In the Dark Part 2
Incubus! Yuta x Witch! Lily
Yuta leaves a life of wild partying and long nights to be with Lily, a witch with growing power.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Word Count- 2.7K~
~Fantasy!au, sexual themes, some angst, blood play, power complex, choking(not a lot), alcohol
A/N: This one is a little shorter but its fiiiine. There’s a bit more Doyoung, less Johnny, and more Lily than Yuta. And I kind of set it up weird so I had to rethink how I was gonna write it, but here ya go, part 2 is up and running. Part 3 is on its way.
She was shaken awake by a familiar figure dawned in black cotton. His kind face was such a sight for sore eyes.
“Doyoung, what’re you doing here?” Lily was so excited to see him after so long.
“Johnny called me after he brought you home. He said you were with someone.” His expression changed as he watched her nose scrunch at the thought of last night.
“Wait. What happened?” Her head was pounding. She felt dehydrated and starved in the dimly lit room covered in the grey of approaching storm clouds.
“All I know is that Johnny had said you’d gone to see him yesterday and he followed you and another man to a club, where you passed out. He brought you here and called me. Lily, what were you doing?” His words were slow and his voice was filled with concern for his younger sister. She was the only other sibling he had, and he cherished her deeply.
“I- It was kind of hectic. Doyoung, I found something. I went to see Johnny for information, but there was something else.” Her voice trailed off as she looked for comfort in her brother’s big eyes. “The Book of Spells, it called to me…”
Doyoung eyes grew wide at the statement. He was much wiser than her and had studies the history of witchcraft. He knew what it meant to be called upon by this book.
His reaction made her nervous. She only knew the book from the stories.
“Lily, this means something far greater than you or me. Father died trying to protect us from it, but it was too powerful. I don’t know why it would call to you, but it is extremely dangerous.”
They sat in silence for a moment, considering each other’s words.
“Who is he?” Doyoung broke the silence with a soft, barely audible voice.
“I don’t know yet. That’s why we went to see Johnny.” Lily didn’t want to give Yuta away, knowing Johnny couldn’t tell what he was. He was her secret, for now. At least until she had some more answers.
“How about we go get breakfast and catch up? It’s on me.” It had been years since Lily had seen her brother. He was always busy with studies and working to become a healer like their parents so he could take over the family business. She nodded, shifting to get out of the soft bed.
They left in Doyoung’s sweet little Toyota Avalon, and arrived at a nearby coffee shop, only three blocks away from Yuta’s apartment building.
The two of them shared the neutral space, sipping their tea and chatting. Lily suddenly felt a vibration in the back pocket of her jeans, pulling out her phone with swift grace, to check the notification. It was a message from an unknown number reading:
Hey, princess. Meet me at 2pm behind the convenience store on 10th. ~Y
She checked the time at the top of the screen. 1:46. She glanced back up to her brother who was watching as civilians passed the window. “I should probably get going. I have some shopping to do in town.” She stated rather plainly.
Doyoung was concerned for her safety. He had noticed that the energy in her house had been tampered with recently and he felt reluctant to leave her with no protection.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? I could take some time from work and stay for a few days.” He was genuinely concerned.
“I’m alright. I’ll call you if I find anything knew, ok? You don’t have to worry about me.” He nodded in hesitant approval, standing from the wooden chair.
“Thanks for breakfast.” They shared a large embrace before parting outside the front door. Lily pulled out her phone once more before taking off to the meeting spot.
On my way now. Was all she replied before making her way behind the convenience store. There she found Yuta leaning up against the concrete wall, looking absolutely stunning in a dark printed button up tucked into the front of his white pants.
The sight of him sparked a sudden fury inside her. She hadn’t heard from him since she fell unconscious the night before. She stomped towards his taller figure and gave him a good shove with more force than she intended.
“What the hell happened?! Did you fucking drug me?!” She spat in his face.
“Hey hey, it wasn’t me. I don’t know but when I came back, you were unconscious on the stairs.” His tone was sincere and calm as he threw his hands in the air in surrender.
“Then why did Johnny bring me home??” “I spotted him in the club and he helped me get you home.” Her tense body softened, understanding what had really happened. She wasn’t used to using this much magic, and it had taken its toll on her body.
“So why am I here, then?” She was still defensive with him, but less aggressive as she backed away to a safe distance.
