Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Curses aren’t always terrible things. The only people who call them terrible are those who never got what they wanted.” 

[High Norland, The Royal Palace - 3 Years Ago]

There was a wizard.

Jongseong, the young prince who had just come of age, peeks out from behind a marble pillar. His dark eyes flitted across the hall, making sure he stayed within the shadows of his own home. 

His parents, the King and Queen of High Norland, had invited all of the most talented magic users across the realm to attend his arranged marriage in a week’s time. It marked an alliance between two of the most powerful countries post-Great War. It was the celebration of the century. 

How wonderful , Jongseong groaned internally. 

Though there were many wizards strewn across the Great Hall, Jongseong was sure that he was well-hidden. He didn’t want to talk to more people than necessary, their prying questions always made Jongseong feel even more terrible about his own fate. 

But this one was looking straight at him. 

Jongseong feels his palms grow sweaty. The wizard approaches him slowly, making sure not to walk in a straight line lest he draw attention. And leans back nonchalantly onto the pillar Jongseong was hiding behind. He doesn’t tell the others where he is, only standing in Jongseong’s general vicinity. Jongseong is beyond confused. 

“Shouldn’t you be mingling with your guests, Your Highness?” A lyrical voice speaks to him, it is gentle, but rough from age. The man does not turn to speak to Jongseong directly, lifting a drink to his lips as he surveys the crowd as well. 

“My guests? Or my retainers.” Jongseong grumbles. 

“You don’t seem happy?” 

Jongseong looks over the pillar. The wizard was dressed in Ingarian fashion, all high collars and heavy cloths. His robes were inky black, and he certainly cut an intimidating figure. But Jongseong didn’t recognize him at all . 

Good. Perhaps he wasn’t someone of importance, and Jongseong could get away with complaining about his problems without it getting back to his family. 

“How can I not be?” Jongseong sighs, waving his hand dramatically. “I’m facing the happiest days of my life. I’m about to be married.” 

“To someone you don’t even know.” The wizard points out. 

Jongseong huffs out a laugh. “So there is someone with half a brain in this party.” 

The wizard turns to him, and Jongseong sees his face for the first time. He had bright, doe-like eyes, and the kind of timeless face that could have belonged to both a teenager and an old man. His cheeks were incredibly thin though, making him seem older than Jongseong thought he was. His smile seemed friendly enough. “Seems like you need someone to lend you an ear, young prince.” 

Jongseong weighs his options. The party was in full swing. His future wife, a princess of Strangia, wasn’t even here. He was never afforded the chance to meet her. She could be nice, Jongseong supposes, but she could also be a monster for all he knew. 

He spares a glance towards his parents sitting proudly at their thrones. Their cloaks of eagle feathers, High Norland’s sigil, spread around them. Loud, oppressive, larger than life. 

They probably wouldn’t even notice if he was gone. 

The wizard looks at him with hungry eyes, almost daring him to make a move. 

Before Jongseong loses his nerve, he grabs the wizard's wrist and drags him away from the party. 

“Where are we going, your Highness?” The wizard asks, amused, though he doesn’t give any resistance to Jongseong’s advances. 

“My room. I don’t want to be interrupted.” 

“Oooh… never been with a Norlander before.” He jests.

The slap Jongseong lands on his cheek echoes across the hall.

They talk for most of the night. Jongseong learns the wizard’s name is Heeseung. He’s from Ingary, as Jongseong suspected, and specializes in wish-granting, curses, transactional magic. Heeseung is also a good listener, he stays silent as Jongseong airs out his worries about being carted off to a strange kingdom. 

Jongseong still cannot tell how old this guy is, but assumes he doesn’t mind if Jongseong speaks to him informally. 

“Ugh, god Heeseung , I just wish- ” Jongseong sighs, before stopping himself from speaking further. 

Wishing was pointless. His life was basically over. As nice as this conversation was, he was probably never going to speak to someone like this again. Like a normal human being . Heeseung looks at him, really looks at him, like he was seeing into his soul. 

“You’re a prince. What else would you want in this world?” Heeseung asks him, even if he already knows the answer.

“A lot of things, wizard. Freedom from the crown, a peaceful life, maybe even a person that actually loves me for me, and not my lineage.” Jongseong prattles on. 

“You want some fries with that?” 

“You’re being an ass, old man.” Jongseong glowers at him. 

Heeseung just shrugs, not even arguing with the boy. He gives Jongseong a calm gaze, channeling all of that wise-sage energy he could into convincing the prince he could trust him. 

“You know… I can get you all of those things.” Heeseung shrugs, his easy gait telling Jongseong that it isn’t a lie. But still , it sounds good to be true.

“You’re- You’re shitting me.” Jongseong deadpans. 

“For a price.” Heeseung reminds him. Transactional magic was his speciality. 

“There always is one.” Jongseong says. “But seriously, you can get me out of here? 

Jongseong takes a look at the wizard. He didn't seem all that strong, or talented enough to sneak him past his country's guard. Not to mentioned the hundred magic-users milling around the castle. He had laugh lines around his eyes, and his face was incredibly sallow, as if something was eating away at him. If Jongseong were to guess, he seemed to be past his prime. But something about the way he spoke, the way he moved, there was something more to him. 

“The only way to do that… You’d have to change me. ” Jongseong says. 

“ And that’s where you give me what I want, your highness.” Heeseung moves closer. The wizard’s eyes are hungry, and his hands almost reach out to grab at Jongseong. 

“What do you want. My money? My crown?” Jongseong backs up warily, moving closer and closer to the window of his room.

“No.” Heeseung says. He shakes his head at Jongseong, somewhat humored by him. “I’ll take something simple from you, don’t you worry. Will a disguise do for your escape?” 

“A disguise? My escape?!”

“No one will know you are, Jongseong. Not unless you wanted them to.” Heeseung promises. 

Jongseong weighs his options. Stay here and get sold off to some random kingdom’s princess like a prize sow, live his life in continued splendor but never be happy again. Or… start a new life somewhere, where nobody knew who he was. Where no one owed him a thing. 

Could Heeseung really do that? He knows it’s a stupid gamble. And they’ve only just met. But still, in Jongseong’s short, uneventful life, only Heeseung had ever talked to him like he cared about what Jongseong had to say. The prince shakes his head, steeling himself, and decides to take the opportunity, as he felt it would not come again. 

“F-fine.” Jongseong breathes out, the words leave him and he cannot stop them anymore. He then raises a shaky hand to Heeseung to seal the deal. 

Heeseung smiles and grabs his hand quickly, before he can change his mind.  

“Excellent.” 

A light glows from where their hands are connected, snaking up Jongseong’s arm until it reaches past his sleeves. He feels his body grow uncomfortably warm, and Heeseung’s eyes glow brightly. 

Heeseung opens his mouth, his mouth speaking in a gravelly tone. “For a disguise so mundane and earthly… that no rational being could possibly mistake you for a crown prince. I, Lee Heeseung, will take your human vitality from you.” 

“ What?” Jongseong looks up to him in alarm at those words. He tries to wrench his hand out of Heeseung’s grasp, but the other man is holding on to him too tightly. Heeseung’s smile turns sharp as Jongseong feels his form shrink, his skin turns pale and harder. He is scared.  

“What are you doing!” Jongseong screams at first, but his voice soon is stolen from him too. It leaves him in a whisper as he feels his mouth seal up. His limbs feel wrong, he’s losing feeling in his legs. He watches helplessly as Heeseung’s skin fills out in youth, wrinkles on his cheeks setting back to a plump and smooth surface. He was absorbing something from Jongseong. 

This was a Curse. Jongseong feels his eyes well up with tears. I can’t believe I trusted you. 

“I’m sorry, young prince.” Heeseung whispers. “I need this more than you do.” The look in the wizard’s eyes is pained, like he genuinely felt guilty about all of this, but Jongseong cannot argue with him anymore, only watching in silent horror as Heeseung takes from him, and he cannot utter a single word.  

“Perhaps you will find someone who truly loves you for you , Jongseong.”

When the spell is done, Heeseung breaks open the prince’s window and summons winds to carry Jongseong’s body out the opening. The winds carry him far enough away,  until he is just a speck in the night sky. Heeseung does not know where he will go, but he hopes they will get to meet again under better circumstances. 

The wizard rights himself with a groan, slowly un-curving his spine, hesitant in case he felt pain, though he eventually finds none. Heeseung looks down at his hands, which are no longer gnarled and bony, but strong. Though the burn in his chest still smarts, he feels better than he has been in a while. 

He looks up just in time to see guards pour into Jongseong’s room. They are dumbfounded, that the wizard that had been invited to Norland’s greatest banquet is magically healthy again, that their prince Jongseong is nowhere to be seen.

 Heeseung spares them all a wave, before raising his arms and disappearing into a cloud of smoke. 

3 Years Later

[Market Chipping, Ingary: Kim and Yang Millinery - Present] 

Sewing was a relaxing past-time for Sunoo. The quiet and diligence that it required. He felt the most at peace in this little workshop of his, surrounded by colorful cloths and fake flowers, sunlight streaming through the window. 

He pushes a needle through soft felt, and watches it burrow and pierce through the material. The cool metal passes between his nimble fingers. Over and under, over and under , across the boater hat. It was meditative, almost ritualistic.

Sunoo leans upon his squeaky, wooden chair, pushing himself backwards until he can reach the ribbons on the other desk. 

He imagines the lady who would wear this piece. The peach tones of the hat’s body would pair well with someone of darker hair, of kind temperament. He grabs the last of the ribbons on his desk, and layers it onto the hat. It isn’t enough to create a bow, so he settles for stitching it above the brim instead. 

He still pictures that imaginary lady as he picks out the flowers to place on her hat. Cornflower blues? Rose reds? Sunoo rifles through their decorations until he pulls out a calming, white peony. 

“May you always walk a flowery path.” Sunoo murmurs , and he tucks the flower into the ribbon of the hat. With that little wish, he settles the completed hat onto a mannequin head. He leans back on his chair once again with a satisfied sigh.

“Mmrrrgh.” Sunoo groans, stretching his back, and several concerning pops sound off from his spine. He’d been sitting here for the better part of the day, covering both his and Jungwon’s shifts at the store. The younger had left for town, something about a prestigious interview for an apprenticeship at a fortune-telling store. 

Sunoo let him go. Between the two of them, Sunoo believed Jungwon had the better chance of making it big in this town. He had the charm, the wits. A budding affinity for magic that came as a rarity among people in the sleepy town of Market Chipping. 

But most importantly, Jungwon had dreams. He had aspirations Sunoo didn't, beyond this hat store their parents left them. He was lucky enough to know what he wanted in life, which was more than enough reason for Sunoo to support him wholeheartedly. Even if Jungwon ran himself all over town for it, Sunoo only wished he could shine as bright as Jungwon some day. 

And speaking of him…

A pleasant, ringing sound came from outside the workshop, indicating someone had entered their doors. Sunoo stands, wiping his hands on his apron, and makes his way to greet the newcomer. “Welcome to Kim and Yang’s, how can we-?” 

He’s interrupted by his younger brother barreling into him, throwing his arms around Sunoo’s slim shoulders, and yelling at the top of his lungs. “ Sunoo-hyung! Sunoo-hyung! I got the job!” 

Not even a hello, but that wasn’t important right now. Sunoo gasps, excitement flooding him. “You got the job?!” 

Jungwon looks up, cat-like eyes crinkling and his nose scrunched up in excitement. “I got it, hyung!” 

Sunoo ruffles his dark hair affectionately, “I knew you could do it.” 

Jungwon’s eyes glitter, dark and intelligent. On occasion, Sunoo knew him to use his gifts for themselves, to foretell certain events when they came to him in dreams. Mostly small things, the genders of pregnant women’s babies, the coming of storms. While he couldn’t control it yet, they both hoped for him to learn how to use it properly and make a better trade out of it. 

Jungwon detangles himself from Sunoo, posing dramatically, fingers poised over his nose and eyes. “It was written in the stars. It was foretold by the gods.” He says in a pompous voice. 

“Oh wise and great sage, Jungwon. Tell this humble one, what is your prophecy for our household? ” Sunoo plays along, bowing to him in a flowery manner. 

“Our luck is finally changing, hyung.” Jungwon says. “You and I, we’ll capture the hearts of the kingdom. We’ll see the inner rings of Kingsbury and divine for the royals themselves!” It was mostly grandeur, they both knew that, but Sunoo couldn’t help but be swept by Jungwon’s enthusiasm. 

“I’m so happy for you, Wonie.” Sunoo pulls him in again for a hug. “But I am satisfied with where I am, you know. Someone needs to watch over our baby!” He gestures to, well, all of this. Their trade. Their home for the past three years. 

Jungwon deflates a little at Sunoo’s statement. “Hyung…” He raises an eyebrow, not buying it. Sunoo has been giving him that line for years.
“I am.” Sunoo insists, fixing Jungwon a look. “I am.” 

He is. Really, Sunoo means it. 

“If you say so, hyung.” Jungwon sighs, letting it go for now. He surveys Sunoo’s worktable, eyes falling on his newest hat. “Ohh, this is pretty!” 

“Why, thank you, Jungwo-” Sunoo begins to say, when Jungwon places the hat on Sunoo’s head, fixing it at the correct angle. 

“It suits you.” Jungwon nods. 

“It’s not supposed to suit me. I made it for someone else.” Sunoo tells him pointedly. 

“Shouldn’t you enjoy the work of your own hands?” 

“I will enjoy the money it brings in much more.” Sunoo takes the hat off, tossing it back on the mannequin. 

“Always the sensible one, aren’t you.” Jungwon grumbles. 

“Someone’s gotta be.” Sunoo says, though not unkindly. And Jungwon knows he’s mostly kidding. 

They were both plenty responsible, they had to be. Ever since their parents had fled from the war, leaving them behind, they only had each other now. It was just that Sunoo was infinitely more cautious between the two of them. 

Sunoo almost lets himself drift off into those kinds of thoughts again, like he always does. Those thoughts of their past and their old family, when Jungwon tugs on his sleeve, breaking him out of his stupor. 

“Hyung, look .” Jungwon points towards the window, his voice had gotten strangely soft, almost awestruck. 

Sunoo does look. Through the window, Sunoo can see all the way to the rolling hills at the outskirts of Market Chipping. A looming figure moves slowly across the horizon, inching forward and leaving a trail of smoke behind it. It was something beautiful and terrifying, a cross between machine and building. 

“The wizard’s castle.” Sunoo whispers. 

He watches as the building’s legs , (it has actual legs, Sunoo thinks feverishly) walk itself across the great plains of Ingary like it was a totally normal thing. The walls of the building itself, roofs and rooms stacked one on top of the other, moved in and out like it was breathing. If it wasn’t for things like this, Sunoo would probably chalk magic as a bunch of hokum in the midst of his incredibly mundane life. 

But it was right in front of him, real and undeniable, yet still so far out of reach. Sunoo doesn’t notice, but he’s reached out to the window and pressed his hand onto the glass. 

The owner of that monstrosity of a castle was none other than the most talented graduate of the Sorcerer’s Academy, the strongest magic-user in the realm, Sunghoon. They say he steals the hearts of beautiful people and eats them to retain his youth. They said his magic source comes from lost souls that have fallen in love with him. And that he is the most gorgeous person alive. 

Sunoo is pretty sure at least one of those statements is wrong. 

“Wonder if the great wizard Sunghoon is out for a stroll in Market Chipping right now.” Jungwon says dreamily. 

“And pigs would fly in the sky. Wouldn’t that be a sight?” Sunoo scoffs. 

After Jungwon had taken his post at their store, Sunoo stepped out to buy more ribbons that had just run out. But not before Jungwon had aggressively shoved his newest hat down onto his head once again. 

“You deserve pretty things, hyung!” Jungwon growled at him, his tone not at all matching his sweet words, before shoving him out the door and closing it behind him. 

Pretty things. Sunoo rolled his eyes, begrudgingly fingering the brim of his hat. If it rained today this hat would be no good for the store. Sunoo thinks to himself, then immediately recoils at his own inner voice. 

Damn, when did I turn into such an old fogey? Sunoo wrinkles his nose. He looks at his reflection in a store window, taking in his own appearance. 

The hat is pretty. Sunoo gives himself that. The pale colors complimented his fair skin tone and ebony hair. But there was also the permanent wrinkle in his brow and his slightly stooped shoulders underneath a drab, blue coat. That all stopped him from paying any more compliments to himself.  He shoves the hat lower over his face and keeps walking. 

It’s one block away from the ribbon store. One last block , when Sunoo gets stopped by members of the King’s guard. 

Since the war between Ingary and Norland had begun 3 years ago, soldiers patrolled the streets all around the country, even in quiet towns like Market Chipping. Sunoo did not even really know what the war was for, something about a missing prince. But all he knew was that it had brought him nothing but ruin. 

With the guards’  brightly-colored uniforms, ugly mustaches, and rifles strapped to their backs, Sunoo felt like an invasive species had encroached upon his home, stealing their food, their peace. And they certainly seemed like they felt entitled to all this town had to offer. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” A gruff voice halts him in his tracks. Sunoo resists the urge to curl his lips in disgust. From under the brim of his hat, he can count three of them blocking his passage. 

He keeps his head down. “Just passing through, sirs.” 

Another guard peers at him. Sunoo liked to think that he was tall for his age, but these soldiers still towered over him in their steel-toed boots and caps. “He’s just a little mouse.” 

“He’s pretty cute for a mouse.” Another says, grinning. He leans an arm over Sunoo’s shoulder, trapping him against the wall. “Why don’t you come with us for a drink?”

Why, oh why did Sunoo decide to take a short-cut? He’d have a much easier time slipping away on the main street. But as it was, there didn’t seem to be anyone around in this alley he had found himself in. 

Sunoo looks up to them with defiant eyes. “No thank you. I think I will be leaving now.” He says, and attempts to walk away. 

“Oh come on, don’t be like that…” A guard grabs his wrist and Sunoo yanks it away, walking backwards. 

“Look at him, you’re scaring him to death.” The guards laugh at him cruelly. It made Sunoo’s face boil. 

“I like ‘em scared, makes them easier to break.”

 Sunoo sees red. He balls his fists, ready to swing them into their smug faces.

But then there’s a cool wind, smelling faintly of wildflowers. And a hand on his shoulder that immediately dissipates any of his bloodlust. 

"There you are darling, I’m sorry I’m late.” 

Sunoo looks up. The intruder is a man in his early twenties, with long-ish hair the color of the moon, a pale waxy yellow slicked back over his nape. He had a fine nose, and lips stretched into a serene smile. Over his shoulders was a colorful jacket like a pane of stained glass, bright but not overwhelming. 

“ I've been looking everywhere for you."

 Sunoo could have mistaken him for a statue, a marble carving of beauty, if not for his dark eyes that glittered with a certain sharpness and anger Sunoo did not want to cross. The hand on his shoulder is warm though, and squeezes him reassuringly. If Sunoo was more coherent, he probably would have said something in line of a thank you , but for now he just gapes at him. Probably wide-mouthed and all, but Sunoo cannot find it in himself to care right now.

Because that man was Sunghoon , the most powerful wizard in Ingary. Heart-eater, soul-stealer, and now apparently, wanderer of back-alleys.

"Do you gentlemen have a problem?" Sunghoon asks agreeably. "I did not know King's guardsmen often frequented backwater places such as this one". 

"No one got a problem here except you, pretty boy." The tallest of the guards stalks up to Sunghoon, pushing his face close to the both of them, enough for Sunoo to smell his rancid breath.

Sunghoon's fingers twitch almost imperceptibly on Sunoo's shoulders, he can feel them tightening fractionally. 

"I'm sure you gentlemen have somewhere to be?" Sunghoon says, smile never leaving his lips.

"We got the little mouse first. Take a hike. " The guard says, almost shouting at him.

"An excellent suggestion." Sunghoon grits out. "You must be busy.” He lifts his hand, and makes a motion with two fingers, shooing them away. All at once, the guards stand at attention, give salute, and begin marching away in tandem, the sounds of their boots echoing over the pavement as they fall in step.

"Hey!"

"What's going on?"

"Stop. Everyone! Turn around!"

Sunoo watches in amazement as the men march further and further away, their arms flailing around and shouts of alarm echoing over the alley, but their feet move as if enchanted against their own will.

Once the guards are out of sight, Sunghoon heaves a sigh of relief. He lifts his palm from Sunoo's shoulder and wipes it on his pants leg, shaky and trembling.

"Oh jeez, that was scary." Sunghoon mumbles, trying to remove the sweat that accumulated on his hands. He’s almost swaying on his feet, cursing under his breath. 

Sunoo blinks up at him, curious at his change in demeanor. And Sunghoon notices him. 

"Oh!" Immediately, he brings his hand through his hair and smiles brightly, channeling bravado." Ahem . Are you alright? That must have been scary for you." His hand almost messes up his hair, though Sunoo doubts that would be possible, with how well-kept this man was. 

Sunoo huffs out a laugh. Sunghoon was clearly the more frightened one between them, but Sunoo humors him, if not out of gratitude, he doubts he could have resolved the situation as cleanly as the wizard did just now. 

“I’m quite alright.” Sunoo says, amused. “I didn’t expect you to be there, Sunghoon-sshi.” 

“Do you… know me?” Sunghoon asks Sunoo lowly, expectant. He seemed almost unsure of himself now, wide eyes searching Sunoo’s own for an answer. He looked like a lost puppy. 

“You’re… Sunghoon, the great wizard?” Sunoo says cautiously. Who else would he be? 

Sunghoon purses his lips for a moment, then nods. “Yes, I suppose that is me…” 

Sunoo furrows his brows, what did he mean by that?

“Anyways!” Sunghoon laughs nervously, waving his previous expression away. “Where are you off to this afternoon?” 

“Ah… just to pick up some ribbons for our store.” Sunoo says. 

Sunghoon offers his arm to Sunoo, covered in incredibly clean, white sleeves. “I’ll be your escort for today, then.” 

Sunoo looked at him for a moment, with a look so scrutinizing Sunghoon begins to shift uncomfortably where he stands. 

Sunoo didn’t know anything about wizards, but he doubted someone like Sunghoon would help him out just on a whim. What a strange guy. Sunoo pictured Sunghoon to be something akin to a demon, terrifying, cruel. But he looked like a normal man. Granted, an incredibly handsome, almost ethereal man, with the most beautiful features Sunoo has ever seen…

Sunoo liked pretty things. Sue him. 

“You’re lucky I’m not in my right mind today, Sunghoon.” Sunoo agrees in the end, taking Sunghoon’s arm in his. 

The surprised bark of laughter from Sunghoon’s mouth was even more out of character than what Sunoo expected. 

They’re only a few steps into their journey when Sunoo feels Sunghoon stiffen up. 

“Don’t be alarmed.” Sunghoon says, voice impossibly smooth. “But I’m being followed.” 

Sunoo inhales slowly, forcing himself to continue walking as normal. A glance to Sunghoon doesn’t reveal anything amiss, his face has that serene calm over it again, but Sunoo only needed to look into his eyes to know they were in grave danger now. 

Sunoo doesn’t see them at first, he thinks that the alleyway has gotten darker all of a sudden. Then his eyes adjust and the shadows falling over their path seem to condense into figures. Dark, inky figures with arms, legs, and only a gaping mouth over their face. And they were only increasing in number behind them, inching closer and closer. The figures poured out of the walls, seeped out of corners, like water escaping from a dam. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Sunghoon says, sounding genuinely apologetic. “But it seems that you’re involved now.” There’s a bright smile on his face that doesn’t match the situation at all. He loops his arm around Sunoo’s waist without warning.

“RUN!” He says. 

Sunoo does, legs frantically moving to get away from the things chasing them. but even his best efforts can’t let him keep up with Sunghoon. The other boy practically carries him through the alley. 

“What are they?!” Sunoo screams. He ducks when a figure swipes at his head from behind him, barely managing to keep his hat on. 

“Oh, just some retainers trying to get me to come with them!” Sunghoon answers easily. 

“They’re trying to kill you!” 

“Yes, that seems to be the case.” 

