#cromernet

Yeosang couldn't believe that he was almost there, almost at the new region he was set to explore with his two partners, houndour and lilipup. The three of them were sitting in the small boat watching as it speed through the vast sea towards the little random town he'd begin his journey in Johto. His two partners were both sticking their heads out of the window to enjoy the breeze and he couldn't help but wonder what he might encounter in Johto, it was so vastly different from his home region Unova and it was precisely the reason he wanted to start his journey here than at home.

His skateboard rested on his lap as he looked at his two friends with happiness in his eyes.

"We are almost at the village, are you sure you want to start here and not in one of the bigger cities?" The captain asked as he looked over his shoulders towards his lone customer, a young boy with a single backpack, two Pokémon's and a skateboard.

"Oh no! I want to start in a small village, no expectations or anything and just see were the wind might take us! We will get to the big cities eventually." He tells the captain with a smile as his friends starts barking out agreements.

"Is there anything special you are looking for?"

"Hmmm I don't know... I know I eventually wanna go to Ecruteak and visit the burnt tower. I read about the legend surrounding the tower and the legendary Ho-Oh rescuing those three pokémons from the fire." He starts rambling on about it and the captain laughs a deep belly laughter at the mention of the legend.

"Ah you've heard of the legend where Ho-Oh might have resurrected those three pokémons into the legendary beasts?"

That caught all of their attention.

"The legendary beasts?" Yeosang sat up straighter and his partners turned around with the same curious looks and the captain nodded as he kept his eyes on the sea.

"Yes, it is a legend and no one knows if it's truly what happened. But when the tower was burning down three pokémons lost their lives in there and Ho-Oh felt such sorrow at the loss of three lives that it used its powers to resurrect them and give them new life in the form of the legendary beasts, Entei, Raikou and Suicune, who now roam through Johto. Powerful beasts they are but they generally tend to stay away from humans because of the reaction they got when they were first resurrected back in the olden days. Ho-Oh is their master." The captain tells him and Yeosang can feel the chills traveling through his body after hearing the story.

It all sounds so marvelous yet mystical and so unlike any of the myths and legends he had heard of growing up.

"They must be majestic... Have you ever seen one of them?" He can't help but ask curious to what they might look like and if he'd ever have the luck to see one of them for himself one day while traveling their home region.

"Oh no, but what wouldn't I give to see Suicune one day! It is said that it can run on water so I often like to keep my eyes out while traveling and perhaps one day I will be blessed with seeing such a mighty pokémon while traveling the vast seas." The captain tells him longingly.

"I hope you get to see it one day!" Yeosang says before picking up his pokédex seeing if he can find anything on there on the legendary beasts.

"Entei the volcano pokémon! A Pokémon that races across the land. It is said that one is born every time a new volcano appears. Volcanoes erupt when it barks. Unable to contain its sheer power, it races headlong around the land."

"Oh wow look at that." He turns the Pokédex so that houndour and lilipup can see the beast clearly.

"Arf arf!"

"Grrrr"

He chuckles at their reactions, houndour clearly seeing someone he can compete with since they're both fire pokémons while lilipup looks more apprehensive at the beast being shown to them.

"Shall we check the other ones as well?" He asks the two of them who nod and both tries to shove their ways onto his lap causing him to laugh out loud again.

"Calm down calm down don't push each other." He chuckles before making sure to put away his skateboard so both can sit comfortably in his lap as he searches for suicune.

"Suicune the aurora pokémon. This Pokémon races across the land. It is said that north winds will somehow blow whenever it appears. Said to be the embodiment of north winds, it can instantly purify filthy, murky water."

"And that is another reason Suicune is my favorite of the trio. Doing more good to our environment and especially the sea, lakes, ponds and such. Pokémon truly are such marvelous creatures." The captain murmurs as he steers the boat closer and closer to the village, slowing down so he will get right next to the dock.

"What was the name of the last one?" Yeosang asks curiously desperately wanting to know more about the trio.

"That would be Raikou."

"Raikou the thunder pokémon. A Pokémon that races across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder. The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning."

His Pokédex chimed as it showed a picture of the thunder beast and Yeosang couldn't help but realize that this majestic beast would become his favorite just like the captains favorite was Suicune.

"Well my friend, we are finally at your destination. It was nice traveling with you and your two friends. I usually don't get to travel with people often so I thank you for sharing your time with me."

"Oh I should be the one to thank you for allowing me on your boat and for helping me travel here so I can start my journey. Truly thank you!" Yeosang bows as he stands up and gather his things, putting his Pokédex away and picking up his bag and skateboard.

He shakes the captain's hand before getting off the boat and walking onto the docks, lilipup rushes out before him shaking his little body and doing a little stretch before sniffing around in the new environment curiously. Houndour is much more apprehensive as he gets off the boat, careful to not fall into the water before trotting up and sitting next to Yeosang.

Awaiting their next move.

"You two ready to skate?"

He put down his skateboard and both pokémons get ready to race their friend to the end of the docks and further into this new village.

"Ready.... Set..." Yeosang kicks off to get a head start and then laughs loudly as he hears the howls of his partners before they rush after him. "Go! Last one to the end is a rotten egg!!"

"Arf arf!!"

"Bawohh!"

-----

The sun outside was shining brightly, making the pond outside your little shop glimmer as if there were gem stones hidden away in the depths of it. It was a new wonderful day, a gentle breeze we’re traveling through your little town carrying cherry blossoms along the way together with some hoppips just floating around happily enjoying just existing as they were. If you were to look outside your shop you’d easily spot combees and a vespiqueen floating around, collecting honey and helping you tend to your flower garden.

“It’s a lovely day today Mareep, think we’ll get some things planted today?” You ask out loud as you pick up the sign that says open, placing it right outside making sure it’s visible from the street. Perhaps the sweet kids from the other side of town would visit you again today, sometimes they bring you seeds or berries as a thank you for allowing them to hang out and explore your pretty garden and be with your friends as well.

They were sweet kids and you adored having them around, especially when they ask all of their little questions about what you do and let their curiosity win. You always indulge in their questions and answer them no matter how repetitive they sometimes get.

“Mareeeep.” Your little wooly friend jumps around happily before trotting out to do her little inspection of everything. You call her miss inspector gadget simply because she has to inspect everything every morning, making sure everything is up to standard. One time a Pokémon had destroyed a particular plant you had worked hard to cultivate and grow and she had been so furious she’d jump straight into a battle with it, electrocuting it quickly with her thunder shock and then head butting it promptly.

Who needs a growlith or a snubull to stand guard when you got a wooly little electrical sheep on your side?

Looking out you were happy to see what you had built from scratch, a place where humans and pokémons alike could enjoy themselves and be together in harmony.

"Oh hello dear, am I too early to do some shopping?" You turn around at the elderly voice, seeing the familiar sight of lady Midori standing closely to one of the oran berry trees you've grown closely to your hut.

"Good morning Midori, it's never too early for my favorite customer to do some shopping from me and you know that." You tell her happily walking up to give the elderly lady a hug.

She became one of your regulars after you once helped her heal up her friend cleffa who had one spring gotten ill. She hadn't been able to make the journey to the town over where the pokémon center was located and didn't know what to do until someone had suggested she'd visit you and see if you had perhaps any herbs or berries that could help. Luckily you did and ever since you healed her precious partner she has visited you without fail at least once a day, some days to shop, other days to just talk and some days visiting to give you gifts.

You tried denying her gifts saying it wasn't necessary but she would not take no for an answer and you could never beat her at this game, she was clever despite her old age and always had a way around your denials.

"Oh that is very good! I was hoping to see if you had something that I can give my dear little Cleffa to eat that would increase our friendship. I want her to be happy and healthy." Midori tells you as she looks over to where her cleffa is hanging out with your mareep and a wild teddiursa seemingly playing tag with each other.

"Of course, I think I have a few berries that raises the friendship and love thus strengthening the bond between humans and their partner pokémon. Let's go inside and let me check."

The two of you walk inside your shop and you rummage around for a while before finding what you were looking for, a basket of pomeg berries.

"These are Pomeg berries and they work wonderfully to raise friendship and specifically the lovely bond between the two of you, it is both sweet and a little bit spicy, the perfect combination if you ask me." You tell her as you show off the berry and how she'd peel it to find multiple pieces inside.

"Those look lovely, do you think I can purchase four of those, three hondew berries and two sitrus berries please?"

"Of course! Let me get them ready for you." You pick up a small paper bag and carefully puts down her order in the bag, making sure to give her the exact amount she wanted and when she looks away you sneak in a few free gifts for her, quickly wrapping it all up before she has the chance to look inside and confirm its all she wanted.

"That would be around 20 pokédollars." You tell her and she hands you the money while telling you that you should up the price a bit so you'd make a profit off of your hard work.

You just laugh and tell her that you want as many people as possible to be able to afford what you sell so increasing the price is not something you will do for a long time unless it became absolutely necessary for you to do so.

"Okay okay then." She shakes her head at your stubbornness and then walks out of the shop with you. "Cleffa darling, it's time to go, we do not want to be late to our afternoon tea with Mister Davis." She says before giving you a wink and you can only laugh as you realize she's going on a date with the older gentleman.

"Enjoy your date Midori!" You call after her and she waves at you: "Oh I will darling! You know you should find someone as well!" She giggles at your flabbergasted face and mareep just shake her little head shouting out protests at the idea of you finding someone to be with.

"Mareep... Oh I am so wounded." You pretend to be so upset at her objecting to you ever finding someone, dramatically placing your hand over your chest. "You don't want me to ever find someone to spend the rest of my life with? Oh I shall be lonely for all eternity." You fake sob as you dramatically fall down onto your legs and she rushes up to you worried she's actually made you upset.

"Marrr... mareeeep." She nuzzles her face close to yours mumbling apologies over and over again and you can't keep up the facade any longer, chuckling as you bring her into your embrace.

"I'm only joking sweetheart! I know you meant no harm. I just like teasing you."

"Baaaahhh!" She looks at you annoyed, her tail swishing back and forth as she contemplates if she should electrocute you for making her worry or not. You nuzzle her little face and giving the tuft of hair on the top of her head a little scratch before setting her down again.

"Now, how about we go and tend to the garden? I got some things I want to plant and some new decorations to put up." You ask her as you stand up turning towards said place and mareep jumps in front of you before rushing into the garden.

She inspects the place as you walk further into it, some combees buzzing around you happily before flying to the flowers. Their queen further into the garden is fluttering around enjoying the sun and you swear you can spot her weaving a bunch of flowers together in a wreath.

There is some poliwags and some marrills swimming and splashing around in the pond and you look around trying to see if your little friend wooper is anywhere to be found.

"Hmmm... Look's like he's no where to be found today." You mutter to yourself hoping the little fella isn't getting into too much trouble where ever he might be in the city.

------

Yeosang feels like he's flying through the city on his skateboard with houndour and lilipup rushing next to him excitedly, howling and jumping around as he swishes through the crowds and the streets. Johto so far is so very different from Unova and he loves it, it feels calmer and more relaxing with the people and pokémon seemingly taking their time to hang out and just enjoy the day as it comes.

Life back in Castelia City had been busy, life was constantly rushing and it was always so very loud. Sure there are probably cities in Unova that were calm and more serene but growing up in the big city and never really traveling outside it made him feel like that's all it was back home. Busy people who never took their time to truly enjoy life and the days as they came.

Yeosang is reminded once again of how peaceful it is here as he passes by multiple people just enjoying their days, he passes an elderly lady with a little Cleffa next to her and a youngster with his ratata as they practice some moves agains a tree. Reminding him of himself as a child with lillipup.

"Arf arf arf!!" Said pokémon starts barking excitedly as he skates down a hill and when he looks down towards his energetic friend he sees him speeding up towards a blue little creature seemingly going at the same speed he is.

"Is that a pokémon?" He murmurs to himself as he skates quicker with his board as he fishes up his pokédex curious. He's never seen a little fella like this one before and both his partners are barking in excitement at the pokémon riding a single rollerblade which he just noticed.

"Wooper the water fish pokémon. This Pokémon lives in cold water. It will leave the water to search for food when it gets cold outside. When it walks around on the ground, it coats its body with a slimy, poisonous film."

His pokédex chimes out and he lets out a little "wow." As the little guy swerves left and right just like him, the two of them going in a crisscross motion.

"Hello buddy! Wanna race?" He calls out excitedly towards the wooper who looks up at him with the most derpy face he's ever seen and Yeosang can't help the smile that crosses his face. He's never seen a more derpy looking pokémon before and dear Arceus does he want the little fella to join his team now.

"Woopa!" The wooper responds excitedly, tail swishing back and forth as it leans forward to gain more speed causing Yeosang to laugh out loud doing the same.

Now there is four of them racing down the hill excitedly, he hears an older gentleman laugh at them as they speed past him and some kids stating loudly how they want to skate with a skateboard like that as well much to the dismay of their parents.

Yeosang can't help the laugh escaping him as the wind brushes his cheeks and ruffles his hair. Even more so when houndour decides he's not doing fast enough and sprints behind him grabbing a part of Yeosangs outfit which is a leash hes got for the times when they wanna go super fast and then sprints forward all fired up.

Wooper and lillipup both let out surprised noises as he flies by and he doesn't register lillipup barking out a warning nor wooper slowing down before hes suddenly crashed into something that causes him to go flying straight into some bushes with houndour tripping over the leash face planting straight to the ground.

You can't even process what is happening until you fall back on your back, the vase in your hands flying up towards the sky and then much to your dismay falling down and splintering into a million pieces. No matter how much your butt hurt from flying down from the force that knocked into you, you couldn't help but feel more crushed over the fact that your vase had been broken.

Turning around slowly trying to see who caused this to happen you manage to spot a houndour with it's face roughed up from landing on the concrete and your heart softens a bit because it looks genuinely upset and ashamed that it had bumped into you, walking up slowly checking up on you with a low whine.

"Are you okay?" You ask gently letting the pokémon sniff your hand showing that it's okay. The houndour gives your hand a tentative lick before turning towards the bush behind you and your gaze follow him to the bush and you can't stop the snort escaping you.

A leg is sticking out of the bush lightly twitching.

It looks absolutely ridiculous from your point of view and you go to stand up to help the person while fighting the laugh wanting to escape when mareep runs up to the bush, clearly angry and zaps the person with one of her thunderbolts.

"Ah! Mareep! Stop that don't attack!!" You call out worriedly trying to get her to stop hurting the person.

"Mar! Eeep!" She stops rather quickly after hearing your protests and the houndour and another pokémon you've never seen before both dive into the bush to check on their trainer.

"I am so sorry are you okay in there?? Mareep! You can't just go around attacking people because they by accident bump into me! I was fine I wasn't hurt that badly." You emphasize the word accident as the person in the bush stands up, hair standing up in all places looking worse for wear.

"Ow ow ow... I don't know what hurt more, crashing into you and flying into the bush or being zapped by lightning." He says as he caresses his head.

"I am once again so sorry. She usually doesn't attack people I promise! I think she just got agitated by the whole scenario of you driving into me." You apologize as you pick up your wooly friend so she won't get the idea to zap him once more.

"Woopa?"

The little wooper has stopped right before the trainer looking concerned over his new friend's appearance.

"I'm okay, or well I will be okay after I rest for a while." He chuckles before looking up at you and his words die in his throat.

Yeosang could feel his face flushing red at the pretty person standing in front of him. There was no way he practically ran you over earlier and yet here you are apologizing to him. When it should be the other way around.

"I-i I should be the one to apologize to you!" He quickly bows in ninety degrees before walking out of the bush. "Did I hurt you badly? I'm sorry I'm new to this region and was just so excited to explore and skateboarding through the village was so much fun and me and Houndour got to excited. I should have watched where I was going and seen you before it was too late." He stumbled over his words, ears flushing a gentle pink.

"Oh well," You clear your throat "I'm fine I promise, my butt hurts a bit but I'm fine, I'm more worried about you getting electrocuted by Mareep... That must have hurt a lot." You say before continuing:

"If you'd like you could come rest at my place for a while and I could see if I got anything that could help you heal a bit faster? I might have some herbs that could help?" You smile at him and Yeosang feels once more the heat creeping up his neck.

"Ah y-yes I'd like that!" He says and his two friends barks in agreement.

"Great! I'm sure I got something for your dear friend Houndour and your other friend!" You take a look at the other little pokémon, it's clearly a puppy of sorts but you've never seen anything like it in Johto.

"And who might this be? I've never seen such a pokémon here before?" You ask sitting down and holding your hand out so the pokémon can sniff it.

"This is Lillipup! He's from Unova which is where I'm from, it's pretty far from Johto, takes a few hours by plane to get here. He was my first pokémon together with Houndour." Yeosnag smiles as he mimics you and sits down.

"Trainers in Unova get two pokémons as their first partner?" You ask curiously as the little pup have jumped up to sit on your legs clearly enjoying the scratches you're giving it.

"No I just happened to be very lucky if I'm honest."

"Awww aren't you a cutie?" You coo and lillipup wags its lil tail letting out an excited bark.

"Woopa?" The little wooper has perched itself on Yeosangs legs and you snort at the surprised sound that escapes Yeosang who had clearly not expected it at all. Houndour gruffs looking annoyed that someone that's not him is perched on his trainers lap.

"I promise buddy I'm fine." Yeosang smiles at the water pokémon and gives it a lil pat on the head before turning his attention to houndour who is now whining acting as if he's hurt his paw terribly from the accident.

"Awww are you hurt? Do you want me to kiss your paw and blow on it to make you feel better?" He asks grinning and the fire type just nods its head while holding out the paw, you chuckle when you see the satisfied smile on the pokémons face when Yeosang gives his paw a kiss and then blows on it.

"We can take a look at the paw at my shop while I get you something for your injuries as well?" You inquire, really wanting to bring him inside so you can patch him up.

When he looks at you you stand up and hold out your hand for him to take and he looks at it, then up at your face and then back at your hand before deciding to take your hand. His hand feels warm as he places it on yours and you help him up before guiding him back to your house.

Not letting go of his hand once.

"Oh wait... the vase!" You say turning around to look at it only to spot two friends of yours, two swablus sitting there with a dusting pan swiping all the broken pieces up.

"Thank you darlings!! And be careful! I don't want you to get hurt!" You call out and the two birds just chirp happily to you and continue helping cleaning things up.

You then continue to drag Yeosang back to your home.

Mareep runs ahead eager to show off your home as she stops by the entrance of your home and makes sure she stands tall fluffing her wool up as much as possible. Yeosangs lilipup runs up to her excited and jumps around before shaking its face trying to mimic her by fluffing up the fur on its face.

It causes both you and Yeosang to laugh adoringly at the little pup pokémon.

"In here I should have some medicine that will work for the two of you." You say as you step inside your shop, finally letting go of the boys hand to get behind the counter looking for the herbs you know will do the trick.

Yeosang looks around the shop in awe, it's so serene and beautiful, herbs and berries and even beautiful gem stones are littered around the shop giving it a real cozy vibe. He looks out of the window curiously and sees a garden worthy of praise, it looks like a little bit of paradise just waiting for someone to step into and relax.

He looks back towards you and the way you are so concentrated mixing up a drink for him and his partner awakens something within him. Perhaps it's the kindhearted nature you seem to exude or it's the kind smile you give the pokémon around you, even reaching down to give lilipup a scratch or two behind its floppy ears.

Or perhaps it's the way you let the little wooper know that you will help polish the rollerblade it had ridden earlier before Yeosang had admittedly crashed into you.

"Now this drink will be bitter, it will taste absolutely awful but that means it works okay? So I need the both of you to drink this up, no cheating trying to pour it into any of my plants okay?" You say sternly as you fixate a firm stare at him and houndour.

"You speak as if that happens often?" He asks trying to gage if you're just joking or not.

"It does and I do not like when people undermine my hard work and dedication. I've grown these herbs myself and I'm quite proud of them so please drink it all up." You tell them knowing that their faces might actually go green from how bitter the drink will be.

"We'll drink it all I promise!" Yeosang blurts out and houndour looks up at him quickly in shock looking ready to protest but Yeosang shoots him a look that says 'We will drink it and we will like it.' no matter how foul it might taste.

Lilipup snickers in the corner at the face houndour gives Yeosang before nodding as if he's accepting his fate. You hand them both the medicine, a cup for Yeosang and a bowl for the fire type.

Both of them take a look at each other before gulping down the drink you had given them and what happens is something you will remember for a long time. You can practically see the shivers traveling up their bodies and the way both slightly twitches at the bitterness of the drink. Yeosang looks like he's actually turning green in the face and you have to turn away slightly to hide the smile forcing it's way onto your mouth.

"Eeughhhg blergh." He blurts out sticking his tongue out as if that will help with the taste. Mareep is openly laughing at the way the two look and you shoot her a tiny glare because it's not polite laughing at others even though you do find it a bit funny.

"I know I'm sorry I warned the two of you that it would be bitter."

"I don't know what I expected but it certainly wasn't that... What did you even put in there?! I thought for a moment I was loosing all control of my body because of the taste."

The boy in front of you looks flabbergasted and you shrug.

"Most medicine from the herbs tastes bitter. Here!" You throw them both a berry each "A peacha berry to help with the bitterness! It's sweet I promise!" You quickly add when both give you a suspicious look.

Houndour is about to take a bite of the berry you had given him when your silly little friend wooper swoops in and eats the whole thing in one bite before sitting down content with a little wopaaa completely oblivious to the absolute disbelief that is written upon the other pokémon's face.

"Oh dear..." Yeosang says looking worried his friend will cause a scene because of it. And he's right, houndour immediately starts whining and acting all dramatically looking up at his trainer with wounded tearful eyes.

"Wooper! You can't just steal other pokemons berries!" You sit down scolding the blue little creature who just turns to look at you with a goofy smile before blasting you in the face with a water gun.

"Blearghaghjagr!" You wave your hands around trying to get him to stop and Yeosang gasps dropping his peacha berry, to which houndour gulps it up immediately, and tries to grab the little fella who's for fun blasting you with water.

"Stop it buddy you can't just blrhbhgghbhb!" He can't finish his sentence before the wooper with glee blasts him in the face with a water gun as well.

He has to fight hard not to drop the creature in his hands. While Yeosang is physically trying to get wooper to stop with what it's doing the other three pokémon has taken shelter behind you in fear of also getting wet.

"I can't believe I didn't see that coming." You groan trying to dry your face with your hands.

"Does he do this often?!" Yeosang asks as he's gasping for air while the wooper just giggles happily in his hands.

"Sometimes when he want's to be silly. I should have warned you." You mumble before looking up at the boy who is now sopping wet, looking like a wet cat and for some reason it sets you off.

It starts with a small snort until it builds up to a laughter. The laughter stop for one second as you lock eyes with him and for a moment it's entirely silent before the two of you crack up again laughing loudly as Yeosang sits down as well not being able to keep himself up any longer.

"Arf?"

"Mareeeep."

The three pokémon behind you look at each other like their trainers have finally lost it just laughing at each other as puddles of water form beneath them.

"Aren't we a sight for sore eyes huh?" You laugh and Yeosang nods laughing as well as he feels his cheeks heating up at the sound of your laughter.

"It's truly our day today if I may say so myself." He chuckles as he sets down the water Pokemon who flops down happily into one of the little puddles.

"We should dry up before one of us get's si-" A towel is thrown onto your face before a second one hits the face of your companion on the floor.

"Baaaaahhh!" Mareep is clearly upset at the two of you having fun and have taken matters into her own little paws making sure you two will get dry.

"Sorry, sorry buddy we'll dry up and change I promise!" You tell her trying to please the little primadonna next to you.

------

After the two of you had dried up and changed into dry clothes Yeosang had offered to help around in the garden as a way to apologize for crashing into you earlier.

"It's not much to do a part from just making sure everyone is happy." You explain as you guide him through the garden as mareep and her new friends run between your legs playing tag with each other.

"I think this is amazing, I've never seen such a garden before, one where pokémon and humans can interact so calmly." He admits and it peaks your interest.

"You weren't from here right?" You ask him curiously while glancing at his side profile and when he turns his head to look at you you're quick to look forward again pretending like you hadn't just been looking at him and his well... rather pretty side profile.

"I'm from Unova, not only that, I'm from one of the largest cities in the region and it's my first time being outside said city so this." He gestures to the garden. "Is amazing, I've never seen anything like it. It's so different from the concrete walls of Castelia and I have to say I'm enjoying it a lot." He confesses and you nod.

"I've never really traveled outside this city either." You confess. "But I think I'd like to try someday. Perhaps when I'm brave enough."

"I'm sure you will someday!"

A few combees flutter towards the both of you greeting you happily as they float around Yeosang curiously. The friendly bugs are curious about the new friend who has wandered in with you and they're eager to say hello.

"Oh hello!" He greets the female combee excited and she buzzes happily around him before flying backwards towards the vespiquen that is existing further inside.

"Ooohhh I think she's going to introduce you to the queen of the hive!" You say excitedly as you notice the shift around you.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He wonders out loud as a large vespiquen makes her way towards him.

"In your case I think it will be a good thing, you haven't provoked or scared the combees so she won't be calling for the aid of bedrills to chase you away."

The very thought of those big bees with their giant spears makes you wanna turn around to hide but you don't. Not when Yeosang is about to meet the queen.

She is right in front of the two of you, she greets you with a small nod of her head and you nod back respectfully and then she turns to Yeosang staring at him for a long time. You can tell that Yeosang has gone stiff as a board, it's almost as if he's not breathing at all until she eventually nod at him as well. To which he is quick to give her a bow as a sign of respect.

The vespiquen brings up her paw to her face and gives a smile clearly taking a liking to the boys politeness before flying away only to come back with some honey combs for him.

"Thank you! I'll cherish this!" He says in awe as they fly away.

"Congrats you are one of the few who will be able to cause any sort of ruckus here and she won't even be bothered by you!" You exclaim happily before explaining:

"She only gives away honey like that if she really likes you and think you won't be a bother for her and her bees."

"Oh wow that's amazing."

"It truly is, she is kind and gentle for the most part but sometimes she can get real fierce if you bother her hive too much."

"Remind me to never ever get on her bad side then." He muses and you nod, promising to remind him of that if he ever were to get on her bad side.

"That reminds me of something else! You skate right?" You ask him, hands folded behind your back as you tilt your head towards him.

"Yeah it's something I really enjoy doing!"

"Would you... would you mind teaching me someday?" You ask trying to hide the embarrassment of asking the question.

"You wanna learn how to skate?" He raises an eyebrow at you and you nod eagerly.

"Yeah! Before you came crashing into me it looked like a lot of fun and I really would love to try it and see if I'd be any good at it! Perhaps Mareep could pull me along like you and Houndour!" You babble on in excitement and Yeosang finds himself wanting to agree immediately if it means getting to see you this excited.

"Of course! We could start our lessons tomorrow! Today I am determined to help out here in the garden! Anything needs to be planted? Watered? Moved? I'll help!" He tries to show off his muscles as he mentions if anything needs to be moved and you roll your eyes at his display.

"Please Yeosang can't we start today?" You ask hopefully while trying to hide the excitement in your voice as you do a little fist bump and Yeosang tries to hide the pleased smile at seeing you so excited to learn something so normal to him.

He'll teach you for as long as he has to if it means getting to see you this happy.

"Hmmmm..." He pretends to think about it for a while before nodding and grabbing your hand dragging you over to the brick road and his skateboard.

"You have to promise to listen to every instruction I give or else you might get hurt." He explains and you nod eagerly.

"I swear I'll do everything you tell me to do!" You mention as he motions for you to get up on the skateboard.

It's on incredibly shaky legs that you stand up on his skateboard for the very first time, hands clothing his arms tightly, proclaiming loudly that he is under no circumstances allowed to let you go because if he does you will fall on your butt and hurt yourself.

Your partners are sitting comfortably on the side watching the comedy show that is Yeosang trying and failing miserably in teaching you the basics in skating.

"Stop laughing at me!! It's not funnyyyy." You whine as the four pokémon snicker at you and the way you look like a newborn girafarig.

They sit still for only a few minutes before the itch to play gets to them once more and they rush into the garden excited to play around again.

"Stop focusing on them and focus on me Y/n! You have to breathe slowly and relax! Or you will fall!" He scolds you as you wobble again after loosing your concentration.

"You promised not to let me fall!"

"I will break that promise if you don't start focusing!"

"Stop being such a meanie teacher!"

"Oh shush!"

Yeosang can't help but think he'd like for this to be his every day for a while. Exploring Johto can wait. At least for now.

Right now he's content staying in your village with you, helping out in the garden and teaching you to skate whilst the feelings between the two of you starts blossoming.

"Arf arf arf!"

"Mareeeep!!"

The two of your pokémon calls for you which causes you to stop with the skateboarding and trying to spot where they are in the garden. Once you do you both jog over to see what has happened. To the surprise of Yeosang but not you the silly little wooper has gotten its head stuck between two tree branches as the rollerblade lays in front of a rock.

"Well... I can't say I'm surprised because I'm not." You admit as the boy next to you looks flabbergasted at the predicament the wooper has gotten himself into.

"Does he do this often?"

"He gets into trouble more often than I'd like him to." You sigh before walking up trying to get him out.

"Man he's stuck." You groan when you can't get him out.

"Wopaaaa."

"Stop sounding so content!"

"Here let me try!" Yeosang tries and fails just like you did.

"He really is stuck in there..."

"Seems like those muscles you showed off earlier were just for show huh?" You tease him before going back to figuring out how to get him out of the tree.

It takes over twenty minutes to finally free wooper from its air prison in the tree. The both of you having to pry the tree bracnches open for the rest of your friends to headbutt him out and once the silly little friend was on the ground he simply stood up and rushed away happily as if he hadn't just been stuck between some branches.

"I like him despite all the trouble he gets into." Yeosang admits as he sits down with his back to the tree, you're quick to join him and mareep is even quicker to jump into his lap curling up for a nap.

"Oh?" He looks down surprised before looking up at you.

"It seems she's warmed up to you." You tell him giving her a pet before opening your arms for lilipup and houndour to snuggle into happily.

"Good, I don't want to be on her bad side any more and potentially get zapped again." He admits and you nod, you can't argue with that logic.

The two of you chat for a long while, Yeosang tells you of a friend he has back home in Unova named San who had been utterly devastated when he had let him know he's leaving for Johto. You tell him about the old lady Midori and how you helped her with her pokémon's and how she's now a loyal customer of yours never once forgetting to come by you once a day. The two of you talk and talk about everything and anything that comes to mind, you find it fascinating how Yeosang traveled here by boat and now also has as a goal to see one of the legendary beasts that roam Johto simply because of the stories the fisherman told him.

Eventually the both of you tire yourselves out with all the talking and fall asleep, heads leaning on each other. What the both of you miss is the giant shadow leaping from roof to roof before landing in the garden.

A brilliant yellow pokémon with long teeth's and a purple fur coat on its back is walking carefully throughout the garden, most pokémon scurry away from the intimidating pokémon while some just greet it as an old friend who is finally here visiting once more, electricity gently exudes from every step it takes before it stops in front of the sleeping pile that consists of the two of you and your pokémon. It leans forward and takes a gentle sniff of you both before looking up once more.

And suddenly it's gone.

The conference room buzzed with the usual chatter of numbers and projections, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that your mind was adrift. Instead of focusing on the quarterly reports sprawled across the table, your gaze kept drifting to Yunho. He sat at the head of the table, an air of authority wrapped around him like a tailored suit.

You tried to redirect her thoughts, but it was impossible. Those long fingers, the way they gripped the pen, the veins visible beneath the fabric of his jacket—it was all too distracting.

“Y/N, your feedback on the marketing strategy?” Yunho’s voice cut through your haze, and you snapped back to reality, heat creeping up your neck.

“Uh, right…” you stammered, your heart racing. But the numbers blurred as the image of him shifted into focus once more.

After the meeting, you felt his presence linger in the air nearby—almost too close, an electric charge that hinted at something beyond the surface.

“Your mind seemed to be elsewhere during the meeting,” he said casually as he walked past you, pausing just enough for you to catch the glint of amusement in his eyes. “Numbers never really make people stare at others’ hands.”

He walked away before you could respond. You swallowed your embarrassment as you walked out, heading towards your desk. You took your seat, trying to ignore how tense your body was.

“Y/N, can you come in for a moment?” Yunho’s voice rang out from his office, smooth and commanding.

Your heart raced as you stood up, nerves bubbling in your stomach. You walked the short distance to his door, the weight of his earlier observation hanging in the air. The anticipation was almost unbearable as you stepped inside, adjusting the bottom of the pencil skirt that suddenly felt too tight around you.

Yunho leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together. “Close the door.”

You did, the soft click echoing in the confined space. The atmosphere shifted, thickening with unspoken tension. His gaze held yours, unwavering, as though he could read every thought running through her mind.

“Your mind was wandering again,” he said, his tone casual, yet there was an underlying intensity that sent shivers down your spine. “I thought we could discuss what’s really distracting you.”

You hesitated, weighing whether to deny or confess. But the way Yunho’s eyes bore into you made you swallow harshly. Curious, patient, and just a little hungry. It pretense seem pointless.

You cleared your throat, fumbling for a safe explanation. “I’m sorry, Yunho. I didn’t mean to be unprofessional. I just… didn’t sleep well last night.”

His mouth quirked ever so slightly. “You’re a terrible liar, Y/N,” he said, almost fondly. “Or at least, you’re not very practiced.”

