CHAPTER 17

A singing voice boomed over the crowd, strident timbre of the voice, cacophony of applause and cheering, whooping, hollering, clapping, stamping of feet, palpable excitement buzzed through the charged air, infectious grins, strangers shaking hands, patting one another on the back, spontaneous outpouring of emotion. Even the girls were eager and excited especially Joy who just spotted her high school crush amidst the crowd. But Seulgi on the other had been uncommunicatively quiet, as her mind was still occupy with what she just heard and witness.

“You shall navigate through the island of sea women,

“You shall find and seek the torch and the gilt,

“But spare your heart for once you know,

“Who is your friend, and who is your foe.”

Seulgi mumbles on the words of the prophecy and nothing could stop the constant uncomfortable thoughts upon the last two lines. Irene and Wendy noticed how Seulgi was in deep thought on her own as the two steal knowing glances from time to time. Wendy then lightly nudges Seulgi, waking her up from her trance, “You okay there?” Wendy asks, as she puts one arm over Seulgi’s shoulder.

Seulgi manage to offer a smile and brush off the worry expression of the child of Athena before asking, “Wendy, are you good at Geography?” Irene who overheard the question intercepts and answer, “She is. Not just Geography but Gods knows what more is brewing in that brain of hers.”

Wendy fakes a hurt expression as she clutches her chest, “Are you shading me right in front of me?” Seulgi, who was completely oblivious on Irene’s teasing, tried to cover up, “No, Irene was actually complimenting you. It means that you’re a very intellectual person.” Both Irene and Wendy stop in their steps making Seulgi abruptly halted and crashing to Yeri ahead.

“I wonder, are you really that pure and innocent?” Wendy draws her face near, which Seulgi took one step backwards, “W-What do you mean?” Seulgi’s searches for Irene, trying to telepath some sort of help from Wendy who is invading a small amount of her personal space. “Apollo is known for being wise, cheerful, energetic, an overachiever…uh, what more—“

“—always truthful,” Joy blurted, as she look behind towards the three. “They can’t lie – like at all. And if they do, we can pretty much see right through them.” Wendy’s eyes rounded and she vigorously nods in agreement. “But anyways, why are you curious if Wendy is good in Geography or not?”

The peace in Wendy’s living room is shattered when both Joy and Yeri squealed and yelled in delight when all the five of them crack a solution on where their next destination will be. And asking the two to stay quiet is like trying to tell a fire not to burn. Yeri, whom Seulgi rekindled how she first met, the kid was a tad bit shy but maybe as she spends more time with Joy, her inner shyness seems to be blown away as her words and actions became more bolder at times.

“Are we really going to Jeju?” Yeri asks for nth time, and Joy on the other is holding out her fingers while murmuring, “Shades… Hat… Bathing suit— unnie, can we stop by at my place at Suwon so I can grab all the stuff I need.”

“No!” Irene bellows, her eyes igniting dangerously but dampens down when Seulgi place a hand over her arm. “We’re here on a mission, remember that. Things could really go wrong if we’re not alerted well.” Wendy agrees, “It’s true. There was a tragedy back then in the camp. A chimera was involved and things didn’t end well.”

“Why? What happened?” Seulgi asks, her eyes spark in curiosity. Wendy glances a few times at Irene before proceeding, “He was on a daze. And he didn’t realize the pet beside him was actually a little goofball creature from hell. That chimera bit him on the neck.”

 “Did his friends managed to save him?” Seulgi’s brows burrows and Irene sadly shook her head, with a sigh, “No, it was too late. When they met him, he was already stiff and pale.”  Yeri murmurs in a sad tone, “Was the camper on a mission?” Irene nods as her eyes look downwards to the furry, white rug. “That camper was one of ours. He was an Aphrodite’s child.”

Her eyes somewhat glistens as she remembers that particular guy. Park Bogum was his name. He came in the camp just a few months later after Irene did. The guy was very different from all the flamboyant and posh of what most of Aphrodite’s kids were. Bogum was quiet and obedient. With his good looks, other campers will always gawk and tries to hit him up with small talks, but with his shy personality, only stutters and Yes/No were the usual answer.

On one autumn morning, Mr K had called Irene and Kai to patrol certain areas near Apgujeong-dong as certain creatures have been in sight. Mr K allowed Irene to take whoever she wanted for a partner and she had chosen Bogum, her half-brother, in order to let him gain experience and who would know it will be his one and only encounter.

“Unnie, are you okay?” Yeri spoke up seeing Irene’s stricken expression. “Don’t worry unnie. We will not play around and we’ll always be alert at all times.” Joy also reaffirms, “Yeah, we will find that traitor and kick his —“

“—and take back the sword,” Wendy emphasises.

Irene look up, looking at all the faces looking at her with much determination and hope. She herself could not help to feel a sense of settling warmth resolves somewhere inside. It was actually her first time being on a mission with this amount of numbers in one group. Usually it would just be two, to three people in a group and usually all of them would already be in a certain level of expertise.

But her spirits rose up, knowing the varieties of clan in this group mission. Although most of them were first-timers in a mission, minus Wendy, who’s on her second, the group has quite a balance. With Wendy being the brains, carrying wisdom and knowledge, Joy with her  diversity trickeries, Yeri, the innocent looking yet strong-willed child of the moon and Seulgi, the harmless yet charismatic archer whom Irene’s mind had been pre-occupied with lately.

“Everything will be okay.” Seulgi re-assures with a small pat on her arm, and both of them shares a smile. A little too long perhaps, as Wendy loudly clears gaining back their attention. “Since we are heading for the island of sea women—“

“—aka Jeju.” Joy peps in.

“Yes,” Wendy rolls her eyes, and continues, “So, we have to decide if we want to take by sea or the air?”  A disgruntled groan came from Irene as she speaks out, “Are you kidding me? A ferry? I’m not sailing anywhere, Wendy. I choose air.”

“When you say by air, does it mean that we’re flying using… the shoe?” Seulgi asks in bewilderment, earning frustration grunts from all of them. Irene massaged her temples, her eyes shut, “You know Seulgi, sometimes I really don’t know how you can be so dense. That shoe wasn’t meant to be use with such distance. It’ll wear out and we’ll drown in the sea.”

Seulgi pauses for a while, before deducting, “So we’re taking the plane?” All of them yelled, “Yes!” making Seulgi jump in shock. “But if we were to book a plane ticket now, won’t it be a bit pricey?”

Irene responds with a small grin, “Nope. No Wons or Drachmas are going to be involved in our travelling expenses tomorrow.” Joy squint her eyes towards Irene and a leery smile etches at the corner of her lips, “Ooh, I’m sensing something.”

There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check in desk with suitcases and baggage. There was a sculpture of a whale with water cascading from its mouth and flowing down its tail flukes. In the background soft classical music played. In the departure lounge there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Some looked like they were waiting for the past few years, some lounged on the low comfy chairs and others bounced on their toes. And all of them look slightly elated and ready to kick while Seulgi stood appalled and gruffly like she did not had enough sleep which was partially true.

Although the comfortable bed sheets Wendy provided in her apartment were truly soft and cosy, but as soon as she drift off to sleep, nightmares started to haunt her.

It somehow starts with her being back at Daegu climbing on a