Chapter Text
it's as if i had to go home on foot, alone, barefoot
not knowing where far away, everybody else went long ago
Mingyu has an uncanny and constant dream in which he’s being chased down. He’s running away from something, he doesn’t know what but he’s running through the dark, unsettling, cold woods alone and he’s scared. In the middle of a sea of wild bushes, scrubs, branches and threatening trees,he catches the sight of a meadow, he hurries towards it. Again, he can’t explain why, but somehow it feels like that green meadow will protect him. He’s close to it but before he reaches his destiny, his shoe gets stuck with something and he falls onto the ground. A huff leaves his lips and time stops, he has a chance to look above the treetops, the sunset is setting and soon there won't be any light left, the anxiety is taking over him, he can’t move, he’s stuck and his ankle is hurting. He feels really scared, he can hear growls approaching and he starts shaking in fear, but then there’s nothing but silence. A voice says something, he can’t hear it clearly, still too shocked to react, but it’s reassuring. In front of him someone is offering him their back. He reaches out blindly and holds onto them. Soon he can see the red sky and its orange clouds, he’s in the meadow. The unknown person squats down for him to get off of them and Mingyu awkwardly lands his butt on the yellow grass. The sun is warm against his skin and he’s safe and sound, he can’t help the tears that fall down his cheeks. “Stop crying”, the other person says softly and, using their sleeves, they clean Mingyu’s face. It feels nice, he feels good but before he can even mutter a word he wakes up and never gets to see the person who helped him.
He isn’t surprised when in the morning he opens his eyes to find them teary, the images of the dream still vivid in his memory. He used to have that dream very often as a child, eventually it became less and less constant until it was rare for him to have it at all. But these past few months he’s been having it recurrently again, even twice or thrice a week, to the point he’s starting to question if it holds some kind of meaning.
The light of the early morning sun is filtering softly, warmly, lovingly through the cloth that he serves for curtains, as if it is telling that it’s time to get up, however he stays in bed, still dazed, covered in the comforting feeling of the soft mattress and clean sheets that are wrapping around his body. He has a day ahead of himself, he has to get ready, wash, have some breakfast, work, but a single look at the calendar, marking the 6th of April, is all he needs to convince, to delude, himself that at least today, he can treat himself with a few more minutes of sleep. Even if he arrives a little late to work, Miss Woo won’t be too hard on him on his own birthday right? He tells himself before drifting back to sleep.
In a ruthless, merciless way, the sun of noon burns Mingyu’s skin as he walks back to Miss Woo’s house, carrying with a wooden shoulder yoke two full buckets of water. Sweat runs off his hair, rapidly, making its way from his head to his neck to his already damped shirt in an attempt to cool himself off. He’s always been an unlucky person, he goes through life breaking anything his hands touch, hurting himself with the leaves of a harmless tree, finding a way to get in trouble without meaning to. Mrs. Lee says he’s not unlucky but rather clumsy, ‘if I were your height, I’d, too, trip on my own feet’, she often says. Channie, her son, thinks Mingyu’s cause of unluckiness is his kindness ‘you’re too much of a good person so people take advantage of you’, the boy mutters. The truth is not even Mingyu knows, but somehow he finds himself in every type of unfortunate situations. Today is no exception. After deciding that there was no harm in five more minutes of sleep, he overslept for almost an entire hour, which caused him to skip breakfast and arrive really late to work. Usually, he would be done by now with all the chores that include the exhaustive water trips from the water well to the barn, such as filling water troughs or cleaning feed tubs, but after accidentally spilling one of the buckets half way back and after Milky, Miss Woo’s beloved samoyed white dog, stumbled with one other bucket, he was forced to do an extra water trip.
An exhausted sigh leaves his lips, he's still carrying the heavy weight of the buckets on his shoulders and the heat and hunger are making him feel a bit dizzy. In the distance he catches a glimpse of Miss Woo’s fence and that sight alone brings him back to reality. The only chore he needs to complete before lunch is sweeping the barn and then, he’s done. He hurries his pace.
Miss Woo told him she would bake sponge vanilla cake, she wouldn't explicitly say it but Mingyu knows she knows that’s his favorite. Miss Woo isn’t the sweetest lady in the village, she’s a rather austere and severe woman, but for Mingyu, she might as well be. After his parent’s accident and death, she was the only person who offered him a hand. Taking in a twelve year old orphan as an apprentice, teaching him how to take care of the barn, giving him the chance to work and make a living for himself, was the kindest act Mingyu could’ve asked for at the time. Many seasons have gone by since the first time she instructed him on how to milk cows or how to groom a horse, now Mingyu is even better at taking care of the animals than Miss Woo herself, something he is proud of.
