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Baek Saheon looks up at the stairs to the entrance to Daydream Academy. The castle's grand doors are nothing more than a fancy gateway to his lifelong prison, and each gleaming pillar only spells out disaster. But there's nowhere to go but forward, so he walks up the steps, suitcase trailing behind him and banging against each step as reluctantly as Baek Saheon himself feels.
This destiny was his sister's, first. He should've been free — it's supposed to be the eldest child who's stuck with the family legacy. But she managed to escape, and now Baek Saheon is doomed to live what was meant to be her fate: poisoned and falling into a coma, waking up to a stranger, marrying him. That abhorrent destiny started generations ago by one ancestor who stupidly accepted an apple from a stranger and trapped all her future descendants in an accursed village for the rest of their miserable lives.
He resents her, sometimes, even if he knows it's not fair of him. It was her death trap first, and she left it with him. But at the end of the day, the fault lies in the past. Beyond even Snow White all those years ago, but further back, with the system of the society they live in.
After making his way through long hallways of elegantly carpeted corridors, with bright floor-to-ceiling windows, Baek Saheon finally reaches his dormitory suite. To either side of the door stand tall wooden support pillars, each adorned with winding ivies and a myriad of flowers growing as high as the eye can see. He wants to sneeze just looking at it. On the door hangs a placard, names written in trailing golden script: Baek Saheon & Kim Soleum.
Baek Saheon scowls. Kim Soleum is a name as familiar as it isn't. From a generic family of generic royalty, Kim Soleum has no strict legacy, no heavy weight of destiny to follow. As the youngest son in his family, he's not even destined to inherit a kingdom. All he has is the vague responsibility to uphold royal values: saving princesses, upholding chivalry, practicing goodness, etc., etc. Ergo, freedom. Freedom like Baek Saheon used to have.
Many people who had a vague destiny like Kim Soleum's wished to have a more concrete, even a legendary one. From one of the greats, like Cinderella, Little Red, Robin Hood,… like Snow White. But Baek Saheon would give anything if it meant he could have a generic destiny again. Years ago, his sister probably felt the same way.
When he opens the door, his roommate is already there, looking out the window. Kim Soleum's hair is as basic as his name suggests: straight, black, unremarkable. His side of the room is equally neutral, fully furnished but with little to no personal effects. Catching a glimpse through the closet door reveals only rows upon rows of the same generic uniform: dark jacket, long-sleeved button-ups, black slacks.
But then Kim Soleum turns, deep red eyes meeting emerald green, and a shiver runs down his spine. Those red pupils — anything but normal — stared right into his, as if by looking hard enough, Kim Soleum would be able to see every little thing that made Baek Saheon tick.
An apple rolls to his feet, hitting the outer sole of his carefully polished loafers. Shiny, tempting, Red Delicious. Baek Saheon looks down at it, then looks back up at Kim Soleum. His gaze has not faltered.
"Sorry," Kim Soleum says, long strides stepping closer and closer, eyes still locked in on Baek Saheon. "That's mine." But he walks past the apple, and Baek Saheon steps back in turn, only for his back to meet the wall. "You can have it, though. If you want."
Kim Soleum has an imposing aura, even though he stands barely an inch taller. Baek Saheon has never been so scared in his life. Is this a threat?
This close, Baek Saheon swears that he and Kim Soleum are breathing the same air. Surprisingly, his breath smells like grapes.
"Well? Do you?" Kim Soleum asks, gesturing downwards. Right. The apple.
"No, thank you," Baek Saheon manages out, smiling the most innocent smile he can. The very same that will one day name him the fairest one of all, with blood red lips and namesake snow white skin. (He did not inherit ebony hair. That curse, his sister alone will carry to her grave.)
Kim Soleum nods, then picks up the apple and walks back to his side of the room.
Was he rooming with a psychopath? Only a psychopath could casually threaten someone like that, then walk away as if nothing happened.
Just his luck to be stuck with a cursed destiny and a crazy roommate. Baek Saheon sighs. It's going to be a long year.
Legacy Day rehearsal is a drag. State your name, declare your destiny, sign away your life, blah blah blah. For a ceremony so monumental, the actions themselves sure are trivial. Not something you really need practice for.
Most people aren't taking it seriously; half the class didn't even bother to show up. The guy at the podium is leaning against it, and the next person in line after him is scrolling on her MirrorPhone. Baek Saheon supposes that it's easier for people who are happy with their destinies, or have had their whole lives to resign themselves to them.
In line in front of Baek Saheon is Kim Soleum, who's staring at each student with an unwavering intensity. Despite all of Baek Saheon's best efforts, he didn't quite manage to evade Kim Soleum, and they had walked to practice together, and so stood in line at the same time. Kim Soleum didn't say a word the whole way. It was probably the most awkward 10 minutes of his whole life.
The practice itself isn't long, and before he knows it, Kim Soleum is up on the podium.