You bit the inside of your lip, mortified. But he didn’t look angry. If anything, the energy in the room intensified, a subtle shift toward something you didn’t quite dare name.

He rose from his chair, moving gracefully around the desk until he stood a breath away. You were hyperaware of everything: how tall he was, the hint of cologne that conjured memories you’d tried to suppress.

“You know I value honesty,” Yunho said quietly. His hand rested on the edge of the desk, inches from where your own hand hovered, as if debating whether a touch might set off the fire alarm. “There’s not much I haven’t seen before. Or heard.” He tilted his head. “But I still appreciate the effort.”

You felt caught in the slipstream of his gaze. Unable to retreat, unable to look away. The electric charge became almost painful.

He reached past you to snag a folder, the motion so smooth you wondered if it had been intentional, if his shoulder brushing lightly against yours had been calculated. He flipped through a few pages and set the folder down, but those dark eyes snapped back to you, intent and relentless.

“You’re excellent at your job,” he said, the words like a verdict. “One of the best hires I’ve ever made.”

The praise landed somewhere beneath your breastbone, both a balm and a threat. You nodded, not expecting the response. “T-thank you,” you bowed your head in response.

“However, I can’t help but wonder where your mind is running to whenever you’re staring at my fingers.” He carefully put the file down then paused, looking at his own hands.

The way your cheeks filled with heat was impossible to hide. Instead of responding, you chose to stare at the stack of papers in front of you, anything to avoid drowning in the depth of his scrutiny. You’d never considered yourself obvious, but Yunho was a man who dissected numbers for a living; of course he’d pick up patterns in people, too.

“I—” You hesitated, searching for an exit strategy. “It’s a nervous habit. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, but it isn’t the same as last month’s habit.” His smile was predatory and gentle at once. “Last month, you were tapping the table. This is new.” Then, abruptly, he turned the full force of his attention on you, as if the air itself had thinned to a single, searing point.

You could almost feel the fingerprints of his gaze on your temple, tracing spirals down your neck and the slope of your shoulder. “Y/N,” he said, voice lowering, “do you think about my hands often?”

The question left you feeling frozen in place. “Be honest. If you’d like I can start,” He tilted his head to the side.

Your silence was enough for him to start. “For me, I think about how pretty you’d look on your knees in front of me. Wearing that tight little skirt as you took my cock deep down your throat.” His voice was calm, unwavering as you swallowed.

He let you stay silent for just a moment. “Your turn now, pretty.”

You focused on a spot on the ground. “I have thought about you fingering me… once of twice…” Your throat bobbed as you swallowed, the words that came out of your mouth were barely registering to you.

Your head shot up to look at him. Yunho’s eyes blazed. The satisfaction blooming in them was exhilarating and terrifying. He didn’t move, but the entire axis of the room shifted. Every part of the empty space between you seemed to vibrate, tuned to the confession you’d just let slip.

He didn’t need to ask if you were telling the truth. Instead, his tone softened, impossibly intimate. “Why only once or twice?” The words brushed your skin, bypassing the professional, landing somewhere in the space where you burned for contact.

You opened your mouth to respond, but the air was gone, your lungs replaced with need. “I didn’t want to be inappropriate. I didn’t…” You trailed off, the realization settling in that the line had blurred, that the boundaries you clung to were already ash.

Yunho took a single step closer. Your lower back pressed against the edge of his desk. The distance that separated you dissipated to nothing. He reached out, this time deliberately, his fingers brushing your cheek gently.

He slowly leaned in, a smirk on his face. “How about I make your fantasy a reality?” He whispered in your ear, a chuckle rumbling low inside of him.

“Right here?” Your voice vibrated with anticipation and disbelief, barely more than a hush.

He didn’t answer, not with words. Instead his thumb traced the line of your jaw, feather-light, and you felt yourself tip forward, gravity giving in to the mutual pull. The air grew thick with the scent of warm paper and whatever expensive cologne clung to the silk of his tie; your logic, always a brittle shield, dissolved.

Yunho’s hand moved to the nape of your neck, his palm spanning the length of your hair, steadying you as if you might drift away. Eyes trained on your lips, he waited. The silence stretched between you, an invitation and a dare.

You tilted your chin up, just enough for him, which was answer enough. He kissed you softly at first, a careful pressure that tasted of whiskey and restraint, a testing of limits. Then it deepened, urgency rising, the insistent press of his mouth swallowing every last inhibition you had.

His hand shifted down, feeling the heat pooling in between your thighs. “So wet already? I do that to you?”

You nodded quickly, unable to control your reactions. “Good.” He chuckled.

His hand shifted between your thighs as you gasped at the feeling of the tip of his finger gently brushing your soaked cunt through the thin fabric of your panties.

He watched you closely, the slight twitch in your hips as you pressed yourself ever so slightly into his hand. For a moment, he did nothing but stroke along the wet line, taking in just how pliant you’d become.

“Keep your hands on the desk,” he murmured, voice slipping beneath your skin and straight to your pulse. His own hands, deft and steady, gathered the material of your skirt, pushing it up until it bunched around your hips. The air in the office prickled against your exposed skin.

You braced yourself, fingers curling into the wood just as his hand slid beneath the band of your underwear. The texture of your lace, now ruined with slick, made him groan almost inaudibly. He traced you, learning the shape of your longing, then pressed a single finger inside—slow at first, then with incremental confidence as your thighs trembled.

“Look at me,” he demanded softly.

You forced your eyes up, catching his gaze as you pressed your lips together, trying to hold in the moans that wanted to escape.

His finger moved at a devastatingly slow pace, curling so perfectly inside of you that you couldn’t fight back the moan that spilled out.The sound, though barely more than a gasp, was enough for Yunho to flash you a crooked, knowing grin. He slipped his thumb upward, drawing slow, deliberate circles around your clit, and you dug your nails into the desk, biting down on a whimper.

“Pretty girl. So sensitive,” he murmured, savoring the way your shoulders curled in on themselves, then straightened as you tried to keep yourself from falling to pieces. He crooned, “Don’t stop looking at me. I want to watch you come apart.”

The whole world seemed to telescope to this point—the chair behind you, the desk digging into your palms, the sharp, clean taste of desire sparking down your spine. Yunho’s finger slid deeper, and then another joined the first, stretching you just a little, and god, you’ve never been so wet for anyone, not in any of the empty flings or late-night fantasies that preceded this unspooling.

His fingers started to move faster, one hand letting go of the desk as it flew up, covering your mouth as you let out a moan. “Yunho…” you whimpered, walls twitching around his fingers as he bit his lip, eyes locked onto yours.

“Say my name again.” He quickly demanded. And you did, in helpless whimpers as you felt your orgasm coming closer.

“That’s it, Y/N,” he coaxed, pushing you ever closer to the brink, until your breath came out in high, broken notes. His thumb found that rhythm you secretly knew would ruin you—the secret you’d kept cradled in the shameful, velvet lining of fantasy. It split you open like a prayer, and the force of it caught you off guard—you convulsed, every muscle in your thighs clamping tight, and you almost knocked over the stack of quarterly reports as you came, hard, around his fingers.

He held you there, drawing it out, gentle and persistent, waiting for your body to shudder its surrender before he finally eased his hand away. He licked the taste of you from his fingers with a deliberation that made you groan again, limp and disbelieving, forehead pressed to the cool wood.

He waited for your breath to steady, and only then tucked your skirt back over your thighs, smoothing the fabric as if he were just helping you clean up. “Now…” his voice was gentle yet a chill was shooting up and down your spine. “You get to fulfill my fantasy.”

Before your own mind could even catch up, you were on your knees in front of him. Staring at the bulge straining in his pants. “Good girl. So ready. So desperate for my cock.”

“Please Yunho,” You looked up at him, eyelashes fluttering as you waited. He smirked, undoing his belt carefully, letting the anticipation build. “I’m gonna fuck you after this.” He spoke like it was a promise as he pushed his pants down just enough.

His cock sprung free as your mouth watered at the sight. His tip flushed and leaking as you stared up at him, holding his length in your hand. “‘s so big,” You whispered, but he still caught it.

“I know, baby. And you’re gonna take all of it.” He brushed hair out of your face as he held it, guiding you until his tip was on your lips.

You eagerly took him in your mouth, a groan slipping out of his lips as he felt you. “Your mouth is so warm,”

You carefully moved down his length as his fingers laced into your hair. He exhaled as he began moving you. His cock hitting the back of your throat making you gag.

“That’s it,” Yunho growled, thumb grazing your jaw as you adjusted to his pace, fighting your reflex, glancing up at him through watery eyes each time he bottomed out. He grinned, wide and sharp, as rivulets of spit and precum slid down your chin. “You’re taking me so well, sweetheart.”

He gave you one long moment to breathe, his cock resting heavy on your tongue while he guided your head in slow, deliberate motions. Every pass made you more desperate, eager to please, to make him tremble just as you had. He tasted like salt and the sharp tang of anticipation. Again and again, you sucked in a deep breath through your nose, determined; the need to be praised, to be ruined, fermented inside you until it was heady and unavoidable.

“Look at you,” he murmured, voice ragged with hunger, “messy and ruined already. You like making me lose control, don’t you?” His hips started to move a bit faster.

His satisfaction audible as he watched the tears slip and drool that was staining your shirt. “What a good fucking whore,” he groaned, cock twitching in your throat.

The name making you groan in response as he smirked, he began to get rougher. “Yeah? You like that name don’t you?” He chuckled darkly as his cock twitched again.

The responding vibration in your throat felt shameful, addictive. You could barely keep your knees from slipping on the plush rug beneath you, so slick with anticipation that the whole room seemed to tilt forward.

He felt so hot and heavy on your tongue; you wanted to taste, to please, to swallow every last bit of his attention. Yunho’s hands were gentle and then suddenly not: they knotted in your hair, urging you, steadying themselves. He fucked your mouth down over his length and he rewarded you with a breathtaking curse, low and foreign, and you felt the throb of his cock as he bucked his hips, chasing that ragged edge of pleasure.

“I’m close,” he gritted out, every syllable soaked in command. “You’re going to swallow, aren’t you? Like a good girl.”

You didn’t have a choice—didn’t want one. You kept your gaze locked on his as he pulled you flush to his body and spilled into your throat. He hissed as he pulled out.

You couldn’t fight back the cough as he smirked. He watched as the drool rolled down your chin. “Open.” He demanded and you did.

He groaned in response. “Swallowed every fucking drop. Good girl.”

He helped you stand up carefully, drinking in the sight of you. He crashed his lips into yours, letting your saliva spread more. “I’m gonna fucking ruin you.” He groaned into your lips.

“Please,” you whispered.

That one word broke him, he quickly released you from his hold and pushed everything off of his desk. Papers flying everywhere, the crash of a cup of stationary as it fell to the ground.

He took you in his arms again, folding you over his desk. You held onto the wood as you panted from the sudden movement.

He rolled up your skirt, groaning as he saw your pussy glistening. “You’re soaked after that, baby. You loved having your throat fucked didn’t you?”

Before you could respond he was already rubbing his head on your slit, letting you open up for him. “So warm,” he grunted.

He pushed in, slow at first, the stretch exquisite and burning, your whimper dissolving into the carpet as he bottomed out. He stayed there, perfectly molded to your back, both hands now digging into the curve of your waist. His breath was heavy in your ear.

“Want you to feel every fucking inch,” Yunho said, his voice a quiet violence as he pulled almost all the way out and then slid back in, hard enough to rattle the desk. The sound was obscene—slick and needy, punctuated by the quick slam of skin and the high, broken noises spilling from your lips.

He set a bruising rhythm, his hips snapping forward, dragging your body over the desk, the pressure perfect where your clit met the edge each time he fucked you in deep. Your vision whited out at the edges. You clung to the wood, desperate, as he pounded deeper and deeper, the desk groaning in protest every time he reentered you. “Gotta stay quiet, the whole office is going to hear you.” He taunted.

You could only respond with a moan as he groaned. “What a good fuck toy you are.” His hips moved faster, your walls convulsing around him already. His hand quickly slapped your ass, a loud crack echoing in the walls. “Gonna fuck you like this whenever I want.” He growled through gritted teeth. “You going to let me?” He spoke in broken sentences, his cock twitching inside of you.

“Y-yes Yunho.” You whimpered. “W-want you to fuck me whenever. Want you to ruin me whenever you please.” You moaned out as thrusts quickened in response.

Your shamelessness made him groan and he palmed your ass, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “That’s right. Gonna keep you bent over my desk like a good fucking secretary, dripping for me, until you learn to focus.” It sounded like a threat, but the heat in his voice was pure reward.

The relentless angle hit a spot deep inside and you jolted, nearly sobbing as the sensations escalated past language. Yunho’s grip slipped to your hip, steadying you, owning you. His other hand braced the desk next to your ear, trapping you in and caging you with his frame.

“Fuck, you feel incredible,” he grunted, hips slamming faster, the thick sounds of your bodies filling every inch of the office. He leaned in, breath hot against your ear. “What would your little friends say if they could see you right now? Choking on cock, getting stuffed full on the desk like a cum rag?”

You couldn’t even respond. Too fucked out to process his words. He bent low to speak into your ear, voice thick with effort. “Such a tight little cunt,” he praised, his hand sliding down to rub rough circles on your clit. You writhed against him, desperate for more, wanting to feel him lose it the same way you had.

“Don’t hold back,” he whispered, lips grazing your hairline. “Come for me again. Come for me around my cock now.” He growled, making you shudder.

You whined out,curses spilling as your orgasm crashed as a hot white wave. “Good whore.” He groaned, his hand gripped your ass as his own orgasm was crowning.

He slammed in, keeping your bodies flush as he spilled inside of you. Filling you deep with his seed. He panted as he pulled out of you carefully. A whimper escaping your lips at the sudden emptiness you felt.

He quickly adjusted your skirt then fixed himself as you shakily stood up straight, knuckles white as you held onto the desk for dear life.You could feel the warmth dripping down your thighs. The mess of it. The humiliation of it, even with the edge of your orgasm still ricocheting through your bones. You tried to draw in a breath that didn’t shudder, tried to gather the fragments of dignity left scattered under the floodlights of Yunho’s attention.

He was already smoothing his hair, straightening his tie, the practiced efficiency of a man who compartmentalized. He regarded you with a long, slow gaze—the kind that assessed damage and pleasure both—before allowing a flicker of a smile to soften his jaw.

“Sit down,” he instructed, as if the last moments hadn’t shattered every professional pretense between you. When you hesitated, he guided you, the pressure of his palm on your back brief but commanding. You perched on the ruined edge of his desk, the ache between your legs a raw echo of what he’d just taken.

He reclaimed his seat and regarded you, his demeanor shifting back to professional. His eyes locked on you as you were still catching your breath. “I meant what I said. I’m going to use that perfect pussy whenever I want. Going to fucking ruin you. Every. Single. Time.” His emphasis made your eyes go wide as he couldn’t hold back the smile of his promise.

“For now, help me clean up?” His eyes shifted over to the mess he created in his office.He tossed you a handful of tissues from the box on the windowsill, the gesture at odds with the heat that lingered in the air. You caught them on the second try, hands still trembling, and did your best to blot up the traces of your humiliation.

Yunho watched your motions with undisguised amusement, his composure restored so quickly it made you ache with envy. “You’re adorable when you’re flustered,” he said, like it was a fact proven by data and not the red bloom on your cheeks.

You tried not to meet his gaze, but when you faltered on a stubborn streak of wetness on his desk—your wetness—he reached over and caught your wrist mid-wipe.

“Leave it,” he said. “I like the reminder.”

He let you go, but there was an aftershock in the way your skin prickled beneath his touch. You nodded, still flushed.“I should probably go back to work now,” you whispered as he nodded. Walking over to the scattered papers as he began to clean up.

You walked out slowly, adjusting yourself as you walked to your desk. You took your seat at your desk shakily. His words looping in your head as you took a deep breath.

“Staying focused, huh?” Yunho deadpans. The suppressed tension dissipates from his shoulders as his expression softens, the man shifting out of his seat, now mission orientated. “I’ll get you something, don’t worry.”

Walking up to the counter so fast he’s nearly jogging, Yunho takes several deep breaths of his own, nerves eating away at him under his skin. Y/n’s sugar is dropping fast, and he really needs to get her something to drink. The quicker the better, preferably. There’s only one other person in front of him in line, but he really can’t be wasting time. Especially not right now. Fiddling with his sleeve to pass the time, Yunho tries not to be impatient, willing the person ahead to hurry up with his eyes alone. How long does it take to order?

Finally. His turn to order. A quick glance at the menu, and Yunho’s resolute on getting the fastest drink that can be made, his gaze returning to where he was sat just moments ago. In fact, he hardly registers what’s being said by the person over the counter, reciting his order on autopilot and paying all without pulling his eyes away from y/n.

“…here’s your drink, sir.”

“Right, right, thank you so much.”

Again, Yunho isn’t aware of his feet carrying him back to the table, the nerves only dissipating once y/n’s back in his field of view. He knows he shouldn’t be this worried, he just can’t help it. Not when Yunho’s seen first-hand what hypoglycaemia does to one of his closest friend. And he’s going to do everything he can to prevent that from happening.

Y/n watches Yunho set the drink down like it’s a tactical weapon, breaking the rush of heartbeat in her head, partially confused at her friend’s huge display of concern. Not that she doesn’t appreciate it, of course. Being this low sucks. Reaching for the drink—a lemonade, by the looks of it—she takes slow sips, leaning into the straw instead of picking it up and risking spilling the entire glass. She’s far too shaky for that. The lemonade’s actually pretty good, now that she thinks about, far better than the Americano she chugged earlier in the pursuit of staying alert. And it’s actually doing its job of helping her sugar levels climb back up.

There is just one thing though.

“Are… are you gonna keep watching over me?” Y/n asks halfway through her drink, because Yunho is doing exactly that. Watching.

“Mhm. Until you finish.”

“Hm. Alright then.” With iron-clad conviction like that, what is y/n supposed to say?

By the time the drink is pretty much done, y/n’s at least half sure there’s a hole being burnt into the side of her head. Each breath feels easier. Her hands, steadier. Relief is a tender thing after the minutes spent shaking, a feeling y/n basks in just a little bit longer before she inevitably has to refocus on her studies. Her degree isn’t going to achieve itself, unfortunately. So she sets the glass aside, picks up her pen and returns to her notes. They beckon to her, and y/n sighs before getting back to her studying.

“Thanks for the drinks, Yunho,” she says in between her notes, mildly relieved that Yunho doesn’t look so concerned anymore. “Hmm… next round of study snacks on me.”

It is the least y/n can do after Yunho saved her skin.

“In that case, I want tteokbokki with extra cheese. Oh— and ramen.”

“Why the hell not? Sure.”

© copyright work of armysantiny 2025-2026

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You carefully shut the door behind you, only turning after hearing the soft click that followed. You slid into your chair, setting your notes on the table of the study room. The only goal was focus, yet Yeosang was doing the opposite. He leaned against the edge of the table, taking one of the pens you set aside and twisted it around his fingers.

“You’re not even trying to study,” you said, half accusing and half amused by him. Watching the way he flipped the pen with maddening ease.

He tilted his head, lips quirking in amusement. “I came here for… motivation.” His eyes met yours finally. Subtle flashes of a few weeks ago replaying. The memory of his mouth against yours, the taste of vodka and laughter.

You rolled your eyes, flipping a page in your notebook. “Lame excuse.” You shrugged and put your nose in the books in front of you.

“Mm, maybe.” He shrugged, taking his seat across from you. “But it worked last time. Didn’t it? I was able to get your lips on mine if I remember correctly.”

Heat crept up your neck. You didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking away this time. Yet the corner of your mouth betrayed you as a smile started to form. “Drunk you,” you murmured. “Is much bolder.”

Yeosang’s grin widened, softly but deliberately. “Maybe sober me is catching up.” His voice dropped low, teasing dripping from each word. “Unless, maybe you want to remind me which one you like better?” He leaned against the table.

The air stretched thin between you. Your heart was sprinting but you only hummed. Tapping your pen against the page like you weren’t fighting the urge to lean forward over the table, closing the space between the two of you. “Focus, Yeosang.” You pretended to scold him.

He chuckled under his breath, the sound curling over your skin. “Oh, I am.”

The study room fell quiet again. The only sound of your pen scratching against the paper. You were determined to at least get through a few chapters before your time was up for the night. Your focus on underlining sentences and highlighted margins. Yeosang has been unusually still across from you. Lounging in his chair with his legs sprawled out under the table as he scrolled through his phone.

The silence lingered comfortably. Heavy and a bit charged with the teasing from earlier.

“You know what I really want to do right now?” He asked suddenly, voice low almost sounding thoughtful.

You didn’t look up right away. Finishing off your page as you already assumed it was about wanting a nap, food or ditching this study session altogether. “What?” You asked absentmindedly, still focused on your notes.

You looked up as he didn’t answer right away. His gaze already fixed on you, dark and unreadable. The corner of his mouth tugging into a smirk. “Eat you out.”

Your pen slipped in your hand, dragging an accidental line across the page. Heat flushed, covering your face and neck. Your brain stalled as his words settled in. He didn’t flinch or laugh it off like it was a joke, he just leaned back in his chair. Watching your reaction like it was his favorite game.

For a heartbeat the room felt too small, too warm. You tried to force yourself to look unimpressed, but your throat went dry as you weakly muttered. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe,” Yeosang responded casually, his gaze never leaving yours. “But I’d be really, really good at it.”

The silence stretched again, your pen hovering over the page now useless. His words were still ringing in your head, impossible to shake off. You’ve had a few sloppy, drunk makeout sessions with him before, but nothing beyond that. Nothing even close to the words he had just said so casually.

You swallowed, glancing at him. “You’re just messing with me, right?”

Yeosang only tilted his head, that same infuriating half smile on his face. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Your stomach flipped. You’d never thought about going that far with him and the thought of him saying it so bluntly left you dizzy. Unsure if you should laugh it off or lean into it.

So you tried to test him. “Prove it, then.” The words leaving your mouth shakier than you intended. You told yourself he wouldn’t move. That he would look just as surprised as you did when you heard his words.

Yeosang didn’t hesitate. His chair scraped on the floor as he stood up. He started to kneel on the ground. Your heart hammering in your chest as your breath caught. You stared him down as he knelt on the ground.

“Wait— Yeosang…” You started.

He didn’t say anything, just pressed his finger to his mouth as a silent hush. He slid under the table as your knees jerked together instinctively. His hands were already on your thighs, coaxing them apart. The air seemed to disappear, your chest tight with nerves and your notebook forgotten.

You could hardly believe this was happening. That the boy you kissed half drunk at parties was now under the table. Gently pushing your legs open and looking at you like he’d been waiting for this all along.

“Such a pretty skirt.” He spoke in a whisper as he flipped the fabric up. A small smirk teasing the corner of his mouth as he saw the material of your panties dampening. His shoulders wedged between your thighs to keep you open for him.

His eyes glinting as he looked up at you, curling his finger around your panties to pull them to the side. Before you could catch your breath his mouth pressed to you.

The first stroke of his tongue was slow and deliberate. Then the next made a moan spill out from your throat before you could register it. You slapped your hand to your mouth, but Yeosang was quicker. His palm sliding up, strong and steady as he covered your mouth completely.

“Quiet,” he murmured against your skin. The vibration of his voice against you sent a shock through your core. “Someone could walk in.”

His voice was calm then he was lost in you. His tongue swirling on your clit, lapping against you as if he was starving. Every gasp that left your muffled mouth only made him hungrier. His tongue moved with devastating precision, teasing, circling, dipping deeper inside of you until your thighs were trembling around his head.

You clutched the edge of the desk as muffled whimpers spilled into his hand. Your head tipped back, eyes squeezed shut as the pressure coiled tighter in your stomach. You’d never felt like this, never have been touched like this either. He groaned into you as you bucked your hips up into his mouth. His hand holding your hip to keep you steady. His tongue flicking mercilessly and twisting around your clit.

“Yeosang—“ his name broke free in your muffled noises. Your whole body shuddered as he pushed you closer and closer. The hot, white wave crashing over you. Your thighs clamping around his head as he still lapped at your cunt. Greedy and unrelenting as you collapsed back on the chair.

He finally pulled back, a triumphant grin on his glistening lips. He wiped his mouth with his thumb lazily as he stared at you with the dark, hunger ridden eyes you haven’t seen from him before. “Told you I wasn’t bluffing.”

You were still trembling as he placed another open mouthed kiss against your core. His tongue sweeping over your sensitive bundle of nerves until you whimpered into his hand that was still clamped to your face. “Yeosang—Too much.” You gasped but the plea only made him hum against you. Savoring the way you were shaking from his touch.

He didn’t stop. If anything he leaned in harder, his tongue working in quick, relentless strokes that had your hips jerking involuntarily. Your thighs tried to close but he held them apart.

His hand removed from your face, moving lower and sliding between your thighs. Two fingers teasing your entrance, already dripping and aching. You barely had time to inhale before he pushed them inside. His fingers curling deep inside of you as his mouth stayed sealed to your clit.

His tongue working with obscene devotion as his fingers pumped inside of you. The slick sounds of his fingers moving and your muffled whimpers filling the small space. “Yeo—“ Your voice cracked, hips twitching helplessly under his grip. “It’s too much— I can’t—“ You whined.

“Yes you can,” he murmured against you. “You’re so wet, I can feel you begging for more.” He teased as he moved his fingers faster. Curling his digits until he brushed that spot that made your vision blur.

You gasped, knuckles turning white as you gripped the desk. Your thighs trembled violently as the pressure built again. Tighter and sharper this time. His tongue still flicking at your clit as his fingers thrust deep. Drawing out moans from your chest, no matter how hard you tried to stay quiet.

Your body convulsed before you could stop it. A broken cry tearing through you. Messier and more overwhelming than last. Your walls clenching around his fingers as the flood of your release slipped, squirting onto his hand, his wrist and down to his forearm. The wet sounds echoing in the study room. The reality of what you just did crashing down harder now.

Yeosang groaned at the feeling. Lapping at you as he greedily cleaned up every last drop leaving your body. His hand still working you through the shudders. He didn’t flinch when your release splashed onto him, it only egged him on. His fingers curled again, pulling more out of you as you were gasping and pushing his shoulder away weakly.

“Look at that.” He finally whispered. His lips and chin glistening as he pulled back just enough to look at you. “You squirted all over me.” His voice was thick with satisfaction, eyes dark and wild with hunger. “Told you I’d be really really good at it.”

Your body collapsed fully against the chair. You could barely process the mess between your thighs and the trail that went down his arm. Yeosang looked smug, his smirk carved deep as if he’d just won the best game in life. “Still think I was joking?” He teased, dragging across his thumb to taste what you left glistening on his chin.

Your breath was still shaky as Yeosang climbed out from under the table, taking back his seat across from you. The taste of his name on your tongue still lingering as words slipped out before you could stop them. “I’ve… never done that before.” Your voice was soft, swallowed by the quiet in the room. You tried to look anywhere but at him as you swallowed. “Never squirted.”

Yeosang stared for a moment. Dark eyes widening slightly then narrowing with that familiar gleam. His mouth curved into a wicked smirk as he leaned forward. His elbows braced onto his knees. “Really?” His voice was smooth and soaked in smugness. “So I was your first?”

You swallowed hard, knees pressing against each other under the table. “Yeosang—“ you warned but it came out weak as your tone betrayed you.

He grinned, sharp and satisfied. He leaned back into the chair with lazy arrogance like he had just won a bet. “That makes it even better.” He picked up your pen, twirling it in his fingers. The same casual gesture he started with, but now it felt like he was flaunting victory. “Guess that means nobody else ever knew how to fuck you properly.”

Your mouth dropped open but a comeback was nowhere to be found.

“Don’t look so embarrassed.” He added, his tone dipping into something silkier but edged with pride. “It just proves I was right all along. I knew I’d be good at it.” He dragged his thumb across his lower lip, licking what was left of your taste with infuriating ease. “But now I’ve ruined you for anyone else.”

The weight of his words lingered in the charged quiet. You wanted to deny it, to roll your eyes, to have something to say back. But your body betrayed you again, a tremor running down your thighs as you remembered how hard he’d pull that release out of you.

Yeosang smirked wider, clearly catching you. “Admit it,” he teased softly. He moved his chair so he was sitting next to you. He leaned in close to you, breath brushing your ear as he whispered. “Admit that you liked it was me.”

Your cheeks burned, the air around you thick with his smugness. You pressed your thighs together and responded the only way you could. Snapping at him even with your voice shaky. “It was a fluke. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Yeosang froze for a split second, then let out a low, dangerous laugh. The sound rolled over your skin like static, making your stomach flip. He leaned forward, pen still twirling between his fingers as his eyes darkened. His grin wolfish as he looked at you.

“A fluke?” He repeated slowly, savoring the word as if it was a challenge. His knee brushed yours under the table, deliberate and steady. “Baby, you just drenched me so hard you’ll never be able to look at that chair the same.”

You stammered, mouth parting with no good comeback which only made his grin spread wider. He tilted his head, studying you like he had all the time in the world. His eyes burning into you like a wolf playing with its prey. Then his voice dropped low, sending heat rushing through your body. “Careful. If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just fuck the truth out of you. Right here. Right now.”

Your heart lurched, panic and thrill settling in your chest. You tried to laugh, to scoff but it came out too thin. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Yeosang’s smirk deepened. His eyes flicked to the shut door and frosted half of the glass in front of you. He moved his eyes back to you, locking his gaze to you. “You really think I wouldn’t?” He dragged his tongue over his bottom lip, almost as if it was a taunt. “After the sounds you just made for me? After how you just begged without realizing it?”

The words made your breath catch, your face blazing hot. You could only shake your head, trying to keep the sliver of composure you still had. He leaned back in his chair, spreading his legs wider as if he owned the room. “Mm,” he chuckled to himself, sound low and taunting. “That’s what I thought. You’re too scared to admit it. I’ll make sure you do.”

His words left your throat dry, but your pride wouldn’t let you back down. “You wouldn’t dare. Not here.”

Yeosang smirk left his face for a second. He pushed the chair back as he stood up. The scrape echoing in the small space as he looked down at you. “Watch me.”

Before you could protest he was on you. Leaning down as his hands gripped your hips, lifting you with ease so you were lying down on the table. He loomed over you, eyes scanning each part of you. His fingers moving to pull down your panties, stuffing them in your backpack. That same devilish smirk on his face as he leaned down to your ear. “You’re already dripping. You want me to stop here?”

You gasped at his words, trying to muster the courage to deny the truth. Yet, the thought of him destroying you as easily as his tongue did made you unable to speak. Your breath hitched as you clenched around nothing. Yeosang caught it, a grin on his face. “That’s what I thought.”

He unzipped his jeans with a speed that made your stomach flip. His cock was already hard and flushed. Your heart hammered as he dragged his cock through your soaked folds with painful slowness. It felt like too much, your body still sensitive from how hard he had you shaking before but as he pushed in your head fell back with a broken moan. His cock stretching you open.

“Fuck—“ He hissed, burying himself deep inside until your hips were together. His hands digging into your hips as he held you steady. He bit his lip as he savored the way your walls clenched around him. “You’re so tight. So sensitive, but taking me so well.”

You whimpered, nails clawing into his back as you convulsed from the pleasure. Every thrust was sending shocks through your sensitive nerves. His thumb brushing your clit every few moments making your thighs tremble violently.

He leaned down, pressing his forehead to yours. “You feel that, you’re about to lose it again?” His lips curling into a wicked grin as he didn’t let up. His thumb rubbing rough circles on your clit as his hips snapped into yours. “Go on, baby. Let it happen. Lose it for me.”

Your whole body arched as you buried your head in his shoulder. Your climax tearing through you, your release flooding out around him as his thumb still rubbed on your clit. “Fuck—“ Yeosang groaned.

His pace faltered for only a second as he felt the mess you left on him. “You’re soaking me, baby. Look at that, you’re squirting all over my fucking cock.” His laugh was disbelieving and cocky at the same time. “I told you…I’d fuck the truth out of you.”

Your walls pulsed violently around him, your body jerking from the overstimulation. He kept thrusting, pumping in deep to get every drop of your release around him. The wet slap of skin echoing as he stopped moving his thumb on you. His hand clamped on your mouth, covering the sobs of pleasure that you couldn’t hold back.

“You’ll never call it a fluke again.” He growled into your ear, fucking you through every shudder. Your body was trembling, overstimulated to the point of tears but he didn’t let up still. His cock dragging mercilessly through your walls, each thrust making you whine out. You clawed at his shirt but he only shushed you with maddening calm.

“Shh.. almost there baby.” He grunted. “You can take it. You’re so perfect wrapped around me.”

Your walls clenched, fluttering desperately around him. His head stayed near your ear, grunting with each thrust he was giving your cunt. “You’re still fucking cumming.” He smirked as your release was still going, getting all over him. “Dripping down my cock like you were fucking made for it.” He grunted.

Your head tipped back, a sob muffled by his hand as you clenched tighter around him. Another gush of release spilling over him. The feeling burning, every nerve alight. His cock only pushed in deeper, harder and fucking into you until your vision blurred.

His pace faltered, hips snapping in rough, desperate thrusts as his face buried into your neck. His breath ragged and hot as every groan was swallowed by your skin. “Fuck-“ He gritted out. His voice breaking as he buried deep inside of you one last time.

