ATEEZ IMAGINES

ATEEZ - A Tragedy

Through a wooden cabin clitter and clatter of glass could be heard and San assumes Hongjoong is still working on brewing his potions. He pushes the cabin's door and enters calling for its owner.

"Hongjoongie Hyunggg!!!!!"

"My goodness! Can you shut up for heaven's sake? I'm standing right here" An angry Hongjoong fumes at San for his unnecessary loudness. His hands are full of test tubes, ingredients and spell books are scattered carelessly across the table. He doesn't realise the mess on his table and continues concentrating on brewing the potion.

"I thought you were still sleeping. Sorry!" San says, not paying attention to the owner and instead going through Joong's stuff. His hovers his fingers through stuff on the shelfs which were filled with different coloured bottles, dry ingredients and even valuable souvenirs on the topmost section.

"Why are you here though? I'm quite busy right now." Joong fixes his glasses before mixing up different coloured potion and going through his guide book to crosscheck the ingredients while San's finds somethings interesting on the shelfs. A crimson liquid sits in a tea cup and it intrigues San to drink it. Grabbling the tea cup gentlely, he smells it and finds it surprisingly sweet in odour.

"This strawberry tea smells good. Does it taste good too?" San sips the crimson tea and feels his dress becoming loose. He finds himself becoming shorter and shorter till he stands tall as a pixie.

"No- San that's the- oh god what have you done? Now Hwa will be furious at me." Hongjoong screams at San who unknowingly drank a potion. 

"That is a shrinking potion which I'm still working on." He bends down looking at the now-tiny version of San.

  "But you look cute." Tiny San looks at him quite amused of his reaction. He screams but Joong is unable to hear his voice.

"Climb on my hand, I'm unable to hear you." Hongjoong places his hand in front of San who climbs up and then places the tiny human on his shoulder. "Hyunnnggggg!!!" San screams in his ear. "Gosh- you are loud. Shut up!"

The tiny human giggles and proceeds to speak normally, "Hyung what are we going to do now?" Hongjoong could hear the sadness in San's voice but there is nothing he could do to bring the little elf to his normal state. 

"We can visit Jongho. He might help." Joong suggests but San denies the idea crossing his arms and shrugs. 

"His spells always go wrong. Remember when he accidentally turned Woo young into a rabbit? I'm not going to ask him for help. Never!"

"Guess we have to visit Hwa then. He must have a solution for you." Joong says sighing at his decision. It is sure they will get scolded but Seonghwa always figures things out when Hongjoong messes it up. 

"Remember. You are responsible for this. Not me!"

The pair head out to Seonghwa's cabin not so far from Joong's with a heavy heart. Their minds were being filled with constant worries and things the older elf might say to them. They finally arrive at the destination and hesitantly knock on the cabin's door.

"Hongjoong! What a surprise? I guess you finally brought along your pixie friend." Seonghwa, the older elf excites opening the door and greeting the pair. He even mistakes San for a pixie. 

"Hwa, I have to inform you about an accident...... and this pixie-sized elf here is our San." Hongjoong nervously explains to the older elf and he freezes in surprise for a good minute.

"You mean this- this is our San." Seonghwa shutters as nervousness grows in his mind. 

"Kim Hongjoong! You idiot Elf! What have you done?" He cries in agony holding San carefully in his hands. Tears make their way down his eyes and wet the tiny elf's hair.

"You don't have the reversing spell. Right?" Seonghwa states, his eyes burning holes through Joong's skull. The older elf is devasted by seeing his fellow best friend in such a state of suffering.

"We might have to use dark magic but I'm scared it might hurt my sannie." The older elf is concerned about its devasting effects but gives up knowing it's the only way possible to turn San into his normal state. 

"Call Yunho! He might be of some help in controlling the flow of magic while I cast the spell." Hongjoong nods and the rushes to get the asked elf while Seonghwa still worries about his decision. 

"I promise to save you, from any harm."

The ticking of clock being the only sound echoed throughout Seonghwa's cabin as he and San wait for Hongjoong and Yunho's arrival.

The door opens after a long wait and Hongjoong stands under its frame, breathless while catching his chest for some air. 

"He isn't in town. Yeosang said Yunho left earlier this morning towards the eastern mountains to visit the north pole factory of our district. And he will not return till a week."