Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Seungmin always looked forward to clear nights. After the sun set and glowing stars spilled across the darkened sky, it was a time just for him and Chan. Together, they would leave the coven house and trek far up the hills, laying side-by-side on the lush grass and gazing upwards. 

“Ah, look Minnie, a falling star! It’s for you. Make a wish, quickly!” 

Seungmin’s eyes followed the shimmering trail above them. 

“I wish….I wish I could be better,” he whispered, staring into the sky longinly. “I don’t fit into our coven. Our- Our family. I feel like I’m on the other side of a glass window, seeing everything but not really there to do my part.” 

“Minnie,” Chan sighed in fond exasperation, taking a hold of his hand. “You fit. I’ve known since the day we selected you.”

“You’ve known. But the others…”

“-will see your value in due time,” Chan finished for him. “Trust me, honey.” 

“I do.”

“Good,” Chan squeezed his hand. “You are loved, Seungmin. And remember; I’ll always be here to protect you. I’m your coven leader, but most importantly, I’m also your hyung.”

Seungmin met the other’s gentle, encouraging eyes and found himself smiling back. 

“Okay.”

All stars burned out. It was inevitable, once they ran out of fuel. That was what happened to Seungmin and his relationship with Chan. 

As summer turned to fall, the busy season of the year began. Their stargazing nights lessened over the coming weeks. Seungmin still made the trip alone, but it just wasn’t the same. It wasn’t Chan’s fault, either. As their coven head, he shouldered a great deal of responsibility. When he wasn’t overseeing their shop, he was working with other local coven leaders, maintaining the city wards and dispelling any unsavory activity. 

Or, when there was any bit of spare time, he spent long nights at the hospital.

The hospital where their eighth coven member dwelled. 

On this particular night, Seungmin was alone. He spent his time singing to the stars, tracing out their constellations and mapping unique ones in his head. At some point, he’d closed his eyes and bathed under the moonlight until his thoughts were all but nonexistent. 

That was, until a tall figure was suddenly leaning over him. 

“Kim Seungmin!” 

“Mm?” 

“Have you been sleeping?” Hyunjin asked, incredulous.

Seungmin blinked groggily. “I guess I have.” 

“You should have been back over an hour ago - Hyungs asked me to come get you.”

“They did?”

“Of course. It’s freezing out here, and- where in Hollow’s name are your shoes? You didn’t walk up here barefoot, did you?” 

Seungmin wriggled his toes, shocked to find his feet void of both his socks and sneakers. He’d worn them on his walk up the hill - he was sure of it. 

“No,” he said slowly, blinking. “I guess I took them off.” 

“Minnie!” Hyunjin groaned, exasperated. “Well, put them back on and hurry back to the house.”

“Okay.” 

Hyunjin turned and disappeared down the rocky path. 

Seungmin spent the next few minutes searching the area for his shoes, but had no luck. He would have to come back tomorrow, during the day. Hopefully he would find them; They were only a couple weeks old, and Minho would surely be less than thrilled to find out that Seungmin had lost his new shoes already. 

Still, Seungmin took his time wandering back down the path. About halfway home, he spotted a cluster of wild carnations and reached down to pluck one from the center. He held the delicate flower in the palm of his hand, leaning down to study it closely. 

“Protect my coven,” he whispered. “Help them find balance. And heal him….please.” 

With that, Seungmin kissed one of the petals and hummed a wordless melody. 

The flower turned from a dull pink to a shimmering gold. 

Seungmin slipped it into his coat pocket and headed home. 

Seungmin's lunches at the academy looked like this:

He sat alone at one of the back tables, sandwich and juice forgotten as he scribbed in his songbook. 

Forever invisible. 

Or, perhaps not invisible, but certainly ignored. 

And, Seungmin thought to himself as his sandwich suddenly levitated away and dumped itself into the trashcan, definitely not liked. 

He heard snickering from one of the nearby tables. 

“That’s so mean, Ji-Woo!” 

“It wasn’t like he was eating it.”

“If his brother finds out you did that-”

“Be real, Mei. He’d laugh along with me.” 

That hurt, but Seungmin understood the thought process behind it. 

On Seungmin’s first day, a little over a month ago, he’d mistakenly tried to sit with Jeongin during the lunch hour. Jeongin, in return, had politely asked him to find another spot. It had been a terribly humiliating experience. 

