ix. unlikely meetings  

  Hyunwook hated travelling via portals with a passion that could almost rival his detestation for waking up early in the morning, mainly because both produce a similar effect. The five second ride spinning across the world caused him a banging headache and dizzying inbalance that made him stumble across the room. Again, a similar effect to waking up after two hours of sleep.

   After he was done catching his breath, the Unseelie checked his companion, and found Adrian no better than himself. In fact, he quietly patted himself on the back when he saw the poor boy retching into a bucket specifically for this use, though he quickly got to his feeet and rushed to his side. 

    "You okay?" Hyunwook was never good with emotions, so he tried rubbing the other boy's back, which he had seen Daehyun done with the younger recruits whom he had seen portaling into Diamentes together on occassion. 

    In response, Adrian heaved again, which caused the older to back off a little, though he didn't stop his actions. "Evidently not," He muttered to himself, and dug through his jacket for a packet of tissues. "Here. Did you bring water?" With a nod of the head from the other, Hyunwook went to the backpack Adrian carried, and rummaged through its contents before producing a bottle of water, and handed it to him. 

    "Thanks." The younger coughed, and raised the bottle to his lips, about to drink, when someone burst into the room. 

    "Adrian!" 

   At the sound of his name, the boy promptly choked, and Hyunwook took the opportunity to whack him on the back. After much spluttering, Adrian looked at the newcomer, and his eyes instantly lit up. "Jaehyun!"

   "You didn't tell me you were coming back! I only heard from St. Patrick yesterday, and even then I had to pry the information from him. Where have you been? I haven't heard from you for weeks - " 

   As the two made their happy greetings, Hyunwook sighed at the puddle of water that was left on the floor, and flicked his fingers at it absent-mindedly. The water solidified into ice shards, and he held out his hand, allowing the four or five or so shards twirl in a circle above his palm while the others' chatter faded into background noise. Somehow, after five minutes (yes, he counted), Adrian decided he remembered Hyunwook's presence, and turned back to him.

   "Oh, Jaehyun, I forgot to introduce you. This is Shin Hyunwook, a senior at Diamantes and an Unseelie. He's really good at magic and stuff. Hyung, this is - " 

  "You can speak English, I'm not entirely uneducated." Detaching himself from the shadowy corner, Hyunwook straightened, and let the ice shards dissolve into water vapour. "Jaehyun, yes?" 

   "Y-yes, sunbae." 

   "Can you help Adrian pack? I'll go to the Branch Head myself." 

   "B-but, hyung, didn't Lewis say - " 

   "Lewis won't give a if we do things quicker," Hyunwook cut in. "Besides, I know my way around here, so don't worry if I get lost. If I do, I'll just flag down a cute guy and ask him to show me the way." At Adrian's dumfounded look and Jaehyun's shock, he winked at them. "Just don't tell Daehyun." 

     And with that, he set off to Patrick's office alone, leaving the two behind him.

    As soon as Hyunwook was confident that he was away from their sight, he turned a sharp left corner down a chrome corridor, and stopped in front of a door that said 'Restricted Access'. Chuckling at the sign lightly (because most of the people in the building wouldn't give a about the sign at all, except for the fact that there was a lock, but even then, it wouldn't stop the ambitious. Like him), he rummaged around in his jacket, before producing Daehyun's General ID card, and inserted it into the lock. 

   The metal door swung open soundlessly, and he entered the dark corridor after closing it behind him. In each of the Branch HQs, there was a network of - not underground, because they were technically above ground - hidden tunnels, through most of which a General's pass would gain oneaccess. Some of them were shortcuts to certain important parts of the building (like this one leading to the Branch Head's office), but there were others leading to more secretive parts that normal people wouldn't have access to. (He had once took a wrong turn and stumbled into a laboratory dissecting an already dead Seelie, and another with two Generals making out. Honestly, nothing could surprise him anymore) 

   Thank God the pass also had a hologram map attached with it, or else he would've gotten lost in these catacombs with not much luck being rescued. After walking through numerous twists and turns, Hyunwook finally stopped in front of a door - another metal one - and pressed the pass against the lock, which swung open to reveal another one made of Fey Wood, one of the strongest magical materials, on which he knocked on.

