Leo was lost and his senses dulled.

The talisman installed on Seohae’s house was extraordinarily strong, to the point he couldn’t even sense where he was going inside. He would’ve been lost in every turn if not for the necklace Seohae had him wear.

“I know it looks like a collar. Frankly, it used to be.” Seohae said as she showed it to him. “I can’t replicate the anti-talisman, sadly. I’m sorry for its awkward appearance. I’ll be sure to refine the other one.” She apologized again.

He asked who they were originally for, since the leather did feel worn out, but she just smiled and told him to ask at another time.

The oddest thing with Seohae’s house was that it was lively. It wasn’t only her living in it, but actually, it was a whole habitat for endangered creatures. It was a massive garden inside walls, which was strange considering the outside looked like a humble wooden cottage. He wondered why she used loneliness as an excuse to claim him.

He guessed that his necklace was originally for some sort of creature that used to live there, since the others had something similar on them.

When he was called for dinner, he noticed the other creatures also being fed by Seohae’s, he assumed, workers. Pitch black shadows that had no form, they creeped even Leo out.

“You had said you were lonely, yet this place is b with life. I feel like I am in a forest.”

Seohae didn’t seem to be eating, she was only drinking something from a cup. “I will explain myself.” She promised, “but only when I can have something to show for. I admit that I had other reasons...”

Leo could guess as much. “I know.”

“But I do want to make it up to you.” She immediately defended, “I’m also doing this for you. I needed to take you away from Sanctuary. At all costs.”

“Why?” Leo was almost irritated. She was lying to him and kept giving different reasons. 

“Leo, they’re brain-washing you. Surely, you could expect that much?” She was almost laughing. “That place has a farce for a system. They know of all the holes in their little space, yet they do nothing about it.”

“Because there is no way to close all the holes-“

“Because there are plans that expand beyond the shadow realm.” Seohae cut him off. “They preach of peace for our kind, yet they seek for war on the outside. It’s not war of guns and killing, but rather of resources.”

 Leo grew wary. The air around her changed. “What does that mean?”

“I’m sure you know that Thunderbirds aren’t common here in the outside.” Seohae sighed, “Even in this house, there are only 3. One of which is a baby. They grow too large for the area to accommodate them. And they’re very fickle about magic concentration in the air.”

The outside world is losing magic because our kind is being collected inside Sanctuary. Other races such as humans only create half of the magic they use up. For our case, we practically exhale magic. By having all of us collect in one place, this world is becoming unbalanced.”

“Whose fault is it?”

Seohae looked at him, almost with pity. “It’s not so black and white to the point of putting the blame on either side, Leo.”

“But you’ve chosen your side?” He challenged.

She wasn't as weak as she presented herself to be in Sanctuary. A part of that must've been the bounds she was forced to wear back then. However, she still seemed somewhat sickly.

“If I did, we wouldn’t be talking right now.” She sharply replied, “I have to say that you grew a tongue over the decades.”

Leo, ironically, didn’t reply to that one.

“I‘m more of a threat to this world than a friend,” She continued, “but I’ve lately come to realize the pain I’ve caused. You were just one of the many I had hurt, I’m sorry, truly.”

“I’ve already moved past that...” He quietly said.

“You have.” She smiled faintly. “I know you were happy with the people you left behind, but I just need to set something right with you. Give me time and I’ll let you free.”

He didn’t have anything to say back and just watched as she was wheeled away by a dark silhouette.

“Additionally, they are children of the forest who swore fealty to me. They don’t talk much, but they can understand. Ask them anything. I'm sorry if I don't have the courage to act normally around you. Not even now.”

I thought I would get the chance to talk to you. Leo looked around him. The artificial sky inside the house was mimicking that of a normal night.

He felt nauseous. His biological compass wasn’t working in the house. After contemplating, he decided to ask where the way out was. A pitch-black humanoid shadow appeared, but it only lead him to a bedroom. It was apparent that he wasn’t leaving unless he was allowed to.

Rather than wondering if I made the right decision, he looked around the place, I should stop fooling myself with the notion that I had a choice to begin with. But he also wondered if he would have agreed to come with Seohae, given the chance. He was sure that there wasn't anything evil going on in the place, since animals would have sensed that.

His room was quite large- too lavish for his taste. The size just made him feel lonelier. The fact that his senses couldn't even penetrate the walls of the house just made his world seem a little smaller.

He didn't want to compare, but he felt like he was back at Jaekyun's. This time, he was alone.

A/N: I made a mistake of prematurely posting this story. I forgot to 'Hide' it so one person was able to see the version of this that still needed editting lol my bad hahahahaha. Anyway, how are y'all doing? I'm graduating high school soon /sigh/