Almost suffering from a heatstroke, he lets the weight of the buckets fall, spilling a few water drops on the floor. The gambrel roof protects him from the sun but inside the barn is still too hot. Mingyu squats down to catch his breath and rest a bit. From his position, he can see Bookkeu and Coco looking at him behind the corral. Neither of the two horses seem too amused to see the pitiful state of Mingyu but at least Coco nickers at him as a greeting. Bookkeu, however, doesn't even bat an eyelash at the sight of their caretaker and when Mingyu calls his name, he just snorts. Rude.
He finishes filling up the water troughs and sweeping and once he’s finally done, he goes to the wooden storehouse in the back garden to save all the stuff he used. The back garden leads to the back door of Miss Woo’s big kitchen. From that very door, Milky spots him and runs towards him, proceeding to follow him around, Mingyu smiles and continues to finish cleaning up.
A voice calls him, it’s Miss Woo who shouts his name from the kitchen door and gestures with a hand for him to get closer. The kitchen already smells sweet, the cake is probably already in the oven, Mingyu notices with a smile. Miss Woo is busy cutting something and when she sees Mingyu by the door, her face shows nothing but utter shock.
—What on earth happened to you? —she exclaims, alarmed.
Mingyu, who until now was still smiling, makes a confused face at the question and looks down at his body, inspecting himself. The soles of his working boots are muddy, he’s all sweaty and dirty. He frowns. Silly Mingyu, who was in a rush in the morning, forgot his working apron at home, and now even his soft brown linen shirt is stained with dirt.
—Fix those suspenders and clean yourself up— Miss Woo says going back to cut the apple, Mingyu notices now, she was cutting. At no apparent movement from his part, she hurries him —Go on, I need you to get a few things from the market.
Mingyu takes off his shoes and embarrassedly gets inside, accidentally almost tripping over a chair. From the corner of his eye he catches Miss Woo snicker at that and that makes him smile fondly at her. She’s the closest thing he has to a family and, even if she never says it, he knows she cares deeply about him. It is mutual, Mingyu too respects her dearly, Miss Woo is an independent and fair person, but above all, she’s a warm woman and she has helped him so much. He likes to think he has helped her too. In a way he has. The village’s lonely spinster and the helpless orphan give each other the company they both failed to achieve.
The market is lively. People are everywhere, loud voices talking, screaming, children crying, different smells and colors surrounding it. It is a gathering where your senses are exposed to every and any type of stimulus you can imagine. In the middle of all that fuss Mingyu carries a small sack of sugar, some garlic and sesame oil. He stands out in the crowd, not only for his tall figure, but because it seems everyone knows him. He keeps bowing to greet whoever runs into him.
The sun's still shining brightly in the blue spring sky but unlike a few hours ago, he doesn’t find it as scorching as before. It’s not a surprise since he isn’t exhausted nor hungry anymore. Mingyu stops his steps and tries to look up directly at the sun for a second but his eyes reflexively squint and his vision blurries. Early afternoon sun is still a nuisance, he thinks as he rubs his eyes and blinks a few times trying to stop the white spots that are taking over his vision when suddenly a voice calls him. It’s one of the fruit stalls owners.
—Kid, come here, I got a job for you— says the owner of the stall, an older man whose name Mingyu doesn’t know or can’t recall, though he does know him by his face —Bring those over here and I’ll give you a reward okay? —He points at two piles of crates, each full with shingo pears, that are situated very far from where they are.
Mingyu looks down at the stuff he’s already carrying, trying to politely show that he’s busy but the man, not taking the hint or simply choosing to ignore it, only tells him to leave his things next to the stall and that he will look after them. Mingyu looks at the owner, he’s an older man and it’s probably gonna be really difficult for him to carry all those by himself. He sighs and does as told.
These kinds of situations are not unfamiliar to him, people often ask him to run any type of errand that involves going from one place to another, carrying stuff or any other physically tiring activity. It’s not that he dislikes helping them, in fact, when he’s not busy, he does it delightfully; what really bothers him is the way they order him around thinking that, by giving him in exchange a few coins or some leftovers, they can dispose of him and his time as they please. He knows there’s no ill intentions behind their actions, he knows they actually believe they're doing him a favor by giving him the chance to “work”, but he also knows that the whole village still sees him as nothing more than a helpless neglected orphan.
