Author’s Note: I do not know the secret to writing a fanfiction. I write about what I am loving and what interests me. In other words, I write about what I want to read. Over the past few weeks of meeting lots of new friends on this platform, lots of people seem to have similar loves and caring to this story, and have lived with me through the characters as each chapter goes by. I believe the primary reason that this story is well-known is because of you, the readers. So thank you.

And yep, thanks for the sweet gift, Memica! I promised her to feature the poster in this chapter. Well, enjoy the ride, guys!

***

Hours passed, probably a little more than five. No one had interrupted them, which was surprising. Seolhyun was mighty comfortable in Hyejeong’s arms, her cheek resting against her chest. She knew it might sound stupid, but she loved listening to her heartbeat.

Hyejeong played with her hair, twisting strands around her fingers while they talked about anything and everything that had nothing to do with the immediate future and everything to do with the one they hoped for.

That they had a life.

It was good, like cleansing the soul in a way.

But then Seolhyun’s stomach grumbled like Godzilla. Hyejeong chuckled. “Okay. We’ve got to get some food in there before you start gnawing on me.”

“Too late,” Seolhyun said, nipping at Hyejeong’s lower lip. Hyejeong made that y sound in , the kind that led to things that would take up another couple of hours. Seolhyun forced herself to put some distance between them. “We need to go downstairs.”

“So you can eat?” Hyejeong sat up, running a hand through her hair. She looked adorably disheveled.

“Yeah, but we also need to find out what everyone is doing.” Reality was a bit sobering. “We need to figure out what we’re doing.”

“I know.” Hyejeong bent over the edge of the bed and picked up Seolhyun’s shirt. She tossed it to her. “But there better be food involved.”

Thank God there was. Mina was in the kitchen making a late lunch– or was it an early dinner? Seolhyun sidled up to her. “Can I help?” she asked, rocking back.

Mina glanced at her. “I’m almost done. Which one do you want? Sandwich? Kimbap?”

“Sandwich, pretty please.” Seolhyun grinned. “Hyejeong probably wants sandwich, too. And I can make them if you haven’t.”

“Hyejeong wants anything she can consume.” Mina reached up, grabbing a plate. As she placed the platter on it, a burst of loud laughter caused her to glance over her shoulder. She looked relieved.

“What?” Seolhyun asked, glancing back to the hall Hyejeong had disappeared down.

“I don’t know.” A small smile appeared. “I’m just surprised. Yuna is in that room. I figured there’d be yelling instead of laughter.”

“Hyejeong is just... you know, a bit overprotective when it comes to you.”

She laughed.

There was another explosion of laughter that Seolhyun recognized as Hyejeong’s. She was smiling like an idiot before she even realized it.

“Look at you. If it’s what you two have been doing in that room upstairs all afternoon, I don’t even want to know.”

Seolhyun laughed. “I’m not talking about that.”

“Thank God.” Chaeyeon slinked between them, grabbing the jar of Nutella. “Because no one wants to hear about that.”

Unless it involved Chaeyeon’s past with Hyejeong, then she was all kinds of talkative, but whatever. Seolhyun smiled at her, which earned her a strange look.

Chaeyeon grabbed a spoon, scooped up some butter, and popped it in . Seolhyun’s stomach turned. “The fact that you’re so damn skinny and you eat Nutella by the spoonful is universally messed up.”

She winked a catlike eye. “Be jealous.”

Seolhyun snorted.

“Then again, maybe I’m the one who should be jealous, baby.” She mimicked Hyejeong.

Mina smacked Chaeyeon’s arm playfully. “Don’t start!”

Chaeyeon grinned as she tossed the spoon in the sink. “I didn’t say I wanted to be Hyejeong’s baby, but if I did, well... this story may have a different ending.”

A couple of months ago, she would’ve gotten an erupted volcano out of Seolhyun. Now Seolhyun just smiled.