Kim Soleum stands in front of the practice textbook with all the solemnity normally reserved for the real Storybook of Legends — head up, shoulders back, hands folded neatly behind his back.
"My name is Kim Soleum. I'm ready to pledge my destiny." The supervising instructor nods, Kim Soleum steps away, and then it's Baek Saheon's turn.
He envies Kim Soleum, sometimes. Maybe all the time. The youngest son of a generic family. No hard guidelines to follow, no heavy weight of destiny like his own.
Baek Saheon steps up to the podium. His hands are shaking. Stupid. He knows that this is fake. He places them upon the podium to steady them. He needs to calm down. It's just practice.
"My name is Baek Saheon, descendant of Snow White, and I'm ready to pledge my destiny." He sounds so performative that he wants to throw up. Tomorrow he'll have to do it for real, and thinking about that only makes him want to throw up again.
Baek Saheon would rather do literally anything else. If only there were some other option.
…
Well.
Technically. He has one other option. It's less of a choice and more of an ultimatum, but it is another option.
As the legends go, if you don't agree to live your destiny, the story behind it ceases to exist. From the main protagonist to a barely named character, everyone who is a part of that story ceases to exist if even one of them refuses.
Of course, no one's ever proven it; after all, no one has refused to sign. Who would risk throwing away their whole life on a whim?
He would, Baek Saheon thinks with startling clarity. Baek Saheon would risk everything if it meant he didn't have to be tied to a random kingdom and some dead-end husband for the rest of his life.
When he finally makes it back to his dormitory, Kim Soleum is already there. He's sitting on his bed, reading a book — and wearing reading glasses, Baek Saheon never would've guessed he used reading glasses — but looks up when Baek Saheon opens the door.
"You looked nervous up there," he says, flipping a page without looking back down.
You think? Baek Saheon rolls his eyes inwardly. "Why would I be nervous?" Baek Saheon asks instead, voice as light and pleasant as he could make it.
"Because you don't want to sign," Kim Soleum replies bluntly, shattering any illusion that Baek Saheon could've held of getting out of this conversation, and through the year, even, without a confrontation. "It's not that hard to figure out. You're the second-born, right? Most don't want anything to do with the family legacy. Snow White also isn't a great destiny to have, you would be poisoned only to marry a stranger." He shrugs nonchalantly, but Baek Saheon is fighting to keep his palms flat at his side. His future sounds bad enough without someone else spelling it out. "So? Am I right?"
Kim Soleum hadn't said anything earlier, but now, after psychoanalyzing him, he wants to talk?
"You think I have a choice?!" Baek Saheon blurts out, surprising himself. He had wanted to keep up an innocent, meeker attitude in hopes that his psychopathic roommate would leave him alone, but he supposes that those plans have also fallen through. His vision blurs. Since when were his eyes wet? "Like I could just walk away from destiny?"
"You could. Just don't sign," Kim Soleum says. His expression remains unchanged, despite suggesting that Baek Saheon risk his life on a whim. He really is a psychopath.
"Just don't sign?" Baek Saheon repeats incredulously. "'Just don't sign?' Do you not know what happens if you don't sign?"
For a second, Kim Soleum looks pitying, before the look is gone just as fast. "No one's seen it happen. Chances are, it's not even true," he says. Like he knows something no one else does.
He's crazy. He's absolutely crazy… but the thought won't leave his mind.
Baek Saheon wishes that he had never even thought of it in the first place. It's taboo, not signing. There's a reason no one's done it before.
The sun rises on Legacy Day like it does any other day, with clear skies and bright sun. Leading up to the ceremony, the day is so mundane, Baek Saheon can almost pretend he's not about to sign away his future. But he can't stomach eating anything all day, and later in the evening, even as he gets dressed in his nicest finery, he can't stop his hands from shaking as he pins a crown to his brown curls and fumbles closed the apple-shaped clasp to his white cloak.
Walking to the ceremony is a bit of a reprieve. Everyone is dressed to the nines; eye-catching crowns and cloaks and long skirts trailing everywhere, it's a wonder that no one trips. Even Kim Soleum's normally plain demeanor shines with regality, the fabric of his black cloak shimmering under the moonlight every time he walks past a window, and so much gleaming gold jewelry that it looks like it's melting off of him.
After Baek Saheon finds his place in line (unfortunately, near the front), the opening speech passes by in a blink. The first few people sign, and before he knows it, Baek Saheon hears his name called.
He walks up to the podium, each step feeling like he's dragging a ball and chain with him. Atop the podium sits a glowing book with archaic binding, but without the wear and tear expected from a book that ancient. On the cover is a glowing mirror, a swirling reflection giving off the impression of some sort of portal. From youth, every child has heard descriptions of this tome: the Storybook of Legends. And today, Baek Saheon is about to sign it.
He takes a deep breath and speaks before he can lose his nerve. "My name is Baek Saheon, descendant of Snow White, and I'm ready to pledge my destiny." At his words, an intricate gold key appears and falls into his palm, apple and vine carvings winding up its stem. Baek Saheon sticks it into the Storybook of Legends and turns it 90 degrees clockwise, as dictated.
