#ateez x oc

[sunmoonjune]

spring tides [like the moon universe]

pairing: poly!ot8 ateez x fem!oc!reader

warnings: vague mentions of eating disorder, death and torture, scars, ptsd, very fluffy! a lot of comfort! not so dark this time xD I did not proofread this :D

word count: 14.1k

a/n: hello y'all :D I have returned with some LTM for you <;3 This is a oneshot for my like the moon universe! You don't necessarily need to read the series to understand this fic but it definitely helps the immersion and understanding some of the plot points! you can find all chapters of ltm on my masterlist <3

Seonghwa remembers something in the spring of your third year with Ateez. As he watches you at Jongho’s side, silently offering the guard slices of fruit as he cleans his claymore, Seonghwa recalls that he doesn’t know when your birthday is. 

Jongho is murmuring something about the design of his blade and the engraving along the handle when Seonghwa stands abruptly. The eldest shifts on his feet, brows furrowed and teeth worrying his bottom lip. His lips purse when Jongho questions him. 

“Hwa?” 

The red-haired guard looks up at his partner with a lilt of concern in his voice, hands halting their motion on his blade. Jongho’s dark eyes glint as the fading sun catches the hickory color of his irises. 

“Is there something wrong?” Jongho continues, already shifting to stand to his feet. “Are you alright?”

You rock on your feet, legs stretching as you prepare to stand with Jongho. Your eyes flicker across camp, scanning for whatever has caught Seonghwa’s attention. There’s two swords still strapped to your back and you can nearly feel the cool metal pressing into your skin – a haunting reminder of the terrible things you’ve done with them. The buzz beneath your skin itches with the beginnings of adrenaline, already prepared to stand and defend the two Ateez members at your sides.

Seonghwa lifts his hands and shakes his head to soothe you and Jongho before you can stand. He softly waves his hands to encourage you to sit back onto the carved log beneath you, a wary smile on his lips. 

“No, it’s nothing,” he murmurs, still gnawing at his lip as he finishes. He offers a barely concealed sigh and shakes his head again. “‘M alright, just remembered something.” 

Jongho doesn’t seem satisfied with the answer, but he settles back onto the floor regardless. His hands return to wiping down his claymore but he doesn’t look away from his partner. 

You share the sentiment, continuing to watch Seonghwa and making note of each creak and scratch that echoes through the camp. You don’t know what startled him, but you’ll be prepared for the next time. The fruit in your hands has made your fingers sticky in the brief moments you spent looking up at Seonghwa rather than cutting the supple treat. 

You don’t mind though. You like slicing fruit for Jongho.  He doesn’t eat enough, you’ve noticed. You’re not quite sure why, but you suppose you don’t quite know how to ask. No matter the reason, it brings you comfort when he continues to take slices of succulent fruit from you as he cleans. He doesn’t look up, simply trusting you to place the pieces into his hands so he can eat without trouble. When you sat beside him that morning with the fruit in your hands, Jongho raised an eyebrow but didn’t mention it. You ate the first few slices before offering them to the wine-haired guard, who accepted them with a small smile. Every so often, he turns slightly, ensuring that you’re continuing to eat as much as he does. 

At one point he tilts his head back, looking up at you with those pretty, boba pearl eyes and opens his mouth slightly. Both his hands are occupied, busy with the intricate care his blade necessitates. With your heart thumping quickly in your chest, you place a slice of fruit on Jongho’s waiting lips and try desperately not to linger on the thought of how full and supple they are. 

“Thanks, love,” he murmurs without looking at you, the words sweet and saccharine in the low timber of his voice. 

Seonghwa laughed when Jongho’s cheeks pinkened after that, but you weren’t really sure why. 

Turning his attention to you, Seonghwa looks down at your figure. Sitting with a slight slump in your shoulders, the spymaster smiles faintly. Slouched posture is a good sign, he muses. You’re comfortable. 

When you tilt your head to the side, silently questioning Seonghwa’s thoughts, you reach up to gingerly grasp his fingers. There’s no hesitation. There hasn’t been in a long while. Seonghwa extends his hand in offering when he notices your appendages twitch. His warmth sinks into your palm and you nearly hum at the soothing feeling. 

You squeeze his hand twice before lingering for a longer third.

‘Are you okay?’ you silently question.

Seonghwa’s lips quirk into another gentle smile, but his eyes are distant. It makes your heart tug painfully. The hickory of his near-black irises is muted. You miss the glimmer of those sweet, dark eyes that show when he smiles. 

“Yeah, m’alright, lovebug.” 

Your heart slams into your ribs – a delighted feeling. Lovebug. You like that. 

Seonghwa leans closer to repeat the gesture, squeezing twice and then lingering for an ‘okay.’ His other hand lifts to run over the back of your head with a delicate movement. Fingers carefully scratch against your scalp and you resist the temptation to lean into his hands and exhale softly. 

“I have to go see Joong and Yunho, though. I really did just remember something I wanted to speak to ‘em about,” he whispers. Dragging his nails gently over the nape of your neck once more, Seonghwa smiles when you finally lean into his touch with a quiet rumble. He thinks you look positively cat-like. When one set of lashes flutters against your cheek in a tired, pleased expression, Seonghwa could coo at the endearing look. He withholds only to save you the embarrassment of his mother-hen tendencies. 

Your one eye flickers over his expression once more before you relent and nod your head just once. Seonghwa’s hand begins to pull away from your head, and this time you do make a tiny sound of sadness. The eldest feels his heart squeeze at your reluctance to be parted from him, leaning close to drag his thumb over the stiff material of your mask with a sweet touch before he stands upright once more. 

“I’ll be back in a minute, okay? You and Jongho finish up and join us for dinner soon.” 

You let out a short exhale through your nose, a sound they’ve taken to signify your agreement. Jongho’s lips twitch at the noise, trying to hold back the laugh he wants to let out. 

“Okay,” you whisper softly beneath your breath as you lean back against the back of the log. Seonghwa smiles and finally shifts his stance to leave, only pressing a gentle kiss to Jongho’s brow before walking off. Your head tilts one last time as Seonghwa leaves, wondering if perhaps one day he’ll kiss your head too when he takes his leave. 

The archer finds Yunho before Hongjoong. The tallest of Ateez is easy to collect when Seonghwa gives him a meaningful look. The tension in the eldest’s brow must convince Yunho that there is something important he is needed for because he immediately follows after Seonghwa. The two find themselves in the Captain’s cavern, his and Seonghwa��s really, standing before the long-haired leader with a small frown on the archer’s lips. 

Hongjoong mimics the frown, coming to a stand behind the desk currently holding a plethora of worn maps. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Seonghwa sighs, squeezing his fists together before he turns to face Yunho with a solemn expression. 

“When’s her birthday?” 

Yunho’s brow quirks at the same time the tension in his shoulders finally loosens a notch. Sighing softly, he licks his lips and answers.

“Tiny’s?” 

Seonghwa nods, the expression on his face unchanging: serious and solemn, as if the situation was as grave as a wake. Hongjoong glances between the two men, his brow now lifted in surprise, but he says nothing. 

“It’s been three years since she’s been with us,” Seonghwa murmurs tersely. “But we haven’t celebrated her birthday. The first year I could understand missing it – I mean, she was still adjusting to Ateez, and even after that she’s still a little apprehensive. Not that I blame her, of course – I just… It’s been three full years and I can’t believe we’ve missed her birthday at least three times.” 

Yunho’s bottom teeth sink into his lip and his eyes suddenly dart towards the floor. He swallows once, shifting on his feet and sighs as he ponders how to answer Seonghwa’s question. The eldest watches his partner with that same, tense look and his eyes glisten with something sad – something understanding, as if he knows Yunho’s answer before he speaks it aloud. 

“I don’t know,” Yunho finally answers quietly. He looks down at his feet, unable to meet his elder’s eyes. His eyes squeeze shut with another sigh that shakes through his shoulders. He repeats himself louder, still just barely above a whisper. “I don’t know.” 

Hongjoong steps forward from behind his desk. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?” 

“I mean I don’t know,” Yunho whispers sadly. “And she doesn’t either.” 

Seonghwa licks his lips, grasping at strings as he scrambles to find the right words to say. 

“I don’t understand. How can she not know her own birthday?” 

Yunho won’t look up from his feet. His fingers curl into fists and the tips of his nails dig into his palms from the tightness of his grip. He can’t bring himself to loosen his hold. 

“Tiny, uh… After everything that happened with her – with that village, they don’t particularly regard her… fondly, you know?” 

Yunho speaks slowly and methodically, as if trying carefully to pick the right words to say. His tone is terse and cold, the disdain for the village of his past more than evident in his voice. Hongjoong looks up at his partner with a frown still on his lips, his heart pulsing sadly in his chest. 

“But she doesn’t know her own birthday? No one in her village told either of you?”

Yunho sighs again, finally looking up at his Captain with grief plastered across his features in an expression neither man can ignore. Seonghwa is already stepping forward, settling an arm over Yunho’s shoulders and rubbing his thumb across the taller man’s jaw. 

Yunho leans closer to Seonghwa and continues, voice deep and throaty with the weight of his words. “We celebrated it once. Back when we were young – back when… Daia was still around.” 

Hongjoong looks away. 

“But even then,” Yunho continues softly, trying not to think of the bony cage casting shadows of your quivering form. You were so young. Little fingers grasped the cold bars that separated him from you, desperately whispering a plea for him to leave. He should have known your father wouldn’t let you celebrate your birthday like he and the other children did. But the smile on your face was so pure, so genuinely happy that he could never utter the words that may wipe it away. 

 “We didn’t know the exact date – just that she was born in the spring. Her father… well he killed the attendants that assisted her mother through labor. Not that we could prove it, of course. Anyone around for Bug’s birth… isn’t around anymore. And Bug was raised kind of secluded the first few years of her life. No one knows exactly when she was born and her father certainly wouldn’t say.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes continue to glisten with that broken look, and he licks his drying lips before he speaks. His heart throbs painfully, echoing the sadness in his face.. “And… after Daia wasn’t around anymore?” 

Seonghwa hates that he asks. 

Yunho shifts on his feet and looks away again. 

“I, uh… I don’t know much of what happened after Daia…” he trails off for a long moment. “By that time, the village and her father turned their backs on Bug, and I… I was exiled a few years later.” 

Seonghwa thumbs over Yunho’s jaw again, trying to soothe his lover’s agony. Hongjoong steps closer and lays his hand across Seonghwa’s back, their combined sadness near tangible in the cavern hall. 

“Bug’s birthday…” Yunho finally continues. “She’s never seen it as a good thing, you know? Her father and the village certainly didn’t see it that way.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes sadden, the shine of his irises dulling at Yunho’s confession. He turns over his shoulder to look at Hongjoong and presses his lips together, as if regretting bringing up the topic altogether. 

“A good thing?” Hongjoong whispers. 

Yunho shakes his head, his frown dragging down his lips as he breathes softly. “Not something worth celebrating. The day she was born was… the start of everything bad, I guess.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes squeeze shut, the burn of tears forcing pressure to build in the corners. 

“Sometimes I think,” Yunho whispers tiredly, his eyes cloudy and unfocused as he stares into the distance. “I think she might hate it; that she might despise the day of her birth because of all the pain that came after.”

Hongjoong takes a deep breath in through his nose, trying to soothe the anguish that swells inside his ribs. There’s grief there, rage too, settling in the pit of his stomach and pushing upwards into his chest and throat. It’s not directed at you – it could never be. It’s towards your father, towards your village, towards anyone that has looked at you with disdain and uttered that foul moniker he knows makes you flinch. 

“I’m sorry, Yun.” 

Yunho shakes his head, leaning into Seonghwa’s hand and looking down at Hongjoong with his eyes glistening with welling tears. He swallows, clearly resisting the urge to cry, and kisses Seonghwa’s thumb when it brushes his mouth. “‘S okay, Seonghwa. I know your intentions were honorable.” 

Seonghwa nods, finally leaning forward until his head rests against Yunho’s collarbone. An arm wraps around the eldest’s shoulders and Hongjoong presses himself against Seonghwa’s back, encasing both him and Yunho. 

“So don’t bring up her birthday, then?” Hongjoong whispers, frown still drawing his lips downward. He speaks the question into Seonghwa’s shoulder blade, his lips grazing the tunic covering his skin. 

Yunho is silent for a long moment. No one speaks and the sounds of their hushed breaths are all that echo through the hollowed cavern. Yunho ponders his Captain’s question in the silence and thinks of your growth in the years you’ve spent in their camp. Would you rather they never mention your birthday again? Or would you appreciate a different kind of memory to replace the shaded pains of the ones long past?

Soon after, Yunho leans forward to bury his face into Seonghwa’s hair before he breathes deeply and pulls back, a small quirk lifting the corner of his lips. He thinks of you and that youthful grin that used to grace your lips more often as a child. Yunho recalls the mischief in your smile and the wonder that would flash across your eyes, and he begins to twist an idea around his thoughts. It’s that look he wants to see again. He always wants to see it; the mischief, the awe, the teasing grin you used to throw over your shoulder to get him to chase you through the training grounds. He wants that so badly. 

“Actually, Captain…” 

Hongjoong peels his head away from Seonghwa’s shoulder, looking up to meet Yunho’s eyes with a raised brow and a question in his eyes. “Hmm?”

Yunho finally manages a fraction of a smile, stroking his hand over Seonghwa’s shoulders as he speaks. 

“I think there might be a way we can show her that her birth is something worth celebrating. I’ll need your help though.” 

“Anything.” 

“Anything for her,” Seonghwa finishes at the same time Hongjoong speaks. 

Yunho’s heart swells. The soft grin on his features begins to stretch, mirrored by his two elders. Pride begins to surge beneath his skin and it makes him feel fuzzy. 

“What do you need?” Hongjoong whispers into the fraction of space separating their lips. Yunho huffs a smile, leaning closer until his mouth brushes against his leader’s. 

“How do you feel about a little trip, Captain?” 

Time passes easily. About a week goes by after the conversation between you, Jongho and Seonghwa before Hongjoong announces that Ateez will be spending a few nights traveling away from camp. He won’t say where they’re traveling to nor why they’re going, but there’s a mischievous grin on his lips when you tilt your head in suspicion. No one will tell you anything about the adventure other than handing you a cloth pack to gather some things for the trip. 

Mingi helps you clean your blades and slides them into the scabbards on your back for you. Seonghwa packs food away carefully and slides extra servings of dried and cured meats into your pack followed by the fruit he knows you and Jongho love. San and Yeosang sit by your side as you help sort the first aid supplies the camp may need. The inky vines wrapping around Yeosang’s forearms flashes from beneath his sleeves, and you find yourself following the sight of the tattoo each time you peek a glimpse of golden skin covered in leafy shapes. 

San laughs and raises an eyebrow at his lover when he flicks his shirt above his waistband playfully, showcasing the span of scales descending over his hip and up his waist. He giggles when you reach forward to pull his shirt higher over his side, eager to follow the lines of ink up his torso. San pushes your hands away and promises to show you one day. Wooyoung enters the cavern a moment later and exchanges a knowing look with San, as if the same pattern of obsidian scales crawls up the opposite side of his own torso. 

On the morning Hongjoong announced their leave, you pack the last of your things diligently in the cloth pack given to you. There’s something fond rippling through your chest as you slide a hand over the large tunic laid across your bed. 

The sensation seeps all the way down to your toes, a bittersweet happiness that arose from the realization that you’ve never… owned things before. 

In that village, nothing was ever yours. It was always stolen or taken, never owned. 

But now… 

Now there’s all kinds of things in your corner of the medical cavern. There’s the little rope of twine with eight little beads Yeosang gave you to fiddle with so you wouldn’t pick and pull at your nails. There’s the bear-hide blanket Jongho handmade when you started to grow cold in the winter nights. A pile of spare clothes tailored to fit your size sits beneath your bed. A hollowed shell of smooth, rich cream sits beside you, specially made for you by Wooyoung and San when they noticed your scars were particularly aching in the cold weather. There’s a whetstone and cleaning tools beside your swords, left there by Mingi when he noticed your blades were dulling. Seonghwa always leaves a myriad of flowers beside your bed each week, and the dried stems of all his past bouquets hang above your on a piece of twine Joong brought you. There’s armor and chainmail beneath your bed, presented by Hongjoong with a shy smile. He cleans them for you when he thinks you’re not looking, ensuring the armor stays in good shape and protects you well. One of Yunho’s thicker tunics lies at the foot of your bed, a staple of your growing closet of clothes. He knows you like having his scent nearby. There’s books too, ones from the medical cavern and ones from Wooyoung, who you’ve discovered is quite the avid reader. 

There’s just… all sorts of things. 

And you’ve never really owned things before. It’s strange. And quite enjoyable, you decide.

You like owning things. You like being part of Ateez – being part of a family. 

With your lips twitching upwards into a fond smile, you stand with the last of your belongings and slide the straps of your cloth pack over your shoulders. It sits a little strangely on your back but you huff and step out of the cavern anyway. 

The rest of Ateez is already outside, shuffling the last of their belongings into storage and closing up the cave system behind you. A wooden sort of door slides shut behind you and the viny, earthen cover falls over it. It’s perfectly concealed from the wild, appearing just like any other cropping of rocks and stone. You marvel at their ingenuity and turn to find Wooyoung approaching you with a smile on his lips. 

“Good morning, Bug. Are you ready?” 

Your head tilts with a question as Wooyoung’s hands shift upwards to the straps of your pack. He raises a brow once, always asking for permission before he touches, and you shift closer and slide your hands onto his hips with a nod of your head. Wooyoung’s smile seems to widen, if at all possible, and he carefully begins to adjust the straps of your pack so it sits better across your back. Your gaze follows his hands, tracing over the fading scar on his one wrist – the space where a rusty shackle used to sit. Your lips quirk happily at the sight of the missing metal cuff, now long buried in the earth. He hums happily at the feeling of your hands on his waist, and chuckles beneath his breath when he feels your hands attempting to weasel under his shirt – likely another attempt to get a look at the tattoo you know sits there. 

Wooyoung huffs a breath as you skate a gentle hand over his bare hip, focusing on the wavy shape of an oscillating line your draw over his skin. He translates the word as ‘what’ and understands your inquisition to mean ‘Ready for what?’ 

“Can’t tell you,” he laughs, his chest shaking with the motion as you squeeze his hip in retaliation. “Sorry, baby. Captain’s orders; take it up with Hongjoong if you want to know so badly.” 

Your one eye rolls and Wooyoung laughs again, that bright, cackling sound echoing through the trees in a burst of noise that makes your heart flutter. You like Wooyoung’s laugh. 

“C’mon you two!” Hongjoong calls from a distance, already beginning to pace towards the southwest. “We’re burning daylight. Let’s get moving.” 

You respond with a choked hum despite knowing your Captain can’t hear it. Wooyoung grins, finally satisfied with the adjustments he’s made on your pack, and turns over his shoulder to call back, “We’re coming, Captain. Relax a little. It’s barely dawn, we’re on schedule.” 

You don’t need to see Hongjoong to know what expression the Captain has on his face. A tiny smile appears on your lips and when Wooyoung turns back to face you with a hand held out in offering, his grin beams once more. 

“C’mon, baby. You wanna walk with me and Sannie today?” 

Your answering nod is a little too eager, but Wooyoung doesn’t mention it. 

To you, anyway. The smug grin he shoots over his shoulder at Mingi and Yunho is met with a sigh and an eye roll. The vulgar gesture Mingi throws back goes unseen by you too. 

Seonghwa sees it though, and the sound of Mingi’s squawk when he’s slapped across the shoulder by the archer makes Wooyoung laugh again. 

It’s springtime. The forest is filled with bright shades of emerald green and flowers have begun to sprout along patches of sunlight. Lupin tickle at your ankles when you pass and you watch their lilac and lavender petals sway in the wind with a fond expression. Your last bouquet from Seonghwa was fresh Lupin flowers, a growing favorite of yours he has noticed. 

Wooyoung holds your hand as you walk, sometimes shifting to allow San to take his place. They talk happily as you stride through the forest, following Yeosang and Jongho as they lead your band of warriors through the trees. You still don’t know where you’re going nor why you’re going there, but you trust your Captain and you trust your family. 

Eventually, you unlink your hands from San to step ahead and walk besides Mingi and Yunho. San’s resounding pout and soft sigh are lost on you, but Wooyoung slides his hand into his partner’s empty fingers with a grin and a teasing poke to San’s side. Mingi intertwines his fingers with yours with a beaming grin and a happy chuckle, swinging your hands between you as you walk. He points out the flora and fauna he recognizes along the hike, explaining their uses as he recalls Yeosang’s teachings. He mentions the honey-haired healer’s tattoo sleeve of medicinal herbs and shows you some of the plants he recognizes to be inked into Yeosang’s skin. You eagerly categorize the leaves and petals of each plant, hoping that you’ll one day be able to find each one decorating Yeosang’s skin. 

The first night away from camp is spent sleeping beneath the stars. 

Your group of nine lays huddled together in a clearing in the pines, with a small fire burning quietly in the center for warmth. Shifts for watch are assigned and you find yourself curling between Yunho and San that night with a promise to take the final watch with Seonghwa. With cicadas clicking in the distance and a cool breeze rustling the branches above you, you find sleep easy that night. Strangely enough, despite resting out in the open with no cover around, you find you can sleep calmly. Nestled between your Yunho and your San, their body heat keeping you warm even underneath the fur blankets swaddled around you, you feel safe enough to sink into a well-earned sleep. You know the others will wake you if there’s trouble lurking about. They would never let anything happen to their family. 

The next day is spent between Hongjoong and Seonghwa, happily listening to their stories and eagerly nudging the both of them to show you some of the ink decorating their skin. Once you found out about Yeosang’s tattoos, there was nothing holding you back from asking the others about their own. Seonghwa relents with a teasing grin towards Hongjoong, showing you the pattern of large scales that crawl up his forearms. You trace the delicate scales with a happy sound, not noticing the shiver that crawls down Seonghwa’s spine. Hongjoong rolls his eyes at his partner, but he almost wishes to show you the ink decorating his back and spine too. He only waves you away with a laugh when you turn to him with a tilt of your head and a happy question on your lips. 

That night you sleep between Yeosang and Jongho, one of your legs wedged between the youngest’s and your hand clumsily intertwined between the healer’s fingers. This time, the nine of you settle in a cliff alcove, sheltered from the fog and the light drizzle of rain that spatters through the forest around midnight. 

There’s no telling how far you’ve traveled from Ateez’s hollow. It’s been two days of mostly hiking and stopping for breaks and meals, but you’ve long grown used to strenuous labor so the walk is not nearly as difficult as you once thought it to be. You still have little to no knowledge on your destination as your Captain is tight-lipped about the matter. He only gives you soft smiles and quiet laughter when you nag him about where or why you’ve left camp. 

On the third and last day of your long journey, you walk between Yeosang and Jongho at the front of your pack. The two have been leading you for three days, seeming to know the way without needing a map or compass. Every once and a while, Yeosang looks up at the night sky and lifts a hand to palm at the stars. You understand he must be checking your position, ensuring that they’re still on the right path, but you don’t ask. You find Polaris winking down at you each night with a fondness in your chest, and you give her a gentle, barely-there smile each time you see her. 

The healer and his partner pace through the trees with newfound urgency that morning. The two members eagerly shuffle through the trees with beaming grins and an energy that you cannot help but mimic. They’re excited about something – unfathomably so. 

“We’re almost there, honey,” Yeosang encourages you, holding out a hand to help you scale the final boulder before you begin your descent back down the mountainside. “Just another mile or so, I promise.”

You trust him. 

The others have begun to feed on the buzzing atmosphere building in the group. There’s tension simmering, but a good kind, as if there’s something awaiting your family at your destination. You don’t know what it is, but it must be something good if they’re eagerly beginning to quicken the pace. 

Soon after you begin your descent down the small mountain, the dense foliage of pine trees and packed soil gives way to something softer – something you’ve never quite seen or felt before. It’s pliable and squishy beneath your feet, allowing your weight to sink into the material with each step. It leaves footprints in your wake, the ground shifting and moving beneath your feet. 

Sand. 

It’s sand. 

You know it’s sand because Yeosang has some collected in a small jar in the medical cavern. You’ve never seen it before: sand or the sea. You found the tiny bottle of eroded stone once and carefully examined it with a puzzled expression until Yeosang found you. The miniscule grains of rock and shell shifted in the bottle as Yeosang explained where it was from. 

You listened to him for hours that day. 

He talked about the sea and his life as a captain of his own ship from the hour of the sun’s peak until it descended beneath the horizon. You were fascinated. Eagerly hanging onto every single one of his words, you listened to Yeosang with a rapture you couldn’t describe. He spoke of the ocean and the smell of salt in the fresh air, mentioning that there was a particular hint of something so ocean-like in the scent that he couldn't begin to describe. Yeosang described the sand and the shore, detailing how the plush sand like the stuff in his bottle gave way to harder packed ground the closer you grew to the sea. He talked of how it felt to play in the waves and to feel the cool touch of the ocean on his skin. 

You marveled at him for hours, longing desperately to one day know the smell he spoke of, to feel the ocean breeze tickle your skin and to feel its waves brush against your feet. 

It sounded wonderful. 

So when the sand beneath your feet begins to thicken, giving way to clumsier footsteps and the sound of something roaring in the distance, you perk upwards. 

Your entire body slams to a halt, startling San who walks behind you. Jerking upwards, your one eye darts over to Yeosang, who stands with Jongho at his side, already looking at you. There’s this look in their eyes; something fond and gentle – an expression you’ve begun to recognize. They watch you as you begin to piece together the information you’ve gathered of this little trip, smiles on their faces as you realize where they’ve taken you. 

At your side, San begins to bend forward, his hands reaching out to pull at the laces of your boots and chuckling beneath his breath. You reach out to stabilize yourself on his shoulder as you make a sound of confusion. 

‘What’s going on?’ you try to question without speaking.

At your back, Yunho runs a hand down your spine and soothes the tension in your shoulders. You reach back, grasping his hand with a strength that surprises you and draw that oscillating squiggle across the back of his hand with a bewildered expression. 

‘What’s happening?’ 

There’s another word you want to say. One you don’t have a translation for. A word you’ve never spoken or seen. 

Ocean. The sea. 

You don’t have a word for it. 

But you can smell it now. That salty, fresh sort of scent with a hint of something you cannot place. Just like Yeosang described. 

The sea. 

San taps your leg, garnering your attention and helping you lift your foot so you can place it on his knee. He’s kneeling at your feet, one leg propped up to lift your foot and the other in the sand beneath him. The healer pulls at your laces, beginning to untie your shoes and pull them from your feet with a grin. 

“C’mon, sweetheart,” he murmurs with that low timber that makes you shiver. “Let’s get these off.”

Your held tilts in confusion. Seonghwa chuckles behind you, leaning into Mingi’s side and shooting a look over at Wooyoung. “Gotta take your shoes off unless you want sand in the soles, Bug. It’ll be a pain to walk back with all that in ‘em. I promise you’ll never be able to get it all out.” 

Hongjoong laughs from beside Jongho, the Captain throwing his head back with a knowing grin. “Speaking from experience, huh, darling?” 

Seonghwa rolls his eyes and ignores his lover, dropping a hand to intertwine with Wooyoung’s. The younger eagerly locks their fingers together, smiling happily and leaning his head onto Seonghwa’s shoulder as you process everything. 

The others begin to pull off their own shoes, tying them to their packs or holding the laces in their fingers. Mingi laughs and pushes Wooyoung when he bends over to undo his laces, and when Wooyoung stumbles, he shouts indignantly and lurches upwards for revenge. Seonghwa laughs and tries to settle them, only to end up yanked out of the way by a grinning Yeosang. Wooyoung and Mingi screech at each other, beginning to race down the sand towards the roaring sound that continues to swell in the distance. 

You worriedly look down at San, his dark irises already looking up at you with adoration swirling behind them. The healer pulls off your sock and carefully sets your foot back onto the sand, watching as you marvel at the plush, cool material beneath the soles of your feet. 

“C’mon, tiny,” Yunho laughs behind you, chest rumbling as he speaks. The vibration echoes through your back from how close the warrior is pressed against you. He grins when you shiver pleasantly. “We’ve gotta catch up.” 

San lifts your other foot delicately and places it on his waiting knee, repeating the process of taking off your shoe and sock before he ties the laces together and stores them away in his pack. Before he sets your foot back onto the sand, San’s eyes twinkle with something mischievous.

He leans forward and drags his fingers across the skin of your calf, eyes crinkling as he smiles. You look back down at him with your stomach fluttering pleasantly, watching as San leans forward and presses his lips to the side of your calf. 

Oh. 

His lips skate over the muscle and his hand rests where your thigh connects with the knee. You feel your breathing still. Air catches in your lungs, and some burst of emotion lurches into your throat as you stop and stare down at the healer with one widened eye. You can feel the smile on San’s soft lips as he drags his mouth from your calf to your knee, kissing your skin sweetly as he goes. He drifts over scars both fresh and faded, but does not stop moving as he ascends up your calf. San leaves a trail of goosebumps in his wake, your skin practically shivering under his touch and lighting ablaze when he pulls away.

Oh. 

You stare open-mouthed at the healer when San finally slides a hand down your leg and deposits it onto the sand. You lick your lips once, trying desperately to come up with words to say, but there’s nothing. Just the trail of blazing heat San left behind and a roaring fire beginning to spread inside your chest. You can practically feel the heat in your face, and you lift a hand to palm at your cheek as San watches with a teasing grin. Your figure practically vibrates as you shiver through the emotion bursting through you. 

“San…” 

Said healer mimics your shiver as you whisper his name, fingers dancing along your calf before he stops. He presses one final kiss to your knee, at the crease of the joint, and this time your eye slides shut with a shiver. The plush feeling of his lips against your skin is ambrosia for your soul and the barest touch of moisture is left behind when he finally pulls away. 

He looks up at you with honey in his irises, hand skating down your calf once more and smiles. 

“C’mon, Bug. We’ve got places to be,” he teases, saccharine timber never failing to make you melt. 

As if he wasn’t the one distracting you. 

Finally, you’re able to squeeze his shoulder thankfully and San beams up at you in the way that makes those sweet little dimples poke out of his cheeks. You nearly lean forward to caress a finger of the indents that make your heart mushy, but still as the cool sand sinks between your toes. 

It’s… soft. 

The sand melts beneath your soles like butter, cradling your heels and caressing your skin like silk. You wiggle your toes and awe at the feeling, watching the sand shift and move with your lips just barely parted in wonder. San watches from your feet, his gentle eyes roaming over your partly-concealed face and grinning at the expression plastered across your features. Your lips are parted, but just barely, taking deep breaths to inhale the fresh air of the sea breeze and one eye dilated with awe. San's heart thumps vibrantly beneath his ribs, a song of your name. It calls out to you sweetly, and San swears that when he runs his hand across the bare skin of your leg, brushing over scars and broken skin, he can hear your heart call his name in return. 

Your one eye darts upwards to meet your Captain’s gaze. 

Hongjoong stares at you with some ineffable softness in his expression. He reaches a hand out to grasp your fingers, helping you step forward away from San. The healer stands from his kneeling position, his own footwear now missing, and joins you at your side. 

“You like it?” Hongjoong whispers as you near. 

The vigorous nod of your head is almost comical, and Hongjoong chuckles beneath his breath. Yes. Yes you like it. 

San beams at your side, unable to stop the mirthful sound of his laughter. It erupts from his chest in that giggling way that you adore. You tilt your head to look at him, your chest swelling and heart thumping with the tumultuous feelings surging within you. San reaches out to run a hand down your arm and you lean close offering a single line of ‘thanks’ across his palm. 

Yunho leans forward and pecks a kiss across your forehead, directly over the mask concealing the right half of your face and then turns to walk after Wooyoung and Mingi, San at his heels. He doesn’t acknowledge the kiss, but your heart jumps into your throat regardless. Your fingers itch to follow him, twitching in an attempt to reach for him, but you turn back to your Captain instead. 

Hongjoong is still looking at you, that ineffable softness still radiating from him. “C’mon, angel. Let’s go see the ocean.” 

You’ve never been more excited. 

Hongjoong begins pulling you in the direction the others have disappeared in, following them over the dunes of sand. At first, he pulls your awestruck figure behind him as you make your way through the deeping sand, turning back to watch you marvel at the grains of white and cream colored grains. Your feet drag, slowing the two of you down as you continue to look down at the sand beneath you. At one point, you can’t resist the temptation and you stop, carefully pulling your hand from Hongjoong’s to bend at the knees and drop into the sand. 

“Woah, angel!” Hongjoong gasps as you let go of his hand and urgently drop into the earth below. “Careful!” 

Dragging your fingers through the silky material, you watch the tiny pieces of sediment cascade back into the hills beneath you as they trail between your fingers. The sand is cool to the touch and gentle as it scratches against your skin. You thought it would be rough, but it’s not. Not this sand anyway. 

Seonghwa chuckles behind you, stopping to drop his hands beneath your shoulders and gently lift you back up to your feet. The others are little specks in the distance, just a few hundred yards away. The eldest carefully sets you on your feet and slides a hand down to intertwine with your own. 

“C'mon, lovebug. We haven’t even reached the good part yet.” 

The good part? You wonder. How could it possibly get any better than this? 

But as the crashing sound gets louder with each step you take and the smell of salt continues to grow stronger, you begin to realize what the good part is. 

Soon after, it becomes you dragging Hongjoong and Seonghwa through the sand dunes. Eagerly tugging them behind you as you race towards the others, you sink into the sand and stumble a few times, only catching yourself when either member scrambles to grab your waist. You push quicker through the deepening sand each time you right yourself, racing through the dunes until you finally see it. 

The sea. 

And you stop moving. 

Hongjoong and Seonghwa nearly crash into your back as you freeze, body halting at the top of the sand dune. Your one eye is transfixed on the view before you, mouth parted and body slack with awe. 

Waves are crashing along the shore, breaking into foamy surf as they collide with the cream-colored sand. There are little birds with thin, long legs dancing in the shoreline, pecking at things in the packed sand. You watch with fascination as they rush away in a flock from an oncoming wave. When the foam finally settles, they return to their feeding grounds, continuing to peck away at something beneath the darker sand. The smell of salt fills your senses and there’s a brush of water against your skin as a breeze carries a mist of salt onto the shoreline. 

You’ve never seen so much… color before. 

The ocean is blue. Green too, and teal and dark and bright, and every color in the range you can possibly think of. It’s aquamarine in the peaks of crashing waves and a darker cyan in the deepness of the salty water. There’s pale blue, creamy skies and even paler cream-colored clouds. You nearly wish you could reach out and touch one. 

It’s wonderful. And it’s so much more than you think you deserve. 

With awe on your features and mouth slightly parted, you stare mystified at the sea before you. Hongjoong steps up beside you, the others starting to circle back to stand nearby. They just stand there… watching you for a minute. 

They watch your one pupil dilate and your expression softens into wonderous glee. Their hands intertwine with each other, fingers squeezing one another and hearts thumping happily in their chests. There’s pride there, and affection too, roaring madly beneath their skin and calling out to the sea with a throaty, triumphant call. 

You like it. You like the sea. 

And they like you. 

Hongjoong slides a hand down your arm until he can gently link your scarred fingers with his own. Your attention briefly shifts away from the sea to look over at your captain. 

His soft brown hair rustles as the sea breeze flutters through the strands, and Hongjoong smiles. Eyes scrunching into a beaming grin, the one that you like so much, he offers a squeeze of your palm. The scar crossing his one eye moves with his expression and you adore the way it looks when he smiles. Chocolate brown irises flicker in the brightness of the sunlight and for a moment, you think you much prefer the color of his eyes than the enchanting blue-green of the sea. 

But it’s tough competition, of course. 

Hongjoong squeezes your hand once more, fully drawing your attention back to him, and he leans close to carefully grasp the side of your face. His palm gently cups your mask, stroking his thumb over the tough material with a delicateness you cannot fathom deserving. But he touches you regardless, even if it's the mask instead of your skin. Hongjoong doesn’t care that you continue to wear it. None of them do. It’s a part of you, and they’ll continue to care for you all the same. 

“Are you happy?” The Captain inquires, licking his lips as he watches you. 

The vigor in your nod nearly makes him laugh. His beaming grin only seems to widen and you find yourself stunned at how beautiful he looks happy. 

“Yeah? That’s good. I’m glad you’re happy, angel.” 

You want to ask something else. Something about why your little clan has ventured this far or perhaps something else, but you can’t begin to find the words for it. 

You don’t need to though. 

Hongjoong leans closer, his warm, umber eyes scanning your features as he whispers something only for you to hear. 

“Happy birthday, Bug.” 

You barely register the sentiment before your captain leans forward and gently presses his lips to the crown of your head. 

You don’t breathe. Too frightened that any movement will force him to pull away, you stay remarkably still and stare numbly into Hongjoong’s chest. 

His lips linger for a long moment against your hairline, and you feel the warmth of his exhale against your scalp. The feeling makes your stomach flutter pleasantly and suddenly your body feels like you’re going to vibrate out of sheer enjoyment. Another shiver tickles its way up your spine and you finally exhale shakily. Reaching a hand upwards, you clutch onto the hand Hongjoong has still cupping your cheek. 

Her heart finally throbs with a dull ache. 

Your birthday? 

You didn’t even think… 

Hongjoong exhales softly and bends to drop a second kiss onto your mask, just above where your right eye would be. It throbs suddenly, but not so painfully this time. 

Your birthday. 

They came all this way for you? 

All of this… leaving the camp, walking all this way, spending nights on the road, showing you the sea for the first time… they did this to celebrate your birthday? 

Your heart hurts. 

No one has ever done that for you before. 

You suppose Yunho and Daia tried once… but that didn’t end so well. Salt wells behind your one eye and your lip twitches just once, but it's enough for Hongjoong to catch. Your chest aches with the memory of your mother. It’s a hurt you could never quite soothe. 

The Captain’s smile is still bright when he pulls away but there’s a sadness beneath the joy. No, not sadness, you suppose. Something empathetic – something… bittersweet. 

Hongjoong knows. They all do. 

“My birthday?” Your mouth parts to let out the croaked sound. Your voice has gotten better. The deeper, rough tone of your voice has begun to fade after finally learning to use it again. It’s beginning to return to what it used to be – slow and steadily. 

From behind you, Yeosang hums deeply. You recognize the sound without turning to look at him. His voice always carries that undertone of sweet and smooth honey, and you can’t find any other way to describe it. 

“Yeah, honey. You told me you’ve never seen the sea, right? We thought it would make a good birthday present.” 

The healer is standing behind Hongjoong, San and Wooyoung at his sides and the rest of Ateez just beyond. They’re all here. For you. 

You shift on your feet, barely able to restrain the wetness of your one eye as you attempt to face them. Your heart still throbs, but it’s more of a pleasant ache – a good one. A sea breeze rustles your hair. Three silver rings click against your mask; a comforting sound that reminds you of home – of Yunho. The scent of salt in the air fills you with warmth and the silky sand beneath your feet cradles you in the earth’s gentle hands. The world itself seems to wrap around you in its kindness, delicately embracing you as if asking for forgiveness. 

It feels like your mother – like the hugs you can barely remember. 

The burn of tears returns tenfold. 

You’ve never celebrated your birthday before. It was never a day others regarded with joy, so you supposed it was only fair to see it the same way. You don’t even really know what day you were born. Father never told you – he never told anyone. 

But… perhaps this day – the day Ateez has chosen for you – can be your birthday. Maybe this time it doesn’t have to be a bad thing anymore. 

“We wanted to show you something new. Something good. Do you like it?” Wooyoung whispers as you process your feelings. His voice is apprehensive, as if he isn’t quite sure how you’ll respond to celebrating your birthday. You can barely hear him over the roaring sound of waves colliding with the shoreline and birds peeping in the surf. 

You’re already throwing yourself into Wooyoung’s arms before a moment of silence can pass. You crash into his chest with a crooned sound, a desperate cry of joy. 

“Yes!” You finally croak, the word sounding more like a sob than an agreement. “Yes, I like it!”

Wooyoung laughs happily as he wraps his arms around your waist, burying his face into the crook of your neck with a joyful sound. His chest vibrates with his laughter and you love the way it feels against your body. One of your hands slides out from between you and you urgently grasp ahold of Yeosang’s shirt and tug him into your pile with a quick movement. San follows soon after, lured in by Wooyoung’s touch and suddenly you’re buried beneath a mountain of Ateez’s warmth. 

Another wet sob leaves your lips, but it’s much closer to a laugh this time. 

“I love it…” 

And we love you. 

He doesn’t say it aloud, but Wooyoung hopes you hear it anyway. 

Seonghwa lets out a hearty laugh despite it sounding wet with his own tears, and he wraps an arm around Hongjoong’s shoulders as he tugs his captain close. The leader’s eyes are watery as he and the archer pile into your embrace. Mingi and Yunho follow quickly after, with the tallest of the two reaching out to snag Jongho’s tunic. The youngest is already moving, sliding beneath Yeosang’s arm to nuzzle into the healer’s side. One of his hands nestles between his lover’s ribs, resting atop your bicep. You push closer into their hands, warm and happy and still softly crying. 

You love it. 

It cannot possibly get any better than this. Not even the comforting breeze of the ocean air brushing over your skin nor the warmth of any roaring campfire could rival this feeling. There’s no warmth in the world that can surmount the heat of Ateez embracing you. Their hands carefully sweeping over skin leaves trails of pleasant heat in their wake, and the throb of your aching heart is only soothed by a soft coo leaving San’s lips. Wooyoung slides a hand over your head, pulling you closer into his neck, and you feel a bigger hand – Yunho’s, you know – scratch gently over your scalp. Another settles onto your hip, rubbing gentle circles into the bone. They’re Seonghwa’s, you recognize the calluses on his two fingers when they brush over the skin of your bare hip. Mingi’s hand settles across your back, resting between your shoulder blades. His firm touch and big hands are easy to decipher. Jongho’s wrap around your arm, strong and steadfast, just like you know him to be. Your captain’s smaller hand finds your fingers, sliding between them as you grip onto San with a fierce grip. 

Hongjoong’s hands tremble when he twists his grip to drag a line down your left ring finger. His gaze finds yours, a watery smile on his lips when your mouth parts in shock and your one eye dilated beyond comprehension. The Captain finishes drawing the line at the tip of your nail, where each of his fingers meets the end of each of yours. Then Hongjoong slides his hand into yours and squeezes three times. 

Yunho must have taught him that one. 

Because no one else has ever uttered those words to you – least of all meant them. 

Your grip tightens fervently, pulling until you can press Hongjoong’s hand into your chest and let him feel the racing pulse of your heart. It slams into your ribs with a thunderous pace, beating in a pattern you hope he can discern. You pull your head from Wooyoung’s neck just slightly. Just enough to lean down and press your lips to Hongjoong’s fingers. 

You hope he knows what it means. 

He does. 

“Happy birthday, tiny,” Yunho murmurs into the shared space between the nine of you. “We’re so happy you’re here.” 

You weep. 

Ateez spends three nights and four days at the beach. 

On the first, you don’t have the courage to venture too far into the shore. The roaring of waves crashing onto the sand is intimidating when you don’t know how to swim. You settle for watching the others splash and wrestle in the shallow sea. Their shouts of glee are enough joy to warm your heart. 

You watch Mingi grapple with Hongjoong on the shoreline, huffing softly with a grin when Mingi inevitably gets the upper hand. The guard lifts Hongjoong over his shoulder and laughs deeply as he storms his way towards the sea. 

“Put me down!” Hongjoong roars, smacking his hand against Mingi’s back. “Mingi!” 

The guard only laughs and spins the two of them in the shallows as he wades deeper into the waves. 

“Don’t you dare!” 

You watch as Mingi laughs brightly once more, calling out a “too late!” as he unceremoniously dumps his captain into the sea.  

Hongjoong dunks beneath the water with a roar, and for a moment you worry he won’t emerge again. He does, however, and lurches from the waves with an undignified shout and lunges towards Mingi as he laughs. 

“Get back here!” 

You grin and watch the two continue to wrestle in the waves. 

Jongho takes you onto the nearby rocks and shows you the wonders of tide pools. He and Yeosang spent years living by the sea, and he murmurs hundreds of little facts about each of the animals he can find. Crouching down by a shallow pool, Jongho reaches into the cool water and ever so carefully lifts a sea star from the water. He cradles it delicately, leaving it half submerged as he pulls you closer with his other hand. 

“This is a sea star,” he whispers, looking up at you and gesturing for you to crouch beside him. “You want to feel? You won’t hurt it.” 

 When you crouch at his side, Jongho pulls your hand towards him with a smile. Bent at the knees, you lean into his side and watch with a bated breath and marvel at the texture of the sea star still carefully held in Jongho’s hands. It’s soft and squishy beneath your delicate touch and you huff a smile as you watch with a mystified expression. 

You watch some of the tiny feet of the sea star wiggle in Jongho’s hand and whip your head over to face him with a question on your lips. 

Jongho is already looking at you, watching you instead of the sea star in his hands. He’s smiling, softly and sweetly, his eyes fixed on your one eye. They drift from your left one to where your right would be if not hidden behind the mask, then he drops them to your lips. Your breath stutters and you swallow shyly before Jongho lifts his eyes back to your own. 

He smiles, as if nothing happened and continues, “See the poky creatures down here? The ones that look like they have needles? Those are urchins. The sea stars will eat those.” 

It takes more effort than you’d like to admit to pull your gaze away from Jongho’s face. 

At another tidal pool, Jongho points out a creature he calls an anemone. The vibrant teal and green color of its shape mystifies you and you lean closer to investigate it. Listening carefully to Jongho’s explanation of the anemone, you look back up at him with a question in your eyes. 

“Yeah, you can touch that one too. Be careful though.” 

You don’t understand his warning but carefully drop your hand into the pool to delicately caress the anemone anyway. The chill waters surround your skin and you lean closer to touch the creature, you let out a startled squeal when its sticky tentacles wrap themselves around your finger. Surprised, you lurch away from the pool, confusion in your face and hands braced on the rock beside you. 

Jongho laughs so hard you think he might choke. 

You turn to look at him with furrowed brows and an upset pout on your lips, a little disgruntled Jongho didn’t tell you that would happen. 

The youngest continues to laugh at the utter confusion in your expression, finally bracing himself against you and apologizing. 

“Sorry, I’m sorry, Bug. I couldn’t help myself!” 

You frown and push gently at his chest, posing a little miffed at Jongho’s teasing. The youngest snorts and pulls you closer to his chest, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. 

“I won’t do it again, I promise,” he laughs. “We should wash your hands though, the stingers on those anemones can leave toxins on your skin. I don’t want you to touch your face without cleaning your hands first.”

You huff and nod, letting him lead you away from the rocks and towards the others. When you find San, you race away from Jongho and bury yourself into his chest with a pretend pout. The healer wraps you up in his embrace without question, turning to look at Jongho with a raised brow. Jongho rolls his eyes and laughs. 

Seonghwa and Wooyoung take you to collect shells in the afternoon. 

Your footprints linger in the sand behind you as you hold the archer’s hand and walk along the shoreline. The sand is packed beneath your feet closer to the shore and you find that there are all sorts of different shells just above the water line. 

You recognize some of the larger, smoother shells Yeosang and San use to store medicine sometimes. They’re scallop-shaped and hollow in the middle, and the healers like to use them for creams or other ointments. Seonghwa helps you carry some back to the healers who gratefully pile your collection into one of their packs. They can always use more shells in the medical cavern. 

Further down the beach, you find a plethora of smaller shells and drop down into the sand to rummage through them. There’s hundreds of them, some twisting into points and others round at the edges. Some are still split into pieces and others are still whole. Some are closed like a locket. Seonghwa tells you to leave those ones alone – there’s still creatures living in those ones. You gasp and carefully set the shell back down into the sand ever so delicately. The archer smiles fondly at your care for the earth and her creatures. 

One of the bigger shells that washes up on the shore catches your attention, and you rush over to the pristine, cream colored object. Yeosang called these conches. When you excitedly turn over the shell, you’re startled to find a spiny looking creature inside. A large claw grazes your hand and your heart lurches. 

You shout in surprise, jerking away from the shell with a gasp. 

“Bug?!” 

Seonghwa is at your side in an instant, hands on your back and pulling you away from the shell. “What happened?” 

