Within The Forest | Final Chapter

within the forest | final chapter

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1.5k words summary: the end.

main masterlist | series masterlist

No one’s POV

The figure closed the door and dropped her hand after entering the room. Her head turned to the boys hugging each other on the bed and she sighed. The princess’s eyes widened as she realised who the figure was.

“Mom… Why did you stop me?” She shouted, her voice ringing with frustration.

Her mother immediately covered her mouth and told her to keep her voice down. His father’s office was not far from them and a shout was enough to attract unwanted attention. Nothing passed her mother’s lips, only her shoulders slumped after she took another look at the injured boys.

“You said it yourself: if no one breaks the cycle, everyone becomes a monster. If you kill your father, you become a monster. Do you think I’m going to let my daughter become one? I would be the cruellest if I did that

She looked away as she chewed on her lower lips, which were beginning to bleed. Her knuckles had turned white when she let go of the dagger. The object clattered to the floor and tears ran down her cheeks. She buried her face in her palm, her body shaking violently. She had tried to stop it.

Her mother threw the weapon away before putting her arm around the princess. The queen had gently pressed the princess’s head against her shoulder. She ran a finger through Y/N’s hair and whispered that she would be fine.

“You're crying a lot today. I’m impressed,” she giggled, rocking her like a newborn.

Soon her crying died down as she moved away from the queen and a dry giggle escaped her.

“Tell me… why did you try to kill your father?”

She lowered her head. She was embarrassed to tell her mother because it might be seen as a nonsensical excuse to express her anger. Her mother’s hand reached for hers, gripping it lightly, signalling that it was okay to tell her.

“He killed Chan, brutally. His heart was gone, and it was probably on display for everyone to see. Chan didn't do anything wrong! He used to… but he changed when I met him. Dad doesn’t deserve a happy ending when he just ended someone else’s.”

The grip on the queen’s hand tightened, “Maybe I was the reason he started hunting the fairies in the first place. Chan nearly killed me.”

“But he didn’t. Chan saved you instead and hurt himself in the process.”

Her mother lifted her chin with her index finger and looked at her tenderly.  She was speechless after her mother confirmed the matter. Chan tried to kill her

“I admit it, I hate them when I know they are the cause of our civilians losing their families. But that night, he opened my heart.”

“I saw big black wings, half burnt, and behind them was you. I thought they were the ones who killed you. I was wrong. Not every fairy is heartless. Maybe some were forced to do it for a reason.”

“After that night, I realised that I had abandoned the fairies’ side. I never thought about their story and I was ashamed of myself.”

“I tried to convince your father, but it was in vain. He is so hard to convince.”

Her thumb wiped away Y/N’s tears and placed her palm against Y/N’s cheek. “Sweetie, you’re not the reason. This cycle began in your grandfather's generation. No one has tried to stop the cycle since.”

“I hope you and Seungmin can end it once and for all.”

She nodded as she felt herself filled with determination. Her mother had placed a lot of hope in her, she wouldn’t let her down again.

“Can I go away… for a week or so? I can’t face him… knowing that he killed Chan” It felt hard to let it out, but it was for the best. The anger wouldn’t go away if she pretended nothing had happened.

The thought of having to leave her mother again in a situation like this made her legs feel like they were chained together,

“Of course. I’ll tell Seungmin and them about it. I’ll cover it up for you.”

The two… Taehyun and Beomgyu. How would they live after that?

“Thank you, mom. I appreciate it.”

She wrapped her arm around her neck, warm tears falling down her arm and into her mother’s brown hair. She hoped this was the last time she could experience this.

She slipped a folded paper under the pillow. When they woke up, at least they would know where she was.

She tucked the old journal into her pocket and blocked the door with a chair and other heavy objects she could reach. She fastened the rope around the foot of the bed and jumped out of her bedroom. Slowly, she dropped to the floor and ran off, leaving the palace behind her. From behind, she heard heavy footsteps following her.

Adrenaline rushed through her as she ran, deeper into the forest. Taking a glance behind her shoulder, she stumbled over her steps. Y/N toppled to the ground. She reached out a hand to break her fall and felt a sharp pain on her wrist. Her arms shook beneath her as she tried to get back up. Her body had long since given up after the fall.

The sound of clanging metal was very close to her ear.

They were close. A shaky breath escaped her dry lips as she reached for the scraps of dust in her pocket, pressing them into her trembling palm and praying to escape this situation. She didn’t want to suffer the consequences - not if she had to avenge Chan’s death.

If you can hear me, please take me to Chan’s siblings. I have to tell them the truth about their brother’s death

Thung, Thung!

A cloud of dust blew over them, hiding them from her view. The Stellious army stopped in their places, perplexed about where the princess was. What remained on the damp dirt were Chan’s dark feathered wings.

She unfolded her eyes and was greeted by an astonished black-haired man. His palm gripped the doorknob tightly. His gaze fell to the floor and he found the familiar dust scattered about.

“Minho!” he shouted in horror. His eyes shook uncontrollably. Another male approached, and his eyes widened.

“Flora … why are you here?” He asked sternly. His gaze pierced her, making her flinch, but she reminded herself she did not have time to be like this.

“Chan, he's dead.”

Her words were enough to make Minho’s world crumble. Minho pushed the man away and squeezed Y/N’s collar with a trembling fist.

“You are the cause of his death!”

“I am,” her deep voice reached Minho’s ear. She looked at Minho with swollen eyes.

“Then what the hell are you doing here? He almost dies saving you … What more do you want from him? Are you trying to kill us? Just stop, Princess,” Minho begged, his voice full of venom and a hint of sadness.

“No, I will avenge his death”

“W-what?” He released his grip, stepped back and shook his head. He chuckled

“Must be your way of celebrating his death. You’re kidding, Flora.”

“I’m not!”

“So what?! That will not bring him back to life! He’s dead because of you!” He yelled as he punched the wall next to him, the sound echoing through the hallway and making the other man shudder with fear.

“Minho … is it true?” The latter held Minho’s arm tightly, begging for an answer. The older man nodded meekly.

“Don’t tell Jisung and Jeongin, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin dropped to the floor and soon a soft sniffle reached her ear. The weight of reality sank on her, trapping her in an endless situation of what-ifs.

“Hyunjin, is everything alright?” Someone asked, approaching him. It was Chan’s other siblings and they immediately calmed the crying male. One of them flickered his eyes to Minho, and there was a question in his eyes.

Minho closed his eyes as he ruffled their heads. He wondered how he should tell them the news, but everything pointed to one clear answer - their older brother had died.

“Chan is dead” He opened his eyes and watched the worried faces of his remaining siblings turn to despair.

“I will never be able to thank him, Minho,” Jisung said

“He's not returning home?” Jeongin asked and Minho shook his head again,

“Please Minho! Believe me! I will make the culprit suffer!”

“Enough, princess. Even if you did, Chan would never come home again, he would never come back to us.” He walked towards her and gave her a thin smile.

“Please go back. Thank you for telling me about this

He slammed the door before she could protest. She sighed dejectedly as she slid down and leaned her back against the door. The feeling of helplessness choked her throat as she muttered a string of "I’m sorry" under her breath.

· . ˚ 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

— the moments in which the members of stray kids realize how they truly feel about you.

words・1.4k / pairings・ot8 x gn!reader / warnings・depictions of conflict and anxiety in hyunjin's and han's / genres・domestic fluff, smidges of hurt/comfort, established relationships

a/n・thought i'd try out a new fic format :-) i had so much fun writing these and hope you like reading them just as much. any and all feedback is appreciated, as always!

chan is in a heated staring contest with his notepad when the door opens, and he knows that it’s you who comes in, but his head is miles away, tangled in an amalgamation of syllables and rhythms. he goes on to forget that you’re here for a short while, poring over the unfinished lyrics in front of him with undivided focus. that is, until he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder.

you’ve just pulled a chair up next to his desk. “lemme see,” you say, gesturing to the notepad. there’s a surprised pause, and then chan places it in your hand, scoots closer to you.

you spend the next two hours talking him through his block, but there are periods when you fall silent to brainstorm or to write something down, and chan takes those quiet opportunities just to look at you: wearing one of his old t-shirts, your hair still damp from your shower, completely concentrated. and he knows, then, that he wants to marry you.

minho doesn’t realize he loves you in a singular moment. rather, he has a faint inkling for some time, and then the rug is randomly pulled from beneath his feet, and all of a sudden he can’t remember a version of his world that didn't have you at its center.

there are times when he’s especially aware of his feelings, though. like when he throws a witty remark in your direction and your retort comes back twice as sharp. when your eyes and smile light up like lanterns as you talk to him about your passions. when one (or all) of his cats hover at your side as you go about your day. when he returns home after a grueling practice and you’re there to offer him your comfort, no matter his withdrawn demeanor or sweaty skin.

he is a quiet lover, and sometimes he worries that he’s too quiet, that you have no idea what’s going on inside him every time he looks at you. but words have never really been necessary with minho. you know. you just do.

changbin is greeted by a chilly breeze when he emerges from the gym, and he silently chastizes himself for forgetting to bring an outer layer yet again. but the temperature moves to the back of his mind when he spots you, waiting on the sidewalk, as you said you would. a familiar grin breaks across your face when you see him, and he feels its shape against his lips when he runs over and kisses you, in lieu of hello.

“what are you feeling for dinner?” you ask once he’s pulled away, and he realizes that you’ve pressed something to his chest: one of the hoodies that he keeps at your place, still soft and warm from just coming out of the dryer. and boom—the epiphany hits him, instantly and unequivocally.

he is dumbfounded for a moment, just processing the newfound discovery; and then, out of nowhere, the two of you say the name of the same restaurant at the same time. he swears he never believed in soulmates until he met you.

hyunjin has always held so many emotions in his heart so fervently, to the point that they sometimes overflow in the form of words that he doesn’t believe, in a tone that he doesn’t intend. and it happened again today, when he spoke to you the wrong way in a moment of pure impulse, and the surprise on your face morphed into poorly-disguised hurt.

a few hours later, the weight of his actions sits heavily on his shoulders. when he lifts his phone to call you, his hands are shaking a little, and a breathy apology spills from his lips the moment he hears you on the other end: “i’m sorry, angel. i’m trying, i promise. i really am.” to which you answer, “i know, hyune. i forgive you. we’ll keep trying together, okay?” and your words pull his heartstrings in a new direction entirely.

he asks if he can come over, you say yes, and he tells you he loves you as soon as you open the door. he’s done hiding his heart from you.

jisung’s contagious grin and raucous cackle come easily to him for the most part, but there are times when he forgets how it feels to laugh or to breathe, times when he wants only to hide from the world and all of its scariest parts. and when you see his figure in the doorway tonight, his face cast in a nameless shadow, his shoulders sunken in quiet defeat, you understand immediately that this is one of those times.

