Chapter Text
" Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you to the council?"
Jongdae graciously dismissed his friend's worries with a wave of his hand.
"Don't worry about it. You’ve still got a lot of work to do, don't you? I'll be fine."
He gestured at the table in front of him where Yifan was currently stacking up various piles of paper, creating an organized mess threatening to fall off on either side of the teacher's desk; just how he liked it. There were a few drawings while others contained clumsily written essays or a mixture of both. Despite the obvious load of work Yifan hesitated since he was a nice friend like that.
"If you say so..."
"I do say so."
Jongdae left his feet to dangle back and forth as he steadied his weight on both hands and enjoyed a few early sunrays as well as the fresh breeze entering through the opened window. If only one kid would have been around, his friend would have forced him to move his behind from the desk but as it were, the room was deserted with all the children still milling around outside.
"Yeah, you'd rather take Minseok with you, wouldn't you?" the blond mumbled deprecatingly.
The moment it had been said Yifan stilled in the midst of gently placing another drawing in its rightful place, the words already catching up to prick him with guilt.
He hurried to take it back with a weak grin.
"Sorry, I-"
"Minseok's not coming either." Jongdae softly said, looking out of the classroom's window into the tiny yard below.
"Oh. Why not?" Yifan quickly asked, trying to make up for his earlier mishap.
Jongdae flashed him a reassuring smile. He knew exactly what was going on in Yifan's mind and trying to sound like a jealous prick surely wasn't it. It wasn't that he had a problem with him hanging out with Minseok per se. It was true that he had known Minseok for far longer and Yifan only entered the picture roughly about three years ago when a tipsy Jongdae had invited the lost-looking boy to join his 16th birthday party on a whim. Back then Minseok had only laughed at his antics in resignation but in the end he was the one suggesting they should stay in contact. That was just the way Minseok was. People often mistook him for a dispassionate person since he was the quiet type. And Jongdae knew that the emotions he expressed publicly weren't necessarily the ones he actually felt.
Yifan, on the other hand, was an open book the moment he realized that he was born with this strict-looking features (then again Jongdae had felt so from the moment he saw him so he liked to think he had an eye for people).
Even now he could see the insecurity flickering across his eyes and he so willed his voice to sound casual.
"He's out of town." he remarked and with a huff he jumped off the table, stretching his arms above his head. Yifan only nodded faintly and even flinched as Jongdae's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Anyway, I'm going now! See you later. Don't let the kids get the best of you."
The tiny smile he got in return only confirmed him in thinking that he was the one needing protection and not the kids. Yifan's heart was soft as a kitten's fur, after all.
"Yeah, see you."
He was already half-way down the hallway when his friend called after him one more time, standing in the door frame.
"Jongdae!"
He hesitated for only a second under Jongdae's questioning gaze.
"...You can do it. I know you can."
He only smiled and gave him two thumbs up, his step decisively lighter as he left the school. Knowing that Yifan would brush aside all his little insecurities in favor of supporting him made him feel eternally grateful. After all, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Yifan would never get over his jealousy towards Minseok.
The sound of Jongdae humming under his breath was drowned out by the sound of cheap carriages bumping against the cobble stones. His eyes absently ran over the coarse bricks, mostly polished by nothing but the steady feet, tires and hooves stomping over it.
He'd heard that other Layers had floors so polished one could see their own reflection in it while women would wear pointed heels, viciously clicking with every step.
It sounded ridiculous, obviously, but Jongdae had no doubts about his sources. After all it had been Minseok himself who told him these things, eagerly whispered into the night after returning from his very first trip.
Another thing Jongdae was deadly curious about aside from the architecture were the people. Were they any different from here? They had to be. After all, not everyone was granted a visit on another Layer, much less a permanent visa.
Alright, it was admittedly easy to get to the next one. But the one Minseok had been to -the one Jongdae was headed to- lay three spots above their current one in the official rank.
Of course the Layers weren't physically higher, though Jongdae remembered his naive days as a little kid where he had drawn exactly that - an orange platform marking their home with many simple houses and another platform hovering in the air full of intensely blue sky scrapers with his dad flying up there in a flash like a superhero. He'd love to forget this drawing and maybe one day his grandma would actually take down the framed version.
Back then his kindergarten teacher had even praised him for the drawing,not for its orthographic accuracy but rather the social one who Jongdae understood much later.
