Invisible Magic
Title: Invisible Magic (Part Two)
Author: his_angel16
Characters: Exo
Genre: Fantasy, Angst, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own the plot, not the people. Any actual likeness to any given person is purely coincidental.
Summary: All of his life he spent running. The shortest break he had was when he was twelve, but that was years ago now. Jongin was nineteen now, an adult. No more running away. It was time to face his pursuer head-on, but the truth that he discovers could be his uprising or his downfall. And Tao finally finds the courage to speak up about his past, about betraying the one person he had sworn loyalty to.
“What?” Jongin asked, trying to peek into the room.
Baekhyun smacked his hand over Jongin's eyes, dragging him along to the next room. His face was slightly flushed, cheeks dusted a light pink. He released Jongin's face as he went to sit in the middle of the room on the floor. Jongin gave him an odd look, turning his head when he heard the door open to the next room. “Kris, Yixing!” Minseok said from the hallway. Jongin turned back to look at Baekhyun, finding him face down on the floor. He quietly walked toward him, sitting down beside him.
“You saw Yixing and Kris, I’m assuming?” he mumbled. The other nodded and Jongin frowned. “Am I to assume you like one of them?” When Baekhyun nodded again, he pat him on the head. It wasn't something he was used to, showing sympathy. Normally, it would have been the other way around, but he did feel kind of sorry for the guy. “Do you mind if I ask which one?”
“Kris,” he replied. His voice was muffled by the floor, but Jongin could still hear the sadness in it.
He dropped his hand when the others came in, acting like they had simply gotten bored waiting for them. “Okay, so Baekhyun and Chanyeol are on my team?”
“Yeah.” Minseok stretched his arms over his head. “And Luhan and I are a team.”
He stood, dragging Baekhyun to his feet. He waited for Chanyeol to join them before they began speaking of their strategy. They were allotted five minutes, as were the eldest two. Their only downfall would be Luhan reading their minds, although he tried to keep that for whenever he and Minseok were losing. Chanyeol frowned at the expression Baekhyun was sporting.
“What's wrong with him?” he asked, eyebrows pulling together.
“He has a lot on his mind,” was the only answer Jongin gave him. Baekhyun shot him a look of gratitude. “Okay, so how do you guys usually work together?”
“Baekhyun blinds them. Then I go in for the kill.” Chanyeol grinned. “Hard to dodge fire when you don't know where it's coming from.”
“But Luhan can read our thoughts,” Baekhyun stated, voice quiet.
“So, this is what we do.” Jongin glanced at Minseok and Luhan, the two of them flirting instead of strategizing. “Baekhyun will act like that's what we're doing. Instead, when he has them distracted, I'll teleport Chanyeol to right behind them. It's a simple win, really.” Chanyeol looked at him as if he had just solved the universe's biggest mystery. “What?”
“You're a genius!” he shouted, cupping his face. He kissed him on the forehead, grinning as the younger wiped it off.
Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head. Jongin turned to him. “You think it's funny?”
“Yeah, a little.” Baekhyun looked at him, eyes sparkling.
Swallowing, Jongin felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to push the thought aside as he turned to the eldest two. “We're ready!”
“Good. Here we come!” Luhan replied, voice booming through the room.
“This wasn't in the plan,” Baekhyun said, diving to the side as Minseok threw ice at them. He looked over as he rolled into a crouch, finding that Chanyeol and Jongin had gone the other way. He looked up to see Luhan smirking down at him, little silver balls spiraling around him.
“Too easy.”
“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol shouted, fire flaring up in front of Luhan, separating them. A ring of fire encircled the elder, forcing him back a few steps.
Grinning, Baekhyun formed a ball of light, tossing it right into Luhan's face. He stepped backward, yelping as the fire touched his arm.
“I'm out!” Luhan stated, holding his hands over his eyes. “And I’m blind. Just leave me here while you continue.”
Baekhyun stood up, jumping to the side again when Minseok appeared out of nowhere. He went to form another ball of light when Minseok's ice swirled up from the ground. “Gotcha!” He was smiling, face disappearing into a puff of smoke. Baekhyun felt weightless for a moment before his feet found the ground again. He blinked as he was across the room, Chanyeol's fire reaching out and touching Minseok, too.
“We won?” he asked, looking to his left. He found Jongin smiling.
“Yeah, we won,” he replied, Chanyeol hooting from the other side. He came running up, hugging both of them tightly.
“I've never won against them!” he squealed, turning in circles. Kris and Yixing appeared in the doorway, hair messed up and shirts hanging off of their shoulders. Chanyeol turned to them, grin still plastered to his face. “We beat Luhan and Minseok!” He threw his hands into the air.
Yixing's eyes went wide. “Really?” he asked, looking over to where they stood. “I've only beaten them a handful of times. And it's because Jongdae and Kyungsoo were on my team and Joonmyeon was on theirs.”
Jongin felt Baekhyun tense beside him the moment Kris and Yixing entered the room. He reached out, taking his hand. “Show me what movies you guys have.” He pulled the elder from the room without waiting for a reply. In the hallway, he could visibly see him relax. “You should try to stay away from them if you tense up like that.”
“I know.” Baekhyun nodded, allowing the younger to pull him through the hallway. They stopped when they saw Kyungsoo come down the stairs. “How's Joonmyeon hyung?”
Kyungsoo shook his head. “He's sleeping now,” he replied, staring up the stairs. “We all knew it was going to be hard on him when his grandpa passed, but the fact that he was murdered, it just makes things worse.” He held up an empty glass, smiling a little. “I'm getting him more water.”
“Why not use the bathroom faucet?”
“He doesn't like that water. He prefers the bottled water that he buys.” Kyungsoo left them standing there as he headed for the kitchen.
