Chapter 16

blazing with light

The magician and the Angel walked down the great halls of the Temple of Izarrak. Sunlight streamed in through the red-stained glass windows casting a fiery glow upon the floor and walls. They passed many young Starfollowers who bowed deeply to them, muttering stars light your way.

Starfollowers struck Yongsun as humble people who minded their own business, although, that did not make Yongsun any less cautious of them, and when they uttered that common phrase, Yongsun felt her insides twist and turn.

The more Starfollowers they passed, the more Yongsun thought about how they acted: Starfollowers were proper and well-mannered, not stuck-up or arrogant (at least not the ones Yongsun had the pleasure of meeting). They had a certain femininity that swirled around them, it made them more beautiful, more other-worldly, thought Yongsun dreamily. They behaved in a way that could only be described as elegant which matched their ethereal appearance perfectly.

Nothing was hidden in their white cloaks, their silver clasps, their manners, their postures — Starfollowers were meant to be seen. Yongsun saw herself in them, no matter how much she wanted to deny it or how much it hurt to think that she could have been a Starfollower. Yongsun was first and foremost Angel, and when in uniform she could not hide from evil eyes. Yongsun was devoted to the principal Angel rule in the same way Starfollowers worshipped the stars. But had Yongsun run eastward instead of southward, she feared she would have been a different person entirely.

Yongsun reckoned that the Starfollowers were going to Reading class. During breakfast, Jin had said that in Reading class they learnt how to interpret ancient texts and — most importantly — the constellations in the sky. Jin told them that the Archreader (Archreader Taepyung was his name) had been with the Temple of Izarrak for over fifty years. He was one of the greatest Archreaders in all of Couronne, his Readings had even reached the ears of Starfollowers in Altair.

Moonbyul led Yongsun down crimson-coloured halls, through locked wooden doors (that easily yielded to an unlocking charm ), through courtyards that were surrounded by bushes and short trees. The air outside was fresh and soothing, the morning was bright with golden sunlight that tickled and warmed Yongsun’s skin.

«How did Jin know I was a magician?» Angel Yongsun asked as she walked beside the magician, trying to keep up.

Moonbyul, who seemed as if she was in a hurry, glanced at Yongsun, then spoke:

«Your stone is glowing around your neck.».

Yongsun’s breath hitched, she gripped her pendant tightly, trying to cover it. Moonbyul shook her head, saying Yongsun’s attempts to hide the stone were futile.

«There’s no use now, they already know.»

They left the Star Temple through a back door. Yongsun wondered how Moonbyul knew about it, but then again Moonbyul was a magician who liked to know everything about every thing. A pang of pity struck Yongsun when she realised that the sense of control Moonbyul longed for had never been hers in the first place. Moonbyul had never really had the power over herself and her life, in the same way that Yongsun had not.

The Stars and Destiny had decided their fate. They were both trying to break free from the chains bound around their wrists and ankles. In this life they were both the hunter and the prey, the eagle and the dove — stuck in a cycle that could not be broken.

They walked and walked, until Yongsun’s legs began to ache and the Star Temple was nearly gone from view. Yongsun was on top of a steep hill, the wind gently her face. Tally Town was just below, hills surrounded them, and Yongsun could see a forest in the distance.

Yongsun sat down on a large flat rock and dragged her hands through the short pointy grass. Springtime was nearly here. Yongsun thought what a sight the Temple of Izarrak must be when all the flowers bloomed.

Moonbyul said nothing for a while, she walked around, looking as if she was searching for something. Finally, Moonbyul made her way towards Yongsun and sat down on her haunches in front of her.

«Where do we begin?» Yongsun asked.

It was, in truth, the most difficult question to answer.

«Remember when I told you that you were already using magic?» Said Moonbyul, keeping her gaze downcast.

«Yes, I healed my horrible eyesight.»

Moonbyul hummed, then she stood, towering over Yongsun, who craned her neck to look up at the magician.

«Magic is one of the highest forms of art. Art is not a window, it is a mirror of the things we see, of reality, and what we choose to create is determined by how we perceive things. Art and creation work like a filter, we choose to create the good or the bad. And some will see good where we see bad, others may see bad where we see good.»

Yongsun stared up at Moonbyul, who was blocking the sun. Magic, it seemed, was a much more complex and complicated thing than Yongsun had envisioned.

«It is all very difficult and confusing.» Moonbyul admitted with a sigh. 

Moonbyul slowly dragged her hands through her hair, and suddenly antlers started to grow out from her head. When Moonbuyl dropped her arms to her side, the antlers stood tall and proud on her head. They were chipped and scratched in some places, the indication that Moonbyul had been in a lot of fights.

Yongsun gasped and stood. Moonbyul took a step backwards while she explained.