Since then, Seungmin didn’t bother seeking out Jeongin at the academy. When they did cross paths, neither acknowledged the other’s existence. 

Seungmin never mentioned it to the other members. It was no good trying to force Jeongin to hang out with him. Besides, Seungmin had a feeling that if the others were still students as well, then they’d treat him the same way. 

Except Chan of course - but there was a reason why he was their leader. 

Jeongin and Seungmin were the only members of the coven who still hadn’t graduated with some sort of magical certificate. Therefore, they both attended the academy. Jisung, genius he was, would have been in Seungmin’s grade had he not graduated almost two years prior. The same went for Hyunjin, who was still working toward his certification, but had clearance to be homeschooled by Minho and Changbin for reasons unknown to Seungmin. 

Jeongin was kind enough to Seungmin within the halls of their home - but the academy was an entirely different story. He and Seungmin were within two completely different social circles. Jeongin had plenty of friends, high marks, and was incredibly involved in extracurriculars. 

Seungmin had no friends, questionable marks, and no activities other than the after school tutoring that Minho made him attend three times a week. 

There was only one class he excelled at: Magical Melodies, which had a strong focus on Harmonic Enchantment. Seungmin wasn’t a talented potion brewer, or an advanced spellcaster. 

He was a singer. 

When Seungmin's songs washed over him, they allowed him to feel the magic flowing freely through his veins. It was exhilarating, yet therapeutic….an extension of himself. His melodies were not words - they were just meaning. That was the only way he could describe it. 

Still, most young magic wielders gravitated toward the practical applications of magic. Spellcasting, talismans, potions, defense, or fieldwork….and certainly not in the form of song. 

And so, Seungmin had no friends at the academy - not even his younger coven brother. 

It made complete sense. Seungmin was the outlier - the one who could never replace what was currently missing. His selection as a whole had been on a whim. After a chance encounter with Chan and a ten minute conversation on the subway, Seungmin soon found himself whisked away to the city with an unexpected coven invitation. 

He’d been beyond excited....so much, in fact, that it didn’t occur to him that Chan had selected him alone, without consulting his other members. 

And so, he was the outlier. Nobody had expected, nor wanted him to join their coven. 

Seungmin was beginning to make peace with this knowledge, but it would still take some time. 

The Stray Kids Coven House sat at the base of two twin hills. The front of the house faced a busy main road, while the back overlooked the beginnings of the thick wooded forest abundant with herbs and energy. 

The main door was the entrance to the coven’s small yet ever popular shop, containing specialty brewed potions and spell kits. Jisung, whose specialty was herbal alchemy applied with advanced brewing, spent most of his time taking orders and creating potions for common folks with ailments.

Seungmin found him in the middle of creating one of his concoctions as he entered through the shop’s door. 

“Good afternoon, Seungmin. How was school?”

“It was great,” Seungmin lied. “How have things been here? Busy day?”

“Not terribly so. I’m working on an updated remedy for Ms. Choi’s arthritis. Fetch me that jar of burdock, will you?” 

“Sure.” 

“Thanks,” said Jisung. He added a few pinches into his brewing cauldron, and then pushed his round glasses further up his nose. “Lavender, burdock, and just a hint of mugwort mixed with encouragement. That ought to ease some of the aches. Of course, when it comes to age, such pains are inevitable.”

“That’s why it’s so important to exercise your body and mind now, to delay aging while you can.” This was said by Changbin, who was perched on the window seat munching on a crisp red apple. Seungmin hadn’t noticed him. 

“I’m still not going to the gym with you,” Jisung responded, pouring a bit of the remedy into a vial. 

“Suit yourself. You might want to start stockpiling those pain remedies then - for when the inevitable happens.” 

“And you might want to stop talking before this vial ends up down your throat.” 

Seungmin smiled from the sidelines as he listened to the duo. 

I wish they’d talk with me like that.

Changbin looked over to Seungmin, and for a moment, he was hopeful that he too would be included in the next round of banter. 

Instead, the older boy’s face grew dark. 

“Why are you wearing those shoes?”

“Huh? Oh- I lost mine last night. I found these in one of the storage closets. I figured I’d borrow-” 

“You aren’t to wear those shoes again,” Changbin told him sharply. 

“Okay,” said Seungmin, pulling them off of his feet immediately. Any warmth that he had been feeling had dissipated quickly. He’d never heard Changbin speak like that before, and it made his stomach tighten with nerves. 

