Ha-Yoon’s arms flew up in exasperation as she pointed at Si-Woo and Lirin. “What happened to you two?” she demanded, her voice sharp with concern.
Mai turned to look at them as well, her curiosity evident in the way her brows furrowed slightly. “Yeah, you’re both... off. Did something happen?”
Si-Woo glanced at Lirin, who adjusted her glasses with a calm yet unreadable expression. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the room.
“Am I interrupting something?” Oapa’s voice cut through the tension as he strode in, his hood pulled back just slightly, revealing his gray fur and light green eyes.
Ha-Yoon spun to face him. “Oapa!” she said, her tone less accusatory but still brimming with energy. “You missed all the drama! Si-Woo went missing, Lirin ran off to find him, and I got locked in a cage! A cage!”
Oapa raised an eyebrow, his gaze briefly darting to Lirin, who met his look with a slight shrug as if to say, Don’t ask.
“And yet,” Oapa said with a faint smirk, “here you all are, perfectly fine and still managing to cause a commotion.”
Mai tilted her head toward Oapa, her voice light but probing. “So, what happened in your meeting with the elders?”
Oapa’s smirk faded slightly, his tone becoming more serious. “Plenty. But let’s just say I have even more reason now to keep a close eye on you all while we’re here.”
Si-Woo’s eyes narrowed slightly at Oapa’s words, sensing the weight behind them. He glanced at Lirin again, who avoided his gaze, instead focusing on the sprit children still playing with Ha-Yoon’s bonds.
Ha-Yoon folded her arms. “Well, whatever it is, you’d better tell us soon,” she said firmly. “We’re not just here to sit around and look pretty, you know.”
Oapa chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, Ha-Yoon. When the time comes, you’ll know everything you need to. For now, let’s just make it through the day without any more... incidents.”
Si-Woo exhaled, his mind still racing with the events of the past hour. Whatever Oapa and the elders had discussed, it was clear that it was far more than he had anticipated.
The bustling atmosphere of the open stands in the sprit kingdom buzzed with life. The air carried an eclectic mix of aromas, each stall offering unique and vibrant sprit cuisine that seemed to glow faintly under the gentle, flickering hues of the sky. Si-Woo and Lirin walked a few paces behind Oapa, who, to his visible chagrin, was being enthusiastically dragged from one stand to another by Ha-Yoon, her bonds trailing playfully behind. Mai followed close to them, her expression a blend of amusement and intrigue as she occasionally added her own commentary to Ha-Yoon’s excited exclamations.
Si-Woo glanced to his side at Lirin, who had a small, neatly folded pouch of some sparkling treat in her hands. She seemed more interested in observing the crowd than eating it. After a moment of watching her cool, calculating demeanor, Si-Woo leaned slightly closer and asked in a low voice, “What do we do now?”
Lirin tilted her head just enough to acknowledge him, adjusting her glasses with her free hand. “What do you mean?” she replied, her tone as neutral as ever, though her curiosity was evident in the way her indigo eyes flicked toward him.
Si-Woo sighed, his gaze drifting to Ha-Yoon and Oapa ahead, the latter clearly resisting yet reluctantly indulging Ha-Yoon’s relentless energy.
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“The tombstone, the rip, the beast... None of this feels random. Something’s going on, and it feels bigger than us. Do we just... pretend it didn’t happen?”
Lirin’s lips curled into a faint smirk as she took a delicate bite of her treat. “You’re catching on, aren’t you?” she murmured. “No, Si-Woo, we don’t pretend it didn’t happen. But rushing in without enough information would only make us pawns in someone else’s game. We wait, observe, and...” She trailed off, glancing pointedly at Oapa. “...follow the leads as they come.”
Si-Woo frowned, the weight of her words settling on his shoulders. “You think Oapa knows more than he’s letting on?”
Lirin shrugged nonchalantly, taking another bite. “It’s not about what he knows—it’s about what he’s willing to share. The sprit kingdom clearly has its secrets, and Oapa is walking a fine line between duty and loyalty. Don’t push him too hard, or you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of his claws.”
Si-Woo nodded slowly, her advice sinking in as he watched Oapa finally manage to peel himself away from Ha-Yoon’s grip, only for Mai to step in and pull him toward another stand. Ha-Yoon laughed, her bonds weaving around her feet like joyful shadows.
Despite the lighthearted scene in front of him, Si-Woo couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing in his chest. Whatever they had stumbled upon in the forest felt like the beginning of something far larger than any of them were prepared for.
Lirin’s gaze flicked between Si-Woo and Ha-Yoon as she spoke, her voice thoughtful and almost analytical. “I’m just curious,” she said again, her tone shifting to something more contemplative. “But I don’t think that’s the case. Fae are essentially immortal because of our awakening with serein. It’s integrated with our bodies, making us ageless. Scientifically speaking, your kind shouldn’t even be able to use serein, let alone use it as effectively as you two do.”
She paused for a moment, her indigo eyes narrowed slightly as she considered her words. “And yet, here you both are, using it with a mastery that even some of the oldest fae struggle to attain. You’re not just surviving—it’s as if you’ve adapted to it in a way that defies logic. You’ve become more than just human.”
Si-Woo looked at Lirin, the weight of her words settling over him. Ha-Yoon, who had been absentmindedly feeding her wolves, looked up in surprise. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, genuinely curious.
Lirin’s eyes shifted to Ha-Yoon before returning to Si-Woo. “What I mean is, I don’t know how long you two will live for. You’re like an anomaly, even among fae and sprits. Fae can live indefinitely because our serein connection through our awakening keeps us stable, but you...” She trailed off, tapping her fingers lightly on the table as she processed her thoughts. “I don’t know what your connection with serein means in the long term. It’s never been seen before.”
Si-Woo’s mind raced as he thought about the implications of Lirin’s words. His bond with Z, Ha-Yoon’s ability to handle her own bonds and the Grimoire of Oblivion, their connection with serein—it was all so far beyond anything he had expected. He had always known that he and Ha-Yoon were different from the others, but hearing Lirin say it out loud made it all feel even more surreal.
“So, you’re saying we might not follow the same rules as others?” Si-Woo asked, his voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and wonder.
Lirin nodded slowly. “Exactly. The more I observe you two, the more it seems like you’re not bound by the same limitations. You’ve got this innate ability to use serein that shouldn’t even be possible for humans. And it’s not just raw power; it’s the way you’re connected to it—it’s... harmonious.”
She paused, her expression softened by a rare vulnerability. “And that makes you an unknown, Si-Woo. You and Ha-Yoon both.”
Si-Woo felt a strange mix of pride and unease. He had always known he was different, but now it seemed that the path ahead was even more uncertain than he had thought. He glanced over at Ha-Yoon, whose spade wolves were now resting at her feet, their eyes trained on him.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though,” he said, breaking the silence. “We’ve always known we were different, Ha-Yoon. And maybe... maybe that’s just part of our journey. Not following the same path others have walked.”
Ha-Yoon met his gaze, her usual confident demeanor softened by the weight of his words. She smiled faintly and shrugged. “Maybe. But I still think we should take it one step at a time.”
Lirin smirked at their exchange, clearly entertained by their dynamic. “It’s good to see you two not get lost in the moment,” she remarked before adding with a wry smile, “But trust me, this world will test you. And it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be asked to choose a side.”
Si-Woo nodded, thinking of what happened at the cemetery. “We’ll face it when the time comes.” He glanced at the table in front of him, the quiet buzz of the surrounding marketplace still in the background.