    At his silent enquiry, he heard a man on the other side give a sigh, as if in exasperation, before allowing entrance.

    "Come in."

    "I was informed that you wouldn't come in the conventional way. And as it turned out, he was right." 

     What Hyunwook had stepped into could only be described as a book lover's dream. The room consisted of two floors, the walls of both of which were lined with bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. On the first floor, there were two sets of couches no doubt reserved for entertaining guests near the front door, with a coffee table between the two. A desk sat at the very end of the room, with all sorts of knick knacks stacked on it (Hyunwook counted a globe, a compass, a telescope and a clock, but there were definitely more). Behind it was a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, but he wasn't interested in that.

      "Patrick." 

     The Branch Head gave him a tired nod. Hyunwook had encountered two of the five Branch Heads of CARDS, but they were nothing like the man in front of him. Whereas the other two were no-nonsense and constantly practical, Patrick resembled a retired Santa Clause minus the diabetes. He was bald, but the graying hairs of his beard and eyebrows reflected his age, along with the protruding veins on his gnarled hands that currently was on his lap. Patrick was wearing a dressing gown (it was pretty late at night, but as far as he knew, there was no limits in visiting hours), but even in such casual attire he could see the rigid frame that the old man was holding up with a sense of dignity. Half-moon glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, accompanied by lines on his face, but most of it were wrinkles from either old age or smiling. Hyunwook took it as a combination of both.

    In other words, he was looking at someone who could pass for either a very aged and experienced professor or a neighbour's grandfather.

    "I assume you were referring to Daehyun?" Without invitation, he crossed the room and plopped himself onto the armchair facing the Branch Head, at which Patrick merely sighed at, but did not reprimand him.

      "How is the boy?" 

    "He's well." Hyunwook then paused, thinking it better to leave their relationship out of the conversation. "He's at Clubes now. Apparently they found one of the objects there." 

     "Ah." Patrick leaned forward, frowning, as if in deep thought. "Well, maybe some tea, first, before serious discussion?"

      "I - " Before he could do the customary refusal out of politeness, Hyunwook caught the twinkle in the other's eye. "Yes, I would like some tea, please," He finished lamely, and adjusted his sitting position.

       "Every young person I have came across in this vast life of mine, at least two out of three behave like you." A tea set materialised on his desk, and Patrick picked up the teapot. Gentle fragrance trickled out of the spout onto two teacups, at which the Unseelie inhaled, before giving a contended sigh in the form of an exhale. "Pure arrogance, hot blood running through the veins, and so much spite packed into a small form." A wistful smile came across the ancient face, as if he was reminiscing. "That is, until one replies one is merely here to talk, and not to fight. It is an innate defense mechanism, you see. Every Underworlder child had experienced some sort of trauma to have caused these reactions." At this, his tone had a twinge of sadness in it, and Hyunwook thought he saw some centuries' worth of weary melancholy within his eyes. "Except for Daehyun, of course." 

        "Daehyun isn't an Underworlder," He replied automatically, reaching for the milk pitcher, and watched as the dark liquid melt into a light brown.

       "Oh, he is. He wasn't born one, but no doubts magic runs in his veins. And because of this, he was able to have a relatively normal childhood." After a sip, Patrick casted his eyes onto the Unseelie. "However, growing up in an Underworlder household doesn't mean that one is entirely happy either." 

         At his words, Hyunwook was filled with a sense of fury that almost went to his head, and set his teacup down to hide the trembling of his hands. He suddenly had a desire to stab something with the dagger strapped to his waist. "If you want to say something, just say it directly," He said shortly, not hiding the anger in his tone.

       "You misunderstood, my boy. I wasn't trying to provoke." The Branch Head too, set his teacup down, and laced his fingers together. "Very well. I'll put it in less veiled terms. The item you were seeking would only be found with a mother's guidance." 

