[Super Junior] Timeless -Part 1-
TIMELESS
-Part 1-
I can't blend in here, there; anywhere
I can't belong to you, her, anyone else
I walk down restlessly around you
Will the moon understand my loneliness?
*******
There is a cherry blossom tree at the top of the cliff by the sea. The tree is said to be the largest tree in the town, and the age of the tree might be even older than the town itself, which has been around since more than 200 years ago. The area by the cliff is off-limits to people as of today, due to it been the popular place for suicide and the extremely rocky path to reach the top. To see the tree, people usually go down the beach, and if the day is clear and not foggy at the cliff, the tree is visible for the entire world to see; the big, strong trunk, long branches with leaves fluttered by, and the blooming pink flowers whose petals falls down every so often, swept by the wind. The scenery is gorgeous, magnificent even; regardless of from what angle do you see it. The tree has always been the symbol of the town and it is likely to stay that way. It is both admired and feared by the townspeople after all
For the tree, since one can remember, never seems to stop blooming its flower.
The oldest man living in the town, who celebrated his 100th birthday, last month, said that the tree has always been regarded as somewhat sacred, even way before he was born. The tree never bloomed on that time, just big trunk and awkward branches stretching out, but then somehow, one day, it starts to bloom and the flowers remains there; even when the nature wither and die on winter, even when draught hit the land, come hell or water high, the tree stays there, remains unchanged pass the century.
And until today, nobody is able to crack the mystery behind this phenomenon.
Of course, there are legends and rumors, but to him and most of the townspeople, the one about the ancestors of his family himself is always regarded as believable enough and passed down to the younger generation compare to other legends. Maybe because the person mentioned is indeed exist, maybe because the supernatural does seems to run in the family, and maybe, just maybe, that is the truth, though there is no one that can proof it.
As of now, that is.
He stares at the tree from his usual spot every time he is here by the beach, leaning against the abandoned old hut under the now bare shady tree, the sea almost freezes over. Still, the tree blooms, even with the snow covering the top of it, making the scene more so breathtaking with the tree being so out of place, the pink petals, the green leafs, the dark brown trunk, and the white surrounds it all. The cold, strong wind blows his way and some pink petals falls by his feet. There is nobody around save for him, and even he himself has no idea what is he doing there at the first place. Thinking back, it is just that he suddenly has this urge to see the tree when he wakes up this morning. Call it ridiculous, but he has always believe on his intuition, as it has always leads him towards something in the past, so this time is no exception. The fact that it has something to do with the tree perks his interest more.
So here he is, in a middle of a winter day, staring at the tree, the cold be damn.
- [My body feels ok, it's nothing special
And yet I feel like I'm drowning]-
"Do you think the tree will last this winter?”
The tree is nothing but dying, with not a single leaf on, all awkward and bare. They are sitting under the said tree, leaning against the big trunk, the cool wind of fall blows softly. The hill on their right is mostly orange red with fall leaves, while the sea on their left is dark, swallowed by the black of the night, they and the tree are only visible due to the moonlight.
“I don’t know.”
At this, the one asking buries his head even further in the knees, the one answering stares to the sky above, and heave out a breath. For a moment there is only silence between the two. And then, the head is no longer buried, facing the other person instead.
“I don’t understand, why do things have to change? It will be great if everything remains the same, isn’t it?”
No answer coming this time around.
- [World suffocates me endlessly
My heart closed only halfway]-
When he opens his eyes, he is at the hospital; the smell of aesthetic in the air and the whiteness of the room give it away. He later learns that the kids in the neighborhood found him lying in the snow by the sea while playing around. Of course, he receives an earful of lecture by the whole family for his recklessness, which he just smiles sheepishly as reply. He remembers going there to look at the tree, and he did remembers that he feels somewhat sleepy after a while being there, so maybe it is his fault after all. He makes a mental note to treat the kids later as thanks.
By the time he leaves the hospital the snow already melts away, and the footsteps of spring are approaching. Instead of going back home, he goes to see the tree first; something struck him inside about it, though he cannot tell what is it to begin with. The tree is indeed still there, still blooms, and the story of the legend crosses his mind.
