It so turned out, that while Seoyeon and Kyungsoo had been fighting the match of their life, Baekhyun and Seulgi had sneaked off into the storage chambers and stolen—or borrowed, as Baekhyun called it—multiple goods that would guarantee them safety for their temporary stay in the first world. This included things like human clothes, money, pouches, and so on. Things that to Seoyeon seemed obvious to own, really, though the rest of the team besides Kyungsoo didn’t look as familiar with human-related objects. 

That’s why they managed to stop and rest at an...unstable looking inn after their fight with Kim Junmyeon. If there was something they needed, it was rest and time to figure out how to get to the second world. 

Baekhyun had managed to steal just about enough to rent three rooms, and buy food to last them for at least a week. 

Seoyeon was still recovering from the gush on her left arm that Junmyeon had given her, not to mention the physical drain that followed the colossal amount of magic she had used in one day. Her arms were still extremely sore, and her legs felt like jelly whenever she attempted to walk. 

She was practically bed ridden for two days, which she did not like the least bit. 

But then again, if Seoyeon wanted to fight, this was a necessary process. She might’ve been stubborn, but not stupid enough to push her body beyond her limits. 

Three days had now passed since their escape. Three days, locked in an inn that smelled like old beer, had dirty windows, and whose floorboards creaked like a wailing child at the attempt of stepping on them. 

Kyungsoo was the only one who could blend in properly with humans, thus he was the one to go out and buy supplies with the money Baekhyun had stolen. 

And now, they were all gathered in Seoyeon’s and Kyungsoo’s room, looking at a map of the first world. She hadn’t wanted to share her room with him initially, but the total was three, and out of the rest of the group he was the one she knew best. He had been pretty neutral towards the placement, and so Seulgi and Chanyeol shared one together, while Baekhyun chose the last one for himself, something about being the savior of their mission. 

”Okay, so how exactly do we get to the second world? Where are the portals?” Chanyeol asked. 

Seulgi took the map in her hands. ”You know how Im Changkyun took some of the fighters down to the dungeons? That one time where I was brought down—while I don’t actually remember what happened there—I overheard some of the fighters talking while I was waiting. They said over the years, numerous smaller portals have opened. Those are usually the easiest to get through. But there is one big portal, which is here.” Her finger landed on the imprint of Eriros. 

Seoyeon swallowed hard. 

”Why don’t we just walk in one of the smaller, easier portals, then?” Chanyeol suggested. 

”Well,” Baekhyun noted. ”We have no clue where they are. See, red two, those guys did not happen to tell you where the smaller portals were located?” 

The girl in question shook her head with a disappointed frown. ”They did say where in Eriros the big portal was, though.” 

”Please do enlighten us.” 

”The palace.” 

Seoyeon was pretty sure her own blood had frozen with her. For a second, she almost had the urge to laugh at how sick of a joke this all was. The writing on her arm led her to the very same place she dreaded the most. And now, this too. 

”Wait, you are telling me you don’t remember where you got out from the second world? Aren’t those portals too?” She found herself saying. 

”Those aren’t permanent. At least I don’t think they are. They disappeared as soon as we emerged.” Chanyeol said. 

Kyungsoo let out a quiet sigh. ”There is no other place to go, then?” 

A silence followed. A clueless one, as they all gazed at each other expectantly, waiting for anyone to come with an alternative. It did not happen. 

”Palace it is then, ladies and gentlemen.” Baekhyun concluded. 

Seulgi scrunched her nose. ”How are you even going to get to Eriros? I don’t think taking any type of illegal transport will help— wait a minute, I’m a fool.” 

Chanyeol nudged his sister playfully. ”The bridge of a thousand rocks connects directly to Eriros.” 

She nudged him back. ”You know what I’m thinking, brother.” 

”Isn’t that path closed off for civilians?” Seoyeon cut in. 

This time it was Kyungsoo who spoke, gaze pierced on the map, filled to the brim with nothing but determination. ”It is. But there’s an underground path built beneath it that leads directly to the palace. It used to be a secret passage, so I doubt many know of it.” 

Seoyeon frowned, ravaging through the memory closet that was her mind, until she realised why Kyungsoo’s description of that place sounded so familiar. Her eyes widened in realisation, and she turned to the prince. ”Wait, you don’t mean—” 

”The passage we tried to sneak into all the time when we were children, remember? The guards would never let us pass, and father was furious when he found out.” For a split second, his eyes had glistened in a faint glimmer of contentment; the nostalgia to a beautiful, distant echo of the past, and in a weak moment she was willing to indulge in the addictive stream of memories that were her olden days. 

The echo of their distant, nervous laughs as they hid from the guards. The echo of the king’s distressed frown once they had been found, and the memory of the subtle playful smiles they’d give each other as they were scolded. Smiles that had not yet been corrupted by destruction.

The only happy years of her life.

Seoyeon swore she heard the faintest sound of a chuckle, though it was suppressed by the prince’s expression hardening again. He blinked away every emotion in an instant—something he seemed to do very often—and parted his lips to speak again, but was cut off by Baekhyun. 

”Wait a minute, what do you mean sneaked off together? Did Seoyeon live in the palace as a kid?” 

”I did.” She confirmed, but the male’s expression was anticipative, as if he was waiting for more information. That’s when Seoyeon hesitated yet again, biting her lip in the process. 

Kyungsoo seemed to sense it, and spoke for her instead. 

”She is not of royal blood. She was found in the palace grounds looking for her late brother, and when my mother found out she had the same powers as I did, they took her in. Both of our powers were trained and studied, which could explain why they wanted her there.” 

”You grew up with the royal family?! That is wicked.” Seulgi exclaimed enthusiastically, though her brother nudged her shoulder with a warning look, and the excitement on her features subsided. 

Baekhyun turned to Kyungsoo. ”Even so, that was eleven years ago. How do we know that the passage is still intact?” 

”Unless they have breached or destroyed it in recent times, it should be intact. I know this because I passed through it right after the grand fall, so right after everything collapsed. The gateway was still intact.” 

Chanyeol winced. ”Why do I feel like every plan we make is always run by a thin thread? It’s like our chances of survival decrease with every plan we devise.” 

”It’s the b