For the Prisoner

8. Bound by Black Magic

Water dripped onto the stone somewhere. It carved its path with the inevitable passing of time, digging tirelessly. No results would be seen now, or in a few weeks. But with years to come, the water would have found its way much deeper, boring into the impenetrable stone.

Seonghwa blinked his eyes open. Above him spanned a web of twigs and bones. It formed a summoning circle, something occult that he didn't know the meaning of. The mosses and feathers woven into it added flashes of colour to the bleak tones. Perhaps the crystal and gems dangling from filigree threads caught nightmares. Perhaps they opened the world of dreams to the sleeper.

The furs under his body were soft. Buckskin, ferret, rabbit. The witch must have skinned the animals himself, for few people would dabble in trade with the suspicious character.

Mingi. His name was Mingi. He was Seonghwa's companion now. Until they had resolved the curse, he had the same priority to Seonghwa's group as the others.

What a cruel irony. Seonghwa didn't just have to submit to him. Now, he was forced to see him, all day long, every night. Those silver eyes would follow him, knowing of the night they shared that Seonghwa would be just as unable to forget. They would serve as an unavoidable reminder.

Seonghwa skipped his morning prayer. He felt defiled, too dirty to step under the eyes of the Lord. Once he had cleaned himself, he would ask for forgiveness.

When he sat up, the room spun around him. He was queasy to his stomach, which cramped around its emptiness. Mingi's magic had left a headache throbbing behind his eyes, or maybe that was just his stress.

Seonghwa rested on the witch's bed bare as the day he had been born. A glance down his body discovered his unmarred, unblemished body as if Mingi had never touched it. As if the lingering tingle in Seonghwa's backside was an illusion.

Only the rune persisted. Cast across his skin, its sight was both dreadful and fascinating. Two arrows crossed to an X and on top, something akin to a fish pointed up to Seonghwa's belly button. Curious, he rubbed his fingers over it, attempting to scratch it off. The ink had oozed into his skin as if it were part of him.

"It will fade and disappear," someone said near Seonghwa and he dropped his fingers from his abdomen with a start. Mingi stood at the table and brewed tea. By his side, he had prepared a platter with bread and cheese. The sight had Seonghwa's stomach grumble, but he stubbornly ignored it. He wouldn't beg Mingi for food.

"Do I want to know what it means?" No matter its purpose, it was dark magic poisoning Seonghwa's soul. What was once white was tarnished by ugly blotches. The witch had left his mark, eternally. He knew what he had asked for when he demanded Seonghwa to forgo his faith. Seonghwa had never felt so worthless before.

A smirk jumped across Mingi's lips.

"Do you?"

After a moment of consideration, Seonghwa shook his head. It was bad enough as it was.

Mingi stepped to his side and handed Seonghwa both the plate and a cup of tea. Demure, he accepted them and sipped the drink that Mingi boiled with whatever nasty ingredients. Before he ate, he reached for his clothes. He couldn't bear the reminder of what they had done.

While Seonghwa ate, Mingi watched him with a subtle smirk. The priest's numbness gave him joy, but Seonghwa couldn't even care. What was done was done. Hongjoong would be safe and that was everything that counted.

"Your friends woke and are most disturbed about your absence. If you feel up to it, we should join them as soon as possible. You wouldn't want them to drown in the swamp searching for you," Mingi purred. If anyone would be most delighted about drowning companions, it would be him.