"Alright. First off. Shut up. I don't want to hear it," Yujin says, her back against the thick beam holding up the dark cellar.

"I didn’t even say anything yet!”

"Well, I can just feel what you want to say and I know, alright?"

Yena can’t see Yujin's face, but she knows her friend’s face should be embarrassed by now, judging by the rugged panicked breathing causing her body to squirm - Yena’s back is leaning against the same beam as Yujin, so she can feel every little movement her companion does. She doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or not - on one hand, it’s great that they’re still together. Yet on the other hand, in this situation… Yena looks over her shoulder.

"I mean, I was about to say it but I decided not to since it happened almost immediately after you jinxed it, it’s not like you called those hooligans who captured us anyway- Darn it, these ropes are tight. Can't you magic us out of this or something?"

Yujin is silent for a second before releasing a deep sigh. "I don't have my wand. And even if I did, our hands are tied, remember?"

Yena grimaces. She takes a deep breath through her nose, calming herself. The smell of the musty air mingling with the scent of wood enclosing them isn’t helping - plus, the fact that they're not on solid ground... Man, she can already feel the sickness rise from her stomach like a slowly rising gauge.

"This ship bobbing is making me want to hurl…" Yena admits, color draining from her face.

"Don't! I don't want to be stuck here with your puke!" Yujin panics, elbowing Yena, desperate to convey her desperation for her to hold it in.

Yena chuckles weakly, though humor is the last thing in her mind. "Trust me, I don’t want to as well. But the seasickness…" The ship does another dive and she can already taste the bile rising from the back of  

"We're in the air, dummy!"

"Airsick then."

"Sanatio," a familiar voice cuts into their pointless argument. The voice comes from another beam in the far end of the dark cellar. And with that, her queasiness is replaced with an internal menthol-like sensation. A sigh of relief pushes through Yena’s lips. "Sorry. That's the best I can do, I only have a weak healing ring right now."

Darkness lingers within the cellar, however, the voice is unmistakable - youthful, fresh, yet a bit weary. Understandable.

"Oh! It’s Nako," Yena gapes, feeling her lips stretch into a grin - although she quickly drops her smile. This isn't a happy reunion at all. Being fellow captives is hardly the best scenario for a tearful reunion. "Who were those guys? Were they after the princess's letters?"

"The Reconquista," Nako answers, face contorting as she fiddles with her ropes behind her. "I don't exactly know of Yuri Jo's quest but I doubt it is just regarding some letters."

Nako's rings repeatedly glow, perhaps trying combinations of magic that can somehow burn through the ropes by chance. Kind of like chemistry. Yena can't help but think that they kind of look like disco lights from a distance.

"I didn't realize they were so close by. This must be their hideout," Nako mumbles.

Yujin tries looking over her shoulder as a best attempt to face Nako. "How about Geonhak? Where is he? Don't tell me he has been fooling us all along."

Nako shakes her head. "No. He seemed ready to throw some shurikens at the men when we were ambushed mid-air on the way back to the academy," she says, wincing a bit when a pop resounds from her hands - however, the rope is still intact, making Nako click her tongue in irritation. "But anyway, they called him Master Leedo and praised him for doing a good job of capturing me. So yeah, they must have thought that Geonhak is still with them."

"They knew him? But with a different name?"

Nako nods. "That's- darn it,” she can’t help but curse when another failure of spell pops in her hand. “That’s just how the Reconquista works. Code names for people working with them. Underground work requires that, after all."

"Then?"

"I sent a telepathic message to Geonhak to play along and pretend he actually captured me for them. We were outnumbered and I figured it would be more productive if he worked for me as a spy to infiltrate them at the moment. He's relaying messages to me as we speak. I'm trying to use as little mana as possible since my telepathy earring will stop working if my reserves run out."

When she says that, Yena's eyes instantly shift to Nako's ear. And sure enough, a small light blue gem on a stud earring sits there, quite inconspicuous that it's hard to get noticed at first glance.

"Plus, I said that he should come to help me escape if I didn't manage to do it by myself. We can expect some help soon."

"Are you sure we can trust the guy?" Yujin asks, skepticism coiling in her tone. "What if he somehow regains his memories and starts feeding you with fake information? And then he starts working with them for real?"

"He won't. He knows what will happen if he betrays me. The House of Yabuki has the power to hunt down direct higher-ups of the Miyawaki Clan the moment they hear that Geonhak caused my death or anything close to that."

"Isn't the whole clan abducted by this group of baddies?" Yena points out. "Then Geonhak won't have anything to stop him from betraying you. You said that you are still investigating their disappearance, right?"

Nako blinks at her, a bit dazed. "You know, you're sharper than you seem."

"How nice of you to think so," Yena says with a huff. For some reason, people don't expect her to be listening to everything they're saying, but she does. Really.

"But no, not everyone is missing. The Chieftain's daughter works in Hwalgeori Academy, you know?"

Yena tilts her head, trying to recall someone who looks as shady as Geonhak back in the academy. "Really? A teacher?"

