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36.63% Fox Fire (BL) / Chapter 37: Broken Individuals

Chapter 37: Broken Individuals

Hyeon was killing everything. His height was halfway towards the clouds, but his monstrous size didn't slow him down. He had decimated everything behind him in a trail of destruction.

Looking down, he saw little ants attempting to scurry away from his crushing paws, but they weren't insects at all. They were screaming humans who were terrified of the incoming slaughter. Smoke from charred buildings powdered the blue sky and red blood saturated the dirt roads. He wanted more. They needed to feel the agony that blinded him.

*I am death.*

In the distance near the ocean, Hyeon saw an army of Vikings chanting and banging their drums to a war song. They, and Odin himself eventually, were coming for him. It's too bad these pests won't reach him in time since he wanted to squish them himself. His sea serpent brother, Jörmungandr, will send a tsunami of water soon to wipe them out.

He continued creating earthquakes with his growing size and murderous rampage.

The apocalyptic scene blurred out. Hyeon could no longer feel the intense hatred. He was back in his own body but was now within the forest next to the cave. The aurora's lime green streams shimmered above him, beautifully contrasting the starry night.

He walked slowly while gazing at the southern lights and stepped on a hard object. A little surprised, Hyeon lifted his foot to find a weirdly shaped knife pressed into the forest soil. The blade was curved into a hook which reminded him of ones featured in ancient Egyptian paintings.

While examining the knife, the aurora glowed brighter. Glancing up, the lights formed into a green wolf. It suddenly dived to greet his face with its carnivorous teeth...

...But Hyeon's sleep-encrusted eyes snapped open before it could reach him. His chest heaved, trying to expand the tightness in his lungs. The sensation was similar to his bullying siblings when they sat on him.

Usually, the memories from past night terrors faded by the time he woke up, but that was not the case this time. He remembered the unique knife, cries from dying people, the blood-scented air, and the crunching of structures under his paws.

*Paws?*

Whose paws were those? That nightmare was way too realistic. Although it was just a dream, it was strangely reminiscent.

After a few minutes of calming down, he finally noticed Nammi's butt next to his face.

"Ugh, what a wonderful view," he sleepily mumbled while sitting up in his bed.

Nammi's eyes were fixated at the corner of the room. Her tail was fluffed up like she saw something threatening.

There was nothing there.

He rubbed the little sensitive spot at the base of her tail. "What do you see?" he soothed in an obnoxious baby voice. Regardless of him providing her favorite pets, her bum didn't rise in response and she didn't look away from whatever it was. Maybe it was a bug.

The clock said 5:10 P.M., just in time to get redressed and deliver Master Fenrir's dinner. He was glad Haruma let him go early for his break since he was weakened from—

He squealed and fell back on the bed. This whole experience while working here has been unreal. Being told over and over again that he was more than human was already overwhelming, but even more frustrating to not have anything to show for it.

*But why couldn't I do more? What exactly is my animal power?*

Haruma did say he should ask. Fenrir's character was cold, yet passionately hot-blooded. Not that it was a bad thing.

*Wait, what? Get your head out of the gutter, ya nasty.*

Hopping back up to redress into his servant attire, he hurried along to the kitchen to deliver the wolf's dinner. He kept an eye out for the certain troublemakers from earlier, but thankfully, they were nowhere in sight.

Haruma discussed with him privately about not needing to knock on Master Fenrir's door any longer. Supposedly, he found it annoying.

Complying, Hyeon creaked open the ancient doors while being careful with the tray of fresh lamb chops, salad, and a slice of strawberry cake. When it was mealtime, Fenrir was always absent from the office/living room space. All he had to do was arrange the utensils, leave, and wait. Quick and painless.

This evening was not one of those times.

Hyeon paused, almost toppling over the tray in surprise. Fenrir was sitting on the sofa facing the large windows. This place reflected New Zealand's sunset and sunrise times. Since it was 5:45 now, the sun behind the dreary clouds outside has almost vanished, just like the living world.

The dining table was in the room's corner near the couch. Hesitantly walking to the four-chaired table, he spread out the tablecloth and placed the silverware accordingly. Fenrir was still peering out the window, not even bothering to acknowledge Hyeon. The tense air made him too self-conscious to ask the questions he had about his mysterious ability.

When he was almost finished with his chore, he thought, This is so awkward!

"Boy," Fenrir's coarse voice said.

