In a brick tower deep within the forest sat a young boy on his bed waiting for the time to pass. By his side a little chameleon snoozed. The boy sighed “Pascal it’s past seven” Jinyoung laid back in his bed, but gave the ceiling a sly smirk. “Hey wanna play hide and seek?” He rolled over to the green lizard who only rolled its eyes and snuggled into the soft blankets. “Please?” Jinyoung forced a sad look on to his face. Pascal who couldn’t stand Jinyoung’s sad expression got up from the bed and gave Jinyoung’s shoulder a pat. “So… that’s a yes?” Pascal nodded. “Okay, I’ll go count then” Jinyoung shone up and immediately covered his face to begin counting.

Somewhere in the big kingdom, a boy with brown hair and dark eyes sneaked around. He went into one of the small shops down the city street. The bearded shop's owner who was currently busy with a customer didn't notice the certain thief grabbing a red-green apple. The boy looked behind him to make sure no one had seen him. He chuckled at how great of a thief was, but he shouldn't have underestimated the situation that quickly. On his way out the man behind the desk stood up with his fist clenching in the air. “Hey you got to pay for that kid!” He yelled which made the boy jump, he hurried out of the shop and started running. “Hey stop that man!” The shop owner yelled after him and, of course the guards had to stand right outside. They almost immediately started chasing the boy through the streets of people. The boy kept running, his heart beating fast. He ran past a nearby poster board where a familiar face, drawn on a paper hung. The boy stopped and slowly walked backwards to look at it. With a disappointed expression he ripped down the paper and held it in his hands. “Really? What’s with the pointy nose?” It was a portrait of himself and under the painting it said wanted with big text. “There he is! stop him!” The guards had caught up with him . ‘great’’ The boy thought. “Uhm guys, let’s talk about this shall we?” He tried, and from nowhere two taller boys came jumping down from a roof. They stepped in between the guards and the boy. Now they all exchanged confused looks. “Commander” The black haired boy smiled and then looked behind him “Mark” he continued. “Kim Yugyeom” The guards spat out. “We would love to stay for a snack but we have somewhere to be right now” The other boy said and grabbed Mark. Before anyone could say anything the three boys were already gone. “Thanks you guys” Mark said. Yugyeom sighed. “You can be grateful after we steal the crown” He said still running. “Yeah, after we steal the crow- what?” Mark stopped, which “Really? are we actually stealing a crown?” Yugyeom rolled his eyes and the other nodded. Mark looked down unsure of what to say. “Yeah, Mark think about the money” Mark smiled a little. “Well then, count me in” He said following the other two.

Pascal hid behind a flower pot on the window shelf, shifted his skin colour so that he would blend in with the setting. “Hah!” With force the windows flew open. Jinyoung peeked out his head through the hole at the top of the tower. “Hmm, well I guess Pascal’s not hiding out here” He said nonchalantly and walked away as if he didn’t know where Pascal hid. Pascal chuckled, “Gotcha!” Jinyoung grabbed Pascal by the tail. Pascal got frightened by the young boys quick move. “That’s twenty two for me, how about twenty three out of forty five?” He asked and sat in the window. Pascal looked sulkily at him. “Okay, well, what do you want to do?” Jinyoung asked. Pascal shone up and pointed his tail towards the green grass and bellow them. “Yeah, I don’t think so” Jinyoung said putting Pascal on his knee. “I like it in here and so do you” Pascal responded with sticking out his tongue at him. “Oh come on Pascal, it’s not so bad in there” He smiled. Jinyoung took a whisk and started cleaning the tower. He made his shores which included, polishing wax, do laundry and mop. Then he started reading, maybe two or three books. Jinyoung was really good at reading, playing instruments and painting,  he loved to be creative and he had almost painted all of the towers walls. “Pascal, let’s bake a pie” Jinyoung said smiling at the exhausted lizard. As time flew by the two had done everything there was to do in the tower. They had knit laid puzzles and played chess. Jinyoung sighed. “I've been wondering, when does my life begin?” Jinyoung hummed, he then got an idea when he looked up to see a blank wall over the fire stand. He took out blue paint and yellow paint and started painting a sky with shining lights covering it. “Do you think mother will let me see the lights Pascal?” Jinyoung dreamt.