The cover flips open straight to Snow White, and he can do nothing but watch as his story plays out. Living a tortured life, being chased into the woods by a jealous stepmother, saved by the mercy of a hunter, only to be poisoned by the glossiest apple from an old woman's fruit basket, falling into a coma that can only be reversed by the kiss of a stranger.
As the story flips to its end, a mirror shimmers into existence in front of him, and Baek Saheon stares into the end of his story, the silhouette of his future self. A so-called 'Happily Ever After.' The king of a kingdom he would do anything to leave. A crown upon his head made up of chains. He's smiling, but there's no life behind his eyes.
He looks absolutely miserable.
Just don't sign, Kim Soleum's voice echoes in his head, confident and sure. As if he could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was an alternative choice Baek Saheon could make.
...Kim Soleum is a psychopath, and, very easily, could have been lying to him.
The mirror dissipates, and in its place, a delicate, snowy white feathered quill appears beside his hand. An empty section at the bottom of the page calls out for his signature, like it's a given.
It's enough to push him over the edge.
…Fuck, this is crazy, it's insane, what does it matter what Kim Soleum says, how would Kim Soleum even know whether it's safe or not?!
But Baek Saheon is sure of one thing: he absolutely will not live that life.
I'm not going to sign, Baek Saheon realizes hysterically. He leaves the quill hanging and steps away from the podium. "I'm not going to sign!"
He won't, he absolutely won't, he'd rather die, and if everyone goes down with him, then, well. Baek Saheon has always been selfish.
As if it's been listening, the Storybook of Legends flips closed on its own. The mirror inlaid in its cover is no longer glowing. For a second, it's pure silence. Somewhere, he swears he can hear a mirror shatter. The world is so still that Baek Saheon almost thinks that he died after all. Then the screaming starts, people standing up and panicking, teachers pushing through the crowd, booing from anyone not already too busy screaming. A piece of glass flies into his left eye, and Baek Saheon curses, fumbling to pull out the glass as he looks down. It turns out that a mirror had shattered after all. The mirror adorning the Storybook of Legends had cracked, its missing shard sitting in Baek Saheon's palm.
None of that matters, though, because Baek Saheon is still here. He continues to exist, even after rejecting his destiny. Amongst the sound of booing and people stumbling over chairs, someone cheers. And then another, and another until the crowd is just a wave of sounds and people and Baek Saheon needs to get out.
He does what he does best, and runs. He makes it downstage and out the back, where only the few people who have signed before him are waiting. No one stops him, so he keeps running, even if he has to leave a trail of blood behind, looping around the stage and back in the direction of the dormitory towers. Through darkened hallway shadows and spiraling staircases until—
"Slow down," comes an unhurried voice, and Baek Saheon shrieks. He turns around to see Kim Soleum, hunched over with his hands on his knees. His face looked as porcelain as it normally did, and his voice was steady. If not for his pose and the rapid rise and fall of his chest, there would've been no indication of Kim Soleum being tired at all.
"No need to yell," Kim Soleum grumbles, like he didn't just appear out of nowhere. "It's just me."
"How long have you been following me?!" Baek Saheon points, and Kim Soleum rolls his eyes. Has he always been this expressive?
"Like the whole time? I was behind you in line to sign." He shakes his head and catches up to Baek Saheon. "Speaking of, you should be careful for the next few days. Director Cheong's not going to like what you did tonight. Watch out for Kwak Jekang too, he's going to ask you highly invasive questions. Oh, Director Ho might want to talk to you, but he won't hurt you. Probably."
Baek Saheon waits, but, "That's it? No, 'you're crazy, Baek Saheon,' 'why would you risk everyone's life, Baek Saheon?' Just 'be careful?'"
Kim Soleum only shrugs. "I told you, you would be fine if you didn't sign. Apple?" He reaches into the void of his cloak and somehow pulls out an apple, holding it out to Baek Saheon. This time, it's a bright, shiny green, reminding him of the color of his eyes.
"You did not tell me that, how would you even know that? And where were you even keeping that apple??" Baek Saheon accuses, but Kim Soleum ignores him. Instead, he drops the apple, previously dangling from his thumb and pointer fingers by the stem. Against all rationality, Baek Saheon stumbles down to catch it, and, before he can think twice, takes a bite. There's a solid crunch, before the juice bursts, sweet and cool against his tongue.
Kim Soleum smirks, and Baek Saheon feels like he's fallen into a trap of some sort. Then Kim Soleum raises his hand, a bloodied mirror shard between his fingers. Baek Saheon looks down at the apple again, juice and blood smearing together in his palm.
"We'll walk the rest of the way. I have bandages in our room," is all Kim Soleum says, and as Baek Saheon struggles to meet Kim Soleum's long strides, somehow, despite the fear and insecurities swirling around in his mind, his heart feels lighter.