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Treasure: An ATEEZ Fantasy!AU

Chapter 1: Temperance

ATEEZ Fantasy!AU, Non-Idol!AU

Word count: 5.5k

Overview: Eight boys live together in their cottage, supporting each other in their mundane lives. All is calm and usual until their youngest friend comes back home recounting a frightening tale that will change their future together.

Card meaning, Temperance: Represents balance, patience, and harmony. Inner peace has been found and you are moving smoothly in your everyday life. It encourages you to stay calm in difficult situations, and to be in charge of your emotions in these trying times.

A/N: This is the first chapter of my ATEEZ Fantasy!AU, hope you enjoy! I would like to thank @kpop-s-akura for being my beta reader and giving me guidance for this piece, without you this wouldn't be a thing, I love you :3 <3 Please give her love and support on her stuff as well!! :D!!

Sunlight peeked through the foliage of an oak tree a thousand years their senior. Warm light danced on the skin of the eight boys resting under the tree. They laid against the trunk and curling roots, basking in the golden hour on the horizon. As they admired the dazzling scene, a faint bell began to chime. They turned towards the sound in awe. The scene slowly began to fade into the setting sun as Yeosang shook himself awake from his recollection of last night’s dream.

A customer just walked into the store, looking around for any human life.

“Welcome to Tea Leaves!” Chirped Yeosang, the customer saw him behind the check-out counter and smiled as they began to look around the store.

Yeosang continued to price the gemstone bracelets that came in that morning. He turned the bracelet around in his hand, admiring the way the clear beads reflected the store's soft lights.

Clear quartz? He thought to himself. Sannie would like this.

The customer came to the register with three packets of chamomile tea leaves and a tower of selenite. Yeosang gave the usual small talk with the customer, asking about their day and any plans they had for that week.

“Well if you aren’t busy tomorrow,” he grabbed a flyer inked with bold red lettering and a picture of a young man holding a microphone. “Our maknae is having his first professional performance at a bar in downtown Seoul, please come and support him!”

The customer nodded, saying they would stop by and see the show. They folded the paper into their bag and walked out of the store.

“Our first customer in hours…” Groaned Mingi as he peeked his head out of a colorful beaded curtain separating the store from a small room for his divination services, “Jongho better bring some service in soon with this performance; if not, we are screwed.”

“Eh, we should be okay,” Yeosang paused for a second, “Hopefully.”

Mingi retreated back into the closed-off room, Yeosang followed, pushing the curtain aside. The smell of burning incense and a burnt-out blunt floated through the room making him a little light headed. The room was small, a stained glass bay window shined colorful specks of hues into the space making the room feel bigger in size. An oak bookcase and a wooden table were the only furniture in the room. An old pack of tarot cards, empty birth chart pages, and a bamboo stash box rested on the table.

Inside the box were little baggies of fresh buds, a grinder, and joint wraps. Mingi took out one that was pre-wrapped and handed it to Yeosang.

You want some? Mingi’s voice asked inside of Yeosang’s head. The latter shook his head, denying the offer.

Mingi shrugged, Suit yourself.

He placed the object in between his lips, digging in his pockets for a lighter. After taking the first hit of the blunt a bell chimed faintly in the front room. Yeosang peaked his head between the beaded curtain to welcome the customer, but instead he saw his oldest hyung coming home from work, his arms full with grocery bags.

“Welcome home, Seonghwa-hyung!” Said Yeosang as he headed over to help with the bags of groceries.

“Hi, Sangie! Any luck with customers today?”

“Only five customers so far, hyung,” Mingi said between the burning blunt in his lips. He grabbed a couple of grocery bags as well to help his two brothers bring the groceries into the house. They made their way to the back of the store where a cedar door separated their business and their home. A security system — courtesy of Yunho — accompanied with a hand reader and a security pin was near the doorknob. Yeosang placed his left hand on the scanner, typing in the security pin with his right.

1024, the day all eight friends met each other.

