Three days had passed, and it didn’t look like anyone would stop by their store to remove the protective rune any time soon. They’d been appearing all over the city, covering usually clean streets, houses and stores in spells bit by bit. Something was coming, and even though nobody knew how to interpret the runes showing up, the atmosphere was tensing up. There were more officers patrolling the streets, and people stood up straighter under their gaze, forcing themselves to smile and show they had nothing to hide. It was gloomy and suffocating. Even the library was affected, its patrons and staff members reduced to weak smiles and careful advice to stay safe.

Luhan looked out through the store front, watching the metal emblems blink in the sunlight as two officers crossed the street. They seemed to stick to main roads, but everyone did these days. Not necessarily because the spells had become scarier, but because being seen walking down such a street was a bad idea in itself.

With a sigh, Luhan sank into one of the two chairs, burying his head on his arms. Like this, the counter looked empty, but there were hardly any customers, anyway.

Despite Baekhyun being incredibly nosy and annoying, he had to admit that what he was currently doing was an amazing feat. With how Junmyeon had addressed him in particular, Luhan was pretty sure he was the only one securing the streets, and despite the seals appearing in very much public places, he hadn't been caught yet.

Feeling bored and glum, he toyed with one of the bottles, placing a finger on the cap to slowly tip it, balancing it on the bottom edge.

It had been three days since he'd left Minseok. Most of his things were still there, but he didn't feel like getting them. It wasn't like he wouldn't find his way - he still had the ring, after all.

It would just be... awkward.

Back then, he'd simply needed some space, and sleeping over at his own place happened in the heat of the moment. Luhan had never intended to leave Minseok's place for longer than a night, but when he returned the next day, Minseok was barely home and when he did return, he treated Luhan didn’t exist.

Feeling awkward and unwanted, he'd returned to his own place, where he'd slept the night before, too.

So technically, it had only been two days. Two nights.

Slowly, he moved the bottle in a circle.

He really was pathetic, but there was no denying that the ball was in Minseok's court. If the other refused to talk to him... well. Then what?

Luhan could hardly force him. He couldn't go back to pretending he'd never met him, either; the marks on his throat made sure of that. And even if one day, Minseok appeared with a miracle cure, taking back his ring and leaving for good, would that really be alright? It wasn't like Luhan had much of a say in this matter, and it would probably be for the best, but would it be alright ?

There was no need to try and lie to himself - he'd grown attached to Minseok. A lot. A little too much, probably. At this rate, he was ready to go back to his place and ask him to pretend they'd never slept together in the first place, and vow not to do it again if only they could go back to being friends. If that's what they'd been before.

The bottle slipped and met the wood. Luhan didn't even flinch.

Who was he trying to fool? Things had been different between them right off the bat. There had always been something, a certain type of tension, sparks of something a little more intense than platonic friendship. Luhan felt like those sparks had scarred him already, leaving a lasting imprint on his skin. Which was ironic, of course, thinking of the literal marks on his skin, but he wasn't in the mood to laugh at himself.

He should visit Minseok once more, confront him again, but with more patience. This entire situation was delicate and complex, pulling at him from various angles, but he refused to stay still and let it all wash over him, let it all pass by.

The door was opened and Luhan all but shot to his feet, a polite smile plastered on his face-

"Welcome-"

-and dying as soon as his eyes fell on Minseok who sent him a barely there nod.

"Hi."

He looked less extravagant than usual, and the small smile he shot him was almost wry, looking somewhat forced. Gone was the confident, glamorous witch - the guy approaching the counter looked nice, but modest, calm and slightly tired.

The unusual sight was enough to make Luhan nervous.

"Hi..." he said carefully, trailing off, because really, he had no idea what to say.

Minseok's gaze dropped to the counter and for a short moment, Luhan was perfectly lost. He had absolutely no idea where this was going.

"Are you free?"

Luhan blinked. And looked around the store.

"Right now?" he asked, brows raised. "I'm kinda... working."

The store was deserted and Yixing was somewhere in the backrooms, cleaning the storage, so technically, he could just leave, but he wasn't quite seeing why he should drop everything for the other. Yes, he might be pathetic and aware of it, but he still had some dignity left.

Minseok's lips parted for a nearly soundless 'ah'.

"Sure," he exhaled, taking a deep breath. "Later? When do you finish?"

"What do you want?" Luhan asked back, realizing that it came out more aggressive than he'd intended to, so he added, "Talk? Go somewhere?"