Mark and the other two boys had made their way to the castle's roof. Below them guards patrolled. “Wow I could get used to a view like this” Mark said looking at the beautiful scenario. “Tuan come on” The other brown haired boy said. “Hold on” Mark said still amused by the view. “Yup, I’m used to it. Guys i want a castle” He said turning around. “If we do this get this done, you could buy your own castle” Yugyeom said and tied a rope around Marks waist. They slowly hoisted him down, since the crown was in the very back of the room and the guards were all faced towards the entrance no one quite noticed him. Mark carefully grabbed the crown and put in his leather bag. One of the guards sneezed, and Mark as the dorky person he was couldn't help but to make a comment. “Hay fever?” The guard turned around. “Yeah” He smiled and returned to his post. Soon he realized his mistake but by that time Mark, the two boys and the crown was gone. They slid down the first roof and ran on top of the second, they could almost see the bridge now, and they jumped “Can’t you picture me in a castle of my own?” Mark asked the two other whilst running from the huge number of guards. “Cause I certainly can” He smiled. “Oh, the things we’ve seen and it’s only eight in the morning, gentlemen, this is a very big day!” He screamed excitedly as they ran into the forest.

“This, is a big day, this is a very big day Pascal. Today’s the day I’m finally going to ask her” Jinyoung said with Pascal on his shoulder.

“Oh, Jinyoung!” A woman's voice called from outside. Jinyoung closed his chest filled with paint and brushes. “Coming!” He yelled. “It’s time” Jinyoung said excitedly. Pascal was really happy and made a buzzing sound. “I know, I know. Come on, don’t let her see you” Jinyoung said hiding Pascal behind the curtains. Jinyoung threw down a rope, he held at one end and soon Eujin tied the rope around her foot and held on tight. Jinyoung lifted her up. “Welcome home mother” He said smiling. “Oh Jinyoung how you manage to do that everyday without fail, it looks absolutely exhausting darling” She said giving him a hug. “It’s nothing mom” Jinyoung insinted. “Then I don’t know why it takes so long” Eujin laughed, “Darling i’m just teasing, relax” She said patting him on the head. Jinyoung chuckled a bit awkwardly. “All right, mother as you know tomorrow is a very big day” Jinyoung started. “Jinyoung come over here and look in the mirror” Jinyoung looked at his mother and took a step towards her. She put her hands on his shoulders. “You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful, young (hu)man ” Jinyoung smiled. “Oh look, you're here too” She said laughing. “I’m just teasing, stop taking everything so seriously” Eujin said smiling. “Okay mother as I was saying, tomorrow..”

“Jinyoung mother, is feeling a little down, would you sing for me dear? then we’ll talk” Jinyoung smiled. “Oh, of course” He took his mother’s hand and dragged her to a chair where he sat down on a small stool in front of her. He placed his hands on hers and began to sing, a little too fast. Eujin looked surprisingly at him. And soon his hands glew in a golden colour. “Jinyoung!” Jinyoung got up. “So mother as I was saying earlier, tomorrow is a pretty big day, and you didn’t really respond so I’m just going to say it. It’s my birthday!” Jinyoung said hugging his mother's arm. “Tada!” He said chuckling. “No, no, no can’t be, I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year” Eujin said. “That’s the funny thing about birthdays. They’re kind of an annual thing” Jinyoung smiled. “Mother I’m turning eighteen, and I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday, I want to see the floating lights” Eujin looked at him. “What?” Jinyoung climbed up on the fireplace and pulled the curtains away. “Well I was kind of hoping you would take me to see the floating lights” Eujin looked at the painting, it was a painting of a sky and a hill which Jinyoung was sitting on looking at the lights. “oh you mean the stars” Eujin said. “That’s the thing, i’ve charted stars and they’re always constant, but these they appear every year on my birthday mother. And I can’t help but feel, that they’re meant for me” Eujin stares at Jinyoung. “I need to see them mother. And not just from my window, I have to know what they are” He said. “You want to go outside?” She asked. “You know why we stay in this tower” Jinyoung nodded. “I know but-” Eujin held his hands. “That’s right to keep you safe and sound dear” Jinyoung looked at his mother. “What if a bandit will take you from me, huh?” Jinyoung gapsed. “Dear god you could get lost in the deep forests or worse” She griped him tight. “You don’t know the world like I do, oh darling, the world is a horrible place” She looked him in the eyes. “Darling I don’t ever wanna hear you asking to leave this tower again, understood?” Jinyoung sighed. “Yes mother” Eujin smiled. “I love you very much dear, now up you go” She said patting his back. “Yes mother” Jinyoung said walking up the stairs towards his bedroom.

[I hope you liked the first chapter! I'm gonna have a cup of tea now, until next time ~Kinai<3