THE NEXT DAY

At the lecture hall

It was a cold windy morning on a cloudy day. The breeze gently knocked on the windows of the classroom where a bunch of future archeologists including Jihoon, Kyla and her two chipmunks, were desperately trying to figure out what was going on and what the professor was blabbering about.

The gust of wind softly touched Kyla's pink-tinted cheeks, making her lose focus and glance outside the window right beside her. She yawned, indicating the morning sleep that remained in her drooping lids.

The academics already seemed boring to her, but a certain person made it exciting; he sprinkled joy and playfulness in her monotonous life, which only included riches, lavishing cars, pressure to become the successor, everyday yellings from her parents, her spoilt behavior and the obvious loneliness that came after.

Hoseok's goofy laughs and cheeky smiles made her realise that except for chequebooks and dazzling fame, some simple gestures can also give happiness and warm a heart. His choices of skinny jeans from a local store, which she first thought was outdated in front of her Valentino outfits later made her eyes stuck on him even more.

And one day she suddenly realised that she had fallen for a very normal boy with some strange charms of his own. Which also became the start of the upcoming chaos between a flourishing friendship.

"MISS KYLA CHOI!?" The sterned voice of Professor Baek startled the faintly smiling girl, whose eyes were closed and her mind was dreaming about her beloved.

"Please stand up!" The professor demanded and glared in her direction.

She hurriedly stood up. The screeching voice of shifting chair made everyone's eyes narrow and ears twitch in irritation.

"Tell me on which paragraph are we?"

For a brief moment, Kyla grimaced at the professor before she started flipping pages and eagerly tried finding the last word she heard before she got lost in the thought; but waves of laughter of various kinds made her raise her head dumbfoundedly as she apologetically glanced at the professor before proceeding to lower her gaze onto the floor.

Professor Baek sighed, "We weren't reading anything yet. "

"Sorry sir!"

"I already lost count of the times you apologised, Miss Choi," Professor Baek's voice was calm and low, showcasing his tiredness from the complaints he had received against her, and his incompetency to take action.

"Kyla, look, even if your father is the assigned director of our college today, he might not be the one tomorrow, and most importantly he isn't gonna write the exams for you. "

Her head was low and her hands were behind her back. She couldn't believe that this time professor's words were affecting her until a boy sitting in the row next to her and right in front of Jihoon scoffed, gaining her attention.

"Take your seat and pay attention. "

She proceeded to grab the chair and dragged it with full pressure, her eyes remained focused on the boy's back as she irritatingly clenched her jaw, instantly realising what she had to do next.

Soon after, the classroom's atmosphere returned to being mundane and normal. Sarah and Rae's phone beeped from the vibration of a text message. They both carefully glanced at their phone screens and then proceeded to exchange mischievous glances with Kyla.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

At the Kim's Mansion

Y/n weak-headedly stared out of the window of Ajumma's room. Her eyes were fixed on the misty landscape outside. The soft light of the sunshine cast a gentle glow around her, accentuating the delicate contours of her face.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and memories from yesterday, each one vying for her attention. She was lost in a labyrinth of introspection until she was abruptly summoned back to the outside world from her inner turmoil.

Ajumma carefully slid the door open, her hands carried a bowl of steamingly hot pumpkin porridge. She gently put it on the low wooden table in front of Y/n and started serving it to her. The human glanced at the middle-aged woman. The fine lines on her features reminded her of her mother. Y/n's eyes curiously traced her nurturing actions before she signaled her to eat.

Y/n hummed and slowly started sipping the orange-coloured delicacy, its sweet taste was enough to let Y/n forget about her miseries. She complimented the lady for the lovely dish, and as a response, ajumma smiled, "It's a special recipe that my human husband taught me once. "

As the words reached the ears of Y/n, the portion of the porridge went down slowly and heavily, and her eyes widened slightly at the mention of the word.

"Your... h-human husband?"

Ajumma nodded and a small smile formed across the corners of her lips. A smile so gloomy that it failed to reach her eyes.

