𝖧𝗂𝗋𝖺𝖾𝗍𝗁 | 𝖳𝖷𝖳

𝗑𝗂. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖱𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋

The next day, all of them headed straight to the Serpent River. Situated between a small clearing separating two dense forests, the wide, wild waters flowed, passing through the bed of greens and browns. Its crystal clear surface and gigantic rocks stood witness to its beauty- not to mention the teeming fishes and Water Sprites lurking over and under the current.

Basking underneath the pastel skies, its foamy facade glistened upon the glory of the shining sun. Ria, who was initially scared of the deep, couldn't deny its magnificent picturesque despite the unknown danger waiting to claw them to the bottom of the pretend-paradise. Taehyun chucked his map inside his pocket and beckoned the rest to follow. Downhill they marched, feet brushing past lazy dandelions and poppies. Cielo, who was already feeling a lot more better than before, had perched on top of Kai's shoulder to enjoy the warm sunbeams. Yeonjun casually snacked on a piece of meat they had left from yesterday's tedious catch. Soobin was whistling to himself, excited as he knew that his powers would finally come to use. Beomgyu jogged beside Ria and offered her a slice of breakfast; the girl politely denied.

"What's the matter?" Beomgyu inquired, shoving a length of bacon into his mouth. "No appetite?"

"Not hungry," she replied, hugging herself. "How's your ankle by the way?"

"All good. It doesn't hurt anymore which is great."

"Glad to hear," Ria turned to the healer. "What about you Kai? How's your wings?"

"Fine, I guess." The brunette frowned. "I don't feel anything, so I assume my feathers are gradually recovering. I'll just let it be for a while until it's all recovered."

"I don't see any boat." Yeonjun croaked, tossing his unfinished porkchop into the riverbank. "How are we supposed to cross this thing?"

Taehyun sighed upon his stupidity. "We have a water guardian, let me remind you."

"Oh, right!" The pink-haired smugly spun to Soobin. "Don't just stand there, water boy. Do something."

Soobin, who found his remark displeasing, showcased a subtle eyeroll. He walked past the fire guardian and rolled up the sleeves of his coat, cracking his long fingers afterwards. Taking a deep breath, he set his eyes to focus. He lifted his hands high enough and within a second, his palms started to glow. A hazy light of purple and blue tinted the river's sparkly surface as Soobin chanted something unintelligible. Sooner or later, the river parted into two, revealing a deep stretch of mud and rocks. Fishes and weeds alike fell limp and jerked upon the lack of fresh water. Soobin cocked his head forward.

"Let's go," he said in a rush. "I'm not sure how long this will last, so we better hurry."

"Goddamn," Ria breathed in awe. "You're like fucking Moses at this point."

"Darling," Taehyun held out an arm. "Hold onto me."

"I'm fine, man. Don't need no assistance."

"You might want to watch out for those suckers," Yeonjun grimly pointed front. "Catfish and gullyweeds. They're everywhere."

Not too far from where they stood, a school of catfish swam still near the barrier. They had the body of a salmon and head of a ginger cat. Their eyes were that of a frog's but bloodshot. They hissed at the group, showcasing their rows of piranha-like teeth. Ria froze in horror. Catfish. Of course, it had to look like a feline. Beneath the feisty creatures, swayed a bunch of gullyweeds. Long and green, people could easily mistake these monstrous plants as regular river grass. However, its strong, sticky grasp could guarantee no escape once it pulls its victim down to the deadly depths.