He navigates through the market without rush, carrying one by one, each crate of fruit. As he works, he starts thinking about everything and nothing. When he’s too tired from work but unable to sleep, he just lays on his bed, looking at the dark blue sky from his window and spending hours thinking about the future. He’s aware he can’t keep working and depending on Miss Woo his whole life. He knows he should start saving up to buy his own animals or maybe starting a business of his own, but he doesn’t know where to start and he really doesn't have a long term plan. He’s already twenty, with no money, no future, no dreams and the way things seem, he won’t be getting married anytime soon. The latest part is what afflicts him the least on his priority list since he has come to terms that no family in its right mind will let their daughter marry an orphan. He’s not a greedy person, he thinks he will be fine as long as he’s able to feed himself and not pass cold in the winter. Just a quiet life would satisfy him. However, that doesn’t stop him from allowing himself to dream. Sometimes he imagines how his life would turn if he was willing to take a risk, buy a boat and leave the village. He wonders how far away from here he could go, maybe he would arrive in a big city or maybe he could even leave the country. No one would know him, he would get a job, earn money and maybe he would meet someone good and kind and fall in love. But that's just a childish fairy tale fantasy.
It’s around three pm when he’s finally done with the task. He makes a beeline to the stuff he left next to the fruit stall and he’s about to leave when the owner calls him.
—Hold on —the man looks for something and after finding three mature looking pears with brown spots all over them, he places them on Mingyu’s already full arms— I’m giving you the biggest ones, don’t thank me.
The owner has the nerve to wink at him after giving him almost rotten fruit and honestly Mingyu is slightly affronted by it. A thank you would have been enough, he thinks for himself but he doesn't say anything, he bows and leaves. He only needs to go to the fish stalls to buy sea bass and he’s done.
As he’s making his way, he notices there's a fuss happening not too far from where he is. Some people are speaking very loud, almost screaming and there is a very angry looking man. Knowing his luck, he decides to not be involved at all and rounds the market to avoid any conflict. He buys the fish and when he’s finally going back to miss Woo’s house he decides it’s prudent to round the market again, just to make sure.
He’s walking through a very quiet and deserted part of the village, the busy streets are on the other side of the town. He finally feels at peace. After this, he has the rest of the afternoon free. He thinks of the food he’s gonna eat later and the nap he can take or maybe he could go for a late night swim at the river. He feels content.
As he passes by a group of little kids, something draws his attention. Someone is crying. He can hear the echo of an insistent meowing somewhere along the empty streets. Carefully he looks for the source of such laments and finally, hiding between two houses, he spots a tiny orange cat. It is standing next to a small red pouch and when it notices Mingyu's presence it starts crying with more desperation. Mingyu gets closer, squatting to inspect the animal, afraid it could be hurt, but to his surprise the cat jumps into his arms, immediately sniffing the fish he just bought. Mingyu smiles, it’s probably just hungry. He takes a small piece of the fish and offers it to the animal who eagerly eats it. With caution he places the cat back into the ground, leaving it alone to finish the food. He gets up ready to continue with his day when a tug stops him and forces him to turn back.
—Please, you have to help me —right where the orange cat was before, a very, very pretty and tall young man is standing now, clinging onto his wrist as if his life depended on it. He has auburn hair and is visibly distraught, but what catches Mingyu’s attention are his bright beautiful and pleading yellow eyes. They’re exactly the same color as the orange cat eyes. Mingyu stands astuned, not fully capable of grasping the situation —Can you please let me eat the rest of that —the boy says pointing to the fish with a serious and utterly afflicted voice.
—Uh? —Mingyu mutters dumbly, caught out of guard—but.. but it’s raw...
—I don’t mind, I just need to eat something —he reaches out for the fish but Mingyu steps back to prevent him from taking it. The boy looks at him with an almost betrayed and hurt look.
—I’m sorry, this isn’t mine, I can’t give it to you —he smiles with sympathy.
A few seconds pass and the boy truly looks in despair. Mingyu is torn between giving it to him despite Miss Woo’s later scolding, when the boy seems to fix his eyes on something else. He points to the three pears left forgotten on the floor.
—What about those?
Mingyu blinks and he offers them to the other wordlessly. The boy’s eyes shine with gratitude and he quite literally starts devouring them. In less than a few minutes he has eaten all leaving no trace of them. After he’s done he picks up the red pouch he had left on the floor and, something in the air has switched, Mingyu notices. The atmosphere feels different, light and gentle. The mysterious young man faces him again and if before he seemed pretty, now he looks close to ethereal. He’s surrounded by a yellow glow and the dust that usually floats aimlessly in the air, seems to be dancing around him in an almost magical way. The boy beams at Mingyu and he gets closer, and closer, and a little closer to him. His honey tea eyes look deeper and brighter up close and he is so close Mingyu has to physically hold his breath. He feels the gentle pressure of a kiss on the corner of his mouth, it leaves him dazed, as if under a spell.
