prologue

39 5 3

by ppulversed

by ppulversed

disclaimer : FICTIONAL content. it does not depict the real life of celebrities mentioned. general warnings ; inaccurate historical depiction(s)

Yeonjun is an explorer, a mysterious time traveler who never ages. He claims his everlasting youth when he looks at himself in the mirror, his smile lines still prominent , cheeks still plump and cute, hair still soft and smooth waiting to be blessed by the sun. He doesn't have responsibilites—neither did he have to go to school. He was far too smart and quick witted to compete for knowledge. He doesn't know how old he is, but time travellers aged faster than normal people did. His guess is 60, which is far too unsettling for his youthful demeanor. For now, he pretends to be 20. An age at which his prominent facial hair starts to bother him.

He picks up his razor from the cupboard and rinses it under the gushing water in the sink. In thr meantime, his brother Jinwon draws his attention by standing at the door of the small bathroom.

Jinwon is a young ten year old boy, barely reaching his brother's elbows. He had a discipline cut for school. He smiles at the older and gleams at him with keen eyes. Only he knows the truth in his family.

"Hey, little dude", Yeonjun greets his brother morning. The mischievious yet lovely youngest wraps his arms around his brother's waist for a hug. The older laughs. He ruffles the younger's hair before resuming shaving.

He lives in a small house consisting of three of his other family members, his mother , his father and his younger foster brother named Jinwon. He had a very close bond with his brother, he adored him the most. his father worked as a postman and has two rescued dogs at home for guard while he was out of town for deliveries.

His house is small but there were no houses around him to compare. There was nothing he felt was missing in his house, he had two loving parents , a cute and smart younger brother ,two adorable pets , two times worth of food, frugal but comfortable clothes and shelter from thunderstorms and wind. He was gifted with magic.

It was no special magic of power but of immense curiosity to explore the depths of the worlds that appear in his dreams. He doesn't go to school as his parents advise him to. It was rather a hustle running to catch a train 10 miles to school and back than wandering on earth to find the realm of his dreams.

Jinwon admires his brother who glides a razor down his cheek without fearing the blade.

“Hyung, I'd never shave if I had a mustache” , remarks the eager youngest.

"You're too young for a mustache, Jinwon", the older chuckles as he focuses on guiding the razor on the surface of the skin. He pushes his cheek with the tip of his tongue inside.

Under Jinwon's eyes, Yeonjun is a lithe figure in a mere white slip and khaki pants, a soulless soul. Yeonjun moves out of the bathroom , hands and face soaking in water as he looks for a towel. He then heads to the kitchen and picks a peeled boiled egg from the dining table, jogs outside biting into it for breakfast. That's it, that was Yeonjun's morning routine as a boy with magic.

he heads out of the front door to a cool damp field ahead of him. The cold winds rush to give him a hug, petrichor diffuses into the atmosphere as he takes a deep breath in raising his heart towards the sky. His face is sunken on the verge of desperation as though the sky was his lover , the winds run to ruffle his lush black overgrown bangs , his eyes glisten as he observes the sky with no traces of sunlight to guide him once again.

he lowers his head determined to go on another adventure. If not the sun , he could rely on his heart to guide his search. He turns his head alarmed by a faint roar of the train from a distance , he feels the ground rumble as it approaches closer and closer and swipes past the tracks on his right. He had to move now if he had to catch the train. He picks up his pace running towards the tracks with all his might , his footsteps thump on the damp grass, his folded arms swing back and forth as he grits his teeth chasing the train on full speed.

edited 6th oct , 2024