Nako shakes her head. "Nope. The head cook. You must know her, right? She may have cut off ties with the Miyawaki Clan a couple of years back but she's still a direct descendant."

Yena looks at her, slack-jawed. “You mean, Sakura? She looks nothing like Geonhak!”

“Geonhak is adopted from a group of assassins from Chosan, which explains his tattoos. But overall, the Miyawaki clan just resides in a normal village like a community. Ms. Sakura didn’t want to inherit the clan and just pursue her dreams of living a peaceful life with her culinary arts, so she parted with her father - who didn’t take the news well and just disowned her. But yeah, I know that Geonhak and Sakura are close, almost like siblings. So yeah, I doubt he’d risk Ms. Sakura Miyawaki’s death.”

High-pitched squeaks invade them mid-conversation. At that, Yena can’t help but turn pale. “That… isn’t a rat, is it?”

“Calm down,” Yujin says, a smile in her voice. She lets out a shrill whistle - the best she can do without the help of her fingers. “That’s Leon. Nako, stop using up your mana. Let’s try making Leon melt these ropes off.”

Yena raises an eyebrow. “Seriously? That gecko?”

Yujin elbows her once more in annoyance. “Leon is a regal chameleon. He can do much more than you think.” To Yena’s surprise, Yujin’s arm comes to her view, her wrist vividly showing reddish ligature marks. “See?” 

★彡

"Awake?" a slick voice says the moment Yuri opens her eyes groggily. 

Clouds slide outside the glass window and the cold temperature of the altitude wraps her body like a blanket, taking her out of her post-sleep stupor. Dongmin sits on a velvet couch, serene as ever, in his hand a mug of Jasmine tea, the scent wafting through the air.

"Sir Dongmin? We already boarded the ship?"

The furniture and the walls surrounding her are unfamiliar. Memories of Yena before she lulled into sleep make her face redden, bits of scenarios from last night flashing in her head. She grimaces, not knowing how to face her familiar after her humiliating display last night.

"Yes. You were sound asleep, so I already did what you came here for," Dongmin whips out a stack of letters from his cloak, a fond smile on his face as he examines them. "Her Highness is adorable, is she not? She may have the image of a mature princess next in line for the throne, but deep inside, she is still like any young girl in Chatan, having a crush on popular theater singers and writing letters of admiration to them."

Yuri sits up straight, rubbing the sleep off her eyes. "You’re right. I worry for Wonyoung sometimes. I think that the pressure is too much for someone her age."

"I think so too. Don't you think Princess Jiyoung is more suited for the throne?"

Yuri blinks. The last thing she thought she would be discussing with Dongmin right now is politics. 

Jiyoung Jang is indeed the more favored Princess by the public to become the Crown Princess - Wonyoung is much too young for the citizens’ liking. However, by law, since Wonyoung is the only daughter of the current Queen, she is the next in line. Jiyoung's mother, the previous Queen, died at Jiyoung’s birth - the King had to remarry as soon as possible since Hwalgeori cannot stay Queenless even for a short while, being a matriarchal country and all.

"Sir Dongmin, I don't think it's an appropriate topic at the moment," Yuri says, unease lingering in her voice. "More importantly, aren't you going to burn those letters?"

Dongmin laughs lightly. "Of course, of course." He conjures out his wand, waving it and burning the colorful papers in his hands. "Speaking of Queens… Won't you rethink your refusal of marriage to me?" Dongmin asks, his eyes softening. "It’s a very fitting title for you, no? We can rule Chatan together."

"Rule Chatan?" Something about the wording makes her guts coil. Dread fills her mind as she gazes back at Dongmin.

"You're special, Yuri. More than you think," Dongmin says, moving closer, cradling her cheek. "You have the power of the Founder in you."

Yuri gapes at him, not knowing what to make of the nonsense he’s been spouting. “You’re not making any sense…” Yuri trails off inching away from him, unease crawling from the depths of her guts. Dongmin is different somehow. He has his usual smile. However, borderline insanity lingers in his gaze, sending goosebumps down her spine.

“I let you hold on to the Founder’s spellbook, a void-attuned item since a day or two in its proximity helps regulate the void magic running in your mana. The abundance of void magic is making your ability on the more common elements go haywire.”

“Void magic? That’s… the lost fifth element,” Yuri says, throat drying. Her heartbeat rings in her ears, the urge to get up and distance herself from the man increasing by the second. “You are not making any sense right now. Where is everyone? Where are Yena and Yujin?”

Dongmin sighs, hanging his head, looking genuinely grievous. “It seems you still fail to understand the scale of your power. Snap out of it Yuri, you are one of the more intelligent people that I know.”

“...I’m sorry. My answer hasn’t changed. Marriage is the last thing in my mind right now.”

A couple of knocks come from the door of the room. “Master Sawyer?”

Dongmin sighs, looking at her with a pitiful gaze. “It seems you still do not get it. You will soon, do not worry.” He holds out his hand, his ring glowing as he hovers his hand above her head. 

Fatigue ruminates her system, eating away in her bloodstream carrying haziness up