•~○Cursed castle[NCT]○~•

○°•~'▪︎

Chapter 3

The sky above the southern border was pale and stretched, the clouds drifting like lazy guards who'd forgotten their post.
I'd never been this far out-never even thought about crossing past the end of our world's barrier, let alone taking something from here.

"Okay, hyung," I said, glancing at Johnny as our boots crunched the silver-tipped grass. "The way is simple. We head south until we hit the very edge."

Johnny raised a brow. "That's it?"

"Yup," I said, though my tone felt heavier than the word deserved. "But... we can't just take what we came for. We need permission."

Johnny's voice carried in the cool wind. "Remind me what we're looking for again?"

"Dairy leaves." I slowed my steps, almost reverent at the thought. "The tree was grown from a seed made with cow's milk and powdered milk, and watered with nothing but milk for decades. The leaves are bright blue-almost glowing-but..." I hesitated. "I've never dared touch them."

Johnny snorted. "Who would even spend that much time making a milk seed?"

I didn't answer. My breath caught as the trees appeared-an endless, dazzling expanse of colors more vivid than any painting in the palace. Each trunk shimmered faintly, leaves trembling like they carried their own heartbeat.

Johnny's voice softened. "Damn... it's pretty."

"Breathtaking," I murmured.

"Amazing."

"Jaw-dropping," came an unfamiliar voice behind us.

We spun around, hands twitching towards our weapons.

A man stood casually among the blossoms, leaning on a branch like he'd been part of the scenery the whole time. His hair caught the sunlight in warm streaks, and his smile was the kind that knew its own charm.

"The name's Nakamoto Yuta," he said. "Nice to meet you. And yes-this is all mine."

I bowed slightly. "Hello, sir. I'm Lee Jeno from the Kingdom, and this is our head guard-"

"John Suh. Call me Johnny," Johnny cut in.

I took a breath. "Sir, our kingdom was attacked by the underworld. Three angels were kidnapped..."

Yuta's easy smile dimmed. "That's... horrible. Is there a way I can help?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "We need some dairy leaves for a spell."

"Dairy leaves?" He chuckled, but there was weight behind it. "Kid, I'd give you almost any plant here, but that tree..." His gaze drifted to the far end of the field. "That tree is my greatest invention."

I stepped closer. "I understand. It must have been hard to create and care for... but if we don't get the angels back within a month, they're gone forever. Please."

He looked at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine like he was measuring my worth.

"Under one condition," he finally said.

"Anything."

"You take me with you. And... you let me borrow your nature books whenever I want."

I didn't even hesitate. "Done. You're more than welcome to join us. The more the merrier."

Johnny's tone was caution itself. "Just know-the underworld is dangerous."

Yuta's smirk returned. "I've risked my neck for rarer ingredients before. I can handle a little danger."

"So," I asked, hope rising, "may we take some leaves?"

He tilted his head, playful now. "Oh, sure-if you can detach them from the branches."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I've tried to pluck them myself," he said, almost like he was confessing. "Wanted to test them, see if I could grow more... but they wouldn't come off."

Johnny exhaled slowly. "Well... guess we'll just have to try our best."