“I cannot believe we got separated!”

Key’s angry snap made Chunji jump slightly. Jonghyun gave his friend a pat on the shoulder for reassurance, but Key continued his rant nonetheless.

“I specifically told him to hold on! I told him to grab our hands so we won’t get lost. It’s already dark enough for goodness sake, but no, he simply had to disappear into the darkness on a whim, thinking we’d gone some other way. Is he such an idiot that he’d…”

“Key.”

“…dragging Taemin along with him too. Does he even know how dangerous it is out there? It’s practically crawling with animals and strange things, and not to mention he’s practically blind at night. He’s going to trip and fall into brambles, and Taemin can’t help him either since he’s so small and skinny, he can’t even hurt a fly with that kind of stature…”

“Key!”

Jonghyun’s forceful growl interrupted Key’s rambles. The apprentices flinched slightly when they noticed how the two elders were almost at each other’s throats, by the way they were approaching the beginnings of an argument, and how their grips seemed to tighten ever so slightly. The tension crackled in the air as both boys’ frustrations and anger reached their peaks towards

“If I may speak…” Niel murmured, urging the note of calmness to enter his voice when he sensed two very infuriated gazes turn in his direction. He took a shuddering breath, thinking carefully on his words before continuing gently.

“Arguing will do us no good at our current state. I suggest we stay together and find somewhere to spend the night instead of wasting our time out here. We’ll be able to find the others more easily out in daylight, so let’s wait till morning.”

A period of silence responded Niel, as the younger added more softly.

“Do not let the fear and worry consume your emotions. It will only cloud your judgment more. Our friends will be fine.”

Another pregnant silence, and all Niel felt was Chunji leaning on him in reassurance, his close friend seeming to have sensed his readiness for a scolding.

“…Sometimes I wonder who exactly is the mentor here.”

Niel let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Jonghyun finally said warmly, none of the earlier ferocity or frustration in his voice as he did. “I think Niel’s right. We won’t do ourselves any good if we tire ourselves out here.”

“Let’s go find shelter. The nights are getting colder, especially in autumn it’s kind of hard to estimate. Not to mention there’s snow on the way.” Key murmured softly in agreement, his eyes briefly reflecting the moonlight. Niel smiled at the light of gratitude in the elder’s eyes, before gripping more tightly onto their hands as they sped off. In the dark, they were blind and helpless.

But who said they had to face it on their own?

*******

Earth seemed to stop spinning for a single moment. Minho stared at the face before him, horror coursing through his being.

“How…”

Minho in a deep breath, taking in every scar. Taemin’s once beautiful face was completely ravaged on one side, his left completely marked with long scars that ran down from the top of his forehead to the bottom of his chin. It was like a cat used him as a scratching post, with iron claws as it ran them down his faces in vertical lines. His eye was closed firmly, unable to be opened or used for vision as the scars scored across it. His ear was completely shredded, his skin, no, flesh was an angry red or even slight purple as it could never heal to the milky white skin it used to be.

Taemin’s turquoise orb opened, filled for the first time with such strong emotion that Minho wasn’t used to it. The deep sadness and endless sorrow held within that orb shattered Minho’s heart to pieces; that look should never have existed upon any person’s face, especially not on such a young, innocent being.

“Taemin, I…” Minho his lips, his mouth strangely dry as he struggled for words to say. Taemin turned his face away, his eye closing once more as he didn’t dare to face Minho.

Frowning, the older came to a decision. He opted on speaking, but decided on something much simpler.

He wrapped his long, warm arms around the younger’s frail shoulders, as if encasing him safely under gentle wings. Taemin looked up in questioning upon Minho’s face.

Why?

Minho’s heart lurched once more. He hugged the small boy even more tightly, whispering gently.

“You’re not alone, Taemin. You have me.”

Taemin was frozen, before pulling back slowly. The question remained in his blank orb, but he didn’t speak as Minho smiled sadly at him.

“Come, we need to find a way out of this dark place. We need to find the others and make sure they’re safe.”

Taemin brushed his rather wet bangs back into place, before holding out his arms in front of him. The orb came to rest in between his palms, suspended in air before it began to glow very gently.

