SUHO

“Unite the two kingdoms, it says!” Kyungsoo grumbled, pacing around the garden. He had been acting rather sourly since hearing of the prophecy several days ago. We all were worried about it. We knew that it involved a person, but not at such circumstances. “It speaks of a maiden who would unite the two kingdoms through one of us from each side of the river. What’s that supposed to mean?” he droned on.

Kai shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ve been thinking of the same matter.”

I shrugged when they both looked at me.

Baekhyun nodded. “I don’t know how she will be able to do that if one of us finds her anyway.”

Indeed. I was starting to worry about our task at hand. First of all, we had to find the maiden. We didn’t have any idea where to start. She could be anywhere in Korinthia or probably Meropia. If we were going to search for her and she was on the other side that would prove futile. The same applies for the Meropian Element Nobles if it so happens that she was in Korinth lands.

We didn’t know where to search as it mentioned that she wasn’t where she came from. She might be a Korinth who is currently in Meropia or she could be from one city, spirited away to another. The worse one yet is if she’s in another realm. Portals in Elyxo to other worlds, especially the human world, were heavily guarded. No one would dare venture in another realm, but it also pointed out that she would come back. In what way, no one knows. We weren’t sure if one of us should come after her and take her back or if she would just come to Elyxo on her own volition or probably through the Oracles.

We had a clue as to what she was though. Chan Yeol had pointed it out right after the reading. The maiden must be half Guardian. That was true. The prophecy described how she would look like one or another, but if her eyes would set her apart from full-blood Elyxians, then it would be easy to find her, except that her kind was rare. Only the most daring Guardians would mate with mere Elyxians to create such creatures. The more we probe into the underlying meaning of it, the more odds came our way.

I was worried about her being a real half-blood. If that was the case, then we had a lot more to worry about. She might take the side of the Guardians as she is one herself or no one might actually win her over. I was told that half-bloods were odd people. The Oracle Minister of Meropia is one and I guess he qualifies for that if all the things I’ve been hearing about him were true. 

That’s another problem as well. We didn’t know what to expect anymore. We had to make her fall in love with one of us so the prophecy would be fulfilled. It’s an odd sort of prophecy, but a great one as well since no one could actually teach one’s heart to feel something it’s unwilling to. That’s the hardest part. There’s another scenario. If more than one of us tries to pursue her, that’s going to be really knotty. I could already imagine what’s going to happen.

“How will she unite the two kingdoms if she couldn’t even go from one place to the other?” Baekhyun asked. “What do you think?” he said to me.

I shook my head. “I don’t know everything.”

Kai frowned. “Can half-bloods enter the river?” he asked.

“We’re not certain about that,” I answered.

“I’ve heard a story…” He looked thoughtful then he all eyed us. “Do you remember that upheaval between the Oracles and River Guardians?”

Kyungsoo made a face. “It’s not time to be recalling our parents’ stories, Kai.”

Kai shook his head. “No. Hear me out. Do you know the story about it?”

I nodded. “Yes, I do. It was about the –” I didn’t say anymore. I think it was somehow connected. 

“What is it?” Baekhyun asked, clueless again.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “Do you remember why the lakes in Elyxo are dead?” 

He arched a brow. “You don’t really mean that the Lake Guardian’s daughter was the prophesied maiden, do you?”

“She’s half Guardian,” Kai said.

The Earth Noble nodded. “He escaped with her to another world eighteen years ago. That’s not possible.”

“The creatures of the lake have returned…” I whispered. “Could it be…”