[EXO] The Last Magician Of the Century (1/1)
Title: The Last Magician Of the Century
Fandom: EXO
Author: chiharu
Characters/pairing: Lu Han/Se Hun
Rating: G
wordcount: ~8300
Summary: Sehun. The Windy. The only card that had stayed when Lu Han accidentally opened the sealed spellbook that fated afternoon, sending beams of light through the walls and countless cards circling around him before disappearing out of sight. Lu Han had stared, mouth agape, as he picked himself up from the floor, the shelves behind him still trembling in the aftermath. Cardcaptor!Lu Han fic.
Obviously a spin off of Cardcaptor Sakura, which is a shoujo manga/anime by CLAMP about Sakura and her a quest to capture Clow Cards and- ACTUALLY. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE READ CSS BY NOW. IT IS A QUINTESSENTIAL SHOUJO MANGA. IF NOT, READ IT HERE. YOUR LIVES WILL BE ENRICHED. Anyways. In CCS, The Windy is the first card that Sakura catches and the one Sakura uses the most.
Capturing D.O. had been the easy part, Lu Han thinks as he holds The Earthy in his hands. The card reflects under the sunlight. D.O., chained under the smooth surface, only smiles when Lu Han signs his name at the bottom of the card.
Lu Han had temporarily blacked out when D.O. wrapped vines around Lu Han’s ankle, yanking and sending him plummeting from the roof. Thankfully, Sehun was quick on his feet, sending a torrent of wind to catch Lu Han at the base of the building. By the time Lu Han picked himself up, Sehun had already jumped from their original spot to D.O.’s branch, making wild hand motions.
Lu Han groans, hugging his staff closer when D.O. leaps down from his tree. He looks at Lu Han, the alarm in his eyes mending as he kneels next to Lu Han. The patches of grass around them are livened, flowers sprouting near the vicinity of D.O.
“So, you’re the new Card Master,” D.O. says.
Lu Han is the master of one card, he wants to say, but D.O. is already bowing down with a faint smile on his face. Lu Han catches sight of Sehun pointing at him from afar, and then he gets it. “I command you to return to your power confined,” Lu Han whispers, tapping the tip of his staff against D.O.’s shoulder, watching the boy dissolve into the shape of a card.
“Congrats,” Sehun says softly when Lu Han turns to him, eyes wide.
Sehun. The Windy. The only card that had stayed when Lu Han accidentally opened the sealed book that fated afternoon, sending beams of light through the walls and countless cards circling around him before disappearing out of sight. Lu Han had stared, mouth agape, as he picked himself up from the floor, the shelves behind him still trembling in the aftermath.
Sehun had appeared in front of Lu Han like a dream, his skin cold as he touched Lu Han, dropping a small key in Lu Han’s hands. There was something ethereal about him - a vision clad in white - as he asked, “What are you waiting for?”
“What?” Lu Han said, but the key only grew in the palms of his hands until it adopted the form of a staff, the letters E, X, and O engraved on the handle.
Later, Lu Han carefully tucks The Earthy into the spellbook and asks, “Why did he attack me?”
Sehun looks up from rolling on Lu Han’s bed, using one arm as a pillow as he plays with Lu Han’s cellphone. “D.O. sensed danger when we came near his vicinity. All the cards will be hostile towards you from now on. They don’t want to be captured again.” He pauses, opening and closing the lid on the phone, watching the screen light up. “He’s the nicest one out of the others. They won’t let you off the hook so easily. Be careful.”
“He’s the nicest one?” Lu Han looks at Sehun. Everything about him is unreal. Sehun seems so fascinated by every single gadget in Lu Han’s room yet remains so absolutely grounded during battle. “Even nicer than you?”
“I’m different,” Sehun tells him, and Lu Han is reminded of the way Sehun had returned to his card wordlessly that day, without a fight. In return, Lu Han had summoned Sehun and made him explain everything, ignoring the chills running down his arms. When Lu Han refused to believe him, Sehun sent the papers on Lu Han’s desk flying, the curtains on his windows blown back as pages from Lu Han’s old archaeology texts fell from the ceiling. When Lu Han looked back at the card in his hand, he saw the The Windy printed neatly under the space Sehun used to be.
Sehun follows Lu Han everywhere they go. “For precautionary purposes,” Lu Han says, thinking back to how D.O. had appeared out of nowhere. Lu Han really doesn’t want to die - handling his course load was bad enough without being attacked by magical cards manifested in human form. Lu Han laments his fate sometimes. He didn’t sign up for any of this - the magical shindig, the crazy morphing staff, and his perpetual bodyguard in the form of a gangly teenage boy. Lu Han does, however, take great amusement in observing Sehun’s erratic behavior as he inspects every form of technology in Lu Han’s room.
Sehun nearly drops Lu Han’s digital picture frame when he sees the photos changing. “Who’s that?” He asks, pointing to a particularly old photo of Lu Han with his parents taken in elementary school.
“My mom and dad.” Lu Han shrugs, staring wistfully into the photo. “But they’re long gone now.” He gives Sehun a small smile which Sehun doesn’t return.
On their fourth day together, Lu Han discovers Sehun’s affinity for sweets after leaving a chocolate bar sitting on his chair. It lasts approximately two minutes. By the time Lu Han returns from digging through his backpack, Sehun is wiping his mouth with the sleeves of his shirt, a sheepish grin on his face. Lu Han begins stashing more candy around his apartment, and Sehun becomes increasingly more tolerable after that.
Sehun sleeps in on Mondays while Lu Han rushes to his morning lecture, the wheels of his roller blades making rhythmic, turning sounds as he glides down the sidewalk. The EXO key hangs around his neck, flinging across his shoulder when Lu Han turns a sharp corner and runs into a group of people fundraising. Lu Han lands on his back, nearly skidding under the table of baked goods.
“Good job.” Victoria, still clad in her ballet gear, laughs as she tugs Lu Han up. He vaguely remembers Victoria mentioning her morning lessons in the studio when they shared the last row of seats in Sociology the previous semester. She pulls out a small first aid kit and applies a band-aid to Lu Han’s elbow. Victoria smells like icing and vanilla extract.
“What are you raising money for?” he asks.
“Our dance troupe,” Victoria replies when she finishes, patting Lu Han lightly on the shoulder.
Sulli skips towards Lu Han, beaming. “Want to buy a cupcake?”
Lu Han looks over at the table that he had nearly overturned and grins. “I’ll take a couple.”
Victoria smiles as she packs away his order in a small cardboard box. She slips her first aid kit into Lu Han’s bag before he heads off, a small smile on her face as she adds, “Keep it. You seem to need it more.”
Lu Han waves them goodbye as he heads to class.
He finds Sehun spinning in his office chair upon returning home, and Sehun’s eyes light up when Lu Han sets the box on the table. “These are for you.”
They sit on the floor, Lu Han’s knees digging into the rug as he flips through his notes, watching Sehun unwrap the foil from his second cupcake. He grabs the nearest box of tissues and swipes absently at Sehun’s chin, laughing when Sehun tries to lick at the icing on the corner of his mouth.
“Have you noticed anything recently?” Sehun asks after Lu Han finishes making tea.
Lu Han pauses and thinks about the unusually high grade from his history paper, shrugging. “No, not really.” He looks at Sehun, who simply peers up at him over the pink mug Lu Han had gotten as a joke birthday gift. “Actually, I had a dream last night.”
Sehun raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Lu Han closes his notebook and thinks. “There was a boy standing on top of a building. He looked lonely, but when I approached him, he simply looked at me and disappeared.”
Lu Han almost expects Sehun to make a joke, but Sehun leans over instead, his breath sweet. “What did he look like?”
“Really unfriendly.” Lu Han pushes Sehun back. “That’s how I’m going to become if you don’t let me study, and I fail my exam tomorrow.”
Sehun makes a face and goes back to playing with Lu Han’s cellphone.
Lu Han has the same dream that night. He gets closer to the boy on the ledge before waking up to his alarm screeching. Sehun, clad in Lu Han’s sweatshirt, peers over the side of Lu Han’s bed and says, “Aren’t you late?”
Miraculously, Lu Han manages to breeze through his exam and survive the rest of his classes, yelping when Sehun appears outside of the room after Lu Han’s evening recitation.
“You told me to follow you.” Sehun shrugs as they head towards the campus gates, their footsteps echoing in the near empty street.
Lu Han is about to say something when he suddenly makes a run for the chemistry building. “This is it,” he whispers when Sehun catches up. He doesn’t wait before climbing up the fire escape ladder on the side of the building, pulling himself onto the roof as he shouts down at Sehun. “This is the place in my dream!”
An eerie silence falls around him as Lu Han wanders, the light from nearby buildings illuminating his path when he finally spots the familiar figure perched over the ledge. The stranger turns around upon sensing his presence, his movements sharp as he abruptly closes the distance between them and pushes Lu Han down.
Lu Han just stares, mouth agape, as the boy flies away from him, appearing on the higher landing overlooking Lu Han. The stranger hovers dangerously close to the pile of construction equipment, kicking at the pile of metal reinforcing bars until they come rolling towards Lu Han, who jumps up in time to dodge them.
He catches his breath in the nick of time and calls, “Earthy, release and dispel!” D.O. appears next to him and sends a storm of leaves to hinder the stranger’s movements, wrapping vines around his body before hurling him across the roof.
“That’s Kris,” Sehun explains when he catches up to Lu Han. “The Fly.” When Kris struggles to pick himself up, his movements slow and stilted, Sehun exchanges a look with D.O.
Lu Han notices this too as he makes his way towards Kris, squatting down as Kris regards him, eyes sharp and face unreadable. He flinches when Lu Han lifts the hem of his shirt, tracing his fingers over the slash on his abdomen, bruised and still bleeding. Kris says nothing as Lu Han pulls out the first aid kit from his bag, disinfecting Kris’s wounds and messily wrapping bandages over his waist.
“You don’t look like a very capable master,” Kris says at last, his voice deep and unnerving.
“Well,” Lu Han replies, smiling faintly as he finishes. “Sehun has kindly informed that I’m the only one you’re going to get.”
Kris neither denies nor affirms this.
“How did you get injured?” D.O. asks.
Kris looks at them carefully. “We are not the only things dangerous about this world, you know.” Regardless, he doesn’t fight when Lu Han calls him into the card.
And then there were three.
Tao appears in front of Lu Han a few days later, effectively blocking the exit of the alley shortcut Lu Han likes to take. Lu Han is about to step aside when Tao pulls out a sword, and Sehun is telling Lu Han to run.
The first strike barely misses Lu Han’s face, Tao’s sword etching into the side of the alley as Lu Han dodges, making a beeline for the direction he came. He halts to a stop, the soles of his sneakers burning against the concrete, when Tao appears at alley exit. Lu Han vaguely hears Sehun yelling something about time and sword behind him as he extracts his staff, calling Earthy out and sending tree roots to restrain the boy.
