Earthly Secrets || Chapter Five
Title: Earthly Secrets
Pairing: Changmin/Sooyoung/Kris/Tiffany/Jessica/Jaejoong
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, Fantasy
v. dreams and illusions
There was fog everywhere, blanketing everything in a thick sea of translucent white. Kris was walking on a pathway paved with cobblestones. From way up, he can see a stone bridge drifting like a crescent comb above the misty waters. Above it, hovered branches of winter-stricken trees, jutting out of the hazy blur like bony fingers, their bodies swallowed by the heavy curtain of ground clouds.
In the dream, he was wearing all black. His hair was swept back, showing the full frame of his face, and all the earthly colors in it was gone, every strand a vivid color of deep black. He heard what he first thought was the gurgle of the brook. The feel of soft fabric sliding on his skin made him turn around. And there she was, looking at him. Laughing.
Her hair was tied up like a flower bud waiting for the dawn of its blossoming and her dress, that was the color of her skin, fell like waves on her feet. Sooyoung ran through the mist so gracefully she might have been the mist itself. Kris felt his feet moving on its own accord after her but she has disappeared into the fog. He scampered blindly towards the haze with no permanent direction to go to. The faint ripple of water reached his ears and he realized that he was already on the bridge.
He raised his head and saw the fog thin in front of him. She had her back against him and she was walking slowly towards the other end of the bridge. Her hair was now cascading down her bare back and Kris realized that she was naked. The fog wrapped itself around her body revealing only patches of her skin. Her skin, he noticed, were inked with Marks - familiar Marks of Bearing and many other Marks of which he hadn't seen yet. The fog thickened again, engulfing her whole. He dashed towards where he last saw her only to skid into a halt upon the scene that welcomed him.
She was still naked. Thin wisps of smoke surrounded her ankles but the fog shrouding her nudity had vanished to be replaced by a billowing cloak of a Whisperer. Changmin had his arms around her body, his cloak moving in the impalpable wind as it enveloped the two of them. Her long fingers weaved through his hair, tugging them, as she kisses him passionately. So passionately that the ground seemed to move beneath their feet. They were moving in motion; Changmin still had his hands hidden by the cloak for Kris to know what he was doing. Sooyoung's back arched, her lips leaving his for a moment as she gave out a cry. The Marks imprinted on her skin sizzled and glowed red just as her lips fell back into his, like the perfect piece of a jigsaw puzzle. With their mouths still pressed together, they opened their eyes and looked directly at him.
Kris woke up with a jolt. He bolted upright in bed, out of breath, as huge beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He stood up but staggered on the process of doing so. The walls felt clammy against his hands when he used them for support as he made his way through the kitchen. It had been two days since the Human got into Dunya and somehow something has changed.
Standing near the sink with a glass of water on his hand, he recalled the events after that night. Changmin was silent all throughout his explanation on why was a Human footwear found on the courtyard and what was he doing on the riverside at that time in the evening. He barely even moved a muscle when Kris told him of that past mistake which has been haunting him ever since the encounter with Tao at the Cloister. In the years that he knew the older Whisperer, he was accustomed to the lengths of his patience, fierceness of his will, and sternness of his judgment, and yet he was still astounded when he said nothing at all after he finished his long tale. It seemed like he simply listened to his story.
Kris thought all was well until that night when Changmin came into his room and told him something which made his stomach churn.
Bring back the Human to Dunya.
He raised his hands and massaged his temples. Dawn break was still hours away, the darkness of the night hovered outside the window like a mantle. The trip back to his bedroom was shorter. Perhaps the tiredness has caught up to him once again which was why he simply fell back on his bed the moment he reached it. His eyes closed not soon after and he drifted on a dreamless sleep, the memory of the nightmare that shook him awake fading away like the evening mist dissolving in the morning sun.
“Hey.” Jessica's voice was mild as she greeted her friend.
They were on the outskirts of their university. By outskirts, referring to the part of the campus that was rarely visited by people. In fact, it was usually avoided for its seemingly hostile air brought by the towering trees that blocked out the sunlight. Sooyoung remembered how Tiffany let out a muted whimper when Jessica showed them their new 'hang-out' area. The other girl would have preferred the gazebo at the University Park or perhaps the long benches outside the cafeteria - anything that was closer to a place full of activity. Unfortunately, Jessica had already been enthusiastically talking about a beautiful spot she had seen while she was wandering around the campus and Tiffany, finding no need for arguments, simply put faith that the new hang-out area that their oldest friend have taken fancy of would be something that all three of them would love.
Love the place they did, though it took them - or perhaps only Tiffany - a while to adjust. Jessica has a knack for choosing places which were mostly uninhabited or deserted. It's as if the lesser the concentration of noisy humans there were, the happier she gets. Not that it mattered, Sooyoung thought. Jessica was mostly trapped in her own world. She has this uncanny ability to shut everything outside of her system whenever she feels like it. The world may tear apart and fiery rocks would fall from heaven but if Jessica Jung felt that nothing of these matters, that's exactly how it would be like. Right now, Jessica was sitting comfortably under a huge oak tree, her petunia-printed picnic blanket spread out beneath her like a carpet of rolling flowers. Stacks of book stood beside her as she leaned back against the trunk like a fairy princess. The way she poised herself, like time is of her bidding, was another proof that she was unmindful - or most probably uncaring - of the steel gray clouds rolling on the darkening sky above her.
“How's Tiffany?” Sooyoung asked as she slumped down on the picnic blanket beside her. Her hand reached out into the sandwich she had brought from the cafeteria and her nose scrunched up when she saw what the filling was. “Liver, yuck.”
“It's been a week but she's still sad.” Jessica flipped open the pages of the book on the top of the pile and answered monotonously. “Her excuse letter only permits her absences up to tomorrow. It is okay, I guess, though she'd probably need another day for her swollen eyes to get back to normal.”
It was funny how they can talk about the death of Tiffany's mother like they were just talking about the weather; but Sooyoung knew that after the mourning period, there was pretty much nothing else you can do. You cannot wallow in misery or blame yourself or not eat for days. Death, as harsh as it might sound, was something you will eventually get along with. It happens and when it does, you do not stop and let it devour you. You have to move forward. And if moving forward means to pick up your shattered self and try as hard as you may to return to your normal life, then that should be it.
“I will miss Auntie.” Sooyoung sighed as she took a bite of her sandwich.
Jessica looked up from what she was reading and her usually adamant face melted into a sad smile. “I will miss her too. Actually, I will miss her much.” She put her hand on her mouth as she gave out a yawn. “But there's nothing we can do but to be strong.”
Sooyoung nodded her head. She was chewing her sandwich softly, letting her taste buds adjust with the insipid taste of liver, swallowed a mouthful, and then started on a monologue.
