Hoya paced around the woods near their clearing. He was restless. Staying away from Seo In like this, and for so long was wearing on him mentally. What was happening? Was Seo In okay? Was he making any progress? The questions swam around in his head dizzyingly.

“Hoya!” he turned his head. Leo was heading towards him. Hoya smiled. Leo had been coming around a lot lately. Which was nice, he needed someone to take his mind off of Seo In.  “What’s up?” he asked, leaning up against a nearby tree.

“Nothing much,” he said, shaking his left leg vigorously. He couldn’t stop moving. His muscles were fatigued but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

“Hoya, please, let’s go somewhere,” he said, holding out his hand. “I know you feel guilty, but doing this to yourself isn’t healthy. Let’s go.” Hoya reluctantly took his hand.

*****

The two of them swung their feet in the river. They talked about what was happening around them. Apparently, his brother Hyuk was on the verge of failing math, and couldn’t quite read.

“It doesn’t help that he won’t listen to Minho. I mean, yeah we’re Lycans, bot people, but we still need basic skills to survive.” Hoya nodded. Leo kicked the water, sending droplet spattering, making ripples.

“What was it like, on the outside?” he asked. A pang came into Hoya’s chest as he recounted memories of his father and Mieda.

“Dark,” he managed to choke out. “It was always rather dark; we lived in a town of perpetual twilight. It never got any darker or lighter. We lived in shadows and desolation. As much as I enjoyed life back home, I could never imagine going back to how it used to be.” He let out a staggered sigh. “Not that I could if I wanted to.”

“I’m sorry, Hoya, I didn’t mean to make you feel this way,” he said, putting his arm around Hoya’s shoulders. Hoya shook his head.

“It’s okay.” He sighed and shrugged. “I’m better now. Sort of.”

“Seo In will take care of it, you have to trust him.” He shook his shoulders. “Without trust, what would you have?” Hoya nodded.

“You’re right.” Leo’s head perked up.

“Hey, since Heejun, you know, he’s gone, right? I think, maybe, you should check out your old home, for closure. Maybe it will help you move on.” Hoya raised his head.

“Perhaps. I’ll think about it.” He sharply turned his head. He could hear his mother calling him. “I’ve gotta go now. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, bye.”

*****

Hoya lie awake that day, tossing and turning. He couldn’t sleep. One thought kept eating away at him. What had Mieda become since he left? He had to know.

He quietly slid out from under his little brother, Ren. He sneaked around and over his family, twisting his ankle while trying to climb over his dad. He kept in a whimper, and leapt over on his three able paws, and trotted/hobbled out of the den. He made his way through the clearing, looking back to make sure no one was following him.

He transformed outside the clearing, and hobbled as far as he could, before he collapsed against a tree. His ankle was on fire. ‘Dammit,’ he thought. ‘Now what do I do?’

“Need a hand?” his head whipped back. Leo was standing a little ways away. He came over and lifted him up. Hoya hissed in pain. Leo looked down.

“You need to see Kris, he can fix this-” Hoya put his hand up to silence him.

“No, he’ll tell my parents I was out, we’ll both be in trouble.” Leo looked around. He then took Hoya into his arms.

“Fine, then where to?” Hoya cocked his head over to the west. “Mieda.” Leo began to run. Through the trees, dodging fallen brush and small woodland animals. He cleared a squirrel and jumped on a tree to avoid a skunk. He stopped, right at the entrance of the woods from Mieda.

“What are you doing?” asked Hoya.

“There, there’s a force field here, I can’t go past it.” Hoya smiled. “Not anymore.” He nodded. “Come on. You can do it.” Leo took a deep breath, and stepped through the trees and into Mieda.

*****

It was quiet. Not that that was anything unusual. They made their way to the middle of town. “Hello?” Leo called. “Is anyone there?” Hoya looked down, and realized that neither of them had clothes.

“Gah!” He wiggled, making it harder for Leo to hold him. “We’re !”

“Um, yeah?”

“People wear clothes!” He said, covering himself protectively.

“Are you even sure there are people here?” he asked. Hoya looked around.

“Hello?” he called. “Hellooooo?” Wind gently caressed his face. It was warm. “Hey,” he said, tapping Leo on the shoulder. “Go there,” he said, kiddie corner to the park he had been in when his father had fetched him on his birthday. “That’s Peter’s house. He used to be a classmate of mine.”