Hyeon stopped while folding a fancy napkin. He hated being called that. It reminded him too much of his emotionally abusive asshole of an adopted father. 'Boy' was his preferred name to call Hyeon, particularly when he used his manipulation tactics.

"P-please call me Hyeon, Master," he stated. His heart skipped a beat when his tone came off as a command rather than a request.

"Hyeon," he repeated. "How is your body doing?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Are you feeling well after masturbating?"

*TOO BLUNT. TOO BLUNT.*

"Y-yeah, it's fine."

A heavy silence ensued.

"Sit next to me."

Placing the napkin on the table, he gently sat on the spot next to Fenrir. The cushion underneath made a little FWIP sound as air escaped from his weight. Hyeon closed his legs together and arms tight at his side to feel smaller.

"You're stiff," Fenrir observed.

*Who wouldn't be in this situation?!*

He looked at Fenrir. Like, actually looked without being scared or in an animal's heat. The wolf was wearing his usual outfit consisting of a top resembling Captain Jack Sparrow's white shirt, slim black pants, and shiny black Oxford shoes. It was an intriguing concoction of styles.

Hyeon didn't notice before, but he had cut his hair. Now at ear-length, one side was swooped back to expose the side of his ethereal face. The other half fell above his left eye; eyes that seemed curious rather than the usual anger or vexed emotions. Given that the weather was even-tempered and his honey-amber eyes weren't glowing, he must be in a decent mood.

"I mean, every time we meet, it ends up with me getting naked."

*WHY WOULD I SAY THAT?* If this was a manga, his little soul ghost would be fleeing from his body in horror.

"Did you hate it?"

"Hate what?"

"The way I took you."

Took me? Do you mean my virginity?

He could feel his cheeks heat up. "I-I-I didn't hate it, per se. I just never imagined my first time under the influence of, well, this." He gestured to the insignia on his wrist. "And with a legendary god of all things."

"So you already knew my name," Fenrir said as a statement, not a question. "I'd hardly call it legendary."

"No, really. Between you and me, your character was my favorite in the Thor: Ragnarok movie."

Fenrir's face was blank. "A what? My character?"

"A movie. It's like a live theater but it's in a square box."

"And they made a...movie about Ragnarok? How could they portray it when it hasn't happened?"

*Take a big breath, Hyeon. It seems he doesn't know anything about the world of Hollywood.*

"It's just fantasy. They hired people to play the roles. If you get a TV, we could watch it."

*Did I seriously just low-key invite him on a date?*

That conversation ended. They viewed the grey storm clouds zooming by from the strong wind. It was time to change topics.

"Master, I have a question."

"I assume it's about your recent discovery of your gift?"

"Er, yeah. It just sort of came out. I think I can do more, but it feels clogged in a way."

"Hmm. The only thing you can do is wait. Let it develop. But don't practice by yourself since you don't know your potential."

*I could've told myself that.*

Fenrir's elbow leaned on the armrest, followed by his head resting on his hand. "Before you go, I need some of your soul energy. You did request me not to summon you so rashly from now on."

Hyeon shivered at the prospect of getting down and dirty again. He needed a little more time to mentally prepare since he was sane this round. "Uh, maybe, but can we wait until after you eat?"

"I don't want the food provided for me. Besides, I only need a small touch. Did you desire more than that?" Master inquired.

"Then what's the point in me bringing you breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you don't want it? It's really wasteful, you know."

Fenrir's aura became darker. Thunder boomed in the distance.

His question had hit a nerve.

"It's not your job to ask such questions, so don't get too intrusive like the previous servant. You are here to give me what I need," the wolf said cold heartedly.

Fenrir took a deep breath. He was trying to keep himself under control. "I changed my mind. Just go. I'll get someone else to clean it up."

"But you said you needed my—"

"I. Said. Go."

A strike of lightning erupted from the castle's front garden, illuminating the room. The crack was deafening and made Hyeon flinch at the sound.

Without saying a word, Hyeon jumped up from the couch. He didn't know how his simple question could be so personal. And that guy didn't have to get so snippy.

He shut the door behind him and stomped away to his apartment, forgetting all about the bowing formalities when parting.

Tears made his sight hazy. He wiped them off with his sleeve. *You jerk. I was willing to go all the way if you had just waited.*

But he thought about Fenrir's troubled eyes. No one could see under the mask, but Hyeon recognized the fear hidden underneath.

He could tell because he was the same.

*I guess we are both broken, huh?*


next chapter

Chapter 38: Never Cheat Your Master

It was getting too cold for his and Haruma's walks around the garden. Today was July 1st. It would be scalding hot for North America, but it was the coldest month on this side of the hemisphere.

