Words of hatred bellowed even at this distance, and objects were thrown towards every direction you ran in. Diving for the cover of the thickest bramble you could spot, it provided a narrow entrance to the outskirts of the village you had once called home.

The village you had just been banished from.

The fact that you had lived there peacefully for your whole life was apparently no match for the fact that you were a Magician.

It was beyond risky to inhabit such a location that loathed your kind, but until now it had been easy to conceal your true identity.

It wasn’t your fault that a manticore just had to stumble upon the village and ruin everything.

Past the overgrowth were an array of trees, and you made haste as you climbed the nearest one. The treetop gave you a decent aerial view where you could clearly spot the mob of villagers that had driven you out mercilessly, though the same was not applied to their part.

They seemed to be disinterested with you at this point anyways, for they rejoiced amongst themselves as they cheered and embraced and cast their weaponry aside.

“Congratulations for ridding yourselves of your "beloved” magician,“ you muttered to yourself bitterly, still panting from the chase.

One thing was for sure, you certainly weren’t going to save them from the next creature that stumbled upon their territory.

Blocking out the noise of the mob, you crawled across the branches of the tree before leaping onto the next, as well as the tree after that one. When you had finally created a suitable distance between yourself and the village, you descended from the heights and leaped off.

Just before your body collided with the surface of the ground, your fingers casted a spell that froze your being in place. You were lowered to safety once you pointed your index finger downwards.

Heaving a sigh, you were finally able to regain your composure. They wouldn’t come for you now, hopefully.

You weren’t aware of how much time had past since you had taken your break. The only thing you noticed was a soft mewl in front of you.

Opening the lids of your eyes ever so slightly, you made eye contact with a large cat by your feet. The feline had a coat as black as coal, aside from the patch of pure white fur on its chest.

Leaning away from the tree trunk you had rested your back on while still making sure you kept a fair distance away from the creature, you knew not to assume it was any regular cat. A Cait Sìth, you concluded judging from its appearance.

Just as you had anticipated, it was the creature who initiated conversation.

"Well aren’t you exhausted,” it purred almost tauntingly. “I haven’t seen another Magician in ages. What’s your story?”

“I’m assuming you didn’t notice the mob of humans by the village,” you muttered bitterly, jutting your head towards the establishment from behind.

The Cait Sìth stretched its body across the grass for a moment, snickering in amusement while he was at it. “Ah, mortal versus magician isn’t it? What a shame, they’re not very accepting to magical beings like us.”

“I figured that out the hard way. They chased me out of the village once they found out, and there’s no way I’ll be able to go back there,” standing up from your resting spot, you patted the dirt off of your pants. “Not that there’d be anything to return to. They’re probably burning my house down as we speak.”

“How unfortunate,” the Cait Sìth’s whiskers twitched as his face contorted into an expression that seemed like a frown. It was difficult to interpret in its feline form.

He stepped backwards, flicking his tail in the air in a rapid movement in order to gain your attention. “Perhaps I could help you with your little predicament. My master could, at least. He’s also a Magician, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind another one of his kind residing in his household for a bit.”

Your eyebrow quirked upwards at the offer, and the creature’s expression quickly shifted into a smile when he noticed you were intrigued. It wasn’t everyday you were granted the opportunity to meet another Magician ー there were scarcely any at all residing within your rural area ー nor was it common to have a free and safe place to stay. It was risky to accept offers from a stranger, but it would hurt you more to resist than to oblige. “Is that so? Then lead me to your Magician, if you would.”

“Certainly,” mewed the Cait Sìth, waiting for you to get up before proceeding through an overgrowth of bramble behind him.

The creature ー his name being Hyungwon which you found out after a bit of small talk along the journey ー led you deeper into the woods until the two of you reached a clearing.

It seemed like the heart of the forest, where a variety of flowers and herbs alike were abundant and trees were so tall you could hardly see their zeniths. Situated behind colorful flowerbeds and across from a water well was a tiny cottage that looked like an eyesore compared to the rest of its surroundings.

The old, aging wood it was made of looked as if were being consumed by the vines that engulfed the vast majority of the home, though it didn’t entirely conceal the other flaws, dents, and blemishes of its exterior. You couldn’t help but grimace at the unappealing establishment, unable to imagine another Magician residing within the poor excuse for a household.

Resisting the urge to ask Hyungwon if he had led you to the wrong place, you simply took a deep breath before the Cait Sìth pushed open the creaky door and led you inside.

The sour expression formerly plastered on your face was long gone by the time you were able to process your surroundings. Clearly you were not prepared to witness the interior of the cottage, the plush carpeting, grand staircase, and array of various portraits hanging on the wall were far too beautiful and whimsical to handle at once. You swore there was a faint sound of a harp somewhere in the distance, and the sound contributed to the atmosphere pleasantly.