«Magician’s magic is illusion-based, it means that we are very good at changing the things around us. Magic is something you feel, it should move you when you cast magic, it should touch the people around you.»

Yongsun reached out to touch Moonbyul’s antlers, to see if they were real and not something she was imaging.

«I think you’ve already told me all of this.» Yongsun whispered.

«Then cast magic. If you know all of this, you should be able to do it.» Moonbyul said, voice sharp as a knife.

«Do I…» Yongsun asked, gesticulating wildly, not knowing where to start.

Moonbyul took a step closer and held Yongsun’s hands in hers. 

«Begin with something close to your heart,» Moonbyul spoke, «is there something you hold dear that you would like to change?»

«Yes.» Said Yongsun, softly.

«Then close your eyes.» Moonbyul said and let go of Yongsun. «Think of it, think of the closest thing you have, or something you long for, and make it come true, make it real, make it appear in front of you.»

Yongsun closed her eyes, trying with difficulty to summon the things she longed for. She thought about Heaven and when she opened her eyes, she saw Irene and Baekhyun walking towards an intense white light. She could hear people singing around them, more Angels appeared beside Yongsun. Everything felt bright and joyous, and Yongsun smiled, following her fellow Angels with glee.

Then the songs turned into gunshots and explosions. Yongsun called for her friends, telling them to turn around, to run, to escape. Baekhyun turned and held out his hand for Yongsun to take, but when Yongsun tried to hold his hand, she slipped. The ground swallowed her whole, Yongsun fell into a dark abyss.

Yongsun did not dare to open her eyes as she fell faster and faster, her hair flying wildly around her face, her body tingling with fright and excitement. She heard the wind howling in her ears, she heard the crackling of fire somewhere near.

Yongsun landed on a soft bed. Panting, she brushed her hair aside. When she looked around, she realised she was back in her room in Sunfield Hall. The room was the same; the tapestry a soft pink, the ceiling white. Her desk was by the window, her bureau across from her four poster bed.

She turned at the sound of someone calling her name. Her father was standing in the doorway, a soft smile on his lips. His hair was brushed back and he wore a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked young and handsome; it was the only way Yongsun had been able to remember him before the fever took him.

He crouched down, held out his arms and called again for Yongsun. He wanted to show her something.

«I love you.» Said Yongsun, breathless. She jumped out of bed and ran towards him, tears b the corner of her eyes. «I love you.» She repeated.

The faster Yongsun ran, the further away her father drifted. His face became distorted, his body a deformed mess. Yongsun stopped running when she could no longer recognise him. She stood alone, she saw fire in the distance, creeping closer to her.

The flames at her ankles, danced up her body, swallowing her clothes in their wake. Her hair was set on fire and turned to an ashen white when the flames disappeared.

She heard someone talking, and when she turned to see who it was, Yongsun’s breath hitched. The tears did not stop flowing. Her body shook from anxiety, her hands curled into fists and she tried her best to block out the voice, but she heard it clear as day:

«Your mother would still be alive if it had not been for your untimely birth, wicked child.» 

Yongsun opened her eyes to a blue sky. She saw white clouds colliding and merging with each other as they drifted above her. Yongsun was no longer falling, but her heart was still pounding, thumping wildly in her chest, tears stung at the corners of her eyes.

Yongsun felt there was something missing from her, there was a void in her soul and soon that void was filled with sadness. Everything had been vivid, so real and clear before her. She saw her father, young and handsome, then she heard that voice and those words that pricked her skin.

Panicking, Yongsun hastily sat up and placed a hand over her chest, trying to feel — ah, there it was. Yongsun still had her heart. When she turned, she saw Moonbyul sitting beside her, legs drawn to her chest. Her eyes were locked onto Yongsun, wide with worry. They glistened as tears threatened to fall.

«What happened?» Whispered Yongsun, placing a hand on Moonbyul’s arm. «Did I do anything?»

Moonbyul shook her head. Yongsun thought Moonbyul looked like a frightened child. Yongsun sat on her knees and angled her body towards Moonbyul, who continued to remain silent.

«How long was I on the ground?» Yongsun demanded, shaking Moonbyul’s arm vigorously. «Moonbyul! Answer me!»

Moonbyul opened , then quickly shut it. Yongsun squeezed Moonbyul’s arm, urging her to speak her mind.

«Yongsun…» Moonbyul said, her voice uncannily soft. «I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for all the things you’ve been through.» Moonbyul lowered her head while her hand found Yongsun’s and gripped it tightly.

«I was there with you. You took me to Heaven, I saw your friends. Then I saw you fall from the sky. I was ready to catch you, but then you disappeared. Next thing I knew, you were running towards me. Then you stopped. And I heard a voice saying the most horrible things.»

Yongsun gasped and wrig