Getting more and more befuddled by the minute, Jonghyun knew he couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Do you know this person?”

“Well, he comes from a powerful family of witches and clairvoyants, and we think he has received the powers from both his parents. His mother is a great seer, and must have taught him her craft. It’s funny because his father’s side were the ones who vowed to ban the use of blood magic, back when it was used frequently. For centuries, we’ve been at loggerheads with each other. Just imagine, the descendant of human huggers, joining our coven? This is beyond perfect”

Would it be feasible to bring Jinki into their group, if he was a human hugger? It would be funny if that was Jinki’s destiny, and Jonghyun had no qualms against showing him why humans deserved to be hated. Rather than searching for Jinki, it was much easier to let himself be found instead. How long would that take?

Jinki has become accustomed to thoughts of Jonghyun, ever since he escaped. Although it irked him to his core, he couldn’t help but admit that it was an ingenious move on the part of Jonghyun. Someone who was so good at blood magic was a diamond amongst the rocks and could make a really big difference when brought to the right side. Repeating the same spell to find out where Jonghyun would be, Jinki ensured that he was at the location as well. Surprisingly, instead of trying to escape, Jonghyun merely smiled at him. As though he had been expecting him. This couldn’t be right. Could it be some sort of trap?

“Hello Jinki”

Feeling goosebumps all over, Jinki felt his hair stand on end. How did Jonghyun know his name?

“How do you…?”

“How do I know your name, Jinki? I know a lot more than you think”

Throwing his own words right back at him? There was no doubt in his mind that something was afoot. He just didn’t know if he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

“What do you want, Jonghyun?”

“I want you to reach your full potential. Just imagine what we can do with our combined magic. We’ll be able to rule the world the way we are meant to. There’s so much to prove to those around us, and I cannot do it by myself. I need someone like you by my side”

Jinki had no idea what Jonghyun was referring to, but it felt as though he was being recruited into a different type of coven. Would this be the excuse he needed to make Jonghyun change his mind? It was a definite possibility that their proximity would prove helpful to him.

“I agree, Jonghyun”

Not even wondering for a moment as to why Jinki agreed with him instantly, Jonghyun merely smiled as he brought his hand forward to shake Jinki’s. In order to test his sincerity though, Jonghyun would have to show him how their enemies, the humans, truly were. Not willing to take him to their secret place just yet, Jonghyun raced through other possibilities in his mind, since he certainly couldn’t do what he wanted to, in public. Spotting an abandoned manor a few minutes walk away, he knew for a fact that they wouldn’t be interrupted. As they walked inside, Jonghyun used a spell to conjure up the basic necessities he needed for his teleportation spell. . Not just teleportation, but Jonghyun was planning to take Jinki back in time to show him the harsh reality that his life had become. Holding out a large fragment of tektite, he motioned for Jinki to touch it, too.

“I need to show you something, and for this, we will need to travel back in time”

Though this request seemed odd, Jinki knew that this was the only way Jonghyun would start to trust him fully. Before he knew it, he had been pulled from the world he knew, into what he considered his worst nightmare. Although the surroundings seemed to be off colour, Jinki followed Jonghyun as he approached the large crowd in front of them.

“Don’t worry, Jinki. No one can see us; we can merely observe”

All those around them were clad in light shirts, breeches and top hats, with the women wearing long dresses and bonnets.

Jonghyun entered one of the small cottages in front of them, and what Jinki saw, broke his heart into pieces. He felt tears start to prick his eyes as he saw a young boy being pulled away from his father’s arms by two older men.

“Jonghyun, come on. We need to leave right now”

“I want dad. Can’t he go with us?”

“No, my child. He will join us later”

The crowd had turned into a frenzied mob who had begun to start shouting curses outside the door. The two men had barely managed to drag the young boy out through the back when the mob broke the door down. Seizing the boy’s father, they began to beat him mercilessly as they tore his shirt to tatters.

“Kill the witch and his kin. Burn them all”

The crowd had managed to drag the poor, screaming man outside and tied him to the large stake in the middle of the town. Calling upon everyone to come and watch, the leader lit a torch and threw it onto the hay under the stake.

The adult Jonghyun stood behind his child version, just watching the events, while Jinki only focused on the child who was crying silently. As the flames began to the man’s feet, he started to scream with pain. If he really was a witch, why couldn’t he have just used his powers to escape? The smell of singed flesh began to fill the air and the man soon breathed his last, right in front of his child, who stood transfixed until his father had been burnt to cinders.

Jinki wiped away the tears from his cheeks as he and Jonghyun were transported back to their own time.

“Now do you understand me, Jinki? My father gave his life for mine, and these mortals are to blame for all of it”

Unable to speak, Jinki took a step forward and embraced Jonghyun. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard his childhood had been. As he felt Jonghyun’s heart beating against his chest, Jinki was struck by a feeling that seemed to be utterly out of place. It felt good to hold Jonghyun close to him. It felt right, but Jinki had no idea why. He’d never wanted to feel close with anyone before, but now, it was all he wanted. If only he’d known Jonghyun earlier, he could have helped to erase the hatred from his heart. Even now, he couldn’t help but feel a little touched that Jonghyun had let him inside those thick walls of his. Although Jonghyun had guardians, he’d never had a friend to talk to. For someone who had only been fed hatred all his life, it would be close to impossible for him to get out of it. Yet, Jinki was more than willing to do his best. If he wanted Jonghyun to join him, he needed to show him the other side. The side where he would prosper.

“I’m sorry you had to grow up the way you did, Jonghyun”

“I don’t want your pity. I want you to join us and make the world great again”

“I have to think about it, this is too big a step for me to make any decision right now”

Knowing that if he followed his soft heart, he would end up somewhere he never wished, Jinki tried to think of anything that would become a barrier between them. Should he be honest about his true motives?

“Jonghyun, I had originally tried to find you so that you would join my coven. I didn’t expect the same invitation to be extended to me. I should tell you the truth now. I don’t hate humans, and I never have. I remember the day you lost everything. I was there too, but I wish we had been able to care for you. Times were different then, and the world really is changing. In fact, change is the only thing that is constant. Over the years. We have learnt to coexist with them. There is no more ‘them’ and ‘us’. Please try to understand that I’m only saying this because I care.”