Tao’s sword effortlessly slices through all of D.O.’s attacks. Lu Han narrowly avoids being slashed in the leg. He shouts, “Windy!” and watches as Sehun sends a wave of wind in their direction, effectively knocking the sword out of Tao’s hand. It goes flying into the distance, but miraculously, the same sword appears in Tao’s hand mere seconds later.
“Sehun!” Lu Han yelps, dropping down when Tao tries to slash his head off. “There’s nowhere to go!”
“Then go up!” Sehun shouts.
Lu Han thinks about Kris and calls upon the Fly. He barely identifies the wings sprouting on his sneakers before leaping over great heights, jumping to the top of the alleyway as Tao moves towards Sehun.
“What are you gonna do to me?” Sehun asks slowly. Kris is by Sehun’s side along with D.O. It then occurs to Lu Han that they can’t use magic until he calls on them. Regardless, Tao doesn’t strike, lowering his sword and looking at Kris.
“Why?” Tao asks, voice surprisingly soft. He watches Lu Han leap down from his spot, coming to a halt behind D.O. “You’re letting him use your powers. Why?”
“He’s the new card master,” Kris says slowly.
Tao looks at Lu Han, the sharpness in his eyes wavering momentarily. “You’ve given up your allegiance to our mistress.”
“But she’s gone,” Sehun replies when Kris doesn’t answer. “Do you really want to wander around like this? Isn’t it tiring to not have someone look out for you?”
“I-” Tao starts to say, but stops. His gaze stays on Kris - a silent exchange of sort that Lu Han can’t possibly comprehend. At last, Tao drops his sword, turning to look at Lu Han. There is something distinctly childish about his expression when he says, “If The Fly has deemed you worthy, then so be it.”
Later, when Lu Han is carefully placing them back into the spellbook, Sehun grins at him and says, “I knew it. The Sword will always follow The Fly.”
Lu Han smiles absently in reply. Everything has been easy so far, yet Lu Han can feel a storm coming, tangible traces of anxiety fraying at his nerves.
Liyin invites him on an impromptu trip to the beach, and Lu Han finds himself wedged in the back row of Henry’s van between Amber and Sehun. His friends are taken with Sehun at first, but Lu Han makes up an excuse about Sehun being his new roommate. Amber asks how much Sehun is paying to share Lu Han’s tiny apartment, laughing at the way Victoria fights Henry for control of the radio. Victoria wins on the basis of her seniority, and they are subjected to classical music the entire ride there.
Sehun is greatly amused by the sea and takes his sweet time building sand castles, clad shamelessly in Lu Han’s swim trunks. He cluelessly defects advances from a group of high school girls, grinning as he chases the tide with Lu Han. They play beach volleyball with Henry and Amber while Victoria and Liyin sunbath. In the afternoon, Lu Han is sent on snack duty after losing terribly in rock-paper-scissors. They lie on Liyin’s large beach towel, Sehun sucking idly at his melting icepop while watching the sunset.
Henry and Amber are discussing possible options for dinner when a child runs past them, chasing after a beach ball. The girl stops when her mother calls her back, warning her about the tide. Lu Han stops from folding their beach chair, offering to retrieve the ball instead as he jogs into the water. When the waves carry the ball further into the sea, Lu Han swims after it. Lu Han is about to grab the ball when he is pushed down by an incoming wave. He swallows a mouthful of sea water and resurfaces. Lu Han doesn’t get the chance to catch his breath before he is pulled under once more, as if someone is tugging at his ankle. It’s then that he notices a whirlpool of water pulling at him.
Lu Han remembers calling for Sehun Sehun Sehun, but water gushes into his mouth instead. There is a devastating weight on his chest as Lu Han feels himself sinking deeper. The water becomes more turbulent, knocking him to and fro. Lu Han vaguely remembers his shoulder colliding on something sharp before everything goes dark.
Lu Han wakes up in a choking fit, spluttering and gasping for air. His throat is on fire, his eyes watery as someone runs a hand along his back. “Sehun?” Lu Han asks, looking up.
“No,” the boy in front of him says. “Sorry I’m not Sehun.”
Lu Han opens his mouth, but pauses when he notices the trail of crusted blood running down his leg. When he wipes absently at the gash on his knee, Lu Han is astounded to discover the wound has disappeared. Lu Han’s hands fly to his neck, his heart dropping when he doesn’t feel the EXO key.
“Here,” the stranger says, dropping the key in Lu Han’s lap. “You should take better care of your belongings.”
Lu Han traces the surface of the key, looking up at the boy.They are inside the alcove of a small cave, the moon already emerging in the sky as sirens roar in the distance. Lu Han is oddly aware of the silence as he whispers, “You saved me.”
His savior shrugs. “I couldn’t leave you dying on the bottom of the ocean.” He pauses before adding, “I’m Lay.”
Lu Han is about to say something when they’re discovered by the lifeboats. The lifeguards bring them back to shore, where Liyin pulls Lu Han into a crushing hug, refusing to let go even after Lu Han complains about not being able to breath. Sehun is the next to latch onto Lu Han, still watching out of the corner of his eye the way Amber thanks Lay.
Later that night, Lu Han sits up in his hotel bed. He makes a note of the vacancy on the other side of his bed while tiptoeing out, keeping his eyes on Henry’s sleeping figure. He finds Sehun on the beach, staring into water. “I have to go back in there,” Lu Han says, watching Sehun’s profile outlined in silver. “There’s a card in there.”
Sehun doesn’t reply, wrapping his arms around Lu Han instead as he digs his face into Lu Han’s shoulder. “I know. I noticed too late and I tried to go after you. I really did! But I couldn’t - it’s like there was a force holding me back, and I couldn’t move- couldn’t warn you- couldn’t-”
Lu Han pats Sehun’s hair softly. “It’s okay. I’m fine, you see? Now, will you please help me capture this card?”
Sehun grins when he pulls away. They face the sea, Sehun threading his fingers through Lu Han’s before sending gusts of wind into the water. The waves pick up slowly, crashing and folding upon each other until Sehun parts a distinct path from the shallow end of the water. Under the moonlight, Lu Han makes out the image of a boy standing at the end of the path.
“Watch my back,” Lu Han whispers to Sehun before dashing towards the boy. He calls out Tao, causing his staff to morph into the shape of a sword. Lu Han yelps when the boy leaps at him. He tries to make purchase, but everything slips out of his hands until Lu Han is once again drenched in water. Tao’s sword, however, hooks onto the end of the boy’s jacket, and Lu Han manages to force him to retreat out of the water.
They’re at a stalemate, Lu Han’s toes curling against cold sand, when The Watery finally speaks. “It’s rude for you to point that sword at me.”
“It’s rude for you to drown me, too,” Lu Han says, surprisingly angry.
The Watery bristles slightly. “You survived, regardless.”
Suho, Lu Han thinks. Suho, Suho, Suho. That had been the name whispered to him under the ocean as he frantically tried to swim away. Yet, the water only sang hauntingly in return, leaving Lu Han strengthless and breathless. “I’ll forgive you,” Lu Han decides, pretending to not notice the pool of water gathering at Suho’s feet. “I’ll forgive you if you apologize.”
Suho looks taken back. “You clearly don’t understand how this works,” he says, moving the water towards Lu Han. Before Suho succeeds, he is knocked forward by Sehun’s wind. Suho looks up, eyes glassy, when Lu Han catches him in his arms.
“Just say you’re sorry,” Lu Han repeats softly, pulling at Suho’s elbows. “Say it and I’ll forgive you.”
Suho stares, lips pressed into a thin line. “Stop being so kind. You’re just like her. It’s unfair.”
Lu Han is speechless for a moment, but Suho is already closing his eyes, so Lu Han whispers, “Return into your true form confined,” and watches as The Watery appears in his hands. Sehun is by Lu Han’s side when he stands up, looping one arm through Lu Han’s in silent acknowledgment. “You can come out now, you know,” Lu Han calls out.
Lay steps out behind the pier. He engages Sehun in a staring contest before speaking up. “Suho just wanted to test you.”
“I know,” Lu Han replies, stepping forward as he reaches for Lay. “Thank you for healing me.”
Lay is quiet for a second. “I felt bad for you, that’s all.”
Lu Han smiles when Sehun’s grip on his arm tightens. “In that case, you only had to heal the larger wounds.” He lifts his elbow, tracing where the smaller cuts on his skin used to be. Lu Han is aware of the closed gash on the side of head. Yet, Lay had meticulously tended to all the scratches and bruises on Lu Han’s body, mending him whole. “You’re kinder than you pretend to be.”
“He’s a real softy, alright,” Sehun hums, wrapping his arms around Lu Han’s waist.
“Careful, Windy,” Lay says before accepting Lu Han’s hand and disappearing into the card.
On the way home the next day, Lu Han listens to Liyin and Henry sing to bubblegum pop on the radio. Victoria sits by the window, smiling faintly at Lu Han when Sehun’s head settles on Lu Han’s shoulder in his slumber. When Lu Han traces the surface of The Heal and The Watery in his backpack, he can’t help but feel extremely lucky - lucky for The Heal to have found him, lucky for the patch of sunlight on his knees, and lucky for the warmth of Sehun curling against his side.
“Where did you come from?” Lu Han asks after dinner one day while washing the dishes. He’s been thinking recently about the markings on his EXO key, the identical patterns on the back of the cards, and the way they change when Lu Han writes his name on the bottom. Sehun had informed him on day one that Lu Han needs to claim ownership to the cards prior to summoning them. Now he thinks that marking The Windy was rather counterintuitive. Sehun ignores most of his orders - he doesn’t clean up after himself and takes personal delight in raiding through Lu Han’s closet.
Sehun is surprisingly calm as he places the other cards down. “You’re very different, you know. Different yet similar at the same time.”
When Sehun doesn’t elaborate, Lu Han walks over, watching Sehun rearrange the card on the coffee table. “Who am I different from?”
Sehun doesn’t look up, taking great interests in moving the cards around. Faced down, The Earthy, The Fly, The Sword, The Watery, and The Heal are indistinguishable from each other. “Our previous mistress.”
Lu Han pauses, taking a seat on the opposite end of the table, setting his hand on top of Sehun’s to stop Sehun’s nervous shuffling. “Tell me about her.”
“What’s there to say about her?” Sehun shrugs. “She’s dead, and you’re the new card master. That’s what she intended.”
“You make her sound unpleasant,” Lu Han says at last, locking fingers with Sehun. There’s something reassuring about the coolness of Sehun’s palms. When Lu Han squeezes Sehun’s hand, a small breeze sends the cards flying off the table.
“No,” Sehun whispers as Lu Han picks the cards up. “No, I was quite fond of her. They always said I loved her too much.” He doesn’t elaborate when Lu Han asks, and Lu Han can’t bring himself to pry.
Next to Sehun, Lay is the one Lu Han relies on the most. Lu Han has a tendency to drift, thinking about everything yet nothing as he rushes across town on his roller blades. Every morning, he leaps across an average of five potholes as his movements gets progressively hastier. On Tuesday, Lu Han lands on his tailbone after narrowing avoiding a street lamp on campus. Two days later, he comes to a skidding stop in front of the chemistry building, leaving an open gash running along his right arm.
