New spell:
- Lumeris, which can turn your wand into a lightstick :))

"Maxima is a prefix capable of pushing spells to the caster's limit. It may be basic, but it came to mind since we can utilize it without paying a price for magic or spending a lot of time practicing." - Joshua.

***

Chapter 07: a gap in between

Because Joshua told his boyfriend the truth about the secret organization, Mingyu, of course, got to know about it too. Jeonghan easily accepted the fact that he would be seeing his ex-lover more frequently, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with it. He avoided being alone with Mingyu at all costs.

However, it was unavoidable because Joshua and Seungcheol were always late for their group meetings, which irritated him. Jeonghan had cursed his best friend a thousand times in his brain if he could count.

Mingyu, on the other hand, appeared quite normal. He didn't look to be bothered or awkward. That made Jeonghan feel embarrassed, like, actually embarrassed, as if he were a petty ex-boyfriend.

As a result, Jeonghan and Mingyu arrived at the meeting room early, but they were unable to strike up a friendly conversation. The prince dressed casually in a white shirt with an outer zip-up jacket, concealing his chin with a strap-back cap. Jeonghan couldn't observe his face expression, but it was probably cautious because he didn't try to maintain interaction. He would simply stand there shocked for two seconds and then turn away if their gazes met.

Jeonghan didn't think he'd make it to heaven, but he was clearly already in Hell.

When the charming pair arrived, Jeonghan managed to say it for the third time in a week.

"What on earth did you guys do? Why the fuck do you both show up late again?"

Seungcheol and Joshua walked up to the fireplace and placed their books on the sofa table, slightly. Joshua purposefully ignored Jeonghan's outrage and stated:

"We found a spell that might open the left door."

Jeonghan gave Joshua a warning look, implying, "Whatever, it didn't lessen my rage for you."

Joshua just shook it off and told them:

"Since Minghao and Jihoon were unable to participate in this mission, I guess we had to split the four of us into pairs. We need help from at least one person outside in case something goes wrong within. The worst-case scenario is that if we are imprisoned inside, no one can discover us, and the queen will stir up this school and Carat Land to find her son. I don't think any of us want it to happen."

Seungcheol gazed at Joshua in awe. After few seconds, he proceeded to say:

"Babe, you're so hot when you talk like that."

Jeonghan and Mingyu were annoyed, and they didn't even bother to hide it. Joshua was not embarrassed at all; in fact, he was proud.

"What do you mean like that?"

"Oh, you know... THAT."

"For Merlin's sake..." Jeonghan sighed.

"Please! Stop!" Mingyu added.

Eventually, as they were asking for, Seungcheol and Joshua halted their needless flirtation and began to focus on the mission.

The four exited the meeting room and made their way to the door on their left.

The temperature was colder in this middle dimension and gradually declined with time. They couldn't stay here for long, so Joshua hoped this specific magic would do the job. The boy also grew bored of confronting this wooden door every day of the week and returned to his room with a zombie's look.

With a nod from Joshua, Seungcheol pointed his wand at the doorknob and muttered, "Maxima Phantotis."

"Wait... Could that work?" Mingyu felt disbelief.

"Possibly. Miss Sandra gave me a book in which it mentioned that matter has layers like human epidermis, and magic is capable of peeling them away and then piercing inside." Joshua replied.

"They can go deeper into material and reach its core. Maxima is a prefix capable of pushing spells to the caster's limit. It may be basic, but it came to mind since we can utilize it without paying a price for magic or spending a lot of time practicing."

Seungcheol opened the door while Joshua narrated their impressive discovery. Jeonghan stood there in wonder, staring at the man. He almost cursed out loud, but they ran wild in his head instead. He grabbed Joshua's sleeve and violently shrugged it as the best friend astonished and shockedly looked at Seungcheol.

"What the hell? It really works!" he shouted. "Oh my goodness!"

"I should go." Mingyu instantly volunteered.