His body stiffened, a choked moan leaving his lips as his cock pulsed inside of you. His cum spilling deep and mixing with your own release, leaking down your thighs. He stayed buried inside you, hips twitching with the aftershocks. His forehead rested against yours, catching his breath. A satisfied, cocky grin spread on his face.

“Messy little thing.” He murmured as he pulled back, admiring the mess between your legs. Thighs still trembling, your mess spilling and his cock still inside of you. He kissed the corner of your mouth lazily, smugness radiating off of him. “I told you I’d fuck the answer out of you.”

He stayed inside of a moment longer. Letting the last of release settle. “So you still calling it a fluke?” He asked, carefully pulling out of you. He watched the way everything started to drip out of you. A dark chuckle came from his chest as his thumb moved on your swollen pussy, smearing the mess across your skin, watching the way you squirmed.

“Look at that.” He mumbled, dragging his thumb up your slit to press on your overstimulated clit. Making you jolt with a gasp that turned into a whine. “Dripping everywhere,” he tsked. “Probably ruined my jeans, this desk. Hell, you probably ruined yourself for anyone else too.” His smirk was wicked as he spoke.

You whimpered, trying to close your legs but his hand was already there, keeping you spread for him. “Don’t hide it,” he teased, tilting his head as if he was admiring his work. “This is all mine. You did this just for me.”

Your face burned as your voice caught in your throat. He leaned closer, lips brushing your ear as he whispered. “Admit it. You’ve never came like that for anyone. Never squirted. But for me?” He pulled back just enough for you to catch his expression. “You couldn’t stop.”

You tried to muster up the defiance you wanted to keep. Your words tangled, weak and breathless as you couldn’t think of what you wanted to say. Yeosang chuckled at your lack of response, brushing your chin with his soaked thumb.

“Don’t worry.” He said smoothly, taking his seat back. Sitting down with an infuriating casual posture. His cock still glistening as he hasn’t cared enough to tuck himself away. “You don’t have to say it out loud. Your body told me everything I needed to know.”

He grabbed your abandon pen again as you sat up, moving slowly to sit in your chair. He twisted the pen smoothly, just like he did at the beginning of this study session. His grin widened as he saw how you were still shaking and how you were desperately trying to control your breathing.

“Next time you sit across from me to study,” his voice was smooth as he started, eyes glistening with smug amusement. “You’re going to remember exactly how hard I made you squirt all over my cock. And you’ll know I can do it again.”

He leaned over, stealing one last kiss from you. His lips slow and taunting against yours. “You’re unbelievable.” You mumbled against him as he pulled back with a smirk carved into his face.

❑ SMUT WARNINGS — implied unprotected sex (no), fingering (f receiving), light praise (f receiving), mild dirty talk, use of pet names (my petal, Blossom, sweetheart, etc.), mild breeding kink, implied cum inside, and that should be all of them!

When you awoke the next morning, it was in Seonghwa’s arms. It was still dark in the room save for a small candle which had almost completely melted down. You blinked away the sleep as you looked around the dim room, taking in the shapes in the darkness. Your eyes passed over the corner only to stop and go back quickly.

There was a tall, humanoid shape standing in the corner. Your eyes were now wide open as you stared at it, hoping for your eyes to adjust so you could make out what it was but the more you stared, the less you could see a definite shape. As you stared at it, you sat up, gently pulling yourself from your fiancé's embrace. You held the covers over your bare chest as you continued to stare at the figure.

It had to be a trick of the shadows. There was no other explanation. As you stared, scrutinizing it, two glowing red orbs appeared around what you assumed was the face. Eyes. Red, glowing eyes. Your heart started to beat faster as the eyes stared back at you from the darkness. You reached beside you to wake Seonghwa but found the bed empty. You looked up and around but he was nowhere to be seen.

Slowly, you turned your head back to the corner but the shape was gone. You let out a sigh of relief and then looked down at the sheets, noticing a drop of something dark. You heard a soft growling sound and looked up slowly. On the ceiling was a grotesque bat-like creature, leather wings made out of the same pallid skin curled up against its back. It was entirely nude. The head turned and you saw a disfigured, monstrous face. The mouth opened wide as a shrill shriek blasted from the creature, displaying a mouth full of sharp teeth, coated in blood.

You let out a shrill scream, cowering in the bed as you stared up at the monster.

You were suddenly being shaken awake. Your eyes opened and you looked up into your fiancé's worried face. “Y/N what’s wrong?” he asked. You let out a sob before pulling him into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around you and you instantly felt more secure and safe. “I-it was a nightmare,” you gasped. Seonghwa sighed as he settled back against the pillows, holding you tightly as he stroked your hair. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “You’re safe.”

The door opened and Alfred peered in. Seonghwa looked up. “I heard a scream,” Alfred said matter of factly. “Yes, she had a nightmare,” Seonghwa announced as he continued to stroke your hair soothingly. “I see. Sir, the innkeeper has told me that breakfast is ready. You must eat and then depart immediately,” Alfred explained. Seonghwa nodded. “Thank you Alfred,” he said. “Oh, one more thing, Master Park,” Alfred said before departing.

“I’ve been told the guide is here.” Seonghwa nodded, thanking his valet once more. The door shut and he returned his attention to you. “We should get up,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Need to clean up and get dressed,” he added.

After a few more encouraging words and stolen kisses, Seonghwa finally convinced you to get up. He sent for some hot water so you could wash up before getting dressed. You pulled on your nightgown as he pulled on some pants, just as there was a knock at the door. He opened it, allowing Charlotte into the room with a kettle which she then poured into the ceramic pitcher in the wash basin.

She then moved to fill the second pitcher for Seonghwa, refusing to make eye contact with him. You knew that she must have heard last night. “I’ll be back to help you dress, ma’am,” Charlotte announced before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. You looked over your shoulder at Seonghwa who shook his head, clearly amused by the situation.

You washed up in silence, dragging the cloth over your skin and wiping away the remnants of your escapades last night. Seonghwa was much quicker than you were and was already dressing as you were wiping down your legs. He walked over, grabbing a chair and setting it down behind you. He motioned for you to sit down, taking the cloth from you.

You sat down wordlessly, watching as he grabbed your leg and gently started gliding the cloth over your skin. His eyes met yours as his hand moved up your leg, under your nightgown and further up the inside of your thigh, a smirk creeping onto his face. His fingers brushed against your folds and you held back a gasp. He quickly retreated, rubbing the wet cloth down the inside of your other thigh and then down your leg, making sure to get more than just the inside of your calves.

“Scoot to the edge of the chair,” he ordered. You hesitated but when he looked up at you expectantly, you did as he asked. His hand disappeared under your nightgown once more, this time, he carefully and gently wiped your sex, taking care to be as gentle as possible. “Are you sore?” he asked as he focused on the task at hand. You nodded. “Only a little,” you added when you noticed the grimace on his face.

“I’m sure it will pass by the end of breakfast,” you insisted as he finished and pulled back. He smiled up at you. “No,” he answered. “It won’t.” Seonghwa helped you dress as Charlotte was taking too long. The clothes set out for you were unlike anything you’d ever worn before. All your life you’d worn skirts and dresses. Never had you worn trousers. It was going to be an entirely new experience for you.

As Seonghwa was helping you with the trousers, your top already having been put on, Charlotte returned. “Oh, I can do that,” she said, rushing over and nearly knocking Seonghwa out of the way. “It’s not proper for a man to dress a lady,” Charlotte added. Seonghwa looked from your lady’s maid to you and back. “I’ll be doing it the entire trip,” he reminded her. “You won’t be on standby to help.”

Charlotte looked up at him and then to you. Giving her a smile you nodded. “He’s right. It’s not like the other men or women are going to help me and I hardly understand men’s attire at all,” you explained. “These are not men’s clothes,” Charlotte interjected. “They are for women. They are women’s clothes—” 

“That button and close like men’s,” you reminded her. “I think the one most experienced here with those kinds of clothes is Seonghwa.” Charlotte glanced at him as he pulled on his jacket. She leaned in to whisper to you. “I heard you last night, Miss Y/N,” she said hurriedly. “I heard what he was doing to you,” she continued. You couldn’t help but laugh at the sincerity of her concern.

“Charlotte, the only thing that Seonghwa did to me last night was treat me like his wife,” you retorted. You glanced at him, noticing the half smirk on his face that he tried to hide. You turned back to Charlotte who looked bewildered. “He made love to me,” you whispered. “That’s all.” You could see the embarrassment form on Charlotte’s face. “Oh, I uh…” she stammered. Seonghwa cleared his throat, causing Charlotte to jump. “Thank you for your assistance, Charlotte,” he said. “You’ve been most helpful but if you could go make sure all of the things Y/N needs for the journey are packed up and ready to put on the wagon, I would be most appreciative. Speak with Alfred, he’ll help you.” Charlotte nodded and after throwing you an apologetic look, she left the room.

Once you were alone with Seonghwa, he finished helping you dress and then the two of you joined the rest of the team in the private room for dinner. Seonghwa sat next to you again, ignoring the norms of society. Breakfast was another stew, not unlike the one you had on the road to this village. 

Once you finished, you stayed with Seonghwa while the team loaded up a large wagon with the supplies and luggage. Most of the stuff were things that could be carried by one or more people. No trunks from what you could see. There were a few tents that had been packed away for sleeping.

You knew this was going to be a rough learning experience but you knew your father had handpicked this team and that they were being paid to escort you and Seonghwa on this expedition while also being rewarded with the discovery of the fabled library if you found it at all.

You didn’t care if the credit went to you or not. You simply wanted to experience something new, something daring, something extraordinary and who better to do it with than your soon-to-be husband.

Seonghwa seemed more calm than he had before, no doubt your romp in the bedroom having something to do with that. He was more clear headed, level, and ready for this excursion. Once the wagon had been loaded, you were guided to another wagon, one with a cover and several seats.

You didn’t mind not having the privacy as you climbed in, saving the spot next to you for your fiancé. Seonghwa stayed at the back, helping the other three ladies into the wagon before he climbed in, followed by Hiro, Enoch, and Everett. Euphemia sat across from you with Sophronia next to her. Hiro sat between her and Adelaide. Next to Seonghwa was Enoch followed by Everett on the end.

Thom and Baxter sat with the driver of the second wagon, whose name you learned was Mihai and he was very friendly. His father, Vasile, owned the wagons and would be driving the wagon you were in. Sitting in the front seat beside where the driver would sit was a man who was looking at something you couldn’t see. 

The man must have sensed your gaze because he turned to look over his shoulder at you. He was an older man. He had black hair, peppered with gray and a beard that matched. His eyes were a striking light greenish blue. He had thick eyebrows and a perpetual frown. He raised an eyebrow at you and quickly you looked away. Seonghwa spoke, introducing himself to the man who nodded once with a gruff “hmm.”

Once the wagons were ready, Vasile and Mihai climbed into the drivers’ seats and the party was off, leaving behind the village and the inn where Charlotte and Alfred would await yours and Seonghwa’s return. You glanced out the back of the covered wagon as it started on the path into the forest, passing through the gate and watching the inn grow smaller and smaller.

The passage of time could only be told by the rising of the sun and your fiancé's watch. Hours after you left the village, the wagons stopped for a quick lunch of bread, cured meats, and some cuts of cheese. After which, you were on your way. There was a lot of ground to cover and you had to make it in a day. Charlotte had packed most of your books but there was one you had fished out prior to the bags being loaded into the other wagon.

You sat next to your fiancé, reading over the pages of Pride and Prejudice, the world around you fading to the background as you joined Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in their escapades. Seonghwa seemed to keep himself busy with light conversation as the wagon continued over uneven ground. 

“Is that book any good?” a voice called out over the sound of the wagon wheels rolling over the rough terrain. You glanced up to see several pairs of eyes on you and you glanced at Seonghwa who was smiling at you softly. “Oh,” you said softly, setting the book down on your lap, open on the page you were currently reading from.

“It is,” you said, your voice soft and almost meek. “I’ve heard a lot of literary people talk about that book,” Adelaide said, nodding at the book that rested on your thighs. “I’ve never had the time to read it myself,” she added. “What’s it about?”

“It’s about a young woman who refuses to bend to the will of the expectations placed on her by society as well as her family. She’s the second eldest daughter of the family and she’s quite unorthodox. She likes to be free and be herself rather than make herself seem small in the presence of those who deem themselves to hold a higher standing than she,” Seonghwa answered, taking the others by surprise.

“It challenges the norms of society in the early years of the century and speaks of women having more freedom to choose what they want to do.”

Adelaide glanced from your fiancé back to you, a smile on her face. 

“And you don’t mind her reading those sorts of books?” another voice asked. All eyes turned to the one who had spoken, Everett, who was looking directly at Seonghwa. Your fiancé didn’t falter, instead offering a sarcastic laugh, hidden by a dazzling smile. “Who do you think buys her all these books?” he asked, giving the man a pointed look.

Everett fell silent as the wagon continued on and small conversations started up again. Seonghwa turned to look at you. “Pay him no mind,” he said softly, leaning in as he cupped the back of your neck, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I don’t care what you read.”

You picked up your novel, resuming where you had left off as the sun started to set.

The forest, which had thickened up on either side during the journey, started to open up to a large clearing. You looked up as the others let out murmurs and gasps. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight before you.

It was clear a village had been here but only a handful of buildings stood, most of them were dilapidated, roofs caving in, walls crumbling under the load. Only two buildings stood the test of time. A small house next to a larger building that you could only assume was either a meeting hall or a church.

The wagon pulled to a stop and you glanced at Seonghwa who gave you a reassuring smile. The man seated beside the driver, the guide, hopped down from his perch and started to walk around to the back as the second wagon pulled up next to the first where Thom and Baxter also hopped down and started to unload the bags and supplies from the back of their wagon.

Everett and Enoch climbed down to even ground, helping the women down while you shut your book and followed Seonghwa to the back of the wagon. Your fiancé stepped down before holding out a hand to help you down. Your boots hit the mud, splashing slightly as you landed with a dull thud. It had rained here recently. Vasile climbed down from his seat and moved to the back of the wagon as Enoch, Hiro, and Everett went to help with the bags.

“This is as far as the wagons go,” Vasile said, a hint of apprehension in his voice. He gave you a kind yet apologetic smile. “From here, you must continue on foot. The paths in the forest are not wide enough for the wagons.” You returned the smile as your fiancé spoke. “You’ve brought us this far,” Seonghwa said. “For that, we are grateful.”

“We will be back to pick you up in a week’s time,” Vasile added as the men moved the bags and supplies towards the large building. “Thank you, Vasile,” a voice said. You turned to see the guide walk over and hold out his hand, saying something in Romanian to Vasile. They shook hands and you followed Seonghwa and the women over to the side as Vasile climbed back into his seat and took the reins. You watched as he and Mihai turned the wagons around and started back the way they’d come.

You glanced around before looking up at your fiancé who was staring into the forest to your right. “What is it?” you asked softly, drawing his attention. He looked down at you but shook his head, changing his expression into a soft smile. “Nothing,” he said softly. “It’s nothing.”

“Attention everyone,” Thom called loudly, making you and Seonghwa turn to look at him. He stood on the bottom step leading up to the larger building, the guide standing beside him. “This is our guide, Bernard,” Thom explained, gesturing to the man. “I’ll let him say a few words and then we’ll set up camp for the night here in this village before heading into the forest in the morning.”

Thom stepped down to join the group, turning to face Bernard who looked unhappy and annoyed to be leading the crew your father hired on this expedition. “I’m not going to entertain you with flashy words,” Bernard started, his voice gruff and a slight hint of an accent. “I know these forests. I know these mountains. I know this route. You do what I say, when I say,” he explained. “We camp here tonight in this building,” he added, pointing at the building behind him with his thumb over his shoulder.

“We are already halfway to our destination,” he continued. The men will help set up camp. Ladies, stay out of the way.” You saw Adelaide and Sophronia exchange glances. You looked at Seonghwa as the other men started to grab the bags and supplies to haul them up the steps. “Stay out here,” Seonghwa said softly, guiding you to the side where Adelaide stood with Euphemia and Sophronia. He moved to help the men grabbing some of the bags.

“You should ask if you and your fella can stay in the smaller building together,” Adelaide said as you joined them. “It’s probably a lot more private,” she added with a slight smirk on her face. “Della!” Euphemia admonished. “You said you wouldn’t talk about it!” Your cheeks burned as you turned your gaze away, looking into the forest behind the buildings that wrapped around the whole village. Beyond the forest, the ground rose up into the mountain, the trees continuing up until only rock was visible near the crest.

A cold wind blew through the ruins of the village, whipping around you violently. A shiver ran up your spine as you turned your gaze back towards the end of the village opposite where you’d entered from. A shadowy figure stood under the cover of the trees and your eyes widened but the moment you blinked, it was gone. 

Your attention was redirected as Seonghwa walked over towards you, carrying your pack and his. “We’ve been given permission to stay in the small building,” he said softly as he reached you. He guided you away from the group and as you turned, you could see the smile on Adelaide’s face and the wink she sent your way, making your face burn as Seonghwa led you over to the building. “Wait here,” he said as he set his pack down, leaning it against the wall and carefully pushed open the door, peering inside.

You watched as he disappeared for a moment into what you could now see was a house. He inspected every corner of the front room before moving through an open doorway and out of sight. You could hear his footfalls continued further into the house as he scouted it out. After a few moments, he returned to the front room and walked over to the door. 

“It looks clear,” he said as he grabbed his bag from the ground. “I don’t see any animals and it’s a nice change from the biting wind,” he added. You followed him inside, thankful that he was right. While it was still chilly, the house provided ample shelter from the wind.

Seonghwa dropped his pack on the wooden floor, taking yours from you and setting it beside his. “I wonder when the villagers left this place,” you wondered softly as Seonghwa showed you the rest of the small house. “I’m not sure,” he replied just as softly. “But something tells me they didn’t leave overnight,” he added as he inspected a small room off the kitchen you were currently standing in.

You looked around, taking in the dust covered surfaces, the wood creaking under your feet as your weight shifted. “There’s a bed in here,” Seonghwa said, peering into a room off the kitchen. “I’m not sure how well it’ll hold up,” he added as he pulled back, turning his head to look at you. “We could just make a place on the floor,” you suggested. “Here by the hearth,” you continued. “We could start a fire and—”

“Wow,” a voice interrupted, causing you to jump and turn towards the source. Standing in the open door was Adelaide and Hiro. Adelaide had her arms crossed over her chest as she entered the house, looking around. “Nice place,” she said with a hint of amusement as she joined you, Hiro following closely behind. 

“Bernard asked if you were done setting up,” he said as Seonghwa turned, leaning against the open door frame into the bedroom. “Not yet,” Seonghwa answered. “We were just exploring the place. Making sure it’s structurally sound enough for us to stay in.” Hiro looked around, inspecting the ceiling and moving to press his palm against the wall. “It seems pretty solid,” he said softly. “Well then,” Adelaide started, moving towards your packs.

“Let’s get you set up.”

An hour later, you and Seonghwa joined the rest of the crew at a large fire set up outside the church and house you were going to spend the night in. Everett and Euphemia had taken charge of the cooking with Hiro adding his input quietly.

You were two bowls of stew in and had consumed not only your slice of bread but also your fiancé's. You were sitting beside Seonghwa, a blanket draped over your laps as you stared into the fire as it danced and crackled, sending embers into the night sky.

Seonghwa was engaged in conversation with Charley, the two swapping stories about something you’d lost track of a while ago. Your eyelids were feeling heavy as you tried to fight the exhaustion that threatened to take over your body. You sighed, leaning over and resting your head on Seonghwa’s shoulder, eyes shutting quickly.

“So,” you heard your fiancé's voice. “Bernard, how do you know where the library is?” The group fell silent, waiting for the guide’s response. You forced your eyes open, taking in the way Bernard was silently staring in your direction, his eyes fixated on Seonghwa next to you. “The legends say that no one who has ever entered the library has ever lived to tell their story,” Seonghwa continued.

“So, I ask again. How do you know where the library is?”

The silence that followed was palpable. Other than the crackling of the fire and the sounds of the forest that surrounded the village, no one moved. No one spoke. You glanced up at Seonghwa to find he was holding Bernard’s gaze almost as if it were a challenge. As if he would lose if he looked away.

Finally, after what felt like minutes, Bernard finally spoke.

“I came across the Library in my youth,” he started, his voice just audible over the fire. “I’ve explored these mountains for most of my life, traversing the forests and caves within the valley. I came across the Library when I was first in my twenties.”

No one spoke as he explained, all eyes trained on him.

“Even then, I knew it was not a safe place. Something about it was… not quite right,” he said, grimacing slightly as he no doubt recalled an unpleasant memory. “I’ve never entered the Library,” he continued. “I’ve never even opened the door.”

“How many times have you been?” Hiro asked from his spot next to Adelaide.

“Many times,” Bernard answered. “But you’ve never entered?” Thom asked from beside Bernard. The guide shook his head. “Never,” he repeated. Your eyes slid shut once more as you let out a yawn.

“I think someone’s ready for bed,” a voice said with a chuckle followed by a few snickers. Seonghwa sat up straighter, turning his head towards you, a smile creeping over his face. “Might wanna get this one into the house before she falls asleep entirely.” You felt someone nudged your toe and your eyes opened wearily, blinking slowly. “Oh, there she is!” Adelaide said, laughing softly.

You lifted your head from Seonghwa’s shoulder and started to look around as he got to his feet. “What’s going on?” you murmured as Seonghwa held out his hand for you to take before pulling you to your feet. “Put her to bed and come back, yeah?” Charley called as Seonghwa started to lead you away from the warmth of the fire. “I think I’m going to call it a night as well,” Seonghwa called back. “See you all in the morning!”

Inside the house, Seonghwa shut the door carefully and turned to lead you into the old kitchen where the bedrolls had been placed. “It’s warm,” you muttered as he guided you over. “Do you want to change?” he asked softly into your ear. You shook your head. “It’ll be cold,” you whined, pouting when he chuckled. “Then we’ll just change in the morning.”

Seonghwa helped you into your bedroll before getting into his. The fire snapped and crackled in the hearth, sending a small wave of warmth throughout the room. Your eyes remained shut but you could hear the sound of movement as Seonghwa no doubt tried to get comfortable.

Silence fell over the two of you as he seemed to find a position that worked for him.

You were about to drift off when he spoke.

“Are you still awake, Y/N?”

You kept your eyes shut but hummed in response. “Mm-hm.” Silence followed before he spoke softly, a hint of something in his voice you couldn’t quite place. “I can’t seem to sleep.”

You rolled onto your side, turning to face your fiancé and forced your eyes open. He was already looking at you, lying on his side next to you. “It usually helps if you close your eyes,” you joked softly, making him smile.

“I know,” he replied. His smile fell before he spoke again. “I’m feeling… nervous.” You raised your head slightly. “Nervous?” you repeated. “Why?” Seonghwa sighed, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Something about this trip doesn’t feel… right. It’s like Bernard said about his feelings towards the Library. Something feels off.”

You stared at the side of his face, taking in his profile before you sat up, drawing his attention. He watched as you scooted your bedroll closer to him until there was no space between you. Grabbing the edge of his blanket, you lifted it and scooted closer until your bodies were snuggled beside one another under both covers. Seonghwa chuckled slightly as he accepted your warmth, embracing you tightly.

“If you wanted to cuddle, you could have just said so,” he joked as you wrapped your arms around him. “Why do you feel like something is off?” you asked, looking up at his face, the light of the fire dancing over his features. His brow furrowed as he stared back at you. “I can’t explain it,” he said after a moment. “Something just feels wrong. Like we shouldn’t be doing this.”

You pulled back, reaching up to brush his hair back. “Like we aren’t safe?” you asked softly. Seonghwa looked down, meeting your gaze. “Yes,” he said softly, his breath tickling your skin. “Of course it’s dangerous,” you responded. “We’re in the forest, far from civilization. In the mountains where the weather can change at a moment’s notice. There are probably wild animals in the forest,” you continued.

Seonghwa sighed, pressing his lips to your forehead for a moment. “It doesn’t feel dangerous because of the weather or wild animals,” he finally murmured against your skin. “It feels dangerous for other reasons.” You buried your face in his chest. “For other reasons?” you asked, enjoying the warmth that radiated from his chest. “Like… it’s not just our physical bodies in danger.”

You pulled back to look at him. “It feels like…” he trailed off, not looking at you as he swallowed thickly. “Like our souls are in danger.” You felt a chill run up your spine as his words sank in. You were quick to hide your face in his chest once more.

“I’m sure this feel will pass,” you said softly, your voice slightly muffled. “Tomorrow we’ll find the Library, explore the contents and we’ll be back and boarding the train for Paris before you know it.”

Seonghwa pressed a light kiss to your forehead. “I’m sure you’re right,” he said softly. “I’m probably just overthinking this.” He fell silent as you both settled in each other’s arms.

“We’ll be fine.”

The next morning, Seonghwa woke you with a barrage of kisses to your cheeks, lips, nose, forehead, and anywhere else he could reach. You dressed mostly in silence as he put out the fire in the hearth and then helped him pack up. Outside the house, the crew had gathered with their things, a fire had been lit to make breakfast. 

After dropping your packs with the others, you sat down, thanking Hiro as he handed you a plate of food. Seonghwa joined you and while you ate, Bernard went over the itinerary for the day. The crew would start into the forest, following Bernard’s route which was an old forest path. From there they would stop for lunch before continuing on. 

Once breakfast had been finished and everything packed up, it was time to start moving. Seonghwa helped you with your pack, making sure it was on properly and the straps were fastened snugly. “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry this?” he asked softly, making you roll your eyes before pressing a quick peck to his lips, ignoring the few sets of eyes that watched you closely.

“I’ll be fine,” you said softly. “I’m not entirely helpless,” you added as Bernard moved to the head of the group. “The sun is rising,” he called out, glancing up at the slowly lightening sky. “We had best be getting a move-on.”

The group started forward and you followed, giving your fiancé a smile as he sighed. Seonghwa gave one final glance to the buildings you had spent the night in before turning back to look at the crew, you bringing up the rear before he set off after. He didn’t have a good feeling about this but he wasn’t about to let you go off without him. It was his duty to protect you and he would make good on that.

The rest of the village was mostly in ruins. Buildings that were once houses had long since collapsed, the roofs caved in from wear and tear. There wasn’t a single shred of evidence that life existed other than the fact that there was a village. No clues as to who lived here or when they left. Seonghwa caught up with you, reaching out to gently take your hand.

You glanced up, giving him another excited grin. Seonghwa forced a smile in return. He didn’t want to do this and the closer the group got to the edge of the forest, the stronger his trepidation became. He really didn’t want to do this. Bernard stopped the group, holding up a hand to call for attention.

“Once we enter the forest,” he began. “You will walk single file and keep to the path. The forests have a tendency to trick you into walking off the path and if you go off the path, even God cannot help you find your way back.” You glanced over at Seonghwa, sharing a knowing look.

“The forest is thick. This path has been worn down over time. You will do as I say, understand?” Bernard asked, looking around at the crew, receiving murmurs and nods of agreement. Once Bernard was satisfied with the response he turned and began forward, stepping over the threshold into the forest. One by one, the crew began to follow with Thom taking the lead and Hiro at the back. 

Seonghwa gestured for you to go next, wanting to take up the end and make sure you didn’t fall behind. The walk was silent as you followed one another, Bernard not speaking or pointing out things. He had been right, the forest was thick with the understory creating a sort of wall on either side of the path. Occasionally, there would be breaks in the wall allowing you a glimpse further into the forest where the vegetation wasn’t as thick.

You glanced up at the canopy, catching bits of periwinkle between the leaves overhead. The sun had risen above the horizon at this point and was starting to seep through the canopy, light dancing over the forest floor.

As you continued forward, following the winding path through the trees, Seonghwa caught up to you. “Something doesn’t feel right,” he said softly into your ear.

You glanced up to meet his gaze, both of you stopping to speak. “We talked about this,” you said softly. “You’re overthinking it.” Seonghwa glanced around the forest as a soft breeze blew, leaves rustling, his hair moving gently. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “That was before we entered the forest,” he continued. You heard someone call out for the crew to halt and glanced back to find they had stopped and were now watching you.

You caught sight of Bernard squeezing between them to make his way back to where you stood. You turned to your fiancé. “It’s different,” Seonghwa said softly, following your gaze. “Is there a problem?” Bernard asked, as he reached the two of you. Glancing up at your fiancé, you decided to let him answer instead.

Seonghwa glanced at you, meeting your gaze before turning his attention back to the guide.

“No,” he finally said. “No problems. We were just talking.” Bernard regarded your fiancé for a few minutes before he spoke. “If you must stop, let the group know,” he stated plainly. “We cannot afford for you to fall behind.” Seonghwa said nothing but nodded, showing he understood. You offered Bernard a smile as he glanced at you before turning back and heading towards the front of the group.

You glanced at Seonghwa, trying to discern the expression on his face but he merely gestured for you to go ahead of him. “After you,” he said softly, a hint of a smile on his lips. You stared at him for a moment more before turning away and starting along the path towards the group, Seonghwa following closely behind.

The hike was mostly full of the sounds of the forest coming to life as you trekked further and further. You started to wonder if maybe this was the deepest anyone had been in a long time and then a thought crossed your mind. ‘Bernard has been in here before,’ you told yourself. ‘Many times in fact, he said so himself.’

You kept your thoughts to yourself as you moved, stepping over anything in your path from fallen branches to rocks protruding from the dirt. Seonghwa was right there behind you, offering a helping hand and letting you choose to take it or not.

Around midday, or what you could only assume was midday, Bernard called for the group to stop. You sighed as you moved to the edge of what was a small clearing in the trees, a place where the trees opened up into an almost circular path. “We stop here for lunch,” Bernard announced and you heard a collective sigh of relief among the group. Seonghwa followed as you started to undo your pack, murmuring for you to let him help.

Once your pack was removed, he carefully set it down before undoing and removing his own. “Sit,” he said softly, guiding you to a fallen log at the edge of the clearing. You did as he said, sitting down and letting out a stifled groan as your back and legs ached. You’d never hiked this long with something so heavy on your back before. It was a challenge but you loved every second of it.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he undid the top of his pack and dug through it, pulling out one of the food packs. He’d agreed to carry all of the food in his pack to lighten the load on yours. A gesture you only recently understood and greatly appreciated. “Yes,” you answered as he opened and handed you a canteen of water. “I’ve never done this before,” you continued as you took it from him with thanks and took a sip. Seonghwa pushed the water back up. “Drink,” he urged softly.

While a small lunch was prepared, you rested, drinking some water and watching your fiancé as he helped where he could with the prep work. As you watched, you heard someone approach and looked up in time to see Effie smiling down at you before she handed you a bowl of what looked like leftover stew. 

“Oh, thank you,” you said as you took the bowl from her. Effie took that moment to sit beside you, her eyes following your line sight. “He seems like a real swell guy,” she said softly. Your cheeks burned slightly as you lowered your gaze towards your bowl and picked up the spoon to take a bite.

“He is,” you finally said after a couple moments of silence. “He’s wonderful actually.” You glanced up, meeting Effie’s warm smile that extended into her gaze. “You really love him, don’t you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. You responded with a nod. “How did you meet?” she asked suddenly.

You glanced at her, hesitating for a moment before ultimately deciding there was no harm in telling her the truth. It wasn’t exactly a secret back in your social circles that Seonghwa had taken an interest in you after seeing you at a social gathering and pursued you quite relentlessly for almost a year before you agreed to be courted. You had your reasons for being wary due to past situations but Seonghwa proved quickly after that he was much more interested in you as a person.

[flashback] You stared around the room, boredom eating away as you sipped on your second glass of champagne, opting to make it last the rest of the night if you could. It was the third soiree you’d been to that week and despite mainly coming to see your friends, you were now standing alone off to the side of the dance floor where couples danced to music provided by a string quartet.

It was well past dinner time, the hours ticking by and dwindling late into the night. You wanted to see your friends one last time before calling it an evening but as you couldn’t see them on the dance floor, you knew they must have snuck off with whatever partners they found desirable to fool around with.

Your friends were much more permissive with who they let kiss and touch them, not that it was a bad thing at all. It was empowering and you’d had your fair share of flings but nothing ever went past kissing and touching over clothes and that was the way you wanted it. You wanted your first time to be with your husband. You wanted him to be the one to teach you everything in the bedroom.

As your glass became lighter and lighter, a flicker of something dark caught your attention and drew your eyes into the heated gaze of a man you’d never seen before. He was already looking at you, an unreadable expression on his face as he studied you. He was tall, of Asian descent with black hair cut longer than most of the men in the room. He had most of it swept back except a few strands that framed his face.

His eyes were piercing and cat-like as they watched you from across the room. He wore a simple black tux, opting for an overall minimal appearance rather than some of the more grandiose and expensive looking tuxedos that the other male guests were wearing. His complexion was a bit darker, a golden honey that seemed to glow under the chandeliers of the grand ballroom.

As you held his gaze, he raised a glass with a dark amber colored liquid to his lips before downing the rest of it and setting the empty glass down on a nearby tray. You felt your heart skip a beat as he returned his gaze towards you a moment before he looked away and started moving through the crowd and out of your line of sight.

Once he was gone, you looked back towards the dance floor, spotting one of your friends finally as she and the gentleman she had been talking to all night joined the dancers. She caught sight of you and waved, a gesture which you returned and then motioned for her to join you once she was done.

With the message conveyed and well received, you sank back into the crowd, moving away from the edge of the dance floor and over to the wall where you thankfully found an empty seat between two of the many large vases that stood around the room, full of beautiful flowers that brought a splash of color into the otherwise very brown and beige room.

