Archive of Our Own

“May she rest in peace.”

Beomgyu remembered throwing the rose down onto his mother’s casket before soil was thrown onto it, until it was concealed six feet underground. He remembered his father grabbing his arm, trying to pull him away, calling his name, but Beomgyu couldn’t move. He’d stayed there, staring at the fresh slab of stone on the fresh soil, his mother’s name engraved across it.

When he’d finally gained the ability to move, he let himself be dragged away, into the black car. When they got home, his father held him while he cried. The house felt cold. Empty. They had each other, but they were alone. From that point on, Beomgyu’s life was in black and white—devoid of color.

His father had loved Beomgyu’s mother deeply. So how was it that five years later, he’d found someone new to love? How could he betray his own wife?

“I think a family portrait would be nice.”

“Oh! We could hang it right here, in the hallway. What do you think, Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu stared at the wall, ignoring the woman’s voice.

“Beomgyu?”

He clenched his fists at his sides. Why was she moving in with them? It was bad enough his father had made them move far away. They’d left behind the house Beomgyu grew up in, where he had made cherished memories with his mother. His father had used the excuse that he’d needed a change of scenery—a fresh start. Beomgyu thought he moved on too quickly. Why couldn’t he stay mourning her, like Beomgyu had? What was wonderful about the boring, annoying woman he was seeing? And why did she have to move in with them, forcing her way into their family? It had always been just them when his mom died, and Beomgyu had liked it that way. So why? 

“Cookie, be nice,” his father said.

“I said not to call me that.”

“But I always call you that,” his father said.

“You lost that privilege.”

His father sighed. “I understand you’re upset about the move, but—” 

“But what?” Beomgyu snapped. “You ruined my life the second you left her behind. You’re cheating on mom!”

His father’s eyes watered.

“Beomgyu, your father still loves your mother very much,” Clarice said, her brows furrowed. 

“Shut. Up!” 

Clarice flinched at Beomgyu’s harsh tone.

“Beomgyu!” his father shouted. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Clarice said quietly. “He only sees me as his mother’s replacement. I can’t ever be anything more to him.” She hung her head and turned around, hurrying up the stairs. 

Beomgyu heard a door close upstairs.

His father let out a shaky breath. He looked tired. There were dark bags under his eyes and he was very pale. For the first time, Beomgyu was seeing how old his father was becoming. His skin was starting to wrinkle slightly, and there was more gray in his hair. 

“Your mother is dead,” his father said quietly. “And as much as I don’t want that to be true, it is. Nothing can change that, Beomgyu. I know your mother wouldn’t have wanted me to spend the rest of my life grieving, wasting away my life. She’d want me to live. And she’d want that for you too.” 

Beomgyu clenched his fists tighter. “You don’t know anything about what she’d want,” he seethed. He stormed past his father, straight out the back door. He heard his father call his name, but he ignored it. He didn’t stop as he tore through their new backyard—a green field with forest surrounding it. He didn’t know where he was going, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t turn back around and deal with another day of his father pretending Beomgyu’s mother never even existed. 

He stumbled through the field until he eventually made it into the forest. The forest was darker and colder, only a little bit of sunlight making it through the tall trees. The further Beomgyu ran through the forest, the more it seemed like the trees were looming over him. He slowed his pace and scanned his surroundings, anxiously. 

Maybe I should’ve stayed near the house, he thought. But his blood was still boiling from his father’s words. What did he know about what Beomgyu’s mother wanted? He’d moved on so quickly. Beomgyu thought he cared about her. Apparently only Beomgyu had. Well, if it was one thing Beomgyu knew for sure, it was that Clarice would never be his mother. 

It took Beomgyu a few moments before he realized that he was just wandering aimlessly through the forest, without noticing where he was going. He suddenly stepped, looking around him worriedly. How far had he walked? He slowly turned around, scanning the dark surroundings. 

I should head back, he thought. He turned around and started walking the way he’d come. Except, which direction had that been again? The forest split off in two directions. Which one had he come from? The right? No, maybe it was the left? Beomgyu was starting to panic.

He swallowed thickly and stumbled back, looking back and forth between both paths. God, why had he gone into the forest? To make a statement to his father? As if he would care. He had probably gone to comfort Clarice. 

Beomgyu spun back around, angry tears welling up in his eyes. He spotted a tree stump a few feet away. He should rest his aching feet and think hard about which direction he might’ve come from. He just needed to rest for a moment, then he’d figure everything out. He took a deep, shaky breath and started towards the tree stump. 

But before he could reach the stump, he felt an odd sensation go through his whole body. It felt like he’d stepped through water. His movements slowed, and suddenly, the world around him blurred. He felt his chest tighten and he gasped for breath. 

What is happening to me?! he thought, panicked. 

The sensation lasted less than thirty seconds, and then it was over. Beomgyu’s whole body crashed to the forest floor. He groaned as his head hit the ground hard. He slowly pushed himself up with his hands and looked around him. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, thinking surely he was imagining things, because he was no longer in the forest by his house. It was like he’d been transported to an entirely different place. 

The trees surrounding him were of various colors—light green, blue, purple, and pink. The leaves fell around him and coated the plush field he was in. Colorful wildflowers were scattered throughout the light green grass, making the field look rainbow from afar. 

Something large suddenly swooped down over his head, and he let out a shriek, falling back on his butt. He looked up at the sky in bewilderment. A large, red bird that looked to be the size of a tiger was soaring through the sky. Its long, pointy beak opened as it let out a loud cry.

Beomgyu flinched. What was that thing? And where was he? Why were the trees colorful? Why were the birds so large? 

The sun beamed down on him, and he squinted as he watched the bird vanish from sight. It was then that he noticed the clouds were pink. Pink. His lips parted in awe. 

But the awe was quickly replaced by panic as he realized that wherever he was, it was far as hell from his home. He forced himself to stand on his trembling legs. He took a few steps deeper into the forest, hoping to pass through that odd watery wall. But nothing happened. 

He turned back around and looked out into the distance, hoping to spot someone he could ask for help. But all he saw were fields and hills of rainbow wildflowers. 

Just as he was debating about what he should do, he heard a thumping noise coming from behind him, in the forest. The thumping noise was followed by what sounded like a low growl, and that was enough to have Beomgyu running out of the forest and straight for the sea of wildflowers. He wished he’d had more time to think up a plan first, but he certainly didn’t want to wait for whatever had made that noise to show itself. 

He tore through the tall grass and wildflowers until his legs ached and he felt like he physically couldn’t go on. His legs gave out and he felt himself falling forward. He squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating the face plant. But his face never hit the ground. He opened his eyes and gasped when he realized he was floating above the ground. He felt himself being slowly lifted upright and placed back on his feet. 

“Are you all right?” an unfamiliar male voice said.

Beomgyu spun around and came face-to-face with a handsome young man. He was slightly short and well-built. He had dark brown hair that fell over large, bright purple eyes. He was wearing a lilac purple ruffled blouse, black flowy pants, and a long, dark purple cape that draped over his shoulders. A black, pointy hat with a purple ribbon rested on his head. 

He looked like… 

“A witch?”

“I’m a wizard, actually.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened and he clamped a hand over his mouth. Had he said that out loud?

The man began to slowly pace around Beomgyu, eyeing him up and down. “Such unique clothing,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.” 

Beomgyu shrank down. “U-Um…”

The man stopped pacing. “Are you lost?”

Beomgyu hesitantly nodded.

The man’s eyebrows furrowed. “You look like you’re not from around here.”

Beomgyu shook his head. “I-I’m not,” he stuttered. Suddenly, his eyes watered and his throat felt tight. “I-I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I-I was by my house in the forest…th-then suddenly…I was here.”

The man frowned. “Are you human?” he asked. “You look human. I’ve seen pictures of your kind in books. Our land is supposed to be hidden from humans.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “I-I don’t know how I got here,” he said. “D-Do you know how I can get home?”

The man shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Beomgyu’s bottom lip trembled. Oh boy, was he going to suddenly break down in tears right in front of a stranger?

“Don’t cry,” the man said softly. “You can stick with me until we figure out how to get you home. I’m Taehyun.”

Beomgyu looked at him with watery eyes. “R-Really?”

Taehyun nodded.

Beomgyu sniffled. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I-I’m Beomgyu.”

Taehyun smiled. “Nice to meet you, human Beomgyu,” he said. “I was just picking some flowers for the cottage, but I’m done now. I’ll show you where I live.” He bent down to pick up a basket on the grass beside him. The basket was full of different-colored wildflowers. 

“Let’s go,” he said with another smile. 

Beomgyu followed Taehyun further away from the forest. “U-Um, so you’re a wizard?” he asked. “Th-That stuff exists?”

“Of course it exists,” Taehyun said. “And yes, I’m a wizard.” 

“Do you have a wand?”

Taehyun smiled proudly. “I have a wand collection.” 

Beomgyu stared at the man with wide eyes. He was still unsure if he could actually believe that wizards were real, or that he was in some magical, colorful world with strange creatures. Maybe he’d tripped and hit his head on something in the forest and he was having some delusional dream.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

Beomgyu was jolted from his thoughts by Taehyun. The man was eyeing Beomgyu. Beomgyu winced. “U-Um, this is just…none of this exists where I’m from.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Taehyun said. “You’re from the human realm. Lucky for you, I always bring a wand with me so I can give you a little show.”

“A-A show?”

Taehyun smiled and fished around in the pocket of his pants before presenting a long, sparkly purple stick with a pointy end. The stick looked bumpy in texture and reflected the light coming from the sun.

“How about I…change your clothes,” Taehyun decided. “You’ll stand out wearing that anyway.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “W-Wait—”

Taehyun mumbled something in a different language under his breath. He spoke so fast and waved his wand around Beomgyu’s body.

Beomgyu flinched. “I-I don’t think—”

“There,” Taehyun said with a satisfied smile. “That’s more fitting.”

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked down at his body. To his horror, his original clothes were gone. He was suddenly wearing a flowy white blouse with ruffles on the collar and long, brown pants. “M-My clothes!”

“Don’t worry, they’re back at the cottage,” Taehyun said. “You need to blend in. Some people here don’t like humans.”

Oh, great. Beomgyu had appeared in a magical land that didn’t like humans. The whole day was turning out to be incredibly shitty. 

“We’re almost there,” Taehyun said. “Oh! I forgot to mention. I live with someone.” 

Beomgyu’s nerves suddenly heightened. Was it another wizard?

“His name is Kai,” Taehyun said. “He’s my closest friend. We share the cottage.”

“I-Is he a wizard too?”

Taehyun shook his head. “Kai is a fairy.”

Beomgyu almost tripped. “A-A fairy?” 

Taehyun gave Beomgyu an amused look. “You should start believing this is real,” he said. “It’s only going to get more bizarre from here.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Oh boy.

“We’re here!”

They stopped walking and Beomgyu looked up to find a purple cottage before them. The cottage was a small, two-story with a cobblestone path leading up to it. There were many types of flowers planted around the front of the house. Beomgyu hadn’t even realized they’d reached it already. He should’ve paid more attention to where they were going. What if he couldn’t trust Taehyun?

“Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu jolted. “Y-Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to come inside?” 

Beomgyu realized Taehyun had been holding the front door open for him and he quickly scrambled inside. He was immediately met with warmth and the smell of cinnamon.

“I’m home!” Taehyun called. He ushered Beomgyu further inside. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“U-Um, no, I’m good,” he stuttered as he took in his surroundings. The cottage was surprisingly cozy inside. It had an open concept, so Beomgyu could see the living room and kitchen from the foyer. The color scheme of all of the furniture and decorations was dark wood, olive green, dark purple, burnt orange, and deep blue. It was very whimsical. Beomgyu noticed a bunch of wind chimes and dream catchers hanging around the living room. A large, fur rug covered part of the living room floor and a plush olive green sofa sat atop it. Various lamps of different sizes, shapes, and colors gave the room a warm, golden glow. 

The kitchen was just as cozy. The cabinets were painted dark purple and the kitchen table was dark wood. There was a unique backsplash lining the kitchen walls that looked like it had been hand-painted. Each tile represented a tarot card.

“What do you think?” Taehyun said, smiling proudly. “This is Kai and my home.”

Beomgyu was in awe. The house looked so colorful and unique. He jumped when he felt something soft brush against his leg. Was that…? He looked down to find a black cat rubbing its fur against Beomgyu’s ankle. Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “Wh-Who’s this?”

“That’s our cat,” Taehyun said. “Hobak.”

Beomgyu knelt down to stroke Hobak’s soft fur. “Hello,” he said quietly. 

“Tyun, I found these strange clothes in the wash bin,” an unfamiliar voice said. 

Beomgyu straightened when he heard footsteps walking towards them.

A tall man with blond hair and bright blue eyes stood there, looking like a goddess descended from heaven. His hair was slightly wavy, and gold glitter flecks dusted his pale cheeks. His ears were pointed, and he had a pair of magnificent, gold and white shimmery wings protruding from his back. The wings fluttered behind him. 

Beomgyu stumbled back in shock. 

“Who is this?” the man asked.

“This is Beomgyu,” Taehyun said. “Beomgyu, this is my friend Kai.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. So this was Kai? The man looked unreal.

“Hello,” Kai said, a bit cautiously. “Sorry if this sounds rude, but what exactly are you?” He looked Beomgyu up and down.

Beomgyu shrank down and shot a panicked look at Taehyun.

“He’s human,” Taehyun said. “Don’t worry, Beomgyu. Kai won’t hurt you.”

Kai’s eyes widened. “A human?” he said. “Here? How?”

“That’s what we need to figure out,” Taehyun said. “Beomgyu doesn’t know how he got here. I found him lost in the seaside fields.”

“S-So…what is this place?” Beomgyu asked. “Y-You never told me…”

“Oops, silly me,” Taehyun said. “This is Avonia.”

“Avonia?”

“You’ve probably never heard of it,” Taehyun said. “Our world isn’t known to humans. Most humans, at least.”

“I-I’m really far from home, aren’t I?”

A sympathetic look appeared on Taehyun’s face and he slowly nodded.

Beomgyu let out a shaky breath. His legs wobbled and he felt like he would collapse. It was like the reality of his situation was finally hitting him. He somehow ended up in a strange new world, far from his own world. Had his father realized Beomgyu was missing? Had he gone to look for him? Beomgyu felt like his throat was closing when he imagined his father roaming the woods, looking for him.

“Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu felt strong arms wrap around him, holding him up before he could fall to his knees.

“Are you okay?” Taehyun asked, a concerned look on his face. “You should sit down.” He led Beomgyu over to the couch and sat him down on it. 

Beomgyu looked up at Taehyun. “Th-Thank you,” he said weakly.

“Don’t worry, Beomgyu,” Taehyun said. “I’m sure there’s a spell of some sort that can open a portal back to your world.”

“P-Portal?”

Taehyun nodded. “You can only get to Avonia from the human world by a portal,” he said. “So that’s the only way you can return.”

Kai walked over to stand beside Taehyun. “Do you think you have a spell for opening the portal?”

“I’m going to take a look in the library,” Taehyun said. 

“I-I want to come,” Beomgyu said.

“Not right now,” Taehyun said. “You’re very pale. I thought you were going to pass out. I’ll make you some spiced herbal tea.”

Beomgyu opened his mouth to protest, but Taehyun had already gone to the kitchen. 

“It’s best not to argue with Taehyun,” Kai said. “He’s like a mother hen. As soon as he sees someone in need, he wants to take them in and care for them.”

Beomgyu looked at Taehyun. The wizard was walking back and forth between the stove and cabinets, dumping various spices into a steaming kettle. Beomgyu felt himself relaxing a little. When was the last time he’d truly felt cared for? Before his mother fell ill, perhaps.

Kai sat down on the couch next to him. His wings fluttered behind him. 

Beomgyu couldn’t help but stare at them in awe.

Kai smiled. “Do you like them?”

Beomgyu felt his cheeks warm. He’d been caught staring. He hesitantly nodded.

“You seem much different than the humans I’ve heard of,” Kai said. “Usually, on the rare chance a human comes across someone of our world, they usually react to us very…negatively.” 

“R-Really?”

Kai nodded, a grave look on his face. “Please don’t take offense, but humans don’t like those who are different.”

“No, it’s true,” Beomgyu said quietly. He would know a little bit about that. He’d been bullied horribly in school for being gay.

“I haven’t ever witnessed a human myself, though,” Kai said. “I only know what humans are like through stories and ancient texts.”

“Your tea.”

Beomgyu looked up to find Taehyun standing in front of him with a steaming mug in his hands. “Th-Thank you,” Beomgyu stuttered, accepting the warm mug from him.

For a moment, he wondered if he was stupid for accepting tea from a stranger—and a wizard, besides. But somehow, Beomgyu felt like he could trust the wizard.

“Drink up,” Taehyun said. 

Beomgyu blew on the tea before taking a hesitant sip. His eyes widened. It was delicious. He could taste cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom. He took another sip, eagerly. 

“Is it good?” Taehyun asked.

Beomgyu nodded.

Taehyun smiled. “It’s my own special recipe.” 

“He’s a great cook, too,” Kai said.

Taehyun’s smile turned bashful. “Oh, stop.”

Beomgyu sipped his tea while Taehyun told Kai about his trip to the day market earlier. It was fascinating listening to them talk, because Beomgyu didn’t really understand what half of the words and phrases they said meant.

He continued to drink the tea, gradually feeling better as he did. When he was finished, he felt well enough to stand. Taehyun and Kai still helped him, one on each side of him. He felt his face grow warm. 

“Are you sure you want to come with me to the library?” Taehyun asked. 

Beomgyu nodded, determined. He needed to help find a way for him to get home. The sooner he got home, the better. 

“All right,” Taehyun said with a sigh. He helped Beomgyu out of the living room and down a long hallway, Kai following behind them.

The library was at the very end, on the right. Taehyun pushed the door open and stepped aside, letting Beomgyu and Kai inside first.

Beomgyu slowly walked inside, looking around the room in wonder. The library was much bigger than he thought it would be. The shelves were floor to ceiling, with a moveable ladder that reached balconies surrounding the upper shelves. At the center of the ceiling was a clear dome with a view of the bright, sunny sky. Beomgyu could see the pink clouds. 

The library was made of dark wood, but multiple lamps hung on the walls, all the way up to the ceiling. Beomgyu turned around in a circle, taking it all in. 

“What we’re looking for is a portal opening spell,” Taehyun said, more to himself than to Beomgyu and Kai. He immediately went to the ladder, climbing up on it and pressing a button on the side. The ladder suddenly extended, bringing him up to the second shelf from the ceiling. He hopped onto the balcony and began examining the books, running his fingers over the spines. 

“W-What do we do?” Beomgyu stuttered. 

“Just stay there,” Taehyun called. “I have an idea of what I need to find.”

Beomgyu opened his mouth to protest, but Kai spoke first. 

“Let him do his thing,” he said. 

Beomgyu pressed his lips together and nodded. 

“Aha!” Taehyun said, pulling a comically large book out. “The book of forbidden spells.”

“F-Forbidden?” Beomgyu said, worried. That couldn’t be good. 

Kai grimaced. “The forbidden spells are apparently very difficult to do,” he said. “At least, that’s what I’ve heard. It usually requires both a wizard and warlock, but warlocks don’t reside here.”

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed. “Where do they reside?”

Kai opened his mouth to reply, but Taehyun was suddenly bounding over to them excitedly.

“I found it!” he said. “Now we just need to find the spell. Follow me.” He motioned for Kai and Beomgyu to follow him.

The two followed him to a door on the right side of the library, between the bookshelves. He typed in a passcode on a small keypad beside the door and it made a ding noise before they heard the lock click. He opened the door and stepped inside.

Beomgyu walked in after him, looking around the room. It was significantly smaller than the library. The dark wooden floor was covered in a dark, purple velvet rug and the walls were painted black. Golden stars and a moon hung from the ceiling and gave off a faint glow. There was a large table in the center of the room with a pot on it. The walls were covered in shelves that either held books or jars and bottles with different colored liquids and objects inside. It looked like a witch’s layer. 

