Cursed Ravens – Ateez (PSF #25)
Ficography
Genre: Fluff, family, adventure, medieval au, fantasy
Prompt: Create a fairytale retelling. [The Seven Ravens by The Brothers Grimm] (@flufftober)
Word Count: 7,138
Pairing: Female Reader, Ateez (slight Reader x Hongjoong)
World: Ateez
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“I refuse to wear that,” you scowled at the flowery, lace-covered dress that your mother was holding up. “It’s absolutely foul.”
She sent you an exasperated look, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re such a beautiful girl, yet you insist upon looking like a man. How will you ever find a proper suitor to marry, my child?”
You rolled your eyes at the question. “If a man cannot accept me as I am, I do not want him.”
She sighed deeply, falling onto the kitchen chair. “With an attitude like that, I fear you will never marry.”
That was fine with you. While most girls dreamed of finding a handsome, rich man to marry, you dreamed only of living a comfortable, relaxed life. People often said you were without ambition which, in a sense, was true. You had no real desires other than relaxing and enjoying the life you had.
Marriage, adventure, raising a family… it all sounded awfully tiresome.
Your mother meant well, truly, and she just wanted you to have a stable, happy life. As a baby, you had been deathly ill and they had been sure you were going to pass away. Thankfully, you recovered and grew up to be a perfectly healthy, beautiful young woman. However, the fear that you would fall ill again remained.
All she wanted was for you to marry a good man who could look after you, protect you, and pay for treatment should you need it. You were a complicated child, though, going against everything she wished.
Her gaze fell on you and she sighed again when she realized you were glaring at the dress as if it had personally offended you. “Are you really not going to wear it?”
“I would rather die.”
“Don’t say that!” She scowled, slapping her palm against the wood. Just hearing the phrase uttered had her heart racing within her chest, fear gripping it tightly.
“Sorry,” you muttered, sliding down in your chair.
She sighed for a third time, rubbing at her temples. “If you’re not going to wear it, then take it to Mariette. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to wear it and it’s better than letting it collect dust. I worked hard to make it, after all.” She peered at you through her lashes, hoping the last bit would be enough to make you reconsider.
“Okay!” You didn’t hesitate for a second, jumping up from the chair and grabbing the dress. You were more than happy to rid yourself of it, knowing she couldn’t try to guilt trip you into wearing it if it was no longer inside the home.
Mariette lived on the opposite end of the village. She was a beautiful young woman just a year older than you who had dreams of marrying a prince and living within his castle. In order to achieve this, she worked hard on her appearance and mannerisms, acting as she believed a princess would.
When you arrived at her house, she was standing by the wooden gate, looking uncomfortable as the village boys showered her with praise, offered her gifts, and asked her to walk with them to the river. She clearly had no interest, but they were either too dumb to realize this or simply didn’t care.
“Oi, scatter!” you ordered them in the scariest voice you could muster. They jumped in surprise, whirling around to look at you only to scowl when they realized it was you.
“Mind your own business!” scowled Butch, beady eyes narrowed at you.
“You’re in public, dingus. That makes it the business of whoever happens to hear your whiny little voice!”
His face flushed at the insult, eyes darting to the dress in your arms. “You just came here to woo her, didn’t you?! She’d never choose you over us!”
“Actually,” spoke Mariette, her voice clear like windchimes on a cool autumn morning. “I would. She’s quite nice and she respects my boundaries.”
“Unlike you lot,” you added, moving closer to them so you could smack them upside the head. Some of them just took it wince a wince, others managed to dodge and Butch grabbed your wrist.
“I bet you really are cursed. Just look at me.” His eyes scanned the baggy clothes you wore, resembling a male more than a female. “No wonder your brothers disappeared.”
“What in the nine hells are you on about? I don’t have any brothers.”
“Yeah, because they died when you were born!”
Your brow furrowed in confusion, pain settling inside your chest. What was he talking about? You felt confused and you were sure it was just him trying to catch you off guard and yet… there was a tiny voice at the back of your mind telling you it was true.
Mariette bit her lip when she saw the look on your face. Everyone in the village had heard the rumors of you and your seven brothers. In most houses, it was the morning gossip or a bedtime story told to young kids to get them to behave. They called you the cursed child, though the details of the story changed with each retelling.
