Chapter One

Ryeowook lived beside the woods. As a guard of the kingdom, it was his duty to live beside the area too keep watch. But, the woods were haunted, or so that was the story told to children for the past several generations. Ryeowook, for the most part never believed the stories. Or rather, he tried to ignore them. The General of the guard he was part of knew of his fear and constantly for it, which was what was happening now.

“Then, when you hear it’s song, you are placed in a trance and drawn to it, never to be seen again!” Kyuhyun whispered causing Henry to wail and cling to the older man beside him as Ryeowook pretended to scoff at the idiotic tale.

“I live near the woods, and nothing like that has happened.”  Ryeowook stated. The eldest soldier stood up and brushed Henry off him.

“Kyuhyun stop scaring the children.” Sungmin ordered as he looked at the two younger men.

“Return to your posts, as for you Kyuhyun. You are a general to this guard, you may outrank me, but you are still a child yourself.” Sungmin chided. Ryeowook smiled as he returned to his post by the wood. The stories did their job, not many wandered close to the woods edge. Those that did, were usually just small kids trying to be brave and fail.

It was not until late one night, as Ryeowook was sitting in his living room sipping tea, that he heard a low melodic voice drifting in the wind. At first, he was sure it was his mind playing tricks on him. But, as the voice drifted closer, Ryeowook found himself searching for the cause.

Walking outside his home, Ryeowook called out for the source of the song. No answer came though and the guard continued forward, walking farther from home and into the dark of the haunted wood.

The low tune continued as Ryeowook’s mind became emptied of all other thoughts but the low hum of those hallowed notes. When a strange hand wrapped around him, the smaller male did not panic. Instead, his eyes focused on the creature whose voice drew him in.

The low hum never died despite the creature never moving his lips. Ryeowook reached forward, touching the creature who looked like a man with white hair and a red outfit.

“What is your name?” Ryeowook asked, his voice slurred as the man held him. The creature smiled as he led Ryeowook deeper into the woods.

“Yesung,” the man replied making Ryeowook nod as they approached a home made of mud and sticks. The tree like home, smelled of Earth as they entered its confines.

“Come and sit,” Yesung whispered, that enchanting tone still ringing in the breeze as Ryeowook obeyed. The chair was made of green moss, and smelled of fresh cut grass. Branches wrapped around the guards ankles and wrists trapping him to the chair as Yesung stood before him.

“Are you comfortable?” Yesung asked as he watched the human transform from his song. Ryeowook’s hair became grass, his skin became wood, and flowers sprouted in his hair and on his wrists like bracelets, vines fell from him like chains.

“I feel strange.” Ryeowook whispered as he looked at the older. Yesung stood and smiled as the song became louder.

“Just relax.” Yesung ordered. Ryeowook blinked slowly before doing just as the man said. As Ryeowook became part of the wood, Yesung’s song ended, the eerie tune echoing its last notes throughout the wood as the people of the village hid inside their homes from the song of the creature of the wood.