Servant of Snow
Title: Servant of Snow (Part One)
Author: his_angel16
Characters: Minseok-centric, others mentioned
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Angst
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kim Minseok was carefree and happy until something inside of him made him a freak. His parents sent him away, back to their native country. They leave him in the capable hands if his grandfather. All was well until fate caught up to him, sending him something he never thought was possible. Friends, people that understood exactly how he felt, and it changed his life forever.
When you're young, the world is full of wonder and mystery. Everything is bright and beautiful. You still believe in the power of Santa Claus and his flying reindeer as they traverse the world in one night; you still believe in the Tooth Fairy giving you money in exchange for your lost teeth; and the Easter bunny, leaving you chocolatey little gifts hidden about the land. But as you get older, the magic fades, leaving behind answers to questions you've never asked, a void that never really closes. The bright lights begin to dull and everything that once sparkled has lost its luster. You learn that the hardships people face are too much sometimes and they find their own way out. You watch as best friends fight and never make up; that families turn on each other and weave a web of lies just to keep going. Minseok was no different.
It all started when he was twelve and his parents left him home alone for the first time. He told them repeatedly that he was old enough to take care of himself. He accidentally froze half of the house, calling his parents with wide eyes to explain what had happened. They had rushed home, both stunned that he really had frozen half of the house. Giant icicles dangled from the ceiling and Minseok's room was blanketed with snow. They thought he had miraculously pulled some prank and grounded him, but when it happened a week later, they decided to ship him off to his grandfather. That was four years ago. He was sixteen now and fully capable of taking care of himself. The only thing he didn’t mind about his grandfather was that he didn’t look at him like a freak.
He threw the strap of his backpack over his shoulder as he left his room. He stopped in the living room, waiting for his grandfather to look up from his morning paper. “I'm heading to school,” he stated.
“Be safe,” the old man replied, his attention reverting back to his paper. “We need to talk after you return home.”
Minseok simply nodded before turning to leave. Everyone at his school treated him as an outcast, but he was thankful for it. It just meant he didn’t have to talk to anyone, get too close. The last time he had, half of his classroom had become a frozen wasteland and he was withdrawn. He was very thankful that his grandfather had money. It's what paid the school off for keeping their mouths shut about Minseok's gift. That's what his grandfather referred to it as. His gift. To Minseok, it was more like a curse.
He thought back to when he first arrived here, in Korea. His parents had moved to China before he was born, so he never really experienced life here. It was his first time living here when they sent him four years ago. He had gotten letters from his parents the first two months he was here and then they stopped writing. He was certain they had sold their house, opting to buy one without memories of him. Sighing, he continued to walk to his school. It wasn't far away, but it was a decent enough hike that he could think about random things on his way there. He remembered the first time he had frozen even a little piece of his grandfathers home. The old man had laughed at the look of remorse on Minseok's face and told him it was fine. He hadn’t sensed a lie hidden in those words, so he didn’t panic the next time it happened. Now, he almost had it completely under control.
“Grandpa certainly isn't afraid of the supernatural things,” he mumbled to himself, walking through the gate of his school. He headed for the front door without hesitating, but hearing his name, he turned around.
“Kim Minseok, you spent most of your life in China, right?” the secretary asked, looking stressed.
“Yes, ma'am,” he replied, curiosity flooding through him.
“We have a transfer student from China and he seems a little freaked out. Could you maybe talk to him?” She looked so hopeful that Minseok couldn't tell her that he would pass. As soon as she saw the look in his eyes, she grinned. “Thank you so much! He's waiting in the office. Follow me.”
Minseok inwardly groaned at himself. If only he had walked a little quicker, acted like he hadn’t heard his name being called. But it was too late to change his mind. He followed her inside, chewing on his bottom lip as they entered the office. In the far corner was a boy about his age, slumped into one of the tacky chairs. He hesitantly walked over, making sure the other could see him before he took the seat next to him.
“Hello,” he murmured, voice soft. He watched as the kid turned to him, whatever fear that had been gripping him vanishing as he dove at him. Arms wrapping around his neck, Minseok blinked, unable to move. “Are you okay?” He felt the other nod. “Will you let go of me now?”
Pulling away, the kid offered him a shy smile. “Sorry,” he replied, voice light and airy. “It's nice to meet someone who understands me.” He looked at the secretary, bowing slightly. “Thank you, Miss Kim.” He looked over at Minseok, smiling again. “Shall we go, hyung?”