 He doesn’t know why you shouted at first, too worried something has hurt you. His hands slide across your shoulders, turning you to face him and urgently scanning you for injuries. But when he looks down at the crab claw emerging from the shell, Seonghwa feels his chest shake with quiet laughter. Your head jerks back to look at the archer.

“It’s alright, darling. You just startled the crab living inside this one. He won’t hurt you, honey.”

Each shell you turn over for the rest of the day is done carefully and gently, and Seonghea feels his heart tug affectionately at how cute you look doing so. You nudge one with a stick to see if any claws come out and Seonghwa has to bury his smile in Wooyoung’s shoulder. 

“She’s so precious,” the warrior murmurs under his breath. 

Seonghwa hums in agreement, his head lifting from his partner’s shoulder to find you waving them over excitedly. 

“We’re coming, sweetheart!” 

Wooyoung settles at your side with a grin and looks down at the smooth stones in your hands. There’s a few rocks mixed in with the more ornate looking shells you’ve gathered, and Wooyoung tilts his head in an attempt to decipher why you’ve called them over. 

“What’s goin’ on?” 

Seonghwa’s heart stutters at the beaming smile on your lips. You smile more and this is not the first he’s ever seen, but each time you look up at him with that grin on your face, Seonghwa feels his stomach flutter and pride swell from his gut. He almost bites down on his bottom lip to resist sending you back a grin of his own, but Seonghwa doesn’t. And he’s grateful he does, because the way your one eye crinkles with joy when he smiles down at you makes his cheeks burn and his skin tingle. 

“Look!” You urgently whisper, swallowing around the word to repress how sore your throat is. 

Directing his attention to the dark stones in your hands, Seonghwa’s brows furrow in confusion. 

“I don’t understand.” 

You lift the stone beside his face, pulling Wooyoung into your side as you do. The two of you face Seonghwa as the archer grows more confused. The dark brown, near ebony-colored stone is lifted just beside his temple and you watch with a marveled expression as you shift your gaze from the rock to his eyes. 

“What is it?” Seonghwa urges. 

Wooyoung grins, his teeth flashing as he laughs sweetly. His two-toned hair ruffles in the breeze and Wooyoung turns to face you, squeezing your hip as he slides an arm around you. 

“That’s a good find, Bug,” he murmurs, looking back up at Seonghwa with honey in his gaze. “The same shade as his eyes. It matches him perfectly.” 

You nearly vibrate with happiness, wiggling a little in Wooyoung’s arms as Seonghwa’s eyes crinkle. “Really?” 

You nod fervently, reaching for his hand and dropping the smooth stone into his hand and curling his fingers around it. Seonghwa holds the rock carefully, not looking away from your one eye as he lifts it to press into his heart. 

“Thank you, darling.” 

You smile again, just a little twitch of your lips and nod. Then you turn to Wooyoung and weasel your way out of his grip to hold another up for him. This stone is a similar shade as Seonghwa’s, but just different enough that Seonghwa can see where you’ve matched this one to the exact hue of Wooyoung’s umber irises. 

You hold it out to Wooyoung with a tilt of your head and Wooyoung has to resist the urge to lean forward and squish your cheeks. He’s rarely seen you so excited – so… at ease. It makes every muscle in his body eager with the urge to hold you close and squeeze you tight. 

“For me?”

You nod excitedly and Wooyoung accepts the stone with a skip of his pulse. “Thank you, baby.” 

He and Seonghwa exchange looks and Wooyoung slips the stone into his pocket, where he knows he’ll keep it safe. 

“Help me?” You whisper softly, gesturing to the plethora of stones and shells beneath you. “For the others.” 

“Of course.” 

The two help you find six more stones, one of each of the other members of Ateez. Each one is the exact shade of their eyes – colors you know by heart. 

Wooyoung cannot tell you that after the trip, the rest of the boys gather to look at the stones and shells you collected for them. He doesn’t tell you that Mingi finds some twine and they braid bands for each other, carefully depositing their gifts onto string and binding them to each other’s wrists. 

On the first night, the nine of you sleep around a bonfire. 

The crackling flames keep you warm from the evening’s cool breeze, but you don’t think you sleep at all. The excitement and pure glee from the day keeps you awake. Adrenaline still roars through your veins and you settle for watching the stars for a moment longer. You find the twinkling shape of Polaris easily, and whisper your thanks up at her, just like you do every night since Jongho pointed her out. 

She winks back. 

The fire continues to crackle and the smell of wood burning soothes your nerves. Eventually, you pull yourself from your bed roll, carefully maneuvering away from Yunho’s warm chest and wrap your blanket around your shoulders. Quietly, you make your way over to the massive piece of driftwood facing the shore. 

Then, you drop silently beside Mingi, who sits and watches the sea. It’s technically his watch, but the guard faces the ocean as if he cannot bring himself to look away. 

Mingi does not startle when you find your place at his side, only shifting slightly to allow you to get comfortable. As you settle, you scooch as close as you can towards Mingi’s broad chest. Your side presses into his as you rest your weight against him and Mingi smiles, still looking at the sea. He easily accommodates your weight and wraps an arm around your shoulder, covering both your forms with his blanket. You snuggle close, burying your face into his neck and continue to watch the waves crash against the shore as the moon illuminates their peaks. 

You sit there for hours. Though you cannot sleep, excitement still pumping through your body, you find staying awake with Mingi is just as nice. Far more comforting, you’d even say. Mingi’s body heat keeps you pleasantly warm and his big arm stays wrapped around your waist. Soon after you settle, the guard drops his cheek onto your head and he breathes slow and deep. 

Even when Yeosang relieves him of his shift, taking over his place for watch, Mingi remains still. The two of you stay there until neither of you can keep your slowly fluttering lids open any longer. 

Yunho finds the two of you in the morning, and he kisses Mingi awake with a sweet grin and soft eyes. He brushes a hand through your hair and drops a kiss onto your head, eventually dropping onto your other side where he wraps an arm around both you and Mingi as the three of you watch the sunrise. 

The second day, you finally find the courage to venture into the waves with San and Yunho at your sides. Yeosang stands in the waves, waiting for you. 

San leads the way, walking backwards into the surf and holding both your hands. Yunho stands beside you, one of his arms reaching out to steady you and reassure you that he’s still there. You make eye contact with Yeosang and he winks at you. The honey-haired healer grew up in the sea. You know that if anything goes wrong, Yeosang will know what to do. 

“Let’s go, tiny. You’ve got this,” Yunho encourages, softly nudging you forward as you apprehensively toe the water line. 

You can’t swim. And you’ve never ventured into the sea before. 

It’s a little daunting, but the dimples on San’s cheeks and the smile on his lips encourages you to keep walking. You clutch his hands with a vice grip and gasp as the cold, salty waves cascade over your toes. 

“Sorry, lovebug. It’s a little cold.”

San laughs as you throw him a withering look. That information would have been helpful before you stepped into the sea. Yeosang laughs at your side, rubbing a hand along your waist and watching you shiver at the warmth of his touch. 

No matter how many times they touch you, you cannot help the way it makes you feel. 

“A little further and we can stop,” San murmurs, squeezing your hand when you stumble in the sand and pulling you closer. “C’mon, baby.” 

A few steps further and you stand at Yeosang’s side, digging your toes into the plush sand beneath your feet and marveling at how the waves lap at your knees. It’s cold, but you don’t mind since it’s a reprieve from the midday sun. When you turn your back to the sea, a strong wave pushes you closer to San and he laughs when you stumble into his chest. Water splashes upwards, and you get your first taste of seawater. 

“Woah!” San laughs, steadying you by the waist and watching as you stick your tongue out with an indignant sound. He can’t help the way laughter bubbles from his chest. You look positively betrayed by the ocean, as if the taste of salt on your tongue personally offends you. 

Yunho and Yeosang dissolve into giggles behind San, leaning onto each other to support themselves. Your one eye narrows and you shoot them an angry look, but San thinks you look more like an angry, wet cat than anything scary. Of course, he would never tell you that.

“I’m sorry, Bug!” Yunho laughs. “You just look so funny!” 

San listens to you grumble something under your breath, something that sounds like ‘showing him something funny,’ and then you bend at the waist and splash a mountain of water in his direction. 

Yunho guffaws at the betrayal and San dissolves into his own laughter, bending at the waist and bracing a hand on his chest as he cackles. Your grin is positively menacing, Yeosang decides. He wonders if you’ll become as much of a brat as Wooyoung if this continues. 

Yunho, now drenched in salt water and wet hair dripping into his eyes, enacts revenge and lunges towards you. San, ever the sweetheart, throws himself in between you and Yunho and the two sink into the waves with smiles. 

Eventually, when your skin begins to wrinkle from the time you spend in the waves and the sun begins to set, Yeosang and you step away from the shore to settle against the same piece of driftwood that marks your temporary camp. Yeosang sits atop the log and you lay just below him on the sand. You lean against his leg, just watching the rest of the boys continue to dance and swim in the surf. The sound of their laughter makes your heart happy and their gleaming smiles leave a grin of your own on your lips. 

It’s nice – smiling again, you mean. It’s a gift from Ateez they have not realized they’ve given, but you take care to treasure it regardless. 

You wrap an arm around Yeosang’s tattooed calf, your fingers occasionally dragging along the pattern of thorns that descend from his thigh. They wind around his leg, ending at the bone of his ankle and you’ve seldom been able to keep your hands away from the obsidian ink since he showed you. This, of course, is much to Yeosang’s delight, and the honey-haired healer can barely resist the way he beams so brightly when your delicate hands skim across his tattoos again. He loves it when you touch him. 

Mingi and Seonghwa leave the shoreline after a few minutes. They step away from the water to stoke the bonfire at the center of your makeshift camp. The flickering amber hues dance along burning bark and release a pleasant aroma onto the beach. You inhale deeply and lean further into Yeosang, humming happily when one of his hands reaches out to scratch along your scalp. 

Head scratches have become one of your weaknesses, you suppose. All it takes is for one of them to run their nails along your head and you’ll sink into their embrace with a happy sigh and mushy bones. 

When Mingi is satisfied with the roar of the campfire, he and Seonghwa press kisses to Yeosang’s hair and brush fingers over your hairline as they pace back towards the shore. 

A harmonious shout of glee leaves San’s lips as Jongho tackles him into the shallow surf, and there’s an uproar of laughter from amongst the boys. San shouts something along the lines of being cold and twists in the waves in an attempt to pin Jongho beneath him. Jongho, easily the strongest of the nine of you, maintains his place above San but spits salt water out of his mouth in surprise when his partner douses him with a splash. In revenge, Jongho prepares to dunk San’s head beneath the water, only to be tackled into the sea by Yunho. The youngest lets out a squawk of surprise as he sinks into the water and the laughter begins again. 

You turn your head towards Yeosang, resting your cheek against his knee and looking up at him with your one eye. You nudge him gently with your knuckles, drawing his attention to you. 

“Are you going to join them?” 

The honey-haired healer barely catches your question over the cacophony in the surf, but he smiles at the sound of your voice. He slides a hand deeper into your hair and scratches against the nape of your neck, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth when your eye flutters shut briefly. 

His eyes, chocolate brown and gleaming with the flicker of flames before you, are warm and strong. They look down at you like you’re the only thing he sees – the only thing he wants to see. 

It’s familiar. This moment is too. 

Shivering gently from the weight of his gaze and bones feeling mushy and warm, you look up at Yeosang and wait patiently for his answer. 

“No, not yet,” he whispers in return, expression soft and eyes tender. “I’m very happy where I am right now.” 

You inhale deeply through your nose, recalling when he spoke the same words so long ago. The exhale that shudders through your lungs is accompanied by the sound of Yeosang’s deep, honey-sweet voice. 

“I‘m happy here with you.” 

He finally has the courage to say it. 

You look away from Yeosang so he doesn’t see the water welling in your lone eye. The stroke of thanks you brush across his skin is enough to let him know what you mean. The swell of electricity zinging beneath your skin leaves you breathless and you lean into Yeosang’s legs to combat the shift in emotion. 

The healer hums sweetly in response, unable to look away from you. He examines you as you watch his partners, lifting his head when another uproar of laughter erupts when Hongjoong overpowers Wooyoung in whatever game they’re playing in the waves. 

But when you glance back at Yeosang shyly, you see it. 

You see the way he looks at you now. 

With stars in his gaze and affection glimmering in the shine of his irises, you see the way Yeosang’s features melt so sweetly as he watches you. He looks at you the way he looks at them; like he’s staring at his very heart and soul – like there’s nothing else in the world he’d rather gaze upon than your face warmed by the flicker of roaring flames and your one eye finally staring back into his. No apprehension, this time. No fear or confusion or worry or an amalgamation of all of them together. You just… look back at him. 

Just like how he looks at you. 

When Seonghwa and Mingi rejoin the parade, kicking up salt water and spinning through the shallows, the boys cheer gleefully and begin to dance. It’s chaotic and a mess of stumbling and laughter, but it’s dancing nonetheless. The sound of their joy is infectious and spreads along the beach until it reaches you and Yeosang.

But he’s not listening to them. He’s listening to you. His ears are trained on the sound that erupts from his feet, bubbling from your lips in a noise he’s been praying to hear. 

Laughter. 

You’re laughing. 

There’s this bright, heart-stopping smile spread across your lips as you look up at Yeosang and listen to your family dance on the beach. Your shoulders shake softly with the movement of your laughter, and Yeosang can feel the vibrations of your chest pressed against his leg. It starts as a muffled giggle, barely concealed by your smile, but it deepens into a hearty laugh from deep in your belly. 

He cannot tear his eyes from you. 

You laugh. 

You laugh and you look up at him with stars in your eyes and his heart in your hands, and it takes every fiber of his strength not to lean forward and drown himself in the taste of your lips. It’s all he wants – all he needs, he swears it. One taste of your lips would sate him for life, even though he knows he’d never be able to tear himself away again. 

When you lean upwards, grabbing ahold of his fingers and pulling them towards you, Yeosang’s mouth parts to suck in a breath. 

You kiss his fingers. 

By the Gods, maybe that was a lie. One kiss would never be enough to sate him – there would never be enough of your touch or your kisses that could ever appease his soul. Even if he were immortal and your paths intertwined until the last of the stars burned from the sky, not even then would he have enough of you. 

You laugh again, grinning up at Yeosang with a toothy smile and the corner of your mouth digging into your mask. If he wasn’t already sitting, he swears he would drop to his knees at your side. 

He loves it – the sounds of your laughter. No matter how raw or croaked the sound is, he adores it. The sound of your voice once made his heart race with glee, but this… This is different. 

It’s so much more. 

This is joy. Unbridled and unashamed and so clearly you. It’s your laughter, your glee, your happiness that sinks beneath his sin and lights his nerves on fire. It’s your smile and your giggles that make his heart swell. Yeosang adores it. He adores you. 

He cannot help the way he slides off the driftwood log and into the sand at your side. Yeosang is pulling you into his chest before you can question his actions. He wraps an arm around your shoulders and pulls your head into his neck, pressing you as tight to his chest as he possibly can. 

“You’re laughing…” he whispers as he huffs in disbelief. “Bug! You’re laughing!” 

The second time Yeosang utters the phrase, it’s shouted cheerfully as he squeezes you tight into his chest. His heart thumps brazenly beneath his ribs, and he can feel the pulse of yours against his own. You giggle again, wiggling to readjust yourself as you sink into the honey of his embrace. Yeosang’s heart trills excitedly again. 

Yunho’s head darts upwards from the beach, startled by Yeosang’s call. 

“What?” 

San hears Yunho’s whispered disbelief and stands from the surf, attention drawn over towards you and Yeosang. “What did he just say?” 

“It’s Bug,” Hongjoong answers, standing behind Yunho with his eyes blown wide. His heart stutters once in his chest as he takes in the sight of your shoulders shaking gently with your giggles. He can’t hear the sound of them, but Gods does he wish he could. “Bug’s laughing.” 

“Holy shit…” 

Yunho takes off from the beach without another word. He doesn’t even hear who curses.

Sand kicks up from his feet as he sprints towards you and Yeosang with his heart in his throat and a watery grin on his lips. He doesn’t even need to turn around to know that San is the one on his heels. Yunho knows the sound of San’s muffled sobs just as well as he knows the beat of his heart. Wooyoung is not far behind, a bubble of laughter leaving his lips and a chain missing from his wrist. Nothing binds him to that place anymore. You set him free. 

Hongjoong and Mingi chase after the others, and the Captain manages to get some revenge for the day before as he shoves his guard into the surf on the way. Hongjoong’s mirthful chuckles as Mingi shouts are heard when Jongho pulls Seonghwa behind him, urging the archer to move faster. 

“Bug!” 

Your head pulls from Yeosang’s neck, that toothy grin still on your face just as Yunho collides with you and the honey-haired healer. The two of you sway as Yunho’s weight sinks into your figures, but Yeosang sets an arm down into the sand to support you. The black and white strands of San and Wooyoung’s hair drip with salt water as they throw themselves onto Yunho’s lap with a shout. Mingi follows just after, likely having passed Hongjoong on the beach with the length of his strides. He shakes his wet hair as he clings onto Yunho’s back and Wooyoung complains despite the fact that he’s already soaking wet. The giggly sound of Mingi’s laughter makes you chuckle again.

You laugh, as if it’s as easy as breathing. 

Yeosang watches, his eyes welling with happy tears as he continues to cling onto you with one hand. He watches you giggle and the others pile into your space and listens to his new favorite sound. 

Gods, he adores you. He adores them – this family. 

Yunho is crying, his lip wobbling as he buries his head into your hair. He’s at your back, chest shaking with the sound of his watery sobs. 

“Tiny…” he cries, but it’s a happy weep. You reach around to cling onto one of his hands. Yunho squeezes you tight, stealing the air right from your lungs, but you don’t need it. You would happily breathe in the pure euphoria of this moment instead. “Tiny, you’re laughing.” 

San buries his wet hair into your lap with a joyful sound and the giggles commence again. The healer’s heart throbs so strongly but so pleasantly he thinks it will burst. You have a laugh that makes others laugh with you. Just like Wooyoung, he realizes. 

Your other hand drops from Yeosang’s back to brush through San’s hair once and the healer looks up at you with glimmering half-moon eyes and a dimple poking out of his cheek. You allow your finger to poke the sweet little spot this time. His cheek muscles ache from how big his smile is. San nuzzles closer to your stomach and you let yourself shiver pleasantly, far too happy to deny yourself the joy of this moment. 

You’re pretty, San thinks to himself. So pretty. Especially when you laugh. 

Wooyoung melts into Hongjoong’s side and the Captain wraps an arm around his shoulder. They stand just behind Yunho, burying their happy tears into each other as Seonghwa pulls them close. Mingi and Jongho sink into the sand behind Yunho and pull each other tight. The taller guard squeezes his eyes shut and presses his lips into Jongho’s forehead, desperately hoping all his adoration is conveyed through the kiss. Jongho reaches out to squeeze Yunho’s shoulder and rests his weight against his elder’s back. 

“I know,” you finally whisper into the space that separates you and Yunho. “I’m happy.” 

One hand lifts to pull the mask away from your face. Without a moment’s hesitation, your nimble fingers detangle the knot from behind you, and you drop the obsidian mask into the sand. A hand wraps around your fingers when you finally let it go. Someone draws a line along the length of your left ring finger and twines their fingers with your own. They squeeze three times. 

You repeat the gesture, tracing a finger down the fourth finger on their left hand, right over the thin, dark band you know is tattooed there. You squeeze their hand three times. This sign needs no translation. 

You open both eyes. 

“I’m so happy.” 

bonus:

stranger: so who would you choose; ateez or–

reader: ateez.

stranger: you didn't even let me finish, ateez or–

reader, not missing a beat: ateez. I choose ateez.

a/n: This currently takes place sometime after the main storyline (probably xD) so it accounts for the boys knowing parts of Bug’s past (not revealed but it’s mentioned they know). For now, I won't consider these oneshots canon simply because I won’t know where it fits in the timeline HAHA xD this is essentially just a little bit of fluffy comfort for those who have been missing Bug and the boys! I’m catching up on their story but I hope you enjoy this filler for now <33 ALSO disclaimer, don’t pick stuff out of tide pools! my marine biologist family is screaming at me for including that xD just leave the creatures alone in their habitats!

sorry if bug seems a little ooc here! Loren and I have decided that bug goes from black cat energy to golden retriever after enough time with atz :’))) This is supposed to take place sometime in the future where she’s healed a little more and is a little more curious and open. There are a lot of references to things that have yet to happen in ltm so this is kind of a teaser for those xD 

also shoutout to the loml @eightmakesonebraincell for the majority of the ideas in this :D she's a real one xD

taglist: *If you don't see your name on this taglist, you may have been removed if your tag doesn't work :( let me know if you don't see your name and I'll try to see what we can do to fix it :D

@verseoks @smallfrye @istgcyj @rensunjun @flowrsforfun @justchaoticwhispers @gayliljoong @http-lovelyknow @kpopnightingale @rielleluvs @queentiti72 @paralumanniluna @chittaphonstar @dear-dreamie @bangtanxberm @havetaeminforbreakfast @knucklesdeepmingi @pingyu-in-wonderland @5sos-wdw @atzcoke @ddeonghwva @sophxom @khjcoo @sunukissed @becauseiloveyunho @atinymonbebestay @goldenstarmermaid @simplyaghostsworld @multifandomizer @yeosangs-left-ass-cheek @revehosh @mysticfire0435 @side-angel @taestrwbrry @billboard-singer @jenseok17 @parkthothwa8 @jcngh0-hq @dream-in-progress @dees-writing-corner @frankenstein852 @darkdayelixer @ateezkeepmysoul @maruskz @ahhhhhhhhhghh @honeyhotteoks @simeonswhore @jxxngieteez

#ateez x reader #like the moon #poly!ateez x reader #poly ateez #ot8 x reader #ateez au #ateez x oc #poly ateez x reader #ateez angst #ateez fluff #ateez x female reader #kim hongjoong x reader #park seonghwa x reader #yunho x reader #kang yeosang x reader #mingi x reader #choi san x reader #wooyoung x reader #jongho x reader #ot8 ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez imagine #ateez fanfic #woosan x reader

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Horizon (Chapter 1)

series masterlist

faerieprince!san x oc

royal/fantasy au, soulmate au

chapter wc: ~20k

chapter warnings: fluff, angst, tragedy, violence warnings, mention of death/su!cide, past traumas, a lot of atz interactions

chapter synopsis: gaeul gains consciousness after coming back from the dead, finding her magic reversing. the eight faerie princes and the princess can feel her presence disrupting the flow of nature. as wooyoung comes across gaeul and offers his help along with jongho, san arrives and finds that his connection with gaeul is unique. they start connecting dots and realise this might be the doing of an old enemy. seonghwa and yena worry it might be a result of a time anomaly. elsewhere, hongjoong sets to investigate the source and the case of the missing faeries with mingi, yeosang and yunho.

All Gaeul knew as dark spots started appearing in front of her eyes was the utter wrongness of this all.

All that she knew nothing of.

Nothing made sense anymore. The pain coursing through her body made her hurl her guts out into the potted plant in front of her and she almost fainted. She barely heard the passersby panic as they watched her skin turn from a dangerous pale to a flushed colour, to their surprise. Usually it was the other way.

Gaeul's head threatened to explode with the pain. She couldn't register anything at that moment. She didn't feel two wrinkly yet feminine hands grab her by the arms. She didn't feel someone carry her on their back. Neither did she recall how exactly she passed out.

She just knew that everything was wrong. She was supposed to be dead, yet she was breathing-

Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong-

—----------------

The glass of wine shattered dramatically on the floor, the red colour of the drink staining the white rug, to everyone's disappointment but more so surprise. San blinked a few times as if coming out of a trance.

"Are you okay?" Seokmin frowned, for once worried, unlike his usually cheerful and 'everything is fun and games unless someone is dying' manner. Though one could argue that he worried more than the rest. 

San nodded, resting his hand on the ash ends of his overgrown hair. He bent down to pick up the shards but one of the cleaners made it disappear with a wave of his hand. San nodded in silent thanks.

"You don't look like it, man, I'm just saying," San’s Right Hand glanced at Mingyu who nodded, the two of them ganging up to stare at San. "You've been more clumsy ever since we came back from Wooyoung’s kingdom four months ago."

“I think he’s been clumsier ever since Antares.”

Antares, in Hongjoong's Kingdom. The City of Lights, representative of the Prince of Light itself. The place where everything concluded. 

Everything, San summed it up in his head. The past two years had been the strangest of his life. He had somehow ended up meeting Yeosang's lost twin, Yena. The Princess of Space to the Prince of Spirit. San had also ended up helping the Lost Princess who wasn't aware of her identity at that time. During that process, he helped reclaim her powers and brought her back into everyone's life. Watched her battle her worst enemy who was once her best friend. Watched her fall in love with Seonghwa, the Prince of Dark. What a pair they made-

"San?" Mingyu called out and San hummed in response, aware that he hadn't really been listening to whatever he had said. "Where's your mind right now?"

"Away, away," San almost sang, playing it off with a smile sent at his guard. "Lost in the complexity of time and space."

"I get that," Seokmin agreed. "Sometimes when I'm working, this sudden realisation dawns upon me- ahh, that's what happened! You know? You suddenly recall something and realise how fate played us all for Princess Yena."

"Exactly," San laughed. "I mean, we did relive some piece of our life twice because she time travelled to save Seonghwa. I like to think back and wonder how it happened."

"You've been doing a lot of that lately. You don't look well, San," Mingyu was worried. "You've been way too clumsy on your feet. You'd think as the Prince of Earth, you'd be steadier."

"I've only grown weary," San got up, looking pointedly at the two of his closest court members. "I just need to rest. I'm absolutely fine. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

“There’s also the matter of the missing faeries- the number has risen from two to six in the last few months,” Seokmin sighed, showing San the reports. San scrolled through them, not really reading but thinking as Seokmin explained. “No traces detected. But a common occurrence is that all of them went missing in the thick of the forest or near the river. One witness reported some sort of a creature-”

“Could be a shapeshifter who’s doing the deed then,” San tossed the reports. “Send guards at the sites to investigate- and go along with them, the both of you. I need you two to report to me as soon as possible.”

Before the two of them could protest, San strolled outside the office, walking casually enough to his chamber. Once he was in the privacy of his room, he rushed to the sink and washed his face with cold water, watching his hands shake.

His heart had sank dangerously a few minutes ago- it wasn't the usual nervousness. It was a sign that something was wrong in this land- something so wrong unlike anything he had ever felt before. Maybe the ‘creature’ wasn’t even a faerie at all. Maybe that’s what it was.

Something was absolutely, utterly wrong. And it was calling out to him.

—----------------

"Madame! Wake up! Can you hear me?"

Gaeul clenched her eyes shut, wondering if she could cease to exist. But the voice only grew louder, forcing her to reality and she opened her eyes after a few not so gentle taps to her cheek.

"You need to drink this," the old woman forced the tip of the bowl to her mouth, making Gaeul swallow the bitter liquid that could only be medicine. She wanted to tell her that no medicine would work on her. How she knew that, she wasn't aware but she just knew, and she had only proven it in the previous few days as she threw up anything she ate, bleeding from her nose or eyes a few times a day, fainting horribly and whatnot. 

The healers believed she was cursed at this point. They had never seen a faerie who could be in this condition and not simply die. It's like the very thing that had forced her into this condition was also the thing keeping her alive.

"Where am I?" Gaeul asked, aware that she didn't have much time before she would start feeling sick again. She looked at the various shelves lined with jars of what looked like anything from food to medicine to potions. A few frames of what looked like her family sat on the table by the fireplace.

"It's my house but also a clinic," the woman passed her a wet towel to wipe her face.

"No, I mean… What city? What kingdom?"

"Oh dear," she tucked Gaeul's dark hair behind her ears. "You're in Nunki. Kingdom of Sagittarius? Prince Wooyoung's territory? Recall how you got here?"

Oh she recalled, alright. Somehow, she had found herself in the middle of a forest, no memory of how she had gotten there. Gaeul recalled bits and pieces- something that she wasn't sure was memory, past life, or worse. Or maybe it was both- she had no idea. All she recalled right now was what might have been her 'death'- killed by the man with hair the colour of blood. Why? She did not recall.

But if it really was a recent memory, how was she alive without a scar of that blow? How was she here, existing? Or was it just her imagination, a dream? Gaeul almost scratched her hair out and the old woman who had gone to get her some snacks frowned at her. 

"Maybe we should take you to the High Healers. I've never heard or seen something like this, I'll tell you the truth. I can't do much except give you rejuvenating potions."

"Uh, thank you, but I think I'll pass-" she coughed, her hand reflexively going to cover her mouth, feeling something wet- blood. 

Internal bleeding? Great, she thought. Just what she needed.

"Yeah… I think not," the woman rolled her sleeves determinedly, setting her herbs down. "Wash up if you can, I'm calling the carriage."

Gaeul decided she was too weak to protest so she got up with immense struggle and made it to the toilet, retching her guts out and crying before coming out.

"See? You look a mere second away from death. Let's go."

—--------------

“Ah, the air doesn’t smell right these days.”

“Maybe you should admit that your sense of smell has gotten weak,” Siyeon looked at her Prince. Wooyoung frowned at her.

“I’m the Prince of Air. There’s no way my sense of smell can get bad.”

“Maybe he just sniffed himself,” Changbin commented as he walked in front of the two, dumping their camping bags in front of them unceremoniously. “What do you think?”

Siyeon grinned and Wooyoung shook his head at his Right Hand and Guard. “You lot will never understand.”

After bickering back and forth for a few moments while the three set up their tent, Wooyoung went to wash his face at the stream just a few feet ahead while Changbin and Siyeon looked at each other, worried. 

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” Changbin asked.

“Last time he smelled something funny, it was Princess Yena. Remember how he complained about smelling something strange ever since she stepped on this continent?”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Changbin watched the Prince wipe his face and look at the mountains distantly. “I mean, everything’s been peaceful. It’s been more than two years, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Siyeon bit her lip nervously. “Let me casually ask him what exactly smells so strange to him later.”

“You two look awfully serious,” Wooyoung commented as he walked back, sitting in front of the wood that Siyeon had gathered. Siyeon sat cross-legged in front of him, lighting a fire with a click of her fingers. 

“We’re not always cackling like someone I know,” she grinned and Wooyoung rolled his eyes. 

“I have to admit that it’s nice to be out,” he leaned back, looking up at the cloudy sky. “I haven’t really had time to breathe ever since we came back from Antares, isn’t that so?”

“Yep,” Changbin said. “It was busier than we expected.”

“Well, the Lost Princess was found and now she rightfully sits on her throne. The people still have mixed feelings.”

“Can’t blame them, but if they knew of the hell that she, that you all have been through for peace to come… I think they will stop complaining.”

“Well, we can’t exactly tell people that the Princess went back in time and travelled different dimensions to defeat the monster- that darkling who could very well have destroyed our planet,” Wooyoung looked at Siyeon, having proven his point, inhaling deeply and wrinkling his nose. 

“You still smell something funny?” Changbin teased.

“What exactly can you smell?” Siyeon asked casually. 

“I don’t know, is what’s strange,” Wooyoung sighed, looking grim. “It’s not far. But it’s… nothing I’ve ever smelt before. With Yena, I could feel her magic and tell that it resembled Yeosang, but this? This just smells… wrong, somehow. Not of this world. I can’t really pinpoint the source either.”

Siyeon straightened- as the Prince’s Right Hand, jokes and teasing aside, she knew never to take anything he said unseriously. “Do you think it’s a darkling?”

“No, it’s not that,” Wooyoung looked sure, sniffing the air again for good measure. “If faeries, minus their magic scent, smell like honey, darklings have this inherent ‘burnt’ scent. Like burnt wood- not necessarily the bad kind. I can’t smell magic on whatever this thing is. I only smell… burnt honey. Does that make sense?”

Changbin couldn’t help but scoff at that. “A mix?”

“No, no, nevermind what I just said,” Wooyoung straightened. “This just smells… wrong. Like it’s not supposed to be here. Look at this,” Wooyoung slid his sleeve up, showing the raised hair on his arms. “I literally have goosebumps just after a whiff of it.”

“What if it’s your soulmate?” Siyeon wiggled her brows and Wooyoung narrowed his eyes at her.

“I don’t think my soulmate would smell wrong to me, Siyeon. Jokes aside, should we inspect?”

“Isn’t today your day off?” Changbin asked.

“Well,” Wooyoung got up, brushing his clothes, shaking his head so the dark tendrils of his hair messed up before he swept them back. “I don’t think us Princes can ever have a day off. And there’s also the matter of the missing faeries. There really can’t be peace even among the same race, huh?”

Siyeon scoffed. “Our fathers gave their lives to transport all faerie-kind to this planet, away from the cruelty of humans and darklings, and all it takes is two decades before we start acting like the very creatures we ran away from.”

“Let’s hope it is only a faerie, Siyeon,” Wooyoung looked grim. “Let’s hope.”

—----------------

Gaeul was pretty sure that she had passed out for most of the carriage ride before the woman stopped the carriage, waking her up. 

“We’ve travelled for six hours now. I stopped two hours ago too but you were out cold. Now is the time to wash up and eat something. We’re stopping at an inn, come on now.”

Gaeul sat up straight, waiting for her head to stop spinning. “Are we staying here for the night?”

“That’s right,” she said, extending a hand and Gaeul took it as she jumped down, grateful the woman had not put her in a dress- just loose trousers and a shirt. “Come on, let’s get you inside and see if you can eat.”

She ordered soup and bread for Gaeul and she played with the bread, not feeling very hungry though her stomach grumbled. “Why are you helping me?”

“Why not?” She said, urging Gaeul to eat. “I’m not going to ask you to return the favour, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m just doing my duty. I’m going to drop you off at the High Healers and then you can forget about me, if that’s what you wish.”

“No, no, I… I didn’t mean it like that. Thank you for helping me,” Gaeul folded her arms, hugging herself. “It’s just… I wish I hadn’t been a burden to you.”

“Well, thanks to you, I get to meet my old friends in the palace,” the woman smiled and Gaeul sighed internally.

The Palace. She had forgotten the High Healers resided in the same space as the Prince. She briefly wondered if she would get to see Prince Wooyoung from afar. 

“I can’t eat more,” Gaeul apologised and the woman told her not to force herself. She led her to a room, Gaeul taking the mattress and sitting down in front of the window, staring wistfully at the two suns that lit the sky, the purple one brighter than the orange, casting a dark but purple glow across the night sky with a slight orange tint. 

Now that her head was clearer, she could recall something that felt like her own life, yet she watched it through a third eye. Fragments of herself playing on the beach, using her magic to grow flowers out of thin air or breathe life into dying animals- was she a healer? She couldn’t exactly recall. Gaeul raised her hands in the air, willing some sort of magic to come to her but she felt worse than empty. There was this pit in her heart that she was sure had never been there before. And it felt wrong.

Gaeul tried harder but it only made blood trickle down her nose and before she could wipe it, she fainted into the endless bliss. 

—-----------------

Yena woke up covered in sweat and out of breath again.

She was glad Seonghwa was beside her. He was sleeping peacefully and Yena smiled at that, sliding out of the covers careful not to wake him up as she tiptoed to the bathroom, wanting to take off everything and just sit in some cold water. 

She let the cold water soak her body, sliding down the tub until the tip of her chin touched the surface. She shut her eyes and tried to recall if she had seen a nightmare, but as the several times before, she knew she had seen no dream or nightmare. She had simply woken up, feeling that something wasn’t right. 

This feeling wasn’t new to Yena at all. Her magic was very sensitive and she could sense something wrong even when her magic was blocked and she wasn’t aware of her identity. But this feeling was new, and it unsettled her in ways that she couldn’t explain. Like an impending doom. 

She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt Seonghwa’s hand on her hand, sighing in relief when she opened her eyes and saw it was only her husband. Seonghwa frowned but smiled. “What’s wrong, love? You didn’t even sense me coming.”

“I was just thinking,” Yena squeezed Seonghwa’s hand. 

“That same feeling again? Woke you up?”

“Yeah,” she slid further down in the tub, her blonde hair floating around her. “Something isn’t right in this… world right now, Seonghwa. I don’t know how big or small it is, if it’s here on this planet or in one of my dimensions or on another planet, but… something that is not supposed to exist is present- I can feel it. Tell me you feel it too.”

Seonghwa hesitated but finally nodded- Yena, of all people, should know. “I don’t know how exactly but I just know that it’s dark in nature- not necessarily a darkling,” Seonghwa added when he felt Yena tense. “It’s not that. It’s… something or someone, and if it’s a person, it’s not a darkling. I can’t say if it’s a faerie either. I just know that it is out of place. It shouldn’t be here.”

“So you can feel the darkness in magic too, Prince of Dark?”

“That’s the thing which is confusing me,” Seonghwa sighed. I can’t really feel any sort of magic. Not yet. Maybe it’s not magical, whatever this is.”

“Seonghwa,” Yena shut her eyes. She didn’t need to say more- Seonghwa could hear it anyway since he was touching her. Yena pushed her thoughts in his mind-

I’m so tired. Whatever this is… it’s wearing me out. I’m not ready for whatever it is. But… I know that I can’t ignore it either.

Seonghwa squeezed her hand, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re not alone this time. All of us are with you. Let me send a message to the others, see if they’ve felt something amiss too. Let’s rest for now, eh?”

Yena nodded, splashing water on her face that merged with the tears that rolled down her eyes before Seonghwa could see it.

—--------------------

Gaeul couldn’t breathe.

She woke up in the middle of the night, out of breath. The calm and chill breeze flowing through the open window did nothing to calm her down. She had to go outside, right now. She almost shook the woman awake but decided against it, stumbling down the stairs and making her way out and gasping for air as if she was being suffocated.

This wasn’t anything new. Many times her healer had caught her outside, unconscious, mostly a bloody mess. She would try to wake her up for a few moments before giving up and dragging her back. But this time…

Gaeul didn’t feel sick. For the first time in whatever length of time had passed, Gaeul suddenly could see and feel. Her head had never been clearer. 

As if in a trance, Gaeul looked at her hands, sinking to the ground and picking up a wilting daisy. Gaeul tried recalling how her magic worked- it was second nature to her, from what she had recalled so far.

Gaeul shut her eyes, trying to reach her heart and will her magic to unleash, but the pit, that goddamned endless pit in her heart called to her and-

Gaeul was down memory lane. The redhead who had killed her mercilessly- why? What crime had she committed? Was it a past life? If so, why did she not remember anything-

“Are you okay?” She heard the familiar voice of the healer and it pulled her out of her trance. Gaeul turned her neck back to look at the woman who approached her cautiously.

“I just needed some air,” Gaeul got up, exhaling. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I just felt strange. Woke up to see you weren’t there with me so I decided to check. Are you sure you feel okay?”

“Yeah, I feel better, I was just-” Gaeul looked at the flower in her palm, her eyes widening with horror as she saw it was no longer wilted but dead.

“I was just looking at this… flower,” Gaeul managed to say out loud. The woman raised a brow, inspecting the flower in her palm. 

“This looks… why is this grey?” 

“That’s what I’m saying,” Gaeul locked eyes with her. “It’s beyond dead.”

—---------------

Jongho felt it then. The strange feeling that had been looming around him for a few months now… he couldn’t deny it anymore or shrug it off as some sort of a nervous spell. It was real and existing. 

And it was unnatural in every sense.

Jongho wiped sweat off his forehead and walked to the garden right outside his room. He had to check something and he hoped he would get answers. He sat down on the grass, closing his eyes and sending himself in a meditative state as his powers reached out and connected with everything that was natural around him.

He had no idea how long he stayed like that, but he could feel his skin warm up- the sun was probably out now which meant that he had been here for hours now. His magic reached out and further, linking with everything until he finally found the one thing that it didn’t connect with-

It made Jongho queasy in a matter of seconds and he tried wrapping his magic around it- it was a person, alright. He could hear the heartbeat. But the magic that it contained, it was no longer natural. And the very existence of this person…

His magic repelled and came back with a jolt, making Jongho gasp and clutch his throat as he normalised his breathing.

This wasn’t right. Something had gone incredibly wrong, and he needed to see the others right now. But first… he would go to Wooyoung and get his help in pinpointing who exactly this was.

Jongho got up, walking to his room, hearing the faint knocks on his door before it opened to reveal his Right Hand, Jooheon, who waved cheerfully but the smile fell off his face. “Have you been up all night? Because you look like a mess. Should I call the healers?”

“No, it’s okay,” Jongho almost tripped on his feet, laughing a bit. “Just used my magic all night, no big deal-”

Jooheon watched Jongho’s eyes roll back before he fell unceremoniously on, thankfully, the couch, though the position looked painful. Jooheon tsk-ed, shaking his head at how Jongho had tried shrugging it off. “Hyungwon! The Prince has fainted!”

Hyungwon peeked inside, narrowing his eyes at Jooheon who told him that Jongho had been awake all night. “Are you sure he didn’t just fall back to sleep after spending all his magic?”

He hadn’t.

—----------------

Yunho was the first one who received Seonghwa’s message. He read it over and over again, then tossed the paper into the nearest water body, dissolving it and making it one with the water.

If you have seen or felt something strange or wrong, unfamiliar or unnatural, whatever it was, report now.

Yunho couldn’t help but throw his head in his hands as he wondered how whatever he had felt months ago was related to this. He recalled the night from four months ago when he had started feeling a strange pit in his stomach, like a gut feeling that something was about to happen.

He had gone to the shore for a week straight, trying to feel it out, but it was just so unfamiliar. He had no idea what it was. Nobody around him felt it, so he wondered if it was just inside his head. He wondered if he needed to meet up with his friends and had been lonely recently.

He met up with Mingi. He stayed in his kingdom for two days. He didn’t feel anything there, but as he travelled back, the feeling grew stronger and stronger. He tried to find the source, swam endlessly in the ocean but to no avail. 

And then one day, as quick as it had appeared, it disappeared completely. Yunho wondered then- had someone practised dark magic? 

Somehow, the feeling reminded him very much of the one he’d got when Yena had been dumped in the middle of the ocean after jumping back in time and Yunho, unaware of her existence, had known a part of him was in danger and had gone to save her without knowing who he was saving.

Now he felt that he was in danger. Everyone was. It was like the same feeling yet its meaning was the opposite.

It felt wrong.

And last night, he had felt it briefly again. He had wondered if he was flipping but now he knew that he was still sane, alright. 

Yunho sighed, going to his room and picking up a pen, beginning to write on the note.

Seonghwa and Yena.

Something is not right. I can’t explain it here, but I have a feeling that it’s connected to all of us. We have done something wrong.

—----------------

Gaeul couldn’t believe what she just did. 

After summoning up her magic for the first time in as long as she could remember, she breathed death into a flower instead of life. She couldn’t believe her eyes. 

And it didn’t stop at that. When Gaeul followed the old woman inside and she touched her forehead to heal her, the woman jolted back as if she had been hit by an electric current. 

“What have you done?” She simply asked before she fell unconscious. Gaeul almost thought she had killed her too, but when her panic wore off she saw the healer’s chest still rising up and down, though slow enough to call for some medical attention. However, Gaeul was in no state to try that. She wasn’t even sure if she was a danger by simply being near. So Gaeul did what she had been doing for a while now- she ran.

She couldn’t risk being discovered anymore. She was a danger to all the living beings around her- her magic was getting out of control and as she dived deeper into the forest, she realised the trees around her that were unfortunate to have touched her were all wilting and dying as well.

She was death itself.

Gaeul had no idea how long she ran but she stopped when she heard the faint footsteps of men and a horse. Gaeul hid behind a tree, careful not to touch it. She peeked to see the two figures clad in black, muttering something. 

Gaeul decided it was time to calm herself before she did any more damage. She shut her eyes and inhaled, breathing deeply in.

Everything would be okay. She would be okay. She would go to the High Healers herself. She would figure this out. There was no reason to give up yet-

She heard- no, felt something whip through the forest behind her-

“What have we got here?”

Gaeul’s eyes flew open- she hadn’t even heard the men come in front of her. The other man scanned her rather slowly, up and down. She gulped. 

“What’s this pretty little thing doing in the middle of the forest at this hour?”

This wasn’t good. Her calm heart started beating rapidly again and she could feel the magic stirring in her stomach- perhaps their horse felt it too, because it panicked as soon as their eyes met. One of the men tried to hold its reins but the horse ran in the opposite direction, making the man follow him. The other who simply watched shook his head. 

“He always gets unlucky at times like this,” he scoffed, but it changed into a smirk that made Gaeul draw back until her back touched the tree. “Perhaps, I can offer you some help-”

She felt something whoosh past where the horse and man had just been running off to. The man in front of her turned too, frowning but dismissing it as nothing. Gaeul decided to use the distraction to her favour- heavens knew what prowled in the forest at this hour.

“I’m- I’m good,” Gaeul managed to say, “I’ll be on my way.”

Gaeul started turning away, wanting to run, but the man grabbed her arm and Gaeul tried snatching it with a glare, but he pulled her forward. 

“Now, now,” he whispered, “Be a good girl for me, will you?”

Something went off inside Gaeul. She nodded and grabbed his other hand, and shut her eyes, sending her magic through, and it wasn’t until she heard the man gasp for breath that she opened her eyes to see that he had shrivelled, just like the flower.

That was not what Gaeul had intended to do. She dropped her hands but the remains of her magic inside the man made sure that every last ounce of life was sucked out from him. Gaeul’s eyes blurred and she started running away, unable to breathe or run properly, but she couldn’t stop.

She had just killed a man.

She had not just killed. She had done something else. 

She slowed down and spotted a set of yellow glowing eyes growing closer with every second, eyes that had to be larger than her hands. The sinister feeling of the creature and the magic inside her was so overwhelming that she welcomed unconsciousness.

—-------------------

Yeosang felt it the minute that it happened. 

Someone had died a horribly gruesome death- nothing like he had felt before.

As the Prince of Spirit, he didn’t feel everyone’s death. That would be too much for him. But sometimes, the spirits who were still in pain after their death… he felt that. He didn’t share their pain but he could feel that they were hurt. 

Yeosang was still lying on his bed, having woken up from his sleep the moment he felt it. He decided to check and see if he could get answers. Yeosang shut his eyes and focused on the deepest part of his mind, which was when his own spirit dissociated from his body and his soul shifted to the dimension that was a gateway for souls itself.

The spirit wasn’t far- not for Yeosang, who could jump directly to the spirit he wanted to meet. Yeosang tried doing that, but to his surprise, it didn’t work. His heart sank- something was wrong- not with him, but with the entire situation.

Yeosang roamed around in that dimension- it was all bleak and cloudy with no clues to what direction you were travelling in. He thought for a few moments and decided he would take another way- jump to the spirit nearest to his target.

But as soon as he did that, Yeosang fell on his knees. He could feel the spirit’s pain now. Yeosang struggled to breathe, getting up on his feet with immense effort and almost crawling towards the source.

If Yeosang was in his body then, he would have thrown up after seeing the grey ‘corpse’ that he saw. There was absolutely no way- the spirits that walked this dimension carried no scars of their life. But somehow… 

“What happened?” Yeosang asked the walking corpse- its eyes were sunken and the only thing that gave indication of life. The skin was grey, hair burnt, all bones and skin.

The poor spirit tried speaking but it looked like it no longer held that ability. Yeosang sighed, walking to the spirit and touching it- he felt the unnaturalness of whatever had hurt it. 

“I can rid you of your pain, if you don’t wish to walk in this dimension eternally like this. It is time to make a decision- do you want to stay because of some unfinished business, move on to a place I cannot guarantee might be heaven or hell, or cease to exist?”

The spirit held up three fingers. Yeosang nodded, touching its forehead and watched it disappear- not into smoke like spirits usually did, but into ashes.

Yeosang prayed no one else would meet a fate like him.

—-------------------

Mingi couldn’t sleep- not after feeling a soul burn twice.

Ever since Mingi had saved Yena from being their darkling enemy’s hostage and Yena had accidentally taken Mingi to another timeless dimension, Mingi could feel magic deeper than ever. He always thought being the Prince of Fire meant fire on the surface, the element of fire, but it was more than that, he learned after. 

