OVERLOOKED ㅤkotlc

019. The Other Side

"So, are we heading to Siennalair or sitting here staring at each other?" Alvar says, after a moment. "Not that I'm complaining, since y'all are very cute—"

I feel my cheeks heat up. "Are you flirting with me?" Rosaleen says, as Ruy laughs.

"Alv, I have an addler on," he says, raising an eyebrow through a smile.

"—but a mirror would be much better company, especially if we're doing this all night."

"Oh." Ruy laughs again. "Figures, you narcissist."

"Heck yeah I'm a narcissist! Feeling hot is a nice life, Ruy, wanna rent it someday?"

Ruy rolls his eyes, but he's pursing his lips to stop himself from smiling. "Please shut up."

"Aw, it's okay, I know you don't want my beautiful voice to seduce you."

"Dingus. Your voice is ugly."

"Oh, of course. My bad, Ruy. We know whose voice you actually prefer."

"Yeah—not yours."

"Wow. I didn't know you were so rude, Ruy." Alvar clutched his heart, as if he were wounded. "In fact, your rudeness almost distracted us from saving their lives from a dangerous infec—"

"Yeah, yeah, Alv. Let's just ignore how you flirted with all three of us, which was the actual distraction."

"Two of you, technically. You have a girlfriend, so I was just complimenting you."

"See, you're distracting us again." Ruy shakes his head, then gestures at the light. "Come on. We should go before Vespera and Gisela look outside and see us standing here like bumbleheads."

"Um—" I glance towards Rosaleen. She looks worried. "Right. I'll go first."

I avoid their gazes as I hesitantly walk into the light, grateful to have something to focus on. And then I make it to the other side,

and it's beautiful.

It looks like... autumn. Even though it's winter.

A forest surrounds us. Birch trunks stretch into the golden sky, fiery star-shaped leaves drifting onto the grass.

I inhale. Ripplenuts. My gaze wanders to the castle sitting in the center. Its glowing crystals flicker and change like an ember, casting light across the clearing.

I look behind me, to see the three of them appear. Rosaleen immediately starts studying everything, and Ruy and Alvar look on with proud smiles.

"It's—wow." Fireflies flit around us, and despite myself, I reach up, as if I'm trying to touch one. "It's really... nice."

Rosaleen walks forward to look at the castle's crystals. But then she whispers, "Still looks like a prison to me," as she brushes past me.

"Welcome to Siennalair," Ruy says, before I can think of any kind of reply. "Neverseen's base. There's others, but this is the most generic and least important one."

There's a pause, and then Alvar adds, "You know Mr. Salty Shade Guy, right?"

I have to stop myself from smiling at the nickname. It's scary how easygoing Alvar and Ruy have been. "I do, actually."

"You'll be seeing him soon. And how about our lovely little Seraph?"

Seraph. The urge to smile drops away. "I've... heard of her."

"She's here, too." He grins. "Quiet sometimes, but such a bad—"

"Language."

"Such a baddie. But still, we love her very much, even if..." Alvar trails off. "Even if she's a bit different from the rest of us."

"What about the Wanderlings?" Rosaleen says suddenly, turning from the castle back at us. Her eyes are unreadable. "You said you'd explain."

"Oh. Right." Ruy's smile falls. "It happened a long time ago, and it all started with the Human Assistance Program..."