Tink was not all bad: or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change.

“What are you reading, Dee?”

Peering up from the massive book in her hands, Dara found Joongki grinning good-naturedly at her before plopping down on the grass beside her to examine the cover of the book closely. “Ah, you’re reading the Peter Pan book I gave you for your birthday.”

“Thank you, Ki.” It was slightly embarrassing to Dara, but when she was little and learning how to speak, she had trouble pronouncing Joongki’s full name and called him “Ki” instead. She is twelve years old now and more than capable of saying “Joongki” clearly, but the nickname she had for her friend stuck around. “It’s such a fascinating story!”

“Really? What do you like about it?” Joongki is one year older than Dara, and his personality was much more pragmatic and mature than the girl, who had mythical fantasies swirling in her dreamy eyes all the time. He deems himself too old for fairytales.

“Everything about it. How they can fly with the help of pixie dust-“

“If you’re gifted with teleportation like Daesung, you’d also get to go wherever you want in the blink of an eye,” Joongki pointed out. In Ejethae, almost everyone was blessed with a special ability, ranging from hypnosis to healing powers. Children usually show signs of their budding powers in their early teens.

Dara sighed deeply. Joongki doesn’t get it. “That’s different. Teleportation is transferring yourself to a different place with every detail of the destination etched in your mind. Flying is something entirely different. It’s feeling the wind brushing past your shoulders as you gaze down on the earth. It’s the feeling of freedom, having complete control over which direction-“     

“Dara, put down your book already!” Without waiting for Dara’s reply, Chaerin tugged Dara forcibly by the hand, causing the book to slide from Dara’s lap and onto the ground, forgotten. Joongki joined them as they headed towards the town square where a group of children from their village were gathering around in excitement. “Come play hide and seek with us! We’re heading to the edge of the woods!”

Crouching slightly, Seunghyun took a deep breath of fresh air as he summoned all the strength in his body to spread his gigantic wings before taking off majestically. He could feel the warm breeze tickling his feathers playfully as he zoomed across the grassy plains. He waved cheerfully at the nymphs resting under the trees, who sang out their greetings to him in their melodious voice. Herds of centaurs bowed respectfully to him, stopping in their tracks towards the forest. Everything in Nebrepia seems to peaceful and orderly, so he picked up speed and bulleted towards the border that separated the two kingdoms of Nebrepia and Ejethae. Looking down at the blur of colors below him, Seunghyun felt pure happiness. Flying gave him freedom. He had complete control over his speed, his direction, and his destination. This was what made him whole.

He flew closer to the edge of the woods, slowing himself to a graceful landing on a treetop that gave him a good view of the villages dotting the border. With his keen senses, he could make out everything from the swirls of smoke coming from chimneys to the intricate arches of the clock tower in the middle of the town square. Ejethae is the mysterious land of humankind. Curiosity encouraged him to take a closer look at the land of the unknown, despite instincts warning him to stay back. It looks different, sounds different, even smells different. He knew the lang