SEHUN

It was dark then suddenly, everything gradually became brighter. I couldn’t be sure where the light was coming from, but soon, as my vision started to adjust, I found myself staring into a pair of emerald green eyes. They glowed brighter than anything I could see, and at a closer look, amber jewels surrounded the irises like specs of glitter that made it even brighter. They were beautiful. Such unusual eyes just didn’t belong to Elyxians and I had the hunch that I was gazing into the eyes of a goddess. I felt myself taking a step back, preparing myself to behold the owner of the eyes. I found a girl in front of me, a smile slowly making its way through her sensuous, cherry lips that looked lovely just as they were with her lower lips slightly fuller than the other. Her lovely face was framed with long, jet-black hair that gleamed like a starless night, billowing in the wind with lucidity that made me think of silk. She was just as beautiful as her stunningly fathomless eyes. 

She took a step towards me, sliding her hands from my left chest going all the way up to my shoulders in a playful and slow rhythm that sent me to the edge. Before I knew it, she swiftly planted a kiss on my lips, gently pressing hers against mine. After knowing how it felt like touching her like that, I had every intention to deepen the rather chaste kiss she had bestowed upon me, but as I pulled her closer, she suddenly disappeared. Then just like that, my eyes flew open.

It was a dream, yet another one about the girl that had been haunting my unconscious mind as far as I could remember. Not a month would pass without me dreaming about her, her caresses…her kisses. Everything seemed so real. It’s as if I could really feel her lips moving against mine, but it would turn out to be a dream. I swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat and realized that I was parched. Suddenly, I had the feeling that I wasn’t alone in my room.

I sat up straight, too quickly, I was afraid, that I ended up lying back down on my pillows, feeling nauseous for some time, but I got a glimpse of someone standing by my window. I didn’t know who it was so I waited for the person to speak.

“Sleeping in the middle of the day again, are we?” the person said. There was no mistaking that rather gentle yet snappy voice. It was Suho. When I didn’t answer, he droned on. “No wonder you’re having nightmares.”

I arched a brow and carefully hoisted myself up, swinging my legs off the bed. “Nightmares?” I asked, puzzled.

He nodded. “You were tossing restlessly and mumbling unintelligible words. I wonder what was chasing you.”

I sighed then touched the back of my neck. I was sweating profusely. “Nothing was…” I thought about how I would put it. “It’s more like I’m chasing after something.”

Suho diverted his gaze from the window and looked at me. “Something?”

I nodded.

“Water?” he offered, his hand starting to form those water orbs that spun like tiny planets. I didn’t like the thought one bit so I just shook my head. “Very well. Suit yourself.”

I frowned. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Checking up on you. I haven’t been seeing you lately.”

I stood up and joined him by the window. “I had to sleep.”

He glanced at me. “You weren’t here last night.”

“I wasn’t,” I confirmed. “I went out for a walk…calm my nerves.”

He just nodded and diverted the subject by saying, “She’s awake.”

I blinked at him, not sure what he was talking about. “Who is?” I asked.

“The maiden from the prophecy,” he answered flatly.

I arched a brow at him then nodded. “You’ve made her acquaintance then?” I asked. Honestly, I didn’t care about her. I haven’t laid eyes on her since Chan Yeol brought her into the mansion, claiming that she was the one. I’m quite surprised that after being unconscious for two and a half days, she still regained it. She came out of nowhere, at least that’s what he told us. Well and good. She just saved us from looking all over the lands for her. However, I’m set on looking for something else…someone else. I didn’t wish to be involved in the fulfillment of the prophecy more than I should be. Now that she had been found, all I have to do is to be present during the day when the great river would finally reveal the bridge to Meropia.

Suho smiled then nodded. “It was quite awkward though.”

I chuckled. “Well, what did you expect? We’re not sure what she really is.”

He shook his head. “That not it.” He looked at me seriously. “She really is a half blood, but there was this incident with Kai when she happened to wake up. She seemed frightened…very frightened.”

I rolled my eyes. “Kai barged into her room. How exactly do you expect her to react?”

“She’s not from our world.”

“What?”

“She’s not from Elyxo.”

“I know what you said, but –”

“It’s not possible to enter the portals from outside.”

I nodded. “Very intriguing.”

He smiled. “Never mind that. At least she’s here, but her eyes…”

I smirked inwardly. Surely, nothing would beat the beauty of the eyes of the woman I saw in my dream. “What about them?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve never seen such bright eyes.” As if on cue, he said, “They were like emeralds with golden specs. I never thought it would be that dazzling.”

That got me to think. “Emeralds?”

“Yes,” he answered thoughtfully then frowned a bit. “Haven’t you seen her yet?”

I shook my head. What if…no! 

He chuckled then and motioned to leave the room. “So it is only I, Chan Yeol and Kai? You’ll probably see her by dinner if she’s well enough to join us, that is.”

I just nodded. I was still absorbed by the thought that Suho had described the prophesied maiden’s eyes with such proximity to the woman in my dream. I’ve got to see her.

SHINHYE

When am I going to get out of this miserable room? I’ve been waiting all afternoon for someone to come and at least tell me what happened before I ended up here. I stared at the wall opposite me after several attempts to get up and assess myself. I’m sore all over, probably because I haven’t gotten any food inside me and I haven’t taken a shower for two days just as the tall, deep-voiced boy had told me. I must smell of a sick person, but that’s the