If one aimed to step into a Layer scoring higher on the ranking, he or she had to pass the evaluation first and foremost. Each Layer handled the actual content of evaluation differently but from Yifan and Minseok he'd already heard that it was fairly easy, nothing but a questionnaire regarding his behavior in various situations. The higher the destination lay however, the higher the standards that had to be fulfilled.
And he clearly remembered Minseok saying that the evaluation for the blue Layer consisted of a personal talk where he had to be the one asking the right questions to prove his intelligence.
Needless to say that he had passed without breaking into a sweat. In the case of Minseok who had already had his job at a well-known architecture company confirmed it was probably more of a formality than anything.
Today Jongdae wouldn't be taking the evaluations though. He was technically allowed to, had been since his 16th birthday, but faithful to the promise his mother had forced out of him he was determined to restrain himself until the end of his traineeship.
Maybe any other teenager would have made a fuss about it but Jongdae wasn't any other teenager and after his older sister had gotten her visa and left to never return he had enough pity to outweigh the curiosity.
No, today he was going to get a temporary visa since he had signed up for an audition at one of the most well-known talent agencies managing singers. It had taken him two pre-auditions at their local theater and about two weeks of relentless talking to persuade his mother but now the day had come and there were no more tests to be passed until he could step in front of the audience he had seen over the square's public screen every so often. Or that's what he would have loved to say.
He was just crossing said square and looked at the big screen set up to permanently inform them about the happenings in the world as well as entertain the bunch of people settled in front of it. He'd also heard that technical stuff like this wasn't as rare over there as it was here. For a moment he stilled, turning yet again into one of those less financially blessed people who couldn't afford a small screen for their home. At the moment it showed the news, talking about the latest political issues with the yellow Layer as well as reporting the damages a storm had caused on one of the darker ones.
He still had a lot of time to spare so he stood there, waiting until the hourly news overview was over and the entertainment program was introduced by a music video. Jongdae instantly felt the anxious churning in his stomach turn into one of excitement as he saw his favorite music group sing and dance on screen. He wasn't merely lucky to see them now - in fact the guys and girls of WhiteHeart were shown so frequently that most people were either sick of them or utterly in love by now. Jongdae obviously belonged into the second category and seeing them gave him the necessary boost of courage he direly needed. So he sucked in a deep breath, eyes fixated onto the screen before closing them, trying to burn the image into the back of his head.
I want to do this, he thought.
That's where I wanna be.
That's where I'm going now.
"Are you alright?"
Jongdae almost jumped at the sudden question, opened his eyes and looked to the side to be met with big brown orbs that were entirely too close for comfort, making him jump for real this time.
"Woah," he mumbled, blinking the shock away, "I mean yeah. I'm alright."
The stranger merely laughed, drew back and straightened his posture, revealing himself to be much taller than Jongdae himself.
"Okay then. Thought you might feel sick or something."
He felt slightly offended at this, crossing his arms as he scrutinized the guy. Something about him seemed familiar.
"Sick? That was my 'I'm mentally preparing myself face'." he gave back before he realized it, making the guy laugh even more. Normally Jongdae wasn't keen enough on a conversation with a stranger he'd never meet again anyway. Must be the nerves.
"Really? I'm so sorry for interrupting you then." he said with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"You're forgiven. Seriously now, thanks for the worry. Gotta go though."
The tall guy saluted mockingly.
"Gotcha. Good luck on whatever you were preparing for."
"Thank you." Jongdae replied slightly perplexed as he turned to finally head for the council building.
What a rare thing to be approached by a stranger like that, he thought. He would have probably shot him down more noncommittally if not for his 'one hair-width from having a panic attack'-state. Still, now was not the time to try and recall where he had seen this guy before. The council was already in sight and he had to scrape together every ounce of courage he could find.
After all, the evaluations weren't the only hurdle to overcome.
Half an hour later Jongdae found himself leaning back in a chair, his eyes roaming casually over the sterile pale orange of the walls. They gave the otherwise windowless room a rather warm feeling. There were two machines in the room that looked pretty high tech, their constant buzzing comforting him in his current solitude. He had never grown fond of examination rooms. Neither did he find them particularly interesting though this one had the orange and the machine going for it.
Minseok had once told him that any medical institution hosted by the council was clad in the Layer's official color. He was now pretty glad that only a thin stripe below the ceiling had been painted in the intense orange his home was known under. Or else he'd probably be teary-eyed by now.