Sunoo almost wants to tear his hair out at that. Sunghoon’s hold on him tightens, and Sunoo can see that just up ahead, the shadowy figures have poured out of the walls in front of them, effectively boxing them in. Oh no. They’re going to die . Goodbye world. Sunoo thought. 

“Hold on!” Sunghoon says. 

With a gust of wind at their feet, Sunghoon and Sunoo are launched into the air, rising ten, twenty feet, until they are over the rooftops of the town. 

Sunoo probably curses bloody murder into Sunghoon’s ear. He doesn’t care, afraid that he is about to fall to his death. He clings onto the other boy for dear life, but their descent is slowed, supported by the wind like they were walking on invisible clouds. 

“Alright! Now just look ahead and start walking.” Sunghoon takes both his hands and guides him from behind. 

Sunoo forces his stiff legs to move, and miraculously, they begin to walk. Their steps are light, bouncing forward as if propelled. Sunoo can see the bustling streets below them, filled with officers going about their day, high-class women perusing the streets for shopping, buildings glittering like toy blocks. It stretched out below him like a huge watercolor painting.

 Is this what birds see when they fly over town? No wonder they were so reliant on their wings, Sunoo could not imagine walking on ground after this again. 

“Aha!” Sunoo cannot help himself, he laughs in spite of his fear. The people below them did not seem to pay any mind to him and Sunghoon, as they flew over their heads, moving gracefully as if they were in a waltz. 

“You’re a natural.” Sunghoon says, his voice tinged with pride. Sunoo grins up at him. 

“Well of course, it’s me after all.” Sunoo quips back. 

Sunghoon sets him down on a balcony of a house not too far from the hat shop, his hand still holding onto Sunoo’s even as Sunoo meets the ground once again. 

“This is where I must leave you.” Sunghoon sounds regretful. “I’m sorry we had to take a detour.” 

“Not at all, I enjoyed the walk with you.” Sunoo says, breathless. He still feels his heart pounding at a mile a minute. 

“You’re a charmer.” Sunghoon laughs helplessly. His blond hair moves slowly around his head, like the winds were still running through them. He floats just in front of Sunoo, feet never touching the ground. 

“It’s still dangerous down there. I’ll deal with them. Make sure to wait a bit before you go down.” Sunghoon says. 

“Looks like I have to go straight home after then.” Sunoo says, looking at the sky behind Sunghoon. “It’s getting late.” 

Sunghoon winces, realizing Sunoo never got what he set out for. He pats himself down, looking for something. 

“You said you needed ribbons. This is all I can offer you right now.”

Sunghoon pulls a red ribbon from the tassels of his own coat. He didn't cut it neatly, but Sunoo can tell it’s made of fine material. Sunghoon ties the ribbon onto Sunoo’s wrist in a small bow, with so much care it makes his chest ache a little. Sunghoon squeezes his hand once more. 

Sunoo realizes this was a goodbye. “W-wait. Will I ever see you again?” He asks. While he didn’t know Sunghoon at all, something caught in his throat at the thought of this being their only meeting. 

Sunghoon just smiles at him. “Of course.” He lifts Sunoo’s hand, the one with the ribbon tied to it, to his lips. “This will make sure of it.” 

He presses a kiss onto the back of Sunoo’s hand, never breaking eye contact with him. Sunoo inhales slowly. Is he blushing? Maybe. All of this just felt like a dream. 

“Goodbye.” Sunghoon gives him another one of those rare smiles, a bright childlike one, then hops off the balcony and disappears into the crowd. 

Sunoo practically stumbles home, reeling from the events of the afternoon. He pushes through the old door of their shop, bell ringing behind him. 

“Jungwon…” Sunoo mumbles, shuffling forward slowly. 

“Sunoo-hyung?” Jungwon’s head pops up from behind the counter. “ Sunoo-hyung! What happened to you? You look like you were just run over by a truck!” 

“That certainly would be a much more likely scenario…” Sunoo just says, still spacing out. 

Jungwon eases him into one of the armchairs strewn around their store. Sunoo looks around their shop, grounding himself in the familiarity of it all. The shelves, the tables, even the hooks on the walls, were all lined with hats made by Jungwon and Sunoo’s hands. They came in all sorts of jewel-toned colors. And each had a flower tucked into them. From an ostentatious arrangement of feathers and bougainvillea on a lady’s bonnet, to a simple snowdrop pinned to a top hat. It was what gave Sunoo joy about this job, placing meaning into each of their creations. 

Sunoo certainly belonged here, hidden among flowers, not flying through the air like a bird of prey. 

“Sunoo-hyung. What the hell happened.” Jungwon shakes his arm, asking him again. 

“I couldn’t get the ribbons, Jungwon.” Sunoo says dreamily. “I ran into someone … extraordinary instead.” 

“Extraordinary…?” Jungwon asks. His eyes fall to Sunoo’s wrist, or more specifically, the ribbon around it. He hesitantly touches it, fingers running along the fibers of it, then recoils when he feels a spark from it. 

“That… magic. There’s magic imbued in that.” Jungwon breathes, incredibly sensitive to such things. Sunoo wouldn’t know, he never had those kinds of talents. “You met a wizard?” 

The look on Sunoo’s face tells him everything. “No… You met Sunghoon? ” Jungwon breathes out in disbelief. 

“I guess I did.” Sunoo admits. 

Jungwon shoots up from where he was kneeling at Sunoo’s side. “Are you okay?!” He cries. “Sunghoon is incredibly powerful! Remember? The soul-eater? The heart-stealer?” 

“He was actually… really nice, Jungwon.” 

“What if he ate your heart, hyung?” Jungwon frantically pushes his palm to Sunoo’s chest, checking for the beat of it under his fingers. Sunoo almost laughs. He trusts that he would remember if a man took his heart and ate it for himself. 

“He only eats the hearts of beautiful people, remember? I’ll be fine.” Sunoo waves him off, already pushing himself off the chair . Trust in someone freaking out even more than you to knock the stupor out of your mind. 

“Hyung…” Jungwon says tiredly, mouth opening to begin a long tirade about Sunoo’s beauty, but is interrupted by the telephone ringing. “I’m gonna get that, but this conversation is not over, Sunoo! ” Jungwon growls at him, before disappearing behind the counter to take the call. 

Sunoo walks into his workshop again. His hand still tingled where Sunghoon had kissed him. Now that he was alone, Sunoo hesitantly lifts his hand to his lips, chasing after the feeling. 

“Oh god. He did take my heart, didn’t he.” Sunoo sighs after realizing what he just did. No wonder all the girls in town were taken by this strange wizard. He had moves , Sunoo acknowledged begrudgingly. 

Sunoo unties the ribbon on his wrist, and looks at it in thought. The ribbon was cut roughly, as Sunghoon had ripped it straight off from his own clothes. Its edges were frayed, and threatened to unravel into thread if Sunoo pulled at it. He contemplated burning the end to keep it from doing so, before deciding against it.

He should just keep it as it is, he didn’t want to lose any part of this memory. 

Jungwon walks into his room just then, and Sunoo jams the ribbon into his pocket in a hurry. “Oh! Yes, Jungwon?” Sunoo says. The younger’s face was incredibly guilty. He had his fists balled into his sides, and his mouth was pursed. 

“Jungwon?” Sunoo raises an eyebrow at him. He knew that look. It was his “cover-for-me-hyung!” look. Sunoo already felt like it was going to be another long night for him at the shop. 

‘Hyung, I got a call from my apprenticeship. They told me they want me to start right away or else they won’t give it to me. I can make it if I leave right now. I know you already covered the morning shift but I-” 

Sunoo interrupts him with a raise of his hand. “It’s fine, Jungwon. We both know this is a good thing. Go ahead” 

“Sorry, hyung!” Jungwon runs off, grabbing his coat. There really should be a labor law against demanding that apprentices report at odd hours of the day , Sunoo thought tiredly. But the things you did for a good resume. 

Sunoo sees Jungwon off at the door, tucking his bangs underneath a cap and making sure he was bundled up and warm. Before Jungwon leaves, he grabs Sunoo’s hands. 

“Sunoo-hyung. Promise me that you will not meet him again.” Jungwon pleads with him, hands shaking as he holds Sunoo’s. Of course, he’s talking about Sunghoon .

“He’s dangerous. We don’t know what he is capable of.”

“I- I won’t, Jungwon.” Sunoo says. 

Sunoo did know it. He was the reliable, stable one. He shouldn’t indulge in such fantasies. The ribbon would most likely never have to see the light of day again. And Sunoo would only get to see Sunghoon again in his dreams anyway. 

Jungwon gives him a kiss on the cheek in parting, before running out of the store in a hurry. 

Neither realizes that this will be the last he will see of his brother in a long time. 

It is well into the night when Sunoo finally approaches the door to turn the sign to “closed”. Jungwon had not returned, not that Sunoo expected him to. He often left for hours on end, forever chasing his dream of a magic apprenticeship. 

Sunoo looks out the window, but is surprised to find someone hunched outside the store. It was a man, dressed in dark robes and furs, slumped just outside their door. It was raining heavily outside, so despite his fancy clothing, the man was soaked to the bone. 

“Oh my-” Sunoo rushes to open the door. “Sir, are you alright?” 

The stranger looks up and meets Sunoo’s eyes. And Sunoo sucks in a breath upon seeing his face. The man was painfully thin, clearly suffering from some kind of illness. He had a hand braced over his torso, like he was nursing an injury. Though he didn’t seem to be old, his eyes held some kind of age that Sunoo could not match with the rest of his body. 

“I’m sorry.” The man speaks. And his voice was pleasant enough, soft and lyrical, and surprisingly coherent for how pitiful he looked. “I couldn’t bother you at this time of night.” 

“No, please! Come inside.” Sunoo invites him into the store. And he nods gratefully in Sunoo’s direction before stepping into the building. His heavy furs leave a trail of rainwater behind him, but the man made no notice of it.

 In fact, he didn’t seem all that unwell once Sunoo let him into his home, chin held high and eyes alight in amusement. 

Sunoo tries to get him to sit in the chair, but the man doesn’t bother moving from where he stands right at the door. He looks around instead, taking in the surroundings like a hawk. While it was Sunoo who invited him in, he began to feel a bit wary of his behavior. 

“Sir, is there anyone you would like to call?” Sunoo asks hesitantly, trying to help him as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t stay too long. 

The man snaps his attention to Sunoo. His eyes are too bright, looking straight into him like he was peering into his soul. It made Sunoo feel self-conscious, he had the strange urge to hide his face. Has he met this man before?

“What a humble, little shop.” He says, humor in his voice. 

“Uh…” Sunoo blinks. “I suppose it is?” 

“It’s quaint. A little tacky, if I have to admit.” The man begins to walk around, taking in the wares of his shop, the wares that Sunoo had made with his own hands. Calling them tacky.  

Sunoo bristles at his statement, but still isn’t too put out. “Sir, are you sure there isn’t anyone you can-” Sunoo tries to change the topic, and get him out of here. 

“But you.. .” The man looks at Sunoo again, peering at him like he was under a microscope. Sunoo could see the fine features of his face up close, the tanned skin, the colorful liner under his eyes. His lips stretch into a smile that is dazzling white, when he says: “You might be the tackiest thing here.”

“Sir.” Sunoo says, voice low in warning. 

“Your brother isn’t here, is he?” He asks, straightening up again. “Pity. I’ve always wanted to meet him, he seems like such a talented boy. A little more than I can say for you.” 

Alright, that stung a little. Sunoo’s pride smarts at his jab. And he cannot for the life of him figure out why he was being so rude when Sunoo invited him into his home.

 “If you’re just planning to insult me for the entire night, I’m going to ask you to leave before I make you.” Sunoo says. 

“Oh, you’re going to make me?” The man asks gleefully. “Are you capable of such a thing?” He lifts his arms, dark robes spilling out under him like tendrils of smoke. The air felt charged, like this stranger was leaking magic into the surroundings. 

Sunoo grits his teeth, realizing he’s made a mistake in letting him in. This wasn’t an ordinary person. A wizard, perhaps?

“I can be if you continue to badger me like this .” Sunoo says. 

“I just wanted to understand you a little better.” The wizard walks towards him, voice almost regretful. “But it seems like I’ve struck a nerve. I think I get it now.” 

Sunoo backs up as the man approaches him, hungry, hunting him down. Sunoo bumps into the mannequins, stumbles over the carpet. Still the wizard keeps advancing. 

“Have you ever heard of the saying, eldest siblings are doomed to fail first? ” He says. “I’m sure you have. It’s the story of your life, isn’t it Sunoo? ” The wizard gestures to the rest of Sunoo’s store, his home . “You’re cursed to live out the rest of your days in this meaningless little shop, slaving away while your brother gets all the glory.” 

Sunoo just shakes his head, reeling at his words. It wasn’t true. Not all of it. But why did Sunoo still feel so resentful? 

“I’ve been watching you both. And everyone in this town knows it. You are jealous. And that makes you ugly . You will never grow beyond the scared little boy you are.” 

Sunoo angers at those words. Who was he to say those kinds of things? What does he know? 

“Why don’t you just admit it? Instead of lying about satisfaction like a broken record.” He says. 

Sunoo has had enough of this. He stops and draws himself to full height, and stops the wizard in his tracks, staring him down. “Do you want me to say it, old man?” Sunoo says. “Yes! I am horrible . I wish I were as bright as my brother. I wish I had a life beyond all of this! Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

The wizard smiles at him, spreading his arms in satisfaction like he got what he came for. “Oh, absolutely.” 

He grabs Sunoo’s hand in his, pulling him forward. “I can help you, my boy. You wish for a life worth living, huh? You wish for yourself to be bold and interesting and beautiful.”

Sunoo doesn’t understand, frozen in fear as the other begins to glow, growing in power. “Well here’s my answer to your wish” The wizard says. ” Someday, you will realize the truth. Your form will only reflect that which is inside you.” 

“Let go of me!” Sunoo tries to take his hand away, but the wizard holds fast. In fact, his grip only seemed to be getting stronger as he takes from Sunoo. 

“I’m really sorry about this…” The wizard says to him, too quiet for Sunoo to hear, a gloved hand coming up to pat Sunoo on the cheek. “but you’re my ticket to Sunghoon.” The wizard says, before a bright blast of light bursts forth between them and Sunoo is knocked unconscious. 

Chapter Text

Market Chipping was the most peaceful place Sunghoon had seen in a long time. 

Even if Sunghoon was sure he wouldn’t find what he was looking for here, he hoped to stay a little longer. The town was sleepy, so far out into the country that most people weren’t even aware of the war ongoing in Ingary. The only evidence that something was amiss was the sheer amount of soldiers wandering around the area. But even they were enjoying the food and festivities of the town like there was nothing wrong. 

But of course, Sunghoon’s day just had to be ruined. 

As Sunghoon wanders around the main street, he is aware of the amount of eyes on him. There’s an electric hum in the air, a hiss lying underneath the sounds of the people on the street. And he knows it is because of his presence in this town. His shadows seem to drag longer the further out in town he went. 

If Sunghoon wanted to blend in with the crowd, he assures you he could. Perhaps dressing up like a mating peacock was not the way to go about it. But he was a sucker for aesthetics. Sue him. 

Sunghoon deftly weaves through the crowd, and chittering whispers follow in his trail. Men and women alike turn their heads to watch him, talking from behind gilded fans or gloved hands. Sunghoon hears everything.

“Look at him!” 

“His hair is like the moon…” 

“How handsome.”

Sunghoon walks calmly through the street, leather shoes tapping along the cobblestone streets, almost like he was taking a stroll through a castle, leisurely, and without a care in the world. But he keeps his eyes trained forward as he focuses on listening to the sounds of the crowd. 

“What is the wizard Sunghoon doing here in Market Chipping?”

“Do you think he could help me with-” 

But within those words, Sunghoon could hear a low, other-worldly hiss underneath the din.

“Master Sunghoon…” 

There it is. Sunghoon squares his shoulders, assured that they were still following him. Though Sunghoon knows they wouldn’t show their faces in front of other people. Sunghoon takes a subtle turn to the right, moving away from the crowds. 

On me. Keep your eyes on me. Sunghoon walks faster, and is grateful when people part for him. The crowd thins out as Sunghoon moves away from the main street and towards the alleyways. 

His surroundings darken almost unnaturally, in a way that couldn’t be explained just by the walls of buildings boxing the street in. 

Sunghoon knows he’s successful when he takes another step and is unable to move his foot. He looks down to see that the shadows below him have taken the form of tendrils, wrapping around his ankle and rooting him in place. 

“Well, hello there.” Sunghoon says. 

“You are out of time, Sunghoon.” A voice from behind him says. Sunghoon turns around to see the shadows that have followed him earlier have condensed, forming a wall and blocking him from behind. 

Sunghoon summons magic, fire erupts from his palms and he throws it at his feet, dissipating the darkness momentarily. Once his leg is free, Sunghoon sprints down the alleyway, desperately trying to get away from them. 

At least there’s no one here. Sunghoon thinks in relief. This was way more dangerous than he had planned. Up ahead, Sunghoon can see the alley’s end, a bricked-up wall too tall to climb. 

The shadows fly faster than Sunghoon can run. They snake between his legs, through the walls, moving alongside him. Their open mouths move in tandem. “Your master summons you at once.” They say, the sound grating at his ears. 

“Yeah?” Sunghoon says, panting as he keeps running. “Well tell Suliman that she can rot for all I care.” 

Sunghoon summons more magic again, ice this time, at his feet. It propels him forward as jumps up, barely clearing the top of the wall.

 He perches on over it briefly, before continuing to leap, flying up towards the rooftops of Market Chipping. He takes a moment to look behind him, but immediately regrets it. 

The shadows were right behind him. Their hands reach out to grab at Sunghoon’s cape, his arms. But all it takes is a little fire blasted in their faces, and they recoil, needing to regroup before they chase Sunghoon down again. As scary as these henchmen were, Sunghoon knew they weren’t much of a fight. 

“Give up already.” Sunghoon says, as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop. “No matter how many you are, I can get rid of you easily.” 

They continue their pursuit, but Sunghoon has the advantage when he’s in the air, darting left and right easily, dodging their attacks. 

Then their voices change, from gritty, dark, and inhuman; to cold and cruel.  

“You’re acting like a child, Sunghoon…” their voices sound like a woman this time, someone Sunghoon hasn’t heard in a long time. 

Sunghoon gasps, and subsequently loses his footing. He slips on the roof tiles, plunging downward. The shadows chase after him, surrounding him until Sunghoon is engulfed in darkness. Their voices go straight to his head, forcing him to see what they want him to. 

“No. Please.” Sunghoon thinks, trying to escape. He can’t move. He can’t feel anything. 

Do you need a reminder of what you were sent out for, Sunghoon? 

[Kingsbury, Ingary -- The Royal Palace, 3 Years Ago] 

Would it kill them to turn the lights on in this place?

Sunghoon stood alone in the royal waiting room. If he moved even an inch, his shoes sent echoing sounds across the vast marble floor, too loud for his liking. It was like the room was almost punishing him for daring to step out of place. 

All the curtains were drawn, plunging the room in darkness, so Sunghoon couldn’t actually see how large the chamber was. The vague features of the room blurred and disappeared if Sunghoon looked too far ahead. As such, he stayed perfectly still waiting for his teacher to summon him once again. 

Teacher. 

That word had enough power to send shivers down the spine of one Park Sunghoon. His mentor, his master, was none other than the current royal sorceress of Ingary, Madame Suliman. Sunghoon can still feel his hands shake from over-exertion from the times she had ruthlessly trained him in magic. 

He had heard from his fellow schoolmates that it was rare for royal retainers to choose apprentices so young. But Sunghoon didn’t find it an honor, only an incredible burden. 

The last one his age had been chosen during the previous royal sorcerer’s service, several decades ago. And both master and apprentice had disappeared without a trace not long after that, succumbing to war and sickness. 

Suliman had told him it was because that sorcerer was weak, his student even more so. They faded into obscurity. 

Sunghoon imagined what they would have been like, if they were two people who actually cared for one another.  

Wonder what that’s like. Since Sunghoon had graduated, he did his best to live out a peaceful life. But he could never hide from her for long. 

“My lady will see you now.” A monotone voice interrupts his thoughts. 

Sunghoon blinks and sees a short figure in front of him, a young boy of about 12, with chin-length, dark hair and expressionless, hooded eyes. All of Suliman’s footmen were groomed to look identical to one another. He was dressed in an immaculate, pressed uniform, reminiscent of a little doll.

Sunghoon swallows, nods, and follows the boy into an opulent greenhouse. The light streaming through the glass hurt his eyes after spending so long in the dark. The place was filled to the roof with ferns, vines and flowering bushes. It was uncomfortably warm despite the splendor. 

“Child.” A call comes from behind the greenery. 

Sunghoon steels himself and walks forward. 

There is an elegant, aged lady sitting in an armchair. Her hair was completely gray, combed into a bun atop her head, tucked underneath an elaborate headpiece. She looked like a queen, a proper ruler. But Sunghoon knew that wasn’t what she was going for at all. Madame Suliman was loyal to the King, no matter how much of a fool he was. 

With a wave of the lady’s hand, the footman beside Sunghoon bows quickly to her and rushes away, scuttling behind the bushes like a frightened animal. 

Sunghoon lowers his head to her too, hand coming to his chest in a sign of respect.  

“Master. Wizard Sunghoon, reporting to your summon.” He says smoothly. 

“Don’t you go by Pendragon now?” Suliman says sharply. “Or wasn’t it Jenkins?” 

Sunghoon swallows, pushing forward despite her coldness. “It is good to see you again.” 

“You’ve graduated with the highest honors from our Academy. Shouldn’t you find a better use for your time instead of making aliases to hide away with?” She says. 

Sunghoon swallows uncomfortably. “Is that what you have summoned me for today, Master?” 

“So you do have some wits about you, even after all this time, Sunghoon.” Suliman showed the barest of smiles. “I chose you for a reason, I hope you will not disappoint me in this simple request.” 

Suliman sits straighter, if that was even possible, and her eyes glittered with an excitement that Sunghoon knew only came when violence was involved. His heart dropped to a pit in his stomach. 

“There is going to be a war.” Suliman declares easily, as if she was merely reporting about the weather. 

Sunghoon tries not to flinch, but she catches it anyway. She narrows her eyes at him in disappointment. “My cowardly little student. You will not have to fight in the front lines. Do not worry, I have saved a very special mission for you.” 

Suliman’s eyes glow and the surroundings around them melt away. The light from the greenhouse, the smell of cultivated plants, the glass panes, all disappear into an inky sky. 

Sunghoon feels disoriented, but isn’t surprised. Suliman’s power was in illusions, and she often made use of this to make people see whatever she wanted, both enemies and subjects alike. 

Sunghoon sees snowy mountains rise out of the space, a castle thrown into an endless winter. He hears the wailing of people, the sound of parents losing their children. And a silhouette of a boy around Sunghoon’s age.

“A month ago, High Norland’s prince had been abducted in his own home. Exactly a week before his marriage to the princess of Strangia.” Madame Suliman’s voice rings out over the mirage. “By a Ingarian wizard, no less.” 

“And they haven’t caught him?” Sunghoon says. 

“That’s the interesting thing. Against this many forces, any wizard of normal caliber would have been brought in by the authorities by now.” Suliman says. “This one must be powerful, extremely dangerous. Someone like me. Or you. ”

Someone like them. He must have been around for a long time if Suliman has no idea who he was. Sunghoon had no desire to face someone that powerful, capable of stealing the prince right in his own home. Sunghoon himself had just graduated, was barely a man, still in the process of controlling his own powers. 

“Norland has waged war against Ingary for the safe return of their son. A boy that we simply do not have.” Suliman sighs tiredly. “Their forces are more numerous than ours. It will be a long fight, but in the end, Ingary will surely lose.” 

The mirages in the sky turn into images of violence. Villages burning down, Sunghoon’s own home crumbling into bombings. He turns his eyes away. 

“We’ve lost wars against Norland before.” Sulliman tells him. “They turn to curses and plagues to cut down our people.” Sunghoon does know that. Many wars have been fought and lost because Norland knew where to strike: on civilian lives. 

