That night, the world was swallowed by darkness. A thin, white mist clung to the cold forest. The ground was littered with sharp twigs that bit into the young man's feet with every step, leaving them sore and bleeding. A weak moan escaped the girl clinging to him; her body burned with fever, and the wound on her calf—a deep scrape from a sharp stone—was already beginning to swell.
"What's going to happen to us? Are we going to die?" the girl whispered, her voice frail.
"You will live, Yoona. I'll make sure of it," the young man vowed, his voice thick with determination. But his energy was nearly spent. His powerful wolf form had receded, leaving him in his vulnerable human body. His running pace had slowed to a desperate stagger. All he could do now was hope his strength would hold out long enough to reach their destination: the Misty Castle.
"Intruders! What are you doing here? This is our territory!" Two girls emerged from the gloom, holding lanterns aloft. Their eyes widened with sharp suspicion.
"Please, I beg you, protect her," the young man gasped, not waiting for a reply after the two castle residents caught them within the castle's boundaries. His body was failing. "Take this magic crystal as payment and proof of my sincerity!" He shoved the crystal into one of their hands, then turned and fled, disappearing back into the dark, lightless forest.
---
—Just Secret of Yoona—
Everything holds a hidden mystery, and they are here for a reason.
...
What is it like to be a different creature... to have to adapt quickly to a world changing at breakneck speed? To stand in a crowd, pretending to be just like everyone else.
"Yoona! We're here!"
In the middle of a downpour so heavy that sensible people stayed indoors for fear of being soaked, Yoona stood waiting under a bus shelter. She smiled and waved as she saw her four friends approaching. They walked casually through the torrent, untouched. The rain seemed to bounce off an invisible shield around them, not a single drop dampening their hair or clothes.
"Come here! I've cast a shield around you!" said the girl with the sweet smile, Aluna, stretching out her hand. Yoona reached out and stepped into the dry space, the rain suddenly parting around her as well.
Laughing, the five of them walked away, while people huddled inside their homes, sipping hot chocolate and waiting for the relentless rain to stop.
"It's a good thing we have Lune, so we don't have to worry about the rain!" one of them, Bella, babbled, jumping up and down merrily. She nudged the friend she'd just called Lune.
"Don't be so childish!" another grumbled as the shield of water shimmered and Lune stumbled from the nudge.
"Hmph!" Bella snorted, starting to sulk.
"Everyone, just relax," Lune said, smiling as she regained her balance. "As long as I'm here, the rainwater won't dare touch you!" With a subtle flick of her fingers, she adjusted the magic, ensuring the rain smoothly diverted around their group.
The five girls continued down the quiet street, talking and laughing. Their bright, clear laughter cut through the steady roar of the pouring rain.
Soon, they arrived at the edge of a lonely, pitch-black forest. Without hesitation, they stepped into an old, unkempt castle that looked just as creepy on the inside as it did on the outside. Yet, this didn't faze them. Yoona went straight to a bookshelf, pulled a specific book, and—Creak!—a secret door swung open behind it.
The scene that greeted them was a study in contrasts. Behind the door was a clean, luxurious room filled with modern furniture, a world away from the dusty, decaying castle that housed it.
"Lune, can I get some water, please? My basil plant is about to die!" a girl pleaded anxiously.
Lune simply pointed a finger, and a stream of water gushed forth, drenching the basil plant until it perked up, looking fresh and vibrant again.
The five girls were not ordinary people. In fact, they weren't even human. These five beings, hailing from different worlds, lived under one roof, trying their best to blend into human life as if they belonged.
They had lived on Earth for hundreds of years, growing accustomed to supporting and protecting one another. The five of them were: Aluna, the Water Princess; Yoona, the Vampire; Suzy, the Angel; Bella, the Galactic Outsider; and Liza, a former demon.
They all had different pasts, and the names they used now were merely pseudonyms for their lives in the human world.