Jongin looked over his shoulder, frowning at seeing Kris coming their way. He grabbed Baekhyun's wrist. “I suddenly don't feel like watching a movie.” He watched as Kris opened his mouth to talk, but they were gone with a puff of smoke. He released Baekhyun's wrist as soon as they were in their shared room, going to his bed to lie down.
“What was that for?” Baekhyun asked, frowning at the younger.
“He was coming.” Jongin buried his face in his pillow.
“He?” Baekhyun scratched his head, hearing Jongin's muffled sigh before he turned over.
“Yes, he.” He growled hitting his bed as he pushed himself up. “Birdie, dragon breath, the wingless wonder.”
Baekhyun chewed on his lip. “Kris?”
“Yes, Kris!” Jongin threw his pillow at Baekhyun, hitting him on the face. “Man, you're slow. Were you dropped on your head as a baby or something?” He smiled when Baekhyun did. “Okay, now give me my pillow back. I need that.”
Shaking his head, Baekhyun clutched Jongin's pillow to himself as he sat down on his own bed. “Nope, sorry. You forfeited your rights to this pillow when you threw it at me.” He let out a shriek when Jongin jumped at him. They laughed as they rolled around on Baekhyun's bed, only stopping when he hit his head on the bedside stand.
“Are you okay?” Jongin was trying to hold his laughter in, but failing at it. He reached out, tipping Baekhyun's face toward him to see better. He noticed a small cut right beside his temple and he frowned. “Come on. Let's get you doctored up.” He tugged the elder up with him, dragging him to the bathroom. They passed Sehun and Jongdae in the hall, both waving as they passed. They were in another giggle fit from the others' blank looks. “Hey, quiet down.”
Baekhyun shook his head. “You started it.” He giggled again, still clutching Jongin's pillow to his chest. He chewed on his lip as Jongin dug around for the first aid kit. It was shoved into the way back of the cabinet. With a healer living there, they didn’t really need it. He looked up as the younger put antibiotic ointment on his cut, rubbing it in a little with his finger. He wiped the remainder of it on his pants, peeling apart the paper to the adhesive bandage before sticking it to his forehead.
“There. All better.” He grinned down at Baekhyun before snatching his pillow from him. “You let your guard down!” He raced out of the bathroom, Baekhyun following after him. He tossed his pillow into their room before hurrying down the stairs. He laughed as he ran out of the door, the elder following after him. Kris and Yixing were standing on the front porch, but Baekhyun barely noticed. He was too preoccupied on trying to catch Jongin.
“He seems happy,” Tao said, leaning against the door frame. “Sehun, Jongdae, and I aren’t sure who is behind it, but we're pretty sure that Joonmyeon's grandfather was no random target. We're trying to make a list of all of his possible enemies, so if you two think of anything, feel free to share.”
“We'll try to figure it out. Maybe we should go to his office?” Yixing offered.
“We'll go look,” Kris stated, taking the younger's hand. He frowned when Tao didn’t move.
“Don't use it as another excuse to have alone time with Yixing. I heard about the mishap with Baekhyun walking in on you two from Minseok. He said he looked like you were sucking each other's faces off.” He moved letting them through as he looked over toward Baekhyun and Jongin. “You both deserve to be happy.”
Jongin laughed when Baekhyun tackled him, knocking both of them to the ground. They rolled around in the grass before lying still on their backs. They were both panting as they stared up at the sky. Jongin looked over, watching the elder's chest rise and fall as he tried to catch his breath. “Why do I get the feeling that you don't usually play around like this?” he asked, reaching out to smudge dirt on Baekhyun's cheek.
“Because I don't,” he replied, swatting blindly at Jongin's hand. “Want to go get some ice cream or something?” He looked over, smiling when Jongin nodded. He got to his feet, pulling Jongin with him for once.
Jongin smiled the entire time, letting himself be pulled by the elder. It felt nice. He had just moved his hand, lacing their fingers together, when a cold gust of wind blew toward them. They covered their faces, looking up when it passed. Jongin paled, seeing the man from before. He had completely forgotten about him in the time he had escaped Joonmyeon's room. He cleared his throat, feeling his mouth suddenly dry.
“H-hyung,” he stammered, eyes wide. Baekhyun looked at him before looking back at the man in front of them.
“You know him?” he asked. He frowned at seeing the slightly scared look on the younger's face. “Hey, you okay?”
He man grinned. “I didn’t know that you would personally deliver them to me,” he stated. He beckoned Jongin forward. “Come now, Jongin, bring me the child of light.”
“What's he talking about, Jongin?” Baekhyun found that he still wasn't replying to either of them and he moved to stand between them, staring at Jongin. “Earth to Jongin!” He waited as the younger blinked at him. “What's going on?”
“Kihwan hyung,” Jongin said, finally able to speak. “I thought you were going to wait until I wrote.”
“I got tired of waiting.”
“It hasn't even been a day. You couldn't wait that long?” Jongin felt his palms getting sweaty. Truth be told, he feared the man before him, but he never voiced it. He knew he could be killed very quickly by Kihwan.
Kihwan looked at him, frowning. “Jongin, you know I’m a very impatient man. Now, bring the child of light to me.” His eyes darkened and he pointed to the spot in front of him. “Now, Kai!”
Hearing that old name, Kai jumped, startled. He hesitantly took a step forward, moving to stand in between them. He shook his head “This wasn't part of the plan.”
Kihwan grinned. “Maybe it wasn't a part of yours, but I’ve been waiting for the day that I can kill them all off, one by one. I want to watch them suffer, to beg for their miserable lives. And you, Kai, have led me straight to all of them.” He waved the two of them forward. “Now, be a good little puppet and bring him here.”
