𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌 || 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐂𝐊

[𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐰𝐨]

Chapter 22: Do you trust me?

"When I was a kid my dad showed me a real lion when we went to the wild," Mark said while rowing the boat that they are sitting on.

Mark and Donghyuck have been okay lately, after the funeral, Mark decided to stay with the younger to heal from the grief he is going through and from the looks of it, Donghyuck seems completely okay for now. He still has a frown on his face and he looked like he hasn't slept in days. So Mark is doing his best to cheer Donghyuck up.

Right now, Mark was invited to ride a boat with Donghyuck on the lake just near the castle; he couldn't agree more because Donghyuck might like the ride.

"Did the lion...die?" Donghyuck asked out of nowhere, Mark furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as to why the younger was asking such a question.

"What? No, uhm, I don't know...it was a long time ago so I don't know how the lion is right now" Mark answered, his arms getting tired from the rowing so he placed the paddles inside the bot and just let it float itself. The boat was big for them.

"Hmm, I guess you had a really nice childhood then" Donghyuck giggled soulessly, "All I did back when I was a kid was just...stare at my mom's spellbooks and runes and have some ticklish fights with..." he pursed his lips and looked down.

Mark knew who he was talking about and he didn't want Donghyuck to be so sad again, lifting the boy's chin up gently, he said, "you don't have to complete it if you can't, it's alright Donghyuck"

Donghyuck and Mark looked at each other for a brief second till the younger pulled out from the older's hold, he yawned while stretching his legs, looking at the nature above them. "I never thought I'd go out here"

"Have you never been to this part of the forest?" Mark asked as Donghyuck shook his head as a no, he pouted and kept on rubbing his thighs.

"As I said, All I did was just stay inside my room and study...I have never been outside, it was always my room, the dining hall, then study, basement and then back to my room" Donghyuck sighed as he looked at Mark with pursed lips, "This is my first time here"

"Well I'm glad that I am the one who took you here" Mark chuckled, "oh before I forget I also want to show you something I've learned before, it's a technique I learned from my cousin Sicheng" Mark stood up the boat and grabbed an apple from a sack, "you ready?" he asked as Donghyuck nodded.

Throwing the apple not so high, it was as if Donghyuck just blinked and the fruit was already torn into 6 cut apples. His eyes glittered in amusement while opening his mouth.

"Woah" was all he could say.

"I know right-"

"How did you do it?" Donghyuck asked in curiosity, his eyes travelled to Mark's sword, seeing it all cleaned and safely placed inside his sheathe, "the blade must be very sharp and your speed is quite fast"

"Yup, It took me years to perfect that skill" Mark laughed and decided to sit back down, "how about you? Anything you want to show me, probably a magic trick or something?"

Donghyuck thought for a while until something clicked inside his head, he learned how to levitate himself to the air when he was making a deadly potion that suddenly exploded right near his body, it was awful honestly but a good thing he thought of floating and then boom! he was in the air.

"I...can do this?" Donghyuck stood up and propped his arms to the side as his legs lost his stand on the ground, taking his body to the air, "I can levitate" that's it, levitation is the only thing he can do for now, maybe flying for later.