Chapter 8

Flying through the air with peter pan was bizarre. like floating in a dream, my body soared and darted through the void—both exhilarating and nerve-wracking as I worried about plummeting at any moment. already, captain hook’s ship had shrunk to the size of a dot below.

peter pan grinned joyfully, while tinker bell beside him burst into giggles.

“consider yourself honored to be chosen by peter pan. we’re heading to a place overflowing with dreams and hope!”

“haha, totally an honor.”

i forced a smile in response. i mean, in the original story, peter pan coaxed wendy into flying to neverland without a second thought. thinking about it now, that’s pretty terrifying. trusting some random kid’s word and just flying off with no safety measures whatsoever?

peter pan seemed pleased with my reaction.

“you’ll be even more amazed when we arrive! look, there’s neverland ahead!”

pointing where he did, i saw a small island floating above the clouds. seeing what looked like a fantasy sky-island made my heart swell. the bottom of the island shimmered with magic powder, glowing like stars in the night.

now i get why captain hook couldn’t come after wendy. it’s because the island’s up in the sky, making it impossible to reach.

we safely landed in neverland under peter pan’s guidance. from above, the island’s center revealed a castle that looked both flimsy and toy-like, surrounded by houses resembling creations from art class or built out of cardboard boxes and clay.

the architecture was awkwardly amateurish. in front of the castle stood children happily waving at peter pan with cheerful smiles. we gently descended toward them and touched the ground.

“peter pan! you’re back!”

“we really missed you!”

“our hero, peter pan! king of neverland!”

though their tone felt slightly off, peter pan either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it, puffing his chest proudly while glancing at me smugly. watching his arrogant face made irritation bubble up inside me, but i held back—for now. wait your turn, drama queen.

“heheh… hey everyone, how’ve you been?”

“yeah! we’ve all been waiting for you!”

“and we listened well to mama!”

mama? oh yeah, in the original story, wendy was asked to be “mama.” scanning the group for who might fit the role, i spotted a tall girl with crimson hair and freckles wearing a kind expression.

is she wendy?

“that’s right, they’ve behaved and waited patiently for you.”

the girl i assumed was “mama” spoke warmly.

“ha ha! good job, kiddos! always remember to listen to mama. mm-hmm!”

peter pan ruffled the kids’ heads approvingly. counting roughly twenty kids, i found it strange since fewer than expected were present. given that captain hook’s daughter was kidnapped 20 years ago and ariel mentioned ongoing abductions, if these are all the residents of neverland, the numbers don’t add up.

peter pan turned around, arms spread wide, sporting a triumphant grin.

“welcome to neverland! the land of children, where you stay young forever and have endless freedom to do whatever you want! here, anything you desire is possible—forever!”

i smirked at his words.

“really? i can do anything i want?”

“of course! this is a magical kingdom where kids run free!”

crossing his arms, peter pan nodded firmly before addressing the girl acting as “mama.”

“since we’ve got a new member, let’s throw a party! got any yummy food ready, mama?”

“o-of course! i prepared everything specially for our new friend!”

the girl glanced at me anxiously.

“great! let’s party! hahahaha! during the party, everyone will introduce themselves and properly welcome our newest addition!”

peter pan excitedly dashed into the castle, followed by laughing children. tinker bell lingered briefly by my side before heading inside.

or maybe it’s just me, but tinker bell’s gaze watching the kids seemed unnervingly cold.

stepping inside the castle left me utterly shocked.

“what is this?”

it wasn’t the grand, lavish interior i imagined. instead, the space resembled a tiny church, cramped with only a long table placed in the middle. scattered toys lay around carelessly.

so this is supposed to be a castle? upon closer inspection, the exterior appeared castle-like due to boxes glued together to create the illusion, which looked like it’d collapse with a single tap. both inside and out, this was the worst castle ever.

peter pan sat grandly at the head of the table like a corporate tycoon, maintaining a dignified expression as the kids lined up waiting for me.

living in such poor conditions… i shook my head disapprovingly as i took my seat.

various dishes filled the table. calling them “food” was generous—they were unidentifiable lumps charred black, green soup covered in greasy oil, and chicken that resembled melted ice cream.

“how’s it look? doesn’t it make your mouth water? ha ha ha! everyone’s probably drooling, but hold on! introductions first!”

peter pan bounced gleefully. all i wanted was to shove every last bit of this nightmare cuisine down his throat. how could anyone eat this? food poisoning would surely keep you glued to the bathroom for days.

peter pan started the introductions.

“first, as you know, i’m the greatest king of neverland—peter pan! and next to me is my partner, tinker bell!”

the kids clapped enthusiastically, while i half-heartedly joined in.

“and this is cassandra, our mama! everyone listens to mama, right?”

introducing the freckled girl as “cassandra” instead of “wendy” threw me off momentarily.

why is peter pan doing the introductions anyway? standing abruptly, he jumped around introducing each child one by one.

“this is jenny! fico! edlin! jason! and…”

just letting himself ramble on, i silently endured his antics.

after hearing the final name, something felt wrong. wendy wasn’t here. not among them. was she somewhere else?

lost in thought, it was suddenly my turn.

“last but not least, our newest member… uh… what’s your name again?”

rolling my eyes internally, i chuckled. this arrogant brat would’ve definitely introduced me too if he knew my name.

“my name’s siyoo. nice to meet you all. looking forward to being here.”

“right! siyoo! our newest family member! everyone give him a warm welcome!”

obeying peter pan, the kids applauded energetically.

“nice to meet you, siyoo!”

“let’s get along well!”

“new family member! so exciting!”

peter pan watched contentedly before sitting back down.

“alright, let’s dig in!”

without hesitation, he shoveled food into his mouth greedily. it was hard to believe how he could stomach it. meanwhile, the kids ate reluctantly, grimacing with every bite.

“mmmm, delicious! mama’s cooking skills are unmatched! hurry up, siyoo! try it!”

his annoying chewing sounds made my appetite vanish further. plus, cassandra herself barely touched her food.

i scooped a piece of chicken with a spoon and sniffed cautiously.

instantly, a putrid stench, like vomit mixed with urine, assaulted my nostrils and churned my stomach. trying to suppress the urge to puke proved difficult.

deciding patience wouldn’t help, i abandoned my plan. grabbing the spoon, i tossed it aside dramatically.

and screamed.

“no way am i eating this!!!”

my sudden outburst froze the room. the kids stared wide-eyed, fearfully glancing at peter pan.

peter pan dropped his food back onto the plate in shock.

“y-you… what did you say?”

“hey! are you insane?! how dare you refuse mama’s cooking!”

tinker bell shouted furiously as i casually rested my feet on the table.

“ugh, what was that? shall i repeat myself? i said ‘i don’t want to eat this!’ whether i eat or not is entirely my choice, isn’t it? peter pan, isn’t one of the privileges of being a kid doing whatever you want without responsibility? back where i came from, kids throwing tantrums and refusing to eat is normal, but here it’s different?”