“I-I thought you were a wizard,” Beomgyu mumbled.

“I am,” Taehyun said. He heaved the large book onto a book stand beside the table and started flipping through it. “The person who used to live here was a witch, before she was caught and banished to where she belonged.”

“A-And where was that?”

Taehyun looked up at Beomgyu. “In the Underworld.”

“Th-The Underworld?”

“It’s where all of the dangerous beings live,” Kai said. “Dangerous creatures, really.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “Th-There are dangerous creatures here?”

Taehyun and Kai both nodded.

“The Underworld has dragons, sirens, witches and warlocks, sea monsters—every possible creature you could think of that could cause harm,” Taehyun said. “Us innocent people live here, in Avonia.”

“C-Can these dangerous beings get here?” Beomgyu stuttered. 

“They can,” Kai said. “If they’re good at disguising themselves. The witch who used to live here managed to trick everyone for years. It wasn’t until chaos unfolded in Avonia that people started to question her. She claimed she was a wizard, but everyone eventually found out the truth. Then the Avonian guards took her back to the Underworld.”

“The Avonian guards are pretty good at catching them once they cross the border,” Taehyun said. “But every now and then, one manages to hide well enough.”

“Sh-Shouldn’t there be people guarding this border?” Beomgyu said, suddenly even more terrified of the world he’d been transported to. 

Taehyun sighed. “We’ve tried,” he said. “But the guards at the border always vanished or ended up dead. It was easier for those horrid creatures to work in numbers and drag the guards onto their territory. In their land, it was easier to kill guards. But if they cross over to Avonia, we have the advantage.”

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Our magic dims in the Underworld,” Kai explained. “It doesn’t work as well. We’re significantly weaker.”

“B-But they don’t get weak when they come here?”

Kai shook his head. “That’s why they’re dangerous,” he said. “Their magic is never diminished. They’re predators.”

Beomgyu shuddered. He hoped he was able to get home before ever coming across the Underworld or its inhabitants. “W-Where is the border?”

“It’s past the forest,” Taehyun said. “In the Rocky Region.” 

“Don’t worry, Beomgyu,” Kai said. “We’d never take you anywhere close to the border. As long as we’re in Avonia, we’re safe.”

Kai seemed confident, but Beomgyu was skeptical. If the creatures’ magic never diminished, wouldn’t they still be dangerous in Avonia? Couldn’t they still overpower guards?

You have to get home as quickly as possible, he told himself. Suddenly, his troubles at home seemed less scary to face. 

“You’re safe here,” Taehyun said softly. 

“Th-The witch won’t try to come back?” Beomgyu asked fearfully.

Kai snorted. “She’s long dead.”

Beomgyu felt himself relax a little. “Oh.”

“We will get you home,” Taehyun said, a determined look on his face.

Beomgyu felt his heart flutter. “I-I’m really grateful, but I have to wonder…why are you helping me?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Taehyun said, like it was obvious.

“Us Avonians are good people,” Kai said. “We like helping others.”

“Now, no more worrying,” Taehyun said. “I need to find the spell before we can do anything.” 

Beomgyu and Kai moved to stand behind Taehyun, looking over his shoulders as he flipped through the dusty pages. Beomgyu coughed a bit at the dust clouds and waved his hand in front of his face.

“This,” Taehyun suddenly said, pointing to a spell. 

Spell to Open the Portal to the Human Realm was in cursive across the top. The spell spilled onto the page beside it. 

“Th-This looks long,” Beomgyu said. He couldn’t understand anything else on the page. The title was the only thing in English, and thank god he could read that because of the many English lessons his father gave him as a child.

“That’s because it is long,” Taehyun said. “And the ingredient list is…lengthy.”

“Can you do it without a warlock?” Beomgyu asked.

Taehyun nodded. “Of course I can,” he said. “The only reason why a warlock is needed is to gather and mix the ingredients. But the recipe is right here. As long as I follow it correctly, it should be fine.”

“And after that?” Kai asked.

“I have to say the spell,” Taehyun said. “Over the potion.”

“Will the potion be hard to make?” Beomgyu asked worriedly. How could he not worry? The potion and spell working was the only way he’d get home.

Taehyun scanned the ingredient list and grimaced. “Yes,” he admitted. 

Kai gasped. “The blood of a dragon?” he read. “A siren’s scale? Werewolf’s fur? This is impossible! We don’t have any of these things. And to get them…”

Taehyun frowned. “We’d have to go to the Underworld,” he said.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “W-What? No way!”

“You wouldn’t go,” Taehyun said. “We’re not stupid enough to bring a human with us to a land full of predators. You will stay here.”

Beomgyu suddenly felt dizzy. Strong arms quickly caught him before he could collapse. 

“This is a lot for him,” Kai murmured as he held Beomgyu against him from behind. “He should rest.”

Beomgyu couldn’t even argue. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t faint any second. 

Taehyun nodded. “Let’s take him to the spare bedroom.”

Beomgyu could barely take note of where they were taking him. They left the study to return to the library, but when they left the library, everything became a blur. Beomgyu could barely keep his eyes open. He thought that they might’ve gone up a staircase, but he wasn’t sure. Soon, he was being placed on a dark purple blanket that had golden stars and a large, golden sun embroidered on it. 

Kai pulled the covers over Beomgyu’s body. 

“W-Wait—”

“Shh,” Kai shushed him. “Just relax for a little bit, okay?”

But how could Beomgyu relax? His ability to get home was dependent on Taehyun making the spell, but the ingredients would be impossible to assemble. And could Beomgyu really ask that of two strangers? He wouldn’t want them to risk their lives for him.

“A-About the spell,” he stuttered. “I-I’m just a stranger to you guys. You can’t possibly risk your life in the Underworld for me.”

“Didn’t I tell you to rest?” Kai said.  

Taehyun hovered over Beomgyu. “We want to help,” he said. “If I was lost in the human world, I would want someone to help me get home to Avonia.”

Kai nodded.

Beomgyu felt his body relax a little. “O-Okay.”

“Now rest up,” Taehyun said. “I’m going to go out and stock up on food that would be edible for humans. And do a little more research on what’s safe for humans to eat in our world.” He blushed. 

“We’ll leave you be,” Kai said. “Call one of us if you need anything okay? I’ll bring you some water.”

“Thank you,” Beomgyu said quietly as their footsteps trailed away. His eyelids were starting to droop. He couldn’t fall asleep—it wasn’t night time yet. But he was exhausted from the crazy day he was having and wanted nothing more than to let himself drift to sleep. What time was it back in his world? Was it already night time? Surely by then his father would’ve realized Beomgyu was missing. Maybe he even thought Beomgyu had run away. Beomgyu felt his chest tighten at the thought. Sure, he was mad at his father, but he couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing him again. He’d already lost his mother, he couldn’t lose his father too. 

He heard footsteps trail back into the room and a glass being set down on the bedside table. The footsteps trailed away. He opened one eye to find sheer, purple curtains surrounding the bed. Kai must’ve let the curtains fall when he came with Beomgyu’s glass of water. Beomgyu didn’t mind. He liked the privacy. 

He closed his eye and let himself settle back on the soft mattress. Maybe he could let himself take a short nap.

The short nap ended up lasting a few hours. When he woke up, he found Taehyun walking into the room with a steaming bowl in his hands.  

“Oh, you’re up,” Taehyun said with surprise.

Beomgyu blushed. “S-Sorry I slept so long…”

“What are you apologizing for?” Taehyun said as he maneuvered the curtains to the side so he could place the bowl on the bedside table, next to the glass. “You must’ve been exhausted.”

It wasn’t like Beomgyu had really done anything physical to make him exhausted, but he was tired emotionally. 

“I hope you don’t mind the concoction I put together,” Taehyun said. “It’s safe for humans to eat.” He handed the bowl to Beomgyu, which had a spoon in it. 

Beomgyu took the bowl from him, thanking him quietly. It smelled good, like tomatoes. It looked like rice and some sort of dark brown bean with a tomato sauce and sprinkle of herbs. He scooped some up on the spoon and blew on it before giving it a taste. It was delicious. Kai wasn’t lying when he said Taehyun could cook.

“Do you like it?” Taehyun asked eagerly.

Beomgyu nodded and took another bite immediately. “You’re a great cook,” he said after chewing and swallowing. 

Taehyun beamed. “I know!” he said. Then he suddenly looked serious as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Not all of the ingredients for the spell are difficult to obtain,” he said. “There are a few I can get here in Avonia, like the feather of an angel and fairy dust. I mean, Kai is a fairy so that one will be super easy. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow to get those. That way, I can focus more time and attention on the difficult ingredients.” 

Beomgyu winced. He couldn’t imagine Taehyun going to the Underworld alone, if it was truly as bad as him and Kai had made it sound. All for him, a random stranger they’d just met. He couldn’t understand why they would possibly want to risk their lives for him. He didn’t think he’d ever understand. 

He finished eating, deciding by the time he was finished that he would definitely go with Taehyun the following morning. He wanted to be helpful. He didn’t want to be a bump on a log while Taehyun and Kai did all the work to get him home.

“The bathroom is right over there,” Taehyun said, pointing to the back right corner of the room where the door was. He collected Beomgyu’s bowl and empty glass. “I set out some sleepwear and spare products for you to use. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Beomgyu nodded and thanked the wizard. He waited for Taehyun to leave before getting out of bed. He looked around the room, since he hadn’t gotten a good look at it before. The decor and color scheme were very similar to the rest of the house—black and different shades of purple with gold accents. There were black wooden bedside tables on each side of the bed, and when Beomgyu stepped off the bed, his feet touched a plush purple carpet beside the bed. On the left wall was a vintage-looking desk and chair, and on the right side was a purple velvet sofa and coffee table across from it. There were two windows on the right wall, but the dark purple curtains were drawn shut. The wardrobe was by the bathroom, and across from the bed was a long dresser with a mirror attached to it. Beomgyu couldn’t help but wonder if the color scheme and decor was Taehyun’s choice or the witch’s that used to live there.

Beomgyu made his way over to the bathroom door and stepped inside to find a very extravagant bathroom. The bathroom’s color scheme was black and gold, but the floor was white marble. He found a pair of purple silk pajamas folded on the black vanity. Beside it were multiple different bottles. Beomgyu examined them and found body scrub, lotion, perfume oil, hair products, and toothpaste with a wooden toothbrush. Each bottle was clear with its own label on it, like the products were homemade. Beomgyu took an experimental sniff of the perfume oil and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet lavender vanilla scent that filled his senses. 

He decided that he deserved a nice hot shower. He hoped all of the appliances worked the same way they did in the human world. 

Thankfully, he was right, and it didn’t take him long to wash up. Soon, he was climbing back into the warm, comfortable bed. Taehyun and Kai stopped by to bid him goodnight before he turned the bedside table lamp off and laid down on the bed. He took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. He was scared. Terrified. He didn’t know if they would be able to collect the ingredients to do the spell. And what if the spell didn’t work? There were too many what-ifs.  

Maybe it was the long nap he’d taken earlier, or the fact that he was feeling very stressed and overwhelmed, but he didn’t get much sleep that night. Still, when he saw the faintest light peek through the bed and window curtains, he forced himself to get up. He wouldn’t let Taehyun leave without him. 

He wandered out of the bedroom and into the hallway. He could spot the staircase ahead and made his way towards it. The cottage wasn’t very big, so he didn’t have trouble finding the kitchen.

Taehyun was already up, in a similar outfit to the one he’d worn the previous day. His cape was hanging on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. He seemed surprised to find Beomgyu awake. 

“Oh, you’re awake,” he said. “I’m making breakfast. You can take a seat.” He motioned to the kitchen table.

Beomgyu slowly sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Y-You’re going out today?”

Taehyun nodded. “Kai has some business to attend to with the fellow fairies, so he’ll be out for a bit,” he said. “But he should be back by midday.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Taehyun’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said. “I’ll have to visit a couple of people today. They may not be too fond of you, since you’re human.” 

“It’s okay,” Beomgyu said quickly. “Please. I want to help.” He gave Taehyun a pleading look.

Taehyun sighed. “All right, I suppose you can tag along.”

Beomgyu perked up. 

“You’ll need a change of clothes, though.” 

Beomgyu looked down at the silk pajamas.

“Don’t worry,” Taehyun said. “You can borrow some of my clothes.”

“Thank you,” Beomgyu said quietly.

Taehyun set a bowl of hot porridge with different colored fruits on it and a drizzle of what looked like honey.

Beomgyu recognized strawberries and blueberries, but there was a purple and a green berry that he didn’t recognize.

“Don’t worry, it’s safe for humans,” Taehyun assured him. “Our food is actually very similar to human food, but we have additional crops we grow here that you’ve probably never heard of.”

Beomgyu took an experimental spoonful with a green berry. He was delighted by the sweet juice that burst on his tongue. 

Taehyun smiled. “It’s good, right?”

Beomgyu nodded. It had been awhile since he’d had home-cooked meals. His dad was a disastrous cook and Beomgyu had always refused to eat Clarice’s cooking. A white woman couldn’t possibly make Korean food like his mother had. 

“We’ll leave right after breakfast,” Taehyun said as he assembled his own bowl of porridge and sat down across from Beomgyu at the table.  

“Beomgyu is up?”

Beomgyu looked up to see Kai walking into the room. He had on a white flowy blouse that was unbuttoned at the top and loose beige pants. His gold and white wings fluttered rapidly behind him. 

“Yup,” Taehyun said. “Oh, before you leave, I need some fairy dust for the spell.”

Kai nodded. “I’ll put some in a bottle for you.”

Beomgyu stared at them in confusion. “How do you produce fairy dust?” he asked.

“From my wings,” Kai said, turning around to show them off. “When they flutter, they produce dust.”

“It gets all over the furniture,” Taehyun said with a sigh.

Kai rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, we’re heading out this morning to collect some ingredients,” Taehyun said.

Kai frowned. “You’re not going to the Underworld, are you?”

Taehyun shook his head. “We’re just getting some ingredients in Avonia.”

“Be careful,” Kai said.

Beomgyu gave Taehyun a worried look.

“It’s not dangerous here,” Taehyun said quickly. “But you know, every now and then a stray from the Underworld makes it over. As long as guards are notified, they’re dealt with quickly.” 

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. He wanted to go, but he was suddenly nervous. 

Suck it up, he told himself. You have to help. 

They finished breakfast, and then Taehyun retrieved some fairy dust from Kai while Beomgyu washed up and changed. Taehyun had left clothes for him on the vanity again. When Beomgyu was done washing up, he changed into the clothes and examined himself in the mirror. Taehyun had left him a royal blue silk blouse and black pants with a black cape that had a gold interior. Beomgyu barely recognized himself. Since his mother had died, he had always worn black. He spun around in the cape. He didn’t mind the color. He looked almost like Taehyun in the outfit, and he didn’t mind that either. It would help him blend in better. 

He met Taehyun in the kitchen when he was done. Taehyun was also ready to go, in an emerald green button-up, black pants, and his signature cape and hat. 

“Ready?” Taehyun said. He was carrying a black basket on his arm.

Beomgyu nodded. He was nervous, but didn’t want Taehyun to know. Would Taehyun protect Beomgyu if someone tried to hurt him? 

“Let’s go,” Taehyun said. He reached out his free arm. 

Beomgyu looped his arm through Taehyun’s, his cheeks heating up.

Taehyun smiled. “Bye, Kai!” he called behind him before tugging Beomgyu out the front door. 

“Where are we going first?” Beomgyu asked as they walked down the cobblestone pathway toward the vast field ahead. 

“We need the feather of an angel,” Taehyun said. “A tear from a centaur, and a mermaid scale. We’ll get the angel feather first, since Sunoo is really sweet and won’t mind giving us one.”

“Sunoo?”

“He’s the only angel I know pretty well,” Taehyun said. 

“And he’s nice?”

Taehyun nodded. “Very,” he said. “He is an angel, after all.” 

They walked through the field near the cottage for what felt like an eternity before they reached the end, and a village appeared before them down a large grassy hill.

“This is the heart of Avonia,” Taehyun said, gesturing to the village. He tugged Beomgyu down the hill. 

Beomgyu stumbled after him.

“Sunoo’s house is close by,” Taehyun said. They reached the bottom of the hill and began walking along the cobblestone pathway.

Beomgyu looked around them with wonder. It was like he’d been transported back in time. Everyone was dressed in unusual, old-fashioned clothing. Capes, feathered gowns, long trench coats. There were a bunch of cute little houses lined up, with many people out front tending to flowers, knitting, or mingling with their neighbors. 

Taehyun stopped in front of a white cottage with two large rose bushes growing in the front yard. “This is Sunoo’s house,” he said. “Now, please let me do the talking.”

Beomgyu gave him a worried look. “I thought you said he was nice?”

“He is,” Taehyun said quickly. “But he may sense that you're human, and well…you see how that can be an issue?”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly and gave a hesitant nod.

“Don’t worry,” Taehyun said, gently patting his arm with his free hand. “Sunoo would never do anything to you, and I wouldn’t let anyone do anything to you anyway. I’ve taken you under my wing. You’re mine to care for now.”

Beomgyu’s cheeks heated up. “O-Okay,” he stuttered.

Taehyun walked up to the door and lightly knocked on it.

It took a few moments before the door opened and a beautiful young man stood in the doorway. He had black hair and striking golden eyes. His skin was almost pure white, and he wore a silk white robe tied loosely around his waist. A pair of white feathered wings extended from his back, and a silver halo hovered over his head. He looked just as ethereal as Kai.

Beomgyu was speechless. Thank god Taehyun was doing the talking. Was everyone in Avonia so beautiful? 

“Hello Sunoo,” Taehyun said politely.

Sunoo smiled brightly. “Oh, Taehyun!” he said. “I didn’t expect you to visit so early in the morning.”

“I’m sorry if I woke you up,” Taehyun said.

“Not at all,” Sunoo replied. “I was just about to make breakfast.” His gaze landed on Beomgyu.

Beomgyu shrank down.

“Who’s your friend?” Sunoo asked.

“This is Beomgyu,” Taehyun said. “He’s a wizard-in-training.”

Sunoo squinted at Beomgyu, and Beomgyu felt himself begin to sweat a little. But then Sunoo smiled widely. “Nice to meet you!” he said. “I’m Sunoo.”

Beomgyu forced a smile onto his face. “N-Nice to meet you!”

“So…I was wondering,” Taehyun said. “We’re practicing a spell at home, and it calls for an angel feather. Would you be willing to spare us one?”

“Oh, of course!” Sunoo said. “Let me get one for you.” He reached behind him and plucked one right off of his wing. 

“Here you go!” he said as he handed it to Taehyun. 

Taehyun took it and placed it in a small bag before stuffing it in the basket. “Thanks a bunch! This will help a lot.”

Sunoo beamed at them. “Always happy to help!”

“We should probably get going,” Taehyun said. “We have a few other ingredients to get. Thanks again for the feather! It was nice seeing you.”

Sunoo waved at them enthusiastically. “Nice seeing you too!” he said. “Good luck with that spell!”

Beomgyu didn’t let out the breath he was holding until they were back on the cobblestone path, walking further into the village. “That wasn’t so bad,” he said.

“That was the easy one,” Taehyun said with a sigh. “Now we need a mermaid scale, and Danielle isn’t going to give in so easily.”

Beomgyu tensed up. Great. 

As they walked further into the village, the houses turned into shops and open markets. People had set up stands to sell fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and homemade goods. It reminded Beomgyu of the markets he used to go to when he visited Daegu with his family. That was back when his mother was alive and well, and life had been great. 

“Actually, it may be easier if we get the centaur tear first,” Taehyun said. 

It felt like Taehyun was stalling seeing this Danielle woman, which made Beomgyu nervous. She wasn’t dangerous if she was Avonian, right? 

“Here we are,” Taehyun suddenly said, stopping in front of a store. 

Through the glass display window, Beomgyu could see artwork depicting what he assumed were Avonian landscapes.

“You can come inside, but don’t say anything,” Taehyun said. “Taehyung won’t be as nice as Sunoo.” 

