes; ruthlessly tricked by Rika and this lost boy.

But I respect her in her abilities to placate him.

My eyes flicker to the believer Saeran had just screamed at.

But this couldn't be more threatening to Rika's power.

One wrong move, and Rika's wrath would consume our innocent party coordinator.

Although....

I gaze at Saeran's hungry expression across the grass, his eyes focused entirely on the girl.

If Rika was provoked in such a way, what would Saeran do? What obsession would win out? Where exactly would his loyalties land? With his Savior, or the girl he loves?

---------------------------------

Ray's POV

I flick my eyes over to the believers, irritated.

I had completely forgotten they were there and their presence was starting to get in my way.

"Leave us." I dismiss them.

They bow, and walk away across the grass back towards the castle.

"Ray I think I've had enough for today." _____ said abruptly.

"Oh."

I feel my insides shrivel with disappointment.

_____ began to put things back into the picnic hamper.

"Don't trouble yourself with it." I say quickly, sitting up straighter: "I can do this for you."

She pauses, chewing her lip.

"_____, you don't have to do anything anymore." I take her hand in mine again, glowing at how soft her skin feels.

"Don't you see? You're in paradise with me now. You are the princess of my kingdom, and you will be treated as such..."

My thumb stroked the back of her palm.

"Forever...."

She does not reply, staring straight through our hands, her eyes clouded over.

"What is it?"

Still silence.

My throat dried up.

"Why aren't you happy, ______?"

"Ray...."

Her eyes seem to sharpen, and she finally looked me straight in the eye.

"There is something I want."

"Name it." I press.

"I want to come to the gardens whenever I want."

"But you already-"

"Without your permission."

I tilt my head.

"Why?"

"I feel...." She swallows.

"I feel..stifled. Trapped..."

My mouth drops: "But you are not trapped! You are protected."

"I will consent to having believers accompany me in the garden. But I want to come here anytime I want." She continues as if she hadn't heard me.

She slides her hand awat and I flex my fingers a little.

"This will not be easy to discuss with the savior."

She watches me, and I recognize that she has caught the lie.

"I will do whatever you ask of me...But I cannot let anything bad happen to you."

"Ray something bad is already happening to me!" She cried out: "I'm so miserable, stuck in my rooms all day unless you give permission for me to go anywhere!"

Then she bursts into tears and my heart shatters into millions of pieces.

-----------------

MC'S POV

It wasn't entirely a performance anymore, the tears were real and full of anger, grief, bitterness and frustration.

"No, no, no, no!" He cries panicked, scrabbling in his breast pocket for his magenta handkerchief: "Please, my love....take this and dry your eyes."

I take it and cover my face with it.

"Please don't cry!" He begs: "Oh I can't stand it! What have I done?"

His own tears fall thick and fast down his cheeks.

"A-Alright! I'll do it! I'll ask the savior if I can get you authorization. But please, please don't cry any more!"

I take a few staggering, heavy breaths, gazing at him with swimming eyes.

"You promise? This isn't just another empty-"

"Yes, my angel, I promise. Of course!" He rises up onto his knees, gripping my shoulders.

"If this is what will make you happy and love me then I'll do it at once!"

He packs everything back into the basket at lightning speed.

"I will ask the Savior in our meeting tonight."

"....Thank you, Ray."

*****

When I return to my rooms, and the door finally closes behind me; I am at last able to cry and scream into my pillow without restraint or pretense, cursing Mint Eye and everything about it.

I was such an idiot for agreeing to come here.

It's incredible that I was willing to sacrifice so much for the promise of a job and a roof over my head.

So pathetic.

As I roll over, sniffing and wiping away the tears, I hear a notification chime from my phone.

It's from V.

My heart leaps in excitement and I eagerly tap in my password, unlocking my phone to see what the message could be.

"Window." The Text simply reads.

I get out of bed as casually as I can, mindful of the camera still watching me from the corner and look out the window and across the gardens below, painted orange in the twilight.

Another text:

"Wall."

My eyes fall on the ivy covered stone wall, bordering the edges of the garden and my insides scramble.

I tip tap a text back:

"When?"

I see the three dots, showing that he's typing.

"Wait."

I stare, my eyes growing sore in the phone's white light.

How much longer do I have to wait, V? I whisper.

I don't know how much longer I can hold Ray, at bay.

Then I get my answer.

"Three days. 9:30 PM"

---------------

------------------------

THREE DAYS LATER

-------------------------

---------------

Ray's POV

I watch her from the tower window, wandering through the gardens in her white dress with flowers in her hair.

And as the orange glow filters down into the gardens, _____ closes her eyes and dances slowly on the spot, swaying in a strange, dream like way.

Like a beautiful ghost.

My Angel.

I lean forward a little, trying to imagine what kind of music must be playing inside her head.

I press my fingers against the glass, my nail tapping slowly.

Under my command, there's a Believer observing her every movement from a distance.

The gardens are secure beyond measure, making my treasure safe from harm.

He will never touch her as long as I can help it.

I look at her dress again.

It was off the shoulders slightly, leaving her collarbones exposed, with lacey sleeves and a puffy skirt.

She looks so....so beautiful...

"You grow too obsessive."

"My savior!" I bowed quickly, after springing from my window seat.

She emerges from the shadows, the last rays of sunlight from the window hitting her golden hair.

"The girl gave a request and I have granted it. She's under the watch of our trusted Believers, Ray. You have nothing to fear."

"But...what if...he..." I can barely stand to think of that person: "... comes back?"

"Our security is second to none."

She surveys me: "Unless of course, you yourself are distracted. "

"Never, my savior! Never!"

The Savior smiles, but it is not a welcoming one.

