Five
934 Words
After properly tying the carriage beside a tree surrounded by thick grass for the horses to feed on later, the woman led them toward a small house not far from the town.
“I’m sorry if the chairs are dusty,” she said as she invited them inside. She quickly closed the blinds so they could safely remove their dark cloaks.
Andy smiled politely. “It’s alright.”
He gently placed his cloak on the table while the woman set a glass of water in front of him.
“In case you’re thirsty after the long journey,” she said warmly.
Andy lifted the glass but hesitated, carefully observing the water as if expecting something suspicious.
Divina laughed softly. “I didn’t poison it, young man.”
Still, Andy couldn’t stop himself from being cautious, especially toward the old man who promised to return him to his real home.
“By the way, Gladious,” Divina began curiously, “where did you find him?”
The old man calmly sipped his tea before answering.
“That town appeared before me again.”
Divina froze in shock.
Just like its former rulers, the town had long been labeled a phantom city. It only revealed itself to people who had lost their way, and those unfortunate enough to enter either escaped by luck… or died within its borders.
Her ancestors once lived there peacefully before the Kim family reclaimed the throne. After gaining power, they desperately searched for the hidden town to destroy it, yet no matter how hard they tried, they could never locate it—not even on a map.
“How are there still people living there?” she whispered in disbelief.
“I don’t actually live there,” Andy suddenly answered, as though he already knew the question she wanted to ask.
“Something attacked our house. I tried helping my uncle, but someone stopped me from leaving my room. Then he brought me to that place… and left me there.”
Mr. Grin chuckled quietly.
“That man is abandoning his responsibilities again.”
Andy frowned in confusion.
“Don’t worry,” the old man assured him. “You’ll meet him someday. Just not yet.”
Without warning, a glass came flying straight toward the old man’s head, but his reflexes were fast enough to catch it instantly.
“Helena, that’s no proper way to greet people, young lady.”
Soft laughter echoed through the room before a teenager around Andy’s age appeared from the hallway.
“I just wanted to check if you could still sense my presence,” she said casually.
Her features resembled Divina’s, but unlike her mother, Helena’s hair was white as snow. She wore a loose black sleeping robe that made her look almost ghostlike.
Andy quietly studied her and immediately noticed her unusual eyes. One was blue while the other was golden yellow—tribute eyes, a rare trait spoken of in old legends.
“Helena, come here, sweetheart,” Divina called gently.
But Helena’s attention had already settled on Andy.
“Have we met before?” she asked directly, narrowing her eyes as she searched her memory.
Andy stayed silent while she continued staring at him. As her eyes widened, their strange colors shimmered beautifully beneath the dim light.
“Mother!” she suddenly exclaimed excitedly. “My precognition came true!”
In the blink of an eye, she appeared beside Andy, startling him. She grabbed his hand tightly before suddenly freezing.
“Just so you know,” Divina explained, “my daughter is a seer. She can predict other people’s futures… but never her own.”
Several moments passed in complete silence.
Then Helena gasped sharply and released Andy’s hand.
Everyone immediately noticed the fear spreading across her face. Even Andy could sense something terrible from her reaction.
She slowly turned toward her mother, visibly trembling.
“Mother… we need to leave immediately,” she said shakily. “Auntie is coming here with Gustavo… and they’re going to kill you.”
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Back in the small marketplace, a luxurious carriage pulled by five horses wearing silver saddles marked with a moonlit crest entered the town. A lone coachman guided it through the crowded streets.
“Idiots. Every single one of them is useless,” the man inside muttered bitterly under his breath.
The long-haired man grabbed a mirror and examined the bruise left on his face after the king slapped him earlier.
“Now my handsome face is ruined,” he complained dramatically, nearly crying over it.
Frustrated, he threw the mirror aside, not caring when it shattered into pieces inside the carriage.
“That Park brat is going to pay for this.”
He grabbed his cigar and tried lighting it with a silver lighter, but after several failed attempts, his irritation only worsened.
“Damn it!”
In anger, he threw the lighter out of the carriage window without thinking.
Outside, a woman dressed in a black cloak suddenly felt something hit her head. She was about to curse at whoever threw it when she noticed the familiar crest engraved on the lighter—the very symbol her family despised.
She picked it up and examined it carefully.
When she tried using it, no flame appeared. The gas had already run out.
A sly smile slowly spread across her lips as an idea formed in her mind.
Maybe a little revenge wouldn’t hurt.
She tossed the lighter into the air, and it landed perfectly on top of the carriage roof.
With a snap of her fingers—
An explosion erupted instantly.
- Writer
