The gates of the massive city stood before them, large and ornate, soaring like a pair of ivory towers. The entrance was currently open and allowed numerous people to enter and exit. The doors were adorned with intricate silver latticework that gleamed in the sunlight.
“Wait here,” Evan suddenly said as he hurried inside and disappeared into the sea of people.
Ardyn stood there uneasily, wondering what the hell was going on.
He had never seen a place like this before. It was as though he’d been thrown into another dimension, an alternate timeline within the medieval ages.
He stared at the tall, silver-armored guards that flanked the gates, their eyes watchful and their expressions stern yet vigilant. Each guard held a polished halberd, its silver blade catching the light and gleaming in a deadly manner.
Ardyn swallowed visibly. One wrong move, and he might get stabbed in the gut by that sharp weapon. He really didn’t want to die a second time. The first time was already too painful.
While he was preoccupied with his panicked thoughts, Evan came running back, carrying with him a brown cloak that was similar to his own.
“Here,” he said, handing over the article of clothing. “Wear this to conceal yourself. Put up the hood as well.”
Dazed, Ardyn obeyed. He didn’t understand why, but at least this cloak would help conceal his identity. It was much better than walking around in his fancy dress shirt and necktie.
I should be a graduate right about now… Ardyn thought to himself bitterly. I should’ve been celebrating with my friends and drinking the night away…
Just how had things come to this?
After he got dressed, Evan gestured towards the entrance.
“Shall we go?” he invited.
***
Ardyn didn’t know what he had initially expected to see, to be honest. Maybe he had assumed that this place — or this world, whatever — would be terrifying, dark, or ugly compared to the home he’d lived in all his life. Maybe he predicted that he’d feel even more depressed after looking around, that he would simply mope by himself and pretend that everything was all just a dream.
But of all things, he certainly did not expect this.
Angelbay City was, to put into simpler words… stunning.
It was probably the most beautiful place Ardyn had ever seen. With his jaw dropped open in awe, his eyes excitedly darted around the surroundings, surprised at the huge amount of people he saw. There seemed to only be happy faces everywhere; it was like paradise.
The capital was breathtaking, a floating city that stretched along the shores of the kingdom. It was essentially nestled between the vast sea and the lush coastline. The buildings were constructed of white marble with ornate silver accents, and stained glass windows adorned the walls, catching the sunlight and casting vibrant, prismatic colors onto the streets below.
At the heart of the city was a bustling district teeming with merchants, traders, and fishermen. In addition, ships and majestic galleons from every corner of the kingdom were docked along a network of canals and piers.
Then, at the far end of the city, against the backdrop of the sea, stood what appeared to be the famous White Castle.
Ardyn held his breath as he gazed at the magnificent piece of architecture. It seemed to be made of shimmering white stone, with tall, towering spires and impressive grandeur.
This definitely isn’t Seoul, he thought.
There was a large fountain in the center, crowded with children playing around it and throwing coins into it as if it were a wishing well. As Ardyn turned his head, he also saw numerous shops lining the edges of each building, shopkeepers and merchants busy with their respective businesses.
The sun rose high in the sky, shining on the water, giving it an enchanting sparkle that didn’t fail to attract the attention of tourists.
It’s like a whole new world… he marveled, his mouth open in awe.
“You like it?”
Evan’s familiar voice drifted into his ears, and Ardyn turned to him in excitement.
“Wow! I… I’ve never seen such a place like this even when I traveled around a lot of places before!” Ardyn exclaimed, so enchanted by the sights that he couldn’t stop smiling. “This is beautiful. Which part of the country is this?”
Evan smiled. “Is it different from your hometown?”
The question made Ardyn’s enthusiasm pause for a moment. “Yeah… I guess you can say that,” he replied hesitantly. He looked around his surroundings once more, drinking in the sights and the appearances of the people. “You were right about me needing to see this for myself. I mean, it’s not like it’s too different, but…”
I feel…
The more Ardyn looked, the more he was forced to confront the undeniable truth.
The city was indeed beautiful, but there was also a foreign kind of atmosphere surrounding it. Nothing really looked familiar. The shops weren’t the usual ones he visited in his city, the buildings were more like castles than modernized houses, and the people’s clothes were strange and complex, very different from the usual stuff he and his friends wore to hang out.
…out of place.
He knew. He had already sensed it earlier.
This was like a different era, and yet…
He wanted to believe that he was still home. That there was still some way he could return.
Back to his family, back to his apartment, back to his friends… Back to familiar territory.
That small string of hope was the only thing keeping him sane right now.
“I don’t know anymore.” Ardyn turned to Evan and laughed humorlessly. “I still can’t believe this…” he muttered. “How the hell did I even end up here in the first place…”
To his surprise, Evan averted his gaze. “Ah… well, about that…”
To Ardyn’s bemusement, he started walking over to the edge of the railing without a word.
Currently, they were both on one of the large bridges that connected two districts. People walked past them, cheerfully chatting with their companions.
Ardyn noticed that Evan had not faced the crowd ever since they entered the city. He’d worn a hood around his head to hide his hair, and the sunlight helped to hide most of his features due to the excessive brightness.
Just who was this man?
“Well… now that I’ve seen the city…” Ardyn spoke up slowly. “Is there, uh, anything more you want to show me?”
Evan looked at him sideways and sighed. It wasn’t a frustrated sigh; rather, it sounded more like a heavy one, as though he’d been contemplating deeply about something.
“There is,” he said quietly, lowering his head to avoid Ardyn’s gaze. “But if I show you… you’ll have to promise me one thing.”
Ardyn raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Promise you one thing?” he repeated, puzzled. “What is it?”
Evan finally plucked up the courage to look at him. “You’ll have to promise me that you won’t freak out.”
Ardyn frowned. “Why the hell would I freak out? What kind of thing is it?”
Evan’s eyes darted back and forth as though cautious about the attention of the townspeople. Fortunately, they were all still passing by, completely oblivious, just minding their own business.
“I can’t ask you to go somewhere with me alone since you might not fully trust me yet, so I’ll have to show you here. Just promise me you won’t freak out,” Evan said, his eyes pleading.
Ardyn blinked rapidly, annoyance creeping into his gut.
This was really too much for his small brain to take in all at once. Could this guy just stop talking in riddles and get to the point?? He was already antsy to see a familiar place or even a familiar face somewhere. The vibe of this city was indeed cheerful, but he felt so out of place.
Evan was literally the only person he knew here, and he could barely even make himself trust the guy.
Taking a deep breath, Ardyn decided to prepare himself for the worst. If something awful was going to happen, he could always ask for help. There were a lot of people here. Surely there was a reason why Evan was trying to be cautious with him.
“Okay, fine, I won’t freak out,” Ardyn promised. “Now stop keeping me in suspense!”
Evan chuckled awkwardly, then rested his elbows on the railing. He opened his palm and gestured for Ardyn to come closer.
Ardyn obeyed, peering over at his hand curiously.
What happened next drained all the thoughts from Ardyn’s brain.
Slowly, Evan’s palm illuminated. Wisps of light appeared out of nowhere from his skin, coalescing into a single small, white sphere that floated upwards like a little snowflake.
Magic.
Ardyn’s jaw dropped open.
“Holy shit!”