By the way, this book will also have 20 chapters!

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Yeosang didn't sleep that night.

With burning eyes, he spent his evening curled up next to Jongho writing letters to Seonghwa until late in the night. He poured out all of his heart into the apologies on his paper. Even all of his regrets that he hadn't believed Seonghwa, who was no doubt, in even more pain than Yeosang could even fathom. Yeosang had attempted his best to save the reputation of their home and make sure they hadn't been puppets their whole lives long, but he had failed. Seonghwa had been right in everything he had suspected, and Yeosang didn't doubt that his brother had suffered more than Yeosang.

In his letter, he assured Seonghwa of his complete loyalty and trust in him and that he was deeply sorry for ever growing wary of Seonghwa's words. He also wrote a lot about Zey and how their people had been valid in their hatred, albeit not knowing how deep the roots of the problem in Asorazey really ran. With Jongho's face relaxed as he slumbered peacefully next to Yeosang, the librarian's heart ached for the injustice the man had endured.

And more than anything, he now wanted to know what Seonghwa's plan was. The man had come here with a goal and sent them out to achieve another stepping stone in his path. He had his plans, no doubt. Their lives had become a game of chess, and with the king on the high ground, Seonghwa had to place his pieces carefully.

Seonghwa was a master at chess. Yeosang believed in his abilities to win this party, too.

He didn't write to Wooyoung. Their findings could give their location away, and Yeosang didn't want the other man to accidentally blow his cover as he attempted to support their mission. While Yeosang promised himself to get Wooyoung to join them before anything could happen to him, it was not yet the time for that.

Jongho didn't rouse all through the night. The thought of him slumbering deeply and peacefully next to Yeosang without a worry in the world and any reason to distrust his friend assured Yeosang. And when the little daylight that reached the canyon back here finally illuminated the room in a hazy twilight, Yeosang had long since sent Bricky off to Seonghwa and waited for the rest to stir.

They would go right back to San's home today. They had no reason to stall and further burden Yongguk with their presence. Many things were left to do in Qam now, and Yeosang suspected that the voyage there would clear his mind. Albeit their suspicions and his weak attempts to defuse the nasty rumours about the palace, his thoughts were strewn all over the place. He had known, deep inside, that there had always been a high risk of Seonghwa's claims being legitimate. But he hadn't wanted to face that truth. And now that it had been forced upon him so brusquely, his disorientation greatly inconvenienced him.

In the time they would spend hanging dangerously from steep walls once more, Yeosang would sort his thoughts. About San and Jongho and his scattered feelings about them, about the king, and about what he could do to resolve this situation. Yeosang was no fighter; he wasn't like Jongho. But he had a stubborn mind that hated lies and deceit. If there was nothing else for him to do, then he could at least face the king once more and get his answers. And if he had to open the palace doors for Seonghwa to do whatever had to be done, then he was ready to do so. Yeosang played his role on the chessboard, too, and while he might have been a replaceable background character so far, he recognised his importance by now. He had been relevant ever since he had joined the board by leaving the castle together with Jongho.

The morning came with Mingi stumbling up the stairs first to make himself some tea. He barely even noticed Yeosang resting awake and watching him like a hawk. Only when he sat down to audibly slurp his leaf water, his eyes wandered to the sleeping pair.

Mingi startled so hard that he burnt his tongue. With an apologising smile, Yeosang sat up.

"You look like death. Did you consider even a minute of sleep?" Mingi's hiss was nearly too low for Yeosang to understand, but he chuckled regardless. They tried their best not to wake Jongho, but the man behind Yeosang already stirred. Fond, Yeosang watched him squish his cheek against the jacket that formed his pillow in protest against waking up.

"I didn't; my mind was too loud. Did you sleep well enough for both of us?"

"I sure tried. Want some tea?"

Yeosang didn't say no to that. Upon Mingi's consideration, he also stayed still next to Jongho, so his rustling and disappearance wouldn't wake the man entirely. Nestled underneath his warm blankets, Yeosang wrapped his hands around one of the two mugs Yongguk possessed and enjoyed the silence.

San joined them a while later. The creaking of his steps on the stairs was what ultimately rose Jongho, too, but he had yet to sit up fully. Instead, he barely supported his body on one arm before he fell over into Yeosang's lap with a quiet groan. With a little giggle, Yeosang brushed his hand through the man's hair gently while San searched for a spot to sit.

"Now, when do we want to leave?"

Mingi cut right to the chase. With no appointed leader between them, they all just turned towards San cluelessly. The man laughed at them with his ruffled hair and still sleepy eyes.

"Whenever you please. I talked to Yongguk yesterday, and he agreed to join us until Blagbarrow. He said to be ready to go whenever we please. I reckon we start sooner rather than later so we have to spend fewer nights on the walls."

The idea sounded wise to them. Nobody had any complaints, so they decided to get ready. While San safely stored the energy core away in his backpack, Yeosang knelt next to Jongho to help him with his gadgets.

