She was frozen, her eyes glued to the youth who stood beside an easel. His doe eyes were hidden by the long fringe covering his eyebrows. He was clearly muscular based on what she could see through his clothing, he wore tight black jeans and a white t-shirt covered in paint splatters, both new and old. His face held some of the fat of youth but it was clear he was a young man, there was scar high on his left cheekbone a perfect mirror to her own. He had several earrings, all silver hoops and all different sizes. There was even a piercing in his lip and eyebrow. He stepped away from the easel and her eyes caught on his right arm. There was black ink swirling and dancing there. Protection runes and ancient spells to ward off attack spelled out throughout, with delicate shapes and intricate patterns there to disguise it's true meaning. He set his brush down and picked up a towel from the stool on the other side of the easel taking a cautious step towards her. His large eyes fixed on her face, curiosity and excitement shinning through the closer he got.

Her body seemed to be filled with ice. Her heart not beating as she stared at the young man. If the ghosts of her past were trying to haunt her, this boy was perfect. His thick dark hair catching light as it changed shades, showing off the boys emotions, much like her eldest brother's used to. His large doe eyes the same shape and color as her dear sister-in-law. His jawline smooth and without hair, much like her second brother's. His quiet confidence reminiscent of her grandfather. Gasping loudly she fell to her knees, the harsh fall doing nothing to bring her from her realization. "Gguk-ah?" She breathed, not caring that it sounded more like a plea. Her emotions, much like the weather, coming to a complete standstill. Hearing the nickname fall from her lips brought the youth to a halt, his eyes growing impossibly wider.

"Teileo!" Taehyung called, his excitement would have been tangible if not for the staring match holding the two in place. "Teileo! Oh, how neat a new painting!" He crowed, a smile evident in his voice. That seemed to break the spell as the boy melted into the shadows. His presence disappearing along with pressure in her chest. "Teileo!" Taehyung called again. "Did you see the painting? It looks just like the one your family had commissioned by-" His words were cut short as water poured through a hole in the ceiling, soaking the young woman where she knelt. Her eyes fixed to the spot the young man had once been standing. Her tears mixing with the rain water as her heart broke further. "Sœur?" He asked, his accent just a little unused, but the word just as affectionate as the first time he'd uttered it. He gently put his hand on her shoulder, hoping to get her to notice him.

"Gguk-ah?" She whispered again, her eyes glued to where she'd seen him.

"You saw him too!" Taehyung exclaimed. His eyes searching the ruins around them. She finally looked away, hopeful he would confirm what she'd seen. "Everyone once in a while I swear I've seen him. But I can never be sure, he's always gone by the time I look again. I swear I see him in the corner of my eye when I'm lost in thought, but that could just be my imagination. Sœur, we need to get you out of the rain, come." He gently helped her to her feet, and towards a used couch that looked like something you'd find in a dump, it was lumpy, discolored, and uneven yet strangely comfortable.

"Here, I'll grab you a blanket." He said, turning towards a dresser missing the front foot. Looking around she noticed the room was full of broken, yet usable furniture. The style not matching in any way, but clearly well taken care of. The dingy inside of the foyer of her castle looked like it was remodeled to be a room of comfort, there were a few bookcases (missing shelves or top/bottom) filled with novels, photographs taped on the crumbled remains. The pictures ranged in size and color, most were black and white. It was obvious which ones were done at the start of the photographers career and which ones were more recent. A few coats thrown carelessly around had silly faces or abstract shapes spray painted on them. She could see paintings (much like the one in the entrance) delicately placed throughout the room, none of them touching the ground and each within a frame with some sort of glass to protect it. "I found this place hidden by an enchantment. At first I thought it was-" He cut himself, watching as she tensed up, anticipating the name. "something my brother did to keep it from me. After all, there was a lot he'd kept from me." He continued, making a note of keeping her from hearing his brother's name. "He didn't like me snooping around, nor did he want me involved in the search. I was very sick and on death's door after the fire, I don't know if-" Again, he stopped when he saw her flinch. "Well, it doesn't matter." He said, keeping his tone light as he brought his spoils with him. His arms full of well loved, and freshly laundered blankets. Each a different shade of green or gray. "I found this place hidden and came back here often, especially when I found out no one else could get in without my permission. At first I would just sit on the floor, but after a while, that chair showed up." He pointed to the faded red throne across the room, it reminded her of the Phoenix Throne gold accents and ornate carvings throughout. It was something that would have been in their palace, had their family cared for propriety. It was clearly meant for a King, there was a faded gold cushion on the seat part, like an afterthought to the highly decorative piece of furniture. "Then I would sit in that. I found myself falling asleep here often, and that's when the blankets started showing up." He said, wrapping the thickest teal one around her shoulders. "I began spending all my time here. Reading, looking through photographs I'd taken, or just lounging. But every time I would think about needing something for the space, it would appear. It was like my own secret tree house. You know, like the hide away we used to talk about?" He asked, looking at her but finding her eyes staring at nothing. Looking around, his eyes locked on something and he began speaking once more.

"See that painting." He was pointing to the one hung next to the throne. It depicted a much younger Taehyung wearing his sleep clothes with a book perched on his lap and a lantern burning next to him, the background was left blank, with only the boy as the subject. It was professionally done and very detailed, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was a photograph. The boy's hair was in disarray, his eyes locked on the words with anticipation filling every inch of him. A small smile tugged at his thin lips, while his hands gripped the book tightly. His knees tucked up to prop the book up while his left foot was caught mid-tap. "That was the first one. It showed up after I got really sick, I wasn't able to visit for a few days and when I finally had the strength to get down here, there it was. That one was next." He said pointing to a portrait of Taehyung with thin hair and sickly pale skin looking at the night sky through a window, the stars reflecting beautifully in his large brown eyes. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape, his mouth open as if telling someone about what he was looking at. In the reflection of the window was a small, round, lightly colored blob. But it was hard to tell what it was from this far away. "I found that one the next week when I was exploring." He kept pointing out paintings each one showing Taehyung in some way. However, there was one in particular that caught her eye. It was hung up so that light would always shine on it. The frame was well cared for and clearly loved. The younger followed her eyes and found the painting, something infinitely sad and full of longing filled his voice.

"Ah, yes." He sighed, "That's my favorite one." He whispered, his eyes looking at it as astutely as she was. This painting held two subjects, one obviously Taehyung, while the other was a boy younger than him. Taehyung looked much more sick than she'd ever seen him, his skin drawn tight over his bones and so pale it was almost translucent. There were deep bags under his sunken eyes and his lips were chapped as they parted to allow him to breath. The rest of his malnourished body was covered in a thin dark gray blanket. He lay in the middle an ornate bed painted gold and red, much like the chair. looking so small and so vulnerable. There were thick fluffy looking pillows surrounding the younger's body as he lay asleep. However, what caught her eyes was the much smaller body tucked up against Taehyung's. A head of fluffy sleep tousled black hair lay against a child's smooshed face, his eyes shut in slumber, with tear tracks drying on his round cheeks. His head resting on Taehyung's chest, with his hand fisted in the shirt over the older boy's heart. The image captured the innocence and hardship of Taehyung beautifully, while capturing the devotion and dedication of the other boy.

"Jeongguk-ah is the only person who could have possibly remembered that." The young man whispered, his voice reverent as he too took in the painting. "He was the only one there when I died the first time. He was the one that begged me to come back." He confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "Finding you today and hearing you say his name has to mean something." He kept his eyes on the painting, taking in the younger boy curled against his side with so much love and longing, Teileo could feel it. "Why won't he show himself?" He whispered, tears falling from his eyes unbidden.