Chapter 3:

“Yo ma’ girl! I saw a monster in a freaking alley!”

“You saw a monster in an alley?!”

“No, I saw Barney, Jollibee, and Ronald McDonald doing a !”

“Shimee!”

“Of course, I saw a monster! It was big, slimy, furry, and disgusting! It’s like watching someone vomit, ate it again, and vomited it out!” Hell yeah, I was disgusted. I left the monster-killing-handsome-guy part because maybe she might lecture me about how you shouldn’t have left him or you should’ve helped him at least.

For your information, I did help him!

Just for a little while though…..

“Thank you for that wonderful dream of yours. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go to class and when I go to your house after school, you need to tell me why you’re not at school alright? Goodbye!” Hazel hung up before I could explain any further and that it wasn’t a dream. If it was a dream, I should’ve been at home or at school sleeping and not being chased by a monster. If it was her she would’ve died right then and there.

I smelled myself and I scrunched up my nose as I noticed I smelled really bad, “I need to take a shower,” I prepared my clothes before getting inside the bathroom. I felt my neck if the necklace was still there and I sighed in relief as I felt the familiar cold metal on the palm of my hands. It looked too valuable to be lost.

There were still questions in my head that were still not answered. I wondered why was there even a monster in there. Fairy tales don’t exist and I know that since I haven’t seen a unicorn yet and a leprechaun suddenly giving me a pot of jar with gold coins inside of it. Those things are none existent. If there was that monster, were there other kinds of things like those too?

“Ahh, my head,” I felt a pang of pain on my head and soon, I started seeing black dots surrounding my vision. The next thing you know, I collapsed and couldn’t see a thing.

***

"Minhyuk, call your best warriors here,” the queen of Shen, Jung Jieun, ordered her trustee assistant and he gladly followed. Minhyuk went out of the queen’s room and into the training room where he could see a lot of people training. There were some young ones, some old ones, and some just the right age. He could see someone throwing daggers to the middle of the target, boys were battling each other, girls were practicing there archery, and of course, the three people who only trains when they are alone. A Xi, a Lee, and a Jung.

Oh just how conceited they are.

Minhyuk clapped two times and everyone lined up immediately without any hesitation, “Today, the queen told me to look for one of the best warriors. So now, I’ll be calling a list of names. They will battle in front of the queen and the queen herself will be the one who will pick. The names that I will be calling, please step forward.”

“Bang Yongguk, Lee Taemin, Kang Sora, Lee Yejin, Son Naeun, Lee Joon, Xi Luhan, and Jung Daehyun. The people that I didn’t call please go back to your training,” Minhyuk bowed and turned around, knowing that the 8 representatives are following.

It wasn’t that much of a long walk going to the queen’s room, but the tension was already in the air. Yongguk was already cracking his knuckles which made Joon a little scared but not that much to be a coward. Yejin, also known as Ailee, was twirling her own dagger effortlessly between her fingers, but the two girls were not affected since they can do it too but just not as perfect as Ailee’s.

Daehyun and Luhan were just talking at the back, normally. With no nervousness at all.

“Enter,”

***

I haven’t been yet to the queen’s personal chamber where she sits down and just do nothing and orders everyone around to get this or that. Me and Luhan were just talking normally because honestly, we were already better than everyone here. I watch them practice just to know what their weaknesses are. That’s why me and Luhan just practice alone. If you’re thinking if we are friends with that spoiled brat Ailee, well, think again.

We’re not even close to becoming acquaintances.

“Enter,” I heard Minhyuk told us from the front and we followed him. Once I entered the room, I was greeted kind of like a rose scent that can just lure you in any time. Oh yeah, it’s the queen’s room.

“Are these only the people that were chosen?”

“Nope, I have someone beside me waiting for his turn to be slaughtered to hell. Can’t she just see it?” I muttered under my breath quietly that only me can hear it. The queen glanced at me, then Luhan, then the next, then the next, “Yes my queen, I heard from the trainer that these people are the only ones who can exceed.”

“Very good then, let the games begin,” she sat on her glorious chair while I rolled my eyes at her. Luhan caught it and nudged me then shook his head. I rolled my eyes again but he just let out a small smile and I followed him too.

“Yongguk and Joon, Taemin and Daehyun, Luhan and Naeun, and Yejin and Sora. Yongguk and Joon will go first. Everyone please step back,” We took a step back but then Minhyuk looks at us with a frowning face and all of us chuckled at him. We took more steps back until we were almost leaning on the wall. Yongguk and Joon were in the middle and were ready to battle it out.

It was quite awkward since Yongguk looked a little too buffy for Joon. Joon was not that scrawny, he did have muscles too but just not as big as Yongguk’s. The battle was soon over and the next pair came, then the next pair came which was me and Taemin. Taemin was new so it was easy for me to beat him.

The next pair battles it out and Luhan won since he was a guy and then Ailee won the next one. I was kind of wishing that she won’t pass. I don’t why I hate her but she just gives of the vibe. I act cold to everyone except Luhan since he is my best friend.

“I pick Ailee, Luhan and Daehyun. I am sorry Yongguk. Even though you won, you’re skills aren’t still qualified enough for this dangerous adventure. Congratulations Ailee, Luhan, and Daehyun. I picked you three to be on this little….quest,” the queen giggled a little but the three of us remained unfazed. Yongguk left quite a few moments ago after knowing he wasn’t going to go.

“What do you mean quest?” Ailee asked and I was also curious. I looked at the queen for an answer, but she just smiled sweetly at us.

“Last week, we received dark signals around the kingdom so I hid my necklace. This monster was quite strong so I teleported my necklace somewhere on the surface. I do not know where so I need the three of you to find it and—“

“Then why can’t you find it yourself? Scared that you’ll break your nail or something?” I asked her with an attitude and she smirked at me and I gladly ree back, “The reason why I need a trio to do it is because I will be guarding the kingdom of Shen and if I’ll leave, everyone here will be in danger even though how much they say that they trained for many years, but just not enough.”

“And what if we don’t find this necklace of yours?” Luhan asked with a brow raised. I looked at her but she just stood up and went closer to the three of us. She put a hand to her chest and a vision went inside our heads. I see a girl looking at her desk and seeing a necklace there. She wore it then smiled then walked away.

“This girl who has gotten my necklace, I need the three of you to retrieve it. I sent already one person to go but unfortunately, he died in a monster attack and this girl saw it. Now she is not forgotten in the creatures mind. Bring her here with my necklace, okay?” the queen looked at us with hopeful eyes and I felt sorry for her. I nodded my head while still keeping my poker face on. She smile and went back to sit on her seat.

“You may take the gate to the surface. I wish the three of you good luck,” she grinned at us and we bowed respectfully. Just as I was about to close the gigantic door I heard my name being called.

“Daehyun! Be careful okay?”

“Yes, Aunt Jieun,” I nodded stiffly before walking away. It was my first time calling her aunt and it will be my last. Because maybe I might not come back anymore.

Just kidding