a/n: Hi everyone! I wrote a suhan for the 2016 round of SFF Exo I really hope you guys enjoy it; I really had a lot of fun writing it~

 

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Junmyeon frowned down at the bubbling cauldron in front of him. “It’s supposed to be pale blue,” he muttered. He glanced at the potions book open on the table next to him. “So why is it purple?”

Someone passed by his cauldron and snickered, but Junmyeon just stared down at his potions book. He was the newest apprentice in the workshop of the Great Magician of the Eastern Dawn. The others would pick on the next new kid when he or she showed up, and until that happened, he was just going to have to stick it out.

Junmyeon felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, and he turned around nearly knocked his nose into the broad chest of Yixing, a senior potions-crafter.

“Did you add the crushed beetle wings before the valerian extract?” Yixing peered over Junmyeon’s shoulder at the bubbling pot, and remained oblivious to Junmyeon’s blush and small stumble away.

“Uh…” Junmyeon turned back around, his cheeks on fire. He wasn’t used to people intruding into his personal space, as most of the other apprentices tended to act coldly towards him. “No, I added the valerian extract at the very end, like it says.”

“Hm.” Yixing took a step away from Junmyeon to pore over Junmyeon’s potions book and Junmyeon let out a small sigh of relief. He was never afraid of Yixing—Yixing always had a kind word or useful advice for him. But not everyone in the workshop was like that.

“Ah, I see.” Yixing straightened up. “I think you stirred the potion twelve times counter-clockwise instead of clock-wise. Add three more drops of valerian extract, stir the potion fifteen times clock-wise and that should fix it.”

“Thanks,” Junmyeon said gratefully. “But uh…why does that fix it?”

“Come find me after dinner and I’ll give you some reading on it. I have to run and help Yifan with a mass order of herbal cough remedies right now, but I should be done in the evening.” Yixing reached out and patted his shoulder. “Good luck.”

Junmyeon nodded and turned back to his cauldron. To his relief, Yixing’s suggestion work and the potion turned a nice shade of blue when he was done. Junmyeon carefully put out the flame beneath the cauldron and stored the potion in a flask before cleaning up his work station. As an apprentice, he was given daily assignments of making different batches of basic potions every day. If his work was good enough, he would be able to take a class to make more advanced potion and earn more money for his work.

Unfortunately, potions weren’t Junmyeon’s strongest suit. He was lucky that Yixing had been there to help him, otherwise that would have been his third worthless potion of the week.

Junmyeon carried his flask over to the inventory, documented his work with the clerk, and then left the potions room. He sighed with relief when a gust of fresh air filled his nose; the potions room always smelled damp and little like blood, and it made him nauseous if he stayed for too long.

Someone rushed past him and nearly knocked him over, but Junmyeon just sighed and righted himself before he landed face-first in a mud puddle. People here were always rushing around with little regard for others.

Junmyeon eyed the mud puddle, and then sighed. He stopped at the side of the path and guided the water in the mud puddle away into the gutter so that the next poor soul rushing down the path wouldn’t get drenched before continuing on his way.

“Junmyeon!”

Junmyeon flinched, but relaxed when he turned around and saw his cousin, Jongdae, jogging towards him.

“Jongdae!” Junmyeon raised his hand in greeting and took a cautious step backwards when Jongdae leaned in a little too close. Jongdae specialized in electric magic, and he had an erratic tendency of shocking anyone who touched him right after he came out of the workshop.

“Did you hear?” Jongdae panted for breath.

“Hear what?” Junmyeon started walking again, and Jongdae followed him.

“The Master is coming to the workshop tomorrow to check on us.” Jongdae beamed and clapped his hands. “The last time he was here was two months ago. I hope he stays for a while.”

“You sure seem to like him.” Junmyeon had yet to meet the master of his workshop, the Great Magician of the Eastern Dawn. Word was that the man was such a great magician that he had discovered the secret of immortality thousands of years ago. Now, he ran three large workshops in the country which he oversaw from his lair somewhere in the Eastern Mountains. Visits from the master occurred every few months, and Junmyeon vaguely wondered what had driven the master to visit them only after two months.

“He has a great personality. You’ll see what I mean when you meet him.” Jongdae grinned at him, but Junmyeon just sighed.

“You mean if I get to meet him,” Junmyeon said wearily. “The instructors still won’t let me declare my specialty in water.”

“What?” Jongdae frowned. “But you’ve already completed the first potions quota and passed the aptitude tests. I started my training with electricity pretty soon after I got here…”

“Your lack of control over electricity was far more dangerous than my current status,” Junmyeon sighed. “They’re hinting that they might let me start once I finish my second quota of potions though, so there is that.”

“But the second quota…” Jongdae trailed off uncertainly. “The second quota is much, much larger than the first one.”

“I’m already a quarter of the way through,” Junmyeon said dismissively. “I got into this workshop because I have talent. I’ll prove it to them.”

“Did they say why they wouldn’t let you proceed?”

Junmyeon stopped walking and turned to face his cousin. “Jongdae…you know why this is happening. It’s happening because they can.” Junmyeon’s face darkened with bitterness, and Jongdae flinched backwards as if he’d been struck. “Once someone newer and weaker than me comes along, it’ll be their problem and not mine.”

“Speak to the master when he comes tomorrow,” Jongdae said abruptly. “Tell him what’s happening.”

Junmyeon burst out laughing. “I’d be saddled down with a week’s worth of additional busywork and bruises all over my body before I got within shouting distance of the master.” Junmyeon laughed bitterly and kicked at the ground. “I don’t have any illusions about what the others have in store for me. I’ll be lucky if I even get a glimpse of the master’s face.”

Jongdae sighed and looked down at the ground. “If they knew you could scry they wouldn’t do this.”

Junmyeon patted Jongdae’s shoulder. “The thing is, they do know. I had to do it for my aptitude tests.” It had been difficult—he was hardly a master of scrying, the ability to see real-time images in a water surface, and having an examiner breathing down his neck while he tried to see images on the surfaces of the water hadn’t helped things along. But he had done it—and all the examiner had done was look down his nose at him and sneer. “Sometimes people are cruel simply because they can be, Jongdae. That’s just the way things are.” Junmyeon patted Jongdae’s shoulder again and started walking.

Jongdae hurried to catch up. “I wish I could help you.”

“Absolutely not. You stay out of this,” Junmyeon said sternly. “There’s no need for you to get caught in the crossfire.”