The first time he experienced a soul burning was when Yeosang had done the ‘soul extermination’, as Mingi dubbed it. Mingi had woken up with something like hot flashes, and no amount of cold showers could make him feel better. He talked to Yeosang, who was living nearest to him as they shared a continent. Yeosang then explained that some spirits in one of his dimensions could turn evil or become a threat if they stayed for too long and refused to move on. In cases like these, Yeosang would ‘kill’ the spirit. Yeosang was surprised to learn that it felt like burning- but how Mingi could feel it, he had no idea.

“Must be because of Yena and staying in that dimension for too long,” Yeosang had told him. “When you are somewhere you are not supposed to be, you live with the consequences. Looks like you can feel the fire inside of a soul now, Mingi.”

He was right. Mingi could feel when a living soul was burning with too much magic, something the possessor’s body couldn’t handle. Mingi could also feel whenever Yeosang burnt a spirit.

But he had never felt a soul burn twice- and both of those felt wrong in a way. Unnatural. Yeosang burning a spirit never felt wrong.

Mingi got up and decided to write a fire message to Yeosang. 

Not sure if this was normal, but a soul burned. Twice. It felt wrong. Did you mess up or something? Because I’m getting a very strange feeling.

Mingi tossed the paper into the air and it caught flames, burning and disappearing. He waited for a reply, and when he got it, his heart sank to his feet.

You’re right. It is wrong and unnatural. This wasn’t me. Something’s walking around burning souls from the inside out. Not like you- not with fire. It’s like someone breathed death into the soul. I’m sending a message to Seonghwa- maybe he or Yena knows something. You should talk to Hongjoong- he might have something related to this in his big old library.

Mingi decided to send a fire message to Hongjoong in the morning- he wasn’t sure if he was awake and had felt whatever had happened.

—-----------------

Hongjoong felt everything that happened.

It was the one power he wished he didn’t possess. He was the Prince of Light. That didn’t mean that he had to know if everything was right wherever light touched a life.

But it did. And it kept him awake more nights than he had slept peacefully in his life.

The boys- the Princes always made fun of how Hongjoong could pass out anywhere. How Hongjoong always looked like he was tired and didn’t get enough sleep. He never told them they were right- he never got enough sleep. Not since Yena went missing when she was only two. Hongjoong was three then, and he hadn’t known then but when Yena was found and everything fell back in place, he finally started getting better sleep. He searched his library for old records and realised that put simply, the reason he never got to get enough sleep in the first two decades of his life was… Yena.

When he told Yena, she couldn’t stop laughing. And then Hongjoong couldn’t stop laughing because of how mad all of this was. 

But after everything fell back in place, he slept well for a few months. He would only feel strange when someone’s magic had problems or someone tried a silly trick. Nothing that he couldn’t ignore now, given years of practice.

A few months later, he felt the strangest he had ever felt in his entire life- perhaps even more than when the darkling used his magic openly to kill. He immediately checked with Seonghwa and Yena to see if everything was fine, but they weren’t the reason this time. And they had felt it too.

Hongjoong told them not to worry about it, that sometimes, in one of the many dimensions that layered this planet, something goes wrong. It’s natural.

But this feeling was anything but natural. 

So he decided to investigate on his own. He couldn’t pinpoint a source and there was no use travelling when he had a kingdom to run. He decided to check the records then.

But it had been months and he had found nothing, and the feeling only grew until tonight, when he felt that something had shifted in the air, in magic itself. Something was not where and how it was supposed to be.

He was pretty sure he was going to get a message from one of the Princes soon. There was no way that he was the only one feeling this.

—-----------------------

Gaeul woke up not because of the loud chirps of the birds but because every part of her body was aching immensely. She sat up with much struggle, lost for a few blissful moments as she looked around her before the events of last night made her put her head in her hands and sigh.

She had just killed a man. And… there was something that approached her- a monster that might have just spared her life.

Gaeul looked around her- the grass was still green, the flowers and plants still alive. Cautiously, she plucked a wild flower from the ground and held it for a few moments.

Nothing happened.

Good, she thought. I hope I never get that magic back.

Her mouth felt parched and her stomach felt tight. She shut her eyes, listening to the sounds of nature- her fae senses still worked perfectly for some reason. She could hear some sort of water body nearby so she decided to follow the sound. 

She was on her own now with no idea of which direction she had gone. She could be straying away from the Palace, for all she knew. But then… she wondered if she wanted to endanger the innocent healers there as well. 

Plus… the Prince lived there. She was pretty sure he was strong enough to kill her with just a wave of his hand, or maybe even a mere thought. She gulped, not sure if she wanted him to do exactly that or if she wanted to run away from it.

Gaeul walked for a few hours without stopping, without thinking about her magic in case it rose back from the pit in her heart. When the sound of water became louder, she practically ran in joy, stopping at the edge of River Al-Ard, looking far into the distance at the mountains of what could only be Rukbat- the capital. The place where the Prince resided.

Gaeul’s destination.

As she washed her hands and face and sat down, sinking her feet in the water, she wondered if she was worth saving. She could not figure out if the memories she had were actually her own or hallucinations at this point. But what she was sure of was that no one cared for her. She was lost. 

And she was a danger to everyone. To herself too.

Gaeul looked up at the white fluffy clouds, smiling for the first time since she could recall. Time had only made her more miserable. Maybe she should put an end to all of it.

After all, this was a nice spot to die. 

Gaeul started sinking herself down and down into the river, until the water came to her chin. She looked up for the last time, smiling as tears ran down, before she fully submerged herself into the water-

“Not so easily, you won’t!”

Gaeul panicked, thinking someone must have tracked her down after finding the poor man she had killed. She risked a one second eye contact with whoever had called her, finding not one but three people. She instantly dived deeper in the river.

“I got this,” Changbin started towards the river but Wooyoung grabbed his arm, shaking his head.

“She’s going to kill you if she touches you, I can feel it,” Wooyoung looked as grim as he sounded. “She’s not going to drown to her death.”

“So we stand here and do nothing?” Siyeon asked.

“Just don’t get any closer than this and let me handle it,” Wooyoung warned, hands raised. He made sure the girl trying to drown wouldn’t be able to lose her breath. That was all he could do for now.

Gaeul, meanwhile, wasn’t surprised, but for a different reason. She recalled what her healer had once told her- that whatever was killing her was also keeping her alive. Gaeul thought it was her magic keeping her alive.

She wasn’t entirely wrong.

She felt the magic rolling uncontrollably in her stomach and she dreaded whatever was going to happen. 

This was a bad idea.

Gaeul knew her magic was going to explode with a burst, killing everything near it. So she dived up, trying to be faster than her magic, and she only had time to scream ‘RUN!’ before she folded in herself and her magic burst with a wave.

Wooyoung immediately drew a shield around the three of them but that wasn’t enough to hold him steady. He was thrown with the others a good few feet away, and when it was over and they got to their feet, they gasped collectively.

Everything within a few miles radius had… died. The trees were grey- Wooyoung had never seen anything like it. Everything looked like it was going to turn into ash with one touch. Remains of what could be fishes and other sea creatures unfortunate enough to have been victims of that magic floated at the surface of the sea. The birds fell as ashes floated timelessly in the air and Wooyoung touched a few, frowning because it resembled snow. 

Gaeul looked around helplessly, tears of relief rolling down her cheeks when she saw the three were alive, mixed with tears of regret- she did not want to live anymore. Not after this.

“You’re lucky I’m the Prince of Air,” Wooyoung walked carefully towards her. “Because it looks like you need help.”

Gaeul gulped as she heard that- Prince Wooyoung had somehow found her. Was she some sort of a threat that he needed to exterminate-

“I’m not going to hurt you,” his voice was calming.

“I’ll hurt you,” Gaeul’s voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to, but I don’t know what’s wrong with me, my magic isn’t right- I-”

“Slow down, slow down,” Wooyoung nodded. “First, get out of the river. Come on, take my hand.”

“You’ll die if I take your hand.”

“I won’t,” the Prince passed Gaeul a warm smile. “I can feel that your magic is spent. You’re as normal as me right now.”

Gaeul looked at him sceptically- he was the Prince. He wasn’t normal anyway. Hesitating, she swam forward and took his hand, letting him drag her out of the river. She met eyes with the others who looked like they were ready to kill her this instant.

“Relax, they’re only my guard and my Right Hand,” Wooyoung passed the two a look and they shrugged, looking helplessly at each other. “Let me dry you.”

With a wave of his hand, all the water had dried from her skin and clothes. Gaeul nervously looked down and then around her- she really had sucked the life out of everything-

Is that why she was getting better? Healthier? No, no-

“Let’s get out of here first, shall we? We just crossed the river to come here by that boat-” Wooyoung pointed at his left where at a distance the boat was tied. “Looks like we need to get back anyway. We can talk while we row.”

Once settled in the boat, Changbin and Siyeon rowing, Wooyoung sat in front of Gaeul, scanning her- she was a faerie alright. Not an ounce of darkling blood in her. But her magic wasn’t right.

“I could sense you, perhaps because you were near me. Your magic- you weren’t born with this, were you?”

“I used to breathe life into things,” Gaeul smiled helplessly. “Looks like I suck the life out now.”

“Interesting,” Wooyoung stuck his tongue in his cheek while he scanned Gaeul again. Siyeon kicked his back lightly, muttering not to freak the girl out. Wooyoung shook his head. “So, how did you get here?”

“I don’t know, actually. I’m really confused about why and how I’m here. I think I lost my memories or something too. All I remember is that a few months ago, one day, I found myself at the beach- somewhere near Ascella. I literally just fell on the sand from nowhere- and I’ve been really sick since then. I keep coughing blood and fainting, but I’m clearly not dying. I went from being bones and skin to this-” she looked down at herself. Better than skin and bones. 

“Do you remember who you are?”

“That’s the thing,” Gaeul sighed. “I don’t know if what I remember is a memory or a past life or something I made up.”

“I see, the healers might be able to help with that,” Wooyoung nodded. “Tell me about your magic now.”

“I didn’t know about this until last night. All my magic has done so far is make me sick. I was actually travelling to the Palace with a healer- she thought that the High Healers could help me. Last night, I held a wilting flower and tried making it alive like I used to- I think I used to,” Gaeul shook her head. “Anyways, the flower turned grey like now. And then… I think I hurt my healer too. She fainted but thankfully she was alive. But then…”

“You killed someone a few hours ago, didn’t you?”

Siyeon rolled her eyes at how blunt Wooyoung was. The girl clearly wasn’t handling all this well. She wiped her forehead and eyes and then looked down.

“I never meant to. I felt threatened, and it just happened- it wasn’t in my control. That’s why I panicked. I’ve only ever healed things- I’ve never hurt them. And now-”

Gaeul couldn’t hold back her silent sobs anymore and she hid her face in her hands. Wooyoung looked back at Siyeon and Changbin who were clapping sarcastically. 

“Good job,” Siyeon muttered, shaking her head.

“What?” Wooyoung sighed. “I need to get the facts straight before I risk my healer’s lives, don’t you think?”

“He’s right,” Gaeul wiped her face, her eyes steadfast now. “I don’t wish to put anyone else at risk. If you think it’s wise to get rid of me, then do so. I have nothing holding me back.”

Wooyoung sighed, looking at her dark eyes- they had a tinge of grey, looking perhaps as hopeless as she felt. Wooyoung wasn’t sure if she was as innocent as she claimed she was. “You are a threat, yes, but that doesn’t mean you get to die so easily. Every life is precious and meaningful and so is yours. We need to look into whatever’s up with you, because you know it feels unnatural, your magic, right? It feels-”

“Wrong, I know,” Gaeul looked at him to his surprise. “Everything inside me is screaming that this is wrong, whatever happened to me. I’m not where I’m supposed to be. Nothing’s right. I think… you’ll need to look into my past if you want to see the origin of this.”

“Look into your past, huh?” Wooyoung looked at Changbin. “Now which one of us could do that again?”

—-------------------

To say that San was in a state of frenzy was a severe understatement. 

In the past few days, he had been beyond restless. He was not focusing on his work to the point that his Right Hand, Seokmin complained that San should just step down since Seokmin was the one doing all the work anyway. However, he was worried too- he had never seen his Prince like this. 

San tried explaining it to him, to himself, but it wasn’t that simple. He wasn’t sure if he had felt whatever this thing was before he had visited Rukbat four months ago but he was sure that thing was around there, and him going to Rukbat had somehow made both him and that thing restless. How the two were connected, he had no idea.

But after the amount of magic and wrongness he felt in the matter of the last 24 hours, he knew he needed to get back to Rukbat. And he couldn’t let anyone know. 

Truth be told, he himself wasn’t sure what he was about to do. He had no idea who or what he was looking for. Something in his mind, in his heart, screamed at him to go, go, go. Go and find whatever was wrong and make it right. He simply had to trust his gut at this point, trust the thing tugging at him. 

So San sat down still for the first time in a while as he etched out a plan in his head. He would leave at night when everyone thought he was asleep, take the secret tunnel out (he wasn’t even sure if he could call that tunnel ‘secret’ anymore since not only his Right Hand and Guard but one of his healers and Princess Yena knew of it too) and then…

Take a carriage? Walk? It would take far too long.

He needed Yena to portal him. That was the quickest and safest route. But he wasn’t sure Yena would understand or agree. Especially after the message he had gotten from them. And after all that had happened with Yena… he couldn’t ask that of her.

He needed to do this himself.

He waited rather patiently for the night to approach and everyone to sleep, which was when he packed a bag and took the tunnel out, went to the nearest stable and took a horse and started riding towards Rukbat.

He prayed he would get there before things went more wrong than they already were. 

—-------------------

Jongho could feel each and every moment of the magical blast that had killed so much. It didn’t hurt him, and he was glad it didn’t because feeling its existence alone made his heart ache. 

He wasn’t sure why exactly he had fainted earlier in the morning too. He was the Prince of Nature- doing magic while meditating and stretching his vision was like second nature to him. But this time, something fought back. And that was as dangerous as it could get not only for him, but all the Princes. Perhaps, he thought, Princess Yena could fight back against something like this. She was the most experienced in that department. 

When he gained consciousness after fainting, he learned that he had been out for about six hours. That was a long period of time and even had his healer worried because the most he had been out was two hours, and that was when he had spent all his energy doing similar magic.  

Jongho tried to explain to Jooheon why he needed to get to Wooyoung as soon as possible. Jooheon was suspicious about all of this, and he kept insisting it was a trap.

“Look, all I’m saying is that if you felt it, Prince Wooyoung must have felt it as well. He’ll take care of it- no scratch that. You both should sit this one out. This feels like a trap- especially with the recent problem that we have going on.”

“Did you feel it?” Jongho asked and Jooheon shook his head no. “That’s what I’m saying. This is like a cry for help, not a trap. As for the missing faeries… I didn’t really feel anything there.”

“That’s like, the first trick in the book of traps,” Hyungwon, who was reading a book, peeked up. “Are you seriously risking yourself for whatever this… person is?”

“In risking myself, I save a lot of lives that could possibly be lost if we don’t get this under control,” Jongho was groaning with frustration now. “If you’re not coming along, I’m going by myself-”

“Hey, hey, now that’s not what we meant,” Jooheon laughed helplessly, looking at Hyungwon who only shrugged. “I’ll take care of things here. Take Changkyun at least. And Hyungwon too.”

“You ready?” Jongho asked Hyungwon and he rolled his eyes.

“This feels an awful lot like the time we went along with Princess Yena,” he said and Jongho laughed, agreeing. Changkyun arrived, all dressed up for-

“We’re not going into battle, dammit,” Jongho laughed but Changkyun wasn’t having any of it. He only shrugged and Jongho nodded, urging Hyungwon to follow him out. They were going to Rukbat and it wasn’t very far from here- a long ride and a river was what separated them. 

“Do you think we should let the others know too?” Jongho wondered out loud when they settled into the carriage, the horses made specially for quick transport by magic speeding twice as fast as a normal horse. “I mean, Seonghwa did order us to report anything strange.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Hyungwon scoffed. “You want to find the person first before you give them anything.”

“Yeah, you got me,” Jongho shifted in his seat, running a hand through his red hair. “It’s just that I don’t want them to worry about something that we’re not sure about. I’m pretty sure Wooyoung ignored their message too, so there’s that as well.”

“If only you Princes could communicate better,” Hyungwon almost laughed. “Would have saved you a lot of trouble, wouldn't it?”

Hyungwon was both right and wrong. The Princes and the Princess were all anxious about whatever was ‘wrong’ now, trying to either pinpoint an origin or search for it. One could argue that providing them with more information would worry them more, especially if it was a threat that could be easily exterminated. However, no one knew what exactly that threat was- not even Wooyoung who was present with that said threat.

—-----------------

“Well,” Wooyoung sighed, a grimace on his face as he poked one of his healers in the arm, lying unconscious on the floor. “This didn’t go as planned.”

Gaeul had her head in her hands. “I didn’t mean to- I was asleep and he came to change my bandages or something. I got scared.”

Gaeul and Wooyoung had arrived at his castle a while ago and Wooyoung had let her admire the glass structure that was the castle before escorting her to the basement where she would be staying, saying something about how he needed to get her in there before her magic replenished. It seemed like she wasn’t faring well though.

“Progress though,” Wooyoung passed a smile though Gaeul could swear he was mocking her. “At least he’s not dead.”

“He would have been if not for Jiu there,” Gaeul pointed at the woman sitting bored at the other end of the room. 

“That’s right,” Jiu looked serious. “I was waiting for her to admit that before I interrupted.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, “I guess it was a good idea to have you here after all.”

“Definitely,” Jiu looked at Gaeul and Gaeul hated that there was pity in her eyes, though she could not blame her. She herself was to blame after all. “Can we change shifts now? I need to catch up on my sleep.”

“Go on then,” Wooyoung dismissed her and she gladly left. Wooyoung turned his attention to Gaeul. “How are we feeling today?”

“The same?” It came out more as a question. “I don’t feel anything much here- the basement is… not as suffocating as it first sounded. In fact, I’m more relaxed now.”

“And that was the purpose of keeping you here,” Wooyoung took a seat, running a hand through his dark hair, the faint light in the room making the golden streaks in his hair shine. “Anyways, Jongho is arriving soon. I thought I’d let you know.”

“Prince Jongho?”

“The one and only,” Wooyoung grinned. Gaeul visibly gulped- being in the presence of one of them was intimidating enough. “He’s the Prince of Nature. If anyone can help you figure your magic out, it’s him, since you presumably had similar magic as him.”

“Presumably… So Yoohyeon still didn’t get past my memories?” Gaeul asked, referring to the healer who had first attended to her. 

“Surprisingly, no,” Wooyoung sighed as he nodded. “Yoohyeon is an expert at healing amnesia and similar disorders. There must be something preventing her from accessing your memories-” he paused when he recalled how San had been the one able to access Yena’s memories when no one else could. He wondered if he should call him.

“Something wrong?” Gaeul asked cautiously, tucking her hair behind her ears. 

“Nothing, I just had… an idea. Anyways, I came here to let you know about Jongho, and… warn you about something. If your magic is as threatening as we think, we might have to put you in the cell here in the basement- it is laced with nullifying magic. It’s not as scary as it sounds- you just won’t feel your magic. Are you okay with that?”

Gaeul thought for a few moments- the last thing she wanted was to be a danger to the Princes. Of course she was okay. “Nothing will go wrong though, I hope?”

“I’m hoping that is so,” Wooyoung got up when he heard a knock on the door and let the guards who were carrying three trays filled with a variety of dishes inside the room. “Let’s eat while we talk.”

Gaeul could get used to this, she thought. Prince Wooyoung- or Wooyoung, as he insisted he be called- wasn’t as scary as she thought. He was easy to talk to. He didn’t make her feel like she was an alien, which truthfully, everyone else made her feel like. And he was humble. He ate with her at least once a day for the three days she had been here. She wondered if all the Princes were like this, and sometimes she would ask Wooyoung about his life. He would answer without hesitation most of the time.

“If it is a memory, I remember the time you came to the beach- near Ascella, when I was 10,” Gaeul scooped some chicken and mashed potatoes in her plate and Wooyoung raised a brow- Gaeul hadn’t talked much about herself so far. “I think I lived somewhere near there. It’s where I found myself in this state.”

“I’ve only been to Ascella beach a handful of times, and yes, I did visit when I was 10- we’re the same age, it seems.”

“I remember something about how you caused some sort of a storm and scared everyone present. I, unfortunately, was one of them.”

“Ah, so it was that time,” Wooyoung laughed. “I blame San- he was there with me too.”

“Prince San was with you at that time?” Gaeul wowed. “So I saw him too?”

“You must have if you saw me,” Wooyoung took a bite of the bun, thinking. “San pissed me off so I threatened him with a storm. He threatened to let the sand swallow me. We cooled down then.”

Gaeul almost giggled, holding herself back, and Wooyoung looked at her, amused. “You know, you’re allowed to laugh in my company.”

“Actually… I haven’t laughed in a while,” Gaeul admitted. “So… I think this was a memory, right?”

“Definitely, which means what you remember is mostly memories. Do you remember your parents?”

“I think I do. My father was a healer, but he died when I was 15. My mother… She followed soon after. My aunts and uncles took care of me after that.”

“What’s the last memory that you remember?” Wooyoung asked. 

Gaeul thought for a moment- it was the memory that confused her the most, that made her question if she remembered a past life or something. “I think I was travelling in this kingdom… somewhere east. I think I saw this red haired guy do something- I can’t recall. All I know is that I saw his eyes glow before he killed me-”

“You saw his eyes glow?” Wooyoung frowned. This sounded an awful lot like someone he wished he didn’t know.

“If I’m not tripping, yes,” Gaeul’s eyes were steel- she knew it sounded unbelievable but she remembered this moment the most clearly. “They glowed like gold. Like-”

“Amber eyes, huh?” Wooyoung’s suspicions were confirmed. “Red hair and eyes that change to amber. Who are you, Gaeul?”

Gaeul frowned and then the door opened, revealing dark hair and a very handsome man walked in, eyes wide as he looked from her to Wooyoung and then back.

“Nice timing, Jongho,” Wooyoung didn’t finish his plate- he had no appetite anymore. “Kieran’s playing with us even from another world.”

—-------------------

Hongjoong was startled, to put it simply, when Yena and Seonghwa portalled right in front of him, in his room. He could never get used to the jumpscare he got, and he was positive that one day he was going to pass away because of a heart attack due to Yena startling him.

“A little warning is always nice!” Hongjoong yelled at the two, clutching his heart and exhaling, and Seonghwa chuckled. 

“We did send a little warning,” Yena pointed out. “Why didn’t you reply? It has been three days. This is so unlike you- I thought something happened.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve just been… busy,” Hongjoong shrugged as he ran his eyes around the room, Yena and Seonghwa following. There were books, scrolls, maps, everything scattered around him. Yena skimmed through a few notes that made no sense to her. Hongjoong got up, feeling guilty because Yena looked like she was actually worried that something happened to him. “I’m sorry, come here.”

Yena pouted before walking to Hongjoong and hugging him, Seonghwa joining the two as well. “You should have let us know, Hongjoong.”

“Well, now that you’re both here, I’ll just tell you in person,” Hongjoong pushed a few books aside to make room on the floor. “So here’s how it is.”

Hongjoong started explaining how there were no records of such magic existing, but he didn’t think it was something natural- as in, no one of fae blood could be born with such a power. “A darkling would have been a different matter, but I believe it’s a faerie. Darklings feel different, but they don’t feel wrong, as you know.”

Yena knew that all too well. She nodded, tensing. Seonghwa put a hand on her back- some scars never faded. “So how would a faerie possess such magic in the first place? And what sort of magic are we even talking about?”

“All I know for now is that the magic has evolved to take this shape. It wasn’t always like this- or if it was, it had been subdued like your magic, Yena. But… I think we would have still felt something if that was the case. Because when you were missing, we always knew deep down that you were alive.”

“That’s right,” Seonghwa nodded. “So who’s this faerie?”

“Surprisingly enough, Wooyoung is on it,” Hongjoong said and Seonghwa and Yena looked at each other. Hongjoong laughed. “I guess Wooyoung didn’t tell you?”

“That brat,” Yena muttered. “How come?”

Hongjoong explained how Wooyoung had been the nearest to the faerie and had taken her to the High Healers to get answers. “They’re keeping her in his basement- she won’t be a danger there.”

“Good idea,” Seonghwa nodded. Yena looked back and forth between the two.

“Wait, hold up. Some poor thing is in Wooyoung’s basement? You know how wrong that sounds?”

The two burst out laughing, and Hongjoong shook his head. “Wooyoung had… problems with his powers, as you have heard. The basement his parents built was specialised to contain all magic inside those four walls. No magic can get across that.”

“I wonder who this faerie is though…” Yena shuddered- she recalled the time she was having trouble with her own magic and felt so hopeless. “Do we know who she is?”

“I have a feeling we will soon,” Hongjoong said knowingly.

What Hongjoong didn’t tell them was that San was probably on his way to Rukbat. Hongjoong had received a message from San’s court letting him know about how he had ‘ran away’ from his kingdom. Hongjoong was very curious about why San felt the sudden need to leave without letting anyone know. Was he feeling something about this situation differently than the others?

But then again, San was always sensitive. He felt Yena’s magic even when it was blocked and believed she was the Lost Princess before anyone else. If he had ignored Yena at that time… Hongjoong shuddered- they wouldn’t be here right now, none of them. So Hongjoong decided that there must have been a reason for San to act this way, and that he would give him time to come to terms with whatever his reasoning was.

Yena and Seonghwa looked at each other- Hongjoong knew something more than he told them. Seonghwa shrugged, figuring if it was something important, he’d know soon anyway. “Should we do something about this? Or let Wooyoung handle this?”

“I say let Wooyoung handle this… for now. I have a feeling we’re all involved in this somehow,” Hongjoong looked grim as he met eyes with Yena. “I think… let’s wait for Wooyoung’s verdict on this before I make any guesses.”

Yena’s heart sank- she instantly knew what Hongjoong meant. Over and over throughout the two and a half years, Yena had worried if going back in time had been the right decision after all. Of course, it had- she had saved Seonghwa from his untimely death. She would do it again. But… maybe she could have done it in a different way? Taken a different approach? Hongjoong told her it was alright to feel paranoid about this, considering what she had been through, but he had never imagined one day he would actually have to worry about this seriously.

That was, in fact, what he was trying to find in his archives now. There wasn’t much about time travel in the first place, kept strictly confidential, and he was worried they would have to figure this one out on their own. He decided at that moment to let Yeosang in on this possibility but keep Yena as uninvolved as possible until they were sure- he didn’t want her to worry more.

“What did you feel, Yena? And Seonghwa?” Hongjoong asked, changing the topic before Yena could probe any further.

“Something unnatural- it is not supposed to exist,” Yena admitted, rubbing her arms. 

“Something dark in nature- which made me wonder if it was a darkling, but… it’s different, isn’t it?” Seonghwa raised a brow and Hongjoong agreed. Seonghwa and Hongjoong, with their magic, were like two peas in a pod. Light and Dark. They felt exactly the same way about magic ever since they were little.

“You should go back and stay until you’re needed,” Hongjoong got up, stretching. “There’s no need to worry and gather right now- there’s no point. Let’s believe in Wooyoung- I heard Jongho’s joining him soon so we can feel comfortable that there’s one brain that would actually be working.”

The two laughed, nodding- Jongho would keep Wooyoung in place, definitely. “Well, it was nice to meet you,” Seonghwa shook his head, smiling. “We just wanted to check on you.”

“Next time you decide to ‘check’ on me, give me a heads-up first,” Hongjoong put a hand on his heart, eyes wide. “You nearly stopped my heart.”

“This was Yena’s idea, to scare you-” Seonghwa was ambushed by Yena putting a hand over his mouth, shaking her head in denial while laughing, portalling back in an instant. Hongjoong’s smile fell, and he went back to the journal he had hid behind him when they had arrived.

This was definitely connected to all of them. And it wasn’t good. Whoever that faerie was didn’t matter anymore- she was merely a glitch in the matrix now. And glitches… shouldn’t exist.

—-----------------

San was having the most intense deja vu of his life. 

He was travelling the same route as the one he took about two years ago- except that now he was using that route to travel away from home. He stopped at the same spots as he did, except that this time he was alone. 

About two years ago, he had visited the border for some business, and on his way back he had encountered a lost traveller- Yena, whom he later discovered was the Princess Yena. He had felt the connection to her instantly, though he couldn’t put a finger on what exactly it meant. After all, it was a huge coincidence that he met Yena like that- but to this date, he wasn’t sure if they had met each other because of an unlikely coincidence or because Kieran played them all like chess pieces on his board.

Kieran. The darkling who claimed the identity of the late 9th Prince of Illusions- Junyoung- to the point that he forgot his real name. And then he assumed multiple identities to get close to Yena and Seonghwa.

San sighed as he poked the burning fire he had built with a piece of wood while he took a break from travelling. He kept thinking of two years ago- how oblivious they had all been until the worst happened- Kieran killed Seonghwa. Yena had to go back in time and risk a paradox that could mean the end of everyone’s existence just to get Seonghwa back. Everyone agreed to do that, and it went smoothly, except that there were two versions of Yena existing-

Everything, including Seonghwa’s death and Yena going back in time was meant to happen. Kieran had played them over and over again. He had killed Seonghwa on purpose, knowing Yena would go back in time. And then when they reached the climax again- when Kieran was supposed to kill Seonghwa- he took Yena instead. 

San had to admit, he was a criminal genius, Kieran was. He made Yena mess with time- the most dangerous magic one could possibly possess. He couldn’t help but think this unnatural feeling was a result of the time travelling- how he knew, San had no idea. It’s like he could feel it all over again- everything, just like he had felt Yena was one of them. His magic was sensitive that way.

But this time… something was different, and it drove him crazy. It wasn’t just the magic he could sense. He could sense the anxiety that came with it, whoever this was. He could feel the panic, the hurt. He had never felt closer to someone, and he had never imagined he could when miles separated them. Just how was he connected to this? He could understand that Yena could feel whoever this was- probably connected to her magic in one way or another. He could understand that Seonghwa could feel its dark nature too, which meant Hongjoong must have felt it too. 

It made him scratch his hair out- he wanted nothing more than to see just who this was that drove him crazy. They probably didn’t even know how San felt. He was so curious and scared about what the future held for him.

—--------------

Hongjoong wondered if such a dimension existed where he could watch the past rewind like a deity. 

Hongjoong had been scribbling notes from what he got- any clue, any indication or sign, just about anything relevant or irrelevant. He had been sitting in a pile of pages and books for days now, and he finally got a message from Wooyoung that confirmed all of his suspicions. 

Kieran might have killed Gaeul- I don’t know how the timelines work, but he killed Gaeul, or tried to. The point is, she is alive. Her magic became the opposite of what it used to be. She lost her memories. She looks like she came back from the dead, literally. Jongho is here- let me know how to handle this.

Hongjoong felt like throwing up- either from the restlessness or the fact that Kieran really had messed up. He needed to see Gaeul, needed to hear everything from her in person. And he needed to keep Yena out of this. He couldn’t involve her again- not so soon, not unless she was the key to putting things back again.

She had already been through so much. He couldn’t do this to her again.

Hongjoong wrote a message to Yunho first. Let Seonghwa know, without Yena’s knowledge, to keep Yena out of this until and if she’s required. That was enough to let Yunho and Seonghwa know that they were involved in this whether they wanted to or not.

Then Hongjoong wrote a message to Wooyoung, letting him know that he would be coming to Rukbat. It would take him about three days. Until then, Jongho and Wooyoung would have to get the most out of her.

Hongjoong packed a bag with his necessities before taking a quick shower. He was going to leave immediately. When he came out, his Right Hand Jaebeom was waiting for him. 

“You look like you’ll pass out if you stay awake any longer,” Jaebeom shook his head. “A little rest before travelling isn’t a bad idea if you’re insisting on travelling alone.”

Hongjoong sighed. “Maybe I should take someone. I don’t have time to spare, Jaebeom.”

“Let Yugyeom accompany you then,” Jaebeom got up, patting Hongjoong’s back to encourage him. “He can return once he drops you off at Rukbat.”

“Should I?” Hongjoong wondered out loud but his thoughts were miles away. Jaebeom shook his head, amused, as he sent someone to call for Yugyeom while they ate lunch.

“I might need to summon some High Healers if the situation calls for it,” Hongjoong munched on pasta as he recalled how some of his healers had really helped Yena calm down when her magic was going out of control. “Have them on standby.”

“I will,” Jaebeom assured him. “And if someone sends a message for you?”

Hongjoong knew he meant Yena- he was going to pretend that he was here. “You’re good at pretending you’re me, aren’t you? I mean, you have been writing the official documents for me since forever-”

“We’re practically the same,” Jaebeom rolled his eyes. “Hongjoong. She’ll know in a second.”

“Ah, I don’t know. Just get someone to fire-message me or something so we can deal with it.”

“And if I can’t reach you?” Jaebeom scoffed.

“Then pretend you are me, and tell dear old Princess Yena that everything is alright and under control. Try to sound like me,” Hongjoong gave Jaebeom a fake wide smile that had him laughing out loud.

“Alright, alright. I got this. We got this.”

“We got nothing, Jaebeom. Everything is a mess now,” Hongjoong sighed.

—-----------------

“So you’re telling me,” Jongho rolled dramatically along the wall, leaving Gaeul baffled- she had never imagined the Princes were so… casual. “You’re telling me that somehow, Kieran has unintentionally or intentionally messed up the timeline and she’s here when she’s supposed to be dead?”

“We don’t know that yet,” Wooyoung was half lying on the floor, drawing circles with his finger. “That’s what she remembers. Her memory is as good as Seonghwa’s ability to sit cross-legged.”

“But Seonghwa can’t sit cross-legged-”

“Exactly,” Wooyoung looked at Jongho and he snorted. Gaeul, who was sitting on her bed with her knees drawn to her chest, watched the two panic- that’s what it had to be- the calm before the storm.

"But then…" Jongho sank down on the ground. "Suppose she was killed in the previous timeline. In this timeline, somehow, she's alive. How is that any different from Seonghwa's situation?"

"Exactly," Wooyoung clapped. "He didn't become anti-dark just because he didn't die in this timeline."

"Anti-dark would be called light, Wooyoung," Gaeul mumbled and Jongho snorted.

"Whatever," Wooyoung waved his hand in dismissal. "Seonghwa remains the Prince of Dark."

"So Princess Yena went back in time to save Prince Seonghwa?" Gaeul looked at the two. "Just what happened two years ago? All I remember is hearing rumours of Prince Yeosang's twin being alive."

"Uh, nothing happened," Jongho smiled and gave Wooyoung a side-eye. Wooyoung shrugged.

"She might as well know, Jongho. For some reason, she is involved directly or indirectly with what happened two years ago."

Gaeul watched the two bicker back and forth, her stomach twisting nervously. "Can I get some fresh air?"

"Yeah, we can open the windows-"

"No, I mean… can I go out? I feel like I'm suffocating right now," Gaeul gulped.

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes suspiciously but Jongho stood up. "Of course you can. You don't have to worry about your magic getting out of control too. I think the two of us can handle it if something happens."

Wooyoung gaped as he watched Jongho extend a friendly hand to Gaeul and she took it hesitantly, following him outside, urging Wooyoung to come along as well. Jongho led her to one of the gardens in the back without many guards. He watched as Gaeul simply strolled along the path etched beside the walls, brushing her fingers along the plants along the way. Wooyoung and Jongho stood watching, and Wooyoung elbowed him.

"What were you thinking?"

"Don't make her feel like a prisoner here, Wooyoung," Jongho warned as he looked at the elder Prince. "Her magic… I felt it when I took her hand. If she gets nervous or anxious - which you do a great job at making her feel- her magic can explode with a wave. Let her feel that she's free and she has nothing much to worry about while we figure this out. And don't tell her too much about what happened, will you?"

"Ugh, I can't wait for Hongjoong to come," Wooyoung groaned. "We literally have no idea what we're doing right now."

"Exactly," Jongho sighed. "Anti-nature. I never thought I'd see that one day- not from a faerie, at least."

"Do you feel anything else apart from the magic?" Wooyoung asked. Jongho shook his head.

"I don't even know what I really feel. She just makes me… nervous. She makes my magic nervous. I figured because our magics are opposite now, so…"

"No luck with the healers as well," Wooyoung watched Gaeul lay down flat on the grass as she stared at the sky. "Do you think it's a… trap? All of this? She could be Kieran 2.0. Or she could be a bait."

"Whatever it is, needs to be dealt with quickly," Jongho looked at Wooyoung. "Before things get worse. Because I sense it. You do too, right?"

"Impending doom," Wooyoung sighed. "The worst feeling I've ever had."

—-----------------

San reached in the middle of the night, sighing in relief only when he saw the dim lights glowing from the glass structure of what was Wooyoung’s palace. He felt relaxed for the first time in a while since he could sense Wooyoung and Jongho- he wasn’t surprised Jongho came. But….

He could also feel another presence strong enough to be reckoned with. Not as strong as the Princes, but close enough. San bit the inside of his cheeks, realising the gravity of the situation- he had no idea who he was looking for, but someone called out to him desperately. Desperately enough to make him travel all alone for days. And now that he was closer… the feeling only grew.

Meanwhile, Gaeul woke up with her body covered in sweat, gasping for breath. She was alone in her room but she was pretty sure there was a healer or a guard stationed outside, and some stationed on the stairs. She could suddenly sense everyone-

She shut her eyes as her body shook with a jolt- someone was here. Someone she wasn’t sure she wanted to meet, but her magic was almost suffocating her- the pit in her heart… she felt like she was drowning.

Gaeul stood up with shaky legs, going first to the sink to wash her face. Her eyes looked sunken but the silver in her eyes still glowed. She frowned- she wasn’t sure she ever had silver in her dark eyes before. Running a hand through her short hair, she cautiously opened the door, finding one of the healers, Yoohyeon, dozing off in the hall.

Gaeul wondered if she should wake Yoohyeon up and ask her if she could go outside, or let her sleep. But with her magic getting out of control, making her feel like it would burst any moment, she was worried she’d be a danger. So she slowly walked to Yoohyeon and called her name twice, making Yoohyeon stretch dramatically before she opened her eyes. She checked her wristwatch- it was nearly 3 in the morning. 

“Something wrong?” 

“I feel like my magic is going to burst in a wave like it did earlier,” Gaeul was almost jumping on her feet now, “I need to go out.”

“Uh, I think I need to take you to the cell in that case. Your magic won’t be able to escape those walls.”

“You don’t understand,” Gaeul panicked, feeling something slowly crawl inside her body, making its way up. “I need air. If I go in there, I don’t know what damage I would do-”

Yoohyeon got up, nodding her head, about to hold Gaeul and rub her arms but she flinched away. She sighed. “I know you don’t mean harm. But the cell- it’s built specifically to contain magic inside. Come on- you’ll be fine. It’s like a big room- you won’t feel like it’s suffocating you.”

Gaeul reluctantly followed Yoohyeon to the other end of the hall, feeling her magic rise to her chest now. She scanned the cell- it was very plain, just 4 walls and a single lamp illuminating its inside. Gaeul looked at Yoohyeon helplessly.

“I’m going to call for someone while you stay there, okay?” Yoohyeon smiled warmly, but it did nothing to calm Gaeul down. Yoohyeon shut the door, and Gaeul found herself surrounded by four walls. She slid down by one of them, facing the door.

It’s okay, she told herself. If you go outside, you’ll hurt and kill things. It’s better to stay inside until the magic wears out.

Only, the magic wasn’t wearing out. It grew more in intensity, and San felt it- felt the change in the nature of the magic like it was his own. Something was fueling the magic further. San leaned forward on his horse, urging it to go faster. By the time he reached the gates, he could feel it.

Impending doom.

He jumped off the horse, the guards letting him in instantly. He entered the building, looking around- everything seemed normal. He started towards Wooyoung’s room upstairs but then he felt it-

The basement.

San scoffed- of course whoever it was was in the basement. San took the shortcut, going outside until he was at the backside of the palace, asking the guards stationed out to let him in. 

“Prince Wooyoung doesn’t allow anyone to go inside at night-”

“For fuck’s sake, let me in and get as far away as you can unless you want to die tonight,” San’s eyes glowed and that was enough for the guards to open the lock and get the hell away from there. He spotted Yoohyeon who came his way,

“Prince San? What are you doing here?”

“Get Wooyoung immediately, there’s no time,” San warned, “Whoever’s inside? Their magic is going to explode.”

“But she is in the cell-”

“The cell that nullifies magic?” San shook his head. “It’s fueling it instead. Get Wooyoung and Jongho immediately.”

Yoohyeon gasped, running off and San rushed downstairs, opening every door- he had never been in the basement personally. By the time he reached the end of the hall, he could hear someone’s sobs and chokes. 

San stopped for a moment outside the door that had to be the one. He frowned- even with the dangerous magic bound to kill everything, he could feel something else- a connection. Was it because this faerie was somehow connected to what took place two years ago? He wasn’t sure. With a deep breath, he opened the door and he sucked in his breath when he saw a girl with her knees brought to her chest, sobbing.

This was the last thing he was expecting to see. It was like Yena’s situation all over again. San slowly stepped inside, muttering a soft ‘hey’, causing the girl to look up-

Gaeul and San both felt it then- something inside them tugging and calling out to each other, and it was not magic.

Gaeul frowned, ignoring whatever it was in case it made her magic any angrier. “You should get away. It’s not safe here.”

“I came to get you out of here,” San’s warm voice left Gaeul surprised, especially when he smiled and his whole face softened. He sat down on one knee in front of her, scanning her. “It’s not safe to be here. You need to get out.”

“Who are you?” Gaeul almost whispered. San extended his hand.

“I’m San. I’m sure you’ve already heard about me now.”

Gaeul pursed her lips, stifling her smile. She had, alright. She glanced at his extended hand. “If I hold your hand, I might possibly kill you.”

“You won’t,” San assured. “Trust me.”

If it was Wooyoung or anyone else, Gaeul would have never taken their hand at a time like this. She would have screamed at them to run away from her, to get as far away as possible. But something about San was so different than anyone else she had met so far. And without hesitation, she took his hand, his calloused fingers providing her instant consolation that everything would be alright. 

Without saying anything else, San started leading her away from the room, sending a little spark of his own magic through their connected hands, trying to figure out the nature of her magic and just how unsafe everyone was. By the time he got out, Wooyoung and Jongho audibly gasped.

“Are you stupid?!” Wooyoung yelled. “Her magic will hurt you!”

“No, it won’t,” San shook his head. “I’ve got this, trust me. Just… follow me. And create a shield around us while you’re at it. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Wooyooung and Jongho watched San lead Gaeul to the garden that she’d gone to earlier, both of them standing in disbelief for a few moments before they looked at each other. 

“Did you hear that?” Wooyoung scoffed. “Trust me, he said. Trust this little-”

“Shut up and create a shield,” Jongho laughed. “He must have a reason. He’s not as stupid as you.”

“Sure,” Wooyoung mocked. “A reason. Let’s hear that.”

San stopped in the middle of the garden, instructing Jongho and Wooyoung to shield themselves while they were at it. Wooyoung protested but San assured them he would not get hurt.

“It’s like when Yena had a block,” he explained finally, glancing at Gaeul. “I know what to do. I’m basically an expert at this now.”

“Right. Let’s see how far you get blown off. Gaeul! Make sure your magic throws him a good few miles away- maybe out of Rukbat.”

Gaeul was practically squirming. “I can’t hold it in anymore.”

“You don’t have to,” San took her other hand. “Close your eyes and try to reach the root of your magic. I’ll be there.”

The two of them shut their eyes, and Gaeul almost screamed- her magic was seconds away from exploding, but she saw it. It had to be San’s magic- the reddish brown, almost golden thread making its way beside her magic, circling it. Gaeul shook her head- he would get hurt. 

“This is not my magic. I cannot control it,” Gaeul whispered and San squeezed her hands to let her know that he could hear her. “Just looking at it is making me suffocate.”

“I understand now,” San replied. “Just… stay strong. It’s going to hurt.”

Gaeul had no idea how much it was going to hurt, but when San’s magic coiled around the black and silver raging storm of magic and covered it entirely, she felt a moment of calm. And then his magic started squeezing her magic into nothingness- or at least it tried, because Gaeul’s ear piercing screams made San flinch and realise this was not going to work. He instantly created a shield around himself and dropped Gaeul’s hands, making her sink to the ground and clutch her head.

And then a wave came, nothing like San had imagined. If he hadn’t shielded himself, he would have been obliterated. Jongho and Wooyoung sent their magic back, fighting the wave and containing it within the small sphere so no one else would get hurt. For a good minute, it was a battle for their life before Gaeul stopped screaming and slumped down, unconscious. San breathed, slumping down with her, looking at Jongho and Wooyoung in disbelief. Wooyoung scanned the perimeter- thankfully, only the area within the sphere had ‘died’. The grass was grey, the flowers were ashes. Jongho sank down to his knees.

“I don’t feel so good,” Jongho’s face was pale. Wooyoung bent down next to him, touching his forehead. It was because of the magic being opposite in nature to Jongho. Wooyoung lent some of his strength to him just in time to stop him from fainting as well. He let Jongho lie down on the grass, out of energy.

“Well,” Wooyoung looked at San, grinning. “This is interesting.”

San glared at him before struggling up on his feet and joining the two, laughing helplessly as he sank down with the two. “I had to withdraw. This magic… It's not fae magic. It’s not even darkling magic.” He drew out his hand and frowned- the ashes were cold- like snow.

“Tell me about it,” Wooyoung sighed. “Jongho calls it ‘anti-nature’.”

“That’s because she used to have the magic of nature,” Jongho practically wailed. “Look around you and tell me this sight doesn’t scream ‘anti-nature’.”

San nodded- he had never seen anything like this. The grass and flowers hadn’t wilted- they had turned ash. “The cell, Wooyoung. It was fueling her magic. I could feel it from a mile away.”

“Well, shit,” Wooyoung looked at Gaeul, worried for a second that she had died but her chest rising up and down slowly relieved him. “Does that mean her magic can’t even be called magic?”

“Unnatural,” San scoffed. “Death- but not simply death. This is something beyond dead- look at this,” he plucked the grey grass that softened into powder with his touch. “Anti-magic. What is the opposite of magic, Wooyoung?”

“Mundane? But this is anything but that. This is… bewitchery, but it’s not that either. Bewitchery was what Junyoung’s uncle tried to do. This is… I don’t know. Let’s hope Hongjoong has a name for this, because if he does not… we’re in deep, deep trouble.”

—-------------------

The next afternoon, Wooyoung got a message from Hongjoong informing him that he’d be taking a little ‘detour’ in hopes of confirming his theory. The message was as ambiguous as it could get, so the three decided to chat with Gaeul.

Gaeul, however, was not having it. The boys were either bickering with each other about things she did not understand, or staring at her like an alien which made her fidget a lot. And right now, the boys were doing the latter. Gaeul stared back at the three of them for a good few moments before she turned around, making them face her back, which was when they broke out of their trance.

“I’m sorry,” San chuckled, “I’m just… confused. Please turn around, Gaeul.”

Gaeul sighed- she did not understand why San saying her name sounded so different. She turned around and her heart immediately warmed at the way he looked at her- sharp eyes that were so soft at times. “What happened last night?”

“I tried calming your magic down, but we have a theory…” San looked at Wooyoung and Jongho, wondering if it was wise to let her know.

“I have an idea so please let me know,” Gaeul gave Jongho and Wooyoung a side-eye when they tried warning San with wide eyes and bobbing heads. “Please tell me what’s going on with me. I’m as confused as you all are.”

“That, I believe,” San nodded. “Your magic… it’s not ‘magic’ anymore. Not like every faerie on this planet. Not even like the darklings-”

“You keep talking about darklings,” Gaeul looked at Wooyoung. “Kieran, was it? Who was he? Have you met a lot of darklings? Are they on this planet?”

“Slow down,” Wooyoung laughed. “Kieran was a darkling, yes, on this planet but not of his own accord. He’s the only one we’ve met.”

“We’ve met Neve too,” Jongho added.

“For like ten seconds, Jongho,” Wooyoung rolled his eyes.

“Ten seconds?” Gaeul was starting to believe that Wooyoung and Jongho weren’t quite sane in the head.

“Yes, he popped in from another dimension to say hi and take Kieran back,” Wooyoung looked at Gaeul as if daring her to call it bullshit. 

“So what does this Kieran possibly have to do with me?”

“You mentioned red hair and glowing eyes… amber eyes?” San asked cautiously and Gaeul nodded hesitantly.

