In Umbra, the castle was usually quiet. Some soldiers would stride through the halls in their gray uniforms, thicker and stuffed with wool for the upcoming winter winds. Here and there, the servants would converse, their whispers filling the air yet unwilling to leave the bubble of chatter for fear of being overheard. But for the most part, the halls were silent, and Namjoon couldn't help but be reminded of his home.

In Sapientia, although the halls were rarely vacant, the castle was quiet as savants were occupied with their studies of Rem and the world around them. The only ruckus was met in the courtyards, where the servants, soldiers, and savants alike chatted. However, the yellowing Umbran courtyards were rarely filled, and in the absence of people, flowers began to bloom.

Frost lilies, Namjoon thought, remembering a sketch from one of his books he read long ago as he studied the sprouting buds through the open arches of the halls.

Many peculiarities in Umbra fascinated Namjoon, and the frost lilies were one among hundreds. The contrast between their beauty coupled with their power to endure such treacherous weather demanded his attention. He gently grazed a finger over a petal, treating it with fragility as if it would break under his touch. And it was that juxtaposition that truly taught him that the most extreme circumstances allowed life to become more extraordinary than it already was.

He continued his stroll through the courtyards, watching his step to avoid ruining any of the lilies, as he met the symphony of voices in his head.

After what he named the "Great Calamity," he needed to find a distraction for himself. Walking was one method he used, and facing the truth head-on in the infirmary was another. But fortunately for him, he had no need to search for more distractions since they readily came to him.

As a mind elemental, he was trained how to master the voices of everyone around him, to separate the noise from the actual thoughts. It only took a deep breath and closed eyes to shut the noise out and focus on the voices that actually mattered. Behind the darks of his eyelids, all the messy colors were swept away in one massive swipe, and all that remained were four distinct colors—songs. The voices of the other princes.

Namjoon had studied those particular four carefully during the past weeks, their feelings, desires, and fears. He wasn't one to nose around other people's heads, but after experiencing the Great Calamity, after feeling blood splatter on his skin and drip on the dead body of his mother, he decided that desperate circumstances allowed for desperate measures.

He was sifting through the faint murmurs in the Bellan prince's head—the only one capable of repelling Namjoon's advances—when a foreign voice shattered his concentration. It was a new yet familiar melody. One that rumbled with a heavy base and hymned to the whistling breeze above the clouds. Similar to the Prince of Pacem's yet in a completely different tune.

The wind blew in all directions, ruffling Namjoon's hair and making the ends of his half cape flap harshly over his right arm that shielded his face. Overhead, a giant, winged beast soared through the sky, leaving a thin trail of gray mist in its wake.

Namjoon was stunned with awe as he traced the beast's path to the front of the castle, where everyone had gathered. Guards and servants alike hid behind the pillared arches, holding tightly onto the stone to prevent themselves from being blown away by the flurry of vicious winds the beast's wings generated. Even amidst the gales that lifted some unlucky fellows off their feet, everyone stayed and watched as the beast slowed and landed with grace.

Armor covered the beast's beak, and iron plates stretched across its feathered neck. On it was a lone rider, who stood proudly, their broad shoulders pulled back and their face covered by a green mask that Namjoon couldn't make out until the rider jumped to the ground.

The mask was a stag cut at the snout, antlers and ears extending from the top. Wrapped around the antlers were brown vines on which pink flowers blossomed.

The green stag of Vita.

Everyone fell silent as the rider removed his mask to reveal his strong jawline and brows framed perfectly on his small face. His hair was jet black that curled on the surface, and his eyes were a yellow-brown that were hardened with what Namjoon placed as discontent. Hanging his mask on a belt around his waist, the Vitan walked towards the front of the castle. His movements were stiff, and his gaze lingered on the crowd.

All the princes were there, save for the Prince of Bellum. Mother Erna and the Prince of Umbra greeted the Vitan, confirming he was the Prince of Vita himself. But something caught Namjoon off guard. He believed the next prince in line had blond hair and cruel, viridescent eyes that radiated confidence his slim physique couldn't grant him. The person he was staring at definitely didn't fit that description.

"Perhaps he is the eldest."

When he heard that soft voice beside him, Namjoon didn't even flinch. "Perhaps, but Queen Evier would never send him. Vita is known for hailing their elementals and forgetting their human heirs."

Aeri hummed in thought. "That is unless the youngest was injured."

Tilting his head, Namjoon tapped his fingers against the marble railing. Even if that were the case, the queen wouldn't make that decision. He recalled her charming voice and kind smile that camouflaged her spiteful nature to the point that he couldn't read her true personality until he breached her mind. Everyone in Vita was like that, and Namjoon wondered if it was true for the eldest Vitan prince as he prodded his mind.

His name was Kim Seokjin. But that was all Namjoon learned because he was suddenly yanked away from the melodies of Seokjin's head that grew distant before fading into complete silence. Furrowing his brow, Namjoon tried again to achieve the same outcome.

"He is immune to your element." Aeri was pacing behind him, playing with golden butterflies that glittered around her. "Just like the Prince of Bellum."