Sehun watches Lu Han limp from room to room, pouting as he insists that Lu Han uses The Heal.
Lu Han waves absently, flipping another page in his textbook. “If I abuse my powers, the next thing I know, I’ll be flying everywhere.” He gives up by Sunday after banging up his right hand on a particularly bad fall outside of his apartment.
Lay, unlike Sehun, is not one for theatrics. He brushes warm fingers along Lu Han’s wounds, healing them wordlessly. When Sehun’s brownies finish baking in the oven, Lu Han offers some to Lay, who declines politely. He watches Lu Han fill Sehun’s glass of milk, noting the way Sehun cools the brownies by blowing gentle breezes over them.
“You depend too much on Windy,” Lay says when Sehun is on his third serving. “From now on, you’ll need to utilize the cards more wisely. Sehun didn’t tell you about this, did he?” They both turn to Sehun, who looks up swiping his pinky along the edge of the icing can. Sehun blinks at them. “Certain cards are more effective when used in combination, especially considering that your element is the sun,” Lay finishes.
“The what?” Lu Han asks.
Lay looks torn between concern and amusement. He smiles at last, patting Lu Han on the arm. “Stop getting hurt. You should take care of yourself.”
Lu Han smiles sheepishly, tugging at Lay’s hand. “But I have you.”
Lay is silent for a moment. “There are things even I can’t heal.” It reminds Lu Han of what Kris had said weeks ago. We are not the only things dangerous about this world.
Summer comes early that year as a heat wave moves across the city in late March. “I don’t understand this,” Lu Han mumbles as he line-dries his clothes. The dryer in the basement is, once again, broken, leaving Lu Han breathless as he carries three loads of wet laundry up to the fourth floor. Sehun helps a little, sending gusts of wind circling around Lu Han’s tiny balcony.
Lu Han spends a particularly rough weekend in the library with Henry and Liyin, their heads pressed together as they finish the last stretch of a brutal research project. By Sunday night, Lu Han is too acquainted with the dusty pages of old books, his eyesight blurring as he tries to distinguish one tab from another on his browser.
“Let’s take a break,” Liyin suggests by eleven, stretching as she packs her bags. The three of them part at the campus gates, Henry walking Liyin home. Lu Han waves them goodbye before yawning and heading back. He notices the street lamps flickering, the neighborhood empty as he takes the long way home. Lu Han thinks about asking his uncle to wire more money into his account and spends a good minute digging through his bag for his phone.
“Looking for something?” a voice asks, and Lu Han whips his head around to find a boy in black standing in front of him. The boy grins cheekily, eyes beaming beneath unruly bangs as he raises one hand.
Lu Han has enough time to grab his EXO key before he is surrounded by a circle of fire. He flinches at the heat, watching the boy warp the flames with a twist of his wrist. “The Firey?”
“That’s me.” The boy laughs as the blazing fire rises higher, dancing around him. “Let’s have some fun, okay?”
“Watery!” Lu Han shouts, and Suho sends a wave of water towards The Firey. His attack, however, is eaten alive by the heat, evaporating into nothingness. Suho gives Lu Han a helpless look. “Try again,” Lu Han instructs, watching as Suho’s second attend dissolves in the flames.
“You’ve gotten weaker, Watery!” The Firey calls out while billowing fire hovers dangerously close to Lu Han’s face. “Do you not trust your new master?”
Lu Han reaches for Suho, but quickly ducks when a ball of fire is flung towards them. Suho returns to his card, and Lu Han grits his teeth before calling The Fly. He avoids the next few attacks by flying over the perimeter, cursing when The Firey takes it as a challenge and sends balls of flames into the sky. Lu Han can almost hear Kris’s voice whispering directions in his ear as Lu Han flies out of The Firey’s sight, landing behind an alleyway and ducking out of sight.
“Work with me, please,” Lu Han whispers before calling The Watery again.
Suho frowns at him. “I can’t - Chaneyol has always been stronger than me. He’s powerful and-” He stops when Lu Han pulls him into a hug, Suho’s arms settling awkwardly by his side.
“I have faith in you,” Lu Han says, hands set on Suho’s shoulders. “You can put his fire out. He’s wild while you have me. I need you to trust me, okay? We have to work together.” He smiles when Suho nods.
“Are you guys done?” Chanyeol asks from behind them, arms folded over his chest. He chuckles when Suho steps in front of Lu Han. “Watery, Watery, Watery,” Chanyeol says, circling around them and grinning. “You were always the weakest out of us, between me, Windy, and Earthy. Are you sure you can protect your new friend?”
“I’m going to kick your ass,” Suho decides, opening a reservoir of water and pushing it towards Chanyeol. It meets Chanyeol’s fire halfway, neither relenting as the product of evaporation rises over them.
Lu Han can see the Suho’s arms shaking as he sets one hand on Suho’s shoulder. “I believe you,” he whispers, watching Suho’s expression break into something akin to relief. Lu Han is caught off guard when Chanyeol throws something at them. He squeezes his eyes shut, but the pain never comes. When Lu Han looks up, he’s surprised to find that Suho has encased them in a protective bubble of water that diffuses any of The Firey’s attacks.
Chanyeol yelps when Suho finally overpowers him, drenching Chanyeol in water and effectively preventing him from creating any more spark. He pauses when Lu Han’s staff is pointed at him, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “She was right about you,” Chanyeol breathes out.
“Who?” Lu Han asks, even though he already has an idea.
“The boy who bends water and tames fire can also make the earth rumble and the wind sing,” Chanyeol continues, a content smile on his face as he sets both hands on the end of Lu Han’s staff. As Chanyeol returns to his card, Lu Han can discern his last whispers of It’ll only get harder from here on out.
Sehun is astounded when Lu Han returns with The Firey, jumping off Lu Han’s bed and examining the card. Sehun remains quiet while Lu Han explains the turn of events, eyes growing wider and wider until he reaches for the spellbook, scattering the other cards on the floor and moving them in wild circles.
“What are you doing?” Lu Han asks, kneeling down.
“There are seven now,” Sehun replies dreamily, aligning the cards into neat rows. “You’ve gotten stronger. You should be able to fortune tell with them now.” When Lu Han sends me a confused look, Sehun elaborates. “You know? Tell the future.”
“Don’t be silly. No one can tell the future.”
Sehan gives him a pointed look. “You didn’t believe in magic either.”
Lu Han falls silent, looking between Sehun and the cards on the table before picking one up. The first card he flips over is The Earthy. The second one is The Watery.
“Earth, water-” Sehun trails off, biting his lips as he thinks. “Something to do with life? Could the next be-” He stops short when Lu Han stands up unexpectedly, strutting over to the calendar on the fridge as he flips absently at it. “What’s wrong?” Sehun asks.
Lu Han doesn’t turn around, opting to stare at the numbers. “Sehun-ah. Let’s go on a trip.”
Sehun doesn’t ask any questions as they take the bus onto the mountain. When Lu Han doesn’t look away from the window, Sehun squeezes his arm. He follows Lu Han as they get off at the last stop, hiking past the visitor center and the flower shop. Before they descend up the last flight of steps on the hills, Lu Han turns to adjust the collar of Sehun’s shirt, smiling faintly while Sehun tilts his head.
Sehun frowns as they stop in front of a particular set of tombstones. He doesn’t stir when Lu Han pays his respects, listening as Lu Han talks about his schoolwork and his friends. Lu Han then moves on to talk about the cards. He mentions Lay’s surprising thoughtfulness, dispute Suho’s groundless insecurities, and talks about the way D.O. makes the flowers behind the apartment bloom. “The Windy is the worst, though,” Lu Han continues, turning to grin at Sehun. “He’s such a child, following me everywhere, using all of my things without permission. I would save so much money on food if I just called him back, but I’d be so lonely without him.”
Lu Han laughs when Sehun hugs him from behind. “I won’t ever leave you,” Sehun decides.
“Don’t make crazy promises, Sehun-ah,” Lu Han says, but Sehun’s grip only tightens.
“I’m not,” Sehun says.
Lu Han just hums, relaxing into Sehun’s embrace.
After that, Lu Han becomes more attuned to the overwhelming feeling of anxiousness he experiences in the vicinity of magic. He’s walking home from a lecture when he catches sight of a boy being chased out of the bakery. The boy has a steamed bun in his mouth as he leaps over a puddle, grinning when the bakery owner skids over ice and falls. The boy catches sight of Lu Han, their eyes meeting for a split second before Lu Han’s attention turns to the man cursing on the ground.
By the time Lu Han looks up, the boy’s already gone.
It’s late April, humidity lingering in the air and sticking onto Lu Han’s clothes. When he turns around, Lu Han notices that the patch of ice is gone as well.
The same boy appears two days later, fighting Lu Han for the last melon pan at the campus convenience store. Lu Han lets go instantly, watching as the boy head out with the bread and is stopped by the security guard on patrol. Lu Han hands the cashier a bill for the melon pan and watches as the boy turn to stare him.
They sit outside of the store, Lu Han watching as Xiu Min tears at his food. Sehun had told Lu Han about The Icy, about the card’s friendliness contrasted by the chaos and destruction left in his wake. Xiu Min doesn’t look very threatening as he eyes the chocolate bar Lu Han hands him. “You’re hungry, right?” Lu Han asks.
“I’m always hungry,” Xiu Min replies. “But that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.”
“Woah,” Lu Han brings his hands up. “I never said you were.” He doesn’t complain, however, when Xiu Min follows him around for the rest of the day. Lu Han treats The Icy to noodles after his last class, watching Xiu Min devour everything. He laughs when Sehun shows up at the school gates, as always on Thursdays. Sehun spends ten seconds narrowing his eyes at Xiu Min before speaking up. “You gave him my chocolate, did you?”
Sehun and Xiu Min bicker on the way home, always two steps behind Lu Han. They’re caught off guard by an erratic spring rainstorm, all three of them breaking into a jog. Sehun runs into Lu Han’s back when Lu Han comes to a halting stop a few blocks away from the apartment. Sehun peeks over Lu Han’s shoulder to find someone lying on the sidewalk.
Behind them, thunder roars in the distance. Lu Han quickly runs forward, flipping the person over to reveal a boy with sharp cheekbones. “The Thunder,” Sehun says.
The Thunder stirs when Lu Han shakes his shoulder. He takes a moment to gaze dreamily at them, eyes clouded. “Don’t touch me,” he breathes out, pushing Lu Han aside. He freezes upon catching sight of Sehun and Xiu Min, instantly pushing himself up. When Lu Han tries to steady him, a bolt of thunder strikes dangerously close them, causing Sehun to jump.
“Chen!” Xiu Min shouts when another clap of thunder cause a nearby trashcan to catch on fire. “Calm down!”
“Leave me alone!” Chen yells, grabbing at his shoulder. He twitches a little when Xiu Min steps forward, sending a wave of electricity towards them.