“do you wanna talk about it?” you ask as he approaches you. silently, he shakes his head: not tonight. but his body language asks for what he cannot verbalize. you extend your arms toward him, and he buries himself in them the second he’s close enough to, his face nestling the crook of your neck, the tension in his limbs melting at your gentle touch. you stay there for a long time, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades, coaxing him back to the ground, back to you.

wherever he chooses to hide, he thinks he’d like to take you with him.

when felix opens his eyes, the space in the bed next to him is empty, and the faint scent of flour and sugar wafts through the gap beneath his door.

he gets to his feet, throws on some clothes, and wanders in the direction of the smell, rubbing the sleep from his eyes—and the sight that awaits him makes him wonder if he’s still dreaming. you’re standing at the stove, still in your pajamas, hair slightly disheveled from your rest, and there are pancakes in the frying pan before you; sliced strawberries on the cutting board next to the stove. and the look of sheer focus on your face, as if staring at the pancakes will cook them faster, absolutely destroys him. (and he knows in that moment that he wants to wake up to you for the rest of his life.)

with an enamored smile, he wraps his arms around your waist, pulls your back to his chest, and presses a light kiss to the nape of your neck. “morning, beautiful,” he mumbles sweetly. “how fucking lucky am i?”

being around you makes seungmin feel like a kid with a crush. he smiles brighter and laughs louder. he opens like a lotus in bloom when you say his name. the floaty sensation he gets when you kiss his cheek or hold his hand persists for hours afterward—and none of it makes any fucking sense to him. it’s not that he doesn’t believe in love, but he’s never believed that love could feel like this, straight out of a sonnet.

now, your head is on his shoulder, your body rising and falling in your slumber. seungmin looks at your interlocked hands where they rest on his knee, and at the current track displayed on his lockscreen: “still” by day6, a song about losing and loving, about regret and reminiscence. those bright days between us are over, the lyrics go, and he makes a silent promise to your sleeping form that the bright days between the two of you will never end.

the word "love" still doesn't cross his mind, but it is etched all over his face, and carved into his soul.

you and jeongin are telling each other about your days over dinner when your phone lights up with an incoming call, and he nearly spits out his mouthful when he sees who it’s from. for a few seconds, the two of you just stare at each other in flabbergasted silence. but then, you raise your phone to your ear: “hi, grandma! to what do i owe this pleasure?”

and the voice of his grandmother comes back through the receiver. she tells you that she’s just gone on an evening walk and found herself thinking of you, so she wanted to see how you’re doing; if you’re taking care of yourself. you rush to thank her, looking entirely flustered, and a bit like you’re about to burst into tears.

with that, the two of you launch into chatter about everything under the sun: grocery store discounts, the recent humidity, jeongin’s bad habits, you name it. and it finally dawns on jeongin how inextricably embedded in his life you have become—and that he doesn’t want it any other way.

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? please consider reblogging, commenting, or sending me an ask to let me know; or, read my other writing here. thanks so much for the support ♡

© 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐱 (est. 090323) · all works are pieces of original writing and all characters and relationships are purely fictional. please do not repost or reuse for any reason.

Cupid's Shot🩷

pairing: lee felix x reader

genre: fluff, angst, slow burn

word count: 10.4k

description: what happens when Cupid breaks the rules and falls in love with a mortal?

warning/s: there are suggestive parts so mdni! not proofread!

a/n: here i go again with another felix fic and i'm really proud of it, except i feel like the ending is rushed but i had to write it twice cause i accidentally didn't save it the first time jddkdll

but anyways there will be a second part to this, with smut. it will be a continuation on this main fic but could also be read as its own thing.

please reblog if you like it!🩷

Their purpose is simple: bring two destined souls together by helping them get rid of their fears and insecurities, assist them to find the happiness they deserve, the love they would nurture with their soul mate.

Contrary to popular belief and the information in many books, there isn't only one Cupid, there is a whole nation of them, living in another realm, invisible to the eyes of the mortals, but they can see everything. Including the mortals auras, souls and their destined lovers.

The only rule they have to abide by is to not fall in love with a mortal. None of them really questioned it, they're just beings of light, existing to fulfill their purpose, until they disperse into little particles of shiny dust, disappearing into The Great Source Of Light.

They would get their assigned charges and do everything they can to cross them off the list after they manage to finally match them with their loved one.

Felix often wondered about a lot of things, like why was he born a Cupid, was he even born and where he actually came from if he wasn't. He wondered what The Great Source Of Light actually is and where it would take him after he fulfilled his duties. He wondered why wasn't he allowed to fall in love when love was so soft, warm and fuzzy. Wasn't love the ultimate goal? Was this some kind of punishment because of what he did in a past life; to be a mere messenger of love but never be able to experience it?

Ofcourse, he never dared to say anything like that out loud for the fear of what would happen if he did. He's never actually seen any punishments or violence happening in his little world, everything was cheerful and perfect, the Cupids worked and flew around with blushing cheeks and smiles painted on their faces; never complaining, never tiring. But he didn't want to risk it, or seem like he is defying the natural order of things, he is only curious.

Felix gets a scroll with names of his new charges, and he opens up the paper. Scanning over the names as they shine in a white-ish glow off the paper, something calls to him. His eyes flick around until they land on your name. Something inside him blooms, chimes and explodes in little fireworks. He chants your name in his head. It's time to find you. His eyes close and he focuses on your aura. Mixes of purples and blues swirl behind his closed eyelids and he can feel it closer, smell the sweet flowery scent with a hint of petrichor in it.

He opens his eyes and he's transported, his eyes meeting yours but ofcourse you don't see him. Your chin is resting on your palms, elbows perched on the table as you stare a hole into the computer screen in front of you. Felix quickly takes note of the surroundings, the clacking sounds, telephones ringing and chatter in the distance. He's in an office building, and you're sitting in your cubicle, your hair neatly tied and face devoid of any emotions. But he can see your aura, it's swirling and wilding around your frame, painting pretty designs around you. He thinks he's never seen something as beautiful as you are.

"Y/n!"- someone slams a stack of papers on your desk, startling both you and your Cupid, making him float back a little as he observes you.

"These papers need to be finished today."- the woman says, a malicious undertone in her voice.

"B-but it's almost six. I've worked overtime and-"

"It's not my fault you're slow. Next time work during lunch."- the woman turns around, leaving like it's none of her business.

Felix sees you immediately slump in your chair, the pretty blues and purples of your aura dimming down a little as you grip the papers and start going through them. Cupids weren't supposed to feel bad feelings like anger or envy or anything of that sort but Felix somehow felt annoyed at the woman, and moreover he felt bad for you. He wished he could help you get home faster somehow, but he knows he shouldn't meddle into anything except your soul mate.

Speaking of soul mates, as soon as Felix came down from his realm to yours, he couldn't feel another soul that's supposed to be binded to you. That was unusual but not impossible, sometimes charges had their hearts closed off and the Cupids had to try and open up their hearts first before actually connecting them with love.

He dismissed it for now and focused on you, trying to send you a lovely boost of energy so you don't feel too bad. You were tired and stressed, sick od being mistreated at work, seen as less than. There is a lump forming in your throat and tears threating to spill down your cheeks as you keep working. Suddenly, you feel relief, like someone untied the knot inside your chest and you take a deep breath in and somehow feel more energetic to keep working.

It's already past 9pm when you're done and you're beyond exhausted. All you want right now is a nice shower, a warm bowl of noodles and your bed. Felix observes as you tidy your desk and he follows you when you leave the building to your car. The walk through the empty dark parking lot is eerie and Felix can sense the fear creeping up inside you so he floats a little closer to you, his pink soft wings almost touching you. Not that you would feel it even if they did.

Your apartment is small, but it's cozy and clean and it smells like you, like your aura. It makes Felix's senses fuzzy, something he never experienced before. He looks around the living room full of plants you obviously love taking care of, pictures of you and your friends and family, little knick knacks you collect. He does a full turn and comes face to face with you, in your bra and he panics and scrambles away, almost flying into your lamp. The lamp swings ever so slightly and Felix is not sure how his wings have effect on anything physical in this world because they usually don't. He turns away from you giving you your privacy, waiting for you to leave to the bathroom.

When you do, he slowly flies back closer to the lamp and tries to touch it but his hand goes right through it. It was nothing, he sighs, relief washing over him. He keeps looking around, gathering information about his charge so he knows how to help you open up your heart and find love. Some kind of weird feeling washes over him shortly but he shakes it off. You come out of the bathroom, thankfully in your pjs which look adorable on you, Felix thinks as he smiles and watches you.

After your quiet dinner, you get ready for sleep and crawl into your bed, finally relieved to be in your safe space where no one can harm you. Felix ofcourse doesn't want to intrude and be around while you sleep, at least not yet, not when it's to early to enter your dreams. He turns around to fly out, back to his realm but a sniffle stops him. He stays still and listens, another sniffle coming from under your blanket.

A pang hits his chest when he realizes you're crying. He turns back to you and floats closer, the closer he gets, the more pain in his chest he feels. Why is it like this? Felix has always felt emotions of his charges to a certain degree but never this intense. It's almost unbearable to him and he struggles to come closer to you. He tries anyways, shining a little light he made inside his palms to look at you, but you're in the dark and can't see it. But he sees you and you look completely shattered as tears stream down your cheeks, eyes already red from crying. Your lips quiver, your aura fades more into gray and Felix feels what you feel.

He feels used and abandoned, ridiculed and lonely, unloveable. The feelings are so strong that they force him back away from you, tossing him into the wardrobe behind him, making the door rattle. You gasp and scramble into a sitting position, turning on the lamp beside your bed as fast as you can. You swallow in sudden fear as you look around but nothing's there. Felix is still, he's looking at you and he feels so bad that he scared you, especially while you were in a vunerable state. He still has no idea how he managed to make the door rattle or the lamp swing but that scares him too even though he didn't even feel any pain from the impact.

You shake your head and lay back down, turning the lamp off and wiping your tears away. Felix slowly floats towards the window, cautious not to touch or knock anything down. He looks at you one more time before he shimmers himself back into his realm.

"Have you ever moved a physical item in the earth realm?"- Felix whispers to his coworker and friend, Hyunjin, one of the Cupids he was close to.

"What?"- Hyunjin looks at him, his pink lips pouty and eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Like... like have you ever accidentally made a lamp swing or a door rattle?"- he tries again and Hyunjin chuckles at his friend.

"Did you hit your head somewhere, Lix? We literally can't touch anything, we're not made from the same stuff earth beings and their things are made of."- Hyunjin says, closing his scroll and looking at Felix again.

"Yeah, yeah I know. It was just a stupid question."- Felix says quickly.

"Are you sure?"- Hyunjin squints his eyes at him.

"Yeah, positive. Don't worry about it."- Felix smiles in hopes to get the other Cupid to not ask any further questions since Cupids weren't really capable of lying.

"Eh, alright."- Hyunjin shrugs, opening up his scroll again and Felix sighs in relief. His friend was never one to pry information out of someone or ask incessant questions, which in this moment Felix is thankful for.