"The Prince of Bellum is different. He repels me because he has experienced a breach before, but the Prince of Vita—"

"Is strong-willed," Aeri finished. "For a human, he is very powerful."

Namjoon frowned. "Human or elemental has nothing to do with it."

"It has everything to do with it," Aeri said, bracing her forearms against the marble railing. "At least for him, it does."

Namjoon opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted when the winged beast screeched and took to the skies with a massive flap of its wings. Circling the air once, it began to fly back the way it came.

"It is returning to its home, Aether Peak," Aeri whispered.

Aether Peak? A sketch of an unfinished diagram of a bird surfaced from the depths of Namjoon's memory. "Then that beast is a tharrowback." As Aeri nodded, Namjoon gaped at the swirling gray mists the tharrowback left behind in childish amazement. "I thought they were extinct."

When Aeri remained unusually silent, Namjoon glanced beside him and realized she was gone. The childish wonder bubbling within faded, as well. The Prince of Umbra led his guest into the castle, and the crowd dispersed with their leave. Turning on his heels, Namjoon sought to resume his walk, but that changed when he saw the Prince of Bellum—Min Yoongi—studying him from the shadows of one of the halls.

His eyes glinted red under the rays of the beating sun, and even though his arm was no longer in a sling, his movements were still stiff. Just as Namjoon was about to pass him, Yoongi said, "Some people will start to talk if you continue to whisper to yourself all day."

Namjoon raised a brow. "Oh, I never knew you were concerned with the buzz of the public."

"Well, I never knew you enjoyed poking around other people's minds."

Namjoon smiled. "An assassination took place not long ago. Do you expect a person with my abilities to just stand by and wait for an answer to appear?"

Yoongi scowled. "I expect you to search in the right places."

"I think I am in the right place."

A glower settled over Yoongi's face. "Bastard."

I am not the bastard here, Namjoon almost replied, but he held his tongue. Instead, he leaned in and whispered, "When you see a person smiling after they witnessed the death of their supposed father, questions begin to form."

Yoongi bristled, his eyes going wide.

Namjoon patted his shoulder. "And it is only natural for me to seek those answers."

Without anything more to say, Namjoon walked away, escaping into one of the halls that led back to his room. Once he traveled a decent distance, he released a heavy breath. Carding a hand through his hair, he sighed. Already, peace was dancing the line of chaos, and the Prince of Lux hadn't even arrived yet. Prince Seokjin's arrival was only the start, so what would happen when the Prince of Lux arrived?

No, that was the wrong question.

Where was the Prince of Lux?

* * *

The moon was rising over the vast prairies, coloring the vibrant green hues with shades of black that shone over the water flowing in the creek. Jungkook watched as the horses drank their fill, a long-deserved rest after the distance they traveled, and eyed the grasslands that were yet to be covered in snow.

They had left Medeia at early dawn and were setting camp somewhere in a small forest near the Frozen Trail. Jungkook had questioned why Two insisted on hiding during dusk, and all she said in response was that dangers lurked on the trails. Jungkook didn't know what she meant. The only danger he knew of was the unbearable cold, and forests did not shield anyone from nature.

But he also didn't know there were such vast grass fields in Umbra during the colder seasons. Snow had told him stories about them long ago, but he was too skeptical to believe that the kingdom known for being covered in ice had its share of green beauty. The fact that he was astounded to witness the grasslands for himself only showed how ignorant he was, so he trusted Two's judgment and accepted setting camp in the forest.

By the time he returned, Two already had a fire burning and a makeshift blanket laid out. This was how it usually went. Two would set up camp while Jungkook took the horses to water, and then she would stand guard during the night while Jungkook slept. He had offered to take her place and allow her some rest, but she insisted on staying awake. So Jungkook didn't push any further.

He tied the horses to separate trees and laid himself down. Once he was nestled under the blankets, he stared at the canopy, the dark sky through the fissures of the leaves, listening to the crackling fire that warmed the right side of his body. Two was still awake, massaging her nose and looking deeply into the fire.

Turning to his side, Jungkook asked, "Why do you do that to your nose? You have been massaging it every time we set up camp."

Two didn't even avert her gaze from the fire. "My plant element may grant me the ability to heal broken bones, but it doesn't set them back in place. It gives me the liberty of doing it."

"I see."

"Go to sleep, Prince. We have a long day ahead of us."

Sighing, Jungkook rolled onto his back and then onto his side to face away from the fire. Seconds passed, then minutes and hours, yet Jungkook was still awake, gazing into the darkness deep within the forest. When he finally gave himself to his sleeplessness, he turned back to face the fire and saw that Two was still staring into the flames.

"I thought you were asleep," she said.

That was a lie. If Two truly believed that, she would've put the fire out. Something to do with attracting unwanted attention. But instead of pointing that out, Jungkook asked, "Are you not tired? You didn't sleep for the past three days."

He wasn't actually sure if that was true. In Medeia, she had slept in another room at the inn they had stayed in, but it was a hunch, one he was willing to risk being false.

