🔥So, I'm starting to feel like you guys are used to my apologizing for late updates. This time around, it was really bad though, didn't mean to make you guys wait this long. I had to wait for a new laptop to come in because my old one was dying on me, then school started and you know how university classes are. I actually have the next chapter ready for you guys, I just need to edit and I'll post it, but I don't want to SPAM you with updates so I'll give it a day or two just so everyone can catch up with this one. 🔥

They sat on fallen logs across from one another. The trees were tall statues over their heads, the sky was dark, blistering with cool stars that could barely be seen by the eye. They had stayed a little longer than planned after Onew and Key left. Now, they looked across from one another and hadn’t said a thing to each other in a couple of hours. It was as if the silence was enough sound. Neither felt like going home, but they knew it was going to have to come to that eventually. Taemin looked up at the sky and soaked in the mildew air. He leaned back on his log and spread his arms a little wider, breathing in deeply.

“You think we should head back soon?” He asked.

Minho copied his actions and sighed a bit.

“Yeah, I guess. I just-“

“Don’t feel like it.” Taemin finished. “I get it.”

“You think Kai was able to hold them off with a couple of lies for this long? Think we might get a lecture when we get back to our own houses?”

Taemin answered with a shrug.

“Kai’s pretty reliable when you need him to be.” He stated. “Plus, I think the Uncles might pick up eventually that we’re working together, but until then, we need to fake it out for a while.”

“Never thought you’d be so headstrong when it came to planning.” Minho chuckled.

“Yeah, sometimes I surprise myself too.” He laughed back. “What do you think, though?”

“About what?”

“About Key and Onew? Have any guess on what they might be?”

Minho shrugged this time around.

“If I’m being honest, I got no clue. I mean, I’m pretty adamant in all our historical reading, but I don’t know about a creature who wasn’t born into a tribe that can outrun us like Onew can or one that manipulates nature like Key. The Uncles might know but then again-“

“They’re not exactly on our trust list right now, are they.” Taemin finished. “And what about the Elders thing? Do you think Onew was right about them? We don’t exactly know-“

“I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Fine,” Taemin brushed off his pants after abruptly standing up. “You know Minho, you say I’m the erratic one, but lately you’ve been acting a little off. I thought we could actually talk for once.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Minho snapped. “How we don’t know what Key or Onew are, how we can’t trust the Elders or our Uncles, however since that night things have been going crazy, or maybe how there might just be a rogue running about that attacked! I’m sorry if I don’t have the answers for everything right now!”

“Hey, hey.” Taemin waved his hands just as Minho stood up. “Calm down dude. It’s not that serious.”

“Of course it’s that serious! Everything about our situation right now is that serious! Everything about our lives is that serious! How do you never get that? It amazes me how laid back you are when we’re in the midst of like this!” He flailed his arms throughout the air irradicably.

“Hey man, I said CHILL!” Taemin growled the last part, his eyes turning for only a second before calming back down to his usual demeanor.

As a reflex Minho growled back, the exact same thing happening. He realized his emotions and calmed down as well. Not like they were going to turn or anything. At least, it was a big hope that they didn’t. Nothing was a promised ever since they met Key.

Their eyes pierced one another in razor sharp stares. The cold wind emanated between them like a foreign entity. After a while, Taemin huffed, moving his shoulders in frustration and shaking his head before turning around and walking away. He left him there, Minho, standing in the midst of the trees and the shadows. Minho said nothing. There was nothing he could say so he watched as Taemin walked away until there was nothing left but a silhouette and the twinkling stars.

****

For the rest of the weekend, Key and Onew did little to talk about their situations at hand. The passing moments were like falling sand, tumbling through a desert. Key talked about his photography from time to time and Onew talked about what college he was thinking about attending. But even those were almost uncomfortable conversations. Neither wanted to admit it, but the whole supernatural creature thing was the only conversation holder that was coming to mind. How could they actually think of their futures at a time like this? What would their futures hold now anyway? Even Key thought about what it would be like, if he still had a chance to be normal, and when he thought about all the weird things that have been happening lately, his eyes would lower to the floor.

