Septimus took them south and into the forest until they reached the entrance of a cave. 

"Just walk straight in and you'll eventually come out the other end, and into the human realm," he instructed easily. 

Ara peered at the lightless void suspiciously, "Aren't you going to give us a flashlight? Maybe a torch or candle?"

"It only works if you're in the dark, follow your heart to lead the way where the light opens," he answered with a wink before helping to tie one of the horses to one of the surrounding branches of trees where they could bite off the apples. "And don't take too long, time moves a bit unpredictably in Faerie even when you're a faerie as well," he glanced at Jongho. "And the horses might get agitated when left unattended to and they'll start harrassing the brownies."

"Okay, any other helpful advice?" Jongho sighed. 

"No, best of luck!" and with a hoist of his legs over his steed, he rode away once more.

"Ugh, faerie riddles..." Jongho grumbled and together the duo entered the black void of the cave. Ara wasn't exactly sure if this was how fey magic worked, if they had to take those riddles literally. It was like jumping and hoping it wasn't a cliff. Slowly, Ara could feel the scent of the air shifting - back to the putrid smell of polluted sulfur and...sea?

They walked out the darkness, through the other end of the opening - and like how it happened the first time, but instead of her apartment, they stumbled into the exact same place they had left, near the docks and warehouses. Jongho's motorbike was parked right next to where they emerged and the coincidence of it all almost made Ara laugh. 

Jongho didn't seem to find it odd and proceeded to get on his ride, with Ara following suit. Looping her hands around his waist as he started the engine, and the two rode back to the city. "This is a stupid idea, but we're going to do it anyway!" Jongho yelled back when they were nearing the Grimm Market. "So what's the plan?"

To be honest, Ara was still working that part out. 

"Won't they have like signs outside or something?" she said. "They offer witchy services right?"

She swore she could hear Jongho grumbling, "That's a great plan, fantastic strategy there."

"I honestly don't understand why we're here?" Yunho frowned. 

He, Mingi, and Elise stood outside the archway to Aurora Square, looking up at the giant figurine of a Mad Hatter with oogly eyes and a ridiculous tophat. Mingi was sure he saw its eyes moving, inexplicable lights dancing around its massive head - something he recalled seeing at the revel, little pixies with dazzling sparkles on their wings. Elise saw it too.

The problem was Yunho didn't.

"Don't you see it? It's literally there!" Mingi flailed his arms outward, towards the thing that was so painstakingly obvious. 

Yunho stiffled a laugh, "Mingi, I see an amusement park and that's it. So I don't know what else are you trying to show me..."

Elise sighed, "He definitely doesn't see it," she said, crossing her arms.

Mingi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay okay, you'll see it once we go in." He was reassuring himself, not expecting things to be this tricky. 

And the plan had failed, once more.

While the other two could see the inside of the square in all of its glory, the werewolves at the pubs, kelpies by the flower stands and even vampires loitering next to the tattoo parlors, Yunho saw none of that. Instead all he saw was mundane, ordinary shops and people. And the more Mingi tried to prove otherwise, it was to no avail. Yunho couldn't understand anything.

"Something's off about him," Mingi remarked to Elise, staring back at his friend. "It's like he's disconnected from all this, and I can't get through him. When he was a ghost, he saw this all and now he can't remember." Elise had already been briefed about the entire context the night before, and for some reason. 

"Well, where's the girl you said that could see him? Maybe she has all the answers to this?" Elise asked. 

Mingi groaned and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "I can't reach her, and god knows where she's at now? It's like she disappeared from here." Almost as if she never existed, he wanted to say.

"Well, until this friend of yours gets back to you, she's not going to be of help at this point," Elise was examining Yunho, who was mindlessly looking up at the balconies where a family of goblins were gathered, strumming on what looked like a fiddle (well Yunho had said it merely looked like a jolly human family of five, singing along to the music). His eyes were twinkling with wonder, and at first Mingi thought it was endearing but now he was concerned if this had meant something more.

"But you're right, something's off with him - it's like he's under some spell so we can't get through his head no matter how much we try," her finger traced the faerie necklace around her neck. "The only way to find out is to pry open his head ourselves."

Mingi blinked, "H-how are we supposed to do that?"

Elise already had a plan in mind, "I may have some connections that can help."

The Grimm Market was just as unwelcoming as Ara had imagined it to be.

They passed through the entrance, earning suspicious looks from the people by the stalls selling oddly-shaped bones. A few hooting at the sight of Ara, or more specifically her shoulder blades. She tugged up the fabric, avoided their gazes and continued walking. Jongho became ten times more alert now, his hand not leaving the hilt of his saber, watchful like a panther. 

