Healing Castle | TXT Fantasy Novel ft. BTS

1 - Soobin

Soobin body rolls while staring straight out into the crowd.

Now confident in his performance, he's no longer shy in front of an audience—even when the stage puts them in front of the eyes of twenty thousand. He waves after their performance of "Cat & Dog." The constant movement, popping and shuffling across the stage, is what makes the song such a bop. Looking out to countless MOAs, he kisses his hand, then blows it outward as if each fan can feel it imprint against their cheek.

"Thank you so much, Chicago!" Soobin shouts out.

They stay on stage for a few minutes longer, taking in all the healing energy. All around, the sound is deafening. Yet somehow, the overwhelming current is a calmness that keeps him steady day after day. Soobin, as the leader, keeps an eye on all the members while he makes his own rounds across the stage. He senses the same completeness in the boys—the glow on their faces that speak of a performance they're proud of. They all look equally exhausted, but in Soobin's eyes, this October night in autumn gave them one of their best stages yet.

Ten more shows in the U.S. Then it's time for winter vacation. Soobin can hardly wait.

He looks forward to traveling somewhere cold for the winter, where he can ski and drink hot cocoa and listen to Huening Kai drone on about how big Sesame—their cat—is getting, when clearly the cat has stopped growing for some months now. Vacation has been something he's been longing after for quite a while. It's no secret that he and the boys have been working nonstop since debut. Having a few days to unwind sounds like a grand prize. He'll have the best time of his life.

The members, hopefully, will receive some well-deserved rest. Maybe they'll get a chance to reconnect with BTS, their mentors. He's looking forward to a gaming session or two with Jin. It's been a few months since TXT has even been to Seoul. Right now, blinded by the millions of light sticks flashing in the dome, he doesn't miss it.

Soobin looks out to the crowd, to the sea of jumping bodies and evanescent smiles. "Thank you so much, we really do love you!"

He gasps for a few more breaths, melding into his position as a stable leader. "I can't thank you guys enough. You know, at this point last year we didn't⁠—"

Then he stops. A flash breaks his performer's focus.

The image is so striking that Soobin takes a step backwards, freezing in place. It's a maple leaf. The orange-based red catches his attention above the crowd⁠. Since it's TXT's one year anniversary, the audience chose to wear various shades of blue, green, and yellow to celebrate their albums. So there's no missing the apparition. The maple leaf hovers above the fans, like a glowing emblem from another dimension.

"What—"

But then the maple leaf disappears. He's unable to look to his best friends for help. But surely his teammates saw it too? It was so obvious, like a ball of glitter smashed against black construction paper.

He moves on with his speech. Afterwards, Yeonjun closes it off with his own words. His inflection is neutral, no sign he saw anything out of the ordinary. Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai also offer their most genuine thanks.

Soobin keeps staring. The maple leaf is gone, but he recognizes it from somewhere. It feels as though a pebble is caught in his throat, and his lungs are slowly filling with liquid. He's convinced he's seen something off limits, not meant for his eyes.

But one thing's for certain—he didn't imagine it.

A/N: What do you think? Let me know your theories on what will happen next :)