“Earthy!” Lu Han calls out in time for D.O. to construct a cover from the Earth, effectively blocking Chen’s attacks. “What’s wrong with him? He’s never been like this.” D.O. asks Sehun, who gives him a helpless look. They both freeze when another bolt of thunder lands nearby.
“I have to stop him before he destroys everything,” Lu Han explains, making eye contact with Xiu Min as they both jump out from D.O.’s shelter. They manage to duck from another attack before circling around Chen, Xiu Min freezing Chen’s feet to the ground and tackling him. Lu Han watches as Chen struggles underneath Xiu Min.
“Heal!” Lu Han shouts, letting Lay cast a layer of dust over them. Chen finally gives up, relaxing under Xiu Min’s grip as Lay pulls something out of Chen’s shoulder. Lu Han momentarily stops breathing, touching the edges of the butterfly clip. He has seen something similar before, the pattern engraved on Kris’s wounds that night many months ago.
“That butterfly clip was enchanted,” Lay explains later, after Lu Han has both The Icy and The Thunder cards sitting on his table. “But who would attack Chen?”
Lu Han pauses. “How many cards are left?”
“Two,” Sehun whispers next to Lu Han. “Just two.”
“So? What are they? How can I capture them?” He looks between Lay and Sehun, but neither of them have an answer.
Lu Han is restless for the next few days, constantly vigilant as he travels from home to his classes. Sehun sticks to him like glue, refusing to budge even after Lu Han orders him to go home. Lu Han doesn’t understand the secrecy between Sehun and Lay, but the apprehension in his chest only grows with every passing day. Lu Han knows something big is coming, yet all he can do is wait.
It happens on Wednesday night, when they are walking home. The street lights are the first to go, followed by the rest of the electricity in the area. Lu Han wanders aimlessly, not letting go of Sehun’s hand as they find the clearing near the baseball fields. Lu Han discerns the figure of a girl at the top of the hill, her body outlined in gold as she turns to look at him. Her companion also notices them, suddenly disappearing. When Lu Han squints, he’s shocked to find the boy appearing a few feet away from them.
“Kai?” Sehun steps forward. “What is the point of all this?”
Kai shrugs at them and stares at Lu Han, his gaze surprisingly unnerving.
“He only turned off the lights on my request,” the girl calls out from afar, her voice ringing in the air. At that moment, the moon shines at just the right angle to illuminate the features on her face. Even from afar, Lu Han can recognize her from anywhere.
“Victoria?”
“It was you all along,” Sehun says. “You’re the one who stopped me on the beach that day. You injured Kris and enchanted Chen! You’re the one who sent Chanyeol after Lu Han too, weren’t you? I can’t believe I never noticed - all this time you were right here.”
Victoria just smiles at them, clad in a dress that vaguely resembles a butterfly. “You’re smarter than I thought, Windy. My grandmother was right about you. You were her favorite, after all.”
“What are you saying?” Lu Han asks, ignoring the way Sehun has fallen completely silent.
“My grandmother always told me about you,” Victoria says while making her way towards them. “She sang about the boy that would one day mend water, tame fire-”
“-make the earth rumble and the wind sing,” Lu Han finishes for her. “How did you-”
“You’re a very good friend, Lu Han,” Victoria says slowly. “But that doesn’t mean I will go easy on you. I’ll be the one to determine whether you’re capable of controlling the cards.”
Final judgement, Lu Han thinks, now understanding what Sehun and Lay had alluded to. “I don’t want to fight you,” he says at last.
“That’s too bad,” Victoria tells him, the butterfly clip in her hair glistening in the darkness. “If you fail, I will take your cards until someone more worthy comes along.” She doesn’t wait before throwing a wave of magic at him.
Lu Han dodges, biting his lips as he looks at Sehun, fingers already grasping his key. “Windy!”
Sehun looks taken aback at first, shaking at head at Lu Han. The wind he sends towards Victoria defects, coming back at Lu Han, knocking him down.
“Windy didn’t teach you everything, did he?” Kai says, moving forward as Lu Han recalls Lay’s words. Victoria is the moon and Lu Han is the sun. He can’t control Windy - not when Victoria is here. “There are consequences for choosing the wrong cards,” Kai tells him before appearing in front of Sehun.
Lu Han vaguely remembers Sehun calling his name before everything falls dark, and both Sehun and Kai are gone. The darkness continues to move towards him in waves, swallowing everything until all Lu Han can see is Victoria in the distance. “Firey!” he summons. Chanyeol appears by his side, only to be consumed by the darkness as well. The same happens to Thunder and Earthy until all the cards in Lu Han’s hand begin to fade, dissipating into nothingness.
“How will you capture The Dark without any of your cards?” Victoria asks before dissolving into the darkness as well.
Lu Han stops moving until he is surrounded by nothing but his own thoughts. It takes him a while to notice that he, too, is beginning to disappear.
There is an insidious pounding in his chest, the anxiety rising until all Lu Han wants to do is cry. Suddenly he remembers his parents’ funeral - the silence, the uncertainty, and the undeniable loneliness clawing at his heart. Lu Han remembers the month he spent not speaking to anyone, his voice dying unwillingly. Lu Han is the sum total of all his pain, a raw woundedness so extreme that it feels terminal and all Lu Han can do is give up.
But then Lu Han remembers Amber and Henry, the first friends he made in a long, long time. He remembers the way flowers sprout near D.O. and the way Lay makes Lu Han’s uncertainty disappear along with his bruises. He remembers Sehun, the way Sehun smiles as if all he knows is Lu Han. Curious, childish Sehun - if he wanted, Sehun could be nothing but a fleeting breeze, yet Sehun chose to stay with Lu Han, making ridiculous promises about forever.
Lu Han notices then that he is glowing. When someone’s hand slips into his, Lu Han looks up to find an unfamiliar boy next to him. There’s something undeniably warm about the boy’s smile, and Lu Han feels relieved just linking hands with him.
“Hi,” the boy says, his eyes kind. “I’m Baekhyun.”
“Baekhyun,” Lu Han repeats.
“Yes,” Baekhyun beams, covering both of Lu Han's hands with his own. “I think you called me.”
“I did?”
Baekhyun laughs. “Yes, yes. You did. If Kai is always a part of you, then so am I. Whenever you feel like giving up, I’ll be here, waiting for you. If Kai is the darkness, then I am-”
“The Light,” Lu Han smiles back, and then he gets it. The darkness begins to recede, leaving the baseball field in its wake as everythings returns. Lu Han doesn’t let go of Baekhyun’s hand, even after Kai and Victoria appear.
Victoria just smiles at him. “You win,” she says, handing the cards to Lu Han. Up close, Victoria seems older, more peaceful. There's an ambient glow about her, and Lu Han can't believe that he never sensed her magic. Kai stands next to her, making eye contact with Baekhyun. There's something peaceful about his face, like the expression one makes right before breaking into a smile.
“But you-”
“I may be the descendant of a powerful sorceress, but that doesn’t mean I want a part of all this. My grandmother approved of you,” Victoria explains. “Besides, the cards have chosen you.”
“They’ve chosen me,” Lu Han repeats lamely, looking between Kai and Baekhyun. Suddenly Lu Han feels so, so tried, dropping his staff as everything starts spinning.
When Lu Han comes to, he finds eleven pairs of eyes hovering over him. Sehun is crushing him in a hug, mumbling about winning and scaring him and Lu Han being an idiot.
“Let go, Windy,” Kris says. “He’s going to pass out again if you squeeze him like that.”
Sehun just glares at him.
“It must have been tiring to fight Kai, right?” Suho asks, chuckling when Kai wanders away to take a seat on the floor. It then occurs to Lu Han that they are back at his apartment, entirely too small to fit all twelve of them.
“Who let everyone out of their cards?” Lu Han asks, groaning as he squints at the light. As if on cue, Kai dims the room while Baekhyun laughs.
“You’re the one who summoned us,” Sehun explains after Lu Han orders everyone back. “Do you really not remember?”
Lu Han shakes his head. Everything still seems like a dream. The only thing he can truly identify as real is Sehun’s breathing over his face as he hovers over Lu Han. “I was so worried,” Sehun says. “I didn’t know what to do without you.”
Lu Han pauses. “Me either. You’re my favorite, Windy.”
Sehun grins. “I already know that.” He settles by Lu Han side when Lu Han scoots over, nested securely between Lu Han and the wall. Sehun swings one arm over Lu Han’s arm, curling the other over Lu Han’s heart.
“You’ll stay with me forever, right?” Lu Han asks, closing his eyes.
“As long as you'll have me. Even if I fall in love easily,” Sehun says. “I’ll never love anyone after you.”
“You’re ridiculous. Stop talking,” Lu Han orders before falling asleep.
Being the new card master comes with an entirely different set of responsibilities. Lu Han follows his sense of magic around the city as he investigates odd phenomenons. It’s less stressful to just let the cards roam. Kris spends his time sitting on the roof of Lu Han’s apartment, gazing into the city at night. D.O. run around the neighborhood park, playing with kids as he wows them with magic tricks. Chen becomes mellower, spending his time dancing in the rain with Suho while Xiu Min watches. Chanyeol nearly sets the apartment on fire more than once, and one day Lu Han returns to find all of his belongings flooded under water as Sehun frantically tries to blow everything dry.
“Why don’t you just move out?” Victoria asks when Lu Han relays the event to her. Victoria is more or less the same, spending her days dancing and studying. Sometimes she helps Lu Han manage the cards, giving him tips about combining certain elements.
“Where would I even go?” Lu Han asks. He has one semester left at the university, after which he has no future plans.
Victoria hums. “To my grandmother’s mansion in England? She did leave it for her successor, and that would be you.”
Lu Han’s eyes widen. “What would I do in England?”
“It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you end up in England.” Victoria explains, “Don’t you want to travel and discover the world? Isn’t that why you studied archaeology?”
It takes Lu Han a few days to digest her suggestion. He runs the idea by Sehun, who bounces excitedly off the walls in agreement. The world is frightening yet fantastic, and Lu Han wants to know more. He knows there’s more than the confines of the city. At night, Lu Han hears Sehun singing into the wind. He wants to investigate the boundaries of his power as well, wants to know exactly how far Baekhyun’s light can illuminate.
All Lu Han can wants is to explore. The world is not so scary, he thinks, when Sehun is there.
fin.
a/n:
1. In the manga, The Windy is Sakura's first and favorite card.
2. Victoria kind of takes Yue/Ruby Moon's place derrp
3. As for the Dark and The Light- pretty much the exact same thing happens in the Manga, but I really really liked how Baekhyun fit into this. SHINE ON ME TOO, BAEKHYUNNIE.
4. In the end, Lu Han only fought Watery, Firey, Thunder, and Dark. All the other cards caved pretty easily orz.
idek what else to say. I really, really, really wanted to write CCS au. Thank you feixing and alaeaureae for helping me brainstorm. And ♥ chrysa and lunathunderhead for beta-ing!
Sooo yeah. Love LU HAN PLZ. He is the perfect spacey Sakura ever.
♥ Want to talk EXO? Meta? EXO Meta?? Talk to me on twitter!
