A/N: Hello~! I updated.. Exmas are over!!! Yessss...

-Shinhye’s POV-

The town proper of the capital city of Lumina was way better than that of the one in the capital. I was seeing new things that were amazing in their own way. It was very organized, too, like I was in the night market of Myeongdong back in the human world. Stalls and tents were lined properly and it wasn’t as crowded as that of the capital. I had a better look at the things people were selling. Still, I didn’t see a single Korean food stall. I was crazy to have looked forward to something like it, but it was unfair since they had dumplings and stuff, but know kimbap or any sushi.

I pulled Sehun with me, oblivious to the stares we were getting from the people who met us as we went through the streets. Sehun would wave here and there, smile once in a while and greet the people he recognized from his visits to the place. They really were popular. He’d tell me about the things people sell, especially the weird ones. I’ve concentrated on the food. What is a better way to learn about the culture of the place other than its food? The worst one yet was the stall that sold different kinds of soup. He patiently offered to read the menu for me, but I chose not to hear it, knowing that they’d probably be serving stuff made of creatures I haven’t heard of before. I saw the butcher behind the stall chopping what looked like a hybrid of reptilian and human limbs.

“Do you want to try it?” he asked me with a smile, sitting down on the long bench where people ate.

It actually smelled good like home cooking, but I wasn’t sure if I could take it. I just nodded. I had to get used to it. Come on. They even serve cockroaches in some parts of the human world. What could possibly go wrong? I sat beside him slowly and stared at the counter top. “So…which one’s your favorite?” I asked him.

He chuckled. “Everything’s good, but I really like this stew with fish.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fish?” It sounded suspicious enough. “What exactly is it?”

“It’s a common delicacy originally from Hydris.” He looked up and smiled. “Oh there it is.” He pointed at the tent entrance and I followed his gaze only to be confronted by a burly man who was holding an enormous electric blue fish. It had very thin fins with the consistency of hair and the wide jaws sported fangs the size of my fingers. The glassy eyes were the size of jumbo jaw breakers and I nearly cringed at the thought of encountering it alive.

“You eat that?” I whispered to him.

He nodded. “It’s very good.” He grinned at me. “You don’t have to try it if you’re scared.”

I scoffed. “People in the human world eat larger fish than that,” I told him. Well, at least they’re not an unnatural color and they do not look like aliens from outer space. “I want to try it.”

“If you say so.” He motioned to the order taker. “We’d like two servings of the lightning fish, please. Stewed.”

“Lightning fish?” I sniggered.

“It’s supposed to have the same ability lightning has,” he told me dryly.

I laughed. “Is the taste as electrifying?”

“Very funny, Shinhye.”

“Can you make mine salted and fried?” I asked him and he made the request. They served it very quickly with boiled potatoes and a dark sauce that looked like thick soy for dipping. The fish smelled very good, too, but the electric blue outer skin was still there.

“Try it,” he encouraged me, picking up the chopsticks. He then took a small slice, motioning to dip it into the weird sauce, but I stopped him, holding his hand before he touched it.

“What’s that?” I asked cautiously.

“Honey and oysters,” he told me.

“Oh.”

He dipped it and positioned the food in front of me. “Go on.”

I slowly opened my mouth and ate the fish, chewing at it. It tasted gamey like beef with a tinge of chicken and the texture flaky fish, but didn’t taste like fish at all. It was delicious, the best one I’ve tasted.

“Well?” He looked worried.

I smiled at him. “Now I know why you like it. It’s good~!”

He smiled. “I told you. You can have as much as you want when you get to Hydris.”

I picked up the potato and began peeling it. “How often do you come to Lumina?” I asked him. “You seem familiar with it.”

“Every summer. It’s the best place to be during those months since it would get very humid in other parts of Korinthia. The weather here is mild.”

“You come here with the others?”

He nodded. “We often gather here more than we do in other places aside from the capital.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t really seen a comprehensive map of Korinthia. “What’s the next land to Lumina?” I asked him.

“Aeola, my home, to the west and the south eastern lands of Genro. It’s has the widest territory in all Korinthia,” he explained.

I frowned. “Why is that?” I asked. “Does that mean they’re the strongest race?”

