05 | Blond in Trouble

Transit of Venus (Discontinued)
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05 blond in trouble  

It was a cool day when Baekhyun first saw her, but the moment she laid eyes on him, he could have sworn the air grew hotter. Droplets of sweat formed at the base of his neck and dripped down his spine. It was so absurd that he had to look around at everyone else to see if they felt it too. All he saw was her brother—the prince—shift his shirt’s collar and her assistant fan the side of her neck. So, maybe they did feel it, or maybe he was going crazy because she was still staring at him, her lips curling, her brows frowning. As awkward as it was, it became worse because he had wanted to stare back. Not in defiance or in scorn, but because she was attractive even with Yosulian standards. Her skin was not as golden as her brother’s (whose skin seemed to glow in the light), but it was caramel, sweet, and then he was staring too long.

 

She didn’t seem to notice, thankfully, but she kept staring, and he wished he had that same courage. That fire. So, out of the corner of his eyes, he watched. He watched until he stopped, too afraid of what she might do if she caught him.

 

Later that day, he saw her touch a piece of a paper later that must have displeased her because it burst into a ball of flames, and it enchanted him—the way the paper disappeared in a flower of red and oranges. His powers have only ever been related to growth—something his home country has a complicated relationship with—so seeing such destruction was almost beautiful. Almost. Because also later that day, she burned a book, and it left a pile of ash that reminded him fire took all things beautiful with it.

 

Breakfast the next day was the most awkward thing he ever experienced. And the next. And the next. And the next… Each day seemed to give her more fuel than the last. Something about the way her lip curled pushed him to the edge of his seat, forced him to sit up straight, and caused him to take smaller bites of food. He still can’t explain it, but something about the princess of Helios whips him into form. In fact, he’s afraid to speak from time to time because she’s a bomb; anything can (and will) set her off.

 

What can he do about it, though?

 

He sets down the book about redwood trees, leans back in the grass, and stares at the sun through the leaves of the tree.

 

His family, his relatives, and his cousin would all make fun of him if they knew he was braving a situation like this. It isn’t like he’s not confident in himself. He is still Baekhyun, and he is still a royal, but he doesn’t have their fire. They can stand in a room, and people would bow down before them out of intimidation. The same probably would have happened with Lei, but the only difference is, bowing in front of royals in Helios isn’t common.

 

Why can’t he be her?

 

Why can’t he have that fire?

 

All he has, he looks up at the flowers beginning to bloom by his head, are these flowers. The curse of this terrible power has only brought him trouble ever since he found out that everything grew underneath his fingertips. Out of poisoned soil sprouted oak trees and bountiful crops. It’s useless in every Yosul sport that involves dismantling walls of steel the quickest. His parents hire several armed men to guard him because they believe he can’t defend himself. But who could blame them? What is he going to do with powers like his? Strangle his enemy with vines? Blind them with the bright colors of an azalea flower?

 

Yeah, right.

 

Baekhyun rises up from his spot and tucks the books he brought out with him under his arm.

 

It’s only been less than a week in Helios, and he loves everything about it here. They have a library open to anyone. What’s more is that none of the information is censored. He can turn on a computer without an ID or a flashing YOUR ONLINE ACTVITY IS BEING RECORDED message across the top of the screen. But it doesn’t stop there. If he had some insanity within him to do so, he can also send messages to people in other countries. Without penalty. Without fear. His heart has never known such freedom.

 

“Prince Baekhyun,” says a soft voice. When he turns around, his eyes widen to the sight of what is the definition of fair maiden. Her hair is a soft brown, darker than Helios’s sands but lighter than the picture of the redwood tree on the book he holds. All her locks frame her small face and features, but her lips are…

 

“Yes?” he inquires. “Is there something wrong?”

 

“Not at all.” She grins, revealing a near-perfect set of teeth. “I was just wondering if you needed help locating a book? And perhaps you’re interested in breaking in the private sections with me?”

 

“Breaking in doesn’t really appeal to me.” He narrows his eyes at her. Perhaps he doesn’t like this facet of Helios culture. Everyone—especially the women—seems keen to doing anything involving rule-breaking. Just yesterday, another girl asked him to sneak off with him in a fenced area that was clearly marked with DO NOT ENTER signs. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few books to return.”

 

With that, Baekhyun hurries his walk into the row shelves specializing in trees. He carefully slips the books in their rightful place, making sure that he doesn’t bend a corner. After he finishes, he heads over to the main building to do another round of exploring.

 

The Royal Library of Ouesce’s sprawls out for what feels like miles. There are several wings, according to the maps on the walls, and Baekhyun wants to visit them all. So, he walks and walks past the wings he’s already visited until he realizes that there’s no one else around him. However, one look at the map on the wall, and he knows why: he’s in the tax law section.

 

Still, it’s a massive wing—undergoing construction it seems.

