Six - Threat

When Jongin opened his eyes the next day, he was welcomed with the sight of the Aeri trying to wipe some dust off of the fruits that was on his lap. His face was contorted into concentration, pink tongue peeking out of his rose tinted lips. Jongin stared at him a little too long before snapping out of it, reminding himself that now isn’t the damn time to admire a stranger.

He shifted on his position, grunting when he pushed himself up with his elbows. Baekhyun noticed him at last, smiling upon seeing the Herven awake. “I thought you might be hungry when you wake up so…I gathered some fruits.” The Aeri handed him the apple with a shy smile. “I hope you like them…”

Jongin couldn’t say no to the person who practically saved his life. Moreover, Baekhyun gives off this aura which is hard to resist. With one look in those pair of eyes, you would see no malice in his intentions. Nothing but pure kindness and generosity.

It was him who hesitated reaching out because he suddenly felt not worthy of the Aeri’s help. But once his fingers brushed against the soft skin of Baekhyun’s hands, Jongin’s cheeks heated up.

“I-It’s okay, I eat anything…” Jongin offered a friendly smile, “As long as it’s edible.”

Baekhyun giggled at that, muttering a soft, “Of course,” before a comfortable silence fell upon the two of them.

“Isn’t it unfair?” Jongin found himself whispering in a wondering tone when he finally finished his apple. Baekhyun turned to him with curious eyes, just as when the other set aside what was left of the fresh fruit a while ago.

“What is?” he asked.

“The sky,” Jongin pointed at the bright blue through the mouth of the cave. “It doesn’t care if we are sad, or mad…it never sympathizes with anyone, even after they lost their family, it will continue to mock you. As if last night, it didn’t witness all the blood that was shed in the hands of those… raven-winged.”

Baekhyun’s lips thinned upon hearing the term that most people used to describe the Daevric race, especially those who harboured vengeance and hate. He couldn’t blame Jongin though. He might not know him for long but he had witnessed one of the most sorrowful parts of his life.

And even when those eyes refused to shed anymore tears, it will and will always see the time when he witnessed the death of his loved ones.

“I understand how you feel,” Baekhyun smiled, meeting Jongin’s glassy orbs. “The world continues to revolve without mercy for our broken hearts right after the death that happened yesterday.” The Aeri then looked up to watch a flock of doves soaring in the sky. “However, it also means that there’s still tomorrow for you. There’s always time to heal, and to find another purpose in your life.”

∞ ♡ ∞ ♡ ∞

They decided to leave the cave and have a walk. Jongin suggested that they should follow the almost dried up river so they could go back to the main trail. It took them almost an hour before Jongin realized that the Aeri was walking beside him—when it shouldn’t be like that.

Like all the other times when he tried to initiate a conversation with the Aeri, Jongin stuttered when he asked why he was walking when Baekhyun could fly. The latter was stunned to hear the question, but he just laughed it off, saying that he was practicing. It wasn’t much of a hassle anyway.

The two of them decided to rest upon reaching the end of the river, which was a cliff to a small waterfall. The water ripples down to a small pond in the middle of a wide-ranged garden. It was so beautiful that it took their breath away. There are so many kinds of flowers—pink, purple, yellow and blue scattered with the bushes and grass. Butterflies of every kind flew everywhere, and they could hear the chirps of love birds in the distance. Baekhyun even saw some chipmunks, two brown rabbits chasing each other and even fishes under the clear water of the pond.

They climbed down settle on one of the boulder rocks. Jongin was even surprised when Baekhyun asked if he could join him dip their feet on the water. However, when they tried it, it was so refreshing that they found themselves doing that for hours.

∞ ♡ ∞ ♡ ∞

Aeri Empire

Lyra was thankful that she managed to conceal how happy she was when the guards informed her that her son, Baekhyun, was alive. They told her that they met him outside the Hollowing woods, passing his message that the young Aeri just have something to do for a while.

At first it didn’t matter to her. However, that night, before she fell asleep and was about to turn off the lamp, she was reminded of the danger lurking inside western forest. She didn’t think that Baekhyun would live right after their goodbye. But now that her son came back alive, and she got a message that Baekhyun has something up in his sleeves, Lyra was afraid that something must have happened in the forest.

And that something is dangerous.

So dangerous like the fire trapped inside of her lamp.

With a gasp, Lyra stood up from her bed, quickly leaving the room. She looked for a quill and a paper, hastily writing down on it. After a while, she rolled the piece of paper, wrapping a blue ribbon and tied it securely. She called her dove with a whistle, putting the scroll on the brace