Beomgyu gulped. “O-Okay.”

Taehyun walked through the door and held it open for Beomgyu. A little bell rang.

“Taehyun,” a deep voice said. 

“Taehyung,” Taehyun said in a sickly sweet tone. “Haven’t been here in quite some time. How is business doing?”

“Fantastic, actually.”

Beomgyu peered from where he was hiding behind Taehyun. He couldn’t help the small gasp from slipping past his lips when he spotted Taehyung.

The man was, well, half-horse. His bottom half was a chocolate brown horse, while his top half was human. He had black hair and striking gray eyes. He wore a flowy white top, which was the only piece of clothing on him.

“Who’s that?”

Beomgyu jolted. 

“This is my friend and mentee, Beomgyu,” Taehyun said. “He’s a wizard in training.”

“How can a human train to be a wizard?”

Beomgyu stiffened. Taehyung had figured it out already?

“He’s not a human,” Taehyun tried to lie.

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid,” he said. “Humans have a distinct smell. How did this one end up here? Did you bring it here?”

It? Beomgyu wasn’t an “it”!

“He doesn’t know how he got here,” Taehyun said, sounding slightly irritated. 

Beomgyu feared they were losing their chance of getting a tear. 

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter,” Taehyun said. “He’s training to be a wizard now and we’re trying to do a spell, but we need a centaur’s tear. Would you be willing to give us one? Please?”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “You’re trying to open the portal back to the human world, aren’t you?”

“Dammit, Taehyung.”

Taehyung laughed. “I may be willing to give a tear,” he said. “But what will you offer me?”

Taehyun scowled at him. “Three flecks of gold.” 

“That’s nothing.”

“You’re a sleaze bag,” Taehyun grumbled as he pulled a pouch out of the pocket of his cape. He took out five golden coins. “Will this be enough?”

Taehyung’s gray eyes glinted. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll need a moment to obtain a tear.” He vanished through a doorway.

“He’s not going to scam us, is he?” Beomgyu asked worriedly.

Before Taehyun could reply, Taehyung returned. He had a small bottle in one hand and a small bottle of what looked to be red pepper in another. He sprinkled the red pepper-looking substance on his tongue. Immediately, his eyes started watering and a tear dropped down, landing right in the bottle. He capped it and handed it to Taehyun.

Taehyun quickly snatched it and dropped the coins in Taehyung’s hand. “Thank you,” he said as he dropped the bottle in his basket.

“Aren’t you going to buy something now?” Taehyung said, gesturing to the store.

Beomgyu looked around the store. There was artwork hung on the wall and multiple trinkets and gifts sprinkled throughout. Pottery, glassware, decor, and more. It was actually pretty cute.

“We’re good, thank you,” Taehyun said, grabbing Beomgyu’s arm and dragging him towards the door. “Thanks for the tear. Bye!” He waved before hurrying out of the store, taking Beomgyu with him.

Beomgyu stumbled after him. 

“That didn’t go as horrible as I thought it would,” Taehyun said.

“I thought you said getting these ingredients would be easy,” Beomgyu said with worry.

“I did,” Taehyun said. “And it is. Trust me, it’s much easier than getting stuff from the Underworld.”

Beomgyu shuddered at the mention of the Underworld.

“Now, we need a mermaid scale,” Taehyun said. “Danielle.” He scowled. 

They started walking along the cobblestone path again, and Beomgyu noticed that the strip of shops and markets ended ahead. He could make out a glistening, bright blue ocean and jagged rocks. 

“We’re going there?” he asked, alarmed.

“That’s where the mermaids live,” Taehyun said like it was obvious. “But maybe it’s best if she doesn’t see you. Or any of them, for that matter.” 

Beomgyu winced. “Where should I stand?”

“Hide a little,” Taehyun said as they approached the rocks and ocean. He pointed to the patch of sand to the left of them, and the woods beyond it. “Somewhere over there. If she senses there’s a human here, she’ll never help us.”

Beomgyu felt his shoulders slump. 

“You can’t blame her,” Taehyun said. “Humans used to hunt mermaids.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “They did?”

Taehyun nodded. “Now, go stand in the sand while I talk to her,” he said. “She shouldn’t notice you over there.” 

Beomgyu quickly hurried off the cobblestone path and through a small patch of grass before his feet sank into soft sand. He watched Taehyun approach the water and call Danielle’s name. The water bubbled, then splashed, spraying water on Taehyun.

Taehyun grimaced. “Thanks for that.”

“I know you missed me,” a gorgeous young woman with long blonde hair popped up out of the water. 

“How could I not?” Taehyun said dryly. “It’s not like you wouldn’t leave my life for a whole year after we broke up.”

“Wizards are all the same,” Danielle said with a dramatic sigh. “Can’t handle a woman with ambition.”

“More like an obsessive, possessive woman,” Taehyun muttered. 

“I wouldn’t make me mad, Taehyunie,” Danielle said. “You obviously came here to ask me for something. You never visit me anymore.”

Taehyun sighed. “I’m doing a spell,” he said. “And I need a scale.”

Danielle laughed. “Why would a wizard need ingredients for a spell?” she said. “Isn’t that what warlocks do? Have you switched sides, Taehyunie?”

Taehyun’s face turned bright red. “Absolutely not,” he said. “I hate the Underworld.”

“Then why do you need a scale?”

Taehyun sighed. “I just need one, okay?”

Danielle smiled. “You know that’s not good enough for me.”

Beomgyu could see the irritation on Taehyun’s face. He watched them banter with wide eyes. He had no idea Danielle was Taehyun’s ex. There was so much he didn’t know about the wizard.

“Hey.”

Beomgyu was startled from his thoughts by a male voice behind him. He spun around to find a tall man with black hair and bright, reddish-orange eyes that glowed. His skin was slightly tan, and his body was very well-built. He was wearing black leather pants, a black tight-fitting shirt, and tall black boots. He was leaning against a tree at the start of the forest, eyeing Beomgyu.

Beomgyu swallowed nervously. “U-Um, hi,” he stuttered. 

“I haven’t seen you around,” the man said, smiling. 

Beomgyu took a step back, instinctively. 

“Are you human?” the man asked, slowly walking towards Beomgyu.

As he got closer, Beomgyu noticed patches of green and golden scales on his face. Beomgyu took another nervous step back. “U-Um…” 

Who was the man? Was he a merman? But then, why did it look like he’d come from the woods?

“I’m not sure how you got here, but don’t worry,” the man said. “I won’t tell.” He smiled, exposing his sharp fangs.

When Beomgyu didn’t respond, the man took a few steps closer. 

“I’m Yeonjun,” he said. “And you’re…?”

“B-Beomgyu,” Beomgyu stuttered. He wondered if he should’ve given a fake name. 

“Beomgyu,” Yeonjun repeated. “You have a lovely name.”

Beomgyu felt his cheeks heat up. Yeonjun was only a foot away from him, and he took a few more steps back. 

“You don’t need to back away like that,” Yeonjun said. “I mean no harm. Avonians would never hurt humans, right?”

Beomgyu supposed Yeonjun was right about that, if what Taehyun had been telling him was true.

“Are you lost?” Yeonjun asked. “Do you need a place to stay?”

Beomgyu quickly shook his head.

“Ah, so someone already offered,” Yeonjun said, looking disappointed. “Bummer. You’re really cute.” 

Beomgyu’s face must’ve been bright red. He’d never gotten such compliments from a man before. Beomgyu had unfortunately never had a boyfriend, or any man that showed remote interest in him. 

“Th-Thanks…” Beomgyu mumbled. He looked at the sand, feeling shy.

“What are you doing out here?” Yeonjun asked. “The mermaids live in the water, and they’re not too fond of humans. You should probably go before they spot you.”

“I-I’m just waiting for a friend,” Beomgyu stuttered. “H-He had to talk to a mermaid.”

“Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu jolted at Taehyun’s voice. “Th-That’s him,” he said. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

“No worries,” Yeonjun said with a smile. “I hope I see you around.”

Beomgyu blushed and nodded before turning around and hurrying towards Taehyun. “Did you get the scale?” he asked him.

Taehyun grimaced. “I got it, all right,” he said. “And ten minutes of verbal abuse.” 

Beomgyu felt relieved. “Well, at least we have the scale,” he said. “Thanks for doing that for me.”

“Of course,” Taehyun said. “Who were you talking to?”

“Oh, I’m not sure,” Beomgyu said. “His name was Yeonjun. But he seemed really nice.”

Taehyun squinted at the forest edge. “I wouldn’t talk to too many people around here without Kai or I around,” he said.

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?”

“You never know who will be sour towards humans,” Taehyun said. He wrapped an arm around Beomgyu’s waist and glanced back at the forest once more before ushering Beomgyu away. “We’re done for today. Let’s go home.”

“We’re back,” Taehyun said as they walked into the cottage.

Kai had already returned from his errands and was curled up on the couch, his wings tucked behind him. He looked up at him. “How was it?” he asked. “Did you get everything?”

Taehyun nodded. “Now we have to get the ingredients from the Underworld,” he said with a frown. 

“No one bothered Beomgyu, did they?”

Taehyun hesitated. “Not exactly,” he said. “But he was talking to someone while I got a scale from Danielle. What was his name again?”

“Yeonjun,” Beomgyu said.

“And what was he?”

“I don’t know,” Beomgyu admitted. “But he had scales. Maybe he was a merman.”

Taehyun looked a little confused. “There aren’t any…nevermind,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. Just don’t talk to strangers.”

Beomgyu scrunched his nose up. “You sound like…” he trailed off. He almost said my mom. He fell silent.

Taehyun wrapped his arm back around Beomgyu’s waist and led him to the staircase. “As a human, it will always be safer for you if you don’t associate with anyone when Kai and I aren’t around.” 

They walked upstairs, and Beomgyu heard Kai following behind them.

“I-I couldn’t just ignore him,” Beomgyu mumbled. 

“Yes you can,” Taehyun said. They stopped in front of the spare bedroom where Beomgyu was staying. “Don’t worry about the rest of the ingredients. I’ll get them.”

Kai’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t like the idea of you going alone,” he said. 

“I have to,” Taehyun said. “Beomgyu can’t stay here by himself.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Avonia was starting to sound much less safe than Taehyun had originally made it out to be.

“I-I can come,” Beomgyu blurted out before he could chicken out. “T-To the Underworld, I mean.”

They both turned to stare at him.

“Yeah, no way,” Taehyun said.

“Not a good idea,” Kai said.

“I have to help,” Beomgyu said, looking between them.

“You don’t need to do anything but rest,” Taehyun said. “Let us worry about the portal.”

Beomgyu shook his head. He couldn’t possibly do that. He felt like a burden. 

“I’ll go make you some lunch,” Taehyun said. He patted Beomgyu on the head before leaving.

Beomgyu’s cheeks warmed and he stared down at the ground.

“Don’t worry,” Kai said softly. “We’re going to get you home, okay?”

Beomgyu forced himself to nod, even though he wasn’t sure he believed it. 

Beomgyu wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he first entered Avonia. Taehyun and Kai were preparing for Taehyun’s venture into the Underworld. Taehyun practiced spells every night. It made Beomgyu feel so guilty. Why couldn’t he help? Sure, he didn’t have powers, but he was the one who needed the portal so he could at least help out.

At least his life with Taehyun and Kai was pretty peaceful. Beomgyu usually went for walks in the village with Kai when Taehyun was busy with spells. 

Beomgyu really liked Taehyun and Kai, but he couldn’t help but miss his father. He would’ve even put up with Clarice everyday if it meant he could go home. He missed his bed, his plushies, his comforts. On most nights, he laid awake thinking about his father who was so far away. He would cry himself to sleep those nights. 

Taehyun and Kai did their best to make the cottage feel like home. Beomgyu was very thankful for them. Maybe he was stupid for trusting the wizard and fairy so easily, but he truly felt that they didn’t plan on hurting him. He felt safe with them.

One night, Beomgyu accidentally revealed that he missed baking with his father. Before Clarice came into the picture, his father would bake a lot, and Beomgyu would help him. But once his father started dating Clarice, he didn’t have as much time to bake, and when he did, he always invited her to join them. It would infuriate Beomgyu so much that he refused to help. 

“I know the perfect solution to that,” Taehyun said. “Well bake together.”

Beomgyu looked up at Taehyun from where he was curled up on the couch next to Kai in the living room. “B-But…what would we bake?”

Kai wrapped an arm around Beomgyu’s waist. “What did you like to bake with your father?”

Beomgyu thought about it for a moment. “Well, we used to bake chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, muffins…”

Taehyun clapped his hands together. “Then we’ll bake all of those things!”

“A-All of them?” Beomgyu said with wide eyes.

“Why not?” Kai said.

Well, it wasn’t like Beomgyu had anything better to do. He barely slept lately unless he cried himself to sleep. 

“Okay,” he said quietly, a shy smile on his face. “D-Do we have all of the ingredients?”

Taehyun smiled. “I just so happen to.”

Beomgyu wondered if Taehyun had used his magic to get the ingredients.

“Let’s get started then,” Kai said, standing up and tugging Beomgyu with him.

They baked well into the early hours of the morning. Beomgyu ended up falling asleep on the couch, his head on Taehyun’s shoulder and Kai slumped against him on the other side of him. 

Beomgyu was the first to wake up that morning. He slowly blinked his eyes open. He felt so warm and cozy. He hadn’t felt so at peace in quite some time—since before Clarice came into his life. 

“Good morning.”

Beomgyu jolted and looked beside him to see Kai rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“We were really up all night,” he said with a laugh. 

Beomgyu stared at Kai. The fairy was really so pretty. His long, golden lashes dusted his cheeks and his bright blue eyes practically glistened like the gold flecks on his cheeks. 

“What?” Kai asked with wide eyes.

Beomgyu felt his cheeks heat up from being caught staring. “N-Nothing,” he stuttered. “Y-You’re just really pretty.”

Kai’s cheeks dusted pink. “Really?” he said, almost shyly.

Beomgyu nodded. 

“What are you two whispering about?” 

Beomgyu turned to find Taehyun looking at them curiously. “N-Nothing,” he stuttered.

Taehyun squinted at him. “Hm, okay,” he said. “I want to devour some of those baked goods we made. What about you two?”

Beomgyu and Kai immediately nodded. 

Taehyun clapped his hands together. “What are we waiting for then?”

The trio untangled themselves and made their way to the kitchen. 

Beomgyu was still tired, but he felt content. It was a strange feeling. 

Beomgyu sat at the table and munched on a piece of banana bread. “So what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked.

“I have to go to the market to get some food,” Taehyun said. “Then I was hoping to pick some strawberries in the fruit fields.”

Beomgyu bit his lip. He wanted to bring up going to the Underworld, but he didn’t want to ruin Taehyun’s plans for the day.

“I know,” Taehyun said quickly, like he’d read Beomgyu’s mind. “I’m working on it, I promise. I’m actually hoping I’ll be able to go to the Underworld by next week.”

Beomgyu perked up. “Really?”

Taehyun nodded. “I should be prepared by then.”

Beomgyu felt guilty. Taehyun really was working hard to perfect his magic so he could defend himself when he crossed the border, since his magic would be weaker. Beomgyu desperately wanted to go with him, but Taehyun was making Kai keep Beomgyu at the cottage.

“I’m sorry,” Beomgyu heard himself saying. “I really like you both and you’ve made me feel so welcome. But my father…”

Kai placed a hand on Beomgyu’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said. “We understand. I wouldn’t want to be far from Taehyun for too long, so I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now.” 

Beomgyu stared down at his thighs, his eyes watering. 

Taehyun gently ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “We’re here for you,” he said softly.

“I-I’m truly grateful for everything that you do for me,” Beomgyu said to them sincerely. A tear slipped down his cheek. “I-I just…miss my father.” He wished their last conversation hadn’t been an argument.

Taehyun gently brushed the tear away with his thumb. “Want to come with me today?” he asked. “To get your mind off of it?”

Beomgyu sniffled and nodded. 

Taehyun smiled. “Then eat up,” he said. “We’ll leave after breakfast.”

Beomgyu looked up at the warm sun beaming down on them. The pink clouds looked like cotton candy in the bright blue sky. 

“Beautiful day, huh?” Kai said as he looked at Beomgyu fondly.

“Basket, please!” Taehyun called. 

Kai scrambled over to him to hold the basket out.

Taehyun dumped a handful of strawberries in it. 

They’d decided to go to the fruit fields to pick strawberries first, since Taehyun needed a lot of things from the market and didn’t want to lug it around while he picked the berries. The fruit fields were quite extraordinary. It looked much like the rainbow sea of wildflowers—each strip of field held a different fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and many fruits Beomgyu didn’t even recognize. It was incredible. 

“These are free?” Beomgyu asked.

Taehyun nodded. “They grow wild, so anyone can take some,” he said. “And more will grow back.”

Beomgyu was amazed. Fruit growing back on its own? Avonia really was magical. 

He grabbed his hat and adjusted it before leaning down to pick some strawberries. Taehyun had dressed him up as a “wizard-in-training.” It was the lie they were going with when they went to the market. Beomgyu was wearing the signature wizard cape and hat, which reminded him of a witch’s outfit, but he could never tell Taehyun that for fear of offending him.

Beomgyu plucked a strawberry off the bush and stood up. “I have one,” he said. 

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by. Beomgyu felt his hat leave his head and he dropped the strawberry in alarm. His eyes widened when he saw the hat soaring towards the surrounding forest. Avonia just had to be dense with trees. 

Without thinking, he hurried after the floating hat. He couldn’t possibly lose it—it was Taehyun’s. He chased after the hat until it finally landed on the forest floor. He bent over, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He reached out to grab the hat, but to his surprise, another hand appeared and snatched it. Beomgyu immediately straightened to see who the culprit was. 

“So we meet again.”

Beomgyu nearly gasped when he saw Yeonjun. “W-What are you doing here?”

Yeonjun snorted. “I live here,” he said.

“I-In the forest?”

Yeonjun shrugged. “You could say that.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Taehyun had told him not to associate with anyone unless he or Kai were around. But Yeonjun had seemed nice before. Maybe Beomgyu didn’t need to be nervous?

“Th-That’s my hat,” he said lamely.

Yeonjun laughed. “No it’s not,” he said. “It’s a wizard’s, isn’t it? Is that who you’re staying with?”

Beomgyu took a step back, feeling uneasy.

Yeonjun smiled. “I’m teasing,” he said. “Here.” He handed Beomgyu the hat.

Beomgyu slowly took it from him. “Th-Thanks,” he mumbled.

“What were you doing?” Yeonjun asked.

“P-Picking strawberries…”

Yeonjun’s smile widened. “Cute,” he said.

Beomgyu’s cheeks heated up. “W-What were you doing?”

“Hunting,” Yeonjun said. 

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed. What Avonian species would want to hurt animals? Avonia didn’t seem like the type of place that held those who hurt innocent creatures. 

“My people have to eat too, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu jolted. Had Yeonjun known Beomgyu was judging him? He immediately felt guilty. “I-I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“No worries,” Yeonjun said. “I wish I didn’t have to do it, but it’s the only way for me to survive.”

Beomgyu wanted to ask what Yeonjun was so badly. Would it offend him? He fiddled with the sleeves of his blouse. “U-Um…can I ask…w-what are yo—”

“Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu jolted when he heard Taehyun calling his name in the near distance. “I-I’m sorry,” he said to Yeonjun. “I-I have to go back.”

“Have fun picking strawberries,” Yeonjun said. “And hold onto that hat, too. Or next time, I won’t give it back so easily. I may make you stay with me a little while before you can get it.” He winked.

Beomgyu’s face flushed. He opened his mouth, then closed it. How was he supposed to respond to that?

“Beomgyu!”

“You’d better go,” Yeonjun said. “Wouldn’t want the wizard to get his wand in a twist.”

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed at Yeonjun’s almost bitter tone and the annoyed look on his face.

But then it was all gone and he was smiling sweetly at Beomgyu.

