Of Fallen Wings & The Six Tails

 

3. The Warning

 

*****

(A/N: Some slightly disturbing descriptions near the beginning.)

 

Through a dark and winding forest, the rattles of his earrings echoed in the silence of the night as Sakuya walked towards his next destination. For creatures large, creatures small and even the spirits of time's past, hearing the jingling means as a way to warn them, to move away from the path that he walks so they won't be stepped on. Even if they did hear it, the sight of his ghostly white eyes through his red mask would be enough to make anything cower and run. He would hear all, from the sound of crickets and owls, to the restless voices of the lost but this time, it was silent as if the forest itself was dead. Even as he passed a few lost souls along the way, they watched him silently without a word or whisper....which was unnatural for him to say the least.

 

“Greetings….” a voice croaked as a dark figure suddenly manifested itself several meters away. The voice itself was haunting and sounded as if it were multiple whispers mimicking each other back to back like an echo in a cave. Even in the dark, he could see the figure’s pale yet grimy skin and hollowed out eyes as he abruptly stopped in front of it. It was clad in an all black outfit and a tall black hat with a cylindrical rim that was typically seen by nobles of the area.

 

“Hello?” he answered even if he knew that it was of supernatural origin as he was.

 

“Sakuya of Mount Sakurajima. The one who tried to go beyond his mortal boundaries.” it replied causing Sakuya’s eyebrows to pull together in worry. Even through his mask, the figure could read his emotions as it smiled at him in a wide crooked grin.

 

“And whom may you be if I may ask?” Sakuya stiffened as he kept his ground. This presence in front of him didn't feel right at all and his entire body screamed to just take off and run.

 

“I have different names...many origins… but I am one ...and always one.” the figure stated as it brought forth one slender hand with it’s index finger pointed up. As he stared at it closer, he noticed that the figure’s form was always distorted, in a way that it changed with every second. From bones to rotten flesh to misty fog to just a black oozing mass……it was all there but not there at all. If anything, it was just like his voice...an echo of each other that kept repeating itself. The unnatural movement from it just standing there sent chills down Sakuya’s spine at its mere presence.

 

He tried to keep calm in the situation and lighten the dreadful mood as he spoke again. “Kekekekeke ...so this is how it feels to talk to someone who speaks in riddl-...........”

 

His voice cut off and a mysterious power filled all of his senses, stunning him as the figure slowly started to float towards the now worried man. Like a fly trapped in a spider web, Sakuya couldn’t get away as he watched the figure get within 2 meters of him and finally stop. He was not scared of a lot of things but the figure before him made his blood run cold and tremble in fear.

 

“We’ve met once before under different circumstances and now we meet again Sakuya.” the figure stated. Seeing it so close, he noticed that the hollowed portion of its eyes seemed like a vacuum that his sight into it, no matter how hard he tried to pull away. Just looking into its bottomless void felt like suffocating so he turned away and shut his eyes closed for a moment to regain his composure. A few deep breaths later, he heard it spoke again.

 

“Are you still trying to run away?”

 

It took him a few moments but he opened his eyes once more to look at it and mustered up a few words. “.....run away from what?”

 

“The evitable.”

 

The glow from the eyes of his red mask couldn’t masque his fear as he questioned it. “Is that a warning?”

 

“A warning? No. Why should I warn someone who should already know their fate?”

 

“Just like the wind that guides me, fate can always be changed…...and that’s what I truly believe.” Sakuya spat out, voice now witha hint of anger.

 

For a moment there was silence until It let out an eerie laughter that haunted his ears as if it was mocking him. 

 

“Did you lure me here?” Sakuya questioned, now serious in his tone.

 

“Here?” it questioned. With it, Sakuya heard a snap. The whole environment transformed into a foggy graveyard where the moonlight could barely pass through it’s darkness. The trees that were there once before now stood bones that mimicked the structure of trees. As he watched, the bone trees started spewing a dark mass of rotten hands as they crawled towards him like a tsunami of decay. He heard moans from all sides as shadows began moving about from beyond what he could see, nipping at the corners of his eyes as the hands crawled closer. The putrid stench filled his nose as the moans got louder causing him to grimace as he shot his head side to side to see the chaos surrounding him in terror. He felt the hands slowly tearing and ripping into his body and flesh as he felt powerless to stop it until finally, everything abruptly stopped. He stood there silently waiting for any movement but there was none as his head turned in every direction to see what happened.