"Stop watching the girl and start watching your computers."

She steps closer and I balk a little.

"We have a mission to do. Remember. your. place."

I bow again, my fringe falling over my eyes.

"Yes....my Savior."

She glides away, back into the darkness.

As soon as she's out of sight, I push back the curtains; my eyes darting about the garden, looking for my princess...only to find that she has already disappeared into another part of the gardens.

I let the drapes fall.

--------------------------------

MC'S POV

I walk past the hedge maze towards the fringes of the garden, trying to ignore the Believer strolling a few paces behind me, my eyes leaving no nook or cranny unturned.

The walls surrounding Mint Eye were about twenty feet tall and made up of impressive grey stone. But there were areas where the stones were wearing away....crumbling and decaying.

Then...I notice it.

A chalk mark on one of the bricks in the wall, so subtle that only someone who was looking would be able to see it.

This must be the spot.

I turn.

"Would it be alright if you got me a glass of water?" I ask the Believer.

He halts and shifts his feet nervously, too afraid to even make eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry Miss, but I can't leave you on your own."

"There are several security cameras in this area right?"

"Well yes, but-"

"What's your name, Believer?"

His eyes widen.

"I have given it up for Eternal paradise. I am 0078 now."

Beneath the hood, he has stringy blonde hair and a thin, young face with huge blue eyes.

He could easily be the same age as Yoosung...

It makes my chest squeeze painfully.

"Okay." I take a deep breath.

"078...there are two security cameras nearby. I will still be under the protection of faithful brothers and sisters whilst you are helping me..."

"Mr Ray would have me punished for disobeying orders." He shudders.

This poor, poor kid.

"Not if you're just getting me something to drink. That is not worthy of punishment, surely?" I try to give him a reassuring smile: "And I will speak to Mr Ray if he is angered by this in any way."

The boy bows his head, eyes on the ground.

"I am but a lowly soldier, Ma'am. And you are the Special Believer. Please do not trouble yourself."

The sun sinks away across the horizon, gradually pulling it's golden light with her.

"That may be my title but I am no more special than any other person here. Please...don't be afraid of me."

He raises his eyes an inch off the ground.

"I will stay here by the wall, you have nothing to worry about."

He licks his lip.

"Part of my duties is to get you what you need if you ask for it..."

He hesitates.

"And this does count as part of that...."

I nod, trying to conceal my excitement.

"Very well, I will go to one of the others and ask them to get you some refreshment."

"Thank you, 0078."

He bows and retreats slowly from me, giving me one last uncertain look before he disappears around the hedge, out of sight.

As soon as he's gone I let out a deep breath, then walk as casually as I can over to the chalk spot on the wall, my eyes on the two security cameras.

A blind spot! V you're a genius. I think in delight, realizing that they didn't angle far enough over onto this part of the wall.

"_____" there is a whisper through the wall, barely more than a murmur.

"V!" I press myself up against the stone as if it was an oasis in the desert: "Can you hear me??"

"Yes."

A brick slowly slides out place, and moonlight slants over V's face.

Even in those robes there was something so handsome about him.

"_____..." His own eyes scrutinize my face: "Are you well? Is everything alright."

"Yes," I glance over my shoulder quickly: "But I don't have much time."

"Of course."

"Are you well too?"

"Yes. As you've seen I'm now with security. I've managed to time my patrols so we can meet like this."

"Well done."

"I just felt so suffocated in there, I had to do something or I was going to go mad!"

"No matter why or how you did it, it's another thing in our favor...and it gave me an idea."

"You have a plan?"

"Perhaps...but I can't currently tell how helpful it is. Is there any way for you to ask Ray for other things?"

"Like what?"

"Would you be able to win his trust enough for you to get your own keycard?"

"He told me that I'd only get that via taking the elixir." I roll my eyes: "It was somewhere in his bs speech that night."

"But if you can persuade him to bend the rules for you..."

"V I..." I swallow.

"I don't know how possible that is. I feel like he'll snap over anything sometimes. I think I'm only safe because he lo-"

I cut myself off.

I can't bring myself to say it out loud.

"Yes, I know." V's tone is cold all of a sudden, almost annoyed.

"V?"

"Apologies, ______. I just worry about his...attachment to you. I don't think it's healthy."

"Well, you're right. Its definitely not." My eyes roam around the garden again.

"Is there anything I can do to protect you from...that?" V asks, but we both know the answer before he's even finished speaking.

"For now I can manage it. But if things..." I pause and start again: "I'll send you and the RFA some kind of signal that I need to get out ASAP."

"Let's hope it never comes to that, and I can get you out of here on the low down as much as possible."

"Wouldn't it be better to just...talk to them all? If you explained that I'm-"

"I don't think that's possible." V cuts me off.

An owl hoots in the distance.

"Why not?" I say as calmly as I can, surprised at how angry I suddenly am.

"You know how much panic this would create in the RFA chat rooms...I want to keep them all safe, just as much as I want to rescue you."

"By keeping them in the dark about the truth?" I retort.

"_____ I've explained to you how complicated this all is." He responds.

"Not really actually. You've dropped excuses and circled around the issue for weeks."

He's quiet for a while, so much so that I wonder if he's left.

"V...?" I ask into the dark warily.

"I'm still here, sorry."

He takes a deep breath:

"Okay..."

I hear voices and movement nearby and I see V's back stiffen.

"Our time is up. Take care of yourself, ____."

The brick roughly slides back into place and I step away from the wall, a hollow feeling in my chest.

The same owl hoots again the distance.

I wander back across the grass, coming back into view under those security cameras.

I picture the Believers breathing a sigh of relief behind the screen, watching me return to my rooms through every angle imaginable.

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