Jongdae hummed in response and Junmyeon knew that that was the best he was going to get. “When will the master arrive tomorrow?”

“I heard that he would be here in the evening, but he shows up whenever he wants to,” Jongdae shrugged.

“Hm.” Junmyeon reached up and tucked a stray hair behind his ear. “I suppose you can do whatever you want once you discover the secret of immortality.”

“Damn right.” Jondae froze suddenly, and Junmyeon flinched backwards. “What is it?”

“I thought…” Jongdae peered off into the distance at a pair of two young men hurrying off in the opposite direction. “Never mind.”

Junmyeon peered off into the distance as well, but he couldn’t make out any distinguishing features on either man. “Shall we go eat dinner?”

“Yes, let’s go.” Jongdae tucked his hand into Junmyeon’s elbow, and the pair hurried off to the dining halls.

 

 

 

 

The next morning, the dormitories were abuzz with excitement. Junmyeon watched in surprise as the other boys in the dormitory crowded around the mirror with eyeliner and powder brushes in their hands.

“What’s all the fuss for?” Junmyeon muttered under his breath. He gathered his sheets in his hands and attempted to smooth them out over his mattress. Normally, he never bothered making his bed, but all the nervous energy in the room was getting to him.

“Aren’t you going to get ready?” Hongbin, an unspecialized magic user, poked Junmyeon’s shoulder.

“I am ready,” Junmyeon said drily. “I’m dressed in my apprentice robes and I restocked my potions kit last night.”

“But the master is visiting today. You should make an effort to look nice,” Hongbin pushed, a note of disapproval in his voice. “You think this is excessive? You should see the girl’s dorms, they’ve been at it for at least two hours before us.”

Junmyeon sighed. “We’ll see.”

Hongbin harrumphed and drifted off to join the rest of the dorm in front of the mirror. Meanwhile, Junmyeon got up from his bed, picked up his pack and quietly slipped away.

There was no point in entertaining the thought of seeing the master today. He would be lucky if he was out of the potions room before ten o’clock tonight; today, he was going to attempt to put together a potion that he’d been working on for weeks.

Junmyeon slipped into the potion room and clocked in the time on the register. He hurried and grabbed a station near a window and a lamp; he wanted plenty of light to see what he was doing today. He unpacked his potions kit and went to the back to pick up the ingredients he’d put in storage.

Junmyeon hurried back to his station and glanced around. He wasn’t surprised to see that he and the clerk were the only ones here; it was very early, and everyone else was probably getting ready to impress the master with their progress.

Junmyeon shook his head and pulled out his potions book and the readings Yixing had given him last week. He was definitely going to get this potion right!

Several hours later, Junmyeon straightened up and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. He’d been working for hours; the Blood Flow Potion was complex and required absolute concentration—but now, while the potion simmered for an hour, he could catch a bit of a break. He sat back on his stool and sighed as his shoulders relaxed. He glanced around and blinked in surprise when he realized that he was absolutely alone—all of the other stations were empty and the desk clerk was gone. Junmyeon felt a bolt of fear strike through his chest; was he going to get in trouble, being in here alone? Had they locked him in? Was this someone’s plot to get him kicked out of the workshop in disgrace? He was only allowed to be in here when he had a supervisor working with him.

“Excuse me?”

Junmyeon shrieked and jumped to his feet.

“Whoa!” A young man with honey-brown hair and large brown eyes clutched at his chest. “Are you alright?”

Junmyeon stared at him. He’d never seen this guy around before—but perhaps he was one of the senior members of the workshop who Junmyeon hadn’t met yet. “I’m fine.” Junmyeon blushed. “I’m sorry for screaming.”

“No worries.” The young man smiled kindly at him, and Junmyeon couldn’t help but melt a little. “I shouldn’t have startled you.”

“Are you the supervising student for today?” Junmyeon crossed his arms. “I didn’t even notice when the clerk left…”

The young man chuckled. “Yes, I noticed that you seem very absorbed with your work.” He stepped closer to Junmyeon to peer over his shoulder at his cauldron. “Ah, you’re making the Blood Flow potion. I’m sure Minseok will find it quite useful when you’re finished.”

“Are you a senior potions crafter too?” Junmyeon took a small step back and tried not to blush too hard. “I’ve never seen you around here.”

“I’m something of a jack of all trades,” the young man shrugged.

Junmyeon stared. The man looked so young, but he seemed so talented! “You never had to declare a specialty?”

The young man burst out laughing, but stopped when he noticed Junmyeon’s confused look. “You could say I’m a special case,” he said, a smile tugging out at the corner of his lips. “You’re Junmyeon, right? The newest member of the workshop.”

“That’s right.” Junmyeon bowed formally. “Pleased to meet you, senior…?”

“Just call me Han.” Han reached out and gently touched Junmyeon’s shoulder to help him straighten up. “Shouldn’t you be on your first potions quota? As I recall, the Blood Flow potion is in the second quota.”

“I finished the first potions quota last month. The masters told me I could specialize once I finished the second quota, so…here I am.” Junmyeon laughed nervously and took a small step back. Why had he mentioned anything about the masters? It wasn’t like Han was going to offer to help him. If anything, Han was being suspiciously friendly. If he knew who Junmyeon was, then he probably also knew that for whatever reason, the masters also disliked him. So why was he being so nice?

Han stared at Junmyeon in surprise. “After the second potions quota? But the rule in all the workshops is that new apprentices must be placed into their specialties at the end of their first potions quota at the latest. It can be dangerous if left to wait too long.”

Junmyeon laughed. “I doubt that I’m considered dangerous. That’s probably why they’re letting it wait.”

“You already know what your specialty is?” Han raised an eyebrow.

“Water,” Junmyeon said promptly. “I sat through the specialty testing, but I’ll have to go through it again once I finish this. I think. It’s all rather vague.”

“You think water isn’t dangerous?” Han frowned, and Junmyeon tensed as shadows began to gather in the edges of the room.

“It isn’t that!” Junmyeon said hastily. “I come from a coastal village. I know how dangerous water can be. I just said that I, myself in particular, am probably not considered dangerous.”

Han seemed to relax a little, and the shadows dispersed. Junmyeon resisted the urge to shiver or take another step back. Who was this guy? The shadows had been dripping with power, and Junmyeon had no idea what would’ve happened if he hadn’t rushed to placate Han.

“But still, you have been mistreated.” Han frowned.