He's more than excited to see you again today, hoping you feel better than you did yesterday. He concentrates on your soul and aura, seeking you amongst the 8 billion souls on earth. As soon as he senses you he's transported into... the office bathroom? He's about to fly out because this is a breach of privacy but then he hears a familiar sniffle. There's no way you're crying in the office bathroom stall, is there? Felix slowly floats, looking for the source of the sound until he stops in front of the last door. He inhales and pushes himself through it, his eyes shut tightly. He slowly opens his eyes and squints, praying that you're not in some kind of compromising position.

You're not, you're just sitting on the closed toilet, your face in your hands and you're crying. Felix feels it again, the negative feelings drowning you in sorrow, one especially prominent. You feel excluded, invisible. Unimportant. Cupids don't really have a reason to cry usually, but Felix can feel your pain deeply with all of his being and his eyes water, golden sparkly tears sliding down his freckled cheeks. He reaches his hand towards you, trying to channel anything good through it, simultaneously fighting the bad feelings pushing him away. He knows he's not supposed to touch you or transfer any kind of light into you unless it's a dire soulmate situation but at this moment he doesn't care. He just doesn't want you to feel so sad and hurt so much. He places his palm on the top of your head, gently sliding it towards the back of your head and your head snaps up, your hand touching your hair where he just touched you.

Felix backs away immediately, pulling his hand to his chest as he panics, his big doe eyes wide as you look around in confusion. How did you feel that? You were only supposed to feel the light energy, but you actually felt his touch. Felix panics more when you reach towards him and he floats back out of the stall. Turns out you were just reaching for the door as you swung them open and hurried towards the sink.

Felix's heart beats hard in his chest, a strong fuzzy feeling shimmering in his insides, so dizzying to him that he doesn't even realize he floated right next to you. He gasps and looks at you but luckily you don't see him, you just splashed your face with water and you're looking at your reflection. He wonders what's happening to him, because a charge never made him feel like this nor did they feel him as you apparently did. He didn't even know who to ask about these things, and his friend Hyunjin seemed to know as much if not less than he does.

Felix throws that in the back of his mind for now, his main concern being; what or who made you cry at work? He follows you back to your cubicle and notices a few people gathered around another woman in the office, they're talking and throwing glances at you. Felix floats closer to listen in, even though he shouldn't really be doing that.

"Wow, Natasha, that ring really is beautiful."- one of the woman gushes as she speaks to the so called Natasha.

"I'm glad you're doing a bachelorette party."- one of them squeals.

"And I'm glad you didn't invite that weirdo. She seriously gives me the creeps."- another woman says, and Felix quickly realizes they're talking about you.

"Ugh, who cares about her. Let's talk about the party."- Natasha waves her hand and Felix feels something boiling in his blood, something he never felt before. Something that scares him and makes him wish he could do bad things to anyone who hurts you or makes you cry, but it quickly dissipates when he looks at your face. You look so dejected and he doesn't want you to think you're alone. He flies back to your cubicle and settles right next to you. And you're boiling. With sadness, anger and hurt, you're on the verge of exploding. Felix feels the push you're involuntarily making, pushing him and essentially pushing love away from you. Your aura is in the darker hues of blue and purple, swirling angrily. You stand up and as much as Felix wants you to stand up for yourself, he feels that you're not in the right state of mind and you might get yourself in trouble.

He quickly stands behind you, his hands hovering above your shoulders, scared now to actually touch you so you don't get spooked. He only hovers his hands above, as close to your skin as he can and sends some soothing light energy into your tense muscles. You relax visibly, the feelings of anger subsiding a little. You shake your head and sit down, deciding to ignore the bitches in your office because who really gives a damn about Natasha's wedding? You for sure don't so you go back to your work and Felix sighs behind you.

As you did yesterday, you continue working late into the night, leaving the building last again, crossing the creepy parking lot to your car and Felix follows closely like he did the day before. There's something different about your aura after that bout of anger you had in the office, something wilder brewing inside you. Felix can feel it and for some reason he doesn't recognize the feeling and he's left confused the whole way home as you drive, your hands gripping the wheel harshly.

You're calmer when you walk into your apartment and you do your nightly routine just like you did yesterday while Felix observes you patiently. You take a shower, he waits in the living room, he joins you for dinner and waits for you again in your room while you get ready for bed.

You lay down in your bed and the unfamiliar feeling that floated through you earlier is back. Felix struggles with it, he can't really comprehend the swirling he feels in his gut and he can't wrap his head around it being either a good or a bad feeling. He should leave but his curiosity gets the best of him, especially when you start making noises. Are you crying again?, Felix thinks and floats closer to you slowly only to realize in shock and horror that you're touching yourself.

He gasps, that feeling deep inside him stronger the closer he is to you and he feels like his insides are throbbing. Cupids don't exactly have a body they can touch but they know what sex is, after all that's part of relationships and love. And they also know they shouldn't be intruding on a private moment like this so Felix floats away towards the door, ignoring the fuzziness blurring his senses and vision. He tries to float through the door, the physical barriers never stopping him before, but his forehead collides hard with the door causing him to fall down on his butt, and he groans in pain. Pain? Since when do Cupids feel physical pain from impact like that?, he panics, his hand coming up to rub at his forehead.

"What the hell?"- he hears you say as you sit up and turn your lamp on, your eyes trained on the door. Felix guesses he made a lot of noise, again, and startled you, again.

"If there's a ghost in here now, you're sick!"- you yell out into the room and Felix looks up at you but luckily you don't seem to see him.

"Ugh, ghosts are scary."- he shivers, muttering to himself. You don't hear him, you sigh and lay back down, leaving the lamp on and opting to grab your phone. You open up Instagram, the mood you were in gone now.

Felix lifts up, dusting off the imaginary speckles of dust and glances at you again, feeling embarassed about this whole situation. He's confused about the door and how you managed to hear him smack into it. There's only one person he could ask about these happenings, and he's beyond nervous because of that.

"Hey Lix, how's it going?"- Changbin, one of the more experienced Cupids greets Felix as he makes his way to the Elders. Specifically, one he wants to talk to. Minho. For some reason, everyone is scared of him and there are rumours going around, rumours Felix doesn't even wanna think about because he gets scared easily.

"I- I need to talk to Minho."- Felix gulps and Changbin's smile falters.

"Oh? What for?"- he asks.

"It's personal. About my charge."- Felix answers.

"Ah, you got a tough one? Probably doesn't want to open their heart up for love, hm?"- Changbin wears a small smirk on his face as he plays around with the scroll he holds in his hands.

"Something like that, yeah."- Felix answers.

"You summoned me?"- there's a voice behind Felix and he shivers and turns around quickly, only to be greeted by a very pretty being, one that has sharp eyes and facial features but somehow there is softness underneath all that.

"Y-yes I did. I'm Felix."

"I know who you are. Tell me what you need."- the Elder called Minho talks calmly.

Felix turns to Changbin and he understands and shimmers away from them.

"Well, something weird is happening with my charge."- Felix says, clearing his throat.

"Weird how?"- Minho asks, the white light shining around him almost blinding Felix.

"I can feel her feelings, emotional and physical ones very strongly. So strongly that they managed to hurl me into her wardrobe and... and the door made noise. And then last night... I tried to float through her bedroom door and I banged my head into it."- Felix explains and he gets quieter and quieter as he talks, looking at Minho's face. The expressions Minho made during Felix's speech looked like he went through the five stages of grief in a few seconds.

"Has she heard you or seen you yet?"- Minho asks sternly and Felix is now scared for real.

"Yet? No, I mean no, she didn't. But she felt my touch. At least I think she did."- he mutters the last part.

Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, a long sigh coming out of his mouth.

"Someone screwed up. Again."- he says, annoyed.

"W-what do you mean?"- Felix feels like he's about to cry.

"Okay listen, just keep watching over your charge like you normally would. Create a link with her and infiltrate her dreams, fill them up with love. I'll talk to the others and we'll see what we can do. You just keep doing what you're doing. And don't be scared."- Minho places his hand on Felix's shoulder gently, in hopes of calming the young Cupid down. But nothing about Felix is calm in this moment.

It must be something big if Minho didn't tell him what's happening and he's asking to meet the other Elders. Something seriously bad is happening and Felix can't help but panic. In that moment of distress, he suddenly yearns to be by your side, the sweet scent of your aura, of you enveloping him and caressing him from the inside out. Felix opens his eyes and he's transported into your room. He didn't mean to do that and it startles him, he merely had a thought about you and he was suddenly there.

It's morning in the earth realm, way past your time to go to work but you're still in bed. It must be your day off or the weekend, Felix reckons. He hovers over your sleeping form and looks at you. Your aura is peaceful right now, the blues and purples leaning more to the pastel hues, and a slight silver shimmer between them swirling and dancing slowly. You must be having a good dream, Felix thinks as he smiles and reaches his hand towards you. He knows he shouldn't but he can't help himself. His palm rests on your cheek, and a buzzing feeling goes through him. A feeling he knows too well.

He gasps, retracting his hand as you stir in your sleep. Did you feel it too? His touch? The buzzing, the one that Felix always feels when a charges soulmate is near by. He couldn't believe it, he suddenly felt the other soul binded to you. But it was weird, like it's so close, almost like it's part of him. Something washes over him, a kind of melancholy and he doesn't know what to do with it. Sparkly tears brim at his eyes for a reason unknown to him and you're finally awake.

Your eyes flutter open and you stare straight at Felix, your sleep covered eyes boring into his wide ones. You freeze and he freezes too, his brain short-circuiting at the moment.

"What in the-" - you start and he shimmers away as fast as he can. There's no way. There's no freaking way you just saw him. He hopes he was fast enough so you'd think you were still dreaming. He shimmers back into his realm and accidentally bumps into Hyunjin hard, throwing him off balance.

"Woah! Felix?"- Hyunjin looks at him wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"- he asks.

"Do what?"- Felix's panic spreads wider inside him.

"You pushed me. How did you push me?"- Hyunjin looks confused.

"I- I don't know. I can't explain it right now, I just need to talk to Minho."

"You can't. The Elders are having a meeting. It's something serious by the look of it. Even The Great Source Of Light is attending the meeting. You know it's something bad when they're there."- his fellow Cupid explains.

"Oh my god!"- Felix cries, tears streaming down his cheeks and his friend gasps.

"Oh! You're crying! Why are you crying?"- Hyunjin flails both his arms and wings. He's never seen his fellow Cupids cry like this, especially not the always smiling Felix.

"I can't tell you. I need to go!"- Felix shuts his eyes tightly, concentrating on you again. He hears Hyunjin shouting his name, but it's too late, Felix is transported into your apartment again.

Only this time, it's the living room and you're sitting on the couch, talking to someone on the phone.

"I'm telling you it looked real. He was like some kind of angel. But like Barbie pink version."- you say and Felix accidentally chuckles. He covers his mouth fast but you didn't seem to hear him behind you. He slowly circles the couch to stand in front of you but you look through him.

"Well alright then my dreams are vivid as always. He was kinda cute tho."- you giggle and Felix feels warmness spreading in his face and chest.