Along with the oldest man of the town, somehow.
So he turns and walks away; the kids are always lounging around the area too, so it will be like killing two birds with one stone. Luckily, the shop the old man usually tends to are only a walking distance, so the family would not get too mad, maybe, he thinks. After all, they cannot expect him to be grounded after all the stuck up in the hospital, seriously.
And indeed, he guessed right, from afar he can see the old man on the bench in front of the shop, and the kids fooling around the area. Smiling, he makes his way towards the shop, buying loads of snacks and gives them to the delighted kids; he cannot help but smiles at the scene. Then, he turns, facing the old man who has been watching, and bows slightly as greeting, the man reciprocates by offering the seat beside him on the bench, to which he gratefully accepts.
“So you’re out of the hospital.”
He smiles inwardly at that, the news must have travel around.
“Yes. I got out this afternoon, actually.”
The man nods thoughtfully.
“And you’re already walking about; your old man is going to get high blood pressure these days.”
He chuckles at the remark; the old man is as witty as ever.
“So, what do you want to ask me?”
He is sure he cannot hide the surprise on his face, for the man just smiles at him.
“I don’t live long enough to know nothing on reading faces, you see.”
- [I put a lock on that door
Locks rusted away from an ethereal loneliness
I turn my key out]-
“You’re still watering the tree?”
There is a smile as he sees the person approaching. Pouring all the water in the bottle out, he stands up and brushing the dirt off the clothes, facing the coming person.
“Yes. I cannot…
He shakes his head wildly.
“…I can’t afford to give up now.”
The person nods once, understanding.
“I’ll proof it, to them, to everybody.”
They are staring at the tree; his eyes full with hope.
“This tree will bloom.”
He does not see the indescribable look in the person’s eyes.
“And nobody will look down on the family again.”
The wind is cold, brushes past them softly.
“Nobody will say we are cursed; again.”
The sun shines down upon them, yet they can feel no warmth from the summer heat.
“You think so too, right?”
As always, he never receives an answer.
- [Alienation from answers, held on my shackles
It suffocates me]-
The thing about been sharp in intuition is that sometimes, it is hard to comprehend the feeling of been right on something, but cannot seem to put a finger on it. And always, that particular feelings itself become somewhat annoying as it never stops bugging him every single minute of the day.
And when it lasts for a week, he knows this is a serious matter.
It is the middle of spring now, and ever since the incident last winter, he found himself thinking about the tree every so often, to his own amusement. Still, he does not tell anybody in the family about it; they might kick out a big fuss over it, and that definitely is not a good thing, as based on past experiences, it usually will end up on a bad note, so he will not bother telling this time around.
Besides, keeping one or two secrets is not against the law as far as he is concern.
So he goes out to see the tree more often these days -out of anyone’s knowledge of course- and before he knows it he has been stepping closer to the tree now; this time he finds himself in the forest near to the bottom of the cliff of all places. It is quiet here, save for the sound of the leaves rustles by the wind, and there is no visible trail to go up to the tree; it is clear that nobody has really been here after all. But he has been here, and while at that, why not find a way up, he thinks.
And so he finds it.
He walks through small bushes and always alert on the surroundings, this is a forest after all, and he cannot be sure on anything. He ensures himself to avoid steep paths, it will be too hard to climb down later, and makes a mental note along the way so as to not get lost. As he walks on and on, he cannot help but be grateful that he does focus during the scout training way back in school before. But then, it was a long time ago, so maybe his intuition plays a larger part this time. And the thought becomes solid not long after in his brain when he actually does manage to reach the top of the cliff, the tree is on his sight now. Heck, it does not even get dark yet.
Talk about being lucky, or in his case, maybe sharp is the more proper word.
The tree is more magnificent up close, and large too; the branches reach out to the whole space, making a shelter from the sun, and the roots are spread out, covered by the fallen petals like a blanket. Awed by the scene, he walks closer, and touches the trunk of the tree, as he cannot really quite believing that this is reality, and the tree that is always so far is now within his reach, that he cannot help but feel like crying for some odd reason. Maybe because the family has always been somewhat attached to the tree since the old generations, partially thanks to the legend, but nobody really wants to have anything to do with it somehow, and he might be the only one that has ever really been this close before.
