Winter 2/3

“Do you often get bored?” Junhong asked Himchan, as they sat on the grand staircase. Junhong still had yet to explore the castle, but no one had offered to show him around.

The Atlantean had his head rested on Jongup’s shoulder, but he perked up at Junhong’s question.

 “Not often,” the half-god replied, and a mischievous smirk played on his lips as he caressed his lover’s face. “Jongup and I tend to keep each other entertained.”

It did not take long for the innocent nymph to understand the true meaning of his words and he blushed hotly. Himchan grinned widely, and Junhong tried to elaborate, even though his face felt like it was on fire, “I mean... what if Jongup is away?”

“Well, I read the records,” Himchan said, and looked at Junhong, who was staring at him in confusion. “Have you not seen them yet?”

“What records?” the nymph blinked as the half-god stood up, gesturing for him to follow as he ascended the stairs. Jongup was behind him in an instant, never too far away from his lover.

Himchan was beginning to walk at a quick pace, and Junhong hurried to follow him. He was curious, but also nervous – maybe there was a reason why Yongguk had not shown him around properly.

“Yongguk keeps records of everyone who has ever died. Their life stories are all kept in the castle’s library,” the Atlantean explained. He walked through the hallways of the castle with ease, turning around a corner which unveiled another flight of stairs. The stairs seemed to wind towards the next floor, and he ascended them again.

Junhong had not known there were other staircases, let alone a library. To his surprise, they winded past the third floor, and higher, towards a fourth and fifth level. He did not know if they went any higher, for Himchan gestured for him to follow him through the large double doors on the fourth floor.

“Be prepared,” the half-god said, but before Junhong could wonder what for, he pushed the doors open, showing shelves for as far as Junhong could see. He could not even see the end of the room, and he stared at Himchan in bewilderment.

“The shelves are filled with records,” Himchan explained loftily. “Millions of people die each year, so the room expands to accommodate that.”

“...It’s magic?” Junhong asked in amazement.

“Correct. Both the room and the books are enchanted,” Himchan smiled at the nymph’s wonder. “Go ahead and look around, little one. Everything is well-organised, so you should be able to find one, if you’re looking specifically.”

Junhong hesitated, before murmuring in embarrassment, “But I cannot read.”

“That is not an issue. You do not have to know how to read text to be able to read these records,” Himchan said, walking to the nearest shelf and picking a book. Jongup also took one, and Junhong could see how comfortable the both of them were in this gigantic library, as if they spent hours here together, reading. “They are enchanted; you just have to find one you would like to view, and see for yourself.”

Junhong could not hide his confusion, nor his curiosity, but he scurried off into the depths of the shelves without a word. They towered around him, and he felt comforted – it was as if he was back in his forest, and these were his trees.

“The shelves are magic!” Himchan yelled, like a reminder, and Junhong paused. He stepped towards the nearest shelf, remembering how Himchan had just taken the closest book he could find and started reading it.

Perhaps the records were only organised based on who was reading.

His arm stretched out, and his fingers uncurled, brushing against the hard book covers.

He saw Junseo.

He saw Junseo’s face in almost-painful detail, and how they would laugh and joke together with their parents late at night. He saw himself as a tiny six year old, waddling around the meadows and accidentally creating flowers everywhere he touched, covering the meadow’s grass with thousands of colours. He saw his mother lifting him up and kissing his head, as Junseo – a few hundred years older than him and already fully-grown – made fruit for the whole family.

Junhong ripped his hand back and stared at his fingers, before he grasped the book with raw desperation. The book was blank, its pages were empty – and yet... Junhong had understood everything.

“Do you see why reading is no longer necessary?” Himchan asked, appearing behind the nymph.

Junhong nodded slowly, speechless.

Mere seconds later, Himchan’s hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder in an act of comfort, after seeing the tears that sprung into Junhong’s eyes. “When the records are enchanted, we are allowed to see within the mind of the person we are reading about.” He ran a hand over his own book’s cover. “This way, we can see the world through their eyes.”