Love it? Hate it? Please leave some feedback, even if it may be a little late. You can also join the community, since I'll be locking up NC17 fics.
Fandom: EXO
Author: chiharu
Characters/pairing: Lu Han/Se Hun
Rating: G
wordcount: ~8300
Summary: Sehun. The Windy. The only card that had stayed when Lu Han accidentally opened the sealed spellbook that fated afternoon, sending beams of light through the walls and countless cards circling around him before disappearing out of sight. Lu Han had stared, mouth agape, as he picked himself up from the floor, the shelves behind him still trembling in the aftermath. Cardcaptor!Lu Han fic.
Obviously a spin off of Cardcaptor Sakura, which is a shoujo manga/anime by CLAMP about Sakura and her a quest to capture Clow Cards and- ACTUALLY. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE READ CSS BY NOW. IT IS A QUINTESSENTIAL SHOUJO MANGA. IF NOT, READ IT HERE. YOUR LIVES WILL BE ENRICHED. Anyways. In CCS, The Windy is the first card that Sakura catches and the one Sakura uses the most.
Capturing D.O. had been the easy part, Lu Han thinks as he holds The Earthy in his hands. The card reflects under the sunlight. D.O., chained under the smooth surface, only smiles when Lu Han signs his name at the bottom of the card.
Lu Han had temporarily blacked out when D.O. wrapped vines around Lu Han’s ankle, yanking and sending him plummeting from the roof. Thankfully, Sehun was quick on his feet, sending a torrent of wind to catch Lu Han at the base of the building. By the time Lu Han picked himself up, Sehun had already jumped from their original spot to D.O.’s branch, making wild hand motions.
Lu Han groans, hugging his staff closer when D.O. leaps down from his tree. He looks at Lu Han, the alarm in his eyes mending as he kneels next to Lu Han. The patches of grass around them are livened, flowers sprouting near the vicinity of D.O.
“So, you’re the new Card Master,” D.O. says.
Lu Han is the master of one card, he wants to say, but D.O. is already bowing down with a faint smile on his face. Lu Han catches sight of Sehun pointing at him from afar, and then he gets it. “I command you to return to your power confined,” Lu Han whispers, tapping the tip of his staff against D.O.’s shoulder, watching the boy dissolve into the shape of a card.
“Congrats,” Sehun says softly when Lu Han turns to him, eyes wide.
Sehun. The Windy. The only card that had stayed when Lu Han accidentally opened the sealed book that fated afternoon, sending beams of light through the walls and countless cards circling around him before disappearing out of sight. Lu Han had stared, mouth agape, as he picked himself up from the floor, the shelves behind him still trembling in the aftermath.
Sehun had appeared in front of Lu Han like a dream, his skin cold as he touched Lu Han, dropping a small key in Lu Han’s hands. There was something ethereal about him - a vision clad in white - as he asked, “What are you waiting for?”
“What?” Lu Han said, but the key only grew in the palms of his hands until it adopted the form of a staff, the letters E, X, and O engraved on the handle.
Later, Lu Han carefully tucks The Earthy into the spellbook and asks, “Why did he attack me?”
Sehun looks up from rolling on Lu Han’s bed, using one arm as a pillow as he plays with Lu Han’s cellphone. “D.O. sensed danger when we came near his vicinity. All the cards will be hostile towards you from now on. They don’t want to be captured again.” He pauses, opening and closing the lid on the phone, watching the screen light up. “He’s the nicest one out of the others. They won’t let you off the hook so easily. Be careful.”
“He’s the nicest one?” Lu Han looks at Sehun. Everything about him is unreal. Sehun seems so fascinated by every single gadget in Lu Han’s room yet remains so absolutely grounded during battle. “Even nicer than you?”
“I’m different,” Sehun tells him, and Lu Han is reminded of the way Sehun had returned to his card wordlessly that day, without a fight. In return, Lu Han had summoned Sehun and made him explain everything, ignoring the chills running down his arms. When Lu Han refused to believe him, Sehun sent the papers on Lu Han’s desk flying, the curtains on his windows blown back as pages from Lu Han’s old archaeology texts fell from the ceiling. When Lu Han looked back at the card in his hand, he saw the The Windy printed neatly under the space Sehun used to be.
Sehun follows Lu Han everywhere they go. “For precautionary purposes,” Lu Han says, thinking back to how D.O. had appeared out of nowhere. Lu Han really doesn’t want to die - handling his course load was bad enough without being attacked by magical cards manifested in human form. Lu Han laments his fate sometimes. He didn’t sign up for any of this - the magical shindig, the crazy morphing staff, and his perpetual bodyguard in the form of a gangly teenage boy. Lu Han does, however, take great amusement in observing Sehun’s erratic behavior as he inspects every form of technology in Lu Han’s room.
Sehun nearly drops Lu Han’s digital picture frame when he sees the photos changing. “Who’s that?” He asks, pointing to a particularly old photo of Lu Han with his parents taken in elementary school.
“My mom and dad.” Lu Han shrugs, staring wistfully into the photo. “But they’re long gone now.” He gives Sehun a small smile which Sehun doesn’t return.
On their fourth day together, Lu Han discovers Sehun’s affinity for sweets after leaving a chocolate bar sitting on his chair. It lasts approximately two minutes. By the time Lu Han returns from digging through his backpack, Sehun is wiping his mouth with the sleeves of his shirt, a sheepish grin on his face. Lu Han begins stashing more candy around his apartment, and Sehun becomes increasingly more tolerable after that.
Sehun sleeps in on Mondays while Lu Han rushes to his morning lecture, the wheels of his roller blades making rhythmic, turning sounds as he glides down the sidewalk. The EXO key hangs around his neck, flinging across his shoulder when Lu Han turns a sharp corner and runs into a group of people fundraising. Lu Han lands on his back, nearly skidding under the table of baked goods.
“Good job.” Victoria, still clad in her ballet gear, laughs as she tugs Lu Han up. He vaguely remembers Victoria mentioning her morning lessons in the studio when they shared the last row of seats in Sociology the previous semester. She pulls out a small first aid kit and applies a band-aid to Lu Han’s elbow. Victoria smells like icing and vanilla extract.
“What are you raising money for?” he asks.
“Our dance troupe,” Victoria replies when she finishes, patting Lu Han lightly on the shoulder.
Sulli skips towards Lu Han, beaming. “Want to buy a cupcake?”
Lu Han looks over at the table that he had nearly overturned and grins. “I’ll take a couple.”
Victoria smiles as she packs away his order in a small cardboard box. She slips her first aid kit into Lu Han’s bag before he heads off, a small smile on her face as she adds, “Keep it. You seem to need it more.”
Lu Han waves them goodbye as he heads to class.
He finds Sehun spinning in his office chair upon returning home, and Sehun’s eyes light up when Lu Han sets the box on the table. “These are for you.”
They sit on the floor, Lu Han’s knees digging into the rug as he flips through his notes, watching Sehun unwrap the foil from his second cupcake. He grabs the nearest box of tissues and swipes absently at Sehun’s chin, laughing when Sehun tries to lick at the icing on the corner of his mouth.
“Have you noticed anything recently?” Sehun asks after Lu Han finishes making tea.
Lu Han pauses and thinks about the unusually high grade from his history paper, shrugging. “No, not really.” He looks at Sehun, who simply peers up at him over the pink mug Lu Han had gotten as a joke birthday gift. “Actually, I had a dream last night.”
Sehun raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Lu Han closes his notebook and thinks. “There was a boy standing on top of a building. He looked lonely, but when I approached him, he simply looked at me and disappeared.”
Lu Han almost expects Sehun to make a joke, but Sehun leans over instead, his breath sweet. “What did he look like?”
“Really unfriendly.” Lu Han pushes Sehun back. “That’s how I’m going to become if you don’t let me study, and I fail my exam tomorrow.”
Sehun makes a face and goes back to playing with Lu Han’s cellphone.
Lu Han has the same dream that night. He gets closer to the boy on the ledge before waking up to his alarm screeching. Sehun, clad in Lu Han’s sweatshirt, peers over the side of Lu Han’s bed and says, “Aren’t you late?”
Miraculously, Lu Han manages to breeze through his exam and survive the rest of his classes, yelping when Sehun appears outside of the room after Lu Han’s evening recitation.
“You told me to follow you.” Sehun shrugs as they head towards the campus gates, their footsteps echoing in the near empty street.
Lu Han is about to say something when he suddenly makes a run for the chemistry building. “This is it,” he whispers when Sehun catches up. He doesn’t wait before climbing up the fire escape ladder on the side of the building, pulling himself onto the roof as he shouts down at Sehun. “This is the place in my dream!”
An eerie silence falls around him as Lu Han wanders, the light from nearby buildings illuminating his path when he finally spots the familiar figure perched over the ledge. The stranger turns around upon sensing his presence, his movements sharp as he abruptly closes the distance between them and pushes Lu Han down.
Lu Han just stares, mouth agape, as the boy flies away from him, appearing on the higher landing overlooking Lu Han. The stranger hovers dangerously close to the pile of construction equipment, kicking at the pile of metal reinforcing bars until they come rolling towards Lu Han, who jumps up in time to dodge them.
He catches his breath in the nick of time and calls, “Earthy, release and dispel!” D.O. appears next to him and sends a storm of leaves to hinder the stranger’s movements, wrapping vines around his body before hurling him across the roof.
“That’s Kris,” Sehun explains when he catches up to Lu Han. “The Fly.” When Kris struggles to pick himself up, his movements slow and stilted, Sehun exchanges a look with D.O.
Lu Han notices this too as he makes his way towards Kris, squatting down as Kris regards him, eyes sharp and face unreadable. He flinches when Lu Han lifts the hem of his shirt, tracing his fingers over the slash on his abdomen, bruised and still bleeding. Kris says nothing as Lu Han pulls out the first aid kit from his bag, disinfecting Kris’s wounds and messily wrapping bandages over his waist.
“You don’t look like a very capable master,” Kris says at last, his voice deep and unnerving.
“Well,” Lu Han replies, smiling faintly as he finishes. “Sehun has kindly informed that I’m the only one you’re going to get.”
Kris neither denies nor affirms this.
“How did you get injured?” D.O. asks.
Kris looks at them carefully. “We are not the only things dangerous about this world, you know.” Regardless, he doesn’t fight when Lu Han calls him into the card.
And then there were three.
Tao appears in front of Lu Han a few days later, effectively blocking the exit of the alley shortcut Lu Han likes to take. Lu Han is about to step aside when Tao pulls out a sword, and Sehun is telling Lu Han to run.
The first strike barely misses Lu Han’s face, Tao’s sword etching into the side of the alley as Lu Han dodges, making a beeline for the direction he came. He halts to a stop, the soles of his sneakers burning against the concrete, when Tao appears at alley exit. Lu Han vaguely hears Sehun yelling something about time and sword behind him as he extracts his staff, calling Earthy out and sending tree roots to restrain the boy.
