Welcome (1/1)

Luhan stared at the pale man before him, he was intrigued by the man’s identity but he dared not move even an inch closer. For fear of him disappearing or for fear of him being real, he did not know. As Luhan continued to observe the man, he raked his eyes up and down the figure until they finally locked with dark orbs of chocolate brown. There was an unknown emotion swirling in the dark depths, or maybe it was something he simply did not want to comprehend, but it was sucking Luhan in, calling to him. The wind around them stopped, not even a mouse stirred, the world disappeared leaving in its wake the two figures upon a cliff, the light of the moon bathing them.“You know who I am,” the man repeated his words, his voice a contradiction. It was emotionless yet full of a deep sorrow, soft yet hard as steel. It wrapped around Luhan like a lover’s embrace but tore at his mind like a knife.As Luhan remained motionless and silent, eyes locked with the stranger, he felt his mouth begin to move before his brain could even register what was happening. “Baozi…” came the whispered response, soft like a gentle caress on his lips.The man let a small smile grace his features and his eyes appeared to be a million miles away for a moment before snapping back to the present with a shake of his head. “Yes…you did call me that,” he replied which only served to confuse Luhan as he did not have any recollection of the man.“What do you mean? I’ve never met you before!” Luhan yelled, panic beginning to rise up in his mind.Ever so slowly, the man stepped forward until he stood barely a foot away from Luhan. Luhan belatedly realized he was only slightly taller than the man although the strong air surrounding him made him seem much larger. Carefully, the man lifted one hand and, a bit hesitantly, lightly skimmed the side of Luhan’s temple with his fingertips in what could only be classified as a lover’s caress. Luhan immediately flinched away from the touch but the man did not move away. After a moment, Luhan felt himself giving in, as a familiarity he could not place bubbled inside of him. He leaned into the man’s hand until his lips brushed against his palm.“You know who I am,” the man stated once more as his fingers stopped moving at the side of Luhan’s head. “I am in here,” he said as he carefully moved his hand lower until it rested over Luhan’s heart, “And I am in here.”Luhan’s eyes traced the length of the man’s arm, over his shoulder, and up his face until he once again locked on to dark chocolate orbs. This time however, the emotion in them was clear as day. There was a deep sorrow that Luhan felt in his own core, but also something great and over flowing that caused Luhan’s heart to thud loudly against his chest and his blood to boil through his veins. “Xiumin…” he found himself saying.Xiumin smiled softly as he moved his hand until it was at the back of Luhan’s head and pulled him forward into an embrace. “How I’ve missed you, Luhan.”A sudden pain in the back of his head caused Luhan’s knees to give out as a flood of scenes and images flashed before his mind.Two large moons on different sides of the skyline…A large open plain so green and full of life….Mountains so high, they disappeared into the clouds…A powerful rushing river, pure and clear…An enormous tree overlooked the land…A towering archway with an ethereal light reflected within…Ice blue eyes…A room built of rock and covered in weapons…A pale hand wrapped around his own…A man dressed in armor fading into the light…Soaring over the land with feathery wings at his side…Dark shadow like creatures…A flash of metal…Red…Crystal tears…Pain…Luhan gasped and clutched at his chest as the ghost pain shocked him from within his Mind. He slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was still standing on the mountain cliff near his home not some other fairy tale world. Strong arms encircled him and his head rested against a broad shoulder, his breath coasting across a pale neck. His eyes remained wide open and unblinking as his ragged breath filled the night air.“Have you come back to me?” Xiumin asked softly, unmoving and unfazed by their rather intimate position.Luhan did not respond as he didn’t think it was even possible. His heart pounded against his chest and he was sure the other could feel it. His mind was a jumbled mess and he couldn’t make sense of any of it. The two men were encompassed in silence as Luhan struggled to calm his rapidly beating heart and erratic breathing.“I don’t understand anything that is happening,” Luhan finally uttered although he struggled to properly form the words. “My soul is screaming at me that I don’t belong here and I’m being pulled toward the sky, but my mind is muddled with no real train of thought.”The arms encircling him tightened slightly as a cool hand moved up his back in a soothing motion. “It’ll come to you in due time, but at this time you must say good bye,” Xiumin whispered into his ear.