“Wherever she may be, I'm sure she is happy. I wonder if people, you know, the dead ones, in that place for the dead, would get to meet everybody who had died too. I can imagine them in a big meadow where there are lots and lots of people. All of them dead. So they'd meet all people who have died from way back or even those who died from the other side of the world. But I presume there would be no place as large as that. I mean how could you put all dead people, including those who died during the time of the dinosaurs and those who just died twenty minutes ago in one place? Though it would be cool if it happens. Dead fans could finally meet their favorite dead celebrities. I would love to meet Super Junior when I die. That is, if they're already dead when that happens.” She laughed and looked at her friend. Only that Jessica wasn't laughing. In fact, she wasn't even listening.
Her head was lolling on her shoulders and her eyes were closed. She was sleeping so peacefully as if she hadn't been awake just a few minutes ago. Sooyoung scooted closer towards her and started poking her jaw.
“Hey, hey! Sleeping Beauty! How dare you sleep on me?”
Jessica barely even moved. Annoyed, Sooyoung held her wrist and squeezed it tightly. It did the trick. Jessica's eyes fluttered open and she looked at her friend with a look of surprise on her face.
She tried to rub her eyes awake but looked down when she saw that Sooyoung was still holding her hand. “Let me go, Syoong.” Her voice was weak. “I've fallen asleep, haven't I?”
“What's happening to you?” Sooyoung hovered above her, the liver sandwich conveniently left on its own on the other side of the picnic blanket.
“I-I don't know.” Her breathing was slow, like she had just risen out of a five-month coma. “I am listening to you. You were talking and then it felt like everything was more quiet than usual. But you were still talking though I cannot hear you anymore.”
She pointed to the unopened bottle of water Sooyoung had brought along with the liver sandwich and motioned for the younger girl to give it to her. Grateful for her long limbs, Sooyoung did not need to move from her position to reach the thing, open the cap, and give the bottle for Jessica to drink.
“So in your dream,” she raised her hands and made quotation marks in the air, “I was still talking to you?”
“Yes.” She put the cap back and returned the bottle to her.
“I think you were lucid dreaming.”
“Must be.” Her eyes were starting to droop again to which Sooyoung quickly pinched her arm.
“Ow!”
“You're getting sleepy again!”
“Sorry.” She snatched the bottle back, earning a yelp from the younger girl, and washed her face with the water. “I'm getting sleepier these past few days, it's not even normal.”
Sooyoung raised her hands in the air as if in jovial celebration. “Alas! I'd never thought I'd live to see the day Jessica Jung will finally hate sleeping.”
“You dimwit.” Jessica threw the half-empty bottle at her. It hit her squarely in the head. “I was only saying that I'm getting a bit sleepier than usual even when I've had enough sleep the night before. I didn't say that I don't want to sleep anymore.”
“At least it's not like you're falling asleep when you're walking.” She scowled as she patted the part of her head hit with the bottle.
“Actually, Syoong...” The tone the older girl used made her stop what she's doing. “I've actually fallen asleep while I was walking.”
She stared at her friend dumbfoundedly. “When?”
“The other day. It was a good thing I was walking with some classmates.”
“No, I mean, when did all this start?
It was now Jessica's turn to stare at her. “When did what start?”
“This worse case of sleepiness you have.”
“A week ago.” She paused and then her eyes shone as if in realization. “Wait,” she counted with her fingers, “it started six days ago. The morning after Auntie died.”
They were motionless as they stared at each other. It was Jessica who moved first. Her eyes squinted into little crescents and she laughed loudly Sooyoung swore it must have scared the birds perching on the treetops.
“What is so funny?”
The answer was drowned in laughter. That was another thing about Jessica Jung. Whenever an emotion would finally break forth that indifferent mask she has, it would take a ridiculously long period of time before she can get over it. Like when there's a funny joke, Jessica would always be the last person to get what the joke was. But then, she would be laughing nonstop that the joke would eventually become her.
A low rumble resonated above them and Sooyoung raised her head to see the then-darkening sky turn a nastier shade of gray. Jessica was still stifling her laughter for a joke only she found funny.
“Stand up now, dork! Let's move it before the sky falls down.”
“What are you hurrying for?” She paused as she let out a giggle, “We don't have any classes this afternoon.”
“Well, that might be true.” She picked her half-eaten liver sandwich and dumped it unceremoniously in her bag. “But I don't want to go home drenched.”
They were already at the gates of the university when another grumble of thunder boomed.
“Syoong, I was laughing a while ago because I thought it was funny that we associated Auntie's death with what was happening with me.” Jessica looked up the sky when another flash of lightning struck. “Auntie, I love you. I was only joking, okay?”
Sooyoung raised her hand as if to hit the shorter girl when she caught a flash of white move from the corner of her eye. Thunder roared from above but it sounded weaker compared to the loud thumping of her heart.
It was still late afternoon and yet the street lights were already on. They continued walking until they reached the part of the street where they were supposed to part. She barely heard Jessica mouthing her goodbyes; her eyes were pegged on a white-robed figure standing underneath a street light a few meters before them.
It took her a while to realize that she was already alone. The figure was still there; making no effort to move despite the turbulent weather ahead. She tried to fight the thought that the creature was waiting for her.
Sooyoung took out her phone and pretended to send someone a message as she walked ahead. She was glad to have something she can use as a distraction as she passed by the said street light. Above her, the sky rumbled once more giving her excuse to walk faster.
Ever since that night in Dunya, everything seemed to have changed. Contrary to what she had expected and what Kris had believed to be, nothing of the events was erased from her memories. As if it wasn't enough, she could see Whisperers roaming around in daylight. Most, if not all, of them she thought to be younger than Kris. She expected them to be plenty but realized that it would have been very disturbing if there were a number of Whisperers roaming around that part of their city every day. That would mean they were delivering omens and that indicates tons of misfortune happening for a lot of citizens. She could vaguely remember it but she was sure Kris mentioned how at times, there would only be one or two of their kind sent on a mission on a certain day. Though she was sure the white-garbed creatures can see her, she had perfected the facade of making it appear as if she cannot see them.
In as much as the thought made her curious, she cannot neglect the stab of fear that had planted itself on her mind when she got back to the Human world. Whichever part of her being that made her able to see Whisperers, it had also made her see Djinns; not on their brilliant forms when they were in Dunya, but rather Djinns, as they were made to be in the human world. With grotesque attributes, one-eyed, black as shadows, pus-covered, all kinds. She was only glad that she wasn't able to see them frequently; but the fact that she can had made her regretful of her careless decision back when she chased the young Whisperer into their world.
The walls of her dormitory came into view and Sooyoung started on a dash towards it. She had barely pushed open the gate when she came face-to-face with a man very familiar to her.
“I have found you, at last.” He spoke quietly, his voice like the sound of a silent river running deep into the forest. “The Girl Without A Mark.”
She was too stunned to say anything that she didn't feel his hand touch her elbow as he guided her out into the street.
“Where are you bringing me?”
They were already at the park when she found her voice. He answered without looking at her.
“Dunya.”
“Why? I thought I was not supposed to be there? Why are you bringing me back? I don't want anything to do with you!”
