#lee felix fantasy au

[lavenderbang]

Felix And Your Tavern; Chapter 2

A/N: Okay so I’m back by popular demand because I LOVE LEE FELIX AND SO DO YALL!!! Anyways, doing this part in bullet points too, so sorry if you were expecting me to make an actual well written fic cause this is not it. As usual, forgive any spelling errors, I ALWAYS miss some on my proof reading cause my word vomit is insane. Anyways, enjoy!

Part I Part II

Warning(s): alcohol, swearing, also some talk about death, but that’s about it. Reader has the title of wife.

HES SO !!!

It was late autumn when you brought the idea up to Felix about getting a bar-hand for the Tavern.

With the weather getting colder, people were more likely to want a hot meal with their drink, which meant that Felix was getting a bit too busy managing both the kitchen and the bar by himself.

And with you serving the tables, keeping track of all the payments, and dealing with the inn residency, you were too busy to pick up his slack.

Felix knew this.

it made logical sense

but it made him anxious to no end...

“My Love, I understand. But we can’t trust anyone.” He said with a frown. You nodded along, wiping the bartop with a rag. When you looked up at your husband, you mirrored his frown.

“I know. That’s why we don’t tell them anything.” You countered, tossing your rag in the sink. You then went around to the tables and began removing the chairs from the top of them, tucking them in their rightful spot underneath.

You were to open for the evening soon, so Felix began to help you prepare by taking chairs off the tables and putting them in their places as well.

“They won’t need to know anything besides we own a tavern and an inn, and that we need their help.” You hummed, dusting off your hands on your thighs and returning to the bar, where Felix was removing the final stool.

You looped your arms around his waist and pulled him closer to you. He gazed into your eyes and you swore you still got butterflies when he stared.

“We need the help, Dear.” You whispered, focusing more on the beating of your lover’s heart than the actual conversation

and with the way Felix was gazing at your lips, it seems like he wasn’t too focused on the conversation anymore either.

“I know we do.” He sighed in defeat, before letting his heart take over and place a kiss on your lips.

When you parted, you smiled at him

You’ll never get used to the feeling of kissing Felix

it always gave you this light, airy feeling in your chest.

Pushing off him, you went back to work, not before placing one last peck on his cheek.

“I’ll post a notice by the door.” You hummed, taking the clean cups from where you left them to dry and hang them on the wine track above the bar

That night, you got a few inquiries about the job, but nobody who seemed truly interested.

But your saving grace came through the door well into the evening.

Hwang Hyunjin.

He was an occasional visitor at your little tavern, opting to come once or twice a week to have a drink and then go off to wherever he went

you honestly didn’t know what he did at night after his visit at the bar.

nor did you think it was you place to ask

none of your business, you supposed

but he always ordered the same thing; red wine and some fresh bread.

all you knew about him was he was a hunter.

Well, you assumed he was a hunter

He would tell stories of being out in the wild woods, how beautiful the world looked from under the green canopies with nothing but the grass under your feet, wind against your skin and the moon in the sky

You liked Hyunjin.

He was always very kind to you and Felix while being at the bar

as well as respected other patrons

not to mention, he never asked questions about your personal life

he only ever asked about what your plans for the future were and stories from the days he didn’t come in

Felix liked Hyunjin too.

He made sure to compliment Felix’s cooking and always left a bit of a tip ‘for excellent company and even more excellent food’

Hyunjin was a good guy in Felix’s mind, no matter what the other patrons said.

some thought he was odd because he preferred to be alone and was very private, but that never really bothered Felix

Hyunjin was nice to him and you

always was.

“Why hello stranger!” You joked, serving the man at his usual table near the back of the tavern

it was closest to the area you had musicians come perform.

Hyunjin always enjoyed the music when he came in

“The usual I presume?” You asked, to which Hyunjin nodded, with a smile.

You returned quickly with his usual order, setting the glass of wine down carefully

Felix liked to fill it to the brim when it was for Hyunjin

“What’s new?” Hyunjin asked, taking a sip from his full glass. You tucked the serving tray you had under your arm before shifting your weight more comfortably on your feet. 

“Nothing much. Winter is coming soon, so we’ll have to start preparing the inn for that.” You hummed, letting a humorous grin play on your features as an image popped into you head, “I’ll have to get Felix to start chopping fire wood.”

“I think that is much more of a job for you, not him” Hyunjin laughed, taking a bite of the warm bread you had brought him, “I don’t quite peg Felix as a manual labor kind of guy...”

“You’d be surprised!” You said with a grin, “I’ll have you know, Felix worked as a farmhand for half a year to support us.”

“Now that I don’t believe!” Hyunjin chuckled, taking one more sip from his drink, “Felix is so skilled with domestic things like cooking and keeping clean, I would have never guessed.”

“I guess Felix is good at a lot of things.” You said simply, brushing a stray hair away from your face.

“Speaking of jobs, I see you’re hiring?” Hyunjin asked, nodding his head towards the door where your little parchment was hanging.

“We are.” You turned to look at the posting before smiling back at Hyunjin, “know anyone who would be interested?”

Hyunjin hummed, swirling his drink in his glass a few times before downing the remaining alcohol.

“I’d be interested.” He said, seriousness evident in his demeanor, 

“that is, if you would want me?”

You perked up at the offer.

Hyunjin seemed like a good fit for the job

He was charismatic and seemed to be able to think and act quickly

not to mention both you and Felix already got along well with him and he knew the Tavern well from his visits.

“I’ll have to speak with Felix, but I think you’d be a fine fit for the position. Can you maybe come in tomorrow at noon?”

“Sounds lovely.”

“Great! Me and Felix will talk tonight and ask you some questions tomorrow, but truthfully, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be a perfect addition to our operation here.”

Hyunjin smiled with a nod, before standing and bidding you a farewell. He placed the coins he owed on the table before leaving, weaving gracefully between the tables and other patrons

Felix agreed before you even needed to explain your thoughts

If you had to get a bar-hand, Hyunjin was your best bet.

And Hyunjin enjoyed his work at your tavern

It always had felt like a second home to him

well, besides the woods of course.

He felt welcomed by you and Felix!

so spending every evening there was nice, especially now that it was getting cold outside

and he always needed to make more money so he’d be able to live.

And yes, Hyunjin made sure to never ask about your personal lives

because it was truly none of his business to ask you beyond what you were willing to share

However, he wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t exactly sure about your past with Felix, but he tended to notice things when he would come in.

How you avoided talking about where you and Felix came from before landing in here in Miroh

or why you didn’t have any family or other friends.

or even where you got the long, silver bow that hung behind the bar.

You were good people, who never gave Hyunjin any reason to question that.

So he thought it best to just keep quiet

Working at the Tavern went much more smoothly after Hyunjin joined in

Felix mostly stayed in the kitchen now, but he also helped take a bit of the load off you too by dealing with the inn residences

and Hyunjin worked the bar well, never forgetting to serve the counter as he prepared your orders from the tables with an equal amount of quality and haste.

for months, this system worked well!

even when the dead of winter rolled around and the inn and tavern were at its all time peak in patrons due to the cold weather.

It was another night like this where the bar was packed and many people were sat and stood around the tables

You had a man singing today, his voice beautifully ringing throughout the tavern for all to hear.

You reminded Felix to make a plate up for him for when he was done his performance.

(You think he was named Seungmin? Rumor had it he was once a court musician for the Duchess of the Central Valley before he was dismissed)

You were slipping through the people, trying your best not to bump into anyone or knock your tray over when you felt it.

sharp eyes burning through you.

You made a quick glance around the room when your eyes met with a man in the corner of the room.

He was accompanied by two more men, all of which seemed to be skilled adventurers.

You kept your composure under the man’s scrutinous gaze, however you couldn’t help the sick feeling in your stomach.

You looked away, turning and standing at the bar. You placed your tray down for Hyunjin to put your order on it.

“Jin,” You called, earning a hum form the man behind the bar, “That group in the back. Who are they?”

Hyunjin let his eyes float to the table you were referencing before slightly frowning at you.

“Travelers. I’ve only heard passing whispers about them, but they are known around these parts as 3racha.” 

“And?”

“All I know about them is that they often take many quests and wander the lands slaying monsters.”

“Hmm. Thank you.” 

You took a deep breath, trying to shake the nerves you felt from being so close to adventurers.

 it was the first time you’d ever encountered bounty hunters, and it scared you shitless.

Approaching their table, you put on the brightest smile you could as your eyes locked onto the one who wouldn’t stop staring

A stoic looking fellow with a fur cloak draped across his broad frame. 

to his left, a shorter, stronger man holding a large claymore and a nasty look.

and his right was a pretty, squirrelly man that you could feel had this aura of magic surrounding him

You could tell they were strong just from the atmosphere they created around them

“Hello gentlemen, what can I do for you this evening?” You said, tone even.

You weren’t even sure if they were here for you, but you felt defensive nonetheless

The man with the cloak hummed, eyes not breaking contact with yours

“We hear you are famous for your baked goods.” He spoke confidently, voice coming out with an accent, “What would you suggest?”

“My husband spent all morning baking cranberry tarts.” You said, tucking a stray hair behind your ear as you smiled softly, “I would recommend that. We also have a fine selection of beverages if you feel so inclined.”

“Your husband?” The Big man asked, digging the tip of his claymore into the wood of the floor, before he looked up at you, “You mean the man behind the bar?”

“No, that is our bar-hand.” You answered simply, before quipping back, “Why do you ask? Perhaps you have an interest in him? I can introduce you, if you’d like.”

Pretty man let out a chuckle at your joke, before trying to cover it with a cough. Big man’s face heated up in what you could only assume was embarrassment or irritation, before your attention was directed back to the man in the cloak.

You blinked innocently at him, holding your tray limply at your side.

You felt like you were on trial as he stared at you. The tension seemed thick before he cleared his throat and grinned.

It made you feel even more unsettled...

“Tarts sound wonderful. We’ll take three.” He spoke politely, to which you nodded and retreated behind the bar into the kitchen for the pastries.

Felix was working there, washing dishes and humming a tune to himself with a small smile on his face.

It made you happy to see him so carefree.

You came up behind him, wrapping your arms around your husband’s torso.

You could feel the beating of your heart in your throat, and for once it wasn’t from Felix...

“Hey Love.” He cheered, turning his head to be able to place a chaste kiss on your lips, “Busy night, huh?”

“Very.” You chuckled breathlessly, trying not to let the sickness pooling in your stomach read on your face.

You didn’t want to worry Felix with the trouble of 3racha

As much as you loved Felix’s emotional side, it was sometimes a curse.

one that you didn’t need right now when you were barely holding on yourself.

besides, you weren’t even sure if it was trouble yet.

it could be just a feeling of unease and paranoia getting the better of you...

“I’m here for the tarts, A table just ordered some.” You said as nonchalantly as possible.

Felix beamed, eyes lighting up upon hearing that someone wanted to eat his baking.

as if it wasn’t a normal occurrence for people to ask specifically for Felix’s food

“Ask them how it tastes.” He said excitedly, drying his hands on the towel near the sink before helping placing some on a plate and hand them to you, “I tried a new recipe and I need to know if its good.”

“Will do, Dear.” You said with a smile. You eyes fell upon Felix and you felt your chest heave with anxiety and your heart squeeze with worry.

Before you could even think about it, you set the tray down on the counter and wrapped your arms tightly around your husband

Even though he was confused on why you hugged him unprompted, he didn’t hesitate to hug you back, holding you close to him.

you stayed like that for a moment, taking in his scent before sighing.

“I love you so much, you know.” You whispered dreamily, causing Felix to squeeze your body tighter.

“I love you too.” He replied, and you could hear the grin in his voice, making you grin too. When you finally let him go, you placed one more kiss on his soft lips, letting it fuel you enough to go back out there and face whatever was in store for you.

And when you did return to the table, placing the tarts on the wooden surface gently, you willed yourself to be calm and to appear as cheerful as possible

even if your instincts were screaming.

“Thank you, Darling.” The man in the cloak said with a smile. The name sounded like poison coming from his lips and you resisted the urge to grimace.

“Is that all for you, gentlemen?” You asked sweetly, hoping to be done with this interaction and get back to work.

You were sure this feeling was just paranoia and you were overreacting

yes, this must all be a misunderstanding and-

“Actually I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.” The man with the cloak answered seriously; Big man and Pretty man were much to busy eating to even speak, which would have been kinda endearing if you weren’t sick to your stomach.

“What can I help you with?” You asked, cringing at the fact that your tone came out a bit more shaky than intended

“I’ll be straight with you, we are adventurers. And we have come to these lands on a quest.”

“ah, I see...”

“Looking for the kidnapped prince from Clé. I’m sure you’ve heard of him by now?”

You felt your heart drop to your stomach as you nodded along to the man’s words. You felt a burning in your throat and you could barely trust yourself to be able to speak.

“Rumor has it, he is being hid away somewhere in this area.” The man in the cloak watched you intently, a wicked grin adorning his features, “You wouldn’t happen to know about that, would you?”

His associates stopped eating for a moment, gazing up at you.

You felt like you were suffocating in this moment.

Like you were drowning, everything around you slowed and you took a breath, hopefully to steady yourself enough before replying.

“I don’t, sorry.” You said weakly, feeling like a mouse caught in a trap.

“Now, we all know that’s not true, (Y/N).” The cloaked man said bluntly, leaning his elbows on the table and tilting his head slightly.

You stared back at him helplessly, feeling like you were an inch tall under the man’s gaze. 

He knew you.

He knew your name.

It was like someone pumped your body with lead as you stood staring at the man.

“Y’know, these tarts are very good. I’d love to tell your husband myself how good they are.” The Pretty man hummed, batting his eyelashes at you tauntingly, “What did you say his name was?”

“Felix. His name is Felix.” You said firmly, willing all the strength you have in your body to standing upright.

“How much would you bet that your husband bares a resemblance to Prince Yongbok, hm?” The Big man asked, before pulling out a parchment with a portrait on it. You glanced down and immediately recognized it as Felix on the painting of the royal family that was in the dinning room of the castle.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My husband isn’t the prince.” You said weakly, clearing your throat, earning a grimace from the cloaked man in front of you.

“If there is one thing I hate more than kidnappers,” He growled, gaze cold, “It’s kidnappers who lie.”

You could see out of your peripheral Big man grip his claymore as if he was ready to draw it on you.

You didn’t want to start a fight in the tavern while it was full and busy

but you were damn sure not going to let these men ruin everything you and Felix built.

so you did the only thing you could in the moment.

“I don’t lie.” You explained stiffly, narrowing your eyes at the men, “If anything, whatever you’ve heard about that situation is the lie.”

You were hoping to buy yourself some time to think of a way to defuse the situation

perhaps even lead the men outside for a confrontation instead?

That didn’t seem like an option when the man in the cloak chuckled, clearly irritated by your words. He moved his cloak out of the way to reveal the shiny steel of a sword hilt.

but before he could say another word, you felt a warm hand wrap around your shoulder.

Hyunjin.

Your beam of light in the darkness.

“Hey fellas, what seems to be the problem here?” He spoke smoothly, expression light as he held you firmly.

“Nothing.” The cloaked man said, before smiling at Hyunjin. He readjusted his cloak to cover his sword back up, “Just enjoying these lovely cranberry tarts and wanting to tell the chef.”

“Oh, he’s very busy tonight,” Hyunjin chuckled, gesturing around the room before landing his eyes back on the three men at the table, “My dear master here will be sure to tell the chef you enjoyed them though, don’t worry!”

“Splendid.” The man with the cloak said, features bright as his gaze still bore into you face.

You couldn’t help the uneasiness you felt, but with Hyunjin there you knew it wold be okay for now.

“Is that all? My master has many patrons to attend to.” Hyunjin asked with ease. You were almost in awe at how he seemed so unshaken and was so easily able to release all the tension in the air.

“erm.... well...” The man in the cloak mumbled before Pretty man’s face lit up.

“Indeed!” He cheered, glancing between you and Hyunjin, “We require a room to stay in.”

“Excellent.” Hyunjin hummed with a bow, before gesturing to you, “my master will go prepare your key and room for you, if you’ll wait here.”

He quickly sent you away, not without a look of worry that you dismissed with a nod and a weak smile.

You hoped that your expression conveyed how grateful you were to Hyunjin

Because the moment you got to the back to grab a key, you took a sigh of relief.

You were okay for now, but you knew this was just prolonging the inevitable.

so when you closed up for the night and laid down in your room to sleep, you didn’t forget to put the long, silver dagger you owned between your mattress and the frame; hilt out for quick access.

And while Felix failed to notice this, he didn’t fail to notice how on edge you were.

He stripped from his work pants, eyeing you anxiously fiddling with the sheets below you and staring off into space.

“What has you so troubled, My Love?” Felix asked softly, folding his work clothes and placing them on a chair across the room.

“Hm?” You looked up at Felix’s broad back before he turned to face you, eyes soft and face gentle, “Nothing.”

Felix hummed disapprovingly, walking to where you sat on the bed and knelt in front of you.

He laced his hands with yours, studying your face before placing a kiss to your knuckles.

“You can tell me anything, you know?” Felix said

“I know.”

“Then tell me, what is on your mind?”

“I guess it’s just...” You start. You look into Felix’s eyes and feel a sense of warmth.

He always brought you comfort, his empathetic nature was one of the best parts about how in touch with his feelings he was; you always loved that about him.

“I love you so much, it’s painful sometimes.” You begin again, taking a deep breath and bringing Felix’s hand to your cheek. He reacts immediately, cupping your face gently and smoothing his thumb over your cheekbone, face full of worry.

“I’m so happy with you and we’ve worked so hard, I worry sometimes how easily it can all be taken away. How you can be taken away.” You explained, feeling the stress finally spill over as you release a few tears, “Life has no meaning without you. I just get scared sometimes it’s all going to disappear.”

Felix stands before finding his place beside you on the bed, coming so close you can feel his breath across your face.

his heart felt like it was going to explode at your words.

of course he’s had anxieties and worries too

but he’s able to get through it because you’re always there

you’re his stable rock telling him it’s okay and as long you are together, everything will be fine

so he needs to be that for you now.

“Come here, lay with me.” He suggests, pulling you down so you lay in his grasp.

he is warm under you, like the midday sun.

You can count the freckles on his beautiful faces from this distance, like stars painted on an angel.

“I know it’s scary,” Felix begins. His deep voice is resonating in his chest against your head as he smooths his hands up and down your shoulders and back soothingly, 

“I love you more than words can describe, (Y/N). And I promise you, as long as I’m still living, I will do everything in my power to be with you. I’ll keep you safe and happy, until my dying breath.”

“I love you.” You confessed again in a hushed tone, nuzzling your face into his neck. Felix grinned to himself, feeling giddy as if it was the first time he’d heard you say those three magic words.

“I love you too.” He repeated, squeezing you slightly.

You laid with Felix in the dark for what seemed like and eternity, with Felix lazily stroking your back and placing soft pecks on your head before he allowed himself to slip into the sweet release of sleep.

But not you.

You stayed awake, listing to the evenness of Felix’s breathing as you relished in his hold.

it felt like the last time you’d feel it.

It was well into the twilight when he came; the man in the cloak.

He moved quietly, only the sound of his feet padding against the wooden floorboards could be heard as he entered the room

he was illuminated by the light of a single lantern, just bright enough to see your sleeping figure.

carefully, he drew his sword and placed the tip at your throat, ready to strike you where you laid.

but he hesitated when he saw Felix grasping onto you so tenderly

why would he..?

“I expected you to come.” you whispered, your bleary eyes reflecting the light of the flame. It shook the man to his core how calm you seemed

“Yet you still housed me and my party...” He said, voice low and deep. you shifted ever so slightly as not to wake Felix or be stabbed through the neck

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t run you through.” He asked firmly, eyes cold and sharp as he stared down at your tired face.

But you had prepared.

You gracefully swing your arm up so the tip of your dagger laid at his chest. You expression showed no fear, much unlike the man’s, although he did his best to stay composed.

“You want to kill me? do it.” You said simply, pushing the blade closer to the man, “But be prepared to pay with your life.”

Just then, Felix shifted slightly and you freeze.

You would hate to wake him, even now when your life was potentially moments from ending.

The man froze in place too as Felix pulled you closer to him and took a deep breath, seemingly at ease by your presence. 

This made no sense...

you sighed, removing the dagger from the man’s chest only slightly.

“Listen, if you’re going to kill me, please not here. I don’t want to wake him.” You begged quietly, eyes softening at the man in front of you.

He was still for a moment before nodding solemnly at you. He backed away enough for you to wriggle out of Felix’s grasp.

However, your movement caused your husband to stir.

“mhhmmm... where are you going, My Love?” He slurred, eyes closed and body still heavy on the bed, but clear concern in his voice.

This behavior confused the man even more as he watched you give Felix’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” You lied with an endearing grin, petting his hair lovingly. The prince hummed before rolling over, facing the far wall and falling back to sleep.

You turned to the man and nodded towards the door, where you both exited. 

Placing your dagger and his lantern on the bar, you pulled out two glasses from their places on the drying rack.

“What are you doing?” He asked, voice laced with an uncertainty.

“Well,” You began, grabbing a bottle of wine from behind the bar and uncorking it, “If you’re going to kill me, I’d much prefer to have a drink first, wouldn’t you? It’s on the house.”

The man stared at you for a moment before pulling a stool down and sitting at the bar, sword laying in his lap.

You silently poured the wine into the two glasses, sliding one across the bar to him.

You take a drink from your glass, feeling a sense of dread deep down in your stomach

but it was smothered but this horrifying numb feeling of the inevitability of this situation.

“Can I ask you something?” The man asked after what seemed like an eternity.

“shoot.”

“Why did you do it? Why did you kidnap the prince?”

“I told you, that’s a lie.” You swirled your drink around in your glass before taking another sip of it.

It tasted bitter as it washed down your throat, but you weren’t sure if it was truly from the alcohol or because of what this man was accusing you of.

“Then what is the truth?” The man mumbled, eyes down as he circled the rim of his glass. His lips were drawn into a thin line as you smiled weakly at his request.

“The truth is, we were in love. We are in love.” You hummed, leaning your elbows on the bartop before continuing.

“Its funny, it was actually his idea to leave, you know.”

“What happened?”

“Oh gosh, where do I even begin?”

And you told the man everything; how you began working in the castle as his courtier, how you fell in love, how he got the name Felix, the engagement, the ball, buying the tavern.

Everything.

When you finished, you downed the remainder of your drink and put the glass in the sink calmly.

The man said nothing all throughout your story, and even now he stayed silent. He stared down at the bartop, conflict running in his mind.

“You expect me to believe that?” He finally said, looking up at you. His expression was softer now, almost apologetic.

“Believe what you want.” You said with a shrug, grabbing the hilt of your dagger and holding it at your side, “But you better believe you’ll have to kill me before you are able to lay a hand on Felix. And even if you do kill me, because you know I won’t go down without a fight, good luck bringing Felix back to that wretched place in one piece. He would rather die than go back there and live as the prince.”

The man sat in silence for a moment, trying to read you; see if you have spoke any untruths.

But he couldn’t seem to find any in your tired eyes.

“You know,” The man sighed, grabbing his sword by the hilt, “I pride myself on being a man of honor. One who has a good morality and always does what’s right, no matter the consequences.”

He sheathed his sword and held his hand out for you to shake.

“I want to believe you. Based on everything you’ve said, this place, even how the pri-.... Felix was behaving, I trust you.”

You shake the man’s hand, letting out a deep breath that you didn’t know you were holding.

“Thank you.” You whispered, feeling like you were going to cry from all the tension you had stored up for the past 12 hours.

“I’ll be sure to explain to my colleagues the situation. I’m sure they’ll understand your predicament. Especially Jisung.” 

You nodded, but your confusion on who that was must have read on your face because the man in front of you chuckled tiredly.

“I forgot, you don’t even know our names...” The man hummed, before grinning at you, “The name’s Chan.”

“Nice to meet you, now that you aren’t pointing a blade at my face.” You snickered, feeling relieved at the newfound ally-ship of Chan.

“I wont keep you up any longer, (Y/N).” Chan said, bowing at you. You bowed back at him, turning to retreat back to your room

back into your husbands grasp.

But you remembered something.

“Oh, one last thing!” You called back to Chan, who was already at the bottom of the stairs to go back to him room. He looked at you perplexedly, but stopped anyways to let you speak.

“Felix wanted to know how the tarts tasted? He was so happy someone ordered some.” You grinned. Chan let out a breathless laugh, the corners of his mouth curling upwards at your question.

“Tell him they were fantastic. I’m pretty sure my colleague Changbin wants some for the road.” Chan replied, showing off a set of dimples. You nodded before waving the man off, retreating back to your room.

You swore, you have never slept as good as you did that night after your encounter with Chan.

You would also occasionally see 3racha come back to your tavern time and time again

usually when they were in the area for a quest, but they never failed to spend the night and try whatever was specially made that day.

and because of them, you put up a Quest board by the door for people who had odd jobs and were looking for adventurers to complete them.

Things calmed down a bit after that

You were glad, cause it meant you got to spend much more time with Felix, which was nice.

Some nights Felix would hear a song he particularly liked and would emerge from the kitchen to pick you out of the crowd and dance with you.

You always felt happiest in those few moment holding his hands as he twirled you around and sang off key

and on the particularly cold nights, after you were all closed up for the evening,

Felix would read to you, with you snuggled up under his chin and his arms around you, illuminated only by the light of a single candlestick.

It began with simple short stories, but soon enough it became a nightly occurrence and Felix would read novels over the course of a week or two.

And when the snow eventually started to melt and spring rolled around, you would go out to the meadow just beyond the northern border of Miroh and have afternoon picnics.

Felix liked these days best.

You always looked so beautiful, basking in the warm sun while telling him about whatever juicy gossip you heard at the tavern that week.

It reminded him of the afternoons you would accompany him to the greenhouse at the castle, and how those were his favourite days back then too.

only now, you were his wife, and he was free to love you more wholeheartedly.

It was a sunny afternoon and you and Felix were simply enjoying each other’s company

he laid with his head in your lap as you talked about the newest shipment of ale you were to get tomorrow morning, your fingers mindlessly scratching at his scalp.

he let his eyes flutter shut, the sound of your voice and the smell of your skin putting Felix in a dreamy haze

He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep for when you finally tapped delicately on his cheek.

“Hey, I’m so boring you fell asleep?” You teased, causing Felix to sigh and look up at you.

Felix swore you had to be an angel, especially in that moment.

“You could never bore me, My Love.” Felix replied, voice deep and groggy from just waking up.

He sat up and stretched his arms over his head, blinking his eyes a bit to adjust to the warm orange sun.

“We’d better get back, its almost time to open.” You urged your husband, reaching for the cutlery to put it in the basket you bought.

“I wanna stay here with you.” Felix whined playfully, scooting over to lean his head down on your shoulder.

“We cant stay here, we have to work.”

“whyyyyyy?”

“Because! If we don’t work, we can’t have yummy food to eat or books to read or a place to sleep when it gets cold.”

“That’s dumb. I want to just lay with you in the grass and listen to you talk and hold onto you and kiss you and not worry about anything.”

“I know, but life isn’t perfect like that, Dear.” You finished packing away all the plates and cutlery before placing a kiss on Felix’s head, “Besides, if we don’t open up our place for people to stay and be happy for a while, who will?”

Felix hummed, lifting his head to look at you before leaning in and kissing you. 

This time it was longer

Felix felt so lovesick, much like he always does when it comes to you.

He willed all of his love into the kiss, holding you tenderly as you kissed him back with just as much fervor.

When you finally parted, you stood up and held your hand out for Felix. He gladly accepted it, standing too

You made your way down the cobblestone street, swinging your hands back and forth like children as you spoke about how lovely the weather had been the past few days

As you approached the tavern, you noticed there was a man sat on the steps out front

When you actually recognized him, you almost dropped your basket

Minho.

Upon noticing your arrival, he stood up, and blinked a couple times. He seemed like he was the one who was surprised you and Felix were there

He wore simple looking clothes, a cloak for travel, and no crown; this was probably to avoid crowds forming and too much attention…

Felix swore his heart stopped as he froze in place, locking eyes with his brother

He wanted to go to him; hug him and tell him how much he missed seeing Minho. 

He had thought about writing to his older brother, but resisted to urge as he was afraid.

Minho wasn’t just his brother,

He was heir to the throne of Clé

Which meant he had responsibilities.

Ones that probably included bringing Felix back

So instead of going to Minho, greeting him lovingly, Felix held your hand tighter and swallowed heavily

“Yongbok.” The Prince gasped, a breathless chuckle passing through his lips as he approached the two of you, “so the rumours were true…”

Felix said nothing, only putting himself between you and Minho and taking a half step back.

He didn’t know why he had come, but his worst fear was you being taken from him.

Upon your reaction, Minho stopped, eyebrows quirked in confusion. His smile faded

“Why have you come?” Felix asked, expression firm, but he felt like he was made of jelly

You held his hand tightly, swiping your thumb gently across the back of it to help calm your husband down.

“For answers.” Minho replied, fingers fiddling with the hem of his tunic as he watched the two of you, “and to see you I guess…”

The Prince walked back closer to the door, nodding his head towards it, “I arrived a bit earlier and I didn’t get an answer, so I assumed you were out. May we talk more inside?”

“Did you come alone, your highness?” You asked, finally speaking up. You weren’t sure if you should treat Minho with formalities or not, but it felt wrong to address him any other way…

The Prince nodded, “I didn’t want too much attention if I didn’t end up finding you. So..?”

Minho once again gestured to the door and you looked at Felix, who still seemed to be glued to the spot on the walkway

In all honesty, he could barely sense anything besides the sound of the blood rushing in his ears and the feeling of your hand in his.

He felt like his brain was shutting down.

This situation didn’t feel real.

It couldn’t be real

“Dear, what do you want to do?”

It was real.

“What do you think?” Felix finally whispered, turning to you. You gazed into your husbands eyes to find panic residing in them

However, you felt oddly at ease

If Minho was alone, he wasn’t a threat to you

For now, at least

Besides, he already had all the information he needed to ruin your life

He found you.

What more damage could be done by inviting him in?

You nodded, urging Felix to go to his brother

Felix nodded, turning back to Minho, who looked at the two of you expectantly

Felix wordlessly approached the door, holding onto your hand still as he unlocked it, allowing the three of you to enter the tavern

Minho looked around the room; if he had any opinion on your tavern, he didn’t say. He simply stood by the bar, as you closed the door.

Felix was still staring at his brother. It had been so long, he almost didn’t remember what he looked like

Had he always had that hair colour?

“Uhm.. can I get you anything, your highness? Perhaps a tea or something stronger?” You asked tentatively, pulling down a couple of chairs at a table for them to sit at.

“Just tea, thank you.” Minho hummed, sitting at the table you prepared for them. You nodded, taking the basket back to the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink and prepare a pot of tea.

Felix still stood near the bar, feeling anxiety bubble up. The only ease he felt was the sound of you in the kitchen; it was the only thing that grounded him.

“What do you want?” Felix asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He missed Minho, but he couldn’t trust him right now.

“To talk” Minho stated, gesturing to the chair across from him. Felix hesitated, bouncing his leg nervously. Minho slyly grinned, “I don’t bite, Yongbok.”

“Don’t call me that.” Felix mumbled, finally coming over to the table and sitting down across from his brother.

He was still weary, but he knew you were close by if anything happened

“Oh yes, I’ve heard you have a new name. Felix, is it?” Minho asked, frowning as he tapped his fingers on the table and hummed, “Interesting choice. It suits you.”

“What do you want?” Felix repeated, leaning forward in his chair with his expression cold. Minho smiled again, playfully looking at the younger man.

“No need be defensive! I told you. I came for answers.” Minho said. You returned, teapot and a couple of teacups on a tray that you sat down the table. Minho thanked you with a smile, only for you to bow.

You felt unsure if you should sit

Technically, you didn’t work for the royal court anymore, but Minho was still royalty...

You decided to stay standing, placing a gentle hand on your husband’s shoulder to hopefully help ease him.

It did, as you felt Felix’s shoulders relax under your touch.

Minho poured himself some tea, the sweet citrus aroma filling the air; He quietly stirred in a spoon of sugar before tapping it against the rim of the teacup.

“First and foremost, It is nice to see you.” Minho hummed, blowing on his drink twice before taking a tentative sip.

Felix was quiet for only a moment before mumbling out “It’s nice to see you too.”

He meant it.

As much as he felt defensive and out of his element, it was nice to see his brother after all this time.

Minho grinned, looking down to his lap at the confession. He chewed his bottom lip nervously before taking another sip of tea

“You know, you really stirred up a lot of trouble back home.” Minho chuckled, lacing his fingers together and setting his hands on the table, “Do you know what mother has been telling people?”

Felix was quiet; he hadn’t heard anything from Clé since you left.

“That I kidnapped Felix.” You answered for him, causing Felix to look over at you. Your expression was unreadable, but you stared at Minho with some sort of resolve

The Prince looked to you, raising his eyebrows and scoffing.

“Exactly that. “The Trusted Courtier took weapons from the armory and forced The Helpless Prince Yongbok to leave with them, never to be seen again.”” Minho huffed in a sarcastic tone, crossing his arms over his chest, “Can you believe it? How absurd.”

“You don’t believe it?” You asked, eyebrows furrowed and lips drawn into an amused pout; Your expression could be described as cat-like; cautious, yet curious.

“How could I when I found this?” Minho laughed, pulling a folded parchment from out of his pants pocket and placing it on the table.

Felix picked it up and opened it, revealing his own handwriting.

He immediately closed it when he realized what it was, causing his brother to let out a laugh from deep in his chest.

“What is it Felix?” You asked, leaning over to look at your husband’s now reddening face.

“I noticed you took all of your journals and letters with you.” Minho hummed, before pointing at the parchment, “But it seems you must have forgotten one.”

