The Starless Sky

*banner by yssa_kikz143

- - -

The sky was starless. But Jiyong didn’t mind. He preferred it that way, anyway. His wings were spread out at his side. He wondered why he didn’t like using his powers before; he wondered why he didn’t enjoy turning into a crow when it could be so much fun. The feel of the wind under his wings was very much enjoyable. He didn’t really have any specific destination in mind. He just wanted to fly, to feel free to roam around. But then, he just found himself perched in a window of someone else’s window. He looked through the glass and could just see a figure of a person lying in the bed. Slowly, he immersed himself with the shadows, and slowly glided towards the bed.

“You’re trespassing, you know.”

He paused and didn’t move an inch as a familiar figure pulled away from the dark wall. He didn’t say anything. What should he say, anyways? What defensive words should he say? He can’t even understand why he was there at the moment when he clearly stated to her that they were over. So he just stood there and stared at her sleeping face.

There was a long sigh. “Oh well, I guess I’ll let it pass tonight,” he said. “But I’d really appreciate it if you won’t wake her up. It took me hours to put her back to sleep.”

Without wanting to, his head snapped to the other guy, his face showed all signs of curiosity.

“Dara had a nightmare,” the other guy explained, sounding as if he really wanted to share that detail to him in utmost importance. “It’s been a while since she had a nightmare. Before, she used to scream all night – every night. She kept on screaming your name, begging you not to leave her, begging you to come back to her. You should have heard how desperate and frightened and hurt she was. But I tried taking those nightmares away. And eventually, it paid off. But a while ago. . .” he paused and scoffed. “The funny thing is, nightmares supposed to include monsters and killings and stuffs. But she told me a while ago that she saw you in her dream, standing in front of her looking as if you don’t recognize her at all. She called that a nightmare.”

Jiyong’s eyes went back to Dara as a lump started forming in his throat.

“She cried for hours and I had to console her back to sleep so I’d really be piss if she woke up and find you staring at her like that.”

Still, Jiyong remained silent.

There was a sigh again. “Like what I’ve said, I’ll let this go for tonight. But you should know, you can never have her back. I won’t let you.”

“I don’t have intentions of doing that,” he said, finally finding his voice. “I’m just about to leave.”

TOP shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he said and headed towards the door with his hands inside his pockets.

Jiyong stood there a few minutes after TOP left. With a frustrated sigh, he turned around and headed towards the window, planning to leave. As he reached the window, his feet suddenly stopped on their own accord. His jaw clenched as he squeezed his eyes shut with his fists balled tightly. Just tonight, he thought. Just once.

He turned back towards the bed. He stood there feeling like he’s being plunged into something unknown. Slowly, he let himself lay down on the bed beside her, his heart squeezing tightly inside his chest. He lay there on his back, with his head tilted to the side in order to see her face. She was so close and yet, he felt as if she was on the other side of the world. He then pulled himself up a little and gently pulled her head to rest in his arms. He lay there silently, with her head gently resting in his arms. He leaned forward and inhaled her all-too achingly familiar scent. His fists balled into tight balls. If only. . .

She moved in closer to him, making his heart thunder in his chest. She made a sound and how he wished he could hear her call him Pancake again. He scoffed inwardly, remembering how he used to hate hearing her call her Pancake; how it sounded so cheesy to him before but he’s actually longing to hear it right now. She made another sound, this time, it sounded more of a satisfied purr. She scooted closer to him, her head on his chest now while her arm and leg was wrapped around him. “J. . .” she murmured. “Pancake. . .”

And then it hit him – the longing was so intense that it almost made him insane. He squeezed his eyes closed; trying to reign in some emotions he ought not to feel. Unable to stop himself, he hugged her tightly to his chest, placing soft kisses in her hair. He then rested his forehead against hers. Before he knew it, tears started escaping from his eyes. He took one of her hands and placed wet kisses on her palm, letting it rest on his cheek afterwards. With his eyes closed and her palm resting on his cheek as if she’s caressing it, memories started running inside his mind.

He could remember clearly how she approached him before, trying to be friends with him. He could remember clearly how she asked him to ride with her after he fixed her car. He could remember clearly how she went to bail him out with his father. He could remember clearly how she showed up in front of his door, asking him to drink with her. He could remember how her face always brightens up everytime she talks to him or try to persist to be friends with him. He could remember how she changed his room into a pink room. He could remember how sweet she was, how loving she was, how giving she was, how stupid she was for loving him like she did. He could remember how she looks like everytime she wants to make love with him. He could remember how real and genuine her face looked like everytime she whispers those three words that he could whisper back that easily to her.

