MAGIC ISLAND (TOMORROW X TOGETHER AU)

Chapter 1

Blood, witches, werewolves, vampires. These things never failed in poking Taehyun's interest. Demons, cults, djinns, and utherwordly creatures have been their, Taehyun and Beomgyu, basis of living and the reason why they have one another. These two have attended the same school. While other kids played, sang, and danced, both only sat on the bench looking at their classmates as they spend their times happily in the field. Taehyun,the curious kid he was, glanced at the blonde one beside him only to see that he was already staring at him. With that, their bud of friendship grew. Having the same interests, they always hangout, went and stayed at their school earlier and later than usual, trying to play with oujia boards and tarot cards. Every attempt failed miserably that it urged them to sneak at the school late at night, thinking that ghosts are more active during that time. They brought pencils, candles, and pieces of paper out of their bags. Beomgyu scribbled something on the paper before setting it on the table. "Gyu, I'm sure we'll be able to communicate with one today. It's full moon." Taehyun spoke as he lit the candle carefully, afraid that he might get himself on fire. Just like what the website they have search together said, the boys recited some words of gibberish called chants. "Charlie, Charlie. Are you with us?" The pencils, on top of one another at the center of the paper, didn't move an inch. Silence. "Charlie, Charlie. Are you with us?" The boys asked again in unison. Taehyun's heart was racing. The silent night and them being inside a candle-lit room didn't help. He could feel his heart escaping from his chest not with fear but with anticipation and excitement. Both focused at the paper but then heard a click. Suddenly, everything was covered with a pitch black curtain. "Taehyun, where are you?" Beomgyu called loud enough for the other to hear without getting much attention from the outside world. "I'm going to grab my flashlight. Wait a sec." Taehyun stretched his arms and flapped them helplessly. Lost without sense of direction, he realized that walking is pointless in the dark. He crouched down to the floor, mindlessly grabbing onto anything he could grab. After the endless hunt, his hands finally landed on something. It was cold and stone hard. The little boy was puzzled. "Gyu, do you have a flashlight? I think I have found your bag, but why is it cold?" The big dark cloud covering the full moon completed its journey. Light escaped and faintly illuminated the room. Slowly, the light spread and slowly, Taehyun's heart fell. He grasped his chest. It was not Beomgyu's bag that he was holding, it's a pair of adult-size muddy feet, rotting green and violet flesh with worms and flies swarming at it. His eyes soared upward but the shock blurred his vision and made him nauseous. "Taehyun ..." He heard before the lights turned off.

He was that close to seeing something very paranormal that his pride won't let that moment be stored at his subconscious. The memory was still vivid. He closed his laptop and went to his bed. As if on cue, his phone rang . "Yo?" The man at the other end talked but his voice came out distorted and static. The caller hang up. 'From Beomgyu: Cemetery, now.' Taehyun grabbed his coat and camera as soon as he read the text. "How lucky. Being able to see and help spirits." He said before closing the door behind him.