 

“Or here?” Again, he felt himself in an unknown environment ...this time, his biggest fear: In the waves of a raging chaotic ocean. He slipped into the hungry waters and struggled to stay afloat as he gasped for air for those short few moments, still wondering if it was real. Fake or not, the fear was too much for his panicking heart as his heart started pounding against his chest like a taiko drum. Struggle as he may, he felt something grabbed him and quickly pulled him down into the dark abyss like an anchor of a ship. The light of the moon hitting the ocean started to fade as he gotten deeper and deeper, desperately kicking away at the thing that was holding him but it did not let go of it’s grasps. He couldn’t hold his breath anymore and soon water filled his stomach as the anxiety took over his mind like a virus spreading that suffocated him to the very depth of his core. Through it all, he finally mustered his courage and looked down…...nothing. He soon found himself inside a white room void of anything besides him and the figure in front of him.

 

Sakuya dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the floor as his body trembled violently at what he just felt. Everything felt so real…was it real? All that he knew was that his pulse was pounding over 160bpm as it drummed rapidly against his chest ready to burst open...real enough he thought.

 

“Or maybe this is just your mind?” the figure walked into his view but Sakuya kept his head down and listened silently. Cold sweat dripped from the tip of his mask as he tried to compose himself but he never felt such dread in his whole life as he felt now.

 

“The mind is an unlimited tool...the strongest tool. It can either be your greatest treasure...or your worst nightmare. What do you think happens when a mind starts decaying Sakuya? Would a beast emerge once it’s all gone? Or would you just become a hollowed out shell that once was?”

 

Sakuya lifted his head up to look at it once again only to see himself looking back down at him. A perfect copy in every way as it looked at him with a sneer on its face. It raised one of his hands up with his thumb and middle finger pressed together.

 

“Time waits for no one…..especially those on false terms.”

 

With a snap of fingers, he was back at the trail he was once was as if nothing happened. The sounds of creatures that he once thought was gone were there again and filled his ears as they scurried away. The dead silence from before was gone and so was the figure.

 

With those last words ringing in his ear, Sakuya could only question what just happened and what it meant. As he felt the gravel beneath his hands, he curled them into a fist and pounded the ground causing the earth beneath him to tremble. Hopelessness. The feeling that he hates the most currently took ahold of him as he stood himself back up and looked at the stars above. A small drip trickled from his nose leading him to take off his mask and wipe it with his slightly trembling hand. Blood. As he looked at the sight, he chuckled silently to himself and finally spoke after moments of silence.

 

“..……...false terms huh? What a joke....”

 

--------------

 

Another man down. Alive only just moments ago, now perished as he laid in front of her in the early break of dawn. It gave her no joy hearing the pulse of his dying heart gets slower and slower until there only silence...nothing more. Sad as it may be, she had no choice but to kill him as she devoured his bleeding heart that was beating just moments ago. This time, she was ambushed by a lone hunter who set out to kill her no matter what it took. His eyes were looped in a frenzy when he saw her and she could only dodge and maneuver around his wild swings until she found an opening to pierce deep into his chest.

 

This constant search for life energy and killing was tiring. The loop of it tortured her mind and soul every time it happened but it was the only way she could continue living. She tried to stop eating meat or human hearts and livers for 1000 days plenty of times but humans keep getting in her way since it was hard to roam around with hunters following her tracks all the time. To become human was her one and only goal since it was the only way to stop this endless craving that took over her like an insomnia of madness...unless she chose dying as an option that is.

 

“I see….....he just lost his family recently.” His most memorable moment happened only a few nights ago and just entered into her mind…..now hers forever. Must of been very traumatic for him since it took over his older and fonder memories of his happy wife and kids some time ago. A tired sigh escaped her breath as she looked at the man’s surprised face before he died.

 

“I’m sorry……if only I weren't so reckless back in the day, I would've already become human and should've died over a hundred years ago.” 