—Thank you, I owe you one —he says sweetly— but I have to ask you for one more favor okay? —he pulls apart— you cannot talk about me to anyone, understood? — he smiles once more and just like that he disappears.
Mingyu stands in the same place numb and dumbfounded. He’s lightheaded, confused but also weirdly blissful. Minutes pass by and he can't comprehend what he just saw, what he just witnessed. Before he can get himself together the atmosphere changes again. The giddiness he was feeling is replaced by something somber. From the corner of his eyes he sees a silhouette getting closer to him from the shadows. A shiver runs down his spine until he is faced with a middle aged man. He corners him.
—Where is Junhui? —it is the very angry looking man from the market, Mingyu blinks confused— don’t play dumb, the boy with the yellow eyes, where is him?
Mingyu is sacred but the moment he opens his mouth nothing comes out, not a single noise. He tries again, to say something, anything, but it's hopeless. He doesn’t want to betray the boy but even if he wanted to, he finds it physically impossible to mutter a single word. Not knowing what else to do he stays still. Avoiding the cold stare of the man, hoping for the best.
—Do you think I am stupid? I know you were with him, you stink like him —he says with disgust — Or are you perhaps protecting him...? —Mingyu looks down and that seems to catch the man’s interest— I shall inform you that the boy is a thief, he stole something from me and I’m sure you don’t want to become an accomplice of such offense, isn’t that true? —he waits for Mingyu to answer but Mingyu doesn’t and that seems to irritate him— Are you mute? Has the cat got your tongue? —he says as a mockery but Mingyu tenses at his words. The man grabs Mingyu’s chin forcefully, making him look at him in the eyes— If you don’t tell me what you know I will be forced to assume it was you who helped him escape —he speaks slowly and with venom— won’t you say anything? won’t you deny such allegations I am making? —again he waits for an answer and Mingyu tries to tell him something, anything but it’s a futile attempt, he remains silent— You, young man, are committing a grave mistake. Since you’re as loyal as a dog and won’t speak a word to me, why don’t I grant you your wish and make you one? How does that sound? —the man looks at the sky with a wicked expression— It’s your lucky day, today we have a full moon.
The sky turns gray and gloomy, a fog surrounds him and Mingyu is paralyzed, his limbs feel heavy, he’s unable to carry himself and his knees give in, making him fall onto the ground. His eyes feel heavy and he can’t move. The man gets closer and whispers something in his ear, lullying him into sleepiness.
Listen now, let me tell
An ancient children’s tale
Unfettered, Fenris the wolf
Will ravage the realm of men
When selene comes
Let her guide you
Until the moon is down
One for silver
Two for sorrow
Then is fulfilled the child's wish
And the sweet boy shall fall
Mingyu watches how the man gets up but he still can’t move nor speak. He feels cold despite it being spring and his head is throbbing. The man looks down at him with apathy.
—From today on every full moon you will become a wolf, when twelve full moons have occurred you won’t be able to shift back to your human form — He turns around and disappears into the fog. Mingyu only closes his eyes hoping his head will stop hurting.
It’s getting late, the fresh air gently hits his face. All Mingyu wanted was to get back to Miss Woo’s house, drop the stuff she asked him to buy and have a slice of the cake she was baking, but right now he wishes for nothing but to sleep, fall into the deepest sleep he’s ever had and forget everything that happened today. Pretend this was all a dream. Maybe it was a dream. Yes, he probably is still dreaming.
—Mom, that man has animal ears, he looks like a beast —the voice of a child wakes him up from his slumber. Mingyu, still laying on the floor, turns his head with all his might to see what the kid is talking about but he is greeted with the horrified expression of a woman looking directly at him.
—Oh dear lord —she cries and takes her child in her arms, running away.
Mingyu doesn’t understand what’s happening. He gets up slowly and his head starts pounding with more intensity. He touches his head to make it stop and it is then when he feels it. On top of his head he’s holding two hairy ears. His hands touch them carefully at first, then frantically. They’re animal ears. He goes completely pale, then runs.
He’s breathless when he arrives at the barn. He’s sweaty and his temple is burning. He hides behind the hay piles at the back and tries to control his breathing. He has no idea what’s happening to him but a look at his now black and long nails, looking like claws, answers his question: he’s becoming a beast, a monster.
