CHAPTER ONE

Strange Black Mark

MIN HAEYOON SMILED at her reflection in the mirror as she smoothed her hands over her navy blue necktie and matching blazer. She had just finished preparing for school and being the cheerful girl she is, Haeyoon is looking forward another day of fun. Placing a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ears, she suddenly heard her mother calling her over for breakfast from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” she yelled back before grabbing her phone and slipping it into her backpack. When she opened her door, she saw her older brother coming out of his room as well, wearing the same navy blue blazer and trousers. The girl quietly giggled when she saw the boy yawned, eyes threatening to close anytime soon

 “Morning, Yoongi,” she smiled at the still sleepy boy before standing on her tiptoes and placing a peck on his pale cheek. Min Yoongi was never a morning a person but seeing his adorable little sister lightened up his mood.

“Morning, Haeyoonie,” he fondly ruffled her hair before placing an arm around her shoulders and proceeding downstairs.

The smell of bacon, pancake and sausage filled the entire kitchen, making Haeyoon excitedly run to her seat but not before greeting their parents with a peck on the cheek and a “Good Morning”.

 “Excited much, are we?” Yoongi commented with a chuckle as he mirrored his sister’s greeting before settling on his own seat beside Haeyoon.

 Their father laughed amusedly, saying that it’s all her favorite food afterall. But Yoongi retorted and claimed that everything edible is Haeyoon’s favorite.

 “Mom,” the girl turned to her mother with a slight pout. “Yoongi’s being mean.”

 “So is dad,” Yoongi smirked as he placed a stack of pancake on his plate.

 “Honey, don’t mind them, okay, they’re just teasing you?” Mrs. Min smiled sweetly at her daughter. “Eat your breakfast now so you won’t be late for your club meeting.”

 The family had a rather lively conversation about random things over breakfast and Haeyoon was very much happy and contented with what she has right now. She had a happy grateful smile on her face as she looked at her family, feeling that everything was perfect…

…Well, that was until she met him and her world changed for forever.

HAEYOON AND YOONGI were walking down the road towards their school. The siblings don’t mind travelling on foot since it was just a fifteen minutes walk and the weather’s nice, too. 

“Good morning, Mrs. Jeon,” the auburn headed girl stopped in a front of an old but neat looking house to greet their neighbor who was in the middle of watering the blooming flowers in her front yard. Her brother halted in his steps, too, before slipping both hands into his pockets and standing beside her to greet the woman also. Mrs. Jeon, who looked like in her late thirties, greeted back as she walked over to the waist-high white wooden fence surrounding her house and towards the pair.

 “Wow, the flowers really looked beautiful,” Haeyoon said in awe as she stared at the different varieties of flowers in different colors. She loved how they filled the air with a sweet and fresh scent.

“They are, aren’t they?” the woman said with a soft smile on her round kind face. “I see you left quite early for school.”

 “Yes, I have a club meeting,” Haeyoon chirped, as she lightly bounced on the ball of her heels. “And my brother has club duties, too.”

“My, how good students you are,” Mrs. Jeon gushed at the siblings and that’s when a beautiful melody floated in the air. It sounded like a piano and it was coming from the house. The tune was so pleasant to the ears, gentle and soothing like it was a lullaby for the soul, and Yoongi, being a music enthusiast that he is can’t help but ask who is playing the instrument.

 “It’s my son,” the woman answered quietly and for a fleeting moment, sadness flashed in her eyes but it was gone as soon as it came. “He loves playing the piano.”

 “Oh,” the brown haired boy had a lost look on his face. “I…didn’t know you have a son.”

 Only a few people were told that Mrs. Jeon, indeed, has a son. Most of them thought that she lives alone. And Haeyoon was one of those few although none of them actually saw the woman’s son in flesh. They’re not even sure how old the boy is or what he looked like because he never went out of the house but no matter how curious they are, they never asked out of respect for the kind-hearted woman because it seemed like she’s not comfortable with talking about her son.