 

As she crouched down to cover the eyes of the man she just killed, she reflected on this journey of hers that spanned over 1300 years. The 1000 years to become a Kumiho itself and the few hundreds of years to grow 8 tails before she lost it all right before her 9th tail was to grow. It was within her grasps but like anything with power, being hungry for more always leads to one’s downfall...for her, it meant losing a dear friend and all of her tails besides 1 because of a stupid mistake. She managed to regain 5 back to a total of 6 within a few hundred years but it only made her journey more agonizing since she had to take more lives then she wanted too. Hyewon shook the ghosts from her past away and stood back up as she glanced at the moon that bled into the clouds above.

 

“I know I've said this a thousand times before but if you’re looking down on me...I’m still sorry for what I’ve done. Once I finally become human, I hope to live long and full enough life to make you proud of me. I hope to see you again one day ...sis."

 

For now, her hunger had subsided thanks to the man but it would grow once again, leaving her in a seemingly endless journey what would no doubt take a hundred more years if things kept going the same way. However, thanks to one lucky encounter with a certain person, she kept her hopes up in becoming human soon since he had more than enough energy to help her out if she could find him again. At least that was what she thought…

 

“It’s been a month already. When can I see you again….?”

 

----------------------

 

Days passed as the night winds soothe his weary soul from the incident from before. From above a steep cliff, he watched the city down below as it glittered with light in the night time. Being next to the ocean, he could see a handful of small boats hundreds of feet from the shore that looked like fireflies sleeping in the ocean waves. For the past hour, he’s been reflecting on the events that happened recently and questioned if the actions he took were pushing him in the right direction or not. But even so, he continued on his main journey in the Kingdom of Joseon: to find at least 1 Dragon Pearl and see if it could answer his questions.

 

‘It’s been awhile since I visited here and there's no doubt about it, there’s one here in the city. I felt a pulse a few minutes ago….' he stated as he quickly flew down the side of the mountain cliff and onto ground level below. A few hundred meters away was the entrance bustling port city near the ocean that still seemed alive as if it was still daytime. Lucky for him, port cities are a bit more rowdy than the more civilized cities inland so at least he can have a bit of fun while searching for a Dragon Pearl.

 

"Months of no luck searching in the wilderness only to just feel it in a city ...such luck I have eh Kami sama?" he pondered as he remembered all the info he found while overhearing sources here and there. Apparently in this region in the Kingdom of Joseon, lesser dragons called Imugi lie wait in the ocean for Dragon Pearls to fall so they can catch it and become true Dragons who can finally fly towards the Heavens above. No one knows what Dragon Pearls really are but some say they may be the tears of an Elder Dragon to even crystals or diamonds from the Heavens above.

 

“Maybe there’s some lucky fishermen found one and traded one in for currency…..”

 

After teleporting back into the sky briefly for a few seconds, he quickly scanned the area and found vacant alleyway to teleport to. Upon landing, he instantly changed his outfit in a flash as he dressed as a commoner complete with gat hat that most of the men wore in that city.

 

"Here we go I guess…."

 

As he wandered, he started walking into the roads and followed in the direction of where he felt the Dragon Pearl's pulse was at...hopefully he though. There were a lot of people in the streets and he would often stare at them from a distance to see how they acted. For him, it's been awhile since he's been in a busy city so he felt abit awkward being around a city full of humans. Merchants everywhere trying to sell you things, entertainers in the streets trying hard to appeal their skills, workers just doing what they have to do to survive...sometimes he envied humans since they lived simpler lives compared to his unorganized chaos.

 

Wandering the maze that was the market area, his eyes would gaze here and there since many things were new to him from the food to the goods to just everything between. Barely going into cities would often lead to surprises whenever he found something new that humans create...especially the food of course! Such fascinating creatures in peace in comparison to their times in war which never seemed to end. As if on que, he heard a ruckus nearby and turn towards to face the noise.

 

“There she is, get her!” a person yelled from a crowd of people as they looked at what he was pointing at. A frail woman with bloody hands and mouth was seen crouching in the crawlspace of a dimly lit building as she stared back at the crowd. With jerky but nimble movements, her face twisted into a grin as she stood up to her bloodied hands causing the bystanders to scream in fear and run away. A group of matching uniformed people began moving in, closing unto her but she was quick on her feet, dashing in and out of the group that tried to corner her. She showed great movement in her actions and for her, humans seemed like they were just play things for her.

 

“So close….so close!! Almost 5 tails!” she yelled in a frenzy, drawing her claws out to slash at their bladed swords and spears. Her movement was quick and efficient as she kept them away with her wild swings like a feral animal.