The dull sound of a door opening ripped him from his thoughts and he quickly sat up to greet his doctor. He'd guess him to be in his mid-thirties and while his statue was rather robust, his expression showed nothing but gentleness.
"Good morning Mr. Kim. I'm Bang Yongguk and I'll be the one to take care of you today."
"Good morning." Jongdae gave back, returning the handshake with a happy smile and effectively concealing his nervousness.
The doctor took a seat on the simple stool next to him and placed a few papers on the table before turning his whole body to him.
"You are here to get your compatibility tested, am I right?" he inquired calmly and Jongdae nodded, humming in agreement.
"That's right."
"You know how the process works?"
Jongdae made a vague sound, tilting his head from side to side.
"A friend told me about it so... Kind of? I guess?"
The doctor didn't seem perturbed, the gentle smile never fading.
"Alright. I know it may seem like a bother to you but it's my duty to tell you a thing or two before we start. Just for the protocol, so you know what you're getting into."
"Okay."
He must have sensed the minuscule tension behind the two syllables and lifted his hands in a soothing motion.
"Don't worry. This is a routine check up and I can assure you that while some people don't show compatibility -only very few at that- we have only recorded about two people in a million to show a negative reaction."
Two in a million. Jongdae had just begun to run the subjective estimation of the bad luck he'd had throughout his life when the doctor went on, rustling with one of the papers in his hands without looking down at them.
"Alright then. Let me tell you what we're about to do. You are most likely aware of the fact that all the Layers humans have access to are overlaying each other."
Jongdae nodded. Everyone knew that. You saw it on TV all the time - people standing in a run-down council room only to shift into another area where everything looked completely different and advanced. The process would usually be depicted by many lights and sparkles though and that's where Jongdae wasn't too sure on whether he had the right idea.
"And yet you're sitting here, both feet firmly standing on this orange Layer. What is stopping you from stepping into another Layer right this second?"
"The fact that I'd probably shift right into a mountain?" Jongdae joked dryly and the doctor chuckled in response.
"That may be true. We're extremely below the normal null height. What else?"
"My body is missing the substances that enable me to do so?" he tried carefully, wondering whether the expected answer was just that easy.
"Exactly. Your body is not aware of any other structure. You need the injection to enable your body to feel them and ultimately cross over. I'm sorry if I'm boring you right now." he interrupted himself, an apologetic smile on his face. Jongdae hurried to dismiss the worry.
"No no! It's alright. I'm listening closely. I'd take notes but I don't have a notepad so, yeah. I'm all ears."
He realized that he probably sounded sarcastic about it but it was just his way of coping with nervousness; a bad habit that the doctor seemed to understand.
"It's always good to be appreciated." he added with a playful smile before launching back into the lecture.
"The substances' composition varies on the Layer you're heading to, obviously. But the most basic active component, the one enabling you to feel structures in the first place, stays the same. No matter whether you wanna go to some high society, the darkest war zone or right into the Yellow palace - you need to be receptive to this substance."
"And this is the one you're testing me on." Jongdae concluded, slowly getting impatient.
"Exactly. There are always patients claiming that they weren't aware of this fact and now you are definitely not gonna be one of them, hm? Great."
He turned to his desk and clicked his pen once, ticking off a few points on his paper.
"You're informed about the ridiculously low risk, the fact that no shifting will be possible if the compatibility isn't given, not just shift from anywhere, bonus point for the knowledge about our geographical position-"
"You're kidding, right?"
The doctor didn't even look up as he placed his signature at the bottom.
"U-huh. I'd give you the points if there were any though. Anyway - now that we're done with the educational talk, let me re-check: you're 18 years old, height is 173 cm, weight 65kg?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"Alright. You can roll up your sleeves, the crook of your arm should be visible."
"Right or left?"
"Your choice." he simply replied as he prepared the injection with his back to Jongdae.
Jongdae obliged, baring his right arm which was still void of any markings but the one right over his pulse point, signalizing his birth place. The orange symbol was about the size of his thumb's nail and showed a clean semi circle, barely ornated with the roundish side pointing towards his palm. He was actually quite fond of it, even after comparing it to other Layer's crests in his school book. It symbolized the setting sun and was supposed to mirror warmth and a welcoming attitude. For some reason the guy from earlier popped up in his head. Going out of his way to ask a stranger about his well-being was certainly a good representation of their values.
