× woods

@(✵) kim minji He could see the fear reflected in her wide eyes and open expression, she never made any attempt to guard her emotions from him. She was so young, and so utterly naive. That death scared her so badly, even the death of something as vile and unnatural as that demon, it was an almost painful innocence. It reminded him of so long ago, a memory of his first experience with death when he was just a child. How horrified he had been, how saddened. His heart had ached, he had even cried. He’d been a sensitive child back then, before the darkness of his sin sank it’s claws too deeply into his mind.

The walk back to the Academy was silent, and he made no move to break it. He knew she needed time to think about what he’d said to her. He was not one to waste his time, and while he knew that she had great potential if she never chose to stand up and take it then no amount of lessons in the world could make her truly powerful. He could not force her to make this choice, though if he could he would. There would come a day when he would need her power, and he intended to make sure she was ready for when that day came.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he said, pressing his lips to her forehead for a brief moment as she hugged him. “I told you that you had nothing to fear. No matter where the darkness is, even in your nightmares, I will be there to protect you,” he promised, tucking a fiery curl behind her ear. “Sleep well, Minji, good night,” he nodded in farewell watching her walk away with an unreadable expression.

He knew he was playing a dangerous game. There was no telling who could be watching. He had many enemies, even here, and this softness he seemed to hold for the witch child could ruin his plans for freedom, or get her killed. He had no reason to help her beyond his own selfish gain. She knew the type of man he was, if he could even be called a man. Yet the fear she carried in her eyes was not for him. If he thought his game was dangerous, her’s was downright lethal.

@(✞) lee taemin When the professor had began to explain about the demon and how it came to be the hideous creature it was, Minji couldn’t help but feel sorry for the animal. How much pain and torture it had gone through just to be awaken as twisted creature before being left out here to die. Her legs slowly began to take a step back out of fear – she was fully aware Professor Lee was more than capable to handle such a demon but her body acted on its own. The red fox moved in front of her, snarling at the demon. She assumed it was acting like some sort of protector once it noticed Minji’s fear. She could feel the light threatening to emerge from her palm but she managed to hold it down, she didn’t know nor did she want to know what would happen if she let her magic out under such an emotion. Her eyes fell onto the man instead and watched him unleash his power.

The student had seen Taemin’s powers before, not many times but enough for her to know that he was highly powerful and should never be underestimated upon. She saw how the shadows moved to his command and closed her eyes shut, putting her hands over her ears. She highly disliked any sort of killing or bloody scenes so the thought of it happening a few feet away from her made her stomach twist in unfavorable ways. She managed to hear the muffled grunts of the demon and assumed the professor was in the middle of ‘disposing’ it. This just made her press her palms into her ears, desperate to silent the sound. The man worked fast as the cries disappeared in a matter of seconds. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that only ash was left where the demon had stood. Her hands fell from her ears and she rested one of her hands on her chest, feeling her heartbeat. It was still beating quickly followed by her the pants of irregular breathing.

Her eyes were still watching the ash as it began to be blown away by the wind, wondering how painful its death came. Their lesson was up she assumed when she noticed that daylight had ended. She didn’t answer the man’s question as she took back her wand. She noticed how the fox watched over the professor, she couldn’t read what her familiar’s thoughts were on about the man. As the fox sensed they were about to leave, it wandered back into the forest. “I am your familiar now, child. Do not hesitate when you are in need of assistance,” it muttered before Minji lost sight of it.

At the question asked, Minji could only keep shut. “My own person…” she mutters into the night, placing back her wand in her pocket. Since night had fallen, it was time for them to head back to the academy. The walk back was terribly quiet, with Minji being occupied with her own thoughts wondering what she was going to do with the choice Professor Lee had laid out to her. She began to run her nail down her thumb, a gesture she was used to doing whenever she was in deep thoughts. The light coming from the academy broke her train of thoughts. She puffed out her cheeks and gave a small smile to the man, “Well, I suppose I should thank you for saving us, Professor. Thank you.” Minji opens up her arms and gives him a quick hug out of gratitude. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she mutters, just low enough for him to hear before she takes a step back. “Have a good night, Professor. I’ll you for our next lesson,” she waves at him goodbye before heading back to her dorm. She needed sleep desperately after the previous events.

@(✵) kim minji “So be it then,” Taemin murmured when she made her choice. He would give her time, to find that strength within herself before he pushed her to face the fears that paralyzed her. If he pushed too soon she would only resent him. This demon was hardly worth such a price. Her power, her potential; no, he would not risk it over this miserable creature. It was a rather ugly thing, it looked like it may have been a coyote or some such beast before it was damned. It’s body now twisted and grotesque, forced to walk on two legs, it’s deep black eyes betraying the agony of it’s creation. “This, Minji, is what happens when dark arts go wrong. Someone, likely a student judging by this dreadful piece of work, attempted to create a demon familiar. The ritual requires the torture of the animal, the more it suffers in life the more powerful it is in damnation. It requires skill, delicacy, and a powerful will to shape it. Whoever attempted this knew nothing of what they were doing, and they created this wretched creature and left it out here to die again.”