“I- Well...” Felix stammered, looking between you and Minho. Sighing in defeat, he handed you the parchment and let you read it.

Your eyes lit up to see it was a letter

addressed to you.

from Felix.

“Dear (Y/N), I’m not sure I’ll ever be allowed to say this out loud, so I’m writing this letter. You’ll probably never see it; in fact, I intend to never give this to you, but I need to say this or else I’ll probably combust. I am in love with you (I can’t believe I just wrote that...). You’re so smart and so kind. I feel warm when I am around you. You are the only person I feel like truly understands me and I hope that you enjoy spending time with me like I enjoy spending time with you. The truth is, you make my days bearable. You are like the sun. The stars in the night sky. I had the realization I have been struck by Cupid’s arrow because I think about you at all hours. You are my muse; I wonder which flowers you like best while I tend to all of them in the garden. I take my dance lessons and I imagine you are my dance partner. When I lay in bed at night, I think about how I must fall asleep quickly in order to see you again. But what I think about most is if you feel this way about me too? I hope so. - Felix”

Minho watched you read the letter, eyes softening as your expression grew ever so brighter as your eyes flicked down the page.

Felix watched you too, clearly embarrassed by his younger self; but all that dissipated as he saw how bright you were.

“I don’t think someone would write something like that about their kidnapper.” Minho hummed, taking another sip of tea as you finished the letter. You folded it up and held onto to it for a moment, feeling your heart flutter at the words.

Of course, you knew Felix loved you more than anything. But it was special seeing how much he loved you and for how long he’s loved you.

You gazed lovingly at Felix, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. He smiled up at you, grabbing onto your hand that laid at his shoulder.

“So.” Minho cleared his throat, “Seeing as I found that, I knew that something else was going on. And I needed to find out for myself. So I followed the only lead I could find.”

“Rumors of a tavern in Miroh?” Felix deduced, to which his brother nodded, leaning back in his chair. He looked around the room before smiling softly.

“and it looks like the rumors were true.” Minho said looking between you and Felix.

A silence washed over you all for a moment. It seemed Minho was pretty understanding of what your relationship with Felix was

however, that didn’t necessarily mean he approved.

“So, what does it mean now that you know the truth?” Felix asked bluntly. Minho stared at him for a moment before leaning forward

“Are you happy?” Minho asked, tone serious as he laced his fingers together again and placed them on the table.

“More than I’ve ever been.” Felix said honestly, staring down his brother. Minho shook his head before letting out a sigh. His demeanor shifted a bit as you and Felix watched him seemingly have an internal struggle raging in his head. After a moment of silence, he pursed his lips and tapped his fingers on the table nonchalantly as he seemingly had made a decision.

“The truth is, I told myself if it really was you, I’d bring you home.” The Prince said simply. He looked down at the table, brushing a hand through his hair, “I thought you had made a rash and irresponsible decision and I was going to bring you back to where you belong. Of course, I’d leave (Y/N) alone. If I brought them back, Father would surely have their head...”

Felix’s grip on your hand tightened, his stomach dropping at his brother’s words.

Minho’s expression softened as he looked at the two of you, taking one last sip from his teacup.

“However, I see now this is where you belong.” Minho said with a nod. He gestured around the room, playful expression finding it way onto his face, “You have made quite a beautiful home here and you seem to be happier with (Y/N) than I’ve ever seen you be at the castle. It would be wrong of me to take that away, I think.”

“Minho...” Felix sighed with relief, thankfulness written all over his face, “I- I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you, your highness.” You said, bowing at the prince. Minho shook his head and waved his hand, slight pout on his lips.

“There is no need for you to do that, (Y/N). You’re my brother's wife now, so consider the formalities negated.” He said, chuckling to himself, “Besides, I’m not the heir to the throne right now. I’m just a man who came to visit.”

“You should stay for the night.’ Felix exclaimed, smiling at his brother for the first time since he arrived, “The tavern is very lively in the evenings. And I’d love to talk to you more.”

“I can’t stay, unfortunately.” Minho said with a frown, “I’m supposed to be at an alliance coalition with some of the western kingdoms early tomorrow morning, but I snuck away just to see you.”

“One more cup of tea couldn’t hurt?” You suggested, raising an eyebrow at the prince and jabbing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen, “Not to mention, Felix baked a lovely batch of blueberry muffins this morning, and it would be a shame for you not to try one.”

“My brother’s a baker?” Minho teased, turning to Felix and cracking a grin, “No way he would be capable of something like that. I simply must try it out for myself!”

“I’ll go put the kettle back on, and give you two some time to talk alone.” You hummed, placing a quick kiss on Felix’s lips and retreated back into the kitchen; you did take the love letter with you to re-read though

Felix giggled, his body feeling like it was on cloud nine.

He swore, he never felt so happy

maybe it was because he was relieved that his life wasn’t over,

but it was also nice to see Minho again.

The two of them talked as they used to, comfortably and casually.

Felix wouldn’t have the chance to speak with Minho often when he lived at the castle; his brother was much more busy and with conflicting duties and schedules, they never really had the time.

But whenever they did, it was never uncomfortable or awkward.

You didn’t want to intrude on their time alone, so after the tea was done and ready, you brought it to them before scurrying back to the kitchen to make yourself busy preparing for the dinner tonight

Felix asked about Karina and how Clé was doing; Apparently they were well, and Minho seemed to truly love the future queen. Felix also learned that apparent Winter had been married last autumn and was doing well too (Felix felt very relieved to hear this)

Clé was in a minor food shortage, but Minho was hoping to supplement that with an trade alliance with the western island of Halazia, who needed lumber for ships.

Felix then told Minho of the tavern and what it was like trying to afford to get it up and running. He spoke of the evening activities and how he got to do what he loved all the time. 

And of course, Felix spoke of you; he told his brother how you supported him always, how you would do anything to make him happy, and how much he adored you as a person. He talked about all of his favourite activities to do with you and how it felt like a dream come true to get to fall asleep next to you everyday.

They were so caught up in conversation, they were both taken by surprise when someone walked in the door

“Wow, you guys have been slacking off today! The chairs aren’t even taken off the bar yet.” Hyunjin huffed out, smile on his face as he hung up his jacket. When he realized Felix was with another man, he flinched and grew flustered.

“Oh, forgive me! I didn’t realize you had a visitor.” Hyunjin apologized with a bow, “Sorry for intruding.”

“Don’t worry about it, Jinnie!” Felix chuckled, turning to Minho, “This is Hyunjin, our bar-hand.”

Hyunjin bowed again, waving at Minho before disappearing into the back to “take an inventory check”

“I guess that would be my cue to leave.” Minho hummed, standing from his chair. He hesitated to go, wanting to spend more time with Felix...

but Minho knew his responsibilities far outweighed his desire.

Felix lunged at him, engulfing his brother in a tight hug, which was reciprocated warmly.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well here.” Minho said, releasing Felix from his grip, “I’ll be sure to write to you occasionally. And if I can, I’d love to visit you once again.” 

“You better! I’ll miss you too much if you don’t” Felix grinned, leading Minho to the door, “Goodbye and safe travels.”

Minho hesitated once more at the door before hugging Felix again. With that final hug, he said goodbye, with Felix watching him walk away until he was out of sight

Felix felt his heart ache at the sight, but knew that he would at least be able to see Minho again someday

which was much more joyous than never hearing from him at all.

“Uhm... Lix?” Hyunjin asked, coming out from the back and leaning on the bar. He had a slight frown on his face and a pout on his lips.

Oh yes, Felix almost forgot he would have to try and explain the sudden visitor, which was very out of the ordinary of him to have.

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to pry, but who was that?”

“That was my brother.” Felix mumbled, thinking up an excuse. He chewed his bottom lip before gazing up at Hyunjin, “He’s from a far away kingdom, so he can’t visit often.”

Hyunjin’s frown deepened, but he simply nodded, flashing a fake smile.

“Well, I’m glad your brother could visit.” He hummed, before starting to prepare the bar for tonight.

Did Hyunjin really have no further questions for Felix? It felt odd considering that the situation was strange and Felix gave a kind of wishy-washy, short answer.

technically he didn’t lie to Hyunjin,

Minho was from a kingdom far from here.

He just didn’t tell him Minho was soon to be the king of said kingdom

Felix doubted that Hyunjin didn’t have anymore suspicions about his visitor; He had always been bright and attentive, being able to read pretty much anyone. Hyunjin most likely knew something was fishy but simply decided to not say anything about it.

that is, until the bar had closed down for the night and the bar-keep beckoned both you and your husband to the back storage room to discuss something.

“So, what is this all about?” You asked, oblivious to the situation at hand

“I finally pieced it all together.” Hyunjin stated simply, expression unreadable

you furrowed your brow in confusion, looking over to Felix who looked as though he had seen a ghost. 

of course he figured it out. 

Felix knew he would 

But what did that mean for all you’d have built?

so many new people being let in on your little secret made him sick. Putting trust that his and your entire life wouldn’t be ruined in another person’s hands makes him anxious beyond belief.

“Pardon? I’m not sure what you are referring to, Jin?” You confessed truthfully; you weren’t sure what the bar-keep was speaking of, but you could feel your nerves grow weak as you were sure to be able to guess what this could be about.

“I was wondering why we had the honor of a visit from Prince of Clé,” Hyunjin began, eyes darting between you and Felix as he spoke, “I couldn’t remember where I recognized him from at first, but then I remembered seeing his face in the paper after his wedding. And Felix informed me that it was his brother coming to visit, which cleared all my suspicions up.”

“I... I don’t know what to say...” Felix spoke shakily, body trembling.

god he felt so stupid!

of course people would know what the Clé prince -the future king of a neighboring kingdom- would look like.

why did he reveal it was his family...

“The bounty hunters, not speaking of the past, even that Clé longbow you keep behind the bar...” Hyunjin hummed, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk, “not to mention you bear a striking resemblance to a particular missing prince?”

You were silent, standing like a statue as you assessed what to do.

truthfully, you were even less surprised than Felix that Hyunjin had figured it out; intuition and a few clues you supposed.

“Am I correct?” Hyunjin tilted his head slightly; his gaze was playful as his lips were drawn into a thin line.

Felix looked to you, reaching out his hand to lace his fingers with yours before turning back to Hyunjin with a curt nod.

there was no sense to lie to the man anymore.

Hyunjin bit his bottom lip, staring at the floor. The room was silent and the air was thick with tension

Until Hyunjin let out a breathless chuckle shaking his head. A grin found its way onto his face as you and Felix held your breath

“Honestly, I’m just more upset you guys didn’t tell me sooner” the bar-keep hummed, looking between you two, “how long have I worked here by now? And you still don’t trust me?”

“Sorry Jin,” You frowned, feeling a slight bit embarrassed at him scolding you, “But I’m sure you can understand why we want to keep our past a secret”

“No shit, hey?” Hyunjin laughed, which sounded like a symphony to Felix

He wasn’t going to turn you both in

Honestly, now that he really thought about it, it wouldn’t be in Hyunjin’s character to betray you both like that, so why was Felix even worried in the first place?

Well, plenty of reasons, considering what the secret was.

But it was Hyunjin.

And Felix liked him.

He trusted him.

And you did too.

“Hyunjin, we should have told you the moment we hired you. We are really sorry.” Felix confessed, reaching his hand out to shake the other man’s. For some reason, Felix did feel genuinely guilty for hiding his past from Hyunjin…

It must have shown on his face because Hyunjin simply looked at before swatting it away, pulling your husband into a hug

“Hey, I get it.” He spoke softly, pulling away to wrap his arms around you tenderly, “both of you must have gone through hell. I don’t blame you for wanting to move forward and never look back.”

“Maybe we can, just once more.” You suggested, looking between the two men with a knowing smirk, “I think you deserve a bit more detail onto how we got here, no?”

“Should I put the tea on?” Felix asked, smiling at you and then at Hyunjin fondly.

He couldn’t agree with you more; if he’s going to know, Hyunjin should get the whole story. The truth.

“I’d love to hear all about it.” Hyunjin exclaimed enthusiastically, walking out to the bar and pulling down a couple of the stools, “I’m sure it’s a hell of a story…”

And you couldn’t help but agree; your life with Felix was quite the story…

One that now had more interesting characters in it.

And one that you couldn’t wait to see how it goes next, with the dawn of new connections, but the same love you had and always will have for Felix

——————————————

A/N: OKAYYY FINALLY DONE!! Just over a year this baby has been in the making, but posting my 3racha fic in this universe had me inspired to finally finish it. I know this part has a little less focus on you and Lix, but I get as though other characters and relations are also interesting. I hope you enjoyed it :33

[dreaming-medium]

Animals Without Direction

Chapter One - Thrice The Amount

Next Chapter

Masterlist

“No.” Your voice was stern, your eyes didn’t even look up from the plate in front of you. A hefty helping of roasted potatoes being pushed around by the metal fork in your hand.

“I am offering you a hefty sum of gold.” the man’s voice pleaded with you.

He was leaning over the table in an attempt to keep the volume of the conversation between the two of you down. 

The tavern was lively, but not as lively as it could be. A bard continued to play his lute across the room in front of a massive hearth. The fire roared and spread heat through the room, warding off the chill of the late autumn air. Several patrons were sitting at the bar and various tables, either lost in conversations or the food in front of them. 

Your small table was tucked in the corner, away from the bustle of the normal crowd. It’s not that you preferred the quiet, no, there were nights where you would be leading the drinking songs. But tonight, you just wanted to eat in peace.

An hour before you arrived at the tavern, you had just finished a job that had promised more gold than it delivered. 

The life of a mercenary was not as glorious as your child self thought it was. It wasn’t slaying dragons and protecting royalty from assassins; quite the opposite, it was just another way to say ‘glorified messenger’. Bringing packages from one hold in the land to another, staying awake through the night to discover why a farmer’s crops were disappearing.

It was usually a beggar. 

Poor sods were usually so hungry that you would turn a blind eye, find a wolf, kill it, and bring it to the farmer, claiming it to be the reason for the missing crops. This way the beggar wouldn’t have their thumbs cut off for stealing.

Not that you were any better than a beggar at this point. Money was tight. The gold you had in your pouch was enough to pay for your dinner and one more pint of ale. 

The only difference between you and the homeless on the cobblestone street was the sword on your hip.

“I am well aware of the amount you offer, but you must think me mad to go anywhere near Miroh.”

Miroh . Fellow mercenaries have left for jobs– simple ones– and have not returned.

And yet, this man in front of you has the gall to not only request that you go near the Hold’s borders, but to enter their walls. 

A stiff silence sits between the two of you. You bring your fork down and stab a potato, plopping it in your mouth and looking at the man for the first time since he sat across from you. 

Greasy, black hair sat on his head, hanging in front of his eyes. The man was wearing a noble's robe; but if you looked closer, you could see how worn the fabric was. Burn holes littered the sleeves and the hem near the ground was absolutely filthy. 

He looked to be about middle aged.

“Thrice the amount, then.”

You paused. 

Swallowing your mouthful of food, you placed your fork back on the table. Tonguing your cheek and shifting on your seat.

Individually, you cracked each knuckle on both hands, your mind reeling.

“Explain the job to me once more.”

The man let out a sigh of relief, you quickly held your hand up before he began.

“I am not yet agreeing, I want to hear more details prior to anything.”

He nodded, tensing up once more.

“I require your protection as I finalize a trading contract between my company and Miroh. We specialize in the exchange of foreign goods across the water.”

“We would be meeting with the Jarl directly?”

“Nay, he does not deal with petty things like trading contracts,” the man scoffs and sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “We would be meeting with someone in his court, Han Jisung. I have been discussing this deal with him via letters for months.”

“If you are only meeting on a predetermined agreement, why do you push for protection?” You ask, picking up your pint of honeyed ale, taking a long sip.

The man’s eyes looked to the side, setting off alarm bells in your mind. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.

“If I am to protect you, I will need to know all the details.”

He shifted on his chair, clearly uncomfortable, clearly hiding something. His tongue poked from his lips to wet them nervously.

“In the past, I may have…” he hesitated, “I may have skimmed from the top of their goods.”

One of your eyebrows raised, mug still in front of your face.

“But that was many years ago. Han Jisung spoke of mending these ties in his letters.” he explains, looking back to your eyes. “Our company is the best in the land. High quality goods for a fair price, they must have realized that in our absence. Miroh simply wishes to use our services once more.”

You place your now empty mug onto the table, looking down at the old wood.

There is no way this is going to go smoothly. Every sense of danger was ringing in your mind to reject this deal.

With the reputation Miroh has, they let a merchant skim their goods and are crawling back ?

Patrons of the tavern begin to sing, surrounding the bard. Your eyes shifted up to take in the happy sight, smiles on all of their faces, happy flushes on their skin from the alcohol buzzing through their veins. 

The lute’s strings sounded beautiful to your ears. Life here is alright, you are making it work. 

But the almost empty gold pouch at your hip seemed heavier than when it had gold inside it.

“Five times my normal amount.” You meet eyes with the man. His jaw clenched for a moment, considering your offer. He doesn’t seem pleased in the least bit.

But it seems he has no choice.

An entire verse of the bard’s song passed before he reached across the table, extending his hand.

You clasp hands with him.

“At first light we leave for Miroh.”

----------------------------------------------

Gautier.

You learn his name three days into your journey; just as you are being led through the never ending hallways of Miroh’s keep. The stone walls seem… warmer than you expected of the Hold.

Even when you first crossed the border, it wasn’t fires and crying children like you had heard whispers of.

It seemed… better than where you had come from.

Where are all the miserable folk and wounded soldiers? Where are the bandits that supposedly run rampant in these parts?

When you are shown into a room, there are two men already waiting inside. One was much stockier than the other, his arm muscles on display due to the open nature of his heavy armor. Beautifully crafted gauntlets covered his forearms. A large battle axe strapped to his back, a neutral expression on his face.

The other man sat behind a desk, a sneaky looking smile already displayed across his round cheeks. He wore true noble robes made of various silks and expensive threads. 

His clothing made Gautier’s look like no more than a potato sack with arm and leg holes.

Both of their eyes flicker to you and Gautier as you cross the threshold. The larger man, clearly his protection, surveys you closely.

He has no doubt clocked every single weapon strapped to your body.

Perhaps save for the one silver dagger you keep tucked inside your boot.

You mirror his movements, scanning his entire body up and down. One battle axe and three throwing knives on his belt. When your eyes meet him again, there’s an imperceptible twitch to the corner of his mouth. 

“Guatier!” the smaller man exclaims, standing from his position behind the desk. 

“Jisung, it has been a long while, my friend.” Guatier’s entire demeanor changes. This fake mask slides over his face and he becomes a different person. It takes every fiber of your being not to roll your eyes.

Guatier walks up to Jisung and they shake hands over the desk. You remain by the door, arms crossed over your chest. 

“I see you have a new guard, Guatier.” Jisung motions over to you as he sits back down. Guatier does not even look back at you before waving him off.

“Do not mind her, she is only hired muscle.”

“Still, you know we cannot have outside ears hearing of our deals.” Jisung leans forward, his voice lowering a bit. 

Your eyebrow quirks, you finally break eye contact with Jisung’s body guard to look over at Guatier’s back. He doesn’t even turn to look at you.

A scoff comes out of his mouth. “She will not understand any of what we speak of. Her simple mind knows only battle, it is all she is good for. No complex thoughts to be found in that head.”

Typically, you choose to keep a stoic face no matter what, especially on the job. But, in this moment, you cannot control the anger that flicks across your features.

Oh, the slimy bastard…

Jisung’s eyes look back at you again, his brows furrowed for a split second. He watches your emotions change and the corner of his lips twitch into a half smile.

“Still,” he starts, his gaze stays on you for another moment before he looks back at Gautier, his look darkens for a moment. “Even fools can repeat words.”

Jisung meets your eyes once more. They linger, almost as if he’s looking right through your soul. His expression softens when he lays his eyes on you.

“Changbin,” Jisung says and the guard doesn’t even flinch, but his eyes shift down to the other man. “Please bring the ‘hired muscle’ out to another room so we may conduct our business.”

The guard, Changbin, nods once and walks towards you quickly. His heavy boots thud on the wooden floor with every step.

You look back at Guatier, who only now has decided to turn around in his chair to look at you. Horror and anxiety flashes across his face; but you cannot find it within yourself to feel any pity.

A strong hand grips your upper arm and you’re forcefully led out of the office.

“Now, why don’t we begin by discussing your pre-” the door closes before you can hear the rest of Jisung’s sentence to your ‘boss’.

Changbin’s grip on your arm doesn’t loosen as he leads you down the hall. The grip is borderline painful through the fabric.

Deciding not to say anything about it, you just clench your jaw and let him drag you further and further away from the man you were supposed to be protecting. 

Would it be the worst thing in the world if Guatier was killed, though?

Your mind pauses, weighing the options.

No, no it wouldn’t be.

Because he had given you half of the payment up front before you left for the journey. 

Still, your honor was on the line for this. 

It wasn’t until you rounded two more corners into a more open common area that Changbin’s grip loosened on your arm. You shook off his hold and glanced at his stern face one more before walking away from him.

Four other guards stood on either side of two separate door ways. All looking bored. 

“Do not venture.” he grumbles, it was the first time you heard his voice. 

“Interesting command given that you led me from my employer.”

Your eyes scan the room around you, it seems to be a library of sorts. Shelves line each wall with books and various items littered along them. 

“You work for his company?”

“Nay,” you scoff, “I do not wish to work for that slime. I am only a mercenary, Guatier hired my sword to get him here safely and insure he leaves with his head.”

Changbin only grunts in acknowledgment as you walk over to one of the shelves. Gently, you reach up and spin a glass bottle to turn the label, allowing yourself to see behind you through the reflection.

In the distorted glass, you can see Changbin’s eyes watching you carefully, both hands staying at his side. He’s studying your movements very carefully.

You look away from the reflection, tilting your head to scan over the various titles of books on the shelf. 

“Hm,” you hum, fingering at one of the books, “ Spider With Gold , I have not seen this book in many years…” you whisper wistfully.

There’s a shift behind you.

“You are able to read?”

You turn around to look at Changbin, who, for the first time, seems almost bashful. His hands twitched as his sides and he is only able to hold your eye contact for a moment before looking off to the side.

“Aye, scholars should not be the only ones able to read and document history.” you turn back to the bookshelf. “Do you not know how?”

Looking up in the reflection of the bottle, you see Changbin shift his weight from one boot to the other, his eyes boring holes into your back.

“Nay.” he says firmly, “Never learned how.”

“Shame.” you utter softly.

A long, stiff silence settles in the room. 

You learned to read at a very young age, your mother made sure to teach you the letters as soon as your brain was able to retain it.

‘The more you read, the more you will know. And the more you know will ensure that no one will outsmart you, my dear.’

Books took up most of the spare space you had in your traveling pack. Every once in a while, when you would get an interesting quest that went into bandit nests, you were able to find one or two new ones to add to your never ending collection. 

If you’re being truthful with yourself, it broke your heart that Changbin could not read, he could not enjoy the simple pleasure that reading could bring. Nor could he pick up on sword tricks written down through the centuries.

Just when it feels like the room could not get any quieter, a shrill scream bellows through the stone halls.

Your head snaps up to look in the reflection of the bottle just as a guard raises his sword behind you, intending to strike.

“Wait!” 

Everything in your body suddenly comes alive at the impending danger. Your weight shifts and you leap out of the way.

A loud crash is heard as the guard’s sword slices through the wooden shelves.

“Of course.” you mutter, quickly regaining your balance. 

Another soldier comes from your right, swinging his sword in an upwards strike, you dodge by spinning to the left. At the same time, your hand quickly unsheathes your sword.

Mid-spin, instincts take over and you raise your sword to clash with another guard’s. Both of your swords swing around in an arc to free them. Instead of completing the arc, you pull back and raise your boot to kick the guard right in the gut.

He lurches forward in pain and you, never missing an opportunity, bring your sword down and slice his head from his neck immediately. 

One down.

The first guard seems to have recovered, but only for a moment. He eyes watch as his friend is decapitated; his face drains of all color and eyes snap up to yours. 

A wicked smile crosses your face as you take advantage of his moment of weakness. Your sword plunges right through his gut, his mouth immediately coughing up a sick amount of blood.

Quickly, you pull your sword back. There’s a small sense of danger ringing in the back of your mind, so you jump away from where you were standing right before a sword splits the air.

Changbin, flanked by the two remaining guards, is staring at you with a curious look in his eyes. Just by studying his face, you can practically see his mind racing with numerous thoughts.

Why does he look so torn?

His battle ax is clasped firmly in his large hands, knees bent in a perfect battle stance. 

With your feet firmly planted on the floor, you take a brief moment to size the three of them up. The guard to Changbin’s right leaps at you first, his sword swinging wildly in short, choppy arcs. Untrained technique, a definite beginner.

You almost feel bad for a split second, poor thing probably never expected this.

Nevertheless, it’s kill or be killed at this moment, and it’s only a matter of time before more guards start flooding into the room. 

You raise your sword to block one of the strikes. The sound of metal hitting metal is ear piercing. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the last guard. reaching back for a powerful strike.

Thinking quickly, you grab the younger guard's arm, yanking him towards you and into the trajectory path of the second guard’s sword, stepping out of danger.

The second guard slices into his comrade by accident, both of them letting out shrill screams.

Before the second guard could recover from his accidental killing, you swing your sword in a massive arc and instantly kill him.

Both bodies drop to the ground in a heap.

Without giving yourself time to breathe, you turn around sharply to look at Changbin, who hasn’t moved a single muscle in the last minute. He stood there, wide-eyed, watching as you massacred his fellow soldiers and did absolutely nothing about it. 

The two of you make eye contact for a long moment.

Your chest heaving with heavy pants from the exertion, hand tightening around the handle of your sword. 

There is only a split second to think about your next move. Maybe even less.

Fear and adrenaline are coursing through your veins. 

Why isn’t he attacking you? Why is he just standing there?

Your mouth felt like someone had stuffed cotton into it, sweat dripped down your back.

Changbin’s foot shifted on the floor and you quickly made your decision.

You turned around and ran .

----------------------------------------------

“ Hey! ” you heard Changbin scream behind you as you rounded the corner out of the room. 

Which way did you come from? Which way was the way out? Once you get out of the keep, you should be fine.

Your light leather boots made soft thuds on the floor as you sprinted through the stone maze. Sheathing your sword in the process, your eyes wildly scan around for anything familiar. 

Changbin’s voice could be heard every few seconds as he chased you through the keep. 

To The Void with Guatier, you needed to get out of here. You knew you shouldn’t have taken this job. You just knew it. 

When you round one corner, you smack directly into someone, but your momentum knocks them over, your steady balance keeping you on your feet. 

The guard stumbles to the ground with a yelp, looking up at you with an extremely startled expression.

“Jeongin!” Changbin yells off in the distance, “Grab her!”

Jeongin snaps his head in the direction of Changbin’s voice, then back up at you. You don’t stick around to see his next move, your legs already carrying you far away from the guard on the ground. 

It’s close, the entrance is close, you vaguely remember these hallways. It has to be close. 

Once you’re out of the keep, you’ll run and never look back. You will never enter Miroh again, you won’t even come within fifty leagues of the Hold.

A solid hand gripped the back of your light armor, fingers pulling on the leather straps. 

With a yelp, you’re yanked backwards and thrown onto the floor. Your head collides with the stone floor with a solid crack .

Pain blossoms from the impact and your vision blacks out for a split moment. 

The adrenaline coursing through you keeps you from passing out, you quickly shake your head to clear the confusion.

Jeongin is standing over you with an almost apologetic look. He looks up behind you, then back down at you.

“Do not just stand there! Grab her, bind her hands!” Changbin commands, his voice closer than before.

Panic seizes your body and as Jeongin reaches for you, you kick your foot out on the ground right into his gut. 

A loud, pained exhale is shoved from his lungs and he doubles forward, clutching the area you just kicked. 

“If you would just-” Jeongin wheezes out in between pained breaths.

You don’t listen, you clamber to your feet. The back of your head throbbing worse and worse with each passing second.

Just as you’re about to take off down the hall again, a strong hand grabs your wrist and turns your arm, trapping it behind your back.

You’re roughly shoved against the cobblestone wall, one arm pinned behind you.

Hot, deep pants are felt on the back of your neck, you notice the hand holding your wrist is clammy.

“By The Six, woman,” Changbin breathes out, mouth close to the back of your neck.

You struggle for a moment, trying desperately to break his hold on you. Changbin only tightens his grip.

“Jeongin,” he practically growls, the guard grunts in response, still cradling his gut in pain. “Fetch me some rope, make it quick.”

Jeongin grunts again and limps off.

Changbin leans down closer, lips right next to your ear.

The heat coming from his body is insane, it feels like his entire front is pressed against your back to keep you against the wall.

Not that you have any fight left in your body, the adrenaline is wearing off and the pain from your skull is getting worse by the second. Each beat of your heart shoots a splinter of pain through your skull.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Changbin basically growls, his breath brushing against your ear.

“If you are to kill me, do it already. Why extend my torture?” You close your eyes, letting your face rest on the wall. When did your fingertips go numb?

“Kill you?” Changbin lets out a chuckle behind you. “And waste a sword arm like yours? Nay, I believe we may have better use for you.”

The world was fading fast, towards the end of his sentence, it sounded like his voice was three rooms away. 

“Sir, I have the rope.” Jeongin’s voice was the last you heard before your body collapsed.

[daceydeath]

Creatures of Chaos Masterlist

Light in the Dark Pairing: Vampire Chan x Human F Reader Genre: Fantasy AU, Word Count: 33.5K Warnings: 18+, Swearing, Supernatural Themes, Drinking, Suggestive Themes

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Final

Light:  (One shot) Pairing: Vampire Chan x Female Reader Genre: Fantasy AU, Smut Word Count: 2.3K Warnings: 18+, Swearing, Marking, Explicit Activities

A Cup of Magic: (One shot) Pairing: Cambion Seungmin x Nymph Reader Genre: Fantasy AU, Fluff, Angst Word Count: 4.5K Warnings: Swearing, Suggestive Themes

You had been best friends for a life time so you were well aware how protective Felix was about you and it had never been an issue until it was one.

(Other members coming soon)

[lilmisssona]

𓍢ִ໋🀦 THE UNIVERSITY OF MAGICKS 𓍢ִ໋🀦

OFFICIAL TEASER

🎧 USE HEADPHONES FOR THE BEST LISTENING EXPERIENCE 🎶

𖤓 PAIRING : Vampire! Hyunjin × Witch! Fem Reader

𖤓 GENRE : Supernatural AU, SMAU, Enemies To Lovers, Murder Mystery AU

𖤓 PLOT : "You're accepted to The University Of Magicks" You thought it was just a fun prank, a spam ad even. But when you get actually accepted, things start to get real....You move across the country to start your new life, only to get on the nerves of a certain vampire.... Join on this magical journey as you navigate through life, friendships , love and maybe even an ancient curse ??!! Will you be able to thrive or will this be a battle to survive ?

COMING SOON!! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

🌷͙֒𓂃🦋 Our Eternal Allies: @atinyniki @minholing @j-one25 @writingforstraykids @cheesemonky @michelle4eve @yangbbokari @skzoologist @jinnie-ret

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Put your @ in the comments to be added. Remember very few bunk beds left so apply soon! ( • ᴗ - ) ✧

[romancefranaticstay]

𝓓𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼

𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓰𝓸𝓻𝔂: 𝓯𝓵𝓾𝓯𝓯, smut

Lee felix x devil reader

ミ◦❧◦°˚°◦.¸¸◦°´❤•.¸♥♥¸.•❤´°◦¸¸.◦°˚°◦☙◦彡ミミ◦❧◦°˚°◦.¸¸◦°´❤•.¸♥ ♥¸.•❤´°◦¸¸

As a devil, you shouldn't fall in something called 'love'. Like it was thought on your side, love was a trap for poor souls to fall into. It didn't excist on your side. You were 'The Devil'. Not the honor or the highest devil of them all, but your father was indeed the devil. You were extremely dangerous, but there was something. Something only you knew about. A side of yours that has a weakness, a weakness no one else has. A weakness of those beautifull white wings...

Others called you the perfect example, of the death nouns. You liked to be evil, to have the cruelity personality of a devil. To have the guts to make others eyes bleed. To make the soul bleed for enternity, and not to feel any guilt. To cut a wound that would stay forever and never heal, how much others would try to reach your level, you would be the only one with the cruelest soul.

One day you were like the others on earth. You were undercover on earth. Nobody regonized you as the cruel. Nobody ever does, nobody ever has, and nobody ever will. Observing poor and weak souls from a distance. Seeing through them, without even noticing. People walking by, trying to discover your new victim.

Suddenly a person walked by, you though it was a person. A boy, with perfect white skin, perfect blond hair. You couldn't look through him, it felt weird. You tried to lead his eyes towards yours, because everyone knew the eyes are the door of the soul.

The eyes you looked in, were one of a kind. It didn't feel like a human, didn't sound like one. His dark brown eyes falling into a place, a place nobody ever has been. His gaze gave you a weird feeling in your stomach. People describe it like butterflies, you describe it like thorns. Thorns of a red rose.

His gaze counting in seconds, his gaze lasting forever. Your eyes binding together like one. The feeling got lost when his eyes left yours, alone in the dark. You weren't letting this slide, this was like witchcraft.

He was walking away, but ofcourse he couldn't escape you. You gave him a couple of seconds to walk further.

5

4

3

2

1

....

Time to hunt him down. You had the feeling it was an angel. His soul felt to pure. He was walking around into a crowd of people. All of a sudden he went left, into a dark erea. The perfect time. You followed him into the darkness, untill you felt someone grab your arms.

You couldn't see what happend into the dark. Your hands pinned above your head. Looking into the darkness of the space. Suddenly seeing two eyes staring into yours, those angeleyes.