“ Because you do not wish to fight, Sunghoon, I will respect your wishes. Instead, you will only need to face this wizard alone and find the prince.” Suliman says. 

Sunghoon chokes. “Alone?” 

“You are talented. You might be able to succeed.” Suliman says, her voice turning thoughtful. “ But you are also…” She doesn’t say it. But leaves the word for Sunghoon to realize it for himself. 

Dispensable.  

Suliman was expecting this to be dangerous, almost impossible for anyone but Sunghoon. For this to be a suicide mission. 

“How can you ask this of me…” Sunghoon whispers. Though he already knows the answer. Sunghoon was only a student, not a real asset to the crown just yet. And Suliman never cared for him one bit. 

Suliman just laughs. “If you wish to hide away again like you always do, I won’t protest. I’m giving you three years to find the prince. That’s how long I predict we can repel Norland’s forces.” 

“Do what you need to do. Study, travel, gain more power. But after that… ” She lets the threat hang in the air. Sunghoon doesn’t know what she will do with him. What will happen to their country if Sunghoon fails. 

“I’ll give you a taste of what is to come, Sunghoon. A parting gift from me.” Suliman tells him, voice as cold and soft as the winter wind, before she disappears entirely.

“Wait!” Sunghoon reaches out to her.  

The mirage closes in all around him, plunging him in the midst of a war. Sunghoon finds himself alone in the middle of plane bombings occuring overhead and burning buildings all around him. 

“Master?” Sunghoon calls out in a panic. “Master! Let me out!” 

She doesn’t . In the back of his mind, Sunghoon knows they’re still in the greenhouse. The heat on his skin was most likely from the sun shining above him. But he still feels like he’s burning, flames threatening to touch his skin. And when an explosion rocks the ground he stands on, all Sunghoon can do is run away in fear. 

Sunghoon tries to shield himself, he tries to fly. But everywhere he went, it was more of the same fire. He doesn’t know how long he has been running for, but he was trapped in this dream. He trips over rubbles and falls, skidding on his hands and knees. 

“Somebody help me. Let me out…” Sunghoon whispers, caving in on himself. He collapses and everything goes dark. 

Funnily enough, what snaps Sunghoon out of the shadows’ dream is a terrified yell, from somewhere not too far away. 

Why are you yelling? Sunghoon thinks. I should be the one doing the yelling. 

But he clings to it. The only thing grounding him within the mess of shadows surrounding him. Sunghoon forces his body to change, until he is smaller and lighter. Feathers sprout on his face, on his back, on his arms until they are reminiscent of wings. He becomes as small as a perching bird. 

Then Sunghoon flies through a gap in the shadows, finally managing to escape. The sunlight blinds him after an eternity spent in the darkness. So he just follows the voice that he heard a while ago. If there were other people, the shadows could not come after him. Sunghoon thought. 

He lands behind a boy and three, hulking guards. They don’t seem to notice him at first, too preoccupied with whatever conflict was brewing between them, which suited Sunghoon just fine. He hoped to catch his breath, then move on, dragging the shadows along with him. Then Sunghoon watches as the guards grab the boy’s wrist, with enough force to make Sunghoon wince.

He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. 

But Sunghoon has never been good at doing what he was supposed to do. It was the least he could do. This boy saved him after all, albeit unknowingly. 

Before Sunghoon can stop himself, he jumps down behind him, forcing his body to return to his original form, nevermind the strain it puts on him. And he interrupts the standoff. 

It was a terrifying ordeal, really. Another thing Sunghoon wasn’t good at was confrontation . With the boy tucked at his side, Sunghoon just prays that he’ll be able to say something clever and spare them both some embarrassment. He spares a glance down at him, just to see who his unlikely companion is. And the boy meets his gaze immediately.  

Sunghoon’s first thought is that this boy is defiant. His eyes were cold and sharp. He had a furious expression on, and even though Sunghoon knows that gaze wasn’t meant for him, it still freezes him in place nonetheless. The boy reminded him of a winter fox, someone who is meant to hunt, to protect. 

But then Sunghoon recognizes the boy’s face. The gentleness of it, the never-ending worry in his brows. And his brain shuts off to the point that his only thoughts become:  

“I know you. You’re the one, aren’t you?” 

Sunghoon’s thought process goes like this. He promises he is usually more eloquent: 

Are you okay?

Why is your hair like that? 

I’m glad to see you smiling. 

When the shadows come back, Sunghoon isn’t scared anymore. But singularly focused on protecting Sunoo: 

I’m sorry. 

Sorry. 

You must know what true magic is in this world, why else would these things come after you too? 

When Sunoo’s hand is in his, as they’re walking through the air is if it’s the most natural thing in the world: 

He is scared

He is brave. You are braver than I am. 

It’s like you belong here. 

And at the very end, when he’s made sure Sunoo is safe, when he’s set him down on that balcony. And when he’s pressing his lips to Sunoo’s hand, and praying that Sunoo will find him again soon, Sunghoon thinks to himself, with the fervency of a sinner repenting: 

You are everything. 

[Kingsbury, Ingary -- The Royal Palace, 3 Years Ago] 

“Master…hoon?”

“Sunghoon, pl… ake up.” 

“Please!” 

When Sunghoon comes to, there’s a hand over his forehead, cooling him down. His throat feels scratchy and raw from overuse. The sun blazes above head, unhindered by glass panels forming the roof of the royal greenhouse. 

“Huh…?”  

“Master Sunghoon.” A low, quiet voice.

 Sunghoon blinks slowly, watching as a face swims into his vision. He realizes it is the boy from earlier, Suliman’s footman, kneeling over him in concern. His expression was no longer dull, but almost teary with fear. His long, dark hair fell over his eyes. Sunghoon shakes his head slowly, trying to remove his disorientation. 

Where were the burning buildings? The screams? The bombing? Sunghoon blinks again, and realizes that the floor underneath him is cool marble, not rubble or dirt. It was an illusion. Sunghoon remembers. But that knowledge didn't make it feel any less real. 

“Y-you shouldn’t be here.” Sunghoon slurs out, trying to wave the boy away. “Suliman will punish you too…” 

The boy passes his hand over him, his voice is shaky as he whispers something. And the burning feeling disappears, his throat is soothed. All of a sudden, Sunghoon feels fine. 

“You were screaming for so long.” The boy says. “I didn’t know how to wake you.” 

Sunghoon sits up, and sees that the seat of Madame Suliman is already vacated. The sun is much lower in the sky than he remembered it being. How long was he here for? 

“Y-you healed me?” Sunghoon asks in confusion. That shouldn’t be possible. The boy stiffens and balls his hands into his lap, before he nods slowly, as if he was confessing a terrible secret. 

“Don’t tell anyone about this.” The boy pleads with him, then stands immediately, quickly walking away. 

“Wait.” Sunghoon says, trying to get up, but his legs are still too weak that he falls over once again. “Wait!” 

The boy spares him a pained look, lips pursed like he was stopping himself from speaking. Sunghoon could only stare at him, determined to remember his face, before he fades behind the greenery. 

Chapter Text

Sunoo wakes up in an empty store. The strange wizard was nowhere to be found, and he didn’t leave any visible traces behind, save the wreckage that became of his shop when Sunoo tried to get away from him. 

“My head…” Sunoo groans. His voice sounded awful, croaky and rough.  

Did that wizard curse him with some kind of affliction? While his head did throb a little from his fall, Sunoo didn’t feel all that unwell. That is, until he brings his hand up to touch the knock on his head, and he sees his own skin for the first time. 

His hands are gnarled and wrinkled, with paper-thin skin and age spots dotting the back of his hands. 

“Huh?” Sunoo breathes out. 

He stands up immediately, rushing towards a mirror to check. His body feels infinitely heavier. Was that the dread? Or was it something else entirely?

Sunoo gets his answer when he sees an old man looking back at him. With shockingly white hair, sagging cheeks, and lines around milky eyes. When Sunoo reaches a hand out to touch his cheek, the old man does the same, he feels the skin underneath his fingers is worn. 

Holy shit. That’s a mirror. That old man is me. Sunoo blinks and rubs his eyes, and yes , it’s the exact same man staring back at him, only evidently more upset now. 

“AAAAHHHH!” Sunoo falls back screaming, clawing at his skin. Then groans when his backside hits the ground again, joints screaming in protest. He couldn’t afford to injure himself like this. Because apparently, his body was as old and decrepit as he looked. 

“Stay calm, Sunoo! You gotta stay calm!” Sunoo gets up and begins to pace the room, wincing again when he catches sight of his reflection in the mirror. 

What could he do? This was evidently a curse. Sunoo didn’t know why, he was sure he didn’t do anything to offend that crazy wizard from earlier. So this curse was either because Sunoo had a target on his back, or just his sheer misfortune of running into that guy. 

Knowing Sunoo’s shit luck, it was probably the latter, Sunoo concedes. 

And Jungwon . God, Jungwon would be home any second. While Sunoo’s initial thought was to ask his brother for help, he knew there was nothing Jungwon could do. His magic wasn’t curse-breaking, and Sunoo being like… this , could only spell disaster for the two of them. 

Wouldn’t it be better if Sunoo got help himself and left Jungwon out of this? 

Yes, Sunoo needed someone else’s help. Another wizard, someone powerful enough to break this spell without a problem. And he did meet someone like that earlier today. 

Sunoo stops in his tracks. Sunghoon. Would Sunghoon be able to fix him? Should he risk looking for him again? Sunoo remembers what Jungwon said: “We don’t know what he’s capable of.” He could be a sick bastard like that wizard who cursed him, or a cannibal who would prey on his heart. Sunoo’s thoughts run a mile a minute. 

But Sunoo looks at himself once more. The wrinkles on his face, his stooped back. In comparison to the gentle and handsome young man he had If he had doubts about himself before, he was certain he wasn’t beautiful now. He doubts Sunghoon would even be able to recognize him like this. 

He walks forward before he can change his mind. 

“This is a bad idea. This is a very bad idea.” Sunoo mumbles to himself, as he’s throwing his old, blue coat over him, buttoning it up even as it fits tighter around him now. And grabs a walking stick that an old customer left behind. He still keeps saying it to himself as he puts on his hat, one of the only real good things that came out of today. 

He stops at the front door. Taking one last look at his home for the past three years, the place Jungwon and he built together, their shelter, their garden in the midst of the war. Even with his now, feeble old eyes, Sunoo could still see the wonderful colors of his wares. 

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, this is only for a little while.” Sunoo says, trying to convince himself of the fact too. Before he shuts the door behind him and walks out into the night. 

Oh why were the great plains of Ingary so vast and majestic? Didn’t the god who designed this place take into account the weakened knees of old men like Sunoo? 

Sunoo stops and takes his -nth break upon a rock jutting out in the middle of the field. He had been walking for most of the day, until the moon sank and the sun rose once again. Until the buildings of Market Chipping turned into little farmhouses. And until those disappeared between the corn and wheat fields. The sun shone overhead, bearing down on Sunoo’s form. Although he doesn’t mind the heat now, it warmed his skin pleasantly, staving off the chill out here in the plains. 

“I’m even susceptible to the cold now. I should really treat my elders much better. They got it rough.” Sunoo laughs to himself.

 He surveys his surroundings. Mountains rose out beyond the plains, miles away. The town was behind him, small as toy blocks by now. But Sunghoon’s castle was nowhere to be seen. Sunoo supposes a magic castle like that could move much faster than he could, but he didn’t come this far to give up now. 

The bushes next to Sunoo give a rustle. He doesn’t pay it any mind at first. Spacing out in the middle of such a still afternoon. The rustling continues, as if a great wind was passing through its leaves. But Sunoo realizes the grass around him is completely still, and he feels no air on his skin either. 

“What the-” Sunoo stands abruptly, looking at the bushes. Jutting out from the bottom of it was a long, wooden stick. A pole. It rises and falls, thumping itself on the ground. Curiosity gets the better of Sunoo. With a great heave, he pulls the pole out of the bushes, and falls over when it stands upright. 

Looming over Sunoo, inexplicably, was a scarecrow. A pretty well-made one, if Sunoo had to admit. While its bottom half was just the wooden pole Sunoo had pulled out of the bushes, its top half was dressed in a long coat and vest. It had white gloves on, which were strangely clean. Its head was also a large, white turnip. Carved with vague facial features, a fine nose and a permanent smile. 

The scarecrow hops on its pole, spins around once and takes its hat off to Sunoo in gratitude. 

“Oh, you were stuck there!” Sunoo realizes. “It was no problem!” 

A living scarecrow, Sunoo blinks up at him, as he returns his hat to its original position. He should be scared of it, truly, but he’s seen much stranger things in the past 24 hours alone. 

“Whoever made you must have cared a lot about you. I guess you’ve gotten lost?” Sunoo gives the strawman a closer look. His clothes were made of suspiciously expensive material, although evidently tattered. What kind of farmer would sacrifice such nice clothes for a mere scarecrow?

The scarecrow thumps Sunoo on the head in protest. “No?” Sunoo says, confused. “Well. If you don’t want to go back to your owner, would you like to join me on my travels then? I’ve got a long way to go to Sunghoon’s castle.” 

The scarecrow hops around Sunoo, before setting off in one direction. He spins around again, urging Sunoo to come with him. 

“Do you know the way?” Sunoo gapes at him. The scarecrow doesn’t speak, of course he can’t , but continues to hop frantically. “Move your butt, Sunoo!” he seemed to say. 

“Alright!” Sunoo gets up, and makes haste to follow him “I’m coming, I’m coming!” 

Sunoo hopes he’s made the right decision in trusting a random creature. He wasn’t even a person, what made Sunoo think he knew what Sunghoon’s castle even was ? But he didn’t have any better leads. As they walked into the fog, all Sunoo could rely on was the sound of his scarecrow companion hopping down the road, his form bobbing through the mist. 

“S-slow down!” Sunoo huffs, when the road turns uphill. His joints ache in protest and he hunches over his walking stick. The scarecrow, blessedly, does. Hopping around him protectively and keeping watch over the road while Sunoo catches his breath. 

“You’re really nice, you know that?” Sunoo tugs on his jacket to get his attention. “I wonder how you got that life inside of you. Could I do that to my hats too?” 

The scarecrow tilts its head in confusion, not understanding. “Yeah. Thought so.” Sunoo says. 

“Would it be alright if I gave you a name?” Sunoo asks. “It feels a little rude not calling you by anything.” 

The scarecrow lifts his hand to his chest, patting it once. Sunoo takes that as a yes. 

“Ok… how about Turnip-head?” Sunoo says. For he’s never seen a scarecrow with a turnip for a head before.

The scarecrow doesn’t seem to like that. He pushes Sunoo lightly, though with the straw-like materials he seemed to be made of, it just felt like a pillow hitting his side. 

“Alright, it’s a work in progress then.” Sunoo concedes. 

Just then, the ground begins to shake. A loud groan shakes the air, the sound of metal scraping against metal, and steam escaping. Sunoo looks up and sees a huge machine appear out of the fog, marching directly towards them on multiple mechanical legs like a giant spider.  

Sunghoon’s castle. It was even more massive up close, taller than any building Sunoo had seen. It had an opening in the front reminiscent of a gaping mouth, and stacks of chimneys sticking out of the top in random places. A leg pierces the ground next to Sunoo, almost knocking him over. 

He crouches and ducks his head as the castle passes over him completely. If it were to park at that very moment, Sunoo is sure he would be flattened. 

“Don’t sit down. Do not sit down” Sunoo prays to whatever god is out there, locking up in fear as the monstrosity of a building passes over his head. He looks up once it's passed, and sees Turnip-head is already running towards it. He moves quickly, and hops onto a landing sticking out of the back of the castle, a few feet off of the ground. There was also a door on the landing. 

“Is that the way in?!” Sunoo shouts. 

Turnip-head jumps frantically. “Sunoo, hurry!” It seems to say.

Sunoo picks up his walking stick and sprints as hard as he can. He stumbles over the uneven ground, but manages to catch-up to the castle. He throws his stick onto the landing but can barely keep up as it is.

“Curse these legs!” Sunoo shouts. He wraps his hand around the railing of the landing, but cannot muster enough strength to pull himself up. At that moment, Turnip-head jumps down behind Sunoo and lifts him, just enough until Sunoo can roll onto the landing himself. 

“Thank you.” Sunoo sits up, as the scarecrow hops on again. “What a welcome mat, huh?” 

Turnip-Head jumps out of the landing, scaling the walls of the castle on tiny ledges, almost like a mountain goat. 

“You’re not going in?” Sunoo shouts to him, but by then, he’s jumped out of sight. Sunoo can only assume he’s going to look for another way in. 

“Well, I guess it’s just me then.” Sunoo sighs to himself. He reaches for the doorknob, turns it, and heads inside the castle. 

Alright, first of all, Sunghoon’s moving castle is not a castle. That was Sunoo’s first impression. Sunoo climbs a short set of stairs, slowly creeping in case his entrance was unwelcome. Despite his best efforts, the floorboards creak with every step he takes. 

It was dim, but Sunoo could still see that the interior of the building was humble, rustic, and so cluttered that the place seemed smaller than it actually was. . Sunoo could see books scattered over every available spot, trinkets hanging from the walls, dust covering the floor. Yet it was completely devoid of life. 

The only light came from a fireplace built into the left-side wall. The palm-sized flame crackled softly, almost inviting.

 Sunoo walks toward it and sinks into an armchair placed right in front of the fire, a welcome respite for his tired bones. Sunoo leans his body back against the plush cushion, wishing he could just meld to the chair right then and there. 

“That’s a nasty curse you got there.” 

Sunoo sits up and looks around. But finds that the room is just as empty and dark as it was when he arrived there.

 “Am I hearing things…?” Sunoo mumbles to himself.

“Wow, does your curse include hallucinations too? Wouldn’t wanna be you, seriously.” 

Sunoo turns his head to the fire, and sees that it has grown and taken form. A humanoid figure sitting cross-legged in the fireplace, an easy smile, looking directly at Sunoo. 

“The fire is talking…” Sunoo mumbles. Maybe his curse did include hallucinations. Things were just getting weirder by the minute. 

“The fire has a name.” He says, visibly irked. “I’m Jake.” He reaches a hand out to shake, but recoils it immediately when he remembers Sunoo is a human. 

“A fire demon named “Jake”?” Sunoo asks slowly, still trying to comprehend what was going on. 

“It’s actually J̵̡̙̗͙̠͙̝̹̥͎̬̹͔̏ͅ/̶̨̼̿̀á̴̪̣̮͖͙͒̋̌͋̚͝ë̶̥̙̱̭̟̺̖̦́̏͜*̸̧̛̹̩̙̦͈̫̥̩͉̬̼̯̯̀̌́ͅy̴̨̢̫͙̳͖̱̼͋͜u̸̡͎̫͎̘͙̪͉̝̪̺͙̔̓̍͆̓̒ͅ~̶̗̭̞̱̥͔̙͓͓͔͕̻̉̿̃̏̋̿̓̈̎͝n̵̨̨̘̫̜̟̩͙̝̝̗͎̲͂̂̒͒ . But your puny human tongues just butcher the pronunciation.” Jake huffs. 

He is right . Sunoo wouldn’t be able to repeat that for the life of him. He’s pretty sure some of that was just unintelligible hissing. 

Sunoo gets out of his chair, peering closer at him despite the heat. “How remarkable…”. The demon’s hair was slightly curly, falling over his forehead, and had eyes that looked like orange marbles. “Why are you so… cute? ” Sunoo asks. Though built like a man, Jake was much smaller than a human. Shouldn’t demons be powerful beings?

 Jake leans back, flustered when Sunoo moves into his space.

“Hey, hands off old man. You can look, but you can’t touch.” Jake says. “I’m private property.”
“Private property.” Sunoo echoes. “Does that mean you’re Sunghoon’s?” 

“What makes you think Sunghoon isn’t mine?” Jake says, pouting and crossing his arms. Sunoo only raises an eyebrow at him. It must look much more serious with this old face than Sunoo expected, because his expression makes Jake sigh in defeat

. “But yeah…” Jake says eventually. “He’s technically my master.” 

“So you're basically in service to him?” Sunoo says, finally realizing . “You’re harmless then. ”

“I am not harmless! I am an incredibly powerful fire demon. I could roast your eyebrows off!” Jake says. 

He waves his arm in front of Sunoo, and only a pleasant wave of warmth comes out from him. Sunoo settles back down on his chair, knowing he wasn’t in any danger. In this state, Jake couldn’t do anything to him. He probably couldn’t help him with his curse either. In fact, with the darkness of the room, and his own adrenaline wearing off, Sunoo feels incredibly drowsy.

“Right. Of course. Terrifying. ” Sunoo says.

Jake gets a spark in his eye. Literally, his eyes begin to glow as he looks at Sunoo. “Listen. How about you and I make a deal?” 

“Oh yeah? What do you suggest.” Sunoo asks slowly, holding back a yawn. 

“Sunghoon and I are bound together by a spell. It’s an old spell that gives him my power. If you can figure out how to break our spell, I’ll get all my powers back and I’ll get rid of your curse for you!” 

“Hmmm…” Sunoo says, eyes coming to a close. What a nice little fire. Sunoo thought. Just the right temperature for a nap. 

“Hey. Hey! Old man! Are you listening to me? Wake up!” Jake waves his arms out again, only managing to send more warmth in Sunoo’s direction, helping him fall asleep faster. 

“Yeah…” Sunoo sighs. “Alright… you’ve got yourself… a deal.” Sunoo slurs out. 

“Hey! Don’t sleep on me like this! C’mon…” Jake says. 

Despite Jake’s protests, Sunoo leans his head on the back of the chair and falls into a deep, deep sleep.

Sunoo always dreams of the past. Like his brain was wishing for him to return to easier days. But this was a scene he had no recollection of. He stands in the middle of a field of wildflowers, and the night sky stretched out above him. 

Sunoo dreams of a bird. 

The bird is a sleek and beautiful thing. With large, black wings that cut through the night sky. It circled overhead like it was poised to hunt. Sunoo could only see its outline as it blocked out the bright stars in the sky. But he knew it was a strong and majestic creature. 

Then the bird begins to glow. In orange, yellow, and blue, it overshadows any of the other stars. The bird streaks across the sky, gliding downward. Sunoo believes it is going to hit the ground. And he watches mesmerized as it flies, glowing brighter and brighter the closer it gets to the earth, akin to a falling star. 

Then Sunoo realizes. 

The bird is on fire. 

There’s a bell ringing. The sounds of feet pounding down steps, doors opening and slamming shut. The combination of all of these noises is what startles Sunoo awake. 

“Hrrk… what..” Sunoo stops snoring. He lifts his head and blearily looks around. Sunlight streams through the blurry windows, illuminating the dust-covered floors and tables stacked to the ceiling with various objects. Oh right , Sunoo was still at Sunghoon’s castle. A castle that wasn’t actually a castle and was also missing Sunghoon. Sunoo thought to himself. 

But there is a boy. An adolescent boy running down the stairs. Sunoo can see he is built like a beanpole, tall and skinny, all limbs. He had messy dark hair, chopped unevenly like he couldn’t wait for a proper visit to a hairdresser and just whacked it all off himself. 

The boy stops in his tracks, looking at Sunoo before the other can feign sleep once again. He had the sharpest eyes Sunoo had ever seen. 

“Who the hell is this? ” He says. His voice is also lower than expected. “Master Sunghoon doesn’t allow visitors.” 

“He isn’t a visitor.” Jake pipes up, still sitting up at the fireplace. “He’s…” 

“I’m your new housekeeper!” Sunoo blurts out the first thing he can think of “Yeah. This place is a total mess. Jake hired me to clean the place up.” 

The boy narrows his eyes at Sunoo, opening his mouth to refute him. But then there’s more incessant ringing at the front door and he lets it go, running to answer the door. 

“I didn’t hire you to do jack shit, old man.” Jake hisses at him lowly, so the other boy does not hear them. “We don’t do housekeepers over here.”

“Yeah, I can tell. ” Sunoo gestures to the rest of the house. Jake at least has the decency to look ashamed. “And it’s not “ old man ”, my name is Sunoo.” 