 

As Sakuya watched, he heard heavy footsteps coming from behind him and once it passed by, a tall stranger turned to look at him with a gaze that lingered, almost in slow motion, as he ran pass. They broke it off once the stranger got farther away and it perked Sakuya’s interest since there was no reason for the stranger to look at him...or so he thought. The man was fast and as he got closer to the scene, he lowered his upper body for a bit and leaped into the air with springlike limbs like a feather floating in the air. In one swift movement, he drew back his arm with a twist in the air and rammed his fist right into the woman’s jaw, knocking her out as she stared wide eyed at her attacker before falling flat on her face. One punch was all it took from him when the men couldn't even get close to her.

 

“Jin! You came just in time! Any longer and I think a few men would’ve lost a few limbs in the process!” one of the men yelled with a look of relief on his face.

 

“Just doing my job. I’m just glad I didn’t have to put her down too violently....” the man named Jin stated as he looked at the unconscious woman. Once he stood up to his full height, he towered over most of the men by a head. Young, vibrant and handsome, early 20s maybe Sakuya thought...with a fierce but youthful look on his face as he studied the woman on the ground with his eyes. The men around him praise him with encouraging words and back pats as he started waving his hands in front of him to downplay his job well done. From the looks of it, they seem to admire him…..'a prodigy of his group maybe?' Sakuya thought.

 

“Ahhh ...thank goodness young Jin came in time! He’s only been here for a few days but already found 4 Kumiho! Thank goodness those Hunters came all the way from the capital!” a person from around him spoke as he heard gossip around him. With that, Sakuya took his leave after glancing at Jin once again.

 

“Interesting….” he murmured to himself as he turned to walk away from the area. Unbeknownst to him, Jin shot his eyes back at where Sakuya was and narrowed his eyes.

 

‘........that man’s scent. I wonder what he is? Definitely not a Kumiho but not a human either. Maybe I’ll meet you properly in the future......and hopefully you won’t cause any trouble around here.’ Jin thought as he turned back to his group of teammates who continued their praises for him as a group of women started to fangirl around him...

 

‘Aigoo…maybe I should’ve left also.’

 

------------------------------

 

After strolling along the area from the incident earlier, he continued wandering around, hoping to feel another pulse but nothing came.

 

‘Only 1 pulse over an hour ago? Rumors stated that a Dragon Pearl pulses every 20 minutes…..’ he thought as he stood in place, abit defeated with one hand on his chin with his other arm under it for support.

 

‘There’s no way to hide it...unless someone made an object to obscure its power maybe? Only supernatural creatures can feel it so I don’t think a human would hid-'

 

A stranger suddenly cut his thoughts as she stood right in front of him with a wave of her hand, catching his attention with a questionable but beautiful smile upon her face. Long dark brown hair, tiny and attractive face with a rather cold demeanor in her secretive yet attractive eyes.

 

“Excuse me handsome…..” her words were few but her voice flowed through his ears like a soft melody.

 

“Ehhhh?”

 

“Are you looking for something?” she asked.

 

“......ehhhhhh?”

 

She let out a chuckle that captured his ears as he looked at her dumbfounded. “I’ve noticed you’ve been circling around the area here but you haven’t bought anything. Also you stick out like a sore thumb ...”

 

‘! Was I that noticeable? This is what I get for not coming into cities and interacting with large groups of humans….’ he thought as he mentally slapped himself in the head.

 

“R...really? I admit, I haven’t been into the city in a while and it’s a bit overwhelming when most of your companions are creatures from the forests….kekekeke.”

 

Leaning closer, she studied him from close proximity as he leaned away from her, abit shy from her actions. “Are you a hermit or something?”

 

“Ehhh….ye...naa….yes I am.”

 

“ …..so what are you looking for?” she questioned.

 

His eyes wandered from her view and  into the streets around him but he could still feel her gaze on him that made him a bit nervous. “Uhh, nothing in particular. If anything, it’s something really obscure and very rare...”

 

“Really? How about I show you some place interesting?”

 

His eyes shot back to her as he wondered what she meant, questioning if it really was interesting. “Interesting huh? Like what?”

 

“You’ll find out if you come with me...” the brunette leaned forward again and spoke in a playful tone as she held her hand out in front of him. 

