𝖧𝗂𝗋𝖺𝖾𝗍𝗁 | 𝖳𝖷𝖳

𝗂𝗂. 𝖲𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖪𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝖮𝖿 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾

"Here we are."

Taehyun led Ria to the outskirts where a small cottage stood. Flowers, shrubs, and rouge weed sprouted everywhere, engulfing the rustic, wooden home in various shades of green. Ria stood in awe as she admired how everything basked underneath the hot sun. A butterfly fluttered over a bed of petunias. A choir cicadas resonated from the trees and blue birds chirped in the sky.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "This place is beautiful, Taehyun. No shit."

"Thank y-"

"Is that a fucking cat?"

"What?"

Ria zoomed past Taehyun as she spotted a plump, little calico rubbing itself against the dirty wall. She happily waddled to the feline, crouching down as to not threaten it. The cat meowed a high tune, earning a squeal from the girl. She reached out to pet it. As Ria busied herself with the furry, three more kittens sprung from the bushes. Taehyun stared, perplexed.

"You should've told me!" Ria cried, completely losing her wits. "I love cats!"

"Oh, no, we don't own them, darling." Taehyun clarified. "They only come around here for food."

"Still."

Ria widely grinned at the mage. Taehyun fondly ruffled her hair. He looked around in search for his other friend. He was just about to yell his name when a jolly voice called out from the rooftop. Ria and Taehyun glanced to see a bright boy dressed in a fuzzy, white sweater and a tight pair of pants. Four chicken feathers adorned his brown locks. His hair was a tangled mess as the wind tousled it over. He waved at them.

"Hello, stranger!" He beamed. "Hi, Taehyun!"

"What are you doing?!" Taehyun croaked. "Get down from there, Kai!"

Kai bluntly obeyed. He scrambled to his feet and spread his arms. Ria gasped as a large pair of angel-like wings sprouted from his back. Kai jumped off and flew for a little bit, sending gushes of wind towards his peers. He landed with grace, a proud grin visible on his thin lips as he straightened. Taehyun sighed.

"Are you done with your antics?" He asked. "Show off."

"I was painting the roof, Taehyun. You should be grateful." Kai playfully nudged his friend. "Oh, you must be the chosen one, yes?"

Ria reddened as the boy turned to her. He held out a hand for her to shake. His right palm was covered in yellow paint. She took it nonetheless, flashing him a flustered smile. His touch was warm despite the thick color coating his skin. Kai giggled.

"What's your name, miss?"

"Shakira."

"Pleasure meeting you, Shak-"

"I'm kidding. It's Ria."

"Oh, lovely!" He nodded. "I suppose you already know who I am, isn't that right?"

"You're Kai." She muttered. "You must be a guardian or somethin', no?"

"An air guardian, yes," He chuckled. "But I'm a healer too. I mend all creatures. As a matter of fact, I just got a new patient. She's inside."

"Do you perhaps do it with magic?"

"Yes, but I've also mastered the art of medicinal herbs, so I guess that adds up to my ability."

Kai pressed a gentle touch on her scrapped palm. Ria watched as the red marks gradually disappeared without a trace.

"Woah," she whispered. "You're like a Hufflepuff kid who does well in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

Kai blinked. "What's that?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Speaking of wizardry," Taehyun interrupted, earning a wince from Kai. "We must leave before our time runs out."

"Hello?" Ria crossed her arms. "Clueless person here."

"Ah, could you please grab something from your pouch for me?"

Puzzled, Ria complied. She found it ridiculous, however. Because what in tarnation was she supposed to take from an empty bag? One hand slipped inside the leather and to her surprise, she felt an item brush past her fingers. Out of nowhere, she pulled out folded map. Taehyun grinned.

Ria stared at the material. "Bro-"

"That sucks," Kai frowned. "Just a piece of parchment?"

"It's a map, you penguin."

"What did you just call me?"

"I told you it's special." Taehyun took it. "That little pouch is capable of providing you with things you might need in a day. However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you can use it again."

"So it's like Dora's backpack?"

Kai grimaced. "What does that mean?"

"Okay, so there's this TV show where a blind, bob-cut bitch named Dora owns a purple backpack. That shit's limitless, literally."

"What's a TV?"

"It's like a crystal ball but bigger and square."

"Taehyun," Kai poked his peer. "Can we get a TV?"

Ria sighed. "Dear, they don't exist until 1927."

"I can wait!"

"Dude, it's 1561."

"Take me to your world then!"

"I don't want no Dispatch articles about me and a Korean idol clone, thank you."

Kai backed away. "Huh?"

"Don't even bother asking."

Taehyun ignored the two. His doe eyes busily scanned the creased parchment. Landmasses and bodies of water collided into a huge mosaic of brown, green, and blue. Cursive letters labelled every place and a red line was drawn in default to mark the path they were ought to trod.

"Brace yourselves," the blonde exhaled. "It's going to be a long journey."

Ria raised a hand. "I'm still clueless."

"The lives of my people are at stake." Taehyun started. "We used to dwell in a peaceful community, isolated from the commoners. However, things happened, thus the reckless captivity."

"The new governor despised our kind, claiming that we were too advantageous. He pledged to sentence anyone who is caught practicing sorcery. Punishments vary, but they all lead to death nonetheless."

"Kai and I were able to escape. We ran to settle in Briar's Willow and mixed with the crowd, until I was able to find a fair candidate to help me stop the curse."

Ria's brows furrowed. "What curse?"

