** trigger warnings at the end of the chapter.

(I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take)

A MILLION DREAMS.

Inseparable since birth, Yeosang, Wooyoung, and Eunyoung might as well have been triplets.

All three of them were born on the same day, in the same year, at the same hospital.

All three of them were the same height, had the same vibrant laughter, the same nimble fingers, and the same lust for adventure.

All three of them had untamable black hair and dark brown eyes, rich as the earth's soil, yet holding an undeniable spark of mischief.

With the amount of time they shared, people called them siblings in all but blood, a term they welcomely embraced.

They might have been a little in love once, in the purest way ten-year-olds can fall in love. But they were only children, and naive to the core.

Wooyoung was the brave one, the borderline reckless one, the untamable wild-child. He always had to climb the tallest tree, jump from the tallest cliff, run the fastest, and yell the loudest.

Eunyoung was the strong one, the sly one, the adorable sweet-talker. She surrounded herself with beautiful roses in every color imaginable, dazzling everyone with her bright smile and pretty blooms.

Yeosang was the quiet one, the trusting one, the passionate protector. He could stand for hours listening to nothing but the whistling of the wind and the buzzing of bees, filled to the brim with love for it all.

They were an incredible and unstoppable force, constantly bubbling with energy.

As they grew, the magic residing inside them grew too, Eunyoung's most of all.

Eunyoung grew strong, stronger than both Yeosang and Wooyoung, stronger than anyone ever knew. It was part of the reason her magic grew too quickly, too potent, eventually consuming her from the inside.

She couldn't be contained.

She was as free as the young birds in the sky and as fierce as the dragons in the tales of old.

Thus, together they created a garden.

It grew on the top of a post office on the outskirts of the city, several stories high and abandoned due to the decrease in demand for written mail— no longer needed in a world dominated by electronic messaging.

Eunyoung and Yeosang would sit together for hours, silently staring at the seeds Wooyoung shoplifted from the local market, willing them to grow with nothing but their thoughts.

Wooyoung filled his role as the architect, waving his arms around in excitement and giving them ideas. He was their muse, their source of inspiration, and it was his creation as much as theirs.

But it took time— a time filled with curses and cries of frustration, but also with loving hugs and encouraging words.

It took a long time, yes, but practice makes perfect, and, in the end, they created their paradise.

Vines, trees, flowers, and grass in every color of the rainbow covered every brick, tile, and shingle— nothing was left untouched.

They controlled every aspect of their creation with the love they held for each other.

The garden became their world. It became an escape from everything familiar until it became the only familiar thing they knew.

It gave them the opportunity to disappear off the face of the earth, for however long or short they wished.

They entrusted their deepest and darkest secrets to the garden, and the garden kept them safe, whispering them to no one but the night.

They were happy, so incredibly happy...

Until Eunyoung died.

"Taller!"

"Bigger!"

Wooyoung and Yeosang chanted in unison. Eunyoung giggled, voice filled with mirth. She strained her neck, extended her hands, and curled her fingers, drawing strength from her heart and shaping it to her will.

Then, she lost control.

Her giggles turned to shrieks of pain. She collapsed, roses blooming around her, wrapping around her harms and tangling in her hair.

Her bones cracked, swiveling around unnaturally, bending her out of shape. Thorny stems erupted from her body, piercing her skin from the inside, trails of blood trickling down her distorted limbs.

She choked, suffocating on the same petals she had been praised for her entire life.

It was horrifying, rendering both Wooyoung and Yeosang too shell shocked to move.

A single word tore itself from their throats, a wretched cry so miserable it can't be explained.

"Eunyoung!"

She was their best friend, their family— the only person in the world that mattered.

Wooyoung and Yeosang left the garden to grow wild.

Without Eunyoung and Yeosang's magic touch to keep it controlled, it only grew wilder, more dangerous— deadly even, fueled by anger and grief instead of love.

The creeping plants took over the building, crushing the windows, cracking the walls, ripping the structure apart.

The flowers grew bigger, the vines tougher, and the grass spread like wildfire, turning the once marvelous garden into an unrecognizable jungle of discord.

Yeosang didn't let himself feel after that, afraid of what it would do to him and those he loved if he, too, lost control. He locked away his heart and opened it to no one— not even Wooyoung.

Wooyoung let himself feel too much, surrounding himself with people, attempting to block out the memories. He hid the pain of her passing behind jokes and laughter, yet his heart wept in his chest.

Neither Yeosang nor Wooyoung dared venture back to the garden.

Ten years have gone by since they visited the garden, ten years since Eunyoung died, and ten years since Wooyoung and Yeosang have spoken to each other.

It's been a long time, but they never forgot.

━

**explicit description of body horror and death.

A/N: This ended up being a lot darker than I intended, but I can't help myself. Why are all my stories so sad? The magic system and the dragons + Wooyoung and Yeosang's relationship will be further explained and developed later in the story, so don't worry if everything doesn't make sense yet. And thank you so much for the reads, votes and comments I've been receiving lately, and for over 200 followers!