“Yeah whatever. Just don’t lie to Ni-ki like that again, ok?” Jake says. 

Ni-ki? Sunoo turns to the younger boy, who is currently grabbing a cloak from a hook on the door. He pulls it on and it transforms into a disguise that turns him into a bearded, old man. 

Sunoo gapes at him. How did he do that? Ni-ki, now an old man, reaches up to turn a dial above the door, painted in four different colors. 

“Porthaven door, opening.” Ni-ki says. “Standby.” 

He turns the dial to green and Sunoo sees the lights streaming from their window change. Ni-ki opens the door, and the unmistakable scent of sea-breeze wafts through it. 

Sunoo stands up, walking cautiously towards the door. 

“Excuse me!” A little voice pipes up from outside. Sunoo looks down the railing of the staircase to see a young girl, standing on cobblestone steps. “My sister sent me to pick up a set of love potions.” 

“Ah yes, right here.” Ni-ki says, making his voice go comically deeper. Sunoo raises an eyebrow at him, to which Ni-ki not-so-subtly flips him off.

As Ni-ki leaves to fetch the wares the little girl ordered ( a love potion , Sunoo thinks in derision), he takes the opportunity to look out the door. 

The castle had somehow magically embedded itself into a sea-side building. They were in the middle of Porthaven, the coastal town of Ingary. Beyond the numerous buildings dotting the landscape, Sunoo could see the ocean, bright blue and glittering in the sun. 

What happened to the foggy fields I had come through last night? Sunoo wondered. 

“We’re really in Porthaven…” Sunoo breathes out in disbelief. 

“Ummm…are you a wizard too, grandpa?” The little girl tugs on his coat, trying to get his attention. 

Sunoo smiles at her mischievously. “Oh yes. I’m the evilest wizard of all time. I can turn you into an ugly, old geezer, just like me!” 

The little girl’s eyes widen and Ni-ki claps his hand on Sunoo’s shoulder. “Don’t scare the customers away, new guy. Get back inside.” He says, gruffly. 

“Oh no! Did he turn you into an old man too?” Sunoo hears the little girl say to Ni-ki, before the boy pulls Sunoo in and shuts the door. 

“Jeez. I can’t believe Jake let you in.” Ni-ki pulls the hood of his cloak back, his appearance reverting back to his normal, boyish looks. If only it were that simple, Sunoo thought. 

“I did not let him in!” Jake protests from the fireplace. “He wandered in here by himself, out in the Wastes.” 

“The Wastes?” Ni-ki says. He turns to Sunoo in curiosity. “How did you find us here?” 

Before Sunoo can answer that, there’s another ringing at the door. Ni-ki grumbles, pulling on his hood and disguise once again. “Don’t go through the door without supervision, ok?” Ni-ki tells him. He reaches out towards the dial again, turning it to a second color, red. 

“Kingsbury door. Standby.” Ni-ki announces. This time, he opens the door with a grunt, like it had a heavier swing to it than before. 

Instead of smell, a wave of sound comes from outside. A hum of chatter, the roar of automobiles. Sunoo looks over Ni-ki’s shoulder to see that their surroundings have completely changed. There were castles made of glass and marble rising as far as the eye could see. Sunoo guesses his mouth has fallen open just looking at it all. 

There is a well-dressed man at the door. With a red sash and tassels on his sleeves, Sunoo can guess he is a royal guard. The man bows to Ni-ki and him . “Excuse me, is this where I may find the great wizard Sunghoon?” He asks. 

“Master Sunghoon is not here at the moment.” Ni-ki says. 

“His Majesty, the King has summoned all witches and wizards to his court at once. The war with Norland is expected to escalate in the coming days and all magic users are to report to the palace immediately.” He says, in a voice too pompous for either of their liking. Sunoo notices Ni-ki stiffening up at the mention of the royal palace. 

Ni-ki keeps his voice civil as he says, “I will make sure to give him the message.”

With a salute from the man, that ends their conversation. Sunoo watches him get into an automobile, black gilded with gold, and drive away. 

He knows Ni-ki told him not to wander without supervision, but Sunoo peeps out the door anyway. 

The capital city of Kingsbury greets him. With buildings made out of precious metals, covered in gold and silver and emeralds so the entire city glowed under the sun. And in the distance, Sunoo could make out the royal castle, so high up it almost brushed the clouds. Sunoo almost takes a step out of Sunghoon’s castle, too distracted by the splendor, when Ni-ki shuts the door in his face, barely missing his nose. 

“Hey!” Sunoo shouts in protest. 

“I said no wandering around, grandpa.” Ni-ki reminds him. 

Sunoo rolls his eyes, too excited at the prospect of this house’s abilities. While Ni-ki is distracted with filing the guard’s message, he reaches out to the dial himself and turns the knob. There was another color on the dial, blue, which Sunoo turns it to. 

Sunoo opens the door, finding it gives way easily. And finds himself staring into fog. He sticks his head out, seeing the fields he had come from last night. Even the temperature was completely different, humid and chilly as opposed to Kingsbury’s warmth. The Wastes , Sunoo remembers what Jake had called this place. 

“Hehe.” Sunoo begins to giggle. He quickly switches the dial once again to green and opens the door. Ocean breeze, seagulls flying above head, and the pleasant aroma of baked goods tells Sunoo that they’re back in Porthaven. 

“Remarkable. This house is magic.” Sunoo mumbles, soaking in the coastal sun. How could they be in three different places at once?

“You just figured that out now?” Ni-ki asks him. He shuts the door for Sunoo, and guides him back up the stairs. “If you keep changing our location, Jake’s gonna get dizzy.” 

“Where does the last color lead to?” Sunoo asks, as he didn’t get to look through all the locations on the dial. “The black one.” 

Ni-ki’s face turns dark. “Only Master Sunghoon is allowed to go through there.” 

Sunoo furrows his brows, looking back at the door. What could possibly be back there? And what kind of person was Sunghoon, really?

Ni-ki hurriedly changes the subject. “So! Sunoo-sshi, do you want any breakfast? I’m starved.” 

Sunoo watches in mild disgust as Ni-ki digs his hands through a cluttered table, loaded high with junk, and pulls out a whole loaf of bread. Where the hell did that come from? 

Sunoo approaches the table too, digging more cautiously through the objects there, until he pulls out a covered plate with thickly-cut bacon strips in it. There was also a carton of eggs sitting next to them. Wonder of wonders , how anyone found things in this place. But the food seemed fresh, and Sunoo was hungry too. 

“Ni-ki, wouldn’t you rather have some bacon and eggs?” Sunoo asks him. The boy was already sitting at the table, stuffing his cheeks with cold slices of bread. He was cute , Sunoo had to admit. He reminded him of Jungwon when he was that young. 

“Yeah, but no one can use the fire except Master Sunghoon. And he isn’t here…” Ni-ki says. 

Sunoo doesn’t pay that any mind. He digs out a cast-iron pan from the clutter too. Perhaps it was a magic table that conjured up whatever the user was thinking, Sunoo thought in amusement. 

“That’s fine, I can cook.” Sunoo says nonchalantly. He carries all of his finds to the fireplace where Jake was sitting. 

“No, I meant that Jake won’t let you. He only obeys Master Sunghoon!” Ni-ki calls out to him, trying to prevent a fire-related accident. 

“That’s right. Take a hike, old man.” Jake crosses his arms stubbornly, even turning his body away from Sunoo as he approaches him. 

“Yeah, yeah…” Sunoo says absentmindedly.

 He sets the bacon platter down on the bricks of the fireplace, carefully avoiding the piles of ash Jake was producing. Sunoo brandishes the pan like it was a weapon, making Jake gulp nervously. 

“It’s just you and me, Jake. What’s it gonna be?” Sunoo says. 

“You can’t make me!” Jake protests. “I’m a demon. Demons do not cook!” 

“What if I pour some cold water over your head? I’m sure Ni-ki would be an absolute dear and fetch some for me.” Sunoo says. 

“I can get water!” Ni-ki moves to stand. 

“Sit back down! Whose side are you on?” Jake tells him. 

“The side with bacon.”  

“Or…” Sunoo leans in closer, whispering to the fire demon. “I could tell Sunghoon about our deal, I’m sure he’d love to hear about this little rebellion.” 

Jake grits his teeth, unable to argue any further. Sunoo takes this as an opportunity to bring the pan down over his head. 

“No! Hey, what are you-” Jake protests, trying to push the pan in the opposite direction. Sunoo uses both arms, pushing down with all his weight. 

“Now be a good… fire! ” Sunoo manages to sit the pan down over the fireplace, Jake reducing himself to a gentle flame, heating the pan up to the perfect temperature for frying bacon. 

“I win.” Sunoo singsongs, grabbing a piece of meat and layering it over the hot metal. Sunoo savors how it hisses and crackles on the pan. 

“Here’s another curse for you, Sunoo. May all your bacon burn…” Jake grumbles. 

“Woah. Jake’s actually listening to Sunoo.” Ni-ki watches with wide eyes. “Sunoo, you gotta teach me how you did that.” 

Sunoo just laughs to himself. The chatter was comfortable, fun. He missed noisy breakfasts like this, back when he and Jungwon were still kids and they lived in a house with their parents. 

Before the war started and brought out the worst in everyone he had met. In his parents, who left their two sons back in Market Chipping to save themselves. In Jungwon, who worked himself to the bone just trying to make more money for the both of them. Even in himself, now stuck with a curse because he couldn’t keep his jealousy and temper in check. 

Relax, Sunoo. He thought to himself. You’re gonna get this curse over with. You’re gonna go back to Jungwon, and then you’re gonna hunt down that shitty wizard and beat his ass into the ground. 

“How many eggs do you want Ni-ki?” Sunoo says, voice pleasant. 

“Two please!” 

“Jake, do you want eggs too?”

“...I’ll take two as well.” 

It was peaceful for all of 30 seconds. Because the dial on the door suddenly turns to black, locking in place with a menacing click. Sunoo looks up to the door, and sees the windows of the castle blacken as well, like the place had suddenly been plunged in darkness. 

The door opens slowly, and tired footsteps climb the stairs. A man rises up the staircase like he was floating. His blonde hair fell over his face, evidently unstyled, but still managed to look perfect. He also had a colorful jacket layered over broad shoulders. The man looks up, looking directly at Sunoo and Jake. 

Sunoo takes a deep breath. Because finally , the owner of the house was here. The great wizard, Park Sunghoon.

Chapter Text

3 years ago,

Jungwon had not noticed the storm until they were gone. He was only 16, and Sunoo 17. That was the moment he realized he was an idiot.

The war was a cloud above their heads during those days. Like a cloud, it was hazy, soft, and unreachable. Some small part of Jungwon thought it wasn’t real. Because he never felt the consequences of it reach him. 

The cloud was dark and heavy sometimes. Jungwon sometimes heard his parents arguing in their kitchen when bomb sirens went off in the distance. He didn’t like those sirens, they were loud and incessant, even finding their way into his dreams as he slept. 

When Jungwon pressed Sunoo about it, he just smiled and said: “Don’t worry about it! As long as we’re together.” 

He believed Sunoo. Why would he not? His brother was a very smart person. And their parents were strong. They’d pull through. 

--------

The cloud was also light on other days. A lot of the kids and families Jungwon grew up with  moved away to larger cities, closer to the center of the country. But in their place, shiny new soldiers appeared in Market Chipping. Their colorful uniforms and freshly-shaved beards made them look like toys. 

Jungwon liked to watch them march up and down the streets, dancing with women during festivals, and getting pieces of gold if he ran errands for them. 

“‘Perhaps we should run away too.” Jungwon heard his father speak to their mother late at night, when they thought both Sunoo and Jungwon were asleep. Shouldn’t that have been a family decision?

Jungwon didn’t want to move away. Market Chipping was their home. And it was finally coming alive after so long. When he told his parents that, they just looked guilty. 

When Jungwon pressed Sunoo about it, he just smiled. So wide it looked like it was at the point of breaking, and said: “Don’t worry about it! As long as we’re together.” 

-------

And sometimes… the cloud wasn’t there at all. 

Their parents would start to leave the house for long periods of time. Their things slowly disappeared. The clothes in their parents’ wardrobe. The watercolors his father used to paint. His mother’s jewelry disappeared from the dresser. And from her neck too. Perhaps they were preparing to move like they always wanted to. 

Those days were quiet. And Jungwon found nothing better to do with his time but to take a nap. 

He dreamt of a clear blue sky. And his older brother and him all alone in the middle of a wildflower field. Jungwon looked up, and fighter planes flew over their heads. But there were no bombs. They flew right by and disappeared over the mountains. For once, there were no sirens. 

He told Sunoo about it. 

“I think the war was over in my dream. And we were having tea like we always do.” Jungwon said. Sunoo was sitting beside him, patching up one of their mother’s old hats. He was adding little embellishments onto it, breathing new life onto the piece of fabric. 

“But mom and dad weren’t with us. I wonder where they were.” 

Sunoo just smiled at him. Sad, but also relieved. “Don’t worry about it. As long as we’re together.” 

--------

And then it finally rained. And it never stopped raining after that. 

Sunoo told Jungwon to stay inside. And he didn’t listen. 

“Sunoo. Sunoo. You’ll take care of Jungwon, won’t you?” His mom smiled at them, her eyes were too bright. “Promise me you’ll look after each other.” 

“We’ll come back for you two when it’s safer.” His dad said gruffly. “When we have enough saved up again.” He had his hat pulled low over his face. At least their mother tried to look them in the eye. 

Sunoo said nothing. He didn’t even flinch when they shut the door of their automobile and drove away. 

The rain splattered onto the pavement in front of their house. And Sunoo stood at the edge of the steps, staring out into the street at the fading headlights of their parents’ car. He didn’t move, not even when the rain began to soak through his shirt. 

Behind him, Jungwon was completely dry, trying to pull his older brother back into the house. They could figure this out. They were strong. They’d pull through. 

“They’re not coming back, are they?” Jungwon said, breaking through the silence. 

Sunoo laughed. A hollow sound that made the hairs on Jungwon’s arms stand on end. “Why don’t you tell me, Jungwon?” 

When Sunoo looked at Jungwon again, he looked like he aged ten years in the span of minutes. 

For someone who always had an opinion, an answer, a prediction, Jungwon was at a complete loss. He could only breathe out, “What are we gonna do?” 

Sunoo clapped a hand onto his shoulder. The rainwater on his hand was so cold, it made Jungwon shiver. 

“Don’t worry about it. As long as we’re together.” 

“I’m home…” Jungwon sighs out . Kim and Yang’s Millinery was painted over their door in faded, gold letters. 

So the apprenticeship was a bust. Jungwon had arrived there with hope in his heart. Truth be told, he wasn’t even expecting much, but just for his new teacher to be somewhat competent and to teach him. 

But no. He was greeted with a drunk, old guy who wanted to put him at the front desk to attract customers. Jungwon stuck it out for a half an hour before realizing it was a sham shop giving random advice to people and passing it off as fortune telling. He hung up his apron and left no sooner than that. 

After a miserable train ride back to his side of town, Jungwon stumbles home defeated and guilty. Sunoo-hyung had to run the night shift for him again . And Jungwon has nothing to show for his efforts. 

Jungwon sees their front door is half open, ajar like someone had run out in a hurry. And the sign hanging on it had been left to “ Open”. 

“what...?”

Jungwon walks into the store. And is greeted with a sight like a tornado had blown through the store. Mannequins were knocked over, their wares strewn across the floor. 

“Sunoo-hyung?” Jungwon walks forward. The air was thick with magic, dark magic . Jungwon almost wants to pull his sleeve over his face over how powerful it was. 

“Shit.” Jungwon feels his chest grow cold. Had there been a break-in? 

Jungwon rushes for Sunoo’s room first. Maybe he just had an accident and was sleeping it off. Jungwon opens the door and finds it empty. In fact, nothing had changed from when Jungwon last saw it, earlier that afternoon. 

“Sunoo?” Jungwon calls out again. He checks the main foyer again, the upper floors, and there is no sign of him. This can’t be happening. Jungwon even runs out to the street in front of their house. 

“Sunoo!” 

Someone shouts at him down the street. “Shut up!” It is the middle of the night, Jungwon is disturbing the neighbors, but he doesn’t care at all. Jungwon feels like he cannot breathe. Sunoo was taken, and no one was there for him. 

Jungwon walks back into the house in a daze. The magic had dissipated a bit, if only marginally, so Jungwon felt like he was walking through a fog. Someone powerful must have taken Sunoo, he could feel it . But he had no idea who it could have been. 

And Jungwon was too tired, running on basically no sleep, it was the middle of the night. Jungwon felt like passing out. He curls up in the spot where he feels Sunoo the most, the palpable fear and confusion in the center of the room. 

Was Sunoo scared? He couldn’t imagine it. Sunoo was the bravest person he knew. 

And Jungwon just lies there, hoping to fall asleep. If he woke up tomorrow morning, maybe all of this wouldn't be real. 

Sunghoon places his jacket on the hook. Wherever he’s come from, it was obvious he’s had a very long day, despite the day just barely getting started. Sunoo cannot take his eyes off of him. He dusts himself off, scattering leaves and stray feathers at the house’s entrance. 

“Master Sunghoon!” Ni-ki pipes up from the table. A royal messenger arrived through the Kingsbury door. They…” Ni-ki falters. “They want you to report to the royal palace because of escalations in the war.” 

Sunoo doesn’t understand the implication of the words, or if it meant anything bad. But Sunghoon doesn’t act like anything is amiss. “Hmm. That’s going to be troublesome.” is all that Sunghoon says. 

Sunghoon approaches them, Jake and Sunoo, before stopping to survey their very strange situation. Sunoo tries to focus solely on cooking breakfast, Sunoo hopes Sunghoon doesn’t realize how nervous he is. 

“Jake? You’re being awfully obedient…” Sunghoon says, musing over Jake’s diminutive form, Sunoo’s experienced hand as he stirred the pan without any resistance from Jake. 

“This guy is crazy, Sunghoon! He forced a pan on my head!” Jake complains. A little tongue of flame jumps out from the pan in an act of protest. 

“Not just anyone can do that.” Sunghoon notes. 

He turns his gaze to Sunoo. With his hair not pushed back, Sunoo could barely see Sunghoon’s eyes as his hair fell around his face. Sunoo can’t tell what he’s thinking. 

“And who might you be?” Sunghoon asks him kindly, leaning into his space. Sunoo can smell the wildflowers again. 

“You can just call me ‘Grandpa Sunoo’, I’m your new housekeeper.” Sunoo says, trying to keep a bright smile on his face. 

If Sunghoon recognized him, Sunoo couldn’t tell.  Sunghoon’s expression is still unreadable as he says, “Sunoo, huh? I don’t remember hiring anyone.”

“Oh yes. Jake did.” Sunoo says, jabbing a finger in his direction. “He says he hates how dirty it is in this house.” 

“I did not!” Jake screeches, from where he’s still stuck underneath their pan. 

“Hmm.” Sunghoon narrows his eyes at Jake, all the while keeping that serene smile on his face. 

Is Sunghoon secretly a sadist? Sunoo wondered. Clearly, there must be something wrong with this guy. 

Sunghoon then takes the pan from Sunoo. His long, thin fingers coming to wrap around Sunoo’s at the handle. And he deftly takes Sunoo’s position over the fire as well. He bumps into Sunoo’s side almost gently, silently assuming responsibility for cooking. Was that it? Was he accepting Sunoo as part of his house just like that? Sunoo thought. There’s definitely something wrong with him. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a warm breakfast. Sunoo, could you pass me some more bacon? And how many eggs did you all want?” Sunghoon converses easily, as if today’s developments were the most normal thing in the world. 

Sunoo mutely places more bacon on the pan, and one by one, passes the eggs to Sunghoon. He watches as he expertly cracks them with one hand, discarding the shells into--- Sunoo cannot believe he is seeing this-- - Jake’s fire, and the demon seems to enjoy the taste of eggshells. 

“You’re a good cook.” Sunoo says aloud.

Sunghoon smiles at him. “Now don’t say it like it’s a surprise, Sunoo.” He lifts the pan from the fire, and walks towards the breakfast table. “Ni-ki! Get the plates!” 

The younger boy had already set up the table, with mismatched plates and utensils like he just got whatever he could he could find. Sunoo follows behind Sunghoon, smiling apologetically behind him when Jake complains once again. 

“Wait, are you all gonna eat while I do all the work!” Jake says. 

Ni-ki, sweet boy that he is, scoops some eggs and bacon on a plate and delivers it to Jake before returning to his own spot at the table. He struck Sunoo as a little shit when he first met him. But he was clearly a reliable and nice person deep down . What was the word to describe him, again? A tsundere? Sunoo thought.

“Which one do you want, Sunoo?” Ni-ki has an assortment of spoons and forks in his hand. “You only get one cuz the rest are dirty.” 

The ones Ni-ki is offering are still clearly dirty, Sunoo notes in mild disgust. They were either dusty or grimy or both. He picks at random and wipes it down with his coat. “Clearly, I’ve got work cut out for me.” Sunoo grumbles. 

“Friends. Enjoy the meal.” Sunghoon claps his hands together in blessing, and proceeds to split the rest of the food evenly over the three plates. Ni-ki immediately digs in, biting through the bacon and slurping his eggs up like this was his first meal in days. And honestly, Sunoo wasn’t discounting that possibility with how disheveled this place was. This was no environment for raising a kid. 

“Is Ni-ki your child, Sunghoon?” Sunoo wonders aloud. And that statement sends both Ni-ki and Sunghoon choking on their food and Jake howling in laughter behind them. 

“Oho! Is he, Sunghoon? Who’s the unlucky lady?” Jake says. 

“No!” Sunghoon wheezes, pounding at his own chest to dislodge the food he inhaled. “Ni-ki is my…” He trails off. 

“I’m his student.” Ni-ki says quietly, ears red. 

“He’s my ward .” Sunghoon clarifies. “He can live here until he decides what kind of trade he wants to do in the future.” 

Both Ni-ki and Sunghoon refuse to look at each other, sending the table into an unbreakable awkwardness. Jake continues to laugh as if that was the funniest thing he’s heard all year. Sunoo almost regrets bringing it up, if not for the sour expression on the otherwise unflappable Sunghoon’s face. It was clear to everyone at the table what was on the wizard’s mind. 

“ Do I really look that old?” Sunghoon wondered. 

“Yes.” Jake says aloud, unprompted. 

“I could do without the commentary.” Sunghoon sighs. 

“You’re well past your prime, Sunghoon. It’ll be faster when you admit it.” Jake 

“Anyways!” Sunghoon clears his throat aggressively, shooting Jake dirty look. “Sunoo.” He says, causing Sunoo to sit up at attention. 

“Uh... yes?” Sunoo says. 

“I’m assuming you aren’t here just to clean.” Sunghoon meets Sunoo’s gaze evenly. “It isn’t easy to find this place, and we so rarely get visitors. You’re here for something else too, aren’t you?” 

No use hiding it now. 

With some difficulty, Sunoo nods. “Yes. There was this wizard who came by my home a day ago. He…” Sunoo tries to speak, but it feels like there is something lodged in his throat. As if he was choking on his words. 

“ He-” Sunoo tries again, but no sound comes out of his mouth. His lips magically tighten, sealing shut and physically stopping him from saying anything else. Why couldn’t he speak? 

“Sunoo?” Ni-ki grabs his arm in concern.  And Sunghoon continues to stare at him, with no trace of emotion on his face. Sunoo couldn’t understand why the other was looking at him like that.  

In frustration, Sunoo bangs his fist into the wooden table, making the utensils and plates rattle from the force. 

He breathes heavily, looking up to Sunghoon with fury in his eyes. How could he fix Sunoo if he didn’t know what was wrong with him? Was he going to be stuck like this forever? 

The edges of Sunghoon’s face darken, his fingers scratch at the table, his pupils bleed darkness into his sclera. All of this happens so quick, Sunoo thinks he just imagines it. Because he blinks again, and his face is a mask of serene once more. 