She tugged her arm free but his grip was tight.
“Human, a lot of things has transpired after you entered Dunya. The Jurist has warned of imbalance. We believe the Djinns were still not aware of your presence but Whisperers cannot be complacent. We need to learn the reason behind all this.” He stopped in front of a tree different to the one Sooyoung used as a portal.
“I do not know what you are talking about! I don't have anything to do with your problems! You can ask your friend Kris about that! And my name is Sooyoung, not Human!”
He took a deep breath before he finally looked at her.
“Sooyoung,” She thought her name sounded different when he spoke it. “We need your help.”
She only had enough time to blink before she felt the ground gave in beneath her feet. The sucking feeling she thought she would never feel again took over her as she plummeted into another world.
“You mean to tell me you used the Terrene Rock on a Human?!”
The afternoon sun has dipped low and its tinge painted the courtyard orange. It would have been nice watching the picturesque scene if only the girl beside him was not fuming mad.
In the years that he had known her, Kris could have sworn he never heard Nana's voice rise that high. They were standing on the stairs of the Cloister waiting for Changmin; though he felt as if he was simply there to be skewered alive by a clearly pissed off Nana. On usual days, she would have her limited array of facial expressions: apathetic, slightly amused, slightly annoyed, and slightly curious; but that day, he felt as if she was hell-bent on leashing out all her bottled up emotions for his tiny mishap. Okay, so it wasn't so tiny after all; but still, if their Khaka Changmin didn't skin him alive for it, Kris couldn't see any reason why Nana would be so nagging.
“Kris, were you actually thinking when you did that?!”
She clearly had no plans of stopping.
Kris was secretly grateful that there were only the two of them left on the Cloister. It was convenient that it was time for Kab'gunting. Kab'gunting or what might be equivalent in the Human world as the Rite of Passage was a necessary part of every young Whisperer's life. Together with the Cloister Head, in this case Bhafa Soumm, they would set out in a journey on the nearest highest peak for a fortnight of continuous training before they get classified into seniority classes depending on their ability as trained Whisperers. Kab'gunting only happens on summer once in every seven years which was why every young Whisperer who haven't gone through it before, may they be as young as five or as old as fifteen, need to pass it.
Kris remembered how during their time, there were at least twenty of them. After the Rite, they were classified into seniority classes. Him, Nana, Xiumin, and Jinki were of the same class. Hence, they were lusud-sah-t'ian, none more senior than the other and none less senior than the next. There were five classes during his batch: two of higher seniority than them and two of lower ranks. He remembered being awkward with Minho then. They were the closest of friends. Yet when Minho got sorted as a senior, he had to accustom himself on calling him Khaka Minho, awkward as it might sound. He could say it was the same for the other guy. Maybe because Minho could not face calling him Ahree that he had contented himself in ignoring Kris. And their friendship drifted slowly apart.
It was perhaps only when Minho died that he felt regretful of not being able to patch up what was broken. But death was a normal occurrence for a Whisperer. They were to face it every day. In the twenty or so Whisperers of his batch, only two were left. Nana and him.
Perhaps the Rite of Passage itself, Kab'gunting, was the first test. To divide a closely-knit group of children apart; to remind them that nothing was permanent and that their roles and lives as Whisperers were as transient as the changing runic symbols marked on their cloaks.
“KRIS! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!” Nana raised her hands in frustration. “What you did is a ground for S'ua! The Human could have died!”
Finally, Nana received a reaction.
“But she lived. And nagging at me now won't do any good.”
“You think it's good that it took you a week to tell me what had happened?!”
He said nothing and she fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. “Kris, you are the only one left with me now.”
He looked at her face only to see her staring at a distance. She wasn't even looking at anything in particular and yet she held her gaze steady.
“I am not strong as Khaka Changmin.” She let her voice trail. “When my father brought me here, I knew already what fate has stored for me. That is why I armed myself, taught myself, built walls. I never made friends with any of you.”
Kris followed the direction of her gaze and realized that she was looking at the shadowy peaks at a distance; the treacherous mountain terrain where they were once trained and where the young Whisperers were at that moment.
“Until of course, we got sorted into one class.” Her voice was quivering. “I thought it was better, having only three people to call as friends. But when Jinki-” she stopped and threw him a glare, as if he had caught her doing something embarrassing.
“Stupid afternoon sunlight making me emotional.”
The transition between the sentimental Nana to the nagging one was so swift Kris couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity of it.
“THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY HERE, KRIS!”
“Nana, chill.” He put both hands on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. “You're freaking me out.”
Nana opened her mouth as if to say something harsh but lowered it into a whisper instead.
“They're here.”
Sooyoung only saw the Cloister at night and back then she thought it was big. Yet to see the same building on a bright afternoon - where did all the rainclouds go? - was more impressive than seeing it under the light of the moon. It was enormous, to say the least. The white building rose like an icy edifice on a green ocean. The tall trees in the woods dwarfed in comparison to the towering spires of the Cloister.
She was still agitated with the fact that the man who brought her wasn't very much of a conversationalist. He gave off a withdrawn vibe similar to what she had felt the first time she met Kris. But then again, at least Kris knew how to answer her questions. This one was as languid as the next tree trunk on the woods. She fought hard with herself not to roll her eyes or threw snide remarks at him until they reached courtyard.
“Khaka!”
The familiar voice had her looking up. Somehow, the knowledge that she knew at least one person in that strange place made her feel at ease. Kris walked towards their direction and behind him, Sooyoung was surprised to see, was a girl. She was beautiful, even from a female's perspective, statuesque, and she had long flowing hair that were the color of early morning sunlight.
“Khaka Changmin.”
Kris and the girl took a bow in front of the man standing beside him. She looked from one Whisperer to the next as realization dawned upon her. Apparently, the one who brought her in was named Changmin and something from the way the two new-comers acted told her that he was someone of a higher rank than them.
She opened her mouth, ready to fire her questions, when Changmin spoke.
“Sooyoung.” She flinched at the mention of her name. “We brought you here so you could help us.”
“Well, it would be better if I have an idea of what is this I was going to help you of instead of being clueless about everything that is happening around me.” She eyed the tallest of the lot menacingly. “We could start with you stating your names. Or is it a custom for your kind to keep other people guessing about it?” Her irritation was not very subtle.
“Nana.” The girl Whisperer spoke. She looked too pretty to be someone who would hang around with rude guys, Sooyoung thought, but there was a calculated strength apparent behind her mask of temperance. “That's my name.”
“You-” Kris opened his mouth but was cut off in mid-sentence.
“I know your name already.” Her eyes fell on the person beside her. “And you, too.” She then looked over at Nana and gave her a wide smile. “Nice meeting you, Nana.”
Sooyoung extended her hand and waited for her to grab it. For a moment, Nana looked at her confusedly and then she reached out her hand to take hers just the same. It was a good start, Sooyoung thought, until Nana drew her hand back swiftly as if the touch had scalded her. A look of fear swept over her features as she took a step back.