 Sensing the sudden awkward atmosphere, the auburn-headed girl clapped her brother’s shoulder. “Of course, you wouldn’t know since you very seldom visit our neighbors.” Then she turned to the other with a bright smile, “Please, send my regards to your son, Mrs. Jeon. He’s really good at playing the piano.” Haeyoon grabbed her brother’s arm and started dragging him down the street. “Bye, Mrs. Jeon! See you later!”

“YOU SURE YOU can manage on your own?” Yoongi asked his sister with an unsure look on his handsome face. It was already dismissal time but he can’t go home yet because of basketball practice and letting Haeyoon go home without him doesn’t sit quite well with him. He can be a little too overprotective of his little sister.

“I can go home on my own, okay?” she gave him a reassuring smile. “And besides, I’m not really alone, I have my friends with me, see?” She gestured towards her two friends, Shinhye and Gaeun, who both smiled shyly at her brother. The two girls have a secret crush on the senior and Haeyoon was amused to see them act all coy around the boy.

“Maybe I could just---,” before he even managed to finish his sentence, his sister beat him to it.

“Nope, you’re not ditching practice because of me again,” Haeyoon shook her dainty head at her brother disapprovingly. She knew that the boy was only concerned to her but he was being a worrywart.  “I swear I can manage just fine.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Haeyoon,” Shinhye said which Gaeun agreed to with a furious nod.

 Yoongi can only sigh in defeat seeing that there was no other choice when he suddenly remembered something, his eyes narrowing, “Where is that 4D best friend of yours, huh?”

“Oh, Taehyung?” she cocked her head cutely to the side. “He said he was—,”

 “Here! I’m here!” said a loud energetic voice. They all whipped their heads to see Kim Taehyung stopping beside Haeyoon before crouching, arms leaning on his knees as he panted. The boy looked like he ran just to get in the school sports gym.

“Okay, I think he’ll do for now,” the older boy muttered with a small nod. “Hey, Tae, you take care of these girls, okay? If something ever happens, I’ll kick the out of you, understood?”

 The orange-haired sophomore, finally regaining his composure back, stood up and looked at Yoongi.  “Roger!” He saluted with his signature rectangular grin.

“Beep me when you get back home, alright?” Yoongi told his sister before placing a kiss on her forehead. After Haeyoon promised that she will, they started walking home.

“YOU KNOW WHAT?” Taehyung said as he slung an arm around his best friend’s shoulders as they walk down the streets. “Sometimes, your brother really scares the hell out of me.”

 Haeyoon shook her head at him with a chuckle. “He’s been like that since we were young. You should have been used to it by now.”

 “She’s got a point,” Gaeun said a matter-of-factly, walking a few steps ahead of them beside Shinhye. “Especially if he’s gonna be your future-brother-in-law.” At this, the boy blushed profusely which made the three girls giggle. Haeyoon’s friends had the habit of pairing Taehyung to her but she always laugh it off knowing that they were just teasing but her best friend seemed to take it a bit seriously.

 The orange-head was about to retort when Shinhye suddenly squealed excitedly.

 “Oh my gosh! Madame Wisa is here in our town!” she pointed at a small purple tent standing beside the park’s entrance. The other three teenagers was confused as to who this madame was, there wasn’t even a tent there the last time.

 “Madame who?” Haeyoon asked as they followed the girl towards the tent.

 Shinhye stopped walking to turn at them and explain. “Madame Wisa! She’s a fortune-teller, like, the most amazing fortune-teller ever! I heard from my cousins that she’s travelling from town to town and she’s really accurate. And you know what’s even more awesome? She’s offering her service for free, well, unless you want to give donations.”

Taehyung scoffed at this, saying that fortune-tellers are just a waste of time and that they shouldn’t believe in such things.

“Oh, come on,” Haeyoon nudge the boy with a smile. “Don’t be such a party-pooper. Let’s give it a try, okay? It’s not like it’s gonna hurt or anything.”

 Seeing her hopeful encouraging smile, Taehyung don’t have a choice but to cave in. There’s no way that he can refuse his best friend.

 The lighting inside was dim, save for the small candles and glowing jars illuminating the four corners of the tent, but it was enough to let them see the two ladies inside. One was sitting behind a table covered by deep-blue silk with a clear crystal ball on top of it and the other was standing beside it. Very typical. Judging by the set-up, it was safe to assume that the girl standing was the apprentice or assistant. She was dressed in a frilly black dress that resembled that of a doll. While the one sitting---must be Madame Wisa---was wearing an elegant looking robe in the shade of deep violet. The fortune-teller looked like she was already in her mid-forties while the girl was like around the same age as them.