“Bin,” Jisung said quietly. “He didn’t know. Besides, Lix would hardly mind.” 

Changbin remained silent. After Seungmin had supplemented the shoes for a pair of house slippers, he’d waved his hand and the shoes abruptly vanished. 

“Oh,” Jisung clapped his hands, eager to change the subject. “I almost forgot! Seungmin, Minho wanted a word with you. He’s in the study.” 

Minho was something of an anomaly to Seungmin. The second eldest was perhaps the most difficult to read. Seungmin couldn’t tell whether Minho despised him, or loved him dearly. 

What Seungmin did know was that Minho was one of Seoul’s most resounding scholars. He studied Shadow Dancing, manipulating fear with movement and harnessing the darkness through clear maneuvering and perseverance. Every full moon, he would lead sessions on the subject. Some of the most prestigious figures in the country came to learn dancing from him. 

“Kim Seungmin,” Minho said, writing something on a piece of parchment when Seungmin came to the doorway. “Come in.” 

As Seungmin stepped further into the room, the study door swung closed behind him. 

“Hello,” Seungmin greeted, feeling rather apprehensive. His stomach still felt knotted from Changbin’s scolding.

Minho didn’t say anything at first, continuing to finish his writing. Seungmin fought the urge to twist his hands anxiously. Finally, Minho turned to face him, looking impassive as always. 

“I received a rather interesting note from your Magical Ethics instructor. He told me you slept through at least half the class.” 

Right. 

“I did fall asleep,” Seungmin confessed. “I’m sorry, Hyung.” 

The word had slipped out automatically, without any thought. Chan had asked for Seungmin to address him as ‘Hyung’, but no such conversation had ever come up between him and Minho before. 

He felt frozen, waiting for the other to yell at him. "We might be coven-mates, but I will never be your hyung.’ 

Instead, something softened in the older member’s face. 

“Seungmin, are you getting enough sleep?”

“Yes, of course! I’m not really sure what happened. I guess my mind was just wandering.” 

“If it gets worse, we’ll have to address it.”

“It won’t,” Seungmin said confidently. Then, he bit his lip. “Are you going to tell Chan?”

 “Yes.” 

The blunt answer had Seungmin grimacing. “I don’t want him to worry about me.”

“That’s his job as our leader.” 

Seungmin sighed. “Will he be home soon?”

“After dinner, most likely. Speaking of which, we’re ordering out tonight. Any requests?”

“Anything is fine,” Seungmin answered, touched that his opinion on dinner was at least valued. 

“Alright. Do you have homework?”

“No,” Seungmin answered. 

“Good. Why don’t you take a rest until it’s time to eat?”

“Sounds good,” said Seungmin, glad to be free of any duties this evening. He’d almost made it to the door before something else crossed his mind. “Minho-Hyung?”

“Yes?” 

“I lost my shoes.”

Chapter Text

“I love you, Seungmin.” 

“I l-love you too.” 

“Don’t be sad,” his sister said, lifting a frail arm to brush away his tears. “I’ll be among the stars soon - where we all once started. You’ll look for me, won’t you?”

“Of course I will.” 

“Good. You’ll have a coven, too. Promise?”

“I promise,” Seungmin said, with as much brevity as his fourteen year old self could muster. “They’ll be the best coven there is, and- and I’ll make them proud. I’ll make you proud too.” 

“You already have made me proud, my darling boy.”

Seungmin used his sleeve to wipe the tears flowing steadily down his cheeks. 

“Sing to me, Seungmin,” his sister whispered, eyes fluttering open for a moment. “Please. It will help me rest.”

“You are resting,” Seungmin said, swallowing. 

“You know what I mean, Seung.” 

If I sing to you now, I don’t think you’ll wake back up. 

“Please,” she begged again, grasping his wrist. 

Seungmin brushed the soft hair framing her face. “Alright. I’ll sing to you.” 

He clasped one of her pale hands tightly between his two own, and then began a gentle lullaby. It was one that their mother had used to sing to them growing up. 

By the time he’d finished the melody, his sister’s hand had gone limp. He sat there in silence, unmoving until the sun peaked over the skyline. 

Seungmin woke up to the feeling of his heart pounding. He lay deeply tucked under the covers, taking steady breaths to ground himself as he faced consciousness once again. His face felt noticably wet, which meant he’d also been crying in his sleep. 

