(There's a darkness visible, maybe only to me
Maybe just a dream, a time-slowing-down dream,
A hole you're sinking down deep
Comes loose at the seams, make the dream leave.)

HALCYON DAYS.

Dry, still, summer heat seeps up from the wooden floorboards. It's calm, and the halcyon broods, rosy and tranquil.

The world is at a standstill and the air is sluggish – lazy – and Wooyoung feels sticky. It's a nice, friendly, kind of sticky – sticky like ice cream running down your fingers and sunscreen smeared on your cheek, both cloying and syrupy.

Playful sunlight flits through the open window, painting warm streaks of chrome over the wall to his left, and sugarcoating Wooyoung's skin in honeyed tones of gold.

The TV is showing the documentary Hendery wanted them to watch together, but neither of them are paying attention. Wooyoung is staring out the window, and Hendery is asleep. The narrator's voice buzzes comfortably in the background.

"... In the air, in the water, and on land, they have left their mark on the history of our ancestors. Huge, eagle-winged, and positively deadly, they have lived side-by-side with humanity for as long as anyone can remember. This is a scientific exploration of a remarkable species, the natural history of the most extraordinary creature that ever existed..."

Laying across his lap, Hendery's sweaty cheek is glued Wooyoung's bare legs. Wooyoung winces slightly at the way his skin pulls from the odd angle when Hendery shifts to find a more comfortable position.

Wooyoung likes Hendery; he's a nice person and a good roommate. He's also had a perpetual blush on his face all summer that makes Wooyoung's heart dance in a curious way. Wooyoung thinks he's cute – cute in a "needs to be taken care of" kind of way.

Looking down at his sleeping face, Wooyoung strokes the bridge of his nose and curls a strand of dark hair around his fingers. Hendery twists a sleepy hand into Wooyoung's shirt.

Wooyoung can tell that Hendery's skin is warm, but he doesn't feel it. He can't remember last time he felt the warmth of someone's skin against his, the kiss of soft winds on his skin, or the rough scratching of nails down his back...

Maybe it's the heat that's making it feel like his brain is leaking out of his skull. Why does he feel so numb?

"... If asked where they came from, few would be able to answer. Scientists say they share DNA with birds and reptilians, who merged into a single form through generations of evolution. Others claim they emerged from the earth's core in its creation, or have existed even longer; since the dawn of time. Some say, and this is pure speculation, that the earth once had two moons. And thousands of years ago, a meteor hit one of them, cracking it like a giant egg, birthing the first of its kind..."

Wooyoung's phone pings and he carefully takes it out of his back pocket. It's San, sending yet another picture of Hyewon posing in front of a tree, wearing hiking shorts and a white t-shirt, brown hair tied in a messy ponytail, face partially hidden by a pink cap reading: "Vegans Save Lives!"

Hyewon always has a disgustingly sweet smile on her face, mouth a little too big, and teeth a little too large. Wooyoung is happy that San has someone like her, even if she is a little bit crazy.

Satan, 13:21 pm
Isn't she actually the cutest thing you've ever seen???
You should've come with us
I put a spell on flowers to make them change colors but Hyewon made me change them back
Also, we did yoga on a cliff

Weewoo, 13:22 pm
You let her boss you around too much
You're so in love it makes me sick

Well, it doesn't make him sick exactly, but definitely jealous. Wooyoung would never admit it to him, but he misses the time before Hyewon entered San's life, maybe even to the point where he wishes they would break up. He wants everything to go back to the way it used to be — just the two of them. But not really.

Satan, 13:22 pm
You wouldn't understand woo
You've never been in love before

Weewoo, 13:23 pm
Yes, i have???
What do you mean by that??

Satan, 13:25 pm
Grow up

Wooyoung chucks his phone onto the blue-stained carpet (thanks, Hendery, for mixing Kool-Aid at three am while drunk), lets out a sigh, and leans his head back to stare at the ceiling-fan while stroking a hand through Hendery's messy hair. He doesn't have the energy it takes to have that conversation with San right now.

"... We don't know much about them. There is little evidence found about them other than of their existence itself. They are a constant in the universe, like the northern winds blowing over snow-capped mountains or the ocean lapping gently at sandy beaches. They have always existed as part of our society, and, according to some sources, since long before the invention of wind and water – and will continue long after every human civilization i-is reduced to-to-to nothi-i-i-i-ing but... du-u-u-u-u-u-us-s-s-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t..."

The TV flickers dangerously close to a Dead Channel, and Wooyoung's breath hitches. Fear curls around his spine like a familiar, yet false sense of security, and his hand immediately scrambles for the TV-remote. He sees the screen flash white before it finally hits where it hurts – the Dead Channel.

The crackling static image freezes and the audio repeats the word 'dust' over and over like a broken recording.

It feels like a Sign, but Wooyoung doesn't want to read into it. Not right now, maybe later. But probably not, because, you see, Wooyoung is a coward.

He's not always been a coward, but events in his life have left scars – no – open wounds, that cannot simply be healed by time itself. He avoids conflict, action, decisions... and he wraps the fright around himself like a shield.

Wooyoung would rather forget everything and run than face his own flaws and grow.

Grow.

Mature.

Sprout.

Why is everyone so fucking obsessed with growth? It's overrated, Wooyoung thinks. He's perfectly fine, okay? Both comfortable and content in his own bubble... Right?

Wrong.

He can't explain why, but he gets up, pushing Hendery – seemingly frozen mid-snore – off himself, and walks to kneel in front of the TV.

Tapping the square box, leaning in so that his nose almost bumps into the screen, Wooyoung stares at the Dead Channel, silently willing it to show him what it wants. He tries changing the channels with a slight tilt of his head, the way he used to be able to as a child.

The TV flickers. Insecurity, dread, and most of all regret, wells up inside him. Wooyoung stops breathing for a few seconds. He can feel the static in his body, every hair standing up straight, leaning towards the screen.

The room goes dark around him. Wooyoung's only focus is on the TV, using everything he's got to make it show him something. Anything.

And strangely; it complies.

Wooyoung really wishes it hadn't. Because what he sees, is practically indescribable, and for a moment he stands aghast, simply gazing at the horrible sight.

Because he's dead. The boy showing on screen is dead. Fowers curl from his empty sockets, thorns protrude through his greying arms, and his mouth is wide-open and gasping – as if mid-scream.

Everything around the corpse is thriving, growing, and moving around him like they're wiggling around in a sort of morbid dance. Vines writhe over his body like snakes, leaves adorn his skull like a crown, and a single blue forget-me-not juts out from his extended arm, like a mocking reminder of just who this boy is.

"... We are – of course – talking about dragons."

The TV changes back to the previous documentary like nothing ever happened, and Wooyoung slumps forward, gasping for air. It can't have lasted for more than a few seconds, but it feels like hours.

Before he has time to process what he just witnessed, Hendery speaks up, voice still laced with sleep, but clearly frightened. "I thought you told me you couldn't do it anymore."

"I didn't think I could."

"Did you see anything?"

"Yes," Wooyoung says, more like a sharp exhale than an actual word.

"Well?"

The name comes tumbling out of his mouth before his mind even has a chance to react, "I saw Yeosang."

━

A/N: Surprise, surprise, I'm back at it again baBEY !!! I'm propped full of ideas, and am sitting on so many half-finnished updates and stories that I can't wait to share with you guys. Thanks for being patient with my over-dramatic life, and please tell me any and every update on your stories I've missed because I really want to be able to read them all!! <33