Veiled | JHS | ✓

A promise

Sia sighed out a deep breath as she leaned against the seat of the train that left for Fanaisse. Their stay at the little tourist town in Lavinia had come to an end. They had accomplished the reason they came to Fairy Town for but she didn't know just how successful the quest was. All she was feeling was a certain sense of emptiness and uncertainty. Hoseok must be feeling worse.

"You both should find out the solution yourselves."

The sorcerer's words echoed in her mind. What did he mean? How were they supposed to find out the solution? He was their last hope and that was out of the window now.

Sia stared back at the receding town out the windows of the train. The town was nevertheless a fun experience. "I wonder if I'll ever get to see Lavinia again..."

"Why?" Hoseok asked from beside her.

"Well, I don't have a reason to go there anymore. Unless I get a boyfriend, that is. It's a famous couple's spot, right?"

Hoseok frowned. Was Sia having a normal conversation with him? Unbelievable. He swore even just that morning she was singing a different tune when she barged in on him changing his clothes. "Why would you need a boyfriend? I can just take you there."

"You will?" She leaned forward in her seat and he gave a quick nod, "Don't take it back. Promise?"

"Sure." She broke into a grin before long but it faded as soon as it came. 

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back." She muttered out. Strange. She'd been acting weird ever since that incident this morning.

Sia made her way through the aisles to the door that connected the train to its next coach. On the other side of the glass door was a certain angel she had called for. The strawberry blonde angel turned to her with a dimpled beam, "Hello Sia."

"Hey Joonie, glad you came."

"Why didn't you want Hoseok to see me? Is something wrong, Si?" Sia noticed the hint of concern in his voice. She pursed her lips as an involuntary shudder passed through her. 

"Vile One."

"What?" NJ breathed out in shock, "What happened?"

.

.

.

A few hours before

A door busted open and Sia barged inside.

"Seokie! I have something to tell you— Oh, wow~"

Hoseok, who was in the middle of changing his shirt, gave a frightened squeak and yanked it down in order to maintain his dignity. "DON'T YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF PRIVACY, WINTERS?!"

Sia groaned in disappointment, "Don't tell me, I just missed out on a golden opportunity! If I was literally just five seconds late! You might even have had those?! Wait, do you have those? You're a dancer, you probably do, Mr.Flawless."

"H-have what?!" He screeched.

"Abs."

"GET OUT!"

"Um, no." Sia skipped inside and plopped down on the bed with a very important look about her. At Hoseok's incredulous stare, she flapped her hands in front of her, "Go ahead. Continue your business."

"In front of you?"

"I totally won't mind." Sia quipped.

"Why are you here?" He asked frustratedly, taking a seat in the nearby chair. "Whatever it is, make it quick. I have to pack."

"Hmm, about that..." Sia bit down on her lips hesitantly, wondering how best to tell him. She had been thinking about it for a while and even though NJ temporarily decided it was best to keep it from Hoseok, Sia felt that he deserved to know. Keeping things from him would be a betrayal of his trust. She wasn't too keen on that.

"Uh...I think you should know this. But I also don't think you should freak out. Because remember, no matter what, you know who you are. Don't do that self-blaming thing you always do." Sia rambled, trying to assure Hoseok as he fell quiet, staring down at the carpet. A nearby table lamp flickered. 

"Seokie, I just- I wasn't sure how to tell you this. Forgive me for keeping it from you but I just couldn't do it. I think now, I'm ready to talk."

The overhead fluorescent tube was blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. A chill embraced her from behind and Sia felt unusually cold. Hoseok was silent.

"Seokie?"

There was no response. Sia leaned closer to him and the lights went frenzy blinking every other second. "Jung Hoseok?"

She didn't know what it was but she sensed two contradicting presences at the same time before one was overpowering the other, rising to existence, making the hair on her neck rise in alarm. Sia curled her fingers against the sheets of the bed.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am." 

Sia sucked in a sharp breath. That voice...she knew it. She knew exactly who the strangely luring, childish voice belonged to. Only there was nothing innocent about him. She immediately looked away. "Jeong Ho-Seok?"

The Vile One raised his eyes with a brilliant grin, "Clever, doll." But he frowned the moment he saw Sia. "Hmm, are you that afraid of me?"

There it was, the powerful lure. So strong that it whipped her head to face him and he grinned down at her fondly, "There you go."

"W-why are you here? What do you want?" Sia stuttered out, inching away from him subtly but it was as if there was an invisible wall behind her blocking her path. He pouted.

"Don't you want me here?" Sia wanted to yell 'no' but she was too afraid to talk. "I thought you were here for me. After all, you're my little messenger."

The way he bent reality with his words, the way he smiled so convincingly that for a second Sia wanted to believe that it was Hoseok, disturbed her to the core. His eyebrows furrowed forming lines on his forehead as if he could read her mind. Sia didn't know when he managed to get so close to her. "You know?" he spoke softly with a touch of sadness in his tone. "Sometimes, I wish you'd be the one to understand..."

The fear was overwhelming just as the closeness made it hard for her to bear his aura and Sia's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, "HOSEOK!"

Jung Hosoek blinked confusedly, the color of his eyes receding back to the light brown that didn't hold certain malice. He knit his brows together as he looked back at Sia and her hand, "Um, why are you holding my arm?"

Sia snapped out of her fearful trance, trying to regain her composure, "W-well, nothing. Just... Whoa, you've got nice arms."

"Pervert." He yanked his arm away from her with a glare but something about her demeanor unsettled him. There was nothing playful about her tone. "Is something the matter? What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh? Ah, nothing! It's nothing, never mind. I'll leave you to pack."

.

.

.

"The Vile One keeps coming to you," NJ voiced in alarm. Sia nodded, "Joon, I- I don't know. It's weird. Hoseok keeps losing control more often and he doesn't even know. He can't tell."

"Si," NJ sighed out, critically regarding Sia and her situation, "As your guardian angel, I'll tell you this." He placed his hands over her shoulders, looking into her eyes, "Keep a precautionary distance from him. Just enough that you won't get hurt. Promise?"

Sia hung her head.

"Hmm, I promise."

______________

A/n: Oh la la~