Minghao - Middle Ground - Izare plateau

Minghao has finally been feeling wonderful these days. After the frightening events a few days ago when Lilith showed up, things seem to be going back to it's normal routine. The said young man is lounging under the shade of the trees on their manor. He had his eyes closed and was listening passively to the soft chirping of birds. As the wind blew, Minghao hummed together with the music that the forest was playing. He was so immeresed that he didn't notice the arrival of a boy not more than 7 years old if not for the ball that bounced right on his crotch. Minghao gulped in the manliest gasp that he can heave into his lungs as he scrambled up. The boy giggled as Minghao stumble on his feet.

"Child who let you in? Did you know that this place is forbidden for outsiders. This is no playground, a child like you shoud not be here. Go back to the common grounds now." Minghao, with his flushed face caused by a mixture of embarrassment and a slowly bubbling anger tried to shoo the child away. But, the child only tilted his head and  looked at him. An amused smile marring his face.

"I missed you" said the child. His innocent topaz eyes glinting as his gaze softly landed on the Middle grounder.

"You what?" Minghao was baffled, his anger slowly slipping out of him. He thought he might have heard it wrong, that is why he had to ask the child again.

"After all those years I thought you would change. It was foolish of me to think like that." The boy replied as if he didn't care about the elders question and Minghao couldn't help himself from uttering "what do you mean?"

"Of course you would never and so will he and the rest of them." Still disregarding his question, the child continued and smiled fondly at Minghao. A smile full of love, adoration, sadness and longing. The said man was confused beyond the heavens as he looked at the boy. But as he reciprocated the soft gaze of the young child and looked at him straight to his eyes, something clicked.

"Wha-who are you?" Minghao stumbled on his words. He doesn't understand why but those golden eyes felt familiar. 

"It's not important, my existence will only bring you nothing but pain. It will be best for you to not know me at all." The boy paused and started to lift his right hand. Minghao closed his eyes, from another perspective he might have looked pitiful. Cowering under the mere gestures of a child, but the middle grounded knew better. He knew that the child was far from normal. 

"However I came to you to rely the message of the mighty one." The boy continued to explain the reason of his appearance all the while putting a spell on the ball that landed earlier on Minghao.

"Wh-who?" The Middle grounder asked. He knew about The Mighty One. He grew up reading only great things about him in the holy scriptures. So it made no sense that someone as powerful as The Mighty One had a message for him.

"The bearers of the golden feathers are the chosen doves that shall slay the cursed demon." As the golden ball started to float its way to the middle grounder, the child started to disappear in mid air. His body started to become translucent and the last of his words were almost unheard for his voice started to vanish as well.

"Wait! What? I don't understand! Don't go!" Minghao tried to run to the child but the golden ball stopped him on his tracks. It opened up and instantly devoured Minghao with bright light.

As Minghao covered his eyes from the blinding light he heard the boys voice again. This time much clearer."Don't worry, we can talk much longer next time." 

"No wait! Hold on please!" The middle grounder beg. For some strange reason tears started to fall from his eyes not because of the intense light but of the sudden rush of sadness that he felt from departing with the boy.

"Please do tell them that I missed them as well. Especially uncle Seungkwan's hugs." The bright light intensifies and Minghao started to sob.

"Goodbye father, see you soon" and the ball of light went right inside his chest.

******

”Minghao! Minghao! Dear boy wake up!" slowly opening his eyes, Minghao saw the worried face of his grandfather, Elder Xu. The old man was looking at him with eyes full of concern.

"What kind of dream did you had for you to sob like a mad man my dear child?" it was just then did the middle grounder realized that there were indeed fresh tracks of tears on his face.

"It's I-i" Minghao didn't know what got into him. He was sad. He was disappointed. He was miserable. All because of a child that he saw in his dream which he's also having a problem remembering as the moments pass. 

"It is alright my boy, breath in." His grandfather said as he slowly pat his back.