"Both," Minseok replied immediately. "I want to show you something."

"Cryptic as usual," Luhan sighed. Something akin to regret flickered over Minseok's expression, and Luhan caved in, because being difficult wasn't in his nature and he didn't like Minseok like this.

"Is it important?"

"Yes," Minseok said, quiet but sure. Serious, really.

"And is it dangerous?" Luhan tacked on as a second thought. Wordlessly, Minseok shook his head.

Luhan nodded to himself, because really, he'd already made up his mind and fooling himself didn't help either of them.

"Fine. I'll get my stuff and let Yixing know."

They had already left the city's central district, crossing the river and entering the Eastern parts of town when Luhan spoke up for the first time.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't actually expect an answer - it was simply an attempt to get a feeling for the other's mood, for the situation lying ahead of them.

"Windshire."

Luhan scrunched up his face in confusion, eyes on the uneven cobblestones so as not to trip. Windshire was a tiny outpost to the East. It barely qualified as a village, seeing as it mostly consisted of an old viewing tower and a few huts gathered around it where soldiers and their families lived humble lives. At least that's what Luhan knew from the papers - he'd never been there. There was no reason to go there, and on other news...

"That's quite a trip. I have work tomorrow, you know?" Luhan asked, not unfriendly, before he remembered that he was talking to a witch, who would probably travel in unconventional ways. Minseok didn't about it.

"We'll be back before that."

They entered a building through the backdoor, with Luhan naturally following the other's lead. There was no telling what the building was for but the winding, wooden stairs kept creaking under their feet, suggesting the place was old and forgotten. They didn't encounter anyone either, not until they walked down a narrow corridor and Minseok opened one of the many inconspicuous doors. Inside, a young boy looked up from where he was sitting by the window sill, clearly not surprised to see them. He looked younger than both of them, boyish, and with the light of the setting sun illuminating his face, familiar.

"I’ve seen you around the library before," Luhan burst out before he could stop himself. Minseok shot him a quick glance while the boy currently getting to his feet looked surprised, maybe even suspicious, in a very unguarded way. His eyes flitted from Luhan to Minseok.

"You said you needed a portal-" he began accusingly, and Minseok cut him off right away.

"-and I do. Don't mind him. It's just a coincidence."

After a beat of silence, the boy relented. He was still openly mistrusting them, which was evident in how he eyed them even as he crouched down to touch a large symbol that had been etched into the wooden ground. There was a subtle change in the air, the faint smell of burnt wood, and then the boy was stepping aside, defensively crossing his arms.

"It's open."

Minseok gently grabbed Luhan's arm, steering him towards the circle, but before stepping on it, he shot the boy a small, but not unfriendly smile.

"Thanks, Jongin."

Right, Jongin was his name, Luhan thought absently as the world around him was pulled apart, colors being smeared as everything bled into different forms. He closed his eyes when a sudden breeze washed over him, playfully tugging at his hair and making him tear up.

The wind was strong, much stronger than he was used to, living within the confines of the capital, and when he opened his eyes, all he saw was a cloudless sky.

His stomach dropped.

"Are we- on the tower?" he asked, panic vibrating from every syllable as his fingers dug into Minseok's arm, holding on for dear life. There was a ceiling, but it only went up to their waists, and above that, he saw nothing but sky with mountains at the far, pale horizon.

Minseok tensed under his grip, but it was mere self-defense - his voice stayed perfectly calm.

"It'll be alright. I'm pretty sure, at least. Trust me."

"You have awful timing regarding such big phrases," Luhan pressed out, sounding comically high-pitched.

Never in his life had he been in a place this high. Which made sense, considering that he got nauseous from the second floor upwards.

"We'll try this," Minseok only hummed. "If it doesn't work, we'll leave straight away."

"If what doesn't work?" Luhan asked, lost on which word he wanted to highlight, because every single one had a right to.

Minseok made a step towards the railing, and Luhan's response was a very pitiful sound.

"No," he whined, the words just bubbling out now, "no, please, I'll throw up, what do you want, just tell me straight up, come on, Minseok-"

The other had the nerve to shush him, which would be enough for Luhan to angrily lash out in his vulnerable state, but luckily for both of them, Minseok chose to actually talk this time, loud enough to reach him over the howling wind.

"I don't think this height will make you feel sick. Strange, maybe, but not sick. Not like it usually does."

Luhan calmed down upon hearing this - at least enough to stop babbling. He was still stiff as a board, but at least Minseok had considered his fear of heights and was going somewhere with this.

