Chan - Unidentified Town - Beyond the three realms

"Watch where you're going, idiot?” Chan stumbled on his steps as a burly man harshly bumped into him. The young man confused and scared, immediately bowed to the older stranger and offered continues strings of apologies until the rude man started to walk away. It was almost noon and Chan has been wondering the unfamiliar town all alone since the break of daylight. He arrived at the said town by dawn and has only made a few stops at lonely alleyways where no one tends to pass by. The young middle grounder clung into his cloak a little tighter as he felt his stomach grumble for the umpteenth time. He can feel the feathers on his wings shift uncomfortably but the young man decided to keep it in that way in fear that the people might notice and detest him. 

For there is something very strange that Chan immediately noticed as soon as he saw the people, it was something the young man has not even imagined to see.

It was like a strange dream. To see people without wings.

Wherever Chan go, the middle grounder would always make sure to look at the people around him. He desires to see at least one person don a pair of wings, but alas, none of them were. 

It was also one of the reasons why the middle grounder was hesitant to make contact with any person and would foolishly opt to starve himself rather than buy a meal in one of the small taverns.

There was another strange thing around the town as well. In the short time that Chan has been wandering inside, not once did he saw a child. He hasn’t even seen someone around his age, just a questionable amount of adults shopping around and doing business. 

The young boy continued to aimlessly walk around the strange town with his head bowed low until he felt dizzy. Chan figures that it might be the hunger and tiredness finally getting into him so he decided to once again crouch on a dark alleyway that he passed by earlier. There were piles of used sacks at one side of the dim alley which the middle grounder used to cover himself as he decided to take a short nap. 

The short nap that the middle grounder decided to take lasted more than he expected. When Chan awoken from his slumber, everything was dark. The street lamps of the town already lit as he staggers to stand up from the pile of sacks he had covered himself with. 

About to walk away from the rubbish he was in, the middle grounder suddenly halted from his steps when the sound of trumpets and drums that unmistakably followed a certain rhythm filled the air. 

Crouching back to where he came from, the young man bumped his knee on a metal surface that he earlier did not notice. Removing the remaining sacks that was covering the metal surface, Chan unraveled a small metal door. 

Opening it up, Chan unconsciously stopped his breathing only to see nothing but a hollow space enough to lie on. Grunting from his uneventful discovery, the middle grounder allowed his attention to divert back to the sounds of the trumpets. The thumping of drums has ceased but the trumpets bellowed even more harshly as twilight reached its end.

The middle grounder curious but scared, slowly made his way to the streets. He carefully crept through the shadows, mindful not to make any sounds that might attract people to come to his direction. However, what he saw next was something he definitely did not expected.

Clad in white hooded cloaks, people slowly emerged out of their houses carrying white candles. Their faces looked unreadable, eyes hollow of any feelings. From the middle grounder’s perspective, they all lack any sense of emotion. It was like they were alive but dead at the same time.

Chan continued to look around through the shadows until pained screams filled the air. The middle grounder followed the voice only to be led in the middle of the town where a golden palanquin stands, a crying girl about his age chained and disheveled right next to it.

The girl of pale skin and black hair was full of bruises and small wounds. It didn’t matter which part of her body you look, there will always be a patch of purple and blue marred on it. 

Chan can only imagine the pain that the girl was going through as she was harshly yanked up by the hair to stand on her wobbly feet. The tears on her eyes never ceased to fall and the middle grounder has never felt so guilty in his life. He wanted to help, he badly wanted to. But he was alone, he didn’t stand a chance against the huge crowd that seemed to feel nothing for the screaming girl. So even with his conscience eating him, the middle grounder only bit his lips and watched as a man hit the girl through the head leaving her unconscious. With the body unmoving, the man then stuffed the girl with ease inside the palanquin.

Chan allowed his vision to tail the procession that followed after. He watched through gritted teeth as people followed the white horse that carried the golden palanquin. 