Junhong looked down at the book in his hands. He was gripping it tightly, afraid to let go of it. Afraid to let go of Junseo.

“This is my brother’s record,” he said, his voice trembling. “I have not seen his face in centuries.”

“You will never have to worry about that again,” Himchan promised, his heart aching as he saw the nymph take a shaky breath. After the death of his people, the Atlantean had received closure by reading about their lives, so he could properly apologise to them individually. It had taken hundreds of years, but Jongup had convinced him that it wasn’t his fault that they died, and none of them would have blamed him.

From the raw emotion on Junhong’s face, Himchan knew he needed the time and space to read. “I will leave you alone now, but I will be on the other side of the room if you need me.”

Junhong nodded, quiet, as Himchan disappeared into the shelves. He had free access to enchanted books which recalled the lives of all mortal beings. He could not imagine the power Yongguk had, just by owning these.

Junhong sat against a shelf, opened the book in his lap, and began to read his brother’s life.

Daehyun watched as Youngjae closed the door of his hut quietly, and walked towards the village centre. The sun was low in the sky, and this was the third time he had seen the boy sneak out today – surely, he was up to something.

Daehyun could not help it; he always had a soft spot for Youngjae, ever since they were young. He knew Youngjae enjoyed going into the forest a few times a week, but he never followed him. The younger male needed space and privacy to think – Daehyun did not want to disturb him during those times.

But lately, he had been getting suspicious. Every time Youngjae returned, he was holding something new – a gift. They were either flowers, fruit, or beautiful crowns, crafted with master precision to rest in Youngjae’s hair without flattening its softness. Even if Daehyun had been disappointed that Youngjae had gotten a suitor so soon – that the younger couldn’t receive consolation from him, and had to find someone from the next village – he could not complain. After all, if Youngjae was happy, Daehyun did not think he had the right to ask for more.

But then a few days ago, only just before the bachelor’s festival, Youngjae had said he was uncourted. Uncourted! Even with flowers and fruit in his hands, he had said so. At the time, Daehyun did not know if the boy was telling the truth, but his heart soared with hope.

Hours after their conversation, Youngjae appeared at the festival, even though stood in the corner the entire time. Daehyun couldn’t approach him, too occupied in conversation with some other villagers, but Youngjae looked bored and lonely. How he wished Youngjae would approach him instead, and talk to him like they were childhood friends.

If he did not have a suitor, Daehyun was not sure why Youngjae needed to go to the forest three times a day. And now, knowing that he had a chance to court Youngjae – he was too curious.

Without a word, Daehyun slipped out of his hut and followed the younger boy as he walked towards the village edge, and further into the forest. Youngjae looked worried, and his pace was quickening, his feet crunching on the fallen, bronze leaves.

He hesitated, unsure if he should follow.

“Jung Daehyun! You better not be following your brother.”

In the forest, Youngjae’s figure was quickly disappearing, and Daehyun heaved a loud sigh, knowing that his chance was gone. He turned around, only to face his enraged father.

“I wasn’t following Sanghyun,” he said, unable to hide the frustration in his voice.

“Good. It’s his hunting team, not yours,” the village elder sneered, and Daehyun sighed again. He never even hunted – there was nothing to hunt for.

“Yes, father.” He looked into the forest again, wishing that he followed Youngjae. The forest was dark, but the younger boy knew his way around.

The man in front of him narrowed his eyes at his son’s wistful expression. “Come with me. You ought to socialise with the villagers if you want to be like your brother in a few years.”

Daehyun swallowed a groan and stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He’d rather be anyone but Sanghyun – his cocky and arrogant older brother, who didn’t have one good trait in his body. Even now, when he was courting one of the nicest women from the village, he did not stop his flirtatious ways and only greeted her with rudeness and ungratefulness.

