✉ bonds

"Guardians are forever linked with their Master. Once the bond between the two is formed, it will never break. Of course, there is a way to break the bond, although I'm not sure why anyone would want to do that, since most bonds are formed willingly. But for now, let's talk about the basics of bonding. I'll address breaking a bond during the next class. Alright, onto the bonding process.

It sounds all intimate, doesn't it? The word 'bond' is very powerful and can be interpreted several ways, but as for a bond between a Guardian and a Master, it doesn't have to be so romantic. After all, some people acquire a Guardian strictly for business purposes. For example, there could be a rich guy out there who thinks that having hired bodyguards isn't enough to protect himself, so he gets a Guardian. Not all Guardians and Masters even have to like each other. They just have to have that link. And here is where I come in, because I'm going to tell you how to form a bond.

First of all, to even think of getting a Guardian of Master, you must have a bit of magic in you. Most people don't even have to worry about this because Sailles is a pretty well-off city, and most of the people are descendants of former magicians of the sort. Of course, there are no more magicians left, but we still have a bit of magic left in us. So making a bond between a Guardian and a Master is pretty much the only thing we can do with our limited powers. Unless, of course, you train for years and years. But even then, the most you would be able to do would probably be levitating a bed. Nothing big. And if you don't have magic in your system, you can always ask someone to do it for you. But it comes with a price, like everything does.

Alright, let me get to the real important part: actually forming the bond. In order to complete the process, you have to have at least a little bit of connection with your partner. You can't just pick up some stranger and bond with them; it doesn't work that way. And even if it did, the bond would be really messed up. Trust me. Then comes the forming of the link.

The Guardian has to cut their wrist first. It shouldn't be too deep, so be careful, okay? If you get seriously hurt, that's your fault for pressing too hard. Whoever wants to be the Guardian should cut first, just enough to draw a bit of blood. Then comes the Master, and then they put the insides of their wrists together. To finally complete the bond, the Guardian recites this spell:

Don arim fimse hatorke,

gotef gilse intera.

Renig opu desiwot fas

letorna grimke.

The translation would be:

When two become one,

our souls connect.

This bond which we

have created.

You have to be really careful with the pronunciation, otherwise the spell won't work, and you'll have to wait for your wrists to heal before trying again."

Rin listens attentively, her hand flying across the page as she jots down the notes. She is thankful towards her education for once - yes, even a Messenger has to attend school. After all, she has no idea whatsoever as to what a Guardian or Master exactly do. Of course her class just so happens to be learning about the topic in question. She almost feels as if fate itself is mocking her from the clouds.

Thank goodness Baekhyun had known how to pronounce the words. Her thumb slides over the scar on her wrist, and she cringes. She really doesn't want her wrist to get cut a second time. Now that she thinks about it, how did he even know about the spell in the first place? He had never gone to school; he was always working around the Post Office. She plans to ask him about it later, when she has time.

Once the class finishes, Rin stretches out in her chair. She really can't sit still for too long unless she wants to go crazy. It always boggles her mind as to how she manages to stay calm during school. Maybe it is because she's so focused on taking notes as the words fly out of her teachers' mouths that she has no time to worry about staying still or moving. Either way, she pats herself on the back for maintaining a bit of calm, even while being bored out of her mind.

The other students are filing out of the classroom, all eager to get out of the prison cell and into the cafeteria, a form of freedom, if not a bit restricted with all the teachers floating around occassionally.

As for Rin, she stays in the classroom, fishing through her bag and taking out a small box, littered with drawings made in marker for her own amusement. She pries the lid off with careful fingers and takes a few seconds to savor the smell coming from inside. The scent tickles her nose, and she tries to fight back a sneeze as the pepper from the dish sneaks up her nostrils. It's pleasant in a way, having her eyes water while her nose gets all tingly before the feeling dies down, and she's only left with pepper. Sighing, Rin takes out her utensils and digs in. Miss Sora, the woman in charge of all the Messengers for the girls' dorms located right next to the Post Office, took the time out of her day to make her lunch. Rin is extremely thankful since her paycheck will only come once she delivers the mysteriously heavy package to the Red Foxes. She grins in satisfaction as she chews her fish; it is cool and fresh since Miss Sora had made it from a new catch just that morning.