"Alright, I hope you're not scared by needles or anything." the doctor calmly said as he took a seat by his side once more.
He only shook his head in response and placed his arm on the rest, feeling the cool sensation of antiseptic being wiped on the skin over a clearly visible vein.
Usually Jongdae liked to avert his gaze, preferring not to see how deep a syringe needle could reach into his arm. This time he kept his eyes focused on the process though, attentively watching the clear liquid disappearing from the chamber.
The doctor's nonchalant demeanor confirmed his security about this being a routinary task and while he threw the disposable items into a trash bin Jongdae kept staring at his arm as if waiting for a miracle to happen right this instant.
Noticing this, the doctor chuckled.
"Just lean back and relax. It's gonna take approximately fifteen to thirty minutes until the effect's gonna be noticeable."
If they're gonna kick in , Jongdae thought anxiously but he followed the advice nonetheless, leaning back to once again stare at the ceiling.
"How am I gonna notice it? Like, will it hurt or anything?" he asked as he closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the doctor's bustling distract him from the churning feeling in his stomach.
"That would be an alarming signal. It's difficult to describe it but I've heard patients saying it felt like standing in the middle of an intricate spider web."
"Really? Ew." he mumbled involuntarily and the calm chuckle distanced itself, telling him that the doctor was leaving.
"I personally don't think it's that bad of a sensation. I'll tend to another patient now but I'll be back in half an hour. If you experience any discomfort, don't hesitate to call out, the nurse is gonna hear you."
"Okay."
The following 18 minutes were probably the longest in his entire life and Jongdae began to wonder whether the effect would kick in early with the way his heart was erratically pumping the blood through his veins. There were indeed a few people who just didn't show any reaction at all and were damned to never leave the Layer they were born on. One such example would be his mother.
Please don't let it be hereditary, pretty please...
The minutes ticked by and when a faint prickling set in Jongdae waited another minute to confirm that his mind wasn't playing any tricks on him. It was an odd feeling of warmth traveling up his arm and spreading until it reached his lungs and throat, advancing into the fingertips of his other hands. The heat was a little uncomfortable and he sincerely hoped he wouldn't break into a sweat since he had no time to return home before going to the audition. The thought was pushed aside by the impending feeling of wariness. This felt nothing like a spider web.
Maybe he was allergic? Maybe he was one of the two in a million-
The first time went by unnoticed by Jongdae who absently rubbed his arms to get rid of the hair that in retrospective couldn't be there since this was a sterile room and his hair wasn't exactly long. After the third failed attempt at brushing away a non-existing hair, he perked up. He tried to lie as still as possible and closed his eyes once more to fully concentrate on the feeling. Now that he had stopped fidgeting he could feel it more clearly and also saw where the spider web metaphor was coming from. It felt as if long strings of something really fleeting and thin were settling down on his whole body, regardless of the fabric protecting him. The more he stirred, the more he lost them. So he tried to breathe as shallow as possible and waited, felt more and more strings settle softly like tiny snow flakes or powdered sugar. Minuscule as the feeling was, it was hard to tell whether the strings were short or long, curved or straight. It was plain weird. A little uncomfortable, a little titillating, very foreign but not suffocating. For a while he pressed his eyes and mouth shut as if fearing these imaginary spider webs that also covered his face might land in his mouth. Which was utter nonsense of course.
He was wondering when the accumulation would stop. By now he felt like a mummy completely covered in spider webs. Trying to pass the time he attempted to make any kind of sense of the situation when the door opened, and while the boy was ripped out of his thoughts, the webs had been ripped away as well.
"Everything alright with you? Are you feeling a difference?"
Jongdae rapidly sat up, staring at the doctor with wide eyes.
"Yes! I mean yes. I do. It does feel like spider webs."
Smiling at his stunned expression Mr. Bang nodded in encouragement.
"Congratulations then, you're compatible."
It was definitely his turn to be stunned when an overenthusiastic Jongdae jumped up to shake his hand in gratitude.
He had been advised to wait at least an hour before receiving his actual injection
and Jongdae spent it outside, behind the council building, strolling around deserted areas.