“K-khaka Changmin.” Her voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes still set on Sooyoung. “C-can I ask for a change of roles?” She fixed her gaze on the oldest of them. “Kris can accompany the Human. I would want to help you in the Library.”
Changmin looked like he would say something else but changed his mind the last moment. “Of course, Nana.” He turned to Kris and gave out his orders. “I do think it is a better idea if you would accompany Sooyoung; granting that you have already spent a fair enough of time with her before.”
His choice of words was neutral and yet Sooyoung could not control the annoyance in her voice. “Great. Apparently, the itinerary of my visit here had already been finalized.”
The rest of her long litany was cut off when Kris gave a curt bow, grabbed her hand, and started pulling her with him up the staircase.
“Do you really need to drag me?” She pulled her arm away. He said nothing and simply walked beside her, his hand hovering a few inches from her elbow as if to prepare in case she decides to run away from him.
The interior of the Cloister was painfully bare, she concluded. There was nothing else apart from marble floors and gigantic columns. Twin corridors sprawled from opposite sides of the huge hall, she assumed they run through the two wings of the building. Kris steered her towards the left side and she noticed the uniform doors on each side of the hall.
“Sleeping quarters.” He said quietly, she wondered if he can read her mind.
Their sojourn ended on a relatively small room. It was circular, from the shape of the room to the curve of the walls and the ceiling. Sooyoung noted that the walls were made of glass and that the velvet curtains draped all over them turned the afternoon sun seeping through into red streams of light as they cascaded into the room. There were no furniture in sight save for a huge shelf which housed little glass globes, aligned perfectly like little toy soldiers, on the far side of the room. The floor was carpeted with a wooly material she had never seen before.
Kris pointed to a part of the room adorned with cushions. “You sit there and we wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“Khaka.”
She can sense that Kris did not seem to be in a talkative mood. If she would have looked closely, she would notice that the awkward air between them was something he was guilty of.
“I still don't know what's happening around here.” Her voice sounded meek as she plopped on a cushion. She raised her head to see him looking at her carefully and then he diverted his attention again outside the window.
“Kris, could you please tell me what's happening here?”
“Sooyoung,” Kris winced, like he was not used to mentioning names not familiar to him. “When you left, strange things started happening. Bhafa Soumm was summoned to the Jurist. He didn't say anything about the meeting; only he called Khaka Changmin to talk to him. After that, Khaka said that we must bring you here.”
The Whisperer's answer did nothing to put out the questions on her mind but she nodded her head nonetheless. She figured it would be stupid to ask him again unless she would want another bucketful of incomprehensible words and statements dumped down on her.
They were silent for a while. Kris was still standing, like he had no plans of joining her. Bored, she took out a comic book from her bag and flipped open the pages.
“You know, you can actually sit. It's not as if I will bite you.”
She was busily poring over the book she didn't see the smirk that crossed the Whisperer's face.
“I wouldn't let you, even if you tried.” He said it in a whisper and she felt herself stiffen when he sat dangerously close beside her.
“What is that you're reading?” It must be the stuffiness of the room because his voice sounded raspy. On whether space could actually alter noise, she wasn't even sure herself.
The Whisperer noted her discomfort and it only made him want to push her buttons more.
“I thought you want me to sit beside you?” He said it in a low voice it could pass for a growl. Sooyoung put down the book, her fingers in between the pages to mark the part she was reading, and faced him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What would you do if I kiss you?”
He smirked when he saw her blink. But the smirk faded quickly when her face broke into a mischievous smile.
“Why don't you try and find out?”
She closed her eyes and drew her face closer to his, letting her warm breath ghost over his skin. Seconds passed like years yet she remained motionless to which his eyes closed in its own accord; as if to absorb the intimacy of the moment. And before he knew it, he felt her soft lips touching his; gentle like the velvety feel of a rose petal. He heard the book fall with a small thud just as he felt her hands slide up his spine. The scent of her hair filled up his senses and the kiss turned furious, as if to stop were to cease the flow of oxygen in their lungs. Her hands traveled upwards into his neck, pressing him towards her as his fingers knotted themselves through her hair. She pulled back a bit before pulling him again into a much deeper kiss, her tongue running along the edge of his lips. He felt dizzy from the rush of blood through his veins that he held on tightly to her, their bodies pressed together.
“KRIS!”
He blinked to see the world around him in a blur. The fuzz cleared and he saw Sooyoung looking at him with a confused expression. She was still holding her book on her hands; the page still open to where she last left it.
“Hey, are you okay?” She sounded worried when he didn't answer. “You were spacing out for a long while there.”
Kris stood up suddenly only to stagger backward, his heart drumming wildly against his chest. The memory of the forgotten nightmare he had, of him chasing her through a fog, sank like weighted iron into his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to shake off the unexpected illusion which had gotten over him. Sooyoung was still looking at him bemusedly.
“I-I...” The rest of his sentence was drowned in the midst of the questions storming his mind.
“Are you okay?” She repeated as she reached out a hand to touch him.
“DON'T TOUCH ME!” He didn't expect the ferocity in his voice as he swatted her hands away. He looked at her frightfully. He shook his head one last time before he ran out of the room.
Kris kept running until he reached the huge doors of the Cloister. His hand made its way to his chest as he gasped for breath. He sat down wearily on the low steps; taking in huge breaths to calm his thundering heartbeat.
“What was that about?!”
His question echoed all over the empty courtyard. The afternoon sun was warm and yet he felt a riveting chill on his spine. He sat on the top stairs of the Cloister rocking himself to comfort until he heard the soft sound of footsteps.
The hammering sound in his chest weakened when he saw who it was. Nana.
“Have you found out anything yet?” He steadied his voice as she took a seat beside him.
“None. Khaka wishes that Bhafa was here so we wouldn't be clambering in the dark looking for answers but,” she let out a sigh, “he won't be back until the Kab'gunting is over.”
Kris was unusually quiet and his reply to her statement was off-tangent.
“You can see her.” His said in an almost whisper.
Nana finally looked at him - really looked at him.
“What?” She noticed his sweaty brows glimmering in the afternoon light. “What happened to you?”
“The Human, Sooyoung...” he paused, wondering if that was something he should tell her. But this is Nana, his conscience cried out, practically a sister to him. They had been together for most of their lives it would be treasonous not to let her know. “S-she is different.” He looked straight into her eyes and saw his anxious reflection mirrored on them. “She is messing with my thoughts.”
Kris thought the words sounded more idiotic than he intended and instantly felt apologetic for himself until Nana spoke.
“I know. On the courtyard when she touched me, I saw Xiumin and Jinki.”