Sailles is a port city located on the east coast of the country of Xydas. It is also the home of the Messengers, since the main control center is located in the middle of the city, a marble building four stories high situated on top of a hill, looking down at the sea. Rin feels extremely lucky to be living in such a beautiful place. If anything, the girls' dorms can be considered as a mansion to a normal citizen, and even after living there for five years, Rin never fails to be amazed by its beauty. It has an ancient charm to it, drawing others in with its tall pillars and unique brick foundation. She is no expert on buildings, but she knows a good home when she sees one. As for the other houses located around Sailles, most of them lie by the sea as well, looking out towards the ocean as beacons of light for the fishing boats coming back from a catch. The city is always busy, a network of roads bustling with activity. Sailles is built on industry, and it is certainly not strange to find a few factories throughout the city. Although technology develops quite quickly there, it is rare to find a person with a car. Most people prefer going around on foot, since each area has all the important stores within walking distance of the nearest neighborhood.

Rin chews her food thoughtfully, trying to map out her journey to the Red Foxes. The clan resides at the border of Xydas and Zeno, a country to the south. She usually goes on foot for her jobs even when the distance is a bit far, but for this trip, Rin considers taking a train. It would definitely make things a lot easier for her, but it would also be dangerous. She has no idea what is inside the package her boss gave her, and station masters always check cargo before letting anyone into a carriage. What if someone is out to get the package, whatever it is? She has to be extra careful.

But she can't take a train for the whole way there. Since the Red Foxes made their home at the edge of Xydas, that means that the tracks will not be able to take her that far. She will have to walk from there, wherever the last stop is.

Of course, Rin anticipates the journey; that means that she will be stopping in Freye, the city of Elves. It is sure to be exciting since she has never gone there before, and she has also never met an Elf. Maybe she can learn how to speak in Elfish. Or, even better, they would teach her how to strengthen her magic! They are, after all, the only creatures left who can manipulate the properties of magic. Messengers can control a bit as well, but without the help of an Elf, a Messenger can never be as powerful. In fact, Elves are so strong that they could probably obliterate all the clans, including the Red Foxes, if they wanted to. However, they are a peaceful race. Rin knows.

When she was younger, Miss Sora would tell her stories about the Elves, and she knows that they are peaceful when she told her the story of how the Elves created a barrier around their city during the Path Wars and stayed neutral the whole time. Most people consider them as cowards who don't want to get involved in others' business. But the way Miss Sora told her about the mysterious race of Elves convinced her otherwise. Rin knows that they are peaceful and righteous creatures. Her insides burn with an intensity she will never be able to comprehend once she thinks of meeting an Elf.

"What are you thinking about?" a voice breathes into her ear.

Rin shrieks as she turns around, holding a pencil to the person's throat. Being a skilled Messenger has taught her to have good reflexes against surprise attacks from people who want her precious cargo. She has learned well.

But it is only Baekhyun, and he holds up his hands in mock surrender before letting out a boyish chuckle. Meanwhile, her teacher, Mr. Kim, regards the new boy suspiciously. His eyes are dark and calculating behind his glasses. Rin clears awkwardly, smiling sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kim. This is my...uh...friend?"

Baekhyun looks slightly offended at Rin's uncertainty towards their relationship. He quickly composes himself and the frown on his face vanishes almost instantly as he puts an arm around her shoulders. The look in his eyes seems almost like a challenge, and Mr. Kim scoffs.

"Tell your boyfriend not to look so threatened, Rin. I wouldn't stoop so low as to have affections for my own student."

A bright red dusts her cheeks. Mr. Kim is making assumptions that are clearly wrong! She has to fix the problem before it gets out of hand. Her teacher is known for spreading rumors amongst the other teachers - not the students, of course, although they always find out eventually - and she certainly does not want the whole school talking about her suposed relationship with Baekhyun. It would definitely be wrong, because the information would not be true! She certainly is not dating Baekhyun, as much as she wants to just let her walls disappear for once and actually love someone properly again. But she can't.

