𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨 || 𝘑𝘢𝘺𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘯 & 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘪

12

~4000 words :)

As the evening came, a knock on the door startled everyone. The tension in the small house was palpable as they exchanged wary glances

"It's me" Sunoo's hushed voice rang through.

Ni-ki, standing closest, opened the door cautiously.

Sunoo stepped in, but he wasn't alone. A girl followed him, her head bowed. She wore a shirt several sizes too large and sweatpants, looking to be around their age. Her presence immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"A  new guest?" Ni-ki asked trying to pick a look at the girl's face but her hair was covering her face.

"This is Lin," Sunoo introduced her. "She's the witch I mentioned earlier."

"I'm older Kim, it's Noona for you." Everyone heard the slow voice, sounding pretty sweet. The girl didn't give the vibes of that of a witch at all.

Lin's gaze remained fixed on the floor, her demeanor reserved. 

"Atleast look up, noona, they aren't witches that curse with eyes." Sunoo ushered the girl.

 Sighing, she finally looked up. Her eyes scanned the room, widening as they landed on Sunghoon.

"Sunoo. . . .he. . . .is that Sunghoon?" Lin's voice trembled, eyes wide with recognition. She looked at Sunoo for confirmation.

Sunoo nodded solemnly. 

She rushed to Sunghoon, cupping his face in shock but the younger instinctively stepped back, confusion etched on his face.

"How do you know me?" He asked, still steps back from the girl.

Lin looked hurt and confused. "You don't remember? Sunoo, what's going on?He dosen't—" She turned to Sunoo, seeking answers, but he cut her off "leave it for now, Lin."

Lin sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Fine. I'm Lin.Heeseung is an old friend of mine, I know Sunoo and Jungwon and lived in the same village as them." She officially introduced.

"Alright, now let's get to work. I've bought some old texts so we could review them," Sunoo took out some old ancient texts, books and mannuals from his bag.

 The group huddled around the old texts, a heavy silence filled the room immediately as they began trying to find a clue, anything that will help them know better about what they were up against.

Lin sat nearby, her eyes scanning the texts with an intense focus, as if she could unlock their secrets through sheer willpower alone. Sunghoon was having a hard time even holding the texts because they were so fragile, like they would tear with a simple tug. Jay tried to go through the images of the old rulers and their ministers and aquaintances.

Ni-Ki sat beside Sunoo, reading through the royal messeges on paper that were sen to the palace, his gaze occasionally flicking over to Jungwon, who was sitting a bit further away. 

Jungwon was holding a single piece of parchment from one of the old books, his eyes distant as he stared at the faded script. He seemed lost in thought.

Ni-Ki sighed softly, cause why the hell was jungwon so adamant on being strong alone? He could just ask someone if he has something  on his mind.

The older boy's posture was tense, his shoulders slightly hunched as if carrying an invisible burden.Slowly, Ni-Ki stood up and walked over to where Jungwon was sitting. 

He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should intrude on whatever thoughts were consuming the older boy. But the sight of Jungwon looking so vulnerable, so alone, pushed him forward. Without saying a word, Ni-Ki sat down beside Jungwon, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.