A/N: The first part of this chapter may be a familiar scene to some SONEs. It is written as a fulfillment of dee900926's request. On another note, I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST WROTE THIS CHAPTER WITH ALL ITS RATED SCENES ALKJFKLAFANFLANFA /hides in embarrassment/
Pairing: Changmin/Sooyoung/Kris/Tiffany/Jessica/Jaejoong
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, Fantasy
v. dreams and illusions
There was fog everywhere, blanketing everything in a thick sea of translucent white. Kris was walking on a pathway paved with cobblestones. From way up, he can see a stone bridge drifting like a crescent comb above the misty waters. Above it, hovered branches of winter-stricken trees, jutting out of the hazy blur like bony fingers, their bodies swallowed by the heavy curtain of ground clouds.
In the dream, he was wearing all black. His hair was swept back, showing the full frame of his face, and all the earthly colors in it was gone, every strand a vivid color of deep black. He heard what he first thought was the gurgle of the brook. The feel of soft fabric sliding on his skin made him turn around. And there she was, looking at him. Laughing.
Her hair was tied up like a flower bud waiting for the dawn of its blossoming and her dress, that was the color of her skin, fell like waves on her feet. Sooyoung ran through the mist so gracefully she might have been the mist itself. Kris felt his feet moving on its own accord after her but she has disappeared into the fog. He scampered blindly towards the haze with no permanent direction to go to. The faint ripple of water reached his ears and he realized that he was already on the bridge.
He raised his head and saw the fog thin in front of him. She had her back against him and she was walking slowly towards the other end of the bridge. Her hair was now cascading down her bare back and Kris realized that she was naked. The fog wrapped itself around her body revealing only patches of her skin. Her skin, he noticed, were inked with Marks - familiar Marks of Bearing and many other Marks of which he hadn't seen yet. The fog thickened again, engulfing her whole. He dashed towards where he last saw her only to skid into a halt upon the scene that welcomed him.
She was still naked. Thin wisps of smoke surrounded her ankles but the fog shrouding her nudity had vanished to be replaced by a billowing cloak of a Whisperer. Changmin had his arms around her body, his cloak moving in the impalpable wind as it enveloped the two of them. Her long fingers weaved through his hair, tugging them, as she kisses him passionately. So passionately that the ground seemed to move beneath their feet. They were moving in motion; Changmin still had his hands hidden by the cloak for Kris to know what he was doing. Sooyoung's back arched, her lips leaving his for a moment as she gave out a cry. The Marks imprinted on her skin sizzled and glowed red just as her lips fell back into his, like the perfect piece of a jigsaw puzzle. With their mouths still pressed together, they opened their eyes and looked directly at him.
Kris woke up with a jolt. He bolted upright in bed, out of breath, as huge beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He stood up but staggered on the process of doing so. The walls felt clammy against his hands when he used them for support as he made his way through the kitchen. It had been two days since the Human got into Dunya and somehow something has changed.
Standing near the sink with a glass of water on his hand, he recalled the events after that night. Changmin was silent all throughout his explanation on why was a Human footwear found on the courtyard and what was he doing on the riverside at that time in the evening. He barely even moved a muscle when Kris told him of that past mistake which has been haunting him ever since the encounter with Tao at the Cloister. In the years that he knew the older Whisperer, he was accustomed to the lengths of his patience, fierceness of his will, and sternness of his judgment, and yet he was still astounded when he said nothing at all after he finished his long tale. It seemed like he simply listened to his story.
Kris thought all was well until that night when Changmin came into his room and told him something which made his stomach churn.
Bring back the Human to Dunya.
He raised his hands and massaged his temples. Dawn break was still hours away, the darkness of the night hovered outside the window like a mantle. The trip back to his bedroom was shorter. Perhaps the tiredness has caught up to him once again which was why he simply fell back on his bed the moment he reached it. His eyes closed not soon after and he drifted on a dreamless sleep, the memory of the nightmare that shook him awake fading away like the evening mist dissolving in the morning sun.
“Hey.” Jessica's voice was mild as she greeted her friend.
They were on the outskirts of their university. By outskirts, referring to the part of the campus that was rarely visited by people. In fact, it was usually avoided for its seemingly hostile air brought by the towering trees that blocked out the sunlight. Sooyoung remembered how Tiffany let out a muted whimper when Jessica showed them their new 'hang-out' area. The other girl would have preferred the gazebo at the University Park or perhaps the long benches outside the cafeteria - anything that was closer to a place full of activity. Unfortunately, Jessica had already been enthusiastically talking about a beautiful spot she had seen while she was wandering around the campus and Tiffany, finding no need for arguments, simply put faith that the new hang-out area that their oldest friend have taken fancy of would be something that all three of them would love.
Love the place they did, though it took them - or perhaps only Tiffany - a while to adjust. Jessica has a knack for choosing places which were mostly uninhabited or deserted. It's as if the lesser the concentration of noisy humans there were, the happier she gets. Not that it mattered, Sooyoung thought. Jessica was mostly trapped in her own world. She has this uncanny ability to shut everything outside of her system whenever she feels like it. The world may tear apart and fiery rocks would fall from heaven but if Jessica Jung felt that nothing of these matters, that's exactly how it would be like. Right now, Jessica was sitting comfortably under a huge oak tree, her petunia-printed picnic blanket spread out beneath her like a carpet of rolling flowers. Stacks of book stood beside her as she leaned back against the trunk like a fairy princess. The way she poised herself, like time is of her bidding, was another proof that she was unmindful - or most probably uncaring - of the steel gray clouds rolling on the darkening sky above her.
“How's Tiffany?” Sooyoung asked as she slumped down on the picnic blanket beside her. Her hand reached out into the sandwich she had brought from the cafeteria and her nose scrunched up when she saw what the filling was. “Liver, yuck.”
“It's been a week but she's still sad.” Jessica flipped open the pages of the book on the top of the pile and answered monotonously. “Her excuse letter only permits her absences up to tomorrow. It is okay, I guess, though she'd probably need another day for her swollen eyes to get back to normal.”
It was funny how they can talk about the death of Tiffany's mother like they were just talking about the weather; but Sooyoung knew that after the mourning period, there was pretty much nothing else you can do. You cannot wallow in misery or blame yourself or not eat for days. Death, as harsh as it might sound, was something you will eventually get along with. It happens and when it does, you do not stop and let it devour you. You have to move forward. And if moving forward means to pick up your shattered self and try as hard as you may to return to your normal life, then that should be it.
“I will miss Auntie.” Sooyoung sighed as she took a bite of her sandwich.
Jessica looked up from what she was reading and her usually adamant face melted into a sad smile. “I will miss her too. Actually, I will miss her much.” She put her hand on her mouth as she gave out a yawn. “But there's nothing we can do but to be strong.”
Sooyoung nodded her head. She was chewing her sandwich softly, letting her taste buds adjust with the insipid taste of liver, swallowed a mouthful, and then started on a monologue.