Remembering everything made him realized how happy he was being with her even if she was being stupid, even if she was being foolish, even if she was being , even if she was being disgustingly sweet and loving, even if she was being cheesy, even if she was being stubborn. . . his happiness being with her before could never be put into words. But what did he do? He hurt her, he killed her heart and stepped on it, he made her cry, he made her suffer, he let her go.

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, then to the tip of her nose, then to her lips. It was just a quick peck but the effect on him was all the same. The pain that hit him made him want the evil blood to take over so he would no longer feel it. But he knew he deserved this hellish pain he’s feeling right now. I deserved this. If only this was just a dream.

If only. . .

- - -

“Should I take it that this would be the last time I’ll be sensing you lurking around?”

Jiyong stopped upon hearing that voice. He already left Dara peacefully sleeping in her apartment and he was just about to take off when he heard TOP’s voice from the alley. The other guy was leaning against the wall with his head slightly bowed and his hands inside his pockets.

“Did you actually think I haven’t noticed or sensed your presence before?”

"I'm not in the position to ask for favors," he said instead. "But I would like to ask one from you."

The other one smirked. "What made you think I'll listen to it?"

"Because it can cause you your life," he answered without hesitation and without blinking his eyes.

He cocked his brows. "Really?"

"Don't hurt her," he whispered, looking far away. "Don't make her cry. Don't hurt her like I did. She already suffered too much in my hands. She deserves to be happy."

"Listen to you," he scoffed. "You're actually asking me that?"

"Yes," he replied, still looking far up ahead. "If not, I'll kill you."

"You're the one who hurt her the most, shouldn't you be killing yourself?"

"That would not be enough," he whispered. "If I die, everything in me will be gone - I would not feel anything anymore. I can't let that happen. The only reason I'm living right now is to serve the eternal punishment for hurting her. While I'm still alive, I'm still capable of feeling something - and being away from her, seeing her with someone else is more than hell and death to me."

There was silence. “Listen to you,” TOP scoffed. “You sound as if she’s much important to you than your own life.”

“She is,” he replied, surprising himself. He was never vocal with his feelings to Dara before, not even to his closest friends.

“But why are you doing this then?” TOP asked. “You know very well that you could have just reconciled with her before.”

Another minute of silence went by. “I don’t have an answer to that.”

“She likes me, you know.”

“I know that,” Jiyong half-growled and half-scoffed.

“I even think she’s starting to fall for me.”

Jiyong closed his eyes tightly for a brief moment as he swallowed yet another lump in his throat. “Just don’t hurt her,” he whispered almost helplessly. He waited for the other guy to answer but when no response came, he suddenly felt anger starting to boil up inside him. The next thing he knew, he was holding TOP by his collar up against the wall. “I said, don’t hurt her!”

Much to TOP’s confusion, he noticed how. . . how different Jiyong seemed to be. His eyes were all black, just like how a normal shadow eyes would look like but there was something different to it, something deeper than being a shadow, something deeper than the darkness in their blood. It was the shade of violet in his eyes that made him uneasy and uncomfortable. He had never seen a shadow eyes with streaks of violet before. Jiyong then looked down, his eyes squeezing tight, his grip on his collar loosening.

“Just. . .” Jiyong whispered almost helplessly. “Just don’t hurt her the way I did,” he finished without looking at the other guy. With a quick turn, he jumped into the air, turned into a crow and disappeared through the starless sky.

- - -

The following day, Dara woke up feeling a bit lighter compared to her previous state when she woke up in the middle of the night. For some weird reason, she can’t help but smile and hum to herself. Being in a good mood also made her hum to a melody while preparing breakfast for her and TOP.

“You seem to be in a good mood today,” a deep baritone voice came from behind her. A smile curved her lips even before she faced him.

“Good morning, Choi Seunghyun!” she greeted brightly and hopped her way towards him. With a mischievous smile, she tiptoed and gave him a peck on the cheek.

TOP was obviously taken aback but then, he grimaced. “I don’t like my name.”

“Pfft,” Dara scoffed. “Nonsense. It’s a beautiful name!”

“Says who?”

“Says me!”

“Well, you really have a weird taste so I can’t really. . .”

“Ya!” she stomped, whacking his head.

“Aww!”

“You better hurry up,” she sternly said. “We’ve got some training to do.”

TOP groaned. “You’re joking!”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Come on, Dara!” he whined childishly. “I do fight with other shadows but I’m not. . . I’m not some type of a shadow soldier or warrior or something like that.”

“Well, Aunt Han Eul said you’re a descendant of one of the royalties. That would be something, don’t you think?”

He grimaced. “I’m not interested in knowing facts about my father who abandoned me.”

“But he didn’t abandoned you, Han Eul said –”

“That’s what she said.”