No, he might be the second one, if the guy in the legend really exists.
“Jungsu?”
He broke out of his trance and turns towards the voice, which comes from his right, and there is a person with dark black hair, wearing nothing but black, shock clearly written on the pale face, deep black eyes staring straight at him. And judging from position of the body, it seems like the person comes from the other side of the tree, which faces the ocean. Forget about how it is supposed to be no one up here, the way the person stands, so close to the tree -and is it a branch around the neck and wrists?- sends shiver down his spine. His breathing starts to get harder, and unconsciously he starts to take a few steps backwards, his vision is blurring in front of him. His feet must have breaks a twig, but something also snaps in his head, as he turns and runs.
It is already dark when he reaches his home, and he must have looked so bad that the family sends him off to bed without the usual interrogation. And they totally ignore the matter when he is down with a high fever, and only wakes up one week later. What they does not know is, he actually wakes up on the third day, and finds himself crying, the image of the person by the tree plagues his mind like glue until he passes out, and soon after petals of flowers starts flying in through the window, spread out above him, as if trying to wipe the tears away. The flowers are gone by the time he wakes up, and somehow nobody in the family really has a conscious memory about them, so nobody tells him anything about it.
For if someone does tell, maybe he knows; the flowers are the ones send to him from the tree itself, as there is absolutely no possible way for the flowers to reach his room.
The tree and the room are kilometers apart after all.
- [I walk down restlessly around you
I walk around because I fear of change]-
The town is always said to be something else, whether it is the location, surrounded by hills and closing in by the sea, or the people itself, which holds the old tradition above themselves, regardless of the situation. Thus, any changes are not openly accepted by the general public there.
That might actually be the thing he hates the most about the place.
Ever since he can remember, the family is always sticking out like a sore thumb, and it is not that hard to realize; the way they stop and stare, hushed whispers on their back, occasional glances from the corner end of the eyes; he is too used to them he can hardly feel a thing anymore.
He does not mind people shutting him, nor that it makes him boil if people insult the family; he is not really one of them now -the parents passed away a couple of years back- yet they still does take care of him for the sake of the blood bond, and it gives him a debt to stay and sticks around. Still, it is the common give and take, and thus he sees no problem with it.
He is cold, he knows that fully well, and he does not mind one bit. After all, if there is two things that he really cares in this whole wide world is the tree and the person; the tree being the one his late father cares for and trusted him to it, and the person who cares earnestly, for him like no other. He knows there is no replacing them, and he may never afford that to happen.
No, he absolutely cannot afford that to happen.
- [Picking up the phone that never rings
I wait for your call all night]-
Summer means hot and scorching sun, and he, being the calculative person he is, will go to the extreme lengths just to ensure that he will not go out in this weather, no matter what the reason may be. And he proves himself just that by accepting the offer to clean the warehouse of the family in exchange to farm work.
And the warehouse is freaking big too it is almost impossible to clean it by oneself.
But he insists on doing so, and the family is no stranger to his antics, so they simply let him be. Congratulating himself for the great idea, he gets ready to work, making a mental note to not letting anyone come to help.
Truthfully, it has been bothering him much on how he cannot seem to forget the person on top of the cliff and how he always feels somewhat guilty each and every single time, despite not knowing who the person is. Determined to solve the mystery, and he figures he had too much free time anyways, he set by looking for old stuffs, which he later found out is mostly in the warehouse. Coincidentally, too, he had always wanted to explore the warehouse and all the heirlooms inside, so this is just like killing two birds with one stone.
Talk about being lucky, though he admits pulling some strings here and there.
Not that he is telling.
He opens the big door of the warehouse carefully, not wanting to create much noise; the building is old after all. And the wash of dust that greets him as he steps inside is definitely not a joking matter. Looking at the whole interior now, he might waste the whole summer away cleaning the place. Still, he signed up for it, and he is a tad too responsible to quit before he even started, so he gather his resolve and set up his mind once again, eyes wandering around.
