“Alice! I’ve been so worried about you! Ever since I found out you arrived.. I was so worried about you! Let’s go inside right now, it’ll get cold soon!” You doubted that, but JHope was speaking so fast that you couldn’t protest or even get a word in. Jimin landed on the ground behind you but JHope ignored him, although you weren’t sure if that was on purpose.

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me Hobi. Sure the clouds were scary but I’m safe now.” You tried to reassure him. The nickname just came naturally. JHope had already dragged you to the stairs that led to his house’s entrance. He stopped just short of them and glanced up at you, mouthing something. You couldn’t make out what it was, but JHope suddenly moved around you and waved his hands at Jimin.

“Rabbit! I’d love to offer you some tea, but we all know Suga has a monopoly on that stuff. How about some nice carrot juice?” His voice was so much louder than everyone else’s, but it didn’t hurt your ears. You smiled at JHope, who was quite possibly speaking louder with his body than he was with his voice. Jimin appreciated not being ignored and followed JHope to the door.

The manor house that was positively huge from the outside seemed to be even larger on the inside. The door opened into a hall so large you weren’t sure you could see the ceiling. Was this place even the same on the inside? The rabbit and the duke brushed past you. JHope turned to you, gave you a conspiring wink and made the motion for you to wait. Then he lead Jimin away into a door that appeared out of nowhere. You sighed and sat down on a low bench, waiting for him to return.

Now that you weren’t walking around, or drifting on a cloud, you realized that you were starting to feel quite tired. Maybe it was all the dragging around that Jungkook and Jimin had been doing. Your legs were quite sore from all of that. You sighed and leaned your head on your knees, letting your arms dangle to the floor. Maybe, you thought, you would dream of your home when you fell asleep in this world. Time to try that out.

“Alice, no!” Had his voice always been this high pitched? You opened an eye to see JHope crouching in front of you. Jimin was nowhere to be found. With a sigh you sat up and rubbed your eyes.

“Sorry.. I guess I was just feeling..-”

“You can’t sleep here. it’s horrible for your back! And you need to eat dinner first. Come with me.” At the light beckon of his hand you knew that you couldn’t refuse JHope. You didn’t really want to. JHope smiled. His pace was a lot slower than Jimin’s. You had the feeling he was doing this to be nice to you. That was a nice change of pace. “I had to get rid of the rabbit first. He’s a nice guy and all but rabbits can never keep secrets. Never tell a rabbit a secret.”

You nodded without having to think about it. Somehow you’d gotten to the end of the hall that had appeared so much larger just seconds ago. A red brown wooden door opened in front of you and revealed a rather outlandish dining room. Most of the room was filled up by a long table that was covered in a snow white table and surrounded by chairs with red velvet seats. JHope didn’t give the room a second glance and stepped through a blue door that lead you to a kitchen. Once inside JHope sat you down in front of a small table.

“You don’t feel comfortable in a room like that, I know. Let’s just sit here. It’s warmer here too. How about some hot chocolate? I’m sure you’ve had your fill of tea.” JHope offered. He was still speaking fast, but not as fast. As he spoke, a mug with silver decorations on the sides appeared on the table. You smiled at him, looking around the kitchen.

“What’s the use of the kitchen if you just conjure everything by magic?” You asked, playing with a spoon that lay in front of you. The Duke shrugged, gently nudging the mug towards you.

“Not everyone likes to do things by magic. The option for manual labour should be there. There is so much I have to talk to you about, Alice.” He snapped his fingers, and dishes floated around his hands, setting themselves on the table. On the plates appeared fruits, rice, meat, eggs, vegetables and even some candy. “But first, you need to eat.” He clapped his hands and the food started piling itself onto your plate.

It was nice to take your time to eat and rest up a little bit. JHope talked a good deal while you ate, but he was willing to repeat everything for you if you didn’t catch it, and he didn’t expect you to remember everything. In his own way he was letting you eat in peace. Once you’d finished eating JHope brought you to another room where you could lie down for a short while. The lights seemed to be turning redder through the windows. The sun was setting. Contented, you closed your eyes and let yourself drift off to sleep.

When you woke up you a fresh set of clothing beside the bed with a note. ‘Goodmorning sleeping beauty. Breakfast is ready in any dining room or kitchen. If you want, baths can be readied.’ Signed Duke. Of course JHope would sign anything with the seal of his importance. You stretched yourself out and yawned. This bed was the most comfortable bed you’d ever slept on.

Underneath your feet, when they reached the floor, was a soft carpet. It was warm around your feet and made it easier for you to get up. The only uncomfortable thing was that you were still wearing your clothes from the day before. You took the nametag from your blouse and tucked it into the pocket of the pants JHope laid out for you. You grinned as you changed into them.