Being a little eager he had asked his nurse whether the process couldn't be sped up in any way. After all, the neutral substance in his body was making him so aware and sensitive to his surroundings - logically speaking it should be much easier to shift then and there. But she had gently put out this hopes on his, stating that his body was confused enough by this sudden rush of awareness and that he should give it some time to settle down.
The feeling of those strings on his skin was indeed becoming weaker with every minute much unlike his fascination for them. His steps were slow, tentative as he tried to get a feeling for them.
All these Layers, each being a whole world on its own, being in the same spot, all happening at the same time... it was a concept so natural yet had it never felt so foreign before. Jongdae had always understood this, accepted it even. Spent days of his life wondering whether somewhere something miraculous or horrible might happen right in front of him.
But now that he felt these strings, those outlines of other worlds, it felt so real.
And Jongdae was almost too scared to get excited about it.
Because the real test was still lying ahead and it was quite frankly the one he was most wary about. The actual 'crossing over' part.
"Alright sweetie, there we go..."
Jongdae barely felt the prick, too captivated by the intense electric blue color of the substance the syringe held. He found it to be quite a befitting color. He began to understand why people named the Layers after the colors of their respective injection. It was a color to remember - magnetic, fascinating.
The nurse hummed lowly to herself while placing a tiny band-aid on top and searching a shelve for a certain pen. Even though he greatly appreciated her friendly attitude, he was missing his original doctor.
With a pop the cap of a water-resistant marker was off and she gently put the tip to his skin, just below the orange crest he was wearing.
"The effect should kick in shortly since the remnants of the other injection are making you very sensitive. And as stated in your paper your visa goes for 24 hours. I'm sorry the symbol isn't that pretty. I'm not that big of an artist. But it's gonna fade away so don't worry too much about it."
"Alright."
She drew back and left Jongdae to look at the scrawled symbol with interest. He knew what an actual permanent tattoo of the Layer's crest was supposed to look like; he had seen it on Minseok who had recently gotten his permanent visa and whose arms were already adorned by four permanent crests all neatly lined up on his arm. The only thing this tiny symbol had in common with Minseok's tattoo was probably the pretty blue color but Jongdae was fine with it either way. As she had stated herself - it would go away. And maybe one day he'd wear a permanent one, too.
"Great, then we're all done here. Enjoy your visit, it's a stunning place."
"Uhm-wait." Jongdae quickly called out before the Nurse could leave him. She threw him a questioning look.
"What is it? You know the way to the portals, don't you?"
"Well, yes! But... I just."
He squirmed in his seat, unable to form the question torturing him.
"Do I get a hint or anything?" he asked lightly instead, the panicky 'I don't know how to do it' clearly written in his eyes.
She seemed to understand. With a hum and a finger tapping against her clipboard she thought about it.
"It's of course difficult to describe and you've probably read all about it in your school books, so... I think the most accurate description I have ever heard was the dream one. Yes. Have you ever had a lucid dream?" she asked, now directed at him.
Jongdae hesitated.
"Those dreams where you're aware and able to take control?"
"Yes, exactly. It's a little like that. You find the correct structure and make it yours, turn it into your reality. Kind of like taking control for a moment."
Jongdae nodded as if he understood a thing of what she was saying.
The council had two main portals placed right in the entrance area. There was absolutely nothing special about them, just round polished platforms of stone, painted in their signature orange. They simply served the purpose of an official shifting point - a point where it was safe to cross over, controlled on both sides. As far as he knew, you could go anywhere from here, even with their home laying extremely low in comparison to others; every single Layer was forced by law to this point accessible. He'd heard that in some Layers you had to take an elevator and go down for minutes before reaching this point.
The first ten minutes he kept watching those portals, watching how people appeared or disappeared routinely.
Admittedly, there weren't many of them as it was half past eleven on a weekday. People who had to work were already sitting at their workplace while others followed their respective occupation. Yifan was probably giving little kids lessons on subtraction right this moment,while Minseok probably had his button nose buried in some blue print somewhere on the Layer Jongdae was headed to.
When he had finally given up on getting some sort of sudden revelation by looking at businessmen appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, he went to the backroom, receiving a nod by the lonely woman behind the counter who gave him a small thumbs up.
There was a third platform. Unlike the other two, you couldn't shift into every Layer from here but that wasn't needed anyway. It was a platform for newbies like him, slightly secluded to give him a bit of privacy and peace.
He looked at it in something akin to fear and inhaled deeply.