His face coming closer to yours, untill your two noses touched eachother. His breath smelled like flowers and heaven. You may ask how i know how heaven smells... No questions, for now...

'Your prescence is making mine heart beat to fast.' he said.

'It isn't mine fault your heartbeat can't handle the heat.'

'You should have stayed in the flames of hell.'

'You should have stayed behind the gates of heaven.' you hissed back.

He stopped pinning your hands on the wall. You placed your hands on his shoulders. Looking into his eyes, knowing the other side wants it to.

The thing with devils and angels are they can sense heat-feelings. Heat feelings aren't anger or frustration. Heat feelings are sexual feelings between two.

He opens his wings and embrace's you with them. Holding close to his body. Feeling every inch of it. Feeling everything you want to feel. He holds you close as he launche's himself in the air. Ofcourse the people eye sight were so terribly bad, they never could seen through the 'wall'.

He was flying towards a space, a space nobody ever knew excisted. Only God knew it excisted, but God can't stop true love. The place was somewhere in the universe. A place were everything was like a bed, so soft.

'Gosh, you are driving me insane Y/N.' his hands wandering around your body. His lips smacking on yours. Moaning in eachothers mouth. Your tongues interwining with eachother.

He pushed you on the ground, his arms around your body. You moaned out his name. His hands found a way in your panties.

'Alreaddy so wet for me, devilly.' his two fingers playing with your clit.

'G-go faste-.' you couldn't make any sentencen's anymore, it was to difficult. The feeling of pleasure was to overwhelming.

'Devilly, devilly, so needy.' his finger going faster, faster and faster. Your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

'I- am going to c-cum.' suddenly he stopped.

'W-what? Why did you stop?' he smirked. He undid his belt and lowered his pants. He took out his length. It was big and veiny. The thoughts of him inside you made you dizzy.

He placed his lenght by your entrance. He slamed his hips into you. You choked on a moan. He interwined his hand with yours.

'You are doing great devilly.' his other hand he placed on your cheek. Softly touching it. Your cheeks were bright red because of the heat. He found it adorable to see you under him.

His pace started to go faster. Sounds of moans, skin slapping and sweet little words filled the space. He was pumping fast into you. Looking straight into your eyes.

'Angelly, i-am going to c-cum.' you moaned out.

He started to pump into you fast, faster and faster. Untill you couldn't hold it in anymore. You screamed the biggest moan. Felix stayed pumping into your, untill he came with a moan.

'You did so well devilly, so well.' he whispered. You felt his sweatty body on yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck and brought him into a sloppy kiss. His arms embracing your body.

Both of you stayed laying in eachother arms. His wings embracing and hiding you both.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A wonder happend with you both. It is impossible for a devil and an angel to pro-create, but because the love between you two, were so strong. God gifted you a beautifull baby boy and girl. A twin boy and girl.

The boy was called: Cupide (Cupido) and the girl was called: Amora. They both represented the love between you two. And those two, would become one of the most powerfull people in the univserse.

[written-in-flowers]

The Drifter: The Weaved Web (1.01)

Pairing: Chan x Demon!fem!Reader (future)

Genre: adventure, fantasy, romance, fluff

AU: western!au, fantasy!au, bounty hunter!au,

Word Count: 20k

Overall Summary: A demonic bounty hunter drifts into the sleepy seaside town of Levanter Bay, and there is where she finally finds a real home.

Tags: western!au, demon!reader, fantasy!au, high fantasy, kidnapping, child kidnapping, demon summoning, mentions of death, mentions of trauma/PTSD, arachnophobia, descriptions of violence,

Disclaimer: These works are completely fictious and for entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to reflect or label the members of Stray Kids. The events within never took place.

Please do not repost/translate!

****

Episode 1: Sacrifices.

Episode Summary: A rash of child kidnappings has unsettled the quaint town of Levanter Bay, Sheriff Bahng and his deputies are at a loss until a strange demon comes riding into town.

***

‘Welcome to Levanter Bay, The Sunny Side.”

Levanter Bay appeared anything but sunny. An overcast sky blocked any sunlight that might’ve shone on the open bay. The water washing up on the docks appeared gray and dark, small waves lapping at the wooden stilts holding up the port. From the top of the hill, the small town resembled a semi-circle of small buildings leading out to the docks far off. It did not seem any different than any other country town, and after a week of riding and camping, a warm bed and a hot meal sounded good. Giving gentle kicks to Summer's sides, the black mare started to walk down from the hills. 

“What do you think, girl?” You asked your mount with a soft pat. “How does a warm night in a stable of hay sound?” When Summer huffed, you said, “I know we're low on money. With a bit of luck, this place will have a bounty board and we can get some coin. It'll all work out, I promise.” 

Summer gave another snort, and you furrowed your brow. “Don't be bitter. That thing with the snakes turned out okay in the end. We got the reptile guy's amulet and returned it to the villagers. Everything was fine like all the other times. Whatever job we find next will be just as easy, and we can end the day with a good pint of ale and some hay….” You then scratched her neck, “And maybe an apple? A sugarcube?”

You smiled when Summer whinnied softly. Reaching the bottom of the hill, you saw the quiet town up ahead of the dirt road. People riding their own horses and driving wagons passed you on their way into town, likely on their way to the ships at the end of the main road. You considered taking one of them when you finish up business in town. The destination itself never mattered to you. Each location offered up more chances at new experiences and new lessons. The Shadowlands provided nothing but melancholy and pain. The mortal world teemed with life, and you wanted to feel it all. 

Once you entered town, you saw the scope of the townspeople. People of all races, human and magic, lived side by side in harmony. You spotted a werewolf in human form, his ears and nose a dead giveaway, talking to an elderly man through a post office window. Out of the local bank came a blond man, counting bills before sticking them in his bill fold. Two women, one a feline werecat and the other a reptilian walked together to a market stall run by a young human. Back home, the only people around were other demons like yourself. Those who passed through The Mar already departed the mortal realm, therefore could not be considered “alive”. They’d been shadows who could do nothing but wail in their misery. You made eye contact with a skinny elf walking out of a barbershop, and grinned.

“Morning, sir,” you nodded at him as you rode past. 

Townspeople in such a tight knit community tended to eye strangers closely, but they appeared extra suspicious of you. A young mother walking past with her children spotted you, and held them closer to her sides, rushing away from you. It's your horn stumps, no doubt. No amount of hair or hats could hide the two stumps on the front of your head. The first tell-tale sign of a demon was their horns, their markings being the second. You covered yours with your jacket and gloves, but if anyone did see them, they'd see the ancient fire runes inked onto your shoulders and wrists in adolescence. It’d been your markings that drew Him to you in the first place. 

‘Children of the flames are mighty and strong. I can make you stronger.’ 

Summer gruffed when a reptilian woman crossed her path, but you calmed her down immediately. Clearly, your dreadsteed hadn't gotten over her last encounter with reptiles. You apologized to the woman, then asked:

“Excuse me, can you tell me where your inn or hotel is around here?”

“In the market square,” she said a tad affronted, closing her coat over her chest with folded arms. “The White Pearl, is the name. Ask for Changbin, he'll get you a room, Miss.”

“Thank you, and sorry again about my horse,” you patted Summer's neck, “She's…skittish.”

The woman gave a contemptuous huff, then walked away. Riding into the large town square, you pass vendors selling their wares until you find an inn nestled into a corner. You guessed it by the hanging sign that read “The White Pearl” with an open clam shell underneath. Through saloon doors and large windows, you saw patrons already enjoying a drink and a meal inside. The thought of a hot breakfast crossed your mind, and your stomach growled. Dismounting Summer, you tied her up to a pole next to other horses, and walked inside. 

Nobody noticed you walk in, since everyone appeared focused on their own conversations. Good. You didn't want anyone seeing you. Crowded places tended to have too many eyes, and too many eyes also meant too many mouths. You've run out of enough taverns to know to keep a low profile until you've taken a good look around. 

‘Mortals are weak and simple. They are meant to be beneath our feet.’ 

“Howdy there,” a voice caught your attention.

He stood behind the bar cleaning pint glasses. Seeing his muscled arms and short stature, you guessed a dwarf but he appeared a bit too tall. A forest dwarf, then. He wore a flannel shirt rolled up his forearms and a white apron around his waist. You gave a small smile and head nod as you approached. 

“Welcome to The White Pearl,” he glanced up at your horn stumps, but did not linger long, “What can I get you? We have our daily lunch special, a hot sandwich with a drink of choice.”

It sounded good, but your light purse felt heavier than ever. “I'll take a bit of water for now, thanks.”

The innkeep went to work pouring water into a glass. “Just passing through, ma'am?”

“For the moment,” you answered, taking a drink from the cold mug. “I was wondering if your sheriff’s office had a bounty board? My horse and I  came from Newport a few miles west, and we've gotten cleaned out since then.”

“A bounty hunter, hm?” The man nodded, taking you in for a moment. “Yeah, Chan has a hero's board outside the station. You won't find anything that pays well there though.”

“Poor town? I thought with the port nearby you'd be off better than some other places.”

“You'd think that right?” He noted, “But since our docks were invaded by pirates a few months ago, our mayor has been working on rebuilding it. You'll be doing quite a few jobs I expe-Hey, you!” He snapped from his friendly tone to a harsh one. You looked to see a child walking secretly out of the tavern, guilt on his face. “What did I tell you about pickpocketing, Eunwoo? Come here, empty them out.”

The young moon elf, detected by his high pointed ears and soft lavender skin, came over to the bar. From his pockets he withdrew a leather bill fold, two gold coins, a single dice and a silver spoon. 

“A spoon?” The innkeep questioned, lifting the utensil. “Eunwoo, who could you have sold the spoon to?”

“People always need spoons, Changbin,” the boy shrugged. “There can be somebody eating soup and not have a spoon.”

“I've told you before,” Changbin slid the contents into a wooden box behind the counter, “If you're hungry, I'll give you a free plate and a drink. You don't have to steal.” 

“Sorry, Changbin,” he pouted apologetically. 

“Now, go on into the kitchen and tell Wooyoung to give you a lunch plate. You can feed Honey too, if you want.” 

The elf child smiled brightly, then rushed through a door behind the bar. He turned back to you, “Seo Changbin, I own this place. You are?”

“YN,” you answered, “Just YN.”

“You're a demon? I thought demons had strange names? I met one during the war named Tarhez.”

You giggled, taking a drink, “I changed it when I decided to live in the mortal world.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“Multak,” you said, your true name sounding rough and deep. You laughed at his stunned expression, “Told you it's hard on mortal ears. In my language it means ‘shield of fire’.”

“Interesting,” he replied sincerely. “If you couldn't tell from the patrons eyeballing you right now, we don't get many demons around here.”

“Not many of us decided to stay when the war ended.” 

You almost could not go home when the war against Nor'goth ended. The evil, primordial demon lord escaped from your realm into the mortal one, claiming that all humankind deserved punishment and enslavement. While most demons joined him, a fair few of you went against him. The Blind One, Sakmarth, led a force to defeat Nor'goth once and for all. You might have not known mortals at the time, but you knew nobody deserved enslavement. It simply went against your code. The image of the mighty, dark demon sent a sickly chill over your body. Glowing orange eyes that saw into your soul and tentacles that tore down several men at a time came to the forefront. He’d been monstrous. Even now, so many years later, you still heard his guttural voice in your head. 

‘You are mighty, shield of fire. Join me, and together we can bring this world to its knees.’ 

You’d told him ‘no’ before sending him back into the abyss. 

“What about you? If I'm correct, you're a dwarf, no?”

“Woodland Dwarf,” he smiled, “And proud of it. I came down from the Blue Mountains far west, with nothing but a dream, my axe, and my bear.”

“Bear?” Your eyes widened. 

“Yeah, my bear Honey. She's right there,” he nodded over to an open window where you saw a massive grizzly bear walk past. “I've had her since she was a cub. She's dangerous and looks like it, but if you give her some food and a head scratch, she’ll love you until the day you die.”

“Like my Summer,” you pointed out your own horse outside, “She's a dreadsteed. That's like a demon horse to mortals.”

“A dreadsteed? I think I saw those on the battlefield. Some demons I knew had them.”

“They're faster than lightning, stronger than oxes, and make good war horses,” you added. “She's gotten me out of a few jams in the past. I bet your Honey did the same.”

“She did. I took her into battle myself…Seems we both have war stories to tell,” he drawled, gazing over you again. “Listen, if you want a good paying gig, Sheriff Bahng always has open bounties in the station documents. If he thinks you're up to snuff, he'll pass on something to you. He should be there now.”

You finished your water, then nodded appreciatively. “Thanks, I'll go check out the board, then I can come back for that special.” 

He gave you a nod, and you left the inn. Summer shifted her feet when you untied her. “The place seems alright,” you told her. “They got a pet bear, but I'm sure it's not in the stables.”

Changbin said you’d find a listing outside the sheriff’s office. Feeling your light coin purse and hearing your rumbling stomach again, you knew you’d need to find a job soon. Walking through the busy market square towards the sheriff’s station, you spotted the wooden bulletin board covered in different colored papers. Reading some of them, you realized most involved hunting down excess wildlife in the forests beyond the town, finding lost items or relatives, or helping settle disputes. Nothing particular stuck out to you, but mindless work was better than no work at all.

“What do you think, Summer?” you turned to the black horse you’d guided by the reins to the board. “Want to go hunt down some feral boars with me?” The black stead huffed and shook her long black mane, almost as if declining the offer. You chuckled, “Alright, that’s a no.” You looked at the board again, “Well, we gotta pick something. I might be demonkin and you might be a dreadsteed, but we have to eat too.” 

You continued looking for a proper posting when someone came out of the office. He wore a beige button down and denim jeans with black boots. The badge on his breast glinted in the morning light, the word ‘sheriff’ across the top with the town sigil on it. Black curls kept back from his face, even with his big nose he was handsome. At least, other women might think so. You turned to him right as he stretched and basked in the warm sun. 

“Excuse me, Sheriff?” 

“Oh, good morning,” he smiled, noticing you standing there, “I've never seen your face around here before. You're new in town?”

“Just stopping here,” you explained. “I was checking out your listings board.”

He sized you up for a moment. You caught him looking over your black jacket, plain shirt and boots, getting a sense of you before his eyes landed on the crown of your head. Your horns were the price you paid to live amongst humans. His eyes stayed on them a moment, then he looked back at your face. 

“What’s a demonkin doing so far from home?” he asked curiously. 

The usage of your peoples’ true name surprised you. “Living.”

“Clearly, you’re not keen on doing it for long if you’re looking at our board,” he said, almost amused. “Do you have a speciality?”

“Warlock,” you answered, “Sort of goes hand-in-hand with my kind.”

He nodded again, “How long have you been drifting?”

“Since the war ended.”

“You fought?”

“Yes, sir. I fought with the Mortal Armies.” 

“Against your own people?”

“Not all of us see other races as beneath us. I like to think of myself as one of the good ones. Now,” you stepped closer, “Does your office have any private work or do I help Mrs. Young with her feral boars? The innkeep at the White Pearl said you might.”

The sheriff gave you another once over, then said, “Tie your horse up there and come in. I think I have something up your alley.”

You tied Summer to a post outside the door, and followed the sheriff inside. “I’m Chan, by the way,” he introduced himself in the main hall, offering his hand. 

“YN,” you replied, shaking it firmly. 

“A demonkin named YN,” he mused, “Never thought I'd see one of your type around here.”

You looked around the small office to see two other men already in the room. One of them was short with cheeks expanded by the donut he’d stuffed into his mouth. By the long fluffy tail sticking from behind the chair and his black nose, you saw the squirrel hybrid immediately. The man jotting down notes in a book had two slits in his shirt that revealed the dark purple wings close to his body. When he looked up at you, his eyes matched his wings. A shadow fairy. The squirrel hybrid only nodded, but the dark fae sat stock still. You registered the stunned expression and realized he recognized you. Not many mortals knew you by sight, mostly by name and your demon name at that. 

“YN, these are my deputies: Han Jisung and Lee Minho,” he pointed to the hybrid first, then the fae, “Boys, this is YN. She’s come looking for work. I thought she could help us with the Hook Clan.”

Both men also sized you up like their sheriff. Han spoke up first, “Speciality?”

“Warlock,” you answered again. To prove it, you flicked your wrist to make the donut in his hand disappear and reappear. “That’s nothing compared to what I can really do.”

“Hm,” Han stuffed the other half into his mouth before you could do it again. 

“As I live and breathe…” Minho said softly, “Multak.”

“You know her, Minho?” Jisung questioned in surprise. 

“Have we met before, sir?” you asked him next. 

“Not personally,” he answered, “But every shadow fairy who was at the Battle of Incheon knows the fire demon Multak.”

Incheon, home of the dark fae race. You recalled it fondly: tall dark trees with their canopies of leaves hiding the light-sensitive species, and wooden houses sitting on stilts or floating on boats throughout the wide rivers and lakes. Shadow fae came in all shapes and sizes, but they proved to be fierce and formidable allies. Nor’goth’s forces kidnapped and drained the fairies of their powers to weaken them, even breaking their bodies to do it. Your heart had gone out to the wisps, the smallest and most gentle of them all. All they do is tell fortunes and guide people to their fates. 

“Wait…” Chan stood still, examining you once again, “You’re the fire demon?”

“I’m a fire demon,” you said, not wanting to go into the differences between the demon clans in The Mar. 

“She stopped Nor’goth almost single handedly-”

“-Almost-” you emphasized, “It was a group effort.” 

If the Orcs had not distracted his people with their fiery catapults and if the elves had not shielded you, you wouldn’t have been able to strike. Your sword, a runic blade of fire, struck Nor’goth right in his heart. 

“I don’t know,” Minho said in a sing-song tone, “It was your flaming sword that vanquished him in the first place.”

“You have a flaming sword?” Jisung’s eyes widened with wonder. 

“It’s a runic blade,” you turned to Chan, “So, who is this Hook Clan?”

Minho sensed the change in subject, but you knew he wasn’t done. Nor’goth and the war are the last things you wished to discuss in detail. You did not agree with the Shadow Lords about Nor’goth’s sentence; banishing him to the underworld prison, The Abyss, will not hold him forever. You didn't care how weak they'd made him. 

“They’re outlaws at the edge of town,” Chan answered, going over to a desk where he kept a stack of folders. He brought it over to you, withdrawing reports and documents for you to see. “They started off with stealing cattle or crops from the farmers, but they’ve escalated in recent weeks.”

“Escalated how?”

You noticed the three men appeared apprehensive, a tension starting to stiffen between them.

“They started kidnapping children,” said Minho. “The last kidnapping was Wang's little girl, Hyeyoung. Before that was Seo Dobin, and before that was Lee Sanghee. The only connections we’ve been able to make,” he flipped through his notebook and found a page. He walked over to you and showed you the page, “All three were between eight and ten, taken from farmlands, and in broad daylight. We don’t know where they are, why the clan is taking them, or what they plan to do with them.”

“What makes you think it was them?”

“The clan always paints a red hook somewhere when they’ve struck. It’s been found at each scene.”

“That’d be foolish of them to do,” you noted, reading more of his notes. “That’s basically telling you that it was them.” 

“They’re not the brightest bunch, if I’m being honest,” Minho replied. 

“Which means they’re least likely to have done it,” Chan told him. “Kidnappings like this require a thought process and planning. The Hooks have always operated loosely: pick a target, slaughter anyone who gets in the way, and take what they want. If they are kidnapping these children, they would’ve slipped up at some point.” 

“They could be hired by somebody else,” Han chimed in from his desk. “Red Hook will work for whoever pays him enough. If they’re taking kids, it’s likely someone is paying them to do it.”

“Then who?” Chan looked over to ask him. 

One person came to mind, but you’d sound foolish. Nor’goth is currently imprisoned in the Abyss, an island floating in a dark void, powerless and useless to anyone. You read Chan’s reports and cross-checked them with Minho’s notes. You hated to think it, but some dark warlocks and shadow magic practitioners use children in their rituals. Just because a ritual lists ‘innocent blood’ or ‘innocent souls’ does not mean the caster needed a child. Even demonkin preferred using animals over defenseless children. 

“-I think it’s just too easy to scapegoat a group because of their reputation,” Chan’s voice caught your ear. “I want to catch Red Hook and his band of outlaws, but I want to arrest them for crimes they actually committed.”

“His mark’s has been found at each scene-”

The outlaws must be hired to help. They reminded you of a band of thieves back in the capital city who were stealing resources from a nearby mine. It turned out they stole them for greedy goblins. 

“Do you know anything about this clan aside from their crimes?” you interrupted them. “Their leader? Anything significant?”

“We don’t have a name, but he calls himself the Red Hook,” Chan told you. “According to people who’ve seen him, they say he’s a magic user.”

“Human?” you directed this at Minho. 

“Can’t say for sure, since the clan is a mixed bag,” he replied, “But the people we interviewed said they didn’t see any magical distinctions.” 

“Where do they hide out?” 

“Around,” Chan shrugged. “Last location was an abandoned farmhouse northwest of here. We checked it out already, and they’re no longer there. They tend to drift around to keep us a step behind them all the time.”

“My friends in the forest tell me when they see them,” Jisung said, “But they’re pretty well hidden a lot of the time. It’s likely Red Hook is concealing them somehow.” 

“Friends?” 

“The animals,” he explained. “The rabbits, squirrels, gophers, moles, and the like. I can talk to birds sometimes, but not always. It helps to have eyes in the trees,” he grinned mischievously, picking up a bag of trail mix. 

“I’d like to talk to the families,” you said, seeing the children’s names once more. 

You didn’t see anything peculiar other than they’d taken two girls and a boy so far. Some rituals called for a certain number of souls, but never spoke about sexes. It can certainly be a coincidence. Although, you rarely came across those in your line of work. 

“We already did,” Minho told you, “They don’t know anything.”

“I’d still like to talk to them myself. Their children might have something in common that you missed.” 

“Does this mean you’ll take the job?” Chan asked, and you detected a glimmer of hope in his voice. 

“For a fee.”

“Naturally,” he nodded. 

“With a demon on our team,” Minho said, “We’ll have this case wrapped up by supper.” 

“I don’t know about all that, but I’ll do my best,” you insisted. 

Chan moved to his nearby office when the door opened. In walked a rotund, dark-skinned man in a blue suit, wearing a bowler hat and checking his pocket watch. He didn’t look at the men at first, but when he looked up, his eyes settled on you. Shock took over his broad, square face and brown eyes widened with realization. 

“Good afternoon, Mayor,” Chan intervened before the man could speak, “What can I do for ya?”

“Chan, there is a demon in our station,” he said, voice quivering slightly. 

“She’s a bounty hunter,” he assured him. “She’s come to help with the missing children.”

“Demons don’t like children.”

“We do, actually,” you retorted, arms crossed. “And no, not to eat them,” you added disdainfully. 

“YN's a bounty hunter, Gerald,” Chan said. “She's just agreed to help us with the missing children. I think it'd be beneficial to have someone like her helping us. YN, this is our Mayor, Gerald Wallace.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” you tried keeping the annoyance from your voice. 

“I don't know, Chan,” the mayor said, “You know folks around here. They won't take kindly to a…demon being in town right now.”

“I only want to help,” you fixed your jacket, “But if you don't want me here and want your children to keep being snatched up, then I'll be on my way.”

“Wait, wait,” Minho came to your side and faced the mayor, “Mayor Wallace, this demon isn't a normal demon. She's the demon who ended the war.”

Did he really have to keep telling people that?

“Impossible,” the mayor scoffed, “There's no way that demon stuck around after the war.”

“I did,” you said. “Do you want my help or not?”

“We do,” Chan answered quickly. “We do.”

“Chan,” Mayor Wallace turned to him stiffly, “May I speak to you in private, please?”

“Of course,” he gestured to let him pass, “This way.”

He shot you an apologetic glance, then followed the mayor into an office. 

“Sorry about that,” Minho said, “I promise our townspeople normally aren't this prejudiced. Things have been uneasy around here, so you can imagine a newcomer strolling into town concerning people.”

“Explains everyone's apprehension,” you replied, seeing Chan and Mayor Wallace through a window. You can see both men starting to heat up during the conversation. “It doesn't bother me as much as it used to,” you said, “I understand my people did heinous things when they came here. Not everyone is so quick to forgive.” 

“But not everyone is like that here,” Han reassured you. “They'll warm up to you soon enough.”

You didn't particularly care if the little people liked you. You didn't plan on staying too long anyways. 

“Where are you staying in town?” asked Minho, walking over to a small bookshelf behind his own desk. “The White Pearl?”

“I need money for a room and a stable first,” you told him, feeling that rumble in your stomach again. “I hoped I might get at least an advance. We've rode a long way.”

“We can talk about that when Chan finally finishes with Gerald,” he casted a glance over to the window. Chan appeared to have quieted the mayor down, but the man remained unconvinced. “You can go on ahead and tell Changbin I sent you. He'll give you a room, and some feed for your horse.”

“Appreciated,” you nodded, “Tell Chan he can find me there.”

“-Chan, I'm telling you this isn't a good idea!” Mayor Wallace said, coming out of Chan’s office. “We already got the docks to rebuild, the town council is on my behind about the merfolk situation and now we have our children going missing! Then, you got Han over there who'll tell anybody that'd listen that we got a demon and cause a damn hysteria!”

Chan appeared more amused than upset by now, and asked, “Han, you planning on causing a hysteria?”

“Not today, Chan.”

“See? Gerald, you put me in charge of the safety of this town,” he patted his shoulder, “Trust me.”

Wallace's shoulders sagged, and he gave you an uncertain glance, “Alright. I trust you. You never let us down before.”

“There you go,” Chan concluded, steering Mayor Wallace to the door. “You tell the council we have our best people on this…”

“He really knows how to de-escalate a situation, huh?” you asked, impressed.

“That's why he is the sheriff,” Han nodded. “Come on, I'll take you back to the inn. You can get settled before the work begins.”

Han led you out the door, and you untied Summer. “Looks like we got a job after all,” you grinned, petting her side. She huffed and you said, “No, no snakes this time…I think.”

“Wow,” Han marveled at Summer, taking in her fiery eyes and black mane. “A real dreadsteed.” He wiggled his nose at Summer, who nodded her head. When he gave a grin, cheeks puffing out, he said, “She's a tough cookie, huh? She says you guys just came from Newport.”

“You can talk to her?” You guided Summer back to the inn. 

“Animal hybrid,” he pointed at his own chest. “I can talk to all kinds of animals, even demonic ones.” He glanced at her again, “Summer is an interesting name for a dreadsteed. Is that her real name or a new one?”

“It's her name,” you said. “I gave it to her when we came back to the mortal realm. I named her that because summer is my favorite season. We don't have seasons where I'm from.”

“How dreadful,“ Han frowned, “I can't imagine living anywhere that is so desolate. I used to live in the forest before Chan found me and brought me here.”

“Found you?”

He scrunched up his nose guiltily, “I might not have been the most law-abiding squirrel at the time. I'd been caught stealing food from different farms, and rather than send me up the road, he gave me a place to stay and a job.”

“During or after the war?”

“After,” you both reached the steps of the inn, “A group of demons attacked my village and destroyed everything. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I ended up outside town. Chan found me hiding in someone's boat and took me in.”

“That's awfully kind of him.”

“That's the kind of guy he is,” he shrugged. “He really cares about everyone.” 

Han and Changbin helped you and Summer settle into The White Pearl. By the time Chan arrived, you'd devoured a hot sandwich and given Summer hay and an apple for her patience. 

“Everything squared then?” You asked him. “Your mayor seems…”

“He's only being cautious,” Chan insisted, “But with a bit of convincing, he's willing to pay the 50 gold price.”

Fifty sounded more than fair to you. After that, he insisted on taking you to the childrens’ families himself. You both mounted your horses and headed towards the first farm. 

“What can you tell me about their families?” you asked him, riding Summer alongside him on his own horse. 

“Seo Dobin, the first kid taken, lives at the Seo vineyard not too far out of town,” he began. “His parents grow grapes and berries and are part of the Seo pack.”

“Pack? He's a werewolf?”

“Yes, but don't worry. Junhwan and Eunji are good people. Dobin's dad can be a bit of a hothead; I’ve had to put him in holding once or twice, but he’s usually a nice man. His mother, Eunji, does some work at the bakery here from time to time.” He noticed your pensive stare, and said, “They’re all good people. Each and every one of them.”

“Good people can have enemies too,” you replied. “Enemies that they don’t know about, even. What do the other families do for work? Minho said the children were taken around farms?”

“The farms are the least guarded parts of Levanter,” he said, “Since they’re owned by the families and not the town. The Seo family mainly deals in grapes and berries to make into wine; The Wang family grows wheat, and the Lee family grows corn.”

“All crops where the stalks can grow high,” you added to your mental list of notes. 

“Where the children can be snatched without anyone seeing them,” Chan added, nodding to himself. “I thought the same thing. It’d be harder to take them from a pig, horse or cattle farm because there’s always people patrolling those types of places. A crop of plants? Easier to walk through them and wait for the kid to go right by them instead.” 

“Are there any other farm-”

“-I already told them not to let their kids go running off into their fields or in the woods,” he answered ahead of your question. “I told the kids at the schoolhouse to go straight home after school, and don’t talk to any strangers they meet on the road.”

“Did you instill a curfew?”

“I’ve considered it, but I don’t think it’ll help much. These kids are taken during the day off their families’ own land. I’ve asked a few of our local hunters and mountain men to keep an eye and an ear out for anything suspicious too.” He hesitated, and you worried what question would follow it. “Minho’s convinced it’s the gang, but it’s not them.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“And I think you already have an idea who it is.”

“The idea that magic casters use children in their rituals was a myth perpetuated by religious zealots who fear magic and everything it can do,” you said, keeping the bite out of your voice. “While innocent blood or souls are called for in a good chunk of blood magic rituals, anyone who truly knows magic and reads magic texts will know that it means an animal. Whoever this person is either is a magic user who doesn’t care about translations, or a magic user who doesn’t understand the magic they are trying to wield.” 

“You say ‘magic user’. Do you mean, like, a human using magic?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Fae, demons, merfolk, some species of hybrids are all born with magic already inside of us. It’s in our bones, and in our blood. Our specialty, if we have one, is just a choice we make in using our magic. Humans…No offense, Sheriff, but humans were not meant to have magic.” 

“Really?”

“That’s not a jab at humankind. I’ve met plenty of human mages and warlocks who use their gifts rightly,” you said quickly. “I mean, physically. Their bodies are not meant to hold it. Yes, they can perform little rituals and incantations and make potions, but real magic? No. It'd kill them, so they likely wear trinkets or charms that harness their power. I think whoever is taking these children plans to use them for something, otherwise you would’ve found their bodies by now.”

“Perhaps they're using them to gain more power?” He suggested. 

You considered the idea. “It's a possibility.”

You both arrived at the Seo farm, where you saw a farmhouse, barn, and a chicken coop. Beyond the house, you saw rows upon rows of vineyard bushes. The barn door wide open, you saw two young men pouring fermented grapes into a barrel. Briefly you pictured a young wolf pup running around the front yard area, maybe with a toy plane or a kite while his mother watched over him from a window. The same woman who happened to be outside the house with a tub and washing board. 

“Sheriff!” She gasped, dropping the board in the water and coming his way. “Sheriff, have you found him? Have you found Dobin?”

“I'm sorry, Eunji,” Chan frowned, getting off his horse and removing his hat. “But, I have someone here who'd like to speak with you about that day.”

“Who?” she looked at you. Even with the crinkles on the sides of her eyes, Mrs. Seo looked younger than you expected. Her wolf ears perked at the sight of you, and you saw her nose twitch slightly. Her claws long and black, led to furry arms underneath her linen dress. “A demon? What's a demon doing here?”

“I'm here to help, ma'am,” you answered, dismounting Summer and standing in front of her. “Sheriff Chan told me about the children in the area, and I want to help you.”

You expected her to question you like so many others, but instead she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! We need all the help we can get. Dobin has been missing for three weeks now, and nobody can find him.”

Worry filled her eyes and you spotted the shaking hands she wrung together. You pitied her and said, “Where was the last place you saw him?”

“Back here. Come with me.”

She led you both around the house to a backyard. You saw the typical horse and wagon tied up outside the barn in a stall, calmly eating hay. The vineyard started behind a wooden fence that bordered the entire crop, and seeing the uniform rows stretching for acres made it the perfect kidnapping spot. You imagined a small boy being snatched without anyone seeing him or his kidnapper. 

“He was down there,” she brought you both behind the fence to point down a middle row, “Helping one of our pickers gather grapes. He always loves helping pick the grapes,” she smiled fondly, “We know he sneaks some, but we let him. Our picker, Taeyong, said he turned his back to put some buckets in a wagon, and when he looked back, Dobin was gone. At first,” she wrung her apron in her hands nervously, “At first, we thought the little rascal was hiding from us. You know, the way children play hide and seek? He does that from time to time and it worries me something awful,” you heard the panic in her voice even speaking about it, “But when it…it started to grow dark,” her eyes began watering and her lip trembled, “We…Oh, why did I let him go?! Something told me not to, but he was with Taeyong! He was safe! I should've been more careful! Why?! Why didn't I pay more attention?!” 

Chan embraced her as she started to sob. She reminded you of the women in the villages during the war. Women who grieved for their fallen children, who begged you to find their lost sons and daughters. Their pain radiated onto yours, stinging your eyes and bringing a bout of helplessness. This warlock, whoever they were, needed to be stopped. 