Although Haruma barely talked, it was actually peaceful. The walks were a good way to take his mind off of a particular stubborn guy, but the tranquilness wasn't effective today.

*Fenrir only touches my hand or arm when I deliver meals, but I'm not opposed to going further.*

He wanted to learn more about his Master.

*I do?*

"Are you cold?"

Hyeon was thankful that Haruma interrupted his train of thought. His musings were going crazy from the confusing direction it was heading.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I didn't know the seasons were opposite on this side." It was true. He was shivering.

The fox eyed his light jacket. "Let's go inside. It's best to postpone our walks until it gets warmer unless you prefer a different pasttime to substitute it. Or get a heavier coat, at least."

They were strolling by the sparkly lake where the purple siren, Hyacinth, almost drowned him. It was the first time being here since that incident. Now that he thought about it, he hasn't seen that fish around. Perhaps he was too embarrassed to encounter Hyeon after Shika put him in his place.

Near the center, he saw a few marine spirits jumping out of the water to do dolphin-like flips. Hyeon could make out the shark spirit and some sort of transparent, horselike creature running across the surface.

"That's a kelpie."

"A what?"

"Kelpies can live in any body of water such as oceans, rivers, or a puddle. Although he's in this program, any spirit here can revert to their demon instincts if under the right conditions. So, do make sure to be wary when it's raining."

Demon instincts, eh?

"How long have you been at Festr Castle, Haruma? I heard you've been working here the longest out of everyone."

"I'm not entirely sure since time jumbles together as a feral demon. All I know is that I came from Japan. I vaguely remember arriving in Hell when the emperor was eliminating Christianity from the country."

Hold the phone. Hyeon remembered learning about this dark history from a Netflix documentary. It occurred during the 17th century.

"Haruma, that was almost 400 years ago. You were all alone for centuries?"

*That's so sad.*

"Demons don't care about companionship or being alone, only to consume each other. I must have done unforgivable things when I was alive. The more wickedness, the more time to serve Master Fenrir until the final test. But I do not mind since it's a second chance. It's better than being who I was."

It became quiet between them.

The lake went out of view as they entered the maze of hedge walls. They zigzagged along the paths to return to the castle.

Hyeon heard a small whisper.

"One more time?" He thought Haruma had spoken.

"I didn't say anything."

"O-oh."

The whisper returned but louder. It was in a language he didn't understand. Those sirens must be trying to tempt him again.

He tried ignoring the voice, but it wasn't disappearing. In fact, it wasn't identical to the siren's call at all. There were no bewitched feelings.

"Where's that sound coming from?"

"It's the approaching thunder."

"No, it's not that."

*Then where...*

The source of the foreign murmuring was coming from under that rose bush nearby. He veered to the left towards it.

"Hyeon, where are you going?"

"You really don't hear that?" He replied.

He squatted in front of the perennial plant. It was for sure coming from under there. Hyeon reached down to bend the bottom branch.

He didn't know what to expect, but a snake wasn't it.

A charcoal grey cottonmouth lashed out with a hiss.

The sudden movement of a venomous snake darting at his hand surprised him. He fell back on his ass and tried scooching away using his heels. The thick-bodied serpent slithered closer.

Before it could close the distance between them, a hand snatched the back of the snake's head to prevent it from biting.

"Didn't I say to stay away from snakes?" a voice said with mixed alarm and disappointment. Hyeon looked up at the person holding the deadly reptile.

Sani was wearing a navy blue Burberry suit with a white undershirt. The snake's thrashing tail left tracks of brown dirt over the expensive double-breasted jacket.

"I'm sorry. I just..." Hyeon didn't want him to think he was insane if he mentioned the whispering. "Was curious."

"I thought it was common sense not to chase after wild creatures." Sani handed the whipping snake to a centaur nearby who was towing a wheeled crate of yard equipment. He had a body of a chestnut brown horse with white socks, but a human's upper torso, arms, and head joined at the waist.

"Kyros, can you dispose of this thing?"

The centaur trotted over to carefully hold the serpent by the neck. "Yes, sir."

Sani returned his attention to Hyeon who was wiping off the earthly dust from his rear. His eyes narrowed as he observed him.

"It seems you've been busy while I've been gone. So tell me, what sort of powers have you discovered?"