"See any signs saying 'Wych Elm'? Or anything similar to that?" Ara whispered to Jongho.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm more concerned about anyone attacking us on sight here. Just focus on that, I'll be the lookout," he replied with the same hushed tone.

Huffing, Ara eyes made sure to not miss a single sign with each passing lane and alley. It was harder than expected, she could feel multiples eyes on them like two sore thumbs sticking out, a gaggle of anxious kids in the lion's den. 'Draddenmora's Jinxes', 'Azrael's Circle', 'The Maevwick Coven' but there was no 'Wych Elm' in sight. Did Ara get it all wrong? She didn't dare think about that.

"-by Serafia." The mention of that name almost made Ara freeze and before she could make a sound, she grabbed onto Jongho's hand and turned to a random corner, away from the voice. 

The two of them crouched in a corner behind craters that omitted a fetid scent, something dead and decomposing. Ara held her breath. "Did you hear-"

"Yes, Ara, I did hear her name. Didn't think your human ears would've caught that," Jongho answered, and Ara planned on sticking her tongue out at him but now wasn't the time.

And so they listened.

"Will she fulfill her promise and not deceive us?" a woman's voice, hoarse and raspy. "Was that the reason she called on the Mother? To appeal herself?"

"Rumour has it that her mad scheme worked, the boy's alive!" another voice, slightly lighter cried aloud. "She's come to claim her place!"

Ara's breath hitched, she looked at Jongho and he felt the same - Yunho.

"I don't trust that half-breed one bit, fae trickster blood runs in her. Slimy creatures, Yvgeny! What could the coven gain from this? The Witch Mother is a fool-"

"Hush now! Comments about the Mother should be talked with caution, are you trying to turn us into mice? She only wishes the best for us, the bloodline of our Elm coven has been severely weakened over the course of time. Serafia may be a half-breed, but she's our only hope at pertaining it all,"

"Depending on a faerie mutt is as good as trusting a snake to guard your chickens! If the Corpsewitch were still around-"

"Well the Corpsewitch is gone, so that option is out the window, Bathilda!" Yvgeny shot back. "Come along, it's a full moon tonight and the coven will be gathered for another Witching Hour."

When they were gone, Ara breathed and she didn't mind the fetid scent. She was too busy digesting what she had heard, the pieces of the puzzle coming together once more. But the other more surprising thing at hand was the news about a boy coming alive, it'd be too much of a coincidence. Jongho his dry lips, "I think a lot has happened while we were gone, huh?"

No wonder he never came back to me. Ara thought it made sense now, and part of her wanted to run away and see a living Yunho for her own eyes. But there was more to be done. 

"They're our lead, come on." She pointed at the two people who had been talking earlier, now visible in their cloaked statures and hooded heads. Every bit of a witch that Ara had imagined. 

Of course there was hard truth to accept that in some twisted form, she was and could be one of them too.

 When Yunho came back to the house, Serafia made sure to be watching.

Song Mingi, that bothersome son of a was glancing back at her as well when Yunho arrived. He caught her looking out the window from the second floor, arms crossed, jaw set. And without another word, he looked away and the car had drove out the driveway. Whatever feeble plans he had in store meant nothing to her, after all he was human with a limited time and lifeline too weak. 

Plus Song Yejin would definitely not like her son to be dead.

And when Yunho slipped past the door, into the dining hall where she had been seated - Serafia wanted to kill him. 

The butter knife was right there next to her plate, she could've easily struck that mindless boy - a stab to the throat. Or the candelabra made of metal, one accurate swing to the head and he'd be gone-

"How was your day?" he greeted, with an infectious smile.

And she cursed herself for not being able to do it.

Serafia cleared , "It was fine, and you?"

Eagerly, he went to sit next to her. "Mingi took us to an amusement park today, though I think I was more excited than he was," and he laughed softly. "I think Elise likes him," he continued, as if he was a secret of her interest.

Serafia played along, "Really? Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?" and genty she placed her hand over his, it was a risky move for her but she did it anyway. "I can tell the staff to heat up supper for you, you must be starving."

"That'd be great," and he paused as he looked at her, Serafia sat there frozen. "Is there...something else you'd like to tell me?" he asked.

Serafia swallowed, those eyes of his held so much meaning - she knew she was a fool to fall victim to them. "Nono, it's just...wonderful to have you back, my dear."

And the boy chuckled, "Well I'm here now, aren't I?" and he got up to leave for his room.

Serafia stared back, her hand now curling into a ball. She was frustrated, mad at herself for being so pathetic. Jocelyn was history, and history was all she left Serafia. She was dead, it should have been left at that. 

And yet the second Jeong Yunho had opened his eyes, all Serafia could see was Jocelyn. Her face, her brilliant smile...

Serafia knew she was weak, and she could not bring herself to kill him. The plan once again, was going a different course.

She was playing a fool, and she knew it all too well.