The moment I stepped into the portal, I kept my eyes shut, not wanting to risk seeing something ugly.
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“Hey, open your eyes,” Yujin whispered in my ear, making my ear feel ticklish.
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I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light.
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“Holy…”
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I thought I was prepared for anything. I was wrong. The sight before me stole every coherent thought from my mind.
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Damian stood next to me and said, “I want to say that this is the first step of uncovering something, but this…this is not what I expected.”
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I laughed at his statement and turned my attention back to the Stellarion.
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“Come on, peanuts. Let’s take a tour. Yujin, take my bag.” Aunt Holly linked her arms with mine and Damian’s, bringing us straight to the city.
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The city stretched across the horizon like something pulled from a dream. Towering spires of silver and glass rose into the sky, their peaks disappearing among drifting clouds and floating islands. Rivers of glowing water cascaded between suspended platforms, while countless lights shimmered across the city like fallen stars. Strange vehicles glided silently through the air, powered not by engines but by mana.
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Everywhere I looked, I could feel magic humming beneath the surface of the world, woven into every street, building, and person. The people, they were like us. They had powers of their own, and they used them openly.
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It was beautiful. Overwhelmingly beautiful.
For the first time in my life, everything I thought I knew suddenly felt insignificant compared to the realm unfolding before my eyes.
Everything I had spent years searching for wasn't the answer.
It was only the beginning.
“So, how do you find Stellarion?” Yujin asked as he guided us through the streets of the Core, the busiest section of Stellarion, towards a cafe that served a… purple drink.
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“It’s amazing! How could a city like this exist in a bathroom?” I couldn’t help but ask. Part of me knew that it was probably made from magic and different kinds of powers. Nevertheless, a city of this magnitude? It seemed impossible.
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Aunt Holly laughed aloud as she grabbed a chair to sit while calmly explaining, “The bathroom is just a location your grandfather used to place the portal. There are dozens like it.”
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“Wait, you’re telling me that Grandpa was a part of making this?” My eyes widened as I tried to wrap my head around it.
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“A part of this? Peanut, he was one of the people who founded Stellarion!
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“What?” Up till now, I’ve been struck with a lot of weird discoveries, and I still can’t comprehend a lot of things. For now, I should probably turn to my brother. “Damian?”
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Damian, on the other hand, seemed preoccupied with his surroundings. He was checking skylines, the people, everything that was within ten feet of us.
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Guess old habits die hard.
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I sighed and slapped his arm, “Damian!”
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“Yeah!” He snapped his head and smiled at me.
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“Damian, from the moment we stepped through the portal, you’ve been checking your surroundings like a fugitive. Relax!”
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“She’s right. It was really amusing seeing you like a chihuahua on alert during the tour.” Yujin grinned, clearly amused by Damian’s behaviour.
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“Hey! Don’t be mean.” I glared at Yujin. He may be cute, but part of him seems to be a jerk.
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Yujin shrugged and put his arm over my brother’s shoulder.
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“I’m just saying, enjoy the city. After all, there’s no one out to get you like last time—”
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“Last time? What do you mean? It’s the first time Damian and I set foot in this place.” I quickly caught on to Yujin’s statement, frowning.
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Aunt Holly choked on her drink and quickly exchanged glances with the clearly stunned Damian.
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As for me, I could feel the anger building up inside of me.
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I clenched my teeth and asked slowly, “You knew about this place?”
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“Talia…”
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“I can’t believe it. Just when I thought we found something in common, this happens?”
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I laughed bitterly. This felt like a sick joke.
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“Peanut…” Aunt Holly reached for my hand across the table.
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“No, stop.” I slapped her hand away angrily. “I’m done. Just—just done. I spent years trying to find out what was happening in my life, but it turns out that you guys had the answers all along.”
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I turned to Yujin and said, “I know we just met today, but take me home. Please.”
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“I-I don’t think—” Yujin stuttered while he looked at Aunt Holly frantically.
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“Go, take her home. Damian and I…we’ll follow soon.” Aunt Holly grimaced and added, “I’m sorry, Talia. Let’s talk more when we get home.”
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“Sure, whatever.” I stood up, leaving without a single glance at my brother. Not that he even looked at me.
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For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure if I could trust Damian.
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*
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After leaving the cafe, I was retracing my steps as quickly as I could. I wanted to scream. I wanted to go home.
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I was tired.
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“Talia! Wait!” I heard Yujin calling my name, but I didn’t want to stop.
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“TALIA! LOOK OUT!”
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I turned around, and at the corner of my eye, a kid on a mana-powered hoverboard was speeding towards me. I was too stunned to move, so all I could do was freeze.
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Before I knew it, Yujin tackled me to the ground.
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“Argh!” I winced in pain as we landed hard on the ground.
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“Are you okay?” Yujin quickly asked, checking me for wounds.
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“I’m…I’m…I—” All of a sudden, the words were stuck in my throat. The next thing I knew, tears were welling up in my eyes.
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“Oh no. Okay, okay, uh, we’re gaining too much attention.”
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Sure enough, people were beginning to gather around, staring at us and whispering.
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“Hold on, we’re getting out of here fast.” Yujin grabbed my arms and wrapped them around his waist.
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“Ready?”85Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiywxiwT6Z
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“What?”
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WOOSH.
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“OH MY GOOOD!”
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Yujin skyrocketed into the air as I screamed while hugging him as tightly as I could.
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Wind tore through my hair as the streets vanished below.
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With the speed he was flying at, we flew across the city so quickly that we reached the portal in no time.
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“We’re here, you can open your eyes now.” Yujin landed us gently, chuckling.
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“Something funny?” I glared at him while still crying.
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“No! No. It’s just that I seem to keep telling you to open your eyes ever since we met.”
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I paused for a moment and laughed a little. He was right.
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“Let’s just go home.” I stepped into the portal, this time with my eyes open.
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The first step I took brought me back to the bathroom of the condominium in Korea.
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Looking back at the portal as Yujin stepped through, I almost wanted him to just close the portal if he could. I didn’t really want to see my brother now.
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“I know what you’re thinking, and no. I’m not closing the portal.” Yujin said as if he had read my mind.
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“I didn’t say anything.” I turned around and walked towards the living room.
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“You didn’t have to.”
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I sat on the couch and sighed deeply.
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I felt lost, so lost.
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I didn’t know what to do now.
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