        " 'A mother's guidance'? You know very well - " 

      "The Unseelie may be ruthless creatures with an innate desire to torment and do mischief, but like the others, they, too, value family, the core Underworlder value." He paused, before standing and walking to his bookshelves with surprising ease for his age. Patrick searched the volumes lining the shelves, before plucking one out, and blowing the dust away from the cover, he set it on the desk. "And you know very well that certain objects require a touch of magic before they could be found." 

      "So what you're saying," Hyunwook took a deep breath. "Is that my mother is the key to finding the Unseelie object." 

       "Correct." 

      "But," And here he struggled for words for the first time for quite a long while. "Must it be me? I mean - " 

      "As far as my knowledge goes, there is no other member of the Unseelie amongst your team." Patrick paused. "And therefore, the burden lies on your shoulders." 

      "Daehyun - " 

     " - is a member of the Seelie Courts, no matter what weapons he inherit." Then the Branch Head's eyes softened. "However, fear not, my boy. My assistance would be available to you whenever you may ask. As a fellow member of the Unseelie, I wish to see this mission through. Especially if that particular object may aid the senseless war between the Courts," He added, quietly. 

     Hyunwook bit his lip, eyes downcast in deep thought. Then he sighed, and met Patrick's eyes. "I don't have a choice, then, do I?" 

     "Unfortunately not. But don't be too worried. Your mother is a good person, and I'm confident that - " 

    "You don't know my mother," He cut in, fists clenching. "The day I left, she was almost ecstatic to see me get my sorry out of the house. She was the one who forced me to cut ties with my younger sister, whom she was determined to protect from me. Thank God Eunyeon has more sense, otherwise I would have lost her forever. Your help is invaluable, Branch Head," Hyunwook stood up, preparing to leave. "But I would find another way to obtain information about the Unseelie's object. And I would not rely on my mother. Whatever mode of magic it requires...I would achieve it." 

     With that, the audience was clearly over. Seeing no other means of persuading Hyunwook, Patrick sank back onto his armchair, looking older than ever with his gnarled hands once more on his desk. The Unseelie almost felt sorry for the outburst, but he didn't apologize; he stood by what he had said, and with satisfaction. 

     "Well, at the very least, then, take this book." He placed a hand on the thick volume he had pulled from the shelves. A closer look revealed to Hyunwook that it was a book on the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. "It would be an extremely useful source of information for your search. And, ah, this may help your thesis as well."  

     "My thesis?" Then realisation dawned on Hyunwook as he was reminded of a letter he had sent three months ago. "Oh."

     "Yes," Patrick said, with a hint of a smile. "I am, after all, a scholar proficient in the fields of linkage between Underworlders and the arts. Especially literature. It is rare to see a student so enthusiastic about such a niche field. Therefore, it would not be shameful for me to say that it is an honour to assist you on your paper." 

      "Thank you." Hyunwook tried to lift the book gingerly, and nearly fell back from its weight. The Branch Head chuckled at that, and waved his fingers at the huge volume, which shrunk into the size of an acorn, and turned into a keyring. "There, so you wouldn't lose it." 

       "Oh, and do take care to actually not lose it, will you, boy? It was a present, and I would hate to be unable to return it to its rightful owner." Patrick paused again, then actually smiled, the corners of his wrinkled lips turning up. "I'm sure you know how it feels, given that you share a fondness for them as well." 

       "I - yes, of course. Sir," Hyunwook added, decidedly out of politeness and caution, after attaching the keyring to the loops of his belt. 

        "Good. Now - " 

        Before Patrick could finish his sentence, however, the doors suddenly flew open, causing the Unseelie to start, and the Branch Head to give an irritated sigh and mutter a curse, as Adrian stumbled into the room, followed by Jaehyun. 

       "I believe I have taught you how to knock, Mr - " 

    "Branch Head, hyung!" Adrian panted, taking no notice of the exasperation Patrick was showing. "We have a problem."  

CARDS headquarters
—  turkey; 25.7.2017

   Saebin, to say the least, was bored. And not just any type of bored. She was bored out of her mind. 