 

As his eyes wander around the glass panes of its ceilings, he runs his hand on the wall, admiring the grooves of the patterns etched into it. His heart seems to stop at how much beauty and time must have been put into creating a masterpiece like this. Yosul can try, but Yosul will fail, and he knows it. Architectural beauty just isn’t in his home country’s agenda. In the midst of admiration, he stops when the faint smell of smoke fills his nose.

 

A thousand fires have conditioned him to recognize that smell, and it only took about one for him to hate it. He spins around, trying to trace the source of the smoke. A door. He runs to a closed door in which the gray haze leaks out from the edges. For a moment, he’s not sure if he should get help or if he should handle the problem himself. But when he turns around and sees a vast expanse of unfamiliar doorways and corridors, he knows that “getting help” isn’t the correct choice.

 

Baekhyun touches the door handle with a sleeve, and to his luck, it doesn’t turn warm. It means that the fire hasn’t reached the door. When he opens it, however, it’s another story. The room is on fire, meaning the room is an inferno.

 

The fire isn’t even just a fire. He’s seen metalworks on Yosul, furnaces that burn skin by being too close, and he’s even stared at the sun that one time through a black-filtered telescope, but this fire is different. It feels almost like a person with a score to settle. As its tendrils crawl on the walls, he covers his mouth with his shirt. Whoever started this fire must have been an experienced arsonist. By walking into the room just a little, he’s already sweating.

 

Just as he’s about to leave to alert someone, he spots a hand underneath a fallen shelf. He cries out, reaching forward without thinking and nearly burning himself on the bookshelf. After mentally cursing at the fact that he was wearing Helian clothing that isn’t fireproof like the ones in Yosul, he glances around to look if there’s a plant within reach.

 

He spots one in the corner—a plant perched on a shelf with its vines hanging down. Baekhyun quickly runs to it and grabs the main stem. Within a second, the vines of the plant stiffen as they grow and grow. They grapple themselves across debris and to the fire. When they reach the orange limbs of the inferno, Baekhyun winces in pain. The pain, a sharp sting in the middle of his head, is a mad man nailing away at him. He’s been burned before, but nothing hurts as much as this.

 

But a person is burning before him! The very least he can do is take them out so they can be identified.

 

Baekhyun concentrates on keeping the vines of the poor plant intact so they can pull out the person buried underneath the bookshelves. His mind wanders back to the training he had in Yosul. Usually, when they pulled people out of fire, there was a team of people, and the fire didn’t produce enough smoke to suffocate them.

 

Against the odds, he does pull the person out, making sure to cover them entirely with the vines since their clothes appear to have burned off. But when he pulls the vines off from where the person’s face should be, he falls down in shock.

 

It’s the princess.

 

What is she doing here?

 

Baekhyun doesn’t have time to think, so he drags her out of the smoke-filled room and shuts the door—as if that will do anything—behind him as fast as he can manage. Slumping against the warm wall, he gasps the fresh air, thanking the world that he gets to live another day. After the initial shock, he turns his attention back to the princess still wrapped in the vines. He touches one of them to reinvigorate its life and to prevent any lapse of modesty. The worst thing that can happen right now is the princess is dying with him as the only witness, but the princess dying with him as the only witness? Nothing can be as bad.

 

But why would she die? Isn’t he there so that she will not?

 

He looks at Lei’s calm face. There isn’t a single mark on her. Sure, there’s smudges of ashes coating her eyelashes and cheeks, but otherwise, it seems as if she would have slept through that inferno. It must be one of the perks of having the ability to control fire: she doesn’t get to burn with it.

 

Without another thought, Baekhyun grabs the phone he’s been supplied with and taps on PRINCE KAI in the contacts.

 

When you’re of royal blood, you can’t just call the police. And when the girl you found in the fire is the princess who hates you, it’s best to call her brother.

 

 

- - - - -

 

 

Kai told Baekhyun to stay and wait just outside the room where the doctors and other specialists held Lei. As he did so, he looked inside the room through the one-way mirror. Lei was laying in the bed, strapped down, while doctors checked her vitals and hooked her up to her an IV machine. He’s seen those before, and he’s had the unfortunate experience of needles injected within him, but it still hurts to watch.

 

“She’s very hot,” one of the doctors tell Kai, who is inside to be with his sister. “Her temperature alone doesn’t worry us, however. It’s that it’s going down slowly.”

 

“And why is that?” Kai looks over at his resting sister’s figure. “Is she sick?”

 

“Not that we know of, but she must have been very upset. Do you have any idea what could have caused this?” The doctor shakes his head. “This is very worrisome. If she can’t control it, she risks killing herself and others.”

 

“I’m aware, but—”

 

“Are you really?” The doctor raises his eyebrows. “You don’t have anyone to watch over her.”

 

“I guess I’ll have to fix that then.” Kai sighs loudly, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Uh,” he shakes his head, “I’m just worried about endangering her advisor or anyone else. But um, I’ll find a way.”

 

“Good.” The doctor nods. “She’s still resting, and we still have to run a few tests. I recommend not being here when she wakes up. It might cause some unfortunate consequences.”