"Close your eyes," Minseok said, and after a beat of silence, he added, "I won't do anything strange. I won't even move. Promise."

It was like the weird atmosphere between them had temporarily evaporated to make room for the unusual situation. Like what had happened between them had been nothing but a fleeting argument. With no brain capacity to analyze any of this, Luhan simply closed his eyes, refusing to let go of Minseok. Around him, the wind dimmed down. Whatever magic Minseok was working, it was now quiet enough to hear his own, slightly ragged breathing.

"Give it some time. Just try to relax."

That was easier said than done, but without the strong wind and thanks to the solid body beside him, he felt the upcoming hysteria ebb down.

"What do you usually feel if you're up high?"

Luhan shrugged, but dutifully kept his eyes closed.

"Headaches? I get nauseous, too. It feels like, I don't know - like a minty sensation. Just cold and prickly and uncomfortable. One time I actually threw up."

"And did you know that those symptoms are very unusual?"

"I was vaguely aware."

Minseok hummed.

"Fear of heights usually shows in a rapid heartbeat," he explained, just slightly leaning into Luhan, "or the kind of fear you feel when facing something dangerous. Sweating, frantic behaviour, all those are common indicators."

Luhan could only shrug again.

"I just thought I was a little messed up in that regard..."

"And what do you feel in crowded places?"

By now, he really wanted to know where Minseok was going with this, so his answer came without hesitation.

"The same, really. The headaches and everything. Why?"

"Because even for agoraphobia, those symptoms are unusual. Not impossible, but unusual," Minseok said with a certain finality to it. "Tell me if you feel any of this right now."

Luhan took a deep, but steady breath, and opened his eyes. The setting sun to his right dipped the lands in shades of gold, coating the meadows and forests, gleaming on the mountains in the distance.

It was easily the most beautiful place he'd ever been in.

Carefully, he placed a hand on the railing, looking around. With his fingers sliding over the railing, he slowly walked around the platform until he could see the capital in the distance.

Seeing the town - this world he had lived in all his life - so small and far away was strangely freeing.

"So? What do you feel?" Minseok asked beside him. Out of words, Luhan could only lightly shake his head. It was hard to believe but... he didn't feel any pain at all. Sure, when he dared to lean forward enough to see the ground so far beneath them, the sight made him a little nervous, but the breathtaking view easily made up for it.

"Nothing. It's all gone," he admitted.

Minseok actually smiled at that, thin but full of relief.

"That's because you don't have a fear of heights, Luhan. And probably not a fear of crowded places, either."

Luhan could only tilt his head in question upon hearing that. Minseok didn't make him wait any longer.

"What you're feeling, that uncomfortable sensation, leads back to the magic permeating the air. Or rather to the activity it's forced into."

"What do you mean?" Luhan asked, feeling a bit shaky already. Maybe Minseok had sensed that because he gently pulled him to the ground so they could sit right by the railing. The railing consisting of metal bars, very much allowing him a view that should be making him sick. Right now, Luhan felt so safe he could lean against them with his back, if he wanted to. Right now, he could forget about all of it, in favour of attentively listening to Minseok, whose hand was resting next to his thigh, just shy of touching him, staying within reach.

"What you're feeling is active magic," he explained. "You don't have a fear of heights, you can simply feel Jongdae's magic as you get higher - it's permeating the air at pretty much all times and it's getting thicker the higher you get. You could picture it like a globe covering the town."

"And I can feel that?" Luhan asked sceptically.

"Apparently. I should have noticed it sooner, really," Minseok sighed. "The way you behaved at the restaurant and around other witches... your perception was a bit too sharp. I just assumed you're ridiculously observant."

Cluelessly, Luhan shook his head.

"I didn't do anything special though. Anyone would be able to see unnatural things happening-"

"Yes, but you're able to sense them," Minseok cut him off, sounding patient. "The capital is a hotchpotch of witches and magic, and crowds are extremely likely to attract magic of all kinds, both intentional and not. Its likely to find witches among them, decked in concealing, active magic. What did you feel during my execution?"

Helplessly, Luhan shook his head.

"I don't remember," he muttered, racking his brain for that one, fateful day. "It was prickly, I guess? It wasn't too terrible, but..."

But he had felt something. He'd simply accepted that crowds made him feel weird. There was nothing too unusual about that, after all.

