The sky was a generous, vivid blue, only barely paling at the horizon, and the streets were filled with people milling around despite most of the shops closing up. Luhan had just closed the store and become part of the anonymous mass bustling along the streets like an ant colony. Just one more tiny ant pushing itself past others, trying to keep the strap of his bag from cutting into his shoulder. The scent of fried food and spices permeated the air, lingering thick and heavy over the fleeting clouds of perfume flying by. Luhan kept his gaze lowered, if only to avoid tripping over the rough cobblestones. He could spot colorful pieces of confetti gathering in between the stones - a few, lone leftovers from the summer festival flying past as Luhan seized every opportunity to slink past people.

He didn't have any place to be at or any friends to meet but he was hungry. The day had been long and he'd forgotten to bring his lunch, which was now wistfully waiting for him on his counter. He slipped into a deserted alley, sighing in relief over his newfound freedom. There was more stray confetti as well as posters plastered over eternally shut windows, announcing events that lay far in the past, inviting people to visit a market, or to join the police force. As he walked past, one of the posters caught his attention. It wasn't very large, about the size of a sheet folded in half, and it lay on top of everything else, looking rather new. It showed the drawing of an eye, all thick violet paint, with teardrops and rhombi placed like eyelashes. There was no writing on it, but witches probably didn't need writing to communicate. Or maybe the sign was purely marking someone's territory. Luhan didn't pay too much attention to it and simply moved on, ignoring the vaguely uncomfortable feeling stirring in his stomach - seeing symbols made by witches was a sign of an unsafe street, and the piece of paper might look harmless, but there was no telling whether it was simply a drawing or a spell glued to the wall. Every kid knew better than to touch a strange symbol, and Luhan knew that even looking at one for too long might get him into trouble.

It might be nothing but a misguided superstition, but superstitions were all they had when it came to witches.

Stepping back onto the main road felt like resurfacing from a dark pond, with light and sound washing over him again in full force, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw splashes of emerald. Luhan was nothing but a righteous citizen, so the presence of police officers made him feel safe.

He decided to cross the square instead of worming his way around it - he really did want to go home, with exhaustion clinging to his skin, chafing away at it, making him feel sensitive and sore. Maybe he was coming down with a cold. Luhan was quite frankly sick of even smelling tea at this point, but maybe he could make himself a simple soup later.

The square was more crowded than usual, with people gathering around the platform at the heart of it. Luhan assumed it was some sort of performance they were waiting for, or maybe a public announcement, and while he sure was nosy enough, he really wanted to get home as soon as possible - the amount of people around him seemed to add to his wary feeling, hiking up the friction against his skin.

A loud fanfare cut through the steady buzz, and Luhan flinched.

The platform wasn't too far away from him, and when he turned to catch a look at it, he saw two policemen positioning themselves, taking out a board to read from. Behind them, two more officers led a person up to the platform, and it immediately dawned on Luhan. He'd run into a public execution.

He didn't have to listen to the officers announcing it - a mere look at the man flanked between them was enough. Even from afar, Luhan could tell that he was young and gorgeous, with inky black hair and outstandingly intricate, expensive-looking clothing that made him look like a fancy nobleman.

At the sight of the witch, people actually inched back ever so subtly, while Luhan did the opposite. He wasn't planning on staying for the execution, but he'd never seen an actual witch with his own two eyes. It was a kind of morbid curiosity that made him step closer, close enough to see the unsightly patches of black marring the man’s otherwise flawless face. They looked like ink bleeding into white skin, blobs of darkness spread around the lower half of his face, running down his throat to disappear beneath his collar. There were violet and green rhombi, too, something Luhan couldn't make out from afar, but all in one, he looked like he was infected with a deadly disease. He could see why people had taken a step back now.

Despite his skin condition and his approaching execution, the witch stood up straight, and while his eyes rested on the ground, there was nothing submissive about it. He seemed relaxed, almost haughty, and when he was led to the front to kneel, he obliged without even a hint of struggle. Luhan could only barely see his eyes from where he stood, and when those eyes roamed the sea of people, he was certain they locked gazes for a split second. The officer's speech sounded distant and muffled, and when someone shifted in front of him, Luhan saw the witch silently smiling to himself. It sent a chill down his spine, and served to finally jolt him out of his trance.

He wasn't supposed to be here. Witches were dangerous and that aside, he wasn't one to watch executions. He shouldn't be here.