It was enchanting, literally, and clever at that. Only a Magician would be able to expand the interior so greatly, and create an illusion for those to grow weary on the outside yet reward those who bothered to see within.

“It takes a bit of time to get used to,” Hyungwon stated, though the feline creature was nowhere to be seen. Instead stood a handsome young man who towered over you. You almost asked if it was truly him, but he did speak with the same voice that had spoken to you prior to your arrival.

His appearance now still bore similarities to his former; slacks, skinny pants, and a blazer all black aside from his dress shirt to represent the white patch from his fur. He still had the same cat-like smirk spread across his face, the wide amber eyes that gleamed with amusement, and ears that poked out of his neatly combed dark hair.

Hyungwon tilted his head upwards, sniffing the air briefly. “It’s awfully quiet, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the others are still out and about. We should make our presence known,” he murmured quietly, but before you could respond the Cait Sìth turned towards the stairs and shouted, “Master Kihyun! I’ve returned!”

Plugging your ears as the man had been speaking, you were alarmed with the tremendous volume he was able to shout with. In fact, he seemed as if he were going to shout for his Master again until the Kihyun fellow emerged at the top of the staircase.

A transportation spell, you concluded as the Magician fully materialized. He had pink hair that complimented the rest of his outfit, sparkly black tunic paired with robes a cosmic violet that gave them a galactic illusion. 

Resting his hands against the railing to peer down at you and the Cait Sìth, he narrowed his eyes before speaking.

“So you’ve brought a guest, I see. How unexpected,” the Magician declared, though he didn’t seem particularly thrilled.  You frowned lightly in response to his displeasure, but allowed Hyungwon to respond rather than yourself.

“A Magician from the neighbouring village, Master Kihyun. Aren’t you glad to have someone like you in the household for once?” Hyungwon tilted his head to the side. “Be thankful I didn’t have another creature tag along instead.”

The corners of Kihyun’s lips curved upwards, but you couldn’t tell if his expression was sarcastic or not. “As pleasant enough as it is to have another one of my kind  around for a moment, I’d much rather have the Magician population stay as one thank you very much.”

The Cait Sìth flicked his tail sharply (you didn’t notice the additional cat feature until now), as if it were a signal meant for you. Clearing your throat, you decided to finally intervene.

“I haven’t got any other place to go. I was banished from said village solely for the fact that I am a Magician, and I doubt I’d be able to return there.”

And just like magic, Kihyun’s expression softened. The look he gave you was rich with sympathy, almost apologetic.  “I see…” he muttered, tapping his foot against the ground before he finally gave in. “I suppose I can shelter you for the time being.”

The pink haired man whirled around for a second, directing his body towards his side. “Minhyuk!” he called, bringing his index finger towards his neck to cast a spell that amplified his voice.

After a brief pause, you heard a rapid pitter-patter of what sounded like hooves. There was also a few twangs of harp here and there, pretty  but unlike the melodious tunes you faintly heard upon your entrance.

A male Faun emerged from the corridor Kihyun was facing. You took a moment to gaze at his features, as it was your first time seeing one of his kind in person. A humanoid appearance was maintained for the most part, aside from the little horns that protruded through his dark hair, but from his torso and downwards he had the waist and hind legs of a goat. The Faun, presumably Minhyuk, smiled cheerfully as his fingers were intertwined with the golden harp he held as if it were attached to him. “What can I assist you with, Kihyun?”

“I don’t require your assistance at this moment, but our honored guest does. Um,” the Magician and Faun turned to face you simultaneously, and after a mutual exchange of blank glances you finally realized they were waiting for you to introduce yourself.

After giving them your name, Kihyun took a moment to get accustomed to saying it by repeating it a good seven times before continuing. “Yes… so Minhyuk, lead them to the spare room and review the basic household guidelines. Let them get comfortable, is that clear?”

“Crystal clear!” the Faun responded, running his fingers through all of the harp strings before he gestured for you to come up the stairs.

Bowing to both Hyungwon and Kihyun while offering a quick “thank you”, you rushed up the steps to meet with the Faun.

“But don’t get too comfortable!” Kihyun suddenly added before you proceeded to follow Minhyuk as he led you down the corridor from which he came from.

“I should warn you now, things in this house are generally pretty rowdy, so you should brace yourself well,” Minhyuk declared notably very enthusiastic for a warning.

You chuckled in response, lightly dragging your fingertips against the golden swirls on the wallpaper beside you. “I spent my life living among many mortal villagers in a very simple village, I’m sure I’m capable of inhabiting an enchanted household with three magical beings.”

Minhyuk laughed louder than you initially had. “Who said there were only three of us?”