 

“I understand,” Kai confirms. He then exits the room and greets Baekhyun. “Hey.” Baekhyun straightens his back and nods in response. “We need to talk. In my office.”

 

“Of course.” Baekhyun nods, already nervous of what’s to come.

 

Back in Yosul, “talks” that occur in private places such as “offices” never amount to anything good. Either a punishment awaits him or time-consuming lecture/interrogation. Baekhyun can only hope that Kai doesn’t yell at him for some arbitrary reason.

 

Upon reaching the base floor (the private hospital area is in the basement), Kai’s shoulders visibly relax. Baekhyun wonders what brought the sudden change in demeanor, but then he realizes that princes have to have a strong front no matter what the circumstances. If Kai shows any sign of weakness, then it reflects badly upon the monarchy.

 

When they reach Kai’s office, Kai closes the door behind him and gestures for Baekhyun to sit in front of the large desk.

 

“So,” Kai says once he’s seated, “why don’t you start by telling me by what you were doing in the area. Were you following my sister?”

 

“O-Of course not,” Baekhyun stammers at first, but he clears his throat and quickly justifies himself. “I’m not that type of person. I was simply in the library spending my time as I usually do.” When Kai’s face doesn’t move, Baekhyun starts to name witnesses. “It’s on the news, I’m sure. Reporters have come by to photograph me taking books out of the shelf. I’m sure the librarian can vouch for me.”

 

Kai swivels around in his chair—a casual yet powerful gesture. “I believe that you were in the library, but what were you doing in that particular section?”

 

“I was exploring the library. I can’t read all day. I need some sort of physical movement.”

 

Baekhyun wants to punch himself for the dumb response, but Kai doesn’t take it into account.

 

“Okay, so upon reaching the fire, did you notice anything about it?”

 

“Not really?” Baekhyun pinches himself in the leg. He averts his gaze from Kai’s piercing one in an attempt to stay calm under pressure. “I, uh, I don’t think there was anything that different from the fire. It was really hot, though. It felt, um, I don’t know, chemical?”

 

“Interesting. Did you see anyone else in the room?”

 

“No.” Baekhyun shakes his head, trying to remember. “Maybe there was, but in the scenario that there was, I didn’t notice.”

 

“Are you sure there was no one else in the room?” Kai asks Baekhyun for the second time. They’ve been in his office for only a few minutes, but Baekhyun feels as if the walls have started closing on in. “Your memories must be hazy. Think back.”

 

“I’m sure of it,” Baekhyun reassures him. “There was no one else there.”

 

Kai stares at him, leaning forward as if looking closer will get him more answers.

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Transit of Venus //
I just updated with Chapter 14! Also, to any new readers coming in from the ad, I hope you enjoy! Let me know your thoughts in the comments ♥

Comments

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Exmy_00
#1
Chapter 14: Miss this story tho
XiuminsKnuts
#2
Chapter 14: Okay well now

As much I dislike this storyline's current situation

I dislike this situation never being resolved more.

I know it's been a hell of a while but pretty pleaseeeeee come back to this? At some point? In a few months, next winter, anytime?

This story is really good even though Lei pissed me off, I both love and hate Lucas's character but Baekhyun with green eyes sounds adorable and I think SM should make that a thing
XiuminsKnuts
#3
Chapter 13: Oh my god HELL NO


I had to stop reading this bc it was night


And then I had to put it down several times .

I can't do tight under earth things I just ing can't this is some As Above So Below that I cannot handle


GeezeUS
dalsol
#4
I meant to do this a while ago but better late than never LOL first of all Baekhyun, I love him *insert heart eyed emoji* he’s so soft???

Welp okay I find Lei relatable to some degree and can totally see she’s growing up. She’s kinda just trapped in her situation which makes her act out, but yes to the fact she’s growing up!!!

I really love how even though Baekhyun and Lei are the complete opposite or rather they grew up in opposite environments they still both radiate the same loneliness, hopefully they can become each other supports.

I really like Kai’s character as well he’s like the literal golden boy, but he also has a lot of his hands and seems like he’s trying his best djdbdjdjdjdh (maybe I’m just whipped) Also, I love Lei and Kai with their bickering ahaha it’s fun and very relatable to read about the siblings fight

And finally I love fantasy and royal aus a lot so I’m looking forward to see what happens next!!!! Sorry for the disjointed mess of sentences ahaha
precious-seungwooya
#5
Chapter 14: When will you update?
vampwrrr
#6
Chapter 14: I like Lei's character arc. I didn't like her at first, finding her unnecessarily stubborn, self-centered, impolite, shortsighted, ill-tempered, and jealous hearted, amongst other things. She's...growing, as a person. I especially enjoyed her teaching baekhyun new words and concepts with no judgement.
vampwrrr
#7
Chapter 13: Boy. That escalated quickly.
RainbowLeoh
#8
Can we expect and update??! No rush tho
precious-seungwooya
#9
Chapter 14: Will you update soon? No rush:)
Lani_Definitely
#10
I'm dying without an update, I hope that you can update soon xoxo