Sungyeol woke up first. He had the habit of waking up in the morning. He also noticed that in the absence of the Sacred Secrets, he didn’t feel as sleepy as he used to.

He washed his face with cold water and dressed quickly. They had run out of fresh clothes but Myungsoo had let them borrow some of his. They were a bit bigger than their size but Sungyeol didn’t mind.

Waking Woohyun, he went to the living room to see if Myungsoo was up. He was, waiting at the table for them with breakfast.

“You didn’t have to,” Sungyeol mumbled. Myungsoo had helped them in many ways and he was very grateful for that.

“It’s fine.”

Woohyun joined them and they finished breakfast quickly. Sungyeol felt a tingle of excitement as he showed Myungsoo his finished work. He was very impressed and congratulated him but the sad look didn’t leave his eyes. So Sungyeol was forced to tell him that he had done a lot for them and he shouldn’t feel sorry about what Sungjong had done.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“Thanks.”

But he didn’t look very convinced. Sungyeol gave up – he had other things on his mind. When they said their goodbyes, they set out from the house, bearing Myungsoo’s direction in their minds. They turned left and took a shortcut.

“So, is the compass ready to roll?” Woohyun asked excitedly.

“Yup,” Sungyeol said. He took out the compass. There was a small hollow at the center of the compass, where he poured in some of the salt he had borrowed from Myungsoo. Immediately, the tiny hands started whirring.

“It’s working!” Woohyun clapped his hands together, eyes glued to the small circle.

“Yeah,” Sungyeol replied, relieved. It would have been embarrassing if it hadn’t worked.

“So what are we looking for?”

Sungyeol explained that the movement of the small hands would stop completely when they were very close to the star. But usually they would circle the center at high speeds and the change in their speeds would show if they were moving farther away or closer to the star.

“Ingenious!”

With enthusiasm bubbling in the pit of their stomach, they marched through the forest, keeping a close eye on the compass. They took turns when the movement of the hands slowed down and changed their course according to the compass. But it seemed like the hands never really slowed down. They would slow down for a while, but the pick up speed. No amount of adjustment to their course could bring the speed down.

By noon, they were exhausted. They had covered a lot of grounds but the compass hands had shown no sign of stopping.

Draining a bottle of water he had brought from Myungsoo’s, Woohyun said exasperatedly, “What’s the point Yeol? Let’s just go back home. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Sungyeol shivered at the question. Woohyun had no idea what would happen if they failed the quest. Myungsoo did, that was why he looked so sad.

I want to protect you from the horrible truth, just in case.

When he didn’t reply, Woohyun started nagging him about going back home. He said how tired he was and that he wouldn’t be able to take another step.

“Fine, you go home! I’ll find the star myself!” Sungyeol said angrily. He didn’t want to lose his temper with his best friend but he was tired as well and the weight of the secret was crushing him.

“You know what? I’ve never seen such a pompous brat like you! You’re all about the glory of the quest and the honorable quester and blah blah – I’m just sick of it all. Admit it, you’re defeated and let’s just go back! But no, you have your ego to please.”

Sungyeol was appalled. He couldn’t believe his best friend was saying things like this to him. Woohyun of all people should understand.

What’s gotten into him?

“I’m going home Yeollie, I’m tired of all this mystic mumbo-jumbo. I just want a normal life, away from this. I don’t want to run behind stars and convince spell-casters and follow mad instructions form a book, I’m out of here.”

Without giving Sungyeol the chance to speak, Woohyun got up and hiked through the dense bushes due south. Sungyeol simply sat until he saw the shadow of Woohyun completely disappear in the trees.

So that’s it Woohyun, that was the extent of your friendship.

Sighing, he got up as well.

Refilling the center with salt, he started on his journey to find the star. It was getting darker and the dense canopy blocked the last of the sunlight. It was difficult for him to keep his eyes on the ground and on the compass. But there wasn’t much to see on the compass. The tiny hands were whirring nonstop, no sign of slowing down.

He didn’t know how long he had been walking but he now needed the torch he had brought along to make his way through the bushes. He had to care where his foot fell, lest there were ditches. His stomach was growling and he felt hollow inside.

At first he thought it was because he had nothing to eat since the morning but after some time he realized that he missed Woohyun’s presence beside him. Every step filled him with even more loneliness. He hadn’t appreciated what his friend was to him.

I thought I could do this alone, but I miss him so much.

Trudging through the thick undergrowth was becoming increasingly impossible. So he decided to stop, at least for a couple of hours, to rest and let the moon ascend in the sky. With the help of the moonlight and the torch, he’d probably be able to continue his journey. He had packed some food from Myungsoo’s house and now he helped himself to cold sandwiches. Woohyun had some sandwiches on him too, but he didn’t have anything to drink since he had drained his bottle of water earlier in the day.

I hope he has reached home by now. At least the bar…then he can get something to eat and drink.

Thinking about his best friend filled him with sorrow. There hadn’t been a time when Woohyun had failed him. They made such a perfect team, but now he was gone. All in all, this quest was an utter mess.

He was sitting on a rock and eating a sandwich when he suddenly heard a noise. It sounded like snapping of a twig, but heavier. He gulped down the food and stood up, looking around in the thick darkness surrounding him.

What was that? An animal?

He had traveled through a huge portion of the forest but he had yet to see an animal or a bird. It was eerily quietly. He couldn’t even hear crickets.

Wait, isn’t it too quiet?

His blood curdled as he realized why it sounded too quiet – he looked down at the compass in his palm. The dials weren’t whirring anymore, the low hum from the movement was gone.

But that means…