Jack POV

Everyone was silent as two sets of footsteps echoed down the hall before the oak door was swung open.

Aqua and Alaine made their entrance with bewildered faces as the two yetis pushed their backs to the center of the room.

I was leaning on the wall, spinning my staff between my fingers with my hood up, covering half of my face.

Ben and Breeze squeezed to each other, fingers entwining. Sandman, Tooth and Bunnymund had their serious Guardian look; Whilst North's eyes burned into Alaine's figure, his lips in a tight frown.

The eerie silence wasn't broken until Aqua laughed nervously and raised his hand to scratch his head in confusion. "What's going on?" He asked with one of his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, I don't know," North chortled humorlessly, not leaving his eyes off Alaine.

"Why don't you ask Alaine?"

Alaine tensed as Aqua nudged her ribs. They whispered to each other, voices hushed and frantic. After a few exchanged words, Aqua exhaled once, where Alaine started to bow down.

"I have no idea," He said. "We were just walking into the workshop until your yetis brought us here. That's all we know."

I scoffed, somehow I scoffed a little bit loud than I wanted to. The room was in irritating silence again, and I tapped my staff on the wooden floorboards.

North gets my impatience and started the briefing.

"We discovered that Jade has got the Hyreaoti," North said. Aqua's eyes widen in the name of the sickness. "Long story short, the last thing she'd been eating before she got the symptoms was the cookies - that you offered her a few hours back."

"Both of you can understand the message from here." North concluded.

"I would never harm Jade!" Aqua argued in disbelief, instantly understanding.

"We know, Aqua. Its not you." Bunny said in an obvious tone.

Aqua shifted in confusion before gazing at his mate, Alaine. In a matter of seconds, she turned pale.

He trembled, emphasizing her name.

"Alaine. Was it you?" He asked shakily.

"Obviously," I muttered under my breath.

"Its not me!" Alaine stuttered. "Yes it was." I deadpanned.

"No it wasn't! You have no proof whatsoever!" She stomped her feet childishly, yelling at me.

"Oh, we do." Cupid entered the room like a lawyer, with a clear bag that has the cookies inside it.

"I found Hyre signs inside these cookies. The almost unnoticeable smell, ah, the texture it has gotten the cookie into, its Hyre all over."

On the corners of my eyes I saw Alaine rub her arms.

"Hyre?" Aqua took a step away from Alaine. He had the look of disbelief given to his mate.

Alaine shook her head frantically as she denied. "I swear it wasn't me, babe!"

"But you made them!" Aqua hissed, gesturing at the cookies inside the clear bag, which was now on North's table.

There was a minute of silence before Cupid cleared her throat, demanding an answer and explanation.

Alaine stuttered for a second before finally giving up. Her eyes met ours for a brief second, but I realised that her gaze lingered on mine.

"I'm sorry I harmed her." The clear words echoed throughout the room in perfect clarity, the truth demanding to be let go.

North chuckled sourly before smashing a rubber hitter to his table. He said, "Guilty. Case closed!". As if on cue, two yetis grabbed her by her arm and dragged her away.

She demanded to be let go and started to wriggle, but then one of the two yetis swung her body up to its shoulder, as if she was nothing but a rucksack.

"The underground dungeon would be her new room from now on," North sigh. "Thought she was a good kid." Tooth added.

In the middle of the room stood Aqua, sulking silently. He shook his head slowly before running a pale hand through his dark blue hair.

He then helped himself to the vacant couch, clasping his hand over his mouth with his forehead creasing.

He was clearly stressed as his feet was tapping fast. Bunny and Sandy excused themselves and started for the door. Bunny paused near Aqua and patted his shoulder, as if it can lift weigh out of Aqua's disappointed self.

One by one the attendants leave, until the room was finally empty except for me, Aqua, Ben and Breeze. There was a drop dead silence before one of us decided to clear his throat - Ben.

I was about to say something until Aqua sigh and stood up.

"I can't believe this. Its like a blurred dream." He said, clearly exasperated. Then he turned to me. "You can't tell how sorry I am, really. I just didn't knew she'd do such a thing."

"Everyone is capable of anything, no exceptions." I said, walking up to him with my staff spinning between my fingers and the hood of my sweater down. He shrugged with a frown and sighed.

"Is there a cure?" Breeze asked as she took a seat on the couch. Ben shrugged, answering her question with uncertainty.

"There's got to be a cure." I deadpanned.

"There is," A voice answered.

Cupid strode in the room with a thick book in her hand, closing the door behind her with extra care. With a click, the door was locked. Tiptoeing, she motioned for us to gather around North's table. She stood in the middle, placing the thick book on the table.

She opened it, and the hardcover hit the table surface with a soft thump. She grimaced with the sound she's making.

"Okay, why are you acting like you're a spy on a mission?" Ben joked. I smiled, he's right.

"I wasn't supposed to let the others know." She answered, flipping to the pages frantically.

She then planted both her palms on the desired page.

"Okay, so, the cure is another dose of Hyre, but with a mixture of water from the legendary Trylle lake. That's the only choice we have."

I've heard of the Trylle lake before, they say its beyond magical. The water brings many benefits to our kind, so they say.

But they'd also said that the trip to Trylle lake is beyond dangerous, with so many obstacles and wild predators that no one had ever imagined before.

I'm thinking dragons.

But no.

"The Trylle lake is almost impossible to venture into!" Breeze gasped. See?

"I believe that you can." She replied, serious.

"I'd do anything." I said firmly. Hey, I have powers. I can freeze anything on my way.

"I'm warning you, its challenging. You can't possibly freeze, shower, blow away or bury every obstacle." Cupid gazed at us with worried eyes.

Way to bring my enthusiasm and 100% confidence, Cupid.

"Before you say that I'm letting your hopes down, I'm not." She declared. Too late.

"I'm just warning you, so that you'd be prepared. I won't be with you to tell you what to do."

"Why aren't you telling North or anybody else about this?" I asked, curious.

"Knowing North, if he knows the trip is beyond dangerous - he won't let any of you go. He'd lock you up for eternity, if he could, so that none of you could escape. Period." She explained.

She's right. North wouldn't allow.

"Its a three days trip, who's up for the challenge?" She offered, clasping her hands.

"I'm definitely going." I booked.

"So am I," Ben said then. I shot a glance at Breeze. She should be worried, and she should've disregard Ben's entry.

But instead she shared a genuine smile with her mate, who will soon face an undeniable danger.

"I'm coming with you." Aqua said firmly, and we almost thought he was joking.

I gave him an are-you-serious look, to which he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm serious." He said. "I'm going to make up for what Alaine had done. Also, the more, the merrier."

"Then everything is set," Cupid declared firmly.

"Good luck."

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I'm sorry for the terrible delay! I've been incredibly busy for the past two weeks -

* dodges a bottle being thrown . * I'M SORRY !

So I've been writing this chapter super fast, thanks to the idea my bestfriend gave me the other day. Bless her. I hope everything in this chapter is okay and that you enjoyed reading it. Thanks !

- Alli