Chaeyeon stared at her a moment, and then her blue eyes rolled. “Whatever.”

Seolhyun watched her leave the kitchen. “I think I’m growing on her,” she said to Mina.

Mina giggled as she put the last roll of kimbap on the plate. There were more than a dozen. “Actually, I think the biggest problem is that Chaeyeon wants to dislike you.”

“She does a good job at it.”

“But I don’t think that’s how she really feels.” Mina picked up the plate. “She really did care for Hyejeong. I don’t think it was ever love, but I think she always believed that they’d be together. That’s a lot to get over.”

Seolhyun sort of felt guilty. “I know.”

“But she will. Besides, she’ll find someone who can tolerate her iness, and all will be right in the world.”

“And you?”

Mina giggled and winked. “I just want everything to be right in the world for one night– if you know what I mean.”

Seolhyun choked on her laugh. “God, do not let Youkyung hear that.”

“No kidding.”

Everyone was in the living room with bodies draped over couches and lounges. The biggest TV Seolhyun had ever seen hung on the wall, damn near the size of a theater screen.

Hyejeong patted the spot beside her on the couch, and Seolhyun sat down, handing her her plate and juice. “Thank you.”

“Your sister made them. I just carried ours.”

Mina placed the dishes on the coffee table and glanced over to where Yuna sat with Hong and Jaejin. Then she took two sandwiches and retreated to the couch. Two pink spots bloomed on her cheeks, and Seolhyun hoped she was having nice, clean thoughts.

One glance at Yuna, who was now staring at Mina, had Seolhyun assuming that Mina wasn’t.

On the other side of her, Youkyung leaned forward and grabbed two of the kimbap, one for her and the other for Yuna. Their eyes met, and a tentative smile brightened her face.

They stayed there for a while, long after the food was gone, and Seolhyun thought everyone was delaying the big talk. So much so that Youkyung left the room, telling them she’d be back in a few moments.

Hyejeong leaned forward, dropping her hands to her knees. “Time to get down to business.”

“True,” Hong said. “We need to get on the road soon. Tomorrow would be best.”

“I think that’s assumed,” Yonghwa said. “But where exactly on the road are we heading to?”

Hong opened his mouth, but Yuna held up a hand, silencing him. “Hold that thought.”

The younger Gwynth’s eyes narrowed, but then he sat back, his jaw clenched. Yuna stood and strode out of the room, hands closing into fists.

“What’s going on?” Hyejeong asked.

Unease s down Seolhyun’s spine. She glanced over at Jonghyun, who also was suddenly on alert. “Hong,” She said, feeling her heart trip up.

Hong stood, his chest rising sharply. One second he was standing in front of the lounge and the next he was across the room, a hand around Kahi’s throat. “How long?” he demanded.

“Holy .” Yonghwa jumped to his feet, moving in front of his sister and Mina.

“How long?” Hong demanded again, his fingers tightening on .

Blood drained from the female Felix’s face. “I-I don’t know what you m-mean.”

Hyejeong stood slowly and stepped forward. Jonghyun was immediately behind her. “What’s going on? She’s my friend!”

Hong ignored him, lifting the frightened Felix off the floor. “I’m going to give you five seconds to answer the question. One. Four–”

“I didn’t have a choice,” she gasped out, clutching the boy’s wrist.

Seolhyun’s blood chilled.

Understanding rippled across the room, followed by horror. “Wrong answer,” Hong said, voice low as he dropped Kahi. “You always have a choice. It’s the one thing that no one can strip from us.”

Hong moved so quickly that Seolhyun doubted even Hyejeong could fully track what he did. His arm shot out. White swirled down his arm, exploding from his hand. A wave of heat and power flowed through the room, blowing the hair back from Seolhyun’s face.

The energy smacked into Kahi’s chest, throwing her backward into the painting on the wall. A look of shock crossed her face, and then there was nothing. Her eyes were blank as she slid down the wall, her legs tucking under her.