Alright. That's it.
He was compatible. He was technically able to do this.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong.
No matter how loud and obnoxious his inner cheerleading was, he simply couldn't drown out the image of Yifan.
Yifan who was also compatible, yet had never managed to actually cross over. No matter how many hours he had spent on that exact platform, trying his hardest. Nowadays he had stopped trying and Jongdae couldn't even blame him in any way. Saying that he'd never give up in his situation would be nothing but hypocrisy. Now that he felt the wariness in his stomach by looking at the orange circle, this thought was even more confirmed. How many disappointments would he be able to stand?
Jongdae shook his head to rid himself of the impending cloud of negative feelings.
He never knew before he tried. With two firm steps he stepped into the middle of the cycle.
So far, so good.
He stared ahead, the numb echoes of shoes clacking on wood and stone as people arrived and left right behind the wall he was currently looking at.
His breath came out in deep and steady takes, meant to soothe his anxiety. When he felt himself getting woozy instead, he gave up on that strategy. A look to the clock at the wall told him that it was exactly 11:35. The injection should be working by now and he had about four hours at most to figure out how to do this so as not to be late for the auditions at 4 P.M.
Unfortunately the spider web-like strings had become far less intense and even as he closed his eyes, stood very still and concentrated a lot he could only make out a few of them.
Then again, this was the whole point. The blue substance flowing through his veins made him sensitive to only one type of strings - the ones belonging to the blue Layer. So this few ones he was currently sensing had to be the ones he needed.
For a minute or so he stood there, frozen into place as he tried to get as familiar as possible with them. It was actually easier with only these few ones and soon he had quite a good grasp of them, feeling them individually even during small movements.
But what now?
They were clearly there, which meant the other Layer was right there, too. Under his fingertips, brushing against his face, enveloping him completely from every direction.
After a good half hour of clueless standing around in an almost-panic state he tried to think of it as a dream, as the nurse had suggested.
Luckily enough Jongdae was indeed familiar with lucid dreams. It probably differed from person to person but for him, changing the scenario of a lucid dream required a bit of concentration, yes. But mostly certainty. You needed a specific image in mind and the utter conviction that it's gonna work. He had experienced it - even the slightest doubt would let it all crumble and the dream would escape his grasp.
With this thought in mind, he closed his eyes and imagined the platform below him to be blue. Blue like the symbol on his arm. Blue like the injected substance had been.
He imagined the strings to be a part of this world and therefore the only thing that mattered right now.
Emptying his mind, there was nothing left but those strings which were no longer light and fleeting, but solid anchors he had to get a hold on. Those were the actual reality.
And when he was actually convinced of this and felt it from head to toe, even imagining the air to be different he opened his eyes and the platform was indeed blue.
Jongdae stared at it, tempted to rub his eyes. Unfortunately this would include closing them for a tiny moment and this was obviously not an option. His eyes darted around the place, rapidly taking in the vast variety of new impressions. Gone was the clean simplicity of wood and stone. The room he was currently in had an unusual round form with a sliding door he knew from watching TV. Everything was covered in polished marble, glass and blue metal. The intensity of artificial light was almost dazzling as it reflected of all these bright surfaces.
He was looking up and marveling at the glass roof when a friendly voice resounded, ripping him out of his stupor.
"Welcome to the blue Layer. Can I help you with anything?"
Jongdae knew he was staring at the female service assistant but he couldn't help it - never before had he seen such clothing materials or colors on hair and makeup before. At least not in real life. His eyes wandered down and he couldn't fight off the tiny smile. She wore indeed shoes with pointed heels.
"Are you alright Mister?"
"What? Ah, yes. Yes, I actually could need some help. I have an appointment at SM Entertainment."
That day Jongdae didn't pass the auditions. Dazzled by his surroundings he barely had the conscience to feel disappointment at the suggestion to try it again the following year after taking a few sponsored lessons.
Even as he fell into his bed with a huff a few hours later, completely exhausted by the day's events, he did not feel particularly depressed about the way things had played out.
A failure like that was by far not enough to discourage him, after all. Jongdae was a positive person and he couldn't wait to tell Minseok all about his adventures as soon as he saw him.
Only the next day did he hear from Yifan that Minseok hadn't returned home.
They only began to truly worry when three days had passed without a trace of their eldest friend.