Luhan pushed himself back through the crowd until it thinned out. The buzz around him grew louder, and the guards raised their voices to drown them out. He heard the crowd hold their breath in anticipation and then a shrill sound pierced the air, a metallic screeching sound that was entirely unnatural. Before he knew it, Luhan had whipped around towards the platform, just as a strange wave of dark colors washed over the crowd and past him, spreading like thick, lazy light, black dots flying everywhere like bugs made of shadows. There were screams, but they were way too quiet, and the crowd moved too slowly, as if time stood still for all of them, gliding around them in unnatural patterns. Luhan was thinking but he wasn't thinking, feeling like his entire existence had been dipped underwater where it struggled for a hold in a sea of nothing. There was a hunched figure on the platform in one moment, and then it was gone the next. Patterns started to dance in the air, moving, winding rhombi, and oh, there were hands around his throat.

The witch was right there, in front of him, cutting off his airflow with a vice-like grip. Luhan's hands were weak as he scratched at the fingers around his neck, pathetic sounds escaping him. All he could see were the witch’s eyes, wild and cat-like, gleaming with yellow specks as his vision blurred out-

-and then the moment passed like it was violently out of his grasp. The clean air and paling light returned, sounds crashing down on him, and the grip on his throat loosened, allowing air to fill his lungs. The witch blinked, the specks of yellow gone. There was a subtle change in his expression as his gaze dropped down to where his fingers had been squeezing just seconds ago, one that Luhan couldn't interpret quickly enough. A nick of dissatisfaction took over, and then the witch grabbed his hand and roughly pulled him along.

"Come," he said, voice surprisingly soft, and yet very clearly audible over the panic breaking out in the square.

Luhan struggled right away, despite the dizziness threatening to make him throw up.

"No-"

"Come with me if you want to live," the witch added sharply, leaving no room for arguments, and when the screams let on that the witch had been sighted, he tugged more fiercely, making Luhan follow after him against his will. It felt like his legs were moving on their own, and then he had to keep running to keep up the momentum - there was simply no way to describe it, but as everything flew by in a grey blur, he couldn't find it in himself to struggle. His entire mental capacity was focused on panicking. Where was the witch taking him? Why was the witch taking him anywhere? Why had he tried to kill him?

His throat was still hurting, burning so intensely that it was impossible to tell whether the pain came from inside or out.

They ran down shadowy alleyways, and Luhan could have sworn he'd seen glowing signs whiz by. Their few pursuers had thinned out surprisingly fast - another result of the witch using magic?

He was tugged around another corner and then all but shoved inside a house. The witch slammed the door closed, leaning back against it, pulling Luhan closer without sparing him a glance. Obediently, Luhan pressed himself to the door as well, too confused and scared to cause a scene. It was dark inside the room, with the only light being the one filtering in through the two small windows facing the street. One of them was open, and the witch stared at it, breathing deeply whereas Luhan was swallowing dryly.

When he made a move to close the window, to avoid being spotted, he felt a warning palm on his forearm, and without tearing his gaze from the window, the witch placed a finger to his lips.

Luhan tried to control his breathing, hyper aware of the small, but strong hand on his arm. Even in the semi-darkness, the golden accents and gemstones on the other's robe were glinting.

Even now he could see the black patches tainting the witch's face, painting the left corner of his mouth, which was tugged into the slightest smile.

For a few long seconds, it was silent. Just when Luhan's breathing had normalized, the witch relaxed, closing the window with nothing but a flick of his fingers.

"So much for that," he hummed to himself, walking past Luhan and towards a flight of wooden stairs. There was a very distinct scent clinging to him, a kind of perfume Luhan hadn't come across before, and it was both addictive and dizzying, so he was glad for the room to breathe.

The witch paused and turned his head to shoot him an expectant look.

"Where are we going?" Luhan asked quietly, warily, and instead of growing impatient or angry, the witch only seemed mildly amused.

"To take a look at your throat."

Unconsciously, Luhan's hands flew up to his throat, feeling nothing but smooth skin. The burning sensation from earlier was still there though, and trying to run from the witch wouldn't be smart. Luhan was genuinely terrified, fear swirling in his stomach as he slowly followed the witch up the stairs. Was he going to die today? Had the witch chosen him for some bloody ritual? He hadn't done anything wrong, had never offended a witch before. He was just a tiny fish in the sea, a small snippet of confetti, not remarkable in any way-

The witch entered the room at the end of the stairs, stepping inside a big, lofty room right beneath the roof. It was doused in pale light, and despite the countless objects scattered around, everything seemed very orderly and in place. Still, Luhan immediately knew that something was wrong - the room was way too spacious to be inside this cramped little house, and there was no way they were on the top floor already. Carefully, he walked towards one of the windows in the ceiling, trying to spot any adjacent building helping him gain some orientation, but he only saw the rose-tinted sky through what seemed to be shapes cut into the roof with no rhyme or reason. There wasn't even any glass shielding the room from rain-

"Sit."