He did almost feel sorry for it, it had clearly suffered for a long time in these woods alone. There was no saving it now, death would be a mercy. It snarled at him as he drew closer, it’s manic gaze fixated on the witch behind him. He could see how emaciated it was, it had likely only survived this long on carrion, it had the stink of decay clinging to it. The shadows began to shift and move around Taemin, writhing like a living thing as tendrils spilled out and wrapped themselves around the demon cutting off it’s shriek of fury as they twisted themselves around it’s neck. He stopped when he reached it, lifting a hand and settling it over the creatures eyes. Black flames poured from his palm, devouring the creature as it thrashed, it’s struggles growing weaker as the flames descended until there was nothing left of the demon but ash. It was not bloody, as he much preferred death to be, but he spared Minji that sight. Striking fear in her was not his aim, and if let the monster out of it’s cage he could not guarantee his self-control.

“You know the darkness of this world Minji, you have been witness to it since you were a child,” he began, turning back to look at her again. The forest was quiet once more and night had officially settled around them. “You have let others control you, allowed yourself to be a marionette to their whims. Your power, your life, is yours alone. You must learn to reach out with your own hands and take control. You have proven tonight that you have the skill, you have the ability. But will you make the choice to take it?” He asked, pulling her wand from his coat and holding it out to her. “Think about all you have accomplished tonight, and make the choice. Decide for yourself if you will finally be your own person.”

@(✞) lee taemin Minji was still a daze as she found a hard time to believe she managed to summon a familiar on her first try. She squatted down, just to take a good look at the red fox. “You have red fur – like my hair, huh?” she chuckles and her eyes look up at the professor. The way he spoke was different now and he proceeded to move in front of her. Her attention was divided between the man and the fox. She decided to follow his advice and reached out her hand to the fox, keeping a small distance between her palm and the fox’s fur. The creature moved closer to her and she could feel the softness of the fur against her skin. “You’re really pretty,” she mentioned, feeling a bit breathless. The bond was done and sealed. Her eyes bore deep into the fox’s stare and she could feel the connection being made. “At your service, ma’am,” it seemed to speak to her and this did catch her off guard.

“Did you hear it speak?”

But her question went unanswered as the sound of a twig snapping caught the pair’s attention instead. “D-Did you know it was out here?” she asked and perhaps the color from her face had drained – she didn’t know. Her legs went numb at the sight of the hideous demon but was still moving, “I-I’ll pass this t-time.” As much as she wanted to show what she was capable of in front of the professor, the shock and fear that went through her body was too much for her to handle. She knew about the types of terrifying creatures that roamed the world as she learnt it from her books and seen them in her house. However, no matter how many times she had seen one – she could never extinguish the fear that went through her each time. She curses under her breath, feeling how useless she was all over again.

“You’re afraid,” the fox spoke once again and this time Minji didn’t jump from the shock. Her eyes were still glued to the demon a few feet away from her. Instead, the fox nuzzled near her arm. “Why are you afraid child?” it asked just as Minji tried to move from her spot – wanting to get a bit further away from the fight. “I’ve seen demons before,” she whispered, the warmth of the fox soothing away her fear, “Powerful ones, weak ones – they’re all hideous.” She spoke with such bitterness in her words, the fears she had were all very personal related which made it even harder to get move on from. “Well, you must work on that, child. Fear is a choice you make – you can either let it consume you or let it help you grow,” the fox spoke in a way that made it seem to be much wiser than she assumed it to be. The girl finally manages to get back up her feet, just in time to look at how her professor fought against the demon.

@(✵) kim minji The sound of the bells chime was rather ominous in the silence of the forest. The words of the spell seemed to linger, a whispered echo that he could hear moving through the trees as if carried by the wind. He could sense more than he could hear the response to it, the inhuman response. She had a lot of power, and there were many creatures in the forest that would gladly devour her to take it for themselves. Had she been alone that spell would have been a death sentence, calling so openly like that. He could sense something was coming closer, a dark, sinister thing, likely a demon of some kind. He could feel it’s desperation, could practically taste it’s hunger. It was starving, a dying thing. He knew well that burning hunger that ravaged one from the inside, that made every breath agony. To some extent he almost pitied the creature, pathetic as it was.

The soft rustle of the bushes barely drew his attention for longer than a moment, his focus on the darkness of trees just beyond sight. He knew the thing was lurking there, waiting, weighing it’s options as it’s instincts warred within it. “Now,” he spoke softly, slowly walking to place himself between her and the demon. “You decide if want to bond with him or not. If you do, reach out to him. He will share his magic with you, and you with him. It will seal the bond between you, and you will be able to summon him any time you wish.” A fox was a good familiar for her, they were clever and very resourceful little things. It would be a good companion if she chose to keep it.

“Your spell caught the attention of more than just your fox,” he said, he heard the snap of a twig and he knew the demon had made it’s choice. It’s hunger fueling it’s desperation, outweighing the instinct that told it to flee from a predator much more powerful than itself. “Do you want to learn how to use your magic to defend yourself, or would you rather I dispose of it for you?” It would be a good learning opportunity for her, but he would never turn down the chance to tear the pathetic creature apart. He hadn’t killed anything in far too long, and even a weak demon was at least a living being he could extinguish. He knew from experience they screamed in agony when their flesh was ripped from their body. The taste of it’s cursed blood would be bitter, nothing like the sweet taste of human blood. Poor damned creatures, perhaps they found solace in Hell with his father.