“Take us…away…”

Taemin whispered, before reaching forward to touch the orb with a single finger. At once, the orb turned into a string of light, wrapping around Taemin’s arm like a slender ribbon. Minho gaped in awe as the light slowly gathered into his apprentice’s waiting fingers, the warmth pulsating gently as it formed a small key. Taemin held the glowing key aloft, turning it to the left as if unlocking a door by inserting it into a dark keyhole, in hopes of seeing the other side.

As if on cue, the darkness instantly dispelled, the key shattering to a million pieces. Minho gasped as he felt the familiar ground of springy grass beneath his feet. He could see the moon again, his surroundings not as dark as before.

Taemin would’ve fallen on his face if Minho had not caught him.

The apprentice’s eyes were closed, his face lined with exhaustion as the fatigue caught up with him. His breathing was gentle as he slumbered.

“You’ve done way too much, Taemin.” Minho smiled. Even if the events were completely shocking and currently, hard for him to accept. But still, he was willing to wait.

It was worth the price if Taemin would be willing to open up to him, to speak in that soft melodic voice again, and tell him why everything happened.

Even if he knew he was going to get himself in really deep crap.

******

“You know, I wonder why that child would go to such lengths to remain at your side. It is incredibly intriguing to see him display such affection to someone like you.”

Taemin turned his head to meet a pair of aquamarine eyes, glowing with humor but with slight concern and love.

“I wonder indeed.”

“You’re going to have to face the music though. That you will have to break the truth to him. It’s no use hiding, especially with red-eyes out on the loose.”

Another deeper voice twined in to the light one. A pair of sea-green eyes appeared beside the aquamarine. They narrowed slightly.

“Are you sure you can do this? You do realize how much pain it will bring you. And not to mention what it may bring to your relationship.”

“Since when did you think they were in relationship?” The light voice piped up, the aquamarine eyes dancing with a cheeky light. Taemin frowned.

“I don’t. But there is the possibility. I have not seen such a look of fondness upon my brother’s face for a long time.” The pair of sea-green eyes fixed upon Taemin’s face.

“Please, he’s never shown any other emotion but blankness and sorrow. What makes you think he has affection?” The light voice snorted.

At that question, everyone fell in silence. Taemin got up, turning away when the deep voice called to him.

“Be careful, and watch your step. You may fall if you’re not careful.” The sea-green pair of eyes was filled with concern and warning as it uttered the ominous warning.

Taemin stared at them for a moment longer, before turning and jumping deeper into the darkness.

*******

Taemin blinked his eye, his environment pitch black. Slowly, his eye adjusted to the gloom, and the night seemed as bright as day as he slowly got to his feet. Minho was sleeping next to him, breathing softly. Sneaking out of the alcove he watched as the sun slowly began making its way up the sky.

He sighed deeply. He had gotten really used to waking up with the sun every morning.

A gasp from behind him made him sigh. His absence must’ve woken his mentor; he made a mental note that Minho was a light sleeper.

“Taemin! Are you alright?” Minho looked like a five-year-old, his soft hair pointing in so many directions. His eyes were watery, tearing slightly as he yawned. He stumbled across the rocky path, Taemin reaching forward to take the large hand in his to support the sleepy mentor. Minho smiled in gratitude.

“I didn’t know you woke up this early. You scared me half to death when I realized you weren’t next to me. For goodness sake, warn a guy next time.”

Taemin simply fixed his gaze upon his mentor silently, before turning to watch the giant star claw into its place, bringing warmth to the forest. He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth for a brief moment before getting to his feet.

Grabbing the strap of Minho’s rucksack that was abandoned in the corner of the alcove, he dug inside to find an energy bar. Breaking it in half, the two shared what seemed to be a meager breakfast to last them the day.

“We better get going. I do hope the skies stay clear, don’t you think, Taemin?”

Taemin met the cheerful gaze of Minho, before turning to concentrate on his food. He had no idea what the rest of the day would be like, but something inside him was screaming of danger.

He’d learnt to trust his instincts a long time ago. He was definitely not looking forward to this day.