“I believe, yes. He supposedly killed me. Could be a dream.”

“I don’t think it’s a dream,” San looked at Wooyoung. “There’s a reason her magic reversed itself. Why would Kieran kill her though?”

“That’s the one thing I don’t understand,” Jongho tilted his head as he watched Gaeul. “She was a normal faerie with an affinity for nature. Nothing unusual there. Did she see something or hear something she wasn’t supposed to? Or was it mere bad luck?”

“Kieran wasn’t one to kill someone without a reason, was he? Every move he made, every life he took was calculated. As far as I know, he hasn’t even killed that many people.”

“San’s right,” Wooyoung started. “Two years ago… that’s the point of Kieran’s life where he couldn’t risk making a mistake. Killing Gaeul, who lived a very normal life at the beach with her family… there must have been a reason. And that reason is to fuck us up, obviously, but there’s another reason that I feel is more valid.”

“So are we going to watch me everyday like we’ve been doing for days now? Or are we doing something?” Gaeul was starting to hate the basement now. 

“Dear old Hongjoong went on a little trip before coming here,” Wooyoung sighed. “Until then, I suggest we stay put and not try anything.”

“Don’t look at me,” San raised his hands in surrender. “I only prevented an explosion that would have obliterated your ass.”

“We would have been fine,” Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “Tell him, Jongho.”

“I’m not telling him anything,” it was Jongho’s turn to surrender. “After experiencing it firsthand, I’m done assuming things about Gaeul.”

“Something tells me there’s more to your story,” Gaeul raised her eyebrow. Jongho sighed, giving in.

“I could feel you all the way in my castle. The day Wooyoung found you… your magic touched a flower, didn’t it?” Gaeul nodded, surprised, and he continued. “When your magic exploded, I felt it. It was unnatural, and I’m the Prince of Nature. Of course I would feel it- just like last night. It makes me feel sick- no offence to you.”

“None taken. It makes me sick too,” Gaeul sighed, looking away. “But… how come you can feel it from so far away? Do all Princes have like… a sensor?”

“Something like that,” San laughed. “Jongho felt it because of the magic. Wooyoung felt it because you were close, right?”

“Yeah, probably,” Wooyoung nodded. “And you felt it because?”

“I don’t know,” San shrugged, recalling the other feeling he had. His eyes met Gaeul at that moment and his heart sank- and so did Gaeul’s. “I… I’ve been feeling her for months now. I think… when I came to visit you last time, Wooyoung. Four months ago? The proximity might have triggered it.”

“But you’ve been feeling her all along?” Jongho frowned. “Is it because your magic is sensitive?” 

“Probably,” San nodded slowly. “I could feel the magic growing slowly. I could feel that it was wrong. But there was something else- it made me nervous to the point that I couldn’t focus.”

“Weird,” Wooyoung made a face. “Yena and Seonghwa felt it too, probably because it’s connected to the two somehow. We’re keeping Yena out of this, in case you decide to send her a cute message about how you saved my ass from obliterating-”

“I won’t,” San kicked Wooyoung’s leg, making Jongho and Gaeul giggle. “She’s had enough already.”

“What’s the Princess like?” Gaeul asked and the three looked at her. “I don’t think I ever heard about her while I was… alive? Before Kieran supposedly killed me.”

“She’s like us,” Wooyoung smiled.

“She’s like Wooyoung,” Jongho sighed and Wooyoung smacked his arm. 

“What’s wrong with that!?”

“So when did you hear about the Princess?” Jongho asked, ignoring Wooyoung altogether.

“A few months ago… I found myself at the beach, but I was in no state to move and I had no memory. I somehow made it to the forest and some people found me. Everything’s fuzzy- I don’t even know when this amnesia episode started. It could be a few months or a year-”

“What’s the first ‘news’ you heard, if you can recall?” Jongho asked and looked at the two Princes. “I think we can figure out when she woke up. Or came back to life. Whatever it is.”

“Prince Seonghwa and Princess Yena’s wedding was going to take place in a few days,” Gaeul recalled- it was the most memorable news she had heard that had stuck with her. “I remember because I had no idea who this Yena girl was. And then later I found out that she was the Lost Princess.”

“But it’s been 6 months,” Wooyoung frowned. “When we say two years ago, we actually mean two and a half. So… she woke up before Yena’s wedding. We didn’t feel her for four months at most, right? Unless someone felt it earlier. Does that mean her magic wasn’t in this state at that point?”

“That’s right,” Gaeul confirmed. “That time is hazy but I remember the faeries wondering if I had magic in the first place.”

“If Hongjoong was here, we would have figured all of this out in one sitting,” Jongho groaned, slumping down on the couch. 

“Did Prince Hongjoong feel this too?” Gaeul asked.

“Oh, he feels everything,” San waved a hand in dismissal. “Everything that the light touches, I think.”

“So if you’re the Prince of Earth, do you feel everything that happens on this land?”

“Something like that. Yunho is the Prince of Water, so he feels everything wrong in the ocean-” San paused, his mouth parting as he looked at Gaeul. “Didn’t you say you were found by the beach?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“So Yunho must have felt when exactly!” San got up, clapping. “See? We have a brain too. We don’t always need Hongjoong.”

Gaeul tried stifling her smile but the look on Jongho’s face and the grimace on Wooyoung’s made her laugh and she put a hand on her mouth as San turned, muttering sorry. He only shook his head in amusement. 

“Jongho, quick. Write a message to Yunho and ask when exactly he felt something was wrong.”

“Does it matter?” Gaeul asked. “Where was I for the two years that I have no memory of?”

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we always need Hongjoong,” Jongho bowed dramatically, making San pout as he slumped back to the couch.

—------------------

The last thing Mingi expected one fine Sunday morning was Yeosang strolling into his chamber, materialising out of thin air, and immediately fainting right on the couch.

For a second, Mingi panicked, but he could see his chest rise and fall. Mingi poked his arms- he even twitched, his blonde hair falling messily on his forehead. Mingi shook his head, scoffing. “A little warning would have been nice!”

Yeosang, of course, didn’t respond. It appeared that he had portalled himself. His portalling method was very different from Yena, and he had started practising it not too long ago, though he always had a theory it would work. But turning into a spirit and then materialising into a body elsewhere was risky business- more risky than Yena opening a portal in space and risk portalling somewhere else- or some ‘time’ else. 

Or perhaps, Mingi thought as he sat down beside Yeosang, going back to his documents, perhaps portalling into an unknown dimension with a different flow of time was more dangerous.

Mingi recalled the time when the darkling Kieran had almost driven Yena mad, forcing her to practise her time magic so he could go back in time for some twisted revenge. Mingi had found Yena just in time, and Yena in a state of panic had accidentally portalled herself and Mingi into another dimension where time flow was different. After spending months in that dimension, they came back when Yena finally figured out exactly where she was, finding that only a few hours had passed in reality.

If Yena had been alone, he wasn’t sure she would have made it back. She was in no state to be alone, after being a hostage to Kieran. Mingi wondered sometimes if he was fated to be the one to find Yena. It had somehow made his magic different, spending that time with her in a dimension where no one else but the two existed. 

This was definitely why he could feel some poor soul with its own magic burning it. He was sure Yeosang could feel it too and was here to talk about it.

He was right. When Yeosang finally woke up, it took him a good few moments to gain his senses. Mingi pointed to the bottle of water in front of him and he hungrily gulped all of it down- portalling, for some reason, left him parched. Once he had finished the last drop, he finally breathed.

“You look well,” Yeosang commented.

“Because I have been sitting in my own body unlike someone in this room,” Mingi scoffed, amused. “What are you up to?”

“I heard some rumours that I thought I’d share with you first,” Yeosang leaned forward, “Some very… interesting rumours.”

Mingi ran a hand through his red hair. “Well?”

“Apparently,” Yeosang’s eyes glittered, “someone actually came back from the dead.”

Mingi gave Yeosang the side-eye. “As in?”

Yeosang huffed. “My spirits tell me that something was amiss. As you know, time flow doesn’t affect them. So when Yena changed the timeline, nothing in that dimension changed. Anyways, from the reports I gathered, there was some sort of black hole- if you can call it that- forming in that dimension. I don’t know how I missed it, but some tell me it didn’t stay in the same place.”

“And what does that mean?” Mingi frowned.

“Apparently the hole grew until it disappeared one day about six months ago. Again, I’m not sure about the time, but that’s what I got.”

“I think Yunho told me when he felt something strange. He was out in the ocean for days trying to figure out whatever it was.”

Yeosang paled after hearing that. “That sounds too similar to necromancy. Water and black holes. The dimension of the dead. Never a good combination. But… necromancy doesn’t work like that. It’s done by someone, and the black hole doesn’t ‘travel’ around the dimension, it sticks to the reality here. And… there’s something else.”

Mingi raised his brows in anticipation and Yeosang sighed. “I casually confirmed with San, Wooyoung, and Jongho’s court, but there have been people going ‘missing’ in the past few months. No traces, no pattern. My spirits tell me that they’re alive, but they… They are in another dimension. Maybe sucked by the black hole.”

“That’s crazy, why would someone willingly go into something that looked like a black hole?”

“Unless they were dragged in it,” Yeosang bit his lips. “If my sources aren’t lying- and they have no reason to- they believe some ‘otherworldly’ creatures now prowl in this land.”

Mingi sat back, taking a deep breath. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face ‘otherworldly’ creatures- the creatures that already existed on this planet were enough. “So what’s your verdict?” 

“Hongjoong. He needs to hear this. I think… it’s time we all gathered. Whatever this is, it’s not supposed to exist.”

“Actually,” Mingi pursed his lips, “I can feel it too. A soul burning from too much magic, except it’s not magic. It’s… something different.”

“Yeah. It has the ability to disintegrate living beings. What do we do?”

“Send a message to Hongjoong first,” Mingi immediately started writing a message. “We need to gather.”

—------------------

Hongjoong was in the middle of the Peridot Sea, somewhere between Mingi’s Kingdom of Leo and Wooyoung’s Kingdom of Sagittarius, when he got Mingi’s message informing him that apparently someone was back from the dead and they needed to meet in person so they could discuss it properly.

Hongjoong looked up at the cloudy sky, as gloomy as his mood. Yugyeom, who was quite pleased with the detour because he needed a break from the castle duties, raised a brow. “Everything alright?”

“Not at all,” Hongjoong smiled helplessly, asking for a pen. He scribbled his location and dared Yeosang to portal himself here since there was a chance he would very well land in the sea.

Yeosang’s reply through Mingi’s fire message came a minute later, a very provocative drawing along with a request to land on their continent- Algieba was the closest. Hongjoong sent an okay, instructing Yugyeom to turn their course west. Yugyeom, who had an affinity for air, helped the ship change its course without much effort. They could already see land so it would only take about an hour.

As soon as he landed at the beach, he sent Yeosang and Mingi the message. Yugyeom brought food from the ship. “Good thing we landed. With this amount of food you wouldn’t last two days.”

Hongjoong passed him a side-eye. “You should have stored more.”

“Who decided to take a detour in the middle of our very planned-out tour to Rukbat?” Yugyeom scoffed, slumping down on the sand and opening the bag which included snacks and everything unhealthy that Hongjoong loved to eat. Hongjoong picked a box of cookies, offering some as an apology and Yugyeom rolled his eyes, laughing.

“I’m probably going to Mingi’s castle. Wanna join me?”

“I should,” Yugyeom nodded. “It’s been a while since I met Wonpil.”

“Ah, yes,” Hongjoong nodded. “You have friends everywhere. Let’s hope we get a ride before we get a heatstroke in the desert.”

Luckily for the two, Mingi had already sent some of his friends that resided in the desert to pick Hongjoong and Yugyeom. The two dozed off the entire ride back, waking up only when they stopped to get a good night’s rest and then the next day, they reached Mingi’s castle, greeted by an unusually grim looking duo.

“At least wear a smile when you greet me!” Hongjoong wailed and the two burst out laughing which was when Hongjoong realised this was an act and he ran forward to smack them. “I swear I will never get a break!”

“You’ll be wearing this grim face soon enough, don’t worry,” Yeosang laughed, dodging a hit to the arm. “Come on. Let’s eat before we lose our appetite.”

Yugyeom took that as a clue to run away. “I don’t wish to lose my appetite. Hongjoong, I’ll be staying here for a day or two before I go back. That okay?”

Everyone gave him a thumbs-up and watched him spot Wonpil and happily run to his old friend. “See?” Hongjoong watched them hug like long lost brothers. “That’s how you greet a friend.”

“Whatever,” Mingi grinned cheekily, ruffling Hongjoong’s ginger hair. “Come along before I drag you there.”

The three avoided discussing anything over dinner, enjoying the carefree bantering and making fun of each other just like everything was normal, to the point where for a moment they forgot all about the trouble they were in.

“I have something to say about this,” Hongjoong began. Yeosang started clapping and Mingi wheezed with laughter. “I haven’t even begun!”

“You’ve said enough,” Yeosang laughed. “You don’t get the right to tell me to stop portalling like this when you literally disappear into the light. At this rate, you’ll find yourself some thousand light years away from us. At least I’ll only be lost in another dimension.”

“It doesn’t work like that-”

“Should I try materialising into fire?” Mingi cackled and Hongjoong rolled his eyes at how Yeosang and Mingi kept trolling him.

“You’ll burn yourself if you ever try that,” Hongjoong commented. “Just because you’re the Prince of Fire doesn’t mean-”

“Yes, Hongjoong, just because you’re the Prince of Light doesn’t mean you get to shine your light of wisdom on us,” Mingi said and the room fell silent before the three started hollering again, Yeosang applauding.

“If you’re done fooling around,” Jae, Mingi’s Right Hand entered, shaking his head in amusement at the young princes. “The chambers are ready, and tea awaits.”

“Ah, yes, time to sleep,” Hongjoong nodded, getting up, hearing one of the two mutter ‘boomer’. “Thank you- and please make sure Yugyeom leaves after two days. Yugyeom and Wonpil shouldn’t be together for too long.”

“Oh, I’ll make sure,” Jae smiled devilishly. “Let’s hope they don’t bring the castle down with their chaos.”

As the three settled in Mingi’s living room, they realised how the gravity of the situation kept nagging at their subconsciousness. Yeosang glanced at the two. “Is it time we finally address the problem?”

“You first,” Hongjoong nodded. 

“I am not sure about what time this took place, but something like necromancy brought someone back from the dead. Apparently a black hole kept moving around in my dimension of spirits, until a while ago it disappeared. I think that’s when someone came back from the dead- but it doesn’t look like they were ‘brought’ back to life. It just… happened. And it burned the soul of a faerie with its magic in a way I’ve never seen or heard of, Hongjoong. Other than that, there are reports of missing faeries throughout Kingdoms of Cancer, Sagittarius and Libra. Throughout that continent only. Apparently some ‘otherworldly’ creatures have been spotted and are said to have come from the blackholes- my spirits tell me that the missing faeries are alive but not in this plane- not in this dimension.”

“I understand,” Hongjoong nodded, his face not giving any indication of what was going on inside his head. “Mingi?”

“I felt it too, I feel it now as well,” Mingi shifted in his chair. “Whatever this magic is, it’s not normal. It’s burning the soul of the possessor, but then… at the same time it’s keeping it alive too.”

“Interesting,” Hongjoong slumped back. “The ‘it’ we are referring to is a faerie of about our age, named Gaeul. She’s in Wooyoung’s Palace right now where San and Jongho are present too.”

“Wow,” Yeosang scoffed. “Why didn’t they inform us?”

“I specifically asked them to report only to me, as I asked you two and everyone else,” Hongjoong said. “I have a theory, and it’s not good. Whatever you both told me, it’s only making my theory more plausible. According to Yunho, he detected something fishy in the ocean about six months ago. He spent days trying to figure out the source but it was like the source kept changing locations.”

“That must be when the black hole shifted to this dimension of reality?” Yeosang asked.

“Seems like it,” Hongjoong nodded. “I don’t know who Gaeul is and what makes her so special, but I believe… according to the memory she thinks she has… Kieran killed her somehow. For such a phenomenon to happen, either he calculated it to the extent that he already knew when Yena would go back in time, or it occurred unintentionally- a big, unfortunate coincidence.”

“But with Kieran, nothing is a coincidence,” Mingi pursed his lips.

“Exactly, but we cannot be too sure right now. Either way, he killed Gaeul and she came back because Yena changed the timeline and somehow, Gaeul’s life was connected to it. If Yena hadn’t changed the timeline, she would have remained dead.”

“But theoretically, like Seonghwa, Gaeul should have just been ‘alive’. How is her situation different from Seonghwa?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out, and we also need to check if the missing faeries are indeed connected to all of this,” Hongjoong sighed. “We need to trace that black hole, Yeosang. And we need… Yunho. Get a good night’s sleep because from tomorrow, we will travel.”

taglist: @yunnierights @monstaxdirtywonk @moni-cah @uyumilk @atxxzist @hazysan @bewitchedinyourhunger @kk-fleury @sincostansan @onedumbho3 @wooya1224 @icouldntcareless22 @jjaelly @huachengsbestie01 @ztjileen @charreddonuts @mdibby

#finally we begin yEAH #ateez x reader #choi san x reader #san x reader #ateez x oc #ateez imagines #ateez fluff #ateez angst #choi san fluff #choi san angst #choi san imagines #choi san scenarios #ateez headcanons #ateez au #ateez series #san fluff #san imagines #san angst #ateez ot8

[peachesyeo]

so i have this fic that i wrote the first chapter for and just threw it somewhere in my drafts. i hope you guys would tell me what you think about this. if you guys feel that it's okay i'll continue this once i end 1117. if i end 1117. and little fourteen. hehe.

for more info, it's a yandere alice in wonderland au with ateez and my original female character. yeah it's kind of dark.

💌 parings: yandere!ateez x female!oc

💌 genre: alice in wonderland au, yandere

💌 contains: suggestive, strong language, seonghwa is 'alice', yunho is the 'white rabbit'.

💌 word count: 2k words

"fuck, i want to breed her with my kittens the moment i saw her."

— j.yh

Kyu hate these kinds of parties.

She sighed, watching as these hypocrites of the upper class gathered around, in their fancy dresses and suits. She snorted as she saw her cousin gossiping with her supposed 'friends', giggling and hiding their faces behind their fancy fans.

Illusion is a beautiful city, but too bad there are so many stuck-up snakes hanging around the place.

"Kyu!" Kyu turned at the mention of her name, to see her mother and father, standing near a well-dressed gentleman. Kyu sighed inwardly, walking over to her parents. "Mother, Father."

"Here, Kyu." Her father signalled for her to stand between them, and Kyu gave the gentleman a small and polite courtesy. He looked around her father's age, wearing a grey tailored suit and a monocle on his left eye. "This is my old friend and the one who organised this party, Uncle Park."

"Nice to meet you, Uncle Park." Kyu greeted, while Uncle Park smiled, giving a slight bow. "Likewise." His eyes crinkled kindly as he scanned Kyu. "The last time I saw you, you were still a toddler, and Hwa was so fond of you… Do you reckon he would recognize you?"

Kyu frowned slightly, not finding the name familiar in any way. Mister Park seemed to see her confusion, and before she could speak, he had already called out for someone afar. "Hwa! Come here!"

Kyu followed his gaze, and her heart started to pick up speed. He made his way to them, adjusting his gloves as he stood beside his father. "Father, you called?"

"Seonghwa, remember your Uncle Han and his wife?" Mister Park gestured to Kyu's parents, and Seonghwa nodded, giving Kyu's father a bow, and taking Kyu's mother's hand, kissing them gently. "It's been a long time, Uncle and Auntie Han."

He spotted you, and he smiled. "And hello, Kyu." He bowed politely, as Kyu curtsied back to him.

"We'll leave you two youngsters around, we got something to discuss here…" Kyu's father said, as Seonghwa held out a gloved hand to Kyu. "Shall we?"

"Of course. See you, Father, Mother." You took his hand. Seonghwa gave his father a slight nod, as the middle-aged gentleman waved his son off. Seonghwa leads Kyu towards the garden, away from the party.

Comfortable silence fell between them, but Kyu swore her palm was sweating.

She's holding hands with a man.

Wait. No.

She's holding hands with an attractive man.

"You know, you have grown up a lot," Seonghwa said as both of them walked towards the fountain, cutting off Kyu's own talking in her head. "I remember you running after me, asking me to carry you."

"Oh." Kyu's face blushed. "I don't remember much of that…" She said. Seonghwa's form stiffened slightly, but before she could notice, he relaxed again; the corner of his lips raised in an attractive smile. "It's alright." He tilted his head slightly, reluctantly letting go of Kyu. "But you used to call me Hwa oppa… It's weird seeing you being very polite with me."

Kyu's face has proceeded to burn. Her younger self chasing around this handsome man, calling him by an intimate title?

Wow, she wants to turn back time and praise her younger self.

"Hwa… o-oppa?" Kyu almost bit her tongue for stuttering. Seonghwa's smile widened, and he nodded. "That's right, Kyu." His voice was soft. "That's right."

They stayed in silence for a while, until Seonghwa broke it again. "I want to show you something from our childhood. But if you don't remember me, I doubt you remember it too."

He offered a hand to Kyu, who took it. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't seem to refuse Seonghwa's offer when she looked into his captivating eyes. The man pulled her along, deeper into the garden. Kyu didn't know how deep they were in, nor did she know where Seonghwa was leading her to, but strangely, her normally sharp mind seemed to be clouded with strange giddiness.

Seonghwa stopped in front of a large willow tree, and stepped into the bush. He beckoned Kyu to follow him, and she raised the hems of her skirt gingerly, also stepping into the bush. Seonghwa kneeled down on one knee, lifting up a small vine on the bark of the tree.

Kyu gasped. There was a large hole, enough for both of them to fit into. She looked towards Seonghwa, who seemed to be amused at her expression.

"While you were younger, I brought you here. I wanted to bring you down with me, but your parents arrived and you have to leave early." Seonghwa said, tilting his head slightly to the hole. "So I went down to this place myself. And you won't believe what I see."

"What did you see?" Kyu was intrigued. Seonghwa merely raised a hand to the hole.

"Ladies first?" He said, sending a charming smile by Kyu's way. Almost as if she was mesmerised, Kyu walked towards the hole, peering down at the darkness below.

"Don't worry, and trust me. It would be an adventure." Seonghwa's voice reassured her from behind, and with his help, Kyu stepped into the hole.

And from there, she fell.

"..Kyu? Can you hear me? Kyu! Wake up!"

Kyu hissed in pain as she felt someone grip tightly onto her shoulders, shaking her repetitively. She opened her eyes, and the figure of Seonghwa appeared. She groaned, feeling a sharp ache behind her head. "Ow…"

"Here." Seonghwa sounded relieved as he helped Kyu up. "We had a nasty fall…"

"Where are we?" Kyu asked, her fingers reaching to the back of her head to feel around. Thankfully, there was no blood, only a slight bump.

"In the place I wanted to show you." Seonghwa said, as Kyu finally looked around at her surroundings. Her eyes widened, and she was in disbelief.

She was standing with Seonghwa in a luminant forest, with trees and flowers way bigger than her. They glow in the dark, purple, blue and green all around, and Kyu gasped. "Where's this place?" She questioned, looking down at her dress to find them slightly stained with dirt.

"This," Seonghwa put a gentle hand on Kyu's shoulder. "Is Wonderland." He looked around them. "And he might show up in just a moment."

"'He'?" Kyu didn't understand Seonghwa. She felt as though she was in a dream, a dream that felt so real her head was aching like hell. "Who are we waiting for?'

As her question falls, the nearby purple and green bushes rustled. Kyu jumped, holding on tightly to Seonghwa, who grabbed her waist protectively, both looking towards the direction of the noise.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I'm late, I'm late!" A man emerged from the bushes, as Seonghwa relaxes. He didn't let go of Kyu's waist though, as she scanned the newcomer, alert.

He was tall, towering over both Seonghwa and Kyu. Two white bunny ears perked up on his head, and his hair is grey, combed and parted neatly. He was wearing a white and red suit, with red boots on the ground. His gloved hand holds a watch, and he halted in front of both of them.

"Yes, you are fairly late, Yunho." Seonghwa sighed, as the stranger glanced from him to his watch. His eyes landed on Kyu, and it seemed to turn larger until it almost popped out of his head. "Sorry, got caught up, hyung has orders… Hello there, tiny… Alice hyung, is she her? Oh dear, I'm so sorry for being late…"

Kyu blinked as the strange rabbit man rambled on and on. She looked towards Seonghwa, and the male shurgged, giving her a wink. She giggled quietly to herself, as the rabbit man stopped at once.

"Relax, Yunho. We've just arrived anyways, you're not that late." Seonghwa said, as the man named Yunho sighed in relief, a hand over his heart. "Thank the Kings, you won't tell them, would you, Alice hyung?"

"I told you to call me Seonghwa hyung, Yunho." Seonghwa sounds tired, but Yunho had already turned his attention to Kyu. Without warning, he leaned in, sniffing the girl. She recoiled slightly, moving into Seonghwa's chest. Yunho's ears twitched slightly, and he smiled, holding out a hand.

"Hello, my name is Jeong Yunho, you can just call me Yunho." He said rather happily, as Kyu shook his hand hesitantly. "I'm the advisor to the Red King, as well as the counselor in the White King's court… I've heard so much of you from Alice- I mean, Seonghwa hyung…"

"Um, nice to meet you." He said all these so fast, Kyu could barely make sense of his words. Nevertheless, she reached out and shook his hand. Yunho beamed, pulling her out of Seonghwa's arms and using both his hands to clasp her own.

"No, I have to say, the honour and pleasure is all mine… But look at the state of you, tiny, you should look presentable for the audience later." He twirled her around, frowning at the sight of dirt on her dress. Seonghwa crossed his arms, his stance relaxed.

"I was thinking of bringing her to the Hatter." He said, as Yunho looked at his watch again. Kyu stole a quick glance at it, only to find that the watch was not filled with numbers, but yet strange symbols that she had never seen before.

"Hatter? Him? The Mad Hatter, you say?" Yunho's nostrils flared as his ears twitched slightly. "I suppose we can make it in time if we're fast, unless that crazy man has his fingers stitched together by those fancy little hats he makes… Mines are still overdue and he wouldn't tell me when he's going to give it to me…"

Kyu tried to pry his fingers off her hand, but the rabbit man's hand would not budge. She sent a look for help to Seonghwa, who gave her a smile, not understanding her.

"Now, we should go… Be on time, that's the way, love. Time doesn't wait, it's precious…" Yunho rambled on, pulling Kyu along with him as Seonghwa followed them. Every time she tried to remove his grip on her, Kyu was positive that his grip got tighter. "Um, Yunho? You're hurting me?" She said softly, as Yunho barely stopped, still rambling on about the time being the essence of… Whatever the hell is. Seonghwa had finally caught on to the discomfort Kyu was feeling, and he cleared his throat. "Yunho, let's go. She's not going to get lost with us here. You don't have to hold on to her now."

"..and therefore time is key- What? Oh dear, I'm so, so sorry!" Yunho said, letting go of Kyu's hand. His white ears turned pink with shame, and he began to panic. "Oh, love, why didn't you say so earlier? Are you in much pain? I would never hurt you on purpose, you know?"

Kyu nodded. Her mind was buzzing with whatever shit Yunho was rambling about, and she has never met someone as talkative as Yunho. For now, she would do whatever it takes for him to just shut the fuck up. "Yeah, I know. Can you just… Stop talking for the rest of the journey to this hatter?"

Behind them, Seonghwa let out a snort of laughter. Yunho's ears flopped, and his shoulders slumped slightly. Kyu was alarmed to see his eyes swarm up with tears, and she became flustered, shaking her hands at him. "No, no I didn't mean it like that… I just…"

She looked towards Seonghwa for help again, but the oldest had his face hidden behind his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Fuck this.

"I mean, you must be tired from all the talking, right? Save your voice for the audience later? I mean, being an advisor means you need to do a lot of talking, doesn't it?" Kyu thought quickly, speaking fast to quickly salvage herself from this situation. Yunho's ears perked up again, Kyu wondered whether the tears she had seen on his face was just a hallucination.

"Oh. Right you are, tiny. I do need to save my voice. You're very sweet, tiny." He complimented, as Kyu sigh in relief.

And with that, the three of them journeyed to the Hatter's in silence.

No one else will ever love you the way I loved you.

let me know what you think. i'll turn it into a series if you enjoy it. if any other writers are interested, please let me know and i'll gladly pass the baton to you. &>

#☁️by k #yandere ateez #ateez ot8 #ateez fanfic #ateez imagine #ateez x oc #ateez #ateez prompts #fanfiction prompts #fanfiction ideas #ateez yandere

[mi-rae07]

can I request a mafia mingi x pregnant s/o angst :3 mingi breaks up with the reader bcs he thought she was a burden with his mafia life but he doesn’t know that she’s pregnant. Hurt me with all the angst you’ve got! but with a happy ending i beg TT

Song Mingi : Chance (Part 1/3)

Pairing : Song Mingi (Ateez) and named character (Jung Miyeon)

_____________________

Miyeon : doctor, are you sure? There's no other-

Doctor : I'm sure, miss lee. You are three weeks pregnant, with twins.

______________________

Mingi : and? Did you check the bodies properly? There was no trace left behind at all?

Jongho : none, sir. It seems as if they were all killed in one go.

Mingi : then that means there was more than just one assassin.

Jongho nodded, looking at the gruesome pictures that had been laid on mingi's desk. He was just about to say something when the door opened, revealing mingi's mother. Jongho quickly bowed down, mingi letting out a breath as he stood up and said

Mingi : eomma, I'm quite busy-

Jina : I know, I came to talk important matters with you, son.

Mingi : one that cannot be discussed at my house?

Jina : yes.

Mingi nodded and motioned jongho to step out, jongho bowing one last time before leaving the both of them alone. Mingi watched as his mother sat on the seat opposite him, a grim look on her face.

Mingi : what is it?

Jina : your father is very ill, son.

Mingi : I know that.

Jina : no, this is worse than before. Doctors say he has only another two-three more months to live.

Mingi sighed, leaning back against his chair. He was never a fan of his father, given the conditions he was brought up in. but he was still mingi's father.

Mingi : what is his last wish then, eomma.

Jina : he wishes to get you married.

Mingi : he seriously wants me to get married to miyeon-

Jina : no, not her. Another lady, a better one.

Mingi : eomma, what the hell?

Jina : I always told you this wasn't going to last, mingi. I always told you your father would want something in return for handing over this company to you.

Mingi : isn't what he's taken from me already enough?

Jina : apparently not. And son, I've seen miyeon, I've talked to her. She isn't fit for this lifestyle of yours. One day she's gonna want you to leave this field of work and you know that isn't possible. This is our-

Mingi : family line, I know.

Jina sighed, leaning forward as she said

Jina : I know you love her, but you must let her go if you truly care for her, son. You know what your father can do even if he's in the hospital. If you don't let her go, he's going to do it for you. And it will not be in a good way.

Mingi let out a breath, muttering under his breath

Mingi : get out.

Jina nodded, getting up from her seat as she said

Jina : remember what I said, son. Make sure you won't regret your decisions in the future.

Jina turned around and left, leaving a disturbed mingi behind.

__________________________

Miyeon looked up as she heard footsteps coming her way, indicating that mingi was home. She smiled and stood up, keeping her phone away as she opened her arms for mingi. He smiled, keeping his bag away before wrapping his arms around miyeon.

Miyeon : had a bad day at work?

Mingi : mm, something like that. And you?

Miyeon : it went as work always does.

Mingi hummed, nuzzling his head onto her shoulders. Miyeon bit her lip, deciding she should probably ask him what she had meant to.

Miyeon : do you ever think you'll resign your position as a mafia, mingi-ya?

Mingi stiffened in her hold, his eyes now open as he pulled back from the hug with a frown

Mingi : what?

Miyeon : you know, since it's a dangerous line of work, one day when we have children, do you think you'll give up your work and choose to do something less dangerous?

Mingi stared at miyeon as his mother's earlier words rang through his mind

"And son, I've seen miyeon, I've talked to her. She isn't fit for this lifestyle of yours. One day she's gonna want you to leave this field of work and you know that isn't possible"

His mother was right, and miyeon had already started asking.

Mingi : you know I do not really want children, yeon-ah.

Miyeon blinked her eyes, her hands clenching around mingi's shirt. Oh no, she thought.

Miyeon : like…ever?

Mingi : miyeon, what is with you. You've never asked questions like this before, why are you so suddenly interested in children?

Miyeon : no I'm just…asking for future purposes-

Mingi : no, then don't. because there will be no future for us with children. I do not want any.

Before miyeon could say anything mingi walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Miyeon's hands fell to her stomach, caressing it as she shut her eyes tightly.

God, this wasn't going the way she had expected it to.

__________________________

Miyeon stared at mingi as he ate his dinner, not having uttered a single word since he came out of that bathroom. Which was very unlike mingi, who couldn't usually keep himself from talking.

Miyeon : I'm sorry I asked.

Mingi : it doesn't really matter.

Miyeon : but-

Mingi : can we leave that matter behind, miyeon?

Miyeon : why do hate it so much, mingi-

Mingi : because it is my work! It's what my entire family has poured their entire life into and now you want me to leave it?

Miyeon : that's exactly why I want you to leave it, mingi. How many of your people have lost their lives over this work?

Mingi scoffed, putting his chopsticks down as he said

Mingi : I should've known this would happen someday.

Miyeon : what would happen.

Mingi : this! You questioning my life!

Miyeon : I'm not-

Mingi cut her off as he stood up, shaking his head before saying

Mingi : forget about all of this, miyeon. I am not going to leave my work behind for anyone or anything, bottom line.

Mingi turned around and left, leaving a teary-eyed miyeon behind. What the hell was she going to do now?

___________________________

2 weeks later :

Mingi limited his interactions with miyeon after that night. Because the more he thought about what she had told him that night, the more he realized his parents were right. Miyeon wasn't fit for this life of his, and no matter how much it hurt for the both of them, it would be better if they separated. Before it was too late, anyway.

And so mingi realized the best way to do that was to slowly grow more distant to her as days passed. In that way, it would hurt less for her when he said he wanted to break up. She'd probably hate him by then.

Whether this whole thing hurt mingi or not, that he didn't care about anymore. If this was what was best for miyeon, then so be it. She deserved a life with children and a loving husband who wasn't in danger of getting killed every day.

____________________________

2 months later :

Miyeon was now sitting in her living room, the TV playing some show in front of her. Except she wasn't watching, and she didn't have it in her to go for work either. She hadn't said that to mingi, because after all how could she? He left before she was awake and came back after she was asleep. And during the few moments they would meet, he remained cold as ever. And this had been going on for the past 2 months. The more time passed, the more distant mingi grew from her. At this point they almost lived like complete strangers.

And that, miyeon supposed, was because of what she had asked him a few months ago, about leaving his job and starting a family. But if this was how mingi reacted to just mere words and questions, how would he react to the fact that miyeon was actually pregnant with their babies? It would tear mingi apart from her, which was why miyeon had hesitated so much to break the news to her boyfriend.

But now, now she supposed there was no harm in trying. Because anyway, he was distant to her. What if things turned out to be different once she actually told mingi about her pregnancy? And so she decided to tell him.

Miyeon flinched as she heard the door opening, a frown falling on her face. It was only 6pm, who the hell was home now? Miyeon stood up, keeping her bowl of grapes aside before walking towards the entryway. Her eyes widened as she saw mingi, his face turning into that of surprise as well as he stared at her.

Mingi : what are you doing here?

Miyeon : I…took a day off work. And you?

Mingi sighed, keeping his shoes aside before saying

Mingi : well then, let's talk.

Miyeon nodded, realizing it was required. It would be the best time to break her news to mingi. Miyeon was about to say it when mingi suddenly said

Mingi : let's break up.

Miyeon froze, her heart thumping against her chest as she whispered

Miyeon : what?

Mingi : let's go our own ways now, miyeon. I don't want to be with you anymore.

Miyeon : but…why? Did I do something wrong?

Mingi : miyeon-ah, remember when you told me about starting a family?

Miyeon : that-

Mingi : yeah no, I cannot do that. This line of work does not allow me to do any of that. Yes, my ancestors have had a family, and many of their children have been killed in the process. The ones that did survive in the end, took over the company. But I cannot do that to my own children, miyeon. And not to you either. I refuse to sacrifice an innocent life for the sake of all this.

Miyeon stared at mingi, her hands unconsciously going to her belly. Mingi sighed as he continued

Mingi : this is a path I must lead by myself now. You cannot follow me any longer.

Miyeon : but I can adjust, mingi. Our-

Mingi : except I don't want you to adjust, miyeon. I don't want you at all anymore.

Miyeon stepped back from mingi, her eyes hurt.

Mingi : the more as time pass, the more you will turn into a burden for me. And I don’t think either of us want that in our future. So go, go away from me and live a life that you want. A life that will give you happiness.

Miyeon scoffed, looking away as tears filled her eyes.

Miyeon : all that time I spent on you, on us, it meant nothing in the end.

Mingi did not say anything more. And just by looking into his face, miyeon had finally decided.

She was going to do this on her own, she was going to give her babies the world.

And so miyeon looked up at mingi with determined eyes before saying

Miyeon : fine. Then this is the end of us. Goodbye, mingi.

__________________________

11 months later :

Miyeon stared at the two beings that were deep asleep in their cribs with a smile on her face, slowly rocking their cribs. It had been a boy and a girl, and miyeon had named them minho and minji. They weren't purely identical, but they had their own similarities. While minho was more like miyeon, minji was more like mingi. Except she wasn't going to tell them about their father.

It was the same father that had abandoned miyeon, so why would she bother telling her children about him? She was a nurse after all, she made enough money to be raising the both of her children very well by herself. And that was exactly what she was going to do.

__________________________

4 years later :

Miyeon was now in a park with her brother, minho and minji clearly in their own words, jumping around the trampoline. Miyeon was watching them with a smile on her face, sipping on her chocholate milk. Wooyoung turned to face his sister, his eyes squinted from the sunlight

Wooyoung : how long are you going to hide them from mingi?

Miyeon : as long as it's required, of course.

Wooyoung : and the kids? They're gonna wanna know about their father sometime, yeon-ah.

Miyeon : when they're old enough, I'll tell them the truth. About how he left me before I could even tell him that I was with child. Until then, they're gonna have to believe that their father is somewhere outside this nation and is unable to visit them.

Wooyoung sighed, leaning back against the bench before saying

Wooyoung : so you're gonna work hard like this for your entire life? Without anyone by your side?

Miyeon : well I have you.

Wooyoung whacked his sister's arm, making minho frown at his uncle from afar

Minho : if you hit my eomma once more, I'm going to squash your tiny head.

Miyeon laughed at that, making wooyoung frown in dismay

Wooyoung : yah! Whose head is tinier!

Minho stuck his tongue out at wooyoung, making wooyoung groan as he started to chase minho around the park. Miyeon chuckled as minji jumped out of the trampoline, running towards her mother with a smile on her face before crashing into her arms.

Minji : what's wrong with those two idiots?

Miyeon giggled, smoothening her daughter's hair before whispering

Miyeon : I wonder.

___________________________

3 years later :

Miyeon was now walking back home from work, after having decided not to take her car to work today. She was about to take her phone out when she heard heavy breathing somewhere close to her, making her pause on her tracks. Someone was hurt.

Miyeon quickly traced herself to the hurt person, standing in front of an alley a few seconds later. And soon enough she saw the man that was crouched down on the floor, holding his stomach that seemed to have a small stab wound, while letting out soft groans. Miyeon stepped forward and was about to say something when the man suddenly looked up, his face coming into her proper view.

Miyeon : mingi?

Mingi let out a shaky breath, looking away from miyeon as he whispered

Mingi : go away.

Miyeon : you're hurt.

Mingi : as you can see. Now go away, jung miyeon.

Miyeon : and? What, you're going to just let yourself die here?

Mingi : why do you care, miyeon. You're not supposed to-

Miyeon : I care because I am a nurse, there's nothing more to this than that.

Miyeon stepped closer to mingi, bending down and moving his hands away to inspect the wound. Mingi stared at her the entire while, taking her in after so many years.

Miyeon : it seems to be a small wound. Do you mind going to the hospital?

Mingi : I can't, they're going to ask for an explanation. Miyeon-

Miyeon : then we're doing this the old way.

Mingi's eyes widened as miyeon lifted him up with her, dragging him out the alley.

Mingi : what the hell are you doing? What is your husband going to say when he sees you taking me home like this?

Miyeon : lucky for you, I have no husband.

Mingi paused, confusion lacing him. She didn't have anyone? Then the kids he saw in the park with her a few months ago?

Miyeon : I'm going to call a taxi. Make sure you have your coat wrapped around the wound at all times. We cannot let anyone see that you're hurt.

Mingi slowly nodded, his hand still clutched against the wound. Miyeon let out a breath, holding her hand out for a taxi as she whispered under her breath

Miyeon : I can't believe I'm doing this.

_______________________________

Taglist : @curly-fr13s @jeongintwt @jamia-wilson @aloverga @treasure-hwa @bigzaddydwaekki

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#ateez angst #ateez fluff #kpop angst #kpop ff #kpop fluff #ateez ff #angst #ateez #ff #fluff #ateez au #ateez x oc #ateez imagine #ateez imagines #song mingi #ateez mingi #mingi #mingi angst #mingi fluff #mingi ff #mingi au #mingi x reader #mingi x oc #mingi imagines #mingi imagine #kpop au #kpop imagines

[bella-atz]

no fear

✩ timeline: after the guerrilla era

✩ summary: 2022 kcon was something for bella.

At first, she didn’t make a big deal of the setlist because it was a commitment to perform eight songs in front of hundreds of people. However, she starts to wonder if she’ll not make it through the entire stage because most of the songs are extreme and fast pace back to back. 

During practice, Bella tries her best to maintain enough energy. The group will only have a minute to interact with the audience. In other words, there won’t be breaks in between performances. The guys and her call this the ‘Hell Setlist.’ 

“You good, baby?” Yunho asked the maknae. He gives her a hand because she is lying on the stage. 

She was panting, sweating, and tired. But she doesn’t want to give up. 

Bella accepts Yunho’s offer and stands back on her feet. “Yes. And I am telling the truth.” She points out. Bella is sometimes stubborn to admit things. It does worry the members if she is okay or not. 

Yunho chuckles. “I didn’t ask if you were telling the truth. But are you positive that you can do this?” He gently holds her hand. The tall man can see her ponytail is out of place, and her eye bags are deep from the traveling and less sleep. Above all; she is still smiling and putting in the effort. 

With a nod of reassurance, Bella says, “I am confident. I signed up for this, and I knew what to expect. And yes, I was hesitant before doing it.” She knows she has to break out of her stubbornness and be more open. Bella felt Yunho’s hand ruffling her head. “It’s okay to tell the truth. We all were unsure, but we do it for our fans.” He basically told the youngest there was nothing wrong with being afraid. 

Hours later, the venue has people cheering for their favorite idols and enjoying the moment. 

As soon as Wave begins to play, Bella is relieved to walk around, making sweet gestures to Atinys and dancing here and there. Her face was dripping with sweat, and her makeup might’ve rubbed off, but it didn’t matter. Also, San’s hair dye is coming off. 

When singing her part, Wooyoung skips up to her to make a hand heart. She does the other half and smiles lovingly at the camera. Wooyoung pats her back to convey that she is doing a great job. In the middle of the performance, Hongjoong even asked one of the staff members to give her a bottle of water. He could tell through her singing that she couldn’t catch a breath. 

The Real was their last song on the setlist, and Bella pretty much used the rest of her stamina that she had left. Even though she faced many challenges on and off stage, she kept going and never stopped. 

#ateez 9th member #ateez addition #ateez female member #ateez female oc #ateez female addition #ateez oc #ateez added member #9th member of ateez #ateez ninth member #ateez extra member #kpop female oc #kpop addition #kpop added member #ateez x oc

[lunehong]

Tethered

college student! Jongho X college student! fem oc

Soulmate AU, just cuteness and fluff

warnings : mentions of anxiety, illness, pregnancy.

word count : 6.9k

synopsis : what happens when your soulmate bond is finally activated but it doesn't fall under any of the existing types? Jongho and Yunhee try to establish their connection with no clue and minimal examples to follow. Would they succeed in meeting each other and seal the bond or would they fall gradually ill?

a/n : okay so my first ever oneshot, and I'm glad I could write one for our baby bear jjong cuz there aren't many jongho fics on here PLUS I miss him so much :(( I hope he's recovering well and also his birthday is coming up next month! feedback is always appreciated!

----- A reblog would mean the world to me <33 ------

Yesterday was Yunhee’s 18th birthday, which meant that she was finally an adult according to society’s standards. It also meant that she could watch netflix shows that were adult rated without feeling guilty about her age and of course, call chronically online minors out on their behaviour as someone who’d automatically be deemed more mature and responsible.

However, this also entailed that her soulmate bond was activated. 

Yunhee did feel a tingly sensation and the butterflies in her stomach like the others said she would, but after that everything went back to normal. No tattoos were etched onto her body, nor did she see a flash of her soulmate’s face in her mind and there was no response when she thought of a bunch of things to test if they had telepathy. 

She really didn’t know what went wrong but it made her anxious. Also the fact that she had no way of knowing if something happened to her soulmate, as their soulmate bond was still unidentified. 

“You should really calm down, Yunhee.” said Minha, her best friend of 7 years. 

“What if I don’t find him soon enough? We have to meet each other as soon as possible after our soulmate bond has been activated or else we’d both gradually fall ill! Don’t you remember what happened to Nina and her boyfriend?” Yunhee muttered anxiously. 

“It has only been a day! I don’t understand why you’re panicking so much. Give it a week and if there’s still nothing after that, then we can panic.” She concluded.

Taking her best friend’s advice, Yunhee decided to leave the matters into her soulmate’s hands, thinking if she was frantically trying out different confirmation methods, it was safe to assume that he was also doing the same. 

“Dude, I’m telling you, your soulmate bond is telepathy! There isn’t any other type that matches!”  Wooyoung exclaimed, while flailing his hands around to prove his point. 

“But I haven’t heard anything from my soulmate so far! Nor do I know if the things I thought reached her!” Jongho yelled back. 

“Okay… Well, try again later! Don’t give up on this, because I’m a hundred percent sure it’s telepathy of some sort even if it isn’t the common one.” Wooyoung got up to leave. 

“How are you so sure? Are you a soulmate specialist or something?” Jongho scoffed at him. 

Wooyoung smiled at that. “Remember how my soulmate bond was telepathy?” Jongho nodded, “I never told anyone this but, mine wasn’t your typical telepathy… It was one-sided.”

“What? No way!” Jongho stared at him in disbelief.

“Yes, our bond was such that I couldn’t hear anything from her but she could hear everything I thought about. I was ready to give up when I got this idea and decided to give it a last shot.” Wooyoung continued.

“What did you do?” Jongho asked.

“I sat down and started revealing my full name, my social media handles, my address and other details in my head, so if there really was anyone listening they’d know how to find me. She showed up on my doorstep with my favourite snacks not long after. The rest is history.” Wooyoung grinned while recalling the memory. 

“How the hell did we not know this before? It’s literally a story worth telling!” 

“Yes, I’m aware but the topic never came up and I can’t just randomly reveal that my soulmate bond was flawed you know?” Wooyoung tried to reason with Jongho. 

“Okay, fine I got it. I’ll try thinking of different things and hope it’ll reach my soulmate somehow” Jongho sighed, giving in.

“That’s the spirit! Let me and the other guys know if you feel anything and I’ll see you later. Bye!” 

Jongho headed to bed early that day, feeling exhausted. As he was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, an idea came to him. ‘What if I focus on one topic to think about instead of multiple things at once? It might be a more organised approach and less strenuous for my brain.’ 

So he sat up and started consciously thinking about one topic, but phrased them in various ways. 

‘What is your name?’ He waited a bit but there wasn’t a response. 

“At least I know this won't work,” he said out loud. 

‘Can you tell me your name?’

 No response.

“Okay, that’s crossed out too then. How else can I phrase it…”

 If anyone saw him then, they’d think he had gone mad by the way he was talking to himself.

‘Could you speak your name?’

‘Could you spell your name?’

‘Could you trace your name on your hand?’

Jongho tried phrasing it as many ways as he could, even if some sounded ridiculous. 