“I see.” Sunghoon breathes out. He stands abruptly, taking his plate with him. “Please excuse me, everyone. Sunoo, thank you for the lovely meal.” and then Sunghoon leaves, giving his left-overs to Jake, and returning from where he came. 

“Make sure our new housekeeper doesn’t go overboard on the cleaning, Ni-ki.” Sunghoon says. He turns the dial next to the door to black, and disappears through it before anyone can get a word in edgewise. 

“Is he always like that?” Sunoo sighs. 

“ Sunghoon sometimes leaves for days at a time.” Jake waves his hand. “Don’t worry too much about it.” 

“But more importantly… you’re Cursed , Sunoo.” Ni-ki says. “Is that why you’ve come here?” 

“You didn’t know? I could tell the moment he walked in.”  Jake says. 

Ni-ki flushes, but his hand is still gentle as he pats Sunoo’s arm. “It’s why you can’t talk about… whatever happened to you.”

“If you tell your wish, it won’t come true.” Jake chimes in. 

Well, that’s just great. Some wish that was. Of course Sunoo isn’t allowed to talk about it. That would have been way too easy, wouldn’t it? 

“Sunoo…?” Ni-ki says, wary now that Sunoo had fallen so quiet. 

“If I ever see that wizard again… I’m going to snap his neck.” Sunoo growls. 

Ni-ki widens his eyes, abruptly taking his hand off Sunoo’s arm. 

“Where’s your goddamn broom?” Sunoo asks. 

Ni-ki sets his stack of books down onto the floor with a grunt. Then stands as he wipes the sweat off his forehead, the muggy heat of Porthaven wasn’t helping him either. 

“Excuse me, young man. Is my potion ready?” An elderly man approaches him. Ni-ki sends him an apologetic smile, and to the rest of the crowd who had gathered outside of The Great Wizard Jenkin’s. Not all of them were customers, some had just stopped on their way to watch in amazement as puffs of dust and smoke flew out of the windows. And as Ni-ki carried seemingly endless piles of objects out of the store. Surely the place was enchanted to be bigger than it appeared. 

Frightening screams were heard from the inside, the unmistakable crashing of objects and tables. It was beginning to cause a scene. 

“I’m tired of this dump! How could Sunghoon let it get this bad?”

“You bugs better run!” 

“Sunoo, calm down!” 

Ni-ki laughs nervously. “Why don’t you come back later?” He sends everyone away, promising they would be back in business tomorrow for sure. “There’s a wizard on a rampage in there.” 

“ Sunoo. Sunoo help.” 

“ I’m dying from neglect down here!”

Sunoo throws a bucket of cold water onto the floor, and proceeds to dig in with the map, dredging up what was no doubt years worth of grime and dust within the floorboards. He mutters to himself as he goes on a cleaning rampage, dusting and mopping and sweeping the floor, determined to make everything shine like new. 

“C’mon, I’m going out. Help me, please!” Jake continues to call out to him. He has been getting progressively smaller, almost getting drowned by the pile of ashes surrounding his heart. Sunoo continues to pay him no mind. He’s moved to the kitchen now, soaking all their dishes into a bath of water. 

“Sunoo- woah!” Jake almost falls over, clinging onto a single piece of firewood. 

“Oh calm down. I’m just cleaning out your hearth.” Sunoo lifts Jake with a pair of tongs, and drops him into a canister. The little fire demon is precariously hanging onto it. Sunoo sweeps piles of ash into a large, cloth bag. 

“You could have killed me, I hope you know!” Jake protests. 

“I thought you were a big, strong demon.” Sunoo says. 

“I am! I also do not respond well to bullying.” Jake points out. “And if I die, Sunghoon dies too.” 

“He does?” Sunoo raises an eyebrow. “Why is that?”  

Jake opens his mouth, then shuts it again abruptly. “I… I can’t talk about it.” 

Sunoo stares at him for another second, before turning away. “Hmm.” 

A deal between Sunghoon and Jake. They were connected by something. And Jake can’t talk about it. This was sounding awfully familiar. Sunoo thinks in suspicion. 

Just then, Ni-ki enters the room, after successfully throwing out all their unnecessary junk into the streets. “Woah, Sunoo. The place is looking great! Were our walls always that color of gray?” He says. 

“I’m just about done here.” Sunoo says. He lifts some wood onto the fireplace, arranging it into neat stacks for Jake to grab. Then sets Jake down in the middle of it. “This better?”

Jake looks around his place, now cleaned up and with plenty of firewood within reach. He huffs in the end, after finding nothing to complain about. “Eh. It’s alright.” 

Sunoo rolls his eyes. There was just no pleasing some people. He takes his broom in hand and starts climbing the stairs to start on the upper floors. But Ni-ki runs in front of him and blocks his way. 

“Wait! You can’t go up there!” 

“If you got something weird in your room, you better hide it now.” Sunoo says, ducking under his outstretched arms and keeps climbing. Ni-ki panics and runs past him, bounding up the stairs like the kitchen was on fire. 

“S-save my room for last!” 

Sunoo laughs to himself, climbing the stairs at a much slower pace. The strain burned his knees, but Sunoo was just too excited to see what the rest of the castle had to offer. Cobwebs sprouted out at each corner, and all the windows were grimy. On the upper floor, there were a set of rooms in a corridor. Sunoo sees Ni-ki run through one and shut the door behind him. 

The first door Sunoo approaches is closed, and when Sunoo tries to turn the knob, a burst of electricity shocks his fingers. 

“Oh!” Sunoo almost drops his broom. 

“You can’t go into Master Sunghoon’s room!” Ni-ki’s voice is muffled from behind his own door. 

“Yeah, got that.” Sunoo grumbles in response, shaking his tingling hand. 

The next door Sunoo tries blessedly isn’t booby trapped, although he later wished it was. Sunoo opens it and is hit with a wave of smell . It wasn’t bad per se, but a mixture of flowery, woody and everything else in between. Sunoo walks into a bathroom and sees that the place is covered in potions of all kinds. The room itself looked more like an artist’s studio, paint-like substances of all colors stained the walls. The bathtub too was filled with some rainbow-colored water. 

“Oh my goodness…” Sunoo holds his sleeve to his nose. He crosses the room to pop open a window, and the wind that flows in is clean and fresh, blessedly dissipating most of the smell.

He really had his work cut out for him.  

Sunoo looks out the window and immediately forgets what he had set out to do.

The castle moved through the landscape of Ingary at a blistering pace, like Sunoo was aboard a moving train. The sky was a bright blue, and far below, Sunoo could see that the castle was traversing across a cliff, a winding river stretching out hundreds of feet below them. If Sunoo were anywhere else, he might have been scared, but here he just felt amazed. 

Sunoo runs out of the bathroom and down the stairs. “Jake. Jake!” He calls out. 

“Yeah?” Jake says, the fire demon was sitting in his place and looking rather bored. He rests his head upon his hand and looks up to Sunoo. 

“Are you the one moving the castle?” Sunoo says, eyes alight. 

“Of course! It’s not like anyone else does any work around here!” Jake responds jest. 

Sunoo cannot believe it. “You’re incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this! I like your spark! ” 

Sunoo throws a wink in Jake’s direction and climbs back up the stairs to see more of what the castle had to offer. He leaves behind a flustered Jake, who had turned a blazing red from the compliment. 

“...He likes my spark!” Jake bursts into a furious flame, and the castle begins to move even faster. The floorboards rattle with the force at which Jake begins to power the building, the lights were flickering too. 

“What’s happening?” Ni-ki comes out of his room, looking around in alarm. 

Sunoo doesn’t pay it any mind. He runs to the next door he can see, and pulls it open with great difficulty. The wind blows almost violently at the height at which the castle was climbing, threatening to throw Sunoo off his feet. But Sunoo steps out onto a balcony, overlooking a view of Ingarian plains. 

Glittering grass moved in the wind, rolling like waves of the sea. And the greenery stretched as far as Sunoo’s eye could see. There were patches of wildflowers and mountains cropping up at the far reaches of the plains. It made Sunoo realize how big the world actually was. 

“Wow…” Sunoo leans his arms over the railing and sinks down over them, just staring at the view. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sunoo turns to see that Ni-ki has joined him. The younger boy has a hand over his eyes to shield himself from the sun, but points out towards the horizon. “You can see Market Chipping from here.” 

Sunoo does see. His hometown was no more than a dark silhouette in the distance. But he could see faint outlines of windmills, the blur above the sky that meant smoke from households. It was already so far away, Sunoo could not help but feel a little ache in his chest when he remembered everything he left behind. 

“It’s a beautiful day out.” Sunoo says. “How about we do some laundry?” 

Ni-ki hums in agreement. But then, a tapping sound interrupts the peace that had fallen over them. Ni-ki stands on the railing and looks over. “Hey, there’s something stuck over there!” 

Sunoo looks down to see a long, wooden pole stuck within one of the crevices of the castle’s joints. A very familiar wooden pole. So that’s where he went. 

“Ah jeez… Ni-ki, give me a hand, would you?” Sunoo reaches over, grabbing the pole and pulling it up with some difficulty. With Ni-ki’s assistance, they pull it over the railing and onto the balcony. 

“A… scarecrow?” Ni-ki looks at it in confusion.

The scarecrow in question takes his hat off to the both of them in thanks, bowing at his waist for good measure. 

“You’re welcome… again .” Sunoo says. 

If scarecrows could show embarrassment, Sunoo is sure Turnip-Head would. But as it is, the scarecrow just sways lightly in the wind. “You seem to have a penchant for getting stuck upside-down. Ni-ki, this is Turnip-Head. He guided me here.” 

Ni-ki pokes the scarecrow in the tummy with his finger, and is rewarded for his efforts with a smack upside the head. “Ack!” Ni-ki brings his hands up to shield himself. “Sunoo, get your bodyguard in line!” 

“You’re the one who poked him…” Sunoo grumbles, heading back inside. 

Jake stops the castle in front of a pristine lake. And Ni-ki, Sunoo, and Turnip-Head hang their freshly laundered clothes out to dry. 

“Sunoo!” 

He looks up from where he was standing in front of the lake. Ni-ki runs to him with a picnic blanket and basket in his hands. And they set it down to have lunch by the lake.

Turnip-Head was hopping around nearby, a laundry line tied to his hand. Multiple strings of clothes already hung from the castle, down to the ground. The scarecrow stands in the middle of all of it, admiring his work. 

“I think he likes doing the laundry.” Ni-ki says in thought. “I wonder how he found this place. Do you think he’s a demon of some kind?” 

“Maybe...” Sunoo looks at him. Turnip-Head was just hopping along merrily. He seemed to enjoy having companions after so long. 

“But he led me to you guys, so maybe he’s the good kind.” Sunoo says at last. 

Sunoo looks out onto the lake. It was completely still, reflecting the sky perfectly. The air smelled sweet, and even though Sunoo had just finished cleaning a whole castle, he felt like he was on top of the world. He didn’t want to be anywhere else. 

“It’s strange... I should be scared and afraid right now, but I’ve never felt more peaceful.” Sunoo sighs. 

Ni-ki didn’t know what to make of Sunoo. As they talked, Ni-ki felt as though he could trust him. He was kind, he treated everyone as well as he could. But Ni-ki could also see there was always a certain sadness in the way he carried himself. Was it his Curse? No, something made Ni-ki think he’s been like that for a long time. 

But as Sunoo looked out over the lake, there was none of that. His eyes were a clear blue, mirroring their surroundings. And his face had a serene smile over it. The features of his face blur, so quick that it looks like a trick of the light, but it seemed like his face suddenly turned younger, the wrinkles on his face disappearing. He looked like a completely different person. 

“Sunoo… you’re-” Ni-ki reaches a hand out to Sunoo’s cheek. The other looks at him in alarm. 

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Sunoo turns back to normal immediately, an old man once again. Was he just imagining it? 

“N-nothing. I thought… nevermind.” Ni-ki pulls his hand back, confused. “Are you tired?” 

“Not at all. Don’t worry about me” Sunoo says. 

I should though . Ni-ki thought. What are you going through right now, Sunoo?

“Well. That was lovely. But there is lots more work to do.” Sunoo says with a huff, and stands with a bit of difficulty. He dusts his blue coat off, he’s worn that ever since he arrived at the castle. “I still have to clean out that terrible bathroom of yours.” 

“Sunghoon told you to take it easy.” Ni-ki tries to tell him, wincing. 

“No. Sunghoon told you to tell me to take it easy . It’s up to me if I want to listen to you.” Sunoo says, then proceeds to walk back to the castle, leaving Ni-ki behind. 

“ Well then listen to me . Listen to me!”  Ni-ki calls out to him, hastening to gather all their picnic materials and follow Sunoo back inside. 

Chapter Text

Nights were always the most boring time for Jake. 

He didn’t sleep. He didn’t need to. He kept the castle running and warm, and he never tired. All he could do was play with the sparks that came out of the firewood, and keep watch over the others as they slept. 

At the far end of the room, Sunoo was curled up in a corner they had sectioned off for him. He could see the edges of him peeking out from the curtain. His form was smaller as he slept, and his hair was dark. It made sense. Jake thought to himself. He must be dreaming of when he was younger, to make himself look that way. 

The dial at the castle’s entrance suddenly clicks, and the door opens slowly. Finally, something interesting has happened. 

 A shadowy figure approaches, with long dark feathers upon its body. A ghoulish face, pure black eyes, feet like talons. It takes a seat in front of Jake, groaning as it lifts its feet to rest upon the fireplace. 

“You look terrible.” Jake says in greeting. He knows it’s Sunghoon. Who else would enter the castle this late at night? Not counting Sunoo, that boy was an anomaly in and of itself. 

“Thanks. I feel even worse.” Sunghoon says, his voice is rough. Like he wasn’t used to his own vocal cords. 

“Hey, isn’t this nice?” Jake points to his fireplace, which is cleaner than its been in years. Neat stacks of firewood were placed within reach, so Jake could easily manage himself without worrying about burning out. “Sunoo did it for me.” 

Sunghoon cracks an eye open, looking at what Jake was talking about. “It is nice. Sunoo’s a smart one, huh?” 

He sits up, straining. Jake watches as Sunghoon labors to return the feathers into his body. They retreat slowly, disappearing and folding back into his skin. His hair returns to its normal, yellow-y color. Or whatever was normal for Sunghoon anyways.  

It takes a moment, but then Sunghoon finally relaxes, collapsing back onto his chair like he had just run a marathon. Some dark feathers still peaked out at the edges of his face, Jake decides not to mention it. 

“Sunghoon. It’s getting harder for you to go back to normal.” Jake points out in concern. 

“I got it under control.” Sunghoon insists. 

“You keep slipping. It’s only going to get worse” 

“You’ve been like this for years. This isn’t helping you any more than it's hurting you.” Jake says. 

Jake watches him. Sunghoon breathes heavily, looking like he was on the verge of passing out. His fingers twitched, muscle spasms run across his arms, he must have strained them while he was gone. He was clearly in pain, and Jake was the one who put him in that position. 

“Maybe we should stop?” Jake suggests quietly at last. 

Sunghoon is silent for a moment. He has his eyes trained up to the ceiling, looking at nothing in particular. “Do you know what I saw today, Jake?” He whispers. Jake stays silent. 

“Norland’s already made it past the border. Their soldiers were preparing to burn a village down. I barely got it evacuated before they arrived. But they still burned it all down” 

Sunghoon sighs, his voice breaking a little. “Suliman was right. I was stupid for thinking we still had time. Every day I don’t find him is another life lost.” 

Sunoo sits up with a bit of difficulty, fixing Jake a look so cold, so empty, that the fire demon immediately shuts his mouth from anything else he had to say. “So no . I can’t stop.”

 Sunghoon says, he reminds both Jake and himself. “We’re not stopping until I’m finished.” 

With that, Sunghoon gets up and leaves. He walks slowly past the kitchen, and their living room. Even in the dark, Sunghoon could tell the place was much cleaner. The castle didn’t smell of dust anymore. 

He spares a moment to check on Sunoo, who was sleeping all the while. He lifts the curtain just a bit, letting it slide between his fingers. 

Sunoo snored softly. His hair was mussed up, but brown and healthy. He looked exactly as he did the day Sunghoon met him, in that fateful alleyway back in Market Chipping. His eyelids fluttered as he slept, dreaming away. 

“You must have worked hard.” Sunghoon finds himself smiling down at him. “Good job today, Sunoo.” 

Sunghoon lets him be. And returns up the stairs to his room. 

Sunoo dreams of the flaming bird again, the falling star. 

Even in death, it is the most beautiful thing Sunoo had ever seen. He runs across the field as it threatens to crash into the ground. He reaches his arms out. Sunoo is close enough. He can save it. 

He lunges and manages to hold it in his grasp. As he tumbles over the ground, the fire licks at his hands affectionately, it does not burn in the slightest. 

But when he opens his palm, Sunoo sees that the bird is no more. Lying in the ball of flame is a faintly-beating heart. It is blue at its core, fading into orange, then white at the edges. The heart is bleeding all over. 

It bleeds for him. 

Sunoo feels that it is all he has ever wanted. Slowly, almost hypnotized, Sunoo watches himself raise the ball of flame to his lips, to consume it. 

Sunoo wakes up when the ceiling above him rattles. The pipes overhead were running with a force that was a little concerning. 

He pops his head out of his sleeping nest. “Sunghoon is back?” Sunoo asks Jake. 

“Yes. And he’s been using up my hot water for 2 HOURS! ” Jake directs that last part above them, evidently to Sunghoon, though Sunoo doubts the other can hear them in the shower. 

“2 hours…?” Sunoo says. What would make someone take a bath for two straight hours?

“Hey.” Ni-ki nods to Sunoo in greeting. He’s taken a seat at the breakfast table. There was already a spread out, various slices of meat and cheese on plates. He was cutting a loaf of bread with clean utensils. 

“This is amazing.” Ni-ki says. “I don’t remember the last time I was able to eat on a clean surface.” 

“That’s not something to be proud about, Ni-ki…” Sunoo laughs nervously. 

It’s not coming off. 

Sunghoon scrubs at his skin, until it is red, raw, and burning. The water of his bath was steaming hot, making the pain even worse. But no matter how hard he dug in, they weren’t going away. 

In a panic, he grabs the rest of his potions, lined on the wall, and dumps all the contents into his bath. Sunghoon’s in too much of a daze to notice they’re placed in the wrong order. He futile sinks himself into the bath, head under water until he feels as though his lungs are about to burst. 

He surfaces with a gasp, immediately grasping at his face, at his arms. No change had happened. 

No. No. 

Sunghoon runs to the mirror. Frantically wiping away the fog away from its smooth surface. It’s cleaner than usual, evident that Sunoo had gone in and cleaned the place up. So Sunghoon has a crystal-clear view of himself. The fact that he’s slipping, losing control. 

NO!

He’s a monster. 

Sunoo thinks it’s a peaceful morning. The birds chirping outside in the Wastes. Jake talking about everything and nothing. He and Ni-ki were preparing breakfast. It was bright, chatty, warm. Sunoo could get used to this. 

But of course, not all peace lasts. An earth-shattering scream pierces through the tranquility of that morning. Sunoo should have known nothing would come easy in this house. 

“AAARGHH!” 

It’s loud enough to startle Ni-ki, who drops the sandwich he was making. Sunoo hears a door slam open, and thundering footsteps down the stairs. 

Sunghoon runs down, almost hitting the wall in his blind fury. If he wasn’t so surprised, Sunoo would probably take note that Sunghoon was mostly naked, only a towel around his waist, and his skin was still wet from his bath. The wizard pointedly runs past them, as if they don’t exist. 

“Sunghoon! Where are you going?” Sunoo asks him. The wizard stops in his tracks, breathing heavily. 

“Don’t look at me.” He says lowly, looking down at the ground. Anyone can tell he’s upset. 

“Y-you’re hair is different…” Sunoo points out, curious. Instead of the waxy yellow he usually wore his hair, it was dark. Almost black, but shiny like the coat of an animal. Why the sudden change?

“You messed up my potions in the bathroom.” Sunghoon accuses him. 

“I- I just organized things….” Sunoo says. 

“I thought I told you-” Sunghoon grits his teeth before he raises his voice ever so slightly. “ not to get carried away!”

“ What’s wrong? You look fine to me!” Sunoo reaches a hand out to touch Sunghoon’s face. The other boy looks up at him in shock. His eyes were wide, teary and unfocused. And that’s when Sunoo sees it.  

He had feathers. Growing out from his face, lining his neck. And there were some just sprouting along his shoulder blades, all in dark colors. They seemed to grow and spread the more agitated Sunghoon got. As it was, the wizard slaps Sunoo’s hand away, as if Sunoo’s touch would burn him.

“I look hideous!” Sunghoon sinks down onto the chair in front of Jake’s fireplace. The demon looks at him in shock. 

“Sunghoon… I thought you said-” Jake begins to say. 

“I know what I said!” Sunghoon shouts. 

Sunoo feels the temperature of the room drop down. Almost unnaturally so . Sunghoon has his hands tucked over his head, like he didn’t want anyone else seeing his face. 

“C’mon, Sunghoon. It’s not that bad…” Sunoo places his hand on Sunghoon’s back, trying to get him to relax. But when Sunoo touches him, Sunghoon’s skin is like ice.  

Sunoo tries to pull his hand away, but it is stuck fast to the other boy. The moisture on his skin has frozen over, freezing Sunoo to him. 

“Oh.” Is all Sunoo can say, he’s completely in shock. 

“Shit. Sunghoon, you need to calm down.” Jake warns him. 

Sunghoon doesn’t listen. His breathing grows erratic and ice begins to spread at his feet, running through the floorboards and encasing Sunoo’s legs. Ni-ki jumps back, narrowly avoiding getting trapped as well. The room grows dark as well, the walls and floors creaking at the sudden freezing temperature.

“Sunghoon.” Sunoo whispers. The ice is traveling up his arm now. And he’s starting to lose feeling in his legs. But Sunghoon is the one in pain right now. “Sunghoon, what’s wrong. Look at me .” 

Ni-ki runs to Sunoo, futilely pulling at Sunoo’s arm, trying to get him free. “Master Sunghoon’s never gotten this bad before.” He says frantically. “Sunoo, we need to get you out.” 

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” Sunoo says. His breath is already steaming in front of him. 

“Sunghoon, stop!” Jake is panicking. The ice was spreading over to him now, and it was all he could do to melt it away. 

“Get…away from me.” Sunghoon’s voice has changed. It is gravelly, deep and inhuman. His appearance keeps changing, his skin blurring into feathers that sprout all over him. Until he’s completely covered in down. They can no longer see his face. 

Ni-ki knows what’s coming. He turns and runs, diving underneath the table for shelter. Sunoo can only watch in horror. Even if he wasn’t literally frozen in place, he doubts he would have moved from his spot, too enraptured by Sunghoon’s transformation. 

“GET AWAY!” Sunghoon screams.

 The ice breaks, shards exploding out in all directions, embedding itself into the walls and the floor. Sunoo can barely bring his arms up to shield himself, feeling ice slice up his arms. 

Sunoo falls backwards, scrambling to leave, once he’s free. 

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PLACE!” Sunoo runs for the door, uncaring where it will lead him. He pulls it open, and runs directly into the warm, summer rain of the Wastes. 

“Oh god. Oh God.” Sunoo wraps his hands around himself, walking as fast as he can away from the castle. The rain made it difficult to see, so he just continued to walk forward blindly 

What had he gotten himself into? Sunghoon… what was that? Sunoo thinks in shock. He is so distracted, blinded by the water in his eyes, he doesn’t see the path in front of him dip suddenly. 

He trips, falling forward on his hands and knees. And he stays there, unblinking even with the pain burning his palms. 

Oh Sunoo, you really did it now. What are you going to do now? 

“... I wanna go home.” Sunoo whispers blankly. It was like he just realized it now. He missed the quiet of his hat store back in Market Chipping. He missed not being scared. He missed Jungwon, the only person he trusted himself with until now. 

His eyes smart, and emotions burn hot in his throat, until it’s bubbling up and out of him. With a wet sob, Sunoo begins to cry out there in the field. It’s been years since he’s felt like he’s had a proper cry. So he lets it out all, tears mixing with the warm rain falling on his cheeks. 