"Sure, sure I need to get laid. According to you."- you laugh into the speaker, playing with the hem of your shirt, your legs tucked under one of the decorative pillows on your couch.

"Okay, let me know when you find a normal one."- you chuckle again. "I'll see you soon then. Bye!"

You hang up and shake your head, thinking to yourself that you've really gone mad if you started hallucinating like that. You get up and make your way to your room and Felix follows behind you silently, his senses buzzing again. You open up your closet and start sifting through your dresses. Felix heats up when he realizes you're about to undress. He turns around fast, closing his eyes, trying to be respectful even though there's a strong pull inside him telling him to just turn back around to face you. But he fights it and stays with his back turned to you.

When he's sure you're dressed he whips back around and his eyes land on you, dressed in a pretty dress and checking yourself in the mirror.

"Oh."- Felix gasps, his chest fluttering. He's never seen you dressed like that and his senses start buzzing even more. He's dizzy suddenly so he moves away from you, into the living room. He doesn't want to risk bumping into something or you seeing him again even though he has no idea what actually triggered that.

You finish getting ready and head out, Felix floating behind you. It's a beautiful sunny day and you walk to the park near your house, where your best friend waits for you.

"Y/n!"- Jisung waves at you, getting up from the bench he was sitting on and opening up his arms.

"Sungie!"- you yell back and close the distance, returning the hug.

Felix's lips fall open, and he feels something stirring inside him, something kind of uncomfortable at the sight of you hugging another man like that. You and Jisung part and start walking down the path together. Felix hurries up behind you, trying to put his hand on Jisung's shoulder so he can feel his soul. Jisung's aura is invisible to Felix, since he's not his charge but he can still 'read' his soul only if he manages to make the connection.

"So, how did your date go?"- you ask your friend.

"Which date? The one on Wednesday or the one last night?"- he smirks and you chuckle, smacking his arm and unkowingly startling your Cupid.

"Which ever one was better... or more eventful."- you wiggle your eyebrows.

"Honestly, they were both a snooze. This guy last night almost bored me to death. I'm beginning to think I'll never find my soulmate."- Jisung sighs. Felix's hand is almost on his shoulder.

"Aww, don't say that. I believe that you of all people will actually find your soulmate."- you say.

"I don't see it, unless Cupid personally comes down to earth and finds someone for me."- Jisung jokes and Felix freezes and retracts his hand.

Why did he say that? Did he actually believe in Cupid? Or was he just saying it?

You reach your favorite diner, and Felix manages to float through the door this time while following you. He stands behind your friend's chair as you chat and order, his hands hovering above Jisung's shoulder. He finally places them down, little lights forming from them as he tries to feel around for that familiar buzz and warmness.

But, nothing happens. Jisung doesn't flinch, you keep talking and laughing, and there is no buzz or warmness or love. At least not that kind, Felix can feel that Jisung cares about you as a friend but he isn't your soulmate and Felix feels relieved. Why is he relieved?! He's supposed to find your soulmate, that's his only purpose! He feels confused suddenly, thoughts swirling inside him and he decides - tonight will be the night he will try to infiltrate your dreams.

Felix waits for you to fall asleep instead of shimmering away this evening. When he's sure you're entering deeper into your dreams, he floats closer to you and hovers over you. He places his hands above your head and closes his eyes, concentrating on your energy. Little particles of light shine out of his hands onto your face, warming you up and creating the link your Cupid needs to basically transport himself into your mind.

You're dreaming, at least you think you are but it feels real. More real than any other dream you had before. You're in a field that seems to stretch forever, it's warm and sunny, you're surrounded by beautiful flowers but there's something different about them, different than flowers you see in real life. They're glowing, you realize. The light on their petals glimmers into million different colors, you've never seen anything like it.

"Pretty, isn't it?"- you hear a deep voice behind you and you whip around fast, but you're met with more flowers and grass.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"- you say.

"Not yet."- the voice says. "I don't want to spook you."

"Who are you?"- you ask.

"I'm... someone who's trying to help you open up your heart to love."- the voice reckons.

"Oh? I don't think my heart's closed though."

"Then why do you feel so lonely?"

"Ouch! That's none of your business!"- you feel slightly annoyed at the voice, but this is also just a dream so it must be your subconscious.

"Actually, that is exactly my business-"

"Honestly, I feel crazy talking to a void. Just come out from wherever you're hiding."- you hear a deep sigh and then you see a blinding light. Your arms come up to shield your eyes as you wait for the flickering to subside. When you put your arms down, you come face to face with a beautiful creature. You've never seen anyone as pretty as this creature is, they're practically glowing, their pretty pink wings shimmering and moving lightly as they hover over the ground.

"Hey, I know you!"- you say suddenly, pointing at him and waving your finger. "I saw you this morning when I opened my eyes. Oh my god, I am going crazy. I've conjured up some kind of pretty man in my dreams! You are a man, right?"

"Ugh, well, I'm not technically human. But for humans I am male presenting. I'm actually-" - Felix doesn't get to finish his sentence, he's suddenly forcefully thrown out of your mind.

The link is broken, why? Felix opens his eyes and you're awake. It's still night so why did you wake up? He floats away from you, giving you space as he sees you fumbling for your night lamp.

You turn the light on, your hand coming up to rest on your forehead. The connection must've been too much for you that it caused you a headache and that's why you woke up. Your Cupid feels bad that he caused you pain so he comes closer to you again, lifting his hands up over your hair to take the pain away. His light heals you and the pressure that was throbbing inside your head and behind your eyelids is suddenly gone. You go back to sleep feeling exhausted and confused about your dream even though you couldn't remember the details of it. Felix decides to stay next to you tonight.

It's been a few weeks, and the Elders haven't said a word about their meeting or Felix's 'situation' to him. He was still scared and panicky but he tried to stay calm for the sake of his charge - you, who he had to help find love. He tried to ignore the constant buzzing he felt whenever he got closer to you, but it was consuming him and making him feel weaker. Like his powers were harder to call upon, and he had no idea how you or the soul binded to you were doing that. Speaking of that soul, he had yet to find them and he tried to 'read' every single person interacting with you, but every time the reading came up blank.

Tonight, Felix decided to appear in your dreams again and try to make the dream longer so you could have a proper conversation.

You find yourself on the pretty field again, those wondrous flowers glowing beautifully around you.

"Hello?"- you say, looking around the now familiar place.

"I'm here."- the deep voice says and you turn around towards it.

"Indeed you are."- you chuckle. "I must be crazy."

"I assure you, you're not. Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Felix, and I am... well I'm your Cupid."- he says and you look at him in disbelief before you burst out into laughter, startling the poor creature.

"Okay, this is just a dream."- you shake your head.

"Yes, it is."

"At least I'm not hallucinating in real life."- you say.

"I've come to talk to you. I'm having some problems in finding the soul binded to you. I feel them close but I can't find them. It must mean that your heart is closed off to love."

"Is that like a soulmate?"- you play along this illusion you created in your head, when in fact you know you're just talking to yourself.

The glowing creature nods.

"What if I don't have one?"- you ask.

"Nonsense! Everyone has a soulmate."

"Even you?"

"I am just a messenger of love."- Felix shakes his head.

"Maybe I'm not meant for love. Maybe I'm an exception and I don't have a soulmate or whatever."- you sigh and Cupid floats closer to you.

"Is that how you feel? Undeserving of love?"

"Are you going all psychological on me?"- you chuckle, he's now closer to you and you feel warmth radiating from the light around him.

"Well, I need to know what's stopping you from finding love."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."- you say, your mood sour suddenly and Felix feels it.

"Okay, we can talk about anything else."- he smiles at you.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Aren't you supposed to help people find love?"

"I am one of many."- Felix chuckles. "I'm supposed to be right here now. With you."

You're about to talk but your alarm blasts next to your ear and you realize you're waking up. The pretty field, flowers, sunshine and Cupid disappear into oblivion and you wake up in your room. The clock is showing 6:30am and you have to get ready for work. You have a warm feeling inside you and you feel like you just came from somewhere, some happy place and you're trying to grasp it again. You hate when you forget your dreams like that, but it must've been a good one because you're feeling more positive than you usually do.

Jisung calls you that evening, all excited about finding you the perfect date. He's been yapping about his coworker, Chan, for days, trying to get you to go out with him.

"Just take a risk. It's one date, what do you have to lose? If you don't like him just ghost him or something."

"Because that's very nice to do, Jisung."- you roll your eyes even though he can't see you over the phone and he laughs.

"Look, maybe it will just be some nice dick, but god knows you need that anyways."

"Oh my god!"- you laugh. "Alright then, I'll go out with him."

"Yes!"- you can imagine Jisung jumping up and down in excitement. "Wear that pretty black dress you have!"

And you do, you wear the dress, you put your heels on, you even put a little more makeup than you usually do and Felix watches.

He seethes in jelaousy, he recognizes it now, it's something Cupids aren't supposed to feel but he does. He wants you to make yourself this pretty for him, only for him. He knows it's the highest rule he's breaking but he can't help it, he's fallen in love with you.

You really don't have high expectations out of tonight, having been disappointed in people again and again. So you're surprised when Chan turns out not only handsome and funny but a real gentleman and someone you can actually have an intelligent conversation with. But you're cautious and don't want to jump to conclusions, or start anything serious.

That's why you decide to let go for the night, after a few encouraging drinks in your system, you invite Chan over to your place. You haven't been touched in so long, you forgot how good it feels to have someone kiss you as passionately as he does. You forgot how it feels to have gentle hands on your skin, worshipping you, laying you down on your bed.

Glowing golden tears slide down Felix's cheeks as he watches from the corner of the room. He knows Chan's not your soulmate, he linked to his soul back at the restaurant you had dinner at. And while he sensed that Chan was a good man, he still didn't want him anywhere near you. Felix still wants to give you privacy, but the buzzing and fuzziness clouding his senses don't let him move his wings or shimmer. He feels paralyzed and all he can do is turn his back to the bed, forced to listen to your pleasure, your strained moans, short breaths, your wetness caused by the man touching you and kissing you, the way you kept chanting his name.

Felix wishes to disappear, but at the same time his gut is stirring and he feels shame wash over him. He shuts his eyes tight, ignoring all the feelings brewing inside him, and suddenly he feels like he's being pulled up. He almost screams in fear but when he opens his eyes, he realizes he's back in his realm. Minho is glowing as he stands in front of him and Felix, still out of breath, slightly bows to his Elder.

"Felix."- Minho says and the Cupid gulps.

"Your powers are weakening fast, even as we speak."

"What's happening to me?"- Felix asks, fresh sparkly tears spilling out his eyes, lips quivering.

"You're losing your powers. You're becoming human, Felix."- Minho announces and Felix gasps.

"H-how is that possible?"- he's shivering now.

"I can't tell you yet. You need to find out on your own. Go back to your charge."

"B-but she's-"

"Go to her. Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine, Cupid."- Minho waves his hands towards Felix, little sparkly clouds coming out of them, soothing the Cupid's pain as much as he can.

