Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Twenty

Jisung shifted from foot to foot hesitantly. Grand Wizard Moonsoo held him still, observing his wound curiously. Or, well, what had once been a wound and was now nothing more than a deep scratch. He frowned and raised to meet the boy's eyes, and even Dongwook studied him, now.

"How did you ever heal so quickly?" His eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. "It's impossible for a wizard's magic to work to this extent, and especially not one a youngling would be able to use." His lips pressed into a thin line as he turned to stare up at the boy, eyes asking an unspoken question.

Jisung shrugged uncomfortably and scratched the nape of his neck. "Well, um... Jeongin wasn't alone. He wasn't the one who found me." At that, the old man's eyebrows shot up. "It was a... a vampire named Hyunsik," he winced, "and he's the one who helped me."

A sharp breath from Dongwook brought his attention in that direction, and Grand Wizard Moonsoo sat back, a gnarled hand running along his long white beard in thought. "Why would a vampire do such a thing?" At that moment, Jisung had a strange inkling that the wizard knew something he didn't.

"He said he owed me a debt." Now it was his turn to furrow his brows. "But I've never met him before. He said that I have, I just don't remember it yet." He shook his head, and that's when Grand Wizard Moonsoo closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

"Then, it would seem... that I was right." He turned to look up at the alpha. "And it would also seem that the vampires have kept the secret of rebirth from our eyes for a very, very long time."

"Re... re-what?" Jisung's breath caught in his throat, and the wizard shook his head.

"Rebirth, Jisung. It would seem that I was correct, in part, and yet... there are still so many variables, so many... possibilities. It's impossible to tell you exactly what is going on. At least not yet." His eyes snapped up to the other's. "Tell me, does the name Park Myungsoo ring a bell?" There was hope in the old man's eyes.

Jisung opened his mouth to deny the fact, when he suddenly sat back, blinking at the ground. Park Myungsoo... it sounded so familiar but... he couldn't put his finger on where he knew it from. "I mean it... it sounds familiar but I don't know anybody by that name." He shook his head.

Moonsoo nodded and turned to stare up at the ceiling. "This situation is much more complex than we'd initially expected, Alpha Dongwook." His tone turned solemn, and everyone in the room tensed. The alpha nodded and sighed, leaning back against the far wall.

"It would seem so."

Just then, the door burst open. Felix was dragging an already running Hyunjin through the door, his expression caught between relief and anger. Jisung had the good sense to back away a little as they thundered into the room. At last Felix dropped Hyunjin's arm, and barrelled towards him.

Jisung yelped when he was tackled, stumbling back a few steps from the impact. Grand Wizard Moonsoo and Alpha Dongwook remained silent as Felix quickly pulled away from the hug, seizing him by the shoulders and shaking him.

The boy could do nothing but shake like a soggy noodle in his friend's grip. "You idiot!" he shrieked, shaking him harder now. "You – you dumbass moron!" Jisung winced, and finally it slowed. "How could you Shift?" he hissed, and the other boy recoiled slightly, eyes darting over to Alpha Dongwook, whose eyes had narrowed.

"How did you know he Shifted, Felix?" The boy froze and peered over at the alpha with a nervous grin. He looked back at Jisung and pointed to his bandaged side.

"It wouldn't be there if he hadn't, right?" he said, face the epitome of innocence. Alpha Dongwook did not believe him, it was easy to tell, and Jisung held his breath, but thankfully the issue was not pressed.