Daehyun did not know how his father, the village leader, even allowed Sanghyun to act the way he did, but his actions were encouraged, whereas Daehyun’s were looked down on. The second brother wasn’t good at hunting, or appealing to the villagers, or even helping around with festivities. He knew his father watched him with disappointment, and the villagers looked at him as the second child who had grown up with years of neglect.

The only one who had ever looked at him normally was Youngjae.

As Daehyun’s father led him back to the village, he cast a wistful look at the forest where Youngjae had disappeared. He swallowed determinedly, and promised himself that he would follow the younger boy next time he left.

Youngjae felt the hairs on his skin stand as he walked through the forest. The hunting group could run into him at any moment, and he would not have an excuse for why he was out in the forests, all alone.

But he would not mind being questioned, as long as he found Junhong. Yongguk had promised to bring him back in the morning, and yet, the sun was already setting and he had not heard from the nymph.

Youngjae played with his bottom lip between his teeth and hopped over a tree root in his haste to get to the meadow. Even the thought of Junhong leaving him was enough for his pace to quicken, and he was soon running towards the grassy field.

“Junhong!” he called, whipping his head around. He could only see the fruit tree in the middle of the meadow, and the trail of flowers around it. “Where are you?!”

He took a shaky breath when he received no reply, and immediately started thinking of the worst. Could people die in the Underworld? Had Yongguk taken him and refused to let him free? Youngjae clenched his fists, all of his anxiety bleeding into his shout, “Junhong!”

“Youngjae.”

The human stifled a yell and turned around, glaring at the source of the voice. He released a sigh when he saw that it was only Yongguk, but his heart seized again when he didn’t see Junhong.

Youngjae tried not to jump to conclusions – accusing the God of Death of murder would be an incredibly unwise action. Instead, he tried to keep his tone as innocent as possible when he asked, “Is Junhong coming back soon?”

His heart sunk when Yongguk flinched at his words.

“Youngjae...” the god murmured, his eyes on the ground. He could see the intertwined “The Underworld has forbidden Junhong from leaving for three months of each year, after my brother gave him sacred fruit.”

Youngjae’s blood ran cold.

“Junhong would not do that,” he said, eyes untrusting. “He knows the rules of the Underworld.”

“He trusted me,” Yongguk said. “My brother and I look identical, so he thought...”

“... He would not have trusted you that much,” Youngjae muttered, but his resolve was weakening. Junhong was naive, and truly in love with Yongguk...

“My brother brought a pomegranate to Olympus, where it was blessed by Haseul, the harvest goddess,” Yongguk started, but his voice died down. Youngjae simply stared at him.

“Since Junhong recognised the fruit, he thought it was safe,” he said finally. “I know you do not believe me, Youngjae, but I love Junhong more than anyone, and I would never hurt him like this.”

Even if Youngjae did not want to trust him, he could hear the conviction in the god’s voice, and see that he was telling the truth. He swallowed down his fear of being alone for three months, and spoke shakily, “You have planned revenge, right?”

“Of course,” Yongguk said. “You may not notice, but tomorrow it will be significantly cooler than it is today, and the day after that will be even colder. Snow will fall from the sky, and the lakes will freeze over.” A small smile formed on his lips, “My sister and I have planned for this to happen. It is only the first part of my revenge.

“Yongnam loves people visiting his home, the Seas,” Yongguk continued. “He welcomes visitors, and creates all sorts of underwater creatures for their entertainment. In the extreme cold, nobody will want to enter the Seas, and he will be deprived of human contact for the three months he has kept my love in the Underworld. Furthermore, humans will blame him for the lakes freezing over, and their inability to collect water. He will be hated by all, as he deserves.”

Youngjae’s eyes were already wide at his elaborate plan, but they grew even wider when he realised the meaning of Yongguk’s words. “But we humans will thirst until we die.”

“You may melt snow for water,” Yongguk said. “For drinking purposes. I would not be so cruel as to murder a race which has done nothing to deserve it.”