You nodded at Chan, then proceeded into the vineyard. Cautiously, you walked outside of the trodden path where you saw dozens of footprints having worn down the grass into the dirt. Wheel marks told you they'd just finished collecting ripe grapes for the day, and it's unlikely you will find any child size footprints here. Taking a whiff of the air, you only smelled freshly toiled earth and ripening grapes, not flesh. If you concentrated, you caught wisps of human sweat but nothing of a child. Time would’ve drowned out any proper scent. You envisioned a small boy, eight-years-old and greedily munching on grapes he'd picked off the vines. He'd have walked away from Taeyong. What could make him walk away from the safety of an adult? Standing in the middle of the row, you scanned over the vines to only see more grapes. He had plenty to pick from here, so why did he walk away? 

“Taeyong,” you sensed Chan walking up behind him, “Did you ever interview him?”

“We did.”

“What's his story?”

“Exactly what Mrs. Seo just told you,” he said, “He was picking, turned around, and the boy was gone.” 

That sounded too convenient. “Any idea why the boy would walk away?” 

“More grapes? Berries, maybe?” 

You started walking alongside the path again.  Turning to face one of the hedges, you noticed breakages in the foliage. 

“He went through here,” you said, seeing a break between two stalks. You then spotted small footprints still in the dirt. “Yes, yes, he went through here. Otherwise Taeyong would've seen him walking away.” 

You pushed through the vines to the other side without another word. Dobin didn't stop here. He kept going. You inhaled deeply, trying to mesh through the various earthy scents for something human. Scanning the floor in the second to last row, you saw them. Embedded in the hard packed dirt were small paw prints. Four toes with a palm, they went one in front of the other through the dirt. You crouched to touch one, and realized they were cat prints. 

“Do The Seos have any pets?” You asked Chan, who just broke through a brush behind you. 

“A dog, some chickens and two horses.”

“No cats?”

“No cats.”

Slowly, you followed the cat prints until they went out past the fence. “He followed a cat,” you concluded, “Into the forest.”

“How did we miss these?” Chan wondered, following the prints with his eyes. 

“Because they were hidden,” you answered simply. You took a few sniffs, then said, “A cat. Yeah, definitely a cat.” 

“So, our kidnapper can turn into a cat,” Chan said, standing beside you at the threshold of the forest. “Clever. Most children like animals, especially children who live around them. Dobin likely saw the cat and followed it.”

The image of Dobin, innocent and cheerful, following a cat before being snatched gave you shivers. Stepping further, you let your sense of smell guide you, but sadly it wasn't as strong. 

“Deputy Han,” you looked at Chan, “He's an animal hybrid.”

“Yeah, obviously.” 

“How good is his sense of smell?”

“Pretty damn good.”

“Have him come here. He can help me track down this cat.”

“I'll have Eunji call the station.”

You saw a rush of adrenaline pump through him. He finally had a lead. According to his notes, Dobin, a werewolf, went missing three weeks ago; Sanghee, a garden fairy,  disappeared two weeks ago, and Hyeyong, a werecat, was a week ago.  Two girls. One boy. All from farm families outside of town. All of them are magical. The connections seemed too close to be a coincidence. Thinking of the timeline again, you realized they'd taken a child each week. They'd need a fourth, if they follow their pattern. Problem? You had no idea which farm they'd strike next. 

****

“Alright, children, remember what Sheriff Bahng said. You're all to go home straight after school, and don't talk to strangers.”

A rustle of books and papers sounded at dismissal. Slyvia followed the other children outside of the schoolhouse, her lunch box swinging from her clawed hand and books to her other side. She saw classmates rushing ahead of her to the general goods store for sweets, while others waited for their parents to retrieve them. Her own mother had taken to coming for her since the disappearances began, but not today. She had too much work. Slyvia immediately thought of all the chores waiting for her back at the ranch. Her mother will need help with the washing, and then she has to muck out the stables. She hated cleaning the stables, but with her brother and father away in the big city, there is nobody else to do it. Walking past The White Pearl, her sensitive nose already smelled the manure. 

“Hey Slyvia! Wait up!”

The reptilian child turned around to see a boy running to catch up to her. Barney Pebbles was a lumpy elf halfling boy who lived on the farm next to her family's ranch. Sandy blond hair fell behind his pointy ears, and she saw the run bring pink into his cheeks. Slyvia smiled a toothy grin at him regardless. 

“Want to…Want to walk home together?” He huffed, catching his breath as he came up beside her. “My Ma says it's safer if there's two…two of us.”

“Sure!” Slyvia beamed. “Sheriff Bahng says we need to look out for one another.”

The pair continued walking together. “Did you hear about the demon?” he asked, pushing blond hair from his forehead. 

“Demon? What demon?” She wouldn't deny the pang of fear that struck her. “Where?”

“My Pa was leaving the bank when he saw a demon on a big horse riding past him,” he explained as they reached the end of town, “He says she had these stumps on her head, and her horse had flaming eyes!”

“But don't they have wings? My Uncle Sithlin says some have wings.”

“I didn't think to ask,” he grew quiet, then said, “Do you think they're behind the other kids?”

“But that started happening before they came.” 

Slyvia thought about her missing classmates. Dobin, a boy slimmer than a tree branch, once offered to split blueberries they found near the school. Sanghee, a garden fairy, always radiated kindness and befriended her on her first day. Hyeyoung, a werecat kitten, helped her find her bonnet when it flew off her head. Their disappearances worried everyone. Slyvia hoped her friends were okay, and that Sheriff Bahng would find them in time. Her father told her Sheriff Bahng was really smart and made of tough stuff. 

The other kids said he could talk to sea creatures. 

Slyvia and Barney walked down the dirt road leading out of town. They passed by merchants going in and out of town, and greeted neighbors they saw along the way. They continued talking about the newcomer, and she couldn't stop the bundle of nerves in her stomach. She remembered the stories her Pa and uncles told her about demons. They're supposed to be evil made into flesh. Thinking about a winged monster gave her jitters. 

“-Mr. Edwards says that the demons he saw were super tall! As tall as trees, and they could breathe fire.”

Slyvia listened to his story while she looked up the forest lined path ahead. She saw the crossroads where it split between the town, another village and the capital city. The tall directory signs were her first milestone back home. 

“Maybe they're helping whoever is taking the other kids,” she suspected. “My Nana says they use babies in their rituals, and feast on newborns.”

“You think?”

‘Meow!’

The two children stopped in their tracks at the sound. When it sounded again, they realized it came from the forest bushes nearby. Slyvia's nerves stood on end. Barney stepped closer to the threshold, bending to peek into the bushes. 

“Barney…”

“It's a cat,” he said, “I think it's hurt.”

“Barney, don't go in there.”

She could smell it the closer she came. Barney, ever the animal lover, ignored her warning and walked further into the forest. 

“Slyvia, come quick,” he said worriedly. “It's hurt.”

Slyvia came up behind him, and sniffed the air. Most cats smelled according to their environment. Barn cats smelled like horses and pigs; house cats smelled like coffee and linens. A wild cat carried the scent of leaves and trees. This cat didn't have any of those. She walked behind Barney, her heart starting to race. 

“Barney Pebbles, you come back here,” she said, panic building in her voice. “We're not supposed to wander off.”

“It might be really hurt, Slyvia,” he replied over his shoulder. 

Feet crunching the forest floor, Slyvia tried peeking into the shrubs from behind him, but couldn't see anything. 

“Come here, kitty,” Barney crouched in front of it, “It's okay. I won't hurt you. Hey! Wait!” 

The sound of rustled leaves told her the cat scurried from the bushes. Barney went after it, and Slyvia followed. A downward wind brought a scent to her flat nostrils. Not a cat. Not a dog. Not a bird, rabbit or wolf. She gasped. It was human. She saw a flash of black and white dart behind one of the trees, Barney only a few paces behind. 

“Barney Pebbles! Come back here now!”

“Calm down, Slyvia. It's only a-AH!” 

“Gotcha!”

“Barney!”

Slyvia cried out his name as an arm grabbed him from behind a tree. She froze in place, her breath becoming haggard and drying her throat. She could hear Barney struggling, and a man’s voice drowning him out. The sound of snapping twigs came from her right, and she spotted them. Three men wearing red armbands stepped out from behind the trees, malice on their faces. Slyvia ran. Her heart pounded in her chest with each foot step. Panic put them right on her heels, and she beat the ground harder. 

“Get her!” She heard the silvery voice say from the distance. “Don't let her get away!”

The young chameleon ran through dense shrubbery, the tiny branches snagging on her dress and scratching her colorful scales. She'd do what her Papa taught her. With a quick glance back, Slyvia dove into a nearby bush and closed her eyes. She envisioned herself turning from her usual pale green and yellow to a dark brown. She brought her knees to her chest and tucked her head and tail inwards. The footsteps charging after her came right beside her bush, and she stuffed her face into her dress to muffle her breathing. 

“Where'd she go?” One of the men asked. “She can't have gone far!”

“If Maurice hears we lost her he'll burn us alive!”

“Ah shoot, Suho, does it really matter? That was a girl, and Maurice only needed a boy.”

“She can go blabbing to the sheriff and his deputies,” the other man retorted. “We're so close, Baekhyun. I can taste it now. If we help that old man with his ritual, he'll give us whatever we want. That means gold and women!” 

“I…I don't know, Suho,” a higher voice said uncertainly. “They're kids. I thought we didn't harm youngins.”

“We're not harming them. Maurice says they'll be fine. It'll only hurt for a little bit.”

“You believe that?”

“Of course, I do. Now, you go that way; Chanyeol, you go that way and I'll check down here. She can't have gone too far.”

Slyvia heard the men split up. The last image of Barney being lifted off the ground came to her, and she shivered. The men, whoever they were, also kidnapped the other children. She needed to tell someone quickly. When the coast was clear, Slyvia gingerly climbed up the tree behind her. Her fingers sticking to the branches, the child moved from one tree to another with ease. The Seo family lived not too far from this spot; she can go to them to call the law. She needed to find Sheriff Bahng. He needed to know that Barney is in trouble. 

****

Han and Minho appeared some time later, the pair having appeared through a portal. 

“I thought it'd be faster than horses,” Minho explained, closing it with a wave of his hand. “What have you found?”

“There's paw prints,” you told Han as you both walked to the blocked off spot in the dirt, “But no animal scent.”

“You think it might be a hybrid?” 

“It doesn't smell like an animal or hybrid,” you said. “It's…I don't know. Chan said you have the best nose, so I thought you could track what I can't.” You stopped right by the forest entrance, “They go about three or four yards into the woods, then it goes cold.”

Han nodded, “It shouldn't be that hard. If we can't track the cat,” he pulled out a small handkerchief from his pocket, “We can track Dobin.”

“What's that?” You eyed the blue and white cloth in his hand, seeing grape vines stitched into the border. 

“Dobin's head scarf,” he answered. “He wears it when he goes into the field. His mother thought it might help.” 

You watched him take a deep inhale of the scarf, closing his eyes in concentration. Soft black nose wiggling, tail twitching at the new scent, Han immediately glanced up to the tree ahead. He started walking without saying anything to anyone, sniffing occasionally as he went. 

“You think it's a human shifted into a cat then, huh?” Minho asked, coming up beside you. 

“I can't pick up anything to the contrary,” you told him. “My sense of smell isn't very strong here. He might find out what I can't.”

Minho grew quiet while Han stuck himself into a bush. “I was looking through my library at the station. I keep it there for research purposes and all that, you know? I thought while you and Chan checked out the different locations, Han and I could try finding any magic rituals that require sacrifices.”

“Psh, that's a lot. What did you find?”

“That the shadow casters of yesteryear really enjoyed sacrificing things to ancient gods,” he snorted. “But I did come across a few rituals of interest. One in particular intrigued me.”

“What was it?”

“The Secrets of the Mystics by Arnold B. Miller described this group of ancient mystics who called upon gods to sustain their power,” he began. “They regularly sacrificed people to a god named Yuth’ik. I couldn’t find anything that gave any background on Yuth’ik other than that he was defeated by a warlock named Vivian Moon and several others centuries ago. They banished him into another realm, where he’s likely laid dormant for thousands of years. If the Hook clan are really working for someone, it’s someone who wants to release Yuth’ik.” 

“For what purpose? More power?”

“Most likely.” He gave a slight scoff and shook his head, “If they’d gone to an actual magical being, we’d tell them what a stupid idea that is. I will say this: I pity whoever this person is.”

“Why?”

“The ancient gods weren’t known for their kindness,” he said. “A lot of the stories in the book mentioned the summoner having to give something in return.”

“Four souls isn’t enough?”

“That’s just to open the cage. If Yuth’ik really is a god, they'll expect gifts. The person behind this doesn’t understand that once you summon a god or a demon or any powerful being, you’re their servant for life,” he looked over at you, dark eyes serious and stern, “For life.” 

You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. Shaking your head, you said, “Will they ever learn?”

A part of you expected Minho to take your words offensively; he does live amongst humans, and is close to them. Yet, you heard him snort and say, “Never.” 

The three of you traveled further into the forest. Han sniffed every bush, tree and flower patch that carried a wisp of Dobin’s scent. You admitted his sense of smell must be incredible if he can follow a trace three weeks old. His bushy trail flicked and wiggled whenever he caught a particularly strong scent. Both you and Minho kept your eyes on the trees around you, searching for the slightest change or movement. 

Underneath the canopy of leaves and sunlight, you took in the vibrancy of the world around you. Nothing grew in The Mar. No trees, flowers or grass thrived there; the only animals around were the vicious beasts lurking around the mountain ranges and rocky canyons. A cool breeze wafted through the trees, brushing your cheeks and hair, and you inhaled deeply. Why would anyone wish to destroy such a glorious place? Nor’goth’s armies tore down trees, burned wheat fields, and polluted rivers to keep the mortals from feeding themselves. He believed cutting off their supplies left them powerless, but the people you’d met proved the opposite. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Han sprung up from the newest bush, whipping his head side to side in a panic. 

“Hear what?” Minho asked, irritably. “Jisung, we’ve been walking for ages. Have you found anything yet-”

“-Shush!” he interrupted him, putting a hand up for silence. 

The two of you watched the hybrid carefully walk sideways, his head pointed up into the trees. A feeling of apprehension came over you when he stopped underneath one of the thicker trees. The smooth motion of an arrow being notched caught your attention, and you turned to see Minho’s bow armed and ready to loosen. Han braced his hands up against the rough bark, and sniffed. The immediate image of an enemy dropping onto him had you withdrawing your sword from your back. 

“Jisung…” Minho whispered harshly, but Han ignored him. 

 “Slyvia?” Han said, confused. “Honey, what are you doing up there?”

Both you and Minho shook when a figure jumped down from the tree onto their feet. Minho unleashed his arrow, but thankfully it stuck into the tree inches above the child’s head. Skin the color of the trees, the chameleon-hybrid’s scales gradually changed to light green and yellow in seconds. Bulbous, beady eyes were on either side of her nose, full of fear and worry. 

“Deputy Han!” she cried, immediately wrapping herself around his middle, “Deputy Han, you have to help me!”

Han bent down to her level right as you and Minho reached her. Her heavy breaths making her chest rise and fall, you saw tears spilling from her black eyes and shoulders shuddering in every sob. 

“It’s Barney!” she sobbed, voice cracking at the end. “They took him! The bad people took him! You have to help him! Sheriff Bahng has to get him!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Han said, hands rubbing her shaking shoulders, “Just take a deep breath, honey. You mean Barney Pebbles? Fred’s little boy?”

“Yes! We were walking home together, and he-and he saw this cat in the bushes and I told him, sir, I told him to not wander off but he did! Then, we chased it-it- in-into th-the woods and this bad man picked him up and these other men started chasing me! We have to save him! We have to!” she fell back into Han’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder as his eyes met Minho’s. 

“Where did this happen, Slyvia?” Minho asked next, bending down to look into her face. “How far?”

“That way,” she pointed behind him. “I don-don’t know where!”

“Alright, alright, you go with Deputy Han and talk to the sheriff,” he said to her gently. “My friend and I will go look for Barney.” 

Slyvia took one glance at you, then buried her face in Han’s neck. You expected that reaction. Crouching beside Minho, you said, “We’re going to find your friend, and bring him back, okay?” She flinched when you met her eyes again. 

“You’re a demon…” she said, voice muffled by Han’s shirt collar. 

“I am,” you nodded, standing with Han and Minho, “And you want to know what that means?”

“You’ll eat my friends!”

“No,” you giggled, “It means bad guys are scared of me. The bad people who took your friend will hand him right back to me if they know what’s good for them.”

This seemed to calm her slightly, though not enough for her to look at you. “I’ll take her to Chan,” Han said. “We can get in contact with her folks, and Barney’s parents.”  

“I’ll give him a heads up.” 

Minho reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew dark blue dust. Putting a pinch between his fingers, he blew it out into the air. Rather than disappear or fall to the ground, the glowing swirl of dust stayed in the air. 

“Chan, we found Slyvia Eleon. She says Barney Pebbles was just grabbed. Han’s bringing her to you; YN and I are going to scout the area.” With another puff of air, the dust cloud quickly darted away from you and down back to the farm. “We should go to where he was taken,” he said to you, “We could check it out while their footprints and scent are fresh.” 

“Good idea.”

“Slyvia,” he addressed the little girl again, “Sweetie, do you remember any details about where he’d been taken? A tree or flower or a specific place?”

Slyvia turned her head, sniffling, and thought for a moment. “It was near the direction sign. I remember because I live past it.”

“On which side?”

“The…left. The left side of the road.”

“Alright, thank you, Slyvia,” he petted her head, “Don’t worry. My friend and I are going to find Barney.” 

“They’re going to kill him,” she broke back into a sob. “They’re going to kill him and eat him!”

“Nobody is killing and eating anyone,” Han assured her, rubbing her back as he began walking away. “Mrs. Seo just came back from the bakery too. She can give you a snack and you can tell Sheriff Bahng…” 

Watching Han take the girl away, you looked to Minho, “Do you know the sign she’s talking about?”

“I do. It’s far though. Take my hand.”

You didn’t question it. Taking his hand, you watched the dark fae aim his outstretched palm to the ground. Glowing and sparkling a bright purple, you recognized the spiraling and crisp winds of a teleportation circle. In a flash of light, you and Minho left your spot in the forest. You could feel yourself being thrown into a tornado, spinning and spinning through gushes of wind, before landing on soft grass.

“Here we are,” Minho said, removing the circle with a closed fist. 

You found yourself on the dirt road a mile from town. On the crossroad corner stood a tall post with different directions on it. ‘Levanter Bay 1 mile’ ‘Gold Rush 5 miles’ ‘Sunwind 10 miles’ went in various directions. 

“Slyvia said they saw the men down towards town,” Minho started walking in that direction. “Their footprints will still be in the dirt; we can follow those.” 

“This Barney kid,” you caught up with his quick strides, “What do you know about him?”

“A bit simple-minded, but a really nice kid,” he answered. “His family owns a pig farm. He loves animals, so it’s no surprise he followed a cat into the woods despite all sense.”

“They took him from off the road instead of a farm,” you noted. “They’re getting desperate. This ritual of theirs must be happening soon.”

“Yuth’ik’s ritual can happen at any time. They just need the four souls and the right words,” he said. “They need all four in order to open the portal to let him through.”

“That explains the rush. It’s risky to be snatching kids from the side of a somewhat busy road,” you nodded at a passing wagon, “Someone might’ve seen the two of them going off the path.” 

“Perhaps, but if they went deep enough, nobody would’ve heard them.” 

You both stopped when you reached two sets of clear footprints going off into the grass. Minho and you walked along them, and that’s where you picked up a scent. Barney Pebbles must sweat pretty heavily if you could pick it up so quickly. It started by one of the trees at the edge, then carried off through a large bush. When you looked inside, you saw tiny prints in the dirt and a breakage in the leaves. 

“The cat hid in here,” you told Minho, “And he followed it.” 

“There are more prints over here,” Minho called from nearby. You saw him standing between two large trees, looking at spots behind them. “The shapeshifter had accomplices. Two or three by the looks of the sets.” 

“What were they planning to do? Ambush the kid?” 

“To make sure he didn’t escape,” he examined one of the trunks with his hand. 

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small piece of blue chalk. Well, at least you thought it was chalk. Minho started rubbing the blue stick onto the thick brown bark as one might a piece of paper. You came up to him, and saw the blue chalk having outlined handprints along the edge of the trunk. You counted two large hands on one side, then two more on the other. 

“Two over here,” Minho went and did the same to the other tree, “And one more over here. Three culprits.”

“What is this?” you asked him, wiping some of the chalk with your finger. 

“It’s a little invention of mine,” he said, putting the chalk away. “I enchanted a few pieces of chalk so I can lift prints. It’s damn helpful when investigating scenes. I got a fingerprint off one of them,” he said, putting a thin piece of film into the pouch, “I can cross check it back at the station. If it’s one of the Hook Clan, we’ll know who.” 

“Intriguing,” you nodded, “I never heard of an enchantment that can do that.”

“I like to experiment with magic,” he shrugged. You both walked back to the scene of the kidnapping, “Magic is so versatile and fluid. It can be used for anything, if one puts their mind to it.”

“That bit of powder you used to contact Chan,” you said, “You invented that too?”

“I wish,” he said, “It’s one of the ways fairies communicate away from home. Fairy dust,” he petted the leather pouch. “Can transport messages or people from one place to another.” 

“Just think happy thoughts?” you joked, remembering the stories.

Minho laughed, “No, no happy thoughts required. Just a deep breath before you teleport.” He stopped at the spot where you smelled Barney and his kidnapper the strongest. “What can you smell?”

“Male,” you sniffed the air, and let the aroma linger in your nose, “At least 30-years-old. He’d been standing right here,” you pressed yourself against the tree. You put your nose to the trunk, catching a bit of his sweat on the skin. Something then threw you off, “Coal.”

“What?”

“Coal,” you sniffed the spot again, “Or something like it. He had some sort of dust on him.”

“The clan sometimes hang out in abandoned mines or lumber yards,” Minho said, putting his fingerprint dust on the bark next to you. “That might be where it comes from.” 

“We should tell Chan and Han,” you advised, “Then we can see what they learned from the little girl.” 

“Alright.”

He took your hand a second time, and opened up a transport circle once more. In another howling winds, you left the wilderness for the hustle and bustle of Levanter Bay. Stumbling forward a moment, you caught yourself in a deep breath. Hardly anyone appeared bothered by the demon and fairy who’d just popped up in the middle of the town square. 

“Minho,” Changbin came down the steps of the inn, wiping his hands with his apron, “Is it true? Was Barney taken?”

“News travels fast, huh?” he quipped. 

“His dad is in here,” he nodded to the inn behind him, “Hollering about someone taking his boy and that he was gonna hunt the bastard himself.”

“Oh god, no,” Minho groaned. “Don’t tell me he went into the woods?”

“No, no, I talked him down, but he’s more pissed off than Honey when she can’t catch any fish,” he said. “You didn’t find him, did you?”

“We didn’t, but we have leads,” he answered. “Just…make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”

“People know the clan is involved,” Changbin said seriously. “Fred was talking about going to the Brandstone Mine south of here.”

“The mine?” Minho looked over at you, then back at Changbin, “Why there?”

“Rumor has it that Red Hook and his boys are up there,” he answered, looking between the both of you. “It’s only a matter of time before someone takes it upon themselves to take them out.”

“That’s a dumb idea,” you snapped. “It can cause them, or whoever they’re working for, to do something rash.” 

Like kill their captives and dispose of their corpses. Minho was about to give Changbin instructions when a voice called out from behind him, “Lee! Hey, Lee!”

A big burly man with a thick blond beard and short blond hair came storming down the steps towards him. From his red face, you could tell he’d been ranting for a good while now. Minho sighed irritably, “You go to Chan. I’ll handle Fred.” 

You nodded, and watched Minho reach Fred first. Fred, standing several inches above Minho, started shouting right away. You thought Minho might flinch at the sudden rush of anger, but the deputy remained cool. Deciding Minho and Changbin could handle the distressed parent, you walked ahead back to the station. Inside, you found a group of people sitting in the middle of the room. Slyvia sat on the lap of a woman who could only be her mother, and another chameleon hybrid who must be her father. A slender woman with blond hair was beside them, anxiously listening to everything they were saying. Barney’s mother, no doubt. Chan and Han sat in front of the girl, talking to her softly and gently.  

“-Did you see what they looked like?” Chan asked her. “Anything particularly different or noticeable about them?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I was hiding.”

“Could you hear what they were talking about?”

“They said that they’d get burned alive for not getting me,” she said. “But the other man said they didn’t need me.”

Slowly, you approached and put the pieces of her story together. “Did they say any names?”

“Suho, Baekhyun and Maurice.”

“Kim Junmyeon,” Chan grunted, “How’d I know he’d be involved?”

“And Baekhyun too,” added Han. 

“Who are they?” Slyvia’s mother asked. 

“Part of the Red Hook clan,” Chan told her. “We think they’ve been taking the kids. But, Maurice…I don’t know any Maurice around here. Jisung?”

Han thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope, nobody comes to mind. Does that name mean anything to you?” he asked the parents, and they shook their heads. 

The moment Slyvia’s parents spotted you, they gasped. Her mother clutched her tightly, while the male stood in front of them. You didn’t make any move towards them, instead deciding to keep your distance. 

“That must be who they’re working for,” you finally spoke up. “Minho and I found four sets of prints on the trees near where he was taken.” 

“That’s a demon!” the man said, “Sheriff, you got a demon in here!”

“She’s a friend, Salazar,” Chan insisted, standing up to put himself between you and the father. “A friend.” 

“That’s a damn demon! There ain’t no demon that's friendly! I’ve seen what those things can do! I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the one taking all the children!”

“I’m only here to help, sir,” you said from your spot. 

‘Their kind will never accept us! They know nothing of respect or obedience! They must be subdued!’

You shut out Nor’goth’s voice from your head. “Minho and I found some information that backs your daughter’s story,” you said. 

“She’s his niece,” Barney’s mother said, stepping in front of him to address you. When she tucked hair behind her ear, you saw a point at the curve. A Sunwind Elf. “You’re here to…to help us?” you heard the disbelief in her voice. She looked at your horn stumps, then back to your face. “With Barney?”

“Yes, ma’am. I take it you’re his mother?”

“I am,” she nodded. You noticed her puffy eyes, and trembling lips. “Slyvia says he was taken by a shapeshifter.” 

“We believe so,” Chan answered. 

“Your husband is a human, isn’t he? I saw him outside,” you asked her, coming closer. 

“He is,” she nodded. “I’m from Sunwind. What does that have to do with anything?”

“So, your son is a halfling,” you looked to Chan, “Dobin is a wolf pup. Sanghee is a garden fairy, and Hyeyoung is a werecat. They’re all children with magic inside of them.” You turned to Minho’s desk where you found a book left open. When you turned a page, you saw a chapter titled: ‘Yuth’ik: God of the Trees’. Rather than tell Chan that these magical children are likely being used for their magic, you said, “There has to be a connection, right?”

Chan glanced at the open book, then at you, “Yes, there might be.”

“It was those damn bandits in the woods,” Mrs. Pebbles snapped. “They did this. They must have. Who else is vile enough to kidnap innocent children? On a count of them being magical, no less!” 

“Them, and someone they’re working for,” Chan told her, putting up a hand to calm her. “Wilma, go find Fred. Lord knows he’s bound to do something crazy.”

“Too late, Sheriff,” Han said with a deadpan voice as he looked out the window. 

“What?”

Everyone converged by the window where a group of people on horses started kicking up dirt. Their calls and cries mixed together, and you knew what happened by their angry faces. 

They started a damn mob. 

“Damnit!” Chan cursed, grabbing a rifle from beside the door and rushing outside. With all of you behind him, he called out to the crowd, “Hey, hey, hey! What the hell's going on here?! Minho!”

Minho and Changbin tried closing off the horsemen, but there were too many. Fred Pebbles, sat upon a white palomino, glared down at Chan. 

“They got my boy, Sheriff!” he said, voice hoarse and deep. “Those bastards have my boy!”

“We know, but there’s a way to go about this!” Chan shouted over the ruckus, “Hey now! Hey!” 

“Pebbles, damnit man!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the mercantile with a few other customers, “What are you doing?!”

“I'm gonna make this all right!”

“Like hell you are!” the mayor blustered. “We are civilized people! Not animals!”

“So what are we supposed to do?! Let those filthy sons of bitches take our children?!”

“Of course not, but Fred, riling people up and going out there like this can make stuff worse!” Mayor Wallace wiped his brow and said, “Let's all go into the town hall and discuss this-”

“-I'm tired of listening to y'all. You ain't don't nothing-”

Chan cocked his rifle and fired it into the air. The loud gunblast caught everyone’s attention, some of the people ducking and others whipping around angrily. The crowd focused on him, Chan walked up the steps of The White Pearl, and he glared down at them. 

“What the hell’s gotten into all of you? I thought we were people, not animals!”

“They keep taking our children, Chan!” one woman shouted from her horse. “Somebody’s gotta do something!”

“I understand that, but if we went around hanging every single person we thought was guilty, we’d be no better than them,” he remarked. “I know you’re all worried. I know you’re all hurting, but we need to be smart about how we handle this. Red Hook might have his morals-”

“-Horse shit!-

“-But the person he’s working for doesn’t,” he continued. “Now, thanks to Slyvia and our bounty hunter, we’ve discovered some new information.”

“Such as?” Mayor Wallace asked. 

“They’re operating in a coal mine,” Minho said, getting up onto the porch beside Chan. “Anybody know any abandoned mines around here?” 

“There’s the Willfire mine up north,” the woman on the horse called out. “My husband used to work there before the war.”

“The old Brandstone mine too,” said Mayor Wallace. “But, that was gold, not coal.”

“The coal could be dirt,” suggested Changbin, the woodland dwarf. “If they’re living in there, they likely got the dirt on their clothes and hands.” 

“It’s a long shot,” an elderly man said from atop his horse, “But they could also be at my family’s mine. It’s gotten run over by spiders, but if they could’ve exterminated them before moving in.” 

You shuddered thinking about the large arachnids. 

“Alright,” Chan nodded at their answers, “I say we split into groups and search these mines while they’re off guard. Deputy Han will lead a group to the Brandstone mine; Deputy Lee will lead one to the Willfire mine, and I’ll take a group up to Mr. Choi’s mine. If you find them, do not engage,” he said these words firmly, “We need to catch them off guard. Whoever is helping them will not hesitate to kill anyone who opposes them. We need to be vigilant and patient.” 

“And I will stay with the rest of the town here,” Mayor Wallace said to Chan. “Changbin and I will organize something for the children and the families. You know, keep everybody calm during this whole thing.”

“Sounds good…”

“They’re going after magical children,” you whispered to Minho and Han. “They plan to use their magic to open the gates.”

“Makes sense,” Minho nodded. 

“Those poor babies,” Han frowned worriedly. 

“We need to find them quickly,” you told them. “Now that they have four children, they can start their ritual.” 

“Seungmin! Seungmin, where are you?” Chan’s words interrupted you, as he looked through the crowd. 

“Right here, Sheriff.” 

Dressed in a pin-striped shirt with an apron around his waist, Seungmin fixed his glasses on his nose and looked up at Chan. Just by the golden eyes, black wolf’s nose, and furry pointed ears, you realized Seungmin was a werewolf. 

“Where’s your pack at?” Chan addressed him. 

“Likely back home at the den,” he answered. “We’ve been looking ever since little Dobin was taken. He’s one of us, you know. I’ll get word to my father about your search parties.”

“I’ll call on the wisps!” 

A young fairy came floating up to the steps. Black hair in front of his face, the garden fairy’s bright green wings batted as he landed on the floor. You noticed he held onto the medical bag across his body. “They can fly faster than light and move between the different parties if they find something. The trees may have information too.” 

“The trees?” the words left your mouth before you could stop them. 

“They don’t say much,” he said, “But they will speak to me.” 

“Jeongin,” Han said to you, “Garden fairy. He’s also our doctor, believe it or not.” 

“And who the hell is she?!” another woman in the crowd asked. 

“That’s a demon!” the elderly miner gasped, taking a few steps back. A couple others did the same, but you did not react to their shock. “Sheriff, Sheriff, did you know you got a demon next to you?”

“I do, and she’s been extremely helpful since she arrived this morning,” Chan said. 

“I told you,” Mayor Wallace hissed at him. “I said they wouldn't take kindly to her.”

“How do you know she ain’t got anything to do with this?” asked Fred, taking a few steps back on his horse. “Their kind eat children!”

“We don’t eat human flesh,” you rolled your eyes, annoyed. “I don’t know what human started that rumor, but demons who still hold up to our code never harm the young.” You briefly recalled the children who’d get lost in the afterlife, and end up in the terrifying Mar. “I’m only here to help,” you said. 

“For some gold, I expect!” 

“And because whoever is doing this is harming children, and children are sacred to my kind,” you replied sharply. “Their souls are pure and precious.” Whenever a lost soul passed through your gates, a demon always took them back over to the heavenly cloud world of Divinity. 

“Get your heads out of the sand,” Changbin said to the group, “She’s good people.”

“How would you know?” the old man asked. 

“Because I've met dangerous people before, and she's dangerous in a different kind of way.”

“That's just her demon magic working on you!”

“Alright, if you don't believe me then let's get someone else's opinion.”

Changbin whistled through two fingers, and from behind the inn came an enormous grizzly bear. Far too big to be a normal bear, you suspected. Honey came right up to Changbin’s feet, sniffing for a scrap of food. It was when she smelled your scent that she moved over to you. Yes, it was silly of you to reach out to a bear, but you put the back of your hand to her wet nose. She gruffed once, nudging your hand with her nose, and then putting her head underneath it for a few scratches. 

“Honey’s never been wrong about anyone before,” Changbin gave them a satisfied smile. 

“Plus, she’s a war hero,” Minho said, “She killed Nor’goth.” 