Two glanced at him, her eyes dark behind the rising embers. "I haven't slept in a long time. Longer than you think."

Shocked, Jungkook pushed himself up onto his forearm. "Why?"

"I am not very fond of dreaming."

Jungkook remembered when he was like that, when he couldn't sleep because he saw blood and disappointment every time he closed his eyes. "Nightmares?"

Two shook her head.

"Then memories?"

An answer didn't come. If Two was caught off guard, her face didn't show it. "Go to sleep, Princeling."

Before Jungkook could prod any further, she pulled a water skin from one of the bags and opened it. And, as if to accentuate her words, she put the fire out.

* * *

At Hiemura, the Umbrans seemed too happy to be in the midst of a crisis. The markets were bustling with customers calling out low prices to the merchants whose stands sported flowers and lanterns, different wares from when Two had last visited. Children were kicking makeshift balls through the crowd, weaving between the bodies similar to how water flowed over rocks in a river. At one point, a ball even hit Jungkook in the face.

Two felt the pain, a mild sting on her cheek, and was about to berate the children when Jungkook suddenly got off his horse and played with them instead. Staring at the smiling children, Two didn't know what it was, but she felt a warmth muddle the irritation in her chest, one that she shrugged off as her body compensating for the blistering cold.

After days of traveling in the wild, they arrived at Hiemura, and not much had changed since Two's last visit. The masses were as lively as ever, making the journey through the throngs slow. People in their own heads had no concern for others and continued to block their path, running from stand to stand with more items than they could carry. It was almost like they were preparing for a celebration, but that couldn't be the case since the goods they bought didn't relate to any Caidadh tradition Two could put her finger on.

But what the commoners were doing was the least of her concerns because, even though they were happily oblivious to the tragedy that had occurred, the increase of guards in the streets told her the castle was not.

On every corner and every street, there was a guard. To the people, the influx was probably explained as extra security for whatever upcoming celebration, but to Two, it said the castle was searching for the assassin responsible for the deaths of the sovereigns.

Just in case, she searched the crowd for white hair and turquoise eyes. That girl was the only person who had seen Two's face, and fortunately, Two couldn't spot her. If Lucius truly did send the girl, hopefully, she was back at the Lotus, away from Umbra. The last thing Two needed was for the girl to ruin her cover, and that one possibility was enough to make her regret coming here in the first place.

Jungkook was ahead of her, looking around the market with wonder. Two was grateful he had enough sense to keep his face hidden beneath his hood, but his fascination with the markets that were a copy of Clarica's confused her. There were just some things she would never understand about him.

Towards the end of the markets, the crowds died down. All that remained were luscious trees and flowers surrounding a path leading to the front of the castle up on a hill. There were more guards than all the ones in the markets combined. While Two was deterred, Jungkook continued onward.

His horse trotted up the hill, past the guards who didn't dare move but eyed him from under their helmets. Swallowing, Two trailed right behind. The path merged into cobblestone and soon became a bridge that inclined upwards towards the towering front gates of the castle. Beside the gates were two ginormous banners with howling wolf heads engraved into the fabric. The wolves faced each other, vines curling out the sides of their mouths. Two never thought a day would come when a kingdom's sigil would chill her bones.

The guards before the gates stomped their feet and blocked the path with their crossed spears. In the tower, more guards drew their crossbows and aimed them at Two and Jungkook. Two's horse nickered as it came to a stop, its tail flicking behind her, and all she could do was wait for Jungkook to make a move.

"Identify yourself," one of the guards demanded, his voice echoing through his visor.

Jungkook lowered his hood, his brown hair ruffling in the breeze. When he threw his cloak to the side, his black scarf wrapped loosely around his shoulders waved in the wind, but that didn't make the white tiger engraved on the scarf or his chest any less noticeable.

A gasp. "Open the gates!"

The crossbows were put away, and the sound of clanking metal filled Two's ears. Gears turned and clinked as the front gates opened, and more iron gates behind it rose, clearing a path to the castle. As they entered, the guards lowered their heads.

Through the gates was a garden filled with bushes of exquisite flowers that traced the main stone path and led into deeper parts of the garden beyond the front of the castle. When Jungkook unmounted his horse and handed the reins to a guard, Two followed suit. As they continued forward, a creeping voice in Two's head warned her to stay away, run, reminding her how nerve-racking it was to be back in the place she had escaped from. She didn't belong here. This was a mistake.

Suddenly, from the open doors of the castle, a silver-haired man appeared and approached Jungkook. He had soft, blue eyes and sharp facial features pronounced under the sunlight. A woolen shawl was draped over his shoulders and billowed in the wind. On the end, a gray wolf was etched into the fabric.

The man stopped inches before Jungkook. "Prince Jungkook."

Jungkook gave the Umbran a slight nod. "Prince Jimin."

Jimin only spared Two a glance before returning his focus to Jungkook. The awkwardness was thick in the air, suffocating, and before it reached its peak, Jimin smiled.

"Welcome to Umbra."