Joshua Hong, even his name would cause panic in the mass. He isn't sure whether it's a gift or a curse. Not when he have to live in a seclusion because of it, always on the run, always in hiding. They called him witch, for the magic he didn't ask, his life was put at risk. So he never really know, whether his powers are a condemnation or a redemption.

 

      Walking through the new location, he familiarize himself with his surroundings. 10 miles from where he is, it’s the first sighting of a farm house. He let himself revel in the separation of himself from the society. It has been that way, ever since his parents drive him away from home, as young as 16.

 

      They were afraid for his life, for their life. And ever since that day, it had always been himself all alone.

 

      And perhaps, he smirk as he saw a red wolf lurking behind a tree, a wolf that he had save. Yes, that's true he got a gift to heal, he could undo any injury, all with the concentration of his mind, and a bit of price given away.

***

 

       It was midnight, when he jolt up from his slumber. The weather outside is raining heavily, thunders could be heard. As if the sky is angry, there’s hues of red mixed with the ink black and blue. From afar, he could hear a faint knocking on the door.

 

      No. It's not a faint knocking, he realize. The person out there are literally shouting on top of their lungs on his door, but their voices were drowned in the loud gushing of the wind and the pitter-patter of the rain.

 

     Still in the haze of his sleeps, he strutted towards his door and peep through the hole. On his front door, he saw two man, all harbouring the same panic expression.

 

     Disregarding the tingling warning at the back of his mind, he open his door to the two strangers. And there he saw a third man between them, heavily injured. The man was barely conscious. Without asking, he steps aside and direct them to the room.

 

     He has a gift, and he had been hunted all his life by the people who deemed themselves to be on the right side, so right and wrong to him is a very fine line.

 

     “We are sorry to imposed on you at this time of a night. But we’re in a grave need of a doctor. Our brothers got injured while we’re on the hunt,” his eyes perk up at the sound of the words ‘hunt’. His mind bring him back to his red wolf, his very loyal red wolf.

 

     “Hunter.” He whisper the words under his breath, he paused on his steps and turn back to look at the man. “Red wolf, you did not happen to kill a red wolf, did you?”

 

     The silence that hung between them is suffocating, as he wait for an answer. Although the red wolf is by no means his, but it never fails to give him a sense of companion in his isolated life. And in his unstable and moving life, it seems that the red wolf is the only constancy he got.

 

     He finally released a breath of relief as the man shook his head. “No, we’re not that kind of hunter. Instead, I-,” the other man grab his arms to stop him, deeming his friends had talk too much. And he silently retreat.

 

     He understand distrust, and he respect it well.

 

     “If you did not then it’s fine. Lay your brother on the bed.”

 

     As soon as the man lay his head on the bed, he starts to check for injury.

 

     An arrow wound, right on the stomach. He could see that the arrow did not go through instead, it was lodge inside the stomach. He look at the broken woods and silently praised the two man for their thoughtfulness. Removing it could cause further injury to the internal organ.

 

     But the man had losses too many blood. Stitching him up would do no good. He could see it as clear as day, the man are on the verge of death. He closes his eyes, then turn to the two brothers.

 

     “I could only clean his wound and stitch him up. But he lost too many bloods and he got a slight fever, means his wound been infected.” The downcast looks on the two men make his heart ache.

 

     “There’s also poison in the arrow tip. It had start spreading.”

 

     The man lips quiver and in his eyes gather tears. His heart was moved, but there’s really nothing he can do.

 

     “Please, Healer, please. Save my brother.” He glance at the man, a bit younger than the other, this one the younger one, looks as if he could bet everything on him, and the generous trust makes him questions.

 

     “I do possess the ability of a doctor, young man, but I’m no healer,” he turn away to fetch his kit.

     

     “No, you are a healer. You heal me, remember? You-,”

       

     “Chan!” the older man stops him.

  

     “No, you don’t understand. We can trust him. I know him. I-I’ve been with him for so long. I am Chan, the red wolf, you save me last time. Your ability are beyond doctors, you are a healer. I know you are. So, please-“

 

     The healer focus on the young man in front of him, with the name Chan. Although, he call him red wolf.

  

      “Shapeshifter?” His eyes search the young man, Chan he said his name. But to him, he is Red. A ridiculous feeling bubble up from the centre of his chest, and he scoff at him. “No, you’re not Red-“

     

      Before he could utter his full argument, Chan turn around and lift his shirt, showing a long scar that starts from his hip bone and stretch to his shoulder blade. And nothing could ever be more familiar to him. He knows that wound, because he treated it, but at that time, the man had been in the wolf form.

  

      He clench his jaw, as the truth was presented right in front of him.

 

     “Fine, I’ll try. But whether he lives or not when the sun rise, it’s all depends on your brother’s will to live. And if, by the sunrise he is still breathing, then you can rest assure.”

 

    He steps back towards the bed and held the man’s hand.

 

    “Name.”

 

   “Seungcheol and Chan,” Joshua rolls his eyes then huff out exasperated.

 

   “Not you, his name.”

 

   “Jun. Junhui,” he nods.

 

    Closing his eyes, he let his spirit focus on the man in front of him. He prods around the man consciousness, as he coax it slowly to open up to his intrusion. He soften his presence, as he let his consciousness met with the men. And slowly, he saw an opening. He took one last breath to steel himself, before Joshua open his own consciousness and let it met with the man.

    The first thing that attack him, was the poison in the blood. He could feel it streaming along his blood vessel, eager to take a life. He clench his teeth to the pain, and Jun convulse on the bed. But his gripped never loosen.

    “Be strong, JunHui, for your brothers await your return.” That was the slow whisper he given to the man. The words help, as he feel the man’s spirit rose with him and slowly push the poison out from his blood, out from his body.

     Chan and Seungcheol sat at the side, as they saw how dark coloured blood suddenly ooze from their brother’s open wound, and it was boiling. While Seungcheol stare anxiously and full of distrust, Chan stare was steadfast and full of understanding.

    Joshua gasp out for air as the poison bleed out from the man. He prod around his bloodstream and relief wash over him when he saw that there’s no more trace of the poison.

    Bracing himself, he prod deeper into JunHui’s consciousness. And there’s he saw the event happen. A wolf, JunHui, with his glorified white fur, run through the forest, a moment of carelessness, and an arrow shoot from his side, and embedded deep into his stomach. He grunt and cough, gasping as he feel the pain as if it was his. But that was the price for him. His free hand grasp onto the side of his stomach.

     The wound was not fatal, it was not supposed to be. But when the wolf shift into human, it had cause a ruptured on his stomach wall. He retch beside him, he cried in pain, but still he brace himself. He push through the pain, and put his gift of healing forth as his gift hold together the internal wound. Trying as he might to save the man.

      When he was done, he was exhausted, every inch of his energy, vitality was out through the healing. He open one of his eyes and saw peek of a dawn, then he turn his head towards JunHui and saw the man slow breathing.

      “Live, JunHui, you’ve earned it,” he whisper one last time before collapsing on the bed, right beside his patients.