The name sent a ripple of uneasiness through the crowd. Even you, who defeated him, couldn't help shifting at the words. Skin hard as rocks and dark purple Nor'goth towered several feet above anyone else. Burning orange eyes stared at you with hate as you challenged him. If it weren't for your allies, you may have died trying to defend your people and the mortal world. 

‘I will not suffer your insolence anymore, Multak! Prepare to meet your doom!”

“Is that true?” One man said with wide eyes. 

“It is,” he answered for you. “I don't know about you all,” he said, going down the steps, “But I think it's pretty handy having a demon around.”

An agreement mumbled amongst the townspeople, but you didn't care. “Chan, we're running out of time,” you hissed at him. “The longer we wait, the closer they get to completing their ritual.”

“To do what?”

“What else? Summon a being they have no business summoning,” you said. “It is going to blow up in their faces, and a lot of people can get hurt if we don't get a move on.”

“Alright,” he nodded. 

All the groups split evenly, everyone mounted their horses and began riding out of town. You looked around for Summer, realizing you'd left her at the Seo farm. No matter. You whistled a three note tune, and a burst of fire came from across the square. Summer dashed through the portal, charging past other people and horses to get right in front of you. She kicked the ground, head swishing as the commotion riled her up. Taking her reins, you held her still before mounting her. 

“YN!” Chan rode up to you on a white horse, “You’re with me. We’re checking the Choi mine.”

You gulped thickly, “Isn’t that the, um, spider one?”

“It is…” he then smirked and your cheeks burned, “Is our strong fire demon afraid of itty bitty spiders?”

“They are not ‘itty bitty’ and they’re gross!” 

His laugh made you grumble, and you charged ahead of him. Summer snorted, making you kick her sides lightly. “Hey, I didn’t pick on you about the snakes.” 

Running behind the group headed to the last old mine, you already pictured the eight-legged creatures likely waiting at the end. The old man mentioned that they’ve likely been driven out by the gang, so you clung onto that. Your skin crawled at the idea of having to fight ginormous spiders when a flash of white caught your attention. Chan’s horse, snowy white, came up to you once again. You got a good look at the animal, seeing the shimmer in its white coat and strands of silver streaked through its mane. Rather than fully black, the beast’s eyes glimmered a dark green color. 

How did Chan get his hands on a sea steed? 

“Where’d you get it?” you asked over the clopping feet. 

“What?”

“Your horse! It’s a sea steed! How’d you get it?”

He gave you a proud smile, “My Ma gave it to me!”

“Your Ma?!”

“She's a mermaid! You should meet her sometime!” He added.

“Your mother is a mermaid?!”

“Yeah, from the Southern Sea,” he said. “My Pa worked as a fisherman, and that's how they met.”

“You're a halfling then?”

“That's usually what people call me.” He then turned to you with a grin, “Not all of us halflings are so obvious.”

“What can you do then? Besides gathering search parties and solving crimes,” you smirked at him. For once, you're not the one under scrutiny. 

“Nothing extraordinary really,” he shrugged. “I used to sing whenever I worked on my dad's boat, since the fish would always come to me. But then I felt bad about luring them to their deaths so I stopped. I can breathe underwater…I could live in Hydrus if I wanted.”

“Hydrus?”

“It's the merfolk capital of the world,” he said. “My Ma sits on the city council. She's a healer there and has her own apothecary. She told me I could always come live with her, but I prefer being on land.”

“How come?”

“My Pa mostly,” he answered honestly. “He needs me more than her. She has her family down there; he's only got me and our dog. My sister lives with her, but she and my cousin come to visit sometimes.”

“Your sister?” 

“Hannah. She's got more mermaid than human, so she struggles living on land. Do you…Do demons have families?”

You gave it a thought. “In a way?” You decided, “We have our clan, which is a family. The Keepers are our parents, and everyone your age is a brother or sister; anyone older is an aunt or uncle.”

“Are you allowed to visit home or are you banished or something like that?”

You shook your head, “I can go if I wish. My horns…” you hesitated, “They're what I traded to live here, but I'm not exiled like some of my kin.”

“So, in a way, you fought against your family.”

“I did. I wasn't happy about it, but I did what I had to do.”

You pictured the demons you fought against during your ride. Brothers and sisters, standing on the other side of the field, severed their ties with the Shadowlands and became Nor’goth’s servants. It hurt you to fight them; you'd grown alongside most of them, and saw them as family. But, Sakmarth said those who break their vows are no longer part of the demon realm. You found that easy to understand but hard to carry out. 

The Choi mines happened to be several miles outside of town. Dusk began to set by the time you reached the outskirts of the mine. The trees around gave almost no sunlight. Whatever light did come through broke through the dark leaves in the canopies. The same canopy where you saw the thin, silver strands of webs. Cobwebs hung from the dark branches and stuck to the tree roots at the bottom. Apprehension settled into your stomach seeing them so high. Already, you felt their pincers snapping close to you and their furry legs skittering when they rushed around. However, seeing Chan and the other townspeople getting off their horses, you knew showing fear would disappoint them. You are Multak, fire demon and vanquisher of Nor'goth. You can't be afraid of anything. 

“Mr. Choi,” Chan looked at the wizened old man coming over to him, “What direction do we take from here?”

“Down this dirt path to the end,” he pointed at the path leading further inside. “My family sold the land when those damned tentaculars started nesting there. If the gang's anywhere, it is right here.”

Chan nodded and let him take the lead. He and several others kept their pistols and rifles ready as you carefully moved through the dead forest. One false step or loud twig might send a signal to any beasts in the area. You kept your hands firmly wrapped around the sword handle, doing your best to not tremble. You peered between thick patches of webbing; tricks of light and shadows created long legs and thick bodies creeping behind the silvery webs. There’d be no way for the gang to survive in arachnid infested woods; they’d be cocooned and devoured in minutes. Their warlock must have cleared them out; you might run into nothing along the way. At least, that’s how you comforted yourself. 

“I thought demons weren't scared of anything,” Chan teased. 

“I'm not scared.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

“Am not.”

“Don't worry, YN. If a spider comes, I'll kill it for you.”

You rolled your eyes, but the image left you feeling nauseous. Going deeper into the dense forest, you began hearing small cracks of twigs or rustling of leaves on the ground. The clicking and clacking of the tentacular species pinched your ears; you thought you might throw up right there. There used to be dozens back home, and you always avoided their nests. This forest is their ideal environment. 

“Wait,” Mr. Choi whispered, putting up a hand, “I see lights. Yeah, they're right there.”

A glowing orange light broke the darkness of the forest on your left. Everyone turned to see it hiding behind dense bushes and trees. Anxiousness stiffened your bones when you saw thicker webs in the trees above you. They must have scared them off not long ago if the webbing appeared so fresh.

“Fred,” Chan called the burly man, “You take Ryu, Harold and Donny and flank them on the right. Mr. Choi, Samantha, and Jenny will take them from the left.”

“And you, Sheriff?” the woman, Samantha, asked.

“YN and I will draw their attention.”

You hardly heard Chan’s orders. You didn’t keep your eyes off the trees for a moment. Phantom hissing and clicking sent shivers up your spine, leaving you in a cold sweat that wet your palms. Back home, clearing out spider nests or infestations was left to the newest soldiers. Shadowland spiders looked nothing like mortal ones. Their venom burned through flesh and bone, and their pinchers stabbed like sharp knives. You hated them. You pushed them from your memory as Chan encouraged you forward. Steeling yourself, you tried keeping your fears deep in your gut instead of on your face. You’re supposed to be a big, scary demon. You are a demon of the fire clan, a warrior forged from rock and flame; not a baby afraid of a few pests.

Very large pests

Carefully, you both walked towards the firelight. Chan kept his rifle pointed ahead and you kept your sword at the ready. The sounds of chatter and laughter caught your ears first. When you and Chan reached a small bundle of bushes, you crouched down to peek through the foliage.

Around a campfire sat four men. One of them, broad and wide, turned sausages in a skillet over the fire while another, slender and narrow, poured more ale from a barrel nearby. One lounged back against large sacks, his hat over his face and a fourth sat on the floor arranging coins into small piles.

“I got twenty gold here, Suho,” the one with the gold said. “That’s five pieces each. I thought you said Maurice would make us rich! This ain’t rich!”

“The real money’s coming soon,” Suho, turning sausages, said. “After he’s done with those kids, he’ll hand over the rest.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Idiots…” you whispered to yourself. The realization came to you right away, and you shook your head. “They’re the gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“In order to appease Yuth’ik, the summoner has to offer gifts to the god. This warlock did not really need lackeys to kidnap children; they could have done it themselves. They hired these bandits to then hand them over to Yuth’ik.”

“A double-cross…Suho wouldn’t like that.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Follow my lead.”

Chan stepped out through the bushes first, casually walking into the light. You went right after him, eyes sticking to your surroundings. From the rocky face behind them, you guessed they must not be far from the mine entrance.

“Evening, y’all,” Chan said in a friendly tone, “How’re you doing tonight?”

The four men scrambled to their feet. They each reached for a nearby weapon to hold up, but you noticed the shock in their eyes. Only Suho appeared calm and easy.

“Evening, Sheriff,” he replied in a casual tone, “We were just enjoying a nice campfire, some ale and the night time breeze. Care for some?”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. I’m here on sheriff’s business tonight.”

“Is that so?” Suho glanced at his members, who sneered back at him. “That’s a shame,” he cocked his pistol, “Because I’m in the mood for bandit’s business tonight.”

“Do you happen to know anyone named ‘Maurice’, Suho?” Chan took a step forward, unafraid of the gun pointed at him.

“Nah, don't ring a bell, I’m afraid,” Suho shook his head.

“Hm, that’s strange. A little reptile hybrid said you might, and a few friends of mine have been looking high and low for him.” You heard his friendly, polite tone turn serious. “I thought The Hook clan didn’t harm children.”

“We don’t,” he said.

“But the person you’re working for does, and that’s okay by you?”

“I don’t work for anybody but myself,” Suho said.

“Stop with the games, Junmyeon,” Chan cut across him. “I know you and your gang have been kidnapping children from the town. You might be a thieving, no-good outlaw, but I never thought you’d be the type to hurt kids.”

“We don’t have anything to do with that.”

“We have your fingerprints on the trees where Barney Pebbles was taken,” he said. “Who’s Maurice and what is he doing with the kids?”

“I don’t know a ‘Maurice’.”

“Junmyeon…these children could be in serious danger. They’re innocent, and I know you wouldn’t let some psychotic warlock kill them.”

“Again, Sheriff, sorry to disappoint you, but we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you even know the man you're working for, Junmyeon?” 

“I only work for myself, so yeah, I do know the man I work for.”

“Whoever he's summoning tonight is going to expect human sacrifices…and it's not the kids.”

“What'd you mean?” Asked the shortest one, wide eyed and worried. 

“He needs the kids to open the portal, but he has to have gifts to offer the tree god thing. I'm guessing that's you and your boys. Now,” he took another step, “You can tell us where he is and we stop him or you become an ancient being's dinner.”

You heard a small twig snap from somewhere behind you, and every nerve in your body stood on edge. It could either be a friend or a foe. A big, furry, hungry foe. Up in the sky, you saw the russet colors slowly fading to black. You’re running out of time.

“I still don't know what you're talking about,” Suho declared, but not as strongly. 

“-Junmyeon,” Chan came closer, “Don’t make this harder on yourself. Tell me where Maurice is, and you'll be free to move on.”

“Ha, I doubt that. You’ll have me cuffed before I even talk.”

“You're telling me you want to get eaten then?!”

You grunted and walked past Chan into the light. Eyes glaring at him, you let the fire light wash over you to give them a better view. All four men froze in place at the demon standing on the other side of their campfire. The cracking, burning wood crunched under your boots when you kicked their skillet aside and stood in the fire. The burning flames licked up your legs to your thighs, but you hardly felt them. You might as well have stepped into a warm bath. 

“Listen, scumbag,” you growled, making sure he heard it, “Tell us what you know about the warlock and where he is before I pull you into this fire with me.”

Suho, clearly not one to back down easily, pointed his pistol right at you. “Stay away, demon,” he said stiffly, though you could smell the sweat coming through his pores. Fear. Your demonic roots savored the fragrance, “Or I’ll shoot!”

In a swift motion, you reached out and brought the heavy man right to the edge of the fire. High pitched screams followed his panic kicking as flames danced close to his ankles. Suho tried uncurling your fingers from his shirt collar, but to no avail. You bore your eyes into his as you spoke.

“Where is Maurice, human?”

Too afraid of being burned, Suho did not answer you right away. You quickly looked to the men around him, seeing how they’d backed up and away from you. “I asked you a question,” you grunted, lowering him closer to the fire, “Where is he? Where?!”

“Pl-please!”

“Innocent children will have their lives sucked out of their bodies, and you’re standing there refusing to help them?!” You dragged him into the fire at last, though kept him above the lowest of the flames. The sound of running feet told you his members left him behind to be tortured. “Do you know what we do to people who harm children in the Shadowlands? Hm?” You brought him in closer, “We burn them!”

You dropped him into the fire, and Suho screamed hysterically. Rolling away, he rustled around on the ground to put out the tiny flickers on his back. Panting and sweating, the gang leader stared up at you in horror. Most likely because the fires burning inside you had finally reached your eyes. Their mortal hue turned into burning coals, and your fingers itched to set him aflame.

“In the mines!” he screamed, cowering under your fiery gaze. “He’s in the mines! He has his little pets helping him! Please, don’t eat me! Please!”

“Where’s the entrance?”

Suho whimpered, not answering.

“Where’s the entrance?!” you demanded. 

“Tha-th-that-t- wa-ay!”

He pointed to his left, and you nodded. Storming off into the nearby path, you already saw the sky gradually becoming darker and darker. The warlock could start their ritual at any moment.

“Hey!” you heard several pairs of feet coming up behind you, “Hey, what was that?”

Chan came up beside you, but you kept on moving. “Intimidation,” you said, “You weren’t getting answers, and we’re running out of time, so I stepped in.” You smirked over your shoulder, “Nothing makes a man talk more than under the threat of eternal flames.”

“You weren’t going to actually kill him though, right? That…That isn’t how we do things here.”

“Of course not,” you scoffed. “Yes, people like Suho deserve whatever fate they have coming, but when that happens is not up to me.”

“Oh…”

You knew why he asked that. “I’m not that kind of demon, Chan,” you told him, “I might be a demon, but I’m not a thrill killer. I only do it when-”

You stopped at the sight of metal tracks some yards away. The mine entrance was on the other side of them, dimly lit and foreboding. Empty cargo carts sat on the tracks, and you saw crates stacked on top of one another. Whoever worked this mine abandoned it long ago, and several residents had taken it up. All the fire from before extinguished when you saw the gargantuan spiders roaming the area. The stinging sensation of bile crept up your throat, and your skin started crawling again. Big and hairy, most of them varied in colors of white, gray and black. You almost turned back, but knew to do so now would be abandoning the children and also negating any perceived toughness. 

“Kind of hard to intimidate a wild beast, huh?” Chan asked, humored by your weak attempts. “Especially big ones with several pairs of eyes-”

“-Nothing needs that many eyes or that many legs!” you harshly whispered. “How can we get past them?”

“Fire,” Mr. Choi croaked from behind, pulling out a large matchbox. “It’s how my grandfather used to do it back in the day.”

“Works for me,” Chan shrugged, turning back to you, “YN? Would our fire demon like to handle the big nasty spiders?”

You stuck out your tongue at his smug smile. “I’d love to,” you responded pointedly. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

“Please, be my guest.”

He then made a hissing sound that made you punch his shoulder. You knew he was only teasing. Any other time, you’d tease him back but the sight of a spider coming down from the mountain with a bundle between two legs caught your attention. Fire. Warmth and light always scared off nocturnal beasts. 

Taking a step out of the treeline, a prickling sensation went up your legs, most likely the formation of goosebumps all over your body. You searched for a starting point for the flames, which happened to be the light shedding of webs along the tracks. In a single thrust of your hand, a bolt of red-hot fire shot from your palm and onto the metal tracks. 

Like a spark to gunpowder, the fire quickly began spreading. The beasts sensed the fire right away, and scurried away from the light. When one of them spotted you, it screeched loudly and scuttled over to you. With a high scream, your entire body went into a panic and you shot both hands out. Shrieking screams pierced your ears as the flames engulfed the creature, whose cries died out along with a few others. Your comrades, not wanting to miss out, started shooting. Gun blasts added to the fires scaring off the spiders; some of them took several shots while the proper marksmen got them between the eyes. 

“Come on,” Chan took one of your wrists, “Let’s get inside.”

“Inside?!”

You imagined more spiders awaited you in there, “This is no time to be a baby! Let’s go!”

Guiding you through the scorched earth, you kept your eyes peeled for any more spiders, but they’d appeared to have been killed or scared off. You’d gotten right into the entrance when your party came up behind you. 

“There’s more where they came from,” said Mr. Choi, “But don’t you worry. I grew up in this mine. I know it in and out.”

“Yuth’ik is an earth god,” you deduced from research, “He’s likely far underground where there’s roots.”

“I know the right place,” he nodded. 

Chan and Mr. Choi led the group, and you did your best to keep your shaking legs moving normally. Someone came up beside you. 

“You really showed Suho.” It was Fred, carrying his rifle across his chest. “I ain’t ever seen a man scared out of his wits like that before.”

“Being the good cop wasn’t working,” you shrugged, “So I played the bad one.”

“We could have used someone like you when this all started.” Once he realized how that sounded, he recovered, “I mean, the sheriff and his deputies are great at their jobs. It's…Things weren't being done quick enough.”

“I understand,” you said. The amount of webs did not match the spiders outside. There are more of them. “He was doing the best he could with what he had. I'm glad to be of some use here.”

Fred moved to talk again, but the group then stopped. In the spacious coal mine, you saw them right when everyone else did. High above the floor, cocoons hung from the ceiling and stuck to the walls. Bundles long and short were covered in several lengths of sticky webbing. You gulped back the fear burning in your throat, and stepped over to a nearby cocoon. About the average size of an adult, you poked it with your sword. When it didn't move, you looked at Chan with a worried stare. Your suspicions proved true when you cut a hole in the head to see the corpse of a young elf maiden inside. Sickly pale and blue, her paper thin skin and hollowed cheeks suggested she'd died ages ago. 

“How horrible…” Samantha frowned, opening another to find an old man. 

“Donny,” Chan looked at Fred’s farmhand, “Stay here with Samantha and start cutting the bodies down.”

“Harold and I'll keep watch,” Fred said, pulling out a flint to light a nearby stick. 

“Good idea,” he nodded his approval. 

As the other four started removing bodies, the rest of you went further into the mine. It didn't take much longer to reach the heart of the mine, and it was there that you thought you might scream. Dozens of spiders small and large covered the walls, and stood on the ground around a platform of rocks. None of them caught your scent yet, but one false move will have you setting the place on fire in a panic. You flinched when a warm hand grabbed yours. 

“Stay with me,” Chan whispered, his fingers gently taking your wrist this time. “We need to stick together.”

“The kids!” Mr. Choi gasped, pointing at the platform. 

Wrapped from the neck down in white webs, four children wriggled around an archway carved into the stone wall. You heard their sobbing pleas through the unrest amongst the beasts, and you forced out your fears. They needed you. It was then that you finally saw the warlock named Maurice. The top half of his body was a human torso, aged but strong with white hair braided back from his face. The bottom half was a spider's form, eight legs keeping him standing high above the children. That explained why the creatures hadn't killed any of the clan members. 

“My children!” He said, his voice a delicate hiss, “Tonight we bring forth the power of the old magic! We bring forth our salvation! We bring forth our victory!” 

The beasts approved, clicking and clacking in their language. 

“For centuries, mortals have feared our presence! They run from us! They hunt us down and kill us!” He continued, “But tonight, sweet children, the old god Yuth’ik will give us our redemption. We will have our revenge!”

“Ugh, disgusting creature,” Mr. Choi scoffed. “Let's get him-”

“-Not yet,” Chan stilled him with a hand. He scanned the area and shook his head, “There are too many of them. They'll overpower us. We have to be smart about this.”

“Or extremely dumb,” you said, a thought coming to you. “You stay hidden and wait for my signal.”

“YN!” 

Your knees wobbled walking towards the entryway into the main area. A human would be of no concern to the spider hybrid, but a demon from The Mar might keep him distracted. 

“-No more will you cower in your nests, feeding off scraps! You will have fresh meat!-”

“I wouldn't say my meat is fresh!” You shouted over the chatter of the room, “But demons are an acquired taste, I've been told.”

Maurice paused in surprise at the sight of you. Black eyes held you in their gaze. He had four of them. Nobody needed that many eyes.

“Ah,” he grinned, teeth sharp and white, “Here's the demon I've heard so much about. Was it you who harmed my children outside?”

“They were in my way.” 

Confidently, you walked through the horde, which parted to make way for you. Glittering black eyes stayed on you as you moved. Having them all in one place suffocated any fresh winds coming through the tunnel passages. Your skin prickled having them so close to you. You kept a tight grip on your sword at your hip, gripping so tight the pummel dug into your palm. No fear. Show no fear. 

“You know summoning an imprisoned god is against the celestial laws, Maurice,” you continued. “The Blind One doesn't take kindly to people who disobey him. I suggest you release those children and take your spider friends back where they came from.”

Maurice gave a mocking laugh, “As if you could do anything to stop me. Once my ritual is complete, no mortal alive could stop me.” 

He turned away from you to face the archway. “You'll have to give him something in return,” you said, “And be in servitude to him for life. I don't think you want to be someone's puppet, do you?”

“I will do anything I must,” he said. “I shall be the ultimate supreme lord. Everyone will bow down to me or suffer the wrath. The weak mortals you so eagerly helped will be scum beneath my feet.”

“Please, help us!” A red-haired girl with leaves in her hair cried. Sanghee, no doubt. “Help us!”

“Please!” said the werecat Hyeyoung. 

“He's going to kill us, please help!” pleaded a blond boy with concurved ears. “Help! I want to go home!”

“Silence!” Maurice shouted angrily over his shoulder. 

He lifted his head towards the arch and began muttering the incantation. It brought forth a vortex of black and blue, and gradually a white light broke through. You gasped at the recognizable swirls of The Abyss. Unrest rippled throughout the horde, who'd begun moving away as the portal opened. 

“Children,” the warlock called out to the spiders, “Dinner.”

You screamed as several spiders hurried towards you, some clawing over others to reach you. Fear and panic set inside you again, and erupted on its own. Bursts of fire cracked and burned the ground around your feet, keeping a protective circle as you started launching fireballs at any beast in sight. 

‘Bulgakgan!’

Flames shot out continuously from your hands, and as you moved in a clockwise circle, spiders were incinerated. One minute there, the next a stumbling ball of fire. Sensing a greater foe, the rest of the spiders began crawling away. This boosted your confidence significantly, and you switched to your sword. With another command, the dragonfire runes on your sword burned red and heated up the steel blade. Swinging and slashing the air, the spiders burned from the flaming steel alone. You hardly noticed the grunting and struggling occuring on the platform above you. 

Chan was locked in a struggle with Maurice. He blocked the hybrid's long legs with his arms, then gave a swift kick to the steady legs on one side. Maurice shot bolts of gray and black shadow magic at him. One barely grazed his bicep, and you heard his loud painful cry. Maurice, believing him finished, sent more shadow bolts at him just as Chan rolled away. Getting onto his feet, you watched through your own fight as Chan turned around. Mr. Choi, holding his own against his own foes, tossed him a rifle. Maurice chuckled right as Chan raised his weapon. 

“For Levanter Bay!” 

You heard the war cry from behind you. Fred, Samantha and Donny appeared, sweating and fueled with adrenaline as they covered the front entrance. A gunshot bounced off the walls, though the thick webs kept the sound suppressed. Chan's bullet missed, which amused Maurice, who curved his hands until more dark matter materialized between his palms. Chan quickly reloaded, but Maurice rushed at him. With another shadow bolt, he knocked Chan squared in the chest and launched him back several feet. 

You hurled a fireball at his legs, causing him to fall against the wall. This split second diversion was all Chan needed to shoot a bullet into Maurice's forehead from the ground. Their leader defeated, propped up by his legs, the other spiders disappeared from battle up through ceiling tunnels leading further into the mountain. You took deep breaths, heart pounding in your chest as you rushed over to Chan's side. 

“Chan, are you alright?” you asked, looking him over. 

The shadow bolt singed his shirt, the black mark vibrant against his chest, but otherwise no blood. It hadn't gone through completely. 

“Thick skin,” Chan winced through a laugh. “Merfolk side, they say.”

You both stood up on shaking legs, “Still, shadow magic is nothing to sniff at. You need to get that checked out.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted halfheartedly. 

The thought of Chan being mortally wounded by shadow magic came to you. You'd grown to like Chan. You felt glad for his merfolk blood. His eyes glimmered even in the dim torch light, and his soft smile warmed your cheeks. You turned from him to see Mr. Choi cut the children out of their cocoons. To avoid more butterflies, you started helping him. 

“Papa!” 

Barney Pebbles ran to his father the second you freed him, weeping and reaching out before the man embraced him tightly. The other children took comfort in the adults who'd saved them. 

“Sheriff Bahng!” Dobin, furry with a black snout, ran over to him, “I knew you'd come! I told everyone you'd come for us!”

“Of course I did.” Chan hugged him and patted his back. “Your parents have been worried to all hell about you. Let's not keep them waiting.”

“Or stick around for more of those things!” You added, shuddering and sheathing your blade. 

The rest agreed and walked with you out of the mine. You took in deep breaths of fresh air, feeling the breeze cool down your body. Heat never bothered you, but it still felt nice to fan your flames. You watched Barney and Fred riding back on his horse, the young boy protected by his arms. Being raised in The Mar by the warrior fire clan, people thought your clan were cruel. In fact, it'd been the opposite. You sat on your horse, remembering the time an air demon healer soothed your cries after a particularly nasty spar in the yard. 

“Ma'am?” Hyeyoung sat on Samantha's horse, tearful and shivering. “Are you a real demon?”

“Yes, I am.”

“But demons are supposed to be mean.”

“I'm only mean to the bad guys.”

She grinned at this, but said nothing else as she leaned into Samantha's embrace. When you reached the main road, you caught up with Minho and Han towards town. Minho found nothing at his mine, and Han only ran into vagrants with nowhere to live. What you really anticipated was the missing children with their parents. Word spread about your mission while you'd been gone, and as you rode to the town square, all four children rushed to their parents. Cries of joy and smooching kisses reached your ears, and it brought warmth into your chest. 

“Oh, thank god!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the school house building, which doubled as a meeting hall apparently. He hustled over to Chan, “Chan, Chan, thank goodness you came back safely! And you got the children back too!”

“It wasn't all my doing, Gerald,” Chan insisted, dismounting his horse. “I had help.”

Mayor Wallace looked at you once more. You expected words of suspicion or caution, but instead he held out his hand, “Thank you, YN. We wouldn't have our children back if you'd not stepped in on time.”

“I was only doing my job, sir.”

“And a fantastic one you did.” 

Someone called him from afar, and he excused himself. The weight of the battle, using your own magic, and the adrenaline wore you down. The hazy feeling of exhaustion came over you  within minutes. You looked on the townspeople being reunited with friends and loved ones fondly, similar to scenes you'd come across during the war. The fear of the past few weeks lifted at the return of the four children. Taking a seat outside The White Pearl, you continued observing them. 

Nor’goth used to claim that humans were selfish beings that knew nothing of loyalty. They were animals that killed each other needlessly. The people of Levanter Bay proved him wrong. The mortal world proved him wrong. When the tides grew high and the odds stacked against them, mortals banded together under one flag. They created The Allies, and stood as one against a common enemy. The Shadowland cities did no such thing until the war, and Sakmarth liked to say mortals had much to teach them. You couldn't help being in awe of them at that moment. 

“Hey there, Honey,” you said kindly as the bear waddled up the steps towards you. She sniffed your palm once more, then licked it. “You should've mentioned you liked spiders. I would've brought back some legs.”

“They're too boney and don't have enough meat for her.”

With the pet came its tamer. Changbin stood at the door a foot away, leaning on the frame. 

“She usually eats salmon or roots and berries I pick up on my hunts,” he took a seat beside you to watch the community. “You really pulled it off, huh?”

“You doubted I would?”

“Not for a minute,” he shook his head, “But it's amazing. The kids are saying you had a flaming sword?”

“It's a rune blade.”

“Interesting,” he nodded thoughtfully. “You'll make big money off of this. Saving children from a spider hybrid must be-Haha, what's with the shudder?”

“I hate spiders,” you grumbled. “Why did it have to be spiders?”

He laughed and patted your back, “Come inside, hero. We cooked up a feast to celebrate. You look like you could use a drink or two too.”

“Good, I'm starving!” 

You went inside with him to find tables of food laid out. You went in right away, sneaking apples to give to Summer later on. As you tore into a chicken leg, Han and Minho appeared in front of you with their own plates.

“Spider hybrid, huh?” Minho sniffed, “I suppose we were wrong about the human warlock theory.”

“Very,” you nodded, taking a huge bite of your chicken leg before turning it over. “He hardly got a chance to summon Yuth’ik.”

“Chan said you got there in the nick of time,” Han said, forking mashed potatoes into his mouth. “He said he might have gotten killed if you hadn't come along.”

“And that he inherited his mother's skin,” Minho sipped an ale cup before saying, “Well done, Multak. I told you we'd have this thing finished by supper.”

You both grinned at one another before digging into your supper.

****

The festivities carried on through the night into morning. You crashed into your bed upstairs and passed out instantly. When you left your room for the common area downstairs the next morning, you were met with applause. This reaction startled you, But not as much as the praise. 

“Thank you, YN!” Fred Pebbles came over from the bar and lifted you into a bear hug. “From me and mine, thank you!”

“Woah, okay!” You laughed out your surprise. 

“We mean it,” Wilma walked up from behind him, holding out something to you. “Here, take this as a thank you.”

Made of pure tiger's eye, someone engraved the blazing sun into the small charm. It hung from a thick string that glistened in the sunlight.

“It's a tiger's eye,” she explained. “My people wear certain stones for different things. This charm will protect you on future quests.”

“Appreciated, Matriarch.”

She smiled at the elvish title. “No, thank you. Barney is our only son. When we heard he'd been taken, we thought he'd be dead for sure. It was by the light's grace that you showed up when you did.” You saw her watery eyes and hugged her tightly.

It then occurred to you that The Pebbles' weren't the only ones with tokens of gratitude. When Wilma and Fred left, the other parents met you outside. Sanghee’s grandmother gifted you a valerian plant, meant to bring strength and knowledge to you. Dobin's father and mother gave you a wolf tooth, a special gift given to allies of specific werewolf packs; Hyeyoung's werecat parents did something similar with a cat claw. But, it was the children who warmed you the most. 

“There's the demon lady!” Dobin said from across the square. 

They'd all been standing in the middle of the market with Han, who smiled at you. “Well, go on,” he encouraged, “Jump her.”

You flinched at the gaggle of children coming your way. They didn't jump on you, but they surrounded you. 

“Do you really have a flaming sword?”

“Can you make people turn into dust?”

“Hyeyoung said you set the spider man on fire!”

“Ms. Demon Lady, did you die?!”

You didn't know which one to answer first. However, their barrage of questions ended when Chan appeared. 

“Come on now,” he said, shepherding them away, “Don't crowd YN. You got school.”

The children groaned in disappointment, but still walked away. You fixed your jacket on your shoulders, watching them going towards the schoolhouse. Most people you helped handed you the money, and then sent you on your way. The people in those towns usually didn't know you'd helped them at all; they only cared when their own people rushed into danger. Yet, the cold reception you received when you arrived turned warm and friendly. 

“You've become pretty popular around here,” Chan told you. “You're all the kids have been talking about.”

“And clearly their opinion is the only one that matters,” you smiled in amusement. “How are the kids doing?”

“They're still shaken up, since, you know, a spider hybrid kidnapped them and planned on sacrificing them to a tree god,” he answered, “But they're happy to be back home. Thanks to you.”

“And you,” you added. “How's your chest? That bolt hit you pretty bad.”

“Minho took care of it for me,” he shrugged, though you noticed the slight wince when he did. “It just stings. Nothing to worry about.” He then fished in his pocket to withdraw a leather pouch, “The mayor wanted me to pass this onto you. Your payment.”

You opened the pouch to see dozens gold and silver coins in the bottom of the bag. With an approving nod, you already budgeted what amount went to what expense. 

“So, um, where do you plan to go now?” Chan asked you, hands in his pockets as he walked with you to the stables behind the White Pearl. “You can always pick up other jobs around here. Someone always needs help. Mrs. Young still has a boar problem; she says they keep eating her cabbages. I didn't know they even ate cabbage,” he added with a soft laugh. 

You chuckled, coming up to Summer's stable. Your horse kicked the ground gently, a greeting. “As tempting as Mrs. Young's boars sound, Summer and I were planning on heading to the capital.” You pet Summer's snout, smiling softly as she huffed. “Don't worry. We'll take a ferry there.”

Chan stayed silent, then said, “Um, that might be a problem.”

“How come?”

“The ferry isn't running right now,” he said, thumbs hooked in his pockets. “Our local sea serpent has been seen close to the bay, and the King declared the ferry closed to keep people safe. You know these sea monsters. They like knocking boats over and eating people.”

“The King said this?” You faced him, arms crossed in disbelief. “I didn't hear anything about that.”

“It came in an hour ago,” he said. “Private government papers and other boring stuff. The damn thing nearly swallowed a whole navy ship, so imagine a little transport ferry. Psh, they'd stand no chance.”

Not once did you ever hear a royal decree not being posted or spoken about anywhere. Looking over Chan, you noticed the slight curls in his black hair, pushed back from his face and left to grow out. Brown eyes looked at you with a twinkle of hope inside them. You supposed you could stay a little bit longer. It isn't as if you had important business anywhere else. Levanter Bay did not seem to be a terrible place; the sunshine is something to be desired, but the people were actually nice. You touched the tiger's eye necklace you'd been given, as if rubbing it might produce an answer. 