Tao’s sword effortlessly slices through all of D.O.’s attacks. Lu Han narrowly avoids being slashed in the leg. He shouts, “Windy!” and watches as Sehun sends a wave of wind in their direction, effectively knocking the sword out of Tao’s hand. It goes flying into the distance, but miraculously, the same sword appears in Tao’s hand mere seconds later.
“Sehun!” Lu Han yelps, dropping down when Tao tries to slash his head off. “There’s nowhere to go!”
“Then go up!” Sehun shouts.
Lu Han thinks about Kris and calls upon the Fly. He barely identifies the wings sprouting on his sneakers before leaping over great heights, jumping to the top of the alleyway as Tao moves towards Sehun.
“What are you gonna do to me?” Sehun asks slowly. Kris is by Sehun’s side along with D.O. It then occurs to Lu Han that they can’t use magic until he calls on them. Regardless, Tao doesn’t strike, lowering his sword and looking at Kris.
“Why?” Tao asks, voice surprisingly soft. He watches Lu Han leap down from his spot, coming to a halt behind D.O. “You’re letting him use your powers. Why?”
“He’s the new card master,” Kris says slowly.
Tao looks at Lu Han, the sharpness in his eyes wavering momentarily. “You’ve given up your allegiance to our mistress.”
“But she’s gone,” Sehun replies when Kris doesn’t answer. “Do you really want to wander around like this? Isn’t it tiring to not have someone look out for you?”
“I-” Tao starts to say, but stops. His gaze stays on Kris - a silent exchange of sort that Lu Han can’t possibly comprehend. At last, Tao drops his sword, turning to look at Lu Han. There is something distinctly childish about his expression when he says, “If The Fly has deemed you worthy, then so be it.”
Later, when Lu Han is carefully placing them back into the spellbook, Sehun grins at him and says, “I knew it. The Sword will always follow The Fly.”
Lu Han smiles absently in reply. Everything has been easy so far, yet Lu Han can feel a storm coming, tangible traces of anxiety fraying at his nerves.
Liyin invites him on an impromptu trip to the beach, and Lu Han finds himself wedged in the back row of Henry’s van between Amber and Sehun. His friends are taken with Sehun at first, but Lu Han makes up an excuse about Sehun being his new roommate. Amber asks how much Sehun is paying to share Lu Han’s tiny apartment, laughing at the way Victoria fights Henry for control of the radio. Victoria wins on the basis of her seniority, and they are subjected to classical music the entire ride there.
Sehun is greatly amused by the sea and takes his sweet time building sand castles, clad shamelessly in Lu Han’s swim trunks. He cluelessly defects advances from a group of high school girls, grinning as he chases the tide with Lu Han. They play beach volleyball with Henry and Amber while Victoria and Liyin sunbath. In the afternoon, Lu Han is sent on snack duty after losing terribly in rock-paper-scissors. They lie on Liyin’s large beach towel, Sehun sucking idly at his melting icepop while watching the sunset.
Henry and Amber are discussing possible options for dinner when a child runs past them, chasing after a beach ball. The girl stops when her mother calls her back, warning her about the tide. Lu Han stops from folding their beach chair, offering to retrieve the ball instead as he jogs into the water. When the waves carry the ball further into the sea, Lu Han swims after it. Lu Han is about to grab the ball when he is pushed down by an incoming wave. He swallows a mouthful of sea water and resurfaces. Lu Han doesn’t get the chance to catch his breath before he is pulled under once more, as if someone is tugging at his ankle. It’s then that he notices a whirlpool of water pulling at him.
Lu Han remembers calling for Sehun Sehun Sehun, but water gushes into his mouth instead. There is a devastating weight on his chest as Lu Han feels himself sinking deeper. The water becomes more turbulent, knocking him to and fro. Lu Han vaguely remembers his shoulder colliding on something sharp before everything goes dark.
Lu Han wakes up in a choking fit, spluttering and gasping for air. His throat is on fire, his eyes watery as someone runs a hand along his back. “Sehun?” Lu Han asks, looking up.
“No,” the boy in front of him says. “Sorry I’m not Sehun.”
Lu Han opens his mouth, but pauses when he notices the trail of crusted blood running down his leg. When he wipes absently at the gash on his knee, Lu Han is astounded to discover the wound has disappeared. Lu Han’s hands fly to his neck, his heart dropping when he doesn’t feel the EXO key.
“Here,” the stranger says, dropping the key in Lu Han’s lap. “You should take better care of your belongings.”
Lu Han traces the surface of the key, looking up at the boy.They are inside the alcove of a small cave, the moon already emerging in the sky as sirens roar in the distance. Lu Han is oddly aware of the silence as he whispers, “You saved me.”
His savior shrugs. “I couldn’t leave you dying on the bottom of the ocean.” He pauses before adding, “I’m Lay.”
Lu Han is about to say something when they’re discovered by the lifeboats. The lifeguards bring them back to shore, where Liyin pulls Lu Han into a crushing hug, refusing to let go even after Lu Han complains about not being able to breath. Sehun is the next to latch onto Lu Han, still watching out of the corner of his eye the way Amber thanks Lay.
Later that night, Lu Han sits up in his hotel bed. He makes a note of the vacancy on the other side of his bed while tiptoeing out, keeping his eyes on Henry’s sleeping figure. He finds Sehun on the beach, staring into water. “I have to go back in there,” Lu Han says, watching Sehun’s profile outlined in silver. “There’s a card in there.”
Sehun doesn’t reply, wrapping his arms around Lu Han instead as he digs his face into Lu Han’s shoulder. “I know. I noticed too late and I tried to go after you. I really did! But I couldn’t - it’s like there was a force holding me back, and I couldn’t move- couldn’t warn you- couldn’t-”
Lu Han pats Sehun’s hair softly. “It’s okay. I’m fine, you see? Now, will you please help me capture this card?”
Sehun grins when he pulls away. They face the sea, Sehun threading his fingers through Lu Han’s before sending gusts of wind into the water. The waves pick up slowly, crashing and folding upon each other until Sehun parts a distinct path from the shallow end of the water. Under the moonlight, Lu Han makes out the image of a boy standing at the end of the path.
“Watch my back,” Lu Han whispers to Sehun before dashing towards the boy. He calls out Tao, causing his staff to morph into the shape of a sword. Lu Han yelps when the boy leaps at him. He tries to make purchase, but everything slips out of his hands until Lu Han is once again drenched in water. Tao’s sword, however, hooks onto the end of the boy’s jacket, and Lu Han manages to force him to retreat out of the water.
They’re at a stalemate, Lu Han’s toes curling against cold sand, when The Watery finally speaks. “It’s rude for you to point that sword at me.”
“It’s rude for you to drown me, too,” Lu Han says, surprisingly angry.
The Watery bristles slightly. “You survived, regardless.”
Suho, Lu Han thinks. Suho, Suho, Suho. That had been the name whispered to him under the ocean as he frantically tried to swim away. Yet, the water only sang hauntingly in return, leaving Lu Han strengthless and breathless. “I’ll forgive you,” Lu Han decides, pretending to not notice the pool of water gathering at Suho’s feet. “I’ll forgive you if you apologize.”
Suho looks taken back. “You clearly don’t understand how this works,” he says, moving the water towards Lu Han. Before Suho succeeds, he is knocked forward by Sehun’s wind. Suho looks up, eyes glassy, when Lu Han catches him in his arms.
“Just say you’re sorry,” Lu Han repeats softly, pulling at Suho’s elbows. “Say it and I’ll forgive you.”
Suho stares, lips pressed into a thin line. “Stop being so kind. You’re just like her. It’s unfair.”
Lu Han is speechless for a moment, but Suho is already closing his eyes, so Lu Han whispers, “Return into your true form confined,” and watches as The Watery appears in his hands. Sehun is by Lu Han’s side when he stands up, looping one arm through Lu Han’s in silent acknowledgment. “You can come out now, you know,” Lu Han calls out.
Lay steps out behind the pier. He engages Sehun in a staring contest before speaking up. “Suho just wanted to test you.”
“I know,” Lu Han replies, stepping forward as he reaches for Lay. “Thank you for healing me.”
Lay is quiet for a second. “I felt bad for you, that’s all.”
Lu Han smiles when Sehun’s grip on his arm tightens. “In that case, you only had to heal the larger wounds.” He lifts his elbow, tracing where the smaller cuts on his skin used to be. Lu Han is aware of the closed gash on the side of head. Yet, Lay had meticulously tended to all the scratches and bruises on Lu Han’s body, mending him whole. “You’re kinder than you pretend to be.”
“He’s a real softy, alright,” Sehun hums, wrapping his arms around Lu Han’s waist.
“Careful, Windy,” Lay says before accepting Lu Han’s hand and disappearing into the card.
On the way home the next day, Lu Han listens to Liyin and Henry sing to bubblegum pop on the radio. Victoria sits by the window, smiling faintly at Lu Han when Sehun’s head settles on Lu Han’s shoulder in his slumber. When Lu Han traces the surface of The Heal and The Watery in his backpack, he can’t help but feel extremely lucky - lucky for The Heal to have found him, lucky for the patch of sunlight on his knees, and lucky for the warmth of Sehun curling against his side.
“Where did you come from?” Lu Han asks after dinner one day while washing the dishes. He’s been thinking recently about the markings on his EXO key, the identical patterns on the back of the cards, and the way they change when Lu Han writes his name on the bottom. Sehun had informed him on day one that Lu Han needs to claim ownership to the cards prior to summoning them. Now he thinks that marking The Windy was rather counterintuitive. Sehun ignores most of his orders - he doesn’t clean up after himself and takes personal delight in raiding through Lu Han’s closet.
Sehun is surprisingly calm as he places the other cards down. “You’re very different, you know. Different yet similar at the same time.”
When Sehun doesn’t elaborate, Lu Han walks over, watching Sehun rearrange the card on the coffee table. “Who am I different from?”
Sehun doesn’t look up, taking great interests in moving the cards around. Faced down, The Earthy, The Fly, The Sword, The Watery, and The Heal are indistinguishable from each other. “Our previous mistress.”
Lu Han pauses, taking a seat on the opposite end of the table, setting his hand on top of Sehun’s to stop Sehun’s nervous shuffling. “Tell me about her.”
“What’s there to say about her?” Sehun shrugs. “She’s dead, and you’re the new card master. That’s what she intended.”
“You make her sound unpleasant,” Lu Han says at last, locking fingers with Sehun. There’s something reassuring about the coolness of Sehun’s palms. When Lu Han squeezes Sehun’s hand, a small breeze sends the cards flying off the table.
“No,” Sehun whispers as Lu Han picks the cards up. “No, I was quite fond of her. They always said I loved her too much.” He doesn’t elaborate when Lu Han asks, and Lu Han can’t bring himself to pry.
Next to Sehun, Lay is the one Lu Han relies on the most. Lu Han has a tendency to drift, thinking about everything yet nothing as he rushes across town on his roller blades. Every morning, he leaps across an average of five potholes as his movements gets progressively hastier. On Tuesday, Lu Han lands on his tailbone after narrowing avoiding a street lamp on campus. Two days later, he comes to a skidding stop in front of the chemistry building, leaving an open gash running along his right arm.