Rin isn't sure when Mr. Kim's remark became so personal for her, but it doesn't matter. She has to correct this, but Baekhyun is even faster. She can feel the smug victory flowing into her head as their bond allows her to get in touch with his feelings. With equal fervor, she directs her anger and embarrassment towards him, a dangerous knife aiming for destruction. To her dismay, it only makes him smile even wider.

"I apologize for seeming that way, Mr. Kim. I'm just very protective over my precious girlfriend."

Precious girlfriend? Oh, God, she is definitely going to get bombarded with questions about this tomorrow. Rin can feel her cheeks turning warmer; she must look like a tomato at this point. Now she is extremely angry. Baekhyun can't just waltz in and announce their relationship (that isn't even real, mind you) to everyone! Satisfaction courses through her veins when she sees him wince at her emotions. He sure is going to get a scolding from her when they are alone.

Sardonic amusement settles onto Mr. Kim's face as he asks another question: "How long have you been dating?"

Rin makes a move to answer, but of course Baekhyun manages to reply. His eagerness to answer is apparent: his eyes are bright and the arm around her shoulder pulls her even closer. She can smell him, spicy and musty and something purely Baekhyun, and it makes her even angrier that just his scent can rile her up. This is not good. Her walls are crumbling so quickly that she can't repair them quickly enough.

"Just last week. It's only been a short while, but I assure you that we're madly in love," Baekhyun chirps, intertwining her fingers with his.

They are falling-

crumbling-

quickly falling apart-

She can't fix them. Her walls are disappearing right in front of her eyes.

"That's good to hear. What do you have to say, Rin?"

No. No!

She is a ticking time bomb. She is a falloon filled with too much air. She is a bottle of soda so shaken that it is about to burst. She is the blood running through her veins with so much force that she can be anything and everything she wants. She is powerful.

She is power.

"Mr. Kim, we are not dating. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to have a little talk with my friend."

Her lunch stays to the side, pitiful and forgotten. Mr, Kim can only watch from his desk, pondering over whether or not he had gone too far. They are Guardian and Master, he knows that all too well. Those two are careless teenagers, too naive to hide the cuts on their wrists. Of course he knows what they are; he's been teaching a class specifically on the bond between a Guardian and a Master, after all. They are too innocent.

"I wonder if she would get mad if I ate her lunch?"

However, before he can even make his way over to her desk to check what she has, Rin bursts back inside the classroom, her eyes glassy. He doesn't even bother to ask if she has been crying; she would have denied it, anyway. The man knows enough about her to know that she has too much pride to ever admit something as "weak" as crying. His lips are sealed tightly as she slams her palms on his desk, her heavy breathing loud amidst the emptiness of the classroom. Mr. Kim vaguely wonders where the boy is but is interrupted from his thoughts when Rin whispers in a deadly tone; too soft to be angry, but also too soft to be considered calm. She must be absolutely enraged.

"How do you break the bond between a Guardian and Master? You know how, don't you?"

"Rin, the process is extremely painful and could-"

He will never admit this, but he is terrified. Mr. Kim gulps the salive building up in his throat, trying to find miniscule tasks to do to stall his answer. He really, really doesn't want to tell her. Who knows what she would do to herself? But he knows he can't retain the information from her because she would probably just go to the library and look it up herself. Better she find out now from a reliable source such as him than finding out in some shady book where information is left out. She would be more likely to hurt herself as well as her partner.

"You...You have to- You have to kill your partner."

Rin jolts backwards as if she has been shocked. The disbelief in her eyes is almost tangible; if he wanted to, he could have grabbed it out of those brown orbs and kept it for himself. He struggles to continue.

"Or your partner kills you. But it isn't just bloody murder. There is a process in which it has to be carried out, and they don't exactly die, so to speak."

She has managed to recover from the initial shock, but Mr. Kim can see the slight tremble in her movements as she leans forward. On, how does he say this without making it sound so traumatizing? He knows that Rin is extremely fragile, despite her exterior; Miss Sora had warned him the day before she had been admitted into his class.

"What is it? Tell me," Rin manages to grit out.