No one had been there that night, after all, so they could only fill in the gaps with their own imaginations. You had never heard these rumors before for two main reasons – the adults made sure not to speak of it when you were around lest they be cursed, as well, and they had warned their kids to do the same.
More importantly, you never paid any mind to the people in your village or the petty gossip they shared just to get through the day. It never concerned you so you simply never listened.
Before you could further question him, Mariette rushed over to you, pulling up the hem of her dress so she didn’t trip. “What a beautiful dress!” she exclaimed, forcing herself between you and Butch. “Is this another one of your mother’s creations?”
“Ah… yeah…” you replied, feeling distracted as you looked between the two of them.
Butch scoffed in annoyance before turning and walking away, the other boys following him. You made a move to call out to him but Mariette stopped you.
“What are you doing here?” she questioned, offering you a sweet smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Does your mother need more silk? I believe we have some left.
“Ah, no…” you sent Butch one last look, a frown still on your face. When he disappeared around the corner, you shook your head and returned your attention to her, holding up the dress. “Mother asked me to give this to you.”
Her eyes lit up as she took it from your hands, holding it up to get a better look at it. “It’s absolutely stunning. Please let her know that I adore it.” She didn’t have to ask if you were sure about giving it away, knowing how you despised such things.
“Yeah, I will. Enjoy it.” You offered her a wave and a half-hearted smile before turning and walking away.
She watched you, biting her lip because she knew what you were thinking. It was clear as day upon your face – you were going to hunt down Butch and demand answers. She wondered if she should have stopped you.
You ran down the dirt street, eyes darting back and forth as you looked for the male, heart racing within your chest. You couldn’t explain it, but you had a strange feeling of dread that had settled itself in your gut, feeling heavy and ominous. You didn’t like it, but you knew it had something to do with what Butch had said.
When you couldn’t find him, you headed straight for his house. As you raised your fist to knock, you heard his mother yelling from the back garden so you carefully approached, pressing your back against the stone wall.
“Honestly, Butch! Did I raise you that poorly?” she scowled, smacking her son on the shoulder.
“No, mama…” he muttered, lowering his head.
“Why would you say such a thing to that girl, hm?”
“I didn’t -”
“Don’t you lie to me, boy!” she smacked his shoulder again, making him wince. “Billy told me everything.” She motioned toward the young boy sitting on a fallen log, a grin on his lips as he enjoyed seeing his older brother being scolded.
Butch groaned, scowling at his mother. “What’s the big deal? Everyone talks about it, even you and pa!”
“Talking about it is one thing, but saying it to the poor girl’s face?” She shook her head, a frown on her lips. “I don’t want to think about what that poor girl would feel if she knew she was the reason her older brothers died.”
Your eyes widened, heart skipping a painful beat. What the hell was she talking about? You didn’t have any brothers… right?
You shoved away from the wall, running home so quickly that people wondered if the devil himself was on your heels. Your mother jumped in surprise when you slammed the door open, dropping the bowl of mushrooms she was carrying toward the fireplace.
She started to scold you for this but stopped dead when she saw the look on her face. She knew immediately what was on your mind. She had been dreading this moment for many years, having heard the rumors many times over. It didn’t matter how many times she or her husband threatened their neighbors to stop speaking such nonsense, they continued to do so.
“Darling!” she called to her husband, voice trembling. “Come here, please!”
Your father appeared from the bedroom, looking at her confused. “What’s wrong?” When his gaze fell on you, he instantly paled. “Sweetheart, what -“
“I want the truth!” You demanded, eyes narrowed at your parents.
The two exchanged a look, having a silent discussion on whether or not they should play dumb. They had been keeping this secret for nearly eighteen years and they were tired – tired of lying and tired of living with the guilt.
“Have a seat,” said your father softly as he sat at the head of the table. Your mother sat to his right, hands in her lap and a frown on her lips.
You sent them a suspicious look before slowly doing as he asked, settling down at the opposite end of the table and folding your arms over your chest. “Is it true? Do I really have brothers? Am I cursed? Did I kill them?”
“Of course not!” cried your mother, her eyes tearing up as emotion flooded her. “You are not cursed, my child, and you are not responsible for what happened to your brothers.”