 

With a weak voice, he politely bowed slightly and whispered silently to her in a sad tone. “Ahhh, I’m sorry, I’m currently busy right now. I’ve got to ge-”

 

With a click of her tongue, she rolled her eyes and answered back. “....no you’re not. So Let’s go!”

 

The woman snatched his hand and started leading him away from the market as they crossed the busy streets and stalls He tried to pull away but her soft hands held her grip pretty tight on him...

 

“N-no really! I’m uhhhhh..!”

 

“No. You’re. Not. Now come.” she commanded with authority, sending slight shivers down his spine with her sudden change.

 

The woman slowly started to sprint, now causing him to not lag behind as he ran behind her. He really wanted to teleport away but doing so would only cause trouble for him and reveal that he wasn’t human, which would be a very bad idea. As he watched her drag him to places unknown, the surroundings got more darker and there were less people and buildings coming into view.

 

“Where are you taking me?”

 

“Somewhere a bit more private...” she teased as she looked back at him.

 

‘Might as well see what this woman want until I feel a pulse.’ he thought as she kept leading him somewhere. They reached a section of the city that was more run down and suspicion started growing in his head. Even so, he felt no danger from her so he relaxed his muscles a bit as she continued dragging him along her wild stroll. After a few minutes, she finally stop in front of a small building and led him inside where there’s not much light or torches in or outside.

 

“Here we are…..” a smile grew on her face as she looked back at him. If anything, her smile was rather captivating that captured his gaze easy. But even so, he still felt a bit uneasy with some stranger dragging him to places unknown.

 

As they entered the building, it seemed to be a shop of some kind, filled with obscure objects that you'd not find anywhere else. From talismans, weird weapons, medicine, potions, etc...it definitely didn’t seem like a normal shop. The shop clerk there laid on the countertop as Sakuya looked around. The clerk herself had noticebly large pouty lips, long and darkened shade of brown hair that had a tint of purple in it...magenta maybe. She was spinning a coin as if she was bored, seemingly grew life again as the lighter brunette let out a small cough to notify her of their presence. She then straighten her back and shot a smile at the two. The lighter brunette put a bag she had down near the front of the store and started to stretch in place as Sakuya continued forward.

 

The shop clerk shook her head as she looked at the brunette. “Another boyfriend?”

 

“...…boy...friend?” a confused face grew on Sakuya, not knowing the meaning of boyfriend being the hermit that he is.

 

“This is not your hou-” the shop clerk added but was cut off by the brunette, now with an angry look on her face as she waved her arms in the air frantically.

 

“A customer, CUSTOMER!” she yelled angrily, face now with a hint of red.

 

“Oh shiiiiiwwwelcome to Yen-Yen-Yena’s Shop of Occult Wonders! Our wonders are your wonders ...for the right price that is! The name’s Yena and it’s a pleasure to meet cha! Pardon for the quick and hasty judgement friend!” the fiery woman announced with vigor as she put a hand out for a handshake. Sakuya grabbed unto her hands and bowed deeply at her...though his eyes couldn’t help but stare at the woman’s hands which reminded him of some kind of human dessert for some strange reason.

 

“Uhh….hello there..Yena? My name is Sakuya and it’s a pleasure to meet you...” he greeted, a feeling of awkwardness came out as he continued staring at her hand. ‘Why am I hungry all of a sudden….?’ he thought out of the blue.

 

“Sakuya? Not from Joseon aye? Foreigner I’m guessing but you speak really well for a foreigner.” she stated causing his eyes to look at her, finally.

 

“Yeah….a traveler. I’ve been to Joseon ages ago and wanted to come back in search for something.” he stated as his eyes started to wonder at her weird assortment of merchandise.

 

“Traveler huh? I know that feeling since I used to do that a lot back in the day too. Well are you looking for anything?” she asked with a smile brightly shining on her duck like face.

 

“Uhhh…”

 

“He seemed kind of lost when I found him so I just thought I’d bring him here….ya know...since you sell all kinds of weird things.” The brunette spoke as she finally came and stood beside him. Again, her smile captivated him easily as he smiled back.

 

“Really? If there’s weird things you want, I might have it...around...the….shop….of WONDERS.” Yena stated as she opened her arms widely and spun around slowly with a smug grin on her face for some unknown reason.