Jeonghan's actions came to a halt. He looked at Mingyu in confusion, barely accepting what the youngster had spoken. Seungcheol had stepped forward before he could say anything.

"You're the prince. You should stay here. I'll go."

"It's a great time to be a Protector, but unfortunately for you, I won't stay here as an outsider and observe. You've already helped them in opening the door; I'm the one who should step through it. What kind of prince am I if I don't go?"

Needless to say, Jeonghan was hesitant to team up with Mingyu. He didn't say anything out loud, but Joshua picked up on it. The best friend decided to come and save the situation.

"I appreciate that you guys decided to help us, but this mission is supposed to be fulfilled by Jeonghan and me," Joshua said, "As the leader, I'll go with Mingyu and Jeonghan stays here, guards with Seungcheol."

Seungcheol frowned when Joshua offered to be Mingyu's teammate.

The boy smiled sweetly and assured Seungcheol that he would return safely.

Jeonghan was about to argue, but perhaps Joshua and Mingyu were a better match. Joshua is a Healer, whereas Mingyu is an Explorer. They are more balanced than Jeonghan and Seungcheol, the Warriors' two hot heads.

"Fine. But the next time, it'll be my turn." Jeonghan said calmly.

Joshua agreed with a grin, while Seungcheol stood motionless, unsure what to say in response to Jeonghan's statements. Seungcheol's anxiety lingered, but all he could do was nod and warn Joshua to come back right away if he felt threatened. Later, he noticed Joshua's head lower, and those lovely lips kissed his palm.

At first glance, it appeared to be a promise, yet the sensation it prompted was total physical and devoid of oaths. They were just, delicate.

Joshua observed Seungcheol's gaze without saying anything before following Mingyu on foot until they made their way to the main door.

When it was fully opened, the two cautiously studied the visible space inside.

The interior appeared to be incredibly dark at first glance, with only a sliver of light coming from the monotonous ceiling lamp. The bookcases were neatly arranged in horizontal rows on both sides.

When they crossed the threshold, the room temperature quickly invaded their body heat, giving them a strongly frigid feeling akin to the corridor outside, where Jeonghan and Seungcheol were guarding. Joshua took out his cellphone and began to count the seconds. He also checked the temperature in the area to see if it dropped as they stayed longer.

"Lumeris." Mingyu raised his wand, and it immediately lit up, illuminating the road ahead of them like headlights.

"Are there any other spells for lighting?" Joshua asked, his gaze still darting across the room.

"Yes. It may literally fly and follow you around or bring you to the object you've lost."

Joshua immediately turned to gaze at him, his eyes gleaming.

"Miss Sandra said it could fly but never said it could help us find stuff." He stated.

Mingyu shrugged, not looking startled.

"There's a lot of spell out there that I found very interesting. School taught us enough to live a typical wizard life, not an intriguing one."

"Miss Sandra taught me to cook without using my actual hands."

Mingyu laughed in response.

It reminded Joshua of Seungcheol hearing that Miss Sandra was a member of the secret organization. It was different. Seungcheol became angry and bitter instead of laughing or smiling. Joshua was still perplexed by how they handled the situation without discussing it. They simply sobbed and apologized, hugged and kissed, and life went on as usual. After that conversation about Miss Sandra, the situation only became odd.

Seungcheol had always been there for him and comforted him, but there was a gap between them after the fight that Joshua couldn't explain. The once-fulfilled love is now missing something, like a puzzle missing a few pieces.

For some reason, their fight never lasted as long as Jeonghan and Mingyu's, yet it ended strangely anyway.

"Hey, it seems like there's no one around here, just us." Mingyu drew Joshua's attention away from his thoughts.

Joshua's gaze traveled over the bookcases, and he realized that if they didn't talk, only their footstep echoed.

The silence crept into his brain, and the bad feelings began to gnaw at his gut. This is when he sensed something was off.

He believed that people did not hide things unless it was absolutely necessary. The owner charmed a protective spell for the door, and Joshua was certain there was more inside.

