Page 60 of King Foretold (Realm of Four Kingdoms #2)

My stomach growls, but I pass by the food stalls in search of a PC bang.

With powerful computers, high-speed internet, and food service, PC bangs are a gamer’s dream come true.

But I’m not planning on playing League of Legends .

I need to figure out the exact time difference between here and Santorini so I can moon shift when both locations are dark.

I choose the most bustling PC bang in town and squeeze into an empty seat at the back. Nothing will keep me hidden from the Shingae better than a crowd of humans and their innate skepticism toward magic.

It’s a full house, but someone promptly drops off a menu, and I eagerly bury my nose in it.

I haven’t eaten in more than twenty-four hours, and I’m starving.

I couldn’t bear to eat the jumeokbap that Hailey had packed for Ethan, Jihun, and me when we left for the Kingdom of Mountains.

It reminded me too much of Hana. I push away my grief and focus on the menu.

“Jackpot,” I say under my breath.

This PC bang has grilled pork belly—no wonder it’s booming—and I am overcome with gratitude. The employee doesn’t quirk an eyebrow when I order three servings of it. Emboldened, I add a cup ramyeon and kimchi fried rice as appetizers. I ignore the small voice that says this might be my last meal.

While I wait for my food, I discover that Santorini is six hours behind the local time here. That means I should wait until 3 a.m. here—making it 9 p.m. there—to moon shift. That gives me plenty of time to search for potential hideouts Daeseong might be using to keep the humans captive.

It only takes me a few minutes to stumble onto why the dark mudang chose Santorini of all places.

Son of a bitch. Daeseong bragged about the depths of Heaven Lake being darker than outer space.

We didn’t understand the significance of that factoid until he went to hide in its dark depths when my Yeoiju nearly killed him.

I absently accept my ramyeon from the PC bang employee and slurp away.

The Santorini caldera is 385 meters deep, and Heaven Lake is 384 meters deep.

The sneaky bastard is staging our showdowns in places where darkness can survive the light of the Yeoiju.

But that also means he’s afraid. He knows he’s not invincible. Now I just have to believe that.

The pork belly goes a long way in fortifying my resolve.

I swear my Yeoiju hums happily with every juicy bite of grilled meat.

I practically do the dishes for them when I clean off my plate, then I reach for my kimchi fried rice.

I saved it for last because its spicy kick will cut the richness of the pork belly.

I pop the sunny-side up egg on top and scoop up a perfect spoonful.

“Fuck me,” I moan around my bite. The kimchi in the fried rice is just overfermented enough to be tart against my tongue—as it should be for this dish. I shovel in bite after bite, thinking of nothing but the joy of eating one of my favorite comfort foods.

But even my avoidance skills are no match for my concern for Ethan and my friends, and soon, the food forms a cement dam halfway down my esophagus.

What if the tyrant’s general overtook the audience hall?

I see strong and stubborn Jihun throwing himself in harm’s way to protect Ethan.

I see noble and loyal Ethan pushing Jihun away to stop another person he loves from dying for him.

Hailey fights with ferocious bravery, carrying out her sworn duty with all her heart.

They’re hurt. They’re bleeding. They’re . .. dying.

“It’s not real,” I mutter. “It’s not real.”

The best way I can help them is to stop Daeseong and maybe not die in the process.

Even if I can’t return to the Kingdom of Mountains, I’ll find a way to help them.

My stomach roiling with sudden nerves, I hurriedly pile all the dishes onto the serving tray and push it in front of an unoccupied computer.

The PC bang employee clears away the empty dishes with an annoyed glance my way.

I read everything I find on Santorini with no particular focus.

I hope my intuition will soon point me in the right direction.

The island is beautiful, unforgettable, breathtaking, and many other evocative adjectives.

I feel like I know every inch of Santorini, when the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

This article is from two days ago. The Minoan archaeological site near the village of Akrotiri, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Santorini, has been closed with vague claims of structural instability.

Gods. The kidnapped humans are there. I can feel it in my bones. Why there of all places?

I don’t want to be responsible for the destruction of a prehistoric settlement dating back to around 4500 B.C.

Human history has value. The history of all beings has value and is worth preserving.

But what about the lives of a thousand human beings?

Doesn’t even a single life have more value than the preservation of the past?

I fucking don’t know. I’m not a philosopher or a scholar. I’m just ... lost.

I know I have to think and plan, but I’m so tired.

My soul is weary from the unending fear and worry of the last several months since Ethan found me at Roxy’s Diner.

In a way, I want to run headlong into this battle with the dark mudang—a nemesis who refuses to stay dead—just so it can all . .. end.

But I don’t want it all to end. Not really. I want to end this nightmare so I can begin . I want a future with Ethan. I want to show him how much he means to me. I want to love him with everything in me.

I want to nurture the friendships I came by unwittingly but can’t imagine losing. They are the family I chose, the family of my heart. I am not alone. Not anymore. I can’t forget that. I can’t forget what I’m fighting for— who I’m fighting for.

You’re tired? Well tough. Take a fucking nap.

Wow, that is the best pep talk I’ve ever given myself. I set the alarm on my PC and slide down in the plush gamer chair. I cross my arms and tuck my chin to my chest. When I wake up, I’ll go end that motherfucker once and for all. And make sure he stays dead this time.