"I noticed that you didn't seem to mind during the Walpurgis," Minseok added. Now that he'd said it out loud, he was driven by the urge to piece it all together for Luhan to witness.

"Magic is being suppressed there thanks to some ancient, powerful spells, and it seems to work for you."

"But," Luhan began, too overwhelmed to form a coherent thought, "doesn't everyone feel that? Magic, I mean? Maybe I'm just the only one who gets sick-"

"Not even witches sense magic like you do," Minseok stated with absolute certainty, shutting Luhan up for good.

They didn't?

"There's tools and spells and ways to train our perception but not even the sharpest witch would feel sick upon stepping into an actively magical area."

Luhan immediately thought of the demon clinging to his skin - the only abnormal thing about him, really.

"Maybe it's another, invisible demon thing," he tried, but Minseok only shook his head, not even breaking eye contact.

"The demon jumped you because you were clean. Because it saw vulnerable, untapped potential it could feed on. The potion Kyungsoo placed on the table back was a rare, infamous and terribly difficult to produce elixir that takes away your abilities to work with magic. Indirectly, he told me that the reason the demon is still around is that you have potential."

Minseok took a deep breath as if he was the one who had to calm down, as if it wasn't Luhan who felt not only physically, but also mentally detached and too far away from the ground. Then he met his gaze again, serious and composed, his words steady and dusted with urgency.

"You have the potential to become a witch."

"Me?" Luhan asked numbly. It didn't matter that Minseok wasn't the type to repeat himself, that he likely wouldn't receive a verbal reaction.

The potential to become a witch.

His first thought was something along the lines of 'Oh, so it is something you need to be born with,' and then a flurry of subconscious images of him as a witch flashed by, too fast to be ashamed of, and only then did his mind dare to really tackle this intimidating piece of information.

"...huh. Maybe that's why I ended up at the orphanage. You think they knew?"

Minseok grimaced.

"Probably not. I'd imagine they had a vague idea at most."

"And do I have to become a witch now?"

This time, Minseok broke eye contact first, and he could see him straightening his posture.

"That's up to you."

"I can just choose not to become one?"

"Sure you can," Minseok affirmed easily.

"But what about the demon?" Luhan asked doubtfully. Minseok wasn't deterred, but also still refused to meet his eye.

"If you don't want to use your potential, you can take the potion and it'll be gone. The demon will dissolve naturally, then."

Oh.

"So," Luhan began slowly, fingers restlessly running over the rough, wooden planks they were sitting on, "You’re saying I either become a witch or I'll kill that weird sense of mine and never become one."

"Yeah."

"I either... leave everything behind and become a witch," Luhan trailed off, looking into the far distance, taking in the fantastic sight of the sun dipping beneath the horizon, "or I return to my previous life and forget about witches entirely."

Saying it out loud made him truly realize the meaning of that statement. If he were to become a witch like Minseok, there was no way he'd still be able to work at the store with Yixing, or help out at the library - it would endanger them, and that was the last thing Yixing or the library staff deserved. If he didn't become a witch, on the other hand, Minseok didn't really have a reason to keep him around any longer, and technically, associating with him was dangerous for Luhan, too, probably more so if he was lacking this strange potential of his.

"You don't have to decide straight away," Minseok hurried to assure him, and Luhan nodded.

"I- I'll definitely think about it."

He saw him nod and then look into the distance. Luhan did the same, turning towards the railing until their sides touched just barely, just enough to be considered coincidental by a desperate person.

For a long time, it was silent as Luhan kept turning the new-found information around his head, looking at it from all angles, trying to make sure he understood everything correctly.

"So," he finally began, fighting the urge to fidget and trying his best to sound nonchalant, "how long have you known?"

"I only figured it out when Kyungsoo told me," came the immediate reply, and Luhan nodded, having expected as much. It led right to his next question.

"And you held back on telling me right away because you were afraid you wouldn't get rid of me? Or because it would be awkward to be friends with benefits with another witch?"

"What?"

He could see Minseok stare at him, but Luhan was nervous enough as it was, so he focused on a speck of dirt gathering at the bottom of a metal bar.

"You know," he trailed off, making a vaguely dismissive hand gesture, "Like you wanted to mess around and then you were scared that if you told me about my witch potential, I'd use the chance to latch onto you because I might misinterpret things between us? That kinda thing."

"Don't be ridiculous," Minseok muttered. "I held back on it because it's a serious, life-changing information and I had to think it through first."