Junmyeon just shrugged. “Someone new will come along, and the attention will be focused on them. Until that happens, I’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Well that’s one way to think about it.” Han patted Junmyeon’s shoulder. “Why haven’t you reported this to anyone?”

“All the masters seem to have a dislike for me. I don’t think any of them will help me.” Junmyeon turned back to look at his cauldron.

“You could’ve reported it to Luhan.” Junmyeon felt Han step up beside him, and shivered when he felt the cool of wisp of Han’s breath against his cheek.

Junmyeon stepped to the side and laughed softly. “Luhan? Why would he care for the struggles of a lowly apprentice? Besides, it will pass eventually.”

“Hm.” Han took another step forward, and Junmyeon found himself trapped between his senior and the potions bench. Junmyeon felt his face heat up and he stared determinedly at Han’s shoulder.

Junmyeon nearly squeaked in shock when Han reached past him and picked up his sheaf of notes. “You’re a good student,” he said quietly as he shuffled through the papers. “You’ve been keeping up with all the supplemental readings Yixing has given you.”

“How did you know Yixing gave them to me?” Junmyeon breathed Han’s scent in and tried not to swoon; Han smelled like oranges and something slightly musky, and it made Junmyeon’s knees weak.

“Yixing mentioned it,” Han said breezily. He set Junmyeon’s papers down. “If you’re going to step outside to eat, you’d better be quick about it. It’ll be twenty minutes until you have to attend to the potion again. Go on—I’ll watch it for you.”

Junmyeon eyed Han warily. Could he trust him? He seemed nice enough. Junmyeon’s stomach growled, and Han laughed at him.

Han put a hand on the small of Junmyeon’s back and pushed him towards the door. “Go,” he said warmly. “You won’t be able to concentrate later if you don’t eat now.”

Junmyeon gave him one last wary look and ducked his head in obedience as he headed out of the potions room. He’d never heard of anyone named Han, much less a senior member of the workshop who had the talents that Han had boasted of. What was going on?

Junmyeon’s stomach growled again, and Junmyeon hurried off towards the dining hall. Whoever Han really was, Junmyeon was going to have to trust him with his potion if he wanted any chance of succeeding.

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day, Junmyeon proudly corked a flask full of scarlet, viscous fluid and brought it over to the clerk’s desk. Han smiled up at him and Junmyeon hummed quietly as he filled out the form to place his potion in inventory.

By completing the blood-flow potion, he had filled nearly half of the second potions quota. It was a potion that required intense concentration and knowledge, it and it would definitely help him move closer to his goal to gain the tutelage of a master, and to begin his specialization in water magic.

“Well done,” Han said approvingly, and lifted the flask to the light. “It’s the perfect shade of red.”

Junmyeon smiled at the praise. He had been afraid that Han would sabotage his potion while he was eating, but when he’d returned to the potions workshop Han had been waiting patiently at his station, and had returned to his desk when Junmyeon had gotten himself situated.

Actually, the dining hall had been oddly subdued when Junmyeon went to get his food. Granted, it hadn’t been a very busy time, but everyone around him had looked oddly disappointed.

“Have you ever considered potions as a specialty? It seems like you have a knack for it.” Han took the potion and stored it in the crate behind his desk for potions to be put in inventory.

Junmyeon laughed. “No, I don’t think I could stand it. I just study hard, that’s all.”

“Hm.” Han got to his feet and extended his hand. “Well, it was wonderful meeting you, Kim Junmyeon. I’m sure you’re on a path to achieve great things.”

Junmyeon smiled and reached out to shake Han’s hand. Just as he opened his mouth to respond though, the door to the workshop banged open.

Junmyeon flinched and nearly let go of Han’s hand when he saw Master Changmin, the head of the electric magic branch, standing in the doorway. “You!” Changmin pointed at Junmyeon and Junmyeon stared back at him in shock. Had he done something wrong? Why was Changmin glaring at him like he wanted to kill him?

Junmyeon wrenched his hand from Han’s grasp and took a step back.

To Junmyeon’s surprise, Han drew himself up and glared right back at Changmin. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Is this where you’ve been all day?” Changmin snapped back.

Junmyeon took another step back into the shadows. Apparently, Changmin had been glaring at Han and not him.

“Does it matter?”

“Does it matter?” Changmin repeated, a murderous note in his tone. “The workshop must be kept running, and you spent your entire day here?”

Junmyeon blinked in surprise. What did Han have to do with the general running of the workshop? Hadn’t he said that he was the supervising clerk for today?”

Suddenly it clicked. Han—“Luhan?” Junmyeon gasped.

Han stiffened and Changmin fell silent, a surprised look on his face. “You didn’t know that this was Master Luhan?”

Junmyeon immediately bowed his head and bowed ninety-degrees from his waist when Luhan turned around to face him. He held the position and didn’t look up, afraid of both Changmin and Luhan’s reactions. Would he be thrown out of the workshop for impertinence? He’d nearly flirted with Luhan—Luhan, the greatest wizard of their age! And he’d complained about his potions quota too! Junmyeon felt faint, but forced himself to stay in place.

“Get up,” Luhan said gently, and Junmyeon hesitantly straightened up. Luhan twisted around and Changmin took a step back. “I’ll be waiting outside,” Changmin said, and quickly left the room.

Luhan turned back to face Junmyeon. “I apologize,” he said frowning. “I would have revealed myself to you eventually.”

Junmyeon shook his head. “It’s alright.” A sudden wave of shyness crashed over him, and Junmyeon stared down at the floor. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Luhan chuckled. “I go out of my way to meet the new members of each of my workshops. I was surprised to find you cooped up in here, rather than coming to greet me in the morning.”

Junmyeon flushed. “I wanted to meet you! I really did! But I was afraid that I wouldn’t get a chance to,” Junmyeon mumbled.

“I understand,” Luhan said gently. “I’m not what you expected, am I?”

Junmyeon blinked. Honestly, he had expected Luhan to be some wizened old man, but he supposed that if Luhan had found the secret of immortality, then he had probably also picked up a few anti-aging spells along the way. “No,” he admitted quietly. “But that’s probably a good thing.”

Luhan chuckled. “Well, I’ll make sure to take care of your predicament with the masters before I leave tonight. You should be called to choose a master to study with by the end of the week. Do not be afraid to choose from any of them; I will make sure that whatever ill-feelings they had towards you will no longer be present.”