“What?” Jerking his head up but still entwined in Xiumin’s arms, Luhan stared at Xiumin with confused eyes. Xiumin simply turned his eyes to the side and Luhan followed gaze until he could make out a couple of lights moving across the trees.“Your parents have come for you,” Xiumin stated in a tone that Luhan couldn’t quite discern.Luhan stared at the tree line as the lights came closer until he could make out the silhouettes of his parents behind the bright beams. “What is to happen to me?” Luhan asked quietly.Xiumin hesitated and Luhan heard rather than saw him swallow a lump in his throat. “We will go to the Light of the World and you will train to be a Guardian,” Xiumin replied, his voice barely above a whisper in the night. If Luhan wasn’t pressed up against him, he wouldn’t have heard it.“Like my grandmother’s story?” Luhan questioned as he watched his parents getting closer and closer.“Something like that, but that is a tale to be told later. For now, you must bid your parents farewell,” Xiumin stated as he cautiously pulled away from Luhan, making sure that he could support himself properly.Luhan’s parents were just a few meters away now and Luhan could make out basic details of their forms. “Will I ever see them again?”“No…once we leave this world, they will forget,” Xiumin explained slowly.Luhan nodded his head, “I guess that’s better than having my mother worry for me all the time.”Although, Luhan was trying to act strong, Xiumin could hear the slight trembling in his voice. He was keeping back his tears and trying to seem “manly.”By now, Luhan’s parents were clear as day but they had yet to see him. As the light form their flashlights finally reached Luhan, his mother surged forward and wrapped her arms around him. “What are you doing out here?” she yelled at him even as she tightened her hold on him.“I…I’m sorry, I just needed to get out of the house,” Luhan replied tightly, trying to keep his voice from wavering.His mother read into his sentence and threw a withering look at his father as if to say it was all his fault. “Well that’s okay, let’s just head back home and have some tea,” his mother suggested as she pulled away from the hug but entwined their fingers, afraid her son would leave her sight again.“Go, I’ll wait for you in your room,” Xiumin said from behind him.“Come on, it’s late,” his father stated as he pivoted on his heel and started marching off towards their house.His mother gave an indignant huff before following her husband, tugging Luhan along the way. As the small family trudged into their humble abode, Luhan took a good look at the place he called home. He committed it all to memory, everything from the antique grandfather clock in the entry way to the notches measuring his growth on the wall by the living room to the slight dent at the end of the staircase where he’d tumbled down as a young boy. He could picture so many different memories and moments of his life that he’d experience in his twenty four almost twenty five years of life. Some were vibrant and wonderful while others were sad and dull, but they were his life, this life.A touch on his shoulder caused Luhan to jump a little and turn towards his mother’s concerned face. “Are you all right?”Luhan let a smile cross his features to reassure his mother as they went into the kitchen while his father moved to the living room. Luhan watched his mother’s back as she danced around the kitchen making their tea and preparing a few late night snacks to go with it. She was in her so called “zone” and Luhan couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his stomach as the reality that these were his last moments with his mother hit him.Practically teleporting across the kitchen, Luhan’s arms encircled his mother from behind. His mother jumped in shock before turning in his arms and wrapped her arms around his torso. Luhan savored the feel of being encompassed in his mother’s love. He pulled her closer and pressed his cheek against her hair, making sure to completely memorize everything about this moment. “I love you, mother,” Luhan whispered into her hair. “I’m sorry.”His mother pulled back a bit to look at his face. She raised her hands and placed them softly on his cheeks. “What brought this on?” she asked as she continued to search his face and eyes.Luhan swallowed the lump in throat and shook his head even as he felt tears sting the back of his eyes. “Nothing, I just really wanted to say how much I’m grateful for you in my life and how much I really love you. I never want you to forget that,” Luhan said his voice trembling as a single tear surged forward creating a salty track on its journey down his face.