𝑆𝐿𝑌 || 𝗿𝗺𝗮

ᵉⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ ⁱˣ

╔ ╗
ᶜʰᵃʳᵐⁱⁿᵍ ᵍᵒˡᵈ
╚ ╝

peace a quiet. it was the only thing he could decipher with his eyes closed, his existence melting into the soft sheets of the warm blanket and the soft mattress. nobody to disturb him, no harsh whispers but the sound of dripping water from a faucet somewhere

he could hear a door slid shut, heels clicking on the marble floor and stopped to where he was laying. a cold sensation touched his forehead, their hands wiping away the leaking water from dripping on his pillow

his brows furrowed, rubbing against the towel that laid there

❝ i don't know if you can hear me but i just feel like you need to know this ❞, her melancholy voice reached his ears, her finger found their way through his feathers, ❝ you were never a monster nor do you look like one ❞

he stiffened at her statement, eyes still shut as his breathing became heavier

❝ everybody makes mistakes from time to time and we all forgive you ❞

at that exact moment, he chose to open his eyes, wincing when the bright light blinded his vision. he blinked to adjust to the light beam and look up to meet her soft expression

kumiho raised a brow as she wiped away the tears flowing down his cheeks, ❝ so you were awake the whole time ❞, she mused

❝ kumiho? ❞, he scrunched his face at the sound of his voice, scratchy and rough. he accepted the glass of water she handed and downed it in seconds, sighing as the cold liquid eased his sore throat

❝ how do you feel? ❞, she asked, her eyes scanning his face for any sign of pain

charming gold hummed, his hand reaching up to wipe away the stray tears when he faltered at the feeling of his smooth skin. he hurriedly scanned around the room for a mirror and found one nearby as he let out a gasp

his violet eyes stared at the reflection of his smooth skin, his soft lips and the vibrant colours of his feathers

he didn't notice her walking away until she broke the silence, ❝ we gave you a second chance to redeem yourself—in return you'll have to work under sensei youku and i. however, the others are still wa— ❞, she flinched at the feeling of someone hugging her from behind

❝ thank you ❞

a corner of her lips pulled up in a smile as she fought a laugh, ❝ it's my sensei you should be thanking ❞

he exhaled for what felt like the first time in a few hours, ❝ i will but i want to express my gratitude towards your kindness ❞

she opened her mouth and closed it again, not sure what else to say and put the towel down on the table and turned around, ❝ there's no need for that ❞, she searched his eyes, ❝ i only did what i thought is the right thing to do and that is to bring you here ❞

he watched as her eyebrows lifted, and then she smiled that sneaky, mysterious smile

❝ now, wake up ❞

❝ what? ❞, time stopped. the dripping water and children's laughter from outside all around him faded into nothing and all he could hear was the echo of her laughter