you left your shadow here ; yeonbin

8 - silver lining

Soobin had been to the catacombs before, running through the ancient tunnels from one side of Taikallin to the other to drop off the radar after errands Black Charon had imposed on him, but the countless labyrinthine passages that either steered abruptly into a dead end or created the ill gut-feeling of having walked in circles always won over his orientation.

Contrary to Beomgyu, who directed the two of them through the underground as though he was a child combing his way to school and back.

Yeonjun and Kai had split from them a few turns ago, as they were on their way to meet the Phantom Coven for Soobin's résumé and credentials.
When they had arrived at the next intersection, it had been Taehyun’s cue to say goodbye and disappear towards where the traders with his desired herbs, fungi, and other specimens towed their wheelbarrows around.

As they had gathered around the dining table and, how else could it be, freshly brewed coffee earlier in the morning, Taehyun had warned him not to speak to any of the herb witches – as he liked to call them – alone because they had a way of deciphering the clueless and fobbing strange promises off to them that usually ended in poisoning and funny skin coloring.

In the middle of the table, Yeonjun had poured out the valuable contents from the silken pouch that Beomgyu was currently wearing around his middle, hidden underneath the thick fabric of the winter coat around his shoulders.

Over the last weeks, the four of them had fallen into a routine, in which Soobin himself was more or less of aid: Kai and Taehyun made use of the free gaps in their schedule to scrape up metals that Yeonjun and Beomgyu could manufacture.
They had even got their hands on bits of silver that had been saved for the most valuable of pieces.

Beomgyu's father was a locksmith and although Beomgyu had claimed not to have picked up on much of his work and techniques, Soobin perceived that he had a knack for handwork.
Especially with his knowledge on how to improvise and turn the things that they had at hand into utensils that transformed the filthy pieces of steel into jewelry.

The lack of equipment was also sapping Yeonjun's strength, and Beomgyu had to remind him to pace himself multiple times during a work session.
Melting the gold just enough to force the gemstones out of their indentations had been one thing, melting steel and forcing it into new and dainty enough arrangements was another.

Yeonjun then usually stumbled out of the room, cheeks blotchy and crimson, qualmish pearls of sweat clinging to his skin, and new blisters covering his calloused hands.
Soobin had flinched away the first time he had approached Yeonjun and meant to lead him to one of the open windows because his skin was so red and hot to the touch.

Either Soobin or Beomgyu would force glasses of water down his throat before Taehyun would drop in and try to lower his body temperature despite Yeonjun's protests that he was managing just fine.

One night, after Yeonjun had worked himself into especially dire heat exhaustion, Soobin had sat down with him on the roof to cool down in the icy winter air and dared to ask why they didn't just sell the stolen gems as they were, and Yeonjun had explained to him that they had tried it in the past and that it had taken months to rid themselves of their entire theft because loose rocks were as impractical as they were suspicious.

Months they didn't have this time, because it wouldn't be long until the false gemstones would be discovered as such and all hell would break loose to find the criminals.

The night breeze had carried single snowflakes across the air. Soobin shuddered whenever they landed on his chilled face, but Yeonjun seemed to relish the cooling and rested his head on Soobin's shoulder with a heavy sigh.