hydra | svt

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

wonwoo

it was if the day had reset. i slipped silently back inside my house, shivering due to the sudden frigidity i now feel compared to the scorching heat of molten lava, and crept back up the stairs, careful to avoid the weak spots in the varnished wood where i knew it would make a deafening creak.

as soon as the door of my bedroom slithered shut, a large weight was lifted off my shoulders and the adrenaline finally wore off, allowing the pain to set in. every movement was torture; even breathing hurt. gradually, i hobbled over to the bathroom and clumsily searched for the first aid kit i knew i had spotted before. the green bag was hidden behind a bunch of hair products i have never touched in the time i've been here and next to two orange pill bottles that were half empty. i shuddered and purposely avoided reading the labels. i pulled it out and set it down on the edge of the bath, rifling through and trying my very best to apply bandages by myself. the antiseptic stung like a wasp and i couldn't help but flinch as i swept it over my wounds.

even when i'd finished and laid back in my bed, which was exactly the way i left it, my body still felt as it were on fire and that fire was also on fire. the window was already open and the curtains fluttered gently in the breeze yet the heat i felt inside made me want to scream. however before i could do anything, there were three gentle knocks at my door.

"wonwoo, love, are you awake?" my mother had popped her head around the side of the door. her chestnut hair was loosely curled around her face, where the ends would brush gracefully against her shoulders. she wasn't one for makeup, yet her skin gleamed in the natural light filtering through my windows; i could see the kohl liner drawn on the lid of her perfect almond-shaped eyes. she had chosen to wear a simple grey sweater with her favourite set of pearl earrings and the matching necklace. she's planning to go out today.

i pretended to be half awake and squinted at her groggily.

"morning...mom," i say awkwardly.

"there's a young girl at the door asking for you. she says it's urgent."

she says this warmly but her eyebrow is raised.

"umm..okay i'll be down in a minute. just ask her to wait in the kitchen, i guess," i respond quietly, turning over to cover the graze on my left cheek.

"alright. i'm going out with my friends for lunch, do you want me to get you anything?"

"no, i'm okay. thanks though."

-

carding a hand through my hair, i adjust my glasses and make my way downstairs. as i expected, izzy is sat on one of the white bar stools in my kitchen swinging her legs and watching something on her phone. i clear my throat and she jumps.

"oh my god, don't do that!" she places a hand over her heart and acts annoyed, yet a devilish smile adorns her face. "nice battle scar. what happened?"

the tips of my fingers reach up to brush the broken skin; it's tender and rough and hurts very much.

"fought a giant snake and got a free keyring out of it," i say stiffly. she hardly bats an eyelash and nods thoughtfully before extending her palm.

"let's have a look then!" she commands as if to say you didn't think i wouldn't want to see it?. i nod dumbly and fish it out of the back pocket of my jeans. as i pass it over, something flickers in her eyes.

"apep," she whispers. her laidback attitude from before has dissipated and she urges me to take a seat. "did anything burn you badly? did it open up any skin?"

i grimace and shake my head, causing her to exhale with relief. i don't know who 'apep' is but it must be bad for her to react so strongly.

"good, because that would have been really bad."

silence washes over us and i notice the clock hanging over my sink: it's almost half eleven. i suddenly have the urge to tell her about the mysterious twix keyring: if anyone knows what it all means, it's her.

"um...yesterday at school there was this new guy in my homeroom and um...when the bell went, i think he dropped this weird twix keyring. i tried to return it to him but he disappeared and then when i was fighting apep, it transformed into a sword. what the fuck is going on?"

she doesn't respond fro a full minute and i wonder whether she even heard me.

"i'm telling hansol you called his keyring weird."

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