“Welcome to Madame Wisa’s lair,” the apprentice greeted them in a soft girly voice. “Who among you wants to know their future?”

 Shinhye eagerly raised her hand before sitting on the chair in front of the table. After she was done, Gaeun tried it, too. The two girls were obviously happy with what the fortune-teller said to them because it all pertained to their success in the future, career and lovelife wise.

 “Aren’t you going to try it?” Shinhye asked the other two as they stood side by side on the entryway. 

The boy said that he’ll just pass but Haeyoon thought about for a while before shrugging and walking over the seat. But before she could even settle herself on the chair, Madame Wisa gasped with widening eyes.

 “You…” she trailed off as her shocked eyes travelled from the crystal ball to Haeyoon’s. “You will be a part of something enormous…something like a war…and it will change your life for forever and all of those around you.”

Madame Wisa said it in a grave voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stood on their tips. She froze for a moment before slowly sinking on the chair. Haeyoon wasn’t the type of person to believe easily on what other people say, especially to someone like a fortune-teller but there was something nagging inside her head and saying that she was somehow…telling a truth.

 “What do you mean?” the words were out of in a whisper before she knew it. There was a minute of tensed and heavy silence before the old lady looked at her crystal ball again and spoke at her.

“I can see light…and dark…evil…powerful darkness,” Madame Wisa’s voice shook with raw fear and it scared Haeyoon, too. “You must choose the right side,” The woman’s dark eyes stared directly at her caramel-brown ones before her pale cold wrinkly hands reached across the table to touch hers. “Or else it will cost your life.”

In any other circumstances, Haeyoon might’ve found all of these things very silly but something in the thick atmosphere told her that this was a serious matter. As much as she tried to convince herself that the fortune-teller was just saying nonsense things, she can’t deny the fast-beating of her heart. The way Madame Wisa said those things, it felt too real. However, before she could ask anything more, someone tugged her by the arm and started dragging her out of the tent. As they walk away, she could still hear the fortune-teller shouting frantically at her, yelling things like it will all start now, that she will meet the one who will draw her into the war and that she should be careful from now on.

 When the purple tent was already nowhere in sight, Taehyung stopped abruptly and held her firmly by the shoulders. Her two other friends were standing a few feet away with worried faces.

“Don’t tell me you believe in what that woman was saying?” the boy asked with a rather pissed expression on his handsome face. He can’t help but curse himself for letting himself get affected by what that fortune-teller told Haeyoon. Damn her and her acting skills.

 The girl didn’t answer him for a few moments and it seemed like she was lost in her own thoughts, a dazed look on her angelic face.

 “Look at me, Haeyoon,” he shook her slightly. “Everything she said was just a lie, okay? Heck, that old lady might be crazy for all we know.”

 “Taehyung’s right, Haeyoonie,” Shinhye chimed in from behind them. “Maybe, Madame Wisa was crooked after all. I shouldn’t have brought all of us there, I’m sorry.”

 Sensing her friends’ distress and worry, she decided to forget what the old lady told her. It won’t do anyone or anything good. “O-of course…I should’ve known better than to believe her.” She flashed a reassuring smile at her frowning best friend for a good measure. The boy had a tendency of being a worry-wart and protective over her just like her brother. “I’m fine now. I’m just surprised.”

 Taehyung visibly relaxed as he let go of her shoulders only to hold one of her small hands into his. He didn’t know what possessed him to hold her hand as they proceeded to walk home but he knew that the feel of her fingers intertwined with his and the warmth it emitted was calming him down. Glancing at the girl, he was thankful that she didn't seem to mind his actions.

 “It’s not your fault, Shinhye, so stop sulking,” Haeyoon tapped the shoulder of her still pouting friend with her free hand.

 “I didn’t know that Madame Wisa was so weird. How come she told you that while she told us good fortunes?” the girl whined as they neared the intersection. The sun was about to set now and many people were waiting beside the street for the traffic light to turn red.