Junmyeon frowned. Was such a thing possible? He opened his mouth to ask, but Luhan kept talking.

“If you have any more problems at the workshop, please bring them to my attention,” Luhan said warmly. He drew a packet of seeds out of his robes and handed it to Junmyeon. “Write your letter and place a seed upon the pages. Your letter will find its way to me.”

Junmyeon took the seed packet and bowed formally. “Thank you, Master Luhan,” he said quietly. He couldn’t believe this—Han, Han who had guarded his potion and who he’d been internally sighing over all day, was really Luhan?

“There’s no need to be so formal. I would actually prefer it if you called me Han.” Luhan winked mischievously at him, and Junmyeon felt a blush spread across his cheeks. “We’ll meet again soon.”

Junmyeon startled. “We will?” he asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

But the room was empty, and Junmyeon flinched as a burst of shadows emanated from the spot Luhan had been standing in. Junmyeon hesitantly waved his hand through the area, but no resistance met his arm, and Junmyeon stared blankly at the floor.

So, basically Junmyeon had managed to spend the entire day in the presence of the most prominent figure of the entire workshop, and had failed to realize it until someone had stated the obvious. If any of the other apprentices found out about this, he was doomed to their jealousy, at least until the master’s next visit.

Junmyeon shivered and hurried out of the potions room. At the very least, Jongdae would be pleased that his issue with the masters would be resolved.

 

 

 

 

It all came to pass just as Luhan had said. By the end of the week, Junmyeon was pulled into the master’s office, and was told that he should try and choose a master to work with. The strange animosity that Junmyeon had been experiencing from upperclassmen and other masters was starting to fade, for some odd reason. Junmyeon shrugged it off, but he couldn’t help but wonder what had started it all in the first place. As far as Junmyeon knew, no one had even known of his existence until he’d submitted an application to the workshop, and even then, no one had physically met him until he moved in.

Junmyeon sat at his desk and stared at the packet of seeds sitting on the edge of his desk. Should he write Luhan a thank you note? He’d penned it out, but now that he’d thought about it for a bit, it seemed a bit presumptuous to send the greatest wizard of their age something so insignificant.

Junmyeon picked up the small seed packet and passed it between his hands, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. It was midday, and he was alone in his dormitory. No one was around to ask him who he was writing to, but he also didn’t have anyone to help boost his confidence.

Junmyeon slowly pulled one seed out of the packet and held it up to the light. It didn’t look like anything special; it was just a plain, brown seed.

His fingers slipped and the seed landed on the page. Before Junmyeon could do anything, the letter had folded up into a small square around the seed and vanished into a puff of steam. Junmyeon stared open-mouthed at his desk. It had been so quick! He hadn’t even had time to think about what he was doing!

The door to the dorms opened and Junmyeon rushed to compose his features. He closed the seed satchel and put it into a drawer of his desk for safekeeping.

“Junmyeon?” Jongdae looked surprised to see him inside.

“Hey.” Junmyeon stretched his arms over his head. “What’re you up to?”

“Taking a break between lessons.” Jongdae walked into the dorm and flopped down on his cot. “What’re you doing?”

“Same.” Junmyeon smiled. “It’s so nice not to be spending all of my times in the potions room now.”

“How’s Master Zhoumi?” Jongdae wiggled his eyebrows at him. “I hear he’s quite good looking.”

Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “Please. Master Zhoumi seemed to hate me when I first arrived.”

“Feelings can change,” Jongdae said wisely.

Junmyeon burst out laughing. “What would you know?” Junmyeon smiled and shook his head. Junmyeon thought he saw something move in the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, all he saw was the shadow of the window curtain flapping softly in the breeze.

“What is it?” Jongdae propped himself up on his elbows.

“Nothing,” Junmyeon said quickly. “I—”

The door to the dormitory opened again and Chanyeol, a fire user, poked his head in. “Jongdae? Master Changmin is asking for you.” He nodded to Junmyeon and left, letting the door bang shut behind him.

Jongdae sat up in bed, looking puzzled. “Master Changmin? I hope I haven’t gotten into trouble. Master Changmin rarely gets involved with lightening studies.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Despite his words, Junmyeon couldn’t help but feel worried. Master Changmin was one of the higher members of the workshop administration, and Changmin calling on anyone usually meant ill news.

“I’d better get going then.” Jongdae hopped off his bed and rushed out the door.

Junmyeon shivered and shook his head. Something moved in the corner of his vision and Junmyeon whipped around. He was so sure that something was there—Junmyeon shivered again and decided to leave the dorm as well. He could practice the meditation exercises Master Zhoumi had given him in the confines of the meditation gardens, away from where any tricksy spirit might want to bother him.

To Junmyeon’s surprise, he found a letter on his desk when he crept back into the dormitory late at night. The other boys were all snoring softly as Junmyeon softly padded through the dark room to his desk. Junmyeon cautiously glanced around and picked up the letter, the moonlight shining through the window and reflecting harshly off of the white paper. Junmyeon crossed over to the window and shifted the paper towards the light so he could read it.

 

Dear Junmyeon,

I’m so glad things have resolved. I was worried you were being mistreated in the workshop. I hope your studies under Master Zhoumi flourish, and I hope to meet you again soon.

Sincerely,

Han

 

Junmyeon stared at the signature and felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. Luhan had signed off as Han; but, Junmyeon had to remind himself, maybe Luhan was like that with everyone. Maybe he told everyone to call them Han, and didn’t have a care in the world for anyone’s personal space. Junmyeon knew that it would be so easy to ask anyone about how Luhan acted towards them, but at the same time, he was hesitant. What if Luhan really was like that towards everyone? What then? Besides, was he really considering entering some kind of flirtation with a man with immeasurable power, and an immortal to boot?

Junmyeon sighed and looked down at the letter again. “I hope to meet you again soon,” Junmyeon whispered softly, tracing his thumb beneath the words. A little spark of hope flared up in his heart, and Junmyeon couldn’t bring himself to crush it.

 

 

 

 

Another month passed. Junmyeon found himself progressing along well in his studies with Master Zhoumi. That strange incident with the shadows in the corners of his eyes had never amounted to anything; nothing had ever bothered him, and Junmyeon had gotten used to feeling like something was standing in the shadows these days.

“Junmyeon!” Jongdae burst into the dorms, and Junmyeon nearly spilled his ink over the list of manipulation exercises he was carefully copying down.

“What is it?” Junmyeon set his inkbrush down and got to his feet. “Are you alright?”