“So I do have brothers,” you breathed out in disbelief, leaning forward. Your hands trembled against the table. “How many? What were their ages? What happened to them?”
The two exchanged a look before your father stood up, approaching the fireplace. He leaned up onto the tips of his toes, pulling a large, leather-bound book from atop a shelf before returning to the table. He brushed his hand across the cover, eyes turning glassy.
“Before you were born, we had portraits painted of them. Here,” he breathed out, sliding the book toward you.
Your hand shook as you slid it closer to you, slowly opening the cover. On the front page was a portrait of a young boy, grinning proudly. Your eyes fell to the text beneath the painting. “Seonghwa, first-born, age eight.”
“He was my little boy,” cried your mother, bringing a white cloth to her eyes. “He always helped me look after his siblings or helped me with chores.”
You turned the page, seeing two boys in this painting. They were sitting on stools beside one another, the boy on the left much taller than the other. “Yunho and Yeosang, second and third born, age nine.”
Your dad grunted bitterly. “Though they were twins, they couldn’t have been any different. Yunho was a wild child, always full of energy and constantly getting into trouble. Yeosang, on the other hand, was more level-headed. He spent most of his time trying to keep his twin from getting into trouble.”
Another page, another portrait. He was sitting on a stool, his small body seeming to curl in on itself as he peered around the giant teddy bear he was hugging. “San, fourth born, age 8.”
“What a shy boy, he was!” cried your mother, a sad smile on her lips. “He clung to me as if I were the only thing keeping him alive. He was such a sweet boy, too. Whenever someone was upset, he would offer them his teddy bear and let them know that everything would be alright.”
The next page featured two boys. The shorter of the two was standing, his arms around the neck of his taller brother, cheeks squished together. The taller boy was sitting on a stool, trying to push away his brother. “Mingi and Wooyoung, fifth and sixth born, age 7.”
“Those two were absolute chaos,” your father shook his head disapprovingly. “Wooyoung seemed quite hell-bent on tricking and pranking everyone he met. The amount of people I had to beg forgiveness from because of him…”
Your mother chuckled, patting his arm. “But he was a brilliant child, much smarter than the others his age. And our beautiful Mingi, oh the other children adored him!”
“Especially the girls,” replied your father proudly. “Though he only seemed interested in drawing or reading.”
You turned to the next page, finding a portrait of a tiny boy who stood in front of the fireplace, a blank expression on his face. “Jongho, seventh born, age 5.”
“That boy,” sighed your mother, bringing a hand to her face. “He had no fear and would do whatever the other kids dared him to, no matter how dangerous it was! Despite being the youngest, he was also the strongest, defending his older brothers whenever they found themselves in trouble.”
Your father laughed loudly, a sound that boomed throughout the home. “He’s the only five-year-old in the world who faced down a fully grown grizzly bear and scared it away!”
“I wanted to ground him for the rest of his life!” huffed your mother before her expression fell, her voice soft. “He was the most excited to meet you, you know. He was excited to finally be an older brother and I know he would have been an amazing one.”
The rest of the book contained portraits of you at varying stages of your life. Unable to hold back any longer, the tears flowed freely from your eyes, shoulders trembling. To think that you had seven brothers and never even knew… and to see the album filled with portraits of you, but so little of them.
It hurt.
“Oh, sweety,” your mother shot up, rushing over so she could throw her arms around you.
You clutched onto her dress, trying to control your sobs. “What ha-happened to t-them?”
The two exchanged a sad look.
“We’re not sure…”
“What?”
Your father stood, moving to lean against the fireplace, watching the fire as it danced beneath the cauldron. “The truth is… we’ve always dreamed of having a daughter ever since we were children ourselves. Yet, no matter how hard we tried, we kept having boys.”
“Don’t get us wrong,” added your mother softly, rubbing your head. “We adored our boys and we would do anything for them, we just wanted a girl, as well.”
“After seven boys, we finally had you…” He looked at you with so much love yet so much pain that you had to look away. “We finally had our daughter, but… but you were sick. You were so small, so frail, we were sure we were going to lose you. We sent Seonghwa to the river in order to collect fresh water for you and, of course, the others wanted to help so they followed him.”
“What happened?” you questioned softly.