“I guess we can hang around here,” you said casually. “What do you think, Summer?” You asked your horse, “Want to hang around here for a bit?” You laughed when she grazed on the hay inside a feed bag. “I guess that's a ‘yes’.” 

“Great,” Chan grinned. “That's really great.”

“Looks like you're in luck then,” you walked up to him, casually, “You'll have someone help your station get out from under the bounties up on that board.”

“I'm not proudful. We could use a demon in this town. Except, maybe one that doesn't burn down a whole cave because of a few spiders.”

“There were more than ‘a few’,” you punched his shoulder, but he only laughed. “There were hundreds, and I took out a good amount before everyone else joined in. I noticed you, Sheriff, didn't fight any spiders.”

“I was fighting the biggest one!”

The two of you talked about Maurice and his disgusting army on the way back to the inn. You had enough gold to buy you food and board at the inn, and you actually liked Changbin and Honey didn't scare Summer. 

It's not such a bad place after all. 

***

A/N: Wow, my first Stray Kids fic (well, a real one. The last one doesn't count too much to me). I hope you guys really enjoyed this one! I have one for each of the members coming up soon! Like, comment, and reblog! it keeps posts alive <3

Episode 2 >

[vnamps]

teaser !

prince!hyunjin x commoner!reader

enemies to lovers

slowburn

in which the reader is a royal painter and comes to the skz! palace to paint a mural for the upcoming coronation of the cocky prince hwang hyunjin. overtime, the cocky prince send sly remarks and dopy insults towards the painter but soon finds an interest in our stubborn protagonist

[kangaracha]

CATSKIN for @feelbokkie

prompt felix + twisted fairytale (catskin)

TW for blood, minor character death, mentions of sexual assault, medieval type violence

word count 4444

---

I.

When first you meet, it is like two stars colliding - like the sun and the moon dancing around each other in the sky, and love at first sight is a dream for foolish, insipid children and you know that to be true, but...

Maybe in this moment, you forget. Maybe you see his face, warm against the cold ice of the cape that falls over his shoulder, or maybe you watch the soft curve of his mouth as he laughs at something his brother says, standing so subtly apart from the crowd that no one notices they are there. Maybe your eyes meet across the room, sun-warmed brown to striking blue, and time stills and the dance stops and your heart thinks that here and now, nothing else could matter but the taste of his name on your tongue and knowing what his hand would feel like in yours.

But this isn't real. The ballroom is crowded, and he is a familiar face you have never met, and you are a stranger with the moon draped over your shoulders for the night. The band strikes up a dance, a lively rhythm that swings fast and slow, and you are swept into the rush of the current, your feet moving in a pattern that they know from heart. Your hands are still stained with coal; you take every suitor's hand palm-down, hiding the black stains that won't quite scrub from already-dark skin, and you waltz without meaning until pale, slender fingers take yours and hold them tight, tugging you from the dance before you can be passed on to the next partner in line.

"Wha-" you begin, and then you look up into the eyes you've dreamed of for days and months and years and forget what you were going to say at all.

"Sorry," he says, and drops your hand with all the haste you'd expect someone like him to once he looked close enough to see the lie shivering beneath your skin. "I just wanted to know your name, before I lost you in the crowd."

Love at first sight is a story mothers tell to put their children to sleep at night, and you have lost all your senses because in that moment, your mouth opens as if to answer him.

"There you are," a voice says behind you, too sweet to be any you know; and an arm loops through yours, and here is Hyunjin suddenly, jewels dripping from his brow and a fire burning in the back of his eye where only you know what it is for. "It's so like you to wander off. Come on; our friends are looking for us."

"Before you go-" says the mouth you'd seen laughing from across the hall, the prince it belongs to reaching out a hand - but you are already gone sliding away through the crowd that fills his ballroom from wall to wall with more dazzling finery than you've ever seen in your life.

"That was close," Hyunjin breathes in your ear, and there is the voice that you recognise, liquid fire and undertones of dark shadow. "You're supposed to avoid him, you know."

"I know," you mutter and allow yourself to be swept away, all thoughts of love and the sun and the electric feeling that had jumped from his hand to yours swept to the side.

II.

The king likes the ballroom to be full and the people to be colourful, and he likes the crowd to be lively.

The wine flows freely for the last day of the summer, the lords and ladies stripped of their cautious humours and careful tongues. Their laughter is raucous as you slip out into the garden, the sun pulled over your shoulders in lengths of fine silk that cut away the cold wind that bites at your exposed skin. Already, the trees have begun to turn and the grass is wet with the season's rain; you stand in the centre of an autumn scene and watch the leaves flutter and fall, the light of the lanterns glittering from your skirts and the swirl of beading across your breast, woven from the finest gold.

"It's you," says the man beneath the tree; and when he steps out into the light, dressed again in pure white, you forget to pretend that you hadn't seen him, or that you'd simply come out here to breathe in air that wasn't stifled by the laughs of a thousand other people. "I was looking for you, you know."

"Were you?" you ask with the curve of a smile, your tongue loosened by the quiet of the cooling night and the seclusion of the garden. "Or could you just not find someone to dance with?"

You'd seen him earlier, standing at the edge of that floor. Gently turning away the hands of countless maidens in gowns that dripped in jewels under the guise of speaking to his brothers, searching the crowd with his eyes at every moment he thought that eyes weren't watching him. The guilty smile that plays on his face says that he knows exactly what you are thinking of; the step that he takes within your reach says that he isn't going to hide it. "Maybe I was waiting for the right person," he says, and then his cheeks turn pink in embarrassment, his eyes sliding momentarily away from yours.

"You'll waste your entire night if you think like that," you tell him lightly, and then you glance over your shoulder at the doors to the ballroom - to give him a moment to himself, you tell yourself, and pretend that it wasn't because you thought you felt the creep of Hyunjin's watchful gaze over the back of your neck. There is no one at the door though, no one watching through the backs that are turned to the glass. Only he can see you here, the sun standing in the middle of the night's darkness.

"I never got to ask your name the last time I saw you," he says; and with a start that jolts up your spine like electricity, you turn back to him. 

"I never got to ask yours either," you say, in lieu of the answer that you cannot give him. Never mind the danger of him recognising you too closely after this night - if he mentioned to Hyunjin the name of a girl he'd met in the garden, if Hyunjin knew what you were doing between the tasks you'd been given...

"Everyone knows mine," he scoffs; not because he thinks so highly of himself, but in the reluctant acceptance of someone who had never known a moment of privacy. "You can't have come to the woodlands knowing so little."

"And what if I didn't?" you question, playing along on this string of a conversation rather than letting him turn it back around to the question he'd really tried to ask. "What if I'd simply come here to enjoy the night, and seen a man across the room that I thought I'd like to know?"

His smile grows wider, his eyes softening. You like the way that smile looks on him. "Then I'd tell you my name is Felix," he tells you. "And I'd probably ask you to dance before we met like this, out here in the garden where no one is looking. And it probably wouldn't be such a scandal if we were seen either."

"That doesn't sound like as much fun though," you say. "Isn't it much more interesting to meet like this, than to have it all planned out?"

"Are you someone that likes trouble?" he asks, head tilted to the side in question; and the words seem cautious, probing, but he draws in closer again anyway, enough that his hand can brush yours in the folds of your dress.

"Maybe I am," you tease, your heart fluttering and jumping around in your chest like a nervous rabbit. "Aren't you?"

"I think I could be," he says, and his hand brushing your chin is followed by his lips brushing yours; and it is only a question, a stepping across boundaries that promises to rescind immediately if you push him away, but love at first sight is a dream and you think maybe, in another life, you might have been a terribly indulgent dreamer.

You kiss him with all the certainty that had driven you to this point, this garden and this night and this man, and his lips are soft and he smiles too much, and his hands are hesitant to wander, but you've already tried hot, heady passion and men who take what they want. Soft is new, and questioning sends a shiver down your spine, and you think this is a better man. 

And then you stop because you remember, but you play it off as the toll of the bell startling you from a daydream. "I have to go," you say, which is true, and then, "I hope you find someone to dance with tonight," which is not.

"Will I see you again?" he asks; and it's notable, you think, that he doesn't reach out of try to stop you. That he accepts on face value that you are telling the truth and that, even though his eyes say they want you to stay, his mouth would be rude to ask.

"Maybe," you say, the word drawn out like honey dripping long and slow from your tongue. "If you have another ball."

He laughs, his eyes squeezing closed with the pain of it. When they open again, you make sure you are gone from his sight.

You're pretty sure you dropped something like your heart there in the courtyard, but you don't dare to go and get it back. Not yet.

III.

You're cutting through fine hallways of tapestry and stone from the garden, your basket filled with vegetables and your face streaked in dirt. You aren't supposed to be here - a scullery maid shhould be in the dark spaces between the walls, scurrying up and down steep and spiralling stairs, but you're late and the cook is a stone-faced woman with a tongue made for lashing, and you hadn't thought-

The prince stops to look at you, confusion furrowing in his brow as he stares at your face. Recognition; except that today you are hiding under the brown of the dirt and the mantle of wild fur, cobbled together from the backs of many animals but none so fine as te ermine that lines his coat. 

Your heart sinks even as it pounds in alarm at the thought of him finding out what you are and where you've come from. It is a disaster if it happens, surely, but at the same time - maybe you'd tricked yourself into thinking that he remembered you the same way you did him. Or maybe he had tricked you, with the way he'd so quietly given you his name in the garden, the earnesty with which he'd nearly asked you to stay.

"Your highness?" Hyunjin asks at his shoulder, dressed all in his own princely regalia, and Felix turns away. And for a moment you hate Hyunjin, as you slip to the side of the hall where your feet should be, out of the way; because how could he be so beautiful, and so detached and so true to his beliefs that he could play the prince, and you are so suited to fur and treachery that you stand here a maid?

"Sorry," Felix says, to Hyunjin and not to you, and pretends to move on. You can see his eyes flick back again as he leaves though, trying one last time to see past the furs and the dirt, to place where he has seen you before.

You can see Hyunjin's too, piercing when they look directly at you. Warning, that you are overcomplicating things. That this is all about to be a mess, and you are no longer prepared for it. 

Your ire rises again. You know what has to happen, and what he will do to facilitate it, and you know your own roll. You know it all has to end. Who is he, to think you can't carry through on a promise? Who is he to doubt you?

IV.

The final coat is made of feathers plucked from the birds of the sea cliffs, tawny brown and ochre and cream. Hidden in the tunnels of the castle, Hyunjin tucks a sprig of samphire into the curl of your hair, picked from the edge of the world before you had left and wrapped carefully in paper made for preserving these kinds of things. A piece of home, brushing up against your ear every time you turn; a signal to those that you have let in the back door that you are a friend, in case you are caught in the havoc.

"What happened to your hands?" he asks as he steps back to look at you, his own lifting your wrists so that he can see the black marks on your fingers.

"There was grease on the gate lock, to stop it sticking," you reply. "It doesn't wash off like blood does."

He drops your hands just as fast as he'd picked them up, his eyes scanning the feathers again. As if it was this coat that you'd worn when you'd taken a knife to the man at the gate, as if he would find evidence of the blood on your hands smeared across the vanes if he only turns you this way and that. Silly of him, really - the edge of the fur coat was the one that bared the stains. The fur was made for the work of the hands. The feathers were only sent as a signal, a draw of the eyes, dropping in the path of your feet as you walk towards the ballroom.

"Stay away from the prince," Hyunjin warns you, his attention turning in the direction of his own path to the party. "He's looking for a particular girl that he saw last time. He'll have eyes everywhere."

"Not on the ground though," you answer, shaking out the coat and watching a feather of mottled brown drift to the floor. You ignore the way that your stomach dips at the mention of a girl. You neglect to mention that the girl he's looking for might be you, and the rouge brushed across your cheeks and the glitter of gold on your eyelids will only draw his eyes. 

You should have worn the dirt and hidden in the shadows, but that's not how they had prophesised it. The witches had whispered of a feather coat and a dress made of the sun and a moonlight shawl, and you'd been the one foolish enough to wear them, and no one in those rooms had been able to resist the magic of them, least of all the prince.

"Time to go," Hyunjin says as the bell tolls seven, and with one last look between you, you turn your seperate ways. 

You don't know where his heart resides, but you know that yours is in your throat. You hope that he survives the night. You hope that whatever he came here for is worth what it is going to cost.

V.

At the moment the ballroom bursts open, the black soldiers streaming in from every entrance, you are looking at the prince.

You hadn't meant to. You had taken Hyunjin's advice, as much as it grated at you to do it, and you had avoided him, skirting around the edges of the room while he searched in all the wrong places for you, dropping your feathers where the feathers wanted to fall and hiding in crowds of garish colour that sniffed and sneered at your coat of soft brown; but even though you don't wear the sun or the moon, you still orbit around him and him around you when you are in this room, and to stay away from him was-

Impossible, in the moment when you turn and there he is, right on your tail like the hunters following the birds to their nests in the cliffs, willing to jump from the rocks just to collect the eggs that might hide below. Except that he wasn't here to steal from you, or to catch you in his hands and tame you - he only thinks that you are beautiful, or that he could love you if only you gave him a chance.

And then the feathers ruffle and shift in the breeze, and the doors open, and the room fills with the men of the sea, axes and knives glinting in their hands and white teeth snarling within their faces.

Eerie silence falls as the room stutters to a halt, the shiny, red-faced aristocrats turning to stare at the army that have entered their sanctuary. The first one falls by the main entrance, his wine arcing through the air as he tumbles to the ground under the sharp blade of an axe; and then they scream, and they move in every direction, and in the maelstrom of silk and chiffon and eyes of horror you lose sight of the prince.

Slipping across the room is like fighting upstream against a raging river, ducking between bodies and around blades that don't have time to see the samphire behind your ear. You fade away into the one hallway you hadn't marked with a feather, disappearing into the black of the walls and the twisting tunnel down to the kitchens where just moments ago maids had scurried out to deliver the feast, and your heart breaks at the red-suited body that tumbles in on your heels, the eyes of a man in armour of beaten iron that take in your feathers and your face and turn away, back to the bloodbath, but you can't go back. You can't save him. 

And then a gutteral cry echoes down the tunnel, and a body blocks the light that flickers from its entrance, and there he is, your prince. His eyes are scared and his mouth open as he gasps for breath, the little knife he'd used on your countryman held in a white-knuckle grip in front of him as if he thinks he might need it again at any time. Blood splatters the front of his snow-white coat, tarnishing the pearls and sinking into every fibre of the cotton and wool that holds it together.

"It's you," he gasps between breaths, the words reverberating from the stone walls. "I found you."

"You-" you begin to say, but the words are lost in the storm of thoughts that cloud your mind, the race of scenarios that you can imagine coming from this unfateful meeting, this turn in the story that was never anticipated. Every step has been told to you up until now - the coats, and the feathers, and the rush of men into the ballroom that leads to the fall of a kingdom - but no one said a word about this. About him, the prince, the hands that now cup your heart to their chest, and the knives at his back as he stands there, just one step shallow of safety.

You think too much about what has happened and what could happen next, but you don't think at all when you reach out and grab him, dragging him down the tunnel and into the darkness, where only sporadic lanterns burn to guide the way. Around this corner and then that, down a staircase so steep that countless girls have broken their necks tripping on its uneven stones, into the warmth and light of the kitchen, where the smell of the pig roasting over the fire fills the air and the stack of pots waiting for you to wash them later in the night teeters towards the ceiling, stacked in one corner by several pairs of careless hands.

No one is here. They'd timed it deliberately for the arrival of the feast, when the attendants of the ball would all reconvene from the corners of the palace to the ballroom to fill their already ample stomachs. Incidentally, this meant that the kitchen staff were all in attendance too, arranging dishes under the watchful eye of the cook, which meant that when you tried to hide a prince in the kitchen-

"Wait," he says, dragging back against your hold on his arm. "Wait, I know a way out of the castle. I can take you where it's-"

"No," you cut across him before he can finish, and you tug at him again, dragging him step by step towards the maid's quarters. "They're in the hidden tunnels too. There's no way out."

He's so surprised that he forgets to resist you, his body going slack with his jaw and his feet following you across the room. "How do you know that?" he asks.

You don't dare to look back at him as you enter the room you share with the other girls, as you open the little chest-of-drawers that holds everything you brought with you (but not everything you own) and you pull out the clothes you wear day-to-day - grey trousers and a cream shirt slowly staining brown, and the coat of a thousand furs, its edges stained with fresh blood. "Put these on," you order him, shoving them into his arms without looking him in the eye, and then you turn your back.

"I wouldn't punish you for pretending to be from the court," he says to your back as he changes, the white jacket thrown to the dusty floor and then his shirt and breeches. "Or for knowing whatever you know. You saved my life." His boots are too nice to be a servant's, but yours won't fit him; you reach for Alice's old pair while he is busy, set neatly at the foot of her bed, and hand them to him when he is done, picking up the clothes he has discarded instead.

You saved my life too, you should say of the man he had killed, to keep up the illusion, but the lie seems wan in the face of the truth you are going to have to admit to him by the end of the night. You stalk past him instead, headed to the fire with the truth and the lies still sitting sour on your tongue.

The shirt and pants burn easily, the leather of the boots slow to sink between the logs that fuel the flame. You hesitate a moment before throwing the coat in after them, eyeing its precious pearls and hand-woven patterns of leaves and swirls. A silver brooch pinned to the lapel catches your eye; your thumb runs over it, feeling the careful details its maker has pressed together and the chips of diamond that embed its surface.

"That was my mother's," Felix says behind you, a certain grief hidden in the stiffness of his voice. "But you can burn it if you have to."

"I don't have to," you reply, and you work it free of the fabric with delicate and practised fingers. The coat feeds the flame; the brooch pins onto your dress, just above your heart.

 "Pretend to be a servant," you say as you turn to look at him. Your hands reach out to fix his coat, to smear the soot from the fireplace into his golden curls and down his cheeks. "I can't keep you alive if you're a prince, but if you're just a boy from the kitchens-"

His hands catch yours as they slip from his face, the ash that clings to your skin staining his as he grips them tight. "Who are you?" he questions. "What have you done?"

Tight-lipped, ashen-faced, you look up into his eyes - pale blue to forest brown, liar to honest truth. "I'm the feathercoat," you say, as if he will understand the words of a fable that people only whisper over the sea cliffs and the raging storms of the ocean. "I'm the one that brings the woodlands to their knees. I'm-"

Your voice chokes in your throat, your fingers growing numb from the force of his grip on your hands. There's a knife still tucked into his waistband - there's a knife behind him, stuck by its tip into the surface of the cutting board. You only have your feathers, and the excuses that stack up in the back of your throat; that the witches told us it would be so, or your land is the only gift my father will accept in place of a marriage to that man, or haven't you seen the way your father encroaches on our cliffs? Haven't you seen the way your farms destroy our hills and valleys and pollute our river? But those are all reasons that blame someone else, and you are the one that stands here, and the grease from the gate stains your fingers, not theirs-

"I loved you," he says, and he lets go of you like he has been burned. "I saw you across the room, and I thought no one could be so beautiful, and you can't even tell me the truth when-"

A shout echoes down the hall you'd escaped from, the rattle of armour and the thunder of heavy boots against the floor. "Wait," you say to him, a hand suspended in the air between you. You're afraid to touch him, when he could reach for that knife - when he deserves to see your blood run, for what you have done - but you can't let him run to his death all the same. "Wait until we live, and then I'll tell you, and then you can kill me. But wait. Take my hand and wait."

He hesitates, his eyes wary like he doesn't believe you, but the man on the stairs shouts again, calling for someone to follow him, and the fear shoots right into his heart and his hand slides into yours, his pulse fast but his fingers cold. 

"I don't want to kill you," he says, like a promise you can't believe he will keep. "Just keep me alive, and when the sun comes up, tell me everything. Please. I don't have any reason to kill you if everyone here is already dead."

"I will," you reply, and this is a promise that will be kept, whether or not he reaches for the knife when the light of the dawn comes. "I love you too, you know. I didn't mean to hurt you."

And yet, you have. And yet, the guilt and the feathers eat you alive.

---

PERMANANT TAGLIST

@amyyscorner @kokinu09 @rainfallingfromthesky @keepswingin @rylea08 @puppysmileseungmin @thatonedemigodfromseoul

[0x1lovebot]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧.

𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄! 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐗 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑! 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 (fem reader!!)

synopsis; the garden is the most sacred place in the kingdom to the crown prince. not because of what grows there, but because of who dwells there.

featuring; skz bang chan, felix, and hyunjin.

genre; historical royalty au, childhood friends to lovers, best friends to lovers, fluff, slight angst

warnings; mentions of parent death, mentions of arranged marriage, cursing, more in each chapter!!

disclaimers; these are not accurate representations of the real people mentioned!! THIS IS LITERALLY FICTION plz remember that!!

a/n; this is an older fic that I started writing almost 2 years ago but I never finished so I’ve decided to start over and actually try and finish it this time :)

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞.

one; 🌱

two; 🪴

three; 🌿

four; coming soon!!

five; coming soon!!

© 2023 copyright. all rights reserved. @0x1lovebot.

[minbin2000]

meet the characters (skz x acotar x fantasy au)

Hi again! If you saw my first post introducing this au, this is the continuation I was referencing. If you would like more background on this post, you can read my other one here! I am super excited to start writing these stories! :)

Without further ado, let's introduce the characters...

spring court

hyunjin as wren, a merman living near the shore of the spring court who falls into a forbidden love

--- a court of sea and separation (coming soon)

summer court

changbin as theros, a royal guard to the princess of the summer court, whom he has loved one-sidedly for many, many summers

--- a court of devotion and despair (coming soon)

autumn court

seungmin as rye, the high lord of the autumn court's deadliest assassin, who has been tasked with his most difficult mission yet

--- a court of cedar and choices (coming soon)

winter court

jeongin as wolf, a warrior in training at the most prestigious academy for high fae in the winter court, who happens to meet his worst enemy in class one day

--- a court of worry and wonder (coming soon)

dawn court

jisung as bodhi, a pirate who has something precious waiting for him in a home he has never called his own, the dawn court

--- a court of paint and promises (coming soon)

day court

felix as elio, the heir to the high lord of the day court, blessed with magical abilities above all others that deem him as "the chosen one"

--- a court of sunshine and sacrifice (coming soon)

night court

chan as nash, the new high lord of the night court who has a lot on his plate and makes an unlikely friendship, that perhaps could be more

--- a court of flight and forgiveness (coming soon)

minho as evander, a rebellious villain with a plan to see justice served, only if a certain someone doesn't get in his way

--- a court of mistakes and matches (coming soon)

another quick note I wanted to add, these stories are not written in a chronological order, or even necessarily occuring in the same time frame. think of them each as separate little moments within the same world :)

Thank you for reading!

images from Pinterest!

[crybqbyme]

Masterlist

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

synopsis: The story revolves around two individuals, a vampire prince, Lee felix and princess _, who have been bound together in an arranged marriage since birth. As they navigate the challenges of their unique union in the modern world, they discover unexpected feelings and form a connection that transcends their initial obligations.

Pairing: Lee Felix/Reader

Genre: Angst/fluff Themes: Vampire au! Kingdom au! 

Started : 27.07.2023 Ended: On going

O1. Eternal Vows - Union

02. Eternal Vows - conversation and Camaraderie 

03.  Eternal vows - Enigmatic Alliances

comment if you want to be added to the taglist <3

[lavenderbang]

Felix and Your Tavern <3

A/N: Okay Okay, so I’m gonna do this bullet point form cause 1)I’m kinda lazy to explain everything and have proper sentence structure, etc., 2) This would be much longer than it already is if I wrote it normally, and 3) I’ve had this concept in mind for a fantasy au with Felix for a while and my brain go brrr, so I need to share it. Anyways, I’m sorry for any spelling mistakes and for how messy this will be, but I hope you enjoy my brainrot nonetheless!

**Warnings: Fighting(shouting, kinda physical), swearing, alcohol mentions, running away from home !!! [reader also is called the term “wife”]**

Part I Part II

W.C: 9.4k

So you first met Felix, he was known as Prince Yongbok of the Clé kingdom, Second son to King and Queen Lee

You were employed by them to be the young prince’s courtier, which was a great honour to you, as you came from a family with no particular title or wealth

You were chosen due to shown proficiency in intelligence, manners, strength, respect during the summer tournament; all good qualities to hopefully rub off on the prince

He was known as the trouble child

blowing off his duties often to do things that were unsightly of the royal family, such as baking, gardening, and other pleasantly activities.

Your first day on the job was a mess, as you couldn’t even find the boy for half of the morning

He was up before the break of dawn out in the greenhouse tending to roses when you finally found him. He did not look up at you as he continued his work, humming to himself pleasantly.

not only was he still in his night wear, dark shaggy hair sticking out in all different directions and skin dull and dry

but he was also covered in dirt and water, creating stains and spots on the loose tunic he wore to sleep.

“Come with me, your majesty. It’s time for your dance lessons.”

“Oh, no thank you. I’d like to stay here and prune these roses. You are free to take your leave for the day!”

You were quite taken aback, as you were quite unsure what to do at this time. Did you obey Prince Yongbok, who was giving you direct orders or stick to the schedule that was given to you by the Queen and the King?

Fearing the Queen and the King more, you stood firmly in your place and cleared your throat.

Felix looked up at you for the first time with a furrowed brow and a pout. He was surprised at your blatant disobeying of his orders, yet you seemed to intrigue him nonetheless

“I really must insist, your majesty. As your courtier-”

“what is your name?” He interrupted you, tilting his head curiously at you

“(L/N) (Y/N). I am your new courtier after the last one was fired.”

“Do you know why they were fired?” The prince asked abruptly, setting the pot of roses aside and leaning over the workbench they sat on to get a closer look at you.

“Of course not, your majesty. It isn’t my business.” You said firmly, feeling like you were under a microscope with how his gaze wracked over your form. He looked like a cat playing with a mouse before eating it.

“It was because they failed to morph me into the perfect little prince that my parents want.” Prince Yongbok said, carting one of his dirty hands through his hair. You stood stiffly in front of him, trying not to waiver.

“And I assume you’ll eventually be fired for the same reason.” He hummed, a hint of venom laced in his tone as he pushed off the workbench and came around to approach you.

“My brother might be the prodigy son; heir to the throne, the golden child.... But you can’t change me. And standing here with a stick up your ass won’t make a difference.” Prince Yongbok scoffed, standing straight with his arms crossed over his chest.

You had to admit, the Prince was a bit intimidating, irritated expression painting his features. but luckily, you were able to hold your ground well enough. You weren’t going to let some bratty prince cost you your job.

“I don’t want to change you, your majesty.” You said, tone even and eyes stone cold. 

The prince seemed surprised by you standing your ground, expression faltering just a bit. 

“However, you have duties as a royal that need attending to. And seeing as your duties are given to you by the king and queen themselves, if you are to disobey them, it’ll be treason.”

you weren’t scared of some pretty boy prince. He was all talk, and you could tell when his expression shifted from annoyed to one of worry.

“So I suggest you come with me to your dance lesson, your majesty. Unless you want me to call for the guards to come and get you instead?”

Checkmate

Prince Yongbok gaped at you, processing what you had said in his head before letting out a exasperated sigh when he realized you were technically right.

He grumbled out a reluctant agreement before following you outside the greenhouse as you lead the prince back inside to be cleaned up for his lesson.

“We can come back out here later to tend to the flowers more if you’d like. This afternoon if you finish your history lesson early?” You proposed as you reached the door to get inside.

while you were strict with his schedule, you really meant it when you said you didn’t want to change Prince Yongbok.

so compromising on his activities seemed like a pleasant solution for both parties.

Prince Yongbok seemed to agree, enthused he was going to be allowed to come back out to the greenhouse later.

None of the previous courtiers were like you; they were mean and strict, shouting at Yongbok for hours, yet their gripes with him fell of deaf ears.

or they were pushovers, leaving Yongbok alone for their entirety of their stay at the castle.

But you were different.

You were stern, yet gentle

Prince Yongbok didn’t know how to feel about you.

But as your time together grew, the Prince seemed to warm up to you a bit more.

Sure, he still avoided going to his lesson and tried to barter his way out of attending the royal court, but you always made sure to reward the Prince with some recreational activities later in the afternoon or evening (depending when he was finishing his lessons)

He spoke to you in a nicer way now, yet he was still distant. Just polite, but not friendly.

He spoke to you as if you weren’t a real person, just a personified schedule.

It didn’t really matter to you

not at all

as long as he was fulfilling his duties, which he was

for the price of an hour of recreational activities before bed.

You have learned he was really good at baking, and he always seemed happiest while he was down in the lower level kitchen with the servants.

And he always made sure to interact with them, speaking casually like they are all old friends.

However, there was one question you did have about when he was with the servants

you finally decided to ask one day as you were bringing the prince to his quarters after a long day of working.

“your majesty, may I ask you something?”

“sure, go ahead.”

“I noticed while we were down in the kitchen today, you were speaking to the servants...”

Prince Yongbok stopped in the corridor to turn and face you. His expression was a lot softer than usual, lips pursed, slight grin adorning his features. He was feeling the same sense of intrigue the day you had met, except there was now an underlying adoration that had grown from being around you

He looked like the sun, bright and curious.

“They call you by a different name... Felix, they call you.”

“Yeah, they do.” The prince nodded in agreement, grin growing as you frown, confused at how casual the situation was.

“why?” you asked, lifting your gaze to meet his eyes. you’d never met a royal who voluntarily spoke to servants, let alone let them call them by a nickname so freely.

the situation nipped at your curiosity, so you finally had to ask.

Prince Yongbok smiled fondly at your confusion, a little giggle bubbling up from his chest.

“The servants aren’t as educated as you and me, so the name Yongbok is sometimes hard for them to pronounce. So I told them to give me a new name. an easier name.” The prince explained, as if it clarified anything to you.

“your majesty, why would you allow them to call you by your name and not your majesty anyways?” You asked, tucking your bottom lip in between your teeth as you couldn’t hold in your obvious confusion.

Yongbok couldn’t help his smile from growing

you were so endearing to him in this moment

“Because they are people (Y/N).” He hummed, turning around and continuing his walk towards his chambers.

Your brain froze for a second as you tried to understand his thought process, before you followed behind Prince Yongbok.

“you say they are people... however, you have me call you by your title. Am I not a person too, your majesty?”

You let the words tumble out before you even register what you said. once you do, you immediately slap a hand over your mouth and bow furiously at the prince, who has stopped dead in his tracks. 

“Forgive me, Your majesty! I spoke without-”

“so that’s what this is all about!” The prince lets out a laugh, turning to look at you as you stiffen out of fear.

“Look, (Y/N), you could have just asked if you wanted to call me by Felix too.” He huffed playfully, enjoying watching you squirm nervously under his gaze.

You looked cute, nervously fiddling with them hem of your sleeve

“I-no! that’s not what I meant your majesty! I was simply-” You began, before the prince silenced you with a gentle wave of his hand. You felt like you were going to explode, tears threatening to spill over your cheeks.

you were embarrassed at your unprofessionalism, but most of all, you were worried you had upset the prince or offended him by having him think you were being rude and ungrateful.

But Prince Yongbok just looked at you sweetly, the corners of his lips quirked up playfully.

“(L/N) (Y/N), as my courtier, I give you full permission to call me Felix. I actually wish you would have asked me sooner.”

You feel your nerves unravel, like the tight coil in the pit of your stomach releasing all the pressure. You felt like you were made of jello, but in a good way.

“You do?” You asked tentatively, trying your best to save face as much as possible.

“yeah. It’s awkward how formal our relationship is when we spend everyday together. This way, it���ll make me more comfortable around you.” The prince explained

you reached his door, meaning it was time to send him off to bed. You had felt a great wave of relief, which must have shown on your face because Yongbok let out a chuckle.

“See you tomorrow (Y/N). Good night!” The prince hummed, waving you off as he opened his door and slipped inside his room

“good night... Felix.” You said softly. Felix couldn’t help the sudden quickening of his heartbeat and the drop of his stomach when he heard the name tumble form your lips.

his name

It sounded great coming from your mouth, he thought

and so, with the establishing of names, your relationship with Felix became a lot more friendly as the months went on

of course, when you were with the king and queen, you called him by his title, no matter how much it caused Felix discomfort.

He hated to admit it, but he had grown very accustom to you being by his side everyday; more than just a courtier, but as a friend.

he enjoyed your company. You were a good listener, and you always tried to provide a solution to his problems when he shared them

not to mention you encouraged him to do what he enjoyed, which nobody had ever done before.

you made him feel cared about, which made him really happy.

yep, you were a good friend alright!

just a friend, though.

nothing more!

...

okay so maybe Felix was starting to fall in love with you.

It wasn’t his fault that on top of being nice, you were also very pretty and it wasn’t his fault he got butterflies whenever you praised him or encouraged him

but as much as Felix wanted to tell you the truth about his not so platonic feelings, he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable

you were forced to spend every day with him no matter what, so he’d probably never forgive himself if he upset you and you just had to stick around anyways.

relationship with each other aside, today was a very important day

The royal family from the neighboring kingdom Naevis was to come today and present Felix’s older brother with his suitor.

Minho was the eldest Lee prince, heir to the throne of Clé. He was a perfect fit for the throne too!

responsible, poised, hard working, and very caring of his subjects.

Felix tried not to be spiteful of his brother, despite the constant comparisons made between the two by his parents.

Nonetheless, Felix knew his brother would make a good king, and a good husband to whoever he was set to marry.