You sat down, letting out a soft sigh of relief as you took the stress of standing off your feet. You’d been standing for hours and your feet were short of killing you. With a huff, you leaned down to remove one of your shoes, the one that was giving you the most grief. With it off, you flexed your toes and stretched out your foot, rolling your ankle as well for good measure. 

It felt wonderful to have some relief to your aching soles but it wouldn’t last long as you knew you would have to put them back on to leave. After giving the same treatment to your other foot, you went to slide your shoe back on but it slipped from your grip, tumbling to the floor. You cursed under your breath but before you could lean forward to snatch it, a hand came into view, grabbing your shoe.

You looked up, your heart skipping a beat to find those same dark eyes you’d seen from across the room staring down at you from much closer now. “Careful,” he said, his voice much deeper than you’d been expecting. “It slipped,” you said softly, holding a hand out for your shoe. Instead, he held it in both hands, turning it over as if inspecting it.

“Could I have my shoe back please?” you finally asked after a moment of silence. He looked up, meeting your gaze once more. “My apologies,” he said. He handed the shoe back and you quickly slipped it on and stood. “My apologies,” you added, giving him a small curtsey. “I must be going.”

As you tried to walk away he stopped you, a gentle hand grabbing you by the elbow. You turned to look at him, a look of shock on your face. No man had ever had the gall to put his hands on you without your express consent and yet here was this man, grabbing you as if you were some thing.

As quickly as he had grabbed your arm, he let go. “Forgive me,” he started, his eyes darting between yours. Up close, you could see the details of his face much more clearly. He was extremely handsome. He had a sharp, long nose, full peach-colored lips, and piercing eyes. There was something inherently masculine about him yet at the same time, something so feminine and the duality between the two had you intrigued for sure but not unwary.

“I saw you earlier and I’ve come to introduce myself and confess something,” he continued, his hand moving behind his back as he stood up straight. He gave you a slight bow of the head, tucking his chin. His shoulders followed but only slightly. It wasn’t a full bow you’d seen before but still more than courteous enough.

“I’m Seonghwa Park,” he continued, raising his head, his eyes meeting yours once more.

“And I think I’m completely and madly in love with you.” [end of flashback]

Effie’s eyes widened as you reminisced over your first interaction with your now fiancé. 

“Did he really say that? Introduced himself and then declared his love for you?” Your laughter rang out, drawing the attention of a few of the crew members who eyed you, smiles coming to their faces as they went on with their work. Seonghwa glanced over, watching you with mirth.

“And then what did you do?” Effie asked as Sophie joined you, sitting on the ground in front of the two of you. “I just sort of stared at him,” you answered softly. “I was so aghast at his very public proclamation that I just looked him up and down and then I just… left.”

Effie’s jaw dropped before she started laughing, you joined in with your own giggles. “Okay but how did he manage to capture your heart after that?” Effie asked, Sophie leaning in, her eyes shining with curiosity as well.

You took another sip from your canteen before answering. “Well, we met on plenty of other occasions and each time he made a point to talk to me. I was so mean to him in the beginning. I was afraid he was just interested in me because of my looks,” you explained to the two women who nodded sympathetically. 

“Most of the men who pursued me had only expressed that they were interested because of my beauty and they never entertained the idea of getting to know me or learning about my interests. Seonghwa was different,” you added, recalling fondly about the first time Seonghwa had taken interest in something other than your physical looks. 

“After about the third or fourth time we met, he finally brought up my interest in animals, particularly horses. It was the first time a man had ever asked me a question that wasn’t about my family but about me instead. It was…” you trailed off, glancing down at the canteen in your hands. “Refreshing.”

Sophie sighed as Effie sat back, resting her hand behind her on the log. “That’s rare,” she said with a nod. “Men don’t usually care about our interests,” she added, to which Sophie nodded. “Especially when they learn that we both went to college,” she chimed in. Your eyes widened. “College? As in university?” you asked, sounding every bit as shocked as you looked.

“Pardon me, ladies,” a familiar voice said. The three of you glanced up to find Seonghwa standing over you. “We’re about to pack up and keep going,” Seonghwa said, turning his attention towards you. “Let me refill your canteen for you.” He held his hand out for your canteen and you smiled before handing it to him. “Thank you,” you said softly, cheeks burning as both Sophie and Effie watched the exchange between you and your fiancé with rapt attention.

To make matters worse and perhaps he was doing it on purpose, Seonghwa leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head before he turned and followed a couple of the others towards a nearby stream. You caught a glimpse of the smirks on both womens’ faces and the look they exchanged.

“He’s clearly very much in love with you,” Sophie finally said in a low tone. Effie nodded, a giggle escaping her. “He really is!” she agreed. “You’re a very lucky woman,” Sophie added with a wink. Your stomach dropped and after looking around, you leaned in closer.

“You two didn’t… hear anything, right?” you asked, already dreading their answers. Sophie and Effie exchanged looks before turning their heads back towards you.

“If you didn’t want us to hear anything then we didn’t hear anything,” Sophie said in a way that had your cheeks burning even more. Effie fought the urge to smile.

“We promise not to bring it up,” Effie added as she changed her expression to a more stoic one, albeit with great difficulty.

“In front of the others,” Sophie added on quickly, making Effie lightly slap her shoulder. “I’m just jesting,” Sophie said quickly with a laugh.

You glanced away as your fiancé returned, carrying two canteens no doubt now full of water. He returned to your side, kneeling down to put one of the canteens in his bag before handing the other one to you. 

“Drink a little more before we leave, sweetheart,” he said softly, taking your hand and placing the skein in it. You glanced towards Effie and Sophie to find they were busying themselves and looking anywhere but at you and Seonghwa. Effie was staring at the tree canopy overhead while Sophie had found a random stick on the ground extremely fascinating, picking it up and inspecting up close.

Seonghwa reached up, gently brushing some of your hair back. “We’ve got a long hike before we make camp,” he added, gently taking your chin in his hand. He quickly pressed a kiss to your lips. As he got up, he grabbed his pack and carefully pulled it on, fastening it to his body while Effie and Sophie got up to go grab their own packs. 

You took a few more sips of the cool water before closing the canteen and putting it away in your bag this time. Seonghwa picked up your pack and helped you put it on while they others started to gather at the path that led out of the small clearing and further into the forest.

Once again, you and Seonghwa brought up the rear, following the group and path deeper into the forest and hopefully, closer towards your destination. You were starting to get the hang of it, moving carefully over the fallen trees and boulders that started to spring up more often along the path. The forest on either side of the trail had grown thicker somehow and as you moved deeper into the trees, it seemed to get darker.

You thought maybe you were seeing things until someone spoke up, asking why it was getting dark when it should be just after midday. Bernard chuckled from the front, a sound that sent a chill up your spine. “Noticed that, have ya?” Bernard asked, calling over his shoulder.

“The forest is much thicker here,” he continued, using his walking stick to knock smaller debris out of the path and to aid him in crossing over branches and rocks. “But the magic of the Library has a considerable influence over this part of the forest,” he added. “We’re getting close.”

As you continued further, the trees opened up slightly and you gasped softly, your eyes falling on the remnants of a cottage. Your reaction caught the attention of not only your fiancé but a few of the other members of the group who turned to look in the direction you were staring. Thom being one of them, called out to Bernard.

“What’s that over there?”

The guide stopped to look back at Thom before his eyes wandered over to the rubble. “Ahh, that,” he said softly. “That’s a cottage,” he answered. “I know that,” Thom said as he followed, stopping a few paces further. “Who lived there?”

Bernard stopped once more and turned to face the crew. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “But the legends talk of a witch who lived in these parts. Of course, that was a long, long time ago,” he continued. “We must keep moving if we are to reach the Library before sundown.”

The crew continued on but you stared at the old cottage for a moment longer before Seonghwa gently nudged you forward. “Come on,” he said softly. “We have to keep going.” Reluctantly, you tore your gaze from the ruins and followed the group, keeping to the path.

Seonghwa glanced at the cottage as he passed, a wave of uneasiness and apprehension passing through him. The longer he stared, the more anxious he began to feel. He too averted his gaze and pressed on, following the group. Something horrible had happened at that cottage though he had no way of explaining why he felt that way. As soon as the cottage was out of sight, the unease began to dissipate and soon it was all but forgotten.

The trek continued and soon, the trees started to thin out, the brush also thinning out. A wide, flat creek bed came into view, water trickling by. Bernard turned to look back at the group. “The Library is close,” he called out. “The cottage was the halfway point. We will be at the Library soon and there we will make camp.” You glanced back at your fiancé, excitement coursing through your veins. Seonghwa offered a smile but despite it, you could see right through him.

He was uneasy. You walked over to him as the group took a small rest to drink and catch their breath. “Hey,” you said softly as Seonghwa tried to turn away but you reached up, cupping his cheek and turning him to face you. “What’s wrong?” you asked under your breath, making sure no one else heard. Seonghwa glanced around before answering.

“It’s nothing,” he whispered as he instructed you to turn around. As you did, you felt him messing with your bag and soon he was handing you the canteen. You opened it, taking a few sips before turning and handing it to him for him to drink. “Talk to me,” you said softly, taking his free hand. “What’s wrong?”

Seonghwa regarded you carefully before handing the canteen back. “I just have a feeling,” he answered. “That this is all wrong and we shouldn’t be here.” You listened, taking a gulp of water. “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?” Seonghwa asked, taking the canteen as you offered it to him.

“Hwa,” you started but he stopped you, cupping your chin gently. “There’s no shame in backing out now. We can go back to the village and stay there until Vasile comes back to collect everyone. It would be boring,” he explained, thumb grazing over your cheek.

“But I’m sure we could find a couple ways to entertain ourselves.” Your cheeks burned at the implication of his words but you couldn't stop the small smirk forming on your lips. “We’d be safe. We have enough food, and if we stayed in that house again, we’d be out of the elements.” You strongly considered his suggestion... but your curiosity for the Library outweighed it.

“Why are you so against this?” you asked softly, studying his expression. Seonghwa sighed. “I’m just… worried. I can’t explain it,” he answered. “It’s a gut feeling I have.” You looked up at Seonghwa, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Everything will be fine,” you said reassuringly. “We are going to be fine.” 

Seonghwa leaned in again, anything to feel your lips on his. You let out a giggle as you pulled back. “I just want to get this trip over with so we can go back home and I can marry you,” he said in a low tone, pulling you closer against him and pressing another kiss to your lips. You leaned into the kiss, the world around you falling silent as you focused on nothing but your soon-to-be-husband’s lips against your own.

“Alright, you lovebirds,” a voice called out, interrupting you. Quickly, you pulled back, turning to find nearly the entire group watching your exchange with your fiancé. Your cheeks burned as you pulled back and cleared your throat. Adelaide, who had been the one to call out, was smirking, arms folded over her chest. “We must carry on,” Bernard said, his expression blank and his voice void of emotion.

He turned and started across the creek, boots splashing through the pristine water. One by one the rest of the group followed. When it was your turn, you followed the same steps as the person before you, Hiro, had taken. On the other side, he was there to make sure you didn’t slip on the rocks and pull you up onto the dry bank.

Seonghwa followed, crossing the creek with ease. On the opposite side of the creek, the path cut through a slope in the ground, walls of dirt raised on either side with the trees standing tall above you. You continued on, following behind Hiro with Seonghwa close behind you. The forest had grown even darker as you pressed further, almost as if the sun was setting. “What time is it?” you whispered to Seonghwa. Hiro turned and answered instead. “It’s just after two in the afternoon,” he answered, looking concerned.

“It’s the Library,” Bernard called from ahead. “It tricks you even if you aren’t inside.” You glanced back at Seonghwa who was looking around the forest as the ground rose and fell into rolling hills with trees and brush closing in all around. The path rose into an incline, leading up higher and higher until you finally reached flat earth.

As the group rounded a bend in the path, the trees opened up and you let out another gasp, stopping in your tracks and forcing Seonghwa to run into your back. “Why’d you…” Seonghwa started but his words trailed off as he looked ahead of you where the path opened up. “Stop.”

Before you, half buried in thick vegetation was a smooth gray stone building. It was massive. You followed the path of the vines and ivy that grew up the building and found at the top a glass dome. The size of the building was impressive. It was immense and no doubt would take days to explore and catalog and suddenly you were worried about whether or not you had enough time.

“We will make camp here tonight and in the morning, enter the Library,” Bernard called over the heads of the crew. “How will we get in?” Sophie asked, stepping forward to inspect the building. “Through those doors, I imagine,” Everett answered, nodding towards the heavy wooden doors. You stared up at them, estimating they were at least fifteen feet tall and made out of what seemed to be solid wood.

Tearing your gaze away you started to help set up camp. You would be sharing a tent with Seonghwa and so you both made sure to place your tent a little further from the others out of respect in case either of you were to give into temptation.

You sat on one of the few fallen logs that the men had carried into the clearing to place around the fire pit that Effie and Sophie made, placing rocks around to protect the rest of the ground. You helped by striping the bark off any damp pieces and setting them up so they were stacked the way Hiro showed you. 

Seonghwa occupied the space beside you, sitting between you and Charley. Dinner had consisted of stew but with the meat from a few rabbits that Thom and Bernard had gone out and managed to catch. It wasn’t much meat but it provided enough protein. After dinner, the group sat around, swapping stories and passing around flasks with what you suspected was whiskey.

Hiro, who sat on the log beside the one you were on passed the flask in your direction and you took it from him with thanks and surprised everyone by taking a sip before handing it to Seonghwa who smiled, shaking his head. “You never fail to surprise me,” Adelaide said from beside Everett, across from you. “I’ve often been chided on my spontaneity,” you remarked with a hint of amusement in your voice.

The others around you chuckled. “So,” you said, sitting up as Seonghwa passed the flask to Charley. “I know nothing about any of you other than what limited information my father gave me,” you explained, looking around. “I want to know more about you.”

Several glances were exchanged before Thom cleared his throat. “Alright,” he said softly, shifting in his place. “Well, I’m former navy,” he explained. “I was a captain but after serving for a while, I became a scholar,” he continued. “I’ve been on a pursuit of knowledge ever since.” A smile started to form on your face. “That’s very admirable,” you replied softly.

“I was also in the military,” another voice said, drawing all eyes towards them. Enoch had been the one to speak up. “The marines,” he added as he looked around. “Why did you leave?” Effie asked and immediately Enoch looked down, the tell of someone who had something to hide. “Dishonorable discharge,” he said barely above a whisper.

“What happened?” Adelaide asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, folding her hands under her chin. Enoch looked up to meet her gaze. “I was given an order by a superior and I refused to follow it,” he explained. “What was the order?” Seonghwa asked from beside you. Glancing towards him, you could see a look of concern cross his features.

“I was supposed to…” Enoch trailed off, his voice cracking. “I was told to destroy a village that wouldn’t convert and join the Commonwealth,” he finally said, clearing his throat before he reached up and wiped at his under eye. “I refused to commit murder and so I was slapped with a dishonorable discharge.”

“That’s awful,” Effie whispered. “Why would they make you do that?” Charley scoffed. “You really don’t know anything about the Commonwealth, do you?” he asked, drawing her attention. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, genuine confusion in her voice.

“It means that Great Britain wants to conquer the entire world. They want to own everything on this godforsaken rock,” he mumbled. “I don’t think that’s true,” Effie whispered. Charley looked at her. “Oh, don’t be so naive, Effie,” he replied. Adelaide looked at him angrily. “Don’t be mean, Charley,” she admonished. 

“How about we change the subject?” you said, clearing your throat. You turned your attention towards Charley. “Did you serve in the military as well?” He looked surprised by the sudden interest and nodded slowly. “I was in the army,” he added. “Why did you leave?” Sophie asked from her spot. Charley turned towards her. “Honorable discharge,” he answered. “I had an accident while on duty. Got hit in the head and was unfit for combat. So I was discharged,” he added.

From there, you learned that Everett was also former army. Baxter spent time in university and graduated with honors. Sophie learned about poisons as a child, traveling the world with her parents who were archaeologists. Adelaide owned a flower shop before becoming a herbologist. Effie grew up on a farm in the countryside where she learned about animals and went to university on a scholarship.

Despite pleas for him to do so, Bernard refused to share anything about his past and ended up going to his tent early. You sat on the log, leaning against Seonghwa as Hiro explained about his past life in Japan before leaving the country.

“I had little in the way of wealth growing up,” Hiro recounted. “I was raised in a fishing village and was expected to become a fisher, just like my father and his father before him but I wanted more for myself.” You watched as he looked over the knife in his hands he’d been using to slice an apple. “When I was around the age of 13, a man came to the village to recruit warriors for one of the shoguns. The year was 1866,” he continued.

He went on to explain how he signed up and during his training, the castle where they were stationed was attacked in the night by shinobi and while most of the warriors were slaughtered and the palace set ablaze, many of the young teens and children were spared and given the choice to stay behind or join the shinobi. “I chose to follow,” Hiro said. “I learned the way of the shinobi. How to infiltrate, hide in the shadows, how to fight,” he continued. “How to kill.”

All eyes were on him as he spoke. “In the year of 1868, the bakufu was dissolved and Meiji was restored. Dai Nippon Teikoku,” he continued. “The Great Empire of Japan.” Silence fell around the fire until someone else spoke up. “Uh,” Everett started. “What’s a shinobi?”

“A mercenary,” Seonghwa answered suddenly. “Also known in the west as a spy.” All eyes returned to Hiro. “That’s mighty impressive, Hiro,” Adelaide said with a smile. Effie suddenly turned to look at you, waving her hand to get your attention. “Tell them the story about how you two met!”

Seonghwa let out a low chuckle. “You mean the time she practically threw her shoe at me and then left without a word?” he asked. You sat up straight, turning to look at him. “Excuse me?” you said, feigning offense. “My shoe fell out of my hand. And then you all but declared your undying love for me despite having never said a word to me before.”

Laughter rang out around the camp and your fiancé's cheeks turned pink under the glow of the fire. “Can you blame me?” he said softly, looking at you with adoration and fondness.

“The most beautiful creature I ever laid eyes on. I thought you were a figment of my imagination. It’s why I had to approach you. I had to see if my eyes were deceiving me.” It was your turn to blush under his gaze as well as the rest of the groups’. “And I knew if I did not say something at that moment, you might have been lost forever,” he continued.

“Oh, he’s good,” Adelaide whispered, breaking the tension in the group. “Alright,” Thom suddenly said, getting to his feet. “I think it’s time we retire for the evening. We have a long day tomorrow.” Thom and Charley put the fire out carefully while everyone got up, ready to get some much needed sleep. Seonghwa stood up, holding out his hand for you to take and pulled you up into him, chuckling as he caught you. “Let’s get you to bed,” he muttered, lips ghosting over yours.

You let him lead you to your tent, ducking into it as he held the flap open. Inside was small but cozy. There was one bedroll which didn’t bother you in the slightest. You sat down as he turned up the lantern, bathing the small space in a dim, golden glow. You slipped off your shoes, setting them aside to put back on in the morning as Seonghwa removed his own and joined you. He turned the flame down until it flickered in one last dance of life and then it was dark.

He set the lantern aside and laid down as you got comfortable, quickly pulling you into his arms and throwing the blanket over the two of you. Your head tucked under his, listening to the faint beating of his heart as silence filled the air around you.

Silence that was broken by you.

“Seonghwa, can I ask you a question?”

He hummed into your hair. “Of course, my petal,” he answered softly. You didn’t raise your head as it was dark and you wouldn’t be able to see his face anyway. “Do you truly desire to get married?” you whispered into the darkness. Seonghwa was silent for a moment before he moved. You sat up as he moved in the dark.

Soon a match was lit and dim light grew, the flame of the lantern dancing once more. Seonghwa hung the lantern up and turned to look at you, his face half enshrouded in shadow.

“Why are you asking me this, Blossom?” he asked softly, moving closer to you and taking your face in his hands. “Are you having doubts?” You shook your head. “No,” you answered. “Not at all.”

His eyes studied your face. “Are you?” you wondered aloud. Seonghwa’s eyes widened slightly. “What would compel you to make such a suggestion?” he whispered. “Have I not proven how openly and wholly I love you?” he asked. You nodded wordlessly, taking his hands in yours. “You have, but I wonder if it’s born out of a sense of expectation from society and not because you—”

He removed his hands from yours, grabbing you by the back of the neck and pulled you into a kiss, cutting off your words. You melted into the kiss, lips parting as he took control, his tongue slipping into your mouth. He pulled back much too soon for your liking.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t give a damn about societal expectations?” he asked, his lips inches from yours and his nose gently nuzzling against yours. “I’m marrying you because I love you, Y/N. I want to start a life with you.”

Your fingers curled into the font of his shirt, pulling him into another searing kiss, full of passion and tongue. Seonghwa carefully guided you backwards onto the bedroll, kisses moving down to your jaw and neck. His fingers skillfully undid your blouse, moving to undo your trousers as well and push them down.

“I love you so much, Blossom,” he murmured as he kissed down your chest, pulling your trousers down at the same time and discarding them. You giggled as his lips tickled your stomach.

You sat up, pulling off your blouse and removing your brassiere. Seonghwa’s hands cupped your exposed breast, sighing as he left a trail of kisses along your shoulder towards your neck, stopping to suck at the junction of your neck and shoulder. Your hands moved to undo the buttons on his shirt, biting back your moans as he nipped at the sensitive skin of your neck.

You were able to push his top off and moved to undo his trousers as well. Wetness had begun to pool between your thighs and your body ached and yearned for his touch. Once the fasteners were undone, Seonghwa shimmied out of his clothes and guided you back onto the bedroll, leaving a trail of wet kisses from your neck to your chest, stopping to taste your nipple as his hand wandered down past your navel.

You gasped as his fingers made contact with your heat, spreading your folds and dipping his finger into your arousal. “Already so wet for me?” he whispered against your skin, lifting your head and meeting your gaze in the low light. His kisses traveled down towards your navel. Your eyes fluttered shut as he continued further, settling between your thighs. “Hw-Hwa,” you whispered.

He lifted his head to look at you. “Yes, sweetheart?” he responded. You propped yourself up on your elbows. In the dim light, he looked alluring, his black hair tousled from your fingers running through it, his plush lips wet with spit and his golden tanned skin bathed in the glow from the lantern.

“D-do you want children?”

Seonghwa’s expression shifted from the hungry and lustful look he gave you to a much softer gaze. “Do you want children?” he countered. You nodded slowly. “I do,” you answered. Seonghwa smiled, climbing over you to take your lips in a soft kiss. “If you want them, then so do I,” he murmured against your lips.

“H-how many do you want?”

Your question made him chuckle as he kissed down your neck and then back up to whisper in your ear. “As many as you want to give me, my love.” You felt his fingers between your thighs again, pushing past your folds and dipping into your entrance. “Th-three?” you asked.

Seonghwa hummed in response, his nose brushing against your skin as kissed your pulse point. “You want three?” he asked, in confirmation. You nodded wordlessly, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth.

Seonghwa chuckled against your skin, his breath warm and making your hair stand on end.

“I’d better get started then.”

Seonghwa wasn’t sure what woke him but as he opened his eyes to the dark tent, he could see the first remnants of dawn started to peek through the tent flap. He reached out his arms, flexing his fingers as he stretched and rolled over, a sleepy smile on his face.

Upon turning to face you, his smile vanished and he sat up, finding your side of the bedroll empty. He quickly dressed, pulling on his trousers and shirt and then hastily pulling on his boots before throwing the flap open and exiting the tent.

He stood up straight, eyes adjusting to the early dawn. He bent back down and reached into the tent to grab the lantern and started for the place that had been designated as the toilet, calling out your name. He saw no sign of you anywhere he looked. He started back towards camp, calling out for you. As he reached the tent and checked again, others were emerging from their own tents.

“What’s going on?” Adelaide asked, stifling a yawn. “I can’t find Y/N,” Seonghwa answered, unable to hide the panic in his voice. “Did you check the toilet tree?” Effie asked, peering sleepily out of her tent. Seonghwa looked around the camp, finding absolutely no trace of you anywhere. “I checked. She wasn’t there,” he answered. Others were starting to emerge.

“What’s happened?” Thom asked, adjusting his glasses as he got out of his tent. “Y/N’s missing,” Effie answered, finally climbing out of her tent as Baxter, Thom, Hiro, and Enoch joined the growing group. “She can’t have gone far,” Charley said sleepily, scratching the back of his head. Bernard finally appeared, fully dressed. “Everyone get dressed,” he ordered. “We will split up and look for her.”

Seonghwa returned to his tent to dress properly and grab a few essentials.

Once everyone had reconvened, the sun had risen more, twilight setting in and allowing them to see a bit better. Bernard came up with a plan, splitting the group up. Half of them would back track the path to see if maybe you had wandered back to the creek while the other half would search the surrounding area. Before setting off, Effie stared at the front of the Library, a look of confusion on her face.

“Was that always open?” she asked loudly, drawing the attention of the group. She was pointing at the fifteen foot tall doors, one of which stood ajar. Seonghwa pushed past them and rushed to the door. It was open just enough for someone to slip inside. He turned to look at Bernard. “She went inside?” he asked. “Why would she do that?” Bernard’s expression shifted. “She must have been lured in,” he said.

“Lured in?” Seonghwa asked, incredulously. “What does that mean, lured in?” He looked around at the crew as Bernard told everyone to grab the essentials of their packs. Water, food, first aid, climbing gear, and whatever else he deemed necessary. “Baxter, Enoch, and Euphemia,” Bernard said. “You three stay out here in case Miss Y/N comes back. The rest of you, follow me.”

Seonghwa followed closely behind the guide as Thom, Charley, Adelaide, Everett, Sophie, and Hiro fell into line behind them. Before entering, Bernard turned to look at the group. “The Library will try to deceive you,” he said suddenly. “Stick together and don’t trust anything you may see or hear except for each other.” The crew exchanged worried glances but followed anyway as Bernard led them past the doors.

Inside was a darkness unlike anything Seonghwa had ever experienced. The lanterns and torches they carried barely penetrated it. The corridor was seemingly endless as they walked, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Seonghwa could hear his heart thundering in his ears, drowning out all sounds. He still couldn’t fathom why you would slip off silently in the middle of the night or what Bernard meant by you being lured in. None of this made any sense to him.

The group continued walking for what felt like ages before the corridor finally seemed to come to an end. Upon exiting the corridor, Seonghwa was suddenly overcome by a strange sensation. Everything about this felt wrong. Like it wasn’t entirely… real. The room at the end of the corridor was a round room, made of the same gray stone as the corridor.

In the center of the room was a section of elevated floor, almost like a stage with arched pillars. There was nothing on the stage and Seonghwa wondered what purpose it could possibly serve, trying not to let his imagination go crazy.

He tore his gaze from the stage and looked around the room, eyes sweeping over the bookshelves lining the walls. The shelves were mostly bare except for a few books, some loose pages yellowed with age and a handful of scrolls. 

Between the bookshelves were six wooden doors and a seventh that stood across from where they entered the room. Seonghwa walked towards one, extending a hand out to grab one of the books but Bernard stopped him. “Do not touch anything,” the guide whispered. Seonghwa watched as he turned away and inspected the room. 

Thom moved towards one of the doors, reading something carved into the stone above it. “Come see this,” he called, not tearing his eyes away. Seonghwa walked over, stopping at the back of the group. Above the wooden door was the word ‘mystery.’ Thom turned to look at Bernard. “What does that mean?” he asked. “Mystery?”

“There’s one here, too,” Adelaide said, standing in front of another door and staring up at the carving above it. It read ‘history.’ She turned to glance at the others. “What is going on?” Hiro had approached another door, looking at the carving above the door and reading it aloud. “Horror.”

Seonghwa looked up at the other doors, finding the spaces above them blank. “These ones are blank,” he said, pointing them out. The others looked around. “What does this mean?” Sophie asked from next to Hiro. She reached out to place her hand against the door. “They’re sections,” Thom said suddenly. “This is a library, right? These are literary genres,” he continued. 

“The mystery section,” he pointed to the door he’d looked at initially. “The history section and the horror section.” Seonghwa glanced at the blank door beside him. “And what about these blank ones?” he asked. Thom walked over to inspect closer. “The library is supposed to be a place that can change and disguise itself and expand. Perhaps these doors have yet to be assigned genres,” he suggested.

Hiro pulled open the door under the horror section and peered into the room beyond. “It’s empty,” he called out. “Just some shelves with a few pages and books.” Adelaide pulled open another door, the one under the mystery sign. “This one too,” she announced. Everett opened the door to the history section and also exclaimed it was empty, save for a few shelves.

Seonghwa walked over to one of the unmarked doors and pulled it open, finding not a room but a dark corridor. “There’s a hallway here,” he called and the others gathered around him to have a peek inside. “Check the others,” Thom said, moving to open one of the unmarked doors. Behind each one was a dark corridor instead of a room.

Seonghwa glanced back at Bernard who was scratching the back of his head. “She could have gone down any of these corridors,” Seonghwa said and Bernard nodded before sighing. “We will split into groups and proceed,” the guide said. “There is no other way. He turned to point at Thom and Adelaide. “You two will go through that door,” he pointed to the first door to the right of the corridor archway.

“You two,” he said, pointing to Charley and Everett. “Take that door,” he continued, pointing to the door to the left of the corridor arch. “You two take that one,” Bernard said to Hiro and Sophie, pointing to the door next to the one he assigned Thom and Adelaide. “You and I will check this one,” he continued to Seonghwa, pointing at the door across from the corridor.

“Tread carefully,” Bernard announced. “After you’ve finished checking, we will meet back here.” Seonghwa watched as Thom and Adelaide entered their assigned door, watching as it swung shut softly behind them. Hiro and Sophie entered theirs as did Charley and Everett, leaving Seonghwa and Bernard.

“Come,” Bernard said, leading Seonghwa over to the door and pulling it open. He entered first with Seonghwa bringing up the rear, the latter looking back over his shoulder as the door shut behind them. Seonghwa kept pace with Bernard as they followed the corridor. It was made of the same gray stone as the rest of the library had been so far.

Their footsteps echoed eerily around them, bouncing off the walls as they followed the dark path before them, lanterns held aloft. Seonghwa felt something settle in the pit of his stomach and he started to grow weary and anxious. He hoped wherever you were that you were safe. 

Silence fell over the two as they continued forward, squinting to see ahead but their sight was limited by the darkness that surrounded them. “This doesn’t feel right,” Seonghwa said softly. Bernard said nothing, merely grumbling under his breath in agreement.

Nothing else was said as they pressed on. 

Elsewhere, Charley and Everett were exploring the corridor behind the door they’d been assigned. Everett held the lantern stead while straining his eyes to see in the dark but to no avail. He couldn’t see anything except the stone walls that pressed in on either side. “Does this tunnel never end?” Charley whispered as they continued, the only sound was their footfalls.

Everett shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Remember what the guide said?” Charley hesitated, staring at Everett’s back. “What?” he asked, genuine confusion on his face. Everett stopped walking, turning to look at Charley and holding his lantern higher. “Bernard,” he said, clarifying. “Don’t you remember what he said about this place?”

Charley stared incredulously at him. “No?” he retorted. “I barely pay attention when Thom speaks, you really think I’m gonna listen to that guy?” Everett sighed. “He said that this place plays tricks on you,” Everett said, turning back in the direction they had been heading. “Gets into your mind and makes you see things that aren’t really there. It’s why they call it the Library of Illusion.”

As Everett spoke, Charley heard a whisper over his shoulder and stopped, turning back to peer into the darkness. He raised his lantern, squinting as his vision tried to penetrate the darkness but there was nothing there. He shook his head, sighing, and turned back around to follow Everett only to run into a solid wall.

He took a step back, startled as he stared up at the gray stone that was now blocking his path. “What?” he whispered as he turned around on the spot, holding his lantern up to try and see how he even lost the path to begin with. He turned back to the wall and pounded his fist on it. “Everett!” he called and hesitated, pressing his ear against the stone to see if he could hear the other man calling back but heard nothing. He tried once more, pounding even harder on the wall, bruising his fist in the process.

When he placed his ear against the stone, instead of hearing Everett calling back to him, he heard a faint whistling, almost like a kettle but far away and distant. He repositioned his ear, pressing more firmly against the wall. He strained his ears to catch even the slightest sound. As the whistling faded, silence fell. It was quiet for a moment before another sound rang out. Scratching.

Charley pulled back, looking at the stone. There was something scratching against the wall. It grew louder and louder against the stone, bits of rock falling to the ground. Charley backed away, his breathing growing unsteady as he stared in horror at the wall before letting out a scream of horror and taking off in the opposite direction. He dropped his lantern which hit the ground, the glass shattering and extinguishing the flame instantly.

The darkness enveloped him as he ran away from whatever horrors he had witness but he was unable to see the razor sharp wire strung across the hall at just about neck level.

He never saw it coming.

Everett was suspicious of how quiet it had grown and turned to find Charley was no longer behind him. He raised the lantern but saw no sign of his companion. “Alright, Charley, that’s very funny,” he called but received no answer. He took a few steps back but found no sign of Charley. As he stumbled along, his foot hit something on the ground and he looked down, lowering his lantern to find another one, smashed, and lying on the ground.

He stooped down to pick it up carefully and inspect it. It looked like one of the ones they’d been using but if that was the case, where was its user? Everett heard a noise, almost like a whisper from behind him and dropped the busted lantern before standing up and spinning around, holding his own lantern up. He squinted in the darkness and noticed in the distance a light. He started forward slowly and stopped to get a better bearing of how far it was.