Oh my God... Seolhyun stepped back, clamping her hand over .

There was a hole in Kahi’s chest. Smoke wafted out of it.

A second later, she blurred like bad reception, and then she was in her true form, the luminous glow fading until it revealed the translucent skin and network of dull veins.

“Care to explain why you just killed our host?” Hyejeong asked in a dangerously even voice.

Yuna reappeared in the wide opening of the room, one hand clamped on the back of Youkyung’s neck and a crushed phone in the other. Blood trickled out from Youkyung’s nose, a deeper red with a blue tint to it.

Hyejeong and Mina shot forward. “What the hell?” Hyejeong’s voice thundered through the house. “You have two seconds to answer that question before I tear this room apart!”

“Your sister here was making a phone call.” Yuna’s tone was flat, so calm that a shudder worked its way through Seolhyun’s muscles. “Tell them, Youkyung, tell them who you were calling.”

There was no response from Youkyung. She just stared at Hyejeong and Mina.

Yuna’s grip tightened, jerking Youkyung’s head back. “This bastard was on the phone with Icarus. She screwed us. Bad.”

Hyejeong stepped back, actually physically, mentally recoiling from the accusation. “No.” Her voice was hoarse. “No way.”

“I’m sorry,” Youkyung said. “I couldn’t let this happen.”

“Let what happen?” Mina said. Her face was pale as her hands clenched at her sides.

Youkyung didn’t take her eyes off Hyejeong. Her voice, her entire being pleaded with her sister to understand the unthinkable. “You guys are my family, and Minhyuk is dead. He’s dead because of what Icarus wants. I can’t keep losing any of us. You have to understand. It’s the last thing I wanted to go through again.”

A cold sensation raced through Seolhyun’s veins. “Again?”

Youkyung’s dark eyes slid toward Seolhyun, and it was like the shutters were off. For the first time, Seolhyun saw the distrust and the loathing in her stare. So potent and powerful, it reached across the room and latched onto her. “This is why we don’t mix with humans. Accidents happen, and it’s in our nature to save the ones we love. That’s why we don’t love humans. It leads to this! The moment one of us gets involved with a human, Icarus is only a few steps behind.”

“Oh my God.” Mina clasped her hands over .

Yuna spat in disgusted.

Jaejin tsked softly. “That is a terrible reason to betray those you consider family.”

“You wouldn’t understand!” Youkyung struggled free from Yuna’s grip. “If I have to sacrifice one to save everyone else, I will. I have done it. It has been for the best.”

“I knew you were watching me and Seolhyun.” Yuna tightened her grip. Unforgiving. “Since the beginning you signed to Seolhyun’s mom housing applicant online. You willed to take a closely watch of Kim’s family, right? How Seolhyun’s name came up as Hyejeong’s roommate, must’ve been a little magic done by a snap of your fingers.” She snickered. “While we’re in Icarus, why had you never once told me you’re Chanmi? Why did you hide your face behind a mask?”

So that SY initial Seolhyun found at Xiumin’s house with several pictures of her and Hyejeong must’ve been Youkyung’s account? Dr. Park paid her too? Was that why she got easily escaped in and out from Icarus to do this nasty mission?

She turned over Hyejeong, her real family to them?

Seolhyun shuddered.

Hong tilted his head to the side. “Wait, what did they offer you? Everyone would go free if you turned over just one of them? An equal exchange. A life for a handful of others?”

Seolhyun was going to be sick.

Youkyung snorted. “They wanted Hyejeong and Seolhyun,” she said, her gaze sliding back to Hyejeong. “They promised that everyone else would walk away from this.”

“Are you insane?” shrieked Mina. “How is that helping anyone?”

“It will!” Youkyung roared. “Why do you think they left Hyejeong and you alone, Mina? You knew about their relationship and that Seolhyun alone knew the truth about us. All of you were at risk. I had to do something.”

