"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

​-William Shakespeare

Baekhyun was roused by Kyungsoo early in the morning. He sat up still half asleep and only understood bits and pieces of what the guard was saying. Something about a letter and a kidnapping. It seemed insignificant until Kyungsoo used his voice and said “Chanyeol.” Baekhyun’s eyes snapped open. Kyungsoo only used his voice when it was urgent.

“What about Chanyeol? Is he ok? What happened? Kyungsoo, tell me!” Baekhyun waved his arms around.

“We received an anonymous letter a few minutes ago. The messenger returned, dazed, and couldn't remember what happened. He was surprised he had a letter in his hand.”

“What did the letter say?”

“I just told you,” Kyungsoo signed and rolled his eyes.

“I was half asleep.”

Kyungsoo handed over the letter. Baekhyun grabbed it and pulled the letter out of its envelope, almost ripping the paper. The envelope said “To whom it may concern.” His eyes skimmed over the page, and he gasped.

Good day,

We hope this reaches the Prince, for it has information that concerns him.

Baekhyun,

We have Chanyeol in our custody. Do not worry, he is in perfect health. However, we will not return him unless you come. We have important matters we must discuss with you. We promise to keep Chanyeol safe as long as you comply with our conditions.

First, you must tell no one.

Second, come alone.

Third, you must reach us by the summer solstice.

You should know how to find us.

Yours truly,

S. X.

At the bottom of the page, there was a seal of sorts. It was something Baekhyun had seen a few times. Maybe it was a crest; two snakes were wrapped around a tree. The image gave Baekhyun a sinking feeling in his stomach. A shiver ran up his spine.

Baekhyun let the letter slip through his fingers. The whole thing was really quite absurd. It was not just that Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s one and only friend, was kidnapped; it was also because he was supposed to find these people with no direction. He wasn't even given a place to start out, only a set time frame, which gave him only a few days. That wasn't nearly enough time to go searching. Not to mention, at the end of the letter it said he already had the knowledge to find these people. He racked his memories. Nothing. He didn't even know the organization.

Kyungsoo tapped Baekhyun’s arm. Baekhyun looked up from the letter. “Know anything about this?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No, and even if I did, it would be impossible. They don’t even give us a clue as to where to find them!” He squeezed his eyes tight. The crest appeared in his head and, all of a sudden, a thought came to him. He remembered when he first encountered the men. They were talking to an old man in some creepy shop.

Baekhyun snapped his fingers and ran to his closet. He dressed himself in casual robes and then grabbed a bag. He began stuffing it with extra clothes and then turned to Kyungsoo.

“I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'm bringing things just in case.”

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“I know where to look for Chanyeol!” Baekhyun was practically jumping. He wanted to run to the kitchen to grab food before he left.

“Where? Baekhyun, you can't run away.” Kyungsoo crossed his arms. He had an expression that was a mix between anger and solemnity. His muscles showed through his sleeves. Baekhyun backed off. It was obvious that Kyungsoo would stop him from leaving.

“Somewhere. Just let me go.”

“I'm coming with you.”

“Don't try to--what?”

“I know I can't stop you, even if I tried. I can attempt to persuade you, but I know you. You'll escape when I'm not looking, so might as well tag along.” Kyungsoo smiled and shrugged.

“Really? Fantastic! If that's so, could you grab some food from the kitchen?” Baekhyun beamed. Kyungsoo nodded, not returning the smile, and hurried off to the kitchen.

While he waited, Baekhyun checked his bag multiple times. Extra clothes, blankets, a journal, and Kyungsoo was getting the food. Baekhyun glanced outside. The sun was at its peak in the clear blue sky. The day was warm and cicadas created a racket. The townsfolk walked by oblivious to what was about to happen.

Kyungsoo returned with a bag of food. “A lot of lying was involved to get this. I even bumped into your father and had to lie. He’s the emperor, for heaven’s sake and somehow I could pull it off.” Kyungsoo made a clicking sound with his tongue. “It wasn't even a good lie.” He smiled and handed the bag to Baekhyun who stuffed it in his rucksack.

“We’re leaving when the sun is below the horizon.” Baekhyun said. Kyungsoo nodded and sat down in his usual guarding spot. His legs dangled over the edge of the porch, just barely touching the top of a small pond. A bird flew past and splashed in a small bird bath off to the side.

“You're crazy.” Kyungsoo signed, watching as the bird frolicked in the water.

“I know.” Baekhyun signed back. He had hid his bag in the closet and sat next to Kyungsoo. After a moment of sitting, he laid back on the ground and curled up underneath his robes. A nap was very appealing at that moment. He put his arm under his head and closed his eyes.

