In The Shadows | A Novel

☽∾ 60 ∾☾

𝒥ℴ𝓃𝑔𝒽ℴ
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𝒥ongho held tightly onto his Hyung's wrist, staying behind him as they emerged from the forest. He didn't know what he'd expected, but it certainly hadn't been this.

The trees opened up into a well kept little arena with a large grassy field between a timber homestead, a relatively large storage shack adorned with a large pile of uncut firewood to the side of it, as well as a water well with a little awning over it and a bucket hanging from a rope.

'You can stay here,' the female Strigoi said gently, motioning towards the shack.

Glancing at the little dwelling, he tilted his nose up and shivered as a strong scent wafted over him... 'Silver...' he whimpered under his breath.

He stared up at his Hyung in fear, wondering whether he would whisk them away again somewhere further from the deadly metal...

However instead, Yunho frowned, glancing around like he did when he was getting his bearings. 'Was this always Strigoi land?'

The lady shook her head. 'My parents built this place before the East Clan formed. It was free territory back then. They used silver coated nails in the timber work to ward off strays and pack Lycanthropes. That is what you no doubt sense.'

The silver made him shudder.

But Yunho nodded. 'Are you sure we can stay here? Why would you offer your refuge to us?'

Walking towards the shack, she spoke calmly. 'Sad... How hard you must work to live through the nights, if you fear all hands that offer help.'

Picking up two stones from a stump beside the door, she struck them together to create a spark, and after only two attempts, she set light to kindling in an old kerosine torch. With a few breaths, it took to flame, and a gentle warm glow illuminated her face as she plucked it from its stand on the wall.

'Come~' she said gently, pushing open the door.

He hesitated, still anxiously fixated on the silver in the air, but it was Yunho's soft encouragement that led him on.

It was musty and dusty and stale inside the shack, as though it hadn't been opened for a long time. There were bales of straw lined along the walls and stacked in the back corner, and there were old rusty things lying about—things Yunho had once told him about as they passed through an old human ruin.

Machinery... There was a car, but an old, old one. Not like the ones he had seen in plenty.

There was also a square looking thing with a round door in the front—fabric hanging out of it...

The floor was dusty and there were bats living in the high roof, but as the golden light illuminated the walls, he saw the shack was in surprisingly good condition.