When it was time for Key to pack it up and head home, Onew insisted on walking him. Key agreed, but when he got home and Onew left, he stayed silent; even when his aunt—with her extra chipper voice, puffy cheeks, and over joyous face—greeted him with the smell of food as he came in. In fact, she was the last person to make him happy at all. Whenever he looked at her, all he pictured was Onew’s face shaking his head in disapproval after finding out he lied to him all this time. He imagined the hurt and betrayal. So when he looked at her, actually stared at her, his mood became even worse. He tightened his arms around his things and walked away into his room. Not minutes later as he was straightening things up and hooking his camera up to his computer again, did he hear a knock.

As usual, before he could answer, the door creaked opened; her auburn hair being the first to greet him; then her chestnut eyes, then her entire face. She playfully frowned, before opening the door some more, letting her whole body stand as a barrier between him and the only way out of his room.

“Didn’t you hear me?” She asked sympathetically. “I said, I got some food ready for ya.”

He opened his mouth, the gripping feeling of his heart tightening and lips thinning, to say something, anything. He wanted to yell at her, to tell the truth, but the smile on her face and his frustration with his current situation told him not to spoil the apparent moment of happiness she was having. Whatever she and Onew’s mom did on the weekend must have been fun, so he shrugged his shoulders.

“Sorry. I’ll try to eat later or something. I gotta get these photos together if I want to submit them to that college anytime soon.” He tried to fake out some sort of chuckle, but instead, it came out as some rustic cough.

She stood there for a moment, staring at him, her smile fading away. But she nodded her head and slowly closed the door. He never was that good at lying to her, but if she thought something was up, she sure didn’t ask. He should’ve said something. He should’ve, but he didn’t.

He had told Onew earlier that day that he would call him or text him before he went to bed, but there were just too many conflicting feelings flying around his head to want to talk to anybody. He never walked out to eat and frankly, was nowhere near hungry. From the clanking of dishes, he heard, later on, it was obvious to him, that his aunt picked up on that. When he went to bed that night, it was anything but pleasant. He tossed and turned, woke up a few times, but ultimately never got a good amount of decent sleep.

****

Morning came quicker than he’d hoped. After taking a shower and staring hard into the mirror, Key could see the dark rings of death that had formed around his eyes, the skin drooped a little. He sighed. The midst of steam surrounded him.

He hated having all these conflicting emotions and thoughts running amuck in his head, but he knew it was time he confronted his aunt about her promise because his lie to his only best friend was starting to eat him alive. It was fun for a while on the weekend, actually hanging out with two werewolves and all, but when it was all over, the reality of the situation finally hit him and he now understood why Onew had been reacting the way he had. The reality of their situation already hit Onew; he always was the quick thinker, but Key, he’d been shoving it away trying to think of all the cool possibilities; finding their Cerberi stories interesting.

His limbs dragged themselves out of the bathroom and when he opened his room door, saggy PJs running against the wood, he could smell a whiff of meat, kimchi, and other breakfast all twisted into one. He smiled for a second before he realized that yes, his aunt had made breakfast. She hardly ever made breakfast unless there was some special occasion. The sunlight hit hard in the kitchen, casting an iridescent glow. There she was, standing at the stove, putting the last of the food on the plates. She turned off the gas, grabbed the plates’ edges and turned around to greet him, smiles and all.

“What’s the occasion?” His voice came out groggy and irritated.

They went over and sat down at their tiny square generic table that could possibly only fit four people max.

“Well you seemed grumpy yesterday and you definitely look that way today. Judging by your death circles, I’m guessing you didn’t get much sleep?” She questioned, diving into some of the kimchi.

“I wonder why.” He whispered.

“I heard that.” She snapped, wiggling her chopsticks in the air.

He rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on Aunt Kim, are you really gonna act like you don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I. Really. Am.”

It was like a game of tug of war between two teens. The happy morning faded away instantly.

“When are you gonna tell me this oh so big secret that I apparently have to keep from Onew!” The words came out before he thought them through. He didn’t mean to yell either, but the anger had made a knot in his chest and he couldn’t take it anymore.

She stopped moving her chopsticks and laid them down.

“You have school in about two hours Key, you should really eat something.” Her voice was small.

“Aunt Kim, I didn’t mean to yell,” he sighed, “but you know, you promised when my wound was healed, which I’m still trying to freaking process, that you would tell me what this is all about.”

