She should have brought disciples.

Or council members.

Hell, even believers would have been useful.

Rika picked up a glass vase and threw it at the wall, watching it shatter like the plans she had so carefully laid out.

Her plan made sense. She had worked so hard, giving Saeran high and higher dosages of the Elixir until the boy couldn't tell right from left, clinging onto Rika's words as the ultimate truth. She sat in front of him for eight hours straight, conditioning his mind until the white-haired boy truly believed that he loved MC. That he resented (Y/N).

So why did he still resist?

Rika smiled proudly, watching Saeran inject the concentrated Elixir into (Y/N), just as she knew he was going to.

"Saeran, wouldn't you like to spend some time with MC now?" Rika whispered into his ear, pulling him back as (Y/N)'s body began shaking uncontrollably, the girl too overwhelmed by pain to even scream.

Rika cocked her head and gestured for MC to stand up. She ignored the brute called Vanderwood as he shouted insults at her and Saeyoung, instead opting to talk to the redhead. "You can take him, Sae-"

Saeyoung interrupted her, though. "I don't go by that name anymore." Rika raised an eyebrow. "Call me Luciel." He said.

Rika almost rolled her eyes, but she figured she had wasted enough time.

She got what she needed. Rika turned to V, her eyes cold and unmoving as she stared at her ex-lover. "Good luck bringing Saeran back," She said, not wasting a moment of pleasantries with a man she never wanted to be pleasant with again. "I highly doubt he'll come willingly."

She turned around, ignoring V's desperate response as she pulled (Y/N) up to her feet. The snowy-haired girl was barely able to stand for a moment before collapsing to the ground in pain, trembling and whimpering.

Rika sighed, about to pull another syringe out of her pocket to temporarily halt the pain whilst she brought (Y/N) back the Mint Eye, but Saeran was faster. "Stop!" He shouted, utterly ignoring MC.

Rika frowned.

That was not a part of the plan.

"Go with MC, Saeran, that is a direct order." Rika knew her voice had authority. She thought that Saeran would listen to her if not out of loyalty, then out of fear; but the boy proved her wrong.

In that instant, his eyes had clarity, as if he had pushed the Elixir out of his system through sheer will, and his judgment was no longer clouded by its effects.

"No!" He shouted, scooping (Y/N) up into his arms. "This...this must be even worse than her secondary commitment! The pain must be horrible! I have to take care of her!"

Rika clenched her jaw. If she ever had the opportunity again, she would not hold back against Saeran. She had been merciful with the elixirs, in the future, she would drown him in the liquid until he forgot about (Y/N) altogether.

"Are you disobeying me, Saeran?" Rika asked.

The question was simple.

The answer was simple.

Saeran, however, was conflicted.

Rika's eyes widened, shocked that the boy even had to think to answer. "You stupid fool!" She screeched, raising a hand to strike Saeran, only to be blocked by Saeyoung.

Up until that moment, the redhead had stayed out of his brother's line of sight. No doubt, he had planned some kind of special speech, hoping that his brother would be as happy as he was at the prospect of them no longer being separated.

But it seemed that Saeyoung was willing to toss that aside to ensure that his baby brother wasn't hurt any further.

What a mistake.

The expression that came across Saeran's face when he saw the face of the person he had spent so long resenting was sheer anger.

Rika clenched and unclenched her hands. If only Saeyoung had stayed out of sight, Saeran would have been controllable. Manageable.

But the redhead was impatient.

"Get away from me, you traitor!" Saeran shouted, still holding (Y/N)'s delicate body, before sprinting away from his brother. All those hours he spent in the Mint Eye's private gym paid off, Saeran scarcely slowed by the weight of the girl he was carrying.

In that moment of madness, Luciel had shouted for everyone to get in the car, V, Saeyoung, MC, and Vanderwood all reacting within in instance to drive after the vague direction Saeran had run off to.

Leaving Rika.

"No Saeran, no (Y/N)," Rika murmured, frustrated. "I don't even have MC anymore."

Rika picked up another vase and threw it, the anger she felt nowhere near dissipated.

She scowled, remembering (Y/N). My plan was perfect. If only Saeyoung hadn't let Saeran see him...if only Saeran could forget about (Y/N) and just love MC!

Rika shuddered, realizing that she was panting heavily.

She calmed herself, remembering that her behavior was not fit for a Savior of the Mint Eye. She must be ladylike, polite, rational. She should deal with her anger in better ways.

To hell with that! Rika thought, throwing another vase.

She began throwing everything she could, letting loose all the emotions she had pent up from the very first day she met (Y/N). Why? Rika asked herself.

It wasn't fair.

(Y/N) was so similar to Rika. Too similar. In truth, Rika saw herself in (Y/N). They'd both grown up in hellhole environments, been tossed aside by the world itself, so why...Why does (Y/N) get to have someone who loves her no matter what, when V only tries to change me? Why does (Y/N) get to have what I don't?