The system was disarmed. They opened the door into a large living room with comfortable couches, chairs, and a television above a brick fireplace. A winding staircase with black iron bars led up to the second floor. There were the living quarters: four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The four rooms had two people each residing in them; Seonghwa and Hongjoong, Yunho and Jongho, Yeosang and Wooyoung, and finally San and Mingi.

The trio made their way to the kitchen on the first floor, passing the living room and going through the dining room that was decorated with a simple hanging lamp and a wooden table that seats eight people. Beside the kitchen was a small study, mostly occupied by Hongjoong so he could have a separate space to practice his occult work. They placed the groceries on the island counter. It was a calming place to be, and that's how Seonghwa liked it. The walls were a light yellow, the cabinets painted a creme white, and the countertops remained their original hickory wood. A wire metal rack on the ceiling suspended their pots and pans in mid-air. Mingi headed back to the store to keep watch for customers while the other two put away the groceries.

When they were done, Yeosang washed his hands, while looking outside the window above the sink. Tall trees stretched for miles behind their house, encapsulating them in the hands of Mother Nature. Their little cottage wasn’t entirely off the beaten path, as customers stopped by every now and then. But it was easy to miss since it was difficult to navigate in the woods. He began to daze back into his dream of last night when Seonghwa asked him a question.

“Hm?”

“Can you get Wooyoung for me, please?” Seonghwa repeated, “I am going to go into the garden to get some ingredients for dinner and I would like his help.”

Yeosang agreed, turning off the sink and drying his hands. He headed to the back door attached to the kitchen. Stepping outside, he was greeted by their luscious garden. A variety of vegetables and fruits grew here, being utilized either for food or herbal potions Seonghwa or Wooyoung would make. He walked into the woods, listening to fallen branches and leaves crunch under his feet. Birds chirped above him in the tree, he turned his head up to watch the flying creatures.

“Woo!” Yeosang called, “Wooyoung!”

He could faintly hear more chirps and skitters as he continued walking into the woodland. Finally, he was greeted by a sight only seen in princess movies: Wooyoung was laying against a trunk of a tree, birds and squirrels surrounded him as he mumbled quietly to them. The tree’s branches, adorned with emerald leaves and moss, stretched down to create a makeshift curtain for the young boy.

“Well don’t you look beautiful,” said Yeosang with a sly smile.

Wooyoung looked at him through the leaves, and then back to a squirrel beside him. He whispered something to the creature to which it chittered and ran up to Yeosang. It hesitantly approached the human, quickly wrapping its small body around his leg, before running back to Wooyoung who was giggling.

“What was that?” Asked Yeosang as he ducked under the curtain and sat down beside his friend.

“I told it to give you a hug, duh.”

Yeosang smiled and rested his head against the younger’s shoulder, enjoying the quiet sounds of the woodland surrounding them. The two boys watched the animals play and squabble with each other.

“How are they doing?” Questioned the older boy.

“Mm, they are a bit worried — more in a frenzy than usual.” Answered Wooyoung. “Probably because of the upcoming full moon, they aren’t the biggest fan of that, ya know.”

Yeosang nodded, adjusting himself by wrapping an arm around Wooyoung who drew closer to him. The two boys have been friends for over a decade, finding comfort in each other’s presence. His soft voice tumbled into his mind as he listened to Wooyoung’s thoughts, his words were clear as crystal. They stayed like this for a few more minutes when a realization crossed Yeosang’s mind.

“Ah, Seonghwa-hyung wants your help in the garden; do you want to help him?”

Wooyoung’s joy infected Yeosang’s mind as he perked up and smiled, Seonghwa-hyung is home! He never hid who his favorite hyung was.

Yeosang stood up, dusting the dirt off of his clothes. He then offered a hand to help his friend up. After making sure that he was also dirt-free, they bid their goodbyes to the birds and squirrels. The tree that was shading them slowly began to lift itself back up into its original form, stretching out its branches to pierce into the sky. They walked back to their cottage, talking to each other about their uneventful day. The garden came into sight once again. There, a crouched figure existed among the patches of flora and vegetation.

“Seonghwa-hyung!”

“Hwa!” The boys yelled.

