Hongjoong awoke completely disoriented in a place he had never seen before. Again.

Which, really, was not even that hard in the enchanted realm but it still managed to confuse him greatly every time.

He needed not worry however, as a familiar face made it's appearance within the next minute.

It was that strange snow fairy from yesterday (yesterday?) who calmly strode across his room to lighten a fire in it's appropriate place. Hongjoong sat up slowly, finally finding his head clear again.

"We... I was gone for the whole journey?"

Hongjoong remembered cuddling Mingi for warmth in the cold night, remembered himself shivering between heat and cold waves of his fever.

"Just three days. Nothing to worry about. It's not often that you see a human walk around freely here. Even more so after they've already paid a visit to Neheg." His voice was deep and soothing, the fire lightening up without him actually having to create sparks.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes.

"You knew?"

A quiet chuckle left the other's mouth while he stood up again, turning around to warm his wings against the fire.

"Yeosang told me. It seems like you saved both of us from a lot of trouble." He smiled brightly, his gums showing and Hongjoong let his defensive shoulders drop a bit. Right. They should be friends.

"I guess nobody told you but the humans in this realm usually get send to Neheg to be eaten there. It's how we dispose of their curious little souls." The light tone in which he said it did not lift the message at all, Hongjoong pulling a face. He finally threw his feet on the ground, standing up to tiredly rub his eyes.

"Seonghwa was right when he said you're a special case. You actually seem to mean something to Youjin."

"Oh God, he knows the snotty bastard.", Hongjoong mumbled mainly towards himself, still earning another short laugh. The stranger moved away from the fire place to sit at the small table, nodding to the chair on his other side patiently.

"Come sit. I can explain everything to you. Or at least my thoughts on it."

Hongjoong did as he was told, indulgently waddling over to sit. The man offered him one of the cups in front of them that suddenly started steaming again and Hongjoong accepted without a word.

"I guess at first Youjin wanted to use you as a distraction indeed. By discovering you being human he could plan his flight out of the village. But then Seonghwa appeared and ruined it."

Hongjoong snorted unattractively. Seonghwa actually ruined a lot of things. Where was the man now? Was he still alive?

The fairy continued, not missing any emotion showing on Hongjoong's face.

"Seonghwa then kidnapped you to bait Youjin with, that didn't work and then he took you back to him. And Seonghwa too. After all I've gathered he truly wanted you to stay, which I can absolutely not fathom. However it would've worked out nicely. If Seonghwa wouldn't have ruined everything again."

It was soothing to be sharing the annoyance directed at Seonghwa for once. Youjin was entirely too fond of him.

"What is your relationship if I may ask?"

Hongjoong snapped out of it, noticed himself grinning evilly and quickly schooled his expression into a neutral one.

"I mean he did try to corrupt me but he did so with my consent I think. He is nice... for a person eating humans and fae."

"No, no. Not Youjin, I can see that. What is you relationship to the high prince?"

Hongjoong blinked. Once, twice. Confusion took over his features.

"Why would you ask? You do know what troubles he caused me, don't you? You know everything else." Suspiciously he narrowed his eyes, squinting at the other.

The man seemed delighted.

"I do know, that for sure! However it seems like my judgement is slightly mismatched this time. I can see your worry for him basically written down on you face."

Absolutely not.

"You're wrong. This is me being satisfied for what happened to him."

"What a refreshing image. Somebody who looks so much like a fae lying so boldly. I like it." He laughed again, softer this time and then stood up to put a little cauldron over the homey flames behind them. The fire suddenly turned green, licking greedily at the iron. Hongjoong let himself be distracted.

Iron?

"Say... what kind of fae are you?" Hongjoong watched with rapt attention as the man touched the poisonous metal like it was nothing. He did not burn. Why did he not burn?

"I'm no fae. But neither am I an elf. I'm just myself. A tiny being in an endless universe living towards death."

What a way to answer a question.

Hongjoong glanced at the man's pointy ears again, at his white wings. Maybe he was... Some kind of forbidden love child? From parents of different races? Sounded plausible to Hongjoong.