That was when he realized the light, whatever it was, was moving. It was moving towards him.

And it was moving fast. Everett took another cautious step forward as the light grew closer and closer before it was extinguished. He waited, wondering if someone had been carrying a lantern and was moving towards him. His suspicions were confirmed by the muffled sound of footsteps.

As they came closer and closer, a wave of panic rolled over him and Everett turned and ran away from the footsteps. He kept running, following the corridor until he hit a wall and cursed. To his left was a wall but to his right the tunnel continued. He took off, running as fast as he could while the disembodied footsteps followed closely behind him. He nearly tripped and lost his footing but managed to regain it and ran through an open doorway, slamming the door shut behind him.

He quickly picked up a board leaning against the wall and placed it in the slots, barricading the door as something ran into it. He took a step back, watching the door as something slammed into it repeatedly, once, twice, three times. He braced himself for another impact but it never came. Instead, silence followed. He took note that the footsteps that had chased him had not receded and that whatever it was stood just outside the door.

He turned, looking around the room, finding himself in a square room with no visible exit. He backed into the center of the room, glancing around until his foot hit something and the stone under his shoe gave way, sinking into the ground. He glanced down to see a small round piece of stone that must have been sticking out was now level with the ground.

A series of mechanical whirring and the sound of stone grinding against stone caught his attention. He looked behind him to see the wall was growing closer. Upon checking both walls on either side of him, he discovered the same thing and looking up told him the ceiling was also pressing in.

The walls were literally closing in on him. He would just have to take his chances with whatever was on the other side of the door and dashed over to find the wooden door gone and only a smooth, stone wall. He searched the wall, looking for the exit but found none.

He was trapped.

In the other corridor, Thom and Adelaide had been walking for what felt like an hour with no sign of the corridor ending. No doors opening up to rooms or anything. “This is boring,” Adelaide complained. “There’s no way Y/N went this way.” Thom turned to look at her. “We have to check, Della,” he reminded her. “What if she’s hurt and needs our help?” Adelaide sighed heavily.

“What would even compel her to come in here in the middle of the night?” she murmured as they continued walking. “I don’t know,” Thom answered. “But it’s like Bernard said. The library plays tricks on you. Maybe it did something to lure Y/N in. And if that’s the case, she could be in a trance and we need to find her before it’s too late.”

“Why is it our job to do this?” Adelaide asked as they pressed on. “Since when are we her baby sitters?”

Thom tuned out her words, eyes fixating on something in the distance. He stopped, holding up and arm to stop Adelaide. “Stop,” he said softly. “Thom, what the—” He held his hand up to silence her. “Della, shut up. Do you see that?” he asked, pointing down the corridor. Adelaide turned her attention, narrowing her eyes and catching sight of something that looked suspiciously like a light.

“What is that?” she asked, leaning forward slightly to try and get a better look. Thom shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered. “But we better go check it out.” He turned to meet her gaze before continuing forward, their steps echoing off the stone.

As they drew closer and closer, Thom discerned that it was indeed a light they were seeing and before long, the corridor opened into a small round room.

The walls were made of the same gray stone that the rest of the library had been made of. The room wasn’t large, just big enough for a few bookshelves full of old musty books, yellowed scrolls, and torn pages scattered about. The walls were bare, save for a few draperies but there were no windows. In the center of the room was a desk, covered in papers, quills, and empty ink pots.

Adelaide walked over to one of the shelves, inspecting the dusty titles more closely while Thom looked over the papers strewn across the wooden surface of the ornate desk. He pushed what looked to be a blueprint for some sort of building to find under it a sketch of a wanted poster. He turned the paper around and held the lantern closer.

“What is this place?” Adelaide wondered aloud, making Thom look up. “I’m not sure,” he answered, beginning to look around further. “But there’s nowhere to go from here. And very clearly, Y/N is not here,” he continued as he pushed some more papers aside.

Adelaide’s attention was drawn to a book on the shelf that looked like it had been touched recently. There was no dust on it. “How strange,” she whispered, extending her hand for the spine. She grasped it in her fingers and pulled.

The book started to come loose but stopped part of the way, leaving it tilted at an angle. As soon as it was pulled, there was a loud mechanical whirring and she jumped back with a gasp as the shelf moved before her eyes, sliding to the side to reveal an opening in the stone wall.

Thom looked up in time to see the bookcase slide to the right and quickly rounded the desk to join Adelaide and stare in shock at the opening that had appeared. Beyond the archway was a wall and upon peering in, Thom discovered a spiral staircase that led down. The two turned their heads, giving each other a knowing look. You could be down there and they had no choice but to continue on.

Thom led the way, Adelaide following closely behind as they descended the steps. Light bounced off the walls and after what felt like a considerably long time walking down, they finally reached a landing which opened up into a long corridor. This corridor was different from the initial one in that they could already see to the end of it and the walls had torches spaced along the wall.

“Who lit these?” Adelaide whispered, eyes looking at the torches. Thom shook his head with a shrug. “Maybe Y/N did?” he suggested. He turned to meet Adelaide’s skeptical look and shrugged again. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I can’t think of anyone else who would do it.”

A feeling of apprehension washed over Adelaide as Thom started forward and she grabbed his arm. “Wait,” she said quickly. “I don’t like this. Something feels wrong.” Thom sighed and gently removed her hand. “I know,” he said reassuringly. “But we can’t turn back. We have to check everywhere. Y/N could be down here.” Adelaide nodded hesitantly, giving in and allowed Thom to take the lead.

As they walked down the corridor, they passed iron barred doors and discovered the rooms beyond were cells. Each one was empty, save for a rickety cot and a pair of shackles pinned to the walls. As they reached the halfway point, the hallway intersected another in a t-shape. Ahead was a room with more lights and to the right was a dark corridor with no end in sight.

“Where do we go first?” Adelaide asked softly, looking between the new hallway and the room. “The room,” Thom said softly. “We’ll check it first and then come back to the hallway.” They continued on, entering the room which was similar to the office they’d entered above, only smaller.

There were no bookcases down here, only tables with various items scattered around. Opposite where they entered from was a stone pedestal where an ornate box stood with a few gems encrusted into it. Seeing nothing entirely out of the ordinary, and determining that you were in fact not hiding here, they turned back and made their way back to the intersection.

Thom continued the lead, walking forward while Adelaide kept close behind him. As they walked, Adelaide was certain she could hear whispering. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It was an unintelligible sound although she could have sworn she heard her name a few times.

“Do you hear that?” Adelaide whispered as she kept pace with Thom. He shook his head. “I don’t hear anything,” he answered. They kept walking, keeping their eyes open for any change as the corridor stretched on and on.

“Adelaide…”

The woman in question jumped, hearing something whisper in her ear. “What was that?” she asked in a panicked voice. Thom stopped and turned to her. “What was what?” he asked. Adelaide looked around the hall, eyes meeting nothing but darkness. “I heard my name,” she said softly. Thom placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s just the dark,” he said reassuringly. “It can play tricks on you. Come on,” he urged.

Thom turned and kept walking but Adelaide’s attention was focused on a faint white glow emanating from the direction they’d just come from. Thom, unaware, continued forward, drawing the light with him and leaving Adelaide in the darkness. She took a step back as the glow started to grow in brightness. “Thom?” she whispered. “Are you seeing this?”

When there was no answer, Adelaide turned to find herself alone in the hall and a feeling of dread came over her as she turned back towards the end of the hall to find the source of the glow was at the end of the hall. Despite the obvious dread she was feeling at being left behind, a sense of calm came over Adelaide the longer she looked at the light.

As she stared at it, it started to take shape and she gasped as it morphed before her, eyes widening as she started to realize what she was seeing. It looked like a person but no human had that kind of glow. It was almost unearthly. Otherworldly. It could only be the glow of a being not of this realm.

“An angel,” Adelaide whispered, her feet starting to carry her towards the light, a magnetic pull urging her to follow. Her footsteps echoed as she walked back down the corridor and as she drew closer towards the being, it turned and started to walk out of view. Adelaide’s pace quickened and she jogged to catch up, rounding the corner to find the angel waiting for her at the end of the hall.

It raised a hand, beckoning her forward and she followed, obeying its command. ‘Come closer,’ a sweet voice whispered in her head. ‘I won’t hurt you.’ Adelaide continued forward, unaware of the dark shadow creeping up behind her as she neared the glowing figure, shielding her eyes as the brightness intensified. With her eyes shut, she never saw the blackness behind her, fiery red eyes locked on as it approached, a charred hand reaching out.

Thom had been walking for a while and had just become attuned to how quiet it was. He stopped and turned, finding the hallway behind him empty. Adelaide was nowhere in sight. “Della!” he called out, his voice echoed in the dark. “Della, where are you?” He strained his ears, hoping to catch a sound, any sound. He heard nothing instead. 

He glanced behind him, the direction he’d been traveling. You could still be down there. He was torn between wanting to backtrack and find Adelaide or continuing on and searching for you. As he contemplated, he heard a sound, the sound of rocks clattering. They sounded so small, almost like pebbles. He turned towards the source as a shadow came hurtling towards him.

It moved so quickly he had no chance to run and the hallway was so narrow he didn’t have anywhere to go to get out of the wall. The shadow, whatever it was, hit him in the stomach, a searing pain shooting through his body as the force of the blow turned his body around and the shadow continued to scamper down the hall and out of sight.

Blood seeped through his clothes as Thom fell to his knees, feeling the life drain from him. As he fell down onto the stone floor, a small cloud of dust rising and blood spilling onto the stone floor, he could have sworn he heard the sound of a woman screaming for help before the darkness swallowed him whole.

Baxter sat by the fire, staring up at the doors of the library. It had only been several minutes since the others had entered and the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, filtering a golden glow through the trunks of the trees. In the light, the Library looked less impressive. It was a dull gray stone, the facade completely covered in vines and ivy but he could see where the library ended and the world around it began.

Effie had returned to her tent and Enoch had wandered back to the creek to get more water. As he sat there, Baxter could have sworn he heard a voice. He turned to look behind him, seeing nothing. He turned back around, looking into the fire. The only sound other than the crackling of the flames were the sounds of the forest waking up around him.

A few moments passed by when he was startled by the snapping of a twig. He turned quickly to look behind him once more but saw nothing. He chided himself for being so jumpy and sighed, letting a short laugh out, but as he turned back, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

A flash of white.

He turned his head to see a figure in the distance. Someone standing among the trees some fifty feet away wearing white. Baxter got to his feet slowly, eyes straining to see. ‘Baxter,’ a woman’s voice whispered in his head. He’d never heard this voice before. He watched as the figure turned and slowly started to walk away. He contemplated sitting back down but realized that it could be you. He started forward, hurrying to catch up with the figure.

As he drew closer, he could see the white was actually a dress. This woman was wearing a dress. “Wait!” he called, running after her. The woman picked up the pace, running through the forest. It was eerie and Baxter was impressed at her speed and the fact that her dress never got caught on anything as he hurtled over fallen logs to try and catch up with her.

No matter how fast he ran, he never seemed to be able to catch up. “Wait!” he called out again. He was running with all his strength at that point. He wasn’t watching where he was going, stumbling over rocks and branches as he kept his eyes on the woman. “Come back!”

He was going too fast and didn’t see the break in the ground. He realized all too late as the ground opened up and he toppled over the edge. The fall was a long one and the moment his body hit the ground, nothing would be able to save him. As the life left his eyes, the woman in white stood at the top of the cliff, looking down at him wordlessly before turning away and disappearing into the forest.

Effie flipped open the flap of her tent, peering out to find the fire unattended. She pulled herself from the depths of the tent and stood up, looking around for any sign of Baxter. The forest, which had been full of life moments before, was now dead silent; the sign of a nearby predator.

Effie walked over to the fire, enjoying the warmth. She was about to take a seat when she heard a scream in the distance. It sounded like a man. She turned and looked around, eyes wide. “Baxter?” she called, hoping for a reply but none came. Instead, she heard another yell and started in the direction she could have sworn it came from.

Her feet carried her over the forest floor, littered with leaves, branches, twigs, and rocks. She took care to not move too fast or hastily so she wouldn’t injure herself. As she pressed on, she heard a piercing scream from up ahead and broke into a run.

“Baxter!” she shouted as she hurried along, stopping just in time before falling over the edge of a cliff and plummeting down below. She dropped to her hands and knees, moving to peer over the edge where she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

Lying at the bottom of the ravine, some fifty feet down, was the body of Baxter. His arms and legs were bent in an unnatural way and Effie let out a broken sob, knowing deep in her heart that he was no longer with them. She glanced around, looking for an easier way down. She got up shakily and started to follow the edge of the ravine, hoping to find a way down.

After what felt like an unnecessarily long time, she finally found a safe route down and started to backtrack where Baxter’s body was but as she reached the spot where she thought he lay, his body was nowhere to be found. Instead she saw drag marks in the mud that led away. 

She looked around and saw a figure standing about twenty or so feet away. It was a man. He had caramel brown hair that was longer near the back of his head. He wore a white tunic top and black pants. He looked like he was from an entirely different era.

Cautiously, Effie approached him. “Please,” she said softly. “Please, my friend. He was here and now—” Effie’s words trailed off as the man wordlessly raised a hand, pointing to his right. Effie followed his finger and saw nestled in the side of the cliff wall was a small opening. She glanced at the man, taking note of his blank expression and blood stained shirt.

“Who are you?” she asked. The man didn’t answer, instead emphasizing his point and turning his gaze towards the cavern entrance. Effie saw no point in delaying and hurried over, thanking the man as she passed him. When she reached the entrance of the cave, she turned to look back and found the man was gone. She looked around, confused. “Where did he go?” she whispered.

Deciding not to dwell on it, she ducked down and crawled through the cave entrance. Inside was dark but not as dark as it could have been with light pouring in from the entrance. Effie followed the tunnel, crawling on her hands and knees through the mud, ignoring the way it squished through her fingers and soaked the knees of her pants.

She crawled for what felt like hours before the cave opened up and she was able to get to her feet. Inside was a large open cavern. There were roots of trees protruding through the walls of the cave and in the center a rock formation, illuminated by light pouring in from a break in the cavern ceiling. As she moved closer, Effie gasped seeing the body of Baxter lying there and rushed over.

She knelt beside him, hands shaking as she tried to find a pulse but found nothing. Tears streamed down her face as she apologized over and over, sobbing silently. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the creature behind her until it let out a grunt and a huff of air. Effie turned, finding herself face to face with a massive brown bear. She cowered in fear as the bear advanced.

Her eyes darted towards the cave as her hand reached for something she could use against the bear. She felt a large rock and grabbed it, picking it off the ground. She slowly stood up and stared down the bear, breathing heavily, trying to work up the courage to do what needed to be done.

With a loud yell, she threw the rock at the bear, hitting it in the head and tore off towards the cave entrance. She dropped to her hands and knees and started crawling quickly but the bear was on her in moments, the rock only serving to anger the animal. Effie let out a scream as she felt sharp teeth dig into the meat of her calf and desperately she tried to grab onto the ground, fingers only finding mud as the bear dragged her back into the cave.

Her screams echoed around the cave until the bear’s blood covered maw clamped down on the back of her neck and gave a violent shake, a snapping echoing off the walls and Effie fell silent, the bear dragging her lifeless body over to where Baxter laid, dropping her on him. Winter was coming and the bear needed to eat.

Enoch crouched by the stream, dipping the opening of one of the many canteens he’d brought with him under the surface of the clear water. He’d only been gone a few moments, wanting to top off all the canteens in camp before the others returned with you. They would need all the water they could while exploring the entire library.

Enoch stood, starting to plug the hole of the canteen when a scream rang out, echoing around the forest, making him jump and drop the canteen. It sounded like Effie’s voice, screaming and crying for help. He started back towards camp, leaving the canteens behind in his haste. He ran through the forest, ignoring the path and hoping to just make a straight line to camp.

More screams echoed out and he called out for Effie but got no reply. Enoch continued running, expecting to have run into camp but he would soon learn that he was not in the right area, nor was he moving in the right direction. He continued on his path, running away from camp and heading further into the dense forest.

Inside the library, Hiro and Sophie had been walking for hours, feeling as if they were going in circles though there had never been a single bend in the corridor. “Can we please stop?” Sophie asked. “My feet are killing me.” Hiro nodded, stopped to lean against the wall. “How long have we been in here?” Sophie asked, watching as Hiro shrugged. “I do not know,” he answered. “A long time.”

Sophie sighed and slowly slumped down onto the floor. “We haven’t come across anything. Does this hallway never end?” she whispered, looking down the hall in the direction they’d come from. Hiro’s eyes were focused in the other direction. He stood up straight, eyes narrowing as he focused on a dim orange glow in the distance. “Sophie,” he whispered. “Get up.”

Sophie looked up at him and then in the direction he was looking. She gasped, eyes widening as she scrambled to get to her feet. “What is it?” she asked, moving to stand behind Hiro as he pulled his knife from its sheath. “I do not know,” he answered, shaking his head. “But I do not like it. Stay close.”

The pair started down the corridor, moving slowly and steadily towards the orange light. As they drew closer, the light began to grow until they were looking at a room. Beyond was a door. The room itself was mostly empty save for a few broken glass tanks and torn baskets. Hiro moved towards the middle of the room, Sophie on his heels and the pair began to look around.

“Spread out but be careful,” Hiro warned her as he moved to inspect a shelf. Sophie moved to the other side, inspecting the torn baskets. They were bell-shaped with flat tops, the sides had been ripped open from the lip of the basket, almost as if something had forced its way out.

Sophie peered into one and found something lying in the bottom. Carefully, she reached in and her fingers touched something dry, almost like extremely thin paper. She carefully removed it, holding the item up to see it in the candle light. She let out a gasp as she realized what she was looking at.

Snake skin. A snake had been in the room and this was its shed. She stood up as Hiro approached her. “What is it?” he asked, inspecting it as well. “Snake shed,” Sophie answered. “There is, or was, a snake in here.” She dropped the skin back into the basket and wiped her hands. “I don’t like this,” she whispered, looking around. “Let’s check this door,” Hiro nodded towards the wooden door and the two moved cautiously across the room.

Upon opening it, they found another hallway but a short one they could see the end of. They carefully made their way down to the end where there was a small alcove. Inside were more baskets but these were intact. Hiro moved over to a small desk under a slit window and started to look over some papers while Sophie checked the baskets.

“What do they say?” Sophie asked as she opened baskets, finding them empty. She moved them one by one while Hiro read, eyes scanning the text. “Something about venomous snakes,” he said softly. Sophie glanced at him as she moved a basket, unearthing a snake coiled up. She turned to reached for the lid and the snake struck out.

Sophie let out a yelp of pain, causing Hiro to turn and find the snake curled up on the basket. Sophie looked down at the bite on her hand and stumbled back. “Oh god,” she whispered, falling back into the wall while Hiro killed the snake. He turned as she slumped down and knelt before her. “Venom,” she whispered. “It’s bitten me.” Hiro looked at her hand, uncertain of what to do.

“What do I do?” he asked. Sophie shook her head. “My bag. Check my bag. I should have some antidote in it.” Hiro grabbed Sophie’s bag and started to dump the contents out. “Where is it?” he asked, panic rising in his voice. Sophie was starting to lose consciousness as the venom spread throughout her body. “Small vial,” she whispered, unable to form full sentences.

Hiro glanced down, looking for the vial. He spread the items around, blinking away the tears as he tried in vain to find what he was looking for. “I-I don’t see it!” Sophie’s skin had started to become clammy, sweat beading on her brow. “Small. Vial. Blue,” she panted as her breathing started to come in ragged, short gasps. The venom was starting to shut down her basic bodily functions.

“It’s not here,” Hiro whispered. “It’s not here.” He looked up, his face falling as Sophie’s entire body went limp, eyes rolling back and she slumped over. “No, no, no!” he shouted, trying to sit her up. He glanced around at the small vials on the ground. His eyes landed on one. A blue one. He grabbed it and popped the cork off, turning to open Sophie’s mouth and pour the liquid in.

He tossed the vial aside and took Sophie’s face in his hands. “Wake up,” he whispered. “Come on. Wake up.” When nothing happened, Hiro sat back, defeated. He glanced around the alcove, taking note of the dead snake but his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when the hissing started. He looked over to see the baskets all shaking violently, the hissing growing louder. ‘A shipment of venomous snakes.’

He scrambled up to his feet, not wanting to leave Sophie’s body behind but he had no choice. He couldn’t carry her and outrun the snakes. He had to make a decision. He looked down at Sophie and muttered an apology, saying a prayer in his native tongue before he took off, back in the direction they’d come from. As he ran, the corridor stretched on and on which made no sense. It hadn’t been that long before.

Hiro heard a great hissing from behind him and quickened his pace, stumbling forward. As he ran, his foot hit a pressure plate hidden on the ground and before he could stop himself, he ran right into a booby trap. Crossbow bolts shot out from the walls, piercing his body and knocking him back against the wall. Blood spilled from the wounds as he slumped down, the hissing growing louder and louder as a darkness overtook him. The last thing he saw was a pair of glowing yellow eyes before everything went black.

Seonghwa had lost track of how much time had passed since he and Bernard had entered the door. The hallway had twisted and turned with the exception of the occasional empty room, there wasn’t much else. They continued on for what felt like hours until they reached a bend. “Maybe we should turn back,” Bernard suggested, only for Seonghwa to glare at him. “I’m not leaving without Y/N,” he snapped. Bernard gave in immediately.

As they rounded the bend, a wooden door came into view and Seonghwa let out a laugh, picking up the pace with Bernard hot on his heels. “Be careful!” the guide hissed as Seonghwa reached for the door, turning the knob and pushing it open. The light from their lanterns spilled into the room and revealed a horrific scene.

Blood.

The walls and floor were coated in what looked to be fresh blood. The carcasses of animals littered the ground, bones stained with blood. Seonghwa looked around in disgust as he took note of all the bones and skulls that littered the floor. Most of the bones were animal but a few looked to be human even. He felt bile rise in his stomach but managed to keep it down. As he turned, his light hit someone on a stone altar and it glittered and shone in the dim light.

Seonghwa walked further, stepping cautiously over the bones as he approached it, despite Bernard’s whispers to come back. As he reached the altar, Seonghwa reached out for the shimmering item, ignoring the guide’s protests. Seonghwa nearly recoiled upon touching the blood covered item and raised it up. It was a necklace. He turned the oval shaped pendant over and wiped the blood from the back, revealing something engraved into the metal.

‘To my flower, love Seonghwa.’

His eyes widened as he realized what he was holding. Turning it over and finding the seam, he pried it open to find inside two pictures. His and yours. Seonghwa let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “It’s Y/N’s,” he announced, turning to look at Bernard. “It’s her locket.” Bernard glanced around the room, surveying the carnage. “We should not be here,” Bernard said, shaking his head.

“We must go.”

Seonghwa, who had set his lantern down and pulled a cloth from his pocket and was wiping off the locket, turned to look at the guide. “What?” he asked incredulously. Bernard looked up at him. “We need to leave. Now,” he snapped. Seonghwa shook his head stubbornly. He was not leaving without you.

“No,” he replied, shaking his head as he continued wiping off the pendant.

“Look around you!” Bernard stated. “We cannot stay here. This place is cursed!”

“I’m not leaving without her!” Seonghwa snapped, looking up to meet the guide’s gaze. “I will not leave without her.” The guide sighed and reached into his waistband, pulling a pistol. “I’m leaving with or without you, sir.” Seonghwa eyed the gun and scoffed. “Fine,” he said as he pocketed the locket and picked up his lantern. “I’ll find Y/N on my own.”

Bernard, who had misunderstood Seonghwa’s acceptance, stared at him incredulously as the younger man moved around the room, inspecting it. “Your fiancée is probably dead. There’s no need for you to risk your life. You’re young. You’ll find someone else to—”

“I don’t want anyone else,” Seonghwa hissed, turning to look at the older man. “I’m not leaving here without Y/N.” Bernard watched as Seonghwa approached a wooden panel in the wall and pushed on it. It gave way and opened with a slow and long creak. A door.

Seonghwa turned to Bernard. “You can either come with me or turn back. I’m going on to find my fiancée and once I’ve found her, I’ll find my way out of here.” Without another word, Seonghwa continued forward, exiting the room. He walked in silence as Bernard walked to the door and called out. “Wait,” he said, making Seonghwa turn. Bernard walked down the hall to meet him and handed over his pistol. “Just to be safe,” he said before giving Seonghwa the extra bullets.

“Find your fiancée and then leave this place. Get married, start your life, but don’t ever come back,” the guide said. With that, he turned and walked back to the bloodied room and out of sight. Seonghwa looked down at the pistol and bullets, pocketing the bullets and keeping a firm grip on the gun.

He started back down the corridor in the direction he had been going, keeping his eyes open.

Bernard exited the room and made his way back down the corridor towards the door, following the twists and turns but soon found himself at a dead end. He looked around, finding it odd as there had never been any dead ends before. He turned and backtracked until he reached a junction, another oddity as there hadn’t been one before. Checking between the two, he decided to go right.

As he walked, he could hear whispers in the dark, unintelligible whispers but some of his name. He ignored them as he walked, hoping to find his way back to the door soon but ran into yet another dead end. He turned back and followed the hall back to the junction and tried going straight from where he came out, all the while ignoring the whispers that surrounded him in the dark.

This corridor led to a large round room with at least ten archways leading off into different directions. Cursing under his breath, Bernard picked the closest one which looped around and returned to the round room. He tried another only to get turned around and led back to the round room. He was starting to lose his mind. As he came back into the circular room, he noticed a figure in the middle of the room.

As he approached, his eyes widened, heart pounding in his chest.

“...Maria?” he whispered as he took in the familiar face of his deceased wife. She stared back at him, a sad expression on her face. The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable he became. He backed away slowly, shaking his head as he expression morphed into disappointment. “No,” he said softly as her hand raised, finger pointing at him. “It wasn’t my fault.”

She started forward, continuing to point at him. Bernard shook his head. “It wasn’t my fault! You were so sick,” he said, his voice breaking, tears filling his eyes. “We were starving,” he continued as he backed away. “It wasn’t done out of malice, I swear to you!” he pleaded as she continued to step forward slowly, pointing at him, her dress trailing behind her.

Blood ran down her chin and neck, pouring from her mouth and staining the neck of her dress. A sign of the poison that had been slipped into her food. Bernard backed away further still. “You were so sick,” he sobbed. “The kids were starving. I had to do something!” Maria remained unflinching as she advanced on him. Bernard shuffled backwards, letting out a gasp as the floor gave way and he tumbled backwards, falling down into a deep hole.

Maria stopped at the edge, lowering her hand as she stared down into the pit of spikes, Bernard’s twisted body impaled upon them. As the life drained from him, Maria’s visage shifted to that of a young woman, blood gone as she watched Bernard succumb to his wounds. Once he was gone, his flame of life extinguished, she turned and slowly walked away.

Seonghwa continued on for what felt like a long time until he finally reached the end of the hall, a wooden door standing before him. He pushed open the door and peered inside, finding the room full of bookshelves, lit only by a few candles that had burned low. The room was, thankfully, devoid of blood and animal carcasses. As he pushed the door open more, he found a desk and sitting behind it, a man.

Seonghwa let out a small noise of surprise, drawing the man’s attention. He looked up from a book in his hands, regarding Seonghwa with a look of surprise. “Oh,” the man said, closing his book and getting to his feet. “I’m so sorry,” Seonghwa hurriedly said, bowing slightly. The man, who was of Asian descent smiled, bowing back slightly. “It’s quite alright,” he said, a polite smile on his face.

Seonghwa looked him over, taking in his caramel colored hair, the metal that decorated his ears, and the suit he wore. It was an odd construction and made of a deep, rich blue color. Under the jacket, he wore a black high neck shirt. Seonghwa looked up to meet his eyes. “Who are you?” the man asked.

Seonghwa cleared his throat. “Seonghwa,” he answered. “Seonghwa Park.” The man’s smile spread. “You’re from Joseon?” he asked, surprising Seonghwa. “Y-yes,” he answered. The man smiled. “I am Hongjoong Kim,” he introduced, bowing again. “It’s nice to meet you,” he added in their native tongue. Seonghwa was beyond shocked, having not spoken in his native language in but a few times in the years since arriving in England. “You as well,” he managed to respond.

“I’m actually looking for someone,” he continued. Hongjoong gave him a perplexed look. “My fiancée,” Seonghwa clarified, in English.

Hongjoong hesitated for only a moment, thinking before his eyes widened and a smile came across his face. “I think I might know where she is,” he replied in English as well. He reached down, pulling open one of the desk drawers and producing a ring of keys. “Come with me.”

Seonghwa followed, subconsciously setting the gun down on the desk to follow Hongjoong through another door and into a hallway lit by torches. “I haven’t seen anyone in years,” Hongjoong said as they walked, turning to look over his shoulder at Seonghwa. Hongjoong was head shorter than him and had a slender build. He continued forward, leading Seonghwa through the halls, their footsteps echoing off the stone.

A door came into view and Seonghwa felt a new determination to find you. Hongjoong stopped at the door, sorting through the keys until he found one and using it, he unlocked the door, pushing the door open. Inside was another room and across from where they stood, another door. Seonghwa entered the room after Hongjoong gestured for him to. Looking around the mostly empty room, Seonghwa started to feel impatient and confused.

He turned as Hongjoong entered the room, removing the key from the ring and holding it out for him, “Your fiancée is just on the other side of that door,” he said, nodding towards the door behind Seonghwa. “Find her and then leave this place,” he added as Seonghwa turned back to him, hesitantly taking the key from him. “Who are you?” Seonghwa asked Hongjoong but the man merely smiled and gestured towards the door.

Realizing he wasn’t going to get an answer from the man, Seonghwa turned and crossed the room to the door, using the key to unlock it and pushed the door open to yet another dark hallway. He turned back to thank Hongjoong but found the room empty. Not wanting to waste any more time, Seonghwa entered the hall and walked as quickly and quietly as he could.

As he pressed on, the corridor started to look more and more like the tunnel of a cave. The smooth stone walls gave way to gnarled and twisted rock, deep grooves in the walls and jagged on the edges. He continued forward until the ceiling of the tunnel opened up into a massive domed cavern. The wall beside him broke up into large pieces of stalagmite.

Seonghwa heard a hum and moved towards a break in the wall, peering out to find a large crowd of hooded figures down below him. At the back of the cavern where the figures were all facing was a stone stage with a large flat top stone slab, almost like a table or altar. He watched as the figures bobbed and rocked, the humming turning into chanting.

He knelt down, staying out of sight as he watched the scene before him unfold.

His stomach churned as he watched two figures bring out a woman dressed in a silk slip stained in blood. He watched as they led her over to the stone slab and forced her down onto the surface. As they bound her wrists and ankles in leather straps his eyes widened in horror as he realized the woman was you. “Blossom,” he whispered, stomach churning and his blood boiling in anger.

He was about to move when he noticed another figure walking forward from behind a stone wall. The figure removed their hood and Seonghwa’s heart sank. It was the man he’d met before, Hongjoong. He watched as Hongjoong approached the stone altar and spoke in a language he didn’t understand. You had been struggling against the binds before he spoke and tried to shy away from his touch but the moment his hand touched your cheek, your entire body relaxed.

Seonghwa watched in horror as Hongjoong turned to one of the hooded figures and took something from a tray. Something that glinted in the light. Seonghwa watched, blood pounding in his ears as Hongjoong moved the knife, gliding the tip over the slip you wore which Seonghwa knew for a fact was not yours. He’d never seen that dress in his life and knew you hadn’t packed any dresses for this trip.

The blade danced over your skin gently and up towards your collar. Seonghwa glanced to his right, seeing the path that led down and slowly started to get up, making sure to stay out of sight. He wasn’t leaving her without you.

He only got a few paces when two hooded figures appeared and grabbed him, throwing a cloth sack over his head and dragged him forward. Seonghwa fought against his captors, grunting with effort but their grip was inhumanly strong. He was dragged across the cavern floor, through the crowd of cloaked figures before being deposited on the ground.

He felt a hand grab the bag and rip it off his head and he looked up to meet Hongjoong’s gaze, finding him already smirking down at him. “What do you want?” Seonghwa asked from his spot. Hongjoong’s smirk widened. “You never should have come here,” the man said.

After saying this, a chorus of chants rang out behind Seonghwa and he glanced back to find to his horror all the hooded figures bore the same face as Hongjoong. He turned back to the altar and tried to get up only for one of the clones to hit him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground where he slowly lost consciousness.

Head throbbing, Seonghwa groaned out as pain shot through his head and down into his neck. He was lying on the floor in the dark and slowly started to roll over. His eyes opened but the darkness didn’t change. He tried to sit up but his body was heavy. He heard a door open, light flooding into the room and blinding him. Seonghwa shielded his eyes, turning from the light as a shadow appeared, standing in the doorway.

He turned his head to look back at the door. “What do you want?!” Seonghwa shouted. “I think the more appropriate question,” a familiar voice said as the figure stepped into the room. “Would be ‘what do you want?’” Seonghwa’s eyes adjusted slowly as Hongjoong came into view. “You son of a bitch,” Seonghwa growled as he started to get up, stumbling to his feet.