@(✞) lee taemin Hearing about making decisions made her feel a tad awful – she never really had her own opinions that she stuck to her as fiercely as she should have, excluding her thoughts on the professor. His words did make some of the gears in her head turn as she thought about it. More than once had classmates and friends warned her on getting close to Lee Taemin. “It’s awful to be around him – he’s the very definition of all evil. He has no heart or sort of empathy in him, Jiu,” one of her friends had warned her once she was asking questions about the professor. No one liked to pry into his life, well no one in the Gethen Guild that is. Her eyebrows furrowed as she wondered for a moment if trusting Professor Lee would bring either good or bad into her life. So far, the professor had proven he was worthy of her trust – but would there come a time where she would doubt him? The very thought of it made her scold herself, she was in no position to be hesitant of him. He was the first person to show her some sort of kindness and in her eyes, he would be her guardian until the end of her breath.

“Someday then – when I’m ready,” she lets out a long sigh. Minji was about to ask where in the world were they supposed to get a bell from when she yelps at the sudden portal summoned. Her eyes widened in fascination as he pulled out a silver bell from the said portal. She was nearly afraid the bell would do something as he placed it in her hands. “One circle coming up,” she put up her index finger at him before summoning the light in her palms – this time faster than before, almost as if she had been doing it her entire life. Once the circle was completed, she had the light disappear and dusted off her palms. “Blood of my blood, spirits of power, come to me now in this darkened hour…” she chants the mantra in her head just to memorize it better. She gives one nod to the professor, indicating she was ready. “Wish me luck then,” she crosses her fingers before letting herself relax.

“Blood of my blood, spirits of power, come to me now in this darkened hour. Entities great, who wish me well, come to this circle when I sound the bell,” her eyes rested on the professor for a while before she started to look around her instead. Carefully, she rang the bell once and let the sound echo through the forest – making sure it was heard by whatever was out there. She didn’t feel anything and decided to ring it one more time once their few minutes was up. She made sure to ring it nice and loud this time. She knew of course that not all witches succeeded in gaining a familiar on their first try so she wasn’t terrible worried – a little, but not much. Just as she was about to suggest that this probably wasn’t going to work, she heard some sort of rustling coming nearby. Her eyes turned as large as the moon and she could her pulse quickening as she anticipated what was coming. “A… A fox?” she blinked her eyes a few times for good measure as the creature came near her circle. It stopped right in front of her and seemed to give her a bow. “Uhh… What now?” she turns her attention to the professor, not knowing what she was suppose to do now – she never expected to get this far.

@(✵) kim minji “Where you go with your magic is up to you. It’s your choice and yours alone. I cannot make it for you and neither can your family. Whether you follow the path of darkness or you follow the path of light, it must be you who decides. That’s why I scold you for apologizing, there will come a time in your life when you must made a choice and you have to be strong enough to follow it through to the end, even if it’s a mistake,” Taemin warned her, she was at least lucky that what she was wouldn’t change with her choices. Such was the curse of being born an Angel, his very being was ripped away from him when he fell. Not that he regrets it, he has more freedom and power now than he ever would have had as an Angel. But there was a certain bitterness lingering inside him that his very birthright could be so easily taken from him. He’d had to build himself anew from the charred remnants of who he once was. He’d been reborn in a way, dying only to rise again with wings as black as the void and a heart to match.

“Perhaps someday I will teach you how to summon darkness, but not yet, not today. You aren’t ready for it yet, you can’t weird darkness while you are still afraid of it,” Taemin told her, regarding her with just the slightest frown as she stared at him intently. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for in his face, or perhaps it was in his eyes. She was trying to ready something but, whatever it was she likely wouldn’t find it. Taemin was an impossibly deep well and very little rose to the surface, but he allowed her to search. She seemed to gain whatever reassurance she was looking for from it, and it made him curious as to what exactly it was she saw. Very few people looked at him in the same light that she did. Most saw him as a monster, something twisted and evil. He was used to being feared, he had earned his reputation with the blood of thousands staining his hands and what was left of his blackened soul. But she only saw the sheep, not the wolf lurking beneath.

“I will teach you to summon a familiar then, it requires an incantation as well as focused intention, a circle and a bell.” Taemin snapped his fingers and a small portal of darkness appeared in front of him, when he reached his hand through it he withdrew a small silver bell. “This one should do just fine, it’s pure silver and it’s carved with runes of power so it will help your spell reach a wider radius,” he said, handing the bell to her. “Now, either find a stick, or use your light and draw a circle around yourself. The incantation is as follows: Blood of my blood, spirits of power, come to me now in this darkened hour. Entities great, who wish me well, come to this circle when I sound the bell. You can ring the bell up to three times, but give it a few minutes between each ring. The combination of your magic, the spell, and the chime of the bell will call to the familiars of the forest and one of them will come to you.”

