Chapter 18: The Journey to Holu and the Experience Overall

At the crack of dawn, Evan was already up and running, revving to go. The curtains were opened up and sunlight blared into the room, making Evan want to squint his eyes. He was dead tired but, he flight at Yula's airport was at 10am. It was currently 6am. Normally, that would be enough time but they were at least 30 minutes away from the airport.

Evan cracked his body wherever he could, feeling much better after having done so. He decided to take a shower, wanting to make sure he was clean as he was sure to forget to at the end of the day. His flight was meant to be around 5 hours long, so Evan had found a book to read detailing the start of Astoria and its past monarchies. It wasn't the most intriguing thing he'd ever read, but it was sure to keep him occupied.

Though he was going to an airport, Evan would be flying on a blimp, which was a bit terrifying. Back on Earth, he was used to airplanes, not blimps. He didn't think anyone rode in those anymore.

Evan had finally finished his shower and threw on some comfier clothing, as the weather had begun to get colder. His gray sweatpants and black t-shirt were perfect for the occasion, with a burgundy sweater to finish off the look. He dried his hair with a towel before placing his beanie back on. He would not reveal his hair color until he was safely in Soe. He wouldn't be discriminated against at the academy as he'd have his fox traits out in the open.

Evan gently clasped his bracelet, which was meant to hide his scent in a sense. He would still have to be extremely careful while at the academy. He then stared into the mirror, before taking a second to calm down. He opened the door, noticing his parents were almost ready to go as well.

"Hello dear, are you all packed up?" His mother asked softly, not wanting to be too loud in case the walls weren't as thick. Evan nodded, feeling exhausted despite the refreshing shower he took. His mother smiled at him, before grabbing her purse.

His parents would check out of the room and move into a smaller one once they arrived, which is why they had completely packed up. His father seemed just as exhausted as he was, making him wonder where his mother got her energy from.

His parents swiftly left the room, as Evan trailed behind with his suitcase. They had called for a taxi of sorts to bring them to the airport, which was smaller than what they had arrived to Yula in. His father was busy chatting with the driver, who was an older man with a crooked smile, while Evan placed his suitcase into the trunk. His backpack, which he had originally brought, had all his carry-on items. Swiftly locking the trunk, he got into the back of the car, where his mother was sitting.

She took his hand and helped him in, then proceeding to allow him to lay his head on her shoulder. It was far comfier than laying his head on the seat itself. His father had finally gotten into the other front seat, continuing his conversation with the driver, which was about the current political climate overall. It was odd as his father never showed any interest in politics, but he assumed his father was doing it to make slow talk.

Evan struggled to sleep, finding himself simply listening to his father's conversation because if it bored him, maybe he'd sleep.

Instead, it was all too interesting. Apparently, another heir has entered the scene for the throne, a bastard child. It has unnerved the other nobles and there are talks of a few riots on the rise. Evan was glad to be leaving the continent but he worried for his parents because if those riots got out of hand, they could be hurt. It was unlikely they'd even reach Sentil, however no one could be sure.

When they had arrived at the airport, Evan stared up in horror. Those blimps were huge!! He honestly did not want to ride one of those. Nope!

Evan attempted to keep his feet firmly on the ground, but his mother had already dragged him out of the car, straight towards the entrance. He sighed, resigning to his fate.

His parents stood in the check-in line, while he casually looked around. There were plenty of stores and now that he thought about it, he didn't have any snacks.

"Hey, i'm going to get some snacks, want anything?" He asked his parents, unsure if they'd want to eat even though they missed breakfast. His mother nodded, gently telling him what they'd have," If you see any sandwiches, those will be perfect for the two of us." His father grunted in agreement and with that, he went towards the closest store. It held plenty of merchandise meant to make one's ride more pleasurable. They were the sort of items one would see at one of those news stores back on Earth.

Quickly, Evan purchased 2 sandwiches filled to the brim with vegetables and some sort of meat. He then purchased a pack of candy and some chips for himself. He wasn't quite hungry.

When he returned from the store, he handed the sandwiches off to his mother, who clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the choices he made in terms of his own food. He just shrugged back at her, awaiting his father who seemed gleeful, most likely having checked him in.