   Honestly, she didn't even know why she was in Wonderland, except for the fact that her healing powers was an asset and that Carroll decided to use her as a means to get to her mother. 

   And to play with her brother as well, but that was rather irrelevant when it came to her. After all, Saebin had no say in that, and woe betide her brother if something unfortunate happened.

   (Okay, that was not true. She cared deeply, but what could she do? With that thought, she tucked the worries safely at the back of her mind) 

   Saebin sighed, and stretched, before deciding to get out of bed to do something productive. She had been sleeping for the past four hours (living up to her species, thank you very much), and the artificial window in her room showed the sunset streaking across the sky. Contending herself with a few moments of staring, she slipped her feet into slippers and trudged to her kitchen.

   Honestly, taking the trouble to walk fifteen minutes to the canteen would probably produce better results in terms of food, but she happened to have a rather strong dislike for Turkish food even though they claimed that they had chefs of every calibre (which she knew not to be true, having travelled extensively and sampled quite a lot of different cuisines), and she had a sudden craving for instant noodles. And so, after producing a pack of Korean spicy noodles, Saebin promptly dumped it into the pot of boiling water and left it there to cook, but not before setting a timer to remind herself when it's done. 

   In the meantime, she popped her laptop open to see if she had any emails from work. While it wasn't explicitly stated, none of her teammates had left CARDS HQ except to be on important missions, and the ones left behind weren't going about their usual jobs either (except for Alexander, whose day job was actually at HQ). Learning from their example, Saebin thought that it would be wise for her not to go back to work either, in order not to stick out, so she requested indefinite leave from her agency, and asked them to send her work instead of going to the office.  

   But it didn't really matter, actually. Not when you had an Unseelie for a best friend who could manipulate people's memories with a snap of her fingers. 

   A loud noise pierced the silence she was pondering in, and Saebin instantly scrambled to the pot to prevent the fire alarm from going off, turning the stove off. The box of fried tofu she had bought the other day was also done reheating in the microwave, so she plopped the two onto the small table in the middle of the kitchen, and started eating while continuing her work.

   Saebin then gave an impatient sigh; the latest email was dated two days ago, and she had made Chengxiao promise her to send updates everyday, which she had done so faithfully ever since she was gone. It meant that the HQ wifi was not working again, and she muttered something rude under her breath. You would've thought that CARDS, being a world-class top level organisation, would have the money for top-notch wifi, but no. They had to spend money somewhere else. Like investing into a group of seven people which they claimed to be elites, when there were several thousand others who were of equally excellenet abilities. 

    And thus began the debate of why exactly she was chosen again. But it didn't matter anymore, and she popped a spoonful of spicy soup into while continuing to scroll.

    Then one of the emails caught her eye. It was again, from Chengxiao, but rather than the header being the normal 'daily update', it was titled 'important'. Frowning a little, Saebin clicked into it. She had asked her friend to look into the objects they had to find, seeing if she had other sources that she herself might have possibly missed, but Saebin wasn't expecting much, given that she herself would've been busy with work as well. Apparently she had came up with something.

    Saebin already knew what four of the six objects were, given her...extensive sources. The Seelie's was, of course, the Great Glyph of the Sidhe, which Wonderland was briefed on as well. The only problem about that was where the heck it was located, but so far, there were only two places it could be, and one would inexplicably lead to the other. In other words, she wasn't too worried about that. Another one was the merpeople's object, which again, they were briefed about in the meeting. With that Wonderland was faced with another huge uncertainty as well, because it would obviously be located underwater, and none of her teammates were merpeople. But again, Saebin couldn't be much bothered, and she strongly suspected that Wonderland wouldn't waste their time looking up ways to breathe underwater for a long period of time. No; knowing them, they would more likely gloat their enemies to find it first, before snatching it from under their noses. That, Saebin was slightly worried about. 