Seonghwa looked up from the bushes and waved, standing up to his full height. Wooyoung ran over to unlock the wooden fence, sprinting over to greet his beloved hyung. Yeosang smiled, observing the two working together. He went around the side of their cottage to the front where the store was, a cobblestone path laid its way from the main road to the entrance. Opening the door, a bell chimed signaling his entrance. The storefront was cozy and bright, windows on both sides of the space. A tapestry hung from the ceiling — potentially a fire hazard, but they would figure that out when the time came. The cloth was a light brown, faded by age. There was the sun, moon and Earth that was stitched in black thread. Each celestial body had a smiling, feminine face sewed on it, casting their gaze down onto the customers. Hanging plants floated from every corner of the room, strewing their foliage around anything within reach. Under a window to the left was a bookcase with a variety of tarot cards, oracles cards, and books full of other worldly wonders. On top were small bowls full of tumbled gemstones and towers of selenite, amethyst, and a variety of other stones.

On the right side of the room, slatwall was plastered. It stretched from the right of the entrance and ended to the left side of the window. On this wall are packets of tea leaves as well as dried herbal medicines that hung from hooks and were nestled in baskets; all of them made by Seonghwa and Wooyoung. Beside the window draped the rainbow beaded curtain of Mingi’s divination services. As you walk into the store, a path of painted leaves guides the way to the register. A two-tier rotating display rests on top of the check-out counter, holding handmade gemstone bracelets, pendulums, and other jewelry. Behind the counter was Mingi, himself, continuing to price the bracelets that Yeosang had started earlier.

“Welcome to Tea Leaves,” he greeted, looking up from his task. He realized the customer was Yeosang and gave him a grin, going on with his work.

Yeosang checked his phone, the time was almost 4 p.m. Hongjoong, Yunho, and San were going to make their way home soon.

“Do you want to close up shop for today?” Mingi nodded. The two swiftly completed their closing chores, a sigh escaping Yeosang when he finished counting the register’s cash till.

“What’s wrong, Yeo?” Mingi asked, looking up from sweeping.

“Guess how much we made today?”

$100?

“Much lower than that.”

A swore sounded in Yeosang’s head.

“Maybe we should raise our prices?” suggested Mingi.

The older boy shook his head, “We can’t fall victim to capitalism. Besides, it’s not like this is our only source of income.”

Mingi shrugged and they finished closing. When they were done, they shut the window’s blinds and locked the front door. Since everyone had a key to the store, they weren’t worried about the others being locked out. They went through the back door and were welcomed by the aroma of sauteing vegetables as they entered the house, following the smell into the kitchen where Seonghwa was cooking and instructing Wooyoung how to properly saute the food.

“Smells good y’all,” Mingi rested his head on Seonghwa’s shoulder, “Would be a shame if someone snags a bite…”

Wooyoung barked — literally — at Mingi, “Not yet!”

The boys smiled, beginning to chit-chat and talk about one another’s day. While Seonghwa and Wooyoung cooked, Yeosang and Mingi rested against the island counter.

“Honey!” Called a voice from the living room, “We are home!”

Hongjoong, Yunho, and San had come home from work. Yunho coming back from a shift at the police station, Hongjoong returning from teaching Religious Studies with a focus in Witchcraft and the Dark Arts at a university in Seoul, and San arriving back from teaching Astronomy at the same university. Seonghwa stayed in the kitchen, watching over the food and the three younger boys greeting the others.

“People are so stupid…” Yunho lamented, flopping on his back onto the couch.

“You’re telling me,” sighed Hongjoong, “I honestly wonder how some people were able to pass the entrance exam and get into our university.”

San hit the other’s chest at this statement, but the others laughed amusedly. The oldest chimed in from the kitchen, responding to the noise, “Dinner is gonna be ready in a few, does anyone wanna set the table?”

“I’ll help hyung!” said Yeosang.

“Me too!” San volunteered afterwards.

The two of them went into the kitchen to gather cutlery and placemats, while the other four men remained in the living room.

“Where is Jongho?” Hongjoong questioned, “I haven’t seen him yet.”