“I hope we meet again soon,” he said. “I can’t possibly forget your pretty face.”

Blushing furiously, Beomgyu turned around and bolted out of the forest. Yeonjun made him so flustered and Beomgyu had only spoken to him twice. Beomgyu wasn’t even sure how to respond to Yeonjun’s flirting.

He found Taehyun and Kai at the opening of the forest.

“Thank the goddess!” Taehyun gasped as he ran towards Beomgyu and squeezed him in a tight hug.

“We were worried sick!” Kai said. “One minute you were picking strawberries, then the next you were gone!” 

“I’m sorry,” Beomgyu said. “My hat flew off so I went to get it.”

“Silly human,” Taehyun huffed. “Who cares about the hat? Your safety is more important.”

Beomgyu blushed. “S-Sorry…”

Taehyun sighed. “Just don’t run off like that again, please,” he said. “Promise?”

Beomgyu nodded. 

“Good,” Taehyun said.

“This basket is getting heavy,” Kai said, lifting the strawberry-filled basket up. “I think it’s time to go to the market.”

Taehyun smiled sheepishly. “Good idea.”

Beomgyu couldn’t get Yeonjun out of his head. 

His thoughts constantly switched between missing his home and father to thinking about Yeonjun. The man was very mysterious and no doubt attractive. He was also the first man to show any interest in Beomgyu. Even though Taehyun and Kai gave him lots of attention and acted affectionate towards him, Beomgyu wasn’t sure if they were just doing it because they felt bad for him or if maybe it was part of Avonian culture. But Yeonjun outright flirted with Beomgyu. 

One day, Beomgyu was going to the village with Taehyun and Kai. He hoped he would run into Yeonjun again, even though the man made him nervous. 

“The sky is darker today,” Kai said. “It looks like it’s going to rain.”

Beomgyu looked up at the sky. Kai was right. The usually fluffy, light pink clouds were a dark magenta shade, and the sky was a deep blue. 

“We should hurry,” Taehyun said. “Avonian storms can get bad.” He quickened his pace.

Beomgyu and Kai hurried after him. 

Well, there went potentially seeing Yeonjun.

“I just need a few things,” Taehyun said as they approached a garden shop. He had mentioned that morning that he needed supplies for his plants. 

He hurried into the store. “You can wait there,” he called. 

Beomgyu glanced at Kai and saw that he was distracted by an outdoor booth selling jewelry. Beomgyu was too nervous to join him since the seller was standing behind the booth. Beomgyu didn’t like to approach other Avonians, even if he was disguised as a wizard. 

He waited patiently for Taehyun to return. He glanced up at the sky again and swallowed nervously when he saw how much darker it had gotten. 

All of a sudden, rain started coming down hard. It fell so heavily that Beomgyu couldn’t even see in front of him. 

“Kai?” he called. He could barely hear over the loud noise of the rain hitting the cobblestone. 

“Beomgyu?” Kai called. “I’m over here!”

Beomgyu tried to move in the direction of Kai’s voice. His feet slipped on the cobblestone and he almost fell. He’d never experienced such heavy rain before.

A loud boom of thunder rang through the sky. 

“Beomgyu!” Kai called again. “Where are you?”

Beomgyu’s whole body was drenched from head-to-toe. He stumbled clumsily through the heavy rain, the droplets slapping his skin and face. A strong gust of wind blew by, almost knocking him over.

He was blindly walking at that point. He heard Kai’s voice grow fainter and started to panic. Was he moving in the opposite direction? He tried to turn around but bumped into someone. 

“K-Kai? T-Taehyun?” he stuttered. 

“Watch where you’re going,” an unfamiliar male voice said, rudely.

Beomgyu flinched and quickly turned back around. “S-Sorry,” he stuttered. 

I should stop moving, he told himself. I’ll only get further from Kai and Taehyun.

He stopped walking. Rain was getting in his eyes and his soaked hair was all over his face. He pushed it away. 

Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew by. Before Beomgyu could process what was happening, something large and heavy crashed into him, sending him back. He let out a cry as his back hit the ground roughly. He felt something soaking into his clothes. Water? No, mud. It felt like he was on grass. 

He pushed the object off of him with all of his strength. He couldn’t even decipher what it was. He crawled back, and squinted through the rain to see if he could figure out how far he’d gone. Was he in the woods? He seemed to be surrounded by trees. Maybe he could seek shelter behind one and wait for the storm to calm down. Then he could find Taehyun and Kai.

He crawled behind one and leaned against the tree trunk. He squeezed his eyes shut. The tree prevented him from being soaked with rain, but the wind still slapped him in the face and sent rain droplets all over him. 

He wasn’t sure how long he waited there, listening to the pounding rain and howling wind. He kept his eyes squeezed shut, his body curled up in a ball. 

Eventually, the rain calmed to a light sprinkle and the wind didn’t whip as strongly. But thunder still rumbled in the distance and lightning flashed occasionally.

I have to find Taehyun and Kai, he thought. He forced himself to stand on shaky legs. God, his stomach hurt. What had hit him? He looked down and gasped when he saw his shirt was torn and there were bloody scratches and bruises on his stomach. His legs shook. He needed to find Taehyun and Kai asap.

He limped away from the tree, taking in his surroundings. Whatever hit him must’ve taken him pretty far. He was pretty deep in a dense forest. Beomgyu wasn’t even sure which direction he’d come from. He took a few cautious steps to the right and saw that the forest thinned out in the distance. Could that be the village? 

He started towards it, but stopped short when he realized it wasn’t the village at all. It was a patch of rocks leading up to a large mountain. A black waterfall flowed down the mountain and through the rocks, and gray smoke came out of the top of the mountain. 

What is this place? Beomgyu wondered, horrified. It didn’t match the beauty of Avonia at all. 

He took a step back, fear rising inside of him. How far away were Taehyun and Kai? His eyes started watering. What if…what if he was no longer in Avonia? Hadn’t Taehyun mentioned that the border to the Underworld was beyond the forest and in the Rocky Region? He felt like he was going to start hyperventilating. He needed to get as far away from there as possible. 

Beomgyu turned around, about to bolt back through the woods, when an unfamiliar male voice stopped him dead in his tracks. 

“There’s a human here? How did I get so lucky?”

Beomgyu slowly turned around to find a tall man standing near the black waterfall. He had black hair and pale blue skin. His eyes were a royal blue, and his ears and hands were webbed. Eight blue tentacles, four on each side, protruded from his back. He grinned, showcasing razor-sharp teeth. He licked his lips with a long, dark blue tongue.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened in horror and he stumbled back. Without thinking twice, he spun around and bolted back through the forest.

“Oh no you don’t,” the man—or whatever he was—said calmly.

Beomgyu suddenly felt tentacles wrapping around his ankles, throwing him to the ground and dragging him back to the rocks. He let out a cry as his face hit the ground hard. His stomach was already bleeding from his previous wounds, and the pain intensified as he was dragged on his stomach. A hand suddenly grabbed his hair, forcing his head up.

The man inhaled and let out a blissful sigh. “You smell amazing,” he murmured. “I’m going to enjoy eating you.”

Beomgyu let out a helpless sob. Never had he felt so afraid in his life. He wanted to go home to his father so desperately. 

“Wait!” a familiar voice called. “Let him go.”

Beomgyu watched in shock and horror as Yeonjun emerged from around the mountain. 

“He’s a human,” the man said with a frown. “It’s been too long since I’ve enjoyed one of these. Leave me alone.”

“Not that human, Soobin,” Yeonjun said firmly.

The man, Soobin, groaned but released Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu scrambled back, his whole body trembling in fear as he looked between the two men. 

“Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said, his tone weirdly affectionate. He walked towards Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu scrambled further back. The wounds on his stomach and face were on fire and his body protested the movement, but he needed to get far away from them. 

“It’s me,” Yeonjun said.

Beomgyu pointed a finger at him, accusatorily. “Y-You!” he stuttered fearfully. “You’re from the Underworld!”

Yeonjun took a few steps closer. “I am,” he admitted. 

“D-Don’t get any closer!” Beomgyu cried out. He shrunk down in fear. “S-Stay away from me!”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Yeonjun said. “And neither is Soobin.”

Soobin rolled his eyes. 

“How did you get here?” Yeonjun asked as he continued taking cautious steps towards Beomgyu until he was standing before him. He knelt down beside Beomgyu and his gaze fell on Beomgyu’s torn shirt. His eyes widened. “You’re hurt.”

“S-Stay back!” Beomgyu cried, trying to inch away. But the pain on his stomach and the new wounds on his face were stinging and making him dizzy. His head spun.

“Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said, alarmed. He reached out for him.

Beomgyu flinched back. “D-Don’t touch me!”

“Relax,” Yeonjun said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“N-No! You're dangerous!”

Yeonjun sighed. 

“Want me to knock him out?” Soobin asked innocently.

Yeonjun scowled at him. “No,” he said. He turned to Beomgyu and his facial expression softened. “I have to clean your wounds. Don’t be difficult.” He reached out and scooped Beomgyu up before standing up.

“P-Put me down!” Beomgyu shrieked.

“No,” Yeonjun said as he started to walk around the mountain, Soobin following behind.

Beomgyu let out a sob. “W-Where are you taking me?!”

“To our house,” Yeonjun said. “To treat your wounds.”

“I-I don’t believe you!”

“That’s because that wizard and fairy you live with fed you biased lies,” Yeonjun snapped.

Beomgyu whimpered. He’d never felt so afraid in his life. 

“You’ll be safe, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said, his tone softer. “Don’t cry.”

Beomgyu realized that he was being taken further from Taehyun and Kai. How would they ever find him? He didn’t even want them to risk their lives for him! His bottom lip trembled.

“Will you stop crying?” Yeonjun said with a sigh.

“L-Let me go,” Beomgyu said with a sniffle. “Y-You don’t even know me! W-We’re strangers!”

“We’re not complete strangers,” Yeonjun said with furrowed brows. “Besides, I’ve taken a liking to you. I think you’re cute.”

Beomgyu tensed up. “I-I don’t need your help,” he stuttered. “I-I’m fine!”

“Right, and that’s why you looked like you were about to faint,” Yeonjun said with a roll of his eyes. “Stop being stubborn.”

Beomgyu’s eyes watered. Yeonjun had to be lying. Why would someone from the Underworld know how to treat human wounds? And what even was Yeonjun? He had patches of green and gold scales on his skin, but he clearly wasn’t a merman since merfolk lived in Avonia. 

Yeonjun glanced down at him. “We’re almost there,” he said.

Beomgyu looked around them with fear. The Underworld was much drearier than Avonia. It was gray and dark; devoid of all color. All Beomgyu could see were bare trees, jagged rocks, piles of dirt, and gray mist drifting through the air.

“We’re here,” Yeonjun said. 

Beomgyu looked ahead and flinched when he saw a black house with a loose stone path leading up to it. The house was almost entirely surrounded by a dark swamp, except for the front.

“Home sweet home,” Yeonjun said.

“You took my meal away and now I have nothing to eat,” Soobin said with a dramatic sigh. 

“There’s still some of that angel you hunted cut up in the fridge,” Yeonjun said.

Soobin’s face lit up. “Oh right!” he said as he unlocked the door and hurried inside. 

Beomgyu stared at him in horror.

Yeonjun tilted his head to the side. “What?” he said. “He eats flesh. He can’t starve.”

Beomgyu felt like he was going to vomit. 

“He’s not going to hurt you,” Yeonjun said as he walked inside the house.

Beomgyu looked around the dark, gloomy interior. Everything was black and dark green. Beomgyu squirmed in Yeonjun’s arms. 

Yeonjun walked through the living room and kitchen, which were next to each other. He made his way down a dark hallway, lit only by candles hung on the walls. 

Beomgyu whimpered. He could barely see anything.

“You couldn’t possibly have expected me to just leave you while you were hurt,” Yeonjun said.

But why couldn’t he? It wasn’t like Yeonjun knew Beomgyu. Beomgyu was a stranger to him. Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave him be?

Yeonjun walked into a bathroom and set Beomgyu down on the sink before turning the light on. The light produced an orange glow that wasn’t very bright. 

Beomgyu looked around them in fear.

Yeonjun gently ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “Let me get some medicine and bandages,” he said. He walked over to a closet on the right side of the bathroom and fished around inside it.

Beomgyu’s whole body shook viciously.

Yeonjun pulled out a tube of ointment, some gauze, and long strips of bandages. He set them down on the other side of the sink before going back to the closet to retrieve a bottle, smaller bandages, and cotton pads. He returned to the sink and set the items down. He examined Beomgyu’s stomach. 

“I need to take your shirt off,” he said.

Beomgyu rapidly shook his head. “N-No way!”

“I can’t properly treat you without taking your shirt off,” he said. “Don’t be shy, Beomgyu.” He reached for Beomgyu’s shirt.

Beomgyu flinched back. “D-Do you even know how to treat it?” he stuttered fearfully.

“Of course I do,” Yeonjun said. “Treating human wounds isn’t much different than treating ours.” Yeonjun tugged at Beomgyu’s shirt.

“You’re bleeding a lot,” Yeonjun said. “Just let me do this, please.”

Beomgyu gave in and let Yeonjun tug his shirt off. But only because his stomach wounds were starting to burn really badly. “W-Why are you helping me?” he whispered.

“Because you interest me,” Yeonjun said. “And I think you're really cute.” 

Beomgyu’s cheeks warmed.

Yeonjun soaked one of the cotton pads with a clear liquid in the bottle. He gently dabbed at Beomgyu’s stomach wounds.

Beomgyu winced at the pain. He watched Yeonjun’s brows furrow in concentration as he cleaned the wounds. Beomgyu realized that he still didn’t know what Yeonjun was. He wanted to ask, but he was afraid of what the answer would be.

“You’re staring.”

Beomgyu jolted. “S-Sorry…” he squeaked.

Yeonjun smiled. “What’s on your mind?”

Beomgyu avoided Yeonjun’s gaze. “N-Nothing.”

“Liar.”

Beomgyu flinched.

“You’re wondering what I am, aren’t you?” Yeonjun said.

Beomgyu tensed up. Was it that obvious? Or could Yeonjun read minds? Beomgyu really hoped it wasn’t the latter.

“It’s okay,” Yeonjun said as he moved on to applying ointment to the wounds. “I didn’t want to tell you because I thought you’d freak out, but since you’ve already seen Soobin and he’s arguably scarier, I guess I could tell you.” 

Beomgyu looked up at him, feeling both curious and extremely nervous. 

“I’m a dragon,” Yeonjun said. “I can produce fire and transform into a half and full dragon form.” 

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. A dragon? He’d heard about those in fantasy books he’d read as a child. In those books, the dragons were always wild beasts that couldn’t be tamed. He swallowed nervously.

Yeonjun eyed Beomgyu. “Well, you’re not exactly freaking out so I guess that’s a good sign.” He started to wrap Beomgyu’s stomach in bandages.

“There,” he said. “I have to do your face wounds now.”

“M-My shirt…” Beomgyu said weakly.

“It was torn,” Yeonjun said. “I’ll get you one of mine.” He left the bathroom and returned a few moments later with a shirt in his hand. He gently slipped it over Beomgyu’s head and helped his hands through the loops. 

The top was a black silk button up and it smelled strongly of cinnamon with a hint of smoke. 

Yeonjun suddenly cupped Beomgyu’s cheeks, staring intensely at Beomgyu’s face. 

Beomgyu felt his cheeks warm. “W-What are you doing?” he squeaked.

“Seeing how bad your face wounds are,” Yeonjun said. He released Beomgyu’s cheeks and poured more of the liquid onto a cotton pad. “Thankfully, witches make wonderful wound disinfectant and healing ointment.” 

Beomgyu tensed up. “W-Witches?”

Yeonjun gently dabbed at Beomgyu’s face. “Yes,” he said. “I’m sure the wizard told you that all witches are evil monsters.”

Beomgyu didn’t reply, but his silence was enough of an answer. 

“Don’t listen to everything they tell you,” Yeonjun said. He applied the ointment next. 

“B-But they’re right,” Beomgyu whispered. “The people here are dangerous, aren’t they? Y-Your friend…h-he…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. His whole body shuddered.

Yeonjun placed bandaids over the cuts. “Beomgyu, Soobin has to eat,” he said. 

“B-But—”

“I’m done,” Yeonjun interrupted him. He lifted Beomgyu up off the sink and set him down on his feet.

Beomgyu’s legs wobbled. 

Yeonjun quickly wrapped an arm around him. “Come with me,” he said. He led Beomgyu out of the bathroom and into the living room they’d passed.

Beomgyu could see Soobin in the kitchen, cleaning the counter.

“Make sure the blood doesn’t stain,” Yeonjun called as he sat Beomgyu down on a plush, green velvet couch. 

Beomgyu stiffened. 

“I was going to make Beomgyu some tea,” Soobin said. “To apologize for hurting him.”

“And almost eating him,” Yeonjun added. “Don’t forget about that.”

Soobin smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, my bad,” he said. He looked at Beomgyu. “Sorry, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu’s whole body shook viciously from having Soobin’s attention on him. “U-Um…”

“He’s shy,” Yeonjun said. “But I’m sure he’ll warm up to you.”

Soobin smiled, and his sharp teeth showed. 

Beomgyu averted his gaze to his lap. His hands were shaking, so he hid them under his legs. He jolted when he felt something being draped over his shoulder.

“You seemed cold,” Yeonjun said with a smile. He sat down beside Beomgyu. “Are you okay?”

“N-Not exactly,” Beomgyu whispered. “I-I have to go back to Taehyun and Kai…”

“Why?” Yeonjun said. “They left you alone in the storm. Don’t you think you’d be safer here with us?”

“S-Safer in the Underworld?” Beomgyu said in shock. 

“With us,” Yeonjun said. 

Beomgyu opened his mouth to reply, but the words died on his tongue when he felt something cold and slippery suddenly grasp his wrist. Beomgyu flinched when he realized it was Soobin’s tentacle.

Soobin sat down on the other side of him. “I made you tea,” he said. He handed Beomgyu a steaming mug. 

It smelled bitter and a little sour. Beomgyu shrank down. He didn’t want to drink that.

Soobin stared expectantly at him. “Don’t you want to warm up?”

Beomgyu forced himself to slowly take the mug from Soobin. “Th-Thanks…”

“Sorry I tried to eat you,” Soobin apologized again. “You’re actually a really cute human. I wouldn’t mind you staying here with us.”

Beomgyu stiffened. “I-I can’t stay here,” he stuttered. “T-Taehyun, h-he…he’s going to help me go home.”

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow. “He’s going to try to open the portal to the human world?”

Soobin perked up. “Really?”

Beomgyu had a horrible feeling that he’d said too much. “I-I’m not sure,” he stuttered.

Yeonjun laughed. “You’re not a very good liar, darling.”

Beomgyu hated the way his whole body shivered at the pet name. He wiggled his arm free from Soobin’s tentacle.

Yeonjun rested a hand on Beomgyu’s thigh. “We can help,” he said.

“For a catch, of course,” Soobin said. One of his tentacles tucked some of Beomgyu’s hair behind his ear.

Beomgyu flinched again.

“I want unlimited access to the human realm,” Soobin said. “I’m tired of my food options here. Humans are much tastier.”

Yeonjun frowned at Soobin. “Don’t say that in front of Beomgyu.”

Soobin looked at Beomgyu, who was no doubt as white as a sheet of paper. “I didn’t mean you,” he quickly clarified. “I mean, you smell delicious but I won’t eat you. In fact, I’ll even let you give me a list of people not to eat. I don’t want to accidentally eat your family or friends.” He laughed like he said something funny. 

Yeonjun glared at him. “Stop talking.”

“I-I should go,” Beomgyu whispered, suddenly feeling very ill. The smell of the supposed tea was making him feel even more nauseous. He tried to stand up, but Soobin was quick to wrap a tentacle around Beomgyu’s waist and tug him back down.

“Where are you going?” he asked, tilting his head to the side in a slightly predatory way. “You didn’t even drink your tea.”

“I-I have to go,” Beomgyu stuttered. He felt faint.