That seemed to be happening a lot lately. It didn’t seem to matter if his dreams were good or bad, or if he could remember them or not - they still always ended in tears. 

It took Seungmin about thirty seconds to realize that he wasn’t in his own bed. The sheets had a different texture, and there was the burning heat of another body next to him. 

It wasn’t a mystery for long, as the other occupant was wide awake watching him. 

“C-Chan Hyung?” 

“Hi Minnie,” Chan said, worried eyes studying him closely. “Are you awake this time?”

“Yes,” Seungmin croaked. His throat felt too dry. “Why am I in your bed, Hyung?” 

“You’ve been sleepwalking, baby. You gave Bin a pretty big scare - he caught you on the edge of his balcony.” 

“What?” 

“You were reaching up to the sky,” Chan told him, brushing the wetness from Seungmin’s cheeks. “It’s dangerous to wake a sleepwalker, so he brought you to my room.” 

“Oh no,” Seungmin closed his eyes for a moment, wanting to bury into the covers and disappear. “W-Was he very mad?”

“Mad?” Chan’s eyebrows furrowed. “No, he was terrified.” 

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Chan promised. Then, after a pause, “Seungmin, I know it’s been hard for you. Entering a new coven is a big adjustment, and I know the others haven’t exactly been easy on you. It will take time, but- well, it won’t be like this forever. Believe it or not, you’re exactly what all of us need right now.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Seungmin responded, slowly. “You guys need Felix, Hyung.” 

“I know that, Min. But we need you too.” 

Seungmin didn’t respond, staring at a chip in the wall behind his leader’s head. He could feel Chan’s eyes on him for several long moments. 

“Get some rest,” Chan told him. “Someone will bring breakfast to you.” 

“Are you leaving, Hyung?”

“Yes,” Chan said, reluctantly. “I’m afraid that I’m on duty until this evening. When I get back, we’ll need to discuss your sleeping patterns a little more deeply. You aren’t in trouble, of course, but we are worried about you.” 

“I’ve always been a restless sleeper,” Seungmin defended himself. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You could get hurt,” said Chan. “Besides, it’s not just your sleeping habits. I’m worried about other things too.”

What the ‘other things’ were, Chan didn’t say. 

Instead, he merely kissed the top of Seungmin’s head and began to get himself ready for the day. 

Only a few minutes passed before Seungmin decided that didn’t like the idea of having breakfast in bed. He quickly bathed and dressed himself, making his way to the kitchen just in time to see Minho loading up a tray. 

“Seungmin,” the elder boy greeted him. “I was just headed up to you. How are you feeling?”

Seungmin took the food that Minho held out to him and gave his best smile. “I’m great! Thanks for breakfast - it looks good.” 

Changbin, Jisung, and Jeongin were still finishing their own meals. Hyunjin, who had finished eating, was in the process of washing the dishes and counters. 

Seungmin intentionally sat down across from Changbin, whose eyes were already locked on him. 

“I’m- I’m sorry for what happened last night,” he spoke quickly, before he lost his nerve. “It wasn’t intentional; I’m just a restless sleeper sometimes. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 

“You can hardly make sure it never happens again - it’s not like you can control sleepwalking,” Hyunjin interjected, unhelpfully, before Changbin had a chance to respond. 

“Innie used to be our most restless sleeper,” Jisung added. “But he’s never sleepwalked before - Just shattered a few windows during nightmares.” 

“I haven’t done that in ages,” the youngest member objected. 

Seungmin, unsure of what to say, took a bite of his toast. 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Changbin finally told him, quietly. “I’m the one who should apologize for reacting the way I did the other day, about the shoes. I’m sorry for yelling.” 

“It’s okay,” said Seungmin. I know that you’re hurting right now. 

Seungmin ached to reach out and take Changbin’s hand. Instead, he kept his distance. 

The rest of breakfast passed in silence between the two, but Seungmin did catch Changbin slipping an extra piece of pan fried sausage onto his plate when he thought Seungmin was distracted. 

Seungmin’s room looked like this: 

His bed was always made, with sheets that were smoothed free of any wrinkles. His schoolbooks were tucked under his bed, out of sight. His shirts, socks, and pants were folded meticulously and placed together in the bottom drawer of the old, rickety dresser. 

His songbook, when not in use, was tucked carefully under his two plush pillows. 

One might say that it looked more like a guest room rather than someone’s personal bedroom.