"I can't shimmer."- Felix shakes his head, shaking a little.

"Just try to focus on your charge's energy and you'll be transported."- Minho says and Felix tries again, he senses you but he can't move.

"Hyunjin!"- Minho summons the other Cupid and he appears next to them. He takes in the state of his friend, shaking and tears still streaming down his cheeks. He's never seen him this weak or this sad.

"What's wrong?"- Hyunjin's brows furrow.

"He can't shimmer. Help him, just bring him to his charge, he'll show you the way."- Minho explains.

Hyunjin grabs Felix's hands gently and they both close their eyes, communicating with their minds, Felix sending his emotions and your soul's energy to Hyunjin. They manage to shimmer into your living room and Felix looks around. It's obviously the next day after that date, since time goes by differently in different realms.

"Hey, whatever happens, everything will be okay in the end, you know?"- Hyunjin smiles sympathetically at Felix, gently putting his hand on his friend's cheek.

"How do you know that?"- Felix's bottom lip quivers. "Do you know something I don't?"- he asks, vision blurry from tears. Hyunjin wipes them off.

"I don't. But I trust the Elders know what they're doing. And so does The Great Source Of Light. They would never harm us or anyone else for that matter."- Hyunjin reassures him.

"You really think that?"- Felix sniffles.

"I do. You'll be fine, my friend."- Hyunjin pats his head and shimmers away. Felix looks around again and you're not in the living room. He hears rummaging in your kitchen and he hopes and prays that Chan isn't still here. He wipes his tears away, trying to come to his senses, and you walk out of the kitchen towards your sofa.

You look up and freeze.

"What the fuck?!"- you squeal, grabbing the nearest object to you, which was just a decorative pillow in the shape of a flower and hurl it into the intruder standing next to your tv. Felix gasps, lifting his arms up to cover his face and the pillow flies right through him, a few particles of light dispersing around him as the pillow hits the wall with a thud.

"Okay, what the hell is this?!"- you say, obviously panicked and trying to pinch yourself so you wake up cause there's no way this is real.

"Don't hurt me!"- the 'intruder' speaks in a deep voice that's somehow familiar to you.

"What are you? What is happening?!"- you panic, half hiding behind your sofa. "Are you a ghost?"

"Ghosts are scary."- the creature shakes his head and comes closer. You squint your eyes, moving back a little, before realization dawns on you.

"I know you!"- you wave your finger at him and Felix feels a sense of deja vu. "You appear in my dreams. You talk to me. In some field with weird flowers."

"How do you remember that?"- he gasps. His powers must be really weakening.

"I remember a lot of my dreams. I don't remember what we talk about though. Am I going crazy and hallucinating right now? Talking to myself?"- you ask.

"No, I'm real."- the creature says.

You don't feel threatened for some reason so you come closer to him. Warmth radiates off of him and he looks ethereally beautiful up close. His hair is long and blonde, eyes dark but sparkles swim inside them, eyelashes long, freckles adorning his face, some of them in the shape of little hearts, even his upper lip is shaped like a heart. He glows, his pink shiny wings moving ever so slightly as he hovers above the ground just a little, before he plants his feet down on your carpet.

You reach your hand towards him, something pulling you closer to him and Felix stays completely still as he feels that buzzing again. His soul vibrates as your fingertips touch his ever so slightly and his eyes flutter. You gasp, only feeling electrifying warmness when you touch him, not actual skin like you would if you were touching a human.

"W-what are you?"- you whisper.

"I'm a Cupid. One of many. I was sent to help you find your soulmate."- he says and you laugh in disbelief, much like you did in your dream.

"I should call a doctor and get my head checked."- you sigh, sitting down on your sofa. Felix joins you reluctantly, almost shyly, and you eye him.

"I'm telling you, you're not crazy, this is real. It's just that you're not supposed to see me. But somehow you can."- he says.

"And why's that?"- you ask.

"I don't know. The Elders do. But they never told me anything, they said I should find out on my own."- the Cupid explains.

"The Elders?"- you play along to the madness.

"Yeah. Ugh, they're like beings of light like us, but like upper level. They take care of everything, keep the balance of Good in the world. All the positive feelings and such."- the Cupid explains.

"So is your name Cupid or?"- you say, trying to wrap your head around what's happening right now.

"No, my name's Felix."- he says.

"Okay then, Felix."- you emphasize his name and his chest flutters, some kind of vibrating wave washing over him. "How are you supposed to help me find my soulmate?"

"Well, I watched you and got to know you... and I'm supposed to feel the soul-"

"Wait, wait. You watch me? Isn't that kinda creepy?"- you stop him.

"N-no, it's literally what I'm supposed to do! Or it was, at least. I never intruded on your personal moments. I mean, not on purpose."- Felix says, looking away from you.

"What do you mean not on purpose?"

"I couldn't shimmer while you were here with your date last night. But I was summoned by the Elders anyways."

"Shimmer?"

"It's how Cupids transport through realms."- he explains, and you shake your head, your brows lifting up in disbelief.

"So you just watched me have sex?"

Felix cringes, the feelings stirring inside him last night threatening to resurface again.

"No, I didn't! I turned away. And just so you know, Chan is not your soulmate."

You scoff at him and grab your phone.

"Okay, I've had enough of this craziness. I'm gonna call the only person I trust, and if he can see you then you're real."- you nod to yourself.

"Jisung?"- Felix asks and you roll your eyes at him.

"You know eeeeverything about me, now do you?"- you say before Jisung picks up. You tell him it's an emergency and to come over asap.

And he does, just 10 minutes later, he's walking through your door.

"Come, I need to show you something."- you say grabbing his arm and pulling him into your living room.

"Where is the damn emergency?"- Jisung whines.

"There."- you point at Felix, who's standing next to the sofa now. "Do you see him?"

"You mean the pretty man with pink wings that's floating in your living room? Yeah I do and what the actual fuck?"- Jisung asks, his eyes widdened in shock.

"This is Cupid. One of many, as he says. His name is Felix and he's here to help me find love."- you sigh and Jisung laughs, shaking his head. "And since you can see him, either he's real or we're sharing a hallucination."

"I can't believe your ass was so lonely that you got your own personal Cupid to help you date."- Jisung jokes and you smack his head.

"Not funny!"- you say.

"Actually, you have your own personal Cupid too."- Felix chimes in.

"I do?"- Jisung's eyes widden again, his hand still rubbing where you smacked him.

"Everyone does."- Felix nods.

"So why can we see you?"- Jisung asks.

"I don't know. I don't know why any of this is happening. It all started when I accidentally swung the lamp and hit the wardrobe door-"

"That was you?"

"Yeah, and I'm not supposed to be able to influence physical stuff in the earth realm like that. I'm only made of light."- Felix explains.

"Okay then, you obviously need help. Since you can't shimmer or whatever, and people can see you, you have to stay here while I'm out. I mean people would probably be weirded out if they saw a guy with wings floating around me all day."- you chuckle and Felix nods, some kind of turmoil swirling in his chest.

"Shimmer?"- Jisung asks.

"Don't ask."- you say and Felix suddenly feels dizzy, he grabs at his chest, vibration going through his body.

"Felix?"- you tilt your head as you turn back to him.

He's buzzing even more now, little particles of light dispersing constantly around him.

"What's happening to him?!"- Jisung panics getting up and trying to get closer to the Cupid, only to be blinded by light.

Both of you lift your hands up to shield your eyes, and you hear some kind of little explosions like fireworks all around you.

The lights are so bright that you can see them under your closed eyelids.

You hear a thud and the lights disappear so you finally open your eyes. Felix is laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious and both you and Jisung rush to him.

You place your hand on Felix's shoulder and try to shake him only to realize you can actually feel him like he was made of flesh, not only the warmness and electricity that went through your palm earlier.

Felix is slowly waking up and he can hear Minho summoning him, at the same time he feels your hand on him, he feels the floor beneath him and he panics. He's pulled up suddenly, the action hurting him, his now human body screaming with pain.

"Felix."- he hears Minho's warm voice.

"What happened?"- Felix asks, slowly opening his eyes, all the light and swirling clouds that he was surrounded by every day of his existence suddenly making him naseous, intensifying the headache behind his eyelids.

"You're almost completely human. Have you realized why you're turning human?"- Minho asks and Felix shakes his head no.

Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing in annoyance.

"Think about it. The buzzing you feel when you're close to your charge."

Felix thinks, despite the horrible aches going through his body, he tries hard to think about everything he knows. He gasps as realization dawns on him.

"I'm- I'm her soulmate?"- he says, his chest beating now and he clutches at it, realizing he now has a heart pumping blood through him.

"Finally!"- Minho chuckles.

"But how is that possible? Cupids aren't supposed to fall in love, especially not with mortals."- Felix recites the rule he learned the first day he opened his eyes.

"Well, someone screwed up. As you know, us Elders deal with good souls too, we help them reincarnate or pass on into different existences. Cupids souls are the souls of people who are done with their life on earthly realms, promoting them to a higher state of being. I mean, not only Cupids, but also Muses for inspiration, Sandman for dreams and many other light beings. The point is, your soul was supposed to be reincarnated as your charge's soulmate. But instead someone accidentally reincarnated you into a Cupid. Still, the pull of love is stronger than anything, travelling through realms and your soulmate ended up as your charge just so you can find love in each other. Weird how destiny works, but that is yours."- Minho explains and Felix just stares at him, the overwhelming amount of information seemingly suffocating him.

"Wh-what about my powers... My other charges..."

"Your charges have been divided between different Cupids, so don't worry about that. Your powers are actually what I wanted to talk to you about. They were one with you since the day you started existing, connected to your emotions so it will take some time for them to completely disappear. The transition will be hard but it will be worth it."

"B-but... what if she doesn't love me?"- Felix asks weakly.

"Oh, she already does. After all, she's your soulmate too."- Minho smiles, seemingly glowing even brighter than before.

"So what do I do now?"

"I will send you back to the earth realm. This is goodbye, former-Cupid. You did a great job helping people find love. It's your turn now to find yours."- Minho says beckoning Felix's friends to come closer. Hyunjin and Changbin float closer to Felix, both of them with golden tears sparkling in their eyes, threatening to spill out.

"You'll be fine, Felix. You deserve to feel love."- Hyunjin smiles at his friend and Changbin agrees.

Felix tries to hug them, but all he feels is the warmness of the light particles they're made of as they embrace him. It's enough for him to feel the love they hold.

"Shimmer him to his love."- is the last thing Felix hears before everything goes black.

It has been three weeks exactly since Felix disappeared and appeared again in your living room, without his wings, unconscious and running a high fever.

You and Jisung carried him to your bed when he appeared, unsure if you should call an ambulance or not. Jisung remembered that Chan's close to a doctor who's really good at what he does but you felt awkward since you never contacted him again after that night. He was still happy to help, holding no grudges against you and his doctor friend welcomes you to his ordination the same day.