@(✞) lee taemin Minji slowly nodded her head as she put her focus in the professor’s words. “Runes?” she tilted her head to the side just as he began explaining what it was. turned into an ‘o’ as she understood now what ‘rune’ meant. She could hardly hold in her excitement with each word that passed his lips. It seemed like wonders could be made from the very tip of her fingers by the way he described the possibilities. Though she knew she still had a quite a journey in front of her, she couldn’t wait for the day where she could show off her magic proudly. Applying magic was much more thrilling than reading about them in her books. If she had known this was how it felt then she would have practiced much more then bury herself in learning the theories. Seemed like all those notes she did and all those nights of studying late into the night have gone to utter waste.

“Oh, fun!” she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. She knew magic could be used for both good and evil, seeing how her family dabbled with it but she much more determined on experimenting it’s uses on the good side. “You’ll be with me, right? Just to make sure I won’t end up like the rest of my family,” she looks at the professor, “I rather stay away from being anything like them.” Her foot lifts up to make some sort of pattern in the snow, chuckling once she was done – it was just letters of her nickname, ‘Jiu’. She drags her foot again and lets the pattern disappear, as if nothing was there in the first place. She knows the history of her family members associated with magic – it’s a history that runs in her blood and it’s one of her many fears as well, to turn out like the rest of her family. She softly shakes her head, making some snow fall off her hair in the process.

When the professor began to lecture on the dangers of dabbling with darkness, Minji can’t help but pout slightly. “So… Does that mean you won’t teach me how to summon darkness?” Her eyes stared up at him and she took the moment to try and read what was in his eyes. Her friends had told her how evil ran through his blood and how cold his eyes were when one looks in them. Her head tilts to the side again, she couldn’t seem to find what she was looking for in his eyes. She squints and moves closer, her eyes still glued onto his eyes. She had not realized her sudden actions before the man asked on what they would like to move on next. She takes a step back, “Oh, oh! Summoning a familiar – I always wanted to try that out! Let’s do that next.” She claps her hands in excitement, similar to seal. She’s read about familiars before in the books she checked out from the library but never had she thought of summoning one but seeing how she managed to do 2 things right today, she hoped the third time would have good results as well.

@(✵) kim minji Taemin found himself watching with something akin to fond amusement as Minji flailed her hand around. It reminded him of a child, and he supposed in a lot of was she still was one. She had a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do. “You did very well, it will get easier and easier every time you summon it. Eventually you can simply will it and it will appear,” he said, it would be a long while before she could do that but she was already heading in the right direction. “Light can do many things. For Angels it is a source of healing, as well as as destruction. Unfortunately you won’t be able to use light in the same way, but for you it can be a companion of sorts and it’s very handy for rune magic. Both fire and light are good for that, I doubt they’ve taught you rune magic yet but I think you would benefit from it. Runes are a bit like wands, but a step up because they take your magic and focus it into something specific whereas wands are almost like a conduit between you and your magic.”

They could get into runes another time though, that lesson could wait until she was more comfortable with using her magic and controlling it. “You can control all the elements in the same ways that I’ve showed you. You could make the snow fall heavier if you wanted, or stop it altogether, you could blanket the woods in flowers, or burn it to the ground. As long as you focus your mind on the feeling of what you want to create, the possibilities are nearly endless,” he explained, she had enough power in her to use very powerful magic but she was still too inexperienced yet to bring that potential out. He might have use for that potential someday, and he would much rather have her as an ally than an enemy when that day came.

“Darkness is not something that you should dabble in. It draws from all of your worst emotions and memories, and manifests them into dark energy. It is volatile and very difficult to control, you are simply too kind hearted to be able to wield it properly. You have enough pain in your past to call it forth, but you don’t have enough hatred in your heart to control it,” he said, he found himself somewhat reluctant to take that kindness and innocence away from her. He could, it would be as easy as tearing the wings off a butterfly but he knew he would gain no satisfaction from it. He didn’t want her broken, he wanted to keep the life in her eyes. It didn’t matter why, and he refused to question it. “Would you like to learn how to summon your familiar next? I happen to know that spell. Or, if you have something else you would like to learn? Unless you want to keep practicing with a few of the other elements first?”

@(✞) lee taemin The girl felt her cheeks warming up as she heard the professor’s praises. She wouldn’t really think of the fire as a full success but at least she hadn’t burnt him with it or herself. Seemed like no one would be needing a visit to the nurse this time. Minji looked around and noticed that it was getting a bit darker than when they arrived. Not pitch black dark but still, it made her feel slightly uneasy. Darkness was something she couldn’t stand, similar to fire however the feeling was much more stronger. Unable to see in the dark was one of her top fears, having many of her abuse done this way. Everything was scarier without light – you couldn’t tell what was coming or who was there. Just thinking about it made a chill run down her spine.