He gestured his arms wide into the air.

She sighed. Heavily.

“I want…no…” he paused, looking down at his plate. “I demand to know what’s going on! You know how much I hate lying to Onew. I mean…th-th the man can read me like a book!”

“I know, I know,” she waved her hands in an almost shooshing gesture. “Just…not right now-“

“Why not!”

“Because-“

“Because what! You somehow get me released early from the hospital, I had a nasty scar from a wild animal attacking me and you give me some secret herbs and now I’ve healed all the way and you just want me to what? Pretend like all this didn’t happen? I mean, you-you promised!”

“I know!” She yelled back. “I know. And I’m going to keep my promise. There’s just a lot to catch you up on and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to tell you. There’s a lot of things you have to remember.”

Her tone on the last part had changed. It was a statement that anyone would take as having to remember whatever she told them, but the way she said it. No. Key squinted his eyes. She said it as if he, himself were forgetting some very important details and would have to remember. But what?

“What do you mean, remember?”

She realized what she’d said and shook her head.

“But Aunt Kim, you said-“

“I know what  I said Key and I intend to keep my promise. Just…after you come home from school.”

“What! Are you kidding me!”

“Look, it’s just…I have to meet with someone today and after that, I’ll have a clear and better head of how to tell you everything. There are years of stuff to catch you up on again.”

“Again?”

For the second time, she’d said something she didn’t want to slip out of . He could tell by the wide rounded eyes and deer-in-headlights look. He grimaced.

“Look Key, I know you’re anxious to know. I know I need to keep my promise. I’ve just been trying to figure out ways to tell you. It’s hard to explain.”

“Well then at least answer one question for me.”

She paused for a second before nodding.

“Whatever I am, and don’t say I’m not because I already know I’m a little out of the ordinary. But whatever I am, is it connected to the forest somehow?”

“Yes.” Her answer was swift and quick.

The pupils of her eyes had grown, and she stared into Key’s listless face as if waiting for him to ask something else, but all he did was nod.

“Ok.” He quietly replied. “I’ll go to school. I’ll wait. But you have to keep your promise. After school, you’ll tell me everything?”

“Everything.” She smiled.

Again, Key nodded and silently, they ate their morning meal.

She stood at the door frame as he was about to leave, clothes on, bookbag hooked around his shoulders, camera hanging on his neck. She shook her head when he walked towards the doorway.

“The strap on that thing’s gonna give you a rash on your neck one day.” She chided.

“Apparently I can heal from it anyway.” It was supposed to be an awkward joke but all it came out as was awkward.

His aunt chuckled a bit, but then scratched the back of her neck in an uncomfortable gesture. Key just smiled as she moved out the way and let him out. He turned around to confirm what they agreed on, but she was already ahead of him.

“After school.” She assured.

He nodded and turned back around, walking down the street. Unconsciously, his hands gripped the small ends of his bookbag straps. His fingers nervously clenched and unclenched as he thought of possibilities. If he were a creature of the forest, just what would he be?

“A rabbit?” he whispered.

Saying it out loud sounded completely dumb, but he couldn’t rule out anything.

“Oooo, maybe a mountain lion.” He smirked but immediately threw away that thought.

He stopped at the corner of the sidewalk, his shoes creating light marks on the gravel. He looked up at the right light, waiting for it to change, but this sudden presence or sudden lack thereof—if that feeling made sense—bothered him. Out the peripheral of his left eye, he saw a figure. A tall figure. Trying to look discreet but curious nonetheless, he slowly turned his head to peer across the street opposite of him, that led back to his house.

A very, very tall person stood there, his or her arms tucked into the pockets of their long light gray jacket, hood slouching of their head. By the subtle lean that reminded him of Taemin and Minho, Key wanted to guess it was a man. To be honest, he didn’t really want to guess at all. It was creepy and odd. Too many shadows covered his face to see what he looked like and the jacket was zipped tight, but the person wore regular dark washed jeans. All of this happened in a mere second and in the third of that second, Key quickly turned back around zooming immediately down the street ahead of him when the light turned green to walk. Goosebumps ached up his arms and a cold feeling rushed through his body. He moved faster, rushed further, and dared not to look behind him.