“Careful,” Hongjoong warned. “That was a nasty hit you took.” His voice was full of amusement as he watched Seonghwa struggle to stand upright. “Where’s my fiancée? Where’s Y/N?” Seonghwa demanded. Hongjoong took a step forward, hands clasped behind his back.

“What do you want?” Hongjoong asked again, ignoring Seonghwa’s question. “More than anything in this world, what do you want?” Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the man. “I want my fiancée,” Seonghwa shouted. “I want Y/N and I want to leave this place!”

A wicked smile spread across Hongjoong’s face. “Is that what you want?” he asked. He turned his head and a spotlight turned on, revealing your crumpled form lying on the ground. “Y/N?” Seonghwa whispered, his eyes widening. He started forward but ran into a wall. A glass wall which was preventing him from getting to you. “Y/N!” he shouted, pounding on the glass but to no avail. You didn’t move.

He rounded on Hongjoong. “What have you done to her?!” he snarled. Hongjoong held up his hands in a non-threatening manner. “Nothing,” he answered. “She’s merely asleep.” Seonghwa turned his gaze back to you, resting his hand against the glass. “What do you want?” Seonghwa finally asked.

Hongjoong walked over to stand beside him. “I’m going to give you two choices,” he started. “You can leave here,” he continued. Seonghwa turned his head to look at him. “You’ll let us leave?” he asked, confusion on his face. Hongjoong let out a low, dark chuckle, shaking his head. “No,” he answered. “Only one of you can leave.”

Seonghwa’s stomach sank as he absorbed Hongjoong’s words. ‘Only one of you can leave.’ He turned his head back to watch your sleeping form. “You can let me have Y/N,” Hongjoong started. Seonghwa’s hand curled into a fist as Hongjoong spoke. “And I will let you leave here unscathed.” Seonghwa’s shoulders shook as he held back the tears that threatened to spill.

“Or?” he asked, bracing himself for the rest of the ultimatum. 

“Or you can stay and I will set your fiancée free.” Seonghwa’s eyes shut, a single tear sliding down his cheek as he let out a sigh. He knew deep in his heart that these were the only two options he was going to get. Either let you be trapped or subject himself to a prison and let you leave.

He opened his eyes, knowing what his decision was. He didn’t even have to think about it.

“Me,” he said softly, his voice breaking. Hongjoong looked over at him. “You?” he asked, clarifying. Seonghwa nodded. “Let her go and keep me,” Seonghwa answered. Hongjoong turned his attention back to your sleeping form. “Are you completely sure about this?” Hongjoong asked, turning around and resting his back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yes,” Seonghwa answered. “Let her go. I’ll stay.”

Hongjoong let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “If you insist,” Hongjoong answered. Before he could move, Seonghwa turned to him. “Can I at least say goodbye?” he asked. Hongjoong looked at him, gave him a once over and nodded. He snapped his fingers and Seonghwa flinched as the glass wall separating him from you disappeared. 

Seonghwa rushed over, kneeling beside you and gently rolling you onto your back. As he moved you, he let out a laugh of relief as your brows furrowed and you started to stir, eyes fluttering open to look up at him. “Hi,” he said through his tears, pulling you into his lap and cupping your cheek. “Hi sweetheart.”

You looked around, confusion on your face. “Wh-where are we?” you mumbled. Seonghwa sniffled, pulling you in close. “You don’t remember what happened?” he asked. You shook your head. “You entered the library,” he explained. “I woke up to find the tent empty.”

You looked around the dark room and started to sit up with Seonghwa’s assistance. “I don’t…” you trailed off. “I don’t remember.” Seonghwa took your face in his hands. “It’s okay,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your lips. “It’s okay, baby.”

He pulled back, resting his forehead against yours. You pulled back, eyes moving to behind him and your expression shifted, eyes widening in fear and you tried to scramble away. Seonghwa glanced behind him to see Hongjoong advancing.

Seonghwa gently grabbed your hands and pulled you closer. “It’s okay,” he said quickly, moving to take your face in his hands and force you to look at him. “Look at me,” he urged. “Look at me, Blossom.”

When your eyes met his, he smiled. “It’s okay, baby. Trust me, okay? Do you trust me?” You glanced at Hongjoong before looking back at your fiancé. “Do you trust me?” he asked again. You nodded slowly ducking your head as he kissed your forehead and pulled you into him, resting his head on yours.

Seonghwa looked up at Hongjoong. “And you promise you’ll let her go if I agree to stay?”

You pushed Seonghwa back, looking shocked. “What?” you asked incredulously. Seonghwa took your chin in his hands. “Don’t,” he warned. “You’re not staying,” you argued. “We’re both leaving!” Seonghwa pulled you into a kiss. “Don’t,” he murmured. “I’m trying to save your life.” You shook your head as Seonghwa turned towards Hongjoong. “Promise me you’ll let her go,” he demanded.

Hongjoong’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at you, hiding behind Seonghwa. He turned his attention back to Seonghwa. “I promise I will set her free,” he said with a nod. Seonghwa sighed, turning to look at you. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, giving you a solemn smile. He started to stand up but you grabbed his arm, tugging him back down. “No,” you pleaded.

“Please,” you said as Seonghwa stood against your hold. “Please let us go!”

Hongjoong stepped forward but Seonghwa put a hand against him, pushing him back. “Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t you dare touch her.” Hongjoong’s scowl turned into a wicked smile. “Have you said your goodbyes?” he asked. You cried out. “No! Please no!” Seonghwa tried to steel himself against your broken sobs. He turned back and knelt down, taking your chin in his hand.

“I love you so much,” he said softly. You shook your head, tears streaming down your face. “Don’t,” you croaked. “Don’t leave me.” Seonghwa pulled you into a kiss. “Tell me you love me,” he murmured against your lips. “I need to hear you say it.” Your fingers dug into his shirt. “I-I love you,” your voice came out in broken sobs. “I don’t want to live without you.”

Seonghwa pressed another kiss to your lips. “You won’t,” he replied. “I’ll always be with you.” He gave you one last kiss before pulling your hands from his shirt and standing up to face Hongjoong. “I’m ready,” he said softly, ignoring your sobs and pleas. Hongjoong gestured to the open wall, the room Seonghwa had been in. He walked away as your screams followed him.

Once on the other side, the glass reappeared and the light diminished. Seonghwa took a deep breath before turning to glance at the window but he couldn’t see anything. “Are you ready?” Hongjoong asked. Seonghwa turned to look at him and nodded. He braced himself, wondering what was next.

Before he could say anything, Hongjoong moved, quickly grabbing Seonghwa by the throat and lifted him with surprising strength. “If you go through with this,” Hongjoong started, not even struggling to speak despite holding Seonghwa up by the neck.

“You will become my slave. Are you sure?” Seonghwa struggled, grabbing onto Hongjoong’s wrist. “Y-yes!” he managed to choke out before Hongjoong dropped him to the floor.

Seonghwa grabbed at his throat, coughing as he gasped for air. Hongjoong stood over him, watching him with a mixture of amusement and disgust. He pushed Seonghwa with his foot, rolling him over. “Maybe I should just kill you now and keep Y/N as a consolation prize,” he mused. “Don’t you dare!” Seonghwa growled. Hongjoong placed his foot on Seonghwa’s back and pressed down. 

“Or what?” Hongjoong laughed. “What are you going to do?”

“Just take me,” Seonghwa said softly. Hongjoong stepped over Seonghwa and knelt down, reaching down to grab him by the hair. “Say it one last time,” Hongjoong said softly. “Let Y/N go and take me instead,” Seonghwa gasped. Hongjoong nodded, letting go of Seonghwa’s hair and reached down, turning him over. He grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up.

Without another word, Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa in and sank his teeth into his neck. Seonghwa screamed in pain, trying to push Hongjoong off of him. After a moment, Hongjoong let go of him and sat back, blood covering his chin. He chuckled as Seonghwa grasped at his neck trying to stem the bleeding. He coughed, choking on the blood.

“From here on out,” Hongjoong started, licking the blood from his lips. “Your life is forfeit and belongs to me. You will live as long as I do, you will never age, you will never die, and as long as I live, you will never be able to leave this place,” he continued. “You will answer to me and do everything I tell you.”

Seonghwa stared up at him, coughing up blood. “Do we have a deal?” Hongjoong asked.

Seonghwa nodded but Hongjoong shook his head. “I need to hear you say it.” Seonghwa nodded again. “Y-yes,” he choked out, blood spilling from his lips. Hongjoong held out his hand and Seonghwa scrambled to take it. Once their hands met, Hongjoong shook his hand and knelt down, pushing Seonghwa’s hand out of the way, placing his free hand over the gaping wound in his neck.

Seonghwa gasped and coughed as he felt a sharp stinging in the place where Hongjoong’s hand rested against his neck. As the feeling faded, Hongjoong pulled back and Seonghwa no longer felt like he was choking on his blood. Seonghwa watched as Hongjoong got up and walked away. Slowly, he pulled himself up, panting heavily and felt around his neck. “What did you do to me?” he asked.

Hongjoong pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping Seonghwa’s blood from his hands and mouth. “I’ve changed you,” Hongjoong answered as he finished cleaning himself. “Into what?” Hongjoong turned to look at him, tutting before throwing the handkerchief at him. “Clean yourself up,” he said, ignoring Seonghwa’s question.

Seonghwa glanced at the cloth as it landed on him. “What did you change me into?” he demanded. Hongjoong looked down at him. “How familiar are you with vampires?” Hongjoong asked. Seonghwa stared at him, confusion written on his face. “Vampires?” he asked. “Have you read Dracula?” Hongjoong asked. Seonghwa shook his head. “Y/N’s the avid reader, not me.”

Hongjoong chuckled and moved over, crouching down. “A vampire is an immortal being. They are incredibly fast and strong. And hard to kill.” A smile crossed Hongjoong’s face. “Almost like a demon, but not quite.” Seonghwa stared at him, a tickle in the back of his throat beginning. “What is that?” Seonghwa asked, the tickle growing stronger, turning into a slight burn. Hongjoong tilted his head. “That burn?” he asked. “You’re experiencing thirst for the first time,” he said softly.

“You need something to drink.” Hongjoong glanced to the side where the spotlight behind the glass window was on. Seonghwa glanced over to find you lying on your side, arms wrapped around yourself. “You need something warm,” Hongjoong said, a smirk spreading across his face. Seonghwa shook his head. “No,” he snapped. Hongjoong glared at him and quickly grabbed him by the front of his shirt and stood up, dragging him over to the window.

Seonghwa tried to pry Hongjoong’s hand off him but Hongjoong lifted him, throwing him against the glass. “You’ll have to drink at some point,” Hongjoong said plainly. “Might as well start somewhere.” Seonghwa struggled against Hongjoong’s grip. “No! You said you’d let her go!” Hongjoong let out a sigh, rolling his eyes. “You’re so boring,” he said.

He pulled back before throwing Seonghwa through the glass. Seonghwa landed on his back as the glass fell to the ground. You sat up, eyes wide as Hongjoong stood in the broken window. “I’m not going to tell you again. You made a deal!” Hongjoong said as you got up and rushed to Seonghwa’s side. “Baby?” you whispered, helping him sit up.

Seonghwa put his arm in front of you as Hongjoong approached. “You also made a deal!” Seonghwa snapped. Hongjoong hesitated, glaring at him before his expression softened. “I did. I promised I’d set her free. I never said I’d let her leave.” Seonghwa’s expression shifted. “You son of a bitch!” he growled, scrambling to his feet. Hongjoong stepped back, repairing the glass with a snap of his fingers.

Seonghwa ran into the glass and pounded on it, screaming at Hongjoong. “At some point, the thirst is going to drive you insane,” Hongjoong said. “And when it does, you’ll do anything to quench it.” He glanced at you before looking back at Seonghwa. “The sooner you give in, the sooner I’ll let you out.”

With that, Hongjoong turned and walked out of sight. “Hongjoong!” Seonghwa screamed, fists pounding against the glass. “Come back here!” You stared at your fiancé, eyes wide as he hammered against the glass. You watched as his resolve broke, falling to his knees as silent sobs wracked his body.

Carefully, you got up and walked over, taking care to not step on any of the glass. When you reached him, you knelt down behind him. Seonghwa jumped as he felt your arms wrap around him. He relaxed into your hold as you rested your head against his shoulder. Silence fell over you for a few moments before you finally spoke.

“What’s going to happen to us?” you asked softly. Seonghwa lifted his head and turned to look at you, taking in your face. He cupped your cheek and rested his forehead against yours. “I don’t know,” he whispered. He pulled back and pulled you into his arms. “I don’t know.”

Time passed but Seonghwa wasn’t sure how much. He sat with his back against the wall, arms wrapped around you and holding you close. He glanced down to your sleeping face as you rested against his chest. Seonghwa felt his throat constrict and he leaned his head back, shutting his eyes as he tried to push the burning out of his mind. You shifted in his arms and he opened his eyes, looking down as you stirred lightly. You looked so sweet in your sleep.

Seonghwa reached up, gently caressing your cheek with his knuckles. Despite being covered in dirt and blood that wasn’t yours, you were still the most beautiful creature in existence to him.

A sudden light on the other side of the glass had Seonghwa looking up, anger bubbling up as Hongjoong appeared behind the glass, hands in his pockets.

“Have you come to let Y/N out?” Seonghwa asked, holding you tight as you stirred in his arms.

Hongjoong glanced down at you as you slowly woke up. “I told you I would set her free,” Hongjoong answered. “So free her from this confinement. Kill her.” Seonghwa glared at him. He tightened his grip on you as you looked up at him. “No,” Seonghwa answered. “I gave myself up under the impression that she would go free. Until you let her go, I will not give in.” Hongjoong sighed. “You’ll give in eventually,” he said before turning and walking out of sight again.

Seonghwa glanced down to meet your tired gaze. “Hi,” he said softly, stroking your cheek. “How’re you feeling?” he asked. You licked your lips before speaking. Your voice was quiet and breathy when you spoke. “M’so tired,” you said softly.

Seonghwa wasn’t sure how long it had been but it had to have been hours since you last had anything to eat or drink. “Just hold on,” Seonghwa said softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll get you out of here.”

It didn’t take long for you to fall back into a deep slumber while Seonghwa sat there, the urge to sleep hitting him but he wouldn’t give in. He couldn’t. Not until he knew you were going to be released. He sat there, fighting sleep for what seemed like hours. He lost track of time. How long had you been in the library? Was it hours? Days? He couldn’t tell.

He shut his eyes, resting his head back against the wall. He was just resting his eyes. He could do that, right?

Seonghwa wasn’t sure when he dozed off but suddenly he was being shaken awake. “Hwa,” you gasped, voice hoarse. “He’s back. Wake up, please!” Seonghwa’s eyes snapped open hearing the panic and fear in your voice. He lifted his head and noticed that you were in his lap, gently shaking him. Behind you sitting on a chair was Hongjoong.

Instinctively, Seonghwa wrapped his arms around you, staring Hongjoong down.

“Good morning,” he said with a smile. “So good of you to join us.” Seonghwa tightened his arms around you. “What do you want?” he snapped as you hid your face in his neck. “You know what I want,” Hongjoong said. “I want you to feed. You’re getting so weak. You need to feed on blood to regain your strength.” Seonghwa shook his head. “No,” he snapped. “I won’t.”

Hongjoong sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “Look at her,” he said, nodding towards your weakened state. “She’s weak. She hasn’t drank or eaten in days. She’s wasting away. She’ll die either way. In here, out there,” he said nodding. “If I set her loose into the woods, you really think she’ll survive the elements? A girl like her? She’d be lucky to last a day.”

Seonghwa glared at him. “But you? You’ll live forever. You just need to drink.”

At his words, Seonghwa could feel your heart thumping weakly, your blood pulsating under your skin. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to ignore it. Ignore the sound, ignore the burning. “Feed,” Hongjoong urged. “End her suffering.” Seonghwa’s eyes snapped open and he glared at Hongjoong. “She wouldn’t be suffering if you had kept up your end of the deal.”

Hongjoong groaned and got to his feet, moving to pace behind the chair. “Feed from her,” he demanded. “Kill her! End her suffering and yours!” Seonghwa shook his head. “I won’t!”

Hongjoong growled in frustration, picking up the chair and throwing it behind him at the wall. You winced at the sound, your hold on Seonghwa tightening. “If you don’t do it,” Hongjoong started walking towards the two of you, stopping a few paces away and pointing at Seonghwa.

“Then I will. And you really wouldn’t want that. I won’t make it painless. I’ll make her suffer until her last breath. You can give her mercy. Compassion. Feed from her and free yourself. Feed,” Hongjoong urged. Seonghwa stared down at your neck, almost as if he could see the blood pumping under your skin. He shook his head and looked away. “No,” he growled.

Hongjoong sighed. “You’re a coward,” he said as he walked away.

Seonghwa watched as he disappeared into the shadows, his presence vanishing. Seonghwa held you close, stroking your hair softly as you trembled in his grip. “Hwa,” you whispered against his skin, your breath tickling his neck. “I’m so tired…” Seonghwa nodded, pressing a kiss to your temple. “I know, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Please Seonghwa,” you begged.

He froze as you spoke, begging him. “I’m dying anyway.” Seonghwa shook his head. “No,” he answered. “I won’t take your life!” You pulled back to look up at him. Your skin had lost a lot of color. You were starving and he knew Hongjoong wasn’t going to let up until you either died of starvation and dehydration or Seonghwa killed you. No matter how bad it got for Seonghwa, he wasn’t going to kill you.

He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. 

“Seonghwa,” you repeated his name, reaching up to cup his cheek and force him to look at you. “I’m going to die regardless. You heard him,” you continued. Seonghwa shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered, fighting back tears. You smiled weakly at him. “Please,” you breathed. “Take my life. I can’t stand the thought of you being locked away in here for all eternity. Become strong so you can avenge me,” you continued. Seonghwa shook his head, eyes screwing shut as he buried his face in your shoulder. “No, no, no,” he sobbed.

“Seonghwa,” you said, your voice more steady. He lifted his head to meet your gaze. “Feed from me. It’s the only way.” Seonghwa looked down at you, cupping your cheek gently. There was determination in your face like he’d never seen. “Okay,” he finally said softly. “Just a little bit.” You gently caressed his cheek. “I love you,” you whispered as he looked down at you, tears falling from his eyes.

You pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you, too,” he murmured against your lips. Without another word, you turned your head to the side, exposing your neck to him and guided his lips there.

Seonghwa could smell your blood, hear it pumping in your veins as your heart kept you going. “Just a little bit though,” he reassured you. Seonghwa’s lips parted as he lowered his mouth, teeth barely grazing your skin. He hesitated, not sure if once he started he’d be able to stop but he would have to.

To keep you alive, he would have to stop himself.

He felt your hand on the back of his head push down and his teeth sank into your skin, the taste of iron as blood touched his tongue. The moment he got a taste of it, it was like a frenzy had begun. A fire had been ignited in his throat and the only thing that could quench it was your blood. He drank as if his life depended on it. ‘Stop,’ a voice in his head said. But he ignored it. ‘You’re killing her.’

Seonghwa pushed the thoughts aside, focusing only on the taste and how it felt. You could feel yourself growing weaker and weaker as he drained the blood from your body. Your fingertips were growing cold and you were losing the feeling in your toes. You reached up, carding your fingers through his hair and holding him in place. It was the only way. As your eyes fluttered shut, you knew you’d see him again.

‘I love you.’

Your hand fell limp, landing on his shoulder as the darkness consumed you and you drifted off into the vast nothingness.

Seonghwa blacked out. His last memory was holding you in his arms and you begging him to feed from you. As he came to, his eyes fluttering open slowly, he realized he was sitting upright against the wall. He groaned as he shifted, aware of the weight in his lap. He glanced down and immediately let out a gasp. “No,” he whispered, scooping your lifeless body into his arms, burning his face in your chest.

Elsewhere, Hongjoong sat reading from a book, the cover blank as he was enjoying the story. He turned the page when his quiet solitude was interrupted by a wailing. He raised his eyes, straining his ears as it continued. A smile slowly spread across his lips as he returned to his book, eyes settling on the page as he began reading before muttering a simple sentence.

“No one escapes.”

You stared at the scroll placed in front of you. Anger boiling under your skin as you read the summons. You threw it to the ground before running off to find your father. Your maids watched, stepping back as you yelled out.

“Young lady.” Your father’s voice was firm and harsh.

“Don’t you dare.” You scowled.

“This was something political. Nothing more.” He shrugged you off, getting ready to walk to his study.

“You’re marrying me off father. Like I’m not a human! You’re marrying me to that…” You seemed lost for words. Nothing adding up to the disgust you had when it came to the new Emperor Song. He was vile and cold and less than human.

“You leave tomorrow. Pack your bags or I will.” Your father commanded as your breath hitched.

You had been nothing but an obedient daughter and now it felt like it wasn’t worth anything for you to be one. He wasn’t kidding either, you held off on touching your stuff but when you woke up in the morning things were packed.

Bag placed in the center of the room as you exhaled. You couldn’t move, even when your maids came in to help you get dressed. Putting you in the finest hanbok you owned.

“I don’t want this one.” You looked at them, walking over to the black one you had. One of your maids eyes widened.

“But.. Miss Y/N. That color is only allowed to be worn by Emperor Song himself. Nobody in the palace is even allowed to own that color.” She sounded panicked.

You nodded, still ridding of the soft pink one you had been dressed in. Replacing it with the onyx silk. You bowed towards your maids and grabbed your bag, walking out to the courtyard.

“Please be careful.” One of the many servants ran up to you. Trying not to scare you but they couldn’t help it as they listed off the fears they had for you. Execution, concubines mysteriously disappearing and absolutely no kindness from Mingi himself.

You swallowed as they listed them off. Before you could show your fear, you bowed and walked out to the caravan that had been waiting for you.

It was hard to keep yourself together. The idea of being thrown into this new world as a wife of a man you’ve never met yet despised. Being used as a pawn in some game bigger than you. It felt hard to stay composed.

The sudden halting made you look up, eyes full of sadness as you stared at the bleak palace walls. A servant quickly running over to take you inside.

It felt cold and eerie as everyone greeted you, eyes never leaving your body. You tried to shrug it off as you began looking around the interior. It was big and beautiful, in an intimidating way. Like how you imagined Mingi himself.

“Right this way miss.” One of his servants directed you to your room.

“Very bold to wear the one color he has banned.” One of the passing concubines said to you as you walked by. Leaving a feeling of doubt coursing through your veins.

“Here’s your quarters. Someone will fetch you once it’s time.” The servant bowed before sliding the door closed.

You couldn’t sit there for long. Changing only into another black hanbok with streaks of red. It felt like a piece of your mother was still with you. Begging you to try and stick to tradition.

Sneaking out into the hall way. Columns of black stone standing like silent guards. The space only illuminated by oil lamps that casted long streaks of orange hues.

Everything about the place was intended to intimidate. The high ceilings, sharpened silence and the scent of power that was sealed into the marble for centuries.

You stood in the center of it all, hands clasped tightly in front of you as breath was tight in your ribs. Mingi was late to your first meeting. You didn’t sit, didn’t shift.

You didn’t even flinch when the heavy doors were thrown open. The unhurried, unapologetic heavy footsteps that followed only made your heart race as you tried to stay calm.

He stood in front of you now. Taller than in the painted scrolls you had seen in your father’s study. Robes of deep crimson brushed the floor like fire behind him. The gold ornate crown that weighed heavy on his head as his black, thick locks peeked out underneath.

His eyes were the kind that didn’t just look at you. They searched, picked and sliced you open. He didn’t bow, didn’t welcome. Just stood before you. A deep, dark gaze.

You met his look. If he was unhappy about this marriage then you had every right to feel that way too.

“You came all this way to bow at my feet.” His voice was smooth and twisted with disdain. “At least make yourself worth my time.”

The silence that followed was deafening. You still didn’t drop your eyes from his piercing gaze. “I came because your council threatened war.” Your voice calm. “Don’t confuse duty with devotion,” You faked a smile as you looked at him. “Your majesty,”

A flicker of surprise, just a flash so quick that if you had blinked you would’ve missed it, appeared on his face. Then it twisted into something close to amusement. His tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth for a moment.

“Fiery.” He murmured. “I wonder how long that will last.”

You titled your chin up more, as if you were challenging him. “I wonder the same about your crown.”

Your words hung above you. Heavy and dangerous, and for the first time since he had walked in, a smile was on his face. It was wicked. “Perhaps this union won’t be so dull after all.”

He stepped forward once. His presence overwhelming, but you still didn’t back up. In fact you stood taller. “You’ll dine with me tonight.” He said, more as a command than invitation.

“Of course,” you replied. “I wouldn’t want to keep Your Majesty waiting.” You forced a bow.

His jaw ticked at your actions. He said nothing more, just turned on his heels and walked away like you hadn’t just stood your ground in front of the rising empire.

The grand hall was quiet as you waited for him that evening. Servants moving like shadows, silent and efficient as they laid out silverware. Filling crystal goblets with dark red wine. The long table in the center of the room was slowly being set. You watched as they filled the surface that could fit twenty but only had two chairs out.

You moved closer to the table quietly. Not even realizing that Mingi had already taken his seat at the head. He didn’t rise as you got close to your chair, just looked at you with that unreadable gaze.

“I see you took the invitation seriously.” He said, slowly sipping from the glass the servants had just filled.

“You left no room to refuse.” You spoke as you lowered yourself to the chair for you. The stretch of the table felt like a battlefield, Mingi’s territory and not yours.

“Most consider it a privilege to dine with an Emperor.” He raised an eyebrow at you.

“Most haven’t been traded as if they were livestock to have the opportunity.” You snapped back at him.

He didn’t know how to respond for a moment as silence loomed over you.

A low, dry chuckle left his lips. “You’re clever. Arrogant but clever. I’ll give you that.”

Your eyes narrowed at his words. “Is that not what you want from an Empress? Or do you want someone quiet and pretty to use as decoration while you get bored?”

He leaned forward into your words. “Is that what you think of me?” He folded his hands in front of him.

“I think you’ve never been told no.” You matched his steady gaze.

He smirked, just enough that it didn’t reach his eyes. “And you’ve never been taught to bite your tongue.”

“If you wanted obedience.” You took a deep breath. “You should have married yourself.”

That got to him. A flicker in his eyes, a sharp breath through his nose. His jaw tightening for a fraction of a second before taking another sip of his wine.

The tension started to dissipate as dishes were placed in front of you. Decadent and artful. Neither of you touched them right away.

“You play a dangerous game. Empress.” His voice was low and slow, only adding emphasis to your soon to be title. “This court of full of wolves and will swallow you whole.”

“Then let them try.” You replied, picking up your own glass. “I bite back.”

He laughed deeply. It almost sounded genuine for a moment.

“So you do.” He adds before picking up his fork.

You sat in silence with him. Eating your meal quickly to not be next to him for much longer. Only quick clinks of silverware and glasses could be heard. Even though no words were spoken the tension continued to grow. Simmering like a challenge made. A fuse lit and ready to go off.

You stood up once you had finished. Not bowing or saying goodbye before walking off. Mingi let you, only watching you like a man that had finally met his match.

Your body was filled with a sudden sadness as you were awoken by the servants the next morning. Even though you had already been behind the palace walls for two nights it was the morning you gave up your freedom.

They dressed you in red. Not for love, not for tradition. Only with power. The power of Mingi’s request for his bride. Crimson silk draping off your shoulders, the sleeves embroidered with golden dragons and ruby eyes. The imperial seamstress didn’t speak a word as she fastened the royal blue belt.

You looked in the mirror. The regal and untouchable version stared back at you. You tried to keep your nerves down but couldn’t, hands trembling under the fabric as they got ready for you to walk out.

You walked the halls alone. The music hollow and slow, echoing through the halls felt like misery instead of the celebration. No family. No bridesmaids. Just guards and the weight of the future you were being promised to.

The throne room had transformed. Incense smoke coiled towards the ceilings, chandeliers blazing with flame, and nobles lining the walls like vultures in silk. They were tracking each step you made, assessing you with curiosity and pity. At the far end of the room stood Mingi.

Dressed in black and gold. He looked carved from stone, emotionless. Impossibly tall with the crown on his head. His eyes shifted to you once before looking away. Then back to you, but staring at you like you were just another offering being tossed to his feet. You stood beside him, head held high. Keeping the trembling in your chest.

The priest began, rambling about tradition, unity, fate and eternal rule. None of it was registering as your only focus was on keeping your body relaxed, not wanting anybody to see how you were shaking like a leaf blown in the wind.

“Join hands.” The priest instructed.

Mingi extended his hand lazily, like the gesture bored him. You placed your hand in his. Feeling his cool, calloused and strong palm on yours. You never interlaced your fingers with his and neither did he.

None of it was feeling real. Even when the priest gestured for you to sit on the cushion in front of you. Not even as you drank from the gourd passed between the two of you, it only clicked to you as you bowed for the third time. Realizing that you now had the title you never wanted.

Mechanical applause erupted from the scholars waiting on this moment. He stood next to you, hand centimeters away from your skin. He never kissed you, instead he leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Play your role well, Empress. And maybe in time I’ll let you breathe.”

You turned to look up at him just slightly. “You first.” You whispered back.

The hall had emptied, but the echo of ceremonial drums beat loudly in your chest. Every step toward your new chambers felt like walking deeper into a labyrinth you weren’t ready for. Somewhere behind you, you swore you felt his gaze on you. Sharp, assessing, like the final thread tying you to the man you had just sworn yourself to. You told yourself you wouldn’t shiver but the air felt much colder now that this was your home.

The door shut behind you with a soft, final click. You exhaled, finally feeling like you had the chance to breathe as you looked around the room. Candlelight was still flickering in heavy sconces, casting long shadows against walls embroidered with the imperial dragons. A fire crackled in the hearth, low and contained.

You looked over to see Mingi sitting near the window. Cloaked in shadows and disdain. The ceremonial wear already replaced with his pajamas. The top slightly opened at the chest, a few strands of hair sticking to his forehead from the humid evening.

He gripped the wine glass in his hands as his eyes shifted over to you. “You’re late.” He murmured.

You stepped closer to him, footsteps silent across the polished floors. “You didn’t specify a time.” You responded casually.

He let out a scoff, placing down his wine glass on the windowsill with a muted thud. “Punctuality is expected of an Empress.”

“So is respect from an Emperor.” You said smoothly, stopped a few feet in front of him. “But it looks like both of us are redefining tradition tonight.”

His gaze dropped for just a second. Examining the black silk robe that clung to your figure. The delicate embroidery glinting in the firelight. His jaw ticked. “You wore black again.” He sounded unamused.

“Should I have worn white? Pretended that this was a hopeful new beginning?” Your voice was calm and even. Your fingers tightening around the knot at your waist. “Let’s not insult each other with illusions.”

A beat of silence. The air thickened as Mingi stood slowly. Like a storm gathering weight. He crossed the space between you with the grace of a predator - quiet, composed, terrifying. When he stopped, he was close enough for you to feel the heat radiating off of him. His scent was smoke and spice and something much darker underneath.

He looked down at you like you were a challenge and temptation. “You think I’m cruel.” His voice was low.

“You are.” You replied without hesitation. “But I think you’ve learned to use your cruelty the way I use my tongue - to protect the last of your pride.”

A sharp exhale left his nose. Close to a laugh. His hand rose, not to touch you. He reached over you, fingers brushing the edge of curtain behind your shoulders. But you felt it, the hesitation and temptation he was fighting.

“Careful,” you taunted. “You’re starting to look at me like a man, not an emperor.”

His eyes flicked to yours, dangerous and unreadable. “And you’re forgetting where you are.” He whispered.

“No.” You murmured. “I’m finally seeing who I’m here with.”

He stared at you for a long moment. As if he was trying to decide between silencing you or maybe even surrendering. Instead, he stepped back. The moment breaking instantly. He walked back to the other side of the room, taking his seat back. His shoulders tense underneath the silk.

“You’ll sleep in the east chambers.” His voice was clipped. “There will be nothing else tonight.”

You nodded once, walking over to reach for the handles of the door. You turned your head, not enough to looked at him. Your voice falling soft and sharp. “You don’t have to keep pushing me away, your majesty. I’m not here to conquer you.”

You paused, debating your final words before letting them out. “Not unless you beg.”

You left quickly, the door shutting softly behind you. Mingi sat there alone as his heart was hammering in his chest. You weren’t what he was expecting at all.

He assumed you would be polite, quiet and eager to plead for the sake of your survival but you were the opposite. Bold and unafraid to meet his eyes. You spoke in ways no one in this palace dared to. When you bowed towards him it was just to please those watching and not with the respect that should come with it.

It unsettled him. Not in a way that bred his anger but in a way that started to demand caution. He’s been in this palace where affection was a weapon and trust was a trap. People in these walls smiled with honey on their lips while slipping poison into your tea.

Every softness he had known turned sharp. Instead of indulging in the pull he felt towards you. The one he hated himself for feeling. He decided it was best to hold you at arms length.

Distance was safer. For you, for him. At least that’s what he was telling himself.

Even with those intentions he didn’t mean to turn to ignorance. His silence wasn’t neglect — it was study. Yet the more he tried to keep his distance the more your voice lingered in his ears, the more the image of your gaze on him burned into his chest, pressing into his memory.

The way you looked at him earlier in the day. He had tried to have a conversation with you. Nervously as he spoke about something meaningless. A thread he could hold onto and pull into familiarity. You only looked at him, lips curling in something shy of a smile. Only responding with a short and disinterested hum before turning away and walking towards your own chamber. It wasn’t cruel but it was enough to remind him that you didn’t owe him anything.

