𝚁𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚒𝚌𝚎: 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚔

🅘🅝 🅐 🅣🅡🅔🅔

25. In a Tree

『 Jungwon's POV 』

If I got a dollar every time I was kidnapped after being knocked unconscious, I'd have two dollars-which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

When I woke up, I found myself in a massive room with the rest of my friends-even Drayce. So far, the only ones awake were Ni-ki, Drayce, and me.

"Where were you?" I asked Drayce, my voice sharp.

Drayce frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Before we got kidnapped. Where were you?" I repeated, my irritation bubbling over. We trusted him, and then he was gone.

"Jungwon, calm down," Ni-ki said.

"How can I calm down when he just abandoned us?" I shot back.

"Bro, you're not thinking straight," Ni-ki sighed. "First off, the stone was with me. Drayce couldn't have gone anywhere without endangering himself. Secondly, if he really abandoned us-if he betrayed us-why would he be stuck here in prison with us?"

Realization dawned on me, and embarrassment flooded my face. "Sorry," I muttered.

Drayce just shrugged. "It's fine."

"The others are waking up," Ni-ki noted.

"Then where were you?" I asked, softer this time.

Drayce sighed. "I was down on the ledge of the cliff. Althea once told me about a special portal there, and I was hoping to use it, but before I could, you guys got captured. When I came back up, they got me too."

"Oh."

"Where are we?" Kyujin groggily asked as she sat up, looking around.

"Oh look, it's Benedict Arnold," Yuna muttered, arms crossed as she glared at Drayce.

Drayce blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Yuna, he didn't betray us," Ni-ki said, exasperated. "He was trying to find a way into the realm. Not that we need it now, considering the fact that we're already here-which, by the way, answers Kyujin's question."

The rest of the group slowly stirred awake.

"How long have we been here?" Jiwoo asked, rubbing her eyes.

"No idea," Ni-ki admitted.

"The great Ni-ki doesn't know?" Kyujin gasped dramatically. "That's a first."

"Shut up," Ni-ki muttered.

"What's going to happen to us?" Sullyoon wondered aloud.

"We're going to get out of this, that's for sure," I said with determination.

"Yeah, Jungwon's right," Jini added. "We got two stones already. We'll get the third one too."

"Except for the fact that we have no idea where we are and we're currently being held hostage," Ni-ki pointed out.

"You are such an optimistic guy," Kyujin quipped, rolling her eyes.

"I'm just being realistic," Ni-ki shot back.

"Ni-ki's right, though," Jiwoo said. "Getting out of here is going to be damn near impossible considering we know nothing."

"See?" Ni-ki said smugly. "Jiwoo and I are the last remaining brain cells of this group."

"Keep telling yourself that," Sunoo scoffed.

"Are you calling us stupid?" Jiwoo asked, feigning offense.