“I did some research of my own.” His words had peaked her attention.
“There is a spell known as the protector, an extraordinarily strong force that protects a living soul from forces of evil. It can only be placed by a being of magic equivalent to that of a god and is found in the ‘Book of Spells’.” Lily’s eyes grew large when he spoke the air quotes around the title.
This explained everything. The spell must have been traded for her father’s life. That is the only fair trade for a spell of that magnitude. He risked his life to protect her.
Lily was no ordinary witch and she certainly wasn't a healer; she had become well aware of that. Something about this didn’t feel right. She never wanted protection, especially if that meant Yuta could never touch her. She wished she’d had the decision to herself, to be free to pick a side or not. Her expression grew dark and solemn as she pondered the idea of her freedom.
Lily’s father was never viewed as a hero. Many who were familiar with the Unspoken War only referred to him as a traitor, giving into the dark magic that had consumed their world. He did sacrifice himself, but he was not a soldier or a great power fighting to protect the world. Lily looked down on his memory thinking that he was just a silly fool for giving in so easily.
She was nothing like him. She didn’t carry his features or personality; she was an oddity to her family. Doyoung was the golden child, but he would fight for her in a heartbeat. She simply didn’t belong in that world.
She was snapped out of her headspace by a swift snap of Yuta’s fingers. “You alright there? I know it’s kind of a lot, but can you make any sense out of it?”
“Yeah, it makes a lot of sense actually.”
“So, what do we do now?” Yuta was completely lost, not following Lily’s thought process.
“I need to go back to the vault. If that book has the spell in it, it can surely tell me how to remove it.” It was a lot to consider. This spell could have easily been keeping her alive for all these years, but she also knew that if she were to turn dark, it would tear her apart.
“Are you sure you want to remove it? I don’t know if I could control myself.” Lily rolled her eyes at his seductive demeaner and walked toward the opening leading back to the street, gaining her bearings, and shifting to the left, heading down the sidewalk at a purposeful pace. Yuta caught up with ease, his long legs allowing a larger stride.
They arrived at the small entrance to find that the room behind the door was dim. Johnny wasn’t there. He was always there, day or night. Odd.
Lily brushed it off, gripping the knob of the door tightly, watching it glow in her grasp. It swung open in a gust of wind.
“Nice going but don’t you still need the key?” Yuta’s voice was smug as it echoed through the empty space.
“Johnny is always here. He hardly ever leaves this place in case people like me need his help in the night. I wouldn’t be surprised if he left the key behind the counter.” And just like that, she grabbed it from under the countertop, where it hung from a miniscule hook.
The glow of light in the staircase wasn’t nearly as bright as it had been the day before. It was more of an eerie ambiance as they descended. The room felt larger to Lily, as if it had been expanded by a few square feet, but still bustling with energy.
She paused after stepping under the archway, closing her eyes and taking in everything she could. She took a single step and was startled as the Book of Spells slammed into her chest, knocking her slightly off balance. Yuta put out his arms to brace her, but his effort was in vain.
Lily spent no time looking for other books today. Everything she needed was concealed behind the cover of this dangerous entity. She just had to figure out how to open it and her power would be free.
She placed her palm over the cover where the lock was glowing bright. It felt like every action she was making was from another being, like the book was taking over her body, telling her how to open it.
She closed her eyes, directing her energy through her palm. A strong wind swept through to open space, flipping loose pages and blowing her hair around her face. Lily’s ears were filled with noise, objects, howling, voices, all calling to her.
To Yuta, the room was still. He watched as Lily’s feet had been picked up off the ground. He remained still, knowing not to disturb the inner powers of Lily’s mind.
The voices grew louder, and her hand grew heavy on the rough surface. In a low soft growl, she could make out, “No~ Turning~ Back~.” And “It~ Can~ Only~ Be~ You~.” The voices were ominous and, frankly, frightening. But she was not compelled to pull her hand away. She held it there and endured.
The voices continued to grow, morphing into a much clearer, high pitched snarl, until finally, they came together in a booming screech, warning “BALANCE IS KEY!” followed by a piecing “DEATH IS CURTAIN!”
She landed like a cat on the floor, on the balls of her feet, still in a state of shock, but holding the book with strength she wasn’t aware of. Yuta jumped as a shockwave rippled from the middle of the floor.