He only stops when he feels the rain ceases falling upon his back. WIth bleary eyes, he looks up to see Turnip-Head, standing over him with an umbrella in his hands. God knows where he got that from , but Sunoo is eternally grateful for him. 

“You.” Sunoo says, still sniffling. “Why are you always there when I need you?” 

Turnip-Head doesn’t say a thing. Of course he doesn’t. But the scarecrow reaches a hand out to pat Sunoo on the back comfortingly.  Sunoo leans onto him, rubbing at his eyes. God what a mess this day turned out to be. 

“Sunoo? Sunoo!” 

Sunoo turns to see Ni-ki following him out the castle. The boy has his hand above his head, in a futile attempt to cover himself from the rain. It was pouring out, so in the few seconds it took for Ni-ki to reach Sunoo, he was soaking wet. 

He balks when he sees Sunoo’s face. Tear-stained, red, but for some reason, less aged then before. He had been crying . He’s still crying . Ni-ki realizes. He stares at him, with a weird mixture of guilt and discomfort, until Sunoo gets himself together. 

“A-are you feeling okay?” Ni-ki asks after a bout of awkward silence. 

Strangely enough, Sunoo was. He felt much lighter after all that. Admitting to himself that things weren’t okay at all in this strange place he had found himself in. Realizing he was scared. “Things always seem a little better after a good cry.” Sunoo says. 

“You’re shivering.” Sunoo says in a haze. It was true , steam rose up from Ni-ki’s form, like he himself was melting out here in the humid air of the Wastes

“Well, y-you’re bleeding.” Ni-ki points out. Sunoo looks down at himself. He was . He was cut in a dozen different places on his arms. His palms were scratched from his earlier fall, but strangely enough, he didn’t find it in himself to care.

Ni-ki walks up to him and takes both of Sunoo’s hands in his. “This might sting a little.” He murmurs. 

He starts to speak something, in a language Sunoo doesn’t know. The boy traces over the cut on Sunoo’s palm, hovering over it slightly for a second, before he digs his finger into it. It burns. In fact, it is all Sunoo can do to keep from screaming, but in a few seconds, Ni-ki had erased any trace of the wound. All that was left behind was a pale, slightly raised scar. 

“Huh.” is all Sunoo can say to that. 

Ni-ki swallows heavily and drops Sunoo’s hands right away. 

“You can heal.” Sunoo says. “I’ve never… heard of anyone who can do that.” 

“Yeah.” Ni-ki says. “It’s not exactly something I like broadcasting.” 

“Why not?” Sunoo asks. 

Instead of answering, Ni-ki throws another question back at him. “What do you think of my powers?” 

“It’s… amazing. You can heal anyone you want? Anything? Any time? A gift like that is incredibly valuable.” S unoo says. Especially during a war, Ni-ki could make a hell of a difference, he thought .

“Master Sunghoon says that all magic should be transactional.” Ni-ki says. “It’s a natural law. You don’t suddenly make things in this world. You take from something else, and mold it into something new.” 

“But my magic… doesn’t have a price tag.” Ni-ki flexes his hand, the very one that healed Sunoo.  “Sure it hurts a little, but that’s only because I’m speeding up the healing process of your body past its normal limits. But beyond that, I can do anything I want, without consequence.” 

Magic is transactional? Sunoo didn’t know what it meant to take from something else. The only magic-users he knew were his brother, Sunghoon, and now Ni-ki. Jungwon needed to be asleep to use his powers, and often predicted terrible things. Ni-ki apparently didn’t need anything. And…Sunghoon. Sunoo was starting to understand what that magic cost him. 

And what about that wizard who Cursed Sunoo? 

“What do you mean?” Sunoo asks. 

Ni-ki’s eyes go dark, his mouth tightening into a line. “It means something like that is dangerous if not done in moderation.” 

Sunoo thinks on that. The power to heal. Any wound, any illness. With someone like Ni-ki at your side, you might even be incapable of dying. 

“Like a double-edged sword.” Sunoo says aloud. 

“Sunghoon’s been protecting me for a long time. My old master didn’t know that I had this kind of magic, and luckily, Sunghoon got me out of there before she could take advantage of it.” 

“What… would they have done to you if they knew what you could do?” Sunoo is afraid to ask, but he does anyway. Who was this old master?

“Never let me stop doing it, I guess.” Ni-ki shrugs. He says it lightly, but that statement is still terrible in and of itself.

“Sunghoon’s been teaching me how to control it, and where to use it. But aside from that, he’s just been… letting me do what I want. I kind of wish he’d teach me a little more. “ Ni-ki admits. “But my point is… Sunghoon doesn’t like imposing on others. He thinks everyone deserves a bit of freedom.”

Ni-ki kicks his foot out, evidently a little awkward about having to defend the mysterious wizard. But it was obvious he admired him a lot. He saw him as his teacher. 

“So Sunoo… please don’t think too harshly of Master Sunghoon.” Ni-ki says at last. “This, I promise you, has never happened before.” 

So that’s what this was all about. Sunoo huffs out a laugh, amused despite everything. It’s not like he harbored any ill-will towards Sunghoon. After all, the wizard had saved him once before. He let Sunoo into his home without question. But…

“But you know too, right?” Sunoo says. Ni-ki looks at him in confusion. 

Sunoo turns his head up, meeting his eyes despite the pouring rain. “Sunghoon is Cursed.” 

It was weird. Sunoo journeyed here expecting Sunghoon to help him without question. But he never entertained the possibility of him having the exact same problem. That image of Sunghoon burned into Sunoo’s head. Not him losing control over his appearance, but his eyes . Pained and panicked, Sunghoon’s eyes were basically screaming for help. 

“He’s never said anything…” Ni-ki admits. “But even if he is, there’s no one to turn to. All of us, we’re each on our own.” Ni-ki was talking about himself. About Sunghoon and Jake. All of them were just people who found each other when they didn’t have anyone else. And if Sunghoon, with his power, can’t fix himself, who can?

“Did you have any family, Sunoo?” Ni-ki asks. 

“One. I have a brother.” Sunoo closes his eyes. “Jungwon. I miss him.” 

“Where is he now?” 

“I… left him behind.” Sunoo admits with some difficulty. “I didn’t want him seeing me like this.” 

Like this . Ni-ki watches Sunoo’s face. He wasn’t an idiot , he knew Sunoo was Cursed to look like he did now. 

Sunoo wasn’t hideous by any means. His face was only worn, his back stooped, like he was holding on to some kind of burden. Sometimes, Sunoo looked like he was shifting back and forth , when he was particularly happy or angry, any sort of passionate. But it never stuck, Ni-ki was beyond confused. What could help him? 

“Do you… want to see your brother again?” Ni-ki asks. 

“Of course. But I don’t know if he wants to see me.” 

Turnip-Head has been listening in on this conversation the whole time, silently protecting them from the rain. But when he hears Sunoo’s wish, he immediately drops his umbrella, shocking the two with the sudden onslaught of rain. 

The scarecrow begins to hop away from them, rapidly disappearing into the fog. 

“Wait! Where are you going?” Sunoo says. Turnip-Head just continues hopping down the road, unhearing.  

“I-it’s ok. He’ll come back.” Ni-ki says, though he doesn’t look too sure himself. The pair share an odd lock, before walking side-by-side in the rain, back into the castle. 

“Oh you guys, thank God. Help me!” Jake exclaims when Ni-ki and Sunoo make it back inside. They look like a pair of drowned cats, but that didn’t matter much at all. The rest of the floor was covered in icy slush, all of which was coming from Sunghoon, who was slumped over his chair and unconscious.

Jake was clinging to a piece of wood, drifting along the icy water like the sole survivor of a shipwreck.

 Ni-ki scoops him up, holding him in his hands. “Man, that was close.” Jake sighs. “I almost died for real back there.” 

“Is Master Sunghoon okay?” Ni-ki winces, looking at the state of him. The boy was unconscious, but very much human again. He was shivering from the cold. 

Sunoo sighs, though he doesn’t feel nearly as upset as he did earlier. “He’s fine. He was just throwing a tantrum.” 

After they clean out Jake’s fireplace and place him back into his hearth, Ni-ki and Sunoo each loop an arm around the wizard and drag him up to his bathroom. 

“C’mon, Sunghoon. I know you can walk.” Sunoo grumbles at him, as they climb the stairs. “Jake! Run a hot bath!” 

Sunoo feels something drop at his feet. Why is there a towel on the floor? 

“Sunoo, keep your eyes up.” Ni-ki says beside him, his cheeks a flattering shade of pink. 

“Oh.” 

Sunghoon only stumbles down the steps again when it’s the end of the day already. Half out of exhaustion, as he hadn’t slept for days before, and half out of embarrassment. Ni-ki and Sunoo had seen him at his literal worst, and to top it off, had to wash him like a baby afterwards. 

“Ah, the walk of shame…” Jake singsongs when he sees Sunghoon creep down the steps. 

“Not funny, Jake.” Sunghoon grumbles. He curls up at his usual place in front of the fire, trying to get some warmth back in his bones. 

He and Jake sit in comfortable silence. Ni-ki and Sunoo had already retired for the day, Sunghoon could hear Sunoo’s soft snores behind him. 

“So. Are you ready to talk about it now?” Jake asks him. 

“Sorry.” Sunghoon whispers. “For almost killing you.” 

“And?” Jake prods. 

“And for scaring Ni-ki. And… for blaming Sunoo. And for lying about my condition even if it affects us both. Need I go on?

“You can but you may not.” Jake waves his hand in front of him flippantly. “Apologize to the others. Not me, Hoon. I can’t stand it when you get sulky.” 

Sunghoon brings his knees up to his chest, facing Jake. “I’m losing control of my form.”  Sunghoon admits lowly, after the silence had stretched too long. 

“How long?” 

“Since the beginning? It’s never been mine to begin with.” 

“But you’re not gonna stop.” 

“I-” Sunghoon falters. “I don’t know. Because now, it isn’t just me and you. There are people we need to protect too.” 

Jake laughs, leaning backwards in his amusement. “Has it ever occurred to you… that they never asked for your protection?” 

“That doesn’t mean they don’t need it.” 

“Sunghoon, for someone so cowardly as you, why are you forcing yourself to protect them?” Jake asks him. 

Why is he? Sunghoon thinks of them. Their eyes when they were scared, when they were determined, lighting up like they were fighting to survive. Their hands that work tirelessly, even if there is no end in sight, for as long as they were doing it for someone .

“Because… they’re me.” Sunghoon says. “They are the me I was when I had no one else, and… I had wished someone was there for me .” 

Jake’s form flickers in that moment. If only briefly, as if something had stirred him. He smiles at his old friend sadly, “I know, Sunghoon . I know .”

Chapter Text

‘Are you sure this is what you want?’ 

Sunoo watches the fire in his hands. There is blood running down the side of his arms, getting between his fingers. If he tightened his hold on it, he could feel it pulsing frantically. It beats against the walls of his hand like the wings of a bird. 

‘There’s no going back after this. You must see it to the end.’

Sunoo knows. It will be dreadful at times. Painful, confusing, terrible. But it will also be so, so worth it. 

Then Sunoo finally speaks, the first words he has said in this dream. They flow out of him so easily, like they aren’t his. “I’ll save you.” 

‘You don’t know what you’re doing.’

“Maybe not. But if I don’t, who will?” 

Sunghoon cannot seem to look Sunoo in the eye anymore. 

The wizard is skittish in the next few days that pass by. As all members of the household have forced Sunghoon to rest at home, he skulks around like the castle. Everytime Sunoo meets eyes with him at the breakfast table, the other blurts out something unintelligible and shuffles away. 

Ni-ki and Jake find it amusing, but Sunoo is not having it . 

Day three into Sunghoon’s agenda to avoid making eye contact with Sunoo, the other grabs him by the shoulder, forcing him to sit down at the table with him, even if it’s almost noon. Ni-ki and Jake have already eaten and cleared the table. 

“I really should go-” Sunghoon tries to make half-hearted excuses. 

“Where are you gonna go? You are literally under house arrest.” Sunoo snaps back at him, making him stop in his tracks. 

“Sit.” Sunoo says. His hand is still on Sunghoon’s shoulder. His grip is firm, and even if Sunoo doesn’t look like much now, Sunghoon is sure he would still win if Sunghoon tried to protest.

“Eat.” A plate of steaming, pork ribs is passed in front of him. His favorite food. How did Sunoo know?

“Stop being a baby-” Sunoo grumbles.

“Alright, that’s enough nagging from you.” Sunghoon sighs, knowing when he’s defeated.

He picks up his utensils and eats with Sunoo. The other dines in a calm and dignified manner, as if he had all the time in the world. The silence between them stretches. Until Sunghoon cannot take it anymore.
 

“I’m sorry.” 

Sunghoon spits it more than he says it. But at least he got it out of his chest. He probably should have said it earlier. 

Sunoo doesn’t stop eating. “Yeah, I can tell.” He says slowly, in between bites of rice and galbi-jjim. “It’s not like I can ask you not to do it again. I don’t even know… what that was .” 

Sunghoon winces. It was a long, complicated, and overall unpleasant stor y. But Sunoo and Ni-ki had seen it, don’t they deserve the truth?

“Sunoo, I think you can tell by now… that I can’t talk about it.” 

“Yeah, figured.”

Sunoo doesn’t look too upset at the knowledge Sunghoon is Cursed. Sunghoon wanted to hate being under Sunoo’s kind gaze, already accentuated by the lines around his eyes . But it made Sunghoon feel like he was comforting him, even if he wasn’t doing anything. 

“But still, I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” Sunoo almost laughs. “You know… For some reason, I almost expected this of you.”

Sunghoon is confused.  It must have shown, because Sunoo looks even more amused at his dumbfounded expression. 

“You always seemed so guarded. Like you had to look perfect and calm and… in control.” 

He did. Though Sunghoon didn’t realize it made him seem so closed off. But it seemed much better to the… opposite. He doubts he will ever be able to forget the looks on Sunoo, Ni-kim and Jake’s faces as he lashed out like that. 

As if hearing his thoughts, Sunoo begins to slice his meat, almost angrily.“No one is in control. I think I’m learning that now.” 

“ So you got some big, bad secret you wanted to keep from us . Well cat’s out of the bag, Sunghoon. Now we know. And now you gotta let us help you.” 

Help him? How could they help him? They didn’t even know what was wrong with him. Or why Sunghoon needed to stay that way. 

“Me being a monster… Isn’t just some secret.” Sunghoon says softly. 

“You’re not a monster.” Would a monster have saved me? Sunoo thinks. Sunghoon looked incredibly pitiful now. Hunched over, still not looking him in the eye. But progress was progress. 

Sunoo spoons more food onto his plate. Almost as if saying, Eat up. You need the energy. It was a tender action, almost mothering. 

“Yeah? I’m terrifying. Don’t pretend I didn’t scare you.” Sunghoon still tries to argue with Sunoo.

“You did… “Sunoo admits. “But you don’t scare me now.”

Sunghoon finally looks up to meet his gaze. Dark eyes meeting his brown-grey ones. All Sunoo saw was a boy, someone who looked tired. But someone who was still fighting. 

“I’m hideous. What’s the point of living if I can’t be beautiful?” Sunghoon tries again, weaker this time. 

Sunoo just smiles wryly in response. “Well I seem to be managing just fine.” 

Sunghoon’s eyes widen, as he watches Sunoo finish his meal in complete normalcy. As if what he said was a statement of fact. He couldn’t believe it. 

“Sunoo. Have you looked in the mirror recently?” Sunghoon tries to tell him. 

“...Don’t joke with me.” Sunoo gets up, effectively ending the conversation. He leaves Sunghoon at the dining table alone. 

“I’m hungry …”

“Ni-ki, we have food in the pantry.” 

“I want different food.” 

“Go make something different then!” 

“Jake won’t let me. “ 

“The last time you tried to help cooking you spilled waffle batter all over me!” 

“Sunoo… take the kid out please. He’s driving me crazy.” 

Sunoo huffs, wrinkling his nose at Jake. The fire demon doesn’t budge on his stance.

 Now that the house had been cleaned, Ni-ki and Sunoo had found themselves without much to do, and the younger was driving everyone in the house stir-crazy. 

Ni-ki seemed determined to put Sunoo to good use and insisted they needed to go out and buy more things. Wasn’t the point of cleaning out the castle to throw away the items they didn’t need? 

And so, a day out was planned. Ni-ki conjures a basket out of who-knows-where, cheerily thrusting it into Sunoo’s waiting hand. 

“It has been a while since we’ve left.” Sunoo says in assent. 

As Ni-ki turns the dial to the green of the Porthaven door, Sunghoon peeks out from the staircase. 

“Where are you off to?” He asks hesitantly. 

Sunoo looks up to the wizard. His hair, now dark, fell a little disheveled over his forehead and neck, which Sunoo thought he’d never see. His expression was earnest, almost a little scared. Ni-ki’s eyes darted nervously between Sunoo and Sunghoon, as tension rose off of Sunoo’s form. 

“Just some market shopping in Porthaven, Master Sunghoon!” Ni-ki exclaims. “It’ll be really quick…” 

Sunoo lets out a sigh, almost imperceptibly. He couldn’t stand the look on Sunghoon’s face. 

“You can come if you want.” Sunoo says, before he changes his mind. 

Sunoo turns to leave the castle, Ni-ki in tow, and he doesn’t have to turn back to know Sunghoon is right behind them. 

Porthaven was a town where it was sunny year-round. In the early afternoon, shop-keepers’ wares glinted like gold in the warm light. Sunoo smelled pastries being baked, fresh produce in the stands, and the salty spray of the ocean, as he walked down cobblestone streets. His cane made light tapping noises on the ground, but for some reason, it felt much easier to walk now. 

“This must be what heaven feels like.” Sunoo mumbles to himself, though not so soft that Sunghoon couldn’t hear him. 

“I think so too.” Sunghoon says quietly. “In all my travels, Porthaven is one of the most peaceful towns in the country.” 

“Hmm.” Is all Sunoo can say to that. It didn’t take a genius to notice the town was unique, they had no soldiers patrolling the streets. They were as far away from the war as they could be here. 

Ni-ki ran up the streets ahead of them. Cheerfully bargaining with the locals and slowly filling the baskets in their hands. 

“I tried picking places we would all be comfortable with.” Sunghoon continues to explain. “Ni-ki grew up in the capital, so I thought he would enjoy staying in his hometown…” 

The boy in question was attempting to run into a flock of seagulls, and looking like he was having the best day of his life.

“... but I guess not.” Sunghoon finishes. 

Sunoo laughs heartily, remembering the younger boy’s sour expression upon seeing a Royal Guard from the palace. 

He turns his gaze towards the wizard. The Sunghoon that walked beside him was so very different from usual. He had forgone his usual stained-glass jacket for a white dress shirt and slacks. His dark hair sifted in the breeze, and was that a hint of a slouch Sunoo spotted? He wasn’t sure how long he looked at the wizard for until it was pointed out. 

“Have I got something on my face?” Sunghoon smiles at him. 

Sunoo bristles, looking away. “Of course not. And I wasn’t looking.” He denies vehemently. 

“Of course.” Sunghoon chuckles. 

A sweet smell hits Sunoo’s nose. They have walked to a collection of stalls, all selling freshly cut flowers and bouquets. Sunoo picks up a single stalk, blooming lavender, and gives it a sniff. 

Sunghoon watches the other, noting in intrigue as Sunoo’s face changes, becoming more relaxed. No, not just that, the wrinkles in his face seemed to smooth out slowly, until the man standing before him looked more like a young adult, snow white hair falling over his eyes. 

“Sunoo…” Sunghoon almost points it out, but decides against it, just stuck staring at the boy. 

“What sweet smelling flowers…” Sunoo mumbles. “How much for a bouquet?” 

The shopkeeper turns to him then, telling him the amount, which Sunoo prepares. 

“You like flowers?” Sunghoon asks. 

“We had many back at home, which I used to decorate the hats in our shop.” 

Sunoo fishes out one more flower from the stall, a white peony, and without warning, sticks it behind Sunghoon’s ear and tucks it behind his hair. 

“Now we match!” Sunoo smiles. And Sunghoon sees that they indeed do, matching the white flower pinned to his hat. The gesture is enough to make him blush. 

“It looks good on you.” Sunoo says, sounding almost upset at the fact. Did Sunghoon really have to make everything look good? 

“W-well I guess you’re the expert.” 

Sunoo just sends him a small smile, a sight that makes Sunghoon’s chest warm up, before running ahead to catch up with Ni-ki. 

They have lunch at the seaside. Sprawled over a picnic blanket, Sunoo watches Ni-ki wade into the shallow water. They all laugh hysterically as Ni-ki manages to catch a baby octopus with his bare hands. 

And Sunoo and Sunghoon chat idly about nothing at all. They lay down on the blanket and watch the clouds roll lazily through the sky, pointing out weird shapes. Sunghoon did not seem like the all powerful wizard that he was, but just a boy hanging with Sunoo. 

When was the last time Sunoo hung out with anyone? When Sunghoon smiled wide like this, Sunoo could see laugh lines crinkling the sides of his eyes. He must’ve been someone who used to laugh alot. 

Even just the sun on his face, the gentle breeze, the good food, is enough for Sunoo to feel his cares melting away, a bit of the tension releasing from his shoulders. And this doesn’t slip past Sunghoon and Ni-ki, who take note of Sunoo’s appearance, almost growing younger by the minute. 

“Should we tell him?”

“Don’t say anything. Just don’t.”

“It’s time to go home guys.”

“C’mon! Another half hour!” 

“The sun’s already setting…” 

The walk back to the castle should’ve been a peaceful one. With the sun over the horizon at their backs, their shadows stretched out tall in front of them. The ocean breeze from earlier, warm before, now cooled their cheeks. 

“What a day, huh?” Sunghoon asks.

“We never take the day off like this anymore!” Ni-ki says He reaches a hand out and ruffles Sunghoon’s hair. “Nice flower by the way.” 

“A souvenir.” Sunghoon says fondly, looking towards Sunoo. “I wish this day never ends.” 

Sunoo smiles back at him. He never thought he’d see this side of Sunghoon, relaxed and carefree. But more importantly, not putting up any airs or bravado. It was…nice. He liked Sunghoon like this. He liked…

A breeze runs past Sunoo and he can’t help but shiver. Oh right. He wasn’t as young as he used to be anymore. He feels himself hunch over more, wrapping his coat around himself tighter.

Sunghoon and Ni-ki see the change right away. Sunoo’s back stooping over his cane and the lines crossing his face almost instantly like a shadow had fallen over him. 

“Are you cold, Sunoo?” Sunghoon asks in concern.

“I’m fine.” Sunoo says, voice croaky. “It’s just a bit of a chill.” Why did he feel so cold all of a sudden?

“It is chilly.” Ni-ki wonders. “I thought Porthaven never got this cold.” 

“...It shouldn’t.” Sunghoon says slowly. His voice immediately puts Sunoo on edge. 

Cold. Dark. Shadows. This all felt very familiar. 

A hissing voice fills their ears. “Sunghoon...”

Sunoo sees their shadows in front of them grow unnaturally long, stretching out until they’re long like snakes. And then they rise in the air until they are three dimensional in front of them. Hulking, black figures with only mouths, just like what Sunoo saw in the alleyway back at Market Chipping. Oh no. 

“THERE YOU ARE!” The sound explouds. 

The shadows lash around their ankles. Sunghoon and Ni-ki manage to jump back in time, but Sunoo is caught. He is pulled by his feet and he falls on his back, dragged down the street away from Sunghoon and Ni-ki. 

“Aaaah!”

“SUNOO!” 

Sunghoon sprints down the streets after Sunoo. He sees the other boy is kicking and screaming, his boots connecting with the shadowy bodies attempting to take him away. It slows them down, but it’s not enough to drop him. 

“Sunoo! Cover your head!” Sunghoon calls out to him. 

Sunoo listens, arms coming over to shield himself. And Sunoo throws a blast of fire towards his captors, momentarily dissipating them. Sunoo picks himself up quickly running back towards them. 

