five || letter

In front of three entrances, Heechul placed on each of them a candle on the ground and lit it with the fire of his torch. Sohye stared at him with her brows knitted. “What are you doing?” she thought he was crazy.

‘Is it really the time to be lighting a candle?’

Heechul didn’t answer and kept his gaze on the three candles.

Sohye tossed aside her uneasiness and took this as an opportunity to rest. She sat on the ground and opened her bag. She grabbed an apple and took a bite, that’s when she remembered the book that slipped her hand earlier.

‘What am I gonna tell Dawon when I get back?’

Sohye glared at Heechul. ‘It’s this guy’s fault! It would have only taken less than five seconds but no, he just had to drag me forcefully!’

“Your eyes are about to pop out.” Heechul pointed out as he saw Sohye glowering at him from his peripheral vision.

Sohye put on a fake smile. “I just wanted to ask you if you wanted an apple.” But her evident sarcasm made him scoff.

Just then, the flames of the candle positioned in the middle slightly flickered.

Sohye didn’t bother herself with it and continued to eat.

But then, the same candle flickered again.

Heechul smiled.

Sohye on the other hand, started to panic internally. ‘What was that?’ she tried not to think of it, but it was hard considering that the flames were behaving rabidly. ‘Is it a ghost?’ she gulped as she felt her heartbeat rise.

And then the flickering began to intensify until the fire actually died out.

Sohye tried not to shout from terror. “A ghost!” she whispered in a screaming manner.

Heechul looked at her, utterly at a loss. ‘Is this girl serious? I can’t believe she’s a Marionet.’ He shook his head helplessly as he blew the other two candles and put it back in his bag.

Without further ado, he started walking towards the middle entrance. “He-Hey!” It took a few seconds to register that she was already being left behind---again.

“Are you sure it’s this way?” Sohye ran up to him and asked Heechul in an obviously doubtful manner as they walked further. “You’re really suspicious.”

“Your voice is too loud. If they find us, it’s your fault.”

“Psh!” Sohye made mocking faces behind Heechul who was concentrated on walking. “We’ve been walking for ages and we’re still not there. Are you really sure you know the way?”

“Then do you want to lead?” Heechul provoked, to which Sohye answered with a grunt making his lips curl up in victory.

A little while later, a small light illuminated the dark cave. Sohye’s mood gradually turned brighter. “We’re here!”

“Almost.” Heechul corrected.

“It’s light!”

“Yes it is.”

“We’re almost there.”

“I just said that.” Heechul was getting annoyed again.

Sohye kept her pace and stared at Heechul, who in return, knitted his brows at her, seemingly asking what she was looking at. “You get irritated so easily.” She blurted out.

‘This kid---‘ just before he burst out again, Heechul calmed himself down. “You’re not even denying it.” Sohye laughed, Heechul could only roll his eyes.

Sohye chuckled as finally, they were outside. The moon shone brighter than it ever did back in her village. She breathed in the fresh air that surrounded them and exhaled cheerfully.

‘Finally!’

At the opposite route Heechul and Sohye took, the wagon where Lee and Mingyu were, slowly pulled into a break. “Why’d we stop, old man!” Lee curiously shouted at the driver, but not in offending manner.

The horseman looked back at him and answered. “A security check, we’ll be stuck here for a while!”

Lee groaned. “And what are we going to do? I’m not good at waiting.”

“Sleep.” Mingyu answered with his head rested on the wooden wall of the wagon. “And don’t talk, you’re too loud.”

“Sleep?” Lee said it like it was the hardest thing to do. “You know I can’t! I’m nocturnal!”

Mingyu snickered. “Yeah, like you know what that means.”

“Of course, Dawon told me it was a word that fit me well!” he said proudly.

“And what is that?”

“Uhh----It’s---“ Lee lost his confidence. Dawon hadn’t actually told him what it meant. He just told him that it was a word that could describe him well.

“Yeah, I get it. Now go to sleep.”

In front of the royal library, Choi Seung Cheol paced himself back and forth as he mulled over the reason why he was called when suddenly, Major General Im Nayoung stopped behind him.

“What are you doing?” Seung Cheol froze on his spot as the woman’s stone cold expression fell upon him.

“Uhh---“ he nervously raised his hand to do his salutations. “The prince---his majesty---he---uh—he.”

‘What’s with the stammering Seung Cheol! You’re acting really strange!’ he mentally scolded himself.

But it is indeed strange. The usually calm and collected Choi Seung Cheol, acting nervous in front of someone, that’s really strange. If their squad leader was here, he’d probably mock him on the spot like he always do, but this time, he’d actually succeed.

Nayoung, who was standing in front of him, realized that it was