‘Telleth me thy name.’

 He paused before laughing at himself. 

“So, Shakespearean English is crossed out too it seems.” 

When he ran out of all the ‘tell’, ‘spell’, ‘speak’ and ‘think’ questions he took a different route. 

‘Can you write your name?’

No response. 

Jongho yawned, feeling sleepy. Lying back down on the bed, he tried thinking of a few more sentences before deciding to continue again the next day. 

‘Could you write your name on paper?’ 

No response. 

“Okay, then” he said.

‘Write your name down on paper for me please?’ 

He paused, just about to fall asleep. 

That was when the most unexpected thing happened to him.

Yunhee was tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. She had just finished her college assignment, due the next day and all the stress she took for it made her extremely tired. 

Assuming sleep would come easy to her, she finished her nighttime routine and headed to bed. But alas, sleep was nowhere to be found. It was one of those days where her body was tired but her mind was wide awake and she despised when that happened because it meant that she would not be able to fall asleep anytime soon. 

She started counting sheep in her head as a last resort.

 When she was on her 29th sheep, Yunhee heard something resonate in her head. The first noise sounded like an incoherent crackle and she almost dismissed it as her mind playing tricks, when she clearly heard a soothing male voice telling her to write her name on paper. 

She sat up on her bed abruptly and tried to reach out to the guy, but to no avail. Her heart was beating very fast at the prospect of finally receiving a telepathic message. She was able to hear her soulmate’s voice and it was a feeling like no other. 

After waiting a bit, she decided to do what the voice told her to: write her name on paper. 

Yunhee got up, retrieving her notebook and a pen from the desk. Sitting back down on the bed once again, she opened the notebook to an empty page and scribbled her name on it. She also wrote “What is your name?” underneath.

She waited for a bit in case another message came through but there were no other responses. 

Yunhee was completely unable to sleep that night. 

Jongho couldn’t believe what he just saw. It was like a flash that only lasted for a few seconds, but he saw a vision through someone else’s eyes. He saw a hand pick up a light blue notebook with the words “hakuna matata” written in a corner with golden ink. The hand also picked up a pen and wrote down something in the notebook. What it wrote, Jongho couldn’t make out because the writing became hazy and blurry. He could only read out ‘Park’ and the writing underneath that said ‘what is your name?’.

He was sure the person wrote her name down but he could only read her surname. 

Jongho felt something unexplainable in his gut. He was finally able to reach his soulmate, even though he couldn’t see her name. Thinking about the vision brought out a sense of longing inside him. He wanted to see more, feel more and know more about her, but he didn’t yet know how.

 ‘At least this is progress’ he thought. ‘I need to tell the others about this and figure out what I should do next.’

The doorbell rang but the sound went unheard by the group of guys inside the apartment. The person standing outside got impatient after a while, and had to bang on the door to gain everyone’s attention. 

“Geez, Hongjoong-hyung why are you banging on the door like that? The bell exists for a reason.” Wooyoung tsked while opening the door for him.

“I rang the bell like 10 times already! None of you brats could hear it over the noise pollution! I swear y’all can be heard from down the hallway!” Hongjoong yelled at him. 

“Cut us some slack though, Hongjoong. We met up after almost a month!” Seonghwa reasoned with him. 

The seven guys excluding Jongho made themselves comfortable in Jongho’s living room, catching up with each other. Meanwhile, the resident of the apartment arranged some refreshments for the eight of them, bringing them over to the living area before plopping down between Yeosang and Mingi. 

“So let’s come to the reason why I called you guys here–” 

“You called us for a reason!?” San fake gasped. 

“You wouldn’t have invited us if you didn’t have a use for us!?” Yunho butted in. 

“Guys let the poor boy speak! I can kinda guess what it’s about.” Wooyoung tried to defend Jongho. 

“Yes, thank you Wooyoung-hyung. The reason why I called you here is because I was able to contact my soulmate yesterday and I still don’t know what type of bond this is.” 

At the revelation, everyone started yelling over each other and asking questions, of which Jongho was unable to decipher a single sentence.

The seven looked like a bunch of chattering baby birds that wanted food from its mother. He sighed and shook his head, thinking how the people in front of him were supposed to be older in age. 

“Guys, one at a time!” he yelled. 

“Okay, so it’s telepathy right?” Wooyoung asked.

“Yes and no.” Jongho paused to sort out what he wanted to say, “It’s telepathy, yes, because I consciously thought of something and it went through. But, only one kind of conscious thought out of all the other ones I tried to send, elicited a response.”

“That’s…weird?” Hongjoong muttered. 

“And not just that, hyung. The response I received was in the form of a glimpse, showing me a vision through my soulmate’s eyes!”

“What?” exclaimed Mingi.

“So, it’s not just telepathy, it’s specific and supposedly one sided, while you receive sporadic glimpses through your soulmate’s eyes. That’s a very odd combination.” Wooyoung said, in deep thought. 

“This is more complicated than yours was, hyung.” Jongho muttered.

“What do you mean?” Yeosang questioned, being able to hear what he said. 

Jongho proceeded to tell them all the details regarding what he thought and what he saw in the glimpse, meanwhile not forgetting to expose Wooyoung and how he hid such crucial information about his own experience. The rest reprimanded Wooyoung for it, making him sulk, but they also collectively tried to figure out exactly how the bond worked. 

“What happened!” Minha burst into Yunhee’s place, panting like she just ran a marathon. 

“Why hello there best friend, why do you look as if you got chased by a dog?” Hayoon, their other best friend, asked sarcastically. 

“Dude? I came here as fast as I could! I got Yunhee’s text a while ago that said ‘EMERGENCY’ in all caps! I thought some code blue shit happened to her!” Minha exclaimed.

“Wow, and I thought the text I received was bad… she sent, ‘come over, I have something to say’ that made me rush here because I thought she was pregnant or something, which would’ve been really bad considering her soulmate bond just activated.” Hayoon laughed. 

At that very moment, Yunhee walked in with tubs of ice cream, suddenly feeling like she entered a lion’s den. The two girls yelled at her for being so dramatic over nothing but calmed down once she handed them their favourite ice cream. 

“So, the reason I sent those ‘dramatic’ texts as you two so eloquently put it, is because I got contacted by my soulmate and I freaked out.” Yunhee revealed while rolling her eyes.

“What?” Minha yelled. 

“When? How?” Hayoon followed. 

“At night yesterday! I was trying to sleep after finishing the assignment and that’s when I heard his voice in my head telling me to write my name on paper. I don’t know why that was so specific but yeah I did as he said.” 

“Did you hear anything in return?” Hayoon inquired.

“No, unfortunately. That was the only thing that came through.” Yunhee sulked. 

“But hey! You got contacted by your soulmate! So we are sure that nothing happened to him and he’s probably trying to figure out how the bond works as well right?” Minha tried to cheer her up like the mom she was, unable to see her kid sad.

“Yeah, that’s true. I hope he figures it out though because I’m at a dead end here.” 

“I’m sure he’ll figure it out! We currently have nothing to do but trust him and cheer him on. So don’t stress too much, Yuns. Stay alert and just wait for him to make the connection again.” Hayoon exclaimed, in a cheery voice. 

“Exactly! Let’s trust him on this one and we can think more about it when he manages to contact you again. Meanwhile, tell us how he sounded! What did you feel?” Minha shook Yunhee in excitement. 

So, the three girls spent the rest of their time discussing the interaction and other’s soulmate experiences while they enjoyed their ice cream.

Jongho recalled the conversation that he had with the guys earlier, who managed to come up with a few hypothetical situations for him to experiment. 

He sat down on his desk with a notebook before him, taking notes like he would for a science class. The guys did have a few different ideas but Hongjoong’s idea made the most sense to Jongho. 

Hongjoong proposed that the message that went through was a command rather than a suggestion or a question. And what Jongho received as a glimpse was the completion of said task that got sent as a command. 

So what Jongho had to do was make his soulmate do tasks for him and if it worked out every time, then eventually find a way for them to meet face to face. 

He relaxed himself and thought of a task for her to do. 

“Okay, so I know that I’d probably not be able to know her name or see what she looks like through the bond so I can’t ask anything related to that.” He spoke out loud. 

After thinking for a while, Jongho got an idea. He decided to send his soulmate to her favourite cafe and order her favourite drink. In this way he’ll be able to figure out which cafe she frequented and what drink she liked as well. 

‘Go to your favourite cafe and order your favourite drink first thing in the morning.’ He thought, hoping that his soulmate heard it. 

“Did it sound too rude? But I can’t send anything other than a command and commands don’t particularly sound nice though.” He spoke to himself again while scratching his head.

Before he could overthink more, Jongho wrote down what he said and headed to bed as he had classes to attend the next day. 

Taking a last minute impulsive decision, Minha and Hayoon chose to stay the night at Yunhee’s house. The three slept over at each other’s places quite often, making it a regular occurrence in their lives. Yunhee let her mother know about it and she told her to grab the extra mattress that they had for such occasions. 

While she was dragging the mattress to her room, she heard a crackle resonate in her mind like the last time. Yunhee dropped the mattress, focusing intently to see if her soulmate’s voice came through. 

Minha was walking back with a glass of water when she spotted her by the living room standing as if she saw a ghost while the mattress was abandoned on the floor.

“Yuns, what happened–” 

“Shush! I think I’m getting another message.” Yunhee quickly cut her off. 

Indeed, the soothing voice she heard the first time spoke to her again, making the darn butterflies in her stomach return to torment her. She unconsciously smiled, the emotions that hearing her soulmate’s voice evoked in her being all very new. 

Minha stared at her from the side, relating with the lovesick look on her friend’s face all too well. 

“Go to your favourite cafe… and order your favourite drink first thing in the morning?” Yunhee repeated what her soulmate said to her out loud. She looked at Minha, tilting her head in obvious confusion.  

“That’s what he said?” Minha looked equally perplexed. 

“What is taking you two so long– why are y’all standing there with the mattress on the floor?” Hayoon came out of her room to check on the two. 

Minha told her what happened while they dragged the mattress to Yunhee’s room. They sat down to think why her soulmate would send in yet another oddly specific message asking her to do something. 

“You know what I think?” Hayoon said in a serious tone, unlike her usual carefree demeanour, “The only form of message he can send are the ones that tell Yunhee to do something. ‘Cause think about it! He probably already tried saying the common stuff like ‘what is your name’ or ‘where do you live’ like we telepathy types did, but in our case all the things we tried to send went through.” 

 Yunhee and Minha looked at each other for a few seconds before directing their attention back to Hayoon, who was raising her eyebrows at them. 

“Wow dude, what’s up with you? You’re actually making sense today!” Yunhee exclaimed with fake enthusiasm while patting Hayoon on the shoulder, who rolled her eyes and pointed her middle finger towards Yunhee in return.

“Yeah! But Yoon’s right. Can’t relate though, ‘cause I was the tattoo type but she has a point. And I also think that he can somehow sense if you have done the given task or not or else he wouldn’t have any way of knowing if his messages are going through.” Minha added while laughing at Hayoon.

“I mean, the task is simple enough. I do visit cafe Aurora before heading to class anyway, so it won’t be anything out of the ordinary, I guess.” Yunhee muttered. 

The three girls started their movie marathon, when Minha’s phone rang. It was a facetime call from her soulmate Changbin, who was also their childhood friend since middle school. 

When Minha turned 18, which was three months back, she invited all her friends to attend the party, including Changbin. He was out of town that week so he couldn’t attend her birthday party. 

The tattoo that appeared on Minha’s wrist was supposed to be the first thing her soulmate told her after it was activated, which said, “Happy birthday! Sorry I couldn’t make it, Min.” 

 Minha looked absolutely bewildered while Yunhee and Hayoon laughed at it like maniacs. She got teased by the other two the entire day, while she tried to appear nonchalant about it. 

When they were younger, Minha never liked the concept of soulmates and always complained about the idea of getting paired up with a complete stranger for the rest of their lives as it seemed unnerving to her. But when she realised that her soulmate might be good old Changbin, she didn’t hate the idea anymore. It was true that Minha never saw him as anything more than a friend but he was an amazing guy and she did think he’d make a good partner. 

At night she received a call from him and indeed, the first thing he said was “Happy birthday! Sorry I couldn’t make it, Min.” 

Minha laughed and said, “Thanks, idiot.” when it dawned upon Changbin as well that his soulmate was none other than Minha.

 They met up when Changbin returned (he basically scrambled to return as fast as he could) and made it official.

 Among Yunhee’s friends, Minha and Changbin were probably the fastest soulmates to seal the bond which made a lot of them jealous because of how easy it was for them to find each other. 

Back to the present, Changbin facetimed Minha who received the call. 

“Hey Min, are you staying over at Yunhee’s today?” 

“Yep. Sudden decision.”

“Oh okay, have fun! And pass the phone to Yunhee please.” Changbin spoke. 

Yunhee peeked from the back and waved at him. 

“You! What were you thinking when you sent a text like that, dumbass? Who sends ‘EMERGENCY’ and dips without explaining what happened?” He exclaimed.

“Ugh, okay fine sorry. I won’t send texts like that again. I got nagged enough by these two, I don’t need you to add anything to it, Binnie.” Yunhee whined. 

“At least you’re fine and dandy so I’ll spare your ass today. How's the soulmate situation going?” 

They told him everything that happened and gossiped with him for a few more minutes before hanging up. 

Yunhee left to talk to her parents about something, only to come back to the room with her brows furrowed at the screen of her phone. 

“Uh, Yoonie? Why is Eric texting me saying if I decided to keep the baby or not, and if I did he’ll help me convince my soulmate to keep it too?” 

At this, Hayoon and Minha looked at each other, before they burst out laughing. Yunhee was still looking at them in bewilderment but the two were not being able to stop. 

After two minutes of them laughing without break and Yunhee standing like the clown that she was, they finally stopped. 

“Remember the text that you sent me? I showed it to Eric and he was the one who said ‘why does she sound like she’s going to announce her pregnancy or something’ and we realised that it could be a possibility, because dude, everyone knows that you write paragraphs when you text. So, such a thing was not to be taken lightly.” Hayoon shrugged.

At this Yunhee threw a pillow at her, yelling how her love life was as barren as the Sahara desert (because she couldn’t fall for anyone else when the thought of having a soulmate later in life hit her) and how she and her soulmate shared the same braincell. 

“Come on! At least he’s supportive!” Hayoon defended Eric.

“Yeah yeah, I can see that. Let me call him and explain the whole thing, or else he’ll start preparing to be an uncle.”

Eric was Hayoon’s soulmate that she met 3 weeks after her 18th birthday. They were the telepathy type, being able to contact each other almost immediately after the soulmate bond was activated.

The two had a few bumps on the road, as Eric wasn’t cooperative in the beginning. The reason being that he liked this other girl and he couldn’t accept the fact that his soulmate was someone else. But the said girl found her soulmate a week after, which finally pushed Eric to move on and seek his own soulmate. 

Minha and Yunhee didn’t like him, as he made their best friend suffer and put her at risk of getting ill due to the unsealed bond, but he redeemed himself eventually. Now they were a pretty wholesome couple.

After clearing the misunderstanding, they resumed the movie marathon, falling asleep in the midst of it. 

Jongho didn’t feel like getting up. It was a cold winter morning, which made sleeping under the warmth of the duvet all the more enticing. But he had to wake up as he had an important class to attend that day. 

He reached college early, so he was waiting inside the classroom when he saw it.

a glimpse of an awfully familiar cafe. He was able to hear her voice this time, when she spoke to order a regular hot mocha. A shiver ran down his body when he heard it, realising how sweet her voice sounded to him. Keeping his emotions at bay, he noticed two very familiar faces through the glimpse before it ended. 

“Cafe Aurora, huh.” He smiled to himself. His soulmate was nearer to him than he thought. 

As he entered through the door in a hurry to get away from the cold, Jongho noticed that the cafe was busier than usual. He figured that it was due to the freezing weather outside, while the cafe provided the warmth everyone including himself was seeking. 

Upon reaching the front he spotted Soobin behind the cashier counter, taking orders like he usually does with a smile on his face. Beomgyu was in the middle calling out names and distributing drinks while San was at the back making them for the customers. 

He eventually spotted Jongho and called another worker to take his place, so that he could go greet his friend. 

“Jongho? Fancy seeing you here.” San spoke up in a playful tone. 

“Why? Can’t I visit my dear hyung during his shift?” Jongho retaliated. 

“No, of course you can but you usually don’t frequent this place. Remember when you told me it was far from your house and you already found another place to get your iced americano from?” San raised his eyebrows making Jongho avert his gaze.

“Okay, fine! You got me there. I came here to ask you something.” he pouted. 

“Ei, don’t feel bad! I was teasing you! But do visit me more often from now okay? What did you want to ask?” San laughed while patting his back.

“So, I saw another glimpse this morning. I’ll tell you the details later but I think Hongjoong hyung’s theory worked. Can you tell me if you remember any girl, possibly a regular here, ordering hot mocha around 8 am?” 

“I make the drinks dude, I wouldn’t know. Hey, Gyu? Can you come over for a sec?” San yelled. 

Beomgyu, who finally got to breathe after distributing the drinks, clicked his tongue and walked over to where the two were standing. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” 

“Do you remember any regular female customer that came today around 8 am to order a hot mocha?” San asked him.

“Okay first of all, I have been distributing over hundreds of drinks, at least 30 of which were hot mochas. And if we are talking about 8 am then a lot of people came in to get their morning fix before college so I don’t think I can help you.” He paused.

“You could check the server but I doubt that would be of any help either, because a lot of female regular customers order hot mochas in the morning so…” Beomgyu shrugged. 

“Okay thanks, Gyu. We’ll figure something out.” San sighed.

“Why? Did anyone take a drink without paying again?” Beomgyu inquired in a concerned voice. 

“No, no. We’re trying to find Jongho’s soulmate.” San and Jongho laughed at Beomgyu’s expression.

“Oh, thank god. Good luck searching for her, bro.” Beomgyu gave Jongho a thumbs up before resuming his work. 

San looked at Jongho, who was deep in thought. 

“How’d you know she came to Aurora?” 

“Oh, come on hyung, I’d recognise the interior anywhere! Plus, she gave her order to Soobin and you were at the back making drinks. I saw you two in the glimpse.” Jongho poked San in the shoulders, making him swat his hand away. 

“Moreover, I think I found out how the bond works. So, I’ll increase contact and try to get her to meet me somehow.”

“That’s the spirit! I know you’ll succeed Jongho-yah.” San said with a proud look on his face. 

He asked Jongho if he still wanted to order an iced americano in a weather like that, to which he said yes. San shook his head at the boy but proceeded to make him what he wanted, yelling how he wouldn’t take any responsibility if Jongho caught a cold later. 

He just smiled and gestured at him to continue making the drink.

Two days have passed since Yunhee received the last message from her soulmate. She was trying not to think about it, distracting herself with other things but every now and then her mind would fleet to the honey-like voice which evoked an unexplainable sense of longing in her. She wanted to hear his voice again.

During breaks, the trio made a point to gather whenever their schedules coincided, to catch up and complain about college, even though it was just their freshman year. 

Yunhee was walking towards their hangout spot with Hayoon when she felt like another message was coming through. She stopped walking and tapped Hayoon on the shoulder to do the same. 

The now familiar voice reverberated in her head saying “Write the name of your favourite flower on your notebook.” 

She stood there with a faraway look in her eyes, while the girl beside her extended and retracted her hand awkwardly, not knowing if she should shake her best friend or not. 

Hayoon didn’t have to suffer in indecisiveness for long, as Minha approached them and did the job for her by back hugging Yunhee, bringing her out of her trance.

“Why are you two standing here? Let’s go.” 

“Wait, Yunhee received another telepathic message. What is it bro?” Hayoon asked Yunhee. 

“He asked me to write the name of my favourite flower. What is he up to?” 

“It’s just flowers Yunhee, he probably wanted to know basic stuff like that so that he can be prepared when he finally meets you.” Minha reasoned.

“Okay let’s go sit, so that I can write it down.” 

The three headed to their hangout place. As soon as Yunhee sat down, she reached for her bag to bring the notebook out. She opened it and wrote, ‘sunflowers, but pink roses are great too’ after much thought. 

The other two teased her saying they already knew she was going to write sunflowers so she really didn’t have to ponder so much, but Yunhee disagreed by saying how she found all flowers pretty so it was hard for her to pick one.

The following day, Yunhee received another message that asked her to write yes in the notebook if she was available on the weekend and no if she wasn’t. 

She ended up writing a ‘YES’ in capital letters on her notebook that probably covered the whole page, out of sheer excitement. 

Jongho on the other hand received a glimpse of it, laughing at how adorable she was. It was as though he felt the excitement of his soulmate and that made him more eager and impatient to meet her. 

Yunhee immediately informed Hayoon and Minha about it, who were equally thrilled for their best friend and promised to help her get ready for the occasion. 

Weekend arrived faster than the two soulmates anticipated. Jongho made sure to send her a message saying “Go to cafe Aurora at 4pm” before he started preparing to meet her. 

He got ready at three and sent a message to his group chat asking which flower he should pick between sunflowers and pink roses. Most of them suggested him to buy both and get them arranged in a nice bouquet. 

What Jongho didn’t know, however, was that the seven were already camping at cafe Aurora (excluding San because it was his shift anyway) to watch the scene unfold. 

Yunhee finally finished getting ready with the help of her two best friends. She opted for a classy but casual look: flared jeans, puffy sleeved black top, minimal pearl accessories and light makeup. 

She kept stressing and overthinking about the entire situation like the worrywart she was. At first Minha and Hayoon were trying to reassure her and alleviate her concerns but after a while it became frustrating for them so they nagged her and threw her out of the house before it was too late.

Yunhee, although still anxious about the whole meeting up with her soulmate situation, took deep breaths and reminded herself how much she had been wanting to meet her soulmate for the past few days. After calming down a bit, she headed towards the cafe. 

Jongho arrived at the cafe, the bouquet of flowers in hand. It seemed as though he attracted quite a bit of attention, because of how big the assortment of flowers looked due to the big and vibrant sunflowers. He didn’t think much of it however, opting to find a suitable seat while he waited for his soulmate to arrive. 

San on the other hand, went inside the storage room upon Jongho’s arrival to alert the other six who were hiding in there. The guys were trying to find a suitable position to peek in through the door; bickering in low voices to prevent being seen. Yunho had to hold his hand over Wooyoung’s mouth in case he yelled unintentionally and gave out their position. 

Meanwhile, San explained the whole situation to Beomgyu and Soobin, who finally understood what was going on.

“Here goes nothing.” Yunhee muttered to herself while she pushed the door to the cafe open. Upon entering she noticed that the cafe was moderately busy– an unusual sight for her as she always visited early in the morning during the rush hour, when all the seats were occupied and a huge queue present.

She didn’t know what to look for as her soulmate hadn’t really mentioned anything that would help her identify him in the crowd, but she hoped that her ‘soulmate senses’ would assist her with it (if such a thing existed).

Soobin noticed her standing awkwardly by the door and called her.

“Hello! Yunhee, right?” he said. 

“Oh, hi! Yeah, I usually drop by before going to college. I’m glad you remember my name!” Yunhee was grateful to him for striking up a conversation. 

“You seemed like you were searching for someone. Do you perhaps need some help?” He inquired. 

“I was, actually! To be honest, I don’t know what he looks like.” she paused. “It’s… my soulmate and today is supposed to be our first meeting.” Yunhee said truthfully.

Upon hearing what she said, Soobin immediately yelled at San to come to the counter, who was standing at the back. 

Yunhee saw Soobin whisper something to his ear and he looked at her with his eyebrows raised in shock. He then moved back to allow the guy to stand in his place.

“Hi! I’m San and I usually handle making beverages at the back. Soobin here just told me that you are looking for your soulmate, is that right?” He asked politely. 

“Nice to meet you! And yeah, I am.” She replied. 

“Looks like we’ll meet each other more often from now on, Ms.Yunhee.” San said while smiling. “And you might want to look there, on the right side, where a guy is sitting with a huge bouquet of flowers. Good luck!” He instructed while pointing towards the table. 

Yunhee approached said table and immediately noticed the assortment of sunflowers and pink roses along with a few other flowers. She tapped on the table to get the guy’s attention, who was on his phone with his back to her.

Jongho looked up, only to find, arguably, the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes upon. He seemed to be in a trance, everything but the girl in front of him becoming a blur.

Yunhee wasn’t faring any better, feeling like her heart was beating out of her chest as she stared at the guy that was supposed to be her soulmate. 

Both of them felt like something clicked in place, like the final piece in a puzzle that they didn’t even know was missing all this time.

Jongho recovered first, standing up to move the bouquet so that Yunhee could sit in the seat in front of him. Once she settled down, he swiftly handed the flowers to her, to which she thanked him in a bashful way. 

“I did think your choice of flower was unique, but now that I saw you face to face, it suits you.” Jongho said, after clearing his voice. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks.” Yunhee replied. 

“I’m Jongho. Choi Jongho. Sophomore in college.” 

“Park Yunhee. Freshman.” 

“Yunhee… a pretty name for an even prettier person it seems.” Jongho replied playfully, making her blush. 

They carried their conversation, feeling quite relaxed and comfortable after a while. Yunhee asked him a bunch of different questions, as she couldn’t do that with their bond earlier and Jongho patiently answered every query that she had with a smile on his face, not missing to ask her some in return. 

The more they communicated, the more they realised how similar their values and preferences were, which dispelled all the concerns they had about liking each other.

Jongho got up to collect their order when he noticed the six heads peeking through a door in the distance. He made his way towards the door and swung it open, to see the six guys trying to hide behind carton boxes. 

Jongho folded his arms and glared at them while they stuttered trying to explain the situation. Meanwhile, San pretended he did not see anything and continued his work.

Being discovered already, the guys came out from the storage room and greeted Yunhee, who was taken aback at first but reciprocated their enthusiasm almost immediately. 

She could see how embarrassed Jongho looked because of them so she tried to console him by saying that her friends were like this too and they’d all get along really well once they met. 

The guys started leaving one by one, seeing how Jongho’s death glare was still quite evident and they didn’t want to be at the receiving end of their youngest’s wrath. 

Jongho sighed and apologised to Yunhee again for his friends’ sudden intrusion to which she was fine with and said that it was quite nice to meet the people he was close to.

They finished their beverages and chose to take a walk outside before heading home. 

As they were walking along the pavement, Jongho felt a sudden urge to hold her hand. He tried to appear nonchalant and brushed his hand with hers, to which Yunhee responded by grabbing his hand while looking the other way. 

As someone who hated skinship with all his being, Jongho didn’t quite fathom why he felt the need to initiate physical contact with the girl walking beside him. Something as simple as holding hands was making his emotions go haywire. 

'So this is what having a soulmate feels like.' Jongho thought. 

“Right? I always felt like it was a foreign concept to me, which I couldn’t relate to at all when the people around me shared their stories. But now that I’m experiencing it for myself, I get what they were saying.” Yunhee replied, while swinging their joint hands back and forth. 

Jongho looked at her, perplexed about how she knew what he was thinking when their soulmate bond was supposed to dissipate once they met; not to mention it wasn’t regular telepathy to begin with.

Yunhee glanced back at him, to see his head tilted endearingly towards her in confusion.

“You said that out loud, Jongho.” She pointed out while giggling at his expression. 

“Oh, I didn’t realise that.” Jongho turned his head away to hide his embarrassment but Yunhee noticed how red his ears were, making her chuckle again. He figured that he really loved how her laugh sounded. 

After their impromptu stroll, Jongho took Yunhee home. 

They were at the gate, when the girl turned around and held both of Jongho’s hands.

“I had a lovely time today, so thank you so much for that. Thank you for not giving up on me even after knowing how complicated it was trying to find how our bond worked, as I completely started depending on you after not having a single clue about it. I know that our life was kind of on the line too but still I’d like to express my gratitude. And also… thanks for not turning out a jerk I guess?” Yunhee ended with a mischievous smile, making Jongho laugh. 

“Then I’d also like to express my gratitude for the fact that you chose to trust me on this and I’m so glad that you’re my soulmate.” Jongho smiled warmly while squeezing her hands tighter. “Also, thanks for not being a snobbish Karen.” He ended with a wink. 

Both Yunhee and Jongho felt all warm inside just by looking at each other. Every emotion that they felt just by doing the bare minimum seemed heightened and it was a complete new experience for both of them. 

The day ended as Yunhee hugged Jongho despite him telling her he hated skinship, and surprisingly Jongho didn’t mind it and hugged her back. 

Yunhee promised to introduce her parents and friends to him some other day, to which Jongho wholeheartedly agreed, saying he’d do the same. 

At last they parted ways, Yunhee entering her house and Jongho on his way home even though they didn’t want the day to end. 

Unspoken promises of a life together at each other's side lingered on. A life, where they were bound to be together, chosen as each other’s counterparts by fate itself. No matter how many lives they lived, the red string of fate would always bring the destined souls to one another; such was the way of the universe.

#ateez #ateez au #ateez fanfic #ateez imagines #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez scenarios #ateez x oc #kpop fanfic #ateez oneshot #jongho oneshot #jongho fluff #jongho angst #jongho x reader #jongho x oc #jongho imagines #ateez jongho #choi jongho #jongho #hongjoong #yeosang #seonghwa #san #mingi #wooyoung #yunho #ateez hongjoong #ateez seonghwa #ateez yunho #ateez yeosang

[nctangelz]

STARSTRUCK — SOOYOUNG & ????????

sooyoung’s masterlist

sneak peek — in which sooyoung goes to compliment an artist from MAMA 2020…to a possiblity of something more.

tags — @yjjnfied (send an ask to be included!)

“What an amazing night!” Sooyoung cheered, running to Renjun to wrap her arms around his waist, awkwardly walking behind him as they went to their backstage area. “All of the performances were amazing!”

“Hm, but were they all better than Ateez’s performance?” Jeno asked, laughing when Sooyoung only blushed. “That’s all we heard about, how amazing their performance was, how crazy their dancing was….you even talked about them more than BTS!” Jeno pointed out, the rest of the boys chuckling when Sooyoung just shook her head.

“I was just complimenting them! You all agreed with me too! You couldn’t keep your eyes off when Twice was performing, I don’t want to hear it!” Sooyoung argued back, removing herself from Renjun to flick Jeno on the head. “Can’t a girl just observe and compliment?”

“You can, Sooyoungie, but it’s sounding like you’re a bit obsessed,” Mark chuckled, “Why don’t you go say hi to them and congratulate them so we can stop hearing about?” Mark said, yelling “I’m joking!” when Sooyoung threatened to punch him.

“No, because then I would have to hear about it on the way home, about how polite and pretty they were…she probably would get someone’s number and freak out about it too.” Chenle said, pretending to be annoyed by his friends behavior.

“You know what, I will go talk to them! And I will get their numbers! And I will rub it all in your faces, because I know how jealous you all are that I have more friends than you!” Sooyoung said, wholeheartedly joking.

“If you want to so bad they’re behind us,” Jisung said, turning Sooyoung by her shoulders to show her Ateez, all huddled up about ten steps back.

“Wanna come with me?” Sooyoung asked, chuckling when Jisung sheepishly nodded.

“You’re a bold person, Sooyoungie.” Jisung chuckled, grabbing ahold of her hand to follow her lead. “Now don’t harass me infront of them, please.”

“When would I ever do such a thing?” Sooyoung asked, laughing when Jisung looked at her knowingly. Before he knew it, Ateez was right in front of them, all suprised by seeing two NCT members in front of them. They quickly did their greeting, respectfully bowing to both Sooyoung and Jisung.

Jisung and Sooyoung awkwardly looked at eachother, before doing their greeting just with the two of them. The boys of Ateez just chuckled at the sight of seeing only two members doing the greeting.

“It must weird doing that by yourselves, especially when you have so many members!” One of the boys said, later introducing themself, “I’m Seonghwa!”

The rest of the boys introduced themselves, one by one. Sooyoung started bouncing on the balls of her feet, itching to compliment them like she was beforehand.

“My name’s Sooyoung, and I just wanted to come over here to tell you all what an amazing job you guys did performing tonight! Your songs are just so cool, and your dancing? Phenomenal! And Wooyoung, you absolutely rocked the performance. It was so cool! I love all of your dancing!” Sooyoung said quickly, rubbing her cheeks when she felt them get hot, “I hope you all don’t take this as being weird, but I seriously couldn’t stop thinking about your performance, I loved it so much! My members were teasing me earlier because I just kept talking about it!”

Sooyoung only continued to get red as she started at Ateez longer, especially with them all looking starstuck.

“Thank you so much, we loved watching you perform too! Ridin’ is one of my top songs!” Wooyoung said, clapping his hands together and bowing. “Were you really thinking of our performance for that long?” Wooyoung asked, looking in between Sooyoung and Jisung, smiling widely when Jisung confirmed.

“Could we take a Selca, do you think?” San asked, quickly adding in, “It’s okay if you don’t want to! We are just fans of NCT as well…I’d never imagine we’d get the chance to meet!” San said, cheering when Sooyoung nodded, all ten of them came together, posing for the selfie.

“Do you think I could get your numbers? I would love to get to know you all more, but Jisung and I have to leave soon.” Sooyoung said, holding in her giggle when Wooyoung practically ripped his bag open to grab his phone out.

“You can type your number in here, if you’d like. I can send the rest of the members numbers later!” Wooyoung said, “Make your contact name anything you’d like!” Sooyoung giggled at the suggestion, wiggling her eyebrows at Jisung.

“What should I do, Sungie?” Sooyoung whispered, gasping when Jisung only took the phone out of her hand and started typing.

“Smile, Soosoo!” Jisung called out, taking a cute picture of the girl to add to her contact. Sooyoung immediately grabbed the phone out of Jisung’s hand, shaking her head when she saw the contact name.

[ Ateez’s #1 Fan, SOOBUNNY 🐰🎤 ]

Sooyoung shyly handed the phone back to Wooyoung, cringing when he giggled. “You can change it, my maknae over here just has some interesting thoughts.” Sooyoung said, sighing slightly when Wooyoung only shook his head and kept giggling.

“No, I love it! And this picture is so cute!” Wooyoung said, showing the rest of the members. “This is great! Thank you, Sooyoung-ah!”

Sooyoung couldn’t help but feel a blush creeping up her cheeks again, and she quickly thanked the boys and waved goodbye, turning around before anyone could notice.

“Is that a blush I see, who does Sooyoung have a crush on I wonder?” Jisung whispered, laughing when Sooyoung muttered a curse underneath her breath. “Don’t worry, your secert is safe with me.”

The rest of the Dream members were too pre-occupied with taking their makeup off to notice Sooyoung and Jisung’s return, allowing the girl to quickly sneak off to cool her cheeks off while she changed. She could feel her phone buzz in her pocket, and she had a gut-feeling it was Wooyoung.

[ unknown ] Hello, this is Wooyoung! Thank you so much for loving our performance, it really does mean a lot to us! I was wondering if you were free soon? I know it’s a busy time for many idols, so don’t feel pressured! I would love to hang out with you sometime :)

Sooyoung regretted reading the text message, because she was so easily swooned by Wooyoung’s charms. He was so cute and sweet, how could she not blush? The longer Sooyoung stared at the message, the harder her heart pounded.

Was this his way of asking her out? Did she want to go on a date with Wooyoung? She had to admit, he was really adorable, and she was so immersed by him when Ateez was on stage, her eyes felt glued to him the entire time. She could feel a rush of butterflies in her stomach, which she took as a good sign, but this would be Sooyoung’s first “real” date! The only other date she had was when her crush in middle school took her to the movies, but they had to watch it with his mom. He was very rude to her, too, so Sooyoung doesn’t like to include it in her history of romantic relationships.

Before Sooyoung could think of a response, Jaemin was knocking on the changing room, yelling at her to hurry up. So, Sooyoung dropped her phone, and hasitly changed out of her dress into her sweats and sweatshirt, which was most likely taken from Mark’s closet.

“What were you doing, taking a nap in there?” Jaemin asks, handing Sooyoung her purse and the rest of her belongings. Sooyoung only rolled her eyes and walked towards the door with him, looping arms with him.

“I’m so sleepy, I don’t think I can make it to my bunk, Nana, you might have to carry me up my ladder!” Sooyoung joked, smiling when Jaemin tagged along. The rest of the walk to the car was filled with just her and Jaemin talking, talking about what they were doing tomorrow, what they wanted to eat when they got home, and Sooyoung was about to tell Jaemin about Wooyoung texting her, when something in her told her not to.

She didn’t want to tell the boys that Wooyoung may have asked her out just yet, and it wasn’t because she didn’t trust them, she never had an issue telling them secrets before hand…but this felt almost too personal to share. So, she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until Sooyoung made it home, all freshly showered and snuggled in her bed that Sooyoung responded to Wooyoung’s offer. After spending a lot of time typing and deleting her message, she finally sent something to the boy.

[ Ateez’s #1 Fan, SOOBUNNY 🐰🎤 ] I’m sorry for such a late reply, I didn’t want my members to try and snoop on me. But I would love to spend time with you soon! I’m not free until next Friday, if that works for you?

Also, you can change my contact name…it’s really long 😭

[ wooyoung 🙈 ] That’s perfect! And maybe i’ll change it…maybe I won’t, hehe. I’ll text you tomorrow some plans, sleep well!

Sooyoung smiled, and shut her phone off. She was excited to see Wooyoung again, but she just hoped that Jisung couldn’t hear her heart thumping in the bunk underneath her.

With that, Sooyoung drifted off to sleep, dreaming about Wooyoung and her unofficial “first date”.

#nct addition #nct added member #nct extra member #nct female addition #nct female subunit #nct female unit #nct female member #nct female oc #kpop oc #nct 24th member #nct dream added member #nct dream female addition #nct dream addition #nct dream female member #nct dream oc #nct dream 8th member #nct dream fluff #nct oc #ateez fluff #wooyoung fluff #wooyoung blurbs #ateez x oc #wooyoung x oc

[hwalyn]

sweeter than candy ➛ five years old

prev | masterlist | seventy three

SYNOPSIS! the universe probably hated her, why else would moon be partnered with a guy who cannot stand her for her midterm oh and add in the fact that he thinks she’s bullying his friends, well one can hope for the best.

A/N: guess who’s back !! let me know if you would still like to be tagged in future updates and if you would like me to tag a different username or if you have changed usernames!!

taglist: @randomness7198 @philanarose @noonaishere @hoohoohope @layzfeelit @joongs-moon @atinymonbebestay @every-body-is-positive @jaysbestie @kawennote09 @kpopnightingale @samjeffleodylan @butterfliesinthenightsky @erodemyedges @idkbutiagree @khjcoo @uarmyhore @phoenix-karma @alanniys @justyournormalsimp @woosluv @slutforshego @dees-writing-corner @paralumanniluna @hahaha11abc @yoongiigolden @minseoluvr @ihoonbrry @seongsvngs @onlystylesangels @mingyu1pup @ightimmaheadin @leagreenly @knisterlicht @jaeminsanklecollector @whorecore-world @a1sh1teruu @perfectlysane24 @grim-adventures58 @mxnxmistic @exfolitae @glitterystarlightmeow @hegdus @littlrmills14-blog @hugsforcookies @angelicyeo @moose-1555 @john-joong @rcleg1414 @meltinghershey @poetryforthesad @chillllllli @danielapripasu @themochaboba @xxxfaithkxxx @lucycassiopea @miriamxsworld @lovelypitasworld @allisonleannn

join the taglist here

#ateez smau #ateez x oc #ateez fanfic #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez x reader #yeosang x oc #yeosang smau #socmed au #hongjoong #ateez social media au #ateez college au #ateez #college student yeosang #jongho #kang yeosang #yeosang #kpop idol #ateez socmed au #seonghwa #ateez fluff #san #ateez yeosang #mingi #kpop social media au #kpop smau #kpop boys #yunho #wooyoung #sweeter than candy !

[kiwiraccoon]

Protective

wooyoung x reader

summary: Wooyoung spams you out of worry only find out you’re out drinking and he gets overprotective

Notes: text messages, mentions of drinking, protective woo

#Ateez #Ateez x oc #Ateez fanfic #Ateez fic #Wooyoung #Wooyoung x oc #Wooyoung fanfic #Wooyoung fic #Wooyoung texts #fake texts #text story

[kairoot]

𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚’𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐱. | 𝐊𝐇𝐉.

PAIRING ▸ prince!hongjoong x princess!female!oc

GENRE ▸ royal au, arranged marriage, strangers to lovers, fluff, angst, suggestive

WARNINGS ▸ mentions of death, blood, arrows, etc. (Loria’s ethnicity is not mentioned in this story but words like ‘brown, golden, etc.’ will be used to describe her skin indicating that she is a POC.)

SYNOPSIS ▸ Loria B. Valenti III, the crown princess of Aibira harbors a deep passion for archery along with a strong disinterest of marriage. Loria faces the pressure of needing to find a beneficial royal suitor by the wishes of her family, in hopes of bringing the Kingdom of Aibira an increase in alliance and power. The princess meets 2 potential suitors, but only one of them seems to get her attention. Hongjoong Kim, crown prince of Aurora succeeding in his goal of courting her highness by his reciprocated passion for the arrow between his fingers. Much to his dismay the other suitor, Evrin Remington crown prince and king to be of Kairos is adorned with wealth, knowledge, power, and his heir to the throne appeals to the royals of Aibira. His and Loria’s marriage would bring many benefits to her and his country. Despite the circumstances Evrin has yet to give up on Loria, his greed and desire for the princess drives him to form an alliance with those closest to her, the goal being to remove Hongjoong and make room for himself. Will they succeed?

MILAN’S NOTE ▸ this series was made in collaboration with @telail !! and the cover art designed by her as well. thank you so much for helping me come up with this series, i honestly couldn’t have done it without you and your amazing brain <3

CHAPTERS ➴

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈 | — Suitors’ Rounds

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @telail @thefantasycorner @skzline — message or comment to be added.

#🏹 — 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀’𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐗. #★ 𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 — 𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐬 #ateez series #ateez #ateez hongjoong #ateez royal au #royal au #ateez x oc #ateez x female oc #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #kpop series #𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆. #kairoot

[iamthenerdqueen]

Red String of Faith Masterlist

Hi everyone! Hey guys, as this is quickly becoming my largest growing fic, I am going to put all the links here!

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Mall One-Shot

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Dance Practice Special

Chapter XV

There is also a playlist for this fic! Here is the link if you'd like to listen : Spotify Playlist.

ALSO!!!

I will be crossposting this to Wattpad and Eventually Ao3! You can find it on Wattpad here!

Read on Ao3 here

And here is a moodboard for the fic curtesy of my bff/ irl Lia

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez imagines #ateez san #ateez smut #ateez soulmate au #ateez x oc #ot8 ateez x reader #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #atz #wooyoung #mingi #yeosang #seonghwa #ateez x you #ateez x y/n #ateez ot8 #ateez headcanons #ateez x atiny

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Horizon (Chapter 4)

series masterlist

faerieprince!san x oc

royal/fantasy au, soulmate au

chapter wc: ~20k

chapter warnings: fluff, angst, tragedy, violence warnings, mention of death/su!cide, past traumas, atz interactions, suggestive

chapter synopsis: gaeul prepares to say her goodbyes before going to the other dimension but also burdens seonghwa with a promise in case things go wrong. san's health starts to deteriorate as a result of his separation from gaeul and the bond. in the other dimension, gaeul practises her magic with yeosang, yunho, mingi and yena make a discovery that shakes their beliefs.

manager-nim: @eightmakesonebraincell (makes sure i don't sound stupid when i write :') LOL)

“That’s… crazy,” Yeosang breathed, turning to meet eyes with Gaeul who was also staring at the very large tear in space itself- the air was all shimmery and broken around it, distorting her vision. Gaeul took a step back, bumping into Yena who looked equally blown. However, she noticed the others staring at them in confusion.

“What’s crazy?” Wooyoung followed Yeosang’s eyes, staring into the distance but finding nothing out of the ordinary except a sinking feeling that confirmed there was something out there. Wooyoung stepped at the edge of the cave, looking down at the beach and the waves violently crashing on the rocks, and then looking up into the air again. “Can you see something that I cannot?”

Yeosang turned to look at Yena who nodded. Gaeul also pointed at the distance, however, it looked like none of the others could see it. “What’s crazier is that it’s using some sort of illusion magic to become invisible to even you guys. Hongjoong?”

“I can’t see anything- is there anything I should be seeing?”

“There’s a literal tear in the space itself- it’s stitched close,” Yeosang sighed, not knowing how to explain. San walked to Gaeul and asked if he could enter her mind to see from her eyes- he was able to see it as well, and worse, feel it with a greater intensity- the feeling Gaeul must be experiencing right now.

“I think me and Yeosang can see it because duh,” Yena began, “We deal with spaces and portals. Gaeul can see it because she came from it. Interesting none of you can see it.”

“I just saw,” San raised his hand and everyone else groaned, making him grin despite the severity of the situation. “It’s just like Yeosang described. A distortion in the space- you can’t even tell. I bet it opens to let the creatures in here.”

“Which means the missing faeries might be on the other side,” Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong. “We’ve got to save them if they’re… still alive.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Yeosang interrupted. “You can’t just go prowling in there and expect to come back alive. You don’t even know what’s there, when it opens, when it shuts close. You could become trapped in a world you don’t belong in.”

“Well then,” Jongho looked at Yeosang. “You know better than any of us about other dimensions. What would you suggest?”

“I think the three of us,” Yeosang motioned at Yena and Gaeul, “might be able to do something about it- but not until Gaeul is able to get her magic under her control. As much as I want to see if the missing faeries are at the other side and are even alive, all I can do is wait. Even my spirits can’t move across dimensions so casually.”

“What can you both sense, across that… tear in the space?” Gaeul asked Yena and Yena paled.

“We can’t… sense anything across that, we can sense only the tear in the space itself, right Yeosang?” She looked at her brother and he nodded, looking suspiciously at Gaeul. Gaeul rubbed her arms.

“You can’t sense the multiple presence of both faeries and… something else across it?” Gaeul asked, looking at each one of them.

“I think I can,” Yeosang hesitantly began. “I sense souls across dimensions, so I think I can. What I’m confused about is that unfamiliar presence.”

“Me too,” Gaeul nodded. “It’s not dangerous though.”

“It’s not?” Yeosang frowned, showing off his arms- he had goosebumps all over. “I think it might be, Gaeul. I’m interested to hear why you think it’s not.”

“Yeosang-” San warned but Gaeul shook her head at him- Yeosang had every right to question her. 

“I just… I don’t know,” Gaeul sighed, looking around helplessly. “I have never sensed this presence before, but I know it won’t hurt me- something like that.”

“It took faeries, what do you mean it won’t hurt you?” Yeosang was getting more and more confused.

“I think I can relate,” Mingi raised his hands and Yeosang gaped at him. “You know how I can feel some souls now- I could feel you, Gaeul. Not your magic, but your soul burning with it. I can feel the unfamiliar presence across the sea too.”

Gaeul was glad someone could relate, she relaxed and smiled in a silent thanks. Mingi only shrugged, looking at Yeosang. “Whatever is across there, it must have a soul if I can feel it. If the creatures in question are not faeries and not darklings either…”

Hongjoong sat down in defeat. “We might really have to rewrite the history books, it seems,” he looked at Yena. “Our plan to omit your story won’t work anymore if we want to explain this to anyone.”

“Well,” Yunho sighed. “What do we do now?”

“Just stick with the plan,” Hongjoong grumbled and Seonghwa snickered at his mood swings. “We can’t do anything about it so let’s just breathe for one goddamn day before we wrack our brains trying to think of solutions.”

Everyone laughed at that and Hongjoong sulked further, making an annoyed face- Gaeul could tell that even though he kept asking everyone to relax and forget about everything, he could never do the same. Gaeul sat down next to him, legs dangling down the edge. 

“I will not move from here until you promise to breathe for one goddamn day as well,” she teased and Hongjoong scoffed in defeat. “One step at a time, okay? I’ll do everything I can to make everything right again.”

“You’re not responsible for what happened, though,” Hongjoong’s voice was quiet. “And I’m worried about the unfortunate faeries that are missing.”

“But I could end it, and I could save them,” Gaeul said and Hongjoong looked at her- she wasn’t wrong. And it was nice to see that she was at the optimistic end for once. “I have all of you with me, trying to help me. Everything will get better, I know- I believe so. Let’s slow it down, okay?”