The gather of books on the shelf, scrolls, and boxes are neatly placed by the walls, making the work simpler as there is no need for him to arrange things up beforehand. As he calculates and plans the work his eyes catches the sight of a black box at the very end of the warehouse, almost hidden even from the collection of brown boxes around it. He eyed it and makes a mental note to definitely check it up; something screams history from it somehow. And although it will mean he will have to remove all the stuffs outside to take it, and make a proper cleaning at the same time as to avoid suspicion from the family, he finds himself does not mind much.
He figures he have all the time in the world for this anyway.
- [When my shadow is covered by the moon,
I draw you in my heart, I recite on myself
Every day, I am fear of life endlessly]-
There is news of famine and epidemic in the country, and he watches as the people in town crumbles one by one, falling sick, lying down, and dies. Still, he is a cold person, as cold as the fall wind, so he could care less about the situation.
But it changes when he sees the person coughing, wildly, the body shaking.
“You…”
The person quickly raises a hand, the other still covering the mouth.
“I’m fine.”
He knows that it is definitely not, but he does not want to voice his concern, as he of all people will not be able to handle it, so he keeps silence, comforting himself as simply a cold or something. He returned home only to hear that his favorite aunt had passed away, and something snapped in his head, as he remembered that the aunt used to cough a lot the past few days, just like the person just now, and his mind screamed, in fear and agony, for he cannot deludes himself anymore, not when it is clear in front of him.
That the person might…no, will die.
He cannot afford that.
But then he remembered what his dear mother once told him, and immediately he heads to the store room of the family, keeping an eye to ensure that nobody saw what he is up to. The room is off-limits after his parents’ death for some reason, and he knows that there are a lot of their stuffs inside, which is understandable, perhaps, since both of the parents are strong, in spiritual sense.
And unbeknownst to the family, he inherits most of the powers himself, but he is able to control it so well that they thought he is powerless, thus simply letting him be, and even teach him a spell or two occasionally, in which he usually upgrades into something else altogether behind their back.
Talk about irony.
But those spells cannot stop the epidemic, he knows that.
He knows that very well.
It hurts.
-Part 2-
-Part 1-
I can't blend in here, there; anywhere
I can't belong to you, her, anyone else
I walk down restlessly around you
Will the moon understand my loneliness?
*******
There is a cherry blossom tree at the top of the cliff by the sea. The tree is said to be the largest tree in the town, and the age of the tree might be even older than the town itself, which has been around since more than 200 years ago. The area by the cliff is off-limits to people as of today, due to it been the popular place for suicide and the extremely rocky path to reach the top. To see the tree, people usually go down the beach, and if the day is clear and not foggy at the cliff, the tree is visible for the entire world to see; the big, strong trunk, long branches with leaves fluttered by, and the blooming pink flowers whose petals falls down every so often, swept by the wind. The scenery is gorgeous, magnificent even; regardless of from what angle do you see it. The tree has always been the symbol of the town and it is likely to stay that way. It is both admired and feared by the townspeople after all
For the tree, since one can remember, never seems to stop blooming its flower.
The oldest man living in the town, who celebrated his 100th birthday, last month, said that the tree has always been regarded as somewhat sacred, even way before he was born. The tree never bloomed on that time, just big trunk and awkward branches stretching out, but then somehow, one day, it starts to bloom and the flowers remains there; even when the nature wither and die on winter, even when draught hit the land, come hell or water high, the tree stays there, remains unchanged pass the century.
And until today, nobody is able to crack the mystery behind this phenomenon.
Of course, there are legends and rumors, but to him and most of the townspeople, the one about the ancestors of his family himself is always regarded as believable enough and passed down to the younger generation compare to other legends. Maybe because the person mentioned is indeed exist, maybe because the supernatural does seems to run in the family, and maybe, just maybe, that is the truth, though there is no one that can proof it.
As of now, that is.
