// Chapter 2 \\

It had been three months since the Taker attack on the Dawn Court. They began calling it The Black Day. The day which was shrouded in a black sky and monsters in black garbs of who took many people's lives. The day that deemed my entire life different. I shivered at the thought of it. The day had left me feeling empty, the only thing filling me being sorrow.

Since then, I'd left the Dawn Court. Seonghwa had kindly offered the doors to his court if I ever wished to visit. I don't think I would. Walking out of that place had a pang in my chest ease. I'd returned to my own court where I'd given Yunho a proper burial, despite not having a body to be buried. Nanny hadn't objected to a proper ceremony for a peasant's death. She hadn't really forced anything upon me since my return. The thought of Yunho had still upset me— what I'd allowed to happen. I always grew spiteful when prominent icy eyes filled my head. The little follicles of bright lines in those irises. Ones that reflected the other bright irises of the dark and hungry creatures which we haven't seen or heard of since The Black Day.

I will admit, I've gotten better since then. However, at the same time, it feels like I've made no progress at all. No, this sorrow said I'd made none.

My friends— Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Heeyoung— had visited me to keep company and to comfort. They were the ones that had eventually gotten me to leave my own court on a small trip to the Eastern Court. That's where we were now. Where Heeyound and I walked down those white marble stairs in darkness. The only light that illuminated the place was looking out to the kingdom of water below. Some towers spiraled up with their glowing light. My vision could clearly make out the mergers hooked up to a few of their roofed domes along with the figures of people inside, milling about their business. I diverted my attention to the colorful lights below in the ocean blue kingdom. It was almost as if peering at a starry night, as if a High Monarch city didn't sit right there below us. No matter how many times I'd seen this sight, I always found it magical.

"The sight of Venelia never gets old, does it?" Heeyoung asked in a light but calming voice.

"It never does," I spoke in a genuine, raw tone. I composed myself as I cleared my throat, turning to my scarlet-eyed friend. I gave her a small smile and left it at that as we continued down the spiraling stairs.

We knew exactly where to stop: a threshold carved of intricate gold curving and holding lapis gems. Two guards in blue and gold armor stood at either side. They didn't spare a glance as Heeyoung and I walked down the hall to the docking bay. We didn't even need to step through the threshold to hear the shouts of all too familiar voices.

"Perhaps you could've been a bit more calm about the situation?" Hongjoong accused in a tone that almost had me stopping in my footsteps, not wishing to see what awaited around the corner.

"Calm? Calm? You were the one that was practically going to break down on the ground— in front of a foreign court. What mindset were you in to allow yourself to show weakness in front of thousands of court members?" Yeosang spoke in a level voice, but his words were sharp— all the same to Hongjoong's.

Hongjoong let out an irritated sound before he lashed, "Sun and the sky, she's our friend and you have the mind to shut her out when we've known her before our rankings?"

"Hongjoong, you fool," Yeosang barked with a noise of a thud— Yeosang's hand slamming against the blue wall, "We all cannot show weakness in a time like this. Yes, we haven't had a single Taker attack since then— yes the reassurance in our leadership is stabilizing. But the moment we all give in, we're bound to fall trap to something we hadn't expected."

"Then perhaps you should've said those words to her." Hongjoong pointed his finger to Yeosang, stretching it forward with a jab, slightly tilting his head and standing as tall as he could.

Yeosang sighed heavily, his lips moving, about to speak. He stopped only when Heeyound cleared her throat from next to me. The two both went wide eyed as they looked at each other for a split moment. Their two heads slowly turned to Heeyoung and I as we stood there, watching them. Hongjoong swiveled his eyes between us, his face warming slightly before he looked down. Yeoang slowly turned back to where he faced Hongjoong, closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the wall behind him. He let out a more silent sigh. They both stayed silent.

I didn't so much as respond to the two, except for the flicker of surprise in my eyes. I glanced at Heeyoung to find her giving both of them a disappointed look. Her arms were folded and her foot tapped on the floor, as if waiting for an apology or explanation from the both of them.

Hongjoong moved forward slightly, glancing up at us both before he bowed. He quietly excused himself before he walked through one of the doors that would lead to a court palace merger. We were to head back there to meet with Leeyon one last time before we left. Moments later, Yeosang followed suit, but he didn't so much as lay an eye on either of us. The frown I had deepened slightly.

Heeyoung scoffed before murmuring, "Boys, I swear to the sun."

I shifted uncomfortably, looking to the worn shoe on my left foot and the bare one to the right. There was a nudge from my side.

"Hey, you know they mean well, despite their immature way of showing it," Heeyong comforted me, "We knew they'd be fighting anyhow."

"Y-Yeah..." I spoke quietly in a rasp, not wishing to look up.

Heeyoung brushed back my messy black and silver hair with a smile that I glanced up at, "Come on, they'll just need a bit of time— as they always do. How about we get you dressed in something more fitting?"

I furrowed my brows, glancing behind us to the empty hall before looking back to Heeyoung, "Here?"

Heeyoung slouched her shoulders and her eyes widened with a frown, "You cannot be serious. Since when did you care who saw your bare skin?"

I stiffened as I quickly braced my hands on Heeyoung's shoulders. It was my turn for my eyes to be wide as I shrieked in a whisper, "Heeyoung! There are guards right down that hall. We're in a foreign court for crying out loud!"

Heeyoung giggled but quickly stifled it. The crinkled eyes of her's never left, though, "Please! We're being much more quiet compared to those other two."

I sighed with a shake of my head and the fold of my arms, "Unbelievable," I remained positioned there in silence as I felt Heeyoung's eyes on me. I tried to concentrate on the three merger thresholds before me— tried to ignore the uncomfortable itch of my hair or the tightness in the way it tangled. I tried to ignore the scummy soaked feeling on my skin along with the disgusting sea cloth that clung to it. The way my entire figure erupted in noticing all the small discomforts of this. I groaned as my hands became fists at my side. I barely got out the two words with my teeth in my sudden annoyance, "Fair point."

Heeyoung only smiled in victory as I allowed both of my hands to wave in the air. A glittering magic clung all round before I had a cleansing, tingling sensation covering it. My hair curled slightly as if the pure ocean breeze was caught in it, silver follicles gleaming as my skin appeared tanner than before. I allowed for a tint of vibrant blue shade to coast above my golden eyes. The feel on the damp tunic had disappeared with no trace from my body. It was quickly replaced with a strong fortitude of metal. An armor, blue with a light gleam of violet if the light were to touch it in the right spot. The intricacy of its metallic was matched with the silver encrusted lining of stars and wind in the sky. The armor almost appeared a bit bulky, but clung well to my body. Despite the cleanliness of it, I still shifted uncomfortable from the fit. It was too closed in for my liking.

"Gorgeous as always then," Heeyoung smiled as she slowly took my hand. I smiled back when she guided me to the merger entryway.

I made no response in speaking to her.

Yet, she still turned back to me with another bright smile and to give a comforting comment, "You have nothing to worry about. Besides, I feel like the two guys won't stay in a bad mood for long."

Her left eye winked at me before she turned to guide me into the darkening blue atmosphere of the underwater craft. I only gave a questioning, unknowing look in return.

BACK ON THIS BINGE- bro it feels so good to write these characters again and just experiment with writing in this story *sniffles* I'm not crying u are--

REMEMBER:

1. Smack dat butiful star

2. Leave a comment talkin abt dis tea

3. Share dis tea induced book with yo fwends

WHY? Because I appreciate it 🥺

\\Catch u in the next chapter--\\