“Something’s wrong,” Sehun finally admitted on our fourth day in the Forest of Hain.

He dropped his bag on the ground, in the middle of the day, and I was glad to finally be able to lean on a tree even if it’s for a short while. I took several deep breaths and tried to massage my legs with both hands. Although it’s apparent now that I’ve been training my whole life for this, the lack of actual experience to walk straight with hardly any stop for several days has taken quite a hit on my stamina. Sehun, noticing this, handed me a jar of water which he recently replenished from a small waterfall we had the opportunity to pass by.

‘Thanks,” I said and immediately drank from the jar. While doing so, I kept my eyes on him and noticed him looking around again in deep thought. Eversince Sehun warned me not act on my feelings, I’ve been more cordial with him. He, however, still acts as if nothing happened at all. He is just the same as ever, sometimes nice, and more often than not, snobbish. Even so, I seized from commenting and asking him questions that probably sound stupid to a long-time Sycrestian. I was afraid I’d pester him enough to leave me in the blue, especially now that we seem to be completely lost.

“There’s the road, again,” I pointed out, after I calmed my breathing. Sehun looked at it, and frowned. I have pointed it out to him at least 5 times, since the first day. “If we’re seeing the road, then we could hardly be way off track, right?”

Sehun didn’t rebut me or try to make me see reason, but he did look very bothered by it. Still when he looked at me, I felt very awkward which made me suddenly settle on just gazing to my far left where one of the starflies still glows even in broad daylight. I smiled a little bit at it as if it could see and appreciate my attention. Eversince I discovered them, they barely stay hidden and in fact, seemed to be following Sehun and I in the open.

“Just don’t step on the road,” Sehun reminded me, breaking my trail of thoughts. Then, without picking his bag, he approached a tree, stretched his arms a bit, and started climbing.

“What are you doing?” I asked, rather surprised at his actions.

“Stay there,” he commanded. “I just want to know if anything could be seen from here.”

So, looking like a lost child, I watched him climb until he’s so high up, I couldn’t see even his feet. It took several minutes, which ended in me feeling unnecessarily nervous and alone, before he jumped off a branch and landed right before me.

“You’re crazy,” I said, unable to stop myself. “You could have broken a neck or something at that height!”

Sehun ignored me and proceeded to brush away leaves from his garments. “This won’t do,” he said. “All I could see are trees, and the fog’s starting to form. In an hour or so, it’s going to rain. We need to move somewhere more secluded.”

So, putting aside the pain reaching all the way down my ankle, we rushed several meters away from the road, and into the darker side of the forest. We found several clumped large roots forming what looked like a semicircular headboard, so we sat down under it and waited not that long before the rain started splattering all around us.

“Wasn’t the wind whispering to you?” I asked, looking at him. The rain was falling down so loudly but I didn’t have to raise my voice because Sehun and I were sitting on the ground next to each other with a hardly a space between us. In normal times, I would have felt a little giddy about this, but I could see how uncomfortable it is for Sehun, especially since the water was falling through a gap on the roots to his right shoulder.

“It does,” he answered. “But it’s unclear, and carries a lot of unnecessary sounds. It almost feels as if someone’s messing with it.”

“You’ll get sick,” I said, the worry seeping through my voice. “We could use my travelling cloak and—“

“Keep it,” Sehun said, still with that bossy attitude of his. “It’s just my arm, and I’ve gone through worse. Besides, you’ll be cold.”

I wanted to know what he meant by “going through worse”, but I kept my lips sealed. I know he wouldn’t like it if I pry too much in his personal life. So, I just let myself be contented with the idea of him actually worrying about my health, even if it’s just for a little.

The rain continued to pour all afternoon, and Sehun and I kept our silence. I thought he had fallen asleep at some point, but when I sneaked a glance, he was just looking up, seemingly staring at the sky. I thought he wouldn’t notice me looking at him, but of course, I have the worst of luck.

“Sorry!” I immediately stated then looked away.

Sehun however, didn’t. “I’ve been thinking—“

“What?” I asked, a little flustered that he’s initiating the conversation.

“Your mark, from before,” Sehun said, looking at my hand. I did as well. “The one your guardian put on you.”

“What about it?” I asked, curious at what he’s trying to insinuate.

“You really didn’t know what it means, did you?”

“No,” I admitted. “Jae Hwa hardly explains anything to me, so I thought all my life that it’s just a simple birthmark.”

“It’s not,” Sehun said, rather calmly. “It’s the mark of the untouchable. In your world, you call them the prisoners. Jae Hwa must have put it on you.”

“Why would she?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Why would Jae Hwa mark me as a criminal?

“She must have wanted to protect you that badly,” Sehun explained, fixing his eyes on mine. “The mark serves the purpose of locking away the powers and presence of a Sycrestian, that’s why it’s being used to brand the prisoners. In your case, your guardian must have wanted you to stay hidden, that’s why she hid you by marking you. Other Sycrestians who could have encountered you in the world of the humans wouldn’t have dared approach you, because they’d think you are a criminal thrown out of Sycrestia.”

“I see…” I said rather thoughtfully. So Jae Hwa really protected me until the end of her days. I wish I knew why she did that. I really do. However, now that she’s gone, I might never find out. On the other hand, I now also understand why Sehun said he didn’t want to be associated with me at all, that time I confessed. I knew it had something to do with my mark, but hearing the reason from him now is somewhat relieving. At least, I finally know that he doesn’t hate me to the core.

“So,” Sehun said rather carefully, as if he’s trying to weigh his words in his head. “I wanted to ask you what you think of bringing your mark back.”

“What?” I exclaimed in surprise.

“I’m really not confident that I can protect you once we get out of this forest, and you’re really not that bad-looking, so the evil ones might take interests in you,” Sehun explained. “At least with the mark, strangers would think of staying away, and…”

“And?” I asked, suddenly feeling a little bit lighthearted at his words. Was Sehun really thinking all that? 

“To be honest, your presence as a Sycrestian is quite strong, it disturbs the forest,” Sehun said seriously. “Normally, you’d hardly encounter any animals on the way, but we’ve been seeing them since the first day.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, suddenly feeling the need to apologize. I knew Sehun was trying to be nice, but I could tell this was really what’s been bothering him lately. It’s my presence. He must be having a hard time getting us out because I’ve been unconsciously interfering with his work, and I didn’t even know that until now.

“So?” Sehun said, scanning my expression. “What do you think?”

“That’ll be okay, I guess, if it helps us,” I said. Truthfully, I haven’t felt quite right since the mark disappeared. I’ve been looking at it all my life that it still sometimes surprises me when it’s not there. Plus, I haven’t really exhibited any good power other than deflecting light so I won’t really be losing anything. Anyway, Sehun’s there to keep me safe, and I could fight bare hand. I probably wouldn’t even notice the lessening of this so-called presence. I have, after all, lived a completely mortal life in years.

“Good,” he said, and he actually sounded relieved. “We’ll do it, after this rain ends.”

“Okay,” I said. “But can I ask something else?”

“What?”

“I mean…my mark disappeared after Jae Hwa supposedly died, so I guess my question is, if I wanted to be released from the mark, do you…you know…”

“Have to die?” Sehun guessed. “No, not necessarily. But the mark creates a binding force on the contracting parties. So, it does have some effects, and puts the burden on the one who conjured the mark. In any case, you could retract the mark, but it needs both our consent.”

“Right,” I said, nodding in understanding. “So, that means I would hardly feel a thing and you—“