He’s scared, he wants to scream, but the pain on his body prevents him from it and he falls onto his knees letting out a desolated whimper. The animals are looking at him with fear in their eyes, it breaks Mingyu’s heart.
—It’s me —He tells them on the edge of breaking in tears, but the discomfort of his headache and the soreness of his mandible makes him let out a guttural sound. It's a growl. The animals step back afraid. Mingyu cries on the floor. When he overheard people say the devil had arrived in town in the form of a beast boy, he didn't want to believe it but now he knows for sure they were talking about him.
The barn door opens in pairs. Someone is standing in the middle of it, like a shadow. Mingyu doesn’t dare to move, from the sound of the steps he knows it’s Miss Woo. He reprimends himself for looking for shelter in her house, he doesn’t want to get her in trouble and he doesn’t think he can handle seeing in her eyes the same terrified look everyone is giving him; but the truth is he didn’t know where else to go. Her steps get closer until her shadow covers all light from Mingyu’s body frame. His eyes meet her shoes but he can’t see her face, doesn’t dare to. She sits next to him quietly and he feels her piercing gaze observe him.
He’s waiting for a scream, for her to run away, for her to hit him, but instead she pets his head, once, twice and so on until Mingyu finally looks up at her. Her expression is hard and unreadable. Her lips are smacked into a tight line but she doesn’t look mad at him or scared. That’s what gives him the courage to speak.
—I-I d-don’t know what happened... —he says between trembles— I think someone cursed me.
Before he can continue she shushes him and pats his cheeks lightly, to make him look at her in the eyes. She’s speaking softly and low, yet in a serious voice. It’s the same tone she uses whenever she’s giving him specific instructions for a task.
—Mingyu, child, listen to me carefully. They’re looking for you and God knows what they are planning on doing to you. You have to leave the village and find someone to help you. Go to the south, I’ve heard there are sorcerers living down there. Take one of the horses, I’ll give you some money in case you need it, but you have to go now that you still can —She gets up pulling Mingyu up as well. She takes off a brown leather bag and puts it around Mingyu’s torso. She grabs him from his shoulders and stares at his face tenderly for a long while, then she sighs and lets out a chuckle —I’ve always know you have bad luck but I never imagined something like this would happen —overwhelmed, Mingyu breaks on tears, Miss Woo pats him on the back— and on top of that on your birthday, you unlucky boy! —her eyes are teary now too, Mingyu cries harder at the sight.
—I’m sorry —he says between sobs and Miss Woo takes him in her embrace. She’s never been a physically affectionate person so Mingyu knows it’s a goodbye hug.
—It’s not your fault —she says matter of factly and Mingyu feels a weight lift off his shoulders at her words —Now go!
Mingyu takes Bookkeu, for some reason the horse seems to be the only animal who’s not afraid of him. Miss Woo opens the backyard fence for him and wishes him good luck. Mingyu takes a last look at Miss Woo’s house, garden, barn and lastly, he looks at the woman, this is all he's ever known. He takes her smaller wrinkled hands between his big grotesque ones and kisses them.
He leaves when the sky's still blue and with the faintest sweet smell of freshly baked cake in the air.
Galloping without rest for close to an hour, he finally arrives in the forest. This is the safest way to get away from the village since it's an abandoned area and the chances of getting caught from here are very low. However the forest is deep, unknown and huge. He doesn’t know of anyone who has successfully explored it before, no one really knows how big it actually is, rumors say you have to travel for days to reach its end. He’s aware that the possibilities of him getting lost are high but he doesn’t see any other way out. Determined, he goes straight into its branches, to hide among its bracken and ferns.
For a while he follows a messy path in the middle of the trees but quickly loses track of it, going blindly through the thick woods. His head hasn’t stopped throbbing and his whole body has started aching too, but he’s made up his mind, he’s gonna keep going all night.
It’s around six pm when he notices the fresh air has started to become colder. The night is approaching and the sunset is setting. The daylight won’t last for much longer so he endures the pain and, grabbing tightly the reins, speeds up the pace.
It isn’t until the sky has lost all its blue color and has turned completely orange that he starts feeling uneasy. He’s been wandering aimlessly through what seems to be an endless forest and it doesn’t look like he will reach its end any time soon. His body is hurting and he’s scared, alone and looking for something he doesn’t even know he will be able to find. He’s lost, oh so lost, in the unknown.
