Apocalypse ✦ Nomin

10

⊱ ───── { Jeno } ───── ⊰

"Sir, the map didn't show us having to go through a thick wood," Jisung points out.

"Shut up," Jeno silences him, "I'm tired of you telling me that. The crow has led us here. It must be for a reason. It had to've sensed a shortcut."

He watches as the small crow glides onto a tree branch and caws loudly in the direction just ahead of them. Jeno furrows his brow and stares curiously at the bird.

"What does that mean? Why has it stopped? Why is it cawing like that?" Jisung asks.

"I don't know," Jeno murmurs, "It should only be doing that of danger is near."

At this, Jeno starts walking in the direction which the crow is alerting them of something. Jisung grabs ahold of Jeno's shoulder and grips it tightly.

"What are you doing?" he whispers loudly, "You're going to walk straight into danger?"

"Brave of you to assume I'm not the most dangerous thing roaming around purgatory," Jeno retorts flatly before continuing on his way.

Just as Jeno passes the tree the crow had landed in, the crow takes off, gliding further past what appeared to be a final row of trees and into a mysterious clearing in the middle of the thick woods. The bird lands on the clean cut grass, cawing loudly at what appeared to be a quaint little log cabin. Smoke comes from the chimney, alerting Jeno that someone-or something-was inside.

"If the bird is screaming at the cabin, why is it not trying to redirect us and take us elsewhere?" Jisung inquires, "Are we not in danger?"

"I don't know," Jeno responds, "Only one way to find out."

Jeno trudges onward and up to the front door of the cabin. He knocks firmly three times, and on the third, the door swings open, revealing a middle-aged man with black hair on the other side. He scans his eyes over the two, and the uncomfortable silence causes Jeno to realize the crow had silenced.

"Who are you?" he asks in an accusatory manner, "Why are you here?"

Without skipping a beat, Jeno answers:

"My name is Mark, and this is my...friend...Andy. We were searching for something we lost, but we've managed to get lost, ourselves. Do you mind helping us find our way out of here?"

The man furrows his brow, seemingly untrusting of them.

"Honey...who's at the door?" a gentle woman's voice asks from behind the man.

"It's not him," the man denies.

"Him? Him who?" Jisung blurts out, quickly adding, "If you don't mind me asking."

"None of your business," the man grunts, but his attention is redirected as a delicate hand rests on his shoulder.

"Let me see them," the woman requests.

The man exhales deeply through his nose, glaring at the boys with pursed lips. He steps aside and allows a thin, fragile-looking woman with dark brunette hair steps out before them in a flowing floral sundress. Something about her seemed familiar, but Jeno couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"What are your names?" she requests in a polite, breathy voice.

"I-um-I'm Mark. This is Andy," Jeno announces once more.

The woman tilts her head and smiles kindly with a toothy grin.

"That's not true, is it?" the woman points out.

"Yes, it is."

"No. It's not," the woman presses as her eyes shift between the two, "Please give us your real names."

Jisung furrows his brow as his expression contorts into that of a highly confused one.

"Uh...My name is Jisung," he responds in a very puzzled manner, "This is Jeno."

"That's it," she nods with a content smile, "Have either of you seen our son? We have been searching for him since our arrival here. He should have been here with us."

"I'm sorry, Mrs, we don't know who your son is," Jisung shakes his head as his frown deepens.

"Do you maybe have a name we could go off of? Or a memory of him?" Jeno questions.

"I...I'm sorry, but he was only an infant when we died. I don't know where he is or if someone took him and named him something new, or-"

"Ma'am, please, calm down. If you could give us anything to go off of, we could see if we can-" Jisung tries to silence the woman who grows frantic very suddenly, but Jeno cuts him off from attempting to calm her.

"Shut up and let me do this my way," Jeno grunts as he approaches the woman, taking her head into his hands.

A flash of a memory reveals the woman lying in a hospital bed. Blue balloons and beautiful flowers with cards fill the room, giving vibrancy and joy to an otherwise bland, dreary room. She holds a tiny baby in her arms and smiles brightly.

"Have you both decided on a name?" a nurse asks as she appears from around a corner which is not in the woman's line of sight.

"Yes," the woman beams, her eyes flickering to the man, "Jaemin."

The nurse chuckles in delight as she approaches the woman and the baby.

"Welcome to the Na family, little Jaemin," she hums happily at the little boy before turning her attention to a whiteboard beside the woman's bed.

Jeno releases the woman and stumbles back. His eyes are wide as he stares at her in a sort of shocked horror.

"What did you do?" the man yells at Jeno as he reaches for his wife and pulls her into his arms.

"I...I saw...I saw him..." Jeno stammers out, "I know who your son is...I..."

"Who is it?" Jisung asks as he grows visibly tense by the scene playing out in front of him. He was clearly preparing himself for a fight.

"It's Jaemin, Jisung. Their son is Jaemin."