However, he couldn't go to sleep, even if his mind told him to. His mind wandered. Baekhyun thought of the year he spoke with Chanyeol, believing he was a prince from a faraway country. He laughed internally. What an idiot he was. Chanyeol had come up with these absurd lies as to why he was there for so long and Baekhyun believed every single one of them. He wondered why. Perhaps Baekhyun was tired to being alone and being forced to listen to his father’s directions. For once, he was doing something on his own without his father’s approval. It felt good to be rebellious. Even now, running away to find this friend, had some grandeur to it. Who knew, maybe he when he found Chanyeol, they could leave his life behind, the one of royalty, stature, and stuck up nobles, for a simple one in a kingdom that was far from the one he lived in. He wanted to find one with water, he concluded as he turned to his other side. With that thought, he cleared his mind and willed himself to sleep. He wanted to set out to find Chanyeol as soon as possible.

Baekhyun was woken up by Kyungsoo shaking his shoulder and whispering into his ear. The sun was already behind the trees and long shadows were being cast into the room. The air was significantly cooler and the sky was now a deep blue and purple with a strip of orange and pink where the sun was still setting. Baekhyun sat up and pushed up. Once on his feet, he grabbed his bag from the closet and stepped off the porch to put his shoes on. Kyungsoo followed, two thick cloaks in his hand. He handed one to Baekhyun, who slipped it on and pulled the hood up.

With the utmost care not to make loud noises, Baekhyun walked through the garden outside of his room. Kyungsoo followed suit and soon enough, they were locking one of the palace’s side doors.

Once out on the road, Baekhyun began walking in the direction of the shop. He didn't know how late it was open, he remembered seeing only a few that were twenty-four hours, but he was taking a shot in the dark. He crossed his fingers and hoped the strange place was still running.

Baekhyun maneuvered through the shops with ease, remembering most of the places he and Chanyeol had gone to, or seen, before they were chased by the men. When he and Kyungsoo arrived at the front of the shop, Baekhyun was relieved to see burning candles inside. Through the window, he could see the leathery old man from before. His wrinkles were even more pronounced in the flickering candlelight. The other items in the shop also took on an ominous look. Animal skulls seemed to stare with empty eyes and the white bones stood out in the dark. A shiver ran down his spine. He hadn't expected to be back to such a strange place.

Kyungsoo tapped his arm. “Here?”

Baekhyun nodded and pushed the wooden door open. The smell of rotting animals hit his nose and he gagged, covering his face with his sleeve as he walked through to the back. At the counter, no one was there now. Baekhyun had sworn he had seen the man. Maybe he was imagining it. A rusty bell sat in the middle with cobwebs. A small slip of paper said “please ring for assistance.” Baekhyun took his free hand and hit the bell three times. They waited in anticipation.

Suddenly, the wall in front of them moved backward and the old man appeared. He was gaunt and bony. A crooked smile appeared across his sunken features. Kyungsoo stepped in front of Baekhyun, pushing him back.

“They said you'd be here,” the old man cackled and clapped his hands with glee.

“Who’s they? Who are you and what do you know about these people?” Baekhyun asked. He pushed past Kyungsoo and stood a few inches from the desk.

“I am but a messenger, your majesty. I know little of what goes on in the WC.”

“‘WC? Is that an acronym?”

“All in time, my prince. For now, we must get you going on your way. Thank you for stopping in, your highness. It was a shame the last time because of those men. I hope to see you again.” The old man smiled, showing his rotting teeth. He snapped his fingers and they sparked.

Behind Baekhyun, there was the sound of stone grinding and when he turned around, a staircase had materialized in the floor. He peered down it. The way down was completely dark.

Kyungsoo frowned. “How do we know we can trust him? How do we know if this is the right way?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “I had seen these huge men with the same crest talking to this man. The guy even sent those gigantic things after me.” He turned around, hoping the storekeeper would catch his eye, but he was gone. No noise was made when he did, and there was no handle on the door the old man had originally come out of, so neither of them could chase after him.

Baekhyun huffed and stood at the top of the stairs. He didn't know where else to start if they turned away. They wouldn't have time to go on a long journey, even if they were given directions. This was their best bet if they wanted to find Chanyeol as soon as they could. Then they could take him back and Baekhyun would tell his father about these strange people who kidnapped his friend. After that, everything would go back to normal, hopefully.

With one tentative step forward, Baekhyun started descending the stairs. He inhaled sharply when his foot hit a loose rock that bounced down the concrete and echoed off the walls. His body was quaking and his breathing increased. What was he doing? This was insanity. He should just go back and be safe behind the palace walls. It seemed so simple at first, but every doubt seemed to pop up and every worst case scenario played itself out in his mind.

A firm hand grasped his shoulder. Baekhyun turned around and found Kyungsoo with a stern face. The guard nodded and then flicked his eyes to the stairs.

“You came here for Chanyeol. Don't lose sight of that.” Kyungsoo let go of Baekhyun’s shoulder and walked down the stairs. He waited until Baekhyun followed before continuing.

The moment Baekhyun’s head was under the ground, the hole disappeared, throwing them into darkness. Baekhyun grabbed Kyungsoo’s shoulders. A few moments later, torches lit up and they could see farther down the steps. There was only more darkness. Baekhyun was starting to regret taking the first step, but there was no turning back now. Instead, he took a deep breath and nudged Kyungsoo forward.