After a while, he spots an open field in the distance. It temporarily makes him believe he will finally get away from the wild but soon he realizes it’s only a meadow in the middle of the woods. Still he’s desperate to reach it if only to rest from the suffocating gloomy fauna.
When he’s just a few meters away from his destination, he starts to feel really sick; his vision blurs and his bones feel like they're growing, trying to break out of his skin. The pain in his head and body has become unbearable and he’s forced to slow down the peace. Another jolt of pain gets an inhuman growling out of his throat and the sound seems to frighten Bookkeu who neighs and rears up in response. The sudden movement, mixed with his pain, makes Mingyu lose control over the horse which makes him lose his own balance too. He doesn’t even have time to breathe when his body lands hard on the ground. His breath is knocked out of him and he hazily looks at Bookkeu running away from him.
The sunset sun is fading in the distant and impalpable horizon, hiding behind the mighty faraway mountains. He’s laying on the grass, shaking in immense pain, his whole body convulsing. A loud cry of agony leaves his lips and it scares a flock of crows away, but he doesn't realize that, too overwhelmed with the intensity of the pain. The throbbing of his head has become a silent stab and the feeling of all of his bones fracturing makes him emit a terrible deathly howling sound. He’s having trouble inhaling air and tears are rolling down his face. His body is now damp in cold sweat. Another shriek that comes from the depths of his soul freezes his blood, making him look for shelter in the sun's light, blindly seeking its warmth in a desperate attempt for comfort. It’s useless, it disappears before his eyes, leaving him alone and defenseless in the forest.
He doesn’t know how much time he stays laying in pain but it must have been at least an hour since the daylight is coming to an end. Already in a raving state, he looks up to the sky, searching for the sun, but it’s nowhere to be found; the twilight has taken over. Absent-mindedly, he wonders if he could swallow the sun like an egg yolk and eternally live with its light and warmth inside his chest just the same way the night is swallowing and wrapping him in its darkness right now.
Before he passes out he thinks he hears someone coming closer, but much before he can register the hand that touches him, his mind has already gone completely blank.
Mingyu wakes up agitated. He was having the same dream he so often has had before but this time, when he’s close to reach the meadow and his shoe gets stuck, no one helps him. Instead the growls get closer and closer until he is face to face with a wolf. He screams but when his vision focuses he realizes he is the beast and he’s watching his child self cry in fear at the sight of himself.
He’s relieved to realize it was only a nightmare, however his peace doesn’t last for long. Soon enough he’s recalling everything that happened yesterday and suddenly feels like throwing up. He sits on the bed and touches his head instinctively, only soothing down when he’s absolutely sure he doesn’t have a pair of animal ears on top of his head. Then he inspects his hands, they are human looking, his nails aren’t black. Good, he sighs, it was only a dream. With ease he lets his body fall back onto the bed and then he realizes. He is resting on an unfamiliar mattress in a stranger’s house and wearing only a night shirt. A little tense he takes off the colorful quilt made out of patches that was wrapping him and sits down again.
He’s in a foreing room, it looks cozy but he has never been here before. There's a huge window behind the head of the bed and he can feel the early morning sun rays on his back. There's also a lot of wood tables and shelves hanging on the walls and they’re all full of books, jars and who knows what other things. Slowly, he stands up and once he’s on his feet a light headache and body soreness welcomes him. He looks for his clothes but they don’t seem to be anywhere so he sighs and quietly opens the door and exits the room, hoping to be able to find someone who will explain to him what happened.
A big messy room with a table, a chimney and a carpet with cushions and blankets gathered all over the place is what he sees when he goes downstairs, but there’s no one in sight. There is a stove too and again every corner is full of books, jars and a lot of plants. It looks lived on to say the least. Since the stove is boiling something in a pot, Mingyu gets closer to see what’s being cooked, he almost has a heart attack when he sees four potatoes with no water left at the bottom of the pot. Taking what he supposes is a kitchen cloth, he moves the pot away from the stove and turns off the fire. He sighs in relief when the potatoes are safe and sound, but then the room falls again in complete silence.
The house is weird but he feels oddly safe and he wonders how on earth he ended up in such a quirky place. The owner must have probably helped him yesterday, after all, he has manners, he should properly thank them. However the silence that surrounds the room is utter and he wonders if perhaps they’re not home. Just when he's about to give up he hears something. He stays still, trying to figure out where the sound came from and then he hears it again: a sneeze. It doesn’t come from too far away but it’s definitely coming from outside. He spots a narrow old looking wooden door at the end of a hallway and with caution approaches it.
