Samhain

chapter four: where the dreams start

"Close the window, will you? They're shooting people down at the church again."

Yunho slides the window to Wooyoung's apartment shut, muffling the sound of gunshots and screams of the damned.

He knew that rent was suspiciously cheap for a reason. He swears living next to the church is worse than living next to an airport. At least the FDA has protocols against letting screaming abominations on board an aircraft.

But the church? The church follows no such laws.

Still, Wooyoung cherishes the freedom that comes with having his own apartment, a cozy sanctuary far removed from the loud, bustling campus life. He enjoys having the independence of decorating his space to his liking, even if it means living in a perpetual state of organized chaos.

Glittering crystals, various runestones, magical instruments, sigils scrawled on the walls, and enchanted candles clutter his space. He finds himself sprawled across the kitchen table, head resting on his arms as he grumbles in exasperation. From his vantage point, he sees Yunho navigate his way through the labyrinth that is his living room.

Yunho settles down in his previous spot at the table. He reaches for the remote, turning up the volume of the TV to block out the noise outside.

Wooyoung's head flops back into his arms, his face a picture of exhaustion. "Hey," he mumbles, voice muffled by his crossed arms, "do you know if potions expire?"

"You're the potion expert here," Yunho teases, leaning back in his chair. "Why are you asking me?" As a lore major, his knowledge typically encompasses ancient myths and legends rather than arcane arts and potion-making. "I think it depends on the potion. Why?"

Wooyoung's head is pounding. "Well, I was really hungover this morning and grabbed the wrong glass and I feel super weird right now."

Yunho gives the small, bubbling cauldron on the kitchen table a nudge, sliding it closer to Wooyoung. "Come on. If you eat, you'll feel better."

He lets out another groan, the effort of pushing himself upright leaving him feeling like a ragdoll. He knows Yunho well enough to understand that he won't get any peace until he eats, so he reluctantly lifts the spoon and pokes at the hangover cure potion in front of him. "What are you doing here anyways, Yunho?"

Unannounced visits from Yunho were a regular occurrence in his life. Sometimes they would study together, dive into intense gaming sessions, or enjoy each other's company in silence as they work on assignments. Yunho flashes Wooyoung a sly smile. "I should ask you the same question."

Wooyoung rolls his eyes. "I live here, dummy."

"I should ask you a different question."

Despite the pain from his throbbing headache, Wooyoung couldn't help but giggle to himself.

The hangover isn't the only thing bothering him.

Ever since the full moon, something has been off with his magic. He used to be able to cast spells with ease, but now? Now he can't even cast a simple hex spell against San without the shadow entity rolling up thinking he's getting some kind of offering. All Wooyoung has learned is that he can cast spells on himself in relative peace, but the moment he tries to direct his magic toward someone else, the shadows within the astral plane become hostile.

Why? He'd never heard of something like this happening before. He could tell Yunho about it - his best friend is a walking encyclopedia of legends and magical history. But he's hesitant. He doesn't want to burden Yunho with his problems. The last thing he needs is for his best friend to spread the word to his pack that Wooyoung has an evil, astral shadow man who is hungry for their souls.