Jongin pushed Baekhyun back a step, releasing his hand. “No, I won't do that to them.” He watched as Kihwan glared at him. “I think it's more than that. I can't do that to them. When you found me, you told me that they were all dangerous, especially Luhan hyung. You said that none of them would want to be around me since I wasn't with them from the start.”
“It's because it's true. Dear little Kai, haven't you seen the way they look at you?” Kihwan grinned at seeing the indecision flash in his eyes. “Now, bring me your little friend. I already promised you that they wouldn't be harmed.”
“What if I don't want to?” Jongin could hear his voice tremble and he hated himself for it. Trying to sound brave was easier said than done.
“Then I'll just have to take you away in return.” He held his hand out. "Come now, child.”
Baekhyun frowned, seeing that Jongin was getting upset. He took the younger's hand, pulling him to stand beside him. “I don't want you to take Jongin,” he stated, tightening his fingers around the younger's wrist.
Jongin could see the hatred in Kihwan's eyes as Baekhyun spoke. The wind picked up a little and he shivered, the iciness of it biting into his skin.
“You look exactly like the others. I thought I had managed to kill them off before they had the chance to reproduce, but I hadn’t counted on them being like rabbits.” Kihwan began to walk toward them, moving deliberately slow.
Baekhyun was beginning to feel intimidated, panicking slightly. He grabbed Jongin's hand a little more tightly, lowering his voice. “I'll blind him, you teleport us back home.” Jongin nodded, waiting for Baekhyun to charge up light in his palm. He kept it behind his back, trying to hide it from view. “Close your eyes. This is going to be bright.” He shut his eyes, too, throwing his hand forward. “Now, Jongin!”
Jongin thought of the living room, feeling his feet leave the ground before hitting the carpet. They opened their eyes, seeing some of the others sitting on the couch. Jongin quickly pulled his hand from Baekhyun's, staring at the floor.
“I'm sorry,” he mumbled, taking two steps back. “Really, I am. If I knew what was happening, I wouldn't have come here.” He looked up at the elder before glancing at the confused people on the couch. “I really am sorry.” When he looked at Baekhyun again, his eyes were full of tears. “Hyung, please don't hate me. I didn’t know, I swear.”
Baekhyun felt his heart clench painfully. “Jongin, don't!” He reached out, fingers grasping at air as the younger teleported away. He whipped around, facing the others. “Jongin's in trouble!”
“What do you mean?” Kris asked, standing up.
“There's someone that knows him, that showed up out of nowhere! He knows about all of us, but he knows Jongin personally. He called him Kai.” Baekhyun chewed on his lip, trying not to cry. He wouldn't forgive himself if he cried like a baby.
Tao froze in the door leading to the kitchen. “Did you say he called him Kai?” he asked, staring at the younger. At Baekhyun's nod, he clenched his hand into a fist, the glass of water shattering it it. Water and glass sprinkled down onto the carpet, stained with blood. “It has to be Kihwan.”
Baekhyun nodded, pointing at him. “That's what Jongin called him!”
“Who's Kihwan?” Chanyeol asked, looking at Tao.
Tao’s eyes hardened into stones as he stared at Baekhyun. “He's the one that's been trying to kill all of us since my time. He succeeded a few times, but the powers he destroyed had children before he could get rid of them completely. It's his sister that gave us these powers. And he's out for blood.”
“What happens when he kills one of the powers off?” Yixing asked. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
“He gains them for himself.” Tao looked at them. “He's managed to kill off wind, flight, fire, and earth in the past. Now he just gained water, since I think he's the one that killed Joonmyeon's grandfather. Although, to gain full power over water, he'd have to kill Joonmyeon. It has to be the current person that holds the power in order for him to get it fully.”
Baekhyun felt as if his heart was breaking. “What if he kills Jongin?”
“Then we're all doomed. He's too young to have even thought about having children, so the power of teleportation will die with him.”
“No, it won't,” Joonmyeon interrupted from the stairs. Kyungsoo was beside him, holding his hand.
“Joonmyeon,” Minseok murmured, standing up. He tossed the pillow he was holding onto the chair behind him. “Are you feeling any better?”
Joonmyeon shook his head. “Not really, but it's not important. I can continue to grieve later. Right now, I have a score to settle and a friend to save.”
Baekhyun nodded. “I'll lead the way to where we were.”
“Joonmyeon, Baekhyun, Yixing, and I will go. The rest of you stay put. Luhan, keep your guard up. Alert Kris if you hear anyone else's thoughts coming toward you. It'll mentally drain you, but we need to drive him away.”
Baekhyun ran out of the door, hearing the other three following him. He wondered if they should turn into their wolf forms, but decided against it. They wouldn't be able to use their powers if they did.
Jongin clutched his side, finding it hard to breathe. He was pretty sure that he had a few cracked ribs, but he remained on his feet. “I won't let you hurt them,” he stated, trying to stay focused. All he wanted was to sleep, to fall into a dark place and not wake up for a while. He watched as Kihwan approached him again, the same grin on his face.
“You've been very disobedient today,” he remarked, reaching up with his hand. He wrapped his fingers around Jongin's throat, nails biting into his skin. “What are the two worst ways to die?” He chuckled when the younger didn’t reply. “Suffocation and burning.”
Jongin felt Kihwan's palms slowly heating up. He began to sweat, reaching up to attempt to pry his hands off. He could have teleported, but why bother when Kihwan would be dragged along with him? He could feel his skin drying out, the first blisters beginning to form where Kihwan's fingers dug into his flesh.