“They will sacrifice whoever is in that palanquin”      

His face then paled as he heard the towns people mumble in a very synced manner, remembering what he saw and what his brother said gave him chills. With a heavy heart, the middle grounder ruefully walked his way back to the corner of the dark alleyway, he opened up the small metal door hidden under the piles of sacks and slumped inside not before closing it. Hugging himself in the darkness, he closed his eyes as heavy tears poured out of him. He couldn’t believe everything, how heartless people can get and most especially how much of a coward he is. He couldn’t believe how he proudly called himself a noble once but did nothing to stop the torture unfolding right in front of him.

Now that his brothers voice is clearly reverberating through his head, Chan has no idea if he still has the courage to look or face his brother ever again. 

For Chan believes that no one deserves to see the face of a coward like him. Nobody needs to look at a man who did nothing but cower behind the shadows. Chan believes that the noble Kwon’s deserves better, and he is not cut out for the title of a Kwon.  

“Soonyoung” the said middle grounder felt soft hands wrapping around his tightly. Soonyoung whip around and albeit worried, was mesmerized at what he saw. With deep blue eyes shining and full of hope, Jihoon smiled at him. There were tears threatening to fall from his eyes but Soonyoung can feel it was far from grief. 

“Jihoon wha-“ Soonyoung was not able to finish what he was about to say before the astral lunge himself to the middle grounder. Jihoon was hugging him tightly, the astrals arms wrapped securely around his neck. Soonyoung allowed his hands to travel on their own accord and wrapped the sniffling man in a tight embrace, softly rocking them both like a slow dance.

“I finally found him.” Jihoon spoke as he buries his face deeper between the crook of Soonyoung’s neck.

“I finally found Seokmin.” Jihoon added as he slowly lifted his head to look directly at Soonyoung. The middle grounder froze the moment his gaze landed on the astral. There were tears streaming unstoppably down his cheeks and Soonyoung can’t help but feel nostalgic by it. It felt strangely familiar, like the image in front of him was something he already saw. The feeling of his arms enveloping around the astral felt right, like it was meant to have Jihoon tightly tucked onto his chest.

Then, the look of hope slowly morphed into sadness as Soonyoung continuously stares at the deep blue eyes of the astral. It was like watching a burning tree of hope gradually turn into ashes. Eying the change of demeanor on the astral, Soonyoung felt his nerves heightened. Uneasiness slowly creeping into him as he remembers his own brother. 

“Chan is not with them though. I’m sorry.” Jihoon finally broke the tensed silence, giving Soonyoung time to finally process one of the things he didn’t want to hear. With the dreadful news of his younger brother still missing, the tight hold that Soonyoung had on the astral slowly loosened.

“Soonyoung I tried to look for him to, I really did. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find him. Please believe me Soonyoung. I’m so, so sorry.” He can hear Jihoon apologizing in the background but to Soonyoung, the astrals voice was slowly getting smaller and smaller. 

The thought of his younger brother in danger almost brought the middle grounder into his knees. There is a strong tremble in his core that’s progressively shaking his entire being and Soonyoung was glad that Jihoon was there to hold him. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to calm down as he felt the astral maneuver his arms from his neck to his torso. He permitted himself to bask in the warmth that the astral offered and willed himself to think positively. Heaving a deep sigh, Soonyoung finally opened his eyes, determination and his remaining hope carved into it.

“I believe in you Jihoon, I have no doubts. You did your best and I’m grateful for that. There is nothing for you to be sorry with, so please do not blame yourself. Youve found your brother and that’s great news.” Soonyoung finally spoke, a slight tremble can obviously be heard from in his voice.

“I am scared for my brother, I truly am. Yet, Im happy for you, so do not fret. I will find my brother and I believe that the mighty one will not fail to help me. I believe in him and in his powers. He brought Seokmin back to you so I am sure he will bring Chan back to me if I work harder.” The middle grounder continued as he closed his eyes once again and softly landed his forehead on the astrals shoulder.

Facts about the Fic: 

• In this world, everybody is born with a pair of wings. Even back in the ancient times, people don birdlike wings ranging from the different shades of brown. It is an anomaly to be born without one and people believed that if one does not have wings they are cursed. However, the removal of wings is not uncommon. Criminals of highest offences were not sentenced to death, instead their wings are removed and they are ousted by society forever and are sent to live in closed encampments far from humanity.  

We're still on a lockdown here.. How about you guys? I hope y'all like this chapter. I also hope you all drown with soonhoon bye....