Part 3: Chapter 4

The first time Kai had brought Luhan to meet the Old Man, Luhan had gotten the impression that the Old Man knew a lot more than he let on.  He had sent Luhan and Kai up the mountain behind his home to pick a flower at the Buddhist temple under the guise that the exercise and exertion would help Luhan overrule his wolf.  They had found the temple, but they hadn’t found the flower.

Instead, they had stumbled upon more questions. 

The same questions ran through Luhan’s mind now as he stood before a familiar statue.  Luhan had walked the mountain path this time, thus it had taken him much longer then it had taken him and Kai to run it.  Now, the sun was getting ready to set.  Light filtered through the trees at a slant and lit the statue, a figure that sat in a meditating pose.  As Luhan watched its half-lidded eyes, they began to glow red.  Luhan expected it this time, but it still startled him.  The statue was just the beginning of the strange things he and Kai had found at this temple. 

On his own this time, Luhan made his way around the statue and through the front gate to the temple.  The atmosphere in the temple still had the creepy stillness it had had the last time and Luhan fought the shiver that ran up his spine. 

“You’ll know what to do when you get there,” The old man had told him. 

Luhan did know where he was going.  He had known as soon as the old man had mentioned the temple.  Walking down the pathway lined with trees bared by winter’s cold, Luhan headed to the hall with the paintings.  He stopped briefly before the image that had caught his attention before.  The portrait of two men and a woman standing close together in a doorway looked no different than it had before.  The craved sign beside the door in the painting still held the same symbol that marked Luhan’s wrist. 

He absently rubbed at that mark now as he turned away from the painting and headed towards another set of double doors.  These doors were plain, the only decoration was a howling wolf lightly craved and barely visible in the center, half on each door. 

The last time Luhan had entered this room, his confused wolf had been forced to the surface for a heart stopping moment before subsiding.  Would the same thing happen this time? 

Maybe not.  This time his wolf was under control.  But Luhan knew something was going to happen.  He knew that the old man was anticipating it and that had been why he had been sent up here.  But what was it he was anticipating?

Luhan’s hand shook as he lifted it to push the door open and slip inside. 

School was long over and the sun was ready to disappear behind the mountain by the time Kyungsoo and Sehun reached the Old Man’s house.  They had gone to Luhan’s apartment and checked out a few other places, but eventually, Kyungsoo had called Kai for directions to the Old Man’s house.  That was the only other place they could think of to look. 

“Tell me again how Kai knows this guy and why I’ve never heard of him?”  Sehun said as they approached the house. 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.  “Just keep your mouth shut,” Kyungsoo advised.  “I’ll talk to him.”

They knocked on the door and entered to find the Old Man kneeling on the floor.  On the low table before him, a roll of paper was spread and the brush he held moved in slow, steady to form Chinese characters on the page. 

“You’ve come searching for Luhan,” The old man said before Kyungsoo could explain the reason for their visit.  His attention never drifted from the page. 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo answered.  He knelt before the Old Man on the other side of the table and coaxed Sehun to kneel beside him.  Sehun did, but not before rolling his eyes. 

“Luhan cannot be disturbed,” they were told.  “Not until he is ready.” 

“But he’s okay?”  Kyungsoo asked.  “No one’s heard from him since last night.”

With a final , the Old Man laid his calligraphy brush down and looked closely at the two young men before him.  Kyungsoo sat calmly, patiently, his expression concerned.  The other fidgeted, neck craning as he tried to take in his surroundings without being too obvious, and yet the attempt made it even more apparent. 

“There is a famous saying about curiosity killing the cat,” the old man said, still watching Sehun.  “But a young pup is just as likely to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong.” 

Sehun, not really paying attention, jerked when Kyungsoo jabbed his elbow into the younger boy’s side.

“What was that for?” Sehun hissed.

Kyungsoo ignored him.  “So, Luhan is alright?”  He asked again.

“Luhan is as well as can be expected,” The old man answered, his eyes now on Kyungsoo.  “Did you injure your arm, boy?”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed as he frowned.  Until the old man had asked, he hadn’t even been aware that he had been rubbing at his uninjured arm.  Now that attention had been drawn to it, Kyungsoo realized that the spot he was rubbing had been throbbing on and off all day. 

“It’s nothing,” Kyungsoo said and forced himself to put his hand down and ignore the discomfort. 

“Roll up your sleeve, Kyungsoo,” The old man ordered.  “Let me see that arm.”

Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun who looked back at