“No.” Yuna’s low voice shook the room. “My uncle was the one who turned us–”

“Your uncle confirmed what was suspected,” Youkyung spat. “When they came to me about you, they gave me an option. If I told the truth about the extent of our somewhat relationship and what Seolhyun knew, everyone else would be left alone.”

The edges of Hyejeong’s body started to blur. “You turned over yourself to them? With Yuna?” Venom dripped from her words.

“I didn’t know that freaking Kloom were working with them. I healed Yuna three days before I lured her in Chungha Rocks. I didn’t mean to heal Yuna for sake!” Youkyung shook her head. “I loved her. I really did. And what’s funny this morning? She didn’t even recognize me. Even for one sec.”

“I fell in love with Chanmi.” Yuna stared at her, deeply, combusting the glowing eyes. “Chanmi who asked me out to watch movies, Chanmi who made me breakfast every morning, Chanmi who risked her life to save mine from the Kloom,” She gritted her teeth. “Not with a Youkyung. Not even once. Not ever once.”

Youkyung’s unknowing teary eyes didn’t draw any regret left of Yuna.

“It was a mistake,” she said. “But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you.” Shaking her head, Yuna gripped the hem of Youkyung’s shirt harshly. “You healed me. My uncle turned me in. The worst pain in me goes beyond the physical torture from what Icarus had done to me. Even further beyond any other emotional pain I can feel. It is the betrayal of someone I loved.”

Youkyung looked away to shed one remaining stupid tear. “You know what they do to Felix who break the rules. They are never heard from again. They threatened to take you all in.” She spun toward Chaeyeon and Yonghwa. “Even you. I had no choice.”

Energy crackled through the room.

Hyejeong looked stricken, as if she’d been er punched, but the sudden heat rising in the room wasn’t coming from her. It was from Jonghyun. A fine current of energy rolled out from him.

Mina came closer to her sister, demanding the ugly truth. “Who made you do this? Who forced you? Tell me, Youkyung. Who?”

“All he wants from the very beginning is Hyejeong and Seolhyun. Everyone else, including me and Yuna, will walk away from this. I had to do it. I have to protect my family from him–”

Jonghyun reacted so quickly that if anyone in the room wanted to stop him, he or she didn’t have a chance. Rearing back, he sent a blast of pure, unstable energy straight into Youkyung. The bolt slammed into Youkyung’s chest, spinning her around.

Lifting her gaze, Hyejeong saw Mina was blurred. Either she was losing hold on herself or she herself was. Had she ever cried harder than this before? She couldn’t remember.

She seemed to wobble, and Hyejeong shot toward her, catching her before she fell, but then they both hit the floor, holding each other. Mina turned her head to the ceiling, letting out an unearthly roar that surely broke the sound barrier, shaking the house again. Windows rattled and then blew out this time. The tinkling sound of glass falling cut through the wake like distant applause.

And then there were her sobs. Heart-rending sobs racked her slender body and shook Hyejeong. The sound broke her heart. Mina kept flipping in and out of her natural form, falling apart in Hyejeong’s arms.

Seolhyun knew Youkyung was dead before she hit the ground.

Seolhyun knew it was Mina who screamed.

Seolhyun knew it was Hyejeong who grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room.

Seolhyun knew it was Yuna’s voice that rose above the chaos, joining Hyejeong’s in issuing orders.

And Seolhyun knew they had to get out of there. Fast.

But she never expected that Youkyung would do something like this, or that Jonghyun would kill her without so much as blinking an eye.

“Stay with me, Seolhyun.” Hyejeong’s low voice glided over Seolhyun’s skin. They were passing the kitchen. “I need you to–”

“I’m fine,” Seolhyun cut in, watching Hong spin around to pull a thunderstruck Chaeyeon into the foyer. “They’re coming. Now.”

Yuna reaching behind them, pulled out a gun.

“Where are we going?” Hyejeong asked, her grip on Seolhyun’s hand tightening. “What’s the plan? Run out of here like we’re insane?”