I don't want to die, Jongin thought to himself. If there is anything that I’ve done that was good, please, let karma have pit on me. I didn’t let him hurt Baekhyun. That amounts to something, right? He heard a low growl before Kihwan's hands disappeared from around his throat. He couched, falling back. The ground felt soft, warm, despite it being early spring and made of rock. He felt something hit his face and he opened his eyes.
“B-Baekhyun?” he croaked, wincing as it hurt his throat.
“Shhh, don't talk,” Baekhyun murmured. “Yixing hyung, get over here!” He had glanced away before looking back down at Jongin. “Tao and Joonmyeon hyung are here, too.”
“Why did you come back?” Jongin winced again, frowning when something hit his face again. It took him a moment before he realized Baekhyun was crying. He reached up, wiping away a few tears. “Why are you crying?”
“I told you not to talk.” Baekhyun looked over as Yixing crouched next to them. “He has burns on his throat, but I’m sure that isn't all. He's breathing is off and I think he might have fractured ribs.”
“Leave him to me,” Yixing stated, leaning over Jongin. “This is going to hurt for a minute, but just bear with me, okay?” He placed his palm on the younger's throat, wincing as he hissed.
“It's okay,” Baekhyun whispered, running his finger's through Jongin's hair. “You're going to be fine.”
“It's so nice to see you again, Huang Zitao,” Kihwan said, smiling. “It surely saves me the trouble of fighting you down.” He nodded over at Jongin, smile widening. “He was such a good little puppet, doing whatever I asked of him. I warned him that one of you would die if all twelve came together.”
“None of us have died,” Tao spat, eyes fierce as he glared. “And you need to leave before you regret it.”
Kihwan cackled. “What have I to regret, Zitao? Kai has led me straight to all of you. And I can wipe all of you out before searching for my sister.”
Tao frowned. “Jihye left because she didn’t agree with the way you wanted to accomplish things.” He smirked when Kihwan's face fell a little. “What's the matter? Have I hit a nerve?”
“I'll kill you first, Zitao.” Kihwan raised his hand, fire spiraling around it. “And then I'll kill your precious friends!”
Joonmyeon thought quickly, dousing Kihwan with water. He put the fire out, but it would keep him from igniting more. “You killed my grandfather,” he accused, eyes flashing red. “I don't take too kindly to those who harm my family or threaten my friends.”
“You're no better than him. He was stupid, too. He feared nothing as I killed him.” Kihwan stared at them. “Too bad that he should have feared me. Perhaps he could have begged for me to spare your pathetic life.” He frowned, eyes locking on Joonmyeon. “I remember that face. It's the same as his was. That idiot Suho.”
Tao’s eyebrow twitched. “Suho wasn't an idiot! He was a kind and gentle king! And this country was lucky to have him!”
Joonmyeon stared at Tao. “I'm the descendant of a king?”
Nodding, Tao kept his eyes focused on Kihwan. “Yes, you are. Suho was very different from the others. He was a protector, a guardian, to everything and everyone. And then Kihwan came along, turning the world upside down. He killed Suho, but not until after his son had been born and he had accepted full power over water.”
Joonmyeon glared at Kihwan. “You killed Suho, too?” He growled, a large ball of water forming above him. It moved quickly through the air, hitting Kihwan as Joonmyeon howled, spiraling into a whirlpool. Kihwan tried to stop it, but his hold over water was nothing compared to Joonmyeon's. The watery vortex carried him off, soaking the ground as it went. It fell into the river, merging with it as Kihwan disappeared under the surface.
“He'll be back,” Tao told him, looking over to see Joonmyeon's body shaking. He reached out, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Come on. Let's get Jongin back so he can rest.”
Joonmyeon nodded, turning to see Jongin on Yixing's back while Baekhyun stood beside them. The youngest was asleep, but Yixing promised he would make a full recovery. As they walked back to Joonmyeon's he reached out, slipping something into Tao’s hand. “I think it's time I returned that,” he mumbled, smiling a little.
Tao held his hand up, eyes going wide at seeing his bracelet. “This is...” He looked at the other. “You still have this?”
Nodding, Joonmyeon averted his eyes. “I kept it with me, knowing you'd come back to stay one day.” He held up his arm, showing Tao a bracelet similar to his. “I've made one for everyone that's come here. The one Kris gave to Baekhyun, he made himself, but I showed him how to make it. Jongin's is sitting on my desk.”
“Do you know the story behind this bracelet?” Tao smiled fondly at it while he slipped it onto his wrist. “Suho gave it to me. As a present for always having his back.” He frowned as he lowered his arm to his side. “And then I turned my back on him. I met with him a few times after that, but I never stayed long. He forgave me for doing what I did, but I still felt guilty.” He stopped suddenly, Joonmyeon stopping next to him. Yixing and Baekhyun went on ahead, leaving them to their conversation.
“What did you talk about when you met?” Joonmyeon fingered the water drop dangling from his wrist, feeling comfort in it.
“He said he forgave all of us, the powers that left. He said it was destiny, that if all of us stayed together, we'd all be killed by Kihwan. We didn’t have the friendship that all of you do. We could barely stand each other. Things were tense in the palace. So, we left. Our last conversation, he asked if I would watch over his family in his place. He knew he was going to die, but still met with Kihwan. I’ve stayed within that tower for centuries, forever watching over the royal family.”
Joonmyeon nodded, reaching out to place his hand on Tao’s shoulder. “I'm sure I speak for Suho, too, when I say this.” He smiled at Tao. “Thank you for keeping a watchful eye over my family, for always being there to come to the Kim family's aid, and for saving my life when I was a child. But I think it's time you left your lonely tower and joined the rest of us.” He watched as Tao’s eyes filled with tears before he was pulled into a tight hug.
“It would be my honor, my prince.” Tao smiled into Joonmyeon's hair, tears dripping from his chin to soak into the other's shirt.