“I actually saw him when I was on patrol,” said Yunho, still resting face-up on the couch, “He had a crowd surrounding him as they watched him perform.”

“That’s good, hopefully he doesn’t come home too late,” Mingi commented as he spun the rings adorning his hand, a sign of nervousness.

“He should be okay, he knows his curfew,” replied Yunho. He undid his uniform tie and unbuttoned his shirt mid-chest. Wooyoung observed him, an eyebrow quirking up a little. He got up from his seat on the floor and laid on top of his hyung.

“Ya, it’s too hot to be cuddling, Woo,” Yunho whined as he gently pushed his younger friend, who just laughed.

“But you look so handsome in your uniform — I can’t help it!” he nuzzled himself into Yunho’s neck, who eventually embraced the younger, and wrapped his arms around his smaller frame. Hongjoong smiled at the scene, reminiscing on the day all eight friends met. The small cafe that Mingi owned was present in his mind. The day they met was a chance of fate and wonder. As they all continued to meet up, they realized they all had something in common: they were different from regular society. Something out of this world, like a rare moon crystal making its presence after being hidden for a thousand decades.

“Dinner is ready!” Seonghwa called from the kitchen.

They all got up from their place of rest and headed over to where the food was, making their plates. While eating together in the dining room, there was a sense of loss lingering above the dinner in regards to Jongho’s empty chair.

“Another dinner he missed,” San said quietly in response to the vibe in the room. Once they were all finished with their meal and Jongho was still a no-show, Hongjoong grabbed the maknae’s plate and placed it in the microwave so he could eat later whenever he did come home.

To see who would wash the dishes, they played a game of rock, paper, scissors; Seonghwa and Wooyoung were exempt from the game since they cooked. After a lot of excited yelling and bickering, Mingi and Yunho were chosen. The younger of the duo whined at the chore, Yunho patting his shoulder and assuring him it wouldn’t take too long. In the end, the system became Yunho washing the dishes and Mingi drying them off before putting them back into their respective spots in the cabinets and drawers.

Hongjoong retired to his study where he would grade exam papers from earlier that week. Yeosang decided to join him to read in a quiet place since the others wanted to play video games. The other boys set up San’s Nintendo Switch, connecting it to the TV, deciding on what to play when the front door flew open abruptly. A figure ran into the room with haste, slamming the door behind them, panting heavily.

“Jongho!” Gasped Yunho. He jumped up from the chair he was lounging in and ran to the boy, the others following suit to check up on the youngest.

“Are you okay?” Mingi asked.

“What’s wrong?” Added San.

Questions and worries flooded Jongho, who shook them off, “It’s okay, I’m fine, really it’s okay,” he said in between pants. “Just…something happened.”

“Well obviously!” Seonghwa said as he guided Jongho to sit down on the couch, the game they were going to play was completely forgotten as they all turned their attention to their friend.

“What happened?” Yunho asked, taking a seat beside Jongho.

The latter took off his beanie, shaking his head and resting it in the palms of his hands, “A girl followed me home.”

The boys shot up, “What?!” They yelled in unison. Hongjoong and Yeosang came out of the study in response, asking what was happening.

“Some weird ass chick followed Jongho home!” Mingi answered in obvious distress.

“What?!” Hongjoong and Yeosang exclaimed.

“Yes, we already reached that reaction,” said Wooyoung, who received a nudge from Seonghwa.

“Where is she? Is she near here?” Yunho interrogated.

“I don’t know,” said Jongho, “I was able to make it inside the shop before she got to the door, but I could hear her banging at the door when I made it in here.”

Yunho and Hongjoong darted to the entrance of their cottage, unlocking the door and running into their store front. It was dark and eerie, no sound was present in the store. Yunho, with his hand near his side pocket, quietly stepped towards the door. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled it roughly, drawing out an iron dagger. The dagger pierced the pitch black ink of the empty landing.

Yunho hesitantly stepped out, eyes scanning intently for the girl, “Seoul Metropolitan Police!” He called into the darkness, “You are trespassing on private property, leave immediately!”