“You’re not going anywhere like this,” Yeonjun said, his brows furrowed with concern. “You look like you’re going to pass out. Besides, the storm is back.”

As if on queue, loud thunder boomed and shook the house.

Beomgyu violently flinched and his body began to shake more viciously. “I-I can’t stay here…I-I can’t stay here…” he repeated to himself, his vision going in and out of focus. Soobin’s tentacle around his waist made him feel like he was suffocating. He squirmed against the grip, desperate to free himself, but Soobin wouldn’t let go. “L-Let go of me!”

“Beomgyu, relax,” Yeonjun said in a soothing tone. “You’re safe here, okay? Let’s just wait out the storm. If the weather is better tomorrow, I’ll take you back to the wizard and fairy.”

“P-Promise?” Beomgyu whimpered.

“Promise,” Yeonjun said as he smiled almost fondly at Beomgyu. He gently brushed Beomgyu’s bangs out of his eyes. “You’re still healing, too. I just treated your wounds. They need time to heal, so you can’t overexert yourself.”

“Exactly,” Soobin said, seeming pleased with the development that Beomgyu couldn’t possibly leave yet. He slowly released his grip on Beomgyu’s waist.

Beomgyu felt a little bit of relief. 

“Drink your tea,” Soobin urged him.

Beomgyu stared down at the almost black liquid like it was going to eat him. “W-What’s in it?”

“It’s my secret recipe,” Soobin said. 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell him that,” he said. “You won’t make him want to drink it. Beomgyu, it’s a tea native to the Underworld. Made from water, sage, black pepper, salt, and charcoal for color.”

Beomgyu almost gagged at the description. “Oh,” he squeaked. He forced himself to bring the mug to his lips with trembling hands.

Yeonjun saw the clear struggle and rested a hand on the mug to prevent Beomgyu from drinking it. “You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to,” he said. “Contrary to what your friends must’ve told you, we’re not savage beasts here that treat others terribly. We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

Beomgyu wondered if he could trust Yeonjun. He really wanted to, but maybe that was just because the dragon was extremely attractive and treated Beomgyu so gently for some reason.

“Whatever,” Soobin muttered, snatching the mug out of Beomgyu’s hand and almost spilling the tea.

“You can’t expect him to be used to the food we have here,” Yeonjun said. He turned to Beomgyu. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get some human food for you. I can’t have you starving to death.”

“Th-That’s okay,” Beomgyu said weakly. “I-I’m not very hungry…”

“You need to eat,” Yeonjun said firmly. “Don’t be stubborn.”

Beomgyu’s shoulders slumped, but he didn’t protest further. At least he didn’t have to drink that god awful tea. If one could even call that tea.  

“Why don’t you get some rest?” Yeonjun said. 

Lightning flashed and briefly lit up the dark house. 

“H-Here?” Beomgyu said a little pathetically.

Yeonjun smiled. “Well, yes,” he said. “But on a bed. Come with me. Can you walk?” He stood up and extended a hand for Beomgyu to take.

Beomgyu slowly stood up on shaky legs. 

“Here,” Yeonjun said, wrapping an arm around Beomgyu’s waist and helping him out of the living room and down a hallway.

Beomgyu’s cheeks burned.

Yeonjun led him to a bedroom near the end of the dark hallway. “This is my room,” he said. “You can rest here.”

Beomgyu looked around the room. He still had the blanket draped over his shoulders and he tugged it tighter around him. The room was just as dark and dreary as everything else in the house. The color scheme was black, emerald green, and a gaudy gold. There was a four-poster bed with black curtains and a bedside table on each side, large windows with matching black curtains blocking out all light, and a large fireplace across from the bed. A desk and dresser occupied the left side, and a wardrobe occupied the right side. 

“Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said. He gently grabbed Beomgyu’s arm and tugged him towards the bed. “Wait here. I’ll get you some fresh pants to change into since those are still wet.” 

Beomgyu tensed up. “U-Um…”

Yeonjun gave him a comforting look. “It’s okay,” he said. “Make yourself at home.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. He couldn’t possibly do that. 

Yeonjun went to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of loose black pants. He walked back over and handed them to Beomgyu. “Here,” he said.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. Yeonjun didn’t expect him to change right there, did he?

“I’ll turn away,” Yeonjun said with an amused expression on his face. 

Beomgyu slowly took the pants and watched as Yeonjun turned around. “C-Cover your eyes,” he stuttered nervously. 

Yeonjun covered his eyes. “Better?”

Beomgyu hurriedly changed his pants, in case Yeonjun turned back around. He draped the blanket back over his shoulders. “D-Done.”

Yeonjun dropped his hands and turned around. “Perfect, now you’re all dry and hopefully will be less cold,” he said. “You should lay down now.”

Beomgyu sat down on the bed, his back rigid.

“Not like that,” Yeonjun said. He placed his hands on Beomgyu’s chest and lightly pushed him down on the bed. “You need to loosen up a little.”

“S-Sorry,” Beomgyu whispered. How could he do that? His heart was racing wildly.

Thunder boomed again.

Beomgyu flinched. “I-I hate storms.”

Yeonjun walked over to the fireplace and lit it with his hand, the flames shooting out of his palm. He walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Are there storms in the human realm?” he asked. 

Beomgyu nodded. “N-Not as bad, though.”

Yeonjun draped the blanket over Beomgyu’s slightly shivering body. “Don’t worry,” he said, a small smile on his face. “The storm can’t get to you here.”

Beomgyu blushed. “U-Um…why are you being so nice to me?” he couldn’t help but ask. “I-Is it really because…because…”

“I think you’re cute?” Yeonjun said with an amused expression on his face. 

Beomgyu nodded, feeling extremely embarrassed. 

“That’s not the only reason,” Yeonjun said. “I saw the way you interact with that wizard and fairy, and even other Avonians you came across. You didn’t seem disgusted or afraid of them, like most humans.”

“B-Because they’re pretty,” Beomgyu mumbled.

“And humans don’t usually think that,” Yeonjun said. “You’re different. You didn’t even react negatively to me, and I have these patches of scales on my skin. It would freak any other human out.”

Beomgyu wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t known he was acting differently at all. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Soobin asked as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Beomgyu tensed up. He didn’t like Soobin one bit and certainly didn’t want those tentacles to touch him again. He hoped he wasn’t being too obvious, since Yeonjun had just praised him for being different from most humans.

“Nothing much,” Yeonjun said.

Soobin took the silence that followed as an invitation to come inside. 

Beomgyu tried not to flinch when Soobin sat down on the other side of him on the bed. A tentacle immediately curled around his wrist, and Beomgyu bit his lip to keep from whimpering.

“Have you warmed up, Beomgyu?” Soobin asked, his eyes raking over Beomgyu’s body.

Beomgyu shrank down. “Y-Yes…”

Soobin smiled. “Good,” he said. “The storm is pretty bad. It could go on for days. I guess that means Beomgyu will need to stay here with us.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. He wondered if Taehyun and Kai were looking for them. 

“I should probably find some human food for you,” Yeonjun said, standing up. “You’ll need to eat eventually.”

Without thinking, Beomgyu reached out and grabbed his wrist. “D-Don’t go,” he stuttered, a bit desperately. He glanced nervously at Soobin and flinched when he realized the man was staring at him.

Yeonjun’s eyes widened. His gaze followed Beomgyu’s and his face softened. “I won’t be long,” he said. “Soobin will take care of you until I come back. I shouldn’t be gone for longer than an hour.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “A-An hour?” he stuttered. “B-But the storm! Y-You can’t travel in the storm!”

“I don’t need to go outside,” Yeonjun said. He gently ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “I have a potion from a witch that will let me teleport. I can’t let you use it to get back to Taehyun and Kai, though, because humans aren’t supposed to ingest it.” 

Beomgyu couldn’t imagine what was in that potion. He shuddered. 

“Anyway, I won’t be gone long,” Yeonjun said. “Soobin, can you watch him?”

Soobin nodded. “Of course,” he said. “If he stays conscious.”

Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu with worry. 

Soobin waved his hand, motioning for Yeonjun to leave. “He’ll be fine.”

Yeonjun reluctantly left, shooting Beomgyu an apologetic look before he did.

“It’s just you and me now,” Soobin said.

Beomgyu nervously clutched the blanket. “P-Please don’t eat me…”

“I’m not going to eat you,” Soobin said. “I’m sorry I tried to earlier.”

Beomgyu was surprised that Soobin apologized not once, but three times.

“Yeonjun is right, you’re really cute,” Soobin said, a sly smile on his face. 

Beomgyu felt his cheeks warm. Should he be flattered or worried?

Lightning flashed and briefly lit up the entire room.

Beomgyu jolted. 

“You don’t like storms?”

Beomgyu rapidly shook his head. “I-I don’t want to go back out there,” he whispered. “I-I couldn’t hear…or see…”

One of Soobin’s tentacles gently caressed Beomgyu’s cheek. “You’re safe inside, Beomgyu,” he said. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Beomgyu was sure his face was bright red. “R-Really?” he stuttered. “B-But…why?”

“I don’t know why,” Soobin said, staring at Beomgyu curiously. “But I suddenly have the urge to protect you.”

“O-Oh.” Beomgyu was very confused, but he didn’t want to question it. He would prefer Soobin wanting to protect him versus wanting to eat him.

“You should take a nap,” Soobin said. “Don’t humans need rest? Yeonjun should be back with some food for you by the time you wake up.”

Beomgyu’s heart rate quickened. He wasn’t sure if he felt comfortable sleeping with Soobin there. He didn’t feel as comfortable with him as he did with Yeonjun. Yeonjun hadn’t tried to eat him, and besides, Beomgyu couldn’t forget that Soobin ate Avonians and humans.   

He flinched when a tentacle suddenly slithered underneath him to wrap around his waist. “U-Um…”

“Don’t be nervous,” Soobin murmured. “Close your eyes.” 

“B-But…”

“Shh,” Soobin shushed Beomgyu as he pressed a cold finger to Beomgyu’s lips. “Rest.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes, knowing Soobin wouldn’t leave him alone unless he took a nap. He expected Soobin’s tentacle to release him, but instead, it grasped him tighter. He still had a tentacle wrapped around Beomgyu’s wrist, and another slipped around one of Beomgyu’s legs. He tensed up. 

“I won’t hurt you,” Soobin said. 

He sounded sincere for once, so Beomgyu gave in. It wasn’t like he had a choice anyway. 

He expected it to be difficult for him to drift to sleep, but clearly he hadn’t realized how exhausted he was, because he quickly fell asleep. 

The next time he opened his eyes, he came face-to-face with a smiling Yeonjun.

“Good morning,” he said teasingly. 

Beomgyu felt his cheeks heat up. “G-Good morning?”

Yeonjun laughed. “It’s actually very late.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “L-Late?” he stuttered. He looked at the window but couldn’t tell what time of day it was because the curtains were drawn shut. He wondered if Taehyun and Kai had gone home without him. His heart felt heavy. All he’d done since Taehyun took him in was cause them trouble. First with the portal spell and then with ending up in the Underworld. 

“What’s wrong?”

Beomgyu hadn't realized he’d started crying. 

“Don’t cry,” Yeonjun murmured. “Did something happen while I was gone? Soobin didn’t say something to upset you, did he?”

Beomgyu shook his head. His bottom lip trembled.

“Oh, darling,” Yeonjun murmured. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Beomgyu sniffled. “I-I…I-I just…I’m worried about Taehyun and Kai.”

“The wizard and fairy?”

Beomgyu nodded. 

“Darling, they’re probably worried about you,” Yeonjun said.

“E-Exactly,” Beomgyu whispered. “All I’ve done is burden them. They’ve done so much for me. They’ve taken care of me and let me live with them, and they’ve been trying to help me get home.” Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.

“I made the thing you called ‘omelette’,” Soobin said as he walked into the room with a plate in his hands that had steam coming off of it. His smile dropped when he saw Beomgyu crying.

“What happened?” Soobin said as he hurried towards the bed. “He woke up? Why is he crying?”

“Beomgyu, we will gladly take you off their hands,” Yeonjun said. He turned to Soobin. “It sounds like he feels like a burden to that wizard and fairy.” 

Soobin frowned. “Well, he’s better off staying here with us,” he said as he set the plate on the bedside table. “We’ll take care of him and he’ll never be a burden to us.”

Yeonjun nodded. “Soobin’s right,” he said. “You should stay here with us. If they really care about you, they’ll come here to look for you.”

But how will they know that he’s in the Underworld? Besides, Beomgyu was still confused as to why Yeonjun and Soobin wanted to take care of him when they didn’t know him. It was less suspicious when Taehyun wanted to because, well, he’s Avonian. Avonians help people, don’t they? Whereas the people in the Underworld…

Could they have an ulterior motive? 

“Stop thinking so hard,” Yeonjun murmured. “Soobin made you something to eat. Let me help you sit up so you can eat. You need to be careful so your wounds can heal.”

Beomgyu let Yeonjun help him into a sitting position. 

Soobin immediately sat on the other side of Beomgyu and grabbed the plate off the bedside table. “Look, it’s an ‘omelette’,” he said, saying the word in a funny way. 

Beomgyu looked at the glob of egg with colorful splotches in it that smelled interesting to say the least.

Soobin watched Beomgyu’s expression eagerly. 

Beomgyu forced a smile on his face. “I-It looks really good,” he said. 

Soobin smiled. “Try it!” he said.

Beomgyu slowly picked up the fork and took a hesitant bite. He winced. He wasn’t sure what it tasted like, but it definitely didn’t taste like egg. 

Soobin watched Beomgyu’s face with wide, hopeful eyes.

Beomgyu forced himself to chew and swallow. “I-It’s delicious,” he struggled to say.

Soobin beamed. 

Yeonjun watched Beomgyu struggle to eat with an amused expression on his face. As soon as Soobin left with the empty plate, he started laughing.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “W-What?” 

“It was terrible, wasn’t it?”

Beomgyu’s face heated up. “W-What?” he stuttered. “N-No…”

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow. 

Beomgyu’s shoulders slumped. “It was bad,” he admitted.

Yeonjun smiled. “You’re really sweet, you know?” he said. 

Beomgyu’s blush deepened. He hated that just a few moments ago, he was really missing Taehyun’s cooking. His chest ached at the thought of the wizard. Was Taehyun worried about him, or was he happy that he didn’t have to take care of Beomgyu or bother with the portal spell anymore? 

“You’re thinking about them, aren’t you?”

Beomgyu was jolted from his thoughts by Yeonjun’s voice. “O-Oh, um, that’s not…”

“It’s okay,” Yeonjun said. “I know you probably feel attached to them because they took you in. I hope you can feel that way here someday too.”

Beomgyu internally cringed. He hoped he wouldn’t have to stay in the Underworld that long. 

Later that night, after Beomgyu was thankfully able to properly wash up and take a hot shower, he found himself back in Yeonjun’s bed, staring at the lit fireplace across the room. He was a nervous wreck. Yeonjun had insisted Beomgyu make himself comfortable in the bed but hadn't mentioned where he would be sleeping himself. 

Yeonjun emerged from the bathroom in silk black pajamas. He smiled when he saw Beomgyu tucked in. “You look cozy,” he said. 

Beomgyu watched with wide eyes as Yeonjun walked over to the bed. “W-What are you…”

“Don’t worry, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said. “I’m going to sleep with Soobin.”

Beomgyu immediately relaxed.

Yeonjun laughed. “I wouldn’t make you sleep with a dangerous stranger, darling.”

Beomgyu gripped the covers nervously. Dangerous?

“Go to sleep,” Yeonjun said. “You still look tired.”

Beomgyu was still tired. He slowly nodded.

Yeonjun gently ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “Sweet dreams,” he murmured before leaving the room and gently closing the door.

But as tired as Beomgyu was, he didn’t fall asleep right away. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling, wondering what Taehyun and Kai were doing at the moment. Maybe they decided to bake bread and muffins until three in the morning again. Or maybe they’d gone out to pick strawberries in the field earlier and now they were baking it into a pie. Beomgyu’s chest ached. He missed them. Did they care enough to look for him? They’d seemed willing to go into the Underworld to complete the spell. Maybe they’d do so to look for him too. He really hoped so. 

Beomgyu was hopeful that Taehyun and Kai would find him, but as the days went by and Beomgyu remained with Yeonjun and Soobin, he started to slowly lose hope. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but it felt like weeks. 

Surprisingly, Yeonjun and Soobin took good care of him. Beomgyu was thankful, but he was terrified of living with two dangerous creatures, especially knowing that Soobin ate humans and Avonians. Yeonjun didn’t seem dangerous on the surface, but Beomgyu knew better than to believe Yeonjun was harmless. 

Beomgyu also really hated living in the Underworld. It was dreary, depressing, and made Beomgyu feel miserable. The very air was stuffy and suffocating.

He felt terrible for feeling that way when Yeonjun and Soobin were letting him stay with them and treated him well, but he couldn’t help it. 

“Darling, what’s wrong?” Yeonjun asked him one afternoon. 

It was pouring outside and thunder shook the house. The storm hadn’t stopped since Beomgyu stumbled into the Underworld, so Yeonjun and Soobin wouldn’t let him leave or take him home to Taehyun and Kai. It made Beomgyu depressed. Would he ever see the sun again? Did the sun even shine in the Underworld? 

“Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu was snapped from his swirling, depressing thoughts. He was curled up on the couch, staring out the large window in the living room and watching the rain smack the ground. How it hadn't started flooding already was beyond him. 

Beomgyu felt a blanket being draped over his body. He turned to find Yeonjun staring at him with concern. He immediately felt guilty. 

“I saw you shivering,” Yeonjun said, taking a seat beside Beomgyu. 

“Th-Thank you,” Beomgyu stuttered. 

“Are you okay?” Yeonjun asked softly. He tucked Beomgyu’s hair behind his ear. 

Beomgyu’s cheeks heated up. “Y-Yes,” he lied.  

“I know you’re lying,” Yeonjun said. “Beomgyu, you can be honest. You don’t like it here, do you?”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “W-What? N-No, that’s not it at all!”

“I can see how miserable you are,” Yeonjun said. “And that you’re still afraid of Soobin and I.”

Beomgyu shrank down. “Th-That’s not…”

“It’s okay,” Yeonjun said, cautiously wrapping an arm around Beomgyu’s body, which had started to tremble. “But you’re safe here. You know that, right?”

Beomgyu didn’t respond. He didn’t feel very safe. It wasn’t that Yeonjun and Soobin were making him feel scared on purpose, but the fact that they were dangerous was still terrifying to Beomgyu. And the Underworld was crawling with creatures worse than them.

“Maybe if you went out and saw what the Underworld is actually like, you wouldn’t be so scared,” Yeonjun said.

Beomgyu quickly shook his head. “N-No thank you,” he said. “I-I saw enough.”

“I don’t think you did,” Yeonjun said. “I think you’re afraid because the wizard and fairy told you to be afraid of this place.” 

Beomgyu avoided Yeonjun’s gaze. “I-It’s Taehyun and Kai.”

“Hm?”

“They’re not just ‘wizard and fairy,’” Beomgyu said. “Their names are Taehyun and Kai.”

Yeonjun frowned. “I don’t care to know their names.”

Beomgyu fell silent. He felt uneasy.

“I’m sorry,” Yeonjun suddenly said. “I guess I’m just a little jealous of Taehyun and Kai.”

Beomgyu looked up at him in shock.

Yeonjun looked away, his cheeks turning pink. “You seem to like them so much,” he said. “And I’m trying to make you like it here so you’ll want to stay but nothing is working.”

“B-But why would you want me to stay?” Beomgyu couldn’t help but ask. “Aren’t you sick of taking care of me?”

“No,” Yeonjun said immediately. “I’ll never get sick of it. Neither will Soobin. It’s nice having someone else here with us. Even though we have each other, it still gets lonely sometimes.”

Beomgyu wondered if Yeonjun and Soobin had friends in the Underworld. Maybe everyone kept to themselves.

“Anyway, you should see our world for yourself before you judge it,” Yeonjun said. “You didn’t see it properly. It was a dreary day and it had just stormed.”