Feeling slightly scared, Minseok stood up. “How did you know I'm older than you?”
The younger shrugged as he stood. “Lucky guess?” He was happy when Minseok seemed to accept that answer. “Oh, I’m Luhan.”
“Nice to meet you, Luhan. What class are you in?” Minseok repositioned the strap on his shoulder.
“I'm in B-2. How about you?” He turned away as he waited for Minseok's reply. He wanted to hide his smile.
“Same as you.” He led the younger from the office, pointing down the hallway. “It's this way.” Minseok walked silently, Luhan falling into step beside him. It was a comfortable silence, but he still felt awkward. It wasn't every day that he walked to class with someone. Once they were seated, he turned to the younger. “When's your birthday?”
“April. Yours?” Luhan tapped his fingers on the tabletop, waiting somewhat impatiently for the professor to arrive. They still had five minutes before class actually started.
“March. So, you aren’t really that much younger than me. You don't have to call me hyung if you don't want to.” He turned away from the younger to look out of the window.
“Do you have any hobbies?”
Minseok sighed inaudibly before he turned back to Luhan. “No, not really. Do you?”
Luhan nodded once. “Yeah, I paint.” He peered over at the other. “Maybe I'll show you something I painted sometime.”
“Okay.” They lapsed back into silence as other students trailed into the room. A few of them looked shocked to see someone sitting next to Minseok, but they kept to themselves. There was only one student that usually messed with him and as soon as he stepped into the class, Minseok lowered his head to his desk.
Luhan frowned, looking over. “You okay?” He frowned when Minseok nodded. He reached out, patting the other on the back before letting his hand linger a moment. He turned toward the student that had just entered the room, finding his eyes on the two of them.
“What do we have here?” he cackled, crossing the room. He stopped beside them, leaning on the next desk. “You made a friend, Minseok?” He laughed, holding his hand up. “Wait, what did they call you in China? Shoe something?”
Minseok glared at him around Luhan. “Xiumin.” He sat up a little straighter, feeling threatened more than before. “Why the hell do you care?”
“Because I heard this little tyke is from there.” He reached out and tapped Luhan on the head with his finger. Smirking, he pushed it to the side, knowing Minseok hated it when he bullied other students in front of him. “So, you get a call from mommy and daddy? I heard they abandoned you.”
Minseok lowered his voice so only Luhan could hear. “Back your chair up.” When the other complied, he stood up, facing their bully. “Leave us alone, Kang. And my parents didn’t abandon me. I decided to come here.”
Kang laughed again. “Sure, you did. You're a horrible liar.” He glanced at Luhan, the younger tensing under his gaze. He smiled as he looked back at Minseok. “Your friend is pretty cute. I’m sure I can find someone to take very good care of him.”
Minseok glanced at Luhan, seeing fear in his eyes. He didn’t know why, but that look made something overtake him. He felt the urge to protect him, to genuinely befriend him. Turning back to Kang, he felt something snap inside of him at the grin plastered to his face. In the next instant, he had tackled Kang to the floor, punching him over and over in the face. His knuckles burned, the skin tearing as it connected with Kang's face. He grabbed him by the collar, pulling him forward as he lowered his voice.
“I could kill you if I wanted to,” he growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. It slightly scared him, but it soothed him, too. It was something he wasn't used to, this feeling of power, of dominance. “Don't cross me again. And if I ever hear you remotely suggesting anything to anyone about Luhan, I'll knock your teeth out.” He released Kang, letting his head fall to the floor. He stood up, looking back at Luhan. “Let's go, okay?”
Nodding, Luhan grabbed Minseok's backpack from the floor, hugging it to himself as he took the other's outstretched hand. They walked through the door just as the professor arrived, giving them odd looks, but rolling his eyes. They were at the entrance before they heard Kang whimpering from down the hall. They left the school building without so much as a glance backwards. Outside, Minseok headed toward the gate, wanting to go home and explain what happened to his grandfather.
“What now?” Luhan asked, still holding Minseok's hand.
“Let's go talk to my grandfather.” He tugged Luhan along, trying to hide his nervousness as they walked. Upon arriving home, he slowed his steps, uncertain if he really wanted to do this. Sighing, he knew it would be better to be straightforward with the old man. Going inside, he went into the living room, stopping in front of his grandfather's chair. “Grandfather?”
The old man looked up from his paper. If he held any disappointment at seeing Minseok there, he didn’t show it. “What is it, child?” he asked.