"Come over here." The man made an inviting gesture, stepping aside to let Hongjoong come up close, peering into the cauldron. The stranger stood close to him, giving off an unbearable coldness and shivering, Hongjoong wrapped his arms around himself. The fire too seemed cold.

Just as he wanted to ask what was going to happen, the silvery surface of the liquid in front of them cleared up, giving away to a picture. It was as clear as if looking into another dimension and fascinated, Hongjoong leaned closer, peering in.

It showed Youjin's bedroom in Neheg from a diagonal angle back from the book shelves. As unsettling as the knowledge of this strange man seeing everything suddenly was, even more uncomfortable was that they barely put up the picture and Youjin's head already snapped around to them. An impish smile curled around his lips. He was sitting on the bed with Seonghwa's head in his lap, the man apparently sleeping. There was not much to see apart from his antlers. Hongjoong hated how his heart constricted in fear at his limpness, tried to stay of rational mind.

"If it isn't my favorite witch! What may I help you with today?" Youjin sounded just as clear, confusing Hongjoong's amazed mind greatly.

"I have a peculiar visitor here right now. A cute fairy with white hair." The witch gave half a smirk to Hongjoong. Youjin laughed softly. A sound Hongjoong dared to admit to be missing.

"Do you now? He can hear me, yes?"

Hongjoong finally understood that Youjin could not truly see them. It made his focus on them just the more eerie. His hand pet gently through Seonghwa's hair.

"Yes."

"Snowflake, you are there, right? I wanted to apologize to you. The two of you being here... it made me completely forget about the moon. I am glad to hear you are safe. I fear I will not be able to see you for a while, as my duties need my attention now. Of course you are welcome to visit still." He smiled softly and Hongjoong's heart wrenched in his chest.

Just why did Seonghwa not wake? They must be loud enough for him to hear.

Worriedly he started gnawing on his lower lip, receiving an amused glance from the stranger.

"What about the petty prince? Is he quite alright?"

Hongjoong would deny how his shoulders got lighter when the man asked that question, how Hongjoong peered into the pot with full focus.

Youjin spared a quick gance at Seonghwa.

"Of course he is. Just exhausted. He will awake soon. Are you glad, dear snowflake? A little birdie told me you were moaning his name on your escape from here." Youjin's smile turned dark, completely mischievous while Hongjoong's whole body seemed to freeze over.

He did not.

A prolonged silence strechted between them, Hongjoong's face ashen as he awaited Youjin to declare it as a jest and the dragon man seeming entirely too busy staring at his nails. Youjin's smirk never left his face.

"Oh, it is quite alright. I know how he can be. He is really charming when tame."

Hongjoong forced himself to speak.

"I-I do not care. It was the fever speaking, I do not even remember. Thank you for your concern regarding my health and wellbeing... I will see when our paths will cross again. For now I will stay here."

He did not wish to see Youjin in person right now. He felt too free to be trapped by his dark embrace again. Strange as it was, in hindsight Youjin's love seemed more suffocating than Seonghwa's hand on his throat.

"You are in a good place. Yongguk, please make sure to look after him for me. We shall meet again when the winter is over and spring arrives."

Hongjoong coughed, trying to hide it smoothly. Coughing with a closed mouth was fun.

Yongguk.

This was Yongguk.

Yongguk as in the necromant, witch, whatever god who was on Youjin's side. Yongguk as in the kind snow fairy who helped Hongjoong's friends during the winter.

It all narrowed down to this person.

"I will. Stay warm during winter. Don't forget to send Seonghwa home before he gets sick too."

Youjin nodded and then bid his goodbyes to them, resuming to pet Seonghwa. Hongjoong did not like this image. As much as he hated it, Seonghwa had this image of a high and arrogant prince, who would never back down from a challenge. Seeing him this peaceful, this weak, made Hongjoong sick to the stomach.

The image disappeared and Yongguk was looking at Hongjoong again, a knowing smirk on his face.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes again.

"Now just who are you?"