“Wherever she may be, I'm sure she is happy. I wonder if people, you know, the dead ones, in that place for the dead, would get to meet everybody who had died too. I can imagine them in a big meadow where there are lots and lots of people. All of them dead. So they'd meet all people who have died from way back or even those who died from the other side of the world. But I presume there would be no place as large as that. I mean how could you put all dead people, including those who died during the time of the dinosaurs and those who just died twenty minutes ago in one place? Though it would be cool if it happens. Dead fans could finally meet their favorite dead celebrities. I would love to meet Super Junior when I die. That is, if they're already dead when that happens.” She laughed and looked at her friend. Only that Jessica wasn't laughing. In fact, she wasn't even listening.
Her head was lolling on her shoulders and her eyes were closed. She was sleeping so peacefully as if she hadn't been awake just a few minutes ago. Sooyoung scooted closer towards her and started poking her jaw.
“Hey, hey! Sleeping Beauty! How dare you sleep on me?”
Jessica barely even moved. Annoyed, Sooyoung held her wrist and squeezed it tightly. It did the trick. Jessica's eyes fluttered open and she looked at her friend with a look of surprise on her face.
She tried to rub her eyes awake but looked down when she saw that Sooyoung was still holding her hand. “Let me go, Syoong.” Her voice was weak. “I've fallen asleep, haven't I?”
“What's happening to you?” Sooyoung hovered above her, the liver sandwich conveniently left on its own on the other side of the picnic blanket.
“I-I don't know.” Her breathing was slow, like she had just risen out of a five-month coma. “I am listening to you. You were talking and then it felt like everything was more quiet than usual. But you were still talking though I cannot hear you anymore.”
She pointed to the unopened bottle of water Sooyoung had brought along with the liver sandwich and motioned for the younger girl to give it to her. Grateful for her long limbs, Sooyoung did not need to move from her position to reach the thing, open the cap, and give the bottle for Jessica to drink.
“So in your dream,” she raised her hands and made quotation marks in the air, “I was still talking to you?”
“Yes.” She put the cap back and returned the bottle to her.
“I think you were lucid dreaming.”
“Must be.” Her eyes were starting to droop again to which Sooyoung quickly pinched her arm.
“Ow!”
“You're getting sleepy again!”
“Sorry.” She snatched the bottle back, earning a yelp from the younger girl, and washed her face with the water. “I'm getting sleepier these past few days, it's not even normal.”
Sooyoung raised her hands in the air as if in jovial celebration. “Alas! I'd never thought I'd live to see the day Jessica Jung will finally hate sleeping.”
“You dimwit.” Jessica threw the half-empty bottle at her. It hit her squarely in the head. “I was only saying that I'm getting a bit sleepier than usual even when I've had enough sleep the night before. I didn't say that I don't want to sleep anymore.”
“At least it's not like you're falling asleep when you're walking.” She scowled as she patted the part of her head hit with the bottle.
“Actually, Syoong...” The tone the older girl used made her stop what she's doing. “I've actually fallen asleep while I was walking.”
She stared at her friend dumbfoundedly. “When?”
“The other day. It was a good thing I was walking with some classmates.”
“No, I mean, when did all this start?
It was now Jessica's turn to stare at her. “When did what start?”
“This worse case of sleepiness you have.”
“A week ago.” She paused and then her eyes shone as if in realization. “Wait,” she counted with her fingers, “it started six days ago. The morning after Auntie died.”
They were motionless as they stared at each other. It was Jessica who moved first. Her eyes squinted into little crescents and she laughed loudly Sooyoung swore it must have scared the birds perching on the treetops.
“What is so funny?”
The answer was drowned in laughter. That was another thing about Jessica Jung. Whenever an emotion would finally break forth that indifferent mask she has, it would take a ridiculously long period of time before she can get over it. Like when there's a funny joke, Jessica would always be the last person to get what the joke was. But then, she would be laughing nonstop that the joke would eventually become her.
A low rumble resonated above them and Sooyoung raised her head to see the then-darkening sky turn a nastier shade of gray. Jessica was still stifling her laughter for a joke only she found funny.
“Stand up now, dork! Let's move it before the sky falls down.”
“What are you hurrying for?” She paused as she let out a giggle, “We don't have any classes this afternoon.”
“Well, that might be true.” She picked her half-eaten liver sandwich and dumped it unceremoniously in her bag. “But I don't want to go home drenched.”
They were already at the gates of the university when another grumble of thunder boomed.
“Syoong, I was laughing a while ago because I thought it was funny that we associated Auntie's death with what was happening with me.” Jessica looked up the sky when another flash of lightning struck. “Auntie, I love you. I was only joking, okay?”
Sooyoung raised her hand as if to hit the shorter girl when she caught a flash of white move from the corner of her eye. Thunder roared from above but it sounded weaker compared to the loud thumping of her heart.
It was still late afternoon and yet the street lights were already on. They continued walking until they reached the part of the street where they were supposed to part. She barely heard Jessica mouthing her goodbyes; her eyes were pegged on a white-robed figure standing underneath a street light a few meters before them.
It took her a while to realize that she was already alone. The figure was still there; making no effort to move despite the turbulent weather ahead. She tried to fight the thought that the creature was waiting for her.
Sooyoung took out her phone and pretended to send someone a message as she walked ahead. She was glad to have something she can use as a distraction as she passed by the said street light. Above her, the sky rumbled once more giving her excuse to walk faster.
Ever since that night in Dunya, everything seemed to have changed. Contrary to what she had expected and what Kris had believed to be, nothing of the events was erased from her memories. As if it wasn't enough, she could see Whisperers roaming around in daylight. Most, if not all, of them she thought to be younger than Kris. She expected them to be plenty but realized that it would have been very disturbing if there were a number of Whisperers roaming around that part of their city every day. That would mean they were delivering omens and that indicates tons of misfortune happening for a lot of citizens. She could vaguely remember it but she was sure Kris mentioned how at times, there would only be one or two of their kind sent on a mission on a certain day. Though she was sure the white-garbed creatures can see her, she had perfected the facade of making it appear as if she cannot see them.
In as much as the thought made her curious, she cannot neglect the stab of fear that had planted itself on her mind when she got back to the Human world. Whichever part of her being that made her able to see Whisperers, it had also made her see Djinns; not on their brilliant forms when they were in Dunya, but rather Djinns, as they were made to be in the human world. With grotesque attributes, one-eyed, black as shadows, pus-covered, all kinds. She was only glad that she wasn't able to see them frequently; but the fact that she can had made her regretful of her careless decision back when she chased the young Whisperer into their world.
The walls of her dormitory came into view and Sooyoung started on a dash towards it. She had barely pushed open the gate when she came face-to-face with a man very familiar to her.
“I have found you, at last.” He spoke quietly, his voice like the sound of a silent river running deep into the forest. “The Girl Without A Mark.”
She was too stunned to say anything that she didn't feel his hand touch her elbow as he guided her out into the street.
“Where are you bringing me?”
They were already at the park when she found her voice. He answered without looking at her.
“Dunya.”
“Why? I thought I was not supposed to be there? Why are you bringing me back? I don't want anything to do with you!”