“Sounds about right,” Yonghwa said. “Unless we all want to get carted away.”

“No.” Hong kept a careful eye on Jonghyun. “We head out of town. We have to get out of the city.”

Hyejeong glanced at Jonghyun. “Hey, you okay?” When Jonghyun nodded, Hyejeong let go of Seolhyun’s hand and stepped up to him, clasping him on the shoulder. “You did... what you had to do. I’d no longer seen her as the old Youkyung I’d known once she came back to us. Dr. Park must’ve been the one behind all of this.”

Jonghyun nodded. “I’m sorry, Hyejeong.”

“All right, family bonding time aside, anyone who gets into one of these cars outside is in it for the long haul,” Jaejin said, shaking a set of car keys. “If you even think you’re not ready to put your life on the line for everyone here, then you stay behind. If you screw us out there, I will end you.” He flashed a rather charming smile. “And I will probably enjoy it.”

Hyejeong cut him a dark look but said, “I second that.”

“I’m already in it this far,” Yonghwa said, shrugging. “Might as well go all the way.”

Everyone looked at Chaeyeon.

“What?” she said, tucking short strands of hair behind her ears. “Look. If I didn’t want to take part in this craziness, I would’ve stayed home, but I’m here.”

She had a point, but Seolhyun wanted to ask why she or Yonghwa would risk everything when they weren’t fans of her. Then it hit her. It wasn’t about them. It was about Hyejeong and Mina. It was about family.

Yonghwa already had Chaeyeon loaded in the backseat of an SUV. Yuna and Jonghyun were climbing in with them.

“Yeah, go with them,” Seolhyun told Yuna, knowing she’d keep them safe. “We’ll go with Jaejin and Hong.”

Yuna didn’t hesitate. She intercepted Jonghyun and got behind the wheel. “You want me driving in case stuff goes down. Trust me.”

Jonghyun didn’t look convinced. He didn’t argue. Just got in the passenger side and shut up.

Seolhyun and Hyejeong climbed into Hong’s SUV, Jaejin behind the wheel and Hong in the front. Hong twisted around as they slammed the doors shut. “Sorry about Youkyung,” he said to Hyejeong. “That . But people do y things when they’re desperate.”

“And dumb,” Jaejin muttered under his breath.

Hyejeong glanced at Seolhyun and lifted the arm closest to her. Seolhyun didn’t hesitate. Heart aching something fierce, she scooted over and pressed against Hyejeong’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Seolhyun whispered to her. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” Hyejeong murmured. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

There was a lot to be sorry for. Things Seolhyun couldn’t really even wrap her head around as they peeled out of the driveway. And the other things, like the fact that Icarus was most likely on their way right now? Panic was already simmering inside. She’d be useless freaking out.

The gate up ahead wasn’t opening. Hyejeong held on tight as Jaejin didn’t break. He plowed through the metal gate.

“Good thing we’re in a Jojo,” Hong said.

Hyejeong reached for the seat belt. “You really should be wearing this.”

“What about you?” Seolhyun let Hyejeong buckle her in the middle seat.

“I’m harder to kill.”

“Actually...” Hong drawled the word out. “I’m probably the hardest thing to kill.”

Jaejin hit breakneck speed on the narrow road, Yuna close behind them. “Did Icarus ever show you their neatest weapon?”

“They showed us a lot of things,” Seolhyun said, lurching sideways as Jaejin hit a curve.

“How about that special gun of theirs?” Hong put a foot up on the dashboard, and Seolhyun hoped the airbag didn’t deploy anytime soon. “The one that can take out a Felix with one shot. The FNC?”

“What?” Seolhyun glanced back and forth between Hong and Hyejeong. “What kind of weapon is that?”

“It’s some kind of energy pulse that disrupts light waves, high tech. Kind of like Clio, but much worse.” Hyejeong’s brows lowered. “I didn’t see it, but Choa told me about it.”

