Four - Seal of Zukraj

Baekhyun grabbed the man’s hands and wrapped them in his own. They were bigger than his, but it felt like they belong together. It felt like his hands would only fit in Chanyeol’s grasp. Baekhyun didn’t know why the other was on the verge of ripping his flesh just to get out of his bind. He was undeniably uncontrollable right now, and all Baekhyun could do right then and there was to cup his face and made him look at him, straight in the eyes. His gentle caress must have calmed down the Daevric, since he stopped struggling against his restraints, drowning in the young Aeri’s gaze.

“Chanyeol… what’s wrong?” he whispered.

The Daevric man could have whimpered if it wasn’t for the fact that he had no voice to do so. But his frightened and desperate look gave his feelings away. Chanyeol moved his limbs after a moment of stillness, and it landed perfectly on the Aeri’s waist, holding him there as if he doesn’t want him to go away, as if he’s pleading him to stay.

Baekhyun frowned, but he didn’t take the action as an ill intention. In fact, he was confused. He really was, until his eyes were blinded with golden rays of light coming from his back. Gasping, Baekhyun craned his neck over his shoulder and peeked through his peripheral. What he saw was beyond anything imaginable.

The seal on his back was slowly disappearing, losing its power. It only meant that today is the eight day. It meant that Baekhyun managed to live inside the Hollowing Woods. He could fly and leave this place, go to his mother and he could have life with her. However, all of those thoughts disappeared when he remembered Chanyeol.

When the blinding light intensified, Baekhyun shut his eyes and took a deep breath. The warmth it brought to his every veins, bringing back his freedom spreads out like burning sun. When it ended, it only left the young Aeri, panting, the tattoo gone as if it didn’t exist in the first place.

The grip on his waist tightened, reminding him that Chanyeol was there. He cracked his eyes open, seeing the desperation on the Daevric’s eyes. Get me out of here, he heard him say in his head. Baekhyun took a deep breath, knowing how hard it is to be left alone. But if he won’t leave, how can he help Chanyeol? If he stays, how will the Daevric be freed? As much as he didn’t want to part from him, as much as he didn’t want to walk away, he knew that he has to.

Young Aeri didn’t know that he was already shedding his precious tears until he felt the other’s thumb brush it away. With a sad smile, Baekhyun tried to explain his side.

“… I- I will go look for something to take your chains off. I promise. For now I can’t, and they are waiting for me… I will be back… I promise… okay? I’ll be back” He whispered. Chanyeol’s brows creased and panic was now evident in his gaze. He emitted growls of disapproval, along with his plea.

Don’t leave—Don’t leave!

Baekhyun tried to shush him from growling. Who knows if there are Aeri soldiers roaming above the Hollowing Woods, checking if there are living fugitive. He didn’t want to risk being seen with Chanyeol. After all, it is considered a crime to be affiliated with their rival race. What’s more if they knew that Chanyeol was here, helplessly bound? They could attack him, or worse, kill him.

“Shh… please… stop growling… If they knew you’re here, Aeries soldiers will kill you”

The man seemed to understand what he’s trying to say, it made him smile. Baekhyun brushed Chanyeol’s fringes away from his eyes, pressing his forehead against his. Full of promises, Baekhyun said, “I’ll be back my Daevric friend. I promise you.”

Chanyeol felt the Aeri slowly slipping away from his grasps. However, he knew that he had to let go. Baekhyun is free, and he might not be fully convinced that the young Aeri would come back for him, he chose to trust him.

Because more than his desire to leave that dreadful place was his desire to be by the Aeri’s side.

Baekhyun stepped back, craning his neck upwards, looking at the branches of the gigantic tree. He took a deep breath before looking back at the Daevric. Leaving only a melancholic smile of reassurance, a gaze of determination, his back jerked as his another pair of limbs spreads out from his spine—a pair of marvellous, soft and shining feathered wings, broad enough to encaged his fragile body.

And the Daevric man could only stare at his beauty.

And the purest white wings came out from your back

Your sad smile held emotions that I thought I lack

You flew away from me, and I watch you leave.

I am holding to that promise, please come back to me.

∞ ♡ ∞ ♡ ∞

Baekhyun breached the branches of the trees, pushing his way out of the forest. His wings, soft and fragile as they might look, were strong enough to push through and protect him. And right after he destroyed the last layers of branches, the young Aeri was greeted with the sun’s warm hello from the horizon.

Inhaling the fresh air for the first time in a long time, Baekhyun indulged in his freedom for a few minutes, until he remembered his goal and his promise. What must he do now? He had to plan things out. No one must know that he was trying to break a seal for a Daevric man, when he was no doubt, an Aeri. It will be a taboo in all empires and he will be labelled as a traitor of his own land. He thought of the ways and choices that he could pick, and finally ending up with the idea of using the Garnloks’ Central Library for more information.

Yes, he could do that. After all, he used to be a student there.

For a moment there, young Aeri forgot that there might be soldiers roaming around above the Hollowing Woods. He was lost in his thoughts that he didn’t see them coming to his direction.  “Impossible…” said one of them. Baekhyun whipped his head behind him, eyes slightly widening upon seeing three of the queen’s soldiers in their almighty light armour, their wings flapping vigorously against the current of the wind.

“No one lived right after entering the Hollowing Woods, young Aeri. How come that you are—“

“Alive?” Baekhyun finished for the older man. When the three was still left gaping at him, Baekhyun just turned his gaze towards the waking sun, his face gloried by its light. “I guess I still have something important to do…”

 And if the soldiers could only speak right now, they would tell you how ethereal the young Aeri was in the embrace of the sun. The glamour of their queen was nothing compared to his silhouette against the morning light. And the feathers of his wings, purer than any ivory in their kingdom, trembled with the touch of the wind. All in all, the young Aeri was the epitome of beauty and grace in their eyes.

And it left them all wondering why was he taken in this dreadful place?

Right after Baekhyun was lifted from the list of the fugitives, he asked the soldiers to inform his mother that he’s alive, and that he had something important to do. He wouldn’t be back for days. The soldiers didn’t know the reason, but it felt like when the young Aeri asked them for a favour, they couldn’t say no. They never obey anyone else aside from the queen and their superiors and that was one of their laws. However, just hearing the Aeri’s plea had their heads bowing, with a soft, “As you wish…”

When Baekhyun left with a grateful smile, the soldiers felt a force escape them, leaving nothing but a trace of longing for the Aeri.

∞ ♡ ∞ ♡ ∞

Given that Baekhyun never left their kingdom that often before, his travel from the Hollowing Woods to the Garnlok Empire might be his farthest. He chose to glide above the clouds, since the climate won’t affect his journey, and it would be much faster. It wasn’t as easy as it may sound. Baekhyun wasn’t able to fly for seven days and it took him a couple of hours for him to get better at it again.

By sunset, he had passed the mountain range and was able to see the great waterfall of the empire. This was what made their palace so unique. It was situated right in front of the largest waterfall in Cepherus, and was surrounded by the lake which was connected to the Sapphire River.

The young Aeri encircled the Empire, seeking for the main entrance. Once he found the gigantic pillars that he used to pass when he was still studying here, he landed there and was greeted with native folks, greeting him good evening while some younger Hervens and other Aeries smiled and bowed at him, as a sign of respect to the elders.

Baekhyun joined the crowd in the inspection before entering the kingdom. He even met the old soldier Cezar, who used to share tales to him and his friends back when he was younger. Young Aeri greeted him with a wide smile before skipping his way towards the Garnlok academy.

Since the kingdom divided into small islands, people have to pass a couple of bridges to get to their destination. But then there was no need to be worried, for the bridg