STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

68. JUNK DRAWER

"You said you wanted to blow it up, so I made it much stronger," Raon said, confused why Cale's surprised about the bomb's firepower.

Cale stared at Raon for a few exasperated seconds.Then he turned to the others. Choi Han and Rosalyn pointed at South at the exact same time.

Cale sighed. "Raon's learning bad habits from the stable boy..."

South protested, "I'm being bullied! You guys are bullying me!!"

-

"Lockkkk!! You're the only one that's nice to me."

"What is this?" Lock asked, skeptically, letting South hug him and pretend to whine into his shoulder. He eyed Choi Han and Cale. "Whose side am I on?"

"You're asking us?" Cale retorted.

"Hit him," Choi Han ordered. "He no longer has hyung rights while he's magic high."

"You can't take my dongsaeng away from me!!!" South hugged tighter.

Lock ignored them all and turned to the rest of his siblings, "all of you, don't grow up to become like these guys, okay?"

"Wise," Rosalyn chuckled..

Choi Han sighed. Lock's siblings all echoed with agreement and South slumped onto Lock's shoulders in protest.

All they had to do next was wait for Witira to bring the mermaid corpse back, then they could go back to Hais Island 1 to heal Ron and then go home.

They're sharply interrupted by Redika shouting in the distance.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!"

Cale jumped, startled by the sudden shriek. How did Redika catch up to them so quickly, and how did they not notice? He was soaring over with levitation magic. Actually—

"—what's our crazy mage detector doing?" Choi Han, Cale, Rosalyn and Raon turned to South at the same time. He's still slumped on lock's shoulder, so Lock looked over next.

Then Lock dutifully reported, "he's asleep."

"I can't even pretend to be surprised anymore," Cale groaned.

-

It's silent.

There are times when South can't quite differentiate from the sleeping and waking world. Dreams tend to come between the folds, but often, it's just an empty space.

There used to be someone here, in this empty space he called his mind's territory. But they're not here anymore. All that's left are the little shimmers of his bonds, phosphenes circling his peripherals, blinking for attention.

It's silent here. There's never any noise. Here, he can't hear the screams of his memories, the dying breaths of his heart, and the grinds of steel against bone. Here, it's peaceful. Sometimes, he wonders if he breathes here, because he can't hear that either.

There's an ache in his chest, hollow in a way that's so familiar to him.

It weighs on his shoulders and leaves a light, floaty feeling in his head. His eyes were closed, and he knew, for once, that he was asleep. Yet, he felt it all the same.

It ached.

In the darkness of his mind, he prodded at the bonds of his lifetime, like they were little children gathered around his lap. And they were, to him, precious. Every single one, no matter how terrible and disgusting some of them are— he adored them all mostly equally, in a way no one could ever comprehend.