“An hour passed yet they did not return,” he explained, eyes narrowed at the flames. “I knew they had gotten distracted, they always did when they were together, so I cursed at them for not taking it seriously, wishing they would be turned to ravens for their misbehavior. I begged whatever deity I could think of to heal you and…”
Your mother’s hold on you tightened and she nearly spat the words. “We had a young woman living with us at the time, helping us to care for the boys. She said she could heal you, for a price, and we agreed. We never would have if we had known that… that…” her anger dissipated into sobs.
Realization hit you hard, eyes wide. “The price was my brothers… are… are they dead?”
“No!” replied your mother quickly. “I can feel it in my heart. My boys still live!”
“When we agreed to her deal,” your father continued. “You were healed and I heard the sound of flapping wings in the yard. When I ran to the window, I spied seven ravens flying away toward the mountains and a bucket of water spilled on the path…”
“They were cursed by that witch,” she cried angrily.
“What became of her? Where is she?” you sat up, looking frantically between your parents. “Surely we can convince her to break the curse!”
“She’s dead,” said your father, his eyes darkening. “When she refused to bring back my boys, I flew into a rage and I beheaded her.”
Hopelessness filled you with this information, but it was quickly replaced by determination. You shot up, eyes burning. “I will find them and I will find a way to break their curse.”
“Sweety, you can’t-“
“I can and I will,” you told her, giving her a reassuring look. “Someone has to!”
The two exchanged a weary look, having a silent conversation with each other. He nodded, making her sigh deeply.
“Fine, but at least wait until morning. It will be hard to reach the mountain at night,” she all but begged you, hand on your shoulder.
You reluctantly nodded. “Okay.”
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“I packed you some bread, it should be enough for the journey so long as you spread it out. There’s a waterskin, as well, and a blanket in case you get cold.” Your mother held out a leather bag, biting her lip with worry.
You took it from her with a smile, placing the strap over your head and across your shoulders. “I will be fine, mother. I promise to return with my brothers.”
She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes as she threw her arms around your neck, hugging you tightly. “Oh, my brave little girl!”
You hugged her back, hoping she wouldn’t catch on to how terrified you actually felt. You had never left home before and now you were going off on your own to face god knows what in order to save brothers you had never even met before. Could you even do this? You had no idea, but you felt as if you had to at least try.
When she finally pulled away from you, your father took her place in front of you. “Here, I want you to take these.” In one hand was a large dagger and in the other was his family’s ring. “Listen, my child. This journey will not be easy and you may be forced to do something you rather would not. You must return to us, do you understand?”
Your fingers curled around the handle of the dagger, surprised by the heaviness of the steel. Though you didn’t feel confident in the promise, you agreed nonetheless, not wanting to worry them more than they already were. “I will.”
He slipped a black rope through the ring before securing it around your neck and pressing a kiss to your forehead, his beard tickling your skin. “Go well, my child, and do not let fear win over you.”
“Thank you, father, mother. I love you.” You smiled at them before turning and leaving the house.
The sun was just beginning to peak its head over the treetops, the sky alight with orange and red, matching the leaves that covered the ground. The chill in the air was beginning to fade as the sun warmed the earth and by the time noon arrived, you were drenched in sweat.
It felt as if the sun was beating down only on you, its harsh rays trying to cook you alive. With most of the trees bare, they offered little shade to shield you.
You fell onto a tree stump with a groan, wiping the sweat from your forehead before downing half the waterskin. You felt sluggish, energy running low from the sheer heat that you had been battling all morning. Had it always been this hot? Did it just seem worse because you’ve been trekking through the woods? You didn’t know.
You leaned your head back to look at the bright blue sky, eyes spying a bright red bird sitting on a branch high in the sky. Its head and wings were a faded yellow, black eyes staring directly at you.
You shifted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. It felt as if this bird was staring directly into your soul, as if it could read your thoughts and see what was in your heart.
Shaking your head, you forced yourself up and continued your journey through the woods. You had to keep stopping every twenty minutes or so to recharge and you even tried to use a giant elephant ear plant to shield yourself from it, though it did little.
By the time the sun rose, you were exhausted, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep. You kept going, though, using the bright moonlight to guide your way.