“It’s still storming,” Beomgyu mumbled. 

“I know,” Yeonjun said. “But it’s supposed to clear up in a few days. Will you let me take you out?”

Beomgyu perked up. “The storm will clear?” You’ll take me back to Taehyun and Kai?

“Yes,” Yeonjun said slowly. “But I really want to show you around.”

Beomgyu bit his lip and chewed it nervously. He did owe Yeonjun and Soobin for letting him stay there and taking care of him. “Okay,” he said softly. “B-But…you promise nothing bad will happen to me?”

Yeonjun smiled. “I can guarantee your safety,” he said. “Soobin and I will protect you.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “O-Okay.”

Yeonjun looked genuinely happy. “I can’t wait to show you around!” he said. “I have so many places in mind.”

Beomgyu tried to ignore the twisting feeling in his gut. He highly doubted there was anything worth seeing in such a dull, creepy world, but he had to endure it. If he did, maybe he could convince Yeonjun and Soobin to help him find his way back home. 

Home. More like, his new home. He wasn’t sure when he would return to his real home and see his father again. 

After four days, the storm finally ended, and the sky became clear. Well, gray, but clear. The sky was never blue in the Underworld, it seemed. 

“Ready?” Yeonjun said after he’d watched Soobin bundle Beomgyu up in a coat.

Beomgyu just stood there, his cheeks burning and his legs trembling as Soobin fussed over him.

Soobin finished the last button on the coat. “There,” he said, stepping back to examine his work with a satisfied look on his face. 

“It’s not that cold outside,” Yeonjun said.

“But humans have delicate flesh and get cold easily, right?” Soobin said, looking at Beomgyu for confirmation.

“U-Um, right,” Beomgyu stuttered. 

Soobin beamed. “I did my research.”

Yeonjun shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. “Let’s go,” he said.

As soon as they stepped outside of the house, Beomgyu was hit with the smell of damp soil and ash. He coughed, and his eyes started to water. 

“Are you okay?” Yeonjun asked him immediately, resting a hand on Beomgyu’s back.

Beomgyu jolted at the touch. “Y-Yes,” he said. “I-I’m fine.”

Yeonjun looked at him with concern. “The atmosphere here is safe for you, don’t worry,” he said. “I verified that before suggesting this.”

Beomgyu stared at him with wide eyes. He felt terrible for being so eager to leave when Yeonjun and Soobin were trying their best for him. 

“Follow me,” Yeonjun said, leading Beomgyu down the loose stone pathway. 

Beomgyu glanced back at the murky swamp surrounding most of the house. He swallowed nervously.

“That’s my favorite place to be,” Soobin said. “Maybe you’ll come in there with me some time?”

Beomgyu felt his stomach lurch at the thought of going into the swamp. “U-Um…”

Soobin searched for Beomgyu’s hand, his fingers brushing against Beomgyu’s before he clasped them.

Beomgyu flinched. 

Soobin quickly released Beomgyu’s hand. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I wanted to hold your hand…”

Beomgyu felt horribly guilty. Soobin was doing his best and it wasn’t like he could help how scary he looked. Beomgyu tried to swallow his nerves as he reached a trembling hand out for Soobin to take.

Soobin smiled, grabbing Beomgyu’s hand again. 

Beomgyu felt a tentacle wrap around his waist. “O-Oh…”

“Sorry,” Soobin said again. “You’re the only person outside of the Underworld that will tolerate them. And to think, you’re a human. Most humans cower away from me in fear. Well, I guess I do look pretty freaky.”

Beomgyu looked up at Soobin with furrowed brows. The guilt was eating him alive. Sure, he couldn’t stop himself from being afraid. But he shouldn’t have judged Soobin and Yeonjun so easily, especially since all he knew of the Underworld was from Taehyun and Kai. And maybe, perhaps, the wizard and fairy were a bit biased. 

The only thing Beomgyu couldn’t ignore was Soobin’s…appetite. And he still didn’t know what Yeonjun ate. He’d never once witnessed the dragon eat something, although Yeonjun had once mentioned hunting animals. Beomgyu wasn’t sure he believed that Yeonjun ate animals, though. 

“S-So, where are we going?” Beomgyu stuttered. He looked around them, his nerves increasing the further they trailed from the house.

Yeonjun looked back at him with a smile. “Don’t be nervous,” he said. “We’re just going to show you around.”

Beomgyu felt his heart rate increase. “U-Um…no one will try to hurt me, w-will they?”

Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu’s free hand. “Of course not,” he said. “Soobin and I will protect you, remember?”

Beomgyu just gave a small nod. 

They reached the end of the loose stone path and started down a rough dirt path. 

Beomgyu realized that Yeonjun and Soobin’s house was in the middle of nowhere. Not a single other house was around it. He swallowed thickly. “Y-You guys live pretty far from everyone else,” he worked up the courage to say. 

Yeonjun shrugged. “Most people keep their distance from us,” he said. 

Beomgyu felt his nerves heighten. “W-Why is that?”

“I told you,” Yeonjun said. “We’re dangerous, darling.”

Beomgyu shivered at the per name. “O-Oh…”

Yeonjun gave his hand a squeeze. “But you have nothing to worry about, okay?”

Beomgyu forced himself to nod.

“Look ahead,” Soobin said. “We’re nearing the city.” He pointed with a tentacle.

Beomgyu looked ahead and shrank down when he spotted tall, gray buildings in the distance with thick smoke coming out of one of them. 

“There’s a lot to do there,” Yeonjun said. “We have shops, restaurants, festivals…oh! The Festival of the Blood Moon is in a few days. We have to go.” 

“Right!” Soobin said. “It’s really fun. There’s a parade, a feast, then the ritual with a sacrifice.”

His words filled Beomgyu with dread. The storm had stopped, couldn’t he go back to Taehyun and Kai?

“You’ll go with us, won’t you?” Yeonjun asked with a hopeful look on his face.

Beomgyu forced a smile on his face. “O-Oh, sure.”

Soobin leaned in close to Beomgyu, his lips by Beomgyu’s ear. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “We’ll take you back to Avonia. But can’t we keep you a little longer?”

Beomgyu shuddered when he felt Soobin’s cool breath on his skin. “O-Okay,” he squeaked. 

They walked on for a little while, surrounded by trees bare of their leaves and with blackened branches. Eventually, they reached a clearing, and just below was the gray, smoky city of the Underworld.

Beomgyu gulped. 

“Let’s go,” Yeonjun said, tugging them along. 

The first thing Beomgyu smelled when they stepped onto the black pavement of the city was smoke. He looked around them, watching as people passed by. He swallowed nervously. Everyone looked terrifying. There were people with fangs, black wings, horns, multiple appendages…

“Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said with a worried glance at him. “No one is going to hurt you.”

“B-But…they’re staring at us,” Beomgyu whispered.

“It’s probably because they haven’t seen a human in a long time,” Soobin said.

Great. So that meant Beomgyu was the center of attention.

“The first place we’re going to will distract you,” Yeonjun said. “I think you’ll like it. It’s a jewelry shop.”

Well, that didn’t sound too bad.

“Just don’t pay attention to them,” Soobin whispered. 

Beomgyu forced himself to nod. 

They walked down the street, passing various tall buildings that seemed to loom over them. There were quite a few people trying to sell things on the street, but they looked and acted very shady. Beomgyu gripped Yeonjun and Soobin’s hands tightly.

“Buy an angel’s heart!” one of the sellers barked. “Real angel hearts sold for a discounted price!”

Beomgyu felt his nerves heighten. 

“Ooo, tasty,” Soobin murmured as he stared at the seller’s booth.

Beomgyu winced.

“The shop is right down the street,” Yeonjun said quickly.

Beomgyu stared ahead, his heart pounding rapidly. 

They reached the shop a few moments later, and Yeonjun flashed him a smile.

“You’ll like this,” he assured Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu looked up at the storefront. It was dark gray with a black roof and had colorless stained glass-style windows. He gave Yeonjun a nervous glance. 

Yeonjun smiled. “It’s okay,” he said. He stepped inside the store and tugged Beomgyu and Soobin in after him.

Beomgyu looked around the shop. It smelled like rusty metal and was that…a hint of blood?

“So you finally came out from hiding,” a scratchy voice said from the shadows.

All Beomgyu could see were a bunch of dusty glass display cases.

Yeonjun grinned. “Hiding?” he said innocently. “We weren’t hiding.” 

“So you and the octopus’ faces weren’t plastered around the city?”

“I’m not an octopus,” Soobin seethed. “I’m a sea monster.”

“And why’d you bring a human.” It wasn’t a question.

Soobin mumbled something unintelligent under his breath. 

“This is Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said. “He’s with us.”

“Poor thing,” the voice muttered.

“Oh Beatrice, always so pleasant!” Yeonjun said. “Show us your finest pieces. We want to get something nice for Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu looked up at him with wide eyes. “W-Wha—”

Yeonjun pressed a finger to his lips. “Shhh,” he murmured. 

Beomgyu’s cheeks heated up.

There was shuffling, and then the sound of jewelry hitting the table. 

“Here.”

Beomgyu still couldn’t see Beatrice, but he did see a bunch of necklaces, bracelets, and rings on the front counter.

Yeonjun tugged them over to the counter. He turned to Beomgyu. “Which one do you like?”

Beomgyu looked at the different pieces. Each one was gothic and a little bit gaudy. But Beomgyu didn’t want to be rude, so he picked the first one that caught his eye—a silver necklace with a ruby red gemstone in the shape of a heart. It was the least flashy piece.

“I-I like this one,” he stuttered, pointing to it.

Yeonjun smiled. “We’ll take this one,” he told Beatrice.

She grumbled something and Beomgyu watched in shock as the rest of the jewelry disappeared. Beomgyu could faintly make out the shadow of a woman behind the counter, along the wall. 

“That will be five thousand skull stones,” she said.

Yeonjun pulled the money out from a pouch in his pocket and placed it on the counter. “Keep the change,” he said as he took the necklace off the counter.

“Is this your way of buying my silence?”

Yeonjun winked. 

She sighed. “Fine, I never saw you or the human.”

Yeonjun beamed. “You’re the best, Beatrice,” he said. 

After they left the shop, Beomgyu couldn’t help but blurt out, “I couldn’t see her!”

“She’s a shadow person,” Soobin said. 

“O-Oh,” he stuttered, shocked. He looked at the necklace in Yeonjun’s hands. “Th-Thank you for the necklace…”

Yeonjun suddenly stopped walking. “No need to thank us,” he said. “Let’s put it on you.”

Beomgyu blushed furiously as Yeonjun put the necklace on him from behind.

Soobin watched intently. “You’re so pretty, Beomgyu,” he said. “It suits you well.”

Beomgyu was sure his face was bright red. “Th-Thank you…”

“There,” Yeonjun said, moving in front of him to take a look. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”  

Beomgyu was weak for compliments. He wouldn’t survive the rest of the day if they kept at it.

“Let’s go to the next place,” Soobin said. “The market.”

The market was further down the street, and outside, just like the markets in Avonia. Beomgyu looked around at the different stands with fear. There were people selling eyeballs, limbs, different types of blood, accessories made out of bone, and clothing made out of real hair. Without thinking, Beomgyu grabbed Yeonjun’s arm.

“U-Um…”

Yeonjun looked down at him. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. “Maybe taking you here wasn’t a good idea.”

“This is where we get our food,” Soobin said. “I know it seems terrifying to a human, but it’s our diet.”

Our diet. Did that mean Yeonjun ate people too? Beomgyu quickly released his grip on Yeonjun’s arm. 

Yeonjun’s brows furrowed. “We can go somewhere else.”

Soobin pouted. “But they’re selling a delicacy today,” he said. “Aged Avonian flesh.”

Beomgyu suddenly felt sick to his stomach. The necklace around his neck felt heavy, like a chain. His breathing quickened and he felt an anxiety attack coming. He missed Taehyun and Kai. 

Yeonjun gently placed a hand on Beomgyu’s back. “We can go,” he said softly. 

Beomgyu was shaking. He didn’t want to smell the smoky air or see the horns, sharp teeth, and claws of the people in the Underworld anymore. 

“Beomgyu,” Soobin said, a tentacle wrapping around Beomgyu’s waist. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

“I-I want to go home,” Beomgyu whispered. 

“We can’t go back yet,” Soobin said. “There’s so much more to see.”

But Beomgyu hadn't meant their house—he’d meant Taehyun and Kai’s, until he could go back to his real home.

“Maybe it’s too crowded and noisy here,” Soobin said quickly. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

“How about our spot?” Yeonjun suggested.

Soobin nodded. “We have a special spot we like to go to,” he said.

“Hey!” a loud voice suddenly said. “It’s you two!”

Beomgyu turned to find a woman with silver hair wearing a long, black gown, pointing a crooked finger at Yeonjun and Soobin.

“Shit, we’ve been spotted,” Yeonjun said, quickly turning around. He ushered Beomgyu away, his hand still on Beomgyu’s back. 

Soobin followed behind. “We didn’t exactly cover ourselves,” he said.

Beomgyu looked between them with fear. “Wh-Who is that woman?” 

Yeonjun stole a glance behind them and winced. “A witch who hates us,” he said.

“One of the many who don’t like us,” Soobin said.

“W-Why?”

“I told you, darling,” Yeonjun said as he quickened his pace. “We’re dangerous. I would deal with her, but I don’t want to do that in front of you.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “W-What did you do?” he dared himself to ask.

“We’ve done some…things,” Yeonjun said. He didn’t elaborate.

“We used to love causing trouble,” Soobin said with a sigh.

They made it out of the city and back onto the dirt path, surrounded by bare trees.

“No one will find us at our spot,” Yeonjun assured Beomgyu. 

Once they’d made it a safe distance from the city, they slowed their pace.

“I’m sorry,” Yeonjun blurted out. “You hate it here, don’t you? I guess this place is probably a nightmare to humans.”

Beomgyu didn’t respond. He couldn’t necessarily disagree.

“We’ll take you home,” Yeonjun said. “I promise.”

“At least stay for the festival,” Soobin pleaded.

Beomgyu slowly nodded. He really didn’t want to. It sounded scary. But Soobin looked so sad that Beomgyu gave in.

“We’re almost there,” Yeonjun said.

After another ten minutes of walking through a wooded region, they arrived at the spot—a clearing with a cliff’s edge, overlooking a rough waterfall across a large body of gray water. 

The water was rough, and Beomgyu was terrified that he would slip off the cliff and fall to his death. Was there anything in the Underworld that wasn’t terrible?

“Let’s sit down,” Soobin said. He plopped down on the grass and patted the spot next to him.

Beomgyu glanced nervously at the cliff’s edge.

“I won’t let you fall,” Soobin said.

Beomgyu slowly sat down next to him, his heart pounding and his palms clammy.

Yeonjun sat down next to them. 

All they could hear was the sound of the rushing water from the waterfall. The sound was nice, and if Beomgyu closed his eyes, he could pretend he was home. He took a deep, shaky breath. 

“Better?” Yeonjun asked him.

Beomgyu hesitantly nodded. He felt an arm slip around his waist, but he pretended he didn’t notice.

“I don’t want you to go,” Soobin suddenly said.

Beomgyu opened his eyes and turned to look at the sea monster. 

Soobin was staring off into the distance. “I know we’re not exactly pleasant in nature,” he said. “And you don’t like our diet. But…”

“But we like you,” Yeonjun finished for him. “The festival is three days away. Could you maybe think about staying here with us permanently, and let us know the night of the festival?”

Beomgyu felt sick to his stomach. “B-But I thought you said you’d take me home…”

“We will,” Yeonjun said quickly. “If you decide you don’t want to stay here. But Beomgyu, the wizard and fairy haven’t gone after you. You’d be better off with us.”

“I-It’s Taehyun and Kai,” Beomgyu stuttered, his voice rising in both anger and panic. “And they probably just don’t know where I am. I-I’m sure they’ve been looking for me.” They had to be. 

Yeonjun’s facial expression softened. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “You’re right. Avonians are good people; I’m sure they’re looking for you.”

Beomgyu felt his anger slowly dissipate. 

“I just wanted you to choose us,” Yeonjun admitted. “I’m really sorry.”

Beomgyu didn’t reply.

“He still has three days to think about it,” Soobin said. “Right, Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu remained silent. What could he say? He wanted nothing more than to never see the Underworld ever again.

By the time they returned to the house, Beomgyu was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Thankfully, Yeonjun and Soobin let Beomgyu sleep the rest of the day away in Yeonjun’s bed. They did wake him up eventually to make him eat. After forcing Soobin’s questionable cooking down, he washed up and immediately returned to the bed. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. 

While he laid there alone, he thought about his real home. He could only imagine what his father was probably going through. He must be worried sick. Beomgyu hoped he was eating and sleeping well. For once, he felt relieved that his father had Clarice. How horrible it would’ve been if his father had been alone when Beomgyu disappeared, especially not long after his wife died.

And what about Clarice? Was she worried about Beomgyu? She always tried to play the mother figure. Except…now that Beomgyu thought back on it, she had done a lot for him. She used to drive Beomgyu to his university for class everyday because he didn’t have a car, she would try to make his favorite dishes for dinner, and even attempted learning Korean to communicate better with him. So why had Beomgyu been so angry?

Because she isn’t my mother. 

Right, Beomgyu’s mother. The woman his father had seemed to forget about when he met Clarice. At least, that’s what Beomgyu thought. But when he remembered the months following her funeral, he also remembered the sleepless nights, lack of an appetite, and overall depressive state his father and him shared. Maybe his father hadn’t moved on, but had tried to find happiness in the bleak life he’d been left with. Even so, Beomgyu wondered why he hadn’t been enough. They had each other, didn’t they? 

Your father deserves love, a little voice in the back of his head told him. He deserves happiness. 

And Beomgyu hadn’t been nice to him at all, even though Clarice had made him smile for the first time in a while. Even though Clarice had managed to get him out of bed every morning, and even get him out of the house. Beomgyu had treated both of them horribly. Before he knew it, he was crying. What he would give to go back in time and not have that stupid argument with his father. 

But it was too late. What was done was done, and all he could do was hope that Taehyun and Kai found him and completed the spell. Then, he could return home and apologize—to both of them. Maybe there was still a chance that they could be a happy family. Maybe…

Three days flew by, and soon, the day of the festival arrived. Beomgyu had been dreading it the whole time.

That morning, he was a nervous wreck. They would be leaving for the festival in the afternoon, so he spent most of the morning nervously pacing Yeonjun’s room.

“Beomgyu, I picked out an outfit for you to wear,” Yeonjun said as he stepped into the room. He paused when he spotted Beomgyu pacing. “What are you doing?”

Beomgyu stopped abruptly. “U-Um…”

Yeonjun set the outfit down on the bed and walked towards him. “Are you okay?”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Should he lie? Probably not. It would be too obvious. He slowly shook his head.

“Beomgyu, don’t be nervous,” Yeonjun said as he rested a hand on Beomgyu’s shoulder. “Soobin and I won’t let anything bad happen to you, okay?” 

Beomgyu forced himself to nod.

“I promise you’ll be safe,” Yeonjun said. “Do you want to try on the outfit I picked out?”

Beomgyu nodded again.

Yeonjun smiled and moved his hand to caress Beomgyu’s cheek. “I know you’ll look beautiful in it.”

Beomgyu’s cheeks heated up. 

The outfit Yeonjun had picked out was a silk red robe with a gold sash around the middle that had an intricate design embroidered on it. The robe was paired with black, loose slacks, a red and gold flower hair clip, and the heart necklace Yeonjun had bought him. 

Beomgyu examined himself in the mirror. “D-Does it look okay?”

Yeonjun was staring at him with his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. 

“Y-Yeonjun?” Beomgyu said, feeling slightly self-conscious.

“Beomgyu…” Yeonjun breathed as he slowly walked towards him. “You look stunning.” 

Beomgyu blushed. “R-Really?” he said. “You’re not just saying that to flatter me so I won’t leave the Underworld?” 