“What was that all about?” Lily was silent, trying her best to collect her thoughts and make sense of what she just experienced. Yuta now filled with questions, was the only voice in the room.
“What just happened? Did you figure out how to unlock it? What do we do now?” he prodded.
Lily opened her eyes slowly, looking immediately down to her hand. A glowing blue mark was left where she had placed it on the lock. It burned in her palm, radiating inflammation. The lock no longer shined against the leather cover. A notch had been released as it swung freely against its home.
A dull ache formed against her skull as the toll of magic set in. “I’ll meet you upstairs. I just need a minute.” She held her head low as her voice came out a little weaker than she’d intended.
Yuta disappeared in a flash leaving her in an empty room. Her inflamed palm was starting to deescalate, turning the flesh a darker shade and leaving a permanent mark. She could feel the book’s power, even as she held it at a distance.
Her mind was almost hazy with all the energy of the room mixed with her own emotions. It made her dizzy, but her judgement was clear. This book was not going to let her leave without it again.
She reached for her bag, unzipping it and placing the book right down the middle, candy wrappers crunching underneath it. Johnny wasn’t there so who would know. Besides, this book had chosen her, clamed her, compelled her to take it.
The store was quiet, still dark as before. She carefully locked the cupboard door and placed the key back in its exact resting place as she looked around for any sign of Yuta. Where had he gone.
PING.
I’m outside when you’re ready.
His unworldly speed was surely an advantage. He sat in his luxury vehicle, waiting promptly for her company. The scent of death was less prominent as Lily sat in the familiar passenger seat. She noticed a new decoration around his rearview mirror- A stick of cinnamon.
“Where are we off to now, princess.” “Can you just drop me off at home?”
His face shifted to a concerned look.
“Are you sure you’re ok? What exactly happened?” His voice was soft and sweat.
“I don’t exactly know yet. I need some time to… figure some things out.” She was avoided contact at all costs now. Something had changed when she held that book, and she was unsure of what it would bring. “Balance is key,” “Death is certain.” What did they mean?
They were silent. Yuta didn’t prod. He was more worried about her than anything. Lily noted that his driving had improved, less weaving around other cars. He almost seemed not quite himself.
She watched the sidewalks full of busy people through her window as they drove. Every once in a while, she would spot a miscellaneous bystander at the cross walk or bus stop and she would get the sense that they were watching her, following her every move.
When they arrived, the colors of the flowers seemed less than impressive. The aura around the house was dull. Not even the windchimes danced. All was simply quiet.
Yuta was the first to break the silence as she pulled the lever to open the car door.
“Hey, Lily.” She turned around in her seat to face him.
“I’m sorry about last night. If it’s any consolation, I had a lot of fun.” The truth was, he had never experienced something so invigorating in his time in the city. “I’ll be out, again, if you ever want to join me." He smirked to himself, but his tone was sincere.
“Thank you,” was all she said before straightening her back as she rose from the vehicle.
Inside, all was quiet, nothing was out of place. It almost seemed unusually ordinary, for a witch’s residence. She took the time to replace some of the suspended spices and water her flowers with mint water before sitting down and pulling out the burden in her bag.
She placed it on the coffee table in front of her, staring at it, willing it to tell her what to do with it.
The lock had repositioned itself into a state of security but was not anywhere nearly as difficult to open. All Lily had to do was wave her hand over the cover and the notch would appear with a CLICK.
Small droplets bounced against the dusty windows all around her as the sky grew darker with every pitter patter. She removed the lock completely, setting it next to the cover. As if a gust of wind had entered through a cracked window, the pages rustle and settled on a spell. The Protector.
The ink was smudged on the page. She barely had time to read it before the letters started moving, forming new words right in front of her.
We’ve done you a favor. Now it’s time to pay it back.
The pages rustled again to a different page among the last few. The Dark Soul.
The feeling that was growing in her stomach felt unnatural. She had only every felt it the night she ran away. It was unnerving.
Only beings of great power may behold. If the book has chosen you, read no further, for you bear the mark of darkness. Use the power you will come to embody with great care.
In red splatters along the bottom wrote, THE WORLD MUST ALWAYS BE IN BALANCE.
Then the cover slammed shut, startling the witch, and relocked itself on the small table.
“Now, I suppose I wait,” She murmured to herself, watching the rain pick up covering her windows in a sheet of water.