“Will other animals know how to survive?” Youngjae asked. He knew the animals of the forest would be Junhong’s first priority

“They have been told to go into hibernation, and will hide from the cold for three months, leaving your people to starve. But do not fret – you may still catch the fish from the Seas. In fact, I urge your people to do so. If humans rely solely on fish, my brother will be forced to create more and more, until he is exhausted.”

Youngjae’s jaw dropped at how well-thought-out Yongguk’s plan was. He had no idea that something as simple as making the Surface colder would have so many effects on the God of the Seas.

“It will be cold, so please look after yourself,” Yongguk said finally, and a blanket appeared in his hands. “This carries warmth from the Underworld. I hope it will suffice in this winter’s cold.”

He placed it in Youngjae’s hands, and then bowed low.

“I’m truly sorry for my brother’s actions. I know how much Junhong means to you.”

Youngjae flushed red and shook his head, flustered. He couldn’t believe the Lord of the Underworld was bowing to him. “No, no, Lord Yongguk, you don’t have to...”

He couldn’t even finish – this was unbelievable.

Yongguk soon straightened, and carried on as if he had never lowered himself to a human. “If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask. I will send my messenger here at noon on the first day of every week, in case you wish for anything,” he said generously. Looking at him, Youngjae could not believe he had ever been afraid of the god. Now he could see what Junhong loved about him; like a true leader, Yongguk held himself proud, but knew when he had to remain humble. Youngjae’s mouth was wide with admiration, but when Yongguk began staring at him, he blinked back into consciousness.

“Thank you for looking after Junhong,” the human said honestly, clutching the blanket to his chest. It felt warm in his fingers, and soft to hold.

“Of course,” Yongguk replied solemnly. Youngjae had never seen anyone look more serious than the god as he spoke. “I promise I will always protect him. Junhong will never be hurt like this again.”

Youngjae smiled, knowing that the god spoke the truth. “You deserve him more than anyone I know.”

Yongguk nodded, but he did not return his smile. Instead, he looked woeful.

“He is still too good for me.”

Yongguk bid Youngjae goodbye after assuring him that Jongup would come by every week with updates on how Junhong was faring in the Underworld. The boy didn’t care for Yongguk’s offers of more food and more clothes, telling the god stubbornly that he could support himself. Youngjae was extremely loyal to his best friend, which was a trait that Yongguk greatly admired.

Now, Yongguk only hoped that Junhong was not angry with him. He left the Underworld without saying a word, which was both careless and selfish. Even if Himchan and Jongup were trustworthy, Yongguk knew Junhong had a timid character, and would not warm up to them so quickly. Leaving him alone with them was a thoughtless action, one that a true god would not have taken – Yongguk was ashamed remembering it.

The god frowned when he walked into his castle and found the entrance empty.

He did not know what he was expecting, but the thought of Junhong being so angry with him that he didn’t want to greet him made his stomach sink. A thousand apologies were running through his mind, but they did not matter if Junhong didn’t want to see him.

His eyes lifted when he sensed the air around him shift, and Jongup apparated at the top of the grand staircase. He looked as calm and composed as ever, resting his elbows on the banister as he gazed upon Yongguk, as if waiting for him to say something. As far as Yongguk knew, the messenger never spoke unless directly asked a question. Even then, he would often respond with nods, or other gestures.

“Where is Junhong?”

Jongup’s eyes lifted to the ceiling.

Yongguk’s skin went cold with dread.

“The library?” he murmured, but did not wait for an answer. The god disapparated to the library, his heart pounding in his chest. He had no doubt what Junhong’s first book would be about, and whilst he did not want to hide the nymph away from the Underworld’s records, he was hoping to first ease him into it.

Yongguk hadn’t read Junseo’s records yet, out of respect, but he did not want Junhong to find something that would upset him. The god did not doubt that the nymph’s brother was a good person, but he also knew that everyone had secrets they did not wish to share.

