JINHAE

I could walk properly again, thanks to this kind and handsome young man who was walking beside me. The longer I tarried in this realm of existence, the more I was finding out how awesome it was. Lay had healing powers. How awesome was that! I was practically mimed by the injury I’ve sustained after falling off that stupid carriage, but it was as if it never happened at all. I was still worried about Shinhye. I had to go looking for her once I get the idea how. I clutched the pendant of my necklace, hoping that she was fine. I didn’t know what I would do anymore. I brought out my phone and stared at the screen, pressing it repeatedly.

“What’s that?” Lay asked me, eyeing the phone.

“It’s a smartphone.”

“I didn’t quite catch that?”

“Let me guess. You’ve never seen one before?”

He shook his head. “It’s a human thing.” I offered to him. “Here. Try it. It doesn’t work here though.”

Lay smiled at me. “No, thank you. I stay away from odd contraptions.”

I chuckled. “Everyone has it where I come from.” Even Shinhye…

“Why? What is it for?”

“We contact each other with it.”

“Contact? You mean summoning others?”

I giggled. The way he spoke was really funny. “Yeah. I guess.” I didn’t speak again until we got to a clearing at the other side of the forest then I realized that it was an earth path. “Where are we going?” I asked him.

“We’re almost there.” He reached inside his sleeve. “Would you want some peaches?”

“Peaches?” 

He brought one out. “Peach.” He placed it on top of my hand.

“Thank you.” We continued walking until we’ve reached a garden. I could see a huge mansion in the distance where the path we were taking would end. I was just staring at it in awe. I wasn’t expecting Lay to be wealthy as well. He turned around and looked at me, puzzled.

“Is there something bothering you, Jinhae?” he asked me and I shook my head.

“That’s not it. You just have one hell of a house there.”

“What?”

I bit her lower lip. “I mean you have a really nice home.” That’s understating it to the extremes. 

He grinned at me. “You’ll love it inside.” He took my luggage with one hand and took mine with the other. “Let’s go.”

Lay led me to the mansion which was even statelier up close. I’ve never seen a house this big except for the Blue Mansion in Seoul where the president of our country lives. I don’t think it’s even as big as this was.

“Lay?”

“Yes, my lady?”

I suppressed laughter. “M-my lady?”

He nodded. “Yes, why?”

I smirked. “Just call me by my name. I’m more used to that.”

I don’t think he saw my reason for that, but he nodded anyway. “Alright. What is it, Jinhae?”

I chuckled. “That’s better. Anyway, does your family live here?”

He shook his head.

“Why not? Don’t tell me you live here alone.” If so, that would explain the loneliness his eyes reflected.

“The other Element Nobles live here. It’s like our home here in the capital. Our families live in our home cities.”

“You lost me again.”

He chuckled. “Fret not. I understand.”

“Thank you, Lay.”

He smiled then opened the door, motioning for me to go inside. I scanned the place with my eyes. It was the pantry.

“I’m sorry to have led you here, Jinhae, but this is the nearest entrance to the back gardens. I’ll show you around later.”

I nodded and just then, an elderly lady with graying hair, looking as stern as my Physics teacher entered the room, surprised when she saw me and Lay by the backdoor. She quickly curtsied.

“Master Yi Xing, you’re back,” she said. Her voice had such a motherly quality I couldn’t help but smile.

Yi Xing? Was that Lay’s real name? I shrugged the thought off and I bowed at her when she looked at me. “Good afternoon, ma’am,” I said and she smiled back.

“Good afternoon, Miss…”

“It’s Jinhae. Ahn Jinhae.”

“Well, a pleasant afternoon to you, too, Miss Jinhae.” She then shifted her gaze to Lay. “Young master, is she your guest?”

Lay smiled at the elderly woman. “Yes,” he answered then looked at me. “Jinhae, this is Poh, our head maid.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Poh.”

“She’s a special guest. Please make her as comfortable as possible,” he told Poh. He then beamed at me. “I will see you later, Jinhae. Poh will take care of you.”

Poh beckoned me to come with her after Lay left the pantry. I carried my luggage and she eyed it, but then concealed it with a smile. “Welcome to the hall, Miss Jinhae.”

What’s with these people and formality? “Jin would be fine.”

Poh chuckled as she led me to a grandiose staircase. The house was just breathtaking. We then passed by a long hallway with murals all around and stopped at the last door. “This will be your room, Miss.”

She opened the door. I went in. Wow! I felt like I was in eighteenth century England. The room was huge and it was beautiful. 

“Do take a rest, Miss Jinhae. I will have one of the maids bring up some refreshments later.” She bowed then left me, gently closing the door behind her. I sat down on the bed and looked around.

I’m dreaming.

YI FAN

I went back to the mansion after hours of flying above the capital, surveying the area. Everything seemed to be in order so I went back earlier than expected. As I was walking towards it, I heard the voice of someone singing. I looked around me, but I saw no one around so I just continued walking. It continued singing though. I didn’t really listen to it and went on with my business. Just then, I saw Tao emerging from the garden, walking up to me. He waved briefly, catching his breath as I stood by.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Forest.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Did you break something again?”

He chuckled, but shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t feel like it today.”

I sighed. “Don’t even go near Poh’s china anymore,” I told him sternly, reminded of the night after the reading of the prophecy. Poh found out and I had to make an effort to apologize to her for what Tao did.

He sniggered. “I understand.” He tilted his head and looked at me closely. “You don’t look so good, you know. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Except that I’m hearing voices while you’re not.

“I see.”

We continued walking when suddenly, he stopped and looked at me with wide eyes. “Did you hear that?” he said in hushed tones.

Just to make sure we were hearing the same thing I said, “Hear what?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I hear singing.” He whirled around before looking at me again.

It stopped. “I hear it, too.”

“It’s gone…What was that?”

“I don’t know.”

We came into the house and met Poh, our head maid. She was going about the house, walking stiffly towards us. She bowed then, eyeing us both.

“Welcome back, Master Yi Fan, Master Tao,” she said, putting emphasis on Tao’s name. I bowed back and the younger boy did the same, sniggering.