Hongjoong nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and getting up first, offering Gaeul his hand. “Let’s go to the spot you mentioned.”

“It’s right down there, ironically enough,” Gaeul pointed at the edge where they had just been sitting. “I can’t believe this is the place I came back to.”

“Fate works in mysterious ways,” Hongjoong patted her back and urged Gaeul to lead the way.

Their plan for the day was a little picnic at the beach, and Gaeul had brought them to her favourite spot- away from the city where few people came since it was surrounded by caves. The orange sun shone with all its might on the foamy waves of sea, a tint of green seen in the distance. The only sounds surrounding them were of the waves crashing, of the seagulls around them and the chatter of their group as they ate their snacks. 

San got up near sunset and motioned for Gaeul to join her for a walk. The rest of the group cheered for them dramatically, making Gaeul blush furiously- it was no hidden fact anymore that San and Gaeul were meant for each other, and everyone wanted them to feel good about themselves at least for today- if they were all honest, they weren’t sure if Gaeul and San would meet again- it was going to be tricky for Gaeul to try to live with the bond itself, though everyone hoped she would.

San took Gaeul’s extended hand in his, caressing it repeatedly and letting the familiar warmth course through the both of them as they walked bare-footed along the shore. Gaeul pointed at a seashell with a brown base and red swirls all over it. She bent to pick it up, showing it to San.

“This looks like the colour of your magic,” Gaeul said and San raised a brow.

“Really?” He made a satisfied face. “My magic’s a pretty colour then.”

“It is, pretty boy,” Gaeul smiled, snatching the shell from him and dropping it in the pocket of the pale blue dress she wore that hit her knees. “I’ll take it with me to the other dimension and look at it when I miss you.” San smiled at that, showing off his dimples and Gaeul poked at one of them. “I’ll miss this too.”

“What else will you miss? Go on,” San was clearly enjoying this, asking in a teasing manner.

“Your voice,” Gaeul sighed, resting her head against his arm as she walked and San passed a confused smile- he hadn’t expected this. 

“What about my voice?”

“Something about it is very soothing,” Gaeul sighed, putting her other hand on his arm as well. “It sounds very melodic to me. I’m more jealous because I know I sound like a banshee most of the times-”

San snorted before he laughed- Gaeul was so unpredictable and that was one thing he really liked about her from the beginning. “You don’t sound like a banshee, Gaeul,” he said and Gaeul smiled at him. “You sound like a dying banshee, is a more accurate description-”

That earned him a harsh slap on his arm which had him laughing harder than he had meant to. Gaeul broke apart, pouting as she sulked but San wasn’t having any of it- he put an arm around her shoulders and brought her in until she was flush against him as they walked. San kissed her temple as he rubbed her shoulders. “You’re beautiful to me in every aspect. Whether you sound like a dying banshee or a beautiful siren, it doesn’t matter. I love you in every way. And for the record, you don’t actually sound like that, you sound very normal and cute.”

His sudden confession made Gaeul look up at him but he was looking ahead as if he hadn’t just said things that made her heart swoop dangerously and skin tingle. As Gaeul took in every feature of him, his honey skin and the sharpness and softness that blended so well, she exhaled. “I don’t know what I did in my very uneventful life to deserve you as my soulmate, San, I really don’t understand.”

San narrowed his eyes at that, pausing to face her. “I don’t care how exactly we ended up being soulmates, but… I don’t know what I did to deserve you either- you’re everything I ever dreamed of and more.”

“So you’re telling me you dreamed of death and danger? Because that’s me-”

“Just put the magic nonsense aside,” San laughed, shaking his head and putting his hands on her shoulders and bending down a little to meet her eyes. “I don’t care whether you have the magical capability to destroy this world or no magic at all when all of this is over. All I care is that you’ll be the person I fell in love with. That you’ll be tossing teasing remarks and making all these cute faces that absolutely drive me crazy. That you’ll still have the glint of life in your eyes that you had even when you wanted to die. I’ll be waiting patiently for you, so take your time with yourself, okay? I’m not going anywhere- you own me now.”

“San,” Gaeul sighed, looking away because she was overwhelmed. “You know very well you’re the only reason I’m alive- not just because of the bond, but because… you. If our soulmate bond breaks and I’m still alive… would you still want me?”

“Of course I would,” San tsk-ed at the doubt in her eyes and cupped her face. “I told you. Bond or no bond, I love you.”

“And I love you- even though it’s a little overwhelming because I honestly never pictured myself to be with the scary Prince of Earth-”

“What part of me, exactly, is scary?” San showed off his dimpled smile and Gaeul laughed, shaking her head and moving forward to wrap her arms around his waist. San sighed into the hug and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his cheek on the top of her head. 

Gaeul wanted to tell him that she would miss this- she would miss touching him and hugging him. She knew it was not only just because they were in love but also the reaction it had on both of them physically. She also wanted to tell him that she did not want the soulmate bond to break- she would die if that happened, even though San assured her it didn’t matter. She just couldn’t bear the thought of losing that part of her yet again. 

It seemed like San understood enough and perhaps shared most of her worries and fears with her. He didn’t break the hug and they stood in each other’s arms until it was almost dark- they watched the sky change together, each praying it wouldn’t be their last.

At night- their last night- it hit harder, especially when they just sat staring at each other from across the room, San having already been sitting there before Gaeul came in the room and sat down in front of him to take a breather.

“What are you thinking?” San was the first to break the silence. 

“Just… how long it might take in that dimension,” Gaeul took a deep breath. “It might only be a few days to you, but it could be years for me. That’s… crazy.”

“That is, isn’t it?” San whistled in disbelief. “Would you prefer the time to go at the same speed?”

“No, I absolutely understand what’s it costing us all,” Gaeul knew that everyone helping her also had kingdoms to run, though they kept insisting that they would be considering this a ‘vacation’- Gaeul understood that while some part of that might actually be true, it was also false at the same time. “I just… how will I be apart from you for so long?”

San’s fists tightened hearing that, though he managed to pass his usual smirk in an attempt to lighten her mood. “You’re gonna miss me that much?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Gaeul wasn’t in the mood for teasing right now, and when San’s face changed after hearing that, Gaeul sighed and put her head in her hands. “It’s just finally hitting me. As selfish as it sounds, I wish we could be together there, even though I know we can’t.”

“Gaeul,” San got up and walked to her, sitting on one knee in front of her so he could face her. “We’re together tonight. You can be as selfish as you want tonight. I know I’ll be.”

Gaeul looked up and saw something foreign in San’s eyes, in his clenched jaw and parted lips- longing, every nerve in her body screamed. It was pure, raw longing to be with each other forever. To not be apart for a moment. To become one and then stay that way, never break apart. Gaeul licked her lips, her hands trembling as they met San’s face and he shut his eyes when electricity coursed through his nerves like fuel. Gaeul let her fingers trace every angle and curve of his face, before running her hands through his hair repeatedly, playing with his ash mullet, and cupping his face to kiss his forehead, lingering. She let her lips trail down, pecking the tip of his nose and making him grin a little. She swiped her thumb over his lower plump lip and urged him to open his eyes.

He did so, with a huge amount of effort, but when he found her so close to him… his brows furrowed as he held himself back, letting her take the lead. She bent down and pecked his lips once, a strangled breath escaping him. She pecked him again, and again, and again-

“Do you want to break me, Gaeul?” San’s voice was hoarse, and despite what he said, it made Gaeul smirk so devilishly slow that San decided that was enough- he got up slowly, shaking his head as he beheld the sight in front of him. He tipped her chin up until she faced him. “Tell me, Gaeul. Tell me what you want to do with me.”

Gaeul tilted her head, considering- the darkness beneath his eyes excited her. She’d only seen San be gentle and teasing- she wanted to test him tonight, to see what extent he could go, where he would- “I want to watch you break apart under me.”

San’s jaw clenching and unclenching did it for her- she got up and pushed him back on the bed, making him scoff as she got on top of him and straddled him- they only had tonight and an unforeseen time apart- she had to make the most of it. She had no time to be shy- she ran her hands up his chest excruciatingly slow until she reached his shoulders- and then she was running her hands down his arms while San watched, unaware just where she was going with this. 

However, the last thing he expected was her to pin his wrists at his sides and smile almost sadistically at the sight- it made him stifle a groan. He hadn’t seen this side of her and it was a shame he only had tonight to test her buttons. Gaeul bent down and finally met her lips with his, immediately falling into a rhythmic motion, her hands relaxing to move up and interlace with his as she kissed him.

Still, San had better ideas- he broke apart and cupped her face, angling her better so his lips and tongue could make the most of it, and flipping them over, slowly taking more control. For the longest time it was just this- kissing like there was no tomorrow, and this time the gravity of that hung over them, making their kisses more desperate and passionate. 

Gaeul breathed San’s name when they broke apart but he was immediately attacking her neck, extracting the loudest moans from her as he bit and kissed and licked at every sensitive spot, his hands going to undo the laces of her gown and breaking it apart only to remove the barrier between them, taking off his own shirt as well, whistling when he realised they were only in their bottoms now. 

“Turn the fucking lights dim, San,” Gaeul groaned, covering herself, suddenly shy. San chuckled, waving his hand and leaving only one candle on, kissing her forehead before slowly drawing her arms apart.

“You don’t have to hide from me, Gaeul,” he pecked her lips, caressing her face lovingly.

“I’m just… shy,” Gaeul pouted.

“You weren’t very shy a few minutes ago when-”

“Shut up,” Gaeul laughed, urging him down to kiss him. San broke apart, trailing his hand all the way down her, tracing her curves and taking his time to play with what was exposed of her, sliding his knee between her legs so it met her core, and she moaned, which San immediately swallowed with a kiss. 

“San… San, I want you.”

“As much as I’d like to, I really don’t think we should go all the way- there’s no knowing how your magic will react,” San looked to be in pain as he said that. “The first time between soulmates… it’s supposed to be different than with any other.”

“So… you don’t want your dick to turn into ash and fall off, is that what you’re saying?” Gaeul smirked and San threw his head back as he laughed. 

“That too,” he shook his head as he looked at her lovingly. “However… we can do some other… interesting things tonight.”

“Lead the way then,” Gaeul smirked, trailing a finger down his muscular chest sultrily. “We have all night- make the most of it. Let’s see how good you are.”

“It’s a challenge,” San laughed as he bent down to kiss her once again, slow and passionate, more intimate than anything they ever had before, and they barely got any sleep that night, only making out and touching each other everywhere, making the other break apart several times throughout the night without going too far. It left them both tired and they slept in each other’s arms, skin to skin, each hoping tomorrow wouldn’t come.

—---------------------

Even though Yena had told everyone that they wouldn’t be needing food or a change of clothes or anything, for that matter, in the other dimension, Yunho couldn’t help but freak out.

“Are you really sure we don’t need anything?” Yunho gave up asking Yena and Yeosang who just rolled their eyes at him while Gaeul giggled. “I get that it’s the mirror dimension or something, but… we could get bored.”

“I told you, you can travel the whole planet there- you wouldn’t want to come back,” Mingi shared a grin with Yena. “The only thing you’ll miss there is the people, so no. You don’t need anything. At all.”

“That’s convenient,” San nodded as he glanced at Gaeul- the two of them were sitting next to each other while the rest of them were either making arrangements, discussing the ‘how’ or freaking out. 

“I could even visit your castle before you actually take me there,” Gaeul teased.

“Please don’t do that,” San laughed. “I want to show you our home when you’re with me.”

Our home.

San didn’t miss how her face fell at those words. He had his arms around her so he only squeezed. “Stay positive, will you? You’re coming back, Gaeul. You’re gonna be fine, and once you come back, we will go to my castle- or anywhere in the world that you want. You have a home not only at my place but at everyone’s now.”

“He’s right,” Wooyoung inserted his face in the little gap between San and Gaeul, making them laugh. “You have a home with us, Gaeul. Just make sure you don’t… un-make it, will you? You never know what Gaeul’s gonna do, eh, San?”

“The only thing I want to un-make is you,” Gaeul muttered and he laughed loudly, making her wince and rub her possibly bleeding eardrums. “Do come visit me, Wooyoung. I’ll make sure you’ll have fun.”

“Ah,” Wooyoung slapped the top of Gaeul’s head, earning a slap on his own hand from San which he ignored. “You hurt me, woman.”

“I’ll visit, just to see if I’m needed- in the meanwhile, I’ll be doing research so if you ever feel like your nature magic is acting funny, just… call me,” Jongho said as he passed by with a box of what seemed to be books and archives from the library in this house and Gaeul nodded in gratitude.

Gaeul scooted closer to San, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched Seonghwa and Yena argue over something probably related to how long it was going to take- they really were a married couple. Seonghwa held Yena’s hand in his, caressing them even when Yena looked like she could incinerate him with her glare alone. The way Yena let Seonghwa calm her down even when she was angry at him melted Gaeul’s heart. Yena would miss Seonghwa a lot- she knew so. The last time she had been in the other dimension wasn’t a very good experience so Gaeul knew it could bring back bad memories.

She watched Seonghwa kiss Yena’s forehead before she ran to Hongjoong who was calculating something related to the time and magic- Hongjoong had explained that if they entered the wrong dimension, it could mess things up irreversibly. Gaeul hadn’t realised just how hard this magic was and she insisted that they find a secluded place or something to train her, but Hongjoong told her it had to be there, and that way everyone would be safe, no matter how much time passed there. Gaeul felt guilty but everyone around her kept assuring her it was alright.

She wanted to believe so too. She watched Yunho and Seonghwa go over the details of how Seonghwa was going to manage Yunho’s kingdom while he was gone. Jongho was sitting next to San as well, going over whatever instructions San had given him earlier. Mingi and Yeosang were doing the same. 

Gaeul felt tired and she almost dozed off on San’s shoulder but she caught Seonghwa waving at her from the other room. Gaeul waved back and he came closer, hesitating before he looked at San who was busy talking to Jongho and then her. “Can I have a word with you? Alone?”

That was new. Gaeul broke apart from San’s embrace which was when he finally noticed Seonghwa standing in front of her. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, just wanted to discuss a few things with Gaeul,” Seonghwa assured and San nodded.

“Get her to eat something if you can while you’re at it- she insists she’s not hungry.”

“I’ll make her coffee- I’m good at it,” Seonghwa grinned and San laughed, letting them go. Gaeul insisted she was okay but Seonghwa just made her follow him to the kitchen and as he made coffee, he asked how she was feeling, how her magic was doing, just small talk.

With two cups of coffee in their hands, they decided to take a walk along the long paths in the garden around the estate. Gaeul felt nervous- apart from the fact that Seonghwa looked intimidating (even though she knew well enough how kind and soft his personality was), she never really had one-to-one time with the Prince of Dark. Just his presence alone made her magic feel queasy- he was truly a force to be reckoned with.

“Do I make you nervous?” Seonghwa noticed her fidgeting as they walked and Gaeul passed him a guilty grin.

“More like my magic,” she informed and Seonghwa nodded in realisation. “Even though my magic is ‘dark’ in nature, it gets a bit queasy.”

“Your magic and mine… it’s going to be the most similar when you come back,” Seonghwa told her and she paused- Seonghwa had never said that in front of anyone. In fact, he never let anyone make a connection between her magic and his. “I’m the Prince of Dark. It’s foolish of everyone to think that it only means I am able to control the shadows. Even the Princes don’t know the entirety of my magic, and I would like to keep it as such. Only Yena knows.”

“I never thought…” Gaeul faltered. “What exactly is the Prince of Dark capable of?”

“We never practised the ‘dark’ aspects of my magic, but we know it’s there,” Seonghwa told her. “After the incident, I started practising a bit with the help of Yena- just so I can keep her safe. So nobody goes through the things that we did. And I think in the future… we can sit and talk about our magic freely, you and I. It’s a freedom I never thought I’d have one day, so I look forward to that, Gaeul. Do come back safe and sound.”

Gaeul’s heart warmed at that and she clicked her cup of coffee with his as they drank. “Thank you… Seonghwa. It feels better to know that someone understands the gravity of how dark our magic can be, though I’m surprised you didn’t let me know sooner.”

“I wasn’t sure what exactly your magic was like, but I think I have an idea now. We could even train together- I might be needing your help, in that case,” he laughed. 

“Anytime,” Gaeul promised. 

“There’s also something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Seonghwa looked down as they walked, his bangs falling over his forehead. “The last time Yena was in that dimension… It was a really, really bad experience. I’m not sure how she’ll react this time and I’m glad Mingi is with her again, but can you… keep an eye on her?”

“Of course, Seonghwa,” Gaeul let him know before he could say more. “I don’t want Yena to be in a bad place mentally while I practise. I understand the gravity of this situation. I’m glad there’s a lot of us going because that’s going to keep Yena from being distracted and thinking about those memories, but if I feel like it’s too much for her, I’ll let you know. You can trust me on that.”

“Thank you,” Seonghwa visibly relaxed in relief. “She’s strong. She won’t show it. No one else but you might notice that- you’re good at noticing that. So is Yunho. Also, Yunho is a very, very good listener so if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can talk it out with Yunho. He is the first one who notices whenever someone else is upset.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gaeul thanked him. “You have nothing to worry about, Seonghwa. But can you promise me something as well?”

Seonghwa paused as he narrowed his eyes at Gaeul and shook his head furiously as he realised. “I shouldn’t have told you about my magic.”

“No, I’m glad you did,” Gaeul faced him. “Now I know I won’t hurt anyone else if it comes to that. Yeosang is practical- I’ll ask him to bring you there if things go… wrong with me. You, not San. If I become something that I’m not supposed to, only your magic might be able to end me. I want you to do that favour for me, for everyone, Seonghwa. I cannot live with myself if I hurt anyone.”

“You’re asking too much of me,” Seonghwa looked to be in pain. “San won’t forgive me if I do.”

“He will,” Gaeul smiled knowingly. “I have made arrangements for that too.”

Seonghwa shook his head. “Very well prepared, aren’t you? Who?”

“Hongjoong,” Gaeul sighed. “He refuses to convey my message to San if anything happens to me, but I hope you can help him with that.”

“Please… come back,” Seonghwa put a hand on her shoulder, surprising her. “I know what it's like to lose a soulmate- I didn’t, but I very well could have. San won’t be whole again if something happens to you. And you’re a good person, Gaeul. Bond or no bond, you’re now the Princess of the Underworld. When you come back… you’ll be one of us.”

“Thank you,” Gaeul took Seonghwa’s hand and squeezed it. “It means a lot. And… I hope I can come back too,” Gaeul said as she looked around, still holding Seonghwa’s hand. “I’d like to see how my life turns out after all of this.”

—-------------------

It was time to go, late at night after dinner together in which the mood wasn’t as cheerful as the previous few days. Gaeul, for one, was the most nervous she had been, and San had to constantly touch her hand to check if her magic was under control. 

“You’ve been playing with your food for an hour now,” Wooyoung, who was sitting beside her, pointed out. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just not feeling hungry,” Gaeul slid her plate away from her, glancing up to notice that everyone was stealing their own nervous glances at her. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.”

“Gaeul-”

“I’m fine, San,” Gaeul smiled at him, squeezing his shoulder. “Please finish up and call me when it’s time to go.”

It was a clear message to be left alone, yet… each one of them felt like they needed to go after her. After all, at times like these, you rarely wanted to be alone even if you felt like it. San stared at his food- he wasn’t feeling the best today either but he was being strong for her sake. 

“Do cheer up and let her have some time to herself if you can,” Yena said from across the table. “No point sulking right now, San. She’s probably feeling scared right now and that’s only natural.”

San knew that Yena had a point and he reluctantly finished his food, cleaning the table with the rest, sighing as he forced himself not to drop everything right there and then to be next to Gaeul. Gaeul, however, was at the roof, staring as far as she could at the town she used to live in before her life turned upside down. Gaeul couldn’t help but smile at the irony of life- she used to think that being a part of the yin-yang bloodline and having to hide her possible affinities for other elemental magics was the worst that could have happened to her. Here she was, with magic that no other faerie had ever possessed in history.

Gaeul scoffed to herself- she still wasn’t sure if she had come to terms with her magic. She quite liked the idea of cold fire even though it was probably more dangerous to possess than the ‘anti-life’ magic. The latter, she still wasn’t sure of. But she had a thought stuck in her head ever since San had voiced it out to her a couple of nights ago as they lay in each other’s arms. 

“If you miss your earth magic or nature magic, you can always use mine. Aren’t yin-yang soulmates able to borrow each other’s powers?”

That was something that gave her hope, though if she was really going to train her magic, she was sure she wouldn’t really be needing earth magic- her magic was dangerous and enough. But the thought that she could still use her original magic with San… it made her ecstatic, and it made her wonder why San, the Prince of Earth, was her soulmate. Perhaps destiny had chosen so- if she had still been normal, she wouldn’t have felt much of a difference in her magic other than the strength and range of it heightening since they were both earth magic wielders. 

But now… San and Gaeul could make quite possibly the most dangerous pair- at least as dangerous as Yena and Seonghwa, if not more. Gaeul silently prayed she would be able to come to terms with her magic and help the missing faeries who were unfortunately involved in her mess.

She didn’t realise how long she had been standing at the edge and watching the lights flickering along the city until she sensed San behind her. She turned and smiled at how he was cautiously approaching, ready to leave her alone if she wished so, but she extended her hand and he took it, sighing as he stood beside her, glancing at her. “What were you thinking?”

“Too many things,” Gaeul laughed. “Just trying to sort out my thoughts before I go.”

“And did you?” San caressed her hand.

“Kind of,” Gaeul nodded slowly, relishing the feeling of their connection, trying to fix it in her memory for the days it would get bad. “Is it time to go now?”

“We still have a few minutes until someone calls us,” San told her, watching her cautiously- he didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed tonight so he only watched, waiting for her to make whatever move she pleased. “Are you feeling good? Is there anything I can get you?”

Gaeul turned to face him, taking his other hand as she looked up at him, smiling. “I’ve got everything I need.”

San grinned shyly at that, shaking his head. “You know, you have a way with words.”

“Learned from the best,” Gaeul looked pointedly at him. “I like that I can have the upper hand now as well.”

San watched her eyes travel all around his face and he raised his brows in question. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gaeul wanted to tell him that she was memorising his face in case she ever dared forget, in case this was the last time she saw him. She only brought her hands up to his face and let her fingers trace every curve and angle, marvelling at the way he was carved- he was simply beautiful. Gaeul sighed internally as her heart swooped and then she let her hands travel down and hold onto the edges of his jacket as she rested her forehead on his chest, breathing in his scent and feeling his heartbeat reverberate through her body. 

San understood why this goodbye was so hard for her. He let her stay like that for a few moments before he cupped her face and made her look at him. He laughed a little at the pout forming before he tucked her hair away and locked eyes with her. 

“I hope everyday that you are there, every night that you think of me, you’ll remember that I love you. That nothing in this world could change it. I pray that every time you start to lose hope and think you’re better off gone, you remember that I am waiting for you back here, that you have someone to return to. I hope I’ll be enough to be your strength, Gaeul, I really hope I am.”

“You are,” Gaeul nodded- it seemed stupid to say it out loud since those words didn’t encompass the entirety of how grateful she was to have him. He really was her strength in every way, and Gaeul hoped that he could feel it physically. San smiled as if he could understand and leaned in to kiss her- it was slow and deep, making Gaeul wish she could sink into the feeling she was experiencing right there. She was definitely going to remember this moment if no other- the kiss was full of emotions- love, fear, longing, strength, everything. 

He kissed her long and good and then he joined their foreheads as they broke apart, caressing her face as he caught his breath. Kissing her forehead once, he proceeded to hug her, arms around her shoulder and eyes shut as he rocked her. Gaeul stifled her tears, deciding to leave on a cheerful note- she knew she would be losing it pretty soon in the other dimension. 

Gaeul was the first to break the hug. The two of them looked at each other, wanting to tell a million things but at a loss for words. Gaeul laughed nervously. “Let’s go downstairs, shall we?”

San nodded, kissing her temple before taking her hand and leading her downstairs where everyone was waiting. Yeosang was the first to spot them and he clapped once. “Perfect timing- I was just going to send Wooyoung to fetch you two. He had a few plans on how to ruin the moment.”

“Ah, it seems I was late,” Wooyoung appeared from the kitchen. “You good?”

“I’m good,” Gaeul confirmed and Wooyoung smiled, glancing at San who looked like he was trying not to cry- he would handle him later. “Where are we… doing this?”

“Backyard- the others are already there,” Yeosang tossed a chocolate to Gaeul while putting one in his mouth. “Let’s go.”

Gaeul didn’t know what to expect, but everyone gathered in a circle with Yena shouting orders at everyone just wasn’t it. She giggled- Yena looked like a teacher scolding her students. She spotted Gaeul and relaxed as she smiled. “You’re here. Let’s go.”

Gaeul nodded, looking at San who gave her a brief side hug with one last kiss to the forehead before letting her go reluctantly. Gaeul grinned at him. “Try not to cry too much while I’m gone- I’ll be back before you know it.”

San chuckled at that and Gaeul looked at Wooyoung. “You make sure to keep him busy.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Wooyoung saluted before patting her shoulder. “Stay strong.”

“Jongho, can you make sure Wooyoung doesn’t annoy San too much?” Gaeul whispered to him and they giggled. 

“I’m not as nice as you think,” Jongho scoffed.

“I know,” Gaeul winked at him. “But at least you’re not Wooyoung.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Wooyoung came for Gaeul but San held him by the back of his shirt like a cat, making everyone laugh. 

Seonghwa and Hongjoong finished saying their goodbyes to Yena and the rest and Gaeul walked to them. “Both of you better keep your promises, okay?”

“I’m out,” Hongjoong announced, folding his arms as he sulked.

“I know you will,” Gaeul smiled knowingly. “And Seonghwa… you need not worry.”

Seonghwa nodded in understanding and gratitude. “Stay strong.”

“You have to,” Hongjoong continued. “It will get bad before it gets better, remember that.”

Gaeul wished she understood the gravity of those words. Everyone waved goodbye to each other and Yena opened a portal in space with the help of Yeosang. Gaeul was to be the last one to jump and she looked at everyone with a smile before she did.

However, as soon as she was on the other side, a mirror of the world she had just left, she fell to her knees as excruciating pain took over her entire being- it felt like her connection with San was as good as severed, and she was back to square one, right where she had started. San, unfortunately, saw and felt that before Yena could close the portal and he went for her, held back by Wooyoung and Jongho. The last thing they saw was panic on each other’s faces before Gaeul passed out and the portal closed shut.

“Well,” Mingi sighed as the pale Gaeul passed out in front of them, looking up at Yena. “This certainly brings back memories.”

—-------------------

[Day 2 in the dimension/45 minutes in Mirinae]

“Do clocks even work here?” Yunho glanced at the wristwatch he was wearing. “If so, Gaeul has been out for almost a day now.”

“Kind of?” Yena, who was relaxing on the grass using Yeosang’s thigh as her pillow, flipped through the page of a comic book she was reading that she refused to share with anyone. “I mean, the days change. That’s how we kept count of the time, didn’t we, Mingi?”

Mingi nodded in answer, too busy making paper boats out of a book he had grabbed from Wooyoung’s library that he was sure was very important in the real world but here, it would make for origami. “I think we did that until we lost count and Neve told us a rough estimate of just how much time had passed- wait, what was my boat count?”

Yeosang, who was only relaxing by the tree and taking this time to think and do nothing, scoffed at Mingi. “How did the darkling know just how long you two had been here?”

This made Yena put down her book as she met eyes with Mingi. “He probably sensed us or had a time-calendar or something, right?”

“Let’s pray that’s the case,” Yunho went back to completing his puzzle and Mingi groaned, not believing all his effort making and counting boats went to waste. “I’ll still be counting the days just so we know.”

“You do that,” Yena said and before she could comment on how he, too, was going to lose count one day, Gaeul woke up with a gasp, sitting upright and-

“You scared the shit out of me,” Mingi put a hand on his heart. “How are you feeling?”

Gaeul looked around at the Princes and the Princess, frowning as she recollected the previous events of her memory. “I… I feel empty.”

“Empty like how, exactly?” Yeosang asked cautiously. “Magic?”

“That, and… whatever I had with San, I can’t really feel it. It’s like before I met San- I would feel this empty pit in my heart until something ticked me and then I’d lose control.”

“That’s good, actually,” Yena got up, finally shutting her book. “That means that it’s just you now- San and his magic are not interfering in any way.”

“She looks sick though,” Yunho frowned. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know how sick I look right now but that’s how I looked before I met San,” Gaeul pursed her lips. “Like a zombie.”

“Like your magic,” Yeosang mused. “Like you really did come back from the dead.”

Gaeul shrugged. “So? What are we doing?”

It was Yunho’s turn to smirk. “We’re going to be… ticking you off, as you said. We need to learn the extent of the different magics you can control, and we really, really need to examine cold fire before it consumes you- or us.”

“I must warn, I’m not hard to tick off,” Gaeul folded her arms and everyone laughed at that. “In fact, you should have brought Wooyoung here. He’s the best at that, isn’t he?”

“I’m better,” Yeosang said and the rest hooted in agreement. Gaeul considered him with a scoff. 

“We’ll see,” she said. “What about the… anti-nature? What are we calling it again?”

“Destruction, doom, whatever you wanna call it,” Mingi thought out loud. “Or… Queen of Ruins sounds nice too.”

“My point is,” Gaeul tried ignoring the pit in her heart singing louder, “We need to deal with the fact that I could do something very, very wrong. I don’t wish to hurt you guys, so… how are we dealing with it?”

“Well, as soon as I feel something is wrong, I can immediately portal us to somewhere far away from you,” Yena assured her. “So… I say, let’s get started. I’d suggest destroying this garden first- start with flowers and will your magic to make it wilt. You need to be able to control it to such an extent that you only harm a single petal on that flower.”

Gaeul gaped at the Princess. “I’m sure that’s not even possible.”

“Didn’t San do something like that with your magic too?” Yeosang mused.

“That’s what we’ve all done,” Mingi sighed as he reminisced. “My father made me sit in a room full of candles and asked me to light only the one he would mark as the target. You can imagine how it went.”

“And how long did it take you to master that?” Gaeul asked casually.

“About a decade, I think-”

“And you expect me to master that in a short time and not more than a decade?” Gaeul gaped at them. “Are you sure you’ll be here for a decade? A decade here would mean at least a year or two in reality, right?”

“It won’t take you a decade,” Yunho said and Gaeul looked at him. “It won’t even take you a year. A few months, at most.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Do you think we would have willingly brought you here if we weren’t?” Yunho smiled and something about it made her shiver. “We can feel it. The more a person’s magic is bound to get out of control, the more quickly the person can actually control it if they have the willpower, contrary to popular belief.”

“Wow,” Gaeul brushed her black shirt. “If you say so. I’m trusting you then. Where should I do it?” 

“Wherever is fine,” Yena went back to her position, resuming to read her book. “And keep trying until you can at least stop the whole flower from wilting. You’ve got all the time in the world.”

Gaeul shrugged and walked to the nearest flower bush, grabbing a daisy and beginning to try. Mingi, who had been quite intrigued by Yunho and Gaeul’s exchange, looked at his friend. “Do you really believe it will only take months?”

“Nah,” Yunho went back to finishing his puzzle. “In fact, she can never wilt only a single petal. It’s all about control- that she will be able to stop her surroundings from dying when she focuses on one single object.”

Mingi scoffed at that, shaking his head at a grinning Yunho. “Who knows? Maybe she could wilt a single petal too.”

“If she does, that would be a bonus,” Yunho nodded.

—-------------------

[Day 6 in the other dimension/5 hours and 32 minutes in Mirinae]

“I’ve been doing this for like a week now,” Gaeul huffed in annoyance.

“It’s only been like three days, stop being so dramatic,” Yeosang muttered, not even bothering to open his eyes from the ‘nap’ he had been taking from the past 2 days.

“Four, actually,” Yunho said and Yeosang groaned in answer. “We could take a break.”

“Yes!” Mingi got up, “There’s a lot to explore here, actually. No one to worry about. We shouldn’t be sitting here like bummers. We should be making it fun so that Gaeul feels better.”

“Says the person who always stays home when we go out in town to eat during a meet-up,” Yena narrowed her eyes.

“There are no people here,” Mingi challenged. “And you remember how you and I roamed around a lot here? It made you feel better, didn’t it?”

Gaeul glanced cautiously at Yena who contemplated as Mingi waited for her answer, and for a second, they both thought that he messed up before Yena slowly nodded. “I guess it did. We could take this chance to practise our magic too. I’m sure some of us have a lot they need to get out.”

“Ah, yes, I do,” Yunho raised his hand. “I haven’t been in my animal form for years now.”

“What is your animal form?” Gaeul asked but Yunho only winked.

“I haven’t seen it ever, either,” Yena laughed at Gaeul’s annoyed expression. “It’s better if you let it be a surprise.”

“You can try guessing,” Mingi said, waiting for what he knew was about to come.

“Uh… fish?” Gaeul said and started laughing, “It’s probably something better than that, right? What’s yours, Mingi?”

“You’ll never guess mine,” Mingi said proudly and Gaeul knew she couldn’t. She looked at the twins. 

“Mine is pretty obvious. Yeosang’s is… funnier.”

“Don’t even start-”

Yena giggled and Yeosang finally got up from his two-day nap to attack Yena. Gaeul looked helplessly at the rest. “Do only the Princes have animal forms?”

“Some of the faeries do as well,” Mingi said. “Shapeshifters have it best.”

“You could have one too, since you’re technically of royal bloodline,” Yunho commented and everybody paused as they digested that fact. “What? You haven’t thought of it?”

“I wasn’t aware that I was a descendant until a few days ago, thank you,” Gaeul sighed. “And… I don’t think my family explored that part of their magic. Probably to not attract attention. Or even if they did, they kept it secret.”

“Sad how so much of your history was kept from you,” Yeosang said, his eyes glinting. “Makes me think if someone knew just who you were.”

“As in?”

“There are a lot of ways to know the hidden about someone- that even that person themself might not know,” Yeosang explained. “Spirits usually do that. It’s against their law but sometimes, a faerie makes a deal. And now that I think about it… It might be how Kieran found out about you.”

Gaeul felt sick again though she couldn’t throw up here- not when her stomach was empty and she didn’t need food. She only choked on air and tried to calm her trembling hands. Yena slapped Yeosang’s arm. “You didn’t have to think out loud, Yeosang.”

“No, it’s okay,” Gaeul brushed her hair away from her face. “I should know. Thank you, Yeosang. If all of you find something about me, even if it is bad, please don’t keep it from me.”

They knew what she meant- she had lived in lies and secrets all her life. She did not want to live like that anymore. 

“What do you think your animal form might be, if you still possess that part of your magic?” Mingi changed the subject.

“I think as a nature-user, her animal form could have been anything at all,” Yunho thought. “Now I’m not so sure, and we shouldn’t explore that idea until she has all her magic under control- we don’t want her to be stuck in her animal form forever.”

Gaeul whistled. “Already forgot about it. Shall we go now?”

The beach was of course the nearest place that provided a good scene with the waves crashing, both the sun and the moon shining brightly creating a pastel sky of purple and orange, and Gaeul immediately sat at the shore, letting the waves wash over her. The twins joined her on either side, yelping at the coldness of the water once it hit them. 

“Does it not bother you, the coldness?” Yeosang noticed how calm Gaeul was.

“I used to sit like this every other day, so I’m quite used to the cold,” she replied. “Try digging your toes in the sand too.”

The two did and realised it kept them steady when the waves washed and also made the waves tickle them in a pleasing way. “You must have had water affinity if you felt so calm at a place like this- I can sense your magic.”

“I must have,” Gaeul’s smile didn’t quite meet her eyes. 

A magic- a whole world left unexplored. How many other doors did she never get to open?

“Water magic is the most disastrous,” Yeosang commented and Gaeul looked at Yunho- he had never looked happier as he played with Mingi in the water. “I know you feel like you missed something, but where one door closed, another opened for you. I say you master what you have and make a whole new magical world for yourself.”

It was as if Yeosang had read her thoughts. Gaeul nodded, taking a deep breath, pleased to smell the familiar tinge of saltiness in the air. “I should, huh?”

Perhaps every one of them had told her about the downside of their magic, and with time, Gaeul had started to feel like her magic might not be all that bad. She still needed time, but… she didn’t hate it now. Strongly dislike it, more like. Progress.

Mingi came running towards the three. “Yunho is going to turn.”

“Here?” Yeosang got up immediately. “Shouldn’t we run away?”

“We should move back, yes,” Mingi helped Yena up and Gaeul got up as well. 

“Why exactly do we need to move?” Gaeul frowned. “What is he? A shark? Alligator? Is he going to eat us?”

“Oh, you’re gonna cry when you see him,” Yeosang shook his head, patting her back to make her move and she reluctantly followed until they were a good distance away from the sea. Yunho made an ‘okay’ sign and started moving further into the sea, until-

“Underwater?” Gaeul gaped at a disappearing Yunho. “Octopus? Jellyfish? He does look like a jellyfish-”

“Shut up,” Yeosang laughed, “It’s something better. You can’t even imagine.”

“Seahorse? But we wouldn’t need to backoff. Dolphin? Oh no, is he a whale? Is he-”

The waves crashed several feet up in the air, giving all of them a jumpscare and earning a frightened yell from Gaeul who instinctively hid behind Yeosang and watched the sea calm down until the waves were still.

“Don’t tell me he drowned.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Mingi looked at Yeosang. “It’s been a while since he turned.”

“He’ll be fine,” Yeosang smiled proudly.

The waves started to vibrate in a rhythmic motion and Gaeul narrowed her eyes, waiting, anticipating, until the sea split apart to reveal the most glorious shades of blue and teal shimmering like diamonds and the gasp that left both Yena and Gaeul was one they would always remember. 

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” Yena gaped at the sight that unfurled in front of her- the long torso disappearing and reappearing at the surface as it swam and swam and Gaeul didn’t even realise she was clutching Yeosang’s arm so hard, though he didn’t mind. He, too, had the same reaction. 

“A dragon!” Gaeul looked at the others, her eyes wide.

“A water dragon, yes,” Mingi nodded.

“You mean you are a fire dragon?” Gaeul narrowed her eyes.

“I wish I was,” Mingi shook his head as he laughed, pointing back at Yunho. “Watch.”

Gaeul watched the tail disappear and then the dragon drifted upwards and spread its wings, large and mighty, and it flew up and up until it blocked the light from the orange sun, creating an eclipse. Gaeul sighed dreamily- she wouldn’t ever forget this sight. 

“He’s really enjoying himself,” Yeosang scoffed, though he couldn’t have been happier for him. “Let’s go back there.”

As they reached the shore once again, Yunho as the water dragon swam until his head rested on the sand in front of them, happily. He could have swallowed a couple of them in a breath, yet… Gaeul felt no sense of danger from him. Even his eyes looked friendly. They all marvelled at his beautiful skin and scales. 

“Can I… touch it?” Gaeul asked and before anyone could reply, Yunho nudged his face forward, making Mingi laugh. Gaeul grinned before she cautiously leaned forward and touched its temple, marvelling at the smooth texture. 

“This is beyond anything I ever imagined, I thought water dragons no longer lived.”

“Kept a secret for the right reasons,” Yeosang said.

Gaeul nodded, moving back to sit and Yunho went back to the sea, his tail barely avoiding them as he turned, earning a curse from Yeosang. Then he disappeared underwater for the longest time, occasionally coming up, sometimes flying. All of them lied down and watched him, and for a few moments, Gaeul forgot who she was and why she was here. She felt peace within her- something she hadn’t felt in a while.

It must come with embracing the magic itself, she thought. It must be hard for Yunho to fight the urge to turn into a dragon whenever he pleased. And the fact that he was one was both grand and alarming- water dragons were very dangerous animals. 

“All of you have your own battles you fight each day, isn’t that so?” Gaeul muttered.

“Everyday,” Yena confirmed. “Without something, we’d be sitting idle, wouldn’t we?”

Gaeul nodded. She shut one door that night- the yearning to possess water magic. Though she still loved the idea of it, she was no longer selfish.

—----------------

San had never felt like such a mess in his life before. And Wooyoung and Jongho could see it in his body language, on his face, in the way his smile wasn’t meeting his eyes, barely a quirk of his lips.

“Look, they’re probably doing fine over there,” Jongho tried comforting him as they sipped on their coffee, sitting in front of the fireplace in an inn they were stopping at back on their way to Wooyoung’s castle. “Can you relax a bit? Your magic is… all over the place.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Wooyoung hesitantly asked. San sighed, rubbing his face. 

“I’m sorry, I just… don’t know.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Wooyoung assured him. “Just say it out loud if you want to. Don’t keep it in- I can see it’s killing you.”

San looked at the worried faces of the two and pursed his lips. “I should keep my magic under control, I know. It’s just that it feels like my magic has lost a part of itself. It’s strange because I didn’t feel it earlier.”

“Ah,” Jongho nodded. “Probably because… the bond snapped in place?”

“Yeah,” San took another deep breath. “Now I feel like I lost something. Dread… that’s what I feel.”

“Well, Choi San, you’re going to have to stop sulking at least,” Wooyoung began to say and Jongho raised a brow at the change of his tone. “I’m sure they’re doing fine. If there’s a chance that you two can still feel each other across dimensions, she better not be feeling all this negative energy from you, okay? Be strong for her, man.”

Jongho had to nod in agreement- Wooyoung was absolutely right. “No point moping, really- won’t do either of you any good. However, you remaining in good spirits might actually help the both of you. I’m sure you feel really bad inside, but… stay strong. We’re with you.”

San smiled at the two and it was the most genuine smile they’d seen in hours, making Jongho and Wooyoung laugh a little. San half laughed, half groaned and told the two they better make his stay at Rukbat fun enough to distract him.

Enough to distract him from the neverending sinking feeling in his heart- as if a part of his very soul had been snatched from him. He prayed Gaeul was feeling better.

—-----------------------

[Day 12 in the other dimension/12 hours and 42 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was far from feeling any better- at least physically. Though she hadn’t bothered looking in a mirror for the past few days, she could tell she had lost weight from her hands alone- they were less fleshy from her wrists than she recalled. 

It was unnerving, she thought, to be able to feel yourself losing to your magic which was also a part of oneself. Her movements were getting sluggish, she was fainting at least once a day and her thoughts were getting cloudier, all as she began practising- she would be fine as soon as she regained her consciousness back after fainting, probably a courtesy of staying in this dimension. 

The progress with her magic, however, was slower than she thought. She still couldn’t make a single petal wilt- instead, she usually ended up wilting her surroundings. That gave Yena an excuse to practise her targeted healing magic, with which she reversed the damage, but Gaeul thought Yena was probably getting tired of her too.

“Don’t you all have kingdoms to run?” Gaeul slumped down against the tree at the outskirts of the forest in Ascella. “With the progress I’ve made so far, I think you all can go back and return in like… a week to check on me. I would probably make little progress by then.”

The Princes and the Princess who had been fooling around with some board games they stole from one of the cabins along the beach all looked up at her and started giggling, to her horror. “What makes you think we want to go back? We’re escaping from our duties if you haven’t noticed already, Gaeul.”

Gaeul narrowed her eyes at Yeosang but everyone else still giggling made her realise it was part truth. “Besides, only like 12 hours have passed in the real world. I don’t want to go back so soon,” Yunho commented. “I need at least 3 days there to pass- that should be enough rest for me.”

“Well then, why don’t you all travel the world then?” Gaeul offered, “No people around here, time to check out the unexplored territory of this planet, huh?”

“That’s a good idea, actually,” Yena pointed out. “And while we’re at it, I could try to send some signals to Neve as well. I’m sure he could be of some help.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea though?” Yeosang asked. “I still don’t trust any darkling, whether it be Neve or someone else.”

“Neve is different,” Yena’s tone was guarded and Gaeul thought that it was probably because she only had one darkling she could compare him to- Kieran. “And I think to actually send a signal worth his attention, we’d have to go to the mountains in Rukbat.”

“Are you sure you wanna go back there?” Mingi asked cautiously. Gaeul understood where exactly he meant- the place she and San had gone to. Gaeul decided not to reveal that she knew.

“Yeah, it’ll be okay,” Yena shrugged. “I’ll keep sending signals along the way so he knows it’s really me.”

“And can you trust he will be alone?” Yeosang raised a brow. Yena didn’t answer.

“I’m not sure we need him right now,” Yunho started. “I think once she has a better control of her magic, then we can maybe consult him. Right now… there’s no other way, is there?”

“Well then, let’s just explore Wooyoung’s kingdom,” Mingi offered, getting up. “I’m going to set his palace on fire.”

“Do you have some grudge against Wooyoung?” Gaeul laughed, taking his hand when he offered it and getting up. “Do you secretly want to set his ass on fire too?”

“What makes you think I haven’t already?” Mingi leaned in as if to whisper that secret and Gaeul gasped.

“I should have known!” Gaeul laughed, the rest following behind them. “Who’s ass is still safe from that?” 

“Only Seonghwa, Yeosang and Yena,” Mingi revealed. “They scare me.”

“Well, I got a tip for you,” Gaeul peeked behind her. “With Yeosang, you just have to make it look natural- like when he’s near the fireplace or a candle. Make it look like he caught fire himself.”

“That’s a very nice idea-”

“You make it look natural and I’ll show you just where you’ll be going when your time on this planet is over, Mingi dear,” Yeosang said and Gaeul winced, laughing along with the others.

“Not if I burn you to a crisp first!” Mingi called and Gaeul clapped at that.

After aimlessly walking until they reached what would have been a lively marketplace, Yena decided to tag with Gaeul while the others teamed up, looking around at the clothing items, trinkets and jewellery, and some kid’s game that everyone paused to play, until they stopped at a stall with some hotdogs ready to eat.

“I still don’t understand why food is here when we don’t even need it,” Yena admitted, biting into one. 

“Probably so you don’t go insane while being here?” Gaeul offered, looking around. “Just like everything else here.”

“Or maybe to tempt you into living here forever,” Yena’s eyes glinted and Gaeul gulped- she had once admitted that dimensions felt like a living being itself and the thought that it was tempting people to stay here felt dangerous. 

As the group spent hours in the marketplace, Gaeul was beginning to understand just what they were doing- keeping her busy and distracted at all times. She felt better when she was not thinking about her magic- or more specifically, the missing bond inside of her.

The soulmate bond, feeling like it was being held together by just a fibre of the thread, threatening to snap at one wrong move. The very thing keeping her alive, the thing also making her weak with each passing day because San was not here.

Oh, how she missed San. She yearned to feel the comforting presence of him the most- not even his addicting touch but just his presence. She wanted to feel him creep behind her from the shadows like he usually did when he was up for teasing her, settling behind her close enough that she could feel his faint breath caress her skin but far enough that she would want him to touch her. She wanted to see him, hear him. She wanted to watch him talk, wanted to see him even if he couldn’t see her. She wanted to feel his fingers brush hers whenever he passed by, wanted him to look at her with his flirty gaze, and wanted so much more-

Gaeul didn’t realise she was smiling sadly at the distance until Yunho came to stand beside her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” Gaeul sighed, “I just… miss everyone.”

“Oh, stop being so humble,” Yunho teased. “You miss San.”

“Would it be surprising if I say I do miss everyone else too?” Gaeul looked at him with a grin. “A certain someone’s endless yapping, for instance, or the dad jokes-”

“It’s natural, you spent a lot of time with them,” Yunho nodded, inhaling deeply as he looked at the sky. “But I’m asking if you’re feeling okay physically and mentally. If you want to talk about it, if it’s getting too much for you… I’m here.”

Gaeul recalled what Seonghwa had told her- to talk to Yunho. “I know,” Gaeul nodded and Yunho raised a brow at her knowing smile. “I guess I’m just… surviving. I haven’t made much progress. I’m worried I won’t.”

“But you have,” Yunho said and Gaeul narrowed her eyes. “We feel it, you know. Even if you can’t wilt a single petal right now, your control over your magic is improving at a steady rate. You don’t feel it, but we do.”

“Could have let me know earlier then,” Gaeul pouted, tracing her shoe along the dirt in circles. “I wouldn’t be feeling like shit then.”

“Trust me, you’ll be feeling like shit even if we do tell you,” Yunho laughed, shaking his head as he folded his arms. Gaeul looked up at the handsome Prince, his blonde hair almost pink in the glow of the sun. “That’s just how practising goes.”