The sunshine wraps itself over Mingyu’s body as soon as he peeks out of the door. He finds the sensation inexplicably comforting, it feels like a hug he didn’t know he was looking forward to being welcomed with. The next thing he notices is the huge wildflower meadow that’s in front of him. He stares at it in awe and after a little while he comes to the conclusion that it's actually a huge garden. There’s all kinds of colorful flowers in all sizes and shapes, pretty green plants and even an orchard with a great variety of vegetables. He’s never seen something like this before, it looks taken out of a fairytale. He breathes in the fresh fragrant air that surrounds the yard and feels his lungs fill up content. He’s so mesmerized with the sight that he almost misses the person that’s silently doing something next to the flowers.
The person looks young enough to still be called a boy, maybe he is as young as Mingyu himself. He’s squatting next to a wicker basket full of plants and flowers and he’s got the sun resting on his back. He is holding a small crystal jar and it looks like he’s collecting the morning dew of the flower petals in it. The gentle way the sun hits his flushed cheeks makes a funny contrast with the messy dark hair that lays on top of his head. He looks calm, in place, and he fits so well on the scene that he almost goes unnoticed in the frame, disguising as another one of the plants in the garden.
He’s touching the yellow petals of a flower with extreme care. He is so invested in the chore, his eyes (that are hiding behind a pair of glasses situated on top of a tall nose), shine with eartness. Mingyu swears the boy is so focused on his task, the air itself is holding its breath in order to not disturb him. Nonetheless, an abrupt loud sneeze breaks whatever spell the world had fallen under a few seconds before.
—Damn it —the boy mutters. He sniffs and scratches his nose with the back of his hand but still dirts his face with mud. Then puts aside the jar, placing it inside the basket and stands up, but in the process he accidentally knocks the basket and all its plants and items end up on the ground. He groans in frustration, nevertheless he bends down to pick up his stuff. The whole scene is ridiculous, Mingyu isn’t able to suppress the snort he accidentally lets out. At the sound the boy turns around, finally realizing someone is watching him. A pair of dark serious eyes land on Mingyu’s face, they examine him with inquisitiveness and caution, traveling from the top to the bottom of his body. Mingyu flusters, realizing he’s still only wearing a nightshirt. The boy, with no rush, starts approaching him. He is tall and slender and he is wearing a gray apron and black worn out boots. Mingyu feels slightly intimidated by the presence of this person.
—You’re awake.
The unexpectedness of the depth of the voice that’s talking directly to him flusters him. He doesn't know what to say but it seems the other isn’t expecting a response since all he does is take off his boots, place them on top of the stone steps that lead to the inside of the house and sneak himself between the door and Mingyu’s body to enter. Mingyu follows him to the main room from close behind, like a lost child.
—So, lycanthrope —he lets himself fall on a chair— how are you feeling? —this time he looks expectan but Mingyu just blinks in confusion.
—Excuse me?
—Uhm… I mean, isn’t your body sore? I’m guessing you aren't feeling too terrible if you're already up —he coughs— sorry, I’m bad at small talking, I’m… uhm... not really used to having company.
—Oh, no, sorry, I wasn’t referring to that. My body feels okay, but my name is Mingyu, not what you addressed me earlier —he offers a small polite smile in hopes it will lighten up the mood but instead the boy frowns.
—A lycanthrope? —Mingyu noods— but you are a lycanthrope —the boy says matter of factly. It slightly irritates Mingyu.
—No I’m not. Whatever that is.
—You don’t know —the other says a little surprised, like he just realized something— so yesterday was your first transformation… of course, that explains a lot —he stops for a while, as if looking for the right words to explain what he’s about to say— Look, I’m not sure how this happened to you, you’ll certainly know better than I do. It might have been from a bite or a scratch, but due to some external circumstances you’re now a werewolf, you know —he smiles sheepishly— a lycanthrope.
The weight of silence falls heavy into the room. The hands of a clock he hadn't realized was there, taps restlessly in the background. His head buzzes and he feels the need to hold onto something, he reaches for the back of a chair pulling it out to sit in it, then, without emitting any sound, he proceeds to soullessly stare at the table. The boy looks at Mingyu with a concerned expression and it isn’t until he touches his arm that Mingyu fully comes back to his senses.
—So it wasn’t a dream —he says to himself —No, no, there must be a misunderstanding. I’m human, I’m normal, right? —Mingyu’s eyes look for the other’s in a silent beg for confirmation, for reassurance, but the boy only smiles sympathetically at him.
—I’m gonna put the kettle on.