In his nightstand drawer, there was a photo. A small, chubby cheeked boy was smiling, sitting in the lap of a girl who was equally as cheerful. Though she looked frail, her eyes were alight with fire. 

Seungmin didn’t want the picture on public display. Sometimes, he felt too sad when looking at it. His sister had practically raised him, after their parents had passed away on one of their away-jobs.

Just like his parents, Seungmin’s sister was gone too. He had no living blood relatives. 

It was just his coven now. 

As promised, Chan called for a coven meeting when he got home. Chan’s idea was practical - he wanted to set up wards around the property that would alert them if Seungmin was sleepwalking, specifically if he was doing anything dangerous like trying to exit the home through a window, balcony, or the front door in his unconscious state. 

Because a coven was intertwined through one another’s magic, they could all feel the alerting ward if Chan made it so. 

“If anyone is opposed to me connecting them to the alarm wards, speak now.” 

Not a single hand was raised. Seungmin had half expected there to be a few objections, especially since their sleep might be disrupted if he activated the wards during another potential episode of sleepwalking. 

Still, he remembered Changbin’s face. Maybe the older boy didn;t accept him as a coven member, but he clearly didn’t want anything bad to happen to Seungmin. 

He’d take that as a win. 

For the next several days, there were no unusual incidents. Seungmin did what he did best; he stayed out of the way and helped out where he could. Hyunjin was stressed with his upcoming graduation exams, and so Seungmin did his chores before the other could even register that it was his turn on the schedule. 

Minho was writing a new paper on the theory of spellcasting through motion, at the request of some high profile university in Scotland. Seungmin brought him cups of fresh tea and plates of snacks when he’d stayed shut in his office for a particularly long time. 

Jisung was having a particularly rough ‘quiet spell,’ as the others called it, where he went off alone to forage for ingredients and wanted nothing to do with anyone. Seungmin placed warming talismans into his jacket and boots, tucked under the flaps so he wouldn’t notice them. 

Jeongin…well, Seungmin helped out in that area by mostly keeping his distance. Sometimes, in the late evenings before bed, they would quiz each other while studying for their respective classes. 

Chan hadn’t been able to stargaze with Seungmin all week, ever busy between his work as coven leader, the council, and additional research. Seungmin continued to go by himself, even though it seemed like the others were reluctant about letting him go alone these days. 

Come with me, then. If you asked to come, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.

It was finally Friday night. Seungmin, who had spent most of the afternoon in the parlor, finished putting the last touches into one of his assignments for his Magical Melodies class. 

His professor had asked if Seungmin would perform one of his melodies solo during the Full Moon Performance. He’d been working hard to prepare….though he hadn’t told any of his coven members about it yet. He wasn’t sure if he would tell them, period; He would be terribly sad if everyone knew and nobody showed, so it was probably best to keep quiet. 

As Seungmin headed to the kitchen to wash up for dinner, the sound of hushed voices from the dwelling den made him pause. 

“....not sure, Hyung.” 

“...important....know that he’s been having a hard time. Do this for me, please Innie?”

“Well, alright…” 

It was Chan and Jeongin. Seungmin felt his stomach tighten. It sounded as though they might be talking about him, though he couldn’t imagine what it might be about; he’d tried his hardest to stay quiet and out of the way these past few days. 

Seungmin tried sneaking past the dwelling room, but there was no escaping Chan’s line of sight. 

“Ah, Seungmin! Jeongin was just about to ask you something.” 

“Um, hi Seungmin,” Jeongin said, looking anywhere but at him. “I was just heading to the academy for the monthly talisman exchange. Do you, uh, want to come with me?” 

Absolutely not. 

Still, Seungmin had to put on a brave face. “Oh, that’s-”

“A great idea!” Chan finished enthusiastically, as if he hadn’t been the one clearly forcing Jeongin to invite him. “It’s a fun event, Minnie. You’d have a great time, I’m sure. I can give you both some money to buy a few handmade charms, and some dinner too, yeah?” 

“It’s my turn to help cook dinner tonight,” Seungmin reminded them. 

“I’ll fill in for you,” said Chan, and clapped them both on their backs. “It’s settled…you’ll go out for a night of fun with your friends!” 

What friends? Seungmin thought to himself while trying to muster a smile. 

Half an hour later, Seungmin departed with Jeongin. 

“Take care and stick together, alright?” 