She tugged her arm free but his grip was tight.
“Human, a lot of things has transpired after you entered Dunya. The Jurist has warned of imbalance. We believe the Djinns were still not aware of your presence but Whisperers cannot be complacent. We need to learn the reason behind all this.” He stopped in front of a tree different to the one Sooyoung used as a portal.
“I do not know what you are talking about! I don't have anything to do with your problems! You can ask your friend Kris about that! And my name is Sooyoung, not Human!”
He took a deep breath before he finally looked at her.
“Sooyoung,” She thought her name sounded different when he spoke it. “We need your help.”
She only had enough time to blink before she felt the ground gave in beneath her feet. The sucking feeling she thought she would never feel again took over her as she plummeted into another world.
“You mean to tell me you used the Terrene Rock on a Human?!”
The afternoon sun has dipped low and its tinge painted the courtyard orange. It would have been nice watching the picturesque scene if only the girl beside him was not fuming mad.
In the years that he had known her, Kris could have sworn he never heard Nana's voice rise that high. They were standing on the stairs of the Cloister waiting for Changmin; though he felt as if he was simply there to be skewered alive by a clearly pissed off Nana. On usual days, she would have her limited array of facial expressions: apathetic, slightly amused, slightly annoyed, and slightly curious; but that day, he felt as if she was hell-bent on leashing out all her bottled up emotions for his tiny mishap. Okay, so it wasn't so tiny after all; but still, if their Khaka Changmin didn't skin him alive for it, Kris couldn't see any reason why Nana would be so nagging.
“Kris, were you actually thinking when you did that?!”
She clearly had no plans of stopping.
Kris was secretly grateful that there were only the two of them left on the Cloister. It was convenient that it was time for Kab'gunting. Kab'gunting or what might be equivalent in the Human world as the Rite of Passage was a necessary part of every young Whisperer's life. Together with the Cloister Head, in this case Bhafa Soumm, they would set out in a journey on the nearest highest peak for a fortnight of continuous training before they get classified into seniority classes depending on their ability as trained Whisperers. Kab'gunting only happens on summer once in every seven years which was why every young Whisperer who haven't gone through it before, may they be as young as five or as old as fifteen, need to pass it.
Kris remembered how during their time, there were at least twenty of them. After the Rite, they were classified into seniority classes. Him, Nana, Xiumin, and Jinki were of the same class. Hence, they were lusud-sah-t'ian, none more senior than the other and none less senior than the next. There were five classes during his batch: two of higher seniority than them and two of lower ranks. He remembered being awkward with Minho then. They were the closest of friends. Yet when Minho got sorted as a senior, he had to accustom himself on calling him Khaka Minho, awkward as it might sound. He could say it was the same for the other guy. Maybe because Minho could not face calling him Ahree that he had contented himself in ignoring Kris. And their friendship drifted slowly apart.
It was perhaps only when Minho died that he felt regretful of not being able to patch up what was broken. But death was a normal occurrence for a Whisperer. They were to face it every day. In the twenty or so Whisperers of his batch, only two were left. Nana and him.
Perhaps the Rite of Passage itself, Kab'gunting, was the first test. To divide a closely-knit group of children apart; to remind them that nothing was permanent and that their roles and lives as Whisperers were as transient as the changing runic symbols marked on their cloaks.
“KRIS! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!” Nana raised her hands in frustration. “What you did is a ground for S'ua! The Human could have died!”
Finally, Nana received a reaction.
“But she lived. And nagging at me now won't do any good.”
“You think it's good that it took you a week to tell me what had happened?!”
He said nothing and she fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. “Kris, you are the only one left with me now.”
He looked at her face only to see her staring at a distance. She wasn't even looking at anything in particular and yet she held her gaze steady.
“I am not strong as Khaka Changmin.” She let her voice trail. “When my father brought me here, I knew already what fate has stored for me. That is why I armed myself, taught myself, built walls. I never made friends with any of you.”
Kris followed the direction of her gaze and realized that she was looking at the shadowy peaks at a distance; the treacherous mountain terrain where they were once trained and where the young Whisperers were at that moment.
“Until of course, we got sorted into one class.” Her voice was quivering. “I thought it was better, having only three people to call as friends. But when Jinki-” she stopped and threw him a glare, as if he had caught her doing something embarrassing.
“Stupid afternoon sunlight making me emotional.”
The transition between the sentimental Nana to the nagging one was so swift Kris couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity of it.
“THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY HERE, KRIS!”
“Nana, chill.” He put both hands on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. “You're freaking me out.”
Nana opened her mouth as if to say something harsh but lowered it into a whisper instead.
“They're here.”
Sooyoung only saw the Cloister at night and back then she thought it was big. Yet to see the same building on a bright afternoon - where did all the rainclouds go? - was more impressive than seeing it under the light of the moon. It was enormous, to say the least. The white building rose like an icy edifice on a green ocean. The tall trees in the woods dwarfed in comparison to the towering spires of the Cloister.
She was still agitated with the fact that the man who brought her wasn't very much of a conversationalist. He gave off a withdrawn vibe similar to what she had felt the first time she met Kris. But then again, at least Kris knew how to answer her questions. This one was as languid as the next tree trunk on the woods. She fought hard with herself not to roll her eyes or threw snide remarks at him until they reached courtyard.
“Khaka!”
The familiar voice had her looking up. Somehow, the knowledge that she knew at least one person in that strange place made her feel at ease. Kris walked towards their direction and behind him, Sooyoung was surprised to see, was a girl. She was beautiful, even from a female's perspective, statuesque, and she had long flowing hair that were the color of early morning sunlight.
“Khaka Changmin.”
Kris and the girl took a bow in front of the man standing beside him. She looked from one Whisperer to the next as realization dawned upon her. Apparently, the one who brought her in was named Changmin and something from the way the two new-comers acted told her that he was someone of a higher rank than them.
She opened her mouth, ready to fire her questions, when Changmin spoke.
“Sooyoung.” She flinched at the mention of her name. “We brought you here so you could help us.”
“Well, it would be better if I have an idea of what is this I was going to help you of instead of being clueless about everything that is happening around me.” She eyed the tallest of the lot menacingly. “We could start with you stating your names. Or is it a custom for your kind to keep other people guessing about it?” Her irritation was not very subtle.
“Nana.” The girl Whisperer spoke. She looked too pretty to be someone who would hang around with rude guys, Sooyoung thought, but there was a calculated strength apparent behind her mask of temperance. “That's my name.”
“You-” Kris opened his mouth but was cut off in mid-sentence.
“I know your name already.” Her eyes fell on the person beside her. “And you, too.” She then looked over at Nana and gave her a wide smile. “Nice meeting you, Nana.”
Sooyoung extended her hand and waited for her to grab it. For a moment, Nana looked at her confusedly and then she reached out her hand to take hers just the same. It was a good start, Sooyoung thought, until Nana drew her hand back swiftly as if the touch had scalded her. A look of fear swept over her features as she took a step back.
