Impossibility of magic

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Jongdae was sitting on a green hill, his back facing the city in the valley. His hair and grey shirt were ruffled by the strong wind that was coming from the west, and cold shivers were running down his spine from time to time. The sun was almost setting, turning the evening into so much colder one.

Jongdae’s eyes were shining, as they reflected the thousands lights of the royal castle proudly rising in the distance in front of him. Gold lights were flickering like firelights, reminding Jongdae of fire and of warmth. He smiled to himself, but the smile was bittersweet, as a memory of cold winter evenings spent by the fireplace at home when he was a child crept into his mind. He wrapped his arms tighter around his shaking body, and sighed.

A few leaves fell from a tree growing next to the boy, and as the thief looked up, there was a shadow approaching him from the same direction as he came from.

“Hello,” the stranger spoke, approaching the boy.

As his hood fell to his shoulders, Jongdae inhaled loudly upon recognizing the face. He quickly rose to his feet, ready to run, when he felt a tight grip on his wrist.

“Don’t run, I won’t hurt you,” the man said calmly, but all Jongdae could think about was the man’s grip on his hand, and what usually people want to do when he ends up in just situation—cut it off.

“You—you, what?” the boy mumbled weakly, struggling to escape.

“I said that I wouldn’t hurt you. I am not here to seek justice,” the young man smiled, and it almost blinded the little thief.

“But I stole from you,” he chocked.

“Yes, you did. I remember you,” the other chuckled, “but I also know why you stole from me. And to be completely honest, none of that medicine was exactly mine,” he winked, letting go of Jongdae’s hand.

“So, I stole something that had already been stolen?” he mumbled, confused.

“Oh, no! I am no thief!” the man laughed, “I’m better than that,” he shrugged, and Jongdae frowned. “I was given them by a friend. He let me do anything with them. So I let you steal them,” he smiled softly, “to help the ones you care about.”

“How do you…?”

“I know everything, Jongdae.”

“How do you know my name? Who are you?”

The man chuckled, “oh, who am I? I’m a lot of things,” he shrugged, and Jongdae felt his heart rate fasten.

“What are you doing here?”

“My name is Junmyeon. I am the guarding spirit of the common realm,” he smiled, opening his arms as if mentioning at everything surrounding them.

“Emm… what?”

Junmyeon’s eyes shone like sapphires, and Jongdae stumbled back.

“Kim Jongdae, son of lady Miyoung and lord Daesuk of High Gardens. You watched your parents being brutally murdered, you were abducted, held hostage for years, then you escaped, came to the capital to hide and ended up a thief. What a mighty fall your story is, truly.”

Jongdae tightened his fists and gritted his teeth, “if you’re here to make fun of me, you’re late to the party. Tell me what you want and get lost!” he yelled.

“Oh, no, no, making fun of you is the last thing I want. Actually, I am here to present you with a gift,” he smiled sincerely.

“What… what gift?”

Junmyeon took a small, ocean blue pendant from his pocket, and showed it to the thief, “I know your deepest desires, Jongdae. I know just how much you want to escape. But I also know you will not, because of the children. Therefore, here I gift you with three wishes,” he explained, placing the pendant in Jongdae’s hand, “you them wisely… but too wisely,” he winked.

“Wha… what is this? Who are you? What is this all about? Why would you give me anything? What do you mean wishes? What is it, a magic show suddenly? There is no such thing as magic! And how can I use something too wisely, is that even a case?! Ever?!”

Junmyeon stood there, cursing Baekhyun deep in his soul for making him approach the boy. There he was, Junmyeon, a mighty being, a fairy, watching his little thief having a panic attack. The fairy rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Automatically, Jongdae’s mouth shut and his breathing calmed.

“I kind of liked your last question the most, so that’s where I’m gonna start,” he took a deep breath in, “you’ve been through some really rough things, Jongdae. I am giving you these three wishes so that you can change your life in whatever way you want.” Junmyeon looked at the castle, “there’s a ball in the castle. Go, have fun, let yourself enjoy life… I can turn you into anyone, I can even make you a prince for these few nights.” He looked at the thief, who was now also looking towards the royal residence. He looked deep in thought, as if actually considering the fairy’s words.

“I cannot leave the kids… not for something like this…”

“I can always put them to sleep… for days.”

Jongdae’s head snapped, and horror painted his face.

“Not like this. I can put a soft spell on them. Make them dream the most wonderful dreams they ever had. They would not wake up until you would want them to. And it would be as if they slept only through the night. I can do anything, Jongdae.”

“Prove it.”

Junmyeon rose an eyebrow, “excuse me?”

“Prove that you can do anything. Prove that magic really exists. Then, I’ll believe you. Make a silver flower grow here,” the boy demanded, pointing at the ground.

Junmyeon rolled his eyes, and sighed. He looked at the spot, and a moment later there was a silver flower growing from the dirt.

“Happy?”

But Jongdae did not look happy, not even satisfied or amazed. He looked terrified. The moon’s light was reflecting from his pale complexion, underlying his ungodly skinny features.