“Master Luhan is here again!” Jongdae beamed.

“Ah.” Junmyeon turned back to his exercises and carefully stretched the paper out on his desk so that the ink would dry quicker. “Where is he now?”

“He’s making his rounds through the lower levels of the workshop right now. I imagine he’ll be around the meditation gardens or the specialty practice rooms in about an hour.” Jongdae sighed happily and settled down on Junmyeon’s mattress.

“Jongdae,” Junmyeon said slowly. “Does Master Luhan ever seem, erm…informal?”

“What do you mean?” Jongdae rolled over so that he was on his side.

Junmyeon couldn’t help the blush that rose to his cheeks. “I mean…does he usually ask students not to refer to him as “Master”?”

Jongdae sat up. “Has he asked you to do that?”

“Maybe,” Junmyeon said evasively.

“Huh.” Jongdae lay back down. “Master Luhan is usually pretty big on formality. He says that he set up the hierarchy of the workshops for a reason.”

Junmyeon felt his heart lift a little. “I see,” was all he said, and he willed the blush to die down from his cheeks.

“So has he asked you that?” Jongdae asked again.

Junmyeon just shrugged in response.

“Hmmm.” Jongdae shot him a suspicious look. “Well, we should go down and meet him.”

Junmyeon felt a tug of apprehension. What would happen when they met? Would Luhan single him out? Or would he act as if he’d never asked Junmyeon to just call him “Han”? What should Junmyeon do?

“Yes, let’s go down.” Junmyeon very calmly started clearing his desk off, his hands belying the butterflies in his stomach. “Have you eaten yet?”

“I haven’t. Have you?” Jongdae got to his feet as Junmyeon finished storing his writing materials.

“I haven’t. Let’s—“ Junmyeon paused. Something was definitely in the shadows in his peripheral vision. He peered carefully from the corner of his eye, and he nearly flinched when he saw a shadowy figure standing next to the curtain. A gust of wind blew through the curtains and knocked Junmyeon[‘s jar of inkbrushes over.

“You go ahead,” Junmyeon said after a moment. “I’ll be there in a moment. Just let me clean this up.”

Jongdae gave him an odd look. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Junmyeon glanced out of the corner of his eye, and the figure was still there. Junmyeon carefully set the jar upright and bent down to start picking up his things.

Jongdae shrugged. “I’ll see you downstairs then.”

Junmyeon waited until the dormitory door shut before straightening up. Instead of a handful of inkbrushes in his hand, he carried a seal of protection that had fluttered to the ground. “I know you’re there,” Junmyeon said firmly. “Who are you, and what do you want?”

“That flimsy seal of protection would hardly defend you against the likes of me.” A familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, and Junmyeon took a step back as his heart lurched in his chest.

“Han,” Junmyeon gasped. “What…?”

Luhan looked pleased. “You called me Han,” he said, a cheerful smile resting on his lips.

Junmyeon felt his cheeks burning, but he held his ground. “You said you preferred it,” he responded. “Has it been you following me through the shadows all this time?”

Luhan shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.” He walked forward to sit on the edge of Junmyeon’s bed. “It was foolish of you to send your cousin away. What if I had been a shadow demon or worse?”

“I would hardly expect a shadow demon to break past the protective barriers of the workshop. I was expecting a shadow sprite at worst,” Junmyeon shot back. “And this seal would have been more than enough protection against a shadow sprite.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Luhan said thoughtfully. “It never hurts to be too careful though.”

“I suppose.” They stood silently for a moment. “How do I know you aren’t a shadow demon?” Junmyeon said skeptically. “You could be, for all I know.”

“If I was a shadow demon, I would’ve attacked you by now,” Luhan said patiently.

“Or maybe you’re just biding your time.” Junmyeon took a step back. “How can I tell it’s you?”

Luhan held out his hand, and a ball of spinning light slowly began to form.

Junmyeon relaxed. A shadow demon would never be able to produce light. “Why are you here?” Junmyeon set the seal of protection down on his desk and perched in his chair. “My cousin said you were making rounds through the lower levels of the workshop.”

“I finished looking down there.” Luhan shifted forward on the bed, and Junmyeon forced himself not to move when their knees brushed. “I wanted to come see you.”

“Ah.” Junmyeon couldn’t help blushing at that. “Well, here I am.”

“How are your studies with Master Zhoumi going?” Luhan leaned forward and propped his chin on his hands, and Junmyeon couldn’t help leaning back a little.

“They’re going well,” Junmyeon said evenly. “I’m learning a lot.” Junmyeon inhaled Luhan’s scent of honey and citrus, and he was suddenly very grateful that he was sitting down.

“I’m glad.” Luhan smiled and leaned even closer, and Junmyeon forced himself to stay still. “What does Master Zhoumi have you working on?”

“He has me doing manipulation exercises,” Junmyeon said softly. He wasn’t sure why he was whispering, but Luhan was oh-so-close, and it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. “He—“

Luhan leaned in a fraction of an inch closer, but Junmyeon flinched and instinctively pushed him away. Junmyeon gasped in horror when he realized what he’d done, and tried to withdraw his hands from Luhan’s shoulders, but Luhan caught his hands before he could withdraw completely, and held them firmly.

Rather than being angry, Luhan seemed amused. “Why are you so skittish?” Luhan squeezed Junmyeon’s hands reassuringly. “I would never hurt you. I promise.”

“That’s a big promise to make,” Junmyeon said warily.

Luhan smiled innocently at him. “You can hold me to it.”

Junmyeon hesitantly drew his hands back, and Luhan didn’t stop him. “What do you want from me?” Junmyeon said at last.

Luhan seemed surprised. “You must know.”

“Do I?” Junmyeon felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

Luhan frowned. “Maybe you don’t,” he said slowly.

It was Junmyeon’s turn to frown. "What are you talking about?"

“Ah.” Luhan nodded sagely. “You wouldn’t know then. That’s why you seemed so open…”

“What?” Junmyeon stared at him blankly.

Luhan kept talking. “Honestly, I was surprised during my first visit, when you didn’t come to see me. I would have come sooner, but I thought you could have used some space. You didn’t know me, which was even more of a shock, but this—this is starting to make sense. Your confusion over why the Masters would dislike you. Why you wouldn’t guard yourself better.”

“Guard myself?” Junmyeon stared at Luhan. “From what?”