_______________

Sani and Hyeon were in a private greenhouse by themselves. The space was not his responsibility, so this was his first time visiting. It was about the size of a middle-class family home. Pink, purple, and white hydrangea shrubs coated the structure's edge which gave off a sweet, flowery smell. Grapevines weaved above the rows of small lemon trees.

"Show me," Sani encouraged.

Hyeon raised his hand, palm facing the sky. He pushed the inside of his body as if constipated.

Sani chuckled at his straining. "Why are you doing it like that?"

He huffed in a breath after struggling to spark the little fireworks. "I don't know. The first time it happened must've been a fluke."

"A fluke? I return after being away for a while and you've gained an exponential amount of power. Amazingly, you're not even halfway at your full potential. I did say being here could help you, but I didn't think it would this much so soon. What was happening to provoke your ability?"

He couldn't reveal how he almost fought with Imoogi. "I was really angry at someone who was messing with my work. Next thing I knew, there was smoky stuff coming out my upper back and sparks were shooting from my hand."

"Anger, huh?" Sani scratched his 5 o'clock shadow. "That's not a healthy trigger. But I guess given your unfortunate history, it's not surprising. You two are crazy similar."

*Two?*

"For now, focus that feeling you had into your hand."

Hyeon concentrated on his palm. A minute went by without any results.

"PFFT," Sani was holding in his laughter. "You're not supposed to pass a bowel movement. It's weird now but controlling your soul power will eventually feel like moving an extra appendage. Here, I can help a little to show you, but it'll be the first and last time I can do this."

He placed his hand under Hyeon's upward palm. Sani's iris glowed.

Hyeon could feel pins and needles around his knuckles. Sani was transferring a tiny amount of his own energy. The pinpricks followed his bloodstream from his arm to his toes, and back up again. Although it was boosting his ability, something was off. His body didn't want to accept it.

"Try to ignore the rejection," Sani comforted. "It's supposed to be your family who aids you to evolve, not an unrelated, foreign one like mine. That's why I said I can only help this once, or your body will react negatively in the future. Can you feel the energy concentrated in your hand?"

"Yes."

"This is what you should feel when you release your power. Now, light it up," Sani directed at his hand. A burst of energy streamed through his palm to respond to the command. Similar to before, tiny yellow and white fireworks like sparklers emitted from the center. Sani took his hand away which caused the sparks to die down.

"Hoh, that's pretty. You said you had smoke coming from your back?"

The pinpricks disappeared. His body expelled the lingering power from Sani. "I don't think it was smoke like yours. It was thicker."

He whipped out his handkerchief to clean his glasses. "Until I see it, I can't say 100% what you are. Don't do this by yourself, okay? If you start a fire now that you've been warned, it'll look suspicious for you in terms of treason."

Fenrir said the same thing. Which reminds him...

Master also stated before, "It's not your job to ask such questions, so don't get too intrusive like the previous servant."

"Who was the dýr before me?"

Sani looked up from cleaning his specks in surprise. "This conversation certainly took a turn. Why do you want such information?"

"Master Fenrir compares me with whoever it is."

"Was," Sani interrupted.

"Was? What exactly..."

"He's been terminated."

"Like, fired from the job?"

His manager's character became a little dark. His bushy coyote tail swished back and forth with worry. "No, he was literally terminated. His actions were too severe to let him live."

*Damn. What if I end up like that, too?*

Sani scanned around them in case anyone was close by to listen. The coast was clear, though.

"I can't go into detail about the person's name, only what he did. A few decades ago, I hired a lion dýr; a very talented one at that. He became close to the Master, but not with the same intimacy as your relationship. More like friends who could talk to each other about their troubles. He brought a lot of good changes to the castle: human technology, the recreation room, recipes for various cuisines, improved servant's quarter, you name it."

"Unbeknownst to everyone, this person was a spy and was working under someone who is still unknown today. He used a weapon and almost killed Master Fenrir. Obviously, he didn't succeed but had to be killed on site. His body was returned to his family who understood why it needed to be done."

This information was...deep. "What weapon was strong enough to almost kill him?"

"I'm not too sure myself. That idiot, sorry, I mean Master Fenrir, said it was some charm. He hastily used a significant amount of invaluable energy to transport it out of the southern lights and somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. That's why he attacked you when you first met. Your powerful energy probably set off some PTSD. The situation really tore him apart since almost everyone close to him has betrayed him in one way or another."

"Hyeon, you're getting dangerously attached to Master. If your relationship proceeds, there's one thing you need to remember. As a well-known Norse life lesson goes, never cheat your master."


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