"Alright bud, this is it. You just have to go through security and wait for your flight." His father gestured towards the security line before pulling him into a hug. "I'm gonna miss ya. But, this is the perfect time for you to really grow into yourself. I want you to go out there, find some friends, and just be happy. Hey, if it all ends up being not what you've imagined, well, you're always welcome home." His father stifled a sob, gently whispering to his son. He'd miss him beyond his son's imagination but his son needed to fly with his own wings.

Evan felt tears sprinkle from his eyes as he wrapped his own arms around his father's waist tightly. "I-i know dad. I'll miss you too. I-i'll call e-everyday." His stutters were back, unable to control it. He didn't want to leave his family, he knew he had to but he didn't really feel ready. With one more tight squeeze, he turned towards his mother.

"Oh. My dear." She began, gently cusping his face. "This is your time. I know life wasn't always easy and you'll still technically have to hide yourself, but you'll be much freer. Go out, make friends, maybe even find a partner, just do whatever makes you happy. I love you so much and I know you'll be successful no matter what happens. Your father is right, if it's too much, then come home, we'll figure it out." A tear rolled down her cheek, before she brought Evan into a much softer hug. It was filled with so much love and affection, that Evan never wanted to let go. He hold on as if he would lose her otherwise. "I-i love you too. Y-you too dad. I'll try t-to come during b-breaks." Evan cried a bit more, before wiping his tears away using his sweater. He stared at both his parents, who gave him watery smiles, before he walked away. He felt as if he looked back, he would never want to leave.

The security line took an hour, with hundreds of people before him. He never once looked back, afraid to break into tears once again. Once through, he searched for his gate, which was A12.

Arriving at the gate, he noticed how many people around his age were there. He assumed they were all future or returning students. He took a seat near the window as he had at least an hour and a half. He began to doze off but startled when someone sat next to him.

He opened up his eyes and stared in complete surprise at the person next to him. "....C-cole?!?" Evan spluttered, remembering the last time he'd seen Cole. He had been choked by hime and subsequently became terrified of him.

Cole smirked before laying his arm on Evan's shoulders, pulling him close. "Ding ding ding! That's correct! Now my dear imposter, how are you? I didn't expect to see you here...at all." Cole grinned, tightening his grip a bit.

"ahah...I-i'm doing well Cole. I was accepted..through recommendations and great grades...." He trailed off, watching as Cole broke out into laughter.

"G-good grades?!?" Cole choked on his laughter. "There's no way, nO way." He continued to laugh, tears streaming down his face. Evan on the other hand was mortified as people began to stare. He put his hand onto Cole's mouth and made the shushing motion with his hands.

"S-shut up." Flustered, Evan quickly notices the mischievous look in Cole's eyes, before feeling the lick of a tongue on his palm. Evan, who is now flabbergasted, stares at Cole in shock. "Why would you do that?!? That's g-gross." Evan tried to wipe his hands with his sweater but, he could still feel the saliva.

Cole chucked before apologizing "sincerely", motioning his hands into the surrender position. Evan scoffed, not believing a second of it. He didn't even try to act as the old Evan, as Cole just knew he wasn't him anymore. It made things easier as this time, Evan could at least bite back more.

"So~ Let us get to know each other, my lovely imposter." Cole snickered, watching closely as Evan's eyes narrowed onto his. "As long as you keep your tongue far away from me." He drawled, peeved by this point.

From there on, the two conversed and traded information with one another. It was an enlightening experience for Evan, as he felt like he had made more of a friend, though they weren't quite there yet. Time passed quickly and before he knew it, he was boarding onto the blimp.

His seat was 23A, the window seat. Honestly, this blimp was the largest he'd ever seen, comparing it to the one's in movies. He was quite lucky as his seat neighbors seemingly stuck to their own devices and minds, not bothering him in the slightest.

Evan picked up his book about Astoria and began reading it, wanting to know even more about the land. He probably should have read the summary or something because what he read was far more different than he expected.