His call was met by silence. A faint wind rustled the woods surrounding them.

“Hongjoong-hyung,” Yunho whispered, the shorter male coming to his side, “Ask San and Mingi to check the back of the house, you come back to cover me. Okay?”

The oldest nodded, running back inside. As San and Mingi made their way to Yunho’s requested area, Seonghwa, Yeosang, and Wooyoung stayed to comfort Jongho. Hongjoong went back to Yunho, the two scanning the perimeter.

“She was watching me perform on the street,” recalled Jongho. “When I was done, she came up to me saying how wonderful of a performer I was. She also said I was handsome, which I didn’t mind at first, but she just became too pushy — wanting to get to know me some more, inviting me out for a drink. But to be honest, I didn’t really care for her.”

Wooyoung stifled a laugh in regards to Jongho’s bluntness.

“At this point, I just wanted her to leave me alone. So I left and was going towards the train station. Then when I looked behind me, I saw she was following. I ran through the station and was able to get onto a train that was about to leave. But as I sat down, I saw her come on, too.”

Jongho’s breathing hitched and Seonghwa grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly.

“I don’t even know how she got onto the train!” He said in confusion, “But she just stood on the other end of the train cart, staring at me the entire ride. When I got off at the station, I ran as fast as I could. But she kept up, chasing after me all the way here…”

“Jongho…” the three men wrapped their arms around the younger, engulfing him in a hug, their touch calming his raging nerves.

“I know she wasn’t human,” Jongho blurted suddenly, “I could feel it, I just…” The image of her chasing him filled his head. She seemed ordinary, but her eyes were unworldly: red and pulsating, as if shaking out of her sockets. He shivered at the recollection.

“We can’t find her, Jongho,” Yunho announced as those who were searching for the girl came back into the house, “She must have run off.”

“Thank you for looking, guys. I just wish this didn’t happen before my big show tomorrow.” Jongho said sullenly. For the past six months, he has been performing on the streets of Seoul to build his name as a performer. After one of his performances, an owner of a bar reached out to him asking if he could play a gig one night. This was Jongho’s chance to be recognized formally as a performer and to hopefully be spotted by entertainment scouts who are looking for an up-and-coming idol.

“It’s okay, Baby Bear!” San smiled as he ruffled the maknae’s hair, “You are still going to do great tomorrow, and all of your brothers are going to be there so we can protect you, okay? No weirdo is going to get our Jongho.”

Everyone nodded and Jongho smiled. He had such loving brothers, a family he never had before. He knew he would be safe with the guidance of his friends, “Thank you guys, and thank you for supporting me in my silly dreams of being an idol.”

“It’s not silly at all!” Hongjoong reassured, “You need to do what you love to be happy in life, and this is what you love. And as long as you are happy, then we are happy for you too. Understand?”

Jongho nodded. After telling his brothers thank you once again, he went upstairs to wash up and head onto bed. After Yunho drew protective runes around every entrance of the cottage, windows and all, the other men retired to their rooms as well — except for Hongjoong and Yeosang, who went back into the study. Bidding each other goodnight, they tried to forget the scene of this evening and just looked forward to the day they will have together tomorrow.

The study was lit by Hongjoong’s faint desk lamp and a standing lamp by Yeosang’s chair. The room smelt of old books, leather, and faintly of black currant. Yeosang sat in a plush leather chair trying to read a book, but the images of Jongho’s terrifying recollection plagued his concentration. As the younger male recalled his experience, Yeosang could see the scene vividly: the sound of the girl chasing after Jongho resounded in his ears. The fear of being at the hands of this mysterious woman weighed down on his body, making him feel sick. His hands shook, unable to move as if he experienced the terror for himself. He took a deep breath, sinking his body fully into the chair, trying to clear his mind of Jongho’s memories. He tried to tune his mind into anything other than the terrifying scene, focusing himself onto the other male in the room: Hongjoong who was grading exam papers. Maybe something funny would come up in his train of thought that would make Yeosang laugh and ease the fear in his heart.