"The Odd-Eyed Cat." Kai mumbled. "Bringer of Dusk and Guardian of the Universe. He's responsible for connecting all the dimensions into singularity."

"Only we could perform rituals to appease his spirit and to keep his temper from crossing the boundaries."

"What do you mean by that, Kai?"

"The cat is a jealous spirit. Hence, we lay offerings and chant praises to make him feel loved. If we ever fail to submit, darkness and chaos will overrule each and every realm there is- including yours."

Ria's jaw clenched. "Holy sh-"

"You saw his eyes, didn't you?" Taehyun cut her off. "Not everyone can see them, therefore you're special."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, but hey," Kai gulped. "We're not just here to save our own guild. We need to protect you as well."

"Protect me from what? The cat?"

Taehyun gave Kai a knowing look. He cocked his head sideways, signaling him to leave. Ria rubbed her temples in distress. The healer awkwardly shifted and bolted inside the cottage to fetch something. Taehyun invited the girl to enter. He led her to the living room where a springy couch resided. Ria heavily slumped on the cushion. The mage took a seat beside her, sympathizing. He brought up a hand to pat her shoulder, but then he recoiled. A series of clammer insinuated that Kai must've been having trouble with his antics, hence Ria got up to heed his panicked cry.

"He's fine." Taehyun opposed, leaning against the velvety surface. "Leave him be, darling."

"Am I your girlfriend?"

"I beg your pardon."

"You keep on calling me darling."

"Is there a problem with that, Ria?"

"I don't know," she teased. "Is there?"

"Hey," Taehyun frowned. "Don't answer my question with a question."

Ria simply shrugged. After a short while, Kai returned with a creature in his arms. It was wrapped in a thick, white linen. Its voice was that of an exhausted, raspy screech. Ria approached the healer to see what it was. Its harmless, burning feathers and fiery eyes made it obvious that it was a phoenix.

"What happened to her?" Ria inquired.

"Came crashing down the roof last night. It was stormy, so I figured that a lightning bolt must've struck her wings."

"Poor thing."

"She's yet to have a name."

"I got a list of ridiculous aliases for animals," Ria snickered. "Just saying."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we can name her Pikachu, or Ashtray, or Bloody Mary, or Satan-"

"She's not tagging along, Kai." Taehyun firmly stated. "She belongs to the wild."

"She can't fly!" Kai protested. "Look, she's limping too! We can't just leave her here, Taehyun!"

"Really, you're going to bring your pet in this tedious expedition?"

"She's not a pet!"

"Kai's got a point," Ria chimed in. "He's a healer. You gotta let him do his thing."

"But-"

"Jesus Christ," she thought. "Just say yes, goddamnit. It's not like she's your responsibility anyway."

After hearing Ria's pitch, Taehyun sank deeper into the cushion. His tongue poked his inner cheeks in irritation. Kai silently thanked the girl for defending him. Ria rather felt indifferent. The blonde mage heavily exhaled. Defeated, he made a subtle nod.

"Fine," he grunted. "Whatever."

"Yes!" Kai rejoiced, skidding back to his quarters. "Thank you, Taehyun! You're the best!"

Delighted, Ria resumed to his side. Taehyun glanced at her, his disgruntled expression falling into a calm countenance. He leaned forward, elbows touching his knees as his fingers intertwined. He was thinking. Ria pouted in concern.

"What's in your mind, boy?"

"Nothing."

"You lying bitch," she internally hissed. "That's very sus of you."

Taehyun suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's none of your business, Ria."

"Damn, what happened to the darling?"

"Well then, allow me to rephrase it." The mage smiled. "It's none of y-"

"Nevermind," the girl shifted. "So, what's the plan?"

"I honestly don't know."

"What?"

"My mind is in shambles, Ria." Taehyun licked his lips. "You don't understand."

"Dude, I didn't fall down here for nothing."

"Yes, but-"

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Our future concerns me. I know for a fact that Kai and I will be alright, but what about the others? I want to save them. I want to save you."

"There must be a way," Ria guaranteed.

"We're not alone for sure." Taehyun sharply inhaled. "We just have to find them."

"Who?"

"The rest of the escapees."

"You meant Yeonjun, Soobin, and Beomgyu." Ria took a mental note. "Oh my God, yes."

"We need three more people."

"Three more people? My dear, would that be enough?"

"I hope so."

Taehyun gapped at her. Ria stared ahead, pressing her thumbs together to relieve her stress. The mage gazed down on her lap, only to see her left wrist glow. Ria seemed to have noticed it too as she began to whimper. She rolled up her sleeves in panic. Taehyun's eyes widened. Scarred on her skin was an odd picture. It was a red-eyed raven perched on top of a cracked skull.

"What is that?!"

"It's her mark. She's here."

"Whose mark?!"

"I'm back!" Kai cheered from behind. "Is everything alright?"

"What the fuck's happening?"

"Relax," Taehyun cooed. "It's nothing. You'll be fine."

"What do you mean it's nothing?! Don't play with me! Who's she?!"

"Misfit." Kai blinked. "She's alive."

"Huh?!"

"She's the-"

"Kai, could you pack me some berries?" Taehyun interrupted. "Don't be shy, say yes."

"Sure, how many?"

"No, who's Misfit?!" Ria intervened. "What's she got to do with the mark?!"

"Darling, we don't talk about Misfit."

"Why not?!"

"I'm starving," the mage mildly joked. "Let's go get some lunch."