God, how does he say this without scarring her for the rest of her life? Is this his punishment for his past mistakes, to be the reason a girl slowly withers away and dies all because she doesn't want to be with her partner? It would be his fault, wouldn't it? He can't tell her. He has no choice, but he despises the idea of telling her with all his being.

Miss Sora is going to kill him for this. She's going to come into his house in the middle of the night and beat the living crap out of him. But Miss Sora is the kind of person who can make anything seem classy, even if it's actually vulgar. Curses would fall from her lips (elegantly), and she would make even a kick to the groin seem graceful. Sometimes he finds her more terrifying than his mother. The woman can probably bathe in filth and still manage to look presentable.

Oh, yes, she is definitely going to have his head.

"Well, you have to..."

*   *   *   *   *   *

Luhan jolts awake, his entire body trembling and his palms slick with sweat.

The silk blankets surrounding him suddenly feel harsh against his skin, framing his petite figure in a sea of blood red. He can feel his heart thudding against his chest frantically. It is like a hummingbird trapped in a pitiful cage, desperate for a way out. There is a loud ringing in his ears, steady and foreboding as it beats on and on and on. His hands clutch the sides of his head as his nails rake across his scalp, still trembling. What is happening to him? Why is this happening to him? The contents of last night's dinner sudenly feel extremely heavy inside his stomach; he clutches his mouth in desperation as he lets out a small whimper. The trembling is getting worse.

"Master, breakfast is ready. Various pastries and a glass of fresh milk, just as you-"

The crash of metal hitting a marble floor.

"Master!"

The squeak of shoes, harsh against his ears.

"Hurry! Someone call the doctor!"

Everything that happens after that is lost to him. He will try to recall it later, but all he will be able to remember will be that sharp pain in his head, and nothing else. It all blurs into the background, whatever the maids are saying; just a bunch of indistinguishable noises filling the blank spaces. The pain in his head, however, is so clear that it slices through his consciousness. He feels like he's being pulled somewhere else, but the resistance is so large that he's getting backlash. Luhan closes his eyes and lets himself sink into the pain. There's nothing he can do about it now, so he might as well get used to it.

It feels like he's being split in half. Part of him there in his room, clutching his head in agony... The other half is somewhere far, far away. He's not sure where the other half of him is going, but somehow, it feels familiar. Familiar and ancient, as if he's been there years and years before now. But he can't seem to recall why this feeling of familiarity is so strong within him, and just before he feels as if he's on the verge of an answer, everything around him goes black.

*   *   *   *   *   *

By the time Luhan regains consciousness, the view from his windows shows that the sun is already high into the sky. He looks around his room and is faced with a pair of earthy brown eyes. The shock of having someone unknown in his room fills him with adrenaline, and he is in front of the stranger with a knife to his neck so quickly, he doesn't even have the chance to blink. But whoever this man is, he is strong enough to slip from Luhan's grasp and pin him to his bed. With one hand holding him down, the other snatches the knife from him and throws it behind him. It clatters to the floor loudly.

"There's no need to be afraid. I'm a friend," the man says gently.

Luhan doesn't believe it for a second. His lips curl as he struggles to break free from the other man's grip, but the weight above him is too heavy for his small frame. Luhan falls back onto the bed in defeat, panting heavily. How did he manage to get past his security? Most people who try to get to him end up dead before they can even set foot inside his home.

"I guess I should clarify. I'm the doctor."

"I don't care," Luhan growls, trying to break free again. How can this guy just come in and overpower him like this? It's humiliating. "Get the off of me!"

"You really shouldn't be moving around much. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I should have you killed for your impertinence!" Luhan bellows from underneath him.

The doctor simply ignores him and leans in closer, his brown eyes clear. Luhan pauses for a second, caught in their depths. He's never seen such sincere eyes before.

"My name is Yixing."

 author's note 

First Kaisoo, now a bit of Layhan..what's next??? Lol I'm just pulling your leg. Sadly, the gay will never appear. Maybe next time!

4.06.2016 I was editing the format of this chapter but my internet connection suddenly went berserk and the final part of this chapter was forever lost :( so I had to rewrite it!!! ugh!!!! I tried to remember what I had written, and what happened is basically the same, but it's still a bit different from the original. Sorry about that :(