“Maintaining the light – alright,” she rubs her palms together. Minji takes another deep breath and focuses on that emotion that she had left filling her just a few moments ago. She puts her hands in front of her, palms facing the other way just so none of the light would blind her if it got too intense. Her eyes looked right in front of her, observing the shadows of the dark forest. If she could make light appear, that meant she had nothing to worry about if she was ever in the dark again. She was the light – she repeated that in her head. As she focused, she seemed to drown out the professor’s presence and instead his voice echoed in the back of her head. She could hear her own slow heartbeat, beating at a steady pace. Her palms soon started feeling warm again and it didn’t take long before the light came to life in her hands. She jumped back in shock and awe, “Woah!” Curious, she brought her hand a bit closer and observed the ray of light. The girl began to move the light about, watching as it shone for a meters through the trees. “What can you do with light?” she asked, looking back at her professor. “Does darkness work the same way too?” If there was a way to control light, surely darkness had a way too. “Is there a way for you to teach me that?” Minji tried to hold in her excitement but she couldn’t help herself – she wanted to learn more.

As Minji played around with her hands for a few more seconds, she decided that it had gone long enough and the light faded away. ‘Shutting it off’ as she would say, was much more easier than summoning it to life. “How do you control the other elements then?” She was anticipating how they would continue their future lessons on her elemental magic. She rubbed her nose for a while, feeling the cold hit her nostrils. Now, she could see why other students couldn’t help but use their wands all the time – it seemed magic was much more exciting and fun when you had a grasp on it.

@(✵) kim minji The soft ball of light that began to glow in her hands made him wince slightly but he shifted his eyes away to make it easier. Light magic was painful to be around for him anymore. He was so far removed from the angel he once was, so far from the light that had been his core all so lifetimes ago. It brought back memories he would much rather stayed buried of a much more innocent version of himself. The stark contrast between where started and where he stood was dizzying, and he was relieved when the light faded. A small smile touched his lips a moment before Minji’s eyes opened. “You’ve done two things now without messing up,” he corrected her, because despite what she might think that fire had been well controlled and had caused no damage. She’d done exactly as he’d asked of her and she was doing well. Magic was not an easy art to learn, it took time and careful understanding. “You’ve done very well, you should be proud of yourself. I told you that you didn’t need a wand.”

He let go of her hands and stepped back, nodding towards the ever darkening expanse of trees around them. “Now that you know how to summon the light, it’s time to learn how to actually maintain it. Bringing it into being is always the first step, and you’ve proven you can do that very well. This time you have to focus to keep it here. You know what you have to feel inside of yourself to call your light, so try it again this time keep your eyes open and focus on it.” Once she understood this lesson she would be able to use any of the elements. She was still at a beginner level, but he had faith she could progress quickly and catch up to where she needed to be. She had the spirit for it, and she listened well. She did better than many of his students, though the subject matter he taught was far more difficult and much more dangerous. He wouldn’t teach her to dabble in darkness unless it was something she specifically asked for. He didn’t think she had the heart for it anyway.

“You have to learn to make magic personal, otherwise you won’t truly be able to control it. It’s a part of you, no different than your arm or leg. Someday you will be able to use magic as easily as you breathe,” he said, his voice low as he spoke so as not to disturb the quiet of the forest or throw off her concentration. If she succeeded in this she would at least know that she would never have to fear the dark again. Fear was a powerful emotion, but very difficult to control. She wasn’t ready yet to try to harness the power of her fear. Perhaps someday, in a few years, she might find herself ready but for right now she needed to learn confidence in her abilities above anything else.

@(✞) lee taemin Minji’s breathing became much more calmer once she was in his arms. There was something about him that made her feel secured and protected, something she only felt when he was around. His reassurance helped her recollect herself and she managed to focus on the praise give. “And I didn’t burn anyone this time!” she says, the excitement in her voice was clear. She looks up to the professor and sighs, “I’ll do better on the next try – no promises but I’ll try hard.” She pats down her hair, smoothing it out with her palms. For now, she rather steer clear from fire until she had a better control over magic in general. Who knows if she was just plain lucky this time around.

The man took a step back from her only to cup her hands into his own once again. “What are we doing next?” she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. The way the professor said it made it seem like some sort of dangerous element but she was certain he wouldn’t let anything harm them both – not after that big fire. The girl took a deep breath, calming down both her excited and nervous jitters. He had already proven his promise before so she knew it in her heart that what he said was true – nothing bad would happen as long as he was here.

“Light?” she mumbles, that was an element she had never had the chance to try out before so this would be the first time she tried to summon it. She supposed light wouldn’t do much damage as other elements. The mentioning of fear and pain in her past made her head filled with more thoughts again. There were too many of them – so much pain that she couldn’t erase no matter how hard she tried. However, as she felt Professor Lee cup her cheek did those emotions of hers wither away and was replaced with ease and calmness. Her eyes once again fluttered closed as she focused on his voice and only his voice.

A source of happiness? That would rather be difficult for her to find. What made her happy? What made her smile and joyous? What made her feel safe and warm? She shut her eyes tighter, rummaging through her thoughts to find something she could pull out. However, it just came to her almost in an instant. Of course – the man right in front of her. She flickered back to the memory of their very first official meeting, the one where he had talked to her first. She remembered how happy she was to be acknowledged by someone and how wonderful it felt to have someone with her. Soon, her palms started to feel warm, not like the fire earlier – it was a secured type of warmth. She dared herself to peek one of her eyes open and awed at the sight of light coming from her palms. It disappeared in a few seconds but her smile still remained. “Did you see that? You saw that didn’t you, Professor? I did something and not mess up!”

