It's Storytelling time!

“If I were to come back in another life, I’d like to be reincarnated as my own clone.”

Jarod Kintz

“Where is she, dammit?!” Hyukjae screamed and smashed his foot into one of the mirrors. As if in slow-motion, I saw the mirror shards fall. I stared at one of the shards on the ground. It wasn’t anything special in particular, just a random shard. Even its shape wasn’t anything new. But I picked it up and then looked up to look back at Hyukjae. Only to notice that he wasn’t in the cabin anymore.

I walked out of the cabin to and was almost blinded by the sun that shone beautifully on the circus grounds.

That was strange… Apparently, we had spent more than an entire night in that other…, world? I wasn’t really sure what it was. But I walked while holding the shard carefully, I walked on the circus grounds. I was looking for Hyukjae but I couldn’t find him anywhere.

I searched the entire grounds, but even when the evening began to lay it’s darkness over the earth, I still hadn’t found Hyukjae.

With lump shoulders, I walked my fourth round. And eventually ended up standing in front of the snake cage. I wasn’t sure why but I had a feeling that I was supposed to be here. I stole a glance at Changmin who was sleeping. His long body was draped over random branches in the small cage. I wondered how this cage had even fitted Yesung in it. It was so small…

Suddenly with apparently no trigger at all, Changmin opened his eyes and stared directly into mine. I jumped and quickly retreated a few steps back, even though I knew perfectly well that Changmin would never be able to reach me from that distances with bars in between.

“I-I’m n-n-not a-afraid of y-y-you!” I stuttered out while pointing my finger at Changmin as if I was supposed to intimidate him.

A slight hiss came from Changmin’s mouth and he crept as close to the bars as he could.

“What are you doing?”

“AAAAHHHH!” I yelled loudly and jumped back for another few meters before quickly looking at the side. There stood the mysterious acrobat. His snow-white hair was shining in the moonlight.

“Oh, Hangeng, it’s just you.” I sighed audibly.

Hangeng chuckled. “Yeah, just me. But if you don’t mind me asking, Donghae. What are you doing here?”

“I was, ehm, looking for Hyukjae…” I paused for a bit. “You haven’t seen him, right?”

“No, I haven’t. But what I meant was: What are you doing in front of Changmin’s cage?” Hangeng asked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Changmin bobbing his head like a human. He was curious too, apparently.

“I’m not sure…” I mumbled. “I just had the feeling that I was supposed to be here.”

“You had the feeling that you were supposed to be here?” Hangeng repeated.

“Yeah.” I softly replied while looking at my hands. At that point I noticed that I still had one of the mirror chards in my hand. The moonlight fell in it perfectly and I played with it a little bit until I saw Changmin’s reflection.

I almost dropped the chard but managed to grab an edge just barely. Then I held it up again in the moonlight and placed it so that I could see Changmin’s reflection. The only problem was: I didn’t see Changmin. I saw someone else.

“What is this?” I murmured.

“What is what?” Hangeng asked.

“What is it with this reflection?” I asked Hangeng. I showed Hangeng but Hangeng’s expression remained unchanged.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hangeng said with furrowed eyebrows and a confused expression.

“But I can see a man whenever I’m looking at Changmin!” I almost yelled out.

I almost hadn’t seen Hangeng’s hand that shot out to silence me. “Shh, don’t let everybody know!” He whispered to me.

“Do you know what’s in it?” I asked him.

“I can’t see it, but I have heard several rumors about special Shamans that could see things through mirrors and glass that almost nobody could see.” Hangeng replied mysteriously.

I wanted to ask another question but Changmin banged his head against the bars. It was as if he wanted something from me. His expression was almost begging.

I hesitantly looked at him before grabbing all the courage I could and I asked: “Do you want to take a look too?”

Changmin hissed as if in agreement and I placed the mirror so that he could look into it. Suddenly his head dropped several centimeters lower and he let it hang.

I slowly pulled the mirror chard close to my chest and asked: “Can’t you see your human self either?”

Dejectedly, the snake shook his head.

Suddenly, without fear, I changed my angle as stood so that I could look in the mirror. I was standing quite close to the bars now but I mind no mind to it as I began to describe Changmin the best I could. Changmin and Hangeng listened intently and I swore that if snakes had the ability to cry, Changmin would’ve cried. I knew that he missed his human form and I wished at that moment that I could give it back to him. The world would’ve been so much better if I could’ve given Changmin what he wanted. Maybe the most logical thoughts would’ve been that I was happy that Changmin couldn’t be what he wanted to be but I was pitying him. The snake that had lashed out because he knew no other way how to release his emotions.

“You’re a good and special boy, Donghae.” Hangeng’s voice sounded from behind me. I turned around and smiled bashfully at him. “Thank you, but I’m nothing special.”

“Oh, I would beg the differ.” Hangeng said with a big smile while he looked up to the moon. “You’re mirror trick isn’t something anyone can do. I can tell that you’re very special.”

“Because you can see it in my aura?” I asked, sudd