However, he was just as surprised as you were when he was also presented a suitor for the same kingdom

Her name was Winter and she was as beautiful as fully bloomed chrysanthemum and brighter than the stars in the sky

she was sweet like honey and smarter than most tutors, 

she was so full of life

She was what any young prince could ask for when it came to a suitor

but Felix couldn’t help the sick feeling burning up in his throat at the proposal

Of course the king and queen accepted the marriage proposals for both of their sons

The alliances between the kingdom would be twice as strong now, which was very advantageous for both Clé and Naevis

Minho had been set to marry the eldest daughter Karina for many years now, so the two were pretty well acquainted already

But Felix had only ever spoken to Winter twice in his whole life

and with that, it was only formal greetings...

and now he was being told they would be married by next spring?

it was all too much too fast.

and of course, she wasn’t you.

As Felix’s courtier, you had advised the king and queen schedule a few meetings a week with Winter into Prince Yongbok’s weekly duties, to help them feel more comfortable with each other

of course, the queen and king expected you to chaperone the young royals during these meetings

you accepted the responsibility with great honour

but you couldn’t help the nagging feeling tugging at your heart

you spent everyday with Felix, and through the months of working with him, he had become a lot more responsible with his duties

you were excited he was able to move to the next step towards becoming a proper royal with such a lovely suitor

so why did you feel nauseous at the sight of them together?

You were supposed to be happy your majesty was finally going to live the life he was supposed to

so why did you want so badly to jump in between then while they strolled through the garden with their arms linked?

You didn’t know why you felt that way

Well...

you did know.

But you didn’t dare mutter a thought of those feelings aloud at anytime!

it wasn’t your place to get in the way of Felix’s destiny

With the announcement of the engagement, there was a rift created in your relationship with Felix. One where you went back to a more professional demeanor and he stopped being as talkative.

Felix hated it

he hated every moment he had to spend with Winter because he didn’t want to marry her.

And as more meetings happened and more time went on, the wedding drew closer

and you pulled even farther away from Felix

you had lost all the life and became a shell of a person who barely spoke a word to Felix besides what his schedule was and where he was to meet with Winter

You even refused to stay with him while he was out in the greenhouse or in the kitchen with the servants, opting to stay outside the the doorway awaiting to escort the prince to bed.

He was lucky you still allowed him the free time he wasn’t entitled to, but it made him unhappy with you now gone from them.

The final straw was when you called him by his title.

“Good night (Y/N).” Felix said weakly, pushing open the door to his room.

“Good night, your majesty.” You mumbled, bending at the waist to bow  to the prince. Felix felt like he had been shot with an arrow as he froze in place.

Truthfully, he felt his anger bubble up and spill over, face stone cold as he stared at you

“What did you say to me?” He spat, eyes meeting yours as you rose from your bow. You looked unfazed, lips pressed into a thin line.

“I said good night, your majesty.” You replied flatly. As you were turning to leave, you were shocked as Felix firmly grasped your wrist and tugged on it, making you turn to face him

You could feel irritation ignite in you as you glared at him

Normally, you’d be afraid of being fired, but you secretly hoped you were fired

it would be easier than seeing him everyday

“No.” He growled, roughly yanking you into his room before going to slam the door behind you 

“Your majesty-” You sighed restlessly, but were quickly cut off by Felix.

“What happened between us?” He said, raising his voice as he came closer to you.

He looked scary now; dark eyes burning with a fury, jaw firm and expression heated as he brushed his dark hair away from his face. You felt afraid of his strong demeanor, but knew deep down he wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.

When you didn’t answer him, he just continued, pacing back and forth with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You don’t even talk to me anymore. You act like I don’t even exist  beyond being a task for you! And on top of that, you are calling me by my title now... Is this all business to you?! What happened?! Did I do something to upset you?” Felix huffed, letting all the anger from the past few months spill out.

“No, you didn’t do anything.” You replied, fighting back the tears that were threatening to leak from your eyes.

no, you had to stay strong

“I’m sorry for upsetting you, your majesty. I’ll refrain from doing that in the future.” You said simply, bowing politely at Felix before moving to the door and reaching for the handle

you had to get out of there.

“Did you even listen to what I said, (Y/N)?!”

Felix was shouting now, palm pressed against the wooden door to keep you from leaving.

“Let me go.”

you were the one who was getting angry now

“Not until you talk to me. I just want to-”

“Let. Me. Go...” You were shaking from rage now, pulling at the door, but Felix wouldn’t budge

It wasn’t fair

It wasn’t fair you had to be the one who was rational and you had to be the one who was responsible

all while Felix got to act like a child, throwing a tantrum because you were being respectful and doing your job.

“No.” Felix said sternly, pressing his palm against the door even harder, coming closer to you he could feel the heat radiating off your body like plumes of smoke

why were you being so difficult?

Felix’s life had already gone to shit with this stupid marriage stuff, and now you were making it worse by being cold to him

You turn to him, expression fierce and body trembling

“You want to know so fucking bad?!” You spat, shoving Felix away from you as you felt tears of frustration spill over.

“You are going to be married to the perfect woman and there is nothing I can even do about it! I watch from behind the two of you and pray that in another life, it could be me holding your hand. I wish I was as pretty as she is, I wish that I was as smart as she is, I wish that my family had some sort of status because maybe then I wouldn’t have the person I love engaged to someone else! And life is cruel and unjust because I just have to watch you become who you are meant to be, but there isn’t a place for me anymore!”

Sobs fought their way out of your chest, feeling like you were absolutely broken at this point.

You knew this would probably be the last time you saw Felix because of your outburst, but you tried making peace with that as you sucked in a shaky breath, only for more sobs to fall out.

Maybe you’d move far from the kingdom and live in a cottage in the woods

that way you wont have to worry-

Felix was holding you in an instant, arms wrapped tightly around your torso as broken sobs coming from his throat.

You were still catching your breath and your racing mind, but you finally held the prince in front of you, rubbing a soothing, yet shaky hand along his back.

He clutched you tightly as if you would dissolve if he let go

“for fuck’s sake (Y/N), you have no idea how much agony I am in everyday because I am utterly in love with you.” Felix wailed, burying his head in the crook of your neck.

“I hate being engaged. I hate wedding planning. I hate everything about this situation because she’s not you.”

You let out a weak sigh, feeling the weight of this confession crushing down on you

You felt a lot of things in that moment, but the most prominent was relief he felt the same way

Felix pulled away just enough to look at you in the eyes, his own were blurred from tears.

“I love you so much.”

And you allowed, just this once, for your feelings to prevail over your brain as you kissed Felix for the first time

He kissed back with as much fervor as possible, as he was still out of breath from crying

and when you finally did part for air, it only lasted a second before Felix was diving in for another kiss.

His lips were trembling as he clawed at your waist, seemingly trying to get you even closer to him.

You brought your hands up to tangle in his shaggy hair, holding his head lovingly as you willed every ounce of emotion you had into the kiss

Felix parted from your lips, leaning his forehead against yours

“please, stay with me...” He whispered desperately, placing a peck on your face between each word

but you were rational

and responsible

“I can’t.” You said breathlessly, sniffling and sliding your hands down his back weakly. 

“you know we can’t Felix...”

“Just for tonight.” Felix bartered, already walking backwards towards his bed, pulling you along with him.

“Just for tonight...” He repeated, legs hitting the edge of his mattress as he placed another kiss to your lips.

“please... be mine, just for tonight?”

And you let your heart make one more choice over your brain

you let yourself have one night in Felix’s arms, clutching onto him as if he was the most precious thing in the world

one night where your tongues danced together and teeth crashed into each other

One night where you whispered sweet nothings to each other late into early morning

one night where you could call him yours

because when the sun rose, you were gone. Back to the reality of your situation.

You relationship with Felix got better

You went back to calling him Felix in private and you began spending his free time together doing what he loved again

but you kept your distance, opting to never speak of that night to him again.

no matter how much he brought up the subject of your love

You refused to entertain his ideas, changing the subject when he tried to speak to you about what happened that night

or you pulled away whenever Felix tried to grab your hand as you walked or held onto you a bit to long after a hug.

You began to notice him stealing glances at you whenever he was with Winter,

and when he was paying attention to her, he looked bored and acted very formally around her.

When it came to wedding planning, Felix was even more distant.

“I don’t care, whatever flowers you want for the ceremony.”

“All these cakes taste good, so it doesn’t matter to me”

“Why are wedding colours even important? Just go with that one.”

You knew he wasn’t thrilled to be marrying Winter,

but at least put in a bit of effort for her sake...

“Yongbok Darling, you know how we were unable to have an engagement ball a few months ago due to complications in my kingdom?” Winter asked her fiance.

it was a beautiful spring afternoon and the two were having tea out in the courtyard (under your supervision of course).

You knew the wedding was a few weeks away, yet the king and queen still seemed adamant on Felix meeting with Winter a few times a week because he still hadn’t quite warmed up to her yet

with the wedding so close, why was she bringing up an engagement ball?

Felix stirred his tea nonchalantly, looking out at the pond in the center of the courtyard. How much he wished he could just dive in right now and drown

that way he wouldn’t have to be in this situation anymore

when Felix didn’t answer, you kicked at his ankle to get his attention.

“hm? oh yeah, the engagement ball...” Felix hummed dismissively, giving a haphazard glance to his fiance before staring down at his tea cup

“Well, what if we had one? It would be for both our union and our sibling’s, but I think it’s a very important tradition. Don’t you?” Winter said sweetly, picking up a biscuit and dunking it in her tea delicately

“Isn’t it too late to plan one? Our wedding is in a few weeks.” Felix said politely, but grimaced at the thought

“Our parents already have it planned out,” Winter explained, “It was supposed to be a secret, but I wanted to tell you in advance so you could prepare.”

Felix perked up at this, finally looking at Winter. His expression morphed into one of nerves as he let a frown play on his face only for a quick moment

“When is it?”

“in a couple of days. I suppose your parents wanted it kept a secret until the day of...”

Felx let out a small ‘oh’ before plastering a fake smile on his face

“I’m glad we are able to have one finally. Thank you for the extra heads up, Winter.”

“Well I actually said something for (Y/N)’s sake,”

You perked up when the Princess addressed you directly. You were used to being not even acknowledged during these meetings between the two, so it was surprising to hear your name come from Winter’s lips

You didn’t even know she knew your name, as she referred to you as the courtier when she did reference you

“Can you fit in dancing lessons into Yongbok’s schedule? I would hate for him to make a fool out of himself at the ball.” She asked, turning to you with a gentle smile. You nodded in agreement, clasping your hands behind your back as you bowed to her.

Felix looked at you, bittersweet expression adorning his beautiful features before he turned back to Winter.

“Wonderful! Shall we go inside now?” She exclaimed, finishing her tea and dabbing her mouth with a napkin. Felix stood from his place, gathering the tea set just as you started to as well.

You hands touched for a moment while reaching for the sugar, and you felt an spark shoot through your fingertip.

“Leave that for (Y/N), Darling. Wont you walk with me?” Winter asked, holding her arm out for Felix to take.

Felix froze for a second before wordlessly leaving you to collect the rest of the tea set and laced his arm through Winter’s

But not without having his gaze entirely focused on you

even as you began to walk them back to the castle, tea tray in hand, He barely spared his fiance a glance

all Felix could look at was you.

even when she kissed his cheek and said her goodbyes, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you...

The ball came in the blink of an eye, 

you felt a bit unprepared in all honesty, but it worked out well

elites from both kingdoms gathered at the castle, wishing well onto both of the happy couples

however, by now, Minho and Karina had already been married some time in the winter

kind of redundant for them to have an engagement ball as husband and wife, but tradition is tradition

They sat up with the king and queen, stoic and poised

as if it was possible for the future king and queen to look anything BUT put together.

the only sign they were really present and not just wax figures was their hands intertwined fondly as they spoke in hushed whispers.

You stood off to the side of the ballroom

as a member of the court, you were technically invited, however you didn’t dare speak to any of the royals.

You were dressed in your best attire, but you felt incredibly bored as you watched the elites mingle.

You almost wished you were dismissed to go down to the kitchen and help out there

you’d be more useful that way anyways

But that all changed when Felix entered the ballroom, arm and arm with Winter

He looked breathtakingly beautiful; his messy hair styled out of his face and he wore a spangled, velvet suit that glittered under the lights of the chandelier

he bowed and greeted guests, grin adorning his features

Winter looked equally as lovely, smiling and waving cheerfully as she mingled with guests as the two whisked around the crowd

they were the guests of honour after all

Finally, the two of them came close enough for Felix to see you

You felt your face burn at the way his expression lit up when he recognized it was you.

He hastily whispered to his fiance, before releasing his arm from hers and weaving through the crowd to you.

now that Felix stood in front of you, he looked even more magnificent; you could clearly see the rosy dust of his flushed cheeks and the star-like freckles that littered his face and neck.

“Good evening (Y/N).”

Felix spoke in a formal, even tone. Considering your current surroundings, it made sense; but nonetheless, you were taken aback by his demeanor

“Good evening, your majesty.” You replied with a bow, trying to hold in a laugh when you catch Felix making a sound of disgust at the title. 

luckily, the prince was able to keep his composure

“You look lovely as ever.” He said, a politeness in his tone. Yet you knew he meant much beyond formalities

“You look quite dashing yourself, your majesty.” You hummed in reply, smiling as you see the blush across his cheeks spread to his neck and ears

“May I ask for your assistance on something?” He asked, lips quirked into a playful grin.

“of course. Anything you need, your majesty.”

“Come this way then, please.”

Felix lead you out of the ballroom and down one of the corridors until you reached the familiar view of his bedroom door. 

He opened it and ushered you inside, closing the door behind the two of you tightly

“So, what do you need-”

Before you could finish your sentence you were quickly cut off with the prince’s lips on your own

they tasted of champagne and sweets

Taken by surprise, you stood stiff, placing your hands on his chest to push him away

“Felix, what are you doing?” You asked, secretly wishing you wouldn’t have to pushed him away.

“God, you have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that in the past few weeks.” Felix chuckled breathlessly, wrapping his arms around you and leaning into another kiss.

This time you kissed him back for just a moment, only to push him away again

When you parted, Felix looked at you perplexedly

did you not want this?

“Felix, what are you doing?” You repeated quietly, eyes sad and expression soft

“what are we doing?”

“What do you mean?” Felix asked, rubbing his hands up your back to land at your shoulders. His touch was delicate and gentle

You let out a scoff, looking away from the lovesick boy in front of you.

You could hear the muffled sound of the ball outside the door, as you gazed out Felix’s open window to look at the bright moon hung up in the sky

you could see the pooling of storm clouds in the distance, somehow foreshadowing how this conversation would seem to lead

“Felix, tonight is the night of your engagement ball. Your engagement to the Princess, not me.” You explained simply, taking his hands in your own and removing them from your body

“So?” Felix said desperately. He didn’t want to hear about the ball, the princess, OR his engagement...

“So, we can’t be doing this.” You said simply, feeling your heart sink

you wanted nothing more than to lean back into his touch and to stay here for another night together

but you knew better than that.

You had to be stern and direct with Felix, or else he just wouldn’t understand tha-

“Do you not love me anymore?” Felix asked, eyes already swelling with tears, “that night... did it not mean anything to you?”

“Felix I-”

“Every time I try to talk to you about my feelings- show you my feelings for you... you don’t let me.”

“Felix, it’s because-”

“Do you not love me anymore?” Felix asked once more, his voice coming out as more of a whimper. You could see the way his lips curved into a pout, trembling as he tried to keep his emotions in control

You took a deep breath, feeling like you were being stabbed in the heart as you watched the man you love in such a state

“I do love you.” You confirmed, coming close to Felix to wiping his cheeks with the pads of your thumbs.

Felix immediately reacted to your touch, leaning his head into the palms of your hands. He brought his own up to rest atop of yours, brushing his fingertips against yours

“That night represents everything I feel for you all the time. All the things I’m not allowed to say or do.” You confessed in your moment of weakness, wanting nothing more than to place a comforting kiss to Felix’s lips

but you had enough sense to refrain from that

“If you love me, why do you push me away? Why are you making me go to the meetings with Winter? Why do you ignore my love for you? If you love me, why don’t you show me?”

Felix wasn’t crying anymore, but you could still hear the brokenness in his voice as he spoke.

He was always so emotional around you. It was one of the things you loved about him; the way he was so in touch with his feelings and how empathetic he was.

but it was a curse sometimes, blinding him from reality

“Felix, I do those things because I love you so much.” You sighed, slipping your hands away from his face and letting them lay at your sides lifelessly.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Felix huffed out, coming closer to you and reaching out for your hands. You didn’t fight him as he interlocked his fingers with yours

“Lovers don’t do things that make the other person unhappy. So why are you forcing me into a life that makes me unhappy?” Felix said. His tone seemed tired now, emotional exhaustion overtaking the prince.

“Because it’s your destiny. It’s what you are meant to do. Who am I to stand in the way of your future?”

You could feel the tears escape your eyes now

It hurt you more than words could express to let Felix go, but you knew it was what was best for him.

“If this is my destiny, I do not want it.” He whispered now, leaning close to your face. He kissed your tears away gently, tone even and serious

“If this is my future, I do not want it.”

He slowly leaned in once more, placing a kiss on your lips as you couldn’t find it in you to refuse him anymore

He moved took his hands from yours and brought them up to cup your face as he kissed you more.

you felt yourself melting into his touch, kissing him back 

because you were just as love-struck as Felix was

“Lets run away.”

Your head was spinning, so you weren’t even sure if you had actually heard him right until he leaned his forehead against yours and his eyes meeting yours

“Lets run away tonight.” He whispered again, lips brushing against yours as he spoke. You shook your head in his hands, leaning away from him again

You couldn’t do this to him

“Felix...”

“Look, I’ve thought about it a lot these past few weeks.” Felix said frantically, reaching out for you as you pulled away from him and opting to take a step back.

“Everyone is busy at the ball, so it would be easy for us to leave.”

“Oh yeah?” You chuckled bitterly. 

You hated how it always had to be you who was reasonable

it always had to be you to bring him back to reality...

“And how are we going to leave then? On foot? We’ll be caught before the sun rises.”

“The stables. We take a horse and ride it far away from here.” Felix explained. You sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing your face wearily.

Felix stood in front of you, holding onto your hands again.

“Okay. Say we do get a horse and we are able to get away and hide before anyone catches us.” You sighed, gazing up that the man in front of you, “What then? We live out in the woods with no food, no water, and no home?”

Felix glanced over to his nightstand, where his expensive jewelry box sat open. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds; gold and silver, all shone in the light of the moon

“We are not stealing from the royal family- your family, to run away Felix!” You cried out, pulling your hands from his. He hastily knelt down in front of you and clasped your hands in his again.

“We only take what we need to get a start! I’ll work after that.” He bartered, eyes desperate, “Besides, everything in there belongs to me anyways...”

You looked down at where his hands held yours, gold engagement band shimmering in the light

taunting you as you listened to Felix’s silly request.

“And what about your fiance? Your kingdom? You are going to throw it all away for what?” You said exasperatedly 

“For you. For our happiness.” He replied simply, pleading with you to run away.

You could feel the walls around your position crumble the more Felix tried to convince you.

You resolve was deteriorating quickly, so you tried one last effort to change his mind

“You’re a prince. You have duties. I can’t-”

“No!” Felix interrupted you firmly. His eyes were filled with a sense of determination that shook you to your core.

“Prince Yongbok has duties. That’s his future, not mine. My future is with you, (Y/N).”

You felt all the air was being punched from your lungs as your last ounce of will power shattered

Okay.

“Okay...” You whispered, finally giving into what you wanted in your heart.

You could see Felix’s face morph into a grin as he stood up excitedly. He looked like a puppy now, eyes shining and hyper fingers that pulled at you to come close to him again.

“But if we are going to do this, we are going to do it right.” You spoke in a hushed tone, pushing away from Felix once more to smooth out his outfit.

The sounds of the ball still sounded lively from ballroom, laughs and music echoing off the halls

“We’ve been gone for too long already, so you need to go back in there and be with the Princess.” You explained, much to Felix’s dismay.

“I’ll prepare everything for us to leave. New clothes, food for the road, something to protect ourselves, things like that. We’ll meet at the stable in an hour or so and we’ll leave.”

Felix nodded enthusiastically, leaping into you and squeezing you tightly, to which you gladly reciprocated.

This was the most happy you think you have ever seen him, and knowing you were the cause of that was worth so much more than trying to secure his future.

and so, with Felix being sent to return to the ball to throw off suspicions, you began to gather the things needed to leave. 

Clothes that were much less conspicuous that your formal attire

cloaks to help hid the two of you in the dead of night

The jewelry box from Felix’s nightstand

a long, silver dagger and a bow with a few arrows from the armory that would be useful for you to protect Felix with if you needed

peaches, bread, and bottles for water for a couple days, as you had no idea how long you’d be on the road for.

You prepared the largest horse in the stable for your journey

a pure brown Clydesdale with the most inconspicuous looking leather saddle you could find.

Your hands shook from sheer adrenaline as you tied the saddle firmly to the horse

You knew if you were caught now, you’d be executed for treason 

The thought made you nauseous, but you pushed it down and tried of focus on Felix

you thought back to the first day you met him

he was dirty and scuffed up from tending to the roses all morning

you thought of the small details, like how the sun shone through the glass and illuminated Felix so brightly and how delicately his fingers worked to prune those roses

That beautiful image was a stark contrast of now, dark and gloomy

the storm had washed in sometime within the past hour, leaving you soaked and cold

However, it meant people were less likely to come out and catch you

That idea didn’t stop the panic you felt when the stable door swung open

You reached for the dagger and pointed it at your lover before even realizing it was him.

He was soaking wet too, dark hair matted to his forehead as he tried to catch his breath

he must ran here

He was in new clothing as well; a brown hunting jacket and a pair of black trousers

He also had a small knapsack slung over his shoulder

“You stopped at your room first?” You asked, rolling your eyes as Felix nodded. He took the bigger bag from you to put his knapsack in it.

“I had to.” He replied, jamming the knapsack with the heel of his palm, “I had important things with sentimental value in there.”

Felix grabbed the second cloak your prepared and swung it around his shoulders

He watched as you fastened the pin, and he couldn’t help but place a quick kiss to the tip of your nose as you finished.

“We don’t have time for that.” You grumbled, climbing aboard the horse and holding your hand out to help Felix up too.

“We can kiss all you want when we are safe,” You said under your breath, heat crawling up your face as the words effortlessly tumbled from your mouth.

You flicked the lead only when you felt Felix snake his arms around your middle securely, burring his face somewhere between your shoulder blade and the crook of your neck.

there was something comforting about being in his grasp again, but you couldn’t dwell on it now, as you needed to focus on the road ahead

And just like that, your trusty steed galloped away, as fast and as far as it could before stopping

You took a sigh of relief as the two of you passed through the city gates and off into the hinterland

You closed your eyes for a moment, letting the cool rain drops hit your face

You really did it.

You didn’t stop your travels until the sun started to peak up over the horizon, long after the storm had passed.

there was a forest that marked the base of a mountain, which provided enough cover for you to safely rest for a bit.

Past the mountain would be a small farming village, in which you will hopefully be able to rest for longer and get your bearings.

and beyond that was a city

that was the end goal

for now, you allowed your great Clydesdale a place in the long grass to lay and sleep for a bit

all while you spent your time in Felix’s hold, showering him with all of the attention you didn’t allow yourself to do before.

you watched the sun rise paint his skin in a soft golden glow

you found yourself falling in love with him all over again as he just enjoyed your company.

in this time, He explained he had a gift for you, sitting up before pulling something shiny out of his pocket

It was his engagement band, with a gold chain looped through the center of it

“When I get married, it will be to you!” He promised, placing the chain around your neck and adjusting it accordingly

“I love you.” You hummed dreamily, placing a chaste kiss on Felix’s lips

“I love you too.”

The trek was more dangerous than you thought it would be

the mountain proved to be rough terrain, a very narrow pass and hard rock with little traction

to pass the time, Felix would sing folk songs, his deep voice echoing off the rock

And when you reached the town, it was in the middle of the night a couple days later

You were exhausted, 

The journey had been physically and mentally taxing on you, and you honestly couldn’t wait to sleep in a bed for the first time in a while.

however Felix felt uneasy at the thought of seeing people

What if someone recognized him? by now, there had to have been search parties out for him.

and it wasn’t like a small farming community was used to travelers coming through...

“(Y/N), I think it’s best if we move on and just go to the city. It feels safer to me.”

You hummed, taking long slow blinks

It was only about one more day’s ride to the city, meaning you could be there by morning if you were quick.

Felix was right, but you weren’t sure if you could last that long

“Let me navigate, you should rest, my love.” Felix said simply, taking the reigns from your tired hands

He placed a quick kiss on your forehead as you leaned into his chest, allowing yourself to sleep

“don’t let me rest for too long...” You mumbled, Hearing Felix’s hum in agreement, before allowing yourself to drift off to sleep

You didn’t wake up until early the next morning, just before sunrise

so much for ‘don’t let me rest too long’

“Hey, we are here.” Felix said, you could hear the grin in his voice

In front of you laid the city of Miroh

It was the largest city in the west, with a populations almost double that of Clé

It had been safely under the rule of the Yang dynasty for centuries now, with a large army supporting it.

And with the mountain being one of the only entrances from the south lands, it was an independent nation, having only alliances with the neighboring kingdoms around it

A perfect place for someone to disappear

You and Felix found home along the very edge of the city on the north side

Using almost all of the precious jewels that you had brought, the two of you bought a run down, little tavern with a the modest inn upstairs.

It was not the best conditions, dirt and grime covering every inch of the bar, a few broken floorboard, and a bit of weather damage done to the outside

it would be tough to fix this place up, but with hard work you could do it.

and boy was it hard work

Felix got a job as a farmhand for a rancher, working long hours out in the sun with livestock

he would be up before the break of dawn and come back after the sun went down, but it was discrete.

you got a job cleaning at an inn in the city center

It paid next to nothing and the owners were cruel, but you always tried to look at the bigger picture

for months you and Felix were just scraping by, working every single day just to be able to live

and slowly, but surely, you were able to replace the broken floorboards

then a couple months after that, you got proper furniture for the tavern and bedding for the inn

and when you finally replaced the few stone steps out front, you were so close to being able to open

Just a few more weeks of this to buy alcohol stock and meal ingredients, and you could finally start your life for real this time

it was late, the moon high overhead when you heard Felix return, boots scuffing against the wooden floor

He always looked so tired now, body heavy and eyes drooped as he shuffled to the back where your room laid.

“I cooked some stew if you’re hungry.” You said as cheerfully as possible.

truthfully, you both had become shells of who you once were, but you felt it was best if you were as happy as possible for Felix when he came home

“Thank you.” He grumbled weakly, emerging from your room with only a loose fitting tunic and his work pants. He sat at one of the many tables as you came over to him with a bowl of what looked to be mostly root vegetables, cream, and small bits of meat from a prairie chicken you bought off a traveler at the inn you worked at.

“Work was tough today?” You asked innocently enough, but it seemed to upset Felix as he frowned

“very much so.” He replied flatly, scooping more stew into his hungry mouth.

His skin was much tanner now from working outside, and you could prominently see his freckles

“well, I’ve been thinking...” You said quietly, watching as Felix barely paid you any mind. The only reason you could tell he was listening to you was through the way he haphazardly grunted in response

“We are so close to opening this place up, I just wish we could do it tomorrow, y’know?” You started out, before reaching for something and placing it on the table in front of Felix

He looked up from his meal at you as you revealed what you had placed

his engagement ring on the chain he had given to you months ago

“I crunched the numbers, and if we sell this, it’ll be enough to start us up. You wouldn’t have to work out there anymore and we could just start running the Tavern everyday.” You explained, chewing your bottom lip.

You hated seeing Felix like this everyday, so if you could give up something to make it stop, you would do it 100 times over

“You... we cant sell that.” Felix said, a look of sadness on his face

he reached out for the ring, looking between the piece of jewelry and you

“Felix, I don’t want you to have to keep living like this for us. It’s killing you!” You cried gently, grasping onto his hand as you felt sadness well up inside you

“I gave this to you, because I made a promise to you. I promised I would marry you” Felix said pushing his meal aside to lean over the table closer to you

“I know, but-”

“So we can’t sell it. not until I marry you.”

“Then marry me.” You blurted out. Felix stared at you in shock, shaking his head

“I can’t yet, you deserve a proper wedding and I can’t give it to you yet.” Felix explained with a heavy sigh

when had he become the rational one in your relationship?

“Marry me now, and we can have the wedding after if you want.” You replied, as if it was the most casual conversation you’ve ever had

You took the engagement ring from Felix’s grasp and walked over to his side of the table

you knelt down in front of him, holding the ring out to him

“Lee Felix, will you marry me? Right now?” You asked, playful grin adorning your features

and for the first time in months you saw Felix smile again, shaking his head as he let out a chuckle

He held out his hand and you slipped the ring back on his finger, chain dangling from it as he pulled you into his lap

“Is this the part where I kiss you?” He asked teasingly, holding you close to him as he planted his lips on yours in a sweet kiss.

when you parted, you couldn’t help the heat from burning across your cheeks

“Lets go to bed, my wife.” Felix said wistfully, lifting you off of him opting to clean up his dinner before taking you to your room.

He was your husband now

Felix, your husband

(Y/N), his wife

Titles felt good for once.

That night, you laid in Felix’s arms once more, and you were reminded of that first night you shared

lots had changed since then, but it was for the better now

And so, after finally being able to open up the tavern, you and Felix lived a relatively happy life

every night, patrons would come to your establishment

your home

and they would eat, drink and be merry

you would have different musicians come and play to add to the atmosphere

every once in a while, you would run into trouble

bounty hunters and adventurers trying to make quick cash from the King and Queen trying to bring Felix back home

They tell people you kidnapped him and he needed to be saved

but you always set them straight with a drink, a story, and a smile, telling them good luck if they tried to take Felix away, because he wouldn’t allow it

usually that was enough to send these people on their way, not without staying a night upstairs and enjoying an evening downstairs

but sometimes it didn’t work

people were still adamant on taking Felix

usually they had to be paid off or you’d have to resort to more unsightly methods

in the end, it was still working out for you

but you tried not to worry Felix with the trouble

He was finally happy again, spending most of his time in the kitchen or behind the bar

he got to bake everyday, which is quickly what your tavern became known for

Looking for pastries, tarts, cookies, and fresh bread? You must go to that tavern on the north side!

Yes, Felix was finally happy, but mostly because he got to crawl into bed next to you everyday

His wife

his love

He sometimes lays awake at night, long since you have fallen asleep in his hold and thinks about what would have happened if he hadn’t have met you

He’d still be the problem child, a disgrace to his family

he’d be married to Winter, probably have a few children, and be a ghost of man who never felt true joy

and god, does he feel grateful he chose this life with you

___________________________

A/N: This had so many more plot details than I originally planned, but I hope you enjoyed it. Honestly, I might write an actual fic that has to do with Felix and (Y/N) living in their cozy tavern later in the future, because I didn’t really expand on it too much because I couldn’t without going into ANOTHER heavy set plot, but who knows!

[dreaming-medium]

Animals Without Direction

Chapter Thirty-Two: Music of the World

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Masterlist

“Healing magic takes more concentration than destruction magic,” Hyunjin says very plainly. His words are so melodic they flow into one another. It makes it seem like everything he says is poetry. “It takes a very special school of thought to heal the body with magic.”

The two of you sat on the ground, your backs against the log behind you with the roaring bonfire at your feet. Your shoulders are pressed together while he talks. Cold winter air isn’t getting anywhere near the two of you from your proximity to the bonfire’s warmth. 

“It comes from a very pure part of the mind and soul. The need to heal people’s wounds is pure with good intentions.”

Hyunjin holds out his hand, his palm facing up. You stare down at his extended fingers. 

“Some people believe that destruction is harder than healing– they could not be more wrong. It is easy to destroy, to pull volatile energy from the world and fling it somewhere else. To heal, you pull that energy and slowly inject it into a person’s body, allowing them to mend. Many Elves try their entire lives to master it, but they have such eccentric souls that they cannot do it.”

He gathers up a small ball of light in his hand. It shimmers and sparkles with a pure, golden glow. It looks like the magic you’ve seen Felix produce many times. He would be so proud of you at this moment. His warm smile fills your mind.

The night around you and Hyunjin is still– due to it being Winter you could not even hear crickets chirping.

There’s a certain silence that fills the air during the coldest months. It feels closer and somehow louder, lonelier. But with Hyunjin next to you, the silence doesn’t seem as heavy as it typically does. 

“It is the same technique as before,” he instructs you. “But this time, when you pull the energy from the air, picture yourself soothing it, calming down its rambunctious movements down to sit very plainly in your grasp; like a mother soothing an excited child.”

He motions for you to try, the golden light vanishing from his hand and dissipating into the air. 

Slowly, you stick your hands out like before, letting your eyes slide closed.

“Everything in this world has energy, the grass, the stars, even the log we lean against.” Hyunjin’s voice gets deeper and slower, it washes over your ears like water in a creek. “You can draw this energy anywhere, it does not need to be a light source.”

His words stop and the silence of the night begins again. 

But, the more you focus on his words, the more you begin to notice how there’s no cold winter silence at all. Just like he said, everything around you gives off its own frequency, its own hum. Vibrations come off of everything around you, you can feel it permeating into your skin.

“Draw from them, borrow their power. Feel their energy in your soul and bring it into your own hands, keep it contained to your own pure soul.”

Tingles begin in your elbows and slowly flow down your forearms. The feeling swirls around your palms and wraps around your fingers, all the way down to the tips and then back to your hands.

The music of the world starts to form a song. A song that starts off the way an orchestra warms up– how each musician would be playing their own melody to loosen their muscles and prepare for the piece to come. Bows pulled over violin strings, soft tufts of air blown into flutes, drumsticks beat heavily into drums.