“Seunghyun, you –”

“Aish, fine! I’ll go, but just don’t call me that name!” he blurted out. “But I’m not training you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know how to!” he replied. “And besides, I might just end up kissing you all the way of the training. . .” he added in a mumble.

“I heard that,” she said.

“Good,” he then said, grinning. “At least, you won’t be too surprised once that happens.”

- - -

“I’m telling you woman, I don’t know anything about weapons or techniques or –” he stopped upon seeing the smile on Han Eul’s face. “Ya. . . what’s with that smile?”

“Who said anything about weapons or techniques?”

That made TOP and Dara frowned. “Then what are we going to do?” they chorused.

“Senses training.”

“What does that mean?” TOP asked.

“There are five senses, aren’t there? The sense of touch, smell, sight, taste and –”

“Yeah, I know that,” TOP cut off. “But that seemed a bit. . .stupid for me.”

“What if you’re only left with one sense? What will you do to survive? It’s probably the most basic of training but once you’ve mastered it, Dara, you will master everything.”

“Err, I can’t train her,” TOP said.

“Why not?” Han Eul asked.

“Well. . . in our school, we have a special class for shadows and well. . . we do extra shadow classes and we studied the theories for senses training for the elite shadows and well, I don’t think I can do that to her.”

“Why not?” Dara asked this time.

“Well, there were young elite shadows who failed and failing the senses training means death.”

“What do you mean?”

TOP shook his head. “Based on the theories, the training involves a series of life-threatening situation. You might end up dead because your other senses will be cut off.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to be her partner. I know you would not let that happen,” Han Eul said.

“Aish!” TOP burst out in frustration. “I can’t! She’s too distracting!” he whined childishly.

“YA!”

“Well, you really are beautiful,” he told Dara, making the latter blush.

“Flirt,” she mumbled.

“I’m not,” he said. “Just telling the truth,” he added with a shrug.

“Are you actually trying to get a move on me right now?”

“You two,” Han Eul snapped at them. “You’re here to train, not to flirt.”

“He started it,” Dara quickly defended herself.

“I won’t do anything if you didn’t provoke me.”

“Provoked you?!?” Dara demanded.

“You did!” TOP said, a mischievous smile on his lips. “You’re just too. . . pretty.”

Dara flustered again. “Ya! What’s wrong with you today?”

Out of nowhere, Han Eul started laughing. “Listen to you two! Aigoo, you remind me so much of myself and. . .” she paused, looking a bit surprised herself but then, she went on laughing again.

“Dara, I think we should start without her. What do you think?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

- - -

“I-in an i-island far down north,” the trembling shadow said as he knelt in front of the direct descendant.

“Are you quite certain about this?”

“Y-yes!”

Jiyong stared down at the man. “You do know what will happen if this information of yours is false, don’t you?”

The shadow trembled once again. he was a shadow himself, he also has some abilities. Based from what he heard, the direct descendant doesn’t have any formal training, the direct descendant lived as a normal person almost all his life. So if experience was the basis, he’s at an advantage. He could probably escape him right now but no, there was something fearfully sinister with the direct descendant’s aura, especially right now since he’s in his dark moon phase. He never felt such power as this and he could just bet that his experience would pale next to the power he could feel surrounding the direct descendant.

“B-but. . .” he said. “I did hear that the island is flocked with shadows – elite shadows who were trained to fight and –”

“Much better,” Jiyong answered.

“But you’re alone, you might get-!”

“Get what, killed?” he asked, laughing. “They can’t do that. They need me.”

“But they might kill your mother.”

“If they do that, then I’ll make sure I’ll turn them into flightless birds by tearing off their wings.”

“B-but there are about hundreds of s-shadows t-there. . . and they might have moved your mother to a different island. They’ve been moving her from one island to another, along with your stepfather.”

“Are you actually concern about me?” Jiyong asked cynically.

“I. . .”

“You served your purpose,” he dismissively said. “You can leave now.”

As the shadow left, Jiyong remained on his spot. No, he was certain there might some lost lives at the end of the night. He could almost taste the blood from broken wings. Thinking about it made him feel. . . empty. The only thing that’s consoling about the thought was, the more shadows he takes down, the better chances that Dara will be safer. Although of course, he could not sacrifice the safety of his mother as well but he knew the members of the nest needed him to get the black phoenix. It was absurd, really. He could just say yes but the memory of the phoenix somehow saving Dara from Sulli is stopping him from complying with what the others wanted. He owed the phoenix half of Dara’s life, at the most. And, he could not just get the point why the royalties wanted the phoenix that bad.

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ke.....

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO EDHEREI! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PM! I APPRECIATE IT!!!! :D

Oooh. . . . eventhough TSL's long finished, princesscc01 made a banner for it...

Hurrah!