“There’s a kingdom for each source of life ...” I think out loud, nodding slowly. The beings in this realm belong to an actual kingdom rather than just a life source. “Even the Underworld has a kingdom in this realm?”
“Itisone of the life sources born of the Cheon’gwang, is it not?” We walk down what appears to be the busy main road. “So yes, the Kingdom of Underworld is part of the Realm of Four Kingdoms.”
My mother always told me that the Shingae isn’t a physical place—that it is a state of being—but here ... it is very much an actual place. I’mstandingin the Kingdom of Sky. Did my mother really not know about the existence of the Realm of Four Kingdoms? I give my head a sharp shake, trying to dislodge the thought. Of course she didn’t know. She would never lie to me.
“This fortified city”—I sweep my hand out—“is this the entirety of the Kingdom of Sky?”
“No, we’re in the capital. There are many cities and villages outside of these walls.”
“Are the citizens of this kingdom free to enter any of the other kingdoms?” I study Jihun from under my lashes. The information could come in handy someday. I might need to escape to another kingdom if things go south with Jihun. “And vice versa?”
“It’s like traveling between different nations in the Mortal Realm,” he says with a one-shoulder shrug. “The ease of access is determined by the relationship between the kingdoms.”
“If ...” I’m distracted by a palanquin without bearers, floating past us in the streets. “If the realm we were in is the Mortal Realm, then are you saying that this is theimmortalrealm?”
“The humans and beings of the Shingae on Earth are mortal. Hence the name Mortal Realm,” he explains with unexpected patience. I see no signs of him getting tired of my quick-fire questions. “But we don’t refer to the Realm of Four Kingdoms as the ‘immortal realm’ since the Shinbiin aren’t necessarily immortal.”
“Shinbiin?” I try to keep track of everything he’s saying, while juggling my options on how to find the answers I need to save Ethan.
“The beings of the Shingae in the Realm of Four Kingdoms are known as the Shinbiin.”
“Am ... am I a shinbiin?” I blurt out the question before I can stop myself.
“No.” Jihun averts his gaze. “There are no animal spirits in this realm. That’s why the general was so shocked I brought you here.”
He didn’t have to say it. Me and my kind aren’t welcome here. A greasy feeling of shame spreads through me, but I grit my teeth against it. I’m not the one who should feel ashamed.
“And theShinbiin”—I sink a world of disdain into the word—“are potentially immortal?”
“When the Shinbiin reach the age of twenty-four, the second evolution of our zodiac animal, we come into the peak of our powers.” The wry arch of his eyebrow tells me that he didn’t miss my disgust with his people ... and that he doesn’t blame me. “After the change, we do not know sickness and heal quickly. We also do not age, not at the mortal rate, at least. Many of us live for a thousand years.”
“Like the Blessed,” I breathe.Kind of like me.Except I stopped aging when I was eighteen, and I have no idea what my life span is. What ifIcan live a thousand years?
“Yes, the Blessed.” He raises his hand, as though to rake his hand through his hair, but stops, remembering his hair is bound into a tight bun at the top of his head and covered by his gat. “Thatmythwasperpetuated in the Mortal Realm to conceal the existence of the Realm of Four Kingdoms while the Suhoshin traveled between the two realms. The Blessed don’t exist. Only the Shinbiin.”
A ... myth?I mouth the words, but no sound comes out.
I had it all wrong. My mother had it all wrong. But that seems to be the theme of my little field trip to this realm, doesn’t it? If everything Jihun said is true, there is no such thing as the Blessed, and I’m not a shinbiin. Then what the hell do my powers make me?
“Who are you trying to hide the Realm of Four Kingdoms from? Humans or the beings of the Shingae in the Mortal Realm?” I spit out, suddenly disgusted. Jihun has the grace to look ashamed. “You don’t need to answer that. It’s obvious the Shinbiin want to keep theundesirablesof the Shingae out of this realm. Let’s move on for now. What is the council?”
“The Council of the Suhoshin is an oversight group that has to approve all major decisions relating to the order.” He sounds relieved to have gotten past the wholethe Blessed is a mythreveal. But my gut tells me that isn’t even the real bombshell, and I have no idea when the real one will drop. “It’s made up of five high-ranking officials from the queen’s court, including General Bak.”
“The general from the welcoming party?” I scoff.
“Yes.” One corner of his mouth twitches, which I now recognize as his version of a smile. “General Bak and the others have to officially accept you as a suhoshin cadet before you begin your training.”
“Are they going to give us trouble with that?” I ask, but Jihun doesn’t answer right away. He’s been honest and straightforward with me, even when he knew I wouldn’t like his answers. This one must be a real stinker for him to hesitate. “Well, are they?”
“Generally, the audience is more of a formality,” he says in a carefully neutral tone.Wait for it.“They rarely reject any candidates, since the trial itself kills three-quarters of the cadets anyway.”
“What? I thought the point of training and participating in the trial was to receive amnesty.” I stop in the middle of the road and ignore thebeautiful, shining faces glancing our way. “They’d only be sparing my life so I could die a wee bit later?”
“The trial only happens once a year on New Year’s Day.” He places a hand on my lower back, urging me to keep walking. I grudgingly comply, my head still spinning from all the information. “That’s months away, so we don’t need to worry about that yet.”
“Sure.” Or not at all, since I’ll be long gone by then. “Whatever.”
“If you’re that excited to become a suhoshin, then I can petition to have you participate in the trial sooner.”