Much like the sun, the moon seemed to have it out for you, as well. Its streams of light felt like ice against your skin and you couldn’t control your shivering no matter how tightly you held yourself. You pulled the blanket from your bag, bringing it tightly around your shoulders before continuing on.
The blanket offered you neither comfort nor warmth.
The night was eerily silent, save for the crunch of twigs beneath your feet and the chattering of your teeth. You bore it as long as you could, deciding to stop for the night only when your eyes grew heavy. You found a hole at the base of a thick tree, curling up within it, blanket wrapped tightly around you. With the cold, it took a while before you were able to fall asleep.
Just two hours later, you were ripped violently from sleep, though you weren’t sure what had done it. You laid there unmoving, straining your ears for any noise, yet the forest remained silent. So silent, in fact, that it made your ears ring.
Where were the crickets? The night birds? The frogs? It felt wrong.
“I smell the flesh of man,” cackled a female voice, echoing through the trees.
A chill went down your spine and you sucked in a breath, body tense.
“I smell your fear, child of man,” the voice cackled again, the sound of snapping twigs echoing loudly. “Come out, come out wherever you are~“
Your heart raced within your chest so loudly that you feared she would hear it. You slowly pulled the dagger from your bag, gripping the handle tightly. You tried to slide farther back inside the hole, but you were already up against the wood and could go no further.
Should you run? Should you hide? Fear gripped your heart, hands trembling lightly. You tried to focus on the words your father had spoken to you, but it was hard when the fear was so tightly wrapped around you.
“I found you~” A horrid face appeared in front of the hole, making you scream. Her face was long, full of wrinkles and warts. She was grinning widely, showing off sharp, inhuman teeth, many of which were broken or missing. Thin strands of white hair fell from her nearly bald scalp, framing her face.
When she reached out to you, her fingers long and boney, you acted on instinct, swinging the dagger at her. The blade sliced across her fingers, making her jump back with a loud screech. You took this chance to run, leaving behind the bag and the blanket.
The moon was hidden by thick, grey clouds which made it hard to navigate. Various stars dotted the velvet sky, but they weren’t bright enough to light the way. A cry left your lips when your foot caught on a thick root sticking out of the ground, sending you face-first to the ground. You winced in pain, feeling a stick jabbing into your chin.
“You should be more careful dearie~“
Your gaze snapped behind you, seeing the woman slowly approaching. She was incredibly tall but looked sickly thin almost as if her skin didn’t even exist. Feathers clung to her body in odd places, resembling a bird during its molt.
You swallowed hard, scrambling to get up but she pressed her foot against your back, shoving you back against the ground. The thick claws on her foot dung into your skin through your shirt and you clinched your teeth.
Something caught your eye and, when you looked up, you caught sight of a small red blur shooting toward you like a rocket. You squeaked, ducking your head just before it reached you. It was the bird from before, its wings tucked against its body as it raced toward the woman.
She screeched in pain when the bird hit her square in the chest, the force so great that she ended up stumbling backward. The bird turned its head toward you and you heard a male voice within your head.
‘Run!‘ ordered the voice and you didn’t stop to question it, doing as it ordered.
“No!” screeched the woman, trying to grab you as you jumped up but the bird attacked again, keeping her occupied so you could escape.
You ran and ran until you couldn’t run anymore, legs giving out beneath you. You managed to grab a hold of a nearby tree, sliding down it as you tried to catch your breath, a stitch in your side.
There was a flap of wings before the red and yellow bird appeared, lowering its body to the fallen log in front of you. For a moment, the two of you just stared at each other and then the bird spoke, his voice seeming to be within your head.
‘This forest is not safe. No child of man should be here, especially not one so young.’
You shifted, folding your legs beneath you as you peered at him curiously. “You can speak. How can a bird speak? Have I lost my mind?”
He chuckled, ruffling his feathers. ‘You are sane, fear not. I am no bird, I am simply taking the form of one.’
Your eyes widened in surprise and you scrambled toward him, making him jump in surprise. “Please help me!”
‘The hag has been taken care of, you do not need to worry -‘
“Not that!” You shook your head. “I’m looking for my brothers. They were turned into ravens, you must know them!”
‘Your brothers, turned to ravens?’ he inquired curiously and you nodded. ‘Yes, I do know where they are. The seven ravens reside within Glass Mountain.’