@(✵) kim minji When the small flame flickered to the life in her palm Taemin was honestly surprised, even more so when it suddenly flared to life and grew so rapidly he was forced to lean backwards to avoid getting singed. It was snuffed out a moment later when Minji opened her eyes, and it was obvious, even without her intense reaction to it, that she had painful memories associated with element of fire. It was interesting, how it responded to her and he made careful note of that as he reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. “We all have nightmares in our past, things we would rather run from. It does not make you weak, it simply makes you alive,” he assured her, brushing away the hair that was clinging to her face. “You did well though, you summoned a flame and you controlled it. That’s impressive for your first time without a wand.”

Elemental magic was not his forte, being a fallen angel he was never acquainted with most nature magic. His abilities always existed on that second plane, outside of the physical. Over time he leaned how to use some variations of elements, but it was never the same true raw natural power that witches could harness. However, it was truly amazing what one could learn when they tore someone’s soul to pieces. “We will try something else then, mind you this particular element I haven’t used since I was a child. I think it will suit you though,” he said, stepping away from her again to take her hands once more. “Now, take a deep breath, let all the pain, the darkness, the memories go. The past is the past, nothing bad will happen here.” He promised her, she would need to re-center herself if she wanted to keep trying.

“You told me you were afraid of the dark, so I’m going to teach you how to summon light. Light and darkness are base elements, they exist in all things. Once upon a time, when I was still an Angel I was filled with light and I learned to see it in the world around me. I can see it in you as well, as I can see the darkness. There is a lot of fear and pain in your past, your light is small but it is there. You can cultivate it and help it grow,” he said, letting go of one hand so he could reach up and gently cup her cheek, brushing his thumb across it. He let his hand fall a moment later, taking hers once more. “Find your source of happiness. Find a moment in time, a memory, an object, even a fantasy. Anything that brings you warmth. Focus on that, let that emotion fill you. Now, imagine holding it in your hands, like it’s a small, delicate, star.”

@(✞) lee taemin The professor’s words were of course important to her so she made a note to try and see if she didn’t need to use her wand. Her magic itself was always out of hand – even a wand couldn’t tame her so perhaps what he said was trues, perhaps she didn’t need to use a wand to help her. Her mind was slowly running out of focus but she shakes her head, snapping her delusions. “Okay, connection – got it,” she mumbles to herself, wiping her sweaty palms on her sides. True, she was nervous. One for not having her wand around for this magic lesson and two; being right in the eyes of Professor Lee. She didn’t want to disappoint him but she knew this was the only way if she wanted to get better control of her magic.

There was a reason she disliked elemental magic – each of them had a bitter memory in her mind but she was sure it had nothing to do with the fact she had trouble applying magic. If she could calm her jitters, perhaps everything would turn out well as she wanted it to be. Proper control – that’s what she was aiming for. “And you’re sure we won’t burn down the forest?” she asks, though it sounds stupid once it leaves her lips. The last thing she wanted to do was set a forest fire. Minji starts to have second thoughts on choosing fire as the element they were going to be testing out. But it’s too late to back out now, it’ll only make her look even more pathetic than she already was. “Confidence, Jiu. Be confident,” she mumbles to herself just as the man suddenly comes closer and holds her hands. The blush on her cheek comes back but she’s quick to tone down her sudden feelings. What she needed to focus on now was to get some kind of grip on her powers and not focus on the beautiful man in front of her.

Professor Lee’s voice was soothing as she closed her eyes. Her mind that was filled with rushing thoughts come to a silence as she placed her focus on his voice alone. She started to picture a flame in her mind – a bright dancing flame full of life. Now, she began to imagine the heat coming from it. It was warm and calming at first. It was as if she could actually feel it in her hands. However, suddenly it became too warm as if it was burning her skin and the next thing she knew, she hears an echoing of a scream in her mind – her screams as a child to be more precise. Minji’s eyes snapped open and she catches sight of the huge flame in her hands before it disappears. The student takes a step away from the professor, turning her back to his. “I’m so sorry,” she mutters, feeling the sweat on her forehead forming, “We shouldn’t have tried fire in the first place.” She hugs her body, feeling much more pathetic now. She’s shivering but not because of the cold but because of the memory that played when she imagined the fire. “Let’s try something else. I don’t think fire is for me,” she suggest, finally turning around to face him again with a sad smile on her lips.

@(✵) kim minji “Yes, and everyone is also dreadfully stupid,” Taemin pointed out, rolling his eyes at her attitude. He had expected as much though, younger witches especially had no concept of what true magic was. He didn’t understand the point of giving them a crutch like a wand, it did them no favors in the long run. It only made the use of magic a little easier, but it took away the need for a deep connection with it. “I’m only keeping your wand until we’re done here. You still need it for classes, but I do hope you’ll take to heart what I tell you today and actually think about how you use your magic.”

