𝖧𝗂𝗋𝖺𝖾𝗍𝗁 | 𝖳𝖷𝖳

𝗂𝗏. 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝖧𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗌

"What do you mean there's another me in your world?" Yeonjun's voice reverberated through the woods. "Don't kid me, Ria."

"I'm not."

The four of them had managed to spot the exit, all thanks to the hunter for leading the way. Ria paced beside the cotton candy-haired man. Kai and Taehyun marched behind. The healer made sure that his peer felt better as he could've sworn that his wee enchantment wasn't enough to fix his broken rib. Ria glanced over her shoulder to check on the mage. He met her gaze and flashed her a weak smile.

"You sure you're alright?" She worriedly inquired. "Your posture's a little odd, Taehyun."

"I can handle myself just fine, darling."

"You two a couple?" Yeonjun judged, hands behind his head. "Why's he calling you that?"

"No idea." The girl shrugged. "But we sure aren't dating."

"Can't I call my friends names now?" Taehyun sighed. "Addressing Ria like that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm into her."

"Damn," Ria silently mumbled. "That kinda hurt."

"So, you hunt for a living?" Kai croaked, pertaining to Yeonjun. "How? Why?"

"Weren't you the only one who didn't charge earlier?" Yeonjun pointed to the boy. "There's no wonder why. You seem like an embodiment of a complete coward."

"I shouldn't have caught you." Kai seethed. "You should be grateful you ended up alright, otherwise-"

"Ksh. Like I need your help."

"Why are you so aggressive?" Ria questioned. "Were you raised in a tight household?"

"Correction," Yeonjun rolled his eyes. "I raised myself."

"Where's your family?" Taehyun prodded.

"Gone like the wind, never knew where they went. Been alone since the tragedy happened. I've worked as a mercenary, guarded boutiques, and-"

"Wait," Ria cut him off. "You've worked as a what?"

Kai cluelessly blinked. "What's a mercenary?"

"A person who does anything for money." Taehyun darkly muttered. "Anything."

"Pronto," Yeonjun snapped his fingers. "But don't worry, I left after three months. Figured it wasn't for me."

"Now that explains your personality." Ria commented. "An internally fragile man who lacked parental love and support, thus his bitterness."

"I threw away my past afterwards; thought my fire charm was easy to forget." The hunter added. "And then I heard of the Sleepy Hollow. I offered to slaughter beasts for tradesmen and earned fair knickels. See? Not so tough."

"He sounds so arrogant." Kai whispered to Taehyun.

The blonde nodded. "I agree."

"Don't think I didn't catch that, wingman." Yeonjun scoffed. "You're merely right behind me."

"Hey, Kai?" Ria shifted the topic. "You still haven't named your phoenix yet."