A smile came to your lips, shoulders relaxing. “I’m going the right way, then. I’m so glad.”
He observed you for a moment before flapping his wings and taking off into the sky.
“Ah, wait! Come back!” you cried, jumping to your feet but he was already gone. With a frown, you sat back down against the tree, hugging yourself tightly. There were still a few hours before the sun rose and you felt exhausted, so you decided to try and get some rest.
You brought your knees to your chest, folding your arms over them to act as a pillow. Exhaling slowly, your eyes slid closed, sleep wrapping around you and pulling you into the darkness.
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‘Wake up child of man.’
Your eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to remember where you were. As you unfurled yourself, you winced at the stiffness in your muscles. Your body was sore, a mixture of the poor sleeping position and the attack from the hag.
‘Good morning.’
Your gaze snapped to the bird and you found yourself smiling. “Good morning… ah…”
‘Is something the matter?’
“I never asked your name,” you frowned. “I’m sorry for being so rude. And after you saved me, too!”
He chuckled. ‘My name is Hongjoong.’
“Hongjoong,” you repeated with a smile, holding your hand out to him. “Nice to meet you! And thank you for saving me last night.”
He looked at your hand curiously for a moment before lifting his wing and placing it against your hand.
You gripped it gently, giving it a shake. “Nice to officially meet you.”
‘You, as well. I brought you something.’ He shifted to the side, pushing a key toward you with his leg. ‘If you wish to enter Glass Mountain, you’ll need this key.’
“Thank you!” You smiled brightly, making his heart pick up speed.
Hongjoong had lived for many decades yet he had never seen someone quite as beautiful as you. He loved your smile and wanted to ensure that you never lost it. ‘You still have a lot of ground to cover, child of man.’
“You’re right.” You pulled yourself to your feet, slapping both of your cheeks to wake yourself up. With a renewed vigor, you turned to face the mountain, looming menacingly in the distance. “Wait just a bit longer, my brothers. I’ll be there soon.”
Hongjoong flew into the air, landing on your shoulder as you started forward. He had always told himself that he would not interfere with the affairs of men, yet he had the strong urge to protect you and look after you. Perhaps he would come to regret this, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn away from you.
‘I shall accompany you for the rest of your journey.’
You smiled, reaching up to pat him gently on the head. “Thank you, Hongjoong!”
Warmth filled his body. ‘Of course.’
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It took another day and a half to reach the mountain.
You were exhausted, sore and starving. You really regretted leaving behind your bag, wishing you had your mother’s bread or, at the very least, some fresh water. Despite the pain in your body, you chose to focus on what was in front of you. Your brothers should be on the other side of these large metal doors.
Taking a deep breath, you lifted the key to the lock only to pause, your hand trembling lightly. You suddenly felt wracked with nervousness. What if they hated you, blamed you for their curse? The thought made you want to cry.
Hongjoong lightly bumped his head against your cheek, hoping to give you some comfort. You smiled at him, feeling a bit more at ease as you slid the key into the lock and twisted it.
The towering doors creaked as you pushed them open, slipping inside. Rather than a cave like you had been expecting, it looked like the inside of a house, though it was made of stone from the mountain. It was cold inside, making you suppress a shiver, folding your arms over your chest for warmth.
“Excuse me, miss. Can I help you?”
You blinked, glancing around for the sound of the voice.
“Down here, miss.”
You lowered your gaze, seeing a tiny creature with pointed ears and big eyes. His hair was a mess of white-blonde hair, freckles resting across his nose. “Oh my god, you’re adorable!”
The creature’s pale skin darkened at the compliment and he bowed. “Thank you, miss. May I inquire as to what you seek here?”
“I’m looking for my brothers, the seven ravens.”
His already large brown eyes grew incredibly wider. “The masters’ younger sister? Oh my, Chan won’t believe this!”
You glanced around what looked to be an entryway. “Where are they?”
“Oh, I’m afraid the masters are out at the moment.”
“Oh…” you frowned, making the small creature panic.
“Ah, please don’t be sad, miss! The masters should return soon! You’re welcome to wait in the dining room.”
“Thank you very much,” you bowed to him before heading toward the large archway to the left where the dining room sat. There was a small wooden table in the middle of the room, places set for seven.