Yeosang listened and focused intently onto the older man’s mind, but only white noise pulsated through his head.

“Hyung.”

“Hm?” Hongjoong peered over his black rimmed glasses.

“How come I can’t hear your mind? I’ve known you for so long, I should be able to hear you like the others — but all I get is white noise, as if you are a stranger to me.” This wasn’t Yeosang’s first time trying to read Hongjoong’s mind either. Countless times he has tried listening to his older friend’s thoughts, but nothing has come as a result in comparison to the others who he hears clearly.

Hongjoong smiled wryly, “Well maybe you should get to know me better?”

“I know your birthday, your favorite meal, your likes and dislikes — I even met your parents! What else is there not to know about you?” Yeosang questioned with a pout.

Hongjoong laughed, “Why do you want to know what’s going on up in there, anyways? You think I’m hiding a secret from you or something?”

Yeosang shook his head vehemently, “No, I know you aren’t like that. I just want reassurance we are close. That’s all, really.”

Hongjoong turned his attention to an oval-shaped table in the middle of the room. On the table was a stone orb stand supporting a rounded crystal, it shined faintly in the study’s dim lighting.

“I think that is all you need for reassurance, don’t you think?” Hongjoong said with a soft look in his eyes.

With a faint grin, Yeosang recalled the mysterious appearance of the crystal. The land where they resided was once a vacant plot, the eight of them all having pitched in their share of money to build their cottage together; a dream of eight men, different from regular society to come together under one roof. The day when the cottage and their storefront was complete, the crystal appeared at the front stoop of the building. Some of the boys wanted to sell it in the shop, thinking they could make a fortune out of the mystifying crystal. However, Hongjoong decided they were going to keep the crystal safe inside their home as a token of their friendship and the chance meeting between them. Now it resides in the walls of the study, safe from passersby and onlookers — only to be seen by the eight friends.

“Yeah,” said Yeosang, “I guess you are right.”

The young man sat at the wide desk, his hands raking through his hair. It was some hours past midnight, but his brain was wired awake. He grazed his hand on the side of his wooden desk, reaching at the top drawer and pulling it open to show a black obsidian pendulum. He curled the chain around his left hand, decorating his fingers in the shining metal.

“Show me ‘Yes.’” he asked the pendulum as he held his hand stagnant. The black stone swung side to side on the chain.

“Show me ‘No.’” This time the stone spun in a circle.

“Am I contacting a spirit right now?” He asked.

The pendulum swung side to side.

“Do you have any malicious intent?”

It was still for a moment and then spun around in a circle.

The man scoffed, “Show yourself to me.”

The pendulum began to spin once again, growing in speed with each turn before it became a blur of black and silver. Smoke began to rise from the stone, spiraling around the chain adorning the young man’s fingers. It crept up his arm like a black serpent of smoke, slinking its way up the young man’s body, entering itself through his ears with a whisper.

“Find the treasure…” it hissed.

The man shivered as he felt the black substance taking reign of his body. It stiffened, as if filled with lead and stone.

“No…” he groaned, helplessly trying to tear away from the pendulum now cemented to his hand.

“FIND THE TREASURE!” The smoke bellowed in his soul, shaking his insides. He could feel his entire body hardening like a rock, his movements stilled, his ember eyes rolled to the back of his head, now replaced by stone marbles. The last flickering image of his sight was an aged picture of eight men being burned to cinders.

“NO!” Hongjoong cried out as he jolted out of bed. His chest was rising and falling, sweat decorating his skin. He touched his hand, trying to find anything out of place. To see if the pendulum was still present in his hand. It was nowhere to be seen. He looked around in the darkness of his room, panic stricken. There, he saw a tall shadow looming over the side of his bed. Hongjoong screamed as he tried to push the figure and run away, but was blinded by a bright light, turning his vision white.

“Hongjoong!” spoke Seonghwa frantically, turning on the bedside lamp.

He grabbed his friend’s wrists and held them to his chest.

“Hongjoong, look at me, it’s okay,” Seonghwa said calmly.