When he appeared in the library’s entrance, he immediately registered quiet sniffling and rushed past Himchan, who was curled up on a cushioned chair taking a nap, to search through the shelves. The room was endless, and continued expanding as he tried to find the crying nymph, following the source of the sound.

He slowed to a stop as soon as he saw Junhong, lying on the floor of the library. His hand was resting on the pages of an open book, his body hunched over. Yongguk couldn’t see his face, but his entire body was shuddering.

The god kneeled on the floor and reached out to touch the nymph’s shoulder, gently waking him from his trance. Junhong’s eyes fluttered open, and he stared at Yongguk before immediately burying into the god’s warmth, wrapping his arms around Yongguk’s middle and hiding his face in his neck.

“J-Junseo,” he sobbed, his tears burning hot against Yongguk’s skin.

The god held him tightly, murmuring quiet words into his ear to try to calm him down. His hand came up to caress his hair, pressing a small kiss to his ear.

“H-He didn’t deserve w-what she did to him,” Junhong stuttered, looking back at the book’s blank pages. When he looked back at Yongguk, the god could see how shaken he was. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were rimmed red. The nymph immediately hid his face into his neck again, as if embarrassed to be seen. “She seduced him, a-and he believed she wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Who was she?” Yongguk asked. The nymph’s arms tightened around him, and he spoke into his shoulder.

“A human from the village. Her name was Yejin,” Junhong spat, with a tone of disgust. Yongguk had never heard Junhong speak anyone’s name with as much malice as he spoke hers. The god wished he could see the nymph’s face as he hiccupped, his body still shaking. The boy quietened, suddenly remembering what he had read, and he began trembling again. “Sh-She told him she would run away f-from the village, so they could live together, b-but she lied. Sh-She killed him.”

“Oh, sweetling,” Yongguk whispered softly, feeling his heart pull when Junhong clung to him tighter. “I’m sorry.” He knew Junhong would not receive any comfort knowing that the woman was definitely enduring punishment in Tartarus because of her crime, so he kept quiet, tracing patterns into the nymph’s skin for comfort.

“He loved her so much,” the boy whimpered. “But he never told me.”

Yongguk looked down at the young nymph in his arms, now understanding why he was so upset. Not only was Junhong angry that his brother was betrayed by someone he trusted, he also felt betrayed for never knowing who killed him. Junhong had been close to Junseo after the death of his parents when he was barely ten years old, and Junseo was murdered when he was much older – almost four hundred.

Junhong had not moved from his position, still hiding his face in Yongguk’s neck. All of his words were muffled, but the boy was clearly shaken.

“He loved you the most,” Yongguk said quietly. “Even if Junseo thought Yejin was the love of his life, he did not trust her as much as he loved you. If she found out about you, she would have killed you as well.”

The nymph in his lap shook his head in denial, as he hiccupped.

Yongguk knew Junhong may not have wanted to hear the truth, but as a god, he was used to being as objective as he could be. “He only wanted to protect you, Junhong.”

“I wasn’t a child!” the nymph cried. “I would have been able to protect myself!”

“He would not have wanted to take chances on your life, my love,” Yongguk was gentle, his voice as deep as always, but as soft as a feather. The nymph stayed silent, and suddenly slumped against him, all of his will to fight leaving his body. He brought his hands up to dry his eyes, still not looking at the god.

“I miss him, Yongguk,” the nymph confessed tiredly, finally lifting his face from the man’s shoulder. His face was flushed, and stained with tears. When Yongguk leaned in to give him a brief kiss, he tasted the salt on his lips.

“I know,” the god murmured. He held him tightly, not knowing what else he could do.

i am SO SORRY for the lack of update for almost three weeks!! honestly this was meant to be uploaded on wednesday but i forgot to because i had to catch a flight and now im in japan without access to my laptop most of the time and im dying

hands up was awesome though!!

if you dont hate me yet, feel free to comment! :D