A very important authors note at the end of this chapter!

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Lunch was not the prestigious affair that I thought it would be. Chanyeol decided to take me out into the city so I can discover what lies beyond the castle walls, and it was the best thing we did. The city was bustling with people going about their lives, not paying any attention to the royal teenager and the weird white haired girl who bared a striking resemblance to their dead queen. We were able to blend in easily and I had never felt more alive or at ease. The streets were packed with people getting lunch, shopping or catching up with friends and so, instead of sitting down at one of the restaurants, Chanyeol and I hit every food stand, shop and truck we could find. From fried food to smoothie shops to weird desserts that I couldn’t pronounce, Chanyeol made sure I tried everything I laid my eyes on and by the time we were done I was about to explode.

“I can’t breathe!” I panted as we sat down on a wooden bench. Lunchtime traffic started to ease a few minutes ago so we walked away from the markets and ended up in a beautiful park. Families were scattered, kids playing on the swings and dogs chasing balls and sticks. It was so normal and peaceful that I forgot I was in a magical fire kingdom for a second.

“Me neither.” Chanyeol laughed as he sat down next to me.

“But it was totally worth it!”

“It definitely was.” I agreed.

“So, how are you liking Agni so far?”

“It’s beautiful.” I breathed. “Better than anything I have imagined.”

“Really? What did you think it would be like in here?”

“I don’t know. Erupting volcanoes everywhere, rivers of lava, fire breathing dragons.” I chuckled as my eyes settled on a little boy playing catch with his father and giggling loudly. “Definitely not this.”

“ I’m sorry to disappoint but dragons have gone extinct a couple of centuries ago.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes playfully. “But if it’s rivers of lava you’re looking for, we can provide that.”

“ I’m good, thanks.” A beat of silence passed between us as I took in my surroundings. The air was fresh and crisp, nothing like the damp humid air you’d expect when you imagine a place made out of fire. The colors were bright and vivid despite it being well into winter and the atmosphere had this serenity about it that you could never find back on the island. I figured it had something to do with the lack of hundred of teenagers crammed together in one space everyday.

“What is it?” Chanyeo asked.

“Nothing, I’m just taking it all in. It’s all so…” I let the rest of my sentence hang in the air between us, unsure how exactly I was going to describe the feelings I had when I looked around me. Was it peace I was experiencing? Was it contentment? Was I simply happy because I was spending time with Chanyeol away from the politics of the Mystic world or was I happy that I was spending time with Chanyeol alone? Was it the adventure of going into a realm that I was unfamiliar with that had me so excited yet so at peace? Or was it the constant feeling of being familiar with my surroundings and the people around me even though I have never been here before?

“Just what? Chanyeol asked, a look of confusion in his eyes.

“I know I've never been here before, but I feel like I was always meant to be here. I feel like my whole life has simply led me to this moment where I come to a realm of fire and volcanoes and dead dragons.” I chuckled lightly. “ I don't know what it is but I feel like I have finally found home.” A look I could not decipher crossed Chanyeol’s features before he quickly smoothed it out and replaced it with the soft smile I have come to recognize.

“Was that too corny?” I laughed awkwardly.

“No it wasn't.” Chan,yeol said. “ I think it's totally normal. You are a fire Mystic after all, you are bound to feel at home in the place where fire mystics are at their strongest. This is where we all belong and this is where we are all at peace. So I'm really glad you like it here, it just proves you're one of us.” What he said partially made perfect sense to me as I was after all a fire Mystic in origins. But how could I explain to him that my feelings went beyond what he thought was just homesickness. How could I explain that ever since I woke up that day and set my bed on fire that I felt antsy and anxious but being here made it all worth it? How can I tell him that I have a feeling I belong here when he doesn't even know that I don't remember anything about my life? I can’t explain anything without telling him too much and even though I really trust Chanyeol and I want to tell him everything, my parent’s warnings remained in my head at all times. I couldn't betray them like that. I couldn't tell anyone about what happened to me 2 years ago. I couldn’t tell anyone that I don’t actually remember what happened to me 2 years ago but most importantly I cannot tell anyone that my parents are not my parents and that I don't know who I am or how I came to possess these powers. Telling Chanyeol any of that would put me in grave danger, or at least that's what my parents believed. So instead of trusting my friend and telling him all of these thoughts that flooded my mind constantly, I simply nodded and smiled instead. My brief moment of hesitation went unnoticed by Chanyeol as his phone started ringing loudly. A slight grimace took over his face as he fished his phone out of his pockets and looked at the caller ID. He signaled for me to wait a second as he took the call and the grimace did not leave his face as he conversed with the person on the other line. The call was brief and did not sound worrying to me but from the apologetic look on Chanyeol’s face I knew that our adventure outside of the castle walls was soon coming to an end.

“I'm sorry Lilith. I don't mean to cut our trip short but that was my father. It appears I am needed back at the castle.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, we will have plenty of time to hang out and explore the kingdom later.”

“Are you sure? I don't want you to think that I brought you here to keep you locked up at the castle.”

“Seriously Chanyeol that thought did not even cross my mind. We will hang out later okay, for now you go see what your father needs.

The trip back to the castle grounds was shorter now that the roads were cleared of pedestrians and lunchtime traffic. As soon as we got there Chanyeol dropped me off at my room and went to find his parents. I tried to find out if the matter were serious but Chanyeol said that his parents simply missed him and that they wanted him to spend some time with them before he left back for school. I didn't find any reason to doubt what he told me so I went back to my room with the promise that we will meet for dinner later. I should have known though that waiting until dinner time would drive me out of my mind with boredom and I should have seen it coming that I would not stay in that room for too long by myself. Curiosity as usual took over and I decided that a little exploring would do no one any harm. As long as I stayed away from the west wing and avoided the royal family with everything that I've got I should be fine.

Running into Prince Sungmin earlier was an ill-timed coincidence, one that I was making very sure would not happen again. So instead of going to the left I took a right instead once I left my room in an effort to avoid any running in with the people I was avoiding. The hallways of the castle looked exactly the same and they extended into infinity and beyond. The white doors of the rooms soon made way for portraits, crystal vases and other very expensive artifacts. I tried my best to keep my hands to myself in a conscious effort not to break or damage anything I could not afford to replace. I had a feeling that if I worked at the castle for two or eve