"What if we touch something?" He said so and dared to do it.

Mingyu came to a halt in front of him.

"What did Miss Sandra say about the Hidden Library?"

"She never said it was dangerous, though."

"You're quite reckless and daring. I can't believe you're a Healer." Mingyu exhaled a sigh.

"Me too." Joshua was in agreement. "I never think about myself as a Healer."

He tapped a random book, but nothing occurred. He removed it from the bookcase, but nothing happened. All changed when he opened it and saw what was on these pages.

All of the letters were reversed.

Mingyu quickly grabbed another one, and the outcome was the same as Joshua's. He took a look at the book cover, which appeared to be normal; the letter was properly aligned.

"I assumed it was mirrored. But this is undoubtedly a different spell to fool us." Mingyu stated. "There are a lot of books; it's already difficult to find information. You should learn a new spell to reverse the letter, then comeback."

"I just need to find one thing." Joshua said.

"What is that one thing?" Mingyu was curious.

"The method that the Ministry of Education used for the test."

"Is there something wrong with the method?"

Joshua observed him, trying to find anything bothersome, but Mingyu appeared to be just fine. He didn't sound like he was in agreement or disagreement with Joshua's purpose. After feeling at ease with Mingyu, Joshua finally stated:

"I, actually, felt weird about my vision."

Joshua admitted it for the first time.

Mingyu didn't seem surprised.

"I assume it's normal, because almost everyone cried or felt dead inside after the test. Those who were fortunate enough to witness something serene and lovely didn't have it."

"Mine is different, I suppose." Joshua shook his head. "I discovered that everyone saw themselves or reflected their past; few people even went back to their memories, but not me. I never met myself or anyone else in the past. I saw presence and things that had never happened before."

"What did you see?" Mingyu paid attention and asked.

That question scared Joshua so much that his hand jerked slightly. He shut the book, unable to look Mingyu in the eyes. The boy responded in a monotous tone, attempting to lighten his voice and make it less weighty and terrifying:

"Seungcheol died in my vision, unfortunately."

Mingyu grasped Joshua's shoulders; he couldn't control his tone any longer. His voice rose in disbelief.

"What the hell are you saying???"

"I told you. It was strange. And you seem shocked. I bet your vision was different than mine."

Joshua said it casually, as if the vision had been nothing more than a dream and it didn't matter any longer.

He still cares about it, though. He was still scared of it to this day, and it didn't feel any less frightening.

"How did it happen?" Mingyu felt awful, then added, "The death, I mean. It sounds horrible."

Joshua sighed and leaned against the bookcase.

"I believed I was still in the library, but all of a sudden, nobody was around. So I dashed out the door, and I saw Seungcheol walk through the hallway. When I got outside, he was already... there." Joshua paused for a while, allowing the memories pour over him before soaking in.

Mingyu patiently waited a few seconds, then he heard Joshua say:

"He was right there in the middle of our schoolyard. But he was nothing more than a lifeless corpse. They hung him from the tree as if he were a criminal. I couldn't move my feet, so I stood there wailing until crumbling to the ground. I wish I had stopped moaning and ran to him. But I didn't. The next thing I remember is waking up in a room full of people who had either passed out or panicked."

The light on Joshua's face was dim. The boy was obviously hurt and frightened, even if Mingyu couldn't see his expression.

"Did you tell Seungcheol?"

Joshua raised his head. He glanced at the prince with terror in his eyes and eventually said:

"How could I?"

It had already broken him. How could he do it with Seungcheol? The only thing he did was put it aside and move on.

He searched for an answer, hoping that his vision had nothing to do with the future. He'd rather it be a dark corner of his soul than a prophecy. Then he would be free of this distressing circumstance.

They battled, became angry, and got fired up, but Joshua didn't mind. Joshua could even consider the conflict an unholy pleasure as long as Seungcheol was alive and well. And even though the distance might cause them to grow tired of one other and break up, Joshua would still love him and pray for his well-being every day.

The vision is a hoax, it must be.