Yeonjun shook his head. “I don’t think you realize how pretty you are.”

Beomgyu opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked away, flustered. 

“Wait until Soobin sees you,” Yeonjun said. “He’ll never want to let you go.”

Beomgyu winced.

Soobin’s reaction to Beomgyu ended up being a bit terrifying. After Yeonjun had left the room, Beomgyu used some of the makeup and perfume that Yeonjun had left him to doll himself up. It took him a bit to do his makeup, since the makeup there was much different from his world. But he managed to add a dust of blush to his cheeks, some red to his lips, and sparkle to his eyelids. When he was done, it was already time to go. He nervously stepped out of Yeonjun’s room and walked down the hallway. 

Soobin and Yeonjun were waiting for him. Soobin was wearing a black turtleneck, black pants, and a royal blue silk cardigan. A large silver pendant hung around his neck. Yeonjun was wearing a similar outfit, except his top was a low-cut v-neck, and his silk cardigan was an emerald green. A gold necklace with an emerald stone adorned his neck. 

When Soobin saw Beomgyu, his eyes darkened. Within seconds, there were tentacles all over Beomgyu. 

“You look delicious,” Soobin purred as he glided towards Beomgyu.

Beomgyu flinched as cold tentacles touched him.

“You’re freaking him out,” Yeonjun said as he walked over to them.

“Sorry,” Soobin said with a sigh as he released Beomgyu. “I just can’t help myself. Look at him! And he’s ours, at least for tonight.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly.

Soobin caressed Beomgyu’s cheek. “You’re thinking about what we talked about a few days ago, right?”

Beomgyu slowly nodded, even though he hadn’t really been thinking about it. All he thought about was how much he wanted to go home.

“We should probably head out,” Yeonjun said. “Before it gets too crowded.”

Soobin reluctantly dropped his hand and nodded. “Let’s go.”

The festival was nothing like Beomgyu had imagined it to be. It was a lot more…colorful than he’d expected. The men were all dressed in colored silk cardigans like Yeonjun and Soobin, and the women were dressed in silk robes like Beomgyu, in various colors and patterns. 

The city, which had been doom and gloom just a few days ago, was now lit up with fire and colored flags. 

“The parade will be starting soon,” Yeonjun said as he grasped Beomgyu’s hand tightly.

Soobin grabbed Beomgyu’s other hand.

Beomgyu let them, since he was too nervous about being separated from them in the crowd. 

The people of the Underworld were much louder and full of life. Beomgyu looked around at everyone with wide eyes. It was like he’d been transported to a completely different place. Magical creatures of all kinds—witches, pixies, vampires, werewolves, sirens. He couldn’t even put a name to all of the different types of creatures he saw. And they were all gathered together, looking out at the street with excitement in their eyes.

The street had been set up with a red carpet to cover the black pavement. Rings of fire rested atop the street lamps, and different colored flags hung off the poles.

“The night time is when the Underworld comes alive,” Yeonjun said with a smile as he watched Beomgyu’s reaction to their surroundings. 

Beomgyu looked up at him. “I-It’s like a completely different city.”

Yeonjun nodded. “The festival brings everyone together,” he said. “But usually, the city is pretty exciting at night. It can also be dangerous, though. Especially for humans. Most people hunt at night, which was why we chose to take you out during the day.”

Beomgyu shuddered. 

“But don’t worry about tonight,” Yeonjun said. “Tonight, everyone will feed from the sacrifice. It’s part of the ritual.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. That was the part he really didn’t want to see. 

“Shh, the parade is starting,” Soobin said. He wrapped a tentacle around Beomgyu’s waist and tugged him close.

The sound of a low drum rang through the city. The crowd quieted. The drum increased in frequency and volume, until it was booming through the night at a rapid pace.

Beomgyu felt his heartbeat quicken. 

Suddenly, beautiful women glided down the street, dressed in silk, colorful togas. Large, Egyptian-style headpieces rested atop their heads. They smirked as they danced in a sultry way.

“Mummies,” Yeonjun whispered to Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu couldn’t take his eyes off of them. The way they moved was hypnotizing, and they were so beautiful. They looked nothing like the paper-wrapped mummies he’d seen in movies. 

The drum got even louder. The ground started to shake, and Beomgyu nervously clung to Soobin and Yeonjun.

“My favorite part is next,” Yeonjun breathed.

A large, red dragon stomped its way down the carpeted street. It stood on its hind legs and lifted its head to the sky to blow a large stream of fire. It extended its wings and jumped in the air, soaring above the crowd. 

Everyone around them started cheering.

Yeonjun was watching with pride. 

Beomgyu looked at Yeonjun in awe. Did Yeonjun look like that when he was in his full form? 

“Look, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said, pointing to the street.

Beomgyu looked to see a group of men dressed like clowns juggling fiery sticks, axes, and even chainsaws. His eyes widened.

“Whoa,” he said. “H-How do they do that…”

He suddenly jolted when he felt something brush against him. He looked down in surprise to find what looked like a green, spiky tail brushing against the middle of his back. He looked up at Yeonjun in alarm and jumped in shock when he saw a set of green, leathery wings tucked behind Yeonjun’s back.

Yeonjun blinked in surprise. “Oh,” he said. “Sorry, Beomgyu. I forgot that the festival has a strong effect on everyone. It can make our…forms act up.”

Beomgyu bit his lip. Should he be worried? He had been curious about what Yeonjun looked like when he was in his dragon form. Although he hadn’t fully transformed, Yeonjun looked more like a dragon than he had before. The patches of green scales had also increased on his skin, and his eyes had orange and red hues to them. Two sharp fangs poked over his bottom lip. 

“Is it too freaky?” Yeonjun asked, almost self-consciously.

Beomgyu shook his head. Although he was a little nervous, he felt weirdly safe with Yeonjun. 

“Hey, you two,” Soobin said. “The floats are coming out.”

They both turned to watch as exotic floats started coming down the street. Each float represented a type of magical creature, and looked like they were made of gems and colorful feathers. In between the floats were more dancers and people doing terrifying tricks. Beomgyu felt like he was watching a circus show. At the end of the parade was a vocal performance by a group of sirens. Their voices were so enchanting, that Beomgyu’s mind went blank. 

“Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu jolted at Yeonjun’s voice. 

“The parade is over,” Yeonjun said. “Do you want to explore the stands before the ritual begins?”

Beomgyu looked around them and saw that everyone had gone to explore the street, which was lined with various stands. He hadn’t even noticed the stands before because he was distracted by the parade.

“Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu jolted. “S-Sorry,” he stuttered. “Y-Yes.”

Yeonjun gave Beomgyu’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go,” he said.

Soobin kept a firm grip on Beomgyu’s other hand as they made their way through the crowded street. 

Beomgyu looked around the various stands, trying to take in as much as possible. There were stands selling food, jewelry, tools, and even weapons. 

“Get your fried mermaid scales on a stick!” a man called from behind his stand.

Beomgyu watched as a bunch of people flocked to the station, throwing coins at the man and reaching for the fried sticks. Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Of course the stands would be selling parts of Avonian people as food. 

“Beomgyu, look here,” Soobin said. “This stand is selling crystals. Do you want one?”

Beomgyu turned to find a woman with long, gray hair in a dark purple robe with a gem on her forehead behind the counter. 

“Each gem represents a type of fate,” the woman said with a mischievous smile. “What will your fate be, human?”

Beomgyu flinched.

“Maybe your dreadful companions can help you choose,” she said.

Beomgyu’s eyebrows furrowed, until he remembered that Yeonjun and Soobin weren’t necessarily liked in the city. He wondered what they’d done. Maybe he could ask about it someday. Although, wouldn’t he be leaving soon?

“Beomgyu can pick,” Soobin said, smiling to no doubt show off his sharp teeth.

The woman scoffed. “Whatever,” she muttered.

Beomgyu looked at the different gems and hesitantly pointed to one that was a mix of deep blue and green. It reminded him of Soobin and Yeonjun.

Soobin smiled. “We’ll take that one,” he said. 

“Th-Thank you,” Beomgyu whispered. 

Soobin gently pat Beomgyu on the head. He paid for the gem and the woman packaged it into a small black bag. 

“Here,” she said, handing him the gem. “Your fate has been determined. You will be where you once were before.”

Beomgyu perked up. Avonia? Home? Could the woman be telling the truth? He hated to let himself feel hopeful.

They continued their way down the street, stopping at various booths to look at jewelry, perfume oils, mystical candles, and other oddities. Thankfully, they avoided all booths selling food. Just the smell of all the food made Beomgyu nauseous.

Eventually, they reached the end of the street. 

“Now what?” Beomgyu said.

“Now, we head to the woods for the ritual,” Yeonjun said. “It should be starting soon.”

Beomgyu felt his palms clam up. Right. The ritual. The part he was dreading the most. Yeonjun had mentioned that someone would be sacrificed. Was that an Avonian? Someone in the Underworld? And were they really all going to eat that person? He shuddered at the thought.

“Don’t worry,” Yeonjun said, giving his hand a squeeze. “It’s not as bad as you think.”

Beomgyu sure hoped not.

They started towards the woods, which wasn’t far from the end of the street. There was a small patch of field, which was just dead grass and loose soil. The woods, on the other hand, were made up of thick, blackened grass and tall, looming trees shedding black leaves.

Beomgyu looked around them, feeling his nerves heighten. 

They walked through the dark woods for what felt like an eternity but was probably only five minutes. Eventually, they reached a clearing that already had a decent amount of people in it. There was a large fire at the front of the small crowd, and beside the fire was a wooden platform. 

“Let’s go to the back,” Yeonjun whispered.

Beomgyu followed them to the back of the group. He waited anxiously, watching as more people filed in from the festival. It didn’t take long before the whole clearing was packed with people.

A man dressed in a long, black robe stepped onto the wooden platform and clapped his hands three times. The crowd instantly went silent.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the ninetieth Festival of the Blood Moon,” the man said in a booming voice. “Thank you all for coming tonight. You all must be starving. I know I am.” He flashed two sharp incisors, and his eyes glowed red. A vampire, then.

“Before we get to the feast, we must first say the prayer of worship to the Blood Moon goddess,” he said. “Who blesses us with infinite strength and power.”

He paused, looking around the crowd. “Let us begin.”

Suddenly, everyone began speaking a language Beomgyu didn’t recognize in low voices. He watched with wide eyes as other robed men came around, handing people lit candles to hold. When one handed a candle to Beomgyu, he took it with trembling hands. He didn’t like fire. 

Yeonjun noticed him shaking and took his candle, holding two of them. 

Beomgyu gave him a grateful look. 

When the prayer was finished, everyone began to line their candles up in a large circle. Yeonjun and Soobin both tugged Beomgyu to the outside of the circle. He watched as the man on the platform nodded to a group of men at the back of the circle. They stepped forward, dragging a struggling girl with them.

The girl had long, blonde hair that looked quite dirty, and her eyes were a dull gray. Her skin was pale, and she had two sagging wings hanging behind her back.

Beomgyu felt his heart clench painfully. Was that a fairy, like Kai? And were they going to sacrifice and eat her? He felt sick to his stomach.

“Don’t watch this part,” Yeonjun whispered.

Beomgyu nodded and quickly looked away. He couldn’t stand to be around such vile people who would hurt an innocent person. But weren’t Yeonjun and Soobin like them? They were participating in the ritual. They were surely going to partake in the feast. Beomgyu felt nauseous.

He kept his gaze trained on a patch of trees in the woods. He didn’t know how long he stared at that patch of woods, trying to tune out the screaming of the poor girl. It got to a point where he could’ve sworn he saw a flash of a purple cape and familiar pointy hat. But, it couldn’t be. Could it? Had Taehyun and Kai come to find him?

No, he told himself. You’re hallucinating. 

“Beomgyu, it’s over,” Yeonjun said. “They’re having the feast. Do you want to go home now?”

Beomgyu looked up at him hopefully. They weren’t going to eat the poor girl?

“It’s been a long night, hasn’t it?” Soobin murmured.

Beomgyu nodded, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief go through him. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a warm bed. 

“Then let’s go,” Yeonjun said with a smile.

They walked hand-in-hand back the way they’d come, until they were on their way back to the house. As they walked, Beomgyu thought he heard someone call his name. But he figured it was probably just the wind and his mind playing tricks on him.

That night, Beomgyu happily collapsed onto Yeonjun’s bed. He’d taken a nice, long shower and changed into Yeonjun’s silk pajamas. He let out a content sigh. 

Underneath his pillow, he’d placed the blue and green gem. He hoped that the woman was right—that he would find himself where he once was again. Home.

The following morning, Beomgyu was woken up by a commotion coming from somewhere in the house. He slowly got out of bed and crept to the bedroom door, carefully opening it a bit. He poked his head out.

“I told you, we didn’t do anything to him,” Yeonjun said. 

Beomgyu’s brows furrowed.

“Why don’t you go back to that little cottage you stole in the woods?” Soobin said. “Beomgyu isn’t even here. We only gave him shelter for a few days.”

Beomgyu frowned. Who were they talking to? It was obvious they weren’t talking to each other. He stepped out of the room and crept down the hallway. 

When he saw a familiar purple cape and sparkly glittery wings, he almost burst into tears. Forgetting about his plans to eavesdrop, he ran into the kitchen and to the small foyer.

“Taehyun! Kai!” he cried out. 

Taehyun and Kai were standing there in all their glories. Beomgyu almost thought he was imagining it, until he felt himself being pulled into a tight embrace.

“We finally found you,” Taehyun said. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Beomgyu felt tears well up in his eyes. 

“When I came out of the store and saw you were missing, I panicked,” Taehyun said, his voice thick with emotion. “I thought something terrible had happened to you, and it was all my fault.”

“No, it was mine,” Kai said. “I was supposed to watch him.”

“It wasn’t either of your fault,” Beomgyu said. “Th-The storm made everything chaotic and…something heavy hit me and sent me into the woods.”

Taehyun and Kai pulled back and began examining Beomgyu.

“Are you okay?” Taehyun asked worriedly. “Are you hurt?”

“I treated his wounds,” Yeonjun said with a frown.

“You,” Taehyun said, pointing a finger at him. “I knew you were no good when I saw you talking to Beomgyu. Beomgyu, did he kidnap you? Be honest.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened. “W-What? N-No!”

Taehyun glared at Yeonjun. “I don’t believe it,” he said. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Yeonjun with a trembling hand.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “What is that going to do?” he said. “Your magic is weak here.”

Taehyun tilted his chin up, refusing to back down.

“T-Taehyun, it’s okay,” Beomgyu stuttered. “He hasn’t tried to hurt me.” 

Taehyun slowly lowered his wand.

“We’ve been taking care of him after you abandoned him,” Soobin said.

“Abanonded him?” Kai said in disbelief. “We would never abandon him!”

“P-Please don’t fight,” Beomgyu whispered, looking between them worriedly.

The pairs were glaring at each other. The atmosphere was incredibly tense, to the point where Beomgyu felt like he would suffocate any minute.

“Well, now that we found him, we can take him home ,” Kai said, wrapping an arm around Beomgyu’s waist.

“No,” Soobin said, wrapping a tentacle around Beomgyu’s arm and tugging him towards him. “Beomgyu needs people who will actually take care of him instead of losing him in a storm.”

“How dare yo—”

“Guys!” Beomgyu said, squirming in their grips. “Please!”

They both reluctantly released Beomgyu.

“You have to stay here with us,” Soobin said, a bit desperately. “Haven’t we taken such good care of you? Please don’t leave us.”

“We really want you to stay,” Yeonjun said with a pleading look. 

“Beomgyu lives with us,” Taehyun said. “Right, Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu looked between them, his eyes watering.

“See what you did?” Soobin said, squinting at Taehyun menacingly. “You’re making him cry.”

“No, you guys are!” Taehyun shot back.

“Y-You both are,” Beomgyu cried. “Please stop fighting.”

It finally fell silent among them.

Beomgyu took a deep breath to ground himself. “I’ve been thinking about my home lately,” he said, looking at each of them. “And it’s not here in the Underworld.”

“Aha!” Kai said, pumping his fist in the air victoriously.

Yeonjun and Soobin looked crushed. 

“But it’s not in Avonia either,” Beomgyu said quickly. 

Kai’s excitement quickly vanished, and his brows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“My home is the human realm,” Beomgyu said. “Where my father…and his girlfriend are. My house, my family. I can’t leave it all behind. I have to go back.”

Taehyun pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. “He’s right,” he said. “And we promised we would help you get home.”

Beomgyu looked at him with hope.

Taehyun avoided his gaze. “We haven’t completed the spell,” he admitted. “We’re missing some of the ingredients. The ones from the Underworld.” He side-eyed Yeonjun and Soobin.

Beomgyu’s shoulders slumped. “Oh,” he whispered. Of course they hadn’t completed the spell. They’d been looking for him the whole time. If they hadn't been separated, then maybe…

No. Then Beomgyu would’ve never met Soobin and would’ve never gotten to know Yeonjun a little better. Even if the Underworld made him miserable, he still liked Yeonjun and Soobin. They’d taken care of him, even if they were dangerous creatures. No one else in the Underworld would’ve done the same for him, and he would’ve been stranded and afraid without them.

Yeonjun sighed. “If the ingredients are found here, I can help you find them,” he muttered, looking away. 

Taehyun stared at Yeonjun. “Seriously?” he said. “And why would you do that? How can I trust you when you clearly don't want Beomgyu to go home.” 

Yeonjun frowned. “Of course I want him to go home,” he said. “But I’m from the Underworld. We’re selfish creatures by nature—isn’t that what you Avonians say? I want him to stay here with us. Why wouldn’t I? I like him a lot. We both do.” 

Beomgyu felt his cheeks heat up.

“But I know Beomgyu is miserable here,” Yeonjun said, his voice much softer. “And I don’t want him to be miserable. I want him to see his family again.”

Taehyun eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but then his facial expression softened. “So you’ll really help me?”

Yeonjun looked at him. “Yes.”

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning, then,” Taehyun said. “To collect the rest of the ingredients. But the spell will need to be performed at our cottage. My materials are there.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“I’m not happy about this,” Soobin said with a frown. “I think Beomgyu should stay here. We can make him happy.”

Yeonjun sighed. “Ignore him, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu looked at Soobin worriedly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really appreciate you guys taking care of me. I’m so thankful.”

Soobin’s anger quickly dissolved. “I don’t want you to go,” he mumbled.

Beomgyu hesitantly walked towards him. “M-Maybe there’s still a way we could see each other?” he said, even if he wasn’t so sure about that. “Maybe, Taehyun can keep opening the portal so I can see everyone again.” 

“It would be challenging,” Taehyun said. “And time consuming. But it would be worth it.”

“So it’s settled then,” Kai said. “Taehyun and the dragon leave tomorrow to collect the rest of the ingredients.”

“It’s Yeonjun,” Yeonjun muttered.

“I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Beomgyu,” Kai said, ignoring Yeonjun.

“Me too,” Soobin said, staring at Kai with a look that could kill. 

Kai shuddered. 

Beomgyu watched them with wide eyes. For the first time in a while, he felt a spark of real hope inside of him. Soon, he would be home again. 

Dad, he thought. I’m coming home. 

Taehyun and Kai stayed at the house for the night. After much bickering with Yeonjun and Soobin, Yeonjun reluctantly agreed to let them stay with Beomgyu in his bedroom. The three of them crammed into the bed for the night. Beomgyu slept better than he had any other night.

When he woke up the following morning, Yeonjun and Taehyun were gone. Kai was still in bed, laying beside him. He jolted when he suddenly heard the bedroom door open. 

Soobin poked his head inside and his face lit up when he saw Beomgyu awake. He hurried inside and to the bed.

“I made you breakfast,” he said.

Beomgyu tried not to wince. “O-Oh, thank you,” he said.

“That annoying wizard wanted to do it but I told him you liked my cooking better,” Soobin said smugly.

Beomgyu sighed. “Please don’t fight with them,” he said quietly. “I just want everyone to get along. I-I…like everyone.” His cheeks warmed.