“Oh honey,” his mother whispered gently as she wiped the tear with her thumb. She leaned up on her toes until their foreheads touched.Luhan was brought back to the moments when he was a young child. His mother would do the same exact thing when he would wake from a nightmare at ungodly hours of the night or come home with a new bruise or cut from being bullied in school or would feel rejected for not making a sports team or any other number of things. Luhan felt more tears spill forth and his mother continued to wipe them away.She looked straight into his eyes as her own eyes began to water. “I will always love you. It’s a mother’s duty but for me you were the answer to my prayers and I’m more thankful than you could ever know that you have grown into such a wonderful and kind hearted young man. No matter what happens in this life, whether you go mentally insane or we get past this and you move on to have your own family. I will always support you and never leave your side,” she stated resolutely as she placed a kiss upon his forehead.Luhan wanted nothing more than to stay in that moment for as long as possible. However, the whistling from the kettle on the stove interrupted their moment. His mother hesitantly pulled away and wiped her tears with the back of her hand before rushing to turn the burner off.“Go wash up, you smell like dirt,” his mother threw over her shoulder jokingly, trying to lighten the heavy mood.Luhan laughed a bit as he nodded his head and moved to the stairway. Halfway up, Luhan stopped and turned around, surveying the house one last time. There was the familiar sight of his father in the living room flipping through the TV channels with his feet resting on the coffee table. His mother continued to bustle around the kitchen as the grand clock ticked away the minutes. With one last sparing glance, Luhan ran up the stairs and into his room, afraid if he took any longer he wouldn’t be able to leave.“That took rather long,” the cold voice of Xiumin caused Luhan to jump and turn to see the pale man sitting on his bed. Luhan noticed the frost gathered on all the windows and the significant drop in temperature in his room.“Are you doing that?” Luhan asked skeptically as he rubbed his hands against his arms.Xiumin perused the room for a moment before nodding nonchalantly. “When I’m in enclosed spaces, my power has no outlet,” Xiumin explained a bit robotically as if he’d said it a thousand times.“What’s that even mean, power,” Luhan asked as he remained by the door, staring with confusion and bewilderment at Xiumin.“We don’t have the time right now for me to explain it in great detail. However, the relatively short version is you’re a Guardian, chosen for the purest heart and strongest mind. You’re part of the seventh generation of Guardians blessed by God to protect the worlds,” Xiumin said plainly with a bit of impatience in his voice.“So you’re trying to tell me that I’m part of some old legend to save the world?” Luhan asked his voice laced with skepticism.Xiumin nodded and looked as if it was the simplest concept in the world. After another moment of Luhan’s staring, Xiumin sighed loudly and placed a hand on his temples. “Do you trust me?” he asked as he put his hand out, wanting Luhan to take it.Luhan contemplated that question for a bit. Although the logical side of him was screaming at him not to, some larger part of him that he couldn’t understand was saying that he would put his own life in this man’s hands without a second thought.“Yes,” Luhan replied slowly as he hesitantly took the hand offered to him.In a flurry of color, Luhan found himself atop the hill that his family owned. It overlooked almost the entire village and Luhan could make out some of the lights from the other houses that were slowly going out at the late hour.“Wha….how….did you…?” Luhan stumbled over his words as he turned and looked at Xiumin with wonder and confusion.Their hands were still intertwined and Xiumin dropped it as he tucked his hands away in his cloak. He gave Luhan a tentative nod. “There is much you’ll learn once we’ve returned to the Light. Traveling from one space to another using your powers is relatively easy. I travel using the wind and water around me,” Xiumin explained as he looked out over the slowly darkening town.Luhan remained silent for a few moments as he took in Xiumin’s words. Then he remembered what the doctor had told him about moving through the hospital. “When I was in the hospital…the doctor told me that I…unlocked the doors without a key... was that a part of my…power?” Luhan asked slowly, thinking carefully and forming his sentence before saying it.Xiumin gave a small nod of confirmation but did not answer verbally.