“I got into a fight.” He cringed inwardly at his honesty. He needed to ease his way into things like this. “I-I know I said that I wouldn't do it again, but Kang deserved it! He was being me to Luhan!”
His grandfather sat back, looking at Luhan for the first time since they arrived. “I'm going to assume that you're Luhan?”
“Yes, sir,” Luhan murmured, bowing slightly.
“May I ask that you wait in the den while I speak to my grandson? It's through the door there.” He pointed to the door on the far side of the wall, waiting until the boy disappeared through it. “What happened?”
Kneeling in front of his grandfather, Minseok kept his eyes low. “Kang came over to where we were sitting. He was picking on me first, but then he saw Luhan sitting next to me. He said that Luhan was kind of cute; that he had a friend that would take good care of him. But it had a double meaning. The look in Luhan's eyes when he said it. He was scared.” He felt his hands trembling just from the memory.
“You did well.” He pat his grandson on the shoulder, Minseok looking up in surprise. “Always stand up for your friends. Don't let anyone break your friendships with them.” He nodded to the door to the den. “Go, play, be a child for once. I'll take care of the school incident.”
“You aren’t mad?” Minseok blinked back tears, but he didn’t know if they were tears of joy or sorrow. “Am I going to have to change schools again?”
“Possibly.” His grandfather scratched his chin in thought. “But I’m sure I can pull a few strings and have Luhan switch with you, if you'd like?”
“You can do that?” The hope in his voice wasn't easy to mask and for the first time in years, Minseok felt happy. Sure, he was content being here with his grandfather instead of his parents, but something was always missing. And that missing link might have been Luhan.
“Sure, sure. Go on now and play, Minseok. I'll take care of everything.”
Minseok hurried to the den, shutting the door behind him before turning around. He stopped short when he saw Luhan standing there, in the middle of the room, while the candies from the dish on the table swirled around him. Luhan turned and they clattered to the floor.
“Y-you're done already?” he asked, paling. He bent down to pick the candies up, blood running cold. Once he replaced them in the dish, he turned to Minseok. The silence was deafening. “Will you please say something?”
Minseok continued to stare. After what seemed like forever, he looked away. “You...what are you?” he asked, unsure of how to phrase his question to where it sounded better.
“I'm human, just like you.” Luhan took a shaky step forward, not liking the way Minseok refused to look at him. “Please, look at me.” He felt his eyes filling with tears. “I thought I had finally found someone that I can truly be myself with.”
Minseok's head snapped up, his attention going back to Luhan. “You said that earlier, too. What do you mean by that?”
“When I asked if you had any hobbies, it's what I meant.” He didn’t even have to look at the candy dish to make a few of them levitate. They circled Luhan once before flying through the air to circle around Minseok. “I can move things with my mind; I can hear people's thoughts if I concentrate really hard. And I can sometimes see the future.”
Minseok bristled. “You can see the future?”
“Only sometimes! And it only happens while I’m asleep. It's why I really came here, to Korea. I didn’t want to be along anymore. When I was five, I had a dream that you and I would meet at school.” Luhan chewed on his lip, panic setting in. “I don't want to lose you as a friend.”
“How are we friends? We just met each other. Well, I just met you. How long have you been watching me?” Minseok could feel the coldness of ice coursing through him. Not now, he pleaded. I don't want to hurt him or anything. Despite trying to talk himself out of it, he still felt the cold sweep through him.
“I haven't been watching you!” Luhan was feeling desperate now. He pulled his phone out, pulling up his photos. “Look!” He approached the other, holding his screen for him to see.
Minseok wasn't sure what he was seeing at first, it just looked like a group of people. But once he really looked at it, it kind of awed him. Counting them in his head, there were twelve people in the painting. And he was one of him only it looked as if it was a few years into the future. “Is this...?”
“There's more like us. I have telepathy and you can make ice, frost, and snow appear out of nowhere.” Luhan switched to another photo, holding it back into Minseok's view. “This, this just happened. It's how you looked before you hit that kid.”
Minseok stilled. It showed him glancing at Luhan, seeing the fear in his eyes. The flash of anger in his own eyes was unmistakeable. “You really can see the future. And you painted it.”
“To make sure I knew when to leave and everything. It's still very faulty. I want to expand it to where I can be awake when it happens, too. But it's not been easy.” He switched to another photo on his phone, turning it back around. “In the future, when there's twelve of us, promise me something.”