Author: his_angel16
Characters: Exo
Genre: Fantasy, Angst, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own the plot, not the people. Any actual likeness to any given person is purely coincidental.
Summary: All of his life he spent running. The shortest break he had was when he was twelve, but that was years ago now. Jongin was nineteen now, an adult. No more running away. It was time to face his pursuer head-on, but the truth that he discovers could be his uprising or his downfall. And Tao finally finds the courage to speak up about his past, about betraying the one person he had sworn loyalty to.
“What?” Jongin asked, trying to peek into the room.
Baekhyun smacked his hand over Jongin's eyes, dragging him along to the next room. His face was slightly flushed, cheeks dusted a light pink. He released Jongin's face as he went to sit in the middle of the room on the floor. Jongin gave him an odd look, turning his head when he heard the door open to the next room. “Kris, Yixing!” Minseok said from the hallway. Jongin turned back to look at Baekhyun, finding him face down on the floor. He quietly walked toward him, sitting down beside him.
“You saw Yixing and Kris, I’m assuming?” he mumbled. The other nodded and Jongin frowned. “Am I to assume you like one of them?” When Baekhyun nodded again, he pat him on the head. It wasn't something he was used to, showing sympathy. Normally, it would have been the other way around, but he did feel kind of sorry for the guy. “Do you mind if I ask which one?”
“Kris,” he replied. His voice was muffled by the floor, but Jongin could still hear the sadness in it.
He dropped his hand when the others came in, acting like they had simply gotten bored waiting for them. “Okay, so Baekhyun and Chanyeol are on my team?”
“Yeah.” Minseok stretched his arms over his head. “And Luhan and I are a team.”
He stood, dragging Baekhyun to his feet. He waited for Chanyeol to join them before they began speaking of their strategy. They were allotted five minutes, as were the eldest two. Their only downfall would be Luhan reading their minds, although he tried to keep that for whenever he and Minseok were losing. Chanyeol frowned at the expression Baekhyun was sporting.
“What's wrong with him?” he asked, eyebrows pulling together.
“He has a lot on his mind,” was the only answer Jongin gave him. Baekhyun shot him a look of gratitude. “Okay, so how do you guys usually work together?”
“Baekhyun blinds them. Then I go in for the kill.” Chanyeol grinned. “Hard to dodge fire when you don't know where it's coming from.”
“But Luhan can read our thoughts,” Baekhyun stated, voice quiet.
“So, this is what we do.” Jongin glanced at Minseok and Luhan, the two of them flirting instead of strategizing. “Baekhyun will act like that's what we're doing. Instead, when he has them distracted, I'll teleport Chanyeol to right behind them. It's a simple win, really.” Chanyeol looked at him as if he had just solved the universe's biggest mystery. “What?”
“You're a genius!” he shouted, cupping his face. He kissed him on the forehead, grinning as the younger wiped it off.
Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head. Jongin turned to him. “You think it's funny?”
“Yeah, a little.” Baekhyun looked at him, eyes sparkling.
Swallowing, Jongin felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to push the thought aside as he turned to the eldest two. “We're ready!”
“Good. Here we come!” Luhan replied, voice booming through the room.
“This wasn't in the plan,” Baekhyun said, diving to the side as Minseok threw ice at them. He looked over as he rolled into a crouch, finding that Chanyeol and Jongin had gone the other way. He looked up to see Luhan smirking down at him, little silver balls spiraling around him.
“Too easy.”
“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol shouted, fire flaring up in front of Luhan, separating them. A ring of fire encircled the elder, forcing him back a few steps.
Grinning, Baekhyun formed a ball of light, tossing it right into Luhan's face. He stepped backward, yelping as the fire touched his arm.
“I'm out!” Luhan stated, holding his hands over his eyes. “And I’m blind. Just leave me here while you continue.”
Baekhyun stood up, jumping to the side again when Minseok appeared out of nowhere. He went to form another ball of light when Minseok's ice swirled up from the ground. “Gotcha!” He was smiling, face disappearing into a puff of smoke. Baekhyun felt weightless for a moment before his feet found the ground again. He blinked as he was across the room, Chanyeol's fire reaching out and touching Minseok, too.
“We won?” he asked, looking to his left. He found Jongin smiling.
“Yeah, we won,” he replied, Chanyeol hooting from the other side. He came running up, hugging both of them tightly.
“I've never won against them!” he squealed, turning in circles. Kris and Yixing appeared in the doorway, hair messed up and shirts hanging off of their shoulders. Chanyeol turned to them, grin still plastered to his face. “We beat Luhan and Minseok!” He threw his hands into the air.
Yixing's eyes went wide. “Really?” he asked, looking over to where they stood. “I've only beaten them a handful of times. And it's because Jongdae and Kyungsoo were on my team and Joonmyeon was on theirs.”
Jongin felt Baekhyun tense beside him the moment Kris and Yixing entered the room. He reached out, taking his hand. “Show me what movies you guys have.” He pulled the elder from the room without waiting for a reply. In the hallway, he could visibly see him relax. “You should try to stay away from them if you tense up like that.”
“I know.” Baekhyun nodded, allowing the younger to pull him through the hallway. They stopped when they saw Kyungsoo come down the stairs. “How's Joonmyeon hyung?”
Kyungsoo shook his head. “He's sleeping now,” he replied, staring up the stairs. “We all knew it was going to be hard on him when his grandpa passed, but the fact that he was murdered, it just makes things worse.” He held up an empty glass, smiling a little. “I'm getting him more water.”
“Why not use the bathroom faucet?”
“He doesn't like that water. He prefers the bottled water that he buys.” Kyungsoo left them standing there as he headed for the kitchen.