“Not from what, from whom,” Luhan corrected him absent-mindedly. “All of the masters know. I’m surprised Zhoumi hasn’t told you…” Luhan rose to his feet. “Would you mind if I assigned you some reading, on top of Master Zhoumi’s exercises?”

Junmyeon got to his feet as well. What was going on—Luhan had gone from a flirt to a teacher in less than a second! “Of course not,” Junmyeon said softly.

Luhan hummed and pulled out Junmyeon’s writing materials and a blank sheet of paper. He wrote something swiftly and left it on Junmyeon’s desk to dry. His body was in the way, so Junmyeon couldn’t see what it said.

Luhan turned to face Junmyeon, and Junmyeon was surprised that Luhan seemed extremely solemn. “I apologize,” Luhan said quietly. “I must have confused you and frightened you very much with my behavior.”

Junmyeon blinked. “A little bit,” he agreed. “But I can’t say that I minded it very much.”

Luhan smiled at that, and Junmyeon felt a little relieved to see some of the light return to Luhan’s face. “The reading I’ve assigned you should make things clear. Once you’ve read it, I hope you’ll write and tell me what you think.”

“Of course,” Junmyeon promised. “Thank you.”

“I must finish my rounds through the workshop.” Luhan extended his hand and grasped Junmyeon’s hand warmly. “It was a pleasure to meet you again.”

Junmyeon squeezed back. “Likewise.”

Han erupted into a burst of shadows, and Junmyeon sank back down into his seat. What was going on? Han had expected Junmyeon to know him? Junmyeon reached out and picked up the piece of paper.

“The Snake That Bit Its Tail: A Biography of the Great Sorcerer of the East.” Junmyeon raised an eyebrow. Luhan wanted him to read his biography? And this would apparently answer some questions.

“Sorry, Jongdae,” Junmyeon murmured softly and tucked the slip of paper under his arm. “Dinner is going to have to wait.”

Junmyeon hurried through the workshop and entered the library. He murmured a quick guidance spell that would lead him to the bookcase with the biography in it.

The library was mostly empty, save for staff and a few of the older students who were poring over books for exams, research, or reference. Junmyeon quietly slipped into the shelves, following the tug of the spell, until he arrived at the right location. He scanned the shelves up and down, and found the volume he was looking for.

Junmyeon pulled it off the shelf; the volume was surprisingly thin, given how old Luhan was. Junmyeon glanced through the authors of the book, and was surprised to see Luhan listed as a consulting editor. “It must have some element of truth to it, then,” Junmyeon muttered. He sank down to the ground and began flipping through the pages. He was quickly immersed in Luhan’s story, and he was unaware as librarians paced throughout the library and replenished the energy to the glowing lights embedded in the ceiling and the shelves.

“Luhan has specialties in three areas: telekinesis, shadow manipulation, and fire weapons.” Junmyeon sniffled. That would explain the things following him through the shadows—although Luhan had neither confirmed nor denied that those were him. Junmyeon kept reading, ignoring the rumblings of his stomach and the cramps in his knees. He had to know what Luhan had been so surprised about.

At last, Junmyeon hit the final section of the book. The Most Recent Century. Junmyeon patiently continued working his way through the book—there were sections on the discoveries in the workshops, the rises of various Masters as protégées of Luhan…Junmyeon was nearly at the end of the book when he started reading a short author’s note.

At the beginning of the century, Luhan was cursed by a powerful witch. Of course, whether or not the “curse” was malicious or not is up to our readers. Luhan certainly did not see the spell as a curse. The witch foresaw the birth and origins of Luhan’s soulmate, and warned him that his soulmate carried more power within himself than Luhan ever would. To imagine such a sorcerer is terrifying for most—and yet, Luhan wept with joy at the witch’s verdict, for it meant that he was destined for true love.

The witch’s curse occurred during a small audience of Masters. One would not be surprised if each Workshop waits on tenterhooks for the Soulmate’s arrival. What would the Masters do, faced with such huge potential for growth and power?

Junmyeon stopped short, his finger frozen on the page. Luhan had a soulmate? Then what was he doing, messing around with him—

Unless.

Junmyeon felt his heart stop for a moment. No, Junmyeon assured himself. It wasn’t him. There was no way it could be him—Junmyeon knew that he was a modest sorcerer at best. There weren’t huge reserves of power locked away, just waiting to be accessed—

But. Maybe he was selling himself short. He could scry. He’d been able to learn all of those ridiculous potions on his own. He had sat through the aptitude tests, and had passed every single one of them, above and beyond any standard expectations.

Was that why the Masters had hated him? Had tried to curb his progress? Because they feared what he could do?

Junmyeon had to laugh at that. The Masters should have realized that he could barely harness his abilities, much less do anything drastic like turn evil or overpower any one of them.

But if he was Luhan’s soulmate…that had its own repercussions as well. Did that mean Luhan had been waiting for him for nearly a century? Did that mean that they were destined to be together forever? Junmyeon stared blankly at the ground as he was filled with overwhelming confusion and anxiety at the thought.

Someone cleared their throat softly, and Junmyeon was jolted back into the presence.

“The library is closing in fifteen minutes,” a librarian said kindly. “Also, I suggest you eat something. Your stomach has been complaining quite…loudly.”

Junmyeon scrambled to his feet. “Of course,” he said quickly. “I apologize for disturbing the quiet.”

“Don’t worry.” The librarian patted him kindly on the shoulder. “Would you like to check that book out?”

Junmyeon hesitated. “No, thank you,” he said after a few moments of deliberation. “Goodbye.” He hurried out of the library, and winced as his stomach let out a particularly loud complaint. He vaguely wondered how long he’d been in the library as he set off for the kitchens.

An hour later, Junmyeon was trekking back up to the dorms. He needed time to think, before he wrote to Luhan again. Junmyeon trudged through the doors of his dormitory and collapsed on his bed. He distantly noted that most of the beds were empty.

“Junmyeon!” Jongdae dashed over to his cot, and Junmyeon blinked at him tiredly. “Where have you been? You’ve been missing for nearly a day!”

“What?” Junmyeon rolled over. “That’s impossible. I was in the library for a few hours at the most.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jongdae said, exasperation and affection warring for dominance in his voice. “You must’ve lost track of time.”

“Sorry,” Junmyeon mumbled. “Please, just let me sleep.”

“Okay.” Jongdae patted Junmyeon’s head. “Should I send Master Zhoumi a message?”