“Relax, we’re starting small,” he assured her, a bit amused that she was acting like they were going to jump straight into battle. That was too much for her right away, the could work on that after he was certain she had the basics down. She seemed very uncomfortable with the idea of elemental magic which was a good thing, that meant Taemin could see exactly how and where she was going wrong when she tried to use it. “Elemental magic comes from having a connection with each of the elements. Each of them are different, and they respond in different ways. I’m going to teach you how to make that connection so that when you summon an element, you can actually control it.”

He reached out with both hands and gently took both of hers, holding them so they were cupped together. “I want you to close your eyes. Let yourself relax for a moment, try to clear your mind and just follow my voice. You don’t need to be afraid, you don’t need to be worried. Nothing can go wrong here.” He took a moment to reassure her again before he continued. “I want you to imagine a candle flame. I want you to see the way it flickers and dances in your minds eyes, the heat it radiates when you pass your hand over it. I want you to remember the way it felt to watch as it’s dance cast shadows across the room. Now, imagine that flame nestled in your hands, feel the warmth of it easing the cold from your fingers,” he instructed, keeping his voice low and even as he spoke. If she did it right the flame would appear for her in her hands, he was keeping a close eye on the small space their hands had created. Even if the flame only lasted for a breath he would be rather impressed. It wasn’t easy to manage wandless magic for someone so young and inexperienced.

@(✞) lee taemin Minji’s eyes widened when the man told her her wand was unneeded. “Hey!” she grumbled as he took it away with one swift action. “But everyone has one…” she mumbles just as the professor begins to rattle on about his disliking towards wands as well as the rest of the information that came with it. She was about to reach out and grab it back when the man had tucked it away into his coat. She rolled her eyes out of annoyance but she knew better than to press on about wand usage. He was a professor and as he had said earlier – he had lived a hundred life times, he knew about magic better than she did. So, the girl shut and decided to follow what he said. However, without her wand she felt much more unarmed in the dark forest – who knows what might jump out in front of them. His words did made her feel at ease as it calmed her nerves. With her following closely behind him, she says, “You’re the only person I put my complete trust in. If that’s your promise then I’ll put my belief in you, Professor.”

They continued walking further out into the woods. She made sure to stick close to the professor as she looked around her surroundings. The girl rubbed her neck, feeling it starting to hurt after looking up the trees for so long. She couldn’t help herself once she was around nature – it felt nice to be outside and she always enjoyed the outdoors much more than being inside. “Wow,” she sighed, taking in the scenery. How could she not? Even at somewhere as dangerous as the dark woods, she still felt how breathtaking nature was. Beautiful and dangerous, the thought comes to mind and her eyes stopped on the professor – perhaps it was a similar way to describe him. The smile on her lips grow fond as she remembers the first time she had ever seen him step into the house. The maids had whispered amongst themselves how handsome he was and Minji had been shooed up the stairs to her room when he had arrived. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes upon and that title still remains with him.

The pair stop at a clearing and Minji looks unsure when he mentions ‘elemental magic’. “Fire? Are you sure?” she gulps down the bitter saliva down . Last time she tried to use elemental magic… it didn’t go so well – a trip to the nurse was the result. She silently prays no one gets badly hurt today. “Alright… Fire then, let’s go with that,” she nods her head and pats her cheeks a few times to get her focused and energized. “You’re keeping my wand then? Until I can manage better?” Minji pouts for a while before his last sentence made her laugh. “Hammer as a paintbrush – nice way to put it, Professor,” she undoes her ponytail and ties is up again – tighter this time. “Okay, I’m good to go. Be as harsh as you need to be – I don’t want to waste your time for nothing.”

@(✵) kim minji “We’re going to start where all things start, at the source,” Taemin explained a bit cryptically as he followed a trail he was certain only a rare few knew of. No many were brave enough to venture out into the woods, and even fewer to do so when the daylight hours were so short. The werewolves were rather at home out here, filthy mutts that they were, no better than the animals really. A few other students stupid enough to test their luck ventured out from time to time, but it was most the faculty that he found wandering these trees late into the bitter cold nights. It had made for interesting memories to say the very least, and very that he might say he actually enjoyed reminiscing on.

“You won’t need your wand,” he assured her, noticing when she pulled it out. He could tell she was nervous being out here, but there was nothing dangerous for a few miles and most of those things could sense him and would keep their distance. “I hate wands. The sooner you get rid of that thing the better off you will be. It’s a glorified stick and nothing more. Your magic doesn’t come from your wand, it’s a crutch and it will cripple you in the long run,” he told her, taking the wand from her and tucking it into his coat pocket so she wouldn’t be tempted to try to use it. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, so I need you to trust me. You don’t need the wand. The capability for magic is already inside of you, you just have to find it within yourself.” Most witches and warlocks were taught the theory of magic at a very young age, and they learned to use their magic long before they were given a wand. In Minji’s case it was the exact opposite and it left her entirely unable to control her magic with her wand. She was a walking accident, and Taemin didn’t want anyone getting hurt tonight, that wasn’t the point of this lesson.

