Waiting to tell my parents about my trip to Agni a day before I was scheduled to go was probably not my brightest decisions. But between the stress of the exams, the battles and the fallout with Kiseop, it honestly slipped my mind. So when my parents face-timed me on Thursday, on the last day of exams, to ask if they should pick me up from the academy the next day, the guilty look on my face was their first clue to my change of plans.

“About that…” I let out something between an awkward laugh and a cough while rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

“Chanyeol invited me to go to Agni with him and I kind of said yes.” Silence was the only response I got as my parents exchanged panicked looks. An undecipherable message seemed to pass between them before my dad started shaking his head vehemently.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” I whined. In the back of my mind I knew that there were a lot of answers to that question, but I couldn’t help but wonder about their sudden change of behavior.

“It’s too dangerous honey, we can’t risk anything happening to you.” My mother, always the reasonable one, tried to sooth me.

“But I’ll be safe I promise. Chanyeol will be there with me, not to mention, my powers have been growing so much lately I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.” I gave a firm nod, as if to assert my words.

“We know honey and we’re very proud of you, but going to the Fire Kingdom is still too dangerous. What if someone recognizes you?” My dad’s voice was pleading with me. His bright eyes, though pixilated through my phone screen, were full of concern.

“What do you mean? Who would recognize me?” Am I missing something? A brief look of panic flitted through dad’s eyes as he realized what he had said, but it was soon covered up that I doubted I even saw it in the first place.

“Nothing, what I meant was that our cover could be blown. You’re supposed to be our daughter, remember?”

“Who could possibly blow our cover? Last time I checked we didn’t have any family in Agni. And it’s not like I’m going to be sleeping out on the streets dad, I’ll be staying in the castle. It literally couldn’t get any safer.”

“That’s what worries me.” The words that left his mouth were barely above a whisper that I doubted he meant for me to hear them. My mind suddenly flashed back to that morning I woke up in the infirmary and to the hushed conversation my dad and Mr. Blackthorn had in the hall. I was more certain than ever that my parents and my mentor were keeping something from me and a sudden surge of disappointment burst through my veins.

“Are you sure about this honey?” My mom asked.

“I am mom; I want to see the place where I supposedly come from. And it’s only for a couple of days, what could possibly go wrong during such a short period of time?” A light scoff escaped dad’s lips and mom jabbed him lightly in the ribs.

“Alright, if you really want to go, I guess you can. But promise to be extra careful. Stick to your cover story and don’t use your powers unless you absolutely have to. And try to avoid the royal family if you can.” Dad said sternly. I understood the part about keeping my cover story; they had drilled in me several times before and during my first semester at the academy. But why did I have to hide my powers? And why did I need to avoid the royals? Was it about the whole Ahri situation? Did my parents even know about that? Who am I kidding; of course they must have known. I pushed all these questions to the back of my mind and focused back on the expectant faces of Nathaniel and Genevieve. I nodded briefly and promised to be safe and to call them every day, then I bid them goodnight and went up to my room to pack a bag. Kira and Rose were already in their beds, getting some much needed sleep before the journey to their respective kingdoms in the morning. I had already told them about my decision to go with Chanyeol during dinner and they were surprised but supportive like they always were with me. As I pulled my clothes out of the closet and rearranged them in my small suitcase, I started wondering what my life in the academy would have been like if those two weren’t my roommates. I couldn’t have asked for better friends. They took me in and welcomed me with open arms helped me with whatever I needed and protected me when I couldn’t protect myself. They were there to pick up the pieces of my broken heart and distract me from my failed relationship with Kiseop. And the best part is that they did not expect anything in return. Gratitude, appreciation and love were not enough to express how I felt about Kira and Rose, and as I fell asleep with a smile on my face, I knew I was glad to have met such beautiful souls. The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted our quiet breakfast.

“It’s open.” Rose yelled from her seat at the table.

“That’s a great way to get killed!” Kira snickered.

“What kind of killer would ring the doorbell first?” Rose rollled her eyes, exasperated.

“A polite one.” I grinned at her and Kira laughed, lifting her arm up for a high five. Our laughter was then cut off by Suho’s loud hollering.

“What’s up people? Are you ready for vacation?” His hands that were cupped around his mouth to mimic a megaphone dropped down on Rose’s shoulders and he plopped down on the seat next to her and Chanyeol joining him seconds later.

“Could you be any louder?” Kira asked her twin.

“As a matter of fact, I can.” Suho’s eyes twinkled in amusement.

“Want me to show you?” He opened his mouth to, presumably scream his lungs out again, but was interrupted by a flying blueberry that went straight down his throat.

“Score!” Kira threw her hands in the air, laughing hysterically as her brother chocked and coughed. Chanyeol struck him twice on his back and the blueberry came flying out, plopping down on the table in front of us. After everybody settled down, the girls and I hurriedly finished our breakfast and washed our dishes. Our luggage was already waiting by the door so all we had to do was put our shoes on and leave.

“Everybody ready?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yeah.” We nodded our confirmation.

“Let’s do this then.” Suho and Kira stepped forward, grabbed their bags and stepped back into the living room. I watched, confused as Suho lifted his hands in the air and started chanting a familiar incantation. A soft blue light emitted for his palms and soon the space before him started to shimmer. So we’re opening portals to the kingdoms? Screw airplanes I guess. The light shone and expanded through the open space of the living room and soon the wall we were facing disappeared and in its place appeared a whole new world. It was like an invisible, magical curtain was being pulled apart slowly, and I heard the sound of soft running water before my eyes landed on the stream. From what I can see, Glacis was stunning. A land covered in streams of clear running water, greenery stretched across the banks of the river and somewhere far away beyond what the portal allowed us to see, I could hear the sound of a waterfall cascading down gently to join the stream. A brilliant shimmer caught my eye and I turned slightly to the right to be met with the royal castle. It was a work of art, nothing short of a masterpiece. It was made of some beautiful blue stones, looking more like crystals under the light of the sun than the marbles or rocks you’d expect. Almost like the house we were occupying ay the academy, the palace held a stunning amount of floor to ceiling glass windows, exposing every corner to the bright light and making it glow like a beacon. Kira turned to us, dropping her bag and engulfing Rose and I in a bear hug.

“I’ll miss you! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She squeezed us again and let go, and we waved at her and Suho as they stepped through the portal and disappeared through a hue of blue and white light. The process was repeated again with Rose, green light shimmering beautifully through the quiet living room. The portal opened to an exquisite garden, delicate flowers swaying in the soft breeze and magnificent trees standing proud before a huge castle. Unlike Glacis’s royal palace however, Avanindra’s was made out of light brown sturdy stones, with green ivy rising up against the walls and the pink roses swiveled against the high towers. Rose threw us an excited smile and a wave before she stepped through and the space around us was engulfed in soft greens and browns before it went back to its previous stillness. The glimpses I got from the Fire and Earth kingdoms left me in a state of stupefaction