Jongin looked over his shoulder, frowning at seeing Kris coming their way. He grabbed Baekhyun's wrist. “I suddenly don't feel like watching a movie.” He watched as Kris opened his mouth to talk, but they were gone with a puff of smoke. He released Baekhyun's wrist as soon as they were in their shared room, going to his bed to lie down.
“What was that for?” Baekhyun asked, frowning at the younger.
“He was coming.” Jongin buried his face in his pillow.
“He?” Baekhyun scratched his head, hearing Jongin's muffled sigh before he turned over.
“Yes, he.” He growled hitting his bed as he pushed himself up. “Birdie, dragon breath, the wingless wonder.”
Baekhyun chewed on his lip. “Kris?”
“Yes, Kris!” Jongin threw his pillow at Baekhyun, hitting him on the face. “Man, you're slow. Were you dropped on your head as a baby or something?” He smiled when Baekhyun did. “Okay, now give me my pillow back. I need that.”
Shaking his head, Baekhyun clutched Jongin's pillow to himself as he sat down on his own bed. “Nope, sorry. You forfeited your rights to this pillow when you threw it at me.” He let out a shriek when Jongin jumped at him. They laughed as they rolled around on Baekhyun's bed, only stopping when he hit his head on the bedside stand.
“Are you okay?” Jongin was trying to hold his laughter in, but failing at it. He reached out, tipping Baekhyun's face toward him to see better. He noticed a small cut right beside his temple and he frowned. “Come on. Let's get you doctored up.” He tugged the elder up with him, dragging him to the bathroom. They passed Sehun and Jongdae in the hall, both waving as they passed. They were in another giggle fit from the others' blank looks. “Hey, quiet down.”
Baekhyun shook his head. “You started it.” He giggled again, still clutching Jongin's pillow to his chest. He chewed on his lip as Jongin dug around for the first aid kit. It was shoved into the way back of the cabinet. With a healer living there, they didn’t really need it. He looked up as the younger put antibiotic ointment on his cut, rubbing it in a little with his finger. He wiped the remainder of it on his pants, peeling apart the paper to the adhesive bandage before sticking it to his forehead.
“There. All better.” He grinned down at Baekhyun before snatching his pillow from him. “You let your guard down!” He raced out of the bathroom, Baekhyun following after him. He tossed his pillow into their room before hurrying down the stairs. He laughed as he ran out of the door, the elder following after him. Kris and Yixing were standing on the front porch, but Baekhyun barely noticed. He was too preoccupied on trying to catch Jongin.
“He seems happy,” Tao said, leaning against the door frame. “Sehun, Jongdae, and I aren’t sure who is behind it, but we're pretty sure that Joonmyeon's grandfather was no random target. We're trying to make a list of all of his possible enemies, so if you two think of anything, feel free to share.”
“We'll try to figure it out. Maybe we should go to his office?” Yixing offered.
“We'll go look,” Kris stated, taking the younger's hand. He frowned when Tao didn’t move.
“Don't use it as another excuse to have alone time with Yixing. I heard about the mishap with Baekhyun walking in on you two from Minseok. He said he looked like you were sucking each other's faces off.” He moved letting them through as he looked over toward Baekhyun and Jongin. “You both deserve to be happy.”
Jongin laughed when Baekhyun tackled him, knocking both of them to the ground. They rolled around in the grass before lying still on their backs. They were both panting as they stared up at the sky. Jongin looked over, watching the elder's chest rise and fall as he tried to catch his breath. “Why do I get the feeling that you don't usually play around like this?” he asked, reaching out to smudge dirt on Baekhyun's cheek.
“Because I don't,” he replied, swatting blindly at Jongin's hand. “Want to go get some ice cream or something?” He looked over, smiling when Jongin nodded. He got to his feet, pulling Jongin with him for once.
Jongin smiled the entire time, letting himself be pulled by the elder. It felt nice. He had just moved his hand, lacing their fingers together, when a cold gust of wind blew toward them. They covered their faces, looking up when it passed. Jongin paled, seeing the man from before. He had completely forgotten about him in the time he had escaped Joonmyeon's room. He cleared his throat, feeling his mouth suddenly dry.
“H-hyung,” he stammered, eyes wide. Baekhyun looked at him before looking back at the man in front of them.
“You know him?” he asked. He frowned at seeing the slightly scared look on the younger's face. “Hey, you okay?”
He man grinned. “I didn’t know that you would personally deliver them to me,” he stated. He beckoned Jongin forward. “Come now, Jongin, bring me the child of light.”
“What's he talking about, Jongin?” Baekhyun found that he still wasn't replying to either of them and he moved to stand between them, staring at Jongin. “Earth to Jongin!” He waited as the younger blinked at him. “What's going on?”
“Kihwan hyung,” Jongin said, finally able to speak. “I thought you were going to wait until I wrote.”
“I got tired of waiting.”
“It hasn't even been a day. You couldn't wait that long?” Jongin felt his palms getting sweaty. Truth be told, he feared the man before him, but he never voiced it. He knew he could be killed very quickly by Kihwan.
Kihwan looked at him, frowning. “Jongin, you know I’m a very impatient man. Now, bring the child of light to me.” His eyes darkened and he pointed to the spot in front of him. “Now, Kai!”
Hearing that old name, Kai jumped, startled. He hesitantly took a step forward, moving to stand in between them. He shook his head “This wasn't part of the plan.”
Kihwan grinned. “Maybe it wasn't a part of yours, but I’ve been waiting for the day that I can kill them all off, one by one. I want to watch them suffer, to beg for their miserable lives. And you, Kai, have led me straight to all of them.” He waved the two of them forward. “Now, be a good little puppet and bring him here.”