The chamber felt heavier without you in it. The air thick with the faint scent of you that was left behind. His crown weighed like iron, his robes ghosting the floors as he moved. He told himself he needed to focus, discipline, but his mind refused to obey.

Mingi sat down at his desk. Planning to draft the plans his council has been awaiting. Yet as soon as his pen started to move the words weren’t about war. They were about you and nothing else.

Day One:

She spoke with a visiting diplomat. Like she was born for this life. Her voice was fluid, poised, sharp. I only sat beside her, sharp and ready to take over the conversation. I wasn’t fully listening to her. My eyes were only on her lips. The way she smiled enough to charm but not enough for softness. The way her fingers tapped on her arm rest as the minister lied. She was composed, intelligent and unrattled.

I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss her or ruin her calm.

Day Three:

I caught her standing in the garden at dawn. Barefoot on the cold stone, her robe clinging to her frame like a mist from above. She was talking to one of the gardeners, kneeling beside a half grown vine and brushing off the frost with her fingers. I couldn’t speak to her again. I only watched from behind a pillar. My heart beat slow and uncertain. She smiled at the vine like it was a child. Something about it struck me as dangerous. Not because she was weak but I had seen that smile before, just not from her.

Day five:

We passed in the corridor. Her ladies trailed behind her in a flurry of whispers and silk. She didn’t bow or stop. She only glanced at me the way she always has. Eyes calm, mouth unreadable and chin held high. I caught myself turning just to keep looking at her. The hall was cold and I was already running late to my meeting. But the back of her neck was exposed from the weight of her hair. It somehow burned my eyes, all I could do was clench my jaw and keep walking.

Day seven:

The court is watching her now. The ministers, the concubines, the guards. They all are seeing what I see now. What I hate that I see. She’s been moving around the palace and the air has shifted around her. She’s been answering questions I haven’t even asked. She laughed in court today and the whole room froze. Like they have forgotten that laughter is allowed. Her gaze finally caught mine today as if she was finally seeing me admiring her. I couldn’t look away.

Day ten:

I stood in the doorway of her study tonight. She didn’t notice me. She was curled in her chair, barefoot, hair down and robes tied loosely around her. Reading something with her lips slightly parted. There was no crown in sight, no guards, no masks. Just her. I hated how badly I wanted to step inside. To ask her what she was reading, to see her read aloud. To hear her voice that has filled the silence since her arrival. I turned and left. I can’t speak to her yet.

He sighed as he finished his writing, getting ready to scrap it. He took a deep breath before finally summoning someone. He rarely did, especially after midnight. But he knew Yunho would arrive without hesitation.

His study was dim, lit only by the dull glow of oil lamps and a dying fire. Mingi stood by the window, one hand on the frame and the other holding a glass of untouched wine. He didn’t speak at first, as if he was trying to gather the words he wanted to say.

Yunho waited on him, like he always did. “You’ve served me for years.” Mingi finally spoke, voice low and worn thin. “Tell me something honestly.”

Yunho glanced towards him. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“What do they say of her?” Mingi paused. “The empress.”

Yunho blinked, hands folded behind his back. “They believe she’s dangerous.”

Mingi scoffed under his breath as he turned to face Yunho. “Because she has a brain?”

“Because she’s made you unpredictable.” Yunho’s voice was soft.

Mingi’s jaw clenched. He stepped away, pacing as he drank the wine in one slow gulp. “She speaks like a sword.” He muttered. “Cuts through everything. Walks through my halls like she has built them.”

“And that bothers you?” Yunho’s asked carefully.

“It should.” Mingi mumbled.

Yunho tilted his head. “But it doesn’t.”

Mingi’s silence was enough of an answer. Yunho sighed through his nose, calm as ever. “You’ve been watching her.” He said, a touch of amusement in his tone. “You’ve think we don’t notice but we have.”

The emperor before him didn’t respond, only curled his fingers at his sides. “Is she the kind you fall for?” Yunho questioned again.

Mingi looked up sharply, something flickering in his eyes. A pause before his voice came through, low and like a confession. “She’s the kind that ruins men.”

Yunho’s calm expression didn’t change. “Maybe it’s time someone has ruined you, Your Majesty.”

His final words followed him like smoke from a snuffed out flame. Curling into the corners of the room before the door even shut. Mingi stood still, unsure whether it was defiance or unease that was making his stomach turn.

The sun was barely over the mountain tops when Yunho entered Mingi’s private courtyard. A place that few dared to enter without a summons. But Yunho never waited for his invitation.

Mingi sat under the canopy of twisted cypress trees, a single scroll in hand and a few others tossed to his side. His robes were tied looser than usual, the collar of his tunic undone and his hair falling into his eyes.

“You’re early.” Mingi muttered without even looking up, eyes studying the parchment in front of him.

“And you’re brooding.” Yunho replied before settling down next to him.

Silence stretched between them. The birds chirped as a breeze stirred the edge of Mingi’s sleeves. Yunho watched him carefully, waiting for the silent Mingi to say a word.

“You haven’t spoken more than a few words to her after the wedding.” Yunho sighed at him.

“She hasn’t required words.” Mingi replied without looking at him. As if this conversation was boring him. “She knows her role.”

Yunho tilted his head to the words he was hearing. “And do you?” He couldn’t help but question.

Mingi’s gaze snapped up to look at him finally. His eyes dark and annoyed. “Don’t start.”

“You need to talk to her.” Yunho was almost pleading.

“I don’t need to do anything.” Mingi raised an eyebrow.

Yunho scoffed. “You’re lying to yourself so loudly it’s giving me a headache.” He tried not to laugh.

“This isn’t your concern.” Mingi exhaled.

“It became my concern when you started looking at her across the courtyard like she was a ghost you’d never be able to catch.” Yunho’s voice was careful.

Mingi stood up abruptly. His feet moving quickly to the fountain, away from Yunho. His fists curled at his sides.

“She’s getting under your skin.” Yunho kept pressing. “You won’t admit it but every time she walks past you, every time she speaks-“

“Enough.” Mingi turned sharply with an edge in his voice. “I won’t be dragged into some foolish infatuation just because she knows how to play with words and walk like she owns the sky.”

Yunho stood, calmer than his friend. “You already are.” Mingi said nothing as he breathed hard, his robe clearly moving. Yunho crossed the space that Mingi created. “You’re afraid of her.”

The silence cracked like ice. Mingi’s jaw tightened and his eyes flickered. A vulnerable look, just for a split second. “I’m not afraid of her.” His voice was low.

“No,” Yunho said gently. “You’re afraid of what she sees when she looks at you. You’re terrified she may be right.”

Mingi couldn’t look at him anymore. “I need to go.” He muttered before storming off.

He didn’t want to talk, just wanted to bury himself in papers that made his brain turn to mush. He sat down in his war council chambers. Soaking in the silence.

Candlelight flickered along the lacquered table. Maps lay rolled and forgotten about next to the pots of ink and broken seals. Mingi stood up, finding comfort by the window, the moonlight gracing his face.

“Are you going to keep pretending I don’t exist?” Your voice startled him as he looked at you. “Or is this some new game the great emperor plays with his toys?” You spoke low and strong.

He stilled, hands dropping from the windowsill. His gaze met yours with the same power as the crown on his head did. “You’re not a toy.” He spoke quieter than you had expected. “And I’m not playing.”

“Then what is it?” You asked, stepping closer to him as your hands clenched at your sides. “You watch me in silence. Hover in the corridors, look at me like you want to rip me apart. But you never say a damn word. You married me, Mingi. Maybe you didn’t have all of the say but you still chose to follow through.”

His expression flickered. No one’s used his name that way, not even Yunho. “You presume too much.” He said, lacking the venom he usually spoke with. His voice sounded unsure.

“No.” You shot back. “I feel too much. You? You’re terrified of it. Terrified of me.”

He moved towards you, not slowly or gently but like a man reaching the edge of something he said he’d never fall into. “You think you know what I fear?” His whispered, leaning into your ear as his breath fanned on your cheek. “You think I fear you?”

You didn’t move, not even a flinch. “Yes.” You responded simply. “Because I see you. The man under the crown. The boy raised on silence and blood. I see all of it and it terrifies you that I don’t look away.”

His jaw clenched, hands twitching at his sides like he didn’t know whether to reach for you or shove you away.

“Say something.” You whispered. “Anything. Hate me. Want me. Just stop standing in the shadows like a ghost in your own palace.”

He stretched the silence, thick with words he didn’t quite know how to say. He stood up, looking around the room before he finally spoke again. “You undo me.” He spoke quietly, his voice raw like it hurt to admit. “Every time you speak, every time you look at me. I lose a piece of myself. I don’t know who I am when you’re in the same room as me.”

Your breath caught, fighting the urge to soften. You stepped closer, eyes locked with his. “Then come undone. Let me see what’s left when the crown isn’t holding you together.” Your voice was gentle.

Both of you standing there, chests rising, eyes locked and hearts racing. He still couldn’t touch you and in the oddest way. That restraint was the most intimate thing of all.

The palace was quiet in a way that only happened deep in the night. When the flames in the lanterns seemed to sway slower. You sat at the window, watching the moonlight ripple over the courtyard tiles. It was the kind of stillness that made every sound sharper. Footsteps, distant doors sliding open, the low groan of wood under weight. You knew before you turned your head that it was him.

Mingi stood outside of your chamber door, cloaked in shadow and contemplation. The guards bowed and stepped aside without a word. No one questioned him anymore. He was the crown and whatever he says is what goes. The silence followed him as he entered.

He didn’t knock, just simply opened the door. You sat over at the window, watching as he came in. Your hair half down, robe loosely tied. “Couldn’t sleep?” You questioned him.

He closed the door carefully behind him. “You always know I’m coming.”

“Because you walk like a storm. The air shifts before you enter.” You looked at him.

He couldn’t help but still stare at you. No court paint, no jewels, it was just you. Real, quiet and untouchable in a way that made his breath catch. He didn’t say anything. You could only let the silence settle for a little bit.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” You said softly.

“I came here, didn’t I?” He raised an eyebrow at you.

“Half of you did.” You shrugged.

He moved towards you, slowly and carefully. As if one wrong move would make the fragile truth between you collapse. Once he stopped in front of you he was close enough to touch you. But he didn’t. He kept himself at the normal distance of almost touching. “Why do you want this?” He asked, voice sounding as if it was crumbling. “Why do you want me?”

“Because you try so hard to not feel, but I know you do. You feel everything, Mingi. You just hide it behind duty, silence and cold wine.” You replied without hesitation.

He stared at you like you were language nobody has ever taught him. His hand rose slowly, hovering near your jaw. You leaned into it, just slightly. A breath passed between you. Your eyes dropping to his lips as his gaze flicked between your eyes and mouth. It would’ve taken nothing. A tilt of his head, a slip of restraint. But he didn’t move, and neither did you.

You both stood there, breath brushing against one another, tension hanging like silk on a blade. “If I kiss you,” he whispered. “I won’t stop.”

Your lips parted, trying to think of words as it felt like your whole world just tilted. “Then don’t.” You whispered.

You watched as he stepped back and it felt like you were suddenly falling. You stood there alone, lips tingling with the kiss that never came, heart aching with the weight of what just almost happened.

You couldn’t sleep afterwards. It was hard to turn your brain off after seeing him so raw in front of you. You slipped through the halls of the palace as everyone was fast asleep. The hem of your robe floating over the stones, the cool air wrapping around you like a secret.

You took a deep breath as you rounded the corner. The walls felt like a sanctuary, the silvered leaves and night flowers. The inner garden was the one place you could go for pure solitude. Most in the palace had forgotten about it after sunset. You looked up over at the lantern lit path and froze. Mingi was standing there. Emperor Song, half man, half shadow.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, robes undone around his throat. No guards or Yunho. Just him and the moonlight that was making him look too human. “You always find the places I run to.” He spoke, low and quiet. It felt like he was waiting for your arrival.

You stepped closer to him, each breath leaving your lips feeling a bit heavier. “Or maybe you leave trails.” You murmured. “Hoping someone will follow.”

He turned to look at you. A look in his eyes that was nothing like an Emperor. It was a man undone. “Why are you here?” He finally asked.

“Why are you?” You returned. Both of you standing facing each other underneath the plum tree yet to bloom. The air between you buzzed with something delicate and dangerous. His eyes finally shifted away from you.

“This place was hers.” His voice quiet, like he was ready to tell you a story. “My mother. She planted the trees, said it was the only place in the palace that didn’t lie.” The corners of his lips curling into a smile.

Your breath hitched with the unexpected softness. “And does it still feel honest to you?” You whispered.

He gave a hollow smile. “Lately, nothing does.”

You stepped forward, slow and steady until you were close enough to him. Close enough to see the tired shadows under his eyes. “You left me.” You whispered. “Earlier. When I told you not to.”

His eyes locked with yours. “If I stayed,” he started. “I wouldn’t have stopped.”

You nodded, soaking in his words. “And now?”

He paused. The longest one shared between you. “Now I’m already breaking,” he said, voice wavering. “And I think so are you.”

You didn’t deny it, just reached out and touched his hand. Not going for his face or chest. Just the back of his hand, warm, steady and trembling beneath your touch. He watched your touch like it hurt. Then slower than the blooming process of that plum tree, he turned his hand. His palm against yours as he held you. Not tightly or possessively but like he was afraid to let go.

The garden was still. The rare, sacred kind that only existed in moments before something changed forever. Your fingers still wrapped around his. Mingi still hasn’t moved, all he could do was stand there and stare at you. Watching you like you were a dream that had slipped into his hands, too solid to ignore and too fragile to hold tightly.

The space between you was small. Not the usual length of the throne room or the width of silence. Just inches, for once. Your thumb brushed over the back of his hand softly. He let out a breath like it had been locked inside of him for years. “Say it,” your voice was timid, not sure what you were asking for.

“I can’t,” He replied, but he still moved closer to you. Until his chest was nearly brushing against you. Making you tilt your chin to look at him in the eyes. There was no command in his gaze now. No arrogance, no performance. Only longing and fear. “I don’t know how to do this,” he murmured.

“Then let me show you,” your voice trembled slightly. You rose slowly, giving him the time to move away but he didn’t. Instead, his hand lifted-hesitating at first. Then threaded through your hair, fingers trembling. He leaned in, forehead resting on yours, breathing shallow.

Then you finally felt his mouth on yours. Desperate. A quiet aching kind of desperation. Like he’s been holding this hunger in for so long. It has eroded everything but this moment. His lips moved against yours softly, as if asking for permission even now.

You let him have it. Sighing into him, pressing your hand on his chest where his heart thundered like a storm cages beneath silk. The kiss deepened, his other hand finding your waist. Pulling you in, not tightly but just enough for you to feel him. The want, the fear, the need. When you finally parted it was breathless and stunned. He didn’t speak and neither did you.

You both stayed there, foreheads pressed together. The silence heavier around them heavier than any crown. It didn’t feel like a burden. It felt like the beginning of something real.

The changes between you started. Subtle unless you knew him, and Yunho did. So did the ministers who once feared speaking out of turn. So did the head court lady who now found the emperor suddenly so impatient when the empresses’s tea arrived late.

Mingi had stopped interrupting you in court. Stopped glaring when you offered a different point. He listened now. Worse- he lingered.

In private it was more difficult to keep away from each other. His fingertips ghosting your jaw line as you whispered to him at night. Your hand resting on his chest longer than necessary after adjusting his top. No one else touched him like that. Nobody could.

In your chambers, the air changed the moment he stepped inside. There were no guards or titles. Just silk layers slipped from your shoulders and his lips that would linger on your skin. He kissed like he was starving. Your conversations now soft and muddled between kisses and midnight laughter.

“They’re starting to notice.” You whispered one night, fingers interlaced when his hair.

“Let them.” He said, pulling you close to his body. “They can’t take this from me.”

You believed him when he said it, not because of the certainty in his voice. It was the way his hand stayed pressed against yours long after the last words were gone. Still, you could feel the air shifting —warmer now, heavier. It was dangerous, this closeness, and yet you let it wrap around you like the familiar silk. Whatever was beginning to build, you were no longer afraid of it.

Your heart always fluttering as he watched you in court. It was like he finally acknowledged that you were no longer a political move, you’re his bride. His Empress. Now when a minister raised his voice at you, his hand would twitch. Just once but enough for the whole room to fall silent.

Yunho would always watch. Seeing the way his eyes followed you without a smile, watching as you took your seat beside him. He finally stood next to Mingi as you sent off a foreign envoy. Your laughter carrying in the wind as Mingi watched you. “She’s making you soft,” Yunho said quietly yet his amusement was loud.

“She’s making me better.” Mingi corrected. A twitch in his lips as he smiled for a second.

“That’s what I said.” Yunho smirked.

Dawn spilled over the palace roofs in soft gold but the corridors hummed with something colder. Whispers trailed ahead of you, curling into alcoves before you could catch them. Ministers bowed as you passed, eyes lowered in respect but failed to mask the curiosity. You could feel it gathering, pressing, waiting for its moment in court. Mingi’s hand brushed yours once in passing. Wordless, deliberate, but meaningful before entering the court together.

The court chamber was packed with murmuring voices, scrolls being passed around. The shuffle of stuff silk sleeves and careful glances. Mingi sat in his usual place. High, distant and surrounded by the ministers waiting like vultures waiting for a shift in the wind.

You sat beside him in your own throne, regal and composed. Until the subject changed. Until the minister of traditions stepped forward. Old, steady and daring as he stopped a few feet from the dais. He bowed low as he spoke with the kind of slow confidence that made your skin tighten.

“Your Majesty. Your grace.” He nodded towards both of you. “It has been several weeks since the union. As the council has long awaited stability in the bloodline. It is our humble request to ask: when may the empire expect its heir?”

The words splashed like stone into still water. Everything stilled and felt silent. Your fingers twitched against the armrest as Mingi’s jaw tensed. The chamber fell too quiet. Yunho’s eyes flicked up from his spot next to the throne- examining everyone in the room.

Your expression remained blank but there was a burn in your chest. Mingi couldn’t look at you, clearing his throat as he stood up. “The matter of succession.” His voice was even. “Is not a decision to be made under pressure.”

The minister bowed again. “Of course. Your Majesty, but the people grow curious. An heir would ease their minds.” His voice stayed calm.

You didn’t move. Your breathing felt too loud like you were suddenly aware of every glance. Every pair of eyes weighing your body like a vessel. Mingi still wasn’t able to look at you. “Dismissed.” Mingi’s eyes sharpened.

The minister stepped back without protest, but the tension still didn’t leave your space. It sat there, coiled between you. You walked with Mingi walked closely with you down the stone corridor. “They want a child.” You broke the silence, voice low and dry.

“No. They want control.” He replied quickly.

“What do you want?”

Your words made him still. He looked at you, truly looked. There was something raw in his eyes, unsure. “I want…” he started, then closed his mouth and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

You nodded, jaw clenched to hold back the ache in your heart. “Neither do I.” You half-heartedly admitted. You stood there next to him. Close enough to touch but didn’t. Intimacy in private was one thing, but duty? That was a war neither of you were ready to fight.

You walked away, heading to your chambers as he went to his. Your heart pounding as you kept thinking. The hours going by as you curled on your bed. “Empress?” There was a small knock on the door.

“Yes?” You responded quietly as the door slid open. “Do you need anything?” Your maid looked at you. “Can you get me the emperor?” You swallowed, realizing what your ask was as she bowed, leaving to go on her way.

Mingi entered within moments, a soft slide of the door. You sat on the edge of your bedding, still dressed from court but your hair undone. Your fingers twisted in your lap. You still didn’t look at him as he walked over, squatting in front of you.

For a long moment, the only sound was coming from the crackle of the fire and the faint buzz of insects outside. “I’m sorry,” Mingi spoke softly.

Your eyes lifted to meet his. “For what?” You asked softly.

“For letting them speak of you like that. As if you were like nothing more than…” he trailed off, trying to find the right words as his jaw clenched. “A name in their plans. I should’ve stopped it sooner.”

“You didn’t have to.” You spoke softly. “It’s what they want. What they expect. Even I was expecting it eventually.” You whispered.

His hand cupped your cheek. “But it’s not what I want. Not like this.” His voice was gentle.

“You don’t want an heir?” You questioned surprised at his words.

“I don’t want pressure.” His voice cracked slightly, the edge of command gone. “I don’t want to touch you and wonder who’s watching from behind the curtain. I don’t want to hold you and feel like I’m being measured.”

Your chest rose and fell at his words and his thumb brushing softly on your cheek. “I want you.” He said. “Not because you’re my empress. Not because they demand it. Just because I can’t not want you anymore.” His voice was full of lingering.

You swallowed. “Then why haven’t you come to me?” You stared into his soft brown eyes, the way they rounded when he spoke to you.

His eyes lowered from yours. “Because now when I look at you, I don’t just feel desire.” His voice dropped. “I feel fear.”

You didn’t speak just yet, knowing he had more to say. “What we had. It was ours. Quiet, private, safe. But now the world is really watching. They’ve taken something from us.” He met your eyes again as he spoke carefully. The look he had starting to burn.

“I’m scared.” You whispered. “Scared that if we give in now, it won’t feel like us. It’ll feel like duty. Like performance. Like the world is getting what it wants.”

His hand still pressed to your cheek, aching sadness. “Then we don’t let them take it yet.” he whispered. “We don’t give them this. Not until it is fully ours.”

You leaned into his palm, nuzzling into him. “You still want me?” You questioned softly.

He nodded. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything.” He smiled at you.

“Then stay. Stay tonight, don’t touch me if you want.” Your voice cracked.

He wrapped his arms around you, gently putting his face on your shoulder. “I’ll stay forever if you let me.” He whispered.

You smiled as you held him there and he could sense hesitation in your breath. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, pulling away from your shoulder.

You swallowed, looking him in the eye. “I want you.” You paused. “I’m scared though.”

He stilled, not pulling away anymore. “Of me?” He asked quietly.

“No.” You put your hand on the side of his face. “Of what it means. Of what comes after… or what if I fail?” Your voice wavered, hand moving away from his face.

His brows furrowed. “Fail what?”

“Fail to give them what they want. A child.” You hesitated, voice barely audible.

Mingi suddenly seemed to have slumped over. His hand gently cradled your face. “Y/N.” His voice was firm and gentle. “That’s not why I’m here. That’s not what this is.”

“But the court-“ You started.

“Damn the court.” His jaw clenched. “They don’t get to claim this part of us. They don’t get to twist it.”

You blinked, eyes glassy now. “So what do we do now?” Your voice was quiet.

He leaned in, pressing his forehead to yours. His thumb brushing your cheek softly. “We try. We touch. We kiss. We fall into each other because we want to. Not because anyone is waiting outside the door with a scroll and a name for the future heir.”

You exhaled shakily. “What if I still can’t…?” You started.

“Then we keep trying, without fear. Without punishment. Without this-“ He paused to place a kiss to your lips, slowly and grounding you. “-into something it was never meant to be.”

You closed your eyes and when he kissed you again, it was deeper. Not rushed or mechanical. Just the two of you. His hands were warm as they slid down your back, pulling you closer. Your lips parted to his touch, welcoming the touch of him, the reassurance of his feeling.

You shifted onto the bed, lying back. Mingi climbed on top of you. Ridding of his top as he hovered above you. His hands on the side of your face gently. “Tell me if you want me to stop.” He whispered against your lips.

You shook your head slowly as you looked at him. Looking at each part of new skin in front of your eyes. “I don’t.”Your body trembled slightly under him and he felt it.

“You’re scared.” He whispered.

“Not of you.” You looked up at him breathlessly. Your hand reached up, tangling in his hair, cradling the back of his neck. “Just…I’ve never given myself to anyone like this.”

His breath hitched. His heart clenching for a moment, honor, protectiveness, want. He pressed a kiss to your forehead. Then your cheek and on your neck. “Then let me show you how this feels.” His voice was gentle.

His mouth found yours again. Kissing like he was memorizing the shape of you, like kissing you was a prayer he finally had permission to say aloud. His hands slid down your arms, then back up to the silk at your waist. The robe parting, baring you to the moonlight. “You’re so beautiful,” he smiled at you, saying it like it was a secret he shouldn’t be sharing.

His lips gracing each part of your skin. You let out his name breathlessly as he kissed your chest. His hands continued to explore your curves with aching patience. Your eyes fluttering shut at his touch. His hands still moving around your figure, exploring every part of you that was new to him.

“Let me feel you. Let me love you, without worry. No fear. Just us.” He whispered.

Your thighs parted for him like instinct as he pulled off your skirt. His finger gently ghosted your slit. You whimpered softly as he watched you carefully, making sure you were still comfortable. Carefully spreading you as his thumb gently padded your sensitive nerves.

You whimpered and he bit his lip hearing you. His middle finger still rubbing down your entrance. “So warm.” He kissed you. “So wet already.” He exhaled.

His middle finger pushed in slowly as he kept watching you. Your back arched as you whimpered. “That okay?” He mumbled as he kissed down your neck. You nodded quickly, hips moving for more of the sensation. He curled his finger slightly, kissing down your shoulder as he watched you from the corner of his eye.

Your mouth parted, eyes still fluttering shut as the pleasure bloomed. “Look at me,” he kissed the corner of your mouth. “I want to see how you’re taking me.” He murmured.

He slowly added a second finger, slow and easing you open. Wet sounds began to fill the room as you whimpered, pressing your lips together. His thumb pressed to your clit, rubbing in sync with his fingers moving inside of you. You cried out his name.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “Let me hear you.” He encouraged as he felt himself throbbing. Your thighs clenching around his wrist as you whimpered.

“Mingi- please,” you whined out. He kissed your temple, carefully pulling his fingers out. He kissed your neck softly, letting his lips trail down your body until you tugged at his pants.

His breath caught as he pulled away just to look at you. “Are you sure?” He whispered.

You nodded, cheeks still flushed from him touching you. He didn’t rush himself as he stood up. You watched as he stood bare before you. Tall, broad and stunningly built. Your eyes kept traveling down and your breath hitched.

He was…big. To say the least, thick and heavy between his thighs. His cock curved slightly, already hard and flushed at the tip. The skin tight with arousal. For a moment you didn’t breathe, all you could do was stare. Your thighs instinctively clenched.

“Too much?” His voice was soft as he noticed you.

“No..I just didn’t expect…” You swallowed.

He moved, knees on your sides as he took your hand and carefully placed it on his chest. “I’ll go slow. I’ll stop if it hurts. Just trust me. Okay?” He stared at you like the most precious thing on earth as you nodded.

He moved again, careful with every movement as you spread your legs again. His body hovered above you, heat and want rolling off of his skin as he kissed your jaw and neck. You gasped slightly as you felt his thick head pressing on your entrance. Your whole body reacting to the feeling, pulsating, tightening and needing.

“Easy.” He whispered, eyes locked on yours. “Breathe for me.”

He began to push inside of you slowly. Just the tip stretching your walls already. You clenched around him from the sheer fullness of it. You whimpered at the feeling, digging your nails into his back.

“You okay?” He looked down at you, eyes searching for permission to continue.

You nodded quickly. Tears prickling the corners of your eyes, not from the pain but from the sheer intensity. “K-keep going.” You stuttered. “I want all of you,” you whispered.

He nodded, pressing his forehead to yours. He groaned slightly as he eased himself into you. Inch by inch, you felt your walls spreading further and further to accommodate for his size. It was almost overwhelming. So much of him, so deep already and he hadn’t even fully bottomed out yet.

“You’re so tight,” he panted, his voice cracking. “Fuck you feel so good. I don’t want to hurt you.” He cursed as he slowly pulled back.

“You’re not going to.” You whispered. “I want to feel you. All of you.” Your voice was strained with heat.

He leaned down to kiss you. Desperate like he couldn’t hold back anymore and finally after a deep breath on your lips he sank his hips into yours. Your walls were aching already, body adjusting stretching so wide you felt impossibly full.

You moaned his name softly as his hands held your hips carefully. Your fingers tangled in his hair. He was just slightly trembling above you. “You took me so well,” he murmured, lips brushing against your temple. “You were made for me.”

You gasped as he slowly moved back. His thick length dragging across every nerve inside of you. You were holding back screams of his name and only let out muffled sobs. He groaned low in his throat. Rocking his hips into yours slow and deep.

Each thrust was stretching you again, slow and deliberate until your body was pulsing around him. “Mingi-,” you whimpered, still trying to keep your volume down.

He shushed you softly, leaving gentle kisses around your face. “I’ve got you.” he whispered. “You feel so good around me, so warm. I don’t want to ever leave this.” His voice gentle.

His thrusts became deeper, wanting you to feel everything he had to offer. His hips rolling in you with steady rhythm. The sounds of your body’s hitting filling the room with every thrust. His size wasn’t something you were beginning to fear. It was something you were already beginning to crave.

“Tell me how it feels.” He asked, biting his lip as he groaned in your ear.

“s-so good.” You swallowed. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.” You spoke between moans.

That did something to him. He pushed deeper, hands gripping your thighs. You wrapped your legs around his waist, taking him even deeper. The pressure inside of you built fast. Your body tightening around him as your release crept closer. “Come with me,” he panted, hips still moving into yours. “Let me feel you fall apart on me.”

You did without hesitation. You cried out his name as your body convulsed. Pleasure tearing through your body in waves as you fluttered and clenched around his cock. Mingi followed right after, thrusting deep and groaning into your neck. Filling you full of his warmth, his love, his everything.

Neither of you moved, not for a few minutes. You stayed joined, your fingers tracing down his back as his lips brushed your collarbone. “You’re mine now,” you whispered, eyes soft and filled with tears that dared to spill out at the realization.

“I always have been.” His voice was low, and breathless as he answered like a promise.

You smiled to yourself as you shut your eyes. Finally not feeling restless as he laid next you. Your breathing was slow and even as you curled up underneath the silk sheets. Mingi couldn’t look away. He laid next to you, admiring the way he could see the slope of your back in the last few moments of candle light.

His hand rested on the sheets where your body was just tangled with his. He should’ve been exhausted but his heart was still racing with excitement. He looked down at his palm as if tingled remembering the feeling of you. How you looked at him when he touched you for the first time. It felt like something he could only dream of.

It wasn’t just sex. Wasn’t just your first time. It was the first time he’s ever made love. He knew the difference now. He carefully leaned over, brushing a stray strand of hair out of your face as he placed a gentle kiss to your temple. You didn’t stir but your lips parted. Sighing his name in your sleep.

His throat tightened. “What did I do to deserve this?” he whispered. “To deserve you.”

No one would ever see him like this. Not the court, not his advisors. Not even Yunho, but here in the candlelight as he laid beside you. Bare and undone, he was nothing but yours. He slipped his hand under the covers, resting it on your hip just to touch your skin. “I’ve never had something that’s felt like home,” he whispered, placing a kiss on your shoulder.

You stirred, mumbling his name again. Your hand found his beneath the sheets and held it. All without waking up. He exhaled through his nose, lips twitching into a smile. “If this is what love is,” his voice was still quiet and gentle. “I would go to war over and over just to come back to this moment.”

Finally, as the candlelight died, he moved closer to you. His arms circled your waist as your breaths synced again. And for the first time in years- he was able to sleep with ease.

The first thing you felt when you woke up was warmth, not from the sun but from Mingi’s arm draped over your waist. You could feel the slow rise and fall of his breathing against your back. You blinked sleepily as you remembered the night before. Every kiss and every whispered word. The way he moved inside of you with reverence, making you feel like you were the only thing in the world that mattered.

You turned slightly, just to see him. Mingi was already awake. His hair messy as it fell into his eyes. He was watching you with a softness you’ve never seen before. “You didn’t sleep much,” you murmured.

His lips curved faintly. “I didn’t want to close my eyes.”

“Why not?” You laughed softly.

He leaned closer, brushing his nose on yours. “Because I was afraid I’d wake up and last night would’ve been just a dream.”

Your chest tightened as you listened to him. His hand traced along your waist, fingers going under the sheets to drag along your hip. His touch was gentle, as if he was memorizing you all over again. “Are you sore?” He asked suddenly, eyebrows knitting with concern.

“No. Just…warm. and full.” You smiled softly, cheeks faintly blushing. Your body was aching in the most beautiful way but telling him would only cause him to worry.

He smirked slightly, though his eyes stayed tender. “Good. I never want to be anything but gentle with you.”

You smiled at him as you pressed your lips to his. Kissing him soft and slow, the faint taste of sleep on your lips. His hand cupped your face like you were something precious. You pulled away and smiled up at him, fingers lacing in his hair. “So what happens now?”

Mingi smiled at you, pressing his forehead to yours. “Now?” He teasingly questioned before dropping his voice down. “Now I get to spend every morning loving you better than I did the night before.”

You flushed, burying your face in his chest. But his laugh was so deep and warm that you had to look up at him again, just to see that smile.

“We should dress.” He murmured after a moment.

You nodded with a forced pout. “Do we have to?”

He laughed at you as he slowly stood up, dressing himself in last nights clothes. “We do have to attend to our regular duties.”

You sat up, holding the sheet to your chest. “Loving each other like that is a duty.” You said with playfulness as he smiled at you again.

“We will meet later. My Empress.” His voice was oozing temptation as he slid out behind the door.