You can't really explain the whole situation to the doctor lest he deems you crazy, but even with the little information you give to him, he takes care of Felix.

"Hm."- doctor Yang muses, staring at the papers in his hands. "He just has a fever, while all his other vitals are fine. It's just like he's burning up from the inside, like there's some kind of light or fire inside him."

Even after running all the possible tests, the doctor couldn't find the source of Felix's state, but you know it's gonna take more than any kind of human medicine to make him better.

And now it's been three weeks, Felix is falling in and out of consciousness, and you've tried everything and anything you could think of. Jisung's been helping you take care of him, and you've had time to think. Your heart ached for Felix, seeing him on the brink between life and death, holding on by a thread.

In the mean time, you decide to say fuck it and quit your job. It's not what you wanted to do originally anyways, you just had to pay bills like everyone else so you settled. But, after finding out about Cupids, Elders and whatnot, your earthly problems and concerns seemed kind of nonsensical. Life is so much greater than you thought it was, there is meaning in it, there is love and destiny and soulmates.

That's why you feel connected to Felix, in a way, he was excluded too, something you felt every single day of your life, especially at work. He was cut off from the only life he knew, he had no family or friends, no past on Earth, at least not in this life. You feel like you want to protect him in any way you can.

"Sungie, I'm worried. His breathing is really shallow."- you say, placing your hand on Felix's forehead.

Jisung is silent for a few moments, deep in thought.

"Jisung?"- you tilt your head at him.

"You know what I've been thinking? Since he is - well was Cupid, and he's made of light and love... wouldn't a true love's kiss make him better?"- Jisung suggests.

"Have you been reading fairytales?"- you chuckle.

"Cupid is kind of a fairytale though, isn't he? Or a myth, rather. I don't know, just think about it."

"That's so cliché though."- you shake your head in disbelief.

"Cliché or not, it could be the only way to help him."

That evening, you're alone with Felix and thinking about what your friend said earlier. It couldn't hurt to try, right? You got nothing to lose.

You get up from the couch that you've been sleeping on ever since Felix fell ill, and make your way to your room. He's laying on his back, his breathing fast and shallow, beads of sweat running down his forehead. You sit on the bed, nervousness suddenly washing over you and making your heart beat faster in your chest.

"Felix?"- you try like many times before, but to no avail. Your eyes water and you're afraid. If this doesn't work, he may not have much more time. The thought of that creates an empty hole in your stomach.

You lean in closer to his face and slowly press your lips on his. They're chapped but still soft and you feel something hit you, leaving you out of breath. Thousands of years of love, his soul that was binded to you since the beginning, stretching into forever, taking different shapes, nationalities, species. You may have even been two rocks on a shore when Earth first came into existence. You know him, you know his lips, you know his love.

You hear fireworks much like that day in the living room and you quickly pull back. Little lights are exploding around Felix and he opens his eyes.

"Y-y/n?"- he says weakly, his voice deep and raspy as he squints his eyes at you. The little lights from the fireworks disperse around you both.

"Felix?!"- you gasp. You can't believe it actually worked! Jisung is a damn genius, you think, smiling at Felix.

"W-what-"

"It's okay."- you touch his forehead and his fever seems to be subsiding quickly. "You have to drink some water."

Felix just nods, feeling completely confused and out of it. You grab a water bottle and help him drink.

"Oh, that's better."- he says. "What happened?"

"You were kind of unconscious for three weeks. Jisung and I took care of you. I thought you... I thought you wouldn't make it."- you say, your stomach swirling with many different emotions.

"How did you make me better then?"- he asks and your face warms up.

"I- ugh- I kissed you."- you declare and Felix's eyes widden, his cheeks rosy.

"Oh."- he looks away and awkwardness settles between you both as you have no idea what to do or say.

Felix's stomach suddenly grumbles making you chuckle as he gasps and grabs at it.

"I guess you're fully human now."- you say. "Let's go eat something."- you reach your hands towards him.

He grabs them, wobbling on his feet and you help him steady himself. After not using his legs for 3 weeks, he still feels weak and fuzzy even though your kiss basically healed him.

"My wings!"- he realizes suddenly. "They're gone!"

"Actually, they were gone as soon as you were brought back from your realm."- you tell him and he doesn't answer, seemingly deep in thought.

You decide not to pry with any questions as you both settle in the kitchen, he'll tell you what's on his mind when he's ready.

You whip up some instant noodles and bring two bowls to the table. Felix doesn't wait, he starts digging in with his chopsticks right away.

"Woah, woah, wait a little or you'll get burned."- you warn him, gently grabbing his hand.

His face flushes as he looks at you sheepishly.

"Sorry."- he mumbles.

"It's okay."- you smile at him. "You have lots of things to get used to."

When he does try the food, his eyes widden comically, lips falling open.

"Oh wow, this is so good! Must be food for gods."- he gasps.

"Thank you, but it's just instant noodles."- you chuckle. He smiles a little and continues eating as thoughts swirl around his head.

Now that he's completely human, everything he knew before and everyone he cared about was gone. Everything he ever was just evaporated, his powers, his wings, his duties. And even though he knows you're his soulmate, and you're bound to fall in love with him like he fell in love with you, he was still scared. If you didn't want him, he'd have nowhere to go.

"What's on your mind?"- you ask Felix after dinner, as you both sit on your couch.

"Well... I basically don't exist in this realm. I don't have a family, not even a last name. No one, but you I guess."- he sighs shyly.

"I know it's not the same, but I kind of of have no one except Jisung and well you either. I'm not really close to my family anymore."

"But the pictures-"

"Are old. They didn't agree with my choices and they didn't care for me when I was down. Jisung was there for me at my lowest so he's more like family to me than my actual one."- you say.

"I understand. It's just that... I'm scared."- Felix looks away from you.

"Of what?"

"I know we're soulmates but I'm afraid you wont see me the way I see you and then I'll truly have no one."- he says quietly. You chuckle, making him look up at you.

"You know what I felt when I kissed you?"- you ask and he shakes his head.

"I felt like I've known you for a thousand years. Like I loved you for a thousand years."- his lips tremble. "I've always been kind of a dreamer when it comes to love. But after being with wrong people I stopped believing. In soulmates, destiny, Cupids and whatnot. But kissing you tonight changed everything."

"Do you maybe want to try that again?"

Instead of answering verbally you start leaning in towards him slowly, your eyes travelling to his plump lips. Felix's heart starts beating hard against his chest as he leans in too. Your heart matches the beating of his as his breath hits your lips. He meets you halfway, your lips pressing together and you place your hands on his cheeks gently. You start moving your lips and he's stunned for a moment before he follows your lead. And suddenly, he feels all of it. All the precious moments of love you shared in your past lives. The purpose of his existence, he realizes as his soul buzzes is to love you. You smile into the kiss and he knows everything will be just fine.

within the forest | chapter 10

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader x prince!Seungmin word count: 2.6k words summary: A normal birthday celebration with Chan and Seungmin, everything will go well, right..? a/n: atp, I can say that I'm bad at coming up with a summary--

main masterlist | series masterlist | next

A soft humming escaped from the princess's lips as she hooked an earring to her left ear, the little fairy sitting on her vacancy became her sole audience for her little show. Beomgyu snatched a nearby tissue and wrote a message to her with his gold dust. He purposely sneezed to gain her attention. It was his typical way Beomgyu started a conversation in his little fairy form. She stepped closer toward him, leaning into the vacancy.

“You seem happy today, your highness. Did good news reach you?”

“Today is my birthday, Beomgyu and I can’t wait to spend it with Seungmin and Chan!” She unfolded her hand in front of Beomgyu and with a little hesitation, he climbed onto her hand. She began spinning around her room as the thought of spending another day with Seungmin and Chan excited her more than she had expected. Beomgyu had held her palm tightly to control himself from vomiting and flew off her hand.

A knock on the door was all it took to save Beomgyu. The fairy flew out her window when she headed for the door. She opened the door and was greeted by Sara holding a tulip. The maid smiled widely as she expanded her arm toward Y/N. 

“Happy birthday, Princess Y/N! I pick up this before I come here.” 

“Thank you, Sara!”

“Let’s get your hair done, should we? I can put this flower on your braid if you desire.”

“That will be lovely.”

Sara chuckled and closed the door after her. The rest of the morning was filled with Sara and Y/N’s laughter as they shared what they would do today. 

His hand ran through the dresses on display, mind running through every possibility of her reaction to the dress. A frustrated sigh left his mouth as he grabbed a handful of his hair. He averted his gaze to Taehyun who was buying fruits outside the shop he was in. He never thought finding a perfect gift for someone would be this difficult. Buying a gift for his friends rarely crossed his mind because all his friends were temporary.

“Come on, Chan! Think of something.” He mumbled to himself. The store owner had his eyes on Chan for some time, emerged from the counter and walked up to Chan. Amidst his busy customers, he saw Chan had the hardest time choosing, alluding to how long he had been standing at the same place and the constant zoning out.

“I see you are having a hard time choosing. Can you tell me what she likes? I can help you, son.”

Chan’s hand retreated from the dress and faced the old man.

 “Oh uhm…she likes flowers and anything to do with nature. She’s like a child when she gets excited over something small. Her brown eyes look so ethereal under the blinding sun, that I would like to stare at them for a long time. She brought a huge change in my life.” A fond smile made its way to Chan’s lips.

“You really love this girl, don’t you?”

Blood pumped onto Chan’s face and he immediately rubbed his right ear when he realised his words sounded like he was in love with Y/N. He vigorously shook his head.

“You took it wrong! She’s like my little sister!”

The old man chuckled and patted Chan’s shoulder in a fatherly manner.

 “Whatever you said, son. She must be lucky to have you.”

Chan’s face turned into a much brighter shade of red at his statement. The old man took one dress from the display and presented it to Chan. It was a soft yellow dress with a pink flower motif all over the dress and a puffed sleeve. It was simple, something that Chan didn’t expect to get recommended by the owner.

“I always say to myself that a sincere gift is more worthy than an expensive gift. Let me pack this up for you, son”

The owner returned to the counter. Sincere – why was he worried about Y/N liking the present or not? 

After paying for the gift, Taehyun and Chan returned to the cottage. Chan twisted the doorknob and immediately sneezed loudly, causing Taehyun to jolt back in surprise.

“Are you okay, Chan?” He asked and Chan just nodded, looking at the ground. The floor was covered with gold dust that belonged to none other than Beomgyu himself. Taehyun placed his things in the kitchen and dragged Chan to the backyard after he had put the dress in his room.

Taehyun could guess the reason behind this gold dust mess in the living room. Upon pushing the door to the backyard, his guess was right. Beomgyu’s back was facing them and some bunnies were hopping beside him with a pink ribbon stuffed between their lips. Birds were putting ribbons and flowers on trees. Beomgyu’s wings flapped rapidly until a small mountain of golden dust formed under his wings.

“I’m sorry Chan. Beomgyu did this when something excited him” Taehyun had his head down when he spoke.