"Where... is he now? And what about... your kids?" Y/n hesitantly asked. Trying her best to not upset the lady in front of her.

Ajumma's hooded eyes pierced in her direction, and memories of her husband flooded her mind. She heaved a long woeful sigh. Her heart was heavy when her gaze went onto her folded legs, "He died during the war against the humans. "

Sadness was clearly visible on her features as a single tear drop trickled down her cheek. Y/n's heart clenched, as she empathizingly gazed in her direction.

"And I lost my unborn child amid the war. "

A shockingly low gasp escaped from Y/n's lips, and her eyes now started brimming with tears; she felt a strong pang in her heart, as she failed to imagine the loss and pain that Ajumma had once suffered.

"I shouldn't have asked. It only opened your unhealed wounds," Y/n mumbled while sniffling slightly.

Ajumma shook her head and wiped her fallen tears, "I just got a reason to remember them once again. "

Y/n exchanged a small sorrowful smile with the sweet lady and started sipping her porridge once again until another question arose in her mind.

"Ajumma! How did the war against humans erupt?"

Ajumma looked in confusion, figuring how come Y/n did not know about the most crucial turnover of their history.

"Never heard of it till now?" Ajumma asked and the human hesitantly nodded, slightly nervous about any upcoming query that could make her appear suspicious.

Ajumma sighed, thought about any undone chores in the kitchen, and finally decided to spend her free time with Y/n, "Listen carefully then. "

Y/n eagerly hummed while nodding. Her mind could already foresee what her ears were about to hear. The truth she desperately wanted to strive, was finally being unraveled in front of her.

᳃ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ᳃

About a century ago, in the heart of dense, ancient woods, the harmonious coexistence of humans and gumihos was a thing of wonder that not many knew.

The humans tilled the land and tended to their crops, while the gumihos were guardians of the forest, protectors of its mysteries. Humans, although unsured and feared of their existence, revered them as spirits of nature.

When humans were first allowed to set foot in the enigmatic gumiho's land, the gumihos were uncertain of human nature but with time and mutual respect and understanding, the uncertainty slowly faded away.

The cunning gumihos often preferred to roam the woods in their fox forms to appear as normal creatures to outsiders. They hunted animals and scavenged for human blood, gradually accepted and started adapting and spending more time in their human forms.

Slowly and slowly, human's creative mind and charismatic charm, lead to gumihos's increasing fascination towards them.

And soon a treaty of mutual benefits and protection was signed. The humanoid gumihos agreed on prohibiting human blood consumption while humans helped them build a more orderly, precise and disciplined hierarchy, which the fox spirits witnessed and admired across various human kingdoms.

Shortly after, the heads of the tribes became the kings of the clans, with fully functioning royal courts of their own.

Humans played a major role in designing and building the castles for the heads of various tribes. The gumihos were grateful to humans for helping them emphasize more on their human form and bringing it to its full potential. While in contrast, humans were happy receiving a longer lifetime, by getting marked from their gumiho counterparts.

The world hidden deep inside the woods progressively evolved and a new civilisation was found. No one from the outer world would have wondered, that a world so divine and harmonious existed in the amid woods.

Days, months and years passed, but the newfound truce formed between humans and gumihos never once broke. For generations, they shared the bounties of the woods, finding a delicate balance in their shared home. But as the saying goes,

  ᚔ☾☽ᚔ  

❛𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖆 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖞,
𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖆𝖓 𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑 𝖎𝖓 𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖌𝖚𝖎𝖘𝖊.❜

  ᚔ☾☽ᚔ  

The bond of trust which was balanced on a fine thread, was about to break. The silence before the storm was filled with the cheerful laughter of humans, gumiho and hybrid children and their guardians.

News about the consecutive disappearance of gumiho children and gumiho women became the topic of every household. Everyone on the land became conscious of their close ones, and the once peaceful air of the gumiho land now felt threatening.