 

With awkward silence between the three as Sakuya continued looking at her, she kept spinning and spinning...and spinning.

 

Sakuya put his hands in front of him signaling her to stop as the other brunette shook her head in shame beside him.

 

“Uhhh…..uhh…..y-you…..you can stop you know?” he stated in a low and embarrassed voice. 

 

“W-…...won….ders.” she beamed silently as she finally stopped, head now slowly going in circles as her body kept still. Again ...awkward silence chilled the room with only eyes bouncing against the three on who should speak next. To Sakuya, this Yena person didn't seem to notice her weird actions but at least she's got character...or something.

 

“Uhh..….I don’t think you’ll have the thing I’m looking for.” Sakuya finally spoke.

 

Yena put one arm on the counter and leaned forward with a look of confidence on her face. “And why is that?”

 

“Because they fall from the sky and are really rare.”

 

Yena tilted her head and with no pause, spoke. “Oh, you mean a Heaven Stone?”

 

Eyes with intrigue, Sakuya leaned forward also since it sounded like it could be a Dragon Pearl. “H-Heaven Stone? I’m not sure what those are…..”

 

“Sacred Stones that fall from the Heavens above of course! The impact they have when they fall from the sky creates huge craters and those who find them are granted wishes…..or so I’ve heard.” Yena informed causing Sakuya’s ears to perk up with much interest.

 

“.....go on….” Sakuya's eyes smiled, giddy that he finally found someone who actually had info about these similar sounding objects.

 

Yena brought one hand forward, cupped it near his ears and whispered. “Well I don’t have one anyway sooooo….bing bong.”

 

Sakuya’s head slumped downward as a sigh escaped from his lips. He felt a pat on his back and heard an apology from her for getting his hopes up.

 

“Yena sorry, Yena didn’t mean to get your hopes up!” she spoke in a playful tone trying to bring his mood back up. He brought his head up and smiled weakly at her. For some odd reason, she booped him on the nose with her finger causing him to look at her with an amused expression. The brunette beside him shook her head again as she turned away and went back towards the door. Sakuya on the other hand, chuckled at her weirdness and bowed to her before looking around at the odd items she had.

 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I guess I’ll just check this place out for a bit since I have nothing but time anyway.” Sakuya comforted wzrmly as he began walking around the shop, looking at the various things Yena had around.

 

“Oh yeah Yena, I found something interesting and I wanted you to check it out!” the woman yelled as she picked up her bag that she left near the front. Yena glanced at her and waved for her to come over as she started spinning her coin from before.

 

“Sure sure, bring it over.”

 

The woman walked forward and put her bag on the counter, messing up the coin spin that Yena just started causing her to frown. She slapped Yena on the shoulder loudly before going into a back door behind the counter area

 

“Here ya go. I’ll be in the back if ya ever need me okay unnie?”

 

“Yeah yeah. Now to see what you’ve got.” Yena spoke, now giddy with anticipation as she rubbed her hands together quickly.

 

She began digging around the small bag and found an antique looking mirror that seemed more like a magnifying glass than anything. It was a slightly dirtied gold, mostly round with a medium length handle that had a few pieces of jewels embedded at the edges of the glass mirror.

 

“A mirror of some sort? Looks fancy and could fetch for a nice price!” she whispered silently as she took a piece of cloth to wipe the old buildup of dust from it. As she wiped it clean enough, she started staring through the mirror and while looking through, it seemingly warped the views in front of it in a strange way. She could see light when there was none as she moved it back and forth from place to place around the shop. As she landed on a certain person browsing, her eyes widened at what she saw.

 

“Huh? W-what…..?”

 

Staring at Sakuya through the lens, she could see giant raven colored wings protruding from his back as if it was clear as day. Even in the low light of her shop, the feathers shone in a slight pinkish glow that captivated her eyes with wonder and intrigue. To make sure she wasn’t hallucinating, she moved the mirror back and forth from her sight and it was clear ...he definitely had wings hidden on his back as they moved with his every movement even if she couldn’t see them in real life.

 

"Uhhh Chaewonnie ...c-come look at this mirror for a second." Yena stated, loud enough for her friend to hear.

 

"I'm bus-" before she could finish, Yena cut in quickly and more loudly.