Sehun watches Lu Han limp from room to room, pouting as he insists that Lu Han uses The Heal.
Lu Han waves absently, flipping another page in his textbook. “If I abuse my powers, the next thing I know, I’ll be flying everywhere.” He gives up by Sunday after banging up his right hand on a particularly bad fall outside of his apartment.
Lay, unlike Sehun, is not one for theatrics. He brushes warm fingers along Lu Han’s wounds, healing them wordlessly. When Sehun’s brownies finish baking in the oven, Lu Han offers some to Lay, who declines politely. He watches Lu Han fill Sehun’s glass of milk, noting the way Sehun cools the brownies by blowing gentle breezes over them.
“You depend too much on Windy,” Lay says when Sehun is on his third serving. “From now on, you’ll need to utilize the cards more wisely. Sehun didn’t tell you about this, did he?” They both turn to Sehun, who looks up swiping his pinky along the edge of the icing can. Sehun blinks at them. “Certain cards are more effective when used in combination, especially considering that your element is the sun,” Lay finishes.
“The what?” Lu Han asks.
Lay looks torn between concern and amusement. He smiles at last, patting Lu Han on the arm. “Stop getting hurt. You should take care of yourself.”
Lu Han smiles sheepishly, tugging at Lay’s hand. “But I have you.”
Lay is silent for a moment. “There are things even I can’t heal.” It reminds Lu Han of what Kris had said weeks ago. We are not the only things dangerous about this world.
Summer comes early that year as a heat wave moves across the city in late March. “I don’t understand this,” Lu Han mumbles as he line-dries his clothes. The dryer in the basement is, once again, broken, leaving Lu Han breathless as he carries three loads of wet laundry up to the fourth floor. Sehun helps a little, sending gusts of wind circling around Lu Han’s tiny balcony.
Lu Han spends a particularly rough weekend in the library with Henry and Liyin, their heads pressed together as they finish the last stretch of a brutal research project. By Sunday night, Lu Han is too acquainted with the dusty pages of old books, his eyesight blurring as he tries to distinguish one tab from another on his browser.
“Let’s take a break,” Liyin suggests by eleven, stretching as she packs her bags. The three of them part at the campus gates, Henry walking Liyin home. Lu Han waves them goodbye before yawning and heading back. He notices the street lamps flickering, the neighborhood empty as he takes the long way home. Lu Han thinks about asking his uncle to wire more money into his account and spends a good minute digging through his bag for his phone.
“Looking for something?” a voice asks, and Lu Han whips his head around to find a boy in black standing in front of him. The boy grins cheekily, eyes beaming beneath unruly bangs as he raises one hand.
Lu Han has enough time to grab his EXO key before he is surrounded by a circle of fire. He flinches at the heat, watching the boy warp the flames with a twist of his wrist. “The Firey?”
“That’s me.” The boy laughs as the blazing fire rises higher, dancing around him. “Let’s have some fun, okay?”
“Watery!” Lu Han shouts, and Suho sends a wave of water towards The Firey. His attack, however, is eaten alive by the heat, evaporating into nothingness. Suho gives Lu Han a helpless look. “Try again,” Lu Han instructs, watching as Suho’s second attend dissolves in the flames.
“You’ve gotten weaker, Watery!” The Firey calls out while billowing fire hovers dangerously close to Lu Han’s face. “Do you not trust your new master?”
Lu Han reaches for Suho, but quickly ducks when a ball of fire is flung towards them. Suho returns to his card, and Lu Han grits his teeth before calling The Fly. He avoids the next few attacks by flying over the perimeter, cursing when The Firey takes it as a challenge and sends balls of flames into the sky. Lu Han can almost hear Kris’s voice whispering directions in his ear as Lu Han flies out of The Firey’s sight, landing behind an alleyway and ducking out of sight.
“Work with me, please,” Lu Han whispers before calling The Watery again.
Suho frowns at him. “I can’t - Chaneyol has always been stronger than me. He’s powerful and-” He stops when Lu Han pulls him into a hug, Suho’s arms settling awkwardly by his side.
“I have faith in you,” Lu Han says, hands set on Suho’s shoulders. “You can put his fire out. He’s wild while you have me. I need you to trust me, okay? We have to work together.” He smiles when Suho nods.
“Are you guys done?” Chanyeol asks from behind them, arms folded over his chest. He chuckles when Suho steps in front of Lu Han. “Watery, Watery, Watery,” Chanyeol says, circling around them and grinning. “You were always the weakest out of us, between me, Windy, and Earthy. Are you sure you can protect your new friend?”
“I’m going to kick your ass,” Suho decides, opening a reservoir of water and pushing it towards Chanyeol. It meets Chanyeol’s fire halfway, neither relenting as the product of evaporation rises over them.
Lu Han can see the Suho’s arms shaking as he sets one hand on Suho’s shoulder. “I believe you,” he whispers, watching Suho’s expression break into something akin to relief. Lu Han is caught off guard when Chanyeol throws something at them. He squeezes his eyes shut, but the pain never comes. When Lu Han looks up, he’s surprised to find that Suho has encased them in a protective bubble of water that diffuses any of The Firey’s attacks.
Chanyeol yelps when Suho finally overpowers him, drenching Chanyeol in water and effectively preventing him from creating any more spark. He pauses when Lu Han’s staff is pointed at him, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “She was right about you,” Chanyeol breathes out.
“Who?” Lu Han asks, even though he already has an idea.
“The boy who bends water and tames fire can also make the earth rumble and the wind sing,” Chanyeol continues, a content smile on his face as he sets both hands on the end of Lu Han’s staff. As Chanyeol returns to his card, Lu Han can discern his last whispers of It’ll only get harder from here on out.
Sehun is astounded when Lu Han returns with The Firey, jumping off Lu Han’s bed and examining the card. Sehun remains quiet while Lu Han explains the turn of events, eyes growing wider and wider until he reaches for the spellbook, scattering the other cards on the floor and moving them in wild circles.
“What are you doing?” Lu Han asks, kneeling down.
“There are seven now,” Sehun replies dreamily, aligning the cards into neat rows. “You’ve gotten stronger. You should be able to fortune tell with them now.” When Lu Han sends me a confused look, Sehun elaborates. “You know? Tell the future.”
“Don’t be silly. No one can tell the future.”
Sehan gives him a pointed look. “You didn’t believe in magic either.”
Lu Han falls silent, looking between Sehun and the cards on the table before picking one up. The first card he flips over is The Earthy. The second one is The Watery.
“Earth, water-” Sehun trails off, biting his lips as he thinks. “Something to do with life? Could the next be-” He stops short when Lu Han stands up unexpectedly, strutting over to the calendar on the fridge as he flips absently at it. “What’s wrong?” Sehun asks.
Lu Han doesn’t turn around, opting to stare at the numbers. “Sehun-ah. Let’s go on a trip.”
Sehun doesn’t ask any questions as they take the bus onto the mountain. When Lu Han doesn’t look away from the window, Sehun squeezes his arm. He follows Lu Han as they get off at the last stop, hiking past the visitor center and the flower shop. Before they descend up the last flight of steps on the hills, Lu Han turns to adjust the collar of Sehun’s shirt, smiling faintly while Sehun tilts his head.
Sehun frowns as they stop in front of a particular set of tombstones. He doesn’t stir when Lu Han pays his respects, listening as Lu Han talks about his schoolwork and his friends. Lu Han then moves on to talk about the cards. He mentions Lay’s surprising thoughtfulness, dispute Suho’s groundless insecurities, and talks about the way D.O. makes the flowers behind the apartment bloom. “The Windy is the worst, though,” Lu Han continues, turning to grin at Sehun. “He’s such a child, following me everywhere, using all of my things without permission. I would save so much money on food if I just called him back, but I’d be so lonely without him.”
Lu Han laughs when Sehun hugs him from behind. “I won’t ever leave you,” Sehun decides.
“Don’t make crazy promises, Sehun-ah,” Lu Han says, but Sehun’s grip only tightens.
“I’m not,” Sehun says.
Lu Han just hums, relaxing into Sehun’s embrace.
After that, Lu Han becomes more attuned to the overwhelming feeling of anxiousness he experiences in the vicinity of magic. He’s walking home from a lecture when he catches sight of a boy being chased out of the bakery. The boy has a steamed bun in his mouth as he leaps over a puddle, grinning when the bakery owner skids over ice and falls. The boy catches sight of Lu Han, their eyes meeting for a split second before Lu Han’s attention turns to the man cursing on the ground.
By the time Lu Han looks up, the boy’s already gone.
It’s late April, humidity lingering in the air and sticking onto Lu Han’s clothes. When he turns around, Lu Han notices that the patch of ice is gone as well.
The same boy appears two days later, fighting Lu Han for the last melon pan at the campus convenience store. Lu Han lets go instantly, watching as the boy head out with the bread and is stopped by the security guard on patrol. Lu Han hands the cashier a bill for the melon pan and watches as the boy turn to stare him.
They sit outside of the store, Lu Han watching as Xiu Min tears at his food. Sehun had told Lu Han about The Icy, about the card’s friendliness contrasted by the chaos and destruction left in his wake. Xiu Min doesn’t look very threatening as he eyes the chocolate bar Lu Han hands him. “You’re hungry, right?” Lu Han asks.
“I’m always hungry,” Xiu Min replies. “But that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.”
“Woah,” Lu Han brings his hands up. “I never said you were.” He doesn’t complain, however, when Xiu Min follows him around for the rest of the day. Lu Han treats The Icy to noodles after his last class, watching Xiu Min devour everything. He laughs when Sehun shows up at the school gates, as always on Thursdays. Sehun spends ten seconds narrowing his eyes at Xiu Min before speaking up. “You gave him my chocolate, did you?”
Sehun and Xiu Min bicker on the way home, always two steps behind Lu Han. They’re caught off guard by an erratic spring rainstorm, all three of them breaking into a jog. Sehun runs into Lu Han’s back when Lu Han comes to a halting stop a few blocks away from the apartment. Sehun peeks over Lu Han’s shoulder to find someone lying on the sidewalk.
Behind them, thunder roars in the distance. Lu Han quickly runs forward, flipping the person over to reveal a boy with sharp cheekbones. “The Thunder,” Sehun says.
The Thunder stirs when Lu Han shakes his shoulder. He takes a moment to gaze dreamily at them, eyes clouded. “Don’t touch me,” he breathes out, pushing Lu Han aside. He freezes upon catching sight of Sehun and Xiu Min, instantly pushing himself up. When Lu Han tries to steady him, a bolt of thunder strikes dangerously close them, causing Sehun to jump.
“Chen!” Xiu Min shouts when another clap of thunder cause a nearby trashcan to catch on fire. “Calm down!”
“Leave me alone!” Chen yells, grabbing at his shoulder. He twitches a little when Xiu Min steps forward, sending a wave of electricity towards them.
