I'll believe all your lies,                                                                                                                                                                

Just pretend you love me.

-Evanescence

Myungsoo assembled the members of Infinite Clan in his new residence the next morning. Kim Sunggyu, the leader, Nam Woohyun, a diviner, Lee Sungyeol, a medicine-man –who was ironically more widely know as a childish prankster, and Jang Dongwoo, a writer of tomes. Hoya was not present though.

“Oh my,” Sungyeol could not help but cackle, highly amused to learn that a hunter would actually come chasing L in what appear to be nothing work-related. “And where is he now?”

“Asleep in the bedroom.”

“Or maybe not any more,” Woohyun remarked mildly, gesturing to a young man standing just outside Myungsoo’s bedroom. “Good morning, there,”

“Who are they,” he eyed familiar warlock before glancing back at the other. “Your big family of magicians?”

Impressed, Sunggyu asked how did he find it out so easily.

The young hunter snorted but answered him anyway. “That guy noticed my presence immediately. A clairvoyant, I believe? That one has an obviously magic-related pendant, possibly to read or disturb minds. That one has a hint of some magical smell. It’s like some traditional ink and old papers used to produce ancient scrolls and books. As for you, you were obviously that bird I saw, your hair color and its feather's were a perfect match,”

“Razor-sharp senses, I see,” Sungyeol stated matter-of-factly. “As expected of our Myungsoo’s favorite hunter. He even managed to track him down,”

“I shall fetch some warm porridge,” L explained, raising from his seat. “I expect to find no one killed by the time I return,”

The cheerful tone he heard  from the living room assured Myungsoo that he was not going to see bloodshed in his house. He spooned the porridge he had cooked to large, china bowls. When he returned, everyone was alive although from the way he looked, Sungjong appeared to hate being left alone with his quirky friends.

As soon as the porridge was served to him, Sungjong emptied it. He clearly had not been eating anything for the last few days. All of the warlocks stared, only Myungsoo not utterly surprised.

“Second helping, milady?” Sungjong blushed as he realized how hungry he was and how those calculating eyes were observing him and his table manner – or rather the lack of it.

“...Yes, please.”

“Sungyeol,” Myungsoo said as he put down another bowl full of porridge for Sungjong to wolf down. “What do you think?”

“Well, you see,” the medicine-man started to explain. “Apart from his unusually, err, quirky behavior, he looks fine. There was nothing off with his heartbeat and body temperature. And, like alcoholic beverages, love potions cause constriction of the pupils. Yet his pupil is definitely normal, suggesting that the effect worn off quite a long time ago.”

“Love potion?” Sungjong yelled. “I knew it!”

“Down, little puppy,” Sunggyu ordered, fully opening his eyes, casting a commanding spell through his gaze. “Now.”

“Shut up,” Sungjong shrieked. The clan members looked at each other, silently noticing how their leaders’ powerful magical influence had evidently failed to calm the upset boy down. “I know you warlocks are nothing but a bunch of liars!”

“Here,” L said, placing a large, opened bag of lemon drops on the table in front of the hunter. “Since you’re having a lot of thoughts.”

“Oh,” Sungjong sat down immediately at the glorious sight. He started helping himself to the candies and adorned that usual cutesy look. Silence reigned and the other magicians wore an absolutely stupefied expression on their faces.

“What exactly,” Dongwoo said, taking a cautious peek at a discarded wrapper of the sweets “just happened?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.” The choding claimed.

“Anyway now that we got him under control,” L said. “Is there any other way determine why he is acting all weird even after the potion ceased working?”

“Oi boy,” This time it was Namstar. “Can you pick three cards out of these?”

Sungjong hesitated for a while and then tapped the back of three cards randomly, not bothering to see what was behind it. The soothsayer flipped the chosen cards open in the same order the hunter had so rapidly touch. The first one was The Magician and the second was The Lovers. The magicians of Infinite Clan knew what each divination card meant. And they all fell silent at the sight of the two cards.

“Well, that turned out to be pretty, err,” Sunggyu said, looking for the right term. “Straightforward.”

“What? I don’t get it. Speak warlocks.”

“You see, the first card should reveal your past,” explained Woohyun. “Likewise, the second your present condition, and the last your future.

“This way, we can see that according to the cards, your past, or your true identity in this case, is, well...a magician. And, from The Lovers, that you are naturally, unconditionally...in a mutual romantic relationship with someone. You see it just makes sense if you are actually a sorcerer, whether you realize it or not. It answers why you were resistant to our spell-imbued commands.”

“Speaking of strong immunity against magic,” Sungyeol abruptly interrupted. “That renders the scenario where my potion influenced you totally impossible, which only means...uh well, no trick whatsoever was responsible for your feeling towards Myungsoo.”

Myungsoo just could not believe what he just heard. He just grinned ear-to-ear and casually looked down at the polished marble tile, not really knowing what else to do. He glanced at Sungjong but apparently the smaller lad did not took the news the way he did.

“What. No. Rubbish. That can’t be,” he stuttered in denial. “This feeling. No way. You spell-casting weirdoes are all liars!”

Myungsoo tried to made a chase but stop at the door, watching the thin figure disappeared.

“L,” Sunggyu tapped his shoulder gently, chuckling slightly. “See what I told you about the new anti-witchcraft strategy?”

“Maybe we are better off not having a hand on your case though.” Dongwoo finished his bowl of porridge and stood up. “Well shall we be leaving?”

“Yeah.” Agreed Sungyeol and Woohyun in unison.

“Oh, Kim Myungsoo,” Woohyun said, turning back. “His last card—it was The Tower.”

Myungsoo almost forgot about that. That was right. Sungjong’s third card. His future.

“You know that it means inevitable danger right?” Woohyun reminded him. “Oh, you may as well try looking out for tall buildings — you see, the first two cards were rather unusually...direct.”

A/N: A super long chapter to make up for the two very short ones lol. hope you enjoyed this one as much as I.