“All the missing moments and black outs, do those have something to do with it as well?” Luhan asked.Again, Xiumin only bobbed his head but remained silent. It irked Luhan and he glared at the side of the man’s head. “What about the visions whenever I close my eyes? I’ve been seeing you in all of them as well. Am I, are we, like some reincarnation of a past life or even lives?” Luhan probed even further.Xiumin did not move for a few moments and Luhan suspected he would not receive an answer. However, just slightly, Xiumin turned his head back and forth, indicating a no. “You’re not some reincarnation, nor are those visions simply visions,” Xiumin stated. He breathed a heavy sigh as if he were a thousand years old and lived through multiple life times. “They are memories, of a time long ago, before...”Xiumin’s eyes went glassy for a moment as he seemed to be lost in thought, his words trailing off. Luhan stared at him but could not comprehend the meaning behind his words. Suddenly, Xiumin blinked his eyes and snapped back into the here and now. He looked at Luhan for a moment and Luhan could see the touches of sadness that lingered in those dark orbs before he turned his gaze towards the two moons.“You are the product of my selfish desires and for that I am truly sorry. However, I do not regret it, if it means you are breathing.”Luhan did not understand Xiumin’s words. They were strangely profound and tinged in sorrow. As he continued to survey the man, Luhan could feel something in the recesses of his mind yearning to hold him, to wrap his arms around the pale beauty and never let go. There was a need to reassure the man that he would never be left alone, that Luhan would remain by his side forever. Although, with these feelings came another sense of searing disappointment that he’d already failed.Reaching out his hand, Luhan cautiously brushed his fingers against the back of the man’s hand. Xiumin flinched away for a second but then wrapped his hand around Luhan’s wrist, his fingers pressed into Luhan’s pulse point. Luhan did not understand the gesture but he did not question it. The two remained in silence as the light of the two moons shone upon them. It was a silence that seemed to comfort the pale man and Luhan did not dare to break it.However, the stillness was broken as Xiumin dropped his wrist and inclined his head towards something behind them. “Come out, now,” Xiumin demanded.Luhan scrunched his brows in confusion and turned around just as ten orbs of light faded away. In their place stood ten cloaked figures that Luhan remembered from his bedroom over two weeks ago. However, unlike that night, they all had their hoods thrown back to reveal ten men, varying in appearance and build. Luhan perused over them but stopped when he landed on a tall man with chocolate brown hair. He saw something in the man’s own eyes that pulled at his heart similar to when he first saw Xiumin.Before he could dwell any further on it, another tall man with reddish brown locks stepped forward. He was a bit imposing with a commanding air and a hard steely stare. Luhan saw a flash of movement and the symbol of a dragon glowing brightly on the man’s wrist. As the man moved closer, Luhan felt a pain in the back of his head, which he realized would probably become a common occurrence.The face before him flickered. The robust features of the man melted into the angular and strong visage of scales and sharp teeth. Gasping in shock, Luhan felt his mouth move before he could register what happened, “Kris,” he breathed out.Kris lifted an eyebrow at his name leaving the auburn haired male’s lips. He flicked his gaze towards Xiumin, unspoken words moved between the two as Xiumin shook his head in refutation. Luhan felt a pang in his chest at the closeness the two obviously shared.There was a silent affirmation that passed between the two as Kris finally turned back to Luhan. Slowly he stuck his hand out toward Luhan, as he did so, a similar situation rushed through Luhan’s mindA long dark cavern…A younger looking Kris towered over him…Red eyes flicked toward the mouth of the cavern…A large hand placed on his shoulder…Lips moved but no sound came out…A silhouetted figure moved farther away…As the scene faded from his mind, Luhan felt light headed and swayed a bit on his feet. Kris steadied him as he placed his outstretched hand on Luhan’s shoulder. “You all right?” He asked with his deep accented voice.Luhan nodded his head as he straightened up, “Still trying to get used to all of this. I haven’t fully grasped what exactly is going on.” Luhan waved his hand about to indicate the most recent change in events and all that was going through his mind.Kris let a mirthless chuckle escape him and a smirk crossed his features. “Yeah, it’s a lot to take in. Let me properly introduce myself.”Kris flung his cloak back with his right arm and Luhan got a good look at the midnight armor hidden beneath the heavy fabric. A large blood red pendant that matched is mark hung around his neck and seemed to give off a fire like aura. A thin blade hung from his belt and glinted in the moonlight. Kris placed right hand over the pendant and the dragon mark glowed a fiery red. Kris dipped his head for a second and when he looked up again his eyes reflected the flames of a roaring fire and faint markings appeared across his face.