Pneuma | BbangHyun✅

Flight

[현]

I found myself lost in the vast palace. "A little help here?" An orb appeared and I recognized it as the one from before. "Can you lead me to an exit?" It zipped down the hall, causing me to run after it. It slowed down, allowing me to catch up. It stopped at huge doors but didn't disappear. I pushed on the doors but they wouldn't move. I pushed harder and ended up dropping the books. "I guess it's blocked. Is there a secret passage way out?" I quickly grabbed the books as it zipped down the hall again. "Can you also locate my friend?" It started blinking rapidly then combusted. I had asked too much of it. I noticed a dead end up ahead and hoped that's where it was leading me. I felt the walls then felt something sink in. I groaned as the door had only opened slightly. I squeezed through then dropped the books.

I looked around then saw stairs. I hurried over to them and started my ascent up. The climb seemed never ending and I was starting to get tired. I sat down then felt the step start to go inwards. I quickly stood up and watched as it went back to normal. "I was almost sent back to the bottom..." I pressed forward then smiled when I saw the end.

I stepped up then tried to catch my breath. It was such a complicated place for no reason. I walked over to the door then pulled it open. The night sky was now replaced with before dawn colors. Had I really been gone that long? I wobbled away then collapsed into the grass. I closed my eyes and easily gave into sleep.

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I opened my eyes then noticed that the sun had completely risen in the sky. It was close to noon. I was missing classes. "Younghoon!?" I picked up the books then started to wander around. I needed to find him. "You-" I felt something wrap around my ankle, causing me to fall forward. "A kwak?" The fluffy creature motioned in the opposite direction that I was going in. "You want me to follow you?" It nodded then picked up a book. "Do you know where my friend is?" It nodded then took off. "Wait." I picked up the other two and chased after it.

I pushed a branch aside then saw Younghoon with his knees pulled to his chest. He was surrounded by kwaks* and cureps.* "Younghoon?" He looked up then practically threw himself onto me. "I thought you were taken and killed. I was looking everywhere for you." "Sorry for worrying you..." "What happened to you?" I sat down then told him everything, leaving out the whole mirror interaction. "Really? That sounded cool." "I took these." I looked around then felt something tap my leg. "Oh, thank you." I handed him the royal family book then watched as he went through it. "Eh, so the prince is still alive?" "You find that weird too right? It's been over a hundred years yet he's still alive." He handed me the book then shook his head. "I wonder where he is." "Me too."

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We made it back to our meeting area and I took the time to massage his wings. "You don't have to." He tucked his wings, but I gently stretched them back out. "Just let me." I put pressure on certain areas and received groans and moans from him. "Maybe you should rest up when you get home. No flying." "Is that best?" "Yeah. I doubt they're used to carrying such weight for long durations." I kissed his wings then watched as they disappeared. "I'll see you?" "You bet." We hugged each other before going out separate ways. I missed him already. Was I becoming too attached to him? I started to worry that he'd soon want nothing to do with me. I couldn't bear to think about it.

I found myself heading back and saw Younghoon with his feet in the water. "Didn't you leave?" "But then I came back." I soon joined him as we watched the water flow over our feet. "Why?" "For you." I hid my flushed face from his sight. He could embarrass me too easily these days. "What about you?" "For you as well." I noticed the tint on his cheeks then smiled softly.

"Do you think they'll appreciate Nightingale again?" "I think so." We sang in harmony as creatures appeared from behind the trees and approached us. The rushing water that passed over our feet had slowed and the flowers had multiplied by double. A sweet scent had engulfed the area as we continued to sing. It now wasn't just the creatures reacting to the song, but life all around us. It felt magical, unreal. A wist* had climbed onto my shoulder and rubbed its head against my cheek. We eventually finished the song and had a bunch of animals sleeping around us.

"I wonder why they're drawn to us." "Me too." I petted the wist that sat comfortably on my shoulder. "Well, I'm glad they find it safe enough to sleep." We smiled warmly at each other, forgetting about the fact our parents hadn't seen us for 24 hours.

a/n: kwaks - the equivalent of a rabbit, but can hold things with its ears
cureps - the equivalent of a sparrow, but thin in frame
wist - the equivalent of a squirrel, but no bushy tail