“What? What do you want me to promise you.” Minseok felt as though he owed Luhan that at least. After all, the kid did come all the way from China just to be friends with him.
“Promise me that no matter what happens, what you witness, you won't ever say the words I hate you.”
It seemed like a rather silly thing to promise, but Minseok nodded. “Okay. I promise that I won't say that.” He held his hand out to Luhan. “Let's go tell my grandfather that you have a power just like me.”
“What?” Luhan shook his head. “Are you crazy? What if he thinks I’m a freak?”
Minseok snorted. “You think I could have lived with him for four years without him knowing about my gift? I’ve had more incidents than I can count.”
“Have you really?” At Minseok's nod, he grinned. “Okay. Let's tell him.”
Going back to the living room, they found his grandfather on the phone with their school. He disconnected the call before turning to them. They looked nervous, but Minseok blurted it out anyway.
“Luhan has a gift like me!” He felt relieved when his grandfather simply chuckled.
“I had a hunch that he did. Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, you've been expelled for beating up Kang.” Minseok winced, squeezing Luhan's hand. “But the good news is that I’ve enrolled both of you into the school that I attended when I was younger.”
“What kind of school is it?” Luhan asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“It's a boarding school.” Minseok's grandfather watched as their faces fell a little bit. “Ah, don't worry, children. You will be welcome with open arms. My dearest friend is in charge of it. His name is Kim Hyun Ri. His grandson also attends the boarding school. Well, it's more of a haven than a boarding school, but you'll understand why once you go there.”
“When will we be leaving?” Minseok frowned, not wanting to leave the comfort of his grandfather's home. It had become his safety, his own place of solace. And now he was going to leave? He thought it was madness.
“I thought we could swing by Luhan's place after you pack a bag of things you'd like to take with you. We can drive there after the two of you do so.”
Nodding, Minseok looked at Luhan. “Want to help me pack?” The other nodded, too, and they headed to Minseok's room. Inside it, he pulled his luggage from his closet. “I didn’t think I’d be leaving so soon.” He started stuffing his clothes inside, finding that he hadn’t really acquired anything since moving there. There was a knock on his door and he turned around.
“I have something for you, but you have to promise me that you won't open it until after I drop you two off down there, okay?” His grandfather smiled at them both nodding as he walked into the room. He handed Minseok a journal that was locked, turning to give Luhan the key to it. “Keep them safe, boys. This journal, it will give the two of you a lot of answers, but you must find them without my help. This is all I can do.”
Placing the journal inside of his luggage, Minseok zipped it up. “I'm all packed. Let's go get Luhan's things.”
They filed out of his room and he didn’t have the heart to turn around for a final goodbye. Once they were outside and in the car, it was only a few minutes before they reached Luhan's place. It was small, but he said he could get everything himself. He was in and out in just a few moments, two bags in his hands. Piling them in the backseat next to him, he shut the door. Then they were on the road. It was nearly noon by the time they pulled up to a brick building, looking old, but well-kept. The grass was a pretty shade of green and the flowers were all in bloom. Minseok and Luhan stayed behind his grandfather a couple of paces, both nervous of what they would encounter. There was an old man and a younger looking kid waiting for them.
“Ah, my old friend!” the man said, hugging Minseok's grandfather.
“Hyun Ri, this is my grandson, Minseok, and his friend, Luhan.” He motioned to them, smiling. “They're much like your little Joonmyeon is.”
Hyun Ri nodded, looking them over. “I'm glad we were able to come together on happy terms. The last time any of us spoke, things ended badly.” He looked at the boys, motioning at Joonmyeon. “Why don't you let him show you to your rooms. There are six of them, so you can share or have your own.”
Minseok and Luhan gripped their things tightly before they followed Joonmyeon inside. He lead them passed a few classrooms, but they were all empty. “Where are all the students?” Luhan asked, peering around. They were the only ones in sight.
“We're the only ones,” Joonmyeon replied. He turned suddenly, slightly spooking them. “My grandpa said that you two are the same age? How old are you? I’m fifteen.”
“We're sixteen,” Minseok answered. He didn’t know why, but he felt safe here already. There was something about Joonmyeon that put his mind at ease.
“Okay. Minseok hyung and Luhan hyung.” He grinned before continuing to the second floor. “This is where our bedrooms are and one of the bathrooms. In addition to the four classrooms downstairs, there's the kitchen, another bathroom, my grandpa's room, the library, and the office.” He stopped in front of one of the open doors. “Do you want to share a room?”
