The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Three - Loss and Trauma

Nova Theasphreyei

"Yah!" Two hands claim my waist and they spin me around until Taehyung's arms wrap around me completely.

"Yah to you too." I chuckle, slightly confused but happy to welcome the kiss he presses to my lips.

"They said I can go! I'm free! I'm going home!" He grins and kisses all over my face.

My smile falls but I'm quick to plaster a fake one over the top. "That's great!" I'm an idiot. I let myself forget what we are. Temporary.

"I can't wait to see everyone again, it's been almost five months!" He beams at me and sits on my bed, letting my body naturally fall into place on his lap.

"I'm happy for you." That's not a lie. I'm incredibly pleased he gets to go home to his friends and his school. I'm also incredibly sad that he'll be leaving and my life will go back to how it was before he bombarded his way into it.

"I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive, aren't I?" He frowns, immediately worried.

"No! It's fine. That's what you've been waiting for all this time. I'm very pleased." I smile and kiss his cheek.

"I'm gonna miss you, Nova. A hell of a lot..." His face is serious now, smile practically forgotten.

"I'll miss you too." I pull the corners of my lips upwards into what I hope is a convincing grin.

Apparently not. Taehyung strokes my cheek and kisses the tip of my nose. "I'll write to you."

"They won't let them get through. All my mail is checked before I even know it exists." I smile sadly and the faerie's shoulders slump.

"So.. So how do I contact you? How do we see each other again?" He frowns.

"We don't." I slide off his lap and straighten my shirt. "This is it."

Taehyung gulps, looking at the carpet. "But what happens to you? When do they let you go?"

I chuckle at his comment and ruffle his hair. "I'm not being held captive, Tae. That was just you."

"Really?.." He raises his eyebrows and I clear my throat awkwardly.

"This is my home, Tae. You visited my world for a while but now you get to go back to yours. And I stay here." I shrug, attempting to keep all the emotions inside and out of sight.

"I'm sorry.." His hand trails up my arm and he strokes my walls away, tears swelling to my eyes.

"No. I don't want this to be how we say goodbye..." I pout slightly and the faerie smiles, kissing it happily.

"Then how do you want to say goodbye?"

"Properly..." I bite my lip slightly, knowing he understands.

***

Kim Taehyung

My head is busy. I'm worried about how Brynn has finally settled, if she has. I hope Jimin and Yoongi were able to stay together. Did anyone miss me? Were they worried about me at all? Does anyone know what actually happened to me?

For the first time, I have an awful thought. What if someone else was hurt too? What if someone was with me when I was attacked? What if they didn't make it? I see Pharaway's gates up ahead and I run. I sprint. I've never made my legs move quite as fast.

As I reach the gates my stomach sinks to my shoes. It's completely empty. The gates are chained up and locked. I wrap my hand around the damp, ice-like metal and rattle it slightly.

"You haven't heard?" A woman walks up to me. Her thick foreign accent confuses my slightly.

"Heard about what?.." I look back towards my home longingly.

"A student died. They tried to keep it running but, in the end, Pharaway shut down. It was seen as being too unsafe to comply with institutional guidelines." The woman shakes her head sadly. "It's a damn shame. I used to go here. It's the best institute I've ever been to. And I've taught at them all..."

***

My fist pounds on the door with a fury I didn't know I had. My wrist aches and I curse myself for not listening to Nova or Brokk when they told me not to push myself when I was still healing. I curse whoever it was who broke my wings in the first place as my gut reaction is to fly over Crenford and see who I can find. I curse myself again for never bothering to find out where anyone lived. There's only one place I'd never forget how to get to.

"Taehyung? I haven't seen you in a while." Saeth Clough ushers me inside and I lean against the wall, panting. I immediately regret running through the forest to get here.

"I need to see Brynn." I gulp down air desperately.

"Brynn?.. She's not here." The woman shrugs and my stomach ties itself in knots.

"When did you last see her?" I dread the answer. Please say she's gone to the library. Or that she went to the corner shop for popping candy. Or that she needed a coffee.

"Since she left for Pharaway. How's she doing?" Brynn's mother smiles hopefully but it doesn't last long. She sees my tears and pulls me into her chest. "Tell me everything."