“It’s fine Taehyun. The tree already cleaned up the mess.” He patted Taehyun’s shoulder.

Chan went to Beomgyu and asked him to make some arrangements for the decorations to which Beomgyu nodded and instructed the animal. The bunnies quickly hop toward the birds, handing the decorations to the birds. Taehyun stood far from the event. A tender smile crept up on his countenance as he observed how the animal approached Chan with ease. Soon, he joined them to prepare for this evening’s celebration.

“Good evening, princess and happy birthday! So, where are we heading today?” Seungmin asked and planted a kiss on the back of her palm. She laced her hand with him and dragged Seungmin into her room swiftly. It had become his routine to visit Stellious because of their wedding. 

In the past few days, they had ditched their responsibilities to get to know each other and the kingdom better. The prince had just arrived when she sneaked him inside her bedroom. To say Seungmin was confused was an understatement. The princess childishly glanced at him, causing the young prince to become bewildered once he stepped inside her room. She took the black feather under her pillow and held Seungmin's hand.

“Remember when I said I would bring you to meet Chan one day?”

He nodded with enthusiasm 

“Well, let’s go! Close your eyes”

Seungmin shut his eyes and a meadow came into his vision once he unfolded them. The birds' sweet melody greeted his ear and flew above them as if welcoming their arrival to Chan’s little cottage. She pulled him toward the cottage.

“Promise me you won’t be so surprised when you meet him.”

Seungmin raised his thumb and they entered the house. 

“Little flora, I’m in the backyard!” Chan’s voice erupted. Without her lead, Seungmin busted into the backyard and his eyes widened in amazement, he never thought he would see fairies that only appeared in his fairytale book. The three fairies halted their action as their gaze met the prince’s glimmering and curious gaze. The animals that were with them dashed away, terrified of the newcomers.

“I’m sorry for not telling earlier but this is Prince Kim Seungmin, my future husband.” She grinned sheepishly. 

“It’s alright! Finally, we met in person, Seungmin! Little flora had told me about you a lot.” Chan uttered, smiling at Seungmin. Seungmin replied with a big smile stretched; one that Chan always saw on a kid's face. His glimmering eyes reminded Chan so much of a puppy that his siblings adopted before he left their house.

“I’m delighted to meet you too! I mean the three of you! I thought you guys didn’t exist. Honestly,  you guys look even better than I imagined!”

By this time, Beomgyu had turned into a little fairy to hide his blushing cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Taehyun. Beomgyu rested on Taehyun’s shoulder, burying his face into the blonde’s neck. 

“Where did that ashed-hair fairy disappear?! I never read a tale that said they can vanish right in front of your eyes!” 

“I apologise for that, Your Highness. Beomgyu is pretty shy when it comes to compliments. The small fairy on my shoulder is him.” 

Beomgyu flew off from Taehyun’s shoulder. A wave of gold dust appeared and under them was Beomgyu, cheeks reddened. Chan chuckled and gently grabbed Seungmin and Y/N’s hands. He gestured to them to sit on the mat in the middle of the backyard. 

When they settled down, the princess just registered the decoration the animal had put up. Behind them stood two trees, a string of letters tied on its branches, forming a ‘happy birthday’. A tower filled with dessert and snacks was on the mat as well.

“Did you prepare this by yourself?!”

“With the help of them of course!” He pointed to the other fairies who swiftly entered his cottage when all eyes were on them. Taehyun mouthed something to Chan before fully shutting the door.

“Seriously Chan, you don’t need to prepare all of this. Being with you and Seungmin today is enough.”

 “Well, compared to what you had done in my life, this isn’t enough to repay them”

He averted his gaze to the prince and beamed “I hope you enjoy this dessert, Seungmin. Is not much”

“This is more than enough, Chan. Thank you for preparing this!”

The evening went on with Seungmin asking question after question toward Chan. Some questions were odd to ask but Chan answered them honestly nevertheless – it was entertaining he’d say. Their interaction was wholesome to watch. From her point of view, she saw figments of herself and her mother telling tales about the outside world in her bed, a single lit candle witnessed their laughter and smiles.

Out of consciousness, a tear poured down her cheeks. She hastily wiped it off but Seungmin held her hand and glanced at her worriedly.

“Are you okay? Did we make you feel left out or anything?” He asked, panic evident in his voice and she felt the grasp tightened. She rapidly shook her head and cleaned the stain with her free hand. She didn’t know why it had happened either.

“I’m okay, you just remind me of my younger self. Anyway, I’m glad you’re comfortable with him, Seungmin.”

Chan looked up to the sky and immediately grabbed their hand, dragging them to a familiar riverside. Seungmin and Y/N exchanged a confused look when they arrived and Chan simply pointed to the other end of the lake where two mountains stood side by side. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, and the golden rays mingled with the sky, creating an orange-coloured sky for them to watch.

“It’s gorgeous” she muttered.

He became more infuriated every time he glanced at the dagger on his desk. His assassin promised a beating heart of the fairy in the morning but nothing. Blood coated the dagger and its metallic smell spread throughout the room, causing nausea to anyone who set foot inside. He gritted his teeth as he stood up from the comfort of his chair, palm slamming to the desk.  

He threw the dagger across the room and it clattered against the floor, his face was burning red as he marched toward the door. Relying on someone else wouldn’t fulfil his dying hunger so he better take it upon himself.

He rushed to his horse in the castle front yard and shoved Gale away before climbing up on the horse. He gave the horse a harsh slack and it ran out of the castle, the king clenched the rein in his palm as the horse picked up his speed toward the forest. Once the forest registered in his view, he pulled the rein and the horse followed suit, its feet came to an abrupt stop as it neigh.

The king’s eyes widened at the sight of huge blackthorns growing from the ground, concealing the forest’s entrance. It looked impossible to cut it down with a sword. He dismounted from the horse. His knuckles had become white from the strength of his clenched fist, he could feel his nails digging into the skin of his palm. 

“You’re a tomato, Your Highness” Someone snickered behind him, causing the king to whip his head to the source. Duncan showed him a smile while tilting his head – a smile that was too eerie to call it a normal smile. He approached the thorn and caressed its harsh surface.

“I’m sorry if that was rude, Your Highness but I believe you need my help?”

“I’ll never beg for help from you, Duncan!”

“Even if your precious daughter is at risk of getting killed? That’s just irresponsible. ” He jeered 

His jaw tensened at the statement. “Must I remind you that your people almost killed my daughter?”

“You’re slightly wrong, Your Highness. He was. After he broke the rule, he was simply a betrayer to me” He spun around, resting his gaze on the king’s. 

“I believe we have been in this stage before, Your Highness. Don’t be silly; you asked for my help before. You can’t kill him without me, you know that better than anyone” He smirked

Chan’s shoulder suddenly stiffened after a wind washed over him. His eyes observed his surroundings while he stood up. 

The air felt heavier. 

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. 

This wasn’t right…

“Chan? Something’s wrong–”

“Y/N look out!” She heard Seungmin shout before her view was completely covered by Seungmin’s chest and a warm sensation flowed from her forehead. His hand clenched around her shoulder as a grunt escaped. 

Her heart stopped beating momentarily when she saw an arrow piercing through Seungmin’s shoulder. Beyond his shoulder, she caught a figure hiding among the trees, preparing to shoot another arrow. Chan cursed under his breath before wrapping his arm around their waist and launching himself into the air.  

Although it began growing dark, she could make out the figure. Oh, how she wished the sky was coal black.

Chan landed on the ground and quickly screamed for Taehyun and Beomgyu. The called fairies exited the house and horror was written on their faces. They helped Seungmin into the house and pulled the arrow out. Seungmin chewed his bottom lips as Beomgyu cleaned up the wound.

“It’s going to be alright, Your Highness” Taehyun comforted as he hovered his hand on Seungmin’s wound. His hand glowed and before Seungmin’s eyes, his skin began attaching itself. A small gasp bubbled out from Seungmin as he ran his fingers over his injured shoulder – there weren’t scars or invisible marks.

Chan’s fist clenched as he headed to the door. Seungmin shouldn’t be injured, it should be him instead, the prince was innocent. She noticed his behaviour, grabbed his wrist, and shot him a begging look.

“Whatever is inside your head, please don’t do it. I don’t want you to be injured after Seungmin“ She pleaded, the edge of her eyes began brimming with tears. Chan released himself from her grasp gently and shook his head

“Stay with Seungmin, promise me. Return to the castle after this, don’t wait for me.”

He gave her a forced smile. His footsteps echoed through her ear and she swore her vision blurred briefly. In her blurry vision, she saw Chan’s gigantic wings facing her while huge orange flames devoured everything around her. She heard him muttered sorry to her before darkness consumed her.

Was that her imagination or a piece of her forgotten memories?

within the forest | chapter 13

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader x prince!Seungmin word count: 2.8k words summary: Is this the end of our story?

warning: mentioned of death a/n: prepare a box of tissues </3 and the italic font is a flashback

main masterlist | series masterlist | next

She leaned her head on her arm and watched the raindrops pattering down on the window. Her eyes fell on Seungmin standing across her, one of his hands holding a loaf of bread and the other carefully slicing the bread. Next to him, the contents of the pot were boiling, and the steam mixed with the smell was wafting through the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty, as the king had excused his workers for the day, saying that today was their glorious day. She was speechless and her stomach churned at the thought of anything happening to Chan. Last night’s nightmare and the absence of Chan in the morning only intensified the eerie whispers in her head.

Chan would be fine, and Taehyun and Beomgyu would protect him if the worst happened.

Fortunately, Seungmin came to her rescue. His offer to cook his favourite dish and lend an ear to her story was so tempting that she had to accept it. It had been pouring since the morning, so everyone, including her, had to stay inside or they would get soaked.

And it was something new for her…normally, on days like this, she would leave the house and play in the rain with Chan until one sneezed – it acted as a sign for them to stop and return to the fireplace to warm themself.

The soft knock on the table interrupted her thoughts as she glanced up and saw Seungmin’s small smile before he sat before her. On the table was a plate with slices of bread and a bowl of soup, the smell of which made her stomach growl. When she heard it, a chuckle escaped her lips as her face began to turn red.

“It’s just a simple dish that my mom taught me when I was having a bad day,” Seungmin said as she took a spoonful of the soup and popped it into her mouth. Seungmin unconsciously chewed on his lower lips, his fingers rubbing together as he silently observed every change in her facial features. He had never cooked for anyone before.

Her eyes lit up with surprise and she let out a hum. Seungmin’s shoulders slumped in relaxation when hearing it.

“Thank you for cooking this, min!”

“You’re welcome! I hope it helps you forget the nightmare.”

She continued to enjoy the food and he turned his head toward the pile of paper resting on the table along with the food, he sighed. He propped his head on his palm.

“The marriage is next week…are you prepared for it?”

His smile disappeared instantly after asking it. If it were him, he would answer no – not when everything felt rushed and out of place. A wedding in the middle of a hunt for her best friend and his newfound fairy friends, how could the king think it was a good idea?