The smell of food flowed from the kitchen, rubbing against your nose and making your stomach whine and ache. It felt as if you hadn’t eaten in ages! You frowned, resting your arm over your stomach in a poor attempt to soothe it.
‘Are you okay?’ worried Hongjoong, tilting his head at you.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.” You gave him a reassuring smile as you settled down on a chair sitting in the corner. “Soon, I will be reunited with my brothers. I just hope…” you stopped yourself short, swallowing nervously.
‘Hope what?’
Your lips parted, but you couldn’t bear to speak the words allowed; I hope they don’t hate me.
A group of tiny elves exited the kitchen, each one carrying a plate full of food that made your mouth water. They placed the dishes on the table before filling the silver goblets with sparkling water.
You tried not to look at the food, but it was as if your gaze was glued there. When the elves left the room, you swallowed hard, slowly standing up and approaching the table. You bit your lip as you stared at the grilled fish on the plates. Surely they wouldn’t mind if you just took one bite, right?
You slowly reached forward, picking a small piece of fish from the first plate. It tasted heavenly, melting in your mouth, but it wasn’t enough so you moved on to the second plate, stealing another small piece. This continued until you had sampled a piece from each plate.
Now feeling thirsty, you reached for the goblet in front of the final plate. You had intended only to take a sip, but the thirst you possessed was too great and you ended up downing all but a single sip.
There was a sudden, loud chorus of wings flapping and, in your panic, the goblet caught on the ring. It fell from around your neck, the metal clinking as it fell into the goblet. You weren’t sure why you felt the need to hide, but you found yourself running back to the corner, hiding behind the wooden divider.
A second later, seven ravens came flying in through circular windows at the top of the wall, circling the room a few times before landing on the table, ruffling their wings.
“I’m so hungry, I could eat an entire river full of fish!” cawed Yunho, hopping over to his plate. He didn’t notice the missing piece and began pecking at it without a care in the world.
Wooyoung narrowed his eyes as he inspected the plate. “Someone has eaten from my plate.”
Curious, the others inspected their own plates before cawing in agreement. Seonghwa leaned down, sniffing the food. “It was a child of man.”
“My goblet is empty,” noticed Jongho, grabbing the side of the cup with his beak. The goblet tipped over and the ring spilled out onto the table. “What is this?”
The ravens gathered around the object, the older boys immediately realizing that it was their father’s ring. How had it gotten there?
Hongjoong glanced at you, realizing that you were frozen in place, clearly overcome with anxiety. He ruffled his feathers loudly, making a sound somewhere between a caw and a squeak.
“Who’s there?” ordered Jongho, hopping forward so that he was between his brothers and the divider you hid behind. “Show yourself!”
Hongjoong pecked your cheek gently. ‘Go on, child of man. It is time to meet your brothers.’
“I’m scared,” you whispered back, hands clenching around your pants.
‘Fear not, I am with you.’
His words comforted you greatly, giving you the confidence you needed. Taking a deep breath, you slowly stepped out from around the divider, gaze sliding across the seven ravens sitting on the table.
“Who are you?” demanded Jongho, ruffling his feathers in an attempt to be intimidating. “How did you get in here?”
“I, uh… well…” you shifted your weight from foot to foot, trying to find the proper words but you were overwhelmed with emotion. These were your brothers. Your older brothers that you had never met before, your older brothers who didn’t even recognize you.
Tears gathered in your eyes and, despite trying to hold them back, they slid down your cheeks. Before you could stop yourself, you rushed forward and threw your arms around Jongho’s small body, sobbing into his soft, black feathers.
“W-What are you doing?!” he cried in alarm. “Release me at once!”
“Good job, Jongho,” scoffed Wooyoung, wing against his hip. “You made her cry.”
Hongjoong landed atop the table beside you with a chuckle. “I gave her the key.”
“Hyung!” cried Mingi happily, hopping over to the colorful bird and bumping his head against Hongjoong’s. “We were wondering where you went.”
“Sorry, I had business to attend to.”
“Will someone please get this child of man off of me!”
“I’m sorry,” you sniffled, pulling away from him and rubbing at your tears.
San frowned, hopping over to you cautiously. “Please don’t cry, it’s okay…”
Seonghwa picked up the ring, carrying it over to you before dropping it onto the table. “Tell me, how did you come by this ring?”
