Chapter Nine
~ Drowned ~

Umido was not a part of the Three Kingdoms. Not because it had gained independence but because the city is too far from the main land that not one of the royal families had bothered to claim it as theirs. Cyphus was busy making technological advances, Encis was focused on trying to control the city of Nebbia, and Lamina was not greedy for another territory. So Umido continues to thrive alone in the middle of Lacrimae.

Their government was not that of monarchy, but of heptarchy. It’s a council of seven that looks over Umido, making sure that their people will want for naught and that peace will be maintained. And even when there were council members changes throughout the years, the council as whole never failed in doing their job. It’s because the responsibility of being in the council only falls on selected families.

When their father retired, it was Joonsu who replaced him. When their father’s friend retired, he had no children of the right age to take his place. So it was Joonmyun that took the responsibility. Upon taking the council chair, the new members would have to take a new name, as if to erase their past identity and become someone just for Umido. Joonsu became Munhee, and Joonmyun took the name of Suho. Both were good at what they do — giving people reassurance.

Suho walked down the empty halls, thinking about the just finished council meeting. They had seen a storm a distance away from Umido and had decided in their last meeting to warn people so that they could prepare for it right away. But in the meeting just now, Seon had said that the storm had already disappeared.

“Disappeared,” he murmured, lost in his thoughts. “Storms don’t just disappear.”

He made it out of the Council building. People who were around greeted him, and he answered them with his smiles and nods. That kept on until he reached his parents’ humble home. Maybe his father knows an explanation to what had occurred.

“Joonmyun,” he heard his mother right after he closed the door behind him.

“Mother,” he smiled, a warmer smile than the one he has been giving the people.

The fair woman walked to him and engulfed him in her embrace. “Your father is in his study, reading.”

He kissed his mother’s cheek before pulling himself out of her arms. “I’ll go talk to h