your words my lies | noren

e i g h t e e n

Jeno was pacing, footsteps sounding back and forth from one side of the willow tree to the other, all the while doing everything in his will not to look at the unconscious Renjun lying on the leaves of the forest floor.

Donghyuck was mumbling to himself. Most likely words of comfort Jeno interpreted from years of knowing Donghyuck. It was a nervous tick, similar to his own pacing.

Despite how well he hid it, it was apparent that Jaemin was scared too. His fingers tapped endlessly on his knees where he sat by the tree trunk.

With each passing moment, Renjun's skin seemed to become paler, a sign of energy being drained away almost visibly. And yes, though lemons were the equivalent of poison to fairies, even poison could have remedies, it was just a matter of finding the right one. 

And a matter of finding it fast. This was Renjun's life that was slipping away.

"He has to enter the fairy realm. There's no other way," Jeno said. "Plus, being in the human world definitely isn't helping with his recovery. If anything, being here is probably killing him faster."

Donghyuck hovered his hand over the tip of Renjun's wing as though he was scared of what would happen if he touched it. "And how do you suppose we get there?" he asked.

Jeno stopped in his tracks. He hadn't wanted to think back to that night in the fairy realm. It was something he had tried so hard to forget. The trickster side of Renjun, the same one that was the closest thing to evil (or in the fairy's words, dark) that Renjun could get. It was the side that made Jeno doubt Renjun's intentions were genuine, and whether or not he could care less about Jeno's existence.

Jeno pushed through those thoughts to the afternoon that Renjun had told him to meet at the willow tree. 

How had Renjun opened the door to the fairy realm?

"Renjun used fairy dust if I'm remembering correctly..." Jeno started, eyes closed as if trying to recreate that afternoon in his mind again. "He sprinkled it around the entire base of the tree in a large circle."

"Anything else?" Donghyuck piped up in question.

"He had a flower. It was blue and sort of sparkled, even in the dark. He put that closest to the tree and the fairy dust circled around it," Jeno said, eyes brightening once he had remembered. "Then there was a bright light and then... I was in the fairy realm?" 

"Great! I'm assuming that's where you went missing to?" Donghyuck said, smiling a smile of feigned innocence and not giving Jeno any time to respond before continuing. "So all we have to do is find one of those flowers, sprinkle some fairy dust, and Renjun should be transported to... the fairy realm or whatever."

Jeno had a sinking feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

"Quick question," Donghyuck continued. "Why couldn't you tell us any of this on the day you came back from the dead?" he asked in a slightly joking manner.

"I—" Jeno paused, looking over at Renjun. "Renjun," he whispered to himself quietly. Then in a sudden moment of realization panic struck again. "Oh my god, Renjun! His magic is draining!"

There was no other explanation. Renjun's magical presence kept Jeno from telling his friends the truth a few weeks ago, most likely to keep his own identity secret, but now with no energy, the fairy had no magic. Jeno could talk about the fairy realm however he wanted.

Being able to talk freely about the fairy realm was one thing, but it reminded him that Renjun was still in serious, life-threatening danger.

"Hyuck help me search for the flower—"

"Is this it?" Jaemin's voice spoke up, holding a small, delicate, blue flower between his hands.

Jeno immediately rushed over to examine it. "Yeah, I think it is! Where'd you find it?"

"It was in his jacket pocket."

Jeno nodded, taking the flower from Jaemin and placing it in the precise spot that he remembered Renjun to have put it. "Okay, now we need fairy dust."

His eyes travelled down to the small jar of blue dust half spilled onto Renjun's wing. It would have to do. Jeno had no clue where else they would find fairy dust in the human world. As long as he managed to make a fully closed circle around the tree and flower, everything would be fine.

Hopefully.

"You two should wait outside," Jeno suggested. "I don't want us all to go missing."

Donghyuck hesitated. "What if I want to see the fairy realm?"

"Hyuck that's really not a good idea."

Donghyuck shrugged off the comment. "Jeno, I am the master of bad ideas. If it's really that bad I'll find a way out," he said. "How about I sprinkle the fairy dust?"

Without giving Jeno a chance to reply, Donghyuck took the little jar of fairy dust from Jeno's grasp and turned towards the tree. 

"Donghyuck, this is fairy magic you're messing with—"

"Yes, I know. How bad can it be?"

And then Donghyuck tipped the jar, walking a circle around the base of the willow tree, all while sprinkling the fairy dust little by little.

Jeno watched him. Watched as the amount of fairy dust in the jar slowly decreased, as the last of the electric blue powder met with where the circle of dust started, and as an anticipating smile spread across Donghyuck's face.

This was bad. At that moment, he wished to be anywhere other than underneath the overhanging leaves of the willow tree. Anything to prevent his family, friends, classmates, teachers from thinking he was missing yet again.

But there was nothing he could do, and before he knew it, he was blinded once again by a familiar bright light.

When he ended up on the other side, the forest was gone, replaced by the same field of flora and fauna as the last time.

The only difference was that Renjun wasn't beside him. It was Donghyuck and Jaemin who were there, both seemingly awed by the sight in front of them.

The only thoughts that Jeno could think up were the fact that one, Renjun was nowhere to be seen and two, it would be three of them missing in their world this time.

---

hmm any thoughts on what you think will happen in the fairy realm? donghyuck has brought forth quite a bit of trouble...

school starts again for me tmrw :((
my winter break flew by far to fasttt but im hoping that everyone's 2021 is off to an okay start?