Leo made his way to the house. Hoya extended his hand and knocked on the door. There wasn’t an answer, but the door creaked open. “Peter?” Leo stepped into the house. It was dark. Layers of dust coated every available surface. A soft ‘crunch’ resounded with every step. Leo brushed off a chair next to the breakfast table, and the dust landed on the floor with an audible ‘fwoomp!’ he sat Hoya down, and went over to the window in the kitchen just a few feet away.

Dust flew in all directions, settling onto the floor, getting into Leo’s eyes and mouth, making him cough and paw at his face. Light drifted in through the filthy windowpane. Hoya’s eyes widened. There was a hand on the table, reaching up from beneath it. He used the table to stable himself, and stood up, looking over the edge.

“Peter!” he fell to his knees, bringing the boy into his arms. Leo came over, as Hoya threw Peter away from himself, emitting a bloodcurdling scream. Leo’s heart dropped into his stomach.

A giant doll with button eyes was dressed in Peter’s clothes. But what made him cringe the most, was what looked like blood spread across ‘Peter’s’ face.

“Wha-what is this?” Leo fell over and started crawling backwards, bumping into Hoya.

“It, it looks like a giant, voodoo doll.” Leo’s eyes grew wide.

“Hoya,” he managed to whisper. “Hoya, what if, what if your friend Peter isn’t the only one?” he asked.

“Let’s go, we need to check something.” He raised his arms as Leo rose to his feet, and picked him up. They hastily made their way out of the house, and down the road to Hoya’s old secluded home.

*****

At the edge of town, there sat his home, with the wall to the forest and the gate. The gate had been left open. They slowly made their way into the yard, looking about. It seemed barren, now that no one had been there for so long to take care of it.

The door had been carelessly left open. ‘Of course it would be though,’ said Hoya. ‘He knew he wouldn’t be coming back.’ With that thought, another pang in his chest almost made him want to keel over.  

“Should we…go in?” Leo asked. Hoya nodded. And so, they went into the house. It was small, but two stories. The main floor contained their rooms, the kitchen, bathroom and living room.

The second floor, however, Hoya couldn’t say. The door was in Heejun’s room. It was the attic. He had never been inside, and Heejun had the key. Well, he did. But now, it too had been carelessly left open. “We need to go in there, now.” Said Hoya, trying to climb out of Leo’s arms.

“Calm down, we’ll get there.” He said, readjusting him. Leo slowly but surely made his way up the stairs. Leo gently set him down so that he could grab the table and hold himself up. He turned around.

A model of their town and the surrounding area lay before him. It was Mieda, the woods, and surrounding area. There were small cloth dolls everywhere. They were scattered around the table. Some were near the park; others were lying in the street. Hoya lifted a roof, and found two in a house.

“Voodoo.” Leo slowly walked back.

“Leo?”

“Your, I mean, Heejun. Was practicing black magic. He, oh my God.” He covered his mouth, sinking to the floor.

“Look around. Come on. If I know Heejun, he’s left something behind.” Leo struggled to his feet, and went around the room. Hoya hobbled over to the wall, and scooted around, looking around the room.

Leo came upon a desk in the corner. There were piles of papers amongst other junk. There were old maps on the wall, and a rusted lamp.

Hoya sank to his feet. He was getting tired, and his ankle was now throbbing. As he began to give up, he saw something. Beneath the table, taped to the bottom. “Leo, under the table,” he said, pointing.

Leo came over and looked under it. “I don’t see anything,” he said.

“No, taped to the bottom, look.” He turned his head upward, and spotted what Hoya had pointed out. He gave a sharp tug, and it was free. He handed it to Hoya.

A book. Hoya opened it, and a piece of paper fell out. He picked it up and unfolded it.

‘To Hoya, my dear son,’ it began

‘I know that in my absence I have left you without answers. I don’t know everything. But I hope what I can tell you will be of some use. A lot of this diary goes back to when I was a young man.

Near the end however, I hope what is there will help you to understand what I did. Just remember, even if you’re not my son by blood, I always loved you as if you were.

-Heejun’

A diary. Hoya looked up at Leo. “Should we read it now?”

END OF CHAPTER 16