“Yes Hyung,” they chorused to Minho, who was seeing them both off. Chan was busy chopping up an assortment of vegetables, but he’d still taken the time to give each of them some rather heavy coin purses. 

Minho watched from the doorway as Seungmin and Jeongin both started down the cobblestone pathway, cloaks swishing behind them. 

Seoul’s Academy for Young Magic Users was only four blocks away. Seungmin and Jeongin spent the entire walk together in silence, though each was acutely aware of the other’s presence. To distract himself from the awkwardness, Seungmin focused on crunching different colored leaves with each new step. 

He’d made up his mind, about halfway through the journey, that he would not bother actually attending the talisman exchange. All it would get him was weird looks and possibly a trick or two played at his expense. 

Ever since his first day of school, when he’d fallen into a daze and smashed headfirst into a wall, most everyone loved watching his misfortune. Sometimes Seungmin’s magic simply compelled him, and his body was moving before his brain realized what was happening. Seungmin’s tendency to wander in a daze was known not just by his classmates, but especially by his coven. The only difference was that they (mostly Chan and Minho) tended to worry rather than laugh. 

“Well,” said Seungmin, once the school was in sight. “Have fun.”

Jeongin turned to look at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not going,” Seungmin answered. “I know Chan pressured you into inviting me. Don’t worry, I didn’t really want to go anyway.” 

Jeongin stared at him, taken aback. “You’re going back home? What was the point in even coming this far?”

“I wanted to make sure you got here okay. Besides, I’m not going home just yet.” 

“Then where are you going?” 

“I’m not sure yet.” 

“Well, you can’t just wander around by yourself! You could get lost, or- or something!”

Jeongin’s panic was confusing to Seungmin. Why would he care now, when he’d never cared before? 

“It’s okay to be lost sometimes,” Seungmin said, his voice growing quiet. Then, he turned around and started walking. 

Seungmin could hear Jeongin calling after him, but he didn’t stop, nor did the younger boy chase after him. 

After twenty minutes of walking, Seungmin’s feet brought him to a large stone building, surrounded by flower beds and rose bushes. He sat on a nearby bench for several minutes, listening to the trickle of the water fountain. The breeze began to pick up, and so Seungmin made up his mind and entered through the main doors. 

He’d never been here before. In fact, Seungmin hadn’t been in any sort of hospital since he was fourteen. This hospital was specifically for curses and ailments - and so it held a feeling of deep, unsettling energy. 

An elderly woman was manning the front desk. She pointed Seungmin in the direction that he sought without any qualms. It made sense, as the wards specifically kept out those who had ill intent. Anyone else was welcome to visit patients - so long as they were in good enough condition to accept visitors.  

Seungmin took three flights of stairs and found the third room on the left. 

And then, he laid eyes on him for the first time ever. 

Felix was beautiful. He was ethereal. 

Even unconscious in the hospital bed, Felix was a wonder. 

Seungmin couldn’t take his eyes off of the sleeping boy, with his golden hair spilling over the pillows, and his freckles highlighted by the cozy fire someone had lit.

He walked over to the cushy armchair beside the bed, sat himself down, and continued to stare. 

“Hello Felix,” he finally said. “It’s Seungmin. Um, your newest coven member?”

He was met, of course, with an unresounding silence. 

“I- I don’t really know if Chan or the others have mentioned me. I, uh, I came to the city and joined your guys’ coven just a few months after you- after this happened.” 

Silence. 

“Anyway, it’s nice to finally meet you! I’m sorry we aren’t meeting under better circumstances. It’s been over a month, though, so I figured it was time.” 

The air surrounding them made Seungmin’s skin prickle. There was an undertone of energy, thrumming with a sense of calmness - like how the air felt just after a thunderstorm, with an essence of the sea mingling within. 

“Chan’s been here today,” Seungmin said aloud. “I can feel his magic. He’s been working really hard to help you wake up, hasn’t he?” 

Silence. 

“I- I hope that you do wake up soon. Our members - your members - they need you back.”

More silence. 

He slipped his hand into his coat pocket, pulling out the carnation he’d picked several nights before. By sight alone, it looked no different than any other wild flower. In Seungmin’s hand, its energy simmered. 

“Here,” he said, laying the flower on the pillow next to Felix’s head. “I picked this for you. It called to me, I guess. Um…I hope you like it.” 

As Seungmin quietly left the room, he didn’t notice the carnation beginning to glow.