Jongdae went to the authorities. He waited.
He was told that Minseok had quit his job. He waited.
Minseok didn't return.
And after six months, Jongdae was able to smile whole-heartedly again.
After twelve months no one saw a trace of sadness in his eyes anymore.
But deep inside, he kept waiting.
"I've heard enough. We'll think about it. Dismiss her."
"His majesty says we are going to think it over. You are free to leave now." Luhan swiftly translated, neither his smooth voice nor blank face betraying any emotion.
He could clearly see the foreign messenger's torn expression at this, but the woman found it better to keep quiet and, with a bow so poor it had every attendant tense at the disrespect she left, she was led out by two of their soldiers.
The heavily ornamented door had barely closed when the emperor ushered out anyone besides his right hand, the head minister and his head translator.
It might have come to a surprise to foreigners that a translator was of such importance. Then again he was the main link between the Yellow kingdom and the rest of the world which, logically speaking, made him extremely important. There were barely a handful of other people able to translate and most of them were his students. None of them could be entrusted with translating political matters.
The emperor slowly got up, sighing barely audibly over what Luhan supposed was a weak knee.
"Let us take this to the tea room, shall we?"
"You may sit."
He relaxed his posture just the tiniest bit as he sat down on a plush cushion, keeping a respectful distance to the other men. Two servants filled up their cups with a grace painfully acquired during years of harsh training under the hawk eyes of Madame Fei. Luhan knew that because he as well had been under her wing once, being a constant recipient of her infamous slaps over the head. His fellow students liked to joke that she hit so much sense inside him that he'd gotten smart. It wasn't that he felt any kind of resentment towards her - seeing as Luhan wasn't of an exceptionally good descent and didn't have the luxury of a private teacher. Madame Fei had never hesitated to remind him of how much his physical appearance was helping him. Luhan used to hate these kind of words. But now that he was the country's head translator and even the emperor himself had been heard to compliment his appearance, he had come to accept it.
"A wonderful cup of tea to calm our nerves after this act of presumptuousness."
With a calculated bow of gratitude, he took the hot porcelain cup, slowly leading it up to his lips.
"I cannot believe their behavior. They get worse with every day." the emperor began with a disapproving frown etched deep into his face, only reinforcing the expression that had been trained for years, just like Luhan's current posture, fingers stiff around the handles of his cup while one hand gracefully held it from below.
"And the messengers are getting younger with each day as well." the minister to his left threw in, obviously delighted to be of his majesty's opinion. As if there was even the slightest possibility of him not agreeing.
"One day they will send us their kids."
Luhan took the liberty to let his eyes flit over to the window, their mindless conversation only half-registered by his brain.
The tea room was magnificent.
Located at one of the highest spots in the palace the oval shape was blessed with a perfect view. With the entrance being located on the north side and all the other walls consisting of windows, each more intricate than the next going from the ground upwards until they almost touched the ceiling, the sun was always able to shine into the room and make the thin, elegant swirls of golden window frames twinkle.
Currently the late afternoon sun was blessing them with bright golden light. Luhan had heard that it suited him best, the golden light - reflecting prettily on his blond hair and making his white skin gleam.
A faint metallic chiming was heard as he subtly rearranged his posture and set the numerous tiny bells on his heavily adorned garment in motion. He would have liked to at least dispose of the headwear but being in the emperor's presence without covering his head was unheard of. His eyes wandered over the long and empty table made of solid wood, over the tapestries and veils covering the ceiling, the overall grandeur of which he had gotten used to but respected nonetheless.
His eyes wandered until they landed on a pair of terrified eyes. Eyes that didn't, couldn’t see him. And as Luhan watched the young girl receiving repetitive slaps across her face until she crumpled into a puddle of dirt on the floor... he was wondering what kind of emotion would play in those desperate young eyes if she was, indeed, able to see him.
He saw her getting kicked and roughly pulled up by her hair. Screaming, trying to fight only to receive a punishment he wouldn't inflict on any human being besides the one currently executing it.
He saw a man holding a weapon, pointing it at him. His eyes read nothing but insanity as he advanced, pointing it right between his eyes and firing it.
Luhan didn't even flinch.
He merely took a last sip of his tea before placing the cup down with a soft clattering sound echoing through the barely occupied room as he tuned in on the conversation going on to his left. At least he tried to.
Luhan hated the tea room.