*character death*

It's not a smooth ride to Sofia. The road down the mountain is a bumpy, rocky one, causing some of the younger children to be nauseous, leaning over the sides of the carriages in case they suddenly hurl.

Eunji, too, has doubled over, curling into a fetal position on the floor, her usually rosy cheeks a startling sickly white, all colour gone from her complexion.

The other older children are gathered in a circle at the back of the spacious carriage, voices low, with the exception of twelve year-old Chorong, who's sitting guard near the door, acting as a safety measure.

"So," Woohyun begins, fiddling with a stray piece of thread hanging from his frayed shirt. "Are we really going to do this? Just... just run?"

"Yeah, and hope they don't catch us, I guess." Myungsoo chews on his lower lip, a habit that surfaces whenever he is anxious.

Wonwoo's silent for a moment, eyes flitting back and forth between his two friends.

"If you wouldn't mind my opinion, I think we shouldn't."

"What?" The other two's heads swivel towards Wonwoo, incredulous expressions on their faces.

"I don't know how to explain this..." Wonwoo begins nervously. "I have a really terrible feeling about this."

"But we've been waiting for this opportunity for ages, and all the rest agreed on it!" Myungsoo gestures at the younger children sitting in the front.

"I know, but I think it isn't the right time. I have an awful feeling. I can't describe it, but I think everything's going to go horribly wrong. Please just trust me on this one." Wonwoo says in a pleading tone. He can't pinpoint the exact feeling, but it's there, nagging at the back of his mind, telling him to stop the plan from taking place.

Woohyun shakes his head, "I never would have thought anyone would chicken out at this last moment, especially you Wonwoo. You and I were one of the first kids taken. Have you forgotten how badly we were treated at the very start? How much we went through? And now, right now, we have this golden opportunity right in front of us, yet you're telling us to turn a blind eye and continue with this absurd treatment?"
 

"It's not that-"
 

"But that's what I'm hearing from you right now! Think about it, Wonwoo - a life in the capitol. A life where they wouldn't be able to find us, not with the immense population and strict guarding system. People like... like them," Woohyun spits out, "would be chased out sooner or later."

Wonwoo turns to Myungsoo, eyes conveying desperation, hoping he will disagree.

Myungsoo doesn't. Instead, he nods his head, avoiding eye contact with the younger. "Woohyun's right."

"Guys! Who's up for escaping today?" Woohyun says just loud enough for the rest to answer.

A chorus of "yes!" rings out, faces brightening at the word 'escaping', and even Eunji mumbles out a weak "Yes, hell yes."

"You hear that?" Woohyun glares at Wonwoo, "Are you just going to disappoint everyone like this? Just because of a feeling?"

"I don't want to but this really isn't going to go well..." Wonwoo replies, trying to reason.

"Wonwoo," Myungsoo sighs. "You know what? Why don't you just stay with Silver and Mercury then? Continue this life. The rest of us are going. It's up to you now."

The rest of the ride is spent in silence, most of them asleep, while Woohyun, along with Myungsoo and Chorong sat whispering in the corner.

Wonwoo finds himself whiling away time gazing at the everchanging scenery. A forest filled with lush green leaves and chirping insects and birds singing melodious tunes. A deep yawning canyon that makes Wonwoo wonder how long it will take to fall through, whether he will become a pile of twisted bones upon hitting the bottom. Another mountain village with a blossoming agriculture industry that he had caught wind of recently - with golden stalks of wheat, rows of various vegetables and tall fruit trees, mostly producing round, red, juicy apples.

Somehow, along the way, he dozes off, and by the time he awakes, the sun is starting to set. He notices enormous stone walls ahead of the carriage - the huge wooden doors thrown wide open, guards standing at either sides, and throngs of people from all walks of life streaming in.

"Wake up, all of you!" The carriage screeches to a halt just as Mercury yells.

The children sit up, all sticking their heads out of the windows to catch glimpses of the capital, eyes wide.

This is it. Wonwoo his dry lips, casting a glance at Woohyun, Myungsoo and Chorong who are sitting at the side, serious expressions painted on their faces.

Silver opens the door of their carriage with a slam, and the children filed out one by one, excitement and anxiousness clearly showing, written all over their faces.

Without being fed anything, they're directly marched into Sofia, to the side of a bustling main street, and handed their baskets to beg.

The street is crowded, many flocking to the inns carrying large baggages presumably filled with food and clothes for their stay in the capital. Multiple stores are also open, selling a myraid of products, ranging from fried squids to old dusty leather books, store owners shouting out the various prices.

It's not long before the wealthy are pausing in their tracks in front of them, pitying looks directed at each child  as they each throw a few gold coins in each basket. A kindly old lady even hands a few loaves of multigrain bread to Chorong, telling her to share them with the other children.

This, however, does not escape Silver's notice, and the moment the elderly woman turns to leave, he snatches the loaves out of Chorong's hands and stuffs them into his satchel.

Their baskets fill up quickly with golden and silver coins, more than they had ever seen in their life.