“It’s our father’s…”
“Our?!” chorused Mingi and Wooyoung, all of the ravens staring at you in surprise.
Seonghwa stared at you for a moment before gasping, your name coming out in an exhale of air. “Is it really you?”
You nodded, looking at him sadly.
He didn’t hesitate to throw himself at you, wings spread in an attempt to hug you. “Oh, my beautiful baby sister! How long it’s been!”
You hugged him back, careful not to hurt him as you fought against a fresh wave of tears.
“Baby sister?” Jongho tapped his foot against the wood in confusion, the memory slowly resurfacing as he, too, spoke your name. Without a moment of hesitation, he threw himself at you, settling on your shoulder and nuzzling against your neck.
Yeosang and Yunho exchanged a look before gleefully calling out your name and tackling you. One by one, each raven made their way over to you, hugging you as best they could.
You had always felt loved by your parents, but that was nothing compared to the warmth and love that you felt from your brothers. Despite having only just met each other, the love you shared for each other was pure and untainted.
Hongjoong felt his body growing warm, white light encasing him and the ravens. In a sudden flash, all eight of them returned to normal in a flash of light and smoke.
The curse had been broken.
The combined weight of the boys was too much for you and you cried out in surprise, falling onto the ground with a huff. They fell on top of you, knocking the wind from your lungs.
“We’re human again!” grinned Yunho, holding out his hand to inspect it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt his fingers.
Wooyoung threw his arms around San, laughing gleefully at the fact that he could finally hug his brothers again.
“I’m so sorry,” you cried, looking between them. “You were cursed because of me, I…”
Seonghwa smiled softly, resting his hand atop your head. “No, little sister, you broke the curse. Thank you for coming for us.”
Jongho nodded in agreement, turning toward Hongjoong. “Thank you for watching over her, hyung.”
You followed his gaze, eyes widening at the beautiful man sitting atop the table. His eyes met yours and he smiled softly, bringing warmth to your face.
He was breathtakingly beautiful, with rich brown eyes and hair the color of crimson. His ears were pointed, various earrings dangling from them, and his skin was without flaw.
You swallowed nervously, managing to pull yourself from beneath the pile of boys. You struggled to maintain eye contact, heart racing within your chest. “Thank you,” you breathed out.
“For what?” he wondered, tilting his head to the side.
“For saving me. For guiding me here and giving me the key. And… for watching over my brothers. Thank you, Hongjoong!” You bowed to him, making his eyes widen and butterflies erupt within his stomach.
Why did you have to be so cute?
He slid off the table, resting his hands on your shoulders so you’d stand up straight. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m happy I was able to help you, child of man.”
“Are you… also not a child of man?”
“Afraid not,” he replied softly, the tips of his fingers brushing against your cheek. The warmth he felt there made him happy, knowing he was the cause. “Even elves are not immune to the curse of a witch.”
“An elf,” you breathed out in surprise. “That explains why you are so beautiful.”
The compliment caught him off guard, cheeks dusting with pink. “You… find me to be beautiful?”
“Unbelievably so,” you admitted. “And so very kind.”
“You are, as well.” His tone was genuine, hand resting against the side of your neck. “You are brave and strong, unlike any child of man I have ever met before. I knew from the moment I saw you wandering through the woods -“
“Oi, just kiss her already!” called out Wooyoung with a grin, earning a slap from Jongho. “Oi, what was that for?!”
“You ruined the moment,” he huffed, arms folded over his chest.
Seonghwa chuckled at his younger brothers, eyes sparkling as he looked fondly at you. “Shall we return home, little sister?”
“Yes, please!” you replied tiredly. “I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed again and to eat mother’s potato soup.”
Mingi whined at this. “Mother’s soup… it’s been an age since we tasted it! Hyung, let’s hurry home!” His fingers gripped the sleeve of the eldest’s shirt.
He nodded. “Let’s go home!”
The boys cheered happily, heading for the large stone doors. Your hand slid into Hongjoong’s, unable to meet his gaze when he sent you a confused look.
“Let’s go home,” you told him softly.
His fingers threaded through your own before he brought your hand to his lips, unable to hold back his smile. “Yes… let’s.”
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