He stares at the tree from his usual spot every time he is here by the beach, leaning against the abandoned old hut under the now bare shady tree, the sea almost freezes over. Still, the tree blooms, even with the snow covering the top of it, making the scene more so breathtaking with the tree being so out of place, the pink petals, the green leafs, the dark brown trunk, and the white surrounds it all. The cold, strong wind blows his way and some pink petals falls by his feet. There is nobody around save for him, and even he himself has no idea what is he doing there at the first place. Thinking back, it is just that he suddenly has this urge to see the tree when he wakes up this morning. Call it ridiculous, but he has always believe on his intuition, as it has always leads him towards something in the past, so this time is no exception. The fact that it has something to do with the tree perks his interest more.
So here he is, in a middle of a winter day, staring at the tree, the cold be damn.
- [My body feels ok, it's nothing special
And yet I feel like I'm drowning]-
"Do you think the tree will last this winter?”
The tree is nothing but dying, with not a single leaf on, all awkward and bare. They are sitting under the said tree, leaning against the big trunk, the cool wind of fall blows softly. The hill on their right is mostly orange red with fall leaves, while the sea on their left is dark, swallowed by the black of the night, they and the tree are only visible due to the moonlight.
“I don’t know.”
At this, the one asking buries his head even further in the knees, the one answering stares to the sky above, and heave out a breath. For a moment there is only silence between the two. And then, the head is no longer buried, facing the other person instead.
“I don’t understand, why do things have to change? It will be great if everything remains the same, isn’t it?”
No answer coming this time around.
- [World suffocates me endlessly
My heart closed only halfway]-
When he opens his eyes, he is at the hospital; the smell of aesthetic in the air and the whiteness of the room give it away. He later learns that the kids in the neighborhood found him lying in the snow by the sea while playing around. Of course, he receives an earful of lecture by the whole family for his recklessness, which he just smiles sheepishly as reply. He remembers going there to look at the tree, and he did remembers that he feels somewhat sleepy after a while being there, so maybe it is his fault after all. He makes a mental note to treat the kids later as thanks.
By the time he leaves the hospital the snow already melts away, and the footsteps of spring are approaching. Instead of going back home, he goes to see the tree first; something struck him inside about it, though he cannot tell what is it to begin with. The tree is indeed still there, still blooms, and the story of the legend crosses his mind.
Along with the oldest man of the town, somehow.
So he turns and walks away; the kids are always lounging around the area too, so it will be like killing two birds with one stone. Luckily, the shop the old man usually tends to are only a walking distance, so the family would not get too mad, maybe, he thinks. After all, they cannot expect him to be grounded after all the stuck up in the hospital, seriously.
And indeed, he guessed right, from afar he can see the old man on the bench in front of the shop, and the kids fooling around the area. Smiling, he makes his way towards the shop, buying loads of snacks and gives them to the delighted kids; he cannot help but smiles at the scene. Then, he turns, facing the old man who has been watching, and bows slightly as greeting, the man reciprocates by offering the seat beside him on the bench, to which he gratefully accepts.
“So you’re out of the hospital.”
He smiles inwardly at that, the news must have travel around.
“Yes. I got out this afternoon, actually.”
The man nods thoughtfully.
“And you’re already walking about; your old man is going to get high blood pressure these days.”
He chuckles at the remark; the old man is as witty as ever.
“So, what do you want to ask me?”
He is sure he cannot hide the surprise on his face, for the man just smiles at him.
“I don’t live long enough to know nothing on reading faces, you see.”
- [I put a lock on that door
Locks rusted away from an ethereal loneliness
I turn my key out]-
“You’re still watering the tree?”
There is a smile as he sees the person approaching. Pouring all the water in the bottle out, he stands up and brushing the dirt off the clothes, facing the coming person.
“Yes. I cannot…
He shakes his head wildly.
“…I can’t afford to give up now.”
The person nods once, understanding.
“I’ll proof it, to them, to everybody.”
They are staring at the tree; his eyes full with hope.
“This tree will bloom.”
He does not see the indescribable look in the person’s eyes.
“And nobody will look down on the family again.”
The wind is cold, brushes past them softly.
“Nobody will say we are cursed; again.”
The sun shines down upon them, yet they can feel no warmth from the summer heat.
“You think so too, right?”
As always, he never receives an answer.