Hongjoong looked up, his pupils dilated, tears trickling down his face. He was shaking, heaves shattering his ribs.

“Hongjoong, it’s okay. Let’s breathe, hm?” Seonghwa got down to his knees, peering at the distraught man on the bed.

Seonghwa inhaled and exhaled slowly. Hongjoong tried to do the same, following Seonghwa’s guidance. After a minute or two, his breathing stabilized, the tears stopped and only sniffles remained. Seonghwa got up and grabbed a tissue box from their shared nightstand, handing the box to his friend who carefully took some to blow his nose and wipe his eyes. Seonghwa sat on the edge of Hongjoong’s bed, waiting for his friend to speak about what just happened.

Hongjoong was going to throw away his tissues when Seonghwa stopped him, keeping the other from moving too much. He grabbed the tissues and threw them away himself, sanitizing his hands right after.

Hongjoong remained silent as Seonghwa sat back on the bed, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hongjoong was hesitant for a second but stayed closed-lipped. Seonghwa sighed, he knew he wasn’t going to open up to his scene of panic, but he still wanted to provide comfort to his oldest little brother. Seonghwa lifted his arm and draped it over Hongjoong’s shoulder, the latter embracing the touch and resting his head on his shoulder.

The two were quiet for a bit, Seonghwa eyeing Hongjoong hesitantly as he remained mute.

“Do you want me to heal you?” Seonghwa proposed to the silence.

Finally Hongjoong spoke, “I am fine, hyung, seriously.”

Seonghwa removed his arm and looked his brother in the eyes, “With a reaction like that, I don’t think anyone would be fine.” Hongjoong never wanted to admit to any weakness in front of any of his friends. He wanted to maintain his image of being capable, selfless and strong — a barrier that stood in the way of him admitting any vulnerability. He was stubborn, but he wasn’t foolish, he knew when to give in.

“Seonghwa-hyung,” Hongjoong’s voice was hoarse, “Can you heal me, please?”

Seonghwa smiled. He was proud of his friend for admitting that he wasn’t in a good place at the moment, and for allowing him to care for him; it was one step closer to knocking down his rigid barrier. Hongjoong shifted over slightly to allow Seonghwa further onto the bed. The elder got under the bed’s covers and lifted his arm up to allow the other to wrap himself around his body. Hongjoong wasn’t one for physical touch — one could say he hated it — but he knew he needed his friends’ aid and comfort at a time like this.

A shimmering glow began to surround Seonghwa, warmth rose through his body and coursed through his veins. The golden aura inundated Hongjoong, closing his eyes and allowing himself to feel the comfort of Seonghwa’s powers flowing over him.

“What happened, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa asked again, combing his fingers through Hongjoong’s hair in a calming manner.

“It was a nightmare,” mumbled Hongjoong in his now dreary state caused by Seonghwa’s power, “A spirit I contacted took over my body; it wanted me to find something…”

“What was it?”

Hongjoong was silent, “I don’t know.”

He lied, this wasn’t the first time he has heard cursed spirits telling him to find a mysterious treasure. And he knew it would hardly be the last time as well.

“I don’t know what it wanted me to find…” Hongjoong muttered as he felt himself slipping further into Seonghwa’s golden glow.

“Maybe you should stop practicing this occult stuff, it’s taking a lot out of you,” said Seonghwa, “Maybe you should practice something else? Like divination or potion making. How does that sound?”

Hongjoong didn’t say anything in return.

Seonghwa gazed down at the younger. He could hear his breathing dying down, his chest slowly rising and falling. The older closed his eyes, focusing on exerting his energy towards the man in his arms to heal him from the fright of his dream. He cared for Hongjoong, the one who brought them all together as a family. He wanted him to be careful in his occult practices, but he knew he would never stop. Even if his work shredded him to every fiber and tendon of his body, he would still practice his craft and passion. He was fueled to pursue this, as if destined by the celestial bodies. Hongjoong would continue this soul-sucking crucifixion ‘til the day he would become one of the fateful spirits who would be summoned by another passionate soul of the Dark Arts.

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