It spoke of how most of Astoria's wars started, through oppressing the other races. One of the worst wars to date was between Astoria and Oceanus. Basically, sailors of Astoria would abduct merman and mermaids, then force them to search the waters surrounding them for treasures. If they refused, the sailors would trudge the merman/mermaids up onto land and watch them suffocate until they gave in. Despite technically being half human and half sea creature, - though they did not count as hybrids - they still needed to be within water and could only survive on land for short periods of time. There were only a few people of Oceanus that could stay on land and maintain a human form, those with enough magic, such as Ura whose the current ruler of Oceanus.

It disgusted him knowing the heights humans went to in order to feel superior. He could understand the want to have race specific traits that were more than just possibly having magic, but the cruelty of Astoria was immense. Within his book, the author gloated about how proud he was of his kingdom, despite what truths he had written. It was as if the citizens of Astoria, as well as the rulers, found other races to be less than human and therefore deserve to be subjected to such cruelty.

Clenching his teeth, Evan harshly closed the book and huffed, deciding that the window was far more interesting. He felt nauseous, understanding exactly why he had to hide. If he though the discrimination was bad because of his hair, well, being known as a beastmen was far worse. He could've been killed and it may have been written off as HIM being the aggressor, even if he did nothing wrong.

Evan was taken out of his thoughts by a chime, stating the blimp was beginning to land. He was glad because he needed to take his mind off of things.

Once the blimp landed, Evan had to wait before grabbing his carry-on and exiting the aircraft, walking straight towards the luggage retrieval area. He needed to check into his hotel, which he'd been in for a day because he was leaving for Soe tomorrow.

He was just about to reach the area, when an arm made its way around his shoulders and with a groan, Evan let it happen. He was far too upset at the moment to truly care about Cole and his antics.

Cole, who had picked up on his emotions simply rattled off nonsense, knowing that it would help Evan. He enjoyed the new Evan, who was far more fun than the old and he couldn't have anything disturb this new feisty version. It brought joy to him knowing that he'd see Evan for the next 4 years as the two had much to do.

It took around 10 minutes for the luggage to begin arriving and once Evan spotted his suitcase, he swiftly grabbed it and walked away with the intent of getting out of Holu's airport. He could care less about Cole right now. Though, he didn't get very far before Cole was once again speaking at the speed of light about subjects he could not keep up in.

The two walked right out of the airport, with Evan using his hands to call for a car. There was an option of renting a car for the day, but Evan had a fear of driving cars from his...murder. He was fine with being within a car if he was not the driver. He was glad to notice that it only took a minute for a car to arrive.

"Hello young man, where would you like to go?" The driver greeted politely. It was a nice breath of fresh air, as his hair was covered which resulted in far more kindness. "Hello, I would like to be taken to the One Two Hotel if possible." Evan responded, wanting to maybe lay down in a bed and take a nice nap to take his mind off things.

"Of course! It will take 20 minutes, let me get your suitcase and we will be on our way." The driver was about to grab Evan's suitcase, before a voice jumped into the fray. "Oh! I'm coming too! Isn't it great that we're going to the same place?~" Cole happily exclaimed, pure glee radiating off of him as he noticed Evan seemingly groan in despair.

"Fine...you can come, just let me sleep in peace." He relented, knowing that Cole would just keep annoying him till he said yes. The driver seemed fine with it anyways, dragging both his and Cole's suitcases at the same. The two of them then got into the backseat, with Evan slumping downwards. He NEEDED the sleep. Already exhausted from waking up early, Evan had no motivation to do much else.

Cole, however, had other plans. Once they checked in, he would let Evan drop off his own things before dragging him back out with the intent of going on a date. It was the perfect plan. Cole himself was actually aromantic, therefore the date he was planning had no real intentions behind it besides platonic fun. Plus, Evan was just reallllly fun to tease. He just couldn't help himself.

Arriving at the hotel made Evan feel like he was about to reach heaven and he drooled just thinking about being able to sleep in a warm comfy bed. If only that were true. Right after he checked in and brought his items into his room, which was 213, Evan found himself being dragged away by Cole.

Despair lined Evan's features, feeling defeated and dead on his feet. Cole was brimming with joy on the other hand. They both made their way out of the hotel, with Evan turning to Cole with a questioning look on his face. "Alright, what do you want to do?" Evan sighed, just wanting to get this over with.