“Wielder of the Will of Dragon Fire, born of the Ashes of the Phoenix, leader of the seventh generation of Guardians, I am Kris Wu Yi Fan,” as he finished his introduction Luhan was awestruck by the man before him. He appeared regal and confident like an emperor from the Qing Dynasty.However, it was interrupted by a stifled chuckle from the line of men behind the proud leader. Kris glared over his shoulder and a high cheek boned dark brunette quickly averted his gaze.Another much shorter man stepped forward and in much less flourish, inclined his head in greeting. “Born from the immortal sea, the Tide runs through my veins with the crashing of the ocean at my fingertips, the mother figure to all these brats, I am Suho,” the blonde man introduced himself.As Luhan looked upon the man before him, he felt a familiarity with the man but it wasn’t as strong as what he felt for Kris and paled in comparison to Xiumin. There were also no sudden flashes of images. He deduced that he must not have been very close to the man.As each man stepped forward and introduced themselves in similar long drawn out fashion, Luhan felt a connection with each of them that he could not understand. For some of them it was stronger and an image or a few would flash before his mind’s eye. That is until a tall lanky blonde stepped forward and introduced himself a little less confidently than the others as Tao. Luhan felt nothing towards the man before him and he seemed apprehensive and cautious unlike the others who, although formal, greeted him like he was a long lost friend.Luhan flicked his gaze toward Xiumin, and Xiumin seemed to catch on to his feelings as their eyes met. “Aside from you, Tao is our newest member, he’s only been with us for a few years,” the pink haired man explained, answering Luhan’s silent question. Luhan nodded in understanding as the last man stepped forward.He was rather tall with dark reddish brown hair. As Luhan’s eyes met his dark orbs, the ever resilient pain in the back of his mind flared.A blinding smile…Slender fingers running through his hair…Soft lips pressed lightly against his own…A strong chest pressed against his back…Luhan flushed as the last image faded from his Mind. He realized that he’d missed the guy’s introduction but a name stuck to his tongue. “Sehun…”The tall man’s face split in apparent happiness while Xiumin tensed at his side. The air around him cooled significantly and he threw Xiumin a questioning glance. However, unlike before Xiumin’s attention was not solely focused on him, rather piercing pale blue eyes were aimed directly at Sehun. He returned his gaze to the man in front of him and jumped back when he realized Sehun was closer than when he’d first turned away.“You’re as beautiful as ever, Lu,” Sehun commented under his breath. Slowly he brought a hand up to brush against Luhan’s cheek.Luhan felt mesmerized and he didn’t know how to respond. Deep within himself, he felt a strong familiarity and pull to the man before him, similar to what he felt toward Xiumin and yet greatly different. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though as Sehun suddenly flinched away.Confused, Luhan noticed the sudden drop in temperature next to him. It didn’t take him long to figure out what could have occurred as Sehun was now sending a scathing look toward Xiumin.It was a stalemate as Luhan didn’t really understand what was happening. Sehun’s eyes started to change to completely white. The once gentle breeze picked up dramatically, whipping everyone’s cloaks around and rattling the swords strapped to their waists. Xiumin’s eyes remained glaciers as the temperature dropped rapidly. The combined cold and wind nipped at Luhan’s cheeks as everyone else pulled the collars of their cloaks up.