'What am I doing here?'

 

The thought repeatedly ran through Taehyung's mind as he wandered around the streets of a city that goes by the name ‘Zoi Ju’. The weather was not cooperating today. Gray milk fog wreathed the city’s streets. The air hung thick with the smell of smoke and rain.

 

Taehyung kept close to the dimly lit storefronts, a hood covering his face to not attract any unwanted attention. He quickened his steps as he tried to peer over the crowd.

 

'Too many people.' He thought, his breathing strained.

 

His hands dug impossibly deep into his pockets as he thoroughly scanned each building. There wasn’t much to look at. The street was narrow and littered taverns, coffee houses and casinos. Taehyung had come before sunrise, assuming that the crowds would be less ample and the noise wouldn’t be as obscene. But even at this time, dozens of people crowded the streets. Travelers were singing songs loudly, but not loud enough to cover the slurred yells of the drunk men that clumsily stumbled out of pubs.

 

Taehyung rushed through the crowd, hearing small fragments of conversations. They slipped out of his mind before he could comprehend any of them. He had no time to get caught up in anything.

 

'There is somewhere I need to be.' He thought, determined.

 

He unerringly found the library in the depths of the crowd and other buildings. It wasn’t hard to spot, as it was the neatest among everything else. Well, that and there was a sign that clearly read ‘library’ just above the wooden door. Just the place he was looking for.

 

Taehyung’s hands trembled as he hesitantly turned the doorknob. The door opened with a squeak, followed by the chiming of a bell. The smell of smoke slowly faded as a new smell -books- surrounded him.

 

Taehyung studied his surroundings.

 

To his left were a wooden desk and a typewriter with stacks on stacks of books. Behind it was a cabinet filled with what he assumed were files and records. His gaze moved to the bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling, which was at least four times as tall as he was.

 

The place was quite large compared to what it had looked like from the outside.

 

“Sir, may I help you with anything?” an anxious voice spoke to the right of him.

 

Taehyung jumped in surprise, head sharply turning to meet a young man, slightly older than him. The boy’s brown hair was glistening in the lamplight. He had a sharp jaw and a lean built, and was a few inches taller than Taehyung.

 

Taehyung’s throat suddenly felt extremely dry as the boy questioningly glared at him.

 

“You- um, is there a Kim Joo-Yeong here by any chance?” Taehyung managed to choke out.

 

The boy in front of him almost looked amused. He studied Taehyung’s face before sighing and retorting with, "That would be my father, yes. You have to come back another time, that bastard’s out having another drink, or twenty. Most likely the latter." he slowly pushed Taehyung out of the library.

 

Taehyung was suddenly frantic as he said, “But- wait, this is urgent- please. Do you know anything about Entherel?” The words came out in a hurry and were strung together, barely comprehensible. Though the boy in front of him seemed to not have the slightest bit of difficulty understanding what Taehyung had said, as he abruptly froze, completely motionless.

 

The Boy’s dark brown eyes were wide as he asked “Entherel?”

 

Confused and slightly frightened, Taehyung slowly nodded.

 

“Would you like some tea?” The boy in front of Taehyung suddenly asked.

 

Taehyung settled for a curt nod. A moment later he found himself going after the boy as he walked through the bookshelves and another set of doors. They led to a dimly lit room. His eyes scanned the rigid table and wooden chairs. He decided to let his gaze settle on the boy in front of him, who was pouring tea. He suddenly said, “I’m Namjoon, you are?”

 

Startled, he quickly answered, “Taehyung.”

 

A few moments had passed before they started talking again, both unsure of what to say.

 

“How do you know about Entherel?” Namjoon asked, breaking the silence.

 

Taehyung thought for a moment, unsure if he should lie or answer truthfully.

 

“Journals”, he said, choosing the latter. “My great-grandmothers journals.” He paused for a moment, in thought, before choosing to continue. “My great-grandmother, when she was young, her mother told her a myth about an alluring Kingdom that went by the name Entherel. According to the journals, the tales consisted of exquisite magic, kings, and queens. In Entherel everything was perfect. Almost too perfect. My great-grandma was drawn to this, it intrigued her. She found every book on the kingdom. She dedicated her life on a quest to find it. That’s what her journals are about. Her journey to getting there.”

 

Taehyung took a deep breath. He looked up to see Namjoon looking back at him with an encouraging gaze. He finished by saying, “Her journals ended with her getting to the Kingdom. Not much information on how she got there or what was there. No one knows. The pages after that were all ripped out. Apparently, she’s never spoken of it when she got back to our world. It’s almost as if it left her mind. It’s almost as if she didn’t want to remember it. She married a guy and built a family, I presume she never mentioned it again. That’s all I know, anyway.”

 

Taehyung looked up from his teacup and met a rather eerie look on Namjoon’s face. Taehyung gave him a few moments, just to take everything in. He was fully aware that his story was nothing short of crazy.

 

“Well,” Namjoon said skeptically. “I don’t know as much on the subject as my father, who is very much obsessed with it at this point, but I know enough. Can I ask what you’re scheming here?” he inquired.

 

Taehyung looked down and tapped his teacup, completely aware that what he is going to say will not get a positive response out of the elder.

 

“I want to find Entherel.”

 

He timidly glanced up to see Namjoon's eyes get impossibly wide.

 

“Are you okay? Do you have a death wish by any chance?” Namjoon quipped. “Don’t you think that if your great-grandmother tore all these pages, it’s for a good reason? If your great-grandmother tried to erase every memory from there, wouldn’t it be because what she saw there scarred her?”

 

Taehyung breath quivered. He was starting to get more anxious the further they got into this conversation.

 

“But--but that’s the point!” He exclaimed, almost excitedly. “I don’t know what happened. I want to find out. Or at least try. I’ve been staring at these journals for years, trying to decipher them. Trying to understand why she was trying to hide this from everyone. If she really, truly didn't want anyone to know about Entherel or getting there, why did she keep the journals? It just doesn’t make sense. Getting to Entherel would put the puzzle together.” He said as he looked up at Namjoon, blue eyes wide and animated.

 

Namjoon seemed to consider it. Under his breath, he quickly whispered something that sounded like ‘Well this is about the stupidest and craziest that I have ever done I'm gonna probably gonna die.’ Before he reluctantly stated, “I’ll help you get there. Under one condition. I come with you.”