Soobin pouted. “I just want you to like Yeonjun and I,” he said. “Besides, if you’re leaving me soon, I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

“Beomgyu?” Kai said groggily as he stirred beside Beomgyu.

Beomgyu turned to Kai. “G-Good morning.”

Kai smiled, but his smile quickly faded when he saw Soobin kneeling beside Beomgyu. “What is he doing here?” 

“Should I remind you that this is my house?” Soobin said. “I was just about to bring Beomgyu to the kitchen for breakfast.”

Kai frowned. “Beomgyu, don’t eat it,” he said. “It could be poisonous.”

Soobin looked like he was going to attack Kai any second so Beomgyu quickly said,

“Don’t worry! He’s been feeding me the whole time I’ve been here.”

Kai sighed. “No wonder you’ve lost weight.”

“Do not test me, fairy,” Soobin said. “I eat your kind for dinner.” 

Kai’s eyes widened in horror.

“Don’t say that to him,” Beomgyu said, looking at Soobin worriedly. “Can you two please get along? I might be going home soon, and I want to have happy memories here.”

Soobin let out a sigh of defeat. “Fine,” he said. “I won’t eat you, fairy.” 

Kai didn’t reply. He just stared at Soobin warily.

“Are you going to join us for breakfast?” Beomgyu asked him.

“Fine, but I’m not eating anything,” Kai muttered. 

Soobin rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself.” He suddenly scooped Beomgyu up in his arms.

Beomgyu let out a squeak. 

Kai glared at Soobin. “Hey! Put him down!”

“Come on, fairy,” Soobin said, grabbing Kai’s arm with one of his tentacles and dragging him out of bed.

“Hey!” Kai said in alarm. “Let me go!”

Soobin laughed as he dragged Kai after them.

Beomgyu sighed. It was going to be a long day. 

Taehyun and Yeonjun returned that night. Beomgyu had been worried sick the whole day, and he practically collapsed in relief when the two arrived back at the house. Plus, being alone with Soobin and Kai was suffocating. The atmosphere had been tense and awkward, and they fought over him the whole day. 

“You’re home!” Beomgyu said as he ran towards them. “I was worried…”

Yeonjun smiled. “Beomgyu, the Underworld is my home,” he said. “I’m not afraid to walk around it.”

“But…people here don’t like you,” Beomgyu mumbled.

Yeonjun ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “You don’t have to worry about me, darling,” he said. “I can take care of myself.”

Kai scowled. “Darling?”  

“Did you guys collect the rest of the ingredients?” Beomgyu said quickly, mentally praying that Kai didn’t start another fight.

Taehyun nodded and set his bag down on the kitchen table. “Everything is in here,” he said. “Well, except the dragon’s blood. But Yeonjun is going to give us that.”

Beomgyu looked between them with slightly wide eyes. Well, at least Taehyun was referring to Yeonjun by his name. That was progress, right?

“I’ll get the blood right now,” Yeonjun said. “Do you have a vial?”

Taehyun nodded and fished an empty one out of his bag. He handed it to Yeonjun.

Yeonjun took it and brought his arm to his mouth.

Beomgyu watched in shock and horror as Yeonjun’s fangs grew, and he bit down on his arm. 

Blood trickled out of the wound and dripped into the vial. Yeonjun closed the vial and handed it to Taehyun. 

“Done,” he said.

Taehyun slowly took it from him. “Are you…” he trailed off, pointing to Yeonjun’s arm.

Yeonjun just shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

Beomgyu quickly retrieved a towel from the hallway closet and wet it. “Here,” he said, hurrying towards Yeonjun. He pressed the towel to the wound.

Yeonjun smiled. “How the tables have turned,” he said.

Beomgyu blushed. “You didn’t have to do it like that,” he said.

“It was the fastest way,” Yeonjun said.

“We have all the ingredients now,” Taehyun said. “Tomorrow, I can start the spell. We’ll need to head back to Avonia.”

Soobin grinned. “How exciting,” he said.

Taehyun squinted at him. “Don’t even think of trying anything.” 

Soobin just smiled mischievously. 

“Please keep an eye on him,” Beomgyu pleaded to Yeonjun.

“He won’t try anything,” Yeonjun said. “I promise. He would never do something like that in front of you anyway. He just likes teasing.”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “Right,” he said. 

“Well, since we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, we should probably get some sleep,” Yeonjun said.

Everyone nodded. Finally, something they could all agree on.

“Goodnight, darling,” Yeonjun murmured, cupping Beomgyu’s cheek. He leaned in to press a quick, affectionate kiss to the top of Beomgyu’s head.

Beomgyu felt like his whole body had been lit on fire from the kiss. He glanced nervously at Taehyun and Kai and found them gawking at them. Beomgyu winced.

“Sweet dreams!” Yeonjun said, gliding away and leaving Beomgyu trembling and blushing. 

How was he supposed to sleep after that? 

He ended up tossing and turning that night. He thought about Taehyun and Kai beside him, and how he would miss having them around. And then there was Yeonjun and Soobin. Of course he would miss them too. They’d done their best to take care of him, even though he was afraid of them and wanted to leave the Underworld.

But the next day, if the spell worked, he would be home. He would finally see his father again. But…he wouldn’t see his new friends anymore. His chest hurt, and without realizing it, he started to cry. He’d been so eager to go home that he’d forgotten to feel sad that he would be parting ways with everyone.

What if the spell was hard and Taehyun couldn’t keep opening the portal? Then Beomgyu would never be able to visit them again.

He looked on each side of him at Taehyun and Kai’s sleeping figures. How important they had become to him. He was always so lonely in the human realm. All he’d ever had was his father.

He tried to force his growing worries away. Everything would be fine. The spell would go well, and Taehyun would be able to keep opening the portal. Then Beomgyu wouldn’t have to leave anyone. He had to believe it. 

The atmosphere was tense the next day. Everyone knew Beomgyu would most likely be leaving that day, but no one wanted to bring it up. 

“Do you have everything?” Beomgyu asked Taehyun as they prepared to set out for Avonia.

Taehyun checked his bag and nodded. “I’m all set,” he said. “You?”

Beomgyu nodded. He had the heart necklace around his neck and the gem in his pocket. He wanted to remember Yeonjun and Soobin, in case he couldn’t come back. His heart clenched at the thought.

“Let’s go then,” Kai said.

The five of them left the house and started for Avonia. Yeonjun was quiet and Soobin was in a bad mood. Beomgyu hung back to walk with them.

“A-Are you okay?” he stuttered.

Soobin looked away. 

“We don’t want you to leave,” Yeonjun said, cautiously wrapping an arm around Beomgyu’s waist. “What if we never see you again?”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “I-I’m sure the spell will be easy and Taehyun will be able to open the portal again,” he said. “And I’ll come visit.”

Soobin finally looked at him. “Promise?”

Beomgyu looked up at him. The usually scary sea monster looked more like a kicked puppy than something out of a nightmare. 

“I promise,” Beomgyu said. 

Soobin looked relieved. “I’m holding you to that.”

So am I, Beomgyu thought.

The walk back to Avonia took what felt like a couple of hours. By the time they reached the Rocky Region, Beomgyu’s legs were aching and he’d started to limp.

Soobin noticed immediately with a look of alarm on his face. “Beomgyu,” he said, suddenly reaching out to wrap his tentacles around Beomgyu and lift him up.

Beomgyu let out a squeak as he was carried. “Y-You don’t have to—”

“Shh,” Soobin shushed him. “I want to.”

Beomgyu’s cheeks burned. He leaned his head against Soobin’s chest, his heart racing wildly in his chest.

They made it through the Rocky Region and into the surrounding woods. Beomgyu knew they were nearing Avonia, and he was honestly relieved. He really didn’t like the Underworld. He hoped if he visited, Yeonjun and Soobin would come to Avonia. They could if Taehyun and Kai were with them, right? Although Beomgyu doubted Taehyun and Kai would want anything to do with Yeonjun and Soobin after Beomgyu left. The thought made him a little sad. He wanted everyone to get along.

“We’re home,” Kai said with relief. 

Beomgyu looked around them, shocked to find that they were in Avonia at last. The air was fresher, the sun was shining, and the grass was bright green. The trees surrounding them were fuller and they could hear birds chirping. It felt like stepping from a black and white world into a world full of color. Beomgyu couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“I forgot how the air here makes me itchy,” Yeonjun mumbled, scratching his arm.

Taehyun breathed in deeply. “Fresh air,” he said with a content sigh. “Finally.”

Yeonjun rolled his eyes.

Beomgyu noticed that they were taking a different route instead of going through the village. They were still in the forest. He realized that it probably wouldn’t do them any good if they walked into the crowded village with two people from the Underworld—especially with one that looked terrifying. 

“We’re almost there,” Taehyun said. 

They eventually made it out of the forest and into a grassy field, similar to the one Beomgyu had first stumbled into. He looked at the wildflowers in the field and had a flashback of meeting Taehyun for the first time. Taehyun was so kind for taking in a stranger—a human stranger. Beomgyu wasn’t sure what he would’ve done without the wizard.

“This way,” Taehyun said as they stumbled down a grassy hill.

They stepped onto a familiar cobblestone path and Beomgyu felt his chest warm at the sight of the little cottage he’d missed so much. 

Taehyun unlocked the door and let them inside. 

Yeonjun and Soobin looked around the house, curiously. 

“Don’t steal anything,” Kai huffed.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “We don’t want your junk.”

“J-Junk?” Kai sputtered. “You—”

“Stop,” Taehyun interrupted. “I need to focus to do the spell. I can’t have you guys stressing me out.”

The pair immediately shut up. 

Taehyun wasted no time leading them to the library. 

“Y-You don’t have to keep carrying me,” Beomgyu said to Soobin. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. 

“Let me hold you,” Soobin said. “Before you leave me.”

Beomgyu didn’t reply. He let Soobin carry him into the library, and to Taehyun’s hidden spell room.

“By the way, I’ll cast a terrible spell on both of you if you try to break into here,” Taehyun said to Yeonjun and Soobin. “Or tell anyone about this room.”

“Don’t worry, Taehyun,” Kai said smugly. “They don’t have any friends. It’s quite obvious.”

Yeonjun squinted at Kai and Soobin hissed, flashing his fangs.

“Watch your mouth, fairy,” Yeonjun said.

Kai flinched and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

“I really wish you would all get along,” Beomgyu said quietly. “Even when I leave. If I’m able to visit, I want to see all of you. And I don’t want to see you fighting.”

It fell silent for a moment.

“I’ll be civil for your sake,” Yeonjun mumbled.

“I guess I will too,” Kai said, looking away. 

Beomgyu looked up at Soobin.

“I haven’t eaten them yet, isn’t that enough?” Soobin said.

Beomgyu frowned.

“Fine,” Soobin said with a sigh.

Taehyun set his bag down on the table and began spreading the ingredients out. “I need a fire under the pot,” he said.

Yeonjun walked over to the pile of wood underneath the pot and hovered his hand over it. Fire shot out of his hand and onto the wood.

“Thank you,” Taehyun said, and Yeonjun just shrugged, avoiding the wizard’s gaze.

Taehyun opened the spell book and laid it out in front of him. He began measuring the ingredients and dumping them into the pot, Kai assisting him as needed. Once all of the ingredients were in, he stirred the liquid with a big wooden spoon. 

“Time for the spell,” Taehyun said. He closed his eyes and hovered his wand over the pot. He began speaking a language Beomgyu didn’t recognize, low and quick. 

Beomgyu’s eyes widened as he watched purple mist rise from the pot. He leaned against Soobin, feeling a little scared.

“I’ve got you,” Soobin said. One of his tentacles gently ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. 

Suddenly, Taehyun stopped speaking. A breeze picked up and began blowing everything around. 

Beomgyu squeezed his eyes shut, cowering against Soobin. He heard bottles rattling and the chandelier swinging.

Then the breeze stopped. He heard a gasp, which made him slowly open his eyes. He couldn’t help but gasp himself when he saw a purple, misty door before him.

“The portal to the human realm,” Yeonjun breathed. 

Soobin slowly set Beomgyu back on his feet, but his tentacles still clung to Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu couldn’t take his eyes off the door. “This will take me home?”

“Yes,” Taehyun said softly. “The portal will only remain open for five minutes. You should hurry.”

Beomgyu turned to look at them with tears in his eyes. “I-I’m so thankful for all of you,” he said. “Everything you’ve done for me…I’m truly so grateful.”

Taehyun smiled, tears in his eyes. “We’ll miss you so much,” he said. He took his signature pointy hat off his head and placed it on Beomgyu’s head. “Don’t forget about us, okay?”

Beomgyu swallowed thickly. “I’ll come back,” he told them. He locked eyes with Soobin. “I promise.”

Kai nodded, his lips pressed together tightly. He was holding back tears, Beomgyu could tell.

“Take care of yourself, darling,” Yeonjun said, caressing Beomgyu’s cheek. He had to tug Soobin back to get him to release Beomgyu.

Soobin’s tentacles sagged at his sides. “I expect to see you again,” he said seriously. “Soon.”

Beomgyu smiled sadly at him. “Of course,” he said. “Soon.”

He hesitated, then opened his arms. “One group hug,” he said. “My last request.”

The four reluctantly moved in to give him an awkward group hug. It felt perfect to Beomgyu. 

“Promise me you’ll get along,” Beomgyu said.

Yeonjun smiled. “Oh darling, we can’t promise that.”

Beomgyu shivered. He quickly turned around before he could change his mind. Time was running out. He needed to go.

“Goodbye everyone,” he whispered before squeezing his eyes shut and stepping through the misty door.

Beomgyu tumbled to the ground with a gasp. His eyes flew open and he looked around in alarm. The woods. He was in the…average looking woods. The very human woods. He was on his feet in seconds, sprinting through the woods. He remembered now. He remembered the way back to his house. 

He felt the necklace around his neck, the stone in his pocket, and the hat on his head. So it hadn’t been a dream. He’d really traveled to a new world. His heart ached when he thought of the friends he’d left behind, but he tried to push the ache away and focus on returning to his family first. He would worry about seeing his new friends again later. 

He stumbled through the woods, until he finally reached the clearing and saw his house ahead. He ran towards the back door, which was open, just like how he’d left it. That was odd. Hadn’t he been gone a long time?

He slowed down when he reached the door and cautiously stepped inside. He felt like the world stopped when he saw his father standing there, a look of anguish on his face. He was wearing the same clothes he’d been in when Beomgyu had left. Beomgyu was even more confused. Had time not passed at all?

When his father saw him, his eyes widened in shock. “You came back?” he said softly. He didn’t even seem phased by the strange hat on Beomgyu’s head. He looked so surprised, relieved, and sad. 

Beomgyu ran towards him, throwing his arms around his father. 

His father stumbled back in shock.

“I missed you,” Beomgyu whispered.

“It’s only been an hour…”

So time passed differently in Avonia and the Underworld. What felt like months had only been an hour in the human world. And his father had remained there for an hour, hurting because of Beomgyu.

“I know,” Beomgyu whispered. “But I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

His father slowly wrapped his arms around Beomgyu. “I’m sorry too, Cookie,” he whispered.

Beomgyu shook his head. “Don’t be,” he said. “I was just worried you would forget about mom.”

“How could I forget about her?” his father said. “She’s on my mind all the time, Cookie. But I have to move on. We have to move on. She’d want us to.”

Beomgyu nodded. He understood that now.

They pulled back at the sound of footsteps trailing down the stairs.

“He came back?”

Beomgyu looked up to find Clarice on the stairs, seeming hesitant. Beomgyu hated that he’d made her feel that way. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I know you’re not replacing mom. I just didn’t want to accept the fact that she’s really gone.”

“Oh, Beomgyu…” Clarice whispered. She hurried down the stairs and stopped in front of him. She opened her arms in an invitation. 

Beomgyu found himself falling into her arms, accepting her embrace. He felt his father’s arms wrap around them both, and for the first time in a while, he felt like he had a complete family again. He sniffled. 

“I promise I’ll change,” he said. “Can we please make up for lost time?”

They pulled back and Clarice smiled at him warmly. “Of course we can,” she said. 

Beomgyu felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He was home at last, and Clarice forgave him. They could start over as a real family, something Beomgyu had longed for since his mother died.  

This is it, he thought. This is what it feels like to be happy again. 

Sure, his family was a little different, and they still had a lot of fixing to do. But he was ready for the challenge, and he wouldn’t change a thing. 

1 year later 

Beomgyu leaned against the tree trunk, running his colored pencil over his sketchbook. He set the pencil down on the cool soil and tilted his head to the side as he examined his work. It looked okay, but too average. What color should he do the sky and clouds? He smiled. A bright blue sky with cotton candy pink clouds. Yes, that sounded nice. He picked out blue and pink colored pencils and was about to start coloring the sky on his drawing when he suddenly saw movement in the corner of his eye. He turned to look, his brows furrowed with confusion.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw something he thought he’d never see again right before his very eyes—a misty pink door. He dropped his sketchbook and pencils to the floor, taking slow, hesitant steps towards the door. Was he imagining it? No, he couldn’t be. It was real. Deep down he knew it was real.

He cautiously passed his hand through the mist, feeling the strange, cool substance kiss his skin. He moved closer, until his whole body was passing through the door. He let out a gasp as he tumbled to the ground. He felt wooden floorboards beneath his knees. He slowly looked up, and his eyes immediately watered when he saw four familiar faces staring at him with bright smiles on their faces.

“Welcome back,” Taehyun said sweetly. 

Beomgyu was in Taehyun’s secret room again. He stood up on trembling legs and ran towards them. “I missed you!” he wailed. 

“We missed you too,” Yeonjun said as they all wrapped him into a group hug.

They stayed that way for a few moments before slowly pulling back. 

“Y-You’re all here,” Beomgyu said, looking at them with wide, teary eyes.

Kai blushed and looked away. “Yeah, well…you wanted us to get along, so…” he mumbled.

Beomgyu smiled widely. “I’m so happy,” he said. And it was true. How many nights had he lay awake in bed, wondering if he would ever see his friends again?

“We’re happy too,” Taehyun said. “I’ve worked on mastering the spell, and I made a lot of the potion. You can come back whenever you want to.”

Beomgyu’s heart swelled. “I-I thought I’d never see you guys again.”

“Well, we couldn’t have that,” Soobin said, wrapping his tentacles around Beomgyu and tugging him close. “We couldn’t stop thinking about you after you left. We had to see you again.”

Beomgyu leaned against Soobin. “I can’t believe I’m really here again,” he said. A small part of him still thought he was dreaming.

“Well, believe it,” Yeonjun said. “Because we have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”

Beomgyu smiled. “Yeah, we do.”

Now that he was back, he wanted to know everything about the four of them. And he wanted them to know everything about him—his mom, running away and stumbling into Avonia, returning to his family. He realized that Yeonjun and Soobin didn’t know anything about him, and even Taehyun and Kai had limited knowledge of his life. But that would change. Now that they were reunited, he wanted them to know every detail. 

“We should probably sit down,” Kai said.

“I’ll make some tea!” Taehyun said cheerfully.

They made their way out of Taehyun’s secret room and to the living room where Beomgyu was sandwiched between Yeonjun and Soobin on the couch. Beomgyu watched with wide eyes as Kai sat down next to Soobin without a fuss.

Taehyun went to the kitchen to start a pot of tea. When he returned, he sat beside Yeonjun.

Beomgyu stared at them in shock. “Okay, there’s something I need to know first,” he said.

The four of them stared at him. “What?” they said in unison.

Beomgyu motioned to them. “How this happened,” he said. “When I left, you hated each other.”

Yeonjun smiled. “Darling, you missed a lot.”

“Where do we start?” Taehyun said.

“From the beginning,” Kai said. 

“Right after you left,” Soobin murmured, caressing Beomgyu’s cheek with a tentacle.

Beomgyu settled back on the couch, watching them with interest.

They began to tell their story, taking turns speaking. Beomgyu listened attentively. He had a feeling it would be a long night, but that was okay. Time passed differently on the other side of his world. 

They had all the time they needed. 

The End