“Gah! Cut it out Sehun!” a short male yelled over the howling winds. He’d introduced himself as Baekhyun earlier.Baekhyun’s cries fell on deaf ears though as the wind only picked up speed, the trees at their backs, bowing to its might. Bravely, Suho attempted to step forward only to stumble onto his back as he was pushed off balance by the powerful winds. Ice collected in the air and started to swirl around clinking against the armor of the guardians. Luhan however, was not so fortunate to be protected and staggered away from Xiumin as a particularly sharp piece of ice hit him on the arm.A deafening growl filled the air moments later, “Stop it this instant!” Kris bellowed, his voice deep and gravelly, carrying authority and power. The wind ceased instantaneously but the temperature did not rise and Xiumin’s eyes were still locked on Sehun. Kris moved toward Xiumin and tentatively placed a hand upon his shoulder. “Look,” Kris simply said motioning toward the auburn haired man now a few meters away from Xiumin.Suddenly, the cold stopped and Xiumin was wide eyed as he saw the small cut and surrounding bruise that now adorned Luhan’s pale skin. “I…” I’m sorry.Luhan jerked his head up and stared at Xiumin, unsure if the man had spoken verbally. “It’s fine,” Luhan replied, “Just a scratch.”Lay stepped forward and shyly knelt down next to Luhan. “If you’ll let me, I can heal you,” Lay stated slowly.Luhan scrunched his brow in confusion but slowly nodded his head in consent. Lay carefully raised his hands and placed one of them over the wound. Luhan watched as his eyes glowed green and a warmth radiated from the spot. Luhan moved his gaze towards the hand on his arm and almost jumped in shock as it had a very faint green glow.After a moment, Lay remove his hand and Luhan stared in disbelief as the wound had completely disappeared. His mouth dropped open as he could only stare in wonder at the man before him.Lay chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head at the look. “Mou, it’s nothing you haven’t already seen! This is child’s play compared to what I’ve seen you do,” Lay commented not really thinking about his words in the moment.“What do you mean?” Luhan asked extremely curious about the man’s words.“Well, we should get going don’t you think?” Suho suddenly jumped in, successfully drawing Luhan’s attention away from the shy man in front of him.“Uh right!” Kris called out shuffling forward as Lay helped Luhan to stand.Everyone moved about into a circle and Luhan felt lost as to what to do. Xiumin came up to him and offered his hand, which Luhan readily held. Luhan watched as Tao squeezed his way between Lay and Kris, quickly finding Kris’s hand and grasping it tightly. The other man was unfazed by it, but Luhan noticed a sour look pass over Lay’s features so quickly that Luhan thought he’d imagined it. Luhan snapped out of his musing as Suho started speaking from across the circle.“Now, Luhan this may feel weird as it’s your first time, but it’s really easy to call down the light. First you must hold out your hand, upward like you’re reaching for the light of moons. Your mark will start to glow and then we’ll be transported to the Light!” Suho said.Nodding apprehensively, Luhan reached out his free hand and noticed for the first time an insignia on his outer wrist that almost resembled mirrored Wi-Fi signs. He flicked his gaze towards Xiumin and saw a snow flake like design on the man’s own wrist. Suddenly, a white light shot down from the sky, engulfing the twelve men. The glow in their marks began to intensify and Luhan noticed his body becoming practically see through as the ground beneath him faded away. Gasping, Luhan squeezed the pale hand in his tighter as faint outlines of a mountain range came into focus. In less than a minute the outlines became defined and Luhan was in awe at the breathtaking scenery before him.A mountain range climbed into the heavens until their peaks disappeared into the clouds. A roaring river surged through the land, cutting into a wide green field so vibrant it appeared as a painting. Amidst it all stood a tree so majestic and grand, its branches reached towards the two moons shining in the sky. Turning slightly, a large archway glimmered with an ethereal light before him.A slight chuckle filtered through his awestruck mind and Luhan turned towards Xiumin, his eyes crinkled as he tried to suppress a smile. “Welcome to the Light of the World.”  Yay! Luhan has finally returned to the Light!So this and the next chapter are a pivotal point in the story as I transition to using Xiumin’s POV more as the original idea behind this story was from Xiumin’s perspective as well as the photo story I created for this story. I’m really happy with how this story is turning out and it’s actually going to be longer than I intended because I realized that there’s going to have to be a lot of back story and flashbacks from Xiumin in order to fully comprehend this story otherwise I was thinking of creating a whole new story or a few delving deeper into the past generations of Guardians. Tell your thoughts and if you’d be interested in reading it! Please REVIEW, FAVORITE, and SUBSCRIBE!