A wedding should take place in a peaceful setting…

Scoffing, she put the spoon aside. “Does my answer matter?”

“Of course it does! It's about your future, which everyone has to decide for themselves!” Frustration resonated in his voice as he buried his face in his palm. She giggled and took his hand.

“Honestly, I’m not, but since it’s with you, I don’t mind. I’m looking forward to our future,” she said and he could hear his heart beating aggressively against his ribcage as he rubbed his slightly flushed ear.

He turned his palm and intertwined their fingers. “Thank you for giving me a chance, Y/N. I promise I’ll take care of you for your family and Chan. Oh, talking about Chan, I’m excited to meet him after this!”

“I’m still glad that you get along with him well.”

“He and the other are so kind …I don’t understand why the King wants to kill them.”

She didn’t understand either.

After finishing the dish, she cleaned it up and headed to her bedroom with a container filled with cookies they baked earlier. They will be heading to Chan’s cottage later since Seungmin needed to clean the kitchen’s mess first.

She placed the container next to the black feather and sat on her study desk. The branches had been dancing and beating against the window pane since she had entered. She paid less attention to it and let her gaze wander into the forest. Her memories of Chan surfaced in the back of her mind.

Ten years had passed since their first encounter, but it still felt like yesterday. How soft his dark wings were beneath her delicate fingertips, the confused look they exchanged and the first invitation that led to their friendship today.

A small smile tugged on her lips as she remembered that moment. A gust of wind slipped through the creaking window sill, pushing an untouched letter towards her. She reached for the letter and opened it while tilting her head, brows furrowing.

Why she didn’t notice it? How long had it been here?

Her eyes immediately noticed a smudged red stain at the end of the letter. A loud thud echoed through the room before she could make out the words on the paper. She jerked her head around and her eyes widened at the sight of a figure lying on the floor. 

She ran over to him and helped him to lean against the bed. He was half conscious, his eyelids tightly closed, when a soft moan sounded.

The grip on his wounded stomach tightened as he struggled against the pain. A thick red liquid flowed slowly from his hand and spread over his wet shirt.

“Beomgyu! What happened?” There was a note of panic in her voice.

“An…attack. The Stellious army is attacking us. We're trying to stop them, but someone is helping them.”

The door flew open and Seungmin rushed to her side, pressing on Beomgyu’s wound to stop the blood from gushing out so much.

“Why are you here?! Why aren't they here?!” Her body trembled with fear.

She was worried about Chan.

Her gut feeling was right. Her nightmare wasn’t a demon game.

“Chan sent me to warn you. He asks you to stay put and not look for him” A cry escaped Beomgyu’s lips. She pulled a box from under her bed and took out bandages and a sewing kit.

“This is going to be painful, Beomgyu. Please hang in there.”

She took her hand from the wound, revealing bloody, torn skin. It was a sword gash.

She dabbed the bandage around the wound, cleaned up the excess blood and began to stitch, though the metallic fluid didn’t seem to stop. Seungmin held Beomgyu’s hand. By the time Beomgyu’s wound had sewed up, her hands were coated with blood.

She stared at her trembling hands while thousands of scenarios played out simultaneously in her head and a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her. She stood up and grabbed the feather, her hands clenched around it.

With glossy eyes, she spared Beomgyu a glance.

“Princess don’t!” He pleaded with watery eyes

“I’m sorry, Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu jumped towards her and tried to stop her, but it was too late. His action hurt him even more as he landed on his injured stomach.

The wave of dark dust engulfed her.

Her heels froze on the ground as the sight of the ordeal presented itself to her. The grass was covered in blood and the rain soaked the corpses. Swords and arrows all covered in the same liquid scattered across Chan’s front yard. A field of blood

A field where they used to dance and play

Y/N’s POV

"My dad said magic is dangerous because it can make people selfish. He always said that those born with magic are evil," I uttered, staring at the soil in my palm. You twirl your finger around the soil and a purple crocus emerges, unfurling its beautiful violet-purple petals. You plucked the flower, wiped off the excess soil and tugged the fresh blossom to my ear – I loved how a smile immediately dominated your face.

"Yes, for some people, but I'll never be like them. Anyway, do you want to see something amazing?"

"Sure!"

You stared at one of the trees nearby, your grey eyes glowing a bright colour compared to your dull eyes, which I found incredible. The branches of one of the trees came towards us, forming a circle beneath me and lifting me into the sky.

 I shivered from the height, but that subsided when I saw the scenery, The Stellious Kingdom. The view from up there was amazing, like you said, breathtaking even. You were next to me, hugging me gently from the side.

Was it possible to feel comfortable around someone you've only known since yesterday?

"Why would Dad and Mom hide such scenery from me, Channie?" I turned my gaze to you, hoping for an answer.

"I don't know, little Flora."

"They always lock me in the palace, I've never been allowed out. Except yesterday."

"Maybe they're trying to keep you away from any danger. Besides, not everyone you meet in the future has a pure heart"

I sighed "You're right. My parents know what dangers can come my way if no one takes care of me, but I feel safe with you, Channie."

"Thank you, little Flora. I feel safe and happy in your company, but you must tell your mother before you come to see me, mhm?"

You were wrong, Chan, danger was always at my side and held me hostage.

How could he?

Tears gathered under my eyes as my heart beat faster. I whirled around, my hand wrapped around the doorknob. My hands kept slipping as I tried to pry the door open. My knuckles turned white when I finally managed to turn the doorknob.

The pattering of the rain faded away from my hearing and was replaced by the sound of my heartbeat. A soft gasp was all I could produce.

Was this what he meant by glorious day?

"This place is fantastic!!! Can I come here often?" I asked with a hopeful tone. You sigh as you fetch two cups of tea, placing one in front of me and sitting opposite me.

"Only if your mother lets you"

When I heard your reply, I immediately sulked. I know they won’t like you

 "Mom certainly wouldn't allow it. She's too strict and also busy with Dad," I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Then sure. You can come here. Do you like reading? I still have tons of unread books on the shelf."

"Yes, yes!!! I love books!” You emerged and picked up some books. You handed them to me. I gasped and started turning the pages and getting engrossed in the story. Minutes passed and you just stared at me, a few careless giggles escaping my lips as I imagined the scene in my head.

"Reading books is the only way I forget that I'm alone and stuck in the palace. When I read, I feel like I'm not in that dim room," I blurted out, lifting my gaze and meeting your eyes. You were taken back for the second time that day

"Me too. It helps me forget my pain" You calmly replied

"I'm glad I've someone who thinks like me"

 I laughed and read on. I was glad that I had met someone who could understand me for the first time. The hours passed and the sun began to hide behind the horizon and welcome the moon. You, who noticed the change, quickly spoke up

"It's getting late, little Flora. Let's go home, shall we?" I nodded vigorously, closed the book and hugged it tightly to my chest.

And the dam broke and gushed into my cheeks. I rushed to the lifeless body in the middle of the cottage. Each step I took grew heavier as I tried to deny the truth in my head.

No, this is a dream

It must be

I sank to my knees and pulled your head into my lap. My tears fell on your pale face … since when has your face been so pale?

One night I woke up and realised that you weren’t lying next to me in bed. I looked up and the guilt consumed me. I was sleeping on your lap, you hadn’t moved me. I sat, leaning against the wall, next to you.

You sleep fitfully because of me. I let your head sink onto my shoulder and your arm wrapped around my waist. I ruffled your hair before sleep engulfed me again.

“Hey, Channie, wake up,” I whispered, resting my forehead on yours. My arms wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you close. It felt empty without you returning my embrace.

You must be freezing, right?

Is this the end?

“You promised to accompany me at my wedding. You promised me that you would show me your drawing”

“I’m sorry, Chan. I wasn’t there for your last moment,” I sniffled. I would no longer feel your warm hand wiping away my tears. I wouldn’t hear your laughter anymore. No one will accompany Seungmin and me to the river anymore.

Your smile in the back of my head will hurt me now.

Loud footsteps startled me and I jerked my head towards the source and saw Seungmin and an injured Taehyun. I opened my mouth, but nothing came tumbling out.

I stood before the grave as Seungmin and Taehyun pushed the last lumps of dirt into the hole. I pulled the blanket tighter around my body. The stain on my cheeks was abandoned as I knew it was pointless to wipe them off.

You were six feet under the ground ... next to your parents.

Suddenly I remembered your siblings. How would they react? Would they react like me or even worse?

“Thank you for everything, Chan.”

This is our last goodbye, Bang Chan

I arrived at my room with new clothes after Seungmin asked me to change. I looked over at Beomgyu and Taehyun who were sleeping in my bed, their clothes still soaked with blood and rain. My heart wrenched with guilt as I remembered that my father was the cause of their injuries and Chan’s death.

It was surreal to say this out loud. It felt like the aftertaste of biting into a poison ivy.

They can’t leave the castle yet, the army has probably moved through the forest looking for the fairies.

I went to my desk and picked up the diary Taehyun had given me. It was your last gift to me. Did you foresee your death, Chan?

I sat down on the floor and began to read the entries. A thin smile appeared on my lips. You wrote a lot about your siblings and me, even about the moment your parents died.

Until I stopped at a page. The page was half torn, and the uneven edge showed a sign of hesitation. Why did you want to throw it away?

: I was supposed to kill the princess tonight, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She's just a little girl! How could I? You can’t blame me, no one can, unless they’re evil enough. I set the bakery on fire because Flora was there alone. When I heard her screaming for her mother, something within me ached. The guilt I felt back then has never gone away.

I rushed back into the house, hugged her tiny silhouette and threw myself onto the roof before the bakery exploded…. before she died. There are long scars on my wings now. I think of them as a gift for saving the girl. So I can remember that was my last mission before I left Duncan. Duncan would kill me now, wouldn’t he? If this is my final entry, consider I’d die in Duncan’s hands. I don’t think I will make it out alive the next time I meet him.

A dot appeared on the page, one after the other. I buried my face in the book. I found it harder to breathe, my mouth was gasping for air to fill my burning throat.

Is that true? You wrote it. You won’t lie in your diary.

An arson… that was the accident. He was misunderstood.

He was a villain who wanted to change, but fate betrayed him. The king had never considered what one must do to survive. He had not considered that a family grieves when it learns of the death of a loved one.

My arm fell to my side and I flinched as I felt the cold on my finger. I looked up and saw a dagger, the dagger I had brought with me from the cottage. A voice told me to pick it up and I did.

I stood up and marched to the king’s office.

But Chan promised himself that he wouldn’t do it again.

I opened the door quietly and walked towards him. He was staring through the window at the city.

You don’t deserve this ending

I raised the dagger, my nails digging into my skin with rage. Was it rage? Or just despair?

Out of the blue, a hand was shoved into my mouth and the other held my hand from behind. The figure dragged me out of the room. The silhouette of the king slowly disappeared from my field of vision as tears welled up in my eyes.

I'm sorry for the early post. An anonymous told me that it was a scam(thank you so much for telling <3)