The Black Swan

Chapter 8: Held Captive

Outnumbered, Yoonie decided that the better option would be to be compliant and follow Miyeon's orders. She hadn't intended to hurt Yoonie at all - which was a sign that perhaps she could be trusted. However, there was something about her offer that made Yoonie had to resist. The Jang Kingdom, albeit known for its strong foundation and governance, had been rather controlling over their rule of magicians. In her time at Sotia, Yoonie had been taught to shy away from certain types of Taboo magic should she ever face them. For an inquisitive folk like Yoonie, it only made her more attracted towards finding out more.

Perhaps, she was right after all.

"You could be like me; like us: wielding such wonderful power, free from the confines set in place by the Jang Kingdom."

Maybe if I stay with them, I can understand my power.

Maybe I can understand my past; my parents; my entire life. Why had I been abandoned if I am this strong? Are my parents still alive?

Led ahead in chains, Yoonie comes across many other rooms inside the underground caves. There were so many of those goblins and tanned-skinned creatures - which seemed to be controlled and under the influence of Queen Miyeon and her other queens (whoever they were).

In one of the rooms Yoonie manages to peak into, she uncovers where all the stolen glassware had been kept. There was a large stone furnace towering the centre of the room, bubbling and frothing as the glass was melted down in the central chamber. The goblins were wearing specialised goggles and suits, using sophisticated tools to pour the molten glass into a giant mould - looking like they were making a giant, spherical glass container. The opening was high up near the ceiling, as the goblins had to use high ladders to pour the molten glass at the top.

The Nightmare Monarch, huh? What are they planning on doing with that large glass vial...

Suddenly, Yoonie senses a familiar presence from behind. Her phantom-like footsteps were indiscernible if not her for magical aura - something that magicians would be able to associate their familiar peers with, even without direct sight. Yoonie keeps mum, hoping not to draw unnecessary attention to her captors.

She draws nearer, taking out two of the guards behind her. In turn, one of them let out a small shriek, their heavy body dropping to the ground like a dead fly falling out of the sky.

"Wh-what the-" The frontmost guard turned around, but it was too late. Several pale green spectral arrows penetrated through the heads of the guards, causing them to fall back and slam on the ground.

"Yuri!" Yoonie called out, unable to conceal her relief at seeing her teammate. The brunette-haired girl gestured for her to quieten down, bringing her to a dark shade of the room as she undid her chains.

"Where did you go? We lost you in the room with many doors."

"There was a spell cast on me as I entered the doorway. I couldn't get out no matter where I went, but eventually, I found myself in one of the caverns - like this one here." Yuri told her of resting quarters for the goblins, though she had been scurrying around unseen. It seems that Yoonie needed more practice to conceal her magical aura, while Yuri just manages to break the metallic cuffs holding Yoonie's wrists together.

"It's probably because of that powerful Queen Miyeon - who could sense my presence even though I hid myself." Yoonie described in brief of her earlier encounter with the member of the Nightmare Monarch, who had such great affinity for magic that she could detect Yoonie.

"Oh god, we have to find Lia and get out of here," Yuri smacked her palm against her forehead, realising that they had been detected by the enemy. "Not only that, but this Miyeon seems like a really powerful magician - and we're not gonna deal with that today."