“And once I manage to get better control? Give me something to look forward to, will you?”

“Then, Princess of Underworld,” Yunho’s smirk made Gaeul’s heart sink, “You fight us in battle.”

—----------------------

[Day 36 in Mirinae/36 hours and 17 minutes in Mirinae]

“I did it, I did it!” Gaeul jumped in the pile of wilted flowers, happily looking at the rest who were all… napping. “Guys?”

None of them stirred and Gaeul stuck out her tongue at the sleeping lot- they had missed a historical moment because they were taking a bloody nap. Gaeul sat back down, concentrating her magic just like before, trying to wilt another petal of that flower- she had to focus on the remaining four.

But as if she hadn’t just wilted only a single petal of the flower, she was back to being the miserable failure she was so sure she was now. It wasn’t working anymore- the flower wilted and even spread into ashes around her.

Gaeul sighed, wondering if she had actually just done that or hallucinated altogether. In the past few weeks, she had started hallucinating a bit whenever she was tired- probably the side effect of her staying in this dimension for so long with her magic, but she knew she didn’t have much time to gain control over her magic. She wasn’t growing any thinner, but weary. That wasn’t good and it made everyone around her a little nervous too, though they wouldn’t admit it. 

Gaeul shrugged and picked another flower, and then another, and another, but to no avail. She couldn’t do that again. So Gaeul slumped and rested her hands on the bare earth, sighing, but then she had the strangest idea.

Just like the magic she had possessed- she had to think like before. Could it work? Gaeul dug her fingers into the dirt, recalling how she used to call out to earth and nature as she felt the roots, felt the very life in them and had the desire to suck the life out of them-

The very instinct she had to fight. The urge to destroy everything in her wake. The urge that every faerie struggled with at least once in their life, the urge that was so much stronger in her now. But Gaeul took a few deep breaths and with steel nerves and focus, she picked one of the trees in the path of several and managed to turn it grey within seconds.

This was control. Gaeul almost smirked as she created a pattern around them and when she was done, when the sleeping lot finally felt something fancy in the air and woke each other up, they gaped at Gaeul who had created nothing less than art from the trees around them. 

One dead tree, one alive, one half dead from the trunk, one’s leaves dead, one’s branches dead, and so on. Mingi whistled while the rest gaped. “I think I’m never taking a nap in this dimension again.”

“How did you do that?” Yunho glanced back and forth between the trees and Gaeul. “We didn’t even feel it happening.”

“I did what you asked me to do- I wilted one single petal, but I couldn’t do it again. So I thought I’d focus my energy on something… bigger in scale. Turns out I’ve got this amount of control afterall.”

“This was quicker than I expected,” Yena clapped but Yunho was still dumbfounded.

“You wilted a single petal? Not the stem, nothing else, just one petal?”

“Yeah?” Gaeul narrowed her eyes- was he suspicious of her? “I would have shown you the proof but I tried to wilt another petal of that flower and the whole thing died.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Yunho shook his head, assuring her that he believed her. “Though I have to say, I never imagined it was possible that you could do it.”

“Really?” Gaeul frowned. “Then why did you ask me to?”

“So you could do this,” Yeosang pointed at the tree with only the leaves dead. “This amount of control is impressive, I have to admit.”

But Gaeul was gaping at Yunho who was shamelessly grinning. Mingi raised his hand, coming between the two. “I believed you could, Gaeul, from day one. Yunho here thought you could never do that.”

“I wish I had proof!” Gaeul shook her head, amused at how the two had bet on her. “I don’t think I can do it again.”

“And that’s perfectly fine- you don’t need to practise on such a small area right now anyway,” Yena told her, hands on her hips as she assessed the situation, her golden locks like a halo around her. “But now that you have a good amount of control over your magic, we can move on to the next phase.”

“And what was that again?” Gaeul was brushing the ashes off her clothes as she asked, finding them grinning at her when she looked up. “No way. Were you serious about the duels?”

“Very,” Yeosang grinned. “You need that if we’re ever taking care of the otherworldly creatures and getting those faeries back.”

“But… me against you?” Gaeul was sure all the colour had drained from her face. “I thought you all were joking or something-”

“Who’s going first?” Mingi interrupted her, her protests ringing in the air while they decided their turns by rock-paper-scissors.

“I’m first,” Yeosang smirked.

“Oh no,” Gaeul gulped. “Can I at least have some rest?”

“Oh, of course, we’re not fighting right now,” Yeosang patted her back, chuckling when she flinched. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“That’s really assuring to hear, Yeosang,” Gaeul glared at him. “Let’s start tomorrow, okay? Give me some time to prepare mentally.”

“Of course, of course,” Yeosang patted her back again. “I’ll tell you what you should look out for- it’s a battle of your senses with me. What you see is not what there will actually be. After going first against me, you’ll be able to battle the rest of them way better than they think.”

“Really?” Gaeul perked up at that. “Because I’m preparing myself for the fool you all will make out of me, Prince Yeosang.”

“We’re the fools going against you,” Yeosang raised his brow. “You should go all out against us. Don’t hold back- don’t worry about the consequences. As long as me or Yena are safe, we can reverse any damage, so… I think we should be the ones scared.”

“Come on, that doesn’t sound like you,” Gaeul pouted and he laughed. “You should be saying something like how I’m a fool and how I’m going to get my ass handled tomorrow and the shame I’ll never forget-”

“I’m not that bad!” Yeosang put a hurt hand on his heart. 

“He is,” Yena called out from where the rest of them were packing what little they carried. “Shall we start moving to Rukbat now? It will take forever on foot.”

The five of them started walking- one of the perks of this dimension was that they didn’t feel physically tired. Walking endlessly was not as bad as it sounded- at least for now. So far, they had explored much of Wooyoung’s territory, especially the south where none of them had visited much. They had tried all sorts of street food, feeling full just after a few bites. They had fooled around on bicycles and Yeosang had taught Gaeul how to skate which he was surprisingly good at. Yunho taught Gaeul archery from the tools they found in a weapons market. Mingi gave Gaeul history lessons about the fire magic, demonstrating everything he could do, and how he suspected Gaeul would be able to control the temperature of the fire better- especially in the cooler ranges. Usually when they walked, one of them would discuss something like magic with Gaeul.

But that night, when they took a break and decided to nap (just for the heck of it) in one of the inns on the way, Gaeul knocked before entering the room Yena was using. Yena was drying her hair with a towel.

“I’m glad we at least get dirty here like the real world,” Yena mused. “It’s like the markings and washing them away makes me feel like I’m not really stuck in a dream or a hallucination- that this, too, is real.”

“Do you suppose there is a dimension where you don’t need to wash up? I wonder if people get lost there, wandering around.”

“I don’t want to find out,” Yena shivered. “Imagine getting stuck in a dream forever, not realising who you are and why you are there.”

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer,” Gaeul said and Yena nodded. “Is this the same dimension that you came to with Mingi?”

When everything happened, Yena didn’t need to hear it out loud. She sighed as she nodded. “The principles are the same, only the time ratio is different. It’s been about 37 days here, so around 37 hours have passed in the real world.”

“That’s it?” Gaeul wowed. “It hasn’t even been too long for them- they won’t be missing any of us.”

“You bet they aren’t,” Yena laughed. “They would be more concerned about taking care of our kingdoms than us.”

“Can you feel Seonghwa? From here?” Gaeul asked. Yena understood why she asked.

“I just know he’s there, in my heart,” Yena put a hand on her chest. “I think the connection gets so dull here that you’d only know if the other person dies.”

“Seonghwa told me something,” Gaeul started and Yena raised her brow. “He said when you were here… the only thing that kept him going was the feeling that you were alive.”

“Did he say that?” Yena smiled and Gaeul liked how her smile was always different when they were talking about Seonghwa. “I think it’s the only thing that kept me going too. I actually… forgot who Seonghwa was. Kieran tried to take my memories, but he couldn’t have guessed he was my soulmate. I think it’s the bond that made my memories come back and because of that, Kieran couldn’t erase the love I had for Seonghwa out of me. Even when I didn’t know who he was.”

“That’s… unbelievable,” Gaeul whistled. “Is that how you knew that you and Seonghwa were soulmates?”

“That was the only possible explanation, yes,” Yena nodded. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t know he was like… my soulmate,” Gaeul tried explaining. “I didn’t know what soulmates were, but I felt him in my bones before I saw him.”

Yena clapped. “You explained the feeling perfectly. I felt that too.”

“Right?” Gaeul chuckled. “One look at San and I knew we were meant to meet- I just didn’t realise how big it was, I guess. My magic probably messed it all up… but now that we’re apart… I feel so, so empty. Do you feel that way too?”

“That’s because of your magic,” Yena shook her head. “Soulmates are just… partners. Friends. Lovers. You aren’t dependent on them like a drug. I can stay years away from Seonghwa and I wouldn’t go mad- of course I would miss him, but that’s just it. You and San… your bond took a chaotic form, Gaeul. It was why we had to separate you two- whole dimensions apart. You shouldn’t be dependent on each other like that, ever. And your case is understandable because your bond is keeping you alive, but San? I think his magic was becoming messed up too.”

Gaeul bit her lips, realising she was right. She felt guilty but she knew she wasn’t to blame, and neither was San. Yena smiled sadly. “I can see you’re growing weary. Keep your mind strong, Gaeul. Only then can you overcome this. We’ll see this through, okay?”

“Thank you,” Gaeul nodded. “But… are you sure you want to go back to Rukbat, in the mountains, Yena? You don’t have to do that- not after everything you’ve been through.”

“I’m sure,” Yena’s chin was up and Gaeul realised she was stronger than Seonghwa might have thought. “I still have nightmares sometimes, if I’m honest. But I’m not going to let them hold me back from my life. And for San, I’d do this even if I’d hate to do it. I owe him that much.”

“Do you think San and you meeting was a coincidence or planned?” Gaeul asked, curious. “I feel like nothing is a coincidence after the events of my life.”

“Even if Kieran didn’t plan this, I think it was a ‘planned’ coincidence,” Yena laughed. “You call it fate.”

“Then was I meant to die before I could ever meet San? Would we have ever crossed paths had I not encountered Kieran?”

“Maybe,” Yena laid on the bed. “It’s interesting to think how life would have been otherwise, isn't it? But if we keep thinking about the what-ifs, we won't be able to carry on with life.”

“You’re the Princess of Space. You can live in any version of the timeline, can’t you?” Gaeul asked, curious ever since she learned just what Yena could do with her magic.

“Yet, I wouldn’t change a thing right now,” Yena curled like a cat, yawning. 

—----------------------

[Day 38 in the other dimension/38 hours and 31 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was tired of being thrown around by Yeosang- especially when he was doing absolutely nothing. 

Well, absolutely nothing was what it looked like at plain sight. He was lying down, eyes closed, absolutely relaxed and you would think he was sleeping if it weren’t for his constant scoffs reminding Gaeul of what a failure she was right now. What was happening, really, was that his spirits, his warriors, were playing with her.

“How the hell am I supposed to sense it?” Gaeul muttered, looking at Mingi who was clearly enjoying the show with Yunho. “Ears? Nose? At least give me something!”

“It’s not that,” Yunho helped. “It’s about sensing the energy-”

“Wrong,” Yeosang spoke, unmoving. “Spirits don’t have ‘energy’. Can you feel them, Yunho?”

“Oops,” Yunho grinned and she gaped at him- even he was playing with her. 

“So basically I can’t feel them?” She scoffed, getting pushed from the back and almost falling on her face, fighting the urge to scream every curse in every language she knew. “I’m supposed to stand and take the beating?”

“Wrong,” Yeosang opened one eye, finally deciding to guide Gaeul after hours. “Firstly, you’re learning balance. You’re being pushed-” As if on cue, she received another shove from the left side and this time she tripped and fell on the thankfully soft sand. “But you can’t figure out who or where or when. You need to be steady on your feet, Gaeul, before you learn anything else.”

“Geez, so much for confidence,” Gaeul sighed. “I admit that I’m clumsy but we could have started somewhere else.”

“As long as you’re clumsy, dear, you can’t be trusted with the dealings of your magic,” said Yeosang. “You need to have the sharpest senses and the best aim before we move on to magic. And the trick to fighting my spirits would be agility. As soon as you’re pushed- the very moment you come in contact, that’s when you need to stay steady and fight back.”

“Oh,” she could see Yeosang’s point now and she had to admit, he was smart. “Thanks for the tip, though it won’t make things easier, will it?”

He simply snickered and went back to sleep, leaving Gaeul to deal with invisible forces- she was pretty sure they weren’t even ‘warriors’- just normal dead mean people.

“I swear if one of you pushes me from the back again, I’ll kill you,” she said when she received another shove and fell on her knees. 

“There’s only one of them, Gaeul,” Yeosang sighed and Mingi and Yunho burst into laughter, leaving her cheeks pink with anger. “At least, for now.”

“If I accidentally end up damning you, Yeosang, forgive me.” Gaeul straightened and shut her eyes- she couldn’t see the spirit anyway so she might as well focus. She didn't see Yeosang turn his full attention to her this time- he was going to take advantage of her heightened senses to train her.

It took uncountable hours, but Gaeul was soon able to 'feel' the spirit before it touched her. That was strange for the others since they relied on sensing energy, but they figured that since Gaeul was half dead anyway, she could probably sense the spirits.

"Why can't I sense the dead," Yena said with a pout. "I'm related to Yeosang. You'd think I'd be better at that."

"Maybe you need a little one-on-one training with me too," Yeosang offered casually but Yena saw right through him, throwing popcorn at him. 

"Who's teaching me how to fight back though?" Gaeul stood near the fire that Mingi had lit, warming her hands- it wasn't cold but oddly, she felt like she wasn't warm enough. "Wooyoung didn't get to teach me everything."

"You should learn from Yena," Mingi glanced at her with a devilish smirk. 

"I didn't realise I was being tested too," Yena scoffed. "Yes, I haven't trained as long as you all but I'm not an amateur! Seonghwa has been training me well."

"None of you are patient enough to teach me," Gaeul laughed. "You can fight all you want among yourselves."

"I volunteer," Yunho raised his hand and when the rest stared at him, he shrugged. "I'm the best here anyway."

And so began another argument followed by challenges to duels. Gaeul yawned widely, rubbing away sleep from her eyes and Yena noticed.

"You must be extremely tired if you're feeling sleepy here."

"Getting tired from physical exertion is so much better than me getting tired from magic malfunction," Gaeul replied. "It makes me feel like I'm… the same old Gaeul."

For the next few days in that dimension, Gaeul was learning everything from scratch. It was like she was being trained to fight in war. Yunho was teaching her how to use her body, how to find her core strength and balance on her feet, and most importantly, how to remain calm, which Gaeul was finding the hardest to do despite her mellow nature. Mingi was teaching her how not to react impulsively- that meant that she had to figure out how to react within milliseconds. Yeosang continued to strengthen her senses, not keeping her limited to her sixth sense alone. Yena, apart from providing endless support and encouragement and teaching her how to tolerate the Princes, taught Gaeul how to live with her magic from now on.

Acceptance. Endurance. Perseverance. 

Gaeul kept repeating to herself. Yena had taught her how to live with herself.

And when Yeosang put Gaeul to test, sending not one, not two but five spirits all at once, Gaeul was able to detect them all and use not only her body but also her magic. And this time, she didn’t just fight back- she protected herself too. 

And ‘accidentally’ sent Yeosang flying a good distance away.

While the others recovered from laughing, it was Gaeul who offered her hand to Yeosang who shook his head before grabbing it to get up, and then, quite affectionately, patted her shoulder. “You’ve learnt a lot in a short time, Gaeul. Well done.”

“They’re having a good time laughing at you,” Gaeul pointed at the rest who were now attempting a reenactment. “You can tell me how to finish them when it’s their turn. We’ll call it even.”

Yeosang smirked. “Deal,” he said and they walked to the rest who straightened up. Yeosang rolled his eyes at them before saying, “Mark the calendar. Day 74 is when Gaeul wins against me. Get ready to lose… losers.”

Gaeul snorted at the weak retort but was more surprised when Yunho fished out an actual notepad from his pocket and started scribbling. “You’re keeping a calendar?”

“Tracking your progress, actually,” Yunho explained. “Our parents used to do that too- though it must have been rather boring for them. We weren’t the quickest learners.”

“No one tracked my progress,” Yena pouted. 

“You should track your own progress,” Yeosang said. “There’s no way we could have with all the time-travelling mess.”

“True,” Yena shrugged. “Only I know my progress. That’s so weird…”

“Why do you keep records, though?” Gaeul asked. “To help?”

“And to improve ourselves as well,” Mingi added.

“Day 74…” Gaeul mumbled, calculating the hours in her head. “74 hours- it’s only the third day there. Wow.”

It was the third day in their original dimension, but things weren’t as relaxed back there. Whatever remnants of Gaeul’s magic resided in San’s body were causing him to experience after effects such as-

“-incredible longing, short temper, bad retorts-” Jongho stopped narrating when San sent a shoe flying for the youngest Prince, sending Wooyoung into a fit of laughter but making him pause when San hurled into the bucket again and wrenched his guts out- there was nothing left to throw up now. 

“...along with extreme nausea, disorientation and occasional hallucinations,” Jongho concluded, folding the note and throwing it in the fire- a message to Hongjoong. San wiped his mouth, drinking a glass of water before slumping down on the couch, drawing the covers over himself.

“I’ve never seen him sick like this, I’m actually worried for once,” Wooyoung sighed, sitting down with Jongho, the two ‘babysitting’ San as they had quoted in the note to Hongjoong.

“They did say it was supposed to get worse before it got better,” San’s voice was weak as he said, shivering. “I just hope she’s okay there.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes so hard they would have gone back in his skull. He leaned forward, snapping his fingers in front of San’s face so he opened one eye. “San. Listen to me, you love-sick bastard. They’re in the dimension where their body functions have basically frozen. You worry about yourself- I’m pretty sure they’re joking around there.”

“Agreeing,” Jongho scoffed. “They can’t remain serious when Yeosang is there.”

San laughed a bit at that. “It’s been 74 days there. What do you think is their progress?”

“Just hoping they aren’t burning the world down there…” Jongho muttered, sounding unconvinced. 

He wasn’t wrong. In the other dimension, Yena, Yeosang and Yunho were watching Mingi set the forest on a blazing fire, a blast from Gaeul’s attempt to shield herself creating a wave that made their hair fiercely (and dramatically) fly back. Yeosang sputtered, trying to get the ash out of his mouth.

“If Gaeul sets his ass on fire,” Yena sounded serious, “I’ll treat you all to a grand feast back home.”

“Shall we bet?” Yeosang asked.

“I don’t think we need to,” Yunho started to laugh. “I think we’re all with Gaeul.”

Gaeul, however, wasn’t having such a grand time. “At least give me time to get my shield back! I’ll burn myself!”

“You won’t get that luxury when you’re in a fight,” Mingi continued with the fire shots in her direction. “And anyways, if you get burned, Yena can heal you.”

“Geez, why didn’t I think of that,” Gaeul muttered, cursing under her breath. Fire was probably the scariest element to be against. “I’d like not to get cooked, Mingi-”

Gaeul winced when her forearm caught fire, quickly patting her clothes to blow the fire. “It’s not like I’m going to the fucking war!”

“You still don’t get it,” Mingi laughed. “It’s not about fighting against fire. It’s about not being scared of the most frightening element. You can fight back properly because I’m the most scared of your power too. We’re learning from each other, Gaeul.”

“Are we?” Gaeul retorted. “So far I’ve been the only one learning-”

Gaeul’s calf caught on fire this time and something in her brain ticked- she had been fighting fire casually for the past few days, but for the past few hours, she had caught fire uncountable times. Gaeul groaned and bared her teeth, shooting her hands forward.

The last thing Mingi was expecting was catching fire himself- not like his, the warm flame, but the cold flame that burned harder than the hottest fire. Mingi yelped, rolling around in the grass and this time, it was Gaeul’s turn to laugh- but when the fire didn’t go out, Gaeul rushed for Mingi and put her hands in the flames-

Transferring them to herself.

“You underworld witch,” Mingi was laughing in disbelief and pain now- he was used to the pain of the burns which was the only reason he wasn’t crying. He called for Yena and she healed him first before joining Yunho and Yeosang to gape at Gaeul who was playing with blue, almost white, flames of her fire.

“They’re not hot anymore,” Gaeul looked at Yunho. “Can you feel it?”

Yunho was hesitant but he put his hands in the fire, gasping because it felt colder than his ice. “You can control the temperature?”

“I was angry- it was hot,” Gaeul turned to Mingi, muttering sorry but he assured her it was alright. “When I took it away, it didn’t feel too hot to me. Should I try consciously raising the temperature?”

“Go ahead,” Yunho nodded. Gaeul concentrated and tried but it remained the same. She groaned.

“More to practise, I guess.”

“Fighting fire with fire. Who would have thought!” Mingi was clapping.

“It’s a good thing it finally manifested while we were here,” Yeosang was nodding. “Whatever you need to do to practise, whatever the damage, you can do it here. Meanwhile, let me just appreciate the sight of Mingi’s smug ass catching fire-”

While Mingi and Yeosang bickered, Yena went back to what she was originally doing- she had a portal opened up in this dimension and was trying to get the portal to shift to some other dimension. She couldn’t figure out how to contact Neve.

“Is it necessary to summon him?” Yunho asked for the first time- Yena had been practising her portal for months now. “We taught her well.”

“We still need to do something about the parasitic nature of her magic,” Yena sighed. “I got a message from Hongjoong earlier- San’s not feeling well. Don’t tell the others.”

Yunho frowned. “What happened?”

“I’m guessing it’s the bond- the bond isn’t supposed to act like this, but since her magic is unusual, it’s attacking San. I got Hongjoong to portal to San to assess how bad it is and report back.”

“Let’s hope it’s nothing Hongjoong can’t heal,” Yunho was worried. “Gaeul’s doing better here, though.”

“Perks of this dimension,” Yena’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. “I wonder though- how strong is the soulmate bond? Will she be able to live with both this magic and the bond?”

For that, no one had an answer yet.

—----------------------

[Day 93 in the other dimension/93 hours 27 minutes in Mirinae]

Fighting against Mingi may have made Gaeul fearless, but she was learning that the fear of the element that she loved the most was a different sort- and it was bad.

As a kid, Gaeul had adored the water bodies, the animals in it, the seemingly endless oceans, the rain, everything. She would sometimes dive and play with the fishes as well. And that one time that she had raised a few water droplets in the air? She told herself that it was a secret she would take to the grave (now she was supposing she did take the secret to her grave) though it was something she wanted to yell to the world. 

Now she was learning to be afraid of the endless depth of the ocean, of the monsters that resided under the sea, of the rain that could drown you or peel your skin away, and of the water in her own body. In the past few days, Yunho had managed to scare her in every possible way and she was not enjoying the experience. He had shown her the horrors that something as simple as water could bring by nearly drowning her a number of times- of course, Gaeul trusted him not to actually drown her but he sure did increase the amount of time she could hold her breath underwater. 

Gaeul was actually feeling a little scared of Yunho, if she had to admit. It was funny because he was apparently the friendliest of them all, a literal ray of sunshine, always smiling and laughing, but there was this other side to him that he rarely showed anyone, and oh. It sent shivers down Gaeul’s spine whenever Yunho’s eyes would change, whenever he would become serious. She was calling it his ‘inner demon’, and she was not a big fan of this inner demon.

Especially when she was training across it.

“Ice and fire are not that different, you know,” Yunho was saying as he drew a circle of spiky icicles in the sand around them. “Just two extremities, polar opposites. You, somehow, are somewhere in the middle.”

“Would you really call it being ‘somewhere in the middle’?” Gaeul almost muttered and Yunho raised a brow. “I mean… Cold flame isn’t exactly natural, is it?”

“True,” Yunho nodded, playing with the icicles, shaping them into different objects. “Cold fire can take the appearance of snow and icicles, yet it can burn like fire too. I’m just wondering what I would do if I possessed such power?”

“Probably set your friends on fire for fun?” Gaeul thought and Yunho snickered. “I bet Mingi doesn’t really have that luxury.”

“If he tried that, he’d be in big trouble,” Yunho shook his head. “So… do you think you can melt my ice with your fire?”

“Of course I can,” Gaeul straightened, extending her hand to send the almost white flame for the icicle circle Yunho had created around them. It went around the ice, to Gaeul’s surprise, and she touched the ice this time for good measure but it didn’t budge.

“I don’t understand,” Gaeul frowned. “Is it not hot enough?”

“Honey, I’m the Prince of Water and Ice for a reason,” Yunho was grinning and Gaeul pouted, slumping. “If my ice would simply melt, I would be no match against someone with fire powers.”

“True,” Gaeul made an impressed face. “So how would one defeat the Prince of Ice?”

“That’s what we will figure out,” Yunho stretched his limbs. “So far… I have no weaknesses as far as my power is concerned.”

“Wow,” Gaeul was gawking at the Prince. “You’re really scary.”

Yunho laughed loudly, shaking his head. “You’re scarier, you just don’t know how yet.”

Gaeul scoffed, watching Yunho melt the icicles and create them again. He explained that he could control the temperature and other properties of the ice, which meant he could make the ice as strong as he preferred, as cold as he liked. He displayed the stages of his element- from extracting a drop of water from the air itself, making it into a snowflake, solid ice, and then the hardest of ice which had a bluish tinge to its form. 

“That’s what I’m aiming to teach you,” Yunho explained further. “Now that you have good control over your body, you need to have the same amount of control over your magic.”

Gaeul nodded. Her physical training was nowhere near the end but she had never been quicker on her feet, never been this strong. It was amazing how she could control every muscle, every movement in her body. To have this amount of control over her reflexes was no joke. And to have a similar amount of control over her magic was Yunho’s final aim. 

He had been incredibly patient with her, so much that Gaeul marvelled at his stamina- he was teaching her from scratch like he would teach a child. Anyone would think he had trained armies just like this. He had taught her how much each of her limbs could move, had figured out her extremities with her body in a way that she didn’t feel overwhelmed and most importantly, taught her to be patient with herself. For that, she respected him a lot.

“So cold fire has how many stages? I’ve seen the snow stage but I think it resembles ash more in that state…”

“I have a theory,” Yunho began, leaning forward as if to whisper a secret. “But I won’t tell you.”

“Yunho!” Gaeul rolled her eyes. “You’re just teasing me. I know how all of you work- you drive me to the edge and somehow it does the work.”

Yunho shook his head. “I taught you how not to be driven to the edge ever since we came here, Gaeul. That may have been Yeosang and Mingi’s plan, but not mine.”

Gaeul ignored that, wondering what he could be talking about. “What is cold fire even good for?”

“Making people non-existent, apparently,” Yeosang, who was passing by, said. “I still don’t know what fate those souls met.”

He was talking about the man Gaeul had killed. It still sent a jab through her, even though she knew they didn’t mean to hurt her. “Well, what other purpose does it serve? I don’t think it’s here just to… make people poof.”

Yeosang snorted at her choice of words and Yunho said, “It’s meant to be the bridge between the power of ice and fire. It can both burn and freeze. I do think it serves a greater purpose but we know nothing of it yet.”

“So we’ll just master the temperature control for now,” Gaeul suggested and Yunho nodded. “I’ve gotten better at it, I just…”

“Don’t work well with the extremities,” Yunho nodded. “That’s the toughest part. Maybe we should call Mingi after all…”

“Only if he promises that we’re even- I don’t want him to burn me,” Gaeul pouted. “I’ve had enough of my hair fried!”

“Just burn him back,” Yunho laughed.

“No! What if I make him go poof?” Gaeul sighed and Yunho paused for a second before shaking his head and calling Mingi. Mingi was quick to come and help for the sole reason of trying to get back at Gaeul for the forest firefight but Yunho told him to stop being a child.

With the three working together on trying to learn about the cold fire and its properties, Yena and Yeosang were left working on the portal and trying to contact Neve. Yena was learning quite a good amount of things on how the portals worked in this dimension and with Yeosang’s guidance, she was getting better at the duration of the portals. The scary part was opening portals to unknown worlds and having to shut them in a matter of seconds- before anyone noticed- when they found out it was the wrong world.

“I still can’t grasp the fact that there are places other than the planet Earth and our planets where there are actual habitants,” Yena phew-ed as she shut another portal to a place that looked to be a garden full of flowers- she was pretty sure there wasn’t a hint of flower or life on the planet that darklings dwelled on.

“The universe is neverending, it seems,” Yeosang was taking notes- he had the ability to process the distinct feel of each dimension but it seemed the ability extended to different environments- or worlds- as well. “There are multiple dimensions we’ll never know of.”

“Talking about dimensions, we still haven’t found out what dimension exactly those creatures are taking the missing faeries to, right?” Yena asked and Yeosang shook his head in denial. “I was wondering if we could somehow get Gaeul to do the deed.”

“I don’t think she can open the doorway to that dimension at will, that would mean she possesses dimensional powers which cannot be the case even with her magic taking a turn,” Yeosang explained. “But… what are we even going to do once we’re facing those creatures? We don’t know what they look like, how strong they are, what they are. All we know is that they’re capable of travelling dimensions without consequences, it seems.”

“Consequences?” Yena asked.

“We’re still on planet Mirinae, right?” Yeosang drew a sketch to explain. “We’re just in a different layer of time. That’s why Neve can come and go from here as he pleases, because it’s the same dimension but different worlds. We don’t know if the planet that the darklings dwell on is on the same plane as us. By plane, I mean the time-flow.”

“Ah, I get it,” Yena nodded. “So there has to be something in common to roam around without consequences?”

“Yes,” Yeosang nodded. “Take my example- there’s the world of the living and the world of the dead. They have nothing in common but I am the bridge. Where the spirits stay before moving on is a dimension that is entirely unique. Without a bridge, the spirits cannot move freely.”

“Oh, so with those creatures, they must have something in common with our world, right?”

“Yeah, they must either be in the same time flow as our planet, or just be another dimensional layer of our planet- wait a fucking second.”

Yeosang was frowning as he looked at his notes and Yena watched him go to Yunho and whisper something in his ear, looking grim. Yunho handed him the journal he was using to track Gaeul’s progress and then Yeosang came back to sit in front of Yena. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Let me just confirm something,” Yeosang was skimming from the beginning, stopping at one of the pages. “I have this awful theory but I’ll need Hongjoong to confirm it before I reveal it.”

“Tell me,” Yena insisted, poking Yeosang’s thigh again and again until he gave in.

“If this is the first time some otherworldly creatures have made it to our planet, and if there are no such records from Earth as well… I think it might mean that Gaeul could be the bridge, like I am, to another world, which means…”

“That we may have a serious problem at our hands,” Yena finished, looking at Gaeul who was laughing along with Mingi over something. “What have we gotten ourselves into?”

—-------------------

[Day 124 in the other dimension/124 hours and 39 minutes in Mirinae]

Hongjoong was positive that if he stayed alone in his library looking for god knows what for one more day, he was going to combust into light.

If he sat down and thought about it, he would say that he was speaking a little selfishly, considering that those who were in the other dimension have been staying there for more than 4 months now while here, only about five days had passed. And he had only spent three of them in the library.

But three of them in the library, going through the archives, reading scroll after scroll without a single soul to accompany him because of the sensitivity of the situation? He would say it was too much for him. He was almost finished, but he needed a break. 

Hongjoong went in front of the fire and wrote a letter to Seonghwa, saying he hoped he was doing well. He got a reply a few minutes later.

You must be bored already.

Hongjoong scoffed- Seonghwa knew him well. Hongjoong wrote another letter, asking him if he wanted to visit San with him when he was done turning the library upside down. Seonghwa agreed and Hongjoong mustered the remaining kernels of his willpower before going through the last shelf.

Sadly, he found nothing. He wrote that on a note and placed it on the window Yeosang had designated from where one of his soul-friends would receive it and pass it to the Prince. Yeosang conveyed the message to Yena who had something to say about the situation.

“It’s no use searching the archives. Gaeul is an entirely new case. We’ll have to do everything ourselves.”

“Always better safe than sorry,” Yeosang scolded and she pouted. “Also, he wants you to portal him and Seonghwa to San. Apparently they’re having a sleepover.”

“Oooh, we’re missing all the fun,” Yena said, opening a portal to her room where Seonghwa was standing in front of the mirror-

“Getting ready for who, exactly?” Yena asked and Seonghwa froze before sinking to his knees, making Yeosang giggle.

“If you scare me with the portal one more time, Yena dear, I’m going to pass away,” Seonghwa clutched his heart as he got up. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Yena grinned. “Just missing you a lot. Let’s get you to Hongjoong.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” Seonghwa turned, grabbing a bag. “Yeosang, you better be taking care of my wife-”

Before Seonghwa could say anything further, Yena portalled him to Hongjoong, earning an eye roll from her brother. Hongjoong was prepared for the shock and didn’t react as funnily as Seonghwa did. 

“Hello there,” Yeosang greeted. “I hope your time at the library was fun.”

“I found nothing,” Hongjoong sighed.

“I knew it. I just wanted to keep you a little busy.”

“Yeosang, you little-”

“Don’t throw anything through the portal!” Yena shouted and Hongjoong froze, sighing. “Get your stuff, quick.”

The next stop was Wooyoung’s room where San was half passed out, Jongho and Wooyoung eating popcorn as they watched a movie. However, when the portal opened in front of them, their screams almost made Yena shut the portal midway.

“You can’t be louder, can you?” Yena flinched, shutting the portal and Hongjoong laughed at the sight before going to San who still appeared sick. “I need San’s health report now.”

“I’m okay,” he shifted up with immense effort, looking like he was in physical pain. “How’s Gaeul?”

Yena looked back at Gaeul who was sitting by the shore with Mingi while Yunho swam in the water. “She’s well. Her training is almost complete- we’re just waiting to contact Neve so we can do something about the bond.”

“Right,” he sighed, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “When do you expect to be back?”

“No idea, it’s all on me opening the portal to Neve now,” Yena shrugged and San told her that it was alright- she could take her time. “How are you feeling?”

“The potions have helped, but every day I can feel the bond getting weaker,” San said and Seonghwa met eyes with Yena. “I hope something can be done about it soon.”

“Of course,” Yena smiled in assurance. “Don’t worry. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“I’m sure Wooyoung is wearing you down,” Yeosang commented, making Wooyoung yell at him. “I know I’d be sick if I stayed with Wooyoung for this long too.”

Everyone had a good laugh over that and with the goodbyes, Yena shut the portal, looking at Yeosang. “I really don’t like seeing San in this state. And if he feels the bond getting weaker, I can’t imagine the kind of pain he’s going through.”

“Shall we move on to Plan B then?” Yeosang suggested and Yena looked at him.

“I’m not so sure about it- what if something goes wrong?”

“Well, you could open the portal in front of Kieran too,” Yeosang said and Yena grimaced. “You can imagine how wrong that could go. It doesn’t look like we can control where the portal opens to a world we do not know of, so let me find a stray darkling spirit who might be willing to help.”

“I bet they don’t help for free,” Yena muttered.

“They don’t, but I’ll make sure we have the upperhand,” he said and when Yena didn’t sound very convinced, he nudged her. “Come on. You know I’m good at that.”

“It’s not very safe,” Yena countered.

“You opening portals is even more unsafe. Come on, now. It’s time to tell the others what’s really going on.”

Reluctantly, Yena followed Yeosang to where the rest were and Yunho joined, instantly dry as soon as he got out of the water. The orange sun was almost setting here. Yeosang spoke as he sat down.

“Gaeul, you don’t feel anything regarding your bond right now, is that right?” 

“Not really, no,” Gaeul shifted, thrown by the sudden question. “Is everything alright?”

“It is, don’t worry, it’s just that San’s not really handling it well,” Yeosang said and Gaeul looked around- it seemed like she was the only one who didn’t know. “Sorry for not telling you earlier, but we thought it was the initial separation.”

“But that’s not the case?”

“He can feel the bond getting ‘weaker’,” Yena said. “Which means we may have to be quicker.”

“What can we do?” Gaeul straightened. 

“Nothing, for now,” Yeosang was smirking. “I’m going to be hibernating for a while.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Gaeul scoffed. “What are you, a bear?”

“He’s not actually hibernating,” Yunho laughed. 

“I’m just going to be separating my soul from my body for a while,” Yeosang said and Gaeul felt sick hearing that, “In an attempt to find some stray darkling spirit and get them to pass a message to Neve. Meanwhile, Yena can continue with her portals. Whoever makes it first does it.”

“Can I hibernate too? I kind of want to take a nap…” Mingi pouted.

“While I’m gone…” Yeosang stood up, pointing his fingers at everyone. “Do not mess with my body. You don’t want to face the consequences, I can assure you.”

“Does that mean I can’t even draw something on your face?” Yunho asked and then started an argument that had Yeosang wanting to go back to his home. Finally, when he was done explaining everything, he chose a comfortable spot in the grass and sat down.

“Adios, you good-for-nothings,” Yeosang said and before anyone could retort, he fell sideways and Yena laughed before putting him in a more comfortable position. 

“Who wants roasted Yeosang for dinner?” Mingi asked and Gaeul snorted, pushing him away from Yeosang’s body.

“Let’s not interrupt him while he’s working. I have a better idea- we can turn him into a flower princess.”

Yeosang was only pretending to have gone into hibernation and when he opened his eyes, saying “I dare you to try”, the screams that came out of Gaeul and Mingi as they clung on to each other could have woken up the dead. Yunho couldn’t move as he sank to the ground, having gone to the stage where he was laughing so hard he couldn’t produce a sound, and Yena scolded Yeosang for joking around, threatening to hibernate him for good before sending the rest away so he could actually do his job properly.

—----------------------------

[Day 130 in other dimension/130 hours and 21 minutes in Mirinae]

Gaeul was getting tired of just sitting around and waiting for either Yeosang to contact Neve or Yena to open a portal. It’s not like she was not doing anything productive- Mingi and Yunho were making sure that she kept busy, introducing her to a new technique everyday and she found herself getting better and better at controlling her powers. Still, the thought of San feeling unwell and actually feeling their bond getting weaker was making her anxious.

If she was also a little honest with herself, she would admit that her life back in Mirinae was starting to feel like a fever dream- that’s how long they’ve been here. She missed her home even though she had long since moved on from that, and she missed the boys. She missed Wooyoung’s constant bickering and teasing, Jongho’s shy playfulness, Seonghwa’s calm presence and advice, Hongjoong’s confidence that everything would be alright, and…

She missed San so much that she was positive she would go insane.

Gaeul took a deep sigh and looked up at the sky- she was sick of the blue sky that never changed its colour. She wiped the remnants of tears away from her cheeks and looked at where the sea met land- even though she had been sitting here for hours, it was still beautiful.

She felt a soft thud beside her and found Yunho sitting next to her, crossing his legs for a moment but then opting to let them hang by the edge of the cliff, mirroring Gaeul’s position. He didn’t look at her. “Don’t you wish the weather would change?”

Gaeul passed a tight smile, nodding along- she knew he meant much more by that. “I’m sure you can make it rain here too.”

“I could, but…” he sighed deeply. “The constantness of this dimension reminds us that we have to go back one day or another. If you become too comfortable here, you might forget your purpose.”

Gaeul blinked- she hadn’t imagined that the rest might be as tired as her- or maybe if she had listened closely, she would have noticed how their jokes about ‘resting’ and ‘being off-duty’ were starting to sound dry. “Well… what’s something you want to do when you go back?”

Yunho almost snorted. “Sleep. Actually sleep, and then get back to duty.”

“Got enough rest, huh,” she stretched her arms, the sound of the waves ringing in her ears. “Who do you miss the most?”

This time, Yunho looked at her. “I… I suppose I miss my court. They’re the ones I spend the most time with.”

“Do you ever feel lonely?” Gaeul asked, and Yunho tilted his head as if he found the whole situation strange. “Seonghwa told me I could talk to you if I ever needed someone. If everyone comes to talk to you, who do you go to?”

Yunho smiled at that. “I go to the sea. I sit where the land and the ocean meet, and I pour my heart out. Then I let the waves carry it away.”

“Just like me,” Gaeul looked ahead. “It’s been lonely.”

Yunho let a moment of silence take over as he sorted out his thoughts. “I do… talk to one of them sometimes. It’s just that we’re all busy and have a lot going on. And I’ll admit that I’m better at listening to others than talking about myself.”

“Well, if you ever wish to go to the sea again, maybe you could find me instead?” Gaeul offered and Yunho raised a brow. “I know what it’s like to only talk to the sea. You can think of me as a fish too, if that helps-”

Yunho laughed at that, and Gaeul thought that was the most relaxed laugh she had heard ever since they arrived here. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll consider it- if you return the sentiment too. I know something is eating you up right now. Will you go talk to some fish in the sea or…?”

Gaeul felt pleased to hear that he would think of her if he needed to talk to someone- she had seen how he carried so much for the others, perhaps without realising. She wished to share the burden. But right now, with his offer to listen to her, she felt her defences slip. “I just miss home. I don’t remember the last time I missed home- I guess it’s just because it’s so strange here, with every day being the same. I also miss San a lot,” she laughed a bit but hid her face when tears threatened to spill. “It’s starting to feel like meeting him was only a dream.”

“We’re closer to the end than ever before,” Yunho assured, putting a hand on her back and patting it. “You’ve done so well until now. Let’s hold on a little longer, alright?”

“Yeah,” she wiped her face. “I don’t know, it’s just messed up, all of this. I’m so tired-”

Gaeul paused when she felt her heart sink dangerously, and she immediately turned to look at Yeosang, who was still in the same position, lying peacefully on the grass, Mingi resting next to him. “Something’s not right, Yunho. Where’s Yena?”

“She was practising down there,” he pointed. “What did you feel?”

“I don’t know,” Gaeul frowned. “We need to get to her. Mingi can watch over Yeosang.”

“Okay,” Yunho got up, leading the way to Yena and waking up Mingi on his way. As they started to step down, they spotted the portal open and Yena stood frozen, staring at something beyond it. Gaeul sped up, jumping across the rocks and Yunho stopped her by her arm when they almost reached.

“Let me check if Yena is okay,” he said and Gaeul nodded, following him slowly this time.

“Yena?” Yunho called when he was closer, and when he called her name the second time, he didn’t need her to explain anything, feeling Gaeul’s sharp intake of breath as well as they too could now see what was beyond the portal. 

“Tell me you see this…” Yena finally managed to say.

“Well and clear,” Yunho breathed, “Gaeul?”

Gaeul couldn’t believe her eyes- there was darkness in whatever world was ahead of her, but she could somehow make out everything. The land seemed dead, devoid of any signs of life save for the naked trees around which those creatures rested-

It had to be the creatures she’d seen that day in the forest, when she killed someone. She could feel the familiar presence, and she could also sense-

“Faeries. The missing faeries? Can you feel them?” Gaeul asked.

“Yeah, I think I can,” Yena answered. 

Gaeul took a step ahead before anyone could stop her, now standing between the current dimension and the unknown world before her. As if the creatures had sensed her, they opened their eyes, sending chills down her spine at the synchrony. One by one, they got up, revealing their huge size, the feline features and pointed ears abnormally long, stretching their bat-like wings. 

“I- I’m going to close the portal-”

“Not yet,” Gaeul motioned with her hand. “They won’t hurt me.”

Yena and Yunho looked at each other and Yunho nodded, ready to pull Gaeul away if he felt the need to. Gaeul watched the creatures almost snarl at Yunho and Yena before they turned to Gaeul and dropped their heads-

They were bowing to her, waiting for her command.

“I- I don’t understand,” Gaeul looked helplessly at the two who looked just as surprised. “What do I do?”

“Nothing,” Yena commanded. “I’ve memorised the portal. We will open it again when we are ready. You need to step back now, Gaeul.”

Gaeul nodded, outstretching her hand and watching them rise. Yunho grabbed her gently by the arm, pulling her behind and Yena watched for a moment before shutting the portal, each of them looking at the other in confusion.

“Well,” Yena exhaled, looking bewildered. “It seems like the Underworld might have a queen afterall.”

“But,” Gaeul looked at Yunho who was grinning in disbelief and then back at Yena. “How?”

“We’ll have to ask Yeosang that, I’m not really educated in that field, but if I have to guess,” Yena rubbed her chin in thought. “If those creatures didn’t exist before you, then your rebirth might have caused another dimension to open up to cope with your presence, to keep the balance. And just like Yeosang is the gateway between life and death, mastering over one dimension… you might be the same.”

“And she says she is not educated,” Yunho commented. “I think that’s the only explanation we can come up with. Yeosang can confirm if it’s true.”

“I better note down the calculations,” Yena started making her way up, muttering to herself as she went. Gaeul looked at Yunho, her face pale.

“That means the faeries are in there because of me, right?”

Yunho pursed his lips. “If those creatures obey you, you might free them.”

“What if they are hurt? Oh, goodness,” Gaeul sank to the ground, her limbs trembling. “I can’t have more blood on my hands, Yunho.”

“You won’t,” Yunho sat down beside her, putting an arm around her. “If we can sense them, they’re still alive. We don’t know why those creatures took them, but… we can only hope they’re somewhat safe.”

taglist: @yunnierights @monstaxdirtywonk @moni-cah @uyumilk @atxxzist @hazysan @bewitchedinyourhunger @kk-fleury @sincostansan @onedumbho3 @wooya1224 @icouldntcareless22 @jjaelly @huachengsbestie01 @ztjileen @charreddonuts @mdibby @gugggu6gvai @altgojo

#ateez x reader #choi san x reader #san x reader #ateez x oc #ateez au #choi san fluff #choi san angst #choi san imagines #choi san scenarios #san angst #san fluff #san smut #choi san smut #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #san scenarios

[dairyminki]

please do consider reblogging my works and not just liking, thank you!

🍃 ATEEZ masterlist

legend:

[f]—fluff ♡ [a]—angst ♥︎ [m] suggestive ;    [s]—series ♡ [o]—oneshot ♥︎ [t]—timestamp ♡ [h]—headcanon ♥︎ [d]—drabble 

K I M H O N G J O O N G

♡ library dates with hongjoong — f,h

♡ forever and a lifetime (100 milestone event) — f,d

♡ tattletale (300 milestone event) — d

P A R K S E O N G H W A

♥︎ strawberry kisses — f,d

♥︎ you (100 milestone event) — f,a,d

♥︎ worth it (300 milestone event) — f,o

J E O N G Y U N H O

♡ heavy hearts, hazy minds — a,d

♡ [4:13 pm] — a,t

♡ fatality (100 milestone event) — a,d

♡ attention (100 milestone event) — d

K A N G Y E O S A N G

♥︎ [11:17 pm] — a,t

C H O I S A N

♡ ticklish toughie — f,o

♡ i dare you — f,o

♡ sleepy sannie — f,d

♡ rocky — f,a,o

♡ from the shadows — f,o

♡ wonderstruck — f,d

♡ be with you — a,o

♡ like a cat — f,d

♡ color me pretty — m,o

♡ make it up to you (300 milestone event) — f,m,d

♡ first time clubbing with boyfriend!san — f,m,h

S O N G M I N G I

♥︎ imagine with boyfriend!mingi — f,d

♥︎ pumpkin spice and everything nice — d

J U N G W O O Y O U N G

♡ haunted — o

♡ as good as dead (100 milestone event) — a,d

♡ hearts day — f,o

♡ broke your heart, i'll put it back together (300 milestone event) — f,a,o

♡ acquiescence — f,a,o

C H O I J O N G H O

♥︎ i love hue (300 milestone event) — f,o

A T E E Z

♡ 'teez the season masterlist [christmas special] — f,s

♡ inked by fate masterlist — f,a,s

♡ ateez scenarios: dad!teez (tropical boys line) — f,h

—🦋

© dairyminki 2021-2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. || DO NOT copy, repost, translate, and plagiarize any of my works.

#ateez masterlist #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x reader #yunho x reader #yeosang x reader #san x reader #mingi x reader #wooyoung x reader #jongho x reader #ateez x oc #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez suggestive #ateez scenarios #ateez imagine #ateez fics #dairyminki's masterlist [🔮]

[mi-rae07]

Jung Wooyoung : As Good As You Were (Part 4/4)

Pairing : Jung Woo-young (Ateez) and named character (Shin Naeun)

__________________________

Few days later :

Naeun was now sitting with her back against wooyoung's chest, his arms wrapped around hers as their eyes looked up at the stars above them. The sky was too beautiful today, naeun couldn't help wanting to stargaze with her husband for the first and last time.