“K-khaka Changmin.” Her voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes still set on Sooyoung. “C-can I ask for a change of roles?” She fixed her gaze on the oldest of them. “Kris can accompany the Human. I would want to help you in the Library.”
Changmin looked like he would say something else but changed his mind the last moment. “Of course, Nana.” He turned to Kris and gave out his orders. “I do think it is a better idea if you would accompany Sooyoung; granting that you have already spent a fair enough of time with her before.”
His choice of words was neutral and yet Sooyoung could not control the annoyance in her voice. “Great. Apparently, the itinerary of my visit here had already been finalized.”
The rest of her long litany was cut off when Kris gave a curt bow, grabbed her hand, and started pulling her with him up the staircase.
“Do you really need to drag me?” She pulled her arm away. He said nothing and simply walked beside her, his hand hovering a few inches from her elbow as if to prepare in case she decides to run away from him.
The interior of the Cloister was painfully bare, she concluded. There was nothing else apart from marble floors and gigantic columns. Twin corridors sprawled from opposite sides of the huge hall, she assumed they run through the two wings of the building. Kris steered her towards the left side and she noticed the uniform doors on each side of the hall.
“Sleeping quarters.” He said quietly, she wondered if he can read her mind.
Their sojourn ended on a relatively small room. It was circular, from the shape of the room to the curve of the walls and the ceiling. Sooyoung noted that the walls were made of glass and that the velvet curtains draped all over them turned the afternoon sun seeping through into red streams of light as they cascaded into the room. There were no furniture in sight save for a huge shelf which housed little glass globes, aligned perfectly like little toy soldiers, on the far side of the room. The floor was carpeted with a wooly material she had never seen before.
Kris pointed to a part of the room adorned with cushions. “You sit there and we wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“Khaka.”
She can sense that Kris did not seem to be in a talkative mood. If she would have looked closely, she would notice that the awkward air between them was something he was guilty of.
“I still don't know what's happening around here.” Her voice sounded meek as she plopped on a cushion. She raised her head to see him looking at her carefully and then he diverted his attention again outside the window.
“Kris, could you please tell me what's happening here?”
“Sooyoung,” Kris winced, like he was not used to mentioning names not familiar to him. “When you left, strange things started happening. Bhafa Soumm was summoned to the Jurist. He didn't say anything about the meeting; only he called Khaka Changmin to talk to him. After that, Khaka said that we must bring you here.”
The Whisperer's answer did nothing to put out the questions on her mind but she nodded her head nonetheless. She figured it would be stupid to ask him again unless she would want another bucketful of incomprehensible words and statements dumped down on her.
They were silent for a while. Kris was still standing, like he had no plans of joining her. Bored, she took out a comic book from her bag and flipped open the pages.
“You know, you can actually sit. It's not as if I will bite you.”
She was busily poring over the book she didn't see the smirk that crossed the Whisperer's face.
“I wouldn't let you, even if you tried.” He said it in a whisper and she felt herself stiffen when he sat dangerously close beside her.
“What is that you're reading?” It must be the stuffiness of the room because his voice sounded raspy. On whether space could actually alter noise, she wasn't even sure herself.
The Whisperer noted her discomfort and it only made him want to push her buttons more.
“I thought you want me to sit beside you?” He said it in a low voice it could pass for a growl. Sooyoung put down the book, her fingers in between the pages to mark the part she was reading, and faced him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What would you do if I kiss you?”
He smirked when he saw her blink. But the smirk faded quickly when her face broke into a mischievous smile.
“Why don't you try and find out?”
She closed her eyes and drew her face closer to his, letting her warm breath ghost over his skin. Seconds passed like years yet she remained motionless to which his eyes closed in its own accord; as if to absorb the intimacy of the moment. And before he knew it, he felt her soft lips touching his; gentle like the velvety feel of a rose petal. He heard the book fall with a small thud just as he felt her hands slide up his spine. The scent of her hair filled up his senses and the kiss turned furious, as if to stop were to cease the flow of oxygen in their lungs. Her hands traveled upwards into his neck, pressing him towards her as his fingers knotted themselves through her hair. She pulled back a bit before pulling him again into a much deeper kiss, her tongue running along the edge of his lips. He felt dizzy from the rush of blood through his veins that he held on tightly to her, their bodies pressed together.
“KRIS!”
He blinked to see the world around him in a blur. The fuzz cleared and he saw Sooyoung looking at him with a confused expression. She was still holding her book on her hands; the page still open to where she last left it.
“Hey, are you okay?” She sounded worried when he didn't answer. “You were spacing out for a long while there.”
Kris stood up suddenly only to stagger backward, his heart drumming wildly against his chest. The memory of the forgotten nightmare he had, of him chasing her through a fog, sank like weighted iron into his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to shake off the unexpected illusion which had gotten over him. Sooyoung was still looking at him bemusedly.
“I-I...” The rest of his sentence was drowned in the midst of the questions storming his mind.
“Are you okay?” She repeated as she reached out a hand to touch him.
“DON'T TOUCH ME!” He didn't expect the ferocity in his voice as he swatted her hands away. He looked at her frightfully. He shook his head one last time before he ran out of the room.
Kris kept running until he reached the huge doors of the Cloister. His hand made its way to his chest as he gasped for breath. He sat down wearily on the low steps; taking in huge breaths to calm his thundering heartbeat.
“What was that about?!”
His question echoed all over the empty courtyard. The afternoon sun was warm and yet he felt a riveting chill on his spine. He sat on the top stairs of the Cloister rocking himself to comfort until he heard the soft sound of footsteps.
The hammering sound in his chest weakened when he saw who it was. Nana.
“Have you found out anything yet?” He steadied his voice as she took a seat beside him.
“None. Khaka wishes that Bhafa was here so we wouldn't be clambering in the dark looking for answers but,” she let out a sigh, “he won't be back until the Kab'gunting is over.”
Kris was unusually quiet and his reply to her statement was off-tangent.
“You can see her.” His said in an almost whisper.
Nana finally looked at him - really looked at him.
“What?” She noticed his sweaty brows glimmering in the afternoon light. “What happened to you?”
“The Human, Sooyoung...” he paused, wondering if that was something he should tell her. But this is Nana, his conscience cried out, practically a sister to him. They had been together for most of their lives it would be treasonous not to let her know. “S-she is different.” He looked straight into her eyes and saw his anxious reflection mirrored on them. “She is messing with my thoughts.”
Kris thought the words sounded more idiotic than he intended and instantly felt apologetic for himself until Nana spoke.
“I know. On the courtyard when she touched me, I saw Xiumin and Jinki.”
A/N: The first part of this chapter may be a familiar scene to some SONEs. It is written as a fulfillment of dee900926's request. On another note, I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST WROTE THIS CHAPTER WITH ALL ITS RATED SCENES ALKJFKLAFANFLANFA /hides in embarrassment/