Face The Truth - Han Jisung x Reader (Fae AU)

Chapter 8

You had to squint your eyes as you walked through the doorway. The red light shone so brightly that you couldn't help squeezing your eyes shut. But once you passed that threshold, the light dimmed drastically. When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself standing in the lobby of the maze.

Up against the wall furthest to the right was a ticket booth. It had those comical light bulbs surrounding the plastic window in the front, all of which were burning so brightly that you couldn't see within the booth. There was a small stereo perched on the counter, the source of the carnival music. The sound was tinny and the quality was bad, but it didn't ease its eeriness at all.

You weren't sure what you were supposed to do from here, but before you had the chance to move, a slow tapping could be heard above the sound of the stereo. Sliding out from underneath the hole in the window of the booth was a hand. It was long and elegant, and most importantly, human. Well, human-looking at least. One slender finger tapped against the countertop, fingernail hitting the wood repetitively. The white cuff of a sleeve was the only other thing you could see, held together by a silver cuff link in the shape of a bear.

Slowly, the light began to fade, as if the tapping of the finger was in control of its power. A figure began to appear in the booth, the fading light slowly giving way to features. Eventually the bulbs died down, not so much so that they turned off, but enough to reveal the person in the booth.

Standing, encased behind the plastic window was a man. He looked young, but there was an agelessness about him that made it impossible to ascertain how old he might have actually been. Much like his hand, he himself was slender, elegant, and shockingly gorgeous. Unlike the swamp creature though, it was not the sort of beauty that was alluring and intriguing. No, his features may have been delicate but the lights made them sharp and bony, accentuating the horrific smile on his face.

He was dressed head to foot in a white suit which was spotless and crisply pressed. His hair, the same shade of blinding white fell down just past his shoulders where it was cut in a blunt line. His hair was tucked behind his ears, which were elegantly pointed, the only thing that gave away that he was not human. He seemed flawless, but that in of itself was what made him the most terrifying. He smiled down at you and Jisung, but his eyes darkened.

"It appears as if the cavalry has arrived." He said. His words were just as elegant as he was, light and lilting but with a hint of darkness hiding just behind them. "Pleased to meet the two of you, my name is Ira." With that, Ira took his long fingered hand from the counter and opened the door on the side of the booth. He stepped out, and in a few quick strides he was standing before you and Jisung. You had to tilt your head back to look at him properly. So did Jisung.

He stuck his hand out towards you, clearly prompting you to shake it in greeting. You had no wishes to come into physical contact with any magical being, but you feared your fate would be much worse if you denied him. You tentatively let go of Jisung's hand, lifting it up until it reached Ira's. He quickly clasped your hand which disappeared within his long digits. His hand was cold, and grip strong as he shook your hand. It was only when his grip became a little too painful that he dropped your hand and turned his full attention to Jisung, stretching his arm out for Jisung to shake his hand instead.

After that, he stood up, shoulders back and hands folded in front of him. "You needn't introduce yourselves, I am aware of who you are already." Ira smiled, a hint of pointed teeth showing through his lips. The thought of giving him your name didn't even cross your mind. "I naturally assume you know why you're here. The time has come for the two of you to complete your next challenge, and I must say I am delighted to see what will happen."

You shifted uncomfortably on your feet. Ira's wide smile didn't disappear the whole time he spoke. "As you have seen, I chose these lovely fairgrounds as your battlegrounds on this night. I thought a carnival was such a fitting spot. It's such a happy place isn't it, and I would be so very upset if the two of you were sad. So chin up little ones," Ira leant forward and gently tapped your chin with his index finger. "Great things await you, just through that door." He stepped to the sign and stretched out an arm towards a door fixed into the wall behind him.