“Yes,” Junmyeon grunted and snuggled deeper into his covers. Jongdae patted his hair one last time and left, and Junmyeon fell into a sweet, dreamless sleep.

When Junmyeon woke up again, it was night and the dorm was once again full of softly snoring boys. He slowly got to his feet and ran his hand through his hair.

He felt calmer now, after sleeping through the whole day. But he didn’t feel ready to write to Luhan just yet—maybe a trip to the meditation gardens would help. Junmyeon rummaged around in his desk for his writing tools and the satchel of seeds and headed off for the garden.

Junmyeon turned around sharply when he saw something from the corner of his eye. “Han?” he whispered softly.

But nothing came out of the shadows. Junmyeon shook his head and continued into the garden. Winding paths lead to secluded areas where apprentices and masters alike could think in peace. Junmyeon followed the path to one of his favorite alcoves—a small bench next to a fountain in the shape of a water nymph.

Junmyeon closed his eyes and let the sound of the rushing water wash over him and sooth his mind. What did he want to write? What did he have to say to Han? How did he feel?

At last, Junmyeon opened his eyes again. He pulled out his inkbrush and paper and began composing his message.

Dear Han,

I read the book you suggested. It was very—

Junmyeon hesitated. Informative? No, that sounded dry and skeptical. But no other word could quite describe how else Junmyeon felt about it.

It was very informative. I found a small author’s note near the end that I would like to discuss with you when you have time.

Junmyeon paused again. That was all he wanted to say. Whatever happened next would be in person, between the two of them. But how should he sign off? He didn’t want to seem to cold, or angry.

-Junmyeon. There, that would suffice. Just his name—but maybe that was too cold?

You’re overthinking, the water seemed to whisper. Just send the letter.

Junmyeon shook his head and pulled out the satchel of seeds. He pulled out a seed and carefully placed it on the page. The page vanished into a wisp of steam, and Junmyeon leaned back against the bench. It was up to Luhan to respond now. Junmyeon closed his eyes and relaxed his body—even though he had slept all day, he still managed to drift off to sleep in the garden.

 

 

 

 

Junmyeon had hoped that he would receive a speedy response as he had for the first letter, but when two days passed by with no word from Han, he supposed that it was unfair to expect that. Luhan probably had his own fears and anxieties, and would want his own time to gather up his courage.

“Is everything okay?” Jongdae hesitantly patted Junmyeon’s shoulder.

Junmyeon flinched out of his thoughts. “Yes, everything’s fine.”

“Good.” Jongdae sat down beside him. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“Oh Jongdae,” Junmyeon said warmly. “Thanks. But I’m fine, I promise.”

“You never told me what you spent all day poring over in the library,” Jongdae said after a moment.

“Ah.” Junmyeon hesitated. Should he tell Jongdae the truth? Would Jongdae even believe him? “I just got really into the book I was reading,” Junmyeon said at last.

“What was it about?”

“Different kinds of poisons and their antidotes,” Junmyeon said hastily.

Jongdae snorted. “Are you sure you don’t want a career in potions? You seem to really like it.”

Junmyeon laughed and shook his head. “No way. I’m awful at it.”

“Mmhm.” Jongdae kicked his heels against his chair. “Well. I—there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What’s up?” Junmyeon turned to look at Jongdae with concern.

“You remember how, about a month ago, Master Changmin called for me?”

Junmyeon nodded, and Jongdae started fiddling with the sleeves of his robes. “Well…Master Changmin wanted me to work directly under Master Luhan.” Jongdae looked over at Junmyeon. “Every year the workshops send five apprentices to study directly with Luhan, and I was chosen.”

“Why do you seem so sad?” Junmyeon felt relief come crashing into his heart; he’d been so afraid that Jongdae was in trouble! “That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you!” Junmyeon leaned over and hugged him.

“But we’ll have to be apart for a whole year,” Jongdae mumbled.

“But you’ll get to spend an entire year working directly under Luhan,” Junmyeon countered. “This is incredible! Normally, only much senior students get this opportunity, isn’t that right?”

“Yeah,” Jongdae admitted. “I hear it’s when Luhan primes students to become Masters at different workshops.”

“Wow,” Junmyeon said in awe. “That’s difficult to even imagine.”

“Yeah.” Jongdae sighed and snuggled into Junmyeon’s arms. “It’s pretty insane.”

Junmyeon hummed in response and started rubbing soft, soothing circles into Jongdae’s back. The door to the dormitory swung open, and Junmyeon looked up.

He froze when he saw Luhan standing in the doorway. Luhan’s sleeves were rolled up and his hair was a mess, and he and Junmyeon stared at each other for a moment, frozen in place.

Jongdae moved in Junmyeon’s arms and broke the spell. “Who is it?”

Junmyeon let go of Jongdae and got to his feet, still silent.

“Master Luhan!” Jongdae bowed, his eyes wide with surprised.

Luhan seemed to snap out of his daze. “Hello Jongdae,” he smiled. “Congratulations on being chosen as one of the students for next year.”

“Thank you, Master.” Jongdae bowed again. “It’s an unbelievable honor.”

Luhan smiled kindly at him, and Junmyeon watched as Jongdae smiled cheerfully back. “We will be in touch as the summer approaches.” He turned to face Junmyeon. “I was hoping I could have a private word with your cousin.”

“Of course.” Jongdae bowed again and left the dormitory. Luhan walked further into the dormitory as Jongdae left, but there was still several feet between them when he stopped.

Junmyeon stared at Luhan solemnly, his heart beating faster in his chest as the silence went on. Even though he’d been fortifying himself for days, he still felt vulnerable before Luhan.

“I would’ve come sooner, but I was in the middle of a task I couldn’t leave,” Luhan said at last. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Junmyeon smiled hesitantly. “It’s fine. You’re here now,” he said softly.

“Perhaps we should sit down.” Luhan walked the final few feet towards Junmyeon and sat down on the edge of his cot. Junmyeon warily sat down, leaving several inches between them.

“I assume the author’s note you referred to in your letter is the one telling of the coming of a sorcerer of unfathomable power,” Luhan said quietly.

“You know the book well,” Junmyeon said, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. “Yes, that is the note I was referring to.”

“I have every reason to believe that you are that wizard,” Luhan said even more quietly. Junmyeon noticed a soft blush light up on Luhan’s cheeks, but didn’t comment on it.

“How can you be sure,” Junmyeon whispered. “There hasn’t been anyone else who fits the bill?”