- [Alienation from answers, held on my shackles
It suffocates me]-
The thing about been sharp in intuition is that sometimes, it is hard to comprehend the feeling of been right on something, but cannot seem to put a finger on it. And always, that particular feelings itself become somewhat annoying as it never stops bugging him every single minute of the day.
And when it lasts for a week, he knows this is a serious matter.
It is the middle of spring now, and ever since the incident last winter, he found himself thinking about the tree every so often, to his own amusement. Still, he does not tell anybody in the family about it; they might kick out a big fuss over it, and that definitely is not a good thing, as based on past experiences, it usually will end up on a bad note, so he will not bother telling this time around.
Besides, keeping one or two secrets is not against the law as far as he is concern.
So he goes out to see the tree more often these days -out of anyone’s knowledge of course- and before he knows it he has been stepping closer to the tree now; this time he finds himself in the forest near to the bottom of the cliff of all places. It is quiet here, save for the sound of the leaves rustles by the wind, and there is no visible trail to go up to the tree; it is clear that nobody has really been here after all. But he has been here, and while at that, why not find a way up, he thinks.
And so he finds it.
He walks through small bushes and always alert on the surroundings, this is a forest after all, and he cannot be sure on anything. He ensures himself to avoid steep paths, it will be too hard to climb down later, and makes a mental note along the way so as to not get lost. As he walks on and on, he cannot help but be grateful that he does focus during the scout training way back in school before. But then, it was a long time ago, so maybe his intuition plays a larger part this time. And the thought becomes solid not long after in his brain when he actually does manage to reach the top of the cliff, the tree is on his sight now. Heck, it does not even get dark yet.
Talk about being lucky, or in his case, maybe sharp is the more proper word.
The tree is more magnificent up close, and large too; the branches reach out to the whole space, making a shelter from the sun, and the roots are spread out, covered by the fallen petals like a blanket. Awed by the scene, he walks closer, and touches the trunk of the tree, as he cannot really quite believing that this is reality, and the tree that is always so far is now within his reach, that he cannot help but feel like crying for some odd reason. Maybe because the family has always been somewhat attached to the tree since the old generations, partially thanks to the legend, but nobody really wants to have anything to do with it somehow, and he might be the only one that has ever really been this close before.
No, he might be the second one, if the guy in the legend really exists.
“Jungsu?”
He broke out of his trance and turns towards the voice, which comes from his right, and there is a person with dark black hair, wearing nothing but black, shock clearly written on the pale face, deep black eyes staring straight at him. And judging from position of the body, it seems like the person comes from the other side of the tree, which faces the ocean. Forget about how it is supposed to be no one up here, the way the person stands, so close to the tree -and is it a branch around the neck and wrists?- sends shiver down his spine. His breathing starts to get harder, and unconsciously he starts to take a few steps backwards, his vision is blurring in front of him. His feet must have breaks a twig, but something also snaps in his head, as he turns and runs.
It is already dark when he reaches his home, and he must have looked so bad that the family sends him off to bed without the usual interrogation. And they totally ignore the matter when he is down with a high fever, and only wakes up one week later. What they does not know is, he actually wakes up on the third day, and finds himself crying, the image of the person by the tree plagues his mind like glue until he passes out, and soon after petals of flowers starts flying in through the window, spread out above him, as if trying to wipe the tears away. The flowers are gone by the time he wakes up, and somehow nobody in the family really has a conscious memory about them, so nobody tells him anything about it.
For if someone does tell, maybe he knows; the flowers are the ones send to him from the tree itself, as there is absolutely no possible way for the flowers to reach his room.
The tree and the room are kilometers apart after all.
- [I walk down restlessly around you
I walk around because I fear of change]-
The town is always said to be something else, whether it is the location, surrounded by hills and closing in by the sea, or the people itself, which holds the old tradition above themselves, regardless of the situation. Thus, any changes are not openly accepted by the general public there.
That might actually be the thing he hates the most about the place.
Ever since he can remember, the family is always sticking out like a sore thumb, and it is not that hard to realize; the way they stop and stare, hushed whispers on their back, occasional glances from the corner end of the eyes; he is too used to them he can hardly feel a thing anymore.