Soon, the rumors about missing gumihos being sacrificed by humans to claim their ancient powers by trafficking them to different cults spread across the land like havoc.

Whispers of conspiracy and intrigue echoed through the bustling marketplace, causing heads to turn and eyes to widen in shock. In the shadowy corners of alleyways, gumihos traded wild stories of hidden human alliances and secret societies, their imaginations running wild with the possibilities.

  ᚔ☾☽ᚔ  

❛𝕸𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖒𝖊𝖊𝖐 𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊
𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊
𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖊𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖊𝖉.❜

  ᚔ☾☽ᚔ  

Each rumor seemed more outrageous than the last, fueling the flames of uncertainty and fear that gripped the hearts of both races. Human representatives tried all the methods of vocal defence and considering no valid proofs against the allegations, gumiho Kings were seemingly convinced, but the civilians were not.

Ministers who once received their position through the human hierarchy system became the well-wishers of the families of the victims and provoked the civilians through their controversial speeches, to completely exile the human race.

Hushed whispers of war began to echo through the woods. A long-forgotten feud reignited, fueled by fear and misunderstanding.

The gumihos, driven by suspicion and rage, began to encroach on the human households. As the conflict escalated, riots erupted in every corner of the streets, in a flurry of arrows and claws, as the humans clashed with the gumihos in a desperate bid to protect their homes and way of life.

Fox spirits, their claws and teeth sharp as razors, and with their devastating magical strengths, turned human flesh to ash in an instant. But the humans were not so easily defeated, they fought with a ferocity born of conflict and hatred; the forest echoed with the sounds of battle, the clash of steel against fur, and the haunting cries of those caught in the crossfire.

As the war raged on, both kinds suffered terrible losses, their once proud civilization reduced to ruins and ashes. The land itself was scarred by the conflict, its once verdant forest turned to a desolate wasteland, and its river ran red with blood.

To end the war sooner, the kings were obliged to accept what their civilians demanded. The dust settled, and the battle subsided, both sides bore the scars of their loss and mourned for the dead.

Within two days, the humans were ordered to exit the now destructed gumiho land or stay, to get tormented further. Among the inter-species families, who never supported the idea of war, suffered the worst. Some of them secretly escaped, and some died in the forceful encounters with outraged gumihos who wanted only their human counterparts to leave.

Days later, the royal courts of every existing clan decided to release the mob-controlling bodies in their respective boundaries. Giving more power to the defences department, to take independent actions in the conditions of emergency.

A royal grand meeting, including kings of different clans, was held. The king of the Kim clan, Kim Jeong Ho was requested to take preventive measures for any human interruption in the future, as he was the one responsible for introducing humans to their land decades ago. This led to the formation of the mystical portal, to cloak the hidden land of these ferocious creatures and the secrets that reside behind.

The fox spirits fabricated their land once again, far from the malevolent claws of ravening humans, and the land of the enchanted got lost in the maze of time.

᳃ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ༐ ᳃

Ajumma finished her last sentence and Y/n gulped in realisation. Her mind was a complete mess of shock and threat as she grimaced with slacked jaws, at the woman in front of her. Trying to catch every little detail of the new perspective that she's now going view her in.

The gumihos, which she had only heard about in folklore and tales, even dangerous and barbaric in some aspects, were right in front of her eyes. A wave of fear washed over her when she thought of the consequences of getting caught as a human, as she nervously fidgeted with her fingers.

"Y/n?"

Y/n took a long breath and hesitantly decided to question the lady Gumiho once again, "A-Ajumma is there a way for a h-human to enter and... return to their world?"

Ajumma shook her head, "Details of the portal are confidential and only kept with royals, we civilians are only aware of its existence. "

Y/n sighed in defeat but with the thought of a certain person, her body started moving faster than her mind, making herself jolt in impatience, "He must've found something by now!"

✧

Ps: Happy hobi day ya'll!
I J-hope that the sunshine of army verse
Is safe and healthy.
We'll be waiting for your
return. We miss you <3
Borahae jhoooooopee!!!!!