"And did sleeping with me influence your decision in any way or...?" Luhan asked before he could help it.

For a moment he thought he might have pushed the other too far, but a glance told him that Minseok looked defensive rather than angry, his gaze resting on his lap.

"That wasn't about that," he said quietly. It reminded Luhan of the way he'd talked the last time Luhan had confronted him - surprisingly small, fragile almost.

This time, Luhan didn't want to fight or hurt him, so he mirrored the other's volume.

"Then what was it about?" he asked carefully.

There was a light shrug, an aborted shake of his head, parted lips, and a beat of silence. This time, Luhan waited patiently.

"I just- when you asked me about my reasons," Minseok eventually began, cutting himself off only to pick up after a split second, "my reasons to show you so many things, to explain magic and take you along to the Walpurgis - I realized that I have none. It was entirely unnecessary and I shouldn't have done it."

It was probably his overwhelmed mind getting ahead of himself, but Luhan felt a spark of hope.

"But you did, anyway. For fun," he asked rather than stated. Minseok closed his eyes and nodded. It wasn't much, but it was obvious that he was trying to work with Luhan despite this being immensely difficult for him, so Luhan decided to take the lead for once.

"Do you want to stay casual?"

In response to the questioning look, he added, "Like, do you want to be friends who just mess around once in a while?"

"Do you?" Minseok asked, sounding guarded, but Luhan wouldn't have it.

"No, no, no," he said, slipping away enough to shoot him an accusing look. "Not this time. You’ll answer first. Why do I always have to be the one guessing with you?"

"Like I'm not guessing here," Minseok sighed, showing a glimpse of the stubborn witch he'd come to know.

Luhan huffed.

"Please, I am an open book to the point it's embarrassing-"

"Except you're not," Minseok cut him off, surprisingly firm and if Luhan didn't know any better, he'd say the other looked accusing as well. "You seem like messing around would be perfectly fine with you."

Luhan crossed his arms, trying to downplay his rapidly beating heart by keeping the conversation going.

"Like you wouldn't be able to pull that off. Now you're just lying-"

"I would!" Minseok insisted, finally turning towards him and lowering his guard for long enough to let the next words slip.

"Of course I would be able to, but we're long past that already!"

Luhan blinked.

"We are?"

With a breathy, almost pitiful groan, Minseok buried his face in his hands.

"Are you serious?" he asked, muffled against his palms, and Luhan felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Well. That's how hard to read you are," he countered, but it came out weak at best.

"I thought I could get you out of my system if we just did it," Minseok muttered, throwing up his hands in defeat. "But I can't. So there. There's your answer."

"So" Luhan began, trying not to get his hopes up prematurely and to make absolutely sure he was following, "is the answer that you don't wanna be casual and you'd rather have me out of your life entirely or...?"

"Luhan, I want to be with you. More than friends. More than casual hook ups. I would really, really like that."

It was the way he said it that made Luhan shut up and listen. Certain and yet restrained.

"But I'm a witch. Being with me might bear a heavy burden and it's not my place to step up and just dump all these secrets on you with no regard for your safety and happiness. I've already gone way too far."

Despite everything... Luhan couldn't help smiling.

It just happened, sneaking up on him and fighting its way to the surface.

"I want it, too."

No pretense, no excuses, no witty banter.

For a moment, there was nothing but the simple truth lingering in the air, all cards placed on the table face up.

It felt strangely vulnerable and yet exhilarating.

Minseok looked him in the eye like he was searching for doubts, but this might be one of the only things he was perfectly certain about at this point.

Then he swallowed, slipping closer to him, one hand coming up to cup the side of his face.

"Okay," he breathed out like he was gearing himself up, eyes flitting down to his lips and then he was close enough to smell his perfume-

"Wait-"

Dazed and reluctant, Luhan leaned away just enough to be able to look him in the eyes.

"Is this really okay? I thought you shouldn't..." he trailed off, trying not to get lost in the other's eyes that looked just a tad darker than usual.

"It's alright," Minseok whispered, and Luhan simply trusted him, closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel a moment of undisturbed peace when their lips brushed.

No matter what the future brought, this was a decision he could make right on the spot, and he already knew that he was not going to regret it. No matter what was going to happen after this, he'd never deny the completion he'd felt up there, on top of the Eastern outpost, the farthest he'd ever been from home... when Minseok kissed him for the first time, unhurried, dizzying, gentle, never stopping for too long, unbothered by the stars appearing one by one in the sky above them.