Long Journey || ATEEZ

Yunho and his brother

2014

Yunho loved his older brother Yunbeom.

Jung Yunbeom was like a large, sturdy pillar the little shapeshifter had come to rely on and look to for guidance. Yunho was always found by his brother's side, to the point where his mother would scold him for bothering his hyung. But Yunho didn't really care, because his brother was awesome, and inspired his every decision, even if they weren't really important decisions, because he was still only eight. Yunho felt this was a little unfair on his part – he was eight: he was old enough to make big decisions like his brother. Like the fact that he was going to become a music star like him.

But then suddenly one day, Yunbeom disappeared from his side, and Yunho was left to face the wide and merciless world alone.

And then the war came.

Their house in ruins and the precious remnants of his brother and his passion for the arts draining away like sand in an hourglass, Yunho and his family fled to the very outskirts of the country – a place blessed by the dryads, and where Nature ran wild.

There, the war did not rage as loudly. The peaceful townsfolk had firmly insisted they would not take part in the brutal bloodbath their country was currently engaged in, and finally peace found Yunho and his family.

And now, thanks to the sudden tranquil that had found its way to Yunho's rocky life, he was able to focus on himself. His dream still remained the same: to become a musician, but aside from just inspiration from his brother, he now had a different purpose. He was going to do music as a career, not only for himself, but for his brother as well.

He would become the greatest musician ever, just like his Yunbeom hyung had wanted.

* * *

It never happened.

Just three years later after he finally found happiness and peace of mind, the Golden Government came into power and banned the arts. His life – and goals – had been shattered, with just one word of some government official.

Until one day his dryad friends introduced to him something new; Nature was at her finest in the countryside village of Rescola. But what about elsewhere? Elsewhere, Nature had been choked to death by the busy, industrial life of the common cityman. Greenery was replaced with red, blue, grey buildings that didn't quite reflect the purity of the colour of Nature. Apparently it was even worse in the Realm known as Moderna, that operated on technology alone. A place where Magik didn't exist. Yunho found it very hard to imagine a world without Magik.

The dryads were part of a realmwide association determined to restore Nature back to the yuzeul world – a place where tall skyscrapers and equally-as-tall trees could co-exist. And they had offered for Yunho to join them in their mission. After all, being a shapeshifter, he was already closer to Nature than most other beings.

Yunho was elated.

Finally, something he could do, that made him feel like he was doing something for a greater purpose. He had immediately accepted their offer, and in the following week moved to the city of Taerrya, where his dryad friends' branch was based.

* * *

Yunho sat in his classroom, bored out of his mind.

He did not want to be there.

The only thing that kept him from making up some excuse to leave the classroom then skive off of class, was the promise made by Jeonhee-noona that she'd buy him that Voldemort wand that he oh-so badly wanted for his birthday if he was good in the coming months leading up to his special day.