Luhan shifted uncomfortably. “There was actually a time when I thought it was Zhoumi,” he admitted. “Zhoumi is a water user from around your area—but I consulted with the witch who cursed me, and she said it wasn’t him.”

“Will you ask her about me as well?” Junmyeon bit his lip and twisted his fingers in his lap.

Luhan chuckled. “I asked her about you as soon as you applied to be in my workshop,” he admitted. “Just from your name, I knew it was you.”

“Really?” Junmyeon couldn’t hold back the flush that entered his cheeks.

“Really,” Luhan confirmed, a joyful smile on his face. He hesitantly reached out to place his hand over Junmyeon’s. “You must have questions.”

Junmyeon stared down at Luhan’s slender fingers and swallowed hard. It felt so right, having Luhan’s palm over his. “I do,” he said softly. “But…I can’t seem to think of any right now.”

Luhan squeezed his hand comfortingly. “I have a large request to make of you, but I hope you’ll take it into consideration.” Luhan scooted closer so that his elbow and knees were brushing Junmyeon’s. “I want you to come study with me, in my lair in the mountains.”

Junmyeon blinked attentively as Luhan continued. “I have two masters whom I trust that live with me. They will not seek to curb your progress or have any preconceived prejudices against you. You could learn from them, and from me. And your cousin will be with us, for a year as well.”

“I…” Junmyeon trailed off. “You want us to live…together?”

Luhan stiffened. “I just…I have to spend my time between my three workshops evenly. I can’t always be sneaking off to see you, here.” Luhan squeezed Junmyeon’s hands again and Junmyeon laughed softly. “I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you. I want to really, really fall in love with you.”

Junmyeon couldn’t help the soft gasp that left him at that. They were meant to fall in love, and the idea sounded so wonderful. It was crazy, it was madness—but by the time summer came around, he would know Luhan better. Luhan wouldn’t be a crazy, ancient wizard to him anymore—he would be his soulmate.

“You don’t have to decide now,” Luhan said firmly. “We can talk more as the year progresses.”

Junmyeon nodded in agreement, but somehow, he had a feeling that he already knew what his answer would be.

“As for your powers, they will become more apparent with time,” Luhan continued. “Your water abilities have already shown themselves to be quite powerful. I was told you could scry at the aptitude tests. But the senior members who administered those tests had heard rumors swirling around the workshops that you were coming, and they were afraid. Many times in the past has a precocious young wizard been fostered by mentors, only to turn against them in the future. But you, my dear, were never meant for that destiny.”

Junmyeon blushed. “I see,” he said quietly. “So all this time, they were afraid?”

“Yes.” Luhan sighed. “My word will only do so much to ease their fears. That’s another reason why I want you to come study with me.”

Junmyeon blushed at that. “You’ve had so much time to get used to the idea of…us,” he said softly. “You’ll have to bear with me as I also get accustomed to that idea.”

“Of course.” Luhan gripped Junmyeon’s hands tightly. “Of course.”

Junmyeon’s breath hitched when Luhan leaned in slightly further, but before he could close his eyes or do anything, the door to the dormitory creaked open.

“Master Luhan?” Changmin stood in the doorway. “I was just alerted to your presence.”

“Changmin.” Luhan leaned away from Junmyeon, and Junmyeon let out a small sigh. “I’m afraid I’m only here for a brief visit.”

“Ah.” Changmin paused, and then started when he noticed Luhan and Junmyeon’s somewhat compromising position. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Luhan laughed softly as Changmin left. “Changmin is a good administrator for the workshop. I should give him a raise.” He let go of Junmyeon’s hands and got to his feet. “Junmyeon, I…I can’t promise that things will be easy from now on. I’m quite old, and you’re so young…but I want things to work for us.”

“Of course.” Junmyeon got to his feet as well. “I would never have expected things to be easy for us anyways.”

Luhan smiled at that. “Of course.” They stood silently for a moment, and Luhan turned back to face Junmyeon. “I must return to the task that I left,” Luhan said after a moment. “But I’ll come back when I’m finished with it again.”

“Okay.” Junmyeon hesitantly stepped forward. “Good luck.”

Luhan smiled at him, and pulled Junmyeon into a brief hug. “I’ll see you again soon,” he promised as he let go. Junmyeon smiled back at him, and Luhan disappeared into a burst of shadows.

There was a knock at the dormitory door, and Junmyeon turned to face it. “Come in!”

Jongdae poked his head through the door. “Is Master Luhan still here?”

“No, he just left.” Junmyeon collapsed into his chair. “You can come back in now.”

“Oh.” Jongdae came in through the door. “What did he want to talk about?”

Junmyeon hesitated. “There something I want to tell you,” he said at last. “I should’ve told you sooner, but, well…it’s a bit of a long story.”

“Uh huh.” Jongdae sat down on Junmyeon’s mattress. “We have time. It’s alright.”

“Okay.” Junmyeon took a deep breath, and started telling Jongdae the whole tale. By the time he was done, Jongdae was staring at him with his mouth half open.

“You’re Master Luhan’s soulmate?” Jongdae repeated.

“It would seem so.” Junmyeon fidgeted nervously. “I’m having a hard time believing it myself.”

“What now?” Jongdae asked.

“I guess I keep seeing him.” Junmyeon blushed. “I do like him, after all.”

“That’s why you asked me if he was ever informal with any of us,” Jongdae said, understanding dawning on his face. “You didn’t know then, did you?”

“No,” Junmyeon said quietly. “I didn’t.”

Jongdae shook his head. “Who would’ve thought I’d be related to one of the up-and-coming sorcerers of the world?” Jongdae smiled. “I can’t wait to see you grow into your powers.”

“And I can’t wait to see you keep growing into yours,” Junmyeon said, smiling. He hadn’t told Jongdae about Luhan’s offer to stay with him in the next year. He figured Jongdae deserved some time to digest the information before handing him another surprise.

The future seemed so uncertain. Junmyeon didn’t know how things would go with Luhan, and he didn’t know at what rate his powers would progress. But he would have the people he loved by his side to help him and guide him, and he had hope for the future. He and Luhan would have their differences, but Junmyeon had a feeling that no matter what, they would love and protect one another.

The End

a/n: I am /considering writing a second chapter following the development of their relationship. If I do write a second chapter, it probably won't be until towards the end of the year, so don't expect it any time soon though. I hope you all enjoyed, comments are much appreciated, and I'll see you in another story! <3