The blond felt tears pour down her cheeks.

No matter what Rika did to ruin their relationship, Saeran always loved (Y/N).

Why wouldn't V be like that?

She let out a wail of agony. Rika knew how (Y/N) resented her, how Saeran hated the Elixirs and how nearly everyone in the Mint Eye thought her a bad person for forcing them to deal with pain. But if they knew the pain I felt every day, Rika thought, They'd know that their physical pain is a blessing when compared to my mental suffering.

Rika slowed, her breathing ragged as she calmed down. She realized that she had sunk to the floor, crying pathetically less like a Savior and more like someone who still needed saving.

She stared at her reflection in the white tiles. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were no longer shining, and the expression on her face was utterly bohemian. She looked up, staring at the hundreds of pieces of glass and china that surrounded her on the floor. What do I need to do for you to love me, V? For you to love me how Saeran and Saeyoung seem to love (Y/N)? She wondered. Why can't you see that I'm spreading happiness at the Mint Eye?

She bit her lip, hating that V had left.

Rika only had two passions in life. V was one of them. Spreading happiness was the other. V had promised, when they were still children, that he would never hinder her mission to spread happiness, that he would be by her side the whole time. The Mint Eye is the best way to spread happiness. Why can't V see that?

When V left, saying that she had to choose between him and the Mint Eye, she chose the Mint Eye. She chose to spread happiness.

But even she couldn't do it alone.

She recruited people slowly, but steadily. It started with Saeran. And then it built upward, until she'd finally found the heir she'd been looking for: the (h/c) girl herself, (Y/N).If only things had gone as planned, everything would be perfect!

Rika cursed inwardly, hating how everything had gone awry. (Y/N) was supposed to feel my pain, go through with Saeran what I went through with V! (Y/N) was never supposed to be happy! She was supposed to become strong, the same way I became strong - to become the next Savior of the Mint Eye!

Biting her lip, the blond-haired woman tried to ignore the quiet voice in her mind that reminded her that (Y/N) had never seemed truly happy with here. That even as a Savior, (Y/N) still might not attain the happiness Rika was so focused on spreading.

But for the sake of the Mint Eye...Rika trailed off, now considering the thought. Considering (Y/N).

Did Rika need (Y/N) as much as she thought—or was that just what she had forced herself into believing for lack of better alternatives?

She closed her eyes.

And slowly, the notion in her head seemed to make more and more sense.

(Y/N) was a bad idea. She came with a hundred strings attached and was a complex person, an imperfect candidate for what Rika needed her for. Yes, Rika thought, reopening her eyes. I don't need (Y/N). I don't need Saeran. I can start fresh. I can pick new people, better people.

She smiled.

I can afford to lose them, she thought triumphantly, remembering the incredible pool of resources available to the Mint Eye.

It was a conclusion that satisfied every part of Rika. The sincere side of her that still wanted everyone to be happy knew that (Y/N) would be safe with Saeran or Saeyoung. And the deranged part inside of her was satisfied as well, recalling the affectionate eyes (Y/N) gazed at Saeran with, as well as how she had longingly stared at Saeyoung.

(Y/N)...does she even realize that she's in love with them both? Rika chuckled. She will make herself miserable. Not in the same way I've been through pain, but because she's going to have to decide.

The blonde smiled to herself, picking her body off the floor.

"I'll let you go, my sweet (Y/N)," Rika said, as if the girl were listening, hearing the words. "But in exchange, you have to choose."

"Who will you love?" Rika whispered.

"Saeran or Saeyoung?"

Word count: 2.1k

Notes: And with that we conclude the neutral route! If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you so much for sticking with this story (btw sorry for updating a day late lol - i actually had this prewritten but i fell asleep before i remembered to post it) and I appreciate all the support I've received from you guys thus far. But the story isn't over yet! It's time for the readers to pick which route this fanfic will take for (Y/N)'s love interest! Saeran? Or Saeyoung?

Both boys will have ~6 chapters or more, and both endings will be written! I am currently publishing on 4 platforms: , Wattpad, tumblr, and Ao3. Based on the total number of comments and dms I get specifying either Saeran or Saeyoung, that will decide which route I write first. Note that if, for example, over half of you guys want me to write Saeyoung's ending first, then I'll write his full ending (no switching back and forth from Saeyoung's route to Saeran's route) out before switching to Saeran- so pick wisely because that's the boy you'll be seeing the most of for the next few weeks!

Please leave a comment or drop me a dm saying which route you'd like to see me write - my goal is to have the next chapter up by Monday but if there are zero comments, then I'll wait til the next update (Thursday). If there's still nothing by that point, I'll flip a coin and leave it up to chance! So get your vote in and I'll see you later 3 Thank you for all your support!

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Next Update: 2/24/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.