“Hmm. I guess you can say that. It borders the river to the east from the north, but the southern tip is a part of Pyria, Chan Yeol hyung’s home. The Earth Nobles were supposed to be favored by the legendary vessel of the powers of Kiyo.”

I arched a brow at him. “Vessel?”

“Containers in a sense. There were two and…you should ask D.O. hyung. I’m not sure about that little piece of information.”

“That’s too bad.” I was really curious about it. I began picking on the fish. It didn’t have bones either so I just ate like I was eating rice cake. I glanced at the person beside me. “What is your home like?” I asked him out of the blue. It even came abruptly to me.

“Which part?” he asked me.

“Your manor?”

“The Vindur Palace is suspended in air in the middle of a canyon, surrounded with fog.”

“That’s very impersonal, you know.”

He just continued eating. “You’ll see when you get there.”

I arched a brow at him. “You don’t like your home?”

“That’s not it. Aeola is a beautiful place, particularly Vindur. I just haven’t been there for too long to know what to tell you.” He sighed. “What do you call your city?”

“Itaewon, Seoul.”

“How is it like?”

“Busy and noisy.” I smiled. “You should see for yourself.”

“Sure. As soon as I am able to open a portal.” He was being caustic again. I guess I could identify with him.

“Wouldn’t you want to see it, too?” I asked.

He looked thoughtful. “It is intriguing, but I can’t go there.” Suddenly, he was being bleak.

“If I find a way, would any one of you come with me when I return?”

He didn’t answer.

I finished my lightning fish and we stayed in silence. We resumed our walk around the city until sunset. It was annoying since he was killing the mood. I thought he meant to ‘ensure my happiness’. Buzz-kill Oh Sehun!

After around half an hour, she spoke again. “What were you worried about lately?”

I didn’t even consider his question anymore and spoke, regretting what I said the moment it escaped my mouth. “I was wondering whether I’ve scarred you all for life with my utter viciousness as Kai would put it. I’m especially worried about him.” I said that without pause like word-vomit, but I guess it was time I told someone about it. I was getting really queasy during meal time.

Sehun stopped walking with an alarmed look about his face. He faced me and took me by the shoulders. “What are you talking about? I – we weren’t thinking about such…” His voice trailed off and when he regained it, he said, “Please don’t think about that.”

I swallowed. “I saw how…” I shook my head. “Never mind. I won’t do it again.” That’s a promise. “Honestly, Sehun. Do I scare you?”

‘Your leaving does,’ I heard his voice in my head.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.” He shook his head. “What aspect of you is supposed to frighten me?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Pretending not to know, now, are we?” I eyed him seriously. “I don’t need you to make me feel good right now. I want an honest answer.”

He shook his head at me. “I’m not scared or anything, but I respect your capabilities.”

“Those are two different things.”

“Exactly.” He extended his hand and traced my jaw line. He suddenly beamed. “And I’m always in awe.” He turned away after that and I shivered. “Do you want to learn more?” he asked as he stared ahead.

“Sure. Are you going to teach me?”

He shook his head. I smelled a plan. “I have someone better in mind.” He took my hand and pulled me with him. “Let’s go.”

-Lu Han’s POV-

The Wu household had been very gracious in accommodating us to their home in Aria. We’ve been there for a little less than a week and matters had been going smoothly since we’ve gotten to the capital, Hegaldinia. It would be a week more before Kris would leave to retrieve the treasure he needed from the northern most part of the land, Udaranna. It was believed to be uninhabited by Elyxians as it was the abode of unimaginable creatures of flight, native to the land. It was for a fact the origin of the Nephylus, but it was tamed by people. I cannot begin to imagine what kind of hostile environment awaited the Arian prince, but we were all plain worried about letting him go there alone. It was unthinkable.

As for now, everyone had been living in the moment, making the most of their stay in the magnificent domicile of the Flight Nobles. Incongruous to the common perception of the people, who weren’t acquainted to them at a personal level, the Wu clan, though they might appear cold and indifferent on the outside, were actually very warm people and like Lay Jiao Liang of Hailesia, they were very fond of Jinhae. It was as if their inclination to take respon