Jongin pushed Baekhyun back a step, releasing his hand. “No, I won't do that to them.” He watched as Kihwan glared at him. “I think it's more than that. I can't do that to them. When you found me, you told me that they were all dangerous, especially Luhan hyung. You said that none of them would want to be around me since I wasn't with them from the start.”
“It's because it's true. Dear little Kai, haven't you seen the way they look at you?” Kihwan grinned at seeing the indecision flash in his eyes. “Now, bring me your little friend. I already promised you that they wouldn't be harmed.”
“What if I don't want to?” Jongin could hear his voice tremble and he hated himself for it. Trying to sound brave was easier said than done.
“Then I'll just have to take you away in return.” He held his hand out. "Come now, child.”
Baekhyun frowned, seeing that Jongin was getting upset. He took the younger's hand, pulling him to stand beside him. “I don't want you to take Jongin,” he stated, tightening his fingers around the younger's wrist.
Jongin could see the hatred in Kihwan's eyes as Baekhyun spoke. The wind picked up a little and he shivered, the iciness of it biting into his skin.
“You look exactly like the others. I thought I had managed to kill them off before they had the chance to reproduce, but I hadn’t counted on them being like rabbits.” Kihwan began to walk toward them, moving deliberately slow.
Baekhyun was beginning to feel intimidated, panicking slightly. He grabbed Jongin's hand a little more tightly, lowering his voice. “I'll blind him, you teleport us back home.” Jongin nodded, waiting for Baekhyun to charge up light in his palm. He kept it behind his back, trying to hide it from view. “Close your eyes. This is going to be bright.” He shut his eyes, too, throwing his hand forward. “Now, Jongin!”
Jongin thought of the living room, feeling his feet leave the ground before hitting the carpet. They opened their eyes, seeing some of the others sitting on the couch. Jongin quickly pulled his hand from Baekhyun's, staring at the floor.
“I'm sorry,” he mumbled, taking two steps back. “Really, I am. If I knew what was happening, I wouldn't have come here.” He looked up at the elder before glancing at the confused people on the couch. “I really am sorry.” When he looked at Baekhyun again, his eyes were full of tears. “Hyung, please don't hate me. I didn’t know, I swear.”
Baekhyun felt his heart clench painfully. “Jongin, don't!” He reached out, fingers grasping at air as the younger teleported away. He whipped around, facing the others. “Jongin's in trouble!”
“What do you mean?” Kris asked, standing up.
“There's someone that knows him, that showed up out of nowhere! He knows about all of us, but he knows Jongin personally. He called him Kai.” Baekhyun chewed on his lip, trying not to cry. He wouldn't forgive himself if he cried like a baby.
Tao froze in the door leading to the kitchen. “Did you say he called him Kai?” he asked, staring at the younger. At Baekhyun's nod, he clenched his hand into a fist, the glass of water shattering it it. Water and glass sprinkled down onto the carpet, stained with blood. “It has to be Kihwan.”
Baekhyun nodded, pointing at him. “That's what Jongin called him!”
“Who's Kihwan?” Chanyeol asked, looking at Tao.
Tao’s eyes hardened into stones as he stared at Baekhyun. “He's the one that's been trying to kill all of us since my time. He succeeded a few times, but the powers he destroyed had children before he could get rid of them completely. It's his sister that gave us these powers. And he's out for blood.”
“What happens when he kills one of the powers off?” Yixing asked. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
“He gains them for himself.” Tao looked at them. “He's managed to kill off wind, flight, fire, and earth in the past. Now he just gained water, since I think he's the one that killed Joonmyeon's grandfather. Although, to gain full power over water, he'd have to kill Joonmyeon. It has to be the current person that holds the power in order for him to get it fully.”
Baekhyun felt as if his heart was breaking. “What if he kills Jongin?”
“Then we're all doomed. He's too young to have even thought about having children, so the power of teleportation will die with him.”
“No, it won't,” Joonmyeon interrupted from the stairs. Kyungsoo was beside him, holding his hand.
“Joonmyeon,” Minseok murmured, standing up. He tossed the pillow he was holding onto the chair behind him. “Are you feeling any better?”
Joonmyeon shook his head. “Not really, but it's not important. I can continue to grieve later. Right now, I have a score to settle and a friend to save.”
Baekhyun nodded. “I'll lead the way to where we were.”
“Joonmyeon, Baekhyun, Yixing, and I will go. The rest of you stay put. Luhan, keep your guard up. Alert Kris if you hear anyone else's thoughts coming toward you. It'll mentally drain you, but we need to drive him away.”
Baekhyun ran out of the door, hearing the other three following him. He wondered if they should turn into their wolf forms, but decided against it. They wouldn't be able to use their powers if they did.
Jongin clutched his side, finding it hard to breathe. He was pretty sure that he had a few cracked ribs, but he remained on his feet. “I won't let you hurt them,” he stated, trying to stay focused. All he wanted was to sleep, to fall into a dark place and not wake up for a while. He watched as Kihwan approached him again, the same grin on his face.
“You've been very disobedient today,” he remarked, reaching up with his hand. He wrapped his fingers around Jongin's throat, nails biting into his skin. “What are the two worst ways to die?” He chuckled when the younger didn’t reply. “Suffocation and burning.”
Jongin felt Kihwan's palms slowly heating up. He began to sweat, reaching up to attempt to pry his hands off. He could have teleported, but why bother when Kihwan would be dragged along with him? He could feel his skin drying out, the first blisters beginning to form where Kihwan's fingers dug into his flesh.