“For now, I think it would make us both feel better.” Minseok looked at Luhan. “Is that okay with you?”
Luhan nodded. “Yeah.” Looking at Joonmyeon, he frowned a little. “Which room is yours?”
Joonmyeon pointed to a door that was painted a rich blue. “That one. You can paint however you like. I have blue carpets, too. It represents me the best.”
“Represents you? How does a color represent you?” Minseok blinked, not fully understanding him.
Letting out a slightly nervous chuckle, Joonmyeon averted his gaze. “Your grandpa didn’t tell you? I control water. I can make it manifest from nothing or I can simply manipulate water that's already there.”
“You're like us?” Luhan felt himself smile. “That's so cool! Minseok can control ice and I have telepathy!”
Minseok frowned, looking at Luhan. “You said there are how many of us?”
“Twelve.” He pulled his phone out at Joonmyeon's puzzled expression. “See?” He showed the younger the same photo as Minseok, with all twelve of them sitting together.
Joonmyeon frowned. “That's the kitchen downstairs.” He looked at more closely, seeing the familiar portrait hanging in the bathroom. “Ah! That's the portrait of my grandpa and his friends when they were younger!”
“Really? It looks kind of like us, but a little younger.” Luhan pouted as he stared at it. It definitely seemed like them, but something was off about it. There were only five in the portrait, but there were twelve of them total. “I wonder why there's only five.”
“Grandpa had four really good friends. Two of them were from China, but the other two were from here. Minseok hyung's grandpa is one of them. I think one might have been your grandpa, Luhan.”
“Eh?” Luhan blinked, squinting to see the image better.
“Hyung, you'll hurt your eyes if you do that. Why don't we go to the kitchen so you can see it?” Joonmyeon smiled when the elder's face flushed. He waited as they dumped their things into the first empty room before they went rushing downstairs. In the kitchen, the portrait was hanging in the middle of the wall. There was a table in front of it, that all twelve of them would sit at eventually.
Upon closer inspection, Luhan decided that the man resembling him in the portrait was in fact his grandpa at a younger age. “So, did they have powers like us?”
“We did,” Hyun Ri said, entering the room. The three boys jumped, startled by his voice. “Minseok, your grandfather told me to tell you farewell for him. And I wanted to tell you boys of a tale from when that was painted.” He sat down at the table, waiting as the boys sat across from him. “It goes back to ancient times. There was a great war that no one knows about. It has been erased from history by all but the descendants of those involved. In those times, magic was in their blood. It is the same blood that coursing through our very veins.”
Minseok felt as if he could picture that time, back when his ancestor was alive. He imagined him looking similar to himself, only older. “But, what gave them that power?” he asked, voice barely louder than a whisper.
“It was a great being, someone not of this earth. They were from a faraway planet, outside of our known solar system.” He chuckled at the wonder in Luhan's eyes and the doubt in Minseok's. “You don't believe me?”
“It's not that I don't believe you, but it sounds really farfetched.” Minseok frowned.
“Then why don't you check that journal your grandfather gave you? Go ahead and look through it. I'll wait.” He sat back a little, a smile tugging at his lips.
Getting up from his chair, Minseok pulled Luhan with him to their room. They removed the journal from Minseok's bag and used the key Luhan had been given to open it. A photo fell out. It was worn and very old, but it showed twelve men standing together. It looked a little like Luhan's painting, but the clothes were from an era far in the past and they were in a palace. Flipping to the first page that had writing on it, Minseok frowned.
“It's true,” he breathed, reading over the first few paragraphs. “A magical being has come to us, the unworthy. It has chosen us to be its heroes, its protectors. Bestowed upon each of us is a power, a gift. We are the first of this guild, the first of many. Since our blood has been imbued with this mystical being's blood, all of our descendants shall have our powers. The only catch, is that they are only awakened in great times of need. Until then, they lie dormant, unknown by those who carry them.”
“Did your ancestor write that?” Luhan scanned the page after Minseok read it. “So, only in great times of need? What does that mean?”
Minseok looked at Luhan before the journal captured his attention again. “It means that something big is going to happen. Something or someone is going to threaten us and life as we know it will change.” He was finally able to tear his eyes away from the journal. “Let's take this to Joonmyeon's grandpa.” Hurrying from their room, they returned to the kitchen with the journal. They resumed their seats before Minseok slid the journal across the table.
“So, do you believe me now?” Hyun Ri asked.