Chapter 10

the Magical Quarter

Yongsun followed the magician, Moonbyul, as they roamed the streets, making their way towards Sector 5, the Magical Quarter, which lay in the heart of the capital. Yongsun tried her best to stay by Moonbyul’s side but more often than not, Yongsun wandered off on her own, distracted by things she had never had the pleasure of experiencing or seeing before. Whenever they passed a tailor shop, she could not help but look at the different mannequins in the windows wearing glamorous and fashionable clothes. Or close her eyes as the smell of freshly baked pastries and coffee wafted through the air whenever they passed a crowded café.

Moonbyul was patient, though it was not clear on her face as she bore a very stern expression with her brows furrowed and her jaw set. Yongsun would look up at Moonbyul from time to time and give her a sheepish grin. Other times, when Moonbyul was no longer by Yongsun’s side, Yongsun would look over her shoulder to see where the magician had gone.

Luckily, for Yongsun’s sake, Moonbyul was not far away, always keeping a watchful eye on the Angel, making sure Yongsun was not lost or alone. The trouble was that Yongsun was an easy person to loose in a crowd, especially when she had her back to the magician because then she looked like any other woman in Kingston who had black shoulder-length hair and had the most fashionable clothes: a white blouse and long beige skirt. But when Yongsun turned around, wearing that gleeful smile that made Moonbyul’s lips twitch, Moonbyul’s breath caught. Moonbyul took a deep breath and walked up to Yongsun, telling her to not wander too far, because then they might lose each other.

Moonbyul led Yongsun through narrow alleyways, their shoulders bumping from time to time. Sensing Moonbyul’s irritation, Yongsun decided to trail behind Moonbyul, staring at her broad back. Yongsun was bemused by the magician.

With the alcove burnt down and in ashes, and Moonbyul’s antlers miraculously disappearing, Yongsun was left with dozens of questions swirling in her mind. She could not understand or wrap her head around the fact that Moonbyul had indeed saved her from the burning alcove, even though the magician claimed to not being able to stand her! Or that the magician had decided to try and get better by giving in to Yongsun’s theory and testing it. And then suddenly the magician’s antlers disappeared!

So many complexities, obscurities and just downright strange things had happened in such a short space of time in Yongsun’s life that it all felt absolutely normal now. This all felt… right —as if it all was supposed to happen.

Yongsun had not had the courage to ask either Heeyeon or Moonbyul what was going on. Yongsun usually had to fight herself internally (or bite down on her tongue) to stop herself from asking questions that she deemed were either silly or too personal.

But Yongsun could not help but wonder at one point what Moonbyul’s destiny was, or if she had reached her goal in life and was now helping Heeyeon with her destiny, which Yongsun guessed was making aircrafts for wealthy businessmen. But then again, that seemed an odd destiny for a witch as interesting and fascinating as Heeyeon.

And then there was the mysterious, taciturn magician. No, nothing made sense to Yongsun at the moment. She bit her bottom lip as she stared at Moonbyul’s back. Yongsun did not understand the magician one bit! Take now for example: she was wearing a long black overcoat with the collar turned up, yes, it was to hide the blue scales around her neck, but it was so very, very warm outside! Moonbyul must be boiling!

Ah yes, the magician left Yongsun completely perplexed.

Yongsun huffed. Moonbyul looked over her shoulder as they walked. Then Moonbyul turned her head to the front again, and Yongsun failed to see the small smile that played about Moonbyul’s lips. 

It was true, Yongsun told herself, the Magical Quarter really was in the heart of Kingston, and there it was, in all its glory, right in front of them as they exited the passageway. Sector 5, the Magical Quarter, was a district that stood out with its tall elegant buildings that were cut from stone. The buildings were mostly a deep shade of red or a light shade of blue. Some buildings had balconies with black metal railings and flowerpots sitting in the windowsill. Yongsun knew, she just knew, that an apartment in this sector must cost a fortune!

The roads curved and turned, and were paved with cobblestone. Together they walked down a wide street that was bustling with life, Yongsun held onto Moonbyul’s sleeve so that they would not get separated.

Moonbyul occasionally glanced down at Yongsun, and from the way Moonbyul stared at her, a small blush crept over Yongsun’s cheeks, her stomach did summersaults, Moonbyul had such an intense stare, and her eyes! Oh those eyes of azure! Yongsun would not admit it to herself (no never!) but oddly enough, if she was asked to describe the magician, Yongsun might say the magician was somewhat attractive. 

If Moonbyul ever got rid of that stoney and serious expression, Yongsun might be more inclined to admit it.

Huge crowds like these made the magician uncomfortable, or perhaps more attentive, that much was clear to Yongsun as she watched how Moonbyul’s eyes flickered from one place to the other, like a hawk searching for a mouse in a large field.

They rounded a corner, walking away from the huge crowd, and what Yongsun saw took her breath away completely. Her chest heaved. Then she exhaled, slowly. A building, further down the road, stood out from the rest. It had a much older and antiquated look to it with four columns that held up a peaked roof with ancient writing on it.

It must be an important building! It screamed of authority and significance! Yongsun imagined politicians working there in black and grey suits with red ties. Or perhaps it was a private school for the wealthiest residents in Kingston. Yongsun thought back to the star temples Hyojin had talked about and she wondered if they looked like this.

«This building used to be the University of Magic.» Moonbyul said, looking at the building as well.

Yongsun turned to the magician.

«What is it now?»

«The town hall of Sector 5.» Moonbyul replied and then continued walking.

Yongsun had noticed the bitterness in Moonbyul’s voice. There was something behind Moonbyul’s tone of voice, a woeful story lingering on her tongue that just ached to be told. But Yongsun shook her head, telling herself, no! She would not ask! Could not!

They turned more corners, walked down longer streets. The aura in the air changed to something Yongsun could not quite put her finger on. One could say it was… smooth. Warm? It was different, enticingly so. The air was thick with it now, it made Yongsun’s heart flutter. 

As they walked down another narrow passageway, which was damp and smelled of something a bit fishy, Moonbyul told Yongsun that times had changed a lot over the course of one hundred years, and thus had the Magical Quarter. It used to be the home for all power-wielders (Moonbyul scrunched her nose as she used that term), but it was now inhabited by a completely different class of people. Earlier residents (witches, wizards, magicians) had been kicked out of their homes and left to survive on the streets with rats and vicious alleycats.

With the witches, wizards and magicians gone, the Magical Quarter was transformed, but the merchants and the shops that sold magical trinkets, spell books and special ingredients for brewing special potions remained.

They emerged from the alleyway and stood in a small shopping street that Yongsun just knew sold everything and anything magical. She turned to Moonbyul and smiled, to which the magician nodded, although a bit awkwardly. The magician looked down at her hands, which were folded over her chest, then she turned her head to the side looking off into the distance. Moonbyul was not quite sure what to do when Yongsun showed her a tiny bit of affection and kindness and sincerity.

Yongsun found it quite endearing how Moonbyul tried her best to make it up to her. The effort itself was almost enough for Yongsun to accept Moonbyul’s apology, but then there was this lingering fear that after all of this they would go back to the old ways. And now that Yongsun had experienced — seen — this different side of the magician (no matter how small), she did not want to go back to the old ways.

She hoped (no matter how dangerous hoping was) that they would only go forwards from here on out.

«Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact with the shopkeepers because then you’ll be forced to buy something from them.»

Moonbyul had leaned down and whispered into Yongsun’s ear, which sent a shiver down her spine.