As seconds tick by, you pull their notes together to allow harmonies to form. In the beginning, it’s just two melodies that sync together, but they meet and continue as if they’ve always been on the same song. 

Heat grows warmer and warmer in your palms.

The song continues on, soft piano twinkling swells to meet the other tunes that begin to harmonize with one another. 

A beautiful, slow, even arrangement hums through the once freezingly still, cold air. The same atmosphere that felt suffocatingly silent just mere moments ago now expands and sings as a chorus. The blades of grass wisping through a gentle wind carrying notes that meld with the easy, slow beat of the stone walls.

You don’t even need to open your eyes to know that a beautiful ball of light sits in the palm of your hands. You just know it's there, hovering above your eager palms. 

Hyunjin’s voice breaks through the music, but he doesn’t interrupt the stream, no, he only adds to the beauty of it. “There it is,” he whispers.

How could he possibly have murmured in perfect tune with the world? Does he hear their song too? Does he hear the way the logs in the fire pop the way cello strings are plucked?

“You now take this beautiful energy you have created, and you focus it on a wound, a rip in the beauty of someone’s body, and you use it to heal it.”

He shuffles around next to you, warm fingers wrap around your forearm. “Here,” he says gently. “I have a small cut on my forearm, would you help me, healer?”

You chuckle under your breath at his teasing words and nod. You’re worried that if you try to use your voice for even a second, the orchestra you’ve conducted will cease, and you’ll be left to sit in silence once more.

Hyunjin very gently grabs your wrist, he brings your hands closer to him. Your body shifts and you allow him to guide your touch down to his forearm.

“Think about the makeup of a living being, picture everything down to the blood the flows through my veins. Use your beautiful light to heal what has been broken, use it for good.”

You do as he says.

Various images fly across your mind. Veins and muscles that were once torn being resewn together, skin growing back over cuts and burns. 

The music swells louder and louder, music notes swirl around your ears and surround you completely. 

Will the world always sound like this? Is this her beautiful, unchanging song?

Hyunjin lets out a tiny sigh of relief, the air from his exhale fanning over your face from how close the two of you had gotten. “Just like that,” he whispers. “Just like that, healer.” 

Slowly, and against your very best wishes, the music begins to fade. The notes get slower, the tempo decreases. The time in between each drumbeat gets longer and longer. The energy within your palms begins to cool down.

Once you no longer can feel the energy within your hands, you allow your eyes to slide open once more. 

Your hands still rest on Hyunjin’s forearm. You look down to inspect it for any sign of a cut.

Running your fingers over his smooth skin, you see nothing, not even a scratch or even a scar to be found. Did you do it? Did you heal him?

“Congratulations, Y/N,” Hyunjin coos, drawing your attention again. You look up and see he is practically nose to nose with you. HIs sharp eyes are the softest you’ve ever seen. 

His piercing gaze is usually one to rival Minho’s; but now, he looks like he’s looking at the first flower of Spring. 

“I did it,” you whisper, obvious happiness present in your voice.

“You did,” he repeats.

You look back down at his forearm. “You are not jesting with me, correct? There really was a cut here?”

“Aye,” Hyunjin laughs under his breath. “I do not jest, you healed me, Y/N.”

You healed him, you actually healed him! 

A happy laugh bubbles in your chest while you look down at his flawless forearm. “I healed you,” you say in disbelief. “I healed you!”

You look up at Hyunjin once more with pure happiness on your face. “Oh, I cannot believe it. I never thought I would learn any magic, let alone restoration magic!”

He mirrors your smile, the corners of his lips turning up. “And yet here we are.”

Hesitating for a moment, you then speak up. “Do you hear the music too when you use magic? The music of the world?”

He stares at you, a little confused for just a split second. “Music? Nay, I do not hear music when I use magic.”

“Oh,” you say, a little disappointed.

“But,” he starts. “It is different for every Elf. The way our soul visualizes magic is different for everyone.”

“How do you see it?”

Hyunjin hums, his eyes looking around. He bites his lip in concentration, trying to find the right words to use to possibly describe it to you.

“Do you know the way paint runs over canvas? The way the color comes from a brush– especially waterpaint?”

You nod.

“That is how I see magic. Everything has its own color, texture, medium, all of it. When I draw energy from different sources, it’s like creating a beautiful painting in my soul. Sometimes they are so unforgettable that I try to recreate them.”

Your mouth drops open for a second. “Your workshop,” you say quickly. “The paintings all over the walls, were they pieces you saw in your mind?”

“Aye,” he answers with a smile. “Every last one of them is from my magic. Beautiful, no?”

“It is,” you say with wonder laced through your tone. 

Leaning back against the log, you let your eyes wander to the fire. 

The beauty of the world around you has never been something you were able to stop and appreciate. It was more something you knew existed but figured it was for other people to enjoy. 

This didn’t mean that you couldn’t stop to enjoy the occasional painting or sculpture, but just that you didn’t have the time to sit and understand it. 

But now that you’ve heard the beautiful music that the objects could make around you, you find yourself craving more than what you get every day. You want to stop and smell the roses, stare up at the stars, watch the way the wind blows through the leaves of trees in the Summertime. 

Wouldn’t it be so nice to just sit by a pond and watch as a duck with her ducklings swims by? To be able to observe how the shadows fall across the valley from the clouds passing by the sun?

The crushing weight of the war around you creeps up in the back of your mind.

There was no time to ogle at the beauty of the world when other people feared they might live to see the next sunrise.

Hyunjin must have watched your face fall.

“I say that we have had enough for tonight.” 

Your head looks over at him, your lips part to usher a rebuttal, but he interrupts you. 

“Nay, you need rest, I need rest. We are going to need to get in all the hours of sleep we possibly can in the next few days.”

He’s right, you know he’s right. But you feel like you just found a secret of the world, how are you supposed to stop when you just started?

“We will practice again tomorrow night, Y/N, I swear to you.”

The mage stands up from the ground, brushing the dirt off his clothes. The light from the fire illuminates his face in an ethereal way. 

“Come,” he says, holding out his hand. You take it and he helps you up to your feet. “Now, off to your room. And I best not hear any sounds coming from inside.”

“Or what?” you tease, following after him as he makes his way towards the fort.

“Or I will withhold magic lessons.”

You groan and roll your eyes. “Sure, whatever, but you need to stop acting like my father.

------------------------------------------

Daytime around camp is much different than nighttime. 

When the sun is high in the sky, you can expect to hear various commands being thrown left and right by Changbin and other higher up officers in the army. 

The blacksmiths of the camp are working in overdrive to try and prepare all the weapons and armor for the impending attack.

It’s lunchtime on December the Ninth. Two full days until the axis of the world tilts. 

“Y/N,” Changbin calls out to you across the training grounds. “Keep that elbow locked when you are blocking!”

Quickly, you shift your form, following his orders. Your sparring opponent tries to take advantage of the supposed distraction, swinging their sword around to try and strike at your right side.

Your reflexes are too fast. You jump out of the way, nimbly dodging their swipe and kicking upwards at the hand holding their weapon. They too dodge your attack and the two of you are back in the rhythm of the spar. 

“Knees bent, Y/N!” Changbin yells at you again from across the field, his voice seems closer now. 

Your knees were already bent? If you squat down any more, your center of gravity will be off and a stiff breeze will knock you over.

For the first time, you decide to ignore his command, continuing with your movements.Over and over again you hit your sword into your partner’s. 

“Y/N! Knees bent!” His voice is even closer now. 

Again, you ignore him with a sneer pulling at your lips. What does he mean bend your knees?

Three more swipes against your sparring partner, one jab in your direction, a kick to the ribs, a missed stab.

Before you’re able to attack again, a boot shoves into the back of your knee, causing you to collapse into the dirt.

“Fuck!” you call out, bracing against the ground to stop your fall. “By The Six!” you curse. 

Your partner’s eyes are wide in shock.

Whipping your head around, you see Changbin staring down at you with his arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face. You stand up quickly, coming closer to him.

“What is wrong with you?” you bark at him, your temper flaring. 

His own anger swells with your lashing out. “Watch your tongue! You were the one not following commands!”

“Following–” You balk and scoff. “My knees were already bent, if I bent them any more I would be squatting in the dirt!”

“Why are you challenging my instruction?” Changbin’s eyebrows furrow, his cheeks flush with anger. 

“Because I know what I am doing and I am telling you that my knees do not need to be bending anymore. I listen when I know what you are saying is correct.”

His chest puffs and his face darkens. Obviously, he is not taking too kindly to you challenging his authority. 

In the months you’ve been a part of Miroh’s court, never did you go against any of his commands, not once pushing against any of his corrections or lessons he taught on the training grounds.

But tensions were running high in the camp, everyone was on edge and frazzled. 

“Ten laps around the fort,” Changbin says lowly, his voice gruff. The two of you keep eye contact with each other, neither one wanting to back down.

Every single soldier, who had previously stopped to stare at your pissing contest, groans.

“Not you lot,” he says louder, talking to his soldiers. “Just Y/N.”

Your jaw drops open in disbelief. “What? Changbin–”

“Fifteen.”

“You are being ridiculous!”

“Twenty.”

“I do not have to do this.”

“Twenty five.”

You maintain fiery eye contact with him, red hot frustration bubbling up in your chest. It’s burning hot and clouding your sensibility. 

Oh, you could scream, you can practically feel the temper tantrum on the tip of your tongue. You can taste every single awful insult you want to throw Changbin’s way. It’s taking every bit of self control you have not to let them fly.

He doesn’t back down. Just by staring at his face, you can tell that he’s only just keeping it together.

But still, you can’t hold your tongue.

“To the Void with you, Changbin.”

“Thirty.”

You throw your shield and sword on the ground at his feet, the dust from the dirt kicking up. You roll your shoulders back and walk away from the training grounds.

But, you make sure you harshly bump your shoulder into his as you walk past. It takes too much effort, but you do manage to knock him off balance to make his boots shift in the dirt. 

“Come straight to my office when you are done.”

“I will think about it.”

Who the fuck knows how long thirty laps is going to take you?

[daceydeath]

Light (One Shot)

Parings: Vampire Chan x Female Reader (established relationship) Word Count: 2.3k Genre: Vampire Au, romance, smut Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, unprotected sex (don't be stupid), vaginal fingering, swearing, biting/marking A/N: This is a one shot of a series I did it can be read alone but would make much more sense if you read the whole series. You can find that here but it isn't essential.

After months together and your grandmother's gift to you, you have decided you are no longer afraid to let Chan mark you as his forever.

Music pumped rhythmically as you made your way into Ordinary for the first time in a long time, the décor hadn't changed and neither had the atmosphere for heavy drinking and wild dancing it seemed a strange place to be meeting for a date but Chan had assured you that it would be the perfect location and you trusted his judgement. He had long proved his sentimentality when it came to anything or anyone he treasured and, while he did have to remind you, it had been at Oddinary that you had first caught his eye. You also knew he was always incredibly romantic and very old fashioned when it came to you and your relationship. He had been cautious to move your relationship along physically after he realized your fears of him marking you, using the excuse of not wanting to lose control and do anything against your wishes, and for a while you had been content with just kisses, cuddles as sweet words but now you wanted so much more.

Making your way through patrons that were littering the walkway by the bar you felt eyes following you, you paused once you reached the corridor leading from the main bar to the kitchen and bathrooms before venturing down the dimly lit hall until you reached the very end knocking you knuckles against the door casually. A small window in the door slid open and piercing blue eyes met your own you smiled and nodded politely waiting for him to allow you entrance.

"Good evening Miss" a gruff voice answered as the door swung open to reveal a very tall thin gentleman.

"Good evening" You nodded and smiled again passing by him easily and making your way into the basement of the establishment. Chan had previously mentioned that Oddinary had catered for both humans and Oddinaries alike but not that there had been an entirely separate bar in the basement for that reason. Entering the actual club you heard the soft sounds of piano floating gracefully through out the room, red velvet drapes and dark jewel toned leathers gave the room an old world elegance that was jarring from the upstairs neon lights and pumping noise music. A few Oddinaries were seated in booths around the edge of the room including your precious Chan. Chan stood the moment he saw you enter it was his typical gentlemanly ways coming out, and it always caused you to smile, he was always able to sweep you off your feet especially when he looked like he stepped of a movie screen in his back suit and crisp white shirt.

"You look beautiful" he smiled brightly at his eyes sparkling in the low light as he took in the navy dress you had worn for him.

"Thank you Channie, you look rather gorgeous yourself" you giggled as he kissed your cheek and guided you to your seat.

"Apparently I clean up nicely when I let Hyunjin and Jeongin dress me" he admitted smirking, as he noticed you staring at him, which had the desired effect as you felt your cheeks warm up under his heated stare.

"You never did tell me why you wanted to meet here and not just at home?" You murmured as a Nymph girl appeared at your table bringing a suspiciously familiar purple shimmering drink "Is this?"

"Yes it is and no I didn't did I?" he watched as you took a small sip from the glass his eyes burning your skin where they lingered.

"Are you going to tell me now?" you teased gently biting your lower lip as you placed the glass back on the table your fingers stroking the cold surface slowly collecting the condensation on your fingertips.

"I wanted to give the boys time to all clear out of the house" he shrugged his eyes flicking between your fingers and your face "The last thing I want is any interruptions tonight my love"

"Ever the planner" you smirked feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement light up in your blood, knowing Chan would feel it too, you were pleased when he had to stifle a groan as you pressed your thighs together to feel the tiniest amount of relief.

"And you are being a rather naughty girl tonight love" You have spent far too much time with Hyunjin and Changbin he faux scolded taking a mouthful of the gin he had left sitting in front of him.

"What time did you tell the boys they needed to be out?" your voice almost a whisper

"They should all be upstairs did you not see them as you came in?" he chuckled darkly as your eyes widened slightly "Minho will be very disappointed that you don't take your safety and surroundings seriously"

"I felt eyes, I knew they were harmless and I was distracted by this incredibly attractive Vampire I was meeting here" you pouted looking away from him.

"Well I don't like the sound of that I better get you home so you are safe" he smiled suggestively standing and reaching for your hand which you gave him automatically. "Shall we love?"

You giggled as he led you back up the stairs but instead of leaving through the front bar he led you through the rear doors and straight to his car his hands wandering your shoulders, arms and back the further from the bar you got. Opening the door for you, as always, he assisted you inside before kissing your knuckles again and making his way to the drivers side beaming as he drove the pair of you home. The tension between you only grew during the short drive, you hand resting on top of the hand he had resting on your fabric covered thigh. Pulling up to the townhouse your nervous excitement only grew, the anticipation of Chan finally touching you the way you had wanted him to for weeks was almost too much for you.

Leading you into his bedroom you dropped your bag and keys on the desk under the large window only to find yourself tugged backwards pressed against Chan's hard chest.

"You can stop me anytime you need my love" he whispered seductively kissing the shell of your ear "But from the way your heart is beating I'm going to assume you are not going to want me to"

"Chan please don't stop" you gasped his hand sliding up your body pausing to gently squeeze your breasts before making its way around your throat holding you firmly to him "want this please"

"You are perfect baby" he chuckled letting you go suddenly leaving you blinking and unbalanced "I'll give you what ever you want as long as you will be a good girl for me" he spun you around to face him claiming your lips before you had a chance to focus on his face. His kiss was all consuming as though he could steal your breath from you as his plush lips glided against your own. Kissing his way down your jaw to your neck you couldn't help letting your head fall to the opposite side.

"I'll be so good Chan" you whined while he grazed the skin on your neck and shoulder with his teeth nibbling and kissing everywhere he could reach which only made him smirk against your skin sliding the strap of your dress from your shoulder.

"Can I take this off of you?" he teased lightly pulling on the zipper at the back of your dress with one hand while the other stroked across your waist.

"Yes please" you whimpered feeling almost drunk on how intense the emotions you were feeling were becoming and the feel of his hand on you. Agonizingly slowly Chan lowered the zip slipping the fabric off your body with ease leaving you in nothing but your underwear. You could hear his breath suck in sharply as he took in your mostly naked body, instantly taking the upper hand you placed your hands on his chest carefully backing him up to the bed and gently pushing him to sit.

"Love?" he murmured lowly watching you straddle his legs your hands moving to push his jacket from his broad shoulders.

"Let me help you Channie, just want to be your good girl" you cooed looking at him with your best doe eyes, starting to unbutton the shirt he was wearing fingers stroking the skin you exposed making him groan beneath you. His hard chest was a work of art and you had a sneaking suspicion the rest of him would be too as you dragged your fingers toward the fastenings of his pants.

Chan stopped you continuing by capturing your chin between his fingers holding you in place with just enough force for you to know he meant it. Pulling you in for another passionate kiss his tongue tracing the seam of your lips asking your entrance, which you gave him easily, his tongue gliding with yours as he deepened the kiss further. Lifting you from his lap he carefully laid you on the bed hovering over you as he continued to kiss you, his hands mapping your skin and making you feel as though you were on fine. You gasped as his fingered teased the edge of your underwear hooking his forefingers in the waist band he tugged them leisurely down your legs flinging them somewhere for you to find later.

"Do you still want this?" he whispered against your lips his fingers expertly slipping between your open thighs and caressing your wet slit.

"Please, yes, please" you whimpered bucking your hips slightly towards his fingers "want you Chan, only you"

Chan growled lowly letting his fingers dip between your lips and feeling how slick with arousal you were for him easily slipped a single one inside you as his thumb began its tortuously slow pace of circling your clit. Your head was spinning, you already felt like you were on fire with how much you wanted him but now you could feel how badly he desired you and it was launching you almost over the edge without him doing anything more than tease you then he added another digit to your entrance making you arch off the bed with pleasure.

"Oh gods" you moaned loudly grasping his arms and shirt so hard you though you might tear the fabric.

"Can you feel that baby? feel what you make me feel? feel what I want to do to you?" He groaned as he felt your orgasm approaching as your walls tightened around his fingers.

"Yes.... Chan... I feel it...please I need more...please" you begged from beneath, hips cantering against his hand looking for more friction.

"Good girl baby, beg for me" he growled increasing his pace and bringing you so close to the edge you were dripping onto his hand unable to do anything but arch and moan beneath him. He pulled himself away from you leaving you dazed and confused as he rapidly undressed himself before returning to you "What do you need baby?"

"You Chan. I need you" you pleaded hands moving to cup his face "Only you Chan". You watching his eyes darken until they were almost black as he slowly leaned into to kiss you again, his hard length sliding between your folds before sheathing himself inside you making you cry out in bliss as he stretched you around him.

"You're so beautiful" he moaned pounding into you remorselessly his hips slamming against yours "All mine" you mewled helplessly letting him have you however he wanted the combined emotions of the two of you causing you to lose all self control as you came hard on his cock moaning his name loudly. He slid himself from you making you whine at the loss of the feeling of him inside you, he gently repositioned you onto your knees pushing himself back inside your swollen entrance.

"Chan" you gasped desperately feeling him even deeper inside you than before he dick perfectly rubbing against your g spot as he thrusted into you slower this time. Clawing at the sheets you almost came again when he wrapped one large hand around your throat and pulled you up against his chest. You could feel how close he was as hip hips began to stutter as he continued burying himself inside you.

"Good girl, are you ready? are you sure?" he ground out between his gritted teeth.

"Please" you whimpered again overwhelmed by what you were feeling his love for you, his lust, his need to keep you with him forever and your need to stay with him. Your heart felt like it was going to burst with how intense everything felt now that you you truly understood what it meant to be his mate. Less than a second later he tilted your head to the left and you felt a sharp pain as his teeth pierced the skin of your neck, the pain faded almost as quickly as is occurred replaced instead with intense pleasure which caused you to scream as you came so hard your vision went white causing Chan to follow you over the edge filling you with his seed into your convulsing core before everything went dim. It was like everything faded away and it was just the two of you left in the world as you opened your eyes to find Chan already tending to the wound on the bottom of your neck.

"I am so sorry my love, forgive me" he murmured sadly kissing your forehead.

"I don't understand" you croaked your voice hoarse from overuse.

"I took too much, I should have made sure that Felix or Han were home to keep you safe" his voice shook as he continued to dress the wound that you realized you would wear forever.

"I am always safe with you, Chan and I always will be" you smiled reaching for his face to get him to kiss you again.

"I hurt you though" he sadly attempted to argue.

"No you didn't I'm fine I promise" you soothed peppering his face with kisses "Now please hold me" you pouted, making him sigh in defeat and gently take you into his arms pulling you to his bare chest.

"I love you" he kissed your hair as you listened to his breathing.

"I love you to Chan, forever" you smiled knowing that this was just the start of the next part of your life together.

A/N: Thank you for reading and thank you for any likes, reblogs or comments you might have you are amazing xx

Taglist: @lotus-dly, @thegoddessharmoy, @indelicate-macalino, @k-ajla12, @jumunnaa, @cutiepie25162, @pusangmamon, @3sriracha, @christopher-bangnaldoskzz, @armystay89,

[lilmisssona]

𓍢ִ໋🀦 CHAPTER 2: WELCOMING 𓍢ִ໋🀦

𓍢ִ໋🀦 PAIRING: Vampire! Hyunjin × Witch! Fem Reader

𓍢ִ໋🀦 GENRE: Supernatural AU, SMAU, Enemies To Lovers, Murder Mystery AU

𓍢ִ໋🀦 PLOT: You're accepted to The University Of Magicks" You thought it was just a fun prank, a spam ad even. But when you get actually accepted, things start to get real....You move across the country to start your new life, only to get on the nerves of a certain vampire.... Join on this magical journey as you navigate through life, friendships , love and maybe even an ancient curse ??!! Will you be able to thrive or will this be a battle to survive ?

𓍢ִ໋🀦 WORD COUNT: 2K

𓍢ִ໋🀦 A/N: Happy 6 years Stray Kids!!! Time flies and I'm so proud of my boys accomplishing their goals!! q(╥﹏╥)p So, here's a long due update to your fav series! Let Me Know what you think! New chapters every other week ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

𓍢ִ໋🀦 WARNINGS: Hyunjin being a douchebag, platonic friendships.

𓍢ִ໋🀦PREVIOUS|𓍢ִ໋🀦MASTERLIST |𓍢ִ໋🀦NEXT

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

"We're here!" The carriage came to a halt in front of a dark, quaint forest.

Only the sounds of cicadas and frogs chirping can be heard, with the exception of a massive tree standing in between the pathway.

"But there's no university I see.." you curiously asked Yunjin as you peeked through the curtains at the back.

"Get down and see for yourself!" Karina winked at you again.

You smiled back at her. Looks like she was finally opening up to you.

"Alright" Karina spoke as all of you stepped down. "Follow me through the hole in the tree."

"I see no hole though..." you squint your eyes to focus.

"Hun, magick is when you believe it's true," Yunjin replied to you, smiling.

"Imagine that there's a hole and there shall be." Karina spoke.

"But.." " I never used any magick in my life." you nervously replied.

" In that case, hold our hand and follow us. '' Yunjin replied to you. So you intertwined your fingers with both of them and closed your eyes...

At first you can't hear anything except the occasional chirping of the cicadas and the rustling of the leaves under your feet.

But when you followed them enough to stand in front of the massive tree, that did you begin to feel "it" again.

Your whole body shivered as you focused on your surroundings. Every sound was blocked and now there was pin drop silence around you.

There was a sudden crumbling sound and some shuffling. Slowly all three of you opened your eyes....

"OMG" you put a hand on your mouth and gasped.

"There's a door in the tree now"

"Told ya to believe yourself" Karina smiled at you. The door opened by itself as you three cautiously took a step inside

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

"Holy hell" you gasped a little as you looked at the view in front of you…

"Never knew a tree can lead us to this" you beamed.

The whole place looked magnificent. Rows and rows of different houses with a massive fountain in the middle. Laden with beautiful lights. It was as if you're transported to a magical land...

AN: *Ahem* this IS a magical land,literally... 🙄

Narrator: oopsies but anyways...🤷‍♀️

" Welcome To The University yn "

" Let's go inside shall we ?" Yunjin replied to you, smiling.

" Heck yeah!" You replied. All three of you slowly entered the premises of the university....

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

"And we're going to conduct a..." Hurriedly you three took your seats, as you realised the orientation has already began.

" You are late" The man who was conducting the orientation announced.

" We're sorry, yn was lost and couldn't find us..." You looked at him. Very dark aesthetics yet a charming endeavour he had.

He didn't look much older than you, yet he had an authoritarian figure. The thing you noticed the most was his glowing blue eyes, that had a magical aura around them.

" Nice to meet you yn, I'm Chan, the Captain of the Wolf Packs!"

" Hello, nice to meet you" you smiled, shaking his hand.

" Please take your seats, you'll be assigned to your rooms shortly" Chan replied, guiding you to the rows of seats in front of you.

Thanking him, you three hurriedly shuffled through rows of students, until you get to sit in your assigned seats.

" Now that everyone is here.." The announcer spoke curtly, " I would like to introduce you to your individual house captains."

" Mr. Lee, Ms. Yu, Mr. Bahng and Mr. Hwang, please come to the stage."

You watched with bated breath as the man who introduced himself as Chan walked up to the stage as well as your new friend Karina.

" Karina ?" you curiously asked Yunjin, " Yes, she's the captain of our house, The Witch's Lair." Yunjin replied to you.

You watched as whom you assumed as Mr. Lee, walked up to the stage as well. He had a powerful aura in his face, with a distinctive green eye in his left, which glowed like fire.

" That's Lee Felix, the house captain of the outkasts" Yunjin pointed at him.

"And... that's..." " Where's Hwang ?" Yunjin was surprised as she scanned the room.

" Hwang " that title sounded similiar... " I'm here!!" Someone jumped from behind your seats. You ducked again in fear.

" What the hell dude!" You screamed at the commotion. That person looked behind you... It was him.

THE HWANG HYUNJIN in flesh in front of you.

Suddenly your throat went dry as you looked at him, his ethereal beauty shining even better in real life.

" Sorry sweetheart, but you should really mind whom you're speaking to. " Hyunjin replied to you annoyingly.

" Unless you're a novice which I think you are..." he scoffed as he looked at you up and down. " So I don't think so you know, about us The Elites,..."

" So mind your language hun, and keep your head down, your house is little than us anyway..."

" Hyunjin!" Yunjin spoke harshly. " Why are you being mean to her ? she could've gotten brain damage from your stupid actions. And her poor cat could've gotten hurt. "

" Whatever, I'm getting late for my speech anyways..." Hyunjin rolled his eyes and rushed to the stage. You were left speechless after the conversation...

This is the man whom you stalked through social media ? This guy ?

" He's so full of himself!!" you thought to yourself in frustration.

" Ugh, I'm an idiot" you sighed.

You gulped as you watched him walk up to the stage. " You ok ?" Yunjin asked you, concerned.

" Yeah..." you sighed.

" Don't mind he's just as annoying to everyone here..."

"Hmm, ok" you replied.

You felt dejected from the conversation.

That warm feeling in your heart was crushed as your hope to befriend him, slowly faded away... there was a lump in your throat. you fought back tears.

He was one of the sole reasons to enter the university. That reason now crushed and buried in your mind. " As I was saying..." The announcer spoke, as you fiddled with the sleeves of your shirt, to distract yourself.

Ms. Tuna looked at you from her carrier, you shot her a sad smile.

" Mr. Hwang please introduce yourself and your house, "

" Of course Ms. Im." You rolled your eyes as he shone a bright smile at her.

" I am Hwang, Hyunjin Hwang, the leader of your house, the Elites and we believe in sucking the soul out of our enemies. " He smirked a devious smile as he continued.

" Eternity is in our blood and you better not mess with us as the consequences would lead you straight to the gates of hell. " He looked in your direction, smirking. You gulped a little.

" Welcome To all the novice Vampires and Demons your dorms are located at the highest floor of this University..."

The hall erupted in demonic groans and claps as Hyunjin stepped down from his speech.

You scoffed at the commotion.

" Now please welcome, Mr. Bahng your Wolf Pack Leader!" The announcer smiled as Mr. Bahng or Chan as he introduced himself to you and stepped up on the stage for his speech.

You intently watched him as he did. A sudden warmth engulfing you from within.

" Thank you Ms. Im, I am Chan, your leader of the wolf packs. We believe that unity is our strongest forte. "

" Welcome to you all new wolves. Soon you'll be assigned to your individual dorms , that's on the 5th floor, and you'll begin your testing tomorrow to be assigned to your packs. "

Chan bowed shyly and stepped down as all of you applauded him.

" Hey Everyone!" Next it was Karina's turn. You cheered her with praises from your seat. Karina winked at you.

" I'm Karina, the leader of the Witch's Lair and we believe that magick is when you believe in it."

you smiled at her remembering her similar words she spoke to you back there at the tree.

" Welcome my novice witches to your house. "

" Your dorms are on the 4th floor and soon you'll be assigned to your rooms. "

" Go Karina!" you cheered at her as she stepped down from her speech.

" And last but definitely not the least...." the announcer smiled at the half green eyed boy.

" Mr. Lee, please introduce yourself!"

" Hello everyone, I'm Felix, the leader of the outkasts. "

Sudden, giggles and laughter were heard from a distance as he spoke.

You turned your head towards the direction of the sound. It was most definitely the Elites group mocking him.

" Yes, to you elites we might be nothing. " Felix smirked at them.

" But don't think of us as any less."

" We Outkasts believe that every being has magick in it. "

" And every individual is unique to us. " You smiled triumphantly at him as he stood up for his house.

" However small or big they are, it doesn't matter. "

" So all of you are welcome here, your dorms are on the 3rd Floor. "

Roars of applause erupted in the hall as everyone cheered for their individual house captains.

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

It was already half past 10 as you scurried your way to the dorms. Karina guided your team, as you and Yunjin followed suit.

Slowly she guided and assigned everyone to her rooms. And lastly it was your turn.

" And yn this is our room, with Yunjin of course!" " I'll be living with the captain ? That's so cool!" you brightly smiled at her.

" Well you were a last minute addition so we decided that you'll be with us. " Yunjin smiled at you as she replied.

You opened the carrier and let Ms. Tuna roam around her new surroundings, who already found comfort in a chair in the corner and dozed off.

Your breath hitched in your throat as you remembered what Sunday was...

It was your birthday and the very day you lost your biological parents.

You exited the chat and excused yourself to go to the washroom. Yunjin and Karina looked at you curiously as you dismissed yourself suddenly.

A knot of dread formed in your stomach as you looked at the face in front of you in the mirror.

" 22 years have passed yet the mention of this day still makes me like this. "

" Why am I so pathetic ? " You silently cried to yourself. " Why can't I enjoy my birthday like normal people..." you sniffled.

" All okay, YN ?" Yunjin knocked at the bathroom door suddenly, startling you.

" Yeah, I'm ok, don't worry. " Quickly you splashed some water on your face to hide the tears and exited the washroom.

" So you're coming right ? " Karina asked you, concerned.

" Y...y..eah of course " you cursed yourself for stuttering as you forced a smile.

" Perfect, what are you wearing ?? '' Yunjin squealed as she twirled you across the room, making the atmosphere lighter with everyone's laughter.

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

It was Saturday morning and you were already late on your first day.

Scurrying through hundreds of students you made your way to the first class of the morning. Although you're sure you have already missed half of it.

" Ouch!" suddenly you banged your head onto something hard, making you stumble and slip on the path and spilling all your stuff on the floor.

Internally cursing yourself you started to angrily stuff the contents back into your bag. A chill passed over you when you realised your phone is nowhere to be found.

You panicked and started to recheck the contents of your bag again, when someone tapped on your shoulders.

" Is this what you're looking for ? " you turned around to see the most kind looking stranger looking back at you, smiling.

He was holding your phone and a shiny pen.

" Y...yes thank you so much. " you replied as you got up to greet him.

" Sunghoon."

" YN"

" Beautiful name just like your face..." you blushed a little as he complimented you.

" Nice meeting you Sunghoon and thank you for finding my phone, but now I have to leave as I'm already super late for my first class. "

" Oh, good luck with that! " He waved at you as you rushed to your classes.

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 OUR ETERNAL ALLIES: @atinyniki @kailee08 @writingforstraykids

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𓍢ִ໋🀦 NEW RECRUITMENTS: @star92  @arloo00 @dabiscrustyfeet @loxgirl2004 @lakoya @thisrandomgoofy15 @kpopmenace143 @avokralaim @i2nsstuff @yasssposts @kopikokrunch @wa-wandavision @nlr1606 @kangyeonie @niaalove @bellandxx @annybah @kaiyaba @seungminindabuilding

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𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒𓂃🦋

𓍢ִ໋🀦 ENDNOTE: Everything Here is a work of fiction and my own imagination. This does not represent the real life characteristics of Stray Kids.

Make sure to like, reblog, follow and turn your notifications on to get updated whenever I upload a new chapter!! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

[little-corritrice]

| The Mafia | ~ Stray Kids

Genre: Mafia Au, Fanfiction

Pairing: Stray Kids x y/n

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Violence, Weapon Usage, Kidnapping, Torture...

Synopsis ~ y/n was just living her life, but when she ran into troubles of her past, she found herself being auctioned off to a mafia named Ateez. Within her time, she soon finds another whom she knows...

~ Characters/Introduction ~

~ Part 1 ~

~ Part 2 ~

~ Part 3~

~ Part 4 ~

~ Part 5 ~

~ Part 6 ~

~ Part 7 ~

~ Part 8 ~

~ Part 9 ~

~ Part 10 ~

~ Part 11 ~

~ Part 12 ~

~ Part 13 ~

~ Part 14 ~

~ Part 15 ~

~ Part 16 ~

~ Part 17 ~

~ Part 18 ~

~ Part 19 ~

~ Part 20 ~

~ Part 21 ~

~ Part 22 ~

~ Part 23 ~

~ Part 24 ~

~ Part 25 ~

~ Part 26 ~

~ Part 27 ~

~ Part 28 ~