    The third of the objects would be the Ankh, which was the vampire's object. That was supposed to be something Saebin was responsible for, but honestly, she had no clue where the thing was. Her first instinct was to contact her mother, who, being the head of another extensive vampire network, would very likely have some inkling of idea about it. And unfortunately, her mother was out of the country for the moment, so it was altogether very frustrating. 

     As to the fourth...well, Saebin had means of deploying ears wherever she wanted. And as it turned out, her teammates had figured out what the warlock's object was, though she had inklings of doubt about whether or not it was authentic. But she had a lead, and that was what mattered. The Seal of Solomon may or may not exist, but at the moment, it did, at least for her and her teammates. 

     At that reminder, Saebin's cursor hovered hesitantly over Chengxiao's email, debating whether or not she should open it, before deciding that she should probably send an email to her brother instead, telling him about her...ah, progress. He would be eager to hear from her, and besides, Saebin was secretly desperate to know whether or not their mother had told him something.

     Halfway through her writing (she had just finished the paragraph about the Seal of Solomon), there came a knock at her door. Saebin frowned, and glanced at the clock. 21:49. Who would be bothering her at so late of an hour? She stood, leaving the laptop propped open, and went to the door, peeping at the doorhole, before opening it to the shadowy figure of Alexander.

     "Sorry to bother you at such a late hour," He said, before she could open . (And thank goodness she didn't have to; God knows how good she was with words) "But I might need your help with something."

     "Um, yes?" Saebin tried, and faltered when the words tumbled out of with a complete lack of control. Yes. She was that good with words. 

     Luckily, Alexander didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he ignored it. "I'm making a medicine of sorts, and I might need you on standby to cure my test subject in case it dies accidentally." 

     "Oh." Well, that sounded frightening. "I-I mean, sure! Of course." 

     "Thank you." The man's eyes then strayed over to her laptop, which laid open on the kitchen table that was situated right next to the front door, and Saebin cursed herself for being so careless. Luckily, she wasn't as stupid as to put what she was writing about in the title, though she did title it 'Progress'. After a long and painful pause, Alexander said, "I see you're working hard." 

     "Well," She ventured, thinking fast. "One has to keep oneself busy. Besides, my job allowed for some degree of flexibility. So I guess I'm working. What about you?" 

      "My work is in CARDS, so it doesn't matter either way," He replied ruefully. "Anyways, if you're busy, I can always come by later." 

      "O-oh, it's fine. I'll go. It's not that important." 

      "Hm," Alexander seemed to ponder on something, and Saebin felt her heart pound in her chest. Had he figured out what she was doing? He couldn't have, she was careful not to let anyone know, and she had hid her traces pretty well. "Well, that's true. After all, work on hand with one's comrades at one's base of operations is the most important. Or am I incorrect, Saebin?" 

      At his words, and the meaningful glance he fixed on her, the vampire felt herself freeze with fear, because it was quite possible that he had figured out her secret. 

     And this meant that she herself, if he decided to tell anyone, would be in jeopardy. 

     With that cheerful thought in mind, Saebin followed Alexander down the corridor, with a feeling akin to someone having dumped a bucketful of ice water down her back; dread. 

Did I promise not to update and concentrate on my schoolwork? Yes. 

Did I actually do anything productive? No.

Are deadlines looming in the distance? Yep.

Anyways, so this is chapter...nine? Damn, I'm actually good at this updating thing. (ha ha) But yes! Things are in development and in motion! We may be able to finish this story in 30+ chapters rather than the 40+ chapters I had initially planned it to be. Hm...

All things aside, though, I'm actually eager to finish this because 1) I have ideas for an actual series made out of this (which is again a far-fetched dream I shall not think about before I apply to university *shudders*) and 2) I want to write relationships and lovey-dovey things between my characters (okay no but you get the point) 

So yes! I'm going to leave this with another note that I wouldn't be updating soon to concentrate on my work, but you all know that it's going to be a lie. With that cheerful thought in mind (am I quoting myself? I'm quoting myself), I leave you here with my longest chapter to date (4000+ words guys it's a miracle) and a possibility of another update. 

Btw, I might decide not to name chapters after the next one. I'm really at this.