“Ravi... Ravi...Ahh!” Taekwoon shot up from his sleeping bag. The ten year old was dripping sweat, despite the frigid temperature outside. Wait, frigid? But it was spring, wasn’t it?

            Taekwoon immediately searched his surroundings. He wasn’t in his room. There was no sign of danger, no blood on the ground. There was no fire, even the smell of smoke. All he could smell was... ramyun?

            “Good grief Taekwoon. How is it you’re louder when you sleep than when you’re awake?”

            Taekwoon’s eyes widened as he turned toward the open door of the small shed. He saw a familiar ten-year-old boy leaning against the peeling molding. The child wore a thick, gray jacket, his hands covered by white mittens while a blue knit cap and white earmuffs protected his ears from frostbite. No matter how bundled up the boy was, there was no mistaking the tanned skin and goofy smile of Taekwoon’s oldest, and closest friend.

            “Hakyeon,” Taekwoon muttered, nearly whispering. “It’s really you?”

            “Who were you expecting, Eddie Murphy?” Hakyeon replied sarcastically. “Now get up! You’re the last one up and I don’t wanna miss Wonshik’s mom’s delicious pancakes just because you couldn’t get out of your sleeping bag.”

            “Wonshik!” Taekwoon jumped up to his feet letting the nylon sleeping bag fall to his ankles. “Is he here?”

            “Of course he’s here, this is his house.” Hakyeon replied sarcastically

            Taekwoon darted out of the shed leaving his bedding a mess. February 15, 2000, it was the day of Wonshik’s ninth birthday. Taekwoon remembered it well. It snowed that morning after Wonshik hosted a camp out in the shed behind his house, better known as their group clubhouse. They used a space heater to keep from freezing and spent the evening reading mystery novels and talking about the local mysteries of their home town until they eventually fell asleep. He was really back. Taekwoon had gone back in time.

            “Wonshik!” Taekwoon called as he slammed open the back door of the nostalgic apartment.

            “Aww!” A boy screamed as he fell back against the living room wall. Taekwoon could feel his cheeks warming up upon seeing a familiar chubby cheeked and bare-chested child holding a t-shirt decorated by a cartoon skull and crossbones with a straw hat.

            Taekwoon froze, seeing his friend half- and only snapped out of his confusion when Hakyeon ran in after him.

            “Lee Jaehwan! What have I told you about changing clothes in the common area of someone else’s abode?”

            “Not to,” the child responded before slipping the shirt over his head. “But no one was in here and I didn’t think Taekwoon-hyung would come in like that unannounced. He usually knocks first.”

            “That’s no excuse!” Hakyeon spoke before walking over to Jaehwan and chopping him on the back of the neck with his middle and index finger.”

            “Eep,” Jaehwan yelped before rubbing his neck. “Devil-hyung.”

            Jaehwan pouted and Taekwoon couldn’t help the small smile appearing on his lips. It was really them. Hakyeon and Jaehwan were alive. He could feel tears pricking at his eyes but turned to hide them, less he alert his friends that something was wrong. Of course, Hakyeon could always see through his facade.

            “What’s wrong, Woonie?” Hakyeon asked.

            Taekwoon thought for a second before quietly responding, “Nightmare.”

            Hakyeon didn’t buy Taekwoon’s response but decided to let it go, knowing the boy was a fairly private person. Taekwoon walked off towards the kitchen, wiping the tears from his eyes when two more young boys caught his attention.

            “...then after brushing off the stagnant dust from the  wooden wall, Orion held up his black light, revealing the hidden message to him and his twin sister, Aun Forest.”

            “Got it. The young apprentice did it,” The younger boy, about seven years old announced, igniting a scowl among the older boy’s face.

            “Sanghyuk! Can’t you stop spoiling the Cipher Peaks book series?” The slightly older boy yelled. “You told me you haven’t read issue five yet!”

            “I haven’t,” the boy announced. “But each issue uses a type of puzzle that allows Orion and Macy, as well as the readers to solve the mystery. I figured out that this story’s theme is anagrams and Aun Forest is an anagram from Faust Nero. But, here’s the kicker, both of them are anagrams for Nosferatu, a famous vampire name, so I think that the young apprentice, Faust Nero is a vampire that killed the mansion owner twenty years ago and has been squatting in the mansion until Great Uncle Shawn bought it for his new museum.”

            The older boy flipped through the pages of the book, stopping at the last chapter and skimming the book before tossing it aside in anger. “Curse you.”

            “Sorry Hongbin-hyung.” Sanghyuk apologized. “An anagram is just too easy for me. But don’t stop reading. I bet the twins get into all sorts of adventures before confronting Faust. Please keep reading.”

            Taekwoon smiled. It seemed like forever since he’d seen young Hyuk and Hongbin solving mysteries from their favorite book series. These two were essentially the reason that Hakyeon had founded their club. The club of occult mystery solvers known as Starlight. At this point in their lives, ‘Starlight’ had yet to find any real mysteries beyond the ones in books, but Taekwoon knew that what lies beyond the confines of their sleepy town was the biggest enigma the boys would ever encounter. Everything would begin today.

            “Hongbin, stop complaining!” Hakyeon shouted as he entered the kitchen behind Taekwoon. “Hyuk, stop spoiling the story. Just because you’re a puzzle master doesn’t give you the right to ruin the mystery for the rest of us.”

            “Sorry Hyung,” The young boy pouted. “I was just practicing for when we head into the forest tonight. For all we know, it could be filled with cyphers and codes.”

            Taekwoon’s eyes widened. He remembered that day in the forest. It was his first glimpse into the supernatural. Wonshik’s birthday, year 2000, this would be the first time any of them would see what hereafter would be known as “The Aurora of Winter tide.”

            Taekwoon really was in the past. He couldn’t believe that everyone was here and in front of him. He would have believed he was in a dream until a small pair of hands covered his eyes from behind.

            “Guess who,” spoke a young scratchy voice from behind him. Taekwoon smiled.  There was only one person in the world with a voice like that, even before hitting puberty. Taekwoon broke away from the hands and spun around, tears starting to well up in his eyes as he looked at his first and only love, Wonshik.

            “What’s that look for,” Wonshik asked, examining Taekwoon’s face. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”

            Before Wonshik could say anything else he was captured in a pair of strong arms. The birthday boy blushed as the entire room went silent