Forever Snow || Seventeen [Rewriting]

✨ Chapter 7 ✨

Hansol woke up with a groan and a painful pounding in his head. His head was pounding like construction was happening within his skull. He can't remember what had happen prior to this nor how he got into that situation. Everything was a blur.

The room felt cold- that was expected since the place he was (or where he thinks he was taken) was still in Caratnia, the Land of Forever Snow. Hansol had a million thoughts going through his head that none of them made sense.

It was like his mind was playing tricks on him. Every time he'd try to find an answer to one of his questions, another question appears which makes everything so confusing. There goes his brain again! Now it's making him hallucinate.

Why would there be a small figure walking up to him? Like an animal of some sorts. His brain is funny sometimes. Wait a minute... an animal? Before Vernon could clearly make out the figure, it pounced at him.

He screamed as loud as he could. He didn't know if there were other people or animals around the area but he just kept screaming. Right on cue, as Vernon started to scream, the animal left him alone and ran away.

His heart was pounding out of his chest. The adrenaline was not helping him calm down now that the threat was gone. No matter what Vernon tried to do, he could not calm down. His breath soon became ragged and shallow.

He didn't know how it happened but he started to suddenly calm down. Something made his body stop being tense and made his breath go on a steady pace. It felt like hours until Vernon completely calmed down.

The feeling of calmest washed over Vernon which made him happy. He relished the feeling as the daze from his panic earlier took a toll on him. The comforting coldness, the sunlight lit room, the warm arms wrapped around him-

Warm arms? "Who are you?" Vernon turned around and pushed away whoever was hugging him. "Hey. Hey. Hey... Calm down, alright?" The person says. The person's face was not clear to the boy as it was hidden in the shadows.

Other than that, Vernon was on the verge of panicking once again; his vision was turning blurry. "Hey," The person stepped out of the shadows and engulfed Vernon into his embrace to calm him down, just as he did moments earlier.

Once Hansol calmed down, he asks his question again. "Who are you?" The person gave him a smile. "I'm Seungkwan!" Seungkwan exclaims, holding out a hand for Hansol to shake. Hansol didn't in fact, shake the hand.

He just gaped at the boy in front of him. "If you aren't going to tell me your name, your pretty face isn't going to stop me from punching you." That made Hansol snap back to reality and tell Seungkwan his name. "Vernon.. You can call me Vernon."

Seungkwan's annoyed face turned into a bright smile. "I'm sorry for attacking you earlier. I usually can't control myself when I'm in that form." Vernon was confused. The thing that attacked him seemed to be an animal.

How could it have been him? "I should probably explain that I turn into a beaver when it's daylight. I turn back into my human form at night." As much as the boy wanted to act like this was normal, this was in fact, not normal.

They both stared at each other, not one looked away once. Suddenly, Hansol snapped out of his daze and looked away from Seungkwan's gaze. "How did you find this place? I thought the entrance was sealed away?"

"Sealed away? Why would it be sealed away?" Seungkwan didn't answer. "Aren't you cold?" Vernon wondered, looking at the boy who was in nothing but a short sleeved shirt and cargo shorts. "Don't you have a jacket?"

Seungkwan gave him a confused look. "A jacket? What is a jacket?" "You don't know what a jacket is?" It was obvious with the way he dresses. Who doesn't wear a jacket in a place as cold and freezing as this?

"A jacket is an outer garment extending either to the waist or the hips, typically having sleeves and a fastening down the front." Seungkwan still looked very confused. "Basically, it's a piece of clothing that covers your arms from the cold."

(A/N: Thank you Google sunbaenim)

The beaver-boy finally understood what a jacket was. "So..." Seungkwan suddenly says after a moment of silence. "You're came from the non-magical world, am I right?" Vernon just nodded. I mean, everyone he knew was non-magical.

"That means you're a... boy? Like, an actual normal boy that isn't magical or cursed?" Hansol wanted to say something in the lines of obviously not looking like a girl but of course, he decided against it. All he did was nod.

"How did you find one of the entrances?" Vernon shrugged. He didn't want to put his hyung under the bus by telling Seungkwan that his brother told him about this so he just said that he stumbled upon it and entered without hesitation.

That sounded like a stupid plan but it was believable... ish. "Wow... I- I think you should go now." Hansol nodded in agreement. "I should. My brothers might be worried that I disappeared all of a sudden."

That caught Seungkwan's full attention. "Brothers? Does that mean there is more of you?" Vernon nodded. "I could try to bring them here, if you want." "Yes, please! I want to meet them!" Seungkwan exclaims, seeming so excited.

The non-magical boy nodded. "I'll try... I promise." Seungkwan's grin seemingly grew bigger, if that was even possible. Seungkwan led Vernon to the entrance from wherever they were. It was quite a long way from the entrance.

"A cave?" Vernon realized where they exited. "I live there... Is there a problem with that?" Vernon quickly denied the accusation. "How were you able to bring me all the way here when you were... a beaver?" That fact is still very weird.

"I got help from some friends. Actual beavers, mind you." He says. "Oh, cool..." They continued their journey to the entrance. "You'll bring your brothers the next time, won't you?" Vernon nodded. "See you soon!"

Hansol walked over to the entrance and went back through the passageway that led him to this place. The more he walked, the warmer it became. He felt like ice melting under the sun. "I need those boys as soon as possible."