 “Let’s just forget that any of this happened,” Gaeun suggested as they all stopped in front of the pedestrian and they all agreed at what she said.

 It was just a few seconds before they’re allowed to cross the street when a shrill scream tore through the air. It was immediately followed by the sound of cars screeching to a stop and someone shouting something about a thief. In the middle of the hasty commotion, Haeyoon saw someone lying on the pedestrian with blood slowly pooling beneath her. She suddenly felt that she knew the woman.

 “Oh my gosh!” someone from the crowd cried. “Call an ambulance! Someone had been run over by a car!”

 It seemed like the thief managed to push someone onto the street whilst trying to get away.

 “Mrs. Jeon,” she muttered, eyes widening in recognition, shock and fear, before rushing to the woman’s aid in pure instinct. She kneeled beside her form and that’s when the woman weakly opened her eyes. “Hang in there, Mrs. Jeon, the ambulance is on their way.”

 The woman slowly lifted a hand towards her and she held it with both hands but not before noticing a strange mark on the back of her palm.

§

 It was like a black tattoo, about the size of the thumb, and she briefly wondered why she never noticed it before. She held her hand tightly as she tried to keep her awake.

“Hae…yoon,” she croaked in a very weak voice and the girl had to lean closer to hear what she wanted to say. “My…my son…please…take care of him.”

 Her heart squeezed painfully when she heard the woman saying the words as if she’s really going to die. “Don’t say that, Mrs. Jeon. You’re going to make it, okay? Just stay with me and don’t sleep.”

“Promise me…please…I’m…begging y-you,” the woman pleaded as tears started rolling down her cheeks. “…Keep him…safe…from them…promise me…”

With her own tears streaming down her face, she nodded and promised the woman that she will take care of her son. Mrs. Jeon smiled at her answer and that‘s when she felt a warm sensation on her hands that seemed to be coming from the older woman’s hand. She lifted her other hand and saw the mark softly glowing in light blue color. She had to blink her eyes rapidly to make sure that it wasn’t just playing tricks on her and after a few seconds of gleaming under the sun, it gradually disappeared—like it was slowly erased or something.

 “Thank you…” was the woman’s last words before her eyes fluttered closed for…forever.

THE NEWS SPREAD quickly through their neighborhood and her parents—her mother being a good friend of Mrs. Jeon—decided to arrange everything for the poor woman seeing that there were no other relatives that could. Her son was still out of the question since no one had the chance to see him yet.

Haeyoon was in her room, laying in her bed and staring at the ceiling as she thought about the words that Mrs. Jeon told her. Something about she said was bugging her and keeping her restless. 

‘Keep him safe from who?’ she asked herself, brows furrowing. After a few minutes of debating with herself, she decided to check on Mrs. Jeon’s son and keep her promise. She grabbed her phone and jacket before going out of her room. The whole house was unusually quiet since her parents were out to take care of the woman’s funeral while Yoongi was still out with his friends and had no idea about what happened that late afternoon. 

 After locking their house behind her, she walked towards Mrs. Jeon’s house while pulling her jacket closer to her body as the chilly wind of the night blew past her. Halting in front of the old-styled house, she took a deep breath before walking towards the front porch. The only thing comforting her was that the house was well lit, as if telling her that there was really someone there. She was having a hard time convincing herself that there was another life in the seemingly empty and lonely house. She didn’t know what to expect to see inside and it’s making her heart pound a bit harder against her ribcage.

 “Hello?” Haeyoon called as she knocked three times on door. She tried to listen closely for any sign of life like shuffling, fumbling or anything but there was not a single sound and it worried her.

 Is there really someone here? Does Mrs. Jeon really have a son?

 A few minutes had passed before she twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Haeyoon looked around and found the interior really appealing to the eyes but it was…empty. She walked further inside and found herself climbing upstairs. The first room she saw was left open and upon seeing the feminine interior, she assumed that it was Mrs. Jeon’s. She quietly moved down to the next room whose door was shut close. The auburn-headed girl hesitated for a moment, hands hovering over the door knob. Inhaling a deep breath, she twisted it open and she was greeted by a figure sleeping on the bed in the middle of the room. Her lips parted a little as she walked carefully over the bed, still reeling from the fact that she was actually seeing Mrs. Jeon’s son that had been faceless in her mind for so many years. It was a boy, alright, and maybe around the same age as her or possibly even younger by a year or two. She silently kneeled down the side of the bed where she can clearly and freely study his features.