"I don't know grandfather. I just feel extremely sad and-and I can't hardly remember what he looked like." The younger heaved as he wipe the tears away from his cheeks.

"Oh my dear boy, it is alright to miss someone. Do you know I still weep for you're great great grandparents when I can hardly remember their faces as well." the old man replied as he hugged the younger in a strong yet calming embrace.

"But grandfather this is different" Minghao replied back as he tried to free himself from the elders tight hug.

"What do mean it is something different?" This time it was his grandfather who moved a few distance to look at Minghao.

"It was strange grandfather. I met a child, a young boy to be exact, maybe his age is about seven blue moons but I'm not really sure." Minghao paused as he brushed the stray strands of hair on his face. He was sweating, which was strange because the first full moon of the clæn month just past signaling the arrival of winter. 

"He was wearing a brown hooded cape that covered half of his face. What I don't understand is that every time he looks at me directly, most of his facial features for some reason is covered in a black silhouette and all I can make out is the lower part of his nose down to his lips." Minghao continued as he unconsciously hugged himself. 

"What was also strange is that I can somehow see his eyes." The middle grounder paused again as the memories of the nostalgic pair of eyes flash on him.

"Did he told you something?" The old man asked with a scrutinizing look.

"He told me something about a message from the mighty one." The younger heard the old man gasp a little.

"What did he said?" His grandfather asked breathlessly. 

"Something about the bearers of the golden feathers and that they were the chosen doves that will slay the cursed demon. It was pretty vague I hardly understood anything he was saying." Minghao replied as he tried to recall everything that the young boy told him. 

His grandfather grasp on his shoulder started to loosen as the older tried to process the things that his grandchild said. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A part him was proud for his grandchild but the other part was deeply worried for him.

"After that did he mentioned more? Did he gave you something?" Elder Xu asked, he wanted to make sure that everything is aligned and not just based on some hasty decisions that he made.

"Well he told me I haven't changed and so were the rest. I am so confused grandfather. It felt like we both new each other for a very long time yet I couldn't remember him." Minghao grabbed a fistful of his hair and messes it up. He felt clueless and hollow, the sudden appearance of the boy woke a mysterious part in him that he didn't even knew.

"After he said that cryptic message from the mighty one, a white ball of light appeared and went right inside my chest moments before I heard your voice." The middle grounder then placed his hands on his chest. Surprisingly he felt something hard. Without thinking twice, he swiftly took out whatever was on his chest and got stunned from what he found.

"Wha-what is this?" There on his palm lies a golden pendant delicately shaped as a feather. It was hanging on a golden chain that was wrapped on his neck.

"It-it's a" It was impossible. He was speechless, he never owned something this simple yet intricately designed jewelry. What was strange was that he did not wore a necklace before strolling under the lush greenery of their manor. The only form of jewelry he was wearing before sitting under the tree was the ring that had his family's crest and the bracelet that Jun got him.

Minghao slowly gazed up to look at his grandfather. He doesn't know what he was expecting from the older when looked at him but as their eyes met all he saw is a mixture of emotions that neither of them can explain.

Facts about the fic:

Blue Moon - happens only once every year. The blue moon appears only in the first day of the year. It is used as a mark when celebrating the new year since the appearance of the blue moon is always accurate.

Age - the age of a person is counted through the number of blue moons that happened in their life span plus their birth month. This form of measurement is applicable in three all realms.

Clæn month - is equivalent to February in the gregorian calendar.

I was supposed to post this the day after I posted chapter 11 but sadly I was not able to because of work. I have been super busy this past month and I'm still probobly going to be until december. But I'll try my best to update just like I used to before. My work is also the reason why I was not able to update this fic last august (just putting this out to let you know. But don't get me wrong I'm very thankful that I have a job). I know this chapter opens up to more questions but I promise I'll answer that all slowly in the next chapters ahead. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a good day or night wherever you are. Byeeee

P.S. - A BELATED HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ANGEL YOON JEONGHAN!!! I seriously wanted to get this update right on his birthday but life and job got on the way.