The Seventh Chapter
Dragon's Mate [용의 반려]I woke from sounds of light rustling in my room. When I opened my eyes, I saw Luhan before me.
“Luhan?” I asked with confusion, as I rubbed my eyes.
To my sudden question, Luhan jumped out of surprise. Turning to face me, he then smiled his usual smile.
“I’m sorry, Haeun. Did I wake you up?”
I lightly shook my head no.
“So what are you doing here?”
“Of course I’m here to you to class!” Luhan said with excitement.
As today was Luhan’s second day of breaking into my room, I only smiled. I wasn’t even surprised anymore. I simply got up from bed, and began to get ready.
“Alright, Luhan. I’ll be out in a few minutes,” I said with a smile, as I entered the bathroom.
Luhan returned my smile, and continued to wait for me, while he sat on my bed.
After a couple minutes, I exited the bathroom, but found that Luhan was not alone. Standing in my room was Minseok, looking at me with a grim expression. The smile on Luhan’s face had also disappeared.
"Haeun..." Minseok began in a low voice, "you need to go somewhere with me."
I straightened out my uniform skirt out of nervousness, but followed Minseok out the door. Before I walked out, I gave Luhan a reassuring a look.
"I'll see you later, Luhan."
The silence that echoed as Minseok and I walked through the halls were immense. I couldn't bring myself to ask him where we were going. For some reason, it looked like it was uncomfortable to bring up the topic for him as well. As Minseok and I continued to walk in silence, the hallways got quieter and quieter. The further we walked, I realized that the structures that were around me were less familiar. It was as if Minseok was taking me to an untouched section of the school.
Quite a long time passed, until finally, I began to see a bright light ahead. It was a stone arch that led outside into the open. As I stepped outside, I gasped from the scene before me. Minseok had led me to some kind of orchard, where each individual tree was accompanied by a distinct patch of flowers.
"Where is this place?" I asked in awe of the beauty.
Minseok glanced back at me and gave me a sorrowful smile.
"A graveyard."
I stopped cold in my tracks from hearing his words. It wasn't that I was afraid or anything -- I was just shocked at how something I bitterly dispised could be so beautiful.
"It's quite rare for a dragon to die, but when he does, he's burried here," Minseok began. "Each tree in this orchard was once a dragon."
"...But why did you bring me here?" I asked in confusion.
Minseok let out a sigh before he continued. Even when he did so, he couldn't look me in the eye.
"You see, not only are dragons brought here, but their mates are as well."
It only took me a matter of seconds to understand why Minseok had brought me to this graveyard. My mother was here. As Minseok could see that I had registered the meaning of his words, he took a hold of my hand, and led me to a tree. This tree was different in that there was another tree next to it that was sharing a beautiful patch of snow white lilies.
"Normally, only dragons and dragon's mates are allowed here, but I figured your mother wouldn't want to be far from your father."
As I heard his words, a tear began to roll down my face. I tried my best to contain my tears, though. I didn't want to cry in front of my parents. Minseok let out a sigh and stared into the lilies that were decorating the trees.
"They say that lilies symbolize that innocence has been restored after the soul has departed," Minseok mumbled.
He pulled me into a hug, and held me tight.
"They're in a good place now, Haeun," he reassured.
The two of us stood together in the empty orchard, as I continued to let out the tears I had been holding in for a while. I had been acting brave for a long time, but the presence of my parents had made me into a weak little girl again. I held onto Minseok, and pulled him close, burring my face into his chest. He was all the family I had in my life now.
As the sun set past the clouds, and the moon rose from hiding, the graveyard of the fallen dragons once again became silent. Not a single whisper could be heard within the orchard, until a loud crunch of leaves striked through the peaceful quiet. Two men could be seen in the empty graveyard -- one man standing, and the other kneeling before him. The two stood in silence, until the one standing hit a blow onto the other's face. The man kneeling on the floor touched his cold hands to his face in an effort to cool down the heat that was rushing to his cheeks. "I tell you to do one thing -- one thing, and you let me down?" the one standing shout out. "Lord Baekhyun, I-I really didn't-" "Silence!" he yelled as he cut off the other's sentence. "I do not wish to hear your petty excuses anymore. It was my mistake for putting you in charge of the Terin. I should've known you were still too weak." "No, my lord, please! Give me another chance! I'll do it right this time!" "Listen to me," he said sternly, grabbing the other by the throat. "No one can be the Kahn Demion but me. Understand? If I can't have the Terin, no one else can." The man spoke inaudible words into the other's ears, and a bright light began to shine from the man's body. Soon, the light could be seen leaking from every opening
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