His shoulder had become considerably better in the two days he hadn't completely overtasked it, and Yeosang was sad to see the efforts go to waste. Yet, he didn't mention it as he settled next to Jongho to help him the straps he couldn't reach.

His metal leg wrap and sleeve were both one continuous part with metal joints that bent and moved in accordance with Jongho's movements. Both pieces were cushioned against his clothes with some fabric nailed to the metal and held by multiple straps he could adjust around his body.

While Jongho still discussed their water provisions with Mingi, Yeosang carefully angled the man's leg until he could access them all. He started with the lower ones and neatly tightened them around Jongho's flesh. As he travelled further up to his thigh, however, Jongho stopped him absent-mindedly. Their hands brushed when the man adjusted one of the straps to fit around his leg snugly. The scars and rough patches of his skin that had become one with him after many years of work felt foreign to Yeosang's skin. He wanted to run his hands over them and explore, learn every single one of their stories, but there was no time.

Yongguk joined them shortly after once the commotion rouse him. His movements were quite awake for the morning, and he also already wore clothing fit to scaling the walls. A duffel bag hung from his shoulder.

Once they had finished all their preparations and wolfed down some food, it was time to leave the hermit's home.

Yongguk was the one to lead them out this time. As Yeosang followed the rest of his friends over the wall, he didn't glance back even once. He had the looming future to prepare for.

-

Compared to the travel from Qam to Yongguk's home, the journey back seemed far shorter. Maybe it was because Yeosang's mind was so preoccupied with anything but the task of climbing. Or maybe he managed to pass the time faster now that the future had a more transparent outline and they knew where to go.

Yeosang had done a lot of thinking in his every waking hour. His brooding had scared his teammates off, and they had left him to figure things out while they kept an eye on his climbing. He awoke only in between their tour when they crossed Blagbarrow. With all the kindness and sincerity he could muster in his distraught state, he had wished Yongguk goodbye. The man had asked them to be notified if anything significant happened up on the surface and with a hollow smile, Yeosang had promised him to send Bricky if anything of the like occurred.

San left Yeosang his space. Jongho seldomly crossed his thoughts. Not even Mingi's jokes and tender attempts to reach out and assure himself of Yeosang's wellbeing got through his thick skull.

Their voyage felt quieter without Yongguk. The man hadn't been particularly vocal, but he had at least distracted them all enough that they had put on a polite front for him. Now, outside of the walls and just walking the cave paths between Qam and Blagbarrow, the silence that wrapped around them was deafening. Yeosang knew that he caused it for the most part since the others didn't want to disrupt his quiet crisis, but he didn't have the heart to mind. He appreciated their solitude for what it was worth.

It took them less than a month to and fro to the end of the canyon. And once the peaceful little huts and joyous energies from Qam came back into sight, Yeosang exhaled audibly. Immediately, San's spirits also lifted, and Mingi rose his head higher.

Yeosang blearily glanced at Jongho. He hadn't gotten much sleep these days, but the constant worry about the man's injured shoulder still busied his mind. Jongho wasn't the type to complain or ask for help, so Yeosang had taken it upon himself to pay close attention to the man.

Jongho, however, seemed just as happy as the other two. While he had no one, in particular, to look forward to here, he still shared their enjoyment with a little private smile. Yeosang appreciated it.

They returned to the home of San's family with relief dropping from them at every step. Yeosang couldn't wait to talk things out with Seonghwa and to sleep in an actual bed for once in a while. The change of perspective from the palace had taught him to appreciate his foregone privileges more. At the mere mention of actual accommodations for them, Yeosang nearly fainted from relief. San had offered him to share his room once more, too, so that he wouldn't have to squeeze into a separate space with the others.

Seonghwa wasn't in the hut when they arrived there. After a fatherly hug from the mayor, San inquired about him as if he knew that he was Yeosang's sole concern.

"He's out with Hongjoong. He has healed well in the time you were gone, and we moved him to a different hut after another family moved out. The rest of the team can share it now, of course."

As predicted, Hongjoong and Seonghwa were joined at the hip. Yeosang had yet to get to know the blue-haired air pilot better, but there was still time for that.

When he insecurely looked between the stairs and the door outside, San had gently grasped Yeosang's hand. His father didn't comment on it, but Yeosang spied the way Mingi discreetly peeped at Jongho. If he hadn't been so tired and so done with all his world views, then he would have read into it.

"Do you want to search for him or rest first? I can accompany you."

Yeosang had chuckled at his sweet offer.

"I will let him have his fun. Good Sir, could you perhaps inform my brother of our return once you see him again? I would like to meet him as soon as possible."

The mayor had nodded quickly. Then, he had stepped away from the stairs to allow them passage.

"Of course. Then rest first, you deserve it. I shall show your companions to their hut; it's directly opposite of here. We can reconcile and discuss matters over breakfast tomorrow."

And without another word, that was what they did. Yeosang sluggishly washed and put on a fresh shirt before he tumbled into bed with San. Wrapped in the man's warm embrace, he could forget all his worries at least for a short while.

Soon, he would talk to Seonghwa, and then he had more answers.