INGARY WAS a kingdom of life. the streets constantly bustled with traveling shopkeepers pulling their wagons filled with goods, children laughing and playing in the cobbled alleys, and jovial citizens wandering about. if you were lucky, you might even spot a witch or wizard practicing their craft, bright colours and puffs of smoke erupting from their fingertips, wands, or staffs. it was a land of life indeed.

market chipping, a town tucked in between two lush valleys, was no exception. although it was small, it still held the brightness and vibrancy of the rest of the kingdom— if not, even more so. the townspeople were a loud and rowdy bunch, mostly because of the numerous amount of creatures that populated it.

to the north and the south, there was a vast plain where centaurs roamed, hunting game and bringing it back to market chipping where they would make trades with shop owners. to the east, there was a long river that winded its way through the valleys, home to naiads and nixies alike. these creatures were hauntingly beautiful but relatively peaceful and many frequently habited the town's pub, looking for a warm bed to share for the night. very rarely did they ever settle down with someone, but there were a few men (and women) in market chipping who could proudly boast that their spouse was a water spirit. to the west resided a vast forest that many, many creatures of myth and legend dwelled in. wood nymphs could usually be seen strolling out of the shrubbery alongside a dwarf or a satyr, eager to talk to the townspeople and explore.

in market chipping, magic folk and humans lived in harmony— a loud, boisterous harmony. and everyone loved it.

but to one man named kim seungmin, the best part of any day was the early morning. the sky was like a canvas marked with brush strokes of magenta and orange. the town that bustled just the night before was now peaceful and quiet, save for a few birds that would flit by, whistling along to whatever song the bards were playing nowadays. the air was light and crisp, causing the boy to shiver as he slipped out of bed, wrapping his threadbare blanket around himself tightly. he made a mental note to himself to use some spare thread to mend the pitiful cloth later on.

entering the small bathroom, seungmin splashed some water on his face while thinking about his upcoming day. he had three orders that he needed to finish and one that he hadn't even started yet since the night prior he had run out of golden lace, so he would have to fetch that when he went to the market later on. drying his skin and brushing his teeth, he realized that he also promised to pick up a book for his friend minho and deliver it to the bakery he worked at, so he would have to squeeze that into his schedule as well. seungmin sighed before leaving the bathroom to enter his bedroom once more to pick out an outfit for his day. looking at his mundane wardrobe, a memory from a few months ago flashed through his mind:

"you're a tailor. why don't you have anything, i don't know, more extravagant? more...colourful?"

seungmin rolled his eyes at his best friend who was leafing through his wardrobe beside him. "minho, i've told you: just because i sew clothes for a living doesn't mean that i like doing it. so if choosing not to tailor for myself that means that my clothes are going to be basic and simple, then so be it."

minho huffed. "you make terrific clothes for me all the time! why not do something for yourself once in a while?"

"because you pay me to. if anything, using my own materials for personal gain would be the end of my shop. i'm not rich and i can't use magic, so not only must i limit the things that i buy, but the whole process is longer as well." seungmin sighed, a faraway look taking over his eyes. "it's honestly tiring. sometimes i just want to get away from it all. don't you?"

minho snorted. "the only reason i'd ever leave this town would be because you decided to leave first, and i have to make sure your defenseless behind doesn't get into any trouble."

that earned him a laugh and a light slap on the shoulder.

seungmin smiled fondly as the memory faded from his mind. ever since he had moved to market chipping by himself as a mere 17-year-old, minho had immediately helped him get accustomed to the bright and bustling life of the town, as well as the many creatures that inhabited it. four years had passed since they first met, and now the pair were 21 and 23, respectively.

minho was a baker at a small shop that focused primarily on breads of all shapes, sizes, and tastes for rather cheap prices. it was fairly popular (probably since it was only one of two bakeries in town— the other one made pastries and pies). minho had a talent that seungmin often complimented him on: his skill with fire. never once had he made anything burnt or raw in his entire career, and if the townspeople didn't know any better, they'd say that he was a fire wizard. unfortunately for minho, he was not— instead, he was just a regular, magic-less human. but surprisingly, baking wasn't minho's passion. reading was— more specifically, reading spell books. seungmin always found it rather odd since minho couldn't perform magic of any kind, but the elder insisted that it was just a casual interest of his since they reminded him of recipe books.

still, seungmin never missed the dream-filled looks that stayed in his eyes as minho peered at the pages of the dusty tomes, or the slight spring in his step when he received a package that contained a new spellbook. minho could call it a "casual interest" all he wanted, but seungmin knew that his friend longed for a different life: one that was filled with magic and wands and incantations. and honestly, seungmin couldn't blame him— he was guilty of the same thing.

the brunette snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed a dark blue button up with white slacks. there's no point in dwelling on what you can't have, he thought to himself as he quickly changed and grabbed his brown leather satchel. just be happy with what you've got.

but, like always, a voice resonated in a tiny corner of seungmin's mind. keep telling yourself that, seungmin, it said, like you have been your entire life.