“Earthy!” Lu Han calls out in time for D.O. to construct a cover from the Earth, effectively blocking Chen’s attacks. “What’s wrong with him? He’s never been like this.” D.O. asks Sehun, who gives him a helpless look. They both freeze when another bolt of thunder lands nearby.
“I have to stop him before he destroys everything,” Lu Han explains, making eye contact with Xiu Min as they both jump out from D.O.’s shelter. They manage to duck from another attack before circling around Chen, Xiu Min freezing Chen’s feet to the ground and tackling him. Lu Han watches as Chen struggles underneath Xiu Min.
“Heal!” Lu Han shouts, letting Lay cast a layer of dust over them. Chen finally gives up, relaxing under Xiu Min’s grip as Lay pulls something out of Chen’s shoulder. Lu Han momentarily stops breathing, touching the edges of the butterfly clip. He has seen something similar before, the pattern engraved on Kris’s wounds that night many months ago.
“That butterfly clip was enchanted,” Lay explains later, after Lu Han has both The Icy and The Thunder cards sitting on his table. “But who would attack Chen?”
Lu Han pauses. “How many cards are left?”
“Two,” Sehun whispers next to Lu Han. “Just two.”
“So? What are they? How can I capture them?” He looks between Lay and Sehun, but neither of them have an answer.
Lu Han is restless for the next few days, constantly vigilant as he travels from home to his classes. Sehun sticks to him like glue, refusing to budge even after Lu Han orders him to go home. Lu Han doesn’t understand the secrecy between Sehun and Lay, but the apprehension in his chest only grows with every passing day. Lu Han knows something big is coming, yet all he can do is wait.
It happens on Wednesday night, when they are walking home. The street lights are the first to go, followed by the rest of the electricity in the area. Lu Han wanders aimlessly, not letting go of Sehun’s hand as they find the clearing near the baseball fields. Lu Han discerns the figure of a girl at the top of the hill, her body outlined in gold as she turns to look at him. Her companion also notices them, suddenly disappearing. When Lu Han squints, he’s shocked to find the boy appearing a few feet away from them.
“Kai?” Sehun steps forward. “What is the point of all this?”
Kai shrugs at them and stares at Lu Han, his gaze surprisingly unnerving.
“He only turned off the lights on my request,” the girl calls out from afar, her voice ringing in the air. At that moment, the moon shines at just the right angle to illuminate the features on her face. Even from afar, Lu Han can recognize her from anywhere.
“Victoria?”
“It was you all along,” Sehun says. “You’re the one who stopped me on the beach that day. You injured Kris and enchanted Chen! You’re the one who sent Chanyeol after Lu Han too, weren’t you? I can’t believe I never noticed - all this time you were right here.”
Victoria just smiles at them, clad in a dress that vaguely resembles a butterfly. “You’re smarter than I thought, Windy. My grandmother was right about you. You were her favorite, after all.”
“What are you saying?” Lu Han asks, ignoring the way Sehun has fallen completely silent.
“My grandmother always told me about you,” Victoria says while making her way towards them. “She sang about the boy that would one day mend water, tame fire-”
“-make the earth rumble and the wind sing,” Lu Han finishes for her. “How did you-”
“You’re a very good friend, Lu Han,” Victoria says slowly. “But that doesn’t mean I will go easy on you. I’ll be the one to determine whether you’re capable of controlling the cards.”
Final judgement, Lu Han thinks, now understanding what Sehun and Lay had alluded to. “I don’t want to fight you,” he says at last.
“That’s too bad,” Victoria tells him, the butterfly clip in her hair glistening in the darkness. “If you fail, I will take your cards until someone more worthy comes along.” She doesn’t wait before throwing a wave of magic at him.
Lu Han dodges, biting his lips as he looks at Sehun, fingers already grasping his key. “Windy!”
Sehun looks taken aback at first, shaking at head at Lu Han. The wind he sends towards Victoria defects, coming back at Lu Han, knocking him down.
“Windy didn’t teach you everything, did he?” Kai says, moving forward as Lu Han recalls Lay’s words. Victoria is the moon and Lu Han is the sun. He can’t control Windy - not when Victoria is here. “There are consequences for choosing the wrong cards,” Kai tells him before appearing in front of Sehun.
Lu Han vaguely remembers Sehun calling his name before everything falls dark, and both Sehun and Kai are gone. The darkness continues to move towards him in waves, swallowing everything until all Lu Han can see is Victoria in the distance. “Firey!” he summons. Chanyeol appears by his side, only to be consumed by the darkness as well. The same happens to Thunder and Earthy until all the cards in Lu Han’s hand begin to fade, dissipating into nothingness.
“How will you capture The Dark without any of your cards?” Victoria asks before dissolving into the darkness as well.
Lu Han stops moving until he is surrounded by nothing but his own thoughts. It takes him a while to notice that he, too, is beginning to disappear.
There is an insidious pounding in his chest, the anxiety rising until all Lu Han wants to do is cry. Suddenly he remembers his parents’ funeral - the silence, the uncertainty, and the undeniable loneliness clawing at his heart. Lu Han remembers the month he spent not speaking to anyone, his voice dying unwillingly. Lu Han is the sum total of all his pain, a raw woundedness so extreme that it feels terminal and all Lu Han can do is give up.
But then Lu Han remembers Amber and Henry, the first friends he made in a long, long time. He remembers the way flowers sprout near D.O. and the way Lay makes Lu Han’s uncertainty disappear along with his bruises. He remembers Sehun, the way Sehun smiles as if all he knows is Lu Han. Curious, childish Sehun - if he wanted, Sehun could be nothing but a fleeting breeze, yet Sehun chose to stay with Lu Han, making ridiculous promises about forever.
Lu Han notices then that he is glowing. When someone’s hand slips into his, Lu Han looks up to find an unfamiliar boy next to him. There’s something undeniably warm about the boy’s smile, and Lu Han feels relieved just linking hands with him.
“Hi,” the boy says, his eyes kind. “I’m Baekhyun.”
“Baekhyun,” Lu Han repeats.
“Yes,” Baekhyun beams, covering both of Lu Han's hands with his own. “I think you called me.”
“I did?”
Baekhyun laughs. “Yes, yes. You did. If Kai is always a part of you, then so am I. Whenever you feel like giving up, I’ll be here, waiting for you. If Kai is the darkness, then I am-”
“The Light,” Lu Han smiles back, and then he gets it. The darkness begins to recede, leaving the baseball field in its wake as everythings returns. Lu Han doesn’t let go of Baekhyun’s hand, even after Kai and Victoria appear.
Victoria just smiles at him. “You win,” she says, handing the cards to Lu Han. Up close, Victoria seems older, more peaceful. There's an ambient glow about her, and Lu Han can't believe that he never sensed her magic. Kai stands next to her, making eye contact with Baekhyun. There's something peaceful about his face, like the expression one makes right before breaking into a smile.
“But you-”
“I may be the descendant of a powerful sorceress, but that doesn’t mean I want a part of all this. My grandmother approved of you,” Victoria explains. “Besides, the cards have chosen you.”
“They’ve chosen me,” Lu Han repeats lamely, looking between Kai and Baekhyun. Suddenly Lu Han feels so, so tried, dropping his staff as everything starts spinning.
When Lu Han comes to, he finds eleven pairs of eyes hovering over him. Sehun is crushing him in a hug, mumbling about winning and scaring him and Lu Han being an idiot.
“Let go, Windy,” Kris says. “He’s going to pass out again if you squeeze him like that.”
Sehun just glares at him.
“It must have been tiring to fight Kai, right?” Suho asks, chuckling when Kai wanders away to take a seat on the floor. It then occurs to Lu Han that they are back at his apartment, entirely too small to fit all twelve of them.
“Who let everyone out of their cards?” Lu Han asks, groaning as he squints at the light. As if on cue, Kai dims the room while Baekhyun laughs.
“You’re the one who summoned us,” Sehun explains after Lu Han orders everyone back. “Do you really not remember?”
Lu Han shakes his head. Everything still seems like a dream. The only thing he can truly identify as real is Sehun’s breathing over his face as he hovers over Lu Han. “I was so worried,” Sehun says. “I didn’t know what to do without you.”
Lu Han pauses. “Me either. You’re my favorite, Windy.”
Sehun grins. “I already know that.” He settles by Lu Han side when Lu Han scoots over, nested securely between Lu Han and the wall. Sehun swings one arm over Lu Han’s arm, curling the other over Lu Han’s heart.
“You’ll stay with me forever, right?” Lu Han asks, closing his eyes.
“As long as you'll have me. Even if I fall in love easily,” Sehun says. “I’ll never love anyone after you.”
“You’re ridiculous. Stop talking,” Lu Han orders before falling asleep.
Being the new card master comes with an entirely different set of responsibilities. Lu Han follows his sense of magic around the city as he investigates odd phenomenons. It’s less stressful to just let the cards roam. Kris spends his time sitting on the roof of Lu Han’s apartment, gazing into the city at night. D.O. run around the neighborhood park, playing with kids as he wows them with magic tricks. Chen becomes mellower, spending his time dancing in the rain with Suho while Xiu Min watches. Chanyeol nearly sets the apartment on fire more than once, and one day Lu Han returns to find all of his belongings flooded under water as Sehun frantically tries to blow everything dry.
“Why don’t you just move out?” Victoria asks when Lu Han relays the event to her. Victoria is more or less the same, spending her days dancing and studying. Sometimes she helps Lu Han manage the cards, giving him tips about combining certain elements.
“Where would I even go?” Lu Han asks. He has one semester left at the university, after which he has no future plans.
Victoria hums. “To my grandmother’s mansion in England? She did leave it for her successor, and that would be you.”
Lu Han’s eyes widen. “What would I do in England?”
“It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you end up in England.” Victoria explains, “Don’t you want to travel and discover the world? Isn’t that why you studied archaeology?”
It takes Lu Han a few days to digest her suggestion. He runs the idea by Sehun, who bounces excitedly off the walls in agreement. The world is frightening yet fantastic, and Lu Han wants to know more. He knows there’s more than the confines of the city. At night, Lu Han hears Sehun singing into the wind. He wants to investigate the boundaries of his power as well, wants to know exactly how far Baekhyun’s light can illuminate.
All Lu Han can wants is to explore. The world is not so scary, he thinks, when Sehun is there.
fin.
a/n:
1. In the manga, The Windy is Sakura's first and favorite card.
2. Victoria kind of takes Yue/Ruby Moon's place derrp
3. As for the Dark and The Light- pretty much the exact same thing happens in the Manga, but I really really liked how Baekhyun fit into this. SHINE ON ME TOO, BAEKHYUNNIE.
4. In the end, Lu Han only fought Watery, Firey, Thunder, and Dark. All the other cards caved pretty easily orz.
idek what else to say. I really, really, really wanted to write CCS au. Thank you feixing and alaeaureae for helping me brainstorm. And ♥ chrysa and lunathunderhead for beta-ing!
Sooo yeah. Love LU HAN PLZ. He is the perfect spacey Sakura ever.
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