 The first thing that Haeyoon noticed was his strikingly innocent face. It felt like staring at an angel and everything about his face screamed innocence. She can’t even imagine the boy being hurt by anyone. His hair was a shade of reddish-black that seemed to shine as the overhead light reflect on it, soft fringe spilling gently over his forehead. The boy had an aristocratic nose which the girl was certain he got from his mother. He had long thick eyelashes that fan against his smooth cheek bones. Moving her eyes lower, her vision fell on his full pinkish lips that were slightly parted as he softly breathe in his sleep. Looking at him, she can’t help but be reminded of an innocent child that needed to be kept away from harm and anything that might hurt him.

 Is this the reason why Mrs. Jeon never let him out? Or is there a deeper explanation to it?

 The girl had no idea how long she had been staring when the boy slowly fluttered his eyes open. Haeyoon’s eyes widened as her breath hitched in and she didn’t know if it was because of embarrassment for getting caught or it was because of his big black round innocent eyes that stared right back at her. She stupidly watched him from the floor, mouth gaping a bit, as the boy shifted to a sitting position and making the white blanket covering him slid down to his lap. He was wearing a baby blue sweater, sleeves extended long enough to cover his hands. Haeyoon noticed that it was quite big for him because his collarbones were able to peek through the neck.

“Who are you?” the boy asked as he tilted his head to the side.

The girl swallowed hard before answering, “I’m Min Haeyoon.”

 “Did you see my mother?” he asked again and that’s when she remembered the exact reason why she was there in the first place but how can she tell someone like him that his mother was already dead?

 “Uh, you see…Uhm…” she stuttered, tongue darting out to on her drying lips, as she racked her brain for the right words to say. “Your mother…she’s…she was involved in a car accident and...” Haeyoon took a deep breathe before exhaling heavily and saying, “She’s gone.”

She desperately prayed to the Heavens that the boy would be able to understand her indirect words and handle his mother’s death.

“Mother’s dead?" he boy said in a broken voice, making Haeyoon flinch inwardly. A few seconds had passed and his eyes started to get glassy.

“But…but she told me to take care of you and I promised her that I will,” she blurted in hopes of preventing him from crying. She thought that she would be forever guilty if she would make him cry. “And I’m here to take you home with me for a while. Is that okay with you?”

He sniffed and it was painfully obvious that he was stopping his tears from falling. The boy looked up at her for a moment, hesitation and a hint of fear written on his handsome face, before nodding slowly. He must've realized that he got no choice at that moment but to trust her and come with her. “Okay…” Then he held out a hand to her and that’s when something weird happened. The moment her hand touched his, current shoot through her whole limb making her pull away immediately.

“Ouch! Did you…felt that?” she asked him as she observed her hand, feeling a sudden heat concentrating on her wrist. She heard him replied with a breathy “Yes” but her attention was focused on her steadily heating up wrist. She let out a surprised gasp when she saw something forming on her skin and her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when an exact copy of Mrs. Jeon’s mark appeared on her wrist. “What the…” She trailed off when she saw the mark started glowing in light blue for a few moments before turning to a plain black looking tattoo once again. “Oh my freaking gosh…” Haeyoon shot the boy a questioning look but he just looked innocently back at her as he reached out for her hand again. He gently held it in his hands while caressing her wrist as if he’s trying to soothe it.

 “Does it still hurt?” he asked in that deep and somewhat raspy voice of his. His movements made one sleeve of his over-sized sweater slipped a little off his right shoulder, revealing a mark on his right chest, just an inch below his collar bones. It was identical to his mother’s mark and also to the one she had now.

 Haeyoon’s head was filled with so many questions but one stood out among the rest:

Who is this boy?

Author's Note: ohoho, so how was chapter one? Please tell me your thoughts and drop a comment below. :) See you in the next chap!