He does not mind people shutting him, nor that it makes him boil if people insult the family; he is not really one of them now -the parents passed away a couple of years back- yet they still does take care of him for the sake of the blood bond, and it gives him a debt to stay and sticks around. Still, it is the common give and take, and thus he sees no problem with it.
He is cold, he knows that fully well, and he does not mind one bit. After all, if there is two things that he really cares in this whole wide world is the tree and the person; the tree being the one his late father cares for and trusted him to it, and the person who cares earnestly, for him like no other. He knows there is no replacing them, and he may never afford that to happen.
No, he absolutely cannot afford that to happen.
- [Picking up the phone that never rings
I wait for your call all night]-
Summer means hot and scorching sun, and he, being the calculative person he is, will go to the extreme lengths just to ensure that he will not go out in this weather, no matter what the reason may be. And he proves himself just that by accepting the offer to clean the warehouse of the family in exchange to farm work.
And the warehouse is freaking big too it is almost impossible to clean it by oneself.
But he insists on doing so, and the family is no stranger to his antics, so they simply let him be. Congratulating himself for the great idea, he gets ready to work, making a mental note to not letting anyone come to help.
Truthfully, it has been bothering him much on how he cannot seem to forget the person on top of the cliff and how he always feels somewhat guilty each and every single time, despite not knowing who the person is. Determined to solve the mystery, and he figures he had too much free time anyways, he set by looking for old stuffs, which he later found out is mostly in the warehouse. Coincidentally, too, he had always wanted to explore the warehouse and all the heirlooms inside, so this is just like killing two birds with one stone.
Talk about being lucky, though he admits pulling some strings here and there.
Not that he is telling.
He opens the big door of the warehouse carefully, not wanting to create much noise; the building is old after all. And the wash of dust that greets him as he steps inside is definitely not a joking matter. Looking at the whole interior now, he might waste the whole summer away cleaning the place. Still, he signed up for it, and he is a tad too responsible to quit before he even started, so he gather his resolve and set up his mind once again, eyes wandering around.
The gather of books on the shelf, scrolls, and boxes are neatly placed by the walls, making the work simpler as there is no need for him to arrange things up beforehand. As he calculates and plans the work his eyes catches the sight of a black box at the very end of the warehouse, almost hidden even from the collection of brown boxes around it. He eyed it and makes a mental note to definitely check it up; something screams history from it somehow. And although it will mean he will have to remove all the stuffs outside to take it, and make a proper cleaning at the same time as to avoid suspicion from the family, he finds himself does not mind much.
He figures he have all the time in the world for this anyway.
- [When my shadow is covered by the moon,
I draw you in my heart, I recite on myself
Every day, I am fear of life endlessly]-
There is news of famine and epidemic in the country, and he watches as the people in town crumbles one by one, falling sick, lying down, and dies. Still, he is a cold person, as cold as the fall wind, so he could care less about the situation.
But it changes when he sees the person coughing, wildly, the body shaking.
“You…”
The person quickly raises a hand, the other still covering the mouth.
“I’m fine.”
He knows that it is definitely not, but he does not want to voice his concern, as he of all people will not be able to handle it, so he keeps silence, comforting himself as simply a cold or something. He returned home only to hear that his favorite aunt had passed away, and something snapped in his head, as he remembered that the aunt used to cough a lot the past few days, just like the person just now, and his mind screamed, in fear and agony, for he cannot deludes himself anymore, not when it is clear in front of him.
That the person might…no, will die.
He cannot afford that.
But then he remembered what his dear mother once told him, and immediately he heads to the store room of the family, keeping an eye to ensure that nobody saw what he is up to. The room is off-limits after his parents’ death for some reason, and he knows that there are a lot of their stuffs inside, which is understandable, perhaps, since both of the parents are strong, in spiritual sense.
And unbeknownst to the family, he inherits most of the powers himself, but he is able to control it so well that they thought he is powerless, thus simply letting him be, and even teach him a spell or two occasionally, in which he usually upgrades into something else altogether behind their back.
Talk about irony.
But those spells cannot stop the epidemic, he knows that.
He knows that very well.
It hurts.
-Part 2-