The almost soft command had Luhan turn his head towards the two wooden chairs the witch had gestured at. Luhan obeyed, unconsciously folding his hands in his lap, keeping his posture straight. If he was going to die, he might as well try to keep his dignity and not add to the witch's amusement.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched the witch place his coat on a hanger, stretching his shoulders and massaging his neck. The unguarded moment vanished as fast as it had come, and when the witch sank into the chair opposite Luhan, he did so with an untouchable kind of grace. It was hard not to look at the left corner of his lips where the black bled into soft rosé.

He gestured Luhan to come closer, which he did, still pretending that it didn't take all his willpower not to shake.

The witch cupped his skin, his fingers warm to the touch where they had been icy earlier. Luhan held his breath. He felt the other's thumb press into his skin, and for a moment, he looked like a mildly irritated mother trying to rub a stain off their son's cheek. It prickled, but otherwise, Luhan didn't feel a thing.

The witch hummed, and withdrew his hand.

"Guess you'll have to wait it out," he stated.

"Wait what out?" Luhan asked carefully, looking around for a shiny surface to mirror himself in.

The witch pointed out a full length mirror at one of the walls, and Luhan could see it from afar already, his heart skipping a beat.

There was something dark around his throat. Something pitch black. It looked like ink sitting right beneath his skin, winding themselves around his throat where the other had tried to strangle him earlier. They were noticeable under his fingertips though, like the faintest weal.

From up close, it was obvious that they were of the same nature as the rash covering the witch's skin.

"What is this?" Luhan breathed out, rubbing his fingers on his clothing, caught by involuntary disgust.

"A demon's mark," came the swift reply.

In the mirror, he could see sharp eyes resting on him with mild interest. He was probably enjoying Luhan’s panic.

"Is it going to kill me?" he asked carefully, watching the other through the mirror, watching him lightly shake his head.

"Not if the demon dies before it gets a hand on you," the witch said almost casually as he got to his feet, moving towards an adjacent room.

"How do I know it's dead?" Luhan asked hastily, taking a few hesitant steps towards the door. For some reason, he had this unreasonable fear that the witch would simply disappear, leaving him behind, despite this looking like his home.

"The mark will be gone," came the soft reply, so simple in nature that Luhan had to refrain himself from growing impatient.

"But how am I supposed to hide from a demon? Didn't it get to you earlier? What am I supposed to do now?"

The witch re-entered the room, looking quite unimpressed for the first time.

"It didn't get to me," he remarked sharply, and when Luhan refused to break eye contact, the witch seemed to change approaches, and the small, dangerous smile was back again as he trailed the tips of his fingers over the rash on his face.

"I ate it. Both of them."

Luhan must have looked every bit as horrified as he felt, for the other's grin widened just a little.

"All you have to do is wait," he said, already turning away and towards the kitchen aisle in one corner. "They'll disintegrate soon."

Luhan was itching to ask more questions, but the statement had put the other in an even more terrifying light. He'd eaten a demon? Two of them?

"You shouldn't go home for now," the witch said casually, preparing a cup of tea. "You can stay in the guest room."

"I don't- I mean, no need-"

"Help yourself to food, but don't touch anything else, please. And don't leave without permission."

He said it so incredibly casually that Luhan couldn't help getting mad.

"Excuse me? You can't just decide that, I'm not your pet."

The witch shot him an unfazed look over his shoulder.

"I know - I'd feed my pet. I assume you'll get by on your own."

Luhan gaped at him in angry disbelief.

"I have a life, you know? And a job - I can't just sit around here all day like some newly acquired house plant."

"What's a few days of not going to work?" the witch shrugged, and Luhan crossed his arms.

"Most likely me being fired, that's what it is."
He was being stubborn and dramatic, but there was no way he'd not let himself be locked away without a fight. The witch quietly sighed, but Luhan didn’t back down.

"I'll go to work tomorrow, period."

He watched the other pinch his forehead, finally giving in.

"Fine," he sighed. "But return here afterwards. I'm not going to come running when the mark decides to eat you up, after all."

That effectively shut Luhan up, causing a shudder to run down his spine. He refrained from voicing out how it was the witch’s fault that this had happened in the first place. For some reason, he was willing to help him with this curse, so Luhan didn't want to push his luck. Witches were known for a lot of things, but not for being generous, so when he lay on a mattress in the guest room a while later, he wondered what kind of a price the witch would ask for in turn for his help.

Maybe he'd end up becoming his servant for life after all.

It took a long time for him to fall asleep, plagued by worries and hunger - since he hadn't dared to actually prepare himself something to eat - and his throat was still prickling. It was pure exhaustion that pulled him to sleep eventually.