“They’re after you! Sunghoon- “ Sunoo tries to tell him. 

“Get behind me.” 

Ni-ki pulls Sunoo towards him, and he can see the boy is pale and frightened. “How did they find us…” He says helplessly. 

Us? Sunoo is confused as to what Ni-ki had to do with this. But he didn’t have much time to wonder.

 The shadows were now surrounding them on all sides, flying around in circles, leaving no room for escape. Sunghoon had fire summoned in his hand, trying to ward them off. 

“Leave! Tell Sulliman I am not going to play her game anymore.” Sunghoon tells them. 

Sulliman? The Royal Sorcerer? Sunoo wondered. 

The shadows laugh in a chittery sound, like hordes of bats flapping their wings. “The Master expected this would be your answer. You must face the consequences for hiding this long.” 

The shadows lash out again, towards Sunoo and Ni-ki. But Sunoo is prepared this time. He pulls Ni-ki behind him as he swings his cane in a large arc, whacking them straight in the head. They fall back with a hiss. 

“They’re innocent!” Sunghoon argues back. “It’s me you want.” 

“When has the great Sunghoon become so soft?” The shadows laugh again, their voices sound more coherent now, vaguely woman-like. Sunoo doesn’t not recognize the voice, but Ni-ki stiffens when he hears it. 

“It is clear where your loyalties lie.” The voices sound almost amused. But if you want to keep these people safe, Sunghoon, you will have to fight for it. ”  

The shadows descend as one upon them. None of them react except Sunghoon, who turns to shield them. They fall to the ground, and Sunoo cannot see anything but whirling ghosts above them, and Sunghoon’s body over his, tensed as he protects them from something. 

After a few seconds, Sunghoon falls over them with a grunt as the shadows release them. A light whisper brushes past their ears, so faint, yet Sunoo gives a shiver as he hears their message: “A warning… You must face the Master at court.” 

Then they disappear. The streets of Porthaven lighten once again, their own shadows returning to normal. But it is no less cold. Sunghoon remains collapsed over them, breathing hard. 

“Sunoo… I’m sorry.” Sunghoon mumbles to him, almost incoherent.   

“Sunghoon?” Sunoo looks to him confused. Then he sees it. His shirt is shredded, and the white cloth is now blooming red from the attack. No. Why did he…?

“Sunghoon!” 

Sunoo and Ni-ki burst through the castle door, each holding Sunghoon up to his side, practically dragging him up the stairs and across the floor. 

“What the hell happened?” Jake screeches. 

“Suliman’s henchmen! Sunoo, switch the dial! ” Ni-ki says. 

Sunoo throws his hand onto the circle, changing their location as fast as he can. The light streaming through the castle’s windows blacken out immediately. 

“Where do we bring him?” Ni-ki says.

“My room…” Sunghoon groans out. Ni-ki turns to him in shock, surprised he was still coherent with all the blood loss. 

“But... no one can enter-”

“Now!”

Sunoo and Ni-ki carry him up the stairs as fast as they can, leaving a trail of blood behind them. A wave of Sunghoon’s hand is enough for the door to his bedroom to swing wide open. And the group make a beeline for Sunghoon’s bed, placing him onto it stomach-down. 

Sunoo immediately rips the cloth of Sunghoon’s shirt off his back to see what they were working with, the blood making it sticky and difficult to remove. When he finally gets it off, Sunoo gets the full scope of Sunghoon’s injuries. 

On each of his shoulder blades are two long, vertical cuts that are red, angry, and raw. As if Sunghoon was an angel who had his wings ripped out. And just below it, there are words that are etched---no, carved onto his back. 

Sunoo reads them aloud in horror: 

SEE WHAT HAPPENS 

WHEN YOU DENY ME.

“Looks like I’m missed…” Sunghoon breathes out, clearly still holding on to his sense of humor. Though his eyes are glassy and breathing shallow from the pain. 

“This isn’t the time.” Sunoo says. He throws Sunghoon’s shirt onto the ground as Ni-ki clambers over him, ready to place his hands on Sunghoon’s wounds. 

“Ni-ki. Don’t do this if you don’t want to.” Sunghoon says, though it is futile. Ni-ki’s eyes burn with unshed tears, his lips trembling in fury.
“I want to.” Ni-ki says. “But you’re not going to like it. You’re gonna want to hold on to something, Sunghoon.” 

Sunghoon immediately looks to Sunoo with pleading eyes, and reaches a shaking hand out for Sunoo to hold. Sunoo does, grasping onto it as tight as he can. 

“Stay with me.” Sunghoon whispers, already closing his eyes as he braces himself. 

Sunoo pushes his lips to Sunghoon’s hair, trying to comfort him. “I’m right here.” Sunoo says to him.  

Sunoo nods to Ni-ki once, and the boy proceeds to push his fingers into Sunghoon’s back, sewing his skin back together. Sunghoon’s grip on Sunoo’s hand tightens immediately. And the man grunts, holding back from making a sound for all of 2 seconds, before he cries out in pain. He turns to muffle his screams into the pillow. 

“Stay still.” Ni-ki grits out. 

“Sunghoon, it’s ok.” Sunoo whispers to him frantically, running his hands through his hair. “You’re doing great.” 

Sunghoon continues to scream. Ni-ki’s hands are shaking as he moves slowly across Sunghoon’s back. He winces when he begins to trace the words, slowly erasing them. But for the most part, Sunghoon stays still, only moving the hand that has Sunoo’s clasped in it. 

Halfway through, Sunghoon passes out. And Sunoo turns his head to the side so he doesn’t suffocate into his pillow. His dark hair is sweaty and skin is feverish. His face is wet too, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. His hand is still clasping Sunoo’s weakly. 

“I’m sorry.” Sunoo breathes out. “You don’t deserve this.” 

When Ni-ki finally finishes, he straightens his back after being hunched over Sunghoon’s. His hands are covered in blood. And Sunghoon’s back still is too, but underneath, the skin is new. The words are barely seen, only a pale outline on his skin. 

“Ni-ki…” Sunoo tries to say. But the younger boy suddenly brings a hand up to mouth as he gags. He falls of Sunghoon’s back, and stumbles away for the bathroom. 

Sunoo is left to wipe the blood off from Sunghoon’s back, and wait in silence for Sunghoon to wake up again. 

Without the cries, the labored breathing of both Sunghoon and Ni-ki, Sunoo can hear various sounds from the objects placed around Sunghoon’s room. Sunoo finally has the time to look around the room that none of them have been allowed to enter. 

Sunghoon’s bedroom is colorful, a stark contrast to the drab paint and browns of the castle’s hallways and living room. A glittering, emerald green that is almost drowned out by the sheer amount of objects lining the shelves, hanging from the walls and ceilings. An assortment of windchimes, dreamcatchers, and talismans decorate every inch of Sunghoon’s room. 

The room has no windows, it is probably the only room in the castle without one. But there’s an unexplainable wind blowing through it, gently moving the windchimes and producing pleasant, tingling sounds. The whole place felt like it was caving in on Sunoo, clearly trying to keep him in, or trying to keep something out. 

And on one wall, there is a large map of Ingary and the surrounding countries. Majority of the cities and towns on the map have been marked with ink, almost like a hitlist. 

Sunoo stands and walks toward it to get a better look. Has Sunghoon visited all of these places? 

Some of the markings were faded and smudged. Other areas of the map were scratched out, or ripped entirely. 

The most recent marking on the map, in a vibrant red, is Sunoo’s hometown of Market Chipping. Sunoo traces it longingly. What made Sunghoon decide to go here? So many things had changed because Sunoo and Sunghoon had met on that fateful day. 

Sunghoon wakes up to the sound of windchimes overhead. 

It’s a gentle awakening. His mouth is dry, but his body is no longer laced with pain. He blinks, hearing the rustle of cloth next to him. Someone must have stayed with him. 

He sees Sunoo pouring over a map on his wall, and though no one has ever entered Sunghoon’s room before today, Sunghoon is relieved at his presence. The boy seems consumed by the map, tracing the borders like he was planning something. 

“Where do you suggest we go next?” Sunghoon calls out to him softly. 

Sunoo turns to him in shock. Amber eyes widening in joy and relief, his pale hair seemed disheveled. “Sunghoon-” 

Sunghoon tries to sit up to greet him, “I’m fine…” He tries to wave away any more efforts to help him. 

Still, Sunoo rushes to his side and supports him as he turns to a more comfortable position. 

Sunoo leans into him, fluffing the pillows behind his head, and Sunghoon tries not to feel embarrassed. This seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence, Sunghoon feeling helpless as Sunoo fusses over him. 

“Now why did you go and get yourself injured? Seriously. As if you aren’t at risk enough.” Sunoo grumbles under his breath, but it’s still loud enough for Sunghoon to hear.

“Alright. Alright, I’m sorry.” Sunghoon laughs. 

“ Sorry doesn’t make up for the fact that Ni-ki literally had to stitch you back together.”

“Ni-ki.” Sunghoon realizes. “Is he-”

“He’s fine. A little queasy after all the blood, but fine.” Sunoo mentions after a bit. “You taught him well.” 

Sunghoon looks uncomfortable at that. “He… told you about his powers, didn’t he?” 

“He did…” Sunoo hesitates, before he decides on what he says next. “He told me… you saved him from his previous master.” 

Sunghoon’s eyes widen. Then he fights to keep his face calm. Sunoo sees through it all.

“No. None of that.” Sunoo berates him. “I want the truth, there’s something you guys are running away from.” 

Sunghoon sighs. “All magic is transactional. I’m sure you know that by now.” 

Sunoo nods. “Yes.. all except Ni-ki’s.”

Sunghoon is silent for a moment, before he asks: “What would you do if you could do what Ni-ki did?”

“I’d… heal my loved ones.” Sunoo answers hesitantly. “Make sure no one I cared about was sick or hurt.”

“What about your neighbors?”

“Yes, if I could, I’d help them too.” 

“What if a complete stranger came up to you, and begged you to heal them?”

“Y-Yes…” Sunoo stammers. 

“And what if.” Sunghoon says, his eyes boring straight into Sunoo’s. “It wasn’t just one stranger.” 

“What if everyone knew what you could do? That you were capable of healing everyone, millions of people. Eradicating every single sickness in the world.”

“...”

“You would be obliged to help them of course.” Sunghoon says. “It’s the noble thing to do.” 

“But for how long?” Sunghoon continues. “Why are you , a child, tasked with dedicating your life to saving everyone in the world?  Even those you never met?  

“Ni-ki’s power is transactional. He has that burden, that knowledge that he can, that he maybe … he should heal everyone.” Sunghoon finishes. “He is born with a duty.”

“And it’s unfair.” Sunoo breathes out. 

“Ni-ki’s previous master is the royal sorcerer of Ingary.” Sunghoon explains. “Imagine what she could do with Ni-ki. Our soldiers would be incapable of dying. She would be capable of ruling Ingary for centuries. It’s… unnatural. ”

“So you helped him escape.” Sunoo nods. 

“Well I was already running away from her in the first place. I just came back to help out someone who saved me first.” Sunghoon says. 

Sunoo thinks on that. Sunghoon has been helping Ni-ki hide in this castle for the past three years, running from the most powerful magic user in the country. But… what for?  

.

.

.

“Why is the royal sorcerer looking for you , Sunghoon?” Sunoo finally asks the question that’s been bothering him this whole time. 

Sunghoon answers him quickly, as if he was expecting it. “I’m her apprentice. I am meant to assume her position once she steps down.”

Sunoo widens his eyes in shock, and Sunghoon doesn’t blame him. 

“But don’t worry, I think Suliman’s realized I’ll never accept it. I can’t take that kind of pressure, the fate of a whole nation resting on my shoulders, no matter how much power it offers me.” 

“What she really wants is the Prince of High Norland.” Sunghoon says. 

“The prince? The one who was abducted?” 

“Yes. Because I refused to fight alongside her armies, she tasked me with a solo mission. To recover the prince from the wizard that abducted him.” Sunghoon says. 

“That’s… almost impossible.” Sunoo shakes his head.” He’s been missing for three years. He could be dead for all we know.”

“And now you see the problem.” Sunghoon snorts in derision. 

“But I’m sure you did everything you could, right?.” Sunoo says. 

Sunghoon just huffs out a laugh. “I like to think so. I even tied a fire demon to me in the hopes that his power would help me find him faster. But three years later, we’re still here.” 

“So because you haven’t accomplished it in the time frame, she’s out to get you?” Sunoo gestures to Sunghoon’s marred back. 

“She’s threatening me to return to the palace for another assignment. I’m sure she knew me finding the prince was a long shot anyway.” 

"Are all royal sorcerers such violent people?" Sunoo says it mostly as a joke, but his eyes are pained too, something Sunghoon doesn't miss. 

Sunghoon laughs softly, a sound that causes goosebumps to run up Sunoo's arms.

"Did you know... sorcerers used to be advisers? Not leaders or warriors." Sunghoon says. "Before the last war, sorcerers were meant to be the personal advisers to the king. They were chosen for powers that could further wisdom. Skills like telepathy or clairvoyance were more coveted. In fact, both master and apprentice before Sulliman had the ability to tell the future." 

"But then..." Sunoo prompted.

"But then the last great war between Ingary and High Norland devastated the country. Their sorcerers caused plagues that spread across the land. And the king realized what he needed to win the war wasn't wisdom. He needed power."

"And that's when Suliman became the Royal Sorcerer?" Sunoo guesses. Smart boy. 

"Exactly.” Sunghoon says. “His adviser then, along with his apprentice, allegedly succumbed to the plague, leaving the position vacant. While Sulliman's powers still weren't suited to fighting, she was cunning, brutal, and very efficient. She basically turned the tide of the war all by herself.”

"What can Sulliman do?"

"Illusions." Sunghoon answers. " Mirages. She can get in your head and make you see what she wants you to see. She drove whole hordes of people mad during the war."

"That's horrible..." 

“It is.” Sunghoon says. "But it was necessary. Because of her, Norland settled for a truce with Ingary after its forces were being depleted, rendered incapable of fighting. And she did it without killing a single person."

Sunoo nods, understanding the royal adviser more. "You respect her."

Respect her? Does she deserve the respect?   

"She's my teacher. She taught me... everything I know. “ Sunghoon admits with some difficulty.

"But she didn't teach you how to be kind. You taught that to yourself. " Sunoo says. 

Sunghoon smiles at him again, a little helpless. He places his hand over Sunoo' s. "Why is it that you always know just what to say?” 

Sunghoon watches Sunoo as he says that. The skin of his face literally ripples. The wrinkles on his skin smoothening out then returning again, as if his own constitution was warring. Like his body was questioning how it felt about itself. 

And all the while, Sunoo didn’t seem to notice it at all. He keeps his eyes trained on Sunghoon in worry, a light flush on his cheeks. Why can’t you worry about yourself first? 

It’s a bit of time before Sunoo speaks again. He clears his throat roughly. "So… now she's calling you to war once again." Sunoo says. 

"I've run out of time on my assignment.” Sunghoon agrees with him. And in all honesty... She chose me as her apprentice because my powers are most suited to fighting.” 

Sunghoon takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I belong on the front lines." he says, almost like he was convincing himself. 

"You're scared."

"I'm terrified. I don't want to fight. I don't want to kill anyone." Sunghoon says. He almost pleads with him. 

Sunoo shakes his head, tightening his grip on Sunghoon’s hand. "You shouldn't have to."

"I don't always agree with Sulliman's methods. But she is almost always right. I have to go. She still thinks I'm the best person for the job."

“Why can't she do what she did for the last war?!”

"Her powers aren't what they used to be. She's much older now, and Norland is already prepared for an attack like that” Sunghoon says. “She’s used it on them before." 

Sunghoon trains his eyes up to the ceiling, where numerous wind chimes swayed with some invisible wind. “It has to be me." Sunghoon says. 

"it has to be you..." Sunoo echoes. He couldn't believe this was what Sunghoon had been forced to deal with all this time. Sunoo had come looking for him for help with his Curse. But perhaps… Sunghoon needed him more. 

"Unless!" 

Chapter Text

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” 

Sunoo stands still, hands held uncomfortably at his sides. Sunghoon walks around him, occasionally waving a hand in Sunoo’s direction, which magically alters his clothes. The blue coat he came into the castle with has turned into a stunning blue and white suit, and Sunghoon continues to alter this like he was Sunoo’s fairy godmother. 

“Because. I want you to go to Sulliman in my place, let her know I am incapacitated due to my injuries.” Sunghoon says airly. Today was the supposed summoning of all witches and wizards to the Royal Palace. 

“Ni-ki healed you. You’re fine!” 

“Well she doesn’t have to know that.” 

Sunoo rolls his eyes. Meanwhile, Ni-ki and Jake were watching the two interact with rapt attention, as Sunghoon was never usually this witty with someone. 

“Maybe Sulliman will think twice before she sends goons like that after me.” Sunghoon says. He takes a step back to admire his work. 

“You’re a coward.” Sunoo says, though it is without bite. 

“I love you too.”

That sends Sunoo in a fierce blush, while Ni-ki and Jake both stand in shocked silence. Sunoo reaches for his hat and shoves it low over his eyes, just so he could stop looking at the other boy. 

 “You’re wearing that hat? After all the magic I used to make your suit pretty?” Sunghoon asks. 

Sunoo runs a millinery so it comes as no surprise that he would wear hats, but Sunghoon expresses his feelings with the intention that the hat is hiding his beauty.

“Be grateful I’m doing this at all.” Sunoo says grumpily. 

“I am grateful. Very grateful. Thank you for doing this, Sunoo.” Sunghoon says. 

Well Sunoo didn’t have a choice. After seeing what Sulliman was capable of doing to Sunghoon, he didn’t want the other boy to just waltz up to her doorstep like nothing happened. 

With one last touch, the ribbon that Sunghoon had given him tucked inside his sleeve, Sunoo is ready to go to the palace. 

“Goodluck Sunoo!” Ni-ki says, turning the dial for him to the Kingsbury door and swings it open for him. 

“Just remember. Get in, tell Sulliman, and get out. Just try to get home as fast as you can.” Sunghoon says. The skin around his eyes was tight with worry. And Sunoo feels a little jolt of fear run through him. 

“What do I do if she tries to detain me?” Sunoo asks. 

Sunghoon just smiles. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to you. I always do.”

Sunoo walks the well-paved streets of Kingsbury to the palace. 

The capital city of Ingary was magnificent. The buildings stretched so tall, Sunoo thought they would reach the clouds. And they were all paned with colored glass, almost gaudy in how opulent they were. 

The men and women on the street were finely dressed, so even in his pressed suit, Sunoo blended in well. It was as far away as you could get from his hometown in Market Chipping, where the people were as relaxed as they could be. 

Sunoo’s thoughts wandered, to Sunghoon who promised he would be able to get to him if things went wrong, and back to Jungwon in their home. The poor boy must’ve been worried sick about him. But he still had a job to do here. 

He tried to force himself to relax, for it was a fine day and his surroundings were beautiful and….

“Oho! Never thought I’d see your face here.” 

A cheerful voice coming from Sunoo’s side interrupts his thoughts. Sunoo recognizes that sound. The little inflections in his voice, as if he was singing a song instead of just speaking out words. Sunoo turns to his direction immediately. 

No way…

The wizard who Cursed him was standing just a few feet away.

He was almost drowning in the dark furs placed all over his body. But he seemed perfectly comfortable, even in the summer heat here in the capital city. He winked at Sunoo, his eyeliner sparkling.  

In an instant, every single ugly and horrible thing that the wizard had said to him came rushing back. About how he was never good enough, about how he was less than Jungwon. The edges of Sunoo’s vision darken, with so much shock and rage filling him, he can only growl out a single word:

“You.” 

“Me!” The wizard waves to him cheerfully. How dare he look so happy right now? 

Sunoo promptly hits him on the back of his leg with his cane. With a satisfying thwack , the wizard drops to one knee.  

“Ow!? What the hell was that for?” The wizard cries, rubbing at the offended area.

“You! You- ! Absolute-! Good for nothing-!” Sunoo cusses him out, continually smacking him over the back. “-piece of shit! I ought to throttle you!” 

“Sunoo-sshi, please. We’re causing a scene!” The wizard laughs nervously. His hands have come up to shield Sunoo’s blows, though he doesn’t even seem to be in pain. 

Sunoo looks around, and indeed , there were a few people who had stopped and stared at them. Whispering about why a senior citizen was beating up some outlandishly dressed man. 

Sunoo straightens with a huff, and lowers his walking stick to his side. The wizard brushes himself off, then extends his hand to Sunoo in greeting. 

“I realized I’ve never formally introduced myself to you! My name is Heeseung.” He says, a bright smile on his face, as if Sunoo wasn’t just trying to kill him a few moments ago. 

“Goodbye, Heeseung.” Sunoo spits out. He turns on his heel and speed-walks away from there. 

“Hey, Hey! C’mon, I wanted to talk to you.” Heeseung races to catch up to him. Persistent little bugger. 

“Can you get rid of your Curse on me?”

Heeseung pouts, but blessedly, answers him immediately. “No. Only you can-”

“Bye.” 

Sunoo walks faster now. The castle was only a few blocks away. He came this far, he can go a little more while ignoring some annoying wizard. If he didn’t know how to fix Sunoo, why bother? 

Heeseung still keeps following him. Humming nonsensical words, and talking in his ear. 

“Sunoo, you don’t look that bad you know! You’re kinda cute as an old guy… like a fluffy grandpa!” He says. 

Sunoo’s patience snaps. He swings his walking stick out once more, hoping to catch the wizard in his stomach.

 Heeseung is more athletic than he looks, for he dodges Sunoo’s blow easily, as if he predicted it would happen, and grabs Sunoo’s wrist. 

“Oh?” Heeseung has his hand wrapped around the ribbon, the one Sunghoon had given him. And Sunoo realizes he’s made a big mistake when the wizard looks up to him and gives him a shark-like smile

“...you found Sunghoon, didn’t you?” 

Shit. Sunoo fights to keep his face calm as he answers, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“His magical signature is all over you. That boy’s like a dog, marking his territory.” Heeseung waves his hand flippantly.

 Sunoo gives him a dirty look, yanking his hand back and continuing to walk away once more. Comparing Sunghoon to a dog, who the hell was this guy? 

“Hey, that was funny!”

“It was not. I bid you a terrible day.” Sunoo says evenly, attempting to power walk away from him even at his old age.

What does he want with Sunghoon? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Sunghoon, wherever you are. Please don’t come here. 

“Just tell me where he is, and I’ll get out of your hair, Sunoo-sshi.” Heeseung continues to bother him, easily catching up. 

Sunoo turns to him in rage. “If you even touch Sunghoon, I will stick this cane up your-” 

“Excuse me sir, is this man bothering you?” A finely-dressed guard approaches them. Sunoo looks up to see that they’ve made it to the palace, and have apparently been arguing on royal grounds. 

“Oh shit.” Heeseung stiffens, coming to the same conclusion. 

At that moment, Sunoo makes a split decision. He brings the back of his hand to his forehead, stooping even lower, and cries out. “Yes! Oh, he’s been terrorizing me all day. Could you gentlemen please detain him for being a public nuisance?”

“Sunoo, no!” Heeseung realizes in horror. 

The guards immediately rush to Heeseung, grabbing his arms and pulling him away from Sunoo. “C’mon, man. It’s pretty shitty of you to be bothering a senior citizen like that.”

Sunoo continues to act feeble, as several other guards escort him towards the main entrance, internally laughing. 

“This isn’t over!” Heeseung screeches, shaking his fist. 

“It’s only for a little bit.” The guards continue to tell him, dragging him away. 

Sunoo is brought inside the palace. 

The halls are opulent, but dark and without much natural light. Sunoo wanders slowly, hesitant because his footsteps are impossibly loud in the cavernous space. 

How creepy. The dark wood paneling and candlelight made the many paintings look like they were following him. 

Did Sunghoon spend his time studying here? It was almost enough for Sunoo to feel sorry for the man, spending so much time in this empty space. 

“Sir.”

Sunoo startles and turns around to face the voice. 