The boy walks out the door that leads to the garden. Mingyu stays where he is, letting the weight of the situation sink in. His hands are trembling and he presses his eyes close with the bottom of them to make them stop. He hears the old wooden door squeak, followed by more sounds: steps, the fiction of a match lighting up, the metallic heavy kettle making contact with the stove and some more rustle, but the sounds are muffled in his ears. He breathes in and out, and then he does it again and again, counting his heartbeats one by one until he calms down, then he finally opens his eyes. The boy is crushing herbs in a stone mortar next to the stove. The sun comes in through the window, from that sight alone he guesses it’s around eight in the morning.
—Is there a cure? A way to turn normal again?
—No, not that I know of —he turns around in thought —usually though, the first transformation is the most painful one since, well, it’s the first. So don’t worry too much, you’ll get used to it. You’ll get a hold of it, maybe next time you will be able to hold memories in your wolf form. It won’t be as bad as this one, I promise —he turns on his back to resume his work.
No cure. At the words Mingyu feels some of the light inside him extinguish. He briefly wonders if he will be able to live like this, wonders if a life like this is even worth living, even worth calling life. Then he wonders how he ended up in this situation. How in a matter of hours he lost the few things he knew. He’s out of himself for a few minutes until a teacup is placed in front of him. Its liquid is yellow and it has green leaves floating on it. It's warm and it smells sweet.
—If you have any questions about your new state don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ll answer you if I can —the boy sits in front of him and to be honest Mingyu doesn’t really wanna know anything that has to do with the monster he has become, but the boy looks so eager and sincere he feels forced to comply.
—Uhh… am I supposed to keep my consciousness when I...uhh… transform? I don’t remember anything at all after I became... that… —at his question the boy looks almost delighted, his eyes gleaming like he had been expecting those exact words from Mingyu.
—Well, that’s because you passed out from pain, so of course you don’t remember anything, but most werewolfs, even when they fully transform, keep their human instincts —he pauses, Mingyu stares at him— To some extent at least. Let’s say you meet your mother in a full moon, when you’re in your most primal bloodthirsty wolf state, even then you wouldn’t hurt her, even if only by familiarity instincts. So yes, you should be able to be somehow conscious, at least that’s what I’ve read. I have never met a lycanthrope before, well, not until now.
—How do you know so much about it? Why aren’t you afraid of me? —Mingyu asks, the other smirks, he doesn’t answer, instead he sips his own cup of tea. It’s odd but Mingyu shrugs it away and sips his drink. He feels the soothing effect of the tea after the first sip —What is this?
—Chamomile and peppermint, I added in a bit of honey, it will help you unwind —the tea does help a lot. His mind starts to clear and he feels like he can properly breathe again, Mingyu offers a small smile in gratitude, the boy returns it. There’s a comfortable silence for a while, each of them drinking their own beverage but then the boy breaks it by asking a question Mingyu had been trying to avoid —So... what are you gonna do now that you’re a lycanthrope?
A single question forces him to face reality. He tries to come to terms with his situation, tries to come up with a plan, now what? What is his path? Where should he go? He looks at the boy, he’s playing with the edge of the cup, deep in thought but he looks calm, peaceful, at home. What is here, in this house, belongs to someone else. Getting lost into the forest seems proper, he should go and live in a secluded place, hiding from all eyes, hiding from himself, where the wild things live, where he now belongs. He has lost himself and he is drowning in a deep cold unknown ocean of uncertainty.
—Listen, Mingyu— a deep voice says his name hesitatingly, like tasting the sound of it on his tongue, but Mingyu’s head snaps up. Suddenly his lungs are filled with air, it’s like he has been pulled out of the water. That faltering call matched for the exact moment in which Mingyu was waiting for someone to call his name, for someone to remind him who he was, who he is. The boy looks a little bit unsure, flustered maybe, but Mingyu stares at him expectantly, like he’s about to reveal the answer to all his interrogatives— If you don’t have a place to go you can stay here for as long as you need... I... uhh... could use some help and I think you could too.
At that moment Mingyu realizes his arm is bleeding. He hadn’t really paid attention but he’s covered in bandages, has been since he woke up. The boy gets up to fetch something from a shelf, a small jar with a green viscous liquid is inside it. He opens it and then, from his long slender fingers, a gentle glow starts to shine and the liquid becomes as clear as water. He pours it in the wound and it immediately stops bleeding, it stops hurting. Mingyu stays still, frozen. It really shouldn't come as a surprise after all that’s happened but it still does.
—Who really are you?
—My name is Wonwoo, I’m a warlock.