Naeun : wooyoung-ah?

Wooyoung : hmm?

Naeun : when I'm gone, and when you miss me, come outside and look at the sky.

Wooyoung smiled, closing his eyes as he rested his head against naeun's shoulder before whispering

Wooyoung : you'll come back as a star?

Naeun smiled, looking at the stars that were above them as she said

Naeun : yes.

Wooyoung : you're already my star though.

Naeun chuckled, resting her head further against wooyoung's chest as she said with a sigh

Naeun : when your life gets darker, I promise to light your way up as the star does from up above. I'm never going to leave you, wooyoung, ever. I may not be…I may not be there with you physically but I will always be with you. I'll find a way, like I always do. I'll make a bargain with the devil, if that is what is required. Even if I would have to burn in hellfire for a 1000 years after, I'd still choose to do that if I get to be with you in this world.

Wooyoung closed his eyes, his tears drops staining naeun's shirt as she continued

Naeun : we may have only loved for a short time but I want you to know that that short time has fulfilled the entire purpose of my life. You've made me happier than anyone else ever has for the 30 years that I lived, wooyoung. There is no one in this world I'd rather have done this with than you.

Wooyoung could say nothing, because he was sure that if he opened his mouth the only sounds that would come out would be that of pain. He hated the world for this, he hated that it kept taking away the things he loved most from him.

Wooyoung : I prom-I promise to look at the sky everyday after you're gone, naeun. Every day.

Naeun : and I promise to stay as the single most brightest star in the sky for you, wherever on Earth you are.

___________________________

2 days later :

Naeun now spent her days on the bed, and she felt today would be her last night on this bed, in this world. And so as wooyoung entered their room after having done the dishes, naeun held her hands out for him making him smile as he held her hands in his and got on the bed.

Naeun : can I sleep on your lap today?

Wooyoung : of course.

Wooyoung sat with his back against the lush headboard as naeun rested her head against wooyoung's lap, looking up at him with a smile as he played with her hair.

Naeun let out a shaky breath as she looked away from wooyoung, deciding now was probably the time to tell him.

Naeun : wooyoung I might uh…tomorrow morning I think I might not-

Wooyoung : don't say it.

Naeun : but woo-

Wooyoung : I know it, naeun. Don’t say it, please.

Naeun sighed and nodded, holding one of wooyoung's hand in hers as she played with his fingers before saying in a soft voice

Naeun : do you remember when we first saw each other, woo? It was at some fancy restaurant and when you walked in, you looked like you wanted to kill me. But I spent 3 hours getting ready that day, hoping you'd find me at least a little pretty. Do you think…do you think I still look that pretty? Right now, I'm pretty sure my skin is dull-

Wooyoung : you're prettier than you were back then, a 100 times prettier. Because now you're the woman I love, naeun, and I love all of you. I'll find you pretty forever, no other being will ever compare to how pretty you are to me.

Naeun smiled, looking up at wooyoung with teary eyes as he said

Wooyoung : you know how much I love you, right? I know I haven't shown it much to you, god gave me so little time to show you the world. But after you're gone, naeun I'll still continue loving you. And the world will see how much you meant to me, I'll make sure it does.

Naeun : wooyoung you're still young, you can marry again-

Wooyoung : no. No not ever. I'd rather die than have that.

Naeun : young-ah-

Wooyoung : that's the end of that topic, naeun, please.

Naeun sighed, kissing wooyoung's hand as she whispered

Naeun : okay.

Wooyoung flinched as he felt someone jump onto the bed, a furry creature walking past him and towards naeun as she nudged her head against naeun's, making her smile

Naeun : momo!

The puppy barked, making wooyoung smile as naeun let her hand ruffle it's golden fur before saying

Naeun : you'll take care of your dad for me, right? You'll be a good girl and keep your dad company since I can't?

Wooyoung let out a chuckle as momo licked naeun's face, making her smile as she said

Naeun : such a good girl.

Momo gave naeun one last nudge before jumping off the bed, lying down on the floor with a small whimper as wooyoung sighed, leaning back against the headboard.

Naeun : wooyoung?

Wooyoung shut his eyes tightly, knowing this was the last time she'd call him that as he said shakily

Wooyoung : yes my love?

Naeun : you're the best thing that happened to my life, I love you so much. I always will.

Wooyoung pressed his lips together to stop the tears from falling once again as he whispered

Wooyoung : I love you too naeun, so much. And in this world, and the next, and for every world that is out there, you will be mine and I will be yours.

Naeun clutched wooyoung's hand tighter with her trembling hands as he leaned down, giving her a final kiss as she felt tears stream down her cheeks.

Wooyoung : my heart, my soul and my life, they're all yours. And they will be until the end of time.

Naeun smiled, that smile wooyoung would miss so much. That smile he barely got to see in this life.

And then wooyoung could only watch, watch as naeun slowly went to sleep, her grip on his hand loosening and her head tilting towards the side. For a few hours her chest continued rising up and down, and then it slowed down, until it stopped completely. Just as wooyoung's world did.

The warmth that naeun's hand always gave his went away, replaced by the terrible cold. And her dull skin turned pale, the sounds of her heart beating no longer audible. And just like that, as the sun rose on the horizons his wife had left this world, leaving wooyoung all alone in this harsh place.

Wooyoung could feel his tears falling against naeun's pale cheeks, the sounds of his sobs filling the empty room as he clutched naeun's limp body against his in pain. He held her and wailed, and wailed, screaming for her to come back. Saying everything that he wanted to scream at the world but didn't because that would be unfair to naeun.

But even then she did not move, no miracles happened. And wooyoung lost all his belief in god, destiny, fate, everything. Even god couldn't let something as cruel as this happen to him, could he?

Wooyoung remembered the hugs naeun had asked for that he always ignored. He'd never be able to give her those ever again. The dates she'd wanted to go with him that he can never give again, the love that she'd given all these years and never gotten back.

It wasn't his life that was unfair, it was hers. She'd given so much in return for nothing. Maybe the universe thought she would be happier away from wooyoung, maybe this was His way of punishing wooyoung for everything he had done.

Wooyoung kissed naeun's forehead with his trembling lips, his tears falling against her closed eyes as he whispered desperately

Wooyoung : I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you naeun.

____________________________

A day later :

Wooyoung was now standing in front of naeun's grave, her wedding ring hung on the necklace that naeun always wore now clasped around wooyoung's neck as he stared at the picture of naeun smiling that was kept on the grave. That smile, that smile that he couldn't protect. He hated himself.

Wooyoung had no idea how he'd gone through the funeral rites, he had no idea how he could manage to give his wife away to the authorities to do the final things. How he could let people throw mud at her casket, whispering him apologies and prayers.

Mina had come running after the news had spread on national televisions, crying about how she'd asked naeun to be her baby's godmother and she'd asked for it to be wooyoung if she wasn't able to attend. Mina had never thought it would be because of this.

Wooyoung's mother had then come up with a will, saying it was naeun's will that handed her company over to him. She had told him how she'd come to wooyoung's mother asking that it may be fulfilled after her death. Wooyoung had just stared at his mother blankly as she went on to explain about how it would work, wooyoung could care less about some company when he'd just lost his entire life.

Everyone had left, and now wooyoung was finally alone in the graveyard, the wind blowing against him and the flowers that people had left on naeun's grave, bringing a small sad smile to wooyoung's face as he said

Wooyoung : look at how many people loved you, naeun. You've gotten so many pretty flowers, so many people to shed their tears for you.

Wooyoung let out a shaky breath as he slowly kneeled down against her grave, laying his palm against the stone as he said

Wooyoung : I will live, naeun-ah, for you I will live and wait until I can meet you again. That is my punishment for all that I have done to you. But I will never marry again, I will never love anyone again. This line…

Wooyoung stared at his family ring that decorated his right thumb, the line his father had tried so hard protecting, the line that had forced him to give up everything.

Wooyoung : it ends with us.

Wooyoung kissed naeun's grave one last time, a drop of his tear falling against her gravestone as he stood up before whispering

Wooyoung : because no one will ever be as good as you were.

______________________________

Wooyoung went back home that night feeling numb, and broken. But not tired, he wouldn't be able to sleep this night. Or any night from now, he would have to get back on his prescription of sleeping pills.

Wooyoung let his legs take him to naeun's walk-in closet, going over to the glass window that displayed her wedding dress as wooyoung stared at it, his hand coming up to place itself against the glass.

He still remembered her wearing it, the memory was as fresh as his wounds. Her walking down the aisle all along, the people pitying her for not having a father accompany her. But she hadn't been bothered by it, she still had a smile on her face. The smile she had gotten while looking at wooyoung, her groom.

She had loved him since then, and he'd been too late to love her back.

Wooyoung shut his eyes as he lowered himself onto the floor, resting his forehead against the glass as he sobbed. He had lost count of the amount of times he'd cried this past month. But he didn't care, for her he could cry until there was not a drop of tear left in his body.

Wooyoung looked forward as a small bark was heard, momo nudging the door open with her head as she walked up to wooyoung with her tail down. She knew naeun was gone too. Wooyoung watched as momo came up to him, getting onto his lap as she laid against it.

Wooyoung let his trembling hand run through the puppy's fur, remembering how happy naeun had been when momo had jumped up onto their table and demanded food.

Wooyoung : I'm s-so sorry. I'm so sorry sweetheart, I'm so sorry.

And all wooyoung could do was cry, naeun's smile rushing through the back of his eyes every single time.

_______________________________

A week later :

Wooyoung was now at the beach with momo, her running all over the place barking as the people around would aww at her and occasionally give her small pets. Wooyoung sat down against the sand after a while of walking around with momo, deciding to watch the sunset.

He pulled out his phone before opening the gallery, clicking on the pictures of naeun that he'd taken when they'd come together to the same beach, almost a month ago. Wooyoung smiled as he saw the pictures, naeun's white floral dress flowing back against the wind as small strands of hair fell against her face. But even through all of that he could still see her smile, that beautiful smile.

His pretty girl, always bringing light in his life.

Wooyoung swiped to the next picture and the next until he felt tears in his eyes, remembering the way the sun had shone on her skin, the sound of her giggles and laughter. He'd never get to see those again, it would remain as nothing but memories now.

Wooyoung let out a shaky breath as he shut his phone, putting it back in his pocket as momo ran up to him with a ball in her mouth, her tail wagging to play with him. Wooyoung chuckled, wiping his tears as he took the ball from momo before saying

Wooyoung : you want to play catch?

Momo barked as wooyoung smiled before standing up, throwing the ball away from them before running as he yelled

Wooyoung : beat me if you can!

Momo barked excitedly as she ran after him, the water splashing against their feets.

______________________________

5 months later :

Wooyoung had been sitting in his living room with his laptop, finishing up some work when he heard the sound of rain, making his eyes widen as he looked behind him at the window. And he was right, it was raining.

Wooyoung kept his laptop away as he rushed up to the balcony, stepping out into the rain as he felt it drench his clothes. He used to hate the rain, but now he loved it as it reminded him of naeun. Wooyoung smiled as he felt the cold droplets fall against his cheek, indicating that snow was coming soon.

He remembered the time he'd danced with her under this rain, the feel of her body against his and how she had looked down at him with a smile when he'd lifted her up and spun her around. The rain had made her so happy.

Wooyoung frowned as jazz music suddenly started playing from the gramophone inside, the same song that had been played at their wedding. Wooyoung looked inside as he saw momo jump down from the gramophone, running up to him with a smile on her face.

Wooyoung felt his eyes tear up as he bent down to pick momo up, her jumping into his arms as wooyoung smiled and asked

Wooyoung : do you like the rain too, momo?

The puppy barked in agreement, making wooyoung chuckle as he pet her head, making momo snuggle up against wooyoung. He stared up at the sky, a star shining right back down at him as wooyoung whispered

Wooyoung : I miss you so much, naeun-ah, I wish you were here with me. You loved the rain so much.

Wooyoung looked back at momo as he slowly moved his body to the slow music, closing his eyes as he felt his tears mix with the rain.

Wooyoung : I love you so much.

__________________________

3 months later :

Wooyoung let out a breath as he laid out the food for him and momo in the picnic mat he was currently sitting on, the puppy running around the mat with happy, excited barks as wooyoung smiled at how cute she was being.

Wooyoung had soon started eating his sushi, momo having her food as well on the side as his eyes went to the couple the was sitting a few feet away from him, the lady clearly pregnant. The husband was feeding her food as she giggled, telling him she was already full.

Wooyoung felt his heart drop at the beautiful sight, wishing he could've done this with naeun some day. Their child would've looked as beautiful as her, maybe even have gotten her beautiful smile that wooyoung loved so much. But he'd never know any of that because he had lost the chance, he'd destroyed it.

Wooyoung blinked his tears away and was about to have another bite of his sushi when he felt a kid run up to him, stopping right in front of the mat as he asked in his childish voice

??? : my name's cha min, do you mind me joining you ahjussi?

Wooyoung blinked at the child, looking around the place before asking

Wooyoung : I-are you lost?

Min : no my parents are right there, see?

Wooyoung looked at where min was pointing, his parents smiling at wooyoung and nodding in approval as he smiled back before saying to the child

Wooyoung : sure, you can join me then. I think we have enough sushi.

Min nodded as he sat down excitedly, wooyoung giving him a plate of sushi and sauce with a smile as min asked

Min : did ahjumma not come with you this time?

Wooyoung paused, looking at min in shock as he asked

Wooyoung : wh-what?

Min : last time I was here when you came with that ahjumma and this puppy here. That very pretty looking ahjumma with a very beautiful smile?

Naeun, his naeun. Wooyoung let out a breath as he said

Wooyoung : she…she was my wife.

Min : was? Not anymore?

Wooyoung : she passed away, a few months ago. She was…sick.

Min : oh. I'm sorry.

Wooyoung nodded, keeping his sushi away as he stared at min, trying to remember him from that day. Ah, the child naeun had stared at when they had come together, telling wooyoung that she had wanted a family too. That was him, he'd just grown a bit of hair now.

Min : I'm sure she loved you.

Wooyoung : mm? what makes you say that?

Min : she was looking at you like my eomma always looks at my appa, with the same smile and the same eyes. I think that's what you call love, right?

Wooyoung smiled sadly, his hand unconsciously going up to hold the wedding ring that hung by his necklace as wooyoung whispered

Wooyoung : yes, I suppose that's love.

_____________________________

3 months later :

Wooyoung stood up from the hospital waiting chair as mina's husband walked out of the labor room with a tiny baby in his hands, walking up to wooyoung as he said

Seojun : it's a miracle, mr jung. We had all thought it would be a boy, even the ultrasound results showed that it would be a boy. But we think it was wrong. Because it's a girl, and we couldn't be happier about it.

Wooyoung smiled, looking at the baby girl as he said

Wooyoung : congratulations, seojun-shi, she's beautiful.

Seojun held out the baby for wooyoung to hold as he said

Seojun : my wife and I have decided to name her song naeun, after her godmother. You don't mind, do you sir?

Wooyoung felt tears prick his eyes at that, holding the baby in his arms as he smiled and whispered shakily

Wooyoung : of course I don't, thank you so much.

Seojun smiled and nodded as wooyoung held the baby's hand, her smiling up at wooyoung as he said

Wooyoung : song naeun.

__________________________

25 years later :

??? : SONG NAEUN, THE NEW CEO OF THE SHIN'S GROUP! CONGRATULATIONS!

Wooyoung smiled as naeun hugged him with a huge smile, wooyoung patting the back of someone who was almost like a daughter to him now. When he'd first held naeun in his hands as a baby, he'd decided then and there that she would be the one who'd inherit his and his wife's company. And as naeun had grown up to be an intelligent, beautiful and smart young lady, wooyoung had known his choice was right.

And today was the day the company went legally to her, naeun's parents were smiling so proudly at her from the seat. It was probably the best day of her life.

Naeun pulled back as wooyoung patted her arm proudly before saying

Wooyoung : your godmother would've been so proud of you, naeun-ah. You live up to her name.

Naeun smiled and shook her head as she said

Naeun : she would've been proud of you more than she would've been of me, ahjussi. And I promise, that I will take care of the company and bring it up with pride. I won't disappoint you, or mrs shin. Your names will be remembered for as long as I live, for you have given me this life.

Wooyoung smiled as he said

Wooyoung : you earned this, naeun-ie.

Naeun smiled as wooyoung stepped back, a man rushing up to her with his hand held out forward excitedly as naeun frowned before asking

Naeun : who…are you?

The man gave naeun a huge smile, a smile that made her heart do something weird. What the hell?

??? : I'm Cha Min! Your new secretary for…for ever I suppose!

Naeun : what? And who appointed you?

Min : uh jung wooyoung-shi did, of course.

Naeun gasped as she looked at wooyoung who was now walking down the steps with a sly smile as she said

Naeun : AHJUSSI!

Wooyoung chuckled as he walked out of the hall, leaving the new generation to grow as he let out a small groan of tiredness. He was getting old after all.

Wooyoung looked around as snow fell all around him, the jacket providing him little warmth. Wooyoung sighed as he walked through the pavements, his hands growing cold. But he did not put them in his coat pocket, as he never did.

Naeun's hands had been cold when he'd last touched it, and when his hands would get cold it reminded him of her. Hence he never put his hands in his pocket during winters, he preffered them like this.

It had been 25 years, even momo had left him now to join naeun in the other side of the world. She had kept him company for a long time, and now he supposed naeun could use her company.

Wooyoung felt his hand go up to her necklace that still hung around wooyoung's now wrinkled neck, the ring always bringing him comfort in his lonely times. He looked up at the sky, staring at the single star that still shone the brightest to him as he whispered

Wooyoung : I was right, naeun-ah. 25 years, and there's still no one that is as good as you were.

____________________________

#ateez angst #ateez fluff #kpop angst #kpop ff #ateez #angst #ateez ff #kpop fluff #ff #fluff #wooyoung agnst #wooyoung angst #wooyoung fluff #wooyoung fic #wooyoung ff #wooyoung fanfic #wooyoung imagine #wooyoung imagines #ateez fic #ateez fanfic #ateez imagine #ateez imagines #wooyoung #jung wooyoung #ateez wooyoung #wooyoung x oc #ateez x oc

[ppoppokari]

the fae of the oktober woods

pairing~ park seonghwa x oc! reader (this is for my bff katt ya'll)

genre~ (au) (h) (lowkey fluff)

ghostwritten for~ @horanghaejamjam (as a part of the atiny halloween project)

synopsis~ when katt had moved to quiet do-gooder neighbourhood they find that they got more than they bargained for. behind each preppy student and righteous priest was a fascination with the occult. what katt really wanted was to find love, but there was no way that they would find love in a town that felt like hell on earth... right? maybe just maybe they would have to look darkness in the eyes to find a love that would last for an eternity or more.

… or the one where curiosity finally got the better of katt.

wordcount~ 6.5k

featuring~ mentions of christianity, talk of ghost sex but no ghost sex actually occurs, an amateur summoning ritual (mentioned but no graphic summoning happens ), a haunted house, course language, a predator/prey dynamic, alcohol and drug consumption (every one is legal in this fic so don't worry and it's mentioned for a brief second, only seeing it if you squint), strange dreams, hints of smut at the end but no actual smut, i don't want to spoil it but seonghwa isn't who he seems to be- but spoiler he isn’t a faerie

playlist~ 🍄

a/n~ hi! it me~ i may have gotten way too carried away in this one, i was a horror writer for ten years of my life. so this really makes me feel nostalgic. and surprise katt!! i nearly spilt the beans so many times while writing this.

i love you so much buddy 🥹

also a huge thank you to @atinyhalloweenproject for giving me the opportunity to participate and for being so kind and patience, i truly truly appreciate it.

this is kind of creepy, like duh it's horror but this is the uneasy type of horror but it's still kind of sexy?

“Tonights terrifying tale takes us to an everyday neighbourhood, the houses are perfect, the American apple pie life we all want and to make it better the people are just as perfect. But this isn’t about them, it’s a tale of lust, deep desire, and a dance with the devil.

In this episode we will peel back the streets of suburbia and you will find something dark and twisted… if you dare to look.

I’m your host Barry Collins and this is…”

There was no bad blood between you or the ancient, living skeleton of a host but with a swift movement you reached for the remote. Upon doing so you were immediately relieved of the grating static of the old re-run of some ancient black and white Halloween special that had been on loop since you moved in. 

Bringing your hands up you lightly pressed your fingers into your temple, an attempt to soothe the persistent migraine that had been lingering since the early hours of this morning.

To say your dreams were getting out of control was a huge understatement, but how could you put it into words. How could you approach your parents and say that you woke up feeling as if an invisible weight was pushing down on your chest paired with sharp ringing in your ears, oh, and don't forget the immediate urge to throw your blankets to the ground and remove your pyjamas that clung to you.

Technically you could, but that wouldn't even touch the surface of everything that had been going on.

One thing was apparent as you looked ahead and saw a human-shaped blur sitting next to you through reflection on the blank screen...The only thing you had control over was the tv.

With a sigh you stood, feigning ignorance as you often did. Three months in this house and such things were a common occurrence, whether it be out of pure exhaustion or extreme confidence you let everything remain as it was. There was no need to search for all your missing items if they didn't want to be found.

Passing by a generous handful of misplaced shadows you made your way to the kitchen, stopping to pet Prince and Gizmo who trailed close to your feet. "You want a treat? You both deserve a treat for guarding my room last night." Crouching low you kept them occupied with a scratch behind their ears before tearing the scrap of bacon that remained on your plate in half. Wiping the grease on the hem of your t-shirt you all but threw your dishes into the sink as you brought your hands up once again.

"Shh stop it, no more headaches, just calm down Katt, it's okay." Your self-soothing was starting to work until a cold hand gripped your shoulder.

A sharp exhale knocked the little air you had as you spun around on high alert. Your sporadic movement startled both you and your mom, you honestly didn't know you had it in you.

"Katt! My god, what's gotten into you?" "Mom, you scared me!" Your shaky voice was a dead giveaway that something was eating away at you, call it luck or mother's intuition but she could sense your invisible thoughts, words that never formed.

"You're so skittish today, is there something I should know?" "I'm not skittish! You literally came out of nowhere, and who grabs shoulders like that. You're like every horror movie mom ever." You were the only one amused by your comeback, which was apparent by your giggle and the fact she just stood their analysing you. So, you decided to break the uncomfortable silence "Don't worry I'm just a little tired."

"If you're too tired you might have to miss the church service tonight, I know they're expecting you to be there but you're honestly not going to miss out on much."

"What?! No! I mean I'm well enough, I'm so energetic right now don't sweat it."

You weren’t looking forward to the bi-monthly sermons that most of the town attended. There were only two things you wanted most in this world, 1. A boyfriend and 2. To spend as much time as possible away from your potentially haunted house. And church could probably give you two of those things but at what cost?

Luckily for you, you really didn't have to submit yourself to an extended church service, opting instead to abandon the sermon and have a bonfire with your friends.

At this point in time, you were being quite generous with the whole ‘friend’ title in a frantic attempt to distract yourself from how shit this town actually was. Normally you would have refrained yourself from being half as critical but honestly Birch Lake was unnerving and the people even more so. Your friends were as preppy as they could get, yet they had their generous dose of duality with their obsession with the colourful history of ghosts and the occult. In any other circumstance you would casually avoid them, but right now you had to make the best of what you had.

"If you need to rest you can stay home, the last thing I want to do is force you to go."

In a motherly fashion she brushed your bangs to the side, resting the back of her hand on your heated forehead.

"It's your call, do what feels best."

Your sleep deprived mind was playing havoc with the words you spoke, resulting in the most gracious word vomit.

"I don't know, I want… I want to, I need..."

"You need to get laid."

“What?”

Phoebe didn't even attempt to hide her eyes rolling to the back of her head “Katt I’m not repeating myself twenty fucking times because you have insomnia or some shit.” Even with all the attitude her eyes met your and she smiled.  “I was just saying, you’ve been here for like what? Five months?”

You nodded your head, trying to play it cool as the rest of the group eyed you, it was hard to tell whether the heat came from the bonfire or from their collective gaze burning holes into you. If it wasn’t for the shitty craft beer flowing through your body, you probably would have had the energy required to give a decent response, but you stayed silent drinking in the flames.

Having realised that you weren’t going to bite the bait Phoebe readied another comment before she was abruptly cut off by Tao “It feels like you’re overcompensating for something Phoebe, the lord asks us to look within, and from where I’m sitting, looking through you I see that you’re the one who needs to get laid.”

Amongst your group of friends who you truly would have avoided under any other circumstances, Tao was the most harmless. Regardless, he was still the leader of your group. He didn’t seem like much, but he had wit and charm, he was the shepherd who led your group away from the bible school hall, past the theatre and into the forest to get to a small clearing. Tao was the son of the head pastor meaning he knew how to skip sermons without anyone noticing. He was also the only person who had your back…when he felt like it…which made him a D+ at best but he was still appreciated.

Each person broke into a mocking chorus of laughter, which Phoebe joined in on “Haha ha ha hahahaha fuck all of you, I hope you all die in a ditch in your next lives.”

Taking her comment with a pinch of salt you all resumed back to what you were doing before, listening to Jeremy as he mentioned some old lost media legend. “That reminds me, Jeremy you’re into lost media and stuff, have you seen this black and white tv show it’s kind of like the Twilight Zone but it’s just supernatural horror?” Jeremy looked over the rim of his tortoise-shell glasses, squinting at you, his attention was peaked. “What’s it called?” “I don’t know the name of it, I always miss the opening credits or switch the channel.” “So, it’s one you’ve seen?” “Yeah, it’s hosted by this old guy Barry Collins that’s all I know.” Jeremy raised a brow contemplating what you had just told him “I don’t think I’ve heard of it.” “That’s strange it’s on probably eight times a day and it’s the same episode on loop, or at least I assume it is.” You may have been far too optimistic assuming he would solve this mystery in a mere couple of minutes “Well, sounds like a good show, maybe I can come over sometime and see it”.

As the minutes passed a layer of fog seemed to cover everyone’s eyes, a result of the weed and alcohol stash everyone contributed to. You initially wanted to dull down your senses, hoping the one can you had would serve as mental cough syrup, even though it wasn’t strong enough you refused to have any more. So, you sat, keeping yourself entertained by picking at your black and orange pumpkin nails.

It was when you looked up once more when you noticed something flicker at the corner of your eyes and your throat tightened, if it wasn’t for the size of the bonfire, you wouldn’t have noticed it. But the silver switchblade was shimmering as bright as the stars above. So, you could confirm that you weren’t jumping the gun or losing your mind you did a double take, what you didn’t know was that this would result in the worst mistake you had ever made.

Phoebe noticed the nervous flicker in your eyes as you looked towards her drawstring backpack that was slouched at the edge of the log she sat on. In an instant you had sprung to your feet, though you wanted to run your body was stuck in invisible quicksand, fear ceasing your muscles. There was a delayed reaction of a couple of long seconds before anyone noticed you jumping up in fear.

“Damn Katt you need to chill; you scared me half to death.”

“No! I’m not going to chill! You can’t tell me she isn’t going to hurt me! She has a knife!”

If this were any other circumstance, you would have taken a chill pill and even laughed about it, but this was a sick kind of déjà vu. It was hard to determine when the dream had occurred, each night blurred into one, but one image you would never get out of your head was the one where the infamous Phoebe stood, knife in hand, a piercing look in her eyes as a foggy darkness outlined her petite frame.

“You’re totally taking this out of context, this knife isn’t for you. I had other plans tonight.”

“But…” “No Katt, you spoilt the surprise, I thought you could all do a favour for me. I wasn’t going to mention it yet, but I did some soul searching and realised people suck, and there is no way I’m dating Justin again, but I totally need some dick so the next best option. Obviously summon a ghost to sleep with and call it a night.”

The saddest thing about that was the fact that you couldn’t tell whether she was that drunk or whether she had always been this insane.

“I can sense the judgement don’t act all high and mighty you would do the same thing.” “As far as I can tell I definitely wouldn’t do the same thing!” “Well, the knife isn’t for you, no blood sacrifice, it’s to cut hair, string and other some other stuff. I did the other part of the ritual earlier, but I needed an open fire, so I thought I’d get some help.”

You took a step back, grabbing your bag, you didn’t have to be superstitious to know that this was something you didn’t want to be involved in.

“You’re seriously overreacting Katt, hey, if you help me with the ritual maybe we could have a threesome with the ghost.” A thin layer of bile formed in your throat at the idea. But what truly made your stomach churn was the fact that no one was batting an eye, they had made it clear that they wanted to be in on this either for the thrill of it or they were all equally as insane as each other.

Having stood your ground as best as you could for the whole entire night, you allowed yourself to turn in the other direction and run as soon as the candles were lit, and the sigils were roughly etched into the dank soil next to the fire.

Feeling permanently stuck in flight mode you found it impossible to catch your breath, though you were in motion already the swamp green forestry started to spin. In that moment you were waiting to fall face first into the mud and be taken out of this sweet misery but instead you kept moving, losing balance you hopped a few steps forward and into something, or more appropriately someone judging by the sharp sound of them being winded.

You had already made it up in your mind that if it were Tao or literally any one of those phonies you would shove them away and continue running. So, you readied yourself by pulling your arms back, but like an unstable slingshot your arms snapped down to your sides as you looked up to see the kindest doe eyes that were slightly covered by his loose black hair. Considering how you literally winded him, he still held a gentle gaze as he looked down at you, though nothing was said your heartbeat fell into a soft rhythm. For someone who looked as magical as the forest around him it was almost impossible to imagine what his voice would have sounded like. It was up to the stranger to break the silence and he did oh so gracefully, with a comforting smile he spoke his voice just above a hushed whisper.

“It’s okay, you’re safe, deep breathes. If you’re in danger just squeeze my hand.” It wasn’t like you to trust someone so quickly, but this felt different. “I’m fine, they probably weren’t going to hurt me, I just wanted to go home but I don’t know how to get out of here.” He opened his mouth to respond but paused as he heard the ominous snap of branches. Without hesitation he wrapped his arm around you “I can help you get out of here you just need to stick close and tell me everything. His grip was firm, but not vicious as he led you back to where you came from, you hesitated, your pace slowing down.

 As if he could read your mind, he went on to soothe you with his words once again. “We need to cut through here, there’s no way I’m letting you go back there. But now you’ve calmed down I need to know what you were running from.”  “I don’t think you’re going to believe me.” You pause awaiting his name. “Seonghwa.” “Seonghwa.” The way his name felt falling from your lips was addictive, “Well.” He paused too “Katt.” “Katt, I doubt you’d be this shaken up for no reason, plus I definitely heard some shouting.”

“I just escaped one potential murderer, so I hope you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing out here so late?” Without missing a beat, he answered. “I was picking mushrooms.”  Man, he was really out here being the most ethereal forest being in the universe. Noticing your bewilderment, he continued “My grandma used to forage as a child, and she asked me to go get some mushrooms.” Despite his simple explanation many of your questions remained unanswered, yet your curiosity pushed forward. “So, you’re a fan of ghost mushrooms then, interesting.” Seonghwa grinned at your dry retort “I’m more of an oyster mushroom guy, I imagine the poison would be too bitter for me.”

Scoffing at his response you were captivated by the instant shimmer of light that cast itself onto his cheek, as if he was warmed by the rays he hummed in delight, even though it was a mere streetlamp.

“There you go, I should be getting home.”

Your mind had already weaved a beautiful narrative of discovering “the one” hiding out beneath the shady leaves, so you held onto his arm for a few seconds too long. Seonghwa noticed, tilting his head like a curious rabbit before realisation set in. His soft gaze flickered with a sense of confidence, “Unless you’d prefer that I walk you home.” “I would like that but please don’t keep your grandma waiting.” “I don’t think she’ll mind; evening walks are kind of a norm for me.” “Thank you so much, I owe you one.” Seonghwa looked off into the distance shielding you from his suave grin, part of him hoping that you would give him something sensual in return. Despite his sinful temptation he looked back at you his sharp eyes softening as he feigned innocence. “Katt” He savoured each syllable, “You don’t owe me anything, unless…” He dropped the sentence hoping you’d bite back enough for him to charm you. “Whatever it is, yes.” “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, friend.”

For the first time that night you genuinely laughed.

“It’s your lucky day, I’m definitely looking for new friends.” The transition between extreme fear and instantaneous lovesickness left you in a daze, so much so that you didn’t realise that either A. Seonghwa knew where you lived or B. That you subconsciously knew where your house was, nor had you realised that you had released his arm from your tight, timid grasp. The swinging of your arms brought forward the autumn winds which then brought forward the faint smell of dirt and mushrooms. The conversation itself was way more colourful than the streetlights that made his eyes twinkle.

The house called your name, but you refused to listen, hesitant to leave Seonghwa’s side. It’s not like you fully believed that it was haunted or evil it just wasn’t it.  If he noticed your hesitance, he didn’t acknowledge it. There was something he wanted to say, but instead he glared at the house as if he had a vendetta against it.

“Thanks for walking me home, I really appreciate it.” “Of course, anything to see you safe from the Oktober ghouls and witches.” He said that part with a smooth chuckle, swiping his lower lip with his tongue.

“I hope to see you sometime soon Katt. You made my night even though you practically winded me.” “Hey! I said I was sorry, I think, look I was scared.” “Well, how about you make it up to me with a hug next time? Good night Katt.” One sheepish smile and a polite wave later and Seonghwa was up the road, looking back at you as you entered your house. What he didn’t see or hear was the delighted squeal you let out as you clutched your heart, excited butterflies warmed your heart as you closed your eyes, his face, no his smile, no… his everything was a good enough reason to keep your eyes clenched shut as you walked to your room, again it felt like you already knew this place like the back of your hand. Once you had made it to your room you fell back on your bed, too dazed, and your heart feeling too light to notice the misplaced shadows or the murmuring that surrounded you.

You had fallen asleep, something you found hard to believe, but what was more of a shock was the fact that you also left the door unlocked. Your parents were prepared to enter a house devoid of all your belongings. Luckily nothing had been stolen and even better, after losing sight of you at church, they returned home to find you asleep with a peaceful smile on your face. Even so, they wasted no time questioning your whereabouts as soon as you made your way downstairs for breakfast. You had a keen sense of self-awareness in the way that you knew that your lie was utter bullshit, yet you decided to commit to the bit and claim that you were there for most of the bible study session until you got a stomach-ache and that the church knew about the entire situation and that Tao had walked you home.

“You know you can be honest Katt.” “I’m telling the truth! I haven’t been well lately; it might be a summer cold or like an autumn cold? All I know is it sucks, and I still don’t feel good.” Your dad was certainly more amused by your flailing arms as opposed to your mom who shovelled more syrup-drenched pancakes onto your plate, hoping you would calm down and eat. You didn’t show any sign of stopping, so your mom took any type of silence to interject “Don’t let your pancakes go cold.” Hoping that you had convinced your parents enough you ate, savouring the syrup. You were in no rush to finish them trying to delay the ordeal of doing the dishes today, yet it was that day that your saviour arrived at the door.

As soon as the knock resounded throughout the entire house you jumped up, speed walking away from your parents prying gaze. At this stage you would have been relieved to see the damn mailman, However, you were greeted with something way better. His hair gently fell across his forehead, even though it was a wavy mess it seemed calculated, and he wore a plain white shirt. Only one thought crossed your mind, ‘Were his lips always so rosy?’ Being so captivated by his morning beauty, you overlooked the basket in his hands. “Good morning Katt, I hope I didn’t wake you, but I’m just dropping by to give this to you, see it as a housewarming gift from both of us.” “I, that’s so sweet! You didn’t have to do that, really.” You hadn’t been able to put your finger on it last night but there was something about his eyes, whenever you looked into them you felt even more determined to keep him a secret, he was your own personal fairy, he was magical in every way, a midsummer’s night dream.

As soon as you heard your parents approaching you leaned in close to him, your breath catching the corner of his ear “I’m inviting you inside act like you don’t know me, I haven’t told my parents about you yet.” Seonghwa nodded “Why don’t you come inside?” Seonghwa was about to step inside, but he hesitated, unable to shake the feeling that he was being watched. Cursing on the inside he stepped inside, lured in by the way you looked over your shoulder, beckoning him to follow you.

Seonghwa had always been perceptive, he could sense when he wasn’t wanted and even though he knew you were ecstatic to see him the constant chattering of disembodied voices was headache inducing. Still Seonghwa smiled appearing as charming as ever when he introduced himself to your parents “I can’t stay for long, I just wanted to drop this off.” You couldn’t tell if his ethereal nature was lost on them or whether they were in awe of him like you were. They seemed almost robotic in their response; it was rare for them to be this polite to anybody especially a guy that you liked. He must have had that effect on people.

“Park Seonghwa, I just got back a couple of days ago, out of town for my grandmother’s knee operation, we made this together to welcome you. It’s sort of a tradition of ours.” Your mom stood, impressed by his reserved nature. She reached for the basket noticing that it was predominantly food combined with a few small ornaments. “It’s all homemade.” He had a habit of smiling whenever he mentioned his grandma and it made you wonder if she was just as kind as Seonghwa.

Your mom was somewhat shocked at the revelation she gestured to the wooden ornaments “These too?” “Yeah, we carved them out of oak.”  You knew her silence meant that she was impressed, marvelling at the fine lines etched into the wood but Seonghwa couldn’t read her. “It’s not a good luck charm or anything it’s just something good to look at.” “I think it’ll look perfect right here.” Pushing it into the centre of the dining room table your mom scooped the basket into her arms. “Wait, is that strawberry jam? Pass it here.” Passing you the old hand-painted jar she walked into your kitchen, you assumed they were probably going to wear his name out behind his back, it was apparent by the fact that your dad trailed after her instead of Gizmo or Prince.

“You’re so magical I was literally craving strawberry jam.”  Since they had walked away Seonghwa had relaxed, a flirty smile overtaking him as he noticed you struggling with the jar. The brush of his hand sent a jolt of flaming electricity down your spine, but it had yet to disappear as his cool hands lingered on top of yours. “I’ll get that.” Upon passing the jar to him it was open in one swift motion of his wrist, as a force of habit you reached for the jar “Oh my, I told you I got it.”  Placing the jar on the table he dipped the discarded butter knife into it collecting the jam. He did the following with such ease, tearing off the edge of an untainted pancake and smearing it with red.

It was naïve of you to think that Seonghwa was an innocent man, devoid of any form of lust, in the short time you had known him he was constantly dancing on the fine line of being an innocent boy and a man fully aware of everything around him. In short, he knew what he was doing when he brought the pancake up to your mouth. His fingers were skilfully positioned to ensure that once you took a bite the jam would dirty them, in any other situation he would avoid anything sticky or that wasn’t mud. Unlike those moments he knew that someone, you, would clean them for him. Instead of removing his fingers he let them linger until you licked the jam from his fingers.

“That’s it.”

Seonghwa’s words meant nothing at the time, but that was then after spending each day together that’s the reality you now had. You went from taking comfort into Tao’s kindness to chasing after Seonghwa, or at least you would be the one chasing after him if he didn’t show up at your house or approach you while you were out and lure you away. Following the situation with the strawberry jam Seonghwa was subtle. He would edge you by showing the side of him that was willing to kiss you silly, but for some reason he never did kiss you. He wanted to but not yet. So here you were in a section of the woods that you most likely ran past in a panic on that one night that you never wanted to relive. For once your life seemed like one every suburban teen lived even if you were a little too old to be considered one. You sat on the ratty tartan picnic blanket drowning in happiness.

Seonghwa made a habit of occasionally looking up at you from his section of the clearing, his hands littered with dirt as he ran his hands across the clumped dirt while he hummed along to the radio. “I swear I’m not holding it against you, but you did promise to help me.” “And I will I’m just thinking.” “About?” “Things… but more importantly why don’t you ever wear gloves when you do that?” “It depends on the answer that you want. I can give you sane or insane, take your pick.” “I’ll take the Seonghwa answer.” “Maybe it’s not the weirdest thing ever but I like the feeling of the dirt on my fingers so damp and cool, plus who needs cologne when the dirt makes you smell so fresh.” “Seonghwa, you know that half of the time I can’t tell whether you’re telling the truth or not.” “Yes, and I thought that’s what made you like me. I’m pretty sure you said you liked my Hozier charm, even though he probably copied my likeness.” Seonghwa prodded at the dirt again.

It was the second time you broke your promise to Seonghwa, you did say you would help him collect, mushrooms, acorns, and butterfly wings amongst other things. It sounded like a fun Saturday afternoon but as the time came you just wanted to admire how beautiful he was, a hobby that you discovered days after meeting him. The leaves blocked out the afternoon sun, providing you with the privacy you needed to make the next move.

Seonghwa looked straight ahead, despite being away from you he could hear the thudding in your chest, he sensed fear. But it didn’t make sense he hadn’t done it yet, immediate dread filled him. It seemed you had finally caught on to his lies. Instead of showing his exasperation he kept looking ahead at him, ignoring the centipede that crawled over him he pressed his palms into the wet dirt trying to calm himself. He didn’t feel fear, don’t get it twisted his dread came from the fact that the game of cat and mouse had been cut incredibly short.

“Seonghwa, I have something to tell you.” That’s not what he expected, he sighed in relief he had never been the best at reading human emotions. Bracing himself to be ever the gentleman you knew him to be Seonghwa rose from the ground, patting his on his upper thigh. Approaching you he kneeled peering into the deepest part of your eyes “What is it?” Honestly you were prepared to shout it out to him but having him this knocked all the air out of your body.

‘Get it together Katt’ you thought when he brought his hand up to your shoulder. His gaze was hooded waiting for permission, he was monstrous on the inside, but he wasn’t devoid of sympathy even if it was false in nature.

“I didn’t keep my promise.” “You silly thing, you can always start by searching over there.” “Not that promise… You told me the night we met that you wanted a friend, I owed it to you, and I can’t do it.” He thought he knew how this was going to end, yet you had him stumped. “None of this makes any sense Katt.”

“I don’t know how else to say this Seonghwa, I love you and that’s it.”

If Seonghwa knew how to feel guilt he would have but that wasn’t the way of the incubus, then again, he didn’t know whether he ever acted like his kind. As far as he knew he was the only one who played with his victims before devouring their lustful souls. It was the thrill of the chase he wanted more than anything. After your confession you had looked away from him, your nerves had gotten the best of you. But by the time you looked back up at him your heart that you had so lovingly given to him got caught in your throat. Your first reaction was to scream so you did, but over the loud radio and his hand pressed against your throat there was no way that scream would grace his presence.

Looking ahead all, you could do was shudder at the man in front of you, though he no longer looked like a living man. His skin was light pewter, coated in thick crackling mud that hardened across his arms, except for the mud on his finger which smeared against your skin. And his eyes? Oh, his eyes were something, even in your terrified state you wanted to swim in his too cold to be orange and the too hot to be blue eyes.

“Sshh little one, if you listen to me I… Well, I doubt you’ll be getting out of here anytime soon. But don’t fret.” The creature between you clicked his tongue against his partially sharpened teeth, but he faltered as you gurgled out a panicked gasp. “Katt, Katt, Katt what am I ever going to do with you. You betrayed my trust; you said you would promise to be my friend yet you’re looking at me like I’m a monster. Seonghwa leaned in his cool breath tickling the edge of your ear. “I couldn’t sense lust like I did when I first met Pheobe, she was lying there inside of the string circle oh so desperate. But let me tell you this. I didn’t want her. I wanted you.” Seonghwa released you and to his surprise you didn’t run, and it warmed him. After all, Seonghwa truly felt like he wasn’t like any other incubus, he didn’t know love, he thrived on fear, but you had captivated him. So, he intended to use the time he had with you to present you with the offer of a lifetime.

“Seonghwa, please I don’t want to die like this.” Seonghwa brought both of his hands up again but this time he cupped your face “Don’t be sorry sweetheart, you have no reason to fear me. You’re lucky she was so far north, if she was in any other part of the forest she could have easily summoned San, Mingi or Hongjoong and trust me they wouldn’t have let you leave. It’s still me.” It was frankly insane, this had to be one of your elaborate nightmares. “Katt, I was willing to kill you, but not now, I have other plans. I just want you to hear me out but first I would like you to enlighten me. Tell me… why were you so keen to want me?”

The urge to run was still present but looking at him you still managed to see the man you fell in love with, it was odd to still love something like him but his voice, this everything was enough to have you chasing after him. “I thought I finally found the person who truly understands me, I thought you would fool me into liking this stupid town but turns out I was the stupid one.”

“If you’re a fool then I am as equally so for I have a proposal.” His eyes were flickering like two sleepy flames ready to die out, you would have run but one thing was keeping you where you were, the growing warmth in his touch.

“I recall each word you uttered to me, you want the nightmares to stop, you want the voices to stop. What if I said I could help you?” Your throat was ashen dry, so you gave up on answering him, but your eyes said it all. “Instead of making a deal with the devil I would like you to consider making a deal with an incubus. Even if you failed to keep your promises, I know you will be able to keep this one.” At first you had assumed that your compliance was a way of survival but as strange, sick, and twisted as it sounded your heart already found a way to love him. “Tell me about this deal.”

Today was a day of firsts and Seonghwa finally had the pleasure of saying that he had experienced resting his head against that of someone he would have loved if he were human. “If you agree to do this, let me bed you out here let me give you a part of myself I can guarantee that no one in this town, human, demon, or ghost will harm you. I will protect you Katt, I will take away all the noise and all your nightmares if you let me.” “Please do it.”

He crashed his lips onto yours, you savoured the taste. It was rough but knowing Seonghwa or whoever this creature was it was safety. Bringing your arms up you clasped them around him encouraging him to dip his body down. “I’m trying hard Katt, but I want to taste you.” “I didn’t think incubuses cared about their victims.” “You’re mistaken you’re definitely mine but a victim? Of course not.” Seonghwa’s touch seemed to transition from stone cold to warm and comforting with each lingering kiss. After dragging them across each inch of your body he unbuttoned your black and orange cardigan. One, two or three kisses and you were addicted, it was hard to tell as each kiss bled into the other. Instead of letting the cardigan fall off your shoulder Seonghwa hooked the edge of it with his finger, dragging it down. Expecting more gentle touches you were startled by the sensation of his teeth nipping at your bare skin, ever the mystic forest fairy he seemed to be he made roses bloom in his wake.

You had snuck through the back door this time, another faint smile gracing your lips, another difference was the fact that your parents were home this time. They remained optimistic, you were bright and talkative over the past few weeks, but this time you walked straight past them. Taking a seat on the couch you stared at the black screen ahead of you, you looked a mess, but you loved it. Your eyes were too cold to be orange and too hot to be blue, the mud was beginning to crack on your skin but probably the thing you were the most grateful for was the fact that Seonghwa kept his promises, the voices in your head ceased to exist and for a split second you could see Seonghwa sitting next to you.

“Whatever I feel for you Katt know it’s the most powerful thing in this waking world.” His words melted away along with his smoky figure. Staring ahead of the screen you couldn’t help but sigh as you rubbed your head before laughing, that was a habit you could stop now. The pain and the voices ceased thanks to him. As you closed your eyes, reliving the sensation of Seonghwa’s body on yours, his tongue wrapped around your most sensitive areas and his hands scratching down your back you closed your eyes. All that was heard was the tv turning on as the same ancient host was brought back to life.

“I will let you in on a little secret, listen closely. Sometimes love and terror can prove to be as beautiful as one another, we chase love because we fear that we will be alone but some of us look fear incarnate in the eyes and we fall in love. Next door to that everyday neighbourhood, that American apple pie life, is a forest. And some of us let curiosity get the better of us, but it’s certainly not all bad for we find new life by running away from the old. The piercing yowling of the ghosts cease to exist, because Katt looked evil in the eye and hidden underneath his heaving breath Katt heard a faint thud of a heartbeat."

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#atinyhalloweenproject #park seonghwa #ateez x reader #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa x oc #ateez seonghwa #kpop x reader #ateez #au #demon au #demon seonghwa #ateez demon au #ateez x oc #incubus seonghwa

[lunehong]

Black Pirates

Prologue

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

#ateez au #ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez imagines #ateez angst #ateez x oc #ateez scenarios #ateez seonghwa #ateez hongjoong #ateez yunho #ateez yeosang #ateez san #ateez mingi #ateez wooyoung #ateez jongho #kpop fanfic #fic: black pirates