Aluna, or Luna (often called Lune), real name Aquaria De Atlantic, was once a princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Her kingdom was destroyed in a cataclysmic storm, and she was dragged by the waves to the human world. The fate of Atlantis remained a mystery, now nothing more than a legend to both her and humanity.
After being stranded in a small fishing village, she eventually met Suzy and Liza and came to live with them.
The second was Yoona, real name Yvloona Theore, the only princess of the Odora vampire clan. Five hundred years ago, a great war erupted between the Odora clan and an evil vampire faction. To make matters worse, the Wolf nation launched a surprise attack, leaving the Odora kingdom in ruins.
Most of her family perished. Her mother, with her last breath, told her to flee the kingdom and entrusted her to her uncle. But during their escape, her uncle was infected by Werewolf poison, which drove him mad with a thirst for vampire flesh and blood. Yoona was saved by a young Werewolf who, defying his own kind, took her to Liza and Suzy's castle.
The third was Seretta Lewzy, commonly called Suzy. She was once an angel tasked with recording the final wishes of the dying. But one day, she committed a mistake considered a grave sin and was cast down to Earth, her form changed to that of an eight-year-old girl. She was eventually adopted by a lonely human single mother.
The fourth was Liza, real name Lilith Agrant, a former elite soldier of the demon kingdom's army. She grew increasingly uncomfortable with and began to despise the cruel and conscience-less methods of her kind. She openly opposed the devil's ways and was consequently exiled from the demon kingdom, descending to Earth in the form of a nine-year-old child.
By chance, she was adopted by the same human mother who had adopted Suzy. Not long after their mother passed away, Liza found an old castle deep in the forest and decided it would be their new home, inviting Suzy to live there with her.
The last was Rubella Ecra, often called Bella, a galactic being from a planet called Verigo. Her world was once attacked by a dark energy that shrouded it in fear and suffering. She accidentally discovered a magical portal that brought her to Earth, where she literally fell into the backyard of Liza and Suzy's castle. To this day, she did not know what had become of her home planet.
They lived together, navigating life as if they were normal humans, going to and from school together. These girls from vastly different backgrounds all sought to build new lives by blending into the human world.
"Suzy, I think we should add another pot of water to the noodle stew! It'll make the broth even better!" Luna pleaded, her eyes sparkling.
"Lune, I know you love your noodle soup, but we only boiled two packs of instant noodles, and you've already used a whole pot of water. You want to add more?" Suzy couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Hey! Where are my frozen pies?" Liza demanded, having searched the refrigerator for the milk pie she'd left there that morning.
"Umm... I just heated it up in the microwave!" said Yoona, retrieving the now-warm bowl.
"Why did you heat it up? And you didn't even leave one for me!" Liza complained, upset.
"Never mind, Liza," Suzy interjected, slurping her instant noodles dry because Luna had claimed all the broth. "Just have my ice cream from the freezer. I know you can't eat hot food."
"Mmm... This is so good," Suzy mumbled, her eyes beginning to well up with tears. "What seasoning did you add? It's making me cry, huhu..." She was easily moved to tears by food she found exceptionally delicious.
"It's great, right? I bought it at the supermarket this afternoon. I think it's called MSG!" Luna replied enthusiastically.
"Hey! You used my basil plant fertilizer again, didn't you?" Yoona asked, hands on her hips, glaring at Bella. It was the umpteenth time she'd found the fertilizer sack nearly empty when she needed it.
"Yes, I took a little," Bella replied nonchalantly, spraying her chili plants. "They haven't been fruiting well lately." She wished she had a magic spell specifically for fertilizing plants.
Since arriving on Earth, each of them had developed unique... appetites. Luna was obsessed with noodle soup and copious amounts of broth. Liza was physically allergic to hot food. Suzy would burst into tears if a meal were too delicious. Yoona had a profound love for basil leaves. And Bella was the queen of spicy food—even her lunchbox was filled with chilies.
And so, they lived happily, navigating their daily lives as humans. But deep down, they knew this peace couldn't last forever. Even so, they were ready to face whatever the future might bring.