 

"Really! I-its 'won won wonderful'!"

 

A loud crash was heard in the back with footsteps running towards Yena causing Sakuya to looked at where the noise came from. The brunette came out confused and stood next to Yena, who was seen smiling at him as if nothing was wrong. He tilted his head in confusion as she waved at him in silence, lips tightly pressed together. A few moments passed and they kept the same expression which felt a bit awkward for him so he turned back to look at items again.

 

The woman, seemingly named Chaewon, whispered in her Yena’s ear. "What?! You used your emergency code word! Did he steal something?" 

 

Finger to , she whispered back. "Shhhhh ya dummy! Here, just glance through this mirror and look at him while he still has his back turned..."

 

Chaewon picked the mirror up and as she looked through it, she almost let a gasp escape but thanks to Yena's quick thinking, the latter used her hand to cover Chaewon's mouth in time. Once she calmed down a bit, they both looked at the mirror again.

 

"What the hell is this mirror?!" Yena pointed and questioned it with her now narrowed eyes. Chaewon shrugged her shoulders and began examining it from up close.

 

"I just snatched it from some guy I passed by in town. More importantly, what the heck is he? An angel?" she asked as she looked at him again with the mirror in hand.

 

Yena took a nearby piece of paper in her hands and began rolling it into a ball while she cupped the other against Chaewon’s ears. "Would an angel hurt people?"

 

Chaewon face twisted in confusion and answered back. "I don't know, why?"

 

"I'm gonna throw a paper ball at his head."

 

"Are you an idiot Yena!? Do NOT thr- put that dow-" the brunette gasped as she saw Yena threw the ball at Sakuya’s head. Luckily for him, he moved his head just in time that it missed him by an inch.

 

*plop*

 

"I missed? ."

 

Chaewon let a breath of relief out until she saw Yena had another ball rolled up and ready to fire. "Wheeeeeeeew….wai...w-wait sto-"

 

Too late.

 

*plop*

 

Yena missed again as Sakuya still seemed oblivious to the whole thing. Like a game to her, Yena rolled up another ball and smiled at Chaewon who desperately tried to block Yena from throwing another ball at Sakuya’s head.

 

"Would you stop it ya dum- STO"

 

*plop*

 

Again she missed thanks to Sakuya moving his head at the last second.

 

"Oh hell no, no way I missed 3 times in a ro-shiiiiit, he turned around!" she stated as they both crouched behind the counter wide eyed, hoping that he didn’t notice their little game. Chaewon tilted her head up aggressively to let her friend know to go greet him as his footsteps grew near. At a moment’s notice, Yena shot back up and put her elbow on the table, leaning on it with a smile towards the seemingly oblivious guy.  

 

"Heeeeeeey there friend, found something that caught your eye?"

 

"Nothing in particular but there’s some interesting items you have here. Talismans for good luck, love, fortune and many other things. Weapons....protective jewelry....antidotes? Do many dangerous creatures lurk around the area?” he asked with a more serious tone of voice. From his words, she stood up straight again and answered honestly.

 

“Here? Some I guess. But even so, they have hunters that lurk around and vanquish most supernatural beings here. I heard they even brought some Elite Hunters from the capital a few days ago but I haven’t seen those people yet…..so beware.” her tone was just as serious as his causing Chaewon to shoot back up from behind the counter also.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

With a slip of the tongue, she hit herself mentally as she tried to change her sentence. “Uhh I meant be...aware ...of creatures lurking about. They can be anywhere ya know? Maybe in plain sight…..haha...ha.”

 

A smile curved on his lips as he looked at them straight into their eyes.

 

“I’m sure they are ...kekekeke. Well, I have to go and I apologize for not buying anything for now...maybe I’ll be back in the future if I need something.” he politely bowed at the two and turned towards the door. After a few steps, right before he opened the door, he turned his head towards them without looking and spoke.

 

“I’ve been in this town ages ago and I noticed that it’s getting smaller and colder…...especially for those who seek comfort.”

 

 He finally opened the door and the cold air came through the shop, chilling the inside almost instantly.

 

“....and that’s why I suggest that you move elsewhere ... friend.”

 

With that, he closed the door behind him leaving the two hanging on with what he just said. His words seemed vague but also clear as the looked at each other silently.

 

“.............does he know?”