I don't want to die, Jongin thought to himself. If there is anything that I’ve done that was good, please, let karma have pit on me. I didn’t let him hurt Baekhyun. That amounts to something, right? He heard a low growl before Kihwan's hands disappeared from around his throat. He couched, falling back. The ground felt soft, warm, despite it being early spring and made of rock. He felt something hit his face and he opened his eyes.
“B-Baekhyun?” he croaked, wincing as it hurt his throat.
“Shhh, don't talk,” Baekhyun murmured. “Yixing hyung, get over here!” He had glanced away before looking back down at Jongin. “Tao and Joonmyeon hyung are here, too.”
“Why did you come back?” Jongin winced again, frowning when something hit his face again. It took him a moment before he realized Baekhyun was crying. He reached up, wiping away a few tears. “Why are you crying?”
“I told you not to talk.” Baekhyun looked over as Yixing crouched next to them. “He has burns on his throat, but I’m sure that isn't all. He's breathing is off and I think he might have fractured ribs.”
“Leave him to me,” Yixing stated, leaning over Jongin. “This is going to hurt for a minute, but just bear with me, okay?” He placed his palm on the younger's throat, wincing as he hissed.
“It's okay,” Baekhyun whispered, running his finger's through Jongin's hair. “You're going to be fine.”
“It's so nice to see you again, Huang Zitao,” Kihwan said, smiling. “It surely saves me the trouble of fighting you down.” He nodded over at Jongin, smile widening. “He was such a good little puppet, doing whatever I asked of him. I warned him that one of you would die if all twelve came together.”
“None of us have died,” Tao spat, eyes fierce as he glared. “And you need to leave before you regret it.”
Kihwan cackled. “What have I to regret, Zitao? Kai has led me straight to all of you. And I can wipe all of you out before searching for my sister.”
Tao frowned. “Jihye left because she didn’t agree with the way you wanted to accomplish things.” He smirked when Kihwan's face fell a little. “What's the matter? Have I hit a nerve?”
“I'll kill you first, Zitao.” Kihwan raised his hand, fire spiraling around it. “And then I'll kill your precious friends!”
Joonmyeon thought quickly, dousing Kihwan with water. He put the fire out, but it would keep him from igniting more. “You killed my grandfather,” he accused, eyes flashing red. “I don't take too kindly to those who harm my family or threaten my friends.”
“You're no better than him. He was stupid, too. He feared nothing as I killed him.” Kihwan stared at them. “Too bad that he should have feared me. Perhaps he could have begged for me to spare your pathetic life.” He frowned, eyes locking on Joonmyeon. “I remember that face. It's the same as his was. That idiot Suho.”
Tao’s eyebrow twitched. “Suho wasn't an idiot! He was a kind and gentle king! And this country was lucky to have him!”
Joonmyeon stared at Tao. “I'm the descendant of a king?”
Nodding, Tao kept his eyes focused on Kihwan. “Yes, you are. Suho was very different from the others. He was a protector, a guardian, to everything and everyone. And then Kihwan came along, turning the world upside down. He killed Suho, but not until after his son had been born and he had accepted full power over water.”
Joonmyeon glared at Kihwan. “You killed Suho, too?” He growled, a large ball of water forming above him. It moved quickly through the air, hitting Kihwan as Joonmyeon howled, spiraling into a whirlpool. Kihwan tried to stop it, but his hold over water was nothing compared to Joonmyeon's. The watery vortex carried him off, soaking the ground as it went. It fell into the river, merging with it as Kihwan disappeared under the surface.
“He'll be back,” Tao told him, looking over to see Joonmyeon's body shaking. He reached out, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Come on. Let's get Jongin back so he can rest.”
Joonmyeon nodded, turning to see Jongin on Yixing's back while Baekhyun stood beside them. The youngest was asleep, but Yixing promised he would make a full recovery. As they walked back to Joonmyeon's he reached out, slipping something into Tao’s hand. “I think it's time I returned that,” he mumbled, smiling a little.
Tao held his hand up, eyes going wide at seeing his bracelet. “This is...” He looked at the other. “You still have this?”
Nodding, Joonmyeon averted his eyes. “I kept it with me, knowing you'd come back to stay one day.” He held up his arm, showing Tao a bracelet similar to his. “I've made one for everyone that's come here. The one Kris gave to Baekhyun, he made himself, but I showed him how to make it. Jongin's is sitting on my desk.”
“Do you know the story behind this bracelet?” Tao smiled fondly at it while he slipped it onto his wrist. “Suho gave it to me. As a present for always having his back.” He frowned as he lowered his arm to his side. “And then I turned my back on him. I met with him a few times after that, but I never stayed long. He forgave me for doing what I did, but I still felt guilty.” He stopped suddenly, Joonmyeon stopping next to him. Yixing and Baekhyun went on ahead, leaving them to their conversation.
“What did you talk about when you met?” Joonmyeon fingered the water drop dangling from his wrist, feeling comfort in it.
“He said he forgave all of us, the powers that left. He said it was destiny, that if all of us stayed together, we'd all be killed by Kihwan. We didn’t have the friendship that all of you do. We could barely stand each other. Things were tense in the palace. So, we left. Our last conversation, he asked if I would watch over his family in his place. He knew he was going to die, but still met with Kihwan. I’ve stayed within that tower for centuries, forever watching over the royal family.”
Joonmyeon nodded, reaching out to place his hand on Tao’s shoulder. “I'm sure I speak for Suho, too, when I say this.” He smiled at Tao. “Thank you for keeping a watchful eye over my family, for always being there to come to the Kim family's aid, and for saving my life when I was a child. But I think it's time you left your lonely tower and joined the rest of us.” He watched as Tao’s eyes filled with tears before he was pulled into a tight hug.
“It would be my honor, my prince.” Tao smiled into Joonmyeon's hair, tears dripping from his chin to soak into the other's shirt.