JHope had always thought you looked prettier in dresses, but he understood that you needed something more comfortable to move in. No matter how powerful he tried to present himself to be, he would never force anyone into anything. Of course, he would think that only weak people have to force others.

“Good morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?” JHope greeted you as soon as you stepped into a bordering room. Of course it was a kitchen. JHope was sitting in an unusually flamboyant chair, swinging his legs as he sipped a bright red drink. You rubbed your eyes and nodded as you sat down across him. JHope swept his hand gently through the air, and a table came dancing until it stopped in front of you. “I hope you don’t mind if we talk during breakfast?”

“Of course not.. What did you have to talk to me about?” You asked. A bowl of porridge and blueberries appeared on the table. Next to it appeared a spoon and a banana. Your favourite breakfast, according to JHope.

“Everything, Alice. First things first. Do you remember your name?” His fingertips pressed together as he crossed his legs. His left knee almost rested on the arm of his chair and he was leaning forwards slightly. The question took you off guard.

“Of course I do. Alice.” You said, then pausing for a few seconds. “No.. It’s.. Areum. I saw it just now.. How could I forget? I must be sleepy..” You muttered, rubbing your eyes stubbornly once more. JHope sighed.

“You might be sleepy, but that’s not why you’re forgetting things. You travelled by cloud yesterday. Not only does it drain energy, but it drains your memory too. You probably lost a chunk of those.” You nodded vaguely, picking up the porridge. Of course it tasted good, but you were trying your best to recall things from your life. And it was surprisingly hard.

“You’re right.” You muttered, sighing. “I can’t remember if I had cousins or not. I don’t think I did but I really can’t remember. I don’t know what else I’m missing Hobi..” You bit your tongue and picked up an appearing teamug. The Duke nodded.

“It’s okay, I’m here to remind you, and to give you some help as well. You can find the antidote for Rap Monster in our king’s castle. In its library, where you can also find something more important. The king has a book that registers the names of the countries inhabitants.” You didn’t understand why this was more important, but knowing JHope it probably had something to do with him. You ate the rest of your breakfast as you listened to JHope explaining things.

“In this book are the true names of all the people who were brought here, Alice. Meaning that your name, Suga’s name, Rap Monster’s name and my name are in there, too.” His name? You glanced up at him. If JHope was at all sad about losing his life in the other world, he didn’t show it. Instead he smiled and made dessert appear in front of you.

“You have to find our names, Alice. I know you can do it. If you find them we can all go home.” It didn’t show on his face, but his voice trembled slightly at the word ‘home’. “Then we can all see our parents again.. But you have to be careful! There are forces in this world that are working against you. You should probably not let anyone else see you.”

You nodded and finished your tea. You weren’t in the mood for desserts. JHope rose from his chair and took your hand, leading you after him through colourful rooms until he reached a room that was clearly a library. The wall through which you’d entered as well as the wall across it were covered in bookcases that were all filled with books. To your left was a window, but the curtains held back some of the light. On your right was another wall that held maps and other pictures. You noticed a painting of JHope that looked a lot younger. How long had he been trapped here?

“Come, this is a blueprint of the castle, for as far as it’s blueprinted.” JHope had placed a map on a big wooden desk. You glanced over the picture and felt a headache coming on. The castle looked so chaotic that you thought a crazy scientist might have designed it. There were towers that climbed high into the sky, for no apparent reason. The rooms in the castle seemed uneven and there didn’t look to be any structure to the castle.

“I’ll get you in there over here. It’s a shame you missed the king’s big party a couple of weeks ago. That was Jungkook’s fault wasn’t it? Anyway, we go in here and then you go here, here and here. And the library should be there.” JHope pointed over the map rapidly. You bit your tongue, not sure if you’d be able to pull any of this off.

When he noticed your discomfort the duke stood up straight and placed his hands on your shoulders, looking at you. Instinctively you wanted to avoid his glance, but JHope just pulled your gaze towards him. You knew that wasn’t magic, he just had that kind of personality. And he was smiling rather calmly.

“I know, it’s a heavy burden to bear. I know everyone wants you to save them. If you can’t do it, that’s okay too. If it doesn’t go well, you’re welcome to come live with me here. It’s a large house to live in on my own and it’s not like you could live with any of our other friends. Their houses aren’t as good as mine.” Maybe that was a joke, but you were grateful for it.

“Thank you Hobi.. You’re a good friend.” Something flickered through your mind. This wasn’t the first time you’d said this to him, but when had you before? He had been younger, you remembered. And it wasn’t just him. You’d seen him, Jungkook, Jimin, Suga, Namjoon and two others a long time ago. But when was that?