There was a boy that looked more like a Victorian doll. He had chin length dark hair and a lithe build, dressed in very pretty clothes. 

For some reason, the child reminded him of Ni-ki, with his sleepy eyes and dancer’s posture.  

“Has Master Sulliman summoned you for today’s gathering? How would you like to be addressed by the court?” He asks.

Sunoo thinks, remembering how Sunghoon was called upon when they received the invitation . 

“From House Pendragon, on behalf of wizard Sunghoon.” Sunoo says. 

“And your name?” 

“Sunoo.” 

The pageboy brings Sunoo to the front of the room, in front of two large doors. 

Without warning, the boy opens the doors, revealing a balcony and a huge crowd of people waiting in the ballroom below. All dressed in finery, silken robes, ball gowns, there were even some sporting opulent masks and hats. 

Sulliman summoned all witches and wizards to the palace. This… was a royal ball? 

Everyone turns to look upwards at Sunoo. He cannot breathe. 

“Introducing Sir Sunoo, from House Pendragon, arriving on behalf of the Wizard Sunghoon!” The boy announces in a bellowing tone. 

Oh god. 

Sunoo stairs for a good few seconds, rendered frozen by all the attention. 

The boy gives him a well-meant shove. Sunoo cannot feel his legs, but somehow he forces himself to walk down the staircase towards the waiting crowd. 

“Keep calm, Sunoo. Just stay calm”, he tells himself. But it is quite the difficult ordeal when he can hear the murmurs of the crowd around him. 

Sunghoon is once again a no-show… but who is he? 

Another Pendragon wizard?

Hair like starlight…

He makes it to the floor. But no one seems to offer any respite. 

There is a lilting sound of strings in the air. The people around Sunoo bustle into position, standing in concentric circles around the dance floor. 

Sunoo finds himself face-to-face with a taller, older gentleman. 

“Shall we?” 

Sunoo barely registers how the man takes his hand before the orchestra gets louder, and Sunoo is led into…

A waltz. 

Sunoo has never danced like this before. Only silly little hops around their store lobby with Jungwon past closing hours. But his partner seems to be an agreeable partner and expertly leads him around the floor.

“You’ve caused quite the fuss.” The man says, his voice filled with humor. 

Sunoo looks up at him. He was dressed in a dark blue military jacket, a tall hat. And had a bushy mustache over his lip that covered most of his face. 

“Believe me sir, I had no intention of crashing this party. I just need an audience with Madam Sulliman.” Sunoo says. 

“That old bat. You better stay safe, young man. She has quite the temperament.” The man says. 

“I will… wait. Young man ?” 

They twirl around the floor, so quickly that Sunoo almost feels dizzy. But this was by far the most spectacular thing he has done in his short life, save flying through the skies of Market Chipping. 

The lights were dazzling, and everyone was dressed so finely, Sunoo felt like a prince. 

The song changes, and everyone switches partners. Sunoo can feel the gloved hand of his first partner clinging to him just a bit before they let go. 

Then Sunoo finds himself at the front of the room, facing a majestic-looking woman. She had her greying hair piled atop her head in a huge headpiece. Red velvet robes and gloved hands. Sunoo could’ve mistaken her for a queen. 

Her face was strict and regal, reminding Sunoo of a headmaster or teacher. 

Sunghoon’s teacher. 

“Madam Sulliman.” Sunoo fights to keep himself steady. 

“Sir Sunoo, was it?” She says. Sunoo recognizes her cold voice, whispering to them before Sunghoon’s back was sliced up by her minions.. “I am very happy to see you.” 

Sunoo, practicing the art of being a gentleman, bows to her and extends his hand. And she takes it. They continue to dance, acting as normal. 

“It’s an excellent party, your Grace.” Sunoo tries to say. 

“I hope you enjoy it, I made sure to assemble all the powerful magic-users in the country in preparation for the war.” 

“Ah yes. The war. Sunghoon is very concerned about that as well.” Sunoo says, and the woman looks at him like he just told a very funny joke. 

“Where is Sunghoon? Sulliman asks lightly. “I would have hoped to see him receive my invitation.” 

“He is recuperating.” Sunoo answers back quickly. “Got into a terrible accident with some retainers trying to track him down.” 

“Ah. I see.” Sulliman is smiling lightly, a fact that makes Sunoo’s patience thin. “And so you were sent in his place.” 

Sunoo grits his teeth. 

“Is something the matter?” She asks. 

Sunoo’s grip tightens at her waist as he leads her around the floor. “Not at all. I was just wondering how something so… careless could happen.” 

Sulliman chuckles a little. “Sunghoon is stubborn and a coward. He could have come quietly, but instead he puts people in harm’s way as he continues to hide.” 

“Sunghoon is not a coward. He saved us.” 

“Did he now?” Sullliman asks, still acting amused. How could she smile so easily when Sunghoon was nearly killed? 

“With all due respect, your Grace ,” Sunoo spits. “You are the coward. Using innocents as leverage to threaten your student? ” 

“Temper, temper.” Sulliman says. “I merely found Sunghoon’s weakness. You cannot blame me for trying to help myself.” 

“Weakness?”

Sulliman smiles dryly. “ You.” 

Sunoo stiffens up. What did she mean he was his weakness? Has she been watching them this whole time ? “ Sung-” 

“So easy to read.” Sulliman smiles. “Just look at you, young and in love.” 

Sunoo didn’t know what Sulliman meant by young or in love , though he did feel himself stand straighter. He isn’t sure if that’s from anger or something else. 

“And now that I have you. Sunghoon will have no choice but to come. I cannot believe he sent you himself.” Madam Sulliman says gleefully. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal, Sunoo.” 

Sunoo feels himself burn in rage. Not for himself, but for Sunghoon. He cannot come here. He cannot let Sunghoon see her again.

“You won’t get away with this.” 

Sullivan giggles, Sunoo would have found it girlish if he was not seething at the moment. “What will you do, run away? All these wizards are under my control. You won’t be able to set foot out of the castle without being killed.”

Sunoo doesn’t panic. His mind whirls with plans on escape. How will he make it out of this? “I cannot believe this is the person leading Ingary to war. You’d harm civilians so easily.” 

“Nothing has to happen.” She soothes him. “Don’t do anything rash and I’ll let you walk out of here alive. Just stay here until Sunghoon comes to collect you.” 

Before Sunoo can refute her, she waves a hand dismissively. Immediately, armed guards take Sunoo’s arms and practically lift him away from here. 

“Enjoy the party, Sunoo.” 

Sunoo is reeling. 

He stumbles away after the guards let him go, depositing him in the middle of the dance floor. He felt dizzy after that conversation with Sullivan. How will he get out of here? Even worse, how can he stop Sunghoon from coming here? 

Sunoo tries to make his way to the side of the room, but gets swept away by the dance once again. A soldier grabs his hand and makes him his dance partner. 

“Sir please, I’m in a great hurry. Let us-” 

“Trying to get away, Sunoo-sshi?” The man says. Sunoo looks up and sees the same man from before in front of him. 

“You again?” 

“I must simply have this dance.” The soldier says easily, clearly enjoying his time. Sunoo hears the song change into a slower waltz. One that sounds a bit darker and heavier. 

The soldier takes Sunoo’s hand, leading him in a dance. If Sunoo were not fearing for his life, he might have enjoyed it. 

“Sir, you don’t understand. I must leave right away.” Sunoo says. 

“How can you when we’re the guests of honor?” The soldier says. 

Sunoo looks more closely at the man. Underneath the beard, the soldier had fine smooth skin. A beauty mark, and sparkling dark eyes that Sunoo knew. No way. It couldn’t be.

“Sungho- ?” Sunoo begins to say. But the other puts a gloved hand to Sunoo’s mouth. 

“Shhh. Let’s not draw attention to ourselves now.”

 His eyes dance. His hand is on Sunoo’s waist. He cannot breathe right now. 

“You cannot be here!” Sunoo whispers harshly. “It’s a trap. Sullivan has organized this ball just to capture you.” 

“It seems her plan has worked.” Sunghoon says, light in his eyes. Even underneath the disguise, it is undeniably the wizard. Sunoo isn’t sure how he couldn’t tell beforehand.

“How can you be so calm?” Sunoo shakes his head.

“Well for one, it is indeed a splendid party.” Sunghoon gives Sunoo a quick spin. “I’m dancing with a wonderful person as well.” 

“You shouldn’t have come.” Sunoo says again, trying to ignore the last thing Sunghoon had said. 

Forward and back they move, twirling until they are in the middle of the dance floor. Sunghoon leads him expertly, Sunoo must admit. This was the most splendid thing he has ever experienced. 

Dancing with a handsome man, wearing the finest clothes, in the grandest ballroom in the country. 

Sunghoon savors this moment as well, staring down at Sunoo. The boy’s hair shone brightly under the lights. He stood straighter, seemed more sure of himself, even if he himself wasn’t aware of it. Sunoo was dazzling.  

But Sunghoon’s eyes are pained, and he holds Sunoo’s hand almost too tightly, like he was scared of what would happen if he would let it go. 

“I’m not leaving you here alone.” He whispers.

“To all the esteemed guests, I thank you for your attendance.” Sulliman’s voice rings throughout the hall. 

Sunoo shivers at her voice. But Sunghoon is only staring at him.  “Just keep looking at me, Sunoo.” 

The boy looks to the wizard. He is smiling. So brightly, it brings smile lines towards his handsome eyes. 

“Things are about to get very interesting, very quickly.” He says. “When things go down, just turn around and head straight for the doors.” 

“Sunghoon, no.” Sunoo breathes out. 

“We have arrived at the main event for tonight. A little game of sorts.” Sulliman says. “The great wizard Sunghoon will be gracing us with his presence shortly...” 

Sunghoon continues to hold Sunoo, swaying with him slowly. Sunoo can only stand there in his arms, mind racing. Should he run? Was there a way for him to save Sunghoon?

“...whoever can capture and bring him to me alive will receive rewards beyond measure.”

The crowd chatters loudly at that, moving restlessly. Capturing the strongest wizard in the country? Was that feat even possible? Why did Sulliman want her own apprentice captured? 

No one pays him and Sunghoon any attention yet. 

“I thank you for coming with me today, Sunoo. You’ve certainly made all of this easier for me.” Sunghoon says. He steps away from Sunoo and lowers himself into a bow. He presses a kiss to the back of Sunoo’s hand. 

“Now it’s time for you to go.” 

A spotlight opens and shines a light above their heads. Sunghoon’s smile melts away, from gentle into cold. And he faces the hundreds of other wizards in the ballroom with dead, dark eyes.  

He only says one thing. 

“Run.” 

Now Sunoo isn’t sure if that was directed at him or the other wizards. But Sunoo knows better than to argue. Because he’s seen firsthand how well Sunghoon controlled magic. 

He was totally out of control. 

Sunoo makes a mad dash away from the center of the room and dives below a dessert table to take cover. 

Sunghoon explodes in a bright flash, he freezes half the ballroom, trapping most of the wizards in a prison of ice. Those who were far enough away are thrown back by the force. 

Sunghoon closes in on himself, feeling feathers sprout around his face. Magic pulses within him, howling to be released. 

No. Keep it together. He forces himself to breathe deep. 

He feels them retreat for the moment. 

“Impressive.” Sulliman says. “It seems you’ve been honing your skills, Sunghoon.” 

Sunghoon bristles at her words, He blocks an attack from the side with a wave of his hand. Some straggling wizards were still attempting to capture him. 

He quickly freezes the rest of them in place, trying to incapacitate without killing. Then jumps, no, he flies towards Sulliman. The woman just smiles, greeting him with open arms. 

“You finally came.” Sulliman smiles at him. 

“It seems declining the invitation wasn’t an option.” He growls. 

Sunghoon’s arms are coated in ice, steaming from how cold they were. He raises it in a threatening motion. But Sulliman is not impressed. 

“Such anger. Where was this fire when you were my student?”

“Is this some kind of joke to you?” Sunghoon gestures to the ballroom. It is destroyed. Ice covered almost every inch of the room. The witches and wizards were frozen, still in position like ice statues. 

“You called all these people here just to get my attention.” 

“It is a lesson.” Sulliman says. “This is war.” 

“You hurt innocents.” Sunghoon grits out. “You hurt my friends .” He remembers the times his master sent out her minions to retrieve him, not caring if Sunoo or Ni-ki were there.  

“I would never hurt them.” Sulliman smiles thinly. “I only hurt you.” 

Sunghoon blinks. And in that moment, Sulliman reaches her hand out and places it on Sunghoon’s forehead. Sunghoon’s eyes immediately roll back, and he slumps down onto his knees in front of her. 

“Don’t you see, Sunghoon? Your power is too great to not be used to its full potential. You are worth more than a hundred paltry wizards. You could turn the tide of this war.” 

Sunghoon begins to change. Though unconscious, feathers sprout on his face, on his neck, all the way down his arms. He begins to turn less human.

 He sees frightening images, all the horrible things Sulliman wants him to see. 

“You are a weapon.” Sulliman coos. “You are meant to serve this country. Don’t you want all this to end?” 

“I-” 

“You haven’t found the prince in the 3 years I gave you and now this war is spiraling out of control.”

“Don’t you want your friends to be safe?”

“Please.” Sunghoon whispers. 

“Come back to me, and we can win this together.” 

Sunoo sees all of this from where he is hiding. The way Sulliman has her hand almost clawed over Sunghoon’s face. The helpless way Sunghoon is placed in front of her, losing control of his powers. He is mouthing words Sunoo do not hear. 

He is crying. 

Sunoo rushes out from underneath the table and runs towards them. 

In rage, he swings his cane towards her, uncaring if he could crack her skull open. 

The connection instantly severs upon contact. With a gasp, Sunghoon falls back, unconscious. And Sulliman grabs at her face. There is a cut on her cheek. 

“Stop this!” Sunoo says. “Sunghoon cannot go with you.” 

Sulliman’s eyes are bright with rage, but she does not strike down Sunoo where he stands, which was a win in Sunoo’s book. She looks almost impressed. 

“Are you not afraid of him, Sunoo?” Sulliman says. “Did you not see what he just did?” 

“You keep putting him in danger! He was only defending himself.” 

“He was not in any danger.” Sulliman says. “He is still my student, but he needs to see. Our country being enslaved by High Norland is the real danger.” 

She points to the boy laying on the floor, if he could still be called that. He was a hulking mess of black feathers and ice, panting and steaming.  

“Sunghoon is a monster.” She says.

“Sunghoon is a protector.” Sunoo grits out. “He does not want to fight.” 

“And do you think I do?” Sulliman argues. “There is no other way.” 

The air feels charged. It smells of sulfur and gunpowder, the way a battlefield would. The world around them begins to melt, Sunoo hears screams and cries. 

“Now I do not hurt civilians.” Sulliman says coldly, raising her arms. “But for you, I think I’ll make an exception.” 

Sunoo watches as the ballroom begins to fade away into a dark, smoky land. All around him were fires and guns blazing. Sulliman’s power was illusions. This isn’t real. 

It certainly felt real though. Sunoo runs towards Sunghoon, trying to shake him awake.
“Sunghoon! C’mon, get up!” 

Sunoo tries to put Sunghoon’s arm over him, or whatever was his arm anyway. It had turned into a black, feathered wing. 

The air is so foul-smelling Sunoo almost chokes on it . Was this the nightmare Sulliman always showed Sunghoon? He tries to grab at Sunghoon’s face, making look at Sunoo. 

“Why are you here…” Sunghoon whispers out. “You shouldn’t be here.” His eyes are broken and unfocused. 

“Then get us out!” Sunoo retorts. “You brought me here. I’m too involved now.” 

Sunghoon raises a hand towards the skies. He clenches his fist, concentrating on something. 

Then suddenly, the sky above them cracks like a pane of glass. It shatters, and the world around them disappears like smoke, bringing them back to the castle. Sunoo looks up to see a gaping hole where the ceiling used to be, and a very familiar person flying down, riding a small plane. 

“Hello!” Heeseung says, dropping down from the sky. 

“Who-” Sulliman begins to say, then dives out of the way as a chunk of ceiling falls. 

“Heeseung?” Sunoo is agape. 

“Come with me if you don’t wish to die!” Heeseung replies giddily. 

He sits at the helm of a small, military plane. Sunoo has no idea how he got there, or why Heeseung is trying to help them. But he advances towards Heeseung anyway, dragging Sunghoon along. 

“Why are you helping us?” Sunoo says.

Sunghoon lifts his head, and matches the other wizard’s gaze. “Wait. I know you.” 

“Do you now?” 

“You’re supposed to be dead.” 

“And you’re supposed to help me.” Heeseung flashes a grin that is too wide. “I’ve been told you’re the greatest wizard in the country.” 

“Isn’t this a bit much just to get an audience with me?” Sunghoon says. 

Sunoo and Sunghoon get on the plane and Heeseung takes to the skies. Sulliman pulls herself out of the rubble, watching as they leave. 

“Well, I figured now that you owe me one, you’d be obliged to.” Heeseung says. 

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

“What do you mean he’s supposed to be dead?” Sunoo asks, when they’re far enough away from Kingsbury to relax. The plane cruises above farmlands and rivers as the sun sets behind them. The wind whips at Sunoo’s hair, and he’s chilly at this altitude. 

“Heeseung is… someone I’ve only read about.” Sunghoon shakes his head. The boy has since returned to normal. Though his military uniform is ripped and tattered, the feathers are all gone. “He was the previous apprentice wizard for the crown.” 

“What? Wouldn’t that make him-” 

“About a hundred years old.” Heeseung finishes. “And I don’t look a day above twenty, right?” 

The wizard has since shed his dark furs, and was wearing a plain dress shirt and slacks. 

Underneath the white cloth, Sunoo could see his bones poking out, the way his skin seemed too translucent and papery. He didn’t look old, perhaps of similar age to Sunghoon. But the way he held himself certainly wasn’t of someone young. 

“Didn’t you say the old wizards perished in the last Great War?” Sunoo asks. 

“Allegedly from the plague.” Sunghoon says. “I don’t understand how this is possible.” 

“Well I’d love to tell you all about it, but… I cannot.” Heeseung says. 

“What does that mean?” Sunghoon shakes his head. But Sunoo looks towards the man driving the plane in front. It’s all starting to make sense now. 

“You’re Cursed too.” Sunoo says. Heeseung points at him, eyes glittering. Bingo.

“Even if you weren’t infected with the plague, you wouldn’t be able to live this long. Did someone curse you to live forever?” 

“Smart boy.” Heeseung says. 

“Then… why did you Curse me?” Sunoo shakes his head. “You took my vitality away, to sustain yourself? And what does this have to do with Sunghoon?”

“I can’t break your curse, Heeseung.” Sunghoon says. “That’s something only you can do for yourself.” 

“I know.” Heeseung whispers. “But I need to be with you. That’s all I know.” 

Sunoo and Sunghoon look at each other. They aren’t sure if Heeseung was someone to be trusted. He cursed Sunoo, broke into Madam Sulliman’s palace. And quite frankly, he didn’t seem all right in the head. 

But he was the one currently driving the plane, so they decide to see what will happen to this wizard. 

“We’re getting close to the Wastes.” Heeseung calls out. “Where can we find this great castle of yours, O Wizard Sunghoon?” 

“I’ll summon Jake.” Sunghoon says. 

He stands precariously, raising his hands. Nothing happens for a second. Then Sunoo begins to notice steam rising from the horizon. A small moving figure walking its way across the Wastes. 

“There.” Sunghoon sighs in relief. 

“Got it.” Heeseung drives the plane towards the castle. 

Sunoo watches as they fly closer and closer to the moving building, with no signs of slowing down. 

“Uhh… how do you suppose we land this thing?” Sunoo asks, calmly. 

In all honesty, he’s proud of himself for beginning to take such fantastical things in stride. 

“Hmm… didn’t think this one through.” Heeseung says.

The castle begins to gape open at the front, like a mouth opening wide. Warm light streaks from the gap, no doubt the lights from the cozy kitchen and living room that Sunoo has come to appreciate the past few days. 

Heeseung aims the plane straight for it. 

“Wait! We’re gonna- !” Sunoo tries to shout, but is unceremoniously thrown back as their small plane crashes into the castle at full speed. They plow through the floorboards with the grace of a trainwreck. 

Sunghoon quickly freezes a wall of ice in front of them, stopping them. But not soon enough. 

The castle was in shambles.

“What the hell, you guys!”  Jake screeches from the fireplace, blessedly unharmed. 

Pounding footsteps from above, and Ni-ki runs down the stairs. His eyes widen at the scene. 

“Woah…” 

Sunoo, with a groan, lifts himself out of the wreck. He looks at the carnage. The plane had driven straight through their dining room, dug itself into the floor. It was smoking and almost cut in half. 

All in all, a pretty successful landing. 

“We’re home!” Sunghoon announces. 

They all had questions, Sunoo was sure of that. But it was late into the night, and Sunghoon seemed keen on fixing this mess in the morning. 

Sunoo follows Ni-ki into his room. His sleeping alcove destroyed in their bumpy landing. Jake and Sunghoon had agreed to take turns watching Heeseung if he decided to turn into a murderous wizard at one point in the night.

Sunoo is not sure what Jake would be able to do, the fire-demon was tied to his fireplace. But he trusted them. 

He spares one last glance at Sunghoon. The wizard seemed tired, and his shoulders looked tense and heavy. He was clearly still thinking about everything that had happened that day. 

But when Sunoo offered to help take watch, Sunghoon just smiled sadly at him.

 “You’ve done enough for me, Sunoo. You should take it easy from now on.” 

Sunoo didn’t know why Sunghoon looked so sad. Or why the boy said it in that way. 

Sunoo tucks himself in beside Ni-ki and falls into a fitful sleep. 

Sunoo dreams. 

He finds himself in a long tunnel. The walls were jagged. Patches of green stone and wood that stretched far down, a long way down. Sunoo could not see the end. It made him feel claustrophobic. 

Hanging on the walls were crystals, trinkets, photo frames. It reminded him of Sunghoon’s room, how filled with things it was, but twisted until it was something he could not recognize. 

Sunoo walks through the tunnel slowly. There is wind leading towards somewhere, almost pushing Sunoo forward. The ground is uneven, similarly pockmarked with objects. 

At long last, Sunoo sees something at the end of the tunnel. 

The space opens up to a dark abyss. The wind seems to be blowing Sunoo towards the gaping hole. There is a hulking beast blocking the tunnel, preventing Sunoo from going further. It is breathing heavily. Sunoo can tell by the way its pitch-black feathers rustle as its body moves up and down. 

Sunoo reaches a hand out to it. Was it injured?

The body flinches when Sunoo makes contact with it. A breathy grunt comes from within the creature. 

Sunoo does not know how he can recognize him. He is twisted and hulking, even more monstrous than Sunoo thought possible. But he does. 

“Sunghoon…?” Sunoo whispers.

The mass of feathers jerk. 

“Don’t.” He snaps. The voice is gravely. It grates at Sunoo’s ears.

“Sunghoon. What is wrong.” Sunoo tries to shake at Sunghoon. His fingers sink into the feathers. It is tacky, like oil and ink. “Please. We can help you!” 

“Help me?” He says. “No one can help me.” 

“We already know you’re Cursed, Sunghoon. We can break it.” Sunoo insists. 

Sunghoon laughs. A dry, empty sound. “Break it? You can’t even break your own Curse.” 

Sunoo shakes his head. “You can’t do this alone.”

The creature stills for a second. Almost as if mulling on Sunoo’s words. Before his feathers rustle. Perking up like he was about to engage in something. A fight. 

“It’s the only way.” 

Sunghoon lifts himself with a groan. Sunoo watches in horror as Sunghoon spreads his massive wings. His entire body is covered in black feathers now, Sunoo cannot even see his face. Then he quickly shoots forward, flying through the tunnel and into the abyss, quickly receding from view. 

“Where are you going?” Sunoo tries to follow. “Wait! Don’t leave!” 

Sunoo stumbles and falls, just before the ground drops into the hole below. Sunoo can only watch as Sunghoon’s body disappears into the darkness. 

“Sunghoon!”