Interwoven ✔️

21~ North City

The moment I stepped off the airplane I was greeted by a massive waterfall pouring seemingly from the ceiling of the airport and into a large basin several floors down. Sunlight filtering through crystal ceiling and shining on the waterfall cast the entire world around me in dazzling color and rainbows.

Jimin grinned at my mesmerized face. "Have you never visited the North City?"

I had to blink several times before I found my voice again. "Er, I visited once when I was young. I don't remember much then."

Last night had been rough and Jimin and I had curled up together on the couch watching late night movies before I'd finally drifted off into a disheartened sleep. I had yet to tell him what had happened at the dinner table, how irrational, and even violent, my parents had become. He didn't push it but made sure I knew he was ready to listen whenever.

That alone had made me feel a little better. We headed to the airport early this morning and I'd fallen into another fitful sleep on the plane. Jimin had woken me up when we'd landed. I'd still been blinking the sleep from my eyes when I'd stepped into the opulent world that seemed like a scene from some fantasy movie. I was wide awake in an instant.

"Let's head to the hotel." Jimin nudged me, bringing me back to reality.

"Hotel?"

Jimin glanced down at his phone, tapping around on what looked like a map. "My dad already paid. It's a pretty lavish hotel too." He grinned suggestively.

I really needed to shave off his eyebrows someday. So much wiggling could not be healthy.

He just laughed and linked our arms together since both of our hands were holding our luggage and bags.

I allowed him lead the way through the airport and then to the transportation where we got into a taxi. I had no clue where we were going and contented myself with marveling at the city outside. And what a city it was.

Compacted buildings of metal and glass rose higher than I thought was possible to the sky. The sidewalks everywhere were packed with more people than I'd ever seen, both Outworlders and humans. The traffic on the street was, if possible, more crowded with cars and buses than pedestrians on the sidewalks.

And then a loud roar erupted in the air. Louder than anything I'd ever heard before, shaking the very air around me.

I yelped and immediately recoiled against Jimin, away from the window, heart racing.

"Easy there partner," Jimin laughed as I squashed him in his seat. "Have you never heard an airship's engine before?"

"Airship?" I peeked up at him where I was clinging tightly to his torso.

He gestured out the window. Cautiously I peeked out the glass and my mouth fell open.

A massive beast of shining metal, blinding in the sun, was slowly but steadily roaring over the city. I swore a single foot lower and the aircraft could take out the top of the highest skyscrapers. An airship.

"That's insane," I breathed. I'd seen old footages of when airships had first touched down on Earth back in 2020, over two decades ago. But looking at airships on screen and seeing one in real life were entirely different experiences.

Now Jimin leaned over, resting his chin on my shoulder as he too gazed out my side of the window. "Welcome to the North City," he purred in my ear.

I made a face at him and batted him away. I felt bad for the taxi cab driver who had to endure our giggling and teasing in the back.

'Lavish', as Jimin had described the hotel, did not do the building justice. It was a pillar of gleaming white concrete and stone. Golden shingles lines the roofs—yes, roofs— of the building. Neat looking doormen took our luggage and escorted us to our rooms after Jimin had checked us in.