Fractured • Choi Yeonjun

Chapter 5

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It was once again early in the morning, hours after the sun had set, and a few hours before it would rise.

Taehyun had been planning a trip out.

In an old journal, he had from when he lived with his coven. He found notes that never meant anything to him before, but now. Those notes had a new meaning.

He was mapping things out to where his coven used to be.

His people were long gone. They had been hunted until any of them that survived had to scatter and blend in with normal people. That was a long time ago. There would probably be no trace of them now.

He had to hope that the book he was looking for was still where they had once lived and if it wasn't, he had to hope there was a trail to where it was now. If it was still around.

This trip may be a waste of time, but he was tired of sitting around and looking through books he knew didn't have any answers.

Taehyun flicked his overhead light on and went for his closet.

Shoving old shoe boxes out of the way, he reached the back of the top shelf and gripped onto the handle of his backpack.

He yanked it loose, shoe boxes and other small things he tossed up there out of the way came tumbling down.

He set the backpack down behind him and bent down, scooping the stuff up in his arms and just tossing it into the closet. He would worry about fixing all of that when he got back.

Sitting down on his floor, he grabs the bag and pulls it in front of him.

The bag was aged and dry-rotted in a few spots.

It was a mud color brown. A long time ago, it was a dark green color.

Taehyun takes a breath as he pulls at the middle zipper.

It made it halfway open before it got caught and wouldn't move. Taehyun braced it between his legs and yanked the zipper a few times.

The zipper broke off, leaving the bag still half-closed.

"Piece of shit," Taehyun whispered as he gripped both sides of the bag and pulled. Opening it like a big bag of chips.

Once it was fully open, Taehyun reached in and he breathed out a small chant. The bag had been made to have a small magic pocket that only he could find.

Hidden in that pocket, was a map. A map he had not touched since he became a soul collector.

The paper looked even worse than the bag did. One wrong move and it felt like the paper would just disintegrate in his hands.

He unfolded the parchment that instantly lit up with his magic. Bright blue markings sizzled across the paper before they faded into black lines. Lines that showed the old layout of his coven's village and any villages that were close by.

He felt a pain he thought was long gone stirred in his gut.

This was once his home for a few blissful years until his "family" turned on him. All because he didn't have to use dark magic.

Along with the deep-rooted pain, he felt an anger that was even deeper than the pain. It was anger of betrayal by the ones he had loved with all of his heart and soul. They never felt the same, he learned the hard way.

He took in the old map, his eyes landing on where his house used to be. Next to it was his childhood friend's house.

She was the first to learn of his magic.

~~

He had rushed to her house as soon as the sun had risen over the eastern mountains.

There was still dew on the grass, it made bits of grass stick to his bare feet and soaked the ends of his pants.

He didn't mind as he was only focused on getting to his only friend's house.

He was panting as he came to a stop at the front door. Taking a few deep breath's before he knocked with his knuckles.

His friend's mother answered the door, a little shocked to see Taehyun over so early.

"Everything alright?" She asked him as he took notice of his fast breathing.

He nodded his head and offered her a smile.

"I was hoping I could take Alse to watch the pixies go home?" Taehyun didn't like lying to his friend's mother, but he wasn't sure if he should tell any adult about what he had learned just yet.

Alse's mother gave a light laugh and shook her head. "Fine, just get back here as soon as they all settle for the day, you two need breakfast."

Taehyun nodded his head again and bolted past her.

Their small hut was just like theirs.

Dead animals and black magic trinkets hung from the ceiling and walls. The floor was nothing more than hard-packed dirt with handmade rugs here and there.

A big cloth was the only thing that separated Alse's bed from the rest of the hut.

Taehyun slipped behind it and jumped on his friend's straw bed.

"Alse, wake up! The pixies will be gone by the time we get there!" Taehyun yelled as he shook her shoulder.

Alse groaned as he threw her blanket off of her and rolled over. Her half-opened eyes glared at Taehyun.

She sat up on her knees and shoved Taehyun causing him to yelp in surprise and throw his arms out as he fell back onto the ground.

"How many times do I have to tell you to let me sleep?" Alse asked as she scooted to the edge and looked down at her friend.

"Many times, but I never listen." Taehyun stuck his tongue out as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"So annoying," Alse said with an eye roll as she got out of her bed.

"You too better get going, the pixies will be gone soon." Alse's mother called from the other side of the cloth that blocked them from her view.

Alse gave Taehyun a questioning look.

Taehyun placed a hand over her mouth quickly as he knew she was about to ask what did her mother mean.

"I'll tell you later," Taehyun whispered into her ear.

Alse nodded her head.

~

Alse sat in awe as she watched Taehyun use a magic she had never seen before.

She was used to the black and the dark red that came with their coven's dark magic, but his magic was beautiful to her.

The bright blue magic felt light and full of life, not the heavy sadness their coven always had when using magic.

"You don't need dark magic?" She asked even though she saw with her own eyes he didn't need it. "When did this start?"

"Last night," Taehyun said with a huge smile as he let his magic die down.

Alse watched as the flowers Taehyun had just sprouted, wither away in an instant.

She felt sad as she watched them die. She was sad because she knew Taehyun's magic, no matter how beautiful, was bad.

Their coven would hate him for having his own magic.

"You have to hide this, your magic. The others can't know." She jumped up and rushed to him, grabbing the front of his shirt as tears came to her eyes. "They will kill you!"

Taehyun's heart sank as he knew she was right, his coven would banish him, if not kill him for his magic.

"Promise me, you will keep it hidden?" Alse begged him.

"I promise," Taehyun replied without hesitation.