“It’s an electromagnetic weapon,” Hong explained. “And it’s very dangerous to anything around it. If they break it out, they aren’t messing around. The damn thing will disrupt signals and can even hurt humans since the brains, lungs, and heart are all controlled by low-voltage electricity. The Fusil Nucleus Carrier isn’t fatal for humans in a low frequency, but it is catastrophic to our kind at any frequency.”

Ice drenched Seolhyun. “One shot?”

“One shot,” Hong repeated gravely. “You two probably have nothing to worry about, since they want you alive, but you need to realize that if they bring out the big guns, people are going to die.”

Seolhyun froze, unable to drag in a breath. More people would die. “We can’t let that happen.” She twisted toward Hyejeong, going as far as the seat belt let her. “We can’t let people die because–”

“I know.” Hyejeong’s jaw set with determination. “We can’t go back, either. We just have to get out of here before we need to worry about anything like that.”

Seolhyun glanced at Hong. He didn’t look so convinced. Seolhyun knew Hyejeong was trying to reassure her. She appreciated that, but guilt piled on top of the terror. If anyone died...

“Don’t,” Hyejeong said quietly. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t.”

“How can I not think about that?”

Hyejeong didn’t have an answer. The creeping terror was like an endless hole, growing in size as they neared the city at dusk. The red and blue neon lights of the billboards and flashing lights were harsh instead of welcoming.

Traffic had ground to a halt, an endless stream of vehicles that was more parking lot than road.

“Well, shoot.” Jaejin smacked his hands on the steering wheel. “This is inconvenient.”

Hyejeong gripped the back of her seat. “We need to get out of traffic. We’re sitting useless here.”

Jaejin snorted. “Unless you have a hovercraft in your back pocket, I don’t see how I’m supposed to get us out of here. There are side roads we can take, but they’re farther down this road.”

With shaky fingers, Seolhyun unbuckled the seat belt and leaned forward until her knees pressed against the center console. A quick glance back confirmed that Yuna was there. “Why isn’t the traffic moving at all? Look.” She pointed. The line of cars heading out of the city stretched all the way. “It’s completely stopped.”

“There’s no need to panic yet,” Jaejin said. A cheerful smile crossed his face. “It’s probably just an accident through traffic. It happens. We’re in Seoul, after all.”

Running her sweaty palms over her thighs, Seolhyun started to respond when a hushed sound caught her attention. Leaning back, she peered out the passenger window. “Oh, crap.”

A black helicopter flew over the city, incredibly low. It looked like the whirling blades would clip a building at any second. It could be any helicopter, but Seolhyun had a sinking feeling that it was Icarus.

“I’m going to check this out,” Hong said, reaching for the door. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Hong was out of the Jojo and slinking around cars before any of them could respond. Irritation flashed across Hyejeong’s face. “Do you think that was smart?”

Jaejin laughed. “No. But Hong does what Hong wants. He’ll be back. He’s good like that.”

A soft knock on the back window caused Seolhyun to jump. It was Jonghyun.

Hyejeong rolled the window down. “We got problems, dude.”

“Figured.” Jonghyun leaned in. “That Hong kid up there?”

“Yeah,” Seolhyun said, pressing her hands between her knees.

Someone behind Jonghyun, in the other lane, whistled. Hong returned. He climbed into the SUV. “Guys, I have bad news and I have good news. What do you want first?”

Hyejeong’s knuckles turned white from where she was gripping the seat. Seolhyun knew she was about two seconds from smacking one of the guys up front. “I don’t know. How about you start with the good?”

“Well, there is a barricade up the road about a mile in. That gives us some time to think of something.”

Seolhyun’s words came out hoarse. “That’s the good news? What in the hell is the bad news?”

Hong grimaced. “The bad news is they got, like, a SWAT team moving up the line of cars, checking each one, so the time to make a decision is sort of limited.”

Seolhyun stared at him.

Hyejeo