Two – Who are you?

Under the shade of dark ashen skies, sheltered by the glowing branches of the magnificent tree in the heart of the Hollowing Woods, no one would be able to tell the time and day. And so when the young Aeri opened his pair of amethyst orbs, he wasn’t aware on how long he had fallen into the threads of his dreams. Not that they brought comfort to him anyway.

The image of his father, slowly disintegrating with every of the flame, and the burning tears that traced his beautiful mother’s cheeks which reeled back in his unconscious state didn’t only brought his sorrow on surface but also, it ignited fire inside his chest. He felt betrayed by his own Queen, by his own family whom he looked up to since childhood. He lied there on his side, unknowingly shedding his own beads of liquid crystals from his swollen eyes. What could’ve happened, if he fought for his right? What could have happened, if he escaped before the judgement? Would it lead to a different life? A better one? Probably not.

He would wallow in regret leaving his mother to shoulder the responsibilities his father had forgotten, and he had escaped from if he had, indeed, left. Deep inside the young Aeri thought that these feelings should be buried in him. As he was told before, it was better to be hurt than hurt others, it was better to bleed than cut others, and it was better to die… than kill others.

Baekhyun frowned when an opposing thought whispered to him.

Even if it’s injustice, should I let myself be harmed? Be killed?

He could have gotten into another inner battle from there, if it wasn’t for the noise that disturbed him. It took a moment for him to realize that it was his stomach. With a groan, he sat up from moistened bed of grass, stretching his limbs and groaning when the scratched skin of his limbs stung from the action.

Suddenly there was a noise from the back, a familiar clinking of metals. It sounded almost like chains. Baekhyun turned to ice for a second, then he remembered—

The Daevric man who was bound to the tree.

With a gasp, the young Aeri stood from his spot and skipped the gigantic roots of the tree. What he saw nearly broke his heart.

The man was fast asleep, curled up in the corner of the tree roots, almost and pitifully shivering. Baekhyun bit his lower lip for a moment, thought that maybe he should share his cloth to him, since he had two layers anyway. He didn’t know if the man would appreciate it, but he wasn’t going to hope. After all, the Daevric had already lashed out at him even when he wasn’t doing anything.

Baekhyun shrugged off his first layer of robe, tentatively walking closer to the sleeping Daevric. He stretched out his robe, ready to cover the man with it, when suddenly he was yanked down with a great force, his back hitting the trunk of the tree with a great impact, not to mention that he hit his head pretty bad.

When the Aeri opened his eyes again, he found himself under the Daevric man, the latter’s large muddy hands wrapped around his neck with a good grip, and the other one was ready to attack him with his dark, soil colored talons. Baekhyun made a choking sound, hands flying to grab the Daevric man’s wrist when it growled at him.

The look on his eyes was nothing short of murder. His intent to kill was only hindered when he saw the fear in the Aeri’s eyes. And when the grip loosened, the Aeri chose to say, “I-I thought you were cold…I-I was only giving you a cover…”

His eyes fell on the torn and dirty robe thrown on the ground, the one he saw the Aeri was using before. He looked at him suspiciously one more time before he retreated back. He watched the light haired man cough and regain his normal pattern of breathing as he kicked himself away from the Daevric’s grasp. He thought that he’d leave him alone, that he would stay away or maybe treated him differently at least from the rough treatment and the cold greeting, but the Daevric man was surprised, when the smaller man took the robe back and said, “H-Here…u-use this… it will w-warm you up…,” while stretching his shaking hands out.

Why? Why are you so kind-hearted? It makes me sick.

It makes me want to rip your crystalline eyes because they’re full of deceit.

How will I know if this is some kind of trick?

For all I know everyone bears darkness hidden in the deep.

Instead of taking the gift, the Daevric man turned away and sat back on his place, huffing. It didn’t matter if he was cold or not. He wouldn’t be the same naïve child they had taken advantage of. No—he couldn’t trust anymore. He didn’t know if he would still be able to.

∞ ♡ ∞ ♡ ∞

The following day, the Daevric man watched the young Aeri collected some berries from the bushes that surrounded the tree. He used the lower layer of his robe as his pouch. With all his hatred and doubt set aside, he definitely found the man attractive enough to be a part of royalty, to challenge the other princes from the other kingdoms. What he noticed the most was the Aeri’s beautiful hands and long, candle-like fingers. And then his pretty pink lips, which he always abused with his teeth when he was nervous or anxious.

There it was again, the thought of why was the man here in the Hollowing Woods. This had always been a forsaken place. He knew men who were consumed with darkness inside, how they act, how they were so desperate