"I'm glad you asked! We will eat lunch at a cute restaurant, visit a few historical monuments, and go shopping." Cole excitedly counted off what they were doing, as Evan was just being dragged along. It didn't take long for Evan to realize that Cole was comfortable with Holu, which was odd but he shrugged it off, too tired to put pieces together.

The two came upon the restaurant, which seemed to sell crepes. Evan, who had been unable to stomach his gummies nor his chips, was actually glad to eat. His excitement must've shown, as Cole pushed him forward. "Go on, order whatever you want. Your lovely date will pay for you.~" Evan was fine with not paying but wait what date-. He couldn't even finish his thought, as he stumbled forward from Cole's push. Glaring at Cole, Evan turned his eyes towards the menu and gave it a look over.

He decided on the chocolate supreme crepe, grinning widely once his order was swiftly completed. The first bite was actually heaven and Evan decided then and there that this was his new favorite place to eat. Cole got himself some fruity crepe but he was far more occupied with his own food.

Leaving the restaurant, which he now realized was more of a pop-up stand, left Evan to look at the sights before him. He hadn't really taken a look at Holu, but god was it beautiful. It was similar to Yula in colors, but he could feel the magic in the air. The idea of magic was far more relevant in Holu, than it ever was in Yula.

Evan let out a sound of joy as the magic caressed him, before sighing in disappointment when it left. Cole was seemingly amused by the whole interaction. "Alright! Cmon, we got some statues and monuments to see!" Cole then dragged him on a 20 minute walk.

Evan sort of forgot that Holu was also the royal capital, as history was prevalent everywhere. Relics of old monarchs were scattered around the city and museums were in abundance. Cole gave Evan information about each statue, which overall intrigued him. He sort of wanted to learn more, despite what he had read earlier. Surely not all rulers of Astoria could truly be bad. The current King seems perfectly fine.

Evan was busy studying some of the relics that he found interesting when Cole grabbed his wrist. Looking in surprise, he watched as Cole pointed to this tiny shabby store in the corner and assuming Cole wanted to go, he made his way there.

The store was as shabby as it was far away, but looked even worse up close. Everything was old, dusty, and falling apart. Cole did not seem to mind, so Evan kept his opinions to himself, instead looking around. He had no plans of purchasing anything as he needed to conserve money, when he found an interesting necklace. It seemingly called to him and before he could stop himself, he had put it on. Panicked, he quickly ran to the shop corner, determined to purchase the necklace. He was scared he would be branded as a thief, but to his surprise, the shopkeeper waves him off.

"It chose ya for a reason boy, so take it for free. Don't mess with fate, ya hear me?!? She don't like it when people do." The man grumbled. Evan felt as though that explanation added to the mystery.

The necklace was long and had a circle as its centerpiece, with a large jewel in the middle. He didn't know why everything was screaming at him to never take it off, but he would listen.

"Interesting isn't it?" Cole explained and Evan wondered where the hell he came from. "This place may seem like nothing, but the item chooses the person. It's very helpful." Evan was trying to understand but he did not understand how the man stayed in business then.

"What's your item then?" Evan asked, curiosity lining his features. "A s e c r e t~" Cole whispered, walking out towards the shop. Evan grumbled but followed him, ready to get back to the hotel.

The walk back took some time but once they arrived, Evan hastily thanked Cole for the day and sped away, hopping onto the elevator.

Cole himself was satisfied, readying himself for their next platonic date at Soe. He would easily drag Evan back out again..with some "convincing". He would wait and jump at him at the right time.

Once Evan arrived at room 213, he quickly swiped open the door and ran straight to his bed as if he were a bullet with a single trajectory. He felt utter bliss while in bed, slowly closing his eyes. His flight tomorrow as at 1pm, so he could sleep in longer.

Despite his misgivings about Cole, he enjoyed the other boy's company. He did not completely trust him, but it was nice to have someone else to be around, even if they were secretive and weird at times.

Evan's thought dwindled from there, before he fell into a blissful sleep, his alarm planning to wake him up around 10am.