The door slid shut behind him, sealing in the faint scent of him—warm skin, wine, and something darker you could never name. You sat for a moment in the quiet, the sheets still tangled around your legs, replaying the way he’d looked at you like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Outside, the court was already stirring, their games and demands waiting for you both. But for now, you let yourself breathe in the silence, just long enough to pretend it would last.

The court was full again. Ministers murmuring in low tones across the tiled floor. Their robes brushing the stone as they bowed. Their eyes kept flicking to the thrones.

You sat quietly, off to the side like you were meant to just to be seen and not heard. Meant to be graceful, composed and distant. Court felt different though, because the Emperor couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.

You could feel it. The warmth of his gaze burning into your cheek. When you finally dared to look over he didn’t avert his eyes like usual. A flicker passing between you. Candlelight. Silk sheets. Your lips moaning his name. Your heart jumped in your chest.

You lowered your gaze quickly. Pretending to smooth your sleeve but the damage was done. A few heads turned. The Minister of Records eyes narrowed. A younger official whispered something behind his hand. Yunho was watching from a far column, he said nothing. He didn’t need to. The soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth said everything. They knew.

Mingi stood up, moving to stand in front of you. You watched him carefully, quickly getting up before bowing gracefully. You could hear the whispers as Mingi reached for your hand, holding it gently in his. His lips gently pressing the back of your hand. Your cheeks flushed at the sudden affection. He knew they were watching, and whether they liked it or not, it was now undeniable. Their Emperor was in love.

You heard a throat clear as Mingi turned. Moving to sit back in his throne as Minister of traditions stood before you. “Your majesty. With the peace treaties in place and the provinces at a relative calm, the council would like to revisit the discussion of the heir.” His voice was unwavering.

You felt it before Mingi even shifted. Your stomach tightened.

“Following…certain whispers. We have been curious if the Empress is with child.” He never once looked at you as he spoke.

Mingi cleared his throat, standing up. “The whispers are true then. The Empress and I have shared a bed. But it was out of love, not to further the lineage.” His voice was strong as you watched a few people shift uncomfortably.

“You all speak of my future while insulting my present. She is not some vessel, nor a trophy. She’s my Empress. My wife. My love.” He gave everyone one final sharp look before taking your hand. “Let’s go,” he whispered as he pulled you out of your throne and down the hall.

“Mingi…” You started as he pulled you with him to his chambers. The door slamming behind him. The sound echoing in the chambers. He started to shrug off his robe, eyebrows cinched together in fury. “Mingi.” Your voice was gentle as you spoke again.

“How dare they speak like that. In front of you is worse.” His voice was low and raspy. “They think I can be manipulated. That’d I break you apart just to give them peace of mind.” He was loud but didn’t raise his voice all the way.

You walked closer to him, staring at the way his shoulders were tense. “They don’t understand.” Your voice was still calm as you reached to touch his back. His skin was hot to the touch as it burned in fury. You traced down his spine as he turned to look at you. His eyes storm black and tired. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.” You whispered. “Let me take some of this. You’re not alone anymore.”

He shook his head, lips parting like he was going to argue. You were already rising on your toes, placing a gentle kiss to his lips. Just enough for him to feel and give in. He groaned against your lips, low and desperate. Then grabbed you, lifting you in one smooth movement, pressing your back against the wall. “Can you help me? Make me less tense?” He looked at you carefully as you nodded.

His mouth almost crashed back into yours. His kiss hungry and almost bruising your lips. His hands roaming your waist, your hips. Reaching under your skirt. You gasped as you felt his hand between your legs. Already warm and aching for him. He growled at the way your thighs were trembling around him. “You’re wet for me already?” he rasped against your throat. “You knew what I was needing.”

You nodded, unable to speak. His fingers found your core, two of them sliding in with practiced pressure as you moaned out. “Let them hear you.” He grunted as his fingers curled, pushing them in knuckle deep. He didn’t let up.

His fingers pumped into you hard and slow. The wet sounds filling the chambers. Your hand clawed at his back as you muffled your moans in his shoulder. His fingers kept moving as they worked you open for him again. “Say it,” He growled. “Say you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” you cried. Your head tipping back as his thumb found your clit, drawing slow, tight circles on it as your thighs began to shake. “Louder.” He commanded.

“I’m yours Mingi! F- Fuck!” You cried out as your hips bucked against his hand. You broke against his hand. Shattering as your walls clenched around his fingers. He kept curling them through your orgasm as you whimpered. His own breathing was ragged now, but he wasn’t done.

He pulled his fingers out and brought them to his lips, licking them slowly as he watched you. He let your legs hit the ground then leaned to your ear. “On the bed. Now.” He said hoarsely.

You nodded quickly, obeying him as your legs trembled. When he followed, bare, furious and starving. You let him take all of it. All of the frustration. All the love. All the fire he couldn’t show the world. Because behind closed doors, he belonged to you.

Morning has only broken through the heavy curtain when Yunho knocked. Entering with a quiet bow as his eyes flicked between the two of you. Your body draped in the sheets as Mingi sat beside you bare chested, his hair still unbound from the night before. Yunho cleared his throat, gaze staying respectful.

“Lord Taejun is requesting a private meeting.” He said carefully. “He insists it’s a matter of dynastic importance.”

Mingi’s jaw clenched the moment the name left Yunho’s mouth. He didn’t look at you right away. His hand brushed your lower back under the covers in reassurance. “Let him wait in the side chambers.” He said coolly. “And tell him I am not to be rushed.”

Yunho nodded and disappeared. When the door shut you looked at Mingi. “Dynastic importance.” You echoed like it left a sour taste in your mouth.

Mingi sighed, finally looking at you. “They’re starting to panic. They want to know if I’ve claimed you for love or lineage. If I’ll declare you as mother of my heir before your womb shows it.”

You blinked, throat tightening at the bluntness. But he was already moving, dressing swiftly in dark robes lined with gold. No crown in sight, yet the weight of his movements still heavy with power. He turned to look at you, “they’ll try to corner me. Try to bring up old things. But I won’t let them touch this.” His voice was low.

“What will you say?” You looked up at him.

He moved back over to the bed. “The truth,” his voice softened as he softly rubbed his knuckles on your cheek. His gaze steady. He kissed your lips softly then walked towards the door. “I’ll be back.”

He walked down the hall and slid open the door to the side chamber. Lord Taejun stood quickly. “Your Majesty.” He bowed, voice low and smooth but his eyes showed nothing but eagerness. “I appreciate your time. I only come with concern for the future.”

Mingi said nothing as he sat down, just gestured for him to continue speaking. “The court grows…uncertain. They respect the Empress, of course.” Taejun added quickly. “but the absence of a formal heir. Or a declaration leaves our line vulnerable. There are still those who remember your father’s law: that the bloodline must be visible, secure and blessed by counsel consensus.”

“My father is dead.” Mingi’s voice was even. “I am Emperor now.”

Taejun paused, slight hesitation in his voice. “Then…will you declare the Empress as the mother of the next heir?”

Silence fell like a blade. Mingi stood up slowly, stepping closer to him. His height making the older man instinctively bow his head. “When the time comes,” Mingi said calmly. “she will not need declaration. You’ll see it written across the palace in the way she walks.” He stared down at him.

Taejun’s throat bobbed. “And if the time doesn’t come?”

Mingi leaned in slightly, voice dropping. “Then the empire falls with me. There is no line without her.” He turned and walked out, leaving Taejun to stand there in silence. Mingi’s message clear.

They are not allowed to question your place.

You still laid in bed, your top loosely wrapped around you. Hair half undone, the remnants of sleep and ache heavy in your limbs. Your eyes lifted as the door opened. Mingi smiled at you, not the emperor smile or the one he gave you in court. The version only you saw.

He walked over to your side, lowering himself onto the bedding. Shedding his top, only to press his body warmth on you. His hand ghosted over your waist as he looked at you. “Are you sore?”

You nodded faintly, lips curving with a small exhale of laughter. “You weren’t exactly gentle.”

Mingi leaned in, pressing a kiss to your exposed shoulder. “You didn’t ask me to be.”

You hummed as his fingers traced small circles over your hips. Soothing where he had held onto you so tightly the night before. Faint red marks graced your skin, proof of how deeply he needed you. “Still,” he murmured. Moving as he kissed your ribs, then your stomach. “I should have taken better care of you after.”

You opened your mouth to speak but the apology already hung in his gaze, and something that looked like devotion. A quiet ache that was more vulnerable than anything he’s shown to anyone else. “Let me do it now,” he smiled.

He guided you to lay back on the feathered pillows. He gently pulled back your top, exposing your body to him. There was no urgency, no heat laced hunger, only reverence. His hands moved with purpose. He kissed every bruise, every mark. His thumbs rubbed down your thighs, easing the tension. You sighed in relief as he whispered praises into your skin. “You were so perfect last night,” he cooed, placing a kiss on your thigh. “You take me so well, love.” He kissed the other thigh as you flushed.

His hand still moved slowly on you. Tending to the soreness, soothing where you had swollen from his size. Tears fighting to spill out of your eyes as you watched him. No one has ever looked at you like this. Like you were the most sacred thing he’d ever been trusted to touch. When he was done he laid beside you again. Pulling you into his chest, where his heartbeat was steady and strong.

You didn’t want to be removed from this moment. The way Mingi’s arms enveloped around you. His strong arms and quiet breath in your ear made you want to melt into a puddle. Your body finally relaxing. The soreness still pulsating every now and then but his care had softened it. His fingers traced gentle patterns down your back as you lay half draped over him.

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his robe. “I want to have your child.” Your voice broke into the silence. Mingi’s breath caught, you felt it in the way his chest rose beneath your cheek. His hand on your back paused, then slowly held your waist. Tighter than before, like he was grounding himself. You shifted to look at him.

“Not because of them.” You said softly. “Not because of the court. I’m saying this because I want it. I want something that’s ours. Something that nobody can twist or try to take command of.” You reached up and cupped his face, his jaw ticking in your palm.

When his eyes met yours you saw it. Fear. “You think I’m saying this because of what they’ve said to you.” You whispered. Mingi’s throat worked as he swallowed, his fingers flexed on your sides.

“The council I just had with Lord Taejun.” He said, voice low. “He said if I didn’t take action soon he would find another way.” A bitter look crossed his face. “He spoke of lineage and threatened my throne in riddles.” You stared at Mingi as he spoke.

“I thought if you heard any of it I wouldn’t be able to bear it.” He shook his head “I don’t want this to feel like something you were pressured into. Like something you owe me or the court-“ He spiraled.

“Mingi-“ You cut through it, firm but calm. Your fingers brushed through his hair. “I don’t care about the court. I want you. I want to build a life and that decision lies just between us.” You exhaled. “Just us loving one another.”

15:18 // THE GYM, ATEEZ TRAINING FACILITIES, LOCATION UNKNOWN

“Shit!”

Falling to the floor of the ring, you spat out a little blood before staggering to a stand, taking on a more defensive position. Your opponent was bigger, stronger, and had been training for longer; this was in no way a fair fight. But the fixer didn’t care about fair fights, because in the field, there would be no fair fights. As you stood at attention this morning, in line with the other new recruits, he had made this exponentially clear to you all.

“This isn’t some fuckin’ movie, yeah? We’re not gonna be going against fairy princesses who don’t wanna break a nail, or stormtroopers who’re gonna miss every shot. When you are a member of this organisation, a target is placed on your back - you could be attacked at any minute by anyone.”

Stopping his pacing, the fixer leant down to look you in the eye, one of three women who had passed his rigorous testing so far. The other 50 or so recruits were men, and boy did they make it known to you.

“Because the underworld isn’t all pretty and pink, so don’t buy into that romanticised bullshit they try to sell you in the media. This is hard, dirty work that will ruin you - mind, body, and soul.”

Your face remained neutral, as did the majority of the recruits lined up with you. A few of them had shit-eating grins on their faces, eager to see the other two women singled out too. But the fixer merely looked you up and down before continuing to pace the line.

“When I pair you up for these matches, don’t come crying to me if you lose. Even if it’s an unfair fight, it’s fair on the basis that you simply weren’t good enough to win. In the field, succeeding isn’t just winning, it’s keeping your life for another day. Another hour, in some cases. Keep your guard up, keep your cool, and never fight fair.”

Wiping sweat from your face, you clenched your fists once again, facing your opponent. While he had winded you with his previous attack, the exertion left him slower than before. This was your chance to put yourself ahead. 

Before he could recover, you ran at your opponent and uppercutted him square in the jaw, delighting in the crack and grunt in response. He swayed for a second, almost seeming like he would fall, before steadying himself and delivering a sharp kick to your ribs. 

You gasped for air as you doubled over in pain, only for him to clasp his hands together and deliver a decisive hit to the back of your head. It flattened you to the ring floor, and suddenly the shouts and cheers of your fellow recruits seemed muffled. The referee came into the ring, and you glanced up at him with a hazy look before trying to struggle to your feet. You knew he was about to count you out, and you couldn’t let that happen.

“One! Two! Th-!”

“NO!”

Shouting out in pain, you ignored the pounding of your head and got on your hands and knees, panting as the room began to spin. You knew this couldn’t go on for long, but you couldn’t back out now, not when you had been so close. Just as you were about to stand and continue the fight, a hand was on your shoulder.

“Just accept it kid, you’re out. You can’t continue like this.”

The minute those words left the referee’s mouth, you collapsed to the floor, falling unconscious. You had been well and truly beaten, and there was no way of knowing your future now.

23:36 // THE MED BAY, ATEEZ TRAINING FACILITIES, LOCATION UNKNOWN 

Gasping awake, you sat up in the bed you had been left in, immediately gasping out in pain. Your head and ribs had been thoroughly bandaged, and an IV pumped fluids into your arm. Letting yourself fall backwards, the memories came flooding back, hitting you like a freight train. 

The fight, the uppercut, the blood, the shouts, the ref, the darkness.

Swinging your legs over the bed, you slowly pushed to a stand. It seemed that the doctor in charge had left for a smoke break, as he tended to do on fight nights. With one hand, you used the pole of your IV as a makeshift crutch, pushing the curtains away from your bay.

Holding your head gingerly, you glanced at the other beds, eyes examining your fellow patients. The med bay was quiet at this time of night. An array of ailments met your inquisitive gaze: broken arms, concussions, perhaps a cracked skull here and there. Nothing was too out of the ordinary until you came to the last patient; your opponent. His jaw had been wired shut, and he seemed to be completely unconscious. While you had done a number on him, it was confusing to see him in the med bay. Had you really uppercutted him that bad?

“The fixer knocked a good portion of that guy’s teeth out for what he did to you. Ended up finishing what you intended to do to his jaw as well.”

Your head whipped around, relaxing as you encountered a familiar face. Minho gave you a smile, patting you on the back and smirking when you winced. He nodded to the IV that you were dragging around with a proud grin.

“And don’t worry, I gave my favourite patient the good shit.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

He hummed in response, taking up a clipboard and doing his rounds. You watched quietly as he did so, until he eventually came to your opponent. As Minho tended to his wounds, your expression became confused.

“But Doc, why would the fixer do that? I haven’t seen him do that kinda thing before.”

Shrugging, Minho pumped the guy with a dose of morphine before turning to you, gesturing for you to sit at his table. You obliged, smiling excitedly when he brought out a tin of cookies. Your frequent trips to his med bay had left Minho familiar enough with you to share his secret stash of snacks. You eagerly took one when he offered the tin to you, with Minho taking one for himself before closing it and locking it back in his desk.

“I don’t know the ins and outs ‘cause I wasn’t there, but apparently he clocked him in the mouth as soon as you passed out. Then he went on some spiel about how fighting dirty doesn’t mean endangering lives in a training environment. While it’s not often shit like that happens, I’ve never seen him react instantaneously about it.”

Gritting your jaw, you nodded in response, running your tongue along your gums to check for any loose teeth. Finding none, you sighed and hung your head in shame.

“He probably did it cause I’m not a guy, right?”

Sighing, Minho took a bite of his cookie, shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t know, Y/N. All I can tell you is that these incidents are super dangerous, and you could’ve been really hurt. Regardless of gender, there should be punishment for intentionally attacking in a… life-threatening way. Maybe just don’t read into it too much, yeah?”

You fixed Minho with a glare, standing up defiantly, still holding onto the IV. Knowing you weren’t one to keep still, Minho didn’t chastise you for moving about so much.

“Don’t play dumb, Minho. I’m sure you’ve heard what those bastards say about me and the other two. They’re convinced we’re just getting basic training to become honeypots. Or worse.”

“Who gives a fuck what they say! They’re just idiots who don’t know how great you are.”

Scoffing, you trailed back to your bed and began collecting your belongings. Right now, you were convinced you’d be sent packing anyways, especially if the ultimatum was between prostitution or expulsion. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they were right after today. I embarrassed myself in front of the fixer. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t straight drop me.”

Without turning around, you held your arm out for Minho to remove the IV. Footsteps were heard from behind, and soon enough a hand was on your arm. But you knew how Minho’s hands felt; soft and nimble from his work, and that wasn’t his. You turned around, only to be met with the fixer’s calloused hand on your arm, his expression neutral as he looked you over.

“You’re looking better.”

You looked behind the fixer to see Minho scurrying out with his pack of cigs, clearly wanting to stay out the way. While you wanted to curse out the spineless bastard, you understood his apprehension.

The fixer was extremely intimidating.

“Cat got your tongue, kid?”

Snapping out of it, you glared at the fixer before responding, trying to pull your arm away in the process.

“I’m not a kid, so-”

His grip tightened, and you stopped struggling as he pulled you closer.

“Then stop acting like one. If you really wanna storm off in a huff, at least let me remove your IV.”

Licking your lips nervously, you relaxed your arm as much as possible, watching as the fixer removed your IV with a surprisingly gentle touch. He gave you a half-smile, taking a small bandage and applying it to the tiny wound beginning to drip.

“There, much better. Now, can we talk in the training gym? I already put out a notice that it’s closed for the night, so there won’t be any unnecessary interruptions.”

When you gave the fixer a skeptical look, he let go of your arm with a smile. There was a surprising warmth to it that made trust begin to bloom within you.

“Feel free to tell Minho where we’re heading, if you’re nervous. But rest assured, I do not intend to cause you any harm.”

“I trust you.”

The fixer’s smile widened at this, and he gestured to the door. Figuring you’d probably be back to tell Minho anything that happens, you left your belongings with him, only pulling on a zip hoodie to cover your bandaged chest. When Minho peeked his head in, watching as you walked out, he mouthed you a ‘good luck’ with a cheeky thumbs up.

Hell, you probably needed all the luck you could get right now.

23:58 // THE GYM, ATEEZ TRAINING FACILITIES, LOCATION UNKNOWN

“So, I just wanted to talk about your fight today.”

You were sat in a chair that he’d insisted you rested in whilst he sat on the edge of the ring, now nursing your bruised ribs. It didn’t feel like they were cracked, so that was something.

“Yeah? What about it?”

He raised an eyebrow at your confrontational tone, but did not remark on it. Instead he sighed and cleared a few stray hairs from his line of sight.

“I wanted to apologise, kid.”

Gritting your jaw, you tried to keep your cool.

“There’s nothing to apologise about. You said it yourself; I simply wasn’t good enough to win.”

“Kid, look-“

Before you knew it, your hand slammed on the nearby table, shouting with pure vitriol.

“Stop fucking calling me that!”

The fixer fell silent, watching you with mild interest as you stood up, slowly approaching him. Your hand was still on your ribs, wincing with the residual pain as Minho’s meds began to fade.

“Everyone wants to act like I’m a fucking kid around here! Look, I may be smaller than a lot of you fucking guys, but that doesn’t make me a fucking child! You don’t get to infantilise me for being weaker, okay?! Because I can for damn sure put up a fight against you bastards!”

Chest heaving, you came face to face with the fixer, the flames within you only stoked by his impassive expression. Grabbing him by the collar, you leaned in with fire in your eyes.

“I’m not a kid, and I refuse to let you cunts keep treating me like one. Got it?”

His hand was on your wrist, easily pulling you off of him. Standing up, he leant closer until your faces were inches apart, and it then became very clear to you that the fixer was a man to fear. Yet, he let go of your wrist, and held out his own hand.

“Mingi.”

“…what?”

He gave you another smile, and it made the tension seep from your muscles.

“It’s nice to meet the real you, Y/N. So here’s the real me: I’m Song Mingi, also known as the fixer.”

You paused, sure he was pulling your leg before he faltered for a second, scratching his neck. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the awkward action, and took his hand with a smile.

“Nice to meet the real you too, Mingi.”

He nodded, and shook your hand firmly with a sheepish expression. It was certainly weird to see the fix- no, Mingi acting in this way, awkward and human rather than an infallible trainer, but it was nice to see. Nice to meet.

“And for the record, I didn’t doubt you for a second. You are by far the strongest woman- no, person I’ve ever met. It’s not fun being the underdog, I learned that early on too.”

You gave him a wide smile, stepping back to give him some space.

“I appreciate that, and right back at you.”

“I’m gonna make something out of you Y/N, something that no one expects of you. Because there’s a fire in you that shouldn’t be underestimated, that’s for damn sure.”

You had never felt more validated, and your heart soared with joy at the prospect. Behind your heart, a fire had started to kindle, and it only burned brighter when you looked at Mingi. 

This was truly the start of something special. 

21:21PM // THE MED BAY, ATEEZ TRAINING FACILITIES, LOCATION UNKNOWN

It didn’t take long for you to work up the ranks with Mingi’s support. Rumours inevitably spread about just how you’d become his protégé, but you paid them no mind. You weren’t the first he’d taken under his wing, nor would you be the last. Soon enough, you were a fairly high-ranking member of ATEEZ, though of course nowhere near Mingi’s position. He had respected your boundaries and made sure you weren’t put forward for honeypot training, which you were grateful for. The other two girls hadn’t been so lucky, but it was an inevitable truth to an underworld run by men.

With each passing day, the two of you became closer. You tried to ignore the way he made you feel, how much you enjoyed spending time with him. Whether it was mundane stock checks or high-risk missions, it was all fairly enjoyable with Mingi. He went out of his way to pair himself with you, and it wasn’t uncommon for the two of you to  sit and talk in the gym way past its opening hours. 

Most of the recruits had graduated from the training facilities and moved on to other sectors, and yet you were still here. You couldn’t bring yourself to acknowledge this nor question why, and Mingi acted as if he was none the wiser. The two of you continued to work together like a well-oiled machine, and always made sure to check in with each other when separated.

Currently, you had just stumbled into the med bay after a pretty rough day. You and two other members had encountered a rival gang, and it had gotten bloody. Not for you, of course, but you regardless went to Minho for a check up. One of the bastards had grabbed you and tried to rip your shirt, so you were fairly sure you had a few surface wounds there. Infections were not pretty, so it never hurt to be cautious.

Rolling his eyes, Minho gave you a once over before gesturing to his exam table. You sat down slowly on it, groaning from your bruised body. At least no one else was there to witness your suffering.

“Look, you’re cool n’ all Y/N, but can you stay the fuck out of my workspace for a day? This is getting toxic.”

You resisted the urge to swat him, removing your tattered shirt with a grunt and smirking at him.

“What, you don’t miss this pretty face? You should just reserve a bay for me, Minho; it’d make your life easier.”

Tutting, Minho put his glasses on and inspected your wounds, shaking his head before pulling out some antiseptic and cotton swabs.

“I’d much more appreciate you making my life easier by taking better care of yourself.”

“Now why would I do that? You’d have no one to- fuck- share your cookies with.”

Minho gave you a side eye as he dabbed at the cuts, muttering ‘baby’ under his breath, still concentrating on tending to you. 

“Well, at least these are superficial wounds. I’ll smack a few plasters on them and you can be on your way.”

Nodding, you watched quietly as Minho applied bandages to the wounds, giving you another once over before nodding back at you. As he tidied his supplies away, you shrugged your shirt back on with a sigh of relief.

“All done. Now, please kindly leave me the fuck-”

“Y/N!”

You quickly looked to the door, watching as Mingi stumbled into the med bay, red in the face and panting. Minho was quick to stand, approaching Mingi slowly.

“Is everything okay, Sir? Let me just fini-”

Completely ignoring Minho, Mingi pushed past him and ran up to you, holding you by the shoulders. His eyes were quick to scour your body, checking you for injuries. 

“Shit, you really are hurt. Is it painful?”

“Uh…yeah?”

You were completely confused, and Minho simply slumped over with a groan.

“Yeah, nevermind. I’m going for a cig.”

When the door swung shut behind Minho, you pushed Mingi back, only further confused by his hurt expression.

“Mingi, what the fuck is going on?”

Stumbling over his words, Mingi bit his lip before speaking.

“I heard from Hwang that you got attacked by a rival gang. He said that some bastard had tried to rip your clothes off, and hurt you in the process, so you’d come to the med bay!”

Mingi then came closer, holding your hand as his eyes went to the small patches on your chest. He was still catching his breath, and sputtered between words.

“I mean, fuck, I ran over here as soon as I heard! I was so worried, Y/N!” 

“Yeah, I can see that… but like, why? This is my job, Mingi. It’s kinda in the contract, you know what I mean?”

He stuttered for a second, turning more red with embarrassment as he scrambled to find an excuse. Landing on nothing, he simply stared at you like a deer in headlights.

“Uh.. I- well, you see… I was just-”

“You like me.”

Mingi’s jaw dropped, and his babbling slowly fizzled out. He didn’t know what to say, what to do, and suddenly became hyperaware of the fact he was still holding your hand. Dropping it, he coughed before scratching the back of his head.

“Um… no? No, I don’t.”

Standing up with a grunt, you turned on Mingi, quickly trapping him against the wall. Your arms were crossed, and at his height Mingi could easily escape, but he made no effort to do so. He simply stared meekly down at you, his expression miles away from the suave intimidating act he usually put on when interacting with other members of ATEEZ.

“You don’t sound so sure.”

Gaping like a gormless goldfish, Mingi still fumbled over his words, watching as you put a hand on his chest, slightly flinching at the contact.

“And your heart is beating crazy fast.”

When you looked up at him with a shit-eating grin, Mingi leant in before he lost his nerve. The weight of everything crashed down on the two of you as his lips met yours, and the fire engulfed your heart. It was messy at first, almost as if Mingi didn’t know quite what to do with himself, but he soon settled into a rhythm as you eagerly reciprocated. 

His arms were quick to wrap around you, turning you so that your back was against the wall. In his eagerness, Mingi wasn’t gentle, and you gasped into the embrace. Before he could pull away, you put a hand behind his head and pushed him closer, voraciously kissing him. He simply mumbled a ‘sorry’ against your lips while his hands roamed your sides, grabbing and squeezing what he’d been admiring for months. 

When your head began to swim, you finally pulled away, gulping down air like you had just resurfaced. Mingi wasn’t keen on pulling away, instead pressing insistent kisses to your neck and nape, sucking on the skin but not bruising it.

“Fuck, Min.”

Mingi’s hands roamed your body, mapping out every curve and contour with a reverence bordering on religious fervor. He cupped your breasts, thumbs teasing over the nipples until they pebbled beneath his touch.

“Yeah? Feels good baby?”

Nodding insistently, you pushed away for a second, chuckling at his instantaneous pout before you removed your top. In response, Mingi gulped, eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store. His eyes fell to the bandages on your chest, tracing them with his eyes as you stood there expectantly, unsure of his next move.

With an unexpected impatience, he pulled at your bra until you breasts slipped from the cups, quick to fondle one whilst suckling on the other. Your back arched into his touch, fingers curling into his hair, pushing him that impossible inch closer. 

He lewdly licked and sucked at your skin, rotating between each breast until you had to pull him away again, holding him tenderly by the chin. He gave you the most pathetic puppy dog eyes known to mankind, and your pussy throbbed in delight at the sight.

One of the highest ranking men in ATEEZ looked like he’d cry if you didn’t let him touch you any longer.

“We haven’t got long until Minho’s back.”

Understanding, Mingi was quick to focus on the task at hand, straightening up as his hands fell to your hips. Eager with anticipation, you let him guide you to the nearby exam table, bracing yourself on it with a lick of your lips. The male made light work of your pants, unbuttoning them and exposing the smooth expanse of your thighs with bated breath. Satisfied with what he saw, he leant in closer, breath warm against your pussy as he looped a finger into your panties.

“Fuck Y/N, you look so good.”

Unable to control himself, Mingi lewdly sniffed the seat of your panties, parting his lips and allowing your damp fabric to rub against his eager mouth. His voice was thick with desire as he murmured against the panties, sending tremors through your body.

“You taste good too, baby girl.”

If you had been in any other state of mind, you probably would’ve found the man’s words patronising. But, quite frankly, there wasn’t much going on up there when Mingi began to suck gently on the fabric, his tongue darting out to lap at your juices. He pressed open-mouthed kisses along the hem of your panties, his hot breath wafting against your most intimate area. Then, with a desperate moan that vibrated deliciously against your clit, he pulled away, fumbling hurriedly with his belt.

“When we’ve got more time, you’re gonna sit on my face.”

You simply nodded, almost delirious with desire at this point. Never had a man acted so desperate, so perverse with you - and you were enjoying every last fucking minute of it. Soon enough, the finger that was still looped in your panties was dragging them down your thighs, a hungry groan leaving Mingi’s mouth when he saw the string of arousal still connecting them to you.

Eager fingers swiped the arousal, collecting your juices on their tips before two were slowly pushed into your gummy walls. Your nails dug into the plush material of the examination table, and your arms shook from such an intrusion. Mingi’s fingers felt like they were splitting you open, almost as thick as some measly cocks you had taken before. 

“Mingi! S-so big!”

When he slowly scissored your tight cunt, his other hand preoccupied with groping your cheek and exposing your holes more for him, you swore you’d cum on the spot. But all too soon, his fingers were out, cleaned with a languid swipe of his tongue before finding their place on your hips. His thumbs rubbed soothing circles into your burning skin, and he groaned as he rubbed his cock up and down your slit.

“You gonna take this dick baby girl? Gonna take me like a good fucking girl?”

You nodded even more violently than before, scratching marks into Minho’s table as his tip prodded your pulsating entrance. Any minute now, this man was gonna rock your shit so intensely that you’d probably be wheeled out the med bay. But fuck, you were so ready for it. 

Only a bite of the lip stifled the scream that threatened to rip loose when Mingi finally pushed in, the stretch almost unbearable. You swore you almost saw stars, dizzy with pleasure as Mingi murmured sweet nothings to you. 

Nothing really made sense to you right now, his words danced and spun in your mind too quickly to make sense, but it only stoked the fire inside you. When his hips finally met the smooth curve of your ass, his nails dug into your sides with an impatient hiss.

“I’ll be quick, I promise.”

You weren’t exactly elated for a quickie with Mingi, but something was better than nothing. In fact, you weren’t sure how long you’d last when he finally started moving. His strokes were slow but powerful, his cock kissing your sweet spot with every lazy thrust. When you finally began to push back impatiently against him, Mingi picked up the pace.

He practically jackhammered into you, anchoring himself with your hips as he cursed quietly to himself. The examination table shook underneath you, and still managed to jump with each thrust despite being pressed up against the wall. It took everything within you not to scream with pleasure, so unused to such sheer power. Mingi wasn’t holding back at all, and his thrusts were almost inhumane. 

“Fuck, Min! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Oh shit! Oh my-!”

He clamped a hand around your mouth before any more profanities could flow, slowing slightly so he could lean over and kiss your upper back tenderly before murmuring in your ear. His usually soft voice (which he only reserved for when talking to you) was ragged with desire, tone deep enough to send a shiver down your spine.

“Be a good girl and keep quiet for me, yeah?”

Thighs practically quaking, you gave him an obedient nod, biting back a whimper when he sucked a dark hickey onto your neck. You could tell he was close as he leant back, fingers now entangled in your hair as his thrusts grew sloppy. 

“Oh shit, Y/N.. oh my fucking god-”

Eager to get you to your high, his hand left your mouth and snuck between your thighs, rubbing rapid circles on your clit. Before you could even begin to process anything, you were cumming hard on his dick, eyes watery as the wave crashed over you.

It only took a few more thrusts and Mingi was spilling into you, leant over on top and panting breathlessly. He took a few deep breaths before pulling out, gulping as cum dripped out of your spent pussy. Unable to stay upright, you let yourself fall onto the table, hissing quietly as the cool air hit your pussy. 

“Holy fuck, that was intense.”

Mingi chuckled quietly before tugging up his pants and helping you with yours, pulling your clothes back into place. All that was left was your discarded t-shirt. Finally stabilising a little, you sat up on the table, whining at the feeling. But, you had a sated smile on your face, which Mingi returned before turning around to scoop up your top from the floor. 

Just as his fingertips touched the material, the doors to the med bay swung open. Minho shrugged off his coat, cigarettes in hand before turning around to put them back in his desk drawer. He paused for a second once his eyes landed on the two of you, gaze flitting from you to Mingi quickly before realisation dawned. He winced, took another cigarette and lit it before pushing at the door again, calling out behind him.

“Sterilise that table and get the fuck out of my med bay.”

Mingi stared sheepishly at you as the doors slammed, and you sighed with a roll of your eyes before sliding off the table, hiding the smile that threatened to break loose. Pacing to your side, Mingi handed you your shirt, trying to hide his pride as you leant on him for support. Scuff marks adorned the wall from the table crashing against it, and long scratches were now permanent features of the shiny plush cushioning of it. 

Minho would definitely be unhappy with all this destruction, but you sure as hell didn’t mind giving up your cookie privileges after this. A small price to pay for a slice of heaven.

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