“As I mentioned before, I am the guarding spirit of the common realm. You are part of it, Jongdae. I know your story, and I know your struggles…”

“If you claim to know everything so well, why are you coming to me just now? Why are you coming to me at all?” the boy fell to the ground, crossing his legs and facing the castle again.

“It’s… more complicated than I can explain. I shouldn’t be doing it at all. I am not allowed to interfere with humans. Not so directly like I am doing it right now.”

“Then why are you?”

Junmyeon sighed, but also chuckled to himself, “because someone else is also interfering.”

“Could I really ask for anything?”

“Well, there are a few rules, like, you cannot ask for more wishes, the limit is three; you cannot wish to find your true love, magic doesn’t want to be responsible for that, plus, you cannot make others fall in love, that’s forbidden—“

“Like you talking to me right now?”

“Look at you, you little smartass. But no, interfering in love is even worse. It’s something no one does. We’re not suicidal.”

“Any more rules?”

The fairy thought for a few moments, pulling all sorts of faces, before he shrugged, “I cannot kill anyone as well. Apart from that, I think it’s all,” Junmyeon smiled, looking at the thief.

Jongdae glanced down at the pendant in his hand, biting his lip.

“Will you think of it?”

“How do I use it?”

“If you want to make a wish, put it on and say “I wish.” I’ll come once called upon.”

“What if —“ Jongdae started, but as he rosed his eyes, he was on his own again.

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“Go ahead,” Minseok said, staring in front of him, into the darkness that was swallowing the world, “say what you wanna say.”

Kyungsoo, who was sitting next to the prince, had a stoic expression on his face.

“I don’t know what to say,” he confessed.

Cold wind blew, making them both shiver.

“Please, just say anything.”

“Do you… have any feelings for him?”

Minseok did not reply, carefully thinking of the answer.

“Minseok!” Kyungsoo yelled, “why are you even thinking of it?! You shouldn’t be thinking about it! The answer should be obvious!” his friend sounded a bit panicked.

“But it’s not. I don’t know if the answer is “no.””

“Oh my, you have feelings for a commoner? For a thief?!”

“I never said I had romantic feelings for him, Kyungsoo!” the prince growled, “but I am not completely indifferent towards him as well…”

“This is so not good.”

“He’s the reason why I’m even doing it all, Kyungsoo! Why is it not good?”

“Because, Minseok!” the boy yelled, but then stopped.

“Because, what?”

Kyunsgoo sat quiet for a few moments, before he spoke again, “because you shouldn’t have even met him. Nothing good ever comes out of such things. What if you develop feelings for him? What if he hurts you? What if harm comes your way? Or worse! What if your mother hears about it?!”

“You are the only person who knows about this, so she will never hear about anything,” Minseok lowered his voice, looking his friend straight in the eyes. “And I will not develop any feeling for him, because I will never see him again,” the prince sighed, “I will never leave this place again.”

Silence fell upon them again, and the two boys were only sitting next to each other, not daring to look at each other.

“So he is the reason you started acting weird?” Kyungsoo mumbled after some time.

The prince only shrugged, “I guess.”

“How come?”

“I think it started when he called me a porcelain… I didn’t like it, you know… I was brought up to be grateful that I don’t have to do any physical work, but there was so much venom in his words… no one had ever spoken to me like that… so bluntly and openly… he was probably the first person to criticize me right in my face…”

“Perfect beginning for a love story,” the younger mumbled to himself, but Minseok heard it anyway.

“Stop it,” he growled, “stop turning it into something that it is not.”

“I’m sorry. Please, continue.”

“Then I saw the kids. I saw the conditions they live in… and I realized that I had been living in a lie. I was taught that our kingdom was the greatest of the all. That is was a paradise. What I saw down there, Kyungsoo… what I saw in Jongdae’s eyes, in the sticking bones of a child, in the shining knife of a butcher, who had the metal pressed to the thief’s throat… this is not what greatness looks like, Kyunsgoo,” he confessed, looking his best friend in the eyes, “this is why I decided to do what I am doing now. I need to change it. I need to help these kids—“

“You cannot, Minseok. Oh my, you fell in a trap you cannot escape now…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that this is how it works… the system, economy, benefits of one class over another, privileges of those in power over those who do not posses her… this is not something you can change. You will never get rid of poverty, crime…”

“But I can bring justice,” the prince bit his lower lip.

“And you really decided that one thief’s justice is worth more than your life?”

The words weighted heavy on Minseok’s heart, until he swallowed hard and whispered into the night.

“Yes.”

Hello everyone! It's been forever!

It's badblood here! Yup, as you can see I changed my username ~ changes are needed and changes are good, so I hope it does not confuse you too much!

I know it's been years since the last update, but I have had so many things going on that it is even impossible to describe. That is also why the chapter is so short (I know it's terribly short as for such a break), but it was only a few days ago that I got a chance to start working on it. I will make the next one longer, and hopefully it will not take me so many months to post! hahaha I really want you guys to enjoy this story!

Please, forgive your author and I hope you can hop back on this train (or hop on if it's your first time here *waves to new readers* -- if you are, hello there!) and get back to following the Prince's and the Thief's story ~~ 

Kisses, guangmingcha

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