When they made it to a small clearing in the woods he stopped and looked around for a moment, listening carefully to the sounds around them and paying close attention to the shifts in the air, once he was certain it was safe he nodded towards her. “Alright, we’re going to start with elemental magic because it’s the easiest to learn to use. I recommend choosing a single element, in your case I would recommend fire because I think it will react more favorably to you than the other elements, but you are free to choose any one you want. I’m going to teach you how to find the source of magic inside yourself so that you can cast spells. Until you learn to do this without a wand, your wand is essentially useless to you. A tool is only as good as the person wielding it, and right now you’re using a hammer as a paintbrush.”

@(✞) lee taemin Minji’s eyes were preoccupied with watching how the snow fell around her that she hadn’t notice the professor’s sudden entrance until he spoke. The way the place was beginning to covered in snow made it seem like something magical – straight out a fairy tale book. When his hand reached out to curl a strand of her hair, she was almost sure she was blushing but she supposed the sudden heat was due to the cold she was feeling. His comment left her chuckling, only a blind man could lose her with her red hair usually screaming for attention. No matter how many times she tried to dye her hair into any other color, it would never work and resulted in her hair staying the same fiery color. She had lost motivation in trying to turn in back and decided it would always be a part of her.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she puffed out her cheeks and rubbed her palms together, “So long as you’re here – there’s nothing I need to worry.” The student tossed a smile towards the professor and started to head towards the woods. Safe, that would be the word she described when she was around the man though she wasn’t quite certain if the other students would agree with her choice of words. Safe would mean being somewhere where she was absolutely sure her family could never reach her even if it was for a tiny while. She knew her family was acquainted with Professor Lee – she wasn’t sure how or why but she had seen him while she grew up. Her family would always be wary when he was around up to the point they hadn’t snatched her away when the two had talked for the very first time. Guests weren’t allowed to mingle with her, even as much as to sparing a glance at her would seem degrading. But him? No, her family hadn’t dared to step in between them. She was a child born out of wedlock, she shouldn’t even be here in her account – living and breathing seemed to be wrong as if she was stealing it in order to survive. However, being around Lee Taemin seemed to prove her incorrect – being around him meant she was something to someone at the very least.

“What are we staring off with first?” she asks but her eyes are somewhere else, looking up at the trees that grew so tall and close together. No wonder that this area had plenty of warnings – it certainly looked as terrifying as she thought it would be. The wand tucked away in her pocket was taken out but she was worried she might blast something just from touching it. It wouldn’t be the first time she had accidentally caused some sort of chaos – even when she was just muttering a simple spell or waving the wand. The reason why it had become much more difficult for her to practice; destruction seemed to follow her around like a shadow. Maybe that was why some of the students avoided her like the plague, perhaps afraid they could break a bone just by being near her since it was partially true – partially. She wouldn’t blame them but she just hoped nothing too serious would happen during her practice with Professor Lee.

@(✵) kim minji Taemin watched Minji go with a carefully blanket expression, slowly finishing up his lunch as he thought over what he was going to do with her once they were outside. There weren’t as many students left lingering the cafeteria now that winter break was upon them, which was more of a blessing than she had realized. There were a few curious eyes and knowing smiles, and word would still travel as it always did. He knew she was too naive to realize what being associated with him would imply. She was too innocent. It made something in Taemin want to break her in half. He dismissed it easily enough though, that was a constant need gnawing in the back of his mind and one that he could over look in this one case. This one, special, little case. He was curious indeed to see who she would grow in to, be it a force of good or evil.

When he finished the last bites of his lunch he slowly stood up, not bothering with returning the trays because he knew one of the students would scurry along and clean up after him. Busy little mice, disgusting, spineless, creatures. If only they would all perish, the world would be better for it. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he headed back out of the Academy, towards the dark and imposing structure of the Alvah House. The aesthetic was pleasing at the very least, but it was just a pretty cage and nothing more. He found his coat hanging by the door and he slipped it on, he didn’t necessarily need it, the temperature didn’t effect him as it did humans. He wore it more for convenience because snow melted and he did not like being wet. He checked the house once just to be sure he hadn’t gained any new insects while he was out for lunch, but it was the same miserable little bunch that had been there before he left. He did so dislike orphans. They robbed him of his few quiet moments in the semester. He warned them he would be back later that night and not to set the place on fire before he headed out to find Minji.

The Academy looked breathtaking in the gray winter evening, with the snow falling gently and seeming to blanket the world in a strange kind of silence. It was slowly starting to build up on the ground, a few inches deep already. What students there were would be out on the grounds soon, making snow angels, and building snow men, and the other pointless little games they entertained themselves with during the snowfalls. He was never one for festivities, at least not since he’d fallen. A long time ago he’d been fascinated with the world, the lights, and the colors of celebration. He’d been so young and naive then. It was hundreds of life times ago now though, and nothing more than a distant memory.

Minji’s bright red hair stood out in stark contrast to the backdrop of the snow it was almost entertaining. “At least I won’t lose you,” he commented in amusement when he approached her. He reached out one hand, curling a length of her fiery hair around his finger. “Are you ready?” He